A.

The heat of his body against mine was a sensation I'd missed, but never dared to forget - it was unforgettable. The way his hands traced shapes I didn't bother to take note of on the small of my back, his eyes boring into mine without fail. I'd missed the feel of his curls around my fingers and the silky smoothness of his skin beneath my fingertips, and the way I could reach to kiss the skin whenever I liked.

Over the past six months - you'd expect the wound to heal and the feelings to fade - yet they hadn't. As much as I'd tried to deny it; move along from Harry - it didn't seem to happen. In the time I'd known Harry, he'd pushed me to places and made me think in ways I'd never experienced. Deep down I'd known there was a part of me that would always, always belong to Harry - but I was glad I'd underestimated the part of me that did. I'd yearned for it to be forgettable, due to the false hope that he'd come back one day - but when I'd at last come to terms with the fact he wasn't coming back - he did. Harry came back, and suddenly I didn't care for the long term, for the consequences, or for whatever else. I only cared for the undeniable fact I needed Harry, and now I had him back. That wouldn't be compromised this time.

"Ana Grace," his voice came quietly, almost as if he was scared to speak any louder, while all I did was hum in response, refusing to move my fingers from his hair or break our eye contact, "We need to talk."

"No, we don't," I murmured, snuggling my face tiredly into his neck, "I just want to stay like this." And I did - I didn't want to face the inevitable conversation about what we wanted to do, and how we were going to be - I just wanted to bask in the simplicity of Harry - the ease I felt with his skin on mine.

"We do," he rubbed my back soothingly, lifting my chin gently from his neck to look back at him, our eyes meeting once more, "Where do you want to go from here?"

"I don't want to be without you," I said gently, the close proximity of our faces allowing me to feel his breath fanning against my lips as he blew out a deep breath, "I can't be."

"And you won't be," he returned, "I'm not going anywhere this time, I swear to you, Ana Grace."

"Can I tell you something I've never told anyone?" he spoke again, and I nodded slowly, eyeing him closely.

"Anything."

Harry exhaled slowly, "I have these dreams.." he trailed off, and my face fell as he continued, "I've been having 'em since I was little, but.. they got worse when I went back to England and I was on my own," he bit his lip, "I just.. I see things from when I was younger, with my dad."

"Harry," I murmured softly, unsure of what to tell him as his teeth dragged on his lip, not wanting to push him too far, "I'm sorry."

"I see him hitting her," he continued apprehensively, blowing out a breath, "hurting her; hurting me. Drinking, breaking things.." he trailed off, "and sometimes I realise that that's me."

I gasped, "No. That is not you. You would never hurt the people you love," I shook my head fiercely, "that isn't you."

"I think it is," he whispered, "I think it could be."

"No," I said simply, "you are so incredible, and you don't even know it. I know you'd never hurt me, or your family - I know you're a good person, baby. Don't compare yourself to him."

"I don't want to be like him," Harry said quietly, eyeing me intently, "I want to be good."

"You are good," I assured him "you're beyond good - don't ever compare yourself to him."

"The nightmares don't come when you're here," he muttered, rubbing his thumb over my chin, "there's no fear." I bit my lip, closing my eyes for a second - he wasn't scared when he was with me. He felt safe - and if only he knew how safe I felt with him.

It broke my heart to know how broken he'd been in recent months - having no sleep, struggling constantly (which Liam had told me). And though I loved the reliance and slight vulnerability he had around me - I wished he didn't feel that ache; that pain when he wasn't with me. Harry didn't know his own strength, and what he didn't realise, was that it lay in his insecurities. He still thought he wasn't enough for me, that I was above what he deserved - but if he only knew how much he meant to me, and how I didn't want or 'deserve' anything but him, then his strength would only grow.

I hated that his past, his childhood, haunted him. I hated that there was no escape from the horrors and terrors he'd suffered - and if I was the one escape he'd discovered from those terrors - so be it.

I reached to move a piece of loose hair from his face, tucking his long curls behind his ears as my hand rested on his cheek, "I love you, H," was all I told him, simply adoring the way his eyes lit up whenever I said it as I brushed my thumb over his skin, and a small smile pulled at his lips.

"I love you," he said easily, and I bit back my own smile, Harry reaching over to tug my lip back with his thumb before speaking again, "You know what?"

"What?" I responded, watching his face closely as his eyes searched mine.

"Marry me," he deadpanned, and my eyes widened, a short chuckle leaving my lips.

"What?" I repeated, laughing softly as my hand snaked around to the back of his head and rested on his scalp, "You can't be serious," I added, taking note of his serious expression.

"I'm a thousand percent serious," he said as if it were obvious, his hand stopped rubbing the small of my back, "I don't mean right now, and I don't mean soon. But one day, I want you to marry me."

I held his gaze for a moment, unsure of what to say. Somehow, though a future with Harry was something I'd thought about many times, I'd never thought about the details of marriage - though as I lay here with him now, and he proposed the question - I knew it was something I definitely wanted. The idea of being with Harry in that way - though I was only eighteen and certainly didn't want it soon - appealed to me greatly.

