just write girl!!!

3 a.m. 🔞 ; optional male lead, more fluffy domestic smut THIS TIME WITH RAIN AND THUNDER WHEW... but this time as ROOMMATES | words: 1,019

A+ Punishments 🔞 ; optional male lead, college!au, sub!mmc, dom!reader, student/professor relationship, ass play, sub/dom themes, spanking, milking, overstimulation | words: 9,796

Poor Puppy 🔞 ; optional male lead, more fluffy domestic smut | words: 2,116

Help Wanted 🔞 ; optional male lead, domestic fluffy smut, he's horny while you're trying to wash dishes | words: 1,157

Autumn Rain 🔞 ; optional male lead, more fluffy domestic smut this time with rain and thunder | words: 3,229

Home | ❤️ ; optional male lead, ldr, you find a way to stay close, even with the distance between the two of you | words: 2,151

The sound of a sudden splash on the opposite side of the lake you have been lounging next to for the past hour pulls your eyes from the book in your hands. Your attention is drawn to the water droplets flinging in every direction before you notice one, two, three soaked and smiling men surfacing for air. As you arch a brow, you stare in wonder at the three rowdy guys splashing around, grins reaching their eyes and your jaw only drops when you spot one of them stand up with his body facing away from you, water cascading down every muscle of his toned back all the way to the curve of his ass. 

You only wanted to enjoy a quiet afternoon reading beneath the sun as you relaxed on a towel against the dock, overlooking the water every now and then as the soft breeze mixes with chirping birds and the world drowns out around you. Never did you expect yourself to be gawking at three naked strangers after they jumped into the lake to distract you from your book. You find your face swelling with heat the moment the one on the far left grabs the attention of the one standing, all before nodding your way and all three sets of eyes turn to look at you.

The first man flashes a smirk you only catch a glimpse of before your attention turns back to your book once again, but the way your heart pounds in your chest from getting caught only has you reading the same line over and over. You hear the three mumble between them as the breeze draws their quiet chit-chat closer to you, sharing laughter between them, and as you peek over the edges of the white pages, you notice the smirking man swimming towards the dock you’re settled on. 

Your heart sinks to the pit of your stomach, taking a deep breath in an attempt to play it cool, but there’s no doubt in your mind the soaking wet and naked stranger is going to draw attention to the fact that you were staring at them.

“I’ve never seen you here before.” The deep voice has you gripping your book tighter as you bite down hard on your bottom lip, though his tone is soft and friendly and there’s no reason for you to try to hide from him now that he’s right below where your feet are hanging off the edge of the dock. “You must be new around here, huh? What’s your name?”

You gulp, counting to three while taking a much needed, deep breath, and finally muttering your name to him after lowering your book to your lap. “I am new here. I just moved into the house at the end of Olive Route. My grandmother used to live there.” 

Your home isn’t far from where your newly dedicated reading spot is at the lake, having moved in only a few weeks prior. You’re now trying to get settled in after your grandmother passed a year before and all the paperwork was finally approved to have the deed in your name, not having too many belongings to move from your cramped apartment in the city, but finding it to be a sign to get away for awhile and enjoy the peace of mind such a small town can give you. 

If your grandmother taught you anything, it was to put yourself first, whether it be mental or physical health, nothing was more important. Now that she’s gone, you realize more than ever that you allowed years of school followed by years of work to define you, taking hold of your life and not letting go until you were running ragged and too exhausted every step of the way to even consider taking time for yourself. Moving into her old house seemed like the perfect step to follow her wishes of making an effort to look out for your well-being. Being among nature relaxes you more than you expected, or at least, that’s what you assumed until running into the stranger that is now smirking while staring up at you with his sharp gaze and intense eyes. 

He introduces himself as he tells you his name, running fingers through the strands of his dripping wet hair with a grin. “It’s nice to meet you. We don’t see too many new faces around here, so it was a surprise to spot you. Normally it’s just us.” He motions back to his two friends who seem to be whispering between themselves while flashing grins toward the two of you every now and again as they swim around in the lake’s murky waters. He informs you their names and they must have heard him speaking of them from the way their smiles widen as they offer a friendly wave your way.

The heat floods your face once again as you offer a shy, hesitant wave in return, thankful he hasn’t thrown it up in your face that you were gazing at the three splashing around in the water. Which still leaves the question of why they are in the nude, but from him mentioning not having many visitors, you guess privacy isn’t normally a concern for them. You almost feel guilty, as if you’re intruding, but this stranger seems polite enough as he swims near your feet with a smile, not the least bit concerned of the sun shining directly through the water to give you more than a generous peek at his body if you wanted it. 

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” you reply, looking anywhere else but at him in case your eyes are tempted to wander.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your reading,” he begins, swimming past the dock to reach the water’s edge to your left, “hope to see you around soon.”

With that, he stands once again to make his way onto the shore, body dripping with water cascading down every curve, and muscle, and sharp line that exists over his frame, fully on display with not an ounce of shame as he takes his time making the long way around the lake’s edge to reach his friends. Immediately you’re gulping and turning away, snatching open your book in an attempt to not think about how every inch of you is warming up because of him.

*****

You can’t resist heading back to the lake two days later to take a break from cleaning and organizing your new home. The fresh air will do you good after being around so much dust, you tell yourself, though part of you realizes you’re curious if the same rowdy boys will be splashing in the water once again. Though you’re well aware you moved to such a place to focus on yourself while putting your own sanity first, you can’t help but to admit the new friends bring a certain excitement to your otherwise newly plain life. Not that you mind, of course, considering a hectic, exhausting schedule and an overabundance of work was your routine day in and day out and now you enjoy the peace and quiet, but it’s easy to become thrilled by something so new.

You receive your answer only a short while after setting out your blue beach towel against the dock and flipping open your book. It doesn’t take long to hear the rustling of bushes and the crackling of sticks before the blur of three bodies from the corner of your eye earns your attention. One by one they throw themselves into the water with a loud splash, the ripples against the surface even reaching the tips of your toes as you sit on the dock with your legs over the side. 

You try to look away, but the sight becomes hypnotizing. Watching them play with one another as their voices travel across the water to reach you, hearing a few foul-mouthed things as the stranger from yesterday grips one of the other boys around the neck before the two become submerged. The other throws his head back as laughter erupts to reach every direction of the woods, voice echoing between the trees and you find yourself grinning at the scene before you without realizing you were staring so hard. 

When the two emerge from water to take a breath, a playful shove against one’s shoulder has him cackling just the same. Though, it doesn’t take much longer for the three to notice you sitting on the other side of the lake, their commotion settling at the sight of you until their lips twist into playful grins.

“Hey!” one of the friends yell, running his fingers through his hair to push the soaking strands from his face. “Wanna come in?”

As you stammer and mutter and try to think of a reply, the friendly stranger from before shoves his friend and shakes his head. “Who wants to swim with you?” 

You can’t help but to giggle at the question, biting your lip as your cheeks burn with heat. “I’m good for now, thanks!” you yell back at the three, hearing one of the friend’s groans of disappointment as your new polite friend shakes his head and the last man chuckles beside him. As they do so, they find themselves swimming closer to close the distance between you, and you find your heart racing from their attention. 

“So you live in the old house at the end of Olive Route, huh?” The last friend mentions, causing you to become curious at what the three have said about you when you weren’t around. Clearly he has mentioned it to the two men lurking by from the day before, and the thought of them gossiping about the new face in town tempts you to giggle. 

“Mhm,” you hum, finding it harder to concentrate when they swim so close, lingering near your feet as you skim the water’s surface, clutching your book tighter and taking a deep breath. “My grandmother used to live there, but when she passed away, she gave the house to me.” You don’t mind filling them in on your new life. After all, they seem friendly enough, and it’s not like you have made any other new acquaintances during your first few weeks in the new town. 

“Oh,” the other friend begins, mentioning your grandmother’s name with a grin, calling her by a nickname you’ve only heard a few speak before, like friends she played bingo with or the older ladies at the flea market she would take you to when you visited. “She used to bring baked goods for school fundraisers when we were kids.”

The words have your heart swelling with love at the memory of her. She was always baking, or doing something kind, and even a small story told by the three you just met only makes you wish you had visited her more often after getting out on your own. Though, she would have never held it against you for not making the trip to stop by as often as you would have liked, knowing you were too focused on school and then work while she was making desserts for children and taking care of her small town. 

“That sounds like her,” you tell the three with a wide smile appearing on your face. 

The four of you chit-chat a bit more as the afternoon turns late and they continue to swim around beneath you and play. You learned that the three of them have been close since birth, with their parents being friends before them, and their parents’ parents before that. You don’t have many stories to tell them, realizing your life was consumed with work the past few years more than you would like and it only left you to see you felt emptier, lonelier, when it was all said and done. Though you do mention to the three that you moved into your grandmother’s home for something new and different, and the looks shared between the boys doesn’t go unnoticed. You try to shake off the butterflies that begin fluttering in your stomach at the sight.

You lose track of time sharing little details between yourselves until the three mention they have been in the water too long. You realize you have taken too long of a break from cleaning and organizing, and decide to say goodbye to them for now. You begin to gather up your book and towel in your arms while they begin roughhousing once again, giggling and waving a last goodbye over your shoulder, happy to have met a few new faces you find yourself being comfortable around.

*****

After your conversation with the playful new friends a few days prior, you find yourself itching to go back to the lake just to run into them again. You admit it still gets lonely at times, not having anyone else to talk to besides a phone call from your mother every once and a while, and a distant friend that checks up on you when she has the time to. You realize it’s your own fault for allowing yourself to become so lost in your previous job, but you feel a bit luckier now to have three new neighbors to turn to for a friendly face. 

Even if you don’t know the three well after only a few conversations, you find comfort in their presence and playfulness, and they always seem to be polite and kind whenever you come around. Though their complete lack of shame as they splash around naked in the water is something you will have to get used to, wondering if they’re so free and open with every new person they meet. You remind yourself it’s something they have probably done since they were kids, so it has become so normal to them. 

When you arrive at the lake, you spot nothing but calm waters. You try to ignore the disappointment filling your chest as you lay out your towel against the dock once again and settle with your book in your lap. You’re sure they don’t go for a swim every day, right? It’s not like you are even good enough friends to be expecting one another, but you can’t deny that the past few times spotting them out near the lake has made your days a little better.

Regardless, you find yourself becoming caught up in your book once again. At least you’ll have the peace and quiet to read, you tell yourself, even if talking to your new friends sounds a bit more exciting. The still waters around you calm you, eventually tossing your legs over the side of the dock to allow your feet to skim the surface as your eyes devour the pages. But it doesn’t take long for the sounds of chirping birds in the distance or the gentle breeze to become interrupted by a rustling in the leaves behind you.

Your eyes dart up as you twist your body to look around, spotting him, the most familiar stranger this town has to offer you, wandering your way. For the first time, he actually adorns a thin t-shirt and dirty, ripped jeans pressing against the muscles of his body, but he performs the same gesture of running strong fingers through the strands of his hair and sighing without a word before settling next to you on the dock.

“Where’s your friends?” you ask him the first thought that pops into your mind to earn a chuckle. It’s clear he’s still in the mood for a swim even if he’s alone from the way he begins plucking at the laces of his sneakers and taking them off, as well as his white socks, one by one. 

“One already had plans today, and the other didn’t feel like coming.” He turns to you and smiles before tugging the neck of his shirt over his head to toss aside, leaving his bare chest on display, and you’re nearly embarrassed from the way it has heat filling your face. “So, I have no one to swim with today. Unless…”

You arch a brow, but can’t help to grin. “Unless?”

“Unless you want to swim with me?” he offers, though his tone is a little hesitant and you wonder if he’s worried you will turn him down once again. The thought is tempting, you have to admit, and with only him swimming with you, it doesn’t seem as intimidating. “You’re thinking about it. I can see you’re considering it.” He teases you with a wide smile, gently nudging your arm with his elbow while chuckling.

“Maybe…” you hum, biting your lip to keep from grinning too much.

“C’mon,” he pouts, “I won’t let anything scary get you.”

Before you can reply, he stands to push his jeans and boxer-briefs down to his feet, kicking them off in a swift motion before diving into the deep, cold waters of the lake, not even giving you time to register his naked body jumping past you. The splash from his weight leaves drops hitting your legs and feet to make you squeak and giggle. After a few seconds, he resurfaces, shaking his head to send more water flying in every direction, all before running his hand over his face to rid his vision of loose strands of hair. 

“Come on in, it feels amazing!” he beams, and you chuckle and shake your head.

With a heavy sigh, you place your book against your towel after folding the corner of the page to mark your place, thinking to yourself how you can’t believe you’re actually doing this. Even if it is a bit spontaneous, and something you would have never done before, the thought of swimming with a stranger excites you, and he has made you feel nothing but comfortable with him apart from the shyness that creeps up whenever you think about how careless he is with his own clothes. 

As you bite your bottom lip, you reach to untuck the tank-top you’re wearing from your shorts, but you pause a moment to turn to him. “Look away.”

His lips turn into a grin at your sudden request, but he obliges, turning his whole body before swimming a little ways from the dock to allow you some privacy. Once you’re more comfortable, you tug your top over your head, followed by unbuttoning and pushing your shorts to your feet, leaving you in your lace bra and panties. You’re not as confident as him, however, so you leave the lingerie on as you have a seat on the dock to ready yourself, and before you can talk yourself out of it, you’re sinking into the water.

“Ah!” you whimper, beginning to shake from the unexpected temperature as the shock of the water takes hold of your limbs. “It’s cold!” 

He turns around the moment he hears your voice, a pleased smile on his lips. “It won’t be for long. You’ll get used to it.” He swims closer to you, leaving only a foot between your two bodies as you move your arms, kick your feet, and try to stay afloat. It’s been too long since you’ve been swimming. “It’s even better naked… you feel more free,” he adds, and a rush of heat swells from the pit of your stomach to every inch of your body.

“Is that why you and your rowdy friends are always out here?” 

“Hm, yeah you could say that, among a few other reasons,” he tells you, and you feel as if the two of you are drifting closer to one another without realizing. “We like to swim after a run. It helps us cool down.”

“A run?” you ask. “Are you on a college track team or something?” You can’t help but to giggle as he grins.

“No,” he replies, shaking his head. Before you can pry further, a snap of a twig echoes across the lake, earning your full attention with your head jerking to the right. “Are you scared?” You turn back to him to see his smirk, and you quickly raise your chin to feign more confidence.

“No, but… you never know what can be out in the woods,” you tell him, then add, “or the lake.”

“Don’t be scared,” he laughs, then licks his lips to have a shiver running down your spine. “I’m the scariest thing out here right now, trust me.”

You frown, taken back by his words even if the tone of his suddenly deep, dark voice has you gulping. “You saying that makes me want to do the opposite of trust you.”

“It’s okay,” he tells you, playful voice returning that you can’t help but to give in to, “I like you.”

You open your mouth to speak, but he suddenly submerges himself beneath the water. As luck would have it, the sun has disappeared behind a cloud, no longer illuminating the murky waters for you to see where he swam to, but the black shadow swimming beneath your feet gives you a clue. 

“Where’d you go?” you call for him, turning your body behind you in hopes he will pop up at any time now. “Hello?!” Your heart begins to race, wondering why he’s teasing you, and the moment you feel a tug on your foot, you let out a loud shriek of his name. 

Before you have time to react, you feel two strong arms wrap around your waist a second before he emerges behind you, gasping for breath and squeezing you tight.

“Hey!” you begin to yell between giggles, attempting to swim away, but he playfully holds you against his chest. “That’s not funny! You scared me!”

“Hey! I told you I wouldn’t let anything scary get you. I meant it!”

“Anything but you, maybe,” you add, laughter shared between the two of you until you feel his grasp on your body tighten. His chest becomes flush against your back, large hands pressed against your flesh to have heat swelling from between your thighs as your heart pounds against your chest.

“Do you mind?” he asks, whispering in your ear with a deep, raspy tone you feel right in your core. You gulp, lowering your hands to rest against the arms that hold you, finding comfort and security in his embrace in the moment even if you aren’t sure why. Without hesitation, you shake your head, telling him you don’t mind at all if he’s so close to you. 

“I should get going,” you tell him when he releases his arms from your body. 

“Want me to walk you home?” he offers to take you by surprise, heart fluttering from him looking out for you.

“I can manage this time,” you promise him, watching him flash a smile before the two of you are climbing onto the dock to clothe your dripping wet bodies. As soon as you slip your top and shorts on and he manages to at least put on his jeans, you gather your towel and book and say your goodbyes, and he smiles before telling you to get home safely.

*****

Even if your new home in a small town in the middle of nowhere offers more peace than a busy city, you still find yourself waking up from bad dreams occasionally. Maybe your mind has been running too wild, or stresses from your previous life begin to taunt you, having your slumber filled with thoughts of overdue paperwork and bosses scolding you to fill you with shame for doing so poorly.

At least it’s better than the high school dreams, you think to yourself as you crawl out of bed and rub your sleepy eyes. Anything beats dreaming about being late for a test when you already graduated more than six years before. Still, your mind begins to buzz with worries and thoughts of the past, and being in your grandmother’s home only makes you miss her advice and words of comfort when you need them most.

The first thing that pops into your mind as you step into the kitchen for a glass of tap water from the sink is the lake. For a few weeks it has brought you comfort and a nice distraction, and after bad dreams, you feel the need for fresh air to clear your suffocating mind. After gulping down the water to clear yourself of a dry mouth, you exchange your nightgown for an oversized t-shirt and jean shorts before slipping your shoes on at the front door. 

You don’t bother locking it behind you. 

No one comes out this far anyway, you tell yourself. 

As you bounce down the steps to your front porch, the midnight air filling your lungs already puts your mind at ease. With the moonlight guiding your way along the dirt trail past the rows of trees, you make your way to the lake’s edge in no time, taking in the serene sight of calm waters and listening to the chirping of crickets around you. 

It becomes easy to let go of the bad dreams and stresses in such a peaceful environment. You feel like you can breathe deeply again and it doesn’t take long to feel the weight of past burdens lift from your shoulders. You take another long, deep breath and close your eyes to enjoy the brush of midnight air against your skin. For once, you don’t mind being so alone when it does its job of clearing your head.

The moment doesn’t last too long, however. Suddenly hearing a rustling of bushes to your left causes your attention to turn to the noise as your eyes pop open.

“Hello?” you call out, though you want to assume it’s nothing but a wild animal. A snap of some twigs and crunching of leaves sounds a bit more like larger footsteps than small paws can offer, you realize, finding your heart racing as you speak again. “Is someone there?” 

Your first thought is the noises possibly coming from him, or one of his two friends. After all, they are the only ones you have ever spotted this far out of the town’s limits, but when you receive no reply, your knees begin to shake with uncertainty. You remain silent for a moment, listening, waiting, until a shuffling between trees of some sort from behind you has your entire body jerking toward the sound.

And when you do so, your whole body’s weight shifts to one foot as your ankle rolls against the dock, misstepping to send your balance off center. You try to regain control of your footsteps, until your shoe snags on a warped board against the dock, sending your body falling forward before you can stop yourself.

It all happens so quickly. You shut your eyes as you let out a yelp, crashing face first into the water’s surface with a splash that echoes between the forest’s trees. You flap your arms and kick your legs, trying to figure out which way is up, but the light from the moon is too dim and every inch of the water beneath the surface remains pitch black. You open your mouth to release the breath in your tightening lungs, only to have it filled with lake water in an instant. 

The adrenaline shooting through you does no good for your muscles that begin to ache out of a struggling fear that consumes you. The seconds tick by as you struggle to reach the surface, but the moment takes hold in the form of confusion while trying to swim for even just a breath of air.

It’s not until you feel two arms wrap around your body to pull you closer to the surface do you begin to give up. The quickness of exhaustion setting in when you’re struggling to swim after being startled leaves you helpless, and the moment you feel your face break that water’s surface is when you finally gasp for a deep breath to fill your desperate lungs.

The arms around you hold you tight, pulling you to the water’s edge with your back hitting the dirt shore hard. Gasping, struggling to breathe, yet body remaining limp and lifeless, you blink a few times until your vision begins to clear.

“Are you okay?” someone asks, and it takes a few seconds for the familiar voice to register in your mind. “Just breathe, okay? Breathe, I’ve got you. I’m here.”

He continues speaking, causing you to blink a bit more, taking a deep breath to calm yourself until you recognize the face staring down at you belongs to your new lake friend, spotting his wet hair with drops dripping from every strand and a soaked t-shirt clinging to the muscles of his chest. He grips the sides of your face as he scans your body for any injuries or issues, and brings his gaze back to your eyes to make sure your breathing is steadied. 

“What… what happened?” you ask between coughing and struggling to sit up right. “What... what was that? I thought I heard…” He places a hand on your soaking wet back to make sure you can sit up right.

“You really shouldn’t be out here at night.”

“What?” You’re taken back by his suddenly stern, yet worried tone. He leans closer, brushing a few dripping strands of hair from your face to display his concern.

“It’s not safe, okay?” His voice softens with every word, hand cupping your face to earn your full attention. “I was joking before with you, but I’m serious this time. Don’t come here at night.”

“But…”

“Let’s get you home. You’ll catch a cold.”

He doesn’t allow you to say anything else, or ask anymore questions, as he helps you to your feet. You remain confused and shaken, but you allow him to take care of you, throwing one of your arms to hook around his neck while he wraps a hand around your hip. He guides you to your home with quiet directions from you, mind running wild, but the seriousness of his words rests heavy on your mind. You aren’t sure what he means, but you’re no fool not to believe him, and you decide you don’t want to find out any more details in the moment. 

“Thanks,” you whisper as the two of you travel up the steps of your front porch. Once at your front door, he finally releases you from his grip, giving you a look from head to toe once again to make sure you’re okay. 

He only hums and nods, clearly just as worried about something he isn’t comfortable speaking about, and you don’t push him. You feign a weak smile before pushing the door to your home open and stumbling inside, dripping puddles on the floor beneath you that you can’t care about in the moment. Your back presses against the door once it’s closed behind you, pausing to take a deep breath for a moment and try to understand what happened. 

Why was he so worried? Did he see whatever was in the bushes that startled you in the first place?

You realize you can’t worry about it now. You’re too exhausted and in need of a shower, but before heading to the bathroom to strip yourself of soaking wet clothes, you take one peek out of the blinds covering the two small windows on your door. However, you fail to see him leaving your home along the long, dirt trail into town. Instead, the only thing you spot is a fluffy, white tail bouncing along side to side before disappearing into the darkness.

*****

It takes you nearly a week to gather the courage for a walk down to the lake, but you do so without your favorite book or beach towel to accompany you. This time, you only wish to become comfortable around the water in the middle of nature once again. After becoming startled and falling into the lake, only for him to conveniently be around to save you, you weren’t sure if you would find as much peace as before.

But it doesn’t take long for the calmness of the water to put your mind at ease, finding the sun shining on your skin to be the rejuvenation you need after spending so many nights wondering over his words. You slip your shoes off and settle against the dock, allowing your feet to skim along the water’s surface like you always do, with your hand clasping the edge of the wooden boards and your eyes closing to soak in everything around you.

It also doesn’t take long for the three boys to bring commotion to the lake’s still waters. They run in with a loud splash, and can't help but to smirk to see the three of them together once again. The moment one of his friends spots you between their playing and splashing around, he nudges your brave rescuer to have your heart climbing in your throat. Surely he informed them of what happened a week before, and it doesn’t surprise you when he turns to whisper something to the other two before swimming across the lake to reach you. 

Before he can make it to you, you decide to make it a bit easier on him. Grabbing your shoes in your arms, you tuck your feet beneath you to stand and make the trip to the water’s edge. He receives the hint, swimming past the dock just as you settle in the dirt with your arms wrapped around your knees. Once he reaches you, he has no shame uncovering his body from the water before his back falls into the dirt next to you, grinning after exhaling a heavy breath. 

“I was scared you weren’t going to come back here after the other night.” 

Your heart skips a beat at his worry, as well as the way you try to avert your gaze not to gawk at his bare body beneath the rays of sunlight. “I thought about it,” you tell him honestly.

“I’m glad you came back.”

You smile at his words. “Me too.” Then you sigh, and his warning continues to weigh heavy on your mind from the other night. “But, I can’t stop thinking about what you said. Why shouldn’t I be out here at night? What’s out here that I should worry about… besides you?” The last few words only tease him slightly, though part of it remains true. He is intimidating even if you feel comfortable around him. Maybe it’s the stress of being startled, but you admit you’re thankful he was there in the nick of time to save you.

“Me?” He chuckles, sitting up straight with his arms resting on his knees. “Well, I hope you know by now that I would only want you to be safe. I would never cause you harm, or allow anyone else to. These are our woods, after all.”

His words have you gulping, chest blossoming with the sudden warmth of the care he shows for you and you try to stop your heart from beating wildly in fear of him hearing the way it pounds so hard against your chest. Not to mention the lingering, swirling sensation from his statement dividing your stomach in two. You’re pretty sure he isn’t talking about him and you when he says ‘our woods’.

“But, there are other things.”

“What kind of things?” you ask, inching closer, hanging onto his every word. He turns to you with a smirk, looking you from head to toe with a lick of his lips that tempts you to shudder beneath his intense gaze.

“Are you sure you want to know?” As he asks, he reaches to brush a few loose hairs from your face, before his palm cups your cheek and his thumb brushes over your bottom lip, licking his lips once again from the way he feels you tremble against his touch. “There are scary things, things that would only get a hint of your scent and not be able to control themselves.”

You find yourself gulping once again from his words, opening your mouth to attempt a reply, but as his hand drops to your neck and his thumb runs along the curve of your throat, from your jaw to your collar bones. You can only mutter a few words in return. “My scent, like the way I… the way I smell?” You blink, confused, and he chuckles at the way you whispered the last few words.

“Mhm,” he hums, causing your breaths to deepen and the baby blue sundress you’re wearing to tighten against your breasts from the way your body reacts to his touches. “You smell incredible.”

Before your mind has too much time to run wild with his words, he pulls away from you. 

“Which is why it’s dangerous for you.” 

But the desire is already there, as well as the heat swelling from between your thighs. “Maybe I want it to be a little dangerous.” You barely recognize your own voice as you speak the words, but you can only blame him for that.

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Yes I do,” you stand your ground. For so long you were the prisoner of strict schedules, textbooks, and then nine to five’s and praying for overtime so you can afford rent. You weren’t living, only existing, and something about being with him makes you feel so alive it’s terrifying, but you can’t resist. “I know what I want.” 

“You don’t even know me.”

“So what? People have h-hook-ups all the… all the time!” Your confidence fades at the mere mention of sex, something you would have once been ashamed for even thinking, let alone speaking out loud to the man you find irresistible. 

“No,” he chuckles in a dark tone, turning to you once again to grip you by the back of the neck and meet your eyes with a fire in his own. “I mean, you don’t know what I am.” 

Your bottom lip begins to quiver, words wavering with every syllable, but you don’t back down. “Tell me.”

