#Harry styles period piece

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Awww thank you so much! I loved how shy they were with each other at the start! 🫶🏻

The Assistant - Part 8**

This chapter is Mega fluff and some filthy smut!

Series Masterlist

WC: 6.2k

Harry was right, Y/N needed a day to herself to recover from what had happened. She was admittedly a bit shaken up and spending the day with her grandparents had been nice. She helped around the house but they also went to park and had a little picnic there before heading back in the mid afternoon. She got showered and changed and helped her grandmother with dinner while her grandfather did some yard work. It was about 4:30pm when the doorbell rang and her grandmother rushed out to get it.

“Oh, Harry! What a surprise!” She heard from a distance and smiled as she continued peeling the skin off of the onions.

“Hello, Cristina.” He greeted her with a big smile. She glanced down to his hands and he was carrying a bouquet of flowers in his hands, “I just wanted to check in on Y/N. See if she was feeling better after everything yesterday.” He said and raised the bouquet, “I ummm, brought her some flowers.” He said and Cristina smiled.

“Well, come on in and ask her yourself.” She said cheerfully and he chuckled.

“Alright, thank you.” He responded as she let him inside.

“She’s helping me with dinner.” She explained she guided him into the kitchen, “You’ve got a visitor!” Cristina said and Y/N turned around and smiled upon seeing Harry looking a bit more casual than usual but looking as handsome as ever.

“Ummm, hi.” She played coy with a little smile and he wanted to roll his eyes at her, but he’d play along.

“Hi.” He smiled, “I brought you these.” He said extending the flowers out to her, “Wanted to see how you were feeling today.” He said as he handed her the flowers.

“I’m feeling good. Thank you for suggesting to take the day, I didn’t know how much I needed it.” She assured and he smiled.

“It’s not a problem. We all missed you at work though.” He said and she tutted, “We really did.” He chuckled.

“Well I’ll definitely be in tomorrow.” She assured, “Ummm, w-would you like to join us for dinner again?” She asked and her grandmother smiled from her spot by the refrigerator at her invitation.

“Ummm, if that’s alright with everyone I’d love to.” He said with a smile.

“Of course it’s alright, sweetheart.” Cristina cut in excitedly and Y/N giggled.

“Well seeing as I dropped in unexpectedly, is there anything I can do to help?” He asked.

“Oh no, you can go watch the television or feel free to sit here and chat with us while we finish up.” Cristina told him.

“Well if I’m gonna sit here I might as well busy myself with something, no?” He asked with a smile, “I insist, I’m not useless in the kitchen, if the hesitation stems from that.” He said to Cristina and she and Y/N both laughed as Y/N went to grab a vase from a cupboard for her flowers.

“Alright, I believe you. You can help Y/N with the vegetables. The chicken is just resting in the seasoning. I’m going to take some lemonade out to Dave.” Cristina announced and they both nodded, ”Y/N grab Harry an apron, will you?” She asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” Y/N said and hurried to fill the vase with water and set the flowers in there. Once she set that down she wiped her hands on the pink gingham patterned apron she had on and went over to the little hook by the pantry that held all of her grandmother’s aprons and she picked up the next one as her grandma swept by with some lemonade as she headed out to the backyard. Y/N headed back to Harry with a smile. “Here you go.” She said, holding out the apron towards him and instead he reached around her waist and pulled her in close.

“Hi.” He whispered as their noses brushed and she grinned as he closed the distance between them. Their lips joined in a deep kiss, but they quickly pulled away, “Missed having you. Around today. Work’s not as fun.” He said softly, making her heart skip a beat.

“I missed you too.” She responded.

“S’a little toasty in here.” He noted and she smiled as she draped the apron over Harry’s shoulder and reached for the buttons of his shirt.

“You’ve got something on underneath, right?” She asked and he nodded, “Good.” She hummed as she worked her way up his shirt until all of the buttons were unfastened and his undershirt was on display, “And let me help you get this on.” She said of the white floral apron and he smirked as she reached around him and fastened the apron.

“Thank you, baby. What’ll you have me do?” He asked.

“Need you to quarter the potatoes.” She said as she reached for his hand and guided him over beside her. Before him on the counter there was a bowl of potatoes, a knife and a cutting board. He grabbed the knife on the cutting board and reached for a potato and he smiled to himself before speaking.

“Hey baby,” he said lowly and she hummed as she continued peeled the final onion, “so when you say quarter the potatoes, what does that mean?” He asked and she paused her movements and looked at him with her lips rolled together as if trying to hold back a laugh.

“Are you being serious right now?” She asked with a big grin and he broke and started laughing.

“No! Of course I know what that means!” He said with a playful scoff and she giggled as she went back to her peeling, “Grew up with just my mum and sister, trust me, I can cook.” He said as he started quartering the potato on the board, “It actually kind of hurts me to know that you think so little of me.” He said with very feeble offended lilt to his voice as he grabbed another.

“Well to be fair last time we were together you made me a grilled cheese sandwich, so I have nothing to base your skills off of.” She responded with a smile.

“OK, you’re right about that.” He said more lowly, “But I promise you, I’m a great cook. Can learn to make anything.” He assured her and she smiled.

“Alright, I believe you.” She said and he chuckled.

“You don’t sound like you do.” He said and she laughed softly.

“I promise I do.” She said as she put the onion down and turned to him and he looked over to her with a sentimental look in his eyes and put down the knife and turned towards her 

“OK.” He said back quietly and she kept looking at him, her gaze slowly moving down his neck to his broad shoulders and his sturdy chest that she got just a tempting peek of from the cut of his undershirt. As her eyes traveled lower, over his abdomen, he was really buff there too; his muscles were taught and well defined, she’d bet that even if he didn’t flex them she’d be able to distinguish all six of them and leave a searing kiss on each one. Finally, her gaze fell upon the apron tied around his hips. Maybe it was a good thing that it covered his lower half, she’d certainly try and make out which way he had tucked his cock into his pants. She looked back up at his eyes and he was wearing a devilish smirk, “Having a little look over?” He asked and she nodded timidly. He was just such a beautiful piece of work and it elicited an absolutely feral response from her. She supported herself with a hand on his shoulder as she tiptoed to reach his ear and he leaned down, his height still a bit too large for her to reach properly.

“You look so…tempting.” She said  in a sultry tone and he was fighting every impulse in his body to wrap his arms around her and grope at her bottom and pull her flush against his body to let her feel how hard he was for her now, “I don’t know what I want more, to get on my knees for you or to have you bend me over the counter and have your way with me.” She said quietly, her lips just grazing over his earlobe and he let out an audible, but low groan at her words. Just when he thought that she was through she took his earlobe between her lips and sucked as her hand trailed down from his shoulder and to where the apron was tied.

“Baby.” He said shakily, his grip on the counter was damn near painful at this point, “Please.”

“Please what?” She asked.

“I don’t… I don’t even know.” He chuckled breathily and she smiled as she kissed down the angle of his strong jaw.

“I’ll take care of you later, I promise.” She said and he exhaled through his mouth as she moved away and they both just returned to what they were doing. Harry’s hands were nearly trembling.

“I’m so hard, I think I might die.” He chuckled and she giggled.

“God bless that apron.” She said and he glanced down.

“Mmm, the apron’s not really helping.” He said nervously and she spared a glance down and she could see that there was a noticeable bulge beneath it. She wanted to see the outline of his cock straining against his trousers, that fucking apron was in the way.

“I can see that… sorry.”

“It’s OK, baby. It happens.” He assured her as he took yet another deep breath to calm down.

“Well, if it’s any consolation I’m also really uncomfortable. Probably need to go put on a fresh pair of underwear after seeing you.” She said and he looked at her with an air of desperation.

“Not helping.” He said and she giggled.

“Maybe if you finish quartering the potatoes you’ll be distracted enough.” She said and he sighed but nodded, she was right so he got to doing that and she started to chop the onions she had peeled, but soon they both started to feel their eyes burning.

“Oh my god, I can’t.” He said and stepped away and rubbed his eyes which somehow made it worse and his tears started to fall. She started laughing at him as her own eyes spilled tears. The burn from the onions was intense and soon a fit of laughter took over them and they were clutching their stomachs with joyful tears rolling down their faces. Cristina came back in and laughed along at the state the two were in.

“What on earth is going on here?” She asked through her laughter and they both struggled to catch their breaths. She waited for them to calm down before they just explained that it was a random fit of laughter, but Cristina thought it was sweet none the less. She had never seen Y/N this happy. Sure, she had dated before and had even had a serious boyfriend, James, but still Cristina had never seen her looking so well. It was beautiful to witness Y/N falling in love, “You kids are something else. Can’t even leave you alone for 5 minutes.” She teased and they chuckled.

“Grandma, if you’d like we can handle dinner.” Y/N offered and Harry nodded beside her.

“Alright, if you insist.” She gave in easily, making them both laugh before she announced she was going to go wash up. 

About 30 minutes later everything was just about ready and Harry was helping Y/N carry things out to the table as her grandparents settled in. Everything was delicious and the conversation was light and lively. It wasn’t missed by anyone the way Harry would look at Y/N when she would talk and laugh and even just breathe, it seemed. It was sweet and wonderful to witness this; they could tell she felt a bit timid about him, but not in a way where she seemed put off. She seemed to be trying to tone down how giddy she was.

“That was absolutely delicious! Thank you, you two.” David smiled with satisfaction.

“Good, glad you enjoyed it.” Y/N smiled with pride and then Harry cleared his throat.

“Ummm, I was wondering if it would be alright if I take Y/N out for some ice cream or a milkshake?” He said to David and Cristina, “If you want to, of course!” He added in quickly as he turned to Y/N. He deserved an academy award with those acting skills and she looked to her grandparents, her grandmother was nodding excitedly as discreetly as possible.

“We’re alright with it. Y/N?” Her grandfather asked.

“Yes, that sounds good. Great actually.” She said with a timid smile and Harry had the same expression on his face, “If you can just give me a minute to grab my shoes and purse?”

“Of course. Take your time.” He assured and she nodded and excused herself quickly and Harry bit his lip nervously before looking back to David and Cristina, “Ummm-” he swallowed the lump in his throat, “I’ve been getting to know Y/N quite well at work and I am continuously impressed by her. She is smart and quick and ambitious a-and tenacious and I really like that.” He said to them. Cristina was clutching around her fork so hard she thought it could bend, she was waiting for him to ask if he could formally date her - he had to be! 

“Yes, she has always been quite the go-getter.” David chuckled and Cristina nodded in agreement with her husband.

“I can certainly imagine that to be the case.” Harry smiled along with them, “And as I said, I really like that and I find it admirable and I…” he paused to swallow down his nerves, “I’m just completely taken by her and I would like to get to know more of her outside of the professional setting. With your permission of course.” He said to David and Cristina. Cristina wasn’t even trying to hold back her excitement anymore.

