Mary drummed her fingers on her knees excitedly. After nearly two years of being together, she was finally going to see Francis in person. They had met through Tumblr. Francis was one of her most active followers; when she followed him back, a friendship rose immediately. After a few months, Francis proposed a relationship, which Mary swiftly accepted.
Then came the tricky part; Mary lived in Scotland and Francis lived in France. While both of their families were wealthy, they were sixteen and caught up in the university search/application process and barely had any time. The second Mary's finals were ended after her first year at university, she took the first plane to Paris. The flight was alright, but her body was buzzing with anticipation. It felt like she was living out a wonderful dream, only it was real.
She texted Francis the second the plane hit the ground. She got off as quickly as possible and ran for baggage claim. Once she secured her suitcase, she felt a tap on her shoulder. SHe turned around to find the love of her life staring back at her.
"Francis? Is that really you?"
He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yes, my love."
Mary felt tears threatening to spill onto her face. "Oh my god, you're really here." She kissed him for the first time. She didn't care how obnoxious they were or how long they stood there, only that they were finally together. "I've been dreaming of this since I was sixteen," she told him.
"I know the feeling," Francis said.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Francis drove Mary to his family's house just outside of Paris. "My family is going to love you," he assured her.
"What do they think about how we met?" She asked. Many people scoffed at her when she said she'd met Francis online but had yet to see him in person.
"They know love works in many ways."
Francis couldn't have been prouder when he introduced Mary to his family. His parents Henry and Catherine were a little standoffish, but welcomed her. His half brother Bash was extremely kind and his sister Claude was as well, albeit a little strange.
They ate a quiet dinner, with the Dauphins asking Mary about school and Scotland.
"You know, I've never seen two people so dedicated to each other," Catherine said. "You two have been together for two years without ever being near each other and never strayed. That's a very special kind of love you share."
"Thank you, Catherine," Mary said. "I've only ever wanted to be Francis." He took her hand and beamed.
"He talks about you ask if you've hung the stars in the sky," Bash told Mary, ignoring the blush coloring Francis' face.
Henry and Catherine seemed to have no issue with Francis and Mary staying in the same room. They stayed up for a few hours whispering, hands interlocked.
"I still can't believe this," Mary said. "I can kiss you whenever I want and look into your eyes." She kissed Francis just to prove her point.
"Neither can I," he said. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Do you have anything planned for us?"
"We're spending the day in Paris tomorrow. They day after that, we're having a very nice dinner in a very nice restaurant and staying overnight in the best hotel room money can buy." Mary blushed. "Only if that's okay, that is."
"We've been together for two years, Francis; I've had plenty of time to make my decision. The hotel room would be great."
He grinned. "I just want it to be perfect for you."
"It's already perfect because I'll be with you."
"Love you."
"Love you, too."
The couple woke up early the next morning to make the most of their Parisian day. The weather was gorgeous and Mary practically dragged Francis out the door. The train ride was brief but Mary and Francis took at least a dozen selfies in the length of its duration.
"We're gonna be all over Tumblr and Instagram," Mary said.
"Can't wait to see more of your beautiful face."
"Nerd."
"But I'm your nerd."
She kissed him. "And don't you forget it."
The Louvre was pretty packed for a Friday morning. Mary took pictures of everything she could; she nearly took a selfie with the Mona Lisa.
"I know it's super famous and everything, but why is everyone so obsessed with it?" Francis asked. "It looks pretty boring to me."
"Don't kill the mood, sweetie." They stayed in the museum until lunchtime, where they ate at a nearby cafe. "Paris certainly deserves the hype it gets," Mary commented. "It's incredible."
They went to the Eiffel Tower in the afternoon. After many more pictures, Francis and Mary learned a little about the history of it. Done with seeing sights afterwards, they walked around the city, wishing to be under its spell for a little longer. When they couldn't walk anymore, they took the train ride back to Francis' and came home in time for dinner. Mary and Francis told the Dauphins all about their action packed day.
Claude sighed. "I wish I had someone to do things like that with."
"Your time will come," Francis promised her.
Once again, Francis and Mary spent the better part of the night talking.
"This is so much better than phone calls or Skype," Mary said. After two days together, she was still in a state of disbelief.
"You know when we'd spend hours on Skype on weekends and breaks?" Francis asked.
"We did that the night before my flight, love."
"I know, but you're here, next to me. I still think it's incredible."
"So do I, but maybe one day we won't have to do that. We could afford to live in Paris."
"I don't know; when I visit you, I might love Glasgow more."
Mary rolled her eyes. "Doubt it. Let's go to bed; it's 2:30."
"Night. Love you."
"Love you, too."
When Mary woke up, she felt different. She didn't know what to call the feeling, but she knew the reason for its presence. Tonight, she and Francis were going to sleep together. Neither of them had done it before and they were trying to make it as romantic as possible. While she was nervous, her excitement outweighed her fear. It couldn't be bad with Francis.
They spent most of the day hanging around the house watching Netflix. They'd watched movies and tv shows together using various websites in the past, but like everything else, it was so much better in person.
When the afternoon gave way to the evening, they started to get ready for their night. They both packed overnight bags and put on their best outfits for the dinner. Once again, they took the train into Paris.
"You know, I've never been out to dinner on a date before," Mary told Francis.
"Then I'm glad your first time is with me." He gave her a quick kiss.
"We've been having a lot of firsts on this trip."
