TWENTY-SIX
Sunday, 15 November 2020; twenty-three weeks
Hermione was surprised that she woke up as early as she did the next morning. It wasn't that they had stayed at Ginny and Harry's all that late, it was that when they got home, the coil that had been tightening in her belly all night from having to restrain herself had all but snapped. They had spent the rest of the night and then some trying to sate everything that he had built up while sitting next to each other on that couch.
As per usual, she slipped out of his embrace in favor of emptying her bladder. Ever since she'd entered her second trimester she'd been unable to ignore the need to relieve herself upon first waking up. She knew it was bound to get worse; a fact that made her groan every time she thought about it. But regardless of the minor nuisance that development had become, it was more than made up for by the fact that she got to climb back into bed with James when she was finished.
In her absence, he had rolled over onto his back. The arm that she had been using as a pillow was now draped over his face, the other resting gently at his side, the tips of his fingers on his hip. The covers had also been moved in her haste to get up. They had fallen past his hips, leaving him exposed. Hermione knelt on the bed at his side rather than laying back down, her eyes raking over his nude form while she wet her lips.
In all the times that they had been together, she hadn't had the opportunity to really take in the sight of him. She'd woken to him ogling her once or twice so she figured he wouldn't mind. And while she knew that he took good care of himself, it was one thing to see the evidence of that. He was still rather fit for his age; his body still on the lean side of muscular from his former days as an athlete. He didn't work out nearly as much anymore; certainly not since she had moved in. At least, not that she was aware of.
Aside from the hard planes and angles of his muscles, there were other parts of him to admire as well. From the little scars here and there; some from being quite the troublemaker in his youth, some from his years on the force. He still worked for the police, but it had been years since he was a field officer. She couldn't name the department he was in, but she knew he had risen to a decent rank.
There was about a five second delay from the moment a thought popped into her mind to the time that she acted on it. Careful not to wake him, she slid one leg over his waist, straddling him before she leaned forward, bracing herself on the palms of her hands and her knees. She started by pressing her lips to his jaw, the stubble tickling her as she moved from one side to the other. He stirred slightly when shifted down, her lips finding his sternum.
She continued to take her time kissing her way over the expanse of his chest, enjoying the way he responded. Not only could she see his breath quicken, but his cock twitched against the swell of her belly. A grin took hold of her lips as her tongue darted out to circle his navel at the same time she brought her right hand between them to wrap around his cock. He hardened against her palm as she gave slow pumps of her wrist while she continued moving down. A moan fell from his lips as she kissed her way across his Adonis belt, nipping slightly as she went.
But it wasn't until she had settled into her final stance of one hand on the mattress by his hip, the other still wrapped around him, that she heard his hiss of pleasure. It was brought on by the fact that she had flattened her tongue against the base of his shaft and licked up until she was able to circle the tip. His body jerked and the arm slung over his face slipped down to his chest, but when she looked up, his eyes were still closed. She smirked as she returned her attention to his cock so that she could wrap her lips around the head and take as much of him as she could into her mouth.
Despite the fact that they had cleaned up before going to bed, she could still detect the faintest taste of herself on his skin. It made her moan around him, the vibrations making him twitch against her tongue. Once his length was sufficiently lubricated, she let her hand slip from around him so she could focus on using her mouth. Instead, she cupped him, gently massaging his sac. She hadn't ever been brave enough to touch Ron that way, but the moan of pleasure that fell from James' lips gave her the confidence to increase her pressure the smallest amount.
His hips jerked, causing him to slide further into her throat. She had been expecting that to happen and was able to keep herself from choking. She had been thinking about doing this again ever since the last time. She wanted a chance to try again, but he usually kept the focus on her. Not that she minded since his tongue did things that couldn't even fathom. But she wanted to know what it was like to have someone, to have him come down her throat. Even if she didn't end up liking it, she wanted to try it at least once. And since she had failed the last time, she was determined to make it work now.
It was his fingers sinking into her hair, tugging ever so slightly, that let her know he was awake. As much as she wanted to look at him, she didn't want to break the momentum. He was already so close to finishing. She could tell from the way he writhed beneath her and the increase of his groans. And this time, when the first spurt of his release hit the back of her throat, she was ready for it. It tickled, but she fought the urge to choke. Instead she continued to hollow her cheeks, but at a much slower pace as his cock pulsed while he emptied himself inside her mouth.
When she had swallowed the last of his release, she lifted herself off of him and sat back, her legs folded beneath her. She wiped at her mouth, staring down at him with a smirk as he propped himself up on his elbows and blinked at her as though still trying to focus.
"Good morning to you too," he said after a moment, his voice gruff from sleep, yet relaxed from post-orgasmic bliss. He pushed himself into a sitting position, his back against the headboard, and beckoned her forward. She moved, straddling his lap without hesitation. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her lips down to his, groaning heavily as he tasted himself on her tongue.
"That was okay?" she asked, pulling away to breathe.
"I'm all yours," he breathed, his lips brushing against her jaw as he worked his way up to her ear. "Feel free to do what you wish with me."
