Maaate, AI is bloody incredible ^^
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Melody's POV-
"Anne!" Niall calls out through the loud chatter in the meal tent as we step in through the large doors.
I see her leaning over a table, seemingly talking sternly to one of Harry's men about something, and when she hears her name being called she quickly whips around.
"Niall! Melody!" A smile stretches over her face as she pats the unfamiliar man on his back before manoeuvring herself through the massive sea of Harry's men to meet us at the entrance.
"How did you sleep, dear?" Anne asks me immediately as she pulls me in for a hug. I smile into her shoulder and give her a small squeeze in return, I'll never be able to get over Anne's warmth and kindness.
"Urgh... yeah, I slept okay thank you" I answer politely, unable to stop the inappropriate thoughts that immediately come flooding to the front of my mind at her mention of last night.
I feel my cheeks going warm at the memories, and quickly bring my hands up to dab them gently, hoping that the colour isn't mimicking the way that I feel right now with a bright red tinge.
"I'm gonna go catch up with someone, I'll see you both soon" Niall interjects my thoughts as he squeezes my shoulder with his hand and gives Anne a polite nod before walking into the crowded tent, leaving Anne and I alone at the entrance of the tent.
"You left the bonfire pretty early last night..." Anne starts slowly, and I instantly feel my stomach knot up. "Was everything okay? Harry didn't do anything to upset you did he? I'm more than happy to put him in his place again if he's being a rude asshole" she jokes with playful eyes.
I giggle, I'll never be able to get over how Anne and Harry are with each other. It's a different kind of Mother-Son relationship that I've ever been subjected to, but I definitely admire their jokes that they have with each other and the unspoken never ending respect that they have for each other without ever having to fight for it.
"No no" I finally reply, realising I had left her in silence for a few short seconds, "I guess I just had a bit too much to drink, and Harry helped me to bed".
Anne raises her eyebrows with a small smirk that instantly reminds me of Harry as a little dimple appears in her cheek, "Hmmm, yes, we noticed that Harry didn't return to the party either after you both took off".
I can't help the unwelcome cough that splutters from my throat at her unexpected comment, but I quickly try and compose myself.
"Yeah, I, um, I... He said he was tired anyway, I think. So yeah, he went to bed shortly after me too" I internally cringe at my stuttering, stupid excuse. Why am I making this so awkward when her questions may just be entirely innocent?
"Mhmmm" Anne's face holds a tight smirk, and I can tell that she doesn't believe me, but I don't care. I am not going into detail of what her son can do with his tongue. And his fingers, god....
Stop it Melody.
"Speaking of..." I trail off, desperately hoping for a change of topic as I look back at the doorway. "Do you know what happened with Harry? He seemed kind of...."
"Pissed?" Anne cuts in with a chuckle, and I smile, shrugging in agreement.
"He'll be okay, he's just mad at me for something I said" She smiles warmly, reaching out and touching my shoulder. "Come, have something to eat with me before I have to head off, you must be starving".
"Okay" I smile in return, taking one last look towards the tent doors before following Anne into the meal tent.
....
"I'm going to miss you so much" Carolina whines into my shoulder as I squeeze her gently in an engulfing hug.
"I'm going to miss you too" I hold her hands in mine as she pulls away and looks at me, "But I'm sure I'll see you again soon!"
"No doubt about that" Anne's voice causes both Carolina and I to look up, and I stand as Carolina runs over to give Niall a hug.
"Thank you" I say as Anne pulls me in tightly for a hug, "For everything".
"No, thank you for bringing a light into my Son's life. Whether he believes it or not, you are a blessing in disguise in every possible way for that man" She leans forward and kisses me on the cheek, causing me to smile.
"Still no Harry?" Anne shifts to Niall, and Niall shrugs, a guilty look on his face.
"No, sorry. No one has seen him".
I watch as Anne's face falls slightly, but it doesn't last long before she is slapping her hands together with a big sigh.
"Oh well! I guess we will have to make up next time I come visit" She smiles, giving me a wink. "This only gives me more reason to visit sooner than I anticipated".
I laugh and step back as one of Harry's men helps Anne up onto the horse he's on, and she climbs up with ease, immediately wrapping her arms around his waist once she's on.
