Ebony & Ivory [H.S]

Forty-One

"Me?" he playfully repeats, holding onto his almost bare chest.

"You know what I mean," I say, throwing my head back to emphasise my point. "I just feel like I don't deserve all of this goodness in my life. I fear that maybe I've just been too lucky. That maybe I'll have it taken away from me, because no one deserves to be as happy as I am."

"Petal," he soothes, wrapping his arm around me in a loving embrace. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I absolutely adore you, and I'm not going anywhere. As long as we have each other, everything else is just meaningless. I'm certainly not planning on going anywhere. Are you?" he directs pointedly, making light of what I've pointed out.

"Of course not," I state. "I love you 'til the end."

Studying me closely, eyes flickering between my eyes and lips, he plants a beautiful long kiss on my awaiting lips, and suddenly, my seemingly important troubles slip away into nothingness.

"Hello," Celia mentions from the door, interrupting our personal moment. Striding over to us, she gets in the bed beside me, placing the blanket over herself without any form of invitation. That's Celia, I suppose.

"Morning," Harry greets, trying to contain his laughter from escaping, and almost failing to do so.

"To you to," Celia replies matter of factly. "Happy Christmas Eve," she adds on, kissing me on the cheek. "I couldn't help but overhear your lovemaking in the middle of the night," she comments casually. "And if I could offer any tips, I'd suggest that perhaps Ivy, you need to add more melon to your diet to help open your second chakra."

Had anyone else given me this suggestion, I'd have responded differently, though with Celia, it's just one of the many things you get used to with her, and I now don't even bat an eyelid.

"Oh, right," I answer.

"What about me?" Harry asks. "Do I need more melon, Celia?"

"Trust me," she says, shaking her head. "You don't need any more melon."

"Good to hear," he replies, sitting up a little more. "If you'll excuse me, I have to shower."

"Go right ahead," Celia allows, waving her hand casually in front of her.

"Err," I see his internal struggle, as he doesn't move. "I'm er... lacking in clothes," he points out, and she looks away, giving him the chance to get up.

Just as he goes through to the adjoining bathroom, I laugh to see that she slyly sneaks a peak just before he entered.

"Very nice," she comments. "Though do ensure he gets no more melon."

"Will do," I laugh, shaking my head. "What have you got on for today, my love?"

"I have that thing I was telling you about, but now I have nothing to wear. Essie cancelled on me," she informs me, sounding woefully distressed for such a minor issue. "She was meant to style me for the event, and she called to cancel just this morning."

"Well it must have been something big for her to cancel," I defend. "You're welcome to anything in my wardrobe, despite the fact that I know very well that you have more than enough things to choose from."

"Oh, you shouldn't do," she gasps, springing out of bed, while she bounds towards my wardrobe.

She flips through a number of things on the rack, selecting some of the items she likes, and setting them aside. Inevitably, she eventually lands upon a box nestled carefully in the corner, emblazoned 'Brock Collection New York' on the front.

"Oh my word," she gasps, taking the lid off so gently that you'd think it was her firstborn child. Ogling the beautiful gold material, she whips her head to where I'm sitting in bed.