My Soldier - Missing Home

Small Moments

A/N ~~ So Sorry for the slightly longer wait for this one, just been one thing after another recently but here we go! How we all doing? Are we all feeling good?? <3


~~Thursday Morning, L.A.~~

Lizzie POV

I must have fallen asleep almost instantly when I came back to bed with Harley but I am suddenly awake again as a small ray of sunshine reaches my eyes through the window. I groan as I roll over to avoid it and try to find Harley to cuddle back into but when I can't find her, I quickly sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes and search the room for any sign of where she could be. I look over towards the bathroom and see the door open with no movement inside so I know she is not in there. Her phone is still plugged in on her side of the bed so she can't be far. Then I suddenly get an idea so I carefully move to the side of the bed at her side and peak over the edge, seeing Harley's body lying on the floor still asleep on her side facing away from the bed. My heart aches seeing her like this, knowing she is going through all this again but I know I just have to be here for her. I sit back up in bed, waking my body up as I reach for my phone to check the time. It's late morning by now so I rub the last bit of tiredness out of my eyes with Harley's hoodie sleeves I slept in then gently start to get out of bed on my side. I slowly move around to Harley's side, carefully moving to kneel down beside her on the floor so I don't startle her in her sleep. I position myself between her body and the bed and look over to see her breathing is calm so I know she is not having a nightmare right now thankfully. I quickly check her surroundings just in case she jumps up so I know she won't hurt herself then turn back to her and gently rest my hand on her bare arm so she can feel my touch. I start to softly shake her arm and lean over slightly to try and wake her. "Harley.. It's just me. Time to wake up Angel." I whisper as close to her ear as I can get over and over as I rub up and down her arm, my other hand moving to her back, keeping my touch soft and gentle.

After a couple of minutes, I can feel her body shifting slightly under my touch so I raise my voice a little this time around. "Come on Soldier. You can't be comfortable sleeping down here.." I say sweetly and hear her groan in reply making me laugh lightly. "I know Angel.. Come on." I encourage her until I see her eyes flickering open slowly so I keep my movements going to help her wake up. It doesn't take her too long to start to look around at where she is before she lifts her hand to rub over her eyes. I can't help but smile at how cute she can be on a morning but I can't help but notice how bloodshot and sore her eyes look making my chest tighten slightly. "Hey you.." She whispers and turns her head towards where I am, making my smile grow instantly at her morning voice as she reaches her hand over to hold onto my forearm. "Morning Soldier." I whisper back making her smile before she starts to groan as her body starts to feel the full effects of being on the floor. "Do you need some help?" I ask quietly and she just shakes her head softly, groaning still as she carefully begins to start moving around. "I'm alright, it might just take me a minute." She explains and I just smile and nod my head softly. "I'll leave you to it, but I'll be back." I assure her and she nods and welcomes my quick kiss on her cheek before I move to give her more room as I head for the bathroom. I can hear her using the wall to help her get up as I do a quick, lazy morning routine, not planning on getting dressed any time soon before I come back into the bedroom and find Harley lying sideways over the bed making me laugh lightly as I walk over to my side of the bed where her head is. "Hello you." I whisper down to her as I sit beside her on the bed and lift my hand to stroke my fingers through her hair, earning a low hum from her making me smile instantly. She is so fucking adorable sometimes.

"Did you wake up at all last night?" I ask quietly, not wanting to disturb her as she enjoys me playing with her hair. "I didn't wake up but it took me a little while to fall asleep.." She explains quietly and I frown slightly, thinking that she fell asleep with me. "I'm sorry Harley.. I thought you fell asleep when we came to bed." I tell her, hating that I left her but she quickly shakes her head and opens her eyes to search for me. "It's okay baby. I was relaxed just not completely asleep for a little while that's all." She assures me making my smile come back as she smiles softly up at me and reaches for my free hand on my lap as my other hand continues to go through her hair. "Do you want to try and get some more sleep in bed?" I offer and she just shakes her head softly again with her eyes closed, obviously enjoying my touch which warms my heart. "I'm hungry.." She mumbles making me giggle. "What would you like for breakfast?" I ask and she opens her eyes to meet my gaze. "I wouldn't say no to some of that fresh fruit you picked last night from your amazing garden.." She says with a teasing grin making me laugh and tug her hair playfully. "Is that so.." I tease back making her grin and nod her head. "Then how about some waffles and fresh fruit?" I suggest and her eyes light up making my laughter only grow. "Sounds incredible! Do you want some help?" She offers and I can't help but smile down at her as I lean down and leave a kiss on her forehead. "I can manage, just get yourself ready and come join me when your done." I tell her and her smile grows as she looks up at me with a look only she gives me that makes my heart race in my chest and brings an instant blush to my cheeks. "Only if your sure baby." She asks sweetly, making my blush only heat up more. "More than sure." I say as I jump up from the bed, needing to hide how red my cheeks are turning as I pretty much skip out of the room, leaving Harley laughing on the bed as I head towards the kitchen feeling all types of happy.

