#alien!harry

AURORA'S POV

It had been three days since I last saw Harry; his face bruised into purples and blues like a peach. These last few days I had done nothing but worry about him. Things had been getting a little worse as time went by. It was like riding a rollercoaster where you had that nervous feeling of the climb, and when they held you at the top before you dropped, you could feel your heart pick up with the uneasiness of the unknown. When was the rollercoaster going to drop?

That was where we stood. At the top of a rollercoaster with our hands clutching the bar tightly, while our rapid breaths prayed for an easy fall. You take chances when you're on a rollercoaster. Either the ride goes the way you want it to, or there is a loose screw in the trail that sets everything sideways.

The worst part about being on a rollercoaster is that once you're on it and it starts moving, there's no way for you to get off. Once you're on, you can't get off until the end.

It was anxiety inducing. I feared the unknown, and right now, I didn't know if Harry had even made it home safely. Although, I truly wouldn't blame him if he decided to stay home and run from the shit show. But, I didn't think he would do that, because although he was fragile like said peach, he was also strong minded. He was possibly the smartest–thing? Human? I had ever come across. Whatever he was.

He constantly fed my mind, telling me stories of his homeland, or the Greeks that he grew up with. Things that other people wouldn't lay with their back to the grass and talk about for hours. Harry had stories, and if asked, he would proudly tell it with a grin on his face.

Because that was just who he was

He was Harry.

"...And your dad said 'well I think that Aurora would like to visit the cave sometime,' and I kept telling him that you aren't into crystals like you used to be, but he refuses to listen to anything–"

"That's not true, I was listening, it's just that I didn't believe you." My dad said through the phone. His voice sounded farther in the distance, but that never stopped him from eavesdropping.

I shook myself out of my thoughts, coming back to the realization that I was on FaceTime with my parents. I hadn't talked to them in so long; it had been a month since I had actually had time to video chat with them. Typically it was once a week, but with school just starting again, it was hard to keep up with it.

So, we just texted a lot.

"Oh, yeah." I chuckled, shaking my head at them both. "I mean, mom is right, dad. I'm not into crystals like I used to be. If I were, I would be going to school for geology and not science and astronomy."

"Told you!" Mom laughed out, pointing her finger over towards my dad. Sometimes I hated FaceTiming her because she always held the phone no more than six inches away from her face. I could basically see the boogers up her nose with the angle she kept the phone at, and her breathing always blew through the speakers.

"Alright, whatever. Sorry if I got it wrong, it's not like our little girl just moved thousands of miles away from Alaska to go to a school in fucking Canada." My dad chuckled out.

"Don't remind me." My mom pouted, looking down into the camera as she sighed. "I miss you so much. I really wish you were here right now. How long has it been since we've seen you? I mean, I can't keep living apart from you like this."

"Mom, you're being so dramatic. I literally just came home for your birthday earlier this year. Plus, I'll be coming up for the holidays in a couple months. Thanksgiving is inching closer and closer too, you know?" I was scurrying around the kitchen, the phone propped up against the wall of the counter as I prepared my dinner for the night. This time I hopefully wasn't going to burn it to pieces.

"Speaking of the holidays." My mom purred as she stared timidly into the camera. "Is there anybody you are bringing with you this year?"

"Uhhh." I paused, pursing my lips as I pondered. "No, I think Nina is going to spend it with Ryan's family this year. So, Nina won't be coming this time."

"I'm not talking about Nina!" My mom whined out, shaking the phone in her hand as she sighed. "I'm asking if you've met anybody yet. You know, one day I would like to have grand-babies. I can't wait forever."

"Jesus Christ, mom!" I almost choked, placing my hand onto my throat as I looked down into the phone. I stared at her in confusion with a hint of annoyance. "I haven't met anybody. No, it's just going to be me coming up there. Jesus–"

"You have been in Yellowstone for almost two years now and you're telling me that you haven't met one guy that you like? I find that hard to believe–" She stopped herself, tapping her fingers onto her chin before parting her lips to speak. "A girl? A person? Anybody of that sorts?"

"I'm not dating." I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "If I was dating I would tell you, but I'm not. I'm solely making new friends. That's it."

"And the names of such new friends would be...?" Mom pressed into the camera, blinking her eyes at me.

"His name is–"

"So it is a boy!" My dad boomed through the speakers of my phone. Less than a second later, he was taking the phone from my mom. Only the corner of one eye was showing as he stared down at my face on the phone.

"Dad!" I laughed out, placing my hand against my mouth. The way that older people used phones had always cracked me up. It was just the fact he couldn't pull the phone further away from his face so I could see him. I was stuck staring at his singular eyeball.

"You let him know that your dad was a war veteran."

"Honey, you were not a war veteran!"