“You want to go steady with her?”

“I-if she’d like to, yes.” Harry said with a smile.

“Harry, I do like you. I think you are a kind and forthright young man and you’ve certainly shown us plenty of your good character with how you’ve treated Y/N. But what happens if things don’t work out as you all expect, with work and what not?”

“Oh, David!” Cristina tutted.

“It’s alright, that is a very valid question. After all, I am Y/N’s boss and there is another dynamic at play there.” He appeased Cristina, “But I do believe Y/N and I are mature enough to be objective about work and then be however else outside of work if she were to agree to go out with me. Also, if the relationship does advance to more serious territory there are some steps to take with human resources to protect each of us professionally were things to not go as expected.”

“So you expect things to last with her?” Cristina jumped in with a smile and Harry’s face heated up with a blush and he slightly shrugged.

“I mean…I would hope so. I think she likes me too.” He said and Cristina nodded.

“Oh, she certainly does.” She confirmed making them all chuckle.

“I do understand that life happens and sometimes things don’t always go as planned, but I can promise you both that regardless of what goes on I will treat her with the utmost respect and care. I know that she is special, I see it every single day and I have to just…wrap my mind around it every single day.” He said with a small smile, “I got so incredibly lucky and I don’t let myself forget it.” He said to them. Cristina’s eyes were welling up as Harry finished.

“Well, that settles it then. I don’t think we could ask for any more than that for her.” David said to Harry with a nod and Harry smiled.

“Thank you.” Harry hummed. He was absolutely buzzing internally. They continued chatting and a few moments later Y/N came down and Harry immediately stood.

“Ready!” She announced.

“Perfect. Ummm, I should have her back to you by 9:30?” He asked Y/N and she nodded. It was about to be 8pm soon, the sun was already setting behind the hills, that should be plenty of time.

“Yeah, that’s perfect.” She assured.

“Alright kids, drive carefully.” Cristina admonished and Harry assured he would as he briefly hugged her and kissed her cheek before shaking hands with David and then they were both walking out to Harry’s car. Cristina watched from inside as he opened up her door and helped her settle in before he got situated himself and they took off. 

“Is there a place that you like?” Harry asked as he slowly drove them out of her neighborhood. 

“Yes. I’ll tell you where to go.” She assured and he reached for hand as they drove down the main street for several minutes, “Make a right at the next intersection.” She said and he went on and did just that and they started going up a hill, passing by some beautiful houses and he was wondering where they were going because it was looking less and less residential.

“Where are you taking us?”

“Don’t worry about it.” She said with a grin as she directed him to keep driving up until they passed a sign that said “Welcome to Angeles National Forest” and he glanced to her and she giggled.

“I can assure you there is no ice cream in the forest.” He said to her and she giggled.

“I know, but there’s this really great view spot where you can see the city, kinda like your house.” She said and he hummed as he ran his thumb along the side of her hand, “We stopped by once after we went camping up here.” She said and he smiled.

“How long ago was that?”

“Mmmm, I must’ve been like 10 or 11?” She said as they rounded the curves of the roads, “Gram got eaten alive by mosquitoes so we never did it again.” She giggled as she remembered and he chuckled, “Then I came a few more times with friends and I haven’t been back in a while. Oh, the spot is right after we curve around this part of the mountain.” She said and he started to slow down. The road was completely desolate and even the view point was in the same state as he carefully drove onto the dirt area and stopped slowly, smiling as they looked down the entirety of Los Angeles.

“Wow…” he said quietly as he put the car in park and shut it off and immediately moved to get out of the car and she smiled and did the same. They met around the front of the car and he dipped down to kiss her lips quickly. “Let’s sit up here.” He said, patting on the hood of the car and she nodded. He helped her up before pulling himself up as well and they both laid back on the windshield, their hands intertwined as they looked out at the gorgeous view. The warmth of it beneath them was a gorgeous contrast compared to the slightly cold breeze from the mountain air.

“In the day time, on a really clear day, you can literally see the ocean from here.”

“Really?” He wondered aloud and she nodded.

“I also like that you can see all the stars from here.” She said and he glanced up and saw the bright specks of light completely littering the sky, “Slightly on your right and a little further back, that’s the Hercules constellation.” She pointed out and he squinted to try and make it out.

“Where?”

“You see that like, boxy shape?” She pointed with her finger as best as she could and he chuckled.

“I can’t make anything out.” He said with a small laugh and she huffed.

“At least try…” she said and he laughed as he squinted a bit, “Right….there.” she said pointing his hand right at the box of stars and she guided his hand to show him the shape, “It’s just there.” 

“Looks more like a 4-legged spider to me, baby.” He said softly now that he had found the shape.

“You’re not wrong about that.” She giggled.

“OK, show me another one.” He said softly and she smiled.

“Mmmm… on the left of the Hercules there’s  like a crescent moon shaped on. S’like a little cluster, don’t remember what it’s called though.” 

“Oh! That one I do see.” He said almost immediately, “Maybe we call it, Y/N’s smile.” He said turning to her and she couldn’t help it as her lips split to reveal a big and beautiful smile as her face heated up from his flirtations, “Literally identical.” He said as his thumb came over her bottom lip and ran along the curve of it. It was dark and their eyes had adjusted to it this way, but the bright summer moon was washing everything around them in a dim, silvery color and he could make out her pretty, delicate face just enough.

“You’re really cheesy.” She giggled timidly.

“Yeah, disgustingly so.” He confirmed as his hand traveled down her neck, his fingers could feel the fastened pace of her pulse, it made him feel excited and for his soul to yearn for her in a way that he had never felt before. Sure, he had told people that he loved them before in their relationship, but the way he felt with her made him question it all. This was love. It was the way he felt joy when he heard her uplifting voice chirp out a ‘good morning’ as he got into the office. It was the way that he noticed that she always bit her lip back to avoid smiling so wide. It was the way that he felt like mush inside when she would say his name. It was the way his heart would beat out of time when he got to feel her lips against his own. Love was everything he experienced with her simply because it was her there with him.

“What?” She asked with a smile on her face as he just stared.

“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.” He practically whispered to her and she felt her entire body melt to mush as his words processed in her mind. She felt the exact same way; she was so scared she would never find someone like him, but here he was.

“I feel that way about you too.” She whispered and he just turned over and attached their lips in an immediately heated kiss. The preamble to this intense or fiery moment between them apart from their weighted confessions. As their lips moved together she couldn’t think of anything but that ache that she felt to be closer to him. As close as she possibly could be to him. It was an ache unlike anything she had ever felt before and she just knew that the only remedy for it was him. She felt even more wound up as his lips smeared down her neck, sucking very lightly at her skin, his hold on her was tight, as if she was using her as his grounding agent to not get too carried away. But she needed him to get carried away and to unleash whatever desires he had on her.

“Oh, Harry…” she moaned breathily and the pretty sound literally made a tingle shoot straight down to where his cock was impossibly erect for. He let a soft groan roll through his chest.

“Fuck, I love it when you say my name.” Harry spoke against the warm skin of her neck, “Specially when I know it’s because you’re begging for me. Begging for me because you’re probably completely soaking through your knickers for me.” She moaned as he said that.

“I need you. I need you so bad.” She whispered shakily and he groaned, losing his resolve and getting off of the car and pulling her over to him. He stood between her as his hands roamed up her thighs and his lips kissed hers aggressively. Finally, his fingers reached the button of her jeans and he started to undo it.

“Need you too, baby.” He mumbled against her mouth, “Need to be inside of you.” He said before smearing their lips together again.

There was a fire in his body that only she could quell. It was brewing inside of him all of the time; after the first time he had her it was hard to not think about it. About how it felt to sink inside of her of her tight and wet little hole, she had taken it so well. He had been sweet and calm with her thus far, but he wanted far more than that. He wanted to absolutely wreck her for anyone else, he wanted to pound his cock into her so hard that she could feel him for days after - but would she be alright with that?

“Baby, please.” She begged.

“OK. Gonna bend you over the hood.” He said and she nodded. He pulled her pants and panties  down to her knees before undoing his own pants and as soon as he was freed he started to stroke over his cock when it suddenly dawned on him, “Shit, I don’t have a condom.” He said in almost a pained voice and she whined, “I-I don’t mind. I can still…I just won’t finish inside of you.” He said and she nodded.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just please get inside.” She said and he grabbed himself and lined his cock up to her entrance, tapping against her swollen and sticky cunt. He could imagine that his precum was probably creating sticky strings as it combined with her arousal.  He could feel his balls throbbing, feeling full and heavy with all of the cum he wanted to pour inside of her. 

“Fuck, here I go.” He warned and she nodded and he thrust forward, his wide tip did an excellent job of opening her up, it made her breath hitch as he slowly sunk into her. The downward angel was doing things to her, she could feel him rubbing into parts of her that were new to her. When he finally bottom up he squeezed her hips hard and groaned as he rolled his hips into her, getting as deep as he could and she bowed her head as she pushed back into him as well, “How do you want it, baby?” He asked and she felt a chill travel through her whole body.

“However you like, I can take it.” She said and he groaned as one of his hands traveled up to the back of her neck and pressed down.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, remind me who I belong to.” She moaned and he lost it at that. He drew out, nearly to the tip before roughly colliding his hips with hers and she gasped as he squeezed down around the back of her neck. Then he did it again and again, until the slight hurt of his rough thrusts melted into the most delicious pleasure and pressure in the deepest part of her. His breathing was hard and ragged as he mercilessly pounded away into her. A soft groan left her lips every time his front would meet with her ass, timing their sounds in perfect unison. She could feel hers legs losing their strength as he drove deep into her spot.

“Feel so good around my cock, baby.” He groaned and she whined out, “Wanted me to claim your little cunt as mine, is that right?” He panted.

“Yes, Harry! Yes!” She whimpered through the pleasure.

“Good. Gonna finish all over your pretty little cunt, really make it mine like that.” He said and she let out a moan that she didn’t even know she had in her, “You take my big cock really well, baby. Could be inside of you all day if you’d let me.” Her breathing hitched when he parted her legs further and sunk in as deep as possible.

“Oh my god!” She gasped at the dull ache of him reaching a new depth, “I-it’s- you’re  too deep!” She strained out and he groaned as he slowed down his pace.

“Didn’t you say I could fuck you however I wanted because you could take it?” He asked and she moaned as he delivered a hard thrust again, just as deep and it made her tense up.

“Didn’t say to stop, did I?” She retorted and he grinned as he wound her hair up in his fist and pulled her taut.

“No you didn’t. Gonna really give it to you now, OK?” He warned and she moaned and he started to mercilessly pound into her pussy. He was losing himself in the feeling reverberating through his own body. He couldn’t stop, he didn’t want to ever stop fucking her this way. Y/N felt that he was splitting her in two with how hard and fast he was going, but the brute force he was using was satisfying that primal and feral desire she had for him. It was bringing her to her end and quickly, especially with him pounding into her g-spot.

