No Matter What // Harry Styles AU -- Dunkirk inspired

Chapter Fifty-Seven

"Any time, Hazel. Salt of the earth, you gals."

"Right back at you," I say, grinning. I turn slightly and am surprised to see Harry staring so intently at me. I open my mouth to speak, but I falter. I don't know how to say goodbye to him. It's not like I can just say, sorry, I'm just a total fool who's so stuck on you that I was dreaming about being your wife. Hope my only family on this continent doesn't banish me from seeing you again.

"Um, lemme help you," he stammers, hoping out of the car before I can figure out what to say. When he opens the door for me, my heart aches to see his shoulders nearly touching his ears as he hunkers in the falling snow.  I wish with every fiber of my being that I could take him inside. I'd sit him by the fire and warm him a blanket or maybe a hundred kisses or...

I shake my head as my mind starts to trail and hop out of the car.

"So listen," Harry says, shutting the door behind me.

"I'm so sorry for what I said before," I rush. "We've been on wonderful dates. Never been better dates. I wouldn't even count other dates I've been on in comparison."

"Don't tell me about other dates you've been on," he says, looking down. He shudders slightly, but when his eyes rise to meet mine, I'm soothed by the small smile on his lips. 

"Hazel, hurry up!" Lucy yells in a whisper from the other side of the car.

"One second!" I whisper back.

"I'm gonna talk to your Uncle. I don't know when, but if I can't get to you, just go to the treehouse. I'll leave something for you."

"You'll be able to," I defiantly say. I can't accept a world where we aren't together. I just can't.

"Hazel!" Lucy calls again. "Mrs. Collin's living room light just went on. She's gonna see us!"

"I'm coming!" I hiss back, harsher than I intend to. He squeezes his eyes shut, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Just in case," he stammers, his eyes opening again. "Promise me you'll look there."

"I promise."

"Hazel!"

Frantically, I lean up and kiss him. His broad hands fan out against my back, but before my heart has time to fall, I pull away and dart around the car to Lucy. She grabs me by the hand, and careful to stay in the shadows, we run towards her front door and away from the boys we love.

+++

"Can you believe what a marvelous weekend it's been?" Lucy asks, falling backwards on to her bed as soon as we make it into her bedroom. I throw my wet coat over the bed post and collapse on bed next to Lucy.

"Almost too good," I say. 

"Don't say it like that. You'll jinx it."

"It might be jinxed already," I reply, my gaze fixed on the ceiling above.

"What do you mean?" 

"He's gonna tell my Uncle Ben."  

 "He's gonna what?" Lucy sits up quickly, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Ask Uncle Ben, or tell, I guess, about us going steady. I dunno really."

"So that's what you were doing last night," she says mischievously. Confused, I look over to see her grinning with a knowing look.

"What?"

"Oh, you know," she says, her wild eyes betraying her timid voice. "Making sure he knows you want to go steady."