Ford and Tilly walked sweaty hand in sweaty hand as they approached Ford's dorm. Tilly felt her heart pound like an African drum, to the point where she thought it might burst out of her chest. She looked at Ford as he fumbled for the keys in his large khaki pants.
"Dammit," He scrunched his large eyebrows and kept fondling. "Ah!" He pulled out a set of two bronze keys and with shaking hands he unlocked his dorm door. "They were in my pocket—er, yeah…" Hey laughed nervously holding them up on his thumb.
He motioned for Tilly to step in first. She adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder and sighed. She sheepishly pushed a clump of her goofy blonde hair behind her small ears. Ford awkwardly closed the door and cleared his throat. He pulled at his turtleneck, and bit the inside of his cheek anxiously.
"Ford," Tilly broke the silence.
"Yes?" He responded immediately and ran his hand through his hair, like the cutest little nervous wreck that Tilly had ever seen.
"Come here," she pulled him slowly by the jaw and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
"Are you okay?" She looked into those big, puppy-dog brown eyes. Ford took her hands in his. He rubbed his thumb over her palms.
"I'm alright," he said. "I'm just—nervous." Ford adjusted his glasses. He put his forehead to hers and sighed.
"So, this is happening?" He whispered.
"This is happening." Tilly smiled planting a soft kiss on his lips.
"So…" He looked around.
"Well," Tilly looked around. "Sometimes people turn on music…?" She suggested.
"Music! Yes—yes, I can do that…" He rushed over to a large stereo sitting on a shelf near the books. He turned on the switch. A blast of metal-bluegrass music began playing so loudly that it made Ford jump and his glasses slip. He leapt up and scrambled to find another tape. Tilly laughed and put a subtle hand to her mouth. Ford turned and held on finger up and smiled sheepishly.
"Fiddleford likes to listen to bluegrass-funk when he studies…" He squinted, trying to read the buttons and find which button was which. He stuttered a few words Tilly couldn't understand while pushing in another tape. Softer, sweeter music began to play and he stood up and lightly patted his thighs.
"That's—that's better." He chuckled. Ford was shaking. He walked over to her and attempted a passionate kiss but bumped her nose instead. She stumbled backwards slightly and flinched. "Oh goodness, Tilly I'm terribly sorry." He took her head in his hands and examined her nose.
"Ford I'm fine," Tilly mused.
"I'm just a little scattered tonight." He shot her a half smile and it made Tilly just want to grab him by the collar. "I'm a little embarrassed to admit…" He began. "I—er," he stuttered and sighed closing his eyes and regaining composure.
"Ford," Tilly said calmly. "You don't have to explain to me." She said rubbing his cheek. Ford dropped his shoulders and took her hand. "I feel so frazzled, what should I do first…?" He asked awkwardly. Tilly giggled and held his face in her hands.
"This," she took his hands and guided them along her chest and down to her waist. Ford was trembling, but he lifted her chin a little higher and kissed her gently. He felt his heart fill and picked up her small stature with ease and she wrapped her thin legs around his.
"Hey there," Tilly said giggling.
Ford carried her to his small bed and gently lay on top of her, moving from her lips to her neck down to her prominent neck line. Lucy grabbed hold of his sweater and began grasping the scruff of his hair. Ford looked up and stopped.
His glasses had fallen off of his nose and onto Tilly's face.
"Oh—gosh," he said sitting up. "I'm sorry." He reached for the glasses but Tilly quickly put them on and made a face.
"So this is how it feels to be you." She squinted and moved her head around. "I don't know how you can see with these Ford," she laughed. "I can't see anything." She laughed.
"You are absolutely adorable." He smiled and kissed her nose. "Here, give me those." He set them clumsily on the bedside table.
Tilly pulled him in close and he grazed his mouth over her neck. He was unsure what to do and instinctively stuck out his tongue.
"Woah there," Tilly pushed him away a few inches from her face and held him by the shoulders.
"You're not a puppy, Ford." She shook her head and chuckled softly.
"Right," he said breathlessly. "Er, I'm—I'm sorry." He said.
Tilly realized he was totally lost, and she had to admit, she was a little lost too.
A moment of silence, and Ford moved closer a little bit gentler. He began to kiss her, their tongues slowly becoming tangled. Neither of them knew what to do, it was a sloppy and awkward kiss. But at the same time, it was perfect. As they began to lose themselves in the moment, Ford's phone rang on the bedside table. Ford opened his eyes and frowned in the kiss. He groaned.
