SOFT SPOT// h.s

3.6 ~ what is love?

I pushed open the exit doors of the bar and emerged into the back alley, the night air hitting me, awakening my senses.

He was insane. What was his problem?! Did he have to be so infuriating all the time? He needed to set some limits for himself.

My high from the alcohol had begun to wear off slightly as I felt myself grow tired. I sighed as I leant against the brick wall of the building, wondering how I had landed myself in this mess.

I only wanted a ride home, back to North Carolina. That's all. I didn't ask for all of these mixed feelings and emotions. All this distress and homesickness for a place that didn't even exist.

I stood there, neck deep in my own thoughts as the the muffled sound of the noise inside the bar filled my ears.

I was jolted out of my daze as the exit doors were pushed open again and Harry stepped outside, his eyes darting around frantically until they landed on me.

"Clary," he breathed, as he sauntered towards me.

He reached out his hand to touch me but I recoiled from him. "Don't touch me," I snapped.

His face fell as he dropped his arm back to his side. "Look Clary. I don't even know where to begin. But I need you to know that I'm so sorry. For everything I said and everything I did. I just- I need you and I don't want to lose you," he explained, but I remained distant.

"Whatever Harry, you obviously don't want to be a part of Ellie's life," I muttered, turning my back on him.

"Clary," he pleaded. "Please. Just listen to me."

"I hope you get penetrated by a steel pipe," I fired at him, pulling out the first insult at the top of my head.

"A steel pipe?" He chuckled. "Come on, you can do better than that."

Harry struggled to hide his amusement for a moment, but quickly regained his desperate expression.

"You said I was your girlfriend," I accused, thinking of his words during his fight with Alex.

He shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "It just slipped out," he muttered. "Look Clary, can you please just listen to what I have to say? Please? Just give me one chance," he begged.

"You have three minutes," I said quietly, beginning to count down the seconds in my head.

"Three minutes! That's not enough time! Shit Clary! Give me four and a half?" He said panickedly. It was all I could do not to laugh.

"Two and a half," I warned him, my voice neutral.

"Fuck!" He cried. "Ok so basically you kinda just sprang it on me and I was like oh shit, what? But I guess a part of me already knew that Ellie was my daughter. I mean, she does look a lot like me, luckily for her," he chuckled.

"One and a half minutes left," I mumbled, pretending to look bored, but silently urging for him to go on.

"And I just had this gut feeling about you too. Like, as if there was something drawing us in together. And I know you felt it too. And that something turns out to be Ellie. And you know what? She looks like you too. She's beautiful. And I think that's why I'm actually happy she's my daughter. Although she is her own person, she reminds me of you in so many ways and it's just fucking crazy how much you can fall in love with someone in just a few days," he said, as I absorbed every word.

His three minutes were up but I didn't want him to stop talking. My eyes never left his as he spoke to me in his deep, gentle voice, his words slow and tasteful as they left his pink lips.

"And I'm sorry Clary, I'm sorry that you're the one with their life sorted out. You're not the one with the messed up head and the fucked up past. And I'm sorry that I had to fall in love with you Clary. Because I am," he finished, his voice trailing off at the end.

"You're what?" I asked him, just wanting to hear the words fall from his lips again.

"I'm in love with you," he breathed against my skin.

I looked up at him with my expression bemused. His eyes were stormy, like the turbulent waves that rose and fell, waves that could kill sailors and swallow boats whole.

"You taught me why hurricanes are named after people. And sometimes I find myself thinking how easy all of this could have been if you weren't so goddamn beautiful," he went on, murmuring against the delicate skin of my neck.

"Harry," I breathed, my head swimming with thoughts, unable to make sense of anything but the boy standing dangerously close to me.

"I love you," he finalised, as I rested my hands on his chest, where I could feel the beating of his heart.

"Harry I-" I began, but he cut me off.

He pressed his lips into a thin line as he gazed at me sincerely. "I didn't say it for you to say it back. I said it so you knew," he told me.

But I knew nothing more than what I felt at that moment. It had to be love. What else could this fluttery feeling in my chest be? The weakness in my knees and the dizziness in my head.

His face was close against mine now, and I could feel his breath tickling my lips. I could taste the scent of him dancing on my tongue, teasing me.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispered.

I hadn't even fully nodded before he pushed me back against the hard wall and put his lips on mine. Our mouths moved in sync, moulding together as his hands explored my body.

My fingers were interlocked in his unruly hair, feeling the softness between my skin at last.

I didn't care about anyone else in the world because kissing him was different. It was like we were creating constellations with our mouths and his taste was like poetry running through my veins and I couldn't ever get enough of him.

His lips were soft, but hungry against mine as he kissed me lustfully. The feeling of his hand sliding up the hem of my camisole top caused goosebumps to erupt on my skin.

"Let's get out of here," He murmured against me, as his fingers traced patterns on the skin of my stomach.

"Yeah."

Yes Harry hell yes..

**************

"I'm in love with you." OK THE STORM JUST HIT

Early update because I feel kinda sad and I'm hoping to see nice comments😌

But there probably won't be another update for a few days. (Unless I hit 4k)

Ily and please love yourself bc you're really cute and yeah ily baiii xx