harrys-yellow-snow

[harrys-yellow-snow]

ILLUSIONS [h.s] - Chapter 1

❛ ━━･❪ series trigger warnings ❫ ･━━ ❜

- hallucinations

- schizophrenia (not severe)

- blood (lots)

- heavy mentions of death

- murder (lots)

- mental hospitals

- night terrors

- drug usage/mentions

- alcohol consumption

- hints at sexual content (no detailed scenes)

Let the mysteries begin...

Word Count: 4984

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The slam of a cardboard box and the shrill echo of the doorbell lifted her off of her couch. When she opened the door, a tall, lanky delivery man-who looked as though he was close to forty-two or forty-three-handed her an overly sanded clipboard. The corkboard-like texture scraped across her nimble fingers as she adjusted her grip to fit comfortably. She messily scribbled her signature, just above the poorly printed line. Nova Corbyn. The man smiled without a word, handing her the package and she closed the door with a careful click behind her as he walked away.

"Finally," Nova sighed to herself, falling back down onto her plush couch with the box in her hands. She had prepared for this moment just a few minutes prior, laying out the sharp box knife and dragging a garbage bin over from the kitchen to break down the box and toss the packing tape in the trash. She deeply considered keeping the bubble wrap, though. She took the knife and made a cut through the seam of the box, roughly peeling it apart. Her rigid, short fingernails made it difficult to latch onto the cardboard, not being able to dig into it. With a sudden jump of both the box and her, lightly bouncing up and down on the couch, a look of concern scrunched across her face.

Nova began to rummage inside, looking around every nook and cranny of the box for the materials she needed, proceeding to then rip the box apart and push down the extra trash that was already in the kitchen bin. She figured she would take it outside and empty it later. A grin spread across her face and filled her veins with tranquility and relief. The sunlight from the open window reflected onto the product she received. The light moved flawlessly against the ceiling of the same hue with every small movement she made.

She smiled as her eyes met the newest camera model. For months of doing photography jobs nearby, as well as spending money on classes for her own enjoyment, Nova eventually saved up enough to afford the most advanced, highly recommended model for photography students. A couple of her friends that she met in her classes kept bragging about the perfection that only could be executed with the newest model. She shook her head at first, but realized how beautiful the pictures they took really were, so she made it her main priority to save for it. Nova tilted the camera in her hands, unknowingly blushing at its contents. She never expected to be so happy-so excited to see a camera. Her younger self would most likely not approve, passionate about wanting to be a roller skater to impress the boys, but she hadn't thought about that in years. The only thing on her mind at that moment was the beautiful creation she got her hands on. If someone ever asked her anything about this camera, she would happily sit them down, make them a cup of soothing English tea, and talk until their ears burned a bright red. For some, that would only be a few minutes before they excused themselves and never came back, leaving her with only the nervous tapping of her own feet and the careful whispers of people around her.

Now, was her first test. She stood up, keeping her balance by holding onto the edge of the couch, and carefully looked around her apartment. The living room was a disaster, if you would even call it a "living" room. Pillows weren't arranged as neatly as they should have been, the carpet had a few drink stains she had forgotten to wipe up, the couch cushions were uneven, and the television cable wires were so jumbled up that she never bothered to fix them, knowing she would bring unimaginable stress levels upon herself, so she spent all her money on streaming instead. Her eyes trailed to the kitchen next. Dishes and silver utensils were piled up in the sink from dinner the night before and this morning's breakfast. The dining table's cloth was uneven, so were the chairs-one wasn't even pushed in-and one was pushed too far that the front two legs were lifted off of the cold, hard kitchen tile. She sighed when she thought of the contents inside of the refrigerator. She didn't even want to go in there. She didn't want to live this messy life, but constantly joked about how she was too lazy to clean it.

Nova made her way into the kitchen, keeping her eyes on the dining room chairs. The table sat next to a small window overlooking the streets of London below. A park was visible when she lifted the blinds, but she shut them again so it wouldn't interfere with the very precarious lighting. She got on her knees, almost on her stomach, to examine how exactly she wanted the legs of the wooden chairs to be placed. She could see the miniature dents in the flimsy wood from all the times it accidentally collided into the thicker table leg in the dark. She quickly grabbed a towel from next to the sick and wiped the floor so it would shine just a little brighter than it never did before and brought the back of the chair down to the floor. She imagined a drunk man-probably coming on forty-six years-having just fallen off of his chair from laughing so hard. A belly laugh. The kind of laugh you don't find very often. She could visualize the person sitting across from him pushing his chair out with heavy concern, rushing over to help his friend.

The scene in her mind flashed by as she quickly inserted a memory card inside and set up the camera. The focus had to be just right. The lighting fixed itself and she snapped the first picture. The ideas of the scene flooded through as fast as her camera shuttered. It came out phenomenal. Nova wasn't looking for total originality, considering this was just a test, but she was genuinely surprised that she was able to succeed in making her photos look as stunning as her fellow students'. Of course, they traveled all throughout the British Isles to capture the most magnificent photos of the hills of Northern Ireland or the infamous thunderclouds of London. But all Nova needed were two cheap wooden chairs and natural lighting shining in through the open windows around noon and the camera would do the rest for her.

She glanced over at the analog clock above the nearby bathroom door. A small smile spread across her face, thinking that now would be a great time for her to go outside and take some pictures. Barely any clouds were in the sky, weirdly enough, so she speculated that it would be fine.

When Nova packed her new camera in her bag and made her way to the car, she settled inside and sat back against the warm leather seat. The middle of May was much warmer than usual. The sun never beat down this hard in the middle of spring. The animals were confused because the week before, the temperature was 12 degrees, but today it was 25. Birds and squirrels were frantically gathering food, but didn't realize the temperature change. She felt all over the steering wheel to check for the warmest spot, but it was all relatively cool. She started the car and took off. She drove slowly at first, taking in the beautiful scenery that was near her apartment complex. Tall oak trees, their branches hanging over the road just barely, so no one would be concerned that they were going to snap and fall onto the street or a passing car. She saw squirrels scurry across the street thirty feet ahead. One dropped a nut, but went back to pick it up and rush up a tree.

Nova loved London. There wasn't much more she could say about it, though. She loved the people (at least, a majority), the tourist attractions, and especially the food. It was comforting. A comfort that she couldn't describe because it felt so natural. She had lived here her whole life, in the same general area. Her parents lived a couple blocks down, but finally allowed her to get herself a place of her own a few months before.

She drove past a couple of bookstores and coffee houses, but they weren't the ones she was looking for. Growing up in London, her mother always took her to a certain coffee house. She got black coffee and let Nova pick out a pastry from the unpopular bakery section. Most customers complained about the cakes being too sweet or too dry, or the muffins being too crumbly or not crumbly enough. The owners of the shop were almost going to shut it down, but Nova came by every week, scurrying up to the counter and smiling, her arms resting on the high platform above her. Her dimples were loud and proud, earning her smiles of affection and adoration from the employees of the coffee shop. One week, the cashier's tender heart strings were pulled at the sight of four year old Nova, so she took her hand and led her to the bakery. Nova already knew where it was, but she loved savoring the journey across the small coffee house, taking in the smell of the pastries and freshly ground coffee beans. Nova never understood how this was one of the most unpopular coffee houses in London at the time, but it had gained a liking because they got rid of the pastries when Nova stopped coming around.

The car rolled into the slanted parking lot and she took her keys out, sliding them into her pocket. The five stairs up to the coffee house were steep, her knees rising just above her waistline with every step. She held onto the warm, steel railing and entered the building with the ring of a bell. The atmosphere gave her instant flashbacks. Dragging away from her mother, rushing in and looking up at the front counter. The teeny tips of her fingers would grip tight against the marble as she tried to pull herself up. Her mother would take her and sit her down on the counter, the cold streaming through her. She giggled when it tickled. Her smile was adored by the entire staff and almost every customer in the shop, (except for the grumpy old Tim in the back. He never smiled, even when a pretty waitress passed by his table). Then she would smell it. The fresh, endangered pastries she longed for all week. Her mother told her that if she did well in school that week, then they would get to go. She ended up taking Nova anyway, even if she caused some trouble amongst her peers.

"Hello, what can I get you today?" The cashier slipped her apron on and smiled at Nova, who was rummaging through her bag when she walked up to the counter. She was taken aback for a moment when she recognized the woman. Somehow. Her sagging cheeks and ocean blue eyes complimented greatly along with her blonde bob haircut and her bright smile. She wore the classic white employee tee and black slacks underneath her red apron. A thin pearl necklace dangled from around her neck, finishing and looping back around just above her shirt's neckline.

Hi," Nova said, putting her camera bag on the counter, "could I just get a flat white, please?"

"Of course, love," the woman said, taking Nova's money and clicking it into the cash register. Another woman came out from the back, gasping, startling Nova.

"Is that you?" She exclaimed. Her excitement very closely resembled a friend of a preschool parent who had just walked into the school lobby on the first day of kindergarten, not having seen them all summer.

"Mrs. Johnson?" Nova also said excitedly. Smiles spread across both of their faces, letting the stares of the other customers, some sweet, some not, crawl down their necks.

"Nova? Oh my goodness, sweetheart," Mrs. Johnson, who looked a lot like the other woman, whose name Nova couldn't quite remember, took her face in her hands and squished her cheeks like any loving grandmother would. "You've grown up so much! Janice, Margaret, come see this!" Two women, including the nameless one, rushed out. Shocked expressions hit them as soon as they realized who it was.

Nova sat down with them after their long greetings and the making of her flat white. "How did you all recognize me?"

"You have that same face, hun'," Janice, the first woman Nova encountered, said.

"Those cute dimples are the same!" Margaret cut in, poking in and pinching her cheek. Nova hadn't been behind the counter or behind that secret kitchen door in a long time. It had been years, for sure, and even though it was a distant memory, it all felt the same. The same scent of freshly ground coffee beans, the same feel of the marble counter against her soft skin, the same loving greetings from her favorite employees.

"You're such a big girl now," Janice said.

"Do you live on your own now?" Mrs. Johnson broke her silence. For the life of her, Nova couldn't remember her first name, but she assumed it would be much more respectful to refer to her by her last name anyway.

"Yeah, but my family is still close by. I see them every few weeks and I keep them updated."

"How's your mother? Oh, she's such a nice woman," Margaret said, sipping from a cup of coffee she had just brewed a couple minutes before.

"She's been doing well. I spoke to her and my father yesterday and they're enjoying themselves. They told me they're going to plan a vacation together."

"Did they invite you?" A young man asked, pouring steaming hot milk into a cup of coffee, mixing a flower into it.

"Yeah, they did. I wanted them to finally have some time together, so I'm not going. They haven't been on a vacation by themselves since before I was born."

"That's sweet of you," Mrs. Johnson said, "what's this you've got with you? Books for school or something?"

"Oh, no. This is my new camera. I got it in the mail this morning."

"You're a photographer? Filmmaker?" The boy in the back asked, wiping the coffee cup from any excess drips that might have escaped.

"Photographer, yes. I'm taking some classes. I got a little jealous that everyone had this new camera, so I saved up the money by doing some... gigs, I guess you could call it. Taking wedding photos, commissions, family pictures, and some nearby schools for picture day. It took a few months, but I finally got enough. I need to test it out, though."

"Why don't you test it out here? There's plenty of things for you to take pictures of!" Janice said, pushing her chair back and leading Nova through the kitchen. The boy handed her her bag and they swerved around the corner of the counter. A strange mix of nostalgia and deja vu surged through her when Janice's hand grabbed her. The wrinkles set neatly into Nova's smooth skin. They weren't just friends to her. They were a distant family.

She took Nova through the doors and back into the coffee house. Some people looked at them, but it didn't matter.

"Do you want to take some in here or outside? It's beautiful out and the flowers are finally blooming."

"Outside would be nice, yes." Janice led her through the doors and sat on the top step as Nova set her bag on the ground. She took out her camera and searched the surrounding area for the prettiest spots to photograph. Patches of yellow, red, orange, and purple flowers were spread all throughout the flower boxes, blossoming at the sight of the sun. With Janice watching from the stairs and Margaret coming out of the coffee house and sitting next to her coworker, Nova gets down on her knees, adjusts the angle and the focus, and snaps a couple of pictures. First of the red and orange patches, then of the yellow and purple patches, (which Nova realized was a great color theory move on the gardener's part). She traveled across and around the coffee house, with Janice and Margaret following closely behind like little ducklings, begging to see the pictures she took. Nova stopped by a couple spots before showing them; the scraped up back door, the brick wall, and the dumpsters.

"Oh, honey!" Janice exclaimed, "they look great!"

"Thank you!" Nova said, scrolling through the rest of the pictures in the camera. Of course, there weren't many, but she was satisfied with the simplicity.

