THE GIFT
CHAPTER III
"Yes." He whispered, nodding, wishing he'd taken the opportunity to lift weights with Matrix when he'd had the chance. Her hands were on his chest now, soft, gentle, and the boy groaned as she kneaded him slowly. "Oh! Oh, User!"
"Mmm. Nice." They shared another kiss, another jolt of fire. The game sprite gently pushed him to a supine position, slowly kissing her way down his throat to his chest, her lips pausing to caress his nipples, and he squirmed under her, lost in a fog of pure sensation. "I knew you'd like that." She whispered, straddling him and reaching for her blouse. "Help me with this, OK?"
"OK." The boy mouthed. Numb with fear, he reached for her seashell necklace and slowly lifted it over her head. She smiled in encouragement and guided his hands to her blouse, lifted her arms. "Y-you're sure?"
"Very." She nodded. It's true! The boy thought to himself. It really isn't a dream. His hands were at her side, lifting the silky material of her shirt slowly, over her navel, over her chest, over her head, off. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of her breasts – round and perfect, the stuff of many a dream but beautiful beyond any imagining. His hands found them, cupped them gently, and they were soft and delicate to his touch. The game sprite cooed softly and gritted her teeth. "Oh, my."
"Am I… It's all right?"
"You have no idea."
They shared a smile and he ran his fingers, light as a feather, over her nipples. "Oh User – it's incredible. They're incredible. You're incredible!"
"What?" she giggled.
"I… I've never, you know. I've never… Seen them before. Breasts. My User, they're so beautiful-"
"Sweet talker." The mischievous grin returned to her face and she lowered himself on top of him, slowly. "Everything about you is sweet, My Love. Mmm… Your kisses certainly are."
"I love you!" They touched at last, bare skin to bare skin, and the power of it was incredible, devastating. He could feel her nipples against his chest, every breath as his slid against her skin. They kissed deeply and for a long time, his heart beating louder and faster with each nanosecond. "Ungh… User!"
"Shhh." AndrAIa soothed. She pulled up, rested on her elbows. "It's all right now, shhh."
"Oh User, Andri-"
"Hush." She kissed him on the nose. "Calm down, now. Just relax."
Easy for her to say. "AndrAIa-"
"Just relax, Love. I'm not going anywhere, there's no rush. All we have to do is discover each other. There's no hurry."
"Ohhh… I'll try." She was so beautiful, so much more sensual and perfect even than in his wildest fantasy. How could she be more incredible than he'd imagined her? How could he possibly surround the notion of being with her, in real life? The young sprite could hear himself panting, heart pounding against his chest.
"I can feel how excited you are." AndrAIa smiled, glancing towards his nether regions. "I understand, don't worry. Just breathe, nice and slow. Nice and slow. It'll be wonderful, I promise – just let it happen. Don't rush, don't force it. Everything feels better if you take it nice and slow."
"But you're so amazing!"
"Thanks. You're so sweet, Love." The game sprite kissed his nose again. "You're pretty amazing, too. Tell you what – you just sit tight and leave everything to me for a little bit, OK?"
Scared as he was, that sounded pretty good to him – even if it sounded a little scary in itself. "K-k-k."
"K." she grinned. "Trust me?"
"Mmm-hmmm."
"Good." She lowered her weight onto him again, her softness a wonderful sensation all over his body. Pausing only to share one more kiss with the boy, she inched her way down his wiry body, lips dancing over his chin, his throat, his chest. Enzo could only sigh and close his eyes, writhing gently as she found his stomach, lingered over her navel playfully for a nano. The sensations were beyond anything he'd ever felt, ever dreamed.
Enzo felt himself drowning in the feeling, losing himself in the sensual overload of her touch, the slow buildup towards crescendo, when he felt a tugging at his waist and opened his eyes. He started dumbly for a nano as AndrAIa worked at the buttons of his jeans, one by one. "Uh! Andri – w-w-what are you doing!"
"Hush now. Trust me, remember?"
"B-but…" The boy had realized of course that he had a part to play in all this, so to speak – realized it on some level, anyway. But now that the moment was upon him a chasm of trepidation opened up before him. He'd struggled for hours to hide himself from her under his clothes – and now she was going to see it bare? "Oh jeez… Andri, I – what are you-"
"Shhh." The game sprite stroked his belly reassuringly. "I'm just going to take the edge off a little - make sure you'll enjoy things more later, that's all. I've learned a few things about sprites your age."
"Huh?"
"Trust me. Now – lift up for me, Love."
"Oh User, AndrAIa- I… I don't know if I can!"
"Everything will be fine. I promise. Close your eyes if it makes you feel better, OK?" He hesitated still, but her smile was reassuring and gentle. "I promise you'll like it." With a shudder, Enzo squeezed his eyes tight and lifted his bitmap clear of the bed. It took but a nano, and he could feel the cool air of the room on his hips, AndrAIa's warm breath on his manhood. The sheets were smooth against his backside and her hands were on his thighs, soothing and soft. "There we go."
He couldn't resist a peek, through slitted eyes. He was stiff as a hard disk, of course – harder than he'd ever been in his life, but he didn't need his eyes to tell him that. He shivered as AndrAIa ran her hand through the patch of soft hair above his maleness, stooped to kiss him there. "Oh!" he gasped as her cool palm encircled him. "Oh, User!"
"Mmm. So beautiful." The game sprite sighed. Her hand found the fullness of his pouch, the sensation like a bolt of energy that would have overloaded any surge protector. With her other she gently stroked and kneaded his thighs. "That's it. Just relax – don't fight the feeling. Isn't it nice?"
"Andri. Andri! Uhh…" His hands found her hair, lost in the softness of it.
She kissed the very tip of his member, and he gasped and moaned, his muscles tensing. "Don't fight it now, Love – just let the feelings come. Relax and let it take you – it's what we were made for. You don't have to hold it back – just let it come." With that, she closed her lips around his head, tasted him with her tongue.
"Ungh! Oh User!" Enzo groaned. The crescendo was boiling in him now, wonderful and terrible and frightening and exhilarating. Nothing could have prepared the boy for the warm embrace of the game sprite's mouth, the slight roughness of her tongue as she rolled it up and down his length. No dream, no fantasy could have approached the sensation of her lips gently drawing on his skin, coaxing him towards a nano of indescribable pleasure. The fire was in him and around him, consuming him and his thoughts until all that he was became the connection with her, his flesh and her mouth. Her hands cradled his pouch gently as he built towards climax, his breathing becoming rapid and shallow. "Ooh..."
