The Parting (Don't Go)

This one began entirely as a conversation, without any description at all. Some of you have wondered why there is so little dialogue in my stories, if any. First, because there seems to be very little time for speaking. Second, I’m not good at writing it. And mostly, because these are, after all, dreams. 

Please remember these are all FICTION. Any similarities to persons living or dead are purely for entertainment purposes only. After all, the great sculptors and painters used models for their art. I, too, require some inspiration for descriptive purposes.

That being said, this one is slightly sad. They’re not really supposed to be together and his work, takes him away from her, out of the country for weeks at a time. She doesn’t want him to go.  Would you?

Suggested songs:

Angel of the Morning – Juice Newton

Saudade Bandida - Zezé e Luciano  

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The shimmering stars shine brightly through the enormous window that forms the ceiling high above the lovers. The two quiet forms lay silently entwined, hidden from the eyes of the world in this familiar room where the night sky looks down upon them and the stars dance along their skin. One entire wall is formed of clear glass, revealing the cool waters of the drifting lake and the far off greenery of the island beyond.

In the warm room, the two figures are nestled on the enormous bed set nearly in the centre of the space, safe in each other’s arms. Among the tousled sheets and cushions, here and there the stars pick out the rosy hue of scattered flower petals, tossed with sweet abandon in love’s play. Red, white, pink and blush, they surround and caress our lovers where they rest, serving as each other’s blanket and pillow.

She lays placidly, comfortably beneath him, her auburn hair spread against the smooth fabric of the pillow, stray flower petals entwined in the flowing strands, left as sweet reminders of their earlier dance. One hand linked with his own, the other rests gently against the back of his shoulder, her fingertips cool against the burning satin of his skin. Just visible from beneath him, one leg is entangled with his, pale skin gleaming against the darker tone of his own. The other is elegantly bent, free from the disheveled rivers of soft fabric that flow across his waist to his knees, leaving the rest of him uncovered. As he is her cover, so she is his pillow and his head rests easily against her bare breast, the silver hair gleaming in the soft moonlight.

Her face is turned away from him towards the window, fixed on some faraway point of light, so that at first she does not hear his whisper to her. But she stirs slightly now as his voice again breaks the silence to float along her skin, calling her name.

“My love…” He inclines his head slightly, unwilling to forsake the softness he rests against.

“Yes?” Her voice is quiet, distant, as she tries to conceal her emotion from him.

“Look at me.” He lifts his head fully now to rest his chin beneath her breast, reaching one hand to smooth her cheek.

“I can’t.” Her voice comes after a short pause and she struggles against the silence.

“Please?” The gentle pleading in his voice only serves to further her resolve, bringing tiny threads of pain to her aching heart.

“I can’t.”  She repeats her earnest reply once more and sighs deeply, her hand moving idly along the silken skin of his shoulder, tracing lost little patterns.

“I’m laying here with you.”  He smiles and rests his cheek lightly against her breast once more, very gently caressing the smooth mound, turning to breathe a wordless sound across her skin before resting his chin on her again.

“I know. I can feel your warmth and hear your breathing.” Her voice is slightly breathless, tempted by the intimacy of this familiar little touch.

“All you have to do is turn your face away from the window and lower your head a little.”  His voice is lightly teasing as he tilts his head once again to better see the lady.

“I know. I can’t. If I do, I’ll start to cry.” As she speaks her fear aloud, a single tear falls from the corner of her eye, straying across the top of her cheek to stain the pillow that cradles her.

“Please don’t cry. Just look at me.”  He raises soft fingers to wipe away the tear then traces his fingertip lightly in the smooth valley between her breasts, down over her stomach and navel and coming to rest lightly on her hip.

She shivers slightly beneath the soft touch. “I can’t help it.  Then, if I start to cry, you’ll have to spend another 20 minutes consoling me and wiping away my tears.” Her voice breaks with the heavy sorrow she feels, knowing this will be their final night together before he disappears again for some time.

“If you won’t look at me, then at least smile for me?”  He nuzzles his chin against her soft flesh, then moves his head to see her face more clearly.

Without looking away from the quiet scene beyond the glass, her lips twitch into something like the hint of a smile that floats across her face before a shadow dims it and she stares out the window sadly once more. “How was that?”

“Well, it wasn’t much of a smile…” His voice is light and playfully disappointed, denying his own pain, as he tries to lift the gloom he knows is darkening her heart, even as it stains his. Knowing his leaving is necessary and the only way they can continue these stolen moments, does nothing to alleviate the heavy sorrow and longing he feels himself.

“I’m sorry.  I don’t feel much like smiling today.”  She breathes a long, lonely sigh and continues to trace swirling patterns against his shoulder with a forlorn finger.