"Could you take one of us now?" Margaret asked, leaning her head closer to Janice and smiling. Janice joined in too. Nova was surprised by the sudden request, but also the sudden obligation to take it anyway.

She tilted the camera towards them and they squealed with excitement, jumping up and down like little kids.

"You're so talented, love," Janice said, pinching the younger one's cheek. Margaret followed along with a pinch of her own.

"Thank you," Nova mumbled again, her cheeks flushing a dark red as she looked through the pictures she took a couple more times to distract herself from the embarrassment.

"Would you like to head back inside? Or do you have more pictures to take?" Margaret asked.

"We could go inside," she answered, her hand being taken by Margaret and led up the front stairs again. She didn't understand why they didn't go through the back door when it was right next to them.

"We're sorry we don't have your favorite croissants for you anymore, hun'," Mrs. Johnson said when they all sat down at the counter again. The boy working in the back brought out a brand new flat white for her and smiled, hurrying away again.

"Oh, no," Nova said, "it's no problem."

"We're not very good at baking, or you could tell, or else we'd still have the bakery," Janice sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I thought you were wonderful at baking," Nova said, taking a light sip of her coffee. The first sip of warm liquid flowed through her veins as quickly and easily as her blood. It cooled and swiftly slid through her body as she took another drink.

"Well, we need more than one person to tell us that, and so far, you're the only one."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"No, it's fine. We're doing fine without it, honestly. It's not like there was a drastic drop in sales. Orders practically stayed the same. We did raise the price of some beverages, though, just because we were running short," Mrs. Johnson explained, wiping down the counter with a gray, fluffy rag. Nova could smell the newly washed scent of the rag, and the detergent she used along with it.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Nova said, "you all are doing great, even without my mom buying pastries every weekend. I'm really proud of you guys for making it through this far, honestly. Now you're quite popular!"

Janice tapped her wrinkly fingers on the cold, marble counter, "not as popular as the coffee house down the block. They've got customers lined up even before the shop opens. Hours, even. We have customers come in hours after we open."

"A few writers and journalists come in early, though. That's been happening a lot more recently," the boy cut in after coming out from the back with a coffee for a customer across the shop.

"I'm guessing they like the open space, minimal distractions, and really, just looking out at the people out on the street," Nova speculated, "when do you open, compared to your busiest hours?" She took another sip of her flat white.

"We open at 7 in the morning," Mrs. Johnson explained, "and our busiest hours are right around now, actually." She guided her hand through the almost empty coffee house. Nova heard a sigh come from Mrs. Johnson and Margaret.

"It's a weekday, though. Most people are at work. I bet it'll get busier later today, when they're on their lunch breaks. If I remember correctly, you serve other drinks, rather than just coffee, right?"

"Yes," Janice said. "We have all kinds of teas and water." The boy nodded along, sitting on the empty stool next to Nova, but refusing to make eye contact. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught onto his unusual outfit compared to his coworkers. He was wearing a bright red visor and a red apron, while his coworkers were dressed in light green aprons and wore hair nets when necessary.

"Well, that's better for the customers in the middle of the day," Nova trailed off, finishing her coffee and handing the cup to the boy, letting him hurry into the shadows, cheeks flushing when their fingers brushed.

After some time and a casual conversation, Nova got up and pushed in her stool, "well, I better get going now. It was lovely seeing you all again." She smiled and waved goodbye, just like the rest of them, holding their hearts when she flashed those dimples. The fresh air that hit her face as she stepped outside filled her with joy and tranquility. It didn't last for long because she got right back in her car and blasted the air until her legs shivered. She drove slow through the city, watching the people pass by and the clouds curl and iron out above her.

As Nova gripped the steering wheel tight when she turned around the bend, memories flooded back to her. She remembered that her father bought her this car when she was old enough to drive. However, she didn't drive it for a couple years, the fear of driving creeping up on her every time it was brought up. She couldn't stand-couldn't bear-seeing the news whenever there was a car accident in the general area. Paranoia quickly built inside of her and spread through her veins until she could barely get in the passenger's seat. But one morning, her father convinced her something-something she would never forget. "Keep your eyes on the road. If your eyes aren't on the road, you're not gonna get anywhere." So, with that statement planted in her mind for the rest of her life, she hasn't taken her eyes off of the road. Her vision covered every inch of the pavement in front of her and her car, and every surrounding speck of matter. In the beginning, her eyes darted around like a bullet, but she quickly learned how to use her peripheral view effectively. She still has trouble taking her eyes off the open road and looking in her mirrors.

A park could be seen around the corner of an old bookstore. Luckily, there were a few parking spots open for Nova to stop. This park was definitely one implanted in her memories. On weekends, after finishing her pastry from the coffee house, her mother would drive her down to this park, only a few minutes away. Some days, there were a lot of kids there, but on the breaks from school, almost no one was there because they all had enough money for overseas vacations to the states of an exotic island in the Caribbean. The last thing Nova wanted to think about was the lack of money her family had and the looks of disdain her classmates would have on their faces when they looked in her direction.

The air seemed warmer than before, if that was even possible, and she locked up the car. The crowds were at a decent level, a few couples interlocking arms around every turn of the path. The faint then very vibrant chirping of birds overhead let out a sigh of relief. She never thought about why it took her so long to come here again, but it was good to be back.

A fountain sat peacefully in the middle of the park, attracting a few pedestrians tossing their pennies in. Nova never believed in wishing, but she admired the people who did. Whether it would be a wish meant for a deity or an important person in their life, she watched these believers from afar, respecting their life's work and purpose, even if it wasn't all the same.

Nova set her camera bag down next to the fountain and an older woman, who looked at her with a surprised expression. Nova returned one until the woman smiled.

"What do you have there?" she asked, pointing her wrinkled finger at the bag. She had a pile of bird seed in her other hand and a mini sack of pennies beside her.

"Oh," Nova said, zipping open the bag, "this is my camera bag."

"You're a photographer?"

"A wannabe photographer, yes," Nova laughed. "I just got this camera today, so I'm testing some stuff out." She got a really cool shot of the water streaming up from the bottom of the fountain. The magic of fountains never crossed her mind. How did the water shoot up? Where was it all coming from? The picture she just took got her wondering.

"When did you start?" The woman asked, throwing some bird seed out onto the sidewalk.

"A couple years ago. I was looking through some fashion magazines and I thought, 'hey, I wanna do that.' So, I guess I am now," she chuckled again, snapping a couple more pictures of the birds that landed to gather the bird seed and the trees swaying in the calm spring breeze.

"What magazines did you look through?" Nova was surprised by how many questions a normal woman was asking about her passions. No one she's ever met has asked her this much about her photography, and it's only been a few minutes.

"Oh," she started, "just the usual. Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, you know? They have great fashion, of course, but they're great for studying portraits."

The woman tossed more bird seeds onto the path and nodded, "those are some good ones."

Nova hummed in response.

There wasn't much of a conversation afterwards, just 'good luck' to finish off the afternoon. This sent Nova home with a satisfied grin on her face. Finally, someone who seemed to care about her passions.

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Almost as soon as she sat down and got herself comfortable in the best corner of the couch, her phone rang. She groaned, but answered it anyway.

"Hello?" she couldn't sound less enthused.

"Nova?"

"Hey, Christina. What's up?"

Christina sighed, "I told you to stop calling me Christina. Doesn't Chris sound better?"

"Sorry, Chris."

"No, it's fine. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to take a customer call for me. He's been giving me a hard time, but I bet you're nice enough to help him."

"What's his problem?" Nova fidgeted with the hem of her shirt and put her feet up on the coffee table, pushing a coaster to the edge with her blue toed socks.

"He's claiming everything's too expensive or something. Honestly, I don't know. You might be able to get it out of him better than I could."

"S-sure," Nova hesitated. Instantly, her phone was transferred to a static nightmare. "Hello?"

"Who is this?" The man sounded older, maybe in his forties with a layer of wrinkles on his forehead and a growing double chin. And, oh gosh, he was American.

"Chris transferred me to you because you claimed to be having some problems with pricing, is that correct?"

"Yes! Major pricing problems! Who makes a camera for three hundred and fifty dollars? Back in my day, they were only a few bucks a piece! How long does it take to make these cameras? How much does it cost to make them-?"

"Sir," Nova started, silently sighing, "these cameras are incredibly expensive. They weren't like cameras back then. Plus, conversion rates are different. We don't have dollars here. We have pounds. And since they're such advanced cameras, they're much more expensive than throw-away cameras used a couple decades ago."

"I won't continue to order from this business ever again if the prices aren't lowered! You little bitch won't help me..." he muttered.

"Sir! That kind of language isn't tolerated or else I might have to report you."

"I'm not wrong! You won't help me!"

"I have no control over prices. I can't change them. I can only help people with their camera questions, like different models or features of the camera. I can't do much else."

"I'm gonna figure out where you live, you little bitch, and make sure you tell me why everything is so expensive! This is absurd!"

"Sir," her voice shook, but the rest of her body could barely move, "sir, I'm going to have to hang up the phone now. P-please call another time." She hung up. She didn't even consider bothering Chris with it again. She figured that Chris would call her back if it was necessary.

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The rest of the afternoon, until around seven at night, went smoothly. She ate lunch, which she realized was technically her breakfast, and she was preparing for dinner. She looked around her kitchen, searching for something interesting to eat. Another sandwich? Macaroni and cheese? She considered an entire steak, but she should've started cooking the moment she woke up that morning. She settled on a more formal pasta than macaroni and cheese.

As the noodles were dropped into the pot, the phone rang again. She took a deep breath again until she saw the caller ID. Dad.

"Hello?" she said again, stepping away from the bubbling water.

"Nova-" He was choking on his first word. She could practically see the tears streaming down his cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

"Your mother's dead."

❛ ━━･❪ end of chapter ❫ ･━━ ❜

hello! my friends were begging me to post this everywhere, but this is just a starter chapter for now. i'll be posting the next chapter when i get to 35k words on the total story and i have around 10k left until then, so it might be a while until the next chapter.

[harrys-yellow-snow]

ILLUSIONS - a sneak peek

New fan fic! i'm not sure when i'll start posting, but i'll put the first chapter up for sure, as well as on my wattpad @taepsaev

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"If the chains are broken, are you truly free?"

Nova Corbyn, an aspiring photographer loses everything. All hope is lost until a stranger is interested to know about her passions. The thrilling murder mystery pushes them together but unexpectedly pulls them apart.

wattpad cover above ^^

STARRING

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NOVA CORBYN

• 26 •

imagine her however you want, even if there's descriptions in the story :)

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HARRY STYLES

• 27 •

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KIERAN STOLL

• 37 •

imagine him however you want, even if there's descriptions.

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NIALL HORAN

• 27 •

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LOUIS TOMLINSON

• 29 •

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so far, there is no set schedule due to constant writer's block and high, stressful expectations I place on myself. I hope to gain more motivation in the future, considering I'm working on a project for school and this little secret project ;)

please look forward to this! i really hope you enjoy it!

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[harrys-yellow-snow]

WELL ITS BEEN A MINUTE

I’m working on a project, bear (bare? I’m actually dumb) with me. It’s a harry styles psychological thriller thingy. I’m only 5 chapters into it but like, 20k words, so it’s pretty hefty already. I’ve been in a writers block, though, which kinda sucks, BUT I WILL TRY MY BEST.

I’ll also be putting it on wattpad! My wattpad is @taepsaev (yes there’s a tumblr called that and it’s my old one lmao. Go follow it even tho it’s not active anymore).

Istg I actually ghost so many people. ANYWAY PLEASE PLEASE LOOK FORWARD TO IT I THINK ITS GONNA BE GREAT!

[harrys-yellow-snow]

new project...?

i don't know if anyone will see this but i'm working on a big project! the masterlist will come out once the first chapter is released, which i don't know when that'll be. i'm not giving any hints unless you beg me in my ask me anything lmao

in the mean time, here's a cute harry gif to brighten your day! (not my gif)

[harrys-yellow-snow]

😭

Don't mind if I just wanna...

Picture credit to lifewithlaurel

[harrys-yellow-snow]

MY HEARTTTTT

Harry Styles | Love On Tour London | Wembley 1 | 13-06-23

Photo : nikkimarieJPG

[harrys-yellow-snow]

perfect - an h.s one shot °•. ✿ .•°

PART FIVE - FINAL PART

read part one here ! part two here ! part three here ! part four here !

word count: 3.5k

themes/triggers/tropes: fluff, angst, lime, arguing, fake dating, relationship...fixing?

New York City was cooler than usual the night Nova arrived. Around May or June, the nights were almost as hot as the middle of the afternoon. She settled down and went to sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she received a text from Harry.

H.♡: I’m in New York. Can I come to your place?

Nova sighed, opening the text. A bright blue bubble filled her vision as she read it over again. Only a few words changed her mood for the day completely. Her fingers got to work, even though they didn’t need to work much.

