Author's Note: I'd planned to fit a lot more into this part, but it just seemed to work better as a stand-alone piece without any appearances from the wider cast. Sorry/not sorry. :)
Fifty-Two
"Mmm, morning, handsome," Eden murmured, when she'd stirred and woken up enough to realise her old man was propped up on an elbow watching her.
"Morning, love," Chibs smiled, reaching out to let his fingers smooth a stray lock of bed-tousled hair back from her face. "D'ya know, every time I wake up and find you here wi' me, I think, fuck, I'm a lucky aul' bastard."
Letting his hand cup her cheek, Eden leaned kitten-like into his touch, still cloudy with sleep, and kissed his thumb softly as the digit traced a gentle path over her bottom lip.
The biker's dark eyes roved over her, narrowing in concern. "You still tired, lass?"
"That your way of telling me I look tired?" she teased, even as she stifled a yawn. "I didn't sleep too well actually. No big deal, just tossing and turning a bit."
"Shoulda woke me," Chibs scolded, a little annoyed with himself for having been dead to the world instead of realising his girl was still awake beside him.
"No point in us both not sleeping."
"Oh, I dunno, darlin'. Coulda maybe found a way to … pass the time."
His old lady chuckled at that, knowing all too well what he had in mind, despite her reluctance to incur Kerrianne's wrath or make the teenager feel even more awkward by risking having her overhear them being intimate. Already missing that closeness though, she let her arms slip around his neck as he leaned over her, enjoying the feel of his lips trailing lazily down her throat, his beard always surprisingly soft against her skin. But there was a tentative look creeping into her green eyes and she chewed lightly on her lip while she considered him.
"What's going on in that wee head o' yours?" Chibs asked, sensing something was on her mind and dipping his head to drop a kiss on her shoulder.
"I was … thinking."
"Oh, aye?" came the wary prompt, when nothing further followed by way of explanation or elaboration. "And?"
"And I was thinking I should go see my mom. Like, to stay. For a while."
Chibs stayed quiet, a mix of emotions flitting across his scarred face. Understanding, but also regret and disappointment, and something that could have crept closer to fear if he let it take hold. It wasn't that he doubted his old lady's love and loyalty, but history had done nothing but show him just how much could be taken away from him and how quickly.
"Filip …"
"How long's a while?" he asked, his voice low.
"I don't know," Eden said honestly. "I haven't really thought that far ahead."
With a sigh, Chibs shifted away from her and sat up in the bed, his knees drawn up and his shoulders hunched as he raked his hands through his hair.
"Filip," Eden tried, also sitting up and laying a gentle hand on his back. "You do know I have no intention of staying away?"
"Aye, I know. Or at least, I hoped not," he sighed. "I just … Darlin', you should see your ma, o' course you should. It'd be good for you, all things considered. I just don't want you leaving if … if you're feeling pushed out. If it's because o' Kerri. I love her, she's my wee girl and I'll never choose anyone over her. But there ain't a choice to be made here. She's gonna have to understand that you're my family too, you and our wee one."
His old lady laid her head on his shoulder. "I would feel bad leaving you to deal with Kerrianne alone. I don't want you to think I'm just abandoning you. But … I think you two need some time and me being here only complicates it. I can be there to tell her about the baby, if you want me to be. But then, I think I should go and give you two some time together – just for a few days, a week maybe. I dunno. I'll have to see if mom'll have me first!"
Chibs heaved another sigh, but then tugged her gently into his arms, letting her settle with her back against his chest as he sank back against the pillows. "You need a wee break," he said, kissing her temple. "I hate the thought o' not having you wi' me, but I just want you safe and happy. All this stress wi' one thing after another, it ain't good for you or the baby."
"It's been a lot, but the baby's fine, I'm fine," Eden tried to reassure him, relaxing into his embrace. "Hey, I've got my old man taking care of me, don't I?"
"Always, my darlin'," he said huskily, nuzzling kisses into her neck, even as his hand slid over the curve of her belly, lingering there for a moment, before slowly heading south and slipping under the waistband of her cotton pyjama shorts.
