shadow [h.s.]

t e n t h

Okay so where has the time gone, its the tenth chapter already?! Dedicated to @aisling_hart for having the best stories ever.

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Harry slept for two hours before I woke him up to eat. His muscles twitched and he looked sweaty as his fingers shook, lifting the spoon to his mouth. He sipped the soup and I just watched him, in the creepy way detectives do. How could anyone convict him of murder?

I realized I had said this aloud when Harry gave me a sideways glance. I decided to press ahead, continuing and mumbling, "Why won't you answer my questions? You want to be proved innocnet, don't you?"

Harry sighed and set the spoon down on the table, resting his head in his hands. "Not now, Sky," he whined, but I ignored him.

"No, Harry, you're going to answer these questions, and you're going to answer them now."

I was met with silence.

I sighed and stood, giving up. "Do you want a shower? I'm going to go get you some towels so you can have a shower. Then you'll go to bed, mm?" I mumbled as I put his dishes into the dishwasher.

Harry lifted his head from his hands. "I don't have to have one, I can just-"

"No, it's fine. It's proven to help you when you're sick, y'know. Having a shower and all that."

As I walked by to get to the bathroom, I was met with two strong and supple arms being thrown around my waist. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just- can't."

A small part of me understood. The majority of me wanted to press on, find out why Harry was so against answering my questions. Or question him until he was blue in the face. But Harry was in no condition to answer them, and, frankly, I was in no condition to ask them. "S'alright, Harry," I murmured and then scooted past to get the shower ready.

-x-

I was watching reruns of Reba when Harry came out of the shower. I didn't notice his prescence until two hands were in front of my eyes.

"Guess who," a deep voice rumbled behind me, and I giggled.

"Um... Mr. Denton." I answered and was rewarded with the deep sounding laughter that belonged to Harry. He removed his hands and clambered down to join me on the sofa. "What show is this?"

"Reba, you heard of it?"

He shook his head. "Isn't that a country singer?"

I laughed and nodded. "Yeah."

Harry looked at me incredulously. "You listen to country?"

I narrowed my eyes. "And what's so wrong with that?"

Harry laughed; eyes sparkling and dimples popping into a firework of feelings I couldn't fathom to explain if I wanted to. "Nothing, Sky." He assured. "I think it's cute." I rolled my eyes and let my head fall to his shoulder.

Like friends do.

It was silent for a few moments, before I interjected, "I like it like this,"

Harry's brow furrowed. "Like how?"

"Like this. Me on your shoulder, the fire crackling. Reba playing. Talking about country music and dimples." I was silent for a few more moments, before sitting up and grabbing Harry's hand. "I don't know, it's just so much more. It's so different than what I have with Leighton." 

Harry didn't answer for a while, but his eyes sparkled and he smiled. I could tell he liked what I had just said, but he liked other things, too. Like the way my hair always stuck out from behind my ear, how my eyeliner was perfectly winged. How purple looked so royal and regal on my curves that he didn't know how I didn't know I was beautiful. 

"I think," he said slowly, drawing out each word as if it were his last. "I think that maybe, just maybe... I might like it, too."

-x-

"Oh my gosh, Harry, you did not just do that."

"Why, yes, Jacobs, I'm pretty sure I just did."

"No, not like that?!"

Harry triumphantly smacked down the last card on top of his card castle, grinning at me like a Cheshire cat. He leaned forwards so that our faces were inches apart. "And that, my poor little Skyler, is how you build a card castle."

I scoffed. "Oh, please, you do not build a card castle with tape, dummy."

Harry giggled like a little boy and covered his mouth, eyes sparkling. He leaned forward once more and started reaching his long lengths of fingers into my ribs, prying out laughter from inside me. Usually, I detested tickle fights, but tickling with Harry seemed okay- it seemed right.

Eventually we were both lying on the floor, heaving from the laughter we had just indulged in. Harry yawned and I looked at him. "We should get you to bed," I commented.

He bit his lip. "Yeah."

I helped him up and led him to the guest room. "There's extra blankets in the closet, there's toothpaste and brushes in the washroom," I explained as I fluffed a pillow up for him.

He nodded, then grasped my wrist as I walked past. "Thanks, Skyler. For everything."

I smiled and nodded, hugging Harry goodnight. "S'okay. Goodnight, Styles."

The phone rang as I made my way out of Harry's room; I noticed it was Leighton's ringtone. i snatched it up quickly and giggled into the receiver, "Hey."

Leighton laughed. "Hi." He paused, then continued, "Heard you have some company at your house tonight."

"Yeah, Harry's got a bit of a fever so I just brought him back here."

"Are you sure you're okay with him there? I mean, if you're feeling unsafe, I can come and-"

"No, no, it's okay. He's safe, Leighton-- I don't know, I just know he is. He's not a murderer."

Silence.

"Leighton?"

"I gotta go, babe. I'll see you tomorrow."

Beep.

I stared at the phone, blood boiling. He just hung up on me. Leighton Harrison- the man who was supposed to be the man of my dreams- just hung up on me.

I scowled to myself and advanced down the hallway to my bedroom, passing Harry's bedroom in the process. He looked so adorable- sprawled out on the sheets like an oversized teenager- mouth open, drooling. But it looked so cute, and I was so mad at Leighton, I went into the bedroom and tucked the blankets around his feet like a mother would do to a child.

"Skyler," he moaned as his eyes fluttered open briefly.

"Shh," I soothed, slipping underneath the sheets with him. It may have been wrong, alduterous, even. But in that moment, I knew one thing and one thing only:

Nothing had ever felt better.

yay they're finally making progress y'know.

also this is a huge deal for me because i have tendonitis so it's agony to type in any form, so y'all are welcome.

-beth