ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-sɪxᴛʜ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.

"Harry?"

"Mhm?" - He mumbled against my chest.

We were cuddling while lying down in the wet sand near the rock cliff to cover our bodies from the night wind.
And since we have been in the same position for over an hour since sunset, Harry was now curled against my body, shaking cold.

"You're trembling." - I said, squeezing my arms tighter around his torso. - "Are you cold?"

"Yeah. But you're warm."

"Maybe we can head back."

"No. I want to stay here."

I need you close. Please.

"I'm close, I'm right here." - I said softly, caressing his arm up and down to warm it up.

"I know."

"But we have to leave eventually. I don't want any of us to get sick."

"Five more minutes."

"Harry, c'mon."

"Okay." - He agreed reluctantly.

He searched up for my lips to place one last chaste kiss on them, making me smile. Then he straightened up, motioning me to do the same.

We both stood up and started walking away from the beach and towards his car.

"Remember when you told me you wanted me to invite you over to the penthouse?"

"Yeah."

"Would you like to spend the night with me there? Maybe this is your last chance to do it, since it'll probably disappear soon."

I nudged his arm gently.

"Don't say that. We don't know what is going to happen yet. If you want to fight for your hotel I'm sure we'll find a solution. And yes, I would love to stay in your humble abode." - I said jokingly and he giggled.

"After you, my darling." - Harry said, opening the passenger seat of the car with a bow.

"Thank you, My Lord." - I laughed.

Harry turned around the car and got on the driver's seat, turning the engine and starting to drive.
He placed his hand on my knee and I intertwined my fingers with his'.

I couldn't do anything but looking out of the window the whole ride back, I was too tired to do anything else.
It had been quite a long day.

Harry shook my shoulder softly when we reached the parking lot of the hotel.

"Hey… You alright?"

"Yeah, just sleepy."

"Room service and straight to bed?" - He smiled.

"Please."

"It's a plan then."

We both opened our car doors and got out of it. Harry took my hand as we walked to the elevator and I rested my head on his shoulder as we waited to get to the top floor.

"I like this." - I whispered.

"What?"

"Us."

"I like us too." - He laughed.

Then the elevator doors opened and as we were stepping out, a woman appeared in front of our eyes.

Harry froze.

"Mae? What are you doing here?" - He asked the brunette woman standing in the front door of the penthouse.

"I heard about your father, I thought you would want support. How are you, love?"

"I don't want anything from you." - Harry said sharply, squeezing my hand.

"Harry, maybe we can talk. I know you. I know how you can get under situations like this."

"Do you want me to wait downstairs so you can talk to her?" - I asked softly, caressing Harry's arm.

"No, stay." - Harry said.

"Who is he?" - Mae asked.

"My boyfriend."

"Boyfriend, as a male?"

"Yes Mae, as a male."

"What about us?" - She asked him.

"Well, if I remember correctly you broke up with me."

"Yes, but… I thought maybe you…"

"You thought wrong. You have nothing to do here, and I need to ask you to leave."

"Harry… Please, we can talk. For old time's sake."

"No, we can't."

"C'mon, love…" - She insisted.

"I'm sorry to step into your conversation." - I said calmly. - "Hey, I'm Louis." - I extended my free hand to her, she reluctantly shook it. - "Look, Mae. Can I call you Mae?" - I asked and she raised an eyebrow at me. - "Okay, look, I don't think this is the best time for you to show up here. I think Harry really needs some time to think by himself and right now it's pretty late, so maybe tomorrow you guys can talk."

"You don't know a thing about him." - She said and then turned to Harry again. - "C'mon love, let's talk inside." - She said, pointing at the still closed door of the penthouse.

I suddenly felt a wild rage bubbling inside my body, not easy to contain.

"I think you didn't listen to me." - I said, firmer this time. - "It's pretty clear to me that Harry doesn't want to talk to you today. And for your information I think I may know him in stronger and better ways than you do. I'm giving you the chance here to let him rest and think all these things through the night, and maybe tomorrow he'll want to talk to you. But right now that isn't going to happen."

"Harry, I don't know who this guy is, but please…"

"You heard him, Mae." - Harry said.

She looked confused for a second but then rolled her eyes.

"Can I at least come in the morning? I really want to be with you in this."

