A Setback

I woke the next morning to the sound of Severus stirring next to me. Thinking that he was having a nightmare, I reached over and touched his chest, hoping to gently wake him. His skin was hot to the touch, and he was peppered with sweat. I jolted up as I realized that something was seriously wrong. I grabbed my wand and cast several diagnostic charms. He was running a very high fever, and while he wasn't unconscious, he wasn't lucid either.

"Orby! Orby, I need you!" I leapt to my feet and ran to my bag. There were no potions. I had not refilled since the battle.

Orby popped in. "Miss Elizabeth, how can I help you?" He glanced over at Severus. His ears shot back in alarm. "Miss Elizabeth, what should I do to help Professor Snape?"

"I need potions and another set of hands. Get Draco on the Floo. Tell him Severus is in trouble, and I need his help." I threw the covers off the bed and began casting cooling charms.

"Elizabeth!" Draco's voice rang over the Floo. He sounded as frantic as I felt. I covered myself with my dressing gown and ran into the living room.

"Draco, thank gods. I need a Fever Reducer, the antivenin, Calming Draught, and Blood-Replenishing Potion. He'll be okay, but we need to work quickly. Please hurry."

"I'll be right there. Leave the Floo open."

"Thank you." I dashed back into the bedroom.

Orby was in the bathroom, running water on towels. "Will this help, Miss Elizabeth?"

"Yes. Good thinking. Not too cold. Wrap each leg. That should help pull the fever down."

"Yes, Miss Elizabeth."

"Come on, Severus." I put my hand on his forehead in an attempt to calm him. "I'm here; it's okay. Draco will be here soon with the potions. Hang in there, Severus."

"What else can Orby do?" Orby asked, his eyes wide with fear.

"We may need smelling salts. I'd rather not rouse him with a spell."

"Yes, Miss Elizabeth." Orby popped from the room.

A crash in the other room announced Draco's arrival. "Damn! Elizabeth, where are you?"

"Draco! We're in here."

Draco rushed in, looking disheveled. He was wearing pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt, which was inside out. His normally perfect hair was mussed, and his eyes were bleary. Orby had obviously woken him.

"Here are the potions," he said, handing them to me one at a time. "Fever reducer, Blood-Replenishing Potion, Severus' antivenin, and Calming Draught. What is that for anyway?"

"Me," I said, uncorking the bottle and swallowing a healthy dose. "I'll be useless if I don't get my nerves under control."

Draco nodded and gave me a little smile of understanding. "What do we do?"

I took a deep breath and collected myself. "Help me sit him up. We need to give him the fever reducer first. The cooling charms and the towels have kept the fever from spiking any further, but they aren't bringing it down." I sighed and whispered, "Damn it, Severus, why didn't you tell me you were feeling badly last night?"

Draco laughed. "I have an idea why not."

"Draco, now is not the time."

"Sorry," he said, but the look on his face told me he wasn't sorry at all. "He's going to be okay, Elizabeth. You've gotten him through much worse."

We each took Severus under an arm and pulled him into a sitting position. Orby popped into the room with the smelling salts. I motioned to Draco to get the fever reducer, and I sat on the bed next to Severus. Placing one hand behind his head, I waved the smelling salts under his nose. He jolted awake, my hand behind him kept him from hitting his head.

"What? Elizabeth," he groaned, "I feel terrible."

"Shh ... it's going to be okay." I took the fever reducer from Draco. "Drink this, honey. We need to get your fever down."

Severus complied, swallowing the potion slowly.

"Draco, he needs the Blood-Replenisher next."

Draco handed me the next vial. Severus swallowed it dutifully.

"Now, what do we do?" Draco asked.

"Now, we wait until the fever goes down. Hopefully, it will work within the hour. After that, we'll give him the antivenin. Severus, you may lie back down and rest if you prefer."

He looked at me. "Stay with me, please." He patted the mattress beside him. I nodded, and then I turned to Draco.

Draco grinned mischievously. "Okay, I do not need to see this. If you don't need me right now, I'm going to go back to the house. Mother would kill me if she knew I was here looking like this."

"Probably, although your father would probably kill me first if he saw you near me dressed like that."

Draco chuckled. "I'll be back in less than an hour. I'll go get cleaned up and get some breakfast."

"Thank you, Draco. This would have been much more difficult without the help."

Severus waved weakly to Draco. "Thank you."

