Title: All It Took Was Time
Author: taramidala
Rating: M
Timeframe: Post-Union
Summary:Luke and Mara begin their journey together as husband and wife.

Author's Notes: Originally conceived and written eons (i.e. 10 years or so) ago as a response to a challenge on the Mara_and_Luke Yahoo! group that wanted a depiction of "Mara's first time." This drabble was part of a larger story that went into a great deal more detail; needless to say, I never finished it. But this works just fine on its own.

It was deeply inspired by a line in a fic called Cold Equation by Una in which Luke tells Mara, "I wanted our first time together to be in a romantic setting with candle light and a comfortable bed…"

Disclaimer: Not mine. Characters belong to Lucasfilm, Ltd. and (now)...the Disney Corporation. I intend no profit from this writing.

All It Took Was Time

As their final dance began, Luke laced the fingers of his left hand with Mara's right and pulled her tightly against him with the other. Mara sighed softly and rested her forehead against his as the music started.

"Getting tired?" Luke whispered as they began to move.

"Not really," Mara replied wistfully. "I think I just want to go home."

Their eyes met underneath lowered lashes and exchanged a thousand unspoken words. Mara's hand drifted to the back of her husband's head and she ran her fingers through his hair. Luke leaned forward and kissed her cheek as he whispered, "I hope you like it."

"You sound nervous," she teased in a murmur. "Should I be worried?"

"Not really. We'll figure it out as we go."

Mara smiled and their small talk died. The music swelled around them for a few minutes more before it slowed and faded to an ending. Luke started to release her from his arms, but she held on, drawing him in for a kiss. She brushed his lips lightly. "I love you," she said.

He took her face in his hands and returned her touch fiercely. Mara's hands went to his waist and in the comfort of their embrace time stopped. They ended their kiss to the sounds of clapping from their friends, family, and guests.

"Let's go home."

"Why don't you go in the 'fresher and relax."

"You're abandoning me?"

He kissed her. "Not in the least. I'll be right back."

She kissed him back. "All right."

When he returned, he found Mara sitting by the edge of the large bathtub, still dressed in her gown. She ran a delicate hand through the running water and gave him a shy smile. Luke returned her look with a bright grin and approached her. "I figured you would have jumped right in," he said.

"I figured you would like to join me," she replied, her voice thick with her carefully balanced apprehension.

He shook his head. "We have plenty of time."

"But I thought –"

He sat down next to her and placed a finger over her lips. "Mara, please."

Without another hesitation, Mara brushed his hand away and kissed him. Luke's hands went to her waist and pulled them both into a standing position. Their lips met again, the heat between them ever increasing as Luke reached for the fasteners at the back of her gown. A finger traced a heated path up her spine, causing Mara to shudder and break away breathlessly from the kiss.

Mara's eyes were lit with desire and the ongoing fear. Luke continued to send soothing thoughts into her head and heart. He directed her hands to his waist and together they slowly worked to remove his shirt from his body. Once Luke allowed it to drop by his feet, Mara stretched out a tentative hand to caress and explore his chest. Luke resumed his gentle and tender kisses, starting slowly at her lips before working his way along her jawline to her ear where he whispered sweet words of reassurance and undying affection to her.

When eventually Mara's gown pooled at her feet, her movements ceased and she looked upon Luke's patient eyes. "Do you like what you see?" she whispered. As soon as the words registered in her own head, her mouth dropped open in shock at her boldness.

He traced her parted lips with his finger and held her direct gaze. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known," he declared.

That he never looked at her body was not lost on Mara. While the tentative part of her warmed in gratitude, another part of her longed for his reaction to her. She restrained all thoughts in her mind as she finished removing the rest of her clothing and stepped back. She kept her eyes on his face as he traced a mental path over her sleek and supple curves. A pang of joy resonated through her spirit. She knew how she looked, and that he gazed upon her awe and longing made her feel very satisfied.

"Is the water still warm enough?" he breathed after a moment.

Mara gingerly lifted a foot and stepped in. "It's fine," she said, her own voice weaker than usual. The feelings he was radiating back to her now were foreign yet irresistible. Without another word, she sat down and rested her back against the side.

