Breath fled my lungs as her body sent me falling backwards. I could feel her pressing me against the wall, pinning my arm to my side. Weakly I floundered around, trying to get my feet planted on the carpet, but she kept me from gaining a grip.
As she lifted backwards, I felt her hands snake through my arms and up behind my head, and my body lifted slightly from the floor. The scent of her shampoo was driving me crazy, and I fought to right myself so that I could my lips to her face.
But she wasn’t about to yield. Only able to turn my head, I found myself facing a playful grin that made her nose scrunch slightly.
“So, who wins?” She asked.
“Me, of course.” I smiled. “I’m right where I want to be.”
“Oh really?”
We were both breathing heavily, but that didn’t stop her from grabbing for my leg in an attempt for the pin. Seeing that, I decided to stop holding back, and gave it my best attempt. In short, I started tickling.
She began to laugh while protesting, “So not fair.”
But the advantage was short-lived. She rolled herself on top of me, pinning my arms to the ground and hooking her legs around mine.
“I think this makes two wins?” Her loose hair framed her face as she looked down at me, and we both stayed there for a moment.
I couldn’t look away from her eyes, even shadowed as they were. There was no way to make out the deep blue and golden flecks of her irises, but I knew they were there.
For one moment it all stopped, and I just stared upward, taking in everything about her. I felt her body shift with every breath. I felt the warmth rising from where our overheated bodies pressed against each other. I felt the skin of her fingers along my wrists, and in that one moment I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it was.
My mind raced over every moment we’d shared; standing wet and bare underneath the steaming waters of my shower; sitting, cold and shivering together on a metal bench on campus, pressed together to stay warm; lying in bed, my arm cradling her head, and just smiling at her.
I loved her, the way I felt when I was with her, and the way her smile always made my chest tingle. She’d once described it as feeling your heart open up, and in that moment, mine was open to her. All I wanted was to kiss her, but each time I rose upwards, she raised herself and looked at me with a grin and raised eyebrow.
“Doesn’t count,” I said, “I was going easy on you.”
“Oh please. I know the next line out of your mouth isn’t going to be ‘I didn’t want to hurt you.’”
I shrugged, “Hey, if it’s the truth… Plus there’s not nearly enough space right here for wrestling.”
And she fell down against me, shaking her head. I freed my arms and wrapped them around her. We only stayed like that for a few moments, each burning with warmth from the exertion, but those few moments were perfect.
