Bastian
Chapter Side Story 21 - A Barbaric Summer

✧A Barbaric Summer✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Odette smiled softly as she dreamed. She dreamed of better days, when she was a child excited for the summer vacation, of being surrounded by family who’s names had faded with time. She dreamed of gathering together to spend beautiful summer at the resort when being a member of the Dyssen family brought joy rather than fear. Young girls and some relatives whose name she couldn’t remember anymore, together gathered on a beach to build sandcastles.

   Its hot, its hard and its boring. One by one the complaining sisters’ faces faded away, leaving the beach to find better entertainment out of the roasting sun. All departed the beach until there was only one left, the youngest girl of the Dyssen family who refused to leave. She clutched her flower patterned bucket and spade with determination and set about building her sandcastle.

   As the sun tilted to the horizon and the light dimmed, the sandcastle stood glittering in the watering sun. The wind was cool now and the little girl found herself alone on the beach. She felt a surge of sadness wash over her and tears fell down her cheeks. She had had fun all day.  She built a magnificent sandcastle and was expectantly hoping for another tomorrow. Nevertheless, the child was overcome with the desire to cry, deeply touched by the beauty of the dwindling summer day and the sadness that it brought.

   “Are you awake?” A distant voice called from behind her.

   The beach vanished, replaced by the realisation that her eyes had been closed and the sound of the crashing waves in her dream slowly resolved to the gentle lapping of waves in the waking world. With a yawn and a stretch, Odette woke up and remembered where she was, the dream fading to a vague memory of being at the beach.

   Her eyes opened to see Bastin leaning on his arm and looking at her. He stroked the side of her face with the back of this fingers. She leaned her face into his hand like a petulant child. She was still lost in the dreamy haze and it took her a moment to remember that the pair of them had finished up the afternoon by sunbathing completely naked. 

After slipping out of her damp swimsuit, Odette stretched out next to Bastian to soak up the sun with him. Initially, she seemed uneasy and out of place, yet she quickly found comfort in basking in the warm sunlight. They had been discussing plans for the summer social, sharing updates from Nina regarding Rothewein, going over the guest list for the foundation’s opening ceremony, and lamenting the lack of progress in their piano concerto rehearsals.

After their conversation wandered from one topic to another, she drifted off to sleep, her expression utterly open and innocent. Bastian found himself captivated, unable to look away for quite some time. In that moment, it was as though he was seeing the real Odette for the first time—intelligent yet emotional, a paragon of elegance who also embodied the joy and simplicity of a young girl.

My Odette, uniquely and solely mine.

   “Oh, Bastian,” Odette whispered, leaning into him.

Bastian gently draped his arm over Odette’s shoulder, finding comfort in the warmth and softness of her sun-kissed skin. Relishing in this tender touch, he exhaled a soft sigh of contentment and made an attempt to rise, though he found himself unable to act on his intention to depart.

In that moment, Odette turned towards him and their lips met in a kiss, their lips opening for each other so that their tongues could find the other. This burst of passion obliterated any remaining semblance of restraint they had.

Bastian found himself irresistibly swept up in the emotional storm.

In a moment of madness, Odette’s eyes fluttered open, their gaze hazy with intensity, as she stared into the far-off sky. The sunlight, now gentler, caressed her face, which bore an expression as if she were on the verge of tears. Odette let out a sound, half-moan, half-sob, and shifted her position. Her hand emerged from beneath the blanket, grasping the warm sand. The feeling of sand slipping through her fingers seemed almost indecently intense. The unchecked waves of sensation coursing through her body were now overwhelming, almost scary.

Odette was breathing hard, caught in a mix of pain and pleasure, as her hand ventured between her legs. She brushed against Bastian’s soft, platinum blonde hair, which felt as delicate as fine sand. Despite trying to pull away, she couldn’t. Bastian gently but firmly kept her still, continuing with his actions. All Odette could do was numbly watch, overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all.

The day’s joy, once so vivid and full, turned into a profound sadness, like a child in a dream gazing at the sunset over the ocean, eyes brimming with tears. By the time her thoughts spiraled to this realization, she was already kissing him, driven by impulse rather than plan. 

Her only wish in that moment was for a little more time, a little more closeness—nothing else mattered. To catch his look, one that seemed to treasure her as the most precious entity in existence, and to extend this beautiful, fleeting moment of sheer bliss just a bit more, was all she yearned for. It was a misguided step, akin to decisions made in a haze of intoxication. Yet, it wasn’t mere impulse; deep down, Odette realized she might have been the first to harbor such desires. 

An intense mix of unbearable longing and shame intertwined with a rush of joy overwhelmed her. Losing all semblance of self-control, Odette let out a cry and released the strands of golden hair she had been clutching. In that moment of utter abandon, she found herself completely immobilized, unable to so much as twitch a finger.

In the late afternoon, the parasol cast a long shadow that provided a cool refuge for Odette, who lay beneath it, catching her breath. Bastian, sitting up, gave a soft chuckle as he watched her, his lips still moist. Odette’s skin, shimmering from the sweat and the sunscreen that coated it, caught the light beautifully. 

Bastian found himself in a similar state, equally awash in the day’s warmth. Struggling to catch her breath, Odette quickly turned over to lie on her stomach. She closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands, seeking solace in the coolness of the ground. Bastian, amused and tender, leaned forward over Odette’s back. He gently untied the handkerchief that held back her loosely gathered hair, letting her silky strands fall freely through his fingers, a moment of sweet intimacy in the soft glow of the setting sun.

