Entwining my fingers through Marie's, she smiles up at me and I brush my thumb with hers. The beautiful gaze she holds with me is enough to make my heart pound, her warm body lying next to mine. She has refused my hesitation and taken full charge, making me spend the night with her. But if I'm being completely honest, I wouldn't have wanted to leave.
We've been silent, observing each other as the minutes pass. I could stay up for hours watching her; my insomnia affecting me in the best way possible now. But she stays awake, eyes on fire as she looks at me.
"You should sleep," I whisper, her head resting close to my neck.
"I don't want to," she whispers, our fingers holding onto each other's tightly.
"Please. You've had a long day and I'll be here for you," I tell her, my fingers scratching my beanie covered head. I haven't taken it off and I probably won't for she likes my hair in hats. I aim to impress her because I want a relationship with her.
"Really?" she asks, her skin a pale contrast to her navy blue bed sheets.
"Yes, really. Now close your eyes," I whisper, kissing her forehead. She curls onto my body and I hold her, her hand moving out of mine and pressing her fingers over my chest. As we lay, I feel her warmth soothe all my muscles. I relax and my head leans on hers, falling asleep with her securely in my arms.
The morning is slow and I wake up before her again, only getting a few hours of sleep. But she woke me up when I felt tears soaking my neck. Her cheeks are covered in salty tears and I shake her lightly, siting up and bringing her into my arms.
"Shh," I whisper, her arms wrapping around my torso once she wakes up. One of my hand rests on the back of her neck, cradling her as she cries.
"Was it a nightmare?" I ask, her head nodding. My hands bring her cheeks in my palms, cradling her as I wipe the tears away again.
"About what happened to you a while ago?" I ask, her head nodding.
"No one...would be here before. Please...don't go," she whispers, my head shaking.
"Of course not. It's going to be okay," I promise her, holding her as she calms down. It's nearly six in the morning and we were up until one. I just don't want her to feel pain anymore.
Her eyes are soon tear free and she holds my hand in hers, tracing the tattoos around my wrist. Marie moves her body out of my lap and holds my hand, pulling me out of bed. We walk into her kitchen and she begins making something, my help aiding her.
"Muffins?" I ask, her head nodding. We start making the batter and we have a lot of fun getting batter on each other's faces. She laughs so hard when she places some on the bridge of my nose. It's as if she enjoys it when I try to make her laugh. Her laugh is my favorite noise to listen to; even if it's the result of my embarrassment.
"We have barely enough batter to make muffins," she laughs, setting her fingers on my hands. Her small frame is so cute next to mine, her head just at my chest. She'll be able to hear my heart every time I hug her.
"That's alright. I think this is a pretty good sight," I grin, her batter covered face something I find absolutely delectable. She's irresistible even with food all over her face.
"That's a lie," she teases, poking my nose again. Except this time she moves her hands to my cheeks, my eyes trained on her. Please, let her kiss me again.
Her eyes stay on mine and she hesitantly moves her head towards mine, mine moving down to help her. We close the distance and our lips press together again, my hands setting on her waist. I lightly lift her to sit on the counter, making it easier for her. Her fingers stay on my cheeks before they remove my beanie, her lips staying on mine as she takes it off.
The kisses are so soft, unrushed in the most addictive way. Her fingers run through my hair numerous times, twisting the curls lightly between her small fingers. It causes my head to spin and I keep my hands on her waist, holding her close to me in a comforting gesture. Marie's loose hair falls over my face and I smile through our kiss, always finding it cute when her loose tendrils fall in her face.
Our lips move apart and she brushes her nose with mine, my lips curving. "You're cute," I whisper, her laugh muffled for her lips remain together.
"So are you."
___
"What do you mean?" Mum asks, clear Gemma hasn't spoken to her.
"Gemma called me a few weeks ago. I was trying to figure everything out before I told you," I tell her, my hand wiping my face with a towel.
"But she...how?" she asks, my shoulders shrugging.
"She must have found my number and called me, hoping I'd forgive her. Damn, I was so upset and angry," I recall, my mum completely understanding.
