the moon [h.s.] - EDITING

fifty-five.

Harry takes Luna and Santiago to one of his favorite cafés in Chelsea to eat breakfast. The café looks just as cozy as he remembers. The hanging lights from the ceiling make the brick-lined space look especially better at night. At least the hanging plants make the place look green and vibrant in the daytime.

"Hi! For three, please," Luna says to a waitress by the entrance. The woman is quick to lead them to a table by the window. Luna slides into one side of the booth and Harry is about to slide in to sit next to her, but Santiago beats him to it.

"I'm sorry... Were you going to sit here?" Santiago smiles up at Harry as if he didn't mean to do it on purpose.

He only laughs then slides into the booth across from them. "Don't apologize, it's alright!" He then thanks the waitress as she hands them the menus.

"So, Harry... What exactly do you do?" Santiago asks while Luna opens up her menu.

"I'm a writer for this magazine. I have a column in every issue," he explains.

Santiago nods. He opens up his own menu and begins to browse through the breakfast items offered. "What do you write about?"

"Uh, so I started off writing about my love for New York and how I get by... Right now, it's all lifestyle and fashion topics. Oh, and I just started giving advice to some of my readers who ask for it. Do you like to read or write?"

"No," he says and then smiles. "I'm more into soccer than anything else."

"I love football, too!"

"Soccer," Santiago tries to correct Harry.

"It's football. American football is what you consider as football."

Luna is laughing as they interact. Before Santiago could even begin bantering at Harry again, Luna smiles when a new waitress comes by to ask for their choice of drink. "Can I have a cold brew, please?"

"I'll take a regular coffee. Oh, and with vanilla creamer." Santiago is ordering.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" Luna asks her brother while the waitress writes it down.

"Don't worry about it," he tells her.

"I'd love some tea. English breakfast with some milk on the side? Thank you," Harry says. He smiles and then looks up to see Santiago looking at him once the waitress takes off.

"How English could you be?" He teases Harry.

"Considering I'm from England, I'd say very."

Luna nudges her brother. She shakes her head. "Ignore him," she says to Harry. "So you love to play football, too?"

Harry lets out a small chuckle and nods from her question. "I used to play all the time back home with friends. A bit here, too. Levi, actually, he's nuts for the sport," he says. He looks at Santi again. "Do you play for your school's team?"

"Yeah, I'm the best striker there is! I never miss a goal."

"Oh, that's funny... because I never miss a goal," Harry says and shrugs.

Her brother scoffs. "You? I don't believe it," he says.

"You wanna find out for yourself? I still have my gear somewhere in the closet. What do you think of a quick game in Central Park before you go?"

His eyes light up. Harry can see it as Santiago smiles. "You're on! I brought my cleats with me just in case an opportunity like this would come."

Luna is smiling. She looks into Harry's eyes from across the table. Her look makes him feel all warm inside.

»»

"Thank you for today," Luna tells Harry outside her apartment door. Santiago had just gone inside to take a shower from the long football match he had with Harry that went on well into the evening.

Harry needs a shower, too. Some of his hair is clipped back on the top of his head and he's wearing his football apparel. He holds onto his duffel bag where it holds his dirty cleats and ball. He's also dirty from running around and from all the times he's slipped from making goals. "It was nothing," he tells Luna. "I had fun. I'm glad your brother had a good time, too."

"Me too! You know you won him over... Also, seeing you kick a ball around, getting it passed him, was just so damn hot," she tells him. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and smiles as she leans in for a kiss.

He kisses her gently. He wants to keep kissing her, but she pulls back. He pouts because of it. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Hopefully! I'm taking my brother to the airport in the morning... I'm gonna miss him."

"I know you are," he says softly and tucks her dark hair behind her ears. He smiles as he's looking into those brown eyes. "but at least you know he had a good time, right? He could confidently go home and tell your mum about your plans. You know, to seek help from a doctor and all that."

She nods slowly and takes in a deep breath. "I guess, yeah." She caresses his cheek and glances at his lips. She then meets his eyes again. "Speaking of moms, your mom seems lovely."

He smiles. He realizes they haven't spoken about the quick FaceTime call over Thanksgiving. "Thanks... She really is," he says and bites his bottom lip.

"Harry, were you really planning to ask me to go to your hometown for Christmas?"

"It was a thought I had. I was planning to tell you and ask you to come along, but my mum asked before I could," he says and laughs. "I mean, do you want to come? You don't... have to, but I would love to spend Christmas with you and my mum and sister... in England. What do you think?"

She's smiling at him as he talks. She hums softly as if she's thinking about it. She's only pretending. "I'd love to go!"

"Yeah?" He's smiling wider.

"Yeah! You went to my hometown so it's only fair if I go to yours. I bet meeting your family will go way better than when you met mine." She laughs again and her hands run down his arms. "I'm excited now."

"Me too! I should start looking for plane tickets then... We're going to have a good time!" He takes her cheeks in his hands. He pecks her lips once, then again. He keeps smiling. "I'll let you get back to your brother. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you," she says then kisses him again. "Text me when you're home? I love you."

He nods. "I will... I love you," he says back. He kisses her one last time before he's stepping back. He blows her a kiss using both his hands. He laughs then heads towards the lift feeling happy as ever.