You are Home // H.S

27. Pancakes for Two

She gives me a forced nod, her body still physically shaken from the nightmare she had. The urge of asking what had happened comes up, but I know I can't ask her this. If she tells me, I wanted it to come from her. Not because she feels like she owes me an explanation.

Her breathing is still fast and shallow, her head turning downwards. Words I can't seem to understand tumble from her lips, as I try to move in closer, my hand gently streaking up her back.

"What did you say, love?"

"You left me," she speaks up, her eyes now locking with mine.

A painful expression lays in her eyes, waiting for me to say something.

"It was just a dream, little flower. I'm right here."

"No," she whispers, shaking her head. "I mean, yes. You were saving me-, but then you were gone and I was falling- and then-"

She stops in the middle of her sentence, shaking her head once more.

"B-but that's not what I meant," she swallows hard, the pause between words making the air around me feel heavy. "Last night, we were on the couch. I must have fallen asleep. But when I woke up in bed earlier, you weren't there."

Her voice grows quiet as tears well up in her eyes, "Why did you leave me all alone, Harry?"

I swallow harshly, my hand giving hers a reassuring squeeze, as I try to hold back my own tears.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, leaning in to take her into my arms, "I'll stay now, okay?"

Her head nods into my chest as I pull her closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. She needed me, and I wasn't there. I left her alone.

I knew I should have stayed with her.

Slowly, her breathing calms down. It's almost non-existent by the time she falls back asleep. My thoughts keep on circling back to last night when she accidentally told me she hadn't been sleeping for a while.

And I can't help but feel like the reason she wasn't doing so, was the nightmares she lived through in her sleep.

I hated every bit of it, not able to wonder if a certain someone returning had something to do with it, or if it was something else entirely; something I didn't even know about.

It kills me inside not to know what she's going through. Especially, because I could do nothing to take the pain away from her. I could only try and be there for her when she needs me.

For a while I just watch her, a smile spreading on my lips as her arm reaches over my chest, trying to pull me as close as possible.

I try and stay awake, wanting to make sure to be there for her in case she has another nightmare, but being so comfortable with her next to me, it doesn't take long to sink back into sleep.

•••

The sun lighting up the room is the first thing I notice in the morning. The second thing is the empty spot next to me, where Elle should be lying. I rub my eyes, sitting up straight to stretch myself before I reach for my phone. Quite surprised that Elle was already up at just past 9:30 AM, when I thought she would sleep in, I swing myself out of bed, to see where she is.

As soon as my feet step into the hallway, I could make out, the music echoing through the house. But what I see when I walk down the stairs and enter the living room, I didn't expect.

A grin spreads across my face, seeing Elle jamming out in the kitchen to Kiwi, which was running on full volume over my various speakers that were spread out in the living room. The pan is sizzling in the background, with the table already halfway set, and a distinct smell of pancakes filling up my nostrils.