Whispers

The Bastian home in Derbyshire was a three story building, a stone driveway leading to it. Lines of trees were on both sides of the road. The driveway had a few cars pulled in the circle. The house was surrounded by trees and different winding paths that led out to a lake and a dock.

Rae smiled, getting out of the car and stretching her limbs. The air seemed crisper here as she looked around the familiar landscape. Harry got out of the car as well and she walked around the front of it to him, wrapping a single arm around his waist.

The front door was painted white, and the windows that lined the porch were curtained. Door opening, a tiny Lily came barreling out of the door and down the three steps leading to the porch, her blond hair bouncing.

“Rae!” she squealed. Rae grinned and let go of Harry, bending down to catch the girl in her arms and picked her up. Lily threw her arms around Rae in a small hug, squeezing tight before letting her go and stretching her arms to Harry. “Hi, Harry.”

“Hiya, Lily.” Rae shifted Lily to Harry’s arms, laughing. Lily wanted to marry the boy, and Harry went along with it like a proper gentleman, linking hands with Rae and carrying Lily with one arm up to the house, kissing her on the nose. “I missed you.”

“We missed you too,” he promised her, giving her a serious look. She cracked a huge grin as they walked up the steps. Rae never failed to be surprised by Harry’s ability to deal with Lily. “How long have you been waiting for us?”

“An hour.”

“Well that’s not very long.”

“That’s forever.”

He chuckled. “Oh, Silly Lily.”

Opening the door, Rae slid inside, standing aside to let in Harry with a talking Lily. The smell of freshly made rolls instantly wafted around her and she looked around the very large entrance, smiling as she saw the pictures on the wall and the coat rack that stood with numerous different coats on it.

The entrance had three different doorways, each leading to a different place. One door led to the library. It was Rae’s favorite room in the house, a huge room with six book cases from floor to ceiling, with novels her family had collected. It also had an old, oak desk that stood in front of the window, perfect for writing or reading.

The door opposite the library led straight to the very large kitchen with granite countertops, large cooking space and where her father’s two sisters enjoyed singing and cutting up vegetables for dinner and lunches. The kitchen always smelled good and welcoming, and had a door to the dining room.

The last door in the room was right in front of them and next to the stair case leading to the second floor. It lead to the very large living area. A sliding glass door lead to the porch that was in the back of the yard in this room. It was equipped with couches, a large TV and a roaring fire place that was not presently lit.

Shuffling forward, Rae led Harry into this room, the voices of her family rising with laughter and conversation. Her heart hummed with the desire to see her two aunts, her uncle and her single set of grandparents. She also knew that her father’s best mate, his son and his wife would be there.

“Rae!” it was her father’s voice as she walked into the room, instantly bringing a glorious smile to her lips. Her heart leapt as he stood, dressed in a fine sweater and slacks. He looked healthy and wonderful as she skipped to him, throwing her arms around him and squeezing tight. His laughter rumbled through her. “It’s good to see you. I see Lily has already found our Harry here.”

Rae blinked in surprise. Harry put down Lily and smiled at her father. It was a genuine smile, filled with no apprehension as he shook hands roughly with Rae’s father. And then Rich leaned in for a hug, holding Harry there for a moment. First he had said ‘our Harry’ and now he was hugging him. It was a better reception than she could have hoped for.

“Good to see you, Mr. Bastian.”

“Call me Richard, Harry. You know that.”

“Of course, sir. Hello, Linda, Desmond.” Harry walked over and hugged Lily’s mother and shook hands with her father in turn. Both of the adults were smiling and asking him who he was instantly. Rae was absolutely baffled. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Well are you just going to stand there like a tosser? Or are you going to say hello to your favorite aunt?” Rae grinned and turned to face her Aunt Denise. Denise was her mother’s sister, and she looked a hell of a lot like Rae’s mother, but shorter with crows feet by her green eyes. “It’s wonderful to see you, dove. You haven’t come to see me in months. And is this the boy I’ve heard stories about?”

“Yes ma’am,” Harry stated. He placed a hand on the small of Rae’s back for a moment. She had not realized he had approached them until that moment. He removed his hand and introduced himself with a hug and a kiss on her cheek. “Harry Styles. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Rae has your mouth.”