I watch as another man lifts Carolina up in-front of another rider on another horse behind Anne's, and give her a warm smile as she sticks her bottom lip out in protest to leaving.
"You tell that son of mine that I will be back in a few short weeks time, so I would like to see a change in his attitude before I next arrive" Anne announces to Niall, and I can't help the little laugh that comes from my lips as Niall chuckles too.
"Will do ma'am" Niall jokingly bows towards Anne and she royally waves her hand in the air in response.
"Farewell all, try not to kill each other while I'm gone!" Anne announces one last time to everyone gathered around the clearing before she calls out, "Men, let's ride!"
I wave as the two horses with Anne and Carolina start to depart from the camp's perimeters.
"Bye Melody! Bye Niall!" Carolina's sweet little voice calls out over the sound of the horses' hooves trotting on the dirt until they are finally out of our view. I continue to wave until I can't see or hear them anymore, and then turn to Niall.
"They're so nice" I say to him, and he hums in agreement, nodding his head.
"I can't believe Harry didn't even say goodbye to his Mother and Sister".
"Can't you? He's a stubborn one that's for sure, and I know Anne is used to it by now. Don't worry, he wouldn't have gone far" Niall turns to walk back towards the tents, but when he doesn't hear the sound of my crutches following his heavy steps, he spins around.
"Coming?"
"I think I'm going to look for Harry" I shuffle on my foot, biting my lip gently as I worry that he won't let me.
"I'm not going to escape, please trust me" I reassure him.
"Trust is a hard thing to come by around here" He walks back up to me and squints an eye at me, tilting his head in thought.
"I understand that" I agree, "but let me prove myself to you this one time! If I break your trust, and I don't hold to my word, then you are more than welcome to know that I am untrustworthy and hate me forever. If I don't return.... I give you permission to tell the rest of the gang what I told you this morning. Isn't that proof enough that I am telling the truth here? I am not going to escape".
Niall chuckles as I seem out of breath from my rant. If I can prove to him this once that I am trustworthy then hopefully I will be trusted to do more by myself without an annoying escort.
"Two rules then, and don't make me regret this" Niall starts, holding his index finger in the air as a smile creeps across my lips, "One, you will not enter the forest. Not only is it unsafe for you, you may very well get lost and not make it back. Two, be back by the time the shade hits the tops of those trees over there" he points to a row of tall trees which are standing tall with the sun shining on them.
"If you're not, a search team will be sent out for you, and I'm sure Harry will not take it lightly".
"Understood" I nod, smiling at him.
"Melody, please don't break my trust. I'm not the smartest of men, and hell, I can be bloody stupid and gullible sometimes, but I am choosing to trust you, so don't take that for granted".
"I won't, I promise" I say, turning on my heel and hopping away from him on my crutches.
Promises are a big deal to me, and I know I could easily just say it and then escape as this is the first time I have ever been given the chance to explore this camp alone with no escort, and no plan in place. However, something is different this time, and I can't explain what it is. I don't have that burning desire in the pit of my stomach to escape any chance I can get, I mean, maybe it's my subconscious reminding me that I won't get very far on my injured ankle, but maybe it's also something else. I've seen a different side to this gang that I'd never seen before these past 24 hours. I've seen a different side to Harry; a side that is vulnerable, and kind even.
All I know is that I am going to stay true to my promise and not escape, and as Niall instructed, I have until the shadow hits the tops of those trees.
I get a few confused looks and see a few of Harry's men murmur to each other as they walk past me, probably wondering why I, their prisoner, is able to walk around freely. However, I ignore them and keep my eyes focused in front of me as I make my way through the camp, looking around to see if I can catch a glimpse of those curly brown locks I know too well.
After a few failed attempts of looking in open tents and the meal tent once more, I make my way out of the camp until I arrive at the forest, its gloomy shadow making me shiver.
As I contemplate entering to look for Harry, Niall's instructions not to enter come rushing to the front of my mind.
If I enter the forest after Niall told me not to and he finds out that I did, his trust for me will go straight out the window, and I promised, so I decide to turn and move along the tree line towards the stables.
"Fuck!" I hear a familiar loud raspy voice as I finally reach one of the stables. I move around the corner to see Harry with his fingers gripped into his hair and his teeth biting into his bottom lip aggressively.
