book club

twenty || trust: the naked truth

All Of Me - John Legend

Explosions - Ellie Goulding

Weeks have passed, hazy, summer weeks spent in the company of Harry and a field of dasies.

We're laying on my bedroom floor, staring at the stars glued to my ceiling. A cool breeze flows through the open window, tufts of pollen floating through the air.

"You know," I prop my head up on my arm. "I've never seen all of your tattoos. What do they mean?"

Harry's tongue flicks out to wet his lips. "They all mean different things." He says.

"Will you tell me?" I ask.

He peers at me curiously. "Do you want to play a game?" He questions.

I frown. "I guess. I don't understand what this has to do with your tattoos."

He rolls over and pulls himself to his feet, helping me up afterwards.

"Alright, here are the rules... Are you ready?" Harry asks.

I roll my eyes and nod. "Yeah, what are the rules?"

"The rules are; Every tattoo that you ask about, you have to take off one piece of your clothing." He says.

My mouth falls open. "No way, you perv." I smack him over the head and he laughs.

"No, Lea. That's not what I mean by this. My tattoos are personal, important. If I trust you, then you have to trust me." His eyes hold raw truth as he gazes at me.

"I don't know." I wring my hands and avoid his eyes.

"It's okay, it's only me. Remember that? It's only me." His voice is soft and familiar.

How could I not trust him?

"Alright then." I give in, not because he asked me to, but because I know I can.

He pulls his shirt over his head in the most attractive way possible, like the boys that get reposted to my blog.

Not that I am ever going to share that with him.

His muscles are taut under his tan skin and black ink, the perfect balance between heaven and hell. Angel and demon.

My fingers have a subconscious of their own as the reach out to feel the familiar butterfly on his stomach.

"What's this one mean?" I ask, my voice wavering as he holds my hand to his skin.

His pupils are blown until they are only surrounded my a sliver of evergreen.

"I never told you this, but I got it a week after we met. It's for you. You give me butterflies every time I see you. That's why I kept your drawing. The butterfly you drew, I had it imprinted on my skin. For you."

I'm in a trance as he reaches for the hem of my t-shirt, going to pull it off my torso. We both nervously laugh as it catches on my necklace.

"There." He breaths, tossing the fabric to the floor.

I have two pieces of clothing left. My tank top and shorts.

"What about these?" I run my fingers over the swallows at the base of his neck.

"They represent freedom. Or as close as I am ever going to get to it. They're stuck here, just like me."

I reach for the edge of my tank top, only to be foiled by Harry's hands.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks.

I give him a reassuring smile. "I trust you."

I pull the tank top over my head and his gaze falls from my face to the pink bow between the white cups of my bra.

"Cute." He grins.

My cheeks and neck flush crimson as his fingers reach out to brush against my ribs and to my hips.

I'm frantically trying to decide which tattoo to ask him about next, just so I can get this over with.

I point to the stars scattered across his shoulder.

"As the late and great Augustus Waters once wrote, 'My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations.'" Harry says.

"That was the last one." He reminds me.

I peer down at my half naked frame and sigh. "Well."

"You don't have to." He reminds me, pressing a reassuring kiss to my lips.

Getting partly naked in front of Harry sounds oddly appealing.

"Trust, trust, trust." I chide.

He smiles and reached for the button on my shorts, gently pushing them over my hips and allowing them to drop to the floor.

"Lace," He smirks. "I half expected them to have flowers and clouds."

I laugh and rest my head on his chest. His hands are resting at my hips, his calloused fingers rough in comparison to my pale skin.

"This is so awkward." I shake my head.

He shrugs. "Awkward happens sometimes. We would know that more than anyone, wouldn't you say?"

He's running his fingers through the ends of my hair, then to the necklace over my collarbones, and ending at the straps that rest on my shoulders.

"I love you." He smiles.

I go to kiss his cheek but end up stepping on his toes.

"You're so awkward, but I love you so much." Harry tucks my hair behind my ears and pulls me to my bed.

We tumble into the white sheets and down filled duvet, a tangle of laughs and skin. Harry tugs the blankets over our heads and secures his arms around me.

"See, it isn't that bad." He says.

"That's because you're still wearing your jeans." I reply.

"Would you rather me take them off?" He asks.

"Might as well."

I try not to watch as he pushes his skinny jeans over his sharp hips, but it's impossible.

"Oh my god, please tell me I'm hallucinating." I begin to laugh until my body shakes.

"What?" Harry asks innocently.

"You're wearing Adventure Time boxers." I gasp, clutching my abdomen as I chuckle.

He buries his face in my pillow. "I forgot to do laundry." He mumbles.

A/N: What am I even writing.