"I'll marry you," a wide grin tugged on my lips to mirror his own, "one day I'll marry you," I repeated.

"Promise me," he narrowed his eyes at me playfully, winding his arms around my waist and tugging me close to him.

"I promise," I giggled, as he peppered the side of my face with kisses.

"God, Ana," he groaned, squeezing me tightly and burying his head into my neck, "I can't even begin to tell you how good it feels to be back here with you like this. I've missed it," he mumbled against my skin, before adding, "I've missed you."

"You're not allowed to leave me again," I murmured in response, cupping his face in my hands and snuggling back into my pillow, bringing his lips to mine briefly, "ever."

"Never ever," he grinned in response, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "Wait - you're dating me again now, right?"

I rolled my eyes, "If that's what you want."

"Yeah, dumb question - dumb answer. You're my girlfriend again," he teased, pressing a kiss to my jaw before rolling over to lay on his back beside me, his arms spread out lazily, "I'm going to give you the best life I possibly can, Ana Levin."

I smiled softly, my hand resting on his chest now as I watched his lips part in a cheeky smile, his eyes drifting to meet mine, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "We're going to get married, and we're going to be happy. Nobody to get in the way; nobody to ruin it. We'll live wherever you want to, in a house as big as you want to - I might even consider kids."

"How generous of you," I mused, fiddling with the neckline of his shirt in my fingers, "Can't imagine you with a kid."

"Mum's boyfriend has a kid," he told me, and I raised my eyebrows, "most annoying shit I've ever fucking met."

"Harry!" I scolded, stifling a laugh as he shrugged in protest.

"What? The kid said my cigs smell - yeah, like I didn't bloody know, mate," he huffed, blowing a curl out of his face.

"Sounds charming," I laughed, finding great humour in the idea of Harry trying to get along with a kid. He hated them quite frankly, as somebody who was so easily annoyed by just about everyone and everything. I changed the subject, "You know Liam says you're whipped."

"I am," Harry said simply, chuckling lightly and rubbing his hands over his face, "I am so stupidly whipped for you. The fact I just made you promise to marry you proves that enough, 'dunnit?"

I chuckled, reaching down to peck his cheek quickly, before he turned his head for our lips to meet, "You're just a nerd," I teased, and he scoffed, grabbing my boob playfully and causing me to squeal.

"I'm not a nerd," he argued, shooting me a playful smirk, "that would make me frigid."

"Being frigid is cute," I laughed, and he scoffed, sticking his tongue out at me. I poked my own out, and he leant upwards, touching his tongue to mine before leaning back against the mattress again, shooting me another smirk.

"Mm, c'mere," he hummed, tugging my arm over him so that I could now lay on top of him, one arm each side of his head, "you look so pretty."

I rested my hands on his shoulders, tangling my legs with his as I remained on top of him, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth.

"My beautiful girl," he hummed again, a grin tugging at his lips as he tilted his head forward to repeatedly peck my lips, "beautiful, beautiful, beautiful."

"I happen to think you're the beautiful one," I remarked, tracing my fingers over the inked birds on his chest peeking through his t-shirt.

"I," he pecked my lips, "fucking," he pecked my lips again, "love," another peck, "you."

"I," I pecked his lips in return, "fucking," I pecked his lips again, "love," another peck, "you," I pressed my lips to his a final time, "too."

"You're my baby," he mused in the cheesiest way he could, stifling a laugh, "you aaaaaalways gonna be my baby," he bit back a laugh, as I let out a laugh of my own.

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes.

"You shut up."

"Make me," I teased, as his pupils dilated a little.

"I'll fuck you right here," he deadpanned, and I let out a silent gasp, my fingers still tracing patterns on his chest.

"Shut up, loser," I chuckled, breaking the silence, "go back to being cute."

"I'm never cute," he argued, poking my chest lightly, as I tangled my fingers into his curls again, resting my fingertips at the nape of his neck.

"You were a minute ago," I grinned playfully, pressing a kiss above his brow, "tell me you love me again."

"Ana Grace," he declared, "I am hopelessly, desperately, and ridiculously in love with you, your beautiful face, and your horrible sense of humour."

"Fuck off," I laughed, as Harry burst into laughter, rubbing his nose against mine playfully.

As I eyed the clock beside my bed, I noticed it neared three am, and I raised my eyebrows, as Harry turned back to eye the time as well.

"We need to talk to my parents tomorrow," I told him, and he groaned, rolling his eyes.

"No fucking way, I don't want to," he huffed, and I pouted.

"Baby, please," I pleaded, pressing a line of wet kisses on his jaw and his neck. I understood why he didn't want to, but to make any further progress in our relationship - he'd have to build a middle ground with them.

"What's in it for me?" he quipped, raising his eyebrow.

"My love and happiness?"

"I want a blowjob," he deadpanned, and I rolled my eyes.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Fine," I huffed, "but we talk to my parents tomorrow."

"Whatever you say, pretty girl."