"Why hasn't she tried me?" she wonders, my body sitting on the bench in the locker room.
"I have no idea mum. She called me and I hung up, too angry to think," I explain, grabbing my tape out of my bag. I have the trainer wrap my hands as I talk, my mum understanding me best at the moment.
"Just give her some lenience Harry. She left, yes, but she's coming back. She's my daughter and your sister. We need her back," she tries, but I huff.
"She ran away. That's unforgivable," I state, her sigh heard.
"Harry, give her a chance. At least she's alive after all these years. Both of us thought she was gone," she nearly chokes, my heart slumping in my chest.
"Okay, mum. I'll talk to you soon," I say, her voice carrying a goodbye before I hang up.
This morning, I hated myself. I had gotten home so late because I was with Marie for the longest time, but Roxie was pounding on my door at ten. It was frustrating and she walked in, followed by Zayn and Niall. They started telling me I needed to start working out because I was a little under-muscular than I should be. They claimed girls like muscle and that Marie had dated a football player. It made me extremely jealous and pissed that they had the nerve to say this to me, but it also made me second guess my physique.
I want to be the strongest man I can be for Marie.
Now, I'm a sweaty mess. My muscles flex and the trainer coaches me on what to do. I'm already built and I feel like my muscles are on fire. I already look...bigger. I walk towards the locker room after the workout and take a shower, placing my boxers and jeans on when I'm finished. I wipe that last few droplets of water off my chest and pull on a shirt, drying my hair off after.
As I walk out of the locker room, I shake out my hair and put my hood up. Walking towards the entrance of the school, my hand pushes the door open and I walk out. Footsteps are heard behind me and I turn around, two little arms wrapping around my neck.
"Holy muscles," Marie says, my arms wrapping around her.
"I've been working out," I grin, her hair in a braid. Her lashes are long and I smile at her beauty, just coming from ballet.
"That's cool. Why?" she questions, her fear of talking to me lessening.
"I-I want to. I've been getting kind of...weak. My muscles aren't as big as they used to be," I explain, her fingers coming to lace through mine.
"You look fine. Perfectly sculpted," she says, poking my cheek.
"Stop," I laugh, her lips curved perfectly.
"What? You have dimples for a reason," she laughs, my arms pulling her into me.
"Yes. They are stupid," I say, kissing her cheek before letting her go.
"No. I find them so cute. I've never met a guy with dimples before," she says, her eyes gleaming up at me.
"Is that so?" I ask, her laugh ringing through the air.
"Yes."
My lips press to her forehead and I take her to my apartment, her feet stepping out of her boots. Her Eskimo boots, as I refer them as. I bring her into my arms and she smiles, my lips pressing to the tip of her nose.
"Oh, I made something and I need you to tell me if it's good," I say, carrying her into my kitchen. She laughs and I set her on the counter, retrieving the cookies from the pantry.
"What's this?" she asks, holding my journal in my hand.
I quickly grab it from her and she looks at me, my hand running through my hair. "My journal," I whisper, her head nodding.
"What do you write about?" she asks, nudging my knee with her wool sock covered toes.
"Stuff. Everything," I say, grabbing a cookie and handing it to her.
"Do you write...for your piano?" she asks, taking a bite of the cookie. She closes her eyes and gives me a thumbs up.
"Yeah, actually. I've been writing a song lately," I tell her, her eyes lighting up.
"Play it for me."
With a simple nod, I lead her towards my piano and I sit. She moves behind me and wraps her arms around my neck lightly, leaning into me. She kisses my cheek before she sits beside me.
"Are there lyrics?" she asks, my head nodding.
The memorization I took to remember these words were like remembering the alphabet. It was easy and simple.
"Sing it too," she says, looking at me brightly.
I haven't sung in front of anyone in so long. My mum was always the recipient of my songs and now I have a beautiful girl wanting to hear me sing. All I do is nod and she smiles, my fingers forming over the keys. With my movements, I close my eyes and concentrate. This distracts me from everything in the world.
"I figured it out," I sing, "I figured it out from black and white."
My lips continue to move as I sing; You and I is what I have called the song. It's simple, but effective, as Professor Sergio said.
