Unguarded Moments by Fidomom
Part 3
Chloe woke up again and the room was brighter. Belle's bed was empty, and Brady was still holding her. She smiled sadly as she tried to move out of his embrace without waking him, but he tightened his arms around her.
Brady: Where do you think you're going?
Chloe: Brady! I..uh..that is I um..
Brady: Yeeees? Come on Chloe, spit it out!
Chloe: I'm hungry!
Brady: Yeah, me too. Shall I whip us up some pancakes?
Chloe smiled at the memory that evoked.
Chloe: I'd really like that.
Brady: Ok, but first I want to talk to you about last night.
Chloe: Last night?
Brady: Yeah, and this morning.
Chloe: This morning?
Brady smiled slightly at her panicked tone.
Brady: Yeah. That was some intense nightmare you were having last night. I was just wondering how you were doing this morning.
Chloe looked visibly relieved, making Brady smile.
Chloe: A lot better, I guess. I don't remember how we ended up like this, Brady...
Brady: You were calling for me to help you.
Chloe: That's why we slept together?
Brady laughed at her choice of words, and she colored slightly when she realized how it sounded.
Chloe: You know what I mean!
Brady: Yeah, I know. It's the reason why I slept here.
He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
Chloe's butterflies turned into panicked sparrows, but she didn't try to end the snuggling. It felt way too good.
Chloe: Thank you, Brady.
Brady: For what?
Chloe looked up at him and placed her palm against his cheek.
Chloe: The list is too long to get into right now, especially because we are both so hungry. Do you know where Belle is?
Brady smirked at her rapid subject changes.
Brady: I'd like to hear that list someday, but for now I'll go make some pancakes. As for Belle, I'm pretty sure Shawn called to invite her to breakfast this morning. She asked me to take care of your needs in her absence. You know, to be a good host and such.
Chloe's heart fluttered at his choice of words.
Chloe: And I slept through all of that? I'm usually a very light sleeper.
Brady: The nightmare must have worn you out, because you were out cold.
Brady was lightly rubbing Chloe's back as he spoke. On the down stroke, his hands moved further and further each time. He heard and felt the change in her breathing as he ran his hands lightly over her backside.
Brady: Mmm. I have to tell you, Chloe. I like this snuggling with you.
Chloe was nearly delirious with wanting to kiss him.
Chloe: Me too. Um Brady? There's something I want to tell you, but I don't know how and I'm afraid if I tell you, I'll lose you.
Brady: Just tell me. You are not getting rid of me so easily.
Chloe: Sometimes I...um, sometimes I get the urge to...to kiss you.
Chloe cringed and felt terrified at having said that out loud.
Brady: You do? Why haven't you then?
Chloe: What? Why haven't I? Because I don't want to ruin our friendship! I didn't want to do something you don't want me to do.
Brady raises his eyebrows.
Brady: Where did you get the idea I wouldn't want you to kiss me?
Chloe: From you! You're always telling me I'm just some teeny-bopper high school kid.
Brady: Only to bug you! I don't think of you as a kid, Chloe.
Chloe was thrown for a loop, and she looked into his eyes to see if he was teasing her or not.
Chloe: So if I kiss you someday, you won't get mad at me? You won't stop being my best friend?
Brady: Nah. You can kiss me anytime Chloe. Well, except for right now.
Chloe stilled in dread.
Chloe: Why's that?
Brady: We both have morning breath!
They both laughed and some of the tension between them dissipated.
Brady: Ok, what do you say we go eat breakfast?
Chloe: Sounds good to me! I'll be down in a few, I need to take a quick shower first.
Brady: I want one too. Hey...maybe to save water we could share one!
Chloe's eyes widened.
Chloe: I don't think so, Brady. I don't even have the courage to kiss you! I'm certainly not going to take a shower with you!
Brady laughed.
Brady: I was only teasing you, Chloe. The look on your face was a missed Kodak moment!
Chloe: You think you're sooooo clever, but you're just a brat!
Brady winked at her.
Brady: Finally catching onto that fact, are you?
Chloe laughed and tried to get up. Brady held on and whispered in her ear.
Brady: So, just how long before I get that kiss?
Chloe's breath caught in her throat.
Chloe: I...I'll let you know. I better go shower and you better have breakfast ready for me when I come down. Be a good host or I'll tell Belle on you!
Brady feigned fear.
Brady: Oh no, not that! She might make me read a bridal magazine or something as punishment!
Chloe laughed. Brady let her up and he watched her walk to the bathroom.
He felt such confidence knowing she was in love with him. As he headed downstairs, he tried to figure out the best way to let her know the feeling was entirely mutual.
