The Crown Formality

Chapter Eleven: Trying

She was warm. So so incredibly warm. Benedict readjusted himself and extracted his arm from around Edith's shoulder. Having it draped across it for so long was beginning to hurt his neck. How other couples were able to manage was beyond him. The two were watching a movie in the entertainment room together, a thin blanket pulled across their laps as they cuddled. Their sides were practically meshed together, and it was all his doing. He couldn't help it. Benedict loved being near her. They were currently watching the first Iron Man, a movie she 'claimed' she had never watched before. Who hasn't seen the first Iron Man? 

She leaned forward when an action scene came, her small hands gripping the blanket pooled in her lap, and bit her lip nervously. He rolled his eyes just as her phone bleeped from the table across the room.

"You can get that," she mumbled, her eyes never once leaving the TV. Benedict leaned in and slid a hand across her upper back--it was her weakness. 

"Give me a kiss."

She swatted him away without even sparing him a glance.

"Later," she whined. 

He grumbled, pushing the blanket off so he could retrieve her phone. "Unbelievable."

Benedict made sure to walk dramatically in slow motion in front of the TV just to irk her, earning a firm punch to the thigh, and picked up her phone to check who it was. 

Adella: Don't forget. We're checking up on the baby tomorrow! :*

"Who is it?" she called absentmindedly and patted the empty seat next to her. He settled down once more, pulling her down so she was lying on top of him. Edith still didn't look at him, but a fierce blush developed on her face. She sighed. "This is as rough as you've treated me all month."

His heart stopped in panic. Had he hurt her again? Benedict was sure that he had gone out of his way to take care of her. He had always held her gently, kissed her gently, even looked at her gently for fear she would get hurt because of him again. They hadn't even made out yet because he thought he might accidentally bite her tongue off! 

Benedict tensed up, releasing his hold on her and whispered, "I'm sorry. I won't--"

She sat up then, her eyes looking at him with such a forlorn expression he thought she was about to announce that this was all a dream. He had actually killed her and he was in limbo with--darn you, Inception. 

"Benedict...can you just stop it?"

He furrowed his brows. Was he not supposed to touch her at all? "I'm sorry! I--"

She leaned down and hugged him. "Can you please act normal? I can't handle anymore of this. Sure it was funny when it began..."

He glared at the top of her head.

"Okay, it was hilarious. But I don't like it anymore. It's like you're scared of me or something."

"I'm sorry--"

"Just kiss me. Like you mean it. Not those sorry, boring, lame, uncool, cold excuse of a kiss, okay?"

She was sitting up now, the thin blanket around her lap once more. Edith was watching the movie again. Did he hear her correctly? Had she just given him permission to kiss her as much as he wanted? Benedict nearly bolted up for her lips, but his niggling fear still remained. After all, he was much larger than her. He could unintentionally squish her under the weight of his arm alone. An exaggeration, but still. She was eyeing him out of the corner of her eye. Was she...did she just...give him an order? A challenge? 

He would have taken it as a pleading for his kiss if it were not for the proud and mighty look on her face as if he would respond to her every beck and call. Where did such pride develop from?