Elena couldn't help but bounce in the back seat as they got closer and closer to Harry's hotel. It had been almost a month since they'd last seen each other in person. Skype, Face Time, text messages and emails were great for keeping in touch but when it came to wanting to actually feel him next to her she'd had to keep herself reminded that it would be soon. And as the actual day when they would be reunited got closer, "soon" just wasn't enough.
When her flight landed at Heathrow, she texted him one word:
Landed
To which he responded:
Naked
And after that it was all Elena could do not to sprint across the airport to the SUV awaiting to take her to his house. His house for now, Elena's stuff was headed over on a barge somewhere having been shipped weeks ago. With any luck by the end of the month Elena would be a full time resident of England. She was already working on her citizenship.
The US Women's National Team had made the decision to practice in England this year, keeping them closer to the action for all of their games. Elena had quit her team in Orlando, sadly. But prospects for getting a spot on one of the European women's teams were looking great. It seemed there were quite a few coaches in Europe who had been chomping at the bit to get one Ms. Elena Bennett to play for them. She just needed to pick which team she wanted to play for.
Harry had been in England filming his next movie while Elena finished out her contract with Orlando, sold her house and got her things packed up.
Elena breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Harry's house appear in the distance. Just a few more minutes and she'd be in the arms of the only man she ever loved. She slid down out of the truck when the driver opened her door, staring up at the windows of the house that was now hers as well. It felt weird saying that. Weird good.
She was just handing money to the driver when the front door creaked as it opened. Elena turned around, watching Harry emerge from the house as if he was in slow motion. He was dressed though.
She turned to walk towards him, leaving her bags sitting on the driveway as the driver drove away.
As they finally made it to each other, the air between them settled into a calm that set both of them at ease. Harry's smile relaxed on his face as he lifted his thumb and forefinger to catch her chin,
"Took you long enough."
She smiled, taking one step closer to him so their bodies were now rested against each other,
"I can only go so fast."
He shook his head, his eyes darting across her features,
"You forget...I've seen you play. I know exactly how fast you can move."
She nodded, her eyes resting on his mouth as he drew closer to her,
"My mistake."
She hadn't even finished the word mistake when his mouth came down on hers. The one good thing about being apart from each other for so long was this moment. This comfort when they were fused again with nothing between them.
Harry pulled away, he let his eyes linger on her face again before he nodded at her suitcases,
"Need some help?"
She shook her head,
"I can get them."
He shot her a look as he released her from his arms. He walked to her bag and easily picked it up, shaking his head as he walked by. Elena let out a soft giggle.
-------------------
Harry insisted on making Elena dinner that evening. He obviously had a scene in mind, being that the fireplace was going even though it was one of the hotter days in London, the table was set with two place settings and candles and he'd bought a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. Elena leaned over the kitchen island to rest her elbows on the countertop as she watched him prepare their meal,
"Ya know...we just coulda done take out."
Harry scoffed,
"Please. Wasn't about to welcome you to your first day living here with some nasty take out."
Elena finished her sip of wine,
"Kebabs are not nasty."
Harry gently covered Elena's hand with his as they sat down to eat. He beamed at her as he chewed,
"So, My Love, what's the plan once I let you out of our bedroom?"
Elena felt her thighs clench together. Good thing they were underneath the table. She smiled,
"I have to get a physical next week and then I can choose between teams."
If it was possible to grow Harry's smile, that news did it. He squeezed her hand,
"Have I told you how proud I am of you? I like being able to brag that my girl has her choice of the team she wants to play for because they all want her."
"I wouldn't go that far."
"You didn't." Harry countered, "I did."
"What are your plans once I let you out of our bedroom?" Elena asked.
Harry laughed,
"I'm gonna go get my ass kicked on a movie set for 14 hours and then come home to lay my head in your lap until I fall asleep."
Elena smiled without hesitation. That was music to her ears. She had about a month before she would have to be anywhere near a soccer field and she couldn't wait until she could pamper him.
Elena watched him for a moment. He looked so happy and alive, it made her giddy with excitement to see how refreshed he was. It made her proud to feel like she might have had something to do with it.
She watched as his eyes rested on hers, finally setting down her fork and pushing back from the table. Elena has been deprived of Harry for far too long. She needed to feel his strength again. Sometimes it felt like it was the only thing anchoring her to the earth.
She held his gaze as she stood, his eyes suddenly dripping with craving as he looked on her. She reached up to the tie around her neck holding her sundress up. She pinched the strings between her fingers, pulling at it until it untied.
Harry watched with intense interest as the dress fluttered down and away, revealing her completely naked body.
