tehprincessj has answered my internet prayers (or internet whining, whichever).
The first Shosanna/Fredrick fic has arrived.

Now go read it before Hugo Stiglitz fists your face.

Fredrick placed a kiss on her forehead. Shosanna closed her eyes and sighed, encouraging him. He kissed her on the bridge of her nose and then the tip of it before finally reaching her mouth; their lips touching. It was gentle. Sweet. Undemanding.

Until he felt her lips parting against his.

Her voice was a quiet breath against his skin, yet it rang so clear, so true.

"Je t'aime, Fredrick."

He looked at her as if he hadn't heard, his heart roaring in his chest. Shosanna's pronouncement broke open a deep, unexpected store of emotion within Fredrick. He could feel it spreading within him; the fervency of it. Their eyes moved as they looked one another over; like a human touch, like a caress. All other attentions given to them over the past four years, they realized, were fleeting, limited, hindered. Now and at long last, Shosanna and Fredrick were seen as they were.

She smiled; brightly and genuinely. It reached her eyes, lighting up her features.

His thoughts raged. Fredrick found that he could not speak; it was as if he were existing before the invention of language. He felt a stream of emotions; emotions he couldn't name, emotions which he could not modify or control. Fredrick knew that even if he tried to, it was all indecipherable. He felt almost lost, unsteady.

Shosanna could feel that Fredrick was hard. She pressed her hips against him, brushing her lips over his.

The sound he made reverberated through her body; low and heavy. Shosanna felt him shudder; his muscles tightened.

As she pulled him closer, his demand increased until all he could think about was the two of them, in this moment, together. The feeling was exhilarating, compelling. The depth of what he felt for her would have frightened a lesser man, but not Fredrick; he thrived on it.

The two of them very much knew what they felt for each other; very much knew what they wanted, needed of one another.

Reaching out, Shosanna unbuttoned his shirt, her fingers moving with a steady precision. Fredrick grinned down at her, his eyes watching her face and its subtle change in expression; her lips parting ever-so-slightly and her eyes widening at the sight of bare skin, recalling that in their haste to redress earlier that evening, he did not put on his undershirt.

The temptation was far too irresistible. Before she could stop her inclination, Shosanna reached out to touch his chest. The heat in his skin felt good against the cool softness of her fingertips.

His heart was racing.

"I wasn't afraid of you, Fredrick," she confessed, now avoiding his eyes. "I was never afraid of you."

He didn't know how to answer her.

"You're all I care about," he said, hearing his voice as if it came from another part of the room, perceiving it with a hazy clarity.

Shosanna looked up at him, nodding her head.

They kissed again; their mouths hot and wet, her tongue touching his. Fredrick's hand went to the buckle of his belt, sliding down to his erection, struggling against the confines of his slacks. Shosanna reached her hand down over his, gently nudging it aside as she cupped him. He moved against her hand awkwardly, impeded by the barriers of his clothes; craving the contact, her body.

She made a sound; passing from her mouth to his, the strength of it nearly knocking him back. Swallowing hard, Fredrick pulled back, loosening his hold on her and looking her in the face, their noses almost touching. She met his gaze from beneath her lashes, the corners of her mouth turning up.

Retracting her hands from him, Shosanna rolled over flat onto her back, leaving him wanting. Her head still turned to face him; she brought her hands to the buttons of her blouse, making quick work of them.

She watched him.

Watched as his eyes darkened.

Watched as his jaw tensed.

Watched as his body shifted and his hand slid back down to his hardness.

His heart was slamming in his chest as Shosanna's blouse, now unbuttoned, folded itself into the shadows along the line of her ribcage, revealing to him her camisole. It was given to her, along with other articles of clothing, from Edwige's charity. Eggshell white, the camisole fastened in the front with small, polished buttons. The fabric stretched snugly over her breasts, her hardened nipples protruding against the thin material of it.

She watched him expectantly; waiting.

Fredrick was now close by her side and over her, dropped on one elbow. With his free hand, he clumsily worked to unfasten the buttons in order to remove the clothing that obstructed his view. Holding his breath in anticipation, Fredrick ran his fingertips over the soft cloth languorously. Then, from one side to the other, he took each half of the camisole between his thumb and forefinger, lifting them up and away, exposing her breasts.

Looking up at Shosanna, their eyes locked.