“Oh fuck, Harry!” She cried out and he grinned.

“Fuck…” he growled, “Love how tight your little cunt squeezes my cock.” His filthy words were her ultimate weakness, it made her mind fog and for her to want to do more to hear what he was really thinking and she tightened up again and she moaned, “Fuck baby,” he stammered, “d-don’t do that you’re gonna make me come and I won’t be able to pull out in time.” He panted and she did it again and he tossed his head back as his tummy swirled with pleasure, “Be good or I’ll pull out.” He smacked her ass when he recovered.

“M’sorry, I’ll be good for you.” She whimpered and he growled.

“You’re already good for me, baby. So fucking good, you feel so fucking good.” He grunted.

“I’m so close!” She warned, “Pull my hair harder.” She pleaded and he groaned as he tightened his grip on her hair and pulled it back and she smiled, “Oh fuck yes, you do own my pussy. I’m all yours, Harry.” He grinned at her confession.

“Fuck, I knew there was a little devil inside of you, baby. Gonna do things to you that you’ve never even dreamed of to get your little pussy creaming all over my cock.” He grunted roughly and just like that she was unraveling. She didn’t hold back her sounds as she spiraled through the pleasure. There was slight pain, but lots of good feelings swarming through her body and making her legs shake, “Oh fuck, baby! I’m gonna come!” He warned as he continued pounding into her, his own legs were tired, but he didn’t want to stop. 

“Harry!” She whimpered as she started to feel the pleasurable feeling amplify as he chased his high, continuously ramming into her g-spot. She felt like she was about to burst from the inside out. He could feel her pulsing around him again and he smiled breathlessly.

“Give me one more. One more, baby. Can feel you’re right there.” He panted tiredly and she couldn’t even say anything, her mouth just fell open in a silent scream as she started to come undone. Harry felt a pressure from inside of her pushing his cock out and he pulled out only to hear her scream in pleasure as her cum squirted out of her and he groaned, but held her up quickly so she wouldn’t fall to the ground. He stuffed his cock back inside and pumped in a few times before he pulled out again and with heavy breaths and a low groan he started to come all over her bottom, painting it with his warm and milky load. Y/N was clutching to the hood for dear life as her legs warred to keep her on her feet. Harry then sunk down to his knees, still holding her up by the hips as he let his tongue roll out of her mouth and lick her bottom clean of his cum, the proceeded to part her cheeks to make space as he licked up her pussy and she gasped from the sensitivity.

“Mmmm, it’s not ice cream, but still fucking tasty.” He hummed and then licked up her inner thighs, working his way back up to her pussy.

“Harry…” she whimpered, reaching back to grab onto his hair and he smiled.

“Fuck yourself on my tongue, baby.” He mumbled and pushed it inside and as weak and tired as she was, her hips had other plans as she ground against his face.

“Oh my god!” She gasped as his fingers came up to her clit and started rubbing, “I’m g-gonna come!” She sobbed and he moaned, the vibrations speeding up her orgasm and with a feeble cry she started to come again and he moaned as he felt her grow wetter and stickier against his mouth. He gradually came to a slow and eventually pulled away, but not before kissing at her right cheek and then her left. Still holding her at the hips, he pulled himself up and slowly turned her around. She was blissed out and shaking and hazy and Harry smiled at her and she returned it weakly. 

“You’re trying to kill me.” She exhaled.

“Sorry baby, was that too much? Should I have stopped?” He asked with a frown.

“No, it was incredible I’ve never… that’s never happened to me before.” She said, “Thought I couldn’t handle it, but I liked it a lot.”

“Did you really?” He asked her and she nodded, “It felt like…I don’t know, like I’ve always wanted to feel that out of control and at someone’s mercy, I guess?” She said and he listened to her, “I just don’t think I ever trusted anyone enough to actually just let them do what they wanted. I did like it though, makes me feel like you can’t control yourself around me. Like I drive you wild. Makes me feel how I feel when I’m around you.” She admitted and he smirked.

“Oh baby, s’because I do feel all of those things about you. I feel like I’m running about ten degrees hotter than everyone else when you’re nearby. I feel like I just can’t contain myself around you. I could fuck you like that more often if you want?” 

“Yes. As much as you want.” She said quickly and he chuckled.

“Eager little thing. We’ll see how you’re feeling tomorrow.” He hummed and she giggled and agreed, “Let me help you get these on.” He said reaching down to pull her panties and jeans back on, “They’re a little damp.” He said and she shrugged.

“Oh well.” She hummed and he helped her into the car. He then went around and started it up as he checked his watch, barely making out the numbers reading 9:15.

“We might be a little late.” He said to her.

“It’s OK, they won’t mind.” She assured and he smiled at her before leaning in and grabbing her face gently.

“I forgot to ask, do you want to be my girlfriend?” He asked her with a hopeful smile and she glanced up and hummed pensively, “Really? After what just transpired between us?” He asked with a tone of mock offense and she giggled.

“Of course I do.” She responded before their lips met in a gentle kiss.

“Good.” He hummed into her lips with a smile.

After that they made the drive to her home and made some plans for the weekend. Something quiet and intimate because there were so many things he wanted to know about her and he didn’t want anything to distract from her. When he dropped her off he walked her up to the door and kissed her briefly on the lips and she assured him that she’d be at the office the following day and then he was heading back to his car. She shared the news of her new relationship with Harry and then headed off to get ready for bed and it felt divine to just fall into her bed and she exhaled slowly and smiled up at the ceiling. 

Y/N’s mind was slowing down as she started to doze off when she started feeling it. It was a good kind of ache. There was a steady pulse of dull pain that had her full attention. It wasn’t just external, but deep inside of her as well, right on that spot where Harry’s cock was pounding into her. She smiled because it was that kind of ache that you had to work hard for. The kind of ache that made you feel like you had accomplished something. And boy had they accomplished plenty. All that she knew was that she liked the feeling and she couldn’t wait to see his face when she told him that she liked it. She like it a lot.

------ Tag List ------

@sunshinemoonsposts @anotherdudetteinthisworld @matildasatellite @sad-avocado @sunflovverharry @cherrysulewski @daphnesutton @gurugirl @angelqueen99

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

harry, as venus by botticelli

the birth of harry finally come to life, thanks to the incredible visions depicted in de amore ex tempore, a fic by @persephoneflouwers that has me dreaming like i haven't in a while. thank you <3

[b0zzybee]

HELP!! im looking for a harry styles fanfic that was on wattpad at one point. for the life of me, i cannot remember the name of it! i swear it started with 170 something. it was year. i know the mfc’s name started with an A but it was unusual, like Alley?? i believe it was a slow burn of sorts. she was a servant. harry was the son of a well off man. i remember the ending being so sweet! they ended up getting their own plot of land and building a house on a farm and starting a family. please help!!

[swallow-the-bird]

Snape & The Little Mermaid 🧜‍♂️

Finally, I can unveil my commissioned Snarry artwork, which was actually completed earlier this year!

This piece is an illustration for a delightful fairy tale “COEUR ECLATANT” written by my client, who requested a stained glass window style with an artistic touch of Art Nouveau, specifically inspired by Mucha’s style.

The experience has been truly enjoyable, as Mucha has always been one of my favorite artists, and Art Nouveau is one of my most beloved art periods. Not to mention, I’ve been a Snarry fan for a long time.

In this enchanting little story, Snarry the Hunter is a seemingly pragmatic character who struggles to acknowledge his deep affection for the little mermaid, Harry. In contrast, Harry is a frank and sincere mermaid, full of curiosity about life on land and completely unreserved in his unconditional love for the first—and only—human he has ever saved (although Snape cruelly denies ever needing help at the time! 🤣).

This is a tale of love between two characters who know so little yet so much about love. I’m still eagerly waiting for my client to reveal the ending!

My client has also created several related products based on this piece, which I’m excited to share with you all:

🔹An Acrylic Stand resembling a stained glass window (currently in its semi-final form)

🔹 An Acrylic Card (Also in its semi-final form)

I hope you all enjoy this piece as much as I do!

[bottomlouiswriters]

This is so good y’all should go give it a read 🫦

i’m looking for a period piece where harry & louis meet on a train. there’s a bar on the train and harry and louis have to be discrete with their flirting due to the period typical homophobia. harry invites louis back to his room and they hook up and a woman i think knocks on the door in the middle of it?

Late Night Train Ride

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Rec List: New Authors!

Welcome to 2025! And as we say goodbye to 2024, this list is taking a moment to shout out new authors who ventured into 1D fic this year -- welcome aboard. It's truly amazing to me that 15 years since the band was formed, and 9 years since they as a group put out new music or performed together, new people are still joining the fold -- or dipping their toes into writing and posting fic, after hanging out in other spaces for a time. I'm sure plenty of people are joining via the solo music, but it still warms my heart to see this community that has meant so much to me continuing to grow and flourish. New fans are just as valid as old fans, and are absolutely essential for a healthy fandom ecosystem.

So with that said, here are 9 fics from people who started posting for the 1D fandom in 2024. And some of these writers have been incredibly prolific -- two of the fics listed are over 100k, and one of the authors has sixteen 1D fics already! Here's hoping we see more from them in 2025 and beyond -- please join me in giving them a warm welcome to the community!

Notorious by violetlilachyacinth (64021, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) Warnings: period-typical homophobia, implied/referenced rape/non-con

1946. WWII has just ended, but there's still work to be done. To help bring Nazis to justice, U.S. government agent Harry Styles receives a new assignment: recruit Louis Tomlinson, the American son of a convicted German war criminal, as a spy. Neither knows the full extent of the task they're asked to complete nor the full impact they will have upon each other. The stakes are quite high.

Reccer says: This fic blew me away! It's an adaptation of a film, and I can imagine how much work the author did to make it their own. Harry and Louis' connection leapt off the page. And no spoilers, but I loved the ending.

freaky friday by tracksuitponytail (1700, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: dubious consent due to body swap

It’s Friday the 13th—a day like any other for Louis until he wakes up in the middle of the night... in his best friend's body.

Reccer says: SO well written! I enjoyed it so much, and it really cheered me up on Thanksgiving

Coffee and Confessions by Vyshv (676, General, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles)

A cozy coffee shop in New York City, with the warm aroma of roasted beans and the soft hum of chatter, two lost friends find each other.

Reccer says: This fic so so soft and lovely! I love the feelings it evoked

Hazelnut by BlackRose_Lilly28 (100, Not Rated, None)

Another drabble based on a twitter prompt. This time: "Hazelnut."

Reccer says: Fun to read, and very sweet!

here for the thrill by worldsofdreamers (3357, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik)

niall wore a cowboy hat and he was just saving a horse

Reccer says: we needed a fic of niall in his lil cowboy hat and this fic DELIVERS. always love fics from this author. they’re very good writer and they are a good go to if you’re in need of a ziall fic.

