This is a one-shot that takes place in my Notting Hill universe, a little over seven months into Belle's pregnancy. Just a bit of domestic Rumbelle fluff and smut.
This one shot is a 'thank you' to my readers for nominating 'Catch a Falling Star' for Best Movie AU in The Espenson Awards. Voting is going on over at Tumblr right now. If I WIN best Movie AU, I'll write two MORE one shots for this verse. Thank you for your support! It is much appreciated!
Wake Up Call
"Nick," Belle whispered between the kisses that she peppered across his face. Nick grumbled sleepily.
"What's wrong?" he mumbled, barely awake.
"I'm horny," Belle whispered, and she continued to kiss him.
"Wasn't the hyperactive sex drive supposed to end with the second trimester?" Nick asked, and he attempted to pull the blanket over his head, but Belle stopped him.
"Everyone is different," Belle reminded him.
"Yes, and you are definitely more different than most. What time is it?"
"A little after four-thirty," Belle said.
"In the morning? Belle, you're killing me. Go back to sleep." Nick rolled over onto his side, his back to her. After several minutes, he could hear Belle sniffling. Nick sighed and rolled over to face her. "Sweetheart – don't cry, love."
"You don't want me anymore. I'm too fat," Belle whined. Nick sat up a bit and took her into his arms.
"Hey – you are not fat. You look absolutely incredible. You've never been more beautiful to me than you are now. I just cannot keep up with you, and I know it's your hormones and everything but I'm a fifty-three-year-old man and that's become more and more obvious in the last few months."
"I'm sorry," Belle whimpered.
"Nothing to be sorry for. Okay?"
"Okay," Belle replied, and she lifted up her chin and gave Nick a small kiss, which turned into a long kiss with tongue and eventually fingers running through one another's hair as Belle climbed on top of him. "You still don't want to?" Belle asked after several minutes of this, which ultimately led to Nick being rock hard and ready for her.
"Well, obviously I'd be lying if I said no at this point, wouldn't I?" Nick kissed her on the nose. "I do miss taking turns being on top."
"Well, if you can figure out a way to be on top, go right ahead," Belle teased.
"I'm not that talented," Nick replied as Belle pushed down his pajama bottoms and maneuvered him inside of her. She writhed on top of him as Nick reached up and grabbed her breasts underneath her nightgown.
"You want me to take it off?" Belle asked.
"Please," Nick whispered. Still wriggling on top of him, Belle lifted her nightgown over her head and tossed it onto the floor. Nick continued to reach for her breasts. "Are you at a D cup yet?"
"Not quite. I think C is as far as they'll go."
"Well, one can hope," Nick teased, then he let out a loud groan. "Oh, Belle – feels so good."
"Me too," Belle moaned. Her face contorted as she began to move faster, with Nick thrusting his hips as hard as he could. After several more minutes they both cried out with a loud, pleasured moan, and Belle let out a loud sigh and tumbled to his side on the bed. "I love you," Belle whispered. Nick turned to face her and kissed her on the lips.
"And I love you," he whispered in reply. They shared a few more small kisses, and then Nick sat up.
"Where are you going?" Belle asked.
"Well, now I have to pee. Even though it's far too early for me to be up."
"At least you're not up and down ten times a night," Belle replied as Nick got out of bed and went into the bathroom. When he came back to bed, Belle got up, picked up her nightgown and put it back on, then went into the bathroom herself. When she returned, Nick was curled up on her side of the bed, wrapped around her pregnancy pillow. "Excuse me?"
"You know; I think I like this thing. Might buy one for myself," Nick teased.
"Nick, I want to go back to sleep," Belle whined. Nick scooted over onto his side of the bed, taking the pillow with him. "Nick!" Belle picked up one of the regular pillows and hit him with it.
"Hey! No need for violence!" Nick said as he gave the pillow back to Belle.
"Thank you," Belle said, and she settled into bed. Nick snuggled up next to her.
"You know, I just realized what today is," Nick said.
"You asked me to marry you one year ago today," Belle said quietly. "Did you ever figure this is where we'd be not even two years later when you came to California with me?"
"Didn't even cross my mind. You?"
"I was just glad you changed your mind. Not much else mattered at that moment," Belle admitted. They kissed for a moment, then Nick began to rub his hand across her belly.
"You don't think she's bothered by our activity, do you?"
"Well, why don't you ask her," Belle suggested. Nick laughed a bit, then moved his face down toward Belle's protruding belly.
"Hey, Olivia – this is your daddy. I do hope you know that by now. Your mum and I haven't been disturbing you, have we?" Nick kissed Belle's belly, and the moment he did, the baby kicked. Nick gasped and sat up, and Belle laughed. "It was your mother's idea, don't blame me."
"You really don't think she understood you, do you?" Belle asked.
"Why not? She's our daughter, she's likely to be very smart." Nick laid back down once again, wrapping his arm around Belle. "You comfortable, sweetheart?"
"As much as I can be," Belle said. "Sorry I woke you up."
"It's okay. Sorry I was such a crab."
"I'll let you sleep in," Belle whispered, and she kissed him on the forehead. They both closed their eyes and relaxed and fell back to sleep with little effort.
