"Please, Lily…"

It's been this way since my opening night as the Swan Queen.

I moved in with Lily after I left the hospital six months ago. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle my mother's griping about the incident, and Lily had promised to not to talk about it unless I wanted to. That was one of the many things I found attractive about Lily… her willingness to live in the present.

Her obstinacy, however, was a trait I was not so fond of. Oh, how masterful she was at the craft of standing her ground. Lily was like a mule; you could try all you wanted, but no human could budge it an inch farther than it wanted to go.

Now, I consider myself a very proud person. I have never begged for anything in my entire life. So, the fact I was here, pleading with Lily to play the cords of my body like a violin; to make a symphony of my wanton screams with her dexterous fingers... was, needless to say, surprising.

"Nina, you know why I can't."

Yes, I knew why she couldn't. But the fact that I was cradled against her on the sofa in our living room, my head resting on her shoulder, her enticing neck just in reach of my lips made the reason a little harder to remember. I brushed my nose against her jaw, and she sighed, though from arousal or annoyance it was hard to tell. Her lack of objection made me grow bolder, and I gently pressed my lips to the soft skin of her neck, just below her left ear. This time, a strangled groan came from Lily, as if she had been working hard to suppress it.

"Oh," I whispered sultrily in her ear, praying my persuasive tactics were working. "You're so warm, Lily…"

I let the tip of my tongue trace the shell of her ear, and her arms tightened instinctively around me. Her body was reacting before her brain could, and if I had only wanted sex from her, that would have been alright with me. But I wanted Lily, mind, body, and soul. I wanted to protect her, to rid her of the demons I know she left behind in San Francisco. I wanted to be able to entangle the warmth of her hand in mine when we went out, to let everyone know that she belonged to me. I wanted to be able to hold her on the nights that she couldn't sleep, and whisper sweet things into her ear that would soothe her into slumber. I wanted all of that, and so much more.

"Please, Lily. I love you…"

I planted another kiss on the plane of her neck before swinging one leg over the side of her waist to straddle her. Her eyes widened as I sat atop her, my brown eyes boring holes into her green ones. I could tell that there was a great deal of lust building behind those walls of hers, just waiting to spill over. As I moved to slide my fingers into her cascading raven locks, she caught my wrists lightly.

"And I love you," she said, biting back tears now. "That's why I can't do this.

My pencil-thin eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand."

Lily sighed heavily and guided my wrists down to my thighs, her palms resting lightly on the backs of my hands.

"When you… had your accident," she whispered, almost too quietly for me to hear. "I cried for the first time in 10 years. I didn't sleep for a week, and if I did, I kept having the same nightmare… you, covered in blood, calling for me to save you. I always woke up sobbing uncontrollably. Almost losing you tore me apart, Nina. And I can't lose you again. I'm not strong enough…"

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks now. It broke my heart to see someone with so much strength crumble before my eyes. I gently wiped away the liquid tendrils of emotion with my thumb, and cradled her cheek delicately in my hand.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lily."

Before she could respond, I brought my lips to hers in a kiss. My raven-haired ballerina's lips were so soft, and the kiss was so sweet… I hungered for more. I tenderly ran my tongue across her bottom lip, eager to gain entry into the saccharine mystery of her mouth. She succumbed to me immediately, and it was then that the self-preservative walls came down. Lily's hands found their way to the bends of my hips, and she began running her fingers softly up and down my sides. I couldn't hold back my contented moan. Dear God, it felt so good.

I pulled away gently to look at her. Behind her watery eyes, a fire of lust and want raged in her emerald irises, sending a pulse of wetness down my thighs. I ground my hips against Lily, making my intentions clear. She whimpered in pleasure, and I slid my hands beneath the black tank top she was wearing. Her toned abdominals flexed underneath my palms, the musculature so warm and strong that I almost climaxed at the feeling.

With a frustrated groan, her manicured fingers entangled themselves in my hair and pulled my mouth back to hers. This kiss was very different from the first; teeth nipped hungrily at my bottom lip, and hips jerked up in a sensual rhythm that made me mewl in to Lily's mouth. When she broke from me, I finally saw the fire in her eyes that I've dreamt about every night since she took me clubbing the first time. It was so intense that it bordered on primal, and as she begin removing my camisole, I could tell that Lily's seemingly never-ending self control had just run out.

After my tank top fell noiselessly to the floor, Lily's expressive eyes widened. I smirked in satisfaction as she stared at my "ace in the hole", so to speak.

"You're not wearing a bra," Lily rasped quietly, her tone husky with the weight of lust.

"No," I simpered sultrily. "But, if you'd like me to go put one on, I'm sure I could -"

Lily hurriedly buried her face in the valley between my naked breasts and began planting small, quick kisses up to my collarbone, then down to the bottom of my ribcage. I chuckled softly at her eagerness, and moaned when her lips formed a seal just above my left nipple.

"Oh, no, my dear Nina... you are not going anywhere."

I could have laughed at that... Leaving was the last thing on my mind.