Ana swung her dangling feet back and forth, humming to herself as she looked down at the snowy slope beneath the chair lift. The whiteness of the ground was rather glaring without her goggles, but she kept them up to feel the coldness on her face. Zooming in with her cybernetic eye, she spotted the smooth surface of the nearest piste, watching the skiers carve their own winding trails down the slope. Her anticipation spiked; the urge to go off on her own had simmered during their ski lesson, and she only stuck with the group because Kamilah was in it as well. But now that they were free…
She started, screwing her eyes shut when her goggles were pushed down without ceremony. Ana turned her head, peeking at her wife through blue-tinted lens.
"You'll go snow blind," Kamilah said simply.
"Thanks, mom."
"And don't zoom in on the snow. You'll hurt your eye."
"I wasn't…"
"You always tilt your head a little when you use it."
"What? Really?" Ana turned away to test her claim, but Kamilah grasped onto her chin and the next thing she knew, she was looking much too closely at the bridge of Kamilah's nose.
"I said don't zoom in on the snow!"
"Relax, Milah. I'm sure the eye won't get fried by light so easily."
"Not the point. I don't want you to go blind."
"Aw." Ana hugged around her shoulders. "You do care."
"I don't want to hear you whining when your eye hurts," Kamilah snipped back smoothly.
"But you'll be there fussing over me anyway," she cooed, snorting when she received a smack on the nose. Ana leaned back in the seat, Kamilah following suit as another cool breeze swept past them. "It's okay. We're married. You can stop pretending now."
"That's right. We're married," Kamilah drawled. "Now I'm stuck with your whining for the rest of my life."
"Lucky you."
Instead of a snappy rejoinder, Kamilah settled for a short laugh. She raised a gloved hand to pull Ana's head close, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Lucky me."
Whether intended or not, it melted Ana enough that she was reduced to a gleeful but quiet bundle beside her wife for the rest of their ride up. It didn't take long before they reached their destination and naturally, the peacefulness was lost the moment Ana's skis touched the snowy ground again.
"Race you to the bottom!"
"Ana, no!"
For their first two rounds down the slopes, Ana went faster than was prudent for someone of her experience, but kept ahead of Kamilah out of pure mischief. Only after she had met Kamilah at the end of the slope and was treated to an impressive pout, did she relent and ski alongside her wife for the rest of their rounds. It was only a matter of time before she managed to prod Kamilah into a race, matching each other turn for turn, and rushing back up again for another go.
Their fun was put to a premature end, however, with the help of another aspiring racer. So caught up were they in their private competition that neither noticed a snowboarder swerving in from the side, exclaiming in panic before crashing into Kamilah. Ana was a little farther away from the two, and watched in shock as they tumbled over the snow towards the end of the slope – which they were not far from, thankfully. Ana slid hurriedly to a stop beside her wife, who was sprawled on the ground with her ski poles lying farther down the path. Kamilah was panting lightly, wide eyes landing on Ana when she came close.
Bending down to pull Kamilah to her feet, they checked that she was uninjured, and that the rented skis were not damaged in anyway. They laughed off the snowboarder's frantic apologies and threw in a few of their own as well, then made off without having understood a single word of what their fellow tourist had said, aside from 'sorry' and 'bye'.
Only when they returned to their room did Kamilah discover the dark bruise where the snowboard had collided into her shin earlier. She merely shrugged when asked how she never noticed an odd sensation in her leg, and claimed that it 'really was nothing'. Nevertheless, her legs found a pedestal in Ana's lap as she leaned back in her chair, waiting for Ana to finish icing the bruise. Kamilah clicked her tongue when itchy fingers started prodding about the edges of discoloured skin, and pulled her legs away before Ana could poke another reaction out of her.
Despite the little accident, they spent most of their last day in Zermatt on skis again, before making their way up to the Gornergrat observatory to round up the evening, capturing their last gorgeous view of the Matterhorn. They fell into bed with bodies spent from the day's activities, grabbing ample rest before heading off to the Glacier Express the next morning.
