#like if Niall were the guest

[fallingsunflower]

Clowning 1: we get Niall on FT (he’s promoting that album after all). Side note did you see when James pulled up Nick Jonas for Haley Lu Richardson? It was super cute

Clowning 2: Harry announces something - movie, album, Laugh on Tour lol

Clowning 3: Dodgeball rd 3 more nut shots for poor Harry

I'm going to go ahead and start a rumor that 1D will be there for either 1) carpool karaoke 2) spill your guts or fill your guts or 3) a random pop out

I KNOW I AM DELUSIONAL BUT IDK THERE'S SOMETHING TICKLING ME THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN

[gucciwins]

Gala After Gala

Harry didn’t know that one moment with Y/N would change his life. 

Word count: 28,920 (no joke)

A/N: hi amores! this has been something i have been working on for months. this is older harry and I can honestly say i've poured my heart into this piece.  special mention to @matildashoney who was just an amazing support as i worked on this on and off. thank you for being patient with me friends! 💜

i hope you enjoy, my loves. buckle in, grab your waters and happy reading!

Warnings: slow burn!!!!! (it’s worth it), angst, fluff, smut (female pleasure) 

Another gala. Another check to write.

Harry has to remind his assistant to stop accepting these invitations for him. Next time he’ll mail a check out instead. He had finished buttoning his velvet maroon coat as he handed off his keys to the valet for the hotel. The doorman guided him down the entry leading him to the extravagant ballroom.

To no surprise, the venue was decorated beautifully. There seemed to be a common theme of gold and flowers. At every turn, he saw a waiter with a boutonniere in their left pocket. The tablecloth shimmered under the dimmed lights, unlike the usual cheap fabric he saw at other events. For food, appetizers were lined up in the back with small places and forks to the side so one could serve themselves to their liking. Dinner was set to start in an hour once most of the guests arrived.

Harry mingled with a drink in his hand, not bothering to force a smile, he had the displeasure of knowing most of the people in attendance, and he can’t say he’s the biggest fan of them. They all had one thing on their mind: money. None of them cared about the cause for tonight, Harry included. All they were there for was to flaunt their money and see who could donate the most, and by the looks of it, Old man Tommy was looking to take the win by how aggressively he was signing his checkbook.

Dinner went surprisingly well. The music was a classical band that didn’t play pretentious music Harry was used to. They also didn’t play covers of pop songs. It was clear that the band had worked a long time with each other because they created beautiful melodies people could enjoy around conversation but also dancing. He never took part in the dancing, finding it tacky, and for the first time since he started attending gala’s, he was filled to the brim because the food was actually good. He cleaned his plate of the salmon he was offered.

After their meal, he knew he had to mingle, so he found an old friend Mr. Horan who he occasionally saw and invited out for a game of golf. He wouldn’t call him a friend, but he made decent company when Harry reached out. The Irish lad could hold his liquor and his jokes weren’t bad, not that Harry would ever let Niall know.

He wasn’t listening to the conversation around him. They were going on about the growth in their companies, and it was laughable. Not that he’d tell them, he wasn’t in the mood to step on their fragile egos.

“Excuse me, sir?”

Harry turns to find a young-looking waiter holding a tray with a single drink.

“Yes?” Harry asked in a bored tone.

“Lady in the black dress sent you this drink.” He nods at a woman standing at the bar's end in red heels. He couldn’t see the designer, but he knew they had to be expensive with the gloss they had on them. He wasn’t in the mood to be hit on, let alone to be sent a fruity drink. The worker did nothing wrong, so Harry took the glass. He didn’t bother excusing himself, instead making his way over to this woman who would most likely cry or scream at his rejection.

“Why’d you send this to me?” Harry questions as soon as he’s right behind her.

She turns around, a pout on her perfectly stained red lips, “you don't like an amaretto sour?”

Harry does his best not to let his face fall because she’s gorgeous. The dress looked beautiful, hugging all her curves. She was confident. He was sad he didn’t appreciate her backside more. Most women Harry knows wouldn’t dare be caught in a dress this provocative at an occasion like this, but she somehow added a hint of modesty to it with her red shawl that matched her lips perfectly. Although she’s stunning, he’s not falling for any trick of hers.

“Not my taste.”

“Oh,” the frown deepens on her face, “it looked like you weren’t enjoying your drink.”

Harry looks down at the brown liquid, “I ordered this.”

She raises her hand and shrugs. “My mistake. Your mood looked a little sour.”

It irked Harry how she had noticed him and his expressions when this was the first he saw her.

He keeps his eyes on her trying to see if he could get another reaction besides her pouty frown. “It’s the environment.”

“You don’t like Galas,” she states. “It’s an important cause.”

“It’s not that.” Harry takes a sip of the drink she sent him, mistaking it for his tequila. He holds back a reaction knowing she noticed his mistake. “I sometimes wish they asked for a check instead of making me pay a ticket and then donate a check once I’m here.”

“Oh.”

“They ask for money and give us little food,” he surprises himself by continuing to talk, not wanting to walk away from her just yet.

“The food offered tonight had large portions.”

“For once,” he scoffs.

“Open bar?” She offers.

“Strange,” he rebuttals.

“But it works.”

Her gaze shifts to someone behind her, and Harry knows she’s about to walk away from him, and he hates that he wants to follow her. She leaves her drink behind, moving around him, getting ready to head to the person seeking her company.

“See you around, Mr. Styles.”

Harry watches her walk away until she gets lost in the crowd. As Harry keeps sipping the drink she ordered for him, there’s one thought swimming around his head.

He had never given her his name, let alone his last name.

For the rest of the night, he had kept an eye on her, seeing as she glided from donor to donor. Everyone laughed with her. She was charming them all. It worked on everyone, even Harry, something he’d never admit to her. As Harry watches her speak with the host of the night, an old family friend comes up to him.

“Styles, where have you been hiding?” Miles asks, a giant grin on his face.

“Nowhere.”

Miles isn’t bothered by his answers; he is already used to Harry’s attitude. “How are you?”

“Well.”

“What are you drinking?”

Harry looks down at the empty glass that once held his second amaretto sour. “Nothing now.”

“Want another of whatever?”

He shakes his head, “good for now, thank you.”

“Why are you still here? I know you do your rounds and leave.”

“Uh…got to know a few people.”

Miles sees that Harry’s gaze hasn’t shifted for a second, and he finds where Harry has been staring for the last few minutes.

“Oh, Y/N.”

Y/N.

He repeats her name over and over, committing it to memory.

“Have you met her?” Miles asked him.

“Only for a moment.” Harry digs for more, “what do you think?

“She’s brilliant. Y/N is an intern for Lifelong Creativity long term but works side jobs with different partners Hope has introduced her to. I can’t tell you exactly what she does, but I know she’s passionate and would talk anyone’s ear off who asks. She’s finishing her degree soon, and everyone wants to snatch her up by the sounds of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was already working up on opening her own nonprofit soon.”

“How old did you say she was?”

“She’s 23.”

“Real young.”

“Yeah, but it’s clear she knows what she’s doing.”

“You should speak with her. I’m sure she’d love to. She knows every person on the guest list. Seeing as she helped create it.”

Safe to say, Harry was intrigued to learn more about Y/N.

Life moved on. He pushed the college student out of his head and continued on with his life, or so he told himself. When a new invitation arrived the following week for an event taking place at the end of the month, he was quick to get Pearl to RSVP for him.

+

Now the night has arrived, and he isn’t sure why he’s here.

It’s not to try to get a look at Y/N, not at all hoping to have a longer conversation. He learned her name; it doesn’t mean he wants to use it.

He spots her as soon as he arrives at the bar. She’s wearing a sage green dress with embroidered flowers all around. She’s wearing white heels tied around her calf, and he wants to know how long it took her to get the perfect bow for each foot. Harry soon sees her with another woman with a checkbook in her hand, another familiar face.

Before he can second guess himself, he’s walking towards them.

“Hello, Lucy.” Harry greets her with a charming smile and a kiss on the older woman’s cheek.

“Mr. Styles, always a pleasure.”

“It’s always mine.”

“I was just speaking with Y/N here, thanking her for helping me plan a successful night.” Lucy smiles at Y/N, who squeezes Lucy’s outstretched hand.

“Quite something,” Harry inputs.

“Evening, Mr. Styles.”

He nods at her, “Y/N.”

“Lifelong Creativity is lucky to have her. I’m glad you were able to help out, Y/N.” They all hear Lucy’s name being called from a distance and know she’s about to leave them alone. “Excuse me, will you?”

It now leaves them alone, making Y/N finally look at him. Her lipstick is a soft pink with an added shine of glitter. He wonders if he were to kiss her if it’d stain his lips just the same. He clears his throat, willing the thoughts away.

“You’re an intern,” Harry states.

She doesn’t seem surprised. “Yes, I, uh, graduate soon.”

“Undergrad?”

She smirks because she knows he’s searching for information about her. Y/N shakes her head, “Grad.”

“What’s your job?”

“I work for various nonprofits as well as hospitals. I’m part of their sub-events team.” She shrugs like it’s nothing of importance, but it is.

She’s part of the team that plans events to gain more funding for their organization and programs. She plans events to get people with heavy pockets, like Harry, to fork away thousands for a cause they believe in. Harry had often disregarded Gala invites due to ticket prices, but if his chances to see Y/N increased, he might just come to them all.

Harry does his best to hide how impressed he is with her.

“I’m sure you’ve reached your goal. Emptied all these fools out of their pockets.”

Y/N flashes him a grim smile. “Good day.”

What he said was clearly wrong because what Harry thought would be a long conversation was cut short.

The rest of the night, he never finds a moment alone with her. It’s as if she was dancing around him, having noticed that he was chasing her. It seemed she loved to play, and Harry didn’t like to lose.

+

Harry needed to pick up his suit from his tailor. He had a date, and this was his good luck suit. He pushed Y/N out of his mind. She was an intern and too young for him. He did not need to think about her or worry about seeing her at another event he attended. He was picking up his burgundy suit that needed fixing. It was made by his dear friend Alessandro. Usually, Alessandro makes alterations, but he was traveling at the moment, and Bartolo was the best. He had been coming to Bartolo long before meeting Alessandro. While his friend always made the most gorgeous suits, he seemed to have gotten his measurements wrong. Not that he minded. Harry liked paying Bartolo a visit, who always told him he needed to settle down with someone. That he wanted to see Harry happy. Harry simply told him it wasn’t the card for him.

He walks in, ready to be greeted by Bartolo, but to his surprise, he sees Y/N seated on a chair facing away from the window with a book in her hand.

“Y/N?”

She looks up, a slight smile on her face. “Mr. Styles, a pleasure.”

“Just Harry, please.”

She shrugs him off.

“Do you work here, Y/N?” He loves the role of her name off his tongue.

“My friend is an apprentice.”

“Dawn?” Seeing she’s the only other worker here besides Bartolo wasn’t that lucky of a guess.

Y/N, for the first time ever, smiles at him. It’s beautiful. It leaves him breathless. “Yes. Does she work with you too?”

Harry clears his throat, “no, uh, I work with Bartolo.”

He was surprised. Dawn had been working with Bartolo for two years, never had he crossed paths with Y/N. It was strange he found himself meeting her outside of their usual environment of a Gala. Seeing her dressed in a silk midi skirt with a slit going up her leg bundled up in an oversized sweater showcasing her university. The chunky boots on her feet gave her extra height, and Harry wished she’d stand up so he could see where she’d measure to him now. At their first meeting, he didn’t take note, but she noticed how she was a head smaller than him by their second meeting. Today he wondered if she’d be lined up to his lips if she would think of kissing him just like he thought of her.

She hums in response, leaving them in silence. He doesn’t know why but he wants her to keep talking. He wants to hear the softness of her voice fill the room.

“Bello!” Bartolo grins, bringing out his suit in his garment bag. Even that bag was customized with his name stitched in gold thread.

