The gentle night breeze blew through the tall grass, causing it to dance beneath the stars and all around Piers’s body.  He stared up into the night sky, hand in Annais’s, watching the clouds as they passed in front of the moon.  You couldn’t do this in Spikemuth.  You might could do this in places like Galar’s wild area, but you’d still see towers or factories at the edge of the skyline.  There was none of that here.  Pure nature. Nothing but endless sky, maybe trees or a bit of a mountain in the distance.  If they sat up, they’d be able to see her parent’s house and those of their neighbors nestled in the valley below.  

Annais said this was her favorite spot.  She always came up here to be alone, and Piers could see why.  Not only was the view beautiful, it was well secluded.  Where they were wasn’t easy to get to; he held on for dear life as she maneuvered her Jeep through the woods and up the hillside. She told Piers that only her father ever knew to find her here.  He kept her hiding place a secret from everyone else, knowing how much it meant to her to have one spot to herself.  No one would be bothering them tonight.

Even as they laid on the ground doing nothing, it was nice having quality time with Annais for the first time in weeks.  Her parents were great.  He was grateful for their hospitality, but he had missed being alone with her.  Piers was glad Marnie actually clicked with Annais’s younger cousin.  He wasn’t worried about her feeling left out while they went off on their own.  In fact, she was probably having a better time with someone a bit closer to her age than she had been being stuck with him and his girlfriend.  Er, his fiancé…  His fiancé… His future wife!  He fought back the goofiest grin every time he remembered she was his betrothed.  He could feel the engagement ring on her finger with her hand intertwined with his like this.  It was real. He really asked her to marry him. And she really said yes.

The clouds were beginning to look a bit darker, but that could have been because of how dark the sky had gotten.  They hadn’t set up the first bit of camp yet.  When they arrived, Annais had laid down in the grass, showing Piers how she could disappear in it and telling him how she used to do this in the grass closer to the bottom of the hill to hide from her mother.  She then fondly remembered autumn days, when the air was cool but the sun was warm.  She’d fall asleep like this, only to wake to her father picking her up and carrying her to his truck.  Piers had to lay down beside her to get the idea, having never done anything like it growing up.  When he got down, he couldn’t get back up…  It was surprisingly cozy.  They laid there together for a long while, initially watching the sun set until it turned into star-gazing.

“Ann,” Piers said.  “It’s gettin’ late, innt?”

“Uh, maybe…” she replied. “No clue what time it is, really.”

He didn’t want to move, and knew she wouldn’t want to either, but he knew they needed to get a move on.

“We should probably pitch the tent.”

Annais snorted.  “I’ll pitch your tent,” she whispered.

“Very cute…”

“Nez,” she rolled over onto her side, propping up her head as she looked at him.  He turned to look over at her through the grass.  “I missed you.”

They had spent more consecutive time together since visiting her parents than they ever had in their relationship, but Piers understood what she meant.  She missed him intimately, as he did her.  With a sigh, he sat up.

“I missed you too, Ann.” He leaned over her body, guiding her onto her back once again.  Before his lips met hers, he gazed down at her.  Time froze as he looked upon her.  He swore the grass stopped swaying; the wind ceased its whistling.  His breathing hitched as he viewed his angel with her scarlet halo.  Moments like this, he could hardly believe his fortune.  He was so lucky; it was difficult not to weep.  His future wife was beautiful, stunning, an absolute knockout. She hadn’t been wearing much makeup since being back home, and she opted for none during this camping trip.  But she looked better than she ever had before. And Piers had only fallen more in love with her with each passing second.  As her life returned to normal (or as normal as it could be after everything that had happened this past year), he found himself more entranced by her, by that Ann he hardly got to know.  She wasn’t much different than the Champion Ann that he’d spent the last year loving, but the subtleties did not go unnoticed by him.  Relieved from the stress of the league, she was finally able to rest, even if it got a little hot at night and made it difficult to sleep. She was happy, despite bickering with her mother every now and then.  She looked a lot more like the girl who walked into his gym; the one who didn’t have the weight of Galar resting on her shoulders, the one he fell in love with at first sight.

Piers had been staring too long, and he knew it based upon the color of her cheeks.  He dipped his head to her level, catching her lips in his. It was a lot softer than he anticipated, considering how chaste they had been around her family, but it felt right. One arm kept him propped up above her, the other hand skimmed her cheek until it threaded through her curls.  She yielded to his tender kiss, winding her arms around his waist.  Yet when his tongue dared to tease the seam of her lips, sensations rocketed.  She urged him closer to her.  His hand tightened in her hair, the slight tug causing her lips to breathlessly part.  His leg found it’s way between her thighs, which she dutifully spread for him.  The second she moaned against his lips, Piers deepened the kiss, allowing the comforting weight of his body (and budding erection) to press against her as his forked tongue explored her mouth.

The two were so enthralled by each other, they hadn’t felt the first droplets of rain as they met the earth around them.  In fact, even as the rainfall picked up, they didn’t pay it much mind until the bottom dropped out.  Suddenly the two were in the midst of a shower, scrambling to their feet and seeking shelter.