Bastian, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart, gently pressed closer to her. With a tenderness he sucked on Odette’s blushed earlobe,   “Stop,” Odette whimpered when he leaned in for a kiss. Her eyes, red from emotion and having just taken in the sight of the swaying greenery and the ocean waves caressing the shore. “Stop, its embarrassing, don’t look at me.”

   Odette spun over onto her front and hid her face on the blanket “I’m too embarrassed. Don’t look at me like that,” Aftershocks still pulsed through her tummy and she swayed her hips and ground at the air. Her lack of awareness of her own actions made her protest both more daring and more charming.

Bastian gracefully honored her wish, drawing her close so their bodies melded together, creating a space for the shy princess to conceal her face. Gently, yet with conviction, he lifted her, his hands securely around her slender waist, the strength in his grasp visible. 

Their shared desires intensified, sparking a deep warmth between them. The quiet gasps and soft moans filled the air, growing more intense, as did the sound of wet flesh colliding, becoming faster and rougher.

Reaching back with her hands, Odette alternated between gripping Bastian’s arms and shaking her head to signal her limit. Whenever the pace slowed, she instinctively arched, drawing him closer, and at times, she softly guided his hands to her chest, all the while avoiding his eyes. The thought that locking eyes held more embarrassment than their physical closeness, akin to beast driven purely by instinct, was an intriguingly complex shame, difficult to fully understand. 

The more fdesperately she shook her hips, the greater her desire seemed to become. Bastian swept his sweat-soaked hair back and leaned in, bitting her pale shoulder. It was this tender act that finally made Odette look his way. Yet, the glance was fleeting. Soon after, she closed her eyes once more and chided him with soft sigh.

This continued until, with a determined effort, Bastian shifted Odette beneath him. As he penetrated her deeply again, he found himself caught in the gaze of her dreamy turquoise eyes, which seemed to plead silently. With his heart racing against hers, looked into her eyes, capturing a moment of intense vulnerability. When he gently cradled her face to prevent her from looking away, Odette closed her eyes once more, retreating from his intense gaze.

Bastian adjusted his movements, pausing whenever Odette opened her eyes in a mix of surprise and confusion, and slowing down when she averted her gaze once again. Recognizing this silent communication, Odette finally opened her eyes in a quiet acceptance. Seeing her genuinely flustered expression, Bastian couldn’t suppress a laugh, his movement softening. It struck him as absurd, this shift from from barbarism back to civilization.  Yet, what he found even more astonishing was he loved for even this bewildering side of her.

Praising her openness, Bastian gave her a soft kiss and wrapped his arms around her. Their eyes locked as intimately as their bodies, drawing out a contented sigh from both.

Savoring the raw, barbaric summer, Bastian found himself once again swept up in passion. He reached the peak of his desire, all while seeing his own reflection in Odette’s eyes, which shimmered like a serene, paradisiacal ocean.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

It wasn’t long before the heat between them reignited, breathing new life into their slowly steadying breaths.

   She played her fingers through his hair danced in the evening breeze as she enjoyed the afterglow of their mingling. “Your hair has gotten quite long again,” she said softly into his ear as he kissed her neck. 

“Perhaps it’s time for a trim,” Bastian responded quietly, gazing at the setting sun on the horizon. His caress on Odette, now held close in his arms, was tender—a vivid contrast to the intensity of their passion just moments before.

“Is there a rule that admirals can’t have long hair?” Odette asked her eyes contemplative as she looked at him.

“No rule against it,” Bastian laughed, drawing her closer by the waist. While cadets had to adhere to strict grooming standards, officers had the freedom to decide on their appearance once they were commissioned. His usual choice for short hair was simply out of habit.

 “What if you kept it this length?” she said, her fingers running through his hair, which was now long enough to brush over his forehead. “I think it would suit you better, it makes you look softer, which I like.”  Odette took another careful look at Bastian. His longer bangs lent a softer edge to his otherwise sharp features and coldness of his eyes. She found herself wanting to linger in the sensation of his hair between her fingers, yet chose to keep these more intimate desires unspoken.

   “I’ll go with what Lady Odette prefers,” Bastian said, making his decision with ease then Odette planted a happy kiss on his cheek in response.

  “I would also think it better if you stayed clean shaven,”  The images of all the scruffy looking sailors she had seen, with their unkempt beards making them look like street urchins. “If there is something you would rather I did, you can just ask.” Odette felt guilty with her demands and tried to settle things up with her own, fair, exchange.

In response, Bastian playfully tightened his embrace around her waist. Odette, slightly overwhelmed, swatted his hand away with a frown. His action was a bit much for her, yet his soft chuckle revealed he wasn’t truly imposing, just teasing.

   The pair lay in the sand as the sun began its final stages of moving beyond the horizon.

   “You know, we ended up spending this special day like barbarians,” Odette said, as she watched the sky get bathed in vibrant pinks and purples.

   “I promise we will do something more civilised on our secondary anniversary.”

   “What do you mean?”

   “It was Admiral Demel’s idea, since we have been married to each other twice, it would only be fair that we celebrate both anniversaries.”

   Odette laughed. “I have something in mind for our more civilised anniversary.” Odette’s eyes sparkled as she looked across the water to the Ferris Wheel in the distance. “I’ll need your support. Will you be there with me?” Odette’s hand, which had been fondly playing with his long strands she adored, now tenderly cupped Bastian’s cheek. His answer was as steadfast as ever: “Anytime. As you wish.”