a/n: fyi, this is the last Wednesday update. i'm catching up the the updates i have written and don't want to feel rushed so i will be updating on sunday now i hope that's okay with you guys. if you want sneak peeks of the chapters before i post my twt is nikeystyles <3

Work dragged on forever, and I knew it was because Harry and I were supposed to hang out. Well, it was also probably because I had barely gotten any sleep, but I wouldn't have changed that for the world. After all, Harry was vulnerable with me, and I was very happy about that. It was the first time I had ever felt like someone was showing me their real emotions. Even if he had told me he didn't want me while I was there to help him, he eventually gave in and cried himself to sleep against me and that had been more than enough for me to see that he was trying with me.

By the time it was five, there was a knock at my door. I would be a liar if I said I didn't blush when he walked in, and I knew it was because he made me so nervous. It was the good kind of nervous though where I was super excited and happy to see him. He didn't stop to sit at the chair like he usually did, and instead sat on my desk, Harry smiling down at me.

"Finishing up?" he asked.

"If that's okay?"

"Take your time. I just have plans with a hot babe tonight."

I pushed him away.

"What? I'm serious. She's spending the night at my house and everything."

"Harry."

"Yes, doll?"

"You're too much."

"You don't even know," he stated, pausing briefly before he continued. "I take that back, you've seen it, so you do."

I knew what he was talking about, my eyes wide as I stared up at him. He chuckled softly, shaking his head as he jumped off the desk and stood behind me. I was writing down some notes for my newsletter when Harry started to kiss my shoulder a bunch, my face burning until I finally sighed.

"Fine, fine," I complained. "We can leave. I'm doing your interview Friday though."

"For sure, doll."

I went to grab my bag but he very quickly picked it up off of the ground. Glaring at him, he shrugged, and I knew that he wasn't about to fight over who was carrying what. However, as I grabbed my purse, I reminded him that I carried my bag from my house here.

"And remind me to never let you do that again," he told me.

It made me laugh, Harry and I walked downstairs. I was talking to him about what I was doing for the newsletter next week, and he was listening with a smile on his face. It wasn't often that I felt like someone was actually excited to listen to what I had to say, but it was clear Harry cared a lot, the two of us saying goodbye to the evening receptionist before leaving the building. Once we were outside, Harry held my hand, a small smile on my face as I looked up at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"You just like holding my hand, I don't know."

He didn't say anything else, Harry pressing a kiss to the back of my palm. I pouted my lower lip, realizing just how sweet he truly was to me. Or, I had realized it last night when he went out of his way to come over, but I found myself feeling like he was being extra sweet lately. Then again, we had been on a date and it was clear that we both liked each other so I guess it made sense.

He put my bag in the trunk before walking with me to the driver's side. I was thankful that he wanted to sit close to me, especially since I had kind of expected him to want his space today after last night. However, once we were situated in the car, and he had started driving, Harry wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into him so he could drive with both hands.

"You're being touchy."

"Mhm."

"Why?"

"I prepared for it," he stated softly. "You know, took a nap once I got home and then just told myself I wanted to take care of you and I know that means a lot of holding."

He knew me very well. A lot better than I had expected. I also liked that he understood what was important to me though. It showed that he was willing to be there for me, and that meant more to me than he would probably ever know or understand.

When he pulled up to a stop light, Harry shifted slightly. I was confused at first, but he tilted my chin up and kissed me. It only took a moment for me to hold his face, Harry smiling through the kiss before he pulled away to glance at the stop light. It was still red, Harry kissing me once again. He was always passionate, even if it was just a quick kiss. But this felt different in a good way. It was like he wanted to savor every second of the kiss, the car honking behind us making Harry smile and pull away. He began driving, my heart racing in my chest as I stared at him.

"You're very distracting," he told me.

"I think you just like me."

"You're right," he chuckled.

I wrapped my arms around his waist for the rest of the drive, Harry somewhat tense, but he didn't mind it either. It made me happy, and I smiled when he played with my hair some on the drive as well. He really was so sweet to me, and I was still trying to comprehend how this had happened. After all, it felt so new, and yet I also felt like I had known him forever.

Once we arrived at his house, he shut the car off, a small smirk on his face when I leaned up and kissed his cheek. It was followed by the two of us getting out of the car, Harry grabbing my bag from the trunk. Soon enough, we were walking up to his house, Harry unlocking the door and gesturing for me to head inside.

"You first," I told him.

"You're still scared?" he laughed.

"Maybe. But only because it's so big."

"That's what she said."

"Hey!"

It made him snicker, Harry stepping inside and letting me follow. He waited until I had shut the door and locked it to take my hand in his, the two of us heading to his bedroom. I watched as he set my bag down, my eyes widening when I glanced at his closet to see that the door was completely off the track, and there was a crack in the wood as well.

