Run Away

12.

Chris knew that women were equal to men and shouldn't be demeaned by domestic expectations. Despite telling himself this several times on the drive home with Ricky, he was hopeful that when he opened the door he'd be treated to the smell of dinner and maybe a pleasant view of Katherine. To his unfortunate surprise, he was not. Tension laced the air as he and Ricky stepped through the door.

Katherine's face was splotchy and red, her brown eyes puffy. She sniffled slightly, wiping at them. "Chris, Ricky, hi."

Harry whipped around to face the motionless men in the threshold. "Hey, um, can we have a minute alone?"

Ricky didn't need to be told twice, the small man scurrying up the stairs to get the gossip from Devin. Chris arched a brow, keeping a careful eye on Harry. Once both men had left, Harry turned back to Katherine.

"You have to understand, baby."

"Understand?" Katherine's voice would have been shrill had her nose not been so stuffy. "What is there to understand? You broke me all for what?"

Harry opened his mouth, but Katherine kept going. Four years she mourned a guy who got her into this mess, by damn she was going to get it all out before she forgave him. "You walked away, not me." 

"Because I had to!" 

"No you didn't Harry!"

"I don't have my parents anymore Katherine!" Harry was just short of a scream now and incredibly terrifying to Vinny who had the unfortunate luck of being stuck in the kitchen trying to get a snack with no way to leave and avoid the scene occurring just feet away.

"Don't bring that into this Harry! My parents were awful, they did things even you don't know about. I told you not to please them."

Harry felt his hands begin to shake. The realization from high school crashing over him. The scared look deep in Katherine's eyes when someone slammed a locker to loud, the sick coloring she got when a friend grabbed her arm too tight. "Katherine, what'd they do?"

She shook her head, biting her lip. "My therapist doesn't want me talking about it."

Harry's ball of guilt grew the longer this went on. He sent her to a therapist, probably before Nick even swept in. "Okay."

In the brief silence, Vinny darted to his room. He might need therapy when this was all over. Harry felt his stomach clench with fear. The longer this went one, the worse it could get. He needed to get the truth out before it became too ugly.

"Can I keep going?" He knew Katherine was breaking whatever wall she had defending herself with each confession. Still, she nodded. "I sent you that letter on your birthday, saying I lied. I had hoped that was enough but I suppose it wasn't my most articulate moment."

"So to clarify, there was never anyone else?"

"While we were together, I never slept with or dated anyone else."

"Tiffany?" Katherine had watched her parents fight enough to know how to play the cards right.

"She was easy to buy when your parents gave me a check. We had sex after we broke up." Katherine wasn't surprised, Tiffany thrived off money. "Once I was taken to New York with Jaime, I, well, Katherine I had sex with a guy I knew."

Progressive beliefs and a bleeding heart for human equality was not enough to keep the sob from leaving Katherine. The wheels were spinning before Harry could keep going and the sad illusion that Katherine left something stable for someone who was going to confess he couldn't feel the same hurt. However, Harry smiled a little. "I don't know what I am, I don't think I want to label it, but Katherine you're the only person I want to be with, want to make love to, for the rest of my life."

Through her tears, she managed to smile. "You'll have to tell me more about him later."

So they were...fine. Things were not good, especially when Harry growled at the idea of Nick with her, inside her, next to her. He couldn't be made at Katherine, no. She was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions and had done nothing wrong. This all came back to Harry.

With their slated cleaned, the two hesitantly embraced. Their chests heaved, their breathes desperately searching to match the rhythm of the other. They were one body as Harry's tattooed hands tentatively pressed her closer. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yes." The kiss was breathless as clung to one another for the first time in years. They would be okay, maybe, hopefully.

Katherine pulled away, holding onto the hands she had missed. Her finger tracing over the ink she had yet to see. "Not to ruin the moment, but we should fix them dinner."

Harry laughed with happiness that this might be the closest to home they'd ever get. Home, he'd have to ask about Holmes Chapel later. For now, he'd work on dinner. 

Chris was pleased to be able to go back downstairs. He noticed a shift in the dynamic between the two Brits. He didn't care what they did, he didn't want to sit through that again. It wasn't as bad as when Ryan broke up with his girlfriend but it still was pretty bad. 

Devin, having heard about Harry's fling in New York, was interested. He could be a nice time for both of them. Ricky pinched Devin's arm with a shake of the head. "No." 

With an eye roll and a joke later, the lost boys (and girl) were settling down for dinner.