Sleeping Arrangements

[Louise_2983]

Chapter 7/?

She reached out to steady her laptop, balanced on the fluffy pillow next to her, as it wobbled slightly and the image of his face in the rectangular box displayed in the centre of the screen swayed a little.

She smiled softly at him when the device was back in its former position.

“I could watch you all day” he grinned as he stretched a little in his bed and she caught a teasing glimpse of his toned, taught chest, his muscles rippling at his movement.

“Well the feeling isn’t mutual” she teased.

“Of course not” he chuckled softly.

“That’s why you You Tube me when I’m not available on webcam!”

“I told you” she protested, hugging the doona around her body as she snuggled up on her bed.

“I was just admiring some of your teammates”

“Yeah” he laughed.

“The gay ones”

“Until they meet me” she joked, fluffing her hair and pouting her pink lips for effect.

He laughed loudly, his head tilting back against the pile of pillows propping him up as he lay sideways besides his own laptop.

“So what have you got planned for today?” she asked with a smile half squashed against the luxurious pillows.

“Other than gazing adoringly at me via webcam of course!”

“Well that won’t leave much spare time” he teased with a heart stopping grin.

“But I do have practice in an hour so I should probably get up. How about you?”

“Oh, it’s only 10pm my time so I can stay in bed”

“Right” he laughed.

“Well if it’s only 10pm then you’ve been in bed all day!”

“Oh but I had a few visitors to keep me active” she teased.

“It’s not like I’ve just been lying around”

“Would these visitors all be in your dreams and look like me?” his tinny voice chuckled through her laptop’s built in speakers.

“Might be” she grinned as he sat up in bed and suddenly all she could see was his ripped torso, his head out of shot.

She bit her lip as she let her gaze wander appreciatively over his fine form, feeling the old attraction stir inside of her.

“Well” he announced as he bobbed his head so it was in shot again.

“As much as it pains me to tear myself away, I really need to shower and have brekkie”

“Brekkie?” she perked up, propping herself up on her elbow, her fingers splayed through her dark hair.

“That sounds quite good”

“At 10pm?” he smirked.

“Brekkie is good at any time of the day!” she insisted with a wide knowing grin.

“Meet you in the kitchen in 10 minutes?” he asked as he reached to turn off his laptop, her answer coming just before he did so.

“You betcha”

***

“Aden” she smiled as she descended the stairs some twenty minutes later, freshly showered and dressed, to find every type of breakfast food she could ever desire spread out over the kitchen table.

“You didn’t have to go to so much trouble”

“I know” he smiled, sliding his arms loosely around her tiny waist and pulling her body close.

“But I wanted to. I haven’t had a chance to spoil you in a long time”

“There’s spoiling me and then there’s making me fat!” she giggled as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his full lips, looping her arms around his neck as she did so.

“Well you don’t have to eat it all” he told her, running his fingertips over her silky hair, a waft of her raspberry scented shampoo fluttering under his nostrils as he did so.

“Is that a challenge?” she smirked, surveying the feast before her with wide eyes.

“No, it’s not” he laughed at her competitive streak.

“I don’t want you making yourself ill”

“Oh but then you could look after me” she grinned, peppering his collarbone with kisses.

“I’d rather do this...” he sighed before claiming her lips with his own and kissing her passionately.

He tasted a mixture of orange juice and mint toothpaste. Warm, fresh and stinging against her mouth.

“Well that was very nice” she grinned pulling away and scraping back a chair.

“But that’s not what I’m hungry for right now”

He laughed as she sat down at the table and began to spread cream cheese on a toasted poppy seed bagel.

He poured her a steaming cup of coffee before sitting sideways in the chair next to her so he could watch her as she hungrily bit into the bagel.

“Aww you’re such a sweetheart” she grinned as she swallowed the food and took the cup from him.

“Just what I needed”

“And here I was thinking I was what you needed” he teased, running his fingertips over her smooth cheek tenderly.

“Oh you too” she smiled, leaning forward to dangle an arm around his neck and press a kiss to his full lips as she clutched the half eaten bagel in her other hand.

“Argh, I wish I didn’t have practice today” he groaned, burying his head in her hair and pressing his warm lips against her soft neck.