“Hello, Bartolo.”

Dawn walks in from the back, a few steps away from Bartolo and Y/N. “Y/N, your dress is ready to try on.”

Y/N follows behind Dawn but calls to him, “see you, Mr. Styles.”

Not a single glance his way. He wanted just one final look, and she didn’t give him that. Harry goes on his way home after paying Bartolo. He goes home with a clouded mind and a heavy heart.

Harry cancels his date that night.

+

No invites have arrived at his house or office.

It has been over a month, and he waits and waits. Harry has never been so aware of time as he has now. He feels every hour move slower, and he has no idea why. What kind of spell has she set on him that she is all he can think of?

He was tempted to look for her online. He had the power to do it, but he couldn’t break her trust. Harry doesn’t know her well, but he knows she’d hate it if someone looked them up without permission.

A knock on his door breaks him out of these thoughts.

“Come in.”

“Mr. Styles,” his temporary assistant Diego, while Pearl was away on maternity leave.

“Yes, Diego.”

“You said to come in if you received a new invitation.” There, in his employee’s hand, is a gold envelope.

In black ink is his name written on the front of the envelope. He opens it and reads from a close partner of his.

Golden Skies Invites you to join us as we celebrate our 10th anniversary.

Formal Attire - Be ready to dance

Anthony Carmichael

+

Y/N was nervous.

She could remember the last time she had felt her palms sweat and her heart wanting to beat out of her chest. It was when she was interviewing in front of the board the last step to seal her fate if she’d be accepted into the Graduate program of her dreams. Now here, she was nervous for an entirely new reason, this one holding less value to her life, but she knew it had the power to change the course of her life.

As much as Y/N loved the game of chase, she wanted to see if Harry was all talk or serious about pursuing her. Y/N had the confidence to go after what she wanted, and right now, she wanted to ask Harry Styles, CEO of Pleasing, a growing business, their net worth growing by the day.

Today she wore a satin midi slip dress with floral applique and lace trims in a dark shade of pink. An open back with delicate buttons on her lower back. This dress only doubled her confidence. She was ready for tonight.

The team had planned a big night as there would be dancing and a live band, unlike the past gala’s she had attended last month. Guests arrived promptly and quickly took a tour of the venue, many judging it, trying to find anything they felt didn’t hold up to their standards. She didn’t mind; she knew she could never please everyone. As long as she pleased her partners, then she knew she had done a job well done.

Y/N had to will herself to stop staring at the doors as they opened, bringing in familiar and new guests. She was waiting for a green-eyed man who never failed to impress with his custom-made suits from Gucci’s creative director.

“Y/N, sweetie. This is marvelous,” Keaton praises, leaning in to kiss both her cheeks, something she had to grow accustomed to seeing as most of her partners were big on the French greeting.

“Oh, uh, thank you. We’ll have to see how the night goes,” she tells him brushing off the compliment.

“You need to relax. Don’t you have Gracie to worry for you?” Keaton questions.

“Yes, but–”

“Nope,” Keaton cuts her off. “You need a drink in hand. You look smokin’, and everyone needs to see it.”

“I really shouldn’t.”

“As far as I am concerned, your work here is done.” Keaton passes her a glass of champagne he got from the waiters walking around happily offering them to guests. “Now drink.”

She takes a sip and hums, appreciating the bubbly drink. Y/n might not be sure what brand she’s drinking tonight, but she does know that each bottle costs over one hundred dollars, and if Keaton is telling her to enjoy then she will. Plus, a bit of liquor courage was always helpful.

Y/N spends time speaking with Nora and Liam, part of her team. They get lost in conversation, going over how they’re looking forward to the auction in a few weeks that Nora was happy to be part of. She loved getting people to spend money on her, and she seemed to get offers from everyone in the building. Nora returned with the most insane stories, and Y/N was excited for more. Getting lost in conversation, she forgot about the man she was waiting for to make his presence known. He had RSVP’d, and it wasn’t until Liam told her a broody man had his eye on her from across the room.

She knew Harry had arrived and that he had spotted her before she could spot him, not that Harry knew she was looking out for him. Harry stands alone, a champagne flute in his hand. The music was loud, and the dance floor had couples dancing and laughing out loud, enjoying the night. Y/N hoped she’d be joining in on their fun in a few minutes.

As Y/N walked towards Harry, she admired his suit. It was different from the previous ones he had worn. The suit had a subtle black flower print. As she got closer, Harry acted like he didn’t see her coming, choosing to look at the dancing couples. She allowed herself to notice the details in his suit, from the black velvet lapels on his oversized jacket and his trousers hugging his thighs nicely while the bottom gave a nice balance with a flared hem. She really liked the look.

“Mr. Styles,” Y/N greeted

“Y/N.”

She let his eyes roam over her knowing she looked amazing. This was a borrowed dress, one she would be sad giving back, but it served its purpose. Plus, it wasn’t like she’d have an occasion to wear the dress again, not when all these people would remember.

“Do you dance, Mr. Styles?” Y/N asks as she joins him in, watching couples spin each other around. The music was more lively than the classical she knew he preferred.

“Never.”

“Are you not good at it?”

Harry scoffs, “I’m just not open to doing something intimate with acquaintances.”

“I see.” They stay silent for a few minutes until Y/N decides it’s now or never. “There was something I wanted to ask you.” She tells him, turning away from the dance floor to face him.

Harry gives her no reaction. “Is that so?” She nods. “Well, go ahead.”

She looks behind her, and when she turns back around, she has the most gorgeous smile on her face, not an inch of nerves, not like a few seconds ago, and Harry feels his heart speed up. He wasn’t sure what she would ask, but he might just agree to anything she said if she continued smiling at him.

“I was hoping you’d like to go on a date with me.”

A date.

Harry felt his throat closing up. She was asking him out. He didn’t believe it. Why would she want to date him? He wasn’t aware he had managed to make an impression. Harry’s ego is through the roof at the thought of this gorgeous young woman wanting to go out with him, but on the other hand, his brain is telling him he can’t. That she was younger than him, and he had no reason to involve himself with her.

He knows he has been silent for too long as he sees her smile begin to slip. They both know the answer that’s coming.

“No, Y/N. The answer is no,” he forces out in a neutral voice, hoping she couldn’t pick up on the bitterness he felt towards himself for rejecting her.

Y/N did not move an inch. He had expected her smile to fall or for her to ask him to reconsider, but he got none of that. Instead, she tucked away her smile and gave him a slow nod. Her eyes stayed locked with his, and Harry had trouble reading her. It seemed she was unaffected. So he tries again.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

She brushes him off, “you don’t go through life without receiving a rejection. You’re not the first, and I’m sure you won’t be the last.”

Except Harry doubted that. Who could ever say no to her? Apparently, he could.

He did nothing as she excused herself, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. He had no right to be with someone as sweet and young as Y/N. It was fine. He wouldn’t be seeing much of her after tonight.

Harry would think about this interaction for days, beating himself up for saying no, but it was for the best.

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

+

Rejections never came easy.

It wasn’t the first time Y/N got told no, and as she told Harry, it wouldn’t be her last.

Was she disappointed he said no? Absolutely.

Was he out of her league? One hundred percent, and Harry must have known that.

Y/N thought there was something there. She knew who he was. There was a reason she sent him a drink that night. She didn’t ask him out for his connections or because he was crazy rich but because she heard people speak about Harry, a great man. From someone who spends time volunteering at the soup kitchen to donating gifts to hospitals during the holidays. No need to mention the extensive checks he leaves after each gala. Many people are philanthropists or say they are because it’s a write-off or will make them look good, but Harry does it to remember where he came from in that small town in England.

She knew too much about Harry from colleagues and guests but never got to know anything from the man himself, and that is something she’ll regret. Instead of taking the chance to learn from him, she asked him out, and now she’d keep sending invitations to his company while doing her best to avoid him, or at least until she got over the humiliation.

Y/N let herself wallow in pity for only a day. 24 hours is all she gives herself because it’s back to work on Monday. No need to be stuck on something so trivial.

By doing so, she takes herself out to eat. A meal that will always make her smile is dumplings, and she knows just the place. The Dumpling Bar is a favorite place of Y/N’s to dine alone or with her friends. The service is fantastic, never failing to leave her feeling so welcomed and leaving with a full stomach. She always sits in the front, with a nice view of the window facing the small lake it is located by. She treats it as a reward because it is a bit of a drive from her apartment. She wished she lived somewhere closer, but for now, she’ll keep making the drive. The back area is for classier meals, Y/N likes to say, even though they are all eating dumplings. Guests are allowed to have a seat in the backroom for a more intimate dinner.

Upon arrival, Y/N is greeted by Alba, the hostess who, just like her name, reflects the warmest energy she feels every time she sees her.

“Hi, Alba!”

“Hello beautiful, it’s great seeing you. Table by the window, alright?”

Alba points to the table Y/N had been eyeing since she walked in and eagerly lets her know it’s perfect.

“Danielle will be with you shortly.”

Y/N thanks her. It was not long before Danielle took her order, making small conversation and promising her that her food would be out shortly, and true to her word, Y/N did not have to wait long.

Oh, how she was looking forward to eating until her tummy was full. On a full stomach, she’d be too sleepy to even begin to remember why she was feeling sad.  

As Y/N munches on her dumplings, she can’t help but overhears the conversation. Next to her, a couple is sharing dumplings and talking very loudly.

“I told my father that a horse would not make me happy, not when my last one had been a champion. How could I go back to the Hamptons to show my face going from a winning horse to one that would surely be a loser.”

Y/N giggles. Oh, the drama. She enjoys listening to the couple, the boyfriend trying to be supportive and failing.

“Tell your dad to get the best trainer.”

“Chad, you’re not helping. Father is working hard, and I can’t bother him over a coach. Everyone is lousy in the industry now.”

The conversation seems to be going in circles. Y/N enjoys dining alone because she can’t imagine having dinner with someone she does not like. There would be awkward conversation and forced smiles. It’s a big reason she’ll never be on a dating app. Also, it helps that attending so many galas has connected her with many single men, not that any of them have been worth her time.

Y/N was waiting for Danielle to return her card and receipt because she was ready to call it a night. She had a full belly and was craving her bed. She’s humming along to the song being played in the restaurant. She had been trying to think of the song's name, but she’s been coming up blank. The front opens, and she hears Alba’s cheery voice greet them. Curiosity gets the best of Y/N, and she turns her head to the entrance to see who walked in when she sees a man in an emerald suit, the jacket a pinch oversized, and it seems the sleeves were folded in not that anyone would notice, the woman on his arm was gorgeous. It’s clear she dressed up for a night out on the town with how shiny her dress was, maybe even too bright for a fancy dumpling restaurant.

“My date and I have a reservation,” Y/N freezes as she hears the man’s voice. His voice was firm but polite, the English accent thick as he stated his name to Alba’s. He looks around the dining room, and that’s when Y/N looks back down, staring at her used napkin and empty cup that once held her raspberry lemonade.

The hostess nods, “we’ve got the private dining area ready, sir.”

Y/N ducks her head, afraid if he spotted her, he’d give her a look of pity, and she didn’t need that tonight, not when she had seen it when he rejected her.  It was no surprise he said no to her. She could never look that elegant on a weekday, let alone a day after a gala where she stayed hours past all the guests. Y/N sits there in orange bell bottoms and a black knitted sweater.  She looks lovely, and this is her favorite restaurant. This brought all the feelings back Y/N had thought she had let go of, and honestly, as much as it broke her heart, Y/N knew she wouldn’t be coming back any time soon.

+

It’s been a month of endless planning and working with Hermanas Unidas, and Y/N was thankful the night was finally here. Tonight would be a bit different, and she was more on edge than ever. There would be an auction in a few hours, and Y/N wanted everything to run smoothly for Julieta, who has always been a good friend to her but today was her boss.

