"Do you think they're looking for us?" She asks tiredly, her fingers combing through my hair as I watch her face, memorizing her features. God knows I will never forget them.
I hum in response, not caring if they did barge in on us naked in a bed. I just want to be here in this moment with her. She laughs at my response, pulling at my strands.
"As much as I love your long curls, you have to cut your hair." She mumbles and I hum again. "It's going to start getting in your way."
"Will you cut it for me?" I ask and she laughs again.
"I don't think that's a good idea." She says.
"I want you to do it." I tell her as I get out of the bed and enter the attached bathroom. I find a pair of scissors and hold them up for her. "Come on."
I sit before her, my wet strands dripping cool water onto my bare shoulders.
"This is a bad idea, Harry." She says nervously.
"No it's not." I hand her the scissors. "All you have to do is cut it evenly."
She laughs at me, her smile bright as she tips her head back. I take a comb and brush the strands down over my face and around my head.
"Okay." She breathes, kneeling slightly before bringing the scissors up. I hold my breath as she begins to cut, her lip tucked as she concentrates and scrunching as she gets nervous.
"Don't do that." I tell her and she cringes, apologizing as she makes her way around. The strands fall onto my lap as I hold my head steady, making sure I don't give her the opportunity to mess up. If anything happens, I'll just go bald.
"I think I'm done." She stands up straight as she combs her fingers through my hair. I stand with her and push my hair back with my fingers. The length is shorter and it makes my stomach turn a bit.
"The last time I had it this short was when I first started fighting at the gym." I tell her and she continues to cringe. "You did great." I say and she sighs. "Do you like it? Because that's all that matters."
She breathes a laugh and covers her mouth as she looks it over, shaking her head. "I did better than I thought I would." She admits and I laugh with her.
~••~
The next day is consumed with training and getting back to the aching bones and muscles. The punching bag feels light as I hit it, the evidence of my built muscles becoming clear. Julio continues to train me on my footwork and making sure I don't miss any steps.
"Any falter in your stance can give your opponent the opportunity to hit." He instructs and I nod as we dance around the ring, bouncing from foot to foot. He takes a swing and I block it, moving to the side. "Good." He praises.
"Keep your arms loose but don't let them dangle like noodles." He stops us, grabbing my biceps. "You can pull a muscle if they're too tense. Hit me."
I jab and he stops it with his hand. My bicep flexes as I pull back and he nods in appraisal. We continue my training, strengthening my stance and my punches and increasing my reflexes in blocking and dodging.
"Take a break." He pats my back as I make my way over to the ropes, taking a breather. I wipe my face with a rag and hop out of the ring, taking a sip of my water before making my way over to the front desk where Rick fills out paperwork.
"How much longer do we have?" I ask him.
"Next week," he sighs, "All of this paperwork is killing me."
"Take a break, old man." I joke.
"Ha ha." He grumbles. "What's Faye up to?"
"She's working and then she has a doctors appointment." I sigh. "I'm worried about her."
"Why?" He looks up at me. "She's strong enough to handle a check up."
"I mean when I'm gone, Rick." I breathe. "She's going to be broken."
"She has people here that will take care of her. Your mother and me and the crew." He says and I nod. "She'll be broken but she has us to hold her together."
It's become incredibly deranged how my world changed from revolving around boxing to revolving around the love I've acquired from Faye. I know I'm going to miss her every little thing about her.
The way her eyes crinkle when she's smiling or laughing, her scent, her sarcasm, her encouraging words... I sigh, my heart already breaking from the thought. Is this really worth leaving her for?
"You alright?" Rick asks.
"Yeah." I nod. "I'm good."
"Styles, let's go." Julio calls me back.
~••~
The house is quiet when I step in, the only sound coming from the tv in the living room. Faye is asleep on the sofa, a frown stamped onto her face. I kneel before her, gently sweeping her brown strands away from her face. Her cheeks are tinted red and her lips are puffy.
She's been crying.
I gulp at the fact, watching her face as she slumbers. I press a kiss to her temple before I lift her body into my arms. She hums softly as I carry her up the stairs and into the bedroom, laying her carefully onto the covers. She embraces the covers as I strip my jacket off and head into the bathroom.
My reflection is altered. My hair is shorter and the memory of Faye cutting it makes me smile. Those are the types of memories I want to keep. I briskly shower, the steaming water soothing my aching muscles but stinging my skin.
I carefully climb into the bed, facing the ceiling. I take a deep breath and avert my gaze to her sleeping body beside mine. I suddenly begin to wonder what it would be like sleeping in numerous hotel beds without her or eating breakfast in different restaurants and cafes without her. Just the fact that I won't be able to see her face everyday the way I do now pains me.
Her arm lifts and reaches behind her. Her fingertips finding my arm, she turns over and wraps her arm around me. She rests her head on my chest and sighs. Her soft breathes against my chest soothe me as I wrap an arm around her shoulders, caresses her arm. I shut my eyes and envision the future somehow.
If I come back...when I come back, I will marry this woman. I will start a family with this woman and I will make her the happiest person in the world.
~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~
