Wild Side [h.s au]

Chapter 27

Elena

Harry. H stands for Harry.

My heart is pounding against my ribcage, mouth slightly agape. He's finally revealed me his real name, he actually told me to call him Harry. I would never expect him to reveal it to me, I don't feel like I deserve to know it, not after everything I've been keeping hidden from him.

He waves his hand in front of my face. "Hello?" 

I stand to my full height, blinking a few times and coming back to my senses. "I'm- I- wow. Are you- are you sure? I would never want to do or say anything that could make you uncomfortable, let alone trigger some of your flashbacks--"

"Hey, Tiger, take deep breaths," he interrupts me, standing up as well. "I want you to call me Harry." He cringes slightly as he says his name, but a smile follows right after, reassuring me it's really okay. I do see a glimmer of sadness in his features, I understand how hard this is for him.

My mouth slowly breaks into a grin. "Alright. . . Harry." I absolutely love how his name sounds when I say it, a strong feeling of happiness washing over me. "But why did you tell me? Why now?"

"Well, for one, you've revealed a lot about yourself. And two, I've realised I'm. . . I'm Harry when I'm with you, no matter how ridiculous it may sound. You truly remind me of myself, of real me. That's probably the reason I was trying to get you in order, but that ship has sailed," he says. "I'm Harry. Only for you."

"Only for me," I confirm, raising my palm to cradle his cheek, my thumb stroking his cheekbone.

"No more secrets, alright?" Harry says, his green eyes bright and vulnerable as he places his warm palm on top of mine. He's such a beautiful person, both inside and out.

"No more secrets," I say, lying to his face. I feel a sickness in the pit of my stomach for doing so, but I cannot let him get in the way of my plans, let alone risk him getting hurt because of me. I would never let that happen. The problem is, he was not a part of the plan, my feelings weren't supposed to happen. I want Vortex to get destroyed and that can only happen if Hazard wins this war, so I believe Alex and I will be forgiven at the end.

I'm helping them, my lies don't mean anything, I try to assure myself.

I wish I could at least do something good, something right while I'm here, while I have this beautiful man beside me. I'd like nothing more than to show him the world is not as horrible as it seems and it is possible to forgive yourself for your mistakes, it's possible to let go. I want him to feel wanted, like someone truly cares.

He has shared something painful for him with me, our undeniable emotional connection only tightening after that revelation. The fact he has told me his real name might not seem important to some people, but for Harry and me, it means something deep, something more intimate than actual physical contact. He has shown me a part of himself he's been keeping buried for so long.

Harry's lips land on mine suddenly, a strong feeling of contentment flowing through my body, awakening every part of me. I don't waste time to wind my arms around his neck, closing the small distance between us and pressing our chests firmly together, a small gasp falling from his lips from my sudden action. He stumbles backwards clumsily, pulling me along with him until he hits the soft surface of the bed, bouncing up and down a few times.

My body falls on top of his and I feel his lips twist in a smile against mine, causing one to appear on my own. One of his hands presses to my lower back as he uses the other one to push himself into a sitting position, forcing me to sit up as well, my hands resting on top of his shoulders. I adjust on top of him, positioning myself on his lap, my knees settled on each side of his thighs. His eyes glance down as his hands tentatively find their place on my waist, looking uncertain as if he's afraid he'd make a wrong move if he placed them somewhere else.