Close Quarters / hs

Stuck With You

You peered at Harry over the top of your computer screen as he noisily opened and closed the kitchen cabinets, surveying their contents and sighing before moving onto the next. He rattled around inside one before producing a plastic tumbler emblazoned with the Forum logo, then moved to the refrigerator to rustle around there.

As he plunked a pitcher of iced tea on the breakfast bar across from you, he paused and glanced over like it was the first he'd noticed your presence. "D'ya want some?" he asked halfheartedly.

He'd been acting strange all morning; up at the crack of dawn, as best you could tell, out stretching on the patio before Jeff joined him with coffee. They sat huddled at the table, engrossed in what you assumed was a work conversation. Jeff had since disappeared in his office upstairs, but Harry stayed away. These were the first words he'd bothered speaking to you since last night, and at this point you weren't sure if you were concerned or annoyed.

"What's with you today?" you asked curiously, reaching out to touch his forearm.

Harry's eyes darted up to you, shaking his head a little. "Just havin a day, I guess." His tone was low and definitive, as if the conversation was already closed.

"Okay." You furrowed your brow, well aware that you couldn't exactly fault him for that. After more than a month of sheltering in place you'd all had "days." And while you could acknowledge your circumstances weren't exactly dire, the heaviness of the situation still wore on you and you'd all had plenty of ups and downs.

Harry poured a generous amount of iced tea before returning the pitcher to the fridge. He seemed to hesitate now, pushing his sunglasses around on the countertop. "D'ya wanna sit out by the pool or summat?"

You sighed. "I do, Harry, but I've gotta get through these emails. Later, okay?"

"Right." He nodded, shoving the sunglasses onto his face and grabbing the tumbler of iced tea before leaving the kitchen without another word.

Your eyes followed him for a moment, appreciating the way the yellow shorts seemed to highlight his toned calves and marveling over how long his hair had grown in the last month. He disappeared through the glass doors leading to the patio and you settled back in front of your screen.

You spent a few minutes scrolling through communication, and when you went to open a reply your heart abruptly sank. You studied the date of the email. April 15th.

Oh, shit.

Closing your laptop, you pushed yourself up from the counter and followed Harry in the direction of the patio.

He was sat in one of the chaise lounges, reclined a little with his hands folded over his stomach and his face tilted up to the mid morning sun. He turned his head when you cast a shadow over him, drawing his knees close as he regarded you in silence.

"Hey," you greeted him simply.

He offered you a small smile, which was more than you'd seen all morning, and reached out to give your fingers a brief squeeze. "Thought you had work to do?"

You eased down onto the chaise opposite him, tucking your legs under you. "I'm sorry, Harry."

He rubbed his hand along his jaw, stroking at his beard in a way you'd noticed him do when he was deep in thought. "For what, love?" he asked. He suddenly sounded so tired.

"I lost track of the day. I - I didn't realize it was the 15th."

"That it is," he agreed, tone neutral as he pushed his sunglasses up on the bridge of his nose. "Easy to lose track in quarantine, innit."

"I know you're supposed to be in Birmingham tonight," you continued carefully, eyes seeking his through the dark lenses. You couldn't see them, but you noticed the way his jaw tightened ever so slightly. "I'm sorry you're stuck here instead. I know you're disappointed."

You'd overheard plenty of conversations between Harry and Jeff as they'd worked feverishly with the team to create a new plan around the first leg of his tour.

You knew, though you didn't actually know him very well just a few weeks ago, how gutted he was to make that inevitable call to postpone the dates.

You'd read the words in the statement to his fans; while eloquent, you were well aware they only scratched the surface of his heartache.

You watched, now, as he eased the sunglasses up to sit atop the worn red bandana tied around his wild curls.

"Disappointed, yeah," he agreed after a long pause, turning the word over in his mouth. His gaze met yours, brow furrowed in a way that meant he was choosing his next words thoughtfully.

"'m disappointed, but like...not f'me. I'm disappointed for the fans. Don't mean to sound like a dick, but people were traveling for it." He seemed almost incredulous, that people would come from near and far for his opening show. Shifting his eyes to the clear blue water behind you, he watched the way the light breeze created tiny ripples across the surface. He sighed. "I'm disappointed for m' band and the crew and the team that worked so hard to make it happen."

Harry paused now, pushing another breath through his lips. "I'm just...I'm really bloody disappointed for all the people who were looking forward to this." He shrugged a little. "Y'know?"

"Like you?" Your finger traced over the tiny script tattooed across his kneecap. "Harry, it's okay to be disappointed for you, too."

He exhaled, catching your fingers with his and intertwining them. "S'what my mum said too," he admitted, lips quirking just slightly. "Said I might as well feel the disappointment instead of simmer in it."

"Your mum is a wise woman," you smirked. "She's right, don't you think?"

He rolled his eyes, dimples creasing his cheeks. "She's always right," he agreed dutifully. "And maybe it's silly to be disappointed about something kinda trivial, but..." Harry trailed off. "It was important."

"It is important." You reached out, tilted his chin up to level your gazes. "None of the other stuff going on makes it any less important or disappointing." Your eyes searched his. "You know that, right?"

Another smile, this one wistful but with dimples no less prominent. "Thank you," he answered quietly. "For saying that. Helps to talk about it."

You shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere. Til April 30th, at the earliest." You exchanged bemused looks. And while you realized it might be a loaded question, you offered it anyway: "Anything else I can do that might help?"

"Go for a walk with me?" Harry asked hopefully. "Haven't made our weekly venture out of the yard yet and it's already Wednesday." He paused, chewing on his lower lip. "Know you got work t'do..."

"Work can wait," you assured him. "Want to help distract you a bit."

Now a boyish gleam flashed in his bright green eyes. There it was. "I do love a good distraction," he mused.

"I've noticed." You rolled your eyes playfully, puckering your lips all the same when he leaned forward with a quick but tender kiss.

Harry stood, offering his hand to help you to your feet, and you both trudged toward the house to fetch shoes and obligatory masks.

"For the record," he added, tucking his chin over your shoulder and looping an arm around your middle to pull you close, "I'm more'n happy to be stuck with you."