He must hear my crutches crunch against the gravel as I approach, because his eyes immediately meet mine and his eyebrows furrow angrily.
"What are you doing here?" He snaps, shoving something in his pocket before stepping towards me.
"I...uh. I came to see you- to um, see if you were okay?" I want the ground to swallow me whole with the way I stutter when he makes me nervous.
"Why wouldn't I be okay? And why are you here alone? Where's Niall? That son of a bitch is meant to keep an eye on you when I'm not around" his eyes search my face, a frown line still etched between his brows.
"I don't know Harry, Anne and Carolina have left... You stormed off, no one knew where you went. And actually, Niall chose to trust me. I told him that I wanted to find you, to check if you were okay" I cross my arms across my chest.
"Anne left? Huh" Harry hums, turning to walk back into the stables. I follow him and look around to see this stable is empty, and it actually looks quite neglected and run-down.
My eyes take in Harry's lean body as he backs his body up against a wooden wall and crosses his arms, lowering his eyes at me. "I'm fine by the way, you can go back to camp now" he grumbles dismissively.
"What were you doing out here?" I ignore his words, "I heard you yell".
A small smirk breaks onto Harry's lips and I tilt my head in confusion as he reaches into his pocket and pulls something out.
My eyes run over the small squished cylinder between Harry's fingers. "A cigarette? You're smoking out here?"
"No" Harry clips, "A joint. It's marijuana, smart ass. You heard me 'yell' because I dropped it in the dirt here" his brown boot flicks and kicks the dirt below him.
A small giggle escapes my lips and I fake a scowl, "what a slippery bastard. You definitely had a good enough reason to yell and curse".
Harry's lip pulls up into a small smirk before he rolls the joint between his long fingers. "I was about to light up" He says, sliding down the wall so he's now sitting. "Want some?".
I bite the inside of my cheek, "I dunno..." I mumble, "I've never smoked, it never really interested me".
"No shock there" Harry grumbles sarcastically as he places the joint between his lips and pulls a small lighter from his pocket.
I make my way to the spot against the wall next to him and slide down beside him, placing my crutches nearby on the dirty ground.
I watch curiously as Harry brings the lighter up to the small pale stick between his lips and lights it as his chest rises with an inhale. He pulls the joint from his lips and slowly exhales the smoke, his chest falling as he closes his eyes gently.
His eyes open again and he rolls his head towards me, raising his eyebrows as he holds the joint out towards me expectedly.
"I don't know..." I trail off, biting my lip.
"Don't do that Mel" Harry smirks, raising the joint back between his lips and inhaling again. He blows the smoke out and makes eye contact with me again. "You wouldn't be able to handle a little weed anyway" he muses in an absent-minded way.
"I can handle whatever you handle" I argue back, frowning.
Harry chuckles and holds the joint out to me again, "then prove it, badass".
I snatch the joint from his fingers and examine it for a few seconds before raising it to my lips and sucking in, hard.
Embarrassment fills me as I erupt into a coughing fit, and Harry laughs, like genuinely laughs as he pats my back to help bring me back from my coughing attack.
"You don't have to inhale so much at once. Just pull in a small amount, then breathe in deeply to allow it to enter your lungs. Then blow out" Harry takes another drag and then passes it to me.
I place the joint which is becoming even harder to hold in my fingers as it burns away between my lips once more and take Harry's advice, slowly inhaling and letting it fill my lungs before exhaling.
Harry nods approvingly once I finish with zero coughing, and smiles slightly, taking the joint back for himself.
The taste is strange, and it makes my chest feel slightly tight, but it's honestly not as bad as I ever thought.
My parents would lose their absolute minds if they saw me right now. Drugs? I would be tossed out into the streets for sure.
"So... are you okay?" I ask as Harry moves his body around so he can lay his back down on the stable floor before he takes another drag. He looks extremely relaxed; I wonder how often he does this and I just have never noticed?
"I'm fine, especially now" He smirks, holding the joint out for me to take.
I smile slightly before having another puff and passing it back.
Harry holds the joint between his fingers on his right hand and holds his left hand out, I'm assuming as an offer to take. I hesitantly reach out and clasp my hand around his before he gently pulls me down to lay on the ground beside him. I usually would be so disgusted by laying on the floor of a dirty stable, but it's not so bad, especially with my head beginning to spin slightly.
