Author's note: This is a piece of flash fiction, that I wrote for the theme "The Line Between Love and Lust".
She strained, her hips moving erratically, holding herself right on the edge. His hand around her neck was perfection, as were the bright red fingernail tracks running down his chest. Blood beaded, glistening red in the late afternoon light streaming in the open bedroom window. The birds in the yard were singing, and there was a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. She could still feel where her underwear had dug into her hip when he tore it off, snapping the delicate fabric with strong hands.
"Don't you fucking dare come yet, I'm so close."
He just grunted in response, ecstasy held back turning to pain on his face. His cock was so hard inside of her, she swore she could feel every vein. His hand tightened on her throat, fingers restricting blood flow, the restraint he could normally never let go of forgotten in this eternal instant of pure need.
The world started to dim in that perfect moment she'd needed so badly. The birds and the breeze faded. All she could hear was a dull roar. She forced herself to focus on his eyes, saw her own need for release reflected in them. That finally gave her the edge she needed, and she managed to choke out one word, "come".
He twitched inside of her even before his expression changed. The intensity of sensation he must have been holding back rushed through her and crashed her over the edge. She collapsed onto him, oxygen flooding back into her brain as his hand slipped. His grunts filled her world as she felt herself scream his name. They clung together with ferocity, needing the mutual connection as their shared pleasure washed through them.
Long minutes passed as they caught their breath and slowly returned to normality. His fingers stroked her hair, and she felt like she melted into him. Gentle kisses tasted coppery where she'd broken the skin on his shoulder.
When the physical heat of their passion had faded, he managed to pull the duvet over them. The silky fabric of the cover stung where his fingernails had dug into her back in those final moments, escaping conscious notice until now.
Other aches and pains were starting to become clear too. Her hip ached like it always did after, and her bra dug into her ribs uncomfortably, the underwire poking unpleasantly. She thanked her earlier self for having the foresight to put one on she didn't particularly like, bravely ignoring the fact that all her favorites were in the wash, and she hadn't had any choice anyway.
"I love you."
She'd heard him say those words a thousand times, a thousand times a thousand, over the long years they'd been together. Usually they were just filler. No less true for it, but a way to fill a silence more than an expression of something felt deeply. In rare moments, the intensity of the emotion flooded to the surface and showed the depth of almost two decades of togetherness and dedication.
"Mmm," she hummed, letting herself float on that deep, endless ocean, basking in its pleasant heat. "I love you."
She punctuated the words with a kiss on the side of his neck, the only spot she could reach right now. Movement was still unthinkable, though soon it would be necessary. She could feel him shrinking, and before long he'd slip out.
Reluctantly, she pushed herself up, giving them a bit longer. For a brief second, she lost herself in his eyes. Dark to the point of being black, but glistening with gold and brown streaks in the warm sunlight.
"Did you grab a towel?" She knew the answer, but this was part of the ritual.
