Fists and Knives (A Harry Styles Fanfiction)

Chapter 17

holy shit is that two chapters in one night the answer is yes 

The only reason I hated sleeping with other people was because I was a relatively light sleeper myself.  I could always recognize when someone was pushing on the bed I was in or even just walking past me as I slept, therefore, waking me up.  I was slightly distressed to see that it was only five-thirty in the morning when Harry shifted between my arms and tried to turn to face the other side of the bed.  I giggled and lifted my arm out from under his head and lifted my back so that he could retract his arm from beneath me.  I’m sure it was tingly and dead from my body laying on it all night.  I hated that feeling.

So I had officially slept with Harry, but it wasn’t in the sense that I thought my first time sleeping with him might be like.  It wasn’t anything sensual.  I had never felt such a need to help someone, to protect someone.  The panic that I felt last night with each little groan that escaped Harry’s lips tore through me in a way I hadn’t felt before.  It was weird.  

I stood up slowly from the bed and began to tip-toe to the door.  The last thing I needed was Arnold showing up and me emerging from Harry’s room in a t-shirt and underwear.  I also didn’t want Louis or Maria to see and get the wrong idea.  I was sure that Louis probably wouldn’t make any assumptions, but I also didn’t want to tell him that, after years of him trying to snap Harry out of his nightmares, it took me a single whisper.  Just one soft call of his name, and I had Harry back to reality.

“Are you leaving?” Harry croaked.

I froze where I was by the door and glanced back at him slowly. “Harry, I didn’t know you were awake.”

“Well I wasn’t until you climbed out of bed,” he chuckled softly.

I pouted apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s okay.”

I stood and chewed on my lip, unsure if it would be weird to crawl back into bed with him or not now that he was awake.  He answered the question for me by patting the mattress beside him.  “Can you come sit a moment?  I feel like I owe you a bit of an explanation.”

I pulled the bottom of my shirt down like it would do me any good and scurried back to the bed.  I crawled onto it and sat beside Harry as he laid sideways and supported his hand with his arm.

“Harry, Louis told me a lot last night,” I said before Harry could start.  “I think I know more than you think I do.  He’s tried to wake you before, but he said you usually think his voice is your dad’s or something and try to kill him.”

Harry’s face fell.  Had Louis ever told him that before?

I picked at my fingernails and continued.  “I just heard you last night and freaked out a bit.  I didn’t mean to pry or anyth-“

Harry sat abruptly and stared wide-eyed at me like I had just spoken a different language. “What?  Kennedy, you- you- you… well, you helped me.  I mean, I’ve always just kinda dreamed it out.  I’ve tried for years to stop him or to wake up but I can’t.  I haven’t been able to.”

I nibbled on the inside of my cheek.  “Well you succeeded last night. You did it.”

“You did it, K.”

I shook my head. “No, Harry, I barely whispered your name-“

Harry grinned and nodded. “I heard you.”

“Bullshit-“ I shoved him playfully.

“I’m so serious, K-“

“You’re making fun of me at this point-“