"Did you have a fight with Anne?" I ask quietly, staring up at the old wooden roof as I feel a strange sensation start to creep up on me.
"Maybe" Harry finishes the last of the joint before throwing it to the ground away from us. Even from the corner of my eye I can see Harry's chest rising and falling slowly; he must be feeling the same way as me.
"How could you ever fight with Anne? She's so lovely" I slowly say, rolling my head to observe his facial features.
"She just nags me" Harry chuckles, bringing his fingers up to rub his temples. "She can be a real testing bitch".
"So can you" I giggle. Harry turns and squints his eyes at me with a small smirk playing on his lips.
"So can you" Harry mimics my words.
"How so" I breathe out carelessly, closing my eyes and allowing the relaxing feeling to engulf me.
"You're very testing, Melody. You're always teasing me with your... everything. You never take orders" Harry exhales loudly, "You can't be tamed. You're very hard for me to manage".
"I don't want to be tamed" I giggle, holding my arms up in front of me to observe. "I am a free spirit, a lioness", I wiggle my fingers.
"Cringe" Harry teases me, now copying my movements and holding his arms up in the air above our lying bodies.
A small laugh escapes my lips and I take the moment to observe the differences in our arms. His arms are definitely more tanned than mine, and definitely hairier. Not to mention dark with ink with the scattered tattoos spreading from his fingers to his biceps.
"Your arms are so bare" Harry's raspy, slow voice breaks through my thoughts.
"And your hands are so..." Harry's hand reaches out to mine and hesitantly grabs it before examining it, "Small".
"Yours are just big" I muse, closing my eyes as I feel his finger tips swirl circles around my small palm.
"Yeah, I've got pretty big fingers" Harry's entertained voice causes my eyes to open, and I roll my head to look into his playful eyes which are now slightly red.
He definitely meant that the way I interpreted it.
"Yeah" I joke, "I'm sure those big fingers have many talents".
"Like rolling joints" Harry smiles lazily, and I laugh, knowing that he and I both know that wasn't the first thought that came to mind.
"And shooting guns" I bite my lip as I smile.
Harry frowns and reaches out to touch my lip bottom lip, skimming the delicate skin with his thumb tip.
"You bite your lip a lot for someone who has been told not to do that" Harry's touch makes my eyes flutter shut once more.
"You said so yourself" I mumble jokingly against his fingers. "I can't be tamed".
"I always knew that about you. From the moment I met you and you weren't afraid of us, from the moment I had you up against that tree. You're strong, Mel. You've been put through hell yet you're still the strongest woman I know".
Memories from the day I came face to face with this gang come flooding to my mind, and I can't help but imagine what I would be doing if that never happened, what I would be like. I don't even know how long I've been here... a few weeks maybe? I'm not sure.
"I've had to be strong. I've had no other choice" I look at Harry, whose eyes are now bouncing around my face, as he takes in my features.
"You're beautiful, Mel. Why have you never had a boyfriend?" He blurts out, and I'm honestly shocked, but he doesn't seem to regret saying it as his face doesn't budge and he just stares at me, awaiting my answer.
"I've had things with boys before" I start, turning my head to look back up to the roof. "I guess I've just never found anyone I wanted to be serious with... I guess there was a lot of pressure in my household as to who I was going to end up with..."
"Ahh" Harry hums, and I'm not sure how he's going to react at the mention of my family. "So they wanted you to be with someone rich, yeah? Someone who could really take care of you".
"I guess so. I probably would have ended up in an arranged marriage by the age of 23 anyway... That's just how they rolled, you know".
"No, I don't know. I think that's total bullshit" Harry's tongue darts out to wet his lips. "There's a whole world out there that you don't know about, Mel. I'd love to show you it".
I sigh, "Maybe one day, if I'm not dead by then" I joke.
I gasp slightly as Harry unexpectedly manoeuvres his body to the point where he is now on top of me, supporting his body weight with his hands on either side of my head. His hair falls into his eyes and he tilts his head as a slight smile spreads over his lips.
"Does this intimidate you" he breathes, his tongue darting out to wet his lips again as his eyes stay glued on mine.
