Marching On

Lavin leaned against the headboard with Harry’s head resting in her lap. Harry was fighting a losing battle with his heavy eyes as her fingers gently worked through his hair.

Harry was exhausted. Lavin showed him all of her favorite places in Copenhagen today, small cafes that lay inconspicuous in sunny back avenues. She said they offered refuge after long weeks of engagements and meetings, where no one asked questions or were to deep into their own thoughts to notice their princess sitting in the corner booth.

She showed him the flower shop where she always bought flowers for her mother. It had the most beautiful peonies. He particularly loved the chocolate factory they visited. The owner insisted that they try everything, an offer which he couldn’t refuse.

“Did you have fun today?” Lavin asked him.

“Mhm,” Harry mumbled, wrapping his arms around her legs. They were warm against his cheek. “It was my favorite Valentine’s Day.”

“Mine too.”

Harry glanced to the old Panavision video camera that lay abandoned at the end of the bed. If he was being honest with himself, that had been his favorite part of today.

They discovered it in an antique shop not far from the cafe that had a view of the harbor. It was filled with ancient porcelain vases and dust-covered books. It was Lavin who found the camera lost among a pile of other old electronics and immediately fell in love with it.

When they returned to Lavin’s room at Amalienborg it was she that suggested trying it out, another offer Harry couldn’t refuse.

“You’re just what I needed today,” Lavin said. “I haven't felt this relaxed in what feels like centuries.”

A smile splashed onto his face. “Glad I could be of service.” It caused Lavin to laugh, a favorite sound of his.

Then he heard music, it was a French vocalist paired with a piano and violins. Lavin began humming along to the tune while Harry tried to remember the singer’s name. He’d heard this music before...long ago when he was just seventeen and Lavin had just been given the CD for Easter. She had made him listen to it over and over again whenever they were together until he was sick to death of it.

But now, Harry liked it. It reminded him of their days as teenagers when they were stupid in love. He also realized, laying there wrapped around Lavin’s legs, that he loved this woman. Completely. Sincerely. Eternally.

Harry loved that he was able to make her feel good, relaxed and, perhaps, even happy despite her dealing with her father’s health issues. Fred had only been diagnosed with Stage II lymphoma two weeks ago. They found tumors in his back and femoral vein.

Harry couldn't tell if she had cried about it yet, but it seemed to him that she hadn’t, that she was holding it in. Something had changed in Lavin over the past few weeks since her father’s diagnosis came and Gen leaving for Africa. She was bolder, braver. More serious about duty now than ever before. He admired it, liked that she was accepting her role even. But he knew that she was hurting and if things turned for the worst a breakdown would be inevitable.

But no matter the outcome he promised himself that he would be there for her wherever he was in the world, no matter what he was doing at the time.

“Hey,” Lavin said, shaking him, thinking he was asleep. “I have a surprise for you.”

Harry lifted himself up, leaning against the headboard. The wood was cool against his bare back. “But we said no gifts.”

“I know,” she said, reaching for the drawer of her bedside table. Lavin pulled a flat rectangular box wrapped in the brightest blue paper and adorned with a paper bow. “But it didn’t cost me anything.”

Lavin handed it to him and he let it lay in his lap, staring down at it.

“Don’t just look at it, open it.” There was excitement in her voice.

Harry obliged her, taking off the bow and then ripping away the blue paper. He lifted the top off the box and whatever his surprise was lay hidden under a bunch of crumpled tissue paper.

He lifted the paper out of the box to uncover the most stunning thing he’d ever seen. Harry picked the wooden frame up carefully and inspected every inch of the image in front of him.

“Well…do you like it?” Lavin asked, her pointer finger was in her mouth. A nervous habit she had recently seemed to pick up from him after all these years.

Harry shook his head, mouth gaping like an idiot until he found words. “I’m speechless.”

“Good speechless or bad speechless?”

Lavin leaned over and snatched the frame from his hands, inspecting her work. “I think I messed up my nose. And I’m pretty sure I didn’t get the shading right.”

Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, kissing her. There weren’t words that could express his surprise at receiving a painting of Lavin.

“So you like it?” Lavin said when he pulled away.

“About time you gave this to me. I’ve only been asking for one for about ten years now.”

“Shut up,” Lavin laughed, shoving him.

“No, seriously though, Lavin, it is the best thing you've done. I’m going to hang it in my bedroom when I get home.”

Lavin held up a finger. “But you can’t let your father or William look at it. Especially William.”

Harry nodded in agreement. “Never. This is for my eyes only.”

“Goo-“

“And besides,” Harry interrupted. “If I can’t see Kate’s breasts than I’ll be damned if William gets to see yours.”

Lavin mouth fell open as Harry doubled over in laughter. He was laughing so loudly he could barely hear Lavin’s curses. Then he found himself caught in a wrestling match with her.

There were nudges, pinches, and quick brushes of fingers that tickled the skin until Harry pinned her down. Both were panting, struggling to quit laughing.

Lavin grinned. “You’re a bastard, you know that?”

“Oh,” Harrys said matter-of-factly. “I agree.”

“You’re such an ass.”

“And you’re a beautiful person and I love you.” Harry told her, shutting her up with a kiss.

Harry felt Lavin’s hands on his cheeks and Harry wrapped his hands around her chest.

“I daresay, you have the most magnificent breasts in all the land,” Harry exclaimed, making his voice very dramatic.

Lavin pushed him off, groaning but a smile still lingering. “And you ruin it.”

“What?” Harry said, eyes bulging. “I didn’t ruin anything.”

He watched as she pushed herself off the bed, not bothering with the silk robe that was draped over her vanity chair or the clothes that lay forgotten on the floor.

“I’m going to shower,” she said in passing. “I would invite you in but you’d probably end up saying more ridiculous things.”

Harry reclined back on the collection of pillows, hands behind his head. “Take your time,” he told her dismissively. “I’ll just spend some time with my new girlfriend.” Harry lifted the painting of Lavin. “Have you met her yet? She’s very quiet and doesn’t mind the ridiculous things that come out of my mouth.”

Lavin stuck her nose in the air, her arms on her hips. “Have fun with your two-dimensional girlfriend. I hope you can get over never being able to get your hands on these—” she framed her breasts with her hands, and then she turned around “—or this.” Lavin was peaking over her shoulder at her bottom before walking towards the bathroom.

Harry leaped off Lavin’s bed and scooped her up in his arms. “But my three-dimensional girlfriend is so much more…touchable.” With that he pinched her and carried her off into the shower.