Title: More Than Love
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: John Smith/Arthur Eddington
Fandom: Doctor Who/Einstein and Eddington
Rating: NC-17
Table: 4
Prompt: 41, Love
Note: Continuation of Come Together.
Author's Note: This fic doesn't feature the Tenth Doctor, but technically, since he is John Smith, it does fit the challenge claim. Slight spoilers for Einstein and Eddington.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own John Smith or Sir Arthur Eddington. Please do not sue.

***

John's hands tightened on Arthur's shoulders, his eyes fixed on the other young man's face. He'd thought he would keep his eyes closed .... but no. He wanted to look into Arthur's face, see his features illuminated by the moonlight as they made love. He wanted to take in every expression on that beautiful face, to be able to remember every moment of this.

He caught his breath as they stared at each other, Arthur looking down at him, his hands on John's thighs. John didn't want him to stop, didn't want this to end abruptly. He wanted to say something, to tell Arthur that he wasn't frightened, but the words didn't come.

And to be truthful -- he was frightened. He'd heard so much of what they were about to do -- but he'd only heard it in whispers behind hands, scandalized words that spoke of disapproval and shock. Those words had only made him more afraid of what was about to happen.

But there was no need to be afraid, he told himself, trying to make his body relax even though he knew that was impossible. This was Arthur he was with -- Arthur, the man he loved, the man who loved him and would never do anything to hurt him.

He just had to remember to relax, he said to himself; relax and let himself forget about the rest of the world. For tonight, there were only the two of them -- no one existed outside of this world they'd created for themselves. There was no disapproval, no society to tell them that they were wrong; only what they felt for each other.

John's hands tightened on Arthur's shoulders, pulling him down for a kiss just as the other man pushed his hips forward, entering John in one quick movement. The young teacher gasped, his eyes widening, his muscles tightening around the intrusion.

Arthur was lying on top of him, those strong arms wrapped around him, his breath harsh and ragged in John's ear. What was that pounding sound? Was someone at the door at the very moment they'd joined their bodies? No. It couldn't be.

It took John a few moments to realize that the noise in his ears was the pounding of his own heart, beating time with Arthur's, their bodies pressed so close together that he almost felt as though he was melting into the man on top of him.

He was trying to regulate his breathing, to not clench himself too tightly around Arthur. It was all he could do not to moan aloud from the sensation of Arthur pushing inside him; but he held the sound back, not wanting to make Arthur think that he was in pain.

Actually, it didn't hurt, he thought to himself, his eyes opening wide at the realization. He'd expected this to be incredibly painful, given what he'd read and what he'd heard in those whispered conversations. But it wasn't; yes, there was some discomfort, but the pain had been only a brief flash that had melted into a strange kind of pleasure within seconds.

"Are you all right?" Arthur's voice was hoarse, shaky; John raised a hand to stroke his lover's face, nodding and finally letting a soft moan of pleasure slip from the back of his throat.

"I'm more than all right .... I'm ...." He didn't have words to describe how he felt. He'd never dreamed that being united with another human being could feel like this; he felt as though he was a part of Arthur, connected to him in a deep primal way that he'd never experienced before.

Arthur flexed his hips, making John let out a sudden gasp and clench his muscles around him; the other man looked down at him, a shadow crossing his features. John shook his head, hastening to assure his lover that what he'd done hadn't hurt him.

"No, no, it's all right .... that felt .... I don't have words for how good you feel inside me," he told Arthur, blushing at the words he was using. He never would have believed that he would say that sort of thing to anyone -- but then, he would never have believed that he could feel so free, so .... so one with the person he loved.

"I don't have words for how good it feels to be inside you," Arthur whispered, a blush coloring his own cheeks as if he, too, couldn't quite believe that he was speaking like this.

"You're so beautiful," John murmured, moving his hands down Arthur's arms, his fingertips sliding over the muscles of the young man's biceps. He was thin, wiry, his body lean and young and strong. And perfect, John thought, his eyes following the path of his hands.

"So are you, my love," Arthur said, his voice soft and husky with desire. His hips flexed again as he pushed deeper inside John, making the young teacher's eyes widen and his mouth fall open. His body arched upwards, craving more of the intimate contact. He needed Arthur, needed to feel more of him, needed to be swept away by that need.

"Don't stop .... please, don't stop," he begged, his body straining towards Arthur. There was a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach, as though a fire was starting to spread through his entire body, making him tingle from the tips of his toes to the roots of his hair.

