Burn

Rae sat pouting on the couch, as she stared at the five boys standing in front of her. Two of them she had never met before, but it seemed that they were friends enough with Harry to come help babysit her. Louis and Niall were also there, but Louis was the only person in the room awarded the prize of being able to attend court with Harry.

Being angry with Harry was very difficult for Rae, given that he was standing in front of her, curls swept out of his face and arms crossed behind his back. He was dressed head to toe in a black suit, looking clean and professional. It was enough to make Rae want to slam him against a wall and kiss him very hard on the mouth.

The girl looked between the two new boys that they had just introduced her too. One was a boy that Harry had grown up with and remained fast friends with, named Liam. Liam was tall with muscular arms and his hair swept up into a small quiff. He had a kind smile and gentleness to his eyes, but he certainly looked strong.

Zayn was the other boy, who Harry had come to know through his misbehaving habits. Zayn certainly looked like he had an edge to him, with his beautiful amber eyes and dark hair. He was extremely handsome and reminded Rae of a dark prince, but the minute he smiled and introduced himself, she knew that he was kind.

Though she had only known them for a few minutes, Rae had to admit she felt safe. Of course, she felt absolutely silly, having them spend the day with her, but Harry would not have it any other way, and he was being very stubborn. He in no way wanted any of Leon’s goons near the house, so he wanted the boys to lounge around there, making sure she was safe.

“I think this is all ridiculous,” she grumbled, not for the first time. Trystan snickered, amused by it all. Trystan didn’t seem to mind the precaution, so long as they stayed out of her way. “I’m not the Queen of England. I’m a damn human being who just wants to walk around my flat without being watched.”

Niall rolled his eyes, plopping down on the couch. He had already helped himself to a beer from her fridge, taking a hearty swig. “Don’t think of us as watching you,” he suggested, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “Think of it as bonding.”

“Bond a little farther, mate,” Harry warned, giving Niall a look. The blonde rolled his eyes, holding up his beer as a white flag and leaning the other way. Rae gave Harry a look, but he just returned it with a smirk. “Alright, well I need to get going. I’ll call you as soon as I’m out, alright?”

“Whatever.” Harry gave Rae a look, knowing she was angry. She was pouting on the couch, arms crossed over her chest. She did not like being left alone, especially because she wouldn’t know what was going on with him. It was very alarming. Ignoring her anger, he walked over, leaning down and tilting her face to look at him. “Stop being sour. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Yeah.”

He gave her a small smile and pressed his lips against hers. She felt like she was on fire all over again as she returned it, unable to suppress herself. He chuckled when he pulled away, knowing just as well as she did that she loved kissing him. “Bye.”

Rae watched Harry and Louis leave her home. It was just the three boys and the two girls now, and she had absolutely no idea how to make it normal. If the boys felt strange, they let no sign of it show. Niall had made himself at home with the remote, Zayn leaned back in the recliner and dozed off, and Liam was next to Niall, reading a book.

It was almost peaceful, with them there. She felt as if it were a normal day, but it wasn’t. She felt sick to her stomach, knowing that Harry had to go tell the court that Leon was running a drug business, one that he had valuable information too. It was both damning Harry if Leon had back up plans for this, and freeing him so that he was cleared of any charges.

And then there was the thought of her dad. Rae’s father had tried to call her several times, but she was too afraid to answer the phone, too afraid to hear the sound of disappointment again. She was through with that tone of voice. She would try and talk to him when this had all blown over, and when she wasn’t ready to set herself on fire at any moment.

“Stop stressing yourself out,” Liam said, not even looking up from his book. Rae looked at him, surprised that he had picked up on her irritation. She had thought she was keeping it well hidden, and he didn’t even know her that well. “I can feel you tensing on the couch like a cat back into a corner. Relax, Harry will be fine. He’s dad is a lawyer, after all.”

Rae had not considered that. “Is he in on the case?”

Liam shook his head, turning a single page. The sound of the parchment shifting hit her ears. “No, but Harry knows quite a bit how the system works. If he weren’t so keen on being on the opposite side of the law, he could be a brilliant lawyer.”

Zayn chuckled once, eye still closed. He had been so quiet Rae thought he had dozed off completely already. “Harry as a lawyer? Now there is a sight I would love to see.”

Liam shrugged. “He’s a smart guy. You know he’s gotten his way out of anything. Last I checked, he got you out of trouble for a DUI.”

“Ah, misunderstanding, that was.”

