Y/N's POV
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The carousel was hit way too close to home so I couldn't take it. Harley was their for me to lean on as we walked back to the apartment, the sun setting over Sydney. It was a comfortable sense of silence, he understood me in yet so little time.
I wasn't sure to consult with him more about Liam. In depth of what he did.... the horror stories nobody would ever live through. Yet I did..
In the lobby, I still didn't stop leaning on him. He seemed exhausted by me using him as a pillow but he didn't say anything. I let go to just randomly give him a hug.
"Thanks so much. I couldn't ever repay you in any way." I'm short compared to him so it's more like I'm hugging his waist. He bends down slightly to hug me back.
"No need to repay me. You just need to be ok, that's really all there is too it. Oh shit!" He stares at the ground. "Fuck, we forgot to set up your stuff."
"No need." I laugh at his panicked nature, which he didn't even have to worry about. "We can try to set it up I guess."
"That's sounds fun actually! I'll order food too. I don't feel like cooking at all." He slips out his phone, clicking on UberEats.
"You know.. I can cook." I mention. His eyes perks up and he starts laughing.
"Princess, if you think I'm going to make you cook your absolutely insane. Hell no, relax for once. I wouldn't want you burning those pretty hands." He smirks giving a grin. I'm literally almost bright red. But I calm myself down with the DEEP BREATHS.
The elevator dings opening onto our floor. He's still humming to himself while he orders. I'm shuffling through my purse trying to find my keys. But he takes his keys, flipping them in the air before inserting it into the key hole.
"Show off." I elbow him.
"Pfffffffft, Yea Alrighty." He rolls his eyes sarcastically. "What do you wanna eat?"
"Fuck... I don't even know..." I ponder.
"Oooh how about Chinese food. Goddamn that shit is fucking mint." I laugh at his little antics. "I am half Asian after all."
"That sounds good to me. Haven't had Chinese food in awhile. But I still have to set up my bed." I groan, staring at the boxes of furniture.
"Don't worry about it, I'll help out. "
Half an Hour Later
Harley and I are sitting on the floor assembling pieces. But we are barely halfway through making the bed. The food gets here finally and I'm already STARVING.
He isn't eating though. His face buried in between the instruction manual.
"Harley, chop chop, time to eat." I hand him his bag. He sighs, pushing it away.
"Give me a second.." he mumbles.
"Harley, by a second your definition is half an hour later. Now fucking eat." I shove the bag infront of him again.
"I'm trying to get this done so either or us don't have to sleep on the couch tonight." He mumbles again, picking up different screws. "Actually, im already fucked up by this bed. I'll sleep on the couch it's okay."
"No no no. Your sleeping on the bed. I'll sleep on the couch. It's your bed anyways."
"Y/N, I'll sleep on the couch. You get your sleep." He holds me by the shoulders.
"You get your sleep!" I fire back. "Here. How about we just er... sleep together? Not like sleep together but sleep together. I trust you enough."
"Really? I'm okay with that but are you?" He asks skeptical of my answer.
"I'm completely ok with it!" I try not to blush since I have the tendency to.
"Aye, that means I don't gotta bust my ass off to put your damn bed together." She slides the boards away from his sight.
"Finally now you can eat." I chuckle, handing him his food. He chuckles too at me, motioning for me to sit down with him.
Our talks were always really long. It wasn't all so sad all the time. He was actually really shy but hella loud at the same time. But it ain't a bad thing.
10 PM
I'm still pondering over the fact if I should be sleeping in the same bed as him. I know he would never force himself on me, but would be pull something? Probably not, he's so against it. I bet he fucking hates Liam more then my own parents if I'm being honest. I sigh it off, but as I do, the air feels extremely dense. It's summer in Australia which makes sense but why isn't the Ac running?
"Harley?" I peak out of the bathroom door.
"Yea?" He calls out from the living room.
"It's getting hot. What happened to the AC?"
"Ohhh, the building said the AC isn't working properly right now." I groan in frustration at his answer. I was hoping he would say that he accidentally turned it off or something.
I close the door, leaning against it. I didn't want him to see my bruises or scars and even scratches. I'm debating in my head if foundation is a good idea but I have sensitive skin. There's no way I could wear foundation the entire night without smudging it everywhere. I could wear long sleeves and long pj pants..
I've only worn my normal sleeping clothes in front of Harley once but I was more then 10 feet away. I was going to be more up close and personal tonight.
Fuck it, I'll just wear all long sleeve.
I can tell Harley is already in his room maybe fiddling with his phone playing Angry Birds or something. The sound of HWAHHHH in the background that makes me giggle a bit.
I open his bedroom door to see him sitting in his bed on one side.
He looks up at me just eyeing me for a few seconds. His normal resting face to a soft but not angry but just offended look. I had no idea why he was giving me that mom look whatsoever.
"It's literally 23 Celsius outside. Why the fuck would you do that." He points to the long sleeve top and long pants.
"I'm not comfortable.." I mumble.
"Showing me your bruises?" He asks. I nod slightly, across to look at him. "You shouldn't feel ashamed of them..."
"But I am.." I mumble again.
"That's your mind tricking you. You've gone to hell and back multiple times. Your stronger then me by kilometers. So please.. go change princess." He speaks gently. I look up at him to see him giving me a small smile.
I'm tearing up a bit, now crying but laughing at his words. He instantly is frightened by my crying, frozen in fear.
"Oh my god, did I make you cry?" He rushes over, throwing his phone onto the bed carelessly. He pulls me into a tight hug which he rocks side to side, his chest holding all my lady sobs. "Please don't cry... it's for your own good. Those marks don't make up who you are."
