We moved together slowly, savoring the lazy intimacy of it. There was no urgency, no desperate need to reach the peak. Just the two of us, connected in the most fundamental way, sharing pleasure and energy in the light of early dawn filtering through the curtains.
I could feel my orgasm building gradually, a slow burn that started in my toes and worked its way up through my entire body. Every thrust sent waves of sensation through both of us via the feeding bond, creating this perfect feedback loop that made everything more intense.
“I’m getting close,” I warned, my hips stuttering slightly as the pleasure became almost overwhelming.
“Me too,” Valen gasped, his body clenching around my cock in a way that made my breath catch. “Don’t stop, Archer. Please don’t stop.”
I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to. My body was moving on its own now, chasing that perfect orgasm that was building between us. When it finally hit, it was like drowning in honey, sweet and all-consuming and absolutelyfuckingperfect.
I came with a broken cry, my cock pulsing inside him as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through me. Through the bond, I felt Valen’s own climax, felt him spill across the sheets as his body milked every drop from mine.
We lay there afterward, still connected, both of us breathing hard and trembling from the intensity of it. I pressed my face against his neck, inhaling his scent and trying to memorize this perfect moment.
“Wow…” I started, then trailed off, not having words for what we’d just shared.
“Not bad,” Valen smiled, his voice soft with satisfaction. “I could wake up like that every day.”
“Every day?” I repeated, a smile tugging at my lips despite how thoroughly wrecked I felt. “That’s a dangerous promise to make to someone like me.”
“Someone like you?” Valen shifted in my arms, turning slightly so he could see my face. Those amber eyes were soft with post-orgasmic bliss, but there was genuine curiosity there too.
“Someone who’s going to hold you to it,” I said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “Someone who’s going to want this every morning and probably most nights too.”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and straight into my cock, which was still buried inside him. “I think I can handle that level of commitment.”
The word ‘commitment’ hung in the air between us, loaded with implications neither of us had really addressed yet. We’d said we loved each other, we’d claimed each other in the most intimate way possible, but we hadn’t talked about what any of that actually meant for our future.
“Valen,” I started, then hesitated. The last thing I wanted was to ruin this perfect moment with heavy conversations about logistics and consequences.
“What is it, darling?” he asked, his hand finding mine and threading our fingers together.
“Nothing,” I said, chickening out. “Just... I’m happy. Really happy.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. I was happy, probably happier than I’d ever been in my life. But there was also this underlying current of anxiety about everything we still needed to figure out. The Purity Front attacks, my family’s expectations, and the fact that we were still professor and student with all the complications that entailed.
“But?” Valen prompted, because of course he could read me that well already.
I sighed, finally pulling out of him and immediately missing the connection. “But I keep thinking about everything else. The attack yesterday, my parents, the end of the semester...” I rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. “I love you, and I want this to work, but I have no idea how to make it work.”
Valen turned to face me fully, propping himself up on his elbow. “What specifically are you worried about?”
“Everything,” I admitted with a laugh that sounded a bit hysterical even to my own ears. “My father is already suspicious about my focus and my attitude. If he finds out about us...” I shuddered. “And then there’s graduation. What happens when I’m not a student here anymore? Do I move back home and pretend none of this happened? Do I try to find some way to stay near Widdershins? Do we attempt some kind of long-distance relationship?”
“You’re spiraling,” Valen observed gently, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “I can practically see the thoughts racing around in that beautiful head of yours.”
“Sorry,” I muttered, leaning into his touch. “I just... I’ve never felt like this before. About anyone. And the idea of losing it, losingyou, terrifies me.”
“Hey.” His voice was firm but kind. “Look at me.”
I met his amber gaze, seeing my own fears reflected there along with something that looked like determination.
“We’re going to figure this out,” he said simply. “I don’t know how yet, and I can’t promise it’ll be easy, but we’re going to make this work. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve waited three hundred and sixteen years to find someone who makes me feel the way you do. I’m not giving up on that without a fight.” His thumb brushed across my cheekbone. “And because you’re braver than you give yourself credit for. You’ve already stood up to your family’s expectations by pursuing what you want instead of what they want. We’ll figure out the rest together.”
The conviction in his voice eased some of the tension in my chest. He was right, though. I had already made choices that went against everything my family expected of me. This was just the next step in that same journey.
