UPDATE: Edited 1/13/09. I was extremely unsatisfied with how this chapter played out, so I decided to have it go through major reconstruction. I hope this result is better than the last! -B

I told you this was coming soon! First off, the name of this fic is verytemporary, and is the brain child of my friend and me IM-ing when we were half-delirious (it was between 'Bitter Perfection' and 'Trouble With Grandmama'—please PM or review a better title, because I'm clueless!). So was part of this chapter, honestly. But I tried. Really, I did. I also tried to take a suggestion from SassyAni and bring Kartik and Gemma to the Cave of Sighs for their wedding night, but that didn't work, so I got this instead. Please review, I've missed you guys!

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own the characters. And, also as always, Libba Bray does. Must I always reiterate that?

The carriage comes to a stop in the grimy alley as the sun sinks lower in the sky. I unwillingly unwrap myself from Kartik's arms, smoothing my white wedding dress as he straightens his coat, both of which have wrinkles in them from our recent activities. Reluctantly, I slip my gloves back over my hennaed fingers, watching as the intricate pattern disappears beneath the fabric.

Outside, the carriage driver looks around doubtfully.

"Yer sure this is where you wanted 'a go?" he asks, glancing down as we descend from the cab. Kartik nods wordlessly, holding out the fee for the ride. The cabbie takes it, now looking between Kartik and me with ill-disguised disbelief. For a moment, it seems like he means to say something. But then, with a slight tip of his cap, he turns away and takes off without another word, the sound of his horses' hooves and his gruff warnings to nearby street urchins blending in with the usual nighttime sounds.

Kartik takes my hand. "Ready, Gemma?" he asks, squeezing my fingers softly. I smile at him.

"I suppose," I reply, releasing his hand to take his arm. Kartik smiles back, making my heart skip a beat, and leans in to press his lips to mine. After a brief moment, he pulls away, grinning mischievously.

"Good." Without warning, Kartik tugs me gently to him, and I feel my feet leave the ground. Before I can so much as squeak, I am settled securely in Kartik's hold, one of his arms hooked beneath my knees, the other behind my back. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around his neck, eyeing the ground uneasily.

"Kartik," I cry, feeling my cheeks redden, "what—"

My new husband sighs, bending down to silence me with a kiss. "Just trust me, Gemma," he whispers against my lips. "It's tradition."

I groan, but don't object anymore. With a soft chuckle and another brief kiss, Kartik sets off into the alley with me in his arms, headed for his apartment. The night closes in around us, but I find that I don't mind the darkness: I'm far too focused on the feel of Kartik's strong arms cradling me to his chest. My eyes roam over his features, trailing over the turmeric dot on his forehead nearly hidden beneath his dark curls, and over his sultry lips. In next to no time, we come up to the door to the apartment. I feel Kartik's muscles strain as he readjusts his hold on me to throw open the door, and then we are inside, Kartik kicking the door quietly closed behind us.

"Welcome home," Kartik murmurs, smiling dryly as he sets me gently on my feet. I laugh quietly in response as his arms snake around my hips, drawing me firmly into his embrace. My hands travel from his neck to his chest, coming to rest over his heart. A soft smile spreads across my face as his heartbeats pound surely against my palm.

Kartik places his warm hand over mine.

"What are you thinking?" he asks, threading his fingers through my own and lifting my gloved palm to his lips. I close my eyes and lean my forehead against his. Truthfully, I don't know what I'm thinking. A million thoughts and emotions are chasing each other around my mind, each one clamoring for my attention. Eventually, though, I settle on the one that is the root of them all.

"I was thinking," I say, opening my eyes shyly, "about how much I love you."

Kartik chuckles softly and eases his mouth over mine, cradling the base of my neck in his free hand. A warm tickling sensation swoops down from my head to my feet as I kiss him back, cupping his cheek in my hand. Kartik pulls away ever so slightly, so that I can still feel his ragged breathing on my warm cheeks. He smoothly reaches up and tugs Grandmama's gloves off of my hands, letting them fall to the ground as his hands hold mine to his cheek. I feel the glint of our wedding bands press against my skin, a reminder of the promises we've made.

"I love you, too, Gemma," he assures me, enclosing me once more in his arms, "so much."

I beam up at him, twirling a lock of his hair between two of my fingers. "So you keep saying," I tease. Kartik raises an eyebrow.

"Am I to take it that you don't believe me?" he asks. I grin and shrug my shoulders. A smile tugs at the corners of Kartik's mouth as he brings his lips to my ear. "You should," he whispers.

I shiver agreeably as his lips draw a line from my ear to the corner of my mouth, hesitating for a fraction of a second before finally pressing against my lips. I kiss him back, feeling completely relaxed in his arms. I've been craving this, the feel of my skin pressed to his, all day. Now, I've got Kartik all to myself, with no one to stare us down, no one to impress with manners. My fingers impulsively trail over Kartik's shirt buttons, straight down to the waist of his trousers. I hear his breath catch in his throat and feel him lean into my touch. His hands press my hips into his. I wrap my arms around his neck to bring us still closer. The areas of me that are touching Kartik are on fire, and my hands greedily wind themselves in his hair.

