The simple action mean that he was allowing her this, and more, he wanted it. Hesitation evaporated, and she smiled from relief. So many times, she'd worried that she asked for too much from him. That feeling had faded over the months leading them here, but it'd never really gone away - never, until now. She felt more free than she'd ever felt around him, and it made her stronger, strong enough to reach for him with both hands and hold without fear that he'd break away.
Then she was standing on the steel toes of his boots. This time, the kiss wasn't soft or hesitant or shy. This time, she meant it - years of longing tied carefully away, nights watching her friends disappear in pairs, all the helpless wondering --
She'd wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and her hands were in his hair, and she still wasn't close enough.