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suchalonelysunflower · 4 years ago

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Entangled Part II (c.h) (h.s)

Pairing: Calum Hood X Reader / Harry Styles X Reader

Requested: Yes!

Summary: After months on tour, the boys finally make a move. But you are too caught up to even notice it. Let the triangle begin!

Warnings: Love Triangle! Pinning, unrequited love, language, angsty with a little fluff, mentions of alcohol and some grammatical error (English is not my first language, I’m sorry)

Word Count: 8 K

Author’s note: Part 2 is finally here! Thank you so much for all your support, it really means the world to me. Reblogs, comments and feedback are always welcome, I love to hear from you guys and if you have any questions about the series, please don’t doubt to reach me 💕 You can read my other works for Harry and 5SOS HERE. Hope you like it and happy reading 🦋✨

Part 1

Part 2: Dates and other names

“Calum stop that right now!” You said sternly while glaring at him. The boy, however, raised his eyebrows defiantly.

“Make me”

“Oooh” You heard Michael say, teasing at the probability of a conflict while he sipped his beverage with a metal straw, sitting in front of the vanity. But you paid no mind to it, not when Calum was at risk of doing something incredibly stupid.

“Calum Thomas Hood” You threatened, knowing that everyone has a reaction to their full names being called with such a tone, Calum was no exception “Put down the brush and leave your hair alone before I grab a razor and shave your entire head”

Calum just kept staring at you, still standing on the couch where you couldn’t possibly grab a hold of him or the brush that was dripping with pink dye. He shot one of his charming smiles at you, shaking his head.

“You wouldn’t. You always tell me that you love my hair as it is”

“I do. That’s why I don’t want it pink!”

“But Michael has pink hair! Why wouldn’t I?” He argued.

“Let Michael deal with the consequences of too much bleach when he’s older” You heard Michael give you a whiny ‘heey’ “Sorry Mike, your hair is lovely as it is but it’s true that you need to take a break on all of these dyes before you end up bald”

Michael groaned an ‘okay, fine!’ Before turning all of his attention back to the interaction. You, on the other hand, turned to Calum with one of your ‘dont fuck with me’ face and placed one of your hands on your hips, extending the other so he could place the brush there.

“Okay, I'll tell you what” he bargained “I’ll leave my hair alone if…”

“If?”

“If you go to dinner with me after the concert” He smiled.

You stared at him, lips slowly going upwards as a shy smile formed on your face. You lowered your gaze from his eyes, shaking your head as a small giggle came out of your lips. Calum, on the other hand, didn’t even flinch his eyes from you, his smile growing wider and wider while the teasing tone of the question still lingers on between the two of you… And Michael who was just as invested in this scene as anyone would be.

“You seriously are crazy, Cal” You said “Of course we can go, are you kidding? It’ll be fun”

Calum’s eyes gleam in delight at your words. His face at that moment could only be defined by comparing it to a child receiving their dream toy on Christmas morning.

“Now, give me the brush before I change my mind” You threatened again, extending your hand to him. Calum jumped off the couch and compiled, handing you the dyed tainted brush as he walked past you to sit in his own chair and giving Michael a small fist bump while doing so.

You walked over to the green eyed boy, finally being able to keep going with your work and the conversation started flowing once again.

It was amazing, but at the same time not so hard to believe, how well you got along with all the guys. The end of the tour was close, but you didn’t want to focus on the sadness that brought you, instead you decided to enjoy every single moment of it. It was amazing how you found yourself creating a loving family among them and Lottie, who was always by your side calming your nerves the first few days. The way you find it so easy to talk to either one of the Australians or the 1D boys is something you didn’t expect, quickly creating emotional connections with each of them.

For example, you always considered Louis like an older brother to you, always very protective and attentive. Who would’ve thought that Zayn fell under the same category? On the first few days they, along with Lottie, always made sure that you were taken care of as well as having fun and not overworked yourself as you normally would. But it was hard to even consider this a ´serious job´when you had nine young adults running around your little office. However, when it did get serious, you knew you could count on Ashton or Liam for an encouraging chat, always ready to listen and give you the best advice for any situation, creating a sense of trust you never really had with someone, especially someone you just met not too long ago.