Nova: Sure.

She placed her phone down again and went into the kitchen. How long until he gets here? She thought. Probably not long, so she started making a cup of tea. She poured the tea in with the bag, tossed in three sugars, and a tiny cup of milk, stirred it, all within a couple minutes. 

A knock at the door came along with a short text from him. She opened it with a deep breath. She was met with that same tall figure in a black sweatshirt and sunglasses sitting on his slightly curved hairline. He smiled, standing upright after leaning against the doorframe, putting his phone into his pocket.

“Wasn’t expecting you to come to the city. Come in.” She opened the door wider and he instantly sat at her favorite spot, looking out at the city skyline. The Empire State Building was glistening in the sunlight.

“How have you been?” he asked softly with his fingers stroking his chin as he turned to face her.

Nova laughed as she went over to the kitchen and took the napkin off of the top of the tea cup. She went over to him and handed it to him, much to his surprise. “We saw each other a couple days ago. Nothing’s changed.”

“Alright. Thanks for the tea.” He took a sip and looked out the window again.

“Has anything changed with you?”

“I broke up with Evangeline.”

“What? Why?”

He stared at her and gave no response.

“Were things going wrong?” She asked. He let out a scoff and put his tea down. Nova uncomfortably shifted on the couch. 

“You don’t listen to me, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I told you that I started dating her so I could get over you. She agreed with the idea, but she claimed that I used her, which made me feel great,” he said with a sarcastic tone in his voice. Nova slightly raised an eyebrow and then remembered. Yes, he did tell her about that.

“So I guess you’re over me,” she replied. Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his temple.

“Did the other night not prove to you that I want you back?”

The memories flashed through her head as she stared into those glowing green eyes. The clothes on the floor, the dim lights, the curtains closed, just a little sunlight seeping through onto the bed. Those sinful sounds that replayed in her head every time she looked at him.

“Yes, yes it did.”

“Good,” he said reassuringly. “You’re not going to make yourself any tea?”

“No, not right now.”

“Oh, alright.” They sat in that uncomfortable silence until he finished his tea and had enough of the city view. He got up and went over to the sink to wipe out the cup with soap and water and place it back in the cabinet with the other floral designed cups.

“Ah, I wish you’d have given me this blue cup. It looks beautiful.”

“Oh, sorry,” she said in the same sarcastic tone he had before. He laughed and sat on the couch next to her. His arm slowly crept behind her back, his hand grasping her shoulder and he pulled her closer. Her head unintentionally landed on his shoulder. She could practically feel that perfect grin spread across his face.

“How did Evangeline feel about you breaking up with her?” Nova snuck her hand across his chest and tapped a finger on his collarbone. Why did this feel wrong?

“She wasn’t too happy. She yelled at me a bunch, told me I was using her and that I was a liar. She’s the one that came up with the goddamn idea and I told her that. I told her we were just friends, then I went back inside. I wanted to help her, but it felt wrong.” He explained.

“She shouldn’t have treated you like that. You clearly said it was fake dating, didn’t you?”

“I did.” He quickly turned his head down to look at her as her head crept onto his chest. A small smirk twitched on his lips, but they formed into a thin line. “Was she using me?” 

“Nobody was using anybody. It was just a silly little agreement…” her sentence trailed off as she walked her fingers across his chest and up to his neck. He tried his hardest not to smile, but it was practically impossible with those soft fingers touching every inch of his visible skin that they could. They went up to his hair and played with the loose strands poking out from the thin layer of gel he must have used that morning. 

“Now I probably—most definitely—lost a friend.”

“You shouldn’t have. I don’t really like the idea of fake dating, but if you claim she agreed to it, then I guess it’s fine.”

“If I claim? What are you on about?” he asked, this time in a slight whisper. “That’s what she told me.”

“I don’t want to start an argument, Harry. It really doesn’t matter because you never truly loved her, right?” she asked, positioning herself on top of, both legs on both sides of his. She was finally towering over him instead.

“T-that’s right,” he stuttered because of the new situation. Her dominant side showed as she took his face in her hands and planted a soft kiss on his lips. One after another, until she pulled away to find a pout forming from his bottom lip.

“How about we go out? Just the two of us. We haven’t done that in a while.” She climbed off of him and went over to the door to slide her jacket on.

“Where?”

“Wherever you want,” she smiled. 

“How about an art museum? A traditional museum, or maybe even a modern one. Sculptures and stuff.”

“Sure. That sounds great.” 

As they walked out, he planted a quick kiss on her forehead, making her cheek flush a bright, tomato red.

°•. ✿ .•°

At that point, paint was splattered against the marble walls of the museum. Every square inch was covered in beautiful, perfect paintings, sculptures, and pottery. He took her hand and led her into a huge room, dimly lit from translucent bulbs above. The paintings were of sailing ships, crashing through the waves of a horrendous storm, beautifully portrayed by the monotonous color schemes, spread across the lonely canvas in search for a true meaning; a meaning only the artist would understand. Deep inside, the work meant something so much more than a sailor struggling through the waves. It illustrated the artist’s fights with their mental health, possibly even physical health. It reminded her of a man sitting in a rocking chair, staring out at the midnight sea from the porch of his beach house. Clouds billowed overhead, lightning seen in the distance. Did the man seem to care? No, not at all. He was fascinated by the view. He imagined that very ship being his own. His own problems crashed through the waves, trying its best to stay afloat.

Nothing could take her away from this painting. She felt his large frame come up behind her, lightly brushing her shoulder with his leather coat. He glanced over at her and smiled with a longing stare of gratitude and sympathy. 

“You like this painting, don’t you?” He asked in a soft tone. Almost as soft as the way the dim light reflected onto the rough canvas.

She nodded, not taking her eyes off of it. He pushed her shoulder with him and she giggled, finally looking away from the painting and into his eyes. This time, they glistened, not battled. This time, they were a watery emerald, not a chipped and battered obsidian. This time, they sent butterflies to her heart, not daggers. Over the past few days, she pulled them out, one by one.

“This is really beautiful,” he muttered.

“Yeah, the whole room has paintings like this. Dark and deep in meaning. Usually to reflect the artist’s own personal struggles, but they were created so long ago that this was their only way to cope. They had no one to talk to because no one would believe them. But their canvas would. Their canvas would believe everything the artist said, no matter how traumatizing or life threatening it may have been. It was always there for them.”

“Like a therapist?”

“Exactly. Just like a therapist. We’re lucky most of us get that access to support. Back then… this could’ve been this artist’s last painting…”

“Right.” Both their voices trailed off when they realized where this conversation had led to. An ultimate disaster. They decided to move to the next room. Sculptures, exactly what Harry was looking forward to.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the effort that gets put into the making of these pieces,” he claimed, jogging up to one and almost falling over the thin banister around the artwork. He pointed to the tall, marble man with his cutest bunny smile plastered on his face. “Like, come over here,” he beckoned Nova over, “look at all these little details! You can practically see the skin texture.”

“I can see that you’re a lot more into sculptures than I am,” she said, taking the closest look she could at the face of the man, then down his torso (avoiding the privates) and down his legs to his feet. “I think they’re really cool.”

“What, because they don’t have as much spiritual and mental meaning behind them like those paintings?”

“Not entirely,” she started to explain, “I just think that more of a story can be told through the paintings. Having visually pleasing pictures is easier for me to appreciate when I can interpret it in hundreds of ways than having a singular face. Yes, full of detail, but where’s the story? So, I guess, yeah, paintings are deeper than sculptures.”

“That’s an interesting argument.”

“Are you going to start one?”

“No. I stand by my point, though. I still like my sculptures.” He smiled and gazed back to the marble figure. Nova didn’t care about the sculpture, though. She stared at him. His dark curls fell perfectly into place on his forehead. They swayed when he moved his neck up and bounced when he put it back down. His smile was like a fireplace on a cold, winter evening, sitting by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands. They would snuggle together, squeezing their shoulders against each other for extra warmth. His smile is like honey, freshly gathered from the hive. The more bees, the more work, and the more love put into it, the more beautiful it became. When that majestic grin spread across his innocent face, there were slight creases around his eyes. Little wrinkles, but not from age. Never. He’s much too young. Those creases complimented his eyes as well as a bright blue sea and sun setting on the horizon. Calming, cool breeze, slight disruptions in the sky. Yet, instead of a blue sea, his sea was green. A fern green with hints of hazel wood and polluted waters. They sparkled in any light. From the natural light seeping through the window pane to the light calling her towards him, coming straight from his heart. Near that glisten in his eyes was his button nose. 

When she ran her finger down the bridge, over the knob, and down to the tip, he would squirm and throw her that grin. Her finger would move straight down to his lips. His top lip was thin, perfectly shaped by the indentation in the middle. Moving across to the left and right are the most marvelous curves on a pair of lips she had ever seen. Down onto his bottom lip, her finger would trip up, sending the softness vibrating like the thickest guitar string. The next part that catches her eye is his neck. Baby smooth skin, all the way down to his collarbone and his chest. His arms, torso, down to his legs and feet. His backside and ankles deserved more attention.

When their eyes met, her face flushed with a strange shade of pink and red. Not quite maroon, just a bit lighter. Her blood pumped through her veins at an alarming rate, unhealthy, some would say. He grinned for her again. Her hands shuddered like being put into a freezer, but she was burning up. All of his grace and his truthfulness sum him up as the most wonderful man she had ever met. Nothing before had applied to him anymore. It was over for good, and they both knew it.

After exploring the rest of the museum, he made a suggestion.

“That was great. How about we head home now? My legs are starting to hurt.” He said, sitting down on a nearby bench in front of a huge, abstract box painting, filled with reds, blues, greens, and yellows, jumbled together in perfect harmony.

“Good idea.” Nova sat down next to him, their elbows touching. She stared down at his hand on his lap. Her fingers trailed up his leg, tapping his kneecap, which he surprisingly didn’t notice. Their fingers intertwined slowly, taking each finger and placing it in between each other. They said nothing, other than smiling. An apologetic smile came from Harry, yet a forgiving smile came from Nova. She looked out and saw a group of girls staring at them, pointing at Harry. She let go of his hand. One of the girls got on the phone and was still staring at him, excited out of her mind. One had her phone out and tried sneaking a picture.

“I-I think we should go.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him out, quickly ending up on the sidewalk and rushing down the street.

“What’s wrong?”

“People noticed us. Some girl was on the phone and another took some pictures.”

Hand in hand, she practically sprinted down the street, dragging him close behind. They were both out of breath by the time they reached the street of her apartment, but they were greeted with a not-so-pleasant surprise. At least five black cars, paparazzi came tumbling out, snapping pictures right away, charging at them. They threw each other frightening glances as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her down the road. The cars came up faster and so did the photographers. Faster than they appeared, they ended up right on their tails, cornering them. 

When Nova tried to escape, she was met with hard ground, the sidewalk crushed her face. Everything became blurry, but she felt a hand snake around her hips.

“Nova!” Harry’s hands ran across her back and over her shoulders, picking her up. A stream of thick blood slipped down her face. He covered it up with his finger, but the paparazzi were still snapping pictures of them on the ground.

She wasn’t able to tell what it was, but Harry did something remarkable to make the paparazzi scurry into their cars like little rabbits rushing away from a predator. 

“It’s alright, Nova. We’ll get you safe.” He led her down the rest of her street as she let tears and blood stream down her face. It stung, along with countless parts of her body that hit the sidewalk harder than she expected.

Her apartment was blurry from tears. He sat her down on the couch and got her a tissue. She could see his hands were covered in blood. If anyone else saw him, they’d think he had killed a man.

“Keep your head up and squeeze it hard, alright? I need to get you some gauze and hydrogen peroxide. It’s in your bathroom, right?” She nodded and he whisked himself away to get the first aid materials.

He came back with what he promised: a new bottle of hydrogen peroxide, rolls of gauze, boxes of four different sized bandages, and some paper towels. He sat down next to her and wiped her cheek with a soft tissue. Tears rolled down her cheeks and they wouldn’t stop.

“Shhh, it’s okay, darling. We’ll get you patched up, alright?” He lightly and slowly rubbed her abc and planted a kiss on her cheek, making her cheeks flush an unexpected pink. When she cried like this, she became incredibly cold, shivering from the top of her head all the way down to her toes. She would layer herself in t-shirt after hoodie after bath robe, trying to make the cold and the pain go away. Heavy layers provided her a comfort she would never have gotten from anyone else, unless he was there.

Harry began unrolling the gauze and placing a paper towel on the coffee table. He got to his knees and folded up the gauze, pouring tiny droplets of hydrogen peroxide on it. He sent her an approving glance, to which she nodded back, knowing that it might sting. It did, as he applied the gauze to her arm where part of her had fallen. He took off the gauze and wiped it with a damp paper towel. To her, this implied that it was a clean cut and no dirt crawled in.

