Work Text:
Every time
you brush your stubble along my jaw
My grip on the knife loosens
Pinky twitches in resistance
As I think
What if it could be different
What if we could fashion this den of vipers into a doves’ nest
All I would have to do is:
Disarm the spike trap of my heart
Pour the poison down the drain
Press my icy flesh against yours
Like a reptile sunning itself on the tan rock of your chest
and whisper, hold me.
But then I see
The devilish glint in your eye
The ace up your sleeve
The strength of your grip pinning my wrist to the bed
And that acrid, molten hatred
Floods my veins again.
Suddenly my fingers are the tight jaws of an alligator
Swallowing the smooth knife handle
My savior in stainless steel
Steadying my resolve.