For quiet moments though, Michael was perfect. It didn’t seem like it at first, knowing that boy had a reputation for being extremely loud sometimes. But if someone understands the need of just staying silent and doing nothing for a few minutes, was him. Always inviting you to play some of his games or just sit around you, keeping you company or just relaxing after a tiresome day, Michael was your guy. On the other hand, Niall was the complete opposite. That Irish little shit never stayed quiet for long, bringing his guitar with him wherever he went and lifting your spirit anytime he caught you feeling a little off. He made you laugh the most along with Luke who was just as chaotic as he was but with a little more common sense. He was like a little brother to you, even though he was a feet and a half taller than you, and you always felt the need to protect him of any harm. If someone won the soft spot on your heart, it was Luke, without a doubt.

And then there’s Calum and Harry, your boys. You would never admit this to anyone but they were your favorites. From day one they were nothing more than pure sweethearts. Yes, you did have your rocky start with both of them, nearly breaking one’s nose and the other one almost breaking you, but you wouldn’t have it any other way with them. The best moments on tour were the moments you shared with them, and they seem to agree on that. They always look for excuses to spend time with you, trying to get your focus completely on them and you find that funny, assuming it was their nature, but what you didn’t know is that they were both completely and utterly smitten by you.

Harry and Calum both laid their eyes on you from the beginning, practically jumping at every chance they had to help you or hang out with you or just talk to you about anything. And the funny thing is that you were completely unaware of all this circus around you. Friendship was one thing, and you were very grateful for that, not even in your wildest dreams you thought you would’ve befriended all of these amazing guys, so the idea of something else was absolutely out of the question, that was just simply impossible. Only if you knew what you were getting yourself into…

You were so unaware of these feelings that you didn’t notice how Calum’s smile didn’t leave his face for a second after he asked you, watching you work through Michael’s hair through the mirror.

“So,” Michael said, while your fingers were entangled in his hair “Are we going to wait for the full concert to be over or just our set to go back to the hotel?”

Lately they found excuses to hang around backstage after their set, management wasn’t too happy about that decision, not wanting even more attention to the Aussie band than to the actual main act, but they managed to sneak around them, only staying backstage and not actually being able to see the concert.

You, on the other hand, never missed a set, not only because you promised Harry and Calum that you’d be present in each one, but because you actually enjoyed the energy of the whole thing. You loved to jump around and dance to their songs, you already mastered the lyrics of every song on the set list and even created some kind of choreography with Lottie for each one. It didn’t matter to you that your feet hurt afterwards from the massive tiredness of the next few days, you were living your best life watching your boys perform and you would do that every single day of your life if you had to.

“Oh, I’m staying the whole concert” You answered “Can’t miss see them on stage”

“Aw, c’mon Y/N” Said Calum, faking a whine “You can miss at least one concert”

“Who is going to miss the concert?” Someone asked as they opened the door.

Everyone turned their faces as they saw Lottie came in with Louis and Harry. You smiled at them while they took a seat in front of the vanity, Harry’s eyes shining when they met yours through the mirror, smiling almost at the same time when Calum lowered his gaze and started fidgeting with his thumbs.

He didn’t know why, but he always got uncomfortable with the idea of Harry being around you and spending your time with him. Is not like he didn’t like the guy, on the contrary, they had a very good relationship, but the fact that you shared jokes, touches and moments with him made Calum feel uneasy. Same thing goes for Harry, he didn’t particularly enjoy how close you and the bassit were, but he wasn’t going to mention it, it would make him look like an asshole to you and to the Australian who he considered a friend. And you, as usual, were completely oblivious to it.

“We were just asking Y/N if we are going to skip the concert so they could get ready for their date” Michael said, pointing his finger between you and Calum as your cheeks went red.

Harry’s smile went away in an instant, snapping his head towards Louis who just stared at him blankly as he gave an apologetic smile to the curly haired man.

“What..? Michael, is not a date.” You said in an awkward laugh “We are just hanging out, right Cal?” You asked, smiling at him, not noticing the surprise in his eyes.

All eyes were on you again. Louis, Lottie and Michael gave you a confused look while Harry looked like he could breathe again. Calum, however, just blinked a couple times before lowering his gaze again, trying to hide the hurt in his eyes as he responded “Yeah.. it’s not a date”

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the group for a few seconds, no one really knowing what to say until Lottie was brave enough to break it by commenting on Michael’s new hair color that needed rincing, making the conversation flow easily among them, well, among everyone but Calum and Harry who stayed silent in their seats, having very different but similar thoughts.

A few moments later you excused yourself to go towards the catering section, expressing your dire need for a snack before you pass out applying gel to the boys hair. Louis offered to go with you.

As you were walking down the halls of the venue, he ventured “So… What made you accept the lad’s proposal?”

“Calum’s? it was not a proposal” You rolled your eyes “It was more like a quid pro quo kinda thing. He threatened to dye his hair if I said no” You chuckled.

