#also niall in COLOR!!!!!

[placeinsideyou]

oh he looks incredible!! 🍀🍀🍀

[fakeoutbf]

.

[narryffdreaming]

A TOAST TO THE FUTURE — FOUR (II)

Summary: Aurora and Harry used to be friends, but life happened and they grew apart. Now, 6 years later, they meet again.

Rating: +18

WARNINGS: The story contains explicit language and mentions a past abusive relationship (mostly the consequences of psychological/emotional abuse). Some chapters also contain explicit sexual content.

PART FOUR: 21k words (I) - 11,2k words (II) - 9,8k words

PART ONE || PART TWO || PART THREE || PART FOUR (I)

"Okay, I'm good," Aurora says, standing next to Megan and behind the couch. 

Ahead of them, all of their friends are already out there, near the water. Listening to music, drinking, and chit chatting while soaking under the Italian weather. 

"And thank you, by the way," she adds. "I'll owe you for the rest of my life."

Megan laughs and shakes her head, then turns to look at her. "Don't be silly, it was nothing."

It wasn't, though. 

Because when Aurora hesitated to leave the bedroom, Megan was quick to catch on her nervousness and stay behind with her. And she was also kind and sweet when asking if Aurora wanted to talk about it, or if there was anything she could do to help. 

Then, when Aurora shared that she was self-conscious about how she'll look in her clothes, Megan was also empathetic of her situation. She seemed to understand it isn't just about her body, but also about what all those clothes represent to her. Because Aurora doesn't feel the same as when she was in her twenties and started dating Zack, so she doesn't want to wear clothes that will make her feel like that old version of her. She wants to move forwards, not backwards. She wants to be better, not go back to being the same. 

So Megan stood behind and helped her feel more comfortable about herself, supporting her decision of wearing the colorful one-piece she'd bought instead of the bikini Maddie had packed for her, and then even offering her own linen shirt for Aurora to wear on top of it. Which, as it turns out, ended up being a great idea, and the last push she needed to feel that boost of confidence inside her. 

"You look incredible, by the way," Megan says.

Aurora looks down at her feet — her bare feet — and smiles. "Thanks."

And she means it. Because, truth be told, right now Aurora feels good about herself. Her legs are out and her boobs are definitely about to get some sun — as they deserve — but that doesn't mean she's half-naked. Her stomach is still covered, and her bum isn't completely out in the open. Besides, that shirt's making everything way more comfortable.

"Shall we?" Megan asks. 

"Yes." Aurora nods. "Let's go, c'mon." 

Megan leads the way, then, while Aurora follows her closely. 

Once they step outside, it's easy to say that it's the most breathtaking view Aurora's ever seen. Despite the coastline being at sight, it feels like they're completely by themselves, surrounded by nothing but water while facing the sun and the different shades of blue that blend in the horizon. 

Lucy, Ava and Maddie are sitting by the pool, while the boys stand by the swim platform — Theo and Niall facing the yacht, while Jayden, Daniel and Harry face the horizon. 

A shirtless Harry, though. 

A shirtless Harry facing the horizon, with his bare back fully exposed to her. 

And although Aurora tries her best to appear nonchalant and unaffected, it's hard not to feel her legs wobbling, or her mouth watering up. Because those black shorts he's wearing are really short, and there are so many muscles popping out that she wouldn't believe him if he said his body is built the same way as anyone else.

"Baby! Moonshine!" Niall cheers, raising his hands. "Finally!"

Everyone turns to look at them, and Aurora slows down slightly, almost hiding behind Megan. 

"Took you long enough," he adds, opening his arms for his girlfriend. 

Aurora watches as Megan smiles and rushes to him, hugging his waist while he holds her shoulders and kisses her temple. 

It's cute. 

They're cute. 

So Aurora smiles, too.

And then she just stands there.

Awkwardly. Not really knowing what to do with her legs. Or with her hands. Or with herself. 

She glances to one side, admiring the blue horizon, and to the other one, appreciating the coastline one more time. And then, she faces forward, and her eyes automatically land on Harry. Again. 

He's turned half-way towards her, drinking beer while glancing at her feet, then running his eyes up her legs, drifting from her knees, to her thighs, and her hips. She doesn't know if it's intentional, like before, but it doesn't seem so, because when he gets past her chest and neck, then finally meets her stare, he widens his eyes and chokes. 

He actually chokes — just like when they were in the car and she teased him about speaking Italian. Coughing and leaning forward while hitting his chest. 

And yet… It's not just like when they were in the car, is it? Because now the boys are quick to tease him and laugh at him. And because now Aurora feels the heat spreading through her cheeks, and the nervousness taking over her belly. And because now it doesn't feel like just a friendly joke, because apparently Harry got flustered for getting caught. And because he got caught checking her out. Checking her body out. 

So instead of acknowledging what happened, now Aurora pretends not to see it. And not to hear what's being said. And as she pretends everything is normal, she turns around and walks towards the girls. Knowing very damn well that, at the same time, there's a new feeling lingering inside her. Like a tingling. A feeling that's running through her veins, and that's making her anxious to see what could come next. Or where it could end. 

That tingling is growing. And it's getting serious.

Aurora can't explain it, or put it in words, but she feels it in her bones.

She's sitting on one of the steps leading to the swim platform, where everyone is just hanging around. 

Her lungs are full from ocean air, and the wind keeps whipping her hair, but it also makes the sun on her face feel less aggressive than it felt earlier in the afternoon.

Harry's sitting right in front of her, by the edge of the platform. Bending one leg at the knee and the other falling to the water while he hooks his arms around his thigh. His stunning smile seems to shine brighter than the sun, and once in a while she can see him slightly turning his head to look at her, or maybe just peeking through the corner of his eyes.

And as she talks to her friends by her side, or as she watches Lucy, Maddie, Ava, and Theo finally jump into the water, she knows she's been glancing at him non-stop, too. Because she can't help it. It's like someone casted a spell on her and she's now hypnotized.

The worst part is that Harry isn't even trying. He just keeps listening and nodding at whatever Daniel and Jayden are talking about, occasionally throwing his head back in laughter or being loud and goofy for apparently no reason. His dimples keep showing up as he speaks and smiles, and every time he laughs, his mouth falls open and his eyes wrinkle. 

The image of him being that happy is breathtaking, but the sound of his laughter astonishes her. It makes her heart beat faster, and to hope for him to sit next to her and give her all of his undivided attention. 

Earlier that day, Aurora fell asleep on his chest. Harry held her between his arms, and gently took care of her. She melted into him, more than once. She felt his fingers against her skin, and his lips on the top of her head. She remembered how tender and affectionate he could be, and she's still aware that everything she could think about when she woke up from her nap on the plane, was how cozy and warm she'd felt when cuddled by him.

However, hours later, Aurora finds herself watching him from a new perspective. One that doesn't take away what she already knows about him, but only adds more valuable information. It just makes him look even better in her eyes. 

And she knows she's never paid this much attention to Harry's body. Not like this, anyway. In all the years they spent together, she never observed him too much to actually know what anything besides his face looked like. Not only because the opportunity never came up, but also because she never thought about looking at him like that. So she has no idea if this is how he's always looked or not, but right then and there, Aurora is convinced Harry is bloody fucking hot. 

He is drinking beer, and everytime he takes the bottle to his mouth the muscles on his arm flex. He is also chewing gum, and the movements of his jaw are absorbing. The veins on his neck keep popping out, and his broad shoulders keep bringing up the memories of the many times she has hugged him and rested her chin on top of them. 

In all of those "many times", not even once it crossed through Aurora's mind the idea of hiding her face into his neck, breathing him in and kissing every inch of skin she could reach. But right then and there, it is all she can think about.

For the first time in too long, Aurora feels flushed. 

Actually flushed. 

And she has no idea what to do with that. Because it's becoming very clear to her that different parts of her body are suddenly awake, and that's all because of him. 

All because of Harry. 

Harry!

"Can I ask you something?" Megan asks, taking a seat next to her. 

Aurora jolts slightly, blinking as she shifts her eyes to her friend and nods. "Yeah, sure." 

Megan bends her legs and hugs her knees, turning her face towards Aurora and murmuring as she asks, "Is there something going on between you and Harry?"

Aurora widens her eyes. "What? I mean, why?"

"I don't know," Megan murmurs, making sure the conversation stays only between them. "I hear him and Niall on the phone sometimes, so I kinda figured something was up. But then today I saw the way you look at each other, and y'know, everyone's just been joking about it all day… So I thought… Y"know."

She shrugs.

Aurora bites the inside of her cheek and nods, taking the information in. She doesn't know how they look at each other, but she's aware that they've been doing it a lot. And she didn't actually hear what the boys said when they were teasing him, but she knows it happened. Just like she knows the girls were teasing her. So, yeah, she gets where she's coming from. 

And yet, there's one piece from that weird and unexpected puzzle that Aurora can't make sense of, so she asks, "He talks to Niall about me?" 

Megan smiles, and nods. "I mean, they're always talking about you… But… You didn't know that, right?"

Aurora shakes her head.

"Yeah, I should've figured… I mean, from what I heard and—Oh my God!" Megan widens her eyes and grabs Aurora's arm. "Rory, I don't usually go around telling people's secrets, ok? Especially Niall's. I'd never do that. I swear."

Aurora chuckles, stretching her legs and crossing one ankle over the other. She takes the opportunity to glance at Harry, who still seems pretty entertained with whatever Daniel is saying to him.

"Don't worry about it," she says, looking back at Megan. "What do they talk about, tho? I mean, what is there to talk about me?

Megan withdraws her hand and places it back on her lap, then peeks at Harry and curves her lips into a smile.

"I find it very sweet, actually," she says quietly and softly, then looks back at Aurora. "He always asks Niall if he heard anything from you, or how you are, and how's Noah… Those kinds of things. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but… I don't know. I don't really know you guys that well, but Harry seems to really care about you, and from what I've heard today, you deserve to get over your ex, so… I don't know… I guess I thought you should know… Because… Yeah… I don't know why."

They both laugh, and Aurora nods at her.

"Thanks for letting me know. I'm really confused about the whole thing, but thanks anyway."

"Do you want something to happen? Like, have you ever thought about it?"

"What? Me and Harry?" Aurora practically mouths. And when Megan rolls her eyes, she laughs and shakes her head. "God, no… Never. I mean… I haven't thought about anyone since Zack, to be honest."

"Hmm." Megan nods. "But you're single now, and Zack isn't in the picture anymore, right?"

"Right."

"Wouldn't it be nice if something happened between you and Harry, then?"

Yes.

Aurora shrugs. "I… I don't know. I feel very weird about it."

"Why?"

Exactly, why?

Why would it be weird? 

If everything around him feels so natural and effortless… Why would it be weird?

Aurora chuckles and groans, looking at her feet and shaking her head. When she speaks again, she lowers her voice as much as she can. "I just saw him again, Meg. Literally. Like, after years without seeing or even talking to each other, y'know? So it's just… Weird."

"Do you find him attractive?"

Fuck yes.

Aurora rolls her eyes, and shrugs. 

"Oh my God, you totally do!" Megan claps her hands together, giggling before tapping her fingers on her knees. "You find him attractive and you're shy to admit it!"

"Shhhhh," Aurora whispers, clenching her teeth and widening her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry." Megan giggles. "I just love this!"

The way Megan radiates joyness at the whole thing makes Aurora chuckle, and she shakes her head, then scratches the tip of her nose.

"I think you should go for it," Megan adds.

Maybe…

But no.

Mostly because Aurora doesn't know how to do that anymore. There used to be a time when she had fun flirting with guys, and when she didn't doubt her instincts. Now, though? Now it's like she doesn't even have instincts anymore. It's like her mind isn't telling her what to do anymore. Or her body isn't reacting by itself anymore.

Besides, they've just seen each other. After six years. 

Aurora reaches for her necklace, then. "Wouldn't it be too fast, tho?" 

"I don't know…" Megan shrugs. "I'm hardly one to talk, tho. I met Niall at a bar on a Friday night, went back to his place and didn't leave until Sunday morning, so…" She shrugs again. "We clicked, and that was it. Was it fast with your ex-husband, too?"

Aurora snorts. "No, not at all. We were co-workers first, and we were friends for months before Zack asked me out on a date. It also took him months to officially ask me to be his girlfriend."

"Mhmm…" Megan nods, half-smiling while glancing at Harry, then back at her. "So… You took your time getting to know each other, and yet you still divorced him."

Aurora scoffs, then narrows her eyes. "Yeah, okay. I see where you're getting at." 

Megan shrugs and beams at her. "Yep. I'm getting at the fact that maybe it's not about time, it's about the person."

She looks so proud of herself for coming up with that conclusion, that Aurora ends up laughing. And maybe her laughter is a little bit louder than it should be, because it seems to get Harry's attention. She notices it when he turns his head and looks at her, and when she really needs to hold herself from looking back at him. 

"God," she breathes out, looking down at her thighs and grabbing her necklace between her fingers. "I feel like this is too much information… Like, my head can't get around this. We literally just saw each other. This morning. After six years." 

Aurora laughs, and the incredulous tone gives away the nervousness behind her thoughts. And behind her feelings.

"Like I said, I think you should go for it. He's totally into you… I mean, there's absolutely no way he isn't."

That's the thing, though… Absolutely no way? Really? What if they're wrong?

"Right… Well… I don't know." Aurora sighs. "I need some time to process this."

"Okay, yeah. So let's stop talking about it. Let's just… Y'know… Enjoy the view… The sun, the water… Also," — Megan leans in, and hides her mouth from any potential pryers —  "you should think about it while you stare at those tattoos. And those mind-blowing abs."

Aurora laughs loudly again, mostly at the fact that Megan is suddenly comfortable enough to joke like that around her. 

"I mean," Megan adds. "If Niall asks, I find them ridiculous, ok? Not my type. Ew. But… Y'know… I truly, truly hope you get to enjoy… That."

"Y'know," Ava says, standing near the couch and placing her hands on her hips. "Those colors look really nice on you." 

Aurora stops walking and looks down at her body, meanwhile taking a sip from her piña colada. Her breasts are right there, popping out at her, Megan's shirt long forgotten after she decided to spend a few minutes in the pool with Lucy. And she had missed showing them off. They used to be her favorite part of her body. 

"You think so?" she asks. 

"Totally!" 

Aurora giggles. She walks down the steps to the outdoor lounge, smiling while getting closer to her friend.

"Where did you get it?" Ava asks. 

Aurora takes another sip of her drink and closes her eyes. Tasting the pineapple, coconut, and rum inside her mouth. 

"God, this is delicious…" She opens her eyes and glances back at Ava, then giggles. "Sorry… Hmm… It's actually Mara Hoffman, I got it on sale."

"Wow!" Ava smirks. "I love fancy Rory! It's perfect for the occasion."

"Shut up." Aurora laughs, waving her off. "It was the first thing I bought after I signed the divorce papers." She shrugs. "Felt kinda liberating."

"Ohhh, let's toast to that, then!" Ava runs closer to Aurora, raising the hand holding her drink.

They giggle while clicking their glasses together, each taking a one-long sip right after.

"Wait, no!" Ava cries. "We skipped the speech!" 

"We don't need a speech." 

"Yes, we do! Every toast needs a speech," Ava says, but proceeds to take another sip of her drink anyway. 

"Okay, lemme hear it, then."

"Okay, so," Ava says, and rolls her shoulders.

Aurora takes another sip, enjoying her drink while she listens to the unnecessary speech. 

"Here we go." Ava clears her throat, and raises her glass. "To our newly divorced, incredible, breathtaking, hot, sexy mama, who's—"

Aurora chokes, spitting half of her drink out of her mouth before she can even try to cover it up. Part of it goes down Aurora's chin, and the rest directly to Ava's chest and belly. 

There is a short silent pause, then loud laughter takes over the two of them. 

"Oh my God!" Aurora yells, whipping her chin with the back of her hand. She hunches down, laughing and putting one hand over her stomach.

"Moonshine!" Niall shouts from where he is sitting, next to the pool. "Are you drunk without me?!"

"'M not drunk!" Aurora shouts back, still laughing at the way the drink sneaked out between her lips. "Ava is just… Oh my God… She's just being stupid!"

Ava gasps, then shoves Aurora's shoulder. "Hey! I'm not stupid! What did I do?"

Aurora's still laughing, but she lowers her voice to make sure nobody listens when she explains, "You called me sexy mama." 

"Ohhh! Well that's just 'cause I think you are a sexy mamma!" Ava finishes her drink, glancing over Aurora's shoulder before smirking and looking back at her. "Besides, I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Aurora sips her drink, and narrows her eyes. "What?"

Ava puts her empty glass on the table, then turns her back to the water, forcing Aurora to turn around too, standing in front of her and facing the opposite side. "Harry won't stop looking at you."

Aurora rolls her eyes. "That's not true."

It is, though. She knows that.

"Yes, it is. C'mon, it's so obvious… He doesn't even try to hide it anymore." 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mhmm… Okay then." She wiggles her eyebrows and leans closer to her. "Auriiii."

Aurora purses her lips, doing her best to keep a straight face. It only lasts three seconds before laughter comes out of her chest, though, and she shakes her head. "Shut up…"

"Ah!" Ava squeals. "See?! You know!"

"Stop…" she practically cries, raising her arms and hiding behind her hand — and her drink. "I feel so silly about this!"

"No! Why? Rory, oh my God. It's so sweet. Really. I'd truly love that for you. He's such a great guy."

Aurora puts her hands down from her face, then shakes her head. 

"I don't think it's the right time to be thinking about this."

Ava snaps her eyebrows together. "Why not?"

"I just got divorced and—"

"Na-na-na!" Ava shakes her head, waving her hands in front of Aurora's face. "Don't give me that bullshit again. It's been months now, Rory! C'monnn… How long since you've had sex? Huh?"

Aurora shrugs. "I don't know."

Ava rolls her eyes. 

"Yeah, right," she snorts. "Of course you know. Just tell me, c'mon."

Aurora takes a sip of her drink, shuffling on her feet while gathering enough courage to speak. 

"I mean… We ended things over a year ago, and before that it had already been a while, so…"

"So…" Ava smiles, wiggling her eyebrows again. "It's time to get laid." 

Aurora snorts. "No it's not."

"Yes it is. You deserve to get laid."

"Stop."

"Roryyy…"

Aurora chuckles, shaking her head. "Why are you so excited about this, anyway?"

"Because you deserve to feel good, Rory," Ava says. "And because you deserve someone who'll care about making you feel good."

Aurora raises her left eyebrow. "And you think Harry's that person?" 

Ava nods. "I know for a fact he is."

"How—"

"Look, don't think too much about this, okay? Just enjoy it."

Aurora sighs, rubbing her forehead and shaking her head. 

"Don't you think it's nice?" Ava asks, then, placing one hand on her shoulder. "That excitement of meeting someone? That tension before something happens?"

Aurora looks over Ava's shoulder, seeing Harry climb back to the yacht. 

He is soaked. His entire body is dripping water, his shorts are heavy and stuck against his skin, and there are no traces of his curls as his hair is pulled back.

She knows that the excitement Harry makes her feel is, in fact, "nice". He makes her feel safe, he makes her laugh, and he makes it seem easy. However, the problem right now isn't him, or what he's making her feel, but how she's reacting to all that. 

So inexperienced and… Childish. Shy. Unsure of herself. 

And she hates that. So much! Because it's not who she wants to be. It's not who she used to be.

Then once again, Harry turns his head to where she is, and locks eyes with her. He pulls his hair back and blinks, then tilts his head slightly and frowns. Almost as if he's asking if she's okay, or what's going on. 

"Are you looking at him right now?" Ava asks. 

Aurora doesn't stop staring at him, but she still nods, then takes the last sip of her piña colada. "Mhm."

"God." Ava snorts. "I swear to God Aurora, it's written all over your face. It's written all over both of your faces. So if you don't go for it… I don't know. I think I'll just kill you both." 

Aurora snorts. Then laughs. 

And Harry smiles. 

And Aurora's belly buzzes. And her body tingles. 

And then she shakes her head and looks down, eying the empty glass in her hand. 

"Okay. I think I need another drink now." 

Aurora puts her empty glass on the table and gets up from the couch, finally — finally — walking back to the swim platform.

Niall, Jayden and Megan are standing near each other, having a loud and enthusiastic conversation about something she doesn't understand. Nor cares about. But she stands close to them anyway, listening and waiting for Harry to come back from wherever he went to just minutes ago. 

Megan's sharing a story about her job and softwares, or something along those lines, when Aurora hears the sound of feet against the wooden deck, and then some coughing. 

Her heartbeat picks up inside her chest, and a fuzzy rush of anticipation takes over her body. Knowing exactly who it is. And knowing she's been waiting for that. That she's been thinking about that. About being around him again, about getting closer to him again. About talking to him again. 