With a groan, Fredrick rose from his position beside her, bringing himself to his knees. Eyes never leaving the other, he removed his shirt, discarding it off the side of the bed. As he did so, Shosanna sat up, sliding off her blouse and camisole. The two had grown frantic, kicking off their shoes and helping each other with the rest of the buckles, snaps and zippers that inhibited them, throwing the last remaining garments to the floor.

The sight of her body, the feel of her, was unfailingly powerful for Fredrick. He wasn't entirely certain of how or why that was, only that he had been aware of it from the moment he had first spotted Shosanna in the lobby of Le Gamaar. Their eyes meeting, it was in that moment Fredrick knew - he fully believed - that he was born to see it: her face, throat, breasts, hips, thighs, and what lay between them; to feel a heat and softness that no word could ever adequately express.

Shosanna lay back down on the bed, and without hesitancy, Fredrick joined her. Flat on his back, his eyes looked to the ceiling. She rolled onto her side, her head propped up by her right arm, which was bent at the elbow. Brows knitted together, she watched him, waiting for him to speak, to move. The two fell into a silence, but it lasted only moments. Fredrick spoke with an eager certainty.

"Nothing's really changed."

He turned his head to face her.

"We're still the same as we always were. We still feel the same."

His mouth then set in a thin line as he considered what he had said; his eyes running over the length of her before settling back on hers. A faint smile played upon his lips,

"Only now, we are able to be open."

Without a word, Shosanna moved closer to Fredrick. Leaning over him, she held his face in her hands and held his mouth with hers in a long, open kiss. It felt, in a way, like the smoke had cleared after the fire, revealing wreckage and debris of a once insurmountable stronghold to be cleared away; though it would take care and time, it was not impossible.

Within her kiss, Fredrick could feel - and see - so clearly her feelings, their origins; back, back so far and so deeply into her. What he felt with Shosanna was the beginning of something with no known limits; softer and far vaster. Those unknown parts of the human body and spirit. The possibilities of their lives matched the full range of their desire.

Fredrick's hands lay palm flat on his stomach, the muscle beneath tensing from the touch. His erection was strained and aching. Fredrick's hand slid down to his hardness, touching it lightly, gracelessly. He was ready to let go. More than ready. He wanted to feel Shosanna; to be be touched, to be within her. She lay back down, the two rolling onto their sides to face each other.

Reaching a hand out, he caressed her cheek.

"Je t'aime, Shosanna."

She pressed herself closer to him, and Fredrick, looking to her eyes, bowed his head to hers and kissed her, long and deep; there was no haste, despite their heightened states of arousal. Fredrick then slid his hand down to her side, his fingers spreading out gently across her ribs to barely - just barely - brush against the underside of her breast. Shosanna brought her hand up and across the nape of his neck and into his hair, holding his head and his mouth to hers. She felt surrounded by him, and it was so easy for her to sink into his strength. She didn't want this to end.

And for long, glorious moments, the two stayed like this.

The surge in Fredrick's pulse told him that he needed this, more than he had ever realized. He needed the furious rush of blood through his veins that reminded him that he was among the living; that there was something for him in this world, however dark a place it could be. Fredrick needed this, he needed her. Shosanna was something living; something soft, vital, and whole. The two of them needed this, needed each other.

Fredrick moved his hand from her side down to her hip, giving a gentle squeeze, and then sliding up and over. Cupping her ass, he pulled Shosanna up against his chest. His arousal was held by her hips and their quavering bodies were so smooth with sweat now that everything seemed to be in preparation for consummation. She sucked in a hard breath.

Allowing herself to fall against Fredrick, she moved against his hardness; just as with so many times before, he joined in the rhythm. Grasping her tightly, he stroked repeatedly, his strong breath and heavy heartbeat thudding loudly. His hand on her ass returned to her hip, and then down to her thigh, massaging the soft flesh as he went along. Shosanna arced her back, parting her thighs in invitation as she hitched her leg up and around him. Her own heart rate mounted as Fredrick moved in and under, cupping her with his hand; he was shaken upon feeling the wetness between her thighs.

He covered her mouth with his own, sliding his tongue over hers. Shosanna had learned long ago to take these moments and relish them, inhaling his breath and soaking in the comfort of his body against hers. She rubbed against him in a desperate bid to keep going, but Fredrick held back. Smoothing his palm over her, he pressed lightly, giving her just enough friction to stay painfully aroused. Breaking the kiss, Fredrick released her, rolling her onto her back as he took his place beside her, his body half above hers.

