The following is a sexy short story about stress, love, and the side-effects of trying to balance it out. We all have our own way of coping with stress. Some of us need more than meditation or a vacation. Sometimes, we need something sexy. This is one of those times. Enjoy!

“One pill in the morning and one in the evening,” said an exasperated Jennifer Jermaine, “do they really think we’ll screw that up?”

“For all the legal crap they made us sign, I’d say yeah. They think it’s a distinct possibility,” said her roommate and boyfriend, Zane Crayton.

“Even with the promise of five hundred bucks and extra credit for our bio class?”

“They’re probably hedging their bets. Makes me think they’re the ones with severe anxiety issues.”

Jennifer shook her head and sighed as they pulled into the parking lot for their apartment building. She should’ve been more excited about earning easy money. Both she and Zane were the perfect embodiment of financially challenged college students, having spent the past two years pinching pennies just to keep their student loan debts from ballooning. Any amount of money should’ve made them feel somewhat less anxious.

Then again, that was the trickiest part about having generalized anxiety disorder. Even when something good came along to alleviate their many stresses, it did little to ease her troubled mind. Mitigating one source of stress just meant shifting her focus to another. It had been plaguing her since middle school. Zane claimed to have dealt with it since the fifth grade and, having known him since childhood, she didn’t doubt that for a second.

That was part of what made the prospect of testing a new anti-anxiety medication at the university’s biology lab so appealing. Beyond the money, she and Zane were in need of a new approach to managing their stress because what they’d been doing since their freshman year clearly wasn’t working.

Zane knew that as well as she did. After parking the car and turning off the engine, he reached into his pocket and took out the bottle of pills they’d gotten from the lab.

“I hate that it’s come to this,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the bottle, “resorting to unproven meds to get us through the rest of the semester.”

“I don’t like it either, but would you rather have another panic attack in the middle of an exam?” Jennifer asked him.

“Hell no,” he said, “but it just feels like the bar for success is so low, at this point. At least with that attack, I didn’t throw up.”

“Any success is still success,” she pointed out. “At least you didn’t faint during your AP Calculus test in high school. I’ll never live that down.”

“Believe me, I haven’t forgotten. I also haven’t forgotten that we’ve tried almost every other medication. I get that anxiety on our level is a legitimate disorder, but still…why does it have to be this hard?”

Zane was getting anxious just thinking about it, which helped reinforce his point. Jennifer, not wanting another panic attack in the middle of a parking lot, reached over and consoled her long-time lover. Her gentle touch always seemed to help. It was one of the few remedies that had always had some therapeutic effect. She wouldn’t have been overly dramatic in saying that she and Zane couldn’t have functioned as well as they had over the years without each other.

“Success or not, we’ve made it this far,” Jennifer told her long-time lover. “We survived high school. We’ve endured two stressful years of college. We even survived prom night, despite my mother being our chaperone for the first several hours.”

“I’m actually proud of how we survived that,” Zane said, finally cracking a smile.

“On top of all that, we’ve managed to stay together and help each other at every turn,” she said. “I believe we can make it through and not worry about fainting in a crowded room. The fact that we need some extra help in pill form shouldn’t be a failure, by default.”

“If only love was enough,” he added.

“If only,” she said with a chuckle, “but even love needs a supplement every now and then.”

Jennifer offered her lover another caring gesture. Then, in a demonstration of her commitment to enduring their anxiety together, she retrieved her bottle of pills from her purse and took one. It was already time for their first dose and they had class early tomorrow morning so it couldn’t hurt to get a head start.

Still smiling, looking as relaxed as anyone with generalized anxiety disorder could be, he followed suit and took his pill. That made it official. She and Zane were guinea pigs for a new drug. There was no telling how much or how little it would help. At the very least, they had some extra money to spend and a potential tool to get them through the rest of the semester.

“Well, we’re officially medicated again,” Zane said.

“And we’re officially earning that five hundred bucks,” Jennifer added.

“Guess we should do our part for science and try to relax before our insomnia kicks in.”

He almost made it sound daunting, but that was part of the many challenges before them. Having an anxiety disorder came with many problems, but insomnia was one of the worst. She and Zane hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since the holidays and, if any medication were to work, it had to help in that respect. Jennifer couldn’t afford to take another math exam while drowsy.

She did her best not to dwell on that as she and Zane exited the car and made their way up to their shared apartment. It was just after eight and neither of them had eaten much for dinner, having shared a burrito on their way back from the lab. Outside, it cold, rainy, and miserable. There were even echoes of thunder in the distance. They were hardly conditions conducive to a relaxing evening.

