The Artist [h.s.]

thirteen

Carter awoke to Harry bringing her breakfast in bed. For months, he'd been doing cute things like that because he didn't want her to do too much with the baby. He was overprotective already and, at times, it was cute, but, more often than not, it was a little irritating because she was perfectly capable of doing a lot of things while pregnant.

This was one of the cute times.

Luck enough for him, it was also helpful because getting up and down the stairs had started to become a challenge.

Harry kissed her cheek and carefully placed her food down on the neat little tray he'd bought her weeks ago. It was one that they used in hospitals, yeah, it was on the uglier side, but it worked well enough.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?"

Carter smiled in return, "Very well. Thank you for breakfast, you didn't have to do this you know."

Harry shrugged, his smile remaining just as bright as the sun outside, "I wanted to and I've got a surprise for you too."

She rolled her eyes playfully, "You've always got a surprise for me."

And it was true; he really did always have a surprise for her. It was what he did as an artist, what they each did as artists. Every day he had something new to show her and Carter could pretend that she was used to it after all this time, but she wasn't and he could tell that she still loved every little surprise that came from just being with him.

She actually was a little upset that she hardly ever had any new tattoo designs or stories of clients to tell him, considering that she was stuck at home because she was too big to work and didn't want to risk anything with the baby.

At six months already, her baby bump was huge and still growing. Okay, huge is an overstatement, but it was still very noticeable. Harry would always come home and put his hands on her stomach, his smile wide and his eyes bright, and he would talk to their unborn baby and place kisses on her skin.

Carter loved watching him do that and feeling that little kick that his voice brought out.

"While that is true, and a bit hurtful in the way you said it, I am willing to forgive you and still show you anyway."

Carter laughed loudly and kissed his cheek, "'m sorry that I hurt your feelings. Can't wait to see your surprise."

Harry really didn't mind at all, he just wanted to make her laugh. And he was sure that she knew that too because the look that she wore gave her away.

He didn't say anything and instead climbed into bed beside her to lay his hands on her stomach and talk to their little girl.

Harry knew that she wasn't going to talk back, but it helped development and she would most certainly recognize his voice by the time she entered the world in the next three months. That, and he just enjoyed feeling her little kicks and the bump she gave Carter.

Everything about Carter and the little life they had created infatuated him to no end and he made absolutely no move to hide it.

Carter watched him happily, less focused on her food then she should have been, he was distracting, but he was her favourite distraction.

Finally, after a period of time that neither of them had paid attention to, Carter had finished eating and Harry went to clean the dishes while she changed into clothes more suitable for the public eye. Carter didn't think that one of Harry's t-shirts and her underwear would have been a good choice to wear outside, even if it was extremely comfortable.

Despite Harry's many 'instructions' for her to wait for him to finish and help her down the stairs, Carter walked down herself. It was a slow journey, and a careful one at that, but she managed it with no problems despite what Harry thought would happen.