Prince and the Pauper

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I pressed the door shut with the back of my heel, and I smirked over at Harry as he grinned over at me, sitting down on the bed and patting his lap. The space between us closed instantly as I travelled across the room and straddled his lap with one leg either side of his him. Harry's hands gripped my hips tightly, and our lips met hungrily as he slowly leant back, taking me with him as he lay down on his back. I pulled the curtains shut around us on the bed, enclosing us in our own safe, little haven, and then lowered my head, kissing down his neck slowly. His lips parted as I lowered, dragging my lips across his prominent collarbones and I let my hands slide up his shirt, feeling the contours and ridges of his muscular body.
"You're getting more confident." Harry mumbled through closed eyes, and I smiled into his bronze skin, my hands sliding back down his chest under his shirt, only to grip the edges of his shirt and instantly throw it over his head, him assisting me in the act.
"Well I should hope so. We've been together three weeks now, and we've practiced it quite a lot." I teasingly sunk my teeth gently into his hip-bone, and he groaned in approval.
"As much as I love this side of you," I was suddenly flipped over by my hips, my hair fanning out around my head, "I prefer you from this angle." He winked, this time it was his turn to torture me with slow kisses down the curve of my neck, down the middle of my chest. I let my eyes flutter closed to bask in the sensation as he lifted my shirt up above my navel, and he slid his tongue up, making my mouth open.
"Harry." I let my fingers dive into his curls, and grip them slightly, making him moan against my stomach. Our embrace became more frantic as he rid me of my shirt, and let his hands wander to my back, pulling me up from the mattress. He used one of his large hands to press my front to his and his other to unclasp my bra, and then he lay me back down, his eyes shining as he smiled down at me. The rest of our clothes were discarded quickly and our breathing became more erratic. The feeling of skin on skin made me smile, and my hands gripped his shoulders, his forehead pressed to mine, our lips continuingly brushing. Our bodies were crushed together, only separated by a slick film of sweat. Breathes hitched in our throats, and then he collapsed himself gently down and rolled onto his side, pulling me into him. My hand was instantly intertwined with Harry's and I snuggled into his body, our breathing rate slowly returning to normal as he kissed my sticky forehead.
"If it wasn't evident through my actions," Harry pressed his lips to my shoulder, "I  love you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Dev, can you get that?" Harry asked when a buzz sounded by the elevator doors to his suite, signalling somebody was wanting to come up. I was already on my way to the kitchen in a over-sized shirt of Harry's and some sweatpants when he asked.
"Ah..." I scanned the wall by the elevator that opened into his penthouse looking for the correct button on the panel. Harry's head stuck out of the doorway to our bedroom, and he smiled at my confused facials.
"The green button, darling." Harry winked. I grumbled under my breath and pressed it just as I heard the shower start up from within the bathroom.
"Mrs Styles is requesting to come up sir. Is that okay?" A static voice sounded from tiny speakers in the corner of the panel, making me yelp in fright. I stared at the evil device with wide eyes, beyond shocked.
"Oh, um, this is Devonne. Harry's in the shower." I stumbled for words. Nothing happened, and I groaned in frustration. My eyes landed on the green button Harry mentioned and this time I held it down as I spoke.
"Please work you stupid thing. Hello?" I asked, releasing the button and waiting in anticipation.
"Devonne?" I recognized the amused voice of Chandler, who worked in the Hotel, and I had gotten to know him well recently. 
"Chandler, how the hell does this thing work?" I begged, and I heard him laugh at my useless attempts.
"If you agree for the visitor of Monica Styles, which I assume you do, press the red button." Chandler explained. I did as he said, and heard the hum of the elevator rising.
"Thank God." I sighed heavily. "Thanks, Chandler." I spoke into the speakers, his static-laced laugh resonated through the speakers.
"Sure thing, Dev." I stepped back from the panel, and quickly tried taming my hair before Harry's mom came up. The doors chimed as they opened, and then she stepped out looking incredible in a black pencil-skirt and a dark blue blouse tucked into it. Her dark hair was pinned up elegantly, with dark red lipstick. Compared to me, with frizzy hair, sweatpants and a baggy white t-shirt we looked  like we were performing of a play of the Queen visiting a local peasant.She smiled warmly as she saw me, and I smiled back.
"Dev, it's lovely to see you again, honey." She greeted me, and caught me off guard by embracing me in a hug, but I quickly hugged her back and smiled as I pulled away.
"Good to see you too, Mrs Styles."
"Oh, please. Call me Monica. Maybe even mother some day." She winked playfully as I laughed out of nerves more than anything.
