Heartbeat

Meeting; Eavesdropping

Song of the chapter-

Atlas by Coldplay

&

My Love by Sia



Alex-


When Harry had parked his car in the unfamiliar driveway; well to me, I could feel my heart pick up pace at the thought of what's just inside that house. Harry had to open my door for me, because I hadn't moved from my seat because I was occupied with my thoughts.

"Aren't they going to be in for a surprise." Harry smiles up at me while grabbing our bags from the trunk.

What's he talking about?

"C'mon babe." Harry looks over his shoulder to gain my attention again.

When he begins to walk again I grab a fistful of his jacket, pulling him back to me.

"Do they know I'm here?" I whisper.

Harry shrugs his shoulders, "I didn't mention it to them." He says casually.

My eyes about bulge from my head, just a bit infuriated with him.

"What? What is it?"

Is he completely stupid!

"They don't know!" I basically hiss, crossing my arms over my chest when he rolls his eyes in an exasperated way.

"Because what would've that done? Given them a warning so they could plan ahead of time what to do to embarrass me?" He laughs.

I hate how he doesn't take me seriously when I'm angry with him. He probably just sees it as I'm in a pouty mood or I'll snap out of it when he kisses me, which is pathetic because it sometimes works. But how could he not tell his mother he's bringing a girl home for Christmas? She's going to be so caught of guard.

"Listen, it doesn't make a difference. They're still going to like you either way."

I move my face away from him when he tries to kiss my forehead, but that just makes him chuckle.

"Why aren't you taking me seriously?"

I know this caught him off guard, because the tone of my voice was irritat, and it was raised more that it's normal hushed tone.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

I hate that we are standing in his mothers driveway fighting, but it's actually nagging at me in a way that I can't let go.

"Are you actually that mad about me not telling them you're coming?" He asks, as if this is suddenly noticeable.

When I nod my head yes he sighs, coming a little closer to me.

"Would you like me to go up there first and tell them?" He asks me.

He wasn't joking, but I didn't see the point in doing that. I would have to go in there at some point, and I don't need to make a big deal of it. The deal now, is that he doesn't take me seriously when I'm upset with him. Is it because I don't speak up right away about it? Shouldn't he just understand?

"Look, I don't want you standing out here much longer because your fingers are going to freeze." As he says this he takes my hands in his, securing them in the warmth of his.

"I want you to take me seriously." I murmur, looking at our joined hands.

"I know this is the first time you've heard this, but I'm still learning, babe." His back bends so he can look down to my eyes, my head tilted towards the floor.

"I'm still learning new ways to communicate with you, to understand you."

His hands begin to fiddle with mine as he steps a bit closer. I wait, because I know he's going to talk again, he's just thinking.

"I'm still learning how to read you. This may sound odd or cheesy, but I just watch you. When you talk to me, if you're happy, I look at your facial expressions, to look in your eyes, and I memorize that look."

"And when you were mad with me just now, I studied your face and now I know that if I see that again, you're pissed at me." He chuckles softly, making me do the same.

"So you've just got to be patient with me." He tells me.

I've never thought if it this way. Of how Harry has to pay attention way more than usual since I don't speak my mind much. That he has to read my body language much more than normal, and that has to be confusing at some points.

"I don't deserve you."

I find myself speaking my thoughts aloud. Not just my thoughts, but my feelings. I don't deserve Harry. I deserve therapy rooms, doctor rooms and medication for all that I've been through. Not Harry. Not my boyfriend that will sit with me when I don't have much to say, that will hold me when I don't want to face the world. That will be patient with me when I'm afraid.

"Maybe that's the other way around."

His arms were would tightly around me then, and I nuzzled my nose into the warmth of his neck before he kissed me just to mend things. And then he led me up his driveway, his hand clasping mine to maybe try and absorb the nerves running through my system. And maybe it worked a little, but I couldn't concentrate on it much because my heart was racing.


Harry-


Her nose was pink, her lips were too, as well as her rosy cheeks. The grey beanie over her head brought out her eyes, and as I approached my front door I knew I wouldn't want them to meet her with that makeup stuff on. I want them to meet her just like this, just how I see her every day. I want them to meet Alex, and just Alex.

When I knock on the door to signal my arrival I smile down to Alex, and she basically cowers into my side when she hears the doorknob jingle from the other side of the door.

