Elena
Harry. H stands for Harry.
My heart is pounding against my ribcage, mouth slightly agape. He's finally revealed me his real name, he actually told me to call him Harry. I would never expect him to reveal it to me, I don't feel like I deserve to know it, not after everything I've been keeping hidden from him.
He waves his hand in front of my face. "Hello?"
I stand to my full height, blinking a few times and coming back to my senses. "I'm- I- wow. Are you- are you sure? I would never want to do or say anything that could make you uncomfortable, let alone trigger some of your flashbacks--"
"Hey, Tiger, take deep breaths," he interrupts me, standing up as well. "I want you to call me Harry." He cringes slightly as he says his name, but a smile follows right after, reassuring me it's really okay. I do see a glimmer of sadness in his features, I understand how hard this is for him.
My mouth slowly breaks into a grin. "Alright. . . Harry." I absolutely love how his name sounds when I say it, a strong feeling of happiness washing over me. "But why did you tell me? Why now?"
"Well, for one, you've revealed a lot about yourself. And two, I've realised I'm. . . I'm Harry when I'm with you, no matter how ridiculous it may sound. You truly remind me of myself, of real me. That's probably the reason I was trying to get you in order, but that ship has sailed," he says. "I'm Harry. Only for you."
"Only for me," I confirm, raising my palm to cradle his cheek, my thumb stroking his cheekbone.
"No more secrets, alright?" Harry says, his green eyes bright and vulnerable as he places his warm palm on top of mine. He's such a beautiful person, both inside and out.
"No more secrets," I say, lying to his face. I feel a sickness in the pit of my stomach for doing so, but I cannot let him get in the way of my plans, let alone risk him getting hurt because of me. I would never let that happen. The problem is, he was not a part of the plan, my feelings weren't supposed to happen. I want Vortex to get destroyed and that can only happen if Hazard wins this war, so I believe Alex and I will be forgiven at the end.
I'm helping them, my lies don't mean anything, I try to assure myself.
I wish I could at least do something good, something right while I'm here, while I have this beautiful man beside me. I'd like nothing more than to show him the world is not as horrible as it seems and it is possible to forgive yourself for your mistakes, it's possible to let go. I want him to feel wanted, like someone truly cares.
He has shared something painful for him with me, our undeniable emotional connection only tightening after that revelation. The fact he has told me his real name might not seem important to some people, but for Harry and me, it means something deep, something more intimate than actual physical contact. He has shown me a part of himself he's been keeping buried for so long.
Harry's lips land on mine suddenly, a strong feeling of contentment flowing through my body, awakening every part of me. I don't waste time to wind my arms around his neck, closing the small distance between us and pressing our chests firmly together, a small gasp falling from his lips from my sudden action. He stumbles backwards clumsily, pulling me along with him until he hits the soft surface of the bed, bouncing up and down a few times.
My body falls on top of his and I feel his lips twist in a smile against mine, causing one to appear on my own. One of his hands presses to my lower back as he uses the other one to push himself into a sitting position, forcing me to sit up as well, my hands resting on top of his shoulders. I adjust on top of him, positioning myself on his lap, my knees settled on each side of his thighs. His eyes glance down as his hands tentatively find their place on my waist, looking uncertain as if he's afraid he'd make a wrong move if he placed them somewhere else.
His lips are slightly parted, warm puffs of air leaving his mouth, cheeks painted a slight red colour. He seems unsure of what to do, probably because he hasn't done anything like this in a long time. My fingers gently wrap around his wrists, guiding his hands upwards toward my ribcage, silently letting him know it's okay to touch me in any way he desires.
I notice how he gulps nervously, my palms sliding over his broad shoulders, making a trail down his defined torso, feeling the taut muscles underneath his shirt. My lips leave a firm kiss on his as I boldly let my hands go lower, stopping above the waistband of his sweatpants, noticing how tense his body is. His grip on my sides tightens slightly, my eyes moving to his, searching for any sign of rejection or discomfort, fortunately finding none. He makes no move to stop my actions, seemingly anticipating my next move, his chest rising and falling at a fast pace.
I leave another kiss on his lips, this time gently pulling his lower one with my teeth, capturing his lip ring while doing so. A sharp exhale escapes his mouth and I make eye contact with him, noticing a wide expanse of his pupils is covering most of the sparkling green colour of his irises.
"We don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with," I tell him quietly, not wanting to do anything else until I get his approval, especially since he looks quite nervous. With the way he's holding, I'm starting to doubt he has ever done something like this with someone, but then again, it seems highly unlikely.
"No, uh, it's-- it's fine," he says quietly, his voice deep and raspy. "I don't mind," he quickly adds, gulping.
