Hiiii everybody! So sorry I haven't updated for a few days, I've been really busy with school and stuff! I made this one a bit longer to make up for it, and I hope you like it! :) x

(Had to reload the chapter because the formatting got all messed up so all the comments are gone. Tear.)

Cuddled against each other in my bed, it was like we were in a fragile bubble where the darkness of what had happened with Colt had been leeched out. It had been a slow, lingering, poisonous process, but throughout the night and most of the day, the weight of the guilt seemed to lift.

Harry and I hadn't really talked about it; neither of us knew what to say and we both felt responsible, so there wasn't much to say about it, really. My heart had pounded heavily when my phone had rang around noon. It had been Haley calling from the hospital, her voice raw from crying but elated to tell me that Colt was out of surgery and in the ICU, well on his way to recovery.

His physical athleticism, it seemed, had provided him with a healthy enough body to make it through the ordeal, and his drunken, lethargic lack of reaction had saved him from further damage. Apparently it was better to be a limp ragdoll in an accident than a normal, reflexive person.

It was as if a thousand pounds had been lifted off Harry and I now that we knew he would be okay. The guilt, which had been sitting raw in my stomach like a rock, eased immensely. I knew that my other friends felt just as responsible as Harry and I did, so it was an immense relief to everyone. They had spent the night at the hospital despite their falling out, but we all agreed it would be best for Harry and I to stay away; we didn't want to upset Colt even more by being there when he woke up, which would supposedly be soon.

In the mean time, Harry had snuck out of my house to go home and shower before coming back shortly after, pretending to arrive for the first time that day. I had barely managed to shower in the short time that he was gone, but immediately felt ten times better after I had washed away the bad memories of the night.

It was a new day, everyone was alive, and I was happy.

Contributing to my happiness, of course, was the mystery of the surprise Harry had promised earlier. For the life of me, I couldn't think of whom he possibly wanted me to meet. The only people he had ever introduced me to were his mother and sister, seeing as he didn't really have any friends besides me. Was it some other relative? Maybe a friend I wasn't aware he had? I had no idea.

He refused to speak to me as we lay on my bed, my legs draped over his lap as he tried to study for something, resting his book on my shins and scratching lightly at the skin on my ankle absentmindedly. He frowed at the book, twisting his lips to the side as his eyebrows pulled down. I lay on my back, alternating between watching him study and closing my eyes, reveling in the feel of his fingers on my skin.

He had insisted that we study before we could go meet this mystery person, but so far I had accomplished nothing. Every attempt at distracting him was shut down almost immediately, playfully swatting me away or shutting me up with a quick kiss before returning his focus on the book.

Giving up, I let him study in peace while I observed him, taking in all the beautifully perfect aspects to his face and body. It still shocked me how incredibly amazing he was, in every single way, and it shocked me even more so that he was mine. This living, breathing, vision of utter perfection was mine- mind, body, and soul.

The light in my room had started to darken, hinting at the sun going down when he finally closed the book. I threw my fists into the air in victory, cheering.

"Finally," I said exasperatedly, exaggerating my discontempt for his studying. I really hadn't minded, but it was fun to tease him. He rolled his eyes before throwing the book to the floor and sliding my legs off his lap. Slowly, he crawled up so his body hovered over mine and lowered himself to rest some of his weight on me. He ducked his head down to kiss my neck softly before pulling back.

"Sorry, love," he said softly, smiling at me.

"You're forgiven," I said, giggling. My hands trailed up and down his sides, feeling the tight muscles through his thin black t-shirt. He grinned as he lowered his lips to mine, his soft lips folding against my own, capturing my lower one between his. Tugging on it light, he darted his tongue out against me quickly before pressing one more kiss to my lips and pulling back.

"You're such a tease," I told him, groaning. He insisted on kissing me like that all the time only to leave me wanting more. He just smirked at me before ducking down to press one more light kiss to my lips.

"But you love me," he said quietly, his lips nudging against mine as he spoke.

"I do," I sighed. He grinned against my lips, puckering his once more, breathing into me as he kissed me.

