Work Text:
Dorothea is soaring, arms outstretched and fingertips dancing through the night sky. The starlight fills her eyelids, her veins, her very soul. The rush and exhilaration take her breath away, then send her back down to earth.
Instead of plummeting at breakneck speed, she descends into a pool of warmth, filling her and surrounding her with a joy she is coming to accept. Her senses return to her one by one. She feels Ferdinand first; his legs feel so soft underneath hers. His arms hold her against him, tenderly and lovingly. She hears him next, already whispering passionate declarations of unwavering devotion, praises of her unmatched beauty, and nearly crying over his elation at calling her his wife. He smells like tea leaves and the soup they ate for dinner.
When she finally opens her eyes, she can take in the wonderful scene in all its glory. Ferdinand is handsome–the most handsome man she has ever met–and his smile is so radiant, it brightens the candlelit room as in midday. “Dearest Dorothea,” he leans into her and rests his chin on her chest, “my deepest and truest love,” he kisses underneath her collarbone, “your elegance humbles me.” His hands dance up her back, and he slides his lips underneath her chin. “To hear you call me husband grants me unparalleled bliss.”
Dorothea steadies herself in his lap, then reaches down to cup his face in her hands. “Then, my charming husband,” she draws his face up towards hers and kisses him gently. He tastes like their dinner, too. “Please indulge me,” she whispers against his lips. “Let me take pleasure in being your wife for just a little while longer.”
He cannot answer when she kisses him so deeply, but he tightens his arms around her back, and she relaxes in his gentle embrace of boundless affection.