✓ Wrong Moves and Knife Wounds /h.s./

[10] severe headaches and rare heartaches

home

She is always in my head.

Rory keeps her head in her hands like it'll help it hurt less. The headache feels like it's coming from directly behind her eyes. It makes her body feel heavy and all she keeps thinking about are Harry's words that echo around her. They replay over and over again and-

I tried to drown...

His thoughts get suicidal. She needs to remind herself that repeatedly. Rory is caught between what he does and what he doesn't, what he says and what he doesn't say. She attaches small things to him. He carries hand sanitizer everywhere he goes because he feels dirty. It's a sign of guilt and-

I don't know the different between fright and hatred.

She thinks about all those times he's said he loves his ex girlfriend but Rory thinks it's something he tells himself. He's not weak, he's vulnerable.

Rory moans a little at the growing pain. Tries to stand up and walk to her bedroom but her legs don't work with her so she just whimpers against the silence.

She thinks the dream he had symbolizes something on an emotional level. One of the things he subconsciously feels guilty about. She thinks he feels bad for wanting to let go of something. Someone. Harry might want to let go of Penelope but can't find a way to.

Everything about him makes her hurt. He bites his nails and pulls at his hair when he's nervous. He doesn't sleep often and has recurring anxiety attacks. She wants to know where his family is. Wants to meet them so she knows what he was surrounded by as a child.

The door to her apartment opens but she doesn't look up to see who it is.

"Ro?"

She struggles to pick up her face that's now caked with tears. It's not important why they're there. What matters is that they are there, staining her skin and drying her eyes; running down her arms and making her head feel like it's throbbing.

"Ro, where-"

Footsteps get closer and she wants the pain to stop already.

"Aurora," the whisper is slow and quiet and her heart clenches in her chest. It hurts to hear her best friend hurt. Imari is gentle and quiet and caring and everything she needs a person to be. And he loves her but it's not enough somehow. "Ro, baby, what's wrong?"

Hands are pulling her back and cradling her back and forth. His chest in behind her and she's pushing further into his touch because it's all too much. The pressure, the stress. Harry is making her hurt and she just met him days ago. What startles her is that she thinks it's worth it. She thinks he can get better. Anybody can get better.

"Talk to me," he urges quietly. "I need to know what's wrong." His accent is thick but beautiful.

"It hurts," she tells him. "So much, make it stop."

Rory isn't familiar with begging. She isn't familiar with this kind of pain. Didn't know a stranger could make her feel this way. "Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere." It hurts to breathe.

"Why? What happened?"