thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end Who: Emmeline & William Rothschild. What: Em and Will's wedding night. Where: New York. When: Around ~150 years ago. Warnings: NC-17. Progress: Gdoc, complete.
Cora walked through the doorway into William's small apartment, removing the bobby pins that held her veil in place. She had wanted to hold the door open for him, but he had insisted that she walk through first -- he couldn't carry her, but there would at least be some observance of proprietary now that they were man and wife.
The ceremony had been small, with a town hall officiant and a clerk from Will's law office to witness the event. Compared to her first marriage, which had more pomp and circumstance and money to foot the bills, Cora loved the tiny affair she and William had shared. It was all the more special for the fact that it was truly between them -- an agreement between man and wife and God, as it was truly intended to be. She was still in the simple, off-white gown she'd managed to find and purchase at the last minute; it covered her from top to bottom, including sleeves and a bit of lace that wrapped around her throat.
Her gaze lingered on the space before her; a simple sitting room with a couch and two chair clustered around a coffee table were all that the room boasted. No pictures, no flowers, no pillows, nothing to make it seem homey. On the right the room turned into a small kitchen with basic appliances; to the left were two doorways, one she assumed the wash room and the other the bedroom. It was certainly larger than the studio she'd been living in alone above her shop. She wondered for a moment what they'd do with the shop, but then pushed the thought out of her mind as William closed the door behind them. She turned, a smile gracing her face as the sight of him in his Sunday best came into sight.
"I love it, William, but we'll have to do something about the decorating. I don't know how you can live here with nothing cheery to come home to." She took a few steps forward, taking his hat and helping him with his coat to hang on the coat rack next to the door, already making herself useful and at home.
William couldn’t help but grin. All day he had been grinning, so much so that his cheeks had begun to ache from the happy expression. “Well, that will be your part,” he replied, moving forward with his trusty cane to catch up to Cora as she finished placing the coats on the rack. He let the cane fall to lean against the wall which was a hand-reach away, and used his two free hands to catch his wife and grab her hips, spinning her around to face him he gazed into her pretty eyes.
“You can give it your feminine touch. I’ve never been much good at that -- needlepoint and what not. You should have seen the patchwork I did on my clothes while I was with the regiment.” He leaned down to kiss her, excited to feel her lips on his own.
Her hands came up to cup his face, palms rubbing against his beard as their mouths met. Already this marriage was so much different from her first, and she felt lightheaded. Her head canted to the side, lips pressed to his, until she pulled back as the room seemed to spin. Her hands settled on his shoulders, smoothing down his suit jacket.
"I have to admit, I'm not much good either, but we'll see what I can do," she replied, the smile on her face matching the fervor of the one on his. She glanced down, her eyes trailing over his face to his clothes and back up, feeling comfortable in his arms but uncertain of what to do next. "Are you still hungry, or should we get ready for bed...?"
William’s smile turned wicked and he gathered Cora closer to his body. “Well,” he whispered against her hair, his breath going down her neck. “I haven’t many provisions for food and I’m an awful cook. But I did my fair share on the field; perhaps you could teach me how to cook more eloquent dishes? Alas, I’ve only bought bread and cheese.” He motioned to the corner of the cooking area where a sturdy barrel stood, holding contents within that were hidden from any heat to spoil them. “Perhaps we can have it as a bit of a snack and then shop for better food provisions later?”
He stepped away from Cora and took his cane with one hand, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as he slowly began to move toward the bedroom. Her arm immediately wrapped about his middle, her muscles already well-trained in remembering to help support his frail form. “But, if you are willing, we could retire for a bit first. What do you think, Cora?” He paused his movements and squeezed his eyes shut. “Emmeline,” he said softly, looking at his wife and sounding out the name slowly on his tongue. “I’m sorry.”
Her head dipped in acknowledgement. "Thank you for remembering. I know it'll take some adjustment, but... This is our new life. And I'm afraid I've never been much of a cook, either, but I think we can figure that out together." She pressed into him, the smell and feel of him helping to both steady and make her mind loose from its moorings. "It fits me better, don't you think? You can call me Em, if that's simpler. It'll fit wonderfully on advertisements for my new business, once that's working."
She looked away from him to the doorway that led to the bedroom -- their bedroom. She glanced back to Will. "And I do feel quite tired after the day's events. We accomplished so much."
