crescent [h.s]

62

(tw. conversation on self-harm and suicidal behaviours. very important conversation, however please skip/skim if you need to. starts at the 2/3 mark)

Harry Styles

"Hi mum..." I speak over the phone, keeping my voice quiet as Aurora is currently passed out, fast asleep on my chest. Dove fell asleep about 3 hours ago, and Aurora pretty quickly followed, she was exhausted after the argument - we both were - but now it's 10pm and I can't sleep.

"Hi darling, what's wrong?"

I suck in a deep breath to try to keep the tears at bay, "Life is just really, really hard right now."

Her voice softens, and I can envision the exact expression on her face right now. Creased brows, worried eyes which makes her skin crinkle, and a pout in her chin she doesn't think she has, "Oh sweetheart, talk to me. Anything you need, talk to me."

I look down at Aurora on my chest, ecstatic she's back to cuddling up to me intentionally, but devastated of how much we've lost without realising, "Me and Aurora need to leave the Gold Coast. We need time alone, b-because we are not okay."

"Oh Harry," her voice gets even softer, and I hear her get out of bed, "Where are you thinking of going?"

My eyes are still on Aurora, and I bend my head down to press a kiss to her temple, "I need to take her home, back to Greece."

I can hear my mum smiling, her voice changes whenever she talks through a smile, "I think you do, too. You're going to be okay, I promise. You're going to get through this together, I have absolutely no doubt about it."

I nod, a smile on my lips as I press another kiss to Aurora's temple, feeling like the luckiest man in the world to have her at all, "I know, I don't have any doubts either. But...we need a few weeks, just us, to reconnect and honestly...just be stupid adults. Have fun, have no responsibilities, get drunk at 12pm. You know what I mean, right?"

"I know exactly what you mean, baby. Me and Rob can come down tonight, sleep at yours and then look after Dove for however long you need. I'm on sabbatical anyway, and Rob is working remotely now the business has moved down to Sydney. How does that sound? Are there flights you can book for tomorrow?"

"Hold on," I groan quietly, moving ever so slightly to the right so I can grab my laptop which is always on the top of my bedside table. I maneuver the device with just my right hand, placing it on my lap as I use Touch ID to unlock it and type the flights into google, "Yeah, I think," I scroll down, "holy fuck, there's still 2 seats left for tomorrow at 4am."

My mum laughs to herself, "Meant to be."

I book the seats, luckily not having to move away from Aurora as my card information is stored on Apple pay, and our passport numbers are still on my account from booking our honeymoon, "Flight number 5452, departs at 04:16."

"Perfect. Are you flying to Athens?"

I nod, though she can't see me, "Yep. Then we need to get a connecting ferry or flight to the island."

"What island is it? Has Aurora ever told you?"

"Yeah," I put my laptop away, twisting my body and immediately snapping back to Aurora and sneaking down the bed so I can intertwine our legs and cradle her to my chest, "Kythira." I laugh, "She'd kill me if she heard how I just pronounced that though."

My mum laughs again, "If you don't come back from this trip knowing some basic Greek when your wife is fluent, I'm going to be ashamed of you."

I cackle and throw my head back, never worried if Aurora is going to wake up, because I know she won't. Sleeps like the dead. "I hope she teaches me some, I feel stupid in comparison to her."