Louis hummed “And you’re sure it’s not a date?”

“This again?”

It wasn’t the first time this conversation rolled around between the both of you. He had been teasing since that night of the party, where you found yourself with two drinks in your hand, one from Harry and the other from Calum. You spend the whole night talking to them, apologizing for the misunderstanding and thanking them for being such sweethearts. For you it was an innocent act of good manners, a nice gesture from the two boys. For Louis, that witnessed the whole thing, was more than that.

He was convinced that they had a thing for you. He believed, no, he knew that they were completely head over heels for you and, he had to admit, it was pretty funny to see all the things they did to gain just a little bit of attention from you.

“He is just friendly and so am I. We are just going to hang out, nothing more. It is not a date” You explained “We’ve had this conversation over and over again and it’s still the same answer, don’t you think that if he was making a move I would know?”

“Actually, no, love. You are completely blind and I would be very surprised indeed if you happen to notice that”

“What? Lou…”

“Didn’t you see the face Calum made when you said it wasn’t a date? Or Harry’s when Michael said it was? He was crushed”

“I-“

Louis shook his head and sighed “Look, love. I know you don’t mean to, but you’re breaking those guys’ hearts”

“I’m not breaking anyone’s heart. How could I? They’re just my friends, they can’t like me like that”

“Why not?”

“Because! Look at me, Louis”

“I am looking, love! And I’ll I can see is a beautiful person, inside and out, with an enormous talent and even bigger heart. Anyone would be lucky to have you” Louis said, placing his arm around your shoulder and giving it a squeeze “And I just happen to know two lads that would kill to have that privilege” You rolled your eyes and he sighed again “Fine! Don’t believe me. But don’t say I didn’t warn ya”

After grabbing a snack and a drink, you started to make your way back to your little room, but then you realized it was almost time for them to start the show so you decided to go wait by the side of the stage until the Australian band came out to the public.

On your way there, your mind didn’t stop thinking for a minute about what Louis had said before. Was Calum upset that it wasn’t a date? Did he expect it to be? And why was Harry even a topic? Did he talk about you with Louis? They couldn’t have a crush on you… could they?

Suddenly flashes of the past few months flew by in your head. How Calum’s eyes shined every time he heard you talk about hair related things because he knew you were very passionate about it, or how Harry always seemed to have some kind of trouble with his hair and needed your help, and only your help, to fix it because you were the only one who ‘understood his curls’ even though Lottie could’ve done a better job if he asked her. Calum put you in charge of recording his keeks and always made you feel welcome and comfortable around him and the guys, making you laugh uncontrollably with each shenanigan they pulled, or when every time Harry told a really bad joke he always looked at you first, almost like searching for your approval and smiling every time you did laugh, even if it was out of pity. How every night they were on stage they looked to the sides to find you dancing or singing along to their songs, making faces at you or copy your movements or give you reassuring smiles as they kept performing. They always seemed to know when you were feeling under the weather and they always went out of their way in order to make you feel better, going from making silly things on stage that night to just hold you and listening to you rant about what was bothering you, not even flinching at your touch but actually craving it. Every time you hug they don't pull away, in fact, they hold on. And you didn’t seem to mind at all.

You love them both, truly and wholeheartedly. And you would be a fool if you didn’t think they’re very attractive and attentive and different and special in their own ways. At the beginning of the tour you could’ve easily fallen in love with one of them if they ever showed interest in you, but you were sure they didn’t and probably never will so, why bother to think like that as a possibility? It will only get your heart broken in the end. You were sure that if they liked you as more than a friend they would’ve said something by now.

The thing was that they tried to tell you, countless times. But they were, in all honesty and innocence, idiots. So you had no clue on their true feelings.

But you would be lying if you said that Louis didn’t plant the seed of doubt in your mind.

“Hey, Y/N!” You heard a voice call you from the end of the hall. You lifted your gaze and smile when you saw Calum approaching, bass in hand ready to go out on stage. You lifted your finger and brought it to the side of your nose and he did the same. It became your own little secret ´handshake´

“Calum! Are you ready to go and kill it in front of a thousand screaming fans” You teased, resting the back of your hand on your forehead, mocking a faint.

He laughed, shaking his head “I rather concentrate on the fan that keeps dancing along Amnesia like it’s not an acoustic song backstage”

“Are you saying I’m distracting you?”

“You always distract me, sweetheart” He smirked “But I can’t say that I don’t like it”

You felt your cheeks get warm with his words. You must admit that Calum had a way with words, always tempting the line of cute remarks and downright flirting, creating a friendly banter between the both of you. Now you begin to wonder if they were ever friendly at all.

