They went inside hand in hand, and she felt absolutely dizzy with happiness. She marveled at how fast things had suddenly shifted between them – just one unguarded kiss, one honest conversation, that had been all that was needed to transform them from friends to so much more. When she had left her parents' house earlier that day, she had had no hopes, no expectations of any of this, and now… she would end the day in her husband's arms.

They walked up the stairs together, then they stopped in front of the door of her bedroom and she looked up at him and smiled.

"This is where we stood exactly a year ago", she said. "I was so confused when you walked away from me."

He grimaced. "I'm so sorry. I genuinely thought you didn't want… I made an assumption. I should have talked to you."

"Yes", she smiled. "You should."

He looked at her, and his eyes were warm as he bent his head.

"But I'm not walking away from you anymore. Not now, not ever."

He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, and she reflected that there couldn't be a bigger difference between now and last year. A year ago, they had stood here, perfect strangers, having barely spoken to each other. She had already wanted him to come into her bedroom then, but mostly because she knew that it was expected from married couples, and she had wanted to do things right. Now, she was standing here with the man she loved, and she wanted nothing more than to be close to him.

"Can I come in?" he whispered.

She had waited a full year to hear those words… and yet she hesitated. She had had a long journey, and she wanted to wash, and she needed Annie to unpin her hair.

"I just need some time to get ready."

He nodded. "How much time?"

"About half an hour."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, and brushed his lips against hers.

"That's a long time."

"We've waited a year, you can survive half an hour more", she smiled.

"I don't know", he whispered against her lips. "Can I?"

His closeness was too much to resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him, and they sank into a long, tender kiss that went on for minute after minute, neither of them willing to let the other go.

Finally they broke apart only because a chambermaid entered the hallway, giving them a curious look as she passed by. They smiled at each other.

"So…", he said. "Ten minutes?"

She laughed. "I said half an hour."

"Ah", he sighed, "it was worth a try."

She stood up on her toes to kiss him again, both of them smiling, then his expression turned more serious.

"Raquel", he said softly, "I know it's silly, but I don't want to be apart from you anymore. We've wasted so much time this year because of me."

"I don't want to be apart from you anymore either", she murmured. "We'll make up for wasted time. We'll make up for it a thousand times."

"Yes please", he whispered.

Then they shared one last kiss and regretfully broke apart to go into their respective bedrooms. The moment the door closed behind her, Raquel leaned against it and pressed her hands to her face, overwhelmed by a bright, golden feeling of happiness. It was finally happening. In half an hour, he would be in her bedroom, and they would sleep in the bed together. He would take her in his arms and kiss her, and tomorrow she would wake up next to him. She felt a thrill of both nervousness and anticipation as she thought about what else might happen – though she wasn't sure if he would want to.

She shook herself – she shouldn't waste time – then rang the bell for the chambermaids to bring water for her bath, and for Annie to come help her undress. She washed quickly, then Annie helped her into her nightgown and unpinned and braided her hair. Once she was ready, the girl went out and Raquel was left alone. It was a chilly night, so the chambermaids had laid a brightly burning fire which made the room nice and warm, and Raquel lit several candles on the bedside tables to give them a little more light. Then she waited, breathless with anticipation.

Finally there was a knock on her door and he came in, wearing only his pants and shirt, and at the sight of him, her heart leapt. Some part of her – a small, scared part that had been disappointed too often – had feared that he might not come after all, but here he was, here he really was. He closed the door behind himself and they stood looking at each other for a moment, breathless, then she flew into his arms and he lifted her off the ground as he kissed her. He carried her to the bed and put her down gently, then joined her, and she felt like she could cry at the thought that she would finally, finally sleep next to her husband, and not by accident this time, but because they both chose and wanted it.

"I can't believe you're really here", she whispered between kisses.

"I can't believe it either", he whispered back. "Raquel… while you were gone, I dreamed of you almost every night. I'm afraid I'm dreaming again."

"Then please", she said, "keep dreaming."

He kissed her again, and she couldn't remember ever being happier than she was now, with him next to her after all of those months of longing, saying everything she had so wanted him to say, and which she had thought she would never hear.

There was only one thing – she had to ask, she had to know, she couldn't bear to be disappointed again.

"Sergio", she said carefully. "You said you love me in every way. Did you mean that?"

"Of course", he said earnestly.

"Then… then I want to be your wife… in every way."

His eyes were so serious.

"Tonight?"

"Yes", she whispered.

"Are you sure? Don't you want to wait a few more days?"

She put a hand against his chest.