In hindsight, hitting the pillows early the previous night was not really necessary at all. The moment she settled in her seat for the 8-hour journey to St Moritz, memories of a butt-numbing 4-hour train ride came back to haunt her. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, tapping her shoes idly against Kamilah's as she stared out of the window. She caught sight of a familiar little blonde figure bouncing across the platform, just before the train pulled out of the station.
Ana kept her camera at ready, snapping photos of the valleys, rivers and gorges as they passed. Her feet started tapping against the floor as if in protest against the inactivity, but were soon trapped between Kamilah's ankles, putting a stop to her fidgeting. She fell into a random pattern of dozing off in her seat, then jerking awake to take photos of wherever they were in, before zoning out again. Ana tried playing footsie with her partner and, to her delight, received a few advances as well. Suddenly the ride didn't seem all that long, and yet could not end quickly enough.
The darkening sky was tinged with orange by the time they set foot in St Moritz, and the need for activity carried them all the way to their lodgings. Their suite gave them a good view of the frozen lake, though it didn't hold Ana's attention for long. Her arms quickly found their way around Kamilah's waist, getting a chuckle as she turned her partner around, and drew her in for one fervent kiss after another. Her hand found its way under Kamilah's shirt, inching higher and higher, until there was a firm grasp on her wrist.
"Not tonight, amar."
A whine promptly left Ana's throat. She tried to deepen the chaste kiss Kamilah pressed to her lips, without success. Ana was left staring at Kamilah with puppy eyes, only to given another peck for consolation. Then Kamilah took off her shirt anyway, tossing Ana a wink before changing her clothes in plain view.
A sadist. Ana married a sadist.
St Moritz was much larger than Zermatt, where the entire town could be covered on foot easily. What struck Ana first was the loss of a simpler and cleaner environment – the whiff of exhaust from passing cars welcomed them back to 'civilisation'. It was still less chaotic than the roads back home though, so the change was not all that jarring. She caught Kamilah eyeing the motorcycles flying past them, and could practically feel the riding itch crawling under her partner's skin. No doubt Ana would have a slew of bike rides to look forward to upon their return home. But for now, they would have to be satisfied with their own two feet instead of wheels.
Upon arriving at the lake, Ana stopped and drank in the sight of skaters gliding over the ice, taking a deep breath before pulling Kamilah all the way to the skate rentals. Then she had to pull Kamilah gently along the ice as well, guiding her partner patiently as she found her balance on the two blades beneath her boots. Kamilah's grip on her hands loosened further the longer they skated, until Ana could finally take her own hands away and glide down the ice beside her wife. There were no races this time; Ana didn't want a repeat of their ski incident, and ice wouldn't be much fun to fall flat on. Instead they made wide circuits over the lake, Ana spotting children using polar bear-shaped skating aids, then pouting when Kamilah told her 'no'.
Bear-skating dreams crushed, Ana soothed her inner child by grabbing a polar bear pillow from a nearby shop. And though Kamilah raised a brow at her acquisition, she stole the pillow to hug during their train ride towards Chur, a city over an hour away on rail. She fell asleep halfway through the trip with the pillow snuggled tightly against her chest; Ana wondered how long it would take for Kamilah to notice her new phone wallpaper.
As it turned out, not 'long' at all – she found out the moment they stepped out of train, and the bear was named 'Kami' in her honour, which was accepted with a defeated sigh. The bear stayed in Ana's backpack, wrapped in Kamilah's scarf for the rest of their trip around Chur, its home becoming more crowded as the women squeezed in a bunch of chocolates and souvenirs to match. After complaining about Kami's plight and that her stuffed bag looked like she had kidnapped a baby, they took to eating the chocolates while on the road, pretending it would help lighten Ana's load.
At least they were hoofing it for most of the trip, Ana told herself as she opened their second chocolate bar.
