His happiness is dazzling. I breathe it in like air, fill myself with it as much as I can. That will hurt more later, but now I just try to mirror it back at him, show him how beautiful he is.

His teeth are a painful grind in my flesh as I push into him. I feel his pain as well as mine. I rest on him heavily, breathing hard, and he says: Oh, you taste of stars. So I show him stars, pulling them up from the dark inside me. I want to give him everything beautiful. I lift myself up enough to fumble a hand between us and try to stroke him. I'm clumsy. He feels so good.