"You ready to go?" he asked suddenly. My heart skipped a beat, excitement and nerves coursing through me.

"Yes," I answered eagerly, nodding.

He studied me intently before giving me a soft smile. "Okay, let's go."

He pushed himself off me, lifting his weight from my body to be immediately replaced by a rush of cool air. I quickly pulled myself up as well and climbed out of bed, crossing to my dresser to pull on a pair of jeans and a jacket. Harry watched me patiently until I was ready, a soft smile still playing on his lips.

"Okay, ready," I announced, crossing the room and following him out the door. After pulling on our shoes, we left my house and walked down to his house to get his car after he declined my offer to drive. Soon, we were piled into his SUV and pulling out of the driveway.

"So are you gonna tell me who I'm meeting now?" I asked hopefully, fully expecting him to shoot me down.

"Nope," he said, shaking his head and reaching across to grab my hand. He ran his thumb across my knuckles as he smiled out the windshield. I scrunched my nose up, instructing myself to be patient. I was getting more and more nervous as we drove. Whoever I was about to meet was obviously important to Harry, so I wanted to make a good impression. Usually I didn't worry about things like that, but since it was Harry, I felt anxiety creeping up with every passing second.

I didn't know where we were going as I gazed out the window, watching houses and streets flash by. Harry was pretty quiet on the drive, and he wore a thoughtful expression on his face. If it weren't for his thumb continuously running across my skin, I would have thought he was deeply stuck in his own head.

We were soon in the old part of town, where the oldest buildings and landmarks were. I rarely came here- there wasn't much in this area that I needed to use very often, so I wasn't very familiar with it. We drove by an old bank, the front steps made of white marble, with matching marble pillars rising up to hold the awning above the entrance.

Harry turned down a side road, leading us down a winding path surrounded by trees on either side, similar to the path that led to his spot overlooking the harbor. My curiosity grew more and more, confused as to where we were going. I was about to ask him again, hoping maybe now that we were closer he would tell me, when the trees opened up and gave me a clear view.

A black, grated fence rose up along the side of the road, surrounding a place I had only been once as a small child, the memory barely surfacing at the sight. Huge trees rose up behind the fence, and beautiful bouquets of flowers were scattered around here and there, providing pops of color among the hundreds and hundreds of gravestones that stretched as far as I could see.

We were at the cemetery.

Immediately, I realized what we were doing. There could only be one reason for Harry taking me here; this person I was going to meet wasn't living, lost a long time ago in a tragic accident. I had been right in thinking this person was very important to Harry, because he was probably one of the most influential people in his life. I was going to meet his father.

My body reacted to this realization before my mind really caught up to it's significance. My pulse seemed to double instantly, and my breathing came in uneven gasps of air, the sound filling the now silent car. I managed to tear my eyes away from the cemetery to look at Harry, who was watching me closely.

His expression was calm, placid, with the slightest hint of apprehension, unsure of how I would react to this. His hand was still gripped in mine, and he squeezed it reassuringly. The simplest of touches from him helped calm me down; this was a huge thing for Harry to share with me, and I was so incredibly humbled than he had chosen to let me meet his father, in a sense. My heart warmed with fervent love for him.

"Are you still okay with this?" he asked quietly, his green eyes meeting mine. So many emotions were swimming in his eyes it was hard to decipher them and pick out any specific ones.

"Of course," I said, my tone also quiet. It only felt appropriate to speak softly in a cemetery. The corner of his lips kinked up in a half smile as he exhaled.

"Okay," he responded before squeezing my hand one last time and letting himself out of the car. I copied him, still struggling to comprehend how huge this was for Harry and me. He was going to share probably the most important detail of his life with me because he trusted and loved me enough to want me to see it. There were not enough words in the world for me to describe how much I loved him.

I met him at the front of the car and immediately rejoined our hands, needing to support him as much as possible through this. This was surely going to be emotional for him. I leaned forward to press a kiss to his shoulder before pulling back to look at him, unable to stop the adoration I was feeling from writing itself across my features.