So she bites her lip, and waits. Waits for him to finally stand by her side, or maybe just walk past her and stop right across from where she is. Where he's going to be able to look at her face. 

So she waits, and waits. 

And yet she never sees him.  

Instead, she feels him hunching behind her, and then the way he sneaks his hands under her elbows. "What—"

"Hey Auri," he murmurs, curling his arms around her waist and pushing her back against his bare chest.

"Wait—What are you—"

He tightens his hold around her belly, then lifts her feet from the ground. 

"Oh my God…"

She puts her hands on top of his forearms, and Harry steps forward. 

"Harry!" Aurora shouts, and laughs, kicking her legs as he walks towards the edge of the platform. "No, no, no… Stop! Harry! Stop! Oh my—"

Harry jumps, though, and Aurora gasps as he takes her along with him.

She closes her eyes and presses her lips together, holding her breath and scrunching up her face right before the cold water hits her feet and then her entire body. 

Sounds die down as they sink into the Mediterranean Ocean, heaviness pushing them towards the distant bottom and causing Harry's arms to loosen up around her waist. 

He never lets go of her, though. If anything, he reacts by squeezing her even tighter, pulling them back up with the same confidence and strength he just dropped them. 

It only takes a second for Aurora's instincts to kick in as well, forcing her to move her arms and legs in an attempt to reach the surface. 

The fresh air quickly hits her face, and Aurora gasps for air, deeply and loudly. And then she coughs. And coughs. And coughs again. 

Harry's head comes up from under the water right behind her, and she turns around. 

"Harry!" She laughs, and coughs, kicking her legs to keep her body floating and taking her hair out of her face. 

"Hiii." Harry smiles, moving his arms and legs to stay afloat, too. 

"Hi? Hi?!" The smile stays on her face while she splashes him with water, and he jerks away with laughter. "You're such an idiot!" 

He laughs and shakes his head, curls following his movement and making it rain all around him.  

"I know. Just look at the things I gotta do to get your attention, huh?" 

Cold, saline water washes over her face and drops through her lashes, and Aurora takes one hand to wipe her eyes off. 

"Or maybe you could've just talked to me." 

He swims closer, as close as he can get while they're both kicking their legs to avoid submerging again. 

"Guess I could… But what's the fun in that?" 

She gasps, and splashes more water on him. "What's the fun in talking to me?!"

"Wha—No!" Harry laughs louder, jerking his face away and splashing her back. "Shit. That's not what I meant."

Aurora laughs, too. 

"Mhmmmm, but it is what you said." 

"Ohhh, c'mere jellybean." Harry reaches for her, pulling her arm first, then grabbing her waist and turning her around. 

Aurora squeals, and laughs, and when he presses her back against his chest, she feels herself wavering in the blue ocean. Floating with unsteady movements. And just this close to sinking again. So she holds onto his forearm tightly, tilting her chin up to keep her mouth out of the water. 

"Harry," she cries with laughter, automatically searching for his shoulder with the back of her head. "C'monnn."

"What?" he murmurs, holding half of her weight with one arm while moving the other and kicking his legs.

"My legs are getting tired," she murmurs as well. Feeling the way his body is moving behind her. Too fast for her to actually feel him, but too firm for her not to notice it. 

"Mine aren't," he says, surely of himself. "I've got you, yeah? Just look at the—" 

"Oi!" Niall shouts. "Lovebirds!" 

Harry whirls towards the yacht, pulling Aurora along with him. 

She gasps from the sudden movement, her legs getting tangled with his as they both keep working to stay afloat. 

"This is for you!" Niall adds. 

Aurora faces forward, only now aware that they've drifted to the side of the yacht and that their friends aren't on sight anymore. Niall is there, though, holding a beer while Theo throws something large and orange to the water.

It falls right under the swim platform, and Theo points at it. 

"Take this!" He shouts. "Don't want anyone drowning at my engagement party."

"Thanks!" Harry shouts back, and both Theo and Niall give him a thumbs up before walking away. 

Aurora blinks. Trying to process all the information. 

"Can you swim there? Or want me to get it?"

"Uhm… I guess… I can swim?"

Harry chuckles. "You don't sound very sure." 

"Sorry, I'm just… Confused, I think. Let's go tho, my thighs are burning." 

"Ok, c'mon. I'm right behind ya if you need me." 

He lets go of her waist, and Aurora takes a deep breath in, diving into the water and kicking her legs to swim towards whatever that orange thing is. 

It's not far away, but it takes some effort from someone who doesn't frequently swim. When she finally reaches it, and realizes it seems to be a floating mat, Harry's hands are already on her waist, smoothly helping her climb on it before he does the same. 

She crawls on the orange thick mat, exhaling what to others might sound like a heavy and annoyed grunt, but inside her it just feels like she's pushing all the exhaustion out of her body. 

There's enough room to fit at least five people on that mat, so she pushes herself a little bit further, trying to reach a place that at least feels like the middle. Once she's there, she turns around and sits on her bum, then drops her weight back. 

"Oh my God," Aurora drags out of her mouth, laying on her back and facing the darkening sky while her thighs prickle with soreness. She closes her eyes and places her hands on her belly, trying to catch up her breath. "That was just… Wow… Like a whole… Y'know… Like a whole workout for me..." 

Harry chuckles, dropping his back right next to her. Close enough that Aurora can feel the hair on his arm brushing her own.

"It was good tho," he murmurs, turning his head to look at her. "Wasn't it?" 

His gaze heats up her face, and Aurora blinks, then turns her head and looks at him, too.

Despite the steadiness of his stare, there's some insecurity on his face. Maybe it's the way he furrows his brows, or the way he seems to be biting the skin inside his cheek. Or maybe the way he so intensely waits for her to answer his simple question. 

And yes, Aurora's arms are tired. And yes, Aurora didn't plan to get into the water today. And yes, her legs are sore. And yes she's still out of breath and her heart is thumping heavily. 

But she can't deny how refreshing and invigorating the whole thing felt. Or how she would do it all over again if she could. Or how much she appreciates his spontaneity. And his boldness. Or how happy he makes her.

So she nods, and murmurs back to him, "Yeah… It was."

"Ok," he whispers, taking one hand to rub water out of his eye before settling into her stare again. "Good."

And just like that, it's like once again she's stuck inside a green spell, because she can't pull away from him. 

Drops of water cover his face, his tanned skin glistens under what's left of the sun, and his hair is all over the place. He's breathing in and out heavily, just like her, and she can see through the corner of her eyes the way his chest moves up and down. 

It's tempting, to be honest. And the idea to look down even crosses her mind, but there's one particular curl falling onto his forehead that truly gets her attention. That feels more important right now. So Aurora raises her hand, not even trying to resist the instant urge to touch him as she reaches for his face and pulls it away for him. 

Harry curls his lips into a smile and closes his eyes, and Aurora's heart skips a beat. 

She turns on her side, then, bending her other arm by the elbow and resting on it while she runs her fingers even further through his head. Gently combing his wet hair around his ear, moving up near his temple, and then to the top of his forehead. Curling her legs and making herself comfortable. Losing herself in time as seconds — and maybe even minutes — go by. As the sun sets around them and the sky changes its colors. 

Everything's naturally quiet around them. The mat waves them softly, following the motion of the sea, and although the weather is keeping her warm, a soft breeze from the late hour runs through her body. Making her shiver, and spreading goosebumps all over her skin.

She pulls away, then, but Harry is quick to raise his own hand and grab her wrist, slowing her down. With his eyes still closed, he guides her touch and drives her to slide her palm across his cheek and towards his mouth. And she lets him, biting her lip and watching him in awe. Allowing him to move her as he pleases. Feeling the brush of his facial hair, and also the contrasting combination from the cold water and his blazing skin. 

He only stops when the center of her palm meets his lips, and then he presses a long and wet kiss to it. And another one. 

Aurora sighs, and drops the weight of her hand, spreading it open and placing her thumb on his nose while she strokes her other four fingers up and down his cheek. 

It only lasts a moment, and then Harry finally turns on his side, too, mimicking her position and using one arm as a pillow as he keeps holding her wrist with his other hand. 

"Don't stop," he murmurs.

And Aurora doesn't. She brushes his cheek, gently and steadily. 

Harry breathes out, hotly and heavily into her palm, then draws gentle circles on her wrist with his thumb. Lastly, he folds his legs, and his knees bump into her. And before she knows it, he's tangling their feet together and covering her coldness with his warmth. 

That's when he finally opens his eyes, going straight to her gaze.

"Is this ok?" he murmurs. 

Aurora's heart thuds densely, her chest moves up and down heavily, and her stomach feels like twisting and swirling. 

"Yes," she answers, not giving herself any time to overthink it as she pulls her wrist out of his hold and moves her hand along his jaw. 

Harry smiles, then drops his hand between them. "Promise? Because I can pull away if you want. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She bites the insides of her bottom lip, watching him carefully before she finds the words to speak. Focusing on how she's pretty sure she's never been so close to him. Not like this, at least. Being able to point out the smallest details on his face. Or to catch the different shades in his irises. Or even to count the hairs across his jaw. 

She doesn't really know what's happening. She doesn't really know how they got there. She doesn't really know how they went from accidentally bumping into each other at the airport, to floating in the middle of the sea and being so focused on each other that they completely ignore the beautiful sight of the sun setting right in front of them. 

But she knows she doesn't want him to pull away. And she knows he's the furthest from making her feel uncomfortable. And she knows she wants to see where that whole interaction is going to take them. 

Saying that to him doesn't feel enough, though. Like it doesn't represent how much he's meaning to her right now and there. 

So instead, she offers, "You made today a lot easier for me. Y'know that, right?" 

There's a flicker of shock in his eyes, she sees it when he widens them slightly and then blinks rapidly. And she feels it when his voice falters. "I did?"

"Mhm." She nods, then drops her hand on the mat. Right next to his. "I'm just… I'm really happy we met at the airport. And that you're here now. It wouldn't've been the same without you." 

Harry stares blankly at her, and then he swallows. It's clear that he doesn't know what to say, and that he wasn't expecting to hear that. 

And to be honest Aurora doesn't know what to say, either. Not beyond what she's already shared, anyway. 

So she waits, and waits. 

Until Harry closes his eyes and sighs, and then he tilts his face to hide in his own arm and chuckles. 

"Jesus," he groans, unable to hide the grin from his face. And when he looks at her, there's nothing but joy, softness and affection surrounding him. "Can't believe how good that felt."

Aurora's belly flutters, and even though she's still out of words, she feels her lips curving into a smile, too. 

Harry clears his throat, then, and whilst he doesn't lift his arm from the mat, he spreads his hand open and shifts it even closer. Enough for him to stretch his pinky finger and softly brush it against hers. 

Aurora holds her breath, and drifts her eyes over his face. 

"I think about this a lot, y'know?" he says, changing his tone into a lower and softer one. "About you."

Oh God. 

"And these past years weren't the same without you, either," he adds, never pausing the touching path of his finger. "So yeah… I'm really happy we bumped into each other today. I'm happy that we're here now."

Her heartbeat echoes from her chest to her head, and then vibrates to all over her body. Making it impossible for her to find something — anything — inside her brain to say back to him. 

So she shuffles a little, lifting her head and taking her hand to her face just to scratch her nose and bring herself back down to earth. And then she lays on top of her arm again, dropping her other hand next to his and moving back into his eyes. 

Once she's settled, she admits, "I don't know what to say." 

He smiles and shrugs, opening and closing his hand into a fist. "It's ok… Will you let me know if I ever cross a line with you, tho? Or if I make you uncomfortable?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that."

His fingers seem to twitch next to her hand, as if he can't keep them still, and yet he keeps forcing himself to.

"I do, tho," he says, and the way he smiles doesn't reach his eyes anymore. "Will you let me know?"

"Of course."

"Promise?"

"Promise." 

"Ok."

Aurora furrows her brows. She doesn't like that. She doesn't want him to be afraid of making her uncomfortable, because she doesn't want him holding himself back. So whatever made him suddenly doubt himself, she wants to change it. She wants to take it back. 

And yet, she doesn't know how to, because she doesn't know what it was. And she doesn't really know how to ask him. Or how to bring it up. 

To be fair, she doesn't even want to talk about it. She's done talking. What she wants and needs right now, it's different. 

It's inevitable, then, to fully glance at him. At the few droplets still covering his tanned and inked skin. His body hair. His necklaces hanging from his chest into the mat. His defined muscles, and also the rolls on his tummy resulting from the position he's in. His still wet swimming shorts. His thighs. His knees, still touching hers. His feet, still tangled with hers. 

He feels like a magnet, pulling her in even though she doesn't intend to move. Even if she knows she shouldn't move. It's like he ignites something inside her. Similarly to when he bought her that caramel coffee and memories from the past crashed against her. Making her stumble, and lose her feet, and fall apart in front of him.

However, this time she doesn't feel like breaking down. She doesn't feel like she's about to cry or embarrass herself. Because the emotions he's bringing out on her aren't bad, nor something to be ashamed of. He's taking her back to a time when, given the exact same circumstance, she wouldn't have thought twice before making a move on him. 

That's probably why she ends up moving her hand to his chest and drawing his collarbone with her fingertips. Or why she picks the tag from his chest and fidgets with it, waiting for something else to happen. Waiting for him to do something next. Waiting for a sign. Something. Anything.

"It's getting dark," Harry murmurs, then clears his throat. "Wanna go back inside?" 

Fuck no. If after everything that happened during the day she just goes back inside with even more questions and less answers than before, she's pretty sure she's going to combust. She'd rather know she's been wrong and misinterpreting things all along, then to go to bed wondering about it.

"Do we have to go?"

"Only if you want to." 

"I don't."

Harry curls one side of his mouth up, offering her half a smile, and nods. 

"Ok then."

She fidgets with the tag between her fingertips, conscious of how darkness is quickly engulfing them. And that they're still laying on a floating mat, by the yacht, in the middle of Italian seawater. 

That being said, it only takes another second for tiny white lights to turn on right above them and all around the yacht. Brightening up not only their faces, but also all the water surrounding them. 

Aurora narrows her eyes and blinks, then glances up at the empty swim platform. "How long do you think it'll take for them to come looking for us?" 

"They won't." 

She furrows her brows, then purses her lips to hold back a smile and looks at him. "You sound really sure of yourself."

He smiles wider, then. "'Cause I am. Unless something bad happens up there or we have to anchor somewhere else, they won't come here." 

"Hm. And how do you know that?" 

"'Cause I do." 

"Harry." She rolls her eyes and chuckles. Desperate for him to give her something — anything — that will give her the confirmation she needs to move forward. "C'mon." 

He chuckles softly, too, then shrugs. "Because they don't want to interrupt, that's all."

"Interrupt what?" 

"Us." 

"Us?" 

"Mhm."

Aurora's heart comes back to life, then. 

She holds her breath, and drags her eyes down to his lips, then to his chin. And then back to his eyes. 

She shuffles closer, but it's so discreet and barely that she isn't even sure he'll notice. And she wants him to notice. So she moves her foot up and down. Stroking his ankle, and his shin. Up and down. Again. And again. 

Harry closes his eyes and breathes out heavily, and the hot air that comes through his nose hits her face warmly and impatiently. 

"What's there to interrupt, tho?" Aurora murmurs, letting go of his necklace and dropping her hand next to his. 

He blinks, staring back at her before he murmurs back, "I don't know."

Aurora mimics his previous move, stretching her pinky and brushing it against his. 

Harry responds by lifting his own finger and hooking it around hers. Holding her tightly and stopping her movements. 

"Whatever you want," he adds.

"What about what you want?" 

Harry smirks. Or smiles. Or maybe it's just a mix between both. "What about it?"

"I don't know."

Harry chuckles. 

Fuck that's getting so confusing. 

"Do you know what I want?" he asks.

Aurora shakes her head, then brushes her foot up and down again.

"Do you know what you want?" he tries again, albeit differently. 

And this time, Aurora nods. 

"And what's that?"

"That you stop confusing me and leading me on."

Harry widens his eyes, then blinks once. And twice.

"And… I also want you to finally make a move," she adds. "Like, an actual move. Something. Anything. I don't know." 

There's a beat of silence.

And another one.

And another one.

And then, Harry cackles. 

He just turns around and bursts out laughing. Loudly and openly. Laying on his back and covering his face with both hands while laughter and more laughter breaks out from his chest. 

Aurora frowns, and suddenly there are just so many things happening inside her. And they are all just happening at the same time. And it's just so much and so intense, that she isn't even sure what she's feeling anymore. What she knows, though, it's that she doesn't like that. And that it isn't fun or amusing anymore. 

"Okay," Aurora says, sitting and then kneeling on the mat. Trying to balance herself while clenching her teeth. "Forget what I said." 

She shuffles and turns around carefully, feeling the water under the mat but also desperate to see the yacht. Desperate to get out of there. 

Harry is still laughing, beaming, when he pulls his hands from his face and looks at her. 

"Oh for fucks sake just c'mere," he says, grabbing her arm and yanking her on top of him. 

Aurora yelps, but doesn't fight him. And as she falls down, Harry takes his free hand to her face and cradles her cheek, then hunches forward and smashes their mouths together. Aurora whines from pure shock, feeling herself flopping into his chest until Harry spins them around and he's halfway on top of her.

He pulls away, then, slotting one leg between hers while holding his upper body on one arm. 

"You're so impatient," he murmurs, looking into her eyes while he brings his free hand back to cradle her face. "Couldn't even give me a minute to react."

She frowns, aware of how her arms are squeezed in between their chests and closing her hands into fist just so she won't touch him. "Your reaction was to laugh at what I said, so yeah. I'm sorry if I didn't enjoy that."

"Wasn't laughing at what you said," he says, brushing his thumb up and down her cheek. "'M sorry. I just laugh when I'm happy, that's all."

Aurora sighs, unable to stay mad or annoyed at him, then rolls her eyes and shifts on her back, pulling her arms up and freeing them out from their chests.

"That was a shitty first kiss," she murmurs, hugging his neck and pulling him closer. 

Harry snorts, then eases more of his weight into her. His bare body finally crushing her covered breasts. 

"I know." Smiling, he brushes the tip of his nose up and down her other cheek, where his hand isn't already touching her. "Was afraid you'd change your mind and leave."

She takes one hand to the back of his head, twisting and twirling his curls while trying to stare at him despite them being so close to each other. "Well… Didn't leave. And didn't change my mind, so…" 

He kisses her cheek, then a little bit to the side, closer to her nose. "So… Still want me to make a move?"

She nods and lifts her leg, hooking it around his thigh and moving her foot up and down. "This time do it properly, though." 

Harry smirks, kissing a little bit further down, and again near the corner of her mouth. 

"'Mkay," he murmurs, and moves to the other corner of her mouth, slightly brushing their lips on his way there. "I'll try my best." 

He slides his hand down, from her cheek to her jaw, then brushes his thumb from side to side at the same time he presses another kiss to her skin. Aurora sighs and closes her eyes, making her hands comfortable in between his curls while she waits for him to finally fully kiss her mouth. Except when he does, he does it softly and barely. A feather-touch that has her puckering her lips and waiting for more. 

"God you're so pretty," he whispers, almost like a secret, then pecks her lips again with the same lightness. Caressing her mouth way more than kissing it. "Can't believe this is happening." 

He slides his hand down from her face to her shoulder, then through her side. Squeezing her waist while pressing another feathery kiss, and another one. Making her body tingle and shiver. Just like the Italian summer breeze did to her earlier that day. 

"Do you have any idea how long I waited for this?" he asks, keeping his mouth close enough that their lips brush against hers as he speaks. Pressing their mouths together just for a gentle second, then pulling away and leaving her longing for more. "How many times I thought about it?" 

Aurora is kind of dizzy, kind of woozy, but his revelation feels too important to ignore. So she opens her eyes, and slides her hands from the back of his head to his cheeks. Guiding him to look at her. Demanding his full attention. "What?"

Harry blinks, the green of his eyes burying into her soul even in the darkness.  

"I just…" He squeezes her side, a little bit tighter this time. As if his words were coming out of his fingertips, instead of his mouth. "Fuck I can't believe 'm about to do this."

He squeezes her again and leans in, then finally fully kisses her. Capturing her lips and not waiting any other second before sneaking his tongue into her mouth. Dragging his hand down to her thigh, then back to her hips, then around her back. Going from gentle to desperate in a blink of an eye. As if he suddenly opened the gates to a lot of piled up needs. 

Yes. Fucking finally. 

Aurora shuts her eyes closed and whines, or maybe it's just a moan. She doesn't know. It just melts out of her throat while she goes numb and dizzy into the kiss. Instinctively throwing her arms back around his neck and tasting his tongue with her own and then pulling him closer, and closer, and closer. Every inch of him. From his head, to his chest, to his leg locked inside her own.