Y/N had raided Sapra’s, her best friend’s closet, once again. She knew she had to buy new clothes for her events, but she loved her best friend’s style and would rather borrow a dress than spend money on a new one. She was wearing a maxi dress with tie straps. Y/N chose it because she had fallen in love with the velvet material, and after trying it on, she felt sexy, not to mention she loved a slit to show off an extra bit of skin.

Sapra made Y/N promise she’d bring it back soon, stating it was her date night dress, and Y/N didn’t bother asking because whatever Sapra and her boyfriend did was not her concern.

The night had been in full swing since the doors opened to the venue. She had managed to blend into the background for most of the event and successfully avoided seeing the guest list for tonight, meaning she got to enjoy life without a care in the world.

After the rejection, she has happily moved on (or so she’s telling herself) Sapra and Atlas took her out on a double date that left her feeling back in her game. Her confidence was doubled, and she was ready to go out and have fun. No reason she had to stop because of one rejection. Although the man she went on a date with did not go well tonight, she’d be speaking with Colin, who had been made partner at Coulson’s Co. He was a family lawyer, and truth be told, Y/N was eating up everything he was telling her.

He was charming and had a deep laugh that sent chills down her spine. He was drinking wine and offered to get Y/N a glass when he saw she had been eyeing it. It’s safe to say Y/N was upset when Julieta’s assistant approached her to say she was needed backstage. Colin promised he’d miss her and looked forward to finding her soon.

Y/N was sure nothing would wipe the smile off her face until Julieta told Y/N why she was needed.

“Part of the auction?” Y/N exclaimed. “You’re joking!”

Julieta grimaced, “Erica called in sick. Always knew she’d flake.”

“Julieta!”

“Please, mi amor. I really need you. You’re all I have. I can’t do one less, not when I advertised five eligible bachelorettes.”

“Hope they can settle with me,” Y/N mutters.

“Dios, you know I hate when you talk like that. You are a beautiful woman. I’ve never seen confidence like yours, so please bring that Y/N back.” Julieta has done so much for Y/N, and she knows there’s no way she’d say no to her.

“Fine, what will I have to do?”

“It’s a good cause, Y/N, and I’m sure you’ll have a great time. If it’s someone you don’t feel comfortable with, I’ll handle it,” Julieta reassures her.

Y/N relents and allows herself to be dragged to the side of the stage, where four other ladies are lined up.

Here’s to a fun night. She really hoped Colin liked her enough to place a bid on her.

Harry was disappointed, to say the least. He had not caught a glimpse of her all night. He wanted to know what she was wearing, how she had styled her hair, and if she was drinking anything new. Tonight did not have a strict dress code, so he had settled on a simple black custom suit. He paired the suit with a black tank top, and to give it that extra flare, he wore his silver glitter boots.

As he spent the night looking for her, he knew he would not find her. The first time they met was because she wanted them to, and now she was back to blending into the crowd, but he knew he’d find her. He knew it was wrong to want to see her after rejecting her, but she was the only thing on his mind. Harry was never the type to get distracted, but here he is, attending another gala in the hope of getting a single glimpse of Y/N.

Harry knew he would find her, but he didn’t think it’d be by the owner of the organization presenting her onstage as an eligible bachelorette you could bid to take on a date. Harry was prepared to pay the auction no attention, but she always surprised him.  

He hadn’t seen her since he said no to her. Harry had rejected her not because he didn’t like her but because he was older. She was still in school, and he was running a billion-dollar company. He had the time and love to give, but he didn’t want to take away anything from her. He had no idea what she wanted out of life, and Harry was sure one date with Y/N and he’d be ready to get down on one knee because he recognized how intelligent and hardworking she was. It was rare that Harry found a person that could challenge him, but Y/N did it without a second thought. He didn’t want her to miss out on life experiences because he was at a different point in his life than her. He wouldn’t do it to her, no matter how much his heart hurt at never getting the chance to get to know her and the taste of her lips.

The bidding was starting, and Harry found himself with a numbered paddle. The number six stared at him, and he knew he would not be putting his hand down until he won that date with her because Harry was sure every person in that room who bid on her would not treat her the way she deserved.

“Good evening, everyone! I am Julieta, as you all already know. Tonight’s auction is slightly different. We always do amazing vacations, but tonight we decided something different. Behind me stand five beautiful women who are very important to this organization and me. So be aware that if you bid on one or more of these women, they will talk your ear off about Hermanas Unidas. Starting off, we have Clarissa.”

Y/N was the last person to be auctioned for the night. He didn’t know why she would do this? It didn’t seem like her, but then again, Harry didn’t really know her did he?

She walked up to Julieta with a beautiful smile on her face. She scanned the audience, and Harry froze, thinking she was searching for him but there in the second row, she locked eyes with a man and offered him a wink. Harry wouldn’t be surprised if she was seeing someone else already. He knew he was feeling green but swallowed it down, for it wasn’t the place to act out on jealousy of someone he had no ownership over.

“Bidding for the angelic Y/N starts at $500.”

Four hands shot up. Harry’s included.

“$1000,” the blonde guy in the second row offered as he was the first hand up.

“Very well. Do I have $1,250?”

Harry was quicker this time, his number up first. Julieta nodded, accepting his bid. He had his eyes locked on Y/N, and the moment she realized it was his number, he saw her take a step back, surprised to see him bidding for her.

She kept a smile, but he knew it was forced now, no longer carefree.

“$1,500?”

The blonde once again beat Harry, “$3,000.”

Harry rolled his eyes. Is that the best this guy could offer? Harry was ready to lay down all his money if it meant a date with Y/N. The highest bid was for Samantha at $11,000, and the person who bid was her boyfriend, the owner of his family’s business he inherited three years ago.

He decided he’d wait to see how long this guy wanted to play because, for Y/N, he wouldn’t be backing down. “$5000,” Harry countered.

That seemed to get the blonde’s attention as he turned around to get a look at Harry, who only offered him a smirk tempting him to play his game, and by the scrawl the blonde gave Harry, he knew this was now about betting the most for Y/N but also who could prove to have the larger pocket.

“$8,000,” the blonde stood, not even glancing at Y/N anymore.

“$10,000.” Harry has now stepped closer to the stage, not caring that all the attention was on him and his opponent.

“$15,000,” the blonde winced, and it seemed only Harry heard it.

Julieta waited to see if Harry would respond, with one last raise of his paddle, “$30,000.”

The gasps were loud, but Harry didn’t care. His eyes were locked on Y/N’s, who stared at him in disbelief. He had doubled the blonde’s number, and it seemed he was out by the way he shook his head and sat down.

Julieta did not let her surprise show and accepted Harry’s bid, closing the auction with an offer of $30,000 for Y/N to go on a date with him. Harry was proud and shot the blonde man a smug smile as he was guided backstage, as he asked to speak with Julieta when in reality, he went in search of Y/N.

Upon arrival, he found her taking a sip of her red wine for the night. She looked exquisite, not a hair out of place, and her makeup was done to perfection. She shined as the true diamond of the night.

“Y/N,” Harry called out to her softly.

She turned, a frown on her face. “Mr. Styles.”

Harry frowned. He couldn’t detect an ounce of kindness in her voice. “Seems like we have a date,” he joked, wanting to see her smile.

Y/N scoffs, “why did you do it, Mr. Styles?”

“Pardon?” Harry hates how she says his name with so much distaste.

“Why’d you bid on me? It’s clear you have no interest in me.”

Harry wasn’t sure where to go from here because that was the furthest from the truth. He didn’t have to reply because Y/N wasn’t done talking.

“How can you be jealous when you said no when I asked you out?” Harry stays silent. “That’s what it was, right? My attention wasn’t on you anymore, and you didn’t like that. Did flaunting all your money make you feel good?”

“Y/N,” he steps towards her, but she puts her hand up to stop him, and he freezes. “I’m asking you now.”

She frowns, her voice rising. Harry never wished to see her upset, but it’s exactly what he caused. “No, this isn’t you asking.”

Harry sighs. There is no getting through to her. “Come on, Y/N, don’t be difficult.”

It’s clear that was the wrong thing to say because her eyebrows scrunch up, and there’s not a hint of kindness in her eyes, only a blazing fire that he seemed to be the cause of, and he regrets everything he has said to her from the moment he met her.”

“This is how you want to go out,” she points to the number on her chest, displaying her as contestant number five. “Because if so, I’ll take the money, but I won’t go.”

“C’mon, Y/N, give me a shot. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“YOU BOUGHT ME, HARRY!”

Harry winces because he did. He bought a date with her, and some part of him regrets doing this without speaking to her, but it’s too late now.

Julieta comes up behind Y/N and places a hand on her shoulder, “Mr. Styles, thank you for your donation. We will deposit the check the day after your date, you know, for insurance purposes on both ends.”

“Of course, Julieta. I have always been a fan of the work you are all doing.” Harry hopes she doesn’t pick up on the tension between him and Y/N.

“You’re a gem, Mr. Styles.” Julieta shoots him a polite smile before turning her attention to Y/N. “I owe you one, Y/N, but I’m sure you’ll have a great night with this fine gentleman.”

And like that, they’re alone again.

They stand there in silence, waiting for Julieta to turn the corner to return to the party. They don’t want anyone overhearing their conversation. It’s clear they both have a lot more to say.

Harry starts wanting Y/N to know how sorry he is. “Don’t, uh, don’t think of it as a date. Think of it as an apology.”

Y/N rolls her eyes, “an apology I’m forced to accept because you paid for it.”

Harry grimaces. There’s no coming back from this.

“What would your girlfriend think of spending $30 grand on another person?”

Girlfriend?

There was no girlfriend in his life. It’s been years since he had a partner. There’s only one girl he wishes to make his girlfriend, but he royally screwed that up, so he knows it will never happen.

“No girlfriend, I can assure you.”

“You’re a liar,” Y/N spits out.

“Enough,” Harry rebuttals. “There is no one.”

“I saw you. I won’t date someone else’s boyfriend.”

“Saw me?”

“Eating dumplings, or I was eating dumplings,” she fumbles. “You walked in with a date. I’m sure you were very cozy in the private room.

Harry’s eyes widened, “Y/N no, it was only a date.”

Hearing it was a date just as much as seeing him with the other woman. It is confirmation enough for Y/N to know there wasn’t another person she’d be hurting if word got out she went out on a date with Harry Styles.

“Please,” Harry begs.

“If I do this, you double the donation,” Y/N counters, and seeing how desperate Harry looked, she knew he’d agree to anything at this moment.

Harry doesn’t even react. He pulls out his checkbook, ready to write the check.

“Make it out to you or the charity,” Harry teases, hoping to ease the tension.

She rolls her eyes, “Hermanas Unidas would be wonderful, thank you.”

“Y/N,” his tone full of defeat

“I’m doing this for Julieta,” Y/N declares.” Not for you.”

Harry nods.

“You can get my number from the sheet. All the details for your reward are there.”

Harry watches her pick up her drink and walk away from him, leaving him alone to feel sorry for himself. And he knows he has a lot to make up for if he wants any chance with Y/N.

+

Y/N has been dreading this day.

It had been a week from the fateful day of the auction where Harry bid $30,000 well, now $60,000 for a date with her. The donation would do wonders, but she had to make it through an afternoon with Harry. Seeing as Harry informed her that it would be something casual but ending with a nice dinner. Y/N had no idea what that meant, but she decided that her brown checkered trousers and an old knitted sweater that always kept her warm would be a safe outfit.

She managed to slip on her shoes as she heard the doorbell ring, perfect timing.

Opening her door, she found Harry smiling, a small bouquet of flowers in his hands. They were a beautiful shade of violet chrysanthemums. Y/N knew these were a rare shade to find, and she tried her best to bite back her smile at the sentiment.

“Hi, Harry.”

“Hello, Y/N, you look wonderful.”

She nodded but made no move to invite him in.

