I'm reading when I hear the phone ring. "Shall I?" I look at Draco oddly. He's never offered to answer the telephone before. And as much as I'd love to see that, I imagine it's my mum returning her call from yesterday.
"No, I'll just pop down and get it." I heave myself off my bed and head down to the phone. "Lo?"
"Hi, honey."
"Hi, mum."
"How was your night?" I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and twist the cap off, making myself comfy on the floor beside the wall.
"Not bad. Nate stayed with Bec and Jord stayed with his girlfriend. Draco and I read most of the night, watched some telly. How's Cheyenne?"
"Marvelous. We sat her in front of a mirror and she couldn't get enough of herself." I smile sadly, wishing I could have seen it.
"I miss her. You're coming back Saturday, yes?"
"As long as we don't get back too late." I take a sip of my water. "I assume none of you are coming with us then?"
"No, I don't think so. Neither of the boys are home and I think I'm just going to stay here. Have fun with the littles and we'll see you next week okay?"
"All right, Bell. Love you, sweetheart."
"Love you, mum. Give Cheyenne kisses from me."
"I will, bye." I stretch up and place the handset in the cradle then rest back against the wall. I chug half the water bottle and recap it, standing up and going back up to my room to see Draco laying on my bed with his eyes closed. I smile and crawl up beside him, curling my body next to his. His left arm rests on my back while my left hand plays with the hem of his shirt. I lift it up to expose his stomach and trace circles around his belly button.
"That was your mother?"
"Yes. Just calling to ask if anyone was coming along on their trip. I haven't seen my aunt and uncle since Cheyenne was born but I just need the time away from mum. I don't know what it is."
"Hmm." I flatten my palm across his stomach and flex my fingers in and out slowly, smiling to myself at the slight change in his breathing. I apply a little pressure and slide my hand up, under Draco's shirt, to his chest, dragging my fingertips down back to the top of his pants. He shifts his legs a little. "Bell.." I look up at him with, what I'm hoping are, innocent eyes.
"Yes?" He isn't buying it. He flips us so that I'm on my back and he's laying on top of me, his lean body pressing against mine. In this position I have no problem feeling exactly what my little game was doing to him. He brings my hands together in one of his above my head and holds them there, the other supporting the top half of his weight above me on his elbow. I reach up as far as my hands will allow for a kiss and instead Draco dips down to my neck, following the hollow of my throat, the curve of my jawline.
I inhale deeply and close my eyes. I hear a low moan from him as his mouth makes its way down across my collar bone, his tongue pressing gently along it. I feel his hand press my wrists into the bed and take that to mean I'm to leave them there, then feel both hands on my sides, inching their way to the bottom of my shirt.
When I don't protest he slowly slides my shirt up and over my head, tossing it to the floor. I blush a little as I feel his eyes on me, mine still closed, and suddenly feel him kissing my lips. "Beautiful." My blush deepens and I very much want to cover myself up. I haven't been naked in front of anyone, apart from pregnancy related things, since Keelan.
I break the kiss and look away. "Bell, look at me." I hear more than just a suggestion in his voice so I turn my head to look at him. "Do you think I would be reacting to you this way if I thought you were disgusting?" As if to prove his point he presses himself against me.
"No, but-"
"Do you trust me?"
I answer without thinking. "Yes."
"Do you think I'm crazy?" I cock an eyebrow, uncertain of his direction.
"No. But-" Draco leans down to kiss me. It's soft and sweet and delicate, as if he's afraid I'll break or run away.
"Then trust me now. I love you, all of you, every flawed, perfect inch of you. Would you recoil at a new mother who's just undressed in front of you?" I close my eyes again and lean my forehead against Draco's.
"No, I wouldn't. But that isn't all this is, Draco." I pause for a minute to straighten out my thoughts. I feel the bed dip to the side and open my eyes to see Draco retrieving my shirt. I smile sadly and tug it back on as Draco sits beside me on the bed, positioning himself so he's facing me. "I'm still adjusting to a post-baby body, it's true. It's new and certainly isn't what I'd like it to be. I have stretch marks and dimples and soft places I never had before. But I knew going into it that I would never be the same after."
"And you know I don't even notice those things." I smile again and take his hand. He runs his thumb over the back of my hand.
"Yes, and I love you for it." I pause again and Draco squeezes my hand. I look at them while I speak. "The part that troubles me doesn't even have anything to do with you. It's all from.. before." My eyes dart up to Draco's face for a second before settling back down to our hands. I don't know what he's thinking and I'm afraid to ask. Will he think me stupid or silly? "Keelan could be very.. careless with his comments. Something he would say in an offhanded manner that impacted me much more than it was meant to. I don't even know if he knew what he was really saying. But some of them have stuck with me, obviously."
I hear Draco sigh and finally look up at him. He's trying very hard to control his expression but I can see anger simmering in his eyes. "So that's my secret. I'm insecure." The anger is replaced with sadness, though I'm not sure for what or whom. He pulls me into his arms and hugs me tight against him. I squeeze my eyes shut and sigh, feeling a heavy weight lift off my chest that I didn't know I was holding onto. I feel lighter than I have in a long time.
"Bell, you home?!" I startle a little as the front door downstairs slams shut and chuckle to myself.
"Yeah, Nate, we're up here! Be down in a sec." I look up at Draco and smile openly. He pushes strands of hair out of my face. "I'm not entirely sure what I did or who I pleased in a past life, but I'm glad cause it landed me with you." I get a genuine smile and am swept up in another kiss.