Evie | H.S |

53. Sunshine

"What the hell" I laughed, falling back on my feet as we knelt side by side. I almost had to pinch myself. Was I dreaming? This was a special kind of whiplash. "You were supposed to be on your way to Thailand - you have a show tomorrow!" I stammered.

"I know". His smile was smug, he looked pleased with himself that he had given me the greatest surprise yet. "I still have a show tomorrow but yours is just as important as mine".

I pursed my lips and let my eyes soften. He was giving me butterflies all over again. He wore an white pair of loose fitting pants, cuffed a couple of times at the ankle, paired with a yellow utility button-up. Yellow looked good on him, like sunshine on my sunshine.

"I played here once y'know?" He diverted quickly and his drawl was relieving music to my ears. He adjusted his position so that he sat with legs extended in-front of him, one ankle crossed over the other as his hands intertwined in his lap.

My eyebrow raised as I sat with my legs curled beside me. "You did?" I couldn't imagine him playing somewhere this small.

"Mhm" he nodded, "in twenty eighteen".

"I can't imagine you playing somewhere like this now".

"Definitely a top ten venue for me" he continued.

"Really?" I laughed. Perhaps he was just trying to be humble.

"Really, really" he confirmed, shuffling over a few inches so that he could pull me towards him. He draped an arm over my shoulder and pointed to the ceiling. "Thought this place felt like playing beneath the moon".

I laughed quietly. We had the exact same thought and that was kind of sweet. I liked his mind. A lot.

"It's a wild thought - you playing here, if I'm honest".

"And why's that, Evie?" He cocked his head, I could tell he was just waiting for me to say something neurotic. He had this particular face he'd make when he sensed my anxiety was going to speak up. His brow would furrow, his head would tilt but there'd still be a playful sparkle of anticipation in his eyes. I couldn't help but giggle as it tried to derail me.

"I don't know, just like the thought of you being in Melbourne before I had any idea who you were is kind of wild, I was living a block away from here back then". I spoke slowly, considering my words so that I communicated my thoughts effectively but I'm sure I was coming off as a nutcase as per usual. "I knew nothing about you then and now suddenly I want to know everything about you".

Harry nodded and returned his gaze to the ornate sculptures around the venue. His side profile subtly glowed under the blue light.

"I just feel like since I've met you, I've become a lot more critical of my wasted time".

"You're being a bit silly again, Eve". He reached out to squeeze my hand, a reassuring touch that grounded me. He'd managed to tug at my ankle and pull me back down to earth without much of a word.

"Yeah, I guess" I let out with a soft sigh. I wish I had the balls to tell him I loved him while he was here with me now and actually awake.

——
Scolding me when I let slip I hadn't yet eaten, we managed to sneak out to grab something for a late lunch. The miserable weather meant the streets were quiet and we went by rather undetected. I knew of a takeaway sushi joint just around the corner which we made haste towards with an umbrella shared between us.

"I still can't believe you're here" I mused while carefully balancing some sushi between the black wooden chopsticks. "Was this planned?"

"Absolutely not" he spoke between mouthfuls, "I pissed off a few key people changing my plans at the airport".