"Filip …" she tried, but his name faded into a whimper as his skilled fingers caressed her sensitive folds.
"Shh now, pet," Chibs chuckled softly, holding her close, his breath warm on her ear. "Just stay nice and quiet for me, there's a good girl. Let me take care o' you."
Eden's hand curled around his wrist, but she didn't seem to know whether to push him away or hold him in place, taking a shaky breath and letting her head fall back against his shoulder. Her eyes drifted closed and she licked her lips helplessly, trying not to totally let her guard down.
But for this, her old man was prepared to be patient, keeping up his slow ministrations and a murmured stream of husky verbal caresses that were almost as effective as his touch in leaving her panting softly as she lay cradled against him. "Relax, love," he whispered, his lips just grazing her ear again. "No one's gonna hear. It's just you and … me …"
She bit back a moan at the curling of his fingers inside her, her grip on his wrist tightening and a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth at her response. "Shh, shh, shh," Chibs soothed, even as his thumb passed in another slow circle over her clit. "That's it, good girl … So fucking wet for me …"
His free hand reached to smooth stray locks of tousled hair back from her face, letting him keep pressing soft open-mouthed kisses to her temple, her cheek, her neck, anywhere he could reach flushed bare skin.
"Filip …" Eden managed, just his name sounding like a plea when it fell from her lips. "Oh god, please … I … I can't …"
"Aye, ya can, love," he coaxed, his touch gentle but relentless, sensing from the tension in her practically quivering frame that she had to be getting close. "Gonna let that sweet wee pussy come for yer aul' man, aren't ya?"
The barely stifled moan went a long way towards giving him his answer and the biker let his free hand cup the fullness of her breast, burying his face against her neck to try to ignore his own growing need. With his pregnant old lady breathless in his arms and on the verge of coming all over his fingers, he thought that was frankly a helluva lot of restraint on his part – although whether he could hold his nerve when all he wanted was to be buried inside her was another matter.
"Fuck," she gasped, her thighs clenching as she grabbed his wrist again and clamped her other hand over her mouth, making him grin as he held her close.
"That's it, darlin'," Chibs murmured, rewarded with a flood of heat on his fingers while they kept up their quick shallow strokes. His thumb rubbing swiftly over that little bundle of nerves seemed to send shockwaves up and down her spine, making her practically cry with relief at the release. "Ah, lass, yer okay, I got ya. I got ya … See, you can be quiet when you want to be."
Eden pinched him lightly at that, a little mock glare on her face before she - once she'd recovered enough to catch her breath - shifted to straddle his hips so she could give him a long, slow kiss, her hands cupping his face and his softly kneading the firm flesh of her ass.
"Lift up, love," the biker urged suddenly, already lifting her just enough to tug down her shorts and panties, silencing any attempt at protest with a searing kiss even as he turned his attention to ridding himself of his boxers. "Can't expect me not to want to make the most o' my girl when she tells me she's taking off on me."
Even though it made her relent, Eden shook her head and kissed him again, putting everything she felt for him into it and making him groan into her mouth as she sank slowly onto his aching cock.
"Jesus, Eden …"
"I'm never taking off on you," she murmured, her eyes locked on his and her hands gripping his shoulders. "I'm yours. Just yours. I'll always be yours."
Chibs leaned up to kiss her hard, his hands caressing her thighs, her stomach, her breasts, before his arms slid around her back to hold her close as his hips rocked slowly upwards.
"Mine," he agreed roughly, his forehead pressed against hers. "Mine."
He'd thought about what to do, what to say, how long to wait. And the more he thought about it, the more nothing seemed right. Until they were laid in each other's arms in the comfort of the bed that now suddenly felt much too big without both of them in it, in the home that was now theirs instead of just his.
In that moment, he didn't give a shit about doing things right, or what anyone else thought. The how wasn't half as important as the why and he didn't want to wait a second longer to at least get them a step closer to where he wanted them to be.
"Eden?" Chibs tried softly, wanting to be sure she at least hadn't drifted off on him. "You awake, love?"
