He watched her warily while she crossed the rooms towards him. If she were to strike him, he did not think he would have defended himself. He did not defend himself against the kiss, either. Her lips on his for a fleeting moment seemed to pull forth the current that always flowed towards her, that made him want to hold on to her before she pulled away. But in the brief second his eyes closed, a face in the throes of death flashed behind his eyelids. Then a face contorted in pain and pleasure. A thousand other moments and forgotten memories hung on to this one on a string that was tethered somewhere in the deep dark.
His heartbeat quickened and dread greyed out the fragile tenderness, choked it right off. He felt corrupted, Samuel realized. His body held on to the memory of what should not have happened. What he had done unto another had fallen back onto himself — was it not always like that? He should have known. The thought of what he might have done to the incredible and precious thing that became reality between them in this very room, not that long ago, made him weak. He tried to make amends with himself; surely, this despair was caused by his starved, depleted mind and body. He would recover. He would feel better and more level-headed about this. He needn't be quite as dramatic. "I've been better," he finally conceded. "Let's sit somewhere, if you don't mind."
His heartbeat quickened and dread greyed out the fragile tenderness, choked it right off. He felt corrupted, Samuel realized. His body held on to the memory of what should not have happened. What he had done unto another had fallen back onto himself — was it not always like that? He should have known. The thought of what he might have done to the incredible and precious thing that became reality between them in this very room, not that long ago, made him weak. He tried to make amends with himself; surely, this despair was caused by his starved, depleted mind and body. He would recover. He would feel better and more level-headed about this. He needn't be quite as dramatic. "I've been better," he finally conceded. "Let's sit somewhere, if you don't mind."