“Uh, t-these are for you,” he extended his hand, waiting for her to accept them. She was careful to not have his fingers brush against hers, not needing him to add to her nerves.

“I’ll, umm, go put these in water.”

Y/N knows she left him awkwardly hanging outside her apartment, but she was, in a way, inviting him in. She doesn’t want or need to cross that line with him. After setting the flowers on her counter and double-checking that the stove was off, she grabbed her bag and returned to Harry, who looked awkward waiting for her.

As Y/N locks her door and follows behind Harry, she can see that he did mean casual. He’s wearing wide-leg jeans that don’t do much to give him any shape. He paired it with a duck-stitched cardigan that softened his features in a way that his luxurious suits never have.  

Harry opened her door, offering a small smile as she slipped into his Bentley; the car couldn’t be more than a few months old by how sleek and cared-for everything looked. Y/N thinks of her Camry, better known as Baymax. The car that got her through undergrad and is still by her side now as she’s getting her master’s. Baymax has seen better days, but from what her father tells her, as long as she continues to care for the car as she has been, she has many years left with Baymax.

Harry's playlist in his car allows her to relax, classical music has always had a calming effect on her, and this time is no different. Harry didn’t try to spark conversation during the ride, and Y/N didn’t want to try either. She could feel the tension rising in the car as he fiddled every few minutes with the radio while Y/N tried to figure out where he was taking her.

It was half an hour until Harry turned up a paved road that led them to a large building, the parking lot full of cars. Y/N sat up straight, trying to figure out where he had brought them, but she’d never driven out this way. It was a hidden area, and the road easily missed when driving down if one isn’t actively searching for it.  

They pass a sign that reads, “Sunshine Haven” Y/N wants to say she’s heard the name but can’t pin it at this moment, she’s tempted to take her phone out and google, but something tells her Harry will have an explanation for her. As Harry parks in a spot that reads ‘reserved,’ she unbuckles herself but doesn’t move to get out as she sees Harry has not moved, instead playing with the beaded charm on his key chain.

“Before we go in, I want to say that I did go on a date.” Harry begins, clearly uncomfortable but important enough for him to bring up. “She is not my girlfriend. It was only one date.”

Y/N shrugs, disinterested. It doesn’t matter to her, no more than he does to her right now.

“I asked her out. It was a bad date. That’s all. I don’t even have her number.”

Y/N wishes he hadn’t told her this, that he kept it to himself because it hurts her a lot more than she thought to hear Harry talk about asking another person out. He asked that person out because he was interested in them, while Y/N got a rejection. It’s clear to her now that Harry goes after what he wants, and it’s clearly not her.

“All forgotten,” she tells him with a forced smile and then gets out of the car. Harry follows a few seconds after coming to meet her at her side. Y/N feels the chilly air and is thankful for her sweater because she doesn’t know what Harry has planned, but it doesn’t feel like anything warm is waiting for her.

He begins to walk, and Y/N follows a step behind him. She takes in the beautiful environment growing around her, the trees and shrubs a bright green displaying how much sunlight they must receive daily. Harry stops walking as they reach the welcome center entrance. Y/N sees how fidgety he’s gotten again and knows he has something to share, so she stays silent.

Harry rubs his eyebrow, a tell-sign he’s nervous, “uh, I thought Sunshine Haven Rehabilitation would be a good place to bring you because I’ve seen various causes you’re passionate about, and well, this is one of mine.” He gestures to the entrance, where there’s a bulletin board of all the animals that have been released back into the ocean; on the bottom are sponsors, and listed second to last is none other than H. Styles. His photo icon is of him smiling, that dimple he never seems to show off was on display with a stuffed dolphin in his arms, and it warms Y/N’s stomach in a way she hasn’t felt since she first introduced herself to him.

Y/N knows she has mixed emotions. She can go about this one of two ways: act nonchalant as if her heart didn’t grow three sizes when finding out that Harry brought her to a place that clearly meant so much to him, or embrace the day and see what Harry and this beautiful rehabilitation have to offer.

“Lead the way then, Styles,” Y/N gave him a small smile, hoping to ease his nerves, and the one she got in return managed to call her down as well.

Y/N was ready to get to know the real Harry Styles, even if it didn’t mean anything more to Harry because, at the end of the day, she could make a fantastic friend, which didn’t sound like a bad idea to her. Walking in, a receptionist greets them, asking if they’re here to volunteer or pay for a visit until the lady slips her glasses on and gasps seeing Harry in front of her.

“Young man, you haven’t been here in ages,” she scolds him.

Y/N bites a smile as Harry looks down bashfully. She uses this time to look at the woman’s name tag: Sally.

“Sorry, Sally. I’ve been busy.” Harry wraps her in a hug, and Sally sighs.

“Fine, fine. Go on, I forgot you called in.”

Y/N, not wanting to be rude, moves aside and stretches out her hand. “Sorry, I’m Y/N, a friend of Harry’s. Thank you for having us.”

“Oh, sweetie, aren't you polite.” Sally accepts her hand, giving her a firm shake. “I’d hug you, but this one is known to be jealous.” Sally gestures to Harry, causing Y/N to laugh.

“I know.” Y/N grins at Harry loving the chance to tease him.

“Haha, we’ll be going now.”

“Have fun, dears.”

Harry opens a door, leading them down a long hallway until it shows displays of different areas for each animal in the rehabilitation center. It’s clear how loved this location is, with all volunteers walking around each animal center.

“What are we allowed to do?”

He shrugs, “mainly walk around, feed a seal if we’re lucky.”

She tries to contain her excitement, “are we going to be lucky?”

“We’ll have to see, won’t we.”

Y/N pouts but doesn’t push him. He kind of hoped she would. She lets Harry take the lead in showing her around. A few other school groups are volunteering, and Y/N knows if she were their age, she would have also signed up to volunteer here. Her time in the library was put to good use; she learned how to code and the Dewey decimal system of her town’s library.

She stays silent as Harry tells her about the first section: the sea turtles. Y/N can’t help but take in Harry as he talks about Sunshine Haven with pride; his eyes shine with every new fact he rambles about without looking at any of the information boards displayed. Y/N doesn’t dare interrupt him, letting him guide her. She’s almost tempted to reach for his hand because his strides are more extended than hers, and she always finds herself catching up.

Y/N stops as she sees a sign for the otters. Her eyes shine with delight. She calls his name when she sees him walking away.

“Let’s go there, please.” It’s her first request, and Harry smiles, seeing her waiting for him to say yes and guide them to see the otters, her favorite animal.

“I don’t know, seems busy.” He teases.

She doesn’t stop herself when she reaches for his hand, deciding that she will take him there since he doesn’t seem to want to take her.

“Hurry, Harry. I want to see the otters. Please,” she begs

“Lead the way, love.”

She leads the way to the otters while Harry giggles knowing he’d follow her to the ends of the Earth. Y/N made him feel like a little kid full of happiness and never-ending energy. He wanted to spend every moment with her, and having the day with her would have to be enough for now.

Y/N coos as she catches sight of the otters happily swimming in the cold water. She steps towards the glass waving at the otters, although Y/N and Harry know the otters can’t see her. It doesn’t stop her; if anything, she steps closer, trying to get herself as close to them as possible. She looks like a little kid admiring their favorite animal for the first time.

“Didn’t know you were such a big fan,” Harry tells her as she marvels in awe at the different sea animals.

“Oh, I was certain I would be a marine biologist when I was five.”

Harry laughs, clearly picturing a small Y/N with her wide smile looking at picture books of animals and stating she’d be taking care of them.

“What happened?”

“Biology is what happened,” she shutters in disgust. “They made me dissect a frog, and it broke my heart. I thought they were all about helping animals, not studying their insides.”

“Oh, love.”

Y/N feigns tears, “I’ve never recovered.” She lifts her head to flash him a cheeky smile while he shakes his head at her antics.

Harry giggles at her act of sadness, having believed her bit. “You’re trouble.”

She shrugs, “only a few can handle me.”

And Harry knows he would be lucky to say that she’s his.

+

Dinner is something Harry had been looking forward to all afternoon. He enjoyed walking around Sunshine Haven with Y/N and seeing her relaxed and happy in an environment he loved. Harry led her down some stairs until they were met by a small opening that led them to a large tunnel. Y/N let out a gasp seeing all the fishes swimming all around her. She looked on in awe, not even noticing Harry capturing a photo of the moment.

“That’s a tiger shark,” she breathed out, pointing it out to Harry.

“That’s Tank,” he shares.

“Will she be released soon?” Y/N hears Harry sigh and knows that won’t be the case for Tank. “What happened?”

“They found him young, and his dorsal fin was cut off. Most sharks can survive without it over time, but he was so young that he was seen as prey, not a predator.”

“He isn’t bothered by the other fish?”

Harry guides Y/N to sit down, letting her continue to marvel at the ocean life around her. “We let him roam, then he returns to his own tank. He’s respectful because he isn’t the best hunter, but we’ve seen he loves his space.”

“I’ve always liked sharks. Feel like they’re misunderstood.”

Harry laughs loud and rich, making Y/N smile, knowing she’s the reason he’s laughing. “That’s one way to put it.”

“Come on, they’re a feared animal due to movies or shark bites. There’s a 1 in 7 million chance you’ll get bitten or die from a shark attack. You have a higher chance of getting taken out by the flu.” She tells him as Harry removes the silver food cover to reveal a plate of chili tofu and a rainbow pasta salad.

“You’re right,” he agrees. Harry is constantly in awe around Y/N, finding new ways to be surprised by her, whether it be her beauty or intelligence. “Hope you enjoy the food. I know you mentioned being a fan of tofu.”

“Oh, it smells delicious. Is this from a restaurant nearby?”

Harry ducks his head to hide the blush on his face, “no, uh-I-I made it.”

Y/N widens her eyes in surprise as she takes her first bite. Harry watches as she chews, not looking away from him even when she reaches for her drink.

“Thoughts?” He asks.

She giggles, “it’s amazing.”

Harry tries his best not to look too smug, but he knows he’s failing because his mother always told him the way to someone’s heart was through their stomach, and for her to be a fan of his food means he was a step in the right direction. He wishes he had called his mother more for advice because he knows if he had talked to her about Y/N, he wouldn’t have messed it up so many times.

“Right, Harry. You’ve got to tell me about the time you fell into the waste bins.”

Harry gasps in shock. It’s a story only a few knew around here, “when did Sally have the time to spill these lies?”

Y/N laughs, not at all surprised he was quick to deny the story. “Fine. You can tell me how the dolphins wouldn’t accept your treats.”

“Now, that’s not fair. They’re spilling all my secrets.”

Y/N enjoyed dinner with Harry. He was easy to talk with, never once cutting her off and always having his gaze on her. There wasn’t a moment she thought she had lost him, not even when she rambled on about evaluation reports she had to sit through every few months. She always seemed to do the data cleaning because no one had figured out how to use the template she provided, even with all the lessons she gave each employee.

Harry assured her after dinner that there was no need to clean up, that he had it handled. She agreed and let Harry walk her out, where they got the most gorgeous sunset view behind the trees. Sally waved them goodbye making Y/N promise to come back even if it wasn’t with Harry. Y/N promised she would; she had seen a flyer on the bulletin about rescues they have every other weekend when they open it up for volunteers in training, and Y/N wanted to make time to come out for one of those dates.

The drive home is filled with aimless chatter as Harry tries to learn about Y/N. He’s surprised by how much she’s actually willing to share, but he’s not one to question it. He likes answering her as well. He doesn’t think he’s told someone his favorite cereal choice in years; no one has ever wanted to know something so irrelevant, yet Y/N made his answer feel special. His past girlfriends were into materialistic items, not that Harry minded, but conversations always dulled if they did not involve the newest fashion trends or famous designers.

“I didn’t take you as a Lorde fan,” Y/N tells Harry as she sees him singing along to one of the artist's newer songs.