"Mmm-hmm."
He couldn't help smiling at how just that little hum of a reply sounded so content and he did his best not to disturb her too much as he shifted to reach for the drawer of the nightstand.
"Time is it?" she murmured. "Do we need to get up?"
"Aye, in a wee bit," the biker nodded, settling back against the pillows and letting her cuddle close again. "Thought I could take Kerri out for breakfast, give you a morning's peace."
"Mmm, I was thinking maybe I should try to go and see Seth," Eden admitted, her head pillowed on his chest.
"Yeah? I think that's a good idea," Chibs said, pleased at the thought of the siblings finally putting their differences aside. "Hey, maybe we could all meet for lunch back here later – kind o' a family thing? Then we could tell Kerri about the baby and soften the blow wi' tonight's party at the clubhouse in her honour. Lyla's got it all in hand apparently."
"What could possibly go wrong?" Eden laughed lightly, sounding like she was only half joking.
"There's, uh, something else …"
"Mmm-hmm?"
Maybe he should have waited, taken her somewhere fancy. Or somewhere out on his bike, just the two of them. Except that wouldn't work because he wasn't letting his old lady anywhere near his bike while she was pregnant. They could have taken her car though … Maybe he should wait. Or at least get down on one knee. That was what you were supposed to do, although he didn't think whoever came up with that rule meant for it to be in boxers after stumbling out of bed somehow …
"Eden …"
"Filip …" she echoed, clearly wondering what was going on with him as she shifted out of his arms and sat up.
Would she be pissed he hadn't given her the chance to get dressed up? That he'd sprung this on her when she was wrapped in the tangles of their sheets, with bed-tousled hair and no make-up. He didn't particularly see how it mattered when he thought she looked like a fucking goddess just the way she was, but he figured she might have a different view on that.
"Are you okay?" she asked in concern. "You've gone really quiet and-"
"Marry me."
Fuck. Too late to reconsider now. And that wasn't exactly bloody poetry, was it? No wonder she was staring at him wide-eyed. Fuck.
"Marry me," Chibs repeated. "I know I said I had no right to ask you, but I love you, Eden, and I want the whole fucking world to know you're mine. And more than that, I want you to know how much you mean to me. You saved my life, darlin'. In more ways than one. I'm so proud to have you as my beautiful old lady, but I want to be able to call you my wife. It'll take a couple o' months yet to finalise, but Fi's agreed to the divorce …"
He trailed off, knowing it was far from ideal to have to bring up his ex at a time like this. But he wanted her to know he was serious, that this wasn't something glib he could say knowing legally he couldn't follow through. But now that Fiona had given her consent, it actually shouldn't be a difficult process – they'd been living thousands of miles apart for so many years, there could be no denying their estrangement.
Eden still hadn't moved or said anything though and he decided to cut his losses, holding out the small jewellery box he'd had stashed away for a couple of weeks now and opening it to let her see the solitaire diamond nestled in the velvet interior.
Fuck, she still wasn't saying anything. Had his sudden show of commitment scared her into second thoughts about the whole prospect of being stuck with the likes of him? Was it the ring? Did she hate it? It had seemed like fate when he'd spotted the – he'd thought – pretty ring with its simple, but more than reasonably sized stone and intricate Celtic style platinum band. He could only plough on though regardless, seeing no way back now and reaching out to take her hand.
"You already make me so fucking happy, lass," he said, hope and apprehension in his brown eyes as they roved over her, looking for any indication of what was going on in her head. "Let me spend the rest o' my life making you happy. Eden Catherine Moore, will you marry me?"
She pressed a hand to her mouth and dissolved into tears.
"Oh, Filip, yes – yes, of course I'll marry you!" she managed, throwing herself into his arms and drawing a grin from him that threatened to split his face in two as his own eyes burned with tears. "I love you so much!"
"Jesus, thank fuck for that! I love you too, my darlin'. And if you don't like the ring, I can-"
"Shut up and kiss me."
For once, he had no problem doing as he was told.