I make quick work of cooking breakfast, thankful for my waffle machine as I make up a mix before cutting up some fruit and cook some bacon I had in the fridge. I plate everything up and just finish putting it out on the table as I hear Harley's footsteps coming out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. I can't help but smile at her messy damp hair as she walks into the kitchen, her bloodshot eyes is all I notice once she gets close enough making my smile fade slightly as I grab two cups to make some coffee. "Wow this all looks amazing baby." She comments looking at the table and I catch her smile as I get the milk from the fridge. "Thank you Harley." I reply and she turns to come to where I am pouring out the coffee. "Let me finish making the coffee.." She tries to take over but I swat her hands away playfully making us both laugh as I turn to face her. "I'm nearly done so go and sit down." I shoo her away towards the table making her laugh as she holds her hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay I'm going.." She defends making my laughter grow as she sits down in her usual spot so I can finish our coffee and bring them over to the table. I place them both down and turn to put everything away before coming back to see Harley watching my every move around the kitchen making me get all nervous all of a sudden under her gaze, not being used to having her back here just yet. "What?" I ask as I stand still, her smile beaming over her coffee cup in her hand. "Nothing I just, really missed you." She admits quietly and I can't help but let my smile take over as I walk over and carefully sit down on her lap. She quickly catches onto my intentions and puts her cup down and helps pull me onto her lap so my feet are off the floor, her arm around my lower back keeping me from falling as her other is on my lap keeping me close. Instantly I feel like I am back where I am always meant to be as I turn and catch her deep morning gaze fixed on me like I am the only girl in the World.. Which is exactly how she makes me feel everyday.

After what happened last night and missing Harley so much when she was away, I don't want to be apart from her anymore than I have to be so I stay sitting on her lap as we enjoy breakfast together. Which ended up being me feeding us both as Harley is holding me in one arm as she holds her coffee in her other hand. These small moments alone together are what I miss the most when we are apart so I am soaking in every second as we just laugh and tease each other in between mouthfuls of food and coffee. When all the food is gone and we finish our coffees, I don't make any effort to move so Harley settles back in her chair as I lean into her body more, feeling so much comfort from listening to her calm heartbeat in her chest as she runs her fingers up and down my back and lets me play with her other hand with mine on my lap. We let a small, comfortable silence fall between us for a few minutes as we let our food settle before I suddenly remember we haven't planned when we are going to London and I can't wait to go back so I get excited and need to ask her about our plans. "When do you want to fly back to London?" I ask quietly as I carry on fidgeting with her fingers on my lap as she just watches from beside me with her chin resting gently on my shoulder. "I was thinking we could fly back tomorrow afternoon, so then when we get there it's late so we can go home and sleep then hopefully the jetlag won't be too bad?" Harley suggests and I nod my head softly as she speaks in agreement. "Okay sounds good. What about sleeping arrangements?" I ask, not wanting to presume we will be staying with her Dad, even though I know that's where we will be staying whilst we are there. "We can stay at Dad's. He'd never speak to us again if we booked somewhere else." She jokes making us both laugh lightly. "Your right, I just wanted to make sure." I feel her leave a few kisses on my shoulder sending shivers through my body. "Your cute Olsen." She teases making my cheeks heat up again. God this girl..