"Let it come." She whispered, pausing for only a nano that felt like an hour to Enzo. He sighed deeply in relief as she enveloped him again, shuddered as he felt himself swell between her lips, the moment upon him now, unstoppable and inexorable. With waves of pure ecstasy the moment came, every line of code in his body shot through with pleasure as he released himself to her, surrendered to her. It seemed to last forever, like nothing he'd ever felt before. The fire washed over him in waves, each one stronger than the last, his body trembling and his manhood aflame. He groaned for the pure release of it, all the power in his body surging through him and into her. He was sure it would never end, could never end – sure he'd die of pure joy soon anyway, his heart burst in his chest. I sure hope this isn't a dream.
The world was nothing but sensation – the rapid beating of his heart, the song of his breathing, the warm wetness of AndrAIa around his length, the touch of her hair in his hands. Never would Enzo have believed he could last so long, give so much of his essence – it didn't seem possible that this was the same act that he'd experienced only in dreams and daydreams, maddeningly brief and unsatisfying. This was pure satisfaction, complete completion. And when, at last, his heart began to slow and the fire began to cool to a warm glow and thought to return, he knew at last that it wasn't a dream. No dream could compare to the reality of AndrAIa.
The game sprite lingered over his manhood, slowly coaxing him down from the heights of his ecstasy. She gently licked his head and kissed a drop of his essence from the tip, and smiled up at the young man. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Enzo had no response, bar an astonished stare – there was no air in his lungs, too many thoughts in his processor. The game sprite laughed musically and slowly kissed her way up his lean torso until her lips found his again, caressed them gently. "My love… Did you like that?"
"An…Andri." He whispered, smiling slightly and stroking her cheek. "My God!"
"I'll take that for a yes?"
"Yes!" he rasped, hugging her to him. "User, I… I thought I was going to die! I never imagined anything could feel like that."
"Oh, Love." The game sprite slowly rocked him in her embrace. "I've heard that before. I'm glad it was special for you."
"It was!" User, she felt wonderful – soft and warm, her scent filling his nose, making him light-headed. The glow of ecstasy still warmed him, and the boy thought he'd burst from happiness. "Thank you."
"Silly."
"Andri, did… I mean, when I – did you-"
"Of course." She smiled. "Didn't it feel nice, when I kept you inside me?"
"Yeah!" the boy nodded. "I guess I wasn't sure if you would. Not that I was thinking about it or anything - I couldn't! It's all right?"
"I told you – everything about you is sweet."
"Andri!"
AndrAIa giggled and kissed him all over his face, then snuggled up next to him, her arms cradling him against her. "You're such an angel, Love. So young." She sighed "So young…"
Enzo could see doubt in her eyes again, and kissed her cheek over and over, reassuringly. "Andri?"
"Hmm." The game sprite smiled and tapped his forehead. "Pimple!"
"Crash – don't remind me. I hate those things."
"Don't worry – you have beautiful skin, hardly any blemishes. It'll never be a big problem for you, Love."
"Really?"
"Sure." The game sprite stroked his cheek tenderly. "You shaving yet, Angel?"
"No. Soon, I hope."
"A little while yet, I think. A little while. You're about the same age we were, Love. A little older even, I think."
"What do you mean?"
"What do you think, Silly? When we first made love. Not that we would have called it that – not that we knew anything about anything. There was no one to tell us, that's all." Enzo wasn't sure what he felt, hearing those words from her. But his curiosity on the topic had always been strong and almost despite himself, he wanted to hear more. He smiled and squeezed AndrAIa in his arms. She kissed him gently on top of the head. "We were scared – he was more scared than I was, though. It was tougher for him."
"It was in a strange system, like none we'd never been to before. Beautiful, though – tropical, with beaches, jungles, a mountain – a sea the same color as the one in my game."
"Really?"
"I don't see oceans like mine very often " the game sprite sighed. "It was lovely there – we kicked off our shoes and ran barefoot in the sand, and walked for a long time looking for their Principal Office. When it got dark, we decided to sleep on the beach that night, and look again in the morning." She smiled with the memory, her eyes far away. It filled Enzo with an ugly jealousy that shamed him – he loved his brother, after all. But he still wanted to hear more – needed to.
AndrAIa sighed again and continued. "Well – when your brother decided to take a bath in the lagoon, I was supposed to forage for dinner – but I snuck through the bushes and peeked at him."
"AndrAIa!' Enzo gasped. "You did?"
"Hey – don't pretend you wouldn't have peeked at a certain game sprite if you'd had the chance!"
"Oh! I... Uh-"
"It's all right." She chuckled. "We were young, but growing up pretty fast. We were having thoughts we didn't understand. About each other, you know."
"Sure." Enzo whispered.
"Well – I didn't tell him I'd seen him, but then that night while we were sleeping he had a wet dream, poor thing. We didn't know what they were called, but…" The game sprite smiled at Enzo. "You've had a few, I'll bet."
"Andri! Crash…" If his face weren't still flushed from moments earlier, Enzo was sure if he would have blushed furiously. And it didn't help that the subject of most of his dreams was cuddling with him that very nano. As it was, he could only stammer and stare at his feet, but that didn't help his embarrassment – the offending object was squarely in the way. Her shyly pulled his discarded t-shirt over his middle.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Love. I hope someone told you about this sort of thing, didn't they?"
"Um – yeah. Sort of."
"Good, that's good. We didn't have anyone to tell us about this stuff – we didn't know what was happening to us, what to expect. He was very scared, very embarrassed. I knew what the problem was, even if I didn't exactly understand why things were happening to it. I asked him about it and he got all stammery and shy, and then I admitted I'd peeked at him-"
"Crash! What'd he say?"
"He was mad at first." AndrAIa sighed. "But then I held him and told him it'd be all right, and I told him what was happening to me. How I thought it all tied in together… He figured out it had to do with swapping codes. And that's when I suggested we should be even."
"Even?"
"Even." She nodded slyly. "You know, I'd seen him, so-"
"Andri!"
"Wanna hear a secret?" she grinned. "I just said that because I wanted to be naked next to him. I wanted it more than anything else in the net."
"What happened?"
"Guess." AndrAIa giggled, kissing his nose. "One thing led to another, and… We did some things. Not everything, but enough. And that was our first time together."
"Wow." Enzo whispered, trying to get his brain around everything she'd told him. It was hard to imagine Matrix as a shy, bumbling teenager around AndrAIa – but then, that was certainly how he felt now.
"Enzo, I want you to understand – it was wonderful. It could have been scary and awful, but it was wonderful. Everyone's first time should be." She took the youth's face in her hands. "Babe, it was wonderful because we cared about each other – we loved each other, with all our hearts. And I want you to know how wonderful it can be when you love someone very much, the way I love you. Understand?"
"Yeah." Her words hit him with a bittersweet finality, but nevertheless he loved her even more at that nano than he had before, if such a thing were possible. "Thanks."
"Beautiful boy." She kissed him again, her hands behind his neck. "Sweet, beautiful boy. I think it's only fair we be even, don't you?" She winked and tossed his shirt aside, revealing his renewed excitement.