"I'll keep trying, and yes I will go change." I mutter, pulling away for a brief moment. "I'll go change, not just for the weather but for my confidence."
"At a girl." He pats me on the back, before letting me go. He walks back to the bed as I walk out.
I change into the white tank top and plaid shorts like last time. I'm talking to myself in the mirror trying to regain my confidence.
"You aren't scared. Harley doesn't give a fuck about how you look. It's only him. It's only him. He isn't here to judge you, he's here to help." I repeat to the mirror pointing at myself.
I walk back out of the bathroom, opening the bedroom door slowly with a freak. Harley is sitting again, not on his phone but on his laptop. His reading glasses on with some papers on his nightstand.
"Work got you up?" I raise my eyebrow standing at the doorway. He looks up, the paper falling from his hand. He coughs, clearing his throat. Sliding his reading glasses off of his face.
"I'm sorry, what'd you say?" His voice light and slurred. He looks up and down lowkey before turning his focus back to my face.
"Work got you up." I repeat, rolling my eyes sarcastically.
"Oh yea, I fucking hate paperwork but here I am." He grins. "Cmon over here, I don't bite." He jokes.
I skip over, his eyes skimming over me again. I open the covers just sitting on the bed watching him return to his work.
"I like seeing you not always covering your marks with foundation or fabric.." he sets his laptop onto a patch of the bed as he turns to me. He takes my hand, running his fingers on some of them.
"You've noticed the foundation?.." I ask quietly.
"Now I do. I just really want to let you know your bruises and scars don't mean weakness or ugliness. It's strength and beauty since you've been through all this shit and yet your still fucking shining." Hes still rubbing small circles on a fresher scar on my arm.
"It's an insecurity. People stare at me in public or they pity me. I love the kindness but not the pity everyone feels for me." I admit. He nods his head in understandment.
"I completely get it. I had people pity me as well. Made me feel weak and hopeless quite frankly. Nearly gave up on trying but you never did.. and I trust you never will." He holds my other hand now as well too. "We will talk about this some other time.. this is such a delicate state right now. I think it's time that you get some shut eye." He pulls the covers up for me a little. I lay down looking up at him to see him looking down. "Goodnight, princess."
Harley's POV
"Goodnight, Princess." I warmly smile. I watch her lay her head down and her breath going from nervous chitters to deep and relaxed.
"Goodnight, Harley." She whispers. The way she gently whispers makes my heart throb a little every time.
She's so fucking pretty. Even with those bruises and marks she calls embarrassing, they are considered more then just pretty but powerful in a way. Not to even mention her bubbly personality that Liam will ever see. A personality that Liam will never get.
I return to my laptop typing away. But she's twisting and turning. I don't make to much of it in case she's almost into deep sleep. Her hand grazes my thigh, I also don't make to much of it. I feel something next to me. I see Y/N with her head rested on my hip with the covers up to her neck, her head barely peaking out. Why the fuck is she so adorable.
I'm busy typing away at my last paragraph when one hand moves closer to my inner thigh. Fuck.. is this on purpose? I place finger near her nose to check. She's pretty deep into sleep right now so she's not faking it.
I shrug it off even when it's very distracting for me. Half an hour later and the paragraph is tearing me apart. I'm so fucking frustrated at this paper I have to do right now. But I can't move and start screaming to release my anger. I have a sleeping girl next to me.
As I rustle through my hair trying to find out a way to redo my paper, Y/N looks up lazily patting my thigh. "What are you doing up still?" She squints.
"Work like always, go back to sleep."
"Harley.... sleep.." her sleepy voice making me a bit tired as well. I never get tired, this is a change.
"Not yet."
"Here.. lets make a deal. You lay down for 15 minutes with your laptop closed and your papers tucked away in that nightstand of yours. If you feel sleepy, you gotta sleep..." her lazy voice, and her hand still on my thigh making me sleepy just like that.
"Deal." I smirk, closing my laptop, putting it into my nightstand along with the papers.
"Thank you for cooperating you stubborn boy." She giggles, rustling my hair.
"Your very welcome, Ma'am." I turn off the lights sliding into the covers. "Challenge starts now." I face her, the outline of her face visible.
"Your on Harley." Her little laughs muffled by the covers. "Goodnight."
"Oh? Your so damn cocky that your gonna win.." I smirk again.
"Says you!" She points at me, sarcastically laughing. "Your so on!"
There's silence for a second. I'm closing my eyes but they keep flickering open and closed. I turn my back trying to not fall asleep and lose a bet. I fucking hate losing.
"I know your tired... just sleep."her voice sultry and light. "I know you are.."
"Maybe you are.. I bet you'll fall asleep first."
"Bet." Is all she says.
It's been half an hour and I haven't yet fell asleep yet. I turn to my side and I hear her chest fall and rise. I twist over to check. SHES ASLEEP. Another easy win for me. I lay right next to her, but she turns to my side. Her head is resting on my again, with her arms on me too. Her head next to my chest and her hand on my chest too.
I slowly but awkwardly wrapped an arm around her. But he kept moving her hand to scratch her back every few minutes. I moved my hand just slightly up her tank top to just lightly scratch her back. I could feel her muscle relax at the tension relieved.
After a few minutes I stop. Her head buried more into my chest. My arms wrapped more securely around her. And for the first time in forever, I've found peace.
"I'm here for you, your safe with me.." I lean down to gently kiss the top of her head.
Authors Note- Sorry for the long ass update time. I've been super busy but I should have more time since Christmas is coming up. Make sure to VOTE AND COMMENT. Happy holidays!