"count for me." watching your face the second i say it. already overwhelmed and now i've given you something to hold onto while i take everything else away.
fingers not stopping. not slowing down even slightly.
"one—" already strained. already barely there. "two, i— two—"
"three." losing the rhythm of it. hips moving without permission, chasing something i'm not giving you. "three, please, i can't—"
"you can. keep counting."
watching you fight for four. watching your whole face scrunch up with the effort of keeping a number in your head while your body is doing everything it can to pull you completely under. you get there. barely. "four—" and then it's just gone. all of it. just sound. just your hips and your hands gripping the sheets and nothing that resembles a number coming out of your mouth anymore.
letting you ride it out for just a second. feeling you shake through it. then slowing but not stopping and tilting my head at you.
"aww." so sweet. unbothered. "you lost count, baby."
the sound you make. half sob, half embarrassment, it’s too cute.
"that's okay." fingers already picking back up to where they were. watching your eyes go wide all over again. "we'll start over. it's just numbers. it's not that hard." tilting my head. "you can do simple math for me, can't you?"
you nod. renewed determination. so convinced you're going to get it this time.
"one." steadier this time. you're focusing so hard i can see it on your face. the concentrated look you get when you're trying to be good.
so i curl my fingers just slightly differently.
you half moan, half whimper at the difference in stimulation. the next number evaporates completely before it even forms.
"that wasn't two." noting it casually. "try again."
"i— two— please, please i—"
"there it is. keep going."
watching you try to hold a sequence together while i dismantle everything else. watching you get to six this time before your eyes go glassy and the numbers just stop coming and you're reduced to sounds.
"six." said for you. calm and sweet and a little patronizing. thumb coming up to wipe a tear off your cheek while my fingers keep moving. "you made it to six, baby. that's so good. i'm really proud of you."
the noise you make at that. embarrassed. desperate and so hungry for the praise anyway, in any form i give it, that you’d take it even knowing i’m making fun of you a little.
"again." fingers not stopping. voice not changing. "from one. and this time see if you can make it all the way to ten before your brain just completely gives up on you."
watching you take a shaky breath.
so good. so embarrassingly, perfectly good.