She never knew she would be so relieved to kiss him. Or that her body would just restore to life as soon as she tasted her lips. Or that everything inside her would just buzz and itch for him. 

And they're both just so, so desperate. Squeezing here, pulling there. Tilting heads to one side, and to the other. Licking tongues. Sucking lips. Sighing into each other's mouths. Trying to grab more, and more, and more.

Always more. 

"Fucking hell," he mumbles, then tilts his head to the other side and leans in for another wet, sloppy, and delicious kiss. 

Aurora moans, sweetly and weakly. Almost like she's about to beg for him. And then she drags her hands up through the back of his head and threads her fingers around his curls, holding tightly onto him while Harry kisses the hell out of her. While he drifts his short nails from her back to her ass, then stops where the swimsuit doesn't cover her skin and strokes her up and down. While he squeezes her. And then while he sneaks his hand under the fabric and fills his hand with her cheek, then squeezes her again. Harshly — so harshly and so wildly that his own fingers burn in pain. 

Aurora gasps and jolts closer, and Harry deepens even more to kiss her even more. And more. And more. 

Always so much fucking more. And it's just so, so good.

Harry moves from her ass to her thigh, then grips her flesh tightly before encouraging her to properly hook her leg around him. And she does it. Happily. Eagerly. Pressing her heel on his back and pushing him closer at the same time she tugs his curls and sighs into the kiss. 

He lays on top of her, settling between her legs while holding his weight on one elbow and gripping the back of her thigh. Digging his fingertips into her as he breaks the kiss and pulls away, opening his eyes to look at her. 

He presses himself between her legs, then, and Aurora loses what's left of her mind. Because although he isn't fully hard yet, it's clear he's getting there. Firm and heavy between her legs. Pressing into her. Forcing into her. 

"Oh my God," Aurora breathes out, widening her eyes as she opens them and stares at him. 

Harry pants. 

Aurora pants.

And they both just look at each other. They look, and they look. Meanwhile trying to catch up with their breaths. Meanwhile trying to slow down. Meanwhile trying to control themselves. 

And then Harry moves up and down, and she gasps. Then he rolls again, and again, and again. 

She squeezes her eyes shut while arching her back and hooking both legs around his waist. And she's painfully conscious of how wet and thirsty her body is between her legs. 

"Holy fuck," Harry murmurs, then places both elbows on each side of her face. "Auri?"

"Hm?"

Fuck he feels so fucking good.

"You need… You need to stop me." 

She shakes her head and opens her eyes, then brings her hands to cradle his cheeks. "No. Why?" 

He kisses her, and he kisses her. And he kisses her. And he fucking kisses her. So, so well.

"Because I'm about to get to a point where I won't be able to stop anymore." 

"Then don't."

Harry chuckles, and she feels his pain in his voice, and also his reluctance when he closes his eyes and has to force himself to stop rolling up and down against her desperate center. 

"Not here," he breathes out, squeezing his eyes shut so tightly that it makes her uncomfortable for him. "Not like this."

She hates it, but she knows he's right. So she licks her lips, and brushes her thumbs up and down his cheeks, then unhooks her legs from around his waist. "We'll stop, then."

"It's not that I don't want to," he murmurs, dropping his weight on top of her and pressing their foreheads together.

"I know. I can feel that."

Harry chuckles, then kisses her cheek, and the corner of her mouth. And then, as desperately and urgently as he started, he finds a way to subtly and delicately kiss her again. Slowing them down. Tasting her mouth with more affection, with more time, with more intention. Actually savoring her lips, and actually caressing her skin. Dropping his hand back down to her ass and covering her properly again, then sliding it all up through her side.

Aurora finds herself happily following his new pace. Threading her fingers through his curls and stroking his scalp, then giving little nibbles to his lips, and cute, sweet licks to his tongue.

He hums, and cools off. Losing his strength and dropping his weight to the side. More and more. Until he's fully turning on his back, and pulling her along with him. 

And Aurora moves, turning and holding herself on one elbow while she keeps her other hand on his face. Holding, brushing, caring for him. And when she pulls away, the loud mwah of their lips breaking apart seems to reverberate through both of them, and also through the ocean. 

They both blink, and whilst Aurora rests her hand on his bare chest, Harry takes his own to her face, pulling her hair behind her ear before brushing his thumb up and down her cheek. 

"Hi," he whispers, tilting his head slightly to the side just to stare straight into her eyes.

"Hi," she whispers back, finding the string of his necklace and grabbing it between her fingertips.

The bright lights from the yacht reflect on the beautiful green of his eyes. Besides that, though, everything about Harry looks like a complete mess. 

But a hot mess, still. Because he looks like a mess that was made by her. He looks like she kissed him so hard that she left his lips swollen. Like she tugged his hair so harshly that she left him completely disheveled. And like she grabbed him so tightly that she left tiny spots all over his cheeks. 

Does she look like that, too?

Like he just kissed the soul out of her? 

And then brought her back to life?

"How was that for a move, huh?" 

Aurora rolls her eyes, but then drops her forehead to his shoulder and laughs.

Harry smiles, sliding his hand to the back of her head and kissing her temple. Once, and twice. "Is it ok that I'm already thinking about doing this again?"

She takes a moment, but ends up holding herself up and looking at him. "Is it okay that I wish we didn't have to stop and go back to our friends right now?"

He slides his hand back to her face, then brushes his thumb up and down her cheek. "Thank God 's not just me."

He leans in, then, pecking her lips just once. Softly and shortly. Puffy lips sweetly puckering against hers and leaving her craving for more. 

Aurora smiles, and fidgets with the string between her fingers. 

Even the mat underneath them seems to wake up, because it's suddenly waving their bodies again. 

(Although Aurora it's pretty sure it never stopped moving, she just stopped paying attention to it.)

"Can we go somewhere more comfortable next time, tho?" she asks, and Harry laughs. 

"Yeah… We can go wherever you want, Auri. Whenever you want. I don't care, as long as I get to be there, too. As long as I get to be there with you."

Hi! If you've made it here, thank you for reading. You have absolutely no idea how much it means to me.

PART 5

[purplekiwis]

Summary: It's no secret that as a figure skater, you're fed up with the local hockey team being treated like royalty... and your ex's status as a player isn't helping much either.

Genre: Exes to Lovers (Enemies to Lovers if you blink 😉)

Warnings: it's angsty and smutty

Wordcount: 8K

A/N: i'd like to thank @sucker4angstt for requesting this concept! it was a blast to work on and i hope you guys have as much fun reading it as i had writing it 🤍

THIS IS A 2 PART SERIES | PART 2 IS HERE ❄️

OTHER WORKS BY ME

“You wanna do black again? Didn’t we do that last time?” Niall inquired as he switched off the car’s ignition.

You had just shown him a dress you had found the night before in hopes he would like it, but as you had already been expecting, he claimed black was boring and wouldn't stand out among the competition. “Well, yes but this one’s a different style from the last one. It would go well with our song.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try something new sometimes, you know? Like white or blue… perhaps even red?” He suggested as he removed both your skating bags from the trunk and placed them down by his feet.

You hid a sigh while you took your bag from him. It never got easier to admit that you had to consider the price before picking the costume. For whatever reason, there was always a hint of embarrassment associated to that admission. Needless to say you would also prefer to wear a bright colored outfit with lots of glitter and transparencies, but those were simply out of reach for your budget.

“We did red once already, that time we did Moulin Rouge.” You reminded him as you walked side by side, each of you steering your own carryon.

“Hm, that’s true. I’d forgotten about that.”

You hadn’t been lucky enough to land a parking spot right at the front of the sports centre that morning, which sucked big time given how chilly it was outside. Getting up early for practice was never fun, but during the winter months it got almost unbearable. Especially when the sky was all hazy and mostly black by the time you woke up.

“How would you feel about like, a nude?” You proposed, despite the fact that you weren't really fond of the color.

“From you?” Niall sniggered. “Thanks but I think I’ll have to pass.”

“Come on, can't you be serious for like 2 seconds? This is important.” You huffed, pretending like you hadn’t found his little joke amusing. “Also, um... I know this is probably like super annoying for you but my budget’s kinda tight right now, so if you’d be willing to repeat one of our previous outfits, that would be awesome.”

Niall laughed a bit. “Stop with that nonsense, will you? It's not annoying and of course I don't mind. Sides, it's not like it'll even matter what we wear. We'll do so well that the judges won't even think to pay attention to our outfits.” He then turned to you and stated, “...That being said, I still don't want to wear black again.”

“Aff, fine.” You grumbled. “Which one do you want to wear then?”

“Hm.. I dunno, actually.” He took a moment to reflect. “How about we just start naming them until we find one we both agree on?”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.”

“Ready?” He asked, you nodded. “1, 2, 3…”

“Pink.”

“Turquoise.”

“Navy.”

“Green”

“Orange.” You said it in unison, but your faces immediately turned down in distaste after. “Nevermind the orange. I still don't know what we were thinking when we picked those.”

“Yeah, me neither.” You admitted through a deep breath in. “I’d be fine with the green though, as long as it's the dark one.”

“Make it the medium dark, and it’s settled.”

You reached an agreement right as you were approaching the entrance of the sports centre, where some figure skaters you had grown familiar with over the years were gathering. Surprisingly, neither unpacking nor warming up.

“Are you guys all done already?” You asked them as you dashed towards your usual warm-up area. It was spacious and had a canopy that kept you dry in case it rained. “I didn’t realize we were late...” You earned Niall's judgmental stare with your sentence. He had been rushing you all morning, but you were sure you weren't that late. As far as your calculations were concerned, you were just in time for your first warm-up.

In days like these, it was always very tempting to skimp on the off the ice warm-ups and go straight to the rink, but with the championship right around the corner, neither you nor Niall would take that risk. Because although you also competed individually, it was as a pair that you really stood out. Your journey to nationals depended on you both, and you weren't going to jeopardize all that for being too lazy to stretch.

“Don’t bother starting.” One of the skaters, Natalia, intervened when she realized what the two of you were up to. “The Emperors booked early morning.” She clarified, upon noticing your perplexed looks.

“They did what-” You gasped, all the more startled.

“They can’t do that.” Niall said after you, and the look on his face was as distressed as yours. “They already take up most of the rink’s time!”

“When their stupid coach came we tried to tell him that, but he refused to listen. He didn't even pause- just walked straight through as if we weren't here.” The new skater jumped into the conversation. You hadn't officially met her yet, but you knew her name was Mei, a.k.a the girl Niall had been crushing on for weeks.

Redness engulfed his cheeks as soon as she looked his way, but he still managed to respond, albeit stutteringly. “Yeah, I'm not too surprised… Y/N’s ex plays on the team and he always used to say the guy was a moron.” You pointed out Niall’s oversharing by flashing him a chastising look, but he was too engrossed in Mei's beauty to notice your death stare.

You cleared your throat, now feeling a touch hot in the face too, before turning to the remainder of the group, “Have you spoken to couch Jo or Paul? Aren't they supposed to come teach the kids right after we leave?”

“Yeah.” Natalia sighed. “Apparently they’ve had to rescheduled some of the skating classes but nothing much. Basically it's fine for everyone but us.”

“So what time can we come now?” The Emperors could have taken your place, but surely they had to have left a gap somewhere.

“That’s the thing.” Mei explained. “There’s no time apart from the lessons we have with our coaches. A spot is available in the afternoon, but that's just not feasible for anyone.”

“What? No! How’s that even allowed?” Your question was hardly noticed by the other skaters as they were preparing to leave. "Wait- Where are all of you off to? We can’t just leave; have to solve this.”

“What do you propose we do, then?” Mei groaned. She was clearly on edge, as was everyone else in the group. “We’ve already tried. We won't get to solve anything right now, so staying here is a waste of time.” She grabbed her skating bag off the floor. “You can still try if you want, though. Didn’t you used to mess around with one of them? Maybe he could help.”

You scoffed as you watched Mei leave with the rest of the group, “Unbelievable...” You commented with Niall, only to find him looking at you like he agreed with her. "Oh no, not you siding with her. Are you kidding me?”

“I mean, she’s got a point…” As he went on, a goofy smile spread over his face. “I can't believe she actually spoke to me. This is crazy... and she’s even hotter up close…” Rolling your eyes, you started gathering both your bags in a tacit plea to leave. “Please, Y/N... can you go talk to him? I don't wanna stop seeing her now that she's speaking to us.”

You took a long, deep breath.

You really weren't in the mood to do all that, but unfortunately your ex happened to play team captain for the hockey team... so perhaps, if you could flip the tables and get him to be on your side, there was a small possibility his opinion could give you some advantage when it came to straightening everything out.

That was what you needed to remind yourself of.

There was a deeper purpose to this than Niall's desire to speak with Mei. It was important for everyone. None of you could afford to miss practice now that the championship was about to start. The time you spent practicing with your instructors was good but having time to skate freely every morning was critical.

“Fine. I'll go, but you’re coming with me.”

You had wanted Niall to come along for the emotional support, but that idea was quickly scrapped once the centre’s receptionist, who was acting a lot more standoffish than usual, refused to let you walk past the front desk.

It occurred to you that his behavior might have something to do with how Mei and the rest of the skaters handled that morning’s dreadful news. If that was the case, his mood was about to get worse because you were planning to bring up the issue as well… until Niall stepped in, “Oh, we're not here to skate. We’re here because my friend thinks she dropped her bracelet on her way out of the rink yesterday. We just wanted to see if we can find it.”

“I have orders not to let anyone in right now. If you want, you can come by after eight to look for it.” He answered monotonously, his gaze fixed on the computer screen.

“Ah, we have school at eight; we can't come at that time I'm afraid.” Niall’s revelation elicited no response. So, after a moment of awkward stares, you continued,

“If we don't go now, someone else might find and keep it.” The man’s expression told you that he thought you were being a nuisance, but you kept playing by Niall’s script and added, “The bracelet was a gift from my mother. It has a lot of sentimental value...”

Finally, just as you were beginning to lose hope, he sighed and said, “If it's just the bracelet you're looking for I'll let you go find it, but he stays.” His head motion indicated that he was referring to Niall.

“I’m sure it would be easier if we searched together...”

The man sat back with a sigh. “Look, it’s nothing personal. I'm simply doing what I've been told by one of the coaches after he got harassed by your little squad at the door… which is not to let anyone in the rink while the boys are there. I'm already making an exception for you when I shouldn't, so it’s either this or you'll come back later.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t been informed that the hockey coaches were now in charge of the place...” He ignored your provocation, but his gaze was drawn to the agitated tapping of your nails on the counter. “You know what, it's fine. I get it. I’ll be quick, oh- and don't worry, I'll be careful not to harass the local royalty while I’m there.”

You didn’t stick around for further verbal cues, just swiped your membership card, walked past the barrier and turned toward the rink. It was only after you got there that you realized how angry you were. Knowing that the hockey team was being treated like kings and given the freedom to do whatever and however they pleased with zero regard for anyone else was one of the most infuriating things you'd ever witnessed. It wasn't exactly surprising taken they always got prioritized for being the bigger sport, but they had never taken things this far before. This situation was ridiculous, and you weren't going to tolerate it.

So although you agreed to come speak with your ex, now you were actually hoping to speak directly with the coach instead. Maybe your efforts were in vain, but you had to, at least, try to get your point across. There was only one problem - he was nowhere to be found, and you didn’t know anyone else on the team well enough to ask on his whereabouts.

Speaking of the team, the guys were dressed in practice gear, which was far more basic than their game jersey’s, but still had the same colors of red and gold. You assumed they hadn't started properly training yet, as they were still warming up with crossovers and pivots.

Among the many broad-shouldered athletes there, your eyes were immediately drawn to the player whose number you knew best: 77.

Not that you’d ever need a number to identify him.

Even with hockey armor covering his frame, you knew his body’s contours like the back of your hand. Picturing the tousled curls hidden under his helmet, the green of his eyes, and the curvature of his lips was easy. A little too easy.

“Styles,”

He turned when he heard your voice. His eyes were obscured by the visor, but you could swear you saw his brows quirk. “Y/N,” He didn't look too surprised by your presence. In fact, he looked more amused at you yelling his name than at you being there.

After a few seconds of skating by he came closer, and as he stopped next to the board, his skates scratched the ice a little too harshly for someone who wasn't aiming to make a spectacle of himself. You weren't wowed by his effort. You could execute that same slide better and with greater polish if you wanted to.

“Where’s your coach? I’d like to have a word…”

He signaled the rooms on the top level with his head. “Up there in a meeting. Why, what do you want from him?”

“Not that it's any of your business but it looks like there’s an issue with the rink’s scheduling.”

You saw the grin he was trying to hide. “Oh, what’s that?”

“The skaters had it for 6am, as usual.” You attempted to highlight. “Ergo, you shouldn't be here.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Yes, we did.”

“I don't think we would be here if you had booked it, would we? If we took the spot, it was because it was available.”

“Well yeah, because we’ve never had to book it - because we had a spoken agreement and we’ve always followed through on it.” He didn't respond, nor did he appear very willing to engage in the conversation you were trying to have. “Are you listening to me?”

“I am,” His voice felt harsh and didn't quite fit the easy stance he showed as he shrugged. “I'm just not sure of what you want me to say – I’m sorry? Does that make you feel any better?”

His cynical tone didn't sit well in your stomach, but your face didn’t let that show. “Okay, look - I get it. You’re in the league and you need to practice, but that doesn’t give you the right to take early mornings from us. It's only two hours out of the entire day, couldn't you just let us keep them?”

He appeared somewhat bored by your approach, but not completely. His facial expression had an edge to it. He was irritated. “It wasn’t me who made the call. If you want to lash out at someone, try the guy at the front-desk or whatever. I can't help you.”

He was really starting to piss you off, but worse than that, there was a part of you that was getting legitimately hurt by his indifference. He used to be one of your biggest supporters, and now it was like he simply didn't care. “Even if it wasn't you who made the decision, you knew better than anybody that this would disrupt our practice and you still didn't say anything.”

“Why would I? Wasn't it you who just said it's none of my business? If you have an issue, it’s your place to handle it - not mine.”

“Harry, your stupid team already takes up most of the rink’s time! Our qualifying season starts in two weeks, we need to practice.”

“Well, I'm not sure if the news has reached your self-centered little world yet but our season has already started, and we have big games coming up. So sorry to break it to you but we're going to take all the extra rink time we can get.”

“Not unless I can’t do something about it.” Your implied threat was meaningless. You had no plan whatsoever... apart from the original one to get on Harry’s good side, which had just been blown. You'd figure something out though, anything to ensure they wouldn't get their way. “You’ll have to go through me first.”

He got closer, coming right up to your face as he leaned over the border and uttered one last, quiet “Gladly,” before skating away to rejoin his team.

The bleachers were packed by screaming fans in replica shirts. 

The big day had come. The Emperors were playing their first home game of the season and as the concentration of bodies suggested, a considerable portion of people had come out to witness it firsthand… including you and Niall.

After what the fuckers had done to you, you almost felt like a traitor for showing up to their game. However, you had purchased tickets weeks ago and since you had spent the money, you figured you might as well come and root for them to lose. That worked for a while, until they actually started losing.

As soon as the visiting team scored a goal, it became impossible to disguise who your heart was really rooting for. The Emperors were jackasses, that was beyond dispute, but they were the local team and it was hard to cheer for strangers when the other players were people you had “known” for years.

“You haven’t touched your pretzel…”

Niall's comment drew your gaze away from the game for a millisecond. “I don’t want it right now, I’m not hungry.” Your reply came out garbled due to the way your cheeks were getting smothered between your hands.

“It’s gonna go cold if you don’t eat it now...”

“You’re right. Here- you can have it.”

“You sure?” His hesitant smile expanded when he heard a fragmented “Yes” fall from your mouth. The “Thanks,” that followed was mumbled around a large bite. “Oh man, this is nothing like the hot dogs they sell here.” He chewed as he spoke, “Have you ever had one? They always put sauerkraut on them and it’s like, who even likes sauerkraut that much, you know what I mean?”

“Mhm,” you hummed again, eyes fixed on the local team captain and the player battling him for the puck. "Get off his ass, shithead." you blurted as another player floated over and pushed him against the board. It was the same player who kept harassing him throughout the first two frames of the game. There had already been insults, menacing stares, and provoking shoves exchanged. This wasn’t going to end well.

“You know you don’t have to do that anymore, don’t you?” Niall asked after a lengthy pause in conversation, what caught you off guard.

“Don’t have to do what? Eat sauerkraut?” You questioned back, a little confused.

“Get nervous for the games.” He clarified, which sort of took you by surprise. You weren't aware that your feelings were showing that clearly. “Since, you know…  you and Styles aren’t a thing anymore and all. You don’t have to get all anxious over him.”

Your focus immediately diverted from the rink as a result of Niall’s remark. “This isn’t about him, Niall. It’s about the game- I want us to win.”