"It is my honor, sir. Elizabeth, if you need me, send an elf for me. Otherwise, I will be back in an hour." Draco left the room, and a moment later, I heard the Floo activate.

I crawled into bed with Severus. I took his hands in mine. "You, my dear, frightened me."

"I'm sorry. I heard you swearing at me." He smiled weakly.

"You'll feel better after we get the antivenin in you, but I want to get your fever down first. Are you hungry at all?"

He nodded.

Orby stuck his head in the doorway. "What can I get for you?"

"How about some juice and toast?" I asked Severus. When Severus nodded, I turned to speak to Orby. "I'd like the same, please, Orby."

Orby smiled and nodded; he turned and went to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry I gave you such a scare. I honestly felt fine until right before we retired for the night. I felt ill, but figured I just overexerted myself," he said with an impish grin, and then his face turned serious. "I didn't have any idea it was serious." He looked into my eyes. "I don't want to cause you any pain; though this probably won't be the last time my stubbornness causes a problem."

"I think your body reacted badly to the Invigoration Draught. Combined with the other potions and a system that was already overtaxed, it was probably just too much. You'll be okay. But, you let me know if you feel badly in the future, especially while you are still healing."

He nodded and pulled me to him in a hug. A tray with two glasses of juice and several slices of toast appeared on the table beside Severus.

I reached across him and handed him the juice. "If you can, you should drink this."

He sat up and began sipping the juice and nibbling on the toast.

After about a half hour, I checked his temperature again. "That's much better. It's not normal yet, but the potions are working."

"I'd like to shower and dress before Draco gets back," he stated, but I could tell it was as much a question as anything.

"That should be fine. I'll be in the living room. Call me if you need me."

He grabbed his bag and closed the bathroom door behind him. I got up, laid out my clothes for the day, made the bed, and then went into the living room.

Orby was in the kitchen tidying. "How is Mr. Potions Master?"

"He's much better, Orby. Thank you for your help."

"Orby will always help Miss Elizabeth and her friends." I gave him a warm smile. How anyone could think this elf useless was beyond me.

I sat down and replied to Minerva's owl. As I was finishing, Severus walked out of the bedroom, fully dressed, but with his hair still wet. He still looked worn out, but from looking at him, you would not have known he was suffering from a dangerous fever less than an hour ago.

"I'm going to shower and dress now," I said, kissing him as I passed him on the way to the bathroom. "You look much better, Severus."

"Trust me, I feel better."

While getting ready, I reflected on the morning. I'd learned a few things. Draco was going to make a good Healer, as he could keep his cool in an emergency Severus was too damn stoic for his own good. And finally, I was dangerously close to falling for him, if I wasn't already gone.

I was dressed and braiding my hair when Draco returned. He asked Severus how he was, but he barely responded to Severus' answer. He went to start reading the materials on the patients, but he was slamming things around. It was clear something was going on.

"Draco, is something the matter?"

"I'm not sure I want to talk about it. There's nothing either of you can do about it. This is just my life."

"Well, Draco," Severus began, "as your Potions master, your life impacts mine. Assuming it isn't a personal matter."

"Oh, it's personal. Don't worry, not THAT kind of personal, but I don't know how you get more invasive than forcing your son to marry at eighteen."

"What?" Severus and I shouted at the same time.

"Father cornered me just a moment ago. He and Mr. Parkinson have been 'talking'. Apparently, there have been back room deals in place since before Pansy and I entered Hogwarts." He shivered.

"An arranged marriage?" I knew this wasn't unheard of among pureblood circles, and Lucius had hinted about Draco producing an heir, but at eighteen?

Draco threw a piece of paper down in front of Severus. "Read it," he fumed.

Severus scanned the paper. I looked from Draco to Severus, bewildered. I was definitely out of my element here.

After a few moments, Severus looked up. "Okay, this isn't as bad as I feared. This is not a marriage contract or a betrothal. It's a courtship agreement. According to this, if you sign this, you and Pansy will begin a six month courtship, with the intent of intent of becoming engaged at the end of the six month period, to be married a year after that.

"But, but, Pansy?"

"I thought you and Miss Parkinson were an item."

"Years ago, but I ended it when things got crazy. I blamed the war, but that was just an excuse."

"May I ask what your objection to Miss Parkinson is?" I ventured in carefully.

