A small one shot scene inspired by the royal newborn that wouldn't leave me alone. Lots of love and HR fluff. Enjoy!
Harry groaned as his phone rang. He'd just been about to drift off to sleep, but he knew he couldn't ignore the call. He got out of bed, stark naked and answered the phone, as Ruth rolled over and watched him. They hadn't drawn the curtains so the distant street lights bathed the room with a soft glow. It meant Ruth could see Harry clearly, even in the darkness, much to her delight. His back was towards her so she had long moments of being able to admire his bottom. She bit her lip as she half imagined half remembered digging her fingers into his sensitive flesh, making his body tilt towards her in a haze of passion. She was lost in her imagination when he turned around, still focusing on the conversation. However Ruth was not. She was reliving all the wonderful moments she'd shared with Harry in this bed.
She let out a low sigh and Harry caught her eyes with his. He smirked at her as if knowing what she was thinking, and then turned away from her again. "Of course sir," Harry said. "Absolutely. I'll send a report to you tomorrow. Thank you. Goodbye." Harry put the phone down and groaned again. "Inconsiderate arsehole."
"Let me guess," Ruth said as Harry got back into bed next to her. "Towers?"
"No," he replied. "The DG. Complaining that I've gone over budget with watching that bloody hospital for weeks on end. I pointed out that I should be catching terrorists, not keeping watch on ten a penny journalists outside of one of London's most exclusive hospitals. Just waiting for when the Duchess of Cambridge gets admitted."
"You know it needs doing," Ruth replied rationally. "You know that hospital needs the best security in case someone gets a horrible idea to assassinate the royal family. I'm afraid, you're the best."
"But she's not even there!" Harry said, clearly irritated. "Journalists have been lined up outside that bloody building for weeks. I've gone triple over budget with the security, because the baby's so overdue! And tomorrow all my agents will be back there, going through the hospital and performing background check on anyone and everyone lined up on that pavement.
"That's not anyone's fault," Ruth replied soothingly, her hand stroking his arm.
"God! Would that woman just hurry up and pop?!"
"It's hardly her fault Harry!" she said, slightly indignant. "She can't chose when her baby will be born, and I can almost guarantee she is a lot more uncomfortable than you are right now." Ruth remembered all too well those last few days of pregnancy, feeling like a beached whale and so uncomfortable that you couldn't do anything without feeling irritated. Add in the unrelenting heat in the UK right now, and she didn't envy the Duchess of Cambridge one little bit.
"Yes, but having the DG yell at you for overspending isn't pleasant either. It's hardly my fault!"
"Tell him the other option is to remove all the security," Ruth suggested. "I bet he won't like that."
"I said that," Harry said. He looked at her in confusion. "Weren't you listening to the conversation?"
"Er, no," she admitted. "I was rather distracted by the fact you were stark naked. You know what that does to me."
Harry chuckled and wrapped an arm around her body gently. "I'm so lucky to have you," he said. "I've just had enough of putting up with this fiasco around that royal baby."
"Not all babies are as timely as ours was," she said with a grin.
"Ours was perfect," he said, voice low and seductive.
"Mm," Ruth said. "Is. Is perfect."
"Of course," he said. "Sophie's perfect." Ruth smiled as she thought about their daughter, sleeping in the next room.
"You know, I don't think people appreciate how difficult it is for men while a woman's in labour," Harry said. Ruth snorted with derision.
"Oh really?" she said. "Are you the one squeezing a bowling ball out of your body?"
"No," he said, still holding her close. "But seeing the one you love in such pain, knowing you can do absolutely nothing about it, knowing that you're totally useless, and knowing that your wife would cheerfully throttle you at a moments notice... it's hard."
"I still think women have the worst half of the bargain," Ruth said, eyebrows raised as if daring him to disagree with her. He wasn't stupid.
"Of course they do," he said simply, and she smiled. "Sh," he said quickly. They were both silent as they heard a snuffling on the baby monitor. It didn't turn into a full blown cry, so they left her too it, smiling at each other in the joy of their daughter. "That royal baby better not be born on Monday," Harry said, a growl in his voice. "We have plans."
"Sophie won't remember her first birthday," Ruth said rationally. "And I know you will be here for her, no matter what happens at work. Plus the presents we've bought her will hold much less interest than the boxes they come in, and you know that."
"She is an odd child," Harry teased. Ruth laughed to herself as he stroked her hair.
"I love you," she said simply.
"Love you too," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Now sleep." She did, her body still enveloped by his arms.