Ruth had her head resting on Harry's chest while they snuggled on the sofa in front of the television. They were spending a lazy afternoon flipping channels when Harry found The Thin Man and desperately wanted to watch it. Ruth very much enjoyed the film as well and hadn't seen it in some time, so she happily agreed.

The old black and white movie was just as charming as she remembered, but Ruth found herself paying less attention to the screen and much more to the man beside her. He was enjoying so much, smiling and laughing. Sometimes he let out a sharp bark of a laugh at something witty William Powell said, or sometimes he'd give his wheezy belly laugh Ruth loved so much when Myrna Loy said something silly. Ruth couldn't stop smiling at his enjoyment.

It was so rare to see Harry have fun. They were so happy, she knew, living together in this house and being in love and far away from the threats that plagued them at every corner in their former life. But Ruth still rarely saw him delight in something like this. They would tease each other, he would proudly show off things in the garden, he would smile affectionately at her when he watched her wake up from slumber most days. But this was a laughter that shook his whole body so much that Ruth had to move her head to avoid motion sickness. He was enthralled and so purely content. And she'd never seen anything so wonderful in all her life.

Ruth watched Harry watch the film, filled more and more with her overwhelming love for him. She knew that she and Harry were no Nick and Nora Charles, but she resolved that they should have more fun. Watch more screwball comedies, perhaps. Go places in their travels that would excite them with giddy fascination. Have more spontaneous adventures.

The film ended with Nick tossing Asta the dog up on the top bunk of their sleeper train cabin and joining Nora on the bottom. Ah, the quaint suggestiveness of the 1930s. Harry watched the screen go black with a satisfied smile. "That was rather fun," he stated.

Ruth nodded. "Yes. And I'm glad you enjoyed it so much."

"I'd forgotten how funny it was."

"I like it when you laugh."

"Do you?"

"Yes, Harry, I like it very much when I can see you so happy."

He smiled at her and reached up to push her hair behind her ear. "I might not be laughing hysterically all the time, but I promise you, I'm very happy."

An idea crossed into Ruth's mind. A rather spontaneous, adventurous idea that she immediately decided to carry out. "Do I make you happy, Harry?" she asked with feigned shyness.

"Oh Ruth, you make me happier than I've ever been in my life," he assured her.

Ruth couldn't resist a wicked little smile curling over her lips as she leaned forward. "Let me make you happy, Harry," she whispered. Her lips pressed against his just as her hand began stroking his cock through his trousers.

He whimpered and pulled away in surprise. "Ruth!"

She was entirely undeterred. And with the space created between them, she unzipped his trousers and reached into his trunks to stroke him in earnest. To her eternal flattery, Harry started getting hard very quickly. Ruth squeezed him, caressed his shaft, ran her thumb over his head, feeling him tremble at her touch. She looked back at his face to see him staring at her hand in awe. With a proud grin, she put her free hand on the back of his neck, carding his wispy curls in her fingers, and pulled him back into a searing kiss.

Harry let her continue on, but he tangled one hand in her hair and began massaging her breast with the other. His tongue surged into her mouth and she lost her concentration for a moment, assaulted by the glorious sensations of him.

Ruth had to pull away to catch her breath. His erection was hard in her hand now, so she settled herself on the sofa to lean down and take him in her mouth.

"Jesus, Ruth!" he swore, groaning and allowing his head to fall back against the back of the sofa. She chuckled slightly, giving him a bit of vibration along with her wet, swirling tongue. Her hands and her lips worked in tandem, moving up and down on him, sucking him as hard as she could. Harry's moans and shuddering thrusts gave her a good indication that he was enjoying himself. He was starting to lose control and tried to pull her off him, but she swatted his hand away. She wanted him to enjoy himself, she wanted to shower him with love and affection, and she wanted him to just relax and be happy. He gave a low growling groan as he came in her mouth, pulsing with pleasure.

Ruth gently sucked and licked and swallowed every last drop of him before finally sitting up. Harry seemed to be practically comatose, so she allowed him to rest as she went to the kitchen to rinse her mouth and open a bottle of wine for them to share. It was still early in the evening, so she figured they could watch another movie if they wanted to.

