Status: On-going

Start of a Lifetime

Chapter Seven

Hi, I’m sorry I haven’t updated in a little while, but I’ve been awfully busy with work and other stuff. So here’s the next chapter, You will find out a little more about Liv’s past in this chapter it might be a bit disturbing to some so I’ll warn you with an *ac*.

Sitting alone on the plane had given me some time to reflect on the last few weeks. So much had happened and changed already, since Liv walked into my life.

It was a bit scary how much my life had changed since meeting her. and now here I was sitting on a plane headed to Mystique for said women.

I finally had a girlfriend, who took me for who I was as a person. Not for my title or fame.

She could make you so comfortable that it was almost easy to forget what was going on when you weren’t with her. I could talk to her about anything I wanted without having to worry, she would laugh at me, or go running to the paps.

She had been there no matter what, on the ice when I’d hit a particularly hard moment. being alone with your thoughts had the tendency to make you reflect on some stuff. she had been there listening, giving me the support I needed in that moment. I had basically been a stranger. but still, she had given me the comfort I was looking for without knowing it myself.

she’d been there for the team as well, supporting us every way. listening to their story when they had hit their reflective moment. never faltering in what she was doing, still. despite walking next to a soldier, listening.

she was an exceptional woman, that far I knew already. I could call myself a lucky bastard to have her fall for me. I had realised quite early on that she was loyal and selfless to a fault, putting others first.

she was passionate, committed, devoted about the things she believed in and did. honest in each and every word she spoke with. she was indeed an exceptional woman.

I hoped I could change her selflessness a bit. so that sometimes she would put herself first. and even if she herself didn’t. I certainly would. I wanted to make her see how special and wonderful she was and I would tell her so every day of my life if I had to. I would take care of her for the rest of my life.

I knew she still had that secret I had overheard at the airport. she hadn’t told me and every time I asked about it, she’d steer me in another direction. avoiding the subject. I just hoped that with getting together, she’d finally trust me enough to tell me. I wanted to help her.

looking out the window, the only thing I could see was darkness, not one light. but the pulsating light at the wing of the plane.

I assumed we were still flying somewhere over the Atlantic. Looking at my watch I saw we only had half an hour of flying to do. before I had left London, I’d managed to find out where they were staying from Luke.

and the closer we got to Mystique, the happier and excited I got. I couldn’t wait to see her again, to hug her in my arms and kiss her. kiss her decently, not a fleety kiss like she’d given me back at her apartment when we said goodbye. I wanted to show her how much I loved her already with the kiss. I needed to show her.

arriving at the airport had me bouncing down the steps and into the airport. the humid sea air surrounding me. Renting a car we started driving the 20-minute ride to her hotel the Firefly. Hoping to get there before she woke up.

****

Liv’s pov.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I was awoken quite rudely by the pounding on the door.

“ooooh, for crying out loud, Jens If that’s you. I’ll make sure you won’t be able to have children anytime soon,” she yelled out frustrated, running a hand through her hair.

really whoever was on the other side of the door had a dead wish. she finally had the time to sleep in. not having to wake up at some ungodly hours when someone was knocking at her door at. she turned her head, to look at the time on the clock and saw it was only 6 in the morning.

Yea whoever he or she was had a dead wish. finally reaching the door she yanked the door open, ready to scream her head off at the person. but she stood there her mouth gaping like a fish as she saw a teddy bear in the doorway. someone behind it as legs stuck out underneath it.

“what the…” she cursed, leaning to the side and see Harry grinning.

“What the hell are you doing here?” was the first thing to leave her mouth as she rubbed her eyes, thinking she was still dreaming. opening her eyes again he was still standing there.

“well, lovely to see you too love.” He said the grin still on his face as he pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back as well. shaking her head with a chuckle she moved aside to let him in.

“Come on,” she chuckled, not believing he was there standing in front of her. taking over the flowers and bear she said, whilst shaking her head. :“They’re lovely, I can’t believe you remembered what my favourite flowers were.”

“Of course, I remembered, I remember everything you say.” he stated his head tilted to the side, a sweet smile tugging at his lips.

“But that still leaves the question. What are you doing here? You were in London when I called you last night.” she questioned, placing the flowers and bear on the table in her room, before walking back up to Harry.

“After you told me you chose me, I decided that I should be here not thousands of miles away from you. I wanted to kiss and hug my girlfriend properly like any good boyfriend would do,“ he stated, the smile not having left his face yet as he approached her, strolling up to her slowly. “I want to show you that I mean everything I said. I know it’s early, but I won’t hide what I feel for you.” He finished, his hands now resting on her sides as he looked down at her, looking in her eye.

she nearly got knocked off her feet when she saw the emotion there in his eyes. Still not believing he’d flown to the other side of the world for her.

