041. PERMANENT 

Harry knew he had never been happier than he was at this moment - for once, he stopped thinking about the worst of everyone and everything and started to appreciate the little things life brought.

One of those things he fell asleep beside every night and woke up next to every morning. Without her even knowing it, Rory was teaching him how to find his own light within the darkness of his mind. She made him feel calm and at peace, a feeling he never wanted to let go of.

Tangled in the bedsheets, Rory traced the ink marks on his hand. "What are these lines for?" she asked, counting the marks on the inside of his wrist.

He shrugged. "I can't remember."

"You can't remember why you got thirteen tally marks tattooed on you?"

"Most of these came about after a night out. I was lucky if I spotted them the next morning. Some took a few weeks to find."

Rory shifted her position and straddled his waist. Her hands ran along the bare skin of his chest, continuing to trace more of the permanent designs on his skin. "Don't they hurt?"

"I've gotten used to the pain - I can't feel it anymore."

"What a bad boy," she teased.

"Well, we can't all be good girls like you and resist."

"Hey!" she whined, completely ignoring his use of her favourite nickname. "I have a tattoo." Rory turned her head to the side, brushing the hair away from behind her ear. "See!"

"What is that?"

She pouted. "It's a heart! Mia calls it a freckle, but don't listen to her! It's a heart!"

"That's a freckle."

"No-"

Harry pulled her close. "A cute freckle."

The pout remained as he brushed her lips against hers. "It's a heart!"

"Okay, it's a heart," he whispered before stealing a kiss. "Whatever you say."

"It is whatever I say - that is always correct." Strumming her fingers against his chest, she added, "Maybe I should just get a giant tattoo on my forehead. Bet you would wish I just had the freckle then."

"If you want a giant tattoo on your forehead, go for it."

Rory raised a brow. "Oh yeah? What if it said I LOVE COCK in big giant letters?"

"If that makes you happy...."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

Narrowing her eyes, she continued to push, "There's no chance you would want to look at me with that tattooed on my forehead."

"Bambi, if you want to get I LOVE COCK tattooed on your forehead, who am I to judge?"

"Fine!" she snapped. "When I get that done, we'll see how wrong you are!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry flipped Rory onto her back and leaned over her. "You're adorable when you're stubborn. Did you know that?"

"What do you mean when I'm stubborn? I am always adorable!"

Moving his lips to her neck, he kissed down her skin. "Mm, fair point," he mumbled. "But, maybe you should go for something a bit smaller for your first tattoo-"

"Ugh! I have a tattoo!"

"You're so bratty this morning," he commented, kissing her collar bones. "What's wrong, hmm? Do you need more attention, baby?"

"I always want your attention."

"Do you now?" Harry slowly pushed the material of her cotton shirt up her torso, allowing it to bunch just below her breasts. "Well, be a good girl while we talk, and I'll give you my undivided attention after."

"Talk about what? How I should get a small tattoo because apparently mine doesn't count?" she huffed. "What should I get then? How about PROPERTY OF HARRY tattooed on my ass?"

"If you get that, I think it would only be fair for me to get PROPERTY OF RORY tattooed on mine." He paused before smiling and nodding to himself as if agreeing with the statement.

Rory reached forward and flicked his forehead. Receiving a shocked look in response to her action, she quickly scolded. "I was trying to get you to stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like you're seriously considering it!"

"It's only a tattoo, Bambi. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?" she repeated. "It's permanent!"

"I mean, so are we, right?"

She sat up immediately, resting on her elbows as she looked down at the long-haired man. "Is that how you think of us?"

"Of course. I'm addicted, Bambi." He kissed down her stomach towards the waistband of her underwear. "Can't get enough of you."

Rory wanted to make another comment. But the moment Harry disappeared between her legs, she suddenly forgot how to speak.

That's how she was around him.

Speechless.

And sex wasn't the only reason.