"I see you didn't fix the door," I laughed.

"Oh, right," he nodded. "Yeah, don't mind it."

"You don't have to get that angry over me," I smiled, wrapping my arms around him.

"I know."

He hugged me back until I felt something brush up against my feet. Though, it was very easy to tell who it was. Glancing down, I smiled at Izabelle. She looked so pretty, and I found myself crouching, letting her brush up against me several times. However, Harry grabbed a fistful of my hair and tilted my head up, my face burning when I shifted so that I was kneeling while Izabelle continued to brush up against me.

"You know what I'm thinking," he said softly.

"Yeah, that you better let go of me so I can play with Izabelle."

"Weird name for your kitty, but I'll watch."

My eyes widened, Harry chuckling as he let go of my hair. I knew that I was flustered, staring down at Harry's cat and petting her in an effort to try and get my mind out of the gutter where he had so rudely placed it. Though, as I was about to attempt to pick Izabelle up, Harry bent down and stole her from me, his face nuzzling into her fur before he began to speak to her.

"You and daddy got a really nice nap in earlier today, huh?" he said to her. "Just me and my princess, right?"

She meowed loudly.

"I know," he nodded, flipping her over in his arms as I stood up. "Maggie's going to spend the night so don't get jealous."

Izabelle meowed loudly again, Harry holding his cat in a different position so that he could hold Izabelle and take my hand. It made me smile, his hand squeezing mine in his hold gently. We made it to the kitchen where Harry set Izabelle on the counter. I found myself petting her, the curly-haired personality walking over to the pantry and I grinned at his cat.

"Your daddy is so nice to you," I said to the cat. "He takes such good care of you, you're so lucky."

Harry sent me a small smile as he walked back with treats, putting them in my hand. I could tell that Izabelle was eyeing me down, and I quickly handed the treats back to Harry. It made him laugh, Harry holding his hand out for Izabelle to eat from. He then ran his hand down her back, Izabelle standing up and arching her back. She brushed her head into Harry a few times before purring softly, Harry picking her up again.

"Go somewhere while I cook Maggie dinner," he said, placing her on the ground.

"Is that how that works?" I laughed.

"Sometimes she listens," he shrugged.

"How cute."

He nodded. I found myself taking his left hand before he could get too far though, looking at the stitches that were still in his hand. It was very clear that he had full mobility now, but the stitches were still very much in his hand. I smiled up at him, Harry glancing down at me before I pressed a kiss to his palm.

"I can ask Debbie when it would be time to take them out if you want?"

"No, it's fine," he told me. "I've had stitches before. I know how to take them out and what the mark needs to look like before I can take them out."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Very. Actually, you're lucky that we're even going to swim today with these babies in."

"We don't have to," I quickly told him. "That's right. Are you even allowed to do that?"

"I just can't submerge it a whole bunch, so no rough housing in my pool, young lady."

"Oh right," I laughed. "Because I'm the one who would rough house."

It made him laugh. Harry pressed a kiss to the top of my head before grabbing pasta out of the fridge. I was confused at first, but realized it was fresh pasta, my cheeks flushing at the thought of him going out of his way to get fresh pasta for us. It was followed by him grabbing heavy cream, garlic, butter, and parmesan cheese.

"What are you making?" I asked.

"Alfredo. If that's okay?"

"I love alfredo," I told him. "Can I help with anything?"

"You can sit and look pretty."

"Harry, I'm serious."

"I know it's basically instilled in you to help, that's how you grew up and stuff, but I'm asking you to let me take care of you."

It was sweet of him—especially since he was right in the fact that this was how I grew up. I smiled, and while I wanted to hug him, I also didn't want to push it. However, Harry very quickly wrapped his arms around me, my head resting against his chest. Even if his body felt incredibly tense beneath my touch, I could tell he was at least content with me. And, after a few more moments, I pulled away, Harry catching my cheek and pressing several quick kisses to my lips.

"Stop," I laughed.

"What? You don't like me?"

"I like you," I told him.

"Okay, good. Go change into something more comfortable while I cook."

"I'm not uncomfortable."

"Okay, well seeing you in work clothes at my house is making me feel like you're not staying or something."

I told him I would be back, Harry grabbing my hand and pressing a kiss to the back before I could get too far from him. It was weird seeing him so affectionate, but I wondered if it was always what he had wanted with someone. After all, Cherry and Harry were never overly affectionate with one another, but I knew that she liked getting handsy with him at times. Then again, I wasn't sure why I was comparing myself to them at all. It wasn't like my relationship with Harry was anything remotely similar to Cherry and Harry. Soon enough, I found myself getting distracted as I got changed, switching into a pair of shorts. However, I decided to steal a shirt from him since I didn't have one, walking back out into the kitchen.

"It smells so good," I told him.

