Incandescent | H.S

Part Twenty-Five: Golden Gifts & Gratitude

When you woke, it was with wonder and worship. Harry's ardent proclamations that he had shown through his body language sat stagnant on your thoughts. His soft noises of pleasure resonated in your ears, echoing as you recalled the night before.

Your lover, however, was not next to you like you'd hoped he'd be. You sat up in your bed and took in your surroundings, your sheets disheveled and your clothes were strewn across the floor.

Your bedroom door opened to reveal Harry, holding a mug and a doting smile. "Good morning, baby. Happy birthday."

"Mm hi, thank you."

He leaned down and left a soft kiss on your cheek. "I have a present for you."

"There's more? What is it?" You frowned in surprise, gesturing up to the extravagant addition to your bedroom.

"Yes, sweet cherry. And I'm not telling. Get dressed, we'll leave in fifteen." He handed you the cup of coffee he'd prepared for you because he knew it would be hard to rouse you from your covers without it.

He knew you had work, so his choice to wake you before you were due for your shift meant you were groggy with sleep, sipping on the steaming beverage with a hum.

By this point, Harry was well versed in how you liked everything, this knew no bounds and your preferred way to drink coffee was no different. He was miraculously observant and it never failed to surprise you just how intense that trait of his was.

He knew you could only thoroughly enjoy a book with a cup of tea doused with golden honey. That you could never listen to a full song, always skipping it before it was done. That you were a soft and cuddly creature when you were your drowsiest because you were akin to a needy little kitten right before sleep.

God, he knew you so well, you'd even go so far as to say he knew you better than you knew yourself. It was actually terrifying and at times you feared you'd become dependent on him. But so far, he proved to be just as needy as you, and you'd still managed to stay as individuals despite an intense relationship.

You showered and dressed in something casual and equally as comfortable because Harry had assured you that there was no need to dress up in any way. He himself wore a white t-shirt and light jeans.

Harry took you both to one of your favourite café spots for breakfast, you ordered waffles with whipped cream and extra cherries on top- the latter detail as per Harry's request. He went with the eggs benedict and had the two coffee cups on the table full of mochas. He kept pinching forkfuls of your breakfast treat and trying to pinch the cherries but you kept swiping his offending utensil away.

His mood was cheerful but somewhat restricted and you kept quizzing him on his mood only for him to brush it off and tell you he was absolutely fine, that he was just enjoying his time with his special girl on his special day.

He settled the bill, much to your dismay. He had scoffed at your plea to pay, telling you that it's crazy for the birthday girl to pay for her own breakfast.

When he drove you to the unknown location, you picked up on how quiet he was being, grabbing his hand and leaving kisses on the back of his hand and each of his knuckles. He reassured you with a fond expression.

"What's this surprise, then?" You pressed.

He looked over at you with a mocking look that displayed bewilderment. "Jesus, woman. Not gonna be a surprise if I tell you. Don't you get how it works?"

"Not really a surprise if I know it's happening." You wrinkled your nose.

He scoffed. "Yeah, alright spoilsport. You'll be surprised, trust me."