"He doesn't have to know that!"

"Oh. My. God." I ran a heavy hand over my face, a laugh escaping my throat. "You both are absolutely ridiculous. Seriously? Harry's just a friend. We haven't even done anything either. Plus, I don't–like him like that." My voice faded as I pinched my brows together in thought. I had never said it out loud like that before. It left a sour taste in my mouth when I said it.

Was it a lie? Was that why it felt that hard to say aloud? I wouldn't think I would lie about something so trivial, so I wasn't all that sure.

"You know, I had a friend from high school named Harry, and he ended up getting three girls pregnant." My dad said through the phone. His voice was stern, yet full of concern as he tried to somewhat preach to me.

"So does that mean I'll get grandkids then?" My mom said excitedly through the phone. I heard her clapping her hands with joy, which only pressed me to become a little annoyed with where this conversation was going.

"Okay, we are done with this conver–" A sudden noise came from the back door, making me jump a little when I heard Astro's paws click against the hardwood floors. I gulped, standing still for a moment as I tried to hear it, but it was hard over my parents fighting about who I was seeing and if I was willing to ever give them grandkids.

Which, I was not.

I took a step towards the living room, immediately hearing Astro starting to growl. Her feet were tapping against the floors, meaning she was anxious. I knew that. She never stayed still when she was nervous.

I turned back to grab my phone from the counter, swallowing nervously as I looked down into the camera. "Hey, let me call you guys back." I said softly with a reassuring smile, as to not alert them. I didn't want them to ever think something was wrong. It was hard enough having a daughter in another country than them.

"Okay, baby, love you! Call us later! Tell Nina and her parents I said hey too." My mom called through the phone. She crooked the phone away more so I could see both of them.

"Okay, I will–love you too. Bye." I rushed out, ending the call with a slight tap of my finger.

I kept my phone wrapped tightly in my palm as I patted my leg for Astro to meet beside me. She gave me a side glance, but then quickly looked back at the door. I furrowed my brows deep when she continued to stand firmly in her chosen place. Another bang on the door jolted my body and an uncomfortable feeling in my chest began to settle.

The only person I would have thought to be at my door unexpectedly would have been Nina or Harry, and neither of them were that aggressive with their door knocks. Usually I would have gotten a text or some kind of warning of their arrival anyway.

I peered down at my phone, checking any notifications I may have missed from either of them, but there was nothing. I chewed my lip, feeling the dry skin under my teeth as I gnawed at it nervously.

I figured I should text Harry, just to be sure. He was always a little weird about normal human interactions, maybe he didn't know he was being so aggressive.

I clicked my phone open, my fingers tapping away before sending the text.

"Hey, are you at my door?" I ran my eyes along the text, waiting for a text back that never came.

I shooed Astro further away from the door as I walked closer. The sternness in my demand must have resonated slightly with her because she finally budged. She still lingered close behind, but it made me feel better with her presence somewhere nearby.

Another bang, but louder, sounded. I couldn't tell if I was hearing things, but I could've sworn I heard the wood crack harder behind each hit.

I stood frozen, knowing it was probably in my best interest to not open that door. I had no idea what else to do.

Should I hide?

No, I needed a weapon.

I quickly scanned my eyes to the kitchen that was just to my right. Astro continued to growl as I darted past, quickly opening one of the drawers. I had never protected myself with a kitchen knife before, but there was a first for everything.

Without a chance to think of anything else, all of a sudden, the front door swung open. Bits of wood exploded past me, causing Astro to bark. With one swift motion, I tucked the knife in my waistband and inched into the entrance's walkway.

"Well would you look at who it is. The Aurora, hm?" A deep voice bellowed from the frame, exposing an unfamiliar figure in front of me. I heard snarls come from where Astro stood and she quickly leapt forward, only for this man to raise a finger and cease her movements entirely. She dropped mid-jump onto the floor and it made my heart sink immediately.

"And apparently Aurora's creature." The man said arrogantly with a snicker.

I gasped in horror, moving quickly to her side. Her chest still rose and fell, sending a small wave of relief through my body. I brushed along her fur, looking up at him in disgust.

"Who are you? What did you do to her!" I bit at him.

He didn't respond, only stepped forward with his arms crossed to his chest.

"Fuck you! I'm calling the police!" I exclaimed, averting my attention now towards the cellphone in my hand. Just as I was typing the last digit I needed, it shattered into a million pieces. My head shot up immediately to his, baffled by what just happened. A small stream of yellow smoke drifted from his fingers that had caused Astro's fall.

"I would strongly advise you to stop acting foolish. I can make your creature's heart shatter just like the device in your hand." He stepped closer with each word, an invisible cloud of darkness wrapped around him. It was as if I could feel the energy that he brought into my home, completely consuming me whole.