"Yeah?" he asked, glancing over at me. "Is that mine?"

"I hope that's okay. I forgot to pack an extra shirt, I just have my clothes for bed, my bathing suit, and clothes for tomorrow."

"That's fine. Was the closet okay to deal with?"

"I just opened the other door and could get what I needed," I nodded.

He asked me to grab a colander out from under a cabinet, and I quickly did, placing it in the sink for him. It was followed by Harry allowing me to pour the pasta for him once it was finished, leaving me to set the pot on the other side of the sink. I watched as he finished making the sauce, grabbing a spoon and blowing on it before holding it out to me.

"Oh," I stated, trying the sauce. "Yeah, it's really yummy."

"Good," he nodded.

He grabbed two bowls, putting pasta in one and then topping it with sauce. He did that twice before setting them down at the table, Harry grabbing glasses and filling them with ice and water. I found myself smiling at him, asking if there was anything I could do for him, but he shook his head no.

"You're going to make me go crazy," I told him.

"Oh no! Woman goes crazy because the guy she likes does stuff for her. What a world," he laughed.

"Not the Wizard of Oz quote," I giggled.

"What can I say, I love Dorothy."

"Funny you say that, the bathing suit I got is actually gingham print."

"Is what?" he asked.

"Gingham. Um, like how her dress is white and blue checker print, it's called gingham."

"Gotcha," he nodded. "That's so funny. We're talking about the Wizard of Oz and you basically have her dress in bathing suit form."

I nodded.

He asked if I wanted any wine to drink, but I shook my head no, telling him I wasn't a huge fan. However, when he said he could make me a vodka cranberry, it was a completely different story. I watched as he quickly made the drink for me, even getting the vodka out of a secret little fridge that I wouldn't have even known was there because it had a regular cabinet door. Harry very quickly mixed my drinks in a shaker before pouring it into a glass, setting it on the table. I pressed a kiss to his shoulder, my cheeks flushing when he looked down at me.

"You're too pretty for me," he said quietly.

"Me? I don't think so."

"I do. That's okay, though. I think I'll keep you."

It made me smile, Harry and I finally sitting down at the table once he got bourbon for himself. We were sitting next to one another again, and I laughed when he pulled my chair closer to him once again. He was always being so sweet, and I was incredibly shocked by it. After all, I wasn't used to a man going out of his way to do things for me, yet here he was, trying to help me in every way that he could.

"Do you think we should watch a movie and then go swimming?" he asked.

"I think that sounds good."

"Do you want to watch the Wizard of Oz?" he questioned. "You know, since we were just talking about it?"

"Oooh, sure," I agreed. "I haven't seen that in so long."

Soon enough, Harry and I were eating, chatting about our days. His was very relaxed, considering all he did was wake up, host his show, and then he came home to nap before he came to pick me up. I told him about my day, expressing that it was not exciting in the slightest, all things considered. It was then that Harry got up to get more pasta, though when he asked if I wanted more, I said no. Of course, I wasn't surprised when he sat down, Harry getting some pasta onto his fork before holding it out to me.

"I'm good," I told him.

"One more bite."

"Fine."

I ate off of his fork before he got another forkful and ate more pasta himself. We continued to chat for a little while before I got up and started to do the dishes. Though, it didn't last very long before he was shutting the sink off, my cheeks flushed as he glared down at me.

"Absolutely not."

"Please," I begged him softly.

"Don't use that tone with me," he said, placing his bowl in the sink. "It does things."

"Like let's me do the dishes?"

"More like makes me want to put you up on this counter and take my dick out, but you know, slightly different things."

My face burned red. He chuckled before pressing a kiss to my temple. I watched as he turned the sink back on, Harry beginning to do the dishes. It left me to walk over to the table and sip my drink, watching as he cleaned off the plates. I still didn't get it—understand how he could want to take such good care of me. Or, even just allow me to stand around and do nothing. I was so used to growing up with men around me that had the women do everything that this was uncanny to me.

"They're going to write books about you," I said.

"Oh yeah?" he laughed. "What kind?"

"Only man willing to do the dishes or something like that."

It made him laugh again. "Sure they will."

"They will," I nodded. "I'm going to go brush my teeth."

"Why? Do you want to kiss me or something?"

"Harry," I complained.

"What?" he chuckled. "I'm just asking the serious questions."

It made me roll my eyes at him. I left the room, smiling when Izabelle walked with me to Harry's room. She got up on the bed and sat in the middle while I grabbed my toothbrush and then went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. It didn't take all that long, and by the time I was finishing up, Harry was popping into the bathroom to do the same thing. I stood near him, getting a hand towel and placing my toothbrush on it before he grabbed it and put it in the cup that his sat in.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He spit into the sink and rinsed his mouth before answering me. "Acting like you can't use the cup or something."

