Keep Me Warm
Chapter 3
*Sophi's POV*
I was surprised how effortlessly Harry picked my up. All of this and his strength still amazed me. He carried me bridal-style, using the hand under my legs to remove a towel from the rack. He grabbed another towel with his teeth and placed it on my bare chest. He didn't look down at me until I was covered, not risking any accidental glance at my exposed body. There wasn't a single part of him or myself that was dry, and we left a puddle of water on the floor of the bathroom along with a trail of droplets as he walked us into his bedroom. He then laid me on the bed and wrapped me up in the towel.
Harry began to stand himself up straight and took a step away from the bed, and I immediately reached for his wrist. He was surprised by how quickly I'd responded and turned around, looking from my hand on his wrist then up to my face.
"I'm not going anywhere," He said comfortingly in his low, husky voice.
The way that he had looked at me when he said this confirmed the deep truth behind it, and I let go hesitantly. I watched as he went over to his closet and came back out with two of his t shirts and a pair of sweatpants. He then walked back toward the bed and laid them on the duvet beside me.
"I'll be right back," he promised. "I'm just going to your room to get you some bottoms. You can come with me if you want."
My body shifted, but I stopped myself - not wanting to encourage my new found dependence on him.
"No, I'm fine." I shook my head, but as soon as I lost sight of him, my body tensed, leaving me with the painful memories that made me shudder with disgust.
Moments later, he returned holding underwear and a pair of my sweatpants. He laid those beside me and turned around to face away, wanting to give me privacy as I changed. I simply stared at the floor, still too ashamed to have anything to do with myself. He gave a minute or so before slowly peeking over his shoulder to find me still wrapped in the towel with my position unchanged. He turned back around and stood in front of me, then held out one of his t-shirts as he gestured for me to take it. I looked up into his eyes that were already locked on me, pleading him to just do it for me.
Harry hesitated for a moment as he reached for he towel, pausing as he grabbed it to look at me for confirmation. I nodded weakly and he unwrapped the towel and patted away the water on my shoulders. Making sure not to look at my exposed body, he held up the shirt and placed each arm gently through the sleeve and pulled the shirt down. Harry went down on his knees, and with me being 5'3", we were face to face. He glanced at my weak exterior, noticing the fingertip-shaped bruises on my thighs, then slowly reached his hand out to my face.
*Harry's POV*
I scanned her body, cringing at the sight of the scrapes and bruises covering it. I began to examen her face, gently placing my hand below her chin. I traced over the cut on her lip and struggled to keep my expression from describing the emotions I felt. The skin around Sophie's eye was blackened, and the purple, black, and blue markings were spread down to her cheekbone where there was another small bruise. I looked in her eyes, wishing for her beautiful, light blue orbs to be looking back at me; sparkling and full of life. Yet, all I found was the numbness of a saddening gray: empty, dim, and lifeless.
I turned her head slightly and tipped it up, finding a trail of harsh hickies trailing down her neck. When I saw these, anger rushed through my body. It pained me to know that she would have to be reminded of how helpless and alone she felt every time she laid her eyes on them. She then slowly lowered her head and stared at her lap, too ashamed to even look at me. She sat there, not daring to make eye contact, and tears began to form in my eyes. She was blaming herself for this.
I was afraid to touch her, not wanting her to feel any more pain or discomfort. Immediatley, I tensed up as I looked over at the underwear I'd laid beside her. She seemed to feel guilty when she saw my fearful expression, so she tiredly reach beside herself and grabbed the underwear. She slowly bent down, placing them over her feet and pulling them up to her thighs. She struggled to stand, so I gently lifted her up, allowing her to pull them up all the way. I grabbed the sweatpants and handed them to her, and she simply tossed them aside. I watched them hit the floor, but I wasn' t surprised. She'd always slept this way.
