Primrose Path (A Harry Wells x Reader Insert)

Chapter 14

A sudden outburst beside you in bed brings you out of your deep sleep.

"Hmm...?" you say groggily. After your eyes adjust to the room, you notice Harry sweating through the bedsheets, tossing and turning and grunting in his sleep, a slave to what you assume is a bad dream.

"Harry?" Finally, he breaks through thanks to the concern in your voice. He bolts upright and breathes heavily, startled in the darkness of the room. You place your hand on his arm which he covers with his own and holds it tight. You ask if he's alright, but he starts to worry you when he doesn't respond, just staring straight ahead at nothing. This has never happened before, this kind of fit. You take Harry's hand and try to get him to look at you.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Nothing. It's nothing, go back to sleep."

"Hare." You brush your hair to the side and give him a look that you know he's keeping something from you.

"I can't..." he says pathetically. You can see whatever it is, it's hurting him, and you've never seen Harry hurt like this before. You carefully move to kneel in front of him and cup his face with both of your hands, seeing the slight glimmer of tears welling up in his eyes.

"Please tell me. I need to know so I can help you. Please, Harrison..."

"I..." He averts his gaze before looking back up to your eyes. "I watched you die. Brutally. Right in front of me and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move. You died because of me." Your heart is breaking for him. You can only imagine what that dream could have looked like to him.

"It was just a bad dream, Harry. I'm right here," you say, taking his hand and guiding it to your beating heart. You stroke his temple with your thumb, pressing your forehead against his. Harry breathes you in like you're the only thing he needs to survive in this world.

"I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere," you tell him, "Remember?" He doesn't respond with words, though his breathing is starting to return to normal. You both stay still like this for a while. Harry's eyes close, and you can tell he's trying to soak in your presence, letting it anchor him to reality.

"I'm just worried..." he starts again quietly, "one day I'll lose you and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I'd be completely powerless, robbed of you, and it would kill me. It would kill me, (Y/N)..." Your chest tightens up at his vocalized fears and the way he's desperately looking at you. You pull him close so that his head rests against your chest.

"Not going to happen. Ever. Not on my watch," you make the promise, of which you're not sure you can necessarily keep, but you'll do your very best to keep it because damn everything to hell if you're going to ever have this man more broken than he already is.

Harry exhales as if the weight of his worries are finally leaving his body and mind. At least, for the night. You pet his hair, his arms, his chest all to calm him back into sleeping again.

Harry shifts you over in bed so that he ends up spooning you, holding you close as if you've become his security blanket. You hear the tell-tale signs of him falling asleep after a bit, leaving you still awake, deep in thought.

You fear you are becoming exactly what you'd hoped not to be. His weakness. A fragile point that someone can target to get at Harry and his business. You let out a small sigh at your realization. You'll have to get stronger, for his sake, so that his dream will never come true.

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The following morning, you fidget with your hands just before Harry is about to leave for work. He's not going to like what you have to say, but damn it, you're going to say it anyway!