"What do you want? Who are you?" I quickly rushed out, backing away as he grew closer towards me. I felt the hardness of the counter island hit against my back, no longer allowing me any more distance as he bridged the gap between us. My heart hammered dramatically against my chest as my hand subtly felt against my back as to make sure the knife was still tucked where it originally was. My fingers traced along the material until I found the handle, gripping it tightly.

"Who am I? Who are you?" He bellowed angrily. "Because whoever you are, you have created quite the mess, haven't you?"

My eyebrows twisted in confusion and I tightened my grip on the knife, ready to swing it out at a moment's notice. I couldn't be too quick though, I had to make sure it was the perfect moment. My life depended on it.

"What are you talking about? I haven't done anything!" I yelled out, tears brimming along the bottoms of my eyes. My body was trembling and I couldn't help but keep glancing back at my beloved dog to make sure she was still breathing. Everything this mysterious man said seemed like a threat, but a threat he was absolutely willing to stand by.

His laugh sounded so evil as it reviberated against the walls, hitting me across the face as it echoed back.

"My brother! The light guardian commander!" He bellowed so loudly that the ground beneath me shook. It felt like an earthquake, ready to swallow me down into the Earth's floor with his anger.

"He killed my brother to try and protect you! And now that he's killed who I was in charge of protecting, I'm going to pay back the effort." His lips curled in such an evil twist, causing me to cower at the sight.

His hand fell stiffly to his side, a similar cloud of smoke swirling around his fingertips. He peered up at me through his eyebrows, inching closer and closer to me. It felt like all the air was being forcefully sucked out of my lungs, and I couldn't breathe.

I panicked.

"Stay back!" I yelled out, swinging the knife in front of me. I swayed it back and forth with a slight tremble to it as I nervously stood my ground.

Little flashes of light sparked in his hand's cloud of smoke as another wicked laugh came from the back of his throat.

"Nice try." He said lowly, swinging his free hand in one motion. The knife flew out of my hands as if being directed by his movement and I stood there, completely bare of any form of protection. I was cornered. I was stuck. I was helpless.

I didn't know it was possible, but his expression contorted in an even angrier look as he made quick strides to me. I had never been so close to someone so threatening and it made my knees weak. I could smell him, but it wasn't like any other scent I had ever smelled before. It smelled Earthy, but the fear in my body overshadowed all of my other senses.

I gulped hard as I glared up at him, the counter digging deeper and deeper into my back as I desperately tried to create distance between us. My eyes squeezed shut as I turned my face away from him as he leaned in more. I could feel his breaths against my cheeks as he huffed a breathy laugh.

His hand raised up, the ball of energy growing so bright that it became hard to look at so close to my face. "Any last words, dear Aurora?" He snarled.

I hated the arrogance in his tone. I hated the situation he had me in. And I hated the way he enjoyed how powerless I felt. If I was going to lose, I was going to lose with grace.

I turned my head back towards him, and against all odds, I did have something to say to him.

"Fuck you." I spat back at him, eyes harshly glaring into his.

His dark irises flashed and he looked stunned for the briefest of moments, not expecting me to argue against him. It only lasted enough time to blink before he pulled me up by his free hand, spinning me to the wall on the other side. My back cracked into the drywall, leaving an indention. I couldn't help but cough as small dust particles flew through the room upon impact. He held tightly against my throat, and I felt the oxygen dwindle from my body after each tight breath.

Through blurry vision, I watched his face contort in amusement as he watched me writhe around. Each second felt like hours as he continued to tighten his grip against my throat, and I hit against his hands to free me. No matter the amount of force I was able to put into it, it was nothing compared to the strength this man had.

My hearing started to fade out, as if I was stuck in a tunnel. The blurriness of my vision didn't help to add to this effect as I gasped for air, any air at all. Was this really how I was going to die? At the hands of whoever–or whatever– this guy was?

It was hard to think of anything that made sense. I couldn't say anything else, everything was constricted. It felt like sinking to the bottom of the ocean, clouding everything of me in the process. There was so much pressure welling up inside that I felt like I would combust right then and there. Nothing felt real anymore. I felt like a toy that was being manhandled. In a sense, that was exactly what was happening.

Then, all of a sudden, it stopped. The vastness of black consumed me, but I still heard the clouded noises in the background. I couldn't distinguish what exactly was happening, or what was even happening in the first place. All I knew, or what I gathered I knew, was that I wasn't dead. My body continued to feel weak, but I was beginning to regain feeling in my fingers as I felt along the tiled ground beneath me. Coughs broke out through my throat as the pain radiated from where his hand once laid. I rubbed my hand along my neck, wincing at the touch.

