"You don't marry someone you can live with-you marry someone you can't live without." (Unknown)

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other." (Audrey Hepburn)

"Oh, how a quiet love can drown out every fear." (Jessica Katoff)

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." (Rumi)

"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." (Victor Hugo)

"You are my sun, my moon, and all my stars." (E.E. Cummings)

"You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not." (Jodi Picoult)

The red pickup truck rumbled up the driveway just as the sun was beginning to set, squeaking in protest as the tires rolled up the driveway. When it finally came to a stop Harry exited before going around to the passenger's side to open the door for Asta. She smiled, taking his hand when he offered to help her out. It was little gestures like this that made her fall in love with him all over again. Harry kept hold of her as they made their way to their house, waiting until they were inside to let go. They had been married for a short time, but the romance was not fading in the slightest. Indeed, it only grew. He would take every opportunity he could to show his affection for Asta, whether it was leaving a bouquet of flowers at her station at the Clinic or fixing her breakfast. Harry had even gone to her father to find out what her favorite type of flowers were and to learn how to prepare food. He always thought of her in everything he did.

"Thank you for taking me out to dinner after work."

"You're welcome. Did you enjoy the pizza?"

"Yes, but I have to say I prefer your cooking. You've become quite the chef."

"I'm glad you think so. It took me a while to stop burning food."

"Just the fact that you were thinking of me is more than enough."

Asta leaned up and placed her lips on his, trying to convey through the kiss how much she loved and cared for him. He did not hesitate to respond, gently prodding her mouth with his tongue to gain better access as he pulled her close against him until their chests touched. She could hear their hearts beating in perfect unison, a song of pain, of loss, of love, and of hope. Only when she felt a soreness in her shoulders did she pull away.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm just a little stiff is all. It was a long day."

"Hmm. Perhaps we could go into the bedroom and I could help you feel better."

"I don't think doing that tonight would be the best idea. Maybe tomorrow after I get some rest."

"So you don't want a massage?"

At realizing her mistake Asta laughed, causing Harry to tilt his head to the side in confusion.

"I don't understand. What's so funny?"

"I thought you meant something else."

"Oh! Well, I still want to do that too, but I can wait."

"I'd still like to take you up on your offer, though."

"I'd love to indulge you."

Asta walked with him to their room and, once they changed clothes, she lied down on her stomach, feeling the bed creak slightly under Harry's weight. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gingerly rubbing them as he worked to relieve the tension stored there. She sighed under her husband's touch, lowering her eyes in contentment. He leaned down, placing a kiss in the spot right below her ear, then carefully nipped it. Pleasure coursed through her and she was amazed at how much a simple action could affect her. With every minute the soreness lessened, each caress of his driving it further and further until it was gone.

"Thank you, Harry. I feel so much better now. You always know how to make the pain go away."

At her words he lowered his eyes, fingering a loose thread on the comforter.

"What's the matter? I didn't say something wrong, did I?"

"No. I just remember that I hurt you when I lied about what my device was and about killing the doctor. I should never have done that."

Asta recalled that moment with absolute clarity. When she found out that he had lied to her she felt devastated. She thought there were no more secrets between them until then, that he trusted her fully. To find out that he committed such a terrible act and lied to her about it wounded her to the bone. And when Harry had begged her to stay, the feeling only got worse. Every choked sob he emitted pierced her heart to the point where she could barely move.

"You're correct. You were wrong to want to destroy people, to murder a man, and to lie about it. But you didn't go through with your plan in the end and that's what matters."

"You had to tell me a half-truth in order to do so."

"I had no choice. I couldn't let everyone die."

Harry shook his head and reached over to cup her cheek.

"I was not blaming you. I am glad you did that. Because, if you hadn't, I would have destroyed everything. I did not understand at the time why that was so horrible, but now I do. You taught me that people matter and that every life on this planet is important. Because of you I learned to care for others. Even though I was angry at first I realized how smart you were in your actions. You saved me from myself."

"I'm so proud of you, Harry. You've come such a long way and more than proven to me that you're not the same person anymore. I might have not been entirely honest with you then, but I am now when I say that I believe you."

Harry was quiet for a minute, then reached out and hugged her to him, being careful not to grasp her too tightly. It wasn't until she felt him shake that Asta realized he was crying. So she let him weep into her shirt, wetting it with his tears as she tried her best to soothe him. When there were none left she went to the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth that she ran under the sink, and dabbed the reddened area around his eyes.

"You know, I never understood it until I met you."

"What do you mean?"

"The other me told me that the hurt I felt when Isabelle left was rejection, not love. That love was joy and fury wrapped up in hope. I didn't understand what he meant until you left. It felt like my whole world was gone. And I knew, when you asked, that I couldn't destroy yours. You hold my heart and always will."

Asta placed her hand on his chest like she had in those final moments when she thought she would never see him again, Harry moving his own over it. No matter what happened in the past, the future stretched ahead of them, bright and wondrous. They would journey forth together into the unknown, firm in the knowledge that their love would not be broken by anyone or anything.

[these notes were written sometime before]

I just watched Episode Ten and, I have to admit, I was very angry after mistakenly believing that Harry truly meant that he loved Isabelle. Thankfully, my HarryAsta family once again knocked some sense into my thick skull and pointed out that Dead!Harry told him that it was rejection he felt and not love. After going back through the episode it turns out they were right and the explanation he gives when asked how he knows he loves his wife is exactly how Harry feels about Asta. Which, to me at least, means that he has feelings for her but just doesn't know it yet. I hope others think the same. Also, please leave a review if you like this and my other stories! They keep me going!

[special thanks to smithsbabe65 for inspiring the part where Asta tells Harry he "came such a long way".]

[Notes:]

*The series title is inspired by florence-pew.