"So I'll book us some tickets back to London for tomorrow. Do we need a car from the Airport?" I check and Harley quickly shakes her head. "Dad will want to pick us up, and no doubt Maisie will be with him." I smile at the thought and giggle at Harley rolling her eyes knowing she has no look in with Maisie when I am there now. "I can't wait to see them." I comment making her smile again as I turn and kiss her lips quickly. "I can't wait to be back in London with you." She replies making my heart jump. I love being in London together with Harley, it already holds so many memories and I can't wait to make so many more together. We share a few more short kisses before I get up and start clearing away the kitchen, Harley quickly telling me she is washing up like always if I cook so once it is all with her, I head into the living room and bring my laptop back into the kitchen so I can book some plane tickets so I know we have them. I find some easily for a perfect time and book them once Harley agrees easily as she is busy washing up before I close down my laptop and turn to just admire Harley, loving the feeling of having her back with me again. When she is finished, she comes over and leans on the back of my chair, kissing my forehead before saying anything. "So, what are we doing today?" She asks and I hadn't even thought about it. I look up and catch her tired eyes and know that neither of us have the energy to go out and face the World today. "How about movies in bed?" I suggest and her eyes light up instantly. "Perfect." She agree easily and goes to the fridge for a bottle of water as I get up from the table and wait for her to head for the bedroom again. "I'm going for a quick shower then I'll join you." I tell her as we reach the bedroom. She grabs her phone and lies back on the bed, no doubt texting her Dad about the plans for tomorrow so he knows we are coming as I get some clothes from my wardrobe. "I won't be long." I whisper as I lean over the bed and kiss Harley's cheek, making her smile before I head to the bathroom. My face hurting I have been smiling so much but having Harley back like this is like a dream come true.


~~Thursday Afternoon, L.A.~~

Normal POV

After a perfect morning with Lizzie, she went off for a shower so I took the time to text with Dad to let him know our plans for flying to London tomorrow. He is excited to know we are coming back so soon before I sent over our flight information so he has it in case of any delays whilst we are in the air. He then offered to come and pick us up from the Airport without any hesitation so I made sure it wouldn't be too late for him but he told me he would do it regardless like I knew he would. I thanked him before we had a quick catch up over text, mainly him checking in on how I am doing and telling me how much Maisie is annoying him already since I'm not there for her to pick on making me laugh before he tells me to go and enjoy some quality time with Lizzie, so I quickly go through some other messages on my phone, replying to what I need too then decide on finding something to watch on the Tv. I had a look through Netflix, finding something I haven't watched yet just as I hear the door unlock and Lizzie comes out the bathroom in some comfy clothes and damp hair tied up messily making me instantly smile. She returns my smile easily as she walks around the bottom of the bed to come join me, holding some cream in her hand as she sits back beside where I am lying back against the pillows. I give her a questioning look as I know she keeps her stuff in the bathroom to use, which makes her giggle before she meets my eyes. "This is for you. To help with your eyes.." She tells me gently, I swear this girl has mind-reading abilities in real-life. I look between her eyes and the cream in her hand, having no idea how she knew I was suffering which just makes her smile even more. "I know you Harley. I know when something is wrong, so lie back and close your eyes." She tells me softly and instantly I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. No one I've been with has been able to read me so easily. It's scary, but at the same time shows how much she really does care about my well-being.

"There, that should help." Lizzie says softly into the small space between us and I finally open my eyes and meet her gaze hovering over where I am lying. "Thanks baby." I reply easily before she leaves a kiss on my lips then sits back up, putting the cream on her bedside table and grabs her phone to check over her messages as I move up against the headboard and press play on the film as Lizzie moves to lift my arm over for her to lie on as she sends a few messages from her phone. Once she is done on her phone, she puts it to one side and comes in closer for a cuddle as we just lazily watch the TV and enjoy being close again. It's nice being able to put things aside for now, knowing we have so much time to talk about things at a better time. When the film finishes, I feel Lizzie jump slightly before she sits up and turns to face me with wide eyes, obviously remembering something. I can't help but laugh at her sudden expression as I wait for her to explain. "I totally forgot I have your presents here for you to open!" She says excitedly and my laughter only grows at her sudden change. "Do you want them now or when we are in London?" She asks but from how she is pretty much ready to get up and get them, I don't think I really have a choice. "I could open some presents.." I tease making her giggle before she is already out of the room making me just laugh at how excited she is. She is adorable. It doesn't take longer than a minute for her to come back with a bag in hand as I sit up and wait for her to join me again. She sits on the bed facing me now as she hands me the bag with a beaming smile on her face. I can't help but laugh at her excitement as I take the bag from her, feeling her joy just by looking into her eyes. "Thank you baby." I say easily as I look into the bag and see some perfectly wrapped presents with the cutest little hand-written gift tags on them. I take them out and lay them on the bed before putting the bag on the floor and opening the card first.

