First night: Chapter 1 (And only)

She took another long drink from the glass, and set it down by the bedside table, swallowing slowly in order to ease her anxiety.

She was having little success.

Her heart was still beating way too quickly for her own liking as she sat at the edge of the King-sized bed; and for some reason it felt as if she may fall off any moment.

This is the day.

Or rather, the night, the first night they are going to spend together legally.

And literally.

Her face got hotter at that thought, and she fanned herself fervently, trying to relief some of the heat. Lacus told her that maybe a glass of champagne or two should help her to relax and of course, well, perform…

She gulped involuntarily, and pulled her bathrobe snug about herself.

She looked yearningly in the direction of the sounds of water flowing; half wanting to run away, half wanting him to come out right now and get it done and over with so that she will stop feeling so…so scared.

She had always taken it for granted that when the two of them were together in one room, it would naturally feel comfortable. She will just be glad to sit in the same room as him, and forget the world. And that the two of them felt as if they have been friends since they were born. Only they were not friends, neither were they siblings, he was far more important than that.

He is the person whom she had chosen to entrust her all.

He, in turn, had said two words to her and her alone.

I do.

Those words were so simple, yet it shone and glimmered with an undying, eternal hope. As he looked into her eyes and said those two words, she felt her heart being set ablaze, and she thought she could fly.

Now she did not feel quite the same.

The person there in the afternoon did not know better. The person in the afternoon who stood in front of the altar was in love, the person now still is; she just did not know how to make some more.

She had never done it before.

Sure, she checked up on books and asked for advice from her girl-friends who have had experience, (she even read magazine about various strange techniques). But it did not feel enough, and she knew that nothing could prepare her for the moment no matter how much she researched about it. No one had taught her, and she doubted if this sort of art can be taught…

First times are special.

She prayed that she will not blow it.

She had never learnt how to please a man, and never bothered to, it just did not seem imperative in her line of work. She could read and type 20-page documents in under 30minutes, but this?

Now it seems that the sun might not rise tomorrow morning if she could not do it right.

She took a deep breath, and the faint, seductive scent of rose petals filled her nostrils. Her hand subconsciously rested on her chest. After a moment's thought, she gently gripped the soft, fluffy part of her loose collar and parted the fabric a little.

Hesitantly, she looked down.

"Looking for something?"

She almost jumped out of her skin as she hastily pulled her clothing back in place.

"No."

His approach was so silent and stealthy that she did not even hear him, curse Coordinators and all their athletic ability, and strangely she began to wonder if those same abilities applied in bed. A blush crept up her cheek, aided by the damn alcohol.

He only smiled thinly at her obvious denial.

She felt blood rushing to her face. And she wondered how this guy ever ended up with her. He has a smile that could cause traffic accidents and make lovebirds fall off their perches at them same time.

He sat down beside her, close enough for her to smell him. It was a masculine and invigorating scent, and it radiated off his skin, particularly his neck and collar bone where Cagalli secretly half-wished for the bathrobe not to cover.

"What cologne are you wearing?" She questioned, half out of genuine curiosity, half to stall time for some unknown reasons. "You smell…delicious."

He looked at her as if his handsome features didn't really know how to arrange themselves.

"I didn't wear any."

"Oh."

"…Nervous?" Athrun asked as he took a short glance at the empty glass and half bottle of champagne.

Cagalli merely gave him a pained look, 'Do I have to answer?'.

"…Me too." He admitted slowly, and let out a breath that she did not realize he had been holding. It made her feel a little better, but just slightly.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"…What do you mean?"

"If both of us are going to sit here for the whole night being scared, then nothing's gonna happen... right?" She stated plainly, half disappointed, half relieved.

"Right." He agreed, then quietly, he interlaced his fingers through hers. And with a smile reminding Cagalli of a vampire, he whispered mischievously into her ear.

"But I'm not scared."

He reeled her in for a kiss, their lips met, squishing their noses a little.