Lowering his lips to hers, he kissed her hard, crushing his mouth against hers; his tongue delving into her mouth. Shosanna rocked against Fredrick, a little whimper of a sound that was part sob escaped her, tearing through him. He pressed his lips to her jaw, then her cheek, unable to resist the smoothness of her skin. He then brushed his nose along her jawline, toward her ear, where he slowly exhaled. His voice was low and ardent against her throat,

"Ich dich auch, Liebling."

Shosanna sighed and closed her eyes.

Fredrick ran his lips over her jawline and further down, raining kisses along the white column of her neck. Trailing down, he nipped at her collar bones, and spreading kisses over the plane of her chest, he turned his attention to her breasts. His hands fondled them, cupping their fullness. Shosanna arched into his touch, offering herself to him. He ran the pads of his thumbs over her nipples, making her breath catch in her throat.

A new tension had gripped her body, and she found herself curving up into him. Smiling against her, he ran his mouth along the elegant curve of her neck, kissing the side of her neck, then her shoulder, as he moved directly toward a breast. His lips closing over a nipple, there were no tentative touches as firmly and eagerly, he sucked.

He loved her breasts; always lavishing them with an attention which served to enhance her arousal. When he had begun his militaristic training at the age of sixteen, spending long hours away from home amongst other young boys his age, Fredrick had glimpsed the pages of the erotica a few of them had managed to procure. He found himself nearly intimidated by the sight of it; fully exposed women with lush, hourglass figures, their painted faces in expressions of desire. None of it, however, could compare to the woman beneath him, the woman whose body - lithe and soft - he came to know so well.

Fredrick had become almost aggressive with his affections, his teeth grazing the tip of her nipple as he let go, his hands holding her body hard enough to bruise. He then kissed his way over the soft curve of her breast and the space between, making his way over the sweep of her other breast.

A soft sound came from her throat.

He didn't hold back, running his tongue over her nipple, drawing it into his mouth and sucking. Making the sound again, she gasped. A needy murmur, it was enough to bring about his own release.

Shosanna tried to speak to him, to tell him all that she thought and felt in that moment, but his hand slid between her thighs and her voice deserted her, causing her to give a ragged cry instead. Fredrick could feel how very wet she was. More than that, he could feel how much she wanted him, how much she loved him.

Her hips moved restlessly against Fredrick, as his hand was never still; rubbing and caressing her sensitive, ever-so-tactile flesh as he continued to suck on her breasts. He teased her with his fingers, sliding first one, then another inside her, stretching her gently and drawing forth more wet heat. Fredrick wanted to touch her everywhere, but he wouldn't dare remove his hand from her, nor did he want to leave the soft slope of her breasts.

She shivered, and breathlessly, she dug her fingers into the muscles of his shoulders and strained against his hand, twisting helplessly. As he continued to move his hand over her, Shosanna grew hotter; the ever-warming wetness between her legs was becoming increasingly unbearable from the sweet torment of Fredrick's ministrations.

She gave a quiet sob.

"Fredrick."

He could feel the incredible heat of her. He was nearly out of control now, for Shosanna was so unashamedly responsive to his touch. It was more than either could bear.

Lifting his head and pulling himself up, Fredrick dropped light, reassuring kisses all over her face and throat as he withdrew his hand from between her thighs. Shosanna flinched, lifting her hips as he did so, silently pleading with him. Settling himself between her thighs, Fredrick pushed her legs further apart. He then raised his body from hers, leaving her momentarily chilled. Straightening, Fredrick knelt before Shosanna; his arousal full, hard, and ready.

Her heart fluttered within her chest as her body now quaked, her arms at her sides, her hands fisting into the sheets. Lips parted and eyes lidded with desire, she looked up at him.

Their eyes met.

She stared at him, unable to look away from the ferocity of his gaze, which was desirous as it swept over her. Bathed in the glow of the ambient lighting, she was so perfectly formed and so very, very beautiful. His forelocks falling into his face and that flicker ever-present in his dark eyes, Fredrick gave Shosanna a slow, sensual smile. Never before, it seemed, had he ever been so certain of anything in his life than what he felt for her, and, for in that moment, what he wanted to share with her. He would never tire of this.

