There are some women who are just meant to be mothers, Bella O'Hara isn't one of those people. So when she's given a simulation baby to take care of for a week, her life is flipped upside down. In all the chaos a child brings, mechanical or not, Hal...
He grins back boyishly, "I'm so proud of you, Bellatrix."
She cringes at her full name, but doesn't comment. He uses it for occasions like this. Hale stands at her side, leaning in to kiss the top of her head. He smiles at her when she pulls away and for the first time in months, she sees the old Hale Nathan.
"I'm proud of you too." He breathes, his smile dropping slowly as he looks at her. It doesn't completely fall, leaving him with a half smile.
He graduated early, but he was still walking with the rest of the class the same as all the other boys. Bella's heart pounds in her chest, his smile engraved in her brain. She wants to remember it, just in case she doesn't see it again. Even though they've drifted apart, her feelings haven't changed. They've only gotten stronger. She realized she loves him a while ago, she just hasn't worked up the courage to tell him.
"Smile for me, Bells." Her dad breaks her concentration, causing her to look at him. Hale wraps an arm around her, and flashes a smile, one he's perfected for pictures.
The flash blinds them for a moment and Bella is sure she didn't even smile, but doesn't say anything. "Can we go?" She asks, grabbing Hale's hand, lacing their fingers.
This time he doesn't pull his hand away.
👶
Graduating didn't feel right. But then again, lately nothing felt right. The only thing that did, was Hale. And as Bella lay cradled in his arms, staring blankly into the dark, her heart hurts a little. It was a long day for both of them. Their graduate after party consisted of loud voices and heavy drinking, both of which bothered Hale and Bella. They ended up leaving early and crashing at Hale's house, which was empty because his family was partying at her house.
His room was her favorite place to be, his house is beautiful, but when she steps in his room; relief washes over her. He was more of a home to her than anything else, and being surrounded by his things and his scent made her happy. Or at least as close to happy as she could get.
"I love you." She whispers out loud, listening to Hale's even breathing.
There was silence in response and she let out the breath she was holding. It didn't make her feel any better telling him now when he was asleep.
"Why?" His mumble causes her to jump. She wiggles out of his arms, her heart pounding.
"What the fuck, Hale." She huffs, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Her brain goes into panic mode. She didn't expect him to respond.
He doesn't react, but rolls over onto his back, his eyes glued to the ceiling. It was as if his body knew to wake up right when she whispered those words. He loves her, he has since he met her, but was always unsure if her feelings went as deep. And after what happened with Kevin, he was unsure as to where they stood at all. She seemed hesitant around him and he knows he wasn't all inviting. He wanted to be happy that she loves him back, but he couldn't bring himself to feel it.
"Why do you love me?" He asks again, not bothering to move as Bella gets up. He can barely see her move in the dark room, but he imagines her pacing the floor.
At first Bella can't think of a response. Everything she had to say to him sounded like a cheesy love quote from Google. But everything she felt was real and she wanted him to know. She just wasn't as eloquent with her words as he was.
"I love you," She repeats quietly, her hands shaking as she runs them through her hair. "I love the way you smile when you see Mia, and the way you take care of Gran. I love the way you interact with your supporters and the way you capture their attention on stage. I love when you bite your lip during rehearsal when you're trying to remember lyrics. I love the way you make me laugh."
"I love how I feel when I'm with you. I love who I am with you. Before you came into my life, I was just breathing, coasting my way through life. You've shown me so much more than just existing. And I love you for it. I love you for you."
"But what about---" Hale begins to argue, his heart pounding in his chest.
"I would do it all over again if it meant saving your life. I'd do it a thousand times more." Bella interrupts, because this is a familiar argument. And she's tired of it. "I don't want to live a life without you in it. I can't do it."
Hale exhales and inhales, his response lost in the dark. Was he supposed to react a certain way? He didn't know and he almost wished he hadn't heard her. He hears Bella shuffling towards the bed again and feels her crawl across the bed. She straddles his waist and he automatically grips her hips, his throat tightening. She's wearing nothing but panties and a t-shirt. He tries not to think about it.
"You don't have to love me back, Hale. I understand." She runs her hands up and down his bare chest. He shudders beneath her.
"It's not that I don't." He responds, reaching up to pull her into a kiss. Her lips are soft, like they always are. He can't put into words what he wants to say to her. He can't get the 'I love you too' to pass his teeth so all he can do is show her how he feels.
👶
Bella wakes up, sore and cold. Her bare skin exposed as Hale is tangled in the blankets. His sunkissed chest rises and falls steadily. Bella feels complete, her cheeks warming when she thinks about last night. She throws her legs over the edge of the bed, stretching. The gentle movements she makes, wakes Hale. He blinks, his eyes rolling over to look at Bella. The morning light steaming through his bed room window highlights every curve and divot in her back, accentuating her smooth skin.
He sits up, startling Bella. He slides over, shifting himself so Bella sits between his legs, the thin bed sheet separating them. He wraps his arms around her, resting his forehead against her back.
She relaxes against him, wrapping her arms around his. "Sing for me?"
He is quiet for a moment, but then Bella feels the vibration in his chest. He sings her favorite song, the first one he ever wrote for her. She still remembers hearing it for the first time and thinking back to then, she would have laughed if someone told her she'd be in bed with Hale months from then, listening to him sing. Her heart hurt, thinking about the way things are now, she wanted things to go back to normal. Before she pulled the trigger and before everyone was traumatized.
"You shine like the morning light, And that smile gets me every time, I tried to find the words, Searched near and far, And all I needed to say was I love you."
He presses his lips to the base of Bella's neck, his hot breathe fanning across her shoulder blades. She can't help but smile at the addition to her song. She understood that it was hard for him, and she appreciated the way he delivered those three words. He always seemed to communicate better through music, that was his way of getting words out that wouldn't normally pass his lips otherwise.
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