(Untitled)

[edmcmillan]

Date/Time: Sunday, 22 April / 5am
Location: Ashed Quarters
Open To: Ashleigh
Warnings: married couple schmoop

Comments

[a_lucky_charm]

Ashleigh hadn't really been sleeping. She normally hid it pretty well - laying in the dark, breathing evenly until she was certain that Ed had slipped off into the peace of sleep. She rarely left the bed after that, but she did relax and put less effort into pretending to be asleep when she wasn't.

It was odd, really, that he hadn't noticed. He normally picked up on such things quite easily. However, he'd been distracted and she always had an excuse for being awake before him.

When she saw a smile, a real one, her own face lit up. "Not yet this morning," she answered softly, returning the kiss when his lips brushed over hers.

She didn't believe his words when he told her that she was amazing. She wasn't amazing. Honestly, she'd never felt like more of a failure before now... and with her mother, that was saying something.

"I love you," she mumbled, reaching out to touch his cheek. "So much."

Their lips touched and she sighed into the kiss.

Maybe things would be okay. She'd started to believe that they would never be normal again - it was nice to have a ray of hope.

[edmcmillan]

Ed had been distracted. No one could really blame him, given what had happened, but a part of him still felt bad. He knew he was being a crappy husband these days - distant and withdrawn, wandering off by himself a lot - and he didn't mean to shut her out. He just didn't know how to talk about everything.

This morning, though, it was as if he really did wake up when he opened his eyes. Ashleigh? Was incredible. And he'd been taking her for granted. He hated realizing that.

He deepened the kiss a little bit and for a moment it was easy to forget the past several days. Ed could get lost in Ashleigh, so easily. It felt good to let himself get lost right now.

He pulled back after a moment, catching her gaze with his, and his hand slipped just under her pajama top, thumb rubbing light circles over her belly.

"That's our little girl in there," he whispered, and there was another smile -an actual smile as he ducked his head to kiss her shoulder. "Or son, I suppose." Was it obvious he hoped for a girl?

[a_lucky_charm]

Ashleigh was completely understanding of how he'd been behaving. She couldn't blame him for being distant or withdrawn. She didn't like it, of course, but she loved him and she did her best to let him know that she was there for any and everything that he could possibly need.

As always, she got lost in the kiss. His lips touched hers and, for that moment, she could forget about all of the horrible, awful things in the world. For those few seconds, she could pretend they were the only people who existed.

She'd not mentioned the pregnancy much since Trick had been killed - sometimes, it was easy to forget herself but she smiled again when he was the one to remember.

"Or bo..." she began to correct him.

It was only a little obvious that he was hoping for a girl. Though, honestly, when she allowed herself to think about it, she was sort of hoping for one too.

"Yes," she agreed. "There's a baby in there... our baby."

[edmcmillan]

Ed had gotten the message - loud and clear. She'd been like a rock to him through everything and he couldn't be more grateful. Even if he'd probably forgotten to say thank you.

He beamed at the idea of their baby. That sounded nice. Something happy and hopeful after the tragedy of losing Trick was really just what they needed. Not that it made it okay that he was gone.

But it made him feel better. It reminded him that there were still people who needed him.

"I can't wait," he told her, leaning in again to brush his lips softly over hers. "Our baby. That just sounds so amazing."

[a_lucky_charm]

Ashleigh didn't need him to say thank you. She'd taken vows... for better or worse - death till they part... it was her job. Besides, she loved her husband. She only wished that she could do more for him.

She didn't expect their baby to make it okay that Trick was gone but she hoped that some day soon she'd be able to be happy about the pregnancy. The guilt she'd been feeling was almost too much. It felt wrong to have a small ray of sunshine when everything else was so very horrible.

A smile flooded her face when he said that he couldn't wait. "I'm... I'm excited too," she confirmed. "Little tiny clothes and shoes and blankets and furniture. It'll be brilliant... and the baby will be wonderful."

She returned each of his kisses, happy that things were okay for the moment. Even if things went back to the way they had been, she'd needed this brief moment with him.

[edmcmillan]

Ed couldn't guarantee that everything would be better for good, but for now? He was actually okay. Better than okay, because he was lying her with his wife, talking about their unborn child and he couldn't help but be at least a little happy.

"We'll have to do some shopping after finals," he suggested, grinning as her moved in to steal another quick kiss. Ed didn't normally care for shopping, but he was sure this was one shopping trip he wouldn't mind at all.

"And names.. we'll have to think of a name, yeah?"

Maybe it was just a temporary distraction, but right now Ed was focused on her and their coming child and that? Made him actually genuinely happy right now.

[a_lucky_charm]

Ashleigh didn't need for him to promise her that things would be better now. She just needed to enjoy them while they were.

She nodded and grinned when he decided that they needed to shop. "It'll be brilliant," she told him softly.

Everything was going to 'be brilliant', apparently. At least, everything to do with their baby.