He swallowed, his body moving almost without command as he pushed back from the table. Elena watched as he stepped towards her, his eyes drinking her in entirely before they met hers again. He lifted his hand to her cheek. Elena gripped his arms, her body shaking gently when his other hand rested against her hip,
"Say something." She whispered.
Harry stayed silent for a moment, his head shaking back and forth as a gentle smile curved up the corners of his mouth,
"Words can't do you justice, Pretty Girl."
Elena's neck tipped back from the force of his mouth on hers. He helped Elena get his shirt and pants off before he pulled her back up into his arms. Elena wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms securing around his neck as he walked them to the couch.
Harry laid her down gently, his mouth covering every plane of her body as he moved down her torso and then back up. Elena's legs bent in anticipation, she waited. Harry slotted himself between her legs, his hands pressing into her knees keeping her well and open for him. He slipped into her gently, waiting for a moment until she relaxed and her body stretched around him.
She gasped when he pulled out and pushed back into her, realizing then she wouldn't be able to last very long. Harry also seemed to be having issues containing himself. His normal easiness while he was inside of her was gone as he drove them both to the edge.
Elena's hands dug into his ass, urging him deeper. She couldn't barely find the breath to utter any words. Harry buried his face into her neck, panting hot breaths across her chest.
Her moans got louder and louder, he knew she was close. Her deep breaths and desperate grabs for his body pushed him to the brink as well. But Harry wasn't about to let this end that quickly. He'd waited a month to be inside of her. He was going to make this last.
Elena's eyes opened when she suddenly felt the loss of his weight on top of her. She lifted her head off the couch to see him slide down her body, his lips sponging kisses down to her center. She felt his tongue drag a wide stripe up her center, his hands spreading out against her inner thighs. Elean's hands grabbed for the cushions beneath her, quickly unsatisfying her with their give in her hands she moved her fingers into his hair. And from somewhere, she found her voice,
"Harry..." She breathed.
He pushed his tongue into her body, sending her hips jolting up from the couch. She gripped his hair, pulling a little harder than normal,
"You're gonna make me come."
He pulled back, a soft stream of air blowing against her center before he went right back to tasting her with his tongue. Elena felt her body start to convulse. She lifted her hand to grip the pillow behind her head, her lips rolling into her mouth,
"Shit." She said through gritted teeth, "Harry, God..."
And with that she broke apart. He kept his mouth on her, a feat considering how harshly her hips shot up off the couch. But Harry knew Elena's body better than even she did. He was ready for it.
She settled down, untangling her fingers from his hair as her hips rested back into the cushions. Harry hovered over her as he pressed kisses back up to her mouth.
Elena's eyes opened when she felt him between her legs again. She shook her head when he kissed her,
"Gonna be one of those nights huh?" She asked softly.
Harry nodded,
"Couldn't let it end that quickly, you know better than that."
Elena pushed up off the couch, turning them over quickly, she straddled his hips,
"So now it's my turn then?"
He laid back into the cushions, his fingers spreading over her hips as he quirked his brows and grinned up at her,
"Was hoping you'd say that."
Elena kept her mouth against his as she sank down on his cock. Harry spread his palms out over her ass, urging her forward when she rolled her hips against his.
He grunted against her mouth,
"Goddamn." He swore.
Elena might have teased him a bit, driven him right to the edge and then backed off. But she was far too worked up to make that happen. Not to mention she was already back to a near orgasm.
Harry pushed his hips up into hers,
"I missed you." Elena pushed her forehead against his, her palms spreading out against the sides of his face, "Together yeah?" He asked.
She nodded,
"Yeah."
Elena fell first, her body shattering over his, pushing Harry over the edge soon after. She crumpled against him, far too deprived of any energy to continue holding herself up.
Harry pulled a blanket he'd had resting over the couch over the both of them, his arms tightening around her.
-------------------
Elena pushed herself up onto the examination table after she'd put on the hospital gown. Physicals were an annoyance she couldn't get away from due to her chosen vocation unfortunately. Teams always wanted to make sure she was fit to play for them. Elena had to laugh, she was so healthy she put health nuts to shame. She was obsessive about what she ate and making it to workouts. She hadn't been sick in years.
Dr. Suffolk seemed nice enough. He reminded her of her father in some respects, though they couldn't have looked any different. Dr. Suffolk also spoke with a thick British accent. He looked at her over his glasses perched on the end of his nose,
"Ms. Bennett this should take just a bit and then we'll leave you to your day."
Elena shrugged,
"No rush."
