Falling to Her

This story is the third of the series featuring Elsie and Connor. If you haven't read the first two, then they are available here and here. Although they're in different categories, they're all really romance. Hope you enjoy.

This is dedicated to Elsie Grey. She should know why by now.

* * *

Elsie waved the box at him, unable to get her brain around what was happening. "Connor, this is an engagement ring."

"Yes, I know." Connor dropped to one knee. "I'd hoped to do this over dinner, and preferably with a few more clothes on, but it really doesn't matter where we are, or what's going on. I love you more than I have words to say. You make every day something special to look forward to and you make every night something that I'll remember forever. I can't imagine doing anything without you and I really don't want to. Elsie, will you marry me?"

Elsie stared at the ring, her thoughts in complete turmoil. Her world had turned upside down in just a few short seconds and all of her certainties had dissolved in an instant. She stared into Connor's eyes. "I…"

The second pause seemed to stretch into an eternity as Elsie stared, dumbfounded, at the ring that she held in her hand. This didn't seem possible; she'd dreamed about Connor proposing so many times and imagined the multitude of ways that he would ask her. Yet not a single one of her scenarios had ever contained her next words.

"I don't know."

Connor looked down for a second. "You don't know?"

"I… I don't know."

The doorbell rang again and Elsie was suddenly aware that whilst an age had passed between her and Connor, the pizza delivery had been waiting outside for a couple of minutes. Her gaze flitted towards the door.

"Oh forget the bloody pizza!" Connor barked, making Elsie jump. She turned back to see him looking at her with barely contained tears in his eyes. "What don't you know about?"

Elsie shivered, suddenly cold. Tears were building behind her eyes and yet she couldn't stop looking at the expression on Connor's face. Pain and confusion were radiating from his eyes and Elsie could feel every one of his emotions breaking her heart. She wanted to say yes just to make him stop looking at her like that.

Instead she said, "I just… I need to think." The tears overflowed and her voice crumbled into a high-pitched whisper. "I'm sorry."

Connor stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Elsie sank into the hug, resting her head on his naked chest and wept.

* * *

"You said you didn't know?" Anna leant across the coffee shop's table and stared incredulously at her friend.

Elsie shrank slightly from the ferocious gaze. "Well, I didn't. I still don't."

The coffee shop was located just off the city centre and lunchtime shoppers buzzed all around the cast iron tables outside, weaving their way from one shop to the next, like bees searching for nectar. Elsie watched them for a second, her eyes squinting in the brilliant sunshine as she thought of the last time she had been in town and of the 'specialist' items that she'd bought that day. She still couldn't work out how her thoughts had become so complicated since then.

Anna sat back in her chair with a resigned sigh. "You do realise that you're crazy, right?"

"What? It wasn't like I said no."

"You might as well have done." Anna flicked open her lighter with a practised motion and lit a new cigarette. "To you, it sounded like 'I need to think'. I'll bet you any money that to your average bloke that sounds like 'Not a chance in hell'."

Elsie pouted. "I'm supposed to take advice on what blokes are thinking from a lesbian?"

"A lesbian who's been around the dating block a lot more than you."

"You realise that you can't act the expert just cause you're blissfully settled down with your new girlfriend, don't you?"

Anna took a long drag and stared at her friend again. "Look, lesbian or not, it's still my professional opinion that you're crazy. You're crazier than my family and you know that's top-quality lunacy. Connor's sweet, thoughtful and he loves the hell out of you. Plus he writes those kinky stories."

"I told you – you're not supposed to know about thos…"

"I know, I know, you didn't tell me, I wasn't there, you can't prove a thing. Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell." Anna flashed a mischievous grin at Elsie. "No dodging the point. He's got all that going for him and I know for a fact that you love him. And yet your answer to 'Spend the rest of your life with me' is 'I'll get back to you'?"

Elsie shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "It's not quite that simple."

"What's difficult? You've got a guy who I'd consider changing sides for if I was single and you've just crushed him to pieces with the heel of your shoe."

"It's not like that. Connor understood that I needed time to think. I'm sure he's okay with it." Elsie looked imploringly at Anna. "Don't you think he'll be okay with it? I mean, he knows I'm probably going to say yes anyway."

