The Missing Pieces

[xknomex]

that was sooo good!!!

I thought it was sooo good how you had Aden thinking like that...so much better than the original!

cant wait for the next one!!!

xxx

[Taniya_K]

Ok, that's it. I seriously think you should quit uni and fly out to Aussieland and become a scriptwriter for H&A! These scenes that you write are just so brilliant! So much more better than how the writers themselves have written it!

Cannot wait for the next one! Eeek, the kiss!

xoxo

[~Zoe~]

That was such a good chapter.

I like how you've written that and Adens thoughts.. much better than the original in the actual show

Cant wait for the next chapter, when they kiss

[Red Ranger 1]

Yeah, that was a lot better than the way they just dismissed it in the show, you've almost managed to rescue one of their worst episodes.

[wrongturntaken]

Thank you so much for those comments! They made me so happy! I'm sorry it's longer than i said it would be, i ended up editing it quite a bit more.

I feel like this has been the most anticipated chapter so far so i hope i've done it justice... it's the longest one i've written yet. There's a part in it where i go back and do it from the other POV, so i hope that reads alright.

I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 8. The First Kiss

"Didn't you leave?" Belle asked the figure sat on her bed. Someone she had not expected to be there when she entered the room yet at the same time was strangely glad that they were. She placed down her glass of water as she spoke and waited for his response.

"Yeah, I did," he said absently whilst on his phone. "But then I thought… you know, I'd like some pics of you. I mean you've got a whole computer full of me so… it only seems fair…" he teased; holding up his phone in a position ready to take a picture.

"You really do live in a fantasy land, don't you?" she responded as she crossed her arms. "Now just get out."

"Okay," Aden replied non commitally as he lowered his phone. "You at least have to say sorry."

"Wh, what for?" Belle raised her eyebrows as she let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Uh, for taking photos of me without my permission," he answered her smartly.

"I don't believe you," she shook her head at him.

"At least admit… it proves that you want me, just… a little bit," he demonstrated with his forefinger and thumb and though she couldn't quite hear it, there was a sense of hope in his voice.

"I already told you, it's about the photo… not the person," she answered; slightly flustered as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, right," Aden laughed in disbelief.

"Haven't you ever heard of boundaries?" she asked, seeming to get more cross now.

"You can talk! You had a strange man… sleep in your bed last night," he taunted her with the memory as he gestured to the bed beneath him.

"That's it," Belle exclaimed, leaning forward to crawl on her bed and make him leave by force as she stretched out an arm to grab his, "Come on, out now. Go."

He, being the stronger one, let her pull him up a little so they were sat closer, "Hey, hey," he tried to stop her actions then and looked at her purposefully, "If I took a photo of you, it'd be about the person," he said sincerely.

Belle looked at him for a moment, unsure whether to believe that he meant that, or whether he was just teasing her. "Yeah, right, come on," she eventually laughed the comment off. "Out now, Aden" she continued as she backed off of the bed, pulling him with her. "Just go," she breathed in exasperation. She was cut off when he nearly fell on top of her. He used her hand to straighten himself up and as he looked at her, everything changed. Suddenly that one moment of exasperation had become one moment of something else. Their eyes stuck to one another's like glue, both seeing in each other something they hadn't seen before. He looked at her with nerves written across his face as she looked at him with an odd uncertainty but a want all the same.

The sudden pounding of her heart beat fastening was made known to her with the use of the sounding rhythm in her ears. Silence only emanated it and she wondered how he could possibly not hear it too. She felt his presence in her personal space and found she really didn't mind it being there. She looked into his eyes and saw for longer what she had seen glimpses of over the past few days; a caring she had never known anyone to look at her with before.

He looks so nervous, she thought, and in that moment she felt spread through her a longing, as though heating up her insides in anticipation. His eyes flickered from either eye as though he was searching for an answer. He was coming closer as he leant down and kissed her gently, almost picking up her lips as he quickly withdrew and looked at her once more. That was the question. It took only a second with a brief pause to give him the answer he wanted as she leant upwards and captured his lips with hers. He accepted gratefully and responded with a soft touch as he slipped his tongue in and out once graciously. He raised his hand to her cheek; sending a shiver down her spine as his touch soothed and relaxed her, making the kiss perfect. She closed her eyes, basking in the essence of how he was treating her; with such care and compassion. She could tell all he wanted was this kiss and nothing more from her. And when they finally broke apart, it was too soon for both of them.