“Why do you trust me so much?”

“I… I don’t know,” you tell him, wishing you knew the answer as his defenses soften from your own honesty. “I don't know, I just… I just do. I can feel it, especially after the other night. I know you won’t hurt me. I know you care about me. Maybe because of my grandmother or you’re just as curious about me as I am about you, but I just… I can feel it.”

“You’re right.”

“Then what’s wrong?” With that, you sigh, nearly admitting defeat. “Do you not… not want me?” Your tone cowers as you lose the last bit of confidence, wondering if you have been reading the signals all wrong.

But when he grips you tighter, exhaling a heavy breath from his lips, you swear you hear a rumble in his chest that sounds similar to a growl erupting inside of him. “You have no idea how much I want you.”

Your breath catches in your throat for a moment, blinking to allow the strained, desperate words to register in your mind. “Then… take me.” 

He hesitates, gazes drifting from your eyes, to your lips, to the way your chest swells with need in every breath, and back again. There’s a tug-of-war going on inside him, and he bites his lip and exhales a heavy sigh before leaning toward you. His lips clash with your own and in desperation you reach for him, whimpering against his skin and tugging so tight against his shoulders your nails dig into his flesh. He groans in return, becoming greedy, parting your lips with his tongue as he savors every ounce of the way you kiss him, but before he becomes too carried away, he pushes himself off of you.

“Meet me here,” he gasps, body tense, as if he’s trying to resist the temptation that is you, “tonight. Right here, okay?”

“But you said…”

“I’ll protect you,” he interrupts, fists clenched and nostrils flaring.  “Will you come?”

You knew there’s no way you could deny him. “Of course.”

*****

Your heart couldn’t beat any faster inside your chest as you make the trip from your house down to the lake. With shaking knees, each step becomes harder than the last, but the thrill of being with him keeps you going. Even if you’re uncertain about venturing to the lake at night after his warning, you find yourself trusting him more than you realized. You’re more than confident he meant every word about keeping you safe.

You travel to the same spot the two of you were settled together earlier in the day. The cold chills your skin and you hug your arms to your body tighter, a shiver races down your spine as you hear a distant howl mix with the breeze whistling through the trees. The moonlight is dim, but it did a good enough job lighting your way to the lake, heart pounding against your chest the longer you wait on him.

As the minutes tick by, your confidence that he will show up fades. The cold breeze begins to get to you, goosebumps spreading over your skin as a chill surges through you to earn a shiver. You wait a little longer, shifting your weight from foot to foot and sighing, peering all around you for any sign of him.

Just when you’ve nearly given up hope and turn from the lake to head back to your home, your eyes pop at the sight of the same white fur before you that you noticed the other night disappearing into the darkness. Two bright, yellow eyes start back at you to keep you frozen in place, watching the creature. A large, intimidating wolf takes a step forward. Large paws leave prints in the dirt as it grows near, a black snout sniffing the air around it and ears perking when you exhale a heavy breath you weren’t aware you were holding.

The creature remains calm, however, never lunging or even moving too swiftly to take you by surprise. Its presence finds a way to comfort you when you realize the same safety you feel when you’re with him takes hold of you. The wolf lowers its head a second before he lays flat against the ground, displaying anything but aggression before you. And you find yourself mimicking its motions, dropping to your knees with your hands resting in your lap to show your trust in the creature.

In the blink of an eye, however, the wolf’s fur begins to recede as spots of human flesh appear in patches. Your eyes pop at the sight, jaw hanging open while noticing the snout retracting and bright, yellow eyes darkening into a deep, familiar color. Fingers extend from the paws and the strong curve of muscles begin to surface, and second by second the creature shifts right before your eyes before your mind has time to register the process.

Until you’re no longer staring at an animal, but the gasping, human body of him on his hands and knees before you, fingers digging into the dirt and spine bent in a devilish arch to leave you shuddering at the sight.  It takes him a few seconds to regain control of his human mind, but your jaw remains slacked and you feel as if you’ve forgotten how to breathe. Every ounce of air is sucked from your lungs, eyes so wide they begin to strain, bottom lip trembling as you try to make sense of what just took place before you. 

All you can manage is a mutter of his name, voice so weak, confused, but you remain unafraid as he peeks at you through his lashes. 

“I wanted to show you,” he begins the moment he catches his breath. “I wanted you to know what I was.” 

“I don’t… but you…” You fail to complete proper sentences, blinking, rubbing your eyes, expecting any second to be back in your bed. If the bad dreams weren’t getting to you, you expect they were now, but him crawling toward you with caution and the cold air sending a chill down your spine tells you it’s real. He’s real, and he’s no human. Now you understand what he meant when he told you it was dangerous, and he was the scariest thing around. You should be afraid. You should be running.

But you sit still, allowing him to crawl to you, accepting him with hands reaching to thread fingers through his hair to grip the strands tight. He peers up at you, waiting on you to give in to him now that he’s shown you everything, and you can’t back out now, not hesitating to pull him close.

Your lips collide as he pulls your body against his own naked flesh to hold you tight. His skin burns like fire to warm you beneath the chill of the midnight air, every move of his lips against your flesh igniting a flame of pure desire within you, every touch tempting your body to beg for more. You whimper against his lips until his kisses trail to your jaw, tongue swiping over your skin for a taste that has him growling against your body. The noise vibrates you to your core, shaking with anticipation as the desperation burns between your thighs. 

He has you on your back in seconds, licking along your neck, kissing here and there just to hear you moan his name. He teeth scrape along your exposed collarbone while his hands push the hem of your dress up to your hips. His touches are electric, sending surges of warmth to every inch of your body as his fingertips dance along your panty line. His lips pamper your chest until he reaches the swell of your breast over your sundress, your own back arching to beg without words for more.

But he suddenly stops, earning a whimper of a protest from your lips until he places a tight grip on your wrists, pushing your arms above your head and pinning your hands into the dirt.

“Are you sure?” He gulps, and takes a deep breath, nostrils flaring and chest rumbling with another growl of pure desire. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” you whimper, not even hesitating for a second, pressing your thighs to his sides and rolling your lower half against his body. “Please.” 

It’s all the convincing he needs. The way you beg him has the temptation rising until he snaps, lips colliding with yours once more as his hands roam your body. His palms brush over your breast to have your chest pushing into his grasp while he kisses a trail from your mouth to your neck. He growls against your skin, becoming greedy as the despereation to have you takes hold, and the way you whimper his name and open your body to him only increases the tension and desire between the two of you.

He grips the straps of your dress, for a split-second hearing the sharp tear of fabric echo into the night’s sky before he’s pulling the flimsy material aside to leave you in nothing but sheer, black panties. The motion is so quick, taking you by surprise as the breeze chills your skin and ghosts over your body. But his mouth has the warmth swelling from between your thighs, sending waves of heat to every inch of your body as he hooks his fingers into the band of your panties while his mouth teases an erect nipple. His tongue circles around the flesh and you can’t help but to entangle shaking fingers between the strands of his hair while soft moans fill the air.

“Please,” you beg him, feeling the ache between your legs growing the longer his tongue toys with your hardened nipples. He groans at the sound of your voice, becoming impatient himself before his mouth lowers down your stomach. He leaves a trail of desperate, quick kisses between growls erupting in his chest, and the sound has you shaking with anticipation. 

Before he can stop himself, he lowers his body just enough to have his teeth sinking into your inner thigh, earning a gasp from the slight sting sinking into your flesh until the heat of red hot pleasure swells within you. He latches on as the band to your panties is snapped, just like your dress before, the muscles of his chest and arms tensing as he does so and the moment takes over him. He has to have you, taste you, fuck you into the dirt until the two of you are sweaty, and messy, and out of breath. The urges inside of him rise to the surface as he tosses the shredded remains of your panties aside and releases his bite on your thigh before parting them wide for him, not hesitating to sink his head between your legs and begin devouring you for every drop of arousal you offer him.

“God!” you gasp with his name following, back arching from the water’s shore with the first swipe of his tongue along your slit. He wastes no time tasting you, parting your folds with his tongue dipping into your entrance to gather up the juices that drip out for him, all before trailing up to your clit to offer quick, needy circles around the swollen bud. Your thighs shake around him, listening to the deep groans and heavy growls filling his chest as he pleasures you, with his hands on your hips to hold your body steady and your own fingers lowering to tug on the strands of his hair. “Please… don’t stop.”

He groans from the desperation in the words and the way your voice shakes with every syllable. Your thighs tighten around his head, but he never slows his pace at lapping up your juices, swirling his tongue around your clit, or teasing your aching entrance as you beg him for more. He growls between your legs like a hungry animal, loving the way you taste and call his name, enjoying the arousal dripping on his tongue and how you quiver in his hold. Your body is on fire from the bliss swelling inside of you as the world drowns out around you, no longer consumed with worries or stress, but succumbing to the pleasure he offers.

“Oh my God…” You whimper his name mixed with curses, but his tongue has left you so speechless you can no longer warn him that you’re growing close to the edge. When his lips press to your flesh and he sucks on the hood of your clit, your entire body tenses as your mind becomes fuzzy with ecstasy. He knows exactly how to keep your body worked up, circling your clit in a steady motion, lowering to lick up the juices that spill before swallowing every drop with a groan. 

He mutters between your legs something about how fucking delicious you taste, but the words barely reach your ears from the way you continue to whimper and moan. You’re shaking in his hands, legs beginning to twitch the longer he tends to your aching, soaked center. Part of you wonders if he’s enjoying it just as much as you, loving having his face buried between your thighs while you tug on his hair. Your curiosities are answered each time he groans and growls against your flesh. 

The tension tightens and the heat swells at your core, feeling yourself barrelling over the edge due to his mouth. His expert maneuvers between your thighs have you crying out for him, voice drowning between the trees all around and the thought that you are out in the open where anyone could watch the two of you never crosses your mind. The pleasure building in the pit of your stomach takes hold of your body, and your mind, focusing on nothing but the way his mouth presses to your folds and his tongue draws out every sinful whimper of you begging him not to stop. 

You call out for him a final time before the tension snaps, bursting into red hot heat flooding your body. The bliss fills you to every inch, hips bucking against his face, thighs trembling, fingers falling from the the strands of his hair as your back arches from the dirt. He continues licking up your slit as you come undone, drawing out every little cry and whimper and moan that is just for him, loving the way your body moves in pure ecstasy against him and loving even more that he’s the reason you feel so damn good.

When you finally settle from the high, he lingers between your thighs for a bit longer. His tongue darts out to lick up the essence of your orgasm, wanting to taste you a bit more until you’re trembling in sensitivity and calling out his name. 

In a second he’s hovering over you, hands pressed in the dirt near your head, taking in the sight of your bare body beneath him as your chest heaves and your eyes flutter. He licks his lips and smirks only a moment before he dips his mouth to press his lips to your own. The kiss is fiery hot as you taste your pleasure on his flesh, but it warms you all over again as your tongues collide and he groans against you. 

It doesn’t take you long to become desperate for him again, wanting to feel him inside of you, wanting to be so close to him. The ache between your thighs returns, and from the way he pulls away to grip your hips and flip your body over, you’re aware he’s dying for the same. Your hands and knees hit the dirt with your back bent and your ass in the air, and he pulls your soaked slit against his aching hard cock with a swift tug of your hips.

He grinds himself against you, huffing and panting and groaning, feeling the way you move your ass against him while calling out to him. “Please,” you gasp as his fingers dig into your side, “please… fuck me.”

The desperation in your tone mixed with the weakness of a low, trembling voice earns a growl building deep within his chest. He can wait no longer, quickly lining his length up to your dripping, readied entrance before sinking his cock deep inside of you. His motions remain careful even if he’s desperate to have you, easing into the juices that drip out for him as you cry out in pure bliss. He fills you up and the noises of him thrusting inside of you, the messy squelch of a cock buried deep, mix with his groans and your own whimpers. He allows you to adjust as your head begins to spin, concentrating on the feeling of him inside of you, his hands on your waist, his hips against your ass. 

When you begin to whimper his name once again, he begins to pull away, only to grip you tighter to smear the dirt against your body while thrusting himself back into you with a snap of his hips. The animal in him takes over the moment he feels you squeezing yourself around his length, groaning, growling, repeating the motion of slapping his hips against your ass and burying his cock deep within you. 

The pressure rises and the tension coils in the pit of your stomach, digging your fingers deep into the dirt to try to hold on to your sanity. Sweats beads over your skin just the same as him, crying out for him, moans mixing with curses to form a stream of a pure sinful melody from your lips. His powerful thrusts behind you quicken, causing you to grow weak before him as your body begins to quiver in his grasp, and he quickly catches on to have an arm wrapping around your ribcage.

He pulls you closer to him, body molding with your own, sweaty, dirty chest pressed to your back that remains just as filthy, twitching his hips, fucking you harder to have your eyes screwing shut and your jaw slacked. The whimpers and moans of his name grow quiet as you grow breathless, pleasure taking hold of every inch of your body once again until your toes are curling and he’s whispering deep and dark in your ear from behind.

“You feel so fucking good,” he groans between clenched teeth, snapping his hips against you once again to leave you shaking, “so fucking wet, and tight squeezing around me like that.” His words have a burst of heat surging through you as you latch onto his arm wrapped around you tight, never letting go.

You cry out, wanting to warn him you’re growing close to the edge once again, mind growing numb, everything around you fading into black. But he doesn’t give you the chance to speak before his teeth are sinking into the flesh of your neck from behind, latching on in a firm grip while growling once again. The sting of his bite only burns for a second before the pleasure takes hold, loving the way he marks you as his own and loving even more the way he fucks you. “Fuck… oh my God…”

Before you can whimper anything else, the pleasure erupts inside of you, red hot heat unraveling to every limb, every finger and toe, and swarming your mind as you become lightheaded. Your body grows limp in his hold before his arm grips you tighter, keeping you steady, pumping into you from behind, allowing you to ride out the high with him deep inside of you.

He doesn’t stop thrusting his hips even as you come down. He chases his own pleasure inside of you, hitting deep within your walls as your own arousal drips out around him. The slick and messy noises mix with his groans and praises of how incredible you feel wrapped around him, heat continuing to rush to your face as your entire body becomes overly sensitive.

With one final, sharp inhale, the bliss takes hold of him. His hips slow as he begins to release inside of you, filling you up with a few huffs and grunts, creating a bigger mess between your thighs. He thrusts one last time as the last few drops spill from him, continuing to hold your body close until you’re both too spent to hold your own weight.

The two of you collapse against the water’s shore, dirty, and messy, and sweaty, but he pulls you close enough to press his lips to your forehead. His hand caresses your hip as you lay next to him grinning and trying to catch your breath, finding his sudden affection to be the perfect aftermath of your pleasure. And when he regains enough strength, he nuzzles closer to you, kissing your lips, and your cheek and jaw, before his mouth brushes over the spot he bit along your neck earlier. No doubt you’ll be a bit sore in more places than one when you awake in the morning, but he tends to you with affectionate kisses and touches to help sooth your body in the moment.

“Do you want to go for a swim?” he suggests with a smirk, and it causes you to giggle. Of course he would offer such a thing, but with your body on cloud nine and your heart fluttering from how he can go from passionate lover to gentle and sweet, you would probably agree to anything in the moment.

All you can offer is a nod before he helps you to your feet, the two of you carefully walking to the water’s edge, dipping your toes in first to test the temperature, only to realize you’re still too hot and sweaty to care. He guides you into the water with care, never releasing his hold on you, allowing you to lean your body into him as he keeps the two of you afloat. 

“You’re right,” you mention after a while, and after a few more kisses shared between the two of you, “swimming naked does make me feel more free.”

“I told you,” he chuckles and pulls you close in the water to pamper you with his lips falling to your neck, so concerned over where he’s bitten even though you pay it no mind. You’ve never been so spoiled after being with someone, and you have to admit the way it has your chest swelling with affection for him. 

You whisper his name when he pulls away from your body, “I can’t say that I understand what’s going on, and part of me still feels like I’m dreaming, but…”

He grows silent, all smiles and grins fading while listening to your every word, so you continue.

“I feel safe with you, and I like being with you. It’s not just the water that makes me feel free, or being out here, but you as well.” You pause for a moment to collect your thoughts, mind racing once again, but all you can focus on is the way he makes you feel in the moment. “And I guess that’s all I really want to understand right now, because that’s all that matters to me. The rest I will figure out later.”

He smiles, kissing your lips again. “I’m so glad I ran into you that day,” he admits with a grin. “I’m extra glad my friends caught you staring at us naked… otherwise I wouldn’t have swam over.”

The sight of blood isn’t one you see too often. If you’re being honest it does make you a bit queasy. Though you grin and bear it as you press a damp cloth to the stranger’s broken lip and you can just hear your mother telling you what an idiot you are for helping a human of all creatures.

The human man is passed out and has been for a while, you assume. You managed to drag him in after rolling his lifeless body on a thick enough quilt, settling him near the fireplace in your cozy cottage before deciding to clean his wounds. A bruised eye. A bloodied lip. A few scratches here and there and a deep red color stained into his thin linen shirt add to the unsettled feeling in your body, knowing your mother’s figurative words are probably right. You shouldn’t have helped a human so close to death, especially after figuring out it was no doubt orcs that have left him this way, but you’ve never been as cold-hearted as those dumb orcs.

You aren’t as cold-hearted as any of the creatures in your forest, even if elves have been known to be a bit twisted or deranged over the last few hundreds of years. You can’t fall in line with their beliefs, if you’re honest with yourself, knowing that any human that steps foot in your part of the forest has already decided his life isn’t worth living. The only question is where did this human come from and why did he manage to escape the orc’s clutches and bloodied battle axes with enough life to end up by the river near your little cottage.

Regardless of your curiosities, you help the human as best you can, keeping him warm, cleaning his face, applying a few leaves soaked in healing potion you got from a shaman that lives to the west of the river against his eyes and lips while hoping for the best.

By sundown, the human begins to stir, groaning a bit and wincing. His hand rises, clearly trying to figure out what the damp substance is on his face, and it doesn’t take you long to rush to his side.

“Don’t move,” you warn him, reaching to gently peel the leaves from his face before tossing them into the crackling fire. “I managed to mend your face as best as I can, but I’m not so sure if the rest of your body has any injuries.”

The stranger blinks with curious, wide eyes, and he opens his mouth to speak until the pain of his busted lip gets to him first. He touches the open wound with trembling fingers, and his eyes settle on you once again. His gaze shifts from your own eyes staring down at him with concern, to the black robe that drapes over your shoulders, and all the way up to your pointed ears. He blinks again, not pulling his eyes away this time as his jaw slacks.

“It’s… not very nice to stare at someone’s ears, you know.” You straighten your back and clear your throat, and finally the stranger closes his eyes and touches the side of his head with his palm. “Especially one that saved your life.”

“S-saved me?” he coughs a little and attempts to sit up, to which you lean closer to aid him, hoping for no more injuries than the ones you’ve tended to so far. “The orcs…” His words fail as he tries to remember what happened, squinting and hissing as he begins to clutch his ribs.

“Hey, take it easy,” you attempt to calm him, gently reaching to lift his shirt before spotting a dark purple swirl against his flesh. “Oh no…” You reach to press fingers against his body, earning another hiss as you do so as he pulls away from you.

“Fuck,” he cries out, grabbing his body with one strong arm wrapping around his torso, “that hurts. Those damned orcs…”

“Take a deep breath in.”

“Hu-what?” He blinks at you, to which you can only shake your head.

“Take a deep breath,” you tell him again, this time your voice comes across more stern as he follows your instructions, “and release it. Does it hurt?”

He hesitates for a moment, then shakes his head. “No, well not anymore than before. Mostly when it’s touched, I guess.”

“Good, then I don’t think you have any broken ribs. Just badly bruised.” With a sigh, you raise his shirt higher, running gentle fingertips across the opposite side, down his stomach, and then his back. To your surprise, he allows you to inspect him without any fuss, though he does take a few more deep breaths here and there to tell you he’s still a bit sore.

“Are you like a medic or something?”

“No,” you reply casually, “but I have known a few healers in my day. I’ve learned a few tricks with the leaves and herbs around, but that doesn’t matter. You’re human…” You glare at the stranger as he slowly nods.

“Yes?” He pauses for a moment, then grins through his pain. “And you’re an…”

“An elf, yes, but that doesn’t matter. What were you doing out here? You have to be aware it’s dangerous for humans, right?”

“You don’t seem so dangerous.”

You’re taken back by his comment, but you quickly realize he’s trying to distract from your question. “I’m not, but it doesn’t change the fact that there are creatures out here that despise humans. From the state you’re in I’m sure you’re aware. You’re lucky you aren’t dead, uh…”

He finishes the sentences for you by giving his name, smiling as he introduces himself. Though his lip is still a bit swollen and broken, and his eye is bruised but he can at least see out of it, you find the heat swelling in your cheeks from the charming way he says his name and grins at you. “And yes, I’m human and I know how dangerous the forests are, but I needed to track down something to… to save someone’s life.”

Your ears perk at that, eyes widening once you hear his low voice become honest with you and you tell him your name in return before asking, “What do you need?”

He hesitates in answering, but then sighs and leans back against the blanket you dragged his body in on a day before. “I hear about your kind’s healing wells. The water from them can cure any sickness. I was on my way to collect a vial and ran into those orcs in the process.”

“I see,” is all you can manage, but the desperation in his tone, as well as the hint of sadness in every syllable, has your heart sinking. “It’s true… about the wells, but no human could get close enough to collect even a drop. It’s incredibly dangerous.”

Though you don’t mention it to him, you’re impressed he even managed to get this far. Your small cottage isn’t in the heart of the elves’ domain, but it is on the outskirts. Of course, he would have had to have traveled through packs of wolves, dangerous rivers, and even the orcs to make it this far, which only has your curiosities growing stronger for the strange human.

“I could get it for you,” you simply say, making his eyes pop as he pushes himself up to lean closer, all before hissing and clutching his bruised ribs once again.

“Really? You would do that?”

You shrug, and can’t help but to grin. “Sure, but then you have to leave. If someone finds out I’m helping a human, it won’t be a pretty end for either of us.”

It’s as if the realization dawns on him at once. The risk he’s taken to travel this far can’t be ignored, but now he understands even his presence could cause harm to those wishing to help him. He meets your eyes and offers a gentle smile behind a broken lip, and the warmth settles in your cheeks once again.

“Thank you,” he whispers, reaching to place a hand over your own resting against your knee, “thank you for saving my life, and for doing this for me. I’m not sure why you’re doing it, though, but I will forever be in your debt because of it.”

*****

Receiving the vial is easier for you because you’re an elf, of course, and because you came up with an elaborate lie to tell the guards protecting the wells. One simple cut of your hand with a blade proved to be enough evidence to inform them you manage to get into it with a lone rogue, desperately explaining how you don’t have much time before the poison sets in and you’re a goner. Quickly enough, you scooped up enough healing water in a small vial you carried around your neck, and you were off to your cottage even before the sunlight could fill in the small cracks.

Truthfully, the wells are out in plain sight and it’s only really a threat if one isn’t an elf. You knew it wouldn’t be much of a task at all. Your heart aches at the hardship the human went through already.

He awakens a little while after you arrive back home, just in time to smell the soup you have been stirring in a cast iron pot, scooping enough in two wooden bowls for the both of you. You make a place for him at the table just to the right of the fireplace near the front door, and he wobbles over as best he can considering his injuries.

“I did heal you,” you tell him, sipping some soup from your spoon and realizing it’s a bit too hot. “Though, the effects aren’t immediate. You will still have some soreness for a bit, but at least there are no scars.”

“Thank you.” He offers a polite smile and takes a large spoonful into his mouth to show how hungry he had been. He doesn’t bother worrying over the temperature before taking another large gulp, groaning as it fills his belly.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” You chuckle while he nods and continues eating. “You might have to stay a few more days, however.”

He freezes, mouth open, spoon just before his lips. “A few days?”

“Believe me, I know you’re in a hurry to get back, but with your injuries there’s no way you can make it out alive if you’re not at full health to be on the run.” He blinks at his soup, obviously pondering over the thought, and then simply nods as he takes another mouthful. “I’m sorry. I-”

“It’s fine, no need to apologize.” He drops the spoon and gives you a reassuring smile. The wound on his lips is nearly gone. All that’s left is a sliver of a scab, and his eye has faded in color as well. The other cuts over his flesh have mostly disappeared as well, and all that remains to bother him are his bruised ribs. “You’ve done so much for me. You saved my life, healed me, and received the vial as if it was nothing. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for all of those things, so please don’t worry about me, okay?”

You can’t help but to smile at his reassuring tone, the softness in his eyes, or the way he expresses himself so carefully. Sometimes you wonder how it became so natural to hate his kind when you can’t find a single thing wrong with him. Now more than ever you decide to stand by your morals and not give in to the hatred the rest of your kind, or the other creatures in the forest, feel and instead do only what you feel is right.

“Give it a few days,” you tell him. “After that, I’ll make sure you make it home safely, okay?”

*****

The next few days are spent on helping him heal, as well as feeding him, and making sure you don’t bring attention to your small cottage in case any elven guards were keeping watch close by. You soak the bruises on his ribs with more healing potions and leaves, allow him enough time to rest while you busy yourself with picking fruits and vegetables in a garden behind your home, and cook for him so he can regain his strength. You surprise him by making different soups or porridges to the best of your ability, though after all the years spent alone and only having to worry about yourself, you find it exciting to be taking care of someone else. You get to know him a bit better, as well, listening to his stories of his family, his job in his own kingdom as a carpenter, and even of the parades the humans would have to celebrate different occasions. You have to admit you have a certain fascination for not only him, but his kind as well, and the more he tells you, the more you want to hear every single detail.

He listens to you, as well. He hangs on to every word as you tell him of your time living among the other elves, before venturing off on your own and deciding you enjoyed the peace and quiet more. Other than the occasional wolf that disrupts your garden or troll passing by, you don’t get to see too much, but you prefer it that way. When you inform him he is the most exciting thing to happen to you in a while, the laughter that spills from his lips fills your whole chest with warmth, finding comfort in the human’s presence when you never expected to.

“We should bathe you in the springs today,” you inform him a day before he’s set to leave, just after lunch when you’ve decided that his wounds are healed enough that he should not only be able to walk around, but clean them properly.

He agrees, and together the two of you make the barefoot trip down to the closest river with vials of different scented soaps in your arms, and a change of clothes for you. Once you arrive, you’re more hesitant than usual to undress yourself, mostly because it’s been years since you’ve bathed with anyone else. So much time spent on your own in the middle of the forest has made you a bit more shy, you realize, and you’re even more hesitant when you see him effortlessly stripping himself of his clothes.

You tell yourself to look away, but you can’t help but to peek from the corner of your eyes as he peels his tunic over his head, noticing the bruising on his ribs is barely visible thanks to the potions. As he tugs on the string to his trousers, you finally force yourself to stare down at your bare feet sinking into the water, sending a chill through your body from the sudden drop in temperature.

