#fem oc

[yearningqueen]

Juju Watkins x Fem oc!

Summary: You and Juju spending quality time together and spending the day together

Warnings: none! Just some fluff

your eyes open from your nap; Juju's arm is still wrapped around your waist as your head rests on her chest

you see she's already awake; looking down at you, she asks, "Did I wake you, baby?"

You reply, "No," as you lean up to kiss her on the cheek, making her smile

"You're so pretty, you know," she says while brushing a stray hair from your face

your cheeks tint pink at the

compliment and you whisper, "Thank you, baby," before giving her a quick peck on the lips and smiling as you pull away

"Do you want to go out or help me cook for dinner, darling?" Juju asks

"I want to cook with you," you reply as you slip out of her embrace, put on your slippers, and head to the kitchen together

"Is chicken Alfredo okay with you, Rosy?" Juju asks.

"Yes," you reply, grabbing the pasta from the cabinet while she starts prepping and rinsing the chicken.

"So, how's basketball been?" you ask, starting some casual conversation.

"It's been okay. I've just been in my head a lot and it's been making me underperform," Juju admits.

"You're the best player I know, pretty," you say, walking up behind her and standing on your toes to kiss her jaw gently.

"Thank you, Rosy," she says with a soft smile as she keeps working on the meal.

You start on the sauce while Juju finishes cooking the chicken.

"You look cute when you're focused," you say as you stir.

She glances over with a smirk.

"You're always saying that."

"Because it's always true."

Juju shakes her head, smiling.

"Alright, chef Rosy, keep an eye on the sauce. Don't burn it."

"You burn one thing one time and suddenly you've got a reputation," you tease

She laughs, placing the chicken aside. "warning you now rosalee I will bully you if this sauce ends up chunky”

You finish stirring the sauce and pour it over the pasta, mixing it all together.

"Perfect," you say, smiling as you look at the finished dish.

Juju sets the chicken down and gives you a nod. "Looks good, babe."

You plate the pasta and hand her a dish. "Here, try it."

She takes a bite, smiling. "Not bad, sweet girl."

"Im glad you like it” you reply, sitting down next to her at the table.

After finishing the meal, you both clean up, then settle on the couch.

The TV flickers softly in the background as you snuggle up together. Juju wraps her arm around you, pulling you closer.

"Spending time with you is the best part of the day," she murmurs, resting her chin on your head.

You smile, relaxing into her hold.

The room falls into a comfortable silence as you both enjoy the closeness, feeling safe and content in each other's arms. After a while, you turn to her, brushing a stray curl from her face.

"I Love you, Ju," you say quietly.

She looks at you with her brown soft eyes. "I Love you too, baby."

[melwnst]

────── ⋆⋅☆ TOUCH ; SPENCER REID

just a small one about physical touch between you and Spencer 🤭 pls send some requests if you have any!

word count. 522

my masterlist/support my work!

──────────୨ৎ──────────

Spencer likes to touch you. It doesn’t have to be sexual- whether it’s a hand on your shoulder, on the small of your back, holding your hand. Holding you- touching you makes up for all the times he felt alone and just wanted someone by his side, before you showed up unannounced.

It makes him feel safe. When on a case together, he’ll never not sit next to you on the jet, he’ll always pray to get assigned with you so you can either sit in the car together and he can tell you weird fun facts like he does so well, or sit in the conference room and stare at you, trying to solve the enigma of how you even fell for him in the first place.

On your side, Spencer is like a drug. His touch, his laugh, his voice, his lips, the way he serenades you with stupid information that you normally wouldn’t care about, but you do, because he’s the one telling you all about them. He’s the one holding your hand when you need it the most- which seems to be every single second spent together. He’s the one who holds you and lets you cry when it gets hard and doesn’t ask a single question.

Most importantly he’s the one you see yourself spend the rest of your life with. You see, maybe a couple of nerdy kids running around. Or not- it could be just the two of you for the rest of eternity and you’d be okay with it- so would he. Because it’s always been you and him, together, against the world.

Looking at him is rewarding. Knowing that he feels the same. That he needs you, your touch, your insanity, and your sassiness. He needs to hear about your day even though you had the same and you were together all along. He needs to know how you feel about anything and everything he does or say. He needs your validation. He needs to know you’re okay. Even when you’re around.

Spencer needs you. He longs for you, just as much as you long for him. Everyone sees it. It’s not always sexual tension in the air, sometimes all everyone around sees, is pure love and magic. They see it, they feel it, they might even be jealous of it.

The side of your thigh touching his when you sit next to one another, his hair brushing against your face when he kisses you, his hands all over your body, you even think there’s not a single inch of your body that hasn’t been touched by him. It’s heavenly.

Touching Spencer is your favorite moment of the day, and when he touches you- well it’s wonderful. It makes your stomach turn, in a good way. Butterflies dance, and your brain is in shambles.

When Spencer touches you, he sees a lifetime of it. A lifetime by your side, kissing you, holding you, making you laugh, and most importantly loving you.

That’s just Spencer. He doesn’t only touch you physically, he also touches your soul. You’re entirety his. And you’re okay with that.

[narrycherries]

ivy: he’s gonna burn this house to the ground

He has added insult to injury and she gives him one chance to make it right.

(part 8)

masterlist // ivy series

word count: 17.5k

warnings/tags: harry x oc, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, alcohol use, fluff

A heavy feeling had been weighing her down for the past two weeks. Ivy wasn’t sure why things happened the way they did, why things always went wrong for her. She was almost certain that everything had been fixed, that her situation with Harry had finally turned positive and hopeful. Unfortunately, she was wrong. He hasn’t talked to her since that night. There were no texts, no calls, nothing at all. It made her heart anxiously flutter and her head fill with racing thoughts - all of which just made her feel worse.

The feeling was a mix of pain, confusion, and fear. It hurt her feelings that he hadn’t talked to her. There had to be a reason why but she was so bewildered by it. What went south? What happened that caused a rift? And of course, above all else, she was terrified. She gave a small piece of herself to him and he ran off with it. She trusted him and allowed her lips to melt into his. Was it not enough to make him stick around? Was she not enough?

Emma was unaware of what happened between her and Harry during the party. As far as Ivy knew, nobody knew what occured. She was going to tell Emma a few days after it happened, because she was so excited to finally be able to express her feelings for him. But when she realized he hadn’t reached out to her, her feelings about everything shifted. She was embarrassed. Maybe she overreacted and Harry was just being nice to her.

Of course, she replayed the night over and over in her mind several times as she tried to figure out what was going on. Harry had been so sweet to her, so caring and concerned. She was sure that he meant it. Did she do something wrong? Maybe begging him to kiss her was too much too quickly for him. Whenever it popped in her mind, her hands went clammy and her stomach dropped. She wanted to scream.

It didn’t end on a sour note. When they went back inside that night, Harry stayed close by as they danced with their small group and even when they all sat around talking and eating at the table. Harry was pleasant with everyone, even Cory - despite being irritated with him. He was enjoyable. It’s almost like everything stopped and stayed at the bar. Those bubbly feelings she had turned to worry. The absolute pleasure that kissing and touching him gave her was burnt out. Ivy wanted to know why Harry wasn’t talking to her, why he didn’t reach out, why he kissed her that night and then suddenly disappeared..

“Hey.” Emma’s voice filled the quiet living room as she came down the hall, a towel wrapped her hair up on top of her head.

“Hey.” Ivy sighed out.

She wasn’t particularly thrilled when Emma sat down on the other end of the couch, her eyes moving to stare at Ivy. She had noticed that things weren’t so well the past few weeks. At first, Emma assumed that Ivy was just having some bad days and she needed to recharge on her own. But once the second week hit of her avoiding Emma in their shared spaces and insisting to not cook any meals or spend any time together, she knew something was wrong.

“Ivy, have you been okay?” She asked with a soft voice, not sure what to expect.

“I’m fine.”

Emma didn’t accept that answer. She took a deep breath and tried again. “Ivy, what’s wrong?”

As much as she wanted to curl up into a ball on the floor and cry her eyes out, or sit in the bathtub as the water poured onto her from the shower head, or sit in her car in the driveway and let a sad song break her even more - Ivy knew she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t vanish, she couldn’t avoid it anymore. Emma had noticed, and she knew there would be no end of the discussion until the truth was revealed.

Ivy licked her lips and chose to lock her gaze on the wall in front of her, not wanting Emma to see her eyes water over. “I have to tell you something.”

“Okay.” Emma gulped quietly and tried to remain calm, she didn’t want to freak out or scare Ivy off.

“The other night.. at your party.. Harry and I sat together and talked for a while.” She felt a pinch in her heart, it hurt to even mention it or think about it. Emma stayed silent and waited for the rest of the story, assuming there was more to it. Ivy chewed on her cheek for a few moments, deciding how to word the rest. “He was.. very nice to me. We talked about some.. personal things and eventually we.. were holding hands and kissing.”

Emma’s eyes went wide and she tried her best to control herself. She didn’t want to scream or look too terrified by the information. Ivy dropped her eyes to her hands where she was fumbling with her own fingers. She was sort of irritated with herself that she didn’t tell Emma this sooner. It would have been so exciting to debrief everything and squeal about all the possibilities as they both grinned. She just knew Emma would be so happy for her. There was relief, though. She didn’t have to face the consequences of telling her that he hadn’t spoken to her since. It would be more embarrassing.

“You kissed him?”

Ivy nodded lightly. “We kissed for a few minutes.. just light stuff, nothing intense.”

“Did you.. like it? Like, do you really like him?” Emma was hesitant, but she was hoping to be helpful.

“I do, yeah, but I don’t think he likes me in the same way.”

Emma furrowed her brows. “But he kissed you and touched you.. You don’t think he feels the same way?”

There was so much doubt in her mind, and so much guilt filling her heart. She was selfish and she took advantage of their closeness, she did what she wanted and now it seems that it wasn’t something he wanted. She crossed a line and he was being too open with her, too nice to her.

“He hasn’t talked to me since that night. No text or anything. If he liked me.. don’t you think he’d.. want to see me again? Or at least.. text me?”

It was easy for Emma to pick up on the sadness in her tone. She hated knowing that Ivy was so upset about this, and so worried about how it would play out. She took a deep breath and moved closer to her on the couch. Ivy shook her head as she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She didn’t want to cry again over this, especially not in front of Emma.

“Have you texted him?”

“No.”

Emma gave her a half smile. “Maybe you should try. He might think the same thing you’re thinking.”

“I’m pretty sure I made it clear that I liked him.” Ivy rolled her lips in as she tried her hardest to keep the tears from rapidly falling.

“Harry’s a bit stubborn.. maybe he doesn’t know what to do.”

Ivy wasn’t open to considering anything. “It’s me. He doesn’t like me.”

A frown covered Emma’s mouth. “Ivy, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not hard to tell that he likes you. Niall’s even mentioned it to me before. He’s probably just unsure of how to approach it.”

It felt sickening to know that everyone has clearly noticed that there’s an attraction between them - Michelle wasn’t the only one. She swallowed harshly and wiped at her eyes, ridding her skin of the tears despite having replicas take their place. How could he be so willing to hold her hand and sit next to her and touch her waist and kiss her.. but not be up to reach out to her? It didn’t make any sense. She was drunk and vulnerable that night, it was most likely that she just felt her emotions too deeply. Harry was being nice to her, not flirting with her. He was being there for her as a friend, as a nice person. Right?

“Well, maybe everyone is blind because it’s obvious to me that he doesn’t care.” She threw her hands in the air, giving up on everything. She felt defeated.

Emma was slightly unsure about how to approach everything, but she wanted Ivy to at least know she wasn’t the problem. Ivy stood up as she was about to speak.

“He’s probably nervous, Ivy. I’m sure it’s not easy for him. He hasn’t been the nicest person to you.. he’s probably afraid he’s messed up too much.”

Ivy walked a few feet away, her back towards Emma as she battled the competing thoughts racing in her mind. “It doesn’t make sense. He.. he told me he didn’t hate me. He.. he wanted to kiss me first. God, I feel like I’m sixteen.”

Romantic relationships were not something she had much, or really any at all, experience with. She wasn’t sure what to classify this as. She knew she was head over heels for him, but was it that deep? She had nothing to compare it to. All she was sure of was that nobody she had ever gone on a date with or kissed made her feel the way Harry did. Nobody has ever occupied so much space in her mind before, claimed so much of her attention even when she wasn’t with them. No kiss had ever made her stomach fall and her heart twist in her chest, or made tingles roll down her spine and her head dizzy. Nothing had ever made her feel that way. It must be more than just physical attraction, but she was afraid to admit it to herself. One four letter word terrified her more than anything.

“From what Niall’s told me, Harry’s never had, like, an actual girlfriend. Maybe he doesn’t.. know how to do it.”

Ivy let out a sarcastic laugh. “It doesn’t take a genius to text someone.”

Emma frowned to herself. As much as she wanted Ivy to see her perspective, she knew it was going to be hard. Ivy’s thoughts are clouded, she isn’t thinking straight. She’s confused and upset, any obvious explanations aren’t going to cut it.

“You can text him first, Ivy. It’s not like we’re still living in times when the guy has to make the first move.”

The comment irked her. She was annoyed by everything anyway, but that just made it worse. Ivy didn’t move or rotate to face her, though, she didn’t want to be rude or let her anger get the best of her. She huffed through her nose and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’ve tried multiple times to talk to him and be nice to him. I’m not going to do it first this time. He owes me that. He should take a turn for once.”

To think about the amount of effort she put in to be polite to him was frustrating. Even after he insulted her that first time, she tried her absolute best to be kind to him. She didn’t want to hate him, she didn’t want to have any harsh feelings when he was around. She desired to be nice to him, to get to know him. Ivy put in so much work, and it seemed to be a waste now.

“Ivy-“

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore, Emma. It doesn’t matter.” She finally turned around, a mix of annoyance and sadness swept across her features.

Emma sighed softly. “I don’t want you to be upset.”

“It’s too late for that.”

Ivy gave up on everything. Without saying anything else, she disappeared down the hall and turned the lock on her bedroom door. She’d spend yet another night jotting her messy thoughts into her diary before crying herself to sleep, the stuffed animal Harry got her tight in her arms. She missed him more than she ever dreamed she would.

—•—

Later on in the week, Emma convinced Ivy to finally get out of the house and go do something more enjoyable than sitting in her bed sulking. It was Friday evening, she had gotten home from work early and hoped to stay home and relax. Emma brought up the idea of going to get a quick dinner together. She mentioned that she missed being around Ivy and she was hoping they could spend some time together. Of course, that made Ivy feel guilty for abandoning her friend for so many days, so she agreed to it.

They ate at one of their favorite restaurants. The conversations were light and funny, both of them avoided the hard topics Ivy dreaded to think about and that Emma nervously wanted to know. It was a relief to not discuss the situation with Harry, though. Ivy was able to think clearly and be in the moment with Emma, instead of losing her mind and getting lost in her head. When they finished eating, Emma mentioned that she needed to go by Niall’s store. Ivy wasn’t sure of the reason, but she didn’t mind.

Niall was working the later shift at the store, which was unusual for him for a Friday. He was scanning someone’s items at the register when they walked in. He looked up and smiled as he saw Emma. Ivy’s gaze started moving around the store like it normally did when she came here. She wasn’t new to the place, but everything was intriguing and attention catching for her. There was music playing softly from the ceiling, but the sound of someone in the back playing a guitar was overpowering whatever song was on. When the customer left, they met Niall at the counter.

“Haven’t seen you in a while, Ivy.” He said after walking around the counter to give Emma a hug and a kiss.

She put on a light smile. “Yeah, I’ve been keeping to myself.”

“Well, we’ve got a show tomorrow night if you want to come out.” His invitation made her skin crawl. Usually, it would sound like a fun time and she’s agree to it, but not this time.

“I’m just going to stay home.”

Niall noticed the frown that shaped on Emma’s lips. He furrowed his brows and looked back to Ivy. “Everything okay?”

She shrugged, choosing to stare at her own hands now. Speaking to Emma about everything was hard enough, she didn’t think she’d be able to discuss it with Niall. Not only was Niall Harry’s roommate, but they were best friends. How could Ivy vent to him about his friend and expect him to be on her side? Emma wanted to say something, but she knew it would be crossing a line. Niall had some ideas about what was happening, and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Did something happen with Harry?”

Emma nudged him and sighed, not pleased with the fact he just jumped straight to the point. Ivy met his concerned stare and she knew that she couldn’t get out of it, yet again.

“I don’t know.”

He dropped his brows lower. “You don’t know?”

“It’s complicated, Niall.”

“I know it is. He told me about it.” He gave her an apologetic smile.

It wasn’t shocking news to hear, she suspected that he probably knew something. Emma pushed out a sigh and let go of his arm, giving him an irritated look. “Niall, she doesn’t want to talk about it.”

Ivy licked her lips and thought quickly about what could come from this conversation. She wondered what all Niall knew. Did Harry tell him every little detail or did he tell it the way she did and just breeze past everything? Did he know that Harry was so sweet to her and was doing his best to make her feel better? How did the story go in Harry’s point of view, what all did he tell Niall? She shot her eyes back to Niall’s and gulped gently, there was nothing to lose.

“What did he tell you?”

Niall looked over his shoulder, almost like he was seeing if anyone was around. There were a few customers lurking in the store, but surely they weren’t that important to not speak in front of. Emma gave him a funny look when he did it again, double checking himself.

“What?” Emma said confused, looking back to see if she saw anything suspicious.

Niall turned his head back, giving them both a glance. “Harry’s in the back.”

Ivy felt her heart freeze and her chest tightened. Tension filled her body and strained her muscles, she was struggling almost like someone dropped a ton of bricks on her.

“I don’t care.” She forced out the lie, trying to appear nonchalant.

Niall could obviously tell she did care to a certain extent, but he wasn’t going to pester her about it. Instead, he took a deep breath and started explaining what he was told. While he spoke, Emma kept her eyes on Ivy to catch her reactions. She didn’t want her to get upset again.

“Well, he told me about.. how he found you outside and talked to you for a while. And he told me about the hand holding and the kissing.” Niall paused in case she wanted to say something, but her eyes were glued to him and she stayed quiet. “He also told me that he hasn’t spoken to you since then.”

“No, he hasn’t.” She had a firm line over her lips.

He nodded gently. “I know. He told me he’s-“

“Niall, I don’t want to know.” Ivy interrupted, rolling her eyes and shifting her body so she wasn’t facing him anymore. “I don’t want to hear it from you.”

“I can go get him.” Niall offered.

“No.” She was quick to reject the offer. “I don’t want to see him. I just.. want to go home.”

When her eyes moved to Emma’s, there was a silent understanding between them. Emma reached into her purse and took out her keys, passing them to Ivy. She was giving her the opportunity to go to the car if she wanted. Ivy took the chance and soon walked out of the door, the bells jingling above her made her ears ring.

Knowing Harry was in the same building as her made her stomach churn. Every piece of her was hurting, coated with fear and anxiety. She didn’t want to be near him. She didn’t want Niall’s version of Harry’s feelings and thoughts. Right now, the only thing she wanted was to disappear.

Ivy accidentally slammed the car door when she shut it. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, fighting back a scream. There was a lot of anger boiling beneath her skin, but she was still sad.

Back inside, Niall received a gentle slap on his arm from Emma. He threw his hands up, silently surrendering to her. She was not pleased with what he said to Ivy, in fact she was very mad about it. She crossed her arms and shook her head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“I don’t want the girl to think she’s done something wrong. I was trying to help.”

Emma was tapping her foot on the ground, irritation taking over. “And seriously? Suggesting that you go get him? Niall, that was unnecessary.”

“Babe, I didn’t mean to make things worse. I thought maybe she’d want to talk to him. I’m sorry.”

Emma could easily explode any second now. She was disappointed that Niall was so bold and straight forward with Ivy. No matter how good his intentions were, he shouldn’t have done that. She was about to say something in return when a customer walked to the register. Niall quickly handled their transaction as Emma stepped a few feet away to give them space.

Once Niall had finished with the customer, she leaned her elbow on the counter and gave him a sour look. He locked the register and gave her a gentle frown, knowing that he messed up. He wanted to apologize again, but he was sure it wouldn’t matter.

“She’s been really upset about this.” Emma mumbled out, everything was crashing down at once.

Ivy was angry, but more than anything she was heart broken. Having her best friend feel that way made Emma just as sad. She wanted to scream at Harry and tell him how stupid his choices were, but she knew Ivy wouldn’t want her to do that and Niall wouldn’t either. It wasn’t her place to get in between them, just as it wasn’t Niall’s either.

“I was going to tell her that Harry’s been really worried about it. He doesn’t know what to do. It’s not like he’s.. the most open person or whatever.” Niall tried to offer the explanation, but he knew his words weren’t going to mean as much as Harry’s would.

Emma rolled her eyes. “He’s hard headed. There’s no reason why he should still act that way towards her.”

“I know that, Emma. I’ve tried to give him my advice.” Niall’s voice was lighter than it previously was.

“Do you really think he likes her, Niall? It would crush her if he didn’t.”

“He does. He told me.” Niall nodded, then pushed himself off the counter, his eyes looking past Emma. “Don’t say anything.” He quietly muttered to her.

She looked over her shoulder in time to see Harry walking up. She felt her stomach fall. He gave her a look, but didn’t offer a smile or anything too polite to her. He was concerned with one thing only, telling Niall he was about to leave.

“I’m out of here.” He said, gesturing his head towards the door.

Niall flicked his eyes to Emma’s and he easily caught her expression. She was practically pleading with him, and he caved quicker than he realized. He took a quick breath and mentally hit himself for doing this.

“Harry, wait.”

The call of his name made Harry stop just as he grabbed the door handle. He looked over and lifted his brows, hoping this wouldn’t take long. He was ready to go home and become reclusive in his room. Niall tapped his finger on the counter as he managed to get a sentence together in his mind.

“I just talked to Ivy.”

Harry shot his gaze to Emma for a split second. “Congratulations.”

Of course he was going to keep his hard front on in Emma’s presence. Not only was she Ivy’s roommate, but she was her best friend. He wasn’t going to be vulnerable.

Niall rolled his eyes. “I think you need to reach out to her, Harry.”

“I think you need to mind your business, Niall.” He mocked Niall’s tone and snarled his lip.

“Please.” Emma chirped out.

Harry shook his head, but he refrained from being rude to her. Instead, he focused on Niall. “Don’t talk to me about this again.”

“Harry, be more considerate of her feelings.” Niall tried to get through to him, but like always it was a failure.

“She’s better off without me considering anything involving her.” Harry made that his final comment. He pushed the door open and walked out, leaving Niall to drop his forehead against his head.

He was unaware of Ivy’s location, and he wasn’t paying enough attention to realize that she was in one of the cars outside the building. He didn’t catch a glimpse of her, though. However, she saw him. It was hard to resist looking at him and following his strides as he went to his motorcycle. Ivy bit down on her lip and pinched her own thigh, trying to distract herself but it was impossible. Harry was so close to her, and this time she could see him - but she knew nothing was going to happen. She watched him get on the bike and put his helmet on. She wondered how often he drove it, she obviously knew he had a car, too. Was it more freeing and fun to ride the motorcycle? Has he always been into them or was it a newer fascination? There she goes - getting lost in her mind, tangled in her thoughts about him. It was entirely too easy for her to trip over him.

Ivy ripped her eyes away and stared at the dashboard of Emma’s car, mixed emotions swirling in her body. It was heart wrenching and painful and annoying and aggravating and literally every emotion all at once. She wanted to hate him, but she could never bring herself to feel that way.

—•—

Although Emma tried her best to convince Ivy to go out for the night, it was a wasted attempt. She declined and eventually said she was tired of being asked, so Emma respected that and accepted the reality that Ivy wasn’t going to cave in. Ivy helped Emma with her outfit, of course, like a best friend would. They went back and forth on a few things, but eventually settled on something. Emma was sad to leave without her, even Niall asked to make sure Ivy wasn’t coming when he picked her up.

Ivy’s plans for the night consisted of take out and a movie. She wanted to snuggle a blanket on the couch and eat some of her favorite candies while she watched the television. She wasn’t concerned with what Emma was doing or what anyone else would think about her not being there. For the first time in the past two weeks, her mind was empty and her heart was calm. She relaxed with a glass of wine, settling on the couch once her dinner was over. Everything was normal, everything was peaceful.

Things were different at the bar, though. When it came time for the band to get ready to go on stage, Harry felt his stomach begin to twist and turn. He was nervous, and he normally was never, ever nervous to perform. If anyone had confidence and energy, it was him. Tonight was different. He sighed heavily as he watched Michelle check her phone one last time before sliding it into her back pocket. They had about three minutes to spare before they had to walk out. Niall was making sure everything was set up correctly while Zayn and Cory talked to each other.

Harry gulped quietly and mustered up his usual courage. “Hey, Michelle.”

She looked up and raised her brows high. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Harry to talk to her, he was her friend after all. He looked over towards the guys, then back at her. Her curiosity grew when he chose to walk closer to her, closing their distance.

He kept his voice low as he spoke. “Do you know if Ivy is coming tonight?”

“I know that Emma’s coming.”

He nodded lightly, forcing down the lump in his throat. “But you haven’t.. talked to Ivy?”

“No, I haven’t.” She shook her head, then tilted her head to the side. “Why are you so worried about it?”

“M’not worried.” He grumbled back.

She laughed. “Sure you’re not.”

“Whatever. I just wanted to know.” He huffed out, a flush covering his cheeks. It was sort of embarrassing for him to be so gushy about someone, and it was worse to think that Michelle suspected something more was going on. “Forget it.”

“Harry.” She quickly said his name as he turned away. “She’ll probably be with Emma.”

Her hopeful comment wasn’t enough to ease his anxiety. He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t spare her a glance. He simply nodded his head and ran his hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. The owner offered them celebratory shots ten minutes ago that most of them accepted, Harry did not. He regretted that now, he needed something to distract him.

When he first got on stage and started singing, he was keeping his eyes fixed on the crowd and trying not to pick out any specific person. He was hoping to dissociate from what was going on, but as time went on, it was challenging. Harry was facing a slew of feelings. He was still very anxious, yet he was annoyed with himself for being so caught up on his thoughts. He was worried - what if she was here and she was being bothered by someone? He was on the stage and unable to be there for her. He was upset at himself for being so fixated on her, yet he couldn’t stop it.

Dissociating was his most successful process so far. They were half way through the show and he hadn’t even realized it until it was time to sing a certain song. He gulped down his anxious thoughts and started the song. Niall knew the significance of this song, so he kept his eye on Harry. He was unsure of how Harry would react.

As he sang the lyrics to “Crimson and Clover”, his eyes scanned the crowd in a different way this time. He was trying to find her, trying to catch just a glimpse of her long, pretty hair or see her smile shine as she danced. His eyes kept landing on Emma throughout his search, and just like every single time he’s looked at her tonight, she was alone. Emma wasn’t dancing with Ivy, she wasn’t singing along and grabbing her hands and jumping around - Ivy wasn't here.

He hoped that maybe she was just sitting at the bar to keep her distance from him, that would make sense. Avoiding him was not something new to her, so maybe she was trying to do that. The longer he sang into the microphone, the deeper his thoughts went and the more he convinced himself she wasn’t here at all. Not at the bar, not in the bathroom, not in the back of the crowd..

That lead to the spiraling thoughts of wondering where she could be. Was she alone at home, curled up in her bed asleep? Was she visiting her dad, maybe she was out of town and that’s why she missed the show? Or she could be out on a date, she could have moved on from him and be exploring different options. That thought made his chest go tight. He fucked up. He ruined his chance. Ivy didn’t want to be near him, she didn’t want to risk her own sanity. And he didn’t blame her.

When the show ended, Harry joined everyone at their usual spot. However, he wasn’t speaking at all. He downed two beers quicker than he should have. The goal was to get drunk, not to talk to anyone. Michelle glanced his way every now and then, aware of at least a partial reason why he was mute. She didn’t think that Ivy’s absence would affect him this much, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made.

When Emma came back from the bathroom, she sat down in between Niall and Harry. She took out her phone and started typing, the bright screen attracted Harry’s eyes. He didn’t dare read over her shoulder, he just noticed she had her phone out. She closed it after a few moments. Niall was talking to Zayn, so she was quiet next to him. Harry took the opportunity to say something.

“Emma.” He said loud enough for her to hear over the music.

She looked his way. “Yeah?”

Eye contact was too overwhelming. He looked down at his hands as he twisted one of his rings over his fingers. The scar on his skin made him frown as the memory of Ivy being so curious about it began to circle his mind. He took a deep breath and gently swallowed. Emma was being patient, giving him time to compose his words.

“How’s.. how’s Ivy doing?”

As much as she wanted to sarcastically laugh at him, she held it in and just kept her eyes on his face. She figured her staring was uncomfortable for him so that was going to be his punishment.

“Do you mean today or in general? Because lately she’s been going through it.”

He lifted his head and moved his eyes to hers. “Is she sick?”

Her brows dropped, was he clueless? “No, she’s fine.”

“Did.. did she have plans tonight?”

Emma easily caught the gist now. She pushed out a heavy breath. “No.”

“Why didn’t she come?” Harry couldn’t hold the stare anymore.

The desire to be polite to him was starting to fade. She knew all too well how Ivy had been feeling lately and it was all because of him. Emma shifted so she was facing him now, a serious look spread on her face. Harry could feel her stare burning holes through her, like daggers being thrown.

“Probably because she didn’t want to be around you.”

He nodded slowly, fully expecting that sort of response. “That makes sense, I guess.”

“A lot of sense to me.” She quickly replied.

“Is she mad at me?” He leaned up to grab the half full plastic cup he sat on the table a few minutes prior.

Emma wanted to grab him and shake some sense into him, but she knew she couldn’t do that. Not only would it be rude, but Ivy wouldn’t want her to. She knew the importance of accountability, and Harry needed to take some.

“Why are you asking me?”

He rolled his lips in for a moment. “I don’t know.”

Harry hated himself for what he did to her, for how he’s treated her since day one and for how he’s been acting now. He should’ve never done that if he knew he wasn’t going to pursue anything with her - and it’s never been his intention to make anything happen. He wasn’t good for her, she needed someone who could really love her.

Emma saw how far his frown tugged the corners of his lips down. While she was annoyed with his behavior, she had to remind herself that he was human. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone deserves respect and sympathy.

“If you want to know how she is, you have to ask her yourself, Harry.”

All he did was lightly tilt his head back, his eyes were glued to his knees and his mind was dizzy with thoughts. Shortly after her final words, Emma occupied herself with Niall and left Harry alone. For the rest of the night, they all pretty much left him to himself. He downed more beer, ordered heavier drinks, and threw back shots. He wanted to get wasted, he wanted his thoughts to vanish. He didn’t want to think about Ivy, or anything for that matter. He swallowed the alcohol faster than he was taking breaths. The intention was to forget about her.

As the early morning rolled past three o’clock, Ivy was sound alseep in her bed tucked under her covers. Her bedroom was cool, but the heat her body let out encased her in a comforting warmth. Her bedroom was quiet, in fact the entire house was. Emma told her before she left that she’d be staying at Niall’s tonight. Ivy wasn’t expecting any sort of interruption. She was glad to be in a quiet space, after all her worrying her body needed the rest and relaxation.

That sense of peace ended abruptly when the sound of her phone ringing blared throughout her bedroom. She groaned, pulling the cover over her head to shield herself from the sound. She wasn’t sure of the time, so if the sun was out she didn’t want to risk her eyes being exposed to it. The phone rang until it went to voicemail. She figured it was some sort of spam call or something along those lines. It became silent again, so she hummed to herself as she got comfortable, ready to fall back asleep.

It was short lived. Just a few minutes later, the phone was ringing for a second time. She huffed this time, annoyed by the sound. Although she had a few thoughts pop in her mind, like maybe something was wrong with Emma or it was an emergency from her dad, her brain was fuzzy and she only wanted to sleep, not entertain any particular thought.

The third time the phone rang, she sat up in her bed and started mumbling to herself, cursing the noise for waking her up. She snatched the phone off her nightstand and pulled the charger out, bringing it closer so she could see. Her eyes squinted from the bright screen, but as they came back into focus, she saw five letters that made her heart drop. Harry.

Ivy read the time, furrowing her brows as she realized how late it was. Why was he calling her this late? She ignored the call, but opened her phone to check the previous missed calls. They were indeed all from him. What if something was wrong with him? Why would he be calling her? She felt an immense amount of anxiety start to build inside of her. The what if’s kept flying into her mind, circling her brain until her heart was fluttering from the anxious feeling. What if something bad happened?

Before she could even comprehend what to do, the phone rang for a fourth time. The sight of his name displayed on the screen was fueling her worry. If he was calling her again, that meant that he needed her. Something wasn’t right. Ivy sucked in a quick breath and answered the phone, pressing it to her ear as she anticipated hearing his voice. On the other end of the call, Harry was shocked that she answered.

“Hello?”

“Ivy.” His deep voice sounded groggy, almost like he was in the midst of falling asleep or just waking up.

She closed her eyes and calmly spoke back, trying not to fall apart. “Harry, why are you calling me?”

A grunt came out before his words. “M’sorry.. I know it’s late, Ivy.”

The sound of his voice saying her name was like music to her ears - a sound so beautiful and perfect that she wished she could hear it forever. Ivy gulped and took a long pause, which made him more nervous than he already was. She could hear how hard he was breathing, but it was slow.

“It’s very late.” She finally said back. “Are.. are you okay?”

Harry hesitated at first, only because he was unsure of how to word it. The alcohol was still present in his body. His mind wasn’t clear, and his heart was overpowering everything else. There was one thing he wanted.

“M’fine.. sorta.” He managed to get a couple words out, despite it not being what he wanted to tell her.

“Sorta?” She questioned, her voice so soft and light.

He wanted to reach through the phone and take ahold of her hands, he wanted to press a kiss to her forehead and tell her how pretty she was. He melted when she used that gentle tone, her innocence and sweetness made his heart swell.

“I.. m’not hurt or anything.”

A sigh of relief softly slipped through her lips. When her eyes opened, she realized it was dark in her room. She leaned over and switched on the lamp on her nightstand, the warm glow casted onto the ceiling. Harry was quiet as he waited for her to speak. As much as he wanted to ramble to her, he knew he had to be careful. One wrong thing could mess this all up.

“Why.. why did you call then?”

He gulped loud enough for her to hear over the phone. “I.. I have a question.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “A question at three in the morning?”

“M’sorry, Ivy, I know it’s.. it’s late.” He repeated what he already said.

Ivy felt a bit of irritation start to creep in. She wasn’t angry with him at this very moment, but she was confused as to what was happening. If he was alright and unharmed, then why was he calling her? More importantly, why was he avoiding telling her the truth?

“Harry, tell me why you called or I’m going to hang up.” She kept her courage solid, not willing to risk letting him get the upper hand in any way. One thing she had to enforce when it came to Harry was her own strength.

“Please, don’t.” He whispered out.

“Harry, I’m serious.”

She wasn’t completely sure, but she thought she heard him let out a soft whine. Thinking about him being sad was causing her heart to ache. She vividly remembered, and could never forget, how special it felt to have him console her when she was upset that night. Ivy wondered if he needed her in that way now, if it were his turn to be taken care of.

Harry choked out his response, his heart was racing in his chest. “Can.. can I see you? I.. I need to talk to you.”

She sighed. “Right now?”

This time she was sure she heard the whine he let out before his words stumbled from his mouth. “Yes, please. It’s.. it’s important, Ivy. I.. I need to see you.”

Everything was surreal now. She was becoming dizzy as the thoughts stormed in her mind. Harry was being more open than he ever had been. He was admitting that he needed to see her, and she could hear the desperation in his voice. She wanted to see him as much as he needed to see her..

“Are you drunk?”

Harry sucked in a breath, his nerves getting the best of him. “Yeah.. but it doesn't matter. I need to talk to you, please.”

Ivy’s heart skipped a beat as scary thoughts crossed her mind. “Are you driving?”

“No.” He was quick to answer, not wanting her to worry about him too much. “I’m with Michelle.. we had a show tonight.”

There was a quick feeling of remorse and regret growing in her gut. Although she was successful at not thinking about it all night, she began to wonder how the show was. She imagined Emma dancing along and cheering loud for them. She was curious to know what song they started off with because it was never the same order. And of course she was curious about their slower songs, what did Harry sit down on the stool and sing to the crowd? How many songs did he play the guitar while he sang? Did Harry’s eyes look out in the crowd for her, did he scan over heads and bodies trying to find her gaze? Her stomach was churning at the thoughts - had he been expecting to see her?

Ivy finally replied, pushing out a sigh. “Can this wait until-“

“No, Ivy.” Harry interrupted, squeezing his eyes shut as he silently prayed. “Please. I’m begging you, love.”

Just as every other time he’s said the word to her, it made her heart grow until it exploded in her chest. Her mind went fuzzy and her stomach filled with giant butterflies. It was such a simple word - one she wasn’t even sure was special - yet it easily drove her wild. It made her collapse like puddy in his hands.