I glanced back at Sophie along with the soaking wet wooden floor, then finally began to notice how cold I was. I picked up the towel along with the remaining shirt and my sweatpants that laid beside Sophie and walked into my large closet, closing the door behind me. Once I had closed the door, I felt my eyes flooding agiain and quickly tried to shake my emotions. It was all for nothing, and the tears began to fall rapidly. Silent tears ran down my cheeks as the guilt, disbelief and anger all hit me at once. I rested my head on the door for a minute as I weeped, then rushed to dry and get dressed when I heard Sophie's soft, raspy voice calling me. I opened the door and quickly went to her, feeling guilty for taking so long and stepping away in the first place.
*Sophie's POV*
Harry walked out of the closet, giving me a quick glace. I noticed that his eyes were slightly red and it looked as if he'd been crying, but I didn't say anything about it. Harry noticed that my hair was still slightly knotted and tangled near its ends, so Harry grabbed his brush and sat down beside me, then carefully placed me on his lap. He began to use long strokes to brush through my long, blonde hair, carefully getting each tangle out as gently as he could before continuing.
I closed my eyes, remembering the last time he had done this. We were in our 10th year of schooling and my boyfriend had just broken up with me. I was devistated, and Harry rushed over after I called him and my mom let him stay until I fell asleep. I came back to reality as I felt a shift on the bed after the brush had left contact with my hair. I turned to see Harry setting it on the nightstand before he stood up. He picked me up again and laid me on the bed. As he was walking away, I begain working up the courage to ask him to stay, but he noticed my questioning stare and the fear in my eyes, and walked around to the other side of the bed.
We laid on the bed facing eachother for a minute, then he scooted closer as I snuggled into his warmth and protection. I laid on his arm as he stroked my hair softly. I nearly smiled for a split second, glad that he had remembered hoth this had soothed me before.
"Will you sing to me to sleep?" I whispered, gazing into my saviors eyes.
He once again began singing softly, and I listened as the vibrations of his chest comforted me. I became so focused on the rising and falling of his chest along with the beautiful sound that left his lips so gently. His warm body beside mine made me feel safe, and I forgot about the pain and fear. I knew that I was safe, and that he wouldn't let anyone hurt me again. Sleep soon overtook me as I had the warmth and protection I had wanted so desperately.
I was surprised how effortlessly Harry picked my up. All of this and his strength still amazed me. He carried me bridal-style, using the hand under my legs to remove a towel from the rack. He grabbed another towel with his teeth and placed it on my bare chest. He didn't look down at me until I was covered, not risking any accidental glance at my exposed body. There wasn't a single part of him or myself that was dry, and we left a puddle of water on the floor of the bathroom along with a trail of droplets as he walked us into his bedroom. He then laid me on the bed and wrapped me up in the towel.
Harry began to stand himself up straight and took a step away from the bed, and I immediately reached for his wrist. He was surprised by how quickly I'd responded and turned around, looking from my hand on his wrist then up to my face.
"I'm not going anywhere," He said comfortingly in his low, husky voice.
The way that he had looked at me when he said this confirmed the deep truth behind it, and I let go hesitantly. I watched as he went over to his closet and came back out with two of his t shirts and a pair of sweatpants. He then walked back toward the bed and laid them on the duvet beside me.
"I'll be right back," he promised. "I'm just going to your room to get you some bottoms. You can come with me if you want."
My body shifted, but I stopped myself - not wanting to encourage my new found dependence on him.
"No, I'm fine." I shook my head, but as soon as I lost sight of him, my body tensed, leaving me with the painful memories that made me shudder with disgust.
Moments later, he returned holding underwear and a pair of my sweatpants. He laid those beside me and turned around to face away, wanting to give me privacy as I changed. I simply stared at the floor, still too ashamed to have anything to do with myself. He gave a minute or so before slowly peeking over his shoulder to find me still wrapped in the towel with my position unchanged. He turned back around and stood in front of me, then held out one of his t-shirts as he gestured for me to take it. I looked up into his eyes that were already locked on me, pleading him to just do it for me.
