"Lex," I think I hear a whisper deep in my subconscious.

I'm somewhere between a dream and the real world; that delicious place where you still feel warm and cosy, like your insides are melting toffee, sticky and pliable but you are awake enough to understand the fleeting nature of the moment.

"Alexa."

This time the call is paired with a feather-light touch to my hairline and my half asleep reaction is to grumble and bury my head into the pillow.

Harry's raspy chuckle snaps me into reality with the speed of a whip crack.

"I knocked, like ten times, I swear." 

I see him starting to smirk from the corner of my eye as I push back my eye mask and sit up in shock, trying my best to cover my body with my duvet as a gasp whooshes down my throat.

"I shouldn't be surprised you sleep with a silk mask on, Princess," he mocks far too early in the morning.

I frown a little, my mind still trying to catch up with the fact Harry is sitting on the edge of my bed, dressed in what looks like workout clothes and his hair pulled back into a bun.

Only then does it register that he never came into my room last night and my heart sinks at the realisation.

"I'm not a princess," I snap, pulling off the mask and hiking up the covers up so that they sit under my chin.

"God, you even wake up angry," he winks before standing up and I hate that my stomach flutters.

"What time is it?" I ask, my brain finally functioning properly and noting that it's Saturday and I'm probably behind my schedule.

"Eleven," Harry says casually but clearly amused by my disorientation.

"Eleven!" I yell, throwing him off guard. "Shit, I have stuff to do!" I jump out of bed without thought and suck in an audible breath as his mouth drops open, the smirk wiped clean from his face and his gaze dropping to my bare legs and lace underwear before I'm squealing and jumping back into the safety of my sheets.

A childish cackle bursts from his lips and I can feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"What have you got to do, AP?" he says as indifferently as he can, his voice straightening deliberately. Clearly he is not affected by my lack of clothing in the slightest. "Disinfect the kitchen? Work? Eat a shitty salad? C'mon sleepyhead, get up and put on something comfortable," he commands before making his way to the door.

"Trousers optional," he grins on the way out and my heart surges forward at his suggestive tone that is a complete contradiction to his reaction just seconds ago.

I squeeze my eyes shut and remember my place in the friend zone that I concluded last night and cemented this morning, and throw on a pair of old, grey, cotton gym shorts and my university sweatshirt.

Begrudgingly, I drag my feet down the hallway, ready to tell him I don't own sneakers so whatever form of physical activity he is trying to force me into will have to wait.

Shock drops my jaw open at the state of my living room, the furniture pushed back and the coffee table moved out into the hallway. My blood starts to boil and I'm just about to ask him what the fuck he is doing when he speaks with a boyish smile and a dimple in his left cheek that simmers my temper only a fraction.

"Whoa, okay Lexi, hear me out," he negotiates softly and holds his hands up in the air as a sign of peace.

Crossing my arms over my chest, my eyebrows rise up in waiting and he exhales a laugh at my behaviour.

"Yoga. Just try it," he states quickly and clearly, somehow knowing that I'm not in the mood for bullshit and that this kind of approach is the only thing I am able to tolerate. Some people would find it rude and abrupt, but it happens to be one of the things I like about him the most.

He can see my body language softening as I contemplate it and my skin tingles as he reaches forward and takes both my hands in his, slowly pulling me towards what is now the open space in my home.

"Can't we have coffee first?" I grumble and am rewarded with an illuminating smile.

"This will wake you up ten times better than coffee."

I can't help my eyes from rolling back and his square set front teeth bite down into his bottom lip to stop his smile from widening.

He squeezes my hands in his before dropping them and moment his skin leaves mine I immediately feel like something's missing.

He sits down, easily crossing his legs beneath him and urges me to do the same.

"Alright, Miss Patterson, open mind, please.  Follow what I do."

I'm copying his actions, my arms above my head as he takes in a slow, cleansing breath, his eyes closed softly, and I take the opportunity to look at him a little closer.

His arms are strong and steady, the ink crawling up his forearms are like little breadcrumb clues, scattered through the forest and leading to the person within.

"Ally, concentrate," he says without opening his eyes and I frown to myself, wondering how the hell he knew I wasn't paying attention.

"Don't call me that," I complain as I watch him move onto all fours.

"Ey!" he drags out. "You are listening," he smirks as he turns his head towards me and waits for me to mimic his body.

I try and keep up as best as I can over the next little while, thankful he seems so centred that he isn't paying too much attention to me and although he makes it look completely effortless, I am struggling to even get my body into the correct positions.

"Downward dog," he breathes out the instruction for the third time in a matter of a few minutes, his eyes still closed as he straightens his legs.

Blood is rushing to my head, my breathing anything but easy and steady.  My wrists are aching as they support my body and I'm sure I'm doing this wrong in every way. 

I can't stop the grunt that exhales through my nose as I try not to collapse and I have no doubt that I look like a baby giraffe attempting to take its first steps.

Just when I feel like this couldn't get any worse, Harry, who looks like he is so calm he could take a nap like this, turns to see my sad state of affairs and immediately pushes back onto his legs to stand.

I take this as a cue to stop and my knees hit the floor with a thud.

"One more time," he says softly as he stands next to me, his voice completely void of judgement.

I sigh and launch back up into the yoga pose that Harry laughably mentioned is a 'resting' pose yet has me literally out of breath.

My skin tingles as his hand runs along my back, despite the thick material separating us, and he pushes down to apply the tiniest bit of pressure, my body complying to his request.

"That's it, Lex," he purrs and my heart thumps harder than I thought possible. "Push back so your weight shifts from your wrists," he tries but I huff in annoyance when I become too aware of the strain on my arms and I give up with a grunt and a tumble onto the floor.

"S'okay, you're doing really good," Harry encourages as I gather myself together and finally stand to meet him.  My face burning from being upside down and I try and smooth down my wild hair, annoyed at myself, and a little at him, for making me do something I didn't want to do.

"I can't do it, Harry!" I bark in frustration.

My body ignites as he places his hands on my hips and bends his knees to reach my eye level.

"Did you just stomp your foot?" he jokes gently and I breathe out a laugh as I rub my eye, trying to shake the last half an hour from my mind.

"You're kinda cute when you're cranky," he bites the inside of his mouth as he tries to stifle a smile and I hold my breath as his fingers reach up and tuck my hair behind my ear.

"Thanks," I mumble, watching his emerald eyes study the actions of his own hand.

"I said kinda," a sly smile creeps up one side of his face before winking to soften the blow and my heart skips a beat. "Alright love, you've earned yourself a coffee," he announces as he pulls away.

"Breakfast's on you," I add and he raises his eyebrows in jest.

"Oh really, Miss I-have-shit-to-do?"

"Well, I have to hold you accountable for your actions and the torture you just put me through."

His smile lights up his face as he cackles into the air.

"I've never heard anyone describe yoga as torture before but I accept my error in judgment," he grins and I don't know what possesses me to gently shove my shoulder into his chest as we laugh together at my misfortune.

A/N:

How's everyone feeling about H&A?

They are getting closer!

Have a great weekend

Love Ruby

x