"AndrAIa! You mean-"
"Less talk. More action." She giggled. She sat up and grasped his hands. "You do it, Love."
"Oh, Man… I-"
"Shhh." She smiled reassuringly, but it didn't do much to bridge the new chasm of fear that opened before him. He reached trembling hands towards her waist, gently tugged on the waist of her leggings. The game sprite helped him, wriggling her hips out of the way as the skin-tight garment edged down her thighs. Now only the sheer fabric of her panties lay between her skin and his.
Enzo couldn't help it – he had to squeeze his eyes shut again, as if he were about to stare directly into the sun. Her hands were on his, guiding them to her, edging the soft fabric downwards. "Come on now, open up those eyes."
"AndrAIa-"
"I promise, it's all right Love. Come on, now." He opened his eyes at last, the game sprite lithely slipping her long legs out of the last of her garments. He took in the full magnificence of her femininity for the first time and was struck dumb by the sight. "That's better." She knelt over him, kissed his chest softly. "Nothing to say, Lover?"
"I…I… User!"
"Enzo!" she giggled. "It's all right – I know this is a lot for you to take in."
"Oh, yeah." He rasped. Enzo had sneaked a peek at a few net files that would have horrified Dot had she known, of course, but that was a long way from seeing what he saw now, alive and breathing and warm and next to him in his bed. "It… You're beautiful."
"Thank you." The game sprite reached for his jeans and jockeys, halfway down his thighs, and edged them below his knees. "Let's make it just you and me, OK? Nothing to get in the way." She slid his pants past his feet and off, his underwear right behind them, and reached for his socks. In a nano they were off, too, and she gently massaged his feet. "Now it's just us, isn't it?"
"Uh-huh." He nodded, his voice a strained squeak.
"Just how I like it." She purred, crawling up the bed until there were eye to eye, and embracing him. "Mmmm, that's nice."
His hands found the swell of her bitmap for the first time, roamed over it, soft and warm to his touch. "Oh User!"
She returned the favor. "Good thing I slowed you down earlier, I think. Oh, yes! Mmmm."
"Andri, I love you! You're so beautiful." The feel of her hands on his backside was incredible. She sighed softly as he kissed her neck. "Andri… Don't stop!"
"I won't if you won't." They concentrated on each other for a while, the only sounds in the room the soft smack of lips on skin and the excited breathing of the two sprites. Enzo felt almost as if he'd left his body – he was a stranger, watching someone else be given indescribable pleasures by the most amazing woman in the net, feeling someone else coaxed towards bone-shattering fulfillment. It couldn't possibly be happening to him, could it?
But then a strange thing happened to him. As the rapture in his own body grew, built, he became acutely more aware of her. How the barriers between them had fallen, and how the ecstasies he felt would be impossible without that oneness. She was the reason for it – she was the source of all the feelings, every last one. She was giving him this gift, this rapturous pleasure, out of pure love and compassion. "Oh, Andri! Andri, I get it!"
"Hmmm? Baby…"
"It's… Ohh! It's about… About making the other one feel good! That's why it's so much better if you…Uh! If you love the person."
"Angel." The game sprite grinned and brushed damp hair out of his eyes. "You're a pretty amazing guy, you know that?"
"Andri!" He kissed her once, twice. "I want to make you feel good, AndrAIa. Like you made me feel!"
"You're doing a pretty good job of it already, Lover."
"Really? But-"
"Just trust your instincts." She whispered, lowering herself onto her back. "It's what we were made for." The boy stared at her for a nano, drifting away in her eyes again, dumbstruck be her beauty. Her gently smiling face and the flowing aquamarine hair that framed it, the round fullness of her breasts, her long legs, rippled with muscle yet soft to the eye, gently curving, and the plaintive lure of her femininity between – it was perfect, all of it, more then he could have dreamed if he'd lived to be a thousand hours old. His desire for her was pure and powerful and painfully intense. The boy lay next to her, on his side. With a shaky hand he reached out, tentatively cupped her left breast. Traced the nipple with him thumb, ever so gently. "Mmm. So nice…"
Encouraged, Enzo lowered his mouth to her other breast, the memory of the delightful sensations she'd given him earlier fresh in his processor. He felt the game sprite twirl her fingers through his hair as he tasted her with his tongue, heard her sigh as he closed his lips around her firmness. "Gently now."
"Sorry!"
"It's lovely." She smiled and so did he, and he returned to the task at hand, swooning at the taste of her. Her breathing began to escalate as he kissed her nipple, ever so gently drew on it, softly massaged her other breast with his hand. Intoxicated he moved on, lovingly ministering to her left breast as he had her right. "Sweetie, Oh…. That's so nice. Oh, Lover…"
"It's OK?"
"Don't stop, Stupid!" Enzo giggled, bounced up to give her a quick kiss on the mouth and returned to his task, exhilarated beyond words to know he was pleasing her. And pleasing her he was, judging by the sighs and low moans he heard as he tenderly kissed and suckled at her breasts.
Truth be told, as much as the young man loved pleasuring AndrAIa, he lingered at her breasts for another reason, too. It was only too plain what he should do next and, as strong as his curiosity was, he was more than a little scared to go any further. Don't be such a coward! He scolded himself. Think about how she made you feel.
Finally the young man looked up and met AndrAIa's gaze, smiling weakly. "Andri, I… I don't know what to do next."
"Babe-"
"I know what, I… I mean I don't know how. I want to make you feel like I felt."
"That sounds pretty good to me." The game sprite chuckled softly, her hand still in his hair.
"I don't want to hurt you, or…or do it wrong. I want it to be perfect."
"It's perfect because it's you, Love. Don't worry."
"Tell me how. Please?"
She took his hand in her own, kissed it. "I trust you. Just be gentle and I'll help you a little as you go, OK?"
"OK." He tried to answer, but either his voice or his ears weren't working, because he didn't hear a sound escape his throat. Fear welling inside him, he kissed his way slowly down her body as she had his, hoping it felt as wonderful to her as it had for him. He pressed his lips just below her navel, held them there for a nano and slowly massaged her long legs. "Andri – you're so beautiful."
"That feels so nice, Love." AndrAIa slowly parted her legs and Enzo tentatively kissed the inside of her thighs, traced a finger through the fine down above her opening. "Unh! Enzo… Don't stop now, it's pixelacious."
"Mmm." The youth continued to lovingly kiss her thighs, his worry beginning to dim under the awesome power of her beauty, her femininity. The heady scent of her was overpowering, emboldening him to trail a finger between her lips. The slickness he felt there surprised him, and he glanced up. "AndrAIa?"
"That just means you're very good at what you're doing, Lover." She answered in a throaty whisper. "Please don't stop."