“I need a snack,” Zane said as he took off his coat, set his stuff aside, and made his way to the kitchen. “Then, I need to catch up on my reading. I really can’t afford to get another C-minus on my next history exam.”

“I’d say to not overdo it, but I’m so behind on my statistics work that I’m not sure I have time for a snack,” Jennifer said.

“Then, I guess the meds better kick in soon because it’s already shaping up to be another long, restless night.”

That was hardly the right attitude for someone who wanted to treat their crippling generalized anxiety disorder, but Jennifer was too restless to make much of it. While Zane picked at some leftover take-out from the fridge, she sat down on their living room couch where she’d left a stack of books and papers earlier that day.

She felt tired. She probably should’ve turned in early. However, on a stormy night full of rain and thunder, it would’ve been an exercise in futility. Between restlessness and her history with insomnia, she figured she might as well do something productive with her time.

“Long restless nights,” Jennifer said under her breath. “I don’t know how many of those I can handle.”

As the rain poured harder outside, she began thumbing through some notes and textbooks. Zane stayed in the kitchen, finishing off the leftovers and pacing about, as he often did when he agonized over his schedule the next morning. If those pills they’d just taken were supposed to help, then they weren’t doing much. It already felt like just another dreary night in the middle of a hectic week.

Then, just as Jennifer began losing herself in her work, a strange feeling came over her.

“Hey, did it just get warm in here or something?” she wondered out loud.

“I don’t know,” said Zane as he finished up the take-out. “It shouldn’t. We haven’t had the heat on all week.”

“That’s weird because I swear I just…”

She stopped as the feeling came over her again, but with more intensity. It wasn’t as though the air around her had suddenly gotten hotter. It was more like something inside her body had heated up, warming her from the inside. It began in her stomach, but quickly spread, so much so that she felt a light sweat on her forehead.

It wasn’t a particularly uncomfortable feeling. In fact, it was oddly welcome on such a cold, dreary night. However, as the heat within her grew, the nature of the feeling changed.

“Jen,” said Zane, who stopped pacing. “Whatever you’re feeling, I think I’m feeling it too. I don’t know if it’s the leftovers talking, but I feel like there’s a sauna in my gut.”

Jennifer looked over to her lover, who quickly set the leftovers aside and removed the sweatshirt he’d been wearing since early that afternoon. It must not have been enough because shortly after, he removed his T-shirt as well.

In doing so, however, it accelerated the strange feeling that had consumed Jennifer. It also clarified what exactly she’d been feeling. Seeing Zane, her long-time boyfriend who often used exercise to reduce anxiety, shirtless in the middle of the kitchen triggered instincts that her anxiety often overwhelmed. Now, that stressful dynamic had flipped completely.

“Zane,” Jennifer said, “I think the pills we took have kicked in.”

“Really?” he said, already wiping some sweat from his brow. “Is this what they’re supposed to do? Or are these just side-effects?”

“That depends. What other effects are you feeling besides the heat?”

“Um…”

He trailed off again, his demeanor quickly shifting. At first, Jennifer wasn’t sure if he was just too overwhelmed to put it into words. Then, she gazed down at his waist and saw the likely source of the confusion.

He had a full-blown boner in his pants. She could tell by the sizable bulge protruding from those dirty, poorly-fitted jeans he wore. Zane tried to hide it, but did a poor job. She offered a humored grin to help reassure him. However, her lover having an unexpected erection only affirmed what she too was feeling.

As she got up from the couch, it was undeniable. The same heat that began in her stomach had made its way to her inner thighs. Just as her lover suddenly had a rock-hard dick in his pants, she felt a moist heat in her panties. It might have been the greatest arousal she’d felt since their anniversary last summer. Given all the stress she’d been under lately, Jennifer had doubted she could ever get that aroused again.

Those doubts were effectively gone. At the same time, the true effects of the pill became clear. Whether by design or due to side-effects, she was very horny and so was her boyfriend. Despite all the impending stress they had on their plate, she couldn’t ignore the burning feeling, nor did she want to.

“Jennifer,” Zane began, already sounding breathless, “I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing, but I’m so horny right now. I’m pretty sure my dick just popped a seam in my pants.”

“It’s a good thing, Zane…a very good thing,” Jennifer said intently.

“So you feel it too?” he asked.

“Let me put it this way…I’m pretty sure I could reheat those leftovers with my pussy right now.”

