Chapter 301: Fear Fades In Passion's Glow

"Down to the earth
I fell with dripping wings
Heavy things won't fly
And the sky might catch on fire
And burn the axis of the world that's why
I prefer a sunless sky
To the glittering and stinging in my eyes

I feel so light
This is all I wanna feel tonight
I feel so light
Tonight and the rest of my life
Tonight and the rest of my life

Gleaming in the dark sea
I'm as light as air floating there breathlessly
When the dream dissolves
I open up my eyes
I realize that
Everything is shoreless sea
A weightlessness is passing over me

I feel so light
This is all I wanna feel tonight
I feel so light
Tonight and the rest of my life
Tonight and the rest of my life

Everything is waves and stars
The universe is resting in my arms

I feel so light
This is all I wanna feel tonight
I feel so light
Tonight and the rest of my life

I feel so light
This is all I wanna feel tonight
I feel so light
Tonight and the rest of my life
Tonight and the rest of my life" – "Tonight and the Rest of My Life" – Nina Gordon

"If there were no words
No way to speak
I would still hear you
If there were no tears
No way to feel inside
I'd still feel for you

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

All of my life
I have been waiting for
All you give to me
You've opened my eyes
And showed me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before
But in my dreams I couldn't love you more
I will give you my heart
Until the end of time...
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine" – "Valentine" – Martina McBride


He moved back to look at her, his eyes cloudy with repressed tears at that statement, but the clouds were parting to something that was familiar – determination and a lust-mixed love. He grinned, the corners of his mouth turning upward before his mouth disappeared into hers.

She reached down to help him inside, but he pulled away and shook his head, "No…I want to do it."

She smiled in understanding and moved her hand to his other shoulder instead, ready to hold him up. He glanced up at her reflexively one more time, asking for a silent permission that he didn't need anymore, but Sydney understood that as well, and lifted her mouth to his gently as an answer.

He wasted no more time in aligning himself with her, knowing that holding him up was going to get tiresome and awkward. His cock was throbbing in his hand as he placed it at her folds, an incandescent warmth meeting the tip as he pushed it in. Copious liquid assaulted him as the head slipped in, and he willed himself not to come with the initial contact.

His eyes were forced closed as he penetrated her dripping silken heat fully, but Sydney forced her own eyes to stay open, watching his face contort into a pleasured grimace. His eyes remained closed for a moment; Sydney was fascinated with the relieved look that had taken over his features now that he rested inside her core. When jade finally met hazel, Sydney had fallen in love with him all over again. She beamed up at him; making him smile, and he wondered exactly what was causing this reaction, since he hadn't even moved yet.

He moved his arm back to the comforter, alleviating the full weight of him from her arms, and her free hand immediately moved to his chest, flexing and caressing the muscles there as he smiled down at her. They spent a few minutes in total silence; no movement, only the sounds of elevated breathing and the wind gently blowing outside the patio door could be heard. Sydney closed her eyes when Vaughn made the first thrust, the blood suddenly flooding her ears as she remembered all the times in the past when they had done this. Granted, it was a modified form, but feeling him this way, this angle, this position, it was like starting all over again, like the first time they ever made love.

She forced her eyes open again, finding his closed, his second thrust having more confidence behind it, trying to find a rhythm that was going to work. They fumbled for a few minutes until a pattern was decided, trying to strike a balance that would keep Vaughn steady. Sydney wrapped her legs around his hips, stabilizing him even more, and his eyes opened at the feeling, his mouth breaking into a smile before he closed the smile on her lips.

Sydney lifted her hips on his next thrust, sending him inside her at a completely different angle. Vaughn's head dipped back as Sydney let out a long moan, her hand moving from his chest to his neck as she hung onto him, taking in all the sensations.

Vaughn watched in enchantment as the bewitching emotions fell across Sydney's features. He found himself captivated with the way her mouth would move on his thrust, the way her hand tightened on his neck when he hit her cervix, the way her head arched off the pillow when he withdrew to thrust again. He purposely varied what he was doing, just to see if it garnered a different reaction.

Sydney suddenly seemed to notice he was being inconsistent and when he looked up at him, she realized he was doing this on purpose. She smiled back at his cocky grin, squeezing her muscles around him, making him falter for a moment until he realized she was doing the exact same thing he was doing to her. He leaned down to wipe the smiled off of her face, and she gladly let him do it, her hand moving from his neck to his head, running her fingers through his hair before she pulled gently, his head pulling back to look at her in question. She smirked again and shifted her legs around his hips, making him graze against her front wall on every thrust.

The shift from her legs closed any small gap that had existed earlier between their bodies. The heat emanating from the pair was palpable in the air that surrounded them, creating a sex-induced haze. Their breath mingled between and through kisses, and warmed over heated skin as they both pushed towards orgasm. The fine sheen of sweat that covered them earlier had turned into something much more apparent and distinct, beads running down Vaughn's back and pooling near Sydney's abdomen, which only aided Vaughn as he slid inside Sydney over and over. He could feel the trickle of moisture running from where his hairline ended all the way down his back, cooling as it rolled slowly through his thrusting motions. He shivered unconsciously, Sydney's hand suddenly in the moisture, running up and down what parts of his back she could reach, only furthering his shudders.

