summary: Harry needs to go on tour and the reader has to be alone, and you feels depressed and unwilling to do anything with him away, and when he comes back he sees how sad, thinner and weak you are, so he takes care of you.
Home was lonely. There was no doubt the silence that wrapped around the empty place and the constant ticking of the clock from downstairs was chilling. It anchored a sense of eeriness over the creaky steps on the stairwell to the bed you slept on. Home didn't feel like home lately.
With Harry, it was easy to feel safe and happy and loved. But in his absence, life felt different in the worst way. He would always come home excited to see his you, walking out from the elevator with the biggest smile he'd worn all day, his unbound hair tumbling from side to side, and sometimes he'd even have a bouquet clutched in his hand, a vivid array of flowers he'd picked up just because he thought of you. His unwavering spark of liveliness was missing in your apartment now. He would never fail to greet you when he'd step inside too, like it was his absolute priority to let you know he'd come home. And on your bad days, all you needed to feel better was his tender hugs and habitual kisses. It felt like years had gone by without his touch.
Harry's quick footsteps were overlapping with the sound of his suitcases rolling across the ground and his over-excited giggles erupting into the atmosphere, but you still felt his presence from your spot in the master bedroom. You inched her feet closer to the edge of the mattress with all the strength you could muster and let a small huff slip past your lips as they hit the ground, wrapping a robe around your waist.
You would spend most days in bed, sometimes with the T.V. playing a show and a mug of tea by your bedside, but never did you miss Harry's facetimes or calls or texts. Life was dull without your favourite person, and although you promised him, you'd be okay before he left, you weren't. When he'd question the weariness written into your skin or the redness in the corners of your eyes, you'd lie, and say it was simply a cold. Something that'd just go away over a few days. But it had been months since the last time you felt okay.
As far as his knowledge, you needed bed rest until you got better, but there were times you almost thought he knew more. Like that wasn't the truth and the real issue was this never-ending loneliness that seemed to creep its way over you the moment you woke up and linger until the moment you went to sleep. The smiles and love and warmth you gave him never faltered, but the house was empty and quiet. You worried that when he'd see you, he'd feel guilty about leaving for tour.
Harry waited impatiently as he rang the doorbell, the sound deafening in your pounding ears. You almost barrelled down the stairwell in your own excitement, the bottom of your robe billowing out with the breeze of your fast steps. Upon hearing the click of the door unlocking, Harry's grin grew bigger, his pearly teeth reflecting his enthusiasm to see the face he'd missed so dearly, and he tightened his hand around the bouquet of tulips.
"Hi," a gentle voice greeted him as he walked inside.
Harry left his suitcases to roll haphazardly across the floor in the foyer without a care and he barely caught a glimpse of you as his arms immediately wrapped around you and lifted you off the ground, your feet swinging back a little at the sudden movement.
You wreathed your arms around his neck. "Hi baby," He whispered softly against your hair before gently lowering you to the ground. With your gaze somewhere else, he placed the bouquet on a nearby surface to surprise you with them later. Right now, he just wanted to hold you.
"I missed you so much!" You gushed, watching lovingly as he sunk his head into the crook of your neck. "How are you?" You asked, your eyes nearly rolling back as the ground started swirling beneath you.
"So good...." He sighed deeply, shifting his head to press a kiss to your forehead as he gripped your waist tighter, but paused a second before his lips touched your skin in thought.
You gulped, feeling him pull back from the long embrace, and you watched his lips move as if you couldn't hear his words. You staggered backwards, your breaths shallow until you collapsed in a heap, almost hitting your head if it wasn't for Harry's quick instincts.
---
"How are you feeling?" Harry crouched down beside you, rubbing his thumb gently on your thigh. On one of the dining room chairs, you sat as calmly as you could, the smile gracing your chapped lips had faded.
"Tired."
"Do you want to go back to bed?" He asked, a sense of concern resonating in his tone. You nodded, reaching out your palm for your boyfriend to hold while you walked up the stairwell and into the master bedroom again. With every step to the big mattress, you let out a deep sigh, but once you sat, your limbs melted into your mattress. Harry helped you rest comfortably against the bed frame, shifting the pillows perfectly upon your back and he pulled the large quilt over your stomach. He left you to bask in the peaceful silence while he made you something to eat.
Harry always loved taking care of you, and that was proven by the subtle pout on his face at the sight of you laying sadly in bed and the speed at which he ran to your side. A bowl of cereal and a cup of water were held in his hands and some of the contents spilled onto the carpet in his haste. A half empty bowl of Cheerios and a glass of water were the best he could do in the little segment of time he'd set himself so he could be with you a little faster.
"You okay?"
His sudden voice scared you a little. "I'm fine, Harry." You assured him with a smile, wiping away the dampness on your cheeks. He merely nodded, turning towards the nightstand to place the cup and bowl down. Harry didn't want to push anything. He couldn't imagine what you'd gone through while he was gone but he was willing to wait until you were ready to talk about it.
A quietness fell over the room again while you were eating. The sound of cereal crunching between your teeth sent a little smile to Harry's face, and he merely kept his gaze on the nearly silent T.V. screen moving with scenes of a show you both started right before he left. You never dared to start the next episode while he was out of the city.
"Can I sit with you?"
You looked up at him. "Of course." Harry made his way over to the other side of the bed and slipped under the comforter next to you.
Even with your current favourite T.V. show playing, you found your gaze lingering on the fragment of the outside world through the window, the setting sun dipping into the horizon sent a shiver through your veins. You honestly thought it was just morning and you couldn't believe you let yourself waste the day away and blur with the previous one. You felt as though life was slipping through your fingers - the hours were slow, but you had no energy to grasp time before it fleeted past you. You hoped everything would work out now that you had him by your side. Your very own superhero.
The apartment was peaceful. Harry lowered the volume on the T.V. as your consciousness began to fade, and you cuddled soundly in his tender embrace. The bouquet of flowers brightened under the sliver of golden reflecting on their petals through the window.
