Chapter Text
Upon entering the bedroom, Remington closed the door elegantly with his foot as he held his wife in his arms. His wife!… he had never allowed himself to think of Laura that way, but tonight would be different. Tonight he would show her exactly what she meant to him.
As he slowly released her, they remained in one another’s arms, his, slung around her waist, her hands clasped behind his neck, as she slid gracefully down to stand face to face with him, gazing into his blue eyes.
Without saying a word and barely losing eye contact with her, Remington reached back to turn the room lights off. He flicked the switch and immediately, the soft golden glow of candlelight took over the blues and grays of the evening in the cold castle. Laura’s mouth fell open with surprise, and a delighted smile washed over her face, then faded as her expression melted into something else altogether as they stared into each other’s eyes: his, like glittering blue diamonds and hers, like shimmering amber, in the light of the flickering candles.
“Why, Mr. Steele, I thought you were ‘fluffing the pillows’,” Laura teased, one eyebrow raising slightly.
For a moment, Remington didn’t answer. He was watching Laura, his gaze traveling over her face, still reveling in the idea of making her his wife in every sense of the word. He couldn’t help his crooked smile from spreading across his face, that devastating boyish grin that had melted the heart of many a woman, but that no one could fully lay claim to until this very moment. Finally, he said, in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper, “Merely adding a touch of romance to the proceedings, Mrs. Steele.”
Laura noticed Remington’s roguish grin and, raising her eyebrows, she asked, “Do you see something you like?”
“No.” he replied still grinning at her.
“NO?” Laura asked, surprised by his reply.
Still smiling, he leaned into her and said: “No, I see something I love”.
With one swift move, he reached his right hand up to move along her cheek to pull her close, as his lips quickly descended upon hers. His lips were soft, yet demanding, pulling, tempting her to return the kiss.
Laura felt herself giving in, losing control of any rational thought. “Wait, did he just say love?” she thought. She couldn’t think straight, his lips, his scent were intoxicating. Trying to maintain some control, she drew her hand down to his chest to push away and break the kiss, to look again into his eyes. But the longer it lasted, the harder it was to let go. She held on to him as if he was her lifeline.
The kiss evolved as his mouth opened to taste her and with his hand on her lower back and the other now buried in her hair, he embraced her with all the passion he had been feeling toward her for far too long. She could hear his heartbeat or was it her own, steady, beating, sounding like a drum in the distance. She leaned into him more and more, unable to hold her balance. Trying to steady herself, she pushed back slightly, breaking what had to be the best kiss of her life.
“Love, Mr. Steele?.... Did you say love?” She gasped, looking at him, desperate for an answer. Not just any answer, but the answer. A long-sought confirmation of a long believed truth.
Remington, his eyes sparkling, smiled at her and said, “Yes, Laura, I love you. I believe I’ve loved you almost from the day I met you.“
At that moment, his own emotions began to spill forward. He took a deep breath and dropped his head as he continued, “And it is because of you, because of us, that I finally feel whole.”
The memories of all the trials he had faced in the past several months rushed to the forefront of his consciousness. From his frustrating and dangerous search for his real name, to his arrangement of a sham marriage in order to deceive the INS, to the disastrous attempts at honeymooning with Laura, first in Mexico then in London and finally in Ireland, where all his fruitless searches culminated in a way that blind-sided him, with Daniel’s revelation about his birth, and then Daniel’s unexpected death only moments later. All these memories came crashing together. And through all these trials, one constant remained, always there at the finish line, for better or for worse, always there to offer unconditional support, or to forgive, or to stand by him against all odds. Laura. Laura was his safe harbor. His lifeline.
And in the end, she, with all her principles and restraint for fear of getting in too deep, was willing to embark on this crazy ride of a two-year marriage to keep him from being deported. She didn’t just talk the talk. She walked the walk. She expected loyalty by way of being loyal.
She had been his lifeline since the moment she discovered his hi-jacking of her fictitious Remington Steele, the moment they danced in each other’s arms.
She had done her best navigating a precarious course and now, that the biggest moment of their relationship was upon them, his own insecurities were beginning to question if he was the right man for her. He wanted her, with every fiber of his being, he wanted her, but if he were to hurt her now, he could never forgive himself.
Laura watched him, his head bowed, dumbstruck and rendered speechless at his declaration. A feeling of profound tenderness and devotion bloomed inside her at his naked honesty. She had always known there was something very powerful between them, but never really believed he would reveal all to her, was never really certain of his own perception of it.