“Let me find the rest of your cuts, love.” The way that he called her “love” made her stomach churn. She hadn’t heard him call her a term of endearment in so long. It was something she longed for, for countless days and nights, just to be known as his “love” or his “sweetheart.” Nothing warmed her heart more than that.

He traveled across her body, searching for every nick, bruise, and cut he could find. There wasn’t much he could do about the bruises, however, other than lightly poke them to see how painful they really were. She winced at the pain of a couple on her face, which he kissed for extra comfort.

After patching her up with bandages and wrapping her small muscle in gauze, he pulled her in and let her onto his lap, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“I’m really sorry.” she whispered, falling back onto his chest. He ran his hands through her hair, lightly scraping the tip of her scalp, then pulling at the ends, twisting them around his fingers.

“Why?” His voice was soft again, like that night on the phone. She could barely keep her eyes open. Every few seconds, they fluttered open again. She wanted to look up at him, but she couldn;t crane her head back far enough to see his whole face. Just his soft hair and the very edge of his hairline.

“Because I got us caught again.”

“Darling,” he kissed her head a few more times and ran his hands up her face, trying his best to avoid poking any bruises, “it was my idea to go out together. I should be the one apologizing, so I’m sorry. I’m the one that got you hurt, so I take full responsibility.” He sighed and kissed her again. If only they could stay like this forever…

“It’s alright. You saved me from being trampled, though.”

“I’d do anything for you. I made a mistake, so I tried my best to fix it,” he explained.

“We both made mistakes and fixed them, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re back together. All of that is behind us. We’re never gonna mention it again.”

“Never.”

“You promise?” She asked, turning her head to slightly face him. She had a bad feeling her neck looked incredibly strange, so she just turned her entire body, lying completely on top of him. He was surprised by this sudden movement and smiled, placing yet another kiss on her forehead and a new one on the tip of her nose.

“I promise.”

“Are you sure?” He laughed. He missed all the times they would tease each other, playing around, either with words or with each other. Having all their good memories flood back was better than no memories at all.

“Yes, love, I’m sure.” His arm snaked around her back and his hand grasped her waist. They cuddled in silence for a few minutes until Nova broke it.

“H?”

“You haven’t called me that in a while,” he smiled, stroking her hair, “what’s up?”

“Am I good enough for you?”

Harry looked mildly offended, “Why wouldn’t you be?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed, running her finger across his chest, down the firm outlines of his tight shirt, down to his stomach. He flinched and held in a giggle. “I just don’t think I meet your standards.”

“Honey,” he said, “you’re the entire reason why I have standards.”

“I’m not perfect enough. Look at me.” She picked her head up off of his chest, but he took it in his hands and closed the gap between them, sending sparks through their veins.

“Nova, you’re nothing but perfect.”

i'm not a big fan of the ending, but yk. gotta push through.

i was thinking of turning off the ask my anything chat because of mild hate comments (it's really hard for me to stay motivated when i know someone doesn't like it). so it might be a while until the next one shot.

i do appreciate the support i've gotten through this one shot, though! for those who did enjoy, how did you like it? i pantsed my way through this whole thing. that's why there's little plot holes, so it's not perfect lol.

[harrys-yellow-snow]

perfect - an h.s one shot °•. ✿ .•°

PART FOUR

read part one here ! part two here ! part three here !

word count: 4.1k

themes/triggers/tropes: fluff, angst, lime, arguing, fake dating, relationship...fixing?

“Nova,” she opened her eyes to the sound of Niall’s soft voice. He shook her lightly, allowing her to open her eyes. The haze covering her vision slowly disappeared as she sat up, rubbing them a bit. He sat at the edge of her bed with his phone in his hands. She looked at the clock on her bedside table and it read 6:24 AM.

“What’s wrong?”

“Harry called me and he wanted to speak with you.”

“What?” she slid farther down the bed until her feet were hanging off and her knees were barely touching Niall’s. 

“Do you want me to give you his number so you can talk to him? Or no. You don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to,” he said, entering the passcode of his phone, opening up his contact list. He scrolled down to the H’s and found Harry’s number.

“I mean… sure. What the hell does he want at 6:30 in the morning, though? Did he wake you?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine.”

Nova sighed. “Sure, you can give it to me. I’ve been meaning to talk to him, so I guess this is my only chance.”

She hopped over to the bedside table, then rolled back to Niall with her phone in her hands, eyes still tired, but ready to receive his number.

“Wait. I already have it, remember? I wanted to call him anyway at some point,” Nova explained, clicking on Harry’s contact. H.♡. She sighed and turned off her phone with his contact still open. She stared at the black screen then turned to face her friend again.

“I’ll call him in a bit. Thank you for telling me, Niall.”

“It’s no problem. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I need to talk to him.”

He got up, waved, and walked out after the silence had gotten too uncomfortable for both of them. 

When Nova opened her phone, she was left with an empty picture of a familiar contact. She had taken it out months ago, refusing to look at a photo of him ever again. She realized that didn;t work out too well after seeing him at the party the other night. Nova’s finger governed over the call button and she clicked it out of pure curiosity and longing. It turned black as she put it up to her ear. The dial tone echoed and bounced through her head, her heart racing as she waited. She waited for what seemed like hours before a soft voice came from the other side. She sat up straight.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” she said.

“Nova?” Her name rolled off his tongue like it never did before. He never seemed so upset, yet so happy to speak with her again. It was always hard to read him.

“Harry,” Nova replied, twisting her finger around a piece of her bed sheet that was sticking up.

“Uhm, good morning,” he mumbled. The connection shriveled, sending strange static sounds into her left ear and out the right one.

“It’s like, the middle of the night for me. What are you doing awake so early?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to call you yesterday, but Niall told me you were busy, so I didn’t think I’d bother.” His voice was smooth. Much smoother than it was after the party, considering he had probably had a couple of drinks before they first interacted. 

The two of them went silent. She could hear the rustling of his sheet through the line. It seemed like it was growing rusty. She thought of how he possibly could have looked on the other side. Messy, thin curls, resting carefully on his forehead. When she heard him sigh, she imagined his soft breath pushing them up, then meticulously landing in that same place. She thought of his fingers wrapping around the sheets, just as hers had a few minutes before. 

“I was wondering something,” Harry started, “what if…” he stopped, sighing again, “I don’t know. You’d probably say no.”

“Why? Just say it,” Nova said.

“How would you feel about coming to my place? Not in a… you know, weird way. Just for us to talk a little more.”

Nova paused, her cheeks flushing a bright red. She adjusted slightly on top of bed and cleared her throat.

“Like, in L.A.?” she asked, instantly regretting that, knowing it was obvious.

“Yeah…” he sounded concerned, “unless you wanted to go back to New York—”

“No! Let’s—let’s stay in L.A. That’s perfectly fine with me.” She smiled, but it quickly faded when she realized he couldn’t see it. She refused to smile with her teeth. Just a thin line of her lips curved upwards, small creases forming next to her eyes. The creases next to his eyes were much more prominent when he smiled, though, which made up for it for sure.

“So, when is a good time for you?” He asked.

“I doubt your girlfriend would want me there—wait. Why are you inviting me over when you still have a girlfriend? Wouldn’t she be mad?”

“She’s with her parents this weekend.”

Nova shook her head, trying not to audibly sigh, “I don’t like the idea of that, Harry.”

“It’s fine. Just, meet me later tonight, alright? You know where?”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts. If you want to talk about… whatever, we can talk when you get here.”

“Okay.”

They sat in silence once again. A lump in her throat formed. It was incredibly hard to swallow. 

“You have a nice day, okay? Niall better let you come to my house…” His voice softened up once again. It was the nicest he’d sounded in months. She forgot this is what he really was like.

“Okay,” she mumbled, “you too.” The phone disconnected after a few seconds. She threw it onto the bed and rubbed her face with her hands, yet smiling. Finally, a one on one conversation with him. She needed him back, but taking him away from his girlfriend felt like such a crime. That’s when her smile dropped and faded. He must have loved Evangeline. Then why was he letting her come to his house? What if Evangeline was actually there, ready to hurt her? SHe had to stop overthinking. Her only option was to show up on his doorstep and whatever happens, happens.

°•. ✿ .•°

The mountains on the horizon faded out in the distance. Just above his home were the tops of palm trees. She remembered all the times they would chase each other around the thin trunks of the trees while trying to grab each other by the wrists. When one of them was successful, they would pull the other one close, planting a soft kiss on their lips. It would send a shock through her, making her want more, but then he’d walk away into the house, asking her if she wanted a drink.

She lightly knocked on his door, but realized that wouldn’t gain any response. She tried again, but was taken aback by the opening of the door. She dropped her hand slowly when her eyes caught the unique shape of his frame. Tall, dark, and handsome, as the saying goes, but he was so much more than that. She started at his feet and quickly trailed her eyes up until she reached the very tip of a few ahoges. He was covered in a black sweater and dark beige shorts. Her nose scrunched when she saw his socks and sandals. He had a newly shaved face, which she noticed as he ran his index and middle fingers down the right side of his jaw. It spread out the skin and he leaned up against the doorway.

“Good evening,” he said, his voice low. A pit in her stomach grew and grew until she wanted to collapse onto the ground, but she refused to do so.

“Hi,” was all she managed to let out. He opened the door wide and led her inside.

It was just as Nova remembered it. Large glass windows, a spiral glass staircase off to the side, leading up to the many bedrooms they slept in together. As she looked around, flashes of memories came flooding back. She saw familiar, happy figures dancing, drinking on the couch, rushing upstairs, slammed against the wall, desperate for more. Nova snapped herself out of her thoughts as she saw him walk into the kitchen through a door splashed with sunlight. She followed closely behind after dropping her bags off in the living room. She sat down on the hard bar stool and rested her arms on the counter.

“Why did you want me here?” Nova asked. Harry began washing his hands, turning her back to her. His shoulders were perfectly broad, but still low enough to be likable. The muscles in his back were prominent, even through his sweater. A bit of his t-shirt underneath stuck out near his backside.

“You know why.”

“I don’t,” she lied.

“You wanted to come here. Niall told me so.” Nova didn’t respond. She longingly stared at the counter. Why was she already regretting that she came? Why did she bother to call him? She got herself together and looked up at him again. He reached up and got a bottle of vodka from the cabinet above, took it down and poured it into the glass he apparently had placed on the far end of the island. It stretched across the whole kitchen, so he was as from her as possible. That really boosted her self-esteem. 

“I know he did.”

“So, you did want to come here?”

Nova sighed, “yes. I did. Are you sure Evangeline isn’t here?” Are you sure she isn’t listening to us?

“I told you,” he said, “she’s with her family this weekend. What are you, paranoid?”

“No,” she lied again. She was more than paranoid. “If you know that I want you back, then why did you let me come here?”

He took away the stool next to me and placed it on the other side of the island. He sat down and looked me in the eyes, grasping the thin base of the glass, but refusing to take a drink. 

“I want to make things right.”

Nova’s eyes went wide, but quickly back to normal. She bit the inside of her lip and looked down. She had absentmindedly begun kicking her feet and tapping the countertop. 

“How?” she asked.

“By talking to you.”

“Nothing’s going to work. You have a girlfriend and the paparazzi—”

“She was just a coping mechanism, and she knows it.”

“What? So you’re using her?”

“No. We’ve been friends for a while. She said that she was attracted to me at some point, but that was years ago. She saw how much pain I was in after we broke up, so she came up with the brilliant idea of… fake dating? I don’t think that’s what it really is. I’m not sure, but she knows and she’s fine with it.”

Nova was not pleased with the idea of “fake dating” his friend. Was she really okay with it? What if she admitted to me that she really wants him?

“Are you sure? She seems like a really nice girl. I don’t want you to hurt her too.” Nova felt so vulnerable at that moment. Her body was clenched and she gave him that horrible look of an abandoned puppy. She never gave anyone a look like that before. He rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink. He squinted at the sudden spice.

“I don’t think you ever apologized to me,” she continued, “you just… left. And we hadn;t spoken since, you know, the party.”

He sighed, resting his arms on the kitchen island like she had a couple of minutes before. “I’m sorry.”

She scoffed and started laughing. “You think that’s going to work now? It’s been months, Harry! Months! You think two little words are going to fix this now? If you had said that to me within a day of leaving, then maybe I’d forgive you. Just maybe. Maybe I wouldn’t have!”

“Nova—”

“I’ll admit it. I want you back. Badly.” She aggressively stood up, pushing the stool back. It wobbled and almost fell to the ground, but carefully landed on its three feet. “But I was too afraid to say anything.” Her eyes began to swell, thinking of all the times they danced in this kitchen they were standing in. They rarely fought, until the very end. Those last few weeks were brutal. Arguments almost every day, countless nights of weeping alone while he was out doing “errands”, breaking away from each other’s embrace in the middle of the night. Nothing was going well.

