SOFT SPOT// h.s

0.9 ~ Disturbance

I could feel my eyelids getting heavier as I gripped the steering wheel. After a few tiring hours of nagging at Harry, I had finally convinced him to let me drive, claiming that I wouldn't forgive him for leaving me practically alone in the dark car if he didn't.

The only problem was that I hadn't slept all day and the drowsiness was beginning to kick in. I was ploughing along the highway in the early hours of the morning and I could feel my reflexes becoming weak.

I glanced at Harry who was slumped in the passenger seat beside me. He had finally drifted off to sleep after taking a few strong sleeping pills, to ease the insomnia that he was getting. His pale complexion and the faint lilac smudges under his lower eyelids signalled that it had been a while since he'd had a good nights sleep.

Does everyone look younger when asleep? Because right now, Harry could pass for seventeen, instead of his twenty one year old self. I could see the resemblance between Ellie and him even more clearly when they were both asleep.

He looked peaceful in his slumber, and somewhat innocent. His face was a lot nicer without his creased brow and troubled expression. It created a stirring of mixed emotions in my chest. Pity, fondness, nostalgia.

He had his muscular arms folded across his torso and his head was resting on his shoulder as he exhaled muffled snores, which I thought was kind of cute.

I crawled slowly along the highway, letting dozens of speeding cars fly past me. I was afraid to drive any faster than 40mph, paranoid that I would fall asleep and collide with something or someone.

I sang quietly under my breath to the radio, which was playing one of my favourite Kodaline songs as small drops of rain began to hit the windscreen.

I didn't hear it at first over the sound of the rain, it was barely audible. The noise that rumbled from Harry's lips startled me as I had been getting used to the almost silent car. It began as a soft, "hmmm." But as the minutes ticked by, I could understand what he was mumbling in his sleep.

"Please," he murmured, his words barely comprehensive. His voice was a throaty groan as he started to twitch in his position. I ignored his random rambling at the start but ten minutes later, he had gotten more restless and was repeating the same words over and over in a sequence. "Noo, please." It sounded as if he was pleading, and I couldn't understand why.

I debated whether or not to wake him, as I could see he was clearly having a nightmare, but I was hesitating, as I didn't want to alarm him further.

I tried to turn my focus back to my driving, my speed gradually increasing because of my nervousness of Harry. He continued to groan and beg for reasons that were unknown to me, but quite frankly, it was scaring the hell out of me.

"Stop, please don't hurt him!" he cried out, his rushed breaths escaping his clenched, bared teeth.

Then suddenly his body went rigid and stiff as the rain began to hammer more heavily against the window, which I could barely see through, and I prepared to exhale a sigh of relief. But as quickly as he had become quiet, he began thrashing wildly in his seat, his face contorted with pain. My heart pounded like an entire marching band of timpani drums inside me as I began to panic even more.

Harry's face was flushed and red, his brow creased with pain and distress. A sheet of sticky sweat had gathered on his forehead as he panted heavily, his hands clenched in balled fists. I felt my legs shaking with unease as I racked my brain frantically and desperately for an idea.

I decided to pull the car over to the side of the road. I couldn't afford to lose concentration while driving and I didn't want Ellie to wake up.

Countless headlights flashed past us as I brought the car to a stop. I could distinctly see the clear beads of pearly sweat trickling down his forehead as he exhaled sharp, raspy breaths. To say I was panicking is a major understatement. I placed my hand on his forearm, shaking him gently, but got no reaction. He was clearly a heavy sleeper.

"Harry!" I whisper-shouted as I squeezed his cheeks, which now had tears streaming down them. He wasn't responding to my attempts of waking him and my heart was in my throat as I found myself shaking with fright.

He cried out for his mother, his voice sounding strangled as he gasped for air. He looked like he was suffocating under the nightmares and I made the rash decision to get out of the car and walk around to his door, flinging it open and dragging him out of the seat, oblivious to the pouring rain that descended on us. The moisture ricocheted off the puddle strewn ground as I guided him to sit on the pavement.

The rain was drenching my clothes, soaking me to the skin and I knew it was doing the same to Harry, but I didn't care, I needed him to wake up.

"Harry!" I screamed at him, my high, uneven voice barely audible as the roar of speeding vehicles soared past us and the lashing rain splashed down. The bitter wind howled in my ears and whipped my hair into rats tails as I knelt down in front of the troubled boy, cupping his face in his hands.

He had been jolted out of his sleep by the sensation of the freezing night air hitting him. He looked at me in confusion, his features alarmed and he seemed almost vulnerable, making my heart lurch.

"Clary.." He said. I couldn't hear him over the deafening noise, but I clearly read his lips mouthing my name.

His forest green eyes were wide and afraid, searching my face as I stared at him warily, my palms still grasping his cheeks.

Droplets of rain ran down my face and slid down my neck and back, causing me to shiver involuntarily as I silently rose from the ground, holding out my hand to Harry, who took it and helped himself up.

I hadn't realised that I had been crying myself until salty, sour tears reached my lips as we got back into the car, soaked to the skins of ourselves. My hands were trembling uncontrollably, blue and hypothermic from the storm. My numb lips quivered and I glanced at Harry who was unmoving, sitting like stone in the passenger seat, wordless staring out the window.

"Are you alright?" I asked him cautiously. I knew it was a ridiculous question, but my mind was blank and I was almost speechless.

He didn't speak and I felt my insides crumble to ashes. 'I did this. His guard is up again and he has rebuilt his walls. I should have let him sleep it off. Dammit clary...'

He didn't look as if he had been affected by the unbearable temperature or the fact that his clothes and hair were dripping wet.

"I'm sorry," I mumble, feeling embarrassed that I had interfered. He shook his head in reply, but I couldn't understand what he meant by it. He seemed to be in a state of shock and I hadn't a clue what to do.

I reached into the back seat to grab one of the bags of Harry's clothes and rifled through it. I pulled out a black sweatshirt and yanked it over my head, embracing the sudden warmth. I struggled as I peeled off my sodden jeans, making sure that the hem of the sweater was covering the tops of my legs, and slipped on a pair of grey sweats that were enormous.

I wouldn't have even dreamed of changing in front of Harry, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I passed him the bag, but he made no move to accept it. I ended up tossing it on his lap, not wanting to push him.

My breathing was still a little shaky as I rubbed my hands together, trying to create some heat before I resumed driving.

I had gathered that Harry wasn't up for talking at the moment, so I made no effort to begin conversation as we continued to speed along the highway.

The atmosphere in the car was extremely tense, and I had no worries about my tiredness. The rain had awoken my senses and the fear that had possessed me still kept adrenaline pulsing through my body. I could see Harry's reflection in the passenger window as he had his head turned away from me. I knew he wasn't going to sleep again and I was certain that he was still deeply troubled.

I was confused as to why Harry was crying for his mother the way he was, and the nagging voice at the back of my mind told me that the truth was going to be painful.

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The song is: angels- mayday parade

I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this chapter! It's my favourite so far! Please don't hesitate to vote or comment, it would mean a lot to me!!