Songbird [H.S]

THIRTY-FIVE

"Merry Christmas sexy girl." Harry announced quietly into the dark bedroom, making sure not to spill the tray of breakfast in his hands. His girlfriend who had previously been in a very deep sleep began to stir as Harry gently kissed her lips, greeting her like he did every morning.

The teenage boy had been awake for hours, the cold winter air seeping through the walls of the house creating goosebumps all over his body. Harry had used up all the blankets making sure Marley was warm enough, forgetting how cold the night would be for himself. The early morning was beneficial for the boy, however, as it gave him the chance to make sure he had his presents all wrapped and placed under the tree.

With it being Harry's first Christmas away from home, both the teenagers' families agreed it would be fun to spend Christmas altogether. It gave everyone a chance to properly know each other before the baby was born and it meant neither Harry nor Marley had to worry about splitting the day between both families. Harry's Mum, Niall and Louis were all supposed to be arriving in the next hour or two so that they would have enough time to exchange gifts before dinner. Considering Marley had missed breakfast, Harry had taken it upon himself to bring up a cup of tea, a bowl of fruit and some buttered toast for the girl to eat before she needed to get ready.

"Merry Christmas..." Marley greeted lightly, her voice thick with sleep. "What time is it?"

"It's eleven, baby. I let you sleep in because you've been so tired lately."

"Eleven? Fuck! Everyone will be here soon." Suddenly realising how little time she had to get ready for the day, Marley sat up as quick as she could and went to swing her legs out of bed but Harry was quick to stop her. It was their first Christmas together and he wanted it to be a calm, happy day full of love and didn't want Marley stressing over everything.

"Darling, slow down. It's Christmas. At least have some toast first." He chuckled, placing the tray of food in her lap before she could refuse. The girl glanced up at him apprehensively, obviously toying with the idea of ignoring him but her hunger got the better of her and she quickly took a bite of the warm toast. "You don't need to rush, lovie. Everybody else can wait."

The room fell silent as Marley munched on her toast and Harry could tell by the look on her face that she was thinking about something. She looked almost down or disappointed. The boy wanted to ask her about it but knew she might shut him out so he let her sip her tea while he got dressed into smarter clothes, letting her talk to him in her own time.

However, once she noticed Harry had dressed in a smart pair of flares and a white shirt her thoughts became clear.

"I don't have a fancy dress this year." She mumbled quietly, her blue eyes avoiding Harry's almost like she was ashamed by the matter.

"That doesn't matter, lovie."

"I just feel so achy, bambi. Everything is uncomfortable." Her lip quivered at the admission she wasn't feeling her best. The boy knew this was coming for a while now, he'd been noticing her trying not to burst into tears as she moved around or tried to sleep at night and realised she was putting on a brave face. Marley wanted to seem fine at every moment of the day and it had all suddenly caught up on her.

"Would you feel better if you spent the day in your night dress? You might need your robe though so you don't get cold." Harry was quick to think of a solution to prevent her tears, already moving to grab the girl's dressing gown from where it was hung on the back of her door.

"But you're supposed to look smart on Christmas Day..."

"Maybe, darling, but you're nearly eight months pregnant. I think you'll get a free pass today." The soft smile Harry gave his girlfriend managed to reassure her there was nothing to worry about. Recently she had been feeling a lot more insecure as she reached the end of her pregnancy. The previous confidence surrounding her pregnant body had practically vanished - the stretchmarks, swollen ankles and extra weight gain making her feel far from pretty despite Harry's constant compliments. He had asked his Mum on how he could help Marley feel more like herself but it seemed that he was doing everything he could already. "Do you want me to help you get changed into a new nightie?"