A/N: First smuttish fic I've EVER written, based on a little dream I had a few nights ago. I was awakened just when it was getting good, so of course I needed to finish it through fic. As always, John, Anna, and Downton Abbey sadly do not belong to me. If they did, I'd be at the Emmy's right now drinking champagne with JoFro.


John and Anna Bates returned to their cottage after spending most of the afternoon of their half-day running errands together in Ripon. They had not stopped for tea, both anxious to return to the privacy of their cottage. John was a few months returned from his entirely too long stay in prison and both were very much still enjoying celebrating their reunion. Today was one of their few half days where they actually managed to make it out of the cottage long enough to complete their errands, something seeming to always distract one or the other from accomplishing anything productive. Neither of them would dare to complain. Anna could do without purchasing a new trinket for their home, and John could hold off on purchasing a new book for another fortnight.

They both removed their hats and coats, hanging them on their respective hooks by the front door before moving together into the living area, Anna heading directly into the kitchen to begin preparing some tea for them both.

John decided to follow her into the kitchen instead of heading to the living room to put his feet up and continue reading his book. He stood in the doorway of their tiny kitchen, leaning against the doorframe admiring his wife as she pottered about the kitchen, filling the teapot and setting it on the stove to boil. Next, he watched as she went to gather the cups and saucers to place on the table. He admired her as she stood on her tiptoes and reached up, barely able to reach the cups with the tips of her fingers. He noticed how her skirt rose higher, leaving her ankles and the bottom of her calves more exposed than normal. He had to internalize a groan at the thought of her legs, having grown extremely familiar with them over the past few months. How they felt as he ran his hands, and sometimes his lips, up and down the length of them, the silky smoothness against the roughness of his palms. How they felt when they were wrapped around his hips as they made love deep into the night. With those thoughts running through his head he could no longer contain himself and made his way into the kitchen, sneaking himself behind Anna, his front meeting her back as he wrapped one arm around her waist and reached up to remove the teacups from their shelf with the other.

"I thought you could use some help," he whispered as he placed gentle kisses along the back of her neck.

"And you would be correct. However could I manage without you?"

"Let's hope you never have to wonder at that again. I will always be here to help you in whatever way you need."

"Mmmmm is that so? Well, right now I think I need you to kiss me properly."

John needed no further incentive to fulfill her request as he turned her around in his arms and pressed his lips to hers, quickly coaxing her to open her mouth as his tongue pushed against her lips.

Their passion for each other rocketed in that moment so much that soon they found their bodies slumping underneath the table in their tiny kitchen, Anna's dress already finding its way to the floor. Their passion so strong that even making their way to the sitting room was too much effort. Anna tried to unbutton John's waistcoat and shirt, but found the task to be quite challenging with her husband fumbling to remove her stockings while simultaneously nipping around the hollow of her throat and up behind her ear. His breathless pleas to help him with this task were barely heard above the thrum of her heartbeat, loud and strong with her heightened arousal.

She answered back with pleas of her own; though her answer proved she did not hear his question, "Faster John, I need you now."

Finally, her stockings were removed leaving her only in her undergarments, which John quickly removed leaving her bare to his eyes. She shivered. He couldn't tell if it was from arousal, or from her bare back pressed against the cold stone of the kitchen floor. Always the gentleman, John lifted himself away from Anna to remove the shirt she had mostly unbuttoned to set it under her back. Experience told him that the cold floor, mixed with the friction of their lovemaking would combine to make for a very uncomfortable experience for his Anna.

With that completed, John returned his focus to Anna's neck. He loved feasting and sucking on the gentle slopes he found there, loving the gentle tickles he received every now and then from a loose strand of her golden locks brushing against his face. While his mouth worked the upper half, his hands ventured lower, running up and down her shapely legs before he gently parted her folds to find her wet and very ready for him.

In a flash, his trousers and shorts were removed and he was gently thrusting into the warmth that was Anna. He heard her gasp as he entered her, and then a gentle moan of relief as the need she had felt all night was finally starting to satiate.

She grasped her arms around his shoulders as he lifted himself up just slightly to keep her from being ground into the tile. He supported himself with his left elbow and forearm and began his gentle thrusts. His weight was unbalanced just enough that the usual angle when he was above her during their lovemaking altered slightly. He was hitting exactly the right spot, over, and over, and over again. He watched her face from above, wanting very much to kiss her lips, but at the same time not wanting to muffle her gentle moans and cries of pleasure. His thrusts became quicker and deeper and her cries increased in volume. Perhaps he should kiss her now so as not to disturb their neighbors, but decided not to. Every cry of pleasure was like music to his ears after only living with the memories of one night for so many months. He feasted on each one as his hips drove into her. With one long, final cry she was undone. He followed soon after and collapsed on top of her after a series of grunts signaled his own release.

Again, not wanting to cause her discomfort, he rolled off to one side, propping himself on his elbow once again. He gazed at her once more from this position above her. The bliss on her face was plain to see. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her forehead glistened with sweat, the tiny strands of hair that tickled his face before plastered there.

She turned her head to look at him, her chest still rising and falling rapidly in an attempt to catch her breath. "My, my, Mr. Bates. What got into you earlier that you couldn't even make it out of the kitchen?"

"This is your fault you know. You shouldn't reach for the teacups on such a high shelf with these new shorter skirts. I couldn't resist once I caught sight of your lovely calves. And if I recall, you did ask me to kiss you."

"Now Mr. Bates, if this is how you're going to react each time I reach for a tea cup, then perhaps I'm going to ban you from the kitchen."

"Why, did you not enjoy yourself," he asked as he stroked his hand languidly up and down the skin of her back.

"Mr. Bates, if you even need to ask if I enjoyed myself, then I do believe you need more practice interpreting my pleasure."

"Well, if that's the case I wish you luck keeping me out of the kitchen with you. Or any room you're in. You know better than anyone my dear, practice makes perfect and apparently I need the practice."

Anna rolled herself off of John and began to sit up, careful not to hit her head on the bottom of the table. "Well husband, how about we go upstairs and get you some practice in a more comfortable location."

John stumbled to his feet, also taking care not to bump his head, and when steady reached out to help Anna return to her full, yet tiny stature. He didn't need to offer his answer verbally. The cheeky grin on his face said enough as he led her up the stairs to their bedroom.