The Armor (Prince Harry fanfic #1)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Harry's eyes were the first to open, when usually Lucy was the first one awake. His arms were draped over her, across her stomach, as if to protect her. If anyone was to protect them, she would be the one to protect them. Harry would've tried, but Lucy was better trained at hand-to-hand combat, he assumed. Both of them laid fully clothed, upon not getting too far last night. Neither of them wanted to get too far last night in the end, finding they had better things to do. They kissed, thinking that they would go far, but talking ended up happening. And then they fell asleep, sharing Harry's small cot.

It wasn't known who fell asleep first, when the talking finally finished. They both relaxed upon the cot, staring at each other for a little longer. In the dim light and the rumbling thunder, they both felt at home. Together, touching gently, they fell asleep.

The light started to shine upon her face, illuminating the little hair that crossed over her face. The hairline scar on the left side of her face glowed, being pale against her skin. He noticed as the scars crossed her skin, sometimes overlapping. She was a map, and he wanted to travel everywhere.

Lucy was calm when she slept, not caring about what others thought. She wasn't focused on what hid behind corners. She didn't need to protect herself or others. She didn't need to fight to survive. Harry never believed she was scared but fearless. She would stare down the barrel of a gun and never blink. But now, it didn't matter. She could be peaceful. She didn't need to fight anyone now. With peace, she actually looked to dream, whatever was to come next in her world. It was her dreams, whatever she wanted to come next after here and now. Her dreams, whatever she wanted, all kept within her mind. Harry didn't know what came next, but he knew she would be wonderful.

Like she felt his gaze, her eyes automatically opened. Blinking away the tears that almost brimmed from the brightness, she grimaced. Lucy remembered what happened last night, all of it, all of what they did and didn't do. A scream threatened inside of her body, wanting to rise. She told herself no, and she still went. Lucy didn't want to stop, now or ever, choosing him. They didn't have forever, but she would take now.

She found him, as if he was forever lost.

"Hello." Harry smiled. He liked waking up beside her, when calmness still existed in her life.

A smirk tied at her lips. "Good morning." As much as she wished to watch him, she had to move. They both had to move, with a job to do. Lives waited for them. Her fingers slipped through his short hair, flattened at night, and then her fingers ran down his face. Harry came in clean-shaven, to leave with a full-beard, not that she minded. She wasn't going to tell what to do; it wasn't her life.

She rolled out of bed. Coldness prickled her skin as she left him, even when the heat rolled into the slum under the door and through the cracks. The storm from last night passed through, bringing along lots of rain, which slowly soaked into their slum. Coldness soaked into all the sheets and paper. Warmth was with Harry. Harry missed Lucy already too. Both of them changed, neither of them caring to share that they glanced at each other. There were things you didn't talk about.

The light shined still as they went to the schoolhouse. Lucy wrote upon the board, her handwriting was quite beautiful, up and down, curved in easy strokes, pronouncing her words as if she actually said them aloud. He wished to receive a letter in the army with that handwriting, a thing he would always remember. When he received letters, it was either by chance from a random girl who somehow found him or by his family. All the letters were written knowing he would be seen again, but her letters to him, if she ever wrote any, if she ever sent any, would be thoughts of never seeing him again. The thought of them never meeting again. He hoped those words written would be the truth.

Less than a month, barely, until she left him, forced away, and what life she did have left to life? She had so much to go for, but he realized he wanted to be there for it. Neither of them could live like that, though. Neither of them had the power. Maybe this was the time to have fear.

"Harry," Lucy called, and he was immediately pulled out of his thoughts, "what is the game plan for today?"

He listed it off, quickly. Harry hoped she might notice that he actually read it beforehand, which she didn't.

"Doesn't that sound fun?"

Harry smiled. "What would you like to do today?"

"Whatever you think is best. You're in charge... for today," she added.

"Not forever?"

Finishing writing on the board, she walked away. "I'm a control freak." She started to pass out papers. "And you will have to take over soon, teach a new person soon. You should know what it's like to be in charge." It was hard for them both now, less than a month. It was easy to say to live in the moment, but it was terrible to actually live.

His feet were as quiet as possible, appearing beside her. "I'm good at being in charge," he whispered.

She laughed at him. It was cute for him to think so, she decided. "I'm better."

Harry didn't have enough time to respond because their students came in, buzzing happily, ready to learn again. It was too long for them to be gone. Even their teachers felt it, inching to teach again. The students settled in, awaiting Lucy to speak. Harry looked over to Lucy, only for her to nod. He began.