NOTE: Sequel to Burning Anticipation. Nick and (insert name) take a shower together after a romp in bed. But what's a shower without a little shower sex! NOTE: This is technically an x-reader, however, it is written in first person as opposed to second person. Thank you Silent Deathclaw on for helping me with the idea of a shower scene! Enjoy, all!

I woke with a jolt, my breathing ragged and rough. I could feel the rhythm of my heart pounding away in my chest. Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump. As moments passed, I remembered where I was. The room slowly became clear, along with the glow of the cars driving by below. I sat up, letting my arms support my weight behind me. I glanced at the clock on the night stand beside the bed, it read 2:47 a.m. How were there still people out driving? By the sounds and looks of it, there was more traffic coming. I could faintly hear the sound of horns going off by aggravated drivers in the distance.

I jumped again as I felt a paw on my chest. I glanced over to see two green eyes barely open staring back into my own.

"What's the matter?"

I sighed in relief; it was so good to hear Nick's voice, no matter how tired it sounded. I really wanted to curl up in his arms and go back to bed, but I was not sure I could. Not after that dream. I was taking a bit to respond to him, so he began slowly caressing my fur to remind me to speak.

"I-I had a nightmare," I whispered, shifting my weight, "I'm really sorry I woke you."

I felt him push me gently down back down on the bed, I smiled at what the gesture meant. I lied back down on the bed and snuggled up close to him, resting my muzzle on his chest. I could smell the musky scent of his aromatic fur. Every breath I drew in soaked my lungs in the sweet taste of afterglow. I could feel a pressing soft emotion, like a cloud descending on my temple. It washed over my peaceful body like a cleansing breath of fresh air, rode on my blood stream, and seeped its way into my heart.

"What was it about? Did I arrest you?" He teased, trying to lighten the mood. I gently punched him, which made him chuckle.

"No, I was alone on an island, no one was around," I told him.

"Sounds relaxing if you ask me."

I rolled my eyes, "There wasn't anyway off. I was just stuck there forever. Gosh, that freaks me out; never being able to see people again."

Nick squeezed me a tighter for a moment, "Well, a tropical vacation probably isn't in your best future interests."

I drew in another deep breath, sinking closer and closer to his warm self. I loved his fur, it was always so nice. Another reason for me wanting to draw closer was his heartbeat. It could be heard if I was just close enough. It was a very soothing thing to listen to when I was upset.

"Sore?" He asked in a low tone, just above my ear.

I chuckled softly, "Well if I'm not now, I will be."

I moved my hand up to stroke his cheek but felt my arm stick to Nick's fur a bit as I did so. I had realized we had not cleaned ourselves up after our session. He smirked.

"Little bit sticky," He remarked.

"A bit," I responded, examining my arm further.

I shuddered softly as Nick ran a claw down my spine, careful not to scratch me. He repeated the action a few more times, sending waves and waves of chills up through my body. With each stroke of his claw, I felt a surging start from the base of my spine and end at my fingertips. His touch never failed to melt me.

"Could I interest you in a shower for two?" Nick asked, lilt coating each of his words.

My eyes widened as I looked up at him in surprise.

"You did say you didn't want to walk for a week, remember?" He jeered at me.

I chuckled and narrowed my gaze, then smiled with cockiness, "Do you even have that amount of stamina, Officer Wilde?"

He crushed me closer to his chest, allowing our bodies to rub close together, "Is that a challenge?"

I winked and walked my fingers up his chest, stopping at his neckline, "It could be! Aren't police officers supposed to work out regularly?"

Nick rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Yes, but with weights! And you're not tiny, but you're sure as hell not heavy."

"The positions we go in? I bet you get a better work out than most," I pecked his cheek.

Nick flashed his infamous coy smile at me, like he knew something I didn't. His eyes were like the eyes of a hunter, luring in his catch, "Keep testing me, I'll really show you who has stamina."

I could not help my eye roll. He was so damn cocky, but I loved it. It was just an inevitable thing about him. But, what's wrong with a little spunk. "Can I have a kiss?" I asked, looking up into his emerald eyes with a gentle smile.

He snorted and flashed me a smirk. Then he leaned down ever so slightly and pressed his lips to mine. It was a small kiss, but it did not fail to flood my senses with a sugary heat that was so familiar and so welcome.