"You and I, we don't wanna be like them. We can make it to the end. Nothing can come between you and I," I hum, my voice soft as I sing. My fingers continue to play, moving rapidly as I play every note I have written. I finish singing and continue to play, finishing with the last chord. My eyes reopen and I meet hers, her eyes watching me closely.
"You wrote that?" she asks, her lips curved.
"Yeah. I, uh, wrote it after dancing with you," I shyly smile, her cheeks turning a pink color.
"You sing and play beautifully," she says, her lips pressing to my cheek.
"Thanks."
"Now, for the real show," she grins, placing her fingers on the piano. She starts playing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. I laugh and wrap my arm around her body, pulling her close and kissing her cheek.
"Fantastic. Encore," I cheer, her laugh contagious.
"I'm sorry. That's all," she grins, hugging me close to her.
"How was your day?" I ask, her shoulders shrugging.
"Okay. Hard," she whispers, my hand wrapping around hers.
"Let me play for you," I say, her head nodding. She moves away from me for room and I place my fingers over the keys, playing the piece Sergio gave me a while ago. She's smiling the entire time I play, my eyes actually open as I move my fingers. Her hand moves to sit on my thigh and I continue to play, her fingers running against my jeans lightly.
"You're really good. Talented," she comments, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"Thank you," I grin, her fingers grabbing mine. I move off the bench and stand behind her, forming my fingers over hers. I teach her fingers how to play an easier piece, Debussy, and she smiles as my hand engulfs hers. Her fingers are so small that it's hard to guide them across the keys.
"You're brilliant," I whisper in her ear, wrapping my arms around her from behind.
"Learned from the best," she smiles, her fingers wrapping around my arm.
"Do you want to stay tonight?" I ask, her lips kissing my cheek.
"I can't. I have to get up at five. I'm sorry," she whispers, turning to face me better.
"Don't worry. We're in the library tomorrow, right?" I ask, her head nodding. Her eyes meet mine and I kiss her fingers lightly, lifting her and aiding her in getting ready.
After walking her home, the journey back to my house feels lonely and I climb into bed. No sleep comes and I shower after getting up, my hands packing a workout bag. When I walk to the library, I sit down and take out my English assignment. Literary devices are the stupidest material I've ever learned.
"Harry, how's weights?" Roxie asks, my shoulders shrugging.
"It's alright."
"You look buff already. Your muscles are getting huge," she smiles, my lips curving.
My fingers scroll on my laptop, defining every term the professor has given me. As I work, my fingers write and concentrate on everything I'm doing, but I'm pulled out of all thoughts when she walks in. Marie sets her things on the floor and I grab her hand, pulling her into the back of the library before she completely breaks down. The tears soak my shirt and she clings onto me, her quiet sobs soothed by me as best as I can.
"What happened?" I ask, my thumbs wiping away tears.
"Penny, she-she told me I was a...a whore," she cries, my eyebrows frowning.
"How could she say that?" I say, so frustrated. Marie has the right to cry because that bitch is wrong. Marie's a beautiful person.
"S-She thinks I'm sleeping with you...to get over..." she breaks down before she says Luke, my hands bringing her closer.
"Don't listen to her," I whisper, holding her face in my hands.
"I-I...didn't do anything," she cries, my eyes focused on her.
"I know you didn't. You're very personal and I get that. She has no right to say such things about you, and I will stand up for you. Penny has no right," I remind her, her fingers holding my waist tightly.
I calm her down and wipe her tears, being there for her as she breathes. Her fingers hold my waist and I brush her hair behind her ear, admiring her features.
"You better?" I ask, her head nodding.
Before I even move a step away, she pulls me back and presses a kiss to my lips. As we kiss, I grab a book off the shelf and open it, blocking anyone who could walk by from our moment of intimacy.
"She's a waste of space," I whisper on her lips, her lips curving. We kiss again and soon break away, my hand holding hers as we walk back to the table. She sits beside me today and helps me begin the essay questions I have for homework in English, her explanations always making it easier to understand.
"How was dance this morning?" I ask, her lips releasing a sigh.
