Kissing the Commander was unlike anything Ella had ever experienced before.
She never knew a human could be so gentle, so reverent with their body. Honestly, the way Cullen's lips worshipped her was so tender it was almost obscene, as if he was either too shy to give substance to the kiss or perhaps too devout to do anything but exalt the soft flesh of her mouth. Even his tongue in its exploration was soft and silky, tracing only against the contours of her skin instead of demanding entry as Ella had refrained from doing since the very beginning of it all.
Kissing Cullen was overwhelming, invigorating… and slightly frustrating. She could never taste or touch him enough. It didn't satisfy her to sift each fingertip through the golden curls in his hair. Gliding her hands over his jawline caused her palms to ache, as if she wanted to press their flesh so hard together it would result in the oblivion of her physical form. She desired nothing more than to simply melt into each scar and curve of Cullen's body, to clash together in a maelstrom of power and eternity, to unite so significantly that the Veil would shatter and cause unearthly winds of green and gold to swaddle their two souls together as one.
Ella wondered if Cullen yearned for a similar fate, or at the very least, wondered if he felt the same urge to be more proximate than they already were. Even now, with his forearms braced around her waist, Ella's mind wandered beyond the silky dimensions of his mouth, though it was Cullen who pulled away first, his gentle hands shifting their bodies just inches apart. Ella lifted her gaze and struggled to retain her breath as his amber eyes peered back at her, heavy and warm with the many kisses he had just stolen from the slender, curious elf.
"What is it?" she asked him, her voice dancing so softly and muted in the night's cool air. "Too much?" Had he sensed her desperation for him in the way she clutched at his neck? Or perhaps in the tug of her teeth upon his lips?
But Cullen only smiled, exhaling deeply through his nose before leaning down and touching his forehead to hers.
"Do you…" he began slowly, pronouncing each word with the same affection he'd demonstrated just seconds earlier, "Ever feel like you'll just burn if you don't get as close as possible when we…?
Cullen swallowed the rest of his words in silence, clearly hesitating in the glorious way he always did when unsure of himself and of the violet reflection of Ella's eyes staring back at him.
Ella could not help but grin at this fool – her fool – and delight in the rosy blush rapidly washing over his cheeks and nose as the next few moments hung suspended between them. Finally Ella could not contain her joy any longer; she pressed their mouths together in wonderful exultation and felt Cullen instantly relax into her, his next breath colliding sweetly with the gilded planes of her cheekbones.
"So," Ella murmured half-coherently in between the hurricane of Cullen and his gentle adoration for her, "Not too much?"
Cullen shook with silent laughter, both arms returning to the natural rise of Ella's waist. He pulled her in completely, crushing any remaining space between them, and hummed contentedly at their physical union.
"Not too much," he whispered, barely even speaking the words before swooping down and drinking fire from the very depths of Ella and her passion for him.
Ella's heart sang.