"I've waited a year, Sergio, I don't want to wait anymore. I want our marriage to be a real marriage." She looked down. "Unless… unless you don't want to."

He bent his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, then whispered:

"Of course I want to."

She looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Yes, but Raquel…" he hesitated. "Do you… do you know what that means? Do you know what will happen?"

"Yes", she said. "Monica told me."

"Did she also tell you that… that it will hurt?"

She nodded. "A little."

He gave her a pained look.

"It… it might be more than a little. I would try to be careful, of course, but… but you might bleed."

That made her feel a little nervous but…

"Monica said it only hurts once and then never again. We'll just have to get through it."

"Raquel", he whispered, his eyes full of concern, "I don't want to hurt you."

Oh, she loved him so much. She drew his head down for a kiss.

"I know. But we'll have to do it some time, right? And… and I want to do this with you, even if it would hurt."

He pressed another soft kiss to her lips.

"I want to do this with you too", he murmured.

She could see that he meant it, but he seemed nervous too. Last year, she had assumed that he had done it before, but since then she had learned how uncomfortable he felt about being touched, so she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Sergio…" she asked, "have you… have you done this before?"

He shook his head.

"No."

She nodded – as she'd suspected.

"Do you know what to do?"

He went a little red.

"Uhm… in theory."

She smiled. "The way Monica told it, it didn't sound very complicated. I'm sure we can figure it out together."

She reached down to lift the skirt of her nightgown, but he stopped her hand.

"No, wait", he said softly. "Before we… do that, I just want to kiss you for a while."

She hesitated. She was nervous now and if it was going to hurt, she'd rather get it over with. He seemed to sense her hesitation.

"Raquel", he said seriously, "we've waited so long for this. I want to do it right, and I don't want to hurt you. I… I don't have any experience, but I do know some things that should help to make it hurt less, and kissing is one of them."

She looked at him, then nodded. She trusted him. If he said kissing would make it better, then she believed him – and besides, she didn't need much persuasion for more of his kisses. So she smiled and drew his head down, and he softly pressed his lips to hers. It still felt so fresh, so new, every aspect of the sensation an utter delight, and after that first kiss, she felt so hungry for more. She parted her lips and he started exploring her, slowly, sensuously, and soon she had forgotten all about being nervous as she lost herself in the kiss. She twined her fingers into his hair and kissed him back, and their kisses became more daring, more passionate, until she was absolutely breathless and she felt a sharp tingling between her legs. She wondered how his kisses could make her feel so much down there – she hadn't understood it when he said kissing would make it hurt less, but apparently there was a connection she hadn't been aware of. As he kept kissing her, the tingling became stronger, a delicious, tantalizing sensation that made her long for him to touch her there.

She pulled back and looked up at him questioningly, a little out of breath.

"Now?"

Sergio looked down at her and thought back to the advice Jennie had given him a year ago. He still wasn't sure how much of it he should believe, but the advice to use his tongue when kissing had been excellent, so he was inclined to want to try the rest, except… some of it was so unusual that he wasn't sure if he'd have the courage to apply it. How would she react, for example, if he asked her to undress? But then he shook his head – they weren't strangers anymore – they loved and trusted each other – he could just talk to her.

"Raquel", he said, "how would you feel about… about taking off your nightgown?"

She gave him a doubtful look.

"I thought you'd just… lift it."

"We could, but… I think it would be nicer to take it off."

She looked a little surprised.

"So I'd be… not wearing anything?"

"I know it's a little strange, but we are married. I… I do think it's not improper."

"That's true…" she said, and he could see that he was swaying her.

"Raquel", he said softly, "I would love to see you."

"Will you take off your clothes too?"

"Yes", he nodded. "If you would like that."

She gave him a rather shy smile.

"Yes, I would."

He sat up.

"How about I start?"

He reached for the first button on his shirt, but she put her hand on his.

"Can I?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course", he smiled.

She opened the buttons with nimble fingers, and he was reminded of the time when she had done this every day to change his bandages after he got shot. She was clearly following his thoughts, because when the last button was undone, she pushed the shirt off his shoulders and looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"I've always wanted to touch you", she said, "and now I can."

She ran light fingers over his chest, then over his shoulder and down his arm, and he shivered at the feeling of her hands on his bare skin. He marveled at how he usually didn't like to be touched, but when she did it, it was one of the nicest things he'd ever experienced.

Raquel was enjoying herself, running her hands all over him the way she had wanted to do so badly whenever she took care of him before. His shoulders were broad and strong, and she loved running her fingers over the muscles of his arms, through the hair on his chest, down his stomach. She stopped as she reached his pants – she was desperately curious, but she didn't know what he would be comfortable with, so she pulled back her hand.