“Uh huh… because of your deep love for hockey, I assume.” His face lit up with laughter. “Not any of the players in particular, just the sport itself.”

“Shut up- Oh, that son of a... oh, great! Now he's starting a fight...” You muttered inwardly once you saw Harry's gloves hit the ice first, followed by the other player's.

The initial strikes to the head sent the helmets flying. Thereafter, it was all direct blows. The two boys faced each other angrily as they dodged and struck each other with bare hands and faces. The crowd roared loudly as the violence between the two players increased. “God, I hate when they fight.” You admitted, despite it being nothing new. “Why does it always take the referees so long to split them?”

“Ah, well, you know that's how the game works. The crowd loves it.”

“No, I know that but… it’s barbaric.”

The other player’s left hand was gripping Harry's jersey as if he was going to rip it apart, while the right continued to strike jabs in his stomach. But Harry didn't cut loose; he whacked him with the same force. They both went down, and just like that there was blood on the ice. A laceration over Harry's eyebrow had resulted in what looked like a crimson mask covering his face, most likely caused by his helmet’s visor as it leapt out of his head.

As the boys hit the floor the referees finally intervened and broke up the fight.

But the two were back on the ice as if nothing had happened after spending five minutes in the penalty box. Harry’s cut was no longer bleeding, but the bloodied towel he left behind served as a solid memento.

“I swear my Nan is more flexible than you.” You teased Niall as he tried to strike the mermaid pose. He was struggling, so his tongue was sticking out.

“You can't compare your Nan's yoga to mine. She's been doing it for longer than I've been alive!” He grumbled as he attempted to move his elbow to the proper position by imitating your posture. “I’ll have you know though, that I've never had any complaints on my flexibility before. In fact, it’s what I usually get the most compliments on aside from my-”

“Shhhh.” You were shushed by the yoga instructor for speaking over the soothing music.

You had never taken a yoga class before but considering your time on the rink had been compromised, you figured it might be a good idea to give it a shot since it still allowed you to practice your balance and flexibility.

You'd gotten cocky and chosen advanced yoga, assuming it wouldn't be too difficult to keep up given your figure skating background. Big, big mistake. You were living it up at first… however, as the class progressed and poses like 'the crow' and 'the flying pigeon' began to appear, you found yourselves admiring everyone rather than trying to keep up.

As a result, you were only doing the same five poses over and over, which got boring really quick. Besides, you weren’t even mastering the intermediate ones...  as Niall was struggling with flexibility, while you were having trouble with all the arm strength exercises. That was when you started to get chatty, even though you were well aware that it wasn't appropriate.

You'd already been told to be quiet twice, so when your phone went off in the middle of class you didn't hesitate to roll up your mats and leave, figuring you had already caused enough disturbance.

“We'll never be allowed back there again...” Niall remarked on the way to the locker rooms. “Did you see how she looked at us when your phone rang? That wasn’t very Yin and Yang of her…”

“Well… to be fair, we were being incredibly rude...” You checked your phone for the notification you had received during class. “Speaking of rude, you won't believe who was texting me just now…”

“Who?” He realized who you were referring to when you made a face and pointed your head toward the rink. The yoga classes were held in the same section, the one dedicated to indoor sports. Despite being on opposite ends, you knew the hockey team was there because you had passed by and heard them. “No way... are you serious? What did he say? Does it have anything to do with the rink?”

“He didn't say... just asked if I could meet him at that cafe we used to go to after class. He says it’s urgent.”

“Do you need a ride? I can drop you off on the way back from class; it's close by.”

“No, don't worry. I end class earlier than you today, so I can take the shuttle like I used to.” You were guessing Harry had remembered you had a similar school schedule on Fridays, which is why he didn't bother telling you a time. He knew you would be there by 3pm... supposedly. “I don’t know if I’m going, though… I don’t know what he wants.”

“Yes you are.” Niall asserted, as if the idea of you not going was the most insane thing ever. “What if it’s something to do the rink?”

“What if it’s nothing to do with the rink?”

“No, come on… it has to have something to do with it.” He insisted. “I know you want to go; you're just nervous about seeing him.”

“No, the only reason why I am nervous is because he isn’t telling me what he wants. It's weird.”

Niall paused for a moment as you reached the door for the women’s locker rooms. His face let you know he was debating whether or not to tell you what was on his mind. He decided to do so. “It's obviously up to you whether you go or not, but if I were you I’d go just to see what he wants. You don't have to sit there all afternoon if you don't want to... and if things get too awkward, you can text me and I'll show up there to save you.”

“Right.” You replied even though you knew it wasn't the most appropriate answer.

You realized it would be stupid not to go knowing it could be about the rink. There was a good chance it was, which was supposed to get you excited, but in reality was doing the exact opposite. Selfishly, you wanted this to be about you and nothing else.

As petty as it sounds, you wanted to get there and hear Harry admit that he missed you, that karma had gotten him good, or something else that made you feel like your suffering had been worthwhile even if you were never getting back together. That was why you were afraid to go… because you would be disappointed if he looked as fine as he did last time.

“Does that mean you're going?” Niall asked, cutting through the pitiful thoughts racing through your mind.

You chewed on your lower lip. “I guess.”

You saw him as soon as you walked into the cafe.

He was sitting alone, but there was a girl “standing” next to his table. To refer to that as plain standing would be inaccurate. You knew what she was doing, and most of all you knew what for.

She was showcasing the best she had to offer. That was why her hips were pushed back, and her gut was pinched so firmly.

She fixed her hair over her shoulder, and you got a glimpse of her face. She was hot enough to get you to stand up straighter, but not to make you wonder if you should have spent more time getting ready before coming.

You stayed back and waited for their interaction to be over. For you, this was nothing new. You’d grown so used to watching girls fawning over him that it rarely made you jealous anymore, despite it always being slightly unpleasant to witness.

The bright side was that experience taught you when to worry… and now wasn't the time.

She appeared to be asking a question about game tickets, but you could tell by the look on Harry's face that he wasn't all that interested in chatting with her. He looked like he wanted to be left alone. He was doing that thing that he used to do when random people approached him back when you were together - he smiled politely but barely said a word.

It took the girl some time to catch on, but eventually she got the hint. He wasn’t interested, and no amount of flashing her cleavage would change his mind. She stepped away, and you took it as your cue to walk over.

“Hey.” You greeted as you got to the table, hurrying to remove your scarf and jacket before you took the chair facing Harry’s. Not that there was any other option to pick, anyway.

“Hi.” He smiled slightly, before pushing one of the coffee cups on the table towards you. “I hope you don’t mind that I went ahead and ordered you a drink...”

His gesture brought you back to memories frozen in time, but you didn't allow yourself to linger on them too long. You and Harry used to meet at this coffee shop all the time. In fact, it was once one of your favorite places in town but being here now only brought back sensations you'd rather avoid. Still, for the sake of politeness, you accepted his drink. “Oh, um… thanks. You didn't have to get me anything...”

“I know I didn’t.” He took a sip of his cup, and you impulsively mimicked his action. The coffee which used to taste like love, suddenly seemed almost too dull to drink. “You still like those, right?”

You wondered if he had noticed your grimace. “Yeah, it's what I always used to get from here. I'm surprised you remember…”

“I guess I haven't had enough time to forget most things about you yet.” A twinge of discomfort shot through your chest at his words. You suspect he caused it on purpose. “I have a sharp memory.”

“I'm not sure that'll last if you keep hitting your head like that.” Your point was lost on him, which kind of made you regret making it in the first place. “You've got a bruise… on your...”

“Oh, that.” He tried to mask it with a quick ruffle of his hair, but you could still see it. “That's nothing, forget about it.”

“I wouldn't exactly call it nothing, when-”

“I didn’t ask you to come here to talk about that.” He intervened before you finished. “There’s something I need from you.” He admitted, crossing his arms over the table.

“'All right then, what is it?”

“That jersey I gave you, do you still have it?”

“Why are you asking?”

“I need it back.” His request caught you completely off guard. Your mouth opened and tried to speak, but nothing came out. “Mine got ripped and the spare I gave you is the only one I have left.”

When you finally spoke, it was quickly and angrily. “I'm not giving it back.” You said, and Harry let out a groan. “You never mentioned I was only allowed to keep it until you needed it back. It looked like a gift to me.”

Another sigh followed, this time deeper and more frustrated. “That’s because it was a gift… but now I need it, and I'm pretty sure you're not wearing it, so what difference does it make?”

You crossed your arms and shook your head. “You can't ask for gifts back, that's nasty.”

Why, of all things, did he have to ask you to give back his jersey? It was the most special gift he had ever given you. And now just because he never got to see you wear it, it automatically meant you didn't care for it?

That was simply not true!

Behind closed doors, his jersey was still a favorite.

Frankly, the only reason why you stopped wearing it during games was because you thought it would be demeaning not to. It would have been weird for everyone, plus you didn't think Harry would appreciate you walking around with his number on your back when you weren't together anymore.

Not that people thinking he had a girlfriend would have been enough to keep any hookups from happening if he wanted them to. When it came to Harry, it seemed nothing was ever enough to discourage girls from trying their luck. It wasn't just because he played on the hockey team. That was a bonus, but it was insignificant compared to the rest. His looks, his character, his sense of humor… from the surface, Harry looked like a catch, and finding that he was everything but, hurt. You still loved him, so it hurt. You hated how it all still hurt.

“I'm not asking for any of the other stuff back. I'm asking for my jersey because I desperately need it; else, I wouldn't be asking.” He explained as you sat there, feeling your chest squeeze as you half-listened to his reasoning. “Please Y/N, this is sort of critical for me.”

His slightly pouted lips suggested that he had also not forgotten how to sneak his way inside your heart. It wasn't a difficult task, but it was aggravating how well it still worked.

The worst part is that he didn't even do it on purpose; it was just the way his face looked whenever he wanted something and was told no. It was the same face that managed to get your panties to come off that one time right before a game, despite your fear of getting caught.

“Fine. I'll give your stupid jersey back,” When he smiled in relief, you halted your words, but only for a moment. “Under one condition.” His nostrils flared as he took a long breath, gearing himself up for what you were about to say next. “You'll have to convince your coach to give us our ice time back, otherwise you can forget it.”

“Y/N, can we not do this right now, please? I already told you that I had nothing to do with that shit.”

Harry’s reaction left you feeling oddly disappointed. Not angry, but close to it. That was when you realized you had made the same mistake again. You had been expecting him to be concerned, or at least to act as if he cared. It wasn't his job to care. It wasn't his job to make sure you were happy.

Nonetheless, Harry could still be the key to getting what you wanted.

It didn't feel good to have to coax him into backing you, but it was your duty to do so for Niall and the rest of the skaters. The hockey team had crossed a line, and if this was the only way to stop them, so be it.

He might not be thrilled to help you, but he had the means to do so. If he wanted to get a favor, he would have to do one for you as well. In the end, it was only fair.

“I believe you, but you're the team captain, and I know he'll listen to you.” You took another sip of the coffee you had almost forgotten was there. “I'm only taking a favor for a favor… sounds pretty reasonable to me.”

“Okay, fine, whatever. I’ll see what I can do.”

You cocked a brow at his reaction. “That's not enough. If I can't see any improvements, the deal is off.”

Harry stretched in his chair, crossing his arms behind his neck while he mused. “That's called extortion, you know? It’s a felony.”

Your lips curled as you snorted at his remark. “It's not my fault you got in a fight and need a new jersey; I'm simply taking advantage of the circumstances. Besides, you aren't so innocent yourself... or did you think I couldn’t tell you were trying to butter me up earlier by getting me my favorite drink?”

Harry’s eyes widened with what looked to be confusion and amusement... and perhaps even a little happiness. “You were at the game?”

Your face got warm. “Oh, uh… yeah. I went with Niall. He likes watching sports, so...”

“Ha, I see...” His face turned expressionless. “You're wrong about your drink, by the way... I wasn’t trying to butter you up, I just thought it'd be a nice gesture.”

“Yeah, I guess...” You smiled a bit, before deciding to congratulate him on his team's victory. “You played well yesterday. Everyone went crazy when you scored that goal at the end.” The moment you finished talking, you noticed Harry was slouching in his chair, just staring at you. It was almost trance-like, the way his eyes weren’t able to stop smiling. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” He asked, but then in a sudden move, he got up, picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “I have to get going. I've got homework.”

You didn't really buy his excuse, but you also didn’t question it since you knew he wouldn't tell you whatever it was that was on his mind. “Yeah, okay.” You said instead, despite your enquiring face. “I guess I’ll see you...”

“Tuesday.” He completed. “I'm not sure what time yet, but I'll let you know.”

He was gone in an instant, leaving you alone with nothing but two unfinished cups of sad, tasteless coffee to keep you company.

Tuesday came by quickly.

Amidst the week's rush of lectures at university, runs and yoga classes with Niall, as well as preparations for the championship, you barely registered the days passing by.

As far as your agreement with Harry goes, you knew he had kept true to his word since there were no hulking hockey players in sight that day when you got to the rink.

Given that you had agreed on Tuesday, you didn't bother getting up early the mornings before to check on the rink's availability... and considering that you had the schedule for it over the weekend, you ended up booking that open spot in the afternoon right after lunch for free skating, even though it wasn't the most ideal.

The return to the ice on Tuesday morning, however, was a welcome relief.

The weather was peaceful… the ice was fresh, and you and Niall were able to make progress on a tricky jump that had been giving you the willies as of lately. It wasn’t perfect yet, but at least by the end of the morning you no longer felt like you were putting Niall through the danger of getting a neck fracture every time you leapt onto his shoulders.

Later that day, you met with your choreographer and he too noticed a positive shift in your performance. Having barely been on the ice over the week other than with your instructors, the shift was somewhat surprising... but it also made sense to an extent, since the break had allowed you to focus on other forms of training that you normally considered supplementary – like practicing balance and endurance.

After your choreography lesson, Niall invited you to go to the mall with him.

He wanted to check out a new tech store that had opened there, and since you had nothing better to do than finish the schoolwork you were procrastinating on, you accepted his invitation.

It was a fun afternoon, though you ended up spending much longer than you’d originally planned just browsing around. You barely noticed the hours passing, which was mostly Niall's fault because he had this extraordinary ability to beguile people with conversation topics that were seemingly random but made for weirdly interesting discussions.

His conversation starters almost always initiated with “Have you ever thought about...” and then something crazy would follow. It was impossible to stop the tangents after that, especially if he happened to touch on a subject that you considered to be interesting too. When that was the case, the two of you would just go on and on like a never-ending pit.

This happened several times that noon.

So, despite having been anxious as hell for the better part of the day knowing you’d be meeting up with Harry later, the whole thing had almost slipped your mind by the time he texted you asking if you'd at the centre soon.

“Shit.” You muttered while replying to his message saying you were on your way. “Can you drive me to the sports centre? I need to get something to Harry and I'm too late to walk there.”

“Yeah, sure.” Niall said as you began making your way to the escalator that took you to the underground parking lot. It had become less crowded since you arrived, so finding the car wasn't too difficult. “So what’s going, you’ve been talking with him again?”

“Nothing is going on. I told you about him asking for his jersey back. I'm surprised you forgot…”

“Ah! True, true.” He responded as he climbed into the driver's seat. “I just wanted to ask if there was anything else besides that. I know you aren't fully over him yet, which is understandable, but...” He paused, then let out a sigh. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I don't want my friend to end up in the same position again if you get what I mean.”

“Yeah, I get what you mean.” You leaned back in your seat and stared out the window. “But don't worry, that's not going to happen. It's pretty obvious he doesn't like me, but even if he did…well, as the saying puts it… once bitten, twice shy.”

You talked about something lighter the rest of the way there. Niall wasn’t the type to bring up uncomfortable topics or force you to talk when you didn't feel like it. He usually just listened when you shared, which was good. He still gave his advice if you asked for it, but when it came to your situation with Harry, that wasn't what you needed, and he was aware of that.

What you needed was a friend that respected your decisions, but still cared about your well-being at the same time. A friend who understood you'd want to go meet your ex on your own but still offered to wait and give you a ride home afterward, so you didn’t have to walk alone at night.

The next day, the hockey team was playing outside of town, so there was a big, tall bus parked at the back of the sports centre.. and a shadowy man standing right next to it. The sky had already darkened so it was hard to see, especially on the side he was on, which wasn't getting bathed by the centre’s lights like the opposite one was.

Logically, you knew it must be Harry, but you didn't want to get too close without being sure. It could be the bus driver, or someone who happened to be there for something else. So instead of walking over, you stood at a reasonable distance and cast a wide-eyed glance in all directions, before lowering your gaze to your phone screen to text Harry letting him know you were outside.

But before you could send him anything, you were startled by his voice. “You can come over here, I don’t bite.”

You hoped the nighttime blindness worked both ways because you had jumped a little with the scare, which had to have looked a little stupid. “Oh, it is you! I couldn't tell from back there… it’s er…dark.”

If he saw you jump, he didn’t acknowledge it, instead he asked, “Did you walk all the way here by yourself?”

He seemed concerned that you had, which gave you a warm feeling in your belly. You didn't know what to make of it. “Oh, no. I was at the mall with Niall when you called so, he drove me. He’s parked at the front.”

“Hm.” Harry grunted dryly, which sparked a little awkward pause until he finally asked the dreaded question, “Do you have the jersey?”

“Oh yeah- one second... it's in my bag.” You smiled stiffly before you started rummaging around for it. “I’m not the best at doing laundry so the color might have gotten bit worn off from the washer, I hope that’s not an issue.”

“That’s fine.” He tossed the jersey over his shoulder, disregarding how neatly you'd folded it. “Thanks.”

“Okay, um… you must be pressed for time, so…”

“Not necessarily.” You found the coldness in his voice upsetting, and you couldn't figure out why he was stalling you when he obviously wasn't delighted to see you. “So how’s the situation with the rink, did it all work out?”

“It did.” It was a brief response, but you didn't feel like standing there chit-chatting just for the sake of it. “Thanks, for helping and… I guess for asking too.”

“Don’t thank me.” He said it brusquely, which irritated you even more. “Okay, um… I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Yeah, that.” You curled your lips in a weak smile, and Harry did the same before setting out to go back inside the building. Sadly, upon watching him leave, you couldn't resist calling his name to see his face again. “Hey, Harry-” His head jerked back at the sound. “Have a good game tomorrow. I hope you win!”

He looked like he was about to look away, but he didn’t. Instead, he returned your gaze, as though he was contemplating something. There was a strange glint in his eyes, and it lingered there as he began walking back towards you. And then, wordlessly, swiftly and without a warning, his hands reached for your face… and his lips reached for a kiss.

You squeaked in surprise at the feeling, but that was all there was to it. After Harry’s lips' familiar texture took over, there wasn't much room left for surprises. His body steered yours backwards against the side of the bus, sheltering you from any curious eyes peering through the windows above. “Harry, what-”

“Stop talking,” He muttered against your lips, still laying kisses in between. “I know it's messed up but if we both keep quiet, no one has to know it happened.”

Your throat was itching to respond, but his kissing made your head blurry. His mouth lowered to taste your neck, kissing every inch of skin it swept by. Then, just when you thought it couldn't be any better, his tongue slipped out and found a spot that had you gasping quietly.

The touch of his body was setting yours on fire, reviving it in a way it hadn't been in ages. Your kisses grew hotter and heavier, and before either of you could pause and wonder if this was right, Harry was already fumbling with the button of your jeans - and you were letting him.

“Do you still think of my hands?” You could feel the warmth of his words on your skin as his fingers slid in. His pace was slow, almost too slow, as if he was enjoying listening to the eagerness of your heartbeats. “I think of yours most times; whenever I play with myself, it’s always you… your hands... your mouth... your pussy…”

You both moaned as Harry reached the hot spot hidden beneath your panties. He rubbed a bit around it, in slow and steady circles. “I’ve always loved how fast it reacts to my touch… it gets so wet and creamy, and your clit… fuck, ‘s all puffy and twitchy…” His fingers pressed harder on it, stroking more firmly.

And shit, you were getting there already. So, so close that your entire body was twitching uncontrollably against his. “Please… d-don’t stop.”

“Already? Fuck baby… you haven't been giving it the proper attention lately, have you?” You shook your head in response to his question. It was almost embarrassing how quickly you had gotten to that point, but Harry was right; you hadn't had an orgasm in a while… and of course, he could tell. “I'm not gonna lie, I already suspected that she wasn't being well taken care of, but shit... that's just disgraceful, isn't it?”

You could hardly gather the strength to answer him. The only sound you could muster were a few high-pitched "mhmms" that were muffled against his neck. You groaned when he pushed his fingers in and pierced through your hymen a little too briskly. “Still?”

You felt a little offended by how surprised he sounded but acknowledged his question with a nod. “It’s okay, just breathe…” He whispered softly into your jaw as his motions became gentler.

