Daddy Unknown

Chapter 38

"You got me a tattoo?" she acknowledged, evidently dumbfounded by the new addition to his collection.

He flashed her a dimpled grin. "I did."

Leaning towards his chest, she squinted her eyes and carefully began tracing the skin. The tattoo was about the size of an egg, situated on the far right side of his ribcage and still appeared to be healing -judging by the light scabs. He must have done it a few days ago, Moira concluded.

Her heart skipped a beat when realization dawned on her. That's why he'd slept with a shirt on lately, why he hadn't taken any baths with her and insisted on making love in the dark. All because he wanted to keep her 'present' a surprise.

As if in trance, Harry's eyes followed the path of her finger. She was careful not to come in contact with the tattoo itself, only touching the skin around -gently soothing it.

"Is that.. a finger print?" she wondered aloud.

"Yours. I got it from your passport." He explained, and then pointed at the small figure in the middle of his tattoo. "and there's even a little Ollie inside."

She stilled her movements. "Oh my god."

At the shakiness of her voice he looked up quickly to see her blue eyes darken, growing glossy with unshed tears. And when the first few drops rolled down her cheek, he dove forward, letting his rough fingers wiped them away. Harry pulled her tightly into his chest, nearly crushing her with the ferocity of his grip, and rocked back into the cushions. Her entire upper body leaned into him, his arms strong and powerful around her.

"Nothing could top off your present to me but hey, at least I tried." He said, smiling feebly.

Her cheeks flushed -remembering how she'd covered Harry in amniotic fluid. She heaved a shaky sigh, and the crying only seemed to get worse as she tried to muster a response that he could understand. It was stuck in her head.. But it was the matter of explaining verbally that she had trouble with.

"B-but what if we..." she waved her arms, trailing off and hoping that he understood her point because she couldn't quite find the words to finish the sentence. Not without sounding like a complete pessimist.

"...don't last?" He instead finished it for her, and he stole the words right out of her mouth. All traces of his smile were wiped clean as he realized that, and his drooping expression sent a pang of guilt niggling at her chest. She swallowed thickly before nodding in confirmation.

Harry hummed in response, his dark eyebrows jutting downwards as he mulled over something. And she suddenly noticed the dark bags under his eyes -presumably the effect of his hangover. Needless to say, he looked exhausted, though she oddly found his tousled appearance... hot.

"Listen to me," he demanded sharply, finding his words and grasping onto her chin to force their eyes to lock. "I am so in love with you, I'd probably tattoo your face on my ass if it made you happy."

Moira giggled a little at that.

"I want to make you forget how bad love existed and all the ways that it shook you. I want to show you I love you as much as you hate the idea of being left again. My heart no longer beats out of habit, it beats for you. This tattoo is my way of saying 'I am here, and I am here to stay'."

"Really?" she asked quietly, her tears drying.

"Really." He whispered, and when his warm thumbs rubbed across her cheek, she froze up at the gentleness of his action. His eyes stared down at the wetness on the tip of his finger before he wiped it off on his shirt -that lay beside them. "Now please stop, I don't like seeing you cry."