Shosanna could see how his features had softened; how lambent, how loving. Leaning over her, he reached for a breast. Cupping, squeezing the soft flesh, his thumb brushed over the hard tip of her nipple. Releasing her breast, Fredrick slid his hand along the bottom curve of the flesh, gliding his hand over her ribs and down along her hip; he then reversed the course of his hand over and over, before finally bringing it to settle back on her hip. His fingertips applied the slightest of pressure, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. Breathless, she trembled.

Bending over her, Fredrick pressed his lips to the flesh just below her breast. He then murmured against her, the warmth of his breath causing her to have a sharp intake of breath as her body shivered and her skin prickled in avid response.

"Liebling."

All Shosanna could see of him were his broad shoulders and back as he bent over her, his muscles flexed tight. She stirred.

Another soft kiss, lower now on her stomach as his hand ran down along her slick inner thigh. She whispered something Fredrick couldn't make out; he was only able to catch the stammer in her voice as his mouth skimmed over her hip, his forelocks falling forward and brushing over her skin along the way.

Shosanna was open to him, for him; she could see his eyes were open, taking in the full sight of her as he dipped farther down, his shoulders holding her legs open. She stared down at the top of his head, watching and feeling as he pressed his lips down onto her warm folds of flesh. His mouth was so hot and so soft; achingly so, as were his hands, now holding her thighs.

She could hardly breathe.

There was a relief in his contact, followed closely behind with arousal. Immediately, she was lost in it all, within the surges of pleasure that sank into her core with each stroke of his tongue. She bit gently at the inside of her lower lip, raising her hands to his shoulders and feeling the fevered, tight skin between thumbs and forefingers as she closed her eyes again. She fully abandoned herself to the slowly manifesting promise of release under the focused attentions of Fredrick's mouth.

Fredrick adored being so close to Shosanna, to taste her honeyed wetness. His hands leaving her thighs, he brought them up to her chest. Back arcing, she gave of herself to him, her hard nipples pressing into his palms. Shosanna placed her hand on top of his head, as if to hold his mouth to her. With every lick of his tongue, she wanted his mouth even more.

But Fredrick kept with her, increasing the pace and pressure as she wanted, as he desired to give to her. Shosanna gasped his name, the hand on his head now lightly touching his shoulder. Fredrick took hold of her roaming hand, and guiding to her newly exposed breast, he held it there, feeling as she cupped herself. Her head turned on the mattress, eyes away from him as she whispered something that yet again, he could not make out. It was of no matter as Fredrick persisted, pressing her with the insides of his lips and the back part of his tongue, where it was softer.

Shosanna trembled with each pull of his mouth, each stroke of his tongue. Her thighs went stiff now, shaking, as she lifted herself to him. Her unintelligible whispers formed into a sharp cry as her breaths came faster now.

"Fredrick,” she said, in a feverish, sliding way.

He could feel her even closer, his mouth now touching against the sensitive parts of her even harder. She clapped her legs closed; her thighs covering his ears. Her moan sounded so distant, growing higher in pitch. Though he didn't lift his mouth from her, he held it still. The tenacity of her movements doubled as he stopped, her hands at her sides clawing at the sheets.

Catching his breath, Fredrick opened his mouth wider, his hands now placed on her hips to hold them still. Shosanna breathed in deeply, her entire body quivering with anticipation.

He moved between her legs, once more feeling and tasting the wet heat of her as his tongue pushed into her softness. Shosanna gasped and her hips bucked up, right against his mouth. Fredrick could hear the sound of her breathing; rapid, fraying at the edge. Her arms were now over her head, her hands balled into fists, her body moving against his mouth, back and forth.

She was in a frenzy, so lost in elation she could barely stand it. Her voice higher, her body tightening, Shosanna rocked her hips against his mouth, urging him into her erratic rhythm. Fredrick held on, steadily stroking over her, harder and faster as her body went tighter and tighter. The rushing tide of sensation which overtook her was suprising.

With a cry, her muscles pulled taut as she shook with orgasm, her body clenching and releasing in great spasms; originating, building, and flowing. Within her pleasure, Fredrick drank her climax.

Her body shaking, Fredrick planted kisses along her inner thighs and up over her hips, bringing his head to rest on her lower abdomen as she quieted. There, he looked up at her. Her face was flushed, her hair a tousled mess. Eyes half-lidded and glimmering, Shosanna met his dark gaze.

She smiled.