“Does faking dating that girl give me a bit of a chance? Just a little?” She pinched her fingers together, trying not to break down and sink into the floor. Who knows if he’d even help. 

He stood up and placed the tips of his fingers against the counter, watching her start to sob in front of her with a traumatized look on her face. He came over and reached his arms out, taking her into a warm embrace. Her eyes widened, but she fell into him like her bed, back home in the city. His chest covered by that black sweater was like a pillow. It softened the impact of her head, but still sent a sharp pain through it. She cried and she cried as he took her over to the couch in the living room. He kept his arms around her the whole time until she broke away. She wiped her tears (and a bit of snot) onto her shirt, which was his cue to hand her the box of tissues. Her head was beating, agonizing pain and exhaustion spreading through her entire body. 

He took her in again and let his lips rest against the top of her ear. She felt a small peck on her hairline. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He grabbed her tighter and squeezed her. The pressure made her lose balance, sending them down onto the couch. His large body was right on top of her, crushing her with great force, but he felt like a weighted blanket, comforting her with every slight movement. 

When they broke apart, a tear stained his cheek, which he quickly wiped away. He looked in any direction that wasn’t near her field of vision, but that didn;t work. She grabbed his chin, inaudibly snapping his neck at the slightest. Her grip was hard, making him wince. 

“Why?” she asked, tears still streaming down her face. A confused look spread across his face. “Why did you break me?”

He rolled his eyes, not knowing what to say. He knew why, but she already knew. He knew that she knew. 

“I didn’t want to, Nova,” his voice broke, “it was the paparazzi—”

“I know it was the paparazzi. We could’ve been perfectly fine with them. We could’ve run away.” She grabbed his hands, which he gladly took, longing for her warmth for what felt like a hundred years.

“We couldn’t have run away,” he whispered, “we’d lose everything.”

“What else did I have to lose? I had you and that’s all that mattered. You ran away without me.” She took his face in her hands. He refused to look at her. Absolutely refused. 

“If you wanted to run away, you should’ve just said so.”

“I know,” tears filled his eyes again, one dropping down into his lap. She wiped it away when he finally looked at her. Their faces were only inches apart. She snuck glances at his lips every couple seconds. She was surprised she remembered them almost perfectly. He had a little stubble, which he must have just shaved that morning.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know. I know you are. I shouldn’t forgive you, but I will.” He turned his head away from her again in shame.

“Well that makes me feel great,” he said sarcastically, the tone in his voice growing harder.

“That’s not what I meant. I never thought I would forgive you. You know how hard it is for me to give people second chances. But I would, just for you.” His tears streamed down harder, coating the tips of her fingers in guilt, shame, and truth as she wiped each and every one away. She felt a sense of sincerity in his voice, not one that she would hear if it wasn’t for today. 

“Why? I broke you.”

“I’m the only one who knows you for who you really are, Harry. You’re the sweetest person in the world. I know you wouldn;t purposefully hurt me,” she said. Inside, she realized she had been lying to herself this whole time. She knew it. He was the only person she can be genuine around. She can’t even trust herself with her own feelings. “I swear to God, I wouldn’t trade you for anyone else.” Their foreheads touched, brushing their noses against each other.

“After everything,” he sniffled, “you really still love me?”

“Of course.” Their lips locked in a beautiful embrace. Moving together like gear, each piece fitting within each other like a puzzle. They caress each other so gently, running their hands from each other's faces down their arms. He gripped tightly onto her waist, pushing her back down onto the couch. He pushed closer, his torso slamming harder into her. A quiet sound came escaping from her open lips. A sound that intrigued him, running his hands through her hair. 

“Nova—” He muttered as his mouth slid down her neck, placing kisses and bites down to her collarbone. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“I should be saying that to you.” She pushed him off, throwing him to the other side of the couch, putting her on top. His eyes lit up. The sparkle was back, filling her with pure bliss. “I kind of wish you were wearing a button down shirt…”

“Why, so you can rip it off of me?” he purred.

She hit him playfully on the chest, digging her fingernails into the sweater. She tugged at it, watching the smile spread across his face.

“What are you waiting for?”

“I think we should take this upstairs.”

°•. ✿ .•°

A young woman opened the door to the luxury home, taking short steps inside. She took off her outerwear and hung it up on the rack next to the door. 

“Hi,” she said, walking into the kitchen. Her boyfriend was washing his hands at the sink. He looked over at her. She expected a smile, but nothing came. He turned his attention back to the sink, letting the water coat his hands. The pressure was perfect. He ran each one of his fingers under, having each stick of soap fall off like a melting ice cube in the hot summer sun. He disappointedly turned off the water and dried his hands with a disposable paper towel. She stood there with a longing, yet concerning stare.

“Harry?” She followed him out onto the deck, looking out at the mountains on the horizon. Two ivory colored armchairs were placed next to each other at an angle, waiting to be sat in. “What’s going on with you?” She grabbed his arm, but he quickly pulled away.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about.” his voice was low as he made his way over to the chairs, sitting down and placing his arms on the sides of the chair. He looked sick, which she quickly noticed. She took a seat in the chair nearby.

“What’s wrong?”

“I had Nova here the other night.”

Her heart dropped. Straight into her stomach. She could feel the beat of her heart quickly fading in the chemicals that usually dissolved her food. It was now full. Would she ever eat again? It would never digest. She could never get over it, and she didn’t even know what he had to say next.

“Look, Evangeline. I know you love me. I’m terribly sorry, but I want her back.” Her heart flew up to her throat, making an unswallowable lump. “You know why I started dating you.”

“To use me, apparently.”

“I wasn’t using you. We agreed that we’d be in a relationship so I could get over her. You know that I love her. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy being with you. But we agreed that it’d be fake. You told me that was fine with you. Deep down, I knew you were upset.”

“But just to have that opportunity with you was enough,” Evangeline said, her finger gripping the soft leather of the armchair.

“I feel so horrible,” he whispered under his breath. 

“I feel used.”

“Evangeline—I didn’t use you! Did you not listen to our agreement? I needed to get over her and I knew you wanted to spend time with me. You came up with the goddamn idea! You wanted to date me! So don’t blame me for using you when you’re the one who started it!”

“I didn’t start it! You’re the one who broke up with her and didn’t apologize, then ran to me for help. We hadn’t seen each other in so long. As soon as I saw you, I fell for you again. I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry.”

“I was hoping I’d fall for you too. I did, actually—”

“Then she came into your life again, right? At that stupid party?” she said, standing up in aggravation, “I didn’t even want to go! You knew she was going to be there, right? Let me guess, Niall told you?”

“He didn’t.” Harry rolled his eyes and stood up too, beginning to pace around. He held his face in his hands, toughly rubbing his cheeks and forehead.

“She just happened to be there?” Evangeline was fuming. You could practically see her ears burning as smoke came rolling out.

“Look, I get that you’re upset but—”

“You didn’t answer my question. She just happened to be there—?”

“Yes! She did! I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry! I just wanted to tell you that we were going to end the fake dating and still stay friends because she and I are finally together again!” He regretted that last part instantly.

“You’re what?”

“No, no. Evangeline. That’s not what I meant—oh God, don’t start crying. Come on, love.” He walked over with open arms but she pushed him away, sobbing.

“You lied to me!”

“How did I lie?” he asked. They were both shouting at this point, their voices echoing through the mountain peaks. Birds flew for cover and squirrels scurried up trees.

“You told me you wouldn’t get back together with her!” she cried, “you’re such a terrible person…”

“Evangeline. Listen to me,” he took her chin in his hands, but she quickly swatted him away. She wanted nothing to do with him. Never again. “LISTEN TO ME!” Her eyes widened at the side of him she had never heard before. She tried to focus on him through blurry eyes. “You agreed to our deal. You clearly agreed to it. You came up with it, for God’s sake. Don’t tell me that it’s my fault.”

“So you never loved me?” she sniffled.

“That’s not true. I did, but I was hoping I could love you for longer.” He took a hold of her chin and planted one last kiss on her lips. Her face squinted and her cheeks flushed.

“But she came along to ruin it.” Evangeline got to her feet, wiping her leggings off from any dirt that stuck to the fabric when she dropped to her knees.

“She was there the whole time. You just didn’t realize it.” He also got to his feet and made his way to the door. “We’re still friends. But if you dare go after her,” he practically jogged over to tower over her, sticking a finger into her face, “we’ll have to cut ties forever.” He walked back into the house, leaving Evangeline sobbing on her knees, sending waves of pain through the sky for miles.

yes, this was a hefty part, but we're almost at the end! just one more part! i know last chapter was a filler but it was leading up to this moment, plus building Nova's friendship with Niall. It shows how even though he invited Harry to that party, they're still good friends and how she can trust him, if that makes sense.

I think you'll all enjoy the ending!!

[harrys-yellow-snow]

https://www.tumblr.com/harrys-yellow-snow/719838490714619904/perfect-an-hs-one-shot

this chapter was a bit pointless there was like 0 plot development

yes, i do agree, it was definitely a filler chapter, but there's more coming, i promise

[harrys-yellow-snow]

MASTERLIST

Started: 01/27/20

Last updated: 12/30/22

Total works: I don’t know anymore😂

PATREON

On my Patreon you’ll find more exclusive content like my new series Different. You’ll also have access to 5 chapters of Enticing that haven’t been posted here! Come and join our community!

REQUESTS: CLOSED

*** SMUT***

HARRY STYLES

“Kings of Leon” — one shot

H asks her to be officially his.

“Wear something noticeable” — one shot

Samosas and mango smoothies causes them to meet.

“Wear something noticeable” (II) — one shot

Second part. He sees her in the crowd.

“Equatorial Sun” — one shot

Love letter by powerful men.

“What are you doing up?” — one shot

Italy causes you to do crazy things when you are in love.

Chocolate cake — request

Surprising him at work.

“My head it’s spinning over you” — one shot

It’s her birthday and he has a few surprises up his sleeve.

“You lied to me” — one shot

Just a calm afternoon in Y/N’s favorite room in the house.

MINI SERIES

PAX ROMANA (CURRENT)

He has managed to hide from the rest of the world. Will he hide from love too or will he give it a chance?

Part 1

Part 2

UNDERWORLD (ONLY AVAILABLE CON PATREON)

Harry is one of the most dangerous men in the world. Some consider him to be untouchable. No one can hurt him except one person. You.

Safely — No one took care of you like they were supposed to. So, Harry gives them a quick lesson that they’ll never forget.

FOOTBALL

Harry plays football with the greatest, rubbing elbows with Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Lewandoski. He is a star and usually recognized by millions. Although, what matters most to him is at home. You and your son.

Golden Boy — Harry plays in the World Cup

FULL SERIES

ENTICING (ON GOING)

Harry Styles is a young billionaire and CEO of his own company. He mostly keeps to himself, he is stern and very meticulous when it comes to business. He also likes to keep his personal life very private for the sake of his newly born son Oliver Styles. It isn’t until he meets Y/N Y/L/N that everything changes. She becomes his new nanny after his previous one quits due to personal reasons. She is young, caring, and sweet. Will they ignore their feelings? Will Harry’s girlfriend accept their love and leave them? Will she be able to cope with his busy agenda? What about Oliver’s mother? Where is she? Who is she?

all chapters of enticing

INSTAGRAM BLURBS

Dating hints

Pregnancy

Deepika Padukone

Pudderfly

Sadie Sink

Elsa Hosk

Lori Harvey

[harrys-yellow-snow]

perfect - an h.s one shot °•. ✿ .•°

PART THREE read part one here ! part two here !

word count: 2.5k

themes/triggers/tropes: fluff, angst, lime, arguing, fake dating, relationship...fixing?

As she woke the next morning, her vision was fuzzy. The light pierced through her eyelids, forcing her to twist around in her bedsheets. She grabbed the sheets covering her and she pulled it over her head. She felt groggy, sick, and unwanted, even by herself. She sat up, trying her best to deal with the blinding natural light seeping through the white curtains, and leaned against the headboard. Her mouth hung open as her eyelashes fluttered. She didn’t know much time had passed when she heard the door open. Niall came in with a wooden tray of food and milk.

“Good morning,” Niall mumbled, his voice still fresh from waking up not much earlier. He placed the tray on her lap and sat at the end of her bed. She looked at it and said nothing.

“I’m sorry about last night, Nova.”

“It’s fine. Thank you for this,” she said, pointing at the food in front of her. She took some toast and it crunched between her numb teeth. She went for the burnt side first, letting the smoky flavor soak into her tongue, melting on her mouth. 

“I really didn’t know that would happen,” he said, “or else I would have, you know, not have it happen.” A small smile slipped out.

