The Knight in Leather Armor

ch.33 Breaking the Rules

“Ah-hem” someone cleared their throat behind us.

I turned slightly to see who it was but Harry kept a firm grip around my waist and let his tongue linger over mine, making it hard for me to move and hard for me to want to move.

The voice huffed impatiently.

I pushed at Harry’s chest slightly and he moved back the slightest bit.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything” she spoke in a coarse voice and glared at Harry.

She was an older woman, but there was nothing sweet or grandmotherly in her beady black eyes or stern grimace.

Harry looked like he was about to protest, so I interrupted.

“No, of course not” I answered quickly and looked, slightly embarrassed. I didn’t know how much she had seen: Harry painting my neck with frosting or me licking his finger?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know we had another volunteer” the woman spat, but there was no trace of apology in her voice.

“Oh, I’m not actually a volunteer” I replied a bit sheepishly.

The woman let her beady eyes glance at me momentarily- like I was some kind of incurable disease in her perfect little hospital.

“I know” she interrupted me tersely.

“Harold, you know the rules. No guests-” she eyed me suspiciously- “without written notification.”

Harry glared at her and then turned his head slightly to wink at me. Of course he knew the rules, but that didn’t stop him from making his own. But I didn’t want him to take the blame, even though I knew he was willing too.

“It was my fault. I was just-” I spoke up.

The woman held her hand up, motioning for me to stop and my voice quieted down to a mouse’ whisper.

She sniffed the room and her eyes rested on the cupcakes.

“Did you make these?” she asked harshly as that seemed to be very natural for her.

“Yeah” Harry replied just as bitterly.

“I’ll let it slide. Just this time” she stated cautiously. And she picked up a cupcake and took it with her.

She looked back at us one last time before she closed the door and left.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble” I apologized quietly and glanced up at Harry.

“Trouble?” Harry laughed.

I looked up at him cautiously- slightly confused at his reaction.

He tilted my chin up higher so that I could see the tiny specs of green and grey in his green marbles.

“Angela, you are my trouble. And I’ll break every rule to have you” he told me in a steady, confident voice.

“I wish there were no rules” I replied quietly as I looked down at his jacket. I wished nothing was in our way. Not Danny. Not the cops. Not Louis. Not even this crabby supervisor.

“Then where would all the fun be?” Harry winked as he moved a stray lock of hair from my cheek and closed his lips over mine.

******

Harry drove me back to my place.

I looked out at the driveway and Danny’s car, Zayn and Niall’s truck, and Tony’s motorcycle were nowhere to be seen.  

I went inside to double-check that they weren’t all still passed out in the living room, but no one was there. It was messy as hell, but dead quiet.

“Harry, they’ve all left” I told him as I went back to his truck.

Harry scanned the street once more. Then he parked his truck and hopped out.

It was weird, hearing, seeing absolutely nothing- especially not Danny’s deep, demanding voice and omnipresence. It was just me and Harry, exactly as it should be.

We should be relieved, even excited to have the place to our selves, but Harry was noble like that. I knew he wasn’t going to do what I know he’s been- we’ve both been waiting for him to do. It would be too risky.

I glanced over at Harry and he almost looked painfully exhilarated. He walked into the living room slowly, waiting for Danny to pop out and catch us.

I took his hand and led him over to the couch. He sat down slowly and I curled up next to him. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer to his chest, almost automatically.

“What time is Danny coming?” he asked in a distant voice.

“I don’t know, later” I brushed off a bit too quickly.

I sighed as reality ruined what could have been a golden moment. 

Respecting and keeping his loyalty to Danny was Harry’s one rule. It was the one rule he could never get himself to fully break. And it was the one rule he had to break in order to be with me. I wished he could keep both. I didn’t want him to choose. As much as I wanted Harry for myself, I couldn’t be so cruel to Danny.

Harry has been Danny’s first and best friend for years now. It would be downright heartless of me to take that happiness away from Danny, especially since that happiness was coming to me now.

“Angie” he spoke quietly, like a father to a misbehaving child.

“Forget about Danny. Just for two minutes, Harry” I asked of him. I tried that “Bambi” eyes thing because I was just too horribly stubborn and greedy to let anything else take Harry’s attention. Even if it was just for two minutes.

Harry looked down into my eyes almost immediately- half afraid to look anywhere else and half afraid to stare a moment longer.

“Worry about me” I spoke in a quiet voice as I kissed his neck. I smiled slightly. I knew that was hi biggest weakness: constantly trying to protect me and fretting over every second I was the slightest bit upset.

Harry shook his head slowly, letting a few curls fall over his eyes.

“That’s a full-time job” he laughed and his dimples showed through.

“Prove it” I said with a dangerous gleam in my eyes- very far from my usual “bambi look.”