Author's Note:

Dear Readers,

This is a one short I created on the spur of a moment and liked it so much I decided to post it. It's pretty much Erik's wedding night. The name of the girl isn't mentioned so you can believe it to be Christine or any OC you like.

WARNING: This is mature and is rated M for a reason. Though it is, I hope, done in a tactful, inoffensive manner.

sarahandmarquis

"I mean it, Erik." I said as I lightly stroked one sunken cheek and the protruding cheekbone above it as I gazed into his gold eyes. "I am your wife. I love you." My touch seemed to open up tear well in his eyes as the salt drops poured from him and spilled onto my wandering hands. Quickly, I leaned up and kissed them away, this action only bringing more flooding.

"You-" His voice cracked as he dared to grip my shoulders in his boney hands and draw me closer, near enough to smell the stench of death radiating from his body. Never had I found out the origin of the smell. It was yet another oddity of my darling husband. "You- …mean to grant Erik…the h-husbandly...r-r-rights?" I merely nodded, placing a soft kiss on his thin lips.

"I mean it. I love you. Of course I will grant you access to my body. It's yours. Just like yours is mine." He shook his head momently, not in rejection but in disbelief.

"Not all possessions are desired." He said, voicing the fear I had long known lingered in his heart. From the day he begged me on his knees to be his wife, there had been no mention or hint we would consummate our relationship. While his eyes smoldered with desire, his fingers never followed. I would not lie and say I was completely calm with allowing him to see me unclothed and in my most venerable state but, I was no more nervous than I might have been with a handsome lover.

In truth, I was more at ease than most women could claim. With my professions having been a dancer, I needed not to fear the breaking of my virginity. I had no doubt already loosened or torn it in the pursuit of my art. Despite all that, I knew Erik would be gentle with me. There would be no wild grasping at things or violence in his embraces. He would love me with his body as he loved me with his heart.

"This one is." I replied quietly, turning his face so his eyes once more connected with mine. "Greatly desired." After running my hands over his shoulders, I trailed them down to his hands and tugged off the black gloves only to trace the veins so near underneath the skin. We both watched my fingers, fascinated and I gave him a small smile of comfort.

"I trust you. You won't hurt me. You love me." I spoke as I gripped his hand and led him backwards towards his room. towards the coffin wherein we would join. I didn't object too much to the morbidity of that particular statement in his room. It had served its practical purpose for many years. Now, once we had experienced our honeymoon, I would be searching for a new place to call love's throne.

He followed me, loyal as a small child, eyes wide with a sort of innocence I had never attributed to such a cold blooded killer. His knowledge in the physical acts of sex was immense but his understanding of the underlying love was nothing. We both knew the function but not the emotion.

"I…I do love you." He said as I drew him into his red and black room, releasing his hands to light some candles. I didn't want my first night to be in the darkness. I wanted to see my lover above me. I wanted to see as well as feel. And, I wanted Erik to see and feel; to know this was no dream or game. I wanted him to see how much I loved him written on my face as we learned each other's bodies. There would be no secrets tonight.

"Then, we shall do well." I said as I returned to his embrace, draping my arms around his neck and lowering my forehead to his. "Love me." I whispered, biting my lip. We both knew this was a final cry, not for emotional love but physical and, trembling, his hands began to unlace the corset of my dress.

His progress was slow and I was half-pleased at his lack of experience. Experience meant other women had been graced with his touch and the carcass of his flesh. I wanted nothing of that in this moment. We were both novices. Both to learn together.

When the laces finally released, he moved away enough to slip off my plain dress and leave me in merely my thin shift. The air in the room cool and goosebumps rose in my arms and an involuntary shiver shook me.

It took a long, loving kiss to keep Erik from fleeing the scene that moment out of pure dread that I feared him. Once reassured of my undying affection and lack of terror, he slipped off the shift, leaving me completely bare before him. His eyes ran over my entire body, accessing me.