“Then we should go rest,” William replied, moving forward again to the bedroom. It was a decent size with two windows that let in afternoon sunshine. They had been opened before William left that morning and he had carefully made the bed so the room was tidy and filled with fresh air. Curtains hung from the windows, white and glowing as they stirred in the breeze. The bed was large enough for two -- a purchase William had made in recent weeks -- with small night stands on each side. On one night stand sat a glass with a single flower in it. A hurricane lamp sat atop a bureau, unlit but ready for the evening, and a braided rug covered the wooden floor just enough that there was something warm and soft to place bare feet upon in the early morning hours. Between the two windows, there was a basin to wash ones face, but otherwise it was a simple room with little personality -- much like the rest of the apartment.
“There’s room before the bed for a trunk for your gowns,” William pointed out as he parted from Cora--Emmeline--and walked into the room. “I can purchase another hurricane lamp if you’d like. And I know there isn’t much here, we can brighten the room as well. And you have your choice of the side of the bed, whichever you prefer. The flower doesn’t designate that you should sleep there.” He nodded at the flower in the glass. He had picked it for her that morning and thought she would find it a gentle surprise when coming to their marital bed.
His tour over, he turned back to his wife and realized he felt nervous of her reaction and what was to follow. So he waited, silently, to see if she approved. Her eyes roved over the simple room, hands and arms still entwined with Will's. Emmeline was touched to see the small things he had done to make her more comfortable.
"It's lovely, William. I'll have to have my things sent over; for now I just have this one dress." She carefully loosed herself from Will, taking a few steps over to the window to glance out. The sun was bright and warm on her face, making her feel all the more that she'd made the right decision. She turned and smiled back at her new husband, happy for what the future had in store for them both. The sunlight outlined her form, and she walked back through the room to take his hands in hers. "If we don't have anywhere to be, though, I don't think that will be too much of a problem." Using his grip, she pulled herself toward him, tilting her head up to his.
“Then may I show you to our bed?” William murmured, leaning forward to kiss the side of Emmeline’s neck. “May I help you out of your dress, Mrs. Rothschild?” He asked, daring to run his hands down her ribs and along the curve of her hips. Emmeline shivered beneath his touch, but didn't shy away.
"Yes, I believe you can," she murmured against his lips, starting to pull him back toward the large bed. Her hands reached backward to start unbuttoning the tens of buttons that held her inside the garment; she could reach the ones at the small of her back, but the rest would be difficult to undo alone. William moved around her skirts and placed his cane against the edge of the bed. Standing firmly on two legs, he turned back to Emmeline.
“Turn around, I’ll get the other buttons,” he said softly, his voice inviting as he reached to her and urged her to show her back. The buttons went from below her lower back and straight up to her neck. Tiny, little pearl-like buttons that were hard to undo but he worked at them dutifully. He didn’t move to help her step out of the dress, knowing that the cloth would only bunch around his feet and cause him to lose balance, but he was eager to help none the less. She stood before him in an off-white bodice, underskirts still wrapping around her legs. His eyes stared at her emerging form from the dress and already felt his arousal at the sight of her bare arms and neck.
“Would you like me to help you with your corset?” He asked her, although he was staring at her frame. Emmeline turned about, feeling lighter for the loss of the garment. She stepped over the dress, stepping on the skirts as she moved closer to her husband, her hands reaching out to take his and wrap them around her form.
"Is that what you want? You're my husband, Will; it's your choice." Her breasts rose and fell gently against the strict binding, hands on his as she moved them to the small of her back.
William pulled his gaze from her chest and met her eyes. “It’s your choice, too,” he whispered, his brows furrowing. It was expected for husbands to rule with an iron fist but William found he didn’t feel comfortable with that mentality. He found he enjoyed Emmeline’s opinion and ability to make her own choices -- it gave a sense of surprise.
“I hear they’re a bit of a pain,” he admitted, his smile soft. “But I haven’t much experience with helping a woman into one or taking it off her.” The only experience William had with women in general involved bar maids while he was with his regiment and they often didn’t wear corsets; it was one more thing to remove and replace in small back rooms.
He reached forward and allowed his fingertips to trail down her cheek. “You’re my wife, tell me what to do.”