I almost choke up at the words Lizzie has written out in my card as I read them over again before I look up and see her gorgeous eyes fixed on me. "Your adorable." I tell her easily making her cheeks blush instantly as she giggles. "Stop it and just open your presents!" She whines playfully making me laugh as I put my card on display on my bedside table before shifting to open my presents. All different sizes which makes me wonder what they could be since I never told her anything when she would ask what I wanted, not needing anything from her other than what she already gives me. I go for the bigger one first, feeling how soft it is as I pick it up off the bed. I open it up and instantly laugh seeing it is another hoodie. I look up hearing Lizzie giggling, giving herself away at Maisie's little joke she has going with everyone now. "Maisie's doing again I see." I tease making her laugh more as she nods her head. "I couldn't help it." She defends weakly through her laughter as I open out the hoodie and smiling. "I love it, thank you." I say sincerly making her smile as I lay it to one side and move to the next present. I pick up the smallest and open it, finding a black box. I look up in confusion but Lizzie just smiles so I open it up to reveal a bracelet. I take it out of the box carefully to look at it closely, noticing a silver compass engraved into the design making my smile grow impossibly bigger as I look up to Lizzie's smile matching mine. "To match yours?" I question and she quickly nods her head with glossy eyes. "It's perfect." I comment looking back down at the bracelet to take another look before looking back up to Lizzie and reaching it out towards her. "Will you put it on for me?" I ask and she quickly nods her head and moves closer to put it on my left wrist, the opposite I wear my watch on (unlike most people but I like being different, sue me!).

"Thank you Lizzie." I say quietly towards Lizzie once I feel the bracelet is on my wrist as she looks up and catches my gaze. "Your more than welcome Soldier." She returns easily as I lean in and steal a quick kiss before moving to my last present. I can feel the box straight away, having no idea what it could be I just start to open it without hesitation. As soon as I remove all the wrapping paper from the box, I turn it around and spot a picture on the front of the box. My eyes instantly widening as I read the text under the picture and see it is a one of the best cameras you can buy, not always the most expensive are the best but it's still a really pricey present. I can't believe she has gone out to get me something like this. We've talked about how I used to do photography when I was younger with my Dad and how I still take photos when I am in other Countries and send them home for Dad to print and have on display, but I also told her I don't do it as often because I haven't got myself a decent camera considering I work so much. So for Lizzie to go all out and do this for me means a lot, more than I think she realises. I slowly look up to where Lizzie is sitting on the bed, her eyes on me nervously as I hold the box in my hands. I catch her anxious eyes and feel my own begin to well up a little. I catch myself getting all in my feelings and clear my throat to try and cover it up but Lizzie knows me scarily well and quickly moves to come closer to where I am sitting. I place the box down infront of me and pull Lizzie into my lap, holding her close as she lifts her hands to either side of my face to lift my eyes to meet hers. "Talk to me Harley.." She whispers as my hands settle on either side of her hips now she is comfortably in my lap on top of the bed, her eyes barely blinking but her gaze is soft and caring. God she is beautiful..

"I just.. Uhm." I struggle to find my thoughts with how messy my emotions are, which Lizzie seems to pick up on as she just smiles softly and begins to stroke her thumbs against my cheeks to help ground me enough so I can gather my thoughts. "Take your time Angel.." She says, her soft, angelic voice filling my ears with nothing but comfort. I feel my lips pull into a soft smile as I try again to find the right words for something I want to say. "It's just that, no one has ever taken the time to really get to know me the way you have Lizzie. No one has ever been able to look past the hard exterior of my job and accepted me for me. You actually listen and take everything in that is said around us, by my Family and people close to me. And this present shows all that in a way." I explain as best I can as I feel my eyes filling with happy tears at how much this girl loves me for me. I feel her thumbs move to wipe away a stray tear that falls down my cheek as her smile only grows. "Your so much more than just a Soldier Harley. As much as I am so proud of what you do out there as a Captain and Medic, your so much more than that. And I love every part of you. But I know there is still so much more to learn about you, which I can't wait to see. And I can't wait to show you more of my World now your home with me again." I can't help but let my smile grow at Lizzie's words, at how genuine and heartfelt they are. My grip on her hips tightening slightly, wanting her impossibly closer. "You, Elizabeth Chase Olsen, are amazing. I love you so much." I say without hesitation, making her do that incredibly cute nose scrunch in return as she leans her forehead towards mine. "I love you too Harley Lane." And without having to think about it, our lips close the small space between us in a slow, love-felt kiss that seems to last a lifetime.