"Alright", she said, feeling a flutter in her stomach as she looked down at her nightgown. "My turn."

"Only if you want to", he said earnestly.

She considered him for a moment. Annie was the only person who had seen her naked as an adult, and she hadn't considered that Sergio would ask her this – Monica had told her that her husband just lifted her nightgown. She felt a little self-conscious about baring herself completely to a man… but then she looked into his eyes. This wasn't just any man, this was her husband, the man she loved more than anything, and he made her feel warm and comfortable and safe. Suddenly she didn't need to think about it anymore – she undid the laces at the front of her gown and let the fabric slip off her shoulders, then she pushed it down over her hips and off the bed. She lay down, feeling rather vulnerable as his gaze roamed over her body, but then she noticed how soft his eyes were. The way he was looking at her made her forget her vulnerability – he made her feel so…

"Beautiful", he murmured. "You're so beautiful."

He couldn't believe how lovely she was. Except for a drawing in his anatomy book, he had never seen an undressed woman before, and he was enchanted by the soft lines of her body as the candlelight flickered over her skin – the gentle curve of her hips, the fullness of her breasts, the delicate pink of her nipples. He felt humbled and honored that she was showing herself to him like this, open and vulnerable and completely natural.

"Raquel", he said softly. "Will you unbraid your hair? I've never seen you with your hair down."

She smiled and sat up, then undid the ribbon at the bottom of her braid. She quickly untangled the strands, and then her hair flowed freely over her shoulders, framing her face in a way that took his breath away. He hadn't thought she could be any more beautiful. He'd been wrong.

"Raquel", he whispered, leaning in to kiss her and running his fingers through her hair. "You are so lovely, and I'm the luckiest man in the world that I get to see you like this."

She felt a warm glow as he kissed her back down into the pillows, his hand in her hair. He kissed her more deeply than before, and it awakened a peculiar longing in her to feel his hands on her, for him to touch her the way she had touched him before. He was stroking her cheek, and she sensed that he was hesitant to let his hands wander downwards, so she pulled back and smiled at him.

"You can touch me", she whispered, and he smiled back.

"Tell me if I do anything you don't like", he murmured, then brushed his fingers down the side of her neck, over her shoulder, then down the side of her body, making her shiver. As he stroked her stomach and then her hips, she felt her skin come alive under his hands – his fingers were drawing tingling paths down her body, and every caress made her long for more.

"Oh", he sighed. "You're so, so soft."

His hand moved upwards over her stomach, and he carefully cupped a breast.

"Is that alright?" he murmured.

"Yes", she whispered.

Then he brushed his thumb over her nipple, and she drew in a breath at the sensation.

"How does that feel?"

"Really nice", she smiled, noticing that her nipples were hard even though she wasn't cold.

He did it again, and she shivered in delight. He kept stroking her nipples as he kissed her again, and she twined her fingers in his hair and sighed softly against his lips – oh, this was all so nice. She had entirely forgotten by now that she was supposed to be nervous, that she had wanted to get it over with – as far as she was concerned, this could go on forever. She had no idea what was coming next, but if it was half as lovely as his kisses and his touches so far, she was entirely on board.

He moved away from her lips to press soft kisses to her cheek, then along the line of her jaw, and then he moved further down. When he reached her neck, she tilted her head and hummed in contentment – oh, that made her feel all kinds of things, all of them wonderful – tickles and tingles and a soft, warm hum in her lower belly. When he pulled back, she made a little sound of complaint.

"No, don't stop yet."

He smiled, his eyes warm.

"You like that?"

"Yes", she whispered. "Very much."

So he dipped back down and pressed warm, tickling kisses to her throat and the side of her neck until she was breathing fast and feeling flushed, the hum in her belly stronger and more insistent now. She didn't quite understand the reactions of her body – never would she have suspected that him kissing her there would have such an effect. She wondered if there were other places he could kiss her that would make her feel like this. As if he'd read her mind, he moved his kisses down over her collarbone, then he kissed her chest and her breasts.

Suddenly he looked up.

"Uhm… Raquel… can I try something?"

"What do you want to try?" she said, curious.

He went a little red.

"Just something that someone… someone told me some women like. But if you don't like it, you can tell me and I won't do it again."

"Alright", she said, even more curious now. "Show me."

He bent his head and kissed her nipple, and then, to her surprise, he closed his mouth around it and sucked. She gasped loudly as the sensation shot right through her with a completely unexpected intensity.

"Oh!"

He drew back immediately, his eyes wide.