When she returned, Harry was just starting to blink back to reality. "What on earth was that?" he asked in disbelief.

"I think you know very well what it was. It's not like it's the first time I've done that for you, Harry," she pointed out.

"Yes, but that's certainly the first time you've done it like that. And now I'm…" He looked down to his soft cock with disappointment, knowing he'd more than likely remain that way until tomorrow.

Ruth put her wine glass down and gave him a soft kiss. "I know. I wanted to do that for you. If you enjoyed, that's all that matters, my love."

"But I like enjoying myself with you," he pouted.

"And you did. I was right there. And you don't need to reciprocate, Harry. I'm perfectly happy," she insisted.

He frowned slightly. "Well, even if I don't need to reciprocate, may I do so anyway?"

Ruth laughed and took another sip of her wine. "That's a very polite request. And I think I might be inclined to let you reciprocate, yes. But only if you take your clothes off," she dared.

Harry seemed a bit confused. "Why? I certainly don't need to be naked for this."

"But I want you to be," she replied in a small voice, feeling her confidence flag.

Ruth supposed it was bound to happen, that despite their very rewarding sex life, they were still themselves, and still struggled with their relative insecurities. Harry's power and skill and bravado were used to make up for his belief that he was old and fat and ugly. Ruth was constantly trying to overcome her own fear of inadequacy, the awkwardness and cowardice that had held her back all her life. Yes, she and Harry loved each other. Yes, the sex was wonderful. But Ruth still hadn't been brave enough to truly convince Harry of how attractive she found him, nor had he been able to truly coax her out of her shell. This moment, the spontaneous way Ruth had taken him, had been the closest to bravery Ruth had ever attempted. Harry was always the one to initiate intimacy, but Ruth was always very eager. Not since their first time together, when she'd woke him up by climbing on top of him naked, had she ever done anything close to this.

And now it seemed that Harry hadn't appreciated it as she wanted him to, he wanted to please her as she'd pleased him. It wasn't that Ruth didn't want him to, but it pained her that he still didn't really understand how much she desired him not just for what he could do but for all that he was.

Harry immediately saw the uncertainty in her eyes, the timidity that he'd tried so hard to cure her of. And it had been his own words and actions that had caused her to retreat from him now. She'd given him such a beautiful gift. And rather than being grateful for the selfless pleasure she bestowed on him, he had been grumpy that he wouldn't get to have more. Still, even if he couldn't get another erection tonight, he had plenty of other ways of bringing her to ecstasy. And this woman, this gorgeous goddess, somehow wanted him. She wanted him naked in her arms as he brought her pleasure. And who was he to deny her anything?

He took a few sips of the wine she'd poured for him before he slowly went to work unbuttoning his shirt. Ruth sat up and watched him hungrily. That dark expression in her eyes made him feel like he was thirty-five again, as though he could take her in every manner of ways for hours and hours. In many ways, he had been holding back thus far. He didn't want to come on too strong or do anything to frighten her or make her uncomfortable in the least. But oh, he wanted her. No matter how or when, he wanted nothing more than to feel her and kiss her and make her scream out his name as she trembled at his touch. And that was precisely what he intended to do.

As soon as he'd pushed his trousers off—leaving his trunks in place—he set to work bringing Ruth to a similar state of undress. Her eyes were shining with excitement as he pulled her jumper over her head and slid her sweats off her hips. She wasn't wearing anything particularly enticing for her underthings, but she didn't need to be. The plain flesh-colored bra was tossed aside quickly and her navy blue knickers joined the pile of discarded clothes on the floor.

Ruth settled herself back against the arm of the sofa and reached out for Harry. He covered her body with his, enjoying the heat of her soft skin and the heady sensation of being cradled between her thighs. He kissed her languidly, letting his tongue caress hers, tasting the wine on her lips. Her hands gripped his shoulders as he turned his attentions lower and lower, nipping at her neck and breasts. He traced his tongue over her scar, as he always did, paying homage to the surgical stitches that saved her and brought them both to this beautiful life together. Her sighs and whimpers of pleasure increased in volume as he traveled down her body, finally settling with her right thigh over his shoulder.

