#pauwrites

The physician Emersyn had been spying on stops humming which makes her focus on him once more. He’s putting on green cloth gloves and taking the cauldron out of the fire, setting it aside and extinguishing the flames with a bucket of water. As he puts the bucket back by the barrel of water next to the door, there’s a knock. “Lyon? His Royal Highness is calling for you.”

“I’ll be right there.” Lyon says to the guard who had stepped inside the room, making Emersyn duck her head just enough to see but still avoid being seen.

The guard nods and stands by the door as Lyon stirs the potion a couple of times and adds some herbs. “That should do it. Let’s go, it needs to rest for two hours anyways.” Lyon opens the door and the guard follows, closing the door behind him and giving Emersyn the chance, she was hoping for.

She waits a couple of minutes before climbing in through the window, quiet as a mouse and her steps careful around the many cauldrons the physician has lying around as well as the jars on the shelves. She moves towards the yellow vials, reaching for one but noticing they aren’t sealed, so she walks to a nearby desk to look for cork stoppers. “Seriously Lyon, organize your desk.” Emersyn mutters to herself, opening drawers, moving papers and opening boxes to find what she was looking for. “Aha!”

In the last drawer there’s a clear jar full of cork stoppers, so maybe Lyon wasn’t that disorganized. She takes 8 vials, sealing them shut and double checking they won’t leak on her way back before carefully placing them in her backpack. Bells ring outside, from the chapel probably, and startle Emersyn who takes a step back and knocks down an empty cauldron. She turns around and is glad that the cauldron barely made any noise, that is until it starts to roll away towards a shelf full jars with ingredients. Emersyn flinches as five jars fall to the floor and break making a racket, then the door bursts open. With a deep breath, Emersyn turns towards the guards by the door and smiles.

“Good morning, boys.” She crosses her arms behind her back.

“Let us see your hands, thief! Return whatever it is you stole, immediately!” The guard on the right demands, pointing his sword towards her. He’s tall and blond, his eyes are dark brown and determined. The guard by his side though, looks like he’s about to pass out by the nervous look in his eyes.

Emersyn puts her hands up, leaving them close to her bow and arrows. “Come on, no need to make a scene. It’s such a nice day outside.”

“We don’t care, now, put t-that bow on the floor and h-hand over the backpack.” The nervous guard manages to get out which makes the thief smile.

“No can do, boys. Like I said, the weather is lovely outside, so I might just enjoy the outdoors.” Emersyn takes her bow and arrow, shooting one at the tall ceiling in the physician’s office, just above the window. There’s a rope tied at the end of it which she uses to climb towards the window, at a speed that’s helped her escape in many occasions. How her arrows hold her weight? Emersyn doesn’t know, an old lady in her village says they’re probably cursed but Emersyn doesn’t mind if it gets her out of situations like these.

“Stop that thief!” She hears the guards yell but pays them no mind as she climbs out of the window and uses two arrows to climb towards the roof. The red roof tiles have lost some of their color from the sun and crack slightly as Emersyn steps on them and starts to run.

The kingdom’s alarm goes off and she hears guards start to follow her. Turning her head to look back, she sees that there was a door near a watch tower which the guards had used to get on the roof. “Where was that door when I needed it?” She rolls her eyes and picks up the pace, scanning her surroundings, thinking about her next move. To her left the roof forms an L shape but there is another watchtower with a door. Emersyn assumes more guards will come out of it any moment now, so the left side is not an option. She looks straight ahead and smiles as she spots a tall tree. It would be a big jump, she thinks, but I might make it. Grabbing the arrow and the rope, Emersyn takes aim as she nears the end of the roof jumping as far from it as she can manage before shooting her arrow at the tree she had spotted. She holds on tightly to the rope, yelling at the strain of being pulled by it and cursing at the splinters she’s getting from the trees branches as she sinks halfway on them.

“Follow her!” The same blond guard from before yells after her. “Now!”

“Good luck.” Emersyn smirks, climbing down the tree and starting to run west.

She’s weaving through the trees left and right to use them as cover, and she manages to get a little more than a mile between her and her pursuers before she hears the distant sound of horses galloping behind her. She scans her surroundings, the river still flows on her far right, so she makes so sure to avoid it in case the guards decided to chase her using their boats as well. Instead, Emersyn decides to move closer to the mountains knowing the high ground will give her an advantage against the guards and their horses. Just as she finds a path towards the uneven rocks at the base of the mountain though, a low growling reaches her ears, this sound closer than the horses in her pursuit.

“No, not them again.” Emersyn mutters, picking up her pace knowing that the other party chasing her were much faster than horses.

Here’s the thing, ever since Emersyn had to fend for herself on her own, some strange creatures stared chasing her. They had the body of wolves and the head of a lion, their fur was grey and green and their fangs looked incredibly sharp. Most importantly, they always managed to find Emersyn no matter where she went. They could lose her trail for a couple of days before they were on her tail once more. Lately though, they were getting even better at finding her, managing to do so in at least a day and sometimes in less than twelve hours.

A glance backwards confirms her fears and she forces herself to run even faster when the creatures jump over some hedges and get close to her. Emersyn is breathless but she has to get to those rocks and try to get away, she also doesn’t want to shoot any arrows at them because they look like huge kittens and she doesn’t want to hurt them. The creatures, however, seem to have no qualms about hurting her. Once Emersyn gets close enough to the rocks at the base of the mountain, she decides to shoot an arrow as high up as she can with the rope attached to it so she can use it as support to climb. The creatures catch up though and are fast enough to jump on the rocks leading up to where she’s hanging in the air. Emersyn stops mid climb and swings towards a nearby pine tree, knowing that it would be harder for the creatures to follow her that way. She curses at the splinters she gets on her fingers but wastes no time while climbing higher up, the creatures growling and jumping below her as they try to reach her. Trying to come up with a plan as fast as possible, Emersyn scans her surroundings and smiles when she spots a path up a very steep and rocky hill to her right. Taking a deep breath, she takes another arrow and shoots it towards the path. She makes sure the arrow is secure and she ties the end of yet another rope on a branch before using her backpack to get from the tree to the mountain once more, grunting when the rope gives out and she almost falls down towards the creatures. Taking the arrow and the rope with her, she starts to climb up the steep path thankful for the creatures not being able to reach it. One glance back makes her unaware of a downward slope at the top of the path and she slips towards a dark cave, which’s dark tunnel leads out to the middle of two big mountains.

There is a tall tower next to a lake and surrounded by several apple and orange tress. The tower is grey, with vines and wildflowers growing on the bottom and slowly making their way towards the top. Its roof is light blue and easily lost in the color of the sky and several golden details around the windows look like they have faded throughout the years. Emersyn hears the creatures snarl again in the distance and that is enough to get her running once more. She makes her way to the tower, grabbing onto the vines to climb and reach the open window on the easter side of the tower. There is a faint smell of roasted vegetables in the air as Emersyn gets closer to it before gracefully jumping in. She turns around and glances out of the window to see if she had been followed but there is no one out there except for her, and a beautiful view. Emersyn can see hints of the sea to her left beyond the mountain, the sun which is starting to get lower, gleams on the water like diamonds. Emersyn has little time to appreciate the view though, because suddenly there is a sharp pain on the side of her head, and everything turns into darkness.

--

Four voices speak up from their place in the tower’s kitchen.

“Is she the one that matches your heart Harrison?” That is Jeffrey the pitcher, his tone is excited as he sees the only other person he’s ever encountered since his time in the tower.

“Will she get you out of here?” Daria the oven speaks up next, the oven door squeaking the tiniest bit as it moves with each word.

“But he doesn’t know how to control his powers yet! He never uses them.” The grumpy voice of the clock, Martin, matches its reprimand towards the prince. Although he is fairly annoying with its need to follow rules, he has taught many life lessons to the prince as grew up during the last few years.

“Hush!” Stephen, the stool that is usually by the window, interrupts Martin before he can lecture the prince further, getting them all back to the matter at hand. “Harrison, why did you hit her?!”

“I panicked okay!” The prince says. “It’s been 6 years since I’ve seen another human and I am paranoid.”

Harrison had hit the girl that jumped through his window with a pot. Guilt fills his heart, but she had startled him and seeing as he had been making dinner, the pot was the closest object he could use to defend himself. His friends though, are more interested in knowing if she is the person his fairy godmother had said would rescue him, than on the fright she had given him. The prince had been humming to himself as he put more vegetables into his stew, the cozy atmosphere of the kitchen keeping him at ease and more cheered up than he usually is. It had taken him months before getting used to living in the tower and making the place feel like a home, but deep down he knows nothing will compare to the warmth and love that has filled his kingdom.

