football imagines

b. chilwell

the chilwell household was engulfed in darkness, the only source of light coming from the television in the living room. you were wrapped up in a blanket, your head resting on ben's shoulder as his hand occasionally brushed over your upper arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps on its way.

the silence that had engulfed you for the last hour was only disrupted by the movie you were watching and your occasional chatter, whenever one of you commented something about the characters or plot. it was a habit that you two had picked up about five months ago – shortly after you found out you were pregnant. with ben's football career and the constant traveling that came with it you used every second the two of you had together. your boyfriend didn't want to miss out on any little changes during your pregnancy just because his job was rather unusual for the average person. you tried to be as supportive as possible, arranging doctor's appointments whenever you knew he could join you or keeping him updated when he was away with the team.

of course, ben couldn't always make it – promising to make it up to you afterwards – yet you didn't mind. your friends and family were equally as supportive and helped you, when you needed them. you were so thankful for everything they did for you, because it wouldn't have been this easy for you for the last five months, if they hadn't been by your side.

your hand subconsciously rubbed over your belly, which was getting significantly harder to hide. although, ben loved bragging about you and the love he held for you – and your unborn baby girl – the two of you had agreed to keep the pregnancy private. it was something you wanted to share only with your loved ones without any reporters and journalists talking about it. so far it had been easy to hide your growing bump under big shirts and coats, but with each week and month that passed it was getting harder. you opted to stay at home more often, only going out, whenever it was really necessary. that also included ben's football matches you would rather watch at home instead of going to the stadium.

with your eyes still settled on the television you shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. ben, who noticed your sudden movement, tore his gaze from the movie to look at you.

"you okay?" he asked you, wanting to make sure you were alright.

"of course", you sent him a smile, appreciating his effort. "i'm just—" you cut yourself off in the middle of the sentence, a suprised look on your face as your eyes shifted down to your belly.

ben furrowed his eyebrows, immediately picking up on your change in behavior. "babe?" he mumbled, unsure what was going on. "are you sure everything's okay?"

he kept his eyes on your face, yet your gaze was still set on your bump as if you didn't even hear his question. he watched as the frown on your face was replaced by a wide smile, confusing him even more. though, before he had the chance to repeat his previous words your eyes finally shot up and met his.

you reached out and grabbed ben's hand, chuckling at the confusion displayed on his face before you placed his hand on your stomach. right above the spot, where you had felt the little kick a few seconds ago.

"what's going on, baby?" your boyfriend asked as he still didn't pick up on, what you wanted to show him.

you hushed him, closing your eyes. "just wait a second."

as the movie continued playing in the background neither one of you took notice of it. while ben still tried to think about something that would explain your behavior your thoughts were focused on the little human growing inside you. it fascinated you, going through every step of this pregnancy – especially with the love of your life by your side.

a few silent seconds passed by before you opened your eyes again, a smile gracing your features at the feeling of the soft kicks. you watched as your boyfriend's frown darkened for a moment, though once his brain registered what was going on his face lightened up.

"she's already kicking", ben mumbled in disbelief, keeping his hand on your stomach. "just like her dad."

a chuckle scraped your lips, lifting your hand to caress his cheek. "yes, just like her dad." you repeated and mirrored his smile as he met your gaze.

"is it the first time you felt her move like that?" he asked, which you answered by shaking your head.

"no, she already did it a few days ago, when you were away with the team. but i didn't want to tell you over the phone, when i could just surprise you with it." you revealed, yet you felt unsure about your decision all of a sudden. maybe you should have told him right away instead of keeping it a secret for the last few days. though, your worries immediately vanished as you noticed ben's smile visibly widening.

"thank you", your boyfriend whispered and leaned forward to press his lips against yours.

"this is the best surprise i've ever received." he told you once he pulled away. you couldn't help but smile as you took in his words, pulling him in yet another kiss to show your appreciation.

this time it was you, who pulled away, though you two remained in close proximity. "i love you." your voice was low as you spoke, yet it held so much love and adoration at the same time.

"i love you, too." ben kissed your nose before he increased the distance between you and leaned down so his head was at the level of your bump. "and i love you too, princess."

your heart melted as he placed a kiss on your stomach. although, you had been scared about this pregnancy at first you knew it was the right decision. ben would be the best dad for your unborn daughter and these small gestures only proved you right.

as the two of you continued watching your movie, despite missing a good part, your boyfriend's hand was spread out onto your bump. caressing it with soft touches as he pressed a kiss to your forehead every once in awhile.