"I wasn't sure," I told him.

"Don't doubt yourself," he stated, brushing his teeth again.

I wasn't sure exactly what he meant by that, but I simply nodded. It wasn't long until he was finishing up with brushing his teeth before he rinsed his mouth out and then rinsed off his toothbrush. Harry placed it in the cup with mine before he kissed me quickly, my cheeks reddening because he pulled away as quickly as he had begun.

"Time for a movie, doll."

"Yay!"

We walked to the living room, Harry grabbing a blanket from the closet before we sat on the sofa. I sat on one end of the couch, Harry placing the blanket over me before he went to his movie collection. It took him a while to find the Wizard of Oz, but when he did, he put it in the VCR and rewound the movie. I found myself smiling, getting up off the couch to grab myself some water. Filling my glass with ice, I got water for myself before I did the same for Harry, bringing both glasses out to the living room. He thanked me softly, still waiting for the VHS to be rewound. I was cozy on the sofa, cuddled up with the blanket before Harry finally hit play on the movie. It left him to come sit on the sofa with me, my cheeks flushing when he laid on the couch with his head in my lap.

I didn't mind, but I was definitely surprised that he was choosing to sit this way. Though, I found myself playing with his hair, his arms crossed over his chest as we watched Dorothy get sucked up into a tornado with Toto and end up in the Land of Oz. We had barely even seen the scarecrow when I could tell Harry had fallen asleep, a small frown on my face. I didn't mind, I just thought he must have really been tired if he had taken a nap today and was now asleep on my lap.

Harry didn't wake up until most of the movie had played, only jumping up when all of the flying witch minions were trying to attack. He looked a little disoriented, clearly searching around for a few moments, but when he looked at me and his surroundings he appeared to calm down, a small smile on my face when he laid his head in my lap again.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Just woke up from a weird dream, but it's okay," he said quietly, shrugging. "How's the movie?"

"Funny," I told him.

"Good," he nodded, glancing up at me. "You still want to swim?"

"I'm fine with whatever you want to do. You seem sleepy."

He shrugged. "I want to swim, so it's fine."

Nodding, we finished watching the rest of the movie while Harry still laid in my lap for the credits. I was kind of surprised that he was even comfortable, knowing that he hated any form of physical touch, but I figured it was really just his head in my lap and not much else of his body was touching me. After the credits had played, he took a big breath before getting up, drinking all of his water before turning back to me and holding his hands out. I took both of them, letting him help me off the couch before we walked to his bedroom. It didn't take long for me to find my bathing suit, Harry telling me I could change in the bathroom while he changed in his room.

"Do you have to use the bathroom or anything?" I asked.

"If I suddenly change my mind, I'll go down the hall," he assured. "No worries."

Nodding, I went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. Deciding it was best to use the bathroom first, I did that quickly before pulling on my swim bottoms and then washing my hands outside of the small room. Folding my clothes I had taken off, I set them on the counter before changing out of my top and bra, quickly pulling on my new suit. It did more for me than I was expecting, and I definitely stared at myself for probably longer than necessary. But, soon enough I was walking out to the bedroom with my clothes, Harry lying on the bed in a short pair of swim trunks.

"I'm literally going to not let you leave my sight that weekend we go to the lake," he told me, getting up out of bed. "First because you're so hot, second because my friends will also think you're hot. They know better, though."

I blushed when he came over to me and took my clothes, Harry placing them on the end of the bed. My cheeks burned when he very quickly picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I held onto him tightly, laughing as he opened one of the sliding glass doors in his bedroom out onto the back porch before he set me down. His pool was very large, and it even had what looked like a rock slide, Harry grabbing two towels and placing them on the furniture out here before he shut the sliding door.

"You can't be screaming out here, I have neighbors," he told me.

"Mhm, because I'm the one that would scream on my own."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying something?"

"Yeah. You'd be the one messing around and probably causing me to yell. So I think the only person you need to have that conversation with is yourself."

It made him laugh. Harry walked over to the pool and felt the water, telling me it wasn't freezing but it also wasn't bath temperature either. I shrugged, Harry quickly grabbing onto me. I was confused at first until he threw me in, and it took everything in me not to shout. By the time I hit the water I felt another splash beside me, leaving me to quickly push off the bottom before I hit the surface and glared at him.

"Oh my darling Magdalina," Harry said quickly.

"I'm freezing," I told him.

He swam over to me, a giggle leaving my lips when he wrapped his arms around me. I was shaking, my teeth chattering as he held onto me. Harry felt incredibly tense, but I played with his hair some to try and ease his nerves with me for now. It made me feel better that he went out of his way to hold me, but I wondered if we could ever figure out how to fix his stress issues when it came to physical touch.

"You really are freezing," he laughed softly. "Maybe if you swim around some you'll warm up."

