[[Hi again, everyone! It's finally here. The last chapter of "50 Shades of Silver". I'm really sorry about the long delay in writing this final segment. School started up again and so I've been busy, busy, busy. But I finally completed it and I hope everyone enjoys it. Thank you so much to all who have been reading and reviewing this whole time. I really really appreciate it, it means a lot to me! Please enjoy and let me know what you think of the ending! (~^w^~)]]

"Something you need to tell me?" I blinked. Linking my hands together in front of me. "Wh-what is it?"

Kyo's eyes were glued to the tile on the floor. "I...I don't think you should marry Ayame."

"Kyo-"

"No, wait, just. Hear me out," he protested. Finally looking up to meet my gaze. "That guy, Tohru. He's...he's no good for you! He's a creepy pervert and I think all the pregnancy stuff is messin' with your head, and you think you gotta marry him now 'cause of the baby, and all that, but you don't!"

I swallowed, trying to remain calm, though my insides were running wild. "Kyo, I've thought through all my options, and even though this one admittedly has some weirdness about it, I-I have to give it an honest try. It's not perfect; these aren't the circumstances that I fantasized about getting married under when I was a little girl. I didn't expect to be this young, and I definitely didn't expect to be this pregnant when I walked down the aisle. But what I did want, more than anything else, was to marry a man I loved, and I'm doing just that. So please...please don't worry about me anymore."

Ignoring most of what I said, Kyo remarked, "All your options? Ya sure about that? 'Cause I dunno if you know this, but...I mean, if you wanted...I'd...I mean, I..."

"Wait, what are you saying, Kyo?"

If possible, his face reddened even further. "I dunno, I was just...maybe I could like...if you wanted the baby to have a father and stuff, it doesn't have to be Ayame."

"But Ayame is the father."

A frustrated sigh. And then. "Damn it, why do ya have to act so dense sometimes?" he asked before approaching me, putting his hand on the small of my back, and pulling me toward him. He kissed me so quickly that I had not a single second to react, or back away, or even process what was happening.

As his lips met mine, I heard the door to the suite open. "Tohru, I know it's traditionally considered bad luck to-" Ayame barely got through his sentence before the sight of Kyo kissing me stopped him in his tracks. I then snapped out of my temporary lapse of mental functioning and stumbled back from the kiss, wiping my mouth with my arm. Staring at the two men with wide eyes.

"Ayame...it's not what it looks like, I promise. I...he..." I started.

But Ayame wasn't even looking at me. He was giving Kyo a stare so deadly that I wouldn't have been surprised if the former cat disintegrated on the spot. "How dare you." It wasn't a question.

Kyo glared back, his fists clenched at his sides. But he said nothing.

"How dare you," Ayame repeated. His voice wasn't raised, but it was thick with unspeakable rage.

"It's because you don't deserve her!" Kyo finally got up the nerve to say, though his voice was shakier than I had ever heard it before. "You never did! The only reason she agreed to go out with you is because you...you seduced her or somethin'! You played tricks on her mind, I dunno how you did it, but you corrupted her and now you think you deserve to get married to her?! You don't even love her!"

Ayame grabbed Kyo by the collar of his shirt and had him up against the wall within seconds. "You can say I don't deserve her, that is probably true, but don't you ever say I don't love her!"

Kyo squirmed under Ayame's grasp but managed to push him back hard. The two stood facing each other as if they were ready to get their guns out and duel. "You don't! If you loved her, you never would have done what you did!"

"Force her to do something she didn't want to do?"

"Yeah!"

"Like you just did?" Ayame asked. Kyo froze. His fists slowly unclenched at his sides. "You know, that's what really gets me about this. Oh, yes, it irks me that you would be so rude as to kiss my fiancee while I'm standing not ten feet away. Trying to steal another man's woman at his own wedding...that's really not very decent behavior, Kyo. It's a shame Kazuma never taught you proper manners."

At this, Kyo growled, but Ayame continued. "But what really gets me about it is what you did to Tohru." My heart jumped to my throat. "I know my princess; I know she did not invite the kiss. I did not have to be in the room to know exactly what happened. You, thinking you're in love with her, decided: 'Oh, who cares if she's already made it clear she loves someone else? Who cares if she is pregnant with someone else's child? Who cares if she is about to get married in five minutes? I love her. I want her. I'm going to take what I want, and to hell with if she wants it or not! Maybe if I just go for it, she'll enjoy it and she'll end up wanting it too!' Well, let me tell you something, Kyo. I learned the hard way, that is not how things are supposed to work."