Dr. Suffolk was kind and gentle whenever he had to put his hands on her. Making sure she knew what he was doing each time. He wanted all the details about her life in the United States, though Elena was suspicious he was just working his way up to asking her which team she was going to choose.
Elena's presence in London had been quite the news story. There were countdowns on every program it seemed, waiting until she made the choice as to who she'd play for. Everyone wanted to know. Elena's choice would definitely bolster the team she chose to being quite a force.
But she'd been warned by her agent not to tell anyone who she'd chosen to play for. Keep the secret guarded until she made a concrete decision and the papers had been signed. So, Elena reserved herself to doing just that. She hadn't even told Harry the team she was leaning towards.
Dr. Suffolk finished his examination quickly. He pushed his glasses up his nose,
"Alright, we're all done."
Elena smiled,
"Am I gonna live?"
He laughed softly,
"Yes. Healthiest person I've seen in awhile actually." He lifted a plastic covered cup to her, "Just need a urine sample and you can go."
Elena rolled her eyes,
"Of course...my pee tells the whole story huh?"
Dr. Suffolk nodded,
"Tells us enough." He patted her shoulder, "Good luck out there, Young Lady. Can't wait to see you play."
Elena thanked him and waited until he was gone to get dressed.
Harry was laying on the couch reading a book when Elena got home. Surprising considering he woke up that morning grumbling about how hard this day of shooting was supposed to be. Elena collapsed onto him, her head cuddling into his chest as she definitely got in the way of his reading.
Harry laughed,
"Someone wants a cuddle."
Elena nodded, burrowing into him even further now that the book was out of the way,
"Just want to live here all the time."
Harry kissed the top of her head,
"Well feel free." He slipped his fingers into her waistband, "How was the doctor?"
"Fine. Just a doctor ya know? He poked and prodded until he got what he wanted." She poked Harry's side, "Like someone else I know."
Harry jumped,
"Hey!" He laughed. He pressed his lips to the top of her head again, "At least with me you get something out of the deal."
Elena nodded. She lifted her head to look at him,
"I think I made a decision."
Harry raised his eyebrows,
"So soon?"
"I mean, I made it before I got here but...I wasn't sure until I got here."
Harry nodded,
"Well I'm glad you made a choice then."
Elena raised her eyebrows,
"You don't wanna know?"
He smiled,
"Course I do. But I know you wanted to keep it a secret. So...I can wait."
Elena lifted her hand to his cheek. He was always on her side no matter what. She loved that about him. Whether she chose to play for one club or the other, he honestly had no dog in the fight. He just wanted her to be happy wherever she was,
"I love you." She said softly.
Harry turned his head to kiss her palm,
"I love you."
"Hey!" Elena heard Harry's voice as he bounded up the stairs to their bedroom. He stopped when he saw her standing in her underwear in the bathroom. His brows quirked as he recovered himself, "Your stuff should be here this afternoon. Just got the call."
Elena smiled as she finished straightening her last piece of hair,
"Great. Not like I need any of it. I've been here for two weeks and I haven't missed it at all."
Harry walked up behind her, his hands spreading over her hips,
"I could tell them to keep it."
Elena shook her head,
"I should at least go through some of it to make sure."
He kissed the back of her head, his fingers creeping around to circle around the cup of her bra,
"This is..." He toyed with the lacey red edges of her bra, "Pretty."
Elena quirked her brows at him,
"I figured since we're now living together I needed to step up the underwear game."
Harry pressed his fingers into her flesh gently,
"And here I am still wearing old cotton boxer briefs."
Elena giggled,
"If you wanna try anything on, feel free."
He shot her a look, his hand dropping from her bra,
"Maybe another time." He slapped his hand against her ass, "Get dressed, movers will be here in an hour and then we have lunch with Mrs. Twist."
Elena couldn't wait to see Harry's mother again. It felt like they hadn't seen each other in ages. She so missed the peacefulness that surrounded Anne.
Elena heard her phone ring. Harry turned to walk out of the bathroom,
"Let me get that for you, My Lady."
Elena shot him a look as he disappeared around the corner and then reappeared a moment later with her phone in hand. He siled,
"I'll be downstairs."
Elena took the phone, smiling as he walked out she hit the answer button,
"Hello?"
"May I speak to Ms. Elena Bennett? This is Dr. Suffolk's office calling."
Elena nodded,
"This is Elena."
"Hi Ms. Bennett, this is Serena. I'm Dr. Suffolk's nurse."
"Hello Serena, I remember you."
"We got some tests back and Dr. Suffolk wanted me to call you right away. Do you have a moment to speak with him?"