Draco snorted, "Clearly you have not met her. I'd sooner marry Lovegood and all her craziness."

"Draco," Severus warned. "Miss Lovegood has done nothing to you."

"I know, and I'm sorry, it's just the first name that popped into my head. It's probably because of all the talk while she was here. Replace it with any name. Granger, the Weaselette, one of the Patil sisters, anyone else would be better."

I chuckled. "Is Miss Parkinson that bad?" I asked Severus.

Severus shrugged, but his eyes showed that he shared Draco's opinion of Miss Parkinson.

I continued, "I don't think the girl is the big issue here. This seems poor timing. You're just starting an apprenticeship and your N.E.W.T.'s are coming up. You've got your duties at the hospital. How would you have time to properly court the girl?"

Severus' eyes lit up. "I shall be right back." He stood up without another word and stepped through the Floo.

"What is he up to, you think?" Draco asked.

"I have no idea, Draco. But you'll think of something. What does your mother think of all this?"

"Mother just wants me to marry a proper young lady. I'm sure there are many other names that would make her happy."

"What about Lucius? Is it this contract he wants, or does he just want to see you settled?"

"Who knows with Father? He's probably just trying to make sure I don't strike off on my own and make an unpleasant match."

"Which means?"

"He would disapprove of a non-pureblood, a non-society family, or a non-Slytherin."

"Well, I don't have a little sister, and it sounds like Ginny is taken."

Draco laughed.

The Floo activated, and Severus stepped back through. He was carrying a stack of parchment. "Well, Draco, I'm sorry to tell you, but you have to decline this agreement. Under the terms of your Apprenticeship contract with me, you are not to enter into any marital contracts for the duration of your apprenticeship. Given that could take two to three years; it seems imprudent at this time to enter into a Courtship Agreement. Miss Parkinson undoubtedly does not want to wait three years to know if you are going to be a fully accredited Potions master, nor would she want to wait that long to proceed with an engagement. It hardly seems fair to Pansy."

Draco's face visibly brightened. "Is that seriously in the contract?"

"It's right there in Paragraph 27, Subsection 14. If mutually agreeable, you and I could write an addendum modifying this paragraph, but I think it imprudent to modify the contract when we've barely started your apprenticeship."

"Do you want to cross Father like this?"

"I'm not crossing your Father. His barrister provided the contract. He probably didn't read it, but that's not really my concern. I would advise any apprentice to hold off on beginning a formal courtship this early in their apprenticeship. In a year or two, sure, maybe, but a six month agreement this early is a bad idea.

"Go to Lucius with the contract. Tell him that you are concerned that it would be disadvantageous to request a modification this early and that if others in the profession were to learn of it, it could hinder your career."

Draco's face broke into a broad smile. "Thank you, Professor."

"But, Draco," I said, "this probably means that the clock is ticking. It might be good to think about who you might actually like to enter into an agreement with, eventually. You might want to start getting to know some 'appropriate girls' if you don't already have one in mind. And if you do have someone in mind, talk to your mother."

"That's good advice, Draco. Narcissa will hold a lot of sway here. If you don't want to defy your father, pick someone your mother will agree to. Your parents are afraid of losing their traditions here; if you want to follow their traditions, just not now, and not Pansy, tell them that."

Draco grinned and blushed a little. "I'll think about that."

Severus looked at me, and we tried not to chuckle. It seemed Draco did have someone in mind.

"Okay, Severus," I said, trying to take the spotlight off Draco and his secret crush. "Let's check your temperature again and see if you are ready for the antivenin." I pressed my wand to his temple.

"Normal," I said with a smile. Draco summoned the bottle from the bedroom and handed it to Severus. Severus measured out half of the contents and swallowed it, making a horrid face.

"Damn snake," he grumbled. "That is the foulest substance I've ever had to take." He waved his wand at the remaining potion, putting it in stasis and floating it over to a resting spot on my counter.

"What now?" Draco asked.

"I'm not sure, Draco. Last time I took it, I was nearly comatose."

"I imagine it will make you tired. Most powerful medications have that as a side effect. But hopefully, in a few hours, you'll start to see some results."

"Do you want me to stay?" Draco asked.

"I don't think it's necessary, Draco."

"I was going to Diagon Alley and get some books from Flourish and Blotts to help me prepare for my N.E.W.T.s, but I don't have to if you need me."

"You are allowed to leave the Manor?" Severus asked.

