The mountain hot springs of Wano-Kuni were places of legend, if the way the Onigashima servants spoke of them was anything to go by.
Secluded pockets of serene beauty surpassing even that of the illustrious Flower Capital on festival nights, they described. So beautiful, in fact, that all but the most trusted members of the Beast Pirates were denied entry to these hidden paradises.
Water from the freshest springs, sourced in the highest mountain tops of the country, pooled in natural rock formations. If the stories were to be believed, they were carved out and bathed in by the guardian spirits themselves. The minerals the water carried with were said to be so pure, it tantalized the promise of eternal youth. It sounded like exaggeration, but until you sat in them yourself, you really couldn't be sure.
Silk-petaled flowers lined the path to the springs. Soft and smooth as cream, enticing you closer. The journey here had been long and arduous--Wano-Kuni's various peaks were steep and treacherous in some cases--and yet the magnificent view along the path to the top of the mountain was well worth the effort.
Drake accompanied you, for once finding himself a rare day with no responsibilities or duties to attend to. You were relieved, given how hard he'd been working as of late. Kaido had displayed more frequent bouts of sobriety, in the weeks leading up to the Fire Festival. This proved troublesome to your partner, who you'd seen less and less of in the past few weeks. You missed him terribly.
After some convincing to the Yonko himself--facing him was a terrifying experience you'd like never to repeat--you'd secured a day of relaxation in the oldest and most renowned of the Wano-Kuni hot springs. Sacred, even. It depended on who you asked. And so you found yourself nearing the mountain peak with a sense of great relief.
The old and rickety inn--barely more than a few rooms to house guests--was surprisingly intact, given its age and infrequent occupation. There was something to be said about the difference in preserving something so cherished, and denying it its original purpose. But you didn't bother thinking that now. While a little dusty on the inside, it was overall a quaint establishment.
"Not quite as luxurious as they describe, is it?" Drake said into the still interior. The words seemed much louder in this empty place.
"Perhaps, but I kind of like it." You say, looking around with a smile. He gives you a strange look, but there's a hint of amusement in the twitch of the corner of his mouth.
"Really? I'm beginning to wonder if a meal at the local udon shop would have been cleaner than this place." He swipes a gloved hand along the counter at the front of the inn, specks of dust falling away from his finger.
"It's quiet, and far away from everything else. That alone lightens the soul." You say with a shrug.
He hums, his only response to your words. You make your way to the back of the inn, finding what appeared to be a changing room. Small benches sat in the middle of the room, the walls lined with various cabinets to place personal belongings. Further you walk, hearing distant sounds of water dribbling and dripping. You pushed open the shoji door, and gaze out upon the spring itself.
The inn was built right up against the spring, the natural rock pools crystal clear and steaming as the heated water hit the colder mountain air. The water bubbled up from the top of a steep mound, pouring directly into the blue pools below.
The peak of the mountain gave the most breathtaking view you'd ever seen. You soaked in the sight, the thick clouds now situated a few hundred feet below where you stood at the mountain peak made you feel very much as if you and Drake were the only ones left on earth. So high up, you could almost pretend this was a different place in the world.
So high up, you could almost pretend you didn't see the tiny outskirts of Okobore Town, far in the distance. Almost.
You turned your gaze back to the changing room. For 24 hours, you weren't thinking about anything having to do with Kaido, his menagerie of Beast Pirates, or the wretched shogun who ruled this country.
You begin to undress, nearly catching Drake off guard. You hide a smile as you turn away, undoing the buttons of your pants and shimmying them down off your waist. Despite having been in a relationship for many months, and having seen you in a state of undress before, he could never seem to shake the initial fear that he was witnessing something he shouldn't. A peculiar habit of his.
Even still, he averts his gaze as he begins to undress himself too. You're both quiet, stripping down to your bare skin. There's an intimateness about this place that you wish not to disturb with words.
You finish first and give Drake's shoulder a squeeze as you pass him by to step outside. The air is just chilled enough to be too cold for your exposed body. You shiver, and make haste to the water.
You stick a few toes in, then your whole leg, until you're sinking down into the steaming spring with a relieved groan. It's heaven to your aching bones, sore muscles, and tired feet. The servants had been right. The purity of the water gave you a sense that you could never age, floating forever in the mineral-packed liquid.
You sink down to just below your chin, closing your eyes as you bask in the perfectly heated water. The trickle of the stream into the spring is calming. You feel so at peace in this place. Bliss...
You feel the water shift, and look behind you to see Drake lowering himself in a few feet away. He's cautious, as always, around water. His devil fruit makes any body of water larger than a typical bathtub a possible hazard, but it seems it's just shallow enough that he isn't at risk of drowning when you weren't looking.
His eyes are closed, and after several moments of experiencing the crystal waters for the first time--or perhaps because the water was already giving him some fatigue--the concentrated frown that was so typical on his face began to soften. That alone was heartwarming to see.
You wade closer, arms wrapping around his neck to bring yourselves closer. "I thought I'd never see that again."
"See what?" He asked quietly, hands coming to rest on your hips.
"That look of contentment on your face." You say, reaching up to swipe a few strands of his hair back where it belonged. "It's been so long, and you've been so busy lately. I'm glad you're finally getting a chance to relax for awhile."
"I'll admit...time away was long overdue." He says with a rumbling sigh, forehead leaning down to rest against yours. And for once, he isn't getting all shy and awkward with your nudeness, bodies pressed together as they were in the steaming water. "And getting to spend it with you is even better."