Harry turns to face her for a moment before turning back to the road, “what did you expect then?”

“Hmmm….you really appreciate Jazz and love any piano piece, so I assumed Joni Mitchell, Carole King, oh, and Van Morrison.”

“Wow! You take me for an oldy, Y/N,” he gasps.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

He shakes his head, laughing, “can’t do that.”

“Knew it,” she celebrated.

“What about you?” Harry turns the question back to her.

“I want to hear what you think.”

“That’s a lot of pressure,” he tells her honestly.

Harry racks his brain, trying to picture the type of music Y/N would listen to. He’s never really thought about it, but she seems the type to love melancholy songs or love songs that you can’t help but sing at the top of your lungs.

“You’re a Spice Girls fan.”

Y/N laughs fill the car, and Harry wishes he could store it in his memory forever; he knows he’ll never hear another sweeter sound. “Who isn’t, Harry?”

“Fine, you’re a Taylor Swift fan. You love those romance songs, and maybe Lana Del Rey. She’s got that unique voice.”

She takes in his response for a second, “I mean, you’d find them both on my playlists absolutely, but they wouldn't be top five on my Spotify wrapped.”

Harry chuckles, not surprised he was wrong, “well, who is it then?”

Y/N grins, taking Harry’s phone that was sitting on the console. Harry hears her typing away then a familiar beat fills the car, and she is quick to join the lead singer in singing.

“Paramore,” he states.

“Paramore,” she repeats. “They’re amazing,” she shrugs, “I’ve always seen them have fun with their music, and I love that.”

“My friend’s a co-writer with them on their new album,” Harry shares nonchalantly.

“Shut up!” Y/N yells.

“What?”

“Oh! That’s amazing! Ugh, I’m so jealous. I’ve always aspired to be Hayley Williams.”

Harry has never seen Y/N be more her age than right now as she gushes over a band she loves. He’s always seen her serious and professional, and he likes that side of her, but laidback Y/N is just as sweet. Harry can feel her creeping into his heart.

He’s disappointed when the GPS announces they’re right outside her home. He did not want the date to end. Harry knows he went about everything wrong with Y/N, but he hopes he can get a real chance with her after tonight. Y/N lets him walk her up, his hand on the small of her back. She’s fumbling with her keys stuck in her bag's zipper; he watches on, amused, until she flashes him a slight grin to show she’s got them.

“Thank you for today, Harry.”

“Of course, Y/N.”

“Would–”

Harry cuts her off, having almost forgotten an essential part of tonight, “forgot to hand you the check.” He chuckles, reaches into his coat, and slips out a folded check. He didn’t see Y/N’s face fall as if finally remembering the reason she went on the date tonight.

Y/N looks down at the check and knows that as meaningful as the date was for her, it was still a debt to be paid.

“Goodnight, Harry.”

Harry doesn’t know what happened in a matter of seconds, but he doesn’t want the night to end on a heavy note, so he shares something weighing heavy on his chest. “I like you, Y/N,” he breathes out. He doesn’t let her answer. “I'll see you soon.”

Y/N watches Harry walk away, leaving her more confused than ever.

+

Harry was shopping for a gift. It was his niece’s birthday in a few days, and he knew that at eight, Abigail had become a big reader, what better gift than a few of his favorite books, as well as a year membership that allows her to get a new book each week. He was browsing a shelf when he froze, seeing someone at the end of the aisle reading a book. He didn’t expect to see Y/N so soon. She looked beautiful. Her hair was in a ponytail, a ribbon holding it all together. It seemed fitting for her. He didn’t expect to see her so soon after their date.

He didn’t know what to say or if he should say anything at all. It’s clear the date went well, at least to him, but when they said goodbye, he felt a shift. It was awful to realize, but Harry was nervous about approaching her. He wished he had a percent of confidence like he did going into corporate meetings, where he always owned the room the second he walked in. Yet, ten seconds in the presence of Y/N, he feels nervous and forgets every word in the English language.

After finally deciding not to approach her and instead head straight to the register, Y/N tucks the book under her arm and turns to find Harry right in front of her. He sees the surprise settle on her face, and he knows he needs to leave. Abigail’s presents can wait. He pretended he didn’t see Y/N and acted like it didn't break his heart to see her smile fall. Instead, he walked right past her like he wasn't hurting her or himself. He knew he was ruining his chances with Y/N, romantic and platonic.

Y/N stood in her spot, frozen. Harry brushed past her like they had not gone out on a “date” two nights ago. As if he didn’t tell her he wanted it to be an actual date that he “liked” her. It was a bunch of bullshit to toy with her feelings, but Y/N has decided she’s had enough. There will be a gala this coming weekend, and she’s decided he no longer deserves a minute of her time.

+

Harry was uneasy, arriving at the gala tonight. He hoped to find Y/N immediately because how they last saw each other left a bad taste in his mouth. He was done with these games. He didn’t care about anything else, not when all he wanted was Y/N, but first, he owed her an apology.

He spotted Y/N right away. He had come to learn that where the conversation was loud and joyful, that is where he would find her. She seemed to be the shining light of every event, as everyone who spoke to her always left with a dazed smile. It’s as if she bewitched them, and Harry knows he’s fallen under her spell as well, and he never wants it to end.

He could see she was guiding a conversation with ease. He took the time to admire her dress; her gowns never failed to leave him breathless, as if each one was perfectly made just for her. Tonight she wore a prune midi dress with a crew neckline and what Harry recognized as cap sleeves. The button detailing falls off-center, allowing the dress to give more shapes to areas of desire. The slit on her dress seemed to lie higher than other dresses he’s seen her wear, and he wished he was lucky enough to know what she had under.

Harry joins the group, pardoning for the interruption and addressing the group before letting his gaze rest on Y/N, who he sees standing close to the gentleman next to her. After a few seconds of staring at her, he can see where her arm is hooked in the crook of the man next to her.

He does his best to hide the shock. Seeing her at an event with someone else, let alone another man, doesn't feel real.

She always came alone.

Now here she was, smiling brightly with the man laughing at each joke she told.

“Mr. Styles,” she’s grinning, and it hurts to know he’s back to that formal name, no longer Harry. The reason she’s happy is because of the gentleman she’s proudly showing off by having him at her arm.

“Y/N,” his voice was low and defeated.

“This is–”

“Excuse me, will you–”  he interrupts before she can introduce her date. He was a fool for thinking he had a chance; he rejected her and bought a date. For fuck’s sake, he really screwed everything up. He heads to the bar hoping to drink away the time.

Y/N isn’t one to allow someone to walk all over her, but it seemed there always was an exemption to the rule, and for her, it was Harry Styles. He’s been insufferable from the moment she introduced herself to him, but she found him charming. She took a shot, and it didn’t land. That was fine. Their date was good but nothing more, not when it wasn’t real.

Tonight when she wanted to present Mr. Styles to her brother-in-law, Isaac, he didn’t give her a chance to speak. He was a real piece of work. As much as she didn’t want to believe all the rumors she was starting to hear about Mr. Styles, they were getting harder to deny, especially when he brushed her aside in almost every meeting they had.

“You alright, Y/N?” Isaac asks, escorting her away from two fellow donors who promised a check of $20,000 and over to the open bar on the other side of the room.

Y/N sighs. There’s no point in lying. “That’s Harry,” she muttered.

Isaac gasps, “no, the handsome guy who glared at me from the moment he walked in and saw you at my side.”

“The very one.” She doesn’t seem to pick up on the last bit of his sentence.

“He’s handsome,” Isaac states.

“And he knows it.”

“I thought you said he wasn’t a douche,” Isaac questions her, confused. “Or Matias said he hadn’t been.”

“You both gossip too much,” Y/N accepts the whiskey he hands her and takes a sip before hammering it all back.

“Taking it back to the old days, I see,” he teases.

“Piss off. You and my brother did much worse, if I recall.”

Isaac scoffs, “Matias and I were the perfect children. Don’t care what you say.”

“Your mother’s front door says otherwise,” Y/N reminds him.

“That’s not fair. You and Sapra took the car up to Bristol for the weekend.”

“With permission,” you remind him.

He scoffs, accepting anything whiskey from the bartender. “How have you two always been the favorites?”

“Because we didn’t fall in love with each other.”

“You’re a wanker!” Isaac nudges her side, careful to not spill her second drink.

Y/N laughs, leaning her head onto her brother-in-law's shoulder. She always has the best time with him. It’s the reason she asked him to come with her tonight, also because her brother asked for her help to get him out of the house to allow him to bring in and hide Isaac’s birthday gifts that he somehow always managed to find each year.

Isaac helps Y/N work the room. She had forgotten how much fun it was to hang out with Isaac. He seemed to always be a package deal with her brother, not that she minded but spending time with him reminded her how much he always made her laugh.

“He’s watched you all night,” Isaac informs her after returning with a new drink from the bar Y/N, having walked away from Daniel, a cold stone CEO who turned into a giant teddy bear promising a check of $10,000 after a five-minute conversation with Y/N.

Y/N shrugs him off, “I’m over it.”

“Sure, babes.”

Y/N scoffs, “I am.”

“You want to be under him, not over him,” Isaac tells her, not at all falling for her charade.

“But he’s been a dick.”

“I think he’s intimated.”

“Of?” Y/N questions.

“You, dummy.” Isaac gestures to Harry, who’s standing next to a few other men clearly in charge of the conversation, but he doesn’t seem to care because he glances at her every few minutes. “He’s probably never met a woman who’s asked him out to get to know him. Maybe he thought you were only trying to sleep with him.”

What Isaac is saying makes no sense to her, but maybe he has a point. Maybe Harry didn’t know her intentions, and that’s why he told her no, it doesn’t explain his other actions, but it is a start.

“Enough.” She’s tired of discussing Harry and would rather head home now before Harry gains the courage to approach her. “ I’m going to the restroom, and you’re getting my coat. I know a good place to eat.”

“You paying?” Isaac teases.

“Yes, you little diva.”

Isaac presses a loud kiss to her cheek, sending her off with a slap to her ass, “off you go.”

Y/N rolls her eyes at his dramatics but goes off to do her business. She was feeling hungry tonight. Leaving the restroom, Y/N bumps into someone waiting right outside. She laughs as the person helps her straighten out.

“Haha, sorry there.” She really should be more careful.

“You okay?”

Y/N freezes. Of course, it’s him.

“All good,” she assures Harry.

“Good.”

She stands there awkwardly, waiting to see if he would say anything, but he stays silent.

“If you’ll excuse me,” she moves past him.

“Y/N, wait.”

She looks at him expectantly.

He sighs, and he runs his hand through his hair, a tell sign he’s nervous. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have ignored you. I was having a bad day and didn’t want to bother you.”

“Wasn’t so hard, huh, to let someone know you see them but didn’t have time to talk.”

He shakes his head, “not at all.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m sorry. I can’t say it enough.”

Y/N shrugs. “Well, it’s done, I guess. We don’t owe each other anything.”

Harry deserves her hesitancy. He hasn’t been good to her, but he misses seeing her smile and laugh at his awful jokes.

“Ready to go home, babes?” Isaac calls from behind Harry, holding up her coat.

She holds back a smile shaking her head at Isaac, who has a Cheshire grin. Harry looks at her like he wants her to say no, that she’ll stay with him, but she’s had enough of his games.

“Good night, Mr. Styles.”

“Y/N,” he reaches for her hand but stops. They both stare at his arm, having stopped inches from touching her until he drops it back to his side.

“Take care.”

Harry nods as he watches another man drape her coat around her, then place a hand on the small of her back and guide her out.

He really had no chance now.

+

Y/N loved ice cream.

When she was younger, her parents loved taking her out for ice cream after any kind of academic achievement, wanting to shower her with praise just as much as they did her brother, a star athlete. She loved coming because she got to pick a new flavor each week and also how they found out she was allergic to pistachio.