As each day came and went, Rory thought she might never leave his house. It's not like he gave her any indication he wanted her to go. In fact, he kept coming up with any excuse to suggest she needed to stay. Harry even referred to the guest room as her room.

Rory never thought she wanted to live with someone else (given she had the choice). Especially not someone she was romantically involved with. But the longer she spent in the house, the more it began to feel like home.

And the more Harry started to feel like home.

"Tell me something about yourself."

"Like a secret?" she teased, resting her back against him.

"Sure. Or just a fun fact will do."

Her fingers danced across the water of the bath. "I miss baking."

"Did you used to bake a lot?"

"With my grandmother, I did. She loved to bake. If you gave her any excuse to make something, she would." She let out a quiet sigh, relaxing in the hot bath water. "And then after she passed, I would bake with my Dad on my birthday. But I don't do it much anymore."

"What if we-"

"Oh!" She splashed the water with excitement. "I should have said I used to do ballet! That's a much better secret."

"You used to be a ballerina?"

"I mean, I was six. Pretty sure I was just doing it because I liked the pretty outfits."

"Rory the ballerina," he cooed against her neck, placing a kiss. "Adorable, Bambi."

"What about you then?"

"I was never a ballerina."

"No, silly," she said, tilting her head back so she could meet his glance. "What's your secret or fun fact?"

Leaving a trail of kisses behind on her neck, he said, "My fun fact is that I used to think I would become the next Batman." He moved to her ear. "And my secret, well, I have to get out of the bath to show you that one."

"Why? Is it too naughty to do it in water?"

"It's nothing to do with sex, Rory."

"Oh..." her brows knit together in concentration. "Juggling?"

"No."

"Can you fly?"

"No."

"Do you sparkle when you go into the sunlight? Oh my god-" Rory turned around, her sudden movements splashing the water. "Are you a...." her voice dropped to a whisper, "vampire?"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"You can tell me, Harry. I can keep a secret."

"Rory-"

"This makes so much sense! You wanted to be Batman... you're part bat...."

"Rory-"

"No wonder you like to suck and bite my neck!"

"Rory!"

She blinked. "Yes?"

"I'm not a vampire, you idiot. And I knew we shouldn't have watched that movie last night."

Faking a sad smile, she mockingly asked, "Because it reminds you of your people?"

"Are you done?"

"One more..." she said, "So, when I say you're an old man... does that remind you that you're actually hundreds of years older than me?"

"Alright, that's enough." Harry made his way out of the bath and grabbed a towel, wrapping it securely around his waist. Just as Rory thought he would storm off over the teasing, she was surprised that he offered his hand and helped her out. Wrapping a towel around her frame, he said, "Let me show you what my real secret is."

Positioned in front of the vanity, she watched in the reflection as Harry pulled a brush out of the drawer and stood behind her.

"Oh, your big secret is that you know how to brush hair?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Would you just shut up and stand still?"

Once Harry ran the comb through her hair countless times, he placed it on the counter. Rory thought that was it. But to her surprise, his hands moved through her hair, sectioning it into three groups. Rory watched his concentration in the reflection. She loved seeing the slight hint of his tongue poking through his pursed lips and the way his brows knit together. Lost in watching him, she had forgotten all about what he was doing... until it dawned on her.

Harry was braiding her hair.

"Put the left side over... pull the under to the side... right side over... under to the side...." Harry mumbled to himself. Reaching the end, he tied it off with a hair elastic and met her surprised glance in the mirror. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all. When did you learn how to do that?"

"Well, after you, uh," he cleared his throat, "You mentioned one night you couldn't braid your hair because of your arm. So, I watched a video on it. I know I need some practice, but-"

Rory turned around, eyes gleaming for the man in front of her. "You did a great job."

"I did?"

Reaching up on her tippy toes, Rory kissed him and said, "you did," against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Want to know a secret?" she asked, running a hand down his bare chest. "If you make two braids," she started softly, pulling away from his grasp and stepping towards the door, "They're great for pulling on during sex."