The kiss broke and I was rendered star struck; a usual side effect of his kisses. It always felt so good to be near him. He was a vacation, a breeze, a moment in the world where your troubles felt miles away. He was wonderful. But, those words were difficult to speak, very difficult to explain, and potentially dangerous. To tell him all of that had the potential of ending horridly, but then again…

"You know what would be good for a post nightmare situation?" Nick said; a certain determination in his voice that was all too visible.

I shrugged my shoulders at him, blinking hard at him, "What?"

His smile widened, I could feel him stroke my fur with more intensity, "A nice, hot, shower."

I was not sure what I was expecting exactly, but I had to admit that was not it. I mulled it over for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of getting off of the warm bed right now. Cons, snuggling session over, leaving the warm bed, and the fact that I was exhausted; pros: relaxing in a shower, leaving warm bed for warm shower, getting my fur clean, and distracting myself from the previous nightmare. It sounded better to take a shower.

I nodded, meeting his eyes once more, "You're probably right. I should."

Nick tapped my nose with his index finger, "Aren't I always right?" He teased, getting up out of the bed.

"Maybe not always," I said in return, "Where are you going?"

Nick headed off to the bathroom of his apartment, turning to me with a hands-outstretched gesture, "To get your shower ready!"

I felt my cheeks flush with blood; of course, he had to be nice enough to prepare my shower for me. He was not making this any easier, well, on an emotional level at least. I sighed and pushed myself out of the bed, beginning to walk towards the window that faced outside. As I stepped forward, I felt a shot of pain shoot up my spine. I gripped the window sill in response. I really was sore.

I took a look outside of the apartment window. Below, the streets were still busy with life. Cars driving at a reasonable speed, a few brave animals walking the sidewalks, even a police cruiser. Everyone just living their life in the best way they could. Looking out at the lit up city, I remembered how I always adored lit up cities at night. I wish I could stay like this forever; up in a pretty apartment with Nick, looking out at the beautiful city.

I heard the shower start and Nick shut the shower door. He stood there in the bathroom doorway when I turned around, still naked as could be. He gave me a sly smile, propping himself on the door frame with his elbow, "Coming?"

My eyes widened. I walked slowly towards him, slightly limping from being sore. As I walked past him and into the bathroom I made sure to brush my tail over him, "Not yet, but I'm sure I will be!"

I smiled as I felt him wrap his arms around me from behind. I could feel him place tiny kisses all over my left shoulder. Every other kiss involved more teeth than the ones before until he fully clamped his teeth into my flesh. I gasped and arched my back; I grabbed on to his hand and squeezed tight. Nick was amused.

"Mmm, Nick, god, harder Nick," I moaned. I loved being bitten, especially by Nick.

He pushed me forward, holding onto me tightly, teeth still clamped on my neck. Nick then pressed me into the glass door of the shower, securing me against it. Then he sank his teeth in deeper. It stung, but it felt so good.

"You can do better than that, haha," I teased, shakily. As soon as I said that, I felt Nick's paws squeeze me tight, teeth sinking so deep into my neck that it drew blood. I screamed Nick's name in astounded pleasure. I could have come right then and there.

Nick obviously could taste the blood, because he backed off immediately, "Oh god, I'm sorry!" Nick said. He turned me around and examined the expression on my face, making sure I wasn't too injured.

I was breathing heavy, staring deep into Nick's beautiful emerald eyes. He was so beautiful. I put my paws against his chest, feeling his soft fur under my palms. "Nick, you're so good at that," I gasped; I smirked hard.

Nick sighed, rolling his eyes heavily, "You're kind of a freak, you know that?"

I chuckled, "Yeah, yeah," Nick was smiling his smile that I loved; the mischievous smile that always came out when he was feeling dominant.

Nick leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against mine, still holding me against the shower. I could hear the running water behind me. The steam was beginning to rise from the warmth of the water hitting the cool air around us. It was not too warm in the apartment, but it wasn't too cold either. It did seem a little chilled though. I could have sworn Nick liked to keep it warm. I wondered why he kept it cold tonight.

Nick slid his tongue past my lips and into my mouth, I responded with eagerness, meeting his tongue with my own. We tasted each other for a while, seemingly enjoying the others body heat. I ran my tongue over Nick's beautifully sharp teeth. As I did this, I felt vibrations in his chest; a long moan escaped his lips and breathed its way into my mouth. I drew his breath into my lungs with deep inhales. And I, by Nick's doing, was pressed harder into the glass of the shower.