Emmeline kept his arms pulled around her for a moment, before dropping her hands from his. Nimble fingers went to his shirt buttons, plucking them up and undoing them in sharp, slow movements that revealed parcels of skin down his front. Once his shirt was hanging from his arms, she let her hands smooth over his young flesh, her head tilting up to grab at his mouth. Palms slid over skin, moving from his chest downward, and stopping just above his pants. She pulled back from the kiss enough to pridefully smile, her eyes flicking up to meet his gaze. "How's that?"
“Good,” he replied, grinning. His face was flushed, not entirely out of embarrassment--although that lended a hand a little bit, he hadn’t been without clothing in front of anyone since he was in the hospital. He shook his arms free of his shirt sleeves and draped the shirt over the edge of the bed. Standing now only in his trousers, he grinned at Emmeline.
She still had her corset on and under that, her petticoat that hung down to her feet. Somehow, he felt they were still uneven and he quickly moved his hands to his belt. Undoing it, he pulled the belt free from his trousers before working on the pants and dropping them to the floor. Now he stood nearly naked as the day he was born--all that was left were the long johns and his socks. “Now we’re quite even. Turn about, Emmeline, I’ll get to work on your corset.” He grinned wolfishly, his hands already reaching for her small hips and urging her to turn. This was surprisingly easy so far, being underdressed in front of her for the first time, but he assumed if he thought of that for long he’d begin to get nervous and there was no time for that right now, not when Emmeline was there before him and he was allowed to touch her and enjoy her as only a husband could.
Following her husband's urgings, Emmeline spun slowly and carefully under his touch; she glanced over her shoulder, watching him out of her peripheral vision.
William’s hands quickly went to work but after trying to lessen the lengths of string that bound the corset for a little bit, he paused. “God these are miserable to wear, aren't they?” He murmured, hands passing down Emmeline’s bare arms before he began plucking at the strings and loosening it all until it hung around her form. “You know, in our household with no visitors, I wouldn’t be against your never wearing these.”
Emmeline's hands came up to hold the bodice in place even as it was loose enough to fall away. She turned about in William's arms, keeping herself close. "But that would be improper, Will," she teased, one hand freeing itself enough to run fingers up his chest. "Would you want your wife running around the house half dressed?" Slowly, her other hand let go of the bodice and let it fall to the floor with the rest of her clothes. Bare before him, her hands reached up to tangle fingers in his hair, pulling his mouth -- along with turning his gaze downward -- to hers.
A flush of heat ignited his body. He kissed her hard, his hands finding their way to her bare hips and trailing over her stomach. He had lain with women before, but they had been paid for and nothing remarkable. He heard to lay with a wife was something else, but now he was seeing what that all meant. His body was alive and sensitive to how close she was, her scent, her nudity. It was like he could feel her there without touch, without sight.
He roughly pulled at his undergarments, freeing his already burgeoning arousal. But he didn't move, not yet. He would have to be careful to step out of his clothing so as not to lose balance and fall. He cursed his injury for creating the note of worry even as his hands and his mouth went back to her. “I would love,” he breathed between kisses, “to have you improper and half dressed. But only when we are alone and shut the world out. Only for each other.”
She smiled into his kiss, the expression fleeting as the warmth of him made her mind spin. She brought her hands down from his head, to his hands on her body, and gently led him to the bed. Careful, slow movements took them the few feet across the floor to the mattress, where she slid onto her back, pulling him down to her. A slight tremor took her limbs, but she pushed it away as she focused on him, his heat, and the ache between her legs that demanded more.
William cringed as he kneeled on the bed, feeling the stiff pain of his injury fully from the sudden change in position of his leg, but quickly he tried to smother the pain and focus on Emmeline laying beneath him.
She was beautiful and he still was shocked that she was his. He looked her over for a moment, his face bright with excitement and love, and before long he found his mouth on her neck, then her shoulder, playfully biting at her pale skin while he pressed his hips against the parting of her legs, not yet ready to push himself in her, not until she seemed fully ready.
Emmeline wrapped herself around him, her legs to his hips and her arms to his shoulders. Her neck stretched back, a small moan breaking on her lips. She loved that he was gentle and slow, taking pains to ensure her pleasure beyond his own.