I glanced over to the side as my vision started to steadily go back normal enough to make out figures. Things were happening quickly in front of me near the entryway, but there were two of them. I rubbed at my eyes as I tried to focus more on what was going on.

"You think you can get away with killing my brother!" I heard through my slightly muffled ears. A crash afterwards made me wince as if I felt it against my own body that time. I wasn't sure who was the victim of that blow, but I unfortunately had a good guess who.

Harry.

The same fluffy haired boy that I knew all this time looked like a completely different person as he stood in the distance. He had been knocked down briefly, but shot back up as he flew his body towards the light guardian. Their bodies disappeared behind the wall, and I continued to hear more punches thrown. I desperately hoped that Harry was okay. I had to make sure for myself, though.

Although my legs felt like Jell-O still, I held on to the wall as leverage to get up. I gulped hard as the walls shook against the impact of someone being thrown into it. My hand rubbed against my throat, causing me to wince as I continued to grab on to different objects throughout the room to keep me steady.

The familiar silver object that had just previously flown from my hand caught my eye off to the side. As quickly as my body could manage in the state I was in, I ran to pick it up. I didn't have as much faith in it as I originally had, but it had to be better than nothing. I knew I wasn't going to be much help using my bare hands.

Bam. Crash.

My head shot up instantly, causing my heart to flutter with anxiety. It sounded like something broke. I wasn't worried about the material destruction of what was going on, though. I was only worried about who received the crash of the object that had now scattered the floor. I never pegged Harry for the type to be able to fight, so I would have been lying if I said I wasn't slightly worried.

My chest tightened as I neared closer, gripping the kitchenware so tight in my palm that it almost hurt. I had never killed anything, let alone a person, but I was willing to do whatever I needed to protect myself, Harry, and Astro all at once.

The living room was nearing, which was where the source of the noise was coming from. I heard various shouts bellow out, mixing in with each other. It was hard to distinguish what was being said anymore. The ringing in my ears had greatly subsided, but it hadn't gone completely normal yet. The rush of adrenaline couldn't have been helping either.

A body flew across the room, stopping me in my tracks. It happened so fast that I didn't even have a chance to look at who it was. It was a dark figure in dark clothes, which was what the intruder was wearing, but I wasn't sure what Harry had on.

But, the noises stopped. It was so silent, as if the world itself had stilled in its tracks. I was in the hallway, not allowing me anywhere to go to hide without making some type of noise. I gulped hard, bringing both of my hands in front of me to grip the knife.

I leaned my body against the opposite side of the wall, my armored hand leading the way as I slowly walked. I carefully continued, making sure not to step on any debris that was sprinkled along the floors from the fighting.

"You think you can get me that easily, Harry?" The man sputtered. I stopped edging forward as I attempted to squeeze myself closer into the wall. If I could have let the wall swallow me whole to hide, I would have.

"Killing me or anyone else isn't going to bring him back, Ulysses!" Harry shouted.

I twisted my head in the direction I heard Harry's voice. My heart fell to the ground the second I realized that he was the one that had been thrown. Anger bubbled up inside of me upon realization, like no anger that I had ever experienced before.

I felt like I had to do something, but I had no idea what. He sounded like he needed my help, but how?

Just as I was about to take another step forward to get a better look, I heard someone else's movements begin again.

Maybe if the guardian—Ulysses—would walk in just the right spot where I could get him...

For all he knew, I was still passed out in the kitchen. Maybe he even thought I was dead.

It surprised me when it was Harry who I saw walking past. He had a slight limp to his walk, and he was almost unrecognizable from the blood that had dropped down from his forehead. A black eye had even begun to form. It hurt my heart to see him in that condition.

It only made my anger fester, too. I just hoped the other guy was at least in worse shape.

"You kill me and there's going to be another war. My father will kill all of your men without a second thought. Is that what you want?" Harry yelled with irritation. He continued to inch closer in the other direction. I remained clueless where Ulysses was positioned as he was hidden from my view. I knew he had to be closer to where his voice was coming from.

"If that's what I have to do, then I'll kill you and your precious Aurora a million times over. You must learn not to meddle with things that do not pertain to you!" Ulysses shouted with vigor.

I couldn't help but feel guilty. This seemed to mostly stem from my doing, even though I had no control over it. I still was confused on why I was the subject for all of this. What did I have to do with any of it? What war were they talking about? And who was his dad to make that happen?

There were so many questions—way more than I initially had. So much did I prefer a day or two ago when I was blissfully unaware of everything.

Running.

I heard running, but not from Harry—to Harry. With a loud, bellowing yell, a flash of light began to form in Harry's direction. Almost instinctively, Harry formed a barrier of brightness in front of his body. All within a second, the shield became a ball of energy, shooting out with the intense, forward movement of his hands.