“Ivy.. please.” He muttered out after a few long moments of her silence.

It was hard to weigh the pros and cons of her options. She was too focused on him to worry about anything else, including what wrong could come from this. It was safe to say she really didn’t care about the possible consequences.

“Okay.”

“Really?” He blurted.

“Yeah.” She kept her voice calm and light, not wanting to give away too much of her feelings over the phone. He didn’t need to know how worried she was about him.

“Michelle’s gonna drop me off. Is.. is that okay?” His voice quietened again, he was clearly nervous.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just text me when you get here.”

Without waiting for his response, she ended the call and gripped the phone tight in her hand. She didn’t want him to get the last word - maybe that was part of her resentment towards him. He spent two weeks not communicating with her, he could survive the rest of his drive to her house.

Once Ivy realized what was actually about to happen, she climbed out of her bed and crossed her room. She put on a comfortable pair of pajama pants that didn’t really match her loose t-shirt, but she didn’t care as long as she was covered. She made her way into the living room where she turned on the lamp by the couch and sat down on the cushion, waiting somewhat patiently for her phone to ding.

Her eyes trailed over to the chair that Harry claimed as his spot while he stayed the weekend with her that time. The memories easily came to the forefront of her mind - he was so quiet and respectful while he was here. He watched the television with her mindlessly or sometimes focused depending on the show or movie, he sat at her kitchen table, he used her sink sponge, he touched the items in her refrigerator. He left his mark on everything in her house, including her.

Ivy opened the camera on her phone and looked at herself, hoping that she didn’t look worn out or ugly. Her hair was a bit messy, but she had it pushed over her shoulders. She let her lips shape to a soft smile as she thought about the night Harry touched her hair to move it for her. She liked the way it felt to have someone else’s fingers glide against her hair, especially Harry’s fingers. A sudden noise made her jump. A text message popped onto her screen, all of this was about to become very real for her. This wasn’t a dream.

Harry: I’m here

She didn’t reply, instead she moved her eyes to the door. She waited quietly, not sure how long it would take him to reach it. The house was extremely quiet, it was almost eerie. Her nerves were getting worked up as she sat there frozen on the couch. The sound his knuckles created against the door sounded amplified. She stood up and adjusted her shirt as she walked to the door, there was no going back now. If she really wanted to ignore him and forget this idea, she could simply turn around and go back to her room and leave him at the door. But that would be such a cruel thing to do. She wanted to see him, she just didn’t want to admit it to herself.

When she opened the door, she was met with his broad frame. The glow of the light outside of the door covered him, his saddened face shining in the yellow gleam. A frown was settled over his lips, his eyes weren’t wide open and his brows were limp on his forehead.

“Ivy.” He muttered her name out softly, afraid to speak too loudly to her.

She licked her lips and looked him up and down. He was in his usual attire, a dark colored tee and a pair of black jeans. She expected nothing different when it came to his clothes. And although it wasn’t necessarily cold outside, his leather jacket was tight on his arms. She gulped quietly, pushing down all the mixed emotions.

“Come inside.” She gestured with a nod of her head.

Harry dropped his eyes to his feet as he stepped over the threshold. He couldn’t believe that she was allowing this to happen. He knew he had one chance and he couldn’t fuck it up. There would be no way she would be able to forgive him if he did. Ivy shut the door behind him and turned the lock, chewing on her cheek as she watched him walk a few feet away from her. He was almost stumbling over his own feet.

“Hey, are you okay?” She appeared in front of him, her small hand reaching out to touch his elbow.

He was slightly hunched over, his head low and his arms seemingly weak by his sides. He grunted and lifted his eyes to look at her, surprised that she touched him but so grateful that she did.

“I’ve.. been trying to.. to sober up.”

Ivy nodded lightly, sliding her hand down to his wrist. He moved his eyes to witness it for himself. She carefully grabbed onto his hand, but she didn’t lace their fingers. She kept it loose, in case he wanted to pull back from her. She doubted he would, though.

“Do you want to sit down?”

Harry’s brows furrowed as he thought about her question. He had stopped drinking almost an hour ago, but the amount he consumed was more than he normally had and it was getting to him. He shrugged lightly before deciding to squeeze her hand. She liked the gesture, but she chose not to return it.

“Harry, look at me.” She reached up to nudge his chin with the side of her finger.

He sighed, but obliged with her command. When his eyes met hers, it was so easy to tell she was concerned. He felt his pulse go haywire as he stared into her pretty eyes. He missed her so much, missed looking at her and seeing her eyes sparkle.

“M’sorry m’drunk.” His voice was almost a slur.

“It’s fine. You just need some water and a snack.”

He shook his head. “No, I.. I wanna talk to you.”

“You can talk to me after I make sure you’re okay.” Ivy finally squeezed his hand back, that alone made his mood shift. He wanted to pick her up and twirl her around, but he didn’t have the stability to do that right now. “Are you tired?”

“A bit, yeah.” He nodded, but then he frowned. “But, but I.. want to talk, Ivy, not sleep.”

She let a soft laugh escape. “I know, we will.”

“Where are we going?” He asked as she started to walk, tugging him behind her.

“You seem dizzy and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

He groaned slightly. “I won’t get hurt.”

“Shh, or I’ll make you go home.” She warned, slightly joking with him.

He smiled gently to himself, confused as to what she was doing but he was going along with it. He looked around as he walked the familiar path down her hallway. He had wished that weekend with her lasted a lot longer than it did, and now he’s glad he’s back. When she got to her bedroom, she opened the door and immediately guided him to her bed.

Harry’s eyes began to look around the room, it was foreign to him as he was forbidden from entering it during his stay. Ivy pointed to the bed, silently instructing him to sit down. He did as she wanted and let his head fall back so he could see her. She gave him a light smile and looked down at his feet.

“Take your shoes off. I’m going to go get you some water and something to eat.”

Just as she let go of his hand, he grunted and quickly spoke back. “Wait, am I.. am I staying here?”

“Well, I’m not driving this late at night and.. I figured you’d rather stay the night than find a way home.” She crossed her arms over her chest loosely, her eyes looking straight into his. “No funny business, though.”

“I.. I can stay on the couch.” He tried to stand up, but she grabbed his shoulder to push him back down.

“For now, stay here. We can talk when I get back, then I’ll get you a blanket for the couch.”

Harry didn’t say anything back, he was unsure of how this would go. When Ivy left the room, he let his curiosity get the best of him. He wasn’t sure what her room looked like before tonight. He had his wonders and his assumptions, but what he saw was more than he imagined. He figured she had a lot of girly things, maybe mostly pink or a chic white that matched everything. He was somewhat on the right path.

Her room was rather large, enough for her king sized bed to fit nicely while still having plenty of room. Her bed was tucked into the corner, and it was filled with more than just pillows and blankets. She had a collection of stuffed animals of varying sizes perfectly placed in the corner of the bed. They expanded out and against the wall, almost to the foot of the bed. Harry twisted his body as he looked around the room. He was amazed by all the different stuffed animals she had. Some were big and round, almost like thick pillows, while others were smaller and tucked tight against each other. When he looked at her pillow, he didn’t expect to see the pig he got her sitting there. It looked as though she abandoned it when she got up. Maybe she was sleeping with it cuddled against her? He hoped that was the case.

She had a few plants in her window that looked to be thriving and healthy. There were several little random things sitting next to the plants, including a small geode, a fairy figurine, and a glass jar full of buttons. He thought it was adorable, her mix of random odds and ends. She had a tall bookcase that was mostly full of things, only one shelf housed books. It was evident that she liked to collect random things. Most of the items seemed to be older or of a certain style. Harry felt as though he could discover something new every time he made his rounds in the room. There were things tucked here and there. Her vanity was neatly organized, aside from a few makeup products left out. He wondered what her routine was. Was it quick and easy or was it complicated and lengthy? His favorite thing, though, was a small, decorative glass dish on her nightstand that was placed next to her lamp. It was home to something familiar, something he recognized the moment his eyes landed on it. There in the small dish laid the guitar pick he had given her as a keepsake. It made his heart shake as he realized she kept it so close to her. It seemed like a safe spot for it, somewhere she could leave it and not worry about it. He knew she’d keep it safe. As he was scanning his eyes over the pattern of her rug, the door opened.

“I got you a banana.” She said with a soft sigh as she reached him, handing him the bottle of water and the piece of fruit she picked out.

He took them and started to peel open the banana. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Ivy sat down next to him, almost close enough for their bodies to touch. “If it’s not enough, you can have something else.”

Harry bit a piece off, chewing slowly as his headache started to pound harder. He closed his eyes to avoid the light, even though the lamp wasn’t bright it was enough to irritate him. Ivy watched him with worried eyes, not sure if he was going to pass out or throw up whatever his stomach was holding on to.

“Do you feel bad?” She asked quietly, her hand touching his thigh as she leaned closer, their arms brushing together.

“M’alright.”

She breathed out, not believing him. “Your face is red. Are you hot?”

“Little bit.” He mumbled back.

Ivy jumped up and walked towards the door. She flicked the switch, then went to pull the chain of her ceiling fan, turning the light off but leaving the blades spinning. She hoped that would help him some.

“Take this off.” Her hand touched his arm, her skin pressing against the leather jacket.

He finished off the banana, dropping the peel in her hand as she extended her palm to him. She tossed it in the small trash bin next to her vanity, not caring about taking it to the kitchen right now. Ivy kept herself a few feet away as Harry tugged the jacket off his body. He smiled to himself as she took it and laid it gently over her vanity chair.

“Now, that should help.” She returned to her spot next to him.

Being able to feel the cool air against his now exposed skin was actually relieving. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back messily. The motion made Ivy chew on her cheek. He was always so attractive in her eyes.

“Can, um, can we talk now?” Harry turned his head towards her, glad to see her sparkling eyes were already looking his way.

“I guess so.”

He didn’t know exactly how to say what he wanted to, so he took a long moment to think it through. He didn’t want to mess it up and ruin things with her again. She was too important to lose. Ivy was patient with him, understanding that not only was he upset, but his mind was juggling the alcohol, too. He realized he was staring at her leg, so he looked back up. The glimmer in her eyes made his heart flutter.

“I’m sorry I.. I haven’t talked to you.” He pushed out the words nervously. “I was.. kind of.. afraid.”

She licked her lips and swallowed softly. “I didn’t think you could be afraid of anything.”

The gentle smile on her mouth made his tension ease. “When it comes to you, I am.”

“You really hurt my feelings, Harry. I was.. very upset.”

His brows dropped and a frown tugged on his lips. “I know I did. I’m sorry.”

“Why were you afraid?” She wasn’t going to let him off that easily. She wanted to know the details and the reasoning behind his decision.

Harry tore his eyes away from her. He couldn’t stomach looking at her while talking about this. He was ashamed and upset at himself, and disappointing her made him feel terrible.

“Because I.. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to risk it. M’not good for you.”

Ivy trailed her gaze down to Harry’s hands. He was twisting one of his rings around his finger. It was evident that he was nervous and probably embarrassed. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who willingly admitted their feelings - she knew he wasn’t normally doing things like this. Although the whole situation hurt her, she couldn’t get past how he was battling this. She felt bad that he was so nervous. Ivy wanted him to fully trust her, to know she was right here.

“Why do you think that?”

The laugh he let out wasn’t humorous. “It’s pretty obvious I’m shit at treating you right.” He shook his head lightly as he pulled one of the rings off to push it down on another finger. He was trying to distract himself, but Ivy’s presence was making that impossible to achieve.

“You weren’t shit the other night. You were pretty good at it.”

He exhaled, not sure what to do. “Was I though? I didn’t talk to you after. I should have.”

“Well, I agree. You should have. But.. you were there for me when you didn’t have to be.” Ivy shifted her upper body so she was facing him, her hand moved to his forearm.

He looked over at her hand, noticing the perfectly painted pink polish on her nails. Her skin was the softest thing he’d ever felt. That night she held onto his hand like he’d slip away any moment was something he cherished. He missed the feeling of her skin.

“I know it’s kinda scary. I.. I was afraid to let myself open up to you, but when I did it felt so good. Like you were the only person I wanted to be around.” She pressed the pads of her fingers into his skin, careful not to let her nails sink into his flesh. “We don’t have to be scared anymore, Harry.”

When she said his name, he bit down on his tongue and tried to control the tingles running through his body. She was the one thing he wanted, the one thing he’d go to the ends of the earth to save. He wanted her, but the fear was strong. Ruining her was his biggest fear.

“I’m going to hurt you, Ivy.”

She squeezed his arm. “Why are you saying that?”

“Because I know it’s true.”

Harry immediately felt a punch to his gut as she let go of his arm. He wanted to beg her to put her hand back, to grip him even tighter. She didn’t move away, though. Her eyes stayed glued to the side of his face.

“If you don’t want to try, then just tell me, Harry.” Her voice wasn’t as soft as before, she was being serious. “I can’t keep.. running in the same circles.”

The thought of losing her to another person was heartbreaking. If he told her he couldn’t do this or didn’t want to, then she’d give up and let it go. She’d move on. She’d start by telling him to go home and never talk to her again. It was the scariest thought in his mind. He couldn’t lose her again, not forever.

“Of course I want to, Ivy. I don’t.. don’t wanna keep trying to.. to ignore you.” Harry fought the desire to reach for her hand. Even while telling her he wanted to do this with her, he was hesitant to make a move.

“Then let’s stop. I hate this stupid game.” Her voice fell back to a soft whisper.

“Can you.. forgive me?” He returned his eyes to hers, the world stopped spinning. “I wouldn’t blame you if you couldn’t.”

Ivy couldn’t help but to get lost in his eyes. She recalled the very first time she saw them. Nothing was as special as the night he was singing on stage with his gaze glued to her. It was easy to remember how bubbly her stomach was and how fast her heart raced that night. She thought about how worried he looked when she told him some stranger had approached her. But with every good memory, there were bad ones to consider. The night the cup of beer was accidentally spilt on her, his eyes were full of anger and rage. The time at the restaurant when he called her out for staring at him, his eyes were cold and harsh. She wondered if she could ease that anger, calm the rage, and tame the arrogance. She knew he could laugh and joke around. She knew he could grin and smirk. She knew he had joy in him, that he had happiness. She’s seen it first hand, felt the warmth of his smile, experienced the sweetness in his tone and the concern in his eyes. Ivy knew she could love him if he let her.

“Tell me something first.” She finally whispered, carefully placing her hand back on his arm.

He nodded, glancing down at her hand. Her skin was colder than usual, but he figured the temperature in the room was to blame.

“Be honest with me.” She started with a sigh, which made him wary. “Did you hate me when we first met?”

Harry gulped gently, hoping she couldn’t hear or notice his throat move. He licked his lips, his eyes fixated on hers. She wasn’t making it easy to stare at her - her gorgeous features always made him feel immense amounts of admiration.

“No, I never hated you. Not once.” Harry said truthfully.

“Then why did you act like you did?”

He shrugged lightly, the answer was complicated to understand himself, he was sure he couldn’t explain it correctly to her. He chose the best answer, making it quick while still being honest.

“I was jealous.. and I didn’t know how to talk to you.”

Ivy’s brows furrowed slightly. “Jealous?”

“Everyone kept your attention. I felt like I didn’t have a chance. Plus.. some people seem to like you in more ways than others.” His response was genuine and it made her smile a little.

“It’s hard to believe you couldn’t tell I was.. sort of fascinated by you. I would’ve talked to you for hours if you wanted me to.” Ivy slid her hand down some, covering his wrist but stopping before she reached his hand.

“I wanted to believe you were.. but I wasn’t sure. After a while, I knew you’d probably give me your attention.. but I was stupid.” Harry considered asking her to hold his hand, but he didn’t want to seem weird.

“I wish you would’ve tried.” Ivy felt a pinch in her heart. “But I could’ve tried more, too.”

He grunted. “You were nice to me a lot.. when you shouldn’t have been. It’s my fault.”

“Tried my best, I guess.”

Harry went quiet for a couple of long moments. He just stared at her like he’d never see again. Every detail of her face was captured by his brain - he wanted to remember every single inch of her face. She felt a layer of blush rise to her cheeks. Ivy nervously laughed and looked down at her lap. Now was his chance to tell her what he’s wanted to say this entire time, what he should’ve made clear the other night. She deserved to know how special she was, how much she mattered to him.

He reached over with his other hand to gently grab her chin between his thumb and index finger. He tilted her head back towards him, their eyes locking. Her breathing became more rapid as the anxiety began to creep through her veins. She wasn’t sure what to expect but she hoped it was going to be good. She couldn’t handle any more sadness.

His voice was low and deep as it rolled through the air, causing goosebumps to cover her skin. “You mean everything to me.. and I’m sorry if I ever made you think that you didn’t matter.”

“You did.. a lot.” Her lips fell, it was hard to admit it to his face but she knew he had to hear it.

He nodded back, already aware of his mistakes. “I know, and I’ll spend the rest of life trying to make it up to you. I’m sorry, Ivy.”

She finally moved her hand down to his, slipping her fingers around his palm. “I forgive you,”

“You don’t have to.” He furrowed his brows. As much as he wanted her to, he didn’t think he deserved her forgiveness.

She playfully rolled her eyes and leaned forward to place a kiss to his cheek. “But I do.”

“You’re too sweet to me, love.” He smiled when she kissed his dimple a second time.

“Just showing you that it’s possible for someone to be sweet to you.” Her light giggle made his smile grow.

“I like it, I know that for sure.” His fingertips traced her jaw bone as he moved his hand, settling it on the side of her neck just below her ear.

She nuzzled further into his touch, enjoying the way it made her feel. Ivy’s lips pecked a kiss to his chin, almost brushing his lips but she didn’t dare do that.

He rubbed his thumb over her skin. “Such a sweet girl, hm?”

“Sometimes.”

“Most of the time.” He clarified, his lips touching her cheek as he spoke. “Can.. can I kiss you?”

Ivy let out a quick breath, followed by a bigger smile and a soft laugh. “Please do.”

Harry molded his lips to hers and instantly sparks went off. He was gentle with her, paying attention to how she moved and reacted to him. The last thing he wanted was to move too quickly and scare her off. Ivy let go of his hand and grabbed onto his waist, squeezing him hard as she let out a soft moan. Since his hand was free, he slipped his arm around her body, pulling her forward. They moved in sync for a few minutes, softly pecking each other’s mouths and laughing between breaths. Harry had never kissed someone so gently before, aside from the first time he kissed her. It was magical and beautiful to him, everything was soft and sweet. It made him appreciate it more. It was special.

Ivy leaned back as she exhaled, but she didn’t go far. They stared at each other for a long moment, then returned to the kisses. This time, Harry held them longer and deeper. He wanted to ease her into doing more without scaring her. He didn’t know what her experience entailed.

A groan slipped out of his mouth as her hand found its way to his face. She held his cheek, keeping his mouth glued to hers. They were both lost in bliss, neither of them stuck dealing with their thoughts right now. Everything was perfect and just the way they imagined. Ivy felt some relief as Harry’s tongue gently poked out, silently testing the waters. When she didn’t pull away, he took that as permission. Her lips parted and his tongue slowly entered her mouth. She sunk her nails through the fabric of his shirt, anchoring into his body as he ran his tongue over hers.

Harry heard every single whimper and soft moan she let out, and he enjoyed every sound. He went on for as long as she wanted, letting her run her hand down his chest and around to his back. He let her do whatever she wanted. Her fingertips lurked around to the nape of his neck, twisting in his hair. That pulled a grunt deep from his throat, his stomach twisting as he fought back his stronger feelings. He didn’t want to push this too far.

After a couple of minutes of swapping tongue control and moaning lightly to each other, Ivy broke the kiss and left a few pecks on his mouth before pulling back. Her hand slid back to his neck then down, dropping onto his leg while the other still held his waist. He licked his wet lips and smirked as he caught her eyes. Her face was flushed and her gaze was starry.

“You’re good at that.” He whispered, letting a low laugh follow.

She grinned back. “As I’ve been told.”

Harry bit down on his lip, wishing he was back in her mouth. “Sweet but still sassy, hm?”

“Have to keep you on your toes.” Ivy dropped her eye in a wink.

“You’re good at that, too.” He placed a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth, making her blush even harder. “Thank you for letting me apologize and talk to you.”

She gave him a cheeky smile. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“That sounds familiar, hm?” He teased back, picking up on her cute joke.

“I’m glad we talked. This is how it should’ve been before.” She said through a sigh, keeping a smile on her face so he knew she wasn’t sad anymore.

“I know, but we’ll keep it this way from now on.”

“Sounds like a deal to me.”

Harry took a slow, deep breath and held it for a few seconds before pushing it out. He let go of her, bringing his hands to his thighs. Ivy wasn’t sure why he was moving away from her, but when he suddenly stood up she quickly joined him.

“I guess it’s time for me to head to the couch.” He nodded his head towards her bedroom door.

She felt a lump forming in her throat, but she pushed it down and stayed confident. “You don’t have to.. unless you want to.”

He really couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was she insisting he stay in her room and sleep in the bed with her? He didn’t want to assume anything, so he made sure to clarify.

“Do you want me to go in there?”

She shook her head shyly, her eyes falling down. “No, but.. if you want to, that’s fine.”

Harry chuckled as he took hold of her hand, giving her a comforting squeeze. “I’ll stay here with you.. I’d be honored to.”

“Okay.” A sweet smile covered her lips as she picked her head up to look at him.

“I’ll keep my clothes on.” He mumbled, glancing down at the fabrics latching onto his body.

Ivy couldn’t manage to get any words out, she was too embarrassed by him saying that. She couldn’t resist imagining him without a shirt on. She wondered what hid beneath the fabric.

“I’ll do what you tell me to do.” Harry said as he watched her eyes move over to the bed.

“There should be enough room.. with all my stuff.” She scanned over the plushies and roughly calculated the amount of space they had available.

“You don’t have to move anything for me.”

Ivy heard him but she ignored his comment. She climbed on the bed, moving on her hands and knees. She sat down and started to shift a few of the larger ones closer to the wall, creating more space for herself. She preferred to sleep in the middle of the bed, so she was leaving the outside open for him. Her legs slipped under the blankets before she looked back to him. He gave her a smile, amused by the precision she used to place the stuffed animals.

“Are you okay with the outside?”

Harry grabbed his belt buckle. “Whatever works for you, love.”

“What are you doing?” She chirped, her eyes widening as she watched him pull the belt through the loops.

He let out a light laugh. “Just taking this off so m’not laying on it. Is that alright?”

Her racing heart relaxed as she understood what he was doing. “Yeah, sorry.”

“It’s fine. I know it’s.. weird and unexpected. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m okay.” She assured him with a smile and a nod, then she patted the open space beside her. “Get comfy.”

Harry pulled each ring off his hands and carefully placed them on her nightstand. She had seen him wear more before, but tonight it was just a total of four. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it back, his eyes glancing down at the white sheet. He wasn’t expecting this to happen at all. He never would’ve imagined this option would be in the cards for him. With a gentle sigh, he got into her bed.

Ivy stayed still as he got situated, and once he was comfortable she laid down on her side to face him. There was space between them, but it felt like there was none at all. The reality of him being in her bed next to her was pumping her brain full of intense thoughts. Harry was in her bedroom laying next to her..

He was on his back with one arm resting over his stomach and the other folded underneath his head. His eyes were on her, though. The glow from the lamp casted a golden light over her, illuminating her features beautifully.

“Sorry you have to see all my stupid stuff.” She said in a mumble to break the silence.

He furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“My plushies and my crap all over the room.” She rolled her eyes at herself.

It wasn’t that she hated her belongings, it was just sort of embarrassing for her. Her bedroom was her most private space and allowing someone into it was not something she was used to. Emma was the only person who had experience being in here.

Harry was entertained by the annoyance she had with herself. “You have all these things for a reason.. I assume they mean something to you, yeah?”

“Yeah.. I’d say so.” She shrugged back.

He stared into her dazzling eyes for a moment, easily distracted by them. “Then it’s not stupid stuff. You love these little things.”

“It’s mostly silly things.”

Harry smiled. “Silly things you love.”

She became silent as her cheeks kept a hold of a thick layer of blush she couldn’t seem to get rid of at all. Harry kept his stare on her while she looked down, keeping her eyes away from his. It was so easy to feel his eyes, to feel the burning of her skin as he fixated on her.

He wasn’t sure if she wanted to keep talking or if she was tired. Her eyes weren’t struggling to stay open, so maybe she wasn’t sleepy just yet. A thousand thoughts flooded his mind, but he focused on only a few. He wanted to hear her voice, wanted her to talk his ears off. Without contemplating any further, he turned himself onto his side to face her, his arm sneaking under the pillow. His other hand dropped to rest on the mattress, capturing her attention. She stared at it for a long moment, wondering if she should grab it or not.

“Y’know.. I missed you at the show tonight.” Harry’s low tone made her toes curl, she loved the sound of his voice.

She darted her eyes back to his. “Well, I didn’t figure you’d want me there.. so I chose to stay home.”

“I messed up big time, hm?” He sighed out slowly, regretting so much while still being thankful for this moment and everything that happened tonight. “Hopefully you’ll come to the next one.”

She nervously laughed at his wink. “If I’m invited, of course.”

Harry moved his hand across the space between them and slid it beneath hers. “This is your invitation.”

Ivy smiled sweetly as he squeezed her hand. She chose to let him go, only so she could guide his hand where she wanted it. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be okay with whatever she wanted him to do. She placed his hand on her waist and let her fingers fall from his skin. He shaped his hand to her form and held her tight, glad to know she was wanting this from him.

She didn’t verbally acknowledge her actions. “Did you sing any new songs?”

“Yeah.. I sang one for you.. thought I’d see your pretty eyes in the crowd.” His lips turned to a smirk when she shied away from his stare.

“What song?”

“Lips of an Angel.. when I heard your karaoke rendition I figured you liked that song.” He tried to catch her gaze but she was purposely denying him of it.

“I love that song.. I’m sorry I missed it.”

“I’ll play it for you next time.” He squeezed her waist, getting her attention.

“Promise?” Her eyes moved to his finally after her tricks.

“Promise.”

There was only thing circling Ivy’s mind, and that was that she wanted to feel his lips on hers again. She wanted to kiss him until the world ended. The desire was burning inside of her, she was becoming impatient with her own thoughts. Harry believed he was good at catching every micro change in her expressions, so he noticed when she was suddenly distracted. He lowered his hand just a tiny bit on her waist, trying his best to get her attention. As her eyes shifted back to his, he gave her a soft smile. Before he could get anything out, she spoke.

“Harry.. can you..” The words were quiet, and the pause was not part of her plan. That confidence she thought she possessed had burned out, or at least vanished for now. She was nervous again.

“I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” Harry reminded her as he watched her tongue poke out to coat her lips.

She pulled in a breath, then mustered up enough strength to ask him. “Can you come closer?”

“Yeah.” He was quick to reply.

Ivy felt the warmth radiating off his body come closer to her as he shifted over on the mattress. They were still apart, though. She didn’t think that would be enough to hold her over. She moved her hand onto his forearm, circling her fingers around him. Harry could tell she wanted to say something else, but she was anxious.

“Want me closer?” He decided to just ask her to make it easier for her.

She lifted the corners of her mouth, her eyes peering into his. “Please.”

He obliged and scooted closer to her, leaving just a few small inches between their bodies. Ivy’s heart grew ten times bigger as she realized how close they were. There was a relief that came with it. She felt safer now. If there was anything she was sure of, it was that Harry would do anything to protect her.. whether they were in a crowded bar or not.

“Is this better?” He asked, also noticing how much closer they were now. Her face was aligned with his, and the need to kiss her was trying to take over.

She grunted lightly. “A bit closer.”

Ivy was the one to move this time, fully closing the space. Her chest softly pushed into his, and at first she was hesitant about the feeling, but she quickly let it go. There were more important things to focus on in her mind. Harry’s hand slipped to the small of her back as he held her body against his own.

“Is this okay?”

He nodded lightly. “Perfect.”

“You’re so warm.” She whispered as her eyelids fell shut, she was soaking up every second of it.

Harry gently touched his lips to her chin, the heat of her breath fanned over his skin. “You’re quite the cuddle bug, hm?”

She put on a shy smile, burying her face into his. “Guess so.. never done this before.”

“Neither have I.”

Ivy dropped her brows, not fully believing him. “Really?”

“This is too personal and intimate.. never done this with anyone.”

She swallowed carefully, hoping not to make an audible noise. “Too personal?”

“It’s not a bad thing with you, love. I didn’t care about anyone else. I’d cuddle you forever, sweet girl.” Harry was more clear with his words this time, not wanting her to think that she wasn’t worth it.

“Don’t cuddle with anyone else ever.”

He chuckled back, his lips pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Only you.”

“Can you kiss me again?” The question flew from her mouth before she wanted it to, which made her cheeks glow red and her eyes squeeze shut.

Harry licked his lips and smirked lightly. “You can kiss me, too, y’know.”

He didn’t expect her to flutter her eyes open, but being this close made it so intense. She bit down on her cheek, just staring at him as he pecked her cheek again. She wanted to swallow his tongue, wanted to get so lost in his mouth that she would forget it was real.

“I like it when you do it first.” She uttered back, her lips barely moving as she spoke.

Harry didn’t want to tease her anymore, although he liked it when she was on the edge. He put his mouth on hers and instantly everything changed. This kiss felt different, it felt more intense and real. They were laying in her bed together, their bodies touching and their mouths connected. It felt like a dream.

As he brought his other arm out from under his head to wrap around her, she snuck her hands onto his body. One was pressed on the side of his neck as the other crawled down his torso until it landed on his waist. She could feel every curve and dip of his toned body through the fabric of his shirt, and the heat of his skin was burning hot. Harry lost his hand in the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her long hair and grunting loud as he pushed his tongue as far as it would go into her mouth. She enjoyed every second of it, every touch and sound and bump of their bodies hitting together.

Ivy’s chest was pushing into his and he couldn’t help but to feel the hardness of her nipples grow. He tried hard to ignore it, but they were literally against him and it was difficult. The kiss grew sloppier than the previous one had been. Ivy fought for control of his mouth and after a few giggles and scratches of her nails, he let her have it. She exploded his mouth, pulling moans from his throat that made a small damp spot form on her underwear. She had never felt this way before, never felt like she was going to melt into someone’s arms. If she never kissed anyone again, she’d be fine with Harry being her last.

Her mind was so boggled and dizzy that she didn’t realize her leg was lifting to rest over his. Harry was reading her body, trying his best to determine what she wanted. He was confident that she was giving him signals, that she wanted more to happen. He was going with the flow he thought she was giving out. He grabbed her waist, just above her hip, and pushed her back. His elbow dug into the bed as he tried to get above her. But just as he managed to get a leg between hers, she came to her senses and started shaking her head, pulling herself from his mouth. Her hand shot to his chest as he tried to push him away.

“No, Harry, stop.”

He immediately froze and let go of her. He leaned back, tracing his eyes over her face to get her expression. She was frowning and her brows were low, and worse of all she had tears swelling in her eyes.

“I can’t.. not now, I’m sorry.” Ivy’s bottom lip started to quiver.

Harry shook his head and reached up to touch her jaw. “Don’t get upset, baby. It’s okay. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”

He swore he saw twinkles in her eyes as they widened. She didn’t care about anything that he said except one specific word. It made her heart stop and her stomach fall, did he actually say that? Harry was getting nervous as she just gazed at him, almost like she couldn’t believe what was happening.

“B-baby?” She muttered out.

“Do you not want me to call you that? M’sorry.”

Her frustrated frown turned up to a smile. “No, I do. I.. I do.”

“Yeah?” He said with a gentle laugh, amazed by her reactions to him.

It was just literal moments ago that she was scared and worried, now she’s being the cutest thing he’s ever seen. Her hand reached up to his neck, pulling him down to her mouth. She laid a few kisses on his lips, then one to both of his dimples. He grinned when she let him go.

“Yeah.” She assured him.

“Then you’re my baby, hm?” He planted a kiss on her forehead before looking back into her pretty eyes. Her emotions were swirled thick, he still wasn’t quite sure how she was feeling. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pressure you.”

“It’s okay, I know.” Ivy said through a brief.

He furrowed his brows, sort of irritated by his own actions. “Got a bit ahead of m’self.”

“Me, too.” She smiled back, letting her teeth show for a second as she laughed.

“I don’t want to rush anything with you. Take your time, okay?” He made sure his tone was serious so she knew he wasn’t trying to do anything she wasn’t ready for.

“Okay.”

Harry moved back to his previous spot, his hand returning to her waist. She seemed fine with the arrangement as she snuggled closer to him again, hiding her face in his neck. When she moved her arm between their bodies, Harry was confused by what she was doing. She covered her own chest, separating their bodies.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry. I.. it won’t stop.” Ivy whined as she tried her best to get her nipples to relax.

“What’s the matter?”

“My.. my boobs.” She sighed out, not wanting to directly say it.

Harry smiled and held in a laugh, he didn’t want her to think he was making fun of her. “You’re fine, love. Just a natural reaction.”

A huff passed her lips. “It’s embarrassing.”

“I didn’t mind it. That showed me I was doing something right. You don’t have to hide unless you want to.” He had a way of talking that just made her entire body relax. Any worry she had subsided, he knew exactly what to say and how to say it.

“Having my arm like this isn’t comfortable.” She admitted.

“Then put it down. You’re fine.” Harry’s hand moved to gently touch her elbow, insisting she relax her body.

They went silent for a short time, both of them just staring at the other. Harry’s eyes were half hooded as his body began to slowly crash down. He was exhausted, but he was trying to stay active for her. Even after their heated exchange of physical contact, he was tired. Ivy kept looking at the chain around his neck. After a few minutes of just admiring the metal against his skin, she let her curiosity take over. Her hand moved up to his collar, her fingers dipping under his shirt. Harry’s eyes opened as he felt her tugging the pendant out of his shirt. She rubbed the cross slowly, feeling the smooth texture of the metal against her skin.

“Curious little cat, hm?” Harry hummed, the vibrations from his throat sounded loud to her ears.

She rolled in her lips as she stared at the cross for a little while longer before letting it fall. “Harry.”

“Yeah?”

Ivy leaned forward to leave a kiss on his chin. “I like kissing you.. a lot.”

A smile yanked his lips up. “Yeah? You’ve got nice lips.”

“Mhm.” She nodded gently when he moved his eyes to meet hers. “And I.. like it when you touch me. Feel so safe when you do that.”

Harry returned the gesture and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, making her curl her body closer into his. “I’ll always keep you safe.”

His hand shaped to the curve of her lower back, securing her body in place. He wasn’t sure how she slept, if she was the kind of person who tossed and turned or if she got settled in one spot and stayed there until morning. It was exciting to know he’d find out soon, that he’d wake up to see her in the morning. Ivy pushed her face back into his neck, her lips leaving a kiss on the base of his throat.

“Promise you’ll still be here when I wake up?” She mumbled out quietly.

He kissed her head, her hair slightly sticking to his lips. “I promise. I have to get some good morning kisses.”

“We’ll see about that. Goodnight, Harry.” Her words were followed by a yawn, he knew it was over for her. She would be fast asleep before she realized.

“Goodnight, Ivy. Sweet dreams.”

—•—

It wasn’t exactly early in the morning when Ivy started to stir, waking up from her deep sleep. She grunted slightly as she felt an incredible warmth engulfing her, the same heat that kept her cozy all night. Her eyes finally peeled open. A gentle sigh left her mouth as she was met with an incredibly close view of Harry’s neck. It was hard to believe it all wasn’t some crazy, elaborate dream. It was real. He was in her bed with her, sleeping peacefully with his arms locked around her body.

The sun snuck in through the blinds and half drawn back curtains. She didn’t dare move her body to check the time, she didn’t care about that. If she moved, she’d disturb Harry and she knew he needed as much rest as possible. Not only did he have a show the night before that wore him out, but he consumed a lot of alcohol and exhausted himself. She wanted him to sleep longer.

As he laid there asleep, she couldn’t help but stare at him. Now was her perfect chance to get an uninterrupted look at every inch of him. Ivy wanted to take note of every detail of his face, look over every little thing to memorize it. So she did just that. For what felt like forever, she observed his skin. She was familiar with his face, but she did take notice of a few small things she hadn’t seen before. When she moved her eyes down his neck, she felt a jolt inside of her at the sight of the structure hiding beneath his skin. Veins, muscles, bones. He was beautiful in every way to her.

What captured her attention the most, though, was his arm. She slowly snuck her hand up to his bicep where she pushed back the cover and started to run her eyes over his tattoos. She’s seen his arms plenty of times before, but she never had the chance to actually look at the ink buried into his skin. Ivy practically held her breath in order to stay calm and quiet. She tried not to make a sound. In addition to his tattoos, his toned muscles wrapped tight by his skin made her heart beat faster than usual. He was attractive in every way possible.