“And what do you feel for me, Harry?” she whispered, her throat and voice a bit hoarse and tight. she couldn’t look away from him like he’d captured her with that one look.

“I love you, Olivia. I thought you knew that by now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be the mother of my children. I want you to stand by my side while we perform royal duties as man and wife as Duke and Duchess.” he paused, sneaking his hands around her waist, pulling her closer to his body.

“I know you’re scared of what you’re about to step into. But I’ll be there every step of the way, so will my family once they get to know you. I’ll protect you as much as I can. And I will try to make up for what you’ll give up.” he promised, his thumbs rubbing back and forth on her back. Wanting to kiss her desperately, just to show her how much he loved her.

her lips so close and inviting as he looked down at her.

Looking up into his eyes she could see he wasn’t fooling around, he meant every word he said. tears pooling in his eyes, threatening to spill over.

her own throat closed up with emotion, with a lump she couldn’t swallow. she tried to get her mind into action to give him a reply. but what could she say to a confession like that? he had basically told her he’d marry her and he’d make her his wife.

the only thing she could do, for now, was rest her hands on his shoulders. Giving them a slight squeeze and nod her head softly.

wanting to close the small gap between their lips, show him what her mind couldn’t see to get out. she knew she loved him, for some reason she didn’t know yet. and she doubted she would ever understand. she’d fallen in love with this man in front of her.

she only knew him for 7 weeks now, but he’d stepped in her life and thrown what she had built for so long out the window. making her fall in love with the person that was: Harry.

the tear that had threatened to spill, ran down his cheek as they kept their eyes connected. reaching up with her hand she wiped the tear away. her mind finally coming into action as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

“I love you to Harry and there’s nothing I want more than that. I want to share my life with you. I want to spend a lifetime standing next to your side, support you in everything you do. And be a team together.” she came up with as she looked up at him, caressing his beard covered cheek, softly scratching her hand.

he’d seen how she’d tried to sort through her thoughts as she looked up at him. Tears in her eyes at what he’d just told her and then her own confession came, as she finished a tear slipped down her cheek.

reaching up with his hand he wiped it away with his thumb. Cupping her cheek, his look shifting between her eyes and lips. the temptation to kiss her lips becoming too much.

“Can I kiss you liv?” he whispered, leaning a bit closer, their lips barely separated. her breath fanning his face.

looking between his eyes and lips she could feel his beard tickling her upper lip. the look in his eyes, pulling her further in. instead of answering, she closed the gap between their lips. her hands moving from his shoulders to wrapping around his neck.

pulling him closer to her, playing with the hair at the back of his neck as he invaded her senses.

she’d always loved reading, having read dozens of descriptions of kissing, but not one could top this. Not one could describe what she felt in that moment.

like their lips had been made for each other as they touched each other. The moment intensifying, the longer they kissed. his arms pulling her flush against his body.

It felt like fireworks exploded within me and I knew in that moment that I had made the right decision.

If somebody asked her where she was or what year it was when they broke apart, breathlessly. she wouldn’t be able to give an answer, her legs feeling like jelly, thankful for Harry holding her up.

her brain turned into a mess by their kiss. It was just her and Harry, nothing else mattered, not the fact that he was a prince of the United Kingdom.

The only thing that mattered was that he was her Harry as they gazed into each other’s eyes. he nudged her nose as a grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

‘man could she kiss’ he thought as he looked down at her. her cheeks flushed from their kiss as she sighed contently and leant against him.

“We should go to breakfast.” she said, looking up at him, but her eyes were telling something else. “they’ll be in for a surprise.” she chuckled, her hands dropping back to his shoulder.

“ I didn’t even tell them I would call you last night,” she smiled up at me as he nodded his head. he waited in the chair in her room as she went and changed in the bathroom, appearing back in the room in a yellowish sundress and flats.

****

Breakfast was as Liv had suspected it would be. her friends were stunned when they had seen them come down. their fingers intertwined they had walked up to the table like she’d done every other morning and sat down.

After explaining everything to them. The three of them had been elated with the news and for them.

The next week Harry and Liv had been pretty much inseparable. originally he’d booked a room somewhere in the hotel, but he’d ended up in Liv’s room.

falling asleep each night with liv in his arms. she’d nearly begged him to share the room, wanting to spend as much time together as they could. living in each other pocket like they had done on Greenland.

Liv’s friends got to know him better as they spend the week together, sharing stories from their finished expedition. her three friends sharing every embarrassing moment they could think off. Embarrassing her til her cheeks blushed.

but in the end, they all had to agree that they were made for each other.