To make up for their guilty pleasure, they covered the entirety of the Old Town and most of the city much faster than planned, then hopped onto a train back to St Moritz. Ana's feet were starting to ache from continuous activity for the past few days. But even as she lay on the bed, back attempting to melt into the soft covers, she would not stop just yet. Oh, no. She had plans.
Catching Kamilah's hand as she walked by, Ana tugged her close. "Want some company?" she asked with a sly smile.
"Do I?" Kamilah asked, raising a brow.
"I give amazing full body massages. You might be a little sore after, though."
Kamilah chuckled softly, fingers gliding slowly along Ana's. "Oh, I know."
She pulled away, and Ana didn't try to keep her, gaze fixed on Kamilah as she sauntered over to the bathroom. The glint in her wife's eye was all she needed. The moment she heard the door's lock click, Ana rolled out of bed.
In the blink of an eye, everything was in place. Her hair was perfect, as always. Lips glossed and kissable. Garters strapped and ready to tantalise. Perfume light and intoxicating. Body thrumming with anticipation as she lay in bed, waiting.
Waiting.
Still waiting.
Huh.
Kamilah was taking much longer than usual, leaving Ana with too much time on her hands. Tired of staying still with ears pricked for hints of Kamilah's arrival, Ana got to her feet and wandered around the spacious bedroom. She looked in the mirror, running a hand through her hair and stretching her stocking-clad legs this way and that. Then she wandered over to her bag, and popped a square of chocolate into her mouth, fishing out the bear pillow that was still squashed with the other souvenirs. As she was smoothing over its short 'fur', she heard a click from around the corner, and quickly dived back into bed.
So it was that Kamilah finally appeared, leaning with one hand on the wall, eyes roving over her wife until…
Her lips curved up in a smile as she let out a breathy laugh. "I spy with my little eye, something that doesn't really belong."
"Your chemise?" Ana said, feeling her breaths grow shorter the more she stared at Kamilah. No wonder she had taken so long. But Ana could hardly complain, barely able to wrench her eyes away from the sheer black fabric covering Kamilah's body, hypnotised by the sway of her hips as she walked over.
"Try again, darling."
And 'try again' she did. First by lifting her eyes from the hem hiking up Kamilah's thighs as she climbed on the bed. Then by constructing a fluent sentence when presented with a generous view of her wife's chest as she crawled over to Ana.
"I'm serious." Ana's hand found its way to Kamilah's hip, running slowly down the smooth fabric. "The chemise belongs on the floor."
Clicking her tongue, Kamilah reached for Ana's elbow, and tugged at the pillow it rested on. "One last try."
Snickering when she looked down at the polar bear, Ana lifted her arm so Kamilah could take it away and drop it to the floor. "I guess you couldn't…bear its presence."
"Oh please," she groaned. "Not tonight."
"Why?" Ana grinned as Kamilah straddled her hips. "Am I not punny enough for you?"
"One more, and I'm leaving."
"Please. Bet you can't wait to polar-f all my clothes–"
Kamilah's lips crashed into hers, and Ana smiled gleefully into the rough kiss. She let Kamilah have her way, yielding when she was pushed down on her back. Ana parted her lips when Kamilah probed with her tongue, then grunted at the bite on her bottom lip.
"You really need to shut your mouth sometimes."
"Why shut my own mouth when you can do it for me?" Ana drawled. She played with the chemise's hem, then slid her hand underneath, caressing Kamilah's thigh as she ventured upwards. She sucked at the bitten spot on her lip, and was rewarded with another kiss. Slower this time, unfueled by exasperation borne of bad puns.
"Why do I love you?" Kamilah sighed against her lips.
"You tell me, Mrs. Amari," Ana replied with a crooked smile, grabbing her ass and yanking Kamilah flush against her. The throaty growl sent a thrill down Ana's spine, and she met Kamilah's kiss with every bit of fierce passion she had bottled up in the past days. That she had been forced to bottle up by design. The thought ignited a need to flip her partner onto her back, to dash her well-laid plans and assert control.