"What do you usually do in your pool?" I asked.

"It depends," he told me. "If it's daylight I have a raft and I put on some yellow sunnies and just lay on it. Otherwise I don't get much use out of it."

"Oh," I laughed.

He pulled back some, letting go of me completely before swimming away. I complained that I was freezing again, trying to swim after him but he was much faster than I would probably ever be. And, right when I was reaching him he took off the other way. It made me groan, and while I was not one for pouting, I found myself sitting at the deep end of the pool on the little alcove.

"Come on," he complained. "Just chase me a little."

"You swim too fast," I complained. "I can swim, but not like you."

"My dramatic Little Church Girl," he laughed, quickly swimming back to me so that he could sit next to me. "Hi."

"Hi," I blushed.

"Look who's going to have to shower with the rainfall setting," he laughed, playing with my hair. "We can even shower in our suits if you want so I can help you."

"Harry," I complained.

"What?" he laughed.

"Nothing, nothing. Also, I know you said you wouldn't because I was so irritated with you yesterday, but ... well, what were you going to do to me today?"

He looked confused at first, Harry sitting with his arms on the wall of the pool. I figured it had to do with his hand, but I still thought it was interesting to watch him nonetheless. And, as I was sitting beside him, he seemed to think about my question more, Harry clearing his throat.

"Well, I know you don't mind the cute little handcuffs I make with my belt, but I was going to tie you up a little more. Get the rope out, put you on the bed, you know?"

"Your bed?" I asked.

"No," he laughed. "I don't like doing stuff like that in my bed. I mean, I did stuff like that with you, I guess, but ... I don't know."

"No, tell me," I said quietly. "You mean you haven't had sex in your bed?"

"I have like five bedrooms, why would I willingly choose to have sex where I want to just sleep?" he shrugged.

"But we ... I'm just confused."

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I can show you the room, but don't get all weirded out by me. It has all my stuff in it."

"Stuff?" I asked.

He grabbed my face, his thumb pressing to one side while his fingers grasped the other. I didn't think I was being bad for him to do this, but I watched as he glanced over me, Harry quickly assessing my every move. It confused me at first until he shook his head.

"You have to know what you're getting into, right?" he asked softly. "I would never push you to have sex with me because that is something you can choose at your own time when you're ready, but we're going to do other things, you know? The knife thing on Monday was just one of the things."

He let go of my face, and I started thinking about what he had said. I appreciated that he was very adamant on letting me know we would not have sex unless I decided it was what I wanted to do. It made me feel a lot less pressured to even worry about whether or not he would want me that way. And yet, the thoughts of him teasing me with items other than a knife while we did intimate things made me a little nervous. However, I found myself shifting over his body, Harry confused as I straddled his lap in the pool.

"Magdalina."

"What?" I asked.

"You're not getting off," he stated. "I'm not helping."

"Why not?" I asked quietly, my fingers tracing over a few tattoos before I lightly brushed my index along his throat. "I know you want me."

"But I will stick to what I said, and I told you that I would tease you but you won't come at my fingers until the weekend."

"Why not?" I asked again, my voice whiny, and now I was the one gripping his face the way he always did with me. "You don't like me?"

He was surprised, I could tell that much by his eyes. My cheeks were red, and I knew I could be confident but never before had I been like this with a man. My face was nearly in flames with heat when his right hand went to my waist, Harry playing with the hem of my bottoms.

"If you're bad, these are coming off, you're getting bent over something, and the knife is coming out, do you understand?"

I stared at him for a long moment, glancing down and purposely brushing my body up against him. He appeared less than pleased, my hand still gripping his face. I had no idea what to do or how to act when I felt like I had this much power. But, I found myself continuing to tease.

"Oh no, you're going to do exactly what I want," I whined softly.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered.

I didn't know what or how it happened, but suddenly he was flipping me around. It was one thing for him to use the Lord's name in vain, but I barely noticed because I was so shocked by how he had bent me over the wall of the pool, his hips pressing right against my ass. I felt his body leaning over me, my head being pressed against the concrete gently, but with enough force that I knew I wasn't supposed to move.

"You know I'd be taking you right now," he muttered softly. "I wouldn't stop until I was finished. And then I'd let you cry about not being able to come."

"Harry," I whimpered.

"I warned you," he told me. "And yet you like to push it too far, doll. I know you like to tease, but it will get you in serious trouble with me."

I felt his hand press against my stomach, a whimper leaving my lips before his fingers shifted my bathing suit bottoms to the side. I was holding my breath, Harry tracing his fingers along my core. Though, I could feel his middle finger push just past my lips, playing with the idea of more before he gently pushed his finger in, my thighs squeezing shut on his hand when he touched me. It made him chuckle, Harry brushing his middle finger against my inner walls.