I nod, my fingers reaching to untie the knot keeping his sweatpants in place, pulling the elastic material, making it loose around his waist. I don't fail to notice a slight bulge hidden underneath the layers of clothing, my fingertips brushing slightly over it, causing Harry to inhale through his teeth. He grips my waist tighter, instinctively bucking his hips upward.
When my eyes properly glance down to his lap and exposed boxers, I suddenly begin laughing, throwing my head back. Harry's cheeks flush a deep crimson colour, eyes widened in utter confusion and embarrassment.
"Wh- why are you laughing?" He asks, sounding offended and lost.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" I manage to say, fanning my face with my hands. "It's just--" I laugh some more. "You're always strictly following the dress code and you're dressed in all black, but your boxers are white!"
He raises his eyebrows as if that's a brand new information to him and glances down at his crotch, dimples slowly indenting his cheeks as he begins laughing along with me, shaking his head slightly, his palms raising to cover his face. "Well I have to wrap up the treasure in a special package."
We're both laughing harder than we probably should, my vision getting blurry from tears collecting in my eyes. The previous tension dissolves for a few moments, leaving us in a completely carefree state; just the two of us, laughing at nonsense. He leans forward, his nose brushing along my cheek as he nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck, his warm breath fanning over the delicate skin, making me shiver.
Suddenly, the laughing fit stops, his warm lips enclosing around the skin of my neck, sucking on it, his tongue poking out to wet the area, soothing the skin. My lips part, his action igniting a fire inside of me, my hands tentatively pressing to his chest, the heat of his skin soaring through the fabric. I'm almost certain he can feel the strong and fast paced beat of my heart on my neck, the result of having him so close to me. He slowly nips at my throat, making a trail to my collar bone, grazing his teeth over the skin, my stomach flipping in excitement.
My fingertips skim over his abdomen, making his muscles contract, his lips tearing off my skin, his head pulling back. As he glances down at my hand, I notice he gets an idea of what I want to do, his features easy for me to read. I wait a few seconds for Harry to stop me, but he never does, gazing at me with intense, slightly widened eyes, managing a small nod in confirmation. My hand barely brushes against his growing length through the slim fabric of his boxers, making him breathe out through his nose, his tongue wetting his drying lips.
I repeat the gesture a few more times, each time getting a reaction from him, pleased to see the effect I have on him, his shaft hardening with each contact. His palms grip the sides of my thighs, the action probably giving him some sense of control. My eyes lock with his as my hand slowly slides underneath his boxers, my fingers wrapping around his hardened length, momentarily surprised at the remarkable size of him. His fingers dig into my thighs as I touch him, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulps.
I let my hand slowly slide down the velvety skin while I observe Harry's reaction, his eyelids lowering to the half, head rolling back in pleasure. My thumb brushes over the tip glistening with precum and I use it to lubricate my palm, continuing to slowly stroke him. A muffled groan escapes his throat, his teeth sinking into his lower lip, the sight alone making me aroused. As I work his shaft with one hand, my free one slides to the nape of his neck, fingers threading into his silky hair, fisting the locks.
My lips attach to his jawline, peppering it with kisses, my grip on him becoming more firm. My teeth slightly nip the skin of his throat, surely leaving a mark or two. When I press my lips to the base of his throat, I feel the vibrations coming from it as yet another groan leaves his mouth, my palm sliding up and down his shaft in a faster pace, repeating the gesture over and over again.
I feel his fingers dig into my skin harshly, my lips halting their movements so I can look at his face, seeing his eyes screwed shut in pleasure, lips parted as he's breathing quickly and heavily, forehead coated in slight perspiration. It only encourages me to continue with my actions, a pleased smile forming on my face, my cheeks probably as flushed as his.
Moments later, I feel a warm, sticky liquid spill over my hand, his face hiding into the crook of my neck once again, muffling a loud rumble of relief coming from him. His shoulders are rising and falling at a fast pace as he takes a few seconds to collect himself, making me feel pleased knowing I've made him feel good. The hand that's been settled on the nape of his neck runs through his soft hair, pushing it back.
"I-- wow. Just wow." He finally lifts his head, bright green eyes peering at me shyly, cheeks flustered and heated.
I smile softly at him, pushing myself up and standing to my feet. "Be right back," I tell him, walking into the bathroom to wash my hands.
Just as I finish rinsing off the soap, Harry storms into the bathroom, awkwardly clearing his throat as I turn to face him, an amused smile on my face. "You okay, Charming?" I ask him, tilting my head aside as I observe him.
"I need to take a shower," he says. "Yes, a shower. A cold shower, I'm hot and I need to cool down. . . so yeah," he rambles, his palm sliding over the nape of his neck.