The prince gently moves the girl so sits on a chair, he also puts her backpack as well as her bow and arrow out of reach from her so that she doesn’t put an arrow through him when she wakes up. He keeps the pot on one hand as the other moves the hair that had fallen over her unconscious face away from her eyes and- “Wow.” Harrison breathes out. The prince is sure he has never seen someone so beautiful.

He feels a nudge on his leg as his dog Chip sits on his side also assessing the intruder. The chocolate Labrador nudes his leg again, as if urging him to wake her up but Harrison pays him no mind. He isn’t sure what to say when she does wake, or what she’ll do when she figures out she knocked her out with a pot.

“She’s beautiful.” Stephen says, to which the rest of Harrison’s friends agree.

The prince nods in a daze as his eyes scan the intruder’s face. She has thick dark waves, her skinned is beautifully tanned and kind of freckly, he assumes she spends a lot of time in the sun. There is a line that’s starting to form between her eyebrows, like she furrows them a lot and her eyelashes are both long and dark and fan out above her cheeks. Just as the prince leans closer to her face, the girl wakes up with a start which startles him and makes him drop the pot while his hands catch fire for a second.

Harrison’s mind short-circuits for a moment. Purple eyes. She has purple eyes, and now she’s speaking, what is she saying?

She is furrowing her eyebrows at him. Harrison makes a mental note that he was right before about that as tilts her head in a questioning manner. Her gaze shifts from him to his hands. “Wow you must have hit me really hard on the head or did your hands really just catch fire?” She shakes her head soon after her question and scans her surrounding as she stands up. “You know what? I don’t have time for that. Thank you for hitting me in the head with your pot but I have something very important to do.”

She’s wearing dark green pants, a long shirt black and a wide brown belt that has small pockets here and there. Her clothes are mended in several places and her black boots are covered in so much mud they are practically brown. There are scrapes on her hands as well as multiple cuts and splinters, but Harrison can’t stare any longer because she’s side stepping him and heading for the kitchen.

He sees her spot her backpack where he had place it before, on the floor by the kitchen table and near Clemence to look after. “No, you can’t leave!” Harrison says trying to stop her, running to stand in front of the window.  “You have to help me.”

She looks over her shoulder at the prince, an amused smile appearing on her face before she speaks. “Not off to a good start with the whole asking for help thing. You did hit me in the head. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” As she reaches out for her backpack and arrows, Chip grabs them both and runs to the other side of the room. Daria then moves to stand in front of the open window to the right of the intruder.

“We can’t excuse you just yet, not until you’ve agreed to help him.” The oven says in its calm voice, trying to keep any conflict form escalating and hoping to convince the girl.

The intruder is confused for a second, but she shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. “Surprisingly that’s not the strangest thing that’s happened to me,” She looks at Harrison. “Please tell the oven to move.”

“Her name is Daria.” The prince says approaching her.

The girl sighs in exasperation, rolling her eyes. “Okay Daria please move, I really need to get going, and dog give me back my backpack.” Her eyes land on Chip who is lounging comfortably on her belongings. Chip merely tilts his head at her in question, starting a staring contest of his own until Harrison speaks up once more and takes the stranger’s gaze away from his dog.

“His name is Chip, and I’m Harrison.” He extends his hand out at the girl for her to shake but she only nods in greeting and doesn’t disclose her name. His heartbeat picks up and there’s a feeling of dread swirling in his stomach. This is his only chance of getting out of the tower, of seeing his family again. He feels his eyes water at the thought of them, are they doing alright? Are they safe? And do they miss him just as much as he misses them?

“Please just hear me out, it’s kind of a long story but I’ll keep it short.” Harrison takes a step towards the stranger, knowing nothing about them but not caring. He feels something deep within him and it makes him trust her, he knows she’s who his fairy godmother meant when she told him someone would rescue him. This intruder with purple eyes might be his only hope.

Something changes in those purple eyes when she scans his face and her features soften the slightest bit. Her foot taps impatiently on the floor and she looks around as if assessing her options before huffing and nodding, She walks back to the chair where she was previously sitting and crosses her arms across her chest. “You’ve got 5 minutes.”

——

Not that people aren’t nice, they are, well most of them. However, that doesn’t make them any less nosy or gets rid the river of gossip that inevitably flows when something different from the routine happens. You expected it going in, if word got around in Cambridge then it would certainly get around in Dewitt. Therefore you kept quiet about any personal details or stories, to them you were the psychology professor that owns the bookshop/café in Harold street. You drive up to Cambridge twice a week to lecture your students and Skype any of them who need office hours. During the summers you give online classes and put pastel blue tables outside your store for people to read or talk. To everyone there you were the nice young lady who makes some really nice coffee, who is always smiling and who tutors whoever needs help in science or English lit. Gossip is a plague though, one that no one can escape so that’s how find out a detective has moved into town. Richard Mensen has gone missing and it’s been a week since his family, or anyone else saw him. The local authorities haven’t gotten anywhere so they sent someone else to help.

You walk to the entrance of the bookstore and glance at the police station as a man steps out of a car and walks inside. Harrison Osterfield, the detective from London who you can tell already walks with a massive weight on his shoulders.

-----

Everyone is looking, there are cameras and reporters and Harrison just wants to go home. Eight and a half months after arriving to Dewitt, the case was finally solved. Richard Mensen was dead, that they discovered three weeks after arriving. The next eight months that followed were about finding out who did it, why they’d done it and convicting them for ruining a family’s life. They were also full of judgement, Harrison should be used to it by now, but he’s not. His palms sweat and his heart beats too fast under the attention of everyone in the town, every look of disappointment they had sent his way for taking so long.

You do it, Harrison wanted to say, go and solve it if it’s that easy. He puts on a neutral face, his mask, and tries not to give away how terrified he is of fucking up someone else’s life because of his shortcomings. He hasn’t so far, but he lived in fear of it happening. It’s brought him sleepless nights trying to figure cases out, cost him relationships and his confidence. He is sure of one thing though, they got the right guy convicted and now he can go to his little house in the outskirts of town and sleep for ten days.

“The case has been closed, the killer was sentenced to life in prison around thirty minutes ago. We kindly request the press to let the affected family rest and finally deal with their grief at this time. The people of Dewitt can be in peace now, we consider this case to be an anomaly in the otherwise safe community they live in. That’s all I have to say.”

Harrison steps aside and leaves the reporters standing outside of the station as he takes off his tie and shoves it in the pocket of his navy blue suit. The cool spring breeze pushes his hair back as he walks along the sidewalk by the many stores in Harold street. He takes a deep breath, feeling the tension leave his shoulders and smelling freshly ground coffee. Your bookshop is right ahead, the red flowers by the window blooming beautifully under the spring sun and contrasting with the pale yellow of the storefront. Harrison checks his watch, 2:30pm, it’s a bit too late for a coffee but he didn’t drink his usual one this morning and he’d be dammed if he doesn’t take this excuse to see you.

You’re sitting on a table by a bookshelf when he steps into the shop, there’s some papers in front of you, a cup of tea far away from them and what looks like a blueberry muffin by your right hand. You’re focused on what’s in front of you while you take a piece of the muffin with a fork and bring it to your mouth. Setting down the fork, you chew on the pastry as you grab a pen and scribble something on one of the papers. It’s only when someone clears their throat behind him that he realizes he’s been leaning on the doorway and staring at you for more than a couple of minutes.

His ears feel like they’re burning when he steps into the shop to let the other person in. He mumbles a quick sorry and walks towards the register where the drink menu was displayed.

“Detective Osterfield.” You smile, standing up when you notice him come into the bookshop. “How was court?”

“Please, Y/N, call me Harrison.” He feels himself smile as he shakes his head. “Court went well, he got a sentence and the case is close.”

“That’s good. I bet you’re looking forward to rest for a while.” You walk around the register and move to the expresso machine. “Your usual?”

“No, umm, if I drink coffee right now I won’t sleep and I really need a nap.” He scratches the back of his neck. Why is he always so nervous, he’s seen crime scenes and blood but he can’t talk to you without feeling like a teenager. “But maybe one of those chocolate cookies you’ve got there.”

“Oh! I’m sorry if I’m keeping you then, let me get that cookie for you.” You push your hair behind your ear as you grab a small paper bag and use a napkin to pick a cookie from the jar. “Here you go.”