"I love you," he said quietly. His thumb traced across my jaw. "I think it's about time you meet my dad."

My chest tightened at his words; all the emotions I was feeling were overflowing and fighting for space in my body: love for Harry, pride at how far he had come, sadness at his loss, fear that I would do something to screw this up, and unadulterated joy that he trusted me enough to show me this. I already knew I would be shedding quite a few tears, because I could already feel them burning at the back of my eyes, as well as the telltale tightness closing in on my throat.

"I'd be honored to meet him, Harry," I replied, letting my hand rest on his chest. He smiled softly, his lips closed together, before giving me one lingering kiss. Exhaling softly, he pulled back and nodded his head toward the gate entrance, indicating me to walk with him. With my left hand captured in his, my right hand came across my body to grip his wrist while we walked.

The cemetery was beautiful, really. Gigantic trees covered the grounds, providing a privacy and alone-in-the-world kind of feel. Flowers of every color under the sun were scattered around the graves in various stages of life, as well as the flowers that had been planted along the grounds. Gravel pathways wound through the grass, some branching off into smaller pathways, which branched into even smaller ones that were simply places where the grass had been worn down to expose the dirt.

We walked along one of the main gravel paths, not speaking but letting the silence linger. There was a solemn feel to this place, not necessarily sad, but a lingering weight of the lives that had ended. Harry pulled me along to turn off the main path to take a smaller one, then off onto one of the foot-worn paths. There were fewer gravestones here, scattered farther apart among the trees.

We approached a large willow tree, the branches weighed down by the flowing vines of leaves that grew off the trunks. Some were so long that they whispered across the ground, blowing lightly in the soft breeze. A single gravestone stood beneath the tree, a handsome marble among the grass. It was a beautiful place to be buried, and I knew it was the one we were looking for. I swallowed and tried to keep my breathing even as we stopped in front of it, leaning into Harry and observing his father's grave.

David Styles. 1962-2008. Loving husband, father, and friend. "Each happiness of yesterday is a memory for tomorrow."

It was a beautiful quote, perfect for him. While he had been taken too soon, the time he had spent here had been full of love, happiness, and family- all the things life should be full of. He left many wonderful memories behind him, and had raised the most amazing son I could have ever imagined. I tore my eyes from the headstone to look at Harry. His lips were sucked into his mouth as he gazed at the plot, his chest rising and falling beneath his shirt.

He cleared his throat and looked at me, smiling gently before turning back to his father's grave.

"Hi, dad," he said quietly. I squeezed his hand and leaned forward to press a kiss to his shoulder, feeling the tears threatening to spill out already.

"I know it's been a while since I've been here... it's been so hard." His voice was so incredibly deep as he spoke, rumbling into the crisp air. "I'm sorry."

He knelt down to his knees, settling into the grass as I sat down with him, keeping our hands connected. He took a deep breath as a sad look crossed his face.

"There's someone I want you to meet," he said, squeezing my hand. "She's really special to me, dad, and she's the reason I'm so much... better. Happier."

A silent tear leaked from my eye to run down my cheek. It was so incredibly emotion to see him speaking to his father, as if here were here and asleep rather than buried beneath the cold ground. I thought surely my heart would break.

"This is Joey, dad. She's... well she's my girlfriend but she's so much more than that. You have no idea how incredible she is. I wish you could be here to meet her, because I know you two would be the best of friends." His voice wavered slightly as he spoke, his body leaning into mine.

"She saved me, dad. I have her to thank for helping me through everything and teaching me that it's alright to think about you without feeling sad. She makes me so happy, dad, for the first time since I lost you."

The tears were falling freely now, yet still silent, so much different from the choking sobs I had experienced only last night.

"I just... I just want you to be proud of me, and I think you would be, now, thanks to her. I just wish you could be here," he said, his voice breaking at the end. He took a shaky breath as a tear slipped from his beautiful green eyes. "I just miss you so much."

