You leaned forward, reading the word "assistance." It was written on the screen three times, one for every beep that had sounded.

Your eyes moved over to the cameras, trailing until they fell on the crew's sleeping quarters. Just like you expected, Rocky was there, his legs moving him back and forth softly.

Another ping rang from your left. You eyed the translator.

It read the same word as before, only now it was in all caps.

You couldn't understand why Rocky was asking for your help. Nothing seemed wrong from what you could see on the cameras.

You quickly typed, "What's up, Rocky?" into the translator, your eyes moving back to the cameras to watch him again.

The answer came quickly, your head snapping back to the beeping translator.

Your brows furrowed as you read the incomplete message.

Grace is 🎵🎵🎵🎵. Need word.

You let out a soft grunt, lifting yourself from your spot and making your way to the crew's quarters.

Because of Eridian culture surrounding watching each other sleep—and your inability to hear as far as they could—Grace had rigged up a connection between two computers so either of you could communicate with Rocky from a distance.

It made it possible for one of you to work while Rocky watched the other sleep, because both you and Grace knew Rocky would never leave one of you unattended while you slept just to talk to the other, even if it was important.

So, yeah, you'd come up with a workaround.

Unfortunately, Rocky still didn't know every human word, so it led to moments like these.

You tiptoed into the crew's quarters, your hand immediately moving to your lips as Rocky began shifting around in jerky movements.

He understood what you meant, stopping his pacing—if you could even call it that—until you were near his enclosure.

"What's up, Rocky?" you whispered.

"Grace is 🎵🎵🎵🎵. Is distressed, question?" Rocky whispered back.

It still surprised you how he knew to match whatever tone you spoke to him in.

You turned to look at Grace, trying to figure out what word you weren't understanding. Even though you and Grace were practically fluent in Eridian by now, there were still moments of miscommunication every now and again. 

You tried to move as carefully as possible so as not to wake Grace. He needed his sleep, and it had taken you a long time to convince him to get some well-deserved rest. You did not want to wake him unless it was completely unavoidable.

Just as you managed to get next to his bed, Grace twitched, his whole body tensing as his face twisted. A soft sound escaped him, and Rocky immediately said, "That! What is sound, question?"

Your shoulders sagged a bit, understanding what Rocky had been referring to.

You turned to look at him.

"He's whimpering, Rocky," you whispered sadly before turning back to Grace's sleeping form. "He must be having a nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Rocky questioned lowly.

"Yeah. Remember when we told you about dreams?"

"Yes," Rocky chirped.

"Nightmares are the bad version of those."

"Bad. Bad. Bad."

"Yeah. They're not fun."

"Can fix, question?"

You smiled softly at the concern in Rocky's tone, turning to face him fully.

"I think so," you muttered. "You go do your things, pal. I'll take over watch duty."

"Is sure, question?" Rocky whispered, his uncertainty clear in his body language. "Can stay if want."

"Nah, it's okay, pal. I've got him."

With another soft sound and some hesitation, Rocky finally made his way up his tunnels. You assumed he would head to the lab to work on one of his and Grace's many experiments. 

You sat at the edge of Grace's bed, trying to stir as little as possible.

Your eyes trailed over his furrowed brows and the tension in his muscles, your heart clenching at the sight. After a moment, your hand moved up. Your fingers threaded through Grace's blond locks, moving back and forth in what you considered a soothing pattern.

He flinched at your touch, causing you to let out a soft shushing sound.

Slowly, his brows began to relax, the fearful expression on his face melting into a peaceful one. His body loosened, the fetal position he had been curled up in transforming into something more comfortable. Even his breathing seemed to shift as you continued to stroke his hair.

"That's it," you whispered tenderly. "I'm here, Grace. You can relax now. I'm here."

You weren't sure how long you stayed there, just stroking Grace's hair, but eventually the tiredness caught up with you. You rested your back against the wall, your eyes growing heavier and heavier until you finally let sleep seep into your bones.

You twitched awake, blinking hard as you took in your surroundings.

You didn't remember lying down, but you found yourself sprawled against the bed. You sniffled, groaning softly as you rose to a sitting position. A yawn escaped you despite yourself.

"Well, look at that. Sleeping Beauty's awake."

Your attention snapped to him at his words.

Ryland sat on the ground, his back pressed against the wall on the other side of the crew's quarters.

"When did you wake up?" you rasped, your voice still raw from sleep.

"A couple of hours ago," Ryland answered, his eyes moving from the computer on his lap to you.

"Why are you—"

You cut yourself off when your eyes found Rocky's sleeping form.

"Someone had to keep an eye on both of you," Ryland answered, an easy smile gracing his lips.

You mirrored his expression, humming softly as you got up from the bed.

"Computer, water please."

A bottle appeared in the dispenser built into the wall beside Ryland. Without standing, he reached over and grabbed it.

You made your way to him, settling on the ground beside him before accepting the bottle with a soft, "Thanks." To which he just nodded.

You watched Rocky as you took a sip of water before offering the bottle to Grace. He softly shook his head, causing you to place it beside you.

Both of you sat in silence for a while, just listening to each other's breathing as you watched Rocky sleep.

"I have another memory," Ryland finally muttered.

Your head snapped toward him.

Over the course of your mission, Grace had been getting flashes of his life before boarding the Hail Mary. You knew all about his coma and the circumstances in which he'd been put on the ship, but you'd done as Stratt had told you to. You didn't tell him anything other than what he needed to know and just let the rest come to him with time.

It worked well enough.

The worst moment had been when he'd realized he wasn't here by choice.

It had been hard on him, but it had been much harder on you, because you had to pretend you didn't know. And you had always hated lying.

Once he had remembered that, you'd thought there was nothing else left to unlock. So despite how horrible it had been to help him through that memory, you had been glad it was the last one.

Or so you had thought.

"What was it?" you asked, your voice low and full of hesitation, which you hoped he wouldn't notice.

Grace turned to look at you, his eyes boring into yours in a way you weren't used to.

Grace didn't do well with eye contact most of the time, so you'd grown used to him averting his gaze whenever your eyes lingered on his during the months you'd spent together.

But now he was looking at you with such intensity it made your breath hitch in your chest.

"A kiss," he whispered after a moment.

Your heart dropped into your stomach, your eyes widening just enough to make it abundantly clear you knew exactly what he was talking about.

You were the crew's medic.

You had been trained alongside Dubois, Ilyukhina, and Yáo for this mission.

Yes, the ship had been given a very high-tech robot to monitor the crew during the years leading up to waking from their comas. Yes, it was equipped with everything necessary to deal with any injuries the crew sustained, but it lacked something: the human component.

You hadn't understood exactly why a human doctor was necessary if there was equipment that could do everything you could with far greater efficiency. But Stratt had demanded it, and if one thing was true, it was that when Stratt wanted something, she got it.

You were going to be woken up before the rest of the crew. Not much earlier—just enough to be up and functional when the others came out of their comas. In a sense, you were there in case the machine failed or needed help tending to the others.

Stratt had also said something about the team's morale, and seeing as you also had psychological training, you seemed like the perfect candidate.

You were more than ready to go.

There was no one on Earth who would miss you. Not really. And none of them would have a chance if this mission failed anyway, so yeah, it seemed like a good option. Better than waiting thirteen torturous years, hoping the people in space figured out how to save your planet.

Plus... going to outer space. Like, come on!

After years of dealing with the oddest cases, you'd learned to expect the unexpected. But never in your wildest dreams did you think you'd have to be prepared for him.

Grace came into the equation with such suddenness that you hadn't expected it. Yes, you'd heard about him and knew he was one of the scientists working on Astrophage. What you hadn't expected was just how much you were going to like him.