Harrison can’t help but return the smile you give him and moves to take his wallet from his jacket. “No, you’re fine don’t worry. How much to I owe you?”

“Oh, forget about that.” You chuckle, smoothing the white blouse you are wearing. “Take it as a thank you for making our town safer.”

Harrison’s ears burn once more, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” You shrug, suddenly looking shy. “Are you, umm, staying in Dewitt? With the case being closed and all?”

Harrison hadn’t even thought about leaving, this town had become part of his routine and he dared say he’s grown fond of it. Not to mention he’d grown fond you. “Yeah, I’m staying.”

“Good, great that’s nice.” You smile. “Would you like to take a walk down to the beach someday? It’s okay if you say no, don’t feel like you have to say yes because of the cookie, it’s not a bribe or anything I just-“

“Y/N.” Harrison stops your rambling stepping towards you. His heart is beating a mile a minute, you just asked him out. The broody shitty detective that takes eight months to figure out a case. He’s the luckiest shitty detective there is. “I’d love that.” He says, taking your hand.

“Really?” You smile, his eyes meet yours and he’s surprised to see his own. Eyes that smile but not all the way, eyes that are hiding something painful that’s locked away in your heart.

“Yeah.” He smiles back, squeezing your hand with his before stepping back. “We can go whenever you want, just let me know.”

Let me get to know you, he thinks. And when you nod your head and smile at him again he is almost certain that you will. It could take time, but he’s willing to wait until the moment you decide you will.

----

Let me know your thoughts! ✨

You squint your eyes at the sun and take a deep breath, then a gentle squeeze on your hand brings you back to the present. “This reminds me of my grandparents.” You smile at the sea before looking to your right and meeting Harrison’s gaze.

The detective looks so different than how he did eight month before. His shoulders don’t look so tense, his face is relaxed and there’s an easy smile on his lips. He looks content just by standing there staring at the ocean with a cream colored sweater and jeans; a stark contrast to his usual button downs and suit jackets. You like seeing him like this, projecting his soft character out to the world, something he’d only done some mornings when talking to you at the bookshop.

---

The bell on top of the main door rings as someone steps into the bookshop. It isn’t normal for you to close the door, but it was a chilly October morning and there’s nothing worse than your coffee growing cold right after it’s served. You look up from the book you had been reading behind the counter and smile when you noticed Harrison was sitting down by the window.  The smile only lasts for a few seconds though and soon changes into a frown when you notice his demeanor. You can practically see the stress coming from him and that is enough for you to move towards the expresso machine and start making his usual coffee. A latte with no sugar but some cinnamon on top, unlike the rest of the officers who routinely ordered americanos. ‘Too bitter,’ Harrison had said when you pointed it out once.

The coffee is ready a few minutes later and you make your way to his table also carrying a plate with a ham and cheese flatbread you had toasted for him. He’s resting his elbows on the table when you reach him, his hands are in his hair and his eyes are closed. “Good morning.” You say, placing the plate and mug in front of him.

You take a sit across from him, there weren’t many customers in the shop and everyone already had their order. Besides, Harrison looked like he needed to talk to someone.

“You look stressed.” You tilt your head to your right, frowning slightly at the dark circles under his eyes. “And like you haven’t eaten in two days.” Your eyes move down to the flatbread in front of him, a silent way of saying ‘eat.’

“You shouldn’t have bothered.” Harrison finally speaks up, getting rid of his initial shock of you probably reading his mind and getting his order for him without asking first.

“I won’t hear any of it. Go on, the best detective in town needs food to think.”

Harrison opens and closes his mouth, pausing for a second to debate what he’s going to say next but settles with shaking his head. “Is it really that bad?”

“You want me to be honest?” You lean your chin on the palm of your hand and smile when Harrison nods. He picks up the sandwich and takes a bite, it gives a satisfying crunch and the detective sighs at the taste.

“You look like you could use a whole week of sleep and a month of yoga for how stressed you look, detective.” A chuckle leaves your lips when he rolls his eyes.

“Please, YN, call me Harrison.” Harrison shakes his head, covering his mouth with his hand as he chews. After a few seconds he swallows and wipes his mouth with the napkin next to his plate. He leans forward and lowers his voice to speak again. “We haven’t gotten any new leads in a while, and the evidence so far is only circumstantial. It’s taken a toll on all of us.”

You nod your head in understanding before voicing your worries to him. “It’s good that you’re taking a break then. You can’t let the case drain you Harrison, it won’t do you or anyone any good.”

“I just need to solve this case, Y/N, that family is depending on us, on me to get answers. I can’t imagine their despair, and how much worse it would be if whoever did it gets away with it.” He shakes his head, putting the sandwich down again and picking up his coffee.

Your breath catches in your throat for a second. The worst case scenario he is trying to prevent is something you had already lived. Seeing it now from an outside perspective, having first-hand experience of that unbearable pain, you understand Harrison’s urgency to bring this family some peace of mind. You constantly wish you knew who did that to your brother and you don’t wish that pain upon anyone. Well, anyone except for the person who did it. That bastard’s the only one who deserves it.

Harrison sighs at the delicious coffee smell, his shoulders relaxing the tiniest bit and his features softening. He takes another sip of the coffee before speaking again, “This is really good. As always.” He smiles slightly, though his eyes still look a bit lost when they meet yours. His smile is enough to push the bitter thought to the back of your mind.

“I wish more people in the world could be like you.” You smile, shaking your head a bit. Your heart bursts with fondness towards the detective in front of you. You’re in awe of his selflessness when it comes to helping others, his determination and his strength. A lot of people might have given up at this point so it is reassuring to know how resilient Harrison is when it comes to this case. To know there are people who care enough to pull all nighters so they can try to help others. If only they had assigned your brother’s case a detective like that.

Harrisons eyebrows furrow at your words so you decide to elaborate. “Someone who genuinely cares about others’ wellbeing. I can tell how much this case means to you.”

He nods his head and for a brief moment, his face sheds the mask he wears all day long as a detective. It softens and his smile is more genuine than it had ever been, though it looks a bit broken like there’s something else stressing him out than just this case. “Thank you, for everything Y/N. Although, you’re giving me too much credit. You care about others’ wellbeing too. This is being an example.” He gestures towards his now empty plate and half drank coffee cup.

‘Are you feeling better?” You ask, resting your chin on your palm. Your ears feel like they’re on fire at his compliment. I care about you.

The detective nods his head. “Much better, and not only because of the food.”

You laugh softly, looking down. Gosh you really like him. “I’m glad.”

----

“It does?” He tilts his head to the right, a subtle invitation to elaborate if you wished to do so.

“Mhm, they lived in Maine. My grandfather had a lobster fishing business and my grandma did all the selling for him.” You move your gaze back to the ocean. “My brother and I used to wait with my grandma at the beach for him to come back every morning.”

“Was this in the summer?” Harrison asks, his voice is soft. It’s as if he doesn’t want to disturb the memory you’re replaying in your mind. You nod your head and he squeezes your hand again. “It must have been nice.”

“It was.” You nod your head again and smile at him. It’s one of the memories that brings you joy, which is unusual considering all memories you brother in it make your heart ache. “This is a good look on you, you know.”

Harrison chuckles, looking down at his clothes. “Don’t miss my suit and tie?”

“I don’t mean the clothes specifically.” You shake your head at him. “It’s not very often I see you this relaxed. I like it.”

The detective takes a deep breath and basks in the sun for a few seconds before meeting your gaze once more. “There’s no case urging me to solve it at the moment, that’s probably why.”

“Even if you had a case to solve right now, you deserve little breaks you know.” You tug at his hand and continue walking along the shore. Your shoes are on your right hand and your feet are cold as they leave their prints on the sand, it’s lovely.

“Not working… it leaves you alone with your thoughts.” Harrison’s voice is quiet again, like he doesn’t want you to hear it. But you do and you understand what he means. “I don’t like that.”

“I get that.” You say looking down at the sand. “I used to be afraid of having any free time because that meant I had time to think about things I’d rather pretend didn’t happen.”

Neither of you speak for a minute or so before you take a deep breath and look at Harrison. He was already looking at you which brings you face to face with worried blue eyes. “That time you asked me questions for the case and I told you there was a death in my family and that’s why I moved here… It was my brother. Bryan.”

