The Shield (Prince Harry fanfic #2)

Chapter Fifteen

What was Harry supposed to say? Was he to claim he wasn't human? Lucy had done this before, and she meant it in a good way. She meant it to be helpful to him, and yet it hurt. They weren't fully used to each other yet, because they both needed to feel each other out. Both of them hadn't experienced their lives here. Both of them hadn't lived their worlds yet. And both of them hadn't lived in each other's world yet.

"Yes," Harry responded.

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked.

"Yes."

"Are you sure that you can be human?" A smile tugged at her lips.

"Are you sure you can be nice?" Harry asked.

"No."

He huffed a laugh.

"Harry, I don't know how long I'm staying," Lucy whispered, as if the bookstore owner was still listening. She doubted if the man cared enough or whether his hearing was up to par. "I don't know about my life right now, and there's no reason to get your hopes up."

"My hopes?"

"And my hopes."

Harry stepped forward. "Luce, I don't--"

"Harry," she warned, and he stepped back. "Neither of us can do this."

"I want to do this."

"I don't know why."

"I lo--I care about you," he restated. Harry tried to remember before, whether in his craze of haze when he was injured, if he said he loved her. He believed he did, but he couldn't remember fully, like he couldn't remember if she said it back. "Luce, if we have the chance, I think we should take it."

"What about being friends?" she asked, standing a little taller.

Harry slowly used his words, "We can be friends, but like a stronger sort of friends, like dating."

"Are you asking me out, Prince Charming?"

"Perhaps."

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Yes."

Meeting his eyes, they became equals again. Lucy stepped forward this time. "Ask me out, Harry, like a proper gentlemen, for a date."

He glanced around, and Lucy almost walked away from him there. How dare he be an asshole, but he laughed and grabbed her hand, bringing him back to her. "Lucy, will you go on a date with me?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure."

Harry sighed. "You can't even sound excited about it?"

"Why? It's only you." She walked past him, toward the front of the store, with her new journal in hand.

Pausing, he knew she joked, or at least he had the hope. She continued to have the same mocking tone, which he missed. Harry followed her to the front of the store, where Lucy waited for him. The bookstore owner had returned and began to checkout Lucy. She only held her new journal, when he had mention that he had her old one.

"You should get the journal, Harry," she called.

He looked at it again. "I'm much more of an artist over a writer."

She shrugged. "You can draw in that journal."

The bookstore owner waited, and Harry decided to get the journal. Putting the journal down, he offered, "I can buy that for you."

Lucy stopped: Prince Charming offering to buy her something, what a concept. "I have money too." There were numerous things she wanted to say, and though she realized he was trying to kind and helpful, she didn't want it.

After Lucy bought her own notebook, Harry did the same, buying the notebook that Lucy had perhaps chosen at random. Harry believed she chose it on purpose, how it looked ordinary on the outside, almost boring, but the pages held interesting designs. It probably wouldn't have been great for drawing in, but the lines were there for writing.

With no paparazzi outside, Lucy quite considered leaving by herself, getting back to her hostile easily. She would walk up the street and get a taxi. However, Harry stood right behind her, almost looking to be waiting. The front door stood in front of her, where she could've escaped. Her mind wanted her leave, but with lack of a better phrase, her heart wanted her to stay. Her legs told her to walk away, because Harry was meant to be more, they would never be more, because she didn't belong in his world.

"Luce?" Harry asked.

She grabbed her new journal. "Yeah."

He paused, knowing what her thoughts were. He wouldn't have stopped her; he always wanted her to know that she was allowed to leave. This was her life, and he wouldn't let someone take it from her.

"This way."

Harry led to the back of the bookstore, and it took Lucy several seconds to follow.

A sleek and black car waited for him, and thus Lucy. She stopped at the sight, as the sun started to go down. The reflecting lights made it hard to see inside the car, but it didn't make Lucy feel any better. She was sure he knew how to avoid the paparazzi, and still it didn't make Lucy feel any better.

The driver held the door open for the couple, and Harry waited for her to enter. She didn't. His blue eyes burned with hope in the setting sun when they met, and she met his gaze. "A lady never slides," she quoted.

Harry chuckled and got into the car first. Lucy glanced down the back alleyway, how easily it was to runaway. She didn't want this life, but the life wanted her. She was going to be taken, exposed to whatever the world wanted from her. This scared her, when a lot didn't, because she wanted to be free. If she asked Harry, he would've let her go. She didn't want to go, but she didn't want to stay.

Lucy got into the car, and the door was shut behind her.

Suddenly, she was within grasp of Harry, when she had been able to keep her distance within the bookstore. What was she to do now? Harry tried to keep the distance, to let Lucy feel it out, because it was already a lot to take in. Lucy got a little closer to Harry, so that she might be able to put on her seatbelt. Harry did the same.

The driver got in and started the car. He asked for the address, which Lucy gave. The driver remembered it, and so did Harry. She suspected Harry would come again, and she didn't know how to feel about that.

Up close, Lucy saw him again, closer to him than she had been for a while. Both of them felt comfortable with the idea, and perhaps with the idea. It was the ability to touch one another again, to feel human again. Harry was able to feel normal again, real, while Lucy would feel alive. It was the ability to breathe. His armor was gone, and slowly his shield started to fall.

Harry kissed Lucy.