Prince and the Pauper

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Keep your eyes covered!" Harry ordered playfully whilst slapping my hands away from the blindfold he had fastened around my head. I sighed dramatically and rolled my eyes behind the black fabric covering my eyes. The entire car ride had been a mixture of laughter and snarky remarks at Harry attempting to keep the location to his new house a secret. Despite him being three years older than me, he managed to act significantly younger at times, and it was a quality I found rather endearing.
"Is the music really necessary?" I snorted, the soft and soothing sound of Paul Simon's song 'quite' floating through the speakers.
"It sets the mood." I heard Harry reply, and I could hear the smugness in his voice. I shook my head in amusement.
"Oh it sets a mood alright." I retorted, and I yelped as Harry playfully slapped my thigh.
"I meant the mood of us getting away from the city. Into the quite. Hence Paul Simon." Harry explained with amusement tangled into his words.
"Are we there yet?" I moaned and I heard Harry groan in false annoyance.
"Nearly." Harry promised, and I leaned my head against the car window, the combination of the relaxing music and the vibrations of the sports car gliding over the road making it hard to stay awake. I heard the soft ticking of the indicator and I perked up as the car slowed down and made a left turn. Patchy shadows glowed through the blindfold, alerting me to the fact that the road must be surrounded by lots of trees, and the sun was shining through them.
"Home sweet future home." Harry chimed, and I giggled at his enthusiasm. I heard his door open and close, and I waited until the door beside me opened.
"Give me your hand." Harry instructed, and I did as he said, allowing him to guide me out of the car safely without bumping my head. I felt his right arm wrap around my lower back, and his left hand grabbed mine, leading me forward.
"Can I take the blindfold off yet?"
"Listen." Harry replied, making my head tilt in confusion.
"Explore the house by listening first. Listen." I closed my mouth and obeyed. Soft chirping of birds floated through the air, and the soothing sound of leaves dancing in the breeze made my body instantly relax, making me smile. I also noticed the lack of any sound of cars, or anything else for that matter. Just nature, and it was beautiful.
"It's so peaceful." I gasped and I heard Harry chuckle softly. His hand around my waist tightened and I felt him grinning against my cheek as he leant in to whisper in my ear.
"It's just you and me out here, baby." I smiled at his words, and then his fingers nimbly untied the blindfold from my head.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
"On the count of three."
"Seriously?" I groaned, making him laugh at my impatience. "Okay."
"One..." Harry deliberately drawled out the word.
"Three!" I went to yank it away but Harry just replaced it with his hands quickly, and I cussed as Harry clucked teasingly in my ear.
"Predictable." Harry whispered, making me smirk.
"Two..." I whispered back, and I felt his chest press against my back as he held me to him whilst still covering my eyes.
"Three." He removed his hands, and I heard the air leave my lungs loudly as I took in the house before us. My first thought was how stunning it was, the second being Harry calling it 'modest-sized' was a massive understatement.
The house was modern Victorian styled, with a white porch surrounding the house. It appeared to be made of two main storeys, each side of the house having a triangle shaped roof painted white, with the frames painted black. In the middle of the two sides of the house was what looked like a third storey, but only one small box-shaped room, the roof made of glass. The arc near the steps to the porch lead to two glass doors, the frames painted red, showing a wooden interior to the house.
"What do you think?" Harry practically begged, him turning me in his arms to assess my reaction.
"It's incredible." I whispered like all the air had been knocked out of my lungs. Well, it practically had. The thought of living here was crazy, almost impossible being the most valuable belonging I had ever owned was my brick of a phone, and yet I smiled as I started to walk up the steps, Harry smiling widely as he followed me.
"It's huge." My eyes peered inside the glass doors as Harry pulled out a key.
"It's a family home. One day, we'll be one." Our eyes locked, and I grinned as he pushed the doors open, and held out his arms, gesturing for me to walk in. I took a steadying breath and walked in, stopping in the middle of the foyer at the foot of a spiralling staircase. The floor was wooden as were the walls, and the lights gave a warmly yellow heat to the house. The kitchen was to the left of the foyer, and the living room to the right. I let Harry lead me into the kitchen first which had a joint dining area just past the window with a single step leading down to a rectangular shaped room where the dining table sat with matching chairs. The carpet area to the dining section was ruby red, and it looked spectacular with the black painted walls, and a crystal-like chandelier hanging above the table. The three walls to the alcove were framed with windows which looked out onto a deck, and beyond a black fence was a sparkling pool. I shook my head in amazement as I climbed the single step back into the kitchen area. The kitchen had a black granite counter, with glass cabinets framing the back wall, and a large fridge sat in the middle of the back wall.
"Where did all this furniture come from?" I asked Harry, who was leaning against the counter with an amused smirk plastered across his lips.
"My grandfather. This was his home. He placed it in my mothers name in his will, and asked her to keep it a secret. It was his intention for me to inherit it once I turned twenty-five or was married." Harry explained.
"But you're only twenty-three." Harry pushed himself off the counter and crossed the space between us, pulling me into him by my hips.
"My mother knew I wanted to escape Adlington, Dante, and my father. She also knew I wanted to escape with you, and she thought this would be a God send for both of us." I grinned as he softly pressed his lips to mine, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he glued our bodies together.
"This house is insane. Not what I would call modest, but far more homely than the penthouse." Harry smiled softly, trailing his long fingers down my spine, igniting delicious shivers.
"We haven't finished the tour yet." Harry reminded me, and I eagerly skipped back past the foyer and into the living room. I heard Harry laughing as he hurried after me, and as I stopped in the middle of the room his muscular arms encased me from behind.
"Holy..." I took in the far wall which was all grey bricks, and a giant fire place sat at the bottom of it. The left wall next to it was taken up with a large TV, and the two other walls were lined with black leather couches, matching the same black painted walls, with more ruby red carpeting.
"Admit it, you love this place." Harry murmured into the shell of my ear.
"I cave. This house is amazing. I do love it." I laughed as Harry cheered in triumph.
"So once Geordie wakes up, you'll follow me here, out of Adlington? Even if he woke up tomorrow and despite our short, month long relationship?" I spun in his hold and was met with his sparkling, hopeful eyes.
"I'd follow you anywhere Harry." He smiled brightly at my honesty, and I felt him tug on my hands as he led us back out to the foyer and then up the black spiralling staircase. I already knew where we were headed before Harry pushed the wooden door open. When my eyes landed on the bed I laughed loudly at the personal joke we shared. Harry smirked proudly at my reaction.
"I noticed you fell in love with our poster bed in the penthouse, and how you love how the curtains block out the morning sun. I felt it of great importance to make sure you'd be happy well into our future." I crushed my body to his as our lips met together, and I let him push me down onto the bed, both of us still laughing.
"Always such a romantic." I purred by his ear, and he smiled down at me.
"Well, also when we're old and I start to get annoying the curtains surrounding the bed will trip you over, and then you won't be able to leave me." I giggled as I let him crawl over me, and I felt him laughing into the crook of my neck as I kicked the curtains shut around us.