"God," he groaned, "If the new episode of Bachelor in Love weren't about to start, I would test that theory."

"Too bad it starts in five minutes."

"Five minutes?" Harry exclaimed, hurrying past her and towards the dresser. Pulling open a drawer, Harry rummaged through for his pants. "Shit! I still have to make popcorn!"

XX

Rory rolled over in bed, watching Harry as he typed on his phone. Her fingers traced lightly over his inked arms, following every curve and detailed line. It quickly became her favourite way to pass the time in the mornings - tracing his ink.

"Why do we always fall asleep here?"

"Where do you want to fall asleep? The floor?"

Rory rolled her eyes at his snarky morning attitude. "No. I mean, why don't we ever sleep in your room? Why is it always here in the guest bedroom?"

"I like your room." His eyes scanned over the space. "There's something comforting about being here. Plus," he waved his hand aimlessly, "I like the personal touches you added."

Following his glance, she tried to discover the so-called personal touches he was referencing. She guessed a snowglobe (purchased by him) was a personal touch compared to his room - which had nothing but white walls and sparsely placed furniture.

"Do you not like sleeping in here?"

"No, it's not that," she said, returning her gaze to him. "It's just your house. I thought it was weird we never slept in your room."

A smirk crossed his lips. "Why? Think I'm hiding something from you in there, Bambi?"

"I mean, knowing you, there's probably a dead body in your closet."

"No dead bodies in there. I can promise you that. What kind of guy do you think I am?" Putting his phone down on the nightstand, Harry rolled onto his side. "I guess I haven't put much thought into where we sleep. We tend to just gravitate towards this room."

"That's fair."

"Besides, I don't mind where we end up as long as I'm with you."

"Even on the floor?"

He grinned. "Even on the floor, Bambi. But if you would like, we can sleep in the other room some nights..." his eyes briefly flickered to her lips, "I can prove to you there are no dead bodies in the closet."

As he reached a hand forward and brushed the hair from her face, Rory did all she could not to get lost in his eyes. It was indeed a daunting task for her. It was so easy to get swept away in those emerald greens. But with something she needed to tell him on the tip of her tongue, Rory knew she had to focus. Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself to admit she was ready to break one of her rules.

"Harry, I-"

The bedroom door swung open. "Hey, are-" Dallas covered his eyes. "Oh shit, sorry! Are you guys doing it?"

"Does it look like we're... doing it, you meathead? God dammit. Aside from not knowing what it looks like when two people are having sex, did you also forget how to knock?"

Dallas pulled a face and crossed his arms over his chest. "Shit. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"What do you want?"

"Are you good to head into the office in an hour?"

"Yeah, fine."

"Alright, Princess. And, Rory, I beg of you," he turned his attention solely to the brunette, "Please put him in a good mood before he leaves. Please!"

While Rory giggled over the comment, Harry was far less pleased with hearing such a thing. "OUT!" Once the door slammed shut, Harry instantly returned to his calm state. "Sorry about that, Bambi," he spoke softly, leaning over to kiss down her neck.

"So, I guess I have an hour to put you in a good mood?"

"I'm always in a good mood around you. But I wouldn't say no to-" Harry lifted his head. "Were you going to say something before he walked in?"

Shit.

"Uh, yeah." Her fingers played with the chain around his neck. "I've been thinking about it and, you know, if there's room for me, of course, I was thinking that I could maybe-"

"Jesus, Bambi. You're worse than Dallas right now. Spit it out!"

"I want to work for you again!"

"You do?"

Rory nodded. "But only if there's space for me on the schedule! I don't want to take someone's spot just because-"

This time, her words weren't silenced by someone bursting through the door. Instead, it was due to Harry smothering her with a kiss. "Thank god," he mumbled against her mouth before kissing her again. "You can have all the shifts you want, Bambi."

"But I don't want to take-" Rory lost her train of thought as Harry moved his attention down her neck. Why do you have to be such a whore for neck kisses? She cleared her throat and continued, "I don't want to take away someone else's shifts. Just put me back on when there's room."

