Warning: smut! This was originally published on Ao3 on April 22nd, 2017 and is being posted here for the sake of my own ego.
This piece was inspired by the magnificent and beautiful "Both of Us Above" by the generous and talented returntosaturn, which you can find on Ao3. If you haven't read it yet, I strongly suggest you do so, because it is absolutely wonderful!
(If you can't or won't read it, the basic premise is an AU where Tina and Queenie are performers at the Blind Pig, and Newt takes Jacob there one evening, where they are entranced by the sisters. A relationship between Newt and Tina ensues, and this chapter takes place right after he's returned from a trip abroad.)
I read the piece, and was instantly taken with how forward and saucy Tina was, and as is so often the case with me, my muse ran with it. So I contacted the author with the proper amount of groveling before requesting permission to write something in her universe, and wonder of wonders, she agreed. The result is what you have before you. All thanks go to her for this, because this is her universe and her characters. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Italicized blocks of texts are part of her original work. Normal blocks of texts are my addition. I've added her snippets just to give you an idea of where my work falls in relation to hers.
"I have ten minutes," she mumbles, dark eyes glinting in the yellow light, challenging, and he accepts with his lips on hers.
Beneath the waxy coat of her lipstick, she still tastes like Tina.
Her hand unerringly leads his back to her thigh, to the inside of its smooth curve, and urges it upwards. Newt complies, helpless to do otherwise while sinking into her mouth with a heated sigh. Her hands find and grip the lapels of his greatcoat, hard enough to scorch holes in the fabric, almost, and they gasp together when his seeking fingers brush her heated center.
She leans forward to work her lips beneath his collar, warm tongue tasting his frantic pulse as he threads his fingers through her damp curls before grinding the heel of his hand against her. The sound Tina makes is almost pornographic. She looks at him through lust-heavy eyes before hiking up her skirt in clear invitation.
She is all pale, unblemished skin and frothy lace, glinting eyes and curved red lips, and he exhales shakily as he takes it all in. Feeling suddenly clumsy and somehow too big for this space, Newt shrugs out of his coat and lets it fall gracelessly to the floor, foot tangling in the sleeve as he propels himself forward. He notches himself against her, easing between her creamy thighs as she purrs and hooks her leg around him to draw him in.
"Nine minutes," she breathes, low and damp in his ear, and his trembling hands return to her skin. He draws random shapes on her enchantingly fair chest, ghosting over the hinted-at swell of her breast before boldly slipping lower, molding his fingers to its curve. Her hand flies up to cover his, her back arching when she makes another delectable sound while urging him to touch her more firmly. Her nipple hardens against his palm, and he can hear the minute scratch of fabric over flesh.
Lower, he plies her with an inexpert but eager touch. He quickly builds up a rhythm, working the heel of his hand against her until her head falls back with a ragged sigh and her stomach quivers. No longer content to simply watch, Newt leans forward to lather her throat and neck with small, scratchy kisses. His fingers press where she is hot and eager, slipping just inside to find her slick and ready before retreating. Tina whines in the back of her throat and trembles against him.
Her head rolls forward before her smoldering eyes meet his. "Seven minutes," she manages and twitches her hips into his hand. "Please, touch me," and it's a breathless moan. Newt catches her lips with a rough, clumsy sound before angling his wrist to slip two fingers inside. He circles her with his thumb and Tina keens, a tremor working through the entirety of her being when her hips sway forward.
Newt drags his mouth along the creamy skin of her neck and shoulder while she shudders against him. Her fingers clench at his waist when his hand works faster, only to slide up his chest to weave into his hair. "Kiss me," she breathes with a gentle tug. He does, breathlessly caressing her mouth with his as he works her into a frenzy, only for her to moan liquidly against his lips when his fingers crook inside her.
"Yes, like that," she hisses urgently, body thrumming against his. Then: "Five minutes."
Newt presses his forehead into her shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut when her shapely hands slide to the front of his trousers. She makes a hungry sound as she fingers what she finds there, and his smooth, angled strokes stutter, just for a moment, before resuming their easy rhythm. She laughs throatily, but there's no derision in it, just breathless delight. He quirks his own small, disbelieving smile, hiding it in the line of her collarbone before nibbling the tantalizing skin stretched before him, his thumb working faster as she tenses.
