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“Come on, at least give it a try,” Lani said, holding the book out for him.

“Lani, that book’s so big it’s gonna swallow me whole,” Raph said, backing up away from the bed.

“Come on, I promise it’s vegetarian,” she said, giggling.

“No,” he said firmly, “I ain’t reading a book that size. Never have, and I’m too scared to try.”

“Look, at least it isn’t Lord of the Rings,” she argued, sitting back on the bed and crossing her arms and legs.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Is that an even bigger one?” Raph asked incredulously.

“No, just harder to read because it’s all itty bitty little details everywhere. Eragon isn’t like that,” she explained.

“I’m not gonna read it, Lani. I’d get bored and lose interest and go back to my magazines anyway.”

“Will you at least read the first chapter?” she asked desperately.

“No.”

“Raphael, you’re not leaving this room until you’ve read the first chapter of this book!”

“Watch me!” he told her and turned for the door.

But he had barely blinked before she was in front of him, closing the door, and the only thing to suggest she’d moved was the blanket that was now lying on the floor from where she’d dragged it off the bed with her.

“Aw come on, Lani,” Raph groaned, trying to get past her to open the door.

“No. I tell you, I’m trying to make your life better and do you a good turn. Just try it. I’m not letting you out until you do.”

In all truth, Raph didn’t actually feel like going outside, but now she’d made it a matter of principle, and now he was determined to get out of the room. Then something dawned on him, and he smirked.

Lani felt her courage droop when she saw the smirk cross Raph’s face, and when he approached her, she shrank back against the door until she was pinned underneath his much larger body.

Raph looked down on her, perhaps enjoying the sight of Lani trapped and breathless a little too much. He leaned forward and dipped his head so that he could speak right into her ear.

“Then why don’t you read it to me?”

Lani could feel the growled words rumbling in Raph’s chest because of their closeness, and it made the hair on her back and shoulders stand up as she shuddered.

“B-but I thought you were going to leave,” she said, trying to create some semblance of control and failing miserably.

“I might reconsider if you agreed to do it for me,” he rumbled into her ear, barely above a whisper.

Lani felt her face warm up an incredible amount. She knew she was blushing, but she hoped he couldn’t see it through her fur.

“So, will you?” Raph asked her.

“I-if that’s the only way to get you to stay and try it, then yeah,” she told him.

“Well then, let’s go,” he said, pushing away from the wall to let her move away from him. He thought better of it though and suddenly bent down to swing one arm around her legs and the other around her shoulders, sweeping her off her feet.

Lani yowled in shock as Raph whisked her up and into his arms and strode over to the bed, where he briskly but gently deposited her before seating himself next to her, just far enough to allow her some personal space.

She stared up at him, stricken, for a few moments before a concerned frown crept onto his face.

“I’m sorry, shouldn’t I have—”

“N-no, it’s not that,” she said hurriedly, “I’m just surprised at how easily you did it.”
Raph’s eyebrows went up slightly.

“That’s all? OK,” he said simply. He leaned back so that he was leaning against the pillows at the head of the bed and at right angles to her. “So, go on.”

Feeling a little nervous under the pressure, Lani fetched the book from the nightstand and then folded her legs beneath her as she started to read.

“‘Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world…’”

Raph listened in near complete wonder as Lani read the book to him, barely paying attention to the details, preferring to pay attention to her and the way she read. As he listened, he watched her, watched the way her lips shaped the words so beautifully, and watched the way her ears flicked every now and again, as if to remind him of their presence.

When she’d finished the prologue, Lani looked up at Raph.

“So what do you think?” she asked him.

“About what? The story or you reading it to me?” he asked.

She blushed lightly. “About the story, dumbass.”

“It certainly sounds interesting. But I’m afraid to get completely into it, I’m going to have to listen to more,” he said, sitting up with a mischievous grin.

Lani chuckled. “I somehow had a feeling that might be the outcome.”

“So, will you carry on?”

“Sure, if you want.” She took a breath to continue reading, but Raph stopped her.

“Hang on, before you go on.” He reached out with his arms and beckoned to her to come to him. Looking a little suspicious but intrigued, she shuffled over to sit closer to him. She squealed when his arms lifted her even closer, laying her right next to him so that her legs were draped sideways over his and his body cradled her smaller frame.

