[amber's pov]
It was impossible not to smile as Harry softly made Daisy release his shirt from the little tight grip and threw the small duvet, which was children sized, over her, meanwhile she mumbled in her sleep.
He closed the door to the dark room after himself, but left it a little open still. We tiptoed back to the living room in silence, so we wouldn't wake her up.
“She’s actually pretty strong for her age,” Harry shook his head in disbelief as we were back in still up lit living room.
“She’s adorable - I’m sure she’s going to make a lot of people swoon when she grows older - just like she does now actually,” I picked up the blanket from the floor and folded it quickly - it was still warm against my touch. He grabbed a cushion following my example, though a smirk had appeared in his features over my comment.
“She sure is - so have you been babysitting her often or?” He threw the cushion onto the couch and grabbed another one, sending me a gentle interested smile.
“Yeah like - yeah a lot actually. She’s kind of adorable and it’s a bonus that it can help Aria so,” he looked at me with his interested jade green eyes and I had to focus in order to make sense of my stream of words; “it’s always a blast really! Haven’t you looked after her?”
Harry groaned with a wide growing smirk, as he held the last cushion down his side, “no not really. I mean yes maybe once or twice but I honestly think Aria wouldn’t trust me with that! Probably a good idea though.”
He didn’t seem to mind though as he continued with a chuckle, “like I love her right? But I'm just not good with entertaining for so long. I mean what if I run out of ideas? Or she would start crying or something? Anyway I’m still a big hit when I bring my guitar - so I guess my lack of time actually just makes me more … valued when I’m finally here you know?”
“That’s actually pretty crafty!” I threw the blanket over the armrest of the armchair and looked at him with narrowed eyes, as I seated on the couch. I was pretty sure that was the thing with most guys though; it wasn't that they didn't like kids, but it could be a major responsibility to take on.
He shrugged playfully, “well it’s not easy entertaining kids for so long seriously - so you got my respect that you’re able to do that! ”
With a genuinely grin he crossed the room to take a seat next to me on the couch. I had lifted my legs up under me and was holding my arms around them, while I looked at him with endless amounts of questions and imagine him as the favorite uncle who played in a band and only came on very special occasions.
“You have no idea how many questions I got on my mind,” I observed how his eyes grew a little wider in surprise as he continued playing with one of the silver rings on his hand. It reflected the light beautifully, but he didn’t seem to notice as his eyes were settled on me. And he smiled that way when he would bite down on his bottom lip in order to keep from smiling widely but his dimples would still show - that kind of smile that made my heartbeat race.
“So do I actually,” he got questions too? My heart fluttered and I held on tighter to my knees, as in a try to keep myself from freaking out and start laughing like a maniac.
He leaned in a little as if he had gotten a good idea; “okay so I know this game. You can ask whatever question - we’ll take turns - and you can either decline to answer or answer completely honestly.”
I nodded understanding the game before he continued, “I have to head to work in half an hour actually so we’ll probably have to continue this later - but doesn’t mean we can’t start it right?” He spoke matter of fact. That it was unavoidable that we would meet again. Could he stop trying to kill me with his words and honest intentions? He … he gave me hope. Hope which meant the danger of getting hurt if things went wrong.
His smile grew a little bleak over the disturbance of reality and all its demands with the part about having to go to work. And I couldn’t help feeling the same, but then again this was real life - not some movie. And just having him here for half an hour was more than I could have ever dreamed of.
“Okay. We will continue next time,” we would. I needed that, I needed to know more about him than what I could get from half an hour.
“Then you start,” I stated amused and rested my head on my arms on top of my knees, while waiting for his first question - even curious as to what he would ask.
“Why are you wearing my sweater?” He hadn’t even flinched over my rapid answer or taken the chance to think about what question to ask. He had been blunt and direct and with a curious smirk growing into place, as I suddenly recalled what I had first been embarrassed over when I saw him in the entrance. But with the whole ‘him being the nephew’ I had practically forgotten about it - right until now. It seemed he’d had this question resting on the tip of the tongue this entire time I realized.
