Red String 2 {h.s}

Chapter 5

Amy and Harry go to bed that night and do something they've never done before. They set a joint alarm for them to wake up to. It seems so simple and something that surely a couple that have been dating off and on for over a year would have done but it's never come up before. There have been times when Amy needed to get up and there have been other times when Harry needed to get up but they've never both needed to get up and leave the house together.

There's a bit of jovial jostling and light touches every time they pass each other in the bathroom in the morning. Harry is endlessly distracted by Amy as she flits about in her black silk robe with her wet hair up in a towel. Amy can't take her eyes off Harry, with nothing but a white towel slung low around his waist as he brushes his teeth at the sink.

But there's no time for anything further because Harry is on a strict schedule today. He needs to head to the CBS studio to rehearse with the Late Late Show and then head back in the early afternoon to Malibu to film the interview with Zane Lowe. William and Tom are going to stay at the house to let the crew in to set up. Jeff is going to be at both CBS and then head to the house later too. Harry had already FaceTimed his stylist last night who couriered over a few options for him to wear for the interview.

The plan is for Amy to lay low at the house until the interview is finished. Zane might be a trustworthy person but at the end of the day he is still a journalist. Keeping Amy out of sight will be important to not raise any suspicions or cause any prying questions. Harry is feeling a bit worried about this interview. He knows Zane's reputation of an interview becoming a therapy session, that artists reveal things as if there weren't cameras rolling. Harry is all for being vulnerable but there are certain parts of himself he doesn't want to share with the world. Before he spirals too far in his worries, he blurts them out to Amy as they eat breakfast. She eyes him and sees the conflict on his face and she knows exactly what he needs.

"Remember Harry, you can be both. You can be open and guarded. You don't need to bare your soul to every person you meet. That's not being unauthentic. That's recognizing the depth of different relationships. I want to have a deep and lasting relationship with you, full of trust, so I share everything with you in hopes that you feel safe enough to share back. That is not your relationship with the press, or even with your fans. Plus, if they get everything, then what's left for me," she says the last part teasingly to lighten the serious mood.

He looks at her, digesting her words, pushing them into his brain so he can hear them again when he needs them. He leans over, and cups her cheek, kissing her softly on the mouth. He pulls away just enough so he can talk, his forehead still pushed against hers, "Unfortunately for you, you get all of me. The good and the bad."

"Im glad, because I want all of it," she responds, this time she leans forwards and connects their lips.

Soon, Amy and Harry are in his car, pulling out of the driveway and out onto the PCH. It's an overcast morning, and Harry hopes it clears up before this afternoon as the interview is supposed to take place outside. They get to the CBS studios in under an hour, Harry remembering along the way how much he hates LA traffic. The rehearsals go off without a hitch. Ben is a bit busy with regular show prep for the day so he is in and out of the rehearsal space. By noon, James and Ben need to head into their own rehearsals for that evening's show so they call it a day.

The two of them didn't get much time to speak with Amy. She politely kept out of the way, watching the organized chaos of the skit. She admired Harry's seemingly effortless ability to charm everyone around him. There was a group of backup dancers that practiced with them and Harry had politely shook hands, introducing himself to each person, giving them his megawatt smile. Amy knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of that smile for the first time. Even witnessing it from afar made her blush.