Tina gasps his name, and he hums into her skin encouragingly when the muscles in her stomach and thighs begin to quiver. His left-hand abandons her breast with one last squeeze to dip below her waist, joining his right. He gently works a third finger into her, causing her to rock her head back on a heated moan, while his second thumb brushes her from above, both hands now dedicated to pleasuring her. She's panting raggedly when he stops watching her worshipfully to press his lips to her ear.
"Time?" he husks, and she moans musically before turning her head to initiate eye contact. He gulps at the heat in her dark gaze, his skin suddenly feeling prickly and too tight with arousal.
"Three minutes," Tina breathes and moistens her lips when they part with a gasp. He stares as the momentary flash of her tongue causes heat to curl around his spine. Her hands go to his waist, fisting the fabric there as she winds around him, shapely arms and legs tugging him close. "Newt, Newt, I'm gonna—!"
"Yes, Tina," he purrs, laying a trail of kisses over the pulse throbbing in her neck to her mouth while his fingers press harder, his thumb works faster. She cries out once, short and sharp, when the tension is released, her body trembling against his as he swallows her moans. He hums his approval when she quivers around his fingers before collapsing, loose and sated as she sags into the vanity.
"Two minutes," she murmurs dazedly, and Newt crooks a shaky smile when she tilts her head back to look at him. Her eyes are dark and hazy, almost feline with satiety, and something masculine and proud blooms in his chest. It's not a feeling he's had many occasions to experience, and he basks in it for a moment before really seeing the smeared state of her lipstick, the damp tangles in her hair. He frowns while touching her flushed cheek.
Tina murmurs reassuringly while pressing into his fingers, reinforcing the impression of a content, lazy cat before craning her head to look at herself in the mirror. "Don't worry about it," she reassures him and leans in to nibble his bottom lip. "That's what magic is for."
Newt sighs and closes his eyes at the press of her teeth, and she kisses him teasingly before dragging her fingers down the front of his trousers. His eyes open wide, and she smirks in triumph as she squeezes what she finds there. "I can take care of this," she whispers and then bites her lip in a nervous gesture at stark odds with her rumpled state. "If you come home with me tonight, after the show. Will you?"
Nerves make his hands tremble, but joy pulls his mouth into a tremulous smile when he aligns their profiles. "Of course," he murmurs, and Tina dazzles him with her smile before using her wand to get the lipstick stains out of his collar.
Their act is a little different now. There are four songs, including one in which Tina leads and he sits contentedly with Jacob at a table laden with Gigglewater shots, simply bewitched by the gentle timbre of her voice. She's a little more confident, a little more gracious with the crowd, those tight and vigilant layers pulled away to reveal someone who is positively solid and strong in who she is, unafraid to let the crowd see.
They toast when the ladies meet them at the table, and bark their unique laughs after downing their shots in unison. Queenie giggles brightly, lazing against Jacob's shoulder while a cackle blasts from his belly. Newt decides it is pointless to be self-conscious of the way his teeth show when he laughs openly, and Tina, long practiced, gives a comfortable chuckle. When their eyes meet, he cannot remember a more romantic and captivating sight in all of nature than her smile.
Tina lives in a women-only apartment.
She sneaks him past the landlady with a practiced efficiency, eager hand never leaving his while preceding him up the stairs. Newt watches the saucy sway of her hips, the occasional peak of those garters from beneath her scandalously short skirt, and the teasing looks she throws over her shoulder with avid fascination. His breath comes in short, hot bursts by the time they reach her landing.
The door is barely latched before she's crowding him against it, red, red lips hot on his neck and throat as her fingers move erratically up and down his sides. He drops his case, his hands going to her shoulders to help her shrug out of her light spring jacket, and they shed their outer layers in a fumble of fingers and eager mouths.
"I'm sorry," she murmurs against his lips, her cool hands wondrously steady as she loosens his many buttons. "I know this isn't considered proper, and I know it's fast, but I missed you." She looks up at him, Stygian eyes fathomless in the dark of the room. "I couldn't stop thinking about you while you were gone."
Newt hums reassuringly, squeezing her upper arms before threading their fingers together. "How fortuitous, then," he murmurs, "that I couldn't stop thinking about you." He manages a small, hopefully teasing smile. "Though, I'll admit that our encounter in your dressing room was...pleasantly unexpected, for all that."
Tina stands on tiptoes to kiss him until they're both breathless. "Thank you for that," she sighs against his lips, and he closes his eyes before kissing an eager trail down her throat. "It was wonderful."