She didn’t really know what hid under his sleeve. She couldn’t recall ever seeing that area of his arm. Her fingers lightly touched his skin, just enough so she could push them up against the fabric. It raised with her movements, scrunching up as she moved it up his arm. She wasn't sure how far she could get it without being a pest and disturbing his slumber, but she tested the limits. A faint grunt came from him as she shoved the sleeve up even further. Ivy paused, her eyes shooting to his to make sure they were still closed. The tiny space between his parted lips hadn’t changed and his eyes were sealed, she was certain that he was asleep.

A smile formed over her lips as she scanned over the tattoos she hadn’t seen before. It made her curiosity about the rest of his body grow. Did he have tattoos on this part of his other arm? Were his legs home to any ink? Was his back free of anything or was it covered? She wanted to know, and she hoped that one day soon she’d find out. Once she made a mental note of the tattoos, she rested her hand on his arm and slowly inched it back down to his elbow. She couldn’t remember a time when she was more gentle than right now. Her eyes were trained on his arm so intensely that she didn’t catch him waking up.

Harry first thought he was imagining something touching him. Maybe it was just the blanket moving on his skin? But he quickly realized there was actually something moving against his skin. When he barely opened his eyes, just enough for him to see through his lashes, he saw that Ivy was in fact awake and touching him. He recognized the feeling of her fingertips on his skin, of her hand moving down his arm. Her pretty eyes were locked elsewhere, not looking his way at all. A subtle smile crept on his lips as he watched her. She seemed to be very focused on what she was feeling and staring at. He wondered what was going through her mind. Was she patiently waiting for him to wake up or was she savoring the silence and opportunity to admire him without being watched? He assumed it was both. Ivy drug her hand further down his arm, rubbing over his elbow before she stopped it again, at the top of his forearm. She was hardly applying any pressure, which created a tingly feeling on his skin.

After a few more moments of watching her, he started to wake up more. He didn’t want to startle her, so he carefully began to move. He slid his hand a few inches up her back, grunting as he leaned his head forward. She had created a little distance when she chose to observe him. Ivy shot her eyes to his face, not expecting to see his eyes. He smiled lightly, still trying to wake up fully.

“Good morning.” She whispered sweetly as she kissed his chin.

He went in for a kiss, but instead of her cheek he opted for her lips. She smiled against his mouth, happy that he greeted her with a few soft pecks. As much as she enjoyed the use of his tongue, she appreciated the soft, delicate actions just as much.

“Good morning.”

Ivy let out a gentle sigh. “Did I wake you up?”

“No.. but I saw you looking at my arm.” Harry gave her a smile, amused by how red her cheeks were.

“Sorry, I was being nosy.” A breathy laugh followed her soft voice.

“You’re fine, love. Do you wanna see the rest?” Harry didn’t give her time to answer, instead he raised his arm up, exposing the underside.

It took all of her control to not burst into flames from the embarrassment of being caught. Although she was shy at first about it, Ivy found herself pulling down the sleeve of his shirt so she could see every inch of his arm. Harry watched her eyes as they moved along his skin, covering every line inked into his arm. She was trying to take a note of each one, making sure she’d never forget them.

“Why are you staring at me? You’re making me nervous.” She mumbled in a light tone, her eyes avoiding his as she fixed his sleeve back to its normal spot.

Harry lowered his arm, returning his hand to her waist. “Because you’re beautiful. Hard not to stare at something so perfect.”

Ivy pushed out a breath and lightly shook her head. She placed her hand on his forearm and gave it a squeeze, wishing he’d go easy on her with his statements of admiration. As much as she appreciated it, it was hard for her to believe it was true. He took notice of how she was growing shy again, her eyes were trained on his neck and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip.

“Do you want to see more of them?”

Ivy perked up, her eyes growing wide with curiosity. A smile covered her lips, Harry was glad to see that his idea had brightened her mood. She nodded and waited patiently as he started to move. Harry laid back and shoved the blankets down. As he grabbed the hem of his shirt, Ivy propped up on her elbow to get a better view. She wasn’t sure what he was going to uncover, but she was ready to glue her eyes to his skin. Harry pulled his shirt up to his collarbones, holding it out of the way.

She was unsure of what captivated her the most - his tattoos or his body. His muscles were toned beneath his skin, just like they were in his arms. He was built incredibly, like a marble statue in a museum. On his abdomen laid a large insect tattoo, sunk deep into skin. Every line was crisp and each blended area of the ink into his skin was smooth. She couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch it, but she was fighting that urge.

Ivy had seen the tattoos at the top of his chest poking out before, but seeing them in their full glory amongst everything else was fascinating. He was a collection of designs, words, drawings, meanings.. These things were a part of him, and she was intrigued by every single one. Harry smirked to himself as he saw her hand come up, but she quickly withdrew it.

“This might be my favorite.” She pointed to the insect, her eyes glancing his way for just a second.

“You can touch me. M’all yours.” Harry carefully grabbed her wrist and started to pull her hand down. He waited for her to resist or pull away, but when she didn’t, he laid her hand over the tattoo. His hand covered hers, pressing down so she wouldn’t be afraid to actually touch him. Ivy held her breath as Harry rubbed his thumb over her skin.

“All mine, hm?” She whispered, her lips barely moving with her words.

Harry chuckled, the movement of his body made her heart flutter. “All yours, darling.”

It wasn’t long after the tattoo tour that Ivy’s stomach started to growl from hunger. She didn’t want to get out of the bed, mainly because she didn’t want to leave Harry’s side, but her stomach was fighting against her heart. She brought up the idea to make breakfast, and that was an offer Harry wasn’t going to pass up. They got out of the bed and walked to the kitchen together. While she cooked, Harry sat at the table and watched her in silence, smiling and holding back laughs as he listened to her talk to herself and get frustrated by the smallest annoyances. Being able to experience her in this kind of scenario was more magical than kissing her seemed to be. Of course he enjoyed that an immense amount - but this was different. He got to witness how she naturally behaved when she cooked and waltzed around the kitchen. She was deep in her own world as she hummed while flipping the eggs. Harry was unable to look away the entire time.

After they ate together, Harry gave her no choice but to let him clean up the mess. She wanted to help, and actually do it all herself, but he refused. He told her she’d given so much time and energy to him in such a short time that it was only right for him to do something for her. It wasn’t long after they finished the dishes that Niall called to find out where Harry had ended up last night. He was astonished to hear that Harry had crashed at her place. Niall finding that out immediately resulted in a call from Emma, who was in the car with him. He was bringing her home since she stayed the night at his place.

Ivy laughed on the phone and promised Emma she’d give her all the details when she arrived. Harry was fine with the fact that Niall and Emma would find out everything and obviously be aware of what was now going on between them. In fact, he was telling Niall the same thing - he’d find out the details later. Since he was going to catch a ride home with Niall while he had the chance, he thought it would be better to tell Ivy what was on his mind before they got here to bother them.

Harry grabbed her waist and pulled her body into his, the strength he possessed made it easy for her to fall into him. She looked up, her pretty eyes full of stars. He just knew there was no pair of eyes more beautiful than hers. He leaned down to her lips and pressed a kiss to her mouth.

“Thank you.”

She let out a light giggle. “For what?”

“For breakfast.” His mouth lifted with a smile. “And for letting me stay.. and for talking with me and forgiving me.”

Ivy pushed herself up on her tiptoes, her lips planting pecks along his chin. “You’re welcome.”

“I promise I’ll call you this time.” His wink made her stomach twirl.

“You better.”

Harry gripped her waist tight, not wanting to ever let her go. “I already miss you.”

“I think I’m gonna miss you more.” She lifted her arms to hug him.

The moment he felt her lips pressing a kiss to the spot below his ear, he regretted saying he needed to go home so early. She had plans today that she couldn’t get out of and didn’t necessarily want to change, so he was being respectful of that by giving her space. As much as he wished he could stay with her forever, she had things to do and he had a few tasks he had to get done at home, anyway. Ivy locked her arms around his neck, letting one hand slip into his hair. He hummed as she tugged at his roots, not wanting to let him slip away just yet. They stayed like that, holding each other breathing slow and steady, until Niall and Emma arrived. He wasn't sure of the exact time he’d see her again, but he knew it couldn’t be too long. He couldn’t survive another two weeks without her.

[a/n:: I am so excited that this part is finally out! I hope you enjoyed soft h :) thank u endlessly for all the positive feedback & love you’ve shown to this series! I don’t think I’ve been this proud of myself before I love writing this series. reblog, like, comment all that nice stuff if you’d like.. see u soon! Ps I was very tied when I edited this so if there’s any errors just ignore them I’ll fix it later]

taglist:

@walkingintheheartbreaksatellite

@victoriasigaard

@ariiscringe

@harlowsgirl

@lomllover

@haniaaa04

@sideboobrry11

@tenaciousperfectionunknown

@fangirl509east

@fruity-harry

@sassamanda77

@lizsogolden

@prettygurl-2009

@sincerely-yours-marsbar

@mypolicemanharryyy

@angelbunny222

@mads3502

@harrysredroom

@inlikea-coolway

@matildasatellite

@imaginexxharry

@daphnesutton

@triski73

@indierockgirrl

@panini

[cyberhughes]

— 𝓣𝓸𝓸 𝓢𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽 ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ quinn hughes

🌊 chapter one: awkward.

last chapter | next chapter

*:･✧* 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: quinn hughes x fem!oc

*:･✧* 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: swearing, jack lowk being a perv for a quick second, nothing really happens here, just quinn being awkward as fuck lol

𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮: hope you guys had some fun new year celebrations <3 i was under the table eating grapes bc lord knows there cannot be a repeat of 2024💀💀🙏🙏also i only reviewed this like once so just ignore any spelling errors if there’s any🎀

series masterlist + character intros

it had been eight years—nearly a decade since aurora had seen the hughes brothers. though she could still picture their boyish grins and foolish antics like it was just yesterday.

they hadn’t kept in touch much since they moved, aurora and luke would facetime around the holidays, but never jack and quinn. aurora missed them of course, but she was happy that they were pursuing their dreams, touring different cities and playing in the nhl.

it had been a year and a half since her brother ashton announced his engagement to his highschool sweetheart, melissa. the couple would be having their wedding in michigan, wanting to keep it small and intimate.

this wasn’t a shock to aurora, the couple not being the type of people to want a super extravagant wedding. what was a shock however, was hearing that they would be having their wedding at the lake house.

quinn’s lake house.

it was a beautiful property, and perfect for the intimate wedding they were envisioning. quinn had also wanted to host them the few nights leading up to the wedding, not wanting them to spend any more money than they had to on a hotel.

it was beyond generous, and because of this aurora knew he hadn’t changed. he was always doing everything he could for others, always wanting to put a smile on everyone’s faces.

and thats why, for the week leading up to their flight, aurora would spend every minute preparing herself for the reunion. he hadn’t changed, but she had.

he hadn’t seen her in eight years, the version of aurora he knew was long gone. she no longer had braces and bushy eyebrows, but had grown into a beautiful young woman. she was 21, but she still felt that childish need to impress them, almost needing to seem more mature than she really was.

she’d prove that she wasn’t that same little girl anymore.

the cool summer breeze sent a chill down aurora’s spine, or maybe it was the nervousness that was finally setting in upon their arrival in michigan. the airport was busy, families bustling around, probably arriving for their summer getaways as well.

“oh aren’t you so excited to see luke?” aurora’s mom placed her hands on her shoulders, giving them a small squeeze. “he’s taller than you now!”

aurora laughed at her mom’s excitement, nodding in agreement. last time she had seen luke he was barely taller than her, but she had seen photos that ellen sent and he had grown up to be the tallest of the brothers.

“oh, i think your father found ash.” her mom pointed out the black car her dad was jogging towards, luggage clunking behind him.

“RORY!” ashton exclaimed hopping out of the drivers seat, a wide smile on his face and she giggled, dropping the handle of her suitcase and practically jumped into her brother’s arms. “ASH, YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!” she hugged him tightly, trying to make up for the months she went without him.

“really? i didn’t know!” he chuckled, pulling away and ruffling her hair with his hand, to which she pouted and tried to smooth down her hair again. “we’ll have to stop back at our place to get melissa, then we’ll go straight to the lake.” ashton explained, grabbing their suitcases and putting them into the trunk of the car.

aurora felt a tinge of excitement as they got closer to seeing the hughes,

or more specifically, quinn.

“we’re here!” the sound of gravel squeaking underneath the tires awoke aurora, signalling that they were finally at the lake house.

as they pulled into the driveway, the front door of the house swung open, revealing a 6’2 giant that aurora almost didn’t recognize, but it was that same boyish smile that she saw that made all the memories come flooding back.

“LUKEY!” aurora jumped out of the car, her brother scolding her as she ran since he hadn’t even put it in park yet.

“RORY!” she jumped into his arms and he swung her around, the two giggling and feeling like little kids again. even though they had been separated for almost a decade, it felt like nothing had changed between them.

from the car, aurora’s mom was snapping pictures of their reunion, making a joke about how they were exactly the same as when they were 13.

“holy shit,” he set her down and examined her as if he was checking that this was really her, and not some imposter. “you actually look good!” she playfully punched his shoulder at his comment. “you look good too, finally grew out of that big head huh?”

there wasn’t an ounce of awkwardness as they joked, which they were both secretly nervous about.

“now who’s this pretty little lady?” she peeked behind luke’s frame to see jack strutting towards them, a charming grin on his face.

“hey rowdy.” she rolled her eyes playfully, walking over to give him a hug. he pulled away and smirked, looking down. “when did you get those?” she looked at him puzzled, before realizing what he was talking about and her face flushed a deep red. “oh my god, you’re still such a pervert.” she shoved him away as he let out a hearty laugh.

aurora let a small smile form on her face as she looked at the two boys in front of her, she could feel her heart melting, they were all grown up.

but someone was missing.

“so uhm, where’s quinny?” she asked, taking a step backward, wanting to go back to the car to grab her suitcase, but her ankle twisted under the gravel and her eyes widened as she felt her balance disappear.

she thought she’d fall, but instead she felt a hard surface on her back and two hands on her arms, and she craned her head to look up.

holy shit.

“q-quinn!” she scrambled out of his hold, straightening out to face him. he looked like a completely different. he was taller of course, his hair was longer and messier, not how he had it as a kid where it was clean cut and combed. he had a scruffy beard and his eyes were tired.

she couldn’t quite decipher what the look in his eyes meant as he stared back at her, but the second he blinked it was gone, and he offered a small smile, but something felt different about it. “how are you, aurora?”

aurora.

not rory.

“i’m good…” she nodded her head slowly, taken aback by the awkwardness of the situation. was he not excited to see her? she could feel her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. “and you?”

“doing good.” he pressed his lips in a straight line and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

from behind them, jack could be seen whispering into luke’s ear, “this is kind of fucking weird, right?” the younger boy nodded in agreement. they didn’t really know how the thought quinn would react to seeing her again, but it was surely wasn’t like this

“THESE SUITCASES ARENT GOING TO UNLOAD THEMSELVES!” they heard ashton yell jokingly from the car, pretending to struggle as he carried them out.

“i’ll go help your brother, jack and luke can show you around.” quinn said and aurora hesitantly nodded.

before he could fully turn around, she decided to grab his arm, and pull him into a quick hug. “i’m happy to see you, quinn.” she said quietly and he stood there feeling shocked.

he looked down at the girl hugging him with wide eyes. hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her, finally reciprocating the greeting.

aurora blushed as she felt his muscles tense as she hugged him, he was definitely much more built than he was 8 years ago.

she pulled away and gave him a smile and he could see the same twinkle in her eyes she had all those years ago. he returned the smile and nodded, before going to help ashton.

she watched the way he jogged to the car and could feel her stomach turning. this was a different quinn, it wasn’t her quinn.

“OKAY!” jack clapped his hands together, breaking the tension in the air. “let’s give you a tour, yeah?”

aurora nodded, following the two brothers into the house, but not before trying to catch one last look at quinn.

maybe he had changed, after all.

the rest of the day had been relaxed, the grays —asides from ashton, getting a tour of the house, taking a peek at the boat, having a nice barbecue dinner, and ending the day with a fee card games.

the tiredness of travelling had hit them and they decided that it was time to head to bed, everyone heading to their designated rooms. aurora was rooming with luke since the two had wanted to catch up and have relive the times where they would have sleepovers back in the day.

and now it was 2 am, and aurora was laying wide awake beside luke, staring at the way the ceiling fan spun around, mirroring the way her mind was spinning.

quinn had barely talked to her all day. she had locked eyes with him a few times but he broke the eye contact before it even started.

she thought that maybe he was mad at her for not keeping touch after they moved, but the phone works both ways, right?

the overthinking paired with the summer heat had made her thirsty. she didn’t want to have to wake luke up, but she also felt shy to grab her self a glass from the kitchen since she hadn’t been here long.

“lukey.” she turned to face the snoring boy, poking him gently on the arm. he shifted, but didn’t wake up. she could only wish she was as good a sleeper like him.

she bit her lip and sat up, deciding to just go by herself. she put on her fuzzy socks before tip toeing out of the bedroom, trying her hardest to not make any noise to disturb anyone.

she had made her way to the kitchen through the hallway that was decorated in family photos. being successful in keeping quiet she searched the cabinets, still in the dark, before finding herself a glass and filling it up with tap water.

she sighed as she placed the cup down, looking out the window at the lake. she was kind of jealous that quinn had a view like this right in his backyard, but then again he worked extremely hard for it.

she went to wash her cup in the sink when suddenly the light flickered on and she whipped her head around to see who was there.

it was quinn, of course. he was wearing a pair of plaid pyjama pants and a grey tshirt, the waistband of his pants slightly hanging low, and aurora found her eyes wandering lower and lower.

“are you okay?” he asked softly, and it was probably the most he had said to her the whole day. she noticed his hair was messy, and his eyes not fully open, meaning that she had woken him up.

“yeah, i’m sorry, i was just getting some water.” he nodded at her response as she placed the cup in the drying rack beside the sink.

they stood in an silence for a moment. quinn scratched the hair on his chin, opting to break the awkward silence, “are you okay sleeping with luke? if you want, you can take my room.” he offered. he recognized that he hadn’t been the most welcoming towards her, and was trying break the tension.

“i couldn’t, you’re already doing so much for ash and us.” she politely rejected. “well if he snores too loud, the offer will still be there.” he said and she nodded, the awkwardness making it’s return. they stood there another moment before he pursed his lips and nodded, turning on his heels to go back to his bedroom.

“did i do something wrong?” she asked, stopping him and his tracks, voice louder than she had intended to.

he turned his head and shook his head. “no, you didn’t, why?” he asked and she shrugged her shoulders. “uhm…nothing.” she brushed it off and he nodded.

“goodnight,” he stopped as if to think,

“rory.”

[ellehoops]

21 WIT NO KIDS

i gotta keep it real

two. sassy masc apocalypse

gwen was sat tightly between azzi and jackie on the tiny couch in azzi and paige’s dorm. the horror movie droned on the tv. gwen had checked out after the first blonde bitch died. she really didn’t care, she voted for conjuring but some babysitter movie won. paige had voted for it because of the bimbo with big boobs on the cover. for a christian she really did have a dirty mind. god heal her lust ridden mind.

jackie’s head lulled onto yanna’s shoulder which made her blush. gwen looked around at the chinese takeout boxes everywhere, gwen stood up and picked up some of the boxes. “excuse me.” she muttered, walking to the kitchen to throw away the boxes. paige’s eyes lingered on her frame as she walked off tucking her hair behind her ear.

paige clenched her thighs. she would fuck gwen. she had to.

gwen sat at the island on her phone, entertaining the studs blowing up her snap. she giggled as she read the compliments.

paige lurked around the corner listening to her laugh. who was making her laugh like that?

“popular, huh?” paige finally voiced her presence, leaning against the fridge. gwen looked up, smirking. she shut her phone off with a soft click and placed it face down on the island. “guess so.” gwen’s eyes twinkled with something more than teasing.

dangerous.

paige scoffed with a smile, shaking her head. making a few strands of her slightly grown out blonde hair fall in front of her face. “anyone important? should i be threatened?” paige leaned in, hands placed on the counter top. veins popping out of her forearms. gwen’s thighs clenched.

she poked her lip out and shook her head. her sat cross legged on the stool. “nah, nothing i’m too worried about. shouldn’t you be watching the movie? you picked it.” gwen shrugged and leaned back into the stool.

paige just smirked and shook her head, her head hung low her eyes peered up through her lashes.

they both felt it, the tension. the lust.

paige opened her mouth to say something but aubrey walked into the kitchen. “jackie’s snoring, and i think kk is about to hit her. do you want me to stick her in someone’s bed or…” gwen chuckled and peered into the living room area. jackie’s head was on yanna’s shoulder, ice and kk had their phones out recording her.

“uhm-.” gwen looked at the clock, it was early. only about 10:30. “I can just take her home-” gwen’s eyes snapped to paige as she cut in.

“put her in my bed.” paige sped out, and when everyone looked at her she ran a hand over her mouth and shrugged. “i mean, i don’t care. if uhm…yeah.”

a grin spread across gwen’s face as she looked to paige, who held back a smile while meeting her eye.

aubrey grimaced and scoffed, “okay, fuck the both of you. or fuck each other or something.” she whispered as she scurried back to the living room to put jackie in a bed.

the two girls held each others gaze for a while, smiling.

“you wanna go somewhere?” gwen whispered out, paige’s smile dropped a bit. she was shocked, gwen usually rejected her advances but she was initiating this one.

“yeah.” paige grabbed her keys from the bowl on the island.

and that’s how they ended up in the kroger parking lot. paige’s driver seat back, legs spread like she owned the place. gwen sat in the passenger seat, one leg up and a full cheesecake in her lap. a fork that paige was curious the origins off was digging in. paige had learned a lot about gwen, like that she loved new york style cheesecake.

“like all that other shit, like chocolate and strawberries and shit, too extra.” gwen explained while bringing the fork to her mouth. paige poorly hid the amused smirk on her face while she nodded.

“I like strawberries on cheesecake.” paige held back a laugh at gwen’s reaction to that. her face contorted and her jaw dropped. “and to think i was starting to not dislike you!”

“you never disliked me, come on ma.” paige swatted at her thigh before she stole gwen’s fork and took a bite of the cheesecake. gwen gasped, “that’s an inadvertent kiss, you know.”

“i’d rather just kiss you.” now it was gwen’s turn to hold back a laugh.

“pack it up, corny ass.” gwen shook her head, a little sniffle as she chuckled.

both women got quiet after that.

paige leaned over the center console slowly, her heart in her throat. “i would give anything to fuck you.” she whispered, eyes glued to the fat of her bottom lip. gwen pulled that lip between her teeth and leaned in. paige was preparing to get some, her smirk growing.

their lips grazed, gwen pulled back a bit and paige followed. “i know.” this took paige aback a bit. “work for it.” gwen settled back in her seat and went to eat her cheese cake.

“take me home.” and paige did.

i know you wanna be, i know you wanna see

short chapter i know im sorry ive been gone, school is tough

[qu1cks1lversb1tch]

Astera, lounging in an armchair with a book abandoned in her lap: If I had a title that didn't directly tie me to my home court or my brother, what would it be?

Cassian, immediately: Shadowfucker

Azriel, after a few moments of contemplation: Lady of Nightmares

Cassian: That one's good. She's terrifying.

Astera, cracking an eye open to glance at Cassian: I'm not that bad, Cass

Cassian, side eyeing her: . . . Riiiiiiiighhhht

Rhysand, smirking:

Astera, with a sigh: Rhys, I swear to gods. . . If you say 'the High Lord's whore'

Rhysand: I didn't. . . Say anything. But you did, darling

Astera, regretting asking the question: Yeah, I won't be the High Lord's whore tonight

Rhysand, gaping at her: Now that's not fair

Azriel, raising an eyebrow at her: Who will you be?

Astera, casually: Shadowfucker, probably. . .

Cassian: Can. . . Can I?

Astera: Maybe

Your honor, they're so silly. I love them.

[pupuyvs]

fool for you ー karina smau

➦ synopsis Aaliyah Hernandez is a popular MY account known for her looks, so when she gets a chance to attend a fansign, fellow fans can’t help but notice that some members of Aespa seem to be a bit more interested than they should be. Taking it as nothing but a stan twitter joke, how will Aaliyah react when she finds herself being contacted by one of the members?

➦ genre smau + written, idol!karina, non!idol fem!oc, fluff, slight angst, humor

➦ pairing Karina x fem!oc

➦ warnings kys/kms jokes, homophobic jokes, (maybe) suggestive content

➦ status on hold

➦ updates whenever

➦ taglist open

➦ featuring aespa, huh yunjin (le sserafim), weesa (psyfe), jake (enhypen), hanni (newjeans), manon (katseye), more to come…

profiles: oomfs | stan list

chapters:

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

more to come…

[aphroditsdaughter]

imgonnagetyouback

told my friends, “i hate you but i love you just the same”

paige bueckers x OC (part 2 to guilty as sin) but can be read as a standalone

pretty heavy stuff don’t read if you’re under 18 or do im not responsible for your media consumption (all of the photos and graphics are from pinterest and belong to their original creators) also POV changes

like, feedback and comments are always appreciated!!

Paige’s mouth slips from between my thighs, her lips wet with me, her breath brushing across my skin like smoke. My body is still reeling, boneless and trembling, but she doesn’t give me space to breathe. She’s already climbing up my body, eyes dark with the kind of hunger that never fades.

“You think I’m done with you?” she whispers into my neck. Her voice is velvet-wrapped steel. “Cmon Pia you know you got another left one in you”

I don’t even have the strength to answer. I shake my head, already aching again.

“No?” she growls, kissing me hard biting my lower lip until I moan. “you’re a better liar than that? aren’t you?”

She shifts her body, gripping my thighs, spreading me wide, her strength effortless. She presses her core to mine wet, hot, aching. Our slick folds slide against each other, a slow, molten grind that makes me gasp.

“Fuck—Paige…”

“I want you to feel me,” she breathes, forehead to mine. “Every time you go home to him. Every time you look at him across that dinner table, wearing that pretty little lie of a smile.”

Each word is a knife wrapped in silk.

“You can love him, hate me, lie to my face I don’t care,” she says, voice rising with each thrust of her hips. “You’ll still come crawling back. You always do.”

She begins to move, rolling her hips in slow, deliberate circles, her clit brushing mine with every pass, every drag of her wet heat against mine. The friction is maddening. Our bodies slide together with a rhythm that's cruel and beautiful all at once.

With Paige it’s not just sex—it’s a haunting. A claiming.

Every time we were together, I could feel it—that quiet urgency in the way she touched me, the way her eyes lingered a second too long, as if she needed to stake her claim all over again. It wasn’t possessive, not exactly. It was more like a ritual, like drawing a boundary in the sand just to feel safe, even knowing the tide would come. I’d made her feel that way, like I was always half a breath from leaving, something wild and unpromised. So she marked me in small ways: with the press of her hand on my back, with silence that said more than words, with looks that burned like questions she couldn’t ask. And I let her. Not because I belonged to her, but because in those moments, I wanted to

Her hands grip my hips tight, holding me in place while she fucks me with her body, her voice, her rage, and her tenderness twisted together like vines choking a rose.

“I’m gonna get you back,” she whispers against my mouth, almost tender now. “Maybe not the way you think. Maybe not even the way you want.”

Her teeth graze my throat. “But you’ll remember this. When you’re in bed with him, thinking of me. When he touches you and you flinch, because it’s not the way I do.”

I whimper, overwhelmed her words, her rhythm, her dominance crashing over me like a tide.

“And maybe I’ll get you back by loving you more than he ever could,” she hisses. “Or maybe I’ll ruin you so thoroughly this time, no one else will even try.”

She grinds harder now, faster, our clits dragging against each other in slick, perfect friction. I feel her shaking above me, her muscles tense, sweat slicking her chest. Our nipples brush with every thrust. We’re skin to skin, heart to heart, sin to sin.

“Say it,” she demands. “Say you’re mine.”

I hesitate—but only for a second. My body’s too far gone, my pleasure cresting again like a wave crashing before I can pull away.

“I’m yours,” I cry out, voice breaking apart in her mouth.

But it’s a lie.

And we both know it.

The words taste like betrayal as they leave my lips sweet and sour, soaked in guilt. My body is hers in this moment, yes. My heart too. But I’m not going to leave him. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Probably not ever.

I say I’m yours with her hand between my thighs and his ring still faintly ghosting the skin on my finger. I say it because I want to believe it, even as something inside me recoils.

And Paige doesn’t stop. She doesn’t flinch. But I feel it the way her body stills for a half-second, like my voice cracked something open in her. Like she caught the hollow behind the words.

But she pushes through it. Forces the truth out of me through touch, through pressure, through pain.

“I’m yours,” I sob again, chasing the high, chasing the lie. “I’m yours.”

And I come undone, again, for her. My orgasm hits like a storm, tearing through me loud, desperate, consuming. I cry out her name, clutching her back, clawing her shoulders as my body arches into hers. for the woman I never left, not really. My body clenches around the lie and spills over, pleasure ripping through me so hard I feel the guilt burning right behind it.

She comes with me, her moan strangled, gasping my name into my mouth, her nails sinking into my waist as our slick bodies grind together, frantic and wild and so close it feels like we're trying to disappear into each other.

For a moment, there’s only the sound of our panting, the cooling sweat on our skin, the silent space between heartbeats.

Then she speaks—soft, but sharp.

“I hope he feels it,” she says. “Every time I fuck it out of you.”

She lies back beside me, tangled in the sheets, not touching anymore. Just breathing. Just watching.

And I lie there beside her, skin still buzzing, thighs still slick, knowing I’m going to get up in a few hours and go back to a man who doesn’t make me feel even half of this.

The morning light spills through the blinds, soft and relentless, kissing my skin with an unforgiving warmth that makes my stomach churn, making me squint and groan as I roll over. I’m tangled in sheets, half of my body still pressed against Paige’s, her chest rising and falling in a deep, peaceful sleep. If it weren’t for the tangled mess of our limbs and the reminder of last night’s chaos, it would almost feel like a normal morning. Almost

“Paige. Get up.”

“Paige, please. He’s going to be home soon.”

My voice cuts the air. Too sharp. Too cold. Like I didn’t just fall apart in her hands.

She groans into the pillow, her voice muffled but dripping with annoyance.

“Bro, what are you even doing?”

Still half-asleep, she stared at her like I was the one acting out of pocket. My head was heavy, heart heavier.

Last night, she said she’d leave him. Promised, even. But with Pia, the truth always shows up wearing half a disguise.

Now she’s pacing. Panicking. watching me like I’m the stranger. Like I’m not the same woman she just had shaking under her fingers, begging her name into the mattress.

“You’re seriously asking me what I’m doing?” I say, pulling on jeans with shaking hands. “I’m trying to get you out before my husband walks through that door and sees the Dallas Wings’ star point guard half-naked in our fucking bed!”

My voice cracks. Panic now curling around the edges of my words.

“and you’re over here acting like it’s brunch time.”

I say it with more urgency than I meant to, but panic’s starting to set in. It’s almost like I’m talking to myself at this point, more than to Paige. I need her to leave, but she’s making it impossible.

“Paige, please. It’s almost nine. His flight must’ve landed like forty minutes ago”

she rolls her eyes. unbothered

She lets out an exaggerated sigh, and I can almost hear her thinking, “Are you serious right now?”

“So you don’t even know when your own husband is arriving home? Wow, Pia. I mean, cheating on him a thousand times wasn’t enough? You can’t even remember when he’s coming home to you?”

“Paige…”

She stands, finally, in that slow, feline way she always does like she owns the air around her. Like there’s no version of this where she loses me.

“That’s a shame” she says, slipping her shirt on without looking at me. “I was hoping for a second round.”

I wanted to punch her. Dead in the mouth.

But that would mean I’d have to bruise the perfect curve of her jaw, the nose I’ve kissed like a prayer.

Maybe I should. Maybe the pain would help me forget.

“I swear to God—”

“Alright, alright,” she cuts m off, raising her hands like a surrender.

“I’ll go. Don’t worry.”

But then she flashes that smile. That smile—the one that used to make me forget my own name. The one that made me say “I do” and hear her voice instead of his.

I’m pulling on my clothes in silence. She’s quiet too. Not mad just… disappointed.

And maybe a little cruel about it.

She lets out a sigh, low and heavy. “Nothing,” she says when I ask what’s wrong.

But it’s not nothing. It never is.

She wants me to ask her to stay. Wants me to say I’ll finally leave him. Wants me to make this real.

But I won’t.

So she grabs her keys. Shrugs her jacket on.

No kiss goodbye. No goodbye at all.

Because if she kisses me, I won’t let her leave.

And if she asks me to stay, I’ll say yes.

Even if I mean no.

But she doesn’t ask.

She just slams the door behind her.

And in the silence she leaves, I hear it echo—

I’m gonna get you back.

Not now.

Not gently.

But she will.

Because Paige?

She doesn’t lose.

Not without burning something down first.

[hoakaikapo]

ATTRACTION - Clarisse La Rue x Unclaimed! Fem! Reader

summary: you and clarisse don’t get along, but you both can’t deny that there’s some sort of attraction between the two of you.

warnings: mention of blood

a/n: LOL, sorry this is a huge huge rush draft because i’m working on my ff of clarisse but i just needed to write this out. enjoy!!

—————-

The feeling of a metal blade burned throughout your body as it made contact with your skin. You looked down, blood gushing out of the newly formed wound. It was deeper than your usual cuts. You grunted at the sight of it. You were used to this feeling of getting injured in whatever you did, so you let it bleed out as you charged back at your opponent. You weren’t going to let a measly little cut get in the way of your soon-to-be victory.

You were unsure what was burning in you today to crave victory this badly. Maybe it was because you felt discouraged that she had yet to be claimed. Maybe it was the urge to prove your worth amongst your fellow campers. Maybe it was because your natural nemesis, Clarisse La Rue, was your opponent, the only thing standing between your victory.

The sound of your swords clashing against each other was like music to your ears. You could make up the symphonies in your head, the movement mimicked that of a passionate musician playing their chords. You found sword fighting similar to watching a symphonic orchestra, ones that your mother would take you to when you were younger. You imagined the violinist: their bow gliding across the strings like how a swordsman would glide their sword through their enemies. You imagined the pianist: their hands striking each key like a fighter using their weapon to protect themself and fight back. You saw how each component played into each other, how they created the perfect symphony.

For you, these movements would create your victory.

As much as you hated Clarisse, you also hated to admit that your arch nemesis sword skills were remarkable. In your opinion, Clarisse was an even better fighter than yourself. The only thing that kept her from winning half of the time was her extreme lack of strategy. But, given that she’s the daughter of Ares and extremely hot headed, you figured that strategy never really ran in Clarisse’s blood. You figured that at this point in your sparring, Clarisse would have found some way to cheat her way to a victory. Surprisingly, she was fighting fair and square the entire time.

The arena was packed as far as you could see out of the corners of your eyes. A few campers have to sit on the stairs. You never understood why everyone anticipated this fight. You and Clarisse fought almost all the time in every single encounter you had with each other since you arrived at Camp Half-Blood. However, you figured that maybe the fact that it was for a title or proper victory made it really appealing to the others.

“Are you ready to give up?” Clarisse teased, a sly grin coming over her face. “That cut on your arm looks nasty.”

“Not as nasty as you, La Rue,” You spat back at her. Clarisse growled in response.

You took your stance, repositioning yourself into a much more comfortable position where you could defend herself better. The strategy that you had been using was useless, so you quickly came up with a new one: tire Clarisse out, let her swing at you all she likes until she’s tired. Clarisse began striking her ten times harder than she previously did– as if she was trying to kill you. With every strike, you were able to block it, just barely before Clarisse would strike again. And again. And again until you had managed to swiftly roll from one of her swings which narrowly missed your head.

Finally, Clarisse was getting tired. You could see it in the way Clarisse stood before you; the rising and falling of her chest indicated that while her eyes looked slightly unenergized. You could feel your stamina rejuvenating, like lightning bolts across a stormy sky. With that, you began your counterattack on Clarisse, using your sword to strike as if creating your own symphony.

A swift kick to Clarisse’s left leg and she fell. You - clumsily - landed on top of her due primarily to your lack of balance. You held her sword over Clarisse’s throat, just a few centimeters away from making contact with her skin. You could see the rage in Clarisse’s eyes and feel her anger beneath your body. However, Clarisse did not argue or yell at you. Instead, they stayed in that position; their breathing heavy and slowed, almost in perfect sync, as the arena erupted into applause and cheers for you.

The locker room was empty. Or so you had thought. As you were dressing your wound, you noticed a figure standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

“You took a cheap shot,” Clarisse’s voice was husky with anger. “Kicking me down like that.”

“Well, I’m not the one who maimed their opponent, aren’t I?” You responded and pointed to your bandage.

