If I could fly (BOOK 2)

Rebuilding the trust

The day moved slowly after that.

They folded laundry together. Harry insisted on learning where everything went, asking instead of assuming. When Darcy woke, he handed her to Y/N without hesitation, hovering nearby instead of taking control.

The trust rebuilding wasn't loud.

It was careful.

That afternoon, they took Darcy for a short walk around the neighborhood. Harry kept one hand resting lightly at Y/N's back the entire time - not guiding, not steering, just there.When they got home, Darcy fell asleep quickly after her feed.

And the house settled.

Y/N stood in the living room staring out the window, arms folded loosely, shoulders slightly tense in a way she didn't realize she carried now.

Harry approached slowly behind her.

"Can I?" he asked quietly.

She nodded.

His hands rested gently on her waist, not pulling her back right away, just letting her lean into him at her own pace. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I hate that I hurt you," he murmured against her hair.

"I know," she said softly.

"I meant what I said about being scared," he continued. "I just said it the worst possible way."

She turned slowly in his arms, looking up at him.

"You scared me too," she admitted.

"I know," he whispered.

Silence stretched between them - not awkward, just fragile.

Then Y/N reached up first, fingers brushing his jaw like she was relearning him. Harry stilled, letting her lead.

When she kissed him, it was tentative.

Testing.

Harry's lips found hers again, slower now, deeper, like he was memorizing her all over again. His hands slid along her sides, fingers spreading gently across her back, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.

"I missed taking care of you," he murmured against her mouth.

Y/N shivered slightly at the softness in his voice more than the words themselves. "You never stopped," she whispered back, her fingers tangling deeper into his hair. He kissed along her jaw again, slower this time, letting each touch linger. His mouth traced downward, warm and patient, pausing against her collarbone as his hands steadied at her waist, grounding her there with him.

"I hate how far away I felt from you," he said quietly, brushing another kiss across her skin. "I hate not knowing if you were okay."

"I wasn't okay without you," she admitted softly, her voice trembling but honest. "But I needed you to come back to me like this... not angry. Not scared."

"Baby," he whispered, his lips moving lower, pressing slow kisses along her chest. "I just needed to remember what matters most."

Her breath caught as he got on his knees and hands slid gently along her sides, steady and reassuring, like he was holding her together piece by piece. She leaned back slightly against the couch, trusting him, letting herself melt into the moment.

"I love you," he murmured, his voice softer now, rough with emotion. "I love taking care of you. I love knowing you trust me."

Her hands slid down around shoulders, gripping gently as she tried to steady her breathing. "I do trust you," she whispered. "That's why this hurts when we're not okay."

He lifted his head just enough to meet her eyes, searching her expression, making sure she was still with him.

"We're okay," he said quietly.

She nodded, brushing her thumb across his cheek. "We're fixing it."

She pulls him in and his lips found hers again, slower now, deeper, his hands moving with quiet certainty, guiding her back into the cushions as the world outside the room faded into something distant and unimportant.
Their whispers softened into small confessions between kisses - apologies, reassurances, promises spoken against skin and breath instead of words. Every touch felt like rebuilding something fragile but stronger than before.
Later, their movements slowed, the urgency melting into warmth and closeness. Harry pressed his forehead against hers, their breathing slowly syncing again.

"I'm not letting us drift apart like that again," he murmured.

"You won't," she said quietly. "Because I won't let you either."

They stayed tangled together for a long moment, hands tracing familiar paths, hearts finally steadying.
Then the baby monitor crackled faintly.

They both froze.

And then laughed softly into each other's shoulders.

"Still parents," she whispered.

"Always," he replied, pressing one last kiss against her temple as he held her closer.