Cosette anxiously finished brushing her hair, her heart pounding a little in anticipation. Memories of her wedding night were flashing through her mind, making her skin hot her cheeks flush. She'd been nervous, and it had hurt, but what she and Marius had done had transcended all the earthly discomforts and sent her into the depths of joy and trust. She'd never felt so close with anyone before.

And they were going to do it again tonight.

They'd only been married three days, but the day before she'd been too sore to try a second time. They'd agreed to wait until tonight, and she was ready. This time, since she knew what was going to happen, she wasn't nervous at all, just excited to be with her husband. Memories of Marius' lips on her neck, his hands on her skin… it all made her stomach jump with joy and she felt jolts of energy all over her body.

At last finished with her evening toilette, Cosette left her boudoir and entered their bedroom, where Marius was waiting for her on the bed.

Giggling, she ran and jumped, still excited to have such a huge bed. It was so much bigger than any bed she'd ever slept in before! Yes, it was for two of them, but there was more than enough space for two. This was probably three times the size of her bed in the rue Plumet.

Marius smiled at her, which made her stomach jump again. Wiggling closer, she snuggled up to him.

"Hello Monsieur," she said, kissing him lightly.

"How are you tonight my love?"

"Wonderful," she said. "I am glad to have you to myself, we had so many visitors all day today!"

"I know," he said, shaking his head. "But do not fret, my dear, you are all mine tonight!" He took her in his arms and held her tight as if to demonstrate, and she laughed.

Then Marius blew out the candles, and his mouth was on hers, and she understood that they were not going to talk any more tonight. Smiling, she surrendered to his kiss, remembering the slow and languid way they'd enjoyed each other the first time.

Suddenly, her husband rolled on top of her, and she felt him hard against her. Her heart thundered in excitement— she felt like she knew him in such a different way now—and she pressed against him, loving that he groaned when she did. Then, Marius was pulling up her nightgown and started to enter her.

"Wait-" Cosette said.

"Sorry?" Marius responded, out of breath from kissing and confused.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows.

"What does it seem like I'm doing?" he asked, confused again.

"I mean, just like that?" Cosette asked. "I haven't been in this bed two minutes!"

"Is there something we were supposed to do first?" Marius asked, wondering if she'd forgotten to change out of her corset or something.

"Well… I mean…" Cosette did not know how to even express what she was thinking. "Aren't you going to touch me and kiss me?"

"We were kissing," Marius said, sighing and lighting a candle before laying down next to her, resigning himself to a discussion. The golden candlelight flickered, rendering it just bright enough for them to see each other.

"Yes, but…" Cosette was getting agitated. "I'm sorry." She covered her face in her hands; in the moonlight, Marius saw her distress. "I don't know how to talk about this, you know more about these things than I do."

"Cosette," Marius said, putting his hand around her waist. She did not look at him. "Cosette, love." He kissed the side of her face. "Please look at me."

She raised her eyes and noticed how Marius was very red in the face and looked contrite and maybe even a bit ashamed.

"Oh, Marius," she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and bringing him to her, rocking back and forth. "I adore you greatly… It's just… Well, the other night we spent so long together before we… well… that I wanted so badly to continue. To be honest this time I just wasn't ready."

"You didn't… want to?" Marius asked, looking hurt.

"That's not what I meant," Cosette said, blushing. "I mean… I love you very much, and you know how much I enjoyed what we did before. It's just that… well, tonight I was looking forward to being with you because I love you and want to be close to you. I wasn't ready to leap right in to it."

Marius furrowed his brow. "Darling, forgive me. You see, I…"

He buried his face in his hands, shaking his head.

"What ever is it?" Cosette asked, eyebrows raised.

"I cannot say this to you," Marius said.

"Why not?" Cosette asked. "Is it shameful?"

"No, not exactly," her husband answered, looking up but still avoiding her eye contact. He took a breath. "All right, I will say it. You see, Cosette, I am so used to seeing… so little of you."

It was her turn to furrow her brows. Marius shook his head, sighing.

"How do I say this? Cosette, you are usually so wrapped up in your stockings and corset and petticoats and gowns, not to mention your shawl and gloves… I am so used to seeing you as the rest of the world sees you that when you are with me, in our bedroom, with your hair down in your nightgown- or less," both blushed but Marius continued, "I can't help it. I seem to lose control of a part of myself. You are so beautiful, and knowing that no one else has seen you like this, and that you love and trust me enough to let me be the man who shares these moments with you… I cannot seem to grasp my senses. Seeing the woman I have loved so long in such an intimate way… I cannot help it, I just want you, I love you. Do you… not feel the same way?"

Cosette was breathless, her heart pounding. "Marius, I do, I do feel the same way. I think it is different for women, though. It's always men courting the women, no? Well I think there's something to that… that we need to… warm up to you first."

"I thought that already happened," Marius said. "When we fell in love in the garden, and you married me. Cosette-"

"Marius, darling, yes, but I think it needs to happen each time," she explained. Her heart softened when his darling face showed clearly that he still did not seem to understand.

"Here," she said, and took his hand and wrapped it around her waist. "I love it when you hold me in your arms. It makes me feel safe and loved. Do this as often as you like."

Obediently, Marius nodded, looking desperate to please, and wrapped his other arm around her. She leaned back so they lay down on the bed on their sides, Marius holding Cosette to his chest.

She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips, then his chin and his neck, before kissing the patch of skin in front of his ears and then taking his earlobe in her mouth. Cosette whispered very softly, very close, so he felt her warm breath on his skin: "I loved when you did that on Wednesday. Now… your turn…?"

Following in her footsteps almost exactly, Marius kissed his wife, and Cosette's eyes fluttered closed as his lips moved across the soft skin of her neck. She sighed when he kissed her ear.

Upon hearing this, Marius felt immense relief; he was glad he was back in her good graces. He continued kissing her neck, moving across her collarbones and then to the other side, even softly biting her skin.

"Yes, Marius, good," she cooed, her eyes closed. "That feels so nice…"

His pride swelled, and he continued down, moving her nightgown aside and reached for her breasts—

"Gently Marius!" she said, her eyes flying open as he crossed the line between "fondling" and "manhandling." "They are attached."

"Sorry," he said, chagrined once more.

"It's alright, we are both learning. You were so patient with me on Wednesday, you know. Part of the reason why I enjoyed it so much was you were so wonderful to me, and I was not scared at all."

"Why was I so much better Wednesday?" he asked, shaking his head.

"You were moving slower," she said simply.

"I was afraid of offending you," he said.

"No, it wasn't that," she said, shaking her head. "Yes, you were doing that, but… perhaps it was because it was the first time we experienced each other that way, but you seemed to be showing me how much you loved me, physically."

"I felt that too," he said. "I love you, your soul and your body."

Cosette smiled. "Show me."

Smiling back, Marius leaned down once more to kiss his wife.


Reviews?

Also, please check out my other fic, "Aphrodite Urania," about Marius and Cosette's daughter.

Glad to be back!