"No thanks are necessary," he whispers and runs his tongue out to taste her silky skin. Her head falls back with a blissful sigh as her hands rise to cradle his jaw. Nerves cause his stomach to clench painfully when his teeth gently scrape her collarbone before catching the thin strap of her dress. He meets her eyes, expression imploring.
"You can take it off," she murmurs and touches his bristly cheek reassuringly. "You don't have to ask. I'm telling you now that you can do whatever you want."
Newt's face heats with a blush, which he hides in her neck. "Anything?" he whispers hoarsely, and she nods while smoothing her hand over his hair.
"Yes," she breathes and catches his eye. Her fingers move to her shoulders to brush the wisps of fabric aside, before guiding his hand to her skin. "Take it off," she repeats firmly. Newt gulps but doesn't argue, his calloused palms rasping against her skin until the dress falls away with a whisper of beads and fabric.
Tina steps out of it with confidence, artfully draping it over the back of a chair before twining her arms around his shoulders. "Was that so awful?" she teases gently, and he makes a rough sound while kissing her jaw, choosing not to answer; instead, he drops his unsteady hands to her waist and squeezes her through her girdle, fingers kneading restlessly as he nuzzles his face into her neck. She turns her head and he captures her lips in a truly hard kiss, her sharp inhale met with a hungry sound.
"Not awful," he manages when they part, and he captures her bottom lip between his teeth fleetingly. "Wonderful." She gasps against his mouth while running her fingers up his chest to his throat, where she toys with his bowtie before pressing her breasts against him. His breath hitches at the contact, and her lips quirk gently.
"Can I…?" she asks, and kisses his nose when he blinks confusedly for a moment before squeezing her.
"Of course," he responds, and breathes in the scent of her hair. "The same applies to me. About the—the asking, I mean. You don't have to ask." He swallows with an audible click. "You can do...whatever you'd like, Tina."
Tina hums and slides her fingers down the front of his shirt, punctuating each popped button with a kiss until she reaches his waist. He's not wearing a singlet beneath his shirt, and she makes an unmistakably pleased sound when she brushes her slender fingers over his skin.
"Mercy, Newt," she breathes approvingly, and he fumbles at his cuffs before allowing her to push his shirt off his shoulders.
Newt swallows thickly as his cheeks heat up. Divested of his layers and feeling hopelessly exposed, nervousness settles in. Tina is radiant in the low light, a sultry creature of angles and curves and feminine lace; he feels thick and clumsy and inexperienced by comparison, and his eyes prickle with emotion.
Dark eyes take the measure of his face before she embraces him. "Whatever you're thinking right now, don't," she whispers tenderly. "You're perfect, but we can stop if you're uncomfortable."
He makes a miserable sound and presses his face into her hair. He breathes in her feminine, almost visceral scent, squeezing his eyes shut in pained self-recrimination before fortifying his nerves.
"We don't have to stop," he mumbles into the heavy strands. "I just...I haven't had much practical experience in these matters. I don't wish to disappoint."
Tina's hands slide up his chest to his shoulders, where she squeezes reassuringly before fingering the rough ridge of scars she finds there. "I promise...you won't be," she says with a smile. He flicks his hair off his brow and prepares to argue, but she stops him by tracing his mouth with her index finger. The sensation goes straight through him to coil in his groin, and Newt swallows his rejoinder with a gulp while breathing carefully through his nose.
Operating on something baser than instinct, he captures her finger gently between his lips, touching the pad with his tongue before kissing it. Tina's smile turns into something slow and sultry, eyes gleaming in the dark. She threads her hands through his hair when he releases her, fingernails gently scraping his scalp as she tugs him close. "We'll go slow," she promises, and he nods with a crooked smile before leaning in.
They kiss without demand, their lips sliding together teasingly. Tina uses it as a distraction to touch him, fingers soft and curious over scarred and freckled skin before pulling away to tilt his head back. He complies with a low, hungry sound, and she doesn't try to hide her smile as she maps his neck and throat.
"Will you let me take care of you?" she asks in a murmur, and he swallows before humming his agreement. Tina drags her fingers along the waistband of his trousers, rewarded when his abdominal muscles jump erratically beneath her fingers. She presses her lips to where his pulse jumps and flutters, pressing rhythmically with her tongue as she pops his button.