“Are you not joining me?” he asks, noticing a hint of a cockiness you were once warned about was common with humans. He chuckles and steps into the river, and you dare to peek at him once again to see his naked body settling in the water. The sun shines down on his skin through the gaps in the trees surrounding the two of you and your heart races when you realize just how hard it is to pull your gaze away. “It feels nice!” he adds with a wide smile, and you bite your lip and build up the confidence to finally undress.

You untie your robe from around your neck to fall to the grassy ground beneath your feet, all before tugging the few buttons of your dress before the fabric settles around your ankles. The moment he takes in the sight of you, his jaw slacks and your face fills with heat beneath his gaze. With a gulp, you walk completely naked into the river to join him, goosebump flooding your skin as the cool water contrasts with the way your body begins to burn.

“So this is how your kind lives?” he asks, grinning and playfully splashing water in your direction to have you giggling. “So free and open like this?”

“Some of us, yes,” you admit, splashing him with water in return just to hear him laugh. “Though, I’m mostly alone when I bathe. I’ve been alone for quite some time now, as I told you before.” Your heart pounds against your chest as he steps closer, now standing over you and peering down at your naked, wet body beneath him.

“Can I return the favor?” he whispers after a few moments, causing your lips to part as you inhale a sharp breath. “You’ve done so much for me. You saved my life. I want to return the favor and take care of you now.” You aren’t sure where his confidence came from, but as he speaks he raises a hand to your cheek, cupping your face and staring into your eyes. The only thing you can do is nod your head while trying to remember how to breathe.

Once he has your permission, he grins before leaving you in the middle of the calm, cold river to grab a vial from where you left it near your pile of clothes. When he returns, he has the cork popped before he holds the opening to his nose, inhaling the sweet scent of honey.

“Can I bathe you?” he asks for permission and you swear your heart will stop at any moment. But you nod, finding yourself at ease in his presence and understanding his intentions in wanting to take care of you. Though you never expected to be in the nude with a human in your favorite bathing spot as he lathers up soap in his hand and stands behind you, you find yourself wanting it, wanting him. Wanting his touch, his hands on you, his body close. You trust him, and you allow him to run his palms along your shoulders, instantly relaxing beneath the soft motions as he cleans you.

“That feels good,” you sigh, finding all the tension leaving your body while his hands wander. He says nothing, focused on his task of taking care of you, caressing from your shoulders, down your arms, to the small of your back, and he pauses as he reaches the swell of your ass just above the water line where skin meets the river. You almost want to grin at his politeness if you weren’t already so hot from even his simple touches, but you know you need him to continue either way. “It’s okay,” you tell him.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to do any-”

“I want you to,” you confess, closing your eyes and trying to not think about the way your voice trembles while speaking the words. “I trust you, and I want… I want you to touch me.”

The voice doesn’t even sound like your own speaking words that are so unlike you. You never had such desires before, but you also have never met someone like him. Someone so kind and polite, someone that appreciates you for you and your own kindness, instead of just looking at you as a forest creature like the other humans would. You have found a way to connect, and feel comfortable with him, and though what you’re asking is so foreign to you, you know you can’t stop now.

He believes your words as he slips his hands from your waist down to your ass, keeping with his soft motions as he cleans you, He touches your body with gentle touches, hands now wandering to your front begin massaging the soap over your stomach. His palms rise over your ribs, palming your breasts to receive the softest moan from your lips. You can’t help but to close your eyes and give in to the pleasure, head falling back against his bare shoulder, chest pushing into his hands to ask for more.

He senses your desire, deciding to grasp your hardened nipple between his forefinger and thumb, tugging gently until he hears you gasp in pleasure. His other hand continues to massage your breast, soapy suds dripping down your body as a deep ache settles between your legs.

You mutter his name with a trembling tone, collecting enough of your senses to pull away from him. You meet his eyes once you turn your body to face him, and you can’t help but to notice his fully hardened length just beneath the water’s surface. “I-I was supposed to be bathing you and your wounds.”

He grins at that, and your heart flutters from how much you enjoy the sight. “Like I said, I wanted to return the favor.” Then he sighs with his eyes focused on you. “I want to take care of you. I want… well, not to seem like some pervert but… I would love to do more than that. More than just bathing you, I mean.”

Your breath catches in your throat as he tells you, and it takes a few seconds before you can breathe properly. “I… I’ve never been with-”

“A human?” he questions, hoping to ease your mind by how casually he asks. As if it’s no big deal to him.

“With… anyone,” you admit, voice so low you wonder if he heard it. “I’ve, well, I’ve never been with anyone. I’ve never had the desire to… until now.”

Your last two words reassure him, his eyes filing with hope to make your cheeks burn because he wants you as much as you want him. Though the thoughts have never crossed your mind of actually giving yourself to anyone, you do know at least a little about the bond that can be shared with two beings. After all, a few naughty fantasy scripts were passed around the elf domain when you were younger, detailing all the different creatures female elves had as companions in the quest for romance. Most of them including humans.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t… uh, didn’t know…” His mumbling interrupts your thoughts of old fantasy stories and brings you back to reality, heart pounding because now you’re thinking of him and you. Together. Giving yourself to him, bonding with him in a way you never desired before he came along.

“It’s okay.” You offer a shy grin beneath the sunlight, finding the courage from the way your body begins to ache for him. “It’s okay because… I want that, too. I want you.”

He smiles wide enough to show dimples, making your heart flutter once again. Together, the two of you finish bathing, cleaning one another with trembling fingers and anticipation building within. You rinse with the pure waters of the river before he guides you back to the bank where your clothes are resting, gently settling you gently over your robe and dress to lay before him. He glances down at your bare body beneath him, admiring the sight before he leans closer, pressing the softest kiss to your lips that no romance story could ever do justice. You whimper against his skin, body full of warmth thanks to him and the way he takes care of you, and he settles between your thighs once his lips begin to roam.

“If something catches you out here…” you attempt to whisper to him, but his lips on your neck cut off your train of thought.

“Don’t think about that,” he tells you, voice deep and needy in your ear, “just focus on how I make you feel, okay?”

“Mhm,” you hum, eyes closing tight as his mouth trails down to your chest, between your breasts.

“If you feel uncomfortable,” he says between kisses, “tell me.”

“O-Okay,” you stutter as he presses his lips to your erect nipple, not being able to help the way your back arches from the clothes laid out beneath you.

“And if something feels good,” he adds, pausing to run his tongue around your nipple to earn a whimper, “tell me.”

“Th-That feels good,” you can’t resist whispering to him, every touch of his like fire burning hotter within you. He repeats the action to your other breast, kissing your flesh softly, tasting you with a swipe of his tongue.

Your body settles against the ground as he moves on, pampering kisses here and there, taking his time as if he’s not the only human in a forest of creatures that hate him. He grips your hips as he lingers near your mound, and the ache deepens as the desire rises. Heat swells from below, setting your body on fire with anticipation for his touch, the pleasure he offers, the promise to take care of you and make you feel good in a way you never wanted before he came along.

“I’m going to taste you now,” he says just as he settles each of your thighs against his broad shoulders, and before you can speak a word, his tongue dives straight between your folds. Your back arches as a gasp falls from your lips, feeling the wet muscle licking up your slit to have his saliva mixing with the juices already dripping from your entrance. He groans as he pleasures between your thighs, and the only thing you can do is whimper his name and clutch your hands in tight fists at your sides.

You cry out, mind spinning from the circles he licks around your swollen bud, “I-I…”

“Is it okay? Do you want me to stop?” he asks, pulling away from between your thighs to stare up at you, your eyes shut tight, your hands in fists.

“No, I… I like it,” you sigh, body relaxing as you come to terms with pleasure you have never experienced before, “It feels so good, please…”

He smirks once he gets the hint, and a quick glance down at your fists by your sides gives him an idea to help you relax a bit more. “You can hold onto me, you know,” he informs you, “my hands, my hair… anything that helps.”

With that, he buries his tongue between your thighs again while holding tighter onto your hips, sending your body trembling as the bliss fills every inch. You take his advice and reach for him, slipping your fingers between the strands of his hair while you call out his name once again. Your voice is so shaken, so weak and desperate and so unlike you, but the pleasure he offers has you caring less and less. He tastes and teases you, licking between your thighs and groaning as you become more aroused, more wet, just for him. 

His skilled tongue bringing you to heights you have never been doesn’t take long for you to feel the tension of your first orgasm building in the pit of your stomach, heat swelling between your thighs until pure bliss spirals from between your legs to reach from your head to your toes.

Your back arches and you cry out once more, tightening your fingers around the strands of his hair and riding the pleasure filling your body. Your mind goes blank, focusing on his tongue continuing to tend to your body even through the waves of pure ecstasy, and when you begin to come down is when he finally pulls away.

He leaves you breathless with heavy lids and a racing heart, lying there so vulnerable and exposed to not only him but any prying eyes or eavesdropping creatures, yet you find yourself not caring a bit. You feel as if you’re in heaven and he’s to blame, not being able to stop a smile from spreading over your lips or the laughter that falls from them.

“That was… incredible,” you tell him in the quietest of whispers as he climbs up your body, pressing his lips to your lips, allowing you to taste yourself on your own tongue. The thought has the desire returning, wanting to be closer to this human man than you ever thought possible. You want him even more, even after he’s brought you pleasure and the desire you feel for him takes hold of your body and your mind. “I… I want more of you. I want all of you.”

You realize it may be your last chance. If he’s leaving the following day, the risks he would take to see you again would be far too great to ever return. You’re more than aware and though the thought crosses your mind of how hard it is to come to terms with this being your last day with him, you can’t let the opportunity slip by. You want to make it a memory you will cherish forever. You want to be closer to him.

“Are you sure?” he questions, and you reassure him by slinking your hand around his neck to pull his lips down to your own. You kiss him as if to tell him it’s okay, to tell him your honest thoughts as if he can feel what you feel. And he agrees with you, making it known he wishes to cherish the moment just the same, kissing you in return. “I have never met anyone else like you,” he tells you as he positions himself between your thighs once again. His hand slips between the two of you, fingers brushing over your most sensitive parts to make your body tense for only a moment before you relax beneath his touch.

“I could say the same,” you reply, eyes fluttering as he begins to push his fingers inside of you, and they screw shut as he buries them slowly into your body. “Gods…” you exhale, licking your lips, concentrating on him entering you, listening to the messy, wet noises left over from the previous pleasure he offered.

“Relax, okay?” he whispers, slowly moving his fingers in and out of you, watching the expression your face makes, the way your eyelids flutter, your lips part, your brow creases when he pushes back into you. “I want to take care of you.”

You give in, releasing all the tension in your body as the pleasure takes hold once again. Your hips begin to move and your heart races faster, never having imagined yourself in such a position before. Never even thinking you could end up taking care of an injured human and in return, connecting with him so much that your body aches for him without even realizing.

When he senses you're relaxed enough, he draws his fingers from you before aligning his length with your entrance in return. You take a deep breath, eyes closed, thighs trembling as they rest against his waist, and you allow him to enter you with a slow, gentle push of his hips. In an instant you’re gasping, clinging onto his shoulders for dear life, nails digging into his skin as you adjust to the feeling of being so full because of him. The trees around you blend together and everything drowns out, only focusing on being so close, so connected with him.

You whimper after a few moments when he hasn’t moved, knowing he wanted to make sure you were alright, but growing impatient once you both realize how much you enjoy it. He gets the hint, beginning to move his hips in time with yours, creating a slow, cautious rhythm of long, deep thrusts to have you gasping in return.

“Tell me how it feels,” he whispers as he leans closer. With his body pressed against your own as you move together, you’re unsure if you can even form proper sentences, becoming so lost in the pleasure and the feeling of him inside of you. All you can do is nod and crane your neck to kiss him, pulling him closer, wrapping arms and legs around his body as he picks up pace.

He thrusts a bit quicker, a bit more desperately. He loses himself in the pleasure as well, feeling you squeeze yourself around him as deep groans build in his chest. You whimper his name, gasping here and there, head falling back when he thrusts even deeper and crying out his name when the warmth building in the pit of your stomach returns. Every pump of his hips sends you higher, so lost in one another all you can do is hold onto him and allow him to take care of you like he promised. He groans against your ear and kisses your neck to let you know he’s loving it just as much.

The bliss takes hold of you both, one after another and you experience pure ecstasy for the second time thanks to him. You’re breathless with your minds spinning and your bodies completely spent, and after the high crashes down, he holds you close to his body as the sun begins to set behind the trees. 

You lay there for a while, listening to one another breathe, the crickets chirping in the distance, the soft flow of the water barely heard from the bank as it passes over the rocks. You cherish the moment with him for a while longer, burning the feel of his body next to yours in your memory, as well as the warmth of his large hands on your skin, the sight of his eyes peering back at you and his grin.

Morning comes before either of you are ready, but you don’t fight the fact that he has to leave you. After all, he has a mission to complete, and you hand over the vial of healing water with a heavy heart. Though neither of you want to be the first to say goodbye, and he lingers near the edge of your garden after you’ve walked him out of your cottage.

“Maybe I could-”

“No,” you interrupt, already knowing what he wishes to say. “It’s too dangerous for you to return here.”

“But I-”

“You can’t,” you simply whisper, stepping to cup his cheek and look into his eyes. “If something happens to you, then I’ll never forgive myself. So just… stay away, okay? Don’t come back, please.”

He looks away while he bites the inside of his cheek, but he holds his tongue. From his expression, you’re sure he wants to argue, but maybe he knows there’s no argument to be made. It is too dangerous, and it’s risking too much just to see one another.

“Maybe you could visit me?” he asks, hopeful and it makes you grin.

“Your humans would take one look at my ears and take me as a prisoner if I stepped foot in your kingdom… or worse.”

“I would protect you,” he adds, but his voice is low because he already knows it’s just not possible. “Thank you again… for everything.”

You almost miss the words due to his quiet whisper, but they manage to take hold of your heart and squeeze until you feel as if you won’t be able to breathe. You aren’t sure how such a short time with him has made you so fond of this human, but you decide not to question it. You would have done the same for any creature, whether it be human, or elf, or those dumb orcs, but you admit you were glad it was him that ended up near your home, needing care and shelter. 

You’re glad it was him you become close with, and you’re even glad it’s him you’re saying goodbye to with a gentle kiss on his lips, happy to have known someone so kind and gentle you could share a part of yourself with and cherish forever. 

Even if it was only for a short time.

Even if days pass, and your heart aches when his presence is missed. In such a short time, the human filled up so much loneliness that occupied so much of your heart. You had forgotten what it was like to truly live and feel something. Even when you make your soups, they feel a little empty. You admit you miss taking care of the human. You miss having someone near and you miss how nice it was to get to know someone else. Human, elf, it doesn’t matter.

You don’t take long to convince yourself to head to the human’s kingdom. Another thing that is suddenly so unlike you.

But you need to see him. Your heart aches for the comfort he brought in his own misfortune and you realize how selfish, how dangerous it is, to take the risk.

Even for a human, you would risk it. 

So when the sun begins to settle one night, you throw on a black robe, hide your ears behind the hood, and set out to find your human. Luckily, you can bend them enough to where it only looks like hair, and from mostly being covered, you appear completely human.

It doesn’t take long to reach the kingdom. The outskirts are lined with cottages and villagers. Dirt paths, stone shops… a baker closing for the night, a florist sweeping by the door of her shop. It all looks so cozy. So peaceful.

Nothing like you heard in the stories growing up. 

There’s human chatter as you grow closer. The sounds of birdsong and the swaying, evening’s breeze closes in as the warm glow of the sun settles into the kingdom. No one pays you much mind, only offering a gentle smile as you pass by. Thankfully, your robe seems to be doing its job. The lack of proper lighting probably helps. There’s a few men lighting lanterns here and there as the night grows in, but you’re completely undetected by these busy humans. 

Still, you aren’t sure where you’ll find your human. You could ask someone if they knew him by name, but surely they will pick up on an elven accent. You continue to roam the outskirts of the kingdom, taking the paths, passing the shops, reaching a quarter of livable stone homes and deciding to turn around. Frustrations and uncertainty grow by the second. The night grows near. The lanterns lit can only do so much in a place that is unfamiliar to you, as well as dangerous. 

Still, your heart carries you on until you spot a long, dirt path winding around the castle’s walls. You hear the sounds of livestock shuffling in the darkness. A single glow from a lamp ahead draws you closer. There’s a cottage on a hill in the distance. A warm glow escapes the windows from the inside. Wildflowers rest along the path leading up to the front door.

Though you don’t go toward it. The sounds of sawing wood draw your attention around back. Even in the dim, lantern light you spot the wooden framework of a toolhouse. 

Your heart spikes. Your feet take off, knowing it’s your human. Remembering his stories of woodworking. The saw grows louder, cutting off the sound of your heartbeat in your ears until you round the corner and lay eyes on your human for the first time in days since he left you.

He doesn’t notice you at first. His shirt is off, sweaty working into the evening and focused on a project before him. There’s sawdust on the ground around him and a wrinkle in his brow. 

You can’t help but to laugh. He’s concentrating so hard you almost didn’t recognize the sweet, silly, playful human. Your heart soars at seeing him looking healthier, you nearly forget why you were there in the first place.

Until his eyes catch you thanks to your own giggle. In a split-second, the world stops. Your breaths halt. His gaze widens and yours glistens with a need to have him close.

He doesn’t say a word. Doesn’t even blink. He drops everything to take you in his arms. And you allow him. He’s sweaty and smells like cedar, and you realize just how much your heart missed him.

“How do you-”

You don’t let him ask. You reach up and kiss him. You’ve been wanting to do it for days. Ever since you said goodbye. Ever since he walked away from your cottage and took a piece of you with him. Ever since he promised he could protect you if you came to see him.

You can’t help but to stare at the way the sweat beads over his skin. Gorgeous flesh beneath drops of his hard work racing down his neck distract you from the book in your lap. Not like you could pay much attention to anything else as he cleans your parents’ pool. You’ve read the same sentence five times now. The same page for at least fifteen minutes. The same motions of his muscles, veiny arms netting the leaves without a care. Earbuds in, his favorite song playing that he sometimes mouths the words to.

God, what a work of art. It’s not the sun sparkling against your skin making you so hot in the moment. Maybe not even the sight of him at all, but definitely all the thoughts racing through your mind about him, about you, about the two of you together. 

You’re a mess over him, and you quickly shake your head to rid yourself of the images. You know it’s rude to be ogling the pool boy. He’s only trying to work and make enough to pay bills. You attempt a polite smile as he looks your way for a moment, only to be met with a wide, gorgeous grin that makes your heart flutter. 

Ugh, hot and cute, you think. Mix that with his big, kind heart and it’s a dangerous combo. 

Maybe you’ve held his eyes in your own gaze for a moment too long, because it only takes a second for him to make his way toward you. As your heart races, you sit up in your lounge chair, setting your book to the side, grabbing your lemonade and the extra you’ve prepared him just as he is close enough in range.

“Thirsty?” you ask, raising the ice cold glass toward him, and he happily accepts. 

“Always,” he teases, taking the drink from you in his hand and gulping for a few seconds without hesitation. You watch his head fall back, his throat extended and exposed as he swallows the lemonade. He pulls away, licks his lips, keeping eye contact with you the entire time. “Tastes good.”

It seems as if his words, the deep tone, the hidden meaning insinuated, as well as the smirk afterwards makes your heart drop to your pussy. Heat rushes over you in an instant. Your pulse fills your ears for a second until you can only feel the desperate thumping between your legs. 

“I’m glad,” you muster the confidence to reply in just as much of a cheeky manner. It’s nothing new to flirt with him. In fact, you would assume he enjoys it. He always makes it his mission to chat for a few moments no matter how busy he is, how hot it is, or how many customers he still has to reach by the end of the afternoon. When you’re not around, he even makes a point to ask your parents about you, giving them the excuse that he loves to talk about the books you’re reading, or the music he’s listening to. 

If you didn’t know any better, you would believe he is digging you as much as you’re digging him. Yet, you know he wants to remain professional, so it never goes further than flirtatious remarks, and subtle glances to check one another out. 

You’re certainly giving him just as much of a show in your swimsuit. The cut is low over your breasts, thin, sparkly material barely there that you notice his eyes drop to every now and then. It makes your body even hotter. You can just picture his mouth on you now. His lips pressed to your flesh, kissing your breasts, a tongue flicking out to tease a hardened nipple. Licking, sucking, maybe even biting. God, you would let him do it all. 

“Are you okay?” 

The question pulls you from the vivid daydream just before you begin soaking your swimsuit between your legs. You blink a few times, staring up at him grinning down at you. He’s finished his lemonade, making it obvious as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and then playfully rubs his bare, toned belly as if he is full and satisfied. 

“Uh, huh?” you question, causing him to chuckle with his nose scrunched just enough to make you melt. 

“I asked if you were getting in the pool, or just going to sit there looking beautiful for me.”

For me. The words play again and again in your mind. If it were any other man, you would be running for the hills. But sweet, kind, cute, incredibly hot pool boy only makes you melt further. Your heart drums in your chest. All you can do is look down at your lap and grin, biting your lip to keep from giving away just how much his words get to you. 

“Well…” You think for a moment, knowing he is opening the door to take your flirty relationship to the next level. He’s putting the option in your hands now, making it clear how he feels about you, that he’s into you, and now it’s up to you on what you wish to do next. “Only if you join me…”

When you look up at him, he’s grinning from ear to ear. “Won’t your parents mind? I don’t want to get fired.”

“Please, my parents adore you. My mom goes on and on about the cute and nice pool boy. Plus, they’re gone for the weekend.”

Upon hearing the last remark, his tone shifts. “In that case,” is all he says, extending that beautiful, strong, veiny arm to help you up from your seat. Happily, you accept, gently slipping your palm into his own to feel the hard-working man’s calloused hand. 

He leads you to the pool, continuing to keep your hand in his own as you step slowly down the concrete steps into the water. He follows behind, already in his swim trunks thanks to never knowing when he will need to jump in the water to collect large debris, or maybe unclog a drain. The water is cool and refreshing on your sun-warmed skin, relaxing just enough as you turn back to him.

There’s a grin on his lips as he wades through the pool, raising his soaked hands up to his face to rub the sweat from his flesh before carding his fingers through his hair.

Cute, wet, playful and in the pool with you is not how you expected to start your weekend, but you can’t find a thing to complain about. 

“Feels nice, huh?” he asks, the two of you dancing around one another as you swim about in between the shallow and deep ends. 

“Of course,” you reply, “even better for you, I’m sure. It’s so hot and you’ve been out here for a while.” 

“It’s not too bad,” he admits with a smile. “It’s relaxing work, if I’m being honest. It’s easier when I get to spend time with someone so pretty.”

Once again, he says things only he could get away with. It makes your heart flutter. Warmth spirals from between your legs all over again. He doesn’t give you much time to react before he’s making his way through the water toward you. Face to face, he stares down into your eyes, hesitation in his expression for a split-second before he reaches for you. His hand on your hip, suddenly but softly, pulls you closer to him. You allow him to do as he wishes, making it clear from your smile his careful, gentle motions make you feel safe in his embrace. He takes his time, giving you ample opportunity to turn him away, in which you’re confident he would understand and respect your boundaries.

But you’ve been waiting for this moment, fantasizing about being this close to him from the day you first saw him carrying two big jugs of chlorine like it was nothing. You move closer to him, your grin matching his own. A small giggle escapes your lips. You aren’t sure why. He makes you feel so calm when he’s around. Naturally he relaxes you, and it only takes a few more seconds for your lips to meet his flesh.

He kisses you, softly at first, testing the waters to make sure it’s what you want. When you don’t pull away, and when you actually lean into him, he takes it further. Both hands grip your hips with a delicate touch, his mouth pressing against your own until his tongue parts your lips. You invite him in as he deepens the kiss, tasting sticky, salty sweat on his skin and loving every second of it. 

Your body comes alive. A switch is triggered, heat rushing through you so suddenly all you can do is press yourself against him. And he lets you, pushing him all the way to the side of the pool until he can squat just enough within the water to where you can rest on his lap. It only takes a moment to feel his cock hard against your aching pussy. His kisses deepen just as you begin rolling your hips against him. Teeth nip at your bottom lip a second before he wraps an arm around your body, holding you close, making sure you’re grinding against his hardened length as you rock yourself back and forth.

You whimper, eyes closed, head falling to the side as his mouth begins to wander. You feel his cock against your slit, the hard, rounded tip pressing against your clit, driving you wild, urging you to fall into a pleasurable rhythm until it feels too damn good to stop.

“Keep going, baby,” he encourages you, as if he can read your mind, as if he knows exactly what it is you need. The pleasure swells and if your flimsy bathing suit wasn’t in the way, dying to feel his flesh against your own, you know you would have already come by now. “Ride my cock, just like that.”

His filthy words are spoken just to draw you closer to the edge. Oh how you would love to be anywhere else but the pool with him, no clothes, grinding against his cock, slippery juices coating his flesh. You know there will be time for that later. You need to come now, whimpering his name once again, quiet moans spilling between praises from his lips. He tells you to keep going, asking you how it feels, telling you you’re beautiful and sexy and he wants you so damn badly. 

Quickly, your movements become desperate, heat filling every inch of your body, knowing how close you’re getting. He can sense it from the way you grow quiet, concentrating on the feeling, as well as how your legs tremble and twitch around him. Your hands fall from clinging to his shoulders to touch your own body. Shaking fingers trail down the straps of your swimsuit, running along the curve of your breasts to find your nipples hardened and aching. 

Before you can think about it, you tug on the straps until your breasts bounce free from restraints.

“Fuck…” he mutters, pleasantly surprised at your beautiful tits popping out just for him, fingers digging into your flesh out of pure need to please you. As you grind against his cock, you push your chest forward, inviting him to do as he wishes once again.

And he doesn’t hesitate, head falling down to press his lips to your chest. You can feel yourself become more aroused, hotter, slicker between your thighs, grinding on his hard cock as he begins teasing your nipples. Just as you imagined, he runs his tongue around the erect, sensitive bud before taking it in his mouth, sucking lightly to cause a surge of pleasure to rush through your body.

It all happens too fast. The bliss overwhelms you in an instant. The tension snaps between your thighs in a sweet, euphoric release of red hot pleasure coursing through your body. You lean forward as you come, grabbing onto him and he holds you just as tight. Your hips rocking roughly against him begin to slow, body trembling as the waves of bliss take hold of every ounce of sanity. Whimpers of his name fill the air, causing him to groan in satisfaction from making you come, from making you feel so damn good.

Then it all comes floating down, softly, gently, feeling him kissing your temple, his palm soothing your back. You’re still unsteady so you don’t move, but you’re sure he would keep you there as long as you needed. He’s left you so breathless, all you can do is release a soft chuckle for a few seconds.

“Oh my God…” you finally say, and he laughs in return. “That was… so much better than just fantasizing about it.”