"I'm so sorry!"

"No", she said, flustered by her own reaction. "No, I… I think I liked it."

"Really?" he said, looking at her closely.

"Yes", she said, a little breathlessly. "Do it again, please."

He bent back down, a little hesitantly this time, and closed his mouth around her nipple and sucked again. The intensity of the sensation startled her a second time, and she gasped again, then quickly twined her fingers in his hair to keep him from pulling back.

"A… a little more…" she breathed, then a whimper escaped her lips as he sucked harder.

Oh, what was happening to her body? She couldn't stay still anymore – her hips started moving of their own accord as he awakened sensations in her that she had never experienced before – a little flame kindled between her legs and suddenly she felt a deep, aching longing like nothing she had ever felt – oh, she wanted… she needed… something.

She pushed his head away as the sensations suddenly became too much, and he quickly came up to kiss her.

"Was that alright?"

"Yes", she whispered against his lips, slightly out of breath. "Oh, Sergio, you're making me feel things…"

"Good things?"

"Yes", she breathed. "Yes, wonderful things."

He smiled, pleased.

"I'm glad."

The longing inside her hadn't faded in the least, so she looked up at him appealingly.

"Can we… can we do it now?"

"Hmm", he murmured, "in a little while."

She bit her lip.

"There's more?"

"I… I think so. Are you ready for the next step?"

"Yes", she said eagerly. "So ready."

He looked down at her shining eyes, and he reflected that this was turning out to be so much more enjoyable than he had thought it would be. He hadn't expected her to react with such… enthusiasm. Jennie's advice about the nipples – as bizarre as it had seemed to him at first – had clearly been spot on, so now he felt like he should try out the last piece of her advice as well. He had been skeptical when she had talked about women having a button… down there… but Jennie had assured him it would make the experience better for her, so he felt like he owed it to Raquel to try and find it.

He bent his head and kissed her, then let his hand drift down her stomach, and she opened her legs to him in anticipation. He lifted his hand, then brushed his fingers lightly over the inside of her thighs.

"Can I touch you?" he whispered.

She smiled. "Sergio, you're my husband. Of course you can touch me."

He immediately withdrew his hand.

"No", he said seriously, "I don't want you to say yes because you feel like you should. I only want to touch you if you want me to touch you."

She caught his face between her hands and drew his head down for a kiss.

"I want you to touch me", she said softly as they broke apart. "So, so much."

He smiled and nodded, then let his hand move down over her stomach again. His fingers brushed past soft curls, and then… oh, she was silky and warm, and he felt a little dizzy with desire as his fingers dipped down and he felt something wet. He remembered Jennie telling him that he had to make her wet so it would hurt less, so he took this as a good sign. She closed her eyes and sighed softly as he explored her, so, so carefully, barely touching her – it all felt so delicate, he was afraid to hurt her. He tried to find the place Jennie had talked about, but it was all rather confusing, and there was nothing that felt like a button to him. Oh, this was embarrassing – did it even exist?

"Raquel", he whispered, and she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

He swallowed.

"Do you… can you help me find…"

He hoped she would know what he was trying to say, but he saw no recognition at all in her eyes.

"Find what?"

He remembered Jennie saying that most women didn't even know they had this particular body part.

"Never mind", he said quickly. He briefly considered abandoning his quest, but he wanted so desperately for it to be good for her. So he gathered all of his courage and asked:

"Raquel… this may sound strange, but… can I look at you?"

She frowned at him.

"You mean…?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Why?"

He kissed her.

"Because I would love to know every part of you."

She considered him. This was all turning out so much more intimate than Monica had led her to believe it would be – but it had all been so lovely so far that she was inclined to let him do whatever he wanted to do. She supposed that he was curious, just like she was curious about him.

"Alright", she smiled. "Go ahead."

"Thank you", he said earnestly, giving her another kiss before moving down.

She opened her legs wider so he could lie between them, feeling herself go a little red at baring herself so completely to another person – but this was Sergio, her Sergio, and she loved him. She pushed herself up on her elbows and watched his face closely, and she couldn't help but chuckle as he studied her intently.

"Are you looking for something?"

"Yes", he said, looking up. "Raquel, would you allow me to… to kiss you?"

She looked at him in amazement.

"There?"

"Yes."

"You… you want to put your mouth… there?"

The idea was so bizarre to her. He went a little red.

"I know it sounds strange. You can say no if you want to, I just… I would like to try something."

"Why?"

"I… I have reason to believe that it will feel good for you if… if I kiss you there. If you don't like it, I can stop immediately."