Multiple loud clashes sounded out, busting the entirety of the lightbulbs. They shattered simultaneously, causing fragments of glass to sprinkle down like rain. Harry disappeared from my view, sauntering in the other direction. I caught the briefest of glimpses of him reaching behind his back, but I didn't have to wander what it was for long, because I then heard a series of shots firing.

I dropped my knife from the trembles of my hand no longer able to maintain its earlier grip. Without another thought, I rushed through the hallway and into the living room. My eyes darted to the side as I gaped in horror at the destruction. Everything was unrecognizable.

My eyes were wide as I watched Harry stand over the body. His breathing was harsh, he was switching between heaving through his nose and his mouth. His hand ran over his bloodied mouth slowly as he looked down at the liquid on his shaky hands. I swallowed thickly, using one of my legs to kick myself towards the wall until I hit it with a loud thud. I watched as little specks of yellow dust started to rise from the body. My stomach started to turn as the body slowly dusted away like he wasn't just a solid form before this.

He was dead. I was sure of it.

Harry's dark eyes went from the body to me. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw me with my knees pressed against my chest tightly, and he did a double take. I suppose he had forgotten that I was even on the sidelines of this all.

"Aurora..." My name left his lips before they pressed together tightly, swiftly rushing towards me before dropping to his knees beside me. I felt his hand place onto my shoulder as he slowly pulled me towards him, but he suddenly stopped. He softly looked me over, his expression full of worry as he gazed at my damaged skin.

"Are you okay?" He rushed out, his voice hoarse. "I'm so sorry, Aurora. I'm so so sorry, are you okay?" Harry said as he hands hovered over my body carefully, his eyes scanning all around my skin to find any bruises or cuts.

I nodded, not saying a word. I was in shock. My head was in a dazed state, and my neck was throbbing from being choked to near death. I had almost died, so excuse me if I felt like I didn't know what to say.

Who would?

Harry parted his lips to say something, but quickly pressed them tightly together as he let out a huff.

"Yeah?" He croaked out, taking my hand into his as he scanned over me once more.

I sat there still with my legs pressed tightly to my chest. I watched the blood trickle down the side of his face. That Ulysses guy really got Harry really good. It even looked like it needed stitches.

"I'm so sorry." He repeated again.

Suddenly his arms wrapped tightly around my arms to hug me. I flinched, my eyes pinched shut for a moment, but when I had opened them I saw him pull from me at my hesitation. I blinked hard, batting away the tears that threatened to spill. I let my legs go flat to the ground as I let out a soft cry, shaking my head while I reached out to him.

He let out a gasp when I flung myself into his arms, but he immediately pulled me into his lap. My legs wrapped on either side of his legs as I squeezed around his neck. The heavy feeling in my chest had overflowed to the point where I couldn't hold back the sobs that had been spilling inside of me. Harry held me tightly to him, his nose buried deep into my neck as he took in my scent, and I took in his. Instead, I was inhaling my own tears. His neck was soaked with them as I cried into him. He rubbed my back with his fingertips slowly, humming to me as he rocked me back and forth.

"I–I'm so sorry, Aurora." He sniffled as he held onto me tightly. "I'm so sorry. I will never let them hurt you ever again. I'm here now." He reassured me, but even he was emotional. I heard him letting out small uneasy breaths and even a small choked cry.

We were both in a state of emotional distress.

I held onto him for some time, my sobs slowly dying down until there were no tears left to cry. When he noticed I had calmed down, I felt his hands slither under my thighs and grope them tightly before he steadied himself to his feet and stood up with a loud grunt. His fingers pressed into my arms and legs tightly as he walked us over to the couch and slowly sat us down.

"Wait what about all the noise? Won't the neighbors have heard? Do you think cops are on their way?" I rasped out nervously. I scanned my eyes over to the open doorframe where the door once stood. There was no way no one heard any of this going on.

Harry just smiled shyly. "No, I protected the walls as a sound barrier. Here—" He stopped for a moment as he stood taller, his fingers placed together in front of him. "I'll make them forget." And just like that, his fingers snapped. 

I looked around the room, expecting to feel something shift in the atmosphere. But, there was nothing. 

"I can make you forget if that would ease your worries, too, Aurora." His eyes gazed softly at where I sat, still on the floor. 

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I don't want to forget." 

He smiled tenderly at me, relaxing his hands back to his sides.

The truth was, I did wish I could forget at the same time. Life would have probably been much easier that way. But, if this was going to be my new reality, then I needed to get used to it. I was sure this wouldn't be the first time something like this would happen. Hopefully it would have just as good as an outcome again though—maybe minus all the destruction done to my apartment.