“There. Now you can go on,” he said, leaning back against the pillows.

“O-OK.” She redirected her eyes to the page and started reading again.

Throughout the next few chapters, Lani could feel herself relaxing against Raph, leaning further onto him and eventually shifting into a more comfortable position so that she could lay down next to him and use his shoulder as a pillow.

Lani’s relaxation didn’t go unnoticed by Raph, who also moved down the bed so that he could lay back a little more onto the pillows. He listened to her reading, not getting bored once, and enjoying the heat radiating off her body which was pressed so close to his own.

“‘Consider yourselves fortunate. I have heard this tale only twice in my life. If the Empire knew Bronn had recited it, he would not live to see a new month.’”

Lani finished reading, and looked up to see Raph’s gentle gaze directed at her face.

“You’re supposed to be listening, you know,” she teased quietly, breathlessly.

“How could I not when it’s you doing the talking?” he murmured.

She smiled and shook her head. “You know that kind of talk embarrasses me,” she told him.

“Well then how about we stop talking?” he asked her, and dipped his head to press a kiss against her lips.

Lani’s senses went into overdrive, just like they had the first time he’d kissed her, and just like she suspected they would every time he did from now on.

Raph was amazed all over again by the soft firmness that were Lani’s lips, and the gentle insistence with which they moved against his own. Once again he felt so in love with her that the feeling of not being one with her bordered on hurting.

Lani didn’t protest when Raph gently pushed her off of him so that he could lean over her. Her hands immediately went to grip his plastron, finding purchase between the different plates and over the edges.

Raph let his free hand wander up to her face, momentarily cupping her cheek before starting to trace her features with his fingertips, following her cheekbone, then tracing a line up one edge of her ear and down the other, letting his fingertips ghost across the skin on her neck and across her throat. He stopped when his fingers reached the hem of her shirt, and then redirected their course across her shoulder to the bare fur on her arms, gently massaging her bicep before following it down. All the while alternating between kissing her and nosing against her neck gently.

When he reached her forearm she removed her hands from his chest and took his hand in hers, gripping it and bringing it back to her face. He left off kissing her and instead gazed down at her while her caressed her face, gently tracing lines all around her eyes, cheeks and temples.

“Whether it embarrasses you or not,” he whispered to her, “you’re the most attractive person I’ve ever seen, and that by a long shot.”

“Weren’t we done talking?” she teased.

“Nah, your voice is too pretty to be permanently shut up,” he said, rolling over and taking her with him, so that she was cradled in the half circle his body made.

“Stop it, Raph,” she laughed while her nose flushed pink, “or I’ll have to start reading again to shut you up.”

“Don’t you like the sound of my voice?” he asked her teasingly.

“Yes, but I far prefer you rumbling your approval wordlessly,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Groaning and moaning and churring so that I can feel it.” she traced her fingers up from his abdomen to his chest, where she laid her hand flat against his plastron. The contact caused him to growl with arousal so that his plastron vibrated underneath her hand.

“Just like that,” she whispered, leaning up to kiss him again.

Raph groaned and let her kiss him fleetingly before pulling away and laying her back down again. She smiled up at him, fully understanding.

“Want to carry on reading?” she asked softly. “Or do you think that’s enough for today?”

“I reckon I need to go train some,” he murmured.

“OK then, you go do that.”

He kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Lani,” he murmured before hopping over her and off the bed.

Lani watched him leave before stretching her arms over her head. For a while she simply lay there, looking up at the ceiling and wondering what she was getting herself into.

There was certainly no doubt that she loved Raph, so there wasn’t really a bad way that their relationship could go – at least not immediately unless one of them made a monumental screw-up of something. But she’d never been in any kind of relationship whatsoever. Hell, he’d been her first kiss. And she was willing to bet all she had on her being his first.

That meant that neither of them had any experience, and didn’t have any idea of what to expect. She realised that there wasn’t anything that made relationships what they were besides mutual love, but the uncertainty of the whole thing unnerved her somewhat, and made her worry about the repercussion any of her future actions might have.

However, for the moment, Lani had to admit to herself that she couldn’t have been happier.

