Law and Order- complete

XXVI

"Thanks, China, I'll text you, okay?" I grab the bag of my clothes from her and her eyes flicker past me and into Harry's apartment, where her eyes widen briefly before she shakes her head, probably having seen Harry lying across the couch on his stomach with his face in his hands.

It had been four days since he'd found out somebody he considered his best friend essentially set him up to get killed and to say he was handling it horribly would be an understatement. He hasn't smoked, but that was because I'd hid his cigarettes under the couch and he couldn't be bothered with leaving the apartment.

After the first day, I realized I couldn't leave him in this state alone, so I showered and got away with wearing his clothes until I got too uncomfortable with not wearing underwear, so I asked China to bring over some of my clothes since I didn't know how much longer I'd be here. Thankfully she asked no questions and allowed me to get by with telling her that he simply wasn't feeling well.

"Let me know if he needs anything," She gives me a soft smile and I nod.

"I will. Tell Ramonie I said hi, I haven't been on my phone too much." I softly call out before she turns on her heel and begins down the hall. I sigh, closing my eyes briefly and shutting the door.

I'd just finished cleaning his apartment, but the dishes from the oatmeal I made for breakfast are needing to be cleaned so I set the drawstring bag on the island and begin washing them, thinking about what I'll order for dinner.

Cooking was never my strongest suit and I wanted to be there for Harry and every way possible so for the last couple of days, I'd been trying my foot in the kitchen. I don't know if the food is actually good or not because Harry usually eats the entire plate and lies back down on the sofa, offering no criticism or praises, which leads me to believe he's not even tasting it, just eating it because he knows he needs to eat something.

When the dishes are done, I approach him in the living room where Family Guy played, and I sit toward the head of the couch. Harry lifts his head so I could, and I press my hand against his ear to guide his head back into my lap, sighing as I begin doing what I'd been doing around 6 in the evening since Monday.

I let him stay in this state, not bothering to tell him that yesterday evening, Soto was bailed out. He didn't even know Ryder had gotten out and it didn't seem like something I wanted to tell him right now. I also hadn't confronted him about Jane. The whole world seemed to stop after he saw that video and I didn't want to be the one to rock it.

"Hair," He mutters, and I thread my fingers into his locs, scratching his scalp softly and pulling gently before pulling my hands away and repeating the action. I'd grown to know that his favorite spot to have rubbed is the center of his head, which is where my hand gravitates to as I nearly doze off at the sounds of Harry's light snores that soon turn violently heavy.

It was the way my heart swelled upon seeing him relaxed, the way I could finally be put at ease when I recognized his breathing to slow down, signaling that he was calm. He affected me in more ways than I could imagine, and while it frightened me, to begin with, it comforted me now.

Harry was very easily my person.

He knew me better than I knew myself at times. His care is unyielding and no matter how shit his life had gotten over the last couple of months, he always managed to make me a priority even though I never asked. It felt like protecting me was a second nature of his, and vice versa.

I always wanted him to be okay, or as okay as he could be. I wanted to see his smile, his content sighs, all of it.

The realization of what I'm describing has my chest tightening and my eyes opening. I try not to tense too harshly with Harry's head on my lap so I find myself releasing shallow breaths as I squeeze my way from under him, guiding his head with my hand so that he fell softly against the sofa.