She bucked her hips up in an attempt to throw Kamilah off, and instead found her hands pinned to the bed as lips traveled along her jaw. A chuckle escaped her throat as the kisses trailed downwards. Ana pressed a thigh hard between Kamilah's legs, earning a groan and a rough bite on her neck. Her smile grew wider, and she rubbed her thigh against Kamilah, who ground on her in return. Ana stayed in place as lips caressed her skin, nibbling at her collarbone before moving farther down.
"Tease…" Ana breathed, back arching when Kamilah mouthed her through her bra.
Kamilah smirked, meeting her eyes as she traced a nipple through thin fabric. "Impatient, aren't we?" she purred, and Ana felt a trickle of déjà vu. But it was soon forgotten when she made her move.
She caught Kamilah by surprise when she surged up, capturing her partner in deep kiss as she pushed Kamilah onto her back. Fingers threaded through Ana's hair, nails dragging lightly across her back as her tongue probed its way past Kamilah's lips, getting a groan as she ground her hips against her partner. Ana pressed kisses down the side of her neck, pulling the thin straps off Kamilah's shoulders, loving each inch of her lover's body as she tugged the chemise lower, revealing more and more skin. It was not long before the thin garment found its place on the floor, and Ana was free to roam her hands over Kamilah without anything in the way. She cupped Kamilah's breasts, noting the quirk in her wife's lips.
This was her goal all along, Ana realised. Kamilah never planned to be on top.
Not yet.
"Enjoying yourself?" Kamilah asked with a smile to match Ana's. She tried to sit up, but was pushed down firmly by a hand on her chest.
"Enjoying you, more like." Her breath caught when Kamilah ran her fingers enticingly down Ana's arm. Holding her by the wrist, Kamilah guided Ana's hand to her mouth, kissing her way up Ana's palm and fingers, before taking two digits between her teeth. Ana smiled at the invitation and accepted, pushing her fingers farther into Kamilah's mouth.
One hand busy, Ana trailed the other down her lover's body as she bent down, tracing the faint outlines of Kamilah's stomach with her mouth, until she reached the only piece of garment left on her body. Guiding her thighs farther apart, Ana swooped in, mouthing Kamilah through her damp underwear. An approving moan reached her ears as she hummed, pressing her mouth harder between Kamilah's legs, tongue teasing at her entrance.
"Ana," Kamilah breathed when Ana replaced her mouth with fingers, rubbing slow circles through the fabric. "Please."
It was a wonder how she sounded in control even with Ana's digits in her mouth and between her legs; it almost made Ana giddy.
Rising from her position, Ana took her hand from Kamilah's mouth, their lips meeting in a fervent kiss as Ana pressed a knee against Kamilah. She gave a moan that sounded nearly like a whimper, gazing up at Ana with need glistening in dark eyes. So Ana reached into her underwear, rubbing the very two fingers that had been in Kamilah's mouth against her wetness. She watched Kamilah's eyes grow half-lidded, lips parting as she slid both digits in at once. Ana kissed her again, tender and loving, before she drove her hips forward, burying her fingers deep within Kamilah.
Her wife moaned into her mouth, body stiffening at her sudden entry. Ana kept her fingers still, waiting for Kamilah's muscles to relax, then built up a pace easily. First with her wrist, then with her hand driving forward again and again, mixing force into rhythm that kept her name falling off Kamilah's tongue. Ana bit and kissed and sucked along her jaw, neck, and clavicles, leaving little marks as she went along. She kept working, pushing Kamilah rapidly towards the edge until Ana could feel her muscles tightening around her fingers. When Kamilah started writhing under her, Ana pulled out.
Kamilah whined and reached for Ana's hand, only to have her own pinned over her head. She looked up at Ana, recognition flashing in her eyes at her lover's expression. A knowing smile had curved her lips when Ana dipped in for a slow kiss, Kamilah meeting her with impressive restraint.
"You're horrible," Kamilah murmured.