"If you're gonna say yes anyway, why didn't you say yes straight away?"

Elsie bit her lip and her gaze dropped to her cup of tea. "I don't know." She put her head into her hands and groaned, trying to sort through her thoughts. "When he asked me, I just… I wanted to say yes, I really did. It just wouldn't come out. I just kept thinking…"

"What?" Anna asked softly.

"We're… we're in a really good space right now. Everything's perfect and I… I don't want that to change."

"Why would it change?"

"Cause… marriage changes things. It's about moving forward and changing your life and I don't… I don't want things to change from where they are."

Anna raised an eyebrow and sat back in her chair. Elsie looked at her sharply. "What was that look?"

"That look? That one I keep specially for when people talk bollocks at me. You've never been skittish about marriage. In fact, you're the biggest fan of marriage I've ever met. In fact, earlier in this conversation you were asking me whether I'd thought about proposing to Gemma." Anna took a long drag of her cigarette and smiled at her friend. "What's the real reason?"

"That is the real reason!" Elsie exclaimed indignantly. "There's a big difference between being boyfriend-girlfriend and being husband and wife. Things change." She sighed and pulled an unruly lock of hair back behind her ear. "I guess I'm worried that maybe the fire will go away."

Anna's smile broadened. "You know what I think?"

"Generally your voice gives full commentary of your thoughts."

"I think that you're overthinking this whole idea. You love him right? And he loves you?"

"Uh-huh," Elsie offered, taking a sip of her drink.

"Then what's gonna change when you get married? Changing your name isn't gonna change how you guys feel about each other, and getting married is not going to make all the amazing sex go away."

Elsie choked on her tea.

"Come on, am I stupid?" Anna sat back in her chair, her lips curved in a satisfied smirk. "That's what you mean by fire, isn't it? Trust me El, the chemistry between you two can be seen a mile away. There's no way in hell that any ceremony will ever get in the way of that."

Elsie tried to suck in air past her scalded larynx. "So what do I do?"

Anna laughed. "Go over there and give him the right answer, of course. What else?"

* * *

Messenger: Conversation - Elsie66 (elsie66maple), The Knackered Connor (connor217.hsfc)

Elsie66 says: Heya sweetie.
Elsie66 says: Sweetie?
Elsie66 says: You there?
Elsie66 says: Helloooo?
The Knackered Connor says: I'm here.
Elsie66 says: areyou okay?
The Knackered Connor says: Yeah Im just feeling a bit illl.
The Knackered Connor says: See screenname
Elsie66 says: Awww sweetie. Do you want me to come over and play nurse?
The Knackered Connor says: Its nothing serious. Didn't get enough sleep last night.
Elsie66 says: Oh.
Elsie66 says: What did you do?
The Knackered Connor says: Had some of the guys over last night for drinkingand debauchery.
Elsie66 says: You sure you don't want me to come over and look after you?
The Knackered Connor says: Yeah, I'm fine. I thnk I'm just gonna have an early night.
The Knackered Connor says: Night
Elsie66 says: Night sweetie xxx.

Your message "Night sweetie xxx" could not be delivered as it appears that 'The Very Unwell Connor' has gone offline

* * *

Connor jerked awake with a start. For a second, he wasn't sure where he was, or what was happening. Then his eyes began to focus on the world around him and his senses started to come back. He'd fallen asleep on the sofa and now every muscle in his body was aching.

With an effort, he hauled himself upright, blinking at his watch as he tried to force his brain to work. It felt like he'd woken up in the middle of the night, but his watch insisted the time was 08:29. He must've come in and just crashed out where he'd landed.

He stretched, flexing in a motion that cracked every joint and released the heat that'd stored up there. Blood flowed back into pinned muscles and he yawned, feeling a little bit of his normal energy seeping back into his body. He wasn't quite ready to face the world yet, but he was working up to it.

The apartment was a tangled mess, as per usual, with half-finished projects stacked up along the walls. Connor managed to make a living from the eclectic collection of things he turned his hand to, from painting, sculpting and writing, to electrical engineering. He'd lucked into selling some of his paintings immediately after an undistinguished art degree and the money was enough to let him earn a living from his hobbies. It certainly gave him a certain satisfaction on a Monday morning like this one to know that he was his own boss and that he could choose whether or not to work.

