all the love // H.S au (university series)

shakespearean tragedy

I woke up that morning smiling. Harry wasn't awake yet, and I didn't want to risk waking him so I stayed in bed. He looked so serene in his sleep. His lips parted slightly and his cheek was squished by resting his head in his hand. I turn over in his embrace, sporting the classic little spoon position. Reaching for the book on my nightstand, I begin to read. I got a decent amount read until I felt a hand sneak up around me torso, pulling me in closer.
"Good morning." Harry's raspy voice whispers into my ear. Oh god. Kryptonite.
I dog ear my page and set the book down, and turn over to face morning Harry. He looks youthful.
"Good morning Harry." I respond. I should feel weird about this, but I don't. It feels normal. I should never expect anything to be normal with Harry, because it's not. Him and I will never be normal friends. I think we like each other too much.
"What are you reading?" He asks as he peaks his head up from the pillows to see.
"Romeo and Juliet. It's so heartbreaking but it is so beautiful."
"How many times have you read it?" He inquires.
"For this play? I think it's probabaly my fourth time reading it. Not nearly as much as I've read King Lear though. Now that is what I call tragedy."
"I've never read King Lear. What's it about?"
"Well, there's this old King and he has three daughters. The oldest two are bitches and just 'love' their father for his notoriety. But the youngest, Cordelia, she really loves him but he thinks she has betrayed him. He then proceeds to go mad and his daughter dies, then so does he, and a bunch of other characters do too, like any shakespearean tragedy. I can lend you my copy if you want?"
"I would love that."
"I apologize in advance, my margins are crazy filled with notes." I admit shyly.
"Can't wait to get a peak inside that head of yours." He responds as he places his hand on the side of my face. I close my eyes at the intimacy and just let it exist for a moment.
"I'm glad you didn't sleep on the couch." He says, peering into my eyes.
"Me too" I admit. I can feel a deep blush forming on my face. I close my eyes once more to the feeling of Harry stroking my hair.
"I've been thinking a lot about you." My blush deepens.
"What about?" I ask playfully.
"Oh, just how you love books so much. It's quite fitting actually, that the girl I like is so into books, and I myself enjoy writing them."
"Will you ever share your writing with me?" I ask earnestly. "I know it's probably a vulnerable subject, but i'd be more than happy to peruse your work." I say with cheer in my voice. Harry closed his eyes and began to breathe deeper. I thought he had fallen back asleep until his deep voice shared with me these words.
"Is your heart the color you thought it would be?" Harry paused, opened his eyes to stare right into mine, signaling that he is sharing something intimate with me. I listen, intently hearing each word he speaks.
"Is it blue like the wallowing that followed your father's heart, or the red that burned so deep in your mother's chest that it left a burn mark on you instead of a birthmark? Tell me, is your heart shimmering on the bottom of a lake, glittering and gold? Is your heart the color you thought it would be?" Harry rested after his recitation. He closed his eyes once more and moved his hand from its position in my hair. I grabbed a hold of it and intertwine my fingers in his.
"Harry, did you write that?" I ask, knowing the answer but I had to be sure. He nodded, squeezing my hand.
"Thank you for sharing that with me. It was lovely." I say, peering into his eyes that blinked open once again.
"I want to kiss you." Harry says.
"I'm not going to stop you." I reply in all honestly.
Next thing I know the world is in slow motion. My eyes shut once more as I move towards Harry, ready to kiss him. I could feel his lips hardly brush against mine and the thumping of his heart beating against his chest.
Knock knock knock
Moment ruined. I turn my face away from Harry as he groans into the pillow out of frustration.
"Whaat!" I yell to the door.
"I'm just heading out for work. Wanted to make sure you were up!" Auntie Irene says from behind my closed door.
"Yes, I'm up. You can go now." I say angrily for her ruining such a nice moment too. And I know she knew she did too when she replies
"And say hello to Harry for me too." I roll my eyes and groan, then fall back into the sheets next to Harry, embarrassed by my aunt.

I had repositioned my spot as the little spoon, perusing through twitter when Harry interjects, "I want you to meet my friends. We're having a little party at my mate Zayn's flat. You should bring Helena, Liam will be there, he lives there too."
"I would be down for sure, i'll just have to ask Helena if she's busy. I doubt it though. Did you ever give her Liam's number?" I ask.
"I will now." He says as he picks up his phone and shares the contact. I smile at the thought of Helena actually liking a boy. She deserves it.
"Sorry I crashed your girls night, by the way." Harry apologizes earnestly. I flip over in his arms to face him.
"Well, seeing you was actually just what I needed. I had an awful day yesterday."
"What happened, if I may ask?"
I hadn't realized how big of a door I just opened with that one. But, I have learned through my many experiences moving around and meeting new people constantly, that I have to open up to them and be honest about my situation. It isn't healthy to keep my life a secret from those I care about, i've learned that the hard way before. I take a deep breath and begin.
"Well, it's a long story. I'd be willing to share if you'd be willing to listen."
"Of course I'll listen." Harry assured me. He evens runs his hand up and down my arm for
comfort.
"Okay, well it is about my parents, actually. Have you ever wondered why I live with my aunt?"
"It's crossed my mind, yeah. Why?"
"Well, because I have a strict restraining order against my father. His name is Pete. I won't get into the details, but basically he was just such an awful father to me and husband to my mother that we had to get him arrested, and then file against him. He will not agree to a divorce so technically he's still legally my father, but I have never and will never think of him in any parental lense."
"What did he do to you?" Concern crosses over Harry's face.
"I don't think you want to know." I reply starkly. That didn't stop Harry though.
"You can tell me, only if you want."
"If you really want to know... this isn't the easiest thing for me to talk about Harry, but I want you to know." I pause, and Harry continues to caress me arms soothingly. "He would abuse my mother and I, physically, mentally. It was awful." I pull up the sleeve of my romper to show Harry the scars Pete had left of my arm. They weren't necessarily the most noticeable, but they were there.
"Now, he got out of his prison sentence early and ever since has been trying to get into contact with my mother and I. Our legal professionals think it best that her and I don't live with each other, and that we maintain minimal contact. So yesterday I got to talk with my mom for the first time in a few months." I say, tears welling, remembering how hard it was to hear her on the other side of the phone.
"Sometimes I wish that Pete would find us, so he could break the restraining order and get put away again, hopefully for good. But I don't want to even think about putting myself, let alone my mother, into that kind of danger. I can't imagine what he would ever do to her if he ever found her." I day, tears full on streaming down my face now. Harry wraps his arms tightly around me as I confess my deepest fear to him.
"Shh, little dove. You're alright. He will never get to hurt you or your mother ever again." Harry whispers into my hair, matted with salty tears. He presses kisses to the top of my head repeatedly, rubbing my back in circles until my breathing returns normal. I peek out from under his hold.
"I'm so sorry to cry like this in front of you." I apologize sincerely.
"Don't apologize to me. You have every reason to cry like this, especially in front of me." Harry continues to hold me, humming the melody of Landslide by Fleetwood Mac.
"Tell me about your mum." He says after a while.

I lift my head and smile at the thought of her.
"Where do I even start. She's the most amazing woman I know."

notes:
Yay for emotional intimacy!!!! Glad to see their relationship take the next level? Both characters revealed something very vulnerable to each other. <3