Learning How to Bend

January 9

I had no idea what time it was when I woke. To be frank, I did not care. The only thing that mattered was that Thaddeus was here. My imagination had not played a single trick on me. I clicked. Yes, this was real. Thaddeus was facing away from me. His shoulders rose and fell as he breathed calmly. I smiled, wiggling forward on the fitted sheet so I could wrap one arm his waist. The other settled at the small of his back for a couple moments. He had stopped breathing, and his muscles tensed. Using the tips of my fingernails, I started slowly and lightly tracing circles on his skin. With the speed of a sloth, I grazed my fingers further up his bare back until I reached his shoulders. I tangled my fingers in the hair at the back of his neck before making my way back down again, going lower and lower until Thaddeus turned around so quickly, I actually squealed. He pulled me close to his bare chest, hands going to my cheeks as he kissed me, only seeming to be encouraged when I started laughing.

When he pulled away from me, one of my hands was on the curve of his hip while I traced my nails along the muscles in his abdomen, which remained tense under my touch. His hands tightened on me, whether intentional or involuntary, I had no idea. After only a couple minutes, Thaddeus grabbed my hand which was on his chest.

"I'd stop if I were you."

"Oh, really?"

"If we travel down this route, we're never getting out of bed."

"Would that be a...bad thing?" I asked, moving my free hand from his side to his chest, where I felt his pulse beating under my fingertips. I moved one of my fingers up and down to the strong pump of his heart. It was not relaxed by any means, but thumping rather rapidly. His skin was also hot against mine.

"We have someplace to go..."

"And yet you're not sounding entirely convinced." I leaned closer to him, close enough to press my chest against his as I nibbled at his ear.

"What are you doing to me?" He muttered into the crook of my neck.

"I could maybe do a lot of things."

He rolled me over so he was above me, my back against the pillows as he leaned on his hands across me. "You have more power over me than anyone I've ever met. I'd turn the world upside down for you if you asked it of me."

I did not know what to say, so I kept my mouth closed.

"Every touch, every move you make...you set me on fire. This is like nothing I've ever experienced."

"What brought this on?" I asked quietly.

"What makes you so alluring, little love, is that you don't even have to try to be enticing. You simply are. I've never had anyone speak as honestly to me as you did the first day we met."

I groaned at the memory, as at times I still wished I could go back and change my words. I brought my hands up to my face and hid behind them. "Oh, I don't want to think about that ever again."

"People only tend to tell me what they think I want to hear. Everyone knows who I am. But you didn't, and there was something so refreshing about that."

I opened up the fingers on one hand so he could see part of my face.

"I don't have to be anyone but myself with you. There's freedom with you. No expectations."

I waited to see if he was going to say anything more.

"You drive me mad in the best way possible."

I grinned behind my hands, not able to hold back the laughter which escaped from my throat.

Thaddeus poked both of my sides simultaneously. I squealed, latching my arms around his neck purely by impulse. He was not expecting the motion, thus he landed on top of me. I did not mind his weight heavy against my ribs. In fact, I loved it.