She wept into him, her tears soaking through his shirt, yet he didn't pull away didn't vanish like a figment of her fear. Instead, his arms came around her, firm and unyielding, pressing her tightly against his chest. Beneath her ear, his heart thundered wild, frantic mirroring the chaos inside her own. And still, fear clung to her. A sharp, suffocating dread that he might slip away and prove himself nothing more than a dream.
"Baby…" His voice came out rough, frayed at the edges, as he tried to ease back, but she wouldn't let him. Her grip tightened, desperate, anchoring him in place. He exhaled softly and gathered her closer again, surrendering to her hold. His face buried itself in the curve of her neck as he breathed her in, deeply, greedily yet no matter how much he inhaled her intoxicating scent, it was never enough.
His lips brushed against her skin warm, reverent pressing a kiss just below her ear, then another, lower this time.