She laughed as her head tipped back, giving him easier access to mark up her throat. "I've always wondered what it would be like," she whispered, shivering as his teeth clamped around her earlobe.
"Which part?"
"Waking my partner up like that," she replied, a moan following her words as his hand slipped between them to strum at her clit. "And to…s-swallow. Oh!"
He moaned right along with her at the discovery of just how wet giving him head had made her. His fingers pressed into her core with no resistance whatsoever. "What else have you wanted to try?" he asked, the words coming out as more of a grunt.
"I d-don't-"
He chuckled and the rumble of his chest against hers made her body arch and her hips buck against his hand, drawing him deeper. "Think about it, Hermione. Whatever it is, I'll give it to you."
She nodded, but there wasn't much thinking capability left in her mind at the moment. There was only one single thought that spurred her actions; her need for release. "J-James," she stammered. "I need you. Now, please, I-"
He rendered her speechless by snapping his hips against hers, his cock filling her with one powerful thrust. With how wound up she was, she knew it wouldn't take much to send her over the edge. Especially when his cheek slid across hers so he could whisper things into her ear; things designed to send her to the moon and back.
"You feel so good," he said, his teeth nipping at her lobe again. "That's it, love; ride it out. I want to feel you come all over my cock."
There was more. There was always more. But all of her senses failed and everything went white.
When her senses began to return, it was his arms around her that kept her upright. Her head was still tossed back as she clung to him, one hand pressed between his shoulder blades while the other cupped the back of his head to keep his face between her breasts. He nuzzled the mounds of flesh, placing languid kisses to her skin as he waited for her to catch her breath. When her breathing regulated, she tugged at his hair until he pulled his head back. For what felt like eternity, they nipped at each other's lips, enjoying the playful sensation in the after math of their tryst.
It was when she began to squirm with the intention of getting up that he cupped her face and smirked at her, his thumb brushing across her lips. "I meant what I said, Hermione."
"Which part?" she asked, a smirk taking hold of her lips as a blush crept up her face. "You said quite a bit."
He smirked right back at her. "That if you want to try something, all you have to do is talk to me about it."
She cleared her throat and tried to look away, but his fingers slipped from her cheek to curl around her chin, preventing her from doing so. "James-"
"You don't have to," he pressed. "But just know that if there is something you want, I'll never make you regret bringing it up."
She swallowed hard and gave a nod, leaning in to capture his lips once more before he helped her off his lap. "Can we go out for breakfast?"
He snickered. "Work up an appetite, did you?"
His stomach growled, earning a laugh from both of them. "Seems I wasn't the only one," she muttered as she got to her feet.
"Wherever you want to go, name it," he said.
"Deal," she said as she turned towards the door to the bedroom instead of the bathroom. "Give me twenty minutes," she added, trying to ignore the disappointment in his eyes as she slipped out of his room in search of hers to get ready for the day.
Between the extent of their morning exercise and the oh so filling breakfast, Hermione was exhausted by the time they made it to the first store later that morning. Especially when they had driven to a mall that was a bit out of their way so they would be less likely to run into someone that they knew. Once he found a parking spot, they sat in the car so that Hermione could dig out her lists and sort through them in order of importance.
"I think we should get the big stuff first," she said once they entered the store. "We can get clothes and whatnot later."
He chuckled his eyes darted around. "I don't think I've ever met a girl who hates shopping as much as you do."
"I like shopping," she said. "Just depends on what I'm shopping for."
"Yes," he amended. "I have seen you in a bookstore before."
Her lips parted to make a comment, but an older woman wearing an employee uniform approached them, cutting her off. Her smile was warm as she looked between the two of them, her gaze nothing but soft as she dropped her gaze to Hermione's stomach. "I know that look," she said, her voice just as soft as her expression. "First one?"
Hermione nodded, returning her smile. "That obvious, huh?"
Her laugh was melodic. "I've raised many a child and twice as many grandbabies over the years. I have a knack for spotting the new parents and grandparents." Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she realized what the woman had meant. "Is this your first as well?" she asked, looking at James.
James took it in stride, simply shaking his head, his smile never wavering as he brought his hand up to rest in the small of Hermione's back. The woman's eyes widened a bit, but she didn't say anything. "Second for me, though my first is a bit older. It might as well be my first though; there weren't this many options and upgrades the first time around."
Even the woman's snort was soft. "Tell me about it. Every year we get the 'new and improved' model and I swear the only thing that changes is the color and the price." She laughed again and nodded to another customer that walked in behind them. "Should you need anything, I'll be out and about on the floor. Don't hesitate to shout for me," she said, pointing to her nametag that read Hilda. "And I do mean shout, dears, I'm hard of hearing."
They all laughed at that before she nodded at them disappeared to greet another couple. James went to get a cart and when he returned, they stared at the store again. "Why don't we just look at everything?" he suggested, sensing her panic from being overwhelmed.
She nodded readily and they turned down the first section to the left. They took their time browsing section by section, making selections after Hermione referenced her lists more than once. Not once did he complain about her method of shopping and for that she was grateful. If she had been shopping with Ginny, her cart would have been full before they even made it out of the first section.
