Imperfect || h.e.s

2

2
Harry

(what I listened to while writing this, perfect for the chapter: http://8tracks.com/chantelle_mae/holiday-baking-with-harry )

"I'm going to work on my homework if you'd like to leave. Thank you for making him go." I shrug and sit on the bed while Belle sits at her desk. Her words are always delicate, leaving me wanting more. She's special, the second her eyes met mine I felt at home, and her dorm welcomes me as much as she does. I've never felt more comfortable, with a girl or in a place.

"Can I stay?" Her delicate form sits straight in the plush chair as her dark eyes look at me. At first I don't think she heard me but she turns and looks carefully at me for a few moments before her lips curve ever so slightly. "I wouldn't mind," she shrugs but I can easily see her hesitation, she's afraid of me, obviously. I treat her awfully but how else am I supposed to act? I'm allowed to grow attached to the delicate flower in front of me, but she isn't to get attached to me. She'll be damaged in the end, I know myself well enough to know that.

Every action of hers in the next few hours has an effect on me as I pretend to be asleep on her bed. I'm captivated by the way she touches her bottom lip when she's concentrating, the way her long eyelashes gently rest on her cheeks every time exhaustion almost overtakes her. The way her hand smoothly writes continuous words without pause and the way she looks over at me before switching to a different work.

The second she begins to hum I lean back against her bed. She's relaxed so much I'm sure she's forgotten that I'm even here. I doubt Belle would ever act so calm if she remembered my presence. My phone begins to ring in my pocket, causing both Belle and I to jump. I curse under my breath and sit up to look at my phone and cringe at what I see.

Poppy:
It's getting late, I'm hope you haven't forgotten our plans ;)

Belle looks back at me, stunned. "I'm so sorry Harry, I forgot you were even here, I got so caught up in my homework. Did you want to work on-"

"Listen, I've got plans. See ya," I sigh as I shut her door behind me, the last glimpse of her face that I caught was obviously upset. I don't know why I even do this thing with Poppy anymore, I'm failing English and I'm fucking up my one chance at fixing it. As I drive over to her house, all I can see is Belle's smiling face when she looked back at me, and her injury that I caused her. I didn't even bother to help.

•••

"Belle, wait up," I almost smile at her yawn, as she holds up her sweater-covered hand up to her mouth. Her eyes look up at me expectantly but my eyes go to the horrendous bruising on her nose. I shake my head to sort my thoughts while she patiently waits for me to explain myself.

"Could I maybe go to your dorm? So we can start on the tutoring," I really just feel awful about leaving her like that last night. Of course I'm not obligated to stay with her but with all the kind things she did yesterday it was foolish of me. She nods, a relieved smile crossing my lips, shocking both of us but she smiles back. We walk out and Belle begins to walk to the direction of the dorms but I grab her hand.

"It's snowing and you're going to walk?" It's freezing nowadays here in Maine and I can't imagine her walk g all the way to her dorm each day in the cold. All she does is shrug and nod as if it's natural. "Don't you get cold?" I see her breath in the air as she sighs, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Yes, I'm used to being cold," I take her hand again and lead her to my car, demanding she get in and let me drive her. As we stand in the cold she doesn't argue, my precious baby, my 1966 Mercedes-Benz heating us both up quickly as we make the short drive to her dorm. I hear a quiet thank you leave her lips and nod before getting out of the car and following her up to her room.