“Well the job of a fan is to hype their favorite band while on stage, right?” You smiled. Calum’s eyes shined like glitter.

“Are we really your favorites?” He asked.

“Hey, I don’t go around creating bomb coreos for any band, you know?” You slightly punched him in the arm as you both chuckled.

Suddenly you became very aware of his proximity to you and you didn’t seem to mind one bit, in fact you were enjoying how close he was, noticing even the crinkles by his eyes every time he smiled. “Hey, Cal. I’m sorry for earlier” You apologized, not really knowing how to approach the subject “I’m sorry if I made it awkward and-”

“What? No, no, no, no,” He said way too quickly, shaking his head rapidly “It wasn’t awkward” Calum said awkwardly.

Your face visibly cringed “Yes it was! And I’m sorry, I didn’t know that-”

“Hey, hey hey. It 's okay. If you say it’s not a date, then it’s not a date. We are just hanging out and that okay” Calum calmed you, rubbing his hand up and down your arm in a reassuring manner “It’s more than okay, actually. I really love spending time with you, Y/N”

You looked into his eyes and you could see the honesty in them, you covered his hand with your and smiled “I really love spending time with you too, Cal”

“CALOOUM” You heard someone yell from the side of the stage, not even a second after Ashton popped out his head from the wings “Get your ass over here, the concert’s abou to start you dipshit!... Hi, Y/N”

“Hi, Ashton” You laughed.

Calum rolled his eyes at his bandmate and took a step back from you “Well, duty calls. Someone has to woo the thousand screaming fans, right?”

You nodded as you quickly cupped his left cheek on your hand to give it a small kiss “Go kill them, you dipshit” You chuckled.

Calum did his best to try and hide the redness of his cheek, lifting his finger to the side of his nose as he walked away, turning around quickly to delicately press his palm to his cheek, still warm from that little kiss you just gave him and smiling like an absolute idiot.

“Mate, you’re whipped” Luke teased when he saw Calum’s grin.

“Shut up”

It was after Calum had turned away that you realized what you just did. You mentally slapped yourself, it was no big deal, right? just a friendly kiss like you and Louis do all the time but, why did it feel so different?

In the midst of your internal debate, you decided to walk to the other side of the stage where you knew Lottie would be waiting for you, you also knew it was Calum’s side of the stage, but it had the best view you could ask for. So you made up your mind of sucking in the embarrassment of your careless and innocent action from earlier and started making your way.

You enjoyed walking backstage, you knew every venue was different but the backstage rarely changes so it was easy to find your way around the messy halls full of people you now know and love. Every person you met along the way greeted you with a smile or a nod, they all respected your work and you respected theirs, all of you knew that this tour couldn't work without any of you.

Tonight, however, there was a new face in the multitude of people. You catched her eye as you almost walked past her, but she stopped you by gently putting her hand round your shoulder.

“I’m sorry, dear” The woman said with a smile “But aren’t you Y/N L/N? The stylist?”

The mysterious woman stood in front of you, her hand already gone from your shoulder, but she had your full attention now. She was wearing a black suit with a white button down to go along with some killer heels. Her black hair stopped right at the end of her neck, giving her a Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction vibe, elegant yet powerful. She was smiling at you like you were her next meal and it made you uncomfortable.

“Yes, I am. Well, one half of the team,actually” You answered, nervously looking around for nothing in particular “Can I help you with anything, Miss..?”

“Oh, how silly of me,” She laughed “I’m Mariah Slendge, I work for Jordan Coutier? You heard about them?” Of course you have! They were the most famous, most expensive, most stylish beauty company of all times! Led by the Jordan Coutier himself, the legend of legends when it came to hair and make up. A true inspiration for you and for many others. You nodded, trying not to freak out too much in front of one of his representatives “Well, we’ve heard about you too”

“‘Bout me?” You asked in disbelief.

“Why, yes, darling. I’ve seen your work with the boys, very impressive”

“Oh, it’s nothing really-”

“And your Instagram?” She said, pulling out her phone and showing you your feed that was filled with different hairstyles you’ve made along the years and on the tour, showcasing your work on different types of hair and for a wide variety of people “You are very talented”

“Thank you, but-”

“I have an offer for you” She stated, putting her phone back in her purse “Well, an almost offer, actually. I wanted to have your consent before I do anything”

You stared at her, wide eyed as your mind was a blank space. What was happening right now?

