Facade [h.s]

twenty-five

I opened my eyes to the alarm clock on the nightstand next to me showing that it was sometime past eight in the morning. It was way earlier than the time I usually woke up at during the weekend, but I couldn't really bring myself to mind.

That night certainly hadn't been one of the best as I'd woken up multiple times - thankfully managing to never wake Harry up, since I would've felt extremely guilty if he'd lost his sleep because of me. For that reason, even though it was only eight, I knew for a fact that I was done with trying to sleep.

There's something of so refreshing in the clock hitting an acceptable time to wake up after a bad night with close to no sleep. Even though I was tired, I wouldn't have had to keep trying to fall asleep, and that alone was a good enough reason to get up.

I turned around to see if Harry was still sleeping and I momentarily stopped breathing when I discovered he was already looking at me, a tired look in his green eyes. I'd either moved too roughly and woken him up, or I hadn't been the only one that was unable to sleep properly for the whole night.

"Hey" I told him quietly, observing him. How was it even possible that he managed to look so good right after having woken up?

His hair was a complete mess of dark curls, curled around his ears and earrings and intertwining with his eyelashes, the green in his eyes appearing lighter than usual, his view too appearing a bit unfocused due to his evident exhaustion. The dark bags under his eyes were a stark contrast to his pale skin and his lips were a bit chapped, and yet he looked way better than I could've ever hoped to look.

He just let out a little hum in reply, seeming to have no intention to form a structured sentence, his hand finally moving up to brush his hair back before being left in front of his face, on the pillow, abandoned. I looked down at it, and frowned a bit when I discovered that the black nail polish was ruined, almost completely scratched off.

"What time was it when you came in yesterday night?" I asked, squinting a bit in the light coming from the window behind him.

I'd told him I would've waited for him before going to sleep, and I really had tried to do just that - but with no success. I hadn't expected him to take longer than fifteen minutes, but as the short time had gone by I'd realised that he wouldn't have come back anytime soon.

Still, I'd done my best to keep to my word and wait for him, but it hadn't really worked out, as I'd been woken up by Harry sliding in bed next to me. I'd wanted to turn around and tell him something, but he'd come closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, and I'd realised that it wasn't that important after all.

Harry gave me a little shrug. "It was around four" he replied, seeming to be trying his best to sound completely indifferent.

I sighed, wanting to say that it was very late and also wanting to ask him what he'd done until that time, but knowing it was way too early to be talking about any of that. So, instead, I just looked at him, furrowing my eyebrows. "Harry? Did you take off your nose ring?"

He sat up in the second I asked that question, an alarmed look on his face, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at his quick response.

He narrowed his eyes at me and quickly touched his nose. "You" he said as soon as he realised that his ring was exactly where he'd left it, and I laughed even harder, rolling to lie on my back as I glanced up at him.

"That was beautiful" I told him as my laugh subsided, being incredibly glad that I'd managed to lighten the mood, but also having found his reaction priceless.

"You think it's funny?" He asked, and before I could even realise what was going on he straddled my waist and pinned my hands above my head, his fingers wrapped tightly around my wrists. "Say you're sorry."