The Shield (Prince Harry fanfic #2)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Harry decided Lucy was right. You could see everything from on top of the Cologne Dome. He wanted to stay up there forever, just to watch the world around him. It was peaceful up there, among others who wished to see the world from one spot. Within the circle, to see the world from every side, he felt alone. His eyes pushed the boundaries. Grabbing Lucy's hand, they watched the world go by.

They didn't want to leave, certainly Harry didn't. However, Lucy told him there were other things to do and see. He trusted her.

With little choice from Harry, Lucy took him by the hand and led him through the crowds. Polizei were on every corner, and they watched the crowds. This was to expected with terrorist threats in Europe. Lucy gave no thought to them, upon not being concerned, apparently a very American thing to think as well as the opposite of any paranoid American. The thought weighed on Harry's mind, but he welcomed the extra police force.

Lucy had a hotel set up for them, and she had rung earlier and her German hadn't been on point. She believed she had gotten her point across. It wasn't until they gathered at the hotel that she had in fact not gotten her point across.

"Lucille Smith," she said, and the concierge nodded, typing her name.

"Ich habe einen Bettzimmer für Sie."

She shook her head, and Harry asked, "What?"

Ignoring him, she turned back to the concierge. "Zwei Betten," she corrected, holding up her thumb and pointer finger to show him.

"Nein, Frau." He spoke in German again.

She bit her bottom lip and then smiled. "Wunderbar." Her voice was tight but she conceded. The hotel key was handed to her, and Harry and her went to their hotel room.

"What was the problem downstairs?" Harry asked as Lucy pushed into their hotel room. She slid the key card into the slot by the door, and the room lit up. His eyes looked around the room, and he automatically knew. There was one bed in the room. "Oh."

"I can go get in an argument downstairs, if you like."

His eyes trailed along the room. "It's rather dingy." Blue eyes shone on Lucy, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand. "I can get us a better room at a better hotel."

Lucy shook her head. "No. You're getting the experience. This will be fine." She dropped her backpack off on the bed. "We can put a pillow between us, or you can sleep on the floor." He stared at her. "I'm not sleeping on the floor. And, you used to sleep on cots during war."

Harry laughed. "I realize, but I'm more concerned for you."

"Me?" Confusion was written on her face. Mocking waited in her eyes.

"Lucy, you've been taking it slow, and I agree with it. I don't want to rush this. I want to feel every part of you, forever. I don't want you to be like the other girls I've dated."

"It's a bed, Harry. You sleep in a bed."

"You also sleep in a bed," Harry corrected.

It was cute to Lucy that he thought they would have time for that. She was going to keep him out as long as possible. He wouldn't want anything like that, only sleep for how much they were going to do in the city.

Stepping forth, Lucy smiled. "Can you not keep yourself to yourself?" she asked, mocking him. Her body pressed against his. "We sleep, Harry."

"Understood."

Her lips pressed against his, warm and sweet. Lucy's lips tasted like strawberries, from putting on Chap Stick beforehand. Harry hadn't shaven since his last charity event, already more than twenty-four hours ago, and light-haired gruff started on his face. Her fingers ran across his skin, holding his head in place to kiss a little while longer.

"I like this," she admitted, "but there are other things to do. There are millions of places to see within Köln."

"Like what?" he asked, wanting to know all the places he would see with her. He wanted the world with her, to see the world, to live within the world.

"We could Museum Ludwig for Picasso works or Wallraf-Richartz Museum for more art. There's the Romano-Germanic Museum for history." Her favorite, Harry knew, when her love for her history was high. "There are some zoos, a chocolate museum and of course, the Saint Martin Church."

"But?"

Lucy smiled. "Those places are nice and great, and many tourists go there, but you don't know the city until you get lost in it. You have to live by walking." She opened her backpack and started digging through, until she pulled out some clothes. "Better change. We might be out for a while."

His eyes watched her, as she put her back to him and started changing. She didn't mind him watching, and he put his eyes elsewhere. He changed too, but she never peeked at him. The light from the pulled curtains brightened Lucy's skin again, picking at her scars. Beauty belonged to Lucy. His sight belonged to Lucy. He finished changing, and she was already done.

She stared outside the window, watching people walk underneath them. They weren't high off the ground by much but she watched carefully. Harry joined her by the window, curling his arms around her.

"This is cute," he said.

"Thanks." Lucy turned around and kissed Harry quickly on the lips before grabbing her purse. "We don't have time to waste."

Harry was left standing there in the dust as she waited beside the door, ready to show him a whole new world. He collected his wallet and she took out the key card from the slot in the wall, and they left the hotel.

Once again, the sun beat down on them, as summer started to come to an official close. September had moved in but it was still quite warm outside. His fingers interlaced with Lucy's, sending shivers up his spine. She didn't know the city well, it was still light outside and would be for several more hours, but here they went. They were to get lost in Cologne. Of course, they had the address back to the hotel and a taxi could've taken them back at any time, but they walked on the sidewalk, taking in the sites.

People passed Harry, and none of them gave a second look. He wasn't royalty here; he wasn't important here. He was another tourist just trying to blend in. Lucy had done that as well, a tourist trying to blend in, and they did well with wearing normal clothes of Europe. This was freedom, for the both of them, and probably one of their last chances. Sooner or later, and probably sooner, Lucy would be put together with Harry by the media; they would notice.

For now, they breathed.