This wasn’t the first time Harry had used his fingers on you, but usually it was more the outside bits that he focused on. He loved giving oral, so you did a lot of that… the fingering thing only came later once you started having conversations about him taking your virginity. If it were up to you, you’d no longer have it, but Harry had wanted to take things slow. He knew your mind was prepared, but he had wanted to make sure your body was too… just so the experience was painless and pleasurable for both, and not just for him.

The stretching burn you were feeling eased after a while. It still stinged a little, but it wasn’t a bad type of feeling. Slowly but surely, it was transforming into a different type of heat, the kind that spread through your abdomen and got you to spasm around Harry’s fingertips.

He was going to make you cum if he kept on doing what he was doing…

Which he didn't.

He stopped right before you got there.

You stared up at him in confusion, right before you started glancing around to make sure no one was walking out of one of the buildings or approaching the bus. “What- what happened? Why did you stop?”

“Stop with what, hm?” That feeling of disorientation pervaded your mind for a moment, but reality set in once he started re-tucking your jeans back into place with a self-satisfied smile on his lips.

This was it.

He was done.

“That was a cute little warm up, wasn't it?” He shamelessly asked as he zipped up your fly. “It's a shame it had to end so abruptly… you seemed to be enjoying yourself... but don't get me wrong, this has been good fun for me too.”

With nothing to say or do, you just stood there astounded. You were torn between sobbing out of frustration, seeking an explanation, and simply leaving without uttering another word. It wasn't like whatever decision you made mattered anyway since none of those options would accomplish you anything.

The mess had already been made.

You shouldn't have allowed this to happen, and shouldn't have enjoyed it, but you did. It would have been much smarter to put a stop to things right the moment Harry kissed you but, despite the circumstances, you couldn't bring yourself to do it… and now, after everything he'd already done, he was ridiculing you.

When you looked at him again, you noticed that all of the traces of humor that had been gracing his features had dissipated. His gaze felt like steel, harsh and bitterly cold. “You should go. Niall's waiting for you, remember?”

His chest got shoved back by your clasped fists. “You’re an asshole!”

He tried to grab your wrists, but you shoved his chest again. It was enough to make him back down, although he still managed to get a hold of your arm. He used that to keep you from leaving. “I may be.” He spoke right in your ear. “Now you know what it feels like to be left stranded. I hope you fucking liked it as much as I fucking did.”  

PART 2

[alwaysxlarrie]

10 fav quotes from fics part 5 :)

happy happy mondayyyyy

“Those reindeer were fucking, Liam,” Harry says, as serious as he can be. “Fucking. F-U-C-K-I-N-G.” — @kingsofeverything

Someday, Louis would like to sit down with Harry and discuss his penchant for public nudity. — @stylinsoncity

“I’m glad you hit on me in a bar and didn’t remember who I was,” Harry says when they pull apart.

“I am being spontaneous! I just wrote down something that wasn’t planned before!” —@allwaswell16

“Lazy fucking sod of a slumlord,” Louis comments, shaking his head in disapproval at the mention of their mutually disliked landlord.  — @beyondxmeasure

Harry is almost positive Niall was put on this planet to ensure that Harry lives a well and thoroughly embarrassed life for the entirety of his existence. Because not only is Niall painfully aware of Harry’s little crush, but he had also gone out and made it his personal mission to become best mates with Harry’s little crush as soon as Harry had told him last year about the “really fit lad on the footy team” that he had seen while covering the match for one of his other articles. — @maggieisalarrie

Anytime Harry had managed to pay any mind to the football games, Louis had always been wearing a helmet. Consequentially, when first he saw the unnaturally beautiful boy before him with the toffee colored hair and sweat stained caramel skin, throwing his head back in laughter, Harry was caught so off guard he almost emptied his spit valve on the flautist sitting in front of him (which earned him a very dirty glare, but hey, he’s only human). — @lululawrence

So Louis didn’t text him back. So what? So fucking everything. — @disgruntledkittenface

Harry would never admit it, but the next time it happens, it is completely intentional. — @thebreadvansstuff

“I said I’d start a campaign, Liam. I never said it would be an honorable one.” — @fallinglikethis

[1d1195]

Half & Half

Here is my new soulmate idea. (New meaning different than my other ones I wrote back in the day.) A tattoo appears on the left ring finger of each person when they turn 16 years old. It’s a black outline, nothing crazy—obviously, it’s on the ring finger. It has to do with how you meet your person. (You’ll see in a second.) It’s vague, there’s not much rhyme or reason.

Q&A (because I feel like there are always questions when it come to soulmate ideas):

Q: Sam, won’t multiple people have the same tattoo? A: Great question. Potentially. It’s irrelevant though for the sake of the story.

Q: How do they know it’s their other half? A: Another good question. The pair of tattoos change to the same color.

Q: Well, Sam, hypothetically, if four people are in the same room and meet their respective half can’t they all have the same color change? How will they know which person they belong with? A: It won’t happen. Q: How do you know? A: Because I wrote it that way.

Q: What happens if you don’t find your soulmate in this universe? A: Then you’ll be sad like Harry.

Q: What do you mean Harry is going to be sad?! A: Warnings: Lots of angst, sad, pining Harry, mentions of death, mentions of sex (pg-13 at most)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! (But be warned I'm making this all up on the spot!)

That’s it. That’s all you get. (there will also be like one or two liberties I'm taking with this idea that may have forgot to disclose that you'll read in a few minutes). A black tattoo that marks how you’ll meet your other half. When you meet that person, the pair of tattoos change to the same color. I don’t have a preview for you because this turned into a lengthy foreword. Enjoy :)

How can you miss someone you’ve never met? / Cause I need you now, but I don’t know you yet / But can you find me soon because I’m in my head? / Yeah, I need you now, but I don’t know you yet.

Harry looked at the little tattoo on his ring finger. He’d been staring at it since he was a teen. The morning of his sixteenth birthday to be exact. It was small, the length of his first knuckle to the next and he thought it was a cruel fate that it was a little coffee cup. How was that supposed to narrow his search? Why couldn’t it have been something like Niall’s—a snake? How often did one encounter a snake? That would be easy (and it was for Niall). Or something like Gemma’s—a diploma? There was only a certain number of graduations Gemma anticipated attending.

That was more than twelve years ago he woke up with the taunting little marking. For the first week he drank no less than four cups of coffee a day and had his mum drive him all over town to the different shops in hopes of finding her. Anne took it all in stride knowing how she spent eight hours at the library the first day she saw the book tattoo on her finger when she was Harry’s age. It was just something that needed to be done. The heart wanted, what the heart wanted.

He wished he knew what was on his love’s ring finger. It would have been better if the two markings were paired in the tattoo that appeared on his skin. It wasn’t much help to know it had something to do with their first meeting. It could be anywhere. Harry could have coffee anywhere. After that first week, he decided to relax. He was sixteen. There was plenty of time to meet his soulmate.

But sixteen became seventeen and suddenly he was twenty-eight, no soulmate, and the little coffee cup on his finger mocked him more and more every day. There was therapy or services he could try. People could potentially help, but it just felt so tragic. He wanted to just know. Wanted it to be a natural meeting; the way it was intended. Simply discovering one another exactly how the tattoos indicated they would. None of his friends or family needed help. The many Google searches told him it took a mere average of five years to find their other half.

He had more than doubled that time. Twelve years. The person that he was destined to meet was somewhere out there with who knows what etched on their skin. Maybe they had a coffee cup too. Harry had heard of that. But Niall’s soulmate had a balloon because he had taken his nephew to the little balloon cart after the snake exhibit at the zoo. Both the little outlines on their fingers turned green as they met. It happened. He found her.

Gemma’s soulmate had a camera—someone who happened by at the exact moment they needed someone to take a picture of their family after she graduated. Their outlines turned a brilliant shade of red. They had met. She found him. They could start their lives together.

Anyway, it was unlikely Harry and his other half both had coffee cups.

It wasn’t like Harry had a tragic upbringing that he desperately needed his love at the other end of this tattoo to help him cope through life. He adored his mother and sister. He had a great education. He wasn’t bullied and had a set of good friends. He had a stable job and a good home. If anything, it seemed kind of selfish of him to be so upset he was without his soulmate when everything else was good.

But he longed for his soulmate. All day. Every moment. It ached to his core. He swore his heart was beating for his person, tapping out a rhythm that sounded like a name that he wasn’t allowed to hear. His friends and family were all concerned for his well-being. They couldn’t imagine the heartache Harry was suffering and they wouldn’t wish it on their worst enemy. All-encompassing adoration and love? He had plenty of that to give. He wanted to be at the receiving end of it. A match made in heaven. Or whatever cosmic reality was out there. Harry had watched so many movies and read so many stories depicting the meet-cutes between soulmates. He wanted his.

There were therapies and people to help if you lost your soulmate. These, essentially, were dating sites if you didn’t want to be alone after an untimely passing or something else (although Harry couldn’t imagine a scenario that didn’t include death—what was the something else?). Harry thought about the websites and the grief counseling. Because as he approached his twenty-third birthday, he was getting lonely. All of his friends and acquaintances were paired by then and found the loves of their lives by the time he graduated university—they fell well within the average time. He was jealous, simply put. How could he not be?

“Oh, Harry,” Sarah cooed, kissing his cheek, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as he scrolled through options on his phone. She met Mitch when she was a child—the tattoos and color changing appearing instantaneously. It was extremely rare, but it was effortless: a swing and a slide. Light purple. Another match. One moment blending into the next without pause. They found each other before Harry even had a tattoo on his finger. “You’ll find her. You deserve love more than anyone I know.”

He hoped she was right because he was rapidly losing hope.

Tomorrow was his twenty-ninth birthday after all.

How can you miss someone you’ve never seen? / Oh, tell me are your eyes brown, blue, or green? / And do you like it with sugar and cream? / Or do you take it straight, oh, just like me?

Anne said the same thing as Sarah—but he thought she still had hope because she wanted her son to be happy and that’s what a mum did. She had hope even when Harry didn’t.

Harry had a soft heart. He was sensitive. He wanted to be in love more than he wanted anything else in his life. But he went through the motions. Finishing school, getting a job, and doing his best to get through each day without someone to share it with. He could feel pity oozing from every person he met, and they saw the black ink on his finger. His friends spoke in hushed whispers agreeing to any coffee shop Harry wanted to meet at each weekend.

Each night came with a fitful sleep. A different pair of colored eyes appeared in his dream of someone he didn’t know yet. There were so many dreams of meeting his favorite person. So many good ones. So many bad ones. All of which he woke up heartbroken once more, that he hadn’t met the love of his life.

He graduated with top honors because there weren’t many people in school who didn’t have the other half of their soul by their side. Especially by the end of the four years. It was hard for his friends to go out with him and watch him not find the love he was looking for. Harry wasn’t one for partying excessively—he had plenty of fun times in university with his friends at parties without his other half, that wasn’t something he regretted. But by the time graduation rolled around, the parties got further and few between. His friends didn’t need to go out the way he did. They didn’t have to search anymore.

Harry lost the most hope during his third year. He tried dating people he met at coffee shops and cafes. Dating was a loose term. Harry’s dates with those that lost someone or those that, like him, had given up weren’t all that fruitful for either party. Call him old-fashioned, but if she was out there, he wanted to save every intimate part of himself. A sweep of the lips across a cheek, that was all he could muster. Companionship to stave off the loneliness, that was all he could manage at best. Some were blatant in showing their disappointment. But most usually understood—they’d do anything to get their other half back or to find them.

He prayed to whatever was out there that she felt the same way.

The only solace he had was knowing that maybe, just maybe, she was out there, feeling just as crummy as he was. Not that he wanted the love of his life to feel crummy. At the very least, it would be another thing to tie them together and something to discuss when he finally found her. He kept a list of things he wanted to know. Several lists.

The first list was filled with superficial things—favorites mostly: color, food, movie, etc. Outward things that he wanted to know but really, they were things that anyone who knew the most basic information about her may know. The next list was slightly deeper; things that people only closest to her may know. Things that made her tick. What were her political views? Did she have a good home life? Was she a summer or a winter kind of person? How did she take her coffee--with half and half?

Is that why the coffee cup was there? Did she even like coffee? Has it been a teacup all this time?

The final list was deeper, intimate, things that he wouldn’t anyone to know about himself (or her, if he was honest) except maybe a therapist. Did she suffer her first heartbreak despite knowing she had a soulmate out there? Did she believe in an afterlife or reincarnation? Did she have any regrets or suffer ever?

Had she waited like Harry did?

Part of him hated the idea that she may not have felt the same way regarding intimacy. Maybe she gave that part of her to someone else. Someone she had met at a coffee shop and maybe she thought the tattoo changed color. Sometimes Harry thought his tattoo had changed. He believed it so vehemently. The shade of black looked gray-er one day. Another day it looked sort of navy-blue.

It was wishful thinking because even if it did, he never found who was supposed to be his other half at the time.

But he also believed that even if she did have a difference of opinion on intimacy, he would trust her judgment implicitly. She believed she was doing the right thing at the time and that was enough for Harry.

He woke up on his twenty-ninth birthday the same way he had for the last thirteen years—without a soulmate and a heavy heart.

Cause lately it’s been hard / They’re selling me for parts / And I don’t wanna be modern art

Harry started therapy when he turned twenty-seven. He was feeling very low without anyone to come home to. His therapist was helpful and extremely kind. But Harry could tell by the pink coloring on his ring finger that he had already met his other half. While his directions and ideas to help Harry cope with the grief of not knowing, it wasn’t something he could fully empathize with. Harry fully believed that. It wasn’t his therapist’s fault either—how could Harry blame him for finding his soulmate?

His therapist recommended websites with more successful ratings. His office even had a program that Harry would be perfect for. In fact, if he was interested in it enough, he would be a great candidate to speak to others in similar situations. There was a chance for Harry’s picture to be on a pamphlet to help others like him. He could tell his therapist was excited about the prospect of helping others like Harry. But it would only be another reminder to Harry that he was alone.

Harry found himself balling his hands into fists to keep from screaming.

*

His friends asked if he wanted to do anything for his birthday. For the last seven years they had done a coffee crawl in hopes of Harry finding someone that changed his tattoo for good. But this year Harry wanted to be alone.

“Are you sure?” Mitch asked in disbelief. He could hear the alarm in his voice. He could hear the covered whispers from Sarah behind the scenes. He nodded and Mitch was silent waiting for Harry to say something. But he didn’t speak for a full three minutes. When he did, Mitch wasn’t oblivious to the sniffle he heard and the way Harry’s voice broke.

“M’jus...” he shook his head. “S’fine,” he shrugged and swallowed all the emotions. He looked at that horrible, ugly, little mocking coffee cup. “Jus’...tired,” he told his friend.

“Yeah...sure...,” Mitch nodded. “Let me know if you need something, Harry. Happy birthday.”

It just didn’t feel happy.

Harry spent his birthday sulking in his apartment. He called out sick for three days of work so he could lie in bed, mourning the loss of someone he didn’t even know. On that third day he scheduled an impromptu therapy appointment begging the man to just do something to end Harry’s suffering. He wanted to be in love...he wanted to be loved.

But his therapist could only do so much. It was one big waiting game. One big, cruel terrible game.

*

“Uh...hi...m’name’s Harry,” Harry said into the microphone. He placed the guitar on his knee and brought the microphone closer to his lips. “M’therapist...suggested I sing when m’feeling down; s’been a while since I sang in front of a crowd,” he explained to the quiet group. “A way t’cope. Uh...in case it wasn’t obvious, I haven’t...met m’other half,” he awkwardly cleared his throat. “Been waiting thirteen years and four days.”

A few people had their attention focused on Harry. There were a few quiet interjections of ‘aw.’ A couple gasps of shock. There was one quiet happy birthday toward the front. Harry tuned his guitar for a moment. “I didn’t write this,” he smiled wryly. “But I believe every word of it,” he nodded in affirmation and swallowed. “How can you miss someone you’ve never met?” He began.

As he sang, he focused on the playing and singing the right words. He barely looked at the little crowd of the quiet, late-night cafe. He didn’t tell his friends about this. It was for him only. His next method of coping. When he finished the song there was a smattering of applause and he nodded gratefully, shoving his guitar in its case, before rushing outside. He took heaving breaths, the air from his lips accumulating into a cloud in the space in front of him.

That did not feel cathartic the way his therapist said it would. It was overwhelming and Harry actually thought it was one of the worst things he ever did. He felt like puking and began pacing away from the café stopping a few meters further up the sidewalk trying to console himself and his feelings.

“Excuse me?” Harry’s heart almost burst at the sound of her voice. He turned to the person hurrying up the path to him. His heart leapt but he kept his fingers pressed into the palms of his hand. He was going to leave imprints from his nails pressing into the skin.

She had a scarf draped around her neck and a pair of gloves, no coat. “I didn’t want to miss you! Harry, right?” she asked, shivering against the chilly February air pausing beside him as he looked back at the road in front of them. He gave a half nod. “That was beautiful,” she sounded like a song herself. But Harry had thought he met his soulmate before, he knew better than to get attached to just the sound of someone’s voice. There was one person he met ages ago—he couldn’t even remember what year it was that he was so sure was his soulmate. But when he looked, her tattoo was sky blue...and Harry’s remained black.

Harry also taken many science classes and knew the earth was tilted on its axis. But he was certain it had inexplicably turned upside down the moment he heard her voice.

He was still fearful it was too good to be true.

 He didn’t dare look at his finger.

“I saw you rushing out here—boy, it’s really cold! I...I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” she explained as she tilted her chin down to hide below her scarf. If Harry was smart, he would ask to go back inside so she wouldn’t freeze to death. It wasn’t his fault he was a sad, broken man.

Instead, he was speechless, waiting for the inevitable. For her to ask to see his tattoo. He pressed his fingers harder against his own hand. Instead, she bit her lip, her nose turning pink in the frosty temperature. “I brought you some hot chocolate,” she told him. Harry took this moment to realize between her gloved hands she held a coffee cup—or rather, a cup of hot chocolate. Hot chocolate. The same kind of cup that he knew was outlined on his finger. He didn’t take the drink from her. He couldn’t. Even if he wanted to, he was frozen in place.

Instead, he managed to turn his attention to her eyes for the first time. They were so gentle, so kind. There was understanding etched all over her face. Harry just laid it out to a whole group of strangers the hurt he was feeling. He knew she knew. She didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t talking. So, she continued. “My tattoo is a guitar...and you were the only person in there with a guitar...so...it’s,” she smiled and shook her head. Like it was an inside joke between them already. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. “It’s gold now, this like beautiful, shimmering gold...I didn’t even want to cover it because I want to look at it all the time—and it’s only been about ten minutes like this but—God, it’s so cold out!—but I didn’t want...couldn’t miss you so I didn’t wear a coat—can I see your tattoo?” She rushed, still shivering. The poor girl.

Harry felt lightheaded. She was right here. A guitar. A cup of hot chocolate. It had to be.

Right?

Harry shook his head. “N-no,” he mumbled. The rejection broke her gentle, beautiful features. The poor thing.  Why would he say that?! “M’scared,” he admitted.

She swallowed nervously. Her expression was a little more guarded than when she first stood next to him, but less broken than when Harry outright said no. “I just moved here,” she nodded—complete understanding back on her face. Her teeth were chattering. Harry was horrible to make her suffer like this. “I’ve been looking at this goddamn guitar for eleven years and you should know, I have no musical talents whatsoever. I took so many music classes in high school. I attended every band concert at my college. I haunted my local music store. I—” her voice cracked, and Harry heard the desperation that he had felt for so many years. It ached him to know she felt the same way. Worse than his own pain. He wanted to yank her heart out of her and cradle it, hold it and nurse it back to health. He’d give her the shattered half of what was left of his own heart if that would make her pain go away. She looked at the cup between her hands, tears lining her lashes so beautifully Harry was really starting to believe it was her.

“Baby, I threw a dart at a map,” she whispered. “I couldn’t take it, Harry. I applied for the first job I could find that used my degree in this town. I found an apartment. I packed up and left everyone and everything I ever knew to find my soulmate,” she sniffed. There were no fallen tears, but Harry thought she probably had cried plenty. Harry certainly had. “Everyone I know, thinks I’m crazy,” he knew that feeling very well. “I took the very first flight out possible. So, I’ve been stuck in my old time zone I won’t sleep until tomorrow afternoon. I was tired of unpacking. Tired of being hopeful and I just wanted to get some hot chocolate because it’s so cold, you know? So I went to this café that I Googled—it’s the only place open at eleven at night,” but Harry already knew that. She brought a gloved hand to her lips. Lips that Harry really wanted to kiss. “I know you have two years of waiting on me. I’m sorry about that—I didn’t know we weren’t in the same place, honey. I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Like it was her fault. Harry felt so broken that she was taking the blame for it all, but he couldn’t get his vocal cords to work. It wasn’t her fault. These things happened. It just sucked. It sucked the life out of Harry for thirteen years, but Harry remembered eleven years without her just as well. It’s when he started therapy after all. She had suffered too. “Please,” her voice cracked again. “I need to see your tattoo,” she begged.

