Off The Ice

Chapter 57

"I think we need to get out now. My fingers are way past the point of pruning." I turn around and look at him as I say this. He has his head leaning forward on my shoulder.

"Yeah?" He lifts one of his hands from the side of the tub and uses it to bring a stray piece of hair off of my face.

"Yeah."

"Okay." He kisses my cheek. "Come on." He nudges me forward and I sit up. We both stand from the tub and I brush all of the bubbles from my body. Harry leans over to the towel rack and gets out, quickly drying his body and wrapping the towel around his waist before grabbing another one and unfolding it, holding it out for me to step into. I pull the plug on the tub so the water can drain and then I step onto the bathroom mat. Harry gently dries my body and then wraps me in the towel. "I'll be in the bedroom. I know your clothes are in here."

"Okay." He kisses me once and walks out of the room. I take the towel off of my body and hang it back up to dry before I grab my clothes from my bag and put them on. First my underwear, then my fuzzy zebra shorts, then an oversized dark red and black flannel. I put on a pair of pink, grey, and white checkered thigh-high socks to keep my legs warm and then I put Harry's glasses on, leaving my hair in the messy bun. After shoving my dirty clothes from the floor into my bag I go into the bedroom where Harry is standing in a very dark blue pair of his tight boxers, pulling grey sweatpants up his legs.

"Fuck," he breathes when he sees me.

"Whatever perverted comment you have, save it," I say before he can get another word out.

"You know me too well." He smirks and I roll my eyes, throwing my bag on the ground by the edge of the bed.

"I do my best." I walk over to him and dangle my arms loosely around his neck. His instantly snake around the small of my back and he pulls me close to him. "So I was thinking we could make some kind of hot drink and that you could read to me. It's been a while."

He groans and I smile. "I still don't know why you like me reading to you."

"You really wanna know?"

"I mean I haven't a bloody clue."

"I love hearing your voice. It... Soothes me."

"I'm calling bullshit."

"No I'm serious," I smile at him. "Your voice is so calming to me. I could listen to you talk for hours and I wouldn't mind a bit. It's one of the many things I love about you."

"You are absolutely mad. I stutter like no one's business. And I screw up and skip lines or sometimes read them twice."

"I don't care. The story is on the backburner for me. It's a bonus. Hearing you is priority."

"You are insane."

"Insanely in love with you, yes," I smile as I push the glasses up my nose. "You should put yours on."

"Fuck no," he shakes his head.

"Please?? I've already seen you wear them, what difference does it make now?"

"Ugghhh," he groans before detaching himself from me and leaving the room. I follow him and watch him walk into the bathroom. I lean in the doorway and watch as he takes his contacts out and puts them in their case before taking a pair of glasses from a different shelf in the medicine cabinet. He shuts the cabinet door and huffs, waiting for a moment before he slides them on his face.

"Awww," I squeal.

"Shut it or they come off."

"No, no, no, I'll shut up, I promise." He glares at me and I grab his wrist to bring him to me. My back turns completely onto the door frame and he places one of his hands above my head before dipping down and connecting our lips. It's quick, no more than a few seconds. "Now to the kitchen." I grab his arm and lead his groaning self with me to the kitchen. He stays on the outside of the counter, allowing me to go fully into the open kitchen. I grab the tea kettle from his stove and fill it with water from the sink before putting it on and allowing the water to get warm. "Perfect, hot chocolate," I say after scanning his pantry for five seconds. I pull two packets from the box and set them on the counter.