Harrison opens his mouth to say something but you shake your head. You trust him and for some reason you think he’s the only person in this whole town that you can talk to. Really talk to. If this thing between the two of you is going somewhere, he needs to know, so he can choose if he wants to back out while he can. “Someone killed him, they found him at the soccer field after practice. They, umm, they never caught the person who did it and closed the case. My family was known among a lot of people so everyone found out. I fled and came here the moment I finished grad school. Fresh start.” You feel Harrison’s hand slip out of yours and before your heart can despair he puts his arm around your shoulders and brings you closer to his side. “So, I know what it’s like to be alone with your thoughts. I used to be afraid of falling back into grieving my brother but things like this bring you joy and eventually make all sad thoughts go away.”

The breeze.

It might not solve things like your grandma said but it helps.

You hear Harrison take a deep breath and you look up at him again to see worry in his eyes. “I’m alright though, I think I’m getting better at handling it. But not knowing… it doesn’t help with the pain. I think that’s why my mom left Cambridge too, to avoid the uncertainty coming from everywhere she looked.” You shrug your shoulders and let out a long breath, feeling a heavy weight lift from your chest. Not all of the pent up pain, but still enough to let you breathe more easily than before. It is only then when you realize how much you needed to talk to someone about it, needed someone to know. Someone finally knows I’m not all smiles as the town believes.

You realize Harrison’s been quiet for a while, so you look up at him again to try to reassure him. There’s a tightness around in his eyes and his jaw is clenched while he looks at the ground. “Hey, don’t be so worried I’ll be fine.”

“Let’s have a seat over here.” He says quietly, and clearing his throat. He avoids your eyes and looks at the sea instead, his hair is being pushed back by the wind and his eyes still squinted at the sun. It almost looks like he’s in pain. You nod, feeling anxious at his change of demeanor all of a sudden but settle down on the sand anyways, tugging on his hand so he can sit too.

Harrison sighs, letting go of your hand as he starts fiddling with his fingers instead. He opens his mouth as if to say something but he stops himself before he can speak. This happens three times before you get so worried you have to say something. “Harrison please say something, it’s me you’re worrying now.”

He nods, still not looking at you and clearing his throat again. “About 3 years ago I was an assistant DI for a case, a woman had been murdered and it was one mess of a case. Our leads were dead ends and after a year the detective in charge of the case closed it. He didn’t keep trying to solve it and left this family with unimaginable grief in their hearts. I felt so disappointed in our team, my worst fear had come true, I wasn’t enough and let people down. We failed them and a killer stayed on the loose. I begged our superiors to let me finish working the case but it didn’t work.”

He swallows loudly, like it it’s hard to do so. The way it is when you’ve got a knot in your throat that hurts whenever you speak.  “The look on their face still haunts me. They were so disappointed, they cried and asked us over and over again to open the case. I work so hard on cases now because I want to be a better detective than I was three years ago. I want to prove myself that I’m not the poor excuse of a detective I think I am… and yet it took me eight months to solve this case.”

“But you solved it.” You speak up, not wanting to hear him talk himself down like this anymore. You’re shaking your head, you know firsthand how much having a case closed and not getting the answers you need can hurt. But it wasn’t Harrison that closed it, he tried to get it open again, and solve it for that family. The fact that he tried shows the kind of person he is, what an honorable detective he’s always been even before you knew him.

“I almost didn’t… I’m what has caused you so much pain, Y/N. A pathetic detective that get cases solved by sheer luck. One that didn’t solve that murder case and couldn’t give that family any answers.”

“It’s not luck! I’ve seen you work, I’ve even been interrogated by you and your team so I know firsthand your thought process and your quick way of thinking, your perseverance and your kindness. All of that combined makes you better than any other detective in all of England. You haven’t caused me any pain, you know who did? The person that killed my brother and broke my family. It wasn’t you!”

You both stay silent for a minute, your eyebrows furrowed in anger and pain. It hurt you to know that this is how Harrison thinks of himself, when he is nothing other than wonderful. We all have insecurities, but the proof of his abilities is right in front of his eyes yet he fails to see how many people he helps. Then there’s the fact that he thinks you’d change your opinion of him because he couldn’t solve a case years ago because his superiors closed it and somehow blames himself for your pain ever since your brother died.

“Is this your way of saying that this won’t happen?” You gesture between you two, your hand cold now that Harrison isn’t holding it. “Because I want it to happen, I want to give us a shot. I’ve denied myself from being happy for so long and when I’m with you I feel all the happiness I thought I’d never feel again.” Your eyes stay staring at the horizon, your heart is hurting and you’re willing the pain to leave with the breeze. Go to the ocean, leave me alone.

“I want it to happen too.” Harrison speaks up, you see him shake his head from the corner of your eye. “I fell for you months ago and I’ve wanted to hold your hand ever since. I just… You can do so much better.”

You turn your body to face him, your eyebrows still furrowed and all your emotions probably showing in your eyes. “Don’t put me in a pedestal, Harrison.” Your hands reach for his face, letting his eyes linger on yours. “I’m far from perfect and so are you but we can’t let the past keep haunting us. I know problems don’t just fly away, but I think we’re both done with facing them alone.”

Harrison closes his eyes, his face falling as your words sink in. He’s so lonely, he’s terrified of not being alone anymore. If only he knew I’m just as scared. You feel tears come to your eyes, why are the kindest and most selfless people the ones who get hurt the most? You press your forehead against his and take a deep breath to keep yourself from crying. It’s quiet again, except for the crashing of the waves and the eventual cries of some seagulls. The sun shines brightly above the two of you, you can feel the heat on your skin and the salty breezy surrounds the two of you again. It’s trying to take all this sadness away and leave us with the happiness and love I feel for you instead, you think to yourself.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore.” Harrison speaks up, his voice is quiet between the two of you. His hand comes up to you cheek as he moves away to look into your eyes. “I want to be with you, I really want this.”

You give him a watery smile, warmth spreading through your chest at his words. “Me too.”

“You have no idea how happy I am when I am with you.” His thumb caresses your cheek as he returns your smile. “One smile and I’m a goner.”

You chuckle at his words, your cheeks are burning but you can’t look away from his eyes. “I can say the same thing about your eyes. I also really like it when you come to the bookshop.”

“Well, I always want to see you.” Harrison says softly, his forehead comes back to rest against yours. “Would you like to have lunch with me?”

“Like another date?” You ask and then smile when he nods his head. “I’d love to.”

“Well then.” He says standing up, holding his hand out to you and helping you get up. “How does Mrs. Pacelli’s sound?”

You twine your fingers and swing your hands back and forth as you walk west, back to town. Your stomach grumbles in agreement and you smile at the thought of Mrs. Pacelli’s homemade lasagna right away. “It sounds amazing, her place is actually my favorite restaurant in town.”

Harrison chuckles and nods, “It is really great but my favorite place is further down the street.” He brings your hand to his lips for brief second before smiling down at you. “It’s a lovely bookshop with the best coffee.”

“Not a restaurant, though.” You smile back, heart beating wildly in your chest. The blue of Harrison’s eyes is even lovelier now that some of his worry was left behind at that spot in the sand; you can’t help but stare.

“You’re right, it’s not. But it is my favorite place, almost as beautiful as the owner.” Harrison shrugs as if he didn’t just flirt with you for the first time since you’ve known each other.

You push some hair behind your ear and lean your head on his shoulder, not used to what you’re feeling. Not after so long at least. Neither of you are perfect and you never will be, you’ve been shaped by your past and it’s left a scar in both of your hearts. Not letting it control your future though, that’s what makes all the difference. You had given up on love and happiness for years, but as your stomach buzzes with excitement and you feel those emotions again you can’t help but be glad that you took the chance. Uncertainty is usually scary, and you know more than anyone how much helplessness it can bring. This time however, something tells you that things will start to look up and even if you don’t know where this will lead, you’re not scared anymore.

Maybe the breeze does solve some things after all grandma

--- 

---- 5 months before -----

The sun has already set by the time you two leave Mrs. Pacelli’s restaurant after what was probably one of the best days in Harrison’s life. The two of you had talked all through supper, shifting from ridiculous conversations to more serious and personal ones with ease in between mouthfuls of pasta for him and lasagna for you. He’d enjoyed the way you had held hands on top of the table, his thumb absently caressing your knuckles as your eyes lighted up when you talked about the classes you taught in the winter semester. You were so passionate about helping and teaching your students and it was beautiful to see – if Harrison’s professors while in university had a third of your passion, he’s sure he would have enjoyed his classes more. He had listened to you talk about your family – and noticed the way you were a bit more relaxed when talking about your past now that he knew about your brother, Bryan.

