crescent [h.s]

49

Harry Styles
cw. educational conversation on private body areas

I wake up slowly, before my first alarm has even gone off, and I thank the heavens I get extra time to bring Aurora into my bare chest, hugging and kissing her bare skin with my lips, waking her up with a reminder of how much love she is showered in at every moment, even whilst asleep.

My right arm wraps around her waist, dragging her across the bed and into my arms, smiling as she whines and wakes up all on her own.

Her eyes are still closed as she peppers kisses onto my skin, her hands snaking up the covers to find an exit out of the sheets bathed in our different body wash scents, and the sun pouring through the window opposite us.

I moan completely innocently as she rakes her fingers through my hair, scratching my scalp gently and twirling my curls around her fingers, knowing exactly how relaxed this makes me. I part my lips for the first time this morning with a goal other than kissing my wife, my voice deep with morning fog, "Cheeky girl trying to make me fall asleep again just before my alarm goes off."

She chuckles into my neck, nodding, whispering her reply, "You know me too well, baby."

"Well I known you for over 3 years, almost been living with you for 3 years, too."

She groans into my skin and shakes her head slowly, "Shh, don't make me feel old at 7am."

My head lifts from the pillows as our bedroom door is pushed open, the hinges squeaking as the heavy wood is being met with something carrying less strength. Before Dove is revealed to us, Aurora whispers into my ear, "We need to get her an 'okay to wake' clock like Navy has."

I crease my brows and shake my head as her little face peaks around the crack in the door she created, "No, I'd miss our morning cuddles."

Aurora just sighs into my neck as we have the same conversation for the 5th time this month, but one day she won't want morning cuddles anymore, and I don't want to be the reason they come to a premature halt.

I open my arms and nod my head, giving her permission to come and cuddle me until the first alarm goes off. She immediately runs into the bedroom, Ted in her right hand as her thumb is in her mouth, and I already know she's nervous for today. She only sucks her thumb when she's nervous.

As soon as she is at my side of the bed, I lift her up onto my chest, cradling her body to mine just as I did when she was a tiny little baby. Holding her like this is incredibly nostalgic for me, but I don't ever want to stop.

I brush her crazy blonde hair down and away from her ear, holding her head and supporting her neck. "Oh my baby, what's wrong?" I double tap her temple, "Share these words with me."

She drops her thumb from her mouth, wrapping that arm around my neck, her thumb making contact with the other side of my neck and leaving a wet patch as she whines to me, not saying any words and only letting a high pitched noise come out.

I kiss her temple and bring my free arm under her pajama top, rubbing her back, "C'mon my perfect girl, tell daddy what's wrong," I get closer to her face as I whisper, "he'll take your problems away, I promise."

I feel Aurora's hand meet mine under her pajama shirt, trying to bring Dove some peace on her first day back at pre-school, a new class with a new teacher and some new students joining her.

We both let her talk on her own, it taking a couple minutes before she breaks the silence and diverts her big blue eyes up to mine instead of staring at the white wall, "D-daddy, 'm so scared. What if my friends aren't there, daddy? C-can you come with me?"