Kartik pulls away, his lips hovering teasingly over my own. I gaze up at him, breathing heavily.

"You are entirely too good at convincing me, sir," I complain half-heartedly. "I shall be the worst wife in all of England." Kartik smiles and brushes his lips against mine.

"So long as you're mine," I hear him whisper before our lips are locked once more, our emotions silently doing the talking for us. Kartik's arms guide me to the bed, allowing me to fall onto it before climbing in after me. I laugh from the sheer joy of being together as Kartik's mouth explores my neck. He smiles against my skin, running a hand down my side and making my heart patter frantically. Obediently, I reach behind me for the laces of my dress, but Kartik stops me before I can unfasten the first one.

"No, Gemma," he murmurs into my ear, "let me."

The heat in his voice sends a shiver through my veins. Hands as light as air move to my back, slowly undoing the laces and buttons there. My breath comes out in raspy gasps as he opens his mouth on my neck, and my grip on his shoulders tightens. Slowly, so slowly, he reaches down for the hem of my skirt, pulling it up to reveal my thin chemise and corset. The soft material is pulled over my head, and my corset loosened. Kartik's mouth presses against my neck again, and I feel him trace warm kisses down my throat to brush against the newly revealed skin above the neckline of my chemise.

A soft moan escapes me. Kartik smiles against my pale skin. He slithers back up to my face, his lips hovering just above my own. His eyes are burning as he kisses me, once, twice, three times. I fumble clumsily with the buttons of his shirt, somehow managing to shove the unnecessary clothing away and run my fingers delightedly over the plains of his chest. Kartik's hands tug at my chemise, pulling it swiftly over my head before running smoothly over my skin.

My fingers are laced in his hair, and his hands hold my legs securely around his hips. Desire flows through our embrace like wildfire, deepening our kisses and tightening our holds until we can get no closer. When at last we do pull away for air, I reach for his trousers, quickly unlacing and pushing them down his well-muscled legs. I untangle our limbs and run my hands over his flawless body, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of his warm skin under my eager touch. Kartik balances his weight on his hands and knees, suspended several inches above me, pulling himself out of my reach.

"Kartik," I groan, unsettled without the feel of him above me, "what on earth are you doing?"

I shift my weight to reach him with more ease, accidentally brushing against the inside of his legs. He closes his eyes briefly, but comes no closer. Instead, he lifts a hand to my hair, pushing it out of my eyes. I lift my own arms to wrap around his shoulders to try to pull him closer, but he resists, eyes glittering ruthlessly. My finger trails down his throat, his chest, his abdomen. Kartik's brown eyes close as he moans softly. My lips follow my finger's trail exactly. Kartik's heavy breathing matches mine now as his fingers knot themselves in my hair. I bring my lips back to his and kiss him thoroughly, allowing his tongue entrance into my mouth readily.

Kartik's face drifts to my neck as I run my fingers through his hair, brushing my lips against his temple. His mouth opens on my throat, his tongue flicks out and just barely touches the skin there. My body reacts on its own accord, arching into his and shivering in pleasure. The metal of Kartik's wedding band presses into my back as he wraps his arms around me, returning the avid kisses I trail over his chest, face, and neck. I turn his own trick against him, opening my mouth and scraping my teeth against the skin on his chest, and he moans and tightens his hold around my waist.

"Kartik," I breathe, my voice a mere whisper against his brown skin, "I love you."

He kisses my shoulder as a response, cradling my hips in his hands, bringing me closer to him. I feel lightheaded from the warmth of his body pressed against mine. The scent of him surrounds me, and I'm lost in pleasurable oblivion with Kartik.

Hours later, I awake to a silent, grey-lit room. It is too early for morning, but too late for night, and for once, the alley and streets beyond it are quiet. Kartik's arms are clasped surely around me, his finger lightly tracing circles in my arm. I yawn and shift so that I am lying on my back beside him. Kartik smiles and kisses my bare shoulder.

"Sleep well?" he asks, nuzzling my neck.

"Very," I yawn, slipping one arm around his waist. "Did you?"

"Mhmm," he mumbles, head still buried in my neck. I kiss the top of his head. Something glitters in the soft light from outside. Glancing down, I see the wedding band on Kartik's ring finger, and one to match it on mine. A smile spreads across my face, and I bury my nose in Kartik's hair.

"It doesn't seem real, does it?" I ask, forgetting that Kartik can't read my thoughts. He blinks in mild confusion, his eyelashes fluttering against my jaw.

"What doesn't, Gemma?"

"This," I say simply, fingering his wedding band and letting my touch travel up his arm, ending at the corner of his mouth. I know I'm being vague, but Kartik seems to understand.

"Any regrets?" he asks, lifting his eyes to stare into mine. I plant a kiss on his forehead.

"None at all," I assure him, twirling my hand in his hair. A sudden, horrible thought strikes me. "You don't regret it, do you?"

"Of course not," is his sure reply, and I relax.