Now he’s laughing a little louder, the warmth of such a sweet voice filling your ears relaxing you even further. 

“I have to agree,” he admits, making it clear he’s thought about the two of you together just as much as you have. 

He comes home a little later than usual to find you curled up on the sofa. Wrapped in your favorite comfy blanket he bought for you last Christmas, your phone rests on the cushion next to you while you remain sound asleep. The message conversation between him and you remains bright on the screen. A smile springs on his face for a moment while watching you so at peace, breaths heavy and completely warm beneath the softness of your blanket.

"Baby?" he calls for you in the softest voice, his hand running down your back to your hip before you begin to stir. Your eyes flutter open a few seconds after, vision coming to with a view of him sporting a subtle smirk on his face.

"Hey," you reply in a sleepy voice, "you're finally home."

"Work ran late," he tells you. "Sorry you had to wait up for me." With that, he leans in to press his lips to your forehead. Sleepy giggles release in a sigh as your chest blossoms with warmth. It’s been such a long day. You tried your best to stay awake while flipping through the channels between old horror movies that are on cable this time of year, but you finally dozed off after a while when you could hardly hold your heavy eyes open.

"I don't mind," you tell him with a grin. "How was work?"

"Exhausting," is all he says with a huff, hands managing to find their way beneath your blanket to surprise you with cold fingers. You jump as the feeling against your skin, contrasting with your warm body all wrapped up and comfortable, makes a shiver race down your spine. The sudden surprise causes him to chuckle while seeing you begin to squirm.

"You're so cold!" Giggling, you grip his t-shirt to pull him closer, deciding to warm him up after his walk home in the chilly fall air to the apartment the two of you share. His lips fall against your own, whimpering against his skin and hearing him moan in return. It's been a long day for him, as well. You can tell in the way his body melts into the kiss, finally able to relax and be comfortable now that he's home with you.

"Hm, how about a shower to warm up?" he asks when he pulls away from your lips. There's a devilish hint in his tone and a playful look in his eyes as he stares down at you. Your heart flutters in an instant from the suggestion.

"Lead the way," is all you say, a grin on your lips a second before he pulls you from the sofa. He guides your body in front of him, hands on your hips as he urges you toward the bathroom in the hall. Giggles and laughter are shared between the two of you as you shuffle toward the shower, with him reaching to turn on the water to warm up before he's gripping your clothes to help you undress.

You release his name in a chuckle, having to keep up with his random, playful kisses between tugging your shirt over your head and then reaching for his own. It's clear he's gotten a sudden burst of energy now that he's with you, and the butterflies in your stomach allow you to feel the same when you're together. "In a rush?" you tease him by asking, fidgeting with the button to your own shorts while he finishes throwing his own clothes in a pile on the bathroom floor.

"To be with you? Yes." You grin and bite your lip at his reply, watching him lean closer to press his lips to your neck while tugging on the clasp to your bra. It's all a mess of giggles and quickly disregarding clothes, kissing and laughter as the two of you undress after missing one another all day. It's your chest blossoming with love and warmth and feeling needed by one another, and even in the chilly air you feel so comfortable, safe, and warm with him.

The moment you step into the shower with him behind you, the water cascades down your bodies, warming the two of you up further as his arms wrap around you. You can't help but to release a moan, so relaxed beneath the shower's stream while his hands begin to wander and his lips meet your neck once again. With eyes closing, you relish in the feel of his hands and lips on you. So soft and gentle. All for you.

You call him with an unsteady voice, licking your lips and releasing another moan when you feel his palms carefully slide over your breasts. He caresses your skin in an easy, gentle motion, earning a whimper as your head falls back to his shoulder.

"Hm?" he asks as if he is completely innocent and not working up your body in all the ways years being with you has taught him you love. "I just want to make up for you having to wait up on me."

"You know you don't have to make it up to me." A small grin appears on your lips from his thoughtfulness. Of course, him arriving home later than usual is nothing he can help and you understand how important it is for him to work hard, but you can't help feeling so loved and taken care of in the moment. You’ll allow him to spoil you when it’s what he does best. 

"I want to," is all he says, kissing beneath your ear, massaging your breast to have heat spiraling from between your thighs. Even beneath the shower's stream that warms your skin, there's a new burn forming in your body. One of desire and need, wanting to feel his careful hands in other places as you grow aroused beneath his touch.

His thumbs brush over your nipples just as you reach behind yourself, gripping his thigh with one hand and feeling him tense beneath your palm. Freshly manicured fingernails dig into his skin to hear a grunt release into the steam. He moves closer, pressing his body against your own to allow you to feel his achingly hard cock against you, working himself up as he tends to you.

After a moment, his hands begin to wander once more. Gentle fingertips trail down your stomach to land on your mound, playing for a few seconds just to tease you. He strokes and caresses your skin while lighting a fire of pure desire within you. An ache settles deep within your core, growing too hot and too needy in the moment seconds before he slips his fingers between your thighs. A moan fills the shower when he caresses back and forth over your slit, not daring to part your folds just yet.

His name falls from your lips in a moan, eyes fluttering, breaths growing heavy. You part your legs for him, asking with your body for more and all you hear is a deep chuckle in your ear in return. He continues to tease, two fingers on either side of your slit, stroking back and forth, not daring to touch your aching clit. A whimper slips from your mouth, beginning to gently rock your hips against his touch, needing more.

"What is it baby?" he asks innocently, as if he doesn't know exactly what he's doing. "What do you need?"

"I need," you begin in a heavy exhale, feeling a single digit slip down your folds, brushing over your clit to make you gasp, "I need you to touch me. Make me come." He groans in your ear and presses his thick cock against your ass, easing a single digit over your clit once again to have your knees shaking. It's clear how sensitive he's made your body with need. Each brush of his fingers makes you shiver. Heat blossoms from your thighs to the rest of your body. You ache and moan and call his name breathlessly as his fingers play between your legs, finally spreading your pussy to ease two digits over your entranced. The feeling of your slick arousal against his fingers earns a growl from behind you.

"Mm, I love feeling you so wet." He dips the tips of his fingers inside to prove his words to be true before drawing them back to your clit. A gasp fills the shower as he caresses the slowest circles into your flesh, easing the ache in your body by finally touching you how you need. "So hot and wet and all for me, huh, baby?"

His words leave you quivering, moaning out his name once again while feeling his lips tenderly kiss your neck.

“Yes!” you cry out, melting from his motions. Between his fingers massaging your flesh, his lips on your neck, and the dirty things he whispers in your ear, your body is a wave of bliss so on edge and ready to crash. Reaching down, you grip his wrist with one hand, fingers digging into his skin as whimpers fall from your lips. Your hips move with his motions, crying out for more as he circles your clit to draw out every last sound of pleasure from your body. All before he begins teasing by lowering the digits to your soaked entrance, easing inside for a few pumps into your wet pussy and then dragging his fingers drenched in your juices back to your clit.

It's all too much. You close your eyes tight, gaping with your brow creased. Your legs tremble beneath the pleasure as he whispers encouragements in your ear, telling you to come for him, telling you how wet you are, how good it feels to make you feel so good. 

“I love playing with your pussy, baby.” A rush of heat swirls through your body at his graveled tone against your ear. “Such a sweet, pretty pussy and it’s all mine.”

You wonder if it goes on any longer will you be able to hold yourself up on shaking legs and quivering thighs. Becoming lost in bliss, in the way he tends to your body, caressing your flesh and drawing you closer to pure ecstasy.

It doesn't take much more of his pleasure for you to reach the edge, never letting up the moment you tell him you're getting close. He makes good use of his fingers between your trembling thighs, massaging your clit until you're gasping and coming undone. He holds you close to him as your legs tighten around his hand, keeping you steady while you ride out the pleasure in every inch of your body. The white hot heat reaches your fingers and toes as you grip his arm that's around you, seeing stars in your eyes until the very last second when you begin to come down.

He continues to hold you close, leaving kisses along your shoulder and releasing a chuckle when finally your legs manage to unclench from around him. He caresses your body, stroking your hips, stomach, breasts, every inch he can reach, helping you come down from the high until you're steady on your feet once again.

The moment you can turn around, you face him with euphoria in your expression. Leaning closer, you press your lips to his like you're falling in love all over again. It's deep and filled with passion as he pulls you close to his body. You whimper against his skin burning hot with desire before reaching for him as well.

Though you decide to return the favor, gripping his cock gently to earn a groan building from his chest the moment he pulls away from your lips. His back hits the shower wall, and though the water raining down on the two of you isn't as hot as before, there's enough tension in his body and enough desire running through your own to keep you both warm. You want to make him feel just as good. Take care of him and tend to his needs. You begin stroking him with slow motions, from the base to the tip, earning another deep groan as his head falls back and his eyes close.

"I want to make you come," you tell him, and his brows arch as a strained smile appears on his lips. A breathless chuckle falls from them a second later. Sometimes, you still know how to make him a little shy. "I want to make you feel good. Does it feel good?" You grip him a little tighter, watching his expression shift as his breaths grow heavy. His muscles tighten as he licks his lips, already so worked up and needy from taking care of you.

"You know it does, baby." His voice falls from his tongue a deep, raspy groan. Needier than before when he was sweet and gentle offering you pleasure. Now he can't hold back how much he’s desperate to get off and you wish to give him the pleasurable opportunity.

You bite your lip and continue working his length. Leaning closer, you press kisses along his chest as your hand runs along his shaft, earning groans and huffs while filling his body with bliss. The tip presses to your stomach as you begin working your hand quicker, loving to watch him let go, enjoying the noises of pure pleasure that fill the space between the two of you.

He twitches against your hand as you do so. Looking up, suddenly you notice his nostrils flare and he gulps, and gasps, and then he loses control all over again. His face twists in pleasure and you know you've got him close to the edge, only needing to work your hand a little more over his hard, aching cock.

His hips begin to buck, growing impatient for release and becoming greedy for bliss. He reaches down to place his hand over your own, guiding your strokes to a pace that will make him come, and only a moment later he's biting his lip and tossing his head back, releasing himself against your stomach. White strands of cum spiral over your flesh. His arms fall to his side, shaking with bliss and you don't slow down or stop stroking him until he grows too sensitive to handle your touch.

Gently, he pushes your hand away, releasing a few heavy breaths he was holding and you can't help but to grin at the sight. He's completely spent, with his eyes closed as he catches his breath. His chest heaves up and down and you aren't sure if he even has the energy to move, so you lean closer and pamper him with kisses just as he did you. You press your lips to his chest, his shoulder, his neck, and finally his own mouth. He moans softly at the feeling, leaning in to kiss you in return.

Once he can catch his breath, the two of you finish showering. A few more playful, now sleepy, kisses are shared between you both. You lather up a clean cloth with his favorite soap to wash his back, and he returns the gentle favor by doing the same, making you giggle when he reaches a few of your ticklish spots.

When you're all clean, he jumps out first to grab a few fresh towels from the closet in the hall, and you playfully yell after him that he's getting water everywhere. You suppose it's your fault as well having forgotten them in the first place, but neither of you can be blamed for being too impatient to get in the shower and be with one another. It was a long day, after all.

You help each other dry off, and then rush your naked bodies through a chilly apartment and toward the bedroom. Without even bothering to get dressed, you slip under the covers as he does the same. Even if it's too cold for sleeping in the nude this time of year, you're confident when he pulls you close to fall against his chest that he can keep you warm through the rest of the night.

Your date is going about as horribly as you expected. Your phone died about thirty minutes ago so you can’t even call for a ride from the restaurant you’re in without alerting him. So you’re forced to sit at the table, stare at his face get uglier as the seconds pass because he stopped being funny thirty minutes ago. You look around, trying to look for an out eventually, forcing a smile and nodding to whatever he’s talking about.

“Actually,” you stand up, quickly grabbing your pack to step away, “I have to feed my… fish!” You throw your hands up in an apology, backing away from the table you share with him to pass through the other tables looking at the scene. 

Spinning on your heel, you make it out of the restaurant like a bat out of hell. Scrambling inside your bag, you try looking for your portable charger as you march down the sidewalk next to a busy street. You attempted to find the charger during dinner, but your date told you to keep paying attention to him. That’s when you knew you needed to get out of there, quick. 

In your urgency to plug your phone in, you walk right into an intersection, hearing a horn honking a second before the white lights blind you.

You don’t remember much after that. It’s like your body went flying through space and time, being airlifted particle by particle until you were lying somewhere else. Your back rests against something hard, cold. Your head throbs and you groan as the bright, white lights return to seer through your eyelids. At least, that’s what it feels like when you have a migraine like you currently do. 

“Oh, you’re awake.” You hear the softest, most beautiful voice coming from your right. Struggling to open your eyes, you blink away the blurriness to come face to face with her. The most beautiful woman you have ever laid eyes on. The woman is stunning. Goddess levels of beauty. You’re in heaven for sure. You’re dead but at least it’s the good place… yay…

“W-What happened?” Blinking, you try to adjust to the bright lights.

“I saved you from the beast. I dreamed about you and your little toy you keep beside you at night. It made me feel things, so I had to find you.” 

“Um… pardon me, but what the fuck?” You struggle to get up, whipping your head left to right, taking in your surroundings. You’re resting against a plush, cream-colored couch in what looks like to be a spa waiting room. There’s a grand chandelier hanging from the center of the roof, soft carpet, and waterfalls against every wall. “What happened to the guy? Where am I?”

“Oh, I killed him!” She shrugs as if it’s nothing. Of course murder is nothing… why would it be? “Wasn’t hard. Humans are so weak and silly. You’ve been out for a day, my poor baby. We’re currently on my ship.”

“A whole day?! And, wait… I’m human…”

“My favorite one!” She stands from your side, allowing you to take in her outfit of a silky crop top and short, leather skit. Her boots reach her knees and she looks like a chic alien heiress. If your head wasn’t pounding you would be geeking at how hot she is. “Let’s get going, love! I want you to show me that little toy of yours.”

So you blast off to her planet. What other choice did you have? Go back to earth and spend your days miserable glued to the dating apps? What’s a little harmless trip with a hot alien to make things better? She flies at the speed of light until you’re bouncing galaxies and zooming through a neon colored city at night.  Flying cars whip past your ship as you cling to the chair you’re strapped into and she handles the spacecraft like a pro. 

“Hang on, it gets a little bumpy!” she warns, and all you can do is stare into the viewfinder that takes up the front wall of the ship. Images of the alien nightlife flash on the screen. Buildings hundreds of stories high house clubs and restaurants and condos, all outlined with glittering, glowing lighting. It invites you to come in in the most lavish and scandalous ways. The thought thrills you. 

Soon you’re making a bumpy landing on a rooftop aircraft pad, happy to find be on flat ground again. You follow her out of the ship, looking up at the night sky to see stars burning bright and other glowing planets close enough you can see their craters, grasslands, and crystal waters..

“This. Is. Insane!” She giggles at that, grabbing hold of your hand and pulling you through a door leading to an elevator. She presses a button and the two of you begin to descend. Glass walls show the lavish, high-tech alien apartment below, with lush, circular couches in black and crystal clean white marble floors. The doors open to reveal a double-sided staircase and a giant fish aquarium in the middle, housing exotic looking, scaly and spiny fish that appear otherworldly.

“Welcome home!” She beams, holding her arms out.

“Home?” you question. “So, this is our home?”

“Oh, yeah,” she looks nervous, biting her lip for a moment. “About that. I claimed you. You’re mine. Surpriiiise…” She winces and folds her hands in front of her mini skirt you still can’t believe is that short. She seems so uncertain suddenly.

“What? Claimed?”

“Yeah,” she sighs, nodding. “It’s tradition every alien my age gets to claim a creature from whatever galaxy, whichever planet for their keeping to do as they wish. You’re my pet. My little human. I’m so excited.”

Your eyes grow wide, taking in what she’s saying. “What do you wish to do to me?”

She grins shyly, taking a step toward you to take her hand in hers. “To be your best friend, of course.”

Relief washes over you, tense shoulders slacking. “Oh… okay. That’s not so bad.”

“Right?!” She smiles wide, happy at the acceptance. Then she leans in, pressing her lips to yours before you can register what’s happening. She kisses you slow, and soft, and sweet, perfect, delicious… causing you to moan against her flesh until she pulls away. 

“So, let’s do something else best friends would do right now!” She beams. “I dreamed about you putting that toy on your pussy. Do you want to try it with me?”

Your skin heats immediately, ears burning from her question and you feel a little lightheaded if you’re honest. 

“Is that what best friends d-do around here?”

“Well, I’ve never had a best friend to try it on,” she says, grinning, “but I hear it’s fun to see how many times you can make each other come.”

Okay, now you’re going to pass out. “Oh… oh, okay…” You begin to wobble, and she rushes to grab you, steadying your body against her. 

“What happened, my love?” She begins to guide you to the closest circle sofa in the middle of the apartment to the left of the stairs. There’s a fireplace close by you hear crackling from, but you’ll find it when the room stops spinning. “Let’s lay down.” 

“This is so much to take in!” you cry out, back fallen to the sofa. “Did I really die back there? Did something happen? Just tell me, because this really feels like heaven.”

“Oh, I know it’s a lot.” She strokes the side of your face with the back of her hand, soothing you. “Would you like me to eat your pussy now. It might make you feel better.”

“Oh my gosh, do you know what you’re saying?” Your mind is blown. Where is this coming from suddenly? What does best friends mean on this planet? You’re scared to ask her at this point. “Where did you learn this?”

“From earth, duh!” She says it as if it’s common knowledge. How can she be so nonchalant about all of this? “They’re always just getting their best friends off and it’s beautiful and magical and perfect. Don’t think I’m naive just because I’m forward. I know just as much as you about sex, the difference is I feel no shame with my sexuality and know for a fact pussy eating is not only beautiful, but good for your health.”

You think for a moment. “Well, I can’t argue with that logic, I guess.” If you’re both consenting and have open communication, why are you resisting so much? Maybe because at any second you know you’re going to wake up. No way can this be your life now.

“See, your little human brain is learning so much already!” She pats you on the head. giggling.

“I would be upset at that comment if you weren’t so hot.”

“You find me hot?” She grins, a wicked little thing. “So you’ll let me play with you a little? Maybe just a little peek?” She bats her eyes and grins. 

“You really want to?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” She says it like it’s absurd to have it any other way. “You’re my best friend, now, right?”

You sigh. “Okay, bestie…” You remove the jeans shorts and panties you were wearing on your date, leaving you bare from the waist down in a minute or two. The only thing that remains is your t-shirt and bra underneath, which feels a little tighter now that your nipples are so hard. 

“Oh,” she sighs, parting your thighs to take you in. “So pretty.” She lowers herself to her knees before you. “I just wanna look at you all night. I can’t believe you’re mine now.” 

You don’t even feel insecure under her gaze. She looks at you as if she’s worshipping you with her eyes. Like you’re the most amazing thing she’s ever laid her sights on. No one’s ever made you feel so safe with just an expression before. No wonder she’s out of this world. She’s a goddess.

“Oh, look, you’re already a little wet.” She leans closer, drawing one perfectly polished finger up your slit, gathering the arousal that was beginning to drip out. She brings the finger to her mouth, licking it clean before giggling. “You must really like me. I’m so happy, little human.” 

“I-I do…” How could you not? She’s a perfect alien angel and you are already smitten with her. She seems so innocent and pure, but only because she’s so sweet. You can tell there’s a devilish side to her, and you want to uncover it. “I’ve never… been shown this much attention.” It’s true, no one’s ever been so into you. Your alien savior has already made you comfortable, even if the situation is bizarre. 

“Well, they missed out. I get to kiss this pretty pussy whenever I want. I can kiss it now, can’t I?” She looks up at you with wide, expecting eyes and a smirk on her lips. She knows exactly how her questions are beginning to affect you. She’s playing innocent, but you see the devious side to her. The side that wants to get you worked up and get you off with satisfaction. “Pretty please?”

“Y-Yes,” you exhale and she dives in, licking from your entrance to your clit and back again. She never breaks eye contact. A shiver races down your body as she finds your clit again, circling it slowly with her tongue and staring straight at you. “Oh… oh fuck… okay…” This is happening. You try to tell yourself to breathe, but the air gets trapped in your lungs when she presses a kiss against your clit and giggles.

“I am so glad I started dreaming about you.” She looks happy, genuinely happy she gets to eat your pussy. “Can you make more of those little noises again? Don’t hold back, okay?”

She leans in again, pressing her mouth right against your clit and sucking. She nearly rips the moan from your body, commanding your pleasure front and center. She begins massaging your clit with her mouth and you’re trembling around her, suddenly a complete mess thanks to her tongue. 

“Wh-where did you learn to do that?” you ask in a breathless whisper as she rolls her tongue against your pussy, Warmth floods every inch of your body, dripping thanks to her mouth on you. 

“Oh I read a lot of earth romance novels to prepare for when I met you.” She pulls away to line her two fingers up to your entrance, slipping the digits in slowly to leave you gasping, back arching from the couch. “Watched a lot of the videos, too. Though, they weren’t on the same level of worshipping a pet as I would have liked.” She begins massaging her fingers inside of you, palm up, leaning in again to play with your clit. 

“Oh!” you cry out, moaning her name a second later. “I’m gonna… come… if you keep doing that.” The way she massages your clit with her tongue while massaging inside your dripping walls with her fingers nearly sends you over the edge. You’re so, so close to losing it. 

“Mhm,” she mumbles against your body, pushing her fingers deeper inside of you, curling them, making you experience pressures and sensations you’ve never felt before. “Come in my mouth, my love.” The pressure from the new angle which her fingers are buried inside you has your eyes rolling to the back of your head. When she places her mouth on your body again, it’s like the final thread snaps.

You’re tumbling over the edge of bliss, right into her mouth. Juices splash against her as she finger fucks you through it, squirting all over her just like she asked for. You can’t stop yourself. The heat of pleasure washes over you, losing all control, limbs shaking, breaths constricted, close to passing out until she pulls away from you.

You’re still shaking, trying to catch your breath with a heaving chest. She crawls up your side to lay next to you, pressing a gentle, soft kiss to your lips. 

He can be a bit too playful. Not that you would normally mind, but sometimes you would like to have a simple dinner without him getting any interesting ideas. You can blame the glass of wine or the fact that he just can’t seem to keep his hands off you after a long and stressful week, but as he pulls you down onto his lap after you’ve cleared the dining room table of dirty dishes, you squirm against him with a giggle.

“We didn’t even have dessert, yet,” you remind him with a grin before biting down on your lip.

“Hm, I thought you were the dessert,” he replies with a breathy chuckle against your neck to form goosebumps over your skin. So playful and daring, he begins to tease your folds as his fingers skim across your panties, causing you to shiver as you rest with your back against his chest. 

It soon becomes easier to give in to his typical, cheesy lines. He kisses just beneath your ear a few times, showing his appreciation for a delicious meal with his affection, finding the warmth bubbling from between your thighs as he rubs circles into the thin fabric covering your pussy.

“But I worked so hard on it,” you tell him in a playful whine, eyes fluttering, giving in as your weight settles against him the moment the tension leaves your body, finding it harder to care about your first attempt at an apple crumble waiting on his taste test.

“You normally don’t complain so much when I want to make you come,” he teases, voice deep, raspy, and dark right in your ear to earn a shiver down your spine. You know he’s right, so you keep your remaining protests to yourself, heart racing as he circles your clit through your panties. A soft hum of satisfaction says all when he realizes you have no reply.

He continues to play beneath your skirt, running his two fingers along your slit, from your clit to your entrance, warming your body up as you sit in his lap, earning arousal beginning to soak through the fabric. He groans against your ear the moment he feels your legs spread wider for him, allowing him in, telling him you want the pleasure. Dessert can wait if he’s so eager to make you feel good, you convince yourself, head falling back and hips rolling to press your core against his hand.

“Hm,” he hums in your ear, “now you don’t seem so hesitant.” The words taunt you further, but the bliss swells between your thighs for you not to care.

You offer nothing but a quiet moan in response, grinding your ass against his cock hardening beneath you. The motion causes grunts ghosting over your flesh between kisses here and there. The second he dares to go further by slipping the base of your panties to one side, your hands fall to clutch his thighs and your legs open even wider for his touch. The pads of his fingertips ghost over your flesh, feeling how hot and worked up he’s gotten you in such a short time. Though you’re both aware it doesn’t take much to have you needing his pleasure, which gives him the confidence to be so daring and playful.

“Do you wanna come, baby?” he asks a moment before his teeth tug at the lobe of your ear, only to feel your body stiffen just as he slips his fingers between your folds to feel the wetness soaking your pussy. The only reply you can offer is a nod of your head while biting your lip to keep the moans from spilling. Also to keep yourself from flat out begging him for release. “Tell me.” As the words fall from his lips, his fingers rise to find your clit, pressing small circles against your flesh just to have your thighs tightening around him.

The response of your body earns a deep chuckle against your neck due to him thoroughly enjoying how the simplest of touches can have you so worked up and desperate for more. Finally you offer a whimper of acceptance, letting him know you give in.

He understands your reaction to the question and the sudden urgency rising in your body as your hips roll to grind yourself against his hand. The pace of his fingers between your thighs quickens, clit swelling over time and arousal leaking from within to create a slippery mess between your slit. He feels the rush of adrenaline as soft moans fall from your lips, opposite hand rising to cup your breast over your dress. Finding a hardened nipple beneath his palm, you push your chest into his grasp, needing more.

“You’re already so wet, sweetheart,” he groans against your neck after lowering his fingers down your slit to feel how worked up he’s gotten your body, switching to his preferred nickname that makes your chest swell when he’s in this particular mood. “I bet if you wanted it… I could ease my cock right into you.”

The words slipping from his tongue in a deeper voice earns another chill racing through your body, thighs tightening against his hand once again to try to ease the aching he’s caused at your core at just the thought of him inside of you. The images that flood your mind of him hiking up your dress and bending you over the dining room table are far from new, but it never fails to have every inch of your body on fire. He never fails at making it so easy to give in.

You exhale his name, legs parting for him once again to allow the tips of his fingers to play with your pussy, juices coating his flesh to have him groaning from the feeling. “I do, I w-want it.” Your voice wavers to something more needy, desperate, just as he pushes the tips of his fingers inside of you, two digits sinking into your wetness. The sloppy, messy sounds mix with the desperate whimper of his name once again.

“What do you want?” he asks, two fingers fully easing inside of you now, causing you to tighten yourself around him. “Tell me, baby.”

“I want you,” you tell him, gasping the moment his fingers slip deeper, whimpering when he pulls the digits away only to pump them inside of you once again. A jolt of heat surges from between your thighs to the rest of your body, one hand lowering to grip his wrist, the other pressing a palm over his own hand teasing your breast. “I want you inside of me. I want you to… to fuck me.”

The last few syllables fall from your lips in a strained, desperate tone, feeling him thrust his fingers in and out, all before he draws them upward to toy with your clit. He repeats the motion as your breaths deepen, creating a mess between your thighs, coating his own flesh in your juices.