I hid my flushed face in my arms and mumbled, “because it’s warm and ehm.” Oh crap. I should just have stopped after ‘warm’.
“And?” Harry pressed on with a calm tone, though his features were completely lit up and amused. Oh shit he had caught onto the ‘and’. Crap. Oh god why. I peeked up deciding to be blunt and brave like him, “and it smells really nice.”
“Which side of your family is Aria from?”
He didn’t even have time to understand my answer before I had stated mine in return.
“Wait wait - so you think I smell good?”
“I asked you a new question,” I stated lightheaded and totally embarrassed, though I couldn’t stop from feeling the fluttering tropical butterflies in the my belly. I kind of just wanted to turn into one of the red cushions with the beautiful pattern. The way his eyes didn’t leave my embarrassed face and posture. The way he couldn’t stop smiling widely. I felt like a damn schoolgirl talking with her first crush.
“Okay Aria is my father’s half sister - so you think I smell good?” Harry’s smirk grew wider with each second as he took advantages of the rules of the game.
I made an inhuman noise and narrowed my eyes at him completely abashed. With a stubborn sigh and while trying to fight that unavoidable and deeply annoying smile I murmured; “yeah maybe.”
“Sorry what did you say?” Could I please turn into a cushion already? I wouldn’t even need the pattern! His smile grew wider and he leaned in further, pretending to not having heard that little...
“Yes! Okay you ehm… you got a perfectly lovely scent are you happy now!?” I couldn’t help smiling at him - he was such a prick! A totally adorable amazingly beautiful mind blowingly interesting prick actually. And yes he smelled like freaking heaven.
“Okay - okay that’s nice to know. Thank you I guess? So your next question?” I shook my head at him just brushing my awkwardness off that easily.
“Yeah okay since I finally know what kind of questions we’re going with here!” He moved a little in the couch excited, pushing his hair back and changing his body posture so he sat cross legged now. How he managed to do so - so very elegantly was a mystery to me.
“Why did you give me your journal?” I asked. He took a deep breath, as I changed my posture too - matching his.
“Because I wanted you to have it - because you seemed to … to treasure it in some way. I’ve never let anybody else read in my journal before actually - or any of the others I’ve kept anyway. I don’t know really? It just seemed … right.”
I nodded feeling slightly bubbly on the inside. I was the only one he had let read his words.
“Thanks for being honest.”
He simply nodded with a crooked smile, seeming to understand my curiosity.
“What do you like most about yourself?” His voice was steady and raspy - confident, interested. Urgh! Why was he so good at coming up with questions, which were just on the edge? They still seemed perfectly innocent but were just - so private still? Crap. I looked at my hands.
“I like … “ What did I like? This was like December month where you had to make your wish list and you could think about absolutely nothing. “I like… okay crap. It’s not because… I got low self esteem or anything but it’s kinda hard coming up with an answer under pressure!” I didn’t want him to believe I was one of those girls with total lack of confidence. I didn’t really care about what others thought of me - at least I kind of liked myself for who I was. And that was fine with me.
“It’s okay take your time - what are you proud of, what are you good at maybe?”
I moved my eyes to the ceiling and watch the dark squares of the window above.
“I guess I like that… I’m… damn this is a hard one. I like that I have been able to move on I guess. That I’m a fighter. Yes. I think that’s what I’m most proud off. Even though my entire world has been collapsing on top of me I still found a way to build a new. That would have to be my answer.” I felt strange. I was dead honest. And I was opening up the treasure chest filled with - not gold but bad, very bad memories.
I took a deep breath and searched for his eyes from looking at my hands - to see him understand. Nothing more or less just simply be right there and listen. And most of all see how he understood.
“You’ve built a beautiful new world Amber.”
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a/n: i would just like .... get SO happy if you would share your thoughts on this! Likes/dislikes ideas/expectations whatever they might be! It truly truly helps me xx you guys are actually incredibly inspiring :) x
and @monsoon made an epic journal-harry graphic it's so cute and he looks so goood *swoon* posted it in the sidebar so you can swoon too ha! thanks darling it's so pretty :')