In any other circumstance, Zane’s reaction would’ve been hilarious. However, Jennifer was too horny to laugh. Already breathing heavily, she stripped out of her clothes with an urgency she hadn’t had since their prom night.

She practically tore off her shirt, sweater, and bra, throwing them across the room and not caring at all that she knocked over another stack of textbooks. As she undid her pants and took them off, along with her now-soaked panties, she began making her way towards her still-overwhelmed boyfriend.

“What are you waiting for? Get out of those pants, already!” Jennifer told him.

“Right,” Zane said, finally jolted from his daze. “These clothes…so damn itchy.”

“Here, I’ll help!”

Jennifer almost tripped over herself, kicking her pants and underwear off as she arrived at her lover just in time to help him get his pants off. That wasn’t easy, given the presence of a throbbing erection. Now standing before him, fully naked and very much aroused herself, more powerful instincts overrode the anxiety that so often plagued them. With their clothes now off, underwear and all, the full extent of their arousal became clear.

“Wow, that’s hard!” she commented a she gave his penis a light touch.

“I’m as shocked as you,” Zane told her.

“Too shocked to take me into the bed room and fuck me?”

“Not in the slightest!”

What happened next was distinctly out-of-character for Zane, but in the best possible way. Unbound by stress or reservation, he threw his arms around her, grabbed her by the butt, and lifted her up into his grasp. Jennifer instinctively grabbed onto his shoulders and threw her legs around his waist, her pelvis already rubbing up against his throbbing erection.

Once in his arms, he captured her lips in a deep kiss that employed more tongue than he’d used on her birthday two months ago. Jennifer returned the gesture, gladly twirling her tongue with his as he carried her into the bedroom, their naked skin already grinding together in a sensual mesh. It further compounded their arousal, turning the intense desire into a burning need.

“The bed,” Zane gasped in between their messy kissing.

The meaning behind his words barely registered. She recalled briefly that their bed was unmade and disheveled, an obvious byproduct of two anxious college students who often forgot to tidy up their room before they left for class. Now, they were going to make love on top of it. Something about that just felt so fitting.

Their lips still entwined, Zane laid her down on the bed. He wasn’t overly careful with her, either. He essentially dropped her down atop the messy sheets, not even bothering her to align her with the pillows. He quickly joined her, still kissing her passionately and feeling up her naked body with eager hands. When their lips finally parted, he hovered over her with a lustful glint in his eyes that shouldn’t have been capable for someone with generalized anxiety disorder.

“Zane,” Jennifer said, her voice seething with lust.

“God, I want you, Jen. I want you so fucking bad.”

“Then, do me!” she urged. “Skip the foreplay. Just fuck me like I know you wanna! Fuck me like the man I love!”

She couldn’t believe she’d uttered such crude words. She and Zane had a semi-active sex life – although, that wasn’t saying much, given how constant anxiety often tempered their libido – but neither of them had ever craved one another with such passion. It was as though someone had flipped a switch within their minds and bodies, raising their sex drives to their maximum levels and beyond.

Zane, taking her lurid rhetoric to heart, followed the burning lust. He shifted his grip to her thighs, pushed her legs apart, and laid on top of her, allowing gravity to enmesh their naked bodies once more. He then aligned his manhood with her moist slit, his intense gaze never diverting from hers. With a strong thrust of his hips, he entered her.

Almost immediately, sharp sensations shot through her. That hot feeling of hard masculine flesh filing moist womanly depths consumed them both. Energy, passion, and ecstasy she didn’t know she and Zane had suddenly came pouring out as the hottest sex they’d had in years began.

“Oh my God! Oohhh yeah!” Jennifer moaned. “That feels good! That feels…so good!”

“Mmm…so hot and tight,” Zane grunted. “Oh Jen! Ohhh fuck, Jen!”

They sounded possessed. The stress-plagued college students that had entered the apartment minutes ago had given way to a couple of sex-crazed nymphomaniacs. If that was a side-effect of the pill they’d taken, then it was a hell of an effect. Jennifer would’ve loved to know the science behind that, but she was too busy enjoying the onslaught of ecstasy that followed.

Like a couple of animals in heat, she and Zane rocked their naked bodies in a perfect coordination of passion. He did most of the humping, clinging to her waist as he rhythmically thrust his hips, pumping his cock inside her pussy. Jennifer did her part to supplement every motion, lifting her hips in conjunction with each thrust while raking her nails along his back.

