Coming Home

H.P.O.V.

Call me baby. Give me a kiss that says it all and don't look away. Never look away.

"Did you ever think we'd be so messed up?"

"WE're not messed up," I defend with no point.

"We're not normal. The only person who has us seeing sense is this therapist, who, I'm almost positive has gotten their license removed at one point in time."

"Making sense is boring," I mutter pushing the hair from Presley's tired face. I love her face. I love the warmth it brings me. The comfort, and nerves it showers me with. "Being in love never makes sense, Presley. You know that."

She shrugs, "When's he getting here?"

I check my phone and sigh when someone knocks on the door. "Now," I mumble standing up and waking to the door. I open it and roll my eyes as I smell the whiskey on him. "Seriously, Harv? It's lunch time."

"It was a long morning, kid. Are you gonna let me in, or--?"

I move aside allowing him access. Presley frowns when she smells him, clearly recognizing the stench of alcohol. "And this is the man I called brilliant. Great." She says with disdain.

"Ah, shut up. Both of you. " He plops on the nearest recliner and scrubs a hand over his face. "Sit your fucked up asses down, and let me get to work. I've got to go out with a bang."

"What?" Presley makes a face.

"Nothing, sit."

I make my way to the couch facing him, and sit next to Presley wondering if her stomach dropped the same way mine did...Judging by the small trembles in her fingers I know it did.

"Are you okay?" I only ask because I realize I never ask Harvey if he is. It's always been if I'm okay, and that's embarrassing and selfish.

Harvey nods like his life depended on it. "Yes." He promises while sitting up. "You guys, though... Fuck, kids, you're not supposed to be this messed up for years. You," he points at me. "Were only supposed to need me that one time, and you," his finger shakes when it's pointed at Presley. "Were supposed to get better. I had faith in you."

"Had?"

"Ask me that again later," if Presley won't, I will. "I'm going to get right to it. You can't be together-- wait, no. You shouldn't be together. You two are slowly destroying each other faster than any decease would."

I suck in a breath and wonder why I thought Harvey would be any help. "We're trying. I don't know how many more times we have to say that. We're trying." I don't mean to snap, and I only do because it seems no one believes us.

"Try harder," Harvey smoothly replies with relaxed shoulders. "Stop saying it and start doing it. It doesn't mean shit if you keep repeating it. You have to show it for it to count,Harry. I don't give a fuck that you know how to say it."

I turn my head and look at Presley, and fuck. My chest palpitates and my heart loves the view. still it puts everything in perspective, and I realize what I was afraid of. "I don't know what to do." I utter sadly when Presley's eyes meet mine. Her lips twitch upward in slow motion, and I know she's tired. I know she doesn't know what to do either.

"I think we need to break up," she says and it doesn't take me by surprise. It just burns. Leaves me in pain and desperation. "I--Harvey, he was happy without me, and I think in time, he'll--"

"No I won't be," I interrupt before she can finish saying what she thinks is right. "That's what you don't understand. I will never be happy without you. I don't know how, and I don't want to be."

Harvey's throat makes a small noise that comes out from his hand where his lips are pressed on it. "She's right, you know. You two need to break up."

How can they say it and mean it? How do those words not burn them the same?

"You're stupid, Harvey. You're a fucking prick."

He laughs with actual enjoyment and I feel hurt by it. "Oh for fucks sake, Harry. You think you deserve a happy relationship with her? After what you did? No, the way I see it, if she breaks up with you now, it'll be even."

"It's not about getting even," Presley gasps. "It has never been about that!"

"Really?" Harvey smirks. "I'd have to disagree..." His smile is wicked and a scarred evil. I've often wondered if Harvey was evil, and now, I still haven't figured that out. "I'm just saying you can do better than him. Find yourself someone who won't keep salting your wounds." He finishes with a shrug, and I'm left with scratches.

"You can do so much better," I add. "Fuck, this prick is right. I've never been good enough for you. I was so insecure that I left--"I can't finish. I can't even do that.

Presley stays silent as she looks at me. I wonder what's going on in her head. If she's thinking the same and she's trying to find a nice way of saying it.

I take her hand and rub my thumb on top of it. "You have so many options."

"Options?" She rips her hand from my hold and stands abruptly. "You're a fucking idiot." My eyes widen and Harvey smirks leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. She looks at me with furious eyes and growls. "You-- holly fuck Harry! You have never been just an option for me! It's you or nothing. That's it."

"I don't--Presley..."I can't seem to form words into coherent sentences."How can you say that and still want to break up with me then? I don't get it."

Presley spreads her arms wide open in desperation, "Because I love you more than I love myself!"

It hits me then. Presley doesn't want to break up with me to make it easier. She wants to do it because she thinks I'll be better off, even if she's not. Even if she's miserable and alone.

No, no, no.

"And she finally says it," Harvey cheers with wide arms. "That's the real problem here. You love him more than he loves you. Simple really." He shrugs and huffs.