*

He could tell he was annoying her, but he didn't care. At least he was having some effect on her, some contact, some reason for him to be here in this room with her. She thought that was all it was about; him trying to irritate her, but one day he hoped she would see that wasn't what it was about at all. He took her hand as she held it out and barely heard the words escaping her lips as he nearly toppled over. Standing up properly, he realised how close they had become and his cocky smile had vanished to be replaced with an anxious one. He didn't know what he was waiting for, some signal for what would come next. He half expected her to continue with her commands to get out, but no sound came. Instead she just looked at him as he'd wanted her to for so long and he knew this was the moment when he would do something about it.

He bent down cautiously and captured her lips, she just about responded before he pulled back to make sure he hadn't overstepped the mark. Looking at her, he felt feelings arise in his body that he'd never felt before, emotions rather than purely physical. He just wanted to kiss her, to maybe hold her. He didn't have time to even emit a small smile of happiness as she kissed him. Someone wanting him for a change; an equality between them, showing in that she wanted this too. He raised a hand to her cheek, her soft skin felt so smooth under his touch and he didn't want to ever let her go. But eventually the kiss was over and as he pulled back to look at her once more, neither was quite sure what to say.

As much as he wanted to stay there and just watch her, he knew one of them would have to say something soon.

He smiled coyly, "I knew you wanted me," he was hoping it would gain a laugh but he should have known better than to think it would be so simple.

She had been looking at the floor, unable to think what to say until those words were out of his mouth and her head jolted up to look at him; an immediate look of disdain evident on her face, "I can't believe I just did that… with you!" she said in a horrified tone.

"Well you did, and we can do it again if you like?" Aden answered her with a flirtatious smile as he reached a hand out to her face.

She batted it a way, "Oh no way. That was a one time mistake… and it if you tell anyone about this… I'll kill you," she looked at him seriously and he almost thought she meant it.

He would have looked hurt were he not determined to put on a front, "Whatever you say sweetheart, but you'll be begging for me by the end of the week."

"You're gross, you know that," she exclaimed with a shake of her head. "Now get out."

"But we were having so much fun," he laughed slightly, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere a little.

"Really?" she replied sarcastically.

"You were loving it, and there's no way that kiss was a lie," he smirked. "Besides… you kissed me."

Belle's eyes widened, "You started it!" she exclaimed in a loud and annoyed voice.

"Is that seriously how you want to play it?" Aden asked her with an actually genuine smile.

The look on his face seemed to ease Belle's tension slightly and she rolled her eyes at her immature words and even put on a small smile.

"You have to go," she told him calmly.

"But I don't want to," he answered her with a suggestive smirk.

"Seriously, Aden… Irene will be home soon."

"Fine," he relented as he made his way towards the window.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"There's no one home yet, you can use the door…"

He shook his head slightly, "Nah, this way feels more romantic…"

She couldn't help but smile at that as she watched him begin to climb out the window. He paused with one leg out.

"How about a goodbye kiss…?"

She raised her eyebrows at him as she crossed her arms.

"Okay," he drawled slowly but a slow smile spread across his face as he completed the climb out of the house.

She watched him leave and as much as she hated to admit it, there was a feeling of happiness inside her that she just couldn't shake. She walked quickly out of the room and grabbed the phone, dialling in the number of the only person she could talk to about this.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mattie, are you busy?" Belle said hurriedly.

"Yeah, kind of…Why?" Matilda answered.

"Can you come over?"

"Belle, Sorry but I've got loads of study to do, tonight maybe?" she answered, sounding genuinely apologetic and Belle could imagine her with a book in her lap surrounded by ten others and knew the only way to get her to come now would be to tell her.

"I kissed Aden." There wasn't even a pause before the words were answered.

"I'm on my way."

*

"Okay, so what does this mean? Do you like him?" Matilda had been sat; cross-legged on the end of Belle's bed for about ten minutes as Belle had filled her in on what had happened and then subsequently been pacing back and forth in front of her for the last couple of minutes.

"No," Belle responded instantly; causing Matilda to smile.

"That's believable," she answered sarcastically.

"I can't like him," Belle exclaimed as she stopped her pacing to face her best friend. "Can I?"

"I don't know Belle," Matilda responded with a laugh.

"But it's Aden Jefferies… Aden Jefferies!"

"Yeah… I know," Matilda nodded slowly.

Belle sighed, "What am I going to do, Mattie?"

"Okay Belle," Matilda started and Belle could tell she was putting on her voice of reason hat. "Aden has been bad in the past, but lately… you can't tell me you haven't noticed it?"