Reaching out a hand to his sweat-dampened brow, she brushed his forelocks out of his face. Eyes closing from her touch, Fredrick groaned, his body shifting between her legs. He needed his own release, and she wanted to give it to him. Shosanna pulled at Fredrick as he crawled up her body; she moved with him, easing him up alongside her and onto his back. She positioned herself beside him, laying a hand on his stomach. Leaning over him, she kissed his chest.

Fredrick took in a breath.

Shosanna touched his arousal, taking him into her hand with a delicacy, wrapping her fingers around his erection.

Fredrick let out a low, rough sound.

She placed wet kisses on the flat of his stomach, her fingertips gliding across the broad tip of his shaft, encountering a bead of moisture.

"Shosanna,” he rasped, thrusting into her hand.

She stroked him tentatively, moving her mouth lower to taste more of him. Gritting his teeth, Fredrick fought for control over himself. Reaching his shaft, Shosanna ran her tongue over him, taking him into her mouth as far as she could. His hips arched almost violently at the feel of the warmness of her mouth and the wetness of her tongue on him.

It was too much for him to take. Fredrick weakly endeavored to speak.

"Shosanna, nein."

If she had heard him, she paid no heed, as she carried on. Alternately tonguing and skimming her teeth over the length of him, she moved up and down him; slowly, stroking him at the same pace he had stroked her. It was beautifully torturous.

Fredrick was trying not to come. He knew he couldn't; not yet.

"Nein,” his protest, though breathy, was now adamant. He reached for her, fingers stranding through her hair to get her attention.

Shosanna stilled her actions. Releasing him, she looked up at Fredrick in slight confusion, her lips parted and wet. Sucking in a breath, he spoke again; calmer, in French,

"I want to be with you."

It was both a plea and a demand. Shosanna knew that she could not refuse. Nor did she want to.

Saying nothing, she moved to his side, lying down. Rolling over to face her, Fredrick lightly touched her cheek, his voice soft,

"I want to feel you, Shosanna. I want to feel us."

She remained silent, but in act of understanding, she pressed herself to him. Wordlessly demonstrating his need, Fredrick thrust against her, leaving a trail of moistness along her abdomen.

The two were more than ready.

Fredrick rolled Shosanna onto her back, his mouth and body upon her; hungry and hard. She gasped at the initial contact of it, of the feel of him against her; the heat, the smoldering press of his blood in on her. It was in the way that his skin warmed her, how he controlled his strength as he held her close to him. Rising up beneath him, Shosanna kissed his throat where she could see the beating of his pulse, trailing her mouth down to the crook of his neck; inhaling the scent of him.

Supporting the weight of himself on his elbows, Fredrick brought his hands to the sides of her face, threading his fingers into her hair. The kiss he lowered onto her mouth was fiercely possessive, leaving her breathless. Feeling him push against her, she drew her legs around Fredrick in response, pulling him closer. Her hips now cradled his arousal, allowing her to feel the length and hardness of him. Shosanna's lips curved into a smile against his mouth.

As he broke the kiss, Shosanna arched into Fredrick, in an attempt to follow with him. He straightened his arms, lifting his upper body away from her, above her. Staring into her eyes, he smiled.

Bringing her hands back up to either side of his face, Shosanna could feel the rigidity of his body as he braced himself, the tip of his arousal pressed to her center. She was slick, ready, and open for him.

A serious expression crossed his face. Her chest rose and fell in rapid breaths. Eyes on hers, Fredrick flexed his spine. In one, swift, hard thrust, he entered her with a roughness, a neediness; filling her. Both crying out, they then stilled; the relief of joining flooding their senses. All that they felt now held a newness; it was far too impassioned, far too raw.

Shosanna was so wet and Fredrick thrust so easily into her that he came immediately. Squeezing his eyes shut, he gave a low groan as it coursed through him. She could feel - and see - his jaw set against the building pressure within him. Fredrick thrust forward, hips contracting as he came. The release of it was so intense that it bordered on pain. Body shuddering, he hung his head. If not for his mighty reaction, it hardly would have registered with her, as Fredrick remained just as hard.

Shosanna traced her fingers over his features as she whispered soothingly to him in French. Turning his face in her hands, Fredrick pressed a kiss into her palm. No longer able to hold up his own weight, he then lowered himself onto her.