***

On their last night on Mystique Liv had mixed feelings again about leaving the island. they had been in their own bubble of privacy. going back to London meant the chance of the media finding out about them got bigger.

Liv had been worried about it, that’s what took her so long to make up her mind in the beginning. she was worried to share her worries with Harry though and kept her mouth shut.

laying on their bed, a book in hand, she looked up when Harry came in, only a towel wrapped around his waist.

“What’re you reading Love?” He asked, walking to his suitcase on the opposite side of the bathroom.

“Tolkien the book of lost tales,” she informed him, her book resting on her pulled up legs. he could see her cheeks blushing behind the book though and started second guessing if walking out in just a towel was a good idea.

but for now he just wanted to lay down beside her as he got on the bed, his head perched on his hand. leaning in to kiss her lips. knowing he would never get enough of kissing those lips of her.

closing her book, she put it on the nightstand and scooted over a bit so she was closer to Harry. he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her a bit closer to his body.

“You ready to go home, Love?” he asked her, running his hand up and down her side, his nose rubbing against her ear. he’d noticed she’d been withdrawing herself all day long, only getting worse at the evening progressed.

"Not really,” she confessed, looking down avoiding eye contact. “I wish I could just stay here with you in anonymity, once we go back to London, how long will it be before they find out about us?” she questioned, looking up and meeting my eye again, the worry clear in her eyes.

So that’s what’s bothering her, he realised, she should have known. he chastised himself.

“Love, I know this won’t be easy, but I’ll be there every step of the way or at I will try at least.” he said, his hand continuing to caress her side as he locked eyes with her.

I want you to meet my sister and brother, Will and Kate when we get back so they can be there for you too. They would love to meet you as soon as possible as does my father.” he informed her, hoping he didn’t scare her with that piece of information along the way.

“I’m not scared about the pressure of the press.“ she said, shaking her head and looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. "well maybe a little. But I can handle the pressure.” she stated, looking back at him as she took his hand in hers, playing with his fingers.

“I love having pressure, but I’m scared what the effect of the paps might have on the anonymity and safety I finally have, not only for myself but for my family as well.” she admitted, not looking up at him.

She shot up in one second, sitting up and pulling the pillow she had been laying on in her lap.

Harry sat up as well, making sure his towel was still around his waist, before pulling her against him and hugging her.

She said sitting up, I put a pillow in my lap as to cover myself more and I pulled her close to me, hugging her.

“Love, You know you can trust me and you know that I love you more than anything or anyone else,“ I said, cupping her cheek, rubbing my thumb back and forth.

” I know you have a secret you don’t share easily. I overheard you talking to Conrad on the day we left for Greenland and I overheard you talking to the girls as well,” he confessed, looking down at her as an almost terrified look entered her eyes.

he could feel her pull away from him, both physically and mentally. he didn’t let her as he pulled her in the crook of his arm.

“Love, I want to know what you’re so scared of, I want to share your burden how hard or heavy it may be. I won’t pressure you in telling me. but I would love to know what it is that makes you so scared, nothing else makes you scared.” he pressed on, knowing she was putting up her walls as I pulled her into his body, her head hiding in the crook of his neck.

rubbing her back, he felt tears run down the nape of his neck, leaning down to kiss her head. he tried to lift her head up so he could wipe them away. But she kept her head hidden, so he pulled back and leant down to wipe her tears that way. leaning up to kiss her tears away.

Lifting her head completely he leant in to kiss her eyes, forehead, both cheeks and finally her lips. very softly.

he wanted her to know she could tell him anything and nothing would change between them. he wanted her to feel safe enough to tell him. cause right now his mind was running in all sorts of directions with possible ideas.

“Okay, I’ll you the big lines, for now,“ she said with a shuddering sigh while nodding her head. "I can’t tell you all at once, not because I don’t want to but because I can’t,” she explained, shaking her head.

“Okay, love, whatever makes you comfortable,” he told her, caressing her cheek and kissing the tip of her nose. “Let me put on some pants, make some tea and then you can tell me okay,” he told her in a calm tone, leaning to peck her lips softly.

“Thanks, Harry.” She whispered “always.” he smiled as he looked back down at her from the edge of the bed.

*ac*

After putting on some pants and making some tea, they settled down on the loveseat on their balcony.

he saw she was withdrawing again. Crossing her legs and sitting as far away from him as she could in the corner of the seat. Like she was almost afraid of him, to be near him.

he didn’t want her to pull away from him, not when he wanted to be there for her. When she would be telling him something from which she would hurt.

