Legendary // H.S

39.

'I'll build you a kingdom

In that house on the hill'

*

Last night, Harry and I stayed at Zayn's. I didn't sleep much, neither did he, both of us tossing and turning the entire night as our brains refused to turn off for the evening. Instead, we just laid there in silence. No words spoken. Our own slow breaths melding into a symphony of anxiety, pain and uncertainty. It enveloped our bodies and left a dampness on our skins, moisture filling the bed despite the cool breeze that drifted through the open window. Even as the sun rose a thin layer of sweat sat in my hairline, despite having barely moved all night other than the quick turns to change position.

Harry remained on his back all night, and I would often admire his face and body, my fingers trailing across the details when I faced him. He drifted off at one point, my hand resting on his stomach and head on his chest, just watching the relaxation take over his features. After 30 minutes, he abruptly woke up, gripping onto my fragile body as if I were about to be ripped away. What I saw in his eyes was fear. Genuine terror. I wish I knew what caused it.

Eventually, I left the bed around 6:30 in the morning, taking a long shower until he came to join me. His whole body was tense, the dark circles around his eyes indicating how tired he was feeling. Having already cleaned myself, I paid attention to him, my hands gentle on his body as I tried to massage his muscles enough to relax him. I let them dance along his skin, tracing the outlines of every muscle, indent and scar, the water running over both of us. It was unlike the first time we showered. This wasn't an inherently sexual scenario, both our bodies too exhausted to even consider that.

After a while, he stopped my movements, grabbed my arms, and wrapped his own around me. I didn't say anything, nor did he. We just stood there under the warm stream, holding each other until it felt like enough. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, but I didn't mind. Something about being so close to Harry like that calmed my mind when all it wanted to do was scream. A rare moment of affection that seemed to be becoming more frequent and normal between us.

It felt right to be like that after what we'd endured yesterday. We hadn't allowed ourselves to unwind in the immediate aftermath, and even as the night sky closed in and we settled down for the evening, our minds still raced as fast as the car did while it weaved through the streets of the capital. Only under that water did we finally comfort each other in the only way our brains could comprehend. Perhaps the only way we needed. It was reassurance of his loyalty to me, to protect me. As long as I have Harry by my side, I know I'll be ok. I have to believe that.

Once we ate, the four of us went to the warehouse, working out some more details in preparation for Louis and Zayn, while I continued working on the diamonds. Niall had allowed me to keep the replica of the Cullinan IX until the heist in a few weeks, so I've been studying it since. Against all the images he provided, and ones I located online, the ring looks real. There's no indication that it's a forgery. Made with real diamonds and cut in a similar way, even I could be fooled by it. Of course, there are some differences there that will never be remedied because of the make-up of the Cullinan, but it's a good effort.

I've cut a few diamonds in my time, something that I was told would be utilised for the bigger plan, so having something like this to study is a gift when refining my skills. Harry had informed me that using cubic zirconia was out of the question for this robbery, as it will be too obvious that it's a fake. What he needs is to distract them long enough to not realise it's been taken so we have the time to escape and not be caught or suspected. It's a genius plan, expensive too, but I don't worry about their finances. The amount they've stolen over the years is enough to feed entire towns for a lifetime.