“Then, please, look at me?” He pleads with her earnestly as he rests his free arm across her body, just beneath her breasts and places his chin on his hand effecting a playful pout.

At last, she turns to look at him, the starlight catching tiny pinpricks of emerald light in the depths of his eyes and dancing in the silver strands of his hair. She raises her hand and runs it lovingly through the soft mane, combing her fingers through it, releasing a few stray flower petals, at last gifting him with the smile he so wants before turning away towards the window again with a sad sigh. “You’re beautiful.”

He smiles warmly at her words. “So are you.  Look at me again.”  Releasing her hand, he brings both of his to either side of her and leans close to leave a warm kiss on the soft place he had been resting on, somewhere above her navel and just beneath her breasts.

“It’s too hard!”  With the soft pleasure of his little kiss, she betrays her words, succumbs to his request and turns her face to him again. She gently strokes his cheek with the backs of her fingertips then lightly traces a soft path playfully down his nose.

“I love you.” His words are simple. Clear. Heartfelt.

“I love you.” She echoes his words with her own affirmation and smiles again.

“I want to kiss your lips.”  Playfully, he bows his head and leaves a light kiss on her navel instead.

“I want you to kiss my lips.” She shivers with the light touch of his lips and rests her hand on his shoulder again.

“I want to gently stroke your cheek.” Raising himself slightly, he hovers over her, very gently brushing the top of her breasts with the hint of his lips in a tickling trail that flows up along her throat, before pressing his cheek against her own.

“I want you to gently stroke my cheek.” She raises her hand to his face, pressing his cheek more firmly against her own before turning to whisper desperately against the smooth skin at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t go.”

Smiling sadly, he withdraws slightly and rests his head upon her breast once more, whispering against her skin. “I want to take you in my arms and hold you tightly… forever.”  Lightly resting against her, he releases her hand and wraps his arms around her, closing his eyes before turning to leave another kiss against the other breast.

She sighs with the sweet pleasure of his kisses and the feeling of his full weight against the length of her skin. “I never want to let you go at all.” Her arms fold around him and she holds him close, one arm across his shoulders, the other hand cradling the back of his head, pressing him gently against her breast. “Don’t go. Please?”

His sigh is sad as he feels her sweet warmth surround him. “I want to take your hands, hold them tightly in mine and make love to you like I did a little while ago.” He loosens their embrace to balance on his own hands as he draws himself up. Resting lightly against her again, his eyes even with hers, he reaches soft fingertips to gently brush a few stray strands of hair from her cheek, tucking them behind her ear. 

Her eyes shining with unshed tears as she looks into the depths of his own, she entreats him quietly. “Here, take my hands.”  She holds them up before him, palms up in a silently pleading gesture.  “I don’t want you to go.” 

Smiling, he takes her right hand in his left, pressing a deep kiss to the palm before, weaving their fingers together, he brings it back against the pillows, nestled among the forgotten flower petals. Searching her face with a sad look he speaks quietly, “I don’t want to go.  But I have to.” He bows his head once more and very, very gently, he catches the delicate point of one breast between his teeth and lightly teases it until she gasps.

Breathlessly, she murmurs quietly, “If you stay, I promise I’ll smile whenever you want me to.” Gently grasping his chin, she tilts his head until his eyes meet hers once again, smiles weakly and strokes his hair, his cheek, his lips with trembling fingertips.

Teasingly, he raises one eyebrow and laughs softly. “And let me love you whenever I want to?” He buries his face in the sweet, warm hollow of her throat, resting his cheek against her shoulder, lightly kissing the blushing skin.

“Yes.” Slightly trembling, she inclines her head towards him and rests her cheek on the silken nest of his silver hair, her hand cradling the back of his head close against her.

“And I can kiss your lips until they are rosy and flushed with my kisses?”  Raising his head from the heady warmth of her shoulder, his eyes find hers again before he presses his lips very lightly against hers. Just a teasing brush at first, then again in a full, breathless kiss.

“Yes.” Her voice is a mere susurration of sound, barely breaking the silence around them, the warmth of her breath brushing his lips.

“And I can pull you close to me and run my fingers over every inch of this smooth, soft skin of yours whenever I want?” Watching her carefully, he presses the hand he holds more firmly against the bed, balancing gracefully above her as he lets his free hand wander from her cheek, over her shoulder and along the collar bone to dip between her breasts and across her stomach, falling down the length of her side to caress her hip.

Her breath catches and she grips his hand more tightly in her own allowing the other to rest lightly against the warmth of his chest, gently caressing the soft, satiny curls there. “Whenever you want.” 

