*usual disclaimer* pls enjoy and excuse my complete unwillingness to be patient enough to proofread :*

Elsie shut the door to their bedroom behind her. Charles was sitting on the edge of the bed in his pyjamas and looked up when he heard her. They exchanged a smile and she asked him "Did you mean what you said in your toast… about being the happiest and luckiest of men?" She walked toward him and stood in front of where he sat.

"Of course I did." He was taken aback "What part do you question?"

"Oh no part in particular" she looked into his eyes "I just never knew you felt that way." He looked stunned

"Even after all of our talks? After I asked you to marry me? After everything?"

"Yes" she more laughed than spoke the word "You are a very opaque sort of romantic, Mr. Carson. I had to knock at death's door to get you to show you cared and even then you only showed Mrs. Patmore. Can you blame me for being a little unsure of your feelings?" She was amused, but he looked down at his knees and said meekly

"I am a bit ridiculous aren't I?"

She grabbed his chin and made him look at her "What's wrong with being a little ridiculous?" she asked more to herself than to him "What's important is that we got there in the end." He took her hand in his and kissed her palm softly.

"I'm sorry it took me so long" he kissed her wrist "so sorry" he kissed her wrist again, so tenderly that it made her heart feel as if it would melt. She took his face in her hands and kissed him with the same sweet tenderness. He said her name quietly, in a low rumble that felt, itself like an intimate caress. She kissed his lips again, first the upper, then the lower.

He put his hands on her sides, holding her to him, feeling for the first time the shape and warmth of her body in his hands. He ran his hands down her waist and her hips and kissed her adoringly. Her hands moved from his face to his hair and his shoulder, both bracing and caressing. Their bodies pressed together warmly and comfortably; she felt at home with his arms around her and his body pressing to hers. This felt so natural. She had been expecting some fumbling, some awkwardness, but now that it was happening it came to them like a river breaking through a dam, finding its natural place and flowing freely, as god intended it.

He felt it would be a bold move, but just the right one the moment, he hoped he was right, and swept her off her feet onto the bed with him. She gasped and giggled as he lay her swiftly on the mattress. She wanted to feign shock and tease him, but she found herself smiling into a kiss instead.

"Shall we get into bed properly, Mrs. Carson?"

"Yes, I think we should."

He stood up to pull back the covers and she climbed under them, leaving room for him to get in beside her. They took up the kissing again, settling back into each other. She rolled onto her back and he leant over her. The awkwardness that they had both avoided in the first moments of passion found Charles now. He wanted her so badly, he wanted to touch her everywhere but he didn't want to seem overeager or to do anything distasteful. This was one area where he found himself feeling rather a novice to etiquette. How did one balance nearly overwhelming lust with patience and absolute respect. His urge was to raise her hem, but his instinct was to wait for her to choose it. She did. Her hands on his back lowered to the hem on his shirt and he felt gentle fingers on his bare skin. She'd read his subtle body language and met him where he was. His skin was so soft beneath her fingers and she hoped she wasn't too quick about raising his shirt. She needn't have worried; her boldness was rewarded. He unbuttoned his shirt just enough to be able to pull it off over his head and she helped him. Soon it was on the floor and she was kissing him again, relishing the feel of his warm skin under her hands. She wanted to look at him, to drink him in, but that would come later. Now his fingertips were on her knee, tracing a path up her thigh, pushing away her nightdress. She made a small noise of encouragement and felt his big, warm hand gently squeeze her thigh. She pulled him closer, grasped his back, pressed herself to him, did everything short of saying the words to tell him it was what she wanted. He took the invitation and squeezed her thigh a little higher, pressing his still clothed center to her other thigh, and his leg to her, now bare center. The fabric against her wasn't she wanted, compared to his skin It was rough and harsh. She slid her fingers under his pyjamas, hinting that they should be gotten rid of. In no time they were and she felt his strong legs between hers under the sheet.