Every inch of him was fitted against her, his body heat sinking into her. With a low, indistinguishable murmur, Fredrick pressed up more fully against Shosanna, freeing his hands to cup her face, his thumbs sweeping over her jaw on either side as he hovered his mouth over hers.

He didn't kiss her, but his lips caressed hers as he whispered,

"Meine Liebe."

All that Fredrick felt for her resonated throughout her body; from his breath on her skin, the racing of his heart, to the hard, full pulse of him within her. Everything the two had been through that night simply faded away in the face of this; in the face of what they had felt for each other, of what they could still yet feel.

Ghosting his lips over her features, Fredrick's voice was a husky whisper of German endearments. His breath, his skin, was a warming, gentle comfort. As he touched his mouth to hers, Shosanna parted her lips for him, and he kissed her; lovingly, long, and lingering.

Fredrick's hands slid down her body and then up again; familiar with her every curve and nuance. Never before had she felt so aware of anyone, of his hands on her, of his heat, of his strength. His hands slid back up to her face, fingers pushing up past her temples and into her hair. Lifting his mouth away from hers, he looked upon her.

He looked upon her with complete adoration; returning his gaze, she shivered, eliciting a heavy, deep sound from him. Bringing his mouth to hers, he kissed her again; lightly, tenderly, sweetly. There was a stunning tenderness now present, a vulnerability; it was as if their bodies, their emotions, were entirely new to one another. Mouths softly touching, Fredrick breathed,

"Ich brauche dich, Shosanna."

Gasping, she stared up at him.

He wanted - needed - her with such an intensity that he was shaking.

"Fredrick," her voice soft, "move with me."

Shosanna then raised a hand up, touching his face.

"I want to feel you," she added, running her hand over his cheek, "I want to feel us."

From her words alone he was ready for another release, but he was now overruled by new desires; Shosanna knew - felt - that what Fredrick was capable of emotionally and physically was far stronger, beautiful, and frightening.

He stared into her eyes, seeing within them all sorts of things; things that assuaged him, things that made him hyper-aware of every inch of her, of himself. Things that he wanted, with her.

Fredrick took a deep breath and tried not to move; the effort nearly killed him. He adored how he filled her, how so perfectly their bodies fit. His heart was hammering in his chest; his breath came short and choppy.

Shosanna's body was throbbing, every muscle was tense.

Her hands gripped his back, now covered with a sheen of sweat, and she pressed down on him. Not able to refuse her, Fredrick moved within Shosanna, groaning from the pleasure he gained. She raised her hips up against him, pulling him higher inside her. He stopped for a moment once more to rest, and looking at him questioningly, she moved against him breathlessly, demandingly, urgently.

He moved within her and all capacity for thought shrank to the pinnacle of sensations running through them. Then he rocked deeper and Shosanna could scarcely breathe. She clutched at Fredrick, needing him to keep going; to not stop. His expression was one of severe concentration, his brow damp, his jaw set. In all their time together, Fredrick knew her, knew her body, knew what she needed.

Slanting his mouth over hers, Fredrick kissed her, his tongue filling her mouth as he thrust into her. Together, the two moved slowly, deliberately. Fredrick gasped, his whole body taut with the effort he was exerting to retain his self-control. He felt unwieldy in a way, realizing the limitations of their bodies. Their desires were infinite, but their bodies, tendons and joints, were ruled by gravity. Their bodies, now smooth with sweat, were pressed tightly together, the sounds of their breaths intermingling with those of wet, skin-to-skin contact.

There was no control. Fredrick held onto Shosanna and Shosanna held onto him, arms and legs wrapped around him in a passionate embrace. She then curved her back, pressing her hips increasingly forward with each of his thrusts, which were growing more and more volatile.

Shosanna gasped and Fredrick bent his head to brush his lips across the soft skin of her exposed neck. In response, her arms wound around his back, holding him to her and pulling them tighter together. Their movement was frantic, chaotic.

Thrusting into her deeper and harder, Fredrick filled her senses; had her writhing beneath him. Closer and closer, he pulled her to the uncontrollable edge, only to hold her there; not yet letting go.

Still on his forearms, his hands in her hair, his eyes locked on hers, Fredrick allowed for Shosanna to see everything he felt as he moved within her. He held her gaze through every thrust, every push of his hips, studying her face as if to ensure that she felt all that he wanted - had - to give of himself to her.