That had really thrown him off at the beach, the coincidence of what had happed to your family and the family his department hadn’t been able to help. It was like his mind shut down right then and his guilt, the one that he carries with him like a heavy backpack, had doubled. That case was one of his biggest regrets, he should have pushed harder and tried to help more but he wasn’t in the same position he was at the moment. The shitty detective was born then, the self-deprecating way of referring to himself as a reminder of his failure to avoid doing the same once again. Knowing that you also had no answers about your brother’s death and that his killer was never caught had crushed his heart, he couldn’t imagine the pain you still have with you but he’s sure it’s no less than the one the family he let down showed the day he gave them the news. All his hopes had been crushed, but you had built them back up once you literally shook some sense into him. “I think we’re both done facing them alone,” you had said, and his demeanor had crumbled. There you were, the kindest soul he had met, pressing your forehead against his, crying with him as you offered your broken heart and waiting for him to give you his own broken one. It was you, how could he not? He was sure you’re who he’s been looking for all his life.  

The air is chilly but not enough to make you shiver as April is just a week away, Harrison holds you close to his side anyways. “I didn’t know you had such a sweet tooth.” You chuckled, leaning your head against his shoulder. Harrison had ordered the tiramisu with chocolate ice cream on the side for dessert, claiming it was the best combo, which was the case. “Actually, I did know. You’re always getting double chocolate cookies when you visit the café.”

“I do have a sweet tooth, but only with my favorite desserts.” Harrison smiles.

“Hmm… well I’m honored.” You look up at him with a teasing smile and bright eyes, and he really wants to kiss you. “Thank you, Harrison.”

 Harrison, he’s just Harrison now, not the detective but something else, something better.

His heart melts at the look in your eyes and he can’t keep the fondness he’s feeling from showing in his. “No need to thank me, love.”

The two of you walk by your café in silence as well as the next block over and up the hill towards your house. Harrison takes in the happy look on your face, your relaxed shoulders and how you’re not fidgeting around him. You’re both past nerves –baring your most painful secrets by the beach can do that sometimes. He catches two women walking their babies on the other side of the street give both of you odd looks, and it reminds him of the many eyes that were on you during dinner. Small town, big gossip. His back muscles tense.

“I’m sorry about all the staring during dinner.” Harrison says quietly into the night and you laugh softly.

“You’re apologizing for staring at me during our date?” You shake your head. “Harrison, you can stare at me, it’s actually nice to know you like what you see.”

Harrison presses a kiss on your temple and shakes his head. “No, not my staring, the other people at the restaurant and their whispering. They’re probably wondering how I managed to date you on their group chats.”

“I love this town, but they do little else than talk about whatever or whomever they see.” You shake you head as you both reach your front yard and make your way to your front door. “I told you Harrison, I want this, you. Over at the beach you said that’s what you wanted too, unless that changed over dinner?” You smile at Harrison and his heart skips a beat, it’s a teasing smile but he can see some worry in your eyes, so he is quick to answer.

“No, it hasn’t, at all. I just worry that it will make you uncomfortable.” He lets go of your left hand, which he was holding, to bring you closer to him by the waist.

“Then screw what people think.” You shake your head again and smile when Harrison’s eyebrows move up in surprise before leaning up and kissing him.

Your arms go around his neck at the same time Harrison holds you closer with his other arm and leans down. Your lips move against his in a soft caress. Considering hold long you’ve both admittedly wanted to do this, the kiss is gentle and steady, and Harrison wants to draw out every possible second of this first of many kisses. Your fingers wander from his neck to the short curls on the back of his head, and he’d be lying if he said that didn’t make him weak in the knees for a second. Both your chests are pressed together, so he can hear that his heart isn’t the only one beating like crazy and the sigh that leaves your lips when he holds you tighter to his chest makes him smile, causing both of you to break apart. Your lips have been reddened by the kiss and frame a small smile on your face so Harrison, not helping himself, leans in again and presses three soft kisses on them before looking into your eyes.

He smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners and heart so full it could burst at any moment. “Wow.” Is all he can say. “That was…”

“So worth the wait.” You shake your head and bite your lip. “I think I speak for both of us when I say that, I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

“Definitely.” Harrison chuckles, his right hand coming up to cup your cheek. “Thank you, for today.” He whispers and you lean into his touch.

You shrug your shoulders, always shying away from compliments. “Well thank you, I haven’t had such a good time in a while.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Harrison says, letting you go and taking a step back, his hand lingers on your cheek just a little bit longer before falling back to his side. “Good night, Y/N.”

You nod your head, “Good night, Harrison. You know where I’ll be.”

Harrison chuckles and nods his head as well, waiting for you to walk to your front door before starting to walk away. He can’t contain the smile that’s on his face, it’s definitely making his cheeks hurt, as he’s not used to smiling so often. Not since a while ago. It’s only become a recurring thing since he met you. His ray of sunshine in a previously grey life, with the warmest smile that always reminds him of the first sip of good coffee in the morning. He’s gone, one hundred percent gone on you and he can’t even begin to believe his luck. Not 10 seconds pass after he starts walking when he turns around and runs back to you. He’s surprised to also see you walking back to him before you share another kiss.

This one is different than the one before, not drawing out the moment anymore but enjoying that this can happen now. I can kiss you, it seemed to say, I can kiss you any time I want, I like you so much. Harrison feels like his floating but his hands on your cheeks keep him grounded and so does your tongue grazing his bottom lip, letting him know it’s all amazingly real.

“I can’t believe I almost left without a goodnight kiss.” You whisper. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”

Harrison laughs and nods, “Neither could I.” When you laugh at his reply and kiss him again, he knows this is one of the best decisions he’s made in his life.

----Present Day-----

The croissants are cooling on the counter when Harrison feels you wrap your arms around his waist while he finishes up the scrambled eggs. They’re firm and cooked through – the two of you hated runny and soft eggs, something about the texture was just not appetizing at all.

“Good morning.” You mumble against the soft cotton of his t-shirt and rest your cheek against his back. Harrison feels you lean into him, and he smiles.

“Good morning, love. How was your lecture?” Harrison turns off the stove and sets the pan on the counter so he can turn around to face you. His arms wrap themselves around your waist and he leans down to kiss your lips. You walk backwards until you’re leaning against the kitchen island and let yourself melt in Harrison’s arms as his lips caress yours, humming when they move to kiss your jaw and stop with one on your cheek.

Your eyes are glazed over and your smile is relaxed as you look up at him and it’s Harrison that tries not to melt. “The lecture was as good, well… as good as it can be when it starts at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday. The summer schedule is brutal.”

“Yeah, whoever planned that is messed up.” Harrison scrunches up his nose. “I’m sure you make up for the ungodly hour of the lecture with your teaching though, I wouldn’t mind them if you were my professor.”

“I think you’re biased.” You wink at him before running a hand through his hair, Harrison can’t help closing his eyes. “Thank you for making breakfast, love. Is there something I can help with?”

Your question makes him open his eyes, you’re looking at the plates on the kitchen island and the food ready to be plated. “You can get the coffee to the balcony, it’s nice out so I thought we could have an outdoor breakfast.”

“You got it, handsome.” You stand on the tip of your toes to peck his lips and get two mugs before walking towards the French press. Harrison finally has a chance to really look at you that morning. White t-shirt tucked into a long sky-blue skirt with tiny white flowers printed on it and simple black sandals. You were stunning and he was damn lucky.

Smiling, Harrison puts a croissant on each plate next to the fruit he washed and sliced and finishes it off with the scrambled eggs on the side. The jam and butter, as well as the cutlery are already out on the balcony, so he gets both plates and joins you outside. “You look gorgeous.” Harrison says before he places a kiss on your cheek when he sets your plate in front of you.

“Thank you honey. This looks delicious, specially the croissants.” You duck your face and smile. “And so do you by the way, your morning hair is sexy.”

Harrison laughs and shrugs before taking the seat opposite yours. “I think watching Bake Off helped me avoid burning them.”

You nod your head in agreement. “Bake Off is basically what prompted me to bake so I have no doubt they helped you.” With that the two of you dig in, spreading apricot jam on the croissant and eating the fruit on the plate while you talked.

“I have 3 scheduled meetings with my students this weekend, everyone is panicking about the midterm on Tuesday.” You bring a piece of strawberry to your mouth and chew on it, “I’ve told them a million times I’m not a monster.”

Harrison takes a sip of his coffee and shakes his head. “Every test is scary though, I used to hate them.” He bites onto his almost finished croissant again, the flaky pastry falling onto the plate underneath. “Do you want me to drive with you to Cambridge on Tuesday? I don’t mind.”

