Chapter 6.

"Wine?" Harry pointed an empty glass towards me. "I don't drink, but thank you." I smiled. His eyebrows spoke of suspicion, which made me break into a giggle.

I was at his place this time, we decided to alternate between each other's houses. I had nearly finished furnishing my apartment however. I was extremely happy about it.

Harry's "temporary" place was just out of the city, but it felt hours away from anything. It was the sweetest secluded cottage, and it had much more space than my small apartment. It was huge actually, with almost all natural light and a pool patio out back. I set my bag down on a couch somewhere and raided the kitchen, finding some plain crackers and a juicebox in the fridge. Harry didn't pour himself any wine after finding out that I wasn't interested, instead he grabbed a juicebox as well.

He led me out to the back patio, it was straight out of my pinterest dreams. Ivies growing up the sides of the house, lights draping across a couple trees. Italian architecture galore, and I adored it. I pulled out my notebook, attempting to write, while Harry strummed lightly on his guitar, sitting across the table from me.

Someone To Lose by Ashe

The sun started to set and as usual, the colors were once again magnificent. I sat with my open journal and my empty juicebox that I continued to bite the straw of. I couldn't write anything down. The sky was much too mesmerizing. I got distracted a little bit too much, another struggle that I very much appreciated.

"The sun is your thing, Darby." Harry said. I took it in, feeling connected to the phrase he spoke.

It made me overjoyed that someone could ever think so highly of me, I never deserved to be compared to such a thing.

I thought for only a second before it was clear. "And the stars are yours," I turned to meet his eyes, they were already set on me. My eyes traced his tattoos leading down his arm, they were all simple in loud ways. I wondered what kind of tales were behind them. I found his eyes once more, and once again they were catching the rays of the setting sun that I could feel on both of us. That green was way too stunning for an eye shade.

"You are very pretty, Darby." Harry said, completely calm. I couldn't answer him due to the overwhelming sensation growing in my chest once more, but I mustered what I could. "... and you are the same." I said very quietly.

"Have you been able to write anything lately?" He asked, I knew he wanted to see it. "I have, not since our trip to Uffizii though. It-- writing-- isn't a simple thing, but it is simple when the line is meant to be written." I flipped to the other pages in my journal carrying previous lines from previous memories. A bit of silence passed, and I knew he was itching to ask.

"Harry? Do you want to read some?" I asked, timid. His eyes shimmered before he backed down, "Only if you are comfortable." I shook my head with a slight smile. I didn't feel pressured, I didn't feel worried. If he had criticism I knew it would be beneficial. I had nothing to worry about with him. I held out the book.

"Would you read it?" he asked.

I lightly cleared my throat and shied away a little bit. I read the first line in my head over and over, realizing that it was awfully similar to one of his lines. I was worried again, great job Darby. "Harry this line may seem slightly... plagiarized. It's not, I wrote it nearly a month ago. Before I ever heard Fine--"

"It's alright Darbs, just read." I noticed the nickname he stole from Anna, and appreciated every bit of comfort it gave me.

"If I could buy feelings," I began. My heart stopped beating so fast, my leg stopped shaking, everything around me was calm and hardly noticeable.

"...this is the one I'd desire." I looked up at him with doey eyes, noticing his lips this time around. I focused back on the page in front of me.

"For the light at the end of the hallway is lonely and needs as much fulfillment as I crave."

"And the heart is too fragile to be the strongest piece of me, but I fear that it knows nights like these all too well. If it was luck, I am lucky. If it was fate, I am a favorite.

"But I cling to stars like never before and I can hardly reach them." I took a couple breaths in between each line, this one hitting especially different. Stars.

"All but the pressed petals in between my pages reek of lifelessness. Bless her for being a fire in a body of water, a sea of tragic weather and heartfelt poems." I paused, keeping my eyes glued down.

The next line was his line. It belonged to him, I only wrote it. But he could not hear it, and I could not hear myself say it.

I peeled my eyes away from my book. Harry didn't know what to say, I didn't have a clue either. I felt so vulnerable but it was ... good. It was good. Wonderful, even. I just couldn't enjoy that feeling because I was still in shock.

I could tell Harry was feeling similar, his face read complete awe, even I could see it. No words really needed to be said.

I watched, completely clueless, while he set his guitar down on the table to move closer. I stayed in my seat, as he stood right above me. I looked over my shoulder at him, and he bowed his head down whilst extending his hand, inviting me to dance.

Don't You Worry by Oh Wonder

"How can I be allowed to be sad when I live a life like this." I whispered in his ear. His hand moved around to my back. He was too smooth, too experience. I was clueless. Confused and comfortable all in one.

"You can only live a life like this if you've been lost before, it's not like this was handed to you." Part of me loved that, the other half of me hated it.

"You say that like it's a simple concept." I grinned. "You don't deserve to feel guilt for any of your feelings, much less your successes." His voice sounded raspy and sweet, tired but comfortable. I wanted him to keep talking for eternity.

He put on a song, it was quiet but I could make out the melody and parts of the lyrics. I recognized it from my playlist.

We stayed right there for a time, neither of us really knowing what in the world was happening. How in the world we got there. Why in the world we felt what we did. The only reasonable answer wasn't really reasonable at all. It was to big for this world, and no one could ever make sense of it. That's what made it delicate. And worth chasing after, I guess.

Nothing was holding me back. I was in Italy, I was writing at my own pace, the fact that I was writing again at all felt lovely. I had more than enough, and I had a friend.

It felt laughable to call him a friend. But that was what he would be until further notice. I thought this for only a moment before completely forgetting when he brushed aside my hair from my face. It took all of my focus, yet I was completely lost and not paying any bit of attention to my surroundings.

And not one bit of sense did I obey when I leaned in ever so slightly.

I snapped out of it when I heard someone yelling, "Mitch!"

"I think they are back." Harry said, hiding his obvious disappointment. I nearly laughed, "Who?"

"Mitch, Sarah. Jeffery's probably asleep." We went back inside, saying goodbye to the stars for the night, the ones that were there at least. The clouds showed up and decided to partially cover them.

I quickly introduced myself to Sarah and Mitch, they were so amazing, but I felt like leaving as fast as possible. I had borrowed Anna's moped to get there, Harry offered to give me a ride but I knew I needed to be alone to process all of this. On my way out I saw him back in the backyard. All that I could see was that he was looking at the stars again.