Clarisse rolled her eyes. “You clearly don’t know what the word ‘maim’ means since your arm is still mobile.”

“Oh, wow, I guess you do have a brain after all. Good for you.”

There was something about you that made Clarisse despise you. Maybe it’s the fact that you were remarkably good at sword fighting, especially since you had just bested her in your competition. Maybe it’s how seemingly perfect your features were. Maybe it’s the fact that ever since you arrived at camp, Clarisse could feel that something was … oddly forbidden and unfamiliar about you.

“Well, I’ll get you next time,” Clarisse said and walked over to you close enough to where you could feel Clarisse’s breath on your face. That’s another thing you hated: Clarisse was taller than you - much taller. It gave Clarisse a better advantage of being more intimidating to the other campers. “A little unclaimed child like you shouldn't have bested me anyways.”

You would have punched her right then and there. Instead, you looked up to meet Clarisse’s eyes and placed your hand on her chest. You gently began to push her backwards until the taller girl’s back hit the locker room wall and made sure your face was directly underneath Clarisse’s.

“Aww, is the daughter of Ares salty that she lost in a fight to me?” You cooed and slowly lifted your finger underneath Clarisse’s jaw, bringing it slightly closer to yours.

You noticed the taller girl became more tense. A good thing, in your opinion. You watched as Clarisse’s eyes followed your every movement. An even better thing. A slight blush arose to Clarisse’s cheeks as you glanced at her, almost doe-eyed. Lips parted slightly, You slowly came closer to Clarisse’s face.

Clarisse wasn’t sure what to anticipate. Sure, you two hated each other, but sometimes, you would have these moments where you would flirt and tease her. Shamefully, Clarisse would do the same thing. It drove her crazy sometimes, which could explain her dislike for you at some points. She could never fully explain the energy between you and her. It was far too complicated beyond just pure hatred.

“I’ll see around, La Rue,” You whispered softly into her ear before walking out the locker room, leaving Clarisse to wonder what exactly just happened.

[gezelligs-world]

Crawling Back To You

(Bada Lee x Fem!OC)

Summary: After break up, Sara tried to move on by attempting to have another relationship with a guy. But Sara still can’t forget about a certain girl that always haunts her mind like a ghost.

Reminder: This work is purely based on the author’s imagination.

Warning: slight NSFW

“Hey Sara, you’re getting off early?” Sara looked towards her coworker, Min-ju who is still busy typing on her desktop. She replied politely as she put her belongings inside her bag.

“Yes, I’m afraid so…” Sara contemplates whether or not she will tell the truth. Min-ju has been an acquaintance of hers for several months now, she’s sure she heard her reason from others several times already considering how long Min-ju has been working here in this company.

“I have a date today.” Min-ju stopped typing and turned towards Sara with a smile.

“Really? That’s amazing. You finally told yourself to have a date with someone. A guy or a gal?” Sara looked down and back to Min-ju.

“A guy. A really nice one.” Sara smiled as she zipped her handbag and put it over her shoulder. She stood up and was about to turn and walk away but Min-ju’s words stopped her from making any further movements.

“I’m glad you finally got over her. Separating in good terms is one of the worst breakups out there. I understand why it took you so long to try and be with someone else.” If only emotions can speak, it’s already speaking gibberish out of Sara’s body. Sara turned to Min-ju’s direction and smiled politely.

“Thank you, Min-ju. You’re such a great… friend.” Sara bowed lightly and walked away. Not bothering to see what was Min-ju’s expression behind her pause.

Sara walked outside her company building, not forgetting to smile politely at her colleagues. She walked at the parking lot and saw a gray Honda car with a decent guy leaning towards the side. Kang-ho.

She met him when she is drinking herself out at a bar. They talked and it somehow led to exchanging socials, with Sara drunk. Kang-ho is a proof that they indeed live in a small world because she found out that he is a friend of a friend. A magna cum laude, an engineer, handsome, masculine— who wouldn’t want him?

“Ready to go?” Sara smiled at his question and nodded. Kang-ho smiled back and opened the door for her.

“So— where are we going?” Sara asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

“Don’t worry. You’re going to love it.” Kang-ho reassured, checking on her if she had already buckled her seatbelt. Once secured, Kang-ho started the engine.

Sara looked through the window as she admired the busy streets of Seoul. Seoul is a noisy city but she once loved it. Once loved it.

Cities like this can be her comfort but also her hell. It’s a small world after all. Millions of people walk around the busy streets and sidewalks every day. You can either walk past them or perhaps bump into them that will somehow turn to a good friend in the near future— maybe even a lover.

Flashback

“I know! I know! I’m on my way!” Sara exclaimed through the phone as she jogged over the busy streets of Seoul. People don’t even care when she went past through them. This is probably a common scenario to them. Her steps paused when the pedestrian signal is in red mode.

“Come on… come on…” She bit her lips with her heels continuously making a stepping sound on the ground. Once the signal turned green, Sara immediately jogged to cross the pedestrian line.

Sara smiled in satisfaction when she finally got over to the other side as if she won the first place trophy.

“Not so bad—” Sara gasped when she felt a hard body bumped into her.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Sara exclaimed when she saw the stranger’s coffee got splashed all over the stranger’s clothes.

“Nah, it’s fi… ne” The stranger looked up to Sara’s face and her mouth suddenly shut. A foreigner.

“Ma’am?” Sara asked which made the stranger went out of her mind’s floatiness. Thank goodness— she speaks korean.

“Yes yes— sorry. You just speak korean so well despite you being a foreigner.” The stranger complimented Sara which made her chuckled.

“I’ve been here for five years now. Learned the language in a hard way.” Sara half jokingly said.

“Can I give you money for your laundry? I felt bad for your clothes.” Sara looked at the stranger’s white button up shirt that is stained with coffee.

“Oh no. It’s alright—” The stranger shook her hands in disagreement but got cut off by Sara.

“I insist. Please. Just give me your name and number, I’ll send the money.” The stranger thought for a moment and finally agreed.

“The name’s Bada. Bada Lee.”

“Sara?” Sara’s eyes opened when she felt Kang-ho’s hand shaking her shoulder. She sat up and looked through the window.

“Are we here? Sorry I fell asleep.” Sara rubbed her eyes as her surroundings went clear. They are in a fine dining restaurant that overlooks the entire Seoul.

“Do you like it here? You once mentioned you like city lights.” Sara turned to Kang-ho and smiled appreciatively.

“I like it. Thank you for bringing me here.” Sara smiled politely which made Kang-ho nod in satisfaction. He got out of the car before opening Sara’s door. They then went inside with Kang-ho’s hand supporting Sara’s lower back.

They went inside the restaurant and the waiter guides them to their designated seats.

“The interior is amazing.” Sara complimented as she looked around the place.

“Yeah? I’m one of the engineers that participated on the process of building this restaurant.” Kang-ho boasted naturally. Sara looked at him in slight awe.

“Truly? No wonder.” Both of them chuckled. The waiter approached them and handed two menus for each of them.

“Ladies first.” Kang-ho proposed making Sara hum.

“I’ll have a risotto for the appetizer. For the main course, I’ll have the grilled fish. For desserts— blueberry cheesecake. Wine also for the drink.” Kang-ho smiled when Sara finished and also ordered his food. The waiter bowed and went to inform the cooks.

Even after ordering, Sara still looked at the menu to check some possible dishes she would like you to try next time. Perhaps even try making it at home if possible.

Sara noticed that Kang-ho is quiet and not talkative as usual. She looked up and saw him anxiously looking around— did she just saw a hint of annoyance in his eyes?

“Is something wrong?” Sara asked which made Kang-ho turn his head to her.

“Sorry— it’s just… a lot men are staring at you.” Sara looked around and he was right. Majority of the men inside keep on glancing their way. Perhaps it’s because she’s a foreigner. Sara turned her head back to Kang-ho.

“Does it bother you?” Sara asked, her eyes narrowing as she waited for his response. His response will change her perspective of him.

“A-A little. Yeah. A little. I just don’t like them staring at what’s mine, you know?” Sara’s lips formed a thin line but quickly hid it with a hum.

Flashback

“Baby! How do I look?” Sara asked as she fixed her earrings. She then heard footsteps approaching her bedroom. Sara turned and saw Bada leaning towards the door frame with a smile of adoration plastered on her face.

“Beautiful as always, dove.” Bada approached Sara and kissed her cheek with Bada’s hands around her waist. Sara chuckled and turned to the mirror again.

“Don’t you think the skirt is too short?” Bada hummed and looked down at Sara’s skirt.

“Wear whatever you want, pretty. I wanna show the world how gorgeous my lover is.” Bada turned her around and nuzzled her nose against Sara’s.

“Don’t let other people’s opinion stop you from expressing yourself. Doll yourself up and look pretty. Leave the fighting to me.” Bada leaned in and kissed Sara’s soft lips. Sara smiled through the kiss and wrapped her arms around Bada’s neck.

The night had progressed smoothly. Sara and Kang-ho had a great time inside the fine dining restaurant. Lots of laughing, hum of approvals because of how delicious the food was, and maybe a hint of getting to know more about each other.

Sara and Kang-ho went out of the restaurant with Kang-ho talking about his work as an engineer in different companies. Sara just nod in approval trying to understand the unfamiliar words only used in his field.

“It must be exhausting, working at a well-known company.” Sara commented as they went down the stairs since the restaurant is elevated from the ground.

“A little bit, but it’s all I have dreamed of since I was a child. Working at a company known for its quality.” Sara smiled at how Kang-ho seemed so committed in his work

It certainly reminded her of someone.

“You should visit my workplace soon. My colleagues will surely like you.” Kang-ho suggested as they went to the parking lot where his car is parked.

“Soon.” Sara replied.

Flashback

Sara sat on the floor of Bada’s studio as she admired the way her girlfriend moves as she dance. At that moment, her world revolves around Bada. She fully understands why so many people admires Bada for who she was.

She looked down the floor and chuckled at the things around her. A blanket to warm her incase the ac gets too cold, a plushie for comfort, her favorite snacks and drinks, Bada’s phone where her favorite movie is playing, Bada’s Ipad incase her phone ran out of battery, and Bada’s jacket incase the blanket is not much of a use.

Bada glanced at Sara when she heard her girlfriend’s chuckle. She smiled and raised her brows. Bada lowered down the volume of the speaker and adjusted her cap.

“Yes?” Sara looked up and saw Bada walking towards where she’s sitting. She chuckled in response when Bada pulled her up for her to straddle her lap.

“Isn’t this too much? Your dance studio is not even that cold.” Bada tilted her head and chuckled.

“That’s because I adjusted the temperature to your liking. Don’t want this pretty girl to catch a cold, right? I will be a bad girlfriend if I let that happen.” Bada replied while caressing Sara’s waist in up and down motion. Sara tried her hardest to not satisfy Bada’s pride by showing not too much reaction. Damn, this girl got her wrapped around her finger.

“But you like it cooler— and you’re sweating after dance. Goodness sake! Look! You’re still sweating—” Sara’s ramble got cut off by Bada’s soft lips against hers. She immediately melted through the kiss as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s neck with Bada’s hands gripping on her waist.

Bada’s hands gripped on Sara’s waist harder to pull her up, pulling her closer than the previous contact. Sara whined through the kiss, asking for more— no— demanding for more.

The kiss ended, followed by two woman who were breathing heavily— they didn’t regret falling out of breath though.

“My place?” Bada’s question echoed around the four walls of the dance studio but Sara shortly nodded with a lustful emotion present in her eyes.

Bada smiled and placed a short kiss on her girlfriend’s lips. Before scooping her up to go to the parking lot and drive to her apartment.

They didn’t waste time when both of them arrived inside Bada’s apartment. Their makeout session continued behind the four walls surrounding them.

Sara is pinned to the bed with Bada’s soft lips distracting her from the outside world. Bada’s kisses never failed to take her to heaven.

Others might send them a judgmental stare and throw words portraying their action as a sin but Sara never cared. Bada is too good to be a sin. No human goes up to heaven without making many sins. If there’s no such place where she’s allowed to rest peacefully once she died— Sara will gladly stand in hell with her heaven in her arms.

Sara’s thoughts got cut off when she felt Bada sucking on her sweet spot that made her mind go blank. Her hands quickly made its way to her blouse but Bada’s hand stopped hers from doing so.

“A beautiful girl like you should only be lying pretty as her clothes got removed one by one. Be the pillow princess as you should be.” Sara whimpered from just hearing Bada’s words. It definitely made her wet down there.

Her whimpers only got louder as Bada indeed removed her clothes, she let Bada do all the work— it’s not like she will let Sara do any minimal work, she always treated her like a princess after all. After the last remaining clothing, Bada’s kisses went from her neck to her chest and to her stomach. Sara felt Bada’s movements suddenly stop as she met Bada’s eyes.

“Thank you for the meal…” Sara gasped and moaned loudly as Bada’s tongue went to where it belonged to.

Intimate moments with Bada has always been a romantic feeling. Not like the others who use other people’s body for pleasure. Bada is more of a man than any other guy who walked into Sara’s life.

It made her realize that loving someone is not so bad at all. Especially if you have someone who loves you and treats you as if it’s as easy as breathing air.

Sara was busy admiring the city lights but looked down and smiled at the sleeping Bada beside her. Their clothes are scattered around the bedroom including Bada’s cap which was in the doorknob. All of what’s left are their naked bodies with their markings of each other left as a sign of their commitment and their love.

She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Bada’s lips which causes Bada to stir and to tightened her grip around Sara’s waist.

Sara smiled at the action that it almost made her heart swell with affection.

“I love you, Bada… so much.” Sara mumbled through Bada’s ear and kissed her cheek once more.

Sara sipped her wine as she admired the city lights below her. After Kang-ho dropped her off the apartment building, she immediately grab her leftover wine and sat at the edge of her bed to look at the view of Seoul.

She glanced at the frame placed on her bedside table that was facing the wall. Sara turned it to face her revealing a photo of her and Bada. The only evidence of their love left in her bedroom.

“We look so happy here…” Sara smiled sadly as she grabbed the frame. She wonders where it all went wrong. Is it there busy schedules? Bada’s dreams? Her dreams? Their time? The disappearance of physical affection? Sara never knows.

Both of them knew that their relationship was slowly falling apart. There is no one to blame. They’re in their 20s— still figuring out life and nowhere in place to be considered a grownup.

She somehow wonders if she ever crosses Bada’s mind. Probably yes, but she will never know what emotions Bada were feeling whenever she got reminded of their love.

Their breakup resulted in good terms, with communications, and with clarifications. Sara hoped it wasn’t the case. She hated that it ended in good terms. The four walls surrounding her knew the cries of pain she let out every night just by merely a memory they shared. The touches. The smiles. The laughters. The kisses. The I love yous. She hated them all.

Sara didn’t even notice a tear running down her cheeks as she thought about those moments that continuously lingered her mind.

Without further to do, she grabbed her phone and messages Kang-ho.

‘I believe our relationship will never work out. I apologize if I ever let you think that this will lead into something serious. I’m sorry.’

Sara sighed and put down her phone. She stared at the ceiling, the pressure on her chest was finally free.

Maybe she was too busy being hers to fall for somebody new.

Might do a part two :)

[bellybuttonbooks]

THE SIXTH | Ekko x Fem!OC

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

Rest of the fanfic can be found here.

SUMMARY:

Shimmer is back. Two years after the war with Noxus has ended, a new gangster emerges within the undercity, now known as 'Zaun'.

Daunter is a ruthless chem-baron who has reformed the city's drug empire. He refloods the streets with shimmer and gains the title 'Silco's Heir'.

The Firelights are back in commission after two years of lax, taking down exports just like the days when Silco was still alive.

When the group arrives at an export and finds it already taken down with the barrels drained of shimmer, it becomes apparent that Daunter and his gang aren't the only ones they need to look out for. They had competition. Or... did they?

Ekko finds himself involved in a seemingly endless cat-and-mouse chase with another gang leader-a woman who moves like the wind. He wants to know what her motives are, but he has to catch her first.

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

CHAPTER ONE:

- Zaun, two years after the conclusion of Arcane

"Fuck—"

It happened again. Their mission had been sabotaged, just like before. Someone had arrived before he and the Firelights had gotten there, Daunter's goons paralyzed and tied up, the barrels drained of shimmer.

Daunter was Zaun's newest chem baron—and currently it's biggest. He reintroduced shimmer to the Lanes, reflooding the streets with the purple drug.

After Silco had died and the undercity got caught up in a battle with Piltover and Noxus, shimmer had been mostly exterminated by Caitlyn and her enforcers. It still lingered in the black market, but mass exports ceased to exist. Until a few months ago, that is. Daunter crept in like slow-forming shadows caused by a rising moon. In increments so small that no one noticed until everything was drenched in its darkness.

This forced the Firelights back into action. But now, there seemed to be someone else who was intent on interrupting Daunter's operations. Ekko would have accepted the help if it wasn't for the fact that they'd taken the shimmer. He couldn't help but suspect that the culprit had ill intentions, and that put them at odds with the Firelights.

"Looks like we got competition," a distorted voice said from beside him.

Ekko turned his head to look at the masked face of Scar, a tall chirean who served as his Lieutenant and second in command. Chireans held bat-like appearances (minus the wings), with large ears, grey-toned skin, bat-like noses, and neon green eyes.

Both men stood atop a nearby roof, out of hearing distance of the restrained goons on the cargo airship.

"More like another enemy," Ekko responded.

Scar processed his leader's remark before speaking again. "You think they got bad intentions?"

"They're up to no good if they're stealing shimmer. Probably selling it themselves to make bank," he said pointedly.

Scar took in Ekko's words. It made sense and sounded like the most likely scenario. Though, one thing stood out to him.

"Why would they tie em' up? They already have em' paralyzed somehow. It's like they're leaving 'em here for someone to arrest or something."

Ekko considered this but had already thought up a reason. "The paralysis might not last long. Could be a precaution."

Scar nodded, agreeing that his reasoning seemed plausible.

"What should we do? Seems we keep missing 'em. Should we put out scouters across the city?"

Ekko exhaled through his nose, mulling over Scar's suggestion. It did sound like a good idea, but he had to also consider the risks. He didn't want to put his people in danger. This wouldn't be like their typical 'element of surprise' mission. This would involve spying, waiting, and watching—usually from the shadows to avoid detection. Despite this, Ekko had faith in the Firelights.

"Yeah. Could assign shifts. But we still need to keep most of our numbers back at the hideout in case of any surprise missions."

Scar agreed. Daunter was becoming more and more unpredictable, and there were times when they had to act quickly, creating plans with only hours to spare.

The conversation between the men ended there and Ekko mounted his aeroglider. He flew over to the transport ship and hopped off the board, sliding it behind his back to attach to the magnetic piece on his coat. He neared Daz, one of the newer Firelights.

Daz was a little on the shorter side, his body mass nothing impressive. But he was quick, and that made up for his size.

"You find anything useful? Anything they might've left behind?"

Daz stood from his crouching position. "Nothing. But this guy says that it was a bunch of people dressed in black wearing cloaks," he said.

The younger male nudged the oversized goon who was laying on the boarded floors of the airship with his booted foot.

Ekko's eyes narrowed in thought from the goon's revelation. He crouched down, deciding to take questioning the brute into his own hands.

"Did you see any faces? Anything?"

Daunter's ruffian shook his head, his double chin jigging as he did so.

"I was lucky to even see 'em in the first place. Bastards were quick as shit, bouncin' all over the place like a bunch 'a damn shimmer addicts."

Ekko stared down at the overweight man for a few moments before standing.

'Was it possible that whoever had done this was also consuming the drug to give themselves a physical advantage?'

Authoritative voices sounded from the distance, pulling him from his thoughts and signaling him and the other firelights that enforcers were nearby. Ekko yanked his aeroglider from behind his back once again, hopping onto it before instructing the other Firelights to follow him out of there.

The group flew to their hideout, flickers of green trails decorating the air behind them as they moved.

The Firelight hideout was impressive—only accessible through a labyrinth of abandoned sewer pipes. He and his people had the pipes memorized by now, knowing exactly where to go to reach the entrance. The entrance was covered by a heavy, circular piece of metal—resembling that of a manhole cover. It rolled to the side, allowing them access.

Each time Ekko walked through the gate, he was struck with amazement at what he had accomplished so far. He had created a community in the last ten years, having found a large tree growing from the deep, dark depths of Zaun—a miracle, but also a symbol of hope. He had built himself a home, a sanctuary, and shared it with the people of the undercity that had been affected by the shimmer epidemic and the victims of the battle. He was proud of himself, and the people who had joined him in forming the Firelights. They had done well.

During the war, they'd almost lost the tree. Well, they had lost the tree. The corruption from the hexcore had bled into the roots of their tree, causing the leaves to become tainted in wild rune markings before ultimately falling off. But using the knowledge he had learned in the other timeline he'd been teleported to, Ekko was able to form a time bubble around the hideout, reversing time in sphere they'd created but no where else. After ensuring no one was in the bubble, Ekko was able to bring the tree back to its former condition—before his mural had been painted on it.

Before the war, he'd vanished for months, leaving the Firelight no choice but to assume his death. They painted his face on the mural. It was a chilling thing to see once he'd returned; a symbol of his own death that hadn't occurred. A bad omen.

He had lost people throughout his twenty-three years of life—too many people. He carried the memories of his fallen friends with him and honored their memory by having a mural painted on the tall walls of the sewer, colourful portraits of the people who had passed on. It added to the surrealness of their hideout, while also ensuring who they've lost remained with them in, watching over them as they worked, lived, and thrived underneath their still gaze.

His eyes skimmed over the mural; Vi, Powder, Claggor, Mylo, Momo, Chip, Kurt, Jal, Eve, Radar, Heimerdinger, Jinx, and the most recent addition—Ajuna.

He lowered his gaze and walked to his room. It was located in one of the higher structures of the tree. Usually, he would use his hoverboard to fly there, but he decided to take the long way so that he could think on the way there. Plus, the exercise wouldn't hurt. He began his venture up the lengthy stairs, his mind occupied as he did so.

He soon reached his destination, pushing open the door before closing it behind him again after stepping inside.

His room was clean, but also messy. His bed was made, which was something he forced himself to do every morning. It was a twin bed that lined the back right corner of the room. Opposite the bed was his workbench, where the mess began. It was a disorganized madness, but it was his madness, and it worked for him. He was an inventor, a prodigy and a genius, as his parents called him. The workbench was evidence of his success and failures. His tools scattered across the wooden surface, grooves beginning to form in the shape of his fingers from how often he used them. Pieces of scrap lined the walls next to the desk, things he refused to throw out because he was determined to find a use for them some day.

The wall behind his desk was littered with plans, blueprints, diagrams—either of inventions he had already made, planned to make, or things he still hadn't finished planning yet. Next to the bed was his desk. It was situated underneath a curtained window. That was where some of the mission planning took place. He was the leader, and he was the one who created intricate plans for his team to embark on (with some help from Scar at times).

Ekko yanked his aeroglider from his back and rested it against the leg of his workbench before shedding his graffitied coat and folding it over his work chair. He removed his mask and placed it on his desk before sitting in his chair.

His mind was tossing and turning, thinking back to their wrecked mission. It was clear that the Firelights had another enemy to deal with now, as if Daunter and his gang weren't enough. He worried about what this might mean for their future undertakings, what confronting the group would be like, what their leader was like—if they even had one. They most likely did. They wouldn't have been able to pull off such swift heists if they didn't.

Ekko exhaled and willed his troubled thoughts to leave with his breath. He needed to focus. Make a schedule. Make a plan. He pulled out some parchment and leaned over his desk, getting to work.

Weeks passed, and the Firelights had no luck with spotting the culprits. Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing. That and any physical altercations made using shimmer made them dangerously fast foes.

Ekko stood atop a roof, his mask adorning his face and the hood pulled over his head. He held his hoverboard to his side, having just landed. The building he was situated on was positioned along one of the main routes for Daunter's shimmer exports.

At this hour, the city was dark but also illuminated by the lights within its buildings. It was pretty, no one could deny that. Pink and green light outlined its contents, adding to its nighttime radiance. It was a contrast to the dank stench that polluted their air.

He lingered on the roof for a while, hoping to spot some movement.

His scouting shift was ending. His body was tense with anticipation and eagerness that didn't seem to dissipate as the time ticked well beyond when he should have gone home. This mystery had been bothering him since the first time they came across an empty transport about a month ago. He couldn't understand how he and the Firelights kept missing them. How this mysterious group of people in black seemed to be getting away with it. Right now, all he knew was that he would not rest until he figured it out, and then took care of it by taking them down.

A flicker of movement occurred from the top right of his peripheral. In a flash his head wagged in the direction, his focus zooming in on it. There. He could see a very faint outline of what looked like the side of someone, the rest of them drenched in inky shadows. They stood upon a roof in the near distance. When Ekko moved onto the other side of the roof he was standing on, he noticed that there were other figures standing with the initial one he had noticed. It had to be them.

He knew that he'd have to stay hidden and quiet. He was outnumbered by people who had unknown capabilities. Instead of confronting them, he would follow them. Watch them and their moves, learn their techniques, inspect them for any weaknesses, and figure out who was leading them.

He put his aeroglider on his back, knowing that the green lights on it would immediately reveal his location—especially in the darkness of the night. He would have to move on foot. He wasn't exactly skilled in moving stealthily. His boots always felt too heavy, his breathing too loud—especially behind his mask. Despite this, he was determined to pursue the group. He'd been chasing nothing but possibilities for weeks. The possibility that he might spot them. The possibility of learning more about them. The possibility of the Firelights having the capability to take them down. He was sick of unanswered questions, and if slinking into the shadows like some kind of damn ninja was what he had to do to get them, then so be it.

When they moved, he moved, trying to mask any footsteps or sounds he made with theirs. So far, it seemed they were moving aimlessly. They headed in every which direction, making quick yet precise movements. Ekko was almost in awe. This group moved with grace and excellence. They used acrobatics and parkour together, the combination of the two giving the group a unique advantage in means of travel and stealth.

Ekko was able to see that the group consisted of about 6 people, with one of them leading the lot. He could see that they were indeed adorned in black attire, which included black cloaks. Any other physical details remained a blur due to their continuous motion.

The leader seemed to lead the group to some sort of abandoned warehouse. It had long since been cleared out of its storage—Ekko and the Firelights having raided it once after Squirt, one of the older members of the gang, spotted it during a mission.

Ekko kept himself tucked away in a nearby alley, sparing only a few glances as he saw the group circle on the concrete clearing in front of the warehouse. As he glanced over the corner, he noticed there was one fewer than before. Before he could even begin wondering what happened to them, he felt an abrupt poke on the back of his neck, directly in the center. In seconds he was crumbling to the ground, his own body refusing to listen to his brain signals that demanded he move. He lay there helplessly, now at the complete mercy of this group that he knew nothing about. He tested his eyes, seeing if he could glance around and blink. He could. He tried opening his mouth. He could. But that was it.

His eyes caught sight of the person who had managed to take him down in mere seconds without him even knowing they were there. They were small—a small female. She was dressed in all black besides a crimson scarf wrapped around her neck. He couldn't see her face because she was wearing a black half mask that covered her nose and mouth, and tinted goggles that covered her eyes. One of the most prominent things he noticed was how long and bushy her hair was. She had it tied in a low ponytail and the ends of it reached all the way to her ankles.

'There's no way that was the ideal way to keep her hair during outings like these,' Ekko thought. It reminded him of Pow—Jinx. Long hair. Always getting in the way when she fought. He felt his heart clench, but he banished the impending memories that threatened to come forth. He didn't have time to think about that now.

"You've been following us," the woman said, her voice firm and yet soft at the same time.

She began circling him, sizing him up before coming to a stop near his head. She squatted down beside him, her head tilting to the side as she looked over his masked face.

"And you've been stealing shimmer to do who knows what with."

Her head tilted to the other side as she listened to him respond in the distorted voice caused by his mask. "What of it? You want some?" Her voice was muffled by the material of her mask.

He scoffed, disgust filling him and lacing his voice with venom as he spoke. "So, you do make profit off it."

She didn't respond to that. Instead, she gripped the edges of his mask and began to tug it off. When she felt a resistance, she reached into his hood and unsnapped the fastens and then tried again.

Ekko could do nothing to stop her as she revealed his face to the night air.

She gave him a good stare down, as if memorizing every facial feature he had. She reached a hand down to him, her fingers making gentle contact with the hourglass marking on his forehead and nose.

Ekko would have jolted away from her touch if he wasn't paralyzed.

She traced along the edges of the marking with two of her fingers, her movements slow and deliberate. After pulling her hand away, she stared down at him some more, almost like she was contemplating something. "What does it mean?"

Ekko's mouth parted, confusion and bewilderment striking him from her abrupt question. He couldn't even think of forming an answer to that question, too caught off guard by it.

"Nothing? Just thought the shape was cool, huh?" She stood, his mask still pinched between her fingers.

"This thing is neat. Did you make it yourself?" She turned the mask over in her hands and held it up, getting a closer look at the neon pink 'x' painting on the front of it and then looking at the mechanics on the inside that made the wearer's voice distorted.

"What did you do to me? I can't move."

She looked from his mask and down at him again as she ignored her question. She seemed to pause, as if stunned by the sound of his actual voice that was no longer disguised by his mask.

"It's temporary. It'll wear off in an hour or so."

Ekko's eyes widened. "An hour? Stuck like this? With you?"

She snickered. "Hey, you're the one who was following us. I had to make sure you weren't a threat." She bent forward and gazed down at him; her eyes still hidden behind the goggles she wore. "So, are you? A threat, I mean."

Ekko swallowed. "Depends. I don't know you, or what your intentions are. I'm only a threat to those who are a threat to me," he said.

"Well, that's quite the predicament. We don't know your intentions, and you don't know ours." She stood up straight before continuing. "But you were the one following us. That's not very nice, y'know."

Ekko could feel her words ignite annoyance within him like a flame touching gas.

"I had my reasons," he retorted matter-of-factly.

The girl turned around, hiding her face from view before pulling down her mask and removing her goggles from her eyes, leaving them resting on her head like a headband. Then she put on his mask. It was too big for her, but she kept it on, nonetheless.

Ekko became enraged. "Take it off, now." His voice was angered and demanding.

She snickered again, this time teasingly as she turned around to show him her face now covered by his own mask.

"No, I don't think I will." Her voice came out distorted now, and it only added to Ekko's fury.

Before Ekko could make a response, she moved quickly out of his peripheral. And suddenly, she was atop the roof of one of the buildings lining the alleyway. She gave him a taunting wave before dashing away.

Ekko could hear her voice in the distance as she ordered the group to head back.

'So, she's their leader.'

Ekko mulled over that fact for a few seconds until he realized that he was now left in the alleyway, defenseless. She had left him there paralyzed and alone, completely vulnerable to any possible thugs in the area.

"Shit—"

Just as the word left his mouth, she returned to her spot on the roof. He watched her plop down, her short legs dangling over the ledge. He could hear her muffled, distorted snicker.

'Bitch.'

"Don't worry, I'll babysit you until you can move again."

Ekko blinked, confusion dousing him from her odd intentions.

"Why?"

"To make sure no one hurts you silly," she replied, her oddly cheerful voice making the distortion effects of the mask glitch out. He heard her giggle.

He stared up at her in disbelief. "You wouldn't have to do that if you hadn't paralyzed me in the first place."

"And I wouldn't have had to paralyze you if you hadn't been following us in the first place."

She had a point, and he knew it, But he also knew he was justified for following them. He needed to know what their intentions were.

"What are you doing with the shimmer that you've been stealing?" He knew his question was a long shot, but at this point he didn't have anything to lose.

"That's for me to know, and for you... To not know."

This woman was infuriating.

"Then I have no choice but to assume that you're selling it for profit. You're just continuing to add to the problems of the undercity. How do you live with yourself? Contributing to the pain and suffering of other people for the sake of coins."

She seemed to pause at his words, like she was thinking carefully before responding. "You're quick to assume things, huh?"

Ekko watched as she crossed her arms over her chest, her head still tilted downwards as she stared at him through his mask from her perch on the roof ledge.

"What choice do I have when you won't give me anything."

She hummed. "Touche."

Ekko could feel pins and needles erupt in the tips of his fingers and toes. The paralysis was starting to wear off. He decided to keep this information to himself. Maybe he could try and get her to come down here and strike after the paralysis had completely worn off without her knowledge.

"How'd you do this? You poked me and suddenly I'm all paralyzed and helpless."

He heard her make a noise of amusement, hinting that she was probably smirking behind his mask.

"More questions?

He rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna answer this one?"

She shook her head in amusement, and Ekko watched in astonishment as she stood and flipped into the air, landing on the ground right beside his head with absolute grace.

'She just flipped off a god damn building.'

He had to admit, that was impressive as hell. He'd lived in the undercity his whole life, and many kids grew up learning how to do parkour, but nothing like this. Sure, he could do his own mid-air flip, but his landings were far from as graceful and quiet as hers. It was like she was a dancer or something.

She squatted next to his head again, peering down at him like before but this time behind his mask.

"How about we swap secrets, yeah? You tell me what this means—" She paused and then poked the white marking on his forehead and nose. "—And I tell you how I made you 'all paralyzed and helpless'."

Ekko was taken aback. She would really reveal something so valuable in exchange for something that was merely personal to him?

"It means a lot of things. It's shaped like an hourglass. I've always had a thing for time."

She made another amused sound—probably smirking again.

"That's it? You have a thing for time? No deep, mysterious meaning for painting a freaking hourglass on your face?"

"Guess so."

She stood and crossed her arms over her chest.

He was starting to get more feeling in his face now, and he didn't even notice when he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Who are you?" he asked her, not really expecting an answer.

She shook her head disapprovingly again before replying. "Another question? But I haven't even answered the other one yet," she pointed out jeeringly.

He grit his teeth. This teeny tiny woman had started a raging anger within him. She dodged questions, was sassy as shit, and she'd stolen his mask and was now wearing it just to piss him off.

She noticed when his eyebrows furrowed, hinting that he was regaining use of his muscles now. She took a step back but didn't fully retreat just yet, lingering behind for a moment to say something else.

"I thought you would've found another fascination by now. But nope, still obsessed with time, aren't you, Ekko?"

Ekko felt like he'd been abruptly drenched in ice-cold water. She spoke to him as if she knew him.

'Who the fuck is this person?'

His shock was evident on his face, and she immediately picked up on it.

In a blur of movements, he was suddenly standing, the paralysis having worn off by now. Despite his quickness, she had maneuvered out of the way and was now standing on the same ledge she had been sitting on minutes before.

"Who the fuck are you?! Tell me, God dammit!"

She was quiet and unmoving for a few moments, as if she was contemplating something.

"Toodaloo." She waved at him and laughed before disappearing.

He growled and pulled his aeroglider from his back, immediately mounting it and taking to the air. She couldn't have gotten too far. It took him only a few moments to spot her in the distance. She was fast—real fast. But he had his hoverboard, which made him faster. He flew his board in her direction, gaining momentum on her quickly.

He watched as she turned a corner abruptly. He quickly made the sharp turn, about to catch up to her when he was forced to come to a stop. She was gone.

He gained altitude, moving up higher to get a better map of the place. He looked around, but still couldn't find anything. She had quite literally vanished into thin air.

"Fuck!"

Rest of the fanfic can be found here.

[softfem-dom]

I present to you, my baby, marianne!

yes, she's an xmen oc 😭 i don't even know if there are people with xmen / deadpool universe oriented ocs anymore but here I present my babygirl. And yes. She is a burnt toast. Logan left the bread for too long in the toaster (lol😭). And yes. She is Logan's biggest fangirl ever. (yes, she is wearing wolverine themed pyjamas and wolverine's babygirl is written on her ass, I won't elaborate on my thought process she's just a girl)

[narrycherries]

ivy: for moments that we stole

She was trying to figure out how to understand her own body, and he was attempting to help as much as he could..

(part 9)

masterlist // ivy series

word count: 29.7k

warnings/tags: harry x oc, fluff, angst, enemies to lovers, alcohol use, jealousy, (slight hints at smut but no smut yet)

[a/n:: hi sorry it took so, so long for this to come out, hope it’s worth the wait <3!! I’m never writing a part that’s this long ever again lol!]

It hadn’t been quite a week since Harry came over in the middle of the night. Ivy was walking through the door of Niall’s store Thursday afternoon solely to see Harry. Due to her work schedule and him picking up shifts at the store after his regular job, they haven’t been able to physically see each other. Harry was devastated that he couldn’t see her, but he understood that she was tired after work. Every night, though, they talk on the phone and catch each other up on their days. 

Niall gave her a wave as she walked past the register. She quickly returned the gesture but didn’t waste time stopping to talk to him. Her destination was the back room where Harry told her he’d be at. He didn’t have a shift today, but he had a few lessons scheduled. Niall conducted the sessions at the store. Ivy strolled to the back, excitement firing up her body. She was ready to see him. Looking at his face on a screen during a video call or hearing his voice over the phone wasn’t enough to hold her over anymore. When she reached the back, she slowed down in the doorway and peaked into the room. Harry was sitting with his back to her on a stool, his hands holding a guitar. There was a young boy, most likely in his early teen years, sitting on the small couch across from him. Harry was talking to him about their progress, saying how he was doing a good job. 