“Then we could spend the whole day together”

“You need to go to practice” she told him adamantly as she took another bite of her breakfast.

“ Oh, that bad am I?” he chuckled, raising his head to look at her.

“No” she shook her head with a mischievous grin.

“But all this food is going to give you a lot of energy you’re going to need to use up somewhere other than the bedroom!”

“Right” he grinned with a curt nod before pulling her body forwards and up onto his lap.

“Well given that my girl has been on the other side of the world for a year, I’ve gotten used to having a lot of pent up energy don’t worry!”

“Your girl?”

“A ha” he nodded with a wide grin before kissing her once more.

“That’s what you’ve always been babe”

“Well not always” she chuckled.

“For a long time I hated you and then there was the time I was with Angelo and then there was the whole rehab slash Liam disaster”

“Still my girl” he objected with a smile, kissing her softly.

“None of that stuff matters”

“You’re right” she grinned, her lips forming the gesture against his.

“I love you, Aden”

“Oh I love you too” he sighed, resting his head against hers before a smirk appeared on his face.

“Belle?”

“Hmmm?”

“Did you happen to see that game last season when I was on the receiving end of that bad tackle and got a black eye?”

“Yes” she nodded, shuddering at the memory.

“I was sat shouting “Please not his pretty face!” at the screen” she teased.

“And what did that make you feel like doing?” he smirked as she giggled seeing where he was going with this.

“Oh I might have wanted to kiss it better” she grinned pressing a gentle kiss to the skin just below his right eye.

“And what about the game where I got knocked out for a few minutes and they forced me to sit the rest of the game out even though I wanted to carry on playing?”

“Well actually” she raised her eyebrows unimpressed before slapping him around the head.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“If the doctors tell you to sit on that damn bench you sit on it ok?! I don’t want you collapsing or dying on me!”

“Ok! Ok! Sorry, I’ll remember that next time” he smiled rubbing the spot where she had hit him with slightly more force than intended.

“You better” she pouted as a grin began to creep across his face once more.

“What about when I missed what would have been the winning penalty in the semi final of the cup? Surely you felt sorry for me then? I was devastated!”

“Yeah” she nodded with a smile.

“But it wasn’t your fault, you played really well that game. You even got man of the match. It was only because the rest of the team were rubbish that you lost. That penalty wouldn’t have mattered if

they’d all been up to scratch!”

“I was still gutted” he tried to pout but couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“Well in that case” she smirked, taking his face in her hands and kissing him passionately until they had to break apart gasping for air as they held onto each other tight.

“So what are you up to today?” he finally asked as their breathing slowed to a steadier pace.

“Savouring my last few days of no work” she grinned before her face fell.

“And going to see Mattie and Ric, let them know I’m here for them”

“I’m sure they know that Babe” he whispered, brushing his lips over her cheek.

“I know” she nodded.

“I just want to make sure. I’m glad in a way, not that this happened obviously but that it didn’t happen before I came back. I want to be there for them and I couldn’t have done that from London”

“I know you, you would have found a way. You’re a great friend” he smiled, kissing her gently as his phone bleeped loudly and he pulled it from his pocket, smiling widely at the message he had

received.

“What are you grinning at?” she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Oh it’s just a picture message”

“It better not be from some scantily clad groupie, showing you what’s on offer!” she huffed, hurt a little by his secrecy.

“Relax it’s from Leah” he chuckled, her jealously flattering him.

“Hmm” Belle tried to keep a straight face.

“I never had her pegged as a footie groupie but hey I guess it’s always the quiet ones...”

“It’s Effie’s first day at school” he explained with a chuckle twisting his phone around so she could see the photo of the adorable five year old all dressed up in her brand new school uniform.

“Aww!” Belle swooned, taking the phone from him for a closer look.

“Look how much she’s grown up!”

“Tell me about it” he smiled, taking the phone back and looking again at the photo of the little girl who considered him to be her big brother.

“I swear she’s a foot taller every time I see her”

“And still just as cheeky I hope?” Belle laughed, remembering how amusing the little girl had been the last time she had seen her.

“Of course” he laughed.

“I don’t think Roman was counting on another Nicole, but that’s what he got! Two more Nicole’s probably...”