He was easy to be around. Funny and charming in ways you were sure he didn't even notice. He was sarcastic and snarky when necessary, but most of the time he had a sweetness to him you hadn't seen in a long time.

And he was so eager to teach.

You didn't understand a whole lot about space or Astrophage, but Grace never made you feel bad about it. He just explained things like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And the more he explained, the more curious you got.

And the more you hung out with him, the more you enjoyed his voice, his brain, and his smile.

You spent a while in denial, because there was no way you were falling in love with a guy just as you were about to leave on a literal suicide mission.

But the heart wants what it wants, I guess.

You never told him. Or anyone, for that matter. It felt like something you should keep to yourself because, in truth, there was no positive outcome to telling anyone.

There was a chance he didn't feel the same, and that would make your remaining time together awkward. And if he did feel the same, it wasn't like your feelings could ever grow into a relationship. You were going to get into a ship that was never going to come back. It felt unfair to put all that pain on him.

Best to just keep your feelings to yourself. That way no one got hurt.

It wasn't until Dubois and Shapiro died that you realized just how glad you were to have kept your feelings hidden.

You knew about their relationship. It's not like they were keen on hiding them anyway. But with their deaths, and Stratt's various rules about selecting the primary and secondary crews, it ended up being a good thing that she didn't know how you felt about Grace. Because if she had, you were sure she would have replaced you with your backup. And she almost certainly would have denied your request to be the one to put Grace under his special coma.

It had been so hard to hide your shaking hands from Stratt when they wheeled Grace into the makeshift lab.

They had to sedate him because he had fought back against Stratt's order to send him as the fourth crew member. That, combined with the fact that you had lied to Stratt by saying you could only induce this special coma once the sedation had started to wear off, made it almost impossible to keep yourself impassive.

You didn't quite know why you had lied to Stratt.

You knew there was no way you could get Grace out of the situation, and there would be no side effects from beginning the coma while the sedation was still working. But something inside you had told you to lie, so you had.

Maybe you wanted the chance to tell him you were sorry. Perhaps you wanted to delay the inevitable. Or maybe you just wanted to look into his eyes one last time before they changed to look at you like a stranger.

It didn't matter why in the end.

You were just glad you were the one standing before him now, as he groaned softly, his eyes twitching open.

You only let them open for a moment, just enough to make sure he knew it was you with him, before pushing the needle into his arm, sending the mixture into his bloodstream that would begin his coma-induced amnesia.

He grimaced softly as the needle broke his skin, and the sight made your brow furrow. His lips parted to mumble your name just as his body began to go limp.

Before you could stop yourself, you leaned down, placing a soft kiss against his temple.

"I'm here," you whispered.

You wondered if Grace could hear how fast your heart was beating.

The second the words had left his mouth, the memories came rushing back, and with them the feelings you'd tried so hard to push down for so long.

Grace hadn't stopped looking at you, and even though your eyes were staring back into his, your vision had gone blurry as you dissociated slightly.

It was only when Grace's hand moved to wrap around your sweaty palm that your attention snapped back to his face, your vision clearing as you gazed at him.

You didn't know if he was doing it on purpose or not, but his thumb shifted ever so softly over the back of your hand.

"Why did you do it?" Ryland muttered, his voice the quietest you'd ever heard it.

"Do what?" you asked, not because you were trying to be difficult, but because you weren't sure you were understanding him.

"Kiss me," Ryland breathed. "Or did I dream that up?"

Your brow furrowed.

"Why would you have dreamed it?" you asked.

"I asked you first," he muttered, his eyes dropping to where his hand held yours before finding your gaze again.

You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again.

This was it.

There was no running from it anymore.

No matter how he reacted, he had a right to know how you felt.

And you very much wanted to let it out.

Keeping everything bottled up for so long wasn't healthy.

"Because I like you, Grace," you confessed breathlessly. "Because the first thought I had when I realized what I felt about you was, What if?"

"What if?" he asked.

"Yeah. What if the sun wasn't dying? What if I hadn't volunteered? What if I wasn't going to die on this mission? What if I stayed here on Earth with you? What if you felt the same? What if—"

You cut yourself off, shaking your head with a sad smile.

"Yeah. A lot of what ifs."

Grace was quiet.

So quiet it was almost eerie.

You prepared yourself for the rejection.

For the anger that you had lied to him.

For any reaction, really.

Anything would be better than this seemingly never-ending silence.

"It was peaceful," he said suddenly.

"What?"

Grace's eyes found yours, blue irises boring into your soul.

"That's why I thought it was a dream," he said. "The last memory I had was the one where I realized I'd been a sacrificial lamb. It was full of fear and anger. So when I remembered the kiss—when I felt this wave of peace washing over me—I thought I must have made it up."

You didn't know how to answer his words, so you just stayed quiet.

"It makes sense now," he muttered, more to himself than to you. "That's why I was never scared with you. Even if I didn't remember yet, you were the last thing I saw on Earth. You were the one who made sure I wasn't alone in the end."

There were tears in his eyes. You weren't even sure if he'd realized he was crying yet, but before you could think twice, your hand had reached up to his face, your thumb wiping away a tear that slid down his cheek.

Your eyes widened the moment you realized what you'd done, and you moved to pull your hand away as though his skin burned you.

But before you could move an inch, his hand came up to rest over yours, keeping your palm pressed gently against his cheek.

He gazed into your eyes, and even though no words were spoken, you understood everything he was trying to say.

You leaned forward, your forehead resting against his.

He let out a quiet sigh the moment you did, as if the feeling of your skin against his was the relief he'd been searching for all this time.

His nose brushed softly against yours, making your breath hitch. You could feel his breath on your lips, could practically feel just how close his mouth was to yours.

He whispered your name.

"Yes?" you breathed.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Please," you sighed.

His lips settled against yours so softly you almost didn't feel them. There was an innocence to the kiss that made it feel more intimate than anything you'd ever experienced before.

For a moment, it felt like you and Ryland had stopped being two separate people. It was almost as if, sitting on the floor of the crew's quarters, your souls had found each other. And for the first time, you both felt complete.

"What humans doing, question?"

You both startled at Rocky's voice, having forgotten that you were not alone.

Despite yourself, you let out a soft laugh, your eyes moving from Rocky to Grace.

He laughed too, his eyes crinkling as he did.

And then he leaned back down, placing another soft kiss against your lips.

You smiled like an idiot into the kiss.

"Humans doing again. What is, question?"

Grace groaned softly, his forehead resting against yours as he whispered, "Can you believe this guy?"

That only made you laugh harder.

"Heard that."

"Yeah, I know you did, buddy."

"Explain."

"Later, Rock. We got work to do."

And with that, Grace got up and started making his way to the lab, but not before turning around to look at you.

"You coming, Doc?"

"In a minute," you answered, making him nod before continuing on his way.

You listened as Rocky and Grace made their way to the lab, the Eridian pestering Grace with questions the whole way.

When they were finally out of earshot, you rose to your feet.

You let out a sigh of relief, your hand moving up to brush over your lips.

You smiled to yourself.

Yeah.

Both out of pleasure and frustration. You were way past pretending as if for the past few months, he wasn’t the only thing on your mind whenever your hand found itself in between your legs late at night. It was torture. The good kind. But it was also frustrating to crush on someone you knew you couldn’t have. 

He was so perfect. Everyone liked him. Everyone wanted to be liked by him. 

You often found yourself asking ‘Why him? You know you can’t have him. So why him?’ 

Never got an answer. Not from yourself, no signs from the universe, not even the tarot cards knew why. 