Newt makes a rough sound and rolls his head forward, his eyes wide as he watches her work. She runs her fingernail teasingly along the seam hiding his zipper before leaning in to nibble his collarbone while parting the fabric. He presses his face into her hair to exhale shakily, and Tina flashes a triumphant smile.
A nervous shiver works slowly through him, inspired by proximity and the cool air of the room. Her fingers go still when she kisses him sweetly, allowing his breathing to return to normal as he calms. His hands fumble her waist before settling on her hips, thumbs fanning nervously over the boning of her girdle as he breathes in slow pulls.
"I'm going to take these off now," she murmurs and kisses his collarbone before he can reply.
His trousers fall without fanfare, and Tina bites back an ill-timed giggle when his underwear flash white in the room. She steadies him when he steps out of the fabric to kick it aside, almost overbalancing in his nervous state before righting himself. His face flames anew and she kisses first one hot cheek, then the other, before brushing his lips.
Tina leans forward to kiss one of his scars, just over his heart, and he groans at the unexpectedly sensual contact. "This is good," she promises, and he nods as his chest works. Emboldened, Tina repeats the gesture, adding a bit of tongue to taste him, and his hands drag down her sides to stop just beneath her breasts. His fingers clench as he hesitates.
"You can touch me," she encourages, and her fingers dip into his underwear at the same time he covers her breasts. He touches her with the same hesitant enthusiasm of earlier, rubbing gently to tighten her nipples before exploring their pert curve. Tina sighs happily while arching into it, touching him in fleeting brushes until she earns a gasp.
She flattens her palms against his skin, her touch light, almost ethereal. Goosebumps sweep him when her fingers dance along his side until he grunts with a chuffing sound while jerking away. Tina freezes and looks into his face with a furrowed brow.
"Sorry," he manages around a nervous huff of laughter. "'m ticklish."
Tina flashes a teasing grin, slipping her hands deeper to brush the curve of his bottom before gently squeezing, kneading the muscle. Newt sighs at the contact and unsteadily leans his head against hers.
"That's nice," he murmurs and closes his eyes. "I like it when you...I like you touching me."
"That's good because I like touching you," she rejoins and kisses his flat nipple. He makes a low sound and she nips it before going on. "I know you said I could do anything, but it'd be easier to touch you without these." She pats his skin reassuringly. "Can I take them off?"
"Yes," he breathes and kisses the side of her neck. She shivers and he does it again, until goosebumps chase over her skin and heat curls low in his belly. He drags his mouth lower, gently scraping his teeth along her throat before dipping his tongue into the notch of her collarbone. Tina arches into the contact while breathing his name in broken bursts. He chuckles before leaning away.
"Weren't you doing something?" Newt reminds her in a slightly wavering voice, and she hums in agreement while her fingers go to the buttons fastening his underwear.
"You shouldn't tease," she admonishes gently while freeing him. "It may get you into trouble." Thus reprimanded, she doesn't give him a chance to respond, pushing his underwear past his hips until he has no choice but to step out of them. Which he does, a flush climbing over his chest and neck like wildfire to burn his face.
Tina keeps her eyes above his waist, touching him reassuringly while his hands thread into her hair. "Tina," he murmurs, voice suddenly thick and vital in a way it wasn't before, and she accepts his kiss when he leans forward while slowly sliding a hand down his front.
Newt holds his breath when her fingers first brush, then wrap around him. Her eyes find him and her gaze is steady as she strokes him, before leaning forward to brush her lips against the edge of his jaw. "You have to breathe," she reminds him in a coy whisper, and he exhales explosively while his body trembles against her hand. His fingers tighten around her breasts unthinkingly before mumbling a hasty apology.
"You can do more than touch them if you'd like," she says with faux-innocence, eyes wide in her fair face, and he adjusts his hold on her to brush his thumb over her nipples before dipping lower.
"I could," he agrees, and now her eyes shine with good-humor in the low light. Newt kisses her sternum and collarbone and Tina inhales sharply, her delicate hand never faltering in its steady rhythm. His whole body tightens in response until he covers her hands with his, unapologetic as he halts her movements. "No more of that, please," he implores in a strained voice and moistens his lips. "Otherwise, this will be over...quite soon."
"Okay," she agrees and brings her arms to his shoulders. He drops his chin to kiss her while splaying one hand over the small of her back, his nail meditatively rubbing the boning of her girdle before dropping to finger its edge. "We can take it off," she murmurs, and he trembles so violently for a moment that she squeezes him reassuringly. "Or not," she amends, and he nods jerkily.