The furniture section was the easiest. They both agreed to get everything they could from one place so that it could all be delivered at the same time. They wrote down the product numbers of the ones they were interested in so that they could pay for them up front and set up delivery when they purchased the rest of their items. After furniture came gear. Things like strollers, car seats, and diaper bags. Hilda was more than eager to answer any questions they had about one model versus another. She didn't miss the smile on James' face when she only selected one set of baby monitors instead of two before they moved on to the next section.
The things needed for hygiene and diapering were what filled the cart the most. Hermione was nearly ready to call it quits for the day after turning out of the section. Especially when the next one catered to all things nursing and feeding the baby. She held up the first set of breast pumps; her eyes going wide. She hadn't paid much attention to them before and they were intimidating.
"Are you going to breastfeed?" James asked, earning an eye roll from her when his dropped to her chest.
"I don't know. I haven't thought about it," she said, putting them back on the shelf. "I think I'll do more research before I buy that."
Instead, she focused more on products related to bottle feeding and formula. Her stomach lurched at the sight of her cart, her mind already doing the math at how much she was going to tap into her savings just to take all of this home today. Especially when she factored in the furniture and the delivery fee. She just had to keep reminding herself that it was a need; not a want.
The last few sections of the store were bedding, décor, and clothing. Hermione inhaled deeply as she looked at the rows and rows of options available to her, wondering if she had hit her limit for the day.
"Have you thought about a theme?" James asked as they ventured into the bedding area.
"Theme?"
"For the nursery," he said, taking her hand in his.
"Oh, uh, Ginny and I were looking on Pinterest last night for a few ideas, but I was focused on what goes in a nursery rather than how to decorate one."
She felt him tense at her side and realized she had forgotten to tell him about her chat with his daughter-in-law.
"I told her that I wasn't going through with the adoption when she asked if we, well, I, wanted to invite Theo and Draco to Thanksgiving," she said, her voice timid. "It felt like a good time to come clean that we- I- was keeping it. Him." She sighed from all the corrections and squeezed his hand. "I also told her I moved in with you; that I wasn't just living there until I figured my shit out."
His brow rose at that; his eyes brightening immensely. "How'd she take it?"
"It's Ginny," she replied. "She suspects something. I could tell by the look in her eyes, but she was supportive." She gave a small shrug. "We both know that could change when she figures it out, but until then, I'll take what I can get."
"At least we have Sirius," he said as he pulled her to him, his lips brushing across her temple.
She couldn't help but laugh as she recalled her conversation with Harry in his kitchen. "Yeah, about that," she started, pulling away so she could see his reaction as she told him what Harry had confronted her about. There was amusement in his eyes, but it wasn't as much as Hermione had thought she would have seen. But he only snorted and shook his head before letting go of her to browse through the items on the shelves.
"To answer your earlier question, no. I have not thought about themes," she said, moving to stand next to him. "What about you?"
"With Harry, we did reds, golds, and safari animals," he replied.
Hermione nodded, her fingers gliding over the bedding set containing woodland creatures. "What about this?" she asked. "We could do a forest theme?"
James nodded, his hand sliding over hers atop a little fox face. "If you want, we can paint the guest room. You can do whatever you want to it, really."
"Oh, I don't think-"
He turned towards her, his other hand coming up to rest on the outside of her bump. She stopped talking when their son kicked against his hand; as if he had sensed James' touch. "I want you to start thinking of it as our house, Hermione. Even if you don't choose to stay in the end, while you're there, it's yours too."
She smiled up at him, her eyes misting over as she nodded. "Okay, I'll think about it," she said, stretching up to brush her lips over hers before they went back to shopping.
Not that it had been their intention to get everything from one store, but since shopping wasn't an activity they were both keen on, they did it anyway. There were still a few items they would have to get; most of them being clothes. When she suggested skipping that for the day and having Ginny help her pick that out, James was all too ready to agree. That signaled they had done all that they could, so they made their way to the register to check out.
With each item that rang up, Hermione's heart rate increased. It wasn't that she didn't have the money; it was that she hated spending it. Especially this large of a sum all in one afternoon. But nothing was more of a shock than when James was faster on the draw and handed his debit card over before she had even pulled her wallet from her purse.
She didn't want to argue about it in front of the clerk ringing them up, so she stayed silent, waiting until they had everything loaded into their car, including themselves before she spoke. "James-"
"If I had talked to you about it first, you would have told me no."
"Then why did you?" she asked. "You've been letting me stay in your house for free and-"
"I did it because I wanted to, Hermione. Simple as that."
"You've already done so much for me. This was too much."
He stared out the windshield and Hermione noticed the way he shifted in his seat. "It's been a long time since I've had someone to spend my money on," he said quietly. "Since I've had someone to take care of and I…" his voice trailed off as he wet his lips. "I miss it."
Hermione took a deep breath, letting go of her need to argue when she heard the rawness in his voice. Instead of saying anything else, she reached across the seat and took his hand in hers. "Thank you," she said, her voice light. "From both of us."
He smiled and then turned to look at her. "You're welcome."
"I'm buying lunch though."
"Deal," he said with a laugh as he finally switched the gear in reverse and drove away from the store; his hand never leaving hers.