Growing up close in age, many thought she and Matias would not get along, but that was not the case being the younger sister allowed her to see her brother in a guiding light. She loved following after him at least she did until he pushed her down the last few steps of stairs for breaking his favorite crayon. He broke her arm, which she was allowed to hold over his head forever.

He was the reason she had to learn to write with her left hand. Their parents thought they would hate each other after that fight, but it only brought them closer together. Matias realized how fragile his sister was and vowed never to hurt her or anyone again. It's why he became a swimmer. No actual harm would come to him or anyone while Y/N gained the strength to stand up for herself, not wanting to be seen as weak.

As much as Matias denies it, his heart broke when Y/N met Sapra, her best friend, because it meant he was losing her as his best friend, something he’d never dare tell her. Sapra walking into Y/N’s life was amazing because it made her glad she had a brother because it meant she could have Sapra as the sister she never had. From the day they partnered in English for a project, Sapra being the new student and Y/N the star student, they did not go a day without each other. They became part of each other’s families and officially became sisters thanks to the help of their brother by falling in love and getting married.  Now here she was for her weekly ice cream date with Sapra.

“He didn’t!” Sapra gasps as Y/N explains how Isaac cut off Harry and escorted her out like a true gentleman.

Y/N nods, licking her caramel vanilla ice cream. “Yup, he looked like a kicked puppy.”

“Oh, that’s devastating.”

“It was.”

“I thought you liked him.”

She shrugs, “he’s all mixed signals. I ask him out, and he says no. I’m auctioned as a date he buys me. The next time I see him, he ignores me.”

“Maybe he didn’t see you.”

Y/N gives her a deadpan look. “We stopped right in front of each other. Had a book in hand, and he had a coffee. I waved, gave him a smile, and took a step towards him, and he stared past me and then walked past me.”

“Right…” Sapra realized there was no bright side to her situation.

“I seriously don’t get his problem. If this man says he’s doing all that because he likes me, I’ll call bullshit.”

Sapra sighs, “maybe he likes you but doesn’t like how forward you are. Maybe he’s into sweet innocent girls.”

“Ugh, this is why I don’t date. I seriously thought he’d be mature for being older. Seems all that money has clogged his brain.”

Y/N watches as her best friend laughs.

“Speak of the devil,” Sapra gestures behind Y/N, and she does her best to bite back a groan.  

“Noooo,” she groans. “This is my favorite shop.”

Harry notices Sapra staring at him and shoots her a polite smile. “He saw me.”

“He doesn’t know you.”

They decide to ignore him, and it works. Sapra finished her ice cream, and Y/N excused herself to the restroom claiming they had a few more stops before ending their day together. Y/N returns from the bathroom just in time to see Harry standing in front of Sapra, a cup of ice cream in his hand. As she gets closer, she meets Sapra’s eyes which are telling her to stop, but she doesn’t listen, able to catch Harry’s final words.

“--love to take you on a date.”

She’s not sure what to feel. Instead, she doesn’t let an inch of emotion show as she says excuse me taking her seat in front of Sapra again. Y/N sees the exact moment Harry’s face falls as he recognizes her. Then back to Sapra, the person she told him about on their so-called date.

“Y/N,” he breathed out.

“Mr. Styles,” she addressed him coldly. “See, you met my best friend, Sapra. We’ve spoken about her.”

He clears his throat, evident in the growing tension. Y/N’s expressions stay neutral while Sapra looks at Y/N, smirking.

“Well, Mr. Styles, as flattered as I am. The answer is going to be no.” Sapra shrugs, no longer meeting his eyes.

Harry fidgets with his rings, his discomfort apparent, “no, I understand.”

“Heard you met my brother. He’s a real charmer.” Sapra tells him.

“Sorry?”

“At the gala,” Sapra reminds him. “He was Y/N’s date. Think they make a great pair.”

Harry frowns, feeling his skin itch.

Y/n decides to end his suffering. “Isaac is Matias’ husband. My brother, I told you about him.”

“The older brother who painted your mum's wagon pink,” he checks to confirm.

“The very one.”  

“Have a nice day,” Sapra tells him harshly, cutting off the conversation from going any further.

“Good day.” Not an ounce of confidence in his walk. If anything, Y/N thought he looked sad.

Both girls watched him walk away until he was outside and in his car. Y/N isn’t sure what to say, but she can’t say she blames Harry. All through their time in school together, Sapra was the person all the boys asked out. While Y/N was the person, they went to for advice, not that she ever helped them. It wasn’t until she was at university did she realize she didn’t care what others thought. Y/N started working on her self-confidence, and she blossomed. When she first asked a boy in her English class, and he said yes, she felt empowered. She took that energy and put it into her work ethic. It’s why she’s so successful today. She will admit it hurt seeing Harry ask out her best friend, but it also helps put things into perspective that Harry Styles might not be the man she thought he was.

+

Harry is an idiot.

He has one girl on his mind, and to take his mind off her, he asks another out, only for it to be her friend, her best friend of all people. He really screwed this one up.

“You haven’t called me in a while,” Harry’s friend Mitch says as he sips his bourbon.

“I’ve been busy,” Harry mutters.

“Hmm…”

The two men sit in silence. It’s something they have always done. They are not ones to express their feelings unless they need to.

“What shit did you do now?” Mitch asks as he sees Harry pour his third cup of bourbon.

“Shit, Mitch. You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Mitch gives him a pointed look, and Harry relents. “There’s this girl.”

“That’s a first.”

“As I was saying, she—she’s beautiful. And so god damn out of my league, I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m fucking 33, and she has me acting like a teenager.”

“Ask her out, simple as that.”

Harry laughs bitterly. “No, Mitch, it isn’t. See, she asked me out, and I said no.”

Mitch winces, “ouch. Bruised her ego.”

“No, that's the thing. She acted unbothered and treated me with respect after.”

He knows he’ll regret that rejection for the rest of his life.

“What were you expecting? A drink in the face.”

He shakes his head, “course not.”

“Why is she a problem if you rejected her?” Mitch emphasizes.

“Because every time I see her, I feel my heart wanting to beat out of my chest. I see her speaking with another man too close, and I get jealous. Hell, I bet on an auction date with her, but I fucked it over by ignoring her the next time I saw her. And today, I was finally working up the chance to go out on a date to get her out of my head, and the person I asked out turned out to be her best friend, and she was right there.” Harry slumped back against his chair, bourbon now forgotten.

Mitch grimaces, “that doesn’t sound great.”

“It’s all shit.”

“Backtrack. Why did you reject her?”

Harry groans because he’d been a fool to say no. He thought he was too old for her or that she was looking for some fun in the sheets, and he wouldn’t disrespect her like that, not when he admired her. “She’s young.”

“Eighteen young?”

“No, you dick.” Harry spits out harshly.  “She’s in graduate school. She’s in her twenties.”

Mitch sits back on the couch, frowning.

“Spit it out.”

“It seems you made a mess of things for no reason.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Mitch takes a sip of his drink, getting all his thoughts together. “She asked you out, meaning you didn’t seek her out. If I recall, you said she knew your name.” Harry nods, and Mitch continues. “It means she was aware of your age difference. She had an idea of her chances being slim to none to you saying yes. She came in with the upper hand, but you carried the power with your response. You’re going about your feelings all wrong. If you’re not going to treat her like she knows she deserves, then leave her alone.”

Once Mitch had laid it all flat for Harry, he could see that Mitch had a point. She knew what she wanted from the moment they met, which intimated Harry for some reason. She sent him the drink, asked him out, and reached out while he hid and avoided. She held herself with grace and respect, and that somehow intimated him.

He wanted a chance with Y/N to prove to her he could be a gentleman, and he valued her time and respected her. He just had to find the right opportunity. His eyes flickered to the ripped invitation on his desk. An invitation to a Masquerade Ball in two weeks to support Global Warming. He knew who would be there. It was the perfect time to apologize and ask for a date, a real one this time.

+

Y/N hated being sick.

From a young age, she threw the biggest fuss when she would fall in and had to miss school. She told her parents that missing out on learning would ruin her life when she didn’t want her friends to forget her for the days she was gone. Given that when she would go back, she received big hugs; clearly, she was not forgotten.

Now, as an adult or graduate student living alone in her small but entirely her own apartment, she didn’t like to be sick, not when she had to work or had events to attend. Thankfully, Y/N’s work has always been flexible and has health benefits, so she can take the day off. The sad news is that there’s a gala, not one of hers this time, that she promised she’d attend with Sapra. The theme was masquerade, and Sapra had worked on her mask for ages wanting to stand out during the night, and Y/N couldn’t bear to disappoint her. Sapra had been looking forward to this night for ages, even writing it with a pen in her calendar, and she never did that in case plans changed. Y/N felt horrible, but thankfully Sapra was super understanding, and their good friend Dawn was able to come in and save the day. With the promise to send Y/N lots of pictures, they left her with soup and crackers to last her the next few days while she began to feel better.

Harry had been counting down the days to see her. He hoped he was able to spot her among all the people tonight because if not, he’d be asking every person in the room to remove their masks until he found her. He had decided on a gold mask with intricate black designs all around. His dear friend Alessandro took his time with it. He knew he’d take it back to his friend after it was too much of a delicate piece to keep for himself. He knew he would have no use for it after. His suit tonight was velvet, a deep black that held a shimmer in the right kind of lighting. Harry loved the little details in outfits, and he couldn’t wait to notice each one of Y/N’s tonight.

He must have walked around three times and nothing. Not a single citing of her. Harry decides to stop at the bar when a woman in a gorgeous red gown drops her mask, and Harry gasps. It was not Y/N; it was her best friend, Sapra. That meant Y/N had to be around here somewhere.

“Good evening, Sapra.” Harry interrupts her conversation with the short woman next to her. She’s in a yellow gown, one that reminds him of Kate Hudson’s in her iconic role in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. He recognizes her as Bartolo’s worker in the shop. He hadn’t been there since Alessandro came back from his trip. “And Dawn, it’s nice to see you again.”

Dawn flashes him a smile. “You as well, Harry. Bartolo misses you. Says no one comes in to challenge him like you did.”

Harry nods, “I’ll have to visit soon, then.” Sapra elbows Dawn as if reminding her they weren’t team Harry. He notices, and before giving them a chance to make their exit, he asks the question that’s been sitting on the tip of his tongue. “Where’s Y/N?”

Sapra and Dawn share a look before turning back to Harry, matching frowns on their faces. “Girl code, Mr. Styles,” Sapra tells him, voice full of distaste.

“Please, I know I don’t deserve it, but I want to speak with her,” he begs.

Dawn takes pity, having heard Harry bare his heart to Bartolo when he came in for a suit fitting about how nervous Y/N made him and that his confidence seemed to vanish around her. She thought it was a step in the right direction to ask them about Y/N despite his first meeting with Sapra.

“She’s sick,” Dawn shares, not caring that Sapra will give her shit for it later.

He frowns. She’s sick, and she’s alone. That doesn’t sound like a good evening. “Will she answer if I go?”

“You’re kidding?” Sapra asks.

Harry shakes his head, “please, I only came tonight in hopes of seeing her.”

Sapra turns around at the bar to speak with the bartender, and he gives her a napkin and a pen. She clicks the pen and turns around, handing it to Harry. He didn’t tell them he knew where she lived.

“She tells me you said something dumb, and I’ll make sure to burn your empire to the ground,” Sapra promises. Dawn whispers for her to cool it, but Harry understands where she’s coming from.

“Do you know when that restaurant closes down the block from her house? She told me she really likes their soup there.”

Sapra shared a look with Dawn. Yeah, it seemed that Harry had some feelings to sort through.

Harry takes a deep breath. He isn’t sure if she’ll let him in or even want to see him. If it were him, he’d take one look and slam the door shut. Well, he won’t know until he finds out. He knocks two times and takes a step back, allowing himself to look down at her doormat. There is a range of wildflowers displayed, and if Harry’s honest, he has no idea what their names could be. As Harry focuses on anything but the door, he fails to realize it has fallen open.

