The Stacks

Chapter 36: New Year's Eve

Song: "Umbrella" by Rihanna ft. Jay-Z

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It was New Year's Eve and we were awaiting the arrival of our friends to celebrate. Harry and I had bought champagne, beer, and wine and a good amount of appetizers, but overall, we were trying to keep it low-key since we'd had such a busy week. While I put the finishing touches on my makeup, I smiled to think of our friends mingling, getting to know each other, hopefully becoming "our" friends.

"How did you get so pretty?" Harry asked, appearing in the mirror behind me.

"I could ask you the same thing," I shot back with a smirk.

"I'm pretty?"

"You bet your sweet ass you are!"

Harry's emphatic laughter easily filled the bathroom. He always thought it was humorous when I threw in a swear word here and there since they weren't typically in my vocabulary. He rested both hands on my hips and regarded himself in the mirror. "Do I look all right?" He asked in a high-pitched voice. "I think I need a little blush, my cheeks are so pale."

Now I was the one who was laughing at his goofy voice and the way he sucked in his cheeks to make his cheekbones look higher. When I turned to leave the bathroom, Harry stopped me and pushed me back against the wall, pressed his body heavily against mine and planted a deep kiss on my mouth. As he intensified the kiss, he let out an eager groan. Flicking his tongue against my lips, I opened just enough to let him wander in, exploring in a way we hadn't done in a while.

The kiss left both of us breathless. He retreated just slightly but his face stayed close enough to mine, I could feel his warmth radiating against my face. "I miss you," he said, and I knew exactly what he meant. I missed him, too. We hadn't had sex since we lost control during our fight, right after the Metler disaster. I had told him I needed space. And time to learn to trust him again. It had been a few weeks and now things felt more level with him. More peaceful.

"I miss you, too," I said, nipping at his bottom lip. "And it just so happens that I'm safe right now, so...." We hadn't talked about using birth control of any sort yet because my body was very consistent and it was clear as day when I was in the right part my cycle to become pregnant, so we had simply avoided that stretch of time when it came around. I raised my eyebrows and let him draw his own conclusions.

An impatient groan left his throat. "Okay, let's kick everyone out at 9:00 then."

"It's almost 8:00 now! And it's New Year's Eve," I giggled in response. "Something tells me people might want to stay til midnight, at least. And you do remember that we offered my sofa bed and couches to anyone who didn't want to drive home after the party, right?"

"Shit," he cursed and I laughed, not accustomed to hearing the words come from his mouth either. "I would say we could lock the door to your room, but even that won't work since all you have is a curtain."

"Sorry," I quipped, shrugging my shoulders.

I was laughing as I rushed past him, but he caught me and said, "I think I need an appetizer right now."

"There's plenty on the table," I said, my eyes lighting with mischief as I ran out to the dining area.

"Don't you play coy with me," he said chasing after me. He picked me up and brought me to the couch where he dropped me unceremoniously and fell on top of me. His kisses grew heated as he pressed his hips against mine. Reaching to my backside, he pulled me impossibly close so I was ready to ignite. Suddenly, I wanted nothing but him. Forget the party, just let him make love to me all night long.