Between the motion of their bodies and the friction of their naked skin, they worked up quite a sweat. Even with the rain pouring outside, they filled the room with the wondrous cries of passion and bliss. It was, by far, the loudest and most physical act of sex they’d shared since moving into their cramped apartment last fall.

Such hot, vigorous lovemaking brought Jennifer to the cusp of orgasm faster than she thought possible. For much of her life, she’d thought she was one of those unfortunate women who struggled to reach that special sexual plateau. She could still climax, but it took a lot of effort, which wasn’t always fair to Zane. Now, as the pleasure washed over her, every assumption she once had about her body and her capacity for pleasure was shattered.

“Ohhh Zane! Ooh I’m coming!” she cried out.

“Whoa! Already?” he gasped.

That was the most he got out before the feeling hit. It was like a shock to the system. She dug her nails hard into his back, planted her feet firmly on the wrinkled sheets of the bed, and curled her toes as inner muscles spasmed in accord with her orgasmic release. Either it had been a long time since her last good orgasm or she’d been doing sex halfway for years.

As she shuddered under the weight of the pleasure, Zane steadied his movements. She felt his loving gaze on her as her expression contorted to the orgasmic sensations. She also sensed him make the final push to achieve his own peak.

He was probably so used to holding back for a while so she could at least get close to an orgasm. Now, having already made her climax, he could just let loose and pursue his own path to ecstasy. It must have been liberating because he was extra animated as he joined her in that world of bliss.

“Jen…I’m coming too! Ohhh fuck!” he gasped.

Jennifer was still deep in her orgasmic daze when the feeling washed over her lover. She caressed his face and gazed into his as he took in the feeling. She might not be as familiar with the capacity of the male body for pleasure, but she couldn’t remember him looking that satisfied with his peak.

Their eyes never diverted as he let out a series of deep grunts that coincided with his release. She felt his grip tighten, his lower body tense, and his member throb within the hot confines of her pussy. As his manly fluids mixed with her feminine juices, another warm feeling came over them. There was no mystery to it, though. She knew what it was as well as Zane.

“God, I love you, Jennifer,” he said in his orgasmic daze.

“I love you too, Zane,” she said with a loving smile.

He smiled back and they shared a loving kiss. He withdrew from her, but remained on top of her naked form. What they were feeling was something they hadn’t felt in a long time. It wasn’t just good, satisfying sex. The more profound feeling they experienced was contentment…real, genuine contentment.

“For the record, this is the least anxious I’ve felt in years,” Zane said as the kiss parted.

“Same here,” Jennifer said.

“You think it’s the pills? Or just a side-effect?” he asked.

“Do we care at this point?”

“Not in the slightest!”

They kissed again. There was still a lingering heat in her body. Even after the orgasm had passed, the feeling that prompted such a passionate outburst remained. Jennifer also noticed that her lover’s penis was still partially erect. Knowing male anatomy as well as any sexually active woman, it seemed impossible. Then again, the contentment she just experienced had also been impossible until moments ago.

“You’re still hard,” Jennifer commented.

“I noticed that,” Zane said sheepishly.

“Another side-effect?” she teased. “Or another sign that there’s still some lingering anxiety?”

“Only one way to find out!”

A mischievous grin formed on his face, one Jennifer hadn’t seen since their junior year of high school. Showing more playfulness than she’d seen in years, Zane picked her up in his arms once more and led her to the center of their bed.

While in his naked embrace, he kissed and caressed her, keeping that burning feeling going. Jennifer, both curious and still very horny, kept following his lurid lead. Eventually, Zane ended up on his back with her on top of him.

“Let’s try this,” he said, as though it were a serious test, “you suck me and I eat you out. See if we can get each other in the mood again.”

“And that will help us determine whether this is a side-effect?” Jennifer asked with a humored grin.

“Among other things,” Zane replied with a playful shrug.

For once, Jennifer didn’t overthink or agonize over a choice, as most with generalized anxiety disorder often did. On a whim fueled by desire and lingering ecstasy, she just went with it. If more great sex was going to help her and Zane deal with their stress, then why fight it?

With just as much playfulness as her lover, she shifted her body so that she was in position to suck his still-rigid cock, which was also dripping with her feminine juices. She also aligned her still-moist pussy with his face. Despite the lingering fluids, Zane didn’t hesitate for a second to start eating her out.

That hot, intimate feeling of his tongue probing her folds sent a fresh round of shivers through her body. They provided additional motivation as she took the length of her lover’s manhood into her mouth, licking and suckling the rigid flesh with the utmost care.