"There's always... room... for... you," he managed to get out between peppering every inch of her skin with his kiss.

"I don't think I can go back to Sal's," she admitted. "I don't feel safe there anymore after what happened."

Harry pulled away. Licking his lips, he asked, "Would you feel safe working for me?"

"Yes." She twisted a lock of his hair around her finger. "I feel safe with you, Harry. Regardless of what we've been through, you're always there for me - and that doesn't make me feel weak. It makes me feel stronger knowing that I have you."

"The feeling is mutual, Bambi."

She rolled her eyes at his comment.

"It's true. You don't know how much strength you give me," he placed a kiss on her skin, "You and me... we're going to be one unstoppable force."

"Is that so?"

A sly smile appeared. "We could take over the world together if we wanted to."

"That sounds fun."

"That's my girl."

Over the next few hours, three things happened to Rory. She managed to not fight with Cheese all day. Harry's voice saying, "that's my girl," replayed in her head constantly. And she received two interesting phone calls.

The first call happened before Harry got home from the office - as they now referred to his day at work.

"My landlord called today."

"Oh, yeah?"

Rory leaned against the counter. "Yeah. She said she got the rent money and to not worry about being late because my situation was explained to her. But there's one issue," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't pay her. And I know for a fact I didn't because I haven't been working and, therefore, have no money."

"I paid it." Harry opened the fridge, searching the shelves until he found what he needed. Meeting her surprised glance, he asked, "What?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because it was due, and I didn't want you getting kicked out."

"I'll pay you back. Obviously, I can't right now, but once I go back to work and-"

Harry smiled. "There's no need, Bambi."

"Thank you. I guess this new business move has been great for you - you're just rolling in spare cash, huh?"

Returning to the stove, Harry poured the ingredients into the pot. "I know you like your own space... but you wouldn't have to worry about rent if you just stayed here."

"You mean if I moved in?"

"Yeah, I mean, there's no rush to decide. You do have your apartment for at least another six weeks. But just something to think about."

"Okay," she said, turning to the cupboard to shield her reddened face. Pulling two plates off the shelf, she added, "I'll think about it."

There was an awkward pause of silence once the conversation of moving in together had somewhat been brought up. Although Rory found every excuse to stay here, the idea of doing so permanently felt like a daunting decision.

Could they do that so soon? What even were they? Roommates? Did he even like her like that again? Did he have feelings for her? Did she even want to date him again? Would she lose all of her independence?

The second call happened while they stood together in the kitchen. Rory was almost thankful the blaring ring of her cellphone caused her to jump. At least it was a sound to break up the unintentional tension in the room.

Looking down at her phone, Rory was surprised by the number flashing across the screen on the device.

"Helen? Is everything okay?"

Her foster mom only called if there was an emergency, so Rory assumed the worst.

"Of course it is, my darling girl," the older woman cooed from the other end of the call. "Oh, Rory. This is all so much!"

"What is?"

"The groceries... the money... the toys for the kids...." Helen sounded close to tears. "Your assistant - oh, I'm sorry. What was your name?"

A deep voice was heard on the other end, "Michael. But around the office, they call me Big Mike."

"My Angel, this is far too much money. Did they promote you? You should keep this for yourself after all your hard work at the office."

Harry's version of the office was, well, Rory still didn't know - she assumed murdering people. While her office was the pretend IT job she told her foster mother she had. Two or three times a year - more if she were lucky - Rory would bring Helen some money, a couple thousand dollars to help with the house or children she was fostering.

Something told her whatever she had received far exceeded what Rory had ever given. And as she turned around, her eyes found the man she knew was the source of such generosity. The fact that he thought of giving Helen anything at all was enough to bring her close to tears.

The amount didn't matter.

The effort did.

Rory said she would think about it - but she knew in her heart that her mind was already made up.

Rory wanted to move in with Harry. 

i can't lie... they're so cute. i think (w)hory is my favourite couple I've ever written