Bowing his head to hers, he then kissed her; fervidly and ardently. Together, the two slowed the pace, moving with a determined rhythm. From moment to moment, all thought ceased as feeling took over. The familiar, desperate need returned, though it was now driven by passion.

His breathing growing labored, Fredrick could feel Shosanna tense; her climax was imminent. He, too, could feel his own taking shape within him. With a thread of timidity in his voice, Fredrick whispered her name,

"Shosanna."

The sound alone made her body go tense as she heated, slickened. Fredrick wanted, needed, her so much closer.

He slid his hands down to the backs of her thighs, spreading them wider, allowing for a deeper penetration, which wrenched a moan from him and a cry of shock from her. He then eased a hand under her hips, rocking her up against him.

Fredrick continued to lift and pull her up from underneath him, and Shosanna complied. The heel of her hand hit his chest; it seemed for a moment as if she were refusing at first, to push him off of her, but it passed. She was rising toward Fredrick, holding on with her beautiful, competent hands.

The two were now sitting up. Lifting herself up with her hands on his shoulders, Shosanna rolled her hips, the two still joined, having never parted. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him to her, and he slipped a hand beneath her ass, so no matter what, their bodies would remain touching. With his other hand, Fredrick threaded fingers through her hair, cradling the back of her head and holding her close. Shosanna nestled into him, her arms draped around his neck.

Fredrick looked into her eyes. With his own eyes glistening, his brow gleaming with sweat, and his hair in disarray, Fredrick was aware he must've looked half-mad, as did she; wide-eyed, her skin was flushed, her hair a golden mess of waves. Shosanna was panting and shivering as her body continued to move with his.

Rocking her hips against his, she silently urged him to follow her lead. Wanting all he could have of her and wanting to give the same in return, Fredrick complied, relinquishing all control to her. Together, once more, they found their rhythm, languid and purposeful. Touching and feeling. Giving and taking.

Framing his face in her hands, Shosanna brought her mouth to his and kissed him hard, her tongue and teeth clashing with his. Disoriented, Fredrick held onto her, as if she were to slip away if he were to let go. Shosanna knew that this - the emotional and the physical - was all still new for Fredrick. There was no need for urgency; to rush. Not after all had they had shared and discovered of each other.

Fredrick watched her face; her lips parted, her eyes closed, only to suddenly open again, looking up at him with a kind of helplessness mixed with hunger and surprise. Shosanna moved back and forth two times, then a third; grinding and precise. He pressed against her harder. She arched her back, took in a deep breath. Shosanna rested her forehead against his, her voice a breathy sound in her throat,

"Mon amour."

They moved together intently, steadily. Simple and direct, there was a comfort to it, held within each movement, which increased by the steadiness.

It was agonizing. It was maddening.

She was whispering something he couldn't quite understand. He wanted to still his body, to hear it, but to do so would upset the rhythm. Fredrick now moved with a frisson of impatience. Her willingness, her need, was almost terrifying.

The whisper was louder now; a half-finished thought.

"I want to," she said.

Shosanna was so very wet and Fredrick was so achingly hard that it could've been painful if not for the slickness of her holding and stroking the length of him. It was so gorgeously, potently ecstatic; it was as if his nerve endings had unwound. He groaned, low and deep in encouragement.

Her forehead still touching his, Shosanna brought her hands up to either side of his face. She held tighter to Fredrick; her soft breasts and hard nipples against his chest, her pubic hair brushing against him. With her hips locked around his as she met his unfaltering thrusts, he now slid his hand up from beneath her and pressed her at the small of her back; inciting her on with him.

With her eyes shut, she rocked back and forth; pressing herself against him with such huge power that Fredrick thought he might cry out. The strength she held within her small frame and the force with which she ground against him was so astonishing that it was all he felt. There was a sternness to it, an undercurrent of fury. Shosanna was relentlessly giving him everything she could of herself and he was in a state of delirium, oblivious to all but her.

He was covered in sweat; his muscles ached as if knotted by fever. Shosanna moved, back and forth, back and forth. It was devastating. She fixed her eyes on his for a moment and then closed them again. Fredrick whispered her name, and when Shosanna didn't respond, he panicked. Tilting his head in her hands, he kissed her mouth.

He breathed her breath and she lingered, breathing the air out of his lungs, both filled with their combined redolence; the red wine, German coffee, and cigarettes, the long night, and their overpowering nervous systems. Everything he felt within that moment, with her, enveloped him; sheltering him. Fredrick could feel his own climax moving within him, grand and forthcoming. But more than that, he could feel her.