“Once this tour ends I want you to come work with us in New York as a paid intern for a few years. You would learn everything you need to know in order to succeed in this business and more. You’ll be working with the best professionals in the world and you’ll make really good connections in the industry, I can assure you that”

“Y-you want me to work with you?” You stuttered.

“Only if that’s okay with you, darling. I haven’t said anything to the big boss yet because I needed your approval first but-”

“YES!” You yelled “Sorry! I’m so so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that but, yes. My answer is yes, I would love to”

Mariah smiled like the cheshire cat “Wonderful! You’ll be hearing from me in a few days. Take care, darling”

She blew you a kiss and waved as she walked away, leaving you in complete awe before you could even begin to thank her.

You shook your head, waking up from your daze and practically ran towards Lottie, who was waiting for you at your usual spot from the side of the stage.

“Where have you been?” She asked when she took on your breathless appearance “The boys are in the middle of the set already and-”

“I know! I know, I’m sorry but,” You said, panting as you tried to gain some composure “You would never believe what just happened”

To say that Lottie was over the moon with the news you just brought to her was an understatement. She celebrated with you and congratulated you like you just won the lottery “Oh my god! I can’t believe it”

“Well, it’s nothing sure yet, but-”

“But nothing! This is amazing and you completely deserve this, honey” She hugged you “I’m so proud of you”

You melted into the hug, wondering how on Earth did you get so lucky, having a best friend like her was… Oh, it was more than you could ever ask for “One more thing,” You said, separating from her embrace “Don’t tell anyone. I don’t wanna jinx it”

“But Louis will be so happy and-”

“Lottie, please” You pleaded with your best puppy stare. She rolled her eyes and muttered a ‘fine’ before wrapping you into a hug once again.

When she let you go, you focus all of your attention towards the stage. Your eyes met Calum’s as he was looking at the two of you with a quizzical look. You lifted your finger to your nose once again and brushed it off, he smiled and mouthed something like ‘You’ll tell me later’ making you laugh and shrug as you started dancing to their cover of Teenage Dream.

Moments later, when their set ended, Calum came running towards you but you pushed him away “Uh uh, no touching until you get into a shower”

“What about you, Lot?” He asked your friend with open arms, she just shook her head and started laughing “What? You can hug but I’m left all alone?” Calum pouted.

“Take a shower and we’ll see, Hood”

He mocked a salute and said “We’re still hanging out later, right?”

“Of course!”

“Great, can’t wait”

Calum smirked and ran offstage. You stayed with Lottie, talking about your hypothetical plans for the future until it was time for One Direction to take the stage.

The energy on the concerts was hard to ignore, every night you found yourself with goosebumps running up and down your skin every time you heard the guitar riff or when you felt the bass and the drums shake the floor, literally. Not to mention the vocals of every single one of them, it filled you with joy seeing them perform and give their absolute best to all of their fans, who loved them just as much as you did.

You followed your usual routine with Lottie, dancing your specific choreographies to each song, but something was different tonight.

Every time you glanced at the stage you found a pair of green eyes already staring at you. Harry smiled whenever your eyes met, but his gaze always seemed to lurk around you for a second too long before putting all of his attention on the crowd once again.

When it was time for a break, Harry, as usual, took center stage and started interacting with the fans.

“Okay. Here in One Direction we sing a lot about love” He said, making the crowd go absolutely ballistic “Now, who here came with a date? C’mon now, wanna see those hands up, who here is taken?”

You laughed at how the fans started screaming unintelligible things at the boys, you saw how some brave ones started lifting their hands, showcasing their love in front of a full arena of people.

“Aww that’s wha’ I wanted to see! And what ‘bout over there at the sides” He said, pointing to your side of the stage “‘nyone in the crew who might be on a date today?”

He was asking the crew of the sides in general, some of them raising their hands in amusement, but Harry's gaze was locked on you and how you were giggling with Lottie about the whole ordeal.

“I think he’s talking to you, love” The young Tomlinson whispered in your ear.

You looked at Harry with your eyebrows furrowed, he returned the gesture by raising one of his own, asking you to answer him. You rolled your eyes and smiled while giving him the middle finger. His face visibly relaxed as he gave you one of his signature smirks and went back to amuse the crowd, who by now, were already losing their shit.

“‘M very glad to know that” Harry claimed into the microphone “Love is love everybody so if you love someone you gotta tell ‘em” And while his eyes were fixed on the crowd, you managed to find Louis bold stare already setting on you, giving a knowing look that you tried your best to ignore “Let’s celebrate love, everyone! This song is called Little Things”

As they settled around the stairs of the stage, you and Lottie started to sing and dance, not noticing how, every time he had a moment of silence, Harry would glance at your direction and smile a little bit to himself, hoping that you would look his way. And the universe seemed to listen, because when his last chorus was approaching, you turned your gaze to meet his. Harry smiled as he started singing, and, for the first time, he didn’t advert his eyes from you.