“I think in a few more sessions you’ll be playing confidently.” Harry said, resting the guitar he was using on a stand before standing up. 

The boy smiled and jumped up, grabbing the soft case he carried his instrument in with. 

“I hope so. See you next week.” 

Harry chuckled. “You will. Remember, practice those sheets.”

Once the boy zipped his case up and walked towards the door, Ivy stepped out of the way and waited for them to be alone. 

Harry told her he had about fifteen minutes in between his lessons today, so she was eager to get to him as quickly as possible. When she walked into the room, he turned around and met her with a bright smile. He didn’t expect to see her so soon. 

“Hi.” She said happily while practically running over to him. 

Harry grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into a tight hug. “Hey, sweet girl.”

“I’ve missed you.” She grinned against his chest, her arms snaked around him. 

“I missed you more, love.”

Ivy grunted as he squeezed her extra tight. “You smell good.”

Harry let out a laugh, pressing a kiss to her temple. She pulled back, reaching up to grab his face with both hands. He gave her control, allowing her to pull him down for a kiss. They were both mindful of the fact they were in public, so their tongues stayed behind their lips. Harry hummed against her mouth, savoring the feeling of her thick lips mushed into his. When she pulled away, he furrowed his brows and let out a disapproving sigh. Ivy pinched his dimple and dropped her hands to his chest. 

“I don’t like being away from you for this long.” 

Harry smirked, licking his lips to soak up the flavor of her lip gloss that’s now mostly on his mouth and not hers. “It’s definitely not fun.”

“We can spend the weekend together.. if you want.” She offered, batting her long eyelashes at him.

He was easily enticed by the idea. “We can do that.”

Ivy was about to reach up for another kiss when Harry’s hands both moved to her waist, squeezing her on either side. He was staring deep into her eyes, a longing silence growing between them. She could tell he was thinking about something. 

Harry cleared his throat and dipped his head down, pressing a kiss to her ear. “Can I take you out on a date tomorrow?”

She let out a soft giggle, blush coating her face. “A date? Yeah, I guess so.”

“If you want to.”

“Of course, yeah.” Ivy turned her head so she could meet his lips. 

Harry laid a few kisses on her mouth before leaning back up. “We can get ice cream or something after, whatever you want. Maybe go back to my place for a movie.” 

She lifted an eyebrow. “Back to your place, hm?” 

“Yeah, take a turn in my bed.” He smirked back.

Her eyes rolled as her arms snaked around his torso. “Maybe.” 

“You can stay the night.. if you want to.” Harry kept his eyes on her despite her hiding her face. “My bed isn’t as comfortable as yours.. but m’sure you being in it would make it better.” 

Ivy shook her head, burying her face into his chest again. He didn’t have to look to know she was flushed and uncontrollably smiling. Even before they started doing all of this, Harry was well aware of the effect he had on her. His words, his glances, his touches - every little thing he did drove her mad. 

“I’d like to have a sleepover.” She finally mumbled back, a smile weaved into her words. 

“Then it’s a deal.” 

Harry could see through the doorway that there were a few customers walking around. As much as he wanted to hold on to her forever, until they morphed into one being and the world stopped spinning, he knew he couldn’t do that here. With a huff, he withdrew his arms and inched backwards, while keeping his hands on her waist. She frowned, trying to step closer, but Harry shook his head to stop her. 

“I have to get ready for my next lesson, love.” 

Ivy groaned, throwing her head back. “No, not yet.” 

“I don’t want to, believe me. I’d much rather be with you.” 

She understood that he had priorities and commitments that he couldn’t just abandon because she wanted to spend time with him. It was a struggle, especially with it being the first week they’ve been together, but she had to deal with it. Harry gave her waist a squeeze, trying his best to give her affection that was more appropriate for their setting. 

“Do you have any preferences for where you want to eat tomorrow?” 

She shook her head. “Whatever you want to do.” 

“I’ll text you later and let you know what time I’ll pick you up.” 

Ivy gave him a cute smile. “Call me.” 

“Alright, I’ll call you.” 

“I’m glad I got to see you for a little bit.” Her lips rolled to a pout, making his heart sink. 

“M’gonna spend every waking moment with you this weekend.” Harry wanted to wrap her in his arms and squeeze her tight, but he opted not to. 

“Guess I have to go now, hm?” She frowned, wishing he’d say no but aware that he wouldn’t. 

“Not before I kiss you goodbye.” His wink made her laugh, which eased his worry. 

It took so long for him to admit his feelings to her, and he hated having to be away from her now. But he had a job to do and she needed to get home and handle some chores. They couldn’t spend every day together.. Since he knew it would be an entire day until he saw her again, he wanted his goodbye hug to leave a good impression. Ivy laughed as he pulled her back into his body, squeezing her tight and placing several kisses on her temple. Her arms were squished between them, her hands pressed on his body as she giggled and squirmed, trying to get free. Ivy snuck her hand up to his face and grabbed his chin, angling his head down so she could kiss him. This time, she let her tongue slip out and he gladly lapped it up with his own. It was a long thirty seconds, a magical moment frozen in time. 

“Lovebirds, break it up.” Niall’s voice broke the trance and forced them apart. 

Harry groaned, his hands falling from her body, “What do you want?”

“I just got off the phone. They want us to do a show Saturday night. Their other booking fell through.” He explained, looking at his phone as he typed a message to send to the band’s group chat. 

“We just did a show.” Harry huffed out, not excited about the idea. 

“I know, but it wouldn’t hurt to do another.” Niall was obviously fine with the idea, and he thought the money would be worth it. Usually they did shows once a month, so extra income would be nice for everyone. 

“I just made plans for the weekend.” Harry glanced at Ivy, feeling her stare on him. 

“You can do the show. I can come watch.” She clasped her hands around his right hand, squeezing tight and pulled herself against him. 

“Ivy, I.. I wanted to be with you.” 

“You will be, technically. I love watching you sing.” The way she smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him, made him melt. He couldn’t tell her no. He couldn’t deny her of this, or anything if she used that adorable expression. 

Harry sighed and licked his lips. “Are you sure it’s not a big deal? 

“No, it’s fine. I promise.” She grinned back, visibly excited about the idea. 

He looked back to Niall, who was waiting for an answer. “I guess we can.”

“Good. Everyone else is on board.” Niall smirked, knowing that Harry would be the only difficult one to convince, especially now that he has someone else to occupy his time. 

“Have you told everyone about us?” Ivy asked curiously, her fingers crawling up his forearm.

Niall chuckled. “He hasn’t.”

“Niall.” Harry wasn’t pleased by that. “Can you go away?”

“Are you embarrassed of me?” Ivy had the biggest smile on her face. 

Harry shook his head, turning to face her. “M’not embarrassed. I haven’t seen any of them.”

“I know, I’m just picking.” Her smile dropped slightly. It was easy to notice the difference in his tone. 

Niall already walked off, leaving them alone. Harry avoided her gaze, choosing to stare off behind her. Ivy felt a familiar feeling creeping in. Whenever she used to talk to Harry, she would be afraid that something would happen and he’d get angry. Right now, that thought was threatening to take over. 

Harry didn’t say anything. He brought her into another hug, silence growing between them. She wasn’t sure if he was irritated or if he was just being quiet. She made sure to squeeze him tight. A minute passed before he finally let her go. He kissed her for just a moment, mumbling how he’d miss her. She returned the sweet words, trying to push away the worrying thought. Harry had a lesson and Ivy had to leave.. 

That night, just as she was getting under the covers to get comfortable, Harry called her. They talked for a while about random things, he told her about the lessons and she rambled about the grocery shopping she did after she left the music store. Harry listened to every word, enjoying the sound of her voice. He apologized for how he acted earlier in the day, but she assured him it was fine and she wasn’t upset in any way. 

After that, before they said their goodbyes, he told her he’d be there to get her at seven o’clock for their dinner date. He wouldn’t share the details of where they were going, just told her to trust him. Ivy was nervous about the date but she was excited, too. Harry could tell she was tired, so he eventually let her go with the promise to see her soon. 

—•—

Ivy had never breathed so hard before. Her eyes burned holes through the mirror as she looked her body up and down. She could feel her heart fluttering from anxiety as she contemplated how she felt about her appearance. Did she like this dress? Was it too much for a first date? If Harry was taking her somewhere that was casual, this would be considered over-dressed. Just as she was about to rip it off to try another one on, Emma walked into her bedroom. 

“Hi, getting ready for your date?” She grinned as she walked up behind Ivy in the mirror. 

She huffed back. “Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?”

Ivy shrugged, rotating to see how she looked from the side. “Can’t decide what I wanna wear.”

“This dress is gorgeous. Dark blue always looks good on you.” Emma adjusted a piece of her curled hair, putting it in place. “And your hair is gorgeous.”

Ivy chewed on her cheek for a few seconds as she stared at herself. She was confident with her emotions and feelings, yet she was confused about her outer appearance. Did she like this dress? Was it too nice? Was the color decent? Would Harry like this color? She shook her head. 

“What if Harry doesn’t like it?”

Emma met her eyes in the mirror. “If you wore a potato sack Harry would love it.”

“But.. what if he doesn’t?” Ivy’s lips fell to a frown. 

“He will, Ivy. He’s obsessed with you. He’ll love it.” Emma playfully grabbed her waist, keeping a smile on so Ivy would feel better. 

She shrugged, looking down at her heels. Maybe they were too tall for this kind of thing? They were very comfortable, the thick heel made them easy to balance in. Would Harry think it’s too much? 

“You look perfect, I promise.” Emma whispered out, trying her best to pump some positivity into Ivy. 

Although she didn’t believe it, she thanked Emma and said a quick goodbye. Niall was there to pick her up. They were going on a date themselves and planned to spend the night together here since Ivy will be going with Harry if all things go well. 

Ivy sprayed on her favorite perfume and adjusted the necklace around her neck, setting the pendant flush to her skin. She applied her favorite lipgloss, opting for a shade a bit of a deeper pink than her usual. The curls in her hair weren’t tight. They flowed down her back and over her shoulders, perfectly spiraled. Maybe he would like the dress and the shoes and the perfume and her hair and her.. Maybe he would really, really like her tonight. 

“Hello?” She answered as she put the phone to her ear. 

“Hey, sweet girl. I’ll be there in two minutes.” Harry’s deep voice made her stomach turn cartwheels. 

“Okay. Should I wait outside?”

“I’ll come to the door and get you.” His smile was laced perfectly through his words. “Have to be traditional.”

She laughed softly. “Okay, I’m excited to see you, but don’t call why you’re driving. Be safe.”

“Alright, I’ll see you soon. Bye, Ivy.”

“Bye, Harry.” 

Speaking to him didn’t ease her worry at all. The thoughts of not looking pretty enough and not dressing appropriately and not being what he wanted - everything was spiraling in her mind. Ivy sat down on the couch and glued her eyes to the door, waiting to hear a knock or two hit against the wood. She nearly held her breath the entire time. It was supposed to be easier now that they got along, that they admitted to caring about one another. It was supposed to be easy..

It had been a long time since she went out on any official dates with anyone. All those had failed her in the past, she was hopeful that this one would be different. There was that lingering fear that Harry would suddenly not want to be with her and that he’d disappear, but she was fighting hard to keep that out of her mind. Worrying about her appearance was enough to keep her mind occupied, unfortunately. Everything vanished and her heart froze as a sudden knock on the door echoed through the room. There was no turning back. She gulped down her fears and walked to the door. It was comforting to know that Harry was on the other side and soon they’d be reunited. 

Ivy opened the door and smiled brightly as she finally saw him. He looked incredibly handsome tonight. He was wearing a nice shirt, all but the top button were fastened, and a pair of trousers. It was unusual seeing him in something other than jeans, but she thought he looked wonderful. He smiled back, nervousness already seeping through his veins. In his hand was a bouquet of pretty pink tulips. 

“Hi.” 

Ivy’s cheeks flushed as he extended the flowers out to her. “Hi.” 

“I got you these.” He said, referring to the tulips. “I hope you like them.” 

She took the flowers from him and lifted the bouquet to her nose. The smell was beautiful and fresh, something she was relieved to experience. Ivy held the flowers in one hand as her other arm went around him, grunting as he embraced her tighter. 

“Thank you, I love them.” She grinned as her head fell back, her pretty eyes met his instantly. 

“You’re welcome. A little bird might’ve told me these are your favorite.” He winked, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. He hoped he didn’t disturb her hair or makeup. 

“A little bird who splits the rent with me, I assume.” 

He shrugged. “That’s a secret.” 

Ivy teasingly rolled her eyes and looked down at the flowers. “Is it okay if I put them in a vase real quick? I don’t want them to die.” 

“Yeah, go ahead.” Harry nodded, following her inside as she turned on her heel and headed to the kitchen. 

He chose to stay by the door as he waited for her. All he could think about was how perfect she looked tonight. He thought the shade of blue was stunning on her and the dress was fitted perfectly. Her hair looked so soft and pretty, and the whiff he got when he hugged her was wondrous. She smelled, looked, sounded, and felt like heaven. He watched with an amused smile as she scrambled to find a vase in the lower cabinet and fill it with water. She was rushing so he wouldn’t have to wait too long, but little did she know he’d wait forever if she needed him to. Once she got the tulips in a vase and placed on the counter near the window, she rejoined him and took hold of both of his hands. 

“Thank you for being sweet.” She said in a soft voice, puckering her lips for him. 

He chuckled, placing a few soft pecks on her mouth. “Have to treat you like a princess.” 

“Well, this princess is hungry.” 

“C’mon, let’s get going.” He kept hold of one of her hands and walked her out to the car. 

“Oh, my bag.” She quickly walked to the couch to grab the small duffle bag she packed for the night. 

Ivy was surprised when Harry opened the car door for her, gesturing for her to get in. He waited until she was situated and her seatbelt was on before he shut the door. She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face as she watched him walk around the front of the car. He looked so good, so put together and happy. 

“You’re so beautiful.” Harry smiled at her as he backed onto the street. 

“Thanks.” She rested her hands on top of each other on her lap, looking down at the fabric of her dress. “Not too dressed up, am I?”

“No, love. You’re perfectly dressed.” 

Ivy let her eyes trail over to his side of the car. She looked over his thigh and up his side, still surprised to see he had a long sleeve shirt on without pushing the sleeves up. He looked so nice. 

“So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing?”

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ll see when we get there.” 

“What about after?”

“Ivy, you have to be patient, sweetheart.” Harry glanced at her, already aware she was staring at him. “Trust me.”

“I do trust you.” 

Harry gripped the steering wheel with one hand and reached over with his other one. She didn’t hesitate to rest her palm on his, sliding their fingers together. She stayed quiet for the rest of the drive. Although he was worried that something was bothering her, he didn’t want to pry. If she wanted to tell him anything then she would. 

Ivy spaced out quickly, her eyes were fixed on their joined hands but her mind was lost. All she could think about was if Harry liked her dress or not. Did he like her hair like this, was her makeup too light, were her shoes ugly? She swallowed harshly, forcing down all the worry. She didn’t want the night to be ruined by her spiraling thoughts. 

She squeezed Harry’s hand as they pulled into a familiar place. When she looked at him, he chuckled and gave her a quick glance. 

“The first time we ate here together I was an asshole. I figured the second time should be better.” 

Ivy let out a shy laugh. “I.. I didn’t expect this.” 

“Good.” Harry grinned back. “That means I’m good at surprising you.” 

There was a rush of excitement flooding through her. For weeks on end, she replayed that night with him in her mind wondering what went wrong, what she could’ve done differently. It was one of those memories that haunted her. But now he’s giving her brain the chance to replace it with a much better experience, if all goes well. Once he parked and turned off the car, Ivy grabbed the door handle, but he stopped her. 

“Wait, stay there.” 

She hesitated at first, but lowered her hand to her lap. He practically flew out of the car, racing to her side. She giggled to herself as she watched him adjust his collar before opening the door for her. 

“Harry, you didn’t have to do that.” She sighed out as he offered his hand to her, she gladly took it. 

“But I should do it, and I’m going to.” Harry squeezed her hand as he waited for her to stand up. 

He looked down at her shoes, just now getting a good view of them. They reminded him of the other heels he’s seen her wear. He really liked the way she looked in them. He shut the door as she fixed her dress and swept her hair over her shoulders. He wanted to give her a kiss, but he was trying to wait until after dinner. 

They walked hand in hand to the door, Ivy was telling him about the muffin she ate for breakfast. He was amused by her excitement, finding it rather precious that she enjoyed such trivial things. It was good to know small things made her happy. She savored the details of life, and he admired that so much. 

They were guided to a table quickly, Harry had worried that they would have to wait. Blush coated her face as Harry pulled out the chair for her. She felt like she was being treated like a queen, like someone important. She was important to him.. 

“You’re being rather sweet tonight.” Ivy smiled when he sat down across from her. 

“Trying to make up for all the times I was a dick to you.” Harry only half smiled back. 

She licked her lips and looked down at the menu, scanning her eyes over the words. “You’re doing good, I promise. I’d tell you if you weren’t.” 

“I hope you’d give me absolute hell if I did that to you again.” 

Ivy glanced up at him. “Oh, I definitely would.”

For some reason, she felt like she didn’t want to bore him with random, meaningless conversation. She let herself get side tracked on a muffin just minutes ago. Surely that’s not something he wants to hear all the time. She absentmindedly started to pick at her nail polish. It would annoy her tomorrow when she sees the chipped paint. 

“What are you going to get?” Harry asked as he lifted the menu to read over it. 

Nervousness crept through her, threatening to ruin the entire night. “Um, I don’t know yet.” 

Harry peeked at her over the top of the menu, obviously hearing the uncertainty in her voice. He could tell something was on her mind. Maybe she was really just trying to decide what she wanted, and that worried look on her face that she wasn’t good at hiding meant nothing. Or maybe it meant something.. 

“Are you feeling okay, love?”

She lifted her head, expecting to catch his stare. “Yeah, just trying to pick something.”

“Take your time. It looks like we won’t get any service tonight.” 

Harry’s huff made her gulp. He sort of seemed irritated and she hoped he didn’t lose his control. Ivy decided to attempt to ease the tension he was clearly experiencing.

“We just got seated. I’m sure someone is coming soon.” 

He chose not to reply. Her heart began to beat faster than it had been, worry was spilling into her stomach. Keeping him calm would be the best thing, so she opted to try. 

“So, have you picked a movie for us to watch later?” 

He sighed. “No, I was going to let you pick.” 

“Oh.”

“Unless you don’t want to.. then I’ll just choose something.” His tone wasn’t what she wanted to hear. 

For a handful of minutes, they were both quiet. Ivy wasn’t quite sure how to approach him. If he was irritable, she didn’t want to set him off. It would be a dream for his mood to magically change. She worried his lack of control over his emotions would make this hard for them - and not just during dinner.. 

“Is.. is that a new ring?” Her voice broke out suddenly, grabbing his attention. 

Ivy was staring at his hand, her eyes fixated on the decorations littering his fingers. He looked down, the lion shaped ring was one he hadn’t worn in a while. He assumed that was the one she was referring to. It caught the light from above them. 

“Um, no. I just don’t wear it a lot.” Harry relaxed his brows and let his lips shape to a soft smile. “You notice my rings?”

Ivy grinned back, reaching across the table to touch him. He didn’t shy away, he let her take hold of his hand so she could examine the ring. 

“Yeah, of course. I notice everything about you. I spent a long time.. staring at you.” She said with a soft laugh, slightly embarrassed by her admission. 

“You’re so.. perfect.” He squinted his eyes as he stared at her. “Just everything about you is perfect.”

She shook her head. “To me, it sounds like I’m a creep.”

“You know I stared just as much.” He saw a waiter approaching them, his eyes shifting to stare the person down. “About fucking time.” 

Ivy sighed and quickly mumbled back to him. “Be patient, okay? Don’t.. don’t get so irritated over this.”

“Ivy.” He said through a breath. 

“Harry. Please.” 

He flicked his gaze back to her. “Alright. I’ll try.” 

“Try hard, for me, okay?” She got the words out just as the waiter got to the table. 

“Okay. For you.” 

Ivy paid close attention to Harry as he told the waiter what he wanted to drink. She watched the way his eyes held a cold glare and his lips were straight. He was annoyed and it was obvious to her, so it must be obvious to this other person, too. She squeezed his hand, glad he was still letting her hold it. He returned the squeeze, but didn’t let up on his expression. She asked for water, keeping a smile on her face to be polite. 

Once they were alone again, Ivy took a deep breath and started talking. As he heard her voice, he shifted his eyes to her and let his features soften. 

“I’m excited to stay the weekend.” 

“Yeah? I’m excited, too.” 

She felt a lump forming in her throat. He didn’t seem to be all that happy or joyful anymore. She dropped her eyes to their hands. Her skin appeared more pale than usual when compared to his sun kissed complexion. The cold metal of his rings stung her fingers, but she enjoyed the feeling. When she lifted her eyes, he gave her a slight frown. 

“M’sorry, I.. I’m acting like we’re strangers.” Harry’s voice was gentle, almost a whisper. 

Ivy licked her lips and gave him a sweet smile - maybe he deserved it, maybe he didn’t. “You’re fine. It’s our first.. date, so it's okay to be nervous.” 

He nodded slowly, but his stare fell down to the table. “I’ve never done this before.” 

“What? A date?”

He shrugged. “Yeah.”

She was surprised by his words, it was almost unbelievable. Harry was so attractive and confident. She’s witnessed him flirt with women and show off his charisma. From what she’s heard, he’s well versed in sexual relationships, was that the extent of it? 

“You’ve never been on a date?”

He shook his head, his stare still fixed elsewhere. She wanted him to look at her, wanted to hold eye contact as they spoke. But she knew that was probably not going to happen. 

“That’s kind of.. shocking. You seem like.. you could get a date easily.”

Harry laughed for a moment. “It’s not that I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.”

When Ivy adjusted in her chair, a piece of her hair fell forward. She sighed softly, wrapping her finger around the strand to twist it. Harry wondered if she was bothered by what he said. Was it too forward? Honesty was supposed to be the best thing. Maybe he was too rough. 

“Why not?” She slightly lifted her brows. “Never.. never found anyone worth the trouble?” 

He smirked, but it wasn’t malicious. “The whole.. being someone’s boyfriend thing never really.. intrigued me. Kinda felt stupid and pointless.” 

She moved her eyes to stare at the piece of hair she was handling. “I hope, um, your perspective has changed.”

Harry rubbed his thumb over her skin, her small hand encased by his hold. “I promise, you’re the only one who can change that for me. You’re worth everything. Every risk, every fear, everything.”

Her stare moved back to him and she let go of the curl. It fell back to the place it was before she messed with it. Harry wanted to reach over and fix it, put it with the rest of the curls and make everything perfect, but he didn’t. 

“M’trying my best to.. to do this right with you. To be a boyfriend and be.. be good to you.” He was afraid that her silence meant he was scaring her off. 

Ivy let out a soft laugh and lifted her lips to a smile. “Boyfriend, hm? You never asked me if you could be my boyfriend.” 

“Well, can I be your boyfriend?” He smiled back, lifting his brows in question. 

“I suppose so.” She lifted her shoulders nonchalantly, trying to play as a tease. 

He watched her closely, picking up on her cheeky grin and gentle giggle. “You’re so funny and.. and cute. Just makes me want to try even harder.” 

She parted her lips to speak, but they were interrupted by the same waiter that came by earlier. Ivy let go of his hand and carefully placed both of hers in her lap. She didn’t want to knock the glass over and make a mess on the table. Harry breathed out heavily, nervousness crawling into his body. Did he mess up? No, it was just going so well. Maybe she was tired of holding his hand? Maybe her arm was sore from the position? He wasn’t sure, and not knowing why was bothering him. 

“Thank you.” Ivy said with a kind tone, thanking the waiter. 

Harry bit down on his cheek as he witnessed it. It shouldn’t be such an annoying thing for him, but something about the way the man looked at her was irritating. There was a high possibility he was just being dramatic and jealous. He tried to shake the thoughts out of his mind as she gave her food order. 

Once they were alone, Ivy thought it would be a good idea to continue their conversation. She wanted to know more about him, more about his past and why he didn’t do certain things. Were relationships really such a bad idea in his mind? Or was he just being stubborn and not willing to give himself to someone in that way? She hoped he’d tell her everything without her having to ask. 

“So, I’m your first real date.” 

He let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah, you are.” 

“And your first real girlfriend.” 

“My first and only, hopefully.” 

Ivy cocked a brow at him, but didn’t say anything. She hadn’t noticed he didn’t move his hand off the table until just now, when she glanced down and saw it still laying in the same spot. As much as she wanted to give him that affection, she knew she needed to focus and have a serious conversation with him. 

“I hope you.. take this really seriously with me. I.. I don’t want us to.. to be like we were before.” 

His smile dropped to a frown and his brows furrowed. “I promise, we don’t have to be that way ever again.”

“I don't want to be.” 

“Ivy, I swear.. I’ll never treat you that way again. You mean so much to me.. and I have so much to make up to you.” Harry turned his hand over, his palm to the ceiling. 

She looked at it for a long moment, considering everything in her mind before making a decision. It was obvious to her that he struggled talking about his feelings, but whenever he was with her he seemed to do it better. He liked to touch her, liked to squeeze her, liked to feel her body cruve against his hands, liked to push his lips into hers and all over her face.. he loved touching her. She would be cruel and evil to deny him of that physical touch that he craved and needed so much. 

“As long as you remember to be patient and calm and.. and nice.” 

“I’ll never treat you wrong again.” 

She smiled a little, finally moving her hand into his. This time, their fingers didn’t lock up. She rested her palm in his and let her fingers carefully drape over his wrist. When their eyes met, Harry felt his stomach churn. Was she not believing him? Was he not saying the right things? He’s trying so hard. 

“I mean.. with everyone, not just me. I want you to be nice.. and funny.. and sweet.. to everyone.” Ivy licked her lips, glancing away from him for just a split second. “Well, maybe save the sweetness for me.” 

His frown turned up. “Only for you. But, yeah, I will. I’m.. trying not to be such an.. ass.” 

“I can help you if you need me to. I want to do what I can.” 

He shook his head lightly. “You don’t have to fix me, Ivy. It’s not your job. I.. I did this on my own.” 

“But I’m not going to leave you alone. I want you to get better. If you have a better outlook on everything around you then you’ll be so much happier and positive.” She explained, hoping her words held meaning to him. 

“I know. I.. I feel better with you. You sorta.. do fix it, I guess.” 

She smiled a bit bigger. “I know, Harry. I can see how much better you are with me.” 

He swallowed gently. “You’re saving me, love.” 

Ivy smiled back, sinking her nails into her skin. “You’re letting me.” 

While waiting for their food to arrive, they kept up small talk about random little things. Ivy was the one doing most of the talking, while Harry listened and smiled at her expressive words. He thought the way she described things and told stories was incredible. Of course, he couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous she was and how her eyes sparkled when she laughed. Everything about her was captivating, he was lost in her existence. 

She spoke so much because she was nervous. This was really only the second time they were actually alone together while not being mortal enemies. She felt as though it could be messed up at any second. She feared that he would get tired of her or find her boring and he’d leave, or never come back after the date was over. Maybe she should’ve stayed away from him after he avoided her - no, that was insane. That would’ve driven her mad, made her lose her mind. 

Harry was so fixated on her details and words that he didn’t realize she was rambling because she was nervous. He just thought she wanted to tell him these things to fill their silence. He didn’t mind it, he quite enjoyed it. She was paying attention to him, making a point to conversate and interact. There had been many times when they were in the same room that she ignored him, that she hated him. It was because of his own behavior, of course. He cherished every second with her now, appreciated every ounce of attention she gave. 

They ate their food while mumbling about the next night’s show. Harry told her he wasn’t really thrilled about doing it, but she convinced him it would be fine. She was excited to attend a show as his girlfriend instead of a person he couldn’t stand to be around. Although he said he didn’t have an issue with anyone knowing about them, he told her, after she asked, that he wasn’t sure who knew about their new found relationship. As far as he was aware, Niall and Emma were the only two people who knew. Whether they told everyone else or not wasn’t something he knew. Ivy wanted to ask why he didn’t tell his friends, but she refrained. Perhaps it was just a private thing that he didn’t want to spread around like a teenage boy. 

After they ate and Harry insisted he’d cover the bill, he walked her to the car and opened the door for her. She felt special, yet undeserving. He drove them back to his place, glad that Niall wouldn’t be home tonight. When they arrived, he rushed to her door and opened it yet again before grabbing her bag to carry it in for her. She brought a change of clothes for the night, but told him that she’d need to go home to change tomorrow before the show. 

“We’ve got the place to ourselves tonight, Dad is out.” He chuckled as he shut the door behind her, turning the locks. 

Ivy laughed, imagining how intense Niall might be at times. She looked around the space, somewhat remembering what it looked like. She only came by once, the night that Harry came out of the bathroom and ran into her. Unfortunately, every place they go together seems to hold bad memories for her. She pushed it aside and turned to face him. 

“Is it okay if I change?” 

“Yeah. Um, you can go up to my room or the bathroom.” 

“Okay.” She took the bag from his hand and excused herself up the stairs. 

Harry went to the kitchen to gather a few items. He wasn’t sure what she would want as a sweet snack. They decided not to get ice cream, she was full after their meal and wanted to get out of her dress. He knew Niall had a candy stash in the back of the pantry, so he stole some of that. He grabbed her a bottle of water and sat a bag of popcorn on the counter, intending to ask her when she returned if she wanted any. 

Upstairs, Ivy hesitated at first on which room to go into. She didn’t want to feel like an intruder, so she chose the bathroom. She would eventually end up in his bedroom tonight anyway, so she’ll just wait to see what hides behind the door. Changing into a pair of yoga pants, although she didn’t do yoga at all, and a t-shirt was a relief. Her feet weren’t really tired from her shoes since she didn’t have to walk or stand a lot, but it was nice to get them off and slip on a pair of socks. She was glad she packed some makeup wipes. Once her skin was cleaned and her teeth were brushed, she packed her items into the bag and zipped it up. 

When she walked out, her eyes moved over to the door she knew led to Harry’s bedroom. She thought about dropping her bag in there, but she still had that intruder feeling burning in her gut. So, she left it in the hall outside of his room, intending to pick it up later. As she came down the stairs, she saw him adjusting the hem of a t-shirt he changed into. He snuck down the hallway to the laundry room to change while she was gone. Sweatpants covered his lower half. 

“Hope I don’t scare you.” Ivy said with a laugh as he looked over and saw her. 

“Scare me?” He held his hands out, waiting for her to join him. 

She crossed the room to where he stood in front of the couch. She saw the arrangement of candies and the water he laid out, it made her heart swell. Ivy wrapped her arms around his torso and giggled as he embraced her, squeezing her tight. 

“My makeup is gone.” 

He huffed. “You’re gorgeous.” 

She didn’t say anything back, just bolted her eyes shut as she savored the feeling of being against him. He could tell she was tired, but he hoped she at least wanted to start a movie with him. As he pulled back, she grunted and yanked him back against her. He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her head as he gently rocked them from side to side. Ivy had dreamed of this moment, of just being close to him and holding on tight. She never wanted it to end. 

“Thank you for going with me tonight.” Harry sighed out, being patient with her. 

“Thank you for asking me to.” She mumbled into his chest, not caring how long she was holding their hug. 

One of his hands fell down her back, he missed being this close to her. “Maybe we can go out once a week. Do different things.” 

“I’d like that.” 

He hummed, kissing her head again. “Or more than once. I just want to see you as much as possible.” 

“Sorry, this week was just busy.. I’ll have more time soon.”

“Don’t apologize.” He grunted, sliding his hand to her hip. 

“I want to say sorry for apologizing.”

The laugh Ivy let out made him smile. He thought she was the funniest, cutest person on the planet. Harry pulled back, touching his palm to her jaw. She naturally leaned into his touch, moving her eyes up to look at him. The sight was marvelous, he loved to see her smiling at him. 

“You’re something else, y’know.”

Ivy grinned back, then puckered her lips for a kiss. He would be a fool to pass up the opportunity. It was gentle and sweet at first, just a series of pecks and soft laughs. But like the previous times, it quickly turned into something more. The gentleness went away as the hunger and desire to have each other took over. Harry shoved his tongue into her mouth, being greedy with the taste of her.  

Her hands went wild, running up his front to his neck, holding onto him on either side. He could feel her nails digging into his skin, leaving indents in what belonged to her. The feeling of her skin against his just made his hunger grow. He gripped her waist as tight as he could, shaping his hand perfectly to her body. He wanted to melt onto her, wanted to soak her up inch by inch. She didn’t once hesitate as he started to move. Harry backed up until he reached the couch. She grunted as he broke the kiss, but he didn’t let her slip away. He sat down on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. Instinctively, her legs fell on either side of his and she grabbed his neck, holding onto him as they reconnected their mouths. 

Her small hands held onto his jaws now, tilting his head back as she shoved her tongue into his mouth. She wanted the control, and he so easily gave it to her. Harry’s mind was long gone down a path it probably shouldn’t have ventured on, and his judgement was clouded by his own desires. While Ivy was just as lost in the bliss, she was becoming more aware of what he was doing with his hands. She grunted as he let one fall further down than it ever had. At first, she thought she was being dramatic, it wasn’t so bad. But his touch turned into kneading and she was becoming anxious about what he was going to do next. It felt nice, so she didn’t stop him. 

Harry’s kissing quickly became sloppier, spit pooling in the corners of their mouths, dripping down onto their skin. He was swiping up as much as her taste as he could, wanting to savor the flavor forever. 

Ivy was fine with everything. She was enjoying the kissing and how dirty it turned, she liked how he gripped her ass cheek and her waist at the same time, his heavy hands putting pressure against her body. She loved the way his face fit into her palms, how her hair fell over her shoulders onto him as she held him back. But it all started to fade when she realized something was happening. 

Harry was lifting his hips into her crotch, groaning as he pressed his growing bulge against her. She had never kissed someone so intensely before, especially in this position. She had never sat on anyone’s lap and let her body move against theirs before. It was new and it frightened her more than it probably should. She reached down to grab his wrist, pulling his hand off her ass. He furrowed his brows, not sure what she was doing. 

“Baby.” He grumbled out as she suddenly turned her head, ripping their lips apart. 

“No, Harry.” Ivy’s heavy breathing fanned over his skin. 

She shifted her head back, but her mouth stayed away from his. Her forehead pressed on his, her eyes closed as she tried to catch her breath. So much had happened in such a short time, she wasn't even sure how they ended up on the couch. Harry was good at giving her that affection she never knew she needed, so good at making her stomach drop and her heart flutter. He made her feel things nobody else had. He made her toes curl and wet spots form on her panties. She was afraid his sexual advances were too strong for her. What if she couldn’t keep up with him? What if he wanted something now and she refused, would he leave her? It must be tiring having to wait, and must be irritating getting denied. 

“Not here.” She whispered out, not quite sure how to turn him down. 

“Do you wanna go to my bedroom?” He reached for her lips, but she didn’t allow it. 

“No.. I.. No, I don’t want to do anything.” Her words came out in a sigh, her eyes squeezing shut as she mentally screamed at herself. 

She wanted this with him more than anything, more than with anyone before. Why was she being so hesitant, so afraid? Her mind began swirling, her heart still racing. There was no way he would put up with his for much longer. He was going to grow sick of her games, of her leading him on and going along with his actions just to deny him. Of course, it had only happened twice.. surely it wasn’t that irritating. Her mind was too busy to consider any other possibility. 

He felt a pinch in his heart, only because he was embarrassed he took it so far again. “Oh, m’sorry.” 

Her lip was quivering, tears threatened to build up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I.. I can’t right now.”

“Okay, that’s fine.” He calmly spoke. 

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head and leaned back, giving him a bit of space. 

At first, he wasn’t going to move his hands from her body, but when she looked over at the cushion next to him and started to move, he let her go. She fell on her butt next to him, her hand sweeping her hair over her shoulder. A heavy sigh fell from her lips, he could see how sad she was. 

“Baby, it’s alright. I promise.” He carefully touched her thigh, hoping not to frighten her. 

“I didn’t mean to.. to lead you on again.” Her voice was frail, almost like she was going to cry. 

“Ivy, it’s fine. We got a bit heated again, that’s all. No worries, okay?” Harry didn’t know how else to say it. He didn’t want to get her riled up over nothing. 

“Are you sure it’s okay?” 

He splayed his fingers on her leg. “It’s perfectly okay.”

“You’re gonna get tired of waiting.” She whined softly, her head turning towards him. 