She remembered how it had felt when he kissed her neck, and then how it had felt the last time he had tried something and used his mouth on her nipple. Despite her misgivings, she felt a little thrill in her stomach at the memory of the sensations. Maybe it couldn't hurt to let him try another thing?

"Alright", she said carefully. "You can kiss me."

She held her breath as he lowered his head, then she shivered as he pressed his mouth against her. He pulled back.

"How does that feel?"

"Nice and warm", she said. "I like it."

"Can I do it again?"

"Yes", she whispered.

He pressed his mouth to her again, and this time, she felt to her surprise how he started exploring her with his tongue. She tensed for a moment, but the sensation was really lovely, so she relaxed again and let out a soft sound of contentment. Then, suddenly, his tongue hit a particular spot and she gasped.

"Oh!"

He looked up.

"Did that make you feel something?"

"Yes", she said, looking at him in surprise. "I'm… I'm not sure what… Could you do it again?"

He dipped his head and applied his tongue again, and she gasped a second time.

"Oh!"

He looked up at her again and she thought she could detect a hint of triumph in his smile.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes", she whispered, tense and breathless with anticipation now. She had no idea what was coming – all she knew was that she wanted nothing more than for him to use his tongue again.

He pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh, then he pressed his mouth to her again, and this time he didn't pull back. He felt around with his tongue until he found the right spot again, and when he applied more pressure, her eyes went wide and she drew in a sharp breath at the sudden stab of pleasure that went through her. He started moving his tongue in a steady rhythm, and the pleasure increased tenfold, making her fall back into the pillows, gasping, rendered helpless by the sensations he was evoking.

"Oh!" she gasped. "Oh Sergio, how… how are you doing that? Oh!"

She couldn't believe how good that felt, his tongue eliciting a deep, glowing tingling like nothing she had ever felt before, warm and golden and utterly delicious, and as he continued, she felt to her consternation like she had lost all control over her body. Involuntary moans were escaping from her lips as her back arched off the bed and her fingers clutched at the sheets, desperate for something to hold onto. She didn't think the pleasure could increase even more, but with every passing second it seemed to grow more and more intense until she was absolutely speechless. Oh, what was happening, how was he making her feel… this?

Soon her entire body was tensed, every muscle taut, her breathing fast and uneven, the movements of his tongue building a pressure inside of her until she thought she couldn't stand it anymore. Still he kept going, caressing the same spot over and over again, asking her a question she didn't know the answer to – until she did. When she tilted her hips, the pressure inside her suddenly crested and broke, and pleasure beyond anything she had ever experienced coursed through her, a fiery tingling radiating out from her core, and her hands tightened on the sheets, her head thrown back as she cried out his name. She was shaking uncontrollably while wave after wave broke over her, drawing more cries of ecstasy from her lips as the sensation consumed her completely. When it finally receded, it left her trembling and gasping and feeling more elated and more flustered than she had ever felt in her life.

He pulled back, and the next thing she knew he was next to her and took her in his arms, and she held on tight to him as she pressed her face against his chest. How? How had he undone her so completely?

"Oh my god", she whispered against his skin. "Oh my god, what… what was that?"

She looked up at him to see an expression of absolute delight on his face.

"You finished."

"Was… was that normal?"

"Yes", he smiled.

"Sergio, how did you do that?"

"Well", he said smugly, "you see, you have a button down there…"

"A what?"

"I don't know how else to call it. It appears that, with the right stimulation, it will bring you to… well, orgasm."

She blinked. She wasn't familiar with the term, but if there was a word for it, it couldn't be a unique phenomenon.

"Does… does that mean… you can do this again?"

He nodded.

"Yes, I think so."

Oh, life had never seemed so sweet – she was still tingling – the thought that she would experience that again was incredible. He was looking at her, smiling.

"Did you like it?"

In answer, she drew his head down and kissed him, over and over and over again until he was laughing.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

"Yes", she breathed, "yes, yes, yes. Oh, I can't believe how good that felt."

She shook her head in astonishment. Monica had told her it felt nice. Nice! They clearly needed to have a talk about the definition of that word. She had wanted him to come into her bedroom before, but she'd never suspected that it would be anything even remotely like this – she was rather glad she hadn't known, or the waiting would have been even worse. She shivered at the remembered sensation – oh, she didn't think she'd ever get over this – and she knew they weren't even done, she knew there was more to come still.

