Author's note: Thank you to Sam0728, Rasha007, Paige Charles, NicoleR85, Luna von Rae, kmj1989, partygirl98, NotMarge, InfinityMars, OopieLu and Torchwhovian for the reviews! OopieLu, thank you for the advice. I've hesitated to branch out because I'm worried I couldn't juggle that many characters at once (first fanfic, please bear with me!). I'm going to try though, a little down the road.
The plan is that we have the honeymoon now, and then a few chapters of marital bliss before the proverbial poop hits the fan. That'll move us into the final dramatic arc of the story. So look for attempts at secondary character development (hopefully) in those in-between chapters.
And as for today's chapter... it's a honeymoon, you know what they're going to do! Skip it if you'd prefer. We're keeping it "T" around here, though.
All That We Are
Finally, we cut the cake- a cream-filled, spongey piece of heaven- and lovingly fed each other, as per tradition.
I nearly had a stroke when Zoey nibbled on my finger as I offered her the first bite, a wicked grin on her face.
It felt like every move she made, every glance she threw my way tonight was meant as a slow seduction. Both my feral counterpart and myself were dying from impatience, though it would be hours until the impulses could be acted upon.
I'd had enough temptation to last me a lifetime, especially since I'd presented Beast to Zoey. Before, I knew to pull away when I felt my feral half start to surface, but ever since then it'd been harder to know when to stop. Despite that uncertainty, it was a relief not to hold Beast back in my head anymore, and a blessing that Zoey kept kissing me whether I was furry or not. I wanted her so badly it was a physical ache.
And tonight... the glow in her eyes when she looked at me was a promise. A promise of things to come.
After cake my bride was whisked away to change into her going-away dress. My own outfit switch took much less effort, leaving me with plenty of time to help Sean and Alex finish loading up the car.
Sean and Gwen had been fully prepared to decorate it with the classic shoes, streamers, and "Just Married" sign, but Alex (and Zoey, though she was kinder about it) harshly vetoed that idea. They both thought it would be a desecration to violate a Bentley T1 in such a fashion, for which I was grateful.
"Where is it that you're going again?" Sean asked curiously.
"Paris," I replied. "Our hotel is right in the Golden Triangle, so we'll be close to the Louvre and the Champs-"
"Oh, Jesus. Now I know you're still a virgin," Alex cut in sardonically, shaking his head in disapproval. "Talking about visiting museums on your honeymoon? Just you wait, Beast."
The heat in my ears had just begun to fade when Zoey appeared, surrounded by well-wishers. After we said our thank you's and good-byes I helped her into the car, and off we went to JFK airport.
"Hi," Zoey said brightly, after I got into the driver's seat.
I grinned as I started the car. "Hi," I replied. "Ready?"
She nodded happily and leaned in to kiss me. "Off we go, into the sunset," she announced.
Never mind that it's two o'clock in the morning. But I get the point.
The flight from JFK took seven hours. Thankfully the first class seats were relatively comfortable on the plane, so it was easy to drift off to sleep. I found the sound of Zoey's soft snores coming from beside me to be rather soothing, strangely enough.
That's probably a good thing, considering I'm going to be sleeping next to her for the rest of my life.
The thought filled me with a sublime, transcendent joy.
It was five pm local time when we landed at Orly Airport, and I got more and more nervous as the cab we took got closer to La Tremoille, our hotel.
I so badly wanted to do this right for Zoey. What if I messed up and she never wanted to try again? What if making love with a beast was just a step too far for her? Would she leave me?
Old insecurities I had thought were dead and buried came bubbling back up to the surface.
The taxi driver gave us a rather avuncular look as I helped Zoey out of the car, an expression mirrored by the clerk who checked us in at the hotel. It felt like everyone around us just knew what we were about to do and it made my apprehension even worse. I could tell Zoey was getting nervous, too.
We might as well wear big signs on our heads. Yeah, we're newlyweds. What are you looking at?
When we got to our room door I scooped Zoey up and carried her, bridal-style (literally), over the threshold. Her giggles actually made me feel less jittery for a moment. We loved each other so much, surely there was no reason to worry...
As much as I tried to convince myself, the nerves all came rushing back after I set her down and tipped the bellhop who helped us with our luggage. He gave us a rather knowing grin on his way out the door-
Leaving us alone.
For a moment we just stared at each other, each of us wondering who would make the first move.
Zoey's face turned as scarlet as her hair. "I-I need to brush my teeth," she muttered.
She snatched up one of the bags and ran for the suite's bathroom, practically slamming the door shut behind her.
Um... That's not exactly how I expected that to go.
I stood there awkwardly, trying not to feel too wounded or disappointed.
