He looked gorgeous. It wasn't uncommon for me to think that, of course, but he looked as though he had put extra effort in tonight. His hair was tousled perfectly. The sleeves of his blue striped button up were rolled to his elbows, and the collar was unbuttoned just enough to look casual. His dark wash jeans fit him immaculately. I felt my heart flutter as I opened the door.
"You look great." Link smiled, offering me a rose. I wasn't one for flowers (I always thought they were kind of pointless,) but it was a nice gesture. His eyes swept to my own ensemble: a black and white jumper with lace straps and an overlay, flat strappy sandals, and some gold jewelry. I felt self conscious about my face, though. I was able to work some magic with make up by the afternoon, but traces of the bruising still showed through. My large sunglasses would help; I had shoved them in my bag. Link's eyes looked pained as they glimpsed it.
"Shall we go? " I asked, unwilling to venture to that subject yet. He looked at me, thankfully, and walked to open my car door for me.
...
It felt like a first date. As if we had never slept with each other, or been as intimate as we had. The previous night had completely changed our behavior around each other, and I hated it. I struggled to keep the mood light. The awkward silences in conversation were remnicient of some previous dates I had, when I couldn't wait for it to be over. Link wasn't one of those guys, we had already been close friends, and I still couldn't break through the barrier last night had created.
We drove to a beach side restaurant, opting to sit outside. It was still quite warm, but not uncomfortable, with a nice breeze blowing. The sun sat lower in the sky, casting a gold haze over the ocean, touching everything with a kiss of evening glow. I sipped my water slowly, basking in the rays, ignoring the glare in my eyes. Link looked at me studiously.
"What is it?" I asked. I tried not to be distracted by how ethereal his eyes looked in this light.
Link leaned forward and smiled at me. "You know, you really are so beautiful. You look like you have a halo."
I could see the hair out of my periphery alight with the sunshine. My eyes glanced down with pleasure at the compliment, then back to him.
"And your eyes- your eyes look... This lighting really agrees with you." He became a little flustered, looking down at the table. It was rather adorable.
"It agrees with you, too." I spoke shyly, more so than I expected. We sat quietly for what felt like forever. The silence was deafening, even with all the noise around us from the beach, from other people. The crash of the waves, the gulls overhead, and the bustle of groups walking by seemed to have been put on mute. It was excruciating, and I couldn't take it anymore.
"Okay, enough!" I exclaimed. "This isn't us, Link. This is ridiculous." He looked at me in surprise, sitting back slightly, unsure of where I was going with this.
"We have to be able to be ourselves. You're my friend. It's never been hard to talk to you before." The discomfort was ruining everything, and I wasn't one to let things sit and fester. If we had any chance of moving forward, it had to be without the awkward unease.
Time to lay it all out on the table.
"Here it is: last night was terrifying. I never want it to happen again. I chose to forgive you. The thought of what you went through that made you like this is sickening to me, and I wish I could take it from you." I slowed, swallowing hard as I felt tears building up. "I love you, and I forgive you. I may jump and hesitate or whatever sometimes, but...we can get past this. I know we can. We have to, because I'm not willing to give up on you." My eyes were watering. I took my napkin and dabbed them quickly. "It goes against everything I know I should be doing, but I love you."
Link just sat there, looking stunned. His eyes were pools of thought, so crystal blue, so bright in the evening sun. I found him mesmerizing.
No amount of time will change that.
After a moment, Link leaned across the table and took my hands. "I don't deserve you." He touched my feet with his under the table. "But I'm going to damn well try."
...
The meal was wonderful, and the two of us were able to fall back into our familiar rhythm. Link regaled me with stories, we laughed, and I was even able to begin flirting with him again. I pushed last night to the back of my mind. Soon, that familiar flush of heat was back, and my admiration of his appearance turned into imaginings of doing unspeakable things to him. He seemed to sense my desire, and soon we were heading back to their house. Though it remained unspoken, we knew exactly what the other wanted.
I thought.
...
"Wait here." Link hurried upstairs, leaving me in the foyer. I breathed deeply, trying not to think about yesterday evening. I didn't want to ruin tonight.
Link reappeared shortly and extended his hand. I stepped up to walk with him, but I let out a squeal as he scooped me up in his arms and carried me. Up the stairs we went. He carried me with ease. I was surprised when instead of going down the hall, he turned into another room.