All in the Golden Afternoon by leighllbealright (126028, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

When Louis Tomlinson needed to find a new preschool for his daughter, he wasn't expecting the one across the street to be everything he and Goldie ever needed. Or: the one where Louis is closed off, Harry is the weirdest person ever, and Gemma may as well be a psychic. Somehow, calico-cat-style, they forge a beautiful family from pieces that don't quite fit.

Reccer says: This series is one of my top 10 from 2024. Brilliant characters, gorgeous writing, Harry’s sweaty elbow-pits, everyone is a flower, naked treehouses and more.

Whole Lot of History by Blue_Green28 (73592, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

With 3 children coming out of their twelve years long marriage Harry and Louis are essential parts of each other's lives even though they have moved on with new partners since their divorce ten years ago. Or have they?

Reccer says: Exes to Lovers, Miscommunication, mpreg

everything of mine is yours by blueskiesrry (33000, Explicit, Harry Styles/ Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

With Harry in New York finishing up his PhD and Louis in London working as a solicitor, they try to navigate their eight year situationship including almost-daily phone calls, the occasional indulgence of casual phone sex, and endless gossip sessions as the feelings they have for each other get harder to ignore.

Reccer says: The scene where Louis reads a Lincoln biography out loud to H in the bath? Swoonworthy!

The Handbasket Diaries by Hazel_tea_dreams (160326, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

London’s expensive and work’s a grind but everything is a little better when you have good mates who understand you. The narrow brick flat building in Brixton, home to Louis, Liam, and Zayn and affectionately referred to as The Handbasket, is more than a place to catch winks and reheat leftovers. When Harry stumbles into its midst (and Louis' lap) with flatmate Niall in tow on a particularly hot Pride weekend, none of the five of them will be fully prepared for the shenanigans, tomfoolery, true friendship, or steamy romance that will unfold over the year.

Reccer says: This was so fucking lovely. I binged it in two days—only put it down to scream about it on Bluesky (and sleep and like, essential stuff). The writing is witty and tender and, apparently, communication kink is my jam. This is the only fic (in recent memory) that I finished and then wanted to restart immediately.

[carelessflower]

alec closet analysis thread

now it's confirmed that alec THE ultimate successor of broke nepo baby - sugar baby - tradwife pipeline, I compile a list of what items and brands i think he would use

casual wear

alec's style is the fit in trsom where he layer a leather jacket over hoodie, except now the leather jacket is some authentic italian leather costing 1000$ and the hoodie is ralph lauren. very subtle, very preppy boarding school with inheritance quiet luxury boy, ysl (magnus got confirmed wearing them and magnus shop/magic clothes for alec), loro piana, ami paris (magnus think "a" can be an initial alec is tres chic)

outerwear

classic burberry trench coat, leather jacket (a must), puffer, bomber, if in in dark color and cozy, there 70% chance alec wants it. fw chanel tweed stuff but non-monogram only. oh yeah got access to magnus unlimited closet of fur coat and been dressing in mob wife style every winter (it suit him so why change)

formal wear

structured, clean line, no fussy business. rarely do a three piece suit, unless it's a fancy nightout with magnus. layered his sweater/turtleneck with a blazer all the time. in shadoworld gala or events his suit would have pop of red either from the tie, the brooch or the detail to signal his position while blending in with other party-goers (consul robe wouldn't be sensible, considering shadowhunters history with downworlders). i can see ysl, celine, bottega, alexander mcqueen and peter do (the suit with the open back is for magnus only)

bag

THE shadoworld birkin mom, his collection isn't the biggest in the world because he's very particular in his pieces, no neon, overt pattern or rhinestone. got a mini birkin to store his airphones and gummy bear and izzy can't believe this is her brother's life now. big fans of every big bag imaginable, his birkin always looks like it may burst any moment. louis vuitton duffle bag, neutral, no excessive logo

jewelry

like anything silver, white gold, platinum, diamond, sapphire, pearl. tolerable of period and colored diamonds. keep ruby (bad association), gold and those god-awful rolex away from him please. own a couple of richard mille but only for fancy occasions, his go-to is usually vintage gucci bangle or cartier tank. got matching cartier love bracelet with max. break about 4 sets van cleef albraham but magnus like how delicately they sit on his collarbone so he gonna keep being restocked on them. for ring: harry winston, tiffany, graff, his fave shape is carre, emerald, cushion

perfume

woody, slightly white floral (he doesn't play about jasmine), anything fresh and clean, skin type of perfume. he's basically smell like entering a very expensive yet worth-the-price therapist's office. mfk 724, another 13, the matcha, and do son would be perfect. magnus got a whole shelves of kilian, alec basically take a look and one bottle and that's it. unless you're magnus don't come near him with anything patchouli or overwhelmed musk he would scowl as if your existence's offensive

tag list: @magnus-the-maqnificent @literallytypogod @hoezier-than-thou @sociallyineptbibliophile @queenlilith43

@khaleesiofalicante @wandererbyheart @raziyekroos @onetimetwotimesthreetimess @alexandergideonslightwood

@noah-herondale-lightwood @elettralightwood @dustandducks @deliciousdetectivestranger @delightfullyterrible

@letsgofortacos

@kita-no @thelightofthebane @secrettryst @goldendreams3 @cityofdownwardspirals

@stupidfuckindinosaur

@i-have-not-slept @rinadragomir @potato-jem @kasper-tag

@banesapothecary @culiehua @izzysimcns

[delacyrose224]

Late Night Talking

Pairing: Lee Minho x reader

Genre: Fluff, established relationship

Word Count: .9k

Author's Note: Song of the day is Late Night Talking by Harry Styles!

---------------------

“...do you miss me?”

It’s so quiet, you almost think you’ve made it up.

“What?”

Minho clears his throat softly and repeats himself.

“Do you miss me?”

He looks at you earnestly, but can’t hold eye contact for very long before he’s glancing off to the side, running his fingers through his long hair making it even messier than it was to start off with.

You smile, though he doesn’t see it.

“Of course I miss you. Who else can I bother on a daily basis?”

A small smirk works its way across his face as a signature glint of mischief sparkles in his eyes.

“It better just be me. If not, I’ll start sending you those memes you hate. And spam you with pictures of Jisung.”

You roll your eyes, huffing out a laugh.

“Ah, so that’s who you’ve replaced me with since you can’t bother me in person.” Though you’re joking, Minho notices the small frown on your face, even through his phone screen.

“You know I miss you, right?” His face is devoid of any joking, complete earnestness coloring his expression (and his ears, which are turning pink). “I’ve never felt this way about anyone this quickly.” Minho is matter of fact, succinct when it comes to his feelings. That’s how you know he’s telling the truth.

“Minnnnnn…” You hide behind your hands, embarrassed. One of the reasons the two of you had bonded in the first place was because of your difficulties in sharing deeper emotions.

He’s got a full blown smirk on his face now. “Glad I can still make you flustered, even from thousands of miles away,” he laughs. “How was your day?” His eyes soften, genuinely interested in what you have to say.

“It was…dumb, to be honest.”

“Tell me why.” Minho lays across his bed in the hotel room he’s sharing with Changbin, propping his phone up against the pillows.

“Well, I was running late this morning to start things off. Maybe because I made a stop to see your kids…” you laugh. Minho can feel his heart skip a beat in his chest at the mention of you caring about his cats.

“And then once I got to work, I ended up spilling coffee on myself-” You see Minho’s mouth start to open in protest, but you cut him off. “I didn’t burn myself, I just stained my new dress, don’t worry. But then I had meetings most of the day, and you know how my students sometimes just try my patience. But then I came home and changed into comfy clothes and watched a few episodes of that new show we talked about before. And here I am, talking to you-easily the best part of my day.” You smile softly at the man in front of you.

“Well one, I’m sorry you had a bad day. Two, did you put stain remover on your dress? Three, how dare you start that show without me. Four, this is the best part of my day too.”

“You’re worried about the stain on my dress?” You can’t help but laugh-what other man would be so concerned with laundry?

“Well, you spent your hard earned money on it!” he huffs, brows knit together in agitation.

“Yes, Mr. Clean, I put stain remover on it and immediately put it in the wash. And you said you didn’t like period pieces, that’s why I started it without you!”

“Well, I wanted to watch it with you,” he pouts.

“Fine…I’ll rewatch the first episode with you,” you concede. 

“Right now?” Your eyes widen.

“Do you have time right now? Where’s Binnie? And you had a show earlier, you must be exhausted!”

“Not exhausted enough to not spend time with my best girl. And Binnie’s just left to go to the gym, he won’t be back for a while.”

Your cheeks flush at his pet name for you, but you’re excited to spend more time with Minho. After a quick setup and syncing of the show you were going to watch, the two of you settle into your respective beds.

It’s just as good as the first time…well, as much as you sit through. 45 minutes in, you’re both nodding off, and before you know it, you’re sound asleep.

—-------------------------------

A bright beam of sunlight hits your face, forcing your eyes open. 

“What…happened?” You push up onto your elbows, rubbing out sleep out of your eyes, only to flop back down on the bed in protest. A deep groan comes from next to you, but there’s no one there.

Shoving your hands underneath the covers, you search until you grab your phone from the tangle of blankets. There on your screen is Lee Minho, yawning with long hair almost completely covering his face.

“Hi sleepyhead,” you giggle, watching him push the long strands out of his eyes.

“Hi love,” he yawns. “I’m guessing we fell asleep watching that show last night?” You nod. “Guess we were both more exhausted than we thought.” He lays his head on his hand, smiling softly at you.

“You’re smiling an awful lot lately, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, well, it’s hard not to when you’re around.” His smile widens, his eyes staying just as soft as before.

“You keep this up, and Stay is gonna figure out something’s up. The cold Ice King is melting,” you laugh.

“I think they’d be happy that I’m happy,” he muses, then starts to frown. “I have to go get ready for a schedule soon before Chan yells at me…can we do this again soon? In person?”

You nod.

“...it’s a date, then.”

-----------------------

Taglist: @alpacaparkaseok @hyungieyoongi @derinxfam

You can find more of my work here!

[imogenleewriter]

Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson AO3 Works Stats

The other day, I was curious to see what the trajectory of uploads of Larry fanfic on Ao3 was and if it was increasing.Anyway, it was a pretty simple process, and here were the findings:

Perfect right? Done. Time to go to bed? No, because ya girl got hyper-fixated. So grab a cup of tea and enjoy this absolutely ridiculous waste of time...

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic profoundly affected various aspects of societal behaviour, including participation in online communities. The ‘Larry fan fiction community’ had a notable influx of new participants and emerging writers during this period. My antedotal observations suggested a significant number of authors have been publishing their first works as recently as this month. This study aims to quantify the trends in Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson fan fiction uploads on AO3 (Archive Of Our Own) over the past decade, with a particular focus on discerning any noticeable uptick in contributions corresponding to the pandemic’s timeline.