“Mmm…Jennifer,” Zane said, his voice muffled by her pussy.

“Mmf!” was all Jennifer could reply with.

Tapping the same energy that had made for such great sex earlier, she and Zane gave each other the best oral sex they’d ever shared. It wasn’t even a question. Oral sex used to be something they did out of necessity in their sex life. Now, they were doing it because they were as determined as they were horny. It was a strange, but incredible feeling.

If the purpose of mutual oral sex was to test the extent of the side-effects they’d been feeling, then it was definitely a success. After only a brief round of sucking and licking, Zane’s cock became fully erect again. His efforts with her pussy had a similar impact. His knowledge of her intimate anatomy really paid off. She was ready for more sex and the contentment that came with it.

“I think you’re ready for another round, love,” Jennifer said after giving his member one last lick.

“Guess it counts as the second phase of testing,” Zane commented.

“Guess so,” she said, “and in the interests of medical science, why I don’t stay on top?”

“Sounds like a plan!”

They laughed playfully, which counted as an accomplishment for anyone with an anxiety disorder. That fun-loving spirit continued as Jennifer realigned their bodies so that she was on top, straddling his hips cowgirl style. With the same intent he’d shown with her the first time, she united their bodies with a simple movement of her hips.

“Ooh that feels so good!” Jennifer moaned as her pussy plunged down onto his cock.

“Yeah…so good!” Zane grunted, now gripping her waist in preparation for another intimate romp.

A steady chorus of grunts, gasps, of moans followed. Just as before, their sex manifested with intense fervor. She rode him hard, gyrating her hips in a way that really worked his manhood within her throbbing folds. Thanks to her upright position, they could more freely explore each other’s naked bodies.

He caressed her bouncing breasts.

She pawed his manly chest.

Together, they exchanged a myriad of loving gestures, every touch seeming to temper their anxiety.

It was as though their hands and bodies had been imparted with healing powers. The exchange of such intimate touching helped supplement the pleasure, like waves overlapping with other waves. In the beginning, it felt overwhelming. Now, she and Zane were navigating a familiar path that led to both ecstasy and contentment.

“Zane…this feeling,” Jennifer moaned in a deepening daze of bliss.

“I know, Jennifer. I know,” Zane replied, just as he trailed his hands up her feminine curves.

They continued their heated, touch-heavy lovemaking. They rocked their bodies and the bed, venting years of pent up desire that their anxiety had restrained. Regardless of whether it was due to the pill they’d taken, they achieved something special that went beyond great sex.

In addition to being great, the sex did plenty to wear them out. Zane demonstrated a surprising level of stamina and not just in terms of male sexual function. She also managed to vent more energy than she thought possible for a woman who’d eaten such a light dinner. It ensured that, by the time they neared another orgasm, they were both ready to give out.

“I…I’m close, Zane! So close!” she gasped, her naked body now glistening with sweat.

“Me too, Jennifer. Me…too!” Zane said through his labored grunts.

As they made their final push to ecstasy, their hands found one another. Their fingers became enlaced and the pace of their sexual movements steadied in preparation for the final release. Jennifer wasn’t sure who climaxed first. She just knew that as soon as hers hit, the feeling that began as a side-effect was complete.

The culmination of their lovemaking made for a fitting spectacle. Jennifer threw her head back and arched her body as the orgasmic feeling washed over her. Zane firmly squeezed her hands, letting out a deep grunt as he got his as well. More intimate fluids mixed within her depths, adding to that uniquely hot feeling in her core that had kick-started their intimate act. Once all was said and done, a new feeling took over.

With a content sigh that she’d never thought she would hear, Jennifer collapsed atop her naked lover. Their intimate flesh parted, but they remained in a loving embrace. As she rested her head atop his chest, she felt Zane relax, the tension in his muscles melting away under a potent mix of affection and ecstasy. In terms of combating restlessness and anxiety, it proved to be a potent combination.

For a brief moment, she and Zane just laid together, soaking in the afterglow and relaxing to an extent that shouldn’t have been possible for anyone with generalized anxiety disorder. Jennifer could already feel herself getting drowsy. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so tired before midnight. Even with the storm raging outside, she felt ready to nod off for some badly-needed rest.

“I think we might actually sleep well tonight,” Zane said as he lovingly stroked her lower back.

“Great sex…good sleep,” Jennifer said, her eyes already feeling heavy. “These are my kind of side-effects.”

“If I recall, they gave us two weeks of pills for the test.”

“Really? Then, these are going to be two very relaxing weeks for us.”