"I don't know if I could handle you taking anything else off," he admits, and his hand slides through the notch of her waist to touch her belly. He rubs it while hesitantly meeting her eyes. She can read the question there, and she's smiling when he opens his mouth. "Tina, um...how far are we taking this tonight? What—what do you want, can you tell me?"
"You," she murmurs as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and he gulps. Allowing her smile to blossom into a grin, she ruffles his hair before kissing the tip of his nose, her other hand coming to rest on his side. "I want you. I thought you could tell." She glances pointedly at her mostly-undressed state and pebbly nipples before going on. "And I know you want me."
"I do," he gasps, and his attempted smile feels crooked on his face. "Oh, Tina, I do," and he's helpless to keep the simple honesty out of his voice—but it must be the right thing to say because she laces their fingers together with a radiant smile.
"Bed," she commands, and he allows her to lead him. Tina walks them to the edge of the mattress and pushes him down until he sits with his feet flat on the floor and she can climb into his lap. He exhales hard when she's settled over him, his arms naturally going around her waist as he tilts his head back in wonder to watch her.
"Tina," he murmurs in warm welcome, and she smiles down at him beatifically.
"Is this alright?" she asks, and he nods while kissing the shelf of her chin.
"This is perfect," he assures, and her fingers wrap around his wrist to guide his hand between her thighs. Her scent still clings to his skin and he swallows thickly as he brushes his fingers through her curls. She purrs and sways into him, her breasts a soft curve against his hard chest while her hair tickles his shoulders.
"Yes, like that," she murmurs and kisses his shoulder blade. His hand builds a rhythm much like the one he'd used earlier, and her thighs tense where they press against his. The part of her he brushes seems to blossom, becoming slick and swollen and hot beneath his tentative touch. He slots one finger into her, then two, as his thumb circles the knot of nerves that makes her mewl. Tina reaches down to take him in hand, mirroring his movements between her thighs.
This goes on until a tell-tail quiver begins in his stomach. Dismayed, he nuzzles her cheek until she turns her head, allowing him to capture her lips in a bid to distract. Her stroking hand slows, and he sighs his relief before withdrawing his fingers from her. She makes a bereft sound before breaking their smoldering kiss to settle lower over him.
"Tina," he hisses when her molten core brushes him. Goosebumps ripple across his skin when she smirks coyly before taking his chin in her hand.
"Do you want to do this?" she asks breathlessly. He gulps and tightens his arms around her hips with a nod.
Tina exhales sharply and reaches down to guide him. "Say it," she whispers.
He drowns in her dark, languid eyes while cupping her cheek. "Tina." He leans in to kiss her shakily. "I want you."
Tina murmurs his name and drags her fingernails over his shoulders before squeezing, using them for leverage as she rolls her hips. Newt gasps and pulls her close, burying his face in her shoulder when vital, pulsing heat engulfs him. He watches her face until he chokes, electricity skittering across his nerves as she moves against him sensually.
"Tina," he husks out, and his hands tremble when he pushes her tousled hair back from her face to kiss her. The contact grounds them, and they share a groan as she finds and settles into a rhythm. His hands move restlessly over her sweat-shiny skin before cupping the curve of her bottom, his arms flexing as he encourages her to increase her pace.
She gasps his name and trembles deeply when her eyes flutter closed. He recognizes these signs from earlier, and his hand glides over her skin to settle between her thighs, brushing where he slides into her. Tina chokes and tenses at the contact, her easy rhythm faltering as she shudders closer to the edge. Eyes never leaving her face, Newt experimentally cants his hips up and into her. She groans encouragement, head falling back in wanton bliss.
He needs to see and feel her released, but he cannot get the leverage he needs while touching her skin and pleasuring her at the same time. Newt frowns in frustrated annoyance before Tina solves the problem handily, squaring her stance to increase the cadence of her thrusts. Her mouth falls open on a shaky exhale and he leans in to nibble her plump bottom lip before drawing her into a smoldering kiss.
A slow pulse works through her, a precursor of greater, more primal pleasure. Newt slides his hand up her back to cradle her head as she cries out, his name tripping off her tongue. He threads his fingers through the heavy silk of her hair as they move together faster, her nails cutting into his skin when she begins to quiver. She drops her head with a heady moan as her whole body goes tense, and he caresses her skin with his lips when she spasms around him.
