“I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“Are you uncomfortable?” You ask, sitting up.
I scoot towards the headboard and close my legs. “Yeah.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know…dysphoria I guess.”
You come sit beside me at the head of the bed. Silence passes us and I put my face in my hands, covering my eyes.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” I reply with a quick shake of my head.
You sigh and put your head on my shoulder.
“You never want to talk about it. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable during sex or any other time.”
“I know…it’s just. It’s not you. I love having sex with you and being with you. I just wish I could give you more.” I feel tears welling in my eyes and I blink them away.
“More what?” You turn to look at me.
We turn, our bodies to face eachother and you take my hands in yours.
“More what…?” you ask again.
“I don’t know, I wish I could be inside of you…with a penis…you know?”
“I get it. So is having sex with me too much for you?”
“Kind of. I just feel that I can’t really feel anything sometimes.”
“Anything like what?”
“The emotional stuff. I feel attracted to you I do. And it feels good when we have sex but it’s like I’m not there.”
“Is that why you always shut your eyes?”
“I guess. It’s confusing me, having to settle. Being trans. Being me. It’s confusing.”
“Well I’m not confused about you. You are just like any other man. No less. But I hear you and you have to tell me what you want because if this isn’t working for you…”
“No. It’s not that—“
“What is it?”
“It’s me. Okay? It’s me.”
“Well, I’m with you. It’s us. Just tell me how you feel.”
I look away from you and take a deep breath, contemplating my thoughts. I shake my head and fill my cheeks with air.
“I mean…I wish you were more engaged with me. But I feel a lot when you fuck me. And…I want to be able to pleasure you the way you pleasure me.”
“Don’t you feel like something is missing when I fuck you”, I ask, “don’t you wish you could feel more?”
“I don’t feel like a real man.”
“You are.”
“I know. But I don’t feel that.”
“What do you feel?”
“I don’t know. I just…are you fucking someone else?”
“What?”
“Just tell me the truth.”
“Yes. Sometimes. When you’re gone and…I need someone.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know I needed to.”
We stare into each other eyes. Crickets sing outside of the motel window.
“You don’t think I would want to know if someone is fucking you other than me?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Does he have a penis?”
“Stop.”
“Tell me.”
“Yes. So what? He’s not you.”
“What are you telling me?”
“I’m telling you that I love you.”
“…Love…?