Hoping he was pleased with the sight that greeted him, I smiled at him before lifting my hands and going to work on his suit jacket. It wasn't right for me to unclothed before him while he remained in his formal evening wear. My inexperienced fingers fumbled with the buttons but I batted away his offers of assistance. I wanted to do this. To prove to him I didn't fear him. The final proof I wanted him.

The jacket soon gave way and I went to work on the vest and shirt beneath, revealing his scarred and bony chest to my view. Ribs jutted out from the gaunt torso and I knew, had I turned him around, I could have seen every bone of his spine.

"I must feed you more if you are to remain healthy." I lightly teased him as I ran my hands over the skin, lightly kissing the larger scars. One day, I would kiss them all but this was the time for such things. My own hands shaking with half nerves and half excitement, I worked on the latching of his pants. Soon, they joined the shirt and vest on the floor. Underneath them was the final piece of his clothing which did little to hide his raging desire.

As I reached for them, ready for us to stand as equals before God and man, his hands locked onto my wrists. Glancing upward, I saw in his eyes pure terror. I had known him long enough to know the fears in his mind. Rejection, or failure. More often than not, he was the one who perceived rejection where the was not any. Failure was also in his mind alone. There was no "wrong" way to make love.

We would learn but we could not fail. There would always be a next time to perfect what we had discovered the previous time.

"My d-d-darling…" He trailed off and looked down at my hands before glancing around at the candles, fearing the light and the view I was afforded of his person. "The candles…" He was asking with those golden eyes for me to remove the light. Remove the light so he wouldn't see what he was sure he would. His heart was a fragile one. Too many years of rejection had schooled to know only one thing. To receive something different confused him and left him nervous and flighty.

I shook my head and pulled on my wrists, his hands slipping free as if he had given up. tonight, I would prove to him that I loved him body and heart. For now, he wouldn't believe my words but later, he would believe my actions. He would be grateful for the light he now cursed.

I was able to successfully remove his final garment and we both stood before one another as humans were created. A blush mixed with the yellow hue of his skin causing an odd color to for on his cheeks. It took me a moment to realize he was embarrassed of the visible evidence of his desire. To relieve his anxiety, I stepped forward and offered another long kiss, our tongues intertwining as a hint of what would come sooner than later. I, perhaps, should have been embarrassed as well for my desire was as great as his but decidedly less obvious. A fact I knew would change the moment we laid down.

"Take me to bed." I whispered as our lips parted, my tongue tingling from the sweet taste of his mouth. "Make me yours." His hesitation lasted longer than I had expected, planting the seeds of doubt in my mind before he violently uprooted them by gathering me up in his arms and carrying me to his coffin.

Laying me within he crawled on to me, his eyes staring down at my form, grinning up at him from the bed he had spent so many years occupying alone. It would be like that no longer. No night would he suffer without my body pressed against his while we slept. There would be no more of this loneliness.

He swallowed, as if trying to contain himself and looked to me for guidance as to how to proceed. Ever the gentleman, he demanded nothing of me, only willing to take what I would give. Yet, I would not direct him. Learn he must by himself. I wanted him to find his own way, and gain confidence in his choices.

"Touch me." I whispered, gazing up into his deformed face, made all the more beautiful by the look of adoring love radiating down from it. "My body is yours." Those words seemed to spark something barbaric in his mind, the corner of a man's heart that has the need to control. With a final look into my eyes for reassurance, he laid his cold hand to my breast and caressed the nub that had sprang up due to the cold of the room.

My eyes fluttered closed as I concentrated on the gentle feeling of delight as he touched it, the calming waves gliding over me. As that side grew numb from his touch, he shifted to the other, giving it the same loving attention as the first. I had been correct so far. He was a gentle a lover as every I could have wanted. Gentle and kind.

I had known of men who raped their wives on their wedding night and the nights thereafter. Horrible tales of blood, pain, and the only pleasing being that granted to the man. But, no, this was sweet and as his hands trailed across my flat stomach and further down to my thighs, I knew this night I wouldn't be disappointed.

While his cold hands explored the soft skin of my inner thighs, his mouth laid kisses in the valley of my breasts, occasionally giving the taunt nubs a light kiss or lick. All was very experimental, his eyes almost continually searching mine for any sign of disapproval on my part. Of course, he found none.