They went to the hotel first to check in and drop off their bags. Mary was caught off guard at how extravagant the hotel room was.
"You didn't have to spend all this money, you know," she said. "I'd be with you in the cheapest motel."
"I know, but I want this night to be one you'll never forget for all the right reasons."
"I love you."
"Love you, too."
Mary could not pronounce the name of the restaurant they went to or most of the items on the menu. "This certainly isn't a tourist spot." she commented. "Everything's in French."
"This place is very traditional," Francis said. He helped Mary translate the menu and taught her how to pronounce her order.
"Can you believe that English isn't your first language and yet you know it so well that we speak to one another in it?" Mary asked Francis. She had learned both English and Scottish growing up and was fluent in both. Francis had learned English mostly through school and social media.
"The world is a big place," he agreed.
"And yet we fell in love while living in Scotland and France."
"I'll drink to that." The food was incredible, unlike what Mary was accustomed to in Scotland. The bill was just as incredible.
"Don't worry M," Francis said. "I've got it."
"Francis, there's no way I'm letting you spend this much money on me. You're already paying for the hotel room."
"Do you have enough euros?"
"Yes. Now when you come to Scotland, I'm paying for everything. You've already done so much."
"As long as you're happy." They split the check and walked a few blocks back to the hotel.
"You're the best," Mary murmured. "When did you have time to plan all of this?"
"As soon as you called and told me you were coming, I knew I had to make your trip a good one."
"Well you've really outdone yourself. I love you."
"Love you, too."
Once they got back to their room, they were both buzzing with the anticipation of knowing what would happen next.
"You've got the supplies?" Mary confirmed.
"In the bag, love."
She smiled. "Perfect." She leaned in to kiss Francis. They started slowly since neither of them had ever gone past first base. Francis guided Mary to the bed and planted a trail of kisses down her neck before stopping at her collarbone.
"I've dreamed of this so many times," Mary confessed.
"I know how you feel." Francis slid his hands down from her shoulders to squeeze her breasts. "Can you help me get this damn suit off?"
She nodded. "So long as you help me get this labyrinth of a dress off."
Francis laughed. After ten minutes of relative frustration, both of them were down to their underwear.
"You're so beautiful," Francis gazed upon Mary with the utmost reverence.
She blushed. "It's obvious that you think so," she said, motioning to his hard on.
"I can't hide anything from you." He kissed her again. Francis' hands roamed Mary's back to unhook her bra, which he achieved after half a dozen attempts. He thumbed her nipples that hardened at his touch.
Mary was very flustered. "This is so new; no one's ever touched me like this before."
"Do you want me to stop?"
"No."
"Then I'm honored to be the first." Francis' hands wandered down Mary's torso and hips to feel her over her panties. "So wet," he whispered. She took them off and stood before him, completely vulnerable.
"Wow." Quite literally, she took his breath away.
"Your turn." Mary palmed Francis through his boxers before doing away with them altogether. He too was beautiful to Mary.
"Are you ready?" He asked."
"Yes. I love you."
"Love you, too." Francis pulled the box of condoms and bottle of lube out of his overnight bag. Mary helped him get situated and they worked out the physical logistics of what they were about to do.
"You're sure?" He asked again.
Mary smiled and kissed him. "Of course I am; it's you, Francis. It's always been you."
Francis pushed into Mary slowly, not wanting to hurt her. His brain had gone numb and silent from the feeling of being inside her. They stayed still for a moment, feeling the enormity of the situation weighing down on them.
"You can move, babe." Francis moved in and out of her, still going slow. Once Mary had relaxed, he began to go faster. She clutched him, nails digging into his shoulder blades. "Oh my god, Francis?"
"What?"
"Faster, go faster." Skin slapped against skin as they moaned in between open mouthed kisses. Francis felt his climax approaching. After another minute, he came with Mary's name on his lips. She clenched around him with a cry as they both released. Francis pulled out of Mary and kissed her.
"I love you, Mary."
"I love you, Francis." They fell asleep within the hour, feeling reborn with each other.
Mary would be in France for one more full day after her night of passion with Francis. After coming home, they took a walk around Francis' neighborhood hand in hand.
"I'm already looking at flights to Glasgow," Francis told her.
"Really? Do you know when you're coming?"
"Nothing's set in stone yet, but it'll probably be at the beginning of August, One last adventure before I got back to university."
"You really are the best."
He laughed and kissed her. "I try M, I try."
That night, neither of them got much sleep. After knowing what it was like to sleep in each other's arms, how could they go back to the way things were?"
"I don't want to go back," Mary said tearfully. "I can't be without you."
"It'll be okay, sweetheart. We'll see each other again in two and a half months."
"That's so far away!"
"I know, but we went two years without being near each other. Two and a half months will fly by."
Mary nodded. "You're right."
"Let's get some sleep. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Mary packed up the last of her things the next morning and said goodbye to Catherine, Henry, Bash, and Claude.
"If you ever find yourself around Paris, drop by," Catherine said. Mary laughed. After the goodbyes were finished, Francis drove Mary to the airport. When they were inside, neither of them wanted to leave the other behind.
"Goodbye, Mary."
"Goodbye, Francis. Remember, one day we'll only have to say good night."
"I love you. Call me when you land."
"Deal, and I love you, too." They shared one last kiss before Francis watched Mary walk away to face airport security. Soon enough, he'd be doing the same for her, and he couldn't wait.