I hugged him closer, deepening the kiss and letting our stomachs rub together. The enflamed friction that came from our bodies brushing against one another was like jolts of electricity through my body. My nerves were voltaic. My heart felt as though it were swelling, along with my mind that was a flamed in lust. How could it be that one person could do this to another person? Render them almost helpless in such epic, intense pleasure.

I tightened my grip on his arms, squeezing the slight muscle mass; running my fingers through the beautiful fur. Nick was so close that I could feel his heart beat through his chest. It was so evenly paced; it was nearly hypnotizing; incredibly swift.

The kiss broke and Nick moved his mouth from my own to my neck. There he placed deep kisses, so deep that my only reaction was to raise my head. There was nothing left to do except allow moans of pure pleasure to spill from my agape lips as my lover worked his magic over my senses. It felt as though I could climax just as we were. Pressure was building in my groin, sending sparks of rapture up through my legs, to my stomach, up through my arms, and to my face; washed over in a thick flush. A wave of searing hot electricity trickled through my nerves; arching my back. Then with a long moan, I came. I could feel the hot sticky liquid coat our bellies as Nick pulled away from my neck.

He down at the mess I made, then back up to my lust coated eyes. He chuckled, "That better not be all you got!" He jeered.

I smiled in return, "I hope so," was my response, clearly out of breath.

"Don't worry; I know you can do better. You've made much bigger messes than that!"

I blushed.

Nick looked at me deeply, staring into my eyes. It was always so hard to read him. I always wondered what his thoughts were. Normally, I had a pretty decent sense of what people thought about certain situations. But Nick was an individual I could never figure out. I always pondered what he really thought of things; like his job; this city; his friends; me…

"Ready to take a shower?" Nick asked, interrupting my train of thought.

Completely lost in his gorgeous emerald eyes, I nodded my head. He backed away from me and opened the shower door. It swung open with a small creak. Small droplets of water splashed against my fur as I looked into the pretty brown field tiled shower.

"After you," Nick said slyly, gesturing me forward into the awaiting water.

I took a step in. The warm water that circled the drain felt good on the pads of my paws. The water was hot, but it was not scalding. Just hot enough to be comfortable. I continued forward, walking directly into the showers of water. It soaked my fur as it washed over my head, forcing me to shut my eyes. It felt incredible to feel the water after such a sweaty night.

I heard Nick step in as well and the shower door close. Immediately following, I felt a warm pair of paws wrap around my waist from behind and pull me close. He nuzzled my cheek with his nose, and then rested his chin on my shoulder.

"How's the temperature?" He asked. I could feel the vibrations from his voice on my shoulder where he rested his head. It slightly tickled in a strange sort of way.

"Very nice," I hummed contently, "But the company is even nicer."

Nick smooched my cheek, "We better get clean."

"Good idea," I agreed.

A fair amount of time was spent washing our fur. We helped each other out in the hard to reach areas and some not so hard to reach areas. I rinsed off first; closing my eyes and listening to the soapy water hit the shower floor. Nick went next. I stood off in a state of awe as he rubbed his body free of soap. He was so amazingly-.

"Beautiful," I whispered accidently; unaware that I began to think out loud.

Nick shook his head to shake water off. He opened his eyes, "Hm?"

I shook my head, flustered once more, "Nothing!" I assured, still unable to remove my eyes from the handsome fox before me.

Then, suddenly, a perfectly sinful idea flickered in my head. I smiled a cocky smile at Nick, who responded with a confused glance.

I crossed my arms over my chest, sweeping my gaze from his head to his toes. I shook my head, "I don't think you're clean enough."

Nick stopped the rinsing process and looked at me, then down at his body, then back up to me, "Did I miss a spot?"

I shrugged my shoulders, moving closer to him, "Mhm. Lots of spots. Actually, let me help you!"

Nick was silent for a moment, not sure of what if I was serious or not. He continued to remain silent as I reached for his wrist, raising it to my face. Cradling his hand I kissed his palm, then his wrist. From there, I began to lick slowly up his arm. I gracefully ran my tongue up to his shoulder and extended my other hand and wrapped it around his waist, drawing the taller figure closer. He began to moan lightly as I kissed up his throat and around his jawline. The kisses were long, slow, and tastefully sinful; each one representing my burning desire for him. After his neck, I worked my tongue down his left shoulder, over his collar bone, and down to his chest. There, I placed more kisses, paying special attention to the area above his heart. I released Nick's right wrist, placing my paw on his hip. I bent down; my kisses beginning to trail down to his navel.

I glanced up at Nick; he had an intense look in his eyes; they almost appeared to beg. I knew what he wanted, but I had no intention of going in for the kill that easy. I smirked as I skipped over his throbbing cock; Nick whined.

I stooped down lower and took a hold of his calf. I trailed my tongue from his claws to his toes, up his paw and his ankle. Kisses were placed all up his inner thigh.

I shifted to a kneeling position. Nick looked like he was about to explode with anticipation. No sense in keeping him waiting much longer. I wrapped my paw around his thick cock and stroked with a slow rhythm.

Nick's breath hitched.

With my other hand reached up and cupped his balls gently, then leaned forward and took one gingerly in my mouth.

The orange colored fox in front of me began to moan softly, placing his hands on my head.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm," was all that was heard as I worked below his belt. He seemed to enjoy the sensations by the way he continuously balled his fists and curled his toes. I adored pleasuring him. Anything to make him feel good felt good to me.

I gently removed and replaced his first ball with his second one; the fox moaned harder.

"O-oh-oh, please," He begged, squeezing his eyes shut.

I let his ball slip from my mouth as I looked up at him, "Please, what?" I asked, giving him the most innocent look I could conjure; massaging his thigh in rhythm with his heavy breathing.

"Suck, please, please I need-. You're killing me," He groaned, completely drained of breath.

I loved doing this to him; driving him mad. Lifting his cock, I ran my tongue all along its underside. Nick shivered in response, whining more than ever.

"Don't tease," He pleaded in a weak voice.

I took a hold of the base of the knot, squeezing tight. Then, with mouth open and tongue over teeth, I took him in my mouth. The warmth of his member was so familiar, so was the girth, the head, and the precum that coated the tip. I moaned around its length.

Nick cried out, throwing his head back and tightening his grip on my head. He pushed deeper into my awaiting mouth, but he made sure not to go too far, he was always careful so I would not choke. The thickness in my mouth was my favorite part, save for his cum. His cock in my mouth never failed to make me feel extremely heated.

I began moving my head in slow motions. Sucking intently as Nick melted from building pleasure. I made sure to use my tongue in just the right motions to ensure he felt as good as he possibly could. I loved the taste of him, but not just the taste the feel of it completely.

Nick was running his fingers by my ears; claws gently raking through my fur. The little noises he was making were so pleasing to the ears. Every time he mewled, moaned, or gasped I could feel the rush from arousal sweep through my veins. It was always moments like this that I felt like I-, like I-.

"Mmm, pull off; gimme your lips," Nick commanded.

I minded his orders and got off of my knees. My lips were met with Nick's and suddenly I was pinned against the shower wall. Nick slid his tongue between my lips and into my mouth, licking my teeth and cheeks. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whimpered into the kiss. I ached to be as close to him as I possibly could manage; he never seemed close enough. I never understood why that was always the case, even now as he ran his paws down my stomach and around my hips, he still did not seem close enough for my liking.

The feeling of the fox's tongue in my mouth started my heart racing. Every caress of his gentle touch, every motion of his lips with mine, every breath he breathed into my lungs, I ached for him deeper. Our erections were pressing together as we kissed, each slight movement sending more shockwaves up my spine. Suddenly, I felt Nick slip his paws underneath my thighs, lifting me up so that my legs wrapped around his waist; kisses becoming more passionate.

My mind raced as I felt his cock push at my inner thigh; he began grinding slowly in time with his tongue.

My fingers twisted through his fur, adoring the soft texture of it. He had such a slender body, but it was perfect for me; easy to wrap myself around. As the seconds rolled by, I felt Nick become rougher; nipping at my lips, squeezing my thigh, rubbing against me.

"I want to fuck you," He growled as he broke this kiss.

I opened my eyes to his greedy green ones; I smiled, "Got anything to lube?"

He cocked his head quickly to the left with a smirk, "Got some on the self."

I widened my eyes, "Always ready, huh?"

He chuckled as he let go of my one thigh to reach for the lube. I wrapped my leg tighter to ensure that I would not fall. He turned back to me and screwed off the cap with his thumb, then balanced the container on my inclined leg.

