Fumbling in Their Passion

By rese

Pairing: Jo/Laurie

Rating: M – to be safe.

Summary: Jo and Laurie learn the new ways of husband and wife.

Disclaimer: Louisa May Alcott owns Little Women and all its blessed characters. I'm merely indulging on the liberties we fanfic writers can take. No profit etc.

A/N: I'm taking the plunge and writing something a little more… adult. I warn you away if you don't like kissing and ahem 'sex'. Anyway, the story takes place after Laurie's proposal but pretends he never left for Europe, so Amy is still home and Beth is alive.

"Oh Laurie," the boy was insatiable. Simply unstoppable. But, Jo reminded herself as his head trailed lower down her neck, he was now a man. Had been the moment his lips touched hers for the first time and he continued to prove it in the most improper, but popular method.

She sighed in a most un-Jo-like manner and she felt those beloved lips smile against her skin. Maybe now wasn't such a good time as the Marches were to arrive in their most punctual way wearing their best and acting their lovingest. Jo knew it really wouldn't, couldn't do for them to catch Laurie acting his lovingest.

Jo pulled away, enough to catch his face in her slender hands. She gave him that look. The one that told him that while she loved him, they would both be sorry if it didn't stop now. But Laurie simply curled his fingers around her modest dress collar tighter, thumbs brushing the lined lace against her already sensitive skin. He would damn well love his girl when he wanted.

Yet Jo persisted for propriety's sake if not her family's. Her look grew stern and Laurie finally rescinded knowing to press a stubborn Jo would only end in his unhappiness.

…

The bell rang promptly at noon and the pair calmly opened the door to their excited family, hailed by calls of "Jo! Laurie!", "We're here dear sister!" and "What a lovely home you have dears," the latter coming from Mrs. March who surveyed the little apartment with the critical eye of someone who worried unnecessarily late at night. The girls clambered over each other to hug the grinning couple, complimenting, admiring and questioning at record speed.

"Where's Mr. March mother?" Laurie inquired politely as he held a chair for his mother-in-law who was smiling at his gentlemen like behaviour. "Thank you Laurie, I'm afraid he couldn't visit today as he suffers from a vicious cold, which I think you'll find Amy pleased to have rid herself of." The party turned to look at Amy's rosy cheeks and wide smile which seemed to brighten every moment. Heavens but she was pleased to be out!

"My, my Amy, you seem to be growing up into quite the healthy angel!" Laurie complimented, looking at his wife to see her pleasure at his praise. Jo tugged Amy's proud locks and pinched her pink face, missing the close contact she had shared with her sisters.

"I suppose Beth wasn't feeling as ripe Marmee?" asked Jo who wished that her pet sister was suffering merely from a cold. The downcast look from her mother turned Jo's mood and Laurie stepped over to offer her a supporting hand, squeezing tightly in understanding. Beth's weakness troubled them all.

"I understand that you are to be congratulated Laurie," Meg timidly steered the conversation away from their sister. "You have taken a job with Mr. Lawrence haven't you?"

Laurie's face became a combination of pride and clamped modesty as he smiled at Meg, "Yes! Actually Grandfather had it organized the moment I finished college, and Jo thinks I should make a nice mess of it." Jo laughed heartily and patted his knee.

"Oh yes indeed! Shouldn't you just! If only this poor boy had learnt his arithmetic properly in college, well then I think you should make a better trader Teddy." Jo moved to the kitchen with the last comment and after directing Laurie the proper way of carrying trays they brought lunch out.

…

"There is simply nothing more satisfying than seeing one's family well and happy." Jo sighed pleasantly as she sat on the sofa, bending her arms awkwardly to remove her apron.

"Nothing?" asked Laurie slyly, shuffling closer to help. With his arms around her to undo the dreadful tie Jo simply draped hers about his neck waiting patiently. The excitement of seeing her sisters was wearing off and Jo's head began to droop, stopping on her husband's shoulder which also slowed in movement as his fingers halted.

They sighed together, Jo understanding the drain of entertaining guests and Laurie reveling in his wife's embrace. "Jo, love, are you busy this afternoon?" the tentative question came as Laurie lowered his unsuccessful hands to her waist, leaning in further to rest his own head on her shoulder.

With a deep breath Jo answered in the negative, preferring to remain in their position over cooking another batch of burnt sweets for the Irish children. Jo's fingers were doing strange things to Laurie's neck as his hands made soothing circles on her back and they both decided maybe an early bed-time would be alright. Just this once.

…

For the second time that day the young husband and wife lay facing the blue ceiling, grinning stupidly at the colour in between slowing breaths.

"I wonder if Meg is as happy with her Brooke?"

Jo's head snapped to the side at Laurie's improper question. Then she blushed to think about propriety after what they'd spent the afternoon enjoying. "Laurie!" that would have to do as chastising for Jo was still out of breath.

Laurie just chuckled roughly, catching her fingers with his hand, too pleased with his situation to care considerably about anything other than Jo. "That's just what you said not five minutes ago." He smiled at the shocked look in her eyes. The cheek of that man!

He rolled over to kiss her skin again, running his fingers across the edge of the sheet that covered her modestly and Jo just grinned. It was impossible to be mad at someone who continued to elicit this response.

…

The stubborn passion that might have made them unsuitable was tested as Mrs. March had predicted. They fought a dreadful lot, no more than when they were neighbours but certainly just as fierce. And it seemed to almost always be about little things. Like who was right.

"Teddy, you haven't seen Grandfather for a whole week!"

"I most certainly have Jo dear; in fact I believe I had dinner with him on the Monday."

"Nonsense we had Meg's soup on Monday, you can't have gone then."

"No, no I remember having soup on Sunday and visiting him the day after which would've been Monday."

"Laurie you don't cook, how can you remember?"

"I think I'd remember what I ate Jo. And when I saw my family!"

Pleasantly though, the unkind words and distant feelings blew over with a greater speed than they had in their friendship. Jo reckoned it was because they lived in such close quarters where they could approach each other easily. Many of their old arguments had continued because one refused to visit the other and sharing a bed certainly eliminated that reasoning.

It helped too that whenever Laurie brushed Jo in their small home he would take full advantage of it, no matter what grey mood he might be in. A quick kiss here, or a brief tug there and Jo simply couldn't be mad when he was so loving.

Husband and wife learnt that arguing and fighting was simply beyond the control of their tempers. But reconciliation was always a pleasant experience.

…

Jo always babbled when Laurie began to undress her and she supposed it was because of guilt. She didn't know exactly why but it felt like a sin to have a man pick away at the buttons of her dress, more so than the rather invasive touches that she wouldn't miss for the world. More so than the delectable response her body gave unfairly at his kisses.

"So I told the fool at the station that while I was quite," his hands brushed her skin, "sorry that I had unfor-" his breath was sharp by her ear, "unfortunately knocked over the boarding sign, I'd set it right and he" his fingers were quickly ending their task, "had no reason to worry and shout like that. Did you know I ran into, well bumped really, into one of Meg's old friends just this morning?"

"Jo dear," Laurie had finished, "less talking." And so began the descent of clothing and bodies as Laurie gently brought her to their bed. Jo was always slightly nervous having shared bed with him no more than three times in their recent marriage. But Laurie quickly put her right with loving kisses and warm embracing and Jo lost herself to the foggy desire his heated movements created.

"Is this better Teddy?" she teased, referring to her lack of speech and increase of touching. Laurie moaned his answer having already explored her mouth thoroughly in the lapse. If he knew being married would be so enjoyable he would've convinced Jo earlier. Much, much earlier.