He had become a habit. Professor Ryland lived inside your head. At first you brushed it off as just an academic crush. He was extremely intelligent, gentle, kind, and very, very handsome and passionate about his classes. Who wouldn’t have a crush on him? He was perfect. 

But then, weeks later you still found yourself thinking about him. Your brain kept on creating unrealistic scenarios involving you and him and it simply wouldn’t stop. That’s when you realised oh this is a serious problem. 

You were thinking of him in other classes, at the library, while you studied at the coffee shop, even when you spent the weekends with your family. All the fucking time, there he was in your thoughts. It was exhausting. It was frustrating because you had no business thinking about a man that much. 

Anytime he would look your way or say your name out loud during lectures for the most ordinary stuff, your heart would skip a beat. It felt like being a teen in high school again, crushing on some popular boy who was out of your league. All that was left to do was doodle your name with his last name. 

Embarrassingly enough, you also found yourself beginning to crave his attention. You would email him regarding complicated queries you had, in hopes of impressing him. You began putting some more effort in your outfits on days when you had his classes. You began taking extra good care of your skin. You began posting more online, in case he was ever lurking around and happened to stumble upon your socials. You even started taking the gym much more seriously. 

All for him to not even care. To him, you were most likely just another student embarrassing herself daily almost just to get a crumb of his attention. 

Until one day you decided to stop. 

This weird obsession was too… weird. Of course you could never have him. In what world would he be interested in one of his students? This had to stop. So you put an end to it. You decided so over the semester break. The thoughts of him would surely gradually leave your head, but you could immediately cease with the unnecessary emails, the social media posts, the extravagant outfits to his classes, the daydreaming, etc. 

Those you could stop, right? It’s not like he would notice. It’s not like he ever did to begin with. 

Except he did. 

And he also did notice how you started to ignore him. 

— 

“Would you please meet me in my office later?” Professor Ryland said to you, as he handed you one of your assignment submissions he’d corrected over the mid-semester break. 

Your hand froze mid-air as you reached for your paper. “What, uh, what about?” You quickly added politely, “Professor Grace?” You quickly looked down at your grade and noted that you’d done well on the paper. So see him for what? 

When you looked back up at him, he gave you a look you couldn’t decipher. And shrugged. “Just come see me later.” 

That was all he said to you. 

There was a time when being told to see him in his office would’ve made you pass out. There was a time when all you wanted was this – alone time with him. But over the short break, you’d decided you would put an end to all this. And now he wants to see you in his office? 

The fates truly had a twisted sense of humour. 

— 

Late that afternoon, you walked to the other side of your campus and searched for Professor Ryland’s office. The whole time, you wondered why your heart wasn’t skipping beats like it used to around him. You were certainly nervous, but not in the lovesick way you used to be whenever it came to him. This time it was actual nervousness. Had you been lacking in your studies and didn’t notice? Was it something to do with finals? Were you failing his class? 

You reached his office on the top floor, at the end of the long corridor, and knocked on the dark wooden door. 

“Come in.” He called out gently. 

You walked in and immediately had to remember how to make yourself breathe properly. 

There he was, standing by his desk with a bunch of papers in his hands. Dark trousers, dark button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up till just below his elbows, with one of those ridiculous sweater vests that should look silly on a grown man but for some reason, it worked so well on him. He was tall, and handsome, and… fuck. Those damned glasses resting on his nose. 

“You, um…” You shut the door behind you and faced him from that very spot, “You asked me to come see you, professor? Is it about the paper?” 

“Ah.” He placed the stack of papers down on his desk as he spoke, “Yes, I mean no. It’s not about your paper. You did wonderfully. Come,” He gestured for you to come closer as he casually sat on the edge of his large desk. 

You watched him as he crossed his arms over his chest, forcing you to eye his muscular forearms as you walked up to his desk. He wasn’t in his seat so you didn’t know if you should sit down or just stand there awkwardly with him perched on the edge of his desk like that. 

As you stood before him, Professor Ryland eyed you curiously from above the frame of his absurdly cute glasses which never quite seemed to sit on his face like regular glasses should. They always added a dash of academic chaos to his overall vibe. 

“Um, Professor?” You wondered why he wasn’t saying anything first. Given he asked you to come and see him and never mentioned why. 

“You’re different.” He said. Suddenly his voice was somehow softer, yet it sent chills down your back. “And I can’t figure out what it is.”

“Pardon?” 

“Ever since the break, I mean.” He tilted his head a little to the side as he spoke. “It’s only the second week since we’ve been back and you’ve improved so much in such little time.” He stated. “I mean you’ve always been a good student, but you seemed so… distracted earlier this semester. And since the break, well, surely you’ve noticed how different you’ve been.” He continued, still giving you that curious look. “No more silly queries, no more daydreaming in my classes, no more putting in more thought into your outfits than my weekly class tests even.” 

That last one made you pause and think. Did he just– 

“Oh?” He taunted, leaning forward as he whispered in a voice that was new to you, and what you could only describe as dangerous, “Did you think I didn’t notice all your little antics?” 

You froze. Yet again. “What… um, what do you mean, Professor?” 

He gave you a soft, almost condescending smile. “Don’t play stupid. You know exactly what I mean. Did you think I didn’t notice the way you’ve been trying to get my attention for the past few months? Hmm? All those emails at odd hours, and all your longing stares, and those tight little skirts?” 

He made a face then, as if remembering those skirts in fondness. You remained quiet. You told yourself this can’t be real. This cannot be happening, right? This must be another vivid daydream– 

“Was it something I did? What made you stop needing my attention?” 

There was that tone again. That soft, condescending, dangerous tone which made you want to run away and run into his arms at the same time. 

“Professor, I don’t know what you–,” 

“Oh.” He cut you off and chuckled. “So we’re doing this then?” He uncrossed his arms and reached for you. 

By the time you registered what was happening, he was already grabbing you by the wrist and gently pulling you closer into him. Until your chest was mere inches away from his. Your body tensed in between his legs. You could almost feel his body heat. 

He stared deep into your eyes as he spoke. “You go away during the break, then come back and pretend as if I suddenly don’t exist.” He stated, wondering. “Something must’ve happened. What was it? Found someone else? Hmm?” He leaned closer, having to lower his face closer to yours. “Who is he? Huh? Some young man you met while you were away at some fancy resort with your family?” 

How the fuck does he– 

“How do you know I went to–,” 

“Oh, please.” He cut you off again. “With how much time you spent on my socials, of course the algorithm would constantly suggest to me your accounts. They’re all public anyway.” He chuckled like a smug know-it-all. Then he moved his mouth over to your ear and whispered, “If you must know, I did some stalking of my own too. And I have to say, I miss those gym selfies of yours.” His voice gave you goosebumps. 

Oh. 

You could’ve left right there and then. You could’ve easily walked away and walked out of that office and never go back if you wished. But fuck, how could you? How could you when he was being like this? So close, so warm, so fucking intoxicating. You used to dream of this. Of interactions like this. 

He continued, “But since you stopped posting all those pictures, I had to make do with your more… wholesome ones.” You didn’t miss the insinuation in his tone. “After all, you’re such a pretty girl. I couldn’t not look at your face every day, now could I? So you’ll forgive me, but I carried on spying.” He paused and pulled away to look at you properly. 

Fuck. His scent was pulling you in like a moth to a flame. A hopeless moth to a forbidden flame. 

“And?” You caught yourself asking. You needed to know more, didn’t you? 

He let out a boyish laugh. “And?” He repeated in a mocking tone that made you want to clench your thighs together. “What do you want to know? That I jerked off looking at your pictures? Because I did. Multiple times.” 

You gasped at the sudden confession. His smirk was shameless. 