She took a small sip of her tea, she placed her cup on the table and took a deep breath. turning her attention to him, her legs pulled up to her body.

“Harry, you have to promise me something before I tell you.” She asked him in a soft tone, so soft he’d barely heard it.

"Of course, anything you need, love,” he said, not even having to think about it. he’d promise her anything. Taking her hands in his he gave it a reassuring squeeze and a small smile, waiting for her to continue.

“Promise me that your view of me won’t change. promise me that you won’t leave cause if you do, I don’t think I could handle it,” she said shaking her head, her voice trembling.

“Very few people know what I am about to tell you and only three men on this planet now what I’m about to tell you. And that’s my grandfather, Jens, and Conrad,” she said in a tone, leaving no room for objection as she shook her head firmly.

“Love you should know by now that nothing you tell me will make me leave your side. But I promise that I won’t tell a soul about this unless it’s with your consent and I won’t leave you, Love, Never,” he promised, shuffling a bit closer as he saw she was still trying to move away from him as she did.

“Okay. I’ll tell you the reason why my family and I live in England and I’ll go from there.” She said looking down at our intertwined hands. taking a shaky breath.

“We changed our last name so that it would be harder for people in Belgium find us. My sister and I, in particular, don’t want to be found by our father.

To my sister, living in England has finally given her a feeling of safety and a feeling of home. I guess you could say we flee from our past that’s the reason why I always travel and we moved to the UK.” She said finishing with a shaky breath, still avoiding to look at me. giving her hand a small squeeze she looked up. trying to give her some encouragement I gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand.

“The reason we left Belgium was because we wanted to be away from the injustice we were given in Belgium. Because we don’t want to be in the same country as our father.” she rambled, giving a shake of her head as she said the last bit.

realising she was tiptoeing around the real subject I gave her a small squeeze again.

“ The last time I saw my father I basically shook so hard from fear that I fell to the ground. I’m absolutely terrified of him and although people might say that I don’t have any reason too. I can’t help but feel scared of him.” she said, her demeanour changing while she paused.

she leant up to him and kissed him like she was saying goodbye. for her it was when she told him this, he’d go running back to the UK, never wanting to see her again. she was sure of that.

“From the age 4 until I was 12 I was sexually abused by my father. The reason I’m so grown up, well it isn’t that hard. I had to be a grown up by the age of four.

I had to take care of my sister and my brother being the oldest at 4. When he wasn’t abusing us sexually or beating us, when he was sleeping off his hangover. So I had to make sure that at least my sibling had some sort of food.

When I got older he started with my sister as well, I would behave myself so badly so that I would have to go into her place. That’s the reason I’m so scared of him, that’s the reason I fled Belgium. And that’s the reason I’m scared about the paps.

If they find this out and you and I both know they will, you’ll be destroyed and what will be left of me and my family.” she asked him, looking straight into his eyes and a shiver ran down his spine from the look he saw in them. he almost didn’t recognise her.

Harry had been listening to every word she said and didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to answer.

The way she told me. It was like she was another person. She was cold, distant and somehow in some way or another. he believed what her friends had told him, that you should fear Liv for one reason or another.

he didn’t like the person she had become in the last minutes. It wasn’t the Liv I knew. She had a certain tone in her voice that made you want to be scared of her.

And then he looked at her again her demeanour she had taken on was gone. The person he’d had fallen in love with was back but was crying.

then at that moment he understood why she became another person, it was her way of protecting herself. to not have to deal with it.

he pulled her into his lap and hugged her, rocking her body, hoping he could give her some comfort.

*ac*

they talked for a bit longer. Him trying to get why this happened and he couldn’t believe that the law that should protect children were so neglected when it came to her and her family.

It was like they didn’t exist and he understood why they left Belgium. looking down he saw that she had cried herself to sleep.

so he picked her up, bridal style and put her into their bed.

he went to the other side of the bed and crawled in next to her.

As he lay down. he went over everything she told me. There was nothing he wanted to do more than to go and kill that son of a bitch.

Everything Liv was all that he had so much adored about her. what he’d admired in her was because of what she had gone through.

She may say that she wouldn’t change it for the world cause it wouldn’t make her the person she was now. But still.

rolling over he pulled her close to him.

he remembered his promise of not to talk about it with anyone.

But he was out of my debt here and as far as he knew she hadn’t processed anything at all and that was fine by him.

But he wanted to talk about it with his brother. kissing her cheek he laid down and held her to him. protecting her from any hurt that would ever come to her. he vowed he’d protect her from then on out.
♠ ♠ ♠
So that's the chapter. I really hope you've enjoyed it, let me know what you think below.