There was a long silence. We hadn't talked in some time, and I now laid on the opposite of the couch while he sat nervously on the other side. His foot was tapping away on the floor while he picked at his nails. I felt bad for him, more than I had even felt bad for myself. We both almost died, yet here I was worrying about him more than I was myself.

I was glad he was okay, though.

My eyes scanned over to Astro that laid still on the ground. My heart started to clench as I let out a soft sniffle. I pushed myself up with my elbow as I looked over at Harry with bloodshot eyes.

"When is Astro going to wake up?" I croaked out. I was drained. Not only that, but I really didn't feel safe sleeping here if Astro wasn't going to be awake.

"What–oh." He immediately looked towards me, then glanced towards Astro. "Those spells only last some hours. She should be awake by tomorrow." He said softly, but confidently.

"Oh." I strained out. I pulled my knees to my chest once again as I stared down at Astro's sleeping body, and it hurt so badly that they did that to her. I knew she was just a dog, but she was my dog—like a kid to me. She was my child. What kind of monster could do that to her?

"He–he said you killed someone–his brother." I whispered out shakily, looking at him out of the corner of my eye before fixing my gaze back on Astro. "W-what happened?"

Harry flinched at the thought. He looked down into his lap as he continued to pick at his nails. He stayed silent for a few moments, before averting his eyes towards me.

"At the planetarium." He began, recalling the murder. "They are light guardians. What you saw, who that was... It was a light guardian. I–I had went to the planetarium and one was there. He tried to kill me, I–" He stopped himself, shaking his head carefully before letting out a shallow breath. "That was his brother, I suppose, but I didn't know. I didn't know he had a brother. All I knew was that it was either me or him–and I refused to die."

I felt uncomfortable with this whole situation, but what was I supposed to do? I didn't want to say Harry was a murderer because he wasn't. It was self-defense, right? Obviously Harry wouldn't be the first one to start a fight. I had to understand, though. I wanted to.

"So, it was self-defense?" I questioned without looking over at him.

"It was." He said shortly.

"What do they want with me?" I asked, blinking the tears away from my bottom lids. "He called me the Aurora. What is so special about me? What do I have to do with your life force? I don't understand anything, I–"

"Oh, Aurora." He frowned as he pulled himself closer to me. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, brushing a hand over my arm before turning my body towards him. "I've made a grave miscalculation. I–my father, he didn't really tell me much about the mission. I thought–I thought you had something to do with our life force, but no. I was terribly wrong."

"What?" I half scowled, peering closely at him. "Then what the fuck just happened? Why did they come after me?"

"Please don't be mad at me, Aurora." He breathed out, placing a hand onto his heart as he frowned. "It's the aurora lights. It's not you. Our life force is the aurora lights. Although, now that they know that you're important to me–I mean, that...you're my friend, they will never leave you alone. Now I must protect you, alongside the aurora lights."

I blushed at the comment, but ultimately I had rolled my eyes at him for the cheesy comment.

"Why are you not healing? Shouldn't you be healing?" I replied, swiftly changing the subject. I placed a hand onto his cut, the blood transferring onto my fingertips before I looked down at it with a frown. He should be healing. He was supernatural in a way, right? Why wasn't he able to heal himself?

"I fear that they have already started the attack on the lights." He said softly, slightly flinching at the touch. "Because of that, I can not heal like I used to. If I don't stop the light guardians soon, I will be too weak to fight. If I am too weak, then my people will die and so will you. Everyone–"

"What?" I hissed harshly. "What are you talking about? I thought they were just after your people?"

"I seem to be discovering more about this mission than I thought I would be." He said soft with a shake of his head. "We are but a small part of their plan. You see, not only are we protectors of the moon, but also the Earth. Without the moon, tides would fall, nights would be darker, and the lengths of days could alter within the blink of an eye. The light guardians hate that the Earth relies on us." He fiddled with his hands nervously, chewing on his lip as he got lost into his own thoughts.

"My mother—" He continued lightly. "When I was home, she told me about the light guardians and how for centuries they've had this vision for a perfect world. Where instead of people worshipping the moon, they worshipped the sun. Many people worship one or the other, not often both."

I blinked hard, trying to wrap my mind around all the information. It was a lot to take in all at once.

"But because of the war, we signed a treaty stating we were equals. That no longer we shall fight, instead we would work together. Father says they never expected it to last long, they were always the ones to start the wars. We want peace—as that is what we symbolize, but Helios didn't want peace. He wanted power. That is what he is after."

"So...?" I tilted my head. "What does that have to do with us?"

"It has everything to do with human kind. Helios watches over the Earth, watching the wars your kind create. The hurt. The betrayal. The lies—he has no faith in human kind, but I do—we do. We believe that there will be peace on Earth one day." Harry frowned, furrowing his brows. "He wants to destroy the world, to start over. Create a perfect world where people are so enamored by the sun that it creates peace on a new world."