“Yeah, I understand.” Nova took a little amount of butter and spread it across a piece of the slightly less burnt side of the toast. “It’s not your fault.” Was that a lie?

She finished her breakfast, just a few pieces of toast, in silence. She enjoyed it, but it would’ve been better with a bit more talking. She couldn’t find it in herself to speak with him. Not because she was mad, but she didn’t know what to say about the night before. She thought of Harry’s eyes and the way they stabbed into her heart like a knife. The way he kissed Evangeline in front of her. He trailed kisses down her entire body, looking straight at his ex. Right in the eyes. She caught a sparkle, only for a split second. He looked down and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, pulling her into his lap.

“Hey,” Niall said, snapping her out of her thoughts, “why don’t I take this and how about we talk a walk through L.A.? I think you’ll like it,” he took the tray from her, bouncing it in his hands to get a better grip on it, “it’s changed a bit since you’ve been here last.”

“Sure. That’d be nice.”

He left her room with the door open. She shuffled underneath the covers, getting comfortable. She was excited, but nervous. What if he was still here?

°•. ✿ .•°

The Los Angeles air was crisp and warm. Nova wore a gray cardigan and white bicycle shorts. Niall walked beside her in a light leather jacket and jeans, black sunglasses shading his eyes from the blinding sun over the mountains. Nova felt that this walk was better than New York. Was it the refreshed feeling of being somewhere new? Was it the softness of her shoes on unfamiliar cement? It could’ve been Niall, strolling casually on the left of the sidewalk. He glanced over at her a couple of times, checking on her. She returned a smile. Getting fresh air made Nova feel a lot better, but when she forgot to focus on the beauty around her, the nausea began to kick her again.

“What else happened?” Nova asked, slipping her hands into the pockets of her cardigan, which ever so gracefully brushed the sensitive skin of her legs. The light breeze made her hair stand on end.

“What do you mean?”

“Did Harry say anything else?” She was desperate. She had to know everything.

“After the party, he stayed in the kitchen. He just… stared at me. I didn’t know what to say, really.”

Niall explained it in great detail. 

Harry sat at the bar with a glass of whiskey, swirling it around. Sorrow filled his eyes, but hints of anger and excitement flashed by. 

“Where’s your girlfriend?” Niall asked, wiping the counter down with a soapy rag, then flipping it to the other side to dry.

“Outside. I wanted to talk to you.”

“About?”

“About Nova.”

Niall perked his head up and stopped cleaning, throwing the towel onto the counter and wiping his forehead, getting rid of the invisible sweat.

“What about her?”

“I don’t know,” Harry started, taking a sip from his drink then placing it in front of the towel, “what’s been going on with her?”

“You’d have to ask her that. It’s not my business to tell,” Niall concluded, continuing to clean.

“Oh, come on, Niall. Just tell me a little?” He pinched his index finger and his thumb as close as possible.

“No. You have her number, right?”

“I deleted it,” Harry said. Niall swept his hair out of his face and sighed.

“She’s doing fine, as far as you're concerned.”

“Does she miss me?”

Niall hesitated, “like I said, you would have to ask her yourself. It’s none of my business to know, or to tell you.” Harry said something incoherent under his breath, most likely a curse.

“Can you give me her number?”

“Not without her permission. I’ll ask her tomorrow.”

“Where is she?”

“Why are you asking all these questions if you already have a girlfriend?” Niall raised his voice, tossing the towel onto the counter harder than before. Harry didn’t respond. Niall rarely raised his voice, which made Harry roll his eyes and take another long sip of his drink.

“Who do you care about more, Harry? Who do you love?”

“Don’t ask me that, Niall—” his monotonous answer was cut off by Niall’s sudden and shocking enthusiasm. 

“If you care so much about Nova, then why’d you bring this new chick along?”

“Niall—”

“If you care so much about Nova, then you wouldn’t have broken her heart.” He was inches away from Harry, being bombarded with both of their alcohol heavy breaths. Niall swung his cleaning towel over his shoulder and marched upstairs, leaving Harry with an empty glass and three words he longed to say to her again.

Niall finished his side of the story with a sigh, turning to face Nova again. Her expression was blank and her eyes had lost that glimmer. He could tell she was thinking long and hard about the story. Hopefully she believes me, he thought.

“So, he wants my number?” Nova mumbled.

“Apparently. I could give it to him, if you want—”

“I have it already. Don’t worry.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts to the H’s. It was an easy find, with his contact name being quite literally, “H.♡” Niall glanced over her shoulder, but his own shoulders dropped in disappointment. Nova sighed at the name, but clicked on it anyway.

“You’re texting him now?”

“No. And who said I was going to text him?”

°•. ✿ .•°

The sand between her toes singed the soles of her feet. The warm sun touched her skin from behind. Niall made the suggestion that they spend the afternoon at the beach. He made sure she wore an outfit that would suit her comfortably in the blaring sun. He wore a tank top underneath his jacket and slipped on his swim trunks when she wasn’t there. Nova took off her cardigan and had a white short sleeved shirt. 

She hadn’t swam in the ocean in years. The idea of putting herself in the same area of possible fish pee didn’t satisfy her. It made her even more nauseous.

“Come on,” Niall grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down the beach. There were hundreds of people under umbrellas, on towels, or just rushing around, building sandcastles with their kids or playing tag. In the distance, a boombox could be heard blasting classic summer hits. 

He sat them down at the edge of the sand, just lightly allowing their toes to dip into the sea. It sent a chill down her spine, but she quickly got used to it.

“This is nice,” Nova muttered, placing her hands in the burning sand, leaning back. The horizon was endless. Her mind drifted into a tranquil state, taking in the feel of the cool summer breeze down her neck. She took a long breath, the salty scent of the sea filled her senses. A slight taste of fish stayed at the tip of her tongue. She tried to swallow it back, but it stayed. 

The length of the horizon traveled as far as she could see. She felt a twinge in her heart, thinking of how wonderful this moment would be with Harry. She looked over to see Niall flicking his toes in and out of the water, making little splashes that touched her own feet. Spending this time with Niall was enough for her. He was a great friend, always being there for her. As upset as she was at him for inviting Harry to the party the night before, she had to forgive him if he’d give her moments like these.

A seagull flew above their heads after an hour or so of soaking in the sun and admiring the sea, “Are you hungry?” Niall asked, getting to his feet. Nova nodded as he helped her up. They walked off of the beach and slid their shoes back on when they reached the car. 

The restaurant Niall chose wasn’t far. It was known for its killer steaks, which he loved. They sat down in a booth, ordered, and waited patiently for their food.

“I haven’t been out to eat somewhere this fancy in a long time. Are you sure no one will see you?” Nova asked.

“I come here all the time,” he replied, looking around the special area he rented out in the restaurant so no one would bother them. The last thing she wanted was for him to be caught with a random girl.

Their food came and the waitress warned them of its blazing hot temperature. The steam rose from the steak, hitting Nova in the face. Niall blew on his and started to cut into it, pushing it apart to let the heat out. Nova stared at her, admiring the beautiful grill marks around the edges. The waitress placed a large plate of vegetables in the middle of the table for the both of them to share, as well as side dishes of homemade sweet potato fries. She loved those.

The meal filled her to the brim. A combination of the steak, vegetable, and sweet potato fries on the side, she, along with her stomach, would regret it later. Niall sipped his water and sat against the back of the booth.

“How was that?” He asked.

“It was great, thank you.” Nova said, patting her stomach and stretching her arms out above her head. She was already quite drowsy.

“Good. I think we should get going. It’s getting late.” He stood up and slipped his jacket back on. They walked out of the restaurant and into the car, ready to go back home.

°•. ✿ .•°

They arrived back at Niall’s house at 8:30. The moon was almost right above her, shining down onto her tanned skin. He turned around, checking to see if she was still following close behind him. He grinned as he watched her stare up into the starlit night. It had been a long time since she had seen stars that bright. The dark clouds and the tops of the buildings in the city blocked the horizon. She felt trapped underneath the earth, not being able to reach the far ends of the universe when she couldn’t sleep at night. She would sit on her windowsill and watch the cars pass by below her. When she got bored of that, she glanced up, finding what planets were peeking through the clouds that night.

“The stars are beautiful tonight,” he whispered. She flinched at his unexpected low voice, but laughed.

“Don’t flirt with me, Niall.”

“I’m not!” He allowed her to have one last look at the sky, taking in its beauty, before pulling her inside. 

She stepped into the familiar house and fell onto the couch, still in her cardigan. She had slipped her shoes off at the front door and wiped off any excess sand that may have gotten in. She was counting on Niall to clean that up later.

“Thank you for tonight, Niall.” Nova said, stretching her arms above her head, letting out a great yawn.

“Oh, it’s no problem. You deserve it.” He hung up his coat and sat down in the armchair he was in the first time they arrived a couple days before. “You needed something to distract you that wasn’t alcohol.” They both laughed.

The rest of the night was uneventful. Nova asked Niall about the layout of his living room, in which he proceeded to thoroughly explain each piece of memorabilia with great detail. Some he obtained from going to tournaments, golf events, or from meeting famous golfers when he was on a certain course that day. Nova smiled at his passionate movements. He threw his hands in the air when he described the craziest places he found his lost golf balls. He picked on up and showed Nova the way one ball was sliced in half by a thorny rose bush. A huge gash was visible, with the ball hanging together by a thread. Another one had beak marks from a hungry bird. He explained how it picked the ball up, but kept dropping it as it tried to take it across the water. He wasn’t very successful.

After illustrating his strange golf adventures, he sat back down in his chair.

“Thank you for that. That was genuinely interesting. I usually hate golf.”

“What? Why?” He seemed genuinely offended by my remark.

“I don’t know. I just always thought it was boring and for… old people.”

Niall’s face was struck with shock. He gripped hard onto the thick, soft arms of the chair like he was holding on for dear life.

“It is not just for old people. A lot of old people can’t play it as well as us because it takes great back strength. If you don’t have that, then you can’t play well.”

“Then why do I see so many old people playing golf?” Nova asked.

“They must have great backs.” They threw their heads back in laughter. 

“It’s getting late,” Niall said, “are you tired?”

“After that lecture, yes, I’m very tired.”

“I thought you said you liked it!”

“I did, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t tire me.” Nova replied with Niall sighing in the background. She got up from the couch and they started to head upstairs. Going to their separate rooms, Nova carefully sat on her bed after closing the curtain. The stars were gone, covered up by the incoming clouds.

As she laid there, she counted the specks in the ceiling. They were the star’s substitute for now. She reached her hand over to the open space next to her, but got nothing. No soft hands, no returning smiles, no arms wrapped around her waist, play fighting until the early hours of the morning. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Nova missed it, she’ll admit. She brought her hand back onto her stomach and turned on her side.

This was going to be a long night.



hi! once again, tysm for all the support that i've gotten! i wasn't expecting any, honestly. i'm incredibly grateful that there are people enjoying my work! i've spent a long time working on it and i'm so incredibly happy that people are enjoying it! love you all sm <3

[harrys-yellow-snow]

THE SHOW IS OUT NOW BESTIES

my favs are definitely Save My Life, The Show, Never Grow Up, and Heaven, and Meltdown ofc. Honestly, the whole album. Science is giving Matilda 😭

THE SHOW | NIALL HORAN June 9th, 2023

[harrys-yellow-snow]

perfect - an h.s one shot °•. ✿ .•°

PART TWO read part one here !

word count: 3.1k

themes/triggers/tropes: fluff, angst, lime (do people even say that anymore), arguing, fake dating, relationship...fixing?

Nova hadn’t been to Los Angeles in months. Honestly, she hadn’t been anywhere in months. At most, the outskirts of New York City with a friend or two. As much as she wanted to leave, she refused to leave the city behind. All of this felt new to her, but it wasn’t.

In front of her stood a luxurious mansion, but not one you’d think. It was two stories and she wanted to over exaggerate the amount of bedrooms and bathrooms. She remembered being here a couple of years ago. Nothing much had changed. Possibly a couple furniture arrangements in the living room and some new chair designs at the bar. Other than that, it was the same as her foggy memories.

After dropping her bags off in the closet and slipping her shoes off in the mud room, Nova dropped herself onto Niall’s velvet couch, sinking into the comfortable fabric. Niall came over and sat on the armchair next to her.

“Why are you having a party?” Nova asked, craning her head back to try and catch a glimpse of him. She landed on a horrible place on her neck, shooting a wave of pain through her neck. This made her sit up and rub her next, getting into a more comfortable position. 

“Just to bring people together. You want a drink?”

“No, thanks,” she replied, watching him get out of his chair and head into the kitchen, “who else is going?”

“I’m not sure,” he reached into the fridge and got himself a beer, pouring it into a tall Guinness glass. Nova rolled her eyes.

“You’re drinking already? We just got here.”