“What?” He rolled his eyes in that typical, playful way professors do when you annoy them. “You want me to believe you didn't do the same? Never thought of me,” He grabbed your hand and brought your fingertips to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss against them, “while touching yourself?” He murmured against your fingers. “Hmm?” 

“I…” You struggled to find your voice. All you could focus on was how his lips felt against your fingertips. How soft they were. How rough his stubble was. But eventually, you did find your words to confess. “I did, Professor.” 

He laughed again, just as cocky as earlier. “There we go. Now back to my initial question, what made you turn so cold all of a sudden?” He insisted on knowing. “Do you even know how deeply I miss those skirts of yours?” 

Oh this was so wrong. You ignored how that last bit made your heart flutter in a way it shouldn’t. “I thought, um, I mean it was obvious that you weren’t interested so I… I decided to stop embarrassing myself.” 

“You thought.” He scoffed.

Was he… was he upset that you were trying to get over him? Offended maybe? 

“It was unhealthy.” You stated. “I mean, at some point it became a lot more than just a hopeless crush and it got ridiculous. It was unhealthy.” You were repeating yourself because with him this close you couldn’t think straight.

“Unhealthy.” He scoffed again, just like earlier. Like he was taking offence. “You know what’s unhealthy? You messing with my head.” His grip around your wrist tightened. 

You frowned in utter confusion. “I never messed with your–,” 

He stood up straight, no longer leaning against the edge of his desk. Instead now he towered over you, still holding your wrist to keep you close. “Do you think I was oblivious to your tricks? Huh? You think I couldn’t tell how badly you begged for my attention? Or how badly I wanted to give it all to you but had to hold back? Do you know what that does to a man’s brain?” 

You blinked, unable to look away from how gently yet firmly he held your wrist. Like he had every right to. You let him move you so you both switched places. This time it was you leaning against the edge of his desk. He pushed you onto the edge a little, just so your butt rested on the surface, causing your legs to part. 

He looked down as he slid a knee in between yours, pressing his body easily against yours. 

“I didn’t know.” You whispered, looking up into his ocean blue eyes. 

There was the line. And here you were both crossing it. 

His other hand reached up to touch your face. “I know.” And that was all he said before he kissed you ferociously. Lips and tongues and teeth. He didn’t hold back. His hands wandered, touching your neck, down your body, grabbing and touching and squeezing. 

You gasped and moaned into the kiss. The bolder he got, the louder and more frequent your gasps and moans got. “Shh, I’ve got you.” He whispered, then you felt his hand sliding easily in between your legs, teasing you through the soft fabric of your casual trousers. His hand down there felt so comfortable yet exhilarating. 

“Touch me.” He demanded, not breaking the kiss. He pleaded against your mouth, “Come on, I’m all yours to play with. Touch me.”

Your shaky hands found their way to his neck, tracing random shapes all over his skin as he kissed you deeper, holding you in place by the chin. Sighing in between kisses as your hands drifted downwards, easily sliding under the sweater vest, touching his warm chest through the soft fabric of button up shirt. 

The noises he let out as you ran your hands up and down his torso were what dreams were made of. Especially your daydreams. You often wondered whether he’d be vocal or quiet. Turns out he was a bit of a whimperer, even when he had the upper hand here. 

You struggled to even form a coherent thought as you felt him touch you, his fingers sliding along your clothed pussy slowly. 

He pulled away from the kiss and clicked his tongue, disappointed. “See? It would be so much easier if you were wearing those tiny little skirts.” He looked down, loosening his grip on your chin so you could follow his movement, both of you now looking down at how his hand touched and teased you in between your legs. “Take it off. All of it.” 

Those words were all it took for you to start undressing. You kept your shoes on and got out of your trousers and tshirt. Then removed your underwear and dropped all your clothes into a little pile at your feet. And not once did you feel even an ounce of shame or discomfort. 

“Look at you.” Ryland was touching you before you even thought about how inappropriate this was. His hand finding itself back to where it was earlier, between your legs, this time without the annoying barrier of clothing. 

You looked down and let out a moan. He was so close it was heady. It was downright dirty to just watch his fingers leisurely gliding in and out, stroking your sensitive parts. His fingers weren’t even inside you yet, but you were close to the edge already, feeling warm and tingly all over. You closed your eyes tightly and held back a moan as you whispered, “Professor, please.” 

He chuckled and said, “My fingers are almost inside you, angel. You should probably call me by my name now.” 

You tested it out, whispering, “Ryland.” It sounded so intimate and… familiar. Probably because it wasn’t the first time you’d moan his name out loud. 

He held your stare, leaning in just so he was all you could see. The rest of the world didn’t exist here. He pulled his fingers away and brought them up to your lips, sliding his wet fingers into your open mouth like he owned it. Your lips wrapped around his fingers, gently sucking your taste off them as he watched with interest. 

“Let me taste you, come here.” He pulled his fingers away and leaned in for a kiss, sliding his tongue against yours hungrily. In a way that made you even wetter than before. “I need to have you.” He whispered against your mouth. “Can I?” He added, “Please. I need you.” 

You nodded quickly. 

He pulled away, took a step back from you and pointed at his desk, “Bend over.” 

You turned around immediately and bent over the edge of his large desk. Your face pressing against the cold surface of the polished wood as your hands laid palm down on each side of your head. Your ass pressed against the front of his pants and you whimpered, feeling his thick, hard cock beneath the fabric, rubbing against your soft folds. 

You felt his hands on your body. “Look how pretty you are.” He placed his hands on each side of your waist and caressed your body, rubbing up and down along your sides, touching your ass but not touching you right where you needed him. “I can’t believe you kept yourself from me all this time. You could’ve walked in here at any time and demanded whatever you wanted from me and I would’ve given it to you, angel.” 

You whimpered at his words, and bit your lip to keep yourself from moaning too loud as his touch, and words, made you feel all tingly and floaty. 

He scoffed before pinching your skin to make you gasp again, “So obedient too, aren’t you?” He finally trailed his fingers down in between your legs and lazily traced along your slit. “So wet and ready for me.” He chuckled, “Tell me, how many times did you fantasize about me while you touch yourself, hmm?” 

You closed your eyes and frowned in pleasure as he lazily finger-fucked you. “A lot… too many times,” You whined as he touched a sensitive spot inside you, “Please Ryland. You sounded just as desperate as you were.

“You filthy, dirty girl.” 

You heard him undoing his pants, the sound of him lowering his zipper made you whimper as you pushed your ass against him even more. You felt his hands on your body again, he grabbed you on either side of your hips before spreading your legs apart and pressing the tip of his cock against your entrance. 

But he didn’t slide his cock inside of you yet. 

You waited, your heart racing. You tried to push back into him but he moved away, chuckling while you whined in desperation. “Ryland.” You cried out again. 

“I know, I know.” He cooed. “I just like hearing you say my name, angel.” He mumbled under his breath as he pushed himself slowly inside of you, feeling your walls tighten around him. “Fuck.” He sighed. 

You whimpered as he filled you up, stretching you as he went. 

“So fucking good.” He struggled to talk just a little, gasping as he felt your walls clench around him. He pulled out and thrust deep into you again, making you moan and gasp under him. He reached for and grabbed your wrists, pinning them down at your lower back as he started rocking into you. Using you like a toy. Slowly at first, then gradually building up his pace. 

You whined as he fucked deep into you, your front bumping against the edge of the desk each time. You whimpered as he pounded harder into you at the sound of that confession. His pelvic bone smacking against your ass each time he thrust into you.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” He growled, tightening his grip on your wrists as he fucked you harder, feeling your walls getting tighter around him. He hissed again, “Like you’re just a pretty girl for me to use, huh?” 

You whined, “Please…” 

He slammed his cock harder into you, making your eyes water and your heart race so fast you felt like it might just escape your ribcage. 