He knows how hard it is for you to drive back to a place where so many good and bad memories come from, not to mention all the stares and the whispers. He’d been there with you a couple months back for your brother’s death anniversary and he’d felt so protective when he saw just how bad all the stares were. Look away, don’t you have anything else to do? Harrison had wanted to yell, but he settled for holding your hand and letting you take your time when you visited the graveyard. There have been good days and bad days when it comes to your mood, and he’s always made sure to give you all the space that you need during the bad ones. You stay in bed during those ones, or out in the balcony, and Harrison is always there waiting when you come up to him and say I think I’m ready for a hug now.

You shake your head no and sip your coffee, breakfast finished in front of you. “No, it’s alright. I’m just going to the campus and back, I don’t want to keep you from work just for that, someone might need help.”

Harrison smiles at you and the adorable way you squint your eyes at the sun, always so caring and so brave. His heart swells with love for you. It’s unlikely that anyone would need help, considering how uneventful the last 4 months have been –which was great, specially taking into account what the town went through during the last case. There’s only been minor cases here and there, land disputes between some families and cattle theft but no murders, no mysteries. Harrison has been helping the neighbor town, Diep, after they heard about him solving the Mensen murder. Sometimes they need an extra pair of eyes for a case and since nothing was going on in Dewitt, he left his assistant DI in charge before lending a hand.

“Alright, if you’re sure.” He nods his head, “Are things crazy with the semester being halfway done?”

You nod and take another sip of coffee, leaning back on your chair. “I have so many papers to mark, that’s why I prefer smaller groups.” Running a hand through your hair you chuckle to yourself, “And yes, I also have been procrastinating.”

Harrison laughs and holds his hands up, “I didn’t say anything!”

“I know you were going to.” You wink at him and glance at your watch. “I’m going to procrastinate a little more though and do the dishes while you change, then we can head down to the café.”

“Sounds good, beautiful.” Harrison nods, getting up and placing a kiss on your lips. He ignores your protests when he starts to pick up some plates and helps you carry everything back to the kitchen before heading to the en-suite in your bedroom.

After a shower and shaving, he moves to the closet where he picks a white shirt and brown pants which he promptly puts on before grabbing ankle socks and his white sneakers. Harrison feels his chest swell as he sits down on the bed and looks at your clothes next to his, it seems surreal that you live together now. It sure had prompted many looks and gossip in Dewitt but with happiness like the both of you were experiencing, it didn’t bother him. Shaking his head but keeping the smile on his face, Harrison puts on his socks and shoes before heading back to the bathroom where he fixes his hair and puts on deodorant and cologne. Once he is all ready to go, he makes sure to grab his phone, car keys, home keys and wallet before joining you out on the balcony again.

He leans on the doorframe for a second before actually going outside though, taking in how lovely you look lounging in the sun. You’ve got your laptop in front of you, where you’re probably scanning something lecture related, your skirt is moving with the wind and so is your hair. You’re absolutely breathtaking, and Harrison realizes that it’s become a thing for him to stand in the doorway completely in awe of you before you catch him staring. It’s happened at the café before you started dating and it just happened again when you look up from your laptop screen and smile. Harrison can feel his ears burn as he smiles back and walks towards you.

“Ready to go?”

You nod your head, “Give me a second, honey.” You shut your laptop closed and place it inside your tote bag, then grab a binder and try to stuff it in there too. Try being the key word here, as it is too big for the purse and you end up carrying it on your arms. “All ready!”

Harrison takes your outstretched hand in his, places a quick kiss on your knuckles before the two of you walk back to the house and out to Harrison’s car. He opens the door for you before going to the driver’s seat and starting the car once you’re both settled. It’s not a long drive but Harrison wants to enjoy his day off, he might offer you to go for a drive when you’re on your break. It’d be nice to get away for a bit, maybe park the car somewhere overlooking the water to relax to the sound of the waves.

You open the door and flip the Closed sign to the Open side at 10:25 and set your purse on your usual table once you step inside. The two of you greet the two summer employees —both students who love to bake and were looking for a summer job— before you go to the back of the front counter to start grinding some coffee beans and Harrison sits down on an empty chair at your table. He takes a deep breath, welcoming the beautiful smell of fresh coffee you’re making and fresh pastries coming from the kitchen. He smiles to himself as he sees you move around the espresso machine and the bookshop on the right side of the café, getting everything ready for your customers. He remembers coming here every day while he worked the Mensen murder, your smile when you greeted him was the highlight of his day, as was your kindness and easy conversation. You look at peace, focused but relaxed as you do what you love —besides teaching of course. He hopes your trip to Cambridge on Tuesday goes well; he’s always admired how strong you are for going back to a place that gives you so many painful memories. Harrison can’t blame you for your gloomy mood whenever you come back from those trips, he just wishes there was something he could do to make it better.

After a couple minutes you approach the table, set an earl grey tea in front him, give him a short kiss and sit on the chair in front of him with a cup of coffee on your hands. Harrison thanks you as you take your computer out of your bag, power it up and open the binder holding all the class’ assignments. He’s about to ask you about the drive during lunch time when his phone rings.

Harrison glances down at the caller and sees it’s DI Mullins, from Diep. “DI Osterfield speaking.”

“Detective, sorry to call you today. The station informed me it was your day off but there has been an incident over here in Diep and some information has resurfaced. We might have a lead that will open a Pandora box of a case, but we need another set of eyes to look at it before we can confirm this lead.” Mullins sounds exhausted but there is urgency and anxiousness in his voice.

Harrison frowns, whatever happened has shaken him up pretty badly. “What happened?”

“I think it’s better if I tell you in person. Can you and your team come over as soon as you can?” The nervous undertone places a feeling of dread in Harrison’s stomach.

“I’ll be right over.” He nods, even though Mullins can’t see him. “Let me gather my team and we’ll head there.”

You look up and Harrison knows you can see the concern on his face; you reach out a hand across the table. “Harrison, is everything alright?”

He takes your hand and sets his phone down. “I’m not sure, only that DI Mullins needs help with a case it Diep. It sounds serious.” Harrison frowns again, remembering his plans for lunch. “I’m sorry love, I know it was my day off and we-”

“Honey, it’s fine, go help them.” You squeeze his hand and give him a reassuring smile and a nod.

Harrison takes a deep breath and lets it out before standing up. He moves towards you and gently cups your cheeks on his hands, he leans down and places a lingering kiss on your lips. He keeps your foreheads touching for a brief moment before whispering, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Your breath mingles with his. “Be careful okay?”

Harrison nods. “I promise.”

Then, with a kiss to your forehead he steps back, takes his phone from the table and heads out of the café. Dread is bubbling in the pit of his stomach for some reason, something about Mullins tone and his reluctance to say anything else on the phone has left him uneasy. As he gets in the car and speed dials his office, he can’t help feeling like something was about to begin after 4 months of quiet.

---

The force with which he is pulled grows and it’s not just him being pulled back anymore, the trash and part of the fire escape in front of him are moving towards him as well. He shoots a web at the concrete wall directly in front of him, trying to move away and glance back at whatever is behind him. A black portal, there’s colors and shapes he can’t really make out but one thing he knows is that the portal is getting bigger. Almost half of his body is inside it now, the other half trying really hard to pull himself back out by shooting more webs anywhere he can. But his efforts are not enough, a few seconds later all of them snap and he is swallowed whole by the wall behind him and moving incredibly fast through what seems to be galaxies grouped together with spiderwebs.

Peter feels like he’s being shot out of a cannon, his eyes shut tight by the sheer force in which he’s moving forward. His arms are pressed tightly to his sides, his legs straight behind him until he’s falling from the sky at an incredible speed. That’s when his reflexes kick in and he opens his eyes just in time to shoot a web at a billboard to soften his fall. He stabilizes himself and looks around at the times square screens surrounding him, only that these are completely different than the ones he sees every day. More importantly, it’s already nightfall, which confuses him even more as he was pretty sure it was around noon just a couple of seconds ago. Scanning the screens for some kind of explanation, Peter turns around and all of the air in his lungs disappears in an instant. There you were, beautiful as always on the screen above him, the problem was that the breaking news tagline under the picture says you’re dead. Spider-Woman, Y/N L/N dead at age 25.

Wait, 25? That’s not right, you’re 23 not 25. Most importantly, you’re not dead. No, you can’t be! Spider Woman?! What is happening!

