((Contains material of an adult nature.))

It wasn't long before Edward returned to Ivy Lodge from Wisteria Cottage, scratching his head in confusion. If he'd known they were discussing him right at that moment, he might have turned around and marched right back there to set them straight, but he had no way of knowing, and he was smart enough to know they wanted - needed - some time alone. But why Wisteria, of all places" That was what confused him the most. By the time he walked back in the door of Ivy Lodge, he was still as confused as ever, not to mention concerned, but then who was he to talk" He and Lis had wasted little time in getting married themselves, cheating the family out of a big wedding.

"Mission accomplished," he announced as he stepped inside and went in search of his bride, er, wife.

Hearing her husband's return, Lis came into view from the kitchen, arms still soapy to the elbow, proving that she had made the most of his absence by indulging her almost obsessive intention to have their home spotless at all times. She smiled at him tenderly. "Is it something I want to know, how they looked?" she asked him in a teasing tone, her head tilted with affable curiosity.

Thankfully, Edward was nearly as fastidious as Lis, though his office could use a bit of tidying, as there were notes and papers scattered about, stacked and sorted in neat little piles that was Edward's way of organizing his life experiences. "Half-dressed or undressed," he replied moodily. Something was obviously bothering him, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. "Lis, do you think we were hasty in getting married?" he asked curiously, not because he had any regrets but because he was worried about Dom.

Frowning a little at his response, Lis returned to the kitchen, confident that he would follow her, reaching for a cloth to finish drying the plates. His question, however, made her go very still, her dark eyes truly worried as she looked over at him. "I ....Eduardo, I do not know what the right answer is," she told him truthfully. "I have never felt we were hasty, but ....d-do you regret our union, now?"

"No, querida, of course not," he assured her, his arms going around her waist from behind as she tended to the dishes. "I'm just worried about Dominic. He hasn't been with anyone since Gwen died, and he's already talking about marrying Elle."

She leaned into him, easily reassured as he embraced her. "It has been a long time for him, si?" she asked softly. "And yet, he is very open, still. It is good that he is so open to something new in his life, someone who will love him as he deserves to be loved. Is he hasty, then, in trusting his heart?"

"I don't know," he replied to her question, not really sure. "I don't think we were, but it was different for us." Different how" He had never been married before or even been in love before. Oh, there had been a few girlfriends and lovers over the years, but nothing really serious - certainly, no one like Gwen. "He was so happy for us. I want to be happy for him, Lis. I just don't want either of them to get hurt."

"Querido ..." Wiping her hands dry, she set the cloth aside, turning to cradle his jaw in her hands as she looked into his eyes. "There is nothing to say that you cannot worry for him, as he has worried for you. He asked me, a few days after we were married, if I was sure I had done the right thing, if I was sure I loved you. He worried for you then, as you worry for him now, but he did not show it to you, did he" He is a man of good judgement, very much like you. Would he take a risk with his heart, with his life, that might destroy him?"

He met her gaze, taking her advice and her wisdom to heart. She was right, of course, and Dom was a full-grown adult who was perfectly capable of making his own choices and decisions, and yet, Edward had witnessed the anguish his closest cousin had suffered over the years, and he only wanted to see him happy. But he had seemed happy, hadn't he" In fact, Edward had not seen Dom that happy in years. "No," Edward answered after a long moment's consideration. "No, he's been careful. As far as I know, he hasn't been with anyone since Gwen died. The truth is, I haven't seen him this happy, this excited in years."

"Then, querido, all you can do is be there for him, support for his triumphs and his defeats, be they with Elisabeta or alone," Lis murmured gently, brushing a kiss to the high curve of his cheekbone. "To be family if he needs you, and family if he does not."

"You didn't see him then, Lis," he said with a frown. "Gwen's death almost destroyed him." But then, could he blame him' How would he feel if anything happened to Lis" "He joined me in Africa for a while after that. I think it did him some good, but he hasn't been the same since ..." If Edward was honest with himself, it wasn't so much Gwen's death that had tormented Dom as the tragedy that had befallen them many years before. "I should be happy for him. I am happy for him." He said, almost as if trying to convince himself of that fact.

Gentle fingertips stroked his cheeks as he spoke, the dark eyes he loved so well steady on his face with soft understanding. "If he has made peace with his past and allowed himself to let go, Eduardo, then you do him disservice in holding to the fear of what happened before," she told him softly, hoping he wouldn't take offense at her words. "It is his choice. You do not have to be happy with it; there is no power that can force such a feeling. But you can be there for him, the brother he has always seen in you, and if it is truly a occasion for happiness, you will find it."

"I am happy for him," Edward assured her with a serious frown, meeting her gaze as she stroked his face. "I just don't want to see him get hurt again. That's all." He sighed, taking both her hands in both of his and pressing a kiss to each. "Perhaps we should have them over to dinner. He does seem fond of your cooking," he suggested with a small smile.

