Traces of Your Touch (An AU Fanfiction)
Chapter 38
Chapter Playlist: Sleep by Poets of the Fall
Harry woke up slowly, knowing that something had disturbed his slumber, but he wasn't able to understand the source of it. He tried to look around, but it was too dark. He felt something solid squirming up against his body; a solid form. He touched to see what it was and traced out a lean figure of a girl.
Harry groaned and tried to recall who he had chosen to sleep with this time in his drunken state, but couldn't remember a single thing. He turned his head to see the digital clock by the bed, indicating 3:23 am in the morning. He heard a small noise coming from the girl next to him, and stiffened. It sounded like she was sobbing.
She mumbled out in her sleep for help and Harry could tell that she was having a nightmare. Her body was huddling closer to his, and she grasped onto his t-shirt for dear life. Harry felt bad for the girl and wanted to calm her down by comforting her but he had never been the touchy feely type.
Harry slowly detached her death grip from his shirt and sat up on the edge of the bed, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He slowly stood up and waddled blindly in the darkness with his hands outstretched for something solid to hold. His hands landed on what felt like a chest of drawers and as he quickly moved, tracing out the outline of the chest, one of his toes bumped against the corner; making him yelp out in pain.
He covered his mouth and turned to check if he had woken the girl and to his relief he heard her continue to breathe heavily.
He slapped around his pants for his phone and took it out, lumbering his way around the dark room with the help of its light until his hand landed on what felt like a door knob.
Harry unlocked the door and was about to head out, but something made him turn back to look at the girl he had been with before he left. The light from the corridor below illuminated the bedroom slightly and Harry saw her properly then. His stomach dropped when he realized who it was.
There she laid so beautiful, somehow seductive in her slumber. The blanket that was covering her body had hiked up, displaying one smooth shapely leg. Soft, delicate pink lips had formed a full pout as she slept away. Her face was where his eyes lingered. Aria looked peaceful and somehow it tugged at his chest.
A sense of yearning pulled at him. He wondered if they had fucked, racking his brain for any memory, but it came up with none. He'd just ask her tomorrow, he decided. And if they did....if they did then...
Harry let out a sigh and was heading down the stairs when a voice stopped him. Someone was shouting and it was coming from the living room. Despite his efforts not to, Harry couldn't help but eavesdrop.
"I can't do this anymore! It's always the same, Beatrice!" Harry heard a man bellow. "Every month, it comes in and we literally pull each others hair out! How do you expect me to pay the kid's fees and the bills in one go?"
"Don't you think I know that, Rupert? Don't forget that I help pay the bills every month as well!"
"Then you should know how it feels, Beatrice!"
"I do know but if an offer like that came up for me, I would've taken it!"
"At the expense of what, Beatrice? Our family? Our house? Our daughter's education? Or our relatives and friends?"
"At the expense of having to withdraw our children from their schools just because we selfishly chose to hold on to sentimental values, Rupert!"
Harry frowned at the last comment. Was Aria's family suffering so much financially that they had to withdraw her from school?
"What do you want me to do, Bea? Start over a new life all alone elsewhere?"
"No! We'll all go. All of us. Aria, Ryan, You and I."
"I can't, Bea. Please don't ask me of this. This town suits us. I don't wa- I don't- to be reminded of the past." Harry thought he could hear the man named Rupert's voice waver.
"Please, Rupert! I know it's hard but please say yes to the company. Think of all the money that'll come in!"
"Money, money, money! That's all you ever think about, Bea!" Rupert's father screamed in anger, making Harry jump. He quickly closed the door, before Aria could wake up. However, her father had not finished yet.
"I've had enough of you and your greed! I'm getting out of this house!"
"No, Rupert! Wait!" Beatrice Morgan wept and ran after her husband to the front door. Harry quickly leaned against the wall and hid under the blanket of the night's darkness.
"Don't stop me, Bea! And don't try to find me either!"
"Rupert, wait!" Harry watched the lady weep and follow her husband all the way outside. His thoughts went back to a time where he had seen a similar situation play out and he felt his throat clog up. He had tightly held onto his teddy as he and his sister had sat on the corner of the room weeping.
Harry shook himself to stop the memories from coming in and knew this was the perfect opportunity for him to sneak out through the back door. He took a step down the stairs and stopped.
He turned around, opened the door once again and went back inside Aria's room. It was as if his brain was on auto-pilot. He locked the door, slid into her bed with the help of the light from his phone and snuggled closer to her. And for the first time in his life, Harry Styles cradled a girl in his arms as he fell into deep slumber.
Harry woke up slowly, knowing that something had disturbed his slumber, but he wasn't able to understand the source of it. He tried to look around, but it was too dark. He felt something solid squirming up against his body; a solid form. He touched to see what it was and traced out a lean figure of a girl.
Harry groaned and tried to recall who he had chosen to sleep with this time in his drunken state, but couldn't remember a single thing. He turned his head to see the digital clock by the bed, indicating 3:23 am in the morning. He heard a small noise coming from the girl next to him, and stiffened. It sounded like she was sobbing.