Instantly, his heart fell to the bottom of his stomach. A single tear slipped down her cheek, her skin was flushed as her emotions raged inside of her. He shook his head and leaned against her, wanting to put his arm around her but he didn’t want to scare her off. 

“No, I won’t. I’d wait forever for you, Ivy.” Harry pressed a kiss to her temple. 

Her eyes fell down to his hand, she wanted to hold it so bad. She’s come to realize recently that holding his hand might be her favorite thing. He does so much with his hands. He plays the guitar, holds a microphone, runs them through his hair, grips the handles of his motorcycle.. She’s seen his fists clench in anger, felt how comforting his warm palm is on her skin, watched how he taps them on his leg absentmindedly. She loved his hands.. and she wanted them all over her body, but not tonight. 

“Do you want to.. keep kissing?” He was still leaning into her, his voice soft as he spoke next to her ear. “We don’t have to.. to do anything else.” 

The idea was intriguing, but she was unsure about it. What if it happened again? They were quick to go off the deep end. It wasn’t possible to just softly kiss and carefully touch each other.

She shrugged. “I.. I dunno.”

Harry stared at the side of her face for a moment, thinking of what he could do to fix her mood. Maybe she was just anxious and needed to calm down. She didnt appear to be tired, but maybe she’d rather go lay down than risk anything else happening on the couch. He took a deep breath and bit on his cheek as he thought about what to say. Ivy picked at her fingernail, not wanting to rip it but fighting the instinct to. 

After a few seconds, he finally spoke. “Do you want to watch a movie or.. or go to bed? Either is fine with me.” 

She already knew the answer she was going to pick. Carefully, she placed her hand on top of his, copying the positioning of his fingers. He let a smile come to his lips, seeing her do that was more magical than he could ever explain. There was a time when he never imagined this could be real, yet here they are now. 

“Can we go to bed? I’m tired.” She looked over at him, a resting pout on her lips. 

“Yeah, of course.” 

She swallowed. “Sorry, I keep changing the.. the plans you made.” 

“What do you mean?” His brows furrowed slightly. 

“First, no ice cream now this.. no movie.” 

Harry let out a light laugh, shaking his head at her. “Oh, love, that’s fine. It’s not a problem, I promise.” 

She gave him a sad look, not believing what he was telling her. He closed the space between them and placed a kiss on her lips. It was nothing too crazy, just a gentle peck. She wanted to beg him for more, but she didn’t open her mouth as he leaned back. 

“Any time I get to spend with you is special.. no matter what we do.” 

Even though she felt bad for her decision, she was ready to be next to him under his covers. Harry took a minute to clean up the stuff he got out for them, with Ivy apologizing several times for making him do all this work. He told her it wasn’t a worry and they could easily make up their movie date some other time. She wasn’t convinced he was actually okay with her decision, but she tried to ignore it. He didn’t appear irritated on the outside, so maybe he wasn’t. 

Harry guided her upstairs, letting her go in front of him. She grabbed her bag that she left outside of his door. He gestured her to go in first, so she did. It was dark when they walked in, but Harry flicked on the light before shutting the door behind himself. Ivy looked around the room, curiosity consuming her. Harry leaned against the door as he watched her. His room was interesting to her. The walls were an off white shade, she wondered if he was allowed to paint with his rental agreement or not. Of course he had the usual pieces of furniture like a dresser, a desk, and a short bookcase, but her attention went straight to the details. There was a band poster in a frame on one wall, but the rest of the walls were nearly bare. He had a collection of vinyl records resting in the bottom slots of the bookcase. The rest of the shelves were filled with CDs. A turntable sat on top of the case. She thought the collection was impressive, and she was wondering what all it entailed. His desk caught her eye. It was plain as far as the build went, but what sat on top of it was interesting. He had a metal cup full of pens and other writing utensils, plus a pair of scissors. There was a short stack of books sitting there neatly, and beneath the desk on its shelf sat a bigger assortment of books. She could tell they weren’t regular books, but rather journals or notebooks. It was hard not to think about what was inside those books. Did he keep a diary similar to how she did, or was it more of a creative outlet? 

She wondered if this was how he felt in her room, curiosity bubbling and her mind taking in every single detail. It was like she was getting to know him even more by just looking at his belongings. Of course, in the corner he had a guitar resting on a stand and another one hanging on the wall near it. There was a loose piece of paper resting on the desk, a pen next to it. She wasn’t even aware of her movements until her fingers gently pressed on the paper and slid it on the desk. She turned it so she could read the jotted down note. 

pick up Ivy’s flowers at 5 shop closes at 5:30

A sweet smile covered her lips as she read over the words he wrote. She thought it was adorable that he put down a reminder for himself. Harry pushed himself off the door and crossed the room. He took the bag out of her hand and sat it on his desk chair. 

“My curious little cat, hm?” 

Blush appeared on her face and she let out a gentle laugh. “You have a lot of journals. Do you write?” 

He lifted a shoulder, trying not to be too serious about it. “Just.. stuff. Like.. notes, poems, lyrics.”

“Poems and lyrics?” She lifted a brow, that curiosity was just eating her alive. 

Harry chuckled, a smile shaping to his lips. “Yeah.” 

“You write songs?”

“I mean, sorta, I guess. Nothing serious.. M’not pursuing it. Just do it for fun and to get stuff off my mind.” He explained. 

She slowly nodded as she looked around the rest of the room. For the most part, he was neat and tidy. She noted the stark difference between his bed and hers. His was a size smaller and covered only by the usual blankets and pillows, while hers was littered with plush animals. She definitely didn’t expect him to have those sort of things, though, it was just notable. 

“What do you write about?” 

Her question made his chest tighten. Although he wanted to be completely honest with her, he’d be lying if he thought it wasn’t nerve wracking. What if she thought his answer was strange, what if it made her mad? He licked his lips and pushed down a gulp. 

“Lots of stuff.. including you.” 

Her head turned towards him, her sparkling eyes went wide. “Me?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, sometimes about you.” 

Without saying anything, she turned her attention back to what she had been gazing at. But there was a smile stuck to her lips and a warmth in her heart that pulsed hard. He wrote about her? He didn’t specify if he wrote poems or songs or notes about her, but something in her mind told her it was all three. Of course, it was all three. 

“Not too weird, am I?” He said with a laugh. 

Ivy turned to face him, a smile on her face. “I think I’m the weird one between the two of us.”

He took a few steps closer, reaching out to touch her waist. “You’re adorable, not weird.”

One thing he loved doing was watching her as she trailed her eyes over his body. She was a curious girl after all, it was in her nature to explore. Her eyes fell to his arm as she wrapped her hand over his elbow. His tattoos caught her attention so easily. It was like it was the first time she'd seen them. 

“Are you alright?” He asked. 

“Mhm.. just looking.” Her fingers started tracing down his arm, slowly and steadily. 

Harry had an idea lurking in his mind. It was something he wanted to do the last time her eyes scanned over his tattoos, but he was too nervous to bring it up. Now, things were different. He felt more confident with her. 

“I can show you all of them.. if you want.” 

Her eyes flicked up to his. “Really?”

“Yeah. There’s some you haven’t seen.”

“I’d love to look.”

He took a breath and clenched his jaw as he waited to ask her a question. His eyes poured into hers, his focus so sharp and intense. She felt her cheeks blushing red hot, her eyes stuck to his despite wanting to look away in shyness. 

“Is it alright if I take my shirt off and change into some shorts?” He gently lifted his brows. 

She nodded, not saying anything, just putting on a cute smile for him. He squeezed her waist once before letting her go. She watched as he went to his dresser and pulled out a drawer. Did he want her to leave the room while he changed? She didn’t know what to do. Her stomach started to churn as she contemplated how to react. Maybe he didn’t care. Just as she started walking to the door, he turned around. 

“Running off already?”

She froze, looking back at him. “I didn’t want to be in the way.”

Harry smirked. “You can stay, love. I’ll turn away from you.” 

She felt embarrassed. He could see she wasn’t completely comfortable with her own behavior, so he made it simple for her. He turned back around and dropped the sweatpants to the floor. A pair of gym shorts replaced them. He normally slept in just his underwear, but he knew it was too much for her right now. He wanted her to be comfortable and relaxed, not stressed or tense over his clothes or lack thereof. She didn’t watch him, despite not twisting around to avoid getting a glimpse. When he let out a sigh and his footsteps filled the room, she thought he was done. She looked up in time to witness him pull his shirt over his head. Their eyes met as he tossed it on the desk, intending to put it away later. She had never seen him with his shirt completely off, and it was an incredible sight. 

Her throat began to close in as her mind drifted. He was so toned, his muscles built and his physique was perfect. He was stunning, she felt as though her physical appearance would never compliment his. He held out his hand and nodded his head towards the bed. She took it with ease and followed behind him. 

Harry sat down on the foot of his bed, parting his knees to drag her between them. She held her breath as he carefully moved her closer, his eyes locked on her face to make sure she was comfortable. He wanted to catch every expression, whether major or subtle. Ivy ran her eyes over his collarbones. She’s seen those birds peak out from beneath his shirt before, but she hadn’t seen them in full. With more confidence than she had all night, she lifted her hand and pressed her fingertips to the bird inked on the right side of his chest. 

“Yours are.. a lot more detailed than mine.” She mumbled softly, her gaze shifting to the other bird. 

“Hiding yours, hm?” He smirked as her eyes shot to his. 

Ivy chose to ignore him, and instead just return to her exploration. Even though she had seen most of them, she was still intrigued to get a better look. She ran her hand over the butterfly on his stomach, that was still her favorite one, then carefully down to the laurels resting dangerously low on his abdomen. He chuckled slightly as her delicate touch tickled his skin. She grinned back, amused by his innocent reactions. It was hard to believe at times that such a hardened soul like his could express such simple reactions. She knew it was possible, though, she just had to work hard to get it out of him. 

“You got this the first time we met.. well, sort of met.” She said with a sigh as she traced her fingers over his right arm, the snake curling around his bones and muscles was something she could never forget. 

“I remember. We should’ve met for real, but I was a dick.” He frowned when her eyes moved back to his. 

“Maybe so.” 

He dropped his gaze down to his leg. He knew she was more familiar with his arms, especially the usual exposed areas, so he wanted to make sure she saw the other things he had. Harry gently took hold of her wrist and moved her hand to his thigh, letting her touch the tiger sunk into his skin. She felt as though this was the most intimate spot she had touched him. Something about it was intense, bone rattling even. She gulped softly, wondering what this one meant to him. She didn’t want to intrude, perhaps it meant nothing or maybe it meant more than he was willing to tell her. That went for each of them. She just admired them, she didn’t ask. 

The gulp she pushed down was audible, her voice was as light as a feather. “Do you want to see? Mine aren’t as impressive.” 

“If you want me to see them.” Harry smiled sweetly as she sucked on her cheek and let her face go red.

For a split second, she screamed internally begging herself to stop before it even started. But it was quickly silenced as she grabbed his index and middle fingers, bringing his hand up to her hip. She smiled gently as she placed his fingers on her body. He rubbed his thumb over the waistband of her pants, his eyes locked on her. She pushed his hand down, forcing his fingers to move the fabric. He took over, but didn’t dare go too far. He slid the side of her pants down until he exposed the fabric of her powder blue colored cotton underwear. She bit down on her cheek as he carefully pulled the fabric down until he saw the little tattoo, a four leaf clover. It was a simple design, thin lines and no shading. 

“A lot of people don’t get to experience a full life. I’m lucky to be where I am.. even if it’s not forever.” She explained without him asking her to, but she figured he wouldn’t mind. 

He didn’t, of course. He thought the meaning was nice, it meant something special to her. She’s lost two very important people in her life, so reminding herself of the luxury of being alive was extremely meaningful. He pressed his thumb over the clover, the surrounding skin turning pale as he pushed into her. He let up the pressure and gently tapped it. He hoped he’d get to rediscover it soon, get to press his lips to it and make sure she knew how lucky he was to have her. 

“Some of that luck must’ve rubbed off on me. How else do I explain how I won you over?” His cheeky smile made her playfully roll her eyes. 

She pinched his cheek, going straight for his dimple. “Well, you do touch me there more than I think you realize.” 

Harry stared at her hip as he adjusted her pants back, covering the tattoo and her skin. He wished he could’ve seen more of her, but he was well aware that wasn't what she wanted right now. 

She sucked in a deep breath as she debated whether or not to show him her other one. He was literally in the room with her when she got the flowers on the back of her arm, and the one in the bend of her elbow, the small star, was clearly visible - but there was one more he didn’t know about. Ivy pushed away her fears and anxiety as she lifted her shirt. The second the cool air hit her skin, she felt her stomach churn. The waistband of her pants was thick and it came up high. She was thankful the part of her body she was the most insecure about was mostly covered by the fabric. Harry smiled gently as she grabbed his hand and brought it up to her torso, placing it beneath the edge of her bra. Her boobs were covered by her shirt, she didn’t want him to see anything beyond the tattoo. He moved his eyes to the spot and shifted his thumb, revealing the small tattoo. The style of the butterfly matched the clover, and the flowers on her arm - fine line, delicate, thin. 

“That’s all.” She mumbled quietly, biting her cheek as she watched him stare at her skin. 

He wondered what was beneath her shirt, tucked into her bra.. but he had to force that thought out of his brain. It would be insensitive and disrespectful for him to sit there and think those sort of things when she plainly told him she wasn’t interested in any of that right now. Instead, his arms slid around her, locking her in place. She grabbed his face with both hands, placing a kiss on his puckered lips. 

“Are you ready to cuddle, little bug?” 

“Mhm.” Ivy was blushing, per usual. She tried to slip out of his grip but he wouldn’t let her go. She sunk her nails into his shoulder, almost forgetting he wasn’t wearing a shirt. “Harry.”

“Fine.” He let out a huff as he loosened his arms and pulled back. 

“Which side is mine?” She asked with a soft laugh as she crawled on the bed. 

“Whichever side you want.” He stood up in time to see her plop down on the bed. 

Unlike hers, his bed wasn’t in the corner of the room so both sides were open. She claimed the spot he normally favored at night, which made his heart skip a beat. Seeing her in his spot, her hair spread out over his pillow, was like a dream. 

He didn’t want to leave her waiting long, so he turned out the light and joined her. There was a street light that offered them a glow, peeping in through the space between the curtains. She watched him slide under the covers and roll over towards her, his greedy hands reaching out for her. 

“C’mere.” He muttered, dragging her closer. 

She sighed in content as she relaxed into his body, her face nestled in the crook of his neck. She liked the feeling of his warm bare skin, it gave her comfort she couldn’t describe, 

“Did you enjoy tonight?” He asked through a heavy exhale. “I know we didn’t do everything we planned.”

“It was lovely. I had a good time.” 

Harry pressed a kiss to her head. “Even though I was a bit of an ass at the restaurant.”

Ivy pulled her hand up, tucking it between their bodies. “You just have to be more patient, but yes, everything was great.” 

He could tell she was comfortable by the steady, slow breathing she was doing. It wouldn’t be much longer before she fell asleep. With one arm around her back and the other hand resting on her waist, he kept her close. His thumb rubbed slowly back and forth, soothing her so easily. 

“We can watch a movie in the morning before Niall gets back.. have the living room to ourselves.” He kept his voice low. 

She hummed. “That sounds good, yeah. Get more cuddles.”

He kissed her again, just to give her as much affection and attention as he could. She must’ve been more worn out than he thought, because she grew silent quickly. He wasn’t necessarily tired, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. And he sure wasn’t about to leave her in the bed alone. He’d lie awake next to her for the rest of his life if he meant he could hold her while she slept. 

There was a lurking thought in his mind, though, that was attributing to him staying awake. He thought he did something wrong during their date, that maybe he didn’t make it perfect. If he did make a mistake, he believed that she would tell him. She’s good at letting him know when he’s acting a certain way or when he’s in the wrong. But she seemed to enjoy everything, even the change of plans. Maybe he was just overthinking it. Disappointing her in any way was something he feared. 

“Harry..” Her soft voice broke the silence. 

“Yeah?” 

She shifted slightly, returning her hand to his waist. His stomach twisted as she gently rubbed her fingertips over his skin. 

“If I ask you something, will you be honest?” 

He licked his lips. “Of course.”

Her lips brushed his skin as she spoke, creating goosebumps and sending chills through him. “Are you mad that I.. stopped us earlier?”

“No, Ivy. I told you it’s fine.” He tightened his hold on her waist. 

“I don’t want you to leave me if I.. take too long to try.” 

He grunted, bringing his hand up to her head. He gently grabbed her jaw and tilted her head back so he could see her. She had a frown on her lips and a sadness in her eyes that made his heart drop.

“Baby, I wouldn’t do that.”

Hearing that pet name made her feel a little better, but that worry was still so intense. She pouted her lips out, her eyes closing to avoid his stare. His thumb rubbed slow circles into her cheek in an attempt to calm her. 

“I want to.. just not right now.”

Being open with people was something he struggled with, but he’s trying hard to be different with her. He wanted to ask her questions and get to the bottom of the issue or of her worry, not just assure her everything is fine. He had to open himself to be there for her. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

Ivy shifted her head back into his neck, wanting to be comfortable. “Yeah.” 

He waited a long moment before saying anything. The topic shouldn’t be one they avoid or are ashamed to talk about. It should be a normal, respectful thing. It was in both of their best interests if they knew certain things about each other. 

“Are you.. are you a virgin?” He asked with a light voice, not wanting to make too big of a fuss over it. 

Ivy let out a shaky breath that hit his skin. It was an inevitable topic that she couldn’t escape. If Harry wanted to know something about her, then she wanted to tell him. Clearly, it’s on his mind - for a reason she’s yet to know. 

“Um, no. Technically, no.” She replied with a gentle sigh. 

“Technically?” 

She dropped her hand to the small of his back, curling her fingers into her palm. “Just did it once.. and it was a while ago.” 

Harry thought maybe he went far enough. What if she thought he was being inappropriate? Despite having doubts, he kept on. 

“Was it.. was it bad?��� 

She swallowed, pushing her face further into his neck. “Yeah, kinda.” 

“M’not trying to be.. invasive, just want to understand your mind. Why you might be unsure about it.” Harry was quick to explain. 

She nodded, relaxing her fingers against his back now. “I’m not unsure.. I just know I’m not ready. I want to, trust me, but it’s only been a week.”

“I know, and I don’t want you to feel rushed at all. It’s fine with me.” Harry gave her waist another squeeze. “And I definitely don’t want you to think I’m just trying to get in your pants.”

She let out a soft laugh that eased his nerves. “I know.” 

He tightened his arm around her back as she yawned, sleep threatening to fall over her. She hid her face in his neck, trying her best to bury herself in him. It wasn’t long before she yawned again, causing a smile to shape to his lips. She was even more adorable when she was tired. He wanted to snuggle her closer, but they were as close as humanly possibly already. When Ivy yawned for the third time, he knew she was tired and needed to rest. He didn’t want her to stay up late and worry with him. They could talk in the morning. 

“Go to sleep, baby.” He smiled as he kissed her forehead. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Harry.” Her words came out in a gentle murmur. 

Another kiss was placed on her skin before he closed his eyes, soon joining her in a slumber. 

—•—

Ivy wasn’t sure what was going on as she started to wake up. Her eyes slowly opened, the sun was shining bright through the window. She grunted and turned her face back down where it had been resting, right against Harry’s shoulder. He heard her little noises and felt her stirring. He dropped his phone and reached over to grab onto her. Sometime during the night they ended up like this - him laying on his back with her body draped over his. Her arm was tucked under him and the other around his torso. 

“Finally waking up, love?” He said in a groggy voice as she 

“Hmm.. what time is it?” She mumbled back, lifting her head to get a better look at him. 

He chuckled as he saw her messy hair, her bangs all over the place. “Little past eleven.”

She groaned, letting her face fall back on him. “Why did I sleep so long? We weren’t even up late.”

Harry smiled as her hand moved from his side to the butterfly inked onto his skin. He wasn’t sure if she purposely did that or if her hand just so happened to land there. 

“You slept like an angel, only moved a few times.” 

Her breaths were still slow and heavy. “You’re just comfortable and good at cuddles.”

“Who would’ve known?” He playfully pinched her hip, making her hum. 

“M’glad I just know.. nobody else.” 

There was a certain feeling of pride and triumph that lived in her when it came to knowing she was Harry’s first real relationship, the first person he’s held intimately. It made her feel like a queen, like she had some weird kind of power. Nobody could know him in that way - maybe with other things, but not in this way.

“Jealous, huh?” He teased. 

“Maybe.” She picked her head up again, her pretty eyes finding his. “How long have you been up?”

He shrugged. “Since nine, I think.”

“You could’ve woke me up.. didn’t have to stay here with me.” 

He scoffed, putting on a dramatic expression. “Are you kidding? I wasn’t gonna pass up the opportunity to be next to you, baby.” 

Ivy rolled her eyes and pushed her lips on to his. They shared a few sweet pecks, both laughing as she started to plant a trail down his jaw. His fingers dug into her hip as he tried to drag her closer, but she was already molded onto him. When she caught his gaze again, she gave him a cheeky smile. 

“What movie are we going to watch?” She curiously asked. 

“Whatever you want.”

She sighed, but kept her smile. “Always that answer, hm?”

“You get whatever you want, princess.” He winked, spending her cheeks into a blazing fire. The simplest things drove her wild. 

It wasn’t long before he guided her down the stairs to the kitchen. He offered to make her a quick late breakfast and since she was starving, she didn’t pass on it. It was a nice meal consisting of fried eggs and a few pancakes he mixed from a box. It filled her up so good that she was yawning when Harry joined her on the couch. 

It took a few minutes for her to decide on a movie, but once she did, she got comfortable against him. Her legs were pulled up on the couch, her arm tucked around him. He held onto her shoulders like she was going to slip away if he didn’t. He was less focused with the movie and more concerned with Ivy. There wasn’t anything specific that he could pick up on, but he just had a worry in his gut. Maybe this was normal for people who are in relationships, maybe it was something that just happened. Worry, concern, care, caution - he wasn’t quite sure what to call it.

When he draped his arm over her shoulder, she didn’t hesitate to reach for his hand. He smiled as she started playing with his fingers. Her eyes were glued to the television screen, but her mind was going fuzzy. She wasn’t tired, but rather she was content. It was hard to think of a time when she’d been this relaxed before - there wasn’t a time to reminisce about. He made her calm, happy, and comfortable. He was just sitting next to her with his hand around her, yet it felt like her world was exploding with euphoria and butterflies and rainbows and everything happy. Was it love? She couldn’t determine that just yet. 

Harry didn’t realize he had dozed off until the sound of keys rattling in the door woke him. He grunted, trying to move his hand but Ivy’s grip was too strong. He stopped attempting and let her keep hold of him. She was awake, despite feeling so peaceful she never fell asleep. The movie wasn’t long from its end. 

“You alright?” He mumbled just as Niall opened the door. 

“Mhm.” She squeezed his fingers. 

Niall appeared next to them, an amused look on his face as he saw Harry’s expression. “Look like you just woke up.”

“I’ve been up.” Harry sighed back. 

“He was just snoring.” Ivy chimed in with a laugh, tugging on his hand. 

Harry smiled, amused by her comeback. He didn’t defend himself, only because he knew it was true. Niall didn’t bother them anymore, he waved them off as he mentioned going to his room. Before he exited, though, he reminded Harry that he needed to practice one of the songs they would be playing later on that night. 

“Are you hungry?” Harry asked her, a deep exhale following his question. 

“No, I’m okay.” 

“Guess I need to go mess around on the guitar.” He didn’t seem excited. 

Ivy sat up, letting go of his fingers so he could stretch his arms out. “Do you need me to go home?”

He furrowed his brows and reached up to grab her waist. “What? No.”

“Don’t you need to be alone?”

“Who said I needed to be alone?” He said with a chuckle, sitting up to join her on the edge of the couch. “You can stay, babe.”

Every time he used one of those sweet names her heart would swell and butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She smiled as she felt her cheeks warm up. 

“I don’t want to be in the way.”

“You won’t be.” He closed the space they shared and gently pushed his lips on her. “I promise.”

Ivy let him kiss her for a few moments, humming as he grabbed her jaw to hold her still. As much as he wanted to swallow her whole, he knew he had to get upstairs. He let her go and took her hand to lead her upstairs. 

She was quite curious about his ability to play the guitar, something about it was so interesting and intriguing. She wasn’t opposed to watching him, in fact she was excited to. The possibility of him wanting her to leave almost felt like a fear. She didn’t want to miss out on the experience of watching him. 

When they got to his room, he told her she could do whatever she wanted while he got the guitar off of the stand. He pulled out an amp and set everything up. Ivy chose to stand in the middle of his room on his rug, her hands folded behind her back as she observed his every move. As he turned around, he didn't expect to see her standing still. She grinned at him, pulling a chuckle out of his mouth. He thought she was just the most adorable thing ever. 

“Can I sit here?” She asked. 

Harry sat down in his desk chair after he turned it to face the amp. He gave her a nod and a smile, not sure why she was so giddy about this. Maybe she thought it was cool that he could play the guitar? It wasn’t a revolutionary thing in his mind, but maybe she thought so. 

Ivy sat down on the rug, just a few feet from him, with her eyes stuck on his hands as he rested his fingers over the strings. He glanced around at everything to make sure it was all set up properly. When he was sure that he did everything right, he ran his fingers down the strings, the sound spilling from the amplifier.

Although he was very familiar and comfortable with the song he was about to practice, he had never had such an intense audience before. He’s played plenty of shows, done many band practices, had Niall’s hard stare watching every move of his finger when he first learned to play - but nobody was as intimidating as Ivy. He was feeling anxiety pour into his veins. What if he messed up and she thought he was stupid? The thoughts were endless all of a sudden. 

Harry was trying not to look directly at her, but it was hard to resist her. She was sitting with her legs crossed and her hands resting in her lap. Those sparkling eyes were fixed on him as she waited patiently for him to start. He took a deep breath and slowly pushed it out, not sure how this was going to go. If he thought about her any longer, his heart was going to explode. 

He didn’t tell her what song he had to work on, but she knew what it was the moment he started the opening chords. She smiled big as he played the riff so confidently. He seemed very sure of himself. While she had only been to a few shows, she knew she’d never heard them play this song before. Niall wanted to add it last time but they didn’t end up doing it, so he told everyone yesterday after confirming they’d do the show tonight that he wanted to perform it. Ivy quite enjoyed the Def Leppard song and she was excited to see them do it live later on. 

It had been a long time since they last did the song, so Harry was trying to loosen up his memory of it. He didn’t do the lead singing during the song, Niall preferred to do it instead. Right now it was almost like he suddenly forgot what he was supposed to be doing. His fingers slid off the strings, making him groan and shake his head. He should’ve grabbed a pick but he forgot to. He looked down at Ivy, whose eyes were just as wide as when he started. She smiled sweetly, hoping to give him some silent encouragement. 

He started over from the start. Everything was going well, he even got further than he did in his first attempt. But that all came crashing down when his eyes fell down on her and she was biting down on her lip, still smiling like she was witnessing a miracle. She was so happy to be in the room with him, and to be able to watch him do this just made her even more excited. Ivy was just as obsessed with him as he was of her, and right now that was obvious. 

“Fuck.” He uttered under his breath as he missed a few chords. He tried to keep going, but it messed up his momentum. 

Harry shook his hand, trying to loosen up his fingers. Maybe he was a bit rusty. He picked up where he messed up, getting it correct this time. He kept going, tapping his foot to keep his pace right. He tried to keep his eyes glued to his guitar, but Ivy being in the room was forcing him to think about her and not the song. He shot his eyes to her again, her cheeks were rosy and her hands were clasped together. She was so entertained and content with this, yet he was struggling to keep ahold of himself. 

“Damn it.” His curse was a bit louder than the last one. 

Her smile fell down to a subtle frown. Harry pushed his hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face. He wasn’t sure why he was fucking up so much - well, he knew, he just didn’t want to admit it or seem like he was blaming her. She wasn’t doing anything. She’s literally just sitting there watching him, her lips sealed. There were no audible distractions, she wasn’t walking around or calling his name. She was just there. He thought it would almost be better and easier if she were jumping around or messing with stuff in his room or doing anything other than putting her pretty eyes on him. 

“Am I distracting you?” Ivy asked in a soft voice, fearful of the answer. 

“No.” He quickly replied. 

“You keep messing up.” 

A laugh slipped out with his breath. “Yeah, thanks, love. I know.” 

“Sorry.” She mumbled back, her eyes falling down to her own hands. 

“Nothing to be sorry about.” He sighed, disappointed in himself for making her suddenly uncomfortable and nervous. He had a way of doing that, unfortunately. 

Ivy’s hair fell over her shoulder as she hung her head. She wasn’t trying to be in his way, she even offered to leave before he ever started. Perhaps he was just being too nice to her. He should’ve told her to go home. She felt an uneasy feeling building in her stomach. 

Of course, seeing her like that made him feel like shit. He propped his guitar against his desk and got into the floor with her. She huffed as he got closer, slipping his hand onto her neck to get her to look up. She didn’t at first, though, she didn’t want to be in the way. 

“You’re a great distraction, babe. Just so pretty.. can’t stop looking at you.” He tilted her head up and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. “Don’t be sad, Ivy.” 

The way he said her name made her heart drop. She frowned harder, a confusing sadness filling her up. Harry pressed another kiss to the spot, not moving his lips away at all. 

“What’s the matter, sweet girl? You were just smiling so big f’me.” 

She let out a whimper as she curled her fingers around his wrist. “I’m in the way.” 

“No, you aren’t.” 

“I should go home for a while.” 

Harry shook his head. “I don’t want you to go home yet.” 

“I’m making you mess up. I.. I don’t want you to get mad.” She kept her voice so light and gentle, it broke his heart to hear her speak that way - almost like she was afraid. “Don’t like it when you get mad.” 

He was upset with his own actions now. He had a tendency to lose his control and unfortunately Ivy was too familiar with it. But he didn’t feel that way right now, he wouldn’t do that to her over this simple situation. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. 

“M’not gonna get mad at you, baby. You just make me a little nervous, s’all.” 

She closed her eyes. “Is it okay if I go home?” 

Had he done too much? Had he messed up again? Maybe he was making an expression that made her feel this way, something he didn’t notice he was doing. Or perhaps she was just nervous about a potential blow up from him? There had to be a reason she was so upset with him, but he had no clue what he did. Was it too complicated for her to explain and for him to understand? 

“I.. I really don’t want you to go.” He leaned back some to give her space, but he kept his hand where it was and she didn’t try to let it go. 

“We’ll be together later, though.” 

“Ivy, what’s wrong? I.. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I did.” Harry’s brows fell as worry sank into him. “Why do you wanna go?” 

It was hard for her to tame her wandering mind, and it was disappointing to know that she had failed to control it yet again. She dropped her gaze down to her own legs, trying to vanish into thin air. She didn’t want to confront her fears and admit to Harry what was on her mind, but there was no escape. 

“Because, I’m in the way and you won’t tell me that. You don’t wanna hurt my feelings and that’s okay, but.. I know I’m in the way and you need to practice.” Her explanation was heartbreaking for him. 

Maybe it was true in some sense. She wasn’t literally in the way or doing something to purposely distract or annoy him, but her presence made it hard for him to focus on anything else. There was nothing done to put blame on. She didn’t purposely do anything to him. It was his fault, if anything. He can’t focus on anything else when Ivy is around. She took up every inch of his mind, filled in every space. She meant everything to him, how could he try to put his attention on something else? Maybe her being here would make things difficult. Was it safer for their relationship and his mood to let her go for a while? 

“I guess if you want to go, you can. I can’t make you stay.” He exhaled slowly, wishing this was happening another way. 

“I’m sorry, Harry.” 

He smiled, shaking his head lightly in disbelief. “You always apologize when you don’t need to.” 

“I can’t help it.” She grinned back, glad to see that he was at least appearing to be okay with this. 

“I, um, I can drive you home and.. you can have the afternoon to yourself until tonight. I’ll pick you up.” He offered, not sure of what else to say. 

“I can get Emma to come get me, so you can keep practicing.” 

He thought about debating it with her and offering his services over and over until she agreed, but he chose not to. There was no point in adding any fuel to this small, simmered down fire. 

“I’ll text her.” She grabbed her phone from the spot on the rug where she abandoned it earlier. 

Harry watched as her fingers tapped on the screen. Although it bothered him to know she was wanting to leave, he completely understood why. He just hated it. He didn’t want her to go so soon. They hadn’t been able to spend much time together and this weekend was supposed to make up for it. He felt a bit of irritation towards Niall for pressuring him to practice the song. He had sent Harry multiple texts the past two days insisting and reminding him to practice. It was his own fault that he waited until the day of the show to do it. 

“Okay, she said she’ll be here in about twenty minutes.” Ivy tossed the phone back down and turned her attention back to Harry. 

“Hey, m’not mad at you, okay?” 

She felt a lump start to form in her throat. “I know.” 

“I promise. I don’t want you to think you did something wrong.” 

Ivy didn’t really want to discuss it, in fear that it would lead to a disagreement or a misunderstanding, so she just reached down and took hold of his other hand. She leaned into him, her lips pushing into his. He hummed gently as she held the kiss for a few long seconds. 

“Can we kiss until it’s time for me to go?” She asked it so innocently. 

He smirked, releasing her hand to grab onto her waist. “Definitely.” 

She moved onto her knees, giggling as she grabbed his face on either side to pull his head back. He groaned into her mouth when she shoved her tongue past his lips. He was starting to believe that she was getting more comfortable and confident with him, that she was doing what she wanted to do rather than waiting for him to do it. 

There was a desire to relax into her, to lay her down on the floor and show her how special she was to him - but he couldn't do that. She didn’t want that yet. So, he let his hands move up and down her waist, toying with her hips without going too far. While he was hesitant with his placement, Ivy was running her hands all over him. She kept coming back to his neck to hold him on either side, her thumbs pushing up under his ears. She loved to feel him in her hold, loved to know she had him all to herself. There was a sense of possession she felt. Harry had no issue with whatever she wanted to do. She was in control. 

“Mm, Harry.” She gasped as she pulled back from his mouth. “I.. I wanna try something.” 

He lifted his brows as his eyes opened. “Whatever you want.” 

She nodded gently, a smile shaping to her lips as she pictured the idea in her mind. It was something she wanted to do so badly, something that was becoming irresistible. He waited quietly for her to tell him, figuring she would since she mentioned it. 

“Promise, anything?” 

Harry smirked and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Anything is fine with me, promise.” 

Ivy took that as permission and approval. She grabbed his face by his jaw again and yanked him back to her. His hand slid to the small of her back as she started the kissing back. He was confused at first because nothing seemed to be different. He was leading the kiss, his tongue sweeping through her mouth so easily. It wasn’t until she moved her hand to the side of his head did he realize what she wanted to do. 

She slid her fingers into his hair, scraping her nails against his scalp as she guided her touch to the back of his head. She wrapped her fingers in his hair and gave him a light tug. He let out a light moan, the feeling of her fingers in his hair was doing incredible things to him. He squeezed her waist tight and spread his fingers out on her back, hoping to send her a sign that he was enjoying it. Ivy couldn’t stop herself from pulling harder after a few minutes. At first, she was only going to use one hand, but as she realized how much she liked doing it, she added her other one. Harry let out a groan as she raked her fingers through his hair and tugged at his roots. 

There was a strange feeling she was experiencing as she did it. Her brain interpreted it as some kind of comfort, like doing this was giving her a boost of serotonin. Harry’s long, curled hair was one of favorite things about this physical appearance, and being able to do whatever she wanted with it felt surreal. Neither of them were certain or aware of how long it went on, but eventually Ivy had to take a break to wipe the corners of her mouth off. Harry chuckled as she carefully slid her hands out of his hair. 

“Was.. was that too much?” She asked as she relaxed her hands on his shoulders. 

“No, that was pretty nice.” He licked his lips, flicking his eyes down to her mouth. 

She took a deep breath and slowly pushed it out. “I really like your hair.” 

“Yeah? It’s all yours to pull on, baby.” He wasn’t shocked to see her cheeks flush up and her eyes dart away from his. 

“I wish I wasn’t so scared.” Her lips pouted out. 

Harry gripped either side of her waist. “You don’t have to be, Ivy, but it’s okay to be.” 

She pushed out a huff and rested her temple against his. “Soon.. but not now.” 

It was unfortunate that Emma drove a bit faster than Ivy expected she would. When she called to say she was outside, Harry mustered up his courage to fake a smile and assure Ivy he would be fine. They shared a tight hug, swaying from side to side for a few long, drug out moments. Harry kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, then all over her face until she was giggling and trying to fight him off. It ended with a kiss to her lips, one that he wished would’ve lasted forever. Before he knew it, she went out the door with her bag and headed home. 