"Sorry about my, ah, attire." I gestured to myself, and she laughed delicately shaking her head.
"Don't apologize. It's a Sunday evening at home, of course you're not dressed up. I only am because I had a meeting." I relaxed more at her kind words, and sat down on the couch next to Monica.
"Harry's in the shower, but we won't be long." I explained, and she nodded still smiling. The similarities between Harry and Monica really were striking.
"I actually came here in hopes of finding you." I looked up at her, surprised by her words, and nervous as to what she wanted to talk to me about.
"I heard about the baseball bat being left in your brothers' room at the hospital." The lump instantly caught my throat again, and I felt my shoulders slump at the mere thought. Monica kindly clasped my hands in hers and squeezed gently, and I smiled gratefully.
"Did you Harry tell you?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"Zaiden did. He tried calling Harry but he got his voicemail, and then he called me, given he was in a bit of a...predicament." She chose her words carefully, and I tilted my head to the side slightly, confused on how Zaiden came into this, and what had gone wrong.
"Is he okay?" I asked.
"Yes, he is now." I waited for her to continue, and she flashed a wry smile. "He got arrested."
"What?" I gasped, my eyes widening.
"After he found out what happened, he was furious, and then his path crossed with Sebastian." My mouth opened, and then closed again, my mind unable to form words. The thought of Zaiden defending me made it hard for me to wrong his actions. Sebastian had betrayed me, hurt my brother, lied about it, and pretended to hate Dante as much as I did, when they were half-brothers. His betrayal was sickening, and personally, I was pleased Zaiden taught him a lesson on loyalty.
"I bailed him out just this afternoon. He's fine, pissed, but fine." She rolled her eyes and I laughed lightly, amused she found this all so funny.
"It's a wonder you don't hate me for all the drama I've stirred up. With Harry, his fighting with Drake and Dante, and now you had to bail out Zaiden because he was defending me." I listed all the chaos I had caused and shook my head with shame.
"None of this is your fault." Monica assured me with a light tap on my hands. "My youngest son did this to your brother, he started the war. Harry came to your side to fight for your honour, and for that I am extremely proud to call him my son. I am also proud to say my Harry is dating the strongest, kindest woman I have ever met." Her words made me choke up, and I smiled through my watering eyes, and she flashed a caring smile.
"I came by to tell you Dev," she paused, and shook her head ever-so-slightly, "I know about the fight coming up." Her words froze me, and she smirked at my surprise.
"You...know?" I hesitated. She seemed so casual rather than up in arms about it, which intrigued me. Monica was everything a sophisticated woman should be, yet she had a kick to her that I admired. It reminded me a lot of Harry.
"Yes, and I am rooting for Harry." She added. This time I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping open, and she laughed at the sight, much like a parent laughing at their child asking is Santa was coming this year.
"You're not, I don't know, worried? It's illegal. Even I am pissing myse-" I stopped mid-sentence realising how bluntly I had spoken to the ever-sophisticated Monica Styles. Her eyes closed with amused laughter, and I felt my cheeks flush.
"Don't get me wrong, I wish all men could learn to resolve conflict in a more mature, dare I say legal, manner. But I do know that you and Harry won't be able to rest until you've earned justice for Geordie.  If Harry winning this fight makes Trace and Sebastian back off, I can imagine they'll still try to retaliate from behind the scenes." I was confused on where this was going, and Monica patiently explained further.
"Do you really believe if Harry wins this fight, Trace and Sebastian will just leave you alone?" She asked, her tone showing she already knew the answer.
"No." I grumbled.
"No." Monica confirmed. "As the rules state, they can't come near you anymore if they lose, but that doesn't mean they won't try and stir things up behind closed doors. The more they do that, the more likely they are to slip up." Her eyes glistened, and my eyes met hers with bewilderment.
"Why do I get the sense there is a conspiracy here?" I asked slowly, making a smirk that matched Harry's identically, spread across her red lips.
"Because there is."
"But aren't you..."  I took a deep breath, treading carefully, "don't you and Trace have a...thing?" I pursed my lips in anticipation, instead she laughed again, her eyes crinkling with amusement. 
"We did back when I was young and naïve. Drake is such a busy man and he can be so cold, that when a handsome man paid me attention, I jumped at it. I'm not justifying my adultery, but as I said, I was foolish. We had an affair for a few short months. I was twenty and married to a man who only really married me for appearances sake, being I too came from a wealthy family.
