Title: Serenade
By: bakayaro onna
Manga/Anime: Gravitation
Category: Romance/Short Fic/Fluff
Rating: OT
Summary: POV ficlet. After enjoying sex together, someone is listening to his lover's breathing...
Pairing: Eiri and Shuichi (who else would I write about right now?)
Warnings: Shounen-ai, implied sexual activities
Concept: 10/4/03. Put to paper: 10/5/03.

Author notes: This literally poured out of me one night after I went to bed. The majority of it was written in pencil on one side of a subscription magazine insert I was using to bookmark our monthly Analog SF/Fact issue because I did not have any other paper close by to use. I am happy this did not turn into a longer fic, like most of mine have a tendency to do...

SERENADE

In the afterglow he is dead weight against me - limp, satisfied, comfortable.

In the quiet of the room I listen to his breathing, each exhalation accented with a short sound of contentment.

He only makes these soft noises when he has been completely wrung out from the pleasure of it all.

When it does not transpire it is not because the loving is not adequate and he is less than appeased. The assorted and sundry ways we gratify each other always leads us both to blissful contentedness.

But it is times like these this particular detail rises into being. After a long day working hard at our jobs we are both utterly exhausted. However, we are still feeling that gnawing tickling horniness in our groins so we partake in a delicious sex tumble. Afterward, his mantra of satisfaction languidly caresses my ears.

I allow myself to relax into this unconditional serenity.

His arms still encircle my body and his head rests against my chest above my heart. My arms are casually draped around him. I lightly stroke his sweat-streaked skin with my fingertips so I do not disturb him.

The serenade continues.

Is there such a thing as a melodious grunt? I swear it has to exist. He makes these lovely medium-pitched noises - grunts, or groans, or moans, or sighs, or whatever you want to call these "mmm"s - when he is like this, boneless and satiated. I cannot put a name to the type of sound, although 'sigh' is probably the most accurate. All I know is they are beautiful, lyrical, musical and are the result of us being together.

These little vocalizations are for me alone. In my heart I know no one has ever heard this music before.

And it is my secret to keep. If I would mention it to him he would become self-conscious about it and I do not want that. I want to always hear this little fragment of uninhibited happiness from him.

I shift myself and gather him closer to me so his head is lightly tucked under my chin. His satin-soft hair is still damp from our exertions and is scented with his salty sweat and his fragrant shampoo. Moving one arm, I release my hold on his body to run my fingers through the silky strands at the back of his neck. His next exhalation's sound is a longer "mmm..." in reaction to my strokes to his hair, coupled with a nuzzle to my collarbone. The corners of my mouth twitch with a tiny grin at my life-mate's cat-like reaction to my touch.

My earlier exhaustion finally catches up with me and my eyelids become too heavy to remain open. As I feel myself beginning to drift off he stirs and his weight upon my body eases. I open my eyes and meet his - half-closed, blinking, soft and mellow from our recent loving.

Those bedroom eyes melt me every single time.

He leans forward to brush his lips against mine in a single gentle caress then snuggles back into my embrace, his arms sliding under me so his hands are cupping my shoulder blades and his head is now firmly entrenched under my chin.

I feel his body twitch as it begins relaxing toward unconsciousness, the final notes of the song winding down.

"Sweet dreams, Eiri love," I whisper.

His monosyllable reply is muffled as his mouth is pressed against my skin but a tender kiss to my neck speaks volumes of endearments to me.

I surrender to sleep, a small sigh escaping my smiling lips.

fin