Wish You Were Here - Part 3

Chapter 16

A/N:
Finished this extra long on for you guys early! X

HARRY'S POV

Liv's body is next to me on the bed as lay on my back facing the ceiling and my fingers mindlessly play with the ends of her hair.

Her legs are intertwined with mine as her head rests on my chest right by her name permanently etched into the skin there and she runs her fingertip over the figure 8 tattoo on my hand.

I rest my cheek on the top of her head and inhale deeply at the familiar feeling of her naked and tangled in the sheets with me.

Apart from when I'm inside her, this is the time she is usually the most open emotionally, more willing to talk than normal and I try and use these opportunities as often as possible to get anything out of her that I can manage.

"Do you ever wish you could go back to when you were young and in love," she questions almost to herself as her fingers twirl with mine. "You know, like when you were a teenager and you would spend hours on the phone to someone or texting and everything seemed so important that actually didn't matter?"

"Mmm, kinda," I mumble as I press a kiss to her hair. "You mean the excitement of things being new?" I ask and feel her nod a little into my chest.

"Sometimes," I tell her honestly and debate whether to confess about occasionally wanting the rush of being single again and wonder if she feels it too but decide against it.

Marriage is constant work and sometimes I feel like I want to give up, but looking at my wife like this, stripped bare in every way and looking more beautiful than ever, I know there is nothing I wouldn't do for her, for us.

"I guess we had that at the start babe, remember when you first moved in, and we would stay up all night and talk about anything and everything, even though at that point we weren't actually together?" I throw in before continuing, "But it can't stay like that forever darling, relationships grow and mature."

"Or end," she retorts and my heart slams into my throat at the thought.

"Was just wondering if you missed it, s'all," she mumbles cryptically and I frown at her odd line of questioning.

"Sometimes, I miss the feeling of chasing you," I decide to open up a little more hoping it makes her do the same. "The masochistic part of me loved the pain of wanting you so bad it hurt to see you, hanging on to every touch or look or laugh. The hope you would come to your senses and realise you loved me as much as I loved you."

I smile softly at her and know we are both remembering that night in the kitchen, her sitting on the counter between my legs, both of us with tear stained faces and first confessions of love, only for her to say, "I'm not ready" for the hundredth time.

"But, it was a tough time, darling. Remember how heart breaking and confusing and exhausting it was? It's all well and good in hindsight but I wouldn't want to go back and do it again. Although it was worth it, to be able to tell you that I love you and marry you and have kids with you."

At the mention of children, Liv's body immediately stiffens against me.

"Olivia, my love," I whisper as I pull her into my body and shuffle down to face her as my hand combs into her hair and our noses touch. "This is not the movies. Life is messy and hard."

"I know, Harry, I'm not saying it's not, but why doesn't anyone show you what happens after the guy gets the girl or the final kiss? How do things change so quickly from the excitement of "will you marry me?" to the harsh reality of actually being married, wet towels on the floor and all?"