Sergio couldn't possibly feel more pleased. Her reaction had been beyond anything he could have hoped for, and he was so grateful for Jennie's advice now, because he knew he never would have figured this out on his own. He looked down at his wife, her face flushed, her eyes bright, her hair tousled on the pillow, and he couldn't help but kiss her because she was so wonderful. In every possible way, she was making him feel things he had never felt before – an aching tenderness that she had surrendered herself to him so willingly, so completely – a deep sense of wonder at the intimacy they were experiencing together – and a sweet, insistent longing to be even closer to her. He remembered the way her body had moved, the sounds she had made, and oh – he had never felt the kind of desire that he now felt for her, a yearning of such depth and intensity that it took his breath away.

And yet, when she looked up at him questioningly, he hesitated.

"Sergio… can we do it now?"

He saw nothing but anticipation in her eyes, but he hadn't forgotten what else he had heard in that brothel a year ago, and in the warm tenderness they had created together, he wanted to hurt her less than ever.

"Raquel… what if we waited a few days for that?"

She gave him a disappointed look.

"Why?"

"Because… because it's been so amazing so far, and I don't want to end this evening by hurting you."

She gave him a soft look and reached up a hand to stroke his cheek.

"I think you're focusing too much on that one thing", she said. "Won't it feel good for you?"

"I'm sure it will", he said, "but my pleasure isn't worth your pain."

She gave him a thoughtful look, and he could see that she was trying to find a way to express herself, so he let her think. Finally, she shifted closer to him and stroked his chest.

"Sergio… when you were a child, did you ever make a blood pact with someone?"

"Yes", he said, wondering where she was going with this. "My brother and I made a pact once when I was ten, though I don't remember what for."

"And you cut your hand to do it?"

"Yes."

"Why did you choose to deliberately hurt yourself to make a pact?"

"Because it strengthens the connection between… oh, I see what you mean."

She smiled at him.

"Yes. Don't you think this would strengthen our connection? Even if it hurt a little? Don't you think it would be very meaningful? Don't you think it would be worth it? Because I do."

Oh, she was so wonderful.

"But aren't you scared?" he whispered.

She gave him a sweet kiss.

"No", she whispered back. "I'm not scared, because I'm with you."

She left him speechless. He felt so honored by the trust she put in him, and he so wanted to live up to it. In the end, he realized, there was only one truth: he would do anything she asked of him. He bent his head and kissed her, softly, slowly, trying to convey through his kisses all the tenderness, all the love he felt for her. He just hoped she could feel it.

When he drew back, she looked up at him.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Yes", he replied, and she gave him a radiant smile and reached up to kiss him again.

"Will you take off the rest of your clothes, then?"

He swallowed – the thought of taking off his clothes in front of another person made him feel terribly vulnerable. But this was Raquel, this was the woman he loved, and she had shown herself to him so freely, she had allowed him to see her and touch her and witness her most intimate moments. With all the rest of the world, his dignity was of the utmost importance to him, but with her… being vulnerable seemed like such a beautiful thing.

So even though he could feel himself go red, he took off the rest of his clothes, then lay down next to her. He was a little worried about her reaction, but there was only curiosity in her eyes, perhaps mixed with a little surprise.

"Oh", she said. "That's not really what I expected. Though I'm not sure what I expected – Monica's description was very vague."

He couldn't help but smile. She looked very interested.

"Is it always like that?" she asked him.

"No", he said, a little embarrassed by the topic, but pleased that she felt comfortable enough to ask questions. "Usually it's… it's smaller, and soft."

"Can you show me?"

He let out an embarrassed chuckle.

"No, I have very little control over it."

"Why isn't it soft now?"

He looked at her.

"Because of you", he said softly. "Because you're close to me."

She looked up in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes", he whispered. "It means… it means I want you."

She gave him a bright smile.

"Well that's convenient. So that way I can tell if you want to…?"

He nodded.

"Yes. Raquel, do you know what will happen next?"

"Yes", she said. "That part Monica explained to me."

She gave him a tentative smile.

"Can I touch it?"

He swallowed, the mere thought of it making his heart beat faster.

"Yes", he whispered.

She reached down, and he closed his eyes as she touched him, running light fingers up and down his length. The feeling of it made shivers run down his spine, and his breathing accelerated as she explored him – oh, that felt so wonderful. Her tentative touches were sweet and exciting at the same time, making his desire flare until he was so hard it was almost painful.

"Does that feel good?" she asked him, and he nodded.

"Yes", he breathed. "Yes, so good."

She kept stroking him a little longer, until he had to push her hand away because he just couldn't stand it anymore.

She gave him a hopeful look.

"Now?"

He looked into her eyes.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes", she whispered, "yes, I'm ready."