You call for him once again, growing impatient, “please.” Worrying over dinner and desserts seems ridiculous now that it’s the furthest thing from your mind, body on fire with need and so desperate to feel him fill you up.

His anticipation grows just as your own with the way your body moves against him while listening to the sinful noises that spill from your lips. When he pulls his hand from between your legs, you’re tempted to whine for more, needing his touch and needing to release the tension that he’s caused inside of you. It’s only until he grips you by the waist to push your body from his lap do you realize he’s willing to give you what you have begged him for. After he’s tugged his t-shirt over his head to toss aside, he guides you with a hand on your back to press your body against the dining room table, ass in the air to have him pushing your dress over your hips with ease. He wastes no time hooking his fingers into your panties, tugging the thin fabric down your thighs with a swift motion.

The cool air hits your swollen, hot slit to leave you shivering against the table. It doesn’t help much when he grips your ass to spread you open and receive a better view of the mess he’s created. Your juices drip down, feeling vulnerable and exposed for only him, and the groan he releases at the sight sends a wave of warmth straight to your face.

You whimper, shaking your ass from side to side just enough to tempt him in hopes that he will hurry. A heavy exhale from behind you is heard before beginning the sounds of a zipper.

He makes quick work of his clothes, pushing his pants and his boxer-briefs down until he’s able to grip himself and offer a few strokes against his length. Then he aligns his hips lower to press the tip to your soaked cunt, earning a gasp from your lips the moment he brushes his cock from your clit, to your entrance, and back down again. He finally begins to push into you, pussy dripping around him, clenching, needing to be filled as you gasp and attempt to clutch the table beneath you with shaky hands, but he stalls only a moment later.

His hands are on your hips as you whimper for him to continue, to enter you fully, and fuck you like you’re so desperate for. His fingers dig into the fabric of your dress and your chest presses down onto the table in an attempt to receive all of him. You whine his name and push your ass toward him, hoping to sink yourself onto his cock if he’s going to take his time and tease you, and the action seems to be working.

Hearing a deep groan build as a rumble in his chest gives you the confidence to continue, easing your soaked cunt onto his cock until he’s entering you deep. The sensation has your knees shaking as the room spins around you, but it’s still not enough, and it doesn’t take long to pull away. Only to push your ass toward him once again.

“Fuck, baby,” he exhales behind you, and you can just imagine his head tossed back with his eyes closed, licking his lips before he mutters, “keep going.”

The encouragement causes your insides to shake as you begin to move your hips and ass, fucking yourself against his cock, feeling him enter you so deep you can’t help but to whimper, and curse, and moan, and then pulling away to repeat the motion all over again. His grip on your waist tightens as the bliss takes hold in the moment and he slowly begins to guide you, motivating a quicker pace that earns shaking thighs and trembling knees. Your body presses harder against the table, and you know your strength won’t last long in such a position, but the heat washes over you, from between your legs to your head and your toes, and your body succumbs to the pleasure building in the pit of your stomach.

You call his name with difficulty, pleading for more with the desperation in your tone. He’s quick to get the hint, squeezing your waist and pushing your hips against the table to stall your motions. Your weight shifts as you rest over the surface, finding relief as his hips meet your ass in a slow, deep thrust of his cock. The sensation has you crying out, gasping, fingers digging into the table with one side of your face pressed to the glossy finish. “Don’t… don’t stop, please.”

From the way his pace quickens as he pumps his length deep inside of you, he makes it clear he had no plans to, but his heavy breaths between groans tells you he enjoys your cries of pleasure. As you squeeze your walls around him, his fingers suddenly digging into your ass also tell you he loves all the ways your body responds to him, whether it’s the way you struggle to whimper his name or how weak your quivering body feels beneath him. Dying for a release only he can offer.

“God, you feel… feel fucking incredible,” he begins to mutter, more to himself now that his lowered voice makes it clear his head is tossed back, just like you pictured. He groans once again as your walls tighten from his compliment, but he barely has time to cherish the feeling with his hips slapping harder against your ass and his cock becoming buried deep inside of you. He presses one hand to the table, molding his lower half against you while continuing his motions, becoming greedy, growing closer to the edge, and you allow him to have it.

You exhale his name, biting your lip for a moment before words in an attempt to regain your voice, “come… come for me, please. Inside… inside me.”

Hearing you ask with your voice strained and needy sends him over the edge in one quick push. The pleasure erupts inside of him, feeling his weight against you as he comes undone, hearing him pant and huff and groan as he fills you with his cum. His thrusts slow until he stalls completely, releasing every last drop into your soaked pussy for a bigger mess.With a few, final pumps, he milks his cock until he’s too spent to continue.

He falls back into the chair he was previously in after he pulls out of you. A few seconds pass as he attempts to catch his breath, and you grow impatient as you lift your hips to slip a hand between your thighs. With your fingers finding your clit, you allow yourself some much needed release for the moment, until his breaths grow steady and you realize he’s not done with you yet.

“God, that’s so sexy, baby,” he begins, a certain deep raspiness in his voice to mix with exhaustion from his own pleasure, “having my cum dripping down onto your fingers as you touch yourself.”

You can feel the hot droplets coating your flesh as you perform circles against your clit, aware your own arousal and his release has made a filthy mess between your thighs, but knowing he is getting a front row seat as he sits directly behind you only causes the pleasure to overtake the heat of embarrassment washing over you. With a heavy exhale, he leans forward, pressing two hands against your ass to once again spread you open, receiving a better look at your glistening slit and your fingers earning soft moans falling from your lips.

The moment he reaches to press two fingers to your flesh, you assume the digits will soon be filling you up to offer your own release. When the pads of his fingers only circle your entrance to gather up your juices dripping down, however, you’re more than surprised the moment he presses against your ass. As a quiet gasp spills from your lips, he circles your puckered rim with the messy digits, causing your hips to lift from the table, becoming greedy for more. Your own pace against your clit quickens, drawing out soft moans and quiet whimpers until he decides to ease the tip of one finger past your tightened entrance to sink into your ass in a careful motion.

The sensation has you breathless and gaping, tightening yourself around him as you caress your clit in desperation. He toys with your ass, pumping his finger in and out, drawing you closer to the edge as the tension begins to tighten and the warmth builds from between your thighs. Your knees grow weak and your head spins, feeling the bliss take hold all over again, gulping down any remaining noises that threaten to slip out as the first wave of pure pleasure washes over you.

A gasp warns him of the electricity buzzing to every inch of you, followed by the heat of bliss as you tremble in ecstasy and release desperate whimpers. Your fingers between your thighs slow as the heat spirals from your core and releases to each limb, gasping for breath with your eyes screwed shut, body growing limp against the table once you’ve had enough.

Your hand retracts and your thighs snap together, panting as he places a palm against your back to soothe your body down from the high. A whimper of his name has him pulling you against his bare chest, settling in his lap and allowing him to begin pampering your body with his lips. He kisses your shoulder to have you flashing a worn out grin, and kisses your neck to hear his name fall from your lips again. Once he reaches your jaw, you turn your head to press your lips against his own, loving the way he groans into the kiss and the moment you pull away, you can’t help but to giggle.

“We should get cleaned up,” you tell him, noticing him grin and nod, “and then you can finally try the real dessert.”

“I thought you were the real dessert,” he teases you, chuckling at the way your sleepy face twists and you shake your head, not having any of his cheesy lines now that the moment is over. “I’m kidding, let’s get cleaned up. I can’t wait to taste it, sweetheart.”

She can’t help but to giggle breathlessly as your hand slips between her thighs. What started out as an innocent enough date turned into the two of you pulling over to a secluded spot to make the night last longer, to kiss her more, to touch her desperately, and guide your fingertips over her already wet panties. 

“Baby,” she coos in a way that still drives you wild, eyes fluttering as her head falls to the seat. She’s always lost in the moment, ready for you to make her feel good.

“I didn’t want to let you go just yet,” you laugh in return, applying more pressure to her slit, feeling her arousal soak through the thin fabric that blocks you from feeling her flushed skin. It’s sticky and messy already. She’s been anticipating this all night. “Not without making you come.”

You can tell from the way her jaw slacks that your words get to her. Her thighs fall farther apart. Her chest heaves. You take the opportunity to reach for the neck of her elastic dress, slipping the material over her breasts to find her nipples hardened beneath your gaze. 

Even in the dim lighting from a yellow-lit street lamp you can see her face twist with need. She exhales a desperate ‘please’ that drives you wild, her voice so shaky you can feel it in her whole body as you touch her. Her voice wavers as she calls your name, grinding herself against your hand to tell you she wants more. 

With a soft laugh, you lean into her, lips falling to her cheek as your fingers push back the band to her panties. A gasp fills the small space of the car the moment your digits brush over her flesh. Your lips begin to wander down her neck as breathless moans spill from within her. A graze of your finger down her slit informs you just how worked up she’s become. Her juices coat your skin, sending a surge of warmth through your body at the realization. 

“Please,” she exhales before a moan falls from her lips. Your kisses lower just as your fingertips find her clit. Gathering up her juices, you begin slow, small circles around the swollen bud, earning her hips rolling against you as she whispers your name. A grin crosses your face before your lips press to her chest, giving her as much attention as you can here and there. 

You can’t help yourself as you begin to tease her. Your mouth finds one swollen nipple while your fingers lower to her dripping entrance. Another gasp fills your ears as you push the digits inside of her heat, all the while licking and flicking your tongue over her breast, drawing out desperate whimpers of your name in return. 

A few pumps of your fingers into her soaked pussy and she’s moaning your name once again. Her hips begin to roll, falling into the bliss that fills her body from every one of your touches. You know she wants to come, and you want to feel her trembling around your hand. With a heavy breath against her chest, you drag your fingers back to her clit, circling the swollen bud until a steady stream of whimpers falls from her lips.

She’s growing close as her hand falls to wrap a tight grip around your wrist. She’s shaking and breathless and so worked, you know she won’t last much longer. Her juices coat your flesh, a sticky mess created between her trembling thighs as she warns you with a deep sigh how good it feels. She’s almost there. Just a little bit more.

He tosses wooden logs on the fire with ease thanks to the frustrations pent up inside him. You know him too well to ignore his mood, quiet and keeping all his thoughts and feelings to himself. He knows you too well to keep bringing up the topic the two of you have been fighting over for the last few days. It goes like that, usually.

It’s not an easy decision to uproot your whole life. You get so used to the normal, and fear the worst if things begin to change because you truly love your life with him. Though, he sees things differently, and when you got the offer of a better paying job halfway across the country, he was ecstatic for you. 

That’s where the difficulties come in. He says it’s a great opportunity. You think you’re fine just where you are. There’s no need to take such a huge leap. He wants the best for you and you just want to be happy with him.

And you are, and so is he, but he explains over and over that he doesn’t want you to miss out.

Over the last few weeks, discussions turned into arguments that turned into frustrations because you just can’t see eye to eye. You’ve gotten an attitude more than you ever have in your whole relationship. You can’t listen to his praise of your work just to make his point anymore, and he gets angrier the more you close yourself off from the topic.

Your annual fall getaway the two of you love splurging a little on did nothing to help. Not the cool, fall weather, or the cozy, lakeside Airbnb can ease the tension. Even the silence between the crackling fire before you only feels suffocating, because you know if you speak you will only start arguing again. 

“It’s cozy,” you whisper while tucking yourself tighter in the blanket wrapped around you, heart aching because you want nothing more than to go back to normal. To the way it was before you got the promotion. Before the arguing. Before becoming so cold to one another because you’re navigating foreign waters and it’s one of the most miserable things you’ve had to do in a while. 

The flicker of flames cast just enough of a shadow to see the corners of his mouth rise ever so slightly. But it fades just as quickly. The silence falls over the two of you. He stares into the fire as he continues to kneel before it. Then a heavy sigh falls into its flames and your heart is hurting once again. 

“Warmer?” he asks, referring to your comments earlier just as the sun settled behind the line of pine trees surrounding the little cottage. Telling him you were cold was probably the most you’ve spoken to him all day. Other than thanking him for the breakfast he prepared and informing him you’re going to read your book for a while, you failed to find the energy for your usual conversations.

Well, you have no energy for arguing, and if you’re around him for too long as of late, it always leads to that. 

“It feels nice,” you reply, voice so small it can barely be heard, “thank you.”

He nods once, then rises to his feet. His heavy boots thud against the wooden floor before taking a seat on the opposite side of the small living room. The rocking chair he settles in creaks, and a sigh falls from your lips this time.

You can feel your heartbeat in your throat. Your lips become desperate to part, coaxed by a tongue that’s dying to spill how you feel. There’s a brick in your chest the size of a formal 8 x 10 letter, and your stomach twists with the what if’s and maybe’s. Spinning and spinning until you start to feel dizzy just sitting there. It begins to hurt and suddenly the blanket around you feels like it’s scorching your skin.

With a huff, you flip it off your slumped shoulders. He shifts in his seat, but you don’t dare look at him. Your eyes can’t invite him to speak. It’s too much. 

Moments pass. The autumn winds howl outside the cabin and the fire becomes dimmer when the tension is already making it so cloudy. 

He takes a deep breath, and closes his eyes. “I don’t want to fight with you,” he finally speaks. Your heart stops for a moment. “Sweetheart, I just… I never want you to feel as if you’re missing out on something.”

“I’ve told you,” you begin instantly, refraining from speaking between your teeth, “I don’t feel that way. I’m happy where I am. I love my job now. And I don’t want to move away from everything I’ve ever known.”

“Don’t you want to see more than just the town we grew up in?” he questions, leaning forward to rest his elbow on his knees. “Don’t you want something better?”

“Who says it’s better?” you huff while asking. “Who says an expensive apartment in the city is better than what we have now? Because I love our life, and I love being with you.”

“Of course,” he sighs, eyes falling to the floor. “I love it, too, but I don’t want you to regret-”

“I won’t,” you interrupt, becoming short with him. 

“It’s more money.”

“Money isn’t the most important thing.”

“It’s a better schedule for you, and less stress.”

You resist rolling your eyes. “I don’t mind the nine to five, and I’m not stressed. I like being challenged.”

“Why are you so stubborn?” He rises to his feet, throwing his hands in the air. “A year ago you were dying to get this job and now that the opportunity arises, you’re turning it down.”

“Well, a lot has changed in a year.” You turn away as he begins to take a step closer. Your chest feels even heavier as your words become cold and his become daggers in your heart. 

“Like what?” he pushes, kneeling down in front of you to take your hands in his own. Gently, he turns your body toward him, though your eyes fall to your lap to see his thumb running over your knuckles with care. “You’re great at your job.”

“Stop it...”

“Your company loves you. You’ve always talked about moving somewhere else.”

“Please-”

“A year ago you wanted nothing else but to get this promotion. You worked so hard. Put in the overtime and all the extra credit.”

“Please, stop!” Raising your voice seemed to snap him back to reality as he finally noticed the tears staining your cheeks. Sniffling, you shake your head and push him away. “I’m just… I’m scared, okay?”

He’s silent for a moment. His lips remain parted. He takes in the sight of you wiping away your tears with the sleeve of your sweater, and all he can do is pull you close. His arms hold you tight against his chest, allowing you to sob into him, stain his sweatshirt with your tears, and let out everything that’s been building inside of you for the past few weeks.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he whispers, stroking your back with his palm to ease your cries. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed that hard. I didn’t know you felt that way. I’m so sorry...”

For a moment, you say nothing as your tears settle behind your eyelids and your body calms as you rest in his arms. For weeks, you’ve missed his touch because you have been arguing so much, and to finally feel his warmth engulfing you rids you of the insecurities to tell him what’s really holding you back.

“I don’t…” you begin, then pull away from him with a sigh, “I don’t want the job because I’m scared. So I was finding every reason to hate it, I guess.”

He looks over your face, wiping away the last tears with a thumb on your cheek. He says nothing, only listening in hopes you will be honest with him instead of keeping it to yourself.

“I’m scared I won’t be good,” you continue, voice a delicate whisper. “I’m scared of disappointing everyone. Most of all, I’m scared of letting you down when you put so much trust and faith in me and you’re taking such a huge risk by uprooting our entire life and it’s all for me… just so I’ll be happy.”

“Oh, sweetheart…” He leans in, pressing his lips to your forehead. Now you feel as if you can exhale the deep, heavy breath you’ve been holding since you received the news of the promotion. Now you’re being honest with him. “There’s nothing in this world you could ever do to let me down.”

A weak smile spreads over your lips. “You say that, but-”

“No,” he interrupts, softly kissing your lips this time. He pulls away with a grin, and you giggle while sniffling and wiping your eyes. “No but’s, I mean it. Whatever happens, I will be right by your side. Success or failure, win or lose, happy or sad, you never have to go at it alone.”

“What if I suck at the new job?”

“Then you suck at the job, who cares?” He shrugs and you’re giggling again. “I don’t see how you could, though. You got this promotion for a reason.”

“What if we hate it there?”

“If I’m with you, sweetheart, I couldn’t possibly.” He takes your hand in his once more to bring to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles to leave you grinning. Then he kisses your lips softly before pressing his forehead to your own. “Whatever happens, we’ll make it through because we have each other. There’s nothing to be scared of, I promise.” 

You feel the weight lifting from your aching chest with every word. You believe what he says because the love you share has gotten the two of you this far. You’re surrounded by support and encouragement for one another, and no new job, or new city, or new house will ever change that. 

You know you need to discuss all the big and small details further with him before agreeing, but you feel more at ease with the idea than before. You realize you should have been open and honest with him from the beginning because he’s never given you a reason not to. These are new waters, however, but you’re more confident now to battle something new as long as you have him.

“Thank you,” you suddenly tell him. “Sorry I ruined our trip by being moody.”

“Hm, It’s okay, but you have to make it up to me,” he teases, if only to make you laugh and ease any remaining tension. Quickly, he settles next to you on the sofa to take you in his arms once again.

“How so?” you question just as he presses a kiss to your cheek, then your jaw, making his way down to your neck. Quiet giggles spill from your lips, ticklish in the moment and his feathery kisses against your skin do nothing to help. 

“Well,” he begins, but pauses long enough to coax your body onto his lap. Now you’re straddling him as the fire burns behind you, illuminating the cozy cottage just enough to see the smirk on his lips. “We have a lot of kisses to make up for…”

Giggling, you lean into him to press your lips to his own. Lingering for a moment, your eyes fall shut, your body melts into him, realizing just how badly you’ve missed him after weeks of disagreements and arguing. 

“And touches,” he explains while running his fingers over your sides, and eventually making his way beneath your fluffy sweater. A groan escapes him as your affection travels lower, kissing his jaw, next to his ear, down to his neck. His head falls back to invite you in. Your heart races with a sudden need to be close to him, to make up for the lost time you could have spent doing this all along, but both of you were too stubborn and you needed to tell him honestly how you have been feeling.

Now there’s nothing in the way but your love for one another, and it’s never a burden. He peels your clothes off, piece by piece, taking his time to admire your beauty in the warm flicker of a dimming fire. He presses kisses to your shoulder, your chest, making his way down to your breasts the moment he pulls your bra from your body. 

Your hips move each time you feel his lips over your flesh. The sudden arousal within him makes itself known as he pushes back against your movements. You whisper his name, suddenly urgent, breathlessly needing to feel him even closer.

He guides your body to the couch before he takes care of his own clothes. There’s nothing on him but the smirk on his lips and the love he has filling inside of him whenever he looks down at you. Suddenly, nerves have got you shaken, biting your lip to keep from begging because you’re dying to make it all up to him and heal completely from your worries and insecurities.

How could you ever be insecure when he loves you this way? When he looks at you like you’re the only thing that exists, and if you aren’t, well, you’re the only thing that matters. When he kisses you like he’s running out of time and he holds you like he’s never going to let you go.

He settles between your legs and your body reacts. Your hips move against him, bare center pressing to his hardened length. He groans, deep and desperate while sucking his two fingers before his hand slips between your parted thighs. He tends to your body, carefully easing his digits inside of you, causing you to gasp his name and pull his mouth against yours. Your hands become lost in the softness of his hair and your teeth tug at his bottom lip.

But it’s not enough just yet. You want all of him, whispering a single plea for more until he gets the idea. Then his fingers are replaced by what you really need until he’s carefully, gently burying his arousal inside of you, straight to the hilt. A trembling body is your response, a few moans and whimpers, kisses against his lips to ease any remaining tension.

“I love you,” you whisper, pulling him close to rest his forehead over your own. His hips begin to move as you speak, softly pulling away to ease into you once more. Your eyes fall shut, arms wrapping around his body. “I’m sorry I wasn’t honest.”

Another gasp fills the humble cottage from your lips as he thrusts into you while placing a soft kiss over your lips once more. “I love you, too, sweetheart,” he exhales, one hand gripping your thigh to hold it in place, the other cupping the side of your face. “You never have to be scared with me.”

The rain drumming against the windows one floor above you is faint enough you almost miss it, but you know the sound all too well by now. As you stir from your sleep, rubbing your eyes before reaching to stretch your arms above your head, the body behind you brings the memories of the night before racing through your mind. One look down at your naked flesh beneath the sheets is another reminder as a smile forms over your lips. 

You try not to disturb him while pushing the covers away, but he releases a soft, sleepy moan before his grip around your waist tightens.

“Good morning,” he whispers, causing you to giggle and begin to push his hand away. “No, don’t get up.”

You exhale his name, feeling him pull you closer to his chest.

“It’s raining,” he tells you, and he would notice the sound without even searching for it, “let’s stay in bed a little longer.”

“It’s always raining this time of year,” you inform him, smile widening, “and it’s six in the evening, not morning.”

“It’s morning for me,” he reminds you with a chuckle against your bare shoulder, but you’re all too familiar with the difference of sleep schedules between humans and vampires. It took you a while to adjust to falling asleep beside him just before the sun rises and waking up in his arms as soon as the street lights flicker on. Now that you have been with him for over a year, you have learned to enjoy the feeling of being a night owl with him. 

“Just a little longer,” he begs for the second time, hands beginning to roam your body with his fingertips brushing over your hip. “I like laying in bed with you. You’re so warm.” At that, you chuckle, finding the complete opposites in body temperature to be amusing considering his touch typically causes you to shiver.  Not to mention it’s chillier in the basement where the two of you made it your bedroom to sleep away the days. The extra warmth from your body, or the blankets, or loving one another aren’t taken for granted.

“I have work in a few hours,” you mumble, finally succeeding in pushing him away, though you have to admit you would love to stay in bed with him if you could. “And unlike you-” You begin slipping from the covers. “-I don’t get to have breakfast in bed. I have to actually cook and eat my food, remember?” 

He lifts his head from the bed to watch your bare hips sway from side to side as you linger toward the door. His messy hair earns a giggle from you after you glance over your shoulder, and you even spot his sharp canines beneath swollen lips. 

“Well what am I supposed to do if my breakfast keeps running away from me?”

Before you can reply, he leaps from the bed in all of his vampire speed, collecting you in his arms as you squeal and giggle, all until your back is pressed to the door leading to the first floor of your home, and his mouth is at your neck a split-second after.

“Listen, you know I love playing scary vampire, scared human with you,” you begin with a light, playful tone, and he chuckles with his lips against your flesh, “but I am really hungry. And I need to shower.” 

“Fine.” He pulls away with a sigh and a grin, reaching behind you to grab your robe off the hook attached to the door and wrap it around your shoulders. 

“And don’t give me those eyes thinking you’re going to get your way anyway.” As he covers you up to keep the chill out of your body, you stare into his eyes to see them darkening with a flicker of desire at just the thought of tasting you, along with the other activities it always leads to when his mouth is on your body. “I know your eyes turn dark and red like that when you’re horny.” With a kiss on his cheek and then a bite of your lip, you turn to head upstairs as he yells after you.

“That’s not true.” You hear his footsteps on the creaky stairs behind you after he’s rushed to cover himself with his boxer briefs, following you to the kitchen now that the sunlight isn’t pouring into the house. “I’m always horny…” 

You offer nothing but a quiet giggle as you search through the fridge, deciding on a quick bowl of cereal before your shower. He takes a seat at the kitchen table to watch you rummage through the cabinets until you find a clean bowl and the nearly empty box of cereal. Someone needs to go shopping, you tell yourself, but then you grin remembering that only one of you actually eats in the house, and shopping for yourself isn’t always a priority. If anything, he’s usually the one to get all your favorite foods for you while you’re working just because his own job is an overnight stocker at a grocery store. You’ll make sure to leave him a little list before you head to work tonight…

After eating your cereal, he follows you to the bathroom where you begin brushing your teeth before your shower, and he just can’t seem to keep his hands off of you. Giggling with a mouthful of toothpaste proves to be difficult, you realize, attempting to hold back the noises as he slips the robe from your shoulders to run his hands along your bare hips. The motion earns a soft, toothpaste sigh because his touch, even if his skin is cool, always warms you up.

“Can I join you?” he asks, then presses his lips to your neck. You can feel the two prominent fangs as he does so, kisses lingering until he reaches your shoulder to send a shiver down your spine.

You fail to answer him, only turning around to shove your toothbrush covered in toothpaste in his mouth, and then you turn away to rinse your own. You leave him wide-eyed as you pull away from his hold to turn the handle to the shower, waiting only a few moments before the water is warm enough. And you assume he’s finished cleaning up when you feel his presence behind you as the steaming hot water cascades down your body.

“You think you’re cute?” he asks, causing you to giggle once more.

“Sometimes,” you tell him, but the word releases in a soft moan when his mouth brushes just below your ear. “Not on my neck,” you warn him.

“Hm?” he questions, pausing with his hands on your waist and you feel the presence of his arousal pressing against your ass.

“If you’re going to bite me,” you begin to explain, “don’t do it on my neck. I don’t need my co-workers giving me dirty looks all night because of it.” 

Though vampires have been known for a while and most try to co-exist with humans, there are both humans and creatures that aren’t too fond of one another. You remember the looks the ladies you work with have given you before, silently judging behind their narrowed eyes and pursed lips for being with him. It doesn’t help that you took a job as a receptionist for an emergency room, getting a chance to see all the vampire related accidents and attacks first hand. They never fail to try to talk some sense into you for being with one. Since then you have tried to remind him not to leave marks where others can see. 

It’s my business anyway, you think. No one needs to know where you allow him to bite you. 

“I can feed tonight,” he tells you, proceeding to press kisses against your flesh every few words. “I don’t want you to be tired on your shift.”

“I’ll be okay,” you tell him. “If you’re hungry-”

“I can wait,” he interrupts just as his hand begins to dip between your legs, and the moment his fingers brush over your folds, you’re in no position to argue with him. “I’d rather make you come, instead.” 

“You usually do that before… before you feed from me.” Your words become breathless the moment his fingers press to your clit, teasing you with slow circles to earn a whimper of his name. He says nothing, only releasing a hum against your skin as he kisses down to your shoulder, fingers playing between your thighs while caressing steady patterns over your clit. You whimper his name once again, eyes falling shut while the touches of his lingering hand make their way to your breast. His thumb brushes over your erect nipple to send a shiver through your body, and the arousal begins to pool between your legs the moment he offers a gentle pinch to the hardened bud. 