"You're my inspiration, sweetheart."
Ana did give her a little relief though, by removing the underwear and finally leaving her lover bare. It was then that she remembered she had her own plans as well, before Kamilah threw her mind into disarray. Quickly reaching for the nightstand, she opened the drawer and retrieved their scarves, which she had planted there just a little while ago.
"So," Ana purred, a devilish curve on her lips. "Shall we really get started?"
Kamilah gave a lopsided smile of her own, hands reaching forward to tug at Ana's garter belts. "Only after you strip, darling."
Truth be told, Ana had been awake for a while. But she had woken so peacefully that her partner scarcely noticed, and she chose to leave it like this for the time being.
Ana remained on her front, eyes closed, breaths slow as fingers caressed her skin. Down her shoulder, tracing the contours of her bicep, and back up again. Lips pressed softly on the edge of her jaw, her nape, between her shoulder blades, etching silent adoration into scarred canvas. Fingertips traced the blemishes lovingly, smoothing over rough skin before placing a kiss over each scar on her back.
Waking to Kamilah's touches in the early hours was not uncommon; it was her wife's solution to sleepless nights, finding solace in Ana's presence. Ana herself would often be lulled back to sleep under Kamilah's ministrations. But sometimes, she would stay awake, waiting for Kamilah to press up against her back, and fall asleep with an arm wrapped around her stomach. When that did not happen, Ana would pull Kamilah into an embrace instead, rubbing her back in slow circles until her muscles relaxed, and her breathing grew deep and slow.
When the minutes ticked by and Kamilah still showed no intent of lying down to rest, Ana decided to step in this time as well.
"Can't sleep?" she mumbled, catching the fingers that had roamed to her stomach, and brought them up to her lips.
"Not really."
"Then I didn't do a good job." Ana turned over with a languid smile. "Spread your legs, sweetie."
Kamilah laughed softly. "Trust me, amar. You did."
"Are you sure?" Ana ran her hands up Kamilah's sides, gazing appreciatively at the scratches and bites on her body. Blindfolded with her wrists tied over her head, Kamilah was an absolute pleasure to play with; even the gentle graze of nails against her stomach made her muscles coil in anticipation. Ana had drawn out her fun with Kamilah, keeping her on edge long enough to drive her wild, before giving her the release she begged for. Needless to say, Ana had a very intimate taste of her own medicine after.
"Yes." Kamilah traced Ana's bottom lip, where the skin had broken after a particularly hard bite. "I was just…thinking."
"Oh? All about me, I hope."
"Narcissist."
She grinned, circling her arms around Kamilah's waist. "You totally were."
Kamilah cocked her head, a soft smile on her lips. "I was. About you. About us."
"Hm?"
"If someone told me years ago that I'd marry you… I'd stab them with a syringe," she said, voice light as she twirled Ana's hair between her fingers.
"You stab everyone with a syringe. That's your job."
"I don't 'stab' it."
"Oh yes, you do. Remember this?"
Kamilah rolled her eyes when Ana pointed at the spot in her abdomen. "That was an accident."
"I'm surprised you didn't leave a scar."
"Shush."
"I thought you were trying to break up with me," Ana laughed and slapped at Kamilah's hand, which was trying to cover her mouth. She quickly grabbed onto Kamilah's sides, holding her in place so she couldn't break away from the tickles. Ana made her writhe in place for a while before sitting up, and yanked Kamilah in for a kiss. As fingers ran through her hair, Ana flipped them over so she lay on top of her wife, laying kiss after playful kiss on Kamilah's lips.
Sighing when they finally parted, Kamilah locked her arms around Ana's nape, gazing at her with a tenderness that enraptured her in an instant.
"I love you, Ana," Kamilah murmured.
"I love you too," Ana said softly. "Milah?"
"Hm?"
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You know that?"
"No. But now I do."
Ana chuckled. "You're horrible."
"I am your inspiration, after all."
"You are my life, Milah," she said, bringing their lips together again. "You are my everything."