It was so quiet on that cold street. His chest hurt; his throat ached. It felt like he was trapped in the smallest of rooms, the walls closing on him and pressing him into a cube of pain. He held out his left hand. She rolled her lips into her mouth. Her shoulders were heaving with the greatest weight she had ever carried. Harry wished he could be braver and help her out, but he was so terrified she was wrong. This was the closest break in his search he had ever had and if she was wrong, he thought it would kill him, surely.

She switched the coffee cup to her right hand. With her free one, she slid her gloved index finger over his bare digit. She released a breathy, watery giggle. Another inside joke between the two of them. “Don’t suppose it’s always been gold?” She asked.

Harry knew when his therapist asked what it felt like when he finally met her, he would never be able to describe the moment accurately. He tried to take it all in. The sounds, the smells, the feelings. His eyes were blurred with relieved tears so he couldn’t take in what he saw but he finally looked down at that beautiful tattoo of his. An iridescent, glittering gold. With her teeth she pulled her glove off her hand—his poor love had to be freezing but she didn’t stop—showing Harry how her little guitar outline matched the color of his cup perfectly, sliding her ring finger against his making the first brush of her skin against his the most magical feeling he had ever felt.

So, this is what it felt like to be whole.

In the same moment, she dropped the mug. It shattered to pieces on the cold sidewalk, stained her pale colored shoes in chocolate liquid and soaked her discarded glove. But Harry didn’t even have a second to react to it because her arms were around his neck. Her face was buried in his shoulder. “I thought it was a coffee cup,” he croaked, wrapping his arms around her middle. She giggled some more. It might be his new favorite sound. He pulled her close, feeling the shards of the mug crunching below their shoes. They stayed like that, Harry’s heart thrumming against his ribs, positively ready to jump into her chest to be a whole heart, finally. He squeezed her, crushed him to her, terrified to let her go. He would need a new therapist to cope with this kind of anxiety.

He pushed her back from him and he brought his hands to her cheeks, trying to take in every inch of the beautiful face he longed to see, touch, and feel every night he slept. He never wanted to stop looking at her. He was scared to let go of her for even a second.

Maybe he didn’t need to explain it to his therapist. This moment would just be theirs. A cold street, a broken mug, and two halves of one soul finally found.

He pressed his lips to her forehead then each eyelid, her nose, her cheeks. He tried to kiss every pore on her skin. “I’ve never kissed anyone,” he admitted. Her heart fluttered. “I know s’pathetic,” his lips never stopped the kisses to her face. His voice muffled by her skin. He pressed his lips again and again to the same spaces. It warmed her, he could tell. Her cheeks turned a deep red, but it wasn’t due to the cold.

“Oh fuck,” she whimpered, and he watched as the tears dripped down her cheeks. Harry had the fleeting thought that meant she hadn’t waited and now that she was finally here, he knew it really didn’t matter. “You really are my soulmate,” she whispered, which proved of course she waited—she was all his.

Harry ran his thumb along her lip and sank his mouth to touch hers. He moaned at the feeling, the warmth, the electricity that ran through her and into him. A completed circuit. Whole. She whimpered again, kissing him back and wrapped her arms around his neck again. He squeezed her close, her toes lifting off the ground.

“Can I take y’home with me, angel?” He begrudgingly pulled away. She quickly nodded, her heart fluttering at the word angel. He didn’t even mean to call her that, it rolled effortlessly off his tongue. “I have...so many questions t’ask you.”

“Please,” she nodded eagerly.

Harry held her left hand because it was without a glove. She was also still without a coat—abandoned in the late-night cafe, but they marched on anyway.

*

But I only got half a heart to give to you. / And I hope it’s enough.

Harry gave her his heaviest sweatshirt and made more tea so he could stay awake and keep her warm. Her jaw still chattered every so often, and they sat in silence for a few moments. Sitting on his bed. Harry had never had a girl in his bed before. He held her hand in both of his. The tea on his bedside table. He was staring at their tattoos. The pair that somehow matched after all his suffering. He thought gold was his new favorite color.

“I have lists,” he whispered. “Of things I want t’know.”

Smiling, that gorgeous smile of hers, she nodded easily. “You can ask me anything,” she promised.

Harry wondered if this was how all soulmates felt. To be heard and seen. This implicit need to be broken open and share every detail they could think of. “I don’t want t’fall sleep,” he murmured. But sleep was winning. He didn’t want it. He found her. He wanted to be awake and ask her all his questions. He wanted to memorize her skin, find every freckle. Wanted to kiss her again and again until he felt like his heart wasn’t half of a lump of muscle anymore. She deserved a whole heart.

She swallowed. “Harry, I’m going to stay,” she promised. It wasn’t distrust he felt. But it was a new ache that he wasn’t sure he could describe. Worry, maybe? That was about as close as he could get to describing it. He was afraid she was a figment, a dream. A really wonderful dream. “I’ll make you breakfast in the morning, it’s my favorite.”

Breakfast. One favorite down, only a thousand more to go. She gently pushed his shoulder down and she rested her ear on his chest. “Dreamed about your heartbeat,” she murmured. Harry wondered if she heard the way it skipped a beat as she spoke. He kissed the top of her head. “If I’m not right here when you wake up, I’ll be in the kitchen, alright?” He nodded. He hoped she would be here though. Waking up without her attached to him after this crazy, beautiful night might make him a little worse for wear in the morning. Would it be crazy to say he loved her? That was crazy. Whether they were soulmates or not. Despite that he did love her. “I love you,” she whispered. “Always have.”

It wasn’t crazy. Not at all. Not the way she said it. If anything, it made the most sense in the world. “I love you, too,” he felt like crying and if it wasn’t for the clock on his nightstand reading two in the morning, he might have actually cried before he fell asleep.

*

The knocking on the door woke him. So did the near shouts of his name. His love was no longer lying on top of him, but the knocking must have gotten her out of bed. It was nearly nine the next morning, the sun poking through the blinds. It was warm, his bed smelled like her.

He heard his door creak. The gasps. “Who are you?” He heard Sarah ask.

She giggled. “I’m the coffee cup,” even the way she introduced herself was perfect. Maybe he would keep the hot chocolate detail to himself. It seemed that she was willing to do the same by not telling them it wasn’t a coffee cup all these years.

“Oh, fucking finally!” Mitch cheered.

“Princess!” Niall shouted and Harry chose that moment to enter the main room, one of his best friends lifting the sweet girl into a massive hug that made him somehow feel more whole than he ever thought he could. “We’ve been waiting forever for you,” he told her. She simply giggled more, returning his hug.

“Easy, please. I jus' got her,” Harry murmured.

Sarah, seeing Harry finally appeared, threw herself at Harry with a choked half-laugh, half-cry. He kissed the side of her head. “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered.

Niall and Mitch, being the guitar enthusiasts they were, found her little tattoo unbelievably adorable and nearly unfair they had a snake and a swing. “I quite literally had no idea how I was supposed to find a musician when I can only sing—kind of.”

The boys asked her how it happened last night. Was that why Harry didn’t answer their texts or calls? Niall said he would go back and get her things—her purse, her coat, her phone. He knew the owner and was adamant that her things would be safely in the lost and found. She didn’t even care. They asked where she was from and Harry realized how gentle and guarded her answers were—they weren’t revealing, no long explanations.

She kept glancing at Harry with a knowing smile with every question she answered. It took everything in him to not cry from the fact she was keeping her answers short because she knew Harry would want to know the answers first—would want to ask more.

Sarah was looking at her as if she put the stars in the sky—Harry only knew that look because that’s how he felt as well. “Was...was it worth all that pain?” She asked. “I can’t...I can’t imagine,” she glanced at the little slide on her finger that had been there since she was six years old. She shook her head in disbelief. Sad for Harry

But he nodded anyway. As if for thirteen years he didn’t have the most broken heart known to man. “So very much,” he affirmed giving Sarah a squeeze around the shoulders.

“I was just about to make breakfast; would you like to join us?” She asked the three of them. Harry had never been an us. It was like a magic spell. Every word from her lips was like a soothing little cleanser meant to fix all the broken parts of him.

His friends smiled and looked at Harry for confirmation. If he wanted time alone with her, they would high tail it out of there, totally understandable. Niall was already calling the café to see if he could get her things at the very least.

“Please stay, of course,” he shrugged. “We’ve got forever.” Her expression seemed to melt a little at his words. He saw the way her thumb smoothed the skin over her ring finger.

Mitch and Sarah headed to the kitchen island and took their seats, they were a flurry of calls and messages to their other friends. They wanted to spread the good news and this is what friends did for someone like Harry. He didn't need to tell everyone, he had the love of his life in his arms. Niall was headed back out the door to get her things from the café. He’d be back in fifteen minutes.

Feeling more rested than he had in years, since he dreamed about the pair of eyes that finally matched someone that he knew to be his soulmate, he didn’t feel as broken. She smiled at him, gorgeously. He didn’t think he would ever tire of this new feeling of being whole. “Y’sure y’don’t mind having them?” He asked.

She shook her head. “I love them already.”

Harry knew it would be that way but somehow it was still way too good to be true. “We have all waited a very long time for you,” he reminded her. She wrinkled her nose cutely with a little impish grin. Harry placed his hands on her hips, pulling her toward him as if he had done this every morning for his whole life. “I’ve thought about you a thousand different ways and I don’t think any of them compare t’how you actually are,” he whispered.

She pressed the length of herself against him. Arms around his neck. His arms were like a vice around her waist. Harry’s sweatpants were too long on her, and the sweatshirt was scented with her new favorite smell. The love of her life. Her other half.

“Harry, I’m afraid I only have half a heart left to give you. I was really sad there for a very long time,” she admitted quietly; maybe it wasn't the time to tell him, but she needed to say it while it was on her mind. Sarah and Mitch were fielding messages, quiet giggles and words just over their shoulders while they waited for breakfast.

“Jus’ another thing we have in common,” he mumbled into her hair unfazed by her words. “We can share the whole one we make together.”

She sighed with relief and nuzzled her face into the soft shirt he wore. “You’re everything I wanted and more.”

What more could he say? “Me too, angel. Me too.”

--

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[harrysarchive]

girls who drink

espresso

martinis : h.s.

paring: tatto artist!harry x baker!reader

summary:

"oh no, i am an asshole i will admit but i think i gotta soft spot for girls who drink espresso martinis and like baking." i smirk causing her to blush. "tell me about your bakery."

or

where he's an asshole but she's pretty

𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘'𝐒

𝐏𝐎𝐕

i roll my shoulders back as i walk into the bar, rap booming and vibrating the floors, the smell of weed and booze hang in the air. The Safe House was packed today, a saturday night for people looking to get laid and smoke some loud ass weed, and get drunk with their friends.

my eyes scope out the people in the club, mid gaze i catch honey golden brown eyes that are already set on me. the girl is beautiful, button nose, plump lips and a little bit of acne she doesn't even try to hide showing it off with a sense of pride. my eyes start trailing down her body, she's wearing a cream crop top and high waisted shorts, her plushy thighs on display causing my lip to get caught between my teeth. feel niall nudge my shoulder and point to our reserved table.

"c'mon we gotta order some drinks and i want a basket of wings." niall huffs walking towards the table.

"when aren't you eatin?" i mumble and he throws me the finger.

as we make our way over i bump into a blonde head causing her drink to spill over my shoes, "watch where your fuckin' goin'." i spat and she looks at me with stunned eyes.

"i'm sorry, i was going to apologize but you don't have to be such a fucking asshole!" she exclaimed and i roll my eyes.

getting to the table a server comes quickly, "what can i get you?" she asked staring at me with lustful eyes.

rolling my eyes, "crown on the rocks." i mumble my eyes going back to find brown eyed girl.

once my eyes land on her again i see she's drinking a dark drink in a martini glass, "also an espresso martini for the girl over there." i say pointing to the pretty girl.

the server looks at the mystery girl up and down before rolling her eyes and smacking her gum, "is that it?"

"niall." i point to the brown headed dick head.

niall smiles at her before ordering what he came for and the server walks away. my eyes stay trained on the girl, dancing with her friends swaying her hips side to side on one of the friend. i study her movements before i see a server go up to her and handing her the drink. the girl furrows her eyebrows and shakes her head saying something in return, then causing the server to point in my direction causing her head to snap towards me. she smiles a little and a flush color comes to the apples of her chubby cheeks. she takes the martini and raise her glass to me, i nod at her before looking back at niall.

"she's definitely not your type pal, and she looks way out of your league." niall murmurs.

"fuck you." i spat as our drinks were served along with nialls wings.

"she looks too innocent for you." niall says stuffing a wing in his mouth.

"she's...pretty." i shrug and niall snorts.

"i've never heard you call a girl pretty." niall continues to laugh.

"you sound like a fuckin' pig." i huff crossing my hands over my chest.

"all i'm saying is she's like a shot of espresso, sunshine if you will and you're the grumpy old man that keeps his widow blocked with black out curtains." niall shrugged taking a sip of his drink.

"yeah well more of a reason not to talk to her." i mumble pulling out a joint and lighting the ends.

"you're not planning on talking to her?" niall asked.

"no." i snapped sharply taking a drag from the joint.

"well today must be your unlucky day, look alive," niall patted my back, "because she's on her way over here." he looks past my shoulder and smiles widely, "hey sweetheart!"

my blood runs cold and i tense up, deciding to see if he's fucking with me or not i look over and see that she is indeed walking over to us.

"niall what the fuck." i whisper, "what do i do?"

"dunno think fast."

"uh hi." i hear a serene like voice that pulls me to look back at her.

she places her glass on the table, my eyes trail back to her eyes and they crinkle as she smiles widely, "my names y/n." she stuck her hand out and i bite my lip before placing my hand in hers, niall takes the joint before quickly getting up and leaving.

"harry."

"i just wanted to come over here and say thank you."

"i hope it was to your liking." i say motioning for her to sit at an empty seat in front of me.

"mhm yes, espresso martinis are my favourite, how did you guess?" she asked sitting down.

"my sister likes 'em and it looked like that was in your glass."

"ah a sister with taste." she teases and i snort.

"yeah, shit taste." i respond earning a giggle.

i go back over her face and study it some more and when she notices her cheeks flush once more.

"is there something on m' face?" she ask bringing a hand to cover her.

"no- well maybe like a smudge of the drink." i point it out and she quickly wipes it.

"so tell me about yourself harry." she hums resting her head on her palm.

" 'm not interesting in the slightest bit." i shake my head before taking a swig of my drink.

"well you look interesting to me."

"what do you want to know lil' bee?" i hum tilting my head.

"what do you do?"

"tattoos, gotta shop on cadaway avenue."

"see that, harry, is what i call interesting." she smiles.

"lemme guess what you do?" i ask and she nods giving me the right away, "bookstore?"

"mh not quite." she chuckles, "i did think about owning my own bookstore as a kid but no."

" floral designer." i try again and she chuckles again.

"no, good one but no."

"thought i had you all figure you out bee." i smirk landing a hand on her thigh.

"bakery." she hums placing a hand over mine, "i like baking."

it all clicks in my head and i nod, "cute."

"you know my friend was the one that bumped into you and she said you were an asshole but then you bought me a drink and you're very charming. i don't think you're an asshole." she says biting her lip after.

"oh no, i am an asshole i will admit but i think i gotta soft spot for girls who drink espresso martinis and like baking." i smirk causing her to blush. "tell me about your bakery."

her eyes light up and a smile spreads on her face, "its actually a street down from cadaway, my favorite to make is probably the brownies, they're so soft and the flavour is just, mwah!" she exclaims chef kissing her fingers, "you should definitely stop by i could make you something you would like, if chocolate isn't...." she continues to ramble on and a smile takes over my face.

a shot of espresso for the grumpy man.

a/n: THE WAY THIS WAS SCHEDULED FOR 6:30 MY TIME AND IT UPLOAD AT 3:30 WHAT THE FUCK TUMBLR 🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏽‍♀️

[erodasfishtacos]

Cant Live This Life Without You

Prompt: YN runs into a rogue wolf in the woods

Warnings: violence, blood, abo!

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-

YN knew despite how much Harry acted like he hated it, she enjoyed hiding in the woods and having him hunt her down.

His scenting skills, hunting skills were impeccable as the alpha of his pack, especially when it came to finding his mate who radiated honey and berries.

He was in town for a meeting with the mayor, it was not anything out of the usual but Harry offered their small city security from other packs.

YN knew he would be on his way home soon and she hasn’t pissed him off in a few days and that was just downright unacceptable.

She knew if she told Niall or Liam that she was going into the woods, they would have prohibited it and told Harry on her - so she manages to sneak out the back door when they’re distracted.

It was cool, middle of fall, and she was dressed in just a sweatshirt, leggings, and sneakers as she enters into the forest surrounding their estate.

She enjoyed to read by a stream about half a mile in, there were usually little animals like squirrels and chipmunks scurrying around to keep her company.

YN also had a book tucked under her arm, half of this was playing keep away from her mate but the other was she actually enjoyed reading in the woods.

Harry would find her quickly, maybe if she was lucky he wouldn’t be against having some fun while they’re out there either.

She gets engrossed quickly in her book, sitting in the grass near the trickling water - it was nice to be in nature away from the sound of cars and people.

Until YN hears footfall behind her, leaves crunching under the weight of a body, and a deep growl that was low and vibrating.

That didn’t take long, she thinks.

When YN closes her book and turns to look over her shoulder, she isn’t met with the wolf she was expecting.

Harry was massive in were form, his fur was chestnut brown, shiny, and curled at the ends - he had ears that stood straight up in alert and forest green eyes.

This wasn’t him.

And it wasn’t a wolf from their pack.

It was scraggly but still bigger than an an average human, skinny and their fur looked matted - like they didn’t take care of themselves or that they were sick.

It’s eyes were yellowish-grey, fur colored a dirty tan, and it’s rotting teeth were bared at her in threat because this wasn’t a member of their family.

There shouldn’t be any other wolves for hundreds of miles, for that matter, that weren’t part of The Styles’ Tribe, and for the animal to be in such close contact to the leader’s omega was horrifying.

YN’s frozen in fear for a moment, she doesn’t know whether she should scream or stay quiet to not upset the beast further.

Her heartbeat has risen above anything normal for her, Harry should be able to detect it for miles, along with the anxious scent she’s surely given off and that’s all reliant on whether he’s home yet.

The creature begins to stalk forward, drool hanging from their canines, and tongue lolling out to the side of its filthy mouth.

She reaches for her heavy book, chucking it at the wolf’s head in hopes to get a head start as she scrambles from the forest floor, and starts sprinting in the direction of their home.

YN isn’t fast enough and the distraction doesn’t work because she feels teeth sink into her calf - shooting, intense pain making her tumble to the ground with a loud cry.

She knew she was hurt and that this wasn’t looking good as the tan wolf let’s out howl that rocks the trees - it was going to go in for the kill.

It’s only a moment after that, that there’s a stampede through the forest and the ever familiar brown wolf is tackling the rouge one to the ground.

YN has to look away as her mate bites into the wolf’s neck and tears out his jugular vein, obliterating the creature quickly before he’s ripping the rest of his throat and chest to shreds.

She squeezes her eyes shut as she hears the tan wolf’s squeals and yelps for mercy as Harry’s roars override and he continues until there’s no more noise coming from the rouge enemy.

Niall, Liam, Mitch, and Zayn are surrounding YN as the others disperse into the forest to make sure there aren’t any others.

YN’s leg is on fire, she knows she’s bleeding and that there’s a lot it because she’s starting to feel woozy and like she may pass out.

As they circle her, Harry must have finished with the outsider, he has blood dripping from his jaws and it’s matting his fur with red.

He’s furious but so fucking worried - more so than ever before, YN can physically feel it through their bond as he nudges harshly at her with his snout to display her wound, a rumble steady in his chest.

Harry only evaluates it for a moment before he’s making eye contact with his subordinates- speaking between themselves before Niall is stepping forward and picking YN with his teeth by her sweater.

YN begins to protest, her leg was in such pain right now she didn’t want to move but Harry barks at her to settle down which she follows her alpha’s command.

Niall uses the grip on her to set her atop Harry’s back, where she nestled her fists tightly in the fur as he takes off back towards the estate - galloping faster than any animal in the wild.

When they’re in front of the mansion, Niall steps in to once again - take her by her sweater and help her off of Harry’s back.

The moment that’s happens, Harry is shifting back into human form, bare but unbothered because it’s their normal as the others will wait until YN leaves to shift back.

“I cannot fuckin’ belief this,” Is the first thing out of his mouth as he scoops her up off the grass and storms into the house, up the stairs towards their room, “Do you not realize you could have gotten fucking killed?”