It was a gentle, curious contact at first, like two children exploring a place they have never been before; then grew steadily bolder, hungrier, and more passionate. It bellied desire, and promised love.

She found her arms wrapping around his head, pulling him to her; and she annealed her lips to his. His hands roamed, from the back of her neck to her collarbone. His movements were urgent, almost rough, yet oddly gently.

She did not find the intimacy uncomfortable; for it was inviting curiously inviting, and it made her feel good.

"Cagalli."

He pushed her onto the bed, it was more like a shove. And she realized that their bodies were intertwined, skin against skin. His hands began to gently and quickly peel off her clothes, easing the fabric off her shoulders and kissing the snowy, smooth skin raw. His lips, moist, soft and scorching, kissed her neck in a most curious and delightful way.

"The lights…" she whispered breathlessly, while clumsily helping him ease her arm out of her sleeve.

"What about it?" he questioned shortly, seemingly impatient to return to whatever mischief he was up to. The way he looked at her made her heart stop, and almost silenced her, almost.

"Turn it off…"

He made a face that showed somewhere between irritation and loving longing, then allowed his hand time leave long enough to flick off the switch on the tableside lamp.

To get her revenge, she stroked deliberately and slowly down the space behind his ear, slightly harder than necessary, and he purred in delight. Her hands reached to untie his belt, when she finally managed to slip it off, he snatched it from her grasp and threw it onto the floor.

She reached into his collar and stroked his muscular chest, then began undressing him in earnest. Her fingers moved almost on their own accord, slipping through every crevice found between the cloth and his hot and velvety smooth skin. Sometimes he responded to her touch, and other times he shied away. Sometimes she accidentally tickled him. There was a strange heat, an odd intensity that pooled in her body. It made her feel hot and a little dizzy, and she wondered if it were the alcohol kicking in.

"Cheater..." He whispered after he had finally pulled off her bathrobe, only to find one more layer beneath.

She bit back a nervous chuckle, "Take it as a little challenge, eh?" She replied, "I feel rather exposed out here..."

"You are wearing way too much." He rebutted as he took a closer look at the forest green lace brassiere, in a way that made Cagalli fell like he could see right through the opaque fabric.

"You didn't choose this." He commented.

"Right. it was L…"

"No." He silenced her reply by pulling her thigh towards him, parting her legs to allow him access. "Don't tell me."

She half frowned, "Then do you know how to get it off?"

"If I knew you'd have been naked by now." Athrun replied sacarstically, as if he decided he was pleased by the situation.

"I'll give you a hint."

With one smooth motion she rolled over and held him down to the bed by pressing herself against him. She could feel him hide a gasp of surprise, and the pace of his heart quickened beneath her ear. She curled up comfortably, and lifted both arms to cup his face. She turned to look at him, arching like a cat.

"This way…"

He seemed the understand, or maybe he chose to feign ignorance by deliberately taking his time in stroking his hands down her arms, along the side of her body, in a way that caused Cagalli to feel a stir in the depths of her body. His palms never left her skin, then slowly made their way up and onto her back.

His fingers moved agilely, and before she knew it, the whole piece had come loose and hung slightly off her shoulders. The cups detached from her skin, and as she felt cold air rush in she could not help but do as her primary instinct of self protection dictates.

She rolled off him and used her hands to clutch the brassiere to her chest.

Athrun came upon her then, as if fueled by her mild protest. Her eyes widened slightly as bottom piece was slipped off her thighs in the matter of seconds. His lips and hands were guiding her, coaxing her to drop her arms around her chest.

Warning signals came from the back of her brain now, they were treading too close to the line. And if it goes on they would step over the boundaries and fall off the cliff. But she longed to ignore those instincts and wanted to obey her will. She was hungry for him.

She wanted him, more than she ever wanted anyone. She wanted him to belong to her, it might be selfish and may hurt him in ways that she cannot predict, but she did not care. Her body groaned and trembled with a mixture of fear and excitement as his hands held down her shoulders.

It was then Athrun frowned, and asked tensely.