"Want me to join you?" I tease him, taking a few steps toward him. When his eyes widen, I let out a laugh, his fidgety behaviour amusing to me. "I'm joking, don't forget to breathe." My lips leave a chaste kiss on his warm cheek as I leave the bathroom, a wide smile playing on my lips.
. . . .
The mattress dips slightly as Harry lowers himself on it, lifting his legs up and laying back, his head hitting the soft pillow. My head turns to look at him as I lie on my back beside him, taking in his slightly damp hair and bare ink filled torso, sweatpants covering his legs.
"My boxers are black now if you're wondering," Harry breaks the silence, a smile forming on his lips as he glances at me.
"I thought you want a special package for the treasure?"
"Yeah, but I figure it's too tempting for some people." He grins adorably, with deep dimples and all.
My laughter fills the room, my palm raising to cover my eyes as my other arm wraps around my stomach. He even lifts the hem of his sweatpants to prove it, only making me laugh harder. It takes me a minute or two to collect myself, especially when he laughs as well, claiming my laughter has just got ridiculous on a whole new level.
"I'm sorry," I say quietly. "For making you upset earlier and hiding things from you. I just. . . I know I don't deserve your trust, but I do hope you can look at me without wondering if there's something else I'm keeping from you. I just want you to be at ease with me. It's obvious I have secrets, and I can't share them all with you that easily--"
"Elena, I get it," he tells me. "So do I, we all have secrets. I trust you enough that you'll decide when is the right time to reveal what's bothering you, or if I'm even worthy to know it. I can wait, we don't have to say everything to each other in one night."
"You are more than worthy," I mumble, a sad smile playing on my lips, but I mask it quickly.
"What happened to your parents?" He surprises me by asking and it seems to me the question has been bothering him for a while.
"Everyone has a similar tragic backstory here and mine is no different," I say. "They died in a battle when Alex and I were six, that's about it."
"Similar or not, it's still sad," he tells me, intertwining his fingers on his stomach. "I'm so sorry about that. I guess I'm lucky I still have my. . .my dad."
"Yes, you're also lucky he's a good man. It's rare to find someone still so caring in this world. . . war destroys people, it changes them."
"Why now?" Harry asks, my eyes looking at him in confusion. "You said you're here because you want to help us. Why not join us sooner, why now?"
My body tenses as I move my gaze from his intense one. "No one just leaves Vortex, Harry, it's not like Alex and I could just pack our bags and walk out the door. After many failed attempts, we'd finally managed to escape and here we are."
"Who had been keeping you from leaving for so long? Seth?" He asks, spitting out his name.
"It doesn't matter because it's in the past, I'd like to focus on the present, not hold on to something that can bring no good and only makes a person weak," I answer then a realisation strikes me. Harry has been doing just that for all these years; holding on, unable to let go. I quickly sit up, looking at his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"
"It's fine, it's true," he interrupts. "I am weak."
His words bring a frown to my face, my head shaking in disagreement. "You're stronger than you think. What you did for your army at the field the other day and what you've revealed to me today proves it," I say, my hands taking a hold of his, clasping it between my palms. "Being strong means facing your fears."
"You always know what to say," he mumbles quietly, getting lost in his thoughts for a few moments, eyes fixed on something unspecific.
I take the opportunity to examine the silver rings around his slender fingers, my thumb brushing over the red gemstone one of them has. "Where are all these questions coming from, though? I thought you don't want us to reveal everything in one night?"
"This is me trying to get to know you, you don't let people know much about you. It's not about your secrets, I promise."
I hum as I take a moment to process his words. "Yeah, Alex is the blabbering one."
"And you're the crazy one."
I open my mouth to protest, but shit, he's right. "That's what you like about me, admit it."
"True." A faint smile curls his lips and he glances down at my hands holding his. "Are you, uh, planning to stay the night?"
"Do you want me to stay?" I ask, feeling slightly uncertain.
"Yes," he says honestly. "I want you to stay."
In the next couple of minutes, the lights are off and we're lying on his bed, our bodies so close yet none of us makes a move to bring them even closer. I snuggle under the cover, reaching out in the dark for him, my palm coming to contact with his warm body, realising his back is turned to me, a slight pout forming on my features.
His fingers suddenly wrap around my wrist, pulling my arm toward his chest, winding it around his torso. A grin settles on my lips at the gesture and I make myself comfortable, moving even closer to him, my forehead pressed to his back, my palm on his abdomen. I feel his warm hand cover the top of mine, his fingers slotting between mine, squeezing slightly.
This is the first night we fall asleep like this, the first night I'm not with H. I'm with Harry.