Description
“Come on, at least give it a try,” Lani said, holding the book out for him.

“Lani, that book’s so big it’s gonna swallow me whole,” Raph said, backing up away from the bed.

“Come on, I promise it’s vegetarian,” she said, giggling.

“No,” he said firmly, “I ain’t reading a book that size. Never have, and I’m too scared to try.”

“Look, at least it isn’t Lord of the Rings,” she argued, sitting back on the bed and crossing her arms and legs.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Is that an even bigger one?” Raph asked incredulously.

“No, just harder to read because it’s all itty bitty little details everywhere. Eragon isn’t like that,” she explained.

“I’m not gonna read it, Lani. I’d get bored and lose interest and go back to my magazines anyway.”

“Will you at least read the first chapter?” she asked desperately.

“No.”

“Raphael, you’re not leaving this room until you’ve read the first chapter of this book!”

“Watch me!” he told her and turned for the door.

But he had barely blinked before she was in front of him, closing the door, and the only thing to suggest she’d moved was the blanket that was now lying on the floor from where she’d dragged it off the bed with her.

“Aw come on, Lani,” Raph groaned, trying to get past her to open the door.

“No. I tell you, I’m trying to make your life better and do you a good turn. Just try it. I’m not letting you out until you do.”

In all truth, Raph didn’t actually feel like going outside, but now she’d made it a matter of principle, and now he was determined to get out of the room. Then something dawned on him, and he smirked.

Lani felt her courage droop when she saw the smirk cross Raph’s face, and when he approached her, she shrank back against the door until she was pinned underneath his much larger body.

Raph looked down on her, perhaps enjoying the sight of Lani trapped and breathless a little too much. He leaned forward and dipped his head so that he could speak right into her ear.

“Then why don’t you read it to me?”

Lani could feel the growled words rumbling in Raph’s chest because of their closeness, and it made the hair on her back and shoulders stand up as she shuddered.

“B-but I thought you were going to leave,” she said, trying to create some semblance of control and failing miserably.

“I might reconsider if you agreed to do it for me,” he rumbled into her ear, barely above a whisper.

Lani felt her face warm up an incredible amount. She knew she was blushing, but she hoped he couldn’t see it through her fur.

“So, will you?” Raph asked her.

“I-if that’s the only way to get you to stay and try it, then yeah,” she told him.

“Well then, let’s go,” he said, pushing away from the wall to let her move away from him. He thought better of it though and suddenly bent down to swing one arm around her legs and the other around her shoulders, sweeping her off her feet.

Lani yowled in shock as Raph whisked her up and into his arms and strode over to the bed, where he briskly but gently deposited her before seating himself next to her, just far enough to allow her some personal space.

She stared up at him, stricken, for a few moments before a concerned frown crept onto his face.

“I’m sorry, shouldn’t I have—”

“N-no, it’s not that,” she said hurriedly, “I’m just surprised at how easily you did it.”
Raph’s eyebrows went up slightly.

“That’s all? OK,” he said simply. He leaned back so that he was leaning against the pillows at the head of the bed and at right angles to her. “So, go on.”

Feeling a little nervous under the pressure, Lani fetched the book from the nightstand and then folded her legs beneath her as she started to read.

“‘Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world…’”

Raph listened in near complete wonder as Lani read the book to him, barely paying attention to the details, preferring to pay attention to her and the way she read. As he listened, he watched her, watched the way her lips shaped the words so beautifully, and watched the way her ears flicked every now and again, as if to remind him of their presence.

When she’d finished the prologue, Lani looked up at Raph.

“So what do you think?” she asked him.

“About what? The story or you reading it to me?” he asked.

She blushed lightly. “About the story, dumbass.”

“It certainly sounds interesting. But I’m afraid to get completely into it, I’m going to have to listen to more,” he said, sitting up with a mischievous grin.

Lani chuckled. “I somehow had a feeling that might be the outcome.”

“So, will you carry on?”

“Sure, if you want.” She took a breath to continue reading, but Raph stopped her.

“Hang on, before you go on.” He reached out with his arms and beckoned to her to come to him. Looking a little suspicious but intrigued, she shuffled over to sit closer to him. She squealed when his arms lifted her even closer, laying her right next to him so that her legs were draped sideways over his and his body cradled her smaller frame.

