H.

"Haz, come here!"

I picked up my woollen teddy from beside me, clutching my bear tightly to my chest as I wandered out of my bedroom, hurrying down the stairs to where I'd been called.

"There you are, Haz - well, don't linger. Come in here, then," he gestured with his hand for me to come closer, and I did so.

"Where's Mummy?" I dared to ask, as Daddy lifted me up onto the counter so I could kick my legs back and forth.

"She had work to do, son," my dad beamed at me, "but we have business of our own to attend to, don't we?"

I gave him a nervous nod. He was happy - weirdly happy, and I knew better than to believe it was genuine.. but I found myself falling for his act, and straight into the trap.

"It's your birthday next week, isn't it?" he asked me, eyes meeting mine dangerously, "what kind 'a presents you wanting, Haz?"

"Erm.." I pondered, nervously chewing on my lip - I knew exactly what I wanted, no doubt in my mind, but I remembered what Mummy had told me last week when I'd told her what I wanted - do not tell Daddy.

"Ah, come on, son," he sent me another smile, and I watched him closely - his smile seemed so genuine, and real - why couldn't I tell him what I wanted for my birthday?

"Well.." I clutched my teddy a little tighter, "I saw a really cool colouring set at the shop in town last week.." I trailed off, as I caught sight of my father's hardening gaze.

"What?" he asked sharply, "you want a what?"

"A-A colouring s-set," I stammered, now wishing I'd listened to Mummy and stayed quiet.

My dad chuckled bitterly, "Are you fucking stupid?"

I winced, "I-I didn't-"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he slammed his hand onto the counter beside me, causing me to jump in fear, "you wander around this house like a fucking pansy, with your colouring books, and this stupid fucking teddy," he patronised me, snatching my teddy from my grip as I cried.

"No, Daddy - please! Not teddy!" I was already sobbing, desperately trying to grasp hold of my teddy as he hung it above my head, sneering at me as I whined in despair.

"What, Haz? You want your fucking pathetic little teddy?" he pressed, reaching onto the counter behind him to grip a pair of scissors I hadn't yet seen, quickly bringing them to the fluffy coat of my bear, slicing at it mercilessly.

"No!" I shrieked, "Daddy, please give my teddy back! Stop it!"

But Teddy was already in shreds. Teddy lay on the floor in a mass of stuffing, matted fur and thread, as I desperately sobbed from my place on the counter.

"Useless little prick, you are, Haz," he spat, before shoving me down from the counter and storming out of the kitchen.

My hands and knees hit the floor first, slamming against the tiles with such impact it made me scream in pain, my hands covered in the remains of my teddy as I wept - I brought my knees to my chest, quiet sobs leaving my throat as I remained desperate to be quiet enough to go unnoticed by Daddy.

"Harry?"

I couldn't stop crying as I picked up as much of teddy as I could, desperately shoving the pieces together, overlapping them in hopes they would somehow stick as tears fell from my eyes to soak into the leftover coat.

"Harry - baby, wake up."

I flinched, throwing myself forward so I was sitting up straight, enveloped in darkness within an instant, my breath heavy and my chest aching.

"Harry," I now recognised the voice from beside me - Ana, "hey, hey, come here."

She wound her arms around me and I instantly exhaled in relief, grateful for the rescue from the dreams I often found inescapable as I buried my face into her neck, still struggling to catch my breath, my shirt practically drenched with sweat.

"It was just a nightmare, H," she coaxed, "just a nightmare."

"Fucking hell," I muttered into her neck - this was the first night I'd slept beside her and still had a nightmare. She usually acted as a safe space, but now the nightmares were becoming so intense; so impossible to ignore - they wouldn't leave.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked quietly, bringing her fingers into my curls to gently massage her fingertips against my scalp.

"No," I murmured, finally managing to steady my breathing, as I met her eyes - her tired irises still managing to burn into mine.

"I love you," she reminded me, "and I'm here if you decide you want to."

"I know," I told her weakly, wishing I had the ability to talk to her about it. But I couldn't - the words wouldn't form, and I stayed quiet.

"Do you think you can go back to sleep?" she asked gently, rubbing her hand on my arm, and then my cheek.

"I don't know," I whispered honestly, chewing on my lip, "you go back to sleep though, pretty girl."

She sat up properly to meet me, bringing her knees to her chest for a moment, "Do you have any books with you?"

I nodded slowly in response, still slightly shaken from the memories I couldn't seem to leave behind, though I desperately longed to.

Ana stood up, sleepily wandering over to my suitcase while I couldn't help but watch as my white t-shirt skimmed her thighs, allowing me to just make out the lining of her underwear. She fished through the bag, careful not to make a mess as she pulled out the book I'd packed, wandering back over to me.

"Wuthering Heights," she announced, a smile playing on her lips, "You were reading this when I met you."

"Was I?" I asked nonchalantly as she sank back into the mattress beside me, flicking through a couple of the pages. I reached for the pack of cigarettes beside the bed where I'd left them, and blindly moved my hand around in search of my lighter. I found it, lighting the cig, desperate to ease some of the stress undoubtedly clouding my mind.

"Yeah," she grinned sleepily, "but I've still never read it."

"You'd like it," I assured her, taking a long inhale from my cigarette and closing my eyes for a second, enjoying the relaxation rushing through my veins before speaking again, "I'm surprised I haven't made you read it yet, actually."

