Archived December 2003 ------------------------------------------------ Warning: This story is rated R. If you are under 18 years then please do not read any further ------------------------------------------------ They drove through the early evening to reach the house. The owner had tried to arrange a meeting in the daytime, and Natalie had gone, but once explaining to the owner about Nick's "allergy," he had agreed to let them come and stay for the evening. "I'm almost moved out of here, anyway," he'd said. "Too much land for one old man to worry about." Natalie had loved it - all that land - the house had been a working ranch when first built, and still had several acres, a wonderful house, some stables and a barn. They arrived at the house shortly after ten. The old man met them at the door. "It's mostly empty, already. I'll be gone for the weekend, so get comfortable, and let me know Monday if you like it." Nick and Natalie agreed. The first weekend they'd both had off together in nearly two months - AND getting ready to move in together - they couldn't believe their luck at finding such a place, far enough away to be private, but close enough that work was no problem. Nick brought in the bags. "Well.... " he said, as the old man drove off. "Planning on showing me around?" Natalie was thrilled - he looked as though he loved the place already. She almost bounced her way through the house, showing him all the room they had, the wonderful view from the living room, a place he could use for his painting, the spacious bedroom - and she paused while showing him the enormous tub. "Looks wonderful, hmmm?" she purred. He smiled, and nodded, and held her closely for a moment. "The house looks wonderful, Natalie... Why don't you show me the rest, though, before we unpack? Were those stables out there?" Natalie smiled. "Yes, they were, mister Knight," she laughed. Nick started getting lost in thought, then snapped out of it. Smiling down at her, he said "Show me." Natalie grabbed his hand, and they headed outside. The stables were about a three minute walk away, all told, but it took longer, as they admired the clear night, the stars sharp little points of light with no city haze to obstruct them, and the green, mildly rolling fields that made up the land. The barn and stables were painted green with white trim, in beautiful repair, everything in perfect order. They went into the stables to inspect the horses' stalls and tackroom. The stable was neat and sweet smelling. They could see that someone took good care of it and the horses that were here. The faint stomp and whinnies of the different horses could be heard as the walked, arm in arm through the stable. Stopping at a stall, they peeked inside. "Oh, Nick, Look! This one has a baby." Nat whispered as they looked inside.Nick left Natalies side and walked into the stall, moving slowly, so as not to spook them. Using a soft, soothing voice, he spoke to the mare, and examined the foal. It was only a few days old. He ran his hands skillfully over it, and soon pronounced it the be a healthy male.Nat slipped inside the stable with Nick. She seemed a little hesitant - the mare was eyeing her. "Easy, Nat. Just come up here slowly." She eased over to the foal. "He's beautiful," she said, running her fingers along his nose, and neck. After a moment, she noticed Nick staring at her, smiling. "What?" she asked. He just kept smiling. "He's not the only beautiful creature here," he said, nudging her. Natalie smiled slightly back, and then went back to petting the foal. After a few minutes, Nick stood, pulling Natalie gently up with him. "It's still early, Natalie. Why don't you finish showing me around, and we can come back?" She patted the mare's side. "You don't mind, do you?" She snorted in response, as the pair walked out of the stable. "Bye, little guy, we'll be back." They passed two other horses, then a row of empty stables, and exited through the back. Natalie slipped her arm from behind Nick's back, and took his hand. Just next to the stables was the barn - more a glorified hayloft, thought Nick, but it *did* add to the wonderful atmosphere. They opened the door, to utter darkness. "Uh, Nick?" Natalie whispered, as he left her side. She heard a skittering... then a light clicked on. "We would have killed for a light switch a few centuries back," said Nick, grinning. "Why? You didn't have any light bulbs to go with them then... And don't leave and sneak around on me like that!" she added, with a swat at his arm. Nick looked around at the modern - but still familiar - inside of the barn. Not much had really changed in the past few centuries - outside of quality, perhaps. He looked around at some of the tools scattered on the walls, and his mind started drifting again. Natalie noticed. "Different?" "Yes... " he said, thoughtfully,"... and no." He looked up to the loft, and saw the windows at the top, facing out. He grabbed Natalie's hand - not trusting the strange ladder, more for her sake than his - he flew them up to the loft. "Nick?" she asked, suprised. He took her over, and opened up the window to the evening - and she caught her breath. Though it really was not that much higher, they had a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside, the horizon coming up to meet the stars, the late-rising moon barely ksising the treeline as it rose. Nick wrapped his arms around Natalie as he stood behind her, and rested his head on her shoulder as they looked out into the night. "It's beautiful, Nick." He smiled, and kissed her neck. "When I was a boy, we had a barn - much larger than this, but much the same. I used to sneak out at night, just to watch the evening sky. It got to where I would fall asleep in the hayloft about once a week in the summers, just because I would stay out so long, staring at the stars." "I can see why." Natalie wasn't sure which she was enjoying more - the beautiful view, or having Nick holding her so close. She looked down at his hands. "You probably brought a lot of girls up with you, when you were older..." Nick turned her, slightly, and put his hand under her chin. Raising her eyes to meet his, he told her "No. That's one thing I kept to myself - my secret treasure. I've never shared it with anyone..." he said. Moving his lips in closer, he whispered "Until