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

"And to finish the tour..." Harry had led me all throughout the house, including the deck where the pool sat, and now there was only two rooms left. It was at the end of the hallway up the stairs that two doors sat.
"This is Geordie's room." Harry spoke softly, and I watched as he pushed the door open, and I walked in with my hand locked with Harry's. The minute my eyes landed on the wall above a large bed on the black board my eyes instantly swelled with tears.
"Harry." I whispered his name is awe, and I let him pull me into his arms, rubbing my back to calm me down, even though they were joyful tears. I smiled through my tears as I scanned over all the poems I had written Geordie and that had been hung up in his old hospital room. They were now lined up neatly on a large black notice board, with a thin glass film over the top, acting almost as a trophy case for the poems Geordie had once loved before the attack.
"Happy tears, right?" Harry asked delicately, and I nodded quickly.
"Yes." I smiled up at him, and he smiled back as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "It's perfect, I love it. I love you." Harry beamed at my statement, and our lips brushed together gently, and then I pressed my cheek to his chest, the beating of his heart soothing me and making me smile.
"There's one final room." Harry said as he stroked his fingers through my hair, the gesture making my knees weak.
"Okay." I whispered, and Harry laughed lightly as he guided me out of Geordie's room, and to the final door.
"Open it." Harry encouragingly nodded, and I smiled as I turned the knob and went to push it, but it didn't budge, and my shoulder banged into the door with a grunt as it didn't give way. I heard Harry laugh, and I scowled as I figured he knew that would happen.
"Oh, did I mention it was a pull door, love?" My eyes narrowed on him and he laughed loudly at my scowling.
"No, you forgot to mention that slight detail." I huffed. Harry smirked and tried to control his laughter, and he ran his hand down his mouth as if trying to wipe his amusement away.
"Care to try again?" He asked smugly, and I grumbled a cuss as I pulled it open this time, Harry still chuckling softly behind me. The second my eyes landed on the five steps my brows crinkled in confusion.
"They're called stairs, you climb them." Harry retorted cynically and I playfully swatted his arm as he laughed at my confusion.
"Five steps? Hardly climbing in altitude. I don't get the point?"
"Climb them, Angel." I spun to lock my eyes with his, and he nodded encouragingly with a slight smirk. I listened and walked up the five steps, and the minute I reached the top my mouth dropped open. I now understood then five steps, the point not to go another whole level up, but to rise above the roof of the second storey. The entire roof was glass, the now dark night sky lit up with stars scattered across the dark sky, and I full moon adding a ghostly glow to the room. Harry's hand landed on my hips and tugged me into him.
"It's beautiful." I whispered and Harry grinned triumphantly.
"Yeah, it is." My eyes flickered to him, to see he was still smirking at me.
"I meant the sky." I giggled, and his smirk tilted higher.
"Oh, yeah, that's not too shabby either." I laughed at his comment, and he was still grinning as he kissed my temple, pulling me with him to the end of the small room. I watched as he pushed what looked like a large window open, and then he stepped out, and held out his hand for me. I took it, and climbed out the window with him, and saw he were standing on a small concrete landing that didn't go very far. I noticed it was facing the pool out back, hence me not seeing the roof-like deck when he pulled up in the driveway.
"It's official. This is the most amazing house ever." I confessed and Harry smiled at me, locking his body with mine, as lay down on the roof, gazing up at the star-filled sky. Harry's eyes glistened with joy as he stared into my eyes, and whispered into my ear.
"Good. Then it's perfect for the most amazing woman ever."