This would be a day without work, he decided, as he manoeuvred his stiff body towards the bathroom. There was no way he could concentrate on anything but Elsie today.

His girlfriend kept his attention throughout his shower, although for different reasons than he'd like. He couldn't stop thinking of those three words he'd got in answer to his question. He'd been so sure she'd say yes that he hadn't even considered any other possibility. She loved him, didn't she? Their relationship was better than it'd ever been and he couldn't imagine not spending the rest of his life with her. So what'd gone wrong?

He flipped the shower tap off with a sigh and reached for the towel. Yes, this was definitely going to be a workless day.

When he was dry, Connor tossed the towel over his shoulder and wandered out of the bathroom in search of clothes. As he passed his bedroom, a flash of colour caught his eye and he stopped still, turning to look. Elsie was sitting on the corner of his bed, dressed in a bright maroon jacket and a denim skirt. There was an amused and appreciative smile on her face.

Connor backtracked and walked to the doorway of the bedroom. His heart fluttered in his chest as his brain turned over thoughts of what this could mean. He forced a casual posture, resisted the temptation to bring the towel down across his waist and tried a small smile. "Hey."

Elsie smiled back. "Hey."

"Didn't know you were coming over."

"I can see that." Elsie patted the bed beside her. "You gonna sit down?"

Connor padded across the carpet towards her, trying to remember how to breathe properly. As long as he could remember, the big conversations had left him battling an iron band around his chest to inhale and exhale. Now, it was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other.

Elsie took his hand in hers and looked into his eyes, her own grey-blue irises holding him as if transfixed. She took a deep breath and spoke. "I've been an idiot."

For a moment, Connor was so rapt in her eyes that he was certain that he must've misheard her. Then she continued.

"Everything's changed so much lately that when you asked me, I just… I panicked. I'd got so used to us how we were before and all my plans had been around that us." She dropped her gaze to her lap, where she held Connor's hand. "After I told you about… about that thing, it was like this whole new bit of our lives opened up, a bit that I didn't know what to do with. I wasn't ready for… I wasn't ready for how you made me feel."

Her tongue worked across her dry lips and she swallowed, looking up at him. "When we… when you and I… I didn't think I would ever find that with anyone. I still can't believe that we… that you want that… with me. I guess I felt like it wasn't a permanent thing and that we'd go back to how we were eventually."

She looked into his eyes again. "I said that I didn't know if I wanted to marry you because I didn't want us to change. I didn't want to go back to hiding what I wanted. But it's not going to be like that, is it? We're not going to go back?"

Words still wouldn't come and Connor could only manage a smile. Elsie nodded and blinked back tears, composing herself.

"I want to go forward with you Connor." She swallowed and took another deep breath. "Ask me again."

Connor slipped down from the bed onto one knee and took her hand. His throat worked and words strained past his voicebox. "Elsie… will you marry me?"

Elsie dissolved into tears, managing only a frantic nod before collapsing into his arms. Connor fell backwards with her on top of him and they kissed, the salt of tears mixing with the taste of her lips as he held her to him, frantic to hold onto what he'd nearly lost.

After a few minutes, he felt safe enough to let her go a little and used his hand to brush her hair out of her face. She looked down at him, soft, elegant features adorned with deep, beautiful eyes and a curving smile that illuminated her whole face. Her hair shone in the light like a torrent of gold. It flowed around them, falling like a curtain between them and the world. Connor was lost in her beauty, surrounded by her so completely that nothing else penetrated.

He kissed her again, pressing her soft lips to his, his hands in her hair, at her waist, on her back, trying to hold her all at once. Elsie shifted, moving her lips to his ear, her breath whispering across his skin like a sirocco across dunes, moving him with the slightest touch.

"I want you."

Connor lifted her, sliding his arms under her as they shifted, to carry her onto the bed. He laid her down as though she was so fragile, placing her gently on the sheets. She held out her arms for him and he folded into them, their bodies meshing into a smooth tangle of limbs.

