she loves him , and it keeps a broken heart from breaking any more . instead , it mends with the hue of softness , it’s taped back together in the way his name sounds like milk and honey on parted lips . he’s sure , if he could write a hundred novels , there wasn’t an english word capable of expressing just how much ——- he loved her . just how beautiful , just how enthralled he was to have her ; for her to be his , and for him to be hers and for the world to finally feel like he belonged . to not be outcast by the shades of blue , and how they dipped behind a writers fingertips . to not be clouded by his father’s name , and a girl he wasn’t sure even really liked him ; much less loved him , before esme . how lucky he was , to be given the chance to know her , and be loved by her . how lucky he was , to know the memories of her bathed in moonlight , caressed under the sheets of a bed . how lucky he was , to be hers . and how it’s the only thing that mattered , the only thing that threaded that broken heart ; into something worth living again ; something worth beating , if it was beating to love her . and everything he wanted to say , locked away in a clever mind ; touched behind long fluttered eyelashes . he’ll lean forward , and his nuzzle will touch the bridge of her nose , only to kiss her again .
it’s mumbled against her skin , down the curve of her neck and nestled in the dip of her chest . she’d heard it before , the soft murmur of an i love you , sung in her mother’s warm voice as she rushed out of the door , whispered against her cheek by a boy just turned eighteen , laughed in the midst of a hug from a raven haired girl who had known her for longer than most . but this was different . it was unconditional and unexpecting in that dylan had decided to love her , with calloused hands and a bruised heart , out loud without any expectation that she loved him back . this was romantic in every sense of the term , golden flecks in his eyes like candlelight , and the gentle passing of her name like poetry on the tip of his tongue . it dipped into her chest and steadied her hands , and her heart would ache in a way that didn’t startle her , for the first time . lips brushed against hers , and it felt like coming home . again and again , it was the sensation of a search finally ending , and all roads led to a boy with brown eyes and soft curls , who had a seemingly magic ability to make the rest of the world disappear . i love you , pressed against her collarbone , and anxious fingers are brushed against his at the hem of her shirt . goosebumps rise along her arms , and there’s no way to know if it’s from cool air coming into contact with exposed skin , or the gentle way his hand brushes against the small of her bare back . lower and lower , and a breath is caught in the back of her throat as fingertips brush along the waistline of her jeans , fumbling over the button . “ no , don’t — . . . ” lips curve into a smile , cheeks flushed as he’s nuzzled against her and words are mumbled into a feverish kiss . fingers tucked into dark curls , wrapped around soft tendrils , and there’s a gentle tug as he dips down into her neck . foreign territory , dipped below her waistline , always hindered by almosts . evening would fade into night time , and a begrudging i should go would breathe against her mouth , and after just five more minutes she’d whisper a gentle to be continued . . . with a smiled kiss , before letting him leave . and she didn’t want him to stop , not now , not when there wasn’t an almost to get in the way . not when she knew he loved her like she loved him . not when he was already there , kisses trailing down her body , tugging at the fabric of denim , closer than ever . a boy who used to flinch at the slightest touch , now as completely eager as the rise and fall of her chest , breathing more sharp and shallow as he moved lower still . muscles become taut , for a moment , as a kiss moves up her inner thigh , and fingertips unravel against soft bedsheets . an arching over her back is met by the gentle weight of his grip , and his name falls breathlessly from parted lips as moments melt together in a hazy glow . she’s dizzy , and completely wrapped up in him , as a warmth settles in the pit of her stomach with a slow build . because she’d thought about it , more than once , as his hands brushed along the small of her back or her lips skimmed the slope of his neck , and just as most everything was with dylan , daydreams never quite measured up to the reality . a blissful feeling rises into her chest catches her lungs in labored breathing , her heart beating faster than ever before as toes curl against the mattress . a shaken sigh passes her lips , and she doesn’t have the time to catch her breath before he’s close again , hovering over her with the same feverish look of eagerness . esme sits up , slightly , catching him with dainty hands on either side of his face , held just a breath away for a moment to slow down , to steady her own breathing , to take him in . “ i am — . . . ” it’s mumbled under her breath , chin tilted so lips are grinned and brushed lightly against his lips , not quite leaning in . her touch moves downward , gaze dipping to follow , as she dips under the hem of his shirt and pushes it up . fingertips trail along the curve of his torso , taking her time , as the fabric is pulled over his head . touch is warm against his skin , lingering over a racing heartbeat , before settling back under the line of his jaw . “ so in love with you , ” and so in awe of everything he’d unraveled to be , as her thumb traces over the bottom half of parted lips , a breathless giggle and a nod as she leans in again , longing and almost impatient . she only pulls back , in silent question , as fingers hitch around a belt loop to pull him closer , to fumble with the buckle , in quiet asking of going further .