“Harry?” She whispers, confused.

Harry lifts his head, flashing her a smile. “Hi, how are you?”

She ignores his questions. “How are you here?” Y/N shakes her head. “Don’t answer that. I bet it was Dawn; she’s a softie.”

“Do–Would it be okay if I came in?” He stutters.

Y/N tilts her head and looks his head to toe in his velvet suit, his mask forgotten in his car. She knows this is weird and has a right to kick him out, but he’s carrying a bag, and Y/N can smell the hot vegetable soup she craves when she’s sick.

She moves back, and Harry takes it as a sign to come in. He lets out a sign in relief. While Y/N locks the door, he toes off his shoes, noticing the shoe rack by the door. Y/N thanks him quietly, and he follows after like a lost puppy. She grabs two bowls while Harry begins to unpack the food. He wasn’t sure how much she would like, and Kim, the waitress, suggested two of their largest sizes, and he agreed.

Harry takes the bowl from Y/N and begins to serve her a healthy amount, knowing if she has too much, she could end up puking it all up.

“Thank you, Harry.”

She grabs her bowl and heads to her couch. As she settles in wrapping herself in a blanket, she sets the bowl on her lap. Harry stays frozen in the kitchen, unsure if he’s allowed in her space.

“Are you going to make me eat alone?”

“Sorry?” He breathes out.

“Serve yourself and come sit. You brought me so much soup I’m not going to finish it all on my own”

Harry grabs the second bowl, notices the strawberries, and laughs. He likes getting to see more pieces of Y/N. From her linked shoes at the door, he can tell she’s organized. As he walks further into her living room, he sees a full bookcase with hundreds of books and a little reading nook with a stack of books waiting to be read. He sits at the other end of her couch, sinking into the comfortable cushion; he smiles at her record player and wonders what she last listened to.

“Do you want a blanket?”

He sighs. Y/N’s a sweetheart treating him kindly, accepting him as a guest in her home. “Thank you, but I’m okay.”

They settle into silence, and usually, Harry finds it annoying, always needing a conversation to be going even if he isn’t leading it. However, with Y/N, he relishes the silence because he enjoys her presence. No words are needed.

Y/N ate until she was full, meaning she left her bowl clean, not embarrassed to have Harry see her slurp the last bits of her soup. Harry refilled her water as he placed her rinsed dishes in her dishwasher.

“How was the gala?” She asks after he settles back in his seat.

“Awful,” he answers honestly. It was the truth, he knew Y/N prided herself in the work she did for each event, but he couldn’t lie to her.

Y/N frowns, “good means I didn’t miss anything important.”

He’s surprised she had no hand in the event, but if he thinks about it, each gala he has been in attendance of where Y/N has helped always went without a hitch. He can’t say the same about tonight. “You didn’t plan this event?”

She smiles at his shock. “Not this time. Sapra heard it was a masquerade ball and begged me to get her in. How were the ice sculptures?”

Harry laughs, “melting, a puddle of water all around.”

“Oh, bummer.” She shakes her head, upset she missed it. “They have awful AC in that building.”

Y/N proceeds to tell him about how they reached out, but she’s had a busy schedule, and as much as she loves her job, she’s still only an intern who needs time for her studies and herself.

“Is that why you fell sick? Overworking?” He asks, concerned.

She giggles, “no, I have a healthy work and life balance, thankfully.” Y/N’s phone rings interrupting her. She apologizes as she’s sending off a text before giving her attention back to him. “My neighbor Terry has a one-year-old, and I was babysitting her for the night. We didn’t know she had the sniffles until she woke up colicky from a nap. Turns out their bub was sick; thus, she gave me the bug that took me down.”

“How’s the bub doing?”

“Oh, she’s a fighter. She was not a big crier; she needed a few cuddles and medicine, and she was much better. The thing about babies: they get sick and are better the day after. Their bodies next time around will have now built a strong immune system able to fend it off even better.” Y/N feels her face flush, feeling she shared a bit too much.

Harry sends her a dimpled smile. “My little sister is having a baby in a few months. I think it’s essential to know how to help. Thank you, don’t think parenting books are always so helpful for uncles.”

Y/N can’t hide her grin at Harry’s confession. “Oh, that’s lovely, Harry. Send her my best. I have a link for the best stroller, and I mean the best. It's easy to fold even when she might be on her own. I’ll send it your way.”

Before Harry can thank her, a ding rings loud, and it’s his phone signaling, he’s received her message. “I appreciate it. It’ll make a good gift.”

Her eyes widened, seeing the stroller's price.  “Do you need a discount? I got lots of coupons for this website.” She offers.

Harry is surprised she offered. She must know he’s well off. A stroller that costs a few hundred bucks won’t make a dent in his bank account.

“Sent it anyway,” Y/N tells him. “It’s good for six months.”

“Thank you.”

Y/N grins, happy to be useful even when sick.

Harry takes in her tired eyes and knows he’s taken too much of her time. Instead of letting her rest, he made her stay up when she could have been sleeping.

“I feel like I have overstayed my welcome,” Harry stands up, offering her a sheepish grin.

“No–” she’s cut off by a yawn.

She laughs, rubbing her eye, trying to will the sleep away. “I’m sleepy when I’m sick.”

“Thank you for letting me in.”

“Thanks for the soup,” she counters.

Y/N walks him to the door, the blanket wrapped over her as she tries to keep herself warm. “Will you be alright alone?” He checks, not wanting to leave her alone if she gets worse while sleeping.

She notes his concern, and Y/N knows she can tell him it doesn’t concern him, but he did come out of his way to check on her. “Dawn promised she’s on her way here to give me cuddles. I'm a big baby when I’m sick. Get all clingy.”

Harry can imagine her lying on his chest, blankets up to her neck as he holds her close, rubbing her back. Warm tea and soup at hand to make sure she’s eating. He would love to care for her, but that would be crossing a line. Neither of them were ready for all because of Harry’s stupidity.

“Y/N, before I go, I wanted to apologize. I–It seems every interaction with you, I only seem to leave a bad impression. I genuinely think you’re an amazing person and felt lucky to take you on a date, but after ignoring you, I feel I keep messing everything up. Will–is it okay to call you my friend, or if we can take a step in that direction.”

She knows there’s no possible way they could be friends, not with the chemistry they have together, but Y/N appreciates where he’s coming from.

“Friends it is, Styles.”

“Friends,” he confirms.

And maybe something more.

+

It had been a month since Harry saw Y/N sick in her apartment. He texted her the morning after, and she promised she was doing better; her headache was gone. She teased him about the soup, saying it was the abundance of soup that cured her. He felt a flutter in his stomach at the fact that Y/N thought he was helpful. God, he was really head over heels for her, but they were friends. Friends that texted and sent photos of things that reminded them of each other (Harry was on the receiving end of most images. He did practice his use of emojis for her).

Y/N was going through exams and focusing on the internal work of her internship, as in paperwork and the hiring process to take her on after graduation. She let him know she was still considering her options, but Y/N knew she would be saying yes because the pay was well above what she went in asking for, and she had a healthy work environment. It made him happy to see how well things were going for her. It made him want to invite her to tour his office. He wanted to see her sit in his office chair as she looked at the view of the city.

Wake and Wonder were holding a gala to raise money for their new NICU ward. Harry was part of the board for this event and knew Y/N would be attending, having heard her name throughout the night from the guests. Over the last few months, Harry began to see the importance of these events and attending, most of the guests were snobby and stuck up, but every person working for their organization cared. They were working hard for others and not for their own gain. Harry might have it easy to write checks, so if he can give back, he will.

Tonight, Harry decided to be a bit bold. He left the velvet suit behind and wore a pink Alexander McQueen suit. A double-breasted jacket featured pink embroidered flowers with green stems and leaves down the front. He paired it with matching wide-leg trousers, a white button-down, and black boots. He felt confident in all his suits, but this one was special. It was the first suit he bought himself when he got his first client that would change his life. He knew it brought him luck, and he needed a bit of that tonight.

Every woman he encountered tonight had on a full-out gown. It seemed they were, for once, following the theme to a t. Harry was nursing an amaretto sour when a glimmer of yellow floated by in the corner of his eye. It seemed he wasn’t the only one whose attention was caught. The person went straight to Alexander, the host for the night. He looked elegant in a black suit with gold embroidery around the jacket sleeves and down the front that connected to look like constellations. His partner wore something similar, opting for a deep blue to bring out his eyes, the gold embroidery found coming up his sleeves ending right below his elbows. Harry knew they had an eye for design and liked when they hosted events. The two men hugged her, thanking her. He didn’t realize he had gotten closer until he was able to pick up her voice.

It was angelic. It was familiar. It was Y/N.

She was wearing an elegant yellow satin gown. It had a princess silhouette with puffy short sleeves. He could see the corset back from the few feet away he stood. He knows Dawn must have had to help her, and for some reason, he can’t take the idea out of his head of helping her loosen the corset and out of the dress. It’s a fantasy he needs to push away as Y/N happens to be coming his way.

“Ms. Y/LN,” he greets with a gentle smile.

“Mr. Styles,” she flashes him a bashful grin and makes her way across the venue to mingle with the guest.

Progress. 

That was progress. She offered him a gorgeous smile, one he knew would stay imprinted in his mind forever. Now, all he needs is to gain some courage. Throughout the evening, Y/N danced around him. It’s as if she could sense him coming and would shift in another direction, allowing them both to get tangled in conversation. Harry did not like the chase, but Y/N held all the power in her hands, and he’d do anything for a moment of her time.

Harry was tired, not of Y/N playing a game of mouse with him but of the event. Usually, he spends an hour at most and then heads home, but tonight he’s two hours in, and he’s tired of all the talks and acting like he isn’t dying to speak with Y/N, but he respects her, and he’s been an idiot for too long to ruin the foundation they have created.

He was watching couples on the dance floor, criticizing their waltz. Many were lost in conversation to remember the importance of holding their partner close and letting one person lead.

“Mr. Styles,” Y/N greets with a cheeky grin. He doesn’t hide his surprise as he looks away from the dance floor. He takes her in, admiring her shining eyes and perfect makeup.

“Hi,” he breathes out. “You look beautiful.”

Y/N offers him another smile, a more timid one than her previous one. “Thank you.”

“Would you like to dance?” Harry offers, extending a hand toward Y/N.

She stares at him for a second before placing her hand in his. He led her to the dance floor, his right-hand settling high under her shoulder, his fingers together and pointed down. Her left arm rests softly on his shoulder like a bird perched on a branch. Her hand arched, fingertips behind his shoulder and thumb in front. He feels the lightest touch. Y/N raises her head, meeting his eye as she places the palm of her right hand in the palm of his left, resting her fingers in the cradle between his thumb and forefinger. They both fold their things softly over each other. It’s a light touch, and Harry gets the sense that Y/N is well-versed in the waltz.

“Have you waltzed before, Y/N?” Harry asks as he begins to lead. It’s one of the easiest dances to learn but easy to get lost if a partner is not allowed to lead.

She scoffs, “Surprised?”

He shakes his head. “No, but I am intrigued.”

Y/N laughs, letting Harry lead her around the dance floor. “In undergrad, a few GEs are pointless.” Harry gives her a pointed look. “Come on, Harry. You know what I mean.” The truth is he does. “Anyways, I took a dance class and learned a choreographed dance, tap, salsa, and waltz. That’s only a few.”

Harry nods, impressed, “a woman of many trades, huh.”

She shakes her head because it’s useless talents, but they’re hers. Who knows when one day she might need them, like today, dancing with a handsome man.

“I love this song,” Y/N tells him as he brings her back from a spin. “Moon river makes you feel lost in time.”

Harry agrees, “thank you, Aubrey Hepburn.”