"Hm," she hummed, resting her head on my shoulder and throwing one of her legs over mine as her eyes scanned the page, "In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us," she read, and instead of focusing on the words she spoke, I could only focus on the delicate sound of her voice, and the way her lips moved - the plump, soft pair parted slightly as she spoke, her tongue darting out to wet them every so often.

I hadn't noticed her reading come to a halt; only the sun streaming brightly through the cheap curtains attached to the window as she nuzzled further into my chest, pressing a single kiss to my throat.

"Haaaaaaaaarry!" a squeaky voice called from the other side of the door, and I groaned.

"Fuck off, you little shit!" I called back, narrowing my eyes as I hoped she would go away at that.

"But it's morning, and we're going for some brekkie! You need to get up!" she pushed the door open, and I resisted the urge to take her out with a pillow.

"Who is that?" Ana whispered to me frantically as the kid threw herself onto the bottom of the bed, and I kicked her off quickly.

"Livi," I hissed back, rolling my eyes, "get out, kid."

"No! You said I could meet your girlfriend!" she argued, clambering back onto the bed as I tugged the covers further onto Ana and I.

"I didn't, you annoying little shit," I huffed, and Ana whacked my arm and shot me a scolding look.

"I'm Ana," she shot Livi a bright smile, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Whoa," Livi blinked in disbelief, crossing her legs as she sat in front of Ana, "you have an Australian accent."

Ana giggled in the most beautiful way, running a hand through her messy hair, "I'm American, actually."

"That's so cool," Livi raised her eyebrows in further disbelief and I almost burst out laughing at her admiration for my girl. "You look just like one of my Bratz dolls!" she exclaimed all of a sudden.

"Is that a compliment?" Ana glanced at me with a grin, before turning back to Livi.

"Are you coming to breakfast with us?" Livi asked, and Ana sent me another glance before nodding.

"Yeah, we are. We'll be down in half an hour, okay?" Ana sent her another smile, as Livi rambled for another few moments, before finally hopping off the bed and scurrying out of the room.

"Shut the door, you twat!" I shouted after her, but she, of course, didn't shut it, as Ana scolded me yet again for swearing at a child.

"She's fine with it," I scoffed, as Ana rolled her eyes.

"She's what? Five? Don't cuss at her," she scolded half-heartedly, before heading to stand up from the bed.

"No," I whined, "where are you going?"

"To shower," she leant down, kissing my cheek, "and then we're going for breakfast."

"We're actually going?" I raised my eyebrows, before rubbing my hand over my face and collapsing dramatically back onto the pillow, "you know I bloody hate socialising."

"I know," she grinned, climbing back onto the bed where I was laying back, placing a knee either side of my stomach and pressing a kiss to the side of my mouth.

"Mm," I hummed, "don't sit on me like that," I brought my hands up to her lower back, sliding them under my shirt on her body.

"Like what?" she asked innocently, shifting herself further down onto my crotch as I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Ana Grace, if you want to go to breakfast, I wouldn't do that," I warned, and she shot me another innocent smile before lifting herself off me, and heading to shower alone.

When we were both finally ready - or should I have said she - it was already past eleven, and everybody else was ready to go.

Gemma would be driving Ana and I, while Mum would be driving with her boyfriend and the snotty kid. I still wasn't sure what I thought of Ben - scratch that, I didn't like him. He was annoying, and hadn't attempted any kind of conversation with me since the night I'd met him, and frankly, his existence pissed me off. He wasn't good enough for my mum, and that was tough shit on him - 'couldn't see myself liking that bloke for a long fucking time.

"You okay?" Ana whispered into my ear, shuffling closer to me in the backseat, and intertwining my arm with hers.

"I'm fine," I nodded, throwing my arm over her shoulder and pressing a kiss to the side of her head as she leant against my shoulder.

"You two are bloody gross," Gemma rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose through the rear-view mirror, "can't stand all that PDA."

"Coming from you," I shot back playfully, "where's your bloke then, Gem?"

"With his cousins for the weekend," she sighed, "tosser clearly didn't fancy a dreary weekend with you, eh?"

"Piss off," I grinned, glancing at Ana to see her watching me with a beautiful smile plastered on her beautiful, beautiful face. "I love you," I couldn't help but murmur as I looked at her.

"We're here, lovebirds. Get out," Gemma parked the car, stepping out of it as we followed closely.

The café was small, and I didn't recognise it from when I was younger, so it must've been slightly new. But that didn't stop it from looking dusty and beaten down, the walls scuffed and peeling.

Mum, Ben, and RatChild were already sat at a table, and the three of us headed over to meet them.

"If you order pancakes, so help me God," I whispered into Ana's ear once we'd sat down, causing her to chuckle, and I knew she was thinking about the first time we went to Monroe's together, and had argued over pancakes and waffles.

"Whatever, waffle-eater," she shot me a playful glare, "it's not my fault you don't know how to enjoy the finer things in life."

"Watch it," I warned in a tone just as playful, squeezing her thigh underneath the table as she giggled, pushing me off as the waiter came over to take our orders.

"So, how did everyone sleep last night?" Mum asked brightly as she often did, and as Gemma went off rambling about how she'd slept the best she had in ages, I caught Ana staring at something. Mum's hand.

I frowned, squinting in the direction of her hand as I noticed what Ana had been discreetly eyeing.

Ana cleared her throat, "Harry, don't-"

"Mum, why have you got an engagement ring on your finger?"