He hadn't thought that he would ever be here, that he would ever want to do this with another person – something so private, something so incredibly intimate. But she had entered his life and turned it upside down, making him re-evaluate every conception he'd had about himself and his wants and needs – including this one. He had never felt comfortable with his body, had never seen it as anything other than a burden, but now it was so much more than that. It was a way to connect to her, a way to be close to her, a way to give and receive pleasure that he had never felt any desire for before – her kisses and her touch were sparking a fire inside of him that had never been lit, and an activity that had never held any appeal to him before was now an experience that he deeply wanted to share with her.

She let herself fall back into the pillows, a flutter in her stomach that was a little due to nerves, but mostly joy. It was finally happening – a year after their wedding, they were finally officially sealing their marriage. She felt this as a moment of great significance, a way to affirm their commitment to one another, and if it had to hurt a little, so be it. She opened her legs and he came to lie on top of her, and she sighed happily – oh, this was wonderful, lying skin to skin with him, the warmth and the weight of his body on hers an unexpected joy. She wrapped her arms around him and looked into his eyes, and though she saw a little apprehension there, there was also love, and a clear, open longing that struck an answering chord inside her. She was suddenly so glad they were doing this now, at this exact moment. If they had done it a year ago, she knew he would have felt terribly uncomfortable and it would have been horribly awkward, but now they loved each other so completely that it felt exactly right. Waiting a year had been hard, but in the end, she didn't regret it. They had needed that year to find each other.

He bent his head and pressed his lips to hers in the softest kiss, and she felt her body respond to his touch, to his nearness, to having him between her thighs. There was a longing deep inside of her, a sweet aching, an insistent hum of desire that was just begging to be satisfied. Yet she didn't want to rush things, she wanted them to take their time, so she responded to his soft kisses with equal tenderness, just enjoying this moment, reveling in the fact that, after all this waiting, it was here.

He drew back just a little and looked at her, his eyes so serious.

"Raquel", he said quietly, "I wouldn't want to do this with anyone but you. I love you."

There was such a warm glow in her chest as she caught his face between her hands and kissed him.

"I love you too."

They shared one more long, slow kiss, then he gave her a questioning look and she nodded breathlessly. He lifted himself a little and reached down, then guided himself to her.

"If it hurts too much", he said, "please tell me. We can stop at any time."

"Alright", she whispered, her heart beating fast. What would it feel like?

He exerted a gentle pressure and she felt how he entered her. There was some resistance and she drew in a breath as she felt a little discomfort, but then it was gone and he pressed in deeper, slowly, slowly filling her. The sensation was beyond anything she'd expected – a delicious pressure that glowed and tingled as he touched places that had never been touched before, producing a feeling so exquisite that she clutched at him, gasping.

He halted and gave her a look full of concern.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No", she gasped. "No, it feels… oh, it feels so good."

"Really?" he said, looking very relieved.

"Yes", she whispered. "Now don't stop. Please don't stop."

He pressed in deeper and the feeling intensified until she pressed her face against his shoulder and moaned.

"Raquel, are you sure…?"

"Yes", she breathed, so overwhelmed by the sensations that it was hard to speak. "Oh, Sergio. Oh!"

He pushed in the last inch, then stopped, and she closed her eyes and held on tight to him, reveling in the feeling of having him inside of her – a feeling so profound, so intimate, so utterly, utterly right.

"How does that feel?" he murmured.

"Wonderful", she whispered. "Just… so, so wonderful."

He had been so focused on her, so afraid of causing her pain, that he had barely registered anything outside of it, but at her words he felt the tension leave him, and in its absence, the most sublime sensations flooded him. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but nothing like this – the way she received him so completely, warm and soft beyond anything he could have imagined, enveloping him with a gentle pressure that felt almost unbearably good. He pulled back a little and carefully pushed in again, and the pleasure was so intense it made him gasp.

"Oh", he breathed. "Oh, Raquel."

He bent his head and kissed her, and when he pushed in again, she moaned softly against his lips, a sound that so clearly expressed her pleasure that he almost lost control of himself. He took a deep breath – he couldn't bear for it to be over yet, he wanted this to last, this perfect moment when the world was reduced to just the two of them, entirely wrapped up in each other as they were joined in rapture. He felt closer to her than he had ever dreamed of being to another person, and he never wanted this feeling to stop, this feeling of absolute connection, of utter and complete rightness.