You felt a warmness spread from your chest to your whole body as the curly haired man started his last verse, green eyes staring right back at yours as the words slipped through his mouth with such an ease and calm melody, you didn’t dare to look away.

The feeling had no name, for what you could tell at least, but it was almost the same as the one you had when Calum was close to you earlier in the evening. It’s not uncomfortable, in fact, it’s totally the opposite. It’s almost like a calming breeze flowing through your entire body. Safe, noticed, warmth, shyness, love? You couldn’t figure it out.

The trance ended just as the song did, you felt a little nudge on the side of your body and turned to see Lottie giving you a smirk. You were about to tell her off when you were interrupted once again by a known beat, the next song was already starting as Harry’s eyes concentrated on the crowd once again, only glancing at you a few more times the entire set.

After the show ended, you and Lottie went backstage to celebrate with the boys.

“That was amazing!” The girl said, giving her older brother a pat in the back, not wanting to get all sweating because of him. You joined the congratulations and started simple conversations about what happened tonight on stage. You were so invested in the story Liam was telling about how he thought he saw the clone of Justin Bieber watching the show, that you didn’t notice how close Harry was to you until he whispered in your ear.

“Did you lie, earlier?” He asked.

You turned to face him, his face was unreadable, but his eyes had a glimpse of desperation in them, almost begging you for an answer he might like. “What are you talking about?” You responded, looking around, but no one seemed preoccupied with your little conversation.

“When I asked if anyone was on date”

“Mmh, and I recall I gave you the finger, didn’t I?” You smiled “Why did you think that was?”

Harry smirked “It was a tad rude, actually” You rolled your eyes at him “So you’re not seeing anyone at the moment?” He pressed, even when he saw you shake your head “Not even an Aussie lad that’s traveling with us?”

You sighed “No, I’m not dating Calum. We are just hanging out, as friends and nothing more. Just like I do with you, H”

Harry tried to mask the sudden hurt expression that came upon him, is that all you thought of him?

“And besides,” You continued “You can’t believe anything the Tomlinsons tell you, most times at least”

He chuckled “That’s true, love. I just…” He sighed “I really care about you, Y/N”

“I really care about you too, Harry” You said in all honesty.

“No, but I mean-”

“Hey, Y/N” Interrupted Lottie “Shouldn’t you be on your way to the hotel now?”

You opened your eyes like plates and looked at the time on your phone “Oh shit” You grabbed your stuff as fast as you could and said goodbye to everyone as you ran through the exit to grab a taxi.

Once you reached the hotel, you already saw Calum waiting in the lobby for you and suddenly you felt way underdressed when you saw him wearing a white shirt and some nice black pants to go with it.

Calum lifted his gaze from his phone and smiled when his eyes met yours. You gave him an apologetic smile as well as your secret code of putting your finger on the side of your nose while you walked up to him “I’m sorry I’m late, I got caught up in the concert and-”

“Hey, I get it” He chuckled “I know what it’s like to be a fan and those guys give a whole damn spectacle of everything. I’m glad you came, though. So,” He said, clapping his hands “Ready to go?” You nodded and let him guide you through the streets of the city.

You ended up in a little secluded sushi restaurant, not so far away from the hotel “The best sushi in town” Said Calum “Or at least that what they told me”

The night was spent between laughter and deep talks. You got to know a side of Calum you never expect. The way that he talked about his family and how hard it was for him to leave them behind in Australia but how, at the same time, he was happy he did it because now he could live his dream with his best friends. He told you anecdotes of when he, Michael and Luke were in school and played all kinds of pranks to their music teacher and how he lived in Brazil for a few months before realizing his dream was music all along.

He got to know you as well, how you grew up in a very strict family and how you were the ‘child-with-too-many-dreams-to-count’ how you met the Tomlinsons and how they became your real family in no time. He listened enthusiastically when you talked about when you first found out about your passion for styling someone when your first dance came around and you had to do all your classmates' hair and make up with the help of Lottie, creating a form of art that was so simple yet so special at the same time.

He made you laugh as well, playing with the chopsticks that were mostly for decoration and pretending to be some weird animal, he was so invested in his act that he didn’t notice how much wasabi he had put on his sushi bite, having to excuse himself to go to the bathroom.

