Beating Heart

//it can be hard, but it can be easy too//

//Harry//

It's around ten or so in the morning, I figure everyone is at work or either busy in their house, definitely not outside on a weekday doing things. Despite this, the guys and I attempt to remain swift and unseen as we go up to the front porch of the little house in the wooded neighborhood.

"Fuck, I hope her dad is gone." Niall mumbles as he gestures over to a car parked awkwardly in the yard. "That's not her dad's truck.. He's gone. I don't smell the bastard." I sigh out as I take the key from my back pocket, courtesy of Julianne's mother. I've kept this key in my room for over eighteen years, waiting for the day I'd need it. I haven't had to use it in the past, usually her mother just let me in. Obviously, things are different now.

The door creaks as I push it open, a heavy smell of cigarette smoke quickly impacts my lungs. I'm used to the smell of smoke, but not this much. I cough a few times, trying to clear my throat of the mess. What a shame. The living room table was once covered by little decorations and candles - but now it's stained with coffee rings and littered with beer bottles.

"He's been living rough, eh?" Liam mutters to me as he shuts the door. Niall lets out a throaty cough, attempting to clear his lungs as well. It's not working too well, at least not for me. "He had a good life.. and a beautiful woman." I say, looking at the walls seeing how the paint is beginning to peel in places. A vast majority of the picture frames are missing their glass, and half of their picture.

"What happened to him? Before her mom died, that is." Niall asks me curiously, his eyes doing the same as mine - roaming around the trash filled room. I shake my head in shame, how could a man allow his life to come to this point? I pick my foot up and start towards the hallway, God I hope all of her things are still here. Her father is pretty fucked up in the head, so if he's either threw it all away or burned it up, I won't doubt it one bit.

"He fucked up.. Alcohol and drugs." I tell them as we head down the hall. They are aware of some things involving Julianne's childhood and her parents' past, but not the entire truth. "He was never a nice guy to begin with.. but the mix of the liquor and the drugs made it worse. He got abusive.. and.. just fuckin' hateful." I add on just as I reach the door belonging to the room where Julianne spent a major portion of her life in.

My hand wraps around the handle, the coolness stings just a tad. I don't proceed to open it though, I remain still as I stare at the piece of paper taped to the door. The paper is covered in little doodles - flowers, hearts, smiley faces, butterflies, and mushrooms for the most part. I remember the day she done that, I wasn't here while she was making the masterpiece, but I came a few hours after during her nap.

Her mother was strict about when I was allowed to come, she didn't want Julianne to really know me - for the sake of her safety. If her father had found out, he would've flipped out on me, and sadly on her mother as well. I can recall it so well, Kristen was telling me how happy and excited she was about using her new box of crayons, which I had provided - a fact she obviously didn't know.

They never had a lot of money, enough to get them by and a small extra to get things like that. I helped her and her mother out as much as she'd let me - none of my money ever went to that asshole of a father though, never in my wildest dreams would I fucking do that. With a quick movement, I snatch the paper off the door and fold it up, sliding it into my pocket. She doesn't have to know I have this - but I just need to have possession of it, for the sake of my mental sanity.

"Harry, mate? You a'ight?" Niall's hand grasps my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. I can feel his stare on the side of my face, but I don't verbally respond to me. I just nod lightly as I turn the knob and open the door. To my utter surprise, everything is in the spot it was the night she left - of course I know because Julianne always had her curtains open, she enjoyed both the sun and the moon light.

"Does she know we're here?" Liam asks as I cross the room, heading to the nightstand. This is the first place Julianne informed me to go to, she wanted the things in there more than anything. "No. She's asleep.. I gave her some sleep aid early this morning.. the storm kept her up." I inform him of this, something I forgot to mention.

I use my finger to pull open the top drawer, to see what it contains. A smile gently comes to my lips as I see a few very familiar things in there. The very first thing that caught my eye was the small pile of pebbles in the corner. It's hard to believe I can remember exactly what day she gathered those things into her small hands and brought them home. It was the very same day she saw me for the first time, that she could remember, and I killed the mountain lion in front of her frightened eyes. She snatched the rocks from the snowman she had been forming and ran home, I will never forget it.