"I didn't realize how deep this war between the sun and the moon runs..." I pinched my brows together, trying to wrap my head around everything. "My brain hurts."

"How do you think I feel?" He chuckled lightly. "Humanity is hanging on by a thread, and it's all on me now. This–this is my first mission. I had never been on a mission until now, and my father–" He inhaled sharply, fists clenched by his side as a pained look washed over his face. "My father has failed me. He sent me down here with barely any information and now he expects me to just–save the world?"

"You're not as hopeless as you think you are, Harry." I reassured him with a frown embedded in my cheeks. "Surely your father would understand if you told him, right? Like, with everything going on–I just don't think that a singular..." I paused to give him a once over in slight confusion. "...being, could do this on their own."

"I've told him." He mumbled, shaking his head to himself. "Trust me, I've told him. He gave me no answers. He acted as though I was the one that was wanting out of the mission–like I'm not capable–" He stopped himself mid sentence, waving his head in front of his face before leaning into the sunken couch. "Nevermind that. I don't want to talk about it."

"Harry..." I frowned. I really hadn't known how badly his father had ruined his self-esteem. Part of me was mad that his father could do such a thing. I was starting to realize that Harry did have self-esteem problems in some ways. I just wished he would talk to me about them instead of hiding them away. Eventually it was going to eat away at him.

Just like the night he cried.

"Aurora, really–"

"Harry, you can talk to me about anything. I don't want you to keep all of your problems bundled up. They will eventually make you feel like shit and then you'll get upset again." I said bluntly, scooting myself closer to him as I placed a hand onto his. "Promise me if you have anything eating at you, you would tell me?"

Harry's hand slightly flinched under my touch, but then eased. It was like he was nervous with the way I touched him. To be honest, I enjoyed giving him gentle touches. There was something about being able to reach out and feel him that made me feel more at ease.

"Okay." He said under his breath as his fingers slowly twirled around mine. The pads of his fingertips carefully felt up my skin, his lips parted as he did so before stopping the action all together. "I should go." He said softly, retracting his hand from mine.

"Oh..." I breathed out as he stood from the couch. The sudden feeling of dread washed over me as he started to collect his things. I didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay. Regardless, I think, of the person–I just didn't want to be alone. I was scared, especially with Astro still being in the dazed, sleeping state she was in.

"Harry, wait!" I squeaked as I stood up quickly. He stopped right at the front door, his hands feeling over the chipped wood from where the break in happened. Harry looked back at me with tired eyes, his lips parted to say something.

But the words that left my mouth were a lot quicker.

"Stay here–I–" I gulped, pushing my hair out of my face as I felt my face start to heat up. "With me...Stay, please, I–I have a bed. You can, like, sleep in there with me..."

"A bed?" His cheeks began to heat up just as mine did. It confirmed to me that we were both a little nervous over the offering. "You want me to–sleep in a bed with you?"

"I can put a pillow between us." I rushed out, taking a step towards him. "I don't want to be here alone–not with Astro being asleep. I just–" I choked out, batting away the tears that had suddenly appeared. "I'm really scared."

"Aurora." He frowned as he made long strides towards me, a worried look washed over his face. "Please, do not worry. They will never hurt you again, I promise you this. I–I'll stay..." He whispered out, nodding his head slowly towards me. "Okay? I'll stay."

"Okay." I sniffled, wiping the few fallen tears that had escaped.

I turned on my heel, looking down at the mess that the fight had caused. I mentally told myself I would clean it up tomorrow, but I couldn't stand to be awake anymore. I was emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted for the night. I had hoped that I could sleep it off, but I was afraid that the events may have made me more scared than before.

I shook off the feeling and led Harry into my room. I had never let anybody in my room. This was my safe space. Even having one night stands, they were always at someone else's house or on my couch. Never in my room. I felt a little scared having someone else in my room, but I trusted Harry. I wanted him to trust me too. I was putting an awful lot of faith into him by bringing him in here.

I flipped the light switch on, fairy lights immediately lighting up the room instead of the overhead light. I wasn't ever a fan of overhead lights. They were a headache. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry take a step back at the sudden soft light that engulfed my room. I chuckled out, taking a step in before shuffling through my drawers to find Harry something to sleep in for the night.

Harry stood behind me, his arms crossed over his chest as he ran his eyes all along the room. Slowly. He was really taking in everything. I suppose I had decorated my room a lot more than I had decorated anything else in the entire house. My walls had paintings hanging on them. Some varied different artists, but all of them were consistent with nature. There was a light green tapestry on the wall that had a constellation map on it, and Harry stared contently at it as I continued to find pajamas for him.