"Yes. I signed the paperwork yesterday morning. The sealed copies came back from the Ministry late yesterday evening. It was waiting for me when I got back from the cottage last night."

"What about Lucius?"

"His deal isn't quite finished. There are a few minor points that they are working out. It didn't sound serious; Father just had to get the last word in, as always. Mother received a formal letter from the Ministry lifting her house arrest yesterday."

"That's great, Draco. But you aren't going alone, are you?" I wasn't sure how the public would react to Draco.

"No, Mother," Draco crinkled his nose at me. "Blaise is going with me."

"Draco, do not get into any mischief with Mr. Zabini. Let the ink dry on the deal first, please."

"I will endeavor to behave myself, Professor." He nodded to me and headed back through the Floo.

I turned to Severus. "That was a great thing you just did for Draco."

"What do you mean?"

"Paragraph 27, Subsection 14. You just added that, didn't you?"

"Actually, I didn't. Lucius' barrister would know if the contract was modified after it was signed. There are all kinds of archaic clauses like that in those contracts. Nobody ever enforces them, very few people even read them; however, if it suits the purpose of both Draco and me, you know what they say."

"Once a Slytherin ..." I smiled.

"Always a Slytherin." He grinned at me.

"I have another question. I don't want to gossip, but what did Draco's comment about Miss Lovegood mean? What was this 'talk' about her?"

Severus' expression darkened. "Elizabeth, you have to understand the horrible things that happened under Voldemort. When Miss Lovegood was brought here, we knew she was in horrible danger. A young girl, branded a blood traitor, I shudder to think what might have happened to her. Draco went out on a limb and protected her."

"How?"

"He was assigned to be the one in charge of her. Draco was fairly distraught after the murder of one of his teachers in front of him. When Miss Lovegood was brought here, he really started to crumble. In an effort to protect them both, Draco and I devised a plan.

"There's no doubt Miss Lovegood would have been abused mercilessly had nothing been done. The werewolf that attacked Miss Brown was here, and he showed interest in Miss Lovegood. I convinced Voldemort that we needed to keep the girl alive. I told him that Draco was too soft, and he needed to learn to turn off his unfortunate sympathies to his victims. Voldemort ordered that nobody but Draco was to touch her. Draco didn't harm her, but he made the rest of the Death Eaters believe he had. Miss Lovegood understood that going along with the charade was in her best interest. She was quite the actress. If I hadn't known it was a ruse, I would have believed it myself."

"Dean knows this, too, doesn't he? That's why he is so accepting of Draco."

"Probably."

"These young people have been through so much, and they are barely more than children."

"I know, Elizabeth. I know. I did what I could to shield them, but there was only so much I could do."

"It sounds like you did a tremendous amount. And it sounds like Draco risked his life more than once to protect others, too."

Severus nodded.

Orby prepared us a light lunch. We ate the pleasant meal in the garden behind the cottage, and then Severus went to rest for the afternoon. Draco had left the outline for the N.E.W.T.s syllabus for me to review while Severus napped.

In order to be become a Healer, Draco needed to achieve a score of 'E' or 'O' in Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Potions, and Defense. Severus would obviously handle Potions and Defense. I could handle Charms, Herbology and Transfiguration if it was just Draco, but if the other students were taking N.E.W.T.s this fall, we might need more than just Severus and me to handle the tutoring.

There was a special session set up in November, as the end of term tests were cancelled due to the battle. I sent a note over to Lavender, Terry and Dean asking them if they had any plans for the fall N.E.W.T.s.

Severus woke around four feeling significantly better. A round of diagnostic charms revealed that his levels were better than they had been since the attack. We took the chess set to the garden. After he had soundly beaten me three times, I conceded defeat, and we took a walk down by the pond on the grounds.

As the evening wore on, we both started to get hungry. Orby brought us another lovely picnic dinner, which we enjoyed by the pond. We watched the sun set together, and we talked about the coming days.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" I asked.

"What part, the interview, or being subjected to the whole Weasley clan at once, plus Potter and the Lovegoods?"

"Yes," I said.

He laughed. "Not really. Miss Lovegood is likely to have some unique questions, but as for the truly tough questions, I've gone over those in my head a thousand times, I think. I always figured it would be Potter asking the questions. Somehow, I think Miss Lovegood will be an easier audience."

"And the Weasleys plus whomever else they invite?"