Part 3
Chloe woke up again and the room was brighter. Belle's bed was empty, and Brady was still holding her. She smiled sadly as she tried to move out of his embrace without waking him, but he tightened his arms around her.
Brady: Where do you think you're going?
Chloe: Brady! I..uh..that is I um..
Brady: Yeeees? Come on Chloe, spit it out!
Chloe: I'm hungry!
Brady: Yeah, me too. Shall I whip us up some pancakes?
Chloe smiled at the memory that evoked.
Chloe: I'd really like that.
Brady: Ok, but first I want to talk to you about last night.
Chloe: Last night?
Brady: Yeah, and this morning.
Chloe: This morning?
Brady smiled slightly at her panicked tone.
Brady: Yeah. That was some intense nightmare you were having last night. I was just wondering how you were doing this morning.
Chloe looked visibly relieved, making Brady smile.
Chloe: A lot better, I guess. I don't remember how we ended up like this, Brady...
Brady: You were calling for me to help you.
Chloe: That's why we slept together?
Brady laughed at her choice of words, and she colored slightly when she realized how it sounded.
Chloe: You know what I mean!
Brady: Yeah, I know. It's the reason why I slept here.
He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
Chloe's butterflies turned into panicked sparrows, but she didn't try to end the snuggling. It felt way too good.
Chloe: Thank you, Brady.
Brady: For what?
Chloe looked up at him and placed her palm against his cheek.
Chloe: The list is too long to get into right now, especially because we are both so hungry. Do you know where Belle is?
Brady smirked at her rapid subject changes.
Brady: I'd like to hear that list someday, but for now I'll go make some pancakes. As for Belle, I'm pretty sure Shawn called to invite her to breakfast this morning. She asked me to take care of your needs in her absence. You know, to be a good host and such.
Chloe's heart fluttered at his choice of words.
Chloe: And I slept through all of that? I'm usually a very light sleeper.
Brady: The nightmare must have worn you out, because you were out cold.
Brady was lightly rubbing Chloe's back as he spoke. On the down stroke, his hands moved further and further each time. He heard and felt the change in her breathing as he ran his hands lightly over her backside.
Brady: Mmm. I have to tell you, Chloe. I like this snuggling with you.
Chloe was nearly delirious with wanting to kiss him.
Chloe: Me too. Um Brady? There's something I want to tell you, but I don't know how and I'm afraid if I tell you, I'll lose you.
Brady: Just tell me. You are not getting rid of me so easily.
Chloe: Sometimes I...um, sometimes I get the urge to...to kiss you.
Chloe cringed and felt terrified at having said that out loud.
Brady: You do? Why haven't you then?
Chloe: What? Why haven't I? Because I don't want to ruin our friendship! I didn't want to do something you don't want me to do.
Brady raises his eyebrows.
Brady: Where did you get the idea I wouldn't want you to kiss me?
Chloe: From you! You're always telling me I'm just some teeny-bopper high school kid.
Brady: Only to bug you! I don't think of you as a kid, Chloe.
Chloe was thrown for a loop, and she looked into his eyes to see if he was teasing her or not.
Chloe: So if I kiss you someday, you won't get mad at me? You won't stop being my best friend?
Brady: Nah. You can kiss me anytime Chloe. Well, except for right now.
Chloe stilled in dread.
Chloe: Why's that?
Brady: We both have morning breath!
They both laughed and some of the tension between them dissipated.
Brady: Ok, what do you say we go eat breakfast?
Chloe: Sounds good to me! I'll be down in a few, I need to take a quick shower first.
Brady: I want one too. Hey...maybe to save water we could share one!
Chloe's eyes widened.
Chloe: I don't think so, Brady. I don't even have the courage to kiss you! I'm certainly not going to take a shower with you!
Brady laughed.
Brady: I was only teasing you, Chloe. The look on your face was a missed Kodak moment!
Chloe: You think you're sooooo clever, but you're just a brat!
Brady winked at her.
Brady: Finally catching onto that fact, are you?
Chloe laughed and tried to get up. Brady held on and whispered in her ear.
Brady: So, just how long before I get that kiss?
Chloe's breath caught in her throat.
Chloe: I...I'll let you know. I better go shower and you better have breakfast ready for me when I come down. Be a good host or I'll tell Belle on you!
Brady feigned fear.
Brady: Oh no, not that! She might make me read a bridal magazine or something as punishment!
Chloe laughed. Brady let her up and he watched her walk to the bathroom.
He felt such confidence knowing she was in love with him. As he headed downstairs, he tried to figure out the best way to let her know the feeling was entirely mutual.