Y/N gasps in surprise, “you know Hepburn?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” He teases.

She feels her face flush because he’s right, but Y/N grew up watching these films with her grandmother every Sunday. Some children got taken to church, and Y/N was taught about the best movies to ever exist growing up.

“What’s tonight's theme?” Harry asks Y/N, no longer wanting to dance in silence. He loves her voice.

“Disney, but more specifically, Disney princesses,” she answers with a soft smile.

“And you are?”

She gestures to her dress, the beautiful yellow silk. “Don’t know, Ariel.”

He throws his head back laughing, she teases him with no care, and he loves that he did deserve it. It’s clear what princess she was trying to resemble. “You’re a beauty. You put Belle to shame,” he confesses.

Y/N bites back a grin. “Seeing as she’s an animated character. Thank you.”

Harry’s smile drops, and he falters in his seat, causing Y/N to stumble, but he rights her up like nothing happened. “No, I mean–”

“I know,” she breathes out, giggling at his panic.

As Harry releases the anxiety that passes through him, he goes back to complimenting Y/N. “You fit the role nicely.”

“Does that make you Gaston, my Beast, or Lumiere?” Y/N asks with a smirk.

He doesn’t take the bait.  “Haha, very funny.”

She shrugs, “I try.”

The song is coming to a finish, and Harry wonders how long she’s going to allow him to dance with her. “I’m no prince, but I’d like to be the person who’s able to capture your heart,” he confesses, putting everything out there.

“You’re a poet now?’

Harry smirks, “you don’t take compliments, do you, beauty?”

“I'm not easily swooned,” she confesses.

“I like challenges,” he answers carelessly.

Harry feels her stiffen instantly and knows he’s messed up. In a matter of seconds, he managed to ruin this fun, peaceful energy he had with Y/N.”

“Mr. Styles,” her voice cold and distant. “Thank you for the dance.”

She drops her hands and walks away. Harry reacts quickly. He goes to reach for her but thinks otherwise and instead calls her name.

“No, Y/N, wait, please,” he begs.

She pauses, turning to look at him.

“I shit- you make me incredibly nervous, and I hate that.” She frowns but lets him continue. “You make me question my every thought. Your beauty is overwhelming, and I–I’m older than you. I know that, and the fear of you not liking that or someone saying anything rude to you has stopped me from allowing myself to pursue you. I apologize. I’m so damn sorry.”

“The pursuit ended the minute you said no to me,” she tells him honestly.

“But I-”

She holds her hand up, and he stops talking. “I respect you, Harry. But I also respect myself. I’m not sure what game you’re playing, but I’m not taking any part. It was a wonderful dance, but I’ll be on my way.”

Harry knows she’s right. He’s messed up, but she deserves his honesty. “Y/N, let me say one last thing.”

She gestures for him to go on.

“I know I don’t deserve it. I know I don’t, but would you go on a date with me? No pretense or auction, just you and me where I can get to know you. I’d really love to get to know you.��� He asks, putting his heart on the line.

She looks down at her heels, swaying back and forth, and the silence lasts a few seconds, but Harry feels it’s been hours by the time she replies. “Okay,” she agrees.”

“I respect–you will?” He asks, surprised.

She giggles, “I’d love to see you when you’re being charming because, truthfully, as much as I've been enjoying awkward Harry, I’d love to see more. You have my number, and it’s your only chance.”

Harry places his hand over his heart. “I promise I’ll treat you well. Thank you for saying yes.”

Y/N smiles, “I’ll see you soon, Mr. Styles.”

He couldn’t wait to see her for their date.

+

This was his third time standing outside Y/N’s apartment door. This time was different. He felt he could throw up from the nerves. He spoke with his Mum before driving to Y/N’s apartment and shared how he felt nervous about a date. She reminded him he needed to be himself and wear his confidence with pride. It’s something he learned from a young age.

Growing up, he had crazy curls that led to endless teasing, and one day he decided he had enough and got a haircut. He looked in the mirror the following day and didn’t recognize who he was. He let himself be influenced by others, and since then, he decided he wouldn’t care what others said about him. While in uni, he grew out his hair going through the long hair phase that drove his Mum crazy, but his sister loved it as he allowed her to braid it. It’s also when he began getting all his tattoos. Harry had to go through a journey of self-discovery to gain his confidence and keep it.

Tonight, he had confidence, but his biggest worry was Y/N not enjoying the date. All he wants is for her to have a pleasant time with him with no ruse or promise of a check at the end of the night.

Harry knocks twice and waits for her to come to the door. There’s a bouquet of pink roses in his hands because it reminded him of Y/N. He doesn’t know her favorite, but he’ll be sure to ask tonight. Y/N opens the door dressed in what he assumes is her casual wear. She’s got loose jeans and a black button-up she kept open with a white top under. A white ribbon in her hair made her messy bun look perfect. He notices this is another time he sees ribbon in her hair, and he’s curious to see how many strings she has and how many colors. She’s beautiful, and he’d happily remind her every chance he gets tonight.

“Hi, Y/N, you look beautiful.”

Y/N smiles, accepting the flowers he is offering her. The pink roses are beautiful as if there were just cut from the garden. She gestures for him to come in as she grabs a vase from her kitchen. He’s quiet as he watches her work in her kitchen. Once satisfied with how they sit in the vase, she turns her attention back to him.

“Thank you, Harry. It was very sweet of you.”

Harry shrugs, a blush setting on his cheeks. “Anything for you, beauty.”

Y/N’s back is turned to him, not allowing him to see her reaction to the term of endearment. As she grabs her bag and slips it on her shoulder, she offers him a squeeze on his arm, and he takes that as an okay to keep using it. As she’s locking up her door, Harry waits and asks about her day. She shares about having an easy day of classes and how she’s glad she didn’t have to work. Harry opens his car door and helps Y/N into the car. Y/N can see what he means by charming now.

The drive is filled with aimless chatter about the songs Harry is playing and how nice the weather has been lately. Y/N notices they’re headed toward a residential area and not into the city. Harry decides to share what he has planned for them tonight.

“I was thinking we can have a wine and paint night in my backyard if you're up for it.” He runs his free hand through his hair, sparing a look at her before focusing back on the road.

“You want to paint?” She exclaims.

He shrugs, “thought it’d be fun.”

She leans back into her seat, keeping her eyes on Harry as he holds a tight grip on the steering wheel. “I think it sounds perfect.”

Harry sighs in relief, good that’s good.

Arriving at Harry’s house, he feels his nerves coming back because he’s bringing the woman he likes to the place he calls home, where he finds comfort. It’s where he comes back home after a long day of work. He doesn’t know what he’ll feel after seeing her among all his things because he’s sure she’ll be a perfect fit and will struggle to let her go.

Y/N takes in the art pieces he has around the entrance of his house and photos of his family. The credenza by the entrance holds a key bowl where Harry drops his wallet and keys inside. He doesn’t remove his shoes and instead goes through the kitchen's double doors. Y/N isn’t sure if she is supposed to follow him, but a book on his coffee table captures her attention. It’s titled Raising Good Humans. She reads the first page as Harry makes his way back to her with two glasses of wine, one red and one orange.

She places the book down when Harry offers her a choice, and she accepts the orange wine, curious how it might taste. He gestures to the book, “I bought it for my sister, but I realized she probably won’t want to read it all, so I’m highlighting and bookmarking the important sections.”

Y/N hums in surprise. She didn’t take Harry for a caring guy, but here he is, proving her wrong. It’s clear how much he loves his family. “I’m sure she appreciates all the help.”

Harry laughs, “she told me she’s waiting to cash in for all the times I ever embarrassed her.”

“Oh, I understand being the youngest with an older brother. I swear he lived to embarrass me.” She shares that as much as she loved Matias, he was still a pain in her butt at one point in her life.

“Someone needed to look out for her,” he offers. “Come on, it’s out this way.”

His kitchen is gorgeous. The kitchen has color-filled floral wallpaper. There are pops of colors, making the backdrop feel neutral. The cabinets are maroon, closer to pink than red, and the three chairs are muted cyan that sit against the countertop. Y/N can see herself taking a seat there as Harry cooks them dinner. She shakes the thought out of her head and heads out the French patio doors where two easels sit side by side, a small stand in between them to hold their glass of wine and cheese that Harry has set up for them.

“I’m lactose intolerant,” she shares as she eyes the cheese.

Harry’s eyes widen in surprise, and he mutters under his breath. “I’m so sorry. That was insensitive of me not even asking what you would prefer. I have cookies if you’d like. They’re gluten-free though or–”

He cuts himself off when he sees her laughing behind her wine glass, and that’s when he realizes she’s joking. Harry shakes his head, their laughter mixing together in the air.

“I’m sorry,” she mutters.

“You’re cheeky, beauty.”

Y/N sets her finished wine glass down as she sees a black canvas apron with her name embroidered resting on what she assumes is her chair. She lifts it gently, running her finger over the yellow stitching. Harry slips his one, his last name embroidered on his, and she knows these must have been specially ordered. The material feels expensive and as if it were made with great care.

“Harry, this is too much.”

He laughs, “it’s nothing, Y/N. I wanted tonight to be special.”

She slips the top over her head and turns away from her, “can you help me tie the back?”

Harry steps close, standing right behind her, his mouth right by her neck. Y/N feels tense at the close intimacy. She doesn’t hurry Harry; she simply enjoys the closeness he’s offering her.

“All done,” he whispers.

She turns to meet his gaze, his eyes lingering before flickering to her lips. He nods, taking a step back, not wanting to cross any lines with her. He’s letting her set their pace.

“More wine, Beauty?”

“Yes, please. It was so good. It tasted just like an orange.”

Harry knows her lips must taste just as sweet. “It’s a favorite of mine. Glad you like it.”

He fills their wine glasses and comes back to sit next to her. He explains all the materials he has for them and how the painting to recreate is a lighthouse with a night sky background. It looks complex, and Y/N knows if she tries to copy it, it will look nothing like the original.

They began painting in silence. Harry had instrumental music playing and told her she could play what she liked, but she assured him she was enjoying the music. The silence was soon filled with chatter as Y/N asked questions, and Harry happily responded. What jobs did he work growing up? Bakery and a bookstore. If he was a good swimmer? Yes. His worst hangover? His best friend Mitch’s bachelor party in Greece. What he liked to bake? Cherry tarts. The questions never seemed to end because she wanted to know everything, but Harry was the same. He asked about her travels and where she wanted to go in the next year? Amsterdam. Her favorite movie? Pride and Prejudice. Her favorite book? A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Y/N was learning a lot about Harry and wanted to soak it all in, not forgetting anything. The first time she met Harry, she thought he was closed off and stuck up. That he had walls up so high, he’d never let anyone in, but Harry today was charming and kind. He gave her his undivided attention and asked questions wanting to get to know her. Harry was closed off because of his high position and how easily people had walked over him. Y/N had always worn her heart on her sleeve, but tonight with Harry, she wanted to keep it protected, but he made it so easy to give herself away.

“Are you ready, beauty?”

She takes a long look at her finished painting and decides she has no other choice. “Ready,” she breathed out.

Harry and Y/N turn their painting to each other, and Y/N gasps at Harry’s beautiful painting while Harry laughs at hers. Harry managed to draw a perfect resemblance of the lighthouse with the moon shining bright and the water so reflective that she felt if she touched it, her hand would go through the painting. “That’s gorgeous, Harry.”

Harry pointed to Y/N, “what did you draw?”

Y/N pouts, looking down at her painting. It might not be a lighthouse, but she loved what she painted. It’s a mermaid with short brown hair and a flower on their head. The scales of the mermaid’s tail were various shades of yellow, green, and blue. The mermaid was looking away into the deep blue sea background. It was nowhere near perfect, but she loved it. “It’s you,” she tells him. “As a mermaid–or well, merman.”

He points to himself, “that’s