"What made you pick this one?" I ask Lizzie as we both take a closer look at the camera now in my hands out infront of us both, Lizzie not wanting to move from her place on my lap after our little moment together. "Well.. I narrowed my choices down to two before calling in an expert to help." She teases making me instantly laugh at her tone as she leans into the side of my face and kisses my cheek and jawline. "You called my Dad?" I tease back making her giggle adorably into my ear, her forehead leaning into the side of my head as one of her hands is scratching at the back of my neck and the other is resting against my upper chest. "I did.. He was more than happy to help me and gave me the best advice." She tells me, and I can feel the huge smile on her face just talking about it making my heart glow at how amazing the bond is she has with my family. Another thing no one else has had until Lizzie. "Your adorable, and I love it. I can't wait to have the chance to use it." She pulls away to face me, a slight blush on her cheeks as she does making me smile at the effect I have on her. "I'm glad you like it Soldier." I smile at her words, seeing how much it means that I like my presents before I place the camera down on the bed and wrap my arms around her and squeeze her, filling the room with giggles and laughter from us both as I fall back onto the bed with Lizzie still in my arms. "Thank you for all my presents baby and for just being you." I tell her easily now we are lying comfortably back on the bed together. Lizzie lifts herself up, leaning against my chest so she can see me better, her eyes shining with so many emotions. "Your more than welcome Angel. Thank you for coming here to spend Christmas with me and my family. It means so much to me that you'd do something like that for me." Her eyes fill with happy tears which I quickly wipe away before pulling her into a comforting embrace as we both just take a moment, together.

We made quick work of clearing away the small mess of wrapping paper from the bed before I tidied away my presents and put them with my bags ready to take back to London, then decided to bring some snacks and drinks to bed so we don't have to move much for the rest of the day. It doesn't take us long to get comfortable again on top of the bed, Lizzie cuddling into my side as my arm quickly moves to wrap around her, as we make the most of being alone and together and enjoying the quiet with some films to watch. As much as I love being out exploring and doing something more active, days like this with Lizzie are just what I need sometimes to relax my body and mind. And seeing Lizzie so relaxed from her crazy Celebrity life is amazing to see when she gets the chance too just be her. We share some fruit, sweets and crisps as we make it through a couple of films before Lizzie plays the next one for us to watch. I've lost all track of time but I am so relaxed that I don't care right now. The film begins to play and instantly I smile at the music playing from the TV. I can't help but tap my feet along to The Greatest Showman as it plays into the room, my lips moving as I try not to sing along too loudly. I feel Lizzie laughing quietly to herself as she hears me singing but I can't help it, this film is amazing! And as I am watching the film, a thought invades my mind which makes me quickly laugh a little louder randomly, causing Lizzie to giggle and turn her body to look at me better. "What's so funny Soldier?" She teases as I look down and meet her bright green eyes, my laughter dying down but my smile never fades. I shake my head softly as the memory plays into my head making my smile only grow. Lizzie catches on and moves to face me, resting on one arm as the other sneaks under my t-shirt and onto my bare stomach, her finger tips tracing patterns without having to think about it as her eyes search mine curiously.