“I haven’t even met little Zoey yet!” Belle sighed in disappointment.

“Well you were the one who went to live in London seven months before she was born Belle” he reminded her with a grin as he scrolled through his photos to find one Leah had sent him a few months

earlier.

“Aww!” she sighed as he showed her the photo of the dark haired baby girl, her cheeks smooth and rosy, snuggled up in her crib and wearing the pink romper suit Belle had sent her from England.

Emblazoned across her tiny chest was the slogan “London Baby!”

“We should go back and see them...everyone soon” she told him, suddenly overwhelmingly homesick for Summer Bay and deciding to give Irene a call after Aden had left for practice.

“Well, tell Irene hello from me won’t you?” he laughed.

“How did you know?” she blushed.

“I told you” he grinned, kissing her tenderly.

“I know you”

“Better than anyone Babe” she agreed, kissing him back gently, her fingertips gently twisting the downy blond hairs at the nape of his neck.

“Urgh” he groaned glancing over her shoulder at his watch, their lips still together.

“I really have to leave”

“5 more minutes?” she moaned, wrapping her arms tighter around him and moulding her body closer to his.

“If I’m even a second late Babe I won’t be on the team for Saturday’s game and I know you don’t want me to miss the first match you can see live instead of on You Tube!”

“And who said I’m going to go?” she teased, rubbing her thumb gently down his cheek.

“I might be busy filing my nails or something”

“Belle” he arched his eyebrows suspiciously.

“Have you ever even owned a nail file?”

“I might have done once” she laughed in defeat.

“But I lost it”

“You have to come anyway” he grinned happily.

“After all you’re a...what was it again? A DAG now?”

“A WAG you idiot!” she slapped him playfully on the arm knowing his mistake had been a deliberate one.

“And a WAG I may be but I’m a secret one”

“And how does that work?”

“Well it just means that I have to wear a long coat over my skimpy outfits and zip up the bag I carry the little dog in so I don’t give the game away!” she teased, whispering the words softly into his ear.

“As long as I get to see what’s under the coat” he grinned deciding to ignore her suggestion of animal cruelty and go for innuendo instead.

“You might get a sneak peek” she teased, running her hands down his hard, toned chest almost seductively.

“A flash of shoulder or a knee”

“As long as the shoulder or knee in question belongs to you babe” he grinned pressing a kiss against her forehead and lifting her back on to her own chair.

“Then it will do me. Now I’ve really got to go”

“No!” she objected, pulling him back towards her by his collar.

“I want another kiss first”

“That I can manage” he smiled as she pulled him closer and pressed her lips passionately against his, her hands roaming down his chest as he cupped her face between his palms.

He sighed loudly when they eventually broke apart, their breaths heavy and raspy.

“What?” she questioned worriedly as he gazed at her intently.

“Nothing” he shook his head, the ends of his lips kicking up into a tiny smile.

“Just a few months ago, weeks ago even, I wasn’t sure you’d ever come back to Australia and now here you are, back in the country, in my house, kissing me”

“And there’s no where I’d rather be” she grinned smacking another kiss against his full lips.

“I’m so happy”

“Me too babe” he grinned cradling her hands between his and gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

“I never stopped loving you, not for a second”

“Well I can’t say I blame you” she teased as he stole another kiss and she pushed him away with flat palms pressed against his chest.

“Go!”

“Just one more” he laughed, pushing his lips to the corner of her mouth as she giggled.

“No” she objected.

“You’re going to be late and I’m looking forward to seeing you scoring some goals on Saturday not being sat on the bench!”

“Maybe it’s not the scoring on the pitch that I’m interested in” he smirked seductively as he pressed a string of hot kisses down her throat and she giggled as she struggled to push him away.

“Go!”

“Ok! Ok” he laughed pressing one final kiss to her lips and heading for the door.

“But first I just want to give you this” he suddenly stopped, picking up a small gift bag from the counter and backtracking so he could hand it to her.

“What’s this?” she asked as he placed it in her hand and she began to remove the bright blue tissue paper nestled inside.

“Your birthday present”

“Aden, my birthday was three months ago!”

“I know and you were in London then so...”