"Oh, Will." She hooked a leg around his backside. "I want you. Please." Her hands went back to his hair, pulling his head up to bring his gaze and mouth to hers.
He grinned into their kiss and pulled his head back, studying her eyes as he shifted on his knees. A twinge of pain made the pleasure fleetingly disappear from his face but quickly he recovered before pressing against her. He brushed over the outside of her, feeling the heat from her, then slipped in and pushed forward to truly, deeply, connect with her. Her hips rose to meet him, her fingers tightening their grip on his back as he penetrated her.
He sighed and remained motionless for a moment to savor their connection. A smile and a bashful turn of his face into her neck. But he kissed her there and led his lips back to hers. “Are you alright, Cora?” He cringed “Jesus, I mean Emmeline. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head, strands of hair slashing across her vision. One hand released itself to brush it back, then cupped his face. "You don't have to say anything. Just make love to me." She traced her nails back through his hair, pulling his face down to hers as her leg cinched tighter around his hips to hold him deep inside her warmth. Slowly, Em moved her hips, encouraging the same motion in him.
William moved to match her and it felt sensational. Blended into the pleasure was a spike of pain, his old war wound ever present even in the smallest and most intimate of moments. William tried to ignore it, rolling his hips forward as he pressed into Emmeline again. They picked up a slow rhythm, but instead of working through the pain, it only grew.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted, pausing to rest on his elbows as he hovered over her small body. Looking down at Emmeline, his expression gave away the true embarrassment and pain he was feeling. “I haven’t..." he began, letting out a breath and licking at his lips.
William squeezed his eyes closed. Tears stung his eyes behind his lids; he was less than a man, unable to perform the most basic of husband duties. Memories of the war haunted him always; even when he managed to escape his demons, the damn injury was always there to remind him. “This is the first time since the hospital… I...I’m struggling...”
Em made a soothing sound, her hands buried in his hair. Thumbs traced the outline of his cheekbones as she sought a way to comfort him. She could not deny her own frustration; the jolting starts and stops were not what she had experienced with Richard, but at least he had been consistent. She was not, however, going to say that to the man she'd just married, especially not while he was still inside her.
"What if..." She bit her lower lip, carefully choosing her words. "What if we switched? You can sit on the bed, against the pillows, and I'll...I can do it." She wasn't sure if she was hurting his pride all the more with such a suggestion, but the simple fact of it was that she'd waited all this time. If there was a way for her to have him, she would find it. "I just want you, Will. But I don't want you to hurt."
William studied Emmeline’s face, his brow furrowed. He felt like he was letting her down, that he couldn’t perform the barest of functions as a husband, and he felt ashamed. But she seemed willing at the very least to try, to continue to consummate the marriage, and that made him glad of her. “Only until I heal more?” He asked, his voice a whisper as if speaking any louder would admit his faults to the world. “Perhaps… perhaps with practice. I haven’t had much use to move my legs like this in the past year…” He frowned. He was willing to try this new position--one he had honestly never done before--but he still felt that he was wronging her in some way.
Emmeline nodded. "I want you like this, just...for now, we'll try it the other way." She felt Will pull himself from her, and with her assistance, moved enough to lay down on the bed. She sat up, her young limbs making it easy to twist into a kneeling position at his side. With the help of his good leg and his arms, she helped him scoot up the bed enough to rest against the pillows; his constant grimaces told her enough to dash any worries of having married an invalid. She hated to see him in such pain.
"Are you comfortable?" She asked as she straddled his legs, moving awkwardly and timidly as she entered the new position. If she were honest, aside from the uncertainty, she found herself excited; Will carefully placed against the pillows, nude for her pleasure, his beautiful eyes watching her. She could feel her heart beat double time as she came to straddle his pelvis, his wet erection felt more than seen between her legs. Her face hovered close to his for a moment, palms cupping his cheeks as she assessed his state of being before moving forward.
Settled against the pillows with the weight of his body off of his leg, he did feel better. The pain disappeared quickly and he was back to normal. It had been so much worse when he first met Emmeline -- then Cora -- and he had improvements but it was still embarrassing.
“Yes,” he replied, “thank you.” He looked away from her face and felt a jolt of pleasure. She sat there straddling him, nude, and he could see so much more of her now than while hovering over her. This new position already had its ups.
