Prince in the City [Harry Styles AU]

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

City Girl's POV:

It was a lot bigger than I ever thought.

Buckingham Palace was huge, though I don't think it was big enough to contain the nerves and intimidation swelling up inside me at the mere thought of being here. Not to mention the ever-present disbelief that I was here in the first place; picked up at Heathrow Airport by a car service provided by the palace and brought straight here. Being in London was one thing, but inside the royal palace? I had muttered under my breath plenty of times that this was real that I'm pretty sure the driver and the security detail accompanying me thought I was crazy or something.

Much to my relief, I wasn't left to my own devices for too long. I was waiting in one of the sitting rooms of the palace, nervously declining anything to eat or drink because I feared I'd throw it up because of how anxious I was, when I heard the jingling of a collar before a familiar dog was trying to climb all over me.

"Jagger!" I exclaimed with a delighted giggly, crouching down to allow the dog to easily lick at my chin, my face scrunching up at the slick wetness. As I rubbed at his face and head, giddy joy washed over me at once again being reunited with Jagger. I pouted, "oh, I missed you too, buddy. So much."

"I hope you missed his dad just as much."

My hands stopped rubbing at Jagger's head at the familiar deep accented voice—the voice I had only been able to hear through the staticy speakers of my laptop or cell phone—which was now so clear and present. Slowly I stood up, feeling the pace of my heartbeat quicken as I turned around to catch sight of Harry standing in the wide entryway of the room. He was dressed casually in jeans and a black sweater that had colorful planets on it and he looked so damn good. Seeing him in person rather than through a screen spread a smile so wide on my face, my cheeks were already beginning to hurt in the best way possible.

"More than you know," I answered him, almost breathlessly, and the words had barely passed my lips when the two of us were already gravitating towards one another.

Harry's hands reached out as we got closer, and the second they grasped mine I felt my grin widen and chest lighten as he used his grip to pull me into a hug. Arms wrapping around his shoulders, I hugged Harry close, eyes squeezing shut as I felt his own arms wrap around my waist and his achingly familiar scent intoxicated me wonderfully.

Giddy excitement and utter elation shook my body as Harry held me close, a happy giggle passing bubbling past my lips as I buried my face in his shoulders and mumbled, "I missed you so much."

"And I missed you more," Harry's raspy voice responded as I felt his fingers thread through the back of my head. The two of us pulled back, bodies still close as his green eyes met my dark ones, mirroring the dimpled smile that I could still feel on my face. I know I talked to him every day and saw him through FaceTime, but actually seeing him in person—holding him and feeling him—was a kind of ecstatic joy that I didn't think was possible.

Over the past few months of us being separated I obviously hadn't forgotten how green Harry's eyes were—but I'd only been able to see them through a pixelated screen. Now though, with him right in front of me and only inches away instead of thousands of miles, I could properly take in just how bright and gorgeous I remembered his eyes to be.

Harry's hands grasped my cheeks, rings cool against my skin as his gaze flickered to my lips briefly. "God, I missed you," was all he breathed out before pressing his mouth to mine, the force of the kiss nearly knocking the air out of my lungs as I instantly kissed him back.

It wasn't a surprise how easily I melted into him; into his touch and taste as our lips moved together and my hands fisted the front of his sweater. My mind was dizzy with delight and pleasure, heart thundering against my ribcage at the pleasant taste of mint gum Harry seemed to have. We hadn't been able to hold each other like this for a while, and being here, locked in this embrace with Harry, felt like home.