Kyo swallowed hard. I could tell Ayame's words struck a nerve with him but the anger on his face never left. "It was a kiss, it wasn't like I raped her, like someone else in the room did!"

"You're right, but the kiss was built on the same foundation. The very same foundation. Don't you see it? It is disgusting selfishness! Plain and simple! If Tohru wanted you, she would have kissed you herself, months ago! But she didn't want you, and you couldn't stand the thought of it, so you pursued your own interest, not caring in the slightest what she wanted!" Ayame yelled, his eyes flashing golden for a few moments before he calmed down.

Forcing himself to look at the floor and take a deep breath before meeting Kyo's eyes again. "Tohru is just that kind of woman. She captures hearts without meaning to, and we men feel helpless to resist her charms. So we get caught up in our own passionate feelings for her." He then finally turned to look at me and reached his hand out to grab mine. "But Tohru, your feelings are equally important, if not more so. You rarely speak of them, you want to make everyone else happy instead, but...that's not how I want our marriage to be. I don't want to be selfish anymore, but you cannot be so selfless anymore either. I'm going to need you to speak up and tell me exactly what's on your mind, even if it's something I might not like to hear. I'm going to need you to tell me what you want, what you don't want, what makes you happy and sad and angry and everything in between, and I promise...I promise from this day forward, your feelings will never fall on deaf ears. Ever again."

Trembling lightly, I leapt forward into Ayame's arms and embraced him tightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kyo, turning to walk out the door. He looked like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and thrown to a mass of hungry snakes. "Wait," I said. I pulled back from the hug, and Kyo turned back to us. "Ayame...what I want...is to marry you...and to have Kyo walk me down the aisle."

Kyo and Ayame wore matching expressions of surprise. I took Ayame's hand with my left and Kyo's with my right. "Kyo...I know this isn't probably what you want to hear, but I hope it will be of some small consolation to you...I mean, not to sound like being with me would be any great prize or anything!...but um, well, what I'm trying to say, I mean...it's that...the way you always protect me and defend me and look out for me, well..."

"You're sayin' I'm like a father to you?" Kyo asked, looking halfway between defeated and honored. I smiled gently and nodded, and he sighed. "Okay. Okay, fine. I guess. I guess I just had to try but I didn't really think anythin' would come of it, and..." He looked down and his face was beet red again. He clutched my hand tighter. "Yeah, okay, I'll walk ya down the aisle or whatever."

And walk me down the aisle he did. Ayame left minutes before us to take his spot down the aisle and then Kyo led me down to meet him there. Our wedding took place outside. In a green, flowery park just steps from an enormous lake that I could see during my entire walk.

But as clear and beautiful the mirror-like lake was, I didn't look at it much. Instead my attention wandered about the faces in the pews, among them: Kagura, cheering me on; Ritsu, blushing happily and admiring my dress; Kisa, crying with joy; Hiro, from whom I was shocked to receive a tiny semblance of a smile...and when I saw a red butterfly float over an empty seat, I knew my mom was there too.

And then I looked up to the wedding party as they stood ready beside Ayame. Shigure was dramatically blowing his nose into a handkerchief while Hatori rolled his eyes at him; Mine was dressed in a tuxedo and I ignored the trace of heartbreak I detected in the bright smile she offered me. The heartbreak on Yuki's face was harder to ignore as he stood besides his brother but I quickly looked to Uo and Hana standing on the opposite side. Their always comforting faces. I felt my nerves calm.

Though finally looking at Ayame reversed the calm. My heart skipped a beat as we locked eyes and before I knew it, I was standing there next to him. Kyo was letting go of my arm. Giving me away. I turned to him once more and kissed his cheek. He blushed again, forced a smile, and sat down next to Ritsu.

From there, it all seemed to happen so fast, and yet every moment felt frozen in time somehow too. I don't really know how to describe it but it felt like pure magic. For the time being, all my doubts and fears were mere memories. Seemingly very distant memories at that. As we said our vows and exchanged rings. As he kissed the bride and we heard everyone cheer behind us. I felt nothing but free and happy and optimistic about the future.