Harry hesitated for a moment as he reached for he towel, pausing as he grabbed it to look at me for confirmation. I nodded weakly and he unwrapped the towel and patted away the water on my shoulders. Making sure not to look at my exposed body, he held up the shirt and placed each arm gently through the sleeve and pulled the shirt down. Harry went down on his knees, and with me being 5'3", we were face to face. He glanced at my weak exterior, noticing the fingertip-shaped bruises on my thighs, then slowly reached his hand out to my face.
*Harry's POV*
I scanned her body, cringing at the sight of the scrapes and bruises covering it. I began to examen her face, gently placing my hand below her chin. I traced over the cut on her lip and struggled to keep my expression from describing the emotions I felt. The skin around Sophie's eye was blackened, and the purple, black, and blue markings were spread down to her cheekbone where there was another small bruise. I looked in her eyes, wishing for her beautiful, light blue orbs to be looking back at me; sparkling and full of life. Yet, all I found was the numbness of a saddening gray: empty, dim, and lifeless.
I turned her head slightly and tipped it up, finding a trail of harsh hickies trailing down her neck. When I saw these, anger rushed through my body. It pained me to know that she would have to be reminded of how helpless and alone she felt every time she laid her eyes on them. She then slowly lowered her head and stared at her lap, too ashamed to even look at me. She sat there, not daring to make eye contact, and tears began to form in my eyes. She was blaming herself for this.
I was afraid to touch her, not wanting her to feel any more pain or discomfort. Immediatley, I tensed up as I looked over at the underwear I'd laid beside her. She seemed to feel guilty when she saw my fearful expression, so she tiredly reach beside herself and grabbed the underwear. She slowly bent down, placing them over her feet and pulling them up to her thighs. She struggled to stand, so I gently lifted her up, allowing her to pull them up all the way. I grabbed the sweatpants and handed them to her, and she simply tossed them aside. I watched them hit the floor, but I wasn' t surprised. She'd always slept this way.
I glanced back at Sophie along with the soaking wet wooden floor, then finally began to notice how cold I was. I picked up the towel along with the remaining shirt and my sweatpants that laid beside Sophie and walked into my large closet, closing the door behind me. Once I had closed the door, I felt my eyes flooding agiain and quickly tried to shake my emotions. It was all for nothing, and the tears began to fall rapidly. Silent tears ran down my cheeks as the guilt, disbelief and anger all hit me at once. I rested my head on the door for a minute as I weeped, then rushed to dry and get dressed when I heard Sophie's soft, raspy voice calling me. I opened the door and quickly went to her, feeling guilty for taking so long and stepping away in the first place.
*Sophie's POV*
Harry walked out of the closet, giving me a quick glace. I noticed that his eyes were slightly red and it looked as if he'd been crying, but I didn't say anything about it. Harry noticed that my hair was still slightly knotted and tangled near its ends, so Harry grabbed his brush and sat down beside me, then carefully placed me on his lap. He began to use long strokes to brush through my long, blonde hair, carefully getting each tangle out as gently as he could before continuing.
I closed my eyes, remembering the last time he had done this. We were in our 10th year of schooling and my boyfriend had just broken up with me. I was devistated, and Harry rushed over after I called him and my mom let him stay until I fell asleep. I came back to reality as I felt a shift on the bed after the brush had left contact with my hair. I turned to see Harry setting it on the nightstand before he stood up. He picked me up again and laid me on the bed. As he was walking away, I begain working up the courage to ask him to stay, but he noticed my questioning stare and the fear in my eyes, and walked around to the other side of the bed.
We laid on the bed facing eachother for a minute, then he scooted closer as I snuggled into his warmth and protection. I laid on his arm as he stroked my hair softly. I nearly smiled for a split second, glad that he had remembered hoth this had soothed me before.
"Will you sing to me to sleep?" I whispered, gazing into my saviors eyes.
He once again began singing softly, and I listened as the vibrations of his chest comforted me. I became so focused on the rising and falling of his chest along with the beautiful sound that left his lips so gently. His warm body beside mine made me feel safe, and I forgot about the pain and fear. I knew that I was safe, and that he wouldn't let anyone hurt me again. Sleep soon overtook me as I had the warmth and protection I had wanted so desperately.
7/3/13