"It's fine." I squeeze her hand as I whisper this softly through my smile that's plastered on my face, my mother appearing in the front doorway straight after the words fled my mouth.

"Harry!"

Her familiar voice exclaims my name before she winds her arms around my waist to hug me tightly and warmly, Alex releasing my hand to allow me to give my mother a proper hug.

"Hey Mum." I chuckle.

"Oh I'm so glad to see you, I've got some warm tea inside waiting for you." She smiles brightly.

And then she acknowledges the small girl next to me, the girl with her fingers knotted together in front of her thighs in an anxious matter, before I ease them with the touch of my own, taking her hand in mine.

"And who's this?" My mother asks.

"This is Alex Mum, my girlfriend." I squeeze her hand for comfort.

"Oh, well come in so you two don't freeze." She seems caught off guard, but that's acceptable for the circumstance.

"So what's brought you down here with my boy for the holidays?" Her voice is guessing and curious, apprehensive if I can guess.

Alex looks up to me with worry. So I answer for her.

"She didn't have much else to go." I answer.

"Oh, well that's just fine darling."

Next she leads us both into the kitchen for tea, making another for Alex since she did not expect her company. I see her keep sneaking glances at us both as we sit at the island in the kitchen while she makes tea, probably wondering why Alex hasn't said a single word. My hand is rested on her knee under the table as my mother give us our tea.

"So your sister should be home soon." She tells me.

She asks how all my friends are doing as Alex sips on her tea, and asks if Alex has met them all.

"You like my idiot friends don't you babe?"

Alex's cheeks heat as I call her babe in front of my mother.

"Yes." She manages her best smile as she tells my Mum this.

"She actually lives across the hall from us. That's how we met." I explain.

A while later, after finishing our tea and warming up, my mother suggests we bring our luggage upstairs and get settled before my sister gets home. Alex doesn't listen as I tell her to let me take them, grabbing her luggage herself with a tiny smile being shot in my direction before following me up the steps to my old bedroom.

I can tell Alex is flustered from her encounter with my mother as I open up the door. She raises her eyebrows, as in saying are we both sleeping in this room?

"Babe, my Mum has the common sense to guess we sleep in the same bed together." I chuckle.

That makes her cheeks flush.



Alex-


Harry had went down to help his mother get extra blankets for us for tonight, and I stand folding his clothes that he had just thrown in his suitcase while packing. After doing that I decided to go down and help them, to be polite and all.

"That doesn't matter to me."

Harrys words are heard from around the corner of the staircase.

"But isn't it hard to actually know eachother?"

It's then that I realized they were speaking about me.

"No. Because if you knew her how I knew her, you would realize she's the most easiest person to be around."

I've never heard Harrys voice so defensive before. Does his Mum not like me?

"I guess that's your decision then. I'm sorry I mentioned it Harry, I was just curious."

"Yes, it is my decision. Get to know her and then tell me she's hard to talk with."

And at that, I hear his heavy footsteps heading for the staircase, not giving me enough time to process an escape so he does not find me eavesdropping. I wasn't hurt or upset. Because that is a normal thing for her to ask him. It's her son, and she has a right to. But I knew that right when he rounded that corner and spotted me, he would think I was upset with what I had most definitely heard. I think over all of this quickly, knowing I do not have much time at all before he sees me. So I lean against the wall, and when he rounds the corner and is surprised to see me there, I smile just a little to show I'm not upset.

"Did you hear all that?"

He holds some blankets in his hands, but he doesn't seem I acknowledge them as he comes up to me.

"She didn't mean it in a harsh way. But dammit, why does she just have to assume things before even getting to know you."

I'm surprised by the upset nature to his tone.

"I'm okay babe." I tell him softly.

When a smile graces his full lips, it makes me laugh softly.

"You've never called me babe before." He smiles.

I giggle a little as he leans in to push his lips again mine, the blankets in his hands pushed between our chests as he backed me up against the wall at the top of the staircase. The kiss wasn't heated or needy, it was just to kiss one another. His lips wrapped around my bottom on, caressing them in the most heart stopping way before repeating the action with the top.

"I'm home baby brother!"

A girls voice shouts this from downstairs which makes us break apart quickly, Harrys lips looking freshly kissed.

"Oh God, here we go." He murmurs, hand taking mine, pile of blankets falling to lumps on the carpeted staircase as he leads me down to meet his sister.


Hope you enjoyed:)

You guys have any theories of what you think might happen??