"Your room..." He breathed out as he turned to my bedside table that had a cluster of amethyst sitting atop, along with a small journal for my thoughts and a bedside lamp. "It's beautiful."

"Thanks." I smiled to myself as I finally pulled out some pajamas for him. Closing the drawer with my hip, I walked over to him and outstretched my hand that held the clothes. "Here. You can sleep in these tonight."

"What's this?" He questioned, taking the soft fabric into his hands as looked down at them as if he had never seen sweatpants in this life.

"You sleep in these." I said with a chuckle. "Do you not?"

"I sleep..." He breathed out, looking back to the doorway as a rose color spread on his cheeks. "I did not realize you must sleep with clothes on."

"It's not a rule." I told him. "But since you are sleeping here, you have to. I don't want you naked in my bed!" I joked, nudging his arm with my elbow.

"Aurora!" He said in shock, a half chuckle leaving his lips as he stared down at me with furrowed brows. Almost in confusion. "I would–I would never do that–I...You–I–" He stuttered out through a smile as he clutched the clothes into his hand.

"Go get changed." I nudged him, rolling my eyes. It was a little fun to play with him like this. I felt bad because I knew he meant well, but watching him get flustered like that was mildly entertaining given the ordeal we had both been through.

He nodded, rolling his eyes back at me before he left the room and closed the door behind him. I took the opportunity to get changed into my own set while he was in the bathroom too. I usually just slept in shorts and a shirt, it was more comfortable that way.

After I had gotten dressed, I slid under the fluffy white blanket with ease. I could already feel my body start to relax as I sunk into the bed. It made the stress of the night slowly wisp away, but not as fast as I wanted it to. I was just glad that Harry had showed up when I had texted him. It was like he knew something was wrong.

Harry slowly stepped into the room again, his hair in a messy mop from the night. The sweatpants fit him perfectly. They hugged his tiny waist and the shirt I had given him was a bit baggy, but he looked comfortable.

"I've never worn these before." He breathed out, feeling the fabric of the pants once more. "They are so comfortable, Aurora. Thank you." He said softly.

"Great, glad to hear." I mumbled tiredly with a smile. "Come on, let's go to bed."

He stood there, staring over the bed slowly before fixating his eyes back on me. His fingers started to pick at his nails. It looked as though he was assessing how to even crawl into the covers with me.

"Just get in!" I chuckled.

"Right." He breathed out.

Harry started at the end of the bed, then crawled his way next to me, but left a great distance between the both of us. It was queen sized, which was enough for the two of us so I wasn't so much worried about space, but I still wanted him to be comfortable. He crossed his arms, pulling his knees to his chest as he faced towards the wall. He sat there, silently, his hands running along the sweatpants. I didn't realize he would have been this nervous to be in the same bed as me. Either that or he was still messed up about the fight earlier.

"I'm gonna turn the lights off so we can sleep." I told him. He just glanced out of the corner of his eye towards me and nodded his head once. "Harry, you can lay down, you know?" I frowned.

"Y-Yes, I know that." He breathed out, slowly shifting his body towards me before he eventually eased down under the blankets. "Goodnight, Aurora." He whispered out as he laid on his back, slowly fluttering his eyes closed.

I clicked the lights off, then eased down into the bed. It felt weird having someone in my bed with me, but I was glad that it was Harry and not some random frat guy from college. He made me feel safe. Even if I did have conflicting feelings about him killing those...beings from earlier.

"Goodnight, Harry." I whispered out.

Harry's breath was soft from beside me. I felt his legs rustle from underneath the covers, and his hands slowly fiddled with the blanket before falling to his sides. There was a swelling in my chest, my heart thumping along with it. Just having him lay next to me, alone, had my head spinning. I felt silly for being so nervous, but after tonight I thought that it was just me being riled up in general.

"Harry?" I breathed out softly. I was silent, as if if anybody heard us, we would get in trouble for staying up so late.

"Y-Yes?" He croaked, then gulping the saliva down.

I rolled my head to look towards him, and his facial features were blurred, but still the moonlight had shone on half of his face from the window. He rolled his head towards me, looking me over as he parted his lips. The green in his eyes were so bright, even in the darkness. His prominent features were still so vivid to see.

He really was beautiful.

I inhaled shakily as I let my hand drop to my side, grazing his hand carefully. He stilled, pulling the bottom of his lip into his mouth as my fingertips grazed his fingers carefully. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest, loudly. So loud that I thought even he could have heard it. My pinky twitched, my eyes starting to flutter closed. With each bat of my eye, I saw him gazing at me until my eyes finally sealed together. I wrapped my pinky around his loosely. He had no movement at first, but then after a few moments his pinky locked with mine at the same tension.

"Thank you." I mumbled tiredly.