Method

The data collection was executed over several days, starting from the 16th of October 2023. Due to this, the 16th of October was used as a reference point for all of the 12-month periods. The following parameters were employed for filtering:

Relationship Category: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson.

Inclusivity: All pieces that included this relationship, irrespective of the presence of other pairings. The result of this means there are likely some works included where they are a side pairing.

Language: All languages were included.

Work Status: Both individual pieces and those parts of a series were included, as were completed and incomplete works.

Accessibility: Being logged in allowed access to members-only works.

During the analysis, two works were excluded due to backdating, to ensure the timeframe remained consistent. Due to the dynamic nature of the fan fiction platform, some works underwent updates or were removed during the data collection process. While these fluctuations did cause some inconsistencies, they were negligible and did not significantly impact the overall dataset.

For the 12-month periods under consideration, three main categories were analysed: total, completed, and unfinished.

Results

A comprehensive analysis of Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson fan fiction uploads spanning from 2011 to 2023 revealed the following insights:

2011: A total of sixteen works were documented, all of which were completed.

2012: The total number of uploads rose to 417. Among these, 409 were completed works, while eight remained unfinished.

2013: A significant surge was observed, with total uploads reaching 4,795. Completed works accounted for 4,251, whereas 544 were left incomplete.

2014: The growth trend continued, recording a total of 6,303 uploads. 5,296 were completed, and 1,007 were in-progress.

2015: The first decline was witnessed, although minor, with 6,105 total uploads. Completed works comprised 4,919, and unfinished ones stood at 1,186.

2016: A slight decline was noted, totalling 4,805 works. Completed pieces were 3,765, with 1,040 still in-progress.

2017: Uploads further decreased to 2,898. Of these, 2,297 were completed, and 601 remained unfinished.

2018: A modest rise was seen with 2,784 total works. Completed contributions were 2,275, while 509 were ongoing.

2019: The total dropped to 2,064. Completed pieces stood at 1,700, and 364 were still under development.

2020: A slight increment occurred, totalling 2,572 uploads. Of these, 2,071 were finished, and 501 were ongoing.

2021: The count increased to 3,195. Completed works reached 2,483, with 712 in-progress.

2022: A total of 3,767 works were uploaded. Completed works were 3,090, while 677 were yet to be finished.

2023: The most recent data showcases 4,018 total works, with 3,104 completed and 914 still ongoing.

After collating the primary data on completed and uncompleted works, I wanted to look at the distribution based on word count. The intention behind this exploration was to discern if there were patterns or preferences within the writing community regarding the length of the stories. (Please note that on diagrams representing word count, the years are now in descending order)

The categorisation of word count was structured. Works were segmented into word count brackets that started from the shortest stories, ranging from 0 to 1999 words, then progressively moved up in intervals: 2000-4999 words, 5000-9999 words, and so on due to the high prevalence in numbers in the shorter works. This structured approach allowed for a visual representation of how numerous works fell into each bracket for each year.

If you click on it, you might be able to see the distribution.

Results: Word Count Analysis

The following overview encapsulates the distribution of word counts for fan fiction uploads from 2011 to 2023:

0-10,000 Words:

2023 observed the highest concentration within this frame with 2507 works. Over half of the total published works for the 12-month period were found within this bracket.

The trend experienced notable growth from the 14 entries in 2012.

2014 saw a peak with 4994 works in this category, followed by a fluctuating pattern in subsequent years.

10,001-50,000 Words:

2023 recorded 1,031, a slight increase from 1,010 in 2022.

2015 led the chart with the most works in this range.

50,001-100,000 Words:

The count in 2023 showcased the highest number in this category, with 293 works.

2016 and 2021 were equal second, with 219 works in this category.

100,001-300,000 Words:

2023 had the most works in this segment, followed by 2022 and 2021.

Prior to this, the peak was in 2017.

300,001 Words and above:

The numbers in this range are comparatively limited, with 2023 having the most works surpassing 300,000 words.

Most years witnessed very few works in this extensive word count bracket, with numbers often remaining in single or low double digits.

I was also interested to find where most work stopped being completed. This is the percentage of completed works in each range.

Limitations of the Analysis:

AO3 Filtering System Limitations: The AO3 filtering system does not readily display the initial posting date of a fic. A fic could have been started several years prior to its completion but only shows up in the filtering system in the year it was last updated. This poses a significant limitation as the actual duration taken for the completion of a work might not be accurately represented.

Human Fallacy: There's always a potential for human error in manual data collection and analysis. Overlooked details, misinterpretations, or unintended biases can inadvertently influence the results.

Deletion and Date Modification of Works: Authors may delete their works or modify posting dates. This becomes significant for older works with a higher likelihood of deletions or date changes. Such actions can skew the numbers, offering a misrepresented view of the works available during a particular year.

Variability in Word Count Reporting: While categorising based on word count is useful, it's possible that authors might update or expand their works after the initial posting, leading to changes in word count categories over time.

Conclusion:

The data spanning from 2011 to 2023 shows that over the 13-year period, there has been a marked increase in both completed and uncompleted works, with the total number of works increasing more than 250-fold from 16 in 2011 to 4018 in 2023.

From 2011 to 2015, there was a notable surge in the number of completed works, culminating in 2014 with a total of 6307 works. This could potentially reflect an increased growing interest or a pivotal shift in the community or broader fandom dynamics during this period.

From 2016 to 2019, a noticeable decrease in the total works emerged, with 2019 seeing the steepest drop. This decline aligns with the onset of One Direction's hiatus. While causation cannot be conclusively established, it does provide a reasonable explanation.

Beginning in 2020, a revitalisation is evident, with figures steadily climbing and nearing their zenith by 2023. While this remains speculative, anecdotal accounts suggest that the pandemic, affording individuals more leisure for social media coupled with the growing popularity of TikTok, may have reignited interest in the fandom, steering them towards both reading and potentially writing fanfiction.

In summary, the AO3 community showcases dynamic growth, decline, and resurgence patterns over the examined period. While completed works have seen fluctuating trends, the spirit of initiation remains unwavering, as observed by the consistent number of uncompleted works.

Length of works

In 2011, the publication of longer stories (10,000 words and above) was almost non-existent. The numbers began to rise steadily, with a significant jump in longer stories from 2015 to 2017.

The number of stories with a word count between 10,000-14,999 went from 2 in 2011 to a peak of 458 in 2014. Similarly, the 15,000-19,999 range saw an increase from 0 stories in 2011 to its peak at 253 in 2015. As we progress through the word count brackets, there's a discernible growth trend, albeit with some fluctuations. For instance, the 80,000-89,999 bracket jumped from 0 stories in 2011 to a peak of 48 stories in 2023.

While there have been fluctuations in the numbers for some years, the overall trend does show growth in the publication of longer stories over the past decade.

The data shows that extremely long stories (those above 200,000 words) have always been a rarity. However, there's still a perceptible trend.

The 200,000-249,999 word count range sees the most action, with a peak of 27 stories in 2023. This is growth from the previous years 17, and then to 14, and so on. The numbers decrease as we progress to the right into the higher word counts, but occasional stories reach these impressive lengths.

The 250,000-299,999 word count range has peaked at 6, with numbers generally dropping with previous years. Higher word count ranges, such as 300,000-349,999 and 350,000-399,999, are sparser but maintain a presence.

Word counts of 450,000 and beyond are sparse, with very few recent entries.

In conclusion, while very lengthy stories remain uncommon, they exist and have seen publication in varying numbers. There's a trend towards fewer stories as the word count increases, which is expected given the monumental length of these works.

Upon examination of the data, there's a pronounced resurgence in the publication of longer narratives, particularly following a noticeable decline post-2016. The trajectory of this resurgence hints at an evolving literary landscape, with authors and perhaps readers veering towards more extensive works. Although the factors underpinning this shift remain speculative, the upward trend, especially in the realm of extended narratives, cannot be dismissed.

Monitoring developments in this sphere to ascertain whether this resurgence signifies a phase or a deeper, more sustained transformation in literary predilections will be interesting.

[d-targaryenshoe]

Asked And Answered - Luke Newton

Word count: 1237

Summary: When questions are being asked, the only thing left to do is answer, no?

"Hi, y/n! Thank you for having us here. Do you mind if we come in and ask a few questions?"

"Oh hi! No, not at all, come on in." you smiled, closing the door and leading Joe Sabia through the hallway of your house.

"How did you get into acting? Was it something you always wanted to do?" he asked, following you into your living room.

"Well, I have always loved performing. When I was a kid, I used to put on plays for my family in our living room. But it wasn't until high school that I got into acting." 

You took your cup of coffee from your coffee table, turning off your TV.

"Tell us about your journey to becoming an actress?"

"Well, it wasn't easy. I auditioned for countless roles and faced a lot of rejection. But I never gave up and finally got my big break in an amazing Netflix show called Bridgerton." 

You smiled at the male taking a sip from your coffee, opening your blinds, and inviting in the sunlight.

"How did you land the role of y/c/n in Bridgerton?" The man questioned.

"It's quite a funny story. I was in the middle of filming for a different project when I received a call from Chris Van Dusen about an audition for a new period drama." You chuckled.

"At first, I was indecisive as I had never done a period piece before, but my agent convinced me to give it a go. So, I went for the audition, and the rest, as they say, is history." 

 "Speaking of Bridgerton, you act alongside your boyfriend, Luke Newton. Can you tell us more about that?" The interviewer followed you toward your kitchen.

"Yes, we're always together but we try our best to hold our distance on set, but we know each other so well, which made filming even more fun and natural." You answered, tearing off a piece of paper from the 

tear-off calendar.

"What was your favorite scene to film in Bridgerton?"

"That's a tough one as I genuinely enjoyed every scene. However, I think my favorite would have to be the ballroom scene where Colin and y/c/n share their first dance." You placed your cup of coffee in the sink and took a bottle of water from the fridge. 

 "Are you both supporters of each other's careers?" he asked, walking behind you towards the dining room.

"Absolutely. We both understand the demands of this industry and always support and motivate each other," you say, shoving one of the chairs under the table.

 "Can you tell us about your first date?" The male asked.

"Our first date was funny. We went to a Mexican restaurant, and I accidentally spilled my entire and very expensive margarita on his lap, but we look back on it and laugh now." You chuckled, leaning your arms on the chair.

"What is one thing that you're obsessed with at the moment?"

"Commenting on fans their fanart, they're incredibly talented." You said, opening the door towards your master bedroom. 

"If you had a podcast what would it be called?" Joe asked, stepping into the room.

"Dearest Listeners, as a wink to Lady Whistledown." You replied while adjusting the sheets on the bed. "And Nicola Coughlan."

 "what's your favorite playlist you have?"