This feeling persisted into the reception, where we all drank champagne (well, sparkling cider for me), and ate the most delicious cake I had ever tasted, and laughed when Kagura caught the bouquet and chased Kyo around the room, and danced until our legs told us it was time to go home.

But Ayame and I wouldn't be going home.

And that's when the old anxiety hit me yet again, like a brick was hurled at my chest. Our honeymoon. It was going to be starting soon. Very soon, as soon as we arrived at the Sohmas' beach house where we would be spending the week. We were now in the limo, waving to the last of our guests before driving off into the night.

"Well, well, that was certainly a glorious success," was the first thing that came out of Ayame's mouth after we settled into our seats. "We make quite the team, don't we?"

"We really do! Everything went so wonderfully!" I said back but it seemed right after I said it, a horrendous awkwardness fell upon the two of us. Like now that we were alone, we had nothing to talk about, and the elephant had decided to join us in the backseat of the limo even though he hadn't been invited to the wedding.

After a few moments of silence, Ayame let out a single chuckle. "It really shouldn't be this hard, should it?"

I crossed my hands over my lap and looked down at them. "No, it shouldn't."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the former snake staring at me contemplatively, his chin resting on his hand. "You know, Tohru, nothing about our relationship thus far has been...traditional. Who says the honeymoon has to be? Who says our marriage has to be?"

"Wh-what are you saying?"

He then took my hands in his. "I'm saying that we don't have to have sex tonight. Or ever, if that is what you so desire."

"E-ever?!"

"It would not be my ideal choice, far from it! But if an asexual relationship is what you want. If it's what you need to feel secure and comfortable in this marriage, then...I'll learn to cope!" he said. Removing one of his hands from mine so he could ball it into a fist and raise it in a display of resolve. "I don't want you to constantly feel on edge when you're around me; a husband should make his wife feel safe and protected! Will it be a challenge to lead a life of celibacy while living with the most desirable woman I have ever known? Of course! But as I hope you know by now, there is no challenge I cannot overcome! Especially for the sake of your happiness with me!"

With every second that I watched him go on this spiel. My smile grew bigger and bigger. Until it was overflowing with laughter by the end. My body shaking with mirth, all the tension rattling out of it. He then snapped out of it and look at me, blinking wildly. "Tohru? What's so funny? I'm being completely serious right now!"

"Ayame, you're just so...hahaha...you're just so extreme sometimes..." I managed to get out.

"I only want what's best for you-"

"I know, I know, and I'm grateful for what you said," I started, still feeling my stomach tremble with giggles. Finally, I calmed down and leaned my body against his, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "But the truth is, I don't want an asexual marriage. You've already wrecked me, Ayame."

"Tohru, I'm, I'm sorry-"

"No, no, that's not what I mean," I quickly assured. "You wrecked me because...well, no matter what actually happened that night, I did want it, at first. And for months before it happened. And I still want it even after the fact. Even now. It was always a weird thing to admit because before I met you, I never saw myself as a sexual being. Not at all, it never once crossed my mind, but now..."

Suddenly I stopped. I didn't know how to tell him what I wanted to say. That I desired but also feared having sex with him in equal measure.

Luckily I didn't have to say it myself because my quietude communicated it for me. "I can be gentle, Tohru," he said, though his voice was filled with uncertainty. "At least, I will try, as I promised I would! But you'll have to help me, you know. I don't know how to make love to a woman. I thought I did, but I clearly don't. So in that way, I feel like a virgin, I truly do."

"Oh...r-right! Well, I-I'll do my best to teach you then!" I replied, smiling determinedly, even though I had no idea how to do such a thing.

There was no time to research it or ask anyone else for advice or anything of the sort though because before we knew it, we had arrived at the Sohmas' beach house.

It was beautiful. Right on the shore and yet isolated for miles on each side. I had no clue how they managed to secure a place like this but it did fit their family well: mysterious yet wonderful.

We wouldn't be spending the entirety of our honeymoon here. Of course Ayame insisted on Paris and Milan for most of it. But we decided that after the wedding we would spend five days relaxing on the sand and in the quaint little town nearby before jetting off to Europe.