His mind is trying to process everything that’s happening. Is there actually a chance that he’s in another dimension, and that the portal was the one that got him there? If so, why only him and who is messing with the multiverse? Peter pushes all of this to the back of his mind, his heart is beating wildly in his chest and there is one answer he really needs right now. He shoots a web at a building and makes his way to Manhattan’s graveyard, New York city’s streets a blur as he swings by them. Until an intense pain rushes through his body and he misses the building he was aiming at and he falls face first in the snow. The snowbank is just outside of the graveyard and he ignores the pain he felt as he runs towards the Spiderman balloons hovering above a tombstone.

Y/N L/N, (1995 - 2020)

“No.” Peter falls to his knees, a hand hovering over your name. He takes off his mask and covers his face with his hands. He can’t explain the sobs that are leaving his lips, or why his heart feels completely shattered by this news. “No, this isn’t real. Wake up!”

He slaps himself to try and leave this nightmare, but it doesn’t work. He really is stuck in another dimension where one of the most important people in his life died. He knows this isn’t his Y/N, it’s another version of her but his brain is taking some time to catch up. Peter lets himself cry, he cries for what feels like hours and he’s run out of tears. Not only that but his spider sense makes him look up and be alert of his surroundings once again. Wiping his eyes and putting his mask back on, Peter follows the feeling. He leaves the graveyard and walks down towards Brooklyn until he’s in front of a diner. There’s a teenager there, he has dark curly hair and is wearing a too-small Spiderman. He’s also sitting next to an older man, who just ate a burger in two bites. The man is also wearing a Spiderman suit, but he’s paired it with an olive trench coat and sweatpants. Huh? Peter goes in and his spider sense tingles again, making both Spidermen look up.

“You’re like me,” They say in unison.

The older man stands up and places a hand on his shoulder. “Hey man, are you okay?”

“Why am I here?” Peter asks instead of answering.

“Come and sit down, it’s been a weird day for all of us.” He guides him to the table and pushes a plate of fries towards him. “This is Miles,” He motions towards the dark haired teenager who extends his hands.

“Hey, I’m Miles. Sort of the Spiderman of this dimension.” Peter takes his hands and shakes it once before he lets go.

“I’m Peter Parker.” He says and the older man chuckles. “What?”

“I’m Peter B. Parker, the Spiderman of another dimension.” Is all he says extending his hand towards Peter who shakes it briefly. “Like I said, weird day.”

Peter takes his mask off and looks at Miles. “You’re the Spiderman of this dimension? What about Y/N? What happened to Y/N?” His voice cracks on the last question but he doesn’t care.

“Oh man, this is probably so confusing for you. I’m assuming you’re married to Y/N in your dimension as well?” Miles asks.

“Not married, she’s my girlfriend.” Peter shakes his head. “We’re married in this dimension?”

Miles nods, “Yeah, you spoke at her funeral and all. Kingpin killed her last night because she was trying to destroy his collider, I- I was there and she gave me the override key. I promised her I’ll destroy the collider for her, I need to keep that promise.”

Peter closes his eyes and nods, after taking a deep breath he opens them and addresses both Spidermen in front of him. “I’ll help you, for this Y/N and to get back to my Y/N.”

The older Peter smiles and nods, “We’re going to Alchemax, to steal the code we need to fix the override key.”

“Fix it?” Peter asks confused, rubbing his tired eyes from crying. If he feels tired and broken, he wonders how tired Y/N’s husband feels.

“Yeah, it broke.” Miles grimaces but Peter shrugs.

“It’s okay, we’ll make a new on–” Peter stops talking as he glitches again, the same happening to Peter B in front of him. “Man, that hurt.”

“We need to go. You guys need to get back to your dimensions.” Miles says standing up. “We can swing to Alchemax, you guys can show me the ropes.”

Peter B laughs, “Swing there? You have a lot to learn kid. Come on other Peter, let’s get us home.”

Peter stands up, putting his mask back on and following the other two spidermen, it’s still a lot to process but if it gets him back to you he’ll just go along with whatever Peter B’s plan is.

---- 

idk if its good or if anyone wants to be tagged but hey I liked the concept 

“Dorothy.” She says, showing him her debit card so that Harrison can prompt the purchase on the machine in front of her. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He smiles, handing her a receipt and moving to take a croissant from the pastries display for her. He puts it in a baking tray and places it on the toaster oven for a bit to warm it up. “There’s a croissant in the oven, Will.”

“Okay.” His friend nods as he finishes two orders and proceeds to call the person’s name over the counter. “Two mocca’s for Lilly?”

Harrison lets out a deep breath, looking around the shop. The 7am rush hour had come to an end, leaving only Dorothy who waits for her iced latte and a group of three sitting by the window. They look like they’re finishing up a presentation, all their laptops propped on the antique cream coffee table in front of them. After his brief scan of the room, he glances up at the clock propped on the wall. 8:05, the next rush of students going to their 8:30 class will come by soon enough. The thought makes Harrison’s hands sweat so he focuses on the smell of freshly baked blueberry scones coming from the kitchen. Y/N, comes by at 8:10am every day, orders a coffee and sometimes grabs a fruit from the display basket before rushing to class. She’s from the Art Institute a few blocks away and Harrison’s been crushing on her from the moment she stepped into the coffee shop on a Monday 4 months ago. He believes she’s an architect, always carrying plans and drawing buildings on the coffee table by the turquoise sofa next to the chimney.

The sound of the bell hanging over the door makes him look up to see you enter the coffee shop. A strong wind had blown your scarf out of place and you fix it while walking to the register. “Hey, Haz. How’s it going.” You set a large binder on the counter for a second, shaking your arms when they get some rest.

“Good morning.” He smiles back. “What can I get for you today?”

“A medium cappuccino with some cinnamon on top, please. Oh, and a banana muffin.” Your eyes light up when you spot the freshly baked muffins on the pastry display on your right.

Harrison smiles, your smile almost lighting up the whole shop. After a few seconds, he shakes himself out of his daze and puts one of the muffins in a paper bag that he hands to you. “That’s gonna be $5.”

You place the paper bag on top of your binder before reaching inside your tote bag for your wallet. After you pay, Harrison smiles and moves over to the expresso machine ignoring Will’s knowing look when he starts to make your drink. Shot of expresso, steam the milk, and foam. Harrison hums as he prepares the drink, the delicious smell of coffee flooding his senses. When the drink is ready he puts the white lid on top where he writes your name with a flower next to it, the way he’s always done it from day one. It’s been months, ask her out already! “So, um, I was wondering.” Harrison places the coffee on the counter but stops talking when he sees you’re on the phone. Your forehead is creased, confused, as someone speaks on the other end.

“What do you mean he’s picking up the assignment already? It’s not 8:30 yet!” You look up and smile at Harrison, getting your coffee and mouthing a quick thank you to him.

Damnit.

2

“Harrison, it’s been months of you pining over her.” Will rolls his eyes when he spots Harrison staring at the door expectantly the next day. A large batch of customers had just left a couple of minutes ago, so him and Will were enjoying a little peace before the 8:30am rush arrives. “Just ask for her number, you should see the way she looks at you.”

Harrison lets out a laugh, “There’s no way that she looks at me. I’m just the part time barista that makes her coffee and she’s nice.” His fingers fiddle with the pocket of his turquoise apron as he waits for you to walk through that door.

“The arts university is blocks away and she can easily go to the Starbucks next to it, and yet she chooses to come here every day.” Will insists as he cleans the countertops and puts some of the espresso cups in the dishwasher.

“It’s probably more crowded over there, that’s all.” Harrison shrugs, moving the gaze to the clock on his right. 8:10.

The doorbell dings as another group of people enter the coffee shop, you among them. This time though, there’s a guy next to you, his arm around your shoulder; he’s laughing at something you said. “There’s no way the dean said that Y/N.” Tom shakes his head.

Harrison feels his shoulders sag but he puts on a fake smile for the customers standing in front of him. He should’ve known, he probably wasn’t the only one crushing on you, you’re funny and kind and so hardworking. There’s been days you’ve stayed at the coffee shop studying until closing time, losing track of time as you go through your schoolwork. Harrison has the proof he needs now, to support the already known fact that his own nerves prevented him from even getting your number on time.

“I’m telling you Tom, you’re 100% suspended for traveling to England in the middle of the semester.” You chuckle as you step up to the cashier, your turn to order. “Hey, Haz! Good morning.” Your smile is bright but the one Harrison gives you in return doesn’t quite reach his eyes. His heart is still in the process of breaking but he clears his throat, ignoring the way you tilt your head in confusion.