"Let it ring…" Tilly said between breaths. Ford winced and nodded. When it paused they both smiled and Ford rolled on his back and took Tilly with him. Fifteen seconds later, it rang again. Tilly broke the kiss, laughed and rested her forehead on his chin. She rolled off his chest and Ford rubbed his eyes.
"All right, all right." Ford groaned. Till softly fell onto her back. Ford reached over and answered the phone.
"…Hello?" He said frustrated. "Fiddleford?" He said exasperated. "What is it?…Wait, wait—okay." He paused and raised his eyebrows. "No—no Fiddleford, anywhere but here." He paused again. "I can't—I'm," He looked at Tilly. "Busy…" Tilly giggled and supported her head on her elbow. "Fiddleford," he said. "No, I won't look at it—no, no— don't bring it to the dorm!" He said. Tilly put her hand over her mouth trying not to giggle too loud. She was enjoying every moment of this. "Fiddleford, I have to—yes of course. Okay— I've gotta go, okay—bye." He hung up the phone and turned to Tilly. "I've imagined this moment for a long time now, since the first day I met you." He blushed. "But I must admit that, that fantasy didn't include Fiddleford's panicked voice over the phone." Tilly giggled and fell backwards. "Could this night possibly produce any other distractions?" He wiped his face. "By now you're probably ready to run head fist out that door.' He muttered. Tilly just smiled and patted the spot next to her softly.
"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered causing Ford's cheeks to go red. He waddled awkwardly over to her and kissed her tenderly. Their noses were inches apart. He stroked her forehead.
"Tilly," he said breathlessly. "From the moment we met—I've felt things I haven't in a while, er or ever. I do believe it's important that I express my feelings before me proceed further." He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and took a long deep breath.
"Yes?" Tilly asked feeling butterflies in her tummy.
"I—I love you Tilly Carter." He said quietly. Tilly looked at him for a long time and leaned in for a deep kiss, their bodies in sync.
"I love you, Stanford Pines." She said stroking his face.
Tilly saw a longing in his eyes; he looked like a lost wanderer who'd finally found what he was looking for. In that moment everything was blissful, perfect and peaceful. She reached for the bottom of her shirt and lifted it, exposing her bra. Ford looked at her body and hesitated to touch her.
"You're so," he chocked. "You're so beautiful." He said. Tilly laughed to herself slightly.
"I'm not," she shook her head.
"You must be joking." He said his weight on his arms. Tilly shivered as she could feel the warmth from his body over her's. "All I see, when I look at you," he said stroking her forehead. "is the most beautiful woman in the world." He ran a finger down her stomach. Chills completely engulfed Tilly's whole body.
She let herself relax and lifted Ford's sweater off his head and tossed it on the floor. He reached for her breasts and the drew back.
"Is this is okay?" He asked gently.
"It's more than okay." Tilly said. He stroked them lightly and kissed her bra line, then her neck, then her small ear, then her lips.
Tilly arched her back with pleasure and let out a small moan. Ford grabbed the small of her back with his hand and kissed her, deeper this time. She proceeded to take off her pants, and Ford kissed her inner thigh shakily. He unbuckled his pants and pulled the covers over his back. He looked at her bra and looked at Tilly. She could feel the butterflies in her belly again, but this time they rose up into her chest. She sat up and Ford opened the clasp from her back letting the small B-Cup bra fall to the floor leaving Tilly exposed.
Out of habit she covered herself with the sheets and blushed.
"Hey," Ford moved back. She looked up feeling ashamed of her figure, now realizing how completely vulnerable she really was. "We don't have to do this," Ford said intently. Tilly shook her head.
"It's just," She hesitated. "What if I'm not enough?" She said feeling the tears rise behind her eyes. "I feel so ugly, I feel disgusted with myself." She said. "I feel ugly."
Ford crawled over and removed her arms from covering her chest. He held her face in his hands. He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb and looked straight into her large brown eyes.
"You never have to be 'good enough' or 'pretty enough' for anyone, Tilly." He said kindly. "Because you're already perfect, to me."
In that very moment, Tilly knew Ford was the one. The one and only, and she wanted him now, more than she ever wanted anyone. His next words made her whole body melt into a puddle. He whispered, their faces just barely inches away. "Let me take care of you, Tilly." He said with assurance. "I'll take care of you." He said leaning closer, kissing her small lips, accelerating at a passionate rate.
