A Game of Cat and Mouse

T W E L V E

Annie gasped as Elio's mouth descended onto her. Elio. That was his name. It was a beautiful name. It was perfect. Sun. Because he was so bright, so ethereal to her, just like the sun.

His smile was wide, his eyes sparkling, his laughter contagious. She made him feel like she was basking in the warmth of the day every time she was in his presence. It was almost intoxicating. She couldn't get enough of it.

Somehow, Elio made her feel different. She didn't feel like the little, fragile girl her family treated her as. She didn't feel like someone at the edge of the room, someone who needed to be tucked aside. He made her feel like the star, like someone worthy of paying attention to. That meant more to her than she could ever describe.

In his hungry pursuit of her lips, he pushed Annie against the wall, never breaking contact. Annie let out a shaky breath into his mouth before letting him in. Elio wasted no time letting his tongue explore every inch of her, dominating and caressing her with every subtle movement. She felt herself sink into it, relaxing more and more the longer she was with him. Legs wrapped around his waist and fingers clasped themselves behind his neck and still, Annie kissed him. She kissed him like she never wanted to let go. In a way, she did.

Annie had always thought of love as a duet, as something quiet played between two people who had amicably decided to sit down at the bench together. But Elio made her realize she was wrong, or at least she was wrong about them. They... they were a symphony. A harmonious clash of instruments, all moving separately to create the greatest thing she had ever heard. Or, in this case, ever felt. It was chaos and it was calm. It was humbling and exhilarating and utterly beautiful. It was that perfect moment when all of the instruments aligned to create the most breathtaking sound that Annie allowed herself to disappear into, falling deeper and deeper into the moment that could not be broken. Unlike a duet—which took great mind power so she didn't mess up her part of the notes—this was different. She could lose herself to the feeling of being so utterly consumed by a melody. She could lose herself to the feeling of being so utterly consumed by him.

"I could kiss you all day," Elio murmured in between now-gentle kisses. His lips were soft and they tasted subtly like mint. "In fact, I think I will if you let me." 

She laughed breathlessly. The fingers at the bottom of his neck played with the ends of his thick hair absentmindedly. "Maybe I'll let you."

"God, topolina," he groaned into her mouth. She felt the vibrations of it all the way down to his toes. His fingers clenched against her thighs where he held her steady against the marble wall. "Don't tempt me. You're too kind for that."

"It's only a temptation if it's wrong. Do you think it's wrong, Elio?"

"Never," he said immediately. "Nothing with you could ever be wrong, not to me."

"So then kiss me," she mumbled, amazed at how bold and daring she was around him. It was like he brought out something within her. A songbird inside of her that had been waiting to burst free; she just hadn't known it was there. 

She felt his grin against her mouth. "If my Little Mouse insists, then who am I to deny her?"

And then he was pushing against her, his mouth eagerly working against her own while his body pressed her into the wall. Only this time, something different. There was some sort of energy in the air she couldn't explain. It felt electrifying. It felt dangerous. It felt good.

Annie gripped his hair just as his hips went further into her. There was a bulge in his trousers that pressed perfectly against her lower body, eliciting a breathy gasp that had never come out of her. She couldn't help but arch into him, her hips seeking the contact again. He eagerly complied, thrusting into her and allowing him to feel what she was certain was his hard member.