Losing the Light [h.s.]

04

Marlee jolts awake by a knock on the front door. She struggles to climb out of bed and make her way down the hall. Whoever knocked doesn't bother waiting for her to answer. Harry opens the door himself and steps inside holding a tall plastic Starbucks cup.

"Good afternoon, milady," Harry grins. Marlee can't help but smile back just a little.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asks. For the past few days, she's had a terrible cold and hasn't come out of her house. Just in time for the big trip, too. Some luck they have...

Marlee shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Harry," she rasps. "I'm definitely coming with you to--"

"You can't go like this," Harry says sympathetically. "You feel horrible, Mars. Just wait a few days and see how you feel."

Marlee hangs her head. "I don't want you to go to another country without me," she mumbles."

"Hey, it'll be fine. You'll get better by the time we leave." Harry puts an arm around her, squeezing gently.

The whole Styles clan had planned to leave for Sochi, Russia on January 27th--in three days. The 2014 Winter Olympics would start on February 7th. Harry was more than ready. His excitement has been threatening to bubble over since he learned he'd gotten the chance to compete. Marlee was overjoyed for Harry, and she couldn't wait to go overseas. The farthest she'd ever traveled was to Disney World, in the United States. On their way home from Russia, Anne planned to stop in England to visit their family, and Harry was thrilled to show Marlee around his hometown.

She had been ready to go with him. Ready to take the twenty-two-hour flight to Sochi just to cheer him on. Marlee hadn't even thought twice about the trip, until she got sick. Marlee was mostly afraid of getting Harry sick, so she told him not to come over--at all. Of course, he disobeyed her rule. He brought her a couple of cases of Smart Water and over-the-counter cold medicine.

Harry was busy with preparations for the trip, so he called her when he couldn't visit. He told her not to worry about getting better, because she could always catch a different flight. But Marlee was determined to nip this cold in the bud soon. She was definitely going to to go Russia with Harry.

"So I brought you Starbucks," Harry says, handing her the warm cup.

"Thank you, I love chai," Marlee says, taking a grateful sip.

"I hoped it would brighten you up, at least a little," Harry says, flashing her a faint smile. "I have to get home and finish packing, but I wanted to stop by."

I forgot to pack, Marlee realizes. She nods at Harry, assuring him that she was already packed and fully prepared to leave whenever she got better. She still had a few days, so forgetting to pack isn't a huge deal, she guesses.

She watches him head back to his car and start the engine. Harry smiles and blows her kisses as he backs out of her driveway. Marlee gets ready to close the door when she hears Harry honk the horn.

"What?" she calls, slightly annoyed that he'd honk at her.

"You didn't catch them!" he whines. "Now my kisses are just floating around in the air."

Marlee sighs. She grabs at the air, rolling her eyes. "Thanks, Harry."

"Those were magic kisses," he says loudly. "You should be better by tomorrow."

"I feel better already," Marlee scoffs. Harry laughs to himself, rolling up his window and drives away, leaving Marlee to rest at home. 

-

At 7 o'clock Harry dials Marlee's cell and waits for her to pick up. It's stressful enough that he's going to be in the Olympics, but now that she's sick he's had to take deep breaths all day. Marlee answers the phone in a rough voice. She must've been sleeping, Harry realizes.

He apologizes for waking her, and asks how she is. She tells him that she'll be ready soon, and that she's putting the final pieces of clothing into her suitcase at that very moment.

Harry listens, as always, but he can't help but feel guilty for making her do this to herself. "Mars?"

"Yeah?" she replies.

"What if the plane ride makes your cold worse? Sometimes your sinuses go crazy with the pressure change."

She sighs. "But Harry, I want to go with you."

"But there's really no reason that you need to be there on the first day other than that you want to," he says.

"But I want to be there on the first day," Marlee says. "I'll be better by then, I swear. And if I'm not, then it's my burden to bear. Don't feel bad for me."

Harry sighs. "I suppose I can't force you to stay home another day."