They started rocking together, slowly and carefully at first, their arms around each other as he brushed his lips against hers, trying to feel out a rhythm that worked for them. Soon, they found it, and soft moans escaped her lips with every thrust, driving him to the very edge of his restraint. Her hands were in his hair, then on his shoulders and back – how he loved to feel her hands on him, how he loved it when she touched him, when she kissed him, how he loved being skin to skin with her. He had never suspected that anything could feel this good, that his body was capable of experiencing such pleasure, and he knew that it was happening because this wasn't just a physical experience, but a deeply emotional one as well, adding so many rich layers to the sensations.

As he kissed her, as he reveled in the feeling of being inside of her, as close to her as possible, he felt a pressure build and build. He knew once it was released, this would be over, so he held it off moment after moment, but finally he couldn't take it anymore. Her hands on his back made a shiver run down his spine, and suddenly he gasped as he felt himself tip over the edge and into absolute ecstasy. He buried his face in her hair and held her tight as the most exquisite sensation rushed through him, again and again, making him lose all sense of reality as he pushed in deeply one last time, and for one soft, golden moment, they were one.

She held him close as he caught his breath, enjoying the feeling of his weight on her, smiling blissfully as she pressed soft kisses to his cheek. She couldn't quite believe how wonderful it had been to share this with him, how good he had felt inside of her, how he had made her feel things she'd never even dreamed of, leaving her slightly out of breath in the best way, feeling dreamy and warm and more satisfied than she'd ever felt in her life. Then he lifted his head and looked at her with shining eyes.

"Raquel", he whispered. "That was… oh."

"Yes", she whispered back. "It really was."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes", she smiled. "Yes, perfectly."

He bent his head, and she stroked his hair as he kissed her, a soft, slow kiss that they sank into together, basking in the afterglow of the experience they had just shared, an experience that had transcended hopes and expectations and the very boundaries of personhood, forging an unbreakable connection between them, uniting them in a very real sense, pure and serene and beautiful. They kept kissing for a long time in the warm, glowing intimacy of this moment that belonged only to the two of them, just like they belonged only to each other. How he loved her. How she loved him.

Finally, he moved off of her to lie next to her on his side, and he opened his arms to invite her in. She cuddled up to him so they were chest to chest, her legs entwined with his, his arms around her, then she lifted her face so she could kiss him, feeling like her heart would burst. After all this time, they were finally truly husband and wife.

"Raquel", he murmured, "I'm so glad I could share this with you."

She nodded. "Me too."

Then she looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"When can we do it again?"

He laughed.

"I'll need a little time to recover, I'm afraid."

"How much time?"

"At least half an hour. But aren't you sore?"

"Just a little sensitive."

He gave her an earnest look.

"I really think we should wait until tomorrow to do it again. It might start hurting otherwise."

She sighed, but she supposed that he was right. Then she gave him a close look.

"You do want to do it again, right?"

"Yes", he whispered, bending his head to kiss her. "More than anything."

She couldn't be happier as she kissed him back.

"Who would have thought we'd be here tonight?" she murmured.

"I dreamed of holding you", he whispered. "Every night, for so long. I can't believe you're in my arms now."

"I'm so glad you kissed me."

"I should have done it months ago."

They kissed again, long, slow kisses they could really sink into, caressing each other with gentle hands.

"Raquel", he finally whispered. "This was the best day of my life."

She nodded her agreement, unable to speak as her throat suddenly felt tight. He continued softly:

"I never thought I was meant for this. I wanted to spend my life alone. I was such a fool. You have made me so much happier than I ever thought I could be, you've made my life so much better."

A tear trickled down her cheek and he kissed it away.

"Thank you for marrying me, Raquel. Thank you for seeing something in me that I didn't even see myself."

She lifted her face and kissed him, kissed him, kissed him. Then they leaned their foreheads together and just held each other close, talking softly about fate, about the past and the future, about things worth waiting for. And through it all, whispered over and over again in ears and against lips: I love you, I love you, I love you.

The night was long and it was theirs, and they filled it with kisses and soft caresses, with warmth and tenderness and joy. Neither of them wanted to sleep, unwilling as they were to waste a single moment now that they were finally together – they had to make up for lost time, after all. The candles were burned down to the wick and the grey light of morning started creeping through the window by the time she sighed and said:

"I suppose we should get some sleep."

"Yes", he murmured, "I suppose we should."

"Can I sleep in your arms?"

"Yes please", he whispered.

He turned onto his back and she nestled herself against him, her arm across his chest, one leg over his, her head in the hollow of his shoulder. They fit together as if they were made for each other.

"Hold me a little tighter", she whispered, then she sighed with bliss as he tightened his arms around her. "Yes, perfect. Now don't let go."

"My love", he whispered against her hair. "My love, believe me. I'm never letting you go again."