She pulls on my neck, and I lean in closer to kiss her. Alanna lifts her hips, taking me a little deeper, and I lower my body on top of hers fully, thrusting all the way into her. She groans against my lips, and I hold as still as I can, trying my best to make this easiest for her.
“Finally,” she whispers against my mouth. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Silas.”
I pull away a little to look at her and pull out of her a little. “I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you more, Si,” she says, her hand finding its way into my hair.
I bite down on my lip as I push back into her, moving slowly, carefully. “Does it hurt?”
She shakes her head even though she has tears in her eyes, and I press a kiss to her forehead as I take her with strong, slow moves, trying my hardest not to hurt her. It’s the toughest goddamn thing I’ve ever had to do. I so badly want to fuck her roughly, but I can’t. Not today.
“I swear it usually lasts a lot longer, but I’ve wanted you for so fucking long, Alanna…”
She giggles and threads her fingers through my hair, her gaze filled with so much love that my own heart overflows. I can’t get enough of her.
“I want to watch you lose control over me, Silas.”
I smirk before showing her just that, taking her harder, faster, until I’m coming deep inside her. I collapse on top of her, and Alanna wraps her arms around me, hugging me tightly.
“That was even better than I imagined,” I admit. “Your pussy is unreal.”
She kisses my neck, my pulse racing against her lips. “Thank you,” she whispers. “For not making me wait any longer, for not rejecting me.”
I pull out of her, somewhat startled at the redness coating her thighs. Blood. I expected it, but it still surprises me. Alanna clenches her thighs together, her cheeks heating, and I smile to myself as I get out of bed to grab her a towel.
“Si!” she murmurs as I place a warm, wet towel between her legs, wiping her clean carefully.
Happiness... I didn’t expect to find it in this place, but I did. I found it in her.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Alanna
I flex my fingers a few times, trying to relieve the soreness from the hours and hours of folding I just did. It’s not much, but the hundred paper cranes staring back at me make for the perfect birthday gift.
We usually exchange our real gifts for the year on my birthday underneath the tree, but every year so far, I’ve tried to give Silas something small and nice on his birthday. Last year, I got him a really nice pen to use during his finals. I never used to get him something so expensive that he’d feel burdened and always made sure it was something useful. This year I can’t afford to buy him anything, but I’m hoping he’ll still love the paper cranes.
I tense when the doorknob rattles, and seconds later, Silas walks in. I scramble off the bed, trying my hardest to hide my cranes, but that just sends them flying everywhere. “Si! Why are you home? You had a late seminar today, didn’t you?”
He leans back against the door and grins as his eyes roam over my disheveled state. I spent all day in an old t-shirt of his, letting my hair air dry into the wavy mess it is now. I’d been planning to get all dolled up before he got back, but it too late now.
“I love you, Ray,” he says simply, his eyes sparkling.
I pause and grin up at him. “Happy birthday, Si. I know I said it this morning, but I was still half asleep, so it doesn’t count.” I walk up to him and throw my arms around his neck as I rise to my tiptoes. “Happy birthday,” I whisper against his lips, right before kissing him.
Si groans and slips his hands underneath my t-shirt and around my waist. “Wanna tell me what happened to our bedroom?”
I turn in his embrace and lean back against him. “These,” I tell him, “are paper cranes. I read somewhere that folding a thousand paper cranes will grant you a wish.”
I turn back around to look at him, trying to keep the somberness off my face. “I made them out of twenty-five sheets of printer paper Ricardo was willing to give me, but he couldn’t spare any more. So while this isn’t the thousand cranes I wanted to make you, it’s a beginning.” I grab one off the floor and hold it up for him. “And!And and and, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to give you a thousand cranes for your birthday this year, I made these cranes really special. Folding a thousand cranes might grant you one big wish, but each of these hundred cranes will grant you one small wish.” I unfold one and show it to him. It’s got the wordKisswritten on it, and Silas takes it from me with a smile.
“They’re coupons?”
“That sounds so lame. These are way cooler than that.”
He chuckles and cups my cheek. “I love them. Thank you, Ray.”
I look into his eyes, my smile fading away. “I know it’s been tough, the two of us in this small room, so much of our future uncertain. You haven’t been getting very far with your job applications and I haven’t heard back about any of my scholarships. Your deal with Ricardo comes to an end once you graduate, and that will change everything for us. Right now, we don’t know where we’ll be or where we’ll live. I know you’re worried, Si. Despite that, you continue to put our happiness first. These,” I gesture around at the cranes, “are my attempt to help. When you feel like our circumstances are impacting our relationship, open one of these cranes. When I upset you, or when you’ve had a hard day, or even when we just had a silly argument because we’re both too stressed, open one up. One day, when we don’t need to worry about the cost of origami paper, I’ll make you a thousand, and I’ll make one big wish. Hopefully, I can do that before you run out of your hundred cranes.”