YN couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t scare right now, he’d never ever raised his voice at her like this, especially when using his alpha tone - it was echoing through the halls and his eyes were nearly black.

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” She tries in her softest tone, she was looking up at him but he wouldn’t meet her gaze as he snarled at her words.

“Sorry isn’t good enough,” Harry bites back angrily as he kicks open their door and doesn’t acknowledge when it nearly splinters because of it, “Not when I nearly almost just lost my mate. It’s not fuckin’ good enough.”

There’s silent tears streaming down her cheeks at this point, Harry was rarely truly angry at her - he was always in a state of grumpiness but never true rage like this.

Harry moves past their bed into the bathroom to set her down on the countertop before he’s rummaging through their linens closet until he pulls out a first aid kit.

His facial expression is stone as he demands, “Lift your hips,” so he can shimmy off her torn up leggings after taking off her shoes.

Then he’s kneeling down, turning her leg to view the damage, it wasn’t bleeding as furiously now but it was still on his hands.

“You’re lucky he didn’t rip off your fuckin’ leg,” Harry tells her through a continuous unhappy growl, he wipes the bite down with an antiseptic, “He got you good.”

“It hurts,” YN mumbles as the wipe stings, she knows Harry’s going to clean it then heal it himself but the bite has been deep.

“It wouldn’t have happened if you just listen to me,” Harry’s voice is raised again and his hands are actually shaking with his emotion, “Do you not realize that you were almost fucking killed? Do you? What would have happened if I wasn’t pulling in the driveway when I scented you - three miles into the god damn woods.”

YN honestly hadn’t realized she had went three miles deep into forest to that stream - she always got distracted by flowers, animals, anything really.

“Get out of my car to hear you yelp like an injured pup,” Harry’s gravely voice cracks on the word injured as he scrubs at her wound - the teeth marks were like many different punctures into her skin.

“H,” YN tries because she doesn’t really know what to do in this situation as his breathes come out in agitated pants - like he’s trying not to shift out of pure rage.

“Stop. Stop talking,” He dismisses with a shake of his head, making YN startle when he throws the kit across the room - all the items scattering every which way.

YN doesn’t think she’s ever listen as quickly as she did know, his scent was radiating pure anxiety and irritation.

He’s then tugging the sweatshirt over her head, then her sports bra, and underwear until she’s bare because her clothes smell like that tan wolf.

Harry doesn’t even gaze over her body, instead he’s kneeling back down, gripping her leg, and begins to lick at the wound.

Werewolf’s have healing properties in their saliva but it’s only compatible to heal their mates and their pups, it protects against infections or disease.

It’s painful, despite it healing her, it burns as her body accommodates her mate’s efforts to close the wounds.

He doesn’t try to soothe her when she wriggles but instead huffs out, “Be still, for Christ’s sake. I need to take care of this.”

YN holds her body stiff for the rest of the time, worried about making him angrier as he continues fo radiate negativity.

As the skin starts to regenerate, he’s covered every surface of the abrasion, he pulls back to check his work before he’s also starting to undress.

It’s methodically as he moves her to their shower, shuffling her under the hot water to wash every trace of the incident away.

He scrubs her harshly with the washcloth, every bit of her body before he’s throughly washing her hair too.

Harry’s completely in alpha mode, take care of his omega, do what he needs to do to make sure she is taken care of.

He’s cleaned her, bathed her, and then when they’re done he’s dressing her in his clothes of a cotton tee and soft joggers before navigating her to the bed.

All of this done without even a word spoken.

It takes her back to a time when they were younger, fifteen to be exact.

~

“You should have listen to me!” Harry scolds angrily as he rips one of the sleeves off his shirt and begins to wrap it around her forearm where is bleeding.

YN’s eyes are watering from the pain, it wasn’t a bad cut or anything, she just messed up a skateboard trip and her forearm caught her fall against the asphalt.

Harry had been at football practice, on their school’s field while YN and their friends bikes and skateboard in the parking lot.

When YN had fallen, she must have helped because Harry was automatically pulling out of the drill that he was doing despite the coach yelling at him to charge off the field towards the parking lot.

Her friends scattered away from pure fear of the alpha as he made his way over to where YN was on the ground.

His telltale sign of anger - his clenched jaw and the stoney stare as he puffed up his chest and straighten his shoulders.

“This is why I said not to ride these bloody things,” Harry hisses as he yanks her up, examine her arm before ripping his undershirt to bandage it.

“It was accident, I’m fine,” YN mumbles back annoyed but she doesn’t move as he aides to her wound.

“You’re bleeding. You’re not fine,” He raises his voice, he was coming into his alpha voice - deep and sharp, making anyone know he’s in charge.

YN can’t be too mad because she knows her grumpy best friend means well and he only acts like this with her.

“I’m sorry,” YN says when the shirt is secured and he steps back, he takes a step towards her - leaning in to brush his nose against her neck before he dies actually step back.

It was a claim, it was possessive, no other kids at the school did it but him.

But no one was going to chastise him because after his father, he’s next in line to lead, and not even an adult will challenge the teen.

YN flicks his ear to make his growl, it works, and then he orders her to sit on the bleachers for the rest of practice so he can make sure she’s safe.

~

After she’s dressed, he flips down their comforter, ushers her into their plush bed, and pulls the covers up around her.

It’s dark by now, Harry flicks on a lamp, and stands up straight again - his shoulders still tensed and his back ramrod straight.

“Sleep,” He tells her but it’s bordering on a snarl because of his heightened senses - he was never this short with her.

“I want to you to lay with me,” YN requests quietly, her fingers anxiously messing with a loose string in their duvet, “Please.”

“No,” Harry replies bluntly, “I have to go make sure there’s not anymore of those nasty cunts in the woods lurking, with the pack. For the love of god, don’t move from this fuckin’ bed until I get back.”

And with that, he’s out of the room.

-

Niall frowns when he sees Harry stalking towards where they’re standing at the edge of the forest, he’s already tearing off his shirt to shift.

“Alpha, I told you we got this,” Liam shakes his head, the whole pack can feel the negative, unsettling emotions swirling around their leader and it makes them just as uncomfortable.

“Don’t tell me how to do my job, beta,” Harry roars with an emphasis on the last word, “I’m your alpha and all of you will shut the fuck up and do as I say. Am I clear?”

The all nods with their heads bowed in submission as Harry’s body contorts into wolf form and he’s loping into the woods with all the others on his flank.

Harry forces the pack out for hours, scouring every inch of the acreage for even a scent of a rouge wolf - miles and miles from the estate.

It’s nearly midnight when Harry calls it off, they’re all exhausted and ready to pass out by the time they make it back to their property.

Niall, who arguably has the best rapport with the alpha pulls him aside after they’re back in their human form.

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Niall murmurs with a sincere look as Harry glowers nastily at him, teeth bared, “She wasn’t trying to get herself hurt and you know that.”

“It doesn’t fucking matter,” Harry growls stubbornly, “She nearly got herself killed. My mate. What would I do without her? She’s been mine since we were children. I can’t live without her.”

“For being literally the biggest prick of earth, it’s sickening how gone you are for that mouthy omega,” Niall chuckles, “Go see her. I know she’s missing you.”

-

YN couldn’t sleep, she didn’t even bother to turn off the light, she was a crying mess with her face messy from tears as she sat up waiting for her alpha to come back to her.

When the door finally opens, at nearly quarter to one, Harry is surprised to see his mate still sitting up in bed where he’d left her.

“Let-Let me dra-draw you a bath,” YN sniffles, wiping her eyes and trying to get out of bed, whimpering when she puts pressure on her injured leg.

“Whoa, puppy,” Harry rushes over to her side, pushing her back onto the bed until she’s sitting in the edge, “Be careful.”

“I need to take care of you. I’ve been such a bad omega and I can b-be better please,” YN cries softly as she grasp at his shirt, burying her face in his hard stomach.

He felt like shit because he shouldn’t have left her like this, vulnerable and still shaken from her near death experience.

Harry pulls back until she’s blinking up at him tearfully, he doesn’t know how to express himself, and so he leans down, biting her hard on their bond scar.

She squeaks in the sharp pain that melds into connection as all of his emotions flow into her and assure her that she is perfect for him.

When he’s done, staring down at her, his voice is still harsher than he’d like as he says, “What would I do without you? I cannot live in a world that you’re not. I am sorry I was sharp with you. I-I love you with whole being and my only job is to keep you safe.”

YN tugs him down to kiss him, their lips parting as he gives into her warm, sugary aroma - she was so sweet but so fucking feisty.

“I’m sorry, baby,” YN speaks against his lips as he presses his forehead to hers, his eyes dark and moody as he looks at her - anyone else would have to gaze down from the pure power he held, not her, never her.

-

“I’m not just going to bow down to you, you big stupid alpha!” Seventeen year old YN shouts at him, chucking her high heel in his direction, “You just ruined my night!”

Harry is following behind her, on the dimly lit sidewalk toward their houses, away from the school, keeping his distance.

“I didn’t ruin anything,” He growls in frustration, “He was trying to touch you and make you uncomfortable so I stepped in!”

“But you caused a whole scene and no boys like me in this school because of the way you claim me!” YN wails dramatically, making Harry roll his eyes, holding both of her heels now that have been thrown at him.

Harry’s alpha preens at the comment, good - he thinks possessively but keeps that thought to himself.

“It’s not my fault they’re intimidated,” Harry shrugs casually which he knows will make her even more irate.

YN spins around, stomping up to him, and poking her finger in his chest, “It’s because you’re a Styles’. Everyone knows you’re the next leader of this community. Everyone fears you and you don’t try to make it better by growling at every boy who glances my way!”

“It’s my job to protect you. You can get mad all you want,” Harry tells her with no negotiation in his tone, his nostrils flaring as her sweet honeyed scent radiates off her warm body.

“Fuck you,” YN snarls as she turns to walk away once again with him on her tail, stomping away like a spoiled princess.

“You want me to find another omega to protect? Leave you alone then?” He challenges because he’s know the answer, he knows if a low blow, and he it’s not even true.

Biologically, she’s it for him. It’s how he’s programmed, there is no other option for him but she didn’t necessarily know that.

YN’s body freezes at that, like the thought was physically painful to her to think about and it pains her.

“I know the answer,” Harry murmurs more carefully walking up and gripping her neck gently, “So lose the attitude and let’s go back to my place and watch that dumbass show you like.”

“Grey’s Anatomy is not dumb,” YN grumbles but her hand intertwines with his and lets him to pull her along.

-

“I give you orders to keep you safe. Never to restrict or control you,” He reminds her, his throat not feeling as tight anymore - he can breathe better again.

“I know,” She replies as she nudges up his shirt and noses at the sharp cut of his hip where his ferns are inked, “Just like riling you up so you get all angry and turned on.”

“Don’t have to risk you life for that,” He scolds, willing himself not to get hard as she nips at the thin skin of his hipbone, “I’ve never ever refused you anything you’ve wanted from me. I’ve never not given you my knot.”

A zip of arousal floods through her at the mere mention, especially because he smells so good right now - the adrenaline only making his cinnamon scent even more tangible and spiced on her tongue.

When she doesn’t respond instantly, he tilts her chin up, “Right, puppy?”

“Mm,” She agrees, licking a trail to the thin line of hair leading into his jeans, watching the wet path it leaves behind, “Alpha.”

It makes Harry’s jaw clench when she uses that needy, reproachful tone with him - she’s so fucking spoiled.

“Absolutely not, you need to rest,” Harry replies firmly, stepping away before her mouth moves any lower.

“You just said you never turn me down,” YN huffs rudely as Harry rearranged her gingerly on the bed back into her spot.

“Tomorrow. You need time to heal this wound, it takes time,” He thumbs at her lip, he knows she’s tired, “You need sleep.”

“Don’t,” She pouts just to argue but Harry listens to her heartbeat the whole time he’s in the shower, not even five minutes after going into the bathroom - he can hear the slowed, steady pace of his omega’s sleeping heart.

[twopoppies]

I usually don't comment on stuff like this, because I don't make a habit of pissing on people's parades, but some of the recent things people are using as "proof" (of bbg ending, of Larry communicating with us, etc) are really wild stretches.

And, I usually wouldn't let it bother me; I understand that people (especially newer larries) are just having fun. But, as someone who's been here for a long time and who was part of the fandom when "proof" really meant concrete, vetted, and consistent evidence, I think people are unaware of how creating, spreading, and encouraging these unsubstantiated stretches and theories only support the extremely damaging stereotype that larries are unhinged and that we can (and will) make a connection out of anything, if it suits our narrative. (Which is, literally, what hets and shippers do, so yeah, forgive me if I don't want to be lumped in with that crowd.)

When we talk about Larry signaling (through clothing, warnings, selfies, the bears, etc), I think it's really, really important to remember the context in which those things happened.

They were both banging on the glass closet and seemingly seeding a potential coming out. They were at the height of their 'enemies' narrative and banned from being seen interacting, even while they were living out of each other's pockets. They were restricted by extremely abusive public identities (homophobe and serial womanizer) and contract clauses. They were making music and money for oppressive management and labels, none of which was directly contributing to or even hinting at potential personal career growth outside One Direction. They were signaling not only because it's all they had in terms of connecting with their community, but as an act of extreme rebellion and as a means of winning over even an inch of personal freedom and self-expression. (Remember, Niall wasn't even allowed to keep his natural hair color.)

And, while yes, Harry and Louis are still heavily closeted and being made to participate in (especially in Louis' case) extremely vile and abusive stunts, the context, in terms of their need to be seen (whether it be as their own people, queer people, or as a couple), has actually changed. In terms of self-expression, they're both making music that resonates with their creative identities, that they have some level of control over, and that contribute to them, personally, as individual artists. This means they actually have a personal stake in whether or not their projects do well because its a direct indicator of whether they get to continue making music that they love. Taking that into consideration, its unlikely that they want to overshadow the soul of those projects by slipping in all these little clues about their relationship into their promo. They’ve also (thanks mostly to the fans) found other ways of connecting to the queer community (which is an entirely different objective from wanting people to know about their relationship, specifically.)

To be really honest, I think they’ve actually made a collective decision to work harder to protect the privacy of their relationship, even behind the scenes, for many reasons. (Harris Reed’s recent interview, where he mentioned not really knowing Harry all that well, but alluded to leaving space for his queerness is what swayed me the most.) Being older, and having a lot more at stake (personally and professionally), makes me think they’re now (maybe in the last four or so years) very, very selective about who they share this part of their life with, one, because they each have a lot more to lose now if they’re outed, but also because their relationship is their top priority, and as Harry has said (and no doubt learned), a relationship has never benefitted from being made public (and we have to remember that even “within the confines of the industry” is still very, very “public”).

But, I digress. My point is, they've been together for twelve years, they've written hundreds upon hundreds of love songs to each other, they have their love story tattooed all over their skin. I get if you, individually, need to read into every little clue to prove to yourself they're still together, but don’t confuse that with them needing us to know it.

Again, I'm not saying this to piss on anyone's parade. I love a Larry proof to death and god knows I believe in the real ones with my whole chest (Still the One still gives me chills, Princess Park is fucking perfection, ‘waiting to wrap your legs around me' and ‘tired eyes are the death of me’ are tattooed on my heart). What I'm saying is people need to take context into consideration to keep from devaluing and trivializing actual, solid, vetted Larry proof and signaling because the only people and reputations these stretches and theories are hurting are Larries’.

Anon, if I wasn’t already married, I would marry you. THANK YOU.

[samandcolbyownme]

I figure it was about time to formally introduce myself.

I go by A to the world of tumblr and I am 25 year old girl and I love writing.

My pronouns are she/her/hers but dude, babe, bro, anything will work, I grew up with an older and younger brother #middlechild

I’d like to think I’m a really chill person, but I’m also a sensitive little bitch who cries at least once a day LOL

No one in my real life, like my friends and family know that I write fanfiction, so that’s why I’m so anonymous online, but I’ve been writing for a while on and off.

I used to write for Harry, Niall, and Louis, but since found that that really wasn’t exiting as writing for Sam and Colby, and now Jake and Johnnie.

If you were to ask me what girl i am out of the four, I’d have to say ask me again later, and when later comes, it would be the same answer because I’d be a whore for all of them if they’d ask.

Aside from writing, I paint and draw - acrylic, watercolor, and digital.

And finally, I have a dog, whom I love very very much and my favorite color is blue, but I love to wear black clothing.

If you wanna get to know me more, ask some things below or shoot me a message. I’m pretty much an open book, unless Im not comfortable enough to answer it, then I won’t.

But yeah, that’s all I can think of right now.

OH! I am very very very greatful for you all! You all have welcomed me with such love and grace and I am so thankful for you guys! Ilysm! 🖤

[doesntmeanitsmeaningless]

Hi Ailo. I don't know how online you had been this day but just in case here is the recap you didn't ask for 1d news' version:

-Oasis is having a reunion and will do a tour the next summer (funny meme about oasis and Louis, another meme of one direction and this one). I imagine Louis will be the most happy person in the planet right know.

This Oasis reunion has made the fandom had some thoughts: 1. If Oasis can do a reunion so does One Direction 2. Louis could be a tour opener for them 👀🕯🤞3. @thechavier share this theory about H&L and Oasis🤞🕯🙏👀 .

Oasis is also related to Openstage who is a company where Louis has invested so is a double win for him!!!

-Harry was seeing with André 3000, he lately had been seen with a few artists 👀, seems like it was from this other day that he was with Pauli and Yaffra.

-Now Narry news: Harry was at Niall's show in Manchester today!!!!Everyone was freaking out (myself inclueded), Harry was so happy dancing a lot, clapping, whistling, it was beautiful, not surprise duet thought 🤡 but we did clown for a few moments because he went from the vip box to the side of the stage at some point. He did leave before the last song end it lol, he didn't follow the 1d rules and harry's rules to not leave before the show ends.

I think my favorite part was him dancing during Stockholm Syndrome and filming that part. I don't know if you saw this but I did a post a long time ago about the color tribute of the 1d boys during that song at Niall's show so I think is so beautiful that Harry was able to see that too.

-We got the Louis Tomlinson: Live !!!! If you only want high in california and wdbhg here is the other link, thanks to @highwaytosomewhere , Meg saves us all!!!. Also the links for kill my mind and only the brave.

P.S.: -I don't know if you saw that at the Victorious Festival Louis try during barricade to drink from a beverage of a fan? Lol only Louis.

-Another extra note, a few days ago Niall sing Little things with Ed Sheeran and today Ed have this funny answer to a fan about the 1d reunion. I do hope he at least try to be a wizard and helps us with the 1d reunion, we need all the help we can get.

And that is it for the recap, I hope you are having a wonderful day/afternoon/night. Let me know what you think about all of this and if this was helpful or a waste of time because you were in fact online and this recap wasn't necessary hahaha.

Te mando un abrazo.

CC!!! A recap I didn’t ask for!!! AMAZING!!!

And I apologise for the delay!!! I used up my data, and we had to abandon our vacation due to illness. I just got home.

This is such a great update!! And I’ll respond more later, but want to put this beauty in the world asap! This needs to be shared with everyone one who was offline or wants a recap!! 🫶🫶🫶

[horansqueen]

Dating For Dummies - 1

❤ Story Masterlist

❤ Notes:

written from both Opal & Niall's POV

i don’t proofread, I never do, I hate it.

AU comedy/fluff/smut/romance

1.7k

I accept requests and ideas for this story, so message me in my inbox!

if you want to be notified when this story is updated (or be taken off the update list) CLICK HERE

OPAL

The neighborhood was not as quiet as I had expected, but for the monthly price we were asked for this new apartment, I couldn't really complain. I let myself fall on the overly comfortable couch Niall's mom had offered us with a satisfied sigh and a big smile on my lips. The room was almost empty except for a few boxes placed between old furniture friends and family didn't want anymore, and I had to admit that the colors of the walls were horrible, but at least, it was my home. It was our home.

I couldn't pretend Niall and I were not close, but I couldn't also say that we were like peas in a pod. We came from the same group of friends, and we did spend some time together, but being alone was not something common for us. I liked him, I knew he was the kind of roommate that wouldn't be too invasive and he was quite nice to look at too, I couldn't deny.

He slowly sat next to me, leaning his arm on the back of the couch behind me, and crossed his ankles. I didn't need to look at him to know he was as excited as I was to start this new life.

"Finally free." he let out in a low tone, making me chuckle.

"Yea I bet you were so oppressed living with you mom." I let out with sarcasm in my voice before letting out a chuckle. I turned my head to look at him and shook my head slightly. "Poor darling." I added, sliding my fingertips gently on one of his cheeks, his stubble scratching my skin lightly.

He raised his eyebrows and turned to look at me to, making me smile even more.

"Why do I have the feeling that this amuses you more than it should?"

