A Game of Cat and Mouse

E L E V E N

"Annie," Elio breathed, gazing deeply into her eyes to see the stars. Annie's eyes. He couldn't help the smile that overtook his face just at the thought of it. Annie. Full of grace. It was perfect for her. As he looked into the night sky of her eyes, Elio realized how wonderful it would be to drown in them, to fall into the depths of murky black and find himself placed amongst the stars. Her stars. Annie's.

"Annie," he said again because the sound of it coming from his lips was just too beautiful for him to believe it. His Annie. She was his beautiful Annie. 

Elio couldn't help it. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, marveling at the smell of warm vanilla on his Annie's skin. "Annie," he whispered against her skin."Annie, Annie, Annie," he murmured, each time kissing another part of her face. First, he peppered her cheeks, then her forehead, then her jaw, before finally pecking each part of her face, whispering her name each time. "Annie... Annie... Annie."

Her name was like a prayer and he was a sinner desperate to repent.

"Annie. My Annie," Elio mumbled against her neck where his lips lay. To his surprise, she never moved. In fact, he could have sworn he felt her breath hitch when he kissed the column of her throat, the delicate spot where it met her collarbone. Elio shuddered when he heard it, knowing that if he was ever lucky enough to make love to her, that would be a spot he would return to many times. He could already picture himself biting it as he buried into her. Buried into Annie.

"My name has never sounded so pretty," she whispered. Those night eyes were staring at him as if he were a new man, as if he had made his way past another one of her many walls. You can trust me, Little Mouse, he wanted to say. I will never deserve it yet always treasure it if you let me in.

"Your name is almost as beautiful as you are," he returned. Blood rushed to her cheeks. He vowed right then and there that she would always blush around him because he would rather die than let her go even an hour without hearing praises from his lips. You're beautiful. You're incredible. You're kind. You're radiant. You're delicate. You're wonderful. You're mine.

"I still don't know yours."

"Mine is far less beautiful than yours, topolina," he muttered, kissing the top of her hand in an effort not to kiss her lips anymore. He was still afraid to push his luck there. "But it's Elio."

"Elio," she whispered, tasting the name on her tongue. He realized at that moment that he would do absolutely anything for her. Murder? Easy. Go to Azkaban? His last thought before the kiss of death would be of her lips. Burn the world? Just hand him a match. Cut off his hand? He only needed one to pleasure her anyway. Just one whisper of his name on her lips had Elio ready to put a ring on her finger and sign away his soul for eternity. He regretted ever telling his mother that he wouldn't marry because, now, the thought of not marrying her was more painful than anything he'd ever experienced. If she asked him to, he would propose right now.

Every once in a while, the universe got it right. The stars would align and everything would be right in the world. Looking into her eyes with flecks of silver that reminded him of the stars that aligned, Elio realized that this was one of those times. Those beautiful times when life couldn't be better and he was blissfully happy. 

Suddenly, the world seemed perfect. It seemed perfect and wonderful and utterly beautiful because how could a world that made Annie be anything but? Elio Nott realized that his life up until his point had been nothing. It had all just been a waste of loneliness and pride. Now, it revolved around her. She was everything.

"Say it again," he murmured, drawing in closer to her like a moth to a flame. "Please. Say it again."

"Elio," she breathed. And then he kissed her again.