Elena's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. She'd taken many physicals in her lifetime, no one ever needed to speak with her after one. Maybe it was a British thing,
"Sure."
"Hold please."
Elena didn't have time to wonder long, the moment she was put on hold it seemed Dr. Suffolk picked up immediately. He took a breath,
"Good morning, Elena. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. Is something wrong?"
"No, no, not at all. Just wanted to make sure to get the results to you immediately."
Elena was still confused,
"Results...of...what?" She stumbled.
Dr. Suffolk cleared his throat,
"You're pregnant Elena."
Elena's stomach hit the floor. He kept talking after that, something about being very early along and needing to get her in for some prenatal tests. Her vision blurred as she stared into the mirror at herself.
Pregnant? How in the hell could this be?
Elena quickly admonished herself. She knew how this could be. She and Harry hadn't exactly been careful lately. In fact the lack of a condom had been more prevalent then the use of one.
"Elena are you there?"
Elena heard Dr. Suffolk's voice break through her thoughts,
"Yeah. Yes. I'm here."
"I'll give you a call next week so we can set up some time. Ok?"
"S-sure." Elena stumbled.
She didn't know if he said goodbye. She quickly hung up and dropped the phone to the bathroom counter.
-------------------
Harry didn't seem to notice how off Elena was on the drive to the restaurant to meet Anne. Good considering Elena had no idea what to say anyway. It felt like her entire world had turned upside down in the span of one five minute phone call. Her once burgeoning career had now been thrown into uncertainty. The teams that had lined up to sign her would now back away immediately once they were told of her condition.
Elena silently scolded herself for even thinking of her career at a time like this. But pregnancy had been so far out of her realm of possibility that she had no idea how to handle this. And to make matters even more sticky, she was in a foreign country with no family.
Did Elena even want to be pregnant? She had no idea. She hadn't even thought about it.
She was momentarily pulled from her thoughts when she felt Harry squeeze her hand,
"Kinda quiet over there. Everything alright, Pretty Girl?"
Elena looked over at him. Harry would be ecstatic about this news, she knew that much. If there was one thing she knew well it was how much he wanted a family. Kids were very important to his life plan.
They were to Elena's too. Just not so soon. She had a life plan that included her going out on top when she chose to end her career. Now what was she going to do?
Panic was starting to set in. Panic that she wouldn't be able to hide in a restaurant from Harry or his mother if she kept up with this line of thinking.
So Elena did the best she could to push the news out of her mind.
Dr. Suffolk assured Elena she was quite healthy and should have no complications from this pregnancy. Elena figured she did a good enough job convincing him she was happy about it considering he never asked her what was wrong. But in the week and a half since she'd been told, Elena had yet to tell anyone else. Especially Harry.
Every day she let pass where she hadn't told him, the guilt weighed her down. She had tried. But she didn't even know where to start the conversation. Not to mention, Elena wasn't even sure how she felt about it yet. Harry would be so happy when he found out that all Elena could hear was his confusion and anger when he realized she wasn't just as happy.
Elena was seated in front of her locker. Today would be her first practice since she'd landed in London. She was terrified. What if she did something to injure the baby? Dr. Suffolk assured her she would be alright, but she was still concerned. Elena spread her palm out over her tummy, staring down as she wondered what on earth was happening inside of her.
"Earth to Elena..." Elena shook out of her head when she heard the sound of her old teammate Andrea.
Andrea had made the move over to England months ago. She played for Chelsea. She was part of the reason Elena found it so easy to make the decision to move. Andrea said playing over here was a whole different world. Soccer in Europe was a completely different animal than soccer in the US.
Elena looked up at her,
"Oh sorry. I didn't hear you."
Andrea sat down, laughing softly,
"I got that much. You alright?"
Elena gave a stilted nod of her head,
"Yeah. Yeah I'm alright."
Andrea knocked into her shoulder,
"Preoccupied with making a decision still huh?"
Elena felt like she was going to burst. She needed to tell someone. Anyone. Andrea and Elena had been friends for so long, supporting each other through career changes and injuries. Andrea would understand. She could help.
Elena gripped her hand,
"Come with me." She said rather suddenly as she stood up and pulled Andrea out into the hallway.
Andrea stumbled a bit as she fought to keep up with Elena,
"What is going on?" She laughed as Elena finally found an empty room and pulled her in. Andrea pushed her hair out of her face as Elena closed the door, "I know your decision is a secret but damn girl..."
Elena whirled around,
"I'm pregnant." She blurted out, "A few weeks. Harry and I haven't really been...careful lately."
Andrea's eyes widened,
"Holy shit. Are you serious?"