Maybe Zoey had a point? I decided teeth brushing was a good idea, considering how fuzzy my mouth felt after breathing stale recycled airplane air for seven hours. Clearly the bathroom was off-limits right now, so I used the sink in the little kitchenette and splashed water on my face.
And then I sat down on the edge of the bed to wait.
I sat there fidgeting for what felt like an eternity, listening to the sink and bathtub run repeatedly. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what she was doing in there.
Finally, the bathroom door cracked open and Zoey peeked her head out.
Her cheeks flushed when she saw me sitting on the bed. I heard her take a deep breath before she stepped out, wearing a very short silk robe.
I immediately sat up straighter, my expression probably akin to someone who'd just been smacked in the head with a brick. "H-hi."
"Hi," Zoey replied, looking down shyly.
She tentatively stepped closer, crossing the distance between us until she was right in front of me. I couldn't take my eyes off of her- she was so utterly bewitching, if it weren't for the rings on her finger I wouldn't believe that such a lovely creature could be meant for me.
Zoey bit her lip, like she was gathering her courage, and slipped the robe off. It puddled at her feet, leaving her completely bare save for a dainty, sheer lace lingerie set.
I froze.
In fact, I completely stopped breathing while I greedily drank her in. For how long had I imagined seeing every inch of her flawless beauty, making her mine in every way possible? She was better than all of my wildest daydreams combined.
I ached to reach out and touch her- to pull Zoey to my chest and run my fingers down her back, to touch the womanly curves I was sure felt like satin with my bare hands. My blood stirred at the thought.
But my arms had decided to ignore instructions at that moment, leaving me paralyzed.
"What do you think?" she prompted when I didn't move. She sounded anxious, like she'd been hoping for a more... enthusiastic reaction.
Too bad her husband turns into a complete moron at the sight of a half-naked woman.
"Y-you are so beautiful," I croaked, looking her in the eyes.
Zoey's smile was relieved as she demurely cast her gaze down. Her cheeks turned pink again. "So are you," she murmured.
Her hands were trembling as she reached out and took my glasses off for me, setting them who-knows-where. I couldn't bring myself to look away from her. Then she started undoing the buttons on my shirt with shaking fingers.
How ironic that Zoey could face down a hostile boardroom full of men twice her age without blinking, but in a situation like this she was just as afraid of messing up as I was. Business was all about money and livelihood, though. This was a matter of the heart- leaving yourself completely vulnerable to someone else and trusting them not to hurt you, even when you offer them everything you have to give.
That was the way Zoey trusted me.
Come on. Get it together, McCoy.
I could practically feel Beast kicking me in the limbic system.
My brain finally decided to shift into gear at that moment. I slipped one hand around her waist, pulling her closer, and the other held her head as I kissed her deeply, with unbridled fervor. The little moan she made when I started exploring her mouth sent all of my blood flooding south so fast I felt a little light-headed.
Zoey pushed my shirt off of my shoulders and straddled my lap- wanting to be closer, always closer. I held her as tightly as I dared without hurting her.
Feeling her that way, skin on skin... I couldn't touch her enough. I hungered for it like a starving man, needed Zoey like air.
The desires that used to frighten me with their intensity came rushing to the forefront of my mind as we kissed, but I didn't try to tamp them down. They didn't scare me anymore. I wanted to feel this passionate, this rapturous. This alive.
I easily picked Zoey up and gently laid her down on the bed. She scrambled under the covers while I clumsily pulled off my shoes and pants, almost face-planting in the process. She managed to stifle her laughter, bless her, and held her arms out for me in an irresistible invitation.
Zoey buried her nails in my hair and pressed her body tightly against mine. It felt like we were a lock and key, made for each other. Our breathing was ragged, our hearts pounding in a matching tattoo in our chests as we kissed- and touched- one another everywhere we could reach. My vision was fuzzy around the edges, like I was in some sort of cinematic dream sequence. I was very close to losing it.
"I want you, so much," Zoey murmured, biting my ear. "I love you."
Her breathless voice, those words, were what finally sent me off the edge of self-control, the change into Beast sweeping over me like a wildfire through dry brush. I shivered from the sensation of bursting out of my own skin.
For a moment I hovered over her, warring with my own instincts to dive in for more and knowing that we may have already reached a breaking point in our hours-old marriage. This was the ultimate test of Zoey's love, her acceptance of my feral side. I hadn't realized it until just then.
She'd given me her heart, but could she still give me her body, let me love her completely, when I was Beast? It was the only way I could do this with her.
Zoey opened her eyes, meeting my pleading gaze.
She had the power to shatter me into a thousand wretched pieces. A shudder, a flinch, some other sign of hesitation- that's all it would take at this pivotal moment.
I trust you completely. Please don't break my heart.
My wife, my love, gave me a soft, reassuring smile and pulled me in for a tender kiss.
"Hank," she whispered. "Please, make love to me?"