As the water cascades down around the two of you, you release muffled whimpers thanks to him dipping his fingers into your entrance to gather your juices, then easing the digits over your swollen clit. The motion has your thighs shaking around him, threatening to clamp shut the moment his motions quicken, moans growing louder as he palms your breast with nails beginning to dig into skin. 

“How does that feel, baby?” he asks before pressing his lips to your neck once more, fangs applying pressure and you know he can feel your blood pumping as your heart races faster. Before you can offer a reply, his fingers quicken in their pace, leaving the blood rushing to your head, becoming light headed as the surge of bliss fills your body. “I can feel you shaking,” he says when you fail to answer him. 

All you can do is whimper his name, head rolling back against his shoulder to expose your neck for him, and you know it’s such a tempting sight, but with the way his fingers work between your thighs, you find yourself not caring in the moment. He performs quick, steady circles over your flesh, earning arousal dripping down over your folds and your hips beginning to rock against his hand. He alternates between palming your breast and teasing your nipple with the other hand, receiving a moan of his name louder than the rest as you feel the familiar heat swell in the pit of your stomach. 

“D-Don’t stop,” you whisper to him, so breathless and lost in the pleasure. He groans against your neck, fangs pressing to your skin, but he keeps his promise of leaving no marks. Instead, he works quicker, groans becoming growls because he can feel you growing close to the edge of release. You tremble in his hold, body tensing before the first wave of bliss rolls through you.

His name releases in a gasp from your lips, trembling and gripping his wrist where his hand brings you to your end. The surges of heat and pleasure reach to every limb, and he doesn’t slow his fingers or pull away, drawing out every last ounce of pleasure, every breathless moan, until your body grows numb. When he feels you fall limp against him, deep breaths mixing with the stream of the shower, his fingers move to your entrance to gather up the juices dripping out for him.

Your fluttering eyes catch a glimpse of him the moment he pulls his hand from between your thighs to bring his messy fingers to his lips. His mouth opens to taste your release on his tongue, sending another chill down your spine from the digits disappearing between two pointed fangs until he’s sucked them clean. 

The sight leaves you breathless all over again, and his smirk when he leans in to offer a kiss against your lips fills you with warmth. Without a word, he proceeds to clean you up, taking extra care just like he always does when the two of you shower together. You decide to pamper him with kisses on his lips as he washes your hair and your sleepy giggles fill the shower when you notice his eyes darkening once again from the gesture. 

The two of you make your way to the bedroom once you’re done showering and drying off with the intent to prepare for your shift, all until he grabs you by the waist to guide you toward the bed.

“You know, on second thought,” he says just after your back hits the sheets and he begins unraveling the damp towel from your body, “I think I am hungry.” With a lick of his lips, he leaves you breathless, dark eyes igniting red as he takes in your naked figure beneath him. He lingers over you with a smirk flashing sharp fangs, then he presses his lips to yours once before his mouth lowers.

“Oh, o-okay,” you whisper, eyes closing as you feel the point of his fangs press to your neck, but he doesn’t stop there. He continues down your body, lips brushing over your collarbones, between your breasts, down your stomach, leaving a trail of soft kisses though his fangs threaten to break skin any time he applies just a bit of pressure. Though he possesses all the control and all the care to make sure he leaves no marks unless he wishes too, and as his mouth hovers above your bare mound, you inhale a sharp breath before his tongue presses to your skin. 

A gulp swallows any and all words as your legs part for him, arms falling to your sides with your fists gathering the sheets in a loose grip. He releases a groan at the sight of your slit, dripping just a bit from the previous pleasure he offered, and he can’t resist leaning in to swipe his tongue over your folds for another taste.

You squeak, and then a breathless chuckle falls from your lips. “I-I’m still so… so sensitive.” The moment his tongue licks your clit, your legs jerk to cause him to press two palms to your thighs to hold you in place and keep your legs parted while he teases your swollen, sensitive bud with the tip of his tongue. He performs slow circles around your clit, gaze shifting to watch your jaw slack and your brow furrow, eyes still screwed shut as he builds up the pleasure once again. 

“I told you I was hungry,” he says muffled against your flesh, “I wanted to taste you again.” 

The words send a child down your spine as he presses the flat of his tongue between your folds. Your back arches from the bed, not being able to resist reaching for him, entangling your fingers between the strands of his hair as he licks over your slit, from your entrance to your clit, just to hear the sinful noises slip from your lips. The arousal begins to pool at your entrance once again, giving him exactly what he craves as he toys between your thighs. 

You whimper his name, lost in the pleasure you receive, beginning to move your hips against his mouth while becoming greedy, “don’t stop.” The desperation in your tone has him focusing on your clit, wrapping his lips around to suck in between circling the throbbing, swollen bud. You feel his fangs press to your folds each time, a rush of adrenaline from the danger coursing through you to mix with the waves of heat as the tension builds between your thighs. 

Strained moans of his name and curses fill the bedroom, hips rolling against his mouth and fingers tugging the strands of his hair tighter. He groans against your flesh, vibrating you to your core as he licks over your sensitive folds to earn every single noise of pure bliss you offer. His fingers dig into your thighs as you begin to tremble, keeping your legs parted as he devours between them, tongue circling quicker, harder, causing you to become light headed as the bliss takes hold.

You cry out one last time, finding the tension seconds from snapping as the warmth of pleasure begins to surge, “b-bite me. Please.” 

The breathless words take him by surprise, but he would never reject your request. The moment takes hold of him just the same, feeling your body tense a second before he pulls his tongue away to press his thumb to your clit. You cry out that you’re so close, inviting him to press his mouth messy with your juices to your inner thigh before the sharp points of his fangs pierce the sensitive, smooth flesh as the pleasure rolls through your body in wave after wave. 

Blood pours into his mouth as your cries grow quiet, riding out the bliss with his thumb circling your clit and his lips pressed to your thigh. Quivering, your body goes limp against the bed as you succumb to the pleasure of your own high mixing with him feeding from you. Groans build deep within his chest as he sucks your blood, a desperate hunger taking over from tasting you in more ways than one.

He has to remind himself to pull away as you come down from the pleasure before he becomes lost in the taste of you. Behind fluttering lids you stare down at him, bright red blood trickling down the sides of his mouth and a haze over his darkened eyes. The points of his fangs are even painted in crimson as he tries to collect his mind after feeding, while you try to collect your breath even in the dizzy aftermath of his pleasure. 

You whine, nearly snapping him back to complete reality as his gaze focuses on you. All you can do is whimper again and motion toward the blood dripping from two tiny wounds in your thigh, and he gets the hint in seconds. Leaning closer, his tongue presses against your flesh, cleaning up the mess he’s made with care until he’s confident the blood has stopped. When he pulls away, he flashes a drunken grin before disappearing to clean himself of the blood.

When he returns, he holds a warm, damp cloth in his hand to begin cleaning you, listening to your chuckles thanks to the sensitivity and when he’s finished, he leans in to press his lips to your forehead. 

“Do you need me to…” Your voice fades as you reach for him, spotting the prominent bulge beneath the towel he’s draped around his hips. But he shrugs you off with a shake of his head.

Being the late bloomer of your pack feels like a curse was placed on you from the very beginning. Being a werewolf while watching all of your friends grow up alongside you, shifting, learning the ins and outs of your kind, playing together while running through the forest and howling beneath a full moon, seems like nothing short of a cruel joke. Life was never easy on you, feeling like you didn’t fit in with humans because there was something different about you, while also never feeling like you fit in with the other wolves your age because you couldn’t shift like them. 

Not to mention your pack treating you different. The elders were, of course, sympathetic. You aren’t the first werewolf to have trouble shifting and adjusting to the changes of your kind. But they pitied you, and in the end, it made you feel less than them. The wolves your age teased you, always giving you a hard time even if they meant it as playful banter. You couldn’t help your feelings when their words got to you.

There was always him, however. Whenever the other wolves learned to shift for the first time around their teenage years, running off to sprint through the woods and feel the wind in their fur, your best friend always stayed behind with you to make sure you weren’t lonely. Though, you always put on a brave face for him, telling him to go play with the rest of them. As you grew up and friends around you began to find relationships and even potential mates (either for a lifetime, or just one night when in heat), he was always close by to keep you company so you didn’t feel left out.

Admitting your guilt for holding him back would only be admitting you didn’t fit in. You tried to assure him there was no need to take care of you, but after having grown up with him, your parents and his being close friends in the same pack from an early age, you learned he was going to look out for you and be there for you whether you liked it or not.

“Hey, wanna go for a run later?”

Even if the other wolves, your friends, continue to give you a hard time.

“You know she doesn’t, Josh,” he growls at another wolf from your pack while walking behind him down the street to a cafe favorited by all of you. He stays close to your side as Josh throws his head back and laughs, and you force a smile so they won’t know how much it hurts. 

“I’m just teasing,” Josh says, turning around to give you a wink. You know the other wolf means well, just like everyone else in your pack. He would never actually want to hurt your feelings and you’re sure if you told him how you honestly felt, he would knock it off. Admitting it is the hardest part. Facing the fact that you’re different from your closest friends and can never truly be a part of the pack like they can is what truly hurts. 

“What about you?” Aria, a wolf your age from the same pack asks your best friend while looking behind her between the two of you as she walks beside Josh. She offers a sweet smile while tucking her long, blonde strands of hair behind her ear. If you were considered a late bloomer, she was the earliest. She knew how to shift before even becoming a teenager. It stings all the more to know she’s twice the wolf you will ever be, and is always trying to get him to shift and run with her.

“Nah,” he says with a shake of his head, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans and looking down at his feet scuffing against the sidewalk, “I think I’ll stay back tonight.”  

You can’t help the pride that swells in your chest, even if you know it’s wrong. You’re sure he just wants to stay with you so you don’t feel left out. Though, you’re aware she is only doing what you would do if you were in her position. It’s what any wolf would do, so you don’t blame her in the slightest. Jealousy over the fact that she has the option to shift and run with him doesn’t even begin to describe it.

“Suit yourself,” she says with a shrug just as the four of you reach the small cafe. Josh and Aria head inside, and you would follow them if he didn’t stop you with a gentle hold on your arm.

“We’ll catch up in a second,” he tells them, but they’re already waving and saying hello to the friends the four of you were meeting there.

“What’s up?” Frowning, you turn away from the door to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I know it bugs you,” he begins, his voice falling to a whisper while rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the ground between the two of you, “their jokes, I mean.”

Laughing, you roll your eyes and shake your head. “It’s just Josh being Josh. It’s fine.”

“Is it?” Finally, his eyes meet your own. The mood has shifted to something more serious and you can tell he is trying to get you to open up to him. “I mean… it doesn’t bother you? That you can’t shift and do… I don’t know… the shit we’re all doing?”

A weight falls on your chest. How can you tell him it bothers you more than you can possibly explain? How can you tell him you don’t even feel like part of the pack at this point without feeling pathetic?

“What am I supposed to do?” Your voice is quiet as you ask. You look away from him, watching the tip of your sneaker kick and pebble and scuff against the concrete, heart racing like it’s trying to push the pain away. 

“I can help you.”

You scoff, though your anger isn’t toward him. “How?”

“Just… I don’t know…” He releases a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping with a shake of his head. “We can figure it out, okay? We can work together on it and we can-”

Aria opens the glass door to the cafe to interrupt the two of you. Both of you turn to see her grinning after poking her head out, motioning to finally come inside.

“C’mon,” she says, reaching for your arm to pull you closer, “Josh is telling us about this human girl he’s into and it’s starting to get good.”

Chuckling, you follow her inside with him right behind you, thankful to her for getting you out of having to spill your heart out to him. 

*****

He drags you out of your house a few days later while in the middle of binging on ice cream and watching terrible TV.

“We’re wolves!” he told you with a stern tone while watching you slip your sneakers on. “We don’t sit inside and watch TV all day! We enjoy nature!”

You wanted to roll your eyes but you knew he wouldn’t stop until he got his way. So you followed him out to your favorite spot deep into the forest and to the large lake at the very center. The two of you used to run away to the secret location as kids and hide out until sundown until one of your parents called you for dinner. 

Now it’s the place he can always find you when you want to be alone, and it’s where you’re following him now until you see the familiar old dock and the blackness of the water swallowing the sandy bank. 

“Why are we out here?” you ask him, already too hot, too sweaty, and too invested in your TV show to be interrupted in the middle of it. The ice cream wasn’t so bad, either, and you regret letting him take it from you to put back in the freezer for later. 

“I told you,” he says before gripping the hem of his t-shirt and pulling it over his head, “I want to help you.”

You raise a brow, watching him ruffle his messy hair and flash a grin. “Does that require you being naked?”

Then his smile falls, and you can’t help but giggle. “I’m not getting naked, but if I have to shift…”

“Right, of course.” You nod, pursing your lips together. Ruining clothes from shifting is something you never had to worry about, at least. “Can’t wait to see what you have in mind.”

“Don’t be so negative,” he warns you with a wrinkled brow, reaching to shove your shoulder playfully. You aren’t trying to be negative, of course. But after spending all your life waiting for the moment when the wolf in you would take over, it’s hard to be optimistic about it. 

“Sorry,” you sigh. “I really am grateful you’re willing to help.”

His smile returns. “I’m always here to help.” 

He proceeds to explain his plan of helping you get in touch with your animal side, informing you he’s heard of wolves that had difficulty shifting due to them not being in touch with their emotions. After all, werewolves rely on their feelings allowing them to transform just as much as they rely on nature and their pack. You admit to him you never really thought about it before, always trying to push aside your feelings for the sake of others, and always trying to put on a brave face under the pressures of keeping up with everyone else. He informs you he thinks that’s the reason you’re having problems, and as time went on, it only made you shut that part of you away.

You admit it makes sense, and curse at him for being so smart. Though you are thankful, and you’re glad to have someone to take their time on you to help instead of automatically expecting so much from you. 

“What do you think about?” you ask him after a while, settled on the bank by the lake, shoes off, leaning back on the ground while looking at the sun reflecting off the ripples in the water. “When you shift, I mean. What goes through your mind?”

“Nothing, really,” he admits with a chuckle. “Well, nothing now. It’s too easy to shift after so many years.”

His words suddenly steal away all the confidence you were gaining after learning what could possibly be your problem. The weight on your chest returns, reminding you that while they have spent years learning how to be werewolves just like their parents, you spent that time not fitting in. 

“But a long time ago,” he begins again, sensing the sudden shift in your mood as you become lost in your thoughts, “I would think about what makes me happy, or sad, or angry. Anything at all. I would channel it and it’s like everything was released all at once the moment I turned. I felt free, and none of it mattered anymore.”

A moment of silence passes, your heart growing heavy. “It must be nice.” 

“You’ll get there,” he says, nudging your arm gently with his elbow. 

“I don’t think so,” you admit for the first time, releasing a heavy breath and closing your eyes. “If it hasn’t happened now. I mean, what if I’m not even a wolf at all?”

He bursts into laughter, and you frown at him. “You are definitely a wolf,” he tells you, settling into a smile as he looks at you. “I can smell it on you.”

“Ew.” Your face twists to make him chuckle more. “I… can’t even do that. I have no heightened senses. I can’t shift. I can’t… do anything.” 

He can’t help but to throw an arm over your shoulders to pull you close. “C’mon now, baby wolf.” The nickname has you rolling your eyes even if a smile forms on your lips. It’s something he’s called you since you were little, when he wants to feel close to you, and he wants you to know he cares about you. Without thinking, you rest your head on his shoulder, eyes closing once again.

After a while, you call his name.

“Hm?”

“What do I smell like?” As you ask, your heart pounds in your chest, waiting for an answer even though you aren’t sure what to expect. Smells and scents never meant much to you, but you’re aware it’s something your kind finds important. He remains silent for a moment, lost in his thoughts and it isn’t until you finally pick your head up to look at him do you see his soft smile.

“You smell like… chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.”

“What?!” You pull away from him, watching him chuckle. “Are you serious?”

“Mhm, but not just any regular chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. You smell like the kind from the ice cream shop in the center of town, the one our parents used to take us to when we were little.” His smile grows wider as he talks, and you listen with a racing heart. “You smell like the rain on a sunny afternoon, when it was summer and there was no school and we could play outside until it was dark. You smell like… like fall leaves and dewy mornings. Like a clean pillowcase after a long day.”

As that, he pauses to laugh, though you assume it’s more to himself. A tint of heat rises to his cheeks, and you can’t pull your eyes away from him, or speak, or do anything but listen as he talks.

“You smell like everything that comforts me, I guess.” He turns to you to offer a warm smile. “Like home.” 

*****

You left him with a promise that you would think about what he said. You told him you would consider trying to look deep inside yourself to realize your feelings, tuning into your emotions to channel everything you have ever felt in an attempt to shift. He left you confident it would work, and a few days passed without hearing from him. You assume he didn’t want to put too much pressure on you, giving you space to figure it all out. 

So you tried your best as the days went on. One afternoon you sat down in your bedroom in silence, settling in the middle of your bed with no distractions. You focused on your feelings in the moment, trying to realize your true emotions deep down inside, but you quickly became frustrated when nothing changed. You weren’t even sure how you felt other than annoyed at yourself, and part of you believes that’s what is holding you back.

So you tried again, taking time out of your day to get some fresh air. You plopped down in a spot in your backyard, lucky enough to be away from neighbors that could witness your attempts. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath, and then realized you were making no progress at all. You had no idea what to think about, what to feel, what to do. You tried channeling your emotions, but all you felt was silly for sitting in the grass by yourself. 

Then you gave up for the moment. It wasn’t until he called to meet him at the lake did you even think about your feelings and emotions, shifting and being a werewolf. You knew he was only calling to hopefully hear good news.

As you make your way to the lake, you wish you had something better to tell him. After a few failed attempts, you only feel foolish for thinking it could actually work. I’m not a real wolf, you remind yourself as you make the long walk to your favorite spot. I’m going to disappoint him. 

Once you reach the lake, you realize he hasn’t made it yet. Sighing, you take a seat next to the water’s edge, trying to think of what you’re going to tell him so he won’t be too upset.

He’s always trying to help, you think. He’s stayed by my side no matter what.

Warmth feels your chest to replace the heaviness you usually feel when thinking about him. Your thoughts are suddenly flooded with him and all the ways he’s taken care of you throughout the years. From nights spent together when the rest of your pack was out running, to days sticking up for you when the others would give you a hard time. Even down to always trying to make you feel included when you felt like nothing but an outsider, he’s been your best friend through it all. 

As the memories distract you, your body suddenly feels hot. Too hot. Sweat beads against your forehead, heat spiraling from the pit of your stomach to your fingers and toes. There’s an ache that settles in your bones and an itch deep into your spine that begins to drive you crazy. You stand from your spot at once, but your knees begin to tremble, your legs suddenly weak. You feel light headed but your body feels heavy. The world around you stops, but it’s as if everything is moving all at once.

One second you’re standing, and the next you’re falling to your knees, hands catching your body as they press to the dirt. Your back arches and you dry heave, skin burning so hot you swear you could melt. But suddenly it’s not skin anymore. Your hands don’t have fingers and your nose begins growing from your face. Fur lines your limbs in a blink of an eye before a groan rips through the forest, followed by a howl. Your hands, now large, sturdy paws, press into the dirt and your bones snap into place to make you feel sick to your stomach.

It happens so fast yet it feels like it takes forever. One second you’re human, the next you’re on all fours howling once again. The heat settles and now it feels so comfortable, so good. You spring forward, not knowing where your heavy paws are taking you but you need to run. Fast. Wind whips past you to tickle your fur and your sharp eyes narrow, zooming between the trees like lightning.

You keep running through the forest, not stopping or even slowing down. You’ve never felt this alive, this free. It’s as if everything falls into place and you’re finally the you that you were meant to be. A surge of power rushes through you, a burst of wild happiness and a sense of freedom all at once. 

Suddenly, you sense something. You smell something. It’s a familiar scent, but it’s as if it’s the first time the smell is coursing through your nose. You breathe in deep, and a memory flashes through your mind. You’re suddenly eight years old, on the playground. You’ve fallen and scraped your knee. You see his round face with full cheeks smiling at you, telling you it will be okay, it will only sting for a moment as he puts a bandaid on you.

Now you’re older. A teenager. You’re crying and then there’s a blanket around your shoulders. Your head falls to a chest… his chest and he smells so sweet, so comforting. Like honey. You feel warm. His arms are around you. He’s so close and you’re safe.

The next thing that flashes in your mind is the ice cream he was just telling you about a few days before. Chocolate chip cookie dough. But that’s not what you smell. Suddenly he scoops ice cream from his bowl and give you a bite. It’s a cool vanilla with chocolate syrup. You feel like laughter will burst from within at any moment. 

Finally you stop running. The scents become overwhelming, but only because they bring up memories to make you feel cared for, to feel loved and feel at home. Leaves crunching behind you pull your attention away from your thoughts even though the aroma still fills the air around you.

You turn to see fur the color of ash and mountain tops and bright yellow eyes staring at you. The wolf whines at you, cocking its head to one side before pouncing you without warning. You yelp and roll your body beneath him as he playfully nips your neck, knowing it’s no one else but him. No one else but him could make you feel so much peace.

And one second you’re rolling around in the leaves as wolves, the next you’re shifting back into your human form before you can stop yourself. The fur turns into skin, paws into fingers. Your back straightens against the messy leaves and dirt to leave you panting while still naked on the ground. He follows your lead, though you’re sure he has more control over shifting than you do, but it’s only a few seconds before he’s human again. He collapses on the ground next to you, only your heavy breaths can be heard among the whistling of wind between the branches and the chirping birds. You lay there beside him in silence, but you’ve never felt more comfortable.

A few moments pass before you hear him rustling next to you. Turning to look, you see a grin on his lips as he stares at you, and you can’t help but smile in return. 

“So…” he begins, dragging the word out and still a bit breathless from running. You giggle again, knowing he wants to know what came over you, what tipped you over the edge from human to wolf. If you’re being honest, you aren’t completely sure. All you know is one minute you’re trying to get in touch with your emotions, the next you’re lost in daydreams and memories of him. “Are you going to tell me what happened or do I have to bite you again?”

Grinning, you prop yourself up onto your elbows. “I… don’t know, really.” You shrug as if it’s no big deal, but you know he won’t let you get off so easily. “I did what you said. I tried to channel my feelings and…”

“And?” He raises his brows, leaning closer and you can feel his happiness for you radiating off of him. 

“And…” You take a deep breath, smile fading, looking into his eyes to make it easier to say the words. “I could only think of you.”

“Me?” He gulps, tearing his gaze away as if he’s trying to make sense of it.

“I thought of the way you made me feel,” you admit to him, voice so low because if you were to speak any louder, he would hear the tremble in the words. “I thought of how I feel for you.”

He can only blink, then turn away from you so he sits up straight, arms resting on his knees. You follow him, sitting beside him even if you’re too scared to meet his eyes in the moment.

“How do you feel about me?” Now his voice is a whisper. Your heart pounds away inside your chest. Warmth builds from the pit of your stomach up to your throat, and you’re the one gulping this time. 

“I feel…” Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes, but not before you notice him turning to look at you. You keep them closed as you speak the next words. “I feel like... you’re home to me.”

Finally, you look at him to see him looking back at you. You understand what he meant when he explained your scent. You understand what he felt in that moment, and even though it was buried deep down inside of you all this time, you finally feel exactly like him. You feel like you belong. You feel like you’re home when you’re with him.

Just like before, when he leans in, you feel the rush of happiness as the familiar smell of home fills your senses. Yet, he doesn’t stop there, slowly coming closer until his trembling lips meet your own. He kisses you like he’s been waiting so long to feel your skin against his, and you deepen the kiss with a whimper against his lips. He takes hold of you, pulling your body close, and you go to him. The two of you fall into the dirt once again, hands exploring one another, lips kissing lips and then trailing lower. You whimper his name a second before he climbs over you, taking control and you allow him to touch and kiss and do whatever he wants because it all makes sense to you now. You’re home to him because you’re his, and you were always meant to be. He’s yours, and he intends on proving just how much in the moment.

His kisses lower down your body. Your fingers become lost in the strands of his hair. A moan slips from your lips to disappear between the trees as his mouth wanders to your chest, to your breasts, kissing his way farther down. When he reaches your belly button, desire begin to build between your legs. Your thighs part for him as he goes lower, leaving a trail of eager, sloppy kisses along the way until his tongue finds a new way to make you whimper.

He pleasures you with his mouth while you become lost in the moment. You’re his and only his, and you call his name in a shaky voice to remind him of it. Heat swells in your body with his face between your thighs, groaning every time you moan and cry out. The animal in him comes alive as he claims you and makes you feel so, so good. Lost in ecstasy as the world drowns out around you, all you can focus on is his mouth on your flesh, drawing you closer to a release you never knew you needed.

He offers you that release with a firm grip on your hips. A deep, primal growl builds in his chest as you reach cloud nine, feeling you trembling beneath him while he earns every whimper, every moan, every call of his name with a diligent tongue eager to please. You feel so hot once again, yet so relaxed and taken care of. He tends to your body by making you come on his tongue. He claims you with his face buried between your legs and you ride out the pleasure against his mouth until you’re too overwhelmed.

He makes it clear he’s not finished making you his and becoming yours in return. He climbs over your body, settling between your legs so you feel the arousal pressing against you. Your arms wrap around him, pulling his body close as his lips crash into your own. You taste the remnants of bliss as he begins pushing himself into you, and you’re already begging him for more. His motions are desperate, but he doesn’t want to hurt you, he doesn’t want to rush or move too fast. He wants to cherish the moment as he eases himself inside of you, slowly, inch by inch until your head falls back and you’re crying out for more. He kisses you again as he fills you up, and your mind grows numb, feeling so close to him for the first time.

He enters you with ease, groaning at the feeling of your warmth surrounding him, gasping at the way you tighten your walls around his length and how you wrap your legs over his sides to hold him close. As you begin moving your hips, he begins to thrust inside of you, making you tremble all over again. You feel so full and so complete, so warm and safe and perfect in his arms as your wolf claims you. He kisses you tenderly, but his hips become eager. He pumps into you quicker, lost in the moment and the way you feel wrapped around him. 

Moans and whimpers, grunts and growls, fill the air. You hold him tight while he pleasures you, so lost in one another that nothing in the world could matter more. He whispers into your ear how good you feel and you can only beg him for more. He takes care of you in a new way that becomes overwhelming, suddenly so full of the emotions you had trouble connecting with before. He brings out the wolf in you while offering pleasure, filling you up, making you come once again as he does the same. Your bodies move as one to claim one another, to make love to your wolf, to feel a new kind of bliss you have never experienced before. You find release in one another as a sweet, hot wave of pleasure takes hold.