"Those few months made me feel free again, and I know it was wrong because Harry was only one at the time. Then I fell pregnant with Dante, and I didn't know what to do. With our social stature, appearances are everything, and my fling with Trace would be the worst taboo possible.  So I of course let Drake believe it was his child, not knowing he would have Trace's eyes and cause instant speculation. Drake knew it wasn't his, he had green eyes, I do, Harry did, both our parents did. It was a red-flag, or blue rather." She tried joking to lighten the situation.
"And Trace didn't care for his baby?" I asked gently, and Monica shrugged.
"He knew it was best if we all ignored the elephant in the room. Drake and I denied the affair rumours, shrugged it off as genetics and genes being a fascinating thing, and Drake raised the baby as his own. It was only really when Dante became a teenager and started asking questions that Trace persuaded me to let them connect. It was the worst idea because it made Dante become so stone-cold, and he has been resentful towards me ever since.
"He feels Adlington sees him a joke, a blight on our heritage, which is ridiculous. He is still my son, and I love him dearly, but he didn't care. He is exactly like Trace, even Drake despite the no blood-relation. Money is power, and power is everything."
"I'm sorry." I offered softly, and she squeezed my hands again that were still gripped in hers.
"I'm sorry for what my son did to Geordie. It is unforgiveable. Dante is my son, but we are not family in a sense. He hates me, and I find his actions purely evil. I want Harry to be happy, I want you to be happy, and I want Geordie to be happy. Dante deserves to be held accountable for his crime, and I will help you get justice, Devonne." Her honesty was astounding, and I found myself wrapped up in her arms hugging her before I could even think. It was a foreign concept for me, having a mother-like figure, but it was comforting all the same.
"How do we get justice?" I sniffed, trying to keep my emotions in check.
"If Harry wins the fight, they will get reckless  I am sure of it. Zaiden had his security company install cameras in Geordie's room, if somebody enters to play an act like they did placing the bat in there, we'll have evidence."
"But it's a public hospital. It's not a crime to visit a patient." I said slowly.
"My brother is a lawyer. A very good one at that. We've filed a case that is a little like a restraining order, but more specific. There is a list of people that is allowed to visit Geordie. You of course, Harry, Zaiden as  he holds the access to the security camera's, and hospital staff. Anybody else and it's a form of trespassing for lack of a better term. A sign is on the door, so Dante or Trace, even Sebastian, can and will be charged if they go near your brother."
"Monica," I shook my head in awe, "that's amazing. Thank you." I whispered, and she pulled me in for another hug, and I gratefully hugged her back. I smiled as we pulled back, blinking away tears, and I noticed Harry standing in the doorframe to our room, arms folded across his chest, and smiling.
"There you are." Monica beamed as Harry strolled over, and bent to kiss her on the cheek, before sitting down next to me and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
"Did I interrupt girl time?" Harry teased, making both Monica and I smile.
"Not at all. I should actually be on my way, but one more thing." She reached into her bag and handed Harry a key, making him smile from ear to ear.
"It's ready?" Harry enquired.
"And in waiting." She flashed her pearly whites, and Harry got up and hugged her, before escorting her towards the elevator.
"It was lovely to catch up with you." Monica smiled at me, and I happily returned it.
"You too." I replied, and Harry grinned as he wrapped his arms around my torso from behind and pulled me into his chest before we waved goodbye to Monica as the doors slid shut.
"What was that about?" Harry whispered in my ear from behind, and I giggled as his breath tickled my skin.
"What was that about?" I gestured to the key in his hand. Harry's signature smirk formed across his pink lips, and I grew anxious.
"I know you've been stressed lately with the upcoming fight in a week's time. I originally planned a weekend getaway but figured pampering at a spa would be more torture than anything." I smiled as Harry read me so clearly and he twirled the key around his index finger.
"This is a key to a house. A modest yet swanky house, with a white picket fence, a blue painted porch, and a pool. The best part is the top floor is a small room that has glass for a roof that opens onto a small quaint  roof where we can sit and watch the stars. Oh, and did I fail to mention it's in our joint name?" My mouth nearly hit the floor, and Harry laughed at the sight.
"You bought a house?!" I nearly choked.
"I've had my eyes on it long before I met you, but its seemed too big for one person. Now I have you, and it's perfect. We're going there for the weekend, and you can see it as a trial run." He smiled, and I furrowed my brow in confusion.
"Trial run?"
"I wasn't kidding when I said I want to move away from uptown to a suburb with you. The apple-pie life." His finger trailed along my hairline and I smiled up at him. "And this is our first taste, of what we'll have when we get justice, Geordie wakes up, and we're out of here." He gathered my in his arms and pressed his lips to my forehead, making me grin and I snaked my arms around his torso and buried my head into his chest.
"A new life, Angel. Our new life."