His hands found their way to her pale thighs and squeezed them. He pulled at them, urging her to go up on her knees so she could lower herself onto him and they could join again. “If it's alright,” he said, glancing up at her again, “I'm ready.”
She smiled, leaning in to kiss him again. One hand broke away from his face, down to his member; spreading her legs a little wider, she angled him up and carefully pushed him into her entrance. Her movements were slow but not hesitant as she pressed him deep inside her, her forehead touching his. For a moment she sat impaled on his lap, her mouth taking his once more as a small pink tongue traced the outline of his teeth. Then she carefully rolled her hips, testing the waters. She pulled her face back enough to watch his expression, watching for any sign of pain.
William grinned, arms wrapped around her small frame. He palmed her backside; he lifted her before pressing her back down again, pulling a shuddering sound from her throat. Emmeline grasped at his shoulders, rolling her hips with his movements. She muttered under her breath, but her mouth was more inclined to press his, her body tight against his chest.
His own groans echoed back and entwined with hers; the new position put her tighter around him, and he pushed deeper than before. His hands likewise found new positions, one cupping her breasts and running thumbs over her nipples while the other held her close against him as he leaned forward to meet her lips. His jaw traced down from her mouth to her neck, and Emmeline tilted her head back as he gently tongued the sensitive flesh there. A hand ran up the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine as her nails gently raked through and tangled in his hair. She began to rock on him, swaying gently and carefully atop him in slow gyrations.
"Oh my God, Will," she shuddered, her brow knit with the pleasure she felt echoing through her body. Compared to Richard's rough treatment of her, this was heaven. Will's gentle handling of her, his exploration of her form, and the reverence that he attended to her with made her head spin. "God, kiss me." She pulled his head back up, one hand fitting to his jaw as she directed his mouth to hers, pressing lips and teeth and tongue to his as she thrust into his mouth. Warmth, youth, and excitement rose up to meet her as she pressed her want into him.
William kissed Emmeline deeply, his free hand going to the back of her head and tangling in her hair. She had worn it up for the ceremony but was already coming undone. The undressing of her in every way, no clothing, her hair a mess, would've made him hard on its own but now it only drove his passion further. His tongue searched her mouth and ran along her teeth as a groan rolled up her throat and spilled out. He felt like he could do this forever, although his body was already tensing up and indicating otherwise.
“I love you,” he moaned against her lips.
"I love you," she breathed into him, the rocking of her hips growing in intensity as she neared her own climax. She reached a hand out to the headboard for stability, panting mixed with whimpers escaping from her mouth as pleasure mounted. Em pressed her lips to his again, head canting to the side as hair slid down and across her back. "Oh my God," she said again, repeating the phrase over and over again as she orgasmed, surprise and ecstasy written across her face as she came.
Her cries in his ear, her body tightening around his cock as she orgasmed, was the final push for William to lose control. He came in her with a hot spurt, holding her close against himself. He bit gently into her shoulder to muffle his own cries. “Oh God,” he murmured, his brow glistening with sweat as he leaned back and looked at Emmeline with the drunk expression of pleasure. “Hello, wife,” he said, a laugh escaping his mouth as he reached to brush a damp strand of hair back from her face.
A smile spread across her face as she remained leaned into him, her breath still coming hot and fast. "I...I didn't know it could feel like that," she said, her words broken apart by her pants. "Oh my God, I love you, Will." She pressed her face into his, arms threading around his shoulders as her mind grappled with what had just happened. Feeling her racing heart calm, she rose and pulled him from her, rolling to the side to land on the blanket. She tugged at Will's arm to pull him along with her, wanting his warm body close.
He laughed and rolled over, throwing a leg over hers and snuggling by her side. He kissed her cheek and beamed at her. “I love you, Emmeline,” he replied, remembering her new name. “Emmeline Rothschild, it’s quite nice,” he murmured, burying his face into her neck and allowing his beard to tickle her shoulder. He looked up, his smile softening. “Happy wedding day, my love.”
She smiled down at him, the fingers of one hand trailing down his cheek. If this was how things were to start, she could only envision a bright future for them both -- one that would begin her ascendency back into her much-missed limelight, with Will supporting her along the way. Em leaned forward to kiss her new husband again, pressing her form to his as they lay entangled on their wedding bed.