She reached up toward the nightstand to dim the lamp, but he stopped her. "Would you really take advantage like that, Elsie?" She looked at him, utterly puzzled. He clarified "You'd let me bare myself to you in full light, but forbid me to see you?" his tone was light but the idea made her a little nervous still. She smiled and conceded. She knew he'd said that he wanted her-showed her he wanted her, but her old insecurities still lurked in her mind. With his help she slowly removed her night dress. He was on his side next to her now, eyes full of adoration while hers held an apology. It broke his heart to see it, to see that she felt she was giving him something less than beautiful-less than he wanted when she was everything that he wanted. He knew his words were feeble compared to his feelings, but he wanted to say it, he wanted to tell her in every way he could "You are the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen."

When he said it like that she believed him, she could hear the sincerity in his voice, and now she felt it again in his touch. She reached for the lamp again and this time he didn't stop her turning it out, he was too preoccupied with his other senses to worry about lights. His desire was growing more rapidly now against her naked skin. She was exquisitely soft and he was between her legs now, his hardness brushing against her thigh, making her breath catch. Feeling still ever so slightly unsure of the proper way to proceed, he put one hand between them, he brushed one finger over her folds. She was so warm and so unbearably soft there, he felt his need even more acutely because of it. He kissed her as he explored her most intimate part with his hand. She seemed to be enjoying his touch so he became freer with it, slipping his fingers between the silky folds of skin, feeling the moisture at her entrance and spreading it up between her labia, massaging them, eliciting small breathy sounds from his beautiful bride. This really was the best fun he'd ever had. He had waited for her his whole life. She was worth every year and a thousand more and here she was moaning under his touch. He slid a finger from her entrance up the center of her sex to a hard little nub of flesh that he hadn't noticed before. It won him such a delightful sound that he made a little circle around the hard flesh, and was rewarded again with her quickened breathing. He massaged her tender flesh until his own desire grew into an ache and he positioned himself to enter her. She was ready for him, she embraced his body over hers and opened her legs to receive him. She was wet and warm and velvety, he moaned as he entered her, he could hardly believe how good she felt around him. He thrust slowly in and out of her and they kissed slowly and greedily.

The feeling of him inside her was surprising at first, not entirely comfortable, but wholly desired. As he began to move though, she found her body accepted his more readily, and soon the feeling built into a delightful warmth, the pressure of his body pushing against hers was thrilling, the strength and weight of him pressing her into the mattress felt delicious. She grabbed at his back and nuzzled his neck. She found herself making noises without meaning to, the sensation of his body inside hers, of the force of his movements made her moan and gasp and surprise herself. She was making noises now she had never heard from herself before. He was breathing and groaning in her ear while she moaned in his; the pleasure was becoming overwhelming, he felt himself rushing toward a climax and stopped in a rush. He didn't want it to be over yet. "Wh-why did you stop?" Elsie asked in an almost frantic voice.

"I w-" he didn't want to be indelicate, but they had already learned that communication about this sort of thing was vital "well you see I…" he looked into her questioning eyes "I need a rest"

"Oh… I suppose it is strenuous…"

"No" he said before he could stop himself. He didn't want to sound feeble.

"No?"

"Well… I just meant… well I didn't want it to be over too soon"

"Oh" and then in a more satisfied tone "Oh"

"What's that? That second oh?"

She smiled involuntarily "Nothing" now she was the one who didn't want to be vulgar. She just couldn't help feeling a bit pleased with herself that she'd been too satisfying. He kissed her and then asked against her lips

"What kind of nothing?" She smiled again

"I just know now that I was a fool to think you wouldn't be satisfied with me."

"You could never be a fool, but in that you were wrong… very very wrong."

He kissed her lips again and slipped back inside of her. He began to build up the heat in her body again and she reached for his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. He found her other hand and raised them both above her head, holding hers as firmly as she was holding his. His body pressed into hers with increasing fervor. Her body began to tighten everywhere as the warmth he was building became a tingling wave of crashing pleasure that overtook her every sense. When her climax hit her she made no noise, she only writhed under him, mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure, hips rising to meet his with a mind of their own. It wasn't long before he followed suit, clutching her hands, breath ragged, body tensing, he came with a groan of her name and held onto her. He savored this moment, this perfect peaceful feeling for just a moment before lying on his back next to her.

They both lay chests heaving, uncovered, elated and exhausted. Once the heat had dissipated a little, Elsie rolled over and lay head on Charles' chest. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her to him. He whispered his vow to her again "with my body I thee worship". She smiled and drifted to sleep with her husband not far behind her.