Naturally, the prospect seemed far from relaxing at the moment though. We stepped out of the limo, bade goodbye to the driver, and walked inside the house. At first it appeared cold and dark but Ayame immediately began lighting candles around the room. Candles that I guess had been standing there. Waiting for us.

I kind of wished he had just turned the light on instead. This was all seeming too real. Too romantic.

"Ehehe...um...you want some help with that?" I asked as he continued to silently illuminate the room. I needed something to do so I wasn't just standing in the doorway. Still half tempted to flee the scene.

"Oh, no, no, it's fine, I'm nearly finished," he started but then paused. "Well, actually, why don't we light the last one together?"

I nodded and approached him at the end of the left side of the room. He placed the lighter in my hand and then his own hand atop mine, and we brought the flame of the last candle to life. We then looked up and smiled at each other, and you know how they say anyone can look good in candlelight? Well, then you take someone who is already perfect-looking and put him in candlelight and well...

I surprised even myself by dropping the lighter on the table, leaning forward, and kissing him first. Eagerly. Maybe even over-eagerly. But suddenly I felt brave. And this wasn't my usual bravery inspired by anger. It was bravery inspired by love.

He was probably a little taken aback by the sudden kiss, and the ferocity of it, but if he was, I couldn't tell. Because as soon as I wrapped my arms around his neck, his were around my back, pulling my body against his readily. As soon as my tongue found its way inside his mouth, his hands found theirs to the zipper of my dress.

But then someone said "wait", and I was shocked that it wasn't me. Ayame pulled back from the heated kiss and rested his hands on my hips, not finishing unzipping the dress. "Wait, Tohru, I...I don't want to get carried away like usual..." he said, catching his breath.

As I caught my own, I swallowed hard and nodded. "Y-yeah, you're right, we should slow things down, s-sorry, I...I got carried away myself!"

"Don't apologize. You can't help it that you inspire such passion in me, nor that you find me so irresistible," he teased, which broke the awkwardness that had begun to mount since our lips became unfortunately unlocked.

I smiled and chuckled, and he walked behind me, placing his hand back on the zipper of my dress but pulling it down slowly. He then reached in front of me and pulled the bustier of the dress down as much as he could. Just as slowly and tamely. Instead of ripping it off like I'm sure he was tempted to do only moments ago. Maybe even still.

I finished the job, wriggling out of my dress and placing it carefully on the nearest table that didn't have any dangerous candles sitting on it. I didn't want anything to happen to it. So far it only represented good things to me, and I hoped it would stay that way for a lifetime.

By the time I turned back around, Ayame had discarded his tie and jacket and was working on the rest of his suit. He looked over at me and I resisted the immense urge to cover myself back up. Which for once had nothing to do with him but everything to do with me.

My breasts had already started growing from the pregnancy, not a whole lot yet and I wasn't even sure he would notice the difference, but I did. I guess I should have felt good about that and more confident but for some reason, the knowledge of it only made me more self-conscious. It didn't help at all that my stomach had also started growing. And it was definitely more noticeable without my dress on.

Still, I decided to resist the desire to shield my naked body from his piercing gaze. I stood as tall and confidently as possible. For about two moments before I felt my shoulders slump and my eyes find the floor.

I heard footsteps on the carpet, and when I looked up next, Ayame was standing in front of me, shirtless. He put his hands on my shoulders and he was smiling. "Tohru. You look...absolutely flawless." Though he gave me compliments all the time, this one struck me as somehow more genuine and meaningful than most. Maybe because I just needed to hear it more at the moment.

And even though I didn't believe I looked flawless, I knew without a doubt that he believed it. He really did. I smiled back at him and stood a little straighter again as his gaze wandered up and down my body. His eyes filled with no judgement whatsoever, only warmth and desire.

But when his eyes met mine again, I saw something else in them: uncertainty. So I nervously whispered, "Y-you can...um...touch my body or k-kiss it or...something...if you want."

"What if I want to just keep staring at it longingly instead?"

"You can do that too if-if you want!"

He then laughed and pressed his lips against my neck. "As if." As he trailed gentle kisses down my neck and to my shoulder, he let his hands roam along my body of own their accord. I closed my eyes and let myself be surprised by the sensations: his fingers caressing my stomach one moment, then squeezing my hips, then filling themselves with my ass.