"Cagalli…?"

She did not answer, she could not. Her body was immobile, she could only stare myopically at his face.

He pulled away from her, the action was quick but gentle, yet to her it felt like a violent jerk. It felt like utter rejection, and she allowed her confusion to show on her face. As if asking, 'Why?"'

Athrun looked at her, slightly winded, and shook his head uncertainly.

"You're trembling…" He whispered, half to himself. His breathing came out in a rush.

"I can't…Not when you're shaking like that…"

It seemed to be taking all of his self-control to hold her at arms length, and it looked as if he really wanted to hold her.

"It feels like rape…"

"I…" She struggled to reply, and wishing that she did not have to. She was still scared, very. But strangely she very much wanted him to continue too.

Her body shivered as she became awfully conscious of the fact that she was almost unclothed, and she absentmindedly gripped the bathrobe that lay strewn under her.

Athrun's voice was low and clearly disappointed as he whispered, "I won't force you."

"You can't rape your wife." She stated as she touched his face, her fingers stroking down from his temples, tracing a line on his lips and attempted a brave smile. She pulled him closer, such that the tip of their noses was touching, and whispered teasingly as she wrapped her bare arms around his neck in a way she hoped was enticing. Finally letting go of the final piece of fabric on her person, though it lay sandwiched between their bodies.

"Are you a man or not?"

He frowned.

"You've saved your damsel in distress countless times, swore a ridiculously long oath and said two words that meant eternal bondage, and now you're letting go of the prize?"

He smiled a mirthless smile, "I can always try again tomorrow night."

"But I don't want tomorrow night." She replied, and it was almost a demand, and it sounded a lot braver than she felt.

He looked at her uncertainly, studying her, looking like an unwanted puppy.

And she whispered into his ear.

"…Kiss me…"

He looked surprise, but not unpleasantly so.

"Not scared?"

"I…" She replied hesitantly, "…Of course I'm scared, but…" She could not continue, and tears started gathering in her honey-coloured orbs. Athrun gasped, and very nearly panicked. "…Cagalli?"

"…Don't…don't ask…" she begged him softly. She held back her tears and her arms wrapped tightly around him, embracing her young husband.

It was quiet, quiet enough for Cagalli to hear Athrun's heart beating against her breastbone, in a strong and steady rhythm quite unlike her own. Close enough for her to take in his scent, close enough to feel his hot breaths on her cheek. Just for that moment; she felt safe and secure.

"Promise me…that…we'll always be together…" She requested as she kissed his ear.

He nodded after a moment.

"I swore eternal bondage, didn't I?" He mused quietly, an unfamiliar tinge of mockery in his voice. And then he added in a more serious tone, "…I'll protect you no matter what happens." He kissed her, and nibbled playfully on her ear.

"Say it again then, for me."

"I love you, Cagalli."

She smiled, and whispered his name in a soft, unhurried voice. "…Athrun."

Their lips met again. This time there was an unmistakable, raw and wild desire that poured from that one kiss. Simply put, it was anything but chaste. He held her to himself as if yearning that by some means, two flesh could cleave to become one. The mere touch of his skin was exhilarating. And his hands roamed from her neck to shoulder, then to places where no other has ever gotten the permission to touch. It was so dark she could hardly see what he was doing, but she felt his fingers caress the inside of her thigh, then as she resisted instinctively, his lips came, and strangely they managed to disarm her defenses. It were as if his lips had silently promised to be gentle with her.

"You really want me?" Cagalli whispered one final time, he got up slightly to gaze at her, then nodded without hesitation.

"Then I'm yours."

He smiled, her heart fluttered in delight, and he must have known how he was affecting her when he peeled the lingerie off with his teeth and kissed her heart.

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This is a one-shot, no questions about it( whatever goes on after this part is not publishable anyway). I wrote it for fun, and I hope you guys like it! This happened after destiny and before 'I Believe', and I think it is important enough to be classified into a category of its own. So please, do me a favour and read and review!

Jyaa ne

Ming