“Hi Y/N, a cappuccino today?” He grabs a sharpie so he can write your usual order on the paper cup before looking up again.

“Yes please, and a-”

“And a large caramel latte for me, please.” The guy next to her, Tom, smiles. “You getting something to eat, love?”

Love.

“No I’m good. Just those two drinks Haz, thank you.”

“No problem.” He smiles, but it feels forced. His chest feels heavy and he chastises himself again for taking so long.

“I hope you’re having a nice day so far.” You comment, a little weary, and you take out a $20 bill from your back pocket. Your eyes are darting across his face, like you can tell something’s off with his mood.

“I am, thanks. You?” He hands Tom’s cup to Will in a silent request that his friend doesn’t question. He then proceeds to make yours after he gives you your change back.

“Yeah, me too.” You nod, moving to the pickup area and pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. You’re wearing a rust color sweater today, your hands hidden inside the sleeves and Harrison thinks it’s the most endearing thing in the world.

“Of course you are, I’m back.” Tom says making you roll your eyes and Harrison has to bite the inside of his cheek to avoid giving away how awfully awkward he feels. Stop crushing on this guy’s girlfriend, idiot. He writes your name on the lid before drawing a small smiley face on it, instead of the usual flower. She probably won’t notice anyway.

“Here you go.” He says, placing your cup on the counter and regretting not drawing the flower on it when he sees you frown for a brief second.

“Thanks, Haz.” You mumble, averting your gaze from him and heading to the door.

“See ya!” Tom says as he follows you.

“See you…”

3

“EVERYONE! IT’S THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY’S, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE MY BEST FRIEND, BIRTHDAY TODAY!” Tom all but yells when he enters the coffee shop with you by his side at 8:10am the next day. You cover your face in embarrassment.

“Can you get me a knife for my birthday, so I can stab you with it?” You say rolling your eyes at him but smiling anyway.

Harrison is frozen in place for a second, was he really that lucky and that stupid? Best friend. Not girlfriend. He had been so wrong! He drew a stupid smiley face on your coffee for a stupid assumption he had made. “God I’m an idiot.”

“Yeah, you are.” Will chuckles to his right, holding his hands up when Harrison glares at him. “Wait, I wasn’t supposed to comment on that?”

Harrison shakes his head, getting a chocolate cake pop from the glass display and handing it to you when you reach the cashier. “Happy birthday, Y/N.” He smiles, because he’s ecstatic, he hasn’t lost his chance.

Giving you a cake pop brings back the memory of his failed attempt at flirting about a month back. You had been studying until late on a Thursday night, the same day he was covering for Andrea who had an important exam to study for. Harrison had thought it was fate that you two had seen each other on the same day twice; something that never happens. So as they started to clean up the counters and packing leftover pastries up, he put a single double chocolate chip cookie on a plate and walked over to where you sat. You smiled and tried to pay for it; he argued that since they were closing, it was no problem at all.

“Is this your way of kicking me out?” You raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on your face that makes Harrison scramble for words.

“N-no, no! That’s not what I meant! You just order them often and-” He held his hands up, the last thing he wanted was for you to think he was kicking you out. Why did he mention the shop closing?

“Hey, it’s okay I’m only teasing you.” You chuckled, stopping his rambling.

You smile in surprise again at the sight of the cake pop. “Harrison, thank you.” The look in your eyes is soft and Harrison’s stomach does a backflip.

“It’s your birthday, it’s on the house!” He smiles back, the smile is so wide his cheeks start to hurt. The relief of knowing he still has a chance and the fact that it’s your birthday, fills him with happiness. In his opinion birthdays are always special, no matter whose birthday it is, without birthdays you wouldn’t be standing in front of him making his morning better every day.

You take the cake pop and thank him again before ordering yours and Tom’s coffee. They go through the usual conversation: Cappuccino? Yes, please. And a large iced coffee? Yup. When you pay and he gives you your change, he decides to keep the conversation going. “Any plans for you birthday?” He asks, writing the orders on their respective cups. Maybe if you’re free he can ask you to hang out.

“Yes. Actually I-”

“Would you mind? You’re holding up the line!” An old lady behind you makes you and Tom jump, giving Harrison an apologetic look. He had been so caught up on his feelings and staring at you that he didn’t realize the second rush of customers had arrived and were waiting in line.

“A bit moody…” Tom mutters under his breath and Harrison couldn’t agree more.

“Sorry ma’am.” Harrison says, trying to go for an innocent smile to ease her mood. The last thing he needed was a rude customer ruining his morning. “Have a nice day, Y/N.”

You smile at him again, moving over to the pick up counter. “You too, Haz.” You give him one last look over your shoulder before going back to talking to Tom.

Another chance missed. He couldn’t even make her coffee for you, he’s so stupid for taking so long. “What can I get for you ma’am?”

4

It’s 3:47pm when Harrison hears the bell over the door ring, signaling someone entering the coffee shop. Het sets down the expresso cups he was rearranging and looks up to see who it is. Y/N. Since breakfast and lunch time had already passed, the shop was mostly quiet and Harrison was the only one working outside. He fixes his apron as he walks to the cashier and clear his throat before he smiling. Why are my hands so sweaty? If they could stop sweating, that’d be great.

“Hello, you’re still here.” You say as you approach him, fixing the tote bag on your shoulder. You’re wearing a blue sweater today. It has a couple of flowers embroidered on the cuffs and Harrison thinks it’s really nice.

“Hey, Y/N. A second coffee?” Harrison leans his hands on the counter next to the register. It’s only the two of us, don’t screw it up.

“I have a long night at the university’s library. I work today of all days.” You nod your head and sigh. “But it’s okay, it’ll give me time to get some assignments done.”

Harrison gives you a sympathetic smile, working late on your birthday doesn’t sound like fun at all. “Well, at least you’re looking at the bright side of it.” He shrugs and picks up a sharpie and a medium paper cup. “Your usual?”

“Yes please, but let’s spice it up. Normal coffee for work feels a bit too boring.” You smile at him before looking at the drink menu.

“Pumpkin spice?” Harrison suggests.

You chuckle and shake your head then make up your mind a second later.  “Let’s go with salted caramel.”

“You got it.” Harrison winks. He actually winks. That was probably so lame…He feels his cheeks burn in embarrassment and he gives you a shy smile as you hand him the money to pay for your drink. A few moments later both of you move to the pick up area; you lean against the counter watching Harrison work on the coffee.

This is it. There’s no one else ordering coffee. Ask her! Now!

“So I was wondering if you’d like to hang out sometime? Maybe go for a picnic?” Harrison says at the same time you speak up as well.

“I’m having a small gathering tomorrow for my birthday. I was wondering if you wanted to come?”

Both of you look up at the same time, and it’s not awkward at all; it’s only funny. What are the odds that you two choose to ask the other out at the same time? So Harrison chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. “You go first.”

“I’m having a small gathering with a couple of friends tomorrow for my birthday. Would you like to come?” Your hands tap the counter, probably out of nerves, and Harrison finds it comforting. He’s not the only one that’s nervous.

“I’d love to.” He beams, his heart drumming incessantly on his chest. She asked me out! And to her birthday!

“Really? Awesome!” You smile, biting your lip to tone down your excitement. “And I’m free on Saturday, for that picnic?” Your head tilts to the right in question. As if Harrison would pass up any opportunity to get to know you better.

“I-I’m free too, yeah that’d be really nice.” Harrison nods, he remembers the cup of coffee in his hand and quickly puts a lid on it before it gets cold. This time though, he draws a little heart on it instead of a flower and he can’t help but feel incredibly happy when you smile at the sight of it.

“I, um, I need your phone number.” You say smiling at him, suddenly looking shy once again.

“Oh! Right!” Harrison’s cheeks turn pink once again as he looks around for somewhere to write. He spots the cookies on the display and smiles; he places a double chocolate one on a paper bag and writes his phone number on it along with his name. “Here you go.”

“Awesome.” You smile, taking it. “You didn’t have to  give me a cookie, though.”

“I know but I wanted to, it’s your birthday.” Harrison shrugs. “And I know you love them so.”

“Fine.” You chuckle, putting the bag inside your tote and getting ready to leave. “I’ll text you then. Have a nice afternoon, Haz.”

“Bye, Y/N.” Harrison waves. YES!

If any of the clients saw Harrison celebrate by the espresso machine, they didn’t comment on it. There were usual customers anyways, they knew how badly those two have been crushing on each other.