"OK." The slickness had its purpose and that purpose became clear to the boy almost at once, that slickness and the heat of her body seeming to draw his finger inside of her. She gasped and bucked slightly as he entered, but the light touch of her hand in his hair told Enzo that he wasn't hurting her – just the opposite. He withdrew his finger and ran it up and down her entrance slowly, over and over, each touch bringing with it a guttural sigh from the woman under him.
This was her essence – the source of all that was feminine about her, he knew that instinctively. Wanting more than anything to taste it, to lose himself in her essence, he knelt over her and pressed his lips where his finger had been nanos earlier. "Ungh! Oh, Enzo! Enzo…"
"Andri..." Both her hands were in his hair now, urging him on, but the boy needed no urging. Knowing that this pleasure she felt was his gift to her, that he was making her feel as he'd felt – that was as powerful as the fire she'd caused in him, in its own way. He caressed her softly with his mouth, tasted her gently with his tongue, overcome with love for the game sprite. "Oh. Andri…"
One of her hands left his hair at last, found her entrance, two fingers parting her lips and a third resting on a small bud of flesh inside her. "Here, Enzo." She stroked the little knob urgently for a nano and groaned. "Here, Lover. Please."
"K." he rasped, placing his finger where hers had been and rubbed slowly. She moaned from deep in her chest and smoothed his hair. He took that part of her between his lips and felt her whole body shiver, each tremor communicated directly to him by their touch. As he suckled gently on her she gasped and sighed, her breaths becoming more rapid and her muscles tensing.
"Ungh! Enzo, Lover! Lover…" The young man continued and felt the temblors increasing now, as if her entire body were shot through with core energy, running through her veins instead of blood. "Enzo… Unh! S-stop…"
"Andri?" He pulled away from her, looked to her face, his fear returning. "Did I… Did I hurt you? I'm sorry-"
"No!" AndrAIa panted heavily for a nano, catching her breath. "Oh, Lover – it was incredible. But I didn't want you to take me over the edge, that's all."
"Over the-… Why?"
The game sprite let out a big rush of air and grinned. "Because I want you inside me when it happens."
"What?" Enzo's heart leapt into his throat. "You… You mean-"
"I want us to share that, Lover." She opened her arms and he inched upwards, let her embrace him. "It's time for us to be together, Enzo. Are you ready?"
"Oh Lord. I… Yes." He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "I think so."
"Don't worry. I've steered you all right so far, haven't I?"
"Yeah." He grinned weakly, his stomach doing flip-flops.
"I think it'll be pretty incredible, Baby." She kissed him softly all over his face, let her lips rest on his for a nano as she stroked his bitmap. "Feels like you're ready to me, Lover. OK?"
"K."
"OK." She leaned back, gently urged him on top of her. "Nice and slowly now, nice and slow." She parted her legs, fitted him between them. He kissed her neck, held her tightly, he the one trembling now. "Don't worry, Enzo. Just relax and trust your instincts. It'll be fine because we're together."
"Andri, I… If we're going to- What about babies? Is it OK?"
"Oh Enzo." She smiled. "You're sweet to worry about me, but it's fine. I've been running a prophylactic subroutine for hours. I'm not having any babies just yet – maybe some cycle, but not yet."
"Pho…Prophyl-"
"Birth control, Lover. It means we're fine, you don't need to worry."
"Oh! OK." His embarrassment was quickly forgotten as this new terror dawned on him full force. My User! We're about to… I can't believe it! She kissed his neck and adjusted him slightly, until his weight rested comfortably atop her and he could feel the tip of his manhood trace the lips of her opening. "Uhhhhoh!" he gasped and trembled violently. Oh, User! Please don't let a game cube drop now, Please! Please, not now…
The sensation was too much for the boy, and despite his best intentions of letting AndrAIa guide him he thrust his hips downward sharply, desperate in his need for her. There was a sharp pain as he met resistance and he felt his length bend slightly. "Ow!"
"Shhh." The game sprite soothed. "Nice and slow, remember?"
"Crash it! I'm sorry- "
"Shhh." AndrAIa took his face in her hands and kissed him lightly. "No hurry, right? You're doing wonderfully – just let it happen, don't force it."
"OK. Sorry." He sighed, his maddening desire battling with embarrassment. But there was no ridicule in her smile, only love, and he couldn't help but return it after a nano. "I just want you so deleted much."
"I know. I want you too, Lover. Here we go, now. Ready?"
"I…" Oh, User – help me! Let me not screw this up! "I think so."
"I think you're always ready." The game sprite laughed softly, musically. Her hands were on his hips, guiding him. "You know what to do, Enzo. Your body knows, just like mine does. Gentle now, gently… Down, there you go. Almost there, Love."
"Unnnhh!" Enzo inched his hips forward slightly, guided by AndrAIa's gentle hands, and felt the head of his organ nestle inside her. "Oh, God!"
"Relax. Nice and slow…"
Easy for you to say! The boy eased his weight onto the game sprite, felt every micron of his shaft as it smoothly slid inside her, shot bolts of white-hot energy straight to his processor. Then, unbelievably, they were joined – it was really happening. "Uh, An….AndrAIa!"
"Lover."
Enzo could only grit his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut tight, heart racing and overcome by the sheer sensation and the moment itself. After a nano his hips began rising and falling furiously. "Nnnng!"
"Lover, hush now! Shhh." He felt her soft, strong hands on his behind, holding him to her.
"God – Andri! Oh…"
"Remember, Angel – slowly." AndrAIa kissed his neck softly. "I promise it'll feel much better if we go nice and slow."
"But it's so good! Oh, User-"
"I know its good." she whispered. She relaxed her hands and allowed him to rock back and forth on his hips, groaning. "Isn't it?"
"Yes. Yes!" It was such exquisite torture, fighting the urge to power his way to completion as fast as he could. The feel of her body as it sheathed him was beyond even the joys he'd felt already that night – the heat of her, the way every twitch of her muscles sent shock waves of pleasure through him. "Andri, please!"
"Mmm." She relaxed her hold a bit more, allowing him to slide half his length out of her slowly, then back in. Again. "Oh, Enzo…"
"Uhhh! Oh, God!"
"Enzo…"
"Andri…." His lips were at her neck, his hand tracing her nipple. He increased the pace of his lovemaking slowly, understanding now why she'd done what she had earlier. Geez – I'd never have held out this long if she hadn't done that!
"Mmm. Little Sparky…" Enzo felt the game sprite tremble slightly under him, the movement sending a wave of pleasure through his entire body. "God, that feels so good."
"User!" the youth moaned. Still AndrAIa held him, checked his pace. He slipped in and out of her slowly, agonizingly. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled their shared scent. How could it be possible – he was making love to her, a thousand dreams coming true? Did such things actually happen? The incredible pleasure washing over him was proof that they did. "AndrAIa!"
