He lifted her chin and kissed her. Softly at first. Licking and nibbling at her lips. Then he slipped his tongue in her mouth to play with hers. Only for a short while. He pulled back to place open-mouthed kisses on her neck. It was slow. Deliriously slow. There was a frail balance to the whole thing. If he jumped into it too quickly, he ran the risk of the sensations becoming too intense and amplifying their pain. One thing always stayed the same though, regardless of the situation. The closer they were, the more bearable it became.