A/N: Warning: This chapter has earned its T rating. It is not graphic, but if mushy love scenes are not your thing, skip the last part of this chapter.
"Come on. I'll show you one of the marriage customs from my world." Daniel stood up and led her to the front door of the cottage. He leaned past her to the door and made sure the door was unlatched. Ashling tried to walk quietly past him, but he stopped her. Looking down at her, he tried to figure out how he could do this while their hands were still tied together. "Um, Ashling? When can we untie our hands?"
"Not until we are getting undressed for bed." She was looking down at her feet.
"Okay. Well, this may be a bit awkward then, but here goes…" He put his left hand around her back, beneath her shoulder blades and looped his right hand across her body and under her knees, pulling her left hand with his. He lifted her and carried her across the threshold and into the room, hooked his foot around the door and pushed it shut with a click as the latch dropped down into place.
"Why did you just carry me into the house? I am perfectly capable of walking."
"A long time ago people on Earth, the Romans, thought that was bad luck if when a bride entered her new home, she tripped. So, the groom carries her across the threshold to prevent bad luck." Daniel set her down. "Of course, it is supposed to be me bringing you into my home, but since my home is… Well, it's just a silly tradition."
"Daniel. I know this must be hard and strange for you. You have been so good to go along with this to protect me." She reached up with her free hand and touched his cheek with her finger. "You are a good man, Daniel Jackson."
Daniel looked around the room and saw that a fire had been laid and a large bed had been placed near the fireplace. He turned back to her. "You know, you don't have to do this tonight if you're not ready. I'll wait until you tell me when the time is right for you."
"No. Tonight is fine. I'll just get more nervous if we wait and the time is right for me to conceive now. That, after all, is the point of this marriage. To make a baby." She glanced slyly at him from the sides of her eyes. "Unless you know of another way to create a child?"
Daniel thought of the medical interventions on Earth that could help infertile couples and the Asgard cloning process, but he was pretty sure Ashling wasn't interested in either of those, even if they had been available on Aeire. "Um, no. I've seen a lot of strange things during my years of traveling the universe, but I've never seen a better way to create a baby than the old fashioned way."
"Aintin Neala has left us some mead on the table. Would you like some more, husband?" That word rolled off her tongue in a way that caused something in her stomach to tingle.
"Um, if I have any more, I'm just going to fall asleep without…well, you know." Daniel was suddenly very aware that he was expected to make love to this woman he didn't know, but to whom he was married.
Ashling lifted their united hands and began to untie the knotted ribbons. Daniel worked on one knot while she did another, until they were freed. Ashling gathered up the ribbons and braided them together, tying off the ends. "This will hang over our bed for the rest of our lives together to symbolize our unity."
Daniel nodded, took the marriage knot and placed it on the headboard. He walked over to the fireplace and, kneeling down, lit the kindling that had been laid by Tomas for the newlyweds. When the flames caught and began casting their warm, flickering light about the room, he stood and crossed the room back to her.
Ashling's heart pounded in her chest so hard that she was sure he would hear it. Fear and anticipation blocked the air in her throat and she took a long, slow shaky breath, hoping to calm her trembling fingers.
Daniel stood directly in front of her, only the width of a candle flame from her quivering body. He lifted his hands to cup her face and leaned down. His eyes flickered from her eyes to her mouth and back again. He watched her tongue dart out to lick her dry lips and he felt his stomach flip. Keeping his eyes on hers, he closed the distance between their lips until his brushed hers gently. Suddenly, his stomach was doing a series of flips. He kept the pace slow and easy, hoping that her body would gradually accept his presence.
Her first kiss. Fathers and uncles didn't count. She followed his eyes as they approached hers. If she could keep contact with his eyes, she could accept this. When he touched her lips with his, her knees wobbled and she had to grab his shoulders to remain standing. His hands dropped away from her face and his arms encircled her, pulling her just close enough that she could feel the heat of his body without actually touching. He turned his head around, without breaking contact with her lips, so that he could kiss her from the other side. Breath gone, she pulled her lips away from his and gulped for air.
He watched her eyes dilate with a desire she didn't yet recognize or understand. He lowered his head again and ran his tongue lightly over her bottom lip. She shivered under his hands. He wanted her now, but knew he had to keep it slow or he'd scare her. He reached up to his neck and unfastened the broach that still kept the long cloak on, hoping that by pulling back for just a minute she'd have some time to adjust to the idea of his touch. He tossed it over onto one of the chairs. He pulled her forward again. This time, tightly against him. He could feel the softness of her breasts against his chest. He knew that she could feel the pounding of his heart next to hers.
He made her feel so safe and so warm. His body was heating hers until she thought she might burst into flames. She wanted to get closer to him, but didn't know how. Dizzy. Pounding. Heat. Too many sensations came at her all at once. She knew the mechanics of sex; had seen animals do it all her life, but she'd never felt the desire of a man pressed up against her abdomen before. She needed to get closer. To climb inside his skin and learn who this man was who was turning her brain into mush.