“And I can lay you back against the pillows of this big bed and cover you with flower petals and sweet, sweet kisses whenever I want?” Releasing her hip and gathering a mound of stray petals from the sheet in his hand, he lets them fall delicately over her breasts and along her form to her navel in a pretty shower. Bowing his head, he follows the haphazard path with light, tickling kisses and the soft brush of his lips and teeth.

She gasps and sighs his name. “Yes, whenever you want. Please stay?” Her eyes close and she sighs again beneath the sweet pleasure of his kisses and the soft touch of his lips.

“And I can make love to you, slowly, passionately, endlessly until you are beautifully blushing and sighing my name?” His words fall against her skin in a quiet distraction as his hand moves over her hip once more, dipping lower and finding the sweet, heated center of her, gently stroking the sensitive flesh as he leaves another shower of kisses along her skin.

She cries out softly, her words a mere sigh of sound, her hand reaching to lose itself in his hair once more. “Whenever your heart desires.” 

Smiling, he looks into her eyes once more, his hand slipping from that heated centre to her hip again, pressing their forms close together. “And I can hold you so close I can feel your heartbeat against mine?” 

Captivated by his eyes, as always, and lost in the soft pleasure of his touch, she smiles and whispers, “It only ever beats for you.” She lifts her legs to surround him, the delicate skin of her thighs caressing his hips in a sweet cradle.

“Can I lay my cheek against your breast and listen to that murmuring beat until it slows and you fall softly to sleep in my arms?” Moving gently until his gaze is even with hers again, he covers her fully with his form and rests his head on her breast once more.

“Only if you stay with me.” She wraps her arm around his shoulder, holding him close, breathing in the clean, familiar scent of him, holding tightly to the hand he still commands.

Softly, sadly, he whispers her name. His voice floating across the pale rise of her breast to lose itself in the night.

“Please?  Don’t go.” She closes her eyes and bows her head to leave a light kiss against the silver threads of his hair. 

“I know. It’s so hard for me, too. I don’t want to go.” His arm closes around her, his hand slipping between her form and the sheet beneath her to hold her close in a loose embrace.

“Then stay with me. Please?” Leaving another kiss against his forehead this time, she gently caresses the nape of his neck with her hand.

“I can’t.” Closing his eyes, he sighs and snuggles closer to her, listening closely to the pretty, tripping beat of her heart and the soft murmur of her breath.

“Tomorrow night, when I go to bed, you won’t be here to keep me safe and warm.” She sighs a long sigh and lets her hand play down along his shoulder, falling from his back to the soft curve at the base of his spine and merely brushing the strong muscles beyond.

He smiles sadly, opening his eyes once again even as he shivers with the sweet touch. “And I’ll have only the cold comfort of the airplane and my photos of you to keep me company.” She mirrors his smile, feeling his lips move against her.

“When I wake up the next day, it won’t be in your arms.” Her voice is a breath, lost in the sorrow of this cruel parting and she clings more tightly to him.

“When I wake up the next day, it won’t be with you in my arms.” Raising his head to look into her eyes once again, his arm tightens around her. “Can I hold you now? Please?”

“Yes.  Can I cry now?” She raises a wan hand to very lightly trace a soft pattern along his temple, cupping his cheek, letting the pad of her thumb caress his lips before pulling him close against her, burying her face in the safety of his shoulder, pressing desperate kisses along the warm skin. At last, she releases him and stares into his eyes once more, quiet tears staining her cheeks.

“Please, don’t cry.  I love you.” His lips find hers in a long, breathless rosary of kisses, their breath mingling in silent pleas and wordless prayers.

His hand finds her hip once more and he pulls her against him, joining them in love’s embrace, moving with her in their familiar dance, her body clinging to his, their kisses stolen and sweet among their sighs.

For a long while, there is only the silence of the night around them, the soft twinkling of the stars above them and the rush of the water in the lake that mingles with the rustling of the sheets and the whispers and quiet murmurings of their lovemaking. When at last she gives herself up to him, crying his name, shivering as she arches against him, her cheek pressed against the heat of his shoulder, he falls with her through the swirl of flower petals and the whisper of her name. As their trembling subsides, he releases her hand to gather her close against him, pressing the length of her form against his own, burying his face against the cradle of her shoulder. For long moments, they lay, lost in each other’s pleasure until their breath slows to quiet stillness once more.

At last, he withdraws slightly and, bowing his head, leaves a long, tender kiss over her heart before sighing and resting against her breast again, murmuring her name.

Her arms fold around him and she holds him close, feeling the beat of his heart against her skin, keeping time with the skipping beat of her own. Quietly, her voice breaks the silence, but her words are lost in the burning tears that run in tiny rivers down her cheeks, kissing the pillow case and gathering like dewdrops in his hair. “Don’t go...”

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