Denise waved him off, smiling. “You’re absolutely handsome. Good lord, Rae, where did you find him?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“I’m sure. Come on, Harold.” Rae coughed to hide her laugh as her Aunt Denise took Harry by the arm. “Let’s introduce you to grandmother and grandfather.”

Denise winked at Rae as she stole Harry from her. Rae crossed her arms and grinned. Her mother’s sister was one of her favorite people in the world, a definite contrast from her father’s sister, Linda.

Pivoting on her heel, Rae greeted Mark Dean and his son, Rich. Mark and Rae’s father had been best friends throughout medical school, so much so that Mark had named his own child after her father. Rich, his son, was a handsome boy only a year older. Arrogant, sharp as a knife, and already having a confrontation with Harry the first time they met, Rich hugged Rae hello, giving her a grin.

Growing up with him, Rae had always seen Rich as an asshole of an older brother. Now she just felt weary being in the same room as him, especially with Harry thrown into the equation. She wanted no reason for Harry and Rich to have a falling out.

“Alright?” he asked, giving her a playful shove on the arm.

She smile and nodded. “I’m doing good. How about yourself?”

“Not too shabby. Finally graduated from med school. I hear you’re taking art classes? I bet you paint better than everyone in the class.” It always struck her as interesting, the things that he remembered. “At least, I would think so.”

“You know me. I don’t like to be a show off, unlike you.”

Not long later, Rae found herself sitting between Harry and her Aunt Denise, who was a single woman. Denise had an issue with the sanctity of marriage, and refused to marry anyone, though she had come close to it on occasion. They were all sat for lunch, and Rae became completely enamored in the way that Harry was acting around her family.

Sitting around her family, she watched as he became completely animated. He was talking in depth to each member of her family as they asked what his dreams were, what interested him, why he liked Rae, what he thought of the world. She heard thoughts and views that she had either never heard before, or had never heard in such depth.

Biting into her salad, Rae tried not to smile randomly at the thought. His eyes were glowing with intelligence, his hands moving as he talked. Harry was one of the most intelligent people that she knew. She saw daily just how deep his thought process ran and how his brows furrowed when he explored a topic that he enjoyed.

Glancing around the table, she saw that Harry easily commanded the attention of the entire table. Everyone was eating and enjoying themselves, but they were genuinely listening to what he said as he explained his view on the trouble going on in Syria. He was able to sound educated and political without sounding pedantic.

“You’re very intelligent,” Rich said when Harry was done. And it sounded absolutely honest. Rae glanced at him as he sat across from her. “It’s fresh, to see someone my age who has such profound opinions.”

Harry nodded. “Thank you.”

“He is very charming,” Aunt Denise murmured quietly, leaning towards Rae as she said so. Harry was then in conversation with Lily, who demanded that she sit next to him. He was so patient. “And smart, and… not what he looks to be. Really, it’s very refreshing to watch.”

“He is amazing.”

“The way he looks at you when you’re not looking, though.”

Rae frowned. “What do you mean?”

“No one that young should look at you the way he does. You’re too young to look at one another like you cannot live without the other. It’s very serious. He looks at you and I see eternal. It’s strange, is all.”

Rae did not respond, but rather nodded to say that she understood. Glancing at Harry from the corner of her eye, she saw that he was focused on her again. His eyes looked at her features before his mouth pulled up in a crooked grin. When her aunt saw them look at one another, she saw eternal. But when Rae looked at Harry, she felt eternal. That’s just the way that it was.

After lunch, Denise, Linda and Rae’s grandmother Maxine made for the kitchen, washing dishes. They were all gushing over Harry, asking Rae about the first time they met, the first time they went out on a date, and all of the minor details that beings of the female population deemed worthy of knowing. In the back yard, the boys threw on sweaters and took out a football.

Hands dried and pulling on a sweater that was Harry’s, Rae walked out into the back yard with a warm cup of hot chocolate for herself and for Lily, who was sitting on the porch steps watching as Harry tore down the back yard, keeping the ball away from Mark.

It was cold, frost no longer covered the ground, but it was still in the branches and the leaves. Harry had pulled a beanie on his head and he had changed to sweatpants and a long-sleeved white shirt. He looked good, kicking the ball down the field like a natural born athlete.