Their lips pressed together again and Connor felt himself falling into the soft warmth of her kiss, her hands wending around his head to pull him closer. It started with a simple brushing of lips, faint touches that stoked the desires for more, before slowly progressing. His tongue ran slowly across her bottom lip, tasting the sweet tang of her lip balm, and the kiss deepened as she opened further to his advances. It was urgent and passionate, but tempered with the feeling that they had all the time they needed.

Her clothing brushed against his naked skin and Connor hardened, blood pulsing through his cock as he pressed himself to her. They shifted as one, her skirt riding up to her hips as her legs slid apart to let him closer to her. His hand found her waist, pushing up her top to feel the warmth that pounded under her skin, growing with every second. The desire burning inside him surged and he tugged at the hem, hauling the material up to expose more of her lithe torso. They shifted, breaking for a brief second to allow the shirt over her head and then Elsie pulled him back to her, kissing him hungrily, her tongue flicking across his top lip before her teeth nipped at the lower, pulling his mouth to hers.

Connor pressed tighter to her, his cock throbbing with the contact of her lacy knickers and Elsie gasped, relinquishing his mouth to let out a breathy whimpering. She ground into him and their breathing quickened in perfect synchronisation, groans turning to desperate panting.

Elsie brought her mouth to his ear, kissing and sucking for a moment before fixing her teeth on the lobe. The flood of sensation sent stars across Connor's vision and he closed his eyes, a small 'Oh' escaping his mouth. Elsie's tongue flickered over her bitemarks, making him tremble again. Then she whispered to him.

"I need you inside me."

Connor's hand moved between them, coursing across the smooth skin of her inner thigh. Elsie shuddered under him as his thumb brushed against the damp material of her knickers, her head rolling back as she whimpered. He ran his thumb across the lace again, drawing upwards so slowly to educe the groan of pleasure. Then he pushed her underwear to one side and pressed his fingers flat against her pussy, cupping her with his hand.

Blood pulsed at his temples and Connor could hear his breath coming in ragged gasps that shook his whole body. His cock throbbed and he could taste her scent on the air, sweet musk filling him with every breath. He didn't just want her; he needed her, desperately and completely. She filled his mind entirely and all he could think of was having her surrounding him, holding him, calling out his name. His hand moved to his cock and he pushed against her, his tip spreading her.

"Oh god!" The exclamation came from them both as Connor pressed against her, sliding into her so slowly. Elsie clung to him and Connor felt her pussy pulsing as she stretched around him, her body throbbing as she cried out again. "Connor…"

Connor drew back, almost withdrawing, before pushing forward again, feeling her open up further to him while at the same time holding him tighter. She was hot around him and Connor pressed deeper, his mind overturned by his need for her. Her nails dug into his back and she wrapped her legs around him, trying to draw him deeper.

"Oh Elsie…" Connor's voice came out as a throaty whisper and Elsie kissed his jaw, soft lips pressing against the rough stubble before her teeth nipped against the sensitive skin to elicit another groan. His hands pushed up her skirt further to caress the lithe muscle of her long legs and Connor felt himself falling into her, drawn with every deepening thrust into her pussy. Heat filled his body and he groaned again. "Elsie…"

The sounds of their breathing became sharper as each gasp got shallower, chests heaving as ecstasy built. Connor stared down at Elsie. Her golden hair was tousled and a red flush infused her cheeks. She stared back at him for a second, her deep grey-blue eyes surveying him. Then she cried out, her eyes closing as her body trembled under him. "Oh god! Ohh…"

She throbbed around him, holding him tight inside her and Connor felt himself rising, his consciousness carried along on the swelling torrent of his impending orgasm. Elsie cried out again and again, each 'Oh' closer than the last until they disintegrated into a wail of pleasure. Connor peaked, everything pausing as the world faded away for a brief second. His cock throbbed, pulsing, and Connor fell, collapsing into her.

Slowly, sensations returned and Connor came back to himself. His breathing was heaving and tremors ran through his body. He looked down at Elsie. Her eyes were still shut and there was a fair section of sheet clenched in her now-loosened fist. Her lips were slightly parted and Connor brought his head down to gently brush his lips to hers. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Connor smiled at her.

"God, you're beautiful."

Elsie's lips curved. "You're biased."