He knew the exact moment when she surrendered herself to him. He knew when she stopped fighting herself and just let him take the lead. When she came to trust him. Trust. God, that was more intoxicating than the feel of her body pressed up against his. He chewed on her lower lip gently with his teeth and began moving his attention down her neck and over to an ear. He could feel her rapid pulse when he tasted her neck. He felt her shudder when he slid his teeth along her ear lobe. If he didn't slow down… He stepped back again and felt the loss of her warmth across his body.
"Daniel…" Her eyes flutter open, confused and filled with desire. "Where… Why…"
Daniel knelt down in front of her and lifted one foot. He put her foot on his knee and began unlacing her sandal. She leaned slightly toward him and placed her hand on his head for balance. As he finished removing the first sandal and traded one foot for the other, her fingers began to tangle themselves in his short hair. "I would love to see you with longer hair."
"For a long time it was longer, but it was a pain in the butt to keep out of my eyes, so I cut it. But if it pleases you, I'll grow it out again." He stood as he finished with the second foot. His hands found their way to her shoulders and she stood still while he caressed them lovingly and slowly ran his hands down her arms, massaging his way to her fingers. When he reached her hands, her took her left hand and played with the ring that symbolized their united hearts. He looked back into her eyes. "I promise…"
She reached over and unhooked his belt with one hand, flinging it over to join his cloak on the chair. With a twinkle in her eye, she put both hands up on his shoulders and began running them down his chest lightly. She smiled when he closed his eyes and trembled, amazed at the power she possessed to make him hers. When she reached the bottom of his tunic, she grabbed the hem and began to tug it up. His eyes flew open and engaged hers.
"Are you ready for that?"
"I want to see you. I need to see you."
He nodded and allowed her to continue removing the tunic. When his chest was bared to her, she licked her lips unconsciously and reached for him. Her hand stopped before she made contact with his skin and he thought he would die for want of her touch. He brought up his hand to hers and guided it to his chest, pushing the palm of her hand onto his skin. Her eyes widened slightly and then narrowed with determination as she brought up her other hand to join in exploration of him. He watched the emotions fly across her face as she explored the exposed skin of his body. Her hands moved slowly across the landscape of his chest and abdomen. She stepped behind him to explore his back in the same way, while he stood for her, clenching and unclenching his fists to control the urge to finish this quickly.
Satisfied that she had learned every inch of his back with her hands, she leaned forward and placed her lips on his shoulder. His eyes flew open at the unexpected touch, but he kept still, wanting her to continue her trek over his body. She leaned closer, bringing her body up against his back and continued to kiss his shoulders while she slipped her hands under his arms and caressed his chest. Daniel began to squirm and the sensations took over.
"Oh, god, Ashling! Stop." He gritted his teeth and tried to remember just how long it had been since he'd been touched like this. He couldn't.
She froze, certain that she'd done something wrong in her ignorance. "Daniel, did I hurt you somehow?"
Daniel turned and pulled her into his arms. "No, I'm not hurt… but I'm hurting! Men are different from women…"
"Hmmm, yes, I'm becoming more aware of the differences very quickly."
"Thank god for the wonderful difference! But that's wasn't exactly what I meant. If you keep doing to me what you've been doing, um… it will be, uh… over for me too fast and you won't have any fun at all." Daniel had never had to explain this to a woman before and he was feeling both physically and emotionally uncomfortable.
"What should I do?" Ashling really wanted this to go right for him. She wanted to make him happy that he'd chosen her over his life on Earth.
"For now, how about you don't run you hands all over me. That feels just too good. Later tonight I'll let you do whatever you want, okay?" Daniel turned her faced up so he could see her eyes.
Her eyes welled up with tears and Daniel kissed them away. "Please, don't think I don't want you or that you've done anything wrong. You're incredible, and, oh, god, do I want you." He trailed kisses all over her face and back down her neck to the edge of the material that kept him from the rest of her. He turned her so her back was facing him and continued to kiss her neck, pushing her hair over her shoulder. He began unfastening the hooks running down her back, dropping a kiss over each newly exposed expanse of milky skin. When he finished, he turned her back so she faced him and stepped back, allowing her control of removing her clothing.
She looked between him and the bed several times and then took his hand and led him over to the bed. She pushed him down so that he was seated on the side of the down-stuffed mattress and pulled up his hands to the shoulders of her dress. Then using his hands, she pulled the dress slowly down her body, until it fell in a puddle at her feet. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Now, husband."
PS: More than 70 people have checked out my last chapter, but no one reviewed! I only have one more chapter written so far, so if no one's interested I'll quit posting and just write for myself. HINT> BEG>