"Enzo. Ooh!" The boy felt her long legs curl around his thighs, wrapping him in their embrace. Their bodies were slippery with their perspiration now, a thin sheen that glistened in the soft light. The game sprite's breathing began to quicken and her eyes closed as if in concentration. "Oh, my…"
"Andri! AndrAIa, oh God!" Enzo had never felt such pleasure, never a shadow of the ecstasy that gripped him as AndrAIa slowly relaxed her control, allowed him to work his manhood in and out of her more forcefully. He thrust in deep, as far as he could, and gasped, reveling in the sensation. The young man rolled his hips and withdrew, then entered her again, powerfully. "I love you!"
"Lover… Oh Lover, don't stop!"
"Unnnh… AndrAIa, I… I can't… I…can't…" Her entire body quivered and Enzo groaned deeply. "I can't… I'm…"
"Enzo!" Her hands left his backside and found his hair, her lips found his and she kissed him deeply. "Oh User, yes!"
"Andri!" Enzo could feel his climax coming now, an unstoppable force that was bearing down on him with the power of the Mainframe core and some more besides. He slipped into her forcefully now, quickly, all sense of control giving way to the inevitability of the nano. There was no reason to hold back now – and he couldn't have anyway, if he'd wanted. "AndrAIa, I'm going…to…"
"Don't stop!" the game sprite moaned. "Oh User, I'm coming! Enzo, please don't stop!"
"Unnnnnggghhh!" With a roar of release the boy surrendered, felt his essence coursing through his body and into hers, pure energy shared between them in the most incredible way imaginable. He moved as quickly as he could now, hungry for as much sensation as he could survive. They were one at last – the culmination of all his hopes, his dreams, the yearnings of his heart. They were one, and the force of it was greater even than he imagined. Enzo gave himself to her completely, gasped and moaned with her as she writhed under him, climaxed with him. "Uhhhoh, Andri!"
"Enzo! User! User…" She gritted her teeth and clamped herself around him tightly, breath escaping her in ragged pants. Her excitement stirred Enzo to new heights of ecstasy and his completion refused to wane, building and building in intensity as he bucked his hips, sure his heart would burst from the power of it. Every nerve in his body rang with the pleasure of the game sprite, she filling him just as surely as he was her, and he finally understood what she'd told him – it could only be this incredible if you loved the sprite you were with, and with all your heart.
The young man wasn't sure how long his orgasm lasted – it could have been a microsecond or an hour, for all he knew. But he knew that it was wonderful – an epiphany of sensation, and that she writhed and gasped in the throes of her own climax in perfect harmony with his. As they shared their pleasure they were one sprite, all the barriers between them utterly shattered by the force of their love, and he knew that it was the most elusive privilege he could ever aspire to. She was perfect, and as they shared each other he became a part of her perfection.
The next thing Enzo was aware of was the sound of their breathing, shallow and fast, slowly tapering to a symphony of slow, deep gasps. His eyesight slowly returned to him and he could dimly perceive the aquamarine of her hair, smell her intoxicating tang of salt and sea. He was atop her, her skin soft and hot against his own, her hands tracing a slow path across his back. "Ohh… AndrAIa."
"Shhhh." Her lips were at his neck, nuzzling him softly. He kissed her behind the ear, tasted her sweat. "My User…"
"You're incredible." He whispered, unable to raise his voice above a thin breeze against her cheek. He gently slipped out of her and lowered his weight to the bed, at her side. "I love you so much, AndrAIa."
"I know, Sweetheart." The game sprite smiled and stroked his cheek as they shared a pillow, face to face. "I love you too."
"I can't… That was incredible!"
"You were wonderful, Enzo."
"Really?"
"Wonderful. You have no idea."
"I…" As much as the boy wanted to believe her, the memory of their shared intensity fresh in his mind, the notion seemed too good to be true. "I'm sorry I was so… So fast. I'm really sorry!"
"Crash!" AndrAIa sighed, shaking her head. "Are you blind and basic, silly boy?"
"What? I-"
"Enzo, Enzo…" The game sprite kissed his forehead and took his face in her hands. "What did you think all that moaning and gasping was about? You made me come, you beautiful boy!"
"I… I did?"
"Yes, Sweetheart. It was incredible."
"Alphanumeric!" The boy's already flushed face turned a deeper shade of red. "That's fantastic. But, um… AndrAIa?"
"Mmm?"
"Um – what does that mean exactly?"
The girl laughed, just briefly, and seeing the hurt on Enzo's face kissed him tenderly. "It means you did what you said you wanted to, Enzo. You made me feel like I made you feel."
Enzo felt like his heart would burst, again. "Oh User – really?"
"Where've you been for the last ten micros, Silly?"
Now Enzo laughed, a schoolboy giggle, and kissed the game sprite. "It's so cool! I knew you liked it and everything and that was good all by itself, But I guess I didn't… I dunno. I didn't know how it happens for a girl. What's it like?"
"Hmmm, now." AndrAIa wrapped her arms around the young man and drew him to her. "If I were to ask you that question, do you think you could describe it?"
"I… I guess not." Enzo smiled. He hugged the game sprite tightly and observed, not for the first time, just how wonderful her body felt next to his. "So it's like it is for me?"
"I don't really know, Babe. I don't have what you have, do I?" She gave his now relaxed manhood a playful squeeze. "So I couldn't say exactly. But I think it's pretty close. It's just a wonderful feeling all over your body, energy and tingling and the most incredible pleasure you could ever imagine. And it feels like it lasts forever, when it's really good."
"And was it… really good? Just now?"
"Really great." She smiled. "And you know what else?"
"What?"
"It's a lot tougher for a girl to have that happen than it is for a boy. Just about anything will set you guys off, won't it?" Enzo giggled and blushed again. "But lots of times, a woman will make love with a man and won't get that special feeling. It's nice, but it's not the same. It only happens for us when it's very, very special." She kissed him again, slowly and gently, for a long time. "And you made it happen for me, Enzo. That's how special and wonderful you are."
"Oh, Man – I did? I really did?"
"Yes! You were gentle and sweet and very, very sexy and you made me feel just incredible."
"AndrAIa!" Enzo kissed her, hugged her, felt like his heart would burst yet again from sheer happiness. "I can't believe it! I was so worried, I thought you wouldn't like it with me."
"Why, Lover? Why would you ever think that?"
"I don't know." The youth sighed, closing his eyes and resting his cheek on her smooth back. "I just didn't think I'd be very good at it, and I thought I… You know."
"What?"
"I thought I was clumsy. And I thought I might not be… Crash! You know. Enough."
"Sweetie!" The game sprite took his face in her hands again. "First of all, you don't need to worry about that."
"R-really? You promise?"