"What do we need to do?" Niall asks me from where he and Liam stand at the door. I look over my shoulder at them, they seem rather confused but I know they're just letting me have my time. This place has a lot of memories for me, on both the inside of the house and the outside. "Clothes in the garbage bags. She said it doesn't matter if they wrinkle." I inform them of their first job, but immediately grab a bag from the box that Niall carried in.

"I'll get the dresser." Niall says as he heads towards it and Liam goes to the closet. "Not the top drawer." I am very quick to say this, mostly because that's where she keeps her undergarments and that is none of Niall's business. He nods understandingly to me and begins with the second drawer. This is going to be a long job but we have to hurry up. We only have a few hours to do all of this.

Julianne clearly told me that she wanted every single thing, except for the furniture. She wants the pictures off the wall, every piece of jewelry, every bottle from her bathroom - everything. And of course, I couldn't dare say refuse her demands. I hope she's excited about this surprise. I didn't tell her because why not? She needs a little excitement in her life.

-

//Sophia//

The house has been completely dead silent all morning, it seems as if no one is here. That's almost the case. Harry left early this morning with the bed of his truck loaded with empty boxes and boxes of garbage bags. He headed off to Julianne's father's house, dragging dumb and dumber with him. Niall wasn't thrilled with getting up that early, but clearly he had no choice. Liam was up for it, he's glad to help when he can. Things are finally beginning to settle between him and Harry - after years and years of intense pressure, everything is starting to be like it was before..

As for everyone else, Louis and Gemma took the girls to Sara's favorite park - this will be Ruth's first time going to the location. Zayn is in the living room and Perrie is at the island, her eyes staring off at the wall as I finish up washing the dishes from last night. We usually try to do the dishes the same night, especially if we have a big dinner, but I got caught up in something so I never got to it.

"Are you living tomorrow?" Perrie's voice finally breaks our cold silence. I take a breath, "Yeah. Around lunch." I inform her along with a nod. "Thought so." She sighs out as I hear the stool move as she readjusts herself on it, "It has to be nice.." My eyebrows furrow at her words, I could have sworn she just went through a cycle a few months ago.

"How long has it been?" I question curiously as I turn around from the sink after shutting the tap off. I lean against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest as I await her answer. She releases a deep exhale, her eyes flickering to the island before landing on my own. "I don't know.. like.. three months." She shrugs, obviously unsure about the exact date, which isn't abnormal.

"I usually have them every two months.. if not more than that." She groans lightly, resting her head against her hand. "Are you two still having sex? Zayn isn't having another dry spell is he?" I smirk gently, knowing that isn't true at all. Sometimes it's good to have enhanced senses - like hearing and smell - but other times it's not very glamorous..

"We do.. But you know how that sex feels.. When we're in heat it's just.. better." She rolls her eyes, obviously upset about the fact she isn't going through what I am about to experience within the next twenty four hours. If I may mention, I am very excited about these next few days. It's been a few months for me as well, but mine usually are further apart than Perrie's.

"You might be pregnant, you know." I throw that possibility out there. Perrie nearly chokes on the air she sucks in, immediately shaking her head to entirely deny my claim. "You know I can't get pregnant until-" She takes a pause to groan, "..the Alpha has children. And God knows how fuckin' long that will be." I can easily tell she's not too upset because a grin came to her mouth just as the laugh escapes past her lips.

"He's taking his time.. it's a good thing." Perrie just scoffs at me, not convinced at all with what I have to say. "Don't be that way, Perrie. You know as well as everyone else.. Harry's nervous about it. He's afraid he'll.. like mess up or something." I remind her of this, which is something she should be remembering anyways. "What is there to mess up? There's a hole, you stick it in. Boom, you're done!" She throws her hands up in the air very dramatically, the usual behavior for her.

I lift a brow at her chose of words, "You know it's more to it than that." Perrie isn't a very easy person to get a point across to. She's mostly stuck in her own opinions, not really caring what everyone else thought. She doesn't like to listen to anyone when they are attempting to help her or explain something to her. She's hardheaded, and Zayn is the same way - they were made for each other.