When I felt his mouth suddenly close in on my right breast though, my eyes flashed open. I looked down and saw him, now with his eyes closed, gliding his tongue over my nipple until it became erect. He looked so blissful, so engaged with his task.

I decided to watch him without his knowledge as he continued his ministrations. Flicking his tongue over my nipple, caressing my other breast gently with his hand. They may have become bigger because of the pregnancy but somehow they also seemed more sensitive. With every lick or touch from him, a new jolt of electricity surged from my breasts down to my stomach and even lower.

I heard myself moaning softly as he continued. Reaching my hand to the back of his head. Tangling my fingers through his hair and even instinctively pushing his mouth forward to suck on my breast. I could feel his smirk against my skin as I did this, and I blushed. It was unlike me to do anything even the slightest bit demanding. But I guess it meant I liked what he was doing and wanted more so he was probably pleased.

But as he took more of my pendulous flesh into his mouth, he reached down into his pants to, I don't know, relieve himself of some of the tension that must have been building already. And as I saw this, I swallowed some nerves in my throat and asked, "Um, Ayame? I don't know if this is going to...mm..."

He had moved onto the other breasts even though I was talking. "Um...sound stupid, but do you want me to...take care of that for you? Or, um...I mean, do you want me to, like...s-suck it or-?" I stopped speaking because I was too embarrassed. Obviously, I had no idea how to be sexy, or really anything within fifty feet of sexy.

At this though he looked up at me and pulled his lips away from my skin. I missed the feeling immediately. "Do you want to? You don't have to. Remember, this night is all about you and your pleasure!"

"Ayame, no...no, no, no," I instantly protested, face flaming red. "I don't want it to be all about me! That would be so selfish of me! I want it to be good for both of us!"

Another smile crossed his face and he stood back up. Taking my hand and leading me to the bed. "If that's what you really want, then I think I have the perfect idea. Just lay down on your back, get comfortable." I obeyed as he took off his pants and boxers before turning back to me. "That's it. All right..."

I expected him to climb atop me like usual, and he did. Sort of. But instead of positioning his cock at my pussy, it was dangling in front of mouth. Before I could adjust to the imagery filling up my entire field of vision, I felt his tongue inside me. I didn't even realize how wet I had already become until I felt my juices moving around, guided by his tongue.

And then I got the idea, I knew what I was supposed to do, but I really didn't know how to. It probably should have been obvious. Instinctual. But I didn't know what made for a good blow job.

'I should have read Cosmo like Kagura begged me to, all those months ago. They had an article on this,' I suddenly thought. I even remembered the title: '50+ Ways to Blow Your Man's Mind With Blow Jobs'. But I was far too prudish to even glance at it at the time and now it was far too late.

But I had to do something, I couldn't just keep staring at his huge dick. That wouldn't pleasure anyone except maybe me because it really did look nice. As I laid there, stupid and taking no initiative, Ayame continued to do all the work. Sliding his tongue up and down my entrance before plunging it back in slowly, tortuously. He was being so nice to me and so understanding. Probably wondering why I wasn't doing anything, but not even demanding that I did. Which was a million times different than our past experiences together, of course. He was truly trying.

'Just put it your mouth, Tohru, it's not that hard! Even though it is on its way to being very very hard, ahaha.' Ayame didn't really say this but this is what I pictured him saying if he felt he could, and it was finally what compelled me to do what I needed. I closed my eyes and took just the head in my mouth at first, sucking on it, gliding my tongue over its opening. Not sure if that was the right move. Not sure at all.

But I heard a stifled moan come from Ayame as his mouth was still occupied. So I figured it couldn't have been all bad. The sound encouraged me to take another couple inches into my mouth.

I had no plan, no technique, so I just let myself go to town basically. Trying this and that. Licking the underside of his cock before putting it back into my mouth completely, sucking it fast. Sucking it slow. Taking as much in as I could fit. Whatever came to mind in those minutes that eventually seemed like hours. Not because I wasn't enjoying it but because I actually was. Once I got comfortable with it, I felt like I could lay there forever, feeling him getting harder and harder every moment, feeling him tense up at my every new move.