"I don't think you've thought this through," he told me. "My hand is basically stuck here if you keep your thighs squeezed together like this.."

I whimpered softly.

"I know, Mags, just let go of my hand and I don't have to play with you anymore. We can save your sanity for Saturday, darling."

I whined when he curled the finger inside of me, my body squirming and Harry grunting behind me. I didn't understand why, but I was able to force myself to stop squeezing my thighs together for a total of five seconds which was long enough for Harry to cheekily brush the finger that had been in me around my clit before he pulled his hand away, shifting my bottoms back in place.

"I hate you," I mumbled.

"I know you do. I wouldn't have it any other way."

He pulled off of me, my body shaking as he got out of the pool quickly. I was left alone, and I watched as he grabbed a towel for himself, quickly drying off. Though, I was a little surprised when he walked over to me and held a towel out for me. Making sure my bottoms were adjusted properly, I got out of the pool, blushing when he wrapped the towel around me. I didn't understand how one minute he could be nearly mean, but the next he wanted to take care of me, a small smile on his face as he looked at me.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Sure," I nodded.

"You know I'm different when we're like that, right?" he asked quietly, cupping my chin and tilting my face up. "I can be pretty mean. Doesn't mean I like you any less."

"I-I know," I nodded. "You always take care of me after, so I know."

"Good girl," he smiled, placing a quick kiss to my lips. "We can come up with a safe word or something. You know, in case you feel uncomfortable with me."

"I know you won't hurt me," I assured him quietly.

"I know, I know, but I still think we should maybe think about a safe word. I can assume that I'm different from your past relationship. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable and not be able to communicate that you genuinely want to stop with me, okay?"

His words were very kind, and I was always so appreciative of how genuine he wanted to be with me. Not to mention that he was interested in us having a safe word, my lips pressing to his chin when I stood on my tip toes. It made him chuckle, Harry leaning down to kiss me. My hands cupped his face, his arms wrapping around my body tightly before he pulled away, leaving several kisses along my jaw and then multiple to the hinge.

"It tickles," I murmured.

"Good," he laughed softly, pulling back. "Do you want to get a shower?"

"Yeah."

He opened the sliding door for me to walk in first, Harry following behind and then locking the door. I grabbed my bag, pulling it into the bathroom as Harry started the shower. He looked so handsome with wet hair, and I found myself walking over to him, my cheeks flushed when I realized I wanted to hug him but I didn't want to bother him either.

"What?" he asked.

"Just admiring," I murmured.

"Yeah?" he laughed.

I nodded.

He pressed a kiss to my temple before grabbing a towel out of the closet. I watched as he hung it up, and while a part of me wanted to ask him to stay, I was also too embarrassed to let him see me like that. Even if he had seen me half naked already, I didn't like the thought of letting him see me fully undressed in front of him just yet.

"I'm going to go shower in the other bathroom down the hall, okay? Just come get me if you need something."

"Okay."

"You're good?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, Har."

"Good," he nodded, kissing the top of my head.

He left the bathroom after that, being sure to shut the door. I felt a little timid now, knowing that I was still in a place I wasn't familiar with without him. Even if I had showered here before, I simply knew that I was in a clingy mood and hadn't wanted him to leave. Quickly undressing, I got into the shower, trying to wash up as quickly as I could. The rainfall head was nice, though, and I knew that Jackie had one in her big fancy house, but it wasn't something that I had ever actually experienced until now. And, by the time I was finished I felt a little less anxious, leaving me to dry off and change. I wrapped my hair in a towel as well, trying to pull excess water out of it before walking out into Harry's room. He was already on the bed, reading a book but I also saw a gift on the mattress.

"Was it good?" he asked.

"Yeah," I smiled.

"Good, good, good," he nodded, bookmarking his page and placing the book on the side table before getting off the bed with the gift. "I also got you something and forgot to give it to you earlier."

I raised an eyebrow, quickly taking the gift. He watched as I looked over it, and I always wondered what it could possibly be. However, I found myself smiling the moment I opened it, seeing that it was another cassette tape that he had made for me. Flipping it over, I looked at all the songs on the back, once again written in his script.

1. The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair
2. Devil Delight
3. Was I Right or Wrong
4. God's Coloring Book
5. Dearest
6. Angel Eyes
7. The Back Seat of My Car
8. Way Down Texas Way
9. You're All I Need
10. The Ballad of Billy the Kid
11. Devil's Food
12. Dearest Darling
13. (Paper) Doll

"Harry, this is so sweet," I told him.

"Did you listen to the last one?" he asked.

"Of course I did," I nodded. "Thank you. I like listening to the music you like."