Sydney was completely focused on the amount of heat that was building at her center and spreading all over her body, echoing out from the core up to her abdomen and radiating out in waves. She swore she could feel Vaughn's pulse and his unsteady and elevated heartbeat through his throbbing cock as it propelled through her walls. She couldn't be sure of her own heartbeat anymore, there were far too many synapses firing in her brain and too much thundering in her ears for her to keep track.

As their shadows cast reflecting and mimicking images on the wall, Vaughn thrust one final time, sending Sydney over the edge, her walls clenching and releasing his cock ceaselessly as he tumbled into his own climax with her, his cock pulsating as it pushed his seed deep inside her. Sydney held onto Vaughn's neck in a vice-grip, her mouth open in noiseless screams of ecstasy. It finally closed on his shoulder, desperate for something to keep her from actually screaming, her legs quivering as the tremors rocked through her entire body.

Both forced themselves to keep their eyes open and trained on the other as the height of the orgasm finished washing over them. Vaughn smirked down at her, still feeling Sydney clenching around him, the strength dissipating slowly as she came down. Sydney grinned similarly up at Vaughn, still feeling the last of his semen as it spilled gently inside. She could feel the tension in his muscles, close to collapsing from exhaustion, not used to working that hard in this position. She reached up and smoothed a hand over his brow, her fingers trailing down to his cheek. Before he lowered himself to her chest, he kissed her lightly on the forehead, smiling breathlessly.

Sydney could feel Vaughn's heart thumping against her as he rested on her chest, his breath hot on her skin. She ran her hand through his damp hair, and she could feel his eyes close as he felt the familiar gesture. She let him rest a few minutes, keeping the motion in his hair, knowing it was eventually going to make him fall asleep. She also knew it was probably not a good idea for him to stay this way tonight.

"Vaughn…"

"Mmmmm…" he said sleepily.

"We have to move…"

"Mmmmmnnnnoooowhy?" he whined all together.

"Because I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay on top all night…"

"Mmmmmm…"

Sydney chuckled, waiting for Vaughn to rouse himself enough to move. "Ready?"

"K," he said sleepily, pushing off with his right arm as Sydney moved to push on his left shoulder. Together, they effectively managed to push him back to his knees, reversing the way they got him down. After he was kneeling again, he sat back on his knees, waiting for Sydney to get back over to him. She smiled at him before she kissed him softly on the lips, helping him turn and lie down on his back.

"Damn…" he said quietly once he was staring at the ceiling again.

"What?" Sydney asked, concerned.

He sighed, "Nothing…on my back again."

She smiled and leaned down, laying her chin on his chest. "I'm sorry…I just don't think it's a good idea…tonight…"

"I know. You're right…I was just getting used to the top…" he said, half-smiling.

"I think you'll revisit it again soon," Sydney promised, kissing his cheek.

"I hope so…it was…" he trailed off.

"I know," Sydney agreed.

"You can't tell me you don't miss that Sydney…" Vaughn said quietly.

Sydney thought a moment, propping herself up on his chest so she could look at him, "I do miss it sometimes Vaughn…but not because it's better…just because it's different."

"You don't think it's better?"

She smiled, "Are you saying I don't do a good job on top?"

He smirked, "No, not at all…just…maybe it's an ego thing."

"You can be a man on the bottom."

"I know."

"And you are."

"I know."

"Then what?"

"Just…I think it's the idea that I can't or I couldn't – something…guy-like in me just feels insecure, and it's not because you don't do a wonderful job and I think we've had some of the best sex ever the past few months…ya know…it's just…" he sighed, "I had a thought at the beginning, I think I lost it somewhere in the middle."

Sydney smiled and moved up, leaning over him, "I understand Vaughn. And it's ok…it's ok to want to be on top, or for both of us to think that this time was good or better…but no two sexual experiences can really be compared – this was special or better or different for more than sexual reasons. It meant something different."

He grinned, "How do you just…do that?"

"What?" she asked.

"Just…explain shit like that when I fumbled through?"

She chuckled, "It's something…chick-like…"

"Right."

"It doesn't matter the position Vaughn, I love you just the same."

"I know, and I feel the same way…"

"It's liberating to be able to do it."

"Right."

"Well just think about all the times we can do it whatever way we want when you get even better." She thought a moment and then began listing, "Rolling…switching positions, positions against furniture, on furniture, under furniture…"

Vaughn laughed, "You have quite the plan…"

"And you don't?"

"Oh, no, I've had plenty of time to plot."

"Excellent."

Sydney leaned forward and captured Vaughn's lips, leaving a kiss that would linger until morning. "I love you Michael."

"I love you too Sydney."

Her head returned to his chest, his arm reflexively running up and down her back. As he heard and felt Sydney fall quickly into slumber, he stayed awake, and for a moment, he wondered if his sleep tonight would be plagued by thoughts of tomorrow, but instead, he mused about Sydney, about what was to come with her…and he found himself grinning…and he fell asleep without another thought of what tomorrow would bring.