I nervously pull my bottom lip between my top teeth and breathe out as he lowers his body so that his face is mere centimetres from mine.
"Biting that damn lip again. Tsk tsk, You're very brave" he whispers as a devilish look takes over his face.
My breath hitches in my throat as he grasps both of my wrists in one of his hands and then pulls my arms above my head, holding me still and frozen in apprehension for what he's going to do.
Harry shakes his head as if he's battling some thoughts within his own mind and I can't help but take this time to admire all his features. The red glaze over his eyes only pronounces the natural green colour even more, and his lips look red and moist. My God, this man is attractive.
"Harry" I whisper into the small space between us. Last time we were this close things happened. I'm terrified but excited at the same time, because I don't know what this means for us. I don't know where I stand with him.
"Melody" Harry smirks back as he slowly edges closer and closer to my own lips. The feeling of our lips brushing against each other causes my eyes to flutter closed, and my stomach flips as his soft lips finally attach to mine.
A soft moan escapes my lips as he deepens the kiss by slipping his tongue in with mine and a groan vibrates through his chest when I gently bite his bottom lip.
My chest raises and falls repetitively as his lips move from mine to my jaw, then to my neck, and I arch my neck back to allow more room as his lips hungrily kiss and suck on the delicate skin there.
"Oh my.... God" I breathlessly pant, sucking in a harsh breath as I feel a slight sting as Harry sucks hard and gently bites my skin. That's definitely going to leave a mark, but at this rate, I do not care.
Harry pulls his mouth off my neck and looks into my eyes with a dark look. His lips are redder and swollen, and he honestly looks like a mess, but he's hot. He's a hot mess.
He removes his grip on my wrists but I leave them resting above my head as his fingers grip the bottom of my shirt.
"Can I?" Harry asks, and I nod, lifting my head up to meet his lips with a soft peck.
He smirks as he pulls my shirt up and I assist him by lifting my shoulders up so he can pull it up and over my head. He gently pushes me down on the ground again and immediately attaches his lips to my neck, kissing and sucking roughly on the already tender skin.
His lips move downwards where they only continue to kiss until he makes his way to my breasts.
His hand slips into my bra and starts gently massaging the sensitive skin before he starts to suck on the skin usually hidden beneath my bra.
A loud moan escapes my lips and I feel Harry's lips curl up into a smile against my skin as my cheeks burn bright red.
"So good" I moan softly, just wanting to feel his soft lips on mine again. I pull his head up to my face and kiss him deeply, running my fingers into his unruly hair.
"Harry!" Harry suddenly jolts off my body at the sound of a male voice that I don't recognise.
I frantically sit up and reach for my shirt that was peeled off my body just minutes ago, but it's too late. One of Harry's men whom I don't know the name of stands in the doorway with a worried expression on his face. His eyes widen at the sight in front of him but he recovers, breathing heavily as if he just ran a mile. I guess he was probably looking for Harry just like I was.
"There's an emergency!! Mark just returned from his scouting position all fucked up. He's lost four of his fingers! Been beaten to a pulp for information on the gang and on you!" He pants, clutching his chest. This man is so out of breath.
Harry runs his fingers swiftly through his hair out of frustration and looks towards me, where I still am sitting on the ground shirtless, holding my shirt to my chest to try and cover myself up in front of this man I don't know.
I know he needs to go and deal with whatever this is, but I also would appreciate the help in getting my shirt back on and helping me off the floor seeming how he's the reason I'm down here in the first place.
But knowing him, business comes first.
I'm just praying he doesn't leave me here with this guy.
"Is he getting immediate medical assistance?" Harry flicks his head towards the man in the doorway and he is met with a fast-paced nod in return.
"Okay, well tell the men I'll be there in a minute to sort this out and figure out what the fuck we're going to do from here. I've got some things to finish up here" Harry's eyes land back on mine and I have to internally fight to stop myself from dropping my bottom lip as the man quickly runs off and out of sight, leaving Harry and alone once more.
He cares.
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HEEEY GUYS! Long time no update but here we are!!!
Please vote and comment it really encourages me to keep this story going after so many years of writing it on and off 💛 thank you all for the support, and I hope you all enjoyed it!
Til next update, byeeeee!! -Em xxx