[SH] The First Time - Part the Second (NC-17)

[shepcrew]

[We uh...we kinda broke the customized comment pages comment buffer. And I like having the custom comment pages because they look better. So, um, yes. Continued from here.]


He's beaming at her until she catches the slight slip of the tongue and the smile turns into an 'aw shucks/so busted look'.

Oops.

He can't lie to her now. It was easy to pretend when she had first arrived, since she had no reason to believe otherwise, and he was nervous enough that his body language masked the lie.

But now..."You, uh. You weren't supposed to find out until I took you back there. To uh...to check on the status of the paint drying."



She may or may not be suppressing a giggle; since she does it successfully it's hard to tell. But she is grinning. "Well, since you've managed to keep me out of your room, the surprise is still intact, even if the knowledge that there is a surprise isn't."

And he's being adorable again. Although, really, he's almost always adorable now, so it sort of goes without saying. So she smiles softly, brilliantly.



"Well, I hope it doesn't lose too much of its impact, now that you know there's another surprise," he says, grinning sheepishly.

And that's about the time when the music being played turns into a fair rendition of the song they first danced to. It's also when he stands and moves to her side of the table.

"May I have this dance?" he asks, holding a hand out to her.



"I can't imagine it..." Oh. Oh. "... would."

Oh.

So she stands and takes his hand, because the answer is "Of course." but it comes out in barely a whisper between smiles and shy blushing. She was way more poised when they first danced.

And then again, when they first danced, she had no idea with whom she was dancing, or what it would turn into. Knowing, now, she wonders what it will turn into this time. If she could possibly love him any more than she does at this moment, as she keeps her eyes on his and she smiles, blissfully happy.



He returns the smile as his fingers close round hers, and he tugs her away from the table. She may or may not notice Lorne call someone over so they can remove the chairs, along with the table and its contents so the couple can have the entire balcony to move around. And that marks the end of Lorne's part in tonight's festivities.

John's eyes never leave Inara's as he pulls her into the opening steps of the dance, holding her slightly closer than he had the first time.

Comments

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's so, so easy to find that rhythm and match it. Almost effortless. Which just seems to underscore how they belong together.

She kisses him back and even if she's unwilling to break the kiss long enough to speak the words the My heart, my love. I love you. is still there in every little gesture. Her hand cradles the back of his head and his slight curls tangle around her fingers and it takes no effort at all to move her body with his; it seems only natural, as though what's happening is now out of their control but something guided by greater powers.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He honestly never remembered it ever being like this, and he supposed he was quickly re-learning the differences between having sex and making love. God, it'd been a long time since he had had the reason to indulge in the latter rather than the former.

He breaks the kiss, breathing deeply, and after several moments he drops a kiss on her cheek before resting his own against it.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She brushes her cheek against his, halfway nuzzling, partially just moving to feel him and catch his scent. Everything about him, them, this, is beautiful.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He returns the affectionate nuzzling, taking that as his cue to drop kisses along her jaw, her neck, her throat...any place that he can reach without moving too far.

That hand that was hook around her knee runs up and down her thigh before re-hooking and pulling her into him on his next thrust.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She made a little gasp, almost a whimper at his touch. Pressing her body to his, regaining enough clarity of thought at least to begin to apply some of her skills to their lovemaking, smiling softly against his hair as she touches him, moves around and against him.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He'd be lying if he said he didn't notice the second she started moving with him. And he thankfully has no thoughts of her vocation or the fact that she's been trained to do this.

His only thoughts are of her right here, right now and he clings to her as they move. Her scent makes him dizzy, the warmth of her body against his makes him want to cradle her forever and never let go.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's hard to believe this is real, or possible. This much intimacy, this many complex feelings tied up in so little movement. In every sensation made sharper by the fact that it is her, with him. With her lover.

The painstaking care would be enough to put a smile on her face; the emotions so plain in every touch and breath and gesture make her swell with emotion in return, and when she does cry out it's only half, if that, from the physical pleasure.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

It occurs to him that this particular encounter is quite different from his any of his previous encounters, simply by virtue of it not being based on happenstance or lust. He has no idea what the hell that says about him and his past, but hey, things change, right?

And, of course, knowing that those cries being coaxed from the woman whom he would seriously consider permanently forsaking bachelorhood - yet again - for, are real and genuine makes his head spin even more.

Of course, his own cries are equally so, and that right there also adds to his euphoria. He promises that it'll freak him out much, much later, but not now.


[I am going assume that the cry mentioned is merely a reference to cries in general and not the cry, mainly because otherwise it'd make for a very - pardon the pun - anticlimactic ending to an otherwise spectacular thread. Also? I fear for their egos.]

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She's never done this before. Never. As much as her training takes over for the physical parts, the automatic touches and listening for reactions and touching again, there are whole other dimensions to this that make her tremble all on their own.