Niall had stepped outside to talk to Emma while she waited for Ivy, so he joined Harry in the kitchen once the girls drove off. He could tell Harry wasn’t happy and that his mood from this morning had greatly shifted. He had a straight line on his lips and no expression on his face. He was back to his usual self, who he was when he wasn’t with Ivy. Niall didn’t bother him, instead he went back to his room to give him as much space as he needed. The last thing Niall wanted to deal with tonight was Harry’s sour mood at their show. If he let him be, maybe he’ll get over it. 

“So, how was your date?” Emma grinned as she quickly glanced over at Ivy. 

“It was nice. We had a good time.” 

She hummed back, then brought up something she had been curious about. “Did you guys.. do anything after?” 

Ivy shrugged. “Just went home and talked.”

“Talked? That’s all?” Emma laughed a little. “No like.. kissing or anything?” 

There was a pinch in her stomach as she replayed the memories of her time with Harry in her mind. It didn’t last long enough and it was her fault. Sure, they’d be together in a few hours and will be able to spend another night together in his bed, but he wasn't here now. It hurt her more than she was willing to admit. She shouldn’t have let her anxiety get to her. She could still be sitting in his floor watching him play his guitar. 

“Yeah, just that. I don’t really want to talk about it right now.” 

“Did you have a fight?”

Ivy shook her head. “No.. we didn’t.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to Emma about it, it was more so she was hoping to forget it all happened. Not the date or the cuddling and kissing, but the disagreement they had. No matter how good things seemed to be with him, she couldn’t shake her worry off. 

“Okay, sorry.” 

She was battling the thoughts. She knew it would do no good to bottle it up. Emma was her best friend, she knew how to help her if she needed it. Maybe she could just vent and Emma would listen without offering any advice. Ivy didn’t want advice, she just needed someone to know what was going on. She opted to stay silent. 

When she got back home, she decided it would be a good idea to take a shower and handle all of her personal business before it was time to get ready for tonight’s show. She had a few hours, Harry had reminded her of what time he’d pick her up before she left, but she wanted to make sure she got everything done with plenty of time to spare. That extra time would definitely be spent on an internal freak out. She would worry about her hair, her outfit, her makeup, her skin, every single thing. Not only that, but she’d get anxious about being around Harry. It was almost like he was still that person that hated to be around her, or pretended to hate it. She had to constantly remind herself that he wasn’t that way anymore, and neither was she. 

Her shower was incredibly relaxing. The steaming hot water washed away all of the tension she held in her body. It was like a refreshing start for the evening. She would be lying if she told someone she wasn’t thinking about Harry every second since being apart from him. She hated herself for being so stubborn, for wanting to leave him when it would’ve just been so easy to stay there. She could’ve gone downstairs and watched something or went to his bed and laid down on her phone while he practiced. There was no need to run away, yet she did. 

That horrible cycle of anxiety and worry was unstoppable. As she combed the conditioner through her hair, she reminded herself of how her fingers wrapped into Harry’s hair. She wondered what he was up to, if he was still practicing or if he even started back once she left. As she ran the razor up her legs, she thought about how Harry had gripped her through her pants, kneaded her flesh hard. She had really liked the way it felt when he touched her that way, touch her like she was all his - because she was, of course. She was all his and she wanted him to know that.. 

When she washed herself in a certain place, her mind started to drift off. She imagined how it would play out, how Harry would coax her into it, how he’d guide her to the bed and slowly start the whole process. Maybe he would be gentle with her, or perhaps he preferred it rougher? She didn’t know for sure, but she pictured him being more gentle at first, easing into it since he knew she had very little experience. Harry was very possessive with his hands. She thought about how he’d grab her and squeeze her all over. And his lips, she couldn’t ever stop thinking about kissing him. What would it be like to have his lips trail below her chin, to her neck and under her collarbones? It was an intriguing idea, would he tend to each of her breasts before kissing down her stomach? How would it feel to have his lips linger around her pelvis? 

Ivy snapped out of her trance as she realized her fingers were circling her clit. She blinked a few times, trying to bring herself back to reality. She withdrew her hand and picked up on where she left off with bathing herself. She wasn’t intending on doing that now, she had to get this shower over soon. That brought back memories of the handful of times she found herself thinking about him and slipping her hand into her panties. Most of the instances occurred before they made things official, before he even spent that time with her that night. No matter when it happened, she quite enjoyed it each time. 

Figuring out what to wear was more of a challenge than it had ever been, even more than last night when she had to choose a dress for their date. Currently, she was trying on a square cut top, the hem lined with tiny lace and a pair of light denim shorts. There was a thin cardigan she paired with it just for coverage. The straps of the top were short, they didn’t come down her arms very far at all. She wondered if her cleavage was too much. She posed in the mirror, bending forward to see if too much would show. It was definitely more than she usually put on display, but the thought of Harry actually liking it was making her lean more towards it. She had to remember she wasn’t dressing for everyone else, just for herself and Harry. If she liked it, or if he liked it, then she’d be fine. 

“Do you think a skirt would look better with this?” She turned to face Emma, who was seated on her bed with her eyes glued to Ivy. She wanted to be as much help as possible. 

“You can try one. Maybe one of those faux leather ones you have, those are always cute on you.” Emma suggested, trying to picture the combination in her hand. “Aren’t you wanting to wear heels? I think they’ll go better with a skirt.”

Ivy walked to her closet, sighing heavily as she realized Emma was right. She had been so worried about her top that she forgot about the shoes she planned on wearing. Her favorite part of any outfit was her shoes, and tonight she had picked a pair of tall, chunky black heels with skinny ankle straps and closed toes. They would make her significantly taller than her normal height, like most of her heels did. She loved the way she looked in them, and how comfortable it was walking in a thicker heel. Shoes were never something she was unsure about. 

She came back to the middle of the room with a few options in her hands. She tossed them down on her vanity chair and looked over at Emma. 

“A flared or a tight one?” 

“Try a tight one first.” Emma smirked, prepared to convince her to chose that one. 

Ivy was her best friend, and she had finally gotten herself into a relationship. She wanted Ivy to be the hottest she possibly could for Harry, especially while going out. She knew that if Ivy walked out of the house in a garbage bag Harry would still be in love with her, but she wanted her to wear something eye catching. Emma was trying her best to encourage Ivy’s sexual exploration, without actually saying anything about it, so maybe she could channel it though the clothing. If she felt confident, felt hot, and knew Harry thought she looked stunning, then maybe she’d ease up on her worry and go there with him. Emma wasn’t going to pressure her or make fun of her for not trying, but she knew she’d love it - especially with Harry - if she gave herself the chance to try. 

Ivy rolled her eyes with a smile as she caught on to Emma’s intentions. She knew Emma was going to push for her to wear the hottest items, she always did that whenever Ivy asked for advice or assistance. She picked the black skirt with a small slit on each thigh. She knew black would look the best with her shoes and her light purple shirt. An excited cheer and clap came from Emma as Ivy pulled the skirt up her legs, adjusting it on her waist. 

“It’s definitely tight.” She frowned slightly when she turned towards the mirror. 

In actuality, she looked perfectly fine. But to her, it looked like a mess. She gulped quietly and just stared at her stomach. Was it too unflattering? She felt like it was definitely drawing a lot of attention to a place she didn't want it. 

“You look great! I love it.” Emma said with a hopeful tone, wishing that Ivy would stop being so insecure. 

“Harry’s going to think I’ve gained twenty pounds since this morning.” She lowered her eyes down to her thighs. The rest of her body was fine, she didn’t have any bad thoughts about anything. It was just her stomach. “I don’t like this.” 

“Ivy, c’mon, you look beautiful.” Emma jumped up and quickly ran over to her the second Ivy started to pull down the skirt. 

Emma stopped her and fixed it back to where it was. She grabbed Ivy by her hips and rotated her back to face the mirror. Her hands gripped Ivy’s waist as she stared into the mirror. 

“You look stunning. You always look stunning.” 

Ivy shook her head. “I look fat.” 

When she pressed her hand over her stomach, Emma grabbed her wrist and pulled it back down. “Stop, you look perfectly fine.” 

“Harry’s not gonna want to have sex with me.” Her words were soft, barely audible. 

Emma felt her own heart sink as she saw the sadness coat Ivy’s features - the same ones she knew Harry adored more than anything. It was obvious to see that Ivy was no longer feeling any sort of confidence. She was starting to consider not even going tonight. Everything was going wrong. 

“Did something happen with him?” Emma kept her voice just as light, in case Ivy was close to breaking down. She didn’t want her to ruin her makeup. 

“What do you mean?” 

Emma licked her lips and stepped between the mirror and Ivy, who’s eyes were fighting back tears at this point. “Did you try.. something and he.. didn’t want to?” 

Ivy dropped her eyes to the floor. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she tried to occupy her mind by picking at her nail polish. She had just freshly painted them today after her shower, but she didn’t care. Emma thought of the worse possible answers that could come from Ivy’s mouth, and it was all making her very angry. She furrowed her brows and carefully grabbed both of Ivy’s elbows to get her attention. When her eyes lifted, Emma saw how watery they had become. She shook her head gently, silently telling her not to get upset. 

“I’ll fucking kill him myself if he said something about your body.” Emma was serious. 

Ivy frowned again. “No, it wasn’t that.”

“Ivy.” 

She didn’t believe her. Emma was sure that something must have been said to make Ivy feel this way. She had been anxious about her outfits before, but this felt different. Emma was afraid of what had happened.  

“He didn’t say anything.” Ivy defended him, because he had truly done nothing wrong. “He wanted to. I stopped him.. again.” 

“Again?” 

She looked away from Emma, too embarrassed to face her. “He wanted to.. the night he came over here. He.. he wants to, so bad, Emma.” 

“It doesn't matter if he does. You have to want to, too.” 

Ivy let out a humorous laugh that resembled more of a sigh. “I do.” 

“So what happened then? If you want to and he wants to.. then what? Are you just trying to wait a bit longer?” 

Ivy shrugged, she really didn’t know how to explain it. “It’s only been a week. I.. I would feel like a whore if I tried to do it this fast.”

Emma sighed. “That’s not what a whore is, Ivy. You aren’t going out and hooking up every night. If you want to do that with him, then you can. He’s your boyfriend.” 

Her lip was quivering but she was fighting so hard to stop it. She spent so long trying to finalize her makeup look, she didn’t want to have to do any touch ups to it. 

“When he tried.. what was he doing? Just kissing you?” Emma wasn’t asking to be nosy, unlike earlier in the day when she wanted all the details. 

Ivy nodded. “Just.. kissing and touching. We were on the couch and.. I was on his lap. It.. it was perfect. I stopped him.” 

Emma was familiar with Ivy’s small amount of experience, and she easily remembers how upset Ivy was after her first time. They didn’t know each other then, but the story had been told to her. She was extremely insecure and afraid, and the fact that it sucked from the start to the end didn’t help. Why put so much effort into doing it again if it’s just going to be a bad experience? 

“When he touched you.. did you feel bad? Like, did you feel insecure?” 

Ivy felt her heart flutter as she recalled how it made her feel. There was nothing wrong with what Harry did. She loved every second of it. There was just something inside of her that made her stop, that made her afraid. 

“No, I actually didn’t. He touched me like.. like he loved everything about me. He always does.” 

Emma smiled genuinely. “That’s because he does, Ivy.”

Ivy pulled back from her grip and walked to her vanity. She sat down, pushing aside the skirts to rest her arms. She wanted to fall apart and sob, but she knew Harry would be here in less than half an hour and she couldn’t fix her makeup that quick. She had to pull it together. 

“Listen to me.” Emma started with a gentle sigh, she stayed put. “I understand that you think it’s too soon.. and there’s nothing wrong with that. But don’t let that ruin it for you. You spent a long time trying to figure out if you liked him or not. And I know you do, so much.” 

Ivy rolled her lips in, fully aware that she’d have to reapply her lip gloss before she left. It was frustrating to feel this way. She was so close to being dressed, to being ready to go have fun. Her brain got in the way, her mind took over and spiraled again. 

“Just.. don’t be scared. Harry’s in love with you.. he’s not going to care about how you look in the skirt. You don’t have to have sex with him tonight, but don’t be so nervous to let him do things with you. And, I know you get shy, but.. talk to him. Tell him what you want, how you feel.” 

All she could do was sit there. She couldn’t come up with anything to say or even an expression to put on. Emma grabbed the pair of heels she had sat out for the night and brought them to her. She dropped them on the vanity and huffed. 

“You look sexy. Stop being so sad. Harry’s going to explode when he sees you.” 

With those encouraging words, Emma left her room to give her some space. It was difficult to gather her thoughts, but she had no other choice. She took a few slow, deep breaths while staring at the heels. If anything, she was perfectly confident in her choice of shoes. Perhaps she could use that to boost her mood and give her the confidence back. A wild thought popped in her mind. If she was so worried, she could always call Harry to get his thoughts on her outfit. Surely he’d be honest, right? Ivy groaned to herself, her own thoughts were beginning to irritate her. She didn't need his approval, or Emma’s, or anyone’s. She snatched the tube of lipgloss out of her makeup bag and applied a new layer. 

She returned in front of the mirror after slipping and securing the heels on her feet. She flipped her long, slightly curled hair over her shoulders and smiled at her reflection. Harry loved her hair - he thought it was just so pretty and soft and shiny. She looked at her lips, smirking to herself. Harry loved kissing her - god, he loved it more than anything. Her lips were so thick and soft, her tongue so warm and the taste of her mouth was like heaven. The more she looked at each part of herself, the more she thought about Harry and how much he seemed to adore everything about her. Slowly, but surely, that confidence was building back up. 

It wasn’t her first time pacing at the door waiting for Harry to show up, but it seemed to get harder with each time. Ivy was alone in the house, Emma had already left with Niall. She would be coming back here, while Ivy would return to Harry’s place after the night was over. Her duffle bag was packed with similar things that it was full of the night before. She was trying to control her breathing before she got in the car with him. The last thing she wanted was for him to ask her if she was okay. She didn’t want to relive what happened earlier in her bedroom, she just wanted to have a good night. The ding of her phone made her heart jump. She looked down at the screen, a nervous feeling sinking into her bones. 

Harry: coming to the door now 

Not even thirty seconds had passed before Harry knocked on the door. Ivy composed herself the best she could and opened the door for him. She was met with his grin, but it wasn’t enough to distract her from how handsome he looked. He wasn’t wearing his usual dark t-shirt, instead he was wearing one the shirts he never buttons all the way up and pushes the sleeves to his elbows. She smiled nervously as he looked down her body slowly, then drug his eyes back up. 

“Damn, you look incredible.” He told her with a gentle smirk, reaching for her body. 

She let him grab her and yank her closer. The feeling of his warm body against hers made her worries fade. Her hand gripped his waist on either side as he mumbled another compliment in her ear before pressing a kiss to her jaw. 

“I missed you.” He added, pulling back to look at her. 

“I missed you.” She smiled a bit bigger this time. “Sorry I left so soon.” 

He shook his head and pushed his lips onto hers. She moaned softly into the kiss, wishing it would’ve lasted longer. She barely got a taste of him before he leaned back. 

“Don’t worry about all that. I’ve got you now, hm.” 

Ivy let out a breath as she checked the time on her phone. “We should probably go.” 

“Do you have everything?” He asked, glancing down at the duffle bag that was discarded on the floor. 

“Yeah, I’m ready.” 

Once she closed the door, Harry carried her bag to the car and tossed it in the back seat. He made sure to open her door and help her in, telling her yet again how good she looked. It was hard to resist her face turning to a blushing mess, his words just did that to her. 

The ride there was peaceful. She held onto his hand as he drove, his eyes staying on the road for the most part. He let her mess with the radio until she found something for them to listen to. Ivy would give him a glance every now and then, just making sure that he was okay. He didn’t appear to be in any bad mood, he was rather pleasant. She was glad, because there was that worry in the back of her mind that he was upset about what happened earlier. There was no way she was going to let something ruin her night, so she ignored all that and just gave him quick glances. 

At one point, she found herself staring at him for longer than just a moment. She admired his profile, how perfect he looked with the street lights and the moon glowing on his face. She thought he was just the most gorgeous thing ever. He didn’t have a hair out of place. His cologne filled the car - she loved it so much she’d be willing to drown in it. 

When they arrived, Harry told her he needed to get inside within a few minutes to set up everything and do a quick sound check. Ivy was willing to let him go whenever he had, but it seemed like he didn’t want to. He helped her out of the car and immediately grabbed onto her waist. He pushed her against the car, his height towering over her despite the heels she had on her feet. She pressed her hand to his chest, smiling sweetly as he stared down at her. 

“I thought you had to get inside?” She said with a soft laugh as he leaned down to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. 

“I can’t leave you yet.” He muttered back, playfully pecking her cheek a few times. 

“You said everyone was waiting on you.” 

He rolled his eyes and let a smirk cover his mouth. “They can wait a bit longer.” 

The softest moan slipped out of her mouth as he slotted his lips with hers. Within a second, they were swallowing each other whole. Harry’s hand fell down to her hip and he gripped her tight, pushing himself against her. There were sparks flying around them as they got lost in the kiss. Ivy was fighting her thoughts, and quickly losing because it wasn’t long until she was dizzy and mindless. The sounds of their mouths meeting and moving together always made her stomach fill with butterflies. It was so intimate, so special to hear it each time. Harry grunted when she reached up to grab onto his hair. Her fingers scraped his skin as she got a handful in the back, tugging hard. He wanted her to grab it all and do whatever she desired. It was taking every ounce of control he had to prevent himself from growing in his pants. He didn’t know it, but Ivy was creating a small damp spot in her underwear - something that happened so easily when he did certain things to her. 

Harry grunted when she finally slowed the kiss and pulled her lips away. A light gasp came from her as she realized she could breathe better now. He pecked her cheek again, sighing gently as he realized they needed to get inside soon. As much as he’d rather spend every second with her, he couldn’t do that yet. 

“M’gonna have a hard time keeping my hands off you later.” He said with a chuckle as she rubbed her hand back down his chest, stopping so she could settle it on his waist. She loved touching him there. 

“I don’t want you to keep your hands off me.” She bit down on her lip as she smiled, a redness covering her face. 

“Well, I.. I don’t want to do too much, y’know.” 

Ivy gave him a small shake of her head. “I want you to do whatever you think I’d like. I don’t.. wanna be scared anymore.” 

He licked his lips, tasting a bit of her gloss that he stole off her mouth. “As long as you’re honest with me. Tell me what you like, stop me when you don’t want it, all that, okay?” 

“I will.”

He pushed out a big exhale and gestured his head towards the building. “Guess we should go in?” 

Ivy replied with a nod, but when he took hold of her hand to walk her across the parking lot, she stopped him by grabbing his wrist and tugging on his arm. He looked back at her, not sure what she was doing. 

“Wait.” 

Harry turned back to face her, a concerned look on his face. “What is it?” 

All she could think about was the speech Emma gave her in her room earlier. There was no need to be so shy with Harry anymore. He wasn’t some stranger she didn’t like or a person who wasn’t considered her friend. He was way more than she ever imagined he would be. Harry had become her world, he had taken up every inch of space in her mind and in her heart. She could talk to him if something was on her mind, he’d listen with no hesitation. 

“Do you think I look alright?” She blurted the question out before ensuring herself she wanted to say it. 

He furrowed his brows and squeezed her tight. “You’re gorgeous.” 

She swallowed loud enough for him to hear. “Do.. do you like my outfit?” 

Harry moved one hand up to her face, cupping her jaw to keep her head steady. “Your outfit is perfect. I love it. You look incredible, as always.” 

“Okay.” She nodded lightly, not sure if she believed it or not. Maybe he was telling her the truth, but she didn’t agree with it. “I.. I was worried you wouldn’t.” 

Harry frowned. “Baby, why wouldn’t I?” 

“I dunno.” She uttered back. 

He planted a kiss on the center of her forehead, pushing her bangs into her skin. “Don’t ever worry about something like that, alright? I don’t want you to think that ever again.” 

Hearing that was a relief. A weight lifted from her shoulders. His calm, low tone was comforting to her worried nerves. It was no lie, he would never think bad of anything she decided to wear. Ivy felt better now, and she hoped her happy feeling carried on throughout the night. 

The taste of the alcohol slipping down her throat made her hum. Her eyes closed as she savored the sweet pineapple flavor accompanied by the burn of the liquor. Emma was standing next to her, talking about her recent date with Niall, as they waited for the show to start. Ivy was doing her best to listen, but she was spiraling in her own mind. For once, it wasn't anything bad or frustrating on her mind. Instead, it was all good things. She was thinking about the kiss they shared in the parking lot and how she’d get to see Harry on the stage soon. She thought about the promise they made, that alone was making all the good chemicals ramp up and rush through her body. The feeling of his hands on her body would return soon, and she was beyond ready. 

“I see you’re feeling better.” Emma said with a lift of her brow as Ivy opened her eyes. 

“Yeah, me and Harry talked.” She nodded, glancing down at the ice swirling in her plastic cup. “He likes what I’m wearing.” 

Emma dramatically sighed and threw her hand up. “Of course he does! You’re hot!” 

Ivy rolled her eyes and smiled. “Whatever you say.” 

“Whatever Harry says.” She grinned back, teasing Ivy was kind of fun but she’d never mean it in a bad way. 

“I told him I.. I want him to touch me more, like, um, he did last night.” 

Emma sipped her drink then put on a proud smile. “You’re being brave. I’m proud.” 

“I just want him to.. to do what he thinks I might like. Maybe that way it’ll be easier for me to realize or decide when I’m ready.” 

Emma nodded as she listened, completely agreeing with what Ivy was saying. She was rather glad that Ivy had come around to this idea. She knew that her lack of experience was hard to handle, but if Ivy would let herself open up, she might enjoy what could come from it. 

“So you don’t think you’re ready right now?” 

Ivy let out a sigh as she thought about that. She wasn't really sure because she had no idea what to expect. How can you know if you're ready? Do you just have some sort of feeling or little voice in your head screaming that it was time? How do you figure out that sort of thing if you’ve only had one bad experience? 

“I don’t know. What am I supposed to feel? How can I tell?” 

Emma swallowed the rest of her drink and took a deep breath, prepared to help Ivy out as much as she could. “Well, for me with Niall.. it was like I was comfortable and relaxed. I knew I wanted to share that with him. The best way I can put it is.. my body told me.” 

“See, I don’t understand that. I keep getting these feelings but then I get scared.” 

“What feelings?” 

She knew she could only tell Emma this and not Harry. She was open to talking about things with Harry, but this specific thing was not going to be one of them. It was very embarrassing for her to admit to herself, let alone say out loud to him. She was intending on keeping this between her and Emma only. 

“I get.. y’know.. wet, or whatever.” She shrugged, trying to remain as nonchalant as possible. 

Emma smirked, cocking a brow at her. “Wet? So.. just when he touches you or what?” 

“Even when he just gives me a quick kiss. I.. My stomach drops and.. I have this burning feeling.” 

“Hate to say it to you, girl, but.. I think your body is trying to tell you that it’s time.” Emma was being honest. 

“It’s only been a week!” 

“But you’ve known him for a while.” Emma reminded her, making her eyes widen as she emphasized it. “You’ve been wanting him. Admit it to yourself.” 

Ivy’s eyes rolled, a gentle shake of her head followed. “It’s too soon.” 

“Then relax! Just kiss the boy and have fun with him until you’re ready.” Emma gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Trust me, he’s too obsessed with you to go anywhere. You have plenty of time.” 

Maybe Emma was right and Ivy was just overthinking everything. Harry definitely had a possessive nature when it came to her. He wasn't going to just let her slip away or disappear himself. She had time.. 

Experiencing the show was much different for her tonight than it ever had been. She wasn’t a newcomer to the group, she wasn’t trying to avoid Harry’s stare, and she wasn't angry with his existence. Tonight, she was able to enjoy herself fully. She sang and danced with Emma like the world wouldn’t be there tomorrow when she woke up. Harry watched her for most of the show, smiling and shaking his head at her performance. She was confident and comfortable and definitely drunk. 

He had to remind himself to stay focused when he played his guitar, though, so he made sure he looked out at the crowd, too. Niall reminded him before they got on the stage to remain focused on his job and then he could give Ivy all his attention after. Since he knew she loved the shows and was excited to hear him perform, he agreed with Niall and kept himself on track with everything. Ivy was dancing like nobody else was in the room, and that alone was motivation for him to put on a good show. She wasn't dancing to music coming from the speakers, she was dancing to his voice singing the songs she loves. It meant something to him, it was special this time. 

When they reached the slower portion of the show, Harry used his minute long break to chug some water before kneeling on the edge of the stage to talk to her. It was still loud in the bar, but he was able to hear her. 

“You’re so good!” She grinned ear to ear, her voice loud as the alcohol increased her mood. 

“Gonna sing one for you next.” He winked, causing a blush to rise to her cheeks. 

“Can I give you a good luck kiss?” She asked sweetly, fluttering her thick lashes at him and making the cutest face. 

“I’d be sad if you didn’t.” He leaned down, chuckling as she reached up to grab his neck. 

She barely reached him, but when she did her lips connected to his. He wanted to pull her on the stage and handle it, but he couldn’t. The kiss was short, but sweet. She smacked her lips on his chin for an extra bit of luck before letting him go, knowing he had to get back to his microphone. 

Harry was sure he’d never been in such a great mood while performing before. He had something to really look forward to after like everyone else, aside from just wanting to drink the night away. He had someone waiting for him to get off that stage and join her.

Niall started the first of the slower songs by picking up his guitar. Harry had abandoned his for this portion of the show, not wanting to get distracted by Ivy. He knew he could sing perfectly fine while looking at her, but playing the guitar was another story. Her heart swelled as she heard the lyrics coming from Harry’s mouth. She loved this song so much, and he had promised her he’d sing it the next time she was there. She will always hold some regret in her heart for missing that show, but she had a feeling that things wouldn’t be the way they are now if she hadn’t missed it. 

“Lips of an Angel” was one of her favorite songs, she considered it a classic that everyone should know. She’d play it in her room or in the car and sing every word. Hearing Harry sing it was breathtaking. He made all of her favorite songs even more special than they already were. And of course, his eyes were pouring straight into hers as he sang. There was nothing quite like getting his intense stare in such a meaningful moment. 

For the remainder of the show, Ivy cheered him on and continued to dance with Emma. They were both worn out by the time it came to an end. Emma told Ivy that everyone would be out to join them within a few minutes, and the best place to wait for Harry would be at their usual reserved table. So, they headed that way once everyone walked off the stage. She pushed the beaded curtain out of the way and sighed as she entered the familiar section of the building. They went straight to their table and each claimed a spot. Emma sat next to her, instantly sparking up a conversation. 

“Harry’s so cute with you. I saw you guys kissing.” She giggled excitedly, her mind a little boggled from her drinks. 

Ivy couldn’t do anything but grin. “He’s so sweet. He’s the sweetest thing ever.”

They shared a laugh, both very giddy about the topic. Emma leaned in closer, her finger moving to lure Ivy in. She moved further in until their heads almost touched. 

“He’s gon’ be all over you.” She said with a cheeky laugh. 

“I hope so!” Ivy was just as happy about the idea. 

“Can’t believe you turned Harry into a sweetheart!”

Ivy let out a laugh and shook her head. She didn’t say anything though because she was easily distracted by Harry, who appeared from the crowd with a smile on his handsome face. She completely ignored Emma and stood up to greet him. He grunted as her arms wrapped around his neck, one set of fingers going to the back of his head. He snaked his arms around her body, so glad to finally be with her again. This time, he wouldn’t have to leave her. They could stay together the rest of the night. 

“Missed you.” Ivy said in a quiet voice as her arms slowly fell from his neck. She drug one down his chest, touching his exposed skin. “You did so good.”

“Thanks, love. You had a good time, didn’t you?” Harry chuckled as she looked up at him with red eyes and a sleepy look. “Someone’s a bit drunk, yeah?” 

She shook her head. “No, not yet.”

“M’not too sure about that, babe.”

“Sit down with me! Wanna be close.” She begged with the pout of her lip. 

He nodded, which immediately prompted her to sit down and pull on his hand, wanting him right next to her. He laughed as she manueved his arm around her shoulders and positioned him so his hand was dangling over her. She took hold of it and turned her head to see him. She had the most precious look on her face, stars in her pretty eyes, 

“Thank you for singing the song for me.” 

“You’re welcome, babe.”

“Baby.” She corrected him with the lift of her brows. 

He smirked back, leaning forward to kiss her temple. “M’sorry, baby.” 

“So, I heard it’s official!” Michelle yelled with joy as she approached the table. 

Ivy leaned into Harry’s shoulder, hiding her bashful face as he laughed and replied to Michelle. He knew that having this kind of attention would make Ivy feel shy, but he hoped she would be okay with it once everyone got their initial reactions out. She tapped his hand, trying to get his attention. 

He looked back at her. “Hmm?”

“Just wanna see you.” She bit down on her lip, her eyes fixated on him.

He furrowed his brows gently. “Everything okay?”

Ivy didn’t say anything, just nodded and smiled. He wasn’t sure what was happening but he assumed the alcohol had a lot to do with it. He told her earlier she could drink as much as she wanted and he’d drive them home. He didn’t feel the need to get drunk tonight. She was with him now, so there were no feelings to fight against. 

Unlike previous times, Cory and Niall were the ones to bring the free trays of beer gifted by the owner to their shared table. Ivy instantly received a look from Michelle, a smirk plastered over her red painted lips as she lifted a brow. Ivy shook her head, already knowing what she was going to say. Harry laughed as everyone started to chant Ivy’s name, expecting at least one chugging battle. She was trying to ignore them, but even Harry was encouraging it.

“Just do one, c’mon.” He said with a laugh, finding it hard to believe all of this was real. 

For once, there was no awkward tension amongst the group. He wasn’t trying to sneak glances at her or avoid her gaze. Nobody was expecting an outburst from him. It felt really good to not have to worry about any of that anymore.

“Okay, fine, just one.” She sighed as she took the cup of beer from Niall, who started the countdown. 

Michelle was quick to bring the cup to her lips, but she wasn’t quite fast enough to keep up with or outdo Ivy. It didn’t take long for her to finish. The empty cup fell to the table and a proud smile covered her lips. Niall offered her another cup, and she took it with hopes of actually enjoying this one. 

Harry eyed her, wondering if she’d accept anyone’s competition, but she shook her head at Zayn who was trying to get her to cave in again. When Ivy leaned up to talk to Emma, Harry’s arm fell to her back, his hand sliding to her waist. He kept a hold on her, not wanting her to get too far. He stayed quiet, which was somewhat part of his usual behavior, and just listened to her talk. They were talking about something Niall said to Emma the night before that made Ivy blush. Emma had always been open with her about certain things, and even though it embarrassed her, she always listened to the stories. Harry wasn’t necessarily listening to them, mainly because he couldn’t hear over the music, but his focus was starting to shift elsewhere. 

Across the table was Cory, and his eyes seemed to be placed on something that didn’t belong to him. If Harry couldn’t hear the girls clearly, there’s no way Cory could. So he wasn’t listening to them talk, he was just staring at Ivy. Harry slid his tongue over his teeth as he tried to relax himself. He could feel a fire lighting in his gut. He couldn’t stand when Cory looked at Ivy like that before they were together, and now that they were he was even more annoyed. There should be some respect shown now. It was obvious they were together, and it should be understood that Cory had no chance. He tightened his hand on her waist, his fingers digging into her body. She noticed how the pressure changed, but she didn’t check on him. Maybe he was just giving her some affection. 

“I told him I’d try.” Emma said with a squeal, shooting her eyes over at Niall who was standing up talking to Zayn.

Ivy grinned back, grabbing her leg to squeeze it excitedly. “You’re insane.”

“It’s just a position, Ivy. You’d probably like it.”

Her eyes widened and she gave Emma a stern look. “No! We’re not making this about me.”

Emma giggled, covering Ivy’s hand with her own. “You have no idea what’s coming for you, honey.”

“I know what I’m not going to do.”

Emma was amused by the redness covering her face, it wasn’t just the alcohol that had her flustered. Her eyes dropped to Ivy’s waist where Harry’s hand was glued to her body. 

“The way he touches you.. you’re gonna have the time of your life.” 

Ivy shoved her gently, bringing her hand back to her own lap. “Shh, I don’t want him to hear this.”

Emma leaned slightly to peek around her. She lifted a brow as she saw Harry’s hardened expression. While his touch was clearly on Ivy, his attention was not. He looked as if he would rip someone’s head off if they spoke to him. His jaw was clenched and his brows were low. Emma followed his eyes and instantly saw what he was staring at. 

She hit Ivy with her knee, her eyes shooting back to her. “He’s pissed.”

Ivy leaned in closer to hear her whisper. “What?”

“Harry’s not happy.” Emma gave her a slightly concerned look. “Someone’s got his eyes on you and it’s not Harry.” 

Ivy looked from the corner of her eye, even though she already knew who Emma was referring to. “Ugh, why?”

Emma shook her head and pursed her lips. “He’s stupid if he thinks nobody notices.”

“He always does this.” Ivy sighed out, wishing it was different. 

She didn’t want Harry to get upset with his friend, but she knew it would happen if Cory didn’t stop. He shouldn’t want to stare at her, especially now that things have changed between her and Harry. It didn’t make any sense. She’s expressed several times that she’s not interested and that definitely hasn’t suddenly changed. 

“We’ll finish this later.. you better tend to Harry.” Emma warned, nodding her head towards him. 

It was unfortunate that she had to pause her conversation to deal with this, but she had no choice. If she didn’t intervene now, there’s no telling what could happen. Harry’s emotions are very sensitive, and when it came to Ivy he could be a ticking time bomb. Ivy shifted so she was facing him now, fully surprised when he didn’t immediately look at her. She placed her hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze, still not getting his attention. 

“Harry.” She said his name in a sweet tone, widening her eyes and putting on a soft expression. That didn’t work. 

She sighed, tired of her failed attempts already. She reached up and grabbed his jaw, angling his head towards her. He didn’t stop her, of course. He wasn’t going to ignore her for too long. When his eyes met hers, she gave him a smile. She expected his hard features to soften, but they didn’t. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked with a pout, pretending to not be aware of the issue.

“M’about to go off.” 

Ivy leaned up so she was blocking Cory from his view. “It’s okay.”

“It’s fucking not.” 

She chewed on her cheek as she looked over his expression. He was still clenching his jaw and furrowing his brows. His eyes were full of anger but she knew it wasn’t directed towards her. She wanted to sweeten him up, wanted to make him chuckle and grin. It didn’t seem like he was willing to do that now. 

“Are you mad?”

“What do you think?” He snapped back, his anger getting the best of him.

Ivy gulped softly, her hand falling to his chest. “I think.. you’re being mean to me for no reason.”

“There is a fucking reason.” Once again, he was quick with his remark. 

“I didn’t do anything.” She couldn’t stop her lips from dropping to a frown.

The moment he saw her do that, he felt a blow to his gut. He closed his eyes and tried to compose himself. His hand loosened on her waist as he moved it to the small of her back. She wasn’t sure what to expect, part of her was extremely nervous. As his eyes opened, she was somewhat relieved to see he wasn’t as angry looking. 

“I know you didn’t, m’sorry.” 

Ivy grabbed his other hand and guided it to her thigh, letting him decide where it should go. He moved it to her hip and smirked as he pulled her closer. 

“Don’t be shy.” He said with a laugh as she looked down at his lap. 

“If we were alone, I would.” 

Harry leaned into her, his lips heading straight for hers. She turned her head in time for him to hit her cheek, making him smirk against her skin. 

“You’re being a tease, hm?”

She put her hand on his elbow, wishing she could do more but the fact they were in public made her nervous. She didn’t say anything, just moved her lips to his dimple. He felt the slickness of her lipgloss on his skin. 

“We could always sneak away.” He suggested, smiling as she pinched his skin. 

“Harry.” A nervous breath followed. 

Before he could say anything else, Michelle tapped on Ivy’s shoulder and interrupted them. Ivy pulled back from Harry to look up at her, kind of irritated that she was getting in the way. 

“We’re going to dance. Are you guys joining us?” 

Ivy saw everyone getting up and heading towards the crowd. She looked back at Harry and he lifted his brows lightly, silently letting her know it was her decision to make. She gently shook her head before replying to Michelle. 

“Not right now.”

Michelle smirked, giving them both a suspicious look. “Alright, have fun.”

It was a relief to know they were going elsewhere. Ivy didn’t have an issue with everyone but she was glad to be alone with Harry, or so she thought she was alone. She realized quickly when everyone else filed away that someone stayed behind. Cory was still in his seat, his eyes on his phone. Harry noticed, too, and rolled his eyes. Ivy caught his look and gently sighed. 

“It’s okay.”

“He’s fucking obsessed with you.” Harry grumbled out, his eyes narrowing and his lips fell to a straight line. 

It hurt her to see how quick his mood could shift. It wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed it, but it was still hard to deal with. She didn’t want Harry to be so consumed by anger or frustration. They were supposed to have fun tonight and be together, not worry about someone else. 

“Hey, don’t get mad.” 

“It’s hard not to, Ivy.” He huffed back.