"You can tell me your secrets Soldier, I won't judge." She teases as she lightly scratches at my skin, making me squirm a little under her touch. Her smile is as teasing as her touch, making me grin in return as I chuckle and shake my head at her. "Hm okay but I'm holding you to that." I tease in return. Making her raise her eyebrow as she moves to get more comfortable facing me with her hand still on my stomach. "So, when we were all out on Tour in Iraq, we had a few days R&R after a few weeks. After a couple of drinks some of the guys started talking about the film and how good it was. One thing led to another and a few of us tried to do the dance from the song 'From Now On '. But what we didn't catch was Charlie recording the entire thing which he has now to blackmail us whenever he wants too." I explain and Lizzie just looks up to me as her smile grows impossibly wider as she listens to my story. "It was entertaining to say the least, and we actually managed to pull it off.. Eventually." I catch her giggling with the cutest smile on her face. "Please tell me he sent it to you?" She asks with bright eyes and I can't help but nod my head softly, seeing those bright eyes glow even brighter as her smile intensifies. "Can I see it?" She asks shyly making me chuckle and continue to nod my head. "Really?" She questions as she pushes herself up against my stomach. "I can never say no to you Lizzie, you know that." I tease and she giggles as she moves from my body so I can reach over to the table on my side of the bed and grab my phone. I come back and sit up against the headboard behind me, Lizzie waits for me to get comfortable before she moves to sit beside me, her head resting on my shoulder as she waits for me to find the video on my phone. Once I find it, I turn my phone onto it's side and hand it over to Lizzie beside me. She beams up to me as she takes my phone, moving slightly closer to lie against my body so we can both see the screen before she presses play.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Lizzie asks after we watch the video a couple of times together, our laughter filling the room each time. "What do you mean?" I ask confused at her sudden question. "You can dance! Like, really well." I can't help but laugh at her surprised tone and expression. "You think so?" I tease causing her to nudge my arm with her shoulder as she giggles. "Yes! We deffinently need to go dancing sometime so I can see it for myself." She quickly decides and I can't help but laugh at her excitement. "Sounds good to me." I agree and she smiles adoringly at me, kissing my shoulder before turning back to my phone. "I can't wait." She says adorably making me just smile and kiss her head as she leans into my side again and decides to watch the video again but she accidently swipes away form the video and onto another picture from the Tour in Iraq. I feel her tense up beside me as she turns to me and goes to hand my phone back. "I'm so sorry Harley, I didn't mean to do that I-I.." She rambles nervously, surprising me with how quickly she turned to apologise over something like this. "Woah, woah Lizzie, It's alright. Calm down.." I quickly turn to her slightly and keep her in my arms, waving my hand at her trying to give me my phone back. She lowers it onto her lap in one hand still, her eyes searching mine a little frantically as she calms herself down. "I'm sorry Harley I really didn't mean to look at anything else." She tries to apologise again but I just shake my head to carefully cut her off. "Lizzie, stop apologising. I have nothing to hide so you can look at anything you want. It was an accident anyways so I don't understand.." I trail off my words, quickly seeing it in her eyes that this is something that she has been through before, but whoever it was didn't react very well.. Fuck.

"Lizzie.. It's more than okay. You have nothing to apologise for." I take her free hand and look right into her eyes, making sure she is taking in every word I say to her. She slowly begins to nod her head, her eyes searching for anything in mine but there is nothing to find. "I'm sorry Harley.. I just, with-" She begins to explain but I quickly shake my head and cut her off. "You have nothing to explain Lizzie. I get it. I do, but that's not me. You can look at my phone, laptop, anything. I have nothing to hide nor will I ever hide anything from you. It's me and you, Always." I tell her honestly and her eyes well up at my words. "I love you Harley." She replies with teary eyes and quickly leans in to hug me. I wrap her in my arms and hold her close as she just has a moment to herself before she pulls back and quickly wipes away her tears. "I love you too baby.. Now, where were we?" I say with a smile, letting her know we are more than okay which seems to wash away the last of her worries and fears at what happened as she mirrors my smile. "Can we look at your Tour photos?" She asks in the most adorable voice making my heart melt instantly. "Of course we can Lizzie." I answer easily, surprised at how much it seems to mean to her to see them but my smile only grows. "Really?" She checks and I just smile and nod my head. "Yes baby." I assure her, pulling her to where she was sitting before so she is comfortable again. We settle into each other as she lifts my phone up so we cam both see the screen again as her head falls to my chest before she begins to scroll through the photos I have in the same album from my different Tours. The film now long forgotten as she asks questions about each one that we come across. My heart has never been more full than it is right now, having the girl of my dreams in my arms as we talk between ourselves like we have always been this way. This girl is so special, and I can't help but worship everything about her.

I don't know how I got here, but I do know that I never want to be anywhere else..