“I didn’t get to have any yesterday. It’s fine.” He came back over and got himself comfortable, placing the glass on the side table. “You sure you don’t want anything? Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” 

They sat in silence for a couple minutes while he sipped his Guinness and she took her gaze around the living room, admiring all the little pieces of golf memorabilia and awards. That gave her the memories of when they’d go golfing together when Harry was working on something in the studio that he wanted to be a surprise for her, so he sent her out with Niall. 

“I’m a little nervous,” Nova admitted, picking some of the loose skin from below her nails.

“I am too. I haven’t hosted a party in a while. We’ll be fine, though,” he said.

“What are you going to do after the party? I guess I could stay to help clean up.” 

Niall laughed, “you’ll have to stay. You’ll be living here for a while, won’t you?” Nova rolled her eyes, remembering she won’t be going back to New York any time soon. At least not on Niall’s watch. 

“Right, right,” her voice got softer as she laid her head down on the side of the couch. The velvet rubbed against her face perfectly. She adjusted her legs and arms to be in a more comfortable position. Right before she closed her eyes, she could see Niall smile and let out a couple of his sweet giggles. It felt like she was on a cloud, floating through her dreams. Even if they wouldn’t come true, she always liked to imagine that they could.

Her body lightened, as well as her breathing, sending her off to a deep sleep.

°•. ✿ .•°

The city she loved surrounded her in a new dream. The sky was a beautiful baby blue, which contrasted greatly with the leaves of the Central Park trees. This is where she’d go on walks for some alone time, hoping to find someone she could talk to. Sometimes, she’d go over to the chess boards and lose so terribly that she’d find a friend through humiliation. They promised to teach her some better opening moves, but they never called her back. 

She strolled down the pathway, looking around at the familiar scenery. It wasn’t long until she noticed something change. The sky got dark as she crossed the street into the city again. It began to pour, but she was stuck in the street. Her legs wouldn’t move and her eyes were plastered open. A car sped down the road, straight at her. Was she invisible? She swore under her breath, watching the headlights start to blind her vision. The driver didn’t see her and kept speeding. She tried to push with as much force as she could, but couldn’t move. It was like she was trapped in hardening concrete, engulfing her ankles in the substance.

Suddenly, something grabbed her and pushed her out of the way, just as she was about to get hit. They crashed to the ground and the car splashed a huge puddle of water onto the body on top of her. He moved back with his arms at her sides and water dripping off of his coat. Raindrops fell from his hair and onto her forehead, acting like beads of sweat when she saw his face. Perfect hair, perfect jawline, perfect green eyes. 

Harry. 

He took her face in her hands and closed the gap between them with a grin. She felt the kiss like it was real. It had to have been real. The way he held her face in his calloused hands, bringing their cheeks together. His forehead was wet from water and sweat from the sudden event. Their lips moved together so well. 

When they broke apart, they both laughed, but then he got up and left, leaving her on the ground with a sore back and lonely lips. 

Nova woke with a start and in a cold sweat. Her breathing was heavy enough for Niall to come over to check on her. She touched her lips, feeling for the nonexistent kiss. Her eyes began to swell and grow tired. Niall placed a hand on her shoulder as she sobbed. 

“I miss him,” her speech quavered, “I miss him, Niall.”

He rubbed her back, “I know.”

°•. ✿ .•°

The party came quicker than expected. People started to gather in the living room and the kitchen while Niall kept the bedrooms upstairs restricted. Three bathrooms were accessible downstairs. He set up red and blue lights to put in the corners to reflect on the walls of the kitchen and dimmed the rest. Some of the party lights reflected off of the refrigerator, right into her eyes. Nova helped Niall set up snacks and put out disposable cups of punch and small alcoholic drinks. He didn’t want anyone getting too drunk. If they did, they’d sleep on the floor while Nova and Niall would sleep in the bedrooms upstairs. 

The stereo’s volume gradually increased throughout the night. Most of the requested songs belonged to Niall, but the crazier suggestions belonged to the drunkards of the night. Nova tried her best to stay away from them. The living room was surprisingly still in the same condition as when she first arrived. None of Niall’s golf memorabilia had been knocked down or touched in any way he didn’t like (which would be any form of touching, for that matter).

A couple times, she walked past the booming stereo, feeling her bones tremble, along with the floor. Her heart shook along with the breakup songs, making her zone out a few times. Niall snapped his fingers to bring her back to the moment.

“You alright?”

Nova shook her head and threw him a smile, “yeah. I’m good.” Niall smiled back at her as she sat on the couch. Across from her was a couple holding hands. The girl was wearing a lightly flower-patterned dress and three or four inch heels. Her boyfriend (or husband, for God's sake), was in a black jacket and sunglasses. Nova recognized something. 

That smile.

That button nose.

He brought his glasses down to the tip of his nose and winked at the girl. Nova spotted those emerald eyes.

No.

It can’t be.

She quickly stood up as he kept his eyes on the girl. Nova rushed over to Niall and grabbed his wrist, pulling him away from the deep conversation he was having with a friend.

“What?”

“He’s here.”

“Who?”

“Harry.” His name made her throat go dry. She gripped onto Niall’s wrist even tighter, squeezing it until he winced in pain. He didn’t say anything. He just looked at her. “What do I do?”

“Go talk to him.”

“What? No! He has a girl with him!” She whispered through gritted teeth. Her heart skipped a beat, craning her head around the corner to see him plant a kiss on her rosy cheeks.

“Then there’s nothing I can do,” Niall said, breaking free from her grasp.

“Did you invite him?”

“Maybe.”

Nova growled, regaining her balance by slapping her hand on the wall, hard enough that she could easily make an indentation. “Why?”

“I wanted you two to talk it out, but I didn’t think he’d bring a girl with him. I’m sorry,” Niall responded, his voice lowering by the end of his statement.

“Did you tell him I was going to be here?”

“No.”

“If you did, he wouldn’t have come.” Nova turned around, leaving Niall in the hallway by himself and a glass of whiskey. He was the only one he allowed to drink that night. Harry and this new girl were sitting on the couch when Nova sat down next to them. They both looked over and his eyes widened. Nova refused to acknowledge it.

“Let me get you another drink,” he casually said to his girlfriend, quickly leaving the scenario. The girl sat there, swinging her feet and smiling. The first thing she was captured by were her dark eyes and hair, almost identical to Nova’s, except that Nova’s had a noticeable wave within the multiple layers. Her skin was perfect, unlike Nova’s. She blinked rapidly a few times to stop staring when Harry came back with something for the girl. He and Nova met eyes for a split second, then looked at their knees as she sipped her drink. 

They stayed silent as he leaned against the back of the couch she slept on the afternoon before. She wondered if he was satisfied by that same feeling of the velvet on the already soft skin on his neck. She snuck a few glances at him as he sighed, looking up at the ceiling. His girlfriend, apparently, shuffled herself towards him, placing her drink down on the table in front of her and rested her head on his chest. Nova looked away, feeling a lump form in her throat and her hands began to sweat. 

Suddenly, the girl got up. “I need to use the bathroom.” 

Shit.

That left her and Harry. Alone. Nova glanced at the open seat to the right of her, praying that Niall would come and drag her away. Surprisingly, Harry stayed put and he was the first to speak.

“Didn’t expect you to show up,” his accent was the same, which astonishingly did not catch her off guard. She twisted her head around to look at him with his leg resting upon his opposite knee. His left arm was carefully placed on the edge of the arm rest, but his right arm was stretched out as though she was still there. He took his sunglasses off and placed them on the table next to her drink, which he kept a close eye on. 

“I was here before you,” Nova replied, squeezing her hands between her thighs. They already had marks on them from pressing them into the back of the couch.

“Were you?” He took his first look at her. He lost that sparkle in his eye when he used to look at her. They seemed as though they got darker as he threw daggers at her heart. She pulled them out and pulled herself together. 

“Yes, I was.”

“Why?” His tone was struck with interrogation. She hadn’t heard that from him in… months.

“Niall invited me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know!” Nova raised her voice without realizing. When she did, she held her vocal chords and widened her eyes, surprised at the sudden change. Harry was unbothered. He let out a short exhale from his nose.

“What, did you come here to see me?”

“No? If I knew you were here, I wouldn’t have come,” she admitted. The sweat kept coming down her forehead, which she wiped, hoping it wasn’t visible.

Harry laughed. His leg began to shake, moving his entire lower body with it. He only does that when he’s nervous, Nova thought, from what I can remember. 

“Why are you laughing?”

“You’re lying. Niall told me so.”

“What did he say?” Her hands clenched together, shaking at the same rate as her leg.

“He told me you wanted to talk to me.” He brought his fingers up to his mouth and chewed on a couple nails.

“Well,” she paused, “h-he’s lying.”

“You stuttered,” he pointed out.

“Shut up.”

His girlfriend came back and sat in between them, cutting the tension by at least a third.

“Is everything okay?” Her voice was as sweet but as slow as honey. Another American girl.

“Everything’s jolly, love,” he said with the most sarcastic tone imaginable.

Love. He called her love.

“You don’t mean that, do you?”

“No.”

“Do you two—”

“Yes. We know each other,” Nova cut in. She was absent-mindedly stretching at her leggings, breaking through the fabric and to her skin. She looked down when she felt the hole grow with each subtle movement. 

“How?”

“Exes,” they said simultaneously, surprising each other.

She audibly gasped. “Really? Oh. Sorry.”

“No, it’s… fine,” Nova lied, mumbling through gritted teeth. 

“Apparently, she wants to get back together with me,” Harry claimed, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend, who didn’t seem particularly interested. She only slowly made her way over to him, while keeping a close eye on Nova’s expressions. Knowing she was being watched, she refused to react.

“I do not.”

“Then Niall lied?”

“Yes.”

“Liar,” he muttered under his breath. “Don’t you want to know my girl’s name?” he edged her on, making her stomach knot.

“Not particularly, no.”

“Evangeline,” she replied anyway. Nova refrained from rolling her eyes. “Why don’t you tell her about yourself?”

“Uhm,” Evangeline started, sitting up. Harry placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, running it down her back and gripping her sides. “I’m a model in New York City… and I really like cats. I have a few at home in the city.”

“Oh, you like cats?” Evangeline nodded. “Well, Harry’s a dog person, you know.”

Evangeline twisted her head around to look at him. “You told me you liked cats!” She pouted as he shot Nova a menacing glare, sending a chill down her spine.

“I do like cats, sweetheart. She’s just lying to win me back, that’s all.” He placed kisses on her cheek, her neck, landing on her collarbone, making her giggle. Nova sat back and watched the whole thing, horrified. Evangeline’s smile faded when she saw Nova’s face. 

She looked down at the red velvet couch as he wrapped his hand around her waist, looking Nova right in the eye. They seemed lifeless, cold, and soulless. He didn’t care what he was doing in front of the girl who loved him most. Even if he didn’t find out for months, she would make sure she would tell him. 

Nova aggressively stood up, leaving deep hand imprints in the couch. She made her way into the kitchen, questioning where Niall went off to. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and poured herself a glass. The people around her gave her strange looks, wondering why she could drink but they couldn’t. A couple next to her were bending into the counter, practically eating each other alive. Nova slowly slid her glass across the counter to give them space. She slammed the bottle back into the cabinet and took a long, frustrating sip. It burned her throat, making her wince in pain, but it felt so good. It had to be the best spice in her life. 

She squeezed her way through the crowds, making her way upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms. She sat on the soft bed and sighed, taking another sip of her drink. She rubbed her eyes with her index finger and thumb, pressing into them so hard they could be pushed all the way inside her head. The recurring thought of another girl in his arms gave her a headache, and the alcohol wasn’t helping. 

“What are you doing in here?” Niall’s sudden voice startled Nova, making her hands shake even more.

“I can’t be down there, Niall. Why did you invite him?”

“I wanted you two to talk about it, because over the phone he said something about you. I thought you two could—”

“He said something about me?” Nova asked, “what did he say?”

“He said he wanted to see you.”

“Then why is he touching his girlfriend in front of me? I’m so confused. He told me he didn’t know I’d be here—”

“That’s because I didn’t tell him. He just said that out of the blue, so I thought that it’d be good for you to meet up. I didn’t think he’d bring someone else with him…”

“It’s fine. I appreciate you trying, but this was the worst that could’ve happened. If it was just him then maybe I could talk to him about it, but now there’s a girl in the way. She seems nice, but I don’t know.” Nova stood up and started to walk towards the door. “I need another drink.”

“Nova, don’t you remember what happened last time?” Niall asked. She froze with her empty hand on the doorknob. The memories came back to her as a rush of blood to the head. 

A year ago, she was surrounded by three empty whiskey bottles. She could barely keep her eyes open, let alone balance on the couch of Niall’s rented apartment in New York. He had just come home from the studio. It was almost midnight. He rushed over to Nova and pushed her back upright. 