She'll think about what this means for her, later, too. It's entirely possible that she won't be able to go back to what she does, or that she'll have to find other reasons to continue. Everything she'd been pretending before is coming true, is real, here and now and with John. And it is, indeed, glorious.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

So glorious, that the sensory overload is quickly becoming something he can no longer endure for very much longer. All of his touches and movements begin to gain focus, and it seems that focus is bringing Inara close enough to the brink so that they can fall together.

He'll be damned if he goes first and without her this time.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's not that far, after all.

All the little touches, little revelations, all the little earthquakes of feeling both physical and emotional have her sensitivity jacked up. Once his focus shifts, there's very little she can do to stop tumbling to the edge of sensation. Let alone tripping off.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Normally John is there to catch his lover as she tumbles, his own control allowing them to both get the most out of it and still make it be mostly about her.

But there is no him and her this time. It's just them and when she trips, he's holding her hand and jumping. He clings to her tightly as the hazy world explodes around him. The tiny fragments pierce him and he cries out, her name first and foremost falling from his lips.

And when the fragments coalesce, it's a reshaped world which seems more vibrant and colourful than the one he left behind.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She could never have possibly imagined this in a thousand years.

Her body still trembles just a little from the aftershocks. Every brush of his body, his skin against hers just helps it along, prolongs the shivers.

There is no part of this moment that is not exquisite. Nigh painfully so because it is a moment, and it will fade, and yet the glow and happiness it brings won't, she thinks, fade. Or something like that. It's all jumbled up in her mind but the gist of it is that this moment is beautiful, and he is beautiful, and she loves him so very much. And it shows in her smile and in her eyes.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

The term 'insanely happy' was never something he ever thought could be attributed to him, but he supposes that's what one would call the highly triumphant, and all at once shaky mess that he's become.

His lips are up-turned in some odd combination of his shy smile and his goofy grin, and his eyes never leave hers as he kisses her.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She can't help but smile back; she almost laughs with sheer delight, but then he kisses her and it's all she can do not to pounce him right there.

So happy. A different kind of happy now, but no less overpowering. A new kind of joy, and the wonder of discovery along with it.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

The kiss breaks into several kisses on her cheek, and then he's hugging her close and burying his head in her shoulder.

He also attempts to roll them over so he's not squishing her, seeing as how he's starting to lose the battle of propping himself up.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She rolls with him easily, snuggling into him with a happy little sigh, tracing her fingertips down his cheek. Over his shoulder, over his collarbone and down his chest.

Everything about this moment makes her glow and tremble with happiness. This moment, all the ones leading up to it. It's a fullness of emotion that leaves her almost overflowing with it.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He's still breathing hard, but it's evening out slowly. He lets out a shaky, happy sigh and gives her a gentle squeeze.

"...Wow," he barely whispers, voice still a bit raspy.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

"Mm-hmm..." She's all about snuggling up against his side, tracing through the planes of the muscles over his chest, still sort of amazed that they're here. That he's here. That he loves her, wants her.

That any or all of this is happening. Wow does about sum it up.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He takes a deep, ragged breath as he stares up at the ceiling, his lips resting on the crown of her head. He swallows thickly and gives her another squeeze as something really does sink in.

"...Love you," he whispers, his face in the scrunched expression of one who's brain has finally caught up with his heart and and his tone that of one once more blown away by the intensity of things he's been feeling for a very long time.

"God, I love you..." he repeats, with more conviction as he holds her close. And holy crap, those can't be threatening tears stinging his eyes. Nope. John Sheppard does. Not. Cry. ...Ever.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

"I love you," she says, and even her words hold a kind of happy glow. A kind of breathless wonder. I love you, I love you, I love you.

It's as though the feeling could pick her up and fly her away, except the only place she'd fly to is right here, in his arms.

"I love you, John Sheppard, as the sky loves the sea." It's a turn of phrase that, she thinks, sounds less silly in the original Mandarin, but since he doesn't speak it. "Love you so much..." And now it steals her voice away and the only thing she can do is smile, almost laugh, breathless and giddy.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He has to laugh softly, too, or else he will cry. He gives her yet another squeeze, this one a little more on the lingering side.

He runs his hand up and down her back and looks down at her. He smiles, sighing softly.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She closes her eyes at his touch, pressing into him, snuggling. It will, she suspects, amaze her for a good while longer that she can feel this way. She'd just gotten to a happy little equilibrium of joy too. And then he goes and gives her an evening that...

Inara looks up at him, tracing the line of his jaw and back up withthe backs of her fingers soft against his cheek. Her own eyes are glittering with unshed tears of wonder and love and happiness.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He captures that hand in his own and brings it to his lips to kiss delicately.

It occurs to him that all the planning and fretting, the nervousness and tension, the exertion and endorphines should have him passing out right about now.

But he doesn't. He sighs happily once more, settling down and only feeling a flirtatious touch of fatigue.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She's settling down a little, but even that light kiss sends a tingle up her spine again.

But she is settling, so it's onyl a little tingle. A bit of a shiver and a grin and a happy little sigh as well.

"D'you know how perfect this whole evening has been?" she asks, apropos of absolutely nothing but a sudden surge of that sentiment.