Luke moved closer and knelt down behind her. Mara jumped slightly as his hands began tenderly massaging the muscles of her back and shoulders. As his hands and fingers slowly worked their magic on her body, she felt her anxiety melt away.

"Feeling better?" he asked after a while, his breath causing her to shiver as it brushed against her ear.

She sighed as his lips connected with the base of her neck and hands worked their way down her bare arms, squeezing and massaging gently. "Much," she replied softly. Luke's hands found hers and they locked. Mara took control slowly and placed them on her stomach. From there, she slid them up her torso finally to her breasts. Though it was of her doing, his touch made her gasp and she turned her head towards him. Her eyes were full of desire and serious as they met the depths of his. "I'm wet and would like to dry off. Then I'd like to go to bed," she murmured against his lips.

Luke returned her open mouthed kiss fully as he lifted her from the water. He Force-pulled a towel into his hands while maintaining a passionate grip on the woman in his arms. Their mouths never separated as he dried her off and wrapped the towel around her. Once the towel was secure, Luke disengaged from her embrace, took her hands, and led her slowly into their bedroom.

Mara gasped as she took in the sight before her. Their warmly colored chamber was lit by a few candles of varying colors and sizes. Each let off a soft yellow glow that reflected off the walls, the bed, and their large window. The golden wood of their bed frame shone like a welcoming light, guiding them to their projected destination. Even the earthy colored sheets had a radiance of their own.

"Is it too much?" Luke asked nervously. "I didn't know if you –"

"Luke, it's wonderful," she quipped with an astonished smile, bringing him in close to her. "It's the best thing anyone's ever done for me."

He didn't reply but to kiss her, allowing one hand to drift the back of her head while the other coaxed the towel lovingly off her body. Mara responded in kind, almost timidly fumbling with the remainder of his clothes. But her hesitation was a mask, for within Mara resided a deep-rooted hunger and need raging through her bloodstream. And Luke wouldn't deny her, for the same desire ran as deeply within his own body. They moved closer to the bed and he lay her down as gently as he possibly could, following soon after.

Mara sat up and faced him. They sat in silence for what seemed like forever before Luke reached forward. And then he went after her, pursuing each and every secret spot, places no one had ever touched her before. Deep down inside, part of Mara was anxious, but the feelings he was bringing out in her and his own kept her going. Force, she never thought she'd been happier. She felt his body begging him for release, but he willed it to behave, to not ruin this for them.

Luke stopped momentarily to gently set her down onto her back; he lay down at her side with the intent to hold her, but her mouth sought his desperately.

Mara took advantage of his distraction. Before Luke had a chance to think again, he was on his back and looking into her eyes from below her. A tender gaze greeted him as she lowered her lips to his once more. "I don't want you to stop," she told him, her voice ragged from arousal.

Her eyes shut tightly as he stretched out under her and began to awaken places on her body that she never knew had sensation. His warm breath on her shoulder made her shiver, causing bumps to rise up from her chest and arms. His hands set her on fire as he rolled her over, leaving a holocaust blazing all over as he explored the firm, sleek curves of her body. She could barely breathe as his lips found her aching breasts, stomach, and lower…

As he reached her thighs, she uncontrollably arched against him. She reached her hands under his arms and pulled him up above her face again. Their eyes met and they knew that there could be no more waiting. He slid the rest of his body completely over hers and reached a hand to touch her face.

Mara grabbed his hand and kissed it. The blackness of her green eyes told him all he needed to know. She leaned up to kiss him softly, beginning a series of light caresses as he slowly and carefully made his way into her body. The beginning of the first touch of their bodies in this manner was electrifying, causing each to gasp into the other's mouth. Mara placed a hand at his waist to pull him closer as he made move to venture further into her warmth.

Her body arched up again at the uncomfortable sensation he caused in her lower abdomen, but she quickly suppressed it. There was no room for pain in this bed tonight. He pressed on and stilled within her as their hips crashed against each other, the first part of their journey complete. They sought each other longingly, trading sipping kisses and hushed words of loving reassurance, before continuing forward.