"Mmm." You hum, closing your eyes and relishing your embrace. You wouldn't disagree with that statement.
You don't know how long you spent wrapped in each other's arms, eventually settling into a swaying movement in the water. Back and forth you rock, the mist and the steam and the fresh mountain air rejuvenating and restoring your weary bodies.
For now, you could drift. For now, you could soak in the warmth of the springs and your lover's body, cherishing life and what blessings it had given you. For now you were in a different place, perhaps even a different time, entirely.
Two people intertwined without the ever-present undertones of war that lingered at the back of everyone's mind. Kaido's army of beasts, preparing and readying themselves for conflict, in a country already so ravaged by its ruler, it had so little left to give.
You shake your head, getting rid of the thought. You could worry about all of that when you returned.
The movement made Drake open his eyes. "What is it?"
"Nothing, my mind was just drifting." You say, shifting to press closer to him. "I don't want to dwell on the worries we're here to escape."
"Yes." He agrees, leaning closer. "Up here, there's just you and me. Nothing else."
"Nothing else." You repeat, smiling at the sound of that delightful fact. No one for miles, the quiet and serene peace of the springs...everything was perfect.
"How ever will we pass the time?" You ask, pressing forward to place a chase kiss against his lips. Your smile grows another half inch. Being so close was giving you...ideas. "A whole day to enjoy these hot springs...no one else around for kilometers...there are many opportunities to take advantage of here."
"You're painting a very tempting picture, Y/N." Drake whispers, and you're unsure if the heat of the steam or your suggestive words are what's causing his blush. He returns your kiss with a few more of his own, one hand trailing up your back. "I thought this trip was to rest and relax...?"
"There are many ways to do that, Drake..." You whisper against his lips, gently scraping his bottom lip through your teeth. You feel him stutter a breath in response. His fingers tighten against your back, and you know you have him now. "So, sit back down and follow my lead."
There's the briefest of moments, where he hesitates. His eyes flicker to the side, as if searching for someone approaching from the inn door. But the mountain is without a soul, you and him being the only people around. And when that logic finally clicks in his head, he gives in to your awaiting kiss.
It's slow, measured. You lead him at the pace you choose, all the while slowly spinning him in place until his back is to the natural 'bench' in the rocks along the edge of the pool. His legs hit the back of the rocks, and he sits where you direct him, your loving and thorough kiss never ceasing.
His hands wander, trailing your soft, submerged skin. The water is hot, and yet his every touch feels like fire against you. Pure, soft love in its most intimate form. You never felt more adored.
You rest on your knees just above his lap, slowly settling your weight down until your entrance feel the length of his growing cock underneath. Hips angle to slide yourself along his shaft, and Drake gives an unabashed groan, clearly appreciative of the friction. His hands have found your breasts, and begin to play and knead as he sees fit.
The water of the spring grow turbulent as you settle into an easy, unhurried pace of rocking against his lap. Struggling to breathe, Drake breaks away from your lips, panting his anticipation against your neck. Your fingers dig into his shoulders, seeking leverage as you lift up and take him into your cunt with one easy push.
The filling sensation makes your toes curl under the water, especially hearing Drake's ragged, muffled moan just beneath your ear. He tried restraining himself, perhaps unconsciously fearful that he'd be heard by a passerby. But out here, you could be as loud as you'd like, with you as his only audience.
His hands quicken, tweaking and pinching at your nipples a little harder than before. Your back arches, seeking more. God, this felt so good.
"Drake..." You plead with closed eyes, pulling back up to sink down onto his cock again and again. You couldn't be sure what exactly you were asking for, but you begged nonetheless. "Oh, Drake~!"
"Y/N."
The effort of riding his cock was harder than you expected while submerged, the water making each snap of your hips slow and forced. Your keens were half of pleasure, and soon enough half of frustration. You wanted so much more, to make him feel good, but this wasn't working out as you wanted.
Drake seemed to understand. Without words, his hands grip your hips and pull you down in time with each rock of your hips. With his strength helping you along, and the way his teeth scraped gently on your neck, your moans grew into breathy gasps as the nerves in your cunt sparked and throbbed.
"Close...I'm close." He muttered with effort, hips lifting up to meet yours. He bottomed out every single time now, and you could barely contain the way your orgasm was building even quicker now. Without meaning to, you began tensing your muscles, which in turn put further pressure on his cock buried in your heat. "Fuck, Y/N, keep doing that."
You do, and to your delight, Drake's volume increases the closer he comes to spilling inside of you. You're desperate to feel him come undone underneath you, to squeeze you tight as he cums, to let go of everything he'd been burdened with all these weeks.
Euphoria overwhelms your nerves as Drake's hand sneaks its way to your clit underwater, rubbing a furious circle where you most needed it to push that last inch to your orgasm. Your mouth is open wide in a silent cry, nails digging tiny marks into his flesh.
The sound of his groan on your collarbone rides you out the rest of the way. His hands are like a vice on your hips, clamping you down on his lap as he thrusts further into your body, pumping out his load. The water laps around you both as you still in each others' arms.
You feel overwhelmed by the heat and the exertion of having rode him to completion. Eyes closed, you rest your head against his shoulder, holding him close.
For a long time, neither of you speak, content to sit together in the hot springs and soak in both the feeling of intimacy and the mineral-infused water. His heartbeat is in time with yours, chest to chest.
"I love you." You whisper in his ear, so close to falling asleep against him.
ns 15.158.61.37da2