Until Rich ran into him, taking the ball and knocking Harry flat on his back. Rich made the shot and scored in the makeshift goal- a rubbish bin. He turned around to Harry who was laying on the ground still, trying to catch his breath. Rae tensed and stood up, reading to intervene when Rich bent down, offering Harry a hand up. Harry took it, allowing Rich to hoist him up and pat him hard on the back.

“Sorry, mate.” Rich gave him an apologetic look. “That was a little rough of me. Feel free to knock my lights out.”

“Nah, you’re alright. It’s a sport. It was a good block.”

They went back to playing footie in the yard and Rae stared. Everyone else was settled around her, but she felt very unsettled. It wasn’t a bad thing- she had just never seen Harry get so comfortable so easily. Many times when he was around her father or she brought him to a function, he was uncomfortable or put out. But here, he fell into step like he was walking on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

“I like him,” Rae’s grandmother said. Rae looked up at her. Maxine had brown hair that was kept short and intelligent brown eyes. She was very petite in size put she had a mouth on her that made up for her small height. Rae was very fond of her. “You make sure he puts a ring on that paint covered finger of yours. And if he doesn’t, you better put a ring on his.”

“Grandma!”

“What? Isn’t that what what’s-her-name tells you to do?”

“Do you mean the Beyonce song?”

“Is that what her name is? Dear me. What was her mother thinking?”

“Thinking that it was unique. Maybe she knew her daughter was going to be a star.”

“Well your mother knew that you would be talented and she didn’t throw a bunch of sounds together to make a bloody name.” Rae was laughing so hard that she was nearly crying then. Her grandmother had no shortness of opinions on things, especially when it came to pop culture. She thought everything was ridiculous. “Justin Beaver’s, Beyonce’s and Lady GooGoo’s. This world has enough ridiculous names.”

“Okay, grandma.”

Jogging up the steps, Harry stood panting. Rae handed him a bottle of water she had kept resting between her knees. “Thanks, babe. By the way, can we run down to the market down the road? Your dad said that there was one?”

“Yeah, what do we need to go to the market for?”

“Your Aunt Denise needed a few extra things for dinner, but I offered to go since she needed to start early. Is that alright with you?”
Rae stared at him. “That’s more than alright. Shower and we’ll go.” He nodded, leaning to kiss her on the head as he walked inside. Rae sat there blinking and looked at her grandmother, who was grinning at her. “So what was this business about rings, again?”

*

“So.” Isles lined the small market as Harry walked next to Rae. He was fresh out of the shower, dressed in a crimson sweater that Rae loved and another beanie pulled over his wet Harry. A small basket was on his arm as he collected the contents Denise had asked for. “What’s up?”

Pulling a bag of lettuce out of the cold section, he glanced sideways at her. “I’m grocery shopping?”

“No, I mean everything is okay? My family doesn’t scare you, creep you out, make you want to hide under a rock? Nothing?”

“Absolutely not. Why would they?”

He raised her brows and shook her head. They continued to walk. Rae hadn’t been to this market for a few years, but the people running it were the same, and they remembered her. “I’m not saying they would. It’s just, you seem absolutely comfortable. As in, from the very start. I’m not complaining. I’m just surprised.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I like them, is all.”

The conversation ended momentarily as he picked up the last thing they needed. They checked out quickly, Harry paying and grabbing the bags. Rae grabbed a single one so that she did not feel completely useless on their small trip.

With their purchases loaded in the boot of the car, they got in again, heading back to the house. Rae’s fingers beat against the steering wheel. She couldn’t understand why she was so curious as to Harry’s adaption to her family. “So, you’re okay with them all? My family, I mean?”

He sighed heavily. “Rae, I don’t have much a family if you haven’t noticed. This is the first time I have ever been around anyone who acts like family. My entire life was lawyers and rules, even with my grandparents. I don’t have cousins. I have Leah, at the most. Being around your family is new to me. And it makes me happy. They’re something I’ve never had. For the first time, family is tangible for me.”

“Oh.”

He smiled and linked their hands together. “Don’t sound so surprised. You’re family… they are amazing. Maybe it’s because I’m on the outside looking in.”

“You’re wrong.”

“I am?”

“You’re not on the outside looking in. You’re on the inside enjoying the view.”

He chucked quietly. “Well. It’s good to be home, then.”