He nodded. I still stared at the gift, not understanding what would possess someone to give me a cassette tape filled with songs that they liked, but I appreciated it because of how thoughtful he always was. Once I set it down on the side table, he grabbed my hand, my cheeks burning when he pulled me down the hall and through the living room. I was confused when we went into his office, Harry grabbing a set of keys from his desk before unlocking what I had assumed was a closet.

"You wanted to see, right?" he asked. "I'm not just showing you and you don't want to see it, right?"

"Show me what?"

"The room," he told me. "With all my, um, stuff."

"Oh," I blushed. "It's in there?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I thought you said you wanted to see it."

He looked like he was actually kind of excited to show me, which I thought was super cute. Even if it was probably going to be a bunch of stuff I had never seen before, I knew he wasn't going to go out of his way to do anything I wasn't comfortable with, and I found myself smiling at him.

"Yeah. I was just confused because I thought it would be an actual bedroom off the hall."

"Right," he laughed. "Nope, in my office."

It made me laugh, Harry unlocking the door before pulling it open. It was dark, and even though he gestured for me to go first, I stood outside the room the same way I did anytime he opened his front door. It made him roll his eyes, but he stepped inside, turning on the light. My cheeks flushed at the green hue that was cast over the room, Harry pulling the door shut. He laughed when I wrapped my arms around him, Harry shaking his head.

"Are you scared?"

"Maybe a little bit, it's kind of dark in here."

"Well what do you want me to do, fuck in hospital lighting?"

"I don't know," I laughed.

He shook his head, and I could tell that he was amused. I took his hand while he walked me further into the room that was definitely a bedroom, it was just off the den which I thought was weird. While I couldn't see all that great in here due to the lighting, it looked completely untouched, Harry watching as I climbed onto the bed.

"It's smaller than yours," I told him.

"Mhm," he nodded. "Do you have any questions?"

"Are those actual handcuffs?" I asked quietly, pointing to the wall behind him.

"Yeah. I have a key for them and everything. I have all the ropes I was telling you about behind you. You can see the different holes in the bed post for where I could tie you up. I have a lot of knives to choose from over there, but my favorite is the one I carry on me all the time," he said lowly. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't. I'm just ... you must trust me."

"I do," he nodded. "I know you probably don't want to hear me talk about other people, but like yeah Cherry and I were in here sometimes, but it isn't like I took every person I've been with in here either. Sometimes the guest room works just fine, you know? I just don't like people in my space. You seem to be the exception though."

It made me smile. He looked so different in the green lighting, different shadows cast on his fast, and for a brief moment I even thought he could have been scary. But, he smiled at me and the thought was gone almost as quickly as it had been there. I watched as he climbed on the bed with me, my cheeks flushing when he leaned forward and kissed me. He pulled back, but I quickly shifted, straddling his lap for the second time today. My fingers played with his hair, Harry staring up at me in a way that made me feel appreciated.

"I think I need to take you out of here," he said softly.

"Why's that?"

"The longer we sit here," he started to say, leaning up to kiss me before he continued, "the more I want to tie you up."

It made my cheeks flush, Harry pressing a kiss to my lips before he managed to throw me over his shoulder again. We left the room, Harry locking it up after he shut the light off. He then placed his keys in the top desk drawer, my arms holding onto him tightly. The walk to his bedroom wasn't long, but I giggled when he dropped me onto the mattress, Harry shaking his head.

"Listen," he said.

"What?"

"I know I pinky promised that you could hold me, but the more I think about it, the more stressed it's making me. But I also don't want to break a promise with you. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? Anything at all?"

Honestly, I had completely forgotten that we had agreed to those terms yesterday. It wasn't even on my mind. And yet, here he was, worried about breaking a pinky promise with me now. I found myself smiling at him, my hands cupping his cheeks as he stared down at me.

"We don't even have to cuddle if you're feeling uncomfortable, my sweet boy."

He shook his head no, but I could feel him getting blushy beneath my hands. He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. I didn't know what I had said exactly, but I watched as he tried to pull my hands away his face quickly hiding in the crook of my neck.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"N-No."

"What's wrong? What did I say?"

He shook his head. His breathing was very unorganized and I found myself frowning. I could tell I had said something that upset him, Harry sighing against me and then letting out a soft grunt like he was frustrated with himself. It was upsetting to hear, and while I was happy that he felt safe enough to be emotional with me, all I wanted to do was try and fix what my words had started.

"Honey," I said quietly.

"No one but m-my mum called me that," he murmured in a small voice. "My sweet boy."

"Oh. Hey, hey, hey," I quickly said, sitting up so he wasn't leaning over me.

I moved to kneel on the bed so I was more at his height, Harry covering his face with his hands. It hurt me to think that he wanted to hide, but I also knew he was stressed out, upset, and I didn't want us to repeat yesterday. Gently coaxing his hands away from his face, he was clearly upset, my fingers quickly working to wipe the tears away from his eyes even though new ones replaced them.