"I'm sure I don't need you. I have enough things to worry about, but maybe in the morning I'll be better. I don't know."

"Okay." - She sighed.

Then she pushed past me and got into the elevator.

"Did she just push you?" - Harry asked.

"I don't know and I don't care, Harry. C'mon, I'm starving, let's order that room service food."

He smiled and unlocked the door.
As he ordered the food, I decided to let my family know I was alive and that I would be staying with Harry through the night.

Once the food arrived we ate it in silence, both of us deep in our thoughts.
I was still wondering what she wanted from him, what was so important that she needed to talk so urgently.

Harry looked at my now empty plate and started picking the dishes up, taking all of the trash and putting it in the bin, then he returned to my side and extended both of his hands to me with a smile.

"Bed?"

I smiled back, taking his hands and standing up in front of him, being engulfed by his arms around me.

"Thank you for everything." - He whispered into my hair.

"Nothing to thank me." - I answered, rubbing my hands on his back.

He took some distance from the hug, stealing a little kiss from my lips.

"You're my shine of light in the dark, Louis." - He said, cupping my cheeks and pressing our foreheads together. - "Just like a firefly."

"You're so cheesy." - I smiled.

"It's true though, you're luminous."

I leaned up and kissed his soft lips tenderly.

"Bed?" - I asked softly and he nodded.

"Bed."

🌊🌊🌊

I woke up eight hours later curled up against Harry's body, his heavy breathing hitting on my ear.

I slowly opened my eyes and smiled to myself as I watched Harry's moving eyelids.

"Baby…" - I whispered, kissing the tip of his nose sweetly.

"Good morning, firefly." - He said without opening his eyes.

"You liked that one, didn't you?" - I smiled.

"You're my firefly." - He mumbled and nuzzled his nose in my neck.

I smiled to myself, lifting my hand and stroking on his hair as I felt his lips kissing tenderly under my earlobe.

"Feeling this happy should be illegal." - I said and sighed.

Suddenly we heard some sounds coming from the living room and then a firm knock on the door.

"Harry, wake up!" - Gemma shouted.

Harry growled and rolled his eyes, separating from me.

"I'm up, what happened?"

"I hope you're dressed, I'm coming in." - She said and next thing I know is that she opened the door and had her eyes fixed on us.

"What do you want?" - Harry asked, placing a protective arm around my shoulders.

"Harry, why did you reject Mae yesterday?"

"What?"

"Why did you reject her?"

"I don't understand."

"She called me, saying she wanted to help us. She's practically family. Why did you reject her help?"

I looked at her and then to Harry in disbelief.

"Seriously Gemma, who's side are you on?" - Harry asked, clearly annoyed.

"She came all the way here to help!"

"I don't need her help! She can't do anything about this!" - Harry yelled, standing up from the bed and walking towards Gemma.

I was left sitting in the bed on my own, as I saw the brothers discuss, pretty uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"You can't say she's family when she broke up with me." - Harry said.

"She's been your girlfriend for years, I know she's not anymore, but still I appreciate her."

"Well, you know what, Gemms? Do whatever you want, you always do anyways. Now leave."

"Harry, we need to discuss plenty of things, you can't tell me to go."

"We can talk at lunch." - Harry said sharply, closing the bedroom door behind Gemma and turning to me. - "I'm sorry, Lou."

I stood up from the bed and surrounded him with my arms in a comforting hug.

"Don't worry about me. How are you?"

"Angry."

"What can I do?" - I asked.

"Just stay around. Please?"

"I will." - I grinned up at him.

"I wouldn't ask you this if I wasn't at the edge of a mental crisis, but can you have lunch with Gemma and I? And probably Mae? I don't want to lose my head."

"Yes baby. I'm here for you. I promise all of this is going to find its way soon."

"I hope so." - He pouted.

I leaned over him, kissing his pout away and making him smile again.

"You're beautiful." - I said.

Harry dropped his head back and growled jokingly.

"Again with that?"

"You're cute." - I replied.

"You're amazing." - He said.

"You're wonderful." - I answered, poking his stomach.

"You're bold."

"You're brave."

"You're luminous." - He said and I rolled my eyes.

"You're running out of ideas." - I said, laughing.

Harry leaned over to peck my lips once more.

"You're my soulmate."

"That I am."