It took a little maneuvering on his part, but he managed to discard the panties with the rest of her clothing in short order, leaving her entirely naked before him. There was a part of him -- a considerably large, vocal part, in fact -- that didn't quite believe this was actually happening, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. He settled back between her legs, his weight resting on his elbows as he looped his hands around her thighs, fingers brushing against her skin. His own breaths were labored as he took her in, his eyes half-closed.

"Don't panic," he murmured, though whether or not he was addressing her or himself remained unclear. Regardless, he pressed his mouth to her in an open kiss, the flat of his tongue dragging across sensitive skin. A sound escaped the back of his throat. It had really been a long time.