Heartbeats || H.S. [ONGOING]

{ten}

Niko did her very best to keep her focus on the kids during dinner, trying not to start or add to any of the conversations that Harry or Patty started. She could feel Harry's eyes on her quite often, but she kept her cool and dinner finished without any major moments lost in his eyes or smile.

Harry, Niko and the kids watched one of the old Despicable Me movies that evening in the home theater in the basement. Harry and Niko were only separated by Avery's tiny body, and when she cuddled into her daddy, Harry's arm came to rest near Niko's thigh. Though Despicable Me was one of her favorite franchises as a kid, she couldn't pay attention when Harry's fingers gently grazed her bare thigh.

She sucked in a breath and held it as she stared down at his fingers. When she felt Harry watching her, she looked over to see his green eyes on her. The two of them held their gaze on each other for a few long moments before Niko broke their eye contact.

A moment later, Harry slid his palm into hers and she intertwined their fingers before looking over at him again. His smile was sweet and surrendering. His actions were his olive branch and she knew it. She bit her lip, trying to stifle her smile, which only made his smile grow larger. She let out a little giggle before she shook her head and focused back on the movie.

Harry squeezed her hand gently and she did the same thing to tell him that she felt the same way.

By the time the movie ended, Avery was passed out in Harry's arms and Jackson was just about falling asleep. They were both wiped out from all the playing they did during the day.

"I'll take him if you want to take her," Harry offered Niko and she immediately agreed with a nod and a smile as she stood up, Harry finally releasing her hand from his.

Niko carefully pulled Avery up in her arms, allowing Harry to stand up to have Jackson climb onto his back for a piggyback ride.

"I think you got the better end of the deal," Niko laughed as they trudged up the stairs after Harry shut off the projector.

"Why is that?" Harry asked.

"Avery is like dead weight. At least Jackson is conscious," Niko snickered, causing Harry to laugh out loud.

"I can take her," he offered.

"No way," Niko said, tightening her grasp around the little girl, cuddling into her like she didn't want to let her go.

Harry smiled at her and let out a laugh, "Okay."

Niko helped Harry and Patty get the kids ready for bed before Niko and Harry tucked them in like they did so many times during that summer. It brought back a lot of memories. After saying goodnight to the sleepy baby angel, Harry and Niko went into Jackson's room to tuck him in.

"Are you going to be here in the morning when I wake up?" Jackson asked Niko hopefully.

"Sorry, buddy. I have to go back to my own house," she told him and a look of disappointment washed over him.

"But I'll come back to play some time soon," she assured him.

"You will?" He asked excitedly.

"I promise," she said with a smile, which satisfied him enough to get him to settle into his bed.

"Goodnight, Jacky," Harry told him.

"Goodnight, Dad. Goodnight, Niko," he told them as they walked toward his bedroom door.

"Goodnight, buddy. I'll see you soon," Niko said in parting words.

"See you soon," Jackson said through a yawn as he closed his eyes when Harry shut off his bedroom light.

Niko and Harry walked out of his room together, and she felt completely awkward because it was just the two of them now. Nanny Patty was off for the night and had gone to bed once the kids were in their pajamas and had brushed their teeth.

"Uh, where's Zeus?" Niko asked of the family dog.

"Oh, uh. We, uh, had to put him down almost a year ago already," Harry said somberly, causing Niko's heart to nearly break. She was naïvely hoping that maybe Julia had gotten him in the divorce, not that he had passed away.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry," Niko said sadly.

"It's okay. He had a good, long life," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders, trying not to think about the dog that was his companion for over a decade.

"He was a really good dog."

"He was," Harry agreed.

The two of them stood awkwardly in the hallway for a few moments. Niko knew they needed to talk. So much needed to be said between them, especially after they spent the better half of the movie holding hands. What did that mean?

"Can... Can we talk?" Niko asked him hopefully.

"Mm," he hummed as he nodded his head, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know... about the past two years... about us," Niko said, digging her hands deeply into the front pockets of her jeans. She felt more than a little uncomfortable, but she knew the two of them needed to talk about everything that happened last week.

"About your boyfriend?" He asked, trying to keep the bitter tone out of his voice, but knew he failed. Niko's vision fell to her feet as her heart sank.

"You're not being fair," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry. I'm just hurt," he admitted, his voice softening.

"I'm sorry too," she said, wanting to break down and cry right then and there. But she swallowed it down and looked up at him.

"I did wait for you, Harry. And I was a mess. I'm still a mess. I'm not the same person I used to be," she told him truthfully.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I met Max this past New Year. And yes, I started seeing him because he... he looked similar to you. I was alone for so long and then he came along and I figured 'Why not?' Maybe he could try to help me to forget for a while. And then... then a few months ago things got more serious between us. He loves me, Harry," she told him as her tears threatened to fall.

"Do you love him?" He asked carefully.

"He's a good man," she replied, not answering on purpose.

"But do you love him?" Harry asked again, really needing to know for his own self-sabotaging reasons.

"I don't know," she said quietly, shrugging her shoulders as her vision dipped down to the ground.

"Do you still love me?" He asked, his words even, needing to know for the same reasons.

"Always," she told him honestly, looking up into his eyes with confidence. She would always, always love him.

With that, his lips crashed into hers with such maddening want and need, she was sure she might pass out. Her arms quickly wrapped around him as she kissed him back just the same.