Newt watches her face adoringly, the pursuit of his own pleasure temporarily forgotten as her well-trained voice caresses his name. Her clenching and fluttering gradually subside until she sags against him with a low sound, her tired muscles skittering beneath his hand. He kisses her tenderly until she lifts her head and brushes his hair back from his brow.
"Was that...good?" he asks, making determined eye contact as his fingers curl nervously into her skin. Tina huffs a disbelieving laugh before rolling her hips suggestively. His eyelids flutter as the smile slips from his face, viscerally reminded that he's still in an unsatisfied state. Tina glances down at his hand pointedly while petting the nape of his neck.
"It was very good," she murmurs against his lips, "but I can't keep going like this. Do you think you could…?" She kisses him sweetly before glancing over his shoulder, at the expanse of bed and tangled blankets behind them. Newt gulps and nods jerkily before helping her reposition her limbs.
"Hang on," he murmurs, and she wraps her slender legs around him when he stands. He turns and takes a knee on the mattress before lowering her onto it, somehow remaining slotted firmly inside her as they tangle together. She helps him figure out what to do with their limbs, until one of her legs is draped around his waist, his weight resting on his forearms as he hovers over her.
"So strong," Tina murmurs approvingly, and her hands stroke his arms and chest before pinching his nipple. He groans at that, a heady thrill working through him, and she ardently tugs his shoulders until he settles lower over her. Newt's hands slide around her back and neck as she twitches her hips into him, her gaze smoldering.
"It's your turn, now," she says plainly, and he drops his head with a groan. She squeezes him encouragingly when he begins to move, hesitantly at first but quickly finding a rhythm. He rolls his hips into her sharply, drinking in the sounds he wrings from her throat until one of his hands slides from her shoulder to the small of her back, lifting her off the mattress so he can get inside easier.
Tina gasps into his skin, and her eyes are lusty when she touches his face before squeezing his shoulders. He slides his other arm beneath her, bringing them closer while he pushes into her, and the scrape of her nipples against his chest causes them both to moan. She presses hot, open-mouthed kisses into his neck and throat while he pants, the humid feel of her mouth causing his skin to prickle with warning heat.
Tina's head falls back as she works a hand between them, touching herself with calculated brushes. Newt growls when she tightens, his eyes frantically searching her face. She nods breathlessly at his imploring look, kiss-swollen lips curling in a promising smile, and a shudder twists his skin. A few moments later, Tina dissolves into musical moans as a now-familiar series of spasms ripples through her, and Newt's jaw unhinges as he chokes out her name and, in a flurry of snapping thrusts, tumbles after her.
Silence then, save for the harsh rasp of their breathing and the whisper of sheets as he kisses her tenderly. Tina sighs and pats his sweaty skin as he rests their foreheads together, her expression one of deep contentment. She blinks up at him and he smiles sweetly before rolling off of her, withdrawing from her body with a shiver to gather her close. She curls into his embrace, her eyes slipping closed as she lays her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he says once his breathing has regulated, and she makes a questioning sound. Newt cracks one eye to look at her, relieved to find that she's smiling. He touches her hair with a heavy hand. "That was...a rather short encounter, and I'm sorry." He swallows down lingering anxiety. "As I said: I haven't had much practice."
Tina leverages herself to her elbow to kiss him sweetly. "You're fine," she promises, and nibbles at his scarred and freckled chest. "It was wonderful, and something we both wanted. If anything, I'm sorry we can't do more, but I'm exhausted." Her mouth opens in a sudden, jaw-cracking yawn, and they share a breath of laughter. "See?"
"I do," he murmurs warmly and draws the silk-edged blankets over them both. Tina closes her eyes with a heartfelt sigh. "I could go down into my case if you'd prefer," he whispers, eyelids already heavy with sleep, and Tina shakes her head.
"No. You're my pillow, and I don't want you to move." Another yawn. "Stay. Please."
He hums in agreement before closing his eyes, her breathing already slipping into the steady pattern of sleep, and stays.
He wakes with her the following morning, or rather wakes before her. The city is already awake and bustling, automobiles chugging and honking. But Tina, tuned to the rhythms and cadence of the sprawl, dozes until she wakes naturally. She stretches, and he blushes at the peek of her breast over the silk edge of blanket.
When she tucks her hands under her chin and gives a coy little smile, he stumbles back to her and he is sure that this will become a well-worn path he travels for many years to come.