"To fuck you? Always ready," Nick began to lube up his cock, all the while staring into my eyes hungrily.

Once he was done with himself, he began to lube me up as well. I gasped as I felt his finger enter into me, but the gasp was lost in the sound of the running shower.

"Nick?" I whispered unintentionally, caught off guard by what I was about to say. I collected myself, debating if I should say what I have been aching to say to him.

"Hm?"

"I-," I began slowly, staring into his eyes; those beautiful emerald eyes. I felt my heart swell in my chest as it raced faster and faster. How could I even begin to tell him? What would he think? What if he did not feel the same way? My heart rose to my throat as my words choked me silent. I knew I did not have the bravery.

"You're beautiful, Nick," I told him, heart still tugging to say more; brain begging to stop there.

He looked a little surprised at my compliment, giving me a look of confusion that only lasted a moment, and then melted away into a warm smile, "I don't think anyone has called me that before."

"They should, it's true," I responded, giving him a warm smile in return.

Nick scrunched up his lips in thought, giving me a peculiar look; it was as if he was studying something on my face, "I guess I do look pretty handsome; now, either that's just because I just am, or because your eyes are so beautiful that they reflect me like that."

I blushed profusely, which made him smile, "Charmer."

He laughed, leaning in closer to me to press his lips to mine. I was a little shocked at how different this one felt. It was not one that I was used to. It was gentle, slow, it seemed meaningful.

I felt pressure as he started to push in and I braced myself. It hurt at first, as it always did. I shut my eyes.

I felt Nick nuzzle my cheek as he pushed farther in. Little whines escaped my lips and my grip tightened on his shoulder. I could smell his aroma; feel his breath on my neck; taste the flavor of his lips from moments ago. The farther he went in, the more it hurt, but the more I was drawn into the moment with him. When he was all the way in, the pain had reached its maximum; there he waited for me to catch my breath. Moments were passing, him holding me close, the pain fading. Finally, the pain faded and I nodded to him to begin moving. He pulled out a bit and pushed back in with a gentle nature. I bit my lip as the pain made itself known again, but I trusted Nick to continue to be careful and not hurt me more than was anticipated.

Soon, the pain faded and I became more accustomed to his cock. Even though we had sex mere hours ago, it seemed as if it had been days. Never the less, I continued to try my best to relax for him as he picked up the pace. His thrusts became less gentle and instead deeper until he was rocking into me. I gasped in his ear, which pleased him. He always took great pleasure in knowing I was satisfied.

My claws dug into his shoulder as I felt pleasure begin to trickle through my senses. Nothing felt better than being with Nick. He always made me feel so on fire. I could feel him inside me, I could feel us connecting on the most physical level we could manage. Having him inside me was so satisfying and fulfilling.

Now every thrust he made was getting rough, he gripped my thighs harder, claws digging. He began to huff, biting his lip every now and then.

"Nick, mmm, Nick," I moaned out as he fucked me hard.

He was moaning himself now, saying my name, biting my ear. I could tell he was already getting close.

"Nick, let me ride," I whispered in his ear.

He nodded and let me down, then pulled out and sat down on the shower floor; stuffing his legs in to fit the small shower. He reached up to grab me. I obliged, allowing him to pull me down back on to his throbbing cock. I was facing away from him; he grabbed my thighs, bit my neck, and growled. I groaned out loud as started entering me again, filling me.

I cried out in pleasure as he leaned me back onto his chest and began fucking me. He was faster than before and had such a powerful rhythm; enough to take a person's breathe away. Sparks shot up through my veins as he fucked me at a steady pace. My dick was throbbing from lack of attention.

"Fuck me, oh god, Nick that feels so-oh," I was unable to form intelligent words at this point, instead everything that was said came out in forms of a waterfall of dirty words and sticky sweet phrases.

Nick shifted slightly and then thrusted hard into me, hitting the nerves in me that shook my body with electricity; I moaned loud, hearing myself echo off of the shower walls. A tremendous amount of sensations seized my body, shared between Nick's bites, his thrusts, and the warm shower water that ran over the both of us. My back was arching, my head was spinning, my breath hitching.

"Love being fucked, don't you?" Nick jeered, out of breath.

"By you," I replied to him, which made him smirk.

"Well, let's see how loud I can really make you scream."