“Look at how well you take it. I could do anything I wanted and you’d let me, wouldn’t you?” He thrust so deep into you that it felt like you would simply come apart right there but then he pulled out and pulled you off the desk, turning you around so you faced him. He grabbed your chin roughly in his grip as he stared into your eyes. 

You whined even louder. “Please…” 

“Don’t you dare fucking come yet.” He threatened. 

Your lips parted as you gasped for air. He looked like he was trying very hard to maintain his composure. He cupped your face and kissed you savagely. Hard. Lips, teeth, tongue – all of it. And for a moment it felt like you might just come from his kiss alone. 

But then he pulled away from your swollen lip and spat into your mouth before he said, “Get on your knees. Now.” 

Your brain was still processing it all but your body obeyed immediately, falling perfectly on your knees in front of him. You watched him with a hunger in your teary eyes. 

You watched how he grabbed his cock at the base and guided his tip over to your already open, wet, warm mouth and said, “Suck.” 

You did. You opened your mouth wider as he slowly pushed himself deeper into your mouth. You took him in slowly until he hit the back of your throat. “That’s it. Fuck," He hissed in pleasure, “It’s been so long.” He whispered more so to himself but you heard it. “Make it good for me. Come on.” 

You looked up and met his piercing eyes as he looked down at you like you were in your rightful place, kneeling before him naked while he was fully clothed, with his cock in your mouth. Pink lips parted as he hissed in pleasure. 

You gripped his thighs and worked extra hard on him, feeling his smooth skin along your tongue, tasting yourself and his precum. You whimpered when he let out an unrestrained growl as you circle his tip with your tongue before sucking on it gently. 

He let out a carefree chuckle as he looked down at you, “Having fun?” He asked, knowing damn well you couldn’t respond with his cock filling your mouth.

Your eyes began tearing up and Ryland felt a rush at the sight of the hot, silent tears streaming down your face while your mouth was full of him. 

He smirked. “Are you crying for me, angel?” He taunted in a dark, mocking tone before thrusting his hips forward just a little. “There we go.” His action made you tear up even more. “So pretty when you cry for me.” 

You just whined, sucking on him harder simply because the sounds he made were fucking addicting. This side of his was so new and unexpected. 

Then just as you were having a little too much fun making him gasp and grunt, he said, “Come on, get up.” 

You listened, even though you were a little disappointed you didn’t get to make him come in your mouth but you’d take whatever he’d give you. So you followed his instructions as he had you sit on the edge of the table this time before he stepped in between your legs, still staring into your eyes. 

Your arms wrapped around his neck as he leaned in to whisper against your mouth, “Still want more, don’t you? Hmm? You’re a happy girl as long as you’ve got some cock in you, huh?” He aligned his cock to your core again. “There we go…” He slipped inside you with ease, making you gasp at how good he felt as he began fucking you again. 

He grabbed your thighs and pushed them further apart so he could fuck you deeper. 

“Please…” You whimpered. “Ryland.” You cried out. 

“Touch me.” He whispered, his tone demanding yet so subtly pleading. He’d said it before, you remembered. 

So you placed your hands wherever you could feel his skin, his face and neck. You whined at his lack of nudity, but you couldn’t find the words to complain. So you focused on touching his skin, anywhere you could. Your fingers caressing his flushed face as he fucked deeper into you, pounding into you relentlessly as he moaned shamelessly. 

“You feel so good… so fucking tight for me,” He whispered against your skin and you barely heard him over the sound of sex echoing in his spacious office. “Only for me though, right? You’re not gonna spread these legs for other men, are you?” He couldn’t help but say, “This is mine. You are mine.” He growled, his glasses fogging up just a little. “Am I clear?” 

“Yes…” You whined as you felt yourself getting so close to the edge again as he pounded into you aggressively. You felt a tear slip out of the corner of your eye as you felt the pressure in between your legs getting too much to contain. 

He felt it too, as your walls clenched violently around him. “Fuck,” He growled into your ear, “Come for me. Come all over my cock, pretty girl…” 

You didn’t hear the rest of what he said because you were long gone, well fucked and lust drunk, you came with a loud cry. 

He followed shortly after, pulling out and coming undone all over your trembling thighs, gripping you so tightly that his fingers would surely leave bruises behind as memory. 

— 

Ryland couldn’t let you leave just yet. You were trembling, and flushed, and still coming down from your high. 

He had some paperwork to oversee and some emails to reply to. But he didn’t want you gone, so he helped you clean up, wrapped you up in the closest thing he could find, which was his large, soft coat – ignoring your clothes for now – then he gathered you carefully into his arms, pulling you onto his lap as he sat on one of the couches in his office to get some work done. 

It should’ve been weird. The proximity, your nudity, being on his lap so casually, all of it. But it wasn’t. You were content here, wrapped in his oversized coat, surrounded by his scent, warm and with him. 

He did his thing, replied to some emails, checked his schedules and lesson plans, while you straddle his lap, resting your head on his shoulder and sighing each time he petted your exposed skin, caressed your back, occasionally leaving kisses on your shoulder or forehead as if it were a habit. 

You mindlessly played with the soft fabric of his sweater vest, tracing imaginary shapes on his exposed forearms, breathing in his scent, finding comfort in his body heat. “You didn’t let me see you. At all.” You complained given he hadn’t taken off his clothes to fuck you earlier. 

He let out a soft chuckle. “Another time, angel.” 

Oh. So there will be another time. 

“Of course there will be.” 

You hid your face into the crook of his neck when you realised you’d said your thoughts out loud. Ryland laughed as you got over your embarrassment. 

But now that you were so close to him, naked on his lap, with the promise of an ‘another time’... you couldn’t sit still. 

“What is it?” He asked, after noticing that you’d been sighing and rubbing your face against his warm neck like an agitated kitten. “Want to go?” 

You shook your head quickly, “No.” You mumbled quietly. 

“What is it then?” He asked, “You want more?” He pointed down at his crotch. 

You just nodded. 

Ryland smirked and said, “Go on then. Keep it warm for me while I finish up here.”

Somehow you knew exactly what he wanted you to do. So you reached down and into his pants to pull out his cock again. You groaned in need at the sight of it. You lifted up just until you had room to align his cock to your entrance again, and once done you sank down until he was buried deep inside you. Again. 

You whimpered as you shoved your face into the crook of his neck, keeping his cock warm just like how he wanted you to. 

fast forward to tonight. it was late, later than ryland had ever been. you stayed awake, watching whatever tv show you thought would distract you from the anxious pit in your stomach. none of the witty dialogue or slapstick scenes could pull you from your thoughts. what if something happened to him in the lab? would they save him? i mean they did treat him as if he was disposable-. the lock in the door twisting made you jump, and through the door came your husband. 

“ry!” you exclaimed, running towards him. he dropped his things at his feet and pulled you into a tight hug. 

“hi sweetheart, i’m so sorry i’m late. things at the lab got a bit complicated.” he responded as he massaged his head, 

“complicated?” you questioned. he continued as he held your hand and guided you to the couch.

“yeah, i was trying to mix the astrophage with different chemicals, just to see if any of them had the power to you know, kill it.” you nodded your head and hummed in agreement, as if you knew any of this science-y stuff. “well, i got to mixing it with a gas, and it created this weird dusty stuff. and now i have this headache that’s killing me.” he rubs his temples again. you bring your hands to his cheeks and press a soft kiss to his lips. 

“why don’t you go have a nice warm shower, and i’ll make you something warm to eat?” you suggest, hands running through his hair. 

“yeah that sounds nice, thank you baby.” he responds as he plants a peck to your lips. 

˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮

after ryland headed upstairs to shower, you prepared his dinner. a grilled cheese, and a hot chocolate with extra chocolate, just how he liked it. as soon as you placed the his plate and mug on the table, you heard his footsteps treading down the stairs. he was wearing grey sweats, and using his ‘i had potential’ shirt to clean the fog off his glasses. 

“nice shower?” you asked. sitting in the seat next to his on the table. 

“eh, i’ve had better.” he sat down next to you, immediately taking a sip of his hot chocolate. “i think you may just be the best wife a man could ask for” your heart felt warm. even after all the time he spent away, it was nice to know he still cared. 

“well, that’s always a good thing to know.” you sat slanted on the chair, raising your feet to lay them across his lap like you always did when ryland let out a moan. you jolted up. “everything ok?” you asked, a pang of concern washing across your face. 

“yeah, um, i don’t know. i’ve been having some weird…bodily feelings after that whole astrophage compound situation.” ok well now you’re confused. 

“i thought you just had a headache?” you questioned innocently. 

“well, about a half hour after the incident, i started to get, now how do i put this-“ you interjected. 

“oh my god ryland just spit it out!” 

“ok ok, uhm, alright fine i’ve been hard!” he confessed, in a manner which was probably ludicrous enough for the whole street to hear. your eyes widened, going straight down to his pants and, oh my god! how did you not notice?! i mean it wasn’t even that hard to tell when ryland was hard because of his size, but you were just so worried about him that you weren’t really paying attention to…him. 

“how the hell did that happen!?” yo shouted back at him in a bewildered manner. he stood up fast, adjusting his glasses, and your mind wandered. wow, it really was obvious. your thighs instinctively clenched together, but ryland was too far into his answer for him to notice. 

“i must’ve mixed the wrong thing with the astrophage, i mean it is a cell and i guess it slipped my mind to not take that into account.” you tried to keep eye contact with the man while he was talking, but every two seconds you just had to look back. “ugh, and i feel so terrible admitting this and i know its disgusting. but i tried getting rid of it in the shower and i came, like two times! still its not going away. ” he whined, and you let out a tiny whimper. his eyes stopped looking all over the room, and finally locked into yours. “are you even listening y/n?” you snapped back into reality as you heard your name being called. 

“yes of course i am honey,” you stood up, walking to stand right in front of him. you bought your arms around his neck. “it’s just hard to concentrate when, you know, we have company.” that made him let out a breathy chuckle as you followed his eyes when his face moved. “what can i do? well i mean i think there is only one thing we can really try,” you proposed, going onto your toes to reach your husband’s lips. 

“are you sure?” he replied, and you nodded. 

“come on, lets go.” you held his hand and guided him to the bedroom, similarly to the way he had done to you just an hour ago. 

˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮

once the two of you had reached the room, ryland’s lips reached yours instantaneously, the chocolate left over from his tiny sip leaving a sweet flavour in his mouth. you moaned as he led you to the bed, laying you down on your back. he started by taking off his shirt, the small lamp’s light reflecting off his skin. he smiled down at you, and moved down again to continue the kiss. slowly, his hands found their way under your (his) old t-shirt. you weren’t wearing a bra, so his fingers had easy access to your breasts, kneading them with his free hand, the other holding him up. 

“oh ry.” you moaned out, back starting to arch slightly off of the bed. taking this as a sign for more, ryland moved down, bringing the other breast into his mouth. you tangled your hands through his hair, and a wave of calm settled over you. you had missed this, you had missed him. he bought his head up and looked into your eyes. 

“this feel good angel?” 

“oh yeah ry,” you puffed. as he sucked harder on your nipples, he reached his hands into your shorts, pushing two fingers into your wet cunt. you instinctively pushed your thighs together, but ryland help your thighs open, continuing his motions. he hadn’t touched you like this in so long, it  was all so overwhelming. eventually, his thumb moved to your clit, pressing firmly and rubbing tight circles. “gonna come ry!” you warned him. 

“come on my fingers baby,” and you did, arching your back so your chests were pressing. you settled for a few seconds before you reached out for his face and bought it in line with yours. “good?” he asked, like always. 

“amazing, but i need to focus on you right now.” you pushed him up and flipped to two of you so that he was laying down and you were straddling him. you started at his neck, kissing over his neck, his chest, and getting to his v-line. you pulled the strings of his sweats and bought his boxers down with them. his cock jumped out before you even pulled them all the way down. his cock was thick, i mean you knew this, but the chemicals must’ve changed something. he was bigger, veinier, a angry red colour was present at the top. you couldn’t help but feel terrible. “does this not hurt baby?” you solicited. ryland’s face tightened as the cool air hit him. 

“oh sweetheart, it hurts so bad. please help me.” he said with a moan. you pulled his pants all the way down and discarded them on the floor. as soon as you did, your hand was on his cock, the other massaging his balls. “oh my god y/n!” his eyes squeezed shut as you moved up and down, his cock twitching in your hand. “‘m gonna cum!” you were taken back. 

“already?” you blurted out, just in time with his orgasm. cum spilled into your hand, and all over his lower half. you were baffled, how was he still hard? if your calculations were right, this was his third orgasm in the last hour and 15 minutes. you focused back on ryland, who was panting after his finish. “everything okay?” you pushed a strand of hair back from his face. he brings his gaze up to his lap.

“still hurts, the stupid thing just won’t go away.” he lets out, frustrated, before falling back onto the bed. a tear slipped down from his eye onto the pillow and you wiped it away with your thumb. you frowned. seeing him like this, so vulnerable and helpless made your heart crack. 

“hey hey, it’s okay we’ll keep trying to get rid of it, okay?” you said, pulling your tiny shorts and panties off so you were now both completely naked. you gave him a small kiss before straddling him again, looking to his eyes for confirmation, and him nodding in agreement. you lowered yourself onto his cock. 

“ah fuck!” you both moaned in unison. you looked at each other, and couldn’t help but both let out a small chuckle. 

“gonna start moving now, okay?” you told him, grinding on his length. moans and whimpers flooded the room from the both of you. you were a sight for sore eyes, and ryland couldn’t believe how lucky he got. your tits were bouncing, hands planted on his chest, and your hair falling in front of your face. he pushed your hair behind your ears. 

“want to see your pretty face.” he breathed out, looking at you as you focused on his chest, like he was your only anchor. you were getting close now, your walls clenching hard around ryland. ryland seemed like he was almost there too, head falling back into the pillow, moans slipping from his lips. you couldn’t help but grin at the sight in front of you. as you were appreciating your drop dead gorgeous husband, his hand came up to your forearm. “wanna come with you,” he pleaded. 

“me too.” you moaned, your orgasm becoming imminent. you started to move faster, chasing your high and trying to make sure ryland got there too. suddenly, the white hot pleasure waved over both of you. your hands flew to your husband’s biceps, as his clung to your hips. you continued to move faster onto him. you cried out as you felt ryland’s warm seed shoot into your cunt, and you collapsed onto his chest. the two of you lay there, ryland’s cock still deep inside you. after a couple of minutes, you finally felt ryland’s heart rate slow down, and his cock become softer. you lifted off of him and dropped next to him, curling into his side. “feeling better?” 

“the best baby thank you so much.” he kissed your cheek as he turned to face you. “i really meant it when i said you were the best wife i could ever ask for.” you couldn’t help but feel a loose feeling in your chest. even though he affirmed you all the time, he never once faltered in how much he meant it. 

˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮˙⋆✮

once you both got cleaned up, and ryland had changed the sheets, you fell back into bed. you tucked into his side, laying your head on his big bicep. 