"Promise – that isn't anything for you to be concerned about, believe me. And you were anything but clumsy. You were…" She kissed his nose. "Sweet." His ear. "Gentle." His cheek. "Strong." His lips. "And wonderful. It was so incredible for me because it was you, Lover."
"Andri-"
"I was pretty excited to be with you, Enzo. You're a real hottie."
"AndrAIa! Stop…"
"You are." She grinned, nibbling his ear playfully. "I can't believe the stuff you were thinking about. Why do you guys spend so much time worrying about your penis, for User's sake?"
"AndrAIa!"
"What?"
"Don't say that." He sighed. "It's embarrassing."
"I think after everything we've done tonight you can say 'penis', Lover."
"Oh, AndrAIa! Stop it, please, it's embarrassing!"
"Silly." The game sprite fell back to the pillow, stroking Enzo's hair affectionately. "I didn't even know that's what it was called until Matrix told me. I called it his 'thing'!"
"No way – really?"
"Yeah." AndrAIa giggled. "He always got embarrassed easily, just like you." She favored the boy with a gentle peck on the lips. "I know it's tough, your first time. I know how you worry about every little thing, everything about you. About screwing up."
"Yeah." He nodded, staring deeply into her eyes. "I wanted it to be perfect. For you."
"And that's why it was, Angel." She kissed his forehead. "And that's why I wanted to be with you, your first time. Your first time… I hope it was everything you dreamed it would be."
"Andri, it was a million times better. A trillion! I dreamed about it so much, all the time, it seemed like… But that was never like this. Not even close." He brushed her lips softly with a finger. "Thank you."
"No. Don't do that." The game sprite whispered. "I did this because I wanted to, Little Sparky. Because I wanted you to realize just how amazing you are. So don't you thank me, OK?"
"OK." She could say that all she wanted, but Enzo's heart would always be filled with gratitude, and he knew it. "How about I tell you that you're the most beautiful sprite in the net. The most beautiful sprite that ever lived. Is that OK?"
"Sure." She grinned. They kissed again, and he allowed his hands to roam all over her exquisite skin. "Baby…"
"I dream about you every cycle. Every cycle and every night. I always have and I always will."
"I know, Baby. I know."
It was all the boy could do to keep from thanking her, it was practically screaming to be let out of his lungs. His love for her at that nano was the strongest force in the net – for her beauty, her spirit, her laugh, the inherent goodness that ran through to her core. But he held those words in, because she'd asked him to. He was silent as they kissed, as his hands found her behind and massaged it gently, silent as she purred and sighed in utter contentment. "Mmm. Enzo…"
"AndrAIa." Her hands were all over his body, leaving tongues of flame in their wake. Her body rubbed against his, their shared perspiration joining them in effortless union, igniting the fire in the young sprite once again. "God, I love you."
"Mmmm." She kissed his neck, nibbled gently at his skin, his back arching with the sensation as her tongue sensuously caressed his nipples. "You taste nice, Lover."
"Oh, God!" The youth fell back to the bed, helpless under her ministrations as she kissed him all over, kneaded his thighs and hips. "User!"
"Hush, Lover." The game sprite rained kisses all over his body. "Hush, Beautiful Boy."
"Don't stop, AndrAIa. Please."
"Do you want me, Enzo?"
"Yes." He whispered. "User, yes!"
"You're insatiable, aren't you? Good." she smiled, encircled his length in a warm palm. She stroked him a few times and he was ready once more, his urgent need for her a burning ache in his gut. "Because I definitely want you."
"Andri – I need you! Andri-"
"Good thing you're 1.6, Lover." AndrAIa kissed her way up to his navel before straddling his hips, knees wide. She leaned low and kissed him deeply, and it was glorious. Enzo gently cupped a breast in each palm, brushed a nipple with each thumb. Her hand was at his middle, guiding him, they were almost touching, their bodies so close, and then he felt her sex against his and gasped at the sensation. "Unnh!"
"Shhh." She lowered her weight slowly, their nipples touching in a jolt of fire, and he felt her folds nestling around his shaft, her weight almost on him now, and then he was inside her completely and they were kissing and he nearly fainted from the pleasure of it. "Mmm, Lover."
"Crash! Oh Andri-"
"Mmm." His hands found her backside as she held her place for a nano, kissed him and gently kneaded him with her muscles. Every breath she took was a spasm of ecstasy for the young sprite. AndrAIa began a slow rocking motion with her hips and threw her head back with a sigh.
"Unnh. Andri! Oh, God!" Enzo could only surrender himself to the game sprite completely, and he did so with abandon. Her power over him was complete – each movement of her body left him helpless with pleasure, her weight a delightful presence holding him to the bed. He squeezed and kneaded her bitmap and buried his face in her shoulder, content to give himself to her unreservedly.
"Oh User, yes!" AndrAIa breathed. Her movements were slow, controlled, but to Enzo they felt as if they were cutting him in two. Each rock of her hips caused him to groan, helpless in ecstasy, and he could feel his even his toes splaying as they tingled with the energy he shared with the game sprite. "Unhh, Enzo…"
The youth could only gasp, his teeth clenched, beyond the capacity for speech. AndrAIa's breasts swayed with the motion of her hips, and the boy could feel the tension in her rippling muscles as he held her bitmap with clenched hands. Faced with such unutterable pleasure he should have finished almost immediately, he knew it, but his body had already performed twice and his staying power seemed to grow with each moment, the bliss building and building far past the level he ever would have believed possible.
AndrAIa groaned from deep in her chest and arched her back, then slowly lowered herself until her weight was atop the boy, their bodies joined from lips to toes. Enzo felt a tremble run though her, a gasp, then she cried out and so did he as he felt her clamp tight around him, deep inside. She shuddered, began to grind her body against his, slowly, and he cried out again. The pleasure grew still, until surely he thought he must climax, and grew greater still. He began to probe upwards hungrily, towards her, their bodies meeting in an explosion of sensation, then again, and again.
The game sprite's hands were in his hair and she kissed him all over his face, urgently, both sprites breathing raggedly and shallowly now. Enzo felt the tremor start deep inside her and move throughout her body and knew that she was finishing yet again, heard her gasp and moan with the power of it. Each meeting of their bodies was a revelation, each shared thrust a new level of existence. They were pioneers, explorers, discovering an undiscovered system with each passing nano. The young sprite groaned urgently and held on to AndrAIa for dear life, eyes closed to the world and helpless against the power of their union.
Lost in time Enzo held her, buried his face in her hair, not knowing if the trembling in her was yet another climax or whether she'd simply never stopped. At long last, when he was sure his heart would finally give out, he felt his own completion surging inside him. It was thunderous and as it gripped him he wailed softly, sobbed with sweet release as he shared his energy with the game sprite once more. They moved against each other urgently, each trying to extend the moment for as long as possible, trying the hold on to the power of their shared passion even as it slowly slipped away from them like handfuls of clouds.