I shuddered and Nick sped up. He was now practically slamming into me. Stars were flashing before my eyes. My breathing was ragged, so was his. My body was shaking with ecstasy; blood boiling with lust.

"Cum in me, Nick. Fill me, knot me, please, fuck. I need you," I begged to him, dying to feel his hot seed inside of me. I was craving him more than ever.

Nick seemed happy to give; he held me tighter against him and slammed at a new pace that seemed to find no rhythm. I could tell he was getting close just by the way he was breathing.

"O-oh, I'm gonna cum, fuck, oh, fuck!" Nick cried out as he came, thrusting one last time into me. His knot swelled inside of me, trapping the hot cum that was now pooling inside of me. I was always a slut for his cum, especially when I could feel it inside of me.

Nick balanced me on his chest and let go of my thigh. His hand moved to my cock, stroking softly, "You didn't think we were done, now, did you?"

I was a little surprised but grateful that he was planning on finishing me as well. Once the knot had become loose he pulled out, letting the cum drip from me into the drain below. He began to get up, pulling me with him. He cupped his hands and splashed me with water to rinse the remaining seed off of me.

"Wait here," He told me, kissing my nose. He then stepped out of the shower and dried himself off lightly, heading into the bedroom.

I stood there in the running water; feeling quite confused, but still incredibly turned on. He returned in a matter of minutes with a big smile on his face. He motioned me to turn off the shower, which I did. He then opened the shower doors and held his arms out for me. I gave him a head tilt. He rolled his eyes, then stepped forward and slipped one hand arm under my legs and one behind my neck. I was nervous, considering that he had never picked me up before, but none the less charmed once again by the heart swelling gesture.

Nick carried me back into the bedroom, which was all the same, except he had changed the sheets and laid a towel out for me. He flashed me a smirk as he brought me over to the awaiting towel and set me down on it.

"I figured after getting all clean it made no sense to keep the sticky sheets on," He told me, crawling on top of me.

"That's true," I agreed, staring into his dimly lit eyes. I lifted my paw and pressed it to his chest, feeling his heart beat under my palm.

"You ready?" He asked.

"For what?"

Nick smirked again, lowering himself down towards my cock. He grasped it firmly, giving it long strokes. My eyes fluttered shut, moans spilling from my lips. I gasped when I felt him remove his paw and replace it with his mouth. My eyes opened. Nick was looking up at me as he began, enjoying my immense pleasure.

Nick's mouth was so warm, it felt amazing. His swift motions with his tongue made it even better. His head lifted up slowly and back down speedily, driving me absolutely crazy. Every other breath was a moan that I could not control. My paws tightened, grasping the bed sheets tightly. The more Nick seemed to use his tongue, the closer I seemed to get. Soon, he became faster with his motions; bringing me to the edge.

"Nick, Nick, I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna-oh!" I threw my head back and bit my lip as I came in Nick's mouth. He did not pull off, instead sucked harder.

When he was finished, I was completely drained of any energy I had left. As I lay with my eyes closed, my arms lax, and my breathing heavy, I felt Nick dry me off with the edges of the towel and then slid it out from under me. He climbed into bed next to me, pulling the sheets up to our necks.

"I'm pretty good at that, aren't I?" Nick boasted as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest.

"Yeah, good to know that mouth is good for something else besides getting into trouble," I teased.

I felt him chuckle. I nuzzled closer, giving his chest a small kiss. I was in heaven, relaxing in afterglow in his arms. The tugging feeling crept back into my mind. I sighed internally as I realized that I had to fight it down again. Each time it returned it was stronger. It screamed at me to tell him; but feared the result, feared the idea of losing him. I could not tell him. I had to stay strong against the feeling, the feeling of lo-.

"Hey," Nick cooed in my ear, "I think you're beautiful too."

My heart felt as though it would beat out of my chest, my emotions bubbling just underneath the surface of my tongue. All the words I wanted to say to him, everything I wanted to do with him, all seemed irrelevant at this point. All useless against the one thing I wanted to tell him, the one thing I wanted to tell him since the day we first met. A phrase so simple, but so powerful; a phrase I could not fight any longer. Not in his arms.

"Nick," I breathed. The tension was building in my throat, my heart was working overtime, my adrenaline rushing through me.

"Hm?"

"You mean more to me than air, ever since I first met you, I can't stop thinking about you. Nick, I… I love you."

I shut my eyes tightly, hoping for the best...