“But you sent me a present via email” she objected, pulling out a small box she was certain contained jewellery as she suddenly came over all uncertain.

“An itunes voucher babe” he laughed softly.

“It wasn’t exactly romantic. It was a friend present, not a girlfriend present”

“Well I like music” she told him adamantly as she opened the box worried she was going to find an engagement ring inside. They’d only been back together twelve hours, this wasn’t going slow.

“But” she smiled as her gaze fell on the beautiful silver bracelet nestled inside, with a sparkling diamond set in the centre.

“I love this. Aden, it’s beautiful. Thank you”

She leant forward to press a kiss to his lips before he slipped the bracelet from the box and looped it around her wrist so he could fasten it for her.

“The diamond was from the engagement ring” he confessed in a whisper.

“I figured if we ever do get engaged, well I don’t want to use a ring I know you would have said no to before. But I didn’t want to take it back and get a refund because I bought that ring because I love

you Belle and that hasn’t changed”

“I love you too” she smiled, tears welling up in her eyes as she gently ran her fingertips over the diamond resting in its silver setting around her wrist.

“So much Aden. I had to go all the way to London to realise just how much”

“Well from now on” he smiled kissing her gently.

“Anywhere you go, I’m going with you ok? No arguments”

“You won’t hear me arguing” she grinned happily.

“But you also won’t me find me wanting to go anywhere that you’re not”

“That’s not technically true” he smirked.

“You go to bed in a different room to me”

“Nice try” she giggled.

“But the bracelet’s not that nice”

“I’ll just have to bring home earrings and a necklace and anything else I can think of until I change your mind then won’t I?” he laughed, kissing her again before grabbing his kit bag and heading for the

door.

“See you later beautiful” he called, blowing a final kiss which she pretending to catch as he laughed.

“Bye babe” she grinned, her phone already out of her pocket as she pressed dial.

“Guess who?” she asked as soon as the familiar and comforting voice answered.

“Well, well girly. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. I thought you and Aden would be holed up somewhere getting reacquainted!”

“Irene!” she spluttered in disbelief.

“Not you as well! But...” she giggled to herself as she gazed at the bracelet on her wrist.

“You’re not far wrong”

“You sound happy love” she could almost hear Irene’s smile.

“Good to be back?”

“Very good to be back” she grinned happily.

“So can I take it that you and Aden are all loved up again?”

“No” she shook her head before sighing.

“Well...yes, but don’t anyone will you? Especially not Colleen! Or Leah for that matter because then she’ll tell Roman and he’ll mention it to Aden and then he’ll know that I told you and it was my rule to

keep it quiet in the first place!”

“Ok” Irene chuckled clearly lost by Belle’s rambling.

“I won’t say a word Belle. It’s just good to know you’re ok”

“Oh I’m ok” Belle grinned.

“Way more than ok Irene”

[LAURZY!]

Oh that was so good!!

The beginning when they were on the webcam was so As was the present!

Love the flirting and banter between them again

And Belle's chat with Irene!!! Everyone pretty much guessed they would get back together didn't they?!

Cant wait to read more

[MrsL]

I love the cheeky banter and how everyone wanted and thought they would get back together

I absolutely love this fic

[bradyell]

You weren't wrong when you said it was pure fluff!

That was flufftastic!!

How sweet is Aden using the stone from the engagement ring

And the webcam bit And Belle kissing him better

LOVED it all and can't wait for more!

[hitmanfan]

loved it Louise

what I wouldn't give to be Belle and seeing that sight on the webcam

how sweet that he used the diamond on the bracelet

[amz89]

what can I say I loved that.. Loved the fluff they are so cute together. Cant wait for more.

[bailey4]

ahhhh so good! Loved how they're so engrossed in each other! Anywho i can't say much about this chapter it was awesomly good

[Lise]

That was brilliant. The cheeky banter is soooo good. The webcam chat was great. I love that he kept the ring all that time.

[matticus01]

*sings happily*

I love you Loiuse!

You write so perfectly... the conversation between Aden and Belle was the most beautiful, funny thing ever

update soon

[~Zoe~]

Loved that chapter Louise,

Especially the webcam bit

& all the banter and flirting between them, brilliant!