You were wiping away your tears of laughter when you notice something, or rather someone, walking outside and entering the restaurant at that exact moment.

“Harry?”

The curly man turned around and faked a surprised face “Y/N? Hi, darling. What are you doing here?”

“Me?” You laughed “What are you doing here? I thought that maybe you and the other would go to a club after the concert”

Harry grabbed a chair and sat down next to you “The others did, but I was jus’ so tired tha’ I asked someone to recommend me a place to grab some take out” He chuckled “The food at the hotel is truly awful for a four and a half star restaurant”

“Well, let me tell you. This salmon roll is just exquisite so you won’t be disappointed here” You said, not giving too much thought at his excuse.

Calum got out of the bathroom soon after, he couldn’t see Harry just yet, but he could tell you were laughing at something. Once he got closer and noticed the british boy sitting next to you, making you laugh and give you the pretty eyes, he felt that uneasy feeling again, the one he always had whenever Harry was around you. He noticed how his jaw clenched and how his hand became a fist when he heard you laugh again, knowing it should’ve been him the one who should make you smile like that tonight.

When you looked at him, however, the uneasiness went away as soon as it came. He walked over to your table and put on a surprise show at Harry’s sudden appearance.

“Harry,” He said with a fake smile “What are you doing here?”

“Jus’ passing by, looking for something to eat and then I found Y/N here” Harry answered in a cool tone “What a coincidence, right?”

“Yeah, weird” Calum said, looking directly at the green eyes from across the table.

An uncomfortable silence came upon them as they glared at each other. From any perspective it was easy to see that they were having a silent conversation with those looks. A conversation filled with questions, realizations and accusations as the two men finally acknowledge the feelings each one had towards you. And, just like any situation when a man feels threatened by another man's feelings, it meant war.

However, they were not stupid. They knew they had to keep it civil for your and the tour’s sake, knowing it would not be fair for anyone to start fighting over you and especially when you seem to have no clue about what’s going on. So, with one look, a deal was sealed: You would have to choose eventually, and whatever you say goes, they were mature enough to respect your decision, but that doesn't mean they are not going to try to win your heart.

“So,” Harry said after a while, faking modesty as he made a move to get out of the chair “I should better get going, I don’t want to interrupt whatever’s happening here”

“Oh, you are not interrupting” You said, completely oblivious “Right, Cal?”

Calum looked at you, and he found it impossible to deny you anything at this moment, even if it mean having Harry joining your ‘not-date-date’ So he gave a fake smile to the curly haired man and said “Nope, not interrupting at all”

Harry smiled with sufficiency and sat back down, officially joining you for the night.

From your perspective, you were having a great night next to two of the people you love the most, having fun and joking around. Too busy enjoying their company to notice the passive aggressive attitude they excelled, silently competing to gain your attention. At one point in the evening, Harry started singing along the song that was playing on the restaurant’s speakers, telling you a story about the composition of that specific Fleetwood Mac song and you gladly listened. Calum then proceeded to woo you with some food related tricks, making you laugh at his failed attempt to try and put three California rolls in his mouth.

The talks came to a neutral ground when you started mentioning the tour. They both loved to hear you talk about your experience so far and they even shared some stories and tips about it too. You shared anecdotes and your favorite moments, making your boys smile whenever they realized they shared most of those moments with you. They understood that, whatever happens, they were truly the lucky ones just by having you in their life.

The evening went on and as it did, all of you started to feel more and more tired, given that you had to be on an airplane somewhere the next afternoon, so you decided to call it a night. Walking out of the restaurant, you made your way into the hotel again. Calum said his goodbye with a kiss on your cheek, making you blush and Harry clenched his jaw. He lifted a finger to his nose and disappeared into the other hall of the lobby where the elevator to his room was. You were about to do the same, already walking to the other elevator, but Harry had another idea.

“There’s an ice cream shop down the block” He said as he grabbed your hand to call for your attention “Wanna try it, Y/N?”

“Oh yes! I would love to” You smiled at Harry“But, aren’t you tired? You perfomed a big show tonight and-”

“I could never get tired if you’re by my side, love” He grin and tugged on your hand, leading you once again into the streets.

The ice cream shop was very small and it was horribly decorated with pink and purple cows. Their ice creams, however, were a delight. You sat down in a tall stool next to Harry, enjoying your scoop of rocky roads with chocolate syrup and sprinkles on top. Harry was staring at you, his smile never fading for a second.

“What?” You asked when you felt his green eyes on you “Do I have something in my face?” You brought your napkin to your face, but Harry just shook his head.

“You’re just too cute,” He said, smiling again.

