Bees & Honey [H.S]

Chapter 60

Harry remained seated next to me as the car drove off to the next stop, my house. From spending a few weeks glued to his hip- both figurative and literally, I knew it wouldn't last long for our own departure. But for now, I was still glued to his hip- this time literally.

We shared the last bit of our joined car ride in silence, only his hand still gently brushing the side of my leg in an unspoken comfort and reassurance. Somehow, he still managed to express all that I needed at this moment.

The car drove up on my street, parking outside of my house door. I reached for the car handle, but before I got a chance to open it the hand that had rested with soft strokes on the side of my leg moved to fall with a gentle hold on the top of my thigh, making me stop in my movement.

"Let me grab your bags for you." He insisted more so than offered, and there was not a single part of me that considered declining it. So, I simply nodded gratefully and happily.

Now opening up the car door, I heard Harry speak to the chauffeur, "I'll be back."

This was all so familiar. The feeling of reliving a scene from the past was freakishly prominent, and there was no way to ignore it. Only this time wouldn't be his first time seeing my flat, but it would still be a first- his first time seeing it since... Everything.

Harry was quick to grab the heavy suitcase and hand luggage and I was quick to walk and hold the door open for him, and as soon as he passed it he waited for me to take the lead up the stairs, although I knew that he very well knew which flat that was mine. After a couple of stairs we reached my door and I fished up my keys from my handbag, setting it and turning it in the lock as Harry waited patiently while still holding the heavy bags in his grip. I looked up at him from underneath my eyelashes as I opened the door, forming my lips to say the words "thank you." before I forgot to, since I knew the dreaded moment of the door closing behind me, leaving me alone to face what I've pushed aside. But when I opened the door, I was not prepared to face it... Literally.

"Surprise!" Philippe stood up from the sofa in the living room, opening up his arms with the cheer.

My heart stopped. My feet stopped. The simple function of breathing stopped. For a second, I swear even time stopped. And from behind me, everything was equally as still.

It was first when Philippe started to walk to us that I was brought back to my senses.

"What are you doing here?" I chuckled out low, but feeling the air get stuck in my throat.

I had a strong urge to look back at Harry. If I wanted his reassuring smile at this sudden ambush, or if I wanted to see if he was just as panicked as me- I didn't know. What I did know that I wanted was to see that he was still there after still not hearing as much as a breath from behind me.

Philippe's brows drew together over his puppy eyes with a half smile.

"Surprising you?" He stated out the obvious, laughing as he did.

"Mhm, I can see that." I said just as he reached me with his open arms. What I was not prepared for was how they not only wrapped around me, but also grabbed me in a hug- lifting my feet off the ground with a loving spin.

Now, I didn't have to look back at Harry. He was right in front of me, leaning on the door. It wasn't a reassuring smile that I got, and it wasn't panic. What I saw was blue. His eyes still looked back at me softly and deeply in their beautiful emerald colour, but the rest of him was blue. Still, a broken smile attempted to push through it.

My fixed eyes were torn away from him as Philippe looked up and placed a kiss on my lips. I should've expected it, but it caught me off guard. It was quick enough for me not having to really reciprocate it. But now, I couldn't bring myself to look back up. Still I could peek Harry's tilted head down to the floor.