A/N: So this is my first fan-fic…ever! I may write others later, but for now this is it…also I do not own Downton Abbey the characters and show all belong to Mr. Julian Fellowes
A small sliver of moonlight came through the gap in the curtains, casting just enough light for Mary to get a good look at Matthew's face as he slept. Oh, how I love him, she thought. True, she had never said the words aloud to him, but he knew they were etched upon her heart and that was all she cared about. It wasn't very often Mary got to study her husband like this: his hair tangled and mussed by her fingers from earlier, the occasional flicker of his eyelids, the slight movements of his lips as he breathed out, and the constant rise and fall of his chest along with the beating of his heart under it where her hand rested. Mary was always pleased when she got the rare opportunity to do this, for the longest time her greatest upset was that she would never get to feel his arms around her or his lips melting against hers; first because of the war and their parting terms, and then their respective engagements to Sir Richard and Lavinia. How close they had come to losing their chance!
Matthew was slow to wake, a lasting habit of his ever since the war: taking in his surroundings and sensing whether or not there was danger. He could feel the small warm hand on his chest and the gentle fingers brushing that one piece of hair from his forehead. Through half open heavy-lidded eyes he stared at Mary.
"Darling why are you awake? Is anything wrong?" he asked.
Mary didn't answer for a moment; those eyes of his when they first opened always rendered her speechless -they were such a clear ice blue.
Finally, she graced his question with an answer, "Nothing is wrong darling, everything is exactly as it should be."
Matthew gave her a look that said he was skeptical, so she did the only thing she could think of to prove that she was indeed perfectly fine: she kissed him and tangled her fingers in his hair. As the kiss came to an end, their foreheads resting against one another, Matthew said "I love you, too, my darling." And in his mind all he could think was that Mary was right: "everything was exactly as it should be."
A/N (again): A HUGE HUGE 'thank you' to my wonderful new found friend Oiseaus, this story would not have been possible without you. Your encouragement has meant a lot and thank you for the wonderful editing job on this story! I hope you all like this, review and let me know, you may just inspire me to write more(:
