Jeremy finally being able to say, at the very first hint of discomfort during sex, that something hurts or doesn’t feel right means so much to me. because now, he no longer feels the need to force himself through pain. there’s no reason left to punish himself or try to beat every negative emotion out of his body by replacing it with something that hurts even more. now, the moment something becomes too rough or a movement catches him the wrong way, Jeremy says it without a second thought. he lets himself gasp, asks Jean to stop, or simply tells him to be gentler. Jean’s response is almost never just to slow down. he stops immediately. without hesitation, he carefully withdraws and checks Jeremy over, making sure he isn’t hurt, searching for any sign that something might be wrong. more often than not, neither of them feels like continuing after that, not in the same way, at least. Instead, Jean simply begins covering Jeremy with slow, lingering kisses, his hands moving over every inch of his body in gentle, reassuring strokes. and, in the end, it’s enough. Jean still brings him to the edge, but without what Jeremy once believed had to be an inevitable part of intimacy. He realizes that he doesn’t need to endure anything anymore. It’s enough just to feel Jean, to feel his hands, hear his voice, and press himself into the warmth of his kisses. somewhere along the way, that becomes the greatest source of comfort and pleasure all on its own.