We fall into a familiar silence, with Kartik's face nestled in my neck and my hands idly running through his dark mane. Images from our ceremony yesterday and the reception that had followed run through my head, most of them featuring Fee attracting attention in various ways. Possibly the most entertaining and certainly the most scandalous act had been her kissing a distant cousin of mine that I hadn't seen since early childhood in front of his furious mother and dumbstruck fiancé. And then there was Ann, smiling and dancing like she never had during our days at Spence. It didn't go unnoticed that her largest smiles and truest laughs were brought about by Charlie Smalls, who in turn seemed to delight in her presence, as well.

But not all of the night had been perfect. While dancing with Father, I had felt his weak and trembling steps in my very being, experienced his fatigue along with him. The dance we shared had seemed to drag on forever, and I saw the effort it cost my father to keep moving in his eyes. When the dance finally and mercifully ended, I had kissed his cheek and excused myself as fast as I could and practically threw myself into Kartik's arms, desperately holding back sobs. He had understood, and sat with me until I had gathered my senses again.

"Gemma?"

I look down at Kartik. He blinks back at me, looking concerned. "Are you all right?"

I smile weakly at the concern in his voice, mentally shaking my head to rid it of thoughts. "I'm fine, Kartik. Really," I add at the doubtful look in his eyes. "I was just thinking about my father." Understanding flashes in Kartik's eyes. He gently squeezes my waist in mute comfort, and I smile in return. "I'm fine."

Kartik nods, his arms around me still comfortingly firm.

"Your grandmother certainly seemed to enjoy herself yesterday," he changes the subject casually, mouth twitching slightly. I feel my own lips curving upward at the memory of my grandmother's behavior. Grandmama had taken to wandering about the reception with a glass of champagne in her hand all night, taking a healthy sip every time she caught sight of what she thought would be a scandal in the making—namely, whatever Fee happened to be doing at the time. Her former relief at my having an admiral's daughter as a bridesmaid had evaporated almost the moment she met Fee, to be replaced by horror at what everyone would think of her behavior. By the end of the night, Grandmama had been rather tipsy, something I had never seen before nor would ever see again.

Not that she had been the only one drinking. Lord Denby, who had been invited for the sole purpose of manners (and under Grandmama's strict orders), had been worse off than Grandmama, and Charlie and Ann had both been red-faced and glassy-eyed before disappearing for some time together. And from his loud conversation and his exaggerated movements, I suspected Simon had smuggled in some absinthe, though I doubt Lucy knew of it. Even Tom had his fair share of drink, although he stopped the moment I pointed out that the woman he was gazing at so flirtatiously was our distant uncle.

"Yes, I do believe she did have quite a night," I respond, still grinning. "I wonder how she's feeling today."

Kartik laughs. "Not at all well, I'm sure." A thoughtful look crosses his striking features. "What was your favorite part of the day, Gem?"

I think for a moment. In all honesty, every moment I'd spent with Kartik had been blissful, and now it's hard to choose a favorite. I'm debating between the carriage ride to the reception and the first kiss we shared as husband and wife when a third option comes to mind and wins straight out.

I smile and bring my hand to the back of his neck, drawing him in for a kiss. When we pull apart, I let my forehead rest against his as I whisper, "The wedding night."

Kartik chuckles softly before kissing me again. "I think I agree with you."

A smile spreads across my face beneath his lips. "Do you?"

"Mhmm," Kartik hums again, his lips moving from my own to my neck. "I might need reminding."

A thrill cascades through me at his words and the desire behind them. I'm only too willing to give him what he wants. Turning, I straddle his legs, kissing him fiercely. He responds with equal enthusiasm, wrapping his arms around my waist to draw me closer. The sheets covering his legs tangle in knots as he flips us over, balancing his weight so that I only feel a part of it. I let my lips reclaim what they traveled over last night, feeling his do the same.

Kartik softly calls my name against the skin just beneath my jaw. His wedding band leaves a cold, metallic trail behind it, in contrast to his hot touch, as he moves his hands up and down my side. I shiver again, both from the feel of his hands on my body, and from the thought that he is mine, completely mine. Before there had always been a chance they would be separated; now, we are free to spend the rest of eternity in each other's arms. With this thought in mind, I throw myself into Kartik's embrace, letting myself succumb to the wild craving I feel for my husband.

This is going to be interesting.

And indeed it will be, for I have no idea where this fic will take me. But I'm sure it will be fun. lol And I know this wasn't very promising, but, come on, it's their wedding night. I can't help it if they're a bit more...amorous than usual. XD It will get better later on, I promise!

But I want to thank anyone who read Sherry (I personally think my summary was better than the actual fic), or my iPod shuffle challenge response. Your feedback is very much appreciated!

Got invited to join the National Honor Society (yay?),
Brighteyes

PS- I would like to point out that it is currently 3 in the morning, and I am posting fanfic. For you. Your welcome (lol).

Edit: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first time. I appreciate the support you gave, and I hope this time you don't have to lie through your teeth to tell me you liked it. ;D I'm off to edit chapter 2, so enjoy!