"It's okay," I smiled, holding his face in my hand and wiping the tears as they fell. "It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm so sorry."

"No," he said quietly. "I don't ... I don't dislike it, I just ... you treat me like an actual person that you care about and not just some guy with a dick, and I just ... I feel so fucking small."

I sighed. Here he was, still taller than me when the bed was high up and I was kneeling on it to try and have some leverage. Here he was, always so much stronger than me. Here he was, the man who was normally so cool, so calm, so collected. And yet even with all of those traits, he was admitting that he felt small because of his past.

"I feel very safe when I'm with you," I told him quietly, still trying to brush his tears away even though his eyes were shut now. "And you make me feel like I'm really pretty, and you make me happy, and I just am always wondering how I'll ever repay you for taking such good care of me. Even before we went on a date, you were always there for me, and taking care of me, and making sure that I was okay. That has to mean something, right?"

"But I'm standing here crying like a little kid because you called me something no one but my mother did."

"Well, I think you're allowed to cry like a little kid," I told him quietly. "My ex never cried around me and I felt like I couldn't be vulnerable in front of him because of it. I think it takes more of a man to cry, you know? You're allowing of your emotions. Plus, you lost your mom when you were still a kid. Just because you were eighteen doesn't mean you were ready to move on, you know? You were still a kid, you needed your mom, Harry."

He sighed, opening his eyes and I frowned when more tears came. He wasn't sobbing, but it was clear there was still sadness instilled in him because the tears kept coming even if it was silently. I was surprised when he made the move to wrap his arms around me, my arms moving from his face to secure around his upper back. He felt incredibly tense, but I just wanted to give him whatever he needed so we wouldn't have a complete breakdown like last night.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Sorry for what? Being honest with me?" I questioned, shifting so I could try and see his face.

"I just feel like a fucking child. I feel so small. I don't like feeling small."

"Hey," I said quietly, his arms still secured around my waist but I placed one of my hands on his face. "We're in this together now. I don't care if it's been five days, five weeks, five months, or five years. It's you and me now."

He sighed.

"Let's go to sleep, hmm? You're probably exhausted."

"Magdalina?"

"What, honey?"

He blushed again.

"Harry?"

"Thank you," he mumbled, looking away as he said it and I knew he was nervous. "You always know what to say."

"I don't have very much family ... any, actually. I just don't want to lose the one thing that could maybe become my family, you know?"

He was blushing again, shaking his head. I smiled at how shy he was all of a sudden, but I knew he had a lot going on in his mind. He was overthinking the way that I normally did. After a few moments he let go of me so I quickly let go as well, watching as he went to the bathroom while I got under the covers. As I got wrapped up in the sheets, I heard the toilet flush before the sink turned on a few moments later. He came out of the bathroom once he had shut the light off, walking over to the door and cracking it for who I assumed was Izabelle before he shut the lights off.

I felt him climb onto the mattress, my body on the opposite end of the bed. He really did have a huge mattress, and I was sure we could probably fit four or five people comfortably in his bed. But I blushed when I felt the bed moving, Harry patting the mattress until he found my waist then. My face was burning, Harry continuing to move until he was cuddled up behind me.

"We don't have to."

"I know," he said.

"Harry, you're anxious, I don't want—"

"It's not as loud when I'm with you," he murmured, his arm securing around my waist. "I just want to hold you so I can sleep."

And it dawned on me then that maybe that was why he had fallen asleep in my lap. Even the night before, he had said he could sleep when he was with me. He might have taken a nap earlier today, but how much sleep did he really get if I wasn't there? I placed my arm over his, a small smile on my face when I felt him press a kiss to the shell of my ear.

"Thank you again," Harry said.

"You don't have to thank me."

"I know," he murmured. "I just don't know how to act because no one has treated me like a human being, and it's just nice."

"Har," I said.

"What?"

"I'm glad you trust me."

He nodded, pressing several kisses to the shell of my ear now. I knew he was trying to distract himself, focusing on me in some way to avoid whatever was in his mind. It was nice to think I could be that for him, but I was also left wondering a lot more about what I was distracting him from. He was still tense behind me, physical touch being a sore spot for him, but he was putting in the effort. So, I knew whatever was in his mind had to be far worse than his hatred for affection if he was willing to endure that rather than the thoughts.

"Get some rest, Magdalina."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Sweet dreams."

He chuckled. "You too, doll."

He leaned over me so he could press a kiss to my cheek, my face flushing red. Of course, I still didn't understand how this had happened. I mean, how was it one week I was telling him he absolutely could not be with me, and now he was cuddled up behind me being one of the nicest men I had ever met? It was blowing my mind, but I decided that maybe this was exactly what was supposed to happen. After all, Harry was my first new friend here in Winter Haven, and I felt that God made sure this was how it was meant to be.