Beautiful
Summary: “You know you're always going to be beautiful to me, no matter what you say otherwise.” - “I'm never going to be beautiful Hugh, you know that.”
Rating: T [for sensitive issues]
- beautiful -
Circa fall 2011.
A faint glow from the iPhone illuminated the framed photo above the king-sized bed, and a quiet outburst of 'damn it all!' echoed across the room as he pushed the door open. He smiled, his eyes landing on the woman curled in the center of the bed, and Hugh Laurie stepped into the room, his leather jacket draped over one arm. Crossing the room, he deposited it on the foot of the bed as he sat down besides his former costar, and current girlfriend, “Playing more Angry Birds?”
Laughing, Lisa Edelstein turned her gaze away from the brightly lit screen, and she inched her way forwards to kiss her boyfriend gently on the lips. “And good evening to you too handsome.” She leaned over, setting the iPhone on the bedside table, “You finished filming earlier than you said you would.” Reaching forwards, she undid the top few buttons on his blazer, a smile spreading onto her lips.
“I did,” Puling back, Hugh eyed her quietly, cursing himself for remembering their rule about avoiding sex on weeknights so he didn't show up for work exhausted the next morning. He continued to undo his shirt, biting his lip against the smirk on his girlfriend's lips, “And I know, it's not fair to me either.” Hiding his own smirk as Lisa pushed off the covers to wrap her arms around his shoulders, he kissed her cheek gently, “Just relax.”
“How am I supposed to relax while you're sitting on our bed half-naked?” Laughing, Lisa tugged Hugh's shirt from his grasp, folding it in her arms, her eyes sparkling. Leaning forwards, she kissed him gently, then stopped, her eyes wide when he pulled back.
“You didn't eat dinner yet?” Hugh asked quietly, trying to avoid making eye contact with Lisa, “I thought you said you were going to make something for yourself earlier … when I called you on my last break.” Pausing, he looked up to spot the frightened look flash through Lisa's eyes, and he ran his fingers along her cheek, trying not to show his obvious disapproval, “Please Lisa, you know that I worry about you when you avoid meals.”
“Hugh,” Fixing her cold eyes on her boyfriend, she bit the inside of her cheek, “You don't get to be queen of your own heart by fitting in.” Lisa stared unblinkingly into Hugh's blue eyes, “It's not your business to worry about my health, especially when I'm becoming who I want to be. I'm my own person, I don't fit in with the typical TV celebrity anymore - I want to be different. You know how stubborn I am love, don't ask me to change myself to become someone I'm not.” Chewing on her lower lip, she shifted on the bed, tearing her gaze away from Hugh's eyes, “You know how easily unhappiness can ruin someone better than anyone else I know.”
“I may know it,” Hugh moved to pull Lisa into her arms, running his fingers slowly across her back, his chin resting against her forehead. “You are my queen Lisa Edelstein, no matter what you look like. And you know that I will always think of you as being the most beautiful woman I have ever had the chance to meet in my entire world.” He pulled back to kiss her gently on the lips, “I don't want you to change who you are for me.” Meeting her eyes, he inhaled sharply as Lisa shook her head nervously, “You don't need to change your diet, your shape, your favorite things … anything, for me.”
Lisa buried her cheek against Hugh's shoulder, closing her eyes as his fingers rubbed soothing circles against her small of her back, “But you know, I'm not … perfect Hugh.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, inhaling his scent as she relaxed in his arms, “And you know that I'm going to fight as hard as hell to change that about myself.”
Hugh pulled back to loosen his grasp on Lisa's shoulders, “I know you're stubborn Lisa Edelstein, and I love you for it. But I'm not going to change what I feel for you because you don't think you're going to become the woman you want to be.” He kissed her gently again, “You are an amazingly beautiful woman, and I never want you to believe that you aren't enough for me.” Running his thumbs along her jawbone, he gazed into her hollow, sorrow-tinged eyes, “You are more than enough for me, and don't you ever forget that Lisa.”
Gasping at his words, Lisa pulled back from her boyfriend's grasp and eased herself off of the king-sized bed, reaching for the faded shirt that Hugh had pulled off. She tugged it over her own head, reaching to where the hem brushed her mid-thigh, “I … I love you.” Standing and straightening up to gaze into Hugh's eyes, she smiled a bit nervously, “Do you think maybe … you could pick something for me to eat...?” Pausing, she bit her lip, “You know I don't want to eat, but if you make it, maybe it would be special.”
“Are you sure you'll eat it?” Hugh's eyes brightened visibly at Lisa's mention of her eating, but he hesitated before standing to join her, “Because I don't want you worrying about yourself later.” He grabbed Lisa's hand as they headed towards the kitchen, hand in hand, faint smiles gracing both of their lips.
- beautiful -
Half an hour later, Lisa had comfortably tucked herself back in bed, a small plate of salad resting in her stomach, and she blinked in the darkest of the bedroom. Shifting, she chewed on her lower lip again as Hugh crawled into the bed besides her, the springs dipping under his weight as he shifted to lay besides her. “You're still as beautiful as you always have been.” His voice tickled the side of her neck as he kissed her skin, his arm slipping around her waist. “Don't you doubt that.”
“I … I know,” Lisa shifted to gaze into Hugh's eyes, a smile on her lips as she pulled him closer, and she ran her fingers along his cheek. Biting her lip, she swallowed as he run his fingers along her side, his touch hovering above her hipbone, “You … you know that I'm always going to doubt being perfect for you.” Cracking her neck, she let out a long sigh, “But thank you.”
Hugh leaned closer and rested his hand on Lisa's hip gently, a smile spreading onto his lips, his eyes alight with a fire that he reserved only for her. “You are perfect Lisa Edelstein, you always will be.” He leaned back almost as quickly as he had leaned into her touch, and wrapped a loose arm around her shoulders, “Don't you ever doubt that.” As he settled himself against the plump pillows, he closed his eyes as Lisa's arm draped itself lazily over his chest, her hands clinging onto his shoulder loosely, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Lisa replied sleepily, pressing herself against Hugh's side, her eyes half-closing in exhaustion. She rested her cheek against his shoulder as a yawn cut off her next words, but Hugh stole them out of her mouth.
“Good night love.”
AN: Let me know what you think - I just got kind of bored and needed a short, slightly dark ficlet about these two to end my day.