"Oh, Merlin, what does that mean?"

"I'd put money on Minerva, or Minister Shacklebolt, or perhaps both, oh, and Ron's girlfriend and Luna's boyfriend. There may be one or two others."

"I assume Weasley's girlfriend is Granger. I'm almost afraid to ask who Miss Lovegood is dating. Did you get a name?"

"The last name started with an L. Longfellow, maybe?"

He groaned, "Kill me now. Was it Longbottom?"

"Yes, that's it. What's wrong with him?"

He hesitated. "Nothing, really. He's a well-meaning young man, but he has major confidence issues, or at least he did. He stumbles all over himself. Some people find it endearing. Others find it endlessly irritating. I happen to be in the latter category."

"Teaching really wasn't your thing, was it?"

"No, it really wasn't."

I laughed heartily. "How did that happen again?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Dumbledore. I don't know. Maybe under different circumstances, it would have been better. But part of my cover was being generally unlikeable. It made it easier to keep anyone from getting too close, which would have just made them a target."

"Harry in particular?"

"No, my animosity towards Potter wasn't faked. It was primarily based on my dislike of his father and my inability to shake the association. Every time I looked at him, I saw James. It wasn't just that James married Lily. James and his buddies were bullies when we were at Hogwarts, and I was their favorite target. Though, it's possible that part of the reason James took an instant dislike to me was my friendship with Lily."

I tried to lighten the conversation. I asked him questions about Muggle London and if he had any urge to revisit that side of his background. Given his father's cruelty, he saw his Muggle background as ugly. He talked about some of the little known Wizarding history of the region, and how some of the landmarks had significant magical history.

We talked a little more about his grandmother and the rest of the Prince family. He had decided to contact her, but he still wasn't sure the best way to approach the situation.

We compared stories of the Princes and my grandparents.

He learned that I was getting restless at the Manor; I learned how he feared facing the outside world. I had never before considered what a luxury it was to be unknown.

"Would you ever leave England?" I asked cautiously.

"I don't know, why do you ask?"

"You've repeatedly said how much you dread being known throughout all of England. What if you moved somewhere else entirely?"

"You mean like somewhere on the continent?"

"I don't know, maybe. You've got skills that will transfer anywhere in the world. You've got incredible contacts here; they are powerful people with global reach, and they would help you in a heartbeat. I've got a fair number of decent contacts in the U.S. that could help you."

"It's an interesting idea. If I can't live a normal life here, I might consider it. What about you?"

"What do you mean, what about me? Would I leave England again if I had a good enough reason?"

He nodded.

"Yes, I would. I mean truthfully, I've been shut up almost the whole year I've been here. I haven't seen much. I'd like to spend some time here and actually experience it first. But, in terms of ties, I've already got family on two continents, it's not like I can be close to all of them. If I had the right motivation, there aren't many places I wouldn't be willing to try."

"And would you consider a relationship proper motivation?"

"If I thought it had long term potential that would be pretty solid motivation."

"Do we have long term potential, Elizabeth?" His voice was low and tentative.

"I sure hope so, Severus. I don't want to scare you away, but my feelings for you run very deep. I find myself thinking about how my life fits into yours and how yours fits into mine, and I feel completely out of my depth."

"You aren't the only one out of your depth. When I think about where to go from here, keeping you near me is an important part of that. We may not be ready for promises or platitudes yet, Elizabeth, but I honestly can't see past you, and I don't want to. I see you by my side. In all of the ever changing images I picture of the future, you are the one constant. And if you are feeling the same way, I find that reassuring, not scary."

I grinned, an idea taking hold. "Do you need anything from your room for tonight?"

"Are you inviting me to stay?"

I fluttered my eyelashes in mock innocence. "I have to watch over you tonight and make sure you are recovering properly."

"Then I'll go get clothes for tomorrow and meet you back in the cottage in a few minutes." Severus turned his back and started to walk away.

I Apparated back to the cottage to prepare. By the time Severus returned, I was stretched out and relaxed in a very warm bath.

He immediately smiled and leaned over to kiss me. "Do you want some company?" His voice sent a shiver through me.

"I thought you'd never ask."

He smiled devilishly and removed his clothes without a word. They appeared in a neat little pile, folded perfectly. I couldn't hide the giggle.