That can't be true. It's not because every time I see Presley I want to evaporate into a cloud and engulf her. I want to stare at her and watch her age. I want...I want her. I want too much.

"Damn, you're so much like Daisy," Harvey wishfully murmurs. We both look at him hoping to get a much needed explanation. He smirks at us, "My wife loved me the same way. She couldn't give two fucks about her own wellbeing or the world as long as I had a smile on my face. I was a real dick, too. I never thought--I guess I forgot even angles have limits and deadlines."

"Is she--?"

Harvey's eyes cloud with sadness, and his lips tremble as he speaks, "I didn't even realize she was hurting. I never learned to love her the same and when I did it was too late, and I was alone with a kid I couldn't even look at because she had her eyes."

Presley's head snaps and she stares with shock at Harvey. "What's your last name?" She whispers and I realize I didn't even know that. Shit.

He stands and finally replies, "Stevens..."

"What's happening?" I stare between the two and think back trying to figure out what I missed.

Presley runs a hand through her hair, "How long have you known?"

"I didn't until you looked at me. You look so much like her. You have her eyes--Daisy's eyes."

"She hates you," Presley says with a hard edge.

His shoulders droop and his face falls, "I know she does. I wasn't like Harry, kid. I didn't come back. She grew up in different homes until she turned eighteen. She met Russell, who, for years, beat her until she was purple. The only good thing that came out of that hell was you."

I walk towards Presley and grab her hand, "What am I missing?" She looks unsure and conflicted as her eyes move from me and Harvey. "...Presley, baby. What is it?"

"When did you know?" She says instead repeating her question from before.

Harvey shrugs, "I first saw your picture in front of a magazine with Harry. You looked so much like her, I just...I googled your name and I saw her, and I knew." I still don't understand what is happening and who he thinks Presley resembles. "A few months later I followed them to their stop. They were going to do some show or interview, and stupidly,I thought you'd be with him. I only wanted to see you in person. See how you were, but when I got there someone told me you two had ended, and then I met Harry on a bridge, and I couldn't tell him who I was. He was a fucking mess already."

"Oh," Presley mumbles with little emotion.

"Look, I don't expect anything, ok--"

"I can't give you anything. My mom... Harvey, she thinks you're dead. We all thought you died in some overdose somewhere,and...She's finally okay. It took--"

"I get it,I just wanted to see you. To see what I missed out on. I never planned on getting involved. But you fucking needed it, kid. I wasn't able to save your mom, and believe me, I wanted too. But you, fuck I saw my opportunity and I took it. I," Harvey takes a deep breath in and I think he's scared. Proper scared that all I wanted to do was try and make it the slightest bit okay. He shrugs with the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I guess I fell in love with our talks, kid. I couldn't help it."

Presley looks at me as it registers in my mind. Harvey, this lunatic, this ridiculously brilliant fucker is her grandfather, and shit. Shit it's so freaking obvious now. They think alike. They feel too deep. They don't know how not to love. The only difference is Harvey is just learning that emotion. Presley has been that way since birth. I know this because Caleb told me. Because I once saw her grab the blanket from her car and drape it over a shivering homeless man and his dog, leaving them with half her paycheck and sweets from the café by their sleeping forms.

Later Ben told me the blanket used to be her grandmothers', and that Presley was going to have too pick up more shifts to cover what she had given away.

"My dad's sick, Harvey. My mom cries every night when he's alseep. She'll call me and I don't know what to do, but." She squeezes my hand before letting go and walking towards her new family member. "I think you know. I..., I don't know what'll happen, but maybe you can help her?"

"You think?" He asks hopeful.

She shrugs,"I don't know but. Don't go and meet her if you're just going to leave again. Don't show her your face if you're going to be a little bitch again and walk away, because I promise I'll hurt you."

He nods and I'm sure we're both stunned by her promise.

"What about you and him?" He points at me and I feel the nerves roam in my stomach once more. "I wasn't lying when I said you deserved better..."

Hearing that from someone else hurts but does not surprise me. It's time someone told her. And while I'm terrified she'll walk away, I can't hold her back anymore.

I can't be Harvey.

She looks at me and I don't realize I've walked to her until I feel her hands in my hair, and I can see the specks of green in her eyes.

"I'm going to marry him," she says softly. She kisses my cheek, "I'm not going to be Daisy, Harvey. Harry wouldn't let that happen."

And hell she's right. So right Harvey can't say anything but nod.

I drop my hands to her waist and exhale shakily, "I won't let myself end up like you, Harvey," I say while looking at Presley. My chest is warm and my hands may be trembling but it's okay.

It's nice in a way.

Harvey grins like a madman, "So you're really doing it?"

"Yeah," Presley whispers.

And I think it's time we start our way home. "I'm going to marry her. Holly shit, yes!... Yeah, I'm going to marry her."

And it's time to go home. Yeah, it's finally time.

Notes

#weddingbells #fuck