She mumbled out in her sleep for help and Harry could tell that she was having a nightmare. Her body was huddling closer to his, and she grasped onto his t-shirt for dear life. Harry felt bad for the girl and wanted to calm her down by comforting her but he had never been the touchy feely type.
Harry slowly detached her death grip from his shirt and sat up on the edge of the bed, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He slowly stood up and waddled blindly in the darkness with his hands outstretched for something solid to hold. His hands landed on what felt like a chest of drawers and as he quickly moved, tracing out the outline of the chest, one of his toes bumped against the corner; making him yelp out in pain.
He covered his mouth and turned to check if he had woken the girl and to his relief he heard her continue to breathe heavily.
He slapped around his pants for his phone and took it out, lumbering his way around the dark room with the help of its light until his hand landed on what felt like a door knob.
Harry unlocked the door and was about to head out, but something made him turn back to look at the girl he had been with before he left. The light from the corridor below illuminated the bedroom slightly and Harry saw her properly then. His stomach dropped when he realized who it was.
There she laid so beautiful, somehow seductive in her slumber. The blanket that was covering her body had hiked up, displaying one smooth shapely leg. Soft, delicate pink lips had formed a full pout as she slept away. Her face was where his eyes lingered. Aria looked peaceful and somehow it tugged at his chest.
A sense of yearning pulled at him. He wondered if they had fucked, racking his brain for any memory, but it came up with none. He'd just ask her tomorrow, he decided. And if they did....if they did then...
Harry let out a sigh and was heading down the stairs when a voice stopped him. Someone was shouting and it was coming from the living room. Despite his efforts not to, Harry couldn't help but eavesdrop.
"I can't do this anymore! It's always the same, Beatrice!" Harry heard a man bellow. "Every month, it comes in and we literally pull each others hair out! How do you expect me to pay the kid's fees and the bills in one go?"
"Don't you think I know that, Rupert? Don't forget that I help pay the bills every month as well!"
"Then you should know how it feels, Beatrice!"
"I do know but if an offer like that came up for me, I would've taken it!"
"At the expense of what, Beatrice? Our family? Our house? Our daughter's education? Or our relatives and friends?"
"At the expense of having to withdraw our children from their schools just because we selfishly chose to hold on to sentimental values, Rupert!"
Harry frowned at the last comment. Was Aria's family suffering so much financially that they had to withdraw her from school?
"What do you want me to do, Bea? Start over a new life all alone elsewhere?"
"No! We'll all go. All of us. Aria, Ryan, You and I."
"I can't, Bea. Please don't ask me of this. This town suits us. I don't wa- I don't- to be reminded of the past." Harry thought he could hear the man named Rupert's voice waver.
"Please, Rupert! I know it's hard but please say yes to the company. Think of all the money that'll come in!"
"Money, money, money! That's all you ever think about, Bea!" Rupert's father screamed in anger, making Harry jump. He quickly closed the door, before Aria could wake up. However, her father had not finished yet.
"I've had enough of you and your greed! I'm getting out of this house!"
"No, Rupert! Wait!" Beatrice Morgan wept and ran after her husband to the front door. Harry quickly leaned against the wall and hid under the blanket of the night's darkness.
"Don't stop me, Bea! And don't try to find me either!"
"Rupert, wait!" Harry watched the lady weep and follow her husband all the way outside. His thoughts went back to a time where he had seen a similar situation play out and he felt his throat clog up. He had tightly held onto his teddy as he and his sister had sat on the corner of the room weeping.
Harry shook himself to stop the memories from coming in and knew this was the perfect opportunity for him to sneak out through the back door. He took a step down the stairs and stopped.
He turned around, opened the door once again and went back inside Aria's room. It was as if his brain was on auto-pilot. He locked the door, slid into her bed with the help of the light from his phone and snuggled closer to her. And for the first time in his life, Harry Styles cradled a girl in his arms as he fell into deep slumber.
Notes
A/N: Apologies for the short chapter, my loves! But we have a treat planned out for all the Haria shippers and also for all those who have been kind enough not to unsubscribe in the next chapter! :D From this chapter onwards, the story will serve the entire purpose of this fanfic! So who's excited? :D We know we are!Please vote, subscribe and leave as much feedbacks possible for the next chapter! x <3 -A.D
S/N: Lots of hugs and kisses to all our lovely readers! :D We miss interacting with you guys and we promise that from the 3rd week of April we'll start replying regularly to the messages and comments! <3 :) We'll also start reading all your fanfics like we used to. We miss reading fics! :( Gah! Word of advice: Study what you enjoy, not what your parent chooses for you! :'( Love you all to the moon and back! <3 x -N.K
Questions: Why do you think Harry stayed back? Now that Rupert is gone, what do you think will happen? But most importantly who's rooting for whom now? Haria or Laria, my loves?
Hey I have read your stories and subscribed to them and. Ang wait until they are updated. Hope everything is okay thanks
10/23/16