"Horrible. It started out...slow but then my partner nearly dropped me," she says, her eyes wide.
"Who was it?" I ask, her fingers typing something on her computer.
"His name's Will. He's a freshman, but he's a dance major. I-I...it was horrifying," she explains, my fingers writing an answer.
"He doesn't sound very good if you ask me," I say, her head nodding.
"You're better by a landslide," she grins, my lips kissing her cheek.
"Thank you. I try," I smile, her lips releasing a laugh.
I finish my assignment and the clock reads my next class, her fingers shutting her laptop. "Marie," I say, her eyes meeting mine.
"Yeah?"
"Can we...maybe do something again? Tonight?" I ask, her head nodding.
"Definitely."
I smile and we pack up our stuff, my hand grabbing hers as we walk out of the library. She holds onto my hand tightly, her hair falling in curls around her face. She's such a magnificent sight.
We walk to the dance room, our class being canceled due to Madame's trip to a dance conference. Instead, Marie takes her key out and opens a practice room, shutting it behind us.
"We have a few things to work on," she says, my head nodding. I walk with her to the middle of the room and she plays music, taking our position together. Running through the steps rather quickly, my lifts aid her in her grace and she moves effortlessly as she helps me.
Every move consumes me in her and I feel her body against mine, her body cradled in my arms as I lift her. We're dripping in sweat into the early hours of the morning, so focused on this dance.
Moving with her, touching her, intesifies my feelings. I'm lost in her and she always looks at me, her hands continuously brushing my hair back. We dance and her leg hooks around my left thigh, my hand coming to it. Her hand guides my hand up the expanse and moves it over her bottom, setting my palm on her mid-back.
"You lift on three," she whispers, my head nodding. She positions herself in front of me, puffing out numbers until we reach three. My hands set on her waist and I lift, her body so light to me. I move her above me, her eyes casted down at me as I watch her. Curls fall around her face and I slowly move her down, her fingers wrapping around my shoulders.
"That was perfect," she whispers, our foreheads pressed together. We're panting; desperate for air. Everything was amazing.
"Yeah," I whisper, her breath tickling my lips.
Before I do anything remotely controlled, my lips press to hers and she quickly responds. Her fingers wrap in my hair and I lift her, carrying her body.
"Can we go...to your place?" she asks, my eyes looking up at her. Her eyes are so bright and I nod, setting her down and grabbing my coat. We walk, nearly run to my apartment, my fingers fumbling to open the door. God, my mind is spinning. As soon as the key is placed in, my hand shoves the door open and I lock it behind her.
"Come here," I say, her feet stepping towards me.
Her fingers remove my coat and I take hers off, setting them on my couch. I take her hand in mine and bring her into my room, closing the door behind us. Marie places her hands on my chest and kisses me again, my hands holding her.
"Wait," she says, her fingers grabbing mine.
"I-I need to-to say something," she stutters, eyes hesitantly looking away from mine.
"Shh, what's wrong?" I ask, bringing her to sit on the edge of my bed. I kneel in front of her and she looks at me, bringing my face between her hands.
"I-I can't," she says, my eyebrows frowning.
"Can't what? Marie, talk to me. You don't have to be afraid with me," I whisper, her fingers burning into my skin.
"I can't...be with you...like that. I'm scared to do that kind of stuff," she whispers, the friction between us lessening.
"Sex?" I ask, her head nodding.
"Marie, I would never force you into anything. That's a deep commitment and I understand how scary it is. It's horrifying and it's a lot to take in. Have you ever had sex before?" I ask, her fingers twirling a little curls by my ears.
"Yeah. Once," she says, my head nodding.
"So you have some experience but it was probably with someone you deeply care about. Luke..." I trail, her head nodding.
"Then it was with someone you loved and someone that respected you. I've only had sex once as well if that helps you," I say, her eyes meeting mine in shock. I smile at her innocence.
"But anyways, just talk to me. I'm not a mean guy and I happen to have an insane crush on you so it's all good," I say, her lips curving. She wraps her arms around my neck and I hold onto her, relaxing her as she realizes my feelings towards her.
_____
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