Nick stretched and yawned as he awoke, reaching over to Belle's side of the bed and finding only her pillow there. He looked at the clock, which read 8:47 a.m. Nick sat up and reached for his cane. He got up and walked over to the closet, took out his bathrobe, put it on, and headed downstairs where he found Belle in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Morning," Belle said as she poured herself a cup of tea.
"How long you been up?" Nick asked as he walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"About half an hour. I thought you'd sleep in a bit longer."
"Apparently not. I have to go to the shop for a bit anyway, I have a project that's almost finished." Nick let out a loud yawn.
"Can I come with you? I'm tired of sitting here all day, I'm bored."
"You're bored? Since when do you get bored, you have a million books here to read."
"I can read them there. Or I can help you in the shop, I can work the register, help you catch up on inventory."
"Yes, I can just see you waddling about the store doing inventory and trying not to knock things over. You break it, you bought it, love," Nick teased.
"You just don't want me to come because you want to sneak over to the coffee shop," Belle said.
"Hey – I agreed that I'd refrain from coffee around you during the duration of your pregnancy just out of respect. What I do when you're not there is my business."
"So you'd rather have a cup of coffee than me spending the morning with you at the shop?" Belle asked. Nick was quiet. "Well?"
"I'm thinking," Nick joked. Belle made a pouty look with her face, and Nick set down his teacup and pulled her into a hug. "How about I just get a small cup? Belle, if I don't get some caffeine in me I'm gonna be out cold by three in the afternoon and then I'll be the one waking you up at four-thirty in the morning for sex." Belle laughed a bit.
"Okay. I suppose it's the least sacrifice I can make." Belle kissed him on the lips. "Just no kisses until you brush your teeth."
"Deal," Nick agreed, and he kissed her again.
"You know, from all the reading I've done, it doesn't look like there's any problem drinking coffee while breastfeeding as long as you don't overdo it. So I expect a kitchen full of gift wrapped coffee cans when I get home from the hospital."
"I'll fill the house with coffee scented candles too, how does that sound?"
"Perfect," Belle replied. They started to kiss, Belle's belly pressed against Nick, and they both felt the baby kick furiously. "Alright, alright," Belle said, pulling out of Nick's arms. "She's hungry."
"That makes two of us," Nick agreed.
"Three, actually. I've got a breakfast casserole in the oven, it should be done in a few minutes."
"How much of it am I allowed to have?"
"Whatever's left after I take what I want," Belle teased.
"Right. I'll make toast," Nick teased.
"Very funny," Belle said. Nick sat down at the table in the kitchen, and noticed something on the table that he picked up and looked at.
"Where'd this come from?"
"Mulan sent it to me. It's not bad – they start filming in November."
"Isn't that when Philip's film is coming out? Won't you be doing a press junket?"
"Shooting starts a week after. I mean, it's here in New York, but I don't know – Olivia won't even be three months old yet, I'll have to go on a crash diet starting the day after she's born if I want to be even remotely close to what they want for the way I look, I'd have to dye my hair back – I just want to spend some time being a mom, is that so bad?" Belle sat down at the table with him.
"Of course not."
"They're offering me fifteen for the part. And a full-time nanny on set."
"Fifteen? Million?" Nick asked, his eyes widening.
"No, dollars," Belle remarked in a sarcastic tone. "Am I crazy to turn that down?"
"If I said no you wouldn't believe me," Nick said, and he took a sip of his tea.
"I just don't want to be another celebrity mom – we agreed no nannies. It's so frustrating – as soon as she's born, they're going to want tons of pictures, when I do Philip's press junket all they'll want to talk about is the baby, and then after that if I don't get another project going they'll be hounding me. And then eventually they'll just forget about me."
"Sweetheart, you won an Oscar this year, they're not going to forget about you. Do you want to do the film or not?"
"It's funny – two years ago I wouldn't have even hesitated. But now – what if Olivia does something cute while I'm shooting? What if I miss her first smile or laugh? I don't want to chance that. Not for any amount of money." Nick took her hand across the table and kissed it.
"Of course you don't. I missed all of those milestones with Bae and Ruby because I was too busy. Trust me – you'll regret it forever."
"You're right. Besides, if I do the film I won't be able to go back to school in the fall. I guess it's just not the right time. Something else will come along eventually." The oven timer went off and Belle stood up. She took her dish out of the oven, then turned and looked at Nick, eyeing him up and down.
"What?" Nick asked.
"How fast can you eat?" Belle asked playfully.
"Oh, for god's sake, are you kidding me?"
"Well I can't help it, you're just too damned sexy." Nick stood up and got himself a plate.
"Sweetheart – I've barely been awake for fifteen minutes, my hair isn't combed, I haven't showered or shaved, and I'm wearing my old brown bathrobe that you've threatened to burn numerous times because you hate it. There is no possible way you can think I'm sexy at the moment." Belle put her arms around him and faced him.
"You didn't answer my question. How fast can you eat?" Nick sighed.
"I get TWO cups of coffee this morning. Brushing teeth after is optional."
"Deal," Belle agreed, and they melted into a kiss.