||2006||
"It's been a while since we've been here, huh?" Harley couldn't help but reminisce about where she had to say goodbye a few years back. It wasn't a pleasant memory, but now she hoped that it wouldn't end up the same.
"Yeah... I'm not saying goodbye again. It's different this time," he smiled reassuringly.
Gray surprised Harley back in Bates Record Studio. He rented the place before the New Year countdown. The day he had to leave her left a bitter taste in his mouth. Gray wanted to at least let her remember more of the good times while he was home. Minutes ran before the time hit midnight. He had led Harley up the rooftop to see the explosive colors of the fireworks, welcoming a new beginning for the both of them.
As they watched all the glittery colors of the fireworks, they eventually faded back into the night sky. Gray had wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her from behind.
"Happy new year, sunshine," he whispered through her ear. He then snuggled closer and tightened his embrace around her.
"You too, Gray," melting into his arms as she savored the last few hours of them together. Gray was scheduled back to LA, promising he would be home in no time.
It was now or never. Harley had to tell him about the baby and that she was in love with him. All this time.
She spun to face Gray and smiled up at him. His hand languidly stroked her arm down until it reached her hand. "I need to tell you something," she started.
"What is it?" Gray couldn't contain his smile. He was too happy to spend his remaining free time with her. It was one moment where he could just be himself.
"I've been through a lot and am really grateful to have you by my side... Is it too late to let you know I love you back?" She couldn't meet his eyes. There was this fear that it would not be enough for him to believe her.
It had been too long. Gray froze when he realized she finally said it back. There was already a strong connection between them, but Harley never verbally confirmed it, not wanting to put a strain on their so-called relationship. He slowly reached for her chin and gently tilted it so that she would look at him. Harley's eyes filled with apprehension.
He tried to reassure her. "I've been waiting for you to tell me that. Say it again."
Her cheeks grew hot. She couldn't say it now that they were having eye contact. It was too overwhelming for her.
"Say it again, Harley," he gently teased.
"I-I love you," she mumbled, hiding her face in his chest. How embarrassing!
Gray chuckled at her being bashful. He shared the same sentiment, "I love you."
Harley still needed to drop one last bomb. She hesitated, plucking up some courage. "There's more," she stammered weakly.
"More?"
"This is going to change everything," she nervously managed to say.
Gray was a little worried. What more did he want? They loved each other. Nothing could deter him from leaving. "You can't get rid of me easily."
She gingerly took both of his hands and guided them on her growing baby bump. She had been wearing bigger dresses, making it not obvious. It was evident that Gray didn't expect such a revelation. He didn't want to believe it at first. "Are you...?" he couldn't even finish his question.
She solemnly nodded.
"How far along?"
"Around 13 weeks."
Gray was still in disbelief. Yet, he wasn't the type of person who would leave when the going gets tough. The image of Harley going through it alone made him worry. "Why didn't you tell me? You must have been so scared."
"I was... scared that you might leave for good. I don't know if I want this either." Tears had rolled down her face. The future seemed so bleak now that the secret was out. Harley had hoped that he wouldn't run away. Even if he didn't want to have the baby with her, a little support would have been still appreciated. She was willing to accept that kind of arrangement. As long as she could keep him in her life.
He tried to wipe off her tears. It was heartbreaking to see her cry like this. The only way for this conversation to go well was to be sincere. Harley didn't deserve to be treated like she wasn't enough. "Harley, to be honest, it's not something I'm ready to have right now as well. But... I'm also not an asshole to ignore such responsibility. We can work this out. I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her while he tried to calm her down.
"I'm sorry..." she couldn't help but apologize.
"Sorry for what? It's no one's fault."
There was no one to blame. They brought life into this world. At this point, they needed to talk about what they had to do for it to work. "What are we going to do?" Harley initiated.
"I-I don't know yet," he replied with uncertainty.
"Did I ruin the moment? I'm sorry... It's just... I wanted you to know. It's okay if you're not willing to raise it with me. I'll try to manage." In reality, it wasn't okay. Nonetheless, Harley tried to be understanding. She didn't want to ruin his career. The band just took off to a great start. Gray had worked hard to get to this point.
"Of course not. Like I told you, I'm not going anywhere."
"I love you. I really do." The phrase was still foreign to Harley, but she loved him. It was always going to be him.
Gray tentatively reached for her, languidly stroking her arm down until it reached for her hand. He grabbed it and placed it on his shoulder. Grabbing her other hand, he hummed a familiar tune.