She reached out and drew her fingers through his hair to rest at the sides of his head, lifting it gently until their eyes could meet. As soon as he opened them she said, “I love you too, Remington Steele!” and with that, she threw her arms around him, drawing him to her in a giant hug, saying, “Come here!” She squeezed him as tightly as she could for a few seconds, then began raining kisses from the side of his neck, along his jaw, finally reaching his mouth where she kissed him, demanding and urgent at first, then tapering off to a tender embrace.
Choking back tears, Remington broke off the kiss and brought his hands up to her face, thumbs rubbing along her cheeks. He leaned back and, with a look of astonishment, said to her, “Laura...You've no idea what those words mean...” He pressed his lips to hers, then hugged her back, both of them holding on to each other as though they might never let go. After a moment or two, as their hands began to wander, his moved down her body to the bottom of her sweater and slipped under and up to feel her skin. Hesitating slightly, he said, “Um, Laura, are you familiar with the expression, ‘Put your money where your mouth is’?”
Laura looked up as if contemplating his query, and said, “Mmmm, yes, I believe I am.”
“Oh good, because I was thinking, now that we have the words, doesn’t it follow that we do something about them?”. He looked at her expectantly, his eyebrows furrowed, with a glint of amusement, trying to keep a straight face, his hands under her sweater twitching slightly.
Laura dropped her gaze momentarily, then raised it again, with a touch of suppressed glee, and said, “The issue bears more scrutiny...” Remington released the breath he was holding as he grinned, wasting no time in swiftly divesting Laura of her sweater. Her hair and arms unruly, she shivered at the cool rush of air, then with anticipation as his hands, of their own volition, gravitated towards her exposed flesh, smoothing over her ribs and back.
He tried to take her in his arms, but she pushed him away, shaking her head, saying, “This just won’t do, Mr.Steele. I’m at a disadvantage here.” And with that, she reached for the hem of his sweater and, with equal haste, removed it, along with his turtleneck. Her hands alighted on his shoulders and feathered their way downwards as she took in his appearance, hair ruffled, chest rising and falling, and at last, melted into him, leaning forward to breathe in his scent.
Remington hugged her close, his chin on her head. “Now Mrs. Steele, I suggest we move to a more comfortable spot, hmm?” Laura let out a squeak as Remington scooped her up without warning, lifting her off her feet again and carrying her to their canopied bed.
Setting her down, he knelt in front of her and she held on to the bedpost as he removed her shoes and socks first, then smoothed his hands up her legs to her waist where, as he unbuttoned her pants, he planted kisses across her freckled belly. Remington eased her pants down to a heap on the floor that Laura stepped out of, shivering again. He tossed her slacks in the general direction of their sweaters and looked up at her. She smiled at him a little nervously, letting out a breath and drawing her bottom lip through her teeth, as he stood and took both her hands in each of his.
Taking a deep breath, Laura forged ahead, “I believe, Mr. Steele, that you are still overdressed for this party.”
Remington pressed his lips together in a comical frown and shrugged his shoulders, saying, “Well, one can’t be too careful when going to a party with a detective.”
Laura breathed out a chuckle and watched with amusement as he quickly removed his belt, pants, and socks, reaching out when he almost tripped in his haste. Sitting back on the edge of the bed, Laura began to giggle uncontrollably. “Does something amuse you, Mrs. Steele?” Remington asked confused.
“Yes! You....Me...Us. I am amused by us! Who would have thought we waited almost four years trying to get here and now we are as nervous as a pair of teenagers their first time.” By now, she was all out laughing and lay back on the bed in a fit of giggles. It was contagious as Remington flopped down next to her, his hand falling randomly to her middle, looking at her and laughing with her. There they were, wearing nothing but their underwear, laughing.
As they settled down a bit, Laura still emitting the occasional giggle, Remington cleared his throat, saying, his eyebrows twitching, “Well... Laura. Let’s not forget the reason we are here then.” His hand getting busy again, caressing her waist with butterfly touches, he added, “And I assure you, I have a few more skills, shall we say, than any teenager.”
Laura writhed a bit at his teasing touch, then stilled, eyes smoldering, “Well, then. I suggest we abide by the Detective’s Code and thoroughly investigate said reasons.”
Returning her smolder, Remington pursed his lips and tipped his head to her, saying, “Well put, Mrs. Steele!”