“i’m sorry i’ve been away so much.” he finally said. you’d been waiting weeks for just that, and he gave it to you. “surprisingly, it’s quite consuming trying to find a cure for sun aliens.” you let out a giggle. 

“it’s okay, i know this is something you have to do. just missed you that’s all.” you went silent again and he could tell there was still something on your mind. 

“whatcha thinkin’ hm?” he glanced down at you. 

“just deciding if i should say something or not.” you couldn’t hold back your smirk. 

“come on, just tell me.” 

“i’m kind of happy you experimented like a mad scientist and got yourself infected with “sex pollen” or whatever.” 

“excuse me!” ryland acted shocked and you hit his arm. 

“only because we haven’t been this close in a while, i miss you dummy.” you loved calling him that, because he was in fact the smartest person you’d ever met. 

“i’ve missed you too. i love you, you know?” he curled up against you. 

“i love you to the moon and back.” you say before you both fall asleep in each others arms. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryland was having a terrible day at work. Everything was going horrible.

When he left on his bike, he made it about a mile before his back tire popped, meaning he had to walk to work. When he finally got there, a coworker had left coffee on his desk. He was relieved.. until he grabbed it and found out the lid hadn't been put on correctly. It spilled all over him.

Luckily, being the good wife you are, you had forced him to bring a spare pair of clothes in case of emergencies, so he had that in his locker.

He changed his clothes and settled into class while waiting for the kids to flow in.

He grabbed his phone, feet propped up on his desk and he messaged you.

(R is Ryland and Y is ofc you)

R: "Baby my day just started and it's already terrible. I miss you :("

You smiled to yourself. Your poor boy.

Y: "Aww, I'm sorry honey. What can I do to help?" You responded.

R: "Date night tonight? I'm gonna need to clear my mind.."

Y: "Sounds good, my darling. I love you <3"

R: "I love you too sweetheart"

You hummed, sitting comfortably on your couch. You stayed home most of the time.. unless you were running errands or visiting friends. This was because Ryland had persistently told you that he wanted to provide for you, that he didn't want you to work.

You hated and loved that. You hated being home away from him. Hated being alone in general, but yet again you loved the stress free life at home.

Anyways, date nights were Rylands favorite. He was more of a stay in type of guy generally, but on date nights he liked to go out. Never somewhere super expensive because 1 that was near impossible with a teacher's paycheck, and 2 was that he just enjoyed a quiet little diner.

You loved them too. On date nights you got to dress up, get cute, and usually... at some time of the night Ryland would stare you down, take you somewhere private, and absolutely fuck the life out of you.

"Letting off steam", he called it.

So now all you had to do was get ready and wait.

It was about 4:15 pm when your husband messaged you again.

R: "Hey sweetheart, I'm almost home from work. I'm gonna hop in the shower before we go, is that okay?"

Y: "Yeah, of course, baby!"

R: "See you soon <3"

You had just gotten out of the shower and you were doing your makeup. You had planned to wait until he got home to pick your outfit (simply because you wanted to match him) so it was perfect that he wanted a shower. It gave you both time to pick outfits.

You fixed up your hair and the moment you were done you heard the jingling of his keys in the door. Footsteps, the clatter of something, and then a knock on your shared bathroom door.

"Come in!" You hummed.

He opened the door and slid into the bathroom.

"Hey, angel" He said, walking up behind you, staring at your reflection in the mirror. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to your cheek. "You look gorgeous as always."

You grinned at him, turning in your vanity chair so you could look into his eyes. He looked wrecked. Hair a mess, he was sweating slightly, and his glasses were halfway off his face. "My poor baby." You said, standing up to kiss him.

His hand slid onto your waist and you could feel his hot skin through your silk robe. He kissed you back gently before pulling back.

"Let me go shower, I don't want to get you all dirty" He said as he slid his glasses off.

You nodded, pressing one last peck to his lips before pulling back. "I'll be in our room"

He nodded and began to strip. Which as much as you wanted to stay and watch, you needed to finish getting ready.

You stepped out of the bathroom and into your walk in closet. There you had taken up most of the space, but Ryland didn't mind all that much.

You scanned through your line of dresses.. you had many, but Ryland had recently gotten a new one. A gorgeous gorgeous silk red one that fit you just nicely.

You saw it in the window of a shop in the mall and just had to get it. So of course, Ryland bought it for you without a second thought.

It hugged your curves and sat nicely on your stomach. Something Ryland absolutely enjoyed. So you grabbed it. Then was Rylands outfit. He always let you choose his date night outfits because what husband wouldn't.

You grabbed a red button down for him followed by black pants and a black suit jacket. You'd match perfectly.

It had only been 10 minutes when you heard the bathroom door open. Ryland came out, a towel around his waist and water dripping down his chest. One of your favorite sights.

You grinned, walking up to him. You pressed a kiss to his jawline and pulled back. "Feeling better?"

He nodded.

"That's good. Here's your outfit." You said, handing him his pile of clothes.

"Mm red. You finally gonna wear that dress I bought you?" He teased.

You shoved him gently. "Yes, I am.. I was just waiting for the right day."

"I'm just joking with you baby, relax." He grinned. He took his clothes and stepped back into your bedroom. "Get dressed in there, I want it to be a surprise." He said as he walked away.

And so you did. You slid the dress on, making sure it fit the way you wanted to. You grabbed some heels, threw on some jewelry.

"You ready?" You called.

"Hit me!" He replied.

You walked out of the closet and made your way into the bedroom. He caught your eye in the mirror he was looking at. He instantly turned around and began scanning. His jaw practically dropped to the floor as he walked over to you.

"God, baby.." He said, grabbing your hips just shy from gently. "How am I supposed to survive dinner with you looking like this?" He asked, pressing a kiss to your face.

You laughed softly, your head tilting backwards as he attacked your face with kisses.

"You're so fucking pretty, sweetheart."

"Thank you baby." You said, grabbing his jaw and pressing a kiss to his lips.

It lasted a good minute before you had to physically pull him away from you.

"How am I gonna keep my hands off you..?"

A soft laugh escaped your lips as you adjusted his collar, your thumbs brushing over his skin.

"You'll manage," you teased. "Just focus on the food."

"Impossible," he murmured, his gaze dropping to your lips before snapping back up to meet your eyes. He reluctantly let his hands slide from your hips, though his fingertips trailed along your sides as if unwilling to break contact completely. "I'm going to spend the entire night thinking about getting you back home."

You stepped back, offering a playful spin to show off the rest of your look. "Then you better be on your best behavior so we can leave early."

He let out a low chuckle, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, completely captivated. "Deal. Let's go before I change my mind."

⪻────★────⪼

The two of you got in Rylands car. He specifically had it for these nights. He loved riding his bike, despite how many problems he has with it.

Ryland began to drive to the local diner in town, he's hand just on the edge of your dress. Your hand was on top of his.

It only took about 15 minutes for you to get to the diner. He stopped the car, and just as you were about to get out, he stopped you.

"Don't you dare open the door, you know the rules." He teased.

"Oh come on Ryyyyyy." You groaned. "I can open a door by myself." You said, despite the fact that you actually loved how much of a gentleman he was.

He hummed and got out of the driver's seat before making his way over to your door. He opened it and held out his hand.

You rolled your eyes and took it, stepping out of his car.

"Mm, my gorgeous girl." He said, kissing your temple as he shut the door behind you.

He took your hand only to let go of it once you got to the door so he could hold it open for you.

The two of you walked into the diner, going to the booth in the corner you always went to. You both sat on the same side of it because Ryland loves being as close as possible to you.

The waiter walked up, smiling softly. "Hi there, I'll be your waitress for tonight! What drinks can I get started for ya?"