She laughed a little at that. "I have yet to meet a Granger who does not say they are fond of my cooking," she pointed out, but given that her cooking was mostly why she'd been hired in the first place, that wasn't much of a surprise. Brushing the tip of her nose to his, Lis stroked her thumb over her husband's lips affectionately. "He is a big boy now," she reminded him gently. "And she loves him, whether she has admitted it or not. It is in her eyes."

Of course, there was the living room to navigate, and stairs, before she could safely say she'd beaten him to the bedroom, and Lis didn't have the best sense of direction even when she wasn't laughing like a drain. Case in point ....rather than dart through the doorway that led to the stairs? She cornered herself in a closet.

And corner her he did, though he didn't close the closet door. He only set a hand on either side of her and leaned in for a kiss that was warm and tender and wanting, but not so passionate that he couldn't make it to the bedroom.

Giggling into his kiss, she eased herself out of confinement to wrap her arms around his waist, stroking her fingers against his back, her lips warm and ready, giving as much as he gave her. Their friends and family might not have noticed it, but this unassuming couple had a great deal of passion between them, and never wasted an opportunity to share it. "I missed," she whispered against his lips, giggling once again at her awful sense of direction.

"I won't," he promised in return, kissing her again, before drawing her gently out of the closet and leading her up the stairs to their room. This was their home now, and they could do what they wanted without worrying about being interrupted - unless someone like Dom called on the phone.

The promise brought a slightly confused smile onto her face as she followed him, hand in hand on the stairs. "But you don't have another doorway to go thr -" She stopped herself abruptly, catching up with her own anatomy, and promptly flushed a rather brilliant shade of red. "Ah."

He didn't see her blush, as she was behind him, but he smirked a little upon hearing her break off, assuming she'd realized what he meant. Edward wasn't usually the type to be so bold, but he knew Lis well enough now to enjoy teasing her a little. Once they reached the bedroom, he drew her inside, turning around to thoroughly kiss her. He didn't bother closing the door as no one was expected, and he'd already locked the house up for the night.

Thorough or not, what he got to begin with was a ridiculously giggly mouth to work with as she wrestled with her belated realization of what it was he'd just promised her not to do. Yet slowly, those giggles faded away as he kissed her, igniting the never quite quenched desire that he had taught her. He had been the first man to taste the passion in Lisbeth, and he reaped the rewards for it every time he held her close.

He didn't waste any more time, drawing her with him toward the bed even as he kissed her, slipping his hands beneath her shirt to fumble with her bra clasps. He was getting a little better at this sort of thing, but as the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

As hungry as he was for the passion they shared, Lis gave as good as she was given, her own hands fumbling to uncover his chest, to have his skin bare to her touch as they stumbled together toward the bed. Impatience warred with the frustration of not quite having this particular skill perfect, but there was always time to practice. If anyone attempt to call now, they were going to be sadly disappointed with the lack of answer.

He'd put on a little weight since they'd gotten married, mostly due to her cooking, as well as recovering from his illness. Though he could still use to gain a bit more, at least there was something to grab onto now. It wasn't long before he had her shirt and bra off and was turning his attention and his kisses to those parts of her body that were now bare.

Though he was the more experienced of them both, there were times when she was the bolder, having nothing to compare him to, and no skills gained with anyone but her husband. Easily made pliable by the attention he gave her, nonetheless she was as eager as he was, abandoning his shirt half open to tug his pants undone with clever fingers as her breath rustled through his hair, painted with endearments only for him.

His breath caught in his throat when he felt her fingers undoing his pants, and he paused in his own ministrations to work her skirt and panties free. Though a little more experienced than her, he was still a little awkward, but no longer shy when it came to their lovemaking, capable and willing to give as much as he received, if not more.

Awkward or not, he was hers, and that truly was all that mattered to Lis. She had never thought she would ever fall in love, nor that the man she might love would feel the same way for her, blessing her stars every day that she was privileged to wake up in Edward's arms. And proving, every night, how very much she loved him without the need for the words she so often stumbled over in her eagerness to share them. Just as she did now, and would always do, as long as he loved her.

At times like this, words were unnecessary, the love they felt for each other plain to see in the soft loving looks and the tender kisses and caresses. No matter whether they made love every night or every day, there was never any lack of affection between them or doubt that either was loved by the other. And each night, when Edward laid his head down on the pillow beside her and wrapped her in his embrace, he not only thanked his lucky stars but all the Gods in the heavens above that had deemed him worthy of her love.

They came from different worlds, different cultures, but between them, they had carved out their own little world amid the chaos of the one that had brought them together. Whether they worked or played, they had promised one another it would always be together, and though some might say that promise had been rushed, to them, it had come just in time. Like the new couple romping in Wisteria, or the established pairings scattered all over Rhy'Din, Edward and Lis had forged their own chains willingly. It would take far more than strength to break them now.

((So that makes at least two beds on the Grove creaking rhythmically in one evening! Many thanks to my partner in crime!))