Bella's lips pressed eagerly to mine, warm and soft, filling the space between us with heat I could get lost in. But just as I leaned in deeper, she pulled back with a startled squeak. "Ouch!"
I blinked in confusion, loosening my hold on her waist. "What? Did I...bite you?" I asked, baffled because there was no way I could've made that kind of slip-up.
Bella shook her head rapidly, her cheeks puffing out in that adorably exaggerated way she did when she was about to complain about sothing trivial but serious to her.
"No! It wasn't that!" She pouted, rubbing her cheek with a theatrical wince. Her finger shot up, pointing accusingly at as she said, "Your face scratched !"
"My face scratched you?" I repeated feeling caught off guard for a second. Then, realisation dawned, and my hand went to my jaw, brushing over the rough stubble that had returned since morning. "Oh...The beard." I muttered, half amused, half apologetic.
"Yeah, I forgot to shave today...Guess it's starting to grow back."
Bella's eyes narrowed, and with a curious hum, she leaned in, her fingers lightly touching my face as if she were inspecting sothing strange.
Her brows furrowed, lips pursed in concentration as she rubbed her thumb over the coarse stubble, testing the texture.
"It's so rough!" She declared, giggling as if it were so grand discovery. "Like those scratchy kitchen sponges! You could sand furniture with this!"
I couldn't help the grin tugging at my lips.
"You're comparing my face to a sponge now?" I tried to sound exasperated, but her bubbly energy made it impossible to keep the amusent out of my voice.
Her hand lingered on my jaw a little longer as she continued to marvel at the roughness.
"You could totally grow a full-on beard if you want to, Daddy!" She said suddenly, eyes bright with excitent as if she'd just co up with the best idea ever. "Like, a real, serious beard. All thick and manly!" She waved her hands in front of her face, mimicking so wild lumberjack look.
"Yeah, I could." I admitted slowly, eyeing her with a raised brow. "But it'd get itchy as hell, and I'd probably look like I got lost in the woods for a month."
Bella gasped dramatically, her hand flying to her mouth like I'd just offended her delicate sensibilities. "No way! You'd look cool!" She gave an exaggerated once-over, then grinned. "Like a grumpy forest guardian. You'd have that 'don't talk to unless you brought firewood' look."
I chuckled, low and amused, the sound rumbling deep in my chest.
"Really? You'd actually like with a beard?" I raised an eyebrow, looking at her skeptically. "Most won, including your mom, hate it when I let it grow...She's always nagging to keep it clean-shaven unless I want to stay in her house because of how irritating it feels when we kiss."
Bella blinked, caught off guard by that, then shrugged, her lips quirking into a small, teasing smile. "Well, I guess I'm not 'most won.'" She poked her tongue out slightly before giggling again. "Besides, it's not like I want you to look like a total caveman, just...rugged, you know?"
I narrowed my eyes at her, amused by her enthusiasm but still curious as I asked, "You don't exactly strike as the kind of girl who's into guys with beards, Bella...What's the real reason you want to grow it out?"
Her grin faltered for a split second, and she hesitated, her fingers twitching slightly before she clasped them behind her back. "W-Well, it's kind of..." She trailed off, biting her lip in a way that told she was embarrassed.
"Kind of what?" I pressed, leaning in just enough to watch her squirm a little.
"It's because..." Bella fidgeted, glancing anywhere but at before finally mumbling. "You look really young without it."
I blinked, surprised by her answer. "Young?" I repeated, tilting my head slightly. "What's wrong with that? I an, it's only natural—I am younger than you."
"No, no, it's not a bad thing." She said quickly, waving her hands as if trying to dismiss my confusion. Then, with a glance away and a faint flush creeping up her neck, she added in a quieter voice, "It's just...you're supposed to be my dad right now, you know? That's how I want to see you too. But with such a young-looking face, it's kinda...hard to do that."
Her words hung in the air, and I could tell she was embarrassed by the admission. I didn't know whether to laugh or groan. My lips twitched in dismay. "So what you're saying is, if I grow out a beard, you'll have an easier ti treating like your stepdad?"
Bella peeked up at , still flustered but managing a cheeky grin. "Yeah, pretty much."
My lips curled into a mischievous grin as I crossed my arms, leaning against the counter while watching her try to keep her cool.
"You know..." I said slowly, drawing out each word just to make her squirm. "...at the end of the day, this is really just about your Daddy fetish, isn't it?"
Bella's face turned crimson in an instant, her eyes going wide as she sputtered in protest.
"W-What?! No! It's not like that at all!" She waved her hands frantically, as if trying to physically bat away the accusation. "I just...It's not-ugh! Stop being weird!"
I laughed, the sound low and teasing, enjoying how easily she flustered.
"Oh really? So, you're telling it's purely innocent when you call 'Daddy'—especially when we're in bed and you call that word in such a seductive tone?" I stepped closer, watching her face go from red to impossibly redder, her lips parting as if to argue before clamping shut again.