"Look, Harry will have sex with Julianne when he is ready." I try to quietly explain this to her because I can sense someone's presence moving around in the house and it has to be Julianne, because everyone else is gone and Zayn is in the other room. It's rather hard to clearly pick up on her scent because she's almost completely masked with Harry's smell. That's the male's responsibility though, it's a priority. They have to make sure they put off their scent onto their mate as much as possible, so others know they are claimed. Julianne, however, has it a tad different since Harry is the Alpha. Poor thing smells like she's been drowning in Harry's sweat. But to her, she probably just smells her deodorant and body wash. Lucky her.

"No, he won't do it until she is ready. And that will be an eternity. It's a damn good thing we're immortal." Perrie can't resist the chuckle that follows her words. She overacts so much, it's unbelievable at times honestly. "Actually.. don't let her fool you." I say with a smirk. "She wants to, trust me." My words catch Perrie's attention and she leans onto the island, closer towards me.

"How do you figure that?" She asks, eyebrows lowered and eyes narrowed on me as she listens closely. "I can just tell.. She's very clingy.. They take baths together.. She's even spoke about it before. I can just.. tell." I shrug lightly because it's really hard to explain. I just know she is desiring it so bad right now, I know how she feels so perhaps that's why I find it easy to notice.

"W-where's.. Ha-harry?" A small voice breaks out into the room, making us both turn to the direction it came from. My jaw goes numb as I realize Julianne is standing in the opening of the hallway, God only knows what all she heard come out of our mouths. I am beyond baffled at the moment, thankfully Perrie notices and takes the lead for me.

"He went out with Liam and Niall to get some groceries." She makes up the lie we were demanded to say if she happened to ask us. She bites her lip nervously, her eyes avoiding me and Perrie completely.

There is something I noticed about Julianne a while ago, and that's that when Harry is around she's fine. She'll speak to us, she'll smile and laugh and interact. But when he's not at the house or in the room, whether he's hunting or just in another part of the house, she'll become a ghost. Barely there, quiet and nervous. It's like she can't function without him. I'm beginning to believe that's true. There is no way I could ever judge the girl. She grew up with no one showing her any love for most of her life, besides the years her mother was alive, and now that she has someone endlessly giving it to, along with attention, I don't blame her for being completely dependent on him.

While she stands there awkwardly uncomfortable, I take a few moments to observe her appearance. Her hair is a wavy mess right now. Her sleep coated face tells me she just woke up. She's dressed in one of Harry's shirts and a pair of pajama pants that are also Harry's. But I no better than that, she sure didn't sleep in those. I have come into her room to put away laundry even before Harry slept with her - she doesn't wear any kind of pants or shorts to bed. But neither do I, I'm quick to slip on some of Liam's pants as well. It's a girl thing, I suppose.

"C-can.. c-can I.. c-call him?" She asks suddenly, stepping forward just a few inches. Perrie gives her a nod as she reaches into her back pocket and yanks her phone out. I watch as she turns in the stool and quickly dials the number. She jumps off the stool and closes the distance between them, Julianne doesn't hesitate to take the phone from her hand.
I can hear it ring a few times before Harry's voice comes through the phone. Without a word, Julianne walks down the hallway - probably to get some privacy. That's sort of hard to do here.

Once she is out of our view, Perrie rushes back to me, slamming her hands on the island as she leans over it. "Do you think she heard us?" She whispers with wide eyes and mouth agape. "Definitely."


//Julianne//

The ringing of the phone is slowly killing me. I wish he'd just pick up his phone and answer already. He has to have it with him, he usually doesn't because we hardly ever go anyway. But I have to assume he took it along with him since he left the house and left me here. Of course he left me, I should have expected it. I can't go normal things with him, like pick up things from the grocery store, or even go out to eat because I'm apparently missing. I'm so sick of hiding.