“‘m not”

“You are” He countered “Knew that from the moment I met you”

“You mean when you knocked me to the ground and almost broke my bum?” You teased, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Exactly,” He said, unfazed by your sarcastic tone “Thought I died and went to heaven”

You laughed and gently punched him in the arm “Oh, shut up, Haz”

For the rest of the night and the beginnings of an early morning, you and Harry sat down on those stools in that ice cream shop, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. He talked about how hard it was to be constantly under a magnifying glass in the eyes of the media, about the rumors and about how he didn’t expect his life to turn this way “I assume it’s not easy” You said “But what you’re doing is amazing, Harry. You and the boys have changed the lives of so many people, it’s… truly something else” He thanked you for your words and then started to change the subject so the conversation was focused on you.

You pretty much told him the same old story you told Calum a few hours ago, he too, was very invested in whatever you had to say and let you ramble on and on about everything you thought it was worth mentioning. He even let you play with his curls a little bit before noticing your eyes were beginning to close, already too tired to keep the conversation going.

You walked to the hotel once again, this time it was you who gave Harry a good night kiss on the cheek before making your way to your shared bedroom with Lottie and basically plopping down on the bed, thinking about how great this night was.

There were two more stops before the tour finally ended. You could feel the tension in the air. It seemed like everyone was anxious about coming back home and seeing their families again, and you were too, but you got to admit that you were going to miss this even more.

And it seemed like it was the same for Harry and Calum, because for the past few days they barely left your side. And it was not like you were complaining, not at all.In fact, you were savouring every moment of it, not knowing if you would ever have the chance to do this again. So you let them play with your stuff, hanging out till late at night , you laughed at all their antics, from Calum’s keeks with the band to actually helping Harry pull down a prank to their bodyguards. On stage the energy was always the same, stolen glances and mocking faces between you, inner jokes said at loud only for you to understand and weird dance moves to make them break in front of the crowds.

You were definitely going to miss all of this.

When the last night of the tour arrived, so did an email addressed to you. You were sitting in your little office, cleaning and setting everything up before the boys needed to get ready when you phone dinged.

Your breath got caught in your throat as you realized who that email was from.

From: [email protected]

To: Y/E/[email protected]

Dear Y/N, I am very glad to inform you….

Suddenly the door bursts open, a breathless Calum standing right under.

“Y/N” He panted.

You looked at him, confused “Calum, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

Calum smiled “Yes! I’m more than okay actually, uuhm,” He said, trying to find the words “You know the band is going on tour, right?” He said referring to one of the biggest tours 5SOS was going to make following the release of their new album.

“Yes! And I couldn’t be more excited for you! That 's huge!” You celebrated.

“Come with us”

“What?” Your smile faded. Calum got nervous.

“Uh, I- well I mean we-” He took a deep breath “Me and the boys want you on tour with us as our stylist” Your mouth hung open, Calum took it as a good sign “We already talked to our management and they all agree. We want you to come on tour with us”

You were speechless. Part of you wanted to jump in joy, but the other part… “Cal, I-”

“Hey, Y/N” Another familiar voice called from the door “Great news, love. Yo- Hello, Calum, what are you doing here? Harry said when he laid eyes on the Australian, who wasn’t very fond of the interruption.

“I came to tell Y/N some good news,” Calum said, dryly.

“What a coincidence, I came for that as well”

“I don’t think there are any coincidence when it comes to you, Styles”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry asked, defyenty.

Calum was about to answer with another passive aggressive remark when you interrupted them “Guys, not now” You said with a tired tone “What’s up, Haz?”

“You’re coming on tour with us” He said, smiling at you “We already talked to management about it and you and Lottie are staying for the next tour”

You opened your mouth to respond but Calum cut you off, fuming.

“Well, that’s not possible”

“And why not?” Asked Harry, putting his attention on the other boy.

“Because Y/N is coming on tour with us”

Harry scoffed “As if Y/N would want that”

“How do you know that? You’re so arrogant and self centered-” Calum said a tad too loud.

“Don’t start something you cannot finish, Hood” Harry started, leveling his tone to match Calum’s “You immature prick -”

“Enough!” You yelled over their voices, making them turn their heads to you “What the hell has gotten into you today? It’s the last day of tour and this is the memory I get from you two? What a parting gift!”

“Wait-” Calum said

“Parting gift?”

You sighed “Guys, I can’t go on tour with either of you. I got an internship job with Jordan Coutier” You could see the disappointment in their faces as you softly said the words that would break their hearts “I’m going to New York”

Part 3

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