Shosanna was shaking all over; tremors running like currents through her, from the tips of her toes to her thighs and the junction between them, straight up through her stomach and into her chest. There was something else within her; something that knew the time and tempo of every breath, of every movement. Fervent and bright, it coiled tightly within her and unfurled. Head tipping back over his arm, clinging to him, body trembling, she cried out, high and keening. She tightened and clenched around him, her back arching and her hips bucking wildly against him as she broke apart in his arms; the motion, the friction, was enough to send him over the edge.

As soon as her body shuddered in response to her climax, Fredrick found himself moved; astoundingly so. Within her cries, he found his release. Like a white-hot knot of need, it unraveled, racing through him. Fredrick grabbed hold of her back - feeling the sweat rolling off it - almost afraid she would leave him, his body folding into hers.

But then, feeling the fervor of his oncoming climax, Shosanna moved up a little and tightened herself for a slow, deliberate slide down the length of him. As she did so, she delivered the coup de grâce: touching the side of his face, Shosanna kissed him lightly and warmly.

Everything fell away.

Grunting, Fredrick surrendered himself to her, coming hard and fast, spilling his release within her; the pleasure of it seeping through him, surging and sending a charge to every nerve in his body. He attempted to fix his entire concentration on it, but his focus, however, remained on hers, more so than his own. It was a tireless passion for him to witness - and experience - her pleasure.

The two moved like mad, holding onto each other, their voices joining, forming in one wild, nearly primal cry.

Shosanna's body went rigid in his arms, and eyes closed, mouth open, she held her breath. She held her frozen pose, and then collapsed against Fredrick, her face buried in the arc of his neck; her breaths reappeared, heavy and slow.

Bodies shaking, they sought the safety and solidity of each other, clutching one another with such passion that they left small marks on each other's skin. Fredrick felt as though his muscles were breaking down and his lungs shriveled as he took in deep breaths. Shosanna worked to soothe him, kissing his neck and jawline, her own breath heavy against his skin as she whispered endearments.

Reveling in each other, she felt the strong pulse of him within her as he felt hers, sheathing him.

After several moments, the two parted. Gathering her up in his arms, Fredrick lay Shosanna down on the bed, joining her by her side. Bodies relaxing, a chill swept over them; reaching for the sheets and blankets, he covered them both. Fredrick held onto Shosanna, his hands roaming over her as he whispered to her in German. It was poetic, in a way, he observed. Perhaps it was from the exhaustion overtaking them, but his thoughts came out half-formed, broken.

"Näher," he sighed, "Ich brauche dich so sehr viel näher."

In that moment, Shosanna felt so fragile in his arms; her small, soft body against his, her fluttering heartbeat.

There was death and war between them, tens of thousands of hours of terror and doubt, secrets and lies, things that went said and unsaid. Separately and together, they saw it through, the German War Hero and the Jewish Girl. Both were made different in many ways, yet remained the same in others. Neither was lesser for it.

All that they felt, it seemed, was struck by the light of consciousness. Though fragmented, it was brighter, more brilliant; blinding and incandescent, it cast no shadows.

Everything they shared, everything that they felt, was far too lovely, far too precious.

Looking up at Fredrick, Shosanna could see within his eyes an incredible heat; that ever present flicker.

Raising her hand to the side of his face, she touched the line of his jaw, watching as Fredrick kept his eyes on hers. A smile played upon her lips.

Sweeping her thumb over his lower lip, Shosanna tipped her head back, touching her mouth to his; kissing him.

The contact was soft, honest.

Fredrick closed his eyes.

He could feel himself slipping away. He was always lost to Shosanna, from the moment he spotted her in Le Gamaar. But now, he knew that there was no one else but her. Nothing else without her. He knew that she was with him, that she wanted him, loved him. Even without her admission, Fredrick would've held no doubt as to the heart of her emotions. Moments earlier, his body overwhelmed as he poured himself into her, Fredrick had his affirmation. Shosanna entirely, completely gave of herself to him, for him; freely, openly. His heart now thundered so hard in his chest that he was almost certain it was going to burst.

Now he knew.

As her hands smoothed over the hard muscle of his chest and she sighed so gently into his mouth, Fredrick knew that Shosanna knew, too; that she felt the same.

For all that was past them, for all that was to come, the two would have one another.