When it was over, incredibly and blissfully and tragically over, neither sprite could utter a word. Utterly spent they lay still for long nanos, still joined. The only sound in the room was their shared breathing, synchronized, gradually slowing from urgent gasps to languid sighs of contentment.
At long last AndrAIa slowly, laboriously eased herself off the young sprite and settled her weight next to him in their shared bed. She kissed him once, wordlessly, and lay her head down on his chest, her arm draped across his stomach. Enzo felt as though he was paralyzed, unable to move and struck dumb by the power of their lovemaking. He felt tired as he never had before, utterly spent and empty, but in it's own way it was glorious – as glorious as the white-hot intensity of their shared completion. Their was no past and no future – only the here and now, and the glorious sprite that he loved with all his heart. He kissed her soft hair and tousled it slowly with a hand, left it there as he felt his eyelids droop and blissful exhaustion overcome him.
If Enzo slept it was a sleep such as he'd never experienced before – a kind of warm, cottony cocoon that was completely filled with AndrAIa. He thought and dreamt of her, felt the warmth of her body against his own, was filled by her. Perhaps he never really slept at all – perhaps he experienced only the complete lack of energy the was left in the wake of their lovemaking and lay still, eyes closed, for how long he couldn't be sure.
When his eyes opened she was there, next to him on the pillow, stroking his chest with one gentle hand. A smile creased her face as his eyes opened to her world. "Hey there."
"Hey." He whispered, caressing her cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too, Baby."
The boy continued to play with her hair slowly for a while, struck dumb by the depth and power of his love for her, his muscles loose and languid with an utter weariness that felt as natural as breathing. How could there possibly be a tomorrow, after such a shattering and fulfilling night? Perhaps it would never come – maybe they could lie together in silence forever. "Stay with me tonight? Please?"
"Yes." She whispered. The game sprite kissed his cheek and reached over him, turning off his bedside lamp and leaving them in darkness. She laid her head on his shoulder and Enzo took her in his arms, sighing with the joy of having her close. He kissed her hair softly and closed his eyes, allowing sweet, pure sleep to take him at last.
I've been watching your world from afar,
I've been trying to be where you are,
And I've been secretly falling apart,
I'll see.
To me, you're strange and you're beautiful,
You'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see,
You turn every head but you don't see me.
I'll put a spell on you,
You'll fall asleep and I'll put a spell on you.
And when I wake you,
I'll be the first thing you see,
And you'll realize that you love me.
Yeah...
Yeah...
Sometimes, the last thing you want comes in first,
Sometimes, the first thing you want never comes,
And I know, the waiting is all you can do,
Sometimes...
I'll put a spell on you,
You'll fall asleep,
I'll put a spell on you,
And when I wake you,
I'll be the first thing you see,
And you'll realize that you love me.
I'll put a spell on you,
You'll fall asleep 'cos I'll put a spell on you,
And when I wake you,
I'll be the first thing you see,
And you'll realize that you love me, yeah...
yeah...
yeah…
Enzo woke slowly, emerging from layer upon layer of dreams, and he lay with his eyes closed for a long time. What if he opened them and she were gone – what if she'd never been there with him, sharing his bed and her very self? What if it had all been just another dream, a dream far better and more real then he'd ever had, but a dream nonetheless? Was it possible?
Soon enough the young spite realized that the warm, soft presence he felt pressing against him was no dream – the slow, peaceful song of AndrAIa's breathing was not a figment of his overactive imagination. With a flutter of his heart he opened his eyes and there she was – her aquamarine hair spilling over his chest, her body draped over his, perfect and breathtaking in the dim light of early morning that seeped through his window. He gasped with the shock of it and could only stare, helpless to speak for long moments just to be in her presence.
A spike of sadness shot through him, sharp and agonizing. The reality of their night together was stored in his memory, every detail, but with the wisdom of day he knew that she would rise from the bed in a little while, walk away from him forever. The thought was almost too much to bear, but not quite – there was something else there, something that hadn't been before. No matter what else he did in his life, he'd still have what they shared – the fire and passion and sheer ecstasy of it, definitely, but even more important was the gift she'd given him. AndrAIa had given herself to him – she loved him, even if it wasn't exactly in the way he would have wanted. She thought he deserved her love, was worthy of it. Even if it was only for one night, it would always be with him – wherever he went and wherever his life took him, and whomever he shared it with.
The boy heard one quick breath, then two, and felt the game sprite stir against him. She slowly and languidly stretched, cat-like, and from the crook of his arm turned her head to stare at him. There was a nano of startled recognition, then what the young sprite was sure was a sad smile. "Oh, my."
"Hi." Enzo whispered, trying very hard not to cry.
"Oh, Sweetie." AndrAIa brushed her hand across his face and kissed his shoulder. "I forgot there for a nano, I really did. I thought maybe I'd dreamt the whole thing. When I woke up and had my eyes closed, I thought for a nano I was a girl again."
"What?"
"I could feel you, I could smell you… They say smell is the most primal sense of all, you know. It's tied right into out memories." She yawned and kissed his cheek. "When I woke up, I was in another time and another place."
"Really? But I… I mean, I'm Matrix, right? We're the same."
"You're Enzo." AndrAIa smiled. "You're different than he was in so many ways – even then. But your scent, your skin… It took me back to all those hours ago, in the games." She sighed deeply and laid her head on his chest. "You smell like shyness, and discovering, and wanting someone so badly that it makes you hurt, all over. You smell like being scared and excited and totally, completely in love."
"I…" The boy gently played with her hair, helpless to give voice to the emotions inside him. "Oh, Andri."
"You're so young yet, Love. Your whole world is just opening up. It's a wonderful time."
"I guess." He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder… You know? I wonder what's going to happen to me. The net seems so big and I just can't imagine myself out in it, being an adult."
"Scary, isn't it?"
"No." Enzo said hastily. "Not scary, exactly. Just… Well, maybe a little."
"Sweetie." The game sprite kissed his chest softly. "You're going to be a very, very exceptional man. Trust me on this – I know."
"How? I mean – I don't feel very exceptional."
"I know things. About people." AndrAIa smiled. "Maybe it's because I'm different from all of you – because I come from a game. When I see someone, I know them right away. I knew your brother was special – I could feel it. That's why I gave my life to him and left the only place I ever knew."
"Really?" the young sprite whispered. He was ready to believe AndrAIa could do pretty much anything, but her words didn't seem to fit him somehow. "I know he's special."
"Enzo…" The game sprite rose up and wrapped her arms around him. "You have the best of all of us, Love. Our best. That's why we all worry about you – you're the future we're all hoping for."
"AndrAIa?"