It was lit with candles everywhere. Rose petals were scattered on the floor and the bed. The bed wasn't massive, probably a queen, but neatly made with deep green bedding. As I glanced around, I realized that this was his room. GMM and Mythical Entertainment memorabilia sat on his dressers, along with some other personal effects. I found myself even fonder of him when I realized that he had probably known the other room may have made me uncomfortable. Knowing that it was hard for him to express anything but contempt for a woman, it meant even more. It was so intimate; an invitation into his private space. And everything so overtly romantic that I had to giggle. It was as if he had read a WikiHow for a romantic evening.
"What is it?" Link asked worriedly.
I touched his cheek and kissed him softly. "You've just made me happy."
He smiled, walking over to the bed, and laying me down. I expected him to be hurried and to undress me, but he just sat a gazed at me a moment with a smile on his face. Then he brought his lips to mine.
This kiss was more intimate than any we had ever had. Simply focusing on kissing him let me study and memorize every sensation, the firmness of his lips, the curve of his tongue as it sought out mine, the way he behaved as if this act was in itself a way to say he loved me. I found myself enthralled, and completely lost all sense of mistrust or hesitation. This wasn't the same man I had been with yesterday.
My hand reached up to palm his neck, just below his ear. My fingers grazed through his shorn hair. My kiss became more eager, more passionate, but he pulled away from me. I reached for him as he sat up. His eyes stayed locked on mine as he began to unbutton his shirt. I knelt up on the bed in time to slip it off his shoulders. Link pulled my arm gently, communicating what he wanted without words. I stood in front of him where he sat, allowing his deft fingers to untie the sleeves of my jumper, until he was able to slide it easily down my body. Once over my hips, it fell to the floor, and I stood there before him in my bra and panties. His eyes traveled up and down my body, looking at me as though I were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He pulled me to him, kissing me deeply, slowly laying me back down. The soft comforter was heavenly. I closed my eyes to savor this feeling.
He loves me.
Before he joined me, he removed his jeans. With us both in our underwear, I felt like a teenager again, exploring his body with a nervous anticipation. The hardness of his chest and shoulders, the slight stubble on his face and neck, all so manly, all so distinctly Link. His hands traced my body, cupping my breasts, holding on to my hips, finding the back of my knee and pulling it up so that a leg was wrapped around him. I felt his cock grow between us, and pressed against it. The feeling of it against my clit seemed 5,000 times more sensitive than usual, and I moaned as I rubbed myself with him, his arousal more prominent.
I unclasped the front hook of my bra, freeing my chest. His mouth found my right nipple, sucking and nipping gently, and I arched into his touch. He stopped to make his way down my body, looking at me while he slowly removed my panties. A small moan escaped my lips. The excitement I felt wasn't unlike the first time he had "made love" to me. However, this time, his added effort to be romantic and personal made for an entirely new experience. The ambience he had created held me in its clutches.
His cock sprang free from his boxer briefs as soon as he pulled them down. The end was glistening with pre cum, ready for me. But he didn't enter me yet. Instead, he let our naked bodies simply touch each other. Heat radiated from us both, more so from some places than others, and the feel of his erection against my thigh made me grow wetter. I swiveled my hips to position him. I needed him, my Link. When I looked up at his face, he brought his lips down to mine again, and entered me.
My lips parted slightly against his mouth in a gasp as his hips pushed slowly forward. He filled me at a pace that was almost frustrating, but seemed to draw out anticipation and make the relief of him all the way inside me more satisfying. We kept kissing each other, not being as vocal as usual, continuing effort in occupying the other's mouth. As he pumped in and out of me, sensually, grinding, I found myself becoming emotional.
Making love can be very different from fucking. Tenderness in sex can be vulnerable and cause a big emotional response. I recalled tears the last time Link had made love to me, but because of the night prior, my emotions were tenfold. Link, who wanted to hurt most women, wanted them for their bodies and nothing else, was making love to me. His gentleness was foreign to him, and made it all the more precious to me. For him to be doing this without guidance from Rhett, of his own accord... I was overwhelmed by the feelings I had for him in that moment.
My orgasm began. It built so slowly but surely, and it shocked me how vividly I felt everything. My body tensed and trembled as I found my release, grasping at Link's back, hearing him groan into my mouth as I came. The sounds of him reaching his climax began soon after. He kissed me more furtively, his body tightening, and he spilled into me with a shudder. He lay his head on my chest as he caught his breath. All I could do was let the tears flow down my cheeks.
This man loves me.