I enjoyed pleasuring him. Because I knew it was making him feel good, first and foremost. But also because it made me feel powerful. To think that every hot moan exiting his mouth was because of me. That I, a plain unextraordinary school girl, could have that effect on him.

Needless to say, it went both ways. Unlike me, Ayame seemed to have a distinct plan in mind as he pleasured my pussy. He was a master of teasing me. Giving me a little of what I wanted before taking it away again. His tongue had been so deep inside me for a good three minutes, exploring me, but that was the longest that I felt content. So close to satisfaction. Before he pulled his tongue out entirely, and I almost screamed with frustration. I would have, if my mom hadn't taught me not to talk (or scream, I presumed) with my mouth full.

But instead I just wriggled, my legs kicking involuntarily. I imagined he smirked at that. He then held them down and just blew hot air on my clit. I wanted to kill him. How could he tease me so cruelly when almost his entire cock was in my mouth? My body shook with need and anger, and I pulled his dick out of my mouth. Two could play at this game.

He didn't seem as affected by it though, which also drove me crazy. He instead kissed my clit, licked it gently. That wasn't enough, and he knew it.

"A-ayame," I stammered. "Please don't do that."

He stopped immediately. And his tone of voice gave away his worry. "Does it hurt?"

"Oh...n-no, it's not...it's not that. It's not that I don't like it. I mean...well, I don't like it but it's because...it's...I need more than that. I'm not begging you to stop, I'm begging you for more," I tried to explain. "I feel so empty. I want...I want you to make love to me now. I can't stand any more of this."

I heard a sigh of relief and soon enough he changed positions, his face above mine. "You really can't handle teasing, can you? Someday, with your permission of course, I want to chain you to the bed and just tease your entire body for a good half hour before giving you any kind of release whatsoever."

I flushed. Feeling tingly all over at the thought of it. "Sounds like a plan," I whispered in the most sultry voice I had ever heard come out of my mouth, ever. He then lowered his lips to mine, seizing them in a passionate kiss. I wrapped my arms around his well-defined back. Grabbing a fistful of his beautiful hair and pulling at it.

Breaking away from the feverish kiss, Ayame was red in the face and pink in the chest. "So are you truly sure about this, Tohru?"

"Yes. Just...don't go too hard at first, okay? Um...if you can go slow and gentle at first, and then I'll tell you when I feel okay with...other things," I said. Finally my desire had become stronger than my fear, but I'd be lying if I said that the fear was gone.

My voice must have betrayed this lingering anxiety because he added: "Of course, of course. And since you're no longer a virgin, I don't think it will hurt as much, but if it does, or if you want to stop at any point, tell me and I'll stop. I promise. I swear on Coco Chanel's grave!"

I laughed. The nervousness easing a bit. "Okay. Thank you. I-I love you."

"I love you more," he said, leaning in for another kiss while penetrating me just slightly. He was taking my request seriously because I felt something start to fill me but barely. I sighed into the kiss. "A little more."

Once again he obeyed. About three inches were inside me now and I started to feel it and it felt a little uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt. And it felt right somehow, like it was meant to fit there. I kissed his neck and lowered my hands to grab his ass, pushing him further inside me. It continued like this, a bit at a time, until he was at last all the way in, those familiar rock hard eight inches now feeling like an extension of my own body.

Although my hole, though very well naturally lubricated, was still tight and nearly virginal and had to adjust to the feeling. My breath hitched, and I closed my eyes tightly. He hadn't moved inside me but was stationery until I said, "Okay...you can...you..." I trailed off but he finally started thrusting in and out of me. Slowly and gently, just as I wanted. Even so, I winced in pain a couple times and he hesitated, but I reassured him by wrapping my arms around his back again and encouraging him forward.

In all honesty, it took a few minutes before it started to feel good. But once it felt good, it felt really good.

"A little harder...faster..." I requested breathily. He obeyed, and I almost instantly modified my statement: "A lot harder, faster." I kept my eyes closed, letting my hands wander over his chest and abs, wanting to feel every inch of his body that I could.

"Ah, Tohru, God...your hot cunt feels so fucking good..." he groaned as he started pounding me roughly and quickly. I didn't mind the language all. As long as he wasn't calling me a cunt or a bitch or any of that stuff, I found that I liked the dirty talk. And decided to give it a try myself because as the waves of pleasure running over my body loosened my inhibitions. Considerably.