Arthur complied with his words, pulling his hips back slightly and then pressing them forward again, harder this time. John gasped and squeezed his lover's shoulders, raising his legs and wrapping them around Arthur's slender waist, as if to pull the other man more deeply into him.

Their bodies rocked into each other, synchronized as smoothly as clockwork; each man cried out softly with each thrust of Arthur's hips, their mouths tangling in wild, abandoned kisses that left them both gasping for air. Neither of them wanted this pleasure to end, both of them spiraling further and further into a dizzying height that they would eventually have to plunge down from.

"John ...." Arthur's voice was choked, his words barely gasped out. "I can't .... I can't ...." His head fell onto John's shoulder, his arms sliding around the other man in an embrace that pulled John so close against him that it felt as though their bodies were one and the same.

"Arthur, I ...." John's words were lost in Arthur's sharp cry as the other man's hips flexed against him one last time before he felt Arthur release inside him in a warm rush. Only seconds later, his own climax was taking over his body, making him shudder and spasm in Arthur's arms. He buried his face against the other man's shoulder, his hands clutching his lover's shoulders.

Arthur collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily, clutching John close to him. John closed his eyes, feeing his heart racing in his chest along with the pounding of Arthur's heart pressed close against his own. He was sure that he'd never known such bliss, such perfect ecstasy.

After what seemed like a long time, he raised a hand to thread his fingers through the silken strands of Arthur's hair, luxuriating in the afterglow of their lovemaking. So this was the abyss he'd been so terrified to leap over; this was what people whispered about, what they were so afraid of talking about freely and openly.

It was wonderful. Exhilirating. Incredible. It was everything he'd hoped it would be, and more. John had no words to describe how he'd felt, both during their passion and now, in the aftermath of it. All he could think of was Arthur, and how much he loved this man he'd just joined with.

He'd talked to people at the school who had been in love, and he'd wondered if he would ever feel that same blind devotion that they had to their lovers. He couldn't imagine himself ever feeling that like that about anyone; he'd thought that he didn't have that kind of emotion within himself.

And now .... now he'd discovered what they had felt, and the emotion was a million times stronger than he'd ever thought it could be. He'd found love, and he intended to hold onto it as tightly as he could, and never let it go. This was more than love. It was the culmination of every emotion he could possibly think of, all rolled into one incredible feeling.

Arthur rolled to the side, his softening cock sliding out of John as he gathered the other young man into his arms and pulled him close. John felt a momentary pang of emptiness, replaced quickly by the comforting warmth of those strong arms wrapped around him.

"I don't know what I was so afraid of," Arthur whispered, pressing a soft kiss against John's hair. "That was wonderful. You are wonderful."

"So are you," John said softly, raising a hand to trace a gentle fingertip around Arthur's nipples. He was fascinated by the reaction; how the other man's nipples turned to hard little pebbles under his fingers, Arthur's breath quickening at just a simple touch. John bowed his head to press his lips to first one nipple, then the other, eliciting a soft moan from his lover as he did so.

"You don't know how good that feels," he whispered, lifting his head to gaze into John's eyes. He was silent for a few moments, finally raising a hand to stroke John's cheek as he spoke quietly. "I love you, John. This night has been .... the most incredible night of my life."

"I love you, too," John told him, feeling a lump forming in his throat as he said the words. He was dangerously close to tears; just the sound of Arthur's voice could send a shiver down his spine, make his heart clench in his chest. "More than anything, Arthur. More than anything."

"I think we should try to get some sleep," Arthur murmured, reaching down to pull the covers up around the two of them. He tucked the blankets around John before gathering the young man into his arms and settling back against the soft feather pillows with a contented sigh. "Are you warm enough, love?"

"Yes," John answered softly, a smile curving his lips as he rested his head against Arthur's chest, feeling the other man's strong, steady heartbeat beneath his ear. "Good night, sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, you will .... this morning, and many after that," Arthur whispered. "We won't be parted for long when you have to go back to London, John. I'll find a way to be with you. I promise, love. I won't be kept away from you. Not ever."

"We'll find a way," John murmured, his eyes already closing. And they would, he told himself. They had to. That was his last thought as he drifted into slumber, the small smile still curving his lips as he slept in the protective circle of his lover's arms.

***

Next story in series - Secret Separation.