She was already so wet for him, it was incredible to believe. He groaned at the idea that she'd been so aroused by what she'd done for him, by the few things he'd done for her so far. His hot breath so close to her sensitive skin caused her to tremble. Harry set to work on her, beginning first with a tender kiss to her entrance. From there, his tongue darted out to trace her folds. He alternated between sucking on her and teasing with his tongue, using both the tip and the flat surface to stimulate her in as many ways as he could manage. She was moaning and writhing, panting his name. Already, she was so close. Her hips bucked against his face, putting him exactly where she wanted him. She cried out, "Harry!" with the most visceral scream he'd ever heard her make. But, not content to only let her come once, Harry shifted slightly and plunged two fingers inside her, thrusting and curling as her walls clenched around him, making it last as long as possible.

Ruth could barely breathe. She couldn't even make sound anymore, only high-pitched pants. Her extremities had all gone numb. Her body shuddered and jerked in a manner over which she had no control. Her mind felt all at once filled and emptied. All that existed was Harry, his touch and the waves of passion he created in her.

Finally, he slowed and stilled. He took his hand and mouth away. She couldn't manage to open her eyes yet, so she wasn't quite sure what he was doing. But soon enough he returned to her, gently kissing his way back up her body. "That was incredible, Harry," she breathed.

He chuckled, softly kissing her cheeks and the corners of her mouth. "You know what else is rather incredible?" Harry pressed his hips against hers so she could feel his arousal. Something about the sounds she'd made had woken his tired, old body. Something miraculous about Ruth, so uninhibited and wild and wanton and ecstatic had allowed him to recover quicker than he'd managed in ten years.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, realizing that he'd removed his trunks and could feel his hardness against her thigh. "Well, I don't know how you can top that performance…" she taunted, eyes glinting as she licked her lips.

"Just you wait, darling," he growled, kissing her deeply. He pulled back once more just to make sure she was ready.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered, letting her fingers trail lightly down his cheeks. "And I want you to fuck me."

If he wasn't hard before, hearing her speak those words would have gotten him there. Harry sat back and lifted Ruth's legs up over his shoulders and entered her hard. She gasped, arching against the sofa in pleasure. As soon as he felt her hips adjust to him, Harry began to pound into her unrelentingly, taking her harder and rougher than ever before. He felt wild, strong, virile. And if the expression on Ruth's face was any indication, she was more than enjoying herself as well.

Harry had taken her by surprise. The best surprise she'd ever experienced. She forced herself to open her eyes so she could see where their bodies joined, could watch the way the rippling muscles under his scarred skin exerted as he took her like this. Ruth thought she knew how he felt inside her, but he was filling her now like never before. This position was exquisite, and if she had any sort of conscious thought, she might be worried about his knee or even her own healed injuries. But nothing worried her now. Harry was a god, blessing her with his passionate love. She felt the familiar tingling deep in her belly, the coiling tension brought on by the delicious friction he created. Ruth hadn't really thought she'd be able to climax again after the overpowering one she'd just come down from, but she should have known better than to doubt Harry's skill. She was so close when he leaned forward a little more, adjusting their angle just slightly, and she shattered.

Ruth was almost passed out when she felt Harry shudder and collapse on top of her. Her knees fell open on either side of him. She wanted to wrap her legs around him, keep him buried deep inside her as long as she could, but she just didn't have the strength. She just held him in her arms, feeling the slide of sweaty skin on sweaty skin.

"Alright?" he mumbled against her neck.

She gave a breathless laugh. "Never better. Are you alright?"

"I don't think I'll ever move again."

Ruth wrapped her arms around him tighter. "You don't need to move for quite a while."

They fell silent, each trying to catch their breath still.

It was Ruth who next spoke. "Harry?"

"Hmm?" He shifted, trying to take some of his weight off her.

"You've been holding out on me." She didn't wait for him to confirm. "Don't you ever hold back again."

Harry started to laugh, that full wheezing belly laugh that Ruth had delighted in earlier that afternoon. He slipped out of her and sat up, pulling her with him, holding her tight. "No, darling, I'll never hold back again. I just want to make you happy."

"Well, everything we just did made me very happy. I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow, but I promise I'll be very happy about it.

He laughed again and kissed her forehead. Ruth just smiled, blissfully, ridiculously happy.