Ryland smiled back, ordering both of your drinks with practiced ease. You always got the same orders and you hardly ever changed them.

Once the waiter left, his hand slid onto your thigh. "Mm baby?" He asked, pressing his lips to your cheek, muffling his voice a little.

"Yes, my love?" You asked.

"How did I get so lucky?" He pressed a finger to your chin and tilted your face towards him. "How did I score such a beautiful woman like you?"

A smile grew on your face, heart warming at his words like they did every time he complimented you.

"How did I scored such a handsome, smart, sweet man?"

"Are you serious? It's not hard to win me over with that pretty face of yours." He hummed, kissing your cheek.

The waitress slid over, handing your drinks to you before speaking again. "Are you guys ready to order, or do you need a minute?"

"No ma'am, I think we're ready." He said.

The waitress took your order, hardly any questions asked as she knew the two of you.

"Alright you too! It should be out in about 10 minutes!"

"Sounds good!"

⪻────★────⪼

The meal went on as usual, Ryland complimenting you, whispering dirty things into your ears, soft touches. All of it.

It was amazing.

Today, however, Ryland seemed a bit more needy than usual.

The second you got into the car (after he held the car door open for you and walked back around to his side,) his lips were on yours.

His elbow was pressed against the center console and his hand slid up to your cheek as he pressed his lips to yours.

"I can't wait to tear this pretty dress of you, sweetheart.." He whispered against your lips.

You shivered, tugging on his hair slightly. "You better start driving now or we won't make it out of the parking lot.." You whispered, tugging slightly on his jacket collar.

He kissed you once more before pulling back and starting the car. "If we weren't in a public spot, I'd be fucking you right there."

⪻────★────⪼

It was only a second after you got inside that Ryland was on you. His lips were against yours, pressing you gently into the door and holding onto your hips like his life depended on it.

His hands slid down to yours, taking the purse from your hand and hanging up on the rack beside him, followed by his coat.

He pulled away from your lips and made his way down your jaw, and then your neck. "You smell so good.." He said, his hum sending vibrations through your skin. "C'mon, let me take you to the bed?"

You nodded. His hands met the back of your thighs and he lifted you up so he could carry you.

He walked you through the quiet rooms of your house until he go to your shared bedroom, the room still smelling lightly of the shampoo he used earlier.

He let you down, closing the door behind you as he started unbuttoning his shirt. You just stood there, waiting because he always insisted on taking your clothes off himself, even on nights when you just wanted to cuddle.

Once his shirt was off, his toned abdomen now visible to you, he walked closer, his belt being slid off in the process. Once he met you, his hands made their way into your hips again, gently rubbing circles in your side. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to your neck again.

"You're the most.." kiss "gorgeous woman.." kiss "I've ever met.." kiss

He pulled back and then gently dropped to his knees with a thud.

He looked up at you, his eyes already looking desperate. "Please.. Please let me worship you. Let me show you how much you mean to me.." He pleaded, his hands now sliding up the hem of your dress.

Of course, you nodded. How could you deny the pleading look on your husband's face?

He hummed, resting his cheek against your lower stomach. Slowly, he guided you backward until the backs of your knees met the ottoman at the foot of your bed.

As soon as you at down, he gently pulled your heels off, making sure to be as gentle as possible. He began to press kisses to your legs, slowly making his way up to your inner thighs, pushing your dress up.

His finger hooked around your panties and carefully slid them down your thighs until they met the floor. Once his eyes met what was beneath them, his hips twitched.

"All that just for me?" He asked, slowly sliding your thighs apart.

"Mhm..." You nodded, pushing yourself to the end of the ottoman.

And then he dived right in. He couldn't help himself.

As soon at his tounge slid against your slick, you hips jerked right into his face.

"Oh my god- Ry-" You gasped, surprised at how eagerly he was lapping you up.

His tongue slid up and down your wet cunt, leaving sloppy kisses as he gently began to grind into the edge of the ottoman.

His lips then suctioned around your clit, sucking on it and dragging multiple moans from your lips. Before you could speak again, his fingers were inside you, pumping in an angle that made your thighs threaten to close around him.

Your hands slid into his hair, pulling it as Ryland drew you closer and closer to your orgasm. It never took him long because of how long he spent studying every single spot that triggered a reaction.

"Ry- I'm so close-" you whined, hips bucking into him. He gripped onto your thighs to hold them open. He was still grinding into the ottoman, but that stopped just seconds before you came. He let out a groan, vibrating the wet skin below his lips.

You came with that, thighs squeezing gently around his head despite his hands trying to hold them. The pleasure was stronger than his grip.

He licked and kissed you through it before pulling back. He brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean while keeping eye contact with you. The sight alone made you wet again.

He sat there for a second, panting and shifting gently on the floor. Now that you fully had the view of him, you figured out that he came simply from eating you out. It was evident by the wet spot on his pants.

Eventually, he got up. He slid his pants off before grabbing your hand. Once you were standing, he leaned down so he could grip the hem of your dress and pull it over your body, followed by the unclipping of your bra. You were bare in a matter of seconds.

"C'mon baby.." He whispered, wrapping his arms around your body as he pushed you to the edge of your mattress. "Lay down for me."

You obeyed, getting onto your bed and laying back against the pillows.

"There she is.." He hummed, gripping your waist gently before leaning over your body. You could feel his hard cock against your thigh, leaking again. He began to press gentle kisses to your body, trailing them down your collarbone, chest, and then to your stomach.

Ryland loved your stomach. It was soft, comfortable. He could squish it, lay on it, etc. But his favorite thing about it was fantasizing about what it would look like when he got you pregnant. That was a dream of his.

As he pressed kisses to your stomach, his mind began to wander. would this be the day you let him? You usually made him pull out or wear a condom, but you'd been home now. For a long while. And you had been talking about how you were lonely... so.. maybe he could convince you.

"Ry please..." you whimpered, pressing into him and snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Please what, honey?"

"You know what.."

"Of course I do, but I want to hear it."

"Fuck me.."

"Mm yeah? You gonna let me fill you up this time, sweetheart?"

You looked up at him, thighs pressing together. He was serious.

"Yes.. please."

He passed, not expecting that. "Wait.. really?" He asked.

You nodded. "Yes... I'm giving you full permission to try and get me pregnant right now."

He smiled bigger, pressing a kiss to your face as he began lining himself up.

"I'll make it worth it.. I promise..."

His cock was barely pressed inside. He was just hovering, that was until you wrapped your legs around him and pulled him in with your heels.

"Fuck-" He groaned.

He settled there, taking in how tight you were against him.

"Ry.. move please-" You whined, looking at him.

He was inside you within seconds, already pounding you deeply, making your head roll back every time he thrusted back in.

"O-Oh my god R-Ry-" You moaned, squeezing tightly.

"I know baby.."

He began hitting the spongy spot, making you moan softly from how fantastic it felt. "Oh fuck- right there Ry-" You whined, heels digging into his back.

"That's it.."

His hand slid down, gently circling his clit as he began pounding you harder.

"There we go- Baby- cum with me-" He said, his dick twitching inside of you.

His words made you squeeze him tightly, causing your orgasm to wave over you with a splash of heat. You threw you head back, moaning softly as you came down. That was when he came, spilling inside of you with white hot pleasure. He filled you up so much it leaked down your thighs.

After fucking both of you through your orgasms, he collapsed on top of you, rolling over. He placed his head on your stomach once again, breathing you in.

A long moment of silence waved over the two of you.

It broke when he spoke. "I really hope I got you pregnant." He whispered, rubbing your stomach gently. "You'd look so good.. And can you imagine a mini you?" He asked, gently pressing a kiss.

"Mmm.." You nodded. "I hope so too, Ry."