Eros, defined by the Greeks as romantic love of both passion and respect. A love that includes the physical and emotional, the love between a couple.
He was the luckiest man on Earth.
Probably the universe too, but James Potter wasn't going to presume that there was no other male of another species out there as happy as he was. But if there was, he was a lucky bastard too, because they'd both succeeded in one of the most difficult tasks known to mankind.
He inhaled the floral scent surrounding him where he lay in his bed, smiling. It was so familiar, and it never ceased to amaze him that she didn't wear anything, it was just how she smelled. And Lily Evans smelled amazing. Potter, James corrected himself mentally. Lily Potter.
A few short hours ago she'd promised to love, cherish, and tolerate him for the rest of their lives, and now she was cuddled against him, blissfully unaware he was watching her sleep. Her skin was nearly white enough to blend into the cream colored sheets on their bed, but her fiery red hair fanned over her pillow stood out in stark contrast. If she were to open her eyes, the vivid green would make her look like a goddess. A goddess that was not only in his bed, but his wife.
His arms were still around her, not wanting to wake her by moving them, so he examined the differences in skin tone. His own skin was almost a permanent tan, a result of the endless hours of his childhood, and honestly most of his teen years in the sun on a broom.
Lily was a little blurry without his glasses on, but she was lovely in the slightly blurred effect against the sheets with the light streaming in one of the three windows of their bedroom. Then again he would consider her lovely covered in mud in the darkest night.
A soft noise escaped her as she shifted, making him smile. These were things he was excited to learn about her, the noises she made when she slept, the way she apparently liked to cuddle. Not that they hadn't slept together before, but they'd never been able to lazily wake up together before, and he didn't regret waking up early for one second.
Seeing Lily so at peace, so blissfully happy was a rare treat, and one he was going to savor as long as he could. There were so many things to be afraid of these days that the stress was starting to get to the both of them, and understandably so as they had made themselves targets for Voldemort and his ridiculous band of 'Death Eaters'. Lily tried hard not to show it, to put on a brave face for him, but even she was starting to get worn down.
At least they'd had the wedding. Their wedding was a party, a small one, but with their friends and families present, it wasn't hard to relax for a few hours and celebrate James and Lily's love for each other.
A grin grew on James' face as he considered their marriage. Five years ago if he'd told his best friend Sirius that he would be marrying Lily Evans, Sirius would have laughed himself into a tizzy and telling him he was mad. James was mad though. Madly in love with the redhead that wouldn't look his way once the first five years they were at Hogwarts.
And now he was holding her in the early morning sunlight, the day after their wedding, watching her sleep.
"James?" Lily's voice was soft with sleep, her eyes cracking open, her hands stretching out to touch his chest. He moved closer and found her mouth with his, giving her a gentle greeting. "Good morning to you too." She grinned happily, snuggling up against him. He tightened his arms around her.
"I love you." He murmured softly, feeling slightly odd, like his chest was tightened beyond comfort. It's probably how it felt to be completely and madly in love with one's spouse.
"I love you too." Lily murmured sleepily, her head resting just under his chin. She turned her head and began to kiss his chest, moved to his collarbone, and worked her way up his neck to his mouth where he was waiting eagerly for her. His hands slipped to her bare waist under the only sheet on the bed before turning her under him and returning her kisses.
They lived in a dangerous time, but hell if he wasn't going to enjoy his wife while he could. That's what you do when you're in imminent danger; you spend time with your loved ones.
And there was no one on this Earth that James Potter loved more than Lily Evans Potter.