Emboldened by my acceptance, his hands grew more daring, exploring the outer area of my womanhood, the cold adding to the pleasure of being stroked and touched. Inexperienced though he was, his body and heart knew what to do with a woman and he was following their lead. They would not lead him astray tonight.

Almost, I believe without intending it, his fingers slipped past my nether lips and touched a part of me which caused an immediate cry of delight to issue from my lips as a bolt of pleasure shot from that spot to the rest of my heated body. In the traditional style of my shy husband, Erik froze, almost completely withdrawing his hands from down below, his eyes unguarded and displaying horrible worry. I, having tasted the smallest bit of how sweet such touching could be, refused to allow such a thing and, while he may have considered it brazen of me, I grabbed his hand and replaced it, moaning softly as he against stroked me.

Watching my face very carefully, he continued his ministrations, growing bolder by the moment and soon raising the temperature of my body until I could barely contain it. even his skin, generally cool to the touch was burning hot and I, unable to remain still while he performed all the work, ran my hands all over his chest, occasionally latching onto his neck, leaving kisses and nibbles.

It didn't take long for me to find his weak point, just above his collar bone, and I utilized it to his benefit. Every lick, every kiss, every bite left him shaking above me. His body was new to this sort of feeling. I well knew he had never relieved himself using his hands as most men did. I was under no suppositions that he would last long once drawn so close to release.

My body was ready and ripe for his plucking and while I understood his fears and concerns, I wanted us joined. Now. Without hesitation, I grabbed his hands, pulling them back to my breasts and unashamedly wrapped my long legs around his hips and thighs, pulling his burning desire down against my hot center. The pleasure that brought almost made my head swim, leaving me to wonder what sort of things would follow our union.

"Erik." I gasped out his name before latching into his sweet spot. My call was sufficient and, with one final look into my eyes to determine if I was truly serious and willing, he reached downward and directed himself within me. It was a slow process, no rushing about the motions, something I loved him all the more for. This was love.

As he moved steadily deeper, I felt my body widening to accept him and the pleasures that I had received merely by his hands paled in comparison to the depth I felt as we joined. The love shining in his eyes coupled with the affection directing his body, drew on the deep well of love from my heart, causing it to spill over. My eyes and face couldn't contain the radiant feeling as I pulled his mouth down to mine and poured the excess love into that one kiss as he slid home, completely seated within me.

He was still for a moment, gasping for air and his eyes unable to completely focus. There was a silent moment before he began to move, ever so gently thrusting into my body. not that it lasted long. Combined with the heat of our bodies, so ready for release, and the fire of love fueling such an event, Erik climaxed after only a few thrusts.

The hot feeling of his release, spurred mine and for a moment, I forgot everything. Who I was, where I was. Everything except for the man above me, clinging to me as I was to him.

It wasn't before many minutes that I was able to speak some for of coherent words. The both of us were winded but happily sated. My arms were wrapped tightly around his waist and my head laid on his sweat-soaked chest as he lightly stroked my hair.

Clothing had been completely forgotten. It didn't seem necessary after all. neither of us wanted anything more than to feel the other against them. To feel the truth of the act that had happened moments before. The truest expression of love.

"M-my darling." Erik whispered as he lifted my chin so I would look into his eyes. I saw tears glistening there. My husband had gone his whole existence without the smallest of kindness. Having never imagined to even received a kiss, this whole experience was staggering for him.

"My darling…I-…I never thought…thought I'd find a willing w-woman. But, you're willing! You're alive in my arms!" His grip tightened on me as he continued speaking, passion building in his voice. "You're my w-wife who loves her Erik." I nodded and kissed a few scars I could reach without moving too far.

"Yes, I am your wife. We are one now. I am your wife who loves you." Our eyes locked and we sealed our words with a kiss. Our bond was sealed before heaven and before men. As our lips separate, I whispered back the words of the minister from that morning.

"What God had joined, let no man tear asunder."