He never realized you knew he was there when he watched you. As if you would have left your bedroom blinds open, lights on and shining bright, for any other reason. As if you hadn’t been attracted to him the first day you saw him moving into the apartment building next to yours. As if you were trying to hide from all the nights you touched yourself, blinds open, lights on, naked on the bed hidden only behind an expression full of pleasure that heightened when you knew he could watch.

The first night was nothing more than a test. You spotted him in his apartment, the warm glow of a lamp in the living room illuminating him. When you flicked your lights on, out of the corner of your eye you saw his gaze shift toward you as he paused.

Perfect.

You turned your lights off after closing your blinds a moment later, knowing he knew you were there and allowing him to realize he had the perfect view. The buildings were close enough to only have him as an audience thanks to being on the top floor, yet not too close to where a simple glance or shift of your eyes would tell him you knew he was spying. 

Two nights later you left your lights on for longer. You could feel his eyes on your body as you undressed. You didn’t have to glance at him to know he was studying every curve of your skin as you peeled your shirt over your head, followed by the yoga shorts you went running in just minutes before. You didn’t need to look his way to know his eyes were glued to you as you turned your back to him before unhooking your bra, and then making your way to the adjoined bathroom to take a shower.

The light in his living room was turned off by the time you came out of the steaming bathroom, towel wrapped around your body and disappointment in your face when you noticed his blinds shut. Maybe he felt guilty, or maybe he was turning down the temptation.

It didn’t take long to gain his full interest a week later. The first night you decided to walk around your room completely bare was the night he didn’t close his blinds. A quick turn of your head to see his eyes on you was enough to encourage you to go all the way. You seemed unsuspecting, and he should have given you enough credit to know you could tell he was watching, but you liked the rush of him thinking he was getting away with it.

You laid down on your bed, back against the mattress, slipping a hand between your thighs. He could only see your breasts thanks to a hiked knee covering everything else, but they were fully exposed as you toyed with your hardening nipples and it was enough to have you reaching your peak in no time. Having him watch you get off had your entire body tingling when you thought about it the next day. You couldn’t convince yourself you wouldn’t try again, and you couldn’t talk yourself out of going further while giving him a full show.

That was when you decided you would do something a little riskier the next time around. Fully bare once again, blinds open, you began teasing yourself as you sat on your knees on the bed. You already knew he was focused on you. It was as if he wasn’t hiding it anymore, but you didn’t look his way regardless. You had to play pretend.

Your hands ran over your breasts, pinching and pulling your nipples until your head lolled back and your jaw slacked. You went farther, dipping a hand between your thighs to find yourself already wet from putting on your show. You wished he could hear your moans with your fingertips pressed to your clit, rubbing slow circles to get you warmed up enough. More than that, you wished you could hear the noises he would make, as well as have his hands on your body, fingers between your thighs to pleasure you.

You knew you had to be patient, dismissing the idea for another time once you removed your hands from your body, instead reaching for a pillow near the headboard. You quickly folded it in half while casually glancing his way as you brushed loose strands of hair from your face to seem oblivious, with your eyes half-lidded. You could only guess what was running through his mind when you placed the pillow between your legs, pressing down to feel the cool silk against your warm folds.

You couldn’t help but to moan when you began moving your hips, hoping he was watching closely, hoping he would think about it later when he was alone and touching himself. You tossed your head back, getting lost in the moment, grinding your clit against the red, silk pillowcase while imagining him in your mind doing unspeakable things to your body. Your hands ran along your torso, finding your breasts to squeeze and caress, with your hips moving faster each second, whimpers of his name spilling from your lips.

When the pleasure started to swell between your thighs, your whimpers and moans fell short, replaced by gasps of air until you were overwhelmed with bliss. Your hips started to slow, thighs tightening around the pillow, toes curling, jaw slacking, until your body bent forward, palms pressing against the mattress to ease yourself to the bed.

You laid there limp, a sheen of sweat glistening over your skin, knowing he had watched every second of it, knowing you wouldn’t have come half as hard if he hadn’t. His eyes on you were the only thing getting you off lately, and sometimes you were tempted to walk over to his apartment and thank him for it.

However, the next day when you’re a minute away from heading out of your apartment for a run, a sudden, urgent knock on your door has you pausing while putting your buds in your ear. Instead, you set your things against the coffee table to make your way through the kitchen to answer the knocks.

“Um, hi.”

Hearing his voice for the first time, already half knowing it was him before you answered the door, sent goosebumps spreading across your skin. It was deeper than you imagined, yet his tone softer, almost as if he was incredibly nervous, or shy. Of course it couldn’t be hard to pin point the exact apartment you live in considering all the time he’s spent so far watching you. The apartment buildings aren’t that big to begin with. You wonder if he knocked on any other doors before settling on yours.

“Hi…” You tilt your head, flashing him a confused look with your brows creased. You know why he is there, and the reason has your heart racing. 

“I’m, uh,” he stutters, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, eyes falling to his feet as he tells you his name.

You already knew that thanks to one of his friends yelling his name from across the street on the day he moved in. You nod, trying to hide your smirk when you realize he actually is a nervous, stuttering, gulping mess before you, telling him your name in return. 

“Can I help you with something?” He bites his lip at the sound of you repeating his name, causing warmth to surge between your thighs. He doesn’t even realize how much power you have over him already, feigning innocence before him with a curious tone and clueless expression. 

“I just wanted to introduce myself around. Still a little new here and all…” He moved in five months ago. He can’t look you in the eyes as he shifts his weight from foot to foot before you, with your head still tilted to one side, looking up at him with a grin, arms folded just beneath your breasts. “Sorry, I see you were about to head out. I should go.”

You don’t stop him. Instead, your grin widens, before watching him turn to head down the hall. “If you do need something,” you begin, making him stop in his tracks for a glance over his shoulder, “don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Hidden meanings drip from every word, and from the way he inhales a sharp breath before nodding, you know he realizes he is in over his head. 

***

You don’t leave your blinds open for his viewing pleasure that night. You know once you have him hooked he will be yours to play with for as long as you want. You just need him to realize what a deliciously sinful thing he has, and without the view of you naked and pleasuring yourself he will either go crazy, or finally act on his desires.

A few nights pass, but you don’t worry. You keep the view blocked by shades and dim lights when you touch yourself, thinking of all the things you are going to do to him when he finally sees how much he wants you. Even if the pleasure isn't as great when he doesn't watch, you have to be patient as well.

It takes three whole nights of failing to offer him the view for him to come knocking on your door mid-afternoon, causing you to answer after you have just gotten out of the shower. You greet him after a few light knocks on your door, hair wrapped in a towel and a robe wrapped around your body. 

“Hi.” You can't stop your cheeks from warming at the sight of him.

Finally getting to see him before you - cap on backwards keeping his hair from his eyes, a shy grin on his lips, a loose fitting, gray tank not hiding his delicious looking collarbones, and even baggier gym shorts - has its effect on you. It doesn't take you long to realize he isn't the only one suffering without a view. You have gone four days without seeing him in his apartment as well with barely any clothes on, sweating, panting while doing some form of work out, carding his fingers through his damp hair. You would be lying if you said you didn't miss it.

“Hey,” he exhales his half-embarrassed hello, rubbing the back of his neck just like he did the previous time. Except now he has a paper plate with foil securing its contents in the other hand. “I, um, brought you something.” He has a hard time keeping his eyes on yours, every second more and more tempted to take in the sight of you standing before him in nothing but a bathrobe.

You can't contain a giggle. “You did?” You eagerly reach for his gift as he hands you the plate, peeling back the crumpled foil to reveal tasty looking treats. “Lemon squares?”

“Yeah,” he chuckles as if he immediately regrets the decision. His eyes lower, but he continues. “I have a friend that likes to cook, and well, I just wanted to bring you something since I just moved in across the street. One apartment building over.”

Your brows crease at his words. “Wouldn't your actual neighbors be better suited for this?” You giggle, letting him think he was being smooth when you already knew when and where he moved in, along with his perfect view of your bedroom. “And aren't they the ones that should be giving you a housewarming gift?” 

“Yeah, it was a stupid idea.” He lowers his voice as well as his head. “Sorry.”

“No!” You nearly shout when he begins to turn away from you. “It's sweet. Thank you so much. It’s really thoughtful.” You aren’t lying. It’s hard to ignore the flutter in your chest at his adorable gesture. Even if you both know he’s only looking for any little excuse to stop by because he is missing his view.

“No problem.” His grin is so boyish and bashful, causing the warmth to swell between your thighs at just how shy this man is.

“Do you want to come in?” In all his blushing and in all of your playing oblivious, you forgot to be polite enough to invite him in, stepping to the side a second after you ask.

“Oh, I wasn’t interrupting anything?” His gaze finally lowers down your body, unashamed for the first time and getting an eyeful of your fresh-out-of-the-shower attire. 

“Nope,” you assure him, grinning as he walks past you before shutting the door behind him. You peel the towel from your head, trying to regain some of your image and not look so ridiculous, even though he has seen you completely bare and vulnerable time and time again. He isn’t aware you’re aware of that fact. “So…” His name lingers on your lips in drawn out syllables as he takes a seat on a barstool, situating himself with his elbows propped up on the island counter in your kitchen.

“Hm?” You have his full attention while you grab a lemon square from the plate, slowly taking a bite as you stand on the opposite side of the counter. The way his eyes widened and lips part have you stifling your giggle as you chew the treat and lick your lips once you swallow.

“Please tell your friend he bakes well.” After a second, he nods, your words pulling him from the daydreams you only imagine him having as he stares at you. “So, how are you liking the view?” The question, while innocent in nature, has too much hidden meaning within each word, causing him to gulp, blink repeatedly, and mumble while shrugging his shoulders.

“Th-the v-view?” You can practically hear his heart hammering away inside his chest, thinking you are asking about the perfect view into your bedroom, but when you nod, lips pursed, and hum an “mhm”, his tense body relaxes just a little.

“That apartment building has a killer view of the city, if you’re lucky enough to snag yourself a room good enough.” You lean forward, arms beneath your breasts, elbows against the counter as you speak, not caring if your robe just so happens to fall open enough to get a better view of your cleavage. Watching him nearly squirm in his seat was more satisfaction than you needed. 

“Oh, um,” he hesitates, running a hand over the nape of his neck, “my apartment is on the opposite side. Right across… from… you.” It was clear he caught himself mid-sentence, spilling away his dirty secrets, letting you know he has a better view than the city, but you only nod, not showing signs of any hints that you had caught on to what he was implying. 

“Oh, too bad you don't have a nice view then.” His awkward, shy grin on his lips tells you he assumes you haven't a clue. “Listen, I have to get ready for my shift at work. It was really nice seeing you.”

With that, he is already nervously slipping from his seat at the counter. “Sure, me too.” His hand brushes over the back of his neck once again, realizing you find his shy habits adorable. 

“Thanks for the gift,” you chuckle as you walk him out, pulling the door to you before he steps into the hallway, watching him nod while lingering for a moment. “Oh, hey?” You call his name one last time, watching him perk up, brows raised, eyes wide.

“Yes?” You can't help the way your lips curl in a grin, knowing how you have teased him, feigning innocence the entire time while dropping subtle hint after hint about him watching you.

“I'll see you later.”

***

The exhausting shift at your job has taken its toll on your body, proving that being on your feet all night serving tables left you with nothing but achy legs, sore feet, and heavy steps as you make your way to your shower. The warm water cascading down your body relaxes you enough to ease the pains in your muscles, and when you step out to wrap nothing more than a towel around your body, you are all ready to snuggle up in bed.

However, after his visit earlier in the day, you know your curious neighbor won’t remain patient for long, causing you to make sure to pull the chain to your blinds once you make it to your bedroom, the vertical panels opening up to allow you to set your eyes on that neighbor of yours in his living room. The lights offer a warm glow against his skin as you take in the sight of him bare chested, hair messily combed back, sweat pants hanging loose from his hips, and an intense focus in his eyes as he works out. The way your heart flutters in your chest only tells you how much you missed the sight.

You linger near the window a moment, not realizing you are biting down on your bottom lip, teeth sinking into skin while watching him move, his body coming up and down with crunches, his eyes lower, wanting to hear the music you know he’s listening to to have him so in the zone. Wanting to be in the same room as him, hearing his heavy breaths and pants, wanting him to be there just for you.

Lost in thoughts of what he could do, you barely notice his gaze shift towards your window like it has so many nights before. You barely notice his eyes grow wide and the way his hand lowers to the bulge forming in his pants at the sight of you, obvious thoughts of previous nights watching you entering his mind.

Except unlike other nights, you don’t look away, or seem oblivious to his gaze. You meet his eyes staring into yours, biting on your bottom lip and blinking just a few times to seem innocent enough. You watch his lips part, taking in the moment to understand you are now completely aware he has a perfect view of your bedroom, and you are aware he has been watching you all those lonely nights while leaving your blinds open just for him.

But it was all a part of the plan, and with a smirk forming on your lips as you stare into his living room, your brows arch, awaiting his reaction. He rises and steps closer to the window after reaching for a remote to mute his stereo he had obviously worked out to, hand returning to the bulge in his pants as he licks his lips. 

No longer are there secrets or feigning innocence. Everything is out in the open as the two of you stare at one another, and you decide to take it a step further by reaching to unravel the towel so tightly secured around your body. The white cloth pools around your ankles, giving him the perfect view of what he has no doubt been missing the past few nights.

You can’t ignore the rush of adrenaline coursing through your body, or deny how much you love the way he licks his lips once more, hand caressing his length through his pants. It only encourages you to finally step away from the window to make your way towards the bed, carefully and slowly crawling with your knees pressed to the sheets until he has a perfect view of what is between your thighs. 

You bend over, hand slipping between your legs with your head turning to glance at him over your shoulders, noticing him watching ever so intently as you stroke your folds back and forth. Your fingers find your clit, stroking small circles over your flesh to give him the show he has been so desperately looking for. Giving him the invitation to take what he wants, with your hips rocking against your hand as your fingers quicken in pace. Begging him without words to go to you and finish what you have started. 

The single flip of a light switch turning off breaks your concentration, stopping all motions to turn with fluttering lids and look into his window, only to see him no longer standing there. His apartment has gone pitch black. He has left.

And you know he is on his way over to you at that very moment. 

***

The urgent knocks against your door has your already racing heart skipping a beat. Your fingers tremble as you grab your robe, slowly securing it around your body while hesitant footsteps carry you to the sound.

His lips are on yours the second you pull the door open. Desperate hands reach for you, arms wrapping around your body to pull you in close and you can't deny him in the slightest. You have been waiting for the moment to feel his lips against yours, feel his body melting into your body, and feel his heart pounding in his chest as he backs you away from the door toward your bedroom. Ever since you spotted him moving furniture that day with his friends, you wanted to feel those strong arms around you.

“So,” he says, pulling away as breathless as ever with his swollen lips nearly quivering, “it was all a game to you the entire time?” His realization is taking its toll on him, with everything clicking at once and his tone tells you he wants to be angry, if only he wasn't so eager to have you.

“I-” You try to explain, to say something, anything, but his lips meeting yours once again cuts off the words just as fast as you started. His grip is tight against your waist as he guides you farther into the room, sloppy kisses trailing from your mouth down to your jaw before settling against your neck. 

“You were fucking toying with me,” he growls, earning a grunt when your back finally comes in contact with the frigid surface of your bedroom window, “that whole time.” 

You whimper his name, but you have no excuse and no strength to argue with him even if you did. The way his hands lower from your waist to your thighs to hoist your body up against the window’s ledge has you trembling. The way his tongue teases your skin before his teeth nip at the sensitive flesh has the room spinning. And it only adds to the blissful torture when his hands harshly spread your legs, inviting himself between them to press his painfully hard cock against your bare center. 

“Since you enjoy games so much,” he begins, tugging at the flimsy string holding your robe closed, “why don't I fuck you right here where everyone can see? Right in front of this window… isn’t that what gets you off, baby?” The moment your robe falls open to uncover your body, his hands are on you. Palms caress your skin, cupping your breasts before his thumbs tease your erect, sensitive nipples with a simple brush of contact, rendering you speechless.

Not that it matters when he presses his mouth to yours, silencing any protests you never had in the first place before his tongue skims over the delicate flesh of your bottom lip. You invite him in a second later, feeling him massage your tongue ever so carefully in contrast to the way his hands so desperately begin to touch your body. His breaths are hot and heavy against your skin as he pushes the robe from your shoulders, once again exposed and vulnerable for him just like so many nights before, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. 

“Do it, then,” you challenge him in a gasp after pulling away, eyes locking with his darkened expression to see the amount of lust filling him, “fuck me.”

And he takes the challenge, groaning at your words just before he grips the neck of his t-shirt to pull over his head, tossing it aside a second before he reaches for your hips to pull you from the ledge. In an instant you’re being turned around, ass toward him and your chest pressing to the cold glass window, a gasp filling the small space to leave a foggy remnant of your heavy breaths against its surface as his hands lower. 

Fingers skim over the soft skin of your ass as you push your hips out for him, inviting him with a whimper of his name to do as he wishes. Another groan slips from his lips just before a single hand dips between your thighs, fingertips brushing over the hot and sensitive folds to have you quivering against the window. 

“Do you know how many nights,” he begins, feeling his fingers circle your soaked entrance as he speaks, causing you to want nothing more than to push down onto the digits, “how many nights I watched you, thinking it was wrong yet not being able to stop myself?”

You whine his name, more breathless than ever before as you attempt to roll your hips against his hand, “please.” But a tight grip against your hip from his other hand keeps you standing in place, suffering the teasing of his fingers barely entering you before pulling away. 

“Do you know how many nights I had to go to bed thinking of you, touching myself while fantasizing of all the things I wanted to do to you?” The question has you quivering, knowing that’s exactly what you wanted when you first decided to give him your little show, knowing the teasing you would have to endure just the same was nothing less than deserved. 

His fingers soon trail from your entrance to slip higher over your slit, caressing over your folds against the sides of your throbbing, aching clit, but not daring to touch just yet. A breathless moan leaves your lips, wanting him to desperately to touch where you need it the most, but his motions remain the same as he teases your slick center after toying with your clit. He leaves you wishing that any second you would feel him enter you, feeling him offer release against the ever so sensitive bud, or finally give you his cock above all else.

You are seconds away from pleading for what you need when his hand finally slips back to ease two fingers deep within you without warning, causing you to latch onto the window’s edge to brace yourself, feeling the digits begin to pump in and out of your tightening walls. He groans at feeling your arousal drip from your core to coat his fingers, loving how eager your body is for him, loving how your hips rock back against his hand and loving the noises you make just for him. 

But you need more, the teasing beforehand too much to bear as you attempt to ease your own hand between your thighs to relieve yourself of the ache, but he is quick to take a firm hold on your wrist as he reaches around with his free hand. Fingers continue to pump in and out of your walls at a slow pace just as he pins your wrist against the window, causing you to whimper his name again and again. You need release as you push your hips onto his fingers, gasping as the digits enter you deeper and causing you to clench as you pull away, only to repeat the process over and over. 

He seems to enjoy you fucking yourself against his fingers, only earning groans in response from behind filling deep in his chest at the sight of you slipping up and down, arousal dripping over his skin more and more the harder your press your hips to him. His grip on your wrist becomes a blissful sting of pain and pleasure as his fingers wrap tighter against your skin to keep you in place. The nails of your other hand clawing at the windowsill with nothing but whimpers and moans leaving your lips.

“Please...” So breathlessly you beg him, wanting to feel him inside of you, wanting him to rid your body of the tension, of the ache between your legs reaching out to every limb. 

“Tell me what you want, baby,” he orders, breath deep and raspy and strained against your ear, fingers pumping harshly in and out of you to earn every last whimper of his name that leaves your lips, “and I’ll give it to you.” 

“Please,” you gasp, overwhelmed with the sudden force of his hand between your legs and the pleasure that courses through your entire being, “I w-want to feel y-you. I want to feel you-your cock.”

He has no intention of protesting as he pulls his fingers from within you, and instead wraps an arm around your waist to quickly guide you to your bed that was just behind the both of you. Your back hits the softness of the mattress with a bounce, earning another whimper as you watch him push his sweatpants to the floor before he climbs between your legs to meet your body on the bed. 

Desperately his lips crash into yours, feeling his hardness press to your soaked slit, feeling his body mold into yours as he pushes his hips against you just to tease once again. You nibble against his bottom lip, tugging lightly with your teeth to hear a groan hit your ears in return and to feel his cock press against your center as you buck your hips to slip up and down his length. 

Suddenly, he grabs both of your wrists to pull your grip from his bare shoulders, instead pinning your arms above your head while flashing a wicked smirk across his lips. You want to whine, to beg and plead. Yet, the sight of him biting his bottom lip, eyes full of desire and lust as he peers down at you, leaves you so absolutely speechless, breathless even, that all you can do is lay beneath him trembling in anticipation. 

“Patience, baby,” he says, one hand still pinning both of your wrists above your head, the other taking a firm grip of his cock to ease the tip over your folds. Your legs threaten to clasp together as they twitch, if only his thighs beneath them didn’t have them spread so far as he leans in, pushing just the head of his cock against your dripping entrance to have you gasping his name. 

Then he pulls away, torturing you further as you wiggle your hips beneath him, begging without words for what you want most. He presses against you once more, pushing his cock into you slowly, taking his time to have you so worked up beyond belief, pleading with a cry of his name. 

“You’re so wet, baby.” His deep chuckle against your skin only taunts you, mouth skimming over the flesh of your neck as your head lolls back, enduring every moment of it with the tip of his cock pushing against you only to pull away a moment later to leave you empty. “You’re dripping, just for me, baby. Just because you love to tease so much.” He kisses your neck as you gulp down the words you don’t have the strength to release regardless, lips so soft and tender against your skin to drive you wild.

And when you can barely stand anymore, becoming a quivering mess beneath him, he finally enters you, slowly, gently, pushing his hips against your body and thrusting his cock deep within your tightening walls, earning a gasp with your eyes shutting tight and your mouth falling open. 

“Oh my G-god.” You can barely speak, barely form words or even think as he fills you up, only to call out his name once again when he pulls out, pulls away and with a twitch of his hips he thrusts back into you all over again. 

“Harder,” you instruct him, so breathless once again, “faster.” Your voice grows too hoarse to speak, but he listens to your words. He listens to your body, the way you tighten around his length when he enters you. The way you moan and curse and huff anytime he thrusts just right to have your legs drawing up to his sides, still trembling, shaking, nearly giving out because the pleasure, the pressure from his hips, becomes too much to bear. 

Thoughts of getting caught, of fucking with curtains drawn knowing anyone could see if they actually looked hard enough, leaves both of your minds. Neither of you care when you are so wrapped up in one another. With you loving the way he loses control and with him loving every moment of feeling your body react to him. 

Your release approaches quickly, back arching from the bed, nails digging into the palms of your hands still pinned to the sheets. Legs wrapped tight around his waist, taking every long, deep thrust of his cock within you until a final gasp spills from your lips as the pleasure coursed through you.

He abruptly releases your hands, allowing you to grab on tight to his shoulders, nails clawing skin as he takes hold of your hips, keeping you in place while ruthlessly thrusting in and out through your bliss that swells from your center to every inch of your body. His fingers press harder, drawing out every breathless moan, every strained whimper, every gasp of his name until your body grows too limp, too weak, with limbs slacking at your sides.

But he is far from done, slowing his hips to hit deep within your walls with aggressive thrusts, bringing his own peak closer and closer as you whine from the overwhelming sensation, too sensitive, too far gone to handle much more, shuddering with every push of his cock within you. Your mind grows numb, the sounds of his groans drowning out around you until he suddenly pulls away.

You watch through fluttering lids as he grips himself in his hand, pumping his length a few times before releasing over you, strings of white coating the flesh of your stomach as he bites his lip, heavy breaths filling the room seconds before his body slumps beside you. 

A few moments of catching your breaths, collecting yourselves, and gathering strength leads him to ease off your bed, reaching for his sweatpants to cover himself before making his way to your bathroom, only to return with a towel to rid you of any mess. You can’t help but to giggle tiredly as he takes care of you, bliss still filling you up even though the pleasure is over. 

“So,” you begin, leaning up as he tosses the towel to the side, “are you really upset with me?” You bat your lashes as you recall his anger within his lust when he first entered your apartment, earning a chuckle from him before he turns to grab your discarded robe from the floor, but not before he tugs on the chain at your window, pulling the curtains to a close. You cock your head to the side, questioning his silence while sporting a curious expression, raising your arms as he covers your body before tying the knot to keep the silk material secure around you.

“I wanted to be,” he finally answers with an exhale, “but I have to say, it was well played. I’ve… never had someone tease me like that and it was so fucking hot.” A smirk appears over his lips a second later, causing you to giggle once again before he leans down to press his lips to your forehead.

“You can’t deny the end result was better than expected.” You shrug carelessly, noticing him lick his lips as he pulls you from the bed with a palm against yours. Eyes scan up and down your body, as if he was in thought over the remark even though the grin he flashed is more than convincing.

“I can’t deny that at all,” he tells you honestly. “But next time…”

“Hm?” You perk up as his words fade, curiosity filling you once again.

“Next time,” he sighs, placing his thumb beneath your chin to cause you to look into his eyes, “I want you to ride me, just like you liked to tease me while riding that pillow.”

Words couldn’t describe the amount of embarrassment that floods you, becoming flustered as you look away, grinning, knowing he hasn’t forgotten the very thing that brought him over in the first place.

The sound of the bell ringing at the front of your humble bakery signals his arrival, making it hard not to feel the butterflies in your stomach. He stops by nearly every day, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, ordering the same cinnamon pastry with vanilla cream and the same hot cider perfect for the chilly weather outside.

He makes his way up to the counter with squeaky shoes and heavy shoulders. From the look on his face, circles under his eyes, a creased brow, and damp hair with raindrops dripping on his forehead, a stressful day mixed with the fall rains has taken its toll on him. Normally his bright and cheerful aura always gives you a lift when he visits you for his typical morning breakfast or afternoon snack. Today he looks like he’s seconds from collapsing.

“Rough day?” Of course, by now you know him by name, just like you know his order by heart and you already have something warm for him to sip on by the time he takes a seat in the barstool in front of the glass counter.

With a heavy sigh, he shrugs off his soaking coat and peels the once fluffy, wool scarf from around his neck. “Something like that,” is all he replies while taking the steaming, colorful mug from your hands. “Thanks.”

“Guess the rain doesn’t help much, huh?”

“No, not at all,” he replies with a soft chuckle before taking another sip to warm himself.

“Here, I know just the thing to cheer you up.”

Before he can say anything else, you’ve disappeared into the back of your bakery to grab one of his favorite desserts from the fridge. You decide to top the pastry with a delicious, thick whipped cream after placing it on a small saucer, making sure to grab a fork and a cloth napkin before meeting him at the counter once again.

When you slide the dessert his way, it’s hard to miss the way his expression softens, eyes sparkling from either your kindness in taking care of him or simply how delicious it looks. Either way, he thanks you with a gentle tone and shows his appreciation with a bright smile, warming your heart just a bit as the butterflies go wild in your stomach.