"Yeah, you like my tight...wet pussy wrapped around your...mmph...your thick, throbbing cock?" His eyes flew open in surprise as he heard me say this. I couldn't blame him. I surprised myself.

"God, yes," he replied once his shock wore off. "And you like me pounding into you so deep, so hard, I know you do, you love it..."

"I do, I do!" I gasped. "I love you fucking me, Ayame!" Before I could say any more, he pounded into a spot inside that I never knew existed until then. "Ah, ah, right there! Again, again!" I begged. The more times he hit it, the less I could talk, until I was left with only the ability to scream.

I wanted to tell him that something was happening to my body. Something I had never experienced. It almost frightened me because it was so foreign. So intense. Ripples of pleasure coursed through my trembling arms, chest, my stomach, my pussy, all the way down to my legs. My mind became foggy, stuffed up as if I had a really bad head cold. I felt like I couldn't access my thoughts at all, so clouded was my brain.

And then, in the dark blurry world that was my mind, I felt his thumb press down on my enlarged clit. Massaging it in rhythm with his thrusts. That was all it took to send me over the edge. I heard myself cry out, maybe even his name, I wasn't sure. And then it was all over.

At least for me. My body started relaxing again. A warm, buzzing gratification settled over me but Ayame was still at it. I opened my eyes. Panting, sweating. Ayame was doing the same. I watched him as he drew close to his own orgasm, and his face looked incredibly beautiful. Not the usual kind of beauty he emitted. Not the perfect kind. But the very imperfect kind, his eyes closed hard, sweat on his forehead, cheeks flushed, tension bursting from the seams.

Just beautiful. My beautiful husband.

As I studied his face, I smiled and encouraged him, "Come on, cum for me, my love."

Briefly he snapped out of his trance and joked, "Are you sure you don't want me to pull out so that we don't get pregnant? Oh, wait!"

I laughed and arched up to kiss him, slipping my tongue into his mouth as I felt him spill his juices deep inside me. He broke from the kiss almost as quickly as it started. Because in those few moments of his climax, he had become exhausted. He pulled out of me but collapsed on top of me for a few moments. Searching for a deep breath before rolling onto his back. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head on his sweaty chest.

"Ayame," I whispered. "You made love to me."

"I did, didn't I?" He smiled proudly down at me, and I returned the smile.

"You did." I stroked his bare skin, sighing blissfully. "And it was amazing."

He then reached down to my stomach, caressing it with affection. "I just hope she wasn't traumatized by hearing all that. You screamed quite loudly, my princess, did you realize?"

I giggled and blushed. Tempted to hit him with my pillow but I refrained. "Ayame! You're embarrassing me! Wait...she?"

He shrugged and grinned. "Well, of course I don't know the sex of our baby, though our baby may now know the sex of us, hahaha! But anyway, I simply hope it's a girl."

I snuggled up closer to him, breathing in his post-coital scent. "Why's that? So you can dress her up in cute outfits?"

"There's that, but mostly because out of the two of us, I want our child to turn out more like you," he said.

The blush that had faded only seconds prior came back. In full force. "B-but maybe we'll have a girl and she'll turn out to be creative and funny and confident and charismatic. Like you."

"Or a boy that turns out to be sweet and caring and selfless and a screamer like you?"

"A screamer like me?! Ayame, stop! You're really embarrassing me!" I laughed, hiding my face in his chest.

Our conversation went on like this for the rest of the night. Praising each other, joking with each other, discussing our hopes and dreams for our child and our marriage and our future together. We had no idea what to expect, of course. No one ever does.

But I believed the darkest part of our relationship was over. I knew there would be hard times ahead, there are for any married couple, but I believed we had already been through the worst of it: the loss of trust and the gaining of it back.

I believed there could be nothing more difficult than that, and that we were made strong by facing it and overcoming it early on. By deciding to work together to make things right between us. By realizing only our love could piece back together what was broken about us.

I believed that I made the right decision to love not only the black and white parts about Ayame, but all the shades of silver in between.

I believed. And after being married to Ayame for the past forty years, after having two wonderful children together (a girl well-known for her outgoing zaniness and a boy well-liked for his kind, pure spirit), after building a life together based on hard work and dedication and love...

I believe I was right to have believed.