Timeless [ A Harry Styles OU ] {1/2}

timeless drabble #1

a/n: So on my tumblr I like to write drabbles for my stories that people request or I come up with. I wasn't going to add them on here... but I'm going to try it out with the first one and see how I like it! This drabble is (pre) Timeless and a follow up to the last chapter. 

the one where Harry's worried and Rhea's a mess

Harry can't fall asleep.

He's exhausted, but his mind is running rampant as each second ticks by on his watch. The hotel telly is illuminating the room, painting the walls in tinted hues of blue and green as the scenes change on it. Harry's tired eyes are vaguely focused on it, but he's not got a clue what program is playing. It's on mute so it doesn't disturb the sleepy girl next to him.

Harry uncrosses his arms with a sigh, leaning over and peeking at Rhea.

Her brown hair is smushed against her face, wayward strands stuck to her cheek and streaking across the crisp white linen of the pillowcase. Her eyes are shut, long lashes kissing her soft skin. She's got the duvet clutched in her hand and halfway off her body in true Rhea fashion so it's only covering her legs. She's snoring just softly enough for it to be endearing and not annoying.

Harry's glad she's resting, relieved to be honest. He's been trying to keep a careful eye on her since that night when her father had called her. But with the boys just finishing up recording FOUR, they'd been thrown into a hundred different promotion events and Harry hadn't been able to be as close to Rhea as he'd like to be.

The other boys were aware of what happened and they tried to help to, but Rhea didn't like seeing the pity in their eyes and she didn't like talking about it. So they kept their distance, but still looked after her the best they could.

They had three days off before the next round of promo started and they were staying in New York for the duration before heading to LA. When today's work had wrapped up, Harry had taken a good look at Rhea and was frightened by how exhausted she looked. Not only in a purely physical sense, but emotionally she looked drained too. Her work phone had been going off non stop but so had her personal one- and from the look on her face when she answered it, Harry knew it was one of her parents. So he asked her to come over to his room tonight.

He reaches over a tentative hand and pets down the top of her head in gentle strokes so he doesn't wake her. They hadn't done anything tonight, just watched the telly for approximately 10 minutes before Rhea had fallen asleep against his chest.

Harry's just glad to have her close, her shampoo still distinctly wafting from her hair and making Harry sigh at the familiar coconut smell. He knows Rhea, and he knows that she'd rather distract herself with work than deal with sorrow.

Harry yawns and decides it's time to call it a night, clicking the tv off and making the room go dark. He slips his rings and watch off quietly, setting them on the nightstand before he settles under the covers. He turns on his side and scoots closer to Rhea, reaching one of his big hands to lightly grip her waist and tuck her into his chest. She doesn't stir, her head resting against his bare skin like that's the place it's always meant to be. Harry kisses the top of her head before settling his chin on top of it, finally closing his burning eyes.

Unfortunately, it's not very long after that Rhea wakes up with a jolt. Her skin is on fire, her eyes wet and her hands clutching the sheets to anchor herself. She gasps softly, opening her eyes with a fluttering series of blinks only to release a few wet tears. She shuts them promptly, nuzzling her face into the duvet to dry it off even those it's useless since they're already being replaced.

It's not the first time she's had this nightmare, but she's still not used to the nauseous feeling overtaking her body.

"Baby? Yeh alright?" Harry's voice is drowsy and Rhea's forgotten she's in his bed, jumping at the sudden sound of it.