"What are you doing?"
"Giving you a proper dance that I owe."
"But you don't know how," she weakly chuckled. Harley was then brought back to the time when she taught him how to slow dance.
"Watch me."
Holding on tight, Gray positioned himself to let their bodies sway into the soundless night as their music. He had practiced slow dancing with his mom. It was something they bonded over in lazy afternoons. They only stopped practicing when Gray had to move to LA. Gray had hoped that he could surprise Harley with this new skill.
Harley couldn't help but smile. "When did you even learn this? From what I remember, you were a bad dancing partner."
"Just savor this moment," he laughed, unable to pluck up the courage that he had to ask his mom for help.
She didn't need to argue, and relished the time she had with him. Her imagination ran as they silently danced through the starry night. She couldn't help but see Gray be a loving father. Their family was complete during the holidays. A house filled with smiles and laughter. It was something she didn't expect to have so soon, yet it kind of excited her. After losing Nate, she always believed that she would be alone for the rest of her life. But now, things were getting brighter.
"Gray?"
Eyes closed, Gray was already comfortably dancing with Harley. "Mhmm?"
"Haylee Grace."
"Haylee Grace?"
"That would be her name if we were to have a baby girl." Harley blurted out all of a sudden. Her imagination took her to what their life would be like after giving birth. It wasn't her intention to assume that it was a girl. Something just felt right about it.
"It's a pretty name. I like it," he agreed. It was a bit too soon for Harley to mention such detail, but he didn't mind at all.
"Good, because I love it," her smile widened. "Thank you for staying, Gray."
"I'm staying not because I'm needed. I'm staying because I want to. Always remember that."
Harley nodded, not doubting what Gray had said. Slowly, over the time they spent with one another, they both ended up talking about what their future would be like. It was going to be a big change for both of them. To say it would not be easy.
Their first challenge was Gray wouldn't be able to stay during Harley's pregnancy. If he had a few days off, he promised he would be home to see her. He even would cancel a gig if she were to get into labor when the day would finally come. Peter was going to have his head, for sure. Still, he didn't care.
"You know I'll miss you, right?" Harley mumbled sleepily. She grew tired from standing and swaying along. They didn't notice the time. It was already a quarter past 3 AM.
"I'll be back soon. It will be like I never left."
Gray noticed Harley was getting tired. But she insisted on staying up with him. They had little time left and wanted to spend every minute. Deciding on getting something to eat, Gray and Harley walked around town to see what diners were open at this hour. The rest of the night continued and ended in a blissful dream.
After a few hours, Gray had to fly back to LA. It didn't take long for him to miss Harley.
Gray: Hey.
Harley: Hi. Sorry. I'm new to this texting thing. Why didn't you call?
G: Practice. Missing you already.
H: Me too. You sure it's okay to talk?
G: Yeah. Peter's not here :-) What's up?
H: Oh. Well.. I just took a nap. I still feel tired.
G: Don't put too much pressure on yourself. The baby needs to be safe.
H: I know. I'm really sorry for not telling you sooner.
G: Let's not dwell on it. We're in this together now.
H: Are you happy?
G: Not going to lie. It's scary, but I'm happy with you.
H: Same here.
G: Great because you're stuck with me :-)
H: I don't mind at all. I should be the one telling you this. Haha.
G: I was the idiot for the late realization.
H: Stop.
G: What? It's true.
H: I mean, you're making me flush.
G: ;-)
H: Texting is fun. We should do this more often.
G: You can leave me messages whenever I'm away. I've told you about this??
H: Haha. Hearing your voice sounds better.
G: Well, yeah. But I also like it when I get a message from you.
H: Ok. I'll text more often :-)
G: You better be. I g2g.
H: G2g?
G: It means I got to go, sunshine. Practice is starting..
H: Ok. Text me when you're done?
G: Nah. I'll call you.
H: Kiss.
G: I love you.
H: I love you.
Harley couldn't contain her smile. Texting was new to her. Where was she all this time? She didn't see the need to have a cellphone but Gray was incessant that she should own one. The distance might be long, but reaching Gray only took a few seconds. It was going to be like this for a while, hearing only his voice. The comfort would be so much different. Her hormones had gone wild these past few weeks, so it was going to be difficult. Everything would be okay, she knew.
Their journey ahead would be arduous. They were ready for the ride, and it was going to be a rocky one. Would it be worth it until the end? As two hearts discover how to truly love, they were bound to be dancing forever.
//END//