“What the hell?”

“I don’t know,” she slurred her words.

“What happened, Nova?” he said, cursing under his breath as he took the bottles back into the kitchen, as far away from her as possible.

“He’s gone.”

“Who’s gone?”

“Harry.”

Nova shook her head to get out of her thoughts and turned to face Niall again. She sighed.

“I don’t really care,” she finally said, looking at the final droplets at the bottom of her empty glass. “I need something to distract me.”

thank you all so much for reading!! don't worry, it'll get better from here. i wasn't expecting to have so many notes on the first few days and i'm really grateful. writing is so fun for me.

can you guess who Evangeline is named after? (if you can, you have great music taste. if you can't that's fine! (just ask in the comments lol))

[harrys-yellow-snow]

FR

me standing in the shower, ready to give my third world tour of the night and the steam is so suffocating that im about to faint soon but i gotta give the fans what they want

[harrys-yellow-snow]

perfect - an h.s one shot °•. ✿ .•°

PART ONE

word count: 2.5k

themes/triggers/tropes: fluff, angst, lime (do people even say that anymore), arguing, fake dating, relationship...fixing?

It’s been months. Months since that last call, and even longer since that last text. She couldn’t stop thinking of the way she ran her hands through his soft hair. Or the way his fingers traced her jawline when he rested his head in her lap. She hated to admit it, but she missed it. 

Nova looked out her window, admiring the view of New York City from ten stories above ground. The Empire State Building could be seen in the distance. Manhattan was beautiful from the air, but looking down made her nauseous sometimes. 

Most of the time, she kept glancing down at her phone, waiting for a notification. Not just from him, but from anyone.  Her friends, her family, or even people she hadn’t spoken to in years that somehow still had her phone number. Yet, it stayed silent. No sign of life had come from her friends. She hadn’t spoken to anyone in a couple days. Some days, she liked it that way. But other days, like today, she missed them dearly.

She slid off the windowsill and made her way into her kitchen. Nova’s apartment had two rooms, so it was just across the way. Her bed and the bathroom connected from the living room and dining area. She didn’t spend as much time there as she should. The white marble cabinets glistened in the natural sunlight coming from the window. She opened the one above her and took down a box of cereal and a bowl. She liked her cereal dry. She knew she shouldn’t, but it didn’t matter. She sat down at the dining table and began to eat.

It was hard to swallow. Yes, she enjoys dry cereal, but her throat was tight. So were her eyes and her fingers. Nova hadn’t even realized how hard she was gripping the table. She knew she should be over him. It had been months. But she couldn’t stop staring at the empty chair across from her, imagining the perfect way his eyes lit up and the creases that formed near his cheeks when he smiled. She loved his dimples, getting deeper every time she tickled him. As all those memories came flooding back, she slammed her bowl every time she took a spoonful of cereal, She carefully reviewed each and every word she wanted to say to him as he was leaving, as well as the curses she screamed when the door shut for good. All that was left was the smell of his cologne on her sheets. It was impossible for her to sleep in them without thinking of the pain it brought her. All the mistakes she made that night, all of the horrible things she said without realizing. She wanted him back. That’s really all she needed to say.

Nova finished her breakfast and cleaned her dishes. The clouds slowly drifted away from the sun, revealing a beautiful blue sky and a perfect horizon. She looked down from her window to see groups of people cluttered together, walking down the sidewalks. She remembered the countless bags in her hands and the long credit card bills she received. It seemed to be a coping mechanism to get him off of her mind, but it didn’t work all the time. It brought back memories of all the money he spent on the clothes she didn’t deserve. They were deep in her closet, never to be worn again.

Speaking of clothing, she slipped on a light orange t-shirt and a pair of white pants. Her black and white sneakers were a bit tight around the toe, but comfortable overall. She locked up her apartment and made her way down to the street.

When Nova made her way out of her apartment building, she was instantly hit in the face with blaring heat. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her forehead as she started walking. This level of heat always gave her headaches if she wasn’t prepared. The light of the sun reflected off of the cars parked on the side of the road. Puddles were still on the curbs from the rainstorm a couple of nights before. Patches of grass poked out from the cracks in the sidewalk near the drains. All of these disfigurements made her realize not everything was perfect. 

Nova headed down at least ten blocks before she got to Times Square. She made her way through the bustling crowds to get a clear view of the New Year’s Ball. However, a pit in her stomach grew as she remembered their New Year’s kiss. On the balcony of his apartment, the ball drop could be seen half a mile away. The spotlights were flashing, but so were cameras below them. The flashes reproduced, which caught their attention. He shrugged, gave the paparazzi the finger, and they headed back inside. They wouldn’t leave him alone.

For the longest time, she thought he would never leave her alone, but that wasn’t the case. She shook her head, telling herself to snap out of it. She had to get over him sooner or later.

The aura was beautiful. She craned her head to look at all the vibrant billboards giving off appealing flares of color. Pictures moved in unison, all across the Square. Then, she saw it. Him. 

Harry Styles Love On Tour: New York City. September 21-23. Nova froze in her tracks, letting everyone walk around her. She didn’t care about the dirty looks she received, or the people brushing her shoulders to squeeze through. As quickly as the billboard came, it went. She hadn’t seen him in so long. She refused to look at pictures, watch interviews, read articles, or do anything that had to do with him. 

Nova put her head down and kept walking, keeping an eye on her shoes. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw beat-down sneakers, luxurious Gucci boots, and blue flip-flops, but she glanced at her again. She bought these with her own money, not his.

As much as she didn’t want to think about the billboard, she couldn’t stop. His hair was slicked back with the perfect amount of gel. His casual mustache was gone, but his green eyes were sparkling. She thought of all the times he endearingly looked at her from across the room, waiting for a hug or a simple kiss on the forehead. When he wrapped his arms around her, pure bliss and red flush filled her cheeks. His chest was warm like a cushion. She would crane her neck up and rest her chin on his chest, getting a close look at his facial features. Some days, he decided not to shave, leaving small patches of extra hair on his jawline for her to trace her finger over. He moved his head around, squirming underneath her when his face was tickled. He’d pull her in for a kiss and she’d come closer to her. And that was only the beginning.

She had to keep going. Ahead of her was a long street connecting to Times Square, but only a few cars were parked next to the curb. She already needed time away from the bustling crowds, which usually didn’t happen.

No one recognized her. When the first dating rumors came out, her face could barely be seen, even though they were all after her. From the ground, the angle was strange. He was dressed in all black with his hands wrapped around her face, pulling her as close as possible. She was in a gray hoodie as small flakes of snow started piling in her hair. He pulled her hood up and smiled into the kiss, but then they spotted the cameras. After that, she didn’t remember much of what happened. Stories were released, which tore them apart. He was afraid they’d be after her, but they weren’t. She didn’t see many negative responses to the situation, but she knew there definitely were some. That’s what Harry didn’t want her to get caught up on. Then, they started falling apart, not just because of the rumors. They claimed they didn’t love each other as much as before. It broke her. Not just her heart, which she always thought was corny, but her physical health seemed to deteriorate. Sleep deprivation stabbed her like a knife, leaving her in terrible pain. That led to mental misconfigurations, cognition issues, and an overall pissy mood. 

After a couple weeks, Nova could barely function. She refused to go out, claiming she was too tired. The city was too bright for her. Too many people to get in her way. Maybe someone would recognize her, pull her to the side, ask her about her ex-boyfriend, possibly even threaten her for “breaking his heart,” when in actuality, he broke hers. She still wasn’t sure what she did, but it didn’t seem to matter anymore.

She came to the end of the street, both mentally and literally. Her thoughts came to a stop and so did the rough pavement. It went back to being a smooth, cement road, like they decided that this street wouldn’t be paved. In this state, her thoughts of the breakup weren’t paved. They were bumpy and hard to make out. She didn’t have a clear idea of what happened, what caused it, or what she did wrong. What was so wrong with dating him? Other than the fact that they were constantly being followed, she didn’t see anything wrong. New Years was the only night they were ever seen together, then the news somehow suddenly broke out that they had split up.

Mentally, Nova slapped herself, telling her to stop thinking about it. It had been hours since she left the apartment and no other thoughts came to mind except her own mistakes. That stupid billboard didn’t help. 

Her stomach grumbled, telling her it was ready to be fed again. Right down the road, there was a bagel shop. New York City famous bagels were something she craved for months at a time, even if she had them every day. As she neared the shop, she took a deep breath, taking in the crisp, burnt smell of the iconic bakery. She stepped inside and was taken aback by the beauty of her favorite shop. It wasn’t as crowded as it usually was on a Tuesday afternoon. She was just in time for brunch, possibly early lunch. She waved to the familiar man at the counter, who shot her a smile.

“Hey, Nova! What can I get for you? You want your regular?” This was the ideal time for his thick Brooklyn accent to shine.

“Yes, please,” Nova said. As her friend went in the back to place the order with the bakers, she looked around the shop, imagining the food was about to be receive. An everything bagel with ham, cheese, and pickles. She had a strange taste in food (no pun intended), but she didn’t mind. It was mostly unique combinations of healthy foods, but there were a lot of popular foods she didn’t like. She hadn’t eaten meat in a while because she went pescatarian a couple months ago…

Nova sat down at the table closest to the window and looked out at the street. People on both sides passed by quickly. She loved people watching. In airports, on subways or the bus, or at small shops like these. Her eyes scanned across the window, watching some people enter the bagel shop, watching some leave, or just watching some walk by. Her friend tapped her shoulder, making her direct her attention towards him and the basket of food he put down in front of her. She thanked him and began to eat.

This was a flavor she hadn’t had in a while. Smoked ham on a mildly spicy bagel, with a hint of sweetness from the cheese. It was perfect. 

Another ring from the opening door filled the shop. Most people turned their heads like little kids in class whenever an unexpected visitor arrived. Nova was one of those children, poking her head up from her basket after saving a droplet of cheese from getting on her shirt. His hair was short and dark. He wore a blue and gray flannel and light blue jeans. His feet were protected by black and white Adidas sneakers. When he turned around after placing his order, she saw his face. 

Niall.

She hadn’t seen him in so long. Did no one recognize him? They made eye contact and his blue eyes lit up. A smile spread across his face as he made his way over to her table.

“Nova?” She stood up and they joined together in a quick embrace. He sat down and leaned his arms up against the table. “It’s great to see you again. I almost didn’t recognize you!”

“I know,” she grinned, focusing on her food to make sure she’s eating slower and neater than before he walked in. 

“How have you been?” He reached across and grabbed a lone piece of ham that fell from her sandwich and popped it into his mouth. She looked up at him and smiled, or at least tried to after hearing the question.

“I’ve been alright, thanks for asking,” her smile quickly faded and she took another bite of her sandwich. It was an irritated bite, knowing he’d ask more. He sighed and strung his fingers together.

“You’re not still thinking about him, are you?” he asked with a slight whisper. Nova swiftly looked up from her food again, getting a bit of a head rush. Her eyelids drooped, trying to regain her balance in her seat. She didn’t know how to respond. She knew he’d be upset if she told him, but if she lied, he’d know. With a slow shake of her head, she lied.

“No.”

Niall sighed again, “don’t lie to me, Nova. This is serious.”

She refused to answer.

“Nova,” he started, rubbing his temple with his calloused fingertips, “you still think about him, right?”

“Yeah, I do. A lot, actually,” she finished the last of her bagel and pushed the basket aside. She looked out the window again. She knew Niall wasn’t there to bother her, but it certainly was working. He was one of her best friends, but hadn’t spoken to him since breaking up with him. 

“Why?” he simply asked. A mixed look of confusion spread across Nova’s face. Why? She didn’t know why. If she did, she’d probably tell him.

“I don’t know why. I just… do. I don’t know.”

“It’s been months–”

“I know it has. I don’t think I’m getting over him any time soon. I just,” she stopped her sentence abruptly to scratch her forehead and sigh, “I keep thinking about him. Everything reminds me of him. I can’t sleep because my bed is empty every night. I should be over him, I know, but I physically cannot.”

“Maybe you should get out of here, then. Live somewhere else for a while,” Niall suggested.

“Where? I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“I’m having a party next week. Maybe you can come and stay at my place in L.A. for a bit,” his Irish accent was more prominent near the end of that sentence. Sometimes, his accent is hard to figure out, either what he’s saying or what accent it is.

“Seriously? You’d let me live with you?”

“Of course. You seem pressured to live here,” he said.

“I appreciate that,” Nova replied.

“Call me when you’re ready to go.”

[harrys-yellow-snow]

Love that gay sax. 🎷 😉

x

[harrys-yellow-snow]

istg he's so cute

Harry and the “Listening to One Direction is sexy” hat Amsterdam, Night I. June 4th, 2023