Her mind whirled as the gentle pulsing inside her began, and she met him stroke for stroke. Their eyes opened and locked as they unlocked their minds to each other and savored the awareness of their two identities and souls melding into one entity, one being, and one spirit. At this level, everything was heightened, everything intensified. Everything perfect. They moved gently, taking their time, hungering for each other even more as they knew that this moment could never be repeated. But soon desire could not be slowed. Like a grand symphony, the music in the Force, the music of their passion and their love, rose to a dramatic crescendo; the notes briefly took a tangible form of eternally, swirling colors before descending tranquilly to a quiet state of rest.

In the hushed, exquisite aftermath, there was no question.

There could never be one without the other. They were one.

Morning found Mara Jade Skywalker awakening with a newfound peace. She felt entirely different and entirely complete. As she turned in her bed to look at her husband, her one true friend and lover, she smiled in disbelief. Part of her still found the situation almost dreamlike; she half expected to wake up to find herself yet again alone. But the other part of her knew without a doubt that everything she'd experienced and enjoyed in the past three months was sweet reality. A reality that had culminated in the end of a long journey just a few short hours ago.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" Mara asked herself softly in the dawn silence. With a wistful sigh, she disentangled herself from the sheets and made way to the refresher. Upon her return, she pulled on the red outer tunic Luke had worn yesterday. The garment was sufficient to cover her slight frame and she held it around her body with both arms.

Even in sleep, Luke called to her. And Mara couldn't deny it; she wanted to return to him. But another part of her desired thought. Desired time to assimilate the occurrences of the past day.

How many different sides am I going to deal with this morning? she mused.

After promising the side of her that wanted to make love again that she would go back to bed soon, Mara sat herself down on the window seat to watch the sunrise over Coruscant. The light reflected off the buildings, giving the effect of stars going supernova. Mara sighed. She felt like her emotions had gone supernova last night. That was the wonder of it all; Luke had made her feel. There was no clinical name for these emotions, there couldn't be. There had only been inspiration of sensation: fiery, bright, and completely wordless.

Something else had happened to her, as well. The birth of faith. While before, she'd merely made decisions about her life, she'd never truly believed in any of them. She'd never really had dreams or hopes. The Jade's Firehad been the closest thing to a representation of her desires, but it had, in truth, been no more than a mere possession.

But with Luke she'd really started to believe. Believed in him, in life…in herself. She would concede that her life with Luke would not be easy – when had things ever been? – but they would be together, and they would survive. That dream, that hope, that faithwould be enough to sustain her until the day she died.

Mara hugged her slender legs to her chest and grinned. Stars, she hadn't smiled this much in her entire life, but now it seemed that was all she wanted to do. Damn farmboy, she thought. It's infectious or something.

Or maybe it's because I'm genuinely happy for the first time in my life.

"I think I like that answer," a sleepy, deep voice muttered from the direction of the bed.

Her head snapped upward and turned in the direction of the voice's owner. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked.

"No."

She rose from her place of contemplation and returned to the bed, but not to his arms. As Luke moved to a sitting position, Mara took a spot next to him, one leg pulled up under the other. Their hands clasped.

"How are you feeling?"

Mara raised his hands to her lips and kissed them both in turn. "Wonderful. Incredible. Beautiful. Would you like any more adjectives?" she teased. He leaned forward and kissed her. When the moment ended, she could only say, "Thank you."

Luke nodded sincerely. "Thank you, Mara."

They luxuriated in the gaze of each other's eyes for a long time. "I still can't believe all of this. It's almost too flawless to be real," she said.

He brushed the stray, disheveled curls off her face. "It's real, Mara," he assured. "All it took was time."

One of Mara's hands crept upwards and began a slow exploration of his torso. Her fingers lightly traced his collarbone as she lamented, "Yes, ten years of wasted time."

"That's not important now," Luke said firmly, taking hold of her roaming hand and pulling her against him.

"And what is?" she asked, her eyes darkening as they locked with his once more.

"Just that we're together," he answered huskily.

"Forever, Luke?"

"Forever and always, Mara."

FIN.