"Romancing Mr. Newton, sorry not sorry." You laughed, leaving your master bedroom.

"what song have you had on repeat for the past few weeks?" The man asked.

"Spinning out, waiting for ya to pull me in" you softly sang, walking towards your bathroom before looking behind you. "Satellite by Harry Styles."

"what's the hardest thing you ever had to do for a role?"

"Learning how to dance a Quadrille without stepping on my dancing partner's toes." You snorted, closing the bathroom door that was still open.

"do you ever get nervous when being on set?"

"Of course, it means you care and you want to do it good." You shrugged at the man, walking to your walk-in closet.

"Who is your go-to person when you need to talk to someone?"

"Ruth Gemmell, Mother Bridgerton, really knows how to comfort you." You smiled, walking into the room that was filled with clothes and shoes.

"how many awards do you own?"

"One Academy Award for Best Actress, One Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, and an Oscar for Best Actress," you replied while inspecting your dresses.

"What is something that recently moved you?" Joe asked

"Last month, Luke and I had a chat with a fan in London and spoke about how essential Mental Health is, that truly touched me." You strode out of your walk-in closet and shut the door behind Joe. 

“Who is the most famous person on your phone?” 

"Meryl Streep? Taylor Swift? Both?" You slightly laughed, pushing the screen of the smart thermometer in the house.

“what's your favorite time of the day?”

"Nighttime, just silence and quality time, it's heaven." You opened the door to your home office.

“Vintage or new?” The male asked.

"Vintage," you answered as you sat down behind your desk.

“What are three things you can’t live without?”

"Acting, friends, and Luke." You leaned back in your chair, smiling at the man.

“When was the last time you were starstruck?”

"I'd say, the table read for Bridgerton, season 3." You said, getting up from the chair and getting out of the room. 

“Best gift you’ve ever received?”

"All of this, Bridgerton, everyone I got to know, the fans." You answered, adjusting a painting that hung in the hallway.

“Best advice you’d give your teenage self?” He asked`

"Dare to take the risk, no matter how scary it may seem." walking into your home theatre, you took a seat on one of the huge pillows.

“What’s your wakeup ritual?”

"Sunny weather, the smell of coffee, and a lot of food." You chuckled, running a hand through your hair.

“who’s someone you’d like to work with again on set?"

"There's no good answer to that, anyone from the Bridgerton family." you got up from the chair and walked towards the giant black screen.

“What’s your current TV obsession?”

"The Originals." You smiled, walking out of the room.

“Rate your met gala outfit 1 to 10.”

"A decent 9." You winked at the camera, coming to a halt in the hallway. "You will see."

“Do you have a favorite room in your house?” 

"I surely do! Let me show you." You walked up to the black-colored door, revealing your wine cellar.

“you have 4.2M followers on Instagram, is there something you'd like to say to them,”  Joe asked, while you were inspecting the dusty bottles of wine.

"Never think twice when you want to do something, take a leap of faith." You wiped off the dust from the bottle and placed it back.

“Have you ever googled yourself?”

"Multiple times, the first time was when Bridgerton was being released." You answered, getting closer to your garage.

“Diamonds or pearls?” Joe asked

"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" You winked at the camera, chuckling to yourself.

“Favorite accent to do?”

"British, everything just sounds better in British," you answered, opening your garage gate, and stepping outside in the sun.

"Then this was all we've wanted to ask you today, thank you for having us, Y/n."

"Thank you for being here today." you waved one last time at the man before closing your garage gate.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Dad!Harry Fics!**

These are the things I've written with dad!Harry themes:) They're more wholesome than not (even the smut)

** - smut ^ - angst

Blurbs:

Harry loves telling his daughter his and Y/N’s love story Harry is a single dad and his daughter gets her first period Harry is homesick so Y/N visits with their baby Y/N is 7mos. pregnant and has a car accident^ (fluffy ending) You're about to have your and Harry's first baby

One Shots:

Come So Far^ - Y/N and Harry try to piece their lives together after he cheats on her. (Part 2 of this request) Baby Fever** - The one where Harry has baby fever and he can’t wait to start a family with Y/N. No Kids** - After their second baby comes Harry & Y/N have been so busy that they’ve had a 6 month dry spell and Harry’s looking to fix that. ASAP.

Series:

The Divorce - After several years of marriage and two children Y/N’s worried that Harry’s not been himself. Then, Y/N sees something she clearly wasn’t supposed to. (3 parts) (Ongoing) Young American- Y/N get’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime, an apprenticeship at English Graffiti, world renowned tattoo artist, Eddie Chan’s first American shop. However, an unnerving rivalry brews between her and one of Eddie’s old apprentices and best artists, Harry Styles. 🎃 (LONG! parts 18-20 have the baby stuff) (Ongoing) Wonderful World - Harry is a psychiatrist who starts to see a young girl named Celeste. As time goes on he starts to find himself developing feelings for Celeste’s mother, Diana. Despite his many accomplishments, once they come into his life he realizes that his life is a bit empty. But there is no way he can pursue the woman he wants, it’s unethical and it could put his entire career in jeopardy.

[youmakemestrong]

Salutations, muskrat placenta,

Prepare yourselves, for an unparalleled storm brews on the horizon of the One Direction fandom. The Larryopocalypse is upon us, and its tidal wave of revelations will shatter the very fabric of what you believed to be true.

Behind the scenes, where shadows dance and secrets fester, an earth-shattering truth is about to be unveiled: Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles have been navigating a covert relationship, hidden from the eyes of the world. Unearthed documents and intercepted communications reveal a complex network of secret rendezvous and coded messages. Witnesses have come forward, claiming they saw the duo sharing intimate moments under the guise of "business meetings," and a trusted insider has leaked photos of them together at undisclosed locations, far removed from the public eye.

One particularly striking detail involves an encrypted set of coordinates that frequently appeared in their communications. These coordinates, when mapped, lead to a secluded property in the English countryside, where Louis and Harry reportedly spent extended periods away from prying eyes. An ex-staff member has even disclosed that this property was specifically rented for their private getaways, under an alias that cleverly concealed its true owners.

Adding to the intrigue, some of these coordinates have surfaced within anonymous texts received by devoted fans, buried amidst cryptic messages and hidden clues. These texts, once dismissed as elaborate trolling, should be reexamined as potential pieces of a much larger puzzle.

Prepare for the storm. The truth is coming, and it's bound to shake the very core of your fandom.

Provolone.

the way you call me muskrat placenta and then drop some shady ass claims is amazing. you contain multitudes anon

[hoovesandfloorpaws]

originally posted by the artist, the wonderful @lickboo and it is so beautiful and heart wrenching 🥹 ...made my heart ache.

It made me want to write down my thoughts about Harry, My Policeman and Harry&Louis.

Because watching this created trailer felt similar to how my heart aches whenever i watch old footage of them being reminded how they have to 'keep it down'. Obviously the theme of the film has an even heavier tone, with homosexuality being illegal and all the violence looming for men loving men, but it is my conviction that it's not a coincidence that Harry's (and Louis') life together and the novel's and then the subsequent film's plot overlap so heavily.

And let us not forget that when Harry tweeted "We don't need no piece of paper from the city hall." on September 28th, 2013 - a date on which they definitely did something huge with each other, something-akin-to-getting-engaged-or-married-, same sex marriage was still not even legal in the UK. More than 60 years after the period in which My Policeman takes place.

So let's not pretend that the history we are looking at was ever moving fast and that the struggle of being a member of the lgbtqai+ community only touched them lightly. It touched them heavily and it still does.

Harry chose and wanted his first ever lead debut to be THIS film.

He asked to be in it in early 2020. He only signed on to Don't Worry, Darling in September of the same year.

The director Michael Grandage said, quote: “The person who arrived was incredibly informed: he'd not just read the novel, at least once, he'd read the screenplay many times. I was sitting opposite somebody who was making a case for why they wanted to play Tom Burgess." and also "[...] the script had been distributed within his agency, and they knew what he was looking for in material. So they read this script and thought, This is actually the kind of thing he’s looking for."

(source)

(source)

I could spend hours marinating in these thoughts and they'd make my heart ache for every single minute.

Harry asked his first leading role to be in a film that is about two men who cross each other's paths and instantly feel drawn to each other; a film about two men falling for each other hard and in an environment where they're not allowed to publicly show their love, forced to hide and with seemingly no way out. (pun fully intended) A film that has the one guy constantly in a relationship with a woman he's not in love with, using her as a beard for his safety and feeling bad about it. A film that encapsulates so many emotions tied to having to hide your true heart away to keep each other safe. And the ending... oh my god, the ending.. I still can't write about it without tears filling my eyes, it's so hard-hitting. Honestly, Harry describes it best:

"Styles described his latest film as “devastating.”

“Ultimately to me, the whole story is about wasted time,” he said. “I think wasted time is the most devastating thing, because it’s the only thing we can’t control. It’s the one thing we can’t have back.”"

(source)

And I want to add, when in the same article it states he said: “So much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it … [director Michael Grandage] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and sensitive.”, he not just states that that were the director's thoughts and vision first and foremost (which he seems to agree with, though), but the main point is:

Harry has been viewed/portrayed through a hyper-sexualized, heteronormative lens since he was 16 years old. Gay sex in media is often heavily fetishized (an in-depth discussion around this is more than my spoon supply can provide today) and more importantly: gay love is almost always heavily sexualized, thus heavily fetishized; removing the three things that Harry highlighted as being very important for the film:

Gay love and gay sex are tender and loving and sensitive.

And it needs to be shown. Wanting to empathise on those things never meant that it's not okay to just want to watch "two guys going at it" (can imagine Harry and Louis enjoy that, too). It's just that the representation is still very imbalanced and Harry and the director recognize that.

To return to the main point that keeps me up at night: Harry wanted and chose to do a movie with this plot for several reasons that, in my opinion, go beyond representation (that is incredibly vital) and to be seen by the world as a gay man (that he is).

And to quote Louis: "That's incredible, Harry."

I think Harry read the novel/screenplay and found himself and Louis in it.

And I think that was a huge reason why he wanted to do this film as his first lead acting role.

[random-thought-depository]

I was watching Columbo last night and thinking about this post I once saw about how Tumblr likes Columbo cause it's pretty close to being the closest thing possible to a left-wing cop show and how true that is. Columbo's adversaries are always rich people who think they're clever and underestimate Columbo's intellect cause he isn't rich and he has working class coded mannerisms, clothes, and tastes. This got me thinking about whether an equivalent character could be written today (for something set today, not a period piece) and what they'd be like. I think it'd be tricky cause of how the relationships between class, policing, and partisanship has changed.