"Matrix is strong, you see – strong and determined and courageous. Just like you are. But he doesn't have your heart, Little Sparky. You have the gentlest, warmest heart in the net. He changed – he had to change, to survive. But that's all right – he had his destiny, and he's done the things he had to do. But he grew up cold and hard, because he had to."
"Cold, and… I don't think he's all those things." Enzo whispered.
"I know." AndrAIa nodded. "He's better - a different sprite now than when we came home, and I love him with all my code. But he lost something that he'll never get back – something that you have, and we all want to make sure you always will."
"But Andri, I-"
"You have his strength. Dot's given you so much, too – her dedication, her responsibility – her loyalty to you, forever. Bob's given you his knowledge, his training, his sense of justice." She grinned and kissed Enzo's nose. "And I've given you my love, Love. Always. You're going to take all those things with you, wherever you go and whatever you do. You're the best of all of us, Angel. And there's a girl out there, somewhere, who's going to love you more than anything in the net. And you're going to have a wonderful life together."
Enzo squeezed her to him, held her. "I can't imagine it, AndrAIa, no matter how I try."
"Hey – how many sprites have saved the entire net when they were 0.1? Only one that I know of. You were born special, Love – and you always will be. I know it."
"Andri - I love you. God, I love you!"
"I know." She whispered. "I'll always know."
The boy tried to smile, tried to be all the things AndrAIa said he was. "So – I… I guess I'm not a virgin anymore, huh?"
"Oh, definitely not." She said with a small shake of the head. "Goodness me…"
"AndrAIa, was… Was it as incredible as I remember it? Or was I dreaming that part?"
She smiled again, stroked his cheek. "Honey, it was beyond incredible. I promise – you definitely weren't dreaming about that."
"K."
"Oh, Enzo…" AndrAIa raised herself on an elbow, kissed his forehead. "I hope I haven't done something terrible. I hope I haven't done something terrible to you-"
"What? Andri, no-"
"I hope I haven't hurt you, Baby. If I have, I hope you'll be able to forgive me some cycle."
"No. Stop." He took her face in his hands and kissed her, her own pain like a sharp stab in his gut. "You didn't hurt me. It was the most incredible night of my life. Every nano of it was perfect."
"But Enzo, you… You're not an adult. Not really. And you know we can never-"
"I know." He sighed. "I know I'm not. Not yet. And I know we can't. But it doesn't matter – it was still perfect. And I'll never forget it. It was the best night of my life."
"Enzo-"
"I'm almost a grown-up – closer than before last night, anyway. And I know it was only one night. But I'll always remember it – thank you."
"We talked about that."
"Sorry!"
The game sprite chuckled softly, snuggled close to him. "You really are wonderful. I want you to always remember that."
"I will. Thanks to you."
"OK." She smiled. "User, it still feels like a dream, though."
"But it wasn't."
"No… It wasn't. Baby – you'll be OK? Really?"
"Yeah." The boy returned her smile, easily and naturally. For the first time since he could remember, he thought maybe he actually would be OK.
"You're so young." The game sprite sighed. "But you're still an amazing sprite. Some girl is going to be very lucky the cycle you fall in love with her."
"I guess."
"Babe – you know we can never tell anyone about last night, don't you? Not a word – not a soul. If your brother ever-"
"I know." He whispered. Enzo couldn't deny that a big part of him wanted to shout out to the world – to sing aloud the glory of what had happened, to every sprite, binome and virus in the net. But another part of him, deeper inside, knew better. "I like it that no one else will ever know. I like it that it's something only you and me will share, forever and ever."
"That's right." She nodded, punctuating with a kiss on the cheek. "This belongs to us, Enzo. Neither one of us will ever forget it."
"Never." User, she was beautiful – the boy felt like he could stare at her forever. But at least her beauty would always be inside of him now - a part of him that nothing and no one could ever take away. That thought warmed him, straight to his core.
"Crash." The game sprite chuckled. "You've got to get ready for school, you know."
"School? Sheesh, AndrAIa-"
"Hey – I'm not letting you skip out on classes on my watch, Dot would kill me!" She said it with a stern glare in his direction, but it soon dissolved into a sputtering chuckle, then the both of them were laughing helplessly in each others' arms. They laughed for a long time, utterly carefree, then sat up wearily. "Shower-time for you, I think." She sniffed tentatively. "Then me."
"I guess." Enzo sighed. He turned to look out over his bedroom, struck by how much smaller it seemed a cycle before, and was momentarily startled to see a pair of dark eyes staring back at him. "Frisket!"
"Frisket?" AndrAIa frowned, staring at the dog. He returned her gaze thoughtfully, head on paws and what could easily pass for a knowing glint in his eyes. "That dog!"
"AndrAIa?"
She shook her head slowly, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "He knows things, that dog does. And he's got a pretty good memory, too. Scat!" She good-naturedly tossed Enzo's t-shirt at the dog and he snuffled as it draped over his head. With a jaunty shake of his shoulders he tossed it aside and backed into the hallway before setting down again, head on paws.
Enzo laughed, rising to his hands and knees to stare out into the hall. "He looks… I don't know. He looks like he would laugh. If he could."
"Yeah." AndrAIa scowled. She tousled Enzo's hair and slapped him on his bitmap sharply. "You – get going. Shower time. I'll make the java."
"Ow!" Enzo grinned ruefully, rubbing himself and staring at the game-sprite, one eye closed.
"Gonna be a busy cycle for me. Gonna have to do laundry, that's for sure…"
"Um – Andri?"
The game sprite eyed him warily. "Yeah?"
He grabbed her hands and smiled, felt himself blush. "It's really early, normally I wouldn't even be up yet…"
"Enzo-"
"You smell nice to me, but you said you wanted to take a shower and all." The boy raised an eyebrow. "How about it?"
The game sprite shook her head, laughing. "It's the code. It must be in the code!"
"C'mon – please?"
"Unnnh… Enzo! This isn't a game, you know!"
"I know." He sighed. "I know it's just now, and nothing else. But how about it?"
The game sprite sighed, cast an eye towards his middle. "You really are incorrigible, aren't you?"
"It's like that every morning." The young sprite mumbled. "Sorry."
"Hmmm. Oh, I suppose we-"
"Pixelacious!"
"Babe – wait!"
"C'mon!" Enzo giggled and dragged the game sprite by the hands, she laughing and protesting every step of the way. They leapt over Frisket and down the hall and he felt free and light, a child and a grown-up all at once. They stood in the tub and hugged each other and he couldn't help but smile, couldn't help be overwhelmed by the perfection of his love for her. That was something else that no one could ever take away from him. And even though he still felt a stab of sadness and regret about the future he knew that sadness would never control him, knew as the steam rose and his lips met hers that whatever happened in his life, the power of his love for her – and her love for him - would be a source of strength when he needed it. And on that morning, with the Academy and his future and an unknown universe opening up before him, that was enough.