“This looks great,” he tells you, cutting off the end piece before tasting the flaky pastry, raspberry filling and a bit of the whipped cream on top. “Wow, tastes amazing, too!”

You giggle at the reaction, biting your lip to keep from smiling too wide and giving yourself away. If you’re honest, however, you would admit his reactions to your baking is something you always look forward to. Not to mention his compliments, and maybe just his presence alone, sends warmth filling your cheeks as your heart swells. And if you are being honest, you can’t decide which you like more, his kindness when flattering you with compliments or seeing him cheer up just because of something you made and offered him, but you have to admit you enjoy them more than either of you  has realized.

“I’m glad you like it.” As he takes another bite and hums in delight, you shift your attention to the clock on the far wall to see it’s only an hour before you are due to close up shop and head home. Though with him here and having a rough day, your desire to get home and rest your feet is diverted as a wild urge sparks within you. “Actually, I have something else you can try, if you’re up for it.”

As you speak, you make your way around the counter to head to the front door. Once there, you flip over the wooden sign to display your bakery is now closed, though with the rain pouring down outside and the streets flooded, you aren’t sure you would get too many customers within the next hour anyway.

“Oh? I’d love to try anything you’ve made. You’re an amazing baker.” His voice has you turning around to see him spinning in the barstool to face you, cheeks full of dessert as he finishes the last bite and mug in hand, ready to take another sip. Laughter fills the small bakery at the sight as you make your way back to him, butterflies fluttering like crazy and a wide smile on your face.

“Okay, great! I’ll be right back!”

With that, you’re rushing to the kitchen in the back to quickly set out a few plates. On the first, you place a new recipe for red velvet cupcakes you’ve been working on, particularly the vanilla cream cheese frosting and red flakes of sprinkles on top. The next plate is filled with a single piece of a simple pumpkin pie which comes from an old family recipe to which you’ve tweaked a little and will start selling soon. It’s perfect for the time of year and even more perfect if he is the first customer to taste.

Last is a layered caramel apple dessert with a vanilla wafer crust. It’s one you have been working on for a while to get the perfect taste, texture, and consistency down, and now you’re bubbling with excitement for him to tell you what he thinks. After all the hard work you put into perfecting the dessert, you only hope he enjoys it as much as the other treats he loves so much.

With three plates in hand, you make your way back to him. When he spots the different desserts, his eyes grow wide before he smiles big and bright at the sight. You can’t help but to laugh, partly in embarrassment because you hope he doesn’t think you’re odd for closing down the shop just for him to taste test a few new items on the menu. You only hope it will help his day get a little better, and maybe it will help you become more confident in the new desserts.

“Wow! All that for me?” He readies his fork and licks his lips as you set the plates down in front of him.

“Yup! I’ve been wanting to find someone to try them, considering I made them so I can’t really judge if they’re good or not.”

“I’m sure they’re amazing,” he adds without hesitation, and your eyes fall to the floor or else you’ll be grinning like a fool from the compliment.

“Well, they’re all yours. I hope you’re hungry.”

Finally you gather the courage to look at him just as he begins unwrapping the cupcake. He wastes no time taking a large bite, instantly humming in satisfaction while taking his time chewing. He cherishes the taste as he nods his head and gives you a thumbs up, causing you to giggle and feel a bit more reassured that he will enjoy your new treats.

“Wow, it’s really delicious.” He can’t resist another bite, and you can’t stop yourself from laughing at his reaction. Though you immediately feel the warmth from his compliments swelling in your chest, and you can’t ignore the butterflies his words give you.

He grabs his fork and the second dessert after taking a sip from his mug to cleanse the red velvet taste. You watch closely as he takes a bite of the pumpkin pie, and the look of bliss that spreads over his face is enough to have your smile reaching your eyes.

“I think it’s the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had,” he tells you with his cheeks full.

“Oh, please!” You giggle, shaking your head. “You’re just being nice.”

“No, really… your desserts are amazing.”

With that, he immediately cuts a piece of the caramel apple dessert, shoving a big bite into his mouth to once again hum in delight. He has no words this time, only chewing happily with full cheeks and causing you to grin with pure happiness because he enjoyed all three of your new treats.

“So? What do you think? Which is your favorite?” You grow a little bold as you ask him, leaning into the counter as his eyes roll up in thought.

“You know, I don’t think I can pick.” He smirks, licking his lips before dabbing the napkin against his mouth. “I like everything.”

“Thanks.” Suddenly, you’re too shy to even face him. Your eyes fall to the glass countertop, biting your lip to hide your grin as he chuckles. “I was worried they wouldn’t be ready, yet. I’ve been working on the recipes for a while.”

“Well, everything you make is great. You should be proud. I certainly love them all, but at this point I think you could make anything and I would enjoy it.”

“You’re being too nice,” you tell him, still shying away from his eyes as his words send your heart racing.

“No, just honest,” he replies. “If anything, you’re being nice, letting me try all these desserts. What do I owe you?”

With that, you lift your gaze to look at him, noticing the shy grin on his lips. “Nothing, silly. You helped me by trying them, so it’s on the house.”

“Really?” His smile widens. “You sure know how to treat your customers.”

“Well, it’s my job to make sure my customers are happy, so I have to take care of them.” Your cheeks burn hotter than before as the conversation shifts to something more than just friendly, but you decide you don’t mind. If anything, it’s something you have hoped for over the months of him being your customer and getting to know him. It’s why it was so easy to try to take care of him and cheer him up when you realized he was having a rough day.

“I’m sure the rest of the bakers around here aren’t as nice as you,” he teases as he rubs the back of his neck with a nervous hand. “I can’t say I don’t like it, though. Thanks for making my day better.”

He is always such a tease. Drawing out your pleasure, not giving you what you want or giving in until you are begging, “Please,” with a desperate, breathless voice. 

With his deep, raspy chuckle resonating in your whole body, he lies positioned between your legs, mouth and tongue just inches from where you need him the most. You would have told him to fuck off by then if he wasn't so absolutely sinful with that tongue of his. Just thinking about it has you dripping against your sheets as you lie naked and impatient beneath him.

You are tempted to take the strands of his hair between your fingers to guide him where he needs to go, but with the way his dark eyes stare up at you from between your thighs, you know his reward will be well worth the wait of his teasing.

You exhale his name, closing your eyes and tilting your head back just in time to feel his hands against your outer thighs, slipping up and down your skin, muscles tightening beneath his palm. 

“Yes, baby?” he answers, playfulness in his tone and you are seconds from getting yourself off if he keeps it up.

“Please,” you beg, voice more breathless than you wanted, showing your need for his mouth to be on you. “Please. I'm so fucking worked up. I just need this.”

“I can tell,” he states, running a finger up your slit from your entrance to coat the tip in your arousal, sending your thighs twitching around his hand from the contact. “I swear I could probably make you come in less than five minutes.”

“Let's find out,” you whine even more, causing him to chuckle once again as he repeats the motion of caressing up and down your slit, but never daring to touch your clit. You can feel the swollen bud throbbing with desire, with need, with the fact that you are so fucking turned on one touch alone could probably make you come. 

“Patience, baby.”

“I've been patient.” You wiggle against the bed. “I just need you. I need to get off.”

“Oh?” he asks, and you can tell in his tone his eyes are wide and his brows are raised. You, on the other hand, still have your eyelids shut, head back, fingers clutching the sheets to refrain from pulling on his hair and burying his head between your thighs yourself, even though you are sure he wouldn't protest to the act of finally tasting you. “What do you need me to do?”

His finger circles your entrance, making it hard to focus on your words as you speak. “I need your mouth on me.”

“My mouth?” He is good at playing innocent. “What do you want my mouth to do?”

You groan. “…”

“C’mon, baby. Say it and you'll get what you want.”

“I want you to,” you begin, and pause, feeling your whole body flush, “to make me come with your mouth.”

“And how do you want me to do that?” he asks, then begins placing sweet, soft kisses against your inner thighs as he awaits your answer.

“W-with your tongue.” He knows getting you so worked up will be a reward to him as well. Your head is already spinning with the simplest of touches, of kisses, of strokes with his finger up and down your slit once more until he ever so slowly pushes the digit inside, causing your thighs to threaten to tighten around him.

“What do you want me to do with my tongue, baby?”

You bite down on your bottom lip, realizing he is going to make you explain every dirty and delightful detail. “I want you to taste me.” You gulp, already feeling too hot and embarrassed, but by his groan that fills the room as he pulls his finger from within you only to slip it back in just as slow, you know he is loving every second of it.

“I-I… fuck.” He eases another finger inside of you, causing your words to stutter and your mind to go blank.

“Say it, baby. What do you want me to do with my tongue?”

“I want you,” you moan, unknowingly beginning to push your hips towards him, “to… lick… me.”  Another moan fills the air as he gently pumps his fingers in and out, hearing the sloppy sounds of your arousal mix with his groans from feeling your wetness. 

“Where?” His voice deepens as he asks, sending a shiver down your spine.

“Between my thighs - please.” He isn't playing fair at this point. Both of you are well aware, but he makes it obvious he doesn't care and you make it obvious you need him desperately as you blurt out what he wants to hear. “Against my clit. I want you to taste me and make me come. I want it so fucking bad, so please.”

You don't have time to feel the flood of warmth and embarrassment before he is giving you what you have been begging for, finally burying his face between your thighs, finally licking up your slit with his tongue, and finally pleasuring your clit as your back arches off the bed and you whimper his name in response. 

“Fucking Christ.” He wastes no more time as you cry out, feeling his tongue draw circles around and around before flicking up and down at a rapid pace. Your thighs tighten around his head. Your hands clench the sheets tighter. Your whole body shakes beneath him and it only encourages him to move his tongue faster. His fingers continue working in and out of you, drawing out whimper and moan and cry after cry as he curls them to press against your most sensitive spot. 

“Please,“ you beg, “don’t stop.” And he won't, not until you are trembling and moaning and coming undone before him to spill out over his mouth. Not until curses mix with whimpers that mix with his name flooding the air. Not until you are taking hold of his hair between your fingers and not until your body tenses and your muscles tighten and you can't even give him any warning before you are reaching your end. 

By the time the first wave of pleasure surges through you, your hips are bucking against his face. By the time the warmth spreads through your whole body, you have gone too weak to hold onto his hair, muscles relaxing, and moans falling quiet until you slack against the bed. He finally slows his tongue halfway through you reaching your peak, and by the time you go limp with your eyes shut, trying to catch your breath, he pulls away completely to clean himself as he chuckles. 

He can tell when you’re getting low again. When your mental health is at its worst and sometimes you cry, or become distant. Other times you’re overwhelmed before you shut down, keeping quiet, keeping him at arm’s length and he doesn’t know how to help you, or where to even begin to try. 

Lately, he realizes the stresses, the insecurities, the anxieties pile on and release in the form of irritation, and you lash out in small ways, but it’s noticeable to him. You might not kiss him as often, or say I love you as much your heart wants to. And it doesn’t take long for him to begin to lose hope. He gets upset and angry, too. He’s only human. 

The two of you had an argument the night before. He can hardly remember what started it, but he recalls the topic of visiting his parents for the upcoming holiday popping up, while you made excuses not to go. It’s not that you don’t want to join him on a trip to see his family. After being with him for so long, you’ve grown to love them just as much as you love him, but home seems so much safer and your mind spins with a million worries of why you should cancel your plans of visiting. 

It’s a long trip back home. How much money will you spend? Who will check on your place while you’re away? Will you be able to hold it together around his family? Will they notice? Will they even care?

He already knew the questions running through your mind, just like they always do when you get like this. When you’re so burdened with your own thoughts that you can’t crawl out of the negativity long enough to realize it’s only your mind being cruel to you. He knows how you get. He’s only human, after all, and he becomes frustrated with the vicious cycle. 

You worry. He tries to comfort you. You push him away, out of guilt, or out of your own thoughts convincing you he can’t help anyway. The two of you went to bed in silence after that. No goodnight kisses or I love you’s. He didn’t even hold you to keep you warm, but he was scared of being pushed away for a second time. 

You have already left for work by the time the sun peeking through the blinds pulls him from his slumber, and part of him regrets not being able to make amends after waking up to an empty, cold bed. He glances at his phone after pulling it off the charger in hopes of there being a message from you like there would be a normal day, but all he gets is a reminder for a meeting next Thursday, and a notification of a few spam emails. 

He sighs and wonders if he should reach out, but he has his own insecurities. It crushes his heart each time you turn away when he tries to help, and each time it hurts a little more than the last. The rational part of him knows you don’t want to be a burden, and the part that loves you screams at him to stop at nothing to help you. The more human part, that’s afraid, and worried, and sometimes gets down as well, has him putting his phone back on the nightstand before he jumps out of bed to get dressed. 

You remain on his mind all morning, and his heart is heavy. He wonders about your day, but now he’s waited too long to ask how it’s going. After breakfast he shakes his head as he realizes he’s being ridiculous. You’re not strangers. He loves you, and cares, and he runs to grab his phone to send you a message, but his hands are heavy and his fingers just don’t seem to move as he stares at your previous conversation on the screen. He reads the last two messages, telling one another I love you, and you’ll see each other soon. That was two days before the weekend, where you would spend Saturday beginning to clean out old winter clothes and shoes from your closets and dressers you realize you never wear in hopes of making more room in your small enough space you live, and Sunday when you would argue after eating take-out before falling asleep without words.

He loses his nerve, and he hates himself for it. He isn't sure why, because it’s never been as bad as this. He remembers all the times your mental health would dip and he would be right there comforting you, putting the pieces back together, and offering a shoulder to cry on.  Why does he feel so hopeless? Why does it feel so much worse this time?

With his shoulders slumped, he sighs and looks over the two bags full of coats and sweaters that haven’t been worn in years. You always loved your spring cleaning, hoping to have a fresh start somewhere and feel like you could breathe a little better. So he gets the idea that he should help on his day off, making his way to the closet to swing the door open and pull the chain to the light. Maybe if he makes some progress, neither of you will feel as suffocated. 

He gets to work taking care of his clothes, at least. He tosses an old sweater his grandmother knitted for him to the side, smiling while remembering how he told you it was itchy, and ugly, and was too big for him, but kept it because you couldn’t stop talking about how sweet a gift it was. He reaches for a varsity jacket and some t-shirts with old bands from high school days next, wondering why he ever kept them so long when he hasn’t touched a single one since he graduated and moved into this place with you. He shakes his head and tosses them into a pile on top of the full garbage bag next to the closet.

He fingers through the rest of the clothes on the hangers one by one, deciding most of the items are yours and he doesn’t want to give away something you might need. Instead, he reaches for a pair of old sneakers on the shelf above, noticing the dirty laces and stains on the soles, nose wrinkling when he realizes they don’t smell too fresh, either. He chucks them aside with a careless toss behind him and reaches up to the shelf again, standing on his tiptoes and his palms skim farther back until his knuckles bump into a box. He reaches a bit more to grab the edge, wondering if he’s somehow forgotten that he placed another pair inside, and brings it out down his chest.

The box is lighter, so it’s definitely not shoes. He reads over the sparkling decorated box top a moment later, smiling when he sees your name outlined with pink and purple markers, and a warning in bold, black letters that says to keep out. His grin widens as confusion takes over. Clearly it’s something you have kept from high school as well, and as he settles on the floor in front of the closet, he flips off the top to take a look inside. 

Little folded up pieces of paper grab his attention. The edges are crumpled and torn a bit, but what catches his eye is spotting his own name in black ink soaked through the paper. His brow furrows as he sets the box in front of his criss-crossed legs before unfolding the paper, heart racing and smile returning to his lips as he recognizes your writing and reads the note to your best friend dated August 22nd.

Did you see the new kid? Apparently he just transferred here. He’s kind of cute, but he talks too much and his jokes aren’t that funny. Anyway, if I get paired up with the new kid AGAIN for labs I’m going to be pissed. Why can’t we have classes together this year? Love you~

He chuckles and reads the note for a second time, remembering how nervous he was so many years ago to be going to a new high school. He didn’t have many friends, but he tried to remain friendly with a positive attitude, and it didn’t take long to fit in. Though, he was curious of the student sitting next to him which turned out to be you, the one he would glance at from the corner of his eye just to get a peek at you to make his heart flutter. The one he would watch playing with their hair while chewing on the cap to their pen, and the one he would eventually fall in love with, though you had no idea.

He can’t stop smiling as he sets the note aside to pick another from the box, noticing the date is only a month after the last. 

I really HATE HIM. I hate his smile, and the way it makes my heart race. I hate his dumb jokes, and I hate that I can’t help but to laugh at them because I hate that he’s actually kind of funny and fun to be with. I hate how he smells so nice, and how deep his voice gets when he’s talking to only me. I hate his beautiful eyes, and cute nose, and how soft his lips look. I hate that I want to kiss him. Why do I want to kiss him? I hate it. I hate him. I hate how his hands brush against mine when we’re working on this stupid project and I HATE that I got partnered with him.

Help me. I hate it because I like it so much. :(

He can hardly contain his laughter as he reads the words. He remembers getting paired with you and thinking he was so lucky to have his partner be the one he was crushing on at the beginning of senior year. He can even recall the smell of your hair when he would get close enough, how it always had a hint of coconut that reminded him of the beach. His heart flutters the same way when he thinks about the two of you alone, trying to concentrate on the project but he would get lost in your eyes whenever you looked at him, and he couldn’t stop smiling even though you would smack your lips and tell him to focus because there’s no way you’re getting less than an A. 

You were apparently a lot better at hiding your feelings than he was, and he realizes as much as he pulls the next note from the box, unfolding it and allowing the words to take him back in time.

So I don’t know if that nosy boyfriend of yours told you or not, but the new kid asked me to the dance and I know we promised each other that they are stupid and not worth the stress of doing dumb stuff like picking out dresses and spending so much money but… since it’s him that asked me, I kind of want to go. I don’t know why. I’ll look stupid trying to keep up with him at a dance. I’m nervous but I think I’ll hate myself if I tell him no. Plus… I bet he looks amazing in a tux.

p.s. Nosy boyfriend if you’re reading this over her shoulder again, I will literally kill you. 

He keeps his grin from growing wider by biting his lip, images of that night flashing in his mind. You ended up telling him yes, picking out dresses with your best friend while she had plans to go to the dumb, expensive dance with her boyfriend. When the four of you arrived at the hotel, you became so nervous from the large crowd that you whispered in his ear after pulling him aside, asking if the two of you could skip the dance all together. You told him you felt horrible, and he kept it to himself that it didn’t matter to him if the two of you went or not, as long as he got to spend the night with you. You ended up in a 24/7 restaurant down the street, pigging out on pancakes and bacon he bought with the twenty bucks his dad gave him, and you talked for hours getting to know one another. You told him you still felt guilty, but all he remembers is it being one of the best nights of his life. 

Another note is snatched up from the box, and he can hardly control the smile on his lips as he reads, noticing little read hearts drawn around the words as the butterflies fill his stomach.

The new kid has the softest lips I’ve ever kissed. That’s all...

He remembers your first kiss like it was yesterday. He lacked the nerve to kiss you the night of the dance, and he hated himself for it. He went home thinking about kissing you, dreaming about kissing you, waking up dying to kiss you. He made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t chicken out the next time he saw you, and that following week he asked you out for a study date to the same small diner you got to know one another in. He tried to focus on homework and upcoming tests, but it became difficult the more you talked and the more he thought about the moment your lips would touch and he would feel like he was on cloud nine.

He took you home a few hours later, the two of you lingering near your front door. He wondered if maybe your parents were watching and he should give up then, but the confidence took hold of him as he thought it’s now or never. With a shaky hand, he lifted your chin in the gentlest of motions, leaning in slowly, pressing his lips to yours and he felt like time stood still. Even in the cool breeze the heat washed over him, and when he felt you kiss him back he knew he could never be happier than in that moment. 

Later you would laugh while telling him how your mother just knew something happened between the two of you from the look on your face. You couldn’t stop smiling no matter how hard you tried to play it off, making it clear as day just how happy he made you as well.

He can’t resist picking up another note, but his heart begins to ache just a bit as he takes in the words, dried ink running on the page in ripples from your tears while you scribbled your thoughts down. 

We had a fight. Our first fight. I know couples fight, but I didn’t know it would feel so terrible. I’m mad at him, but I feel guilty. I don’t even remember what started it. I just got mad, slammed the car door, and ran inside when he dropped me off. I thought he would come after me, but he didn’t. Now I’m even angrier, but I miss him. I hate fighting with him. I hate being without him… I don't care anymore what the fight was about. I just wish I could kiss him, and hear him tell me everything was alright. 

At that age, any fight feels like the end of the world. Any problem feels like the worst thing to ever happen, and it becomes so easy to lose hope. Luckily for the two of you, you were able to talk through your feelings and work past them, just like you always promised to do from then on out. He has always been by your side, no matter the problem. No matter how hard the times get or how often the two of you get mad at one another. You’ve always been thankful for him being so understanding and patient with you, and he’s always appreciated the way you trust him with your heart to be one of the few people you would let in.

He picks up another note, though the thought crosses his mind that maybe he’s reading more than he should be allowed to see. He makes a mental note to explain to you how he happened to come across the box thinking it was nothing more than shoes, and how his curiosity got the best of him, hoping you won’t be too upset at him prying on your high school notes to your best friend.

He unfolds the paper, and notices this one is longer than the rest as the date reads April 29th.

My parents have been fighting nonstop. I hate hearing the yelling. I go to bed hearing them arguing, I wake up to doors slamming. I hate the loud noises. It’s hard to sleep. I feel like I’m drowning in all of it because they don’t even care how I feel anymore. I can’t breathe most of the time, and most of the time I sneak around because when they’re not yelling at each other, they’re yelling at me… or worse. Sometimes I don’t even want to live anymore, but I have you and him to make it better. I snuck him in my room last night. I wanted to sleep feeling safe for once. I wanted to drown them out for once, instead of being lost. I fell asleep on his chest and he held me all night long, and we made it out of the house before sunrise. I don’t know what I would do without him. He helps me breathe better. I think clearly with him. He comforts me without any words. He stays by my side and guides me through my worst moments, when I can’t stop crying, when I can’t even take a deep breath. He’s so patient with me, it’s almost too good to be true. I don’t deserve him. I wish I was a better person, so I could be what he needs, because he is everything I need. I want to tell him I’m sorry that I am the way I am, but I’m a coward because I don’t want to face it. I hope he never gives up on me. I love him. I swear I’m going to be with him forever.  

It takes a few seconds for him to remember how to breathe. Guilt fills his chest, believing more than ever that he shouldn’t have been so nosy. It’s like listening in on a private conversation. Before, the notes were innocent, and cute, and filled his stomach with butterflies. But the memories come flooding back of all the nights you called him upset, but were too afraid to tell him why. All those times you would cry, but couldn’t explain the tears, and all the times he held you close, not needing a reason other than he loved you, and he would do anything to make it better. 

After the last note, he folds the papers and places them back in the box, but before he can stand to return it to the shelf, the sound of keys entering the lock at the front door interrupts him. How long did he spend reminiscing? Long enough for you to be home from work, he realizes, leaving the box and hopping to his feet to greet you. 

He spots you slipping your heels off at the door with a tired look on your face and a bag of take-out in your hand, but there’s a light flickering in your eyes the moment they land on him. You open your mouth to speak, to apologize for the night before and tell him you got dinner from his favorite place, but his arms wrapping around your body to pull you against his chest stop you. 

He holds you close without words. You melt into his embrace. He’s always so warm, so comforting and gentle and patient, just like he was from the first time you needed it. You return a half-hug due to one arm holding the food, but the stresses melt away in that moment. Nothing else matters when he holds you like it’s the last time he’ll see you. None of those cruel thoughts can harm you, or worries of the past or present can resurface when you’re with him, and now it all seems so silly to worry over little things that don’t matter in the first place.

“I’m sorry,” he finally says, and it catches you off guard. You assumed you should be the one apologizing to him after making excuses not to visit his family, getting upset, and then pushing him away, but he squeezes you tighter and repeats the words. “I’m sorry for last night. I didn’t mean to brush you off like your feelings aren’t real. I know how real it is, and I’m… I’m sorry.”

He loosens his grip, but keeps his hands on your hips, and you look up at him just as the tears begin to well in your eyes. “I really don’t deserve you.”

“Don’t say that,” he tells you with a shake of his head, and his tone is stern, as if he’s more serious than he’s ever been. “Please, don’t say that. You deserve me because you love me. That’s all I could ever ask for. We deserve each other because no matter how many arguments we get into, we know we’ll always work it out. And I deserve you because you always see the best in me, and you never give up on me, either.” 

His words have your heart beating twice as fast, leaving you speechless while wondering where all of this is coming from. It’s not like your anxieties are anything new, leaving you with moments to push him away only to try to make it up to him after talking through it and working out the problem. But there’s something different this time. 

“Where is this coming from?” you ask, sniffling as the first tear hits your cheek. He doesn’t hesitate to brush your face with his thumb, soothing you just like he always does. “Why are you making me cry like this?” He chuckles and leans in, pressing his lips to your own, allowing time to stop, the heat to wash over both of you, and when you pull away, neither of you can stop smiling. 

“I have to be honest,” he begins, heart pounding against his chest, “I was going to finish cleaning out the clothes from the closet and I came across this box…”

“Oh no.” Your eyes grow wide. “Not the box, right?” His face falls flat, and you can’t help but to giggle from alarming him.

“A box with notes in it…”

You smack your lips, playfully rolling your eyes. “She gave me that box when she moved out and was clearing out her old bedroom. She told me I would need those notes to read over whenever you and I had a fight, but I guess… you read them?”

He nods bashfully, lowering his head and grinning like a child. “I got curious, and after reading the first few about how much you hated me, I couldn’t stop.”

“Oh, God!” You shove the bag of food in his grasp before covering your face with your hands. You can feel the warmth swelling your cheeks, embarrassed that your highschool sweetheart read those notes about him when the two of you were actually in high school. Oh, how young and in love you were, being dramatic over the smallest of things, but you recall the time spent with him the best times of your life. It doesn’t hurt that you feel each day gets better, and each moment you feel luckier than the last. “I didn’t hate you, obviously. I actually, really, really liked you from the first moment I saw you, but you know how it is.”

“Mhm,” he hums with a smirk, but all smiles fade before his tone turns serious. “I did read a note that made me realize something, though.”

“What’s that?” you ask, reaching for him to wrap arms around his neck, and leaning closer to press your lips against his in a chaste kiss before he begins to explain. “I know times get hard, and we will have our arguments. All couples do. But I promise you, I’ll always remain patient with you, and I’ll always stick by your side, if you allow me to. If you let me in, I’ll never stop trying to help you, whatever the problem is. I want to always be here for you, to wipe your tears, or comfort you, or give you a shoulder to cry on, but please, don’t push me away, okay? You will never be a burden to me. I love you.”