They found sanctuary in the back of Annais’s Jeep.  She’d had the foresight to remove the backseat to store their camping gear- the gear that currently sat outside in the storm, still packed up.  She looked to him, expecting an earful for distracting him when they could have been setting up camp.  He was breathing heavy from the rush to the car.  He ran a hand through his drenched hair and laughed, causing her to crack a smile too.  Without a word, he leaned over, resuming the kiss that was interrupted by the weather. None of the passion had faded.  If anything, he was more ablaze than before. His chilly hands ventured beneath her soaked shirt, rolling it up her body, pulling it over her head, and tossing it somewhere towards the front floorboard.  Her bra was next, unfastened and thrown onto the steering wheel.  By the time he pulled her into his lap to rid her of her shorts and panties, she had begun stripping away his wet clothing as well.  Soon, the two were completely naked in the back of the cramped 2-door.  Thunder had started rumbling outside as Piers laid Annais down and positioned himself between her legs.

His body met hers in the usual way.  He let out a sigh of contentment upon feeling the familiar comfort of her around him. She was just as satisfying as ever, maybe even more after a fortnight of yearning for the sweet, tight warmth of her core.

‘Our first time as fiancés,’ he thought to himself as he rocked his hips against hers.  He must have actually let out a bit of a giggle, because he roused Annais’s attention.

“What’s so funny, Nez?” she asked.  There were no hard feelings behind her question; she sounded like she wanted to join him in laughter.

“Y’know… Just realized… ‘S our first time as fiancés, love,” he told her between languid rolls of his hips. “Didja ever think it’d be like this?”

“Nuh-uh… But I don’t like this trend… Of making me wait so long… each time,” she managed to joke. He couldn’t see very well, but he heard the smile in her voice.

“The wait this time wasn’t my fault,” he whispered.  He kissed her cheek.  “But I’ll make sure to fuck you promptly after we wed.”

“Good.  Guess we’ve gotta do something… Something really fucked up on our honeymoon t-,” said Annais, cut short by a tiny gasp as he hit a particularly sensitive spot.  “T-To top this…  Make it real memorable.”

Piers shook his head. No other person could drive him to have hot, sweaty sex in the back of the car in the midst of a thunderstorm.   Before her, he wouldn’t even think about getting into a car.  No one else could lure him away from home for an extended period of time.  There wasn’t anyone but her who felt like home, no matter where he found himself.  He was comforted by the fact that this wouldn’t be the last time she convinced him to do something he’d never imagine himself doing.  Nor would it be the last time she helped him enjoy the life he’d been afraid to live.  Everything they did was memorable.  He couldn’t remember life before.

“Always with your bloody messes, Ann.  The shit you get us into,” he said, lowering his head to nip at her neck.  “Don’ know how I ever lived before your messes… Before you…  Fuck, I don’ care.  I’d follow y’to hell now.”

She merely hummed, beginning to lose her consciousness to bliss.  Considering it had been so long since the last time they made love, Piers was surprised he was able to control himself as well as he was.  They might not have another chance like this until they returned to Galar, so he wanted to make it last.

But the lightning flashed outside the car, briefly illuminating her.  Piers was overwhelmed again at the sight of her beautiful body beneath him.  His chest felt tight as his heart swelled, full of so much love for the woman he was sharing this moment with.  He couldn’t contain it.  He had to let her know.

“I love you,” he uttered. “Fuckin’ ‘ell, I love you.”

Piers smashed his lips against hers before giving her a chance to say it back, afraid that hearing it right now would cause too great of an emotional reaction.  He could try to pass off those tears that fell onto her skin as rain or sweat, but they were both wiser than that.  The restraint that he had up until now was gone.  His pace picked up.  Her ankles locked behind his hips, urging him deeper and harder.  The tinted windows of the hardtop had long since fogged up; the heat inside the vehicle and between their bodies was making this so much hotter than it had any right to be.  Piers found himself panting against her lips as he drilled her into the floorboard.  The storm rumbled, the suspension squeaked, and Annais moaned Piers’s name while raking her nails across his back.

“‘M gonna… Gonna cum, Ann,” he warned.  “Fuck, y’feel so good.”

His mouth found her neck again.  He planted sloppy kisses behind her ear, groaning into it as she clenched around him.

“Nez,” she breathed. “H-Hey, Nez…”

“Y… Yes, Ann?”

“I… I love you, too.”

A choked moan escaped Piers. He pressed his forehead against hers as he roughly fucked her to climax.  With one final sharp thrust, he filled her to the hilt and held it as he came deep within her.  Her own orgasm followed.  Sobs of pleasure mixed with a string of swears as Annais came.  Her body trembled as she held him for dear life.  Such a powerful climax after weeks of deprivation was enough to cause Piers to white out.  He found himself collapsing to the side of Annais once he had ridden the final waves out. He pulled her into his arms, relishing the feel of their sore, perspiration-soaked bodies intertwined as he began to cool down.

Piers came to when he felt Annais wiggle out of his arms.  He groggily watched as she slipped on her panties and his tank top, then opened the tailgate.

“Ann?  What’re y’doin’?” he asked, lifting his head.  “It’s dreadful out there, love.”

“Gonna grab my bag for a towel… And the sleeping bags,” she said.  “The storm probably isn’t going to let up any time soon.  I figure this space back here isn’t much smaller than your bed at home.  We can manage in here tonight…  Might have to lay on top of each other, but we’ll manage.”

Annais ducked out before he had a chance to respond.  He laughed to himself and shook his head.  This wasn’t so bad.  At least they were alone… And maybe they could have another round to make up for lost time.