I leaned closer and licked my lips before grinning even more. "Because it does." I whispered, letting out a laugh louder than I expected.

He rolled his eyes but the way the right corner of his mouth moved up told me he knew I was joking. It took a few seconds but silence finally came back between us and I blinked a few times, watching as the sun slowly moved down, adding an orange color to the cloudless sky.

"Okay, how about I take care of the tv and we can watch a movie?"

I was the one raising my eyebrows this time, pleasantly surprised by his offer. I had expected Niall to spend time by himself most of the time, or at least not with me, and perhaps it was just because it was out first day and he didn't want to be alone. I quickly nodded without making any comment or asking any questions and he jumped off the couch to do what he had suggested.

It took him about 15 minutes and everything was ready, which is another thing that surprised me. It made me realize that I didn't know much about him and perhaps it was simply because it was new, but I wanted to get to know him better.

We had met through the friend of a friend and although we would all meet up for beers at the pub on saturdays and study together once every two weeks, it never occurred to me that Niall was someone I could get along with. Not because he was not interesting, or because we didn't share the same interests, but just because I had never taken the time to think about it before. The only things I had really noticed about Niall was that he was hot, funny, popular, and that he was way out of my league. Not that I wanted him that way or anything, but it was a simple fact. I was also aware that he could definitely hold his liquor which was not something I could pretend was my forte, but I always stopped drinking before being too drunk ; you never know what can happen in a bar and although I loved my friends, it was hard for me to trust anyone. But that's an other story for an other day.

I knew I shouldn't but in the middle of the movie, I glanced at Niall's phone, noticing he was getting many notifications through the evening. My mouth curled again into a grin when I noticed he was actually swiping on a dating application.

"Ae you looking for the kind of love that lasts forever, or the kind that lasts only a few hours?"

"How's that any of your business?"

My heart jumped in my chest but when my eyes met his, I realized he was joking and I smiled back at him.

"It's not, but I'm on the same app. In fact, I'm on thee different apps." I admitted, leaning my head against the couch for a few seconds before bringing it back up, slightly ashamed of myself. "Hey that's what happens when you spend all your time working on other type of relationships, and making sure you get excellent grade in college."

"Yea, you keep telling yourself that, love." he chuckled, shaking his head.

"And what's your excuse?" I asked, half-joking, half-insulted.

He stared at me a few seconds as if he was trying to find a good answer and finally shrugged. "I'm tired to date girls who only love me for my looks."

I laughed shamelessly. "Someone is delusional."

"Yes, you." he argued. "Do you really think you can find a decent guy on these apps?"

"The self-burn is strong."

His face went from a frown to annoyed and ended up making a grimace. "Oh shut up, Pal."

"This is the most horrible nickname I've ever been given." I pointed out. "And yes, I still have hope to find someone worth my time on these apps."

I was not sure I really believed it was possible but I really wanted it to be. It really seemed like it was the only thing missing from my life.

"You should focus on just getting some." he shrugged. "When you don't expect anything, you can't be disappointed."

I knew it was a lie, everyone was expecting something, whether they wanted to admit it to themselves or not, but I didn't say anything about it and only shrugged.

"Okay, I have a date tomorrow night." he pointed out, turning to me and sending me a smile so big I could see his teeth. "And she looks like a gem."

I moved his phone so the screen would face me and my lips parted very slightly at the sight of a gorgeous brunette in a very tight dress, holding a pink drink with a tiny umbrella floating in it. That girl, unlike me, was totally in his league.

"She may look like a gem but who knows if she is."

He shrugged, unbothered. "I guess I'll find out tomorrow."

"Admit it." I pressed after a few seconds of silence, turning my whole body his way and bringing one of my legs up on the couch. "All you care about is getting laid by pretty girls. The word 'serious' never qualifies the word 'relationship' in your world."

"I've been in serious relationships before, what about you, smartass?"

My eyes roamed in his face, trying to find out if he was lying but I just licked my lips. "Yes, I have."

I didn't want to get into depth about my past romantic relationships and I had the feeling he didn't want to share details about his either.

"You want to know what I think?" he finally asked, turning his body to face me too.

"No."

"I'll tell you anyway." he stated quickly.

"How surprising." I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

"You've been so hurt before that you're scared of falling in love again." he speculated. "That's why you never go on dates with anyone on these apps."

"How the fuck would you know that?"

"Prove me wrong, then."

We remained like that, face to face and in silence, just staring at each other. I could feel my heart beat hard against my rib cage, trying not to give in. After all, I didn't have anything to prove, not even to my new roommate, right?

"Fine!"

I quickly grabbed my phone and typed on the screen as fast as I could, hitting 'send' before I could change my mind. I had been talking to a guy for a few days and he was the right candidate to meet, or at least pretend to meet. After all, I could always tell him I changed my mind and Niall would never find out.

"There." I turned the screen his face, bringing my phone so close to his face he had to back away a little to be able to read.

"He replied."

My heart skipped a beat at his words and I tried t swallow the lump in my throat. Shit, I hadn't expected a quick answer. I looked at the screen and held my breath when I realized he had written a time and a place to meet up. I could always back off and cancel, but that would mean I would have to admit that Niall was right ; I was fucking scared to fall in love again.

"Great. See? We both have a date tomorrow night!" I didn't know how credible I was but at least I was trying.

"I was kidding, Opal, you know it, right?" he asked with concern in his voice.

Once again, my eyes roamed on his perfect face and I shrugged very lightly. "I know."

I suddenly felt very stupid for thinking this little banter was more serious than it really was, but at the same time, it was a relief. I didn't want Niall and I to be on bad terms and somehow, I felt like we could become close friends and for some odd reason, I really wanted it.

"You don't have to go on a date with anyone, you have nothing to prove."

Oh and why not? I didn't know if I was ready to be with someone again but one date couldn't be that bad… right?

[sakurangelll]

❁ ୨୧ a glimpse of your future baby ୨୧ ❁

Hi beautiful souls I wish all of you a happy Valentine's Day! ♡ ♡ ♡

I had this reading saved in my drafts but I think today is a beautiful day to post it; from a personal perspective spirit babies are one of the most precious energies to connect with, which is why it was so beautiful to do this reading. this is an intuitive channeled reading. remember that it's a general message so take what resonates and what doesn't just let it go

it would be a pleasure for me if you let me know if the reading/message resonated with you so do not hesitate to send me a message, comment or reblog, it will make me immensely happy

choose the gif with which you feel most connected/attracted

Pile 1… 2… 3…

♡ pile 1 ♡

your future baby is soooo adorable, your future baby will be a girl. she will have blonde hair. your baby will be very kind, she will always be aware of others, she will be very empathic. she will be mommy's girl. she will love hugs very much, being hugged will make her feel protected. her favorite color will be pink. she will love animals, i must tell you that the great gift that she will have is that she will be very kind and respectful with everyone but especially with animals, never let her stop doing that, it is something that very few people do and she will do it from the heart, from the soul. she will want to give them everything to make them feel good, she will worry if they are sick. she will treat them very delicately. she will do everything so that the animals are in the best conditions. she will love animals so much that maybe she will stop consuming meat and also when she grows up she probably wants to be a veterinarian, she will want to donate her money to shelters or associations that help and protect animals. she will also be someone very kind to people, no matter if they are 5, 30 or 60 years old, she will be so respectful to all people. you've probably already dreamed of her.

your future baby will have an extremely good soul! buuuut i have to tell you that if she doesn't know how to identify who is a good person and who is not or what their intentions are, people will take advantage of her. unfortunately there are very bad people on this planet so you will have to help her so that nobody wants to take advantage of her.

the energy of your future baby:

angel numbers of this pile:

123 . 202 . 6

channeled things of your future baby:

“mom, can we take this dog home?” . bambi . carolina . harry styles . “it’s my birthday” . pink . strawberry . cold . girl with purple/blue boots playing in the rain . niall horan . disney

thanks for your time pile 1 <3

♡ pile 2 ♡

your future baby will be a girl who will be extremely extrovert i mean, she will be very quiet but physically she will have a lot of energy, her body will be full of energy. she will be too outgoing that could irritate you, she will not do it to annoy you or to cause you problems intentionally, it will just be her way of being. she will have so much energy that she will do everything to release it. therefore you will have to help her release that energy, you can enroll her in activities that help her physical energy i just heard "taekwondo" really any sport or activity that helps her to release all that energy that she has by nature will be very very helpful.

also because of the way she is, many people will think that she needs to "behave" or be "calmer". she will have problems at school with her classmates but not because she does "bad" or "wrong" things but because a lot of people just don't understand that it's completely normal/correct for her to be like that because she's just the way she is. she will have nothing wrong with her being and you will have to help her understand that. it is completely normal that some people have more energy than others.

i see that she will be calmer when she paints? i see her with a huge white sheet of paper and using watercolors. if you are a painter/artist or you practice yoga, you will understand that when you are doing those activities, the energy that you feel is like when you meditate, well, she will feel the same when she uses her watercolors, she will feel so at peace. i see that she will be a very visual girl, she will love the colors and the design of things. she may dedicate herself to architecture, interior design or a designer in general when she grows up. the personality of your future baby reminds me a lot of the personality of mei kusakabe.

the energy of your future baby:

angel numbers of this pile:

23 . 202 . 5 . 25 . 555

channeled things of your future baby:

focus by ariana grande . “mommy am i wrong?” . the color yellow . brown hair . “i like that pastel” . “venusian” . sagittarius . aries . gemini . naomi . pop music . bts music . pop by naeyon

thanks for your time pile 2 <3

♡ pile 3 ♡

your future baby will be a boy. he will be a bit introverted but very smart and although he will be quite introverted he will be very independent. he will love astronomy, robots, space rockets, the sea, airplanes, he may also like medicine but in general he will love science so much. the best thing you can do to help his imagination, creation and intelligence is to buy him construction toys. you are going to have to buy him toys that nurture and enrich his intelligence. with that you will help him to realize from a very young age the things that he likes the most and in the future he will study something related to that and also help him with his work/profession. your future baby will be very calm but will have a very strong character, he will be very intelligent when he decides who to be friends with and who not. i also feel that your future baby will have a strange connection with art, maybe he will see art from another perspective a little more "dark" "detailed", or he will like art but he will believe that his art is not valuable or enough, he will be a perfectionist and if he doesn't know how to handle it, it can cause him problems. you are going to have to help him control that and let him know that he is good at everything he does.

i do not feel that your baby is going to be someone who likes physical contact a lot, he will only like to give hugs or show love only when he wants to. he will love you with all his heart but you must respect her physical space, although i must tell you that he will love it when you touch his head/hair. he will love massages. i have heard many moms say that they gave birth to their best friend, this is the energy that i feel that you 2 will have. (stop, this is so adorable i can’t🥺)

this is very random but very specific haha ​​your future baby will love to eat chocolate chip cookies. i can really imagine him eating his cookies while he is very focused playing with his construction toys (aww so cuteee). if you are a woman you may want to eat cookies when you get pregnant. when your son is older to be able to help you prepare food, he will be fascinated. he will love cooking desserts with you. your future baby physically reminds me a lot of boo from monsters inc but as a boy. i feel that he is your spirit guide, he is guiding you from now on so that you make the right decisions that will help you in the future and that will also help him.

the energy of your future baby:

angel numbers of this pile:

222 . 44 . 35 . 3

channeled things of your future baby:

legos . science . the color blue . brown hair . “mom, take care of yourself” . “daddy will love you” . “food” . “magician” . black swan by bts . time in a bottle by jim croce . “you and daddy are like my superheroes” . “i will be the older brother”

thanks for your time pile 3 <3

[niallsgoldhoop]

Chapter One

Niall

I’ve always loved the smell of fresh cut grass.

When I was a teenager it usually meant that someone was about to hand me some cash for taking care of their lawn.

Now?

Now it reminds me of how lucky I am to spend my days at my favorite place on earth and call it work.

To call it mine.

Standing with a steaming cup of coffee in my hand, I can’t help but smile as my eyes look out over the perfectly manicured rolling green hills.

“Ready for another day?”

Rory Barnes steps up next to me with his own cup of coffee. When we met years ago, neither one of us expected that one day we would get to work side by side. Hiring him as a general manager has remained one of the best business decisions that I’ve ever made.

“You know I’m always ready.” I laugh. “Anything interesting going on today?”

Rory blows out a breath, the steam from his coffee disappearing. “Not that I know of. I’ve got a few final interviews so that we can hire a new marketing executive since Rhonda retired.”

“Rhonda will be missed. How many people are you down to?” Turning to face him, I drain the rest of my coffee and cross my arms over my chest.

“There’s four.” Keeping his gaze over the vast expanse before us, he smiles. “I think I know who would be the best fit, but I wanted to give everyone the same amount of interviews to try and steal my attention like they have.”

“Whoever you think is best works for me.” My watch vibrates on my wrist with a reminder of a meeting in ten minutes. “I’ve got to get to my office, but just let me know how it goes, okay?”

Lifting his coffee cup in my direction, he smiles. “Have fun with that.”

Laughter mixes between the two of us as I walk away, headed through the oversized glass doors and through the open floor plan of the clubhouse. It’s been four years and every single day that I get to walk on this property it still blows my mind.

As soon as I step into my office, my eyes travel across the awards and trophies and all the way up to the framed green jacket hanging above from my desk.

My office is a highlight of the career that I once had— the one that felt like it was cut short after a few too many surgeries, but also the career that gave me everything that I have now.

Sitting down in the plush chair and reaching for the tortoise shell glasses that sit on my desk, they rest on the bridge of my nose as I pull up the reports and grab a notebook and a pen from the ‘best boss’ mug that one of my employees bought me.

Meetings always seem to be one of my least favorite places to be, but when you own and run a prestigious business it only comes with the territory. So I put on a smile as the screen on my computer fills with other faces, thankful that this is one meeting I don’t have to travel for.

Not that I don’t like to travel, but sometimes it’s nice to be where you are.

It’s nice to be home.

————

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the grocery store.

At least after work.

Everyone rushes around trying to grab things without paying any attention to their surroundings.

It feels like an actual nightmare every single time.

Usually I make a point to come early on a Sunday morning or just have my groceries delivered, but sometimes there is something I need that just isn’t already in my pantry.

Like ice cream.

That’s the real reason that brought me here yet the basket hanging from my arm is full of other odds and ends.

Mostly things that I definitely don’t need.

Muscle memory takes me closer to the frozen foods, specifically the ice cream I’m desperate for, only when I turn to go down the aisle my body collides with another sending the basket in my arm and theirs crashing to the ground.

In a matter of seconds, the lighter tan color of my pants seems unrecognizable as dark soda explodes at my feet and covers the fabric along with the pickle juice from a broken glass jar.

So not only do I have soda dripping down into my shoes, I now smell like I’ve showered in pickle juice.

“Oh my fucking god, I am so sorry!” The dark haired woman drops to her knees to start trying to pick up the pieces of glass that she can. “I can pay you for new pants— Or to have those cleaned.”

Taking a deep breath through my nose, I crouch down and reach for her hand before pulling it away from the broken glass so that she doesn’t cut herself, an odd sensation zipping through me at the touch. “Don’t worry about it. Accidents happen.”

“No, really.” Rich, chocolate brown hair falls down into her face only for her to push it back behind her ear. “I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to not pay attention to where I was going because I was in a hurry.”

She lists off the exact reason why I didn’t want to come to the grocery store tonight, yet for whatever reason, I can’t find it in me to be annoyed.

Quite the opposite actually.

“It’s not the end of the world, I promise.” Grabbing the things from my basket and placing them back inside, I stay crouched in front of her. “Are you alright? Hurt anywhere?”

“No, everything is fine.” With a small smile, she follows my actions by placing her things in her basket minus the broken pickle jar and the soda that has soaked into my pants. “I’m not hurt. Well, besides my pride at least.”

“You sure?” I ask as we both stand up. “I’d hate for you to be hurt.”

Looking from her left to her right, she takes a step back from me with a tight smile on her full pink lips. “Yeah, I’m sure. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” I smile. “Besides my pants.”

“Really, I can pay for—“

Waving my hand in front of my face, I give her another smile of my own. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Okay.” Her dark chocolate gaze drops down to her basket full of snacks and a couple pints of ice cream. “Have a good night.”

With that she turns on her heel and makes her way out of the aisle faster than I may have seen anyone move before, leaving me standing alone at the scene of the crime.

Alone and covered in soda.

And smelling like pickles.

————

THE FIRST CHAPTER!!!!

let me know what you think!!

-Alex 🍀

ps i know this is SO SHORT but i’m gonna update the other chapters too!!

[adoribullpavus]

@inquisitor-julia popped up on my feed and said i could do this if i thought it looked fun, so thank you <3

Last Song: yard sale by alex warren (altho one of us from the lion king 2 started playing just as i went to click post

Favorite Color: blue (any blue but mainly deep/dark shades), pink (again, deep shades) and black

Currently Watching: i just started english teacher and it's pretty good, currently waiting for new episodes

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: i have a huge sweet tooth and i usually don't have the stomach for food that isn't sweet. cannot handle spicy food either

Relationship Status: single but dating

Current Obsession: dragon age (solavellan specifically but also everything to do with dragon age, namely dorian pavus, adoribull and cole), the song black and white by niall horan, stames' downfall, and conan the dandelion by i.j hidee

Last Thing You Googled: "english teacher review" because i needed to know if it was worth watching

feel free to steal this if you wanna do it :)

[narrycherries]

love of my life : the playlist

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the following playlist is subject to change with new additions // the artists are listed alphabetically, not in any particular order — the songs are also not listed in any particular order // these songs are picked based on my personal music preferences // if you’re wanting to listen to the playlist, feel free to remove any artists you don’t like :) ** these songs will span the entire story.

⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆

˖⁺‧₊˚ love of my life :: the playlist ˚₊‧⁺˖

˖⁺‧₊˚ adele ˚₊‧⁺˖

take it all

all I ask

˖⁺‧₊˚ ariana grande ˚₊‧⁺˖

off the table

pov

love me harder

supernatural

safety net

˖⁺‧₊˚ bailey zimmerman ˚₊‧⁺˖

rock and a hard place

never leave

˖⁺‧₊˚ christina aguilera ˚₊‧⁺˖

unless it’s with you

˖⁺‧₊˚ cody johnson ˚₊‧⁺˖

the painter

˖⁺‧₊˚ colbie calliat ˚₊‧⁺˖

worth it

˖⁺‧₊˚ demi lovato ˚₊‧⁺˖

easy (noah cyrus)

˖⁺‧₊˚ harry styles ˚₊‧⁺˖

canyon moon

golden

fine line

woman

daydreaming

daylight

late night talking

little freak

matilda

satellite

love of my life

falling

meet me in the hallway

from the dining table

˖⁺‧₊˚ kacey musgraves ˚₊‧⁺˖

cherry blossom

angel

easier said

heaven is

butterflies

love is a wild thing

golden hour

too good to be true

lonely millionaire

ruthless

˖⁺‧₊˚ lady gaga ˚₊‧⁺˖

always remember us this way

is that alright

i’ll never love again

˖⁺‧₊˚ lana del rey ˚₊‧⁺˖

love

cinnamon girl

cherry

love song

california

the greatest

˖⁺‧₊˚ miley cyrus ˚₊‧⁺˖

rose colored lenses

wild card

bottom of the ocean

you

never be me

angels like you

˖⁺‧₊˚ niall horan ˚₊‧⁺˖

put a little love on me

still

san francisco

black & white

save my life

too much to ask

you could start a cult

flicker

if you leave me

must be love

˖⁺‧₊˚ one direction ˚₊‧⁺˖

right now

strong

you & I

long way down

love you goodbye

what a feeling

if I could fly

where do broken hearts go

end of the day

infinity

˖⁺‧₊˚ pat benatar ˚₊‧⁺˖

heartbreaker

˖⁺‧₊˚ selena gomez ˚₊‧⁺˖

crowded room

souvenir

nobody

˖⁺‧₊˚ SZA ˚₊‧⁺˖

nobody gets me

˖⁺‧₊˚ taylor swift ˚₊‧⁺˖

the prophecy

begin again (taylor’s version)

sweet nothing

peace

dancing with our hands tied

I don’t wanna live forever

delicate

gold rush

ivy

wildest dreams (taylor’s version)

midnight rain

cornelia street

false god

afterglow

all of the girls you loved before

tis the damn season

treacherous (taylor’s version)

the 1

this love (taylor’s version)

maroon

state of grace (acoustic version)

happiness

back to december (taylor’s version)

sad beautiful tragic (taylor’s version)

˖⁺‧₊˚ tove lo ˚₊‧⁺˖

come undone

mateo

stay over

anywhere u go

˖⁺‧₊˚ zayn ˚₊‧⁺˖

dusk till dawn

˖⁺‧₊˚ 5 seconds of summer ˚₊‧⁺˖

lover of mine

best years

complete mess