The light banter going on between them all was astounding to her. Her heart was beating erratically in her rib cage, the same speed as the beat of a hummingbirds wings. She also felt like she was ready to upchuck at any moment, the nerves getting to her. And there these boys were, talking like it was a normal day.

Standing, Rae made her way to the stairs. When they all looked up at her, concerned by her movement, she glowered, ignoring them as they watched her like hawks as she walked up the steps. Trystan waved their gazes off, eyes glued to the TV. “She’s going to her studio. Leave her alone.”

And that is exactly where she found herself, sitting on the floor with paints in her hand. She wasn’t sure what she was painting, just that she needed to busy her hands, needed to calm the nerves. Which is exactly what happened, as she quieted her mind and went to the special place that was her imagination.

To Rae, imagination was key, and art was peace.

*

“Nervous?” Louis asked as the pair of boys walked up the sidewalk. Harry was buttoned in his jacket, which he had unbuttoned and then re-buttoned already. Louis could tell that Harry was uncomfortable, but he could not pinpoint what was making him feel that way. With Harry, it could be several things. “Or are you timing yourself on buttoning up that jacket?”

Harry’s brows shot up, signaling that he had not even noticed he was doing the nervous tick. He dropped his hands to the side as they stood in line to sign in and go through the metal detectors of the official building. It was cloudy out, and the tall, white building stood starkly against the grey skies. “Not at all.”

“Of course you’re not.”

Louis was not an idiot. He was Harry’s best mate, if he ever had one, and he knew him well enough to know that something was bothering him. Harry would never admit to that though, just as he would never admit to how strong his feelings for Rae were. Harry still insisted that he just fancied her, and that she was his and no one else’s. But there was more too it. There had to be.

When they entered the building, Louis and Harry spotted Leah, her blonde hair pulled from her face. The woman who acted as Harry family came up to them, kissing them both quickly on the cheek and smiling. Of course she would be there for Harry, but her husband couldn’t get off of work.

“Alright?” she asked, brushing a curl from Harry’s face in a very motherly manner. Louis saw the way Harry smiled fondly at the older woman. Harry’s real mother and father wouldn’t be there. They probably didn’t care what happened. “A bit of a nerve racking day. Where’s the girl?”

“Harry wouldn’t let her come,” Louis answered matter-of-factly, giving Leah a look that she read all too easily. She smiled a bit, laughing as much as she could on a day like this. “So what does that tell you?”

“That you need to shove off,” the curl-haired boy growl, shooting his friend a venomous glare with his green eyes. Louis rolled his own blue eyes, ignoring Harry’s anger. He was angry so often that it did not even bother him in the slightest anymore. “Can we just get this over with?”

“Of course,” Leah nodding, walking towards the door. “Your lawyer, Angela is inside towards the front. She wants to speak to you immediately. Brilliant woman, she is.”

“Yeah, dad supplied her.” Harry’s tone wasn’t annoyed or impressed. He was just saying it like it was any normal fact in the world. He sounded like someone explaining why the sky was blue. “Of course she’s smart. I’ll see you both inside.”

Leaving them, he walked into the court room. Leah looked after him, concern written all over her face. Putting a supporting hand on her shoulder, Louis offered her a warm smile. “He’s fine. You know he gets all ‘dark-angsty-teenager’ whenever this sort of stuff happens. He’s dramatic.”

“You’re one to talk. Did he really not let the girl come?”

He shook his head. “Didn’t want her anywhere near here. I think he doesn’t want her to know the things he’s done. In fact, I’m almost sure he hasn’t ever gone into detail about him carrying out drug business.”

“Why would he?” she sighed, brushing a strand that had fallen from her pony. Louis could tell that she was stressed, hoping desperately that this girl Harry was with could set him on the straight path. They all did. Louis just wasn’t sure if Rae was enough. Because in Louis’s eyes, Rae was both what Harry did and didn’t need. He wanted to change and be gentle for her, but she also set him into a rage like no other. “He doesn’t want to face things with other people. He wants to brave them alone. Maybe he’ll let her in on it.”

He wasn’t sure. “Or he’s going to shut her out like everyone else.”

“I don’t know… she’s different. He is different, with her.”

“But she also sets him off like no one else has.”

Leah nodded. “Antidote to everything except for the anger.”

Rae was like chemo, it seemed. She was either going to save Harry, or kill him. Louis just wasn’t sure which one of those it was yet.