Rising to my knees, I knelt behind him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, resting my head next to his. His hands gripped my forearms tightly as I held him. I could feel him shaking slightly as he tried to take a steady breath between his silent tears.

"I wish you could meet him," he said to me, leaning back into my chest. "He would have loved you, and he'd be so proud of me for being able to call you mine."

He sniffed lightly as I hugged him even closer, pressing my lips into his cheek. "I wish I could have met him, too, love."

He was still shaking, and I tried to absorb every tremor with my body, wanting to take all of his pain into my own body, away from him. He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds before opening them again.

"Dad, I love her so much it hurts sometimes," he said softly. "She's my life now and I just... wanted you to know who she was."

My heart was about to explode from all that I was feeling. Seeing Harry cry was breaking my heart, but if what he said was true, I had helped him get to this point where he was able to remember his father with joy rather than sadness, and that meant so incredibly much to me.

"Can I say something to him, Harry?" I asked quietly. He nodded against me, still clinging to my arms around him. I kissed his jaw before unwrapping myself and moving to sit next to him again, reclaiming his hand in mine.

"Hi, um, I'm Joey," I said somewhat awkwardly before shaking my head to clear it. I wanted to get this right. Harry squeezed my hand encouragingly.

"Harry told me that you used to be friends with my dad, and I'm sorry that I never got the chance to know you... but I know your son so well now, and I really believe I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I want you to know that you raised an amazing son. He's the best person I know, really." I paused to wipe the tears from my cheeks and take a deep breath.

"I need you to know how much I love him and how much he means to me. He's changed my life so much and I have you to thank for the person he is today. Thank you for sharing your son with me," I said softly. My cheeks were wet with tears but I didn't care anymore. Harry wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side as he pressed a kiss to my temple.

"Told you, dad. She's amazing."

I felt like my heart was glowing behind my ribs. There was no way I could ever repay Harry for this incredible moment, and I knew I would remember it for the rest of my life. Hopefully, our life. It was the first time I had ever really thought about it, but as soon as the through crossed my mind, I knew I wanted it with all my heart. I wanted to be his forever, utterly and completely his. There was no way I would ever let him go, and I knew that with absolute certainty.

We sat in silence for a while, soaking in the atmosphere and reveling in the memories of the life he had shared with his father. Surely there were thousands more I didn't know about, but it didn't matter. This time was for Harry. He held me to his side the entire time, lost in thought yet completely present at the same time.

Silent tears would slip down his cheeks intermittently, renewed by whatever he was thinking of at the moment. He never tried to stop them. I would sit here as long as he wanted, letting him have this moment and beyond grateful he was sharing it with me. My heart ached for him yet throbbed with pride that he was now strong enough to do this.

After a long while, he sniffed lightly and raised his hand to wipe beneath his eyes before exhaling.

"Thank you for being here, Joey," he said softly, turning to look at me. I smiled softly.

"I'll always be here, Harry, for everything."

"I know," he said, leaning forward to kiss my forehead. "I'm glad you got to meet him... in a sense."

"I'm so glad I did, too. Thank you for bringing me here," I replied, eyes searching his.

"Thank you for loving me," he said simply, squeezing his arm around me tighter. "Thank you for fixing me."

It was something that had happened that I hadn't even been aware of, but he had slowly been putting himself back together, apparently with my help. My entire body warmed at the thought.

"Oh, Harry, thank you for loving me." I still firmly believed that I was the lucky one in this relationship, blessed in all aspects that he had chosen to love me, of all people. I was the lucky one, not him.

"I didn't really have a choice," he said, shrugging softly and smiling gently. "I was going to fall in love with you no matter what."

How my heart had managed not to explode was a mystery to me, because I felt like I was about to burst in complete and utter happiness.

"Will you be mine forever?" I asked softly, leaning forward to press my lips into his shoulder and looking up at him.

"Forever, always, eternally, whatever you want, I'm yours." He pinched my chin lightly between his fingers and pulled me closer, pressing his lips to mine in a chaste kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it sealed his promise, the words playing over and over in my brain, illuminating my very soul and setting my heart on fire.