now." and kissed her, slowly, tenderly, lingering. Natalie felt herself lose herself in his kiss, and wrapped her arms around him, returning his kiss with one of her own. They stayed that way, neither one wanting to break the moment, both a little nervous about what it meant. Finally, it broke. Or rather, one of the hooks, holding a pitchfork down below, did. At the sound of the clatter, they both jumped. "What was that?" Nick looked in her eyes for a moment, wondering if his reflected the same intensity as hers did. "I'll check," he said, and started to turn away. Natalie grabbed his hand. "Nick... stay...please. It was nothing." Nick looked into her eyes again, and saw her needs - and this time, truly let himself see what she felt for him. She looked into his eyes, the moonlight shining in them, and saw him understand. And he knew he had been mistaken to hide his feelings for her, in any way. "Natalie, " he said, as he let her draw him closer to her, "I was a fool for never saying this earlier. You mean everything to me, and have brought a light I've not known since I lost my soul. I love you, and always will." Natalie smiled. "I know. I love you too, Nick." She caressed his cheek. "They say the eyes are the windows on the soul, you know. I promise you, Nick, from what I see now - you have a soul, one filled with hope, love, and faith. One I want to be with, always." With that, she embraced him, and kissed him again, harder this time. Nick only broke away once, and asked, "Are you sure?" Her recapturing of his lips was all the answer he needed. She slipped off her jacket - it was suddenly much too warm for it. He trailed his kisses down her neck, and slowly lifted them both off the ground, just barely. Natalie looked at him, momentarily startled, then raised an eyebrow and smiled. He returned a mischevious grin, and settled them back down near one of the piles of hay. Nick undid the few buttons on the blue Hensley Natalie wore, and slid it off of her. She stiffened, partially with excitement, partially from the cool night air suddenly caressing her warm skin She responded by unbuttoning his shirt, and shucking it off his shoulders. He worked his way back down her neck, his lips moving over to her shoulder, and she let out a slight gasp. Nick moved around behind her, and nuzzled the back of her neck, as his hands ran over the soft skin of her stomach. She leaned back against him, enjoying the sensations, the feel of his breath against her skin, the coolness of him against her back. She slid her hands up his arms, as his hands slid down to unbutton the top of her jeans. She smiled, and kissed him deeply as he slowly unzipped them, and she let them fall forgotten to the floor.He slid his hands up her back and unclasped her bra as she turned to face him It dropped, joining her jeans, as she ran her hands down his sides, then down to free his slacks. He stepped out of them, and lowered her onto the bed of hay, the bulge in his briefs blatently obvious. She wriggled, giddy with anticipation and with the sensation of the hay against her bare back. He worked his way down from her neck, and kissed his way onto her breast. The vampire in him was starting to show, but more for form's sake - for once, he felt he controlled it, not the other way around. He kissed her already stiff nipple, tracing around it with his tongue, letting the side of his barely descended fangs run up and down the tip, as his hand massaged her other nipple. She was breathing harder, now, holding his head to her breast. He broke off suddenly, eliciting a small protest until he came back up, kissed her passionately once more, and slowly slid just the tip of his tongue from her chin, down her neck, through the valley between her breasts, to the waist of her panties. Raising her, slightly, he slid them down just a little - so she wasn't laying on them, then moved his head between her legs. Grasping the edge with his teeth, he tugged, and carefully slid them off her. Natalie was reveling in this - she had only allowed herself to dream of this once in a while, but had always fought it down, not wanting to be let down because of the walls they had put up between them. Now, though, it was all coming back to her, with the feel of his breath between her legs, his teeth just barely brushing against her, the feel of the slight stubble he now had dragging lightly down her leg. As he came back up, she looked toward him, and with a quick grin snagged his briefs with her toe - so as he came toward her, she removed his last bit of covering as well. Nick breathed in - the night air around him, and Natalie's scent, were bringing other urges forward like they had not been since he was mortal. He worked his way up, nibbling the back of her knee, kissing the inside of her thigh. She was breathing hard, as was he, as he nibbled and kissed around her opening. Natalie was awash in a sea of sensations, and let out a moan as he plunged his tongue in. He, too, was lost in their own world, his only thoughts of Natalie, but feeling the pressure building in himself as well. Doubts tried to surface in his mind, but were quickly subdued. Finally, he could wait no more. Pulling himself up to her, he kissed her deeply, and entered her at the same time. He caught her breathless moan in his kiss, and she pulled him deeper inside. They were captured in each other, falling into each others rhythim, his cool skin warming with each moment, each touch of her warm body. Finally, they could hold it no more, and with her release came his. He collapsed on top of her, their breathing slowly returning to normal, as they touched each other in the cool moonlight that came in from the window. They kissed again, and wrapped their arms around each other, and looked up and out at the night. After a moment, Nick pulled them both up, so they could sit next to each other, leaning against one of the smooth wooden supports. He ran his fingers through her hair, as she rested her head against his chest. Running his fingers down her side, he smiled. She looked up at him. "What?" "Just thinking. You were right. This would be the perfect place for a new beginning." Monday evening, the old man came back. "Well? How's it suit you?" Looking at each other, Nick and Natalie smiled. "It's just what we needed. We'll take it." The End