"Hello?" Harry's husky voice breaks my trance, bringing a smile over my lips. I turn on my heel and start down the hall, taking slow strides. "H-harry." I say his name, attempting to be strong but it just comes out cracked and broken up, just like the rest of me. "Julianne, baby. Is everything alright, darlin'?" Harry's words immediately calm my anxious nerves. Finally, my heart starts to beat in a steady pattern.

"U-um." All I could get out was a small sound that didn't sound positively convincing at all. "Sweetheart, what's going on? Tell me if something's wrong." Harry didn't give me any time to attempt a response, but I highly expected that from him. He's so loving and caring, quite protective and a bit spastic as well but I know it's all with love. And that means the absolute world to me.

"I-I'm.. f-fine." I manage to choke out those few words, still I don't sound alright at all but hopefully he will just go with it. However, I should have known, Harry continues with the panicking. "Baby? Please tell me what's wrong. Do you need me? Are you hurt? Is anyone else hurt? Julianne, I'm coming home." Harry's ramble seems to be never ending, but thankfully he paused to take a breath and I succeed at getting some words into the conversation.

"N-no.. Don't.. c-come home. Harry, I-I'm fine. J-just I.. I miss you." I decide to stay honest with him, because honestly there is not a reason to lie and make him overreact anymore than he already is. He releases a heavy exhale that I can easily hear through the phone, "God.. you had me worried, babe." He says in a mumble. I smile gently, I adore the pet names he calls me - I wish I had the courage to say more to him, but sadly I do not own any courage whatsoever.

"I miss you, too, sugar." A deep chuckle rolls out of his mouth, following his words smoothly. "I'll be home soon, alright baby?" He informs me of his joyful news. I want nothing more than to feel his embrace at this very moment. "D-don't.. hang up." I say out of fear of him leaving me, I don't know if I can handle that right now.

"I'm not going anywhere, darlin'." He assures me, allowing me to both hear and picture the smile spread over his lips. God, I want those lips against mine now, on my forehead, and pecking all over my cheeks. That would be extremely lovely. "Did you just wake up, love?" Harry asks out of the blue, but I believe he's trying to keep a conversation going since I don't want him to end the call any time soon.

"Yeah.." I say slightly shameful - it's like half past noon and I just got out of the bed. "I can tell, love. You've got your sleepy voice." Harry tells me, once again I can hear the grin shaped onto his perfect plump lips. I wish I could at least seem him smile right now, that would ease my worried nerves so drastically. I just laugh at his words, he can be so adorable at times. "Harry are you ready?" I hear Liam's voice speak loudly in the background, making me listen harder so I can sort of understand what he's doing right now.

"Yeah. Just.. load the last few bags. I'm talking to Julianne." Harry tells him, I notice that his voice got further away, he probably held the phone back so he could speak louder to Liam and not make me go deaf in the process. Liam replies but I can hardly make it out. Harry's sigh fills my ear suddenly, making me slightly flinch in my skin. "Alright sweetheart, I'm about to be on my way home, okay?" He tells me. Unfortunately I can sense that this call is coming to an end, even though I don't want it to.

"O-okay." I stutter lightly, embarrassment is something I am definitely used to. "I would love to stay on the phone with you baby, but the traffic is horrible and I need to pay attention, alright?" Harry breaks the news to me, something I expected though. His safety while driving is much more important than me speaking to him. I don't want to risk his life.

"Okay." I repeat the same reply as before, but I doubt it upsets him at all. "I love you, sweet girl. I'll be home soon." Harry's affectionate words make my cheeks catch immediate flames, they don't hesitate to blaze. "I love you." I mumble back the three words I love saying to him, and God I just know he loves saying them to me as well. "Wait in my room for me, okay? I'll be there before you know it." Harry tells me this and I already know I am going to do as he says.

"Okay.. Be careful. I love you, Harry." Thankfully I do not stammer over my words this go around. I feel a small amount of confidence when I tell him those words, for some reason I just can't keep that confidence when we talk about anything else. "I will. I love you, Julie."

The fire has spread all over my body. Harry does wondrous things to me.

Notes

-EXCUSE MY ERRORS...

:) These next few chapters will be very long and might contain multiple povssss!!

-feedback please xx updates coming asap! xx sequel coming SOON! xx