It was now or never, and Tilly slipped off her underwear making Ford's eyes glow with a certain, "Are you sure?" look in his watery eyes. Tilly let her eyes do the talking and smiled. Her hands found their way to Ford's underwear and she pulled them down slowly. He reached in his bedside drawer and tore open a condom, his sweaty hands slipping taking him more than one try to get it out of the gold packaging. It was dark in the room as the sun began to set on that cold evening, but Tilly could see the desperate, longing look in his eyes. And Ford could see the heartache and the trust behind hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they're legs became tangled under the light blue comforter.
There wasn't much talking in these next few moments, just the heartbeats of two young hearts, in sync with one another; they became one in that moment. Two souls were never meant for each other more than Tilly Carter and Stanford Pines. A lifetime of feeling like he'd never find someone to love him, and a lifelong fear of her bare body, that had finally been put to ease. Tilly was so aware that she was naked, and that her boney shoulders were sowing, her small breasts exposed and her ribcage pultruding. Ford thought about every part of Tilly as he moved. He also began to wonder how could he be so lucky to have found someone who could love him, just for who he was.
Tilly dug her fingers into his back and held on. She had never felt such a feeling before, the feeling of wanting someone so much that it hurt. She didn't want it to end, she wanted to stay tangled between the sheets with Ford forever. With every pulse the fireworks exploded even harder, louder than the one before. It was awkward, raw and emotional. With every moan that escaped her lips, Ford felt bursts of pleasure, kissing her neck gently. He was sweating and his heart was about to leap right out of his chest completely. He felt a rush of pleasure through him and a sudden explosion of lights and fireworks. His first climax. And damn did it feel incredible. He kept going; Tilly was right on the edge. She grabbed the covers and tilted her head back and let out an embarrassingly loud moan. It was music to Ford's ears.
After a moment of silence, the just looked at each other and let out a slight laugh. Ford rested his head on hers and kissed her slowly on the forehead. He climbed out and lay next to her. They were both breathing heavily fast, both covered in sweat. Tilly brought the covers to her chest and put her hands to her face.
"Wow." She laughed breathlessly. Ford glanced over to her and wrapped his arms around her bringing her closer to him.
"Wow." Ford laughed grabbing his hair in amazement.
They lay there for a long time in silence, Ford lightly rubbing her bare arm, giving her chills. There was nothing either of them could say, it was the purest moment they have ever shared. The sheer bliss and raw movement was like nothing in the movies, the tv shows, or the books. Tilly wrapped her arm across his torso and drew lines across his chest lightly. Ford kissed her hands and grazed his thumb across them. He saw a single tear race down Tilly's cheek and wiped it gently.
"What's wrong?" He whispered. Tilly squeezed her eyes shut and sniffed a little.
"All my life," She laughed slowly. "They told me that there'd be that one person who'd be the one to make you see daisies in the rain and light in the dark." She said looking at the ceiling. "I spent my whole life looking for that person, never being good enough for anybody. Too skinny, too ugly, too stupid… The sun was always blocked by clouds and storms, and absolutely no daisies in sight." She said. "I learned that you can't trust many people the hard way." She licked her lip softly. "But with you?" She chuckled slightly. "All I can see are daisies, everywhere I look." She paused for a moment. "With you, I'm on cloud nine, I can see the sun and I'm happy." She shed another few tears and wiped them groaning. "…Well I guess now I can officially say I'm the loser who cries after sex." She laughed to herself readjusting her position in Ford's arms. Ford looked out the window and smiled to himself.
"Look at me, Tilly." She turned to face him. "I love you," He said. "For so long, I couldn't count on people…They're too unpredictable." He stroked her hair. "Equations, science, theories, laws; those were concrete, a definite and sure path to success and knowledge." Ford closed his eyes for a moment. "I always thought that a 4.0, a college degree, a life on my own, research were the most important things in life—that is until I met you." He choked. "Tilly, you taught me how to live again, how to stop and smell the roses; you taught me how to relate and to feel again. With you, food has taste, color is brighter, music is louder, my heart is fuller." He took her face in his hands. "Now I realize I want so much more than a college degree. I love you, and I won't run, I won't stray, and I'll stay by the woman I love. The woman who put my broken heart back together again." He kissed her with passion, with longing.
"Like I said before, we'll take care of each other."
"Ford," Tilly said though tears. "How did I get so lucky?" She said.
"Well," He said smiling. "I believe it was when you knocked me cold to the ground on the way to your Physics class last year." She laughed, their collision and their first meeting running through her head like a movie. "Thank you for running into me." He said.
"Thank you for carrying my books." Tilly mused.