Snowdrops

He increased the tempo of his fingers. My legs began to shake. My breathing became short, painful gasps between my abdominal spasms.

He pushed a finger tip into me with each stroke. He increased the pressure on my lips and clit, and started rubbing the slick shaved skin of my outer lips too.

I bucked, gasped for breath, and then cramped forward against his restraining arm, jaw locked open in rictus as I came, and, shortly after, came again.

"Mother of God, mother of God, oh my God," I panted. Then I squealed as he put his arm under my legs and lifted me.

He carried me to my bed.

He gently stripped my socks and jumper off.

He pulled off his vest, jeans, socks and underwear and kicked them into the corner.

For a moment he stood there, staring down at me, his penis jutting hard and proud between us.

I reached out, gently took it, and pulled him closer. I lay back onto my bed, spread my legs, and he lowered himself between them.

He put his perfect cock head to me.

He arched over me, and slowly entered me.

I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders and pulled my lover down to me.

And he whispered my name as he came.

.:.

We lay, tangled together in the destroyed bedding. His still sticky cock nestled against my thigh; my pussy ached pleasantly. His semen dripped slowly out over my gently-tingling lips. He held me against him, breathing in time with me.

"I have something I want speak with you about," I said, as I gently stroked his arm.

"What is it?"

"My bus leaves on Sunday morning."

"Yes," he said, quietly. He shifted against me, pulled me closer to him. "I am... trying not to think about that."

"Giselle said..."

"What?"

"She said that you called me your girlfriend."

"Giselle has a big mouth."

I pushed gently back against him. "Anton, this is serious."

He sighed, shifted on the pillow behind me. "What is it?"

"What is this? This thing, between us? Is it just idiocy? Is it something passing? A foolish dream?"

"It is not a passing dream for me. It is idiocy, maybe. But even if it is a dream... I... do not want to lose it. I do not want to wake up. I do not want it to be morning."

I swallowed. "Are you... sure?"

I rolled over to face him. He was frowning. "Lucy, what are you not telling me?"

"There is a chance..."

"A chance? What chance?"

"A chance that I could... perhaps... not have to catch that bus."

"What do you mean?"

"Let us say that I could find a place to stay, and a job, somewhere near Selva. Would that be something that you would want?"

"How? How can you even ask me this? It would be the best news I could hear," he whispered. "Do you not understand how hard it has been, wanting you but knowing you were going to leave? Do you not understand how much I want you to stay? How much I do not want you to climb onto that verdammt bus on Sunday? Who knows when you will be back? Who knows when I will see you again? I will be here, alone, missing you like the air in my lungs, like the rock beneath my feet..."

"Anton. Hey. Hey. Look at me. Look at me. Shit, I'm sorry, I did this all wrong. Oh... Anton..."

"Sorry," he whispered as he scrubbed his eyes with his arm. "Scheisse. Fuck. Fuck!"

"You're... crying..."

"I cannot lock everything away. Some things are too hard. Losing you would be too hard. It is stupid. It has been... what... three days? But... I cannot hide from this. This is how I feel."

I burrowed in against him, got my arm around him, and pulled myself in even closer. "You will not lose me," I breathed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have just said this to you. There is a job for me. It will not pay much but it will be enough. I... I am stupid. I wanted to let you have the option to get away from me without any regrets. I wanted to know whether I should do this, but not like this, not by hurting you like this..."

"You... you are staying?" he breathed.

He tightened his arms around me, and I pushed my face in against him.

"Yes. If I can. If you want me to. But... where I'll be staying I don't know yet. Giselle said I might find somewhere in St Ulrich or Ortezei..."

"No, this is nonsense, this is not acceptable, das ist völliger Unsinn."

"Anton?"

"I have more than enough space. Move in with me. Come and live with me, Lucy. Please. It would make me so happy."

"I... I couldn't. I couldn't possibly. You hardly know me. You know nothing about me..."

"So let me learn," he whispered.

"What if it's a disaster?"

"It will not be."

He kissed me, and then crushed me to him.

"I am so lucky I met you," I whispered, when I could.

"No, I am the lucky one. To meet someone like you? These things... they do not happen to me. Never."

I kissed him. I kissed him until my heart was pounding. Then I clung to him, overwhelmed for a moment.

"Shh. Shh," he whispered, as he tenderly stroked my back and shoulder.

"Giselle is never going to shut up about this, is she," I managed.

He snorted. "Nein. Never."

"Well then." I swallowed. "In for a penny, in for a pound."

I threw my leg over him, pushed him over, and levered myself up onto his chest.

"I want all of you," I said, as I stared down at him. "I want you to fill me, fill my soul. Fill me with your love until I want to burst from it. I want you to show me how to live. I want you to teach me these mountains, this place that is yours. I want to live it with you and only you. And I do not ever want you to ever let me leave them... or you."

He reached up, cupped my cheek with his lovely, strong hand.

Then he pulled me down to him.

.:.

The bitterest cold of winter had passed. Soon, Anton said, the lower pastures would shed their snow and turn to mud for a week or two before the new growth broke through. Soon afterwards would come the early flowers. A new year.

It was an early Saturday morning in March. And my own spring had come at last, after years of bitterest winter.

I glanced down at my sister's memorial stone once more.

"See you later, alligator," I whispered. I kissed my fingers, touched her name. "Time to go. But I'll be back soon."

A breeze blew through briefly, and I smiled. "Yes, I'm glad I stayed." I whispered. "I love you too."

I looked down at the faded blue teddy bear once more, frowned, and then bent down. Something was pushing upwards; something had broken a crack in the surface of the ice. I gently brushed the crystals aside; then stared at the small green bud, already showing white petals like perfect frozen tears.

"Oh. Snowdrops," I breathed. "Sue, you always did know how to make me smile."

I leaned forward, touched my head to her name. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Lucy?"

I could hear the concern in Anton's voice; his instinctive need to guard me.

"I'm fine, my love." I called.

"Lucy, what is it?" he asked as he crunched over to me.

"Look. Schau dir das hier an."

He grinned at my terrible accent, then leaned over me, putting his gentle hand on my shoulder. "Ah," he said, softly. "Das ist schön. They always start to come out now. They are the first sign of Spring in the high mountains."

"It's fitting," I breathed. I brushed at my eyes, and smiled up at him. "Sue always did love them."

"Come on, love birds!" Giselle shouted from the piste. "The snow is not going to last! This is probably the last day we will be able to ski all the way down, so come now! Last one down buys the drinks!"

Anton pulled me to my feet. "Are you ready to go?" he said.

"I'll race you down," I answered, with a smile.

And I did.