within the meadow √ h.s.

t h i r t y t h r e e

it was a new year, a fresh start in most people's eyes. although it was just another day on the calendar that had significance forced upon it, delilah took the concept of a clean slate seriously for the first time in a while. it had been eight months since leo's passing, and delilah had bad days like everyone else.

the first of january just happened to be one of those days. waking up from a dream where leo was alive and healthy with chubby little limbs and a loud giggle to float through the air, pained delilah's chest more than she thought was possible.

she stirred in harry's arms which woke him up. he heard her mumble leo's name, and he knew it would be one of those days. he gently shushed her and kissed her head to wake her up where she would have tears already falling. there was no work for them that day which turned out to be a good thing. delilah closed the cafe so everyone could visit their families, and harry's father took his mother on a vacation that was not related to business.

his parents had bugged harry to bring delilah over for dinner, but with no official title he knew his parents might not understand. he had plans in the works, he just hoped it would all go smoothly. the very few kisses they shared fueled the hope for him.

"i haven't had a dream in a while, i thought they were over," delilah sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed after releasing herself from harry's embrace. "it kind of feels like a sick joke my brain is playing on me."

harry hated the pain delilah still experienced and wished he could take it all away, but he couldn't.

"do you want to start seeing your therapist again?" he asked carefully.

"no, i can manage," she smiled at him and felt slightly better just seeing his messy bed hair and tired eyes that he seemed to work so well. "h-harry?"

he heard the small stutter and furrowed his brows together. "what's up?"

"you should move in, like officially," delilah could barely look him in the eyes, too afraid of the possibility of rejection. "i mean, only if that's what you would want, i just-i don't know, it was a suggestion."

to mess with her a bit he wore a look of concentration and deep thought. "well shit, delilah. that kind of messes with what i wanted to talk to you about."

"what is it?" she felt worry fill her chest.

"oh, nothing. just going to ask you if you wanted to have the honor of being my girlfriend," he shrugged and got off of the bed to tease her. she was in shock and followed after him.

"harry! why would you act so serious! i thought something was wrong," she huffed and shot glares at his back while he searched through the refrigerator.

"nothing could be wrong," he chuckled at her. "unless you were to reject my proposal!" he quickly added.

"hmm," delilah felt it was her turn to have a go at messing with him. "i don't know. i think you could do a little more to woo me."

she started to make her way out of the kitchen, but harry wasn't having it. he got a hold of her and pulled her close to him by her waist. "i wrote you love letters everyday for nearly three years, but if you insist. sweet little sunshine, i love you and am very keen on the idea of you being my sunshine eternally. would you please be my girlfriend and grant me that overwhelming joy?"

her laugh was loud as she threw her head back. "you're so cheesy, it's unreal."

"delilah, it's a yes or no question, not an opportunity to tease my poetic way with words," he pouted.

she grabbed his cheeks and placed a kiss on his pouting lips. "i guess it wouldn't be too bad."

although it wasn't how harry had planned, he was still more than happy with the moment. "i could say the same about moving in with you."

"we did things a bit backwards, didn't we?" delilah chuckled. "typically people are together for at least more than thirty seconds before deciding to move in together."

"but are we typical?" he had a smug grin on his face.

"well, i'm definitely not. not too sure about you," she teased and snuck out of his hold and ran up the stairs. harry quickly followed her and held her in his arms once more.

"i love you, delilah torres," harry hummed before kissing her gently.

"i love you too," she laughed against his lips.

everything was okay, after so long, they were okay together.

after watching a movie, they both found themselves drowsy and ready for a nap. harry slept a lot longer than delilah, so she went around the house and cleaned up all of the christmas decorations. she swept and mopped the floors, as well as vacuumed without waking harry up. when she finished, she was bored and sat on the bed where harry was sprawled out and watched how he parted his lips and looked so calm. naturally, she began shaking the bed to wake him up.

he managed to sleep through it somehow, so she straddled him and kissed his chest and led her lips up to his sweet spot.

"darling, that's a dangerous game you're playing," his voice was rough and his eyes were still closed. she chuckled at him and pushed the hair out of his eyes.

"you've slept so much. i cleaned the whole house and even vacuumed and you still didn't wake up," she explained and laid directly on top of him, her head on his chest.

"did you really?" he asked in surprise. "why didn't you wake me sooner? i would've helped you."

"you looked so cute, i didn't want to disturb you," she shrugged. he held her as if she would disappear from his life at any moment. it was almost heartbreaking how afraid they were to lose each other again, despite never showing it. "we should shower and go to the meadow."

"sounds great," he sighed in contentment as he watched delilah make her way to the bathroom. when she stopped in the doorway and nodded her head for him to follow, his heartbeat quickened as he followed behind her.

he missed her body and the addictive curve of her hips and caramel skin. delilah had hid her body since leo, drowning herself in loose clothing. when she would stare at her body she noticed the changes that had appeared. she didn't like it, the fact that she was no longer comfortable in her own skin. however, harry always made her feel comfortable and she had restored enough of her old self to feel confident enough to showcase her body to the one she loved.

the water was running as delilah slipped out of her bottoms, trusting the large shirt to cover her. all harry had were basketball shorts, and he quickly discarded them and hopped into the warm shower. he waited for delilah for a few seconds but saw that she hadn't moved.

"sunshine, if you aren't comfortable we can take separate showers," harry assured her.

"no, no. i just-can you close your eyes until i'm actually in the shower, please?" she thought she was ready, but the hesitation overlapped the burst of confidence.

"anything for you," he said and screwed his eyes shut and turned toward the wall. delilah let out a shaky breath from nervousness and pulled the shirt off of her body.

harry sensed that she had stepped into the shower with him when he heard her breaths behind him, but he stayed facing the wall with his eyes closed because he would do anything for his sunshine.

"o-okay," her voice was small and harry found it so cute how she was nervous

he opened his eyes and turned to see delilah in her entirety. he tried to hold back the lust that had a mind of its own. he saw her face and how her eyes avoided his, so he tilted her head up with his finger guiding her chin to look him in the eyes.

"you, delilah torres, are the most beautiful woman i will ever have the honor of laying my eyes upon." he kissed her in a way that wasn't allowing the lust to take over, just in a way that assured her and comforted her in every way possible.

even in the heat of the shower, and the heat between the two souls, delilah felt her cheeks burn.

when they got out of the shower and got dressed, delilah smiled at harry, feeling the scorching warmth magnified from the love they shared.

how could a day of contentment lead to another loss for delilah?