The Timeline

54.

(This is part of a double-ish update, read chapt 53 before this!)

May 12th, 2017:

Harry stayed at Claire's until 5AM, when he had to leave and meet with his team, for the following day would be pretty full for him, as his album was out and he needed to promote it like crazy.

After getting back from their walk in the light rain, earbuds still linking them together, making them walk closer than they normally would've. Theodore had been put to sleep already, and Claire was saddened that she wouldn't get to properly say hello to him, but she still managed to get in his room and kiss the top of his head without waking him up. Harry did the same.

Then, back inside her room, they listened to the album again, this time on Spotify, laying on their sides, facing each other. Claire could see that it was hard for Harry, looking at her while his music played, but she held his hand the whole time and, at one point, she even kissed the back of it. She was trying to tell him that she loved the album, that it was amazing, that she was really happy that he had found the courage to share that part of him with the whole world. She understood why he had referred to songwriting as hell, because some of the things he sang about were painful, and also pretty sad.

At the end, she hadn't waited for him to verbalize the question that was shining in his eyes, unconcealable even in the poor lighting of her bedroom at night. She told him she loved the album, that she couldn't believe it was finally out, and that it exceeded each and every one of her expectations - although not even she knew what she had been waiting for from him. She had questions about many songs, because she couldn't follow his line of thoughts and pinpoint what they represented, but it wasn't the time to focus on that.

Now was the time to bask in some sense of peace, the fears from the previous night silenced at last, thanks to his kisses and caresses and words, but mostly thanks to all those unsaid things that made Claire feel like the two of them were connected on some deeper level she couldn't explain with mundane words. The fact he had stayed with her, that he had spent the release of his album alone, with her, walking under the light rain in that residential road of Wembley Park, and the back to her bedroom, instead of at a huge party spoke more words to her than a kiss and a litany confession of 'I'm yours' ever would.

It was hell, getting up from bed to send him off, but it was duty he had to attend to. He hated it, he said, his face buried in Claire's neck as they descended the stairs, and she shook her head.

"No, you don't. It's your album's release, you will love talking about it. And seeing how much everyone else loves it." - she pointed out.

He shook his head. - "I only agreed to do all this because it's my friends doing the interviews."

"Whomever it'll be, you'll be loving it. I know it, trust me." - she had turned to cup his face, at the bottom of the stairs, and planted a small kiss on his lips.

He had smiled, then, kissing her back just as softly.

"Will you come to the One Night Only thing at The Garage, Saturday night?" - he had asked her in a whisper, when she had opened the door to set him off and watch him leave.

"Yes, of course I will." - she had shrugged, as if that was the most natural thing ever for her to do. - "It's you. Of course I'll be there."

Harry's smile had only grown in size at her confirmation. - "Your friends are also invited, of course. And Theodore as well."

"I'll tell them. But add their names as well, I know they'll be coming."

One last kiss, a soft ones, for their lips were still bruised from the passionate ones they had shared in the car, and their emotions were still soft and vulnerable from the little journey down Harry's inner monologues, and then Harry was on his way, his phone buzzing with texts from Jeff, Harry Lambert and the rest of his band demanding his whereabouts and more details about the day's schedule. Claire watched him leave, waved when he turned around the wave to her one last time, and sealed in her heart the knowledge she'd be seeing him perform each one of his new songs the following night.