"Two names... or we can wait until we know what we're having and then decide on one."

She kissed him again, intending to steal every happy kiss she could before the sun came up.

"I love you," she mumbled. "Have I said that already?"

[edmcmillan]

"You have, but feel free to do it some more," he replied, shifting a little and rubbing his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. He grinned before brushing his lips over hers in a more proper kiss.

It was nice to be happy. He hoped he could hold on to this mood for awhile, because it felt good just to be.. with Ash. It felt good to feel normal again.

"I love you, you know," he murmured between kisses. It felt important to say right now, as often as possible.

[a_lucky_charm]

"I know," she nodded.

Knowing it didn't stop her from loving to hear it, though.

It was nice to see him happy... genuinely happy. She'd watched him over the last several days and she knew that he'd not had one happy moment during that time. It killed her to see him so depressed but she also knew that it was going to take time for him to work through all of this.

She shifted a little closer as they laid in the dark and kissed. It felt good to have her Ed back.

"You know," she whispered after a moment. "You feel far too good... I think I'd like to spend the entire day right here with you."

[edmcmillan]

"That," he drawled, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose and then brushing his lips over hers again, "could definitely be arranged." She didn't have classes today, he could easily get out of his own duties - it seemed like a perfect day to spend with his wife, just cuddling and enjoying each other's company.

"Shame we can't have the telly at Hogwarts. We could just lay here and watch a movie." He pouted just a little bit, but the pout quickly turned into a smirk. "I guess we'll just have to find some other way to stay entertained now..."

[a_lucky_charm]

Ashleigh didn't bother to hide the way her face lit up when he told her that there was a real possibility of them being able to do that. Sure, she didn't have class but he did have his own duties to attend to. It would be brilliant if he could wiggle out of them for the day.

"That so?" she questioned happily. "I don't think that I'll know what to do with myself if I get to kidnap my husband for the entire day."

His mention of the telly brought another smile to her face. "It is a shame that the magical world doesn't have television. I don't know how I lived seventeen years of my life without it."

A smirk of her own grew when he continued to speak. "Mmmm, how do you suggest we pass the time?" she teased. "Exploding snap?"

[edmcmillan]

Ed did have duuties, but it was nothing he couldn't get out of. Spending time with Ash just felt more important. Especially when his duties hadn't made a bit of difference. Not when it came to keeping Trick safe.

He pushed that thought back, determined that today was not going to be a day for wallowing. "There's nothing I'd rather be doing with me day," he told her honestly, brushing his lips lightly over hers, "than spend it with my beautiful wife."

The way she smiled at him seemed to light up the whole of their bedroom and Ed couldn't help grinning in return. Moments like this with Ash? That's what he needed right now. These little moments made him feel like maybe everything was going to be okay.

He laughed when she mentioned exploding snap and shook her head, ducking in to trail several soft kisses over her neck. "I had something a bit different in mind," her murmured softly, his breath tickling against her ear.

[a_lucky_charm]

It would have broken Ashleigh to know that he didn't think that he was making a difference. He was! She knew that he was. No, Trick hadn't... there was an accident... but how many other people were safe because of what Ed did every day?

If nothing else, he kept her safe. Always had.

She grinned again and practically wiggled under his compliments and kisses. There were a few things in this world that Ashleigh could never grow tired of - kissing her husband was definitely one of those things.

"Mmmmm," she hummed when his lips brushed over just that spot. "Wizards chess?" she suggested again, quite happy to know that was not going to be the correct answer.

This was exactly why sunrise was her favorite time of day. Nothing was better than this.

[edmcmillan]

"Nope," he shook her head slightly as his lips kept up what they were doing, brushing his lips over her collarbone, kissing his way over to her shoulder.

"Not wizards chess, definitely."

His hands moved over her curves, pausing at her hips as he pulled his lips slowly back, dragging them over bits of skin on the way back to hers.

"Guess again," he breathed, smirking as he kissed her again.

[a_lucky_charm]

Oh, Ashleigh was fully aware of how he intended to pass the time and she was completely on board with that plan. However, it was just fun to play along with little things like this... and it had been quite a while since they'd had some real fun.

"A muggle game, then?" came her soft, distracted reply between kisses. "Like Rummy or.. Go Fish?"

Her fingers tangled in his hair and she did nothing to discourage him from what he was doing. If anything, her little quiet whimpers and arches encouraged what he was doing.

[edmcmillan]

"Mmmmm.. don't think so," he told her, clearly distracted, himself, as he sucked lightly on her shoulder, his hands starting to inch underneath the top to her pajamas. He smirked against her skin, enjoying this little game just as much as she was.

Oh, it had been awhile, indeed. There'd been the occasional needy, emo sex, but it had been awhile since they'd really just taken the time to enjoy each other, to be happy together and this felt like something they sorely needed.

"Unless you'd rather play cards," he offered slyly, though before she could really answer, his lips were pressed to hers again.