Belle nodded slowly as she hesitated, seemingly mulling something over in her mind, "I guess I have," she acknowledged. "He's changed… at least since he moved in with Roman anyway."

"Exactly, so maybe that he's Aden Jefferies just isn't an issue anymore?"

"But say we do start something, it's not like anyone in this house is going to like it…"

Matilda raised her eyebrows, "Since when has that ever bothered you?"

Belle laughed, "I guess so. But I mean, I don't even know what it meant to him…"

"Well what was the kiss like?"

Even as she remembered it a slow smile spread across her face which Matilda wasn't blind to.

"That good, huh?"

"Truthfully…? I have never been kissed like that. He was just so… I can't even describe it Mattie. He was so caring and gentle. It was almost as though he was asking me if it was okay to do it. And the way he looked at me…" she sighed dreamily.

"You like him," Matilda stated simply.

"Argh…" Belle groaned. "It doesn't matter. He probably doesn't like me like that anyway."

"It sounds like he does… and…" she hesitated; looking at Belle warily.

"What?" Belle asked her best friend cautiously.

"Well, you can't tell me you haven't noticed…"

"Noticed what?"

"He's… hot!" Mattie exclaimed finally.

Belle raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, yeah… like you don't see it!" she waved away her friend's resistance to admit even the most obvious of truths.

Belle sighed, "Okay, fine, he's hot. Doesn't mean he's a nice person."

"Okay, so seriously now Belle. What exactly has he done to offend you lately?"

Belle paused to think, "It's just little things, he does it purposely to irritate me."

Matilda seemed to be contemplating something for a second, "Well, would you actually talk to him if he didn't do that?"

Belle hesitated, "…probably not," she answered eventually. "But for good reason. You know what he was like… what he did to Geoff… how he treated Annie."

"He also saved Annie's life if you remember?" Mattie pushed.

"Fluke," Belle said immediately; explaining the incident with determination.

Mattie laughed, "You're really not willing to believe that you could like him, are you?"

She sighed, "I can't like him. And there's just too many things going against it so that's just going to have to be the end of it."

"Okay," Mattie laughed again. "Glad we got that all cleared up then. What are you going to tell him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's going to be expecting something after the kiss you just described to me…"

"Oh, trust me, he knows where I stand. I practically pushed him out the window."

"The window?" Mattie exclaimed. "There's no one in!"

"He said he thought it was more romantic…" Belle said as she blushed in embarrassment.

"…and you think he's not into you?" Mattie said exasperatedly; shaking her head.

"He's not! I'm just going to have to put it down to a one time incident."

"Belle…"

"No, that's it Mattie. I've decided. It's not going to go any further."

"Well, I think we're just going to have to see about that…" Mattie said slyly.

"Don't you have work to be doing?" Belle said with her lips pursed.

"Geez, give a hint much?" Matilda raised her eyebrows to see Belle looking at her sternly. "Okay, I'm going," she got off the bed and walked to the door, turning around when she got there. "But keep me updated, okay?"

Belle rolled her eyes before nodding, "See ya, Mattie."

Please comment! x

[Red Ranger 1]

That was really good, I like that you went into such detail about what they were thinking and I loved her conversation with Mattie.

[LAURZY!]

That was soooooo good!!! i am grinning like an idiot here haha

The descriptions were just... wow!!

And i loved the convo with Mattie

BRILLIANT! Defo my fave so far!!!!!

Cannot wait to read more

[Taniya_K]

"Truthfully…? I have never been kissed like that. He was just so… I can't even describe it Mattie. He was so caring and gentle. It was almost as though he was asking me if it was okay to do it. And the way he looked at me…" she sighed dreamily.

Gosh that had me squeeeeeeeeing like a teenager!

Another brilliant chapter. I dunno what to say cos I doubt I'll be able to say just how much I loved it! Seriously, fantastic job. I think it was really in character and true to what happened in the show. I just wish this had been part of the show too!

xoxo

[xknomex]

OMG That was........................awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

thats the best way i've read their first kiss the way you got their emotions it was so WOW! and so beautifully written!!!!!!!

LOVED Mattie and Belle's chat was brilliant!!!! argh why couldn't that of happened in the show!? it was soooooooooooooooo good!!!

LOVED it and you certainly did it justice!!

xxxxxxx

[~Zoe~]

Aw that was so sweet.

I like the way you put Aden and Belle's thoughts and emotions from when they first kissed

& Mattie and Belle's chat was brilliant

Great chapter, my favourite so far!