Elena put her hands to her mouth as the tears she'd been holding back since she found out finally showed themselves,
"Yes." She ran her fingers into her hair, "Oh my God..."
Andrea quickly realized this was not the usual happy news one received when they heard they were pregnant. She put her hand on Elena's shoulder,
"Are you alright?"
"No!" Elena exclaimed, "No, I'm not. I'm not ready for this. A kid? Harry and I are barely into our second year together. He's gone half the time filming this movie. Once the teams find out about this...no one will want me."
"Hold on..." Andrea said softly as she put her other hand on Elena's shoulder, "Women play all the time through pregnancies."
Elena let her hands drop out of her hair,
"I know. But it's not...I had plans Andrea. I had a plan for how things were supposed to go. Harry and I would be settled. How the hell are we going to do this now?"
"Wait..." Andrea asked, her eyes blinking in confusion, "You haven't told him?"
"No." Elena felt herself start to hyperventilate, "And the longer I don't, the worse I feel. But I can't tell him until I know..." She let her sentence trail off.
Andrea waited for her friend to finish. When Elena didn't, Andrea shook her head,
"Until...you know what?"
Elena reluctantly met Andrea's eyes, a few tears dropping from her own eyes when she did,
"What I wanna do." She whispered.
Andrea shook her head,
"Elena...what are you- no. You can't be...are you serious?"
Elena felt her whole body start to shake. Was she serious? She didn't know. She and Harry weren't married. They were absolutely committed, but if there was one thing Elena knew it was that nothing was a guarantee.
Elena looked back at Andrea,
"I don't know."
Andrea stared back at her. Elena wasn't a person who came to these kinds of decisions easily. And despite Andrea's own feelings about terminating a pregnancy it wasn't her place to impress that upon her friend. It was clear Elena needed support, not judgment.
Andrea took a breath,
"Alright. Alright..." She ran her hand down her face, "Ben, you have to tell him."
Elena nodded,
"I know. I know I do. I just don't know how. I don't know how to start the conversation."
"Do you think he'll be angry?"
"No. He'll be happy. So happy."
Andrea nodded, finally understanding why it was Elena hadn't told him,
"And when he hears that you might not be so happy...that's when he'll be angry."
Elena started to shake as she sobbed,
"I'm a terrible person. Oh my God. I'm terrible for even thinking about it aren't I?"
Andrea put her hands to Elena's face,
"Hey...calm down."
Elena tried. She'd never been like this before. Usually Elena was pretty even keeled and void of any drama. But the move, coupled with the decision about which team she wanted to play for, and now this...she felt like too many things were happening at once.
Andrea pushed Elena's hair behind her ears,
"You have to tell him, Ben. Once you tell him, it might make whatever decision you make easier."
Elena nodded as Andrea repeated it one last time,
"You have to tell him."
-------------------
Elena could already smell dinner cooking when she walked into the house. Harry had clearly been hard at work on something. She took a minute to make sure her puffy, red eyes were gone in the hallway mirror. She took one last long look at herself. She could do this. She would tell Harry and they would face it together, just like they had everything else.
Harry was softly singing when she made it to the kitchen. He turned just as she entered, an instant smile popping up on his cheeks when he saw her.
He jogged around the island to press a kiss to her mouth,
"Good evening, Pretty Girl. You're home early. Thought you had practice."
Elena nodded,
"I did. I wasn't..." She stopped, it was now or never, "Feeling well."
Harry's smile disappeared as he lifted his hand to her forehead,
"Sick? I hope not. Got a big press conference tomorrow...everyone wants to know who you're gonna play for."
Elena nodded, watching as he returned to his cooking. He was so happy and carefree. She was going to destroy all of that with her news. Their lives would change in so many ways that neither of them were ready for.
"Chelsea." Elena suddenly said. Harry turned to look at her. She nodded, "I'm gonna play for Chelsea."
Harry returned to her, picking her up off her feet as he threw his arms around her,
"Yes!" He exclaimed, "That's my girl." He set her back on her feet, popping a kiss to her mouth, "Always after the best...they're record is spotless right now. You're gonna make them unbeatable."
Elena nodded gently, her heart pounding in her ears. Everything she wanted was at her fingertips. She'd worked her entire life for this.
Harry noticed then that her face registered somewhat of an uncertainty. He lifted his hand to her cheek, his brows pulling together,
"Are you alright? You seem...upset."
Elena settled then. She nodded,
"I love you." Was all she said.
He smiled,
"I love you too."
She watched as he turned back to the stove. No matter how much she might have wanted to tell him, her mouth just couldn't form the words.