“Don’t look at him. Just look at me.” 

Harry grunted, the control he had on his mood wasn’t very stable. “If he starts staring at you again m’gonna break his face.”

Ivy took hold of his jaw again and gave him a serious look. “No, you aren’t.”

She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before reaching down to pick up the cup of beer she sat on the floor. Harry let her move away, but not because he wanted her to. She brought the cup to her lips and took a long drink. Harry shot his eyes in Cory’s direction, making sure he wasn’t watching. Ivy moved back to where she had been sitting, Harry’s arm wrapped around her waist to keep her next to him. 

“Next weekend, I want you to stay with me at my place.” She said with a smile, the idea had been in her mind all day. 

“Alright. Any plans for us?” 

“Not sure yet. Just wanna be with you.” 

Harry couldn’t stop his gaze from moving back to Cory, and this time he was staring back. He leaned into Ivy, his hand tight on her waist. She held back a giggle when he rubbed his nose against her temple. 

“I really need you closer, baby.” He tickled his fingers against her waist, making her laugh and fall into him. 

“Do you want me to sit?” She asked innocently, her hand tapping his thigh. 

“If you want to, yeah. I’d like that.” 

“I’m sure you would.” 

Harry gripped her waist before she started to climb on his lap. He made sure to grab the outside of her thigh to keep her legs together. She rested the side of her body against his chest, laughing as he started kissing her cheek over and over. Ivy adjusted her skirt and made sure her knees were touching, in case someone tried to catch a peek between her legs. She feared Harry would be uncontrollable if something like that happened. 

“Are you comfortable?” He asked, furrowing his brows as he watched her. 

“Mhm, I’m okay. Are you? Not squishing you, am I?” Ivy was way more concerned with his comfort than her own. 

“M’fine, babe.” He assured her with a soft peck to her jaw. 

“Not the best way, but it’ll do for now.” She said, glancing at her legs as they laid propped up on the bench. 

“Sit how you want.” 

“I.. I can’t.”

Harry licked his lips. “How do you wanna sit?”

Ivy took a deep breath and leaned into him, her mouth next to his ear. He tightened his grip on her body, not sure what to expect from her. She was just as easy to get heated as he was. 

“Like we did on your couch.” Her whisper made his skin crawl in the best way possible. 

“We can do that.”

“Not here.”

He smiled, pushing his face into her neck. “Said who?”

Ivy tried her best to stand her ground, but Harry’s touch on her body was more than enough to change her mind. His heavy hand moved to the dip in her back, almost touching her butt. The way that his warmth pushed through the fabric covering her body was comforting. She felt completely safe with him, like nothing could ruin this moment. With a shake of her head and a blushing grin, she decided to sit on him the way she actually wanted to. He guided her by her waist as she got up, not letting her get too far away. She threw one leg over him then the next, sitting on his lap like she did on the couch. 

“There we go, that’s better.” He said with a devious smirk as she got comfortable, pulling at her skirt to keep it down. 

He plastered his hands on her hips, securing the fabric of the skirt against her skin, it wasn’t going anywhere as long as he was holding it. Ivy emptied the cup of beer into her mouth, her head falling back as she filled her mouth. Harry nearly busted as he saw her neck stretch, her hair fall over her shoulders, and the small drops of beer that escaped her lips. When she tossed the cup next to them, he leaned up to clean up her mess. 

“Harry!” She shrieked as he swiped his tongue up her chin, clearing the beer residue from her face. 

“Just cleaning you up, babe.” He chuckled out, unable to resist a grin as she hid her face against his. 

Her cheek was hot as it burned into his skin. “You’re so crazy.” 

Ivy put her arm around his neck, her fingers instantly locking around his hair. He held her close, humming in her ear as she took slow, deep breaths. He wondered if she was starting to get tired. Maybe all the alcohol she had consumed while he was singing had caught up to her. She was quiet for a few long minutes, just stayed like that with his arms around her and her hand in his hair. It was perfect, for a while. Harry figured it couldn’t get much better than this. He had the girl he adored sitting on his lap, her body molding into his as he held her close. She was content, nothing was bothering her. It was almost like a dream. He was afraid one wrong move would interrupt it and he’d wake up. Ivy couldn’t really believe it was real either, it was quite hard to comprehend. She never pictured herself as the type of person to do this much display of affection in public, yet here she was doing it. When she was with Harry, it was like the rest of the world froze around them and they were the only two people. 

Harry thought he was imagining it at first, but Ivy started to gently press her lips into the side of his neck, just below his ear. He moved one hand up to the small of her back and gently slid a few of his fingers under her shirt. Her skin was on fire, yet it felt like heaven touching it bare. 

“Being sweet, hm?” He said in a deep voice, his breath rolling over her in a rather tempting way. 

She led her lips a bit lower, leaving behind a trail of lip gloss. Marking her territory felt incredibly powerful. The part she liked the most was the fact Harry was letting her do it. When she was around, and only when it came to her, he let his control go. He let her do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. 

“Can we kiss?” She lifted her head, her eyelashes fluttering as she gave him a sweet look. 

“Don’t have to ask me.” He told her, leaning into her mouth. 

As they started to kiss again, she was sure that nothing could ruin this. Harry’s tongue poked in her mouth to explore, and his lips moved in perfect sync with hers. Her fingers danced on his neck, curling around his nape and dropping to his collarbones every now and then. She wanted to touch every inch of him that she could, but she was keeping herself somewhat tame. With each shove of her tongue into his mouth, her body rocked on his lap. The movement and the friction was getting intense on his crotch, so much so that he considered stopping her for a while. All he could imagine was her getting upset, so he chose to ignore his growing bulge and just let the girl get all the kissing she wanted. 

Harry quite enjoyed it when Ivy went off the deep end with him. Her version of it was different than most people’s, but that didn’t matter. He loved when she was greedy with her hands, scratching and clawing at his skin. There was her newly explored liking of running her fingers through his long hair and tugging on it that sent chills down his spine and pulses of pleasure straight to his crotch. And her lips, god her lips were his favorite thing. She was so good with them, knew exactly how to use them. The more he thought about her and the kiss deepened, the closer he was to a full boner growing in his pants. 

“Mm, Ivy.” He grunted as his lips ripped from hers.

“No, more.” She muttered into his cheek, trying to get his lips back. 

“Give me a few minutes, baby.” He said with a nervous laugh, glancing down at his crotch. 

She followed his eyes without thinking, and as she saw what he was concerned about, her stomach started to churn. Did he want her to move? Was she hurting him? There were so many things flooding her mind all of a sudden, but Harry didn’t say anything about it. He put his hand on her jaw, his thumb rubbing soft circles into her cheek. She easily leaned into his touch, admiring how his big hand was capable of such a delicate touch. 

“Sorry.” She mumbled, her pretty eyes held such an innocent look. 

“Don’t be sorry.” He licked his lips. “Just need a minute to calm down ‘fore I explode.” 

Ivy took the time he needed to observe him. She looked down at his forearm, his tattoos deep into tanned skin. Her mind began to drift as she imagined what it would feel like to have that same skin pressed against her own, no clothing between them. She could very clearly picture herself kissing and sucking marks over his tattoos, tracing the lines with her tongue and biting into his flesh. She knew he’d let her do whatever she wanted, and that was starting to become a thought she wanted to make a reality. She didn’t realize her eyes had closed until his thumb was toying with the corner of her mouth. She softly pushed out a breath, lifting her eyelids to get a look at him. Harry gave her that signature smirk, that up to no good look that made her panties dampen. 

The way he looked at her was like nothing else she had ever experienced. Her hand grabbed his forearm and she slowly brought her touch up his arm. He watched her movements, always liking when she touched him like that. She would hold on to him like she owned him, and that was something that made his heart melt. This girl had his heart in a way no other ever could. 

As her fingers curled around his wrist, she shifted her sultry gaze back to him. She smiled, the blush pretty much permanent on her cheeks by now. Harry was curious about her intentions as she grabbed his thumb with her fingers, moving it across her skin until the tip sat on her bottom lip. The thoughts entering his mind were far from pure. He held his breath, his eyes locked with hers. Without saying a word, or even blinking, Ivy pushed the tip of his thumb past her lips. 

A jolt of excitement shot through his body as she closed her lips around his thumb and gave it a soft suck. If he thought any harder about this, he would bust in his pants. Her tongue swirled around his digit a few slow, taunting times. Harry couldn’t do anything other than stare at her with lust pooling in his eyes. She placed his thumb between her teeth and bit down slightly, making his subtle smirk grow. 

“Naughty little kitten, hm?” The low tone of his voice mixed with the words he used made her tingle in all the right places. `

He swore her eyes lit up with stars at the use of the new name. She seemed to enjoy it more than he expected. He was pushing her limits, trying to see what she would like or what was too much. That was something she liked. 

Harry sat up, his body closer to hers without disturbing her position. He closed the space they shared, his lips next to her ear as he spoke in low, deep whispers. Every word he let out made her toes curl and the wetness between her legs grew. 

“Y’like using that pretty mouth on me, yeah?” 

She bit down harder on his thumb as a response, pulling a heavy chuckle from his throat. Ivy couldn’t stop thinking about his body, about sharing that experience with him. She was sure that if they had been at home doing this, she would’ve caved in to him. She would’ve allowed him to explore her body and show her things she never knew she could experience. But they weren’t at home.. 

“Like poking your tongue out on me.. biting down on me.” 

She nodded lightly, not even sure if he could tell. He was deep in the side of her neck, burying his face in her hair and breathing in her scent. He could die in this very spot and be a happy man. 

“Gonna be so good with your mouth, I just know it.” That time, her stomach dropped and she felt a familiar feeling come over her. 

It happened when she was in the shower earlier, that intense desire to touch herself at the thought of him. Well, now it wasn’t so much the thought of him as it was actually him. She considered disappearing into the bathroom to handle it, pull her skirt up and just rub herself until she came. But the thought of leaving him, of stopping this very moment was enough to keep her still. She could deal with it later. 

“Tell me something, baby.” He put his lips on her ear, speaking as soft as he could. “Tell me what you wanna do with your mouth.” 

Ivy let a nervous breath escape her mouth, the warmth of the air coated his thumb. “Harry.” 

He lightly chuckled back. “Don’t be shy, angel.” 

She shifted his thumb to the inside of her cheek so she could talk. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to gather the courage to say what he wanted her to, to admit what she desired to do with him. When her eyes opened, she was met with the wall behind them. The strobing lights from the ceiling and the colorful flashes reflected off the wall reminded her of where they were. 

“Hm? I know you wanna tell me.” He added, kissing the shell of her ear. 

“Wanna.. wanna kiss you all over.” She started with a nervous laugh, keeping his thumb pressed into her cheek. “And.. and make little bites.” 

“Little bites.” He copied her. “Sink those pretty teeth in me, baby.” 

“Harry, I..” 

She could feel his smirk against her skin. “What is it, baby?” 

Ivy had a pounding thought in her mind. She wanted to tell him how she felt, she wanted him to know how wet she had become between her legs and how hard her nipples were behind her bra. She wanted to tell him she would invite him in to explore her body if he asked her. Was she having that feeling Emma tried to describe? It couldn’t possibly be that, it was too soon.. She pushed the thoughts away and decided to just give his thumb another bite, making him smile. 

“Torturing you, aren’t I?” He said as he finally leaned himself up, his eyes meeting hers to find they were wide and as sparkly as ever. 

“A bit.” She nodded, an anxious laugh following her words. 

“I’ll give you a break.. before you explode.” 

She pulled his thumb out of her mouth. “M’close to it, I think.” 

“You don’t have to stop doing that.” He said, tapping his damp thumb against her chin. 

“For right now.. maybe I can do it again later, if you want me to.” 

He shook his head in disbelief at how adorable and innocent she was, despite what she was just doing and saying to him. “You know I want you to.” 

Ivy grabbed his wrist and placed his hand back on her waist. She loved how it felt to have him hold her there, so she wanted it back. He immediately tightened his grip and gave her a subtle smirk. He had to go easy on her before she really did lose her control and mess up her panties. He wasn’t aware of how intense it was for her, but he could see she wasn’t alright. 

They stayed quiet for a little bit, just looking at each other with hungry eyes. Harry was refraining himself from doing too much while Ivy was trying to encourage herself to do more. Maybe if she chewed on his thumb when they got home he’d say more filthy things to her. She kind of liked the dirty statements and teasing words he said. It turned her on more than she ever thought it could. Perhaps that’s why people have sex so easily - they get turned on and fall deep into the lust. It was possible, and she was starting to think she could achieve that special feeling Emma talked about. 

Harry watched her with a soft smile on his lips as she occupied herself with messing with his necklace. She had pulled the pendant out of his shirt and started rubbing her finger over it. She was engrossed in the moment, letting the way it glimmered in the lights distract her from everything else. It was peaceful, until something caught Harry’s attention. He could feel a stare coming towards him, and he just knew who it was coming from. Ivy wasn't paying him any attention, so he looked past her shoulder and snarled as he saw Cory’s eyes peering their way. It was no secret that he was focused on Ivy. It made Harry’s chest turn to stone, anger began to boil in his gut. He sat up, securing his grip on Ivy so she wouldn’t fall backwards. She instinctively grabbed his shoulder to catch herself, even though he had her stable. 

“Get your fucking eyes off her.” Harry raised his voice so it would be clearly heard over the distance they shared. 

Ivy snapped her head around, huffing as she saw Cory give Harry an annoyed look back. She was about to interrupt when Cory decided to take a stab back at him. 

“Get a fucking room.” He gave him a disgusted expression that just irritated Harry even more. “Practically screwing her.” 

“Don’t fucking worry about what I do with my girl. Fuck off.” He got louder, and of course it made her anxiety shoot through the roof. 

Ivy grabbed his face gently, keeping her touch soft to remind him that she was right here. “Harry, shh.” 

He was stronger than her, and he easily moved his head in her weak grip. “If I catch you staring at her again, I’ll beat your fucking face in.” 

“No, you won’t, stop.” Ivy let out a soft whine as she tried to tame him. 

It was a harder task than anything else. Harry was angry now, and he was beyond controllable. He had this raging look in his eyes that scared her. Not long ago, she would’ve backed away in fear of him hurting her. But now, as she sat on his lap with his hands stuck to her body, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. 

To their surprise, Cory got up and left the table. Harry didn’t give a damn about his feelings. He shouldn’t have been staring at Ivy that way, like he was jealous or like he wanted her to himself. Over Harry’s dead body would that ever happen. Ivy pressed a soft kiss to his lips, hoping that would help but he was still pouting as the anger lingered on his face. 

“You don’t have to get so upset, Harry. M’not worried about him.” She told him, kissing him again despite not getting anything in return. That really wasn’t her point anyway, she just wanted to give him some affection to calm him down. “He does it because he knows it bothers you.” 

“It bothers me a fucking lot.” 

She bit down on her cheek for a moment as she looked at him. His eyes were back on hers, and the longer she stared at him, the softer his gaze became. He wanted to apologize to her for being so reactive, but he couldn’t find the words. It was embarrassing for him to see how quick he could get angry. He has always been very aware of it, but now that Ivy was more involved in his life, it made him feel worse. They had been having such a nice, private time together. He let someone barge in and ruin it, even if Cory never actually got in the way. 

“What can I do to help? Kisses?” She asked seriously, furrowing her brows as her hand pressed into his chest. He was breathing very hard, like he was going to blow up. “Wanna make you feel better.” 

At first, he was just going to accept the offer of kissing, but as he sat there and looked at her gorgeous face, he couldn't stop thinking about her mouth. Having her bite on his thumb made him completely forget about everything else. It was like that was her magic cure for him. Perhaps it could be that.. He hesitated at first, but as she batted her lashes and rolled her lips out to silently beg him for a reply, he became putty in her hands. 

“Take my thumb.” He pressed his digit against her lip, smirking as she parted her mouth for him. He slipped it in and sucked in a breath as she closed her lips around him. “There you go, kitten.” 

The rest of the night was enjoyable for them. They weren’t alone very long after Cory made an exit. Everyone returned to take a break and have some drinks. Ivy had another beer, but Harry declined the alcohol. He had to be sober to drive her home. He opted to just watch her chug the beer in competition with Emma. It was amusing, just like all the other times. 

Ivy did end up slipping away to go dance with Emma and Michelle, while Harry stayed behind to give her some space. He wasn’t irritated at all, he actually encouraged her to go have some fun. Niall had asked him about Cory, and he explained what happened. Niall was surprised that it didn’t get any worse than it did, but he knew Ivy had a lot to do with that. When she got done dancing, they sat around the table for a while longer before finally calling it a night. Ivy ended up having two more drinks while she was dancing, so she was stumbling around as Harry took her to the car. He held onto her waist, trying to keep her upright. She was giggling, the feeling of his fingers was tickling her. Usually she wasn’t so sensitive there, but right now she was being silly. 

It took a bit of coercing to get her in the car. She didn’t want to do anything other than wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him in the parking lot, but he promised her they could save that for when they got home. She was whiny at first, claiming that he was being mean to her, but he knew she didn’t mean it. She was just being difficult. Eventually, he got her in the car and buckled her in.

When they got back to his place, he had to help her inside. She was a giggling mess, trying to grab him and kiss him before he could get her to the door. He knew she’d crash out as soon as she landed on the bed. He stayed behind her as she went up the stairs, in case she tripped or lost her balance and went tumbling backwards. He pushed his hand on her back, encouraging her to go up. As they got to the top, she practically ran into his bedroom, rambling about wanting to take her shoes off and lay down. 

Harry followed her, laughing as he watched her plop down on the end of his bed and start messing with her shoes. She was struggling to get the ankle straps undone. After a short time of trying, she became frustrated. Ivy let out a groan and looked Harry’s way. 

“Please, help me.” She said softly, her lips in a pout. 

He shut the door behind him before walking over to her. She was waiting patiently for him. Harry got on his knees in front of her, lifting one foot at a time to unbuckle the straps. Ivy chewed on her bottom lip as she watched him. She was rather ticklish on her feet, so as he pulled the shoe off, his skin brushed hers and she giggled. He glanced up at her, once again amused by her behavior. She was cute, even when she was drunk. 

“Thank you.” She said sweetly as he took off the other one. 

He sat them up side by side, coming to his feet as she hopped up. Ivy didn’t even realize he had carried her bag up when she started digging through it. He figured she wanted to change her clothes, so he told her he’d step out and go to the bathroom before he joined her in the bed. 

Harry didn’t take too long in the bathroom. He got rid of his shirt in there, but kept his pants on until he got back to his room. He found Ivy in the bed, her eyes already closed as she yawned. She was beneath his covers, waiting for him to get next to her. She wasn’t paying him any mind, so he quickly got rid of his pants and chose a pair of gym shorts. 

Ivy hummed in satisfaction as he finally laid next to her, his warm body lighting a fire she was ready to get cozy with. He grabbed her, pulling her into him like he knew she liked. 

“Goodnight.” He muttered out as he pressed a kiss to her lips. 

She returned it, but ultimately wanted more. She grunted, slipping her tongue between his lips. He let her do what she wanted for a few long moments, then pulled back to tell her to go to sleep. She furrowed her brows and gave him a funny look. 

“Mm, kiss me more.” 

He let a light smile coat his lips. “You’re sleepy, angel.”

“Want kisses, please.” She begged in the sweetest tone she’d ever used on him. He melted quickly for her. 

“Okay, sweet girl.” He leaned forward to give her another, but she spoke before he could start it. 

“Love when you say cute names.”

“Yeah? C’mere, baby.” He reached up to grab her jaw, leading her into a kiss he knew would make her even more tired. 

As he predicted, she kissed him for about two minutes before finally breaking away and closing her lips. She curled up next to him, her hands on his body and her face nuzzled in his neck. Although he didn’t drink tonight, he was exhausted. From singing on stage to wrangling her - it was a long night. He wouldn’t have it any other way, though. Maybe he was on the right track with his sneaky attempts at opening her up, or maybe it was just all the drinks she had. He wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. Slowly, day by day, she was getting more comfortable with him. Before he knew it, he’d probably have to peel her off himself every time they’re together. He could handle it though. Ivy fell asleep almost instantly, and Harry wasn’t far behind her. 

[a/n: omg I enjoyed writing this one so much! the more comfortable she gets the better this will be :) hope u like! also realized that I gave myself way too much work with this insane word count.. I could have made this 2 parts but I didn’t want to lol. Reblog, comment, like all that good stuff!! see u soon .. xx]

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[cyberhughes]

— 𝓣𝓸𝓸 𝓢𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓽 ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ quinn hughes

🌊 chapter 2: feeling scandalous

last chapter | next chapter

*:･✧* 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: quinn hughes x fem!oc

*:･✧* 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: swearing, luke and jack are flirty but it’s all platonic, suggestive content(nothing too spicy yet🌚)

𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮: hey guys omfg…i’m so sorry this took so long I’ve been so busy😭😭uni is stressing me out so bad beyond belief but we ball!! this chapter is so shit cause lowkey its a filler just to build up more tension before we start getting *actually* juicy. this was also lowkey not rlly proofread LMAO. ALSO ALSO ALSO… we are almost at 200 followers?? wtf?? i didn’t even realize i had hit 100 im sorry i love you all so much and i appreciate all the love and support you’ve given me <3 perhaps i will plan a little surprise for you all later 😛

series masterlist + character intros

“WAKEY WAKEY!” the curtains were ripped open by jack, causing luke and aurora to shield themselves under the covers from the abrupt sunlight.

“what the fuck! close it!” luke complained, snuggling himself further into the warmth of the bedsheets. meanwhile, jack tiptoed to the foot of their bed, before mischievously yanking their blankets of off them.

“up and at em, let’s not waste a good boat day!” he stood there proudly, hands on his hips with a shit eating grin plastered across his face, not caring that he had just ruined their chance of a peaceful morning.

“later.” luke groaned, moving to pull aurora close to him, seeking at least the warmth from her body. “oh my god get off of me, i’m up.” she wiggled herself out of his arms and he whined.

she pushed past jack, him snorting at her hair being messy as well as her shirt hanging off one shoulder. “good morning to you too sleeping beauty.” he laughed—a bit too hard—at his own joke, while she stuck her tongue out at him before continuing her way the the washroom to freshen up.

as she stood there brushing her teeth, she couldn’t help but think back to her interactions with quinn yesterday. he had told her she didn’t do anything wrong, but she knew something was off with him. she knew that everyone else felt the tension too, she just couldn’t figure out why it was there in the first place.

she didn’t want to let this sour her trip, she was here for her brother after all. she’d just have to find a way for quinn to warm up to her again.

she creeped back into her and luke’s shared room, suppressing a laugh when she found him fast asleep again.

from her suitcase, she grabbed a bathing suit—that she didn’t remember packing? she held up the pieces straight, trying to remember when she had bought it. she dug through her luggage some more, looking for the one she knew she packed but it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. she sat back on her heels, puzzled.

then it clicked. she had remembered her best friend from california—kaylee—peeking through her suitcase a few days before they had left for their trip. she let out a groan, making a mental note to scold her friend later.

she examined the fabric once again and placed it against her body.

this wasn’t going to cover anything.

“wow, that’s tiny.” she heard luke mumble from the bed and her eyes widened, face going red.

“go back to sleep, idiot.”

“i look like a prostitute.” aurora said nodding with her lips pressed into a thin line as she rested her phone on the bathroom counter. she was currently on facetime with kaylee, the one who had put her in this situation.

“no, you look hot. you have to let quinn see that you got hot.” kaylee said with a fat grin on her face as she watched her bestfriend adjust and pull at the fabric of the bikini in a failed attempt to get some more coverage.

“it was so awkward yesterday kaylee.” aurora whined and grabbed her phone to position her face in frame. “he barely talked to me, and the one time he did, it felt like he would’ve rather been anywhere else.”

“then don’t let it be awkward the fuck? just, be flirty or something.” kaylee spoke nonchalantly.

“yeah no, i think he still sees me as a kid.”

“so then show him that you’re a hot woman now, i’m really struggling to see the problem here rory. just flash him your tits or something.” aurora’s cheeks went red at her friends words. “oh my god, stop it.” she mumbled as the girl on the other side of the phone cackled.

“i gotta go now, we’re going on the lake in a bit.” she took one last look in the mirror before throwing on her t-shirt and shorts. “okay bye rory. but seriously just flash a ti—“ aurora hung up before she could finish the sentence.

she couldn’t help but think that maybe kaylee was right, not about needing to flash her boobs, but about trying to make quinn see that she wasn’t a kid anymore. maybe it wasn’t the fact that she still had a crush on him, but rather that she felt the need to prove herself. although yes, she did still have a little big crush on him.

she felt slight twinge of guilt as she thought, it was her brother’s wedding weekend and here she was plotting on his best man. it was wrong.

but that’s what made it kind of exciting.

aurora stepped out onto the patio, breathing in the summer air and taking in the view of lake. the view was stunning, the backyard almost fully set up with decorations for the wedding. to put it shortly, it felt magical. in the distance, she saw everyone, asides from the parents who were out golfing, settling onto the boat.

“hurry up slowpoke!” luke cupped his hands around his mouth, yelling out. aurora rolled her eyes, adjusted the strap of her tote bag which was chronically falling down, and headed towards the boat.

“good morning.” she smiled as she passed quinn who was carrying a cooler of drinks. she paused her stride to notice the veins that popped out of his arms, and wow the way his hands looked as he gripped the handle and—

“morning, rory.” he said with a soft smile and she felt her stomach drop like she was on a rollercoaster, did he notice her checking him out?

“did you sleep okay last night?” he didn’t look up as he stepped into the boat, setting the cooler down and then offering his hand out to help her in.

she felt like she was having whiplash, he was acting normal now? she took his hand and stepped in, “yeah it was great. lukey’s a snorer though.” she laughed and he nodded. she had to hide a frown as he let go of her hand.

“are you shit talking me right now?” luke walked over with his arms crossed, looking down at aurora through his sunglasses. “yeah, we’re shit talking you severely, i hate you so much.” she gave a sarcastic smile and scooted past him to greet melissa.

luke scoffed, “pft, she loves me. couldn’t keep her hands off me last night.” he said jokingly as he rested his hands on the back of his head, not noticing how quinn didn’t laugh, only pressing his lips into an awkward smile.

“oh gross, luke.” ashton smacked the top of his head, luke pouting as he fixed his cap.

“that was you who couldn’t keep your hands off!” aurora protested as melissa giggled beside her. she rolled her eyes then turned to fully face her soon to be sister in law. “so, are you starting to get nervous or anything?” aurora questioned and she shrugged.

“i don’t think i’m really that nervous,” she began, flipping her sunglasses up to rest on the top of her head. “am i nervous that it could rain or i could trip and fall walking? yeah of course, but I’ve never once felt nervous about marrying your brother, i actually can’t wait.” she blushed and aurora could feel her heart melting, she admired their relationship so much. it was something about they way they spoke about each other, like it was always meant to be.

“alright guys, we ready to go?” quinn asked and everyone cheered, excited to spend the day in the sun before the chaos of the wedding began.

“COWABUNGA!” jack launched himself off the edge of the boat, earning complaints from the group as he splashed water everywhere.

“idiot…” aurora chuckled as she stared down at her clothes which were now soaked, it was to be expected, they were having a lake day afterall.

she whipped her head at the sound of stomping coming towards her and melissa, to which she found her brother getting a running start to jump in, luke following not far behind.

“wow so much for curling my hair.” melissa joked, stepping out of her sundress and heading over to the side, letting ashton help her down.

“come on you two!” ashton exclaimed from the water, waiting on aurora and quinn.

aurora bit her lip, here goes nothing. she first took off her shorts, throwing them on top her her tote, then peeled off her shirt, revealing the bikini kaylee had planted. it was honestly a really nice bikini, the lack of coverage was where the problem lied.

from behind her, quinn could be seen with his jaw clenched, eyebrows slightly furrowed as he took in the sight. to most, his expression could be mistaken for annoyance or anger, but that wasn’t quite what was happening here.

she looked back over her shoulder, offering quinn a small smile as her cheeks turned a soft pink, “coming, quinn?”

her smile faltered when she noticed his expression. shit- was he mad? maybe he was mad that she was practically naked, after all they weren’t the only group out on the lake. there were other families boating and swimming around.

she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard jack whistle, “damn, looking good rory!” he cackled, before ashton splashed him in the face. “i’m serious you guys, that’s my baby sister, stop being fucking creeps.” he scoffed.

aurora jumped in and lingered under the water, wanting to hide the way her cheeks burned in embarrassment, not from jack’s comment, but rather at the fact that she had upset quinn.

for the rest of the day, they had spent their time swimming around, wakeboarding, munching on the delicious charcuterie board melissa had prepared, and playing some card games. it had been the perfect way for the soon to be married couple to relax before becoming fully preoccupied with their wedding, not forgetting to express their gratitude to quinn every chance they got.

they were now headed back to the house, in time to meet their parents for a nice dinner. aurora had her head rested on luke’s shoulder as she was being lulled to sleep from the soft rocking of the boat, as well as being exhausted from the day’s activities.

after a rather silent but calm ride, they had made it back to the dock, their parents being seen lounging on the patio enjoying a few drinks.

the group had gathered their things and headed towards the house, not noticing the way aurora stalled to gather her things as she watched quinn bustle around.

“you ready to go?” he asked, expression blank as he stood on the dock, reaching his hand out. the sight reminiscent of the interaction they had shared that morning.

she nodded, placing her hand in his, and it seemed to fit perfectly. she stepped over but didn’t notice the small puddle of water on the step and her eyes went wide as she slipped into him, for the second time in the past two days.

she gulped as they stood chest to chest, her hands rested on his shoulders as his own resting on her arms to stabilize her. she didn’t pull away, instead looking up at him with her mouth slightly agape in shock. her heart thumped in her chest and she was sure he could feel it as she gazed into his eyes, being met with that unrecognizable look she had seen yesterday.

he stared into her eyes, also at a loss for words. his eyes flickered down at the contact between them, the way her chest had been pressed onto him for longer than it should have. abruptly he let go of her arms, letting her stand on her own.

“quinn, i’m sorry-“

“you’re good.” he mumbled before grabbing his things and practically booking it away and back to the house.

she ran her hands through her hair. great, not only did she embarrass him in front of everyone with her bikini, but now she had fallen onto him a second time.

way to seduce him, aurora.

the soft breeze blowing through bedroom curtains was all that could be heard throughout the night, before it was abruptly interrupted by knocking on wood. quinn’s eyes slowly peeled open when he heard the noise at his door. he peeked over at his phone that rested on his bedside table.

2:17 am.

the knocking continued and he sighed, getting up from the warmth of his bed and shuffling over to open the door. assuming it was one of his brothers, he immediately let out a sharp “what do you want?”

but to his surprise, it was aurora standing on the other side of his door.

“‘m sorry.” she whispered softly and he shook his head “no, i thought you were jack or luke. what’s up?” he gazed down at her and his eyebrows furrowed. why the hell she still wearing her bikini?

“couldn’t sleep.” she stepped into his room, closing the door behind her, leaning back on it as she look up at him with hooded eyes. his eyes widened as he stood frozen, watching her begin to creep toward him like a cat getting ready to pounce on a mouse.

“can you help me sleep, quinny?” she whispered, rising onto her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.

his breath hitched when he felt her lips graze against his ear. “need you to help me, quinny.”

he felt chills run down his spine, what the fuck was happening? this was so wrong. he should have told her to back off, he shouldn’t have let her get that close, but god the way her cold fingers felt as she grazed them back down his shoulders, down to his chest, stomach, the waistband of his shorts—

“WAKE UP, QUINTIN! WE HAVE A LOT TO DO!” ashton’s voice boomed on the other side of his door as he shot up, hairline slightly drenched with sweat, breathing heavy as he looked around his room. he ran a hand over his face and groaned before peeking down at the tent in his shorts.

no fucking way.

[ellehoops]

21 WIT NO KIDS

masterlist

bitch bad no kanye

prelude.

“come on, g, you haven’t gone out in so long! show that sexy ass off.” gwen’s friend, jackie, was begging her to go to ted’s tonight. she had so much homework to do and she had to edit the girls media day photos but shit, jackie’s shrill voice makes her just want to slam her head against the desk.

“fine, let’s go, fuck.”

the blonde hopped up and ran to the brunette’s closet. “you should wear this, you look so hot in jeans. like for real your ass in denim is crazy.” jackie paused, holding up a low waisted denim skirt. “are you listening?” gwen’s head shot up from her phone, “yeah.”

in a short while gwen was stuffed into a skirt and a ‘going out’ top as jackie called it. she watched from the bar as jackie did awful kanye karaoke. gwen spotted a few familiar faces, a few girls from her photography class, some football boys, some girls from the soccer team whom she’d taken photos for.

“gwen!” a voice rang out beside her, a bubby (tipsy) kk arnold stood, smiling at her. kk was always the nicest to her, all the girls were extremely nice but kk was persistent, gwen was a closed off person. kk always tried to break down her walls, getting the other girls to celebrate gwen’s birthday or get her a christmas gift or inviting her to friendsgiving, which gwen always refused.

“hey, kk, how are you?” gwen smiled, her tooth gem winked at kk in the dim lights. kk hopped on the bar stool beside her. “you know, good. geno’s up my ass, but what’s new.” kk took a sip of her drink.

“yo, pause.” a blonde slung an arm around the shorter girl. paige smiled and nodded at gwen. “hey, gwen. how you been, ma?” it was no secret that paige thought gwenyth was hot, the girls teased her about it all the time but paige wasn’t embarrassed. nah, anyone with eyes could see gwen was sexy. from her silk press to the chunky hoops and bangle bracelets to the dermals in her hips that were always on display with her low waisted pants.

paige stood, abs on full display. her black cargos hung low, showing the calvin klein boxers she wore. her white crop top rose a bit as her arm was up over kk’s neck. “i’ve been good, p. how about you?”

“oh normal shit.” paige’s phone dinged, tearing her gaze away from the gold navel piercing. when her gaze returned her pointed to it, “that new?” gwen touched her stomach and looked down. “oh, nah, i just don’t wear it often.”

kk had looked at paige with narrowed eyes. “paige, why don’t you invite her to sit with us?”

paige elbowed kk in the side making her yelp. “you, uh, wanna sit with us?” gwen raised one eyebrow and put her tongue in her cheek.

“fuck it, sure.” gwen said as she looked behind paige and waved to the team the was sitting in a booth in the corner. they all scrambled to look like they were doing something other than staring at paige and gwen.

gwen brushed by paige and walked to the booth, “vodka soda, will you?” paige chuckled and smirked but still watched her walk away.

“stop looking at her ass, perv.” kk rang out, making paige roll her eyes.

“bro, i wasn’t.” paige said before buying a dirty shirley…and a vodka soda.

“you’re her bitch.” kk teased before she walked over to the booth where the photographer and the basketball players were laughing.

when we do it, we do it our way

i honestly kinda was gwen for myself…. but if you don’t want your fmc wtf r u doing fr. hope you enjoy my loves

[qu1cks1lversb1tch]

Incorrect quotes, featuring my newest oc: Astera!

I rarely make oc's anymore, but, your honor, I love her.

Astera: I hate you sometimes.

Cassian : Well according to this picture Rhysand drew of us holding hands that's not true.

Astera: Cassian — you drew that.

Cassian : It doesn't matter.

Azriel: Can you please just apologize to Rhys?

Astera: Fine, but I have to warn you that this may make me a nicer, better person and that is not who you fell in love with.

Rhysand: Adults are the most insanely stupid people I have the displeasure of interacting with.

Azriel, referring to himself and Astera: Even us?

Rhysand: Especially you guys.

Astera:

Azriel:

Astera: Petition to kick Rhys out so he stops insulting us.

Azriel: Seconded.

Azriel: *accidentally eats something too spicy so his eyes start to water*

Astera: Az, look at me. It's okay. I would die for you. I love you so much. You're the best person I know.

Azriel: I'm not crying?

Astera, hugging Azriel's head: Shhhhhhh, it's okay.

Cassian, eating a meal with everyone: I poisoned one of our glasses. . . But I forgot which one.

Astera, eyeing Amren and Mor looking like they want to murder each other: The way this dinner is going, I pray to Mother that it’s mine.

Astera, holding onto Rhys for dear life: This is tied for most terrifying day of my life!

Rhys, laughing: Tied with what?

Astera: Every other day of my life!

Cassian : Are you busy?

Astera, unpinning her hair: Yes.

Cassian : Cool, listen to this. . .

Astera:

Rhysand: How’s practice going?

Astera: Terrible. I want to stab everyone there.

Rhysand: Okay, just don’t get any blood on your clothes.

Astera: . . . You shouldn’t be condoning this. . .

Rhysand: Don’t tell me how to live my life, Astera.

Rhysand: Smart is attractive. Educate me on something I don't know!

Astera, without hesitation: The mouth of a jellyfish is also an anus.

Rhysand, horrified: Stop.

Azriel: You asked. . .