“There. Now you can go on,” he said, leaning back against the pillows.

“O-OK.” She redirected her eyes to the page and started reading again.

Throughout the next few chapters, Lani could feel herself relaxing against Raph, leaning further onto him and eventually shifting into a more comfortable position so that she could lay down next to him and use his shoulder as a pillow.

Lani’s relaxation didn’t go unnoticed by Raph, who also moved down the bed so that he could lay back a little more onto the pillows. He listened to her reading, not getting bored once, and enjoying the heat radiating off her body which was pressed so close to his own.

“‘Consider yourselves fortunate. I have heard this tale only twice in my life. If the Empire knew Bronn had recited it, he would not live to see a new month.’”

Lani finished reading, and looked up to see Raph’s gentle gaze directed at her face.

“You’re supposed to be listening, you know,” she teased quietly, breathlessly.

“How could I not when it’s you doing the talking?” he murmured.

She smiled and shook her head. “You know that kind of talk embarrasses me,” she told him.

“Well then how about we stop talking?” he asked her, and dipped his head to press a kiss against her lips.

Lani’s senses went into overdrive, just like they had the first time he’d kissed her, and just like she suspected they would every time he did from now on.

Raph was amazed all over again by the soft firmness that were Lani’s lips, and the gentle insistence with which they moved against his own. Once again he felt so in love with her that the feeling of not being one with her bordered on hurting.

Lani didn’t protest when Raph gently pushed her off of him so that he could lean over her. Her hands immediately went to grip his plastron, finding purchase between the different plates and over the edges.

Raph let his free hand wander up to her face, momentarily cupping her cheek before starting to trace her features with his fingertips, following her cheekbone, then tracing a line up one edge of her ear and down the other, letting his fingertips ghost across the skin on her neck and across her throat. He stopped when his fingers reached the hem of her shirt, and then redirected their course across her shoulder to the bare fur on her arms, gently massaging her bicep before following it down. All the while alternating between kissing her and nosing against her neck gently.

When he reached her forearm she removed her hands from his chest and took his hand in hers, gripping it and bringing it back to her face. He left off kissing her and instead gazed down at her while her caressed her face, gently tracing lines all around her eyes, cheeks and temples.

“Whether it embarrasses you or not,” he whispered to her, “you’re the most attractive person I’ve ever seen, and that by a long shot.”

“Weren’t we done talking?” she teased.

“Nah, your voice is too pretty to be permanently shut up,” he said, rolling over and taking her with him, so that she was cradled in the half circle his body made.

“Stop it, Raph,” she laughed while her nose flushed pink, “or I’ll have to start reading again to shut you up.”

“Don’t you like the sound of my voice?” he asked her teasingly.

“Yes, but I far prefer you rumbling your approval wordlessly,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Groaning and moaning and churring so that I can feel it.” she traced her fingers up from his abdomen to his chest, where she laid her hand flat against his plastron. The contact caused him to growl with arousal so that his plastron vibrated underneath her hand.

“Just like that,” she whispered, leaning up to kiss him again.

Raph groaned and let her kiss him fleetingly before pulling away and laying her back down again. She smiled up at him, fully understanding.

“Want to carry on reading?” she asked softly. “Or do you think that’s enough for today?”

“I reckon I need to go train some,” he murmured.

“OK then, you go do that.”

He kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Lani,” he murmured before hopping over her and off the bed.

Lani watched him leave before stretching her arms over her head. For a while she simply lay there, looking up at the ceiling and wondering what she was getting herself into.

There was certainly no doubt that she loved Raph, so there wasn’t really a bad way that their relationship could go – at least not immediately unless one of them made a monumental screw-up of something. But she’d never been in any kind of relationship whatsoever. Hell, he’d been her first kiss. And she was willing to bet all she had on her being his first.

That meant that neither of them had any experience, and didn’t have any idea of what to expect. She realised that there wasn’t anything that made relationships what they were besides mutual love, but the uncertainty of the whole thing unnerved her somewhat, and made her worry about the repercussion any of her future actions might have.

However, for the moment, Lani had to admit to herself that she couldn’t have been happier.