He climbed into the tub and knelt in between my legs for a moment. "Don't laugh at me, woman, or I shall be forced to punish you later," he purred, before leaning in and kissing me thoroughly. By the time he pulled back, I was completely breathless and beyond aroused. He pulled me to the other end of the tub and positioned me with my back to him. My hair was pinned up, so he took the cloth and slowly started washing my body with slow deliberate motion. He started with my neck, then my back, then worked his way down from my collarbone to my lower stomach. He then turned me to face him again. Starting with my feet, he worked his way up each leg, stopping where my legs met my torso. He pulled me to him and kissed me again. Next, we reversed the process, with me running my hands all over his body. After I finished, we rose from the tub and summoned towels. Once out of the tub, we dried each other thoroughly. The towels were soon forgotten, and we continued to touch and tease one another, both of us paying special attention to the areas of the other we had skipped while in the water.

We stumbled over to the bed, our bodies a tangle of limbs, whispering and moaning one another's names. He lay back on the bed and watched with rapt attention as I climbed on top of him. I took hold of him and guided him inside me and eased down, just as slowly as I could stand it.

I tilted my hips and slid back down on him, giving him slightly deeper access. His hands dug into my hips, and he was clearly fighting the urge to take control. I happily increased my pace little by little, pushing down onto him harder and faster with each thrust. He grabbed me tighter and his hips started to rock in time with my motion. Soon, we were slamming into one another with abandon, grunting and crying out with each thrust. I couldn't think; I could only feel. Pleasure washed over me in waves, and I called out to him, begging him to take over as I didn't want this to stop.

In a heartbeat, he had rolled me onto my back and was pounding into me. His lips crashed down on mine, and all the while we were thrusting hard into one another. He broke the kiss, breathless. He leaned down near my ear and moaned loudly.

"Severus, I'm close again, please, come with me."

"Elizabeth, my gods," he cried out as his movements became erratic. My body started trembling as my release took hold. My body shuddered under his, and I screamed out. I felt the beginnings of his release and mine continued as ribbon upon ribbon of passion filled me while I quaked beneath him.

"Wow," I whispered when I felt I could speak again. He was lying on me, our hearts pounding together, our breath ragged. He kissed me, the slow, sweet kiss of afterglow. Overcome with emotion, I started to laugh.

"What's funny?"

"Truth?"

He looked me in the eyes and nodded.

"I've bitten my lip a dozen times tonight."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"I'm fighting with myself. I'm so close to getting carried away and saying something I don't think we're ready to deal with. I don't even know if I mean it, or if it's just the moment."

He smiled. "I know exactly what you mean. I've had that same sensation many times these last few days with you. I don't know if it's real or not either. I know it's an incredible feeling, and for right now, that's enough."

I laughed. "How is it you are so at ease about this?"

"Because, unlike you, I've never had life figured out. Nothing has ever made sense. You had a childhood marred by tragedy, but since you've been an adult, you have had the world on a string. This past year has shattered that security, and these past few weeks have surprised you in a completely different way.

"I, on the other hand, have never had stability. So right now, the changes I'm experiencing are exceptionally pleasant, and I'm determined to just enjoy it and go with it. You're still trying to figure out which way you are going to spin next."

"So you don't think the fact that I'm laying here fighting saying I love you isn't the most embarrassing thing ever?"

He rolled off me, onto his side and turned me to face him. "No, because I'm laying here tempted to say that 'I think' I'm in love with you for similar reasons. I don't think it's the passion of the moment, but I can't be sure. I don't think I'm being influenced by the fact that you saved my life, but who knows. It's how I feel right now, and yet I don't want to say it and later discover it was an illusion. We're both afraid of getting hurt and probably even more afraid of hurting each other. But we're still here, and we're trying to figure it out, together. I don't think that's embarrassing at all."

I kissed him again. His hands slid down my body.

"Severus?"

"Yes, Elizabeth."

"We have a really long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I know."

"We should get some sleep."

"I know."

"What you are, oh, doing with your hand right now, that, ah, isn't going to help me sleep."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Noooo."

"Then why are you talking about sleep?"

He increased his efforts with his hands, and shortly thereafter, he slid down my body to allow his lips and tongue to join his hands in driving me to incredible heights yet again. After he was sure I was thoroughly satisfied, he rolled on his back and allowed me to return the favor quite enthusiastically. Sleep found us eventually, completely sated and tangled up in one another, both physically and emotionally.