"I-I don't do it for that reason!" She insisted, her voice higher than usual, betraying her nerves. "It's just...it just slips out like that, okay?"
"Slips out." I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "And you're telling you don't get even a little turned on when you do?" My voice was low, soft, teasing, daring her to deny it while I watched her squirm beneath my gaze.
Bella opened her mouth, ready to fire back with a denial, but the words caught in her throat. She fidgeted, her fingers tangling nervously with the hem of her shirt, and I could practically see the internal battle playing out in her head.
At first, she clearly wanted to deny it—her lips pressed into a thin line like she was ready to declare, 'Of course not! That's ridiculous!'
But then, as the seconds ticked by, her resolve wavered. I could tell the mories were flashing through her mind—those little monts when she'd called 'Daddy' and felt that strange, forbidden thrill ripple through her.
The tis her heart had raced faster, her breath catching in ways she didn't want to admit.
Realising there was no point in lying to herself—or to —her blush deepened, and she glanced away, mumbling sothing under her breath.
"What was that?" I prompted, leaning in closer. "Didn't catch that."
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest defensively before finally muttering, "Maybe I get...a little turned on when I say it. B-But just a little, not too crazy like you might think!" Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she refused to et my eyes, clearly bracing herself for the teasing that was sure to follow.
But instead of teasing her further, I reached out, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her into a warm hug.
Hug~
I felt her stiffen slightly in surprise before relaxing into the embrace, her head resting against my chest. My hand moved slowly, rubbing gentle circles on her back.
"Hey..." I said softly, my voice quieter now, lacking its earlier teasing edge. "I get it. I understand why you feel that way."
She didn't say anything, but I could feel the tension in her body, hear the slight hitch in her breath as she waited for to continue.
"You never really had a father around growing up since he barely ca back ho. And even if he did, he would simply shower you in presents and think his job was done, not knowing that his daughter was yearning for his attention." I said gently, keeping my tone as steady as I could. "And because of that...you crave that kind of love from soone else. It's natural...It's nothing to be ashad of.
Bella didn't move for a long mont, but I could feel the way her fingers gripped the fabric of my shirt a little tighter, like she was holding on to sothing solid.
"I'm not saying this to embarrass you." I added, keeping my hand moving soothingly over her back. "I'm saying it because I want you to know...I'll make up for everything he didn't give you. I'll be the best father I can be, and that's a promise, Bella...A promise you can put your faith in."
Bella sniffed softly, burying her face further into my chest. Her arms wrapped around tightly, returning the hug with a kind of quiet intensity that made sothing in my chest tighten.
"Thank you, Daddy." She whispered, her voice muffled but thick with emotion. "T-That...That ans a lot to ."
"Anyti." I said, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "You're stuck with now, kid...Beard or no beard, I'm not going anywhere."
Bella pushed away lightly, a mock glare on her flushed face as she wiped away her tears.
"Don't call a kid!" She huffed, crossing her arms with a dramatic harumph. "I'm still the older one here, you know."
I raised an eyebrow, smirking at her exaggerated pout. "Yeah? You've got a funny way of showing it, acting all pouty like that."
She stuck her tongue out at but didn't respond right away. Instead, she seed to drift into thought, her expression shifting from playful to contemplative.
I could practically see the thoughts whizzing through her head as she bit her lip, glancing at out of the corner of her eye like she was debating sothing.
"Sothing on your mind?" I asked casually, leaning against the counter again, watching her with mild curiosity.
Bella fidgeted, twirling a lock of her dark hair around her finger before finally speaking up, her voice unusually coy. "Umm...S-Since you shave a lot, Daddy..." She began, hesitating as if unsure how to continue. "You, uh... You know how to use a blade, right?"
I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Yeah, of course. It's not like I'm waxing my beard off or anything...Why do you ask?"
She glanced away, her blush deepening as she struggled to find the right words. "W-Well..." Her fingers fidgeted nervously with the hem of her shirt, and after a mont, she peeked up at shyly. "Could you...maybe teach how to do so?"
"Teach you? Teach you what?" I tilted my head, puzzled. Explore more at empire
"You know..." Bella's voice trailed off, her hands gesturing vaguely in front of her before she finally blurted out. "How to shave!"
"B-But you don't have a beard." My brow furrowed in confusion.
Bella's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she gave an exasperated look, though it didn't quite hide her nervousness. She rocked on the counter, her gaze darting everywhere but at .
"I-I know that...obviously." She finally muttered, her voice barely steady. "It's just...I was wondering if... maybe you could, you know..." She trailed off, glancing up at for a split second before quickly looking away again.
I narrowed my eyes slightly, not out of annoyance but curiosity. "Wondering if I could what?" I asked, watching her fumble for words.
She twirled a strand of hair around her finger nervously, her lips parting slightly before she closed them again, clearly trying to find a way to say it without blurting it out.
Finally, after a long pause, she took a deep breath, still avoiding my eyes. "You know...teach how t-to...shave...d-down there." She finished the sentence so softly it was almost inaudible, her cheeks practically glowing.
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