For example, it feels like the character/archetype Columbo is most clearly written in reaction against is Hercule Poirot. Or maybe Poirot's knock-offs, in the same way a lot of fantasy isn't so much written against Tolkien as written against Tolkien's imitators, I'm not really into detective fiction so IDK. I think a modern equivalent of Columbo would have to be centrally written in reaction against the archetype of the "gritty" Dirty Harry style cowboy cop who steps on toes and breaks rules but gets results. I think actual Columbo already had some of that in it, but for a modern remake it'd have to be much more central. I'm not sure what that would look like. Though one thing I can picture relatively well is, like, I could totally see one of remake-Columbo's cases pitting them against a murderer who's exactly that kind of cowboy cop but written as a villain.

Also...

An important part of Columbo's character is he's smart but he superficially fits a rich person's stereotype of what a stupid person looks, sounds, and acts like, and this causes his adversaries to underestimate his intellect. I think the tricky thing with a modern equivalent of Columbo would be giving them a persona that triggers similar contempt in people who live in nice five bedroom houses regardless of whether that particular nice five bedroom house has a thin blue line sign or an "in this house we believe" sign on its nice lawn. I'm not sure what that would look like either. One idea I had for is a modern equivalent of Columbo might be a woman who has big breasts and a big butt and is "thick," i.e. has a body type stereotypically associated with strippers, porn stars, and fanservice characters, specifically because of the negative stereotypes associated with that body type - @who-canceled-roger-rabbit, I think you might appreciate this idea!

[foxes-that-run]

If I could fly

The TLDR is that If I could fly is about Harry being vulnerable with someone he is separated from by distance which is painful. Harry wrote it in February before the OTRA tour. When asked about it in the Track by Track, (1:52) Harry spoke about the album for 2 minutes, when prompted he covered his body language was closed before saying it 'kind of fell down, it was natural to sing it' then talked about Johan. Thank for sharing your music Harry.

When was it written

Harry wrote it with Johan Carlson and Ross Golan in Los Angeles. Johan said they wrote together several days a week over four weeks leading up to the On the Road Again tour, which started 7 February 2015. Harry wrote with Johan on ‘Just a Little Piece of your heart’, ‘I love you’, Maybe Someday and 'Stockholm Syndrome'. Johan said:

"He's such a good songwriter - it's an honour to write music with him. He's fantastic with the words and he can really put down lyrics that are very conversational and people can relate to. We're just having a good time."

Niall also said Made in the AM was written in January and February, before Zayn left the band in March. He also told Ryan Seacrest the bulk of the album was written before tour and recorded on the road.

Live performances

One Direction never performed it live and Harry hasn't since 2018. Harry included it in his first main setlist throughout 2018. He performed it on the B stage after Sweet Creature. When performing it live Harry paused, shushed the crowd with a finger for up to 2 minutes before saying "it's your turn" for them to sing the last chorus and "I feel it," both of which Harry led on the album.

What the band said about it

To Apple Music Liam said he got emotional listening to "the song Harry wrote", which is likely 'If I Could Fly' because his other writing credits were with 1D and/or 1D writers. Harry deflected answering what it is about but said it was a farewell (to a hoodie they had been joking about). The farewell is interesting to me as the lyrics are ambiguous to me, Harry sings of being apart from his muse, going out of mind and hoping they don’t run from him.

Julian Bunetta said to Rolling Stone:

“I remember when Harry first played it to me. That one I didn’t write, but I remember when I first heard it. We were in Westlake Studio for a week. I kept asking why he wanted to call it ‘If I Could Fly.’ It’s a great song, so it doesn’t really matter what it’s called, does it?”

The title is only in the first line, compared to 'for your eyes only' which is the main line of the chorus. If I could fly is a reference to the paper airplane necklace and Taylors Out Of The Woods "Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying". It also sets the meaning of the song as about someone he's physically apart from rather than the band or fans.

Timeline

27 October - 1989 release, Harry and Taylor seen together again in November and December. (2014 timeline)

10 January - 4 weeks writing with Johan incl. 'If I could Fly'

16 January - The last time Harry and Taylor were seen together before the Exile BBMAs was Caleb followill birthday. (WITW)

1 February - Taylor not at Harry's 21st birthday, in Nashville the next day, maybe broke up (Hunger and Coney Island).

7 February - ORTA tour start, end of writing period.

14 February - Style Music Video released and Two Ghosts written.

27 February - Harry posted the overgrown Winding Wheel.

7 November - Harry Tweeted 'If I could fly' before it was released. He had given Taylor the Airplane necklace on 7 November 2012.

Lyrics

If I could fly I'd be comin' right back home to you

"If I could fly" is not an obvious title for this song, but was important to Harry.

The opening of Taylor’s vault track The Very First Night is “I wish I could fly / I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time”

It is one of Harry's last One Direction songs, he fly's (over an ocean and woods) in the MV his first solo song, Sign of the Times, which works as a through line. Harry said to Jimmy Fallon that he 'would have been happy with a green screen' which sounds like the flying was his idea before he got concepts.

Harry has sung about flying and the distance separating him from his muse many times, especially in One Direction songs. This title and opening lyric are clear the song is about someone Harry is separated from by touring and living internationally:

Fools Gold "You're the shining distraction that makes me fly home"

Half The World Away "Never gonna be the same / 'Cause you're half the world away"

Lay down "Hearts are divided / Now that we’re worlds apart"

Trouble "And you know that i’ll be gone in the morning"

Already home "You don’t have to go, but you’re already leaving" and "From aeroplanes to the bullet trains, summer skies to the pouring rain / All the future plans we will never make, from a beating heart to the farthest place"

Daylight "If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you"

Canyon Moon "I'll be gone too long from you"

Daydreaming "You know I'll be gone for so long / So give me all of your love, give me something to dream about"

Since meeting Harry while writing Red, Taylor has sung about flying in more than 10 songs about him, most closely in The Very First Night: "I wish I could fly, I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time"

Home is also an important theme in Harry's music, home being with the person rather than a physical place.

I think I might Give up everything, just ask me to

Here, in Maybe Someday and in Taylors 'The Lakes' they have both sung about being together after giving up their careers, Slut! and Gold Rush Also has a similar message.

however on Harry's House in Music for a Sushi Restaurant and As it Was Harry started to say he should be able to have both because 'he's not going to go broke' or 'you know it's not the same.'

Pay attention, I hope that you listen 'Cause I let my guard down Right now I'm completely defenseless

Harry guards his privacy carefully, he has spoke in the Behind the Album that the world knew everything about him in the band and he found he didn't like that. To let someone in is important.

For your eyes only I'll show you my heart For when you're lonely And forget who you are I'm missing half of me When we're apart Now you know me For your eyes only For your eyes only

I really love the phrasing of 'when you're lonely and forget who you are' it beautifully communicates how highly Harry thinks of his muse, but knows they don't see themselves as he does. This is quite similar to

Lay Down: "Two Hearts are divided / Now that we’re worlds apart, They seem so hard to take"

Satellite "I can see you're lonely down there, Don't you know that I am right here?"

Little Freak "I was thinkin' about who you are / Your delicate point of view"

I've got scars Even though they can't always be seen And pain gets hard But now you're here and I don't feel a thing

This verse gets me everytime. Harry is speaking about past trauma, which he also touched on with Rolling Stone discussing his parents separating and wanting to protect his mother, as well as internet criticism. Taylor Swift has a similar story in Seven, and in Cardigan "You drew stars around my scars"

I can feel your heart inside of mine I feel it, I feel it I've been goin' out of my mind I feel it, I feel it Know that I'm just wastin' time And I hope that you don't run from me

To me the outcome for the relationship in the song is ambiguous, as it may have been for Harry. He’s vulnerable, hoping the person doesn’t run from him, but is leaving and thinks he wasting his time. To me this reflects a relationship that’s complex, but clearly special. As we can see with how Harry didn’t want to discuss the song.

This verse reminds me of these lyrics.

Sweet Creature "Two hearts in one home"

Where do broken hearts go "Mind is running in circles of you and me"

Fools Gold "You're the raise on the waves that calm my mind"

[royaler1999]

Help Me Catch My Breath- part 1

YN walked into her classroom, rushing to her seat where her two friends sat. She had barely made it to class on time, kicking herself for waking up late. Her parents didn’t have the time or energy to bring her to school, so she walked. Her big doe eyes glanced around the classroom, ensuring Harry Styles wasn’t there yet. She found him interesting, but he didn’t need to know that. So many omegas liked him, he didn’t need to know about a girl who hadn’t presented joining the mix. 

She thought his fan club was giving too much attention to one person, but ultimately it was none of her business, right? YN looked to her left as she felt a poke from her friend Amalie Forrest. 

“Girl, I’ve been calling your name forever. Where have you been?” YN felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. 

“Sorry, I’m all in my thoughts right now. What did you need?”

“Did you see Harry on your way in? I haven’t seen him come in yet.” YN shook her head. It was hard to miss Harry. He was quite tall, at least to her. 

“Maybe he’s with his girlfriend. Probably doesn’t have an urgency to come to class with a girl like her.” YN’s other friend Cora Anderson said, rolling her eyes and filing her nails. 

“Come on, we all know he likes YN. There’s just a pull to her or something. Maybe they’re meant to be mates!” Amalie was such a romantic person, but completely unrealistic. There’s no way Harry would ever be interested in her. Sometimes, she was grateful for that. His mannerisms and attitude could be so rude at times. 

Harry chose to stroll into the classroom at that moment, his girlfriend Fallon Brody kissing him before running down the hall. He walked past YN and her friends without a glance, but YN barely saw his nostrils flare. Their teacher, Mrs. Ingall, entered the room, and YN was forced to pay attention to the lesson. 

During the lesson, YN could hear Harry and his friends snickering and whispering. They could be distracting, but most of the class was used to their antics by now. Mrs. Ingall addressed them and then continued with her lesson. YN, Amalie, and Cora looked at each other before rolling their eyes. Of course, the more well-known wealthier students got away with everything. 

Class couldn’t dismiss fast enough and as YN was packing her bag for her next class, she bumped into Harry. She dropped her notebook which flew open when it hit the ground. She sighed and bent down, Harry doing the same. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. Are you alright?” It took everything in YN not to stumble over her words when she responded to him. 

“I’m fine. Thank you, Harry. I really appreciate it.” They finished picking up YN’s papers and Harry handed them to her. 

“Catch you later, I guess?” Harry said, waving to her as he walked out the door. YN raised her hand and then felt stupid for doing so. Did that just happen? Did she dream of that whole encounter? YN looked at the clock and ran to her next period. 

It was finally time for lunch and YN had so much to tell her friends. She quickly put her backpack in her locker, grabbed her lunch, and walked to the table where she and her friends always sat. Fallon bumped into her hard on the way and sent her and her lunch flying. Fallon gasped, dropping a piece of food on the ground.

“Are you alright?” Fallon kneeled to help YN off the ground. 

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Fallon. I didn’t mean to bump into you. I’ve been so clumsy today.” YN brushed her pants off, catching the eyes of her friends.

“No biggie. I’m just glad you’re okay. Do you have a way to get extra food?” Fallon seemed nice, but YN was wary of trusting her. YN nodded to Fallon’s question and Fallon flounced off. YN turned around slowly, deciding to buy lunch instead since her homemade lunch now laid on the floor. 

YN glanced at Fallon to see her looking back at her, giggling with her friends. YN’s eyebrows furrowed, but she ignored it for now. Cora and Amalie finally made it to lunch, confused at YN’s lack of a homemade meal.

“Girl, why are you eating school lunch? Don’t you know you’re like known for always making your lunch?” Cora exclaimed, not noticing Amalie staring over in the direction of Fallon and her group of friends. 

“Do you know why Fallon constantly points over here and whispers to Harry?” Amalie piped up. 

YN looked over and saw Harry’s expression darken as Fallon spoke. Fallon looked sad, for whatever reason. YN shrugged her shoulders. 

“Fallon and I bumped into each other. That’s why I had to get a school lunch. I fell and spilled my lunch everywhere, but she helped me up. I hope that’s what she’s telling him.” YN’s heart filled with anxiety. She wasn’t sure what Fallon said to Harry but it didn’t look good.

“I don’t know, YN, Fallon looks like she’s up to no good,” Amalie observed. “I don’t know what she has against you. You’ve barely spoken to her.”

“She looks like she’s trying to start shit with you and Harry. He looks angry.” Cora agreed.

“I just know I didn’t do anything wrong. I haven’t been making moves on anyone. I apologized when we bumped into each other. I don’t know what else she wants from me.”

Classes continued as normal and then it was time for extracurricular activities. YN helped out with the baseball team after school, so if she had any encounter with Harry, it would be then. Harry was captain of the baseball team as the pitcher and one of Cora’s brothers  Alex had recommended her for the managing position, and sometimes she even got to be the ball girl. YN walked to the locker room and encountered scathing glares from Fallon’s group of friends. She shook it off, ignorant of how the situation would escalate. 

YN changed into her uniform as quickly as possible, hearing girls in the locker room whispering her name. One even shoulder-checked her into the locker hard. She grabbed her shoulder and massaged it. She wasn’t sure what everyone’s issue was. Harry was warming up in the bullpen as she got onto the field. She continued to the dugout to help prepare for practice, feeling eyes on her more than usual. Being the only girl on the field usually received a lot of attention, but this was a little excessive. She wondered if she was showing signs of presenting soon. She was one of the only students who hadn’t presented, and your scent got much stronger once you presented.

YN couldn’t let it distract her. She had work to do. Harry was usually a cordial person, but he was acting quite rude to her. He wouldn’t respond when she asked him questions, he wouldn’t say thank you when she handed him his water bottle, and he ignored her otherwise. It got so bad that Alex came over to her. 

“YN, what did you do?” He whispered, glancing over at Harry who took a water break.

“I didn’t do anything. Fallon and I bumped into each other during lunch but I apologized to her. I bumped into Harry after the first period but that was resolved too. I don’t know what the issue is. Cora, Amalie, and I saw Fallon talking to her friends and Harry after we bumped into each other but I don’t know what was said. I think I will see what happens tomorrow and do some damage control from there because I’m not sure what to expect right now.” YN concluded. She couldn’t let some petty high school drama distract her. She had to focus on other things. She knew her body was preparing her to present soon, and she felt like she hadn’t felt this nervous.

Harry’s attitude was making practice difficult. His pitches weren’t reaching the catcher’s glove and the ones that got hit were hit far. YN chose to let him figure things out on his own. It wasn’t her job to figure out why he was suddenly angry with her. After what felt like a long practice, everyone was sent home. YN considered asking Harry what the problem was but figured everything would be revealed in time. 

YN walked into the school the next morning, bombarded by laughter, glares, and people pushing her against the walls. She all but fought her way to her locker, where her friends were waiting for her. 

“So, what’s the damage? What has she been saying?” YN asked, opening her locker to get her books for first period. 

“It’s bad, YN. She’s saying you pushed her down in the cafeteria to make her look bad. She also said that while you and her were cleaning up your lunch you told her to ‘cherish the time she had left with Harry’ because he would be yours soon. She said you’re trying to make her into a villain so you can swoop in and steal her place.” Cora said, tapping her foot on the ground, eyes darting around to keep an eye on the student behavior around them. 

“What? I didn’t say any of that! Why would she say that? Why is she targeting me?” YN closed her locker and leaned against it, waiting for an opening to walk to class. 

“Do you want me to be completely honest with you?” Amalie said, trying to clear a path.

“Give it to me straight, Amalie.” YN was so grateful for her friends.  She didn’t know where she would be without them. She failed to notice, however, the girl with a cup of coffee in her hand. She gasped as the girl threw the cup of hot coffee on her, causing her to drop her books and scream once she could get some air back in her lungs. The coffee was scalding and YN could feel the burns form on her skin. 

She felt her friends take her and lead her to the bathroom. They took her shirt off and grabbed paper towels soaked with cold water. 

“We have to go to the nurse, YN. You have burns.” Cora soothed as YN began to sob. 

“I didn’t even do anything. Why is this happening to me?” YN whimpered, slowly putting her shirt back on. 

“You haven’t noticed, but Harry was starting to pay attention to you because your scent is starting to peek through. I think you might be the one he’s supposed to be with.” Amalie said softly. They began to lead YN to the nurse’s office. 

“No, I don’t want to go to the nurse. I need to go to class. I’ll deal with the burns during lunch or something. Please.” YN begged. She didn’t want to miss any of her classes. She couldn’t.

Amalie and Cora looked at each other sadly and relented to YN’s request. They hated that YN was in this situation. She didn’t need all this stress. Her life was hard enough and to now have a target on her back because the most popular girl in school had a vendetta? It was unacceptable. 

The girls took YN to class and although they were late, Mrs. Ingall gave them grace. She had heard about the incident. YN refused to look at Harry. For all she knew he was a part of this. She knew Fallon had told him lies and he had believed her. Maybe he had spread this rumor. 

Mrs. Ingall approached her while they were doing work. “Do you need to go to the nurse?” YN shook her head.

“I’ll go during lunch, Mrs. Ingall. Thank you for checking on me.” Mrs. Ingall nodded, but YN could see the concern in her eyes. She gave Mrs. Ingall a small smile stopping after her teacher walked away. She sat in pain, but she felt like she couldn’t let them get the best of her. They weren’t allowed to see her pain. They didn’t deserve it. 

YN sat through her classes, stewing at Fallon’s audacity. Who knows how Harry felt about her? YN didn’t know anything about Harry’s feelings. At this point, she didn’t care. Any affection she had for the teen was bleeding out of her. She finally made it to the beginning of the lunch period and decided to avoid going to the cafeteria altogether. She walked through the hallway with her friends towards the nurse’s office when she felt someone grab her by the arm.

The arm brought her into an alcove and she could finally see who it was. She looked up at the arm's owner to see Harry’s face frowning. She rolled her eyes and tried to leave, but he wouldn’t let go. 

“What do you want, Harry? I need to go to the nurse’s office.” His eyebrows furrowed before he shook off his confusion. 

“You need to apologize to Fallon. That wasn’t necessary and you can’t honestly think you have a chance with me.” 

“I didn’t say anything to your girlfriend, Harry. I haven’t done anything to her, and I didn’t say anything about you. We bumped into each other, apologized, and went on our merry way. I don’t want anything to do with you right now anyway. I’m pissed that you would let that happen, Harry. I thought you were all about treating people with respect, but now I see you’re just like all the other popular kids. Leave me alone.” YN wrenched her arm out of Harry’s grasp, aggravating a burn and wincing in pain. She caught up with her friends and left, leaving Harry standing shocked in the alcove. 

As she left, unbeknownst to her, Harry’s eyes dilated as he caught a scent that floored him. It was unlike anything he’d ever smelled before. The little scent he could pick up from Fallon didn’t smell this sweet to him. He had yet to present, but this scent sent heat throughout his body. It confused him, so he decided he should head to the nurse’s office as well. He would just try to avoid YN while he was there as best as he could. 

YN sat in the nurse’s office and drew the curtain. The nurse was ready to examine her burns when a wave of heat went through her body. 

“Can you turn the fan on? I’m starting to get hot. Maybe it’s the pain from the burns?” She consulted the nurse. The nurse, Ms. Roberts, shook her head. 

“You haven’t presented yet, right? You may be going to present soon. Have you had any contact with alphas yet?” YN shook her head. 

“No, the only one I had contact with was Harry and he hasn’t presented yet.” Ms. Roberts hummed in consideration. She spread some burn cream on YN’s burns and allowed YN to put her shirt back on. As YN opened the curtain, Harry had been sitting in a chair, waiting for Ms. Roberts. They paused in their tracks as their eyes locked and YN felt the wave of heat again. 

Ms. Roberts observed their behaviors as their eyes were locked and then she asked Harry, “Have you been feeling hot as well, Harry?” He nodded, eyes still locked on YN. Ms. Roberts then spoke to both of them. 

“I believe neither of you should come to school tomorrow. It would be great if you went home now.”

Both Harry and YN shook their heads. 

“I have to stay. I can’t afford to miss anything.” They said simultaneously, causing their gazes to narrow at one another. Their eyes continued to be locked. YN was glad Amalie and Cora had gone to class. She knew she wouldn’t have been able to live this moment down. Another wave of heat flashed through YN and her nostrils flared as a scent she had never smelt before flooded her nose. She watched Harry’s nostrils flare as well as he stood up. Mrs. Roberts moved to get in front of YN, for she was sure that both YN and Harry were presenting together. She was also positive that they were causing each other to present. Fated mates were exceptionally rare, but not impossible. She wasn’t positive that was the current situation, but she had to be careful that nothing happened between the two, especially while at school. 

As she stood in front of YN, Harry began to growl. YN whimpered in response and Ms. Roberts was moved gently to the side. Although Harry had begun to tap into his instincts, he was still trying to be respectful. Harry moved to place his head in YN’s neck, and once he did he rumbled and YN chirped in response. Ms. Roberts had never seen this happen, but she couldn’t let it continue. They had to go home and present alone. They couldn’t do this so quickly. She grabbed her phone and sent a message to the principal. She could only hope that someone could get them apart before they became lucid and ruined their connection.

A couple of teachers came into the room. An alpha to help separate Harry from YN, and an omega to do the same to YN. Ms. Roberts couldn’t be sure those were their assignments, but she was sure her assumption was correct. As Harry was brought back, he began to growl once more and his aggression increased. YN began to whimper and cry and the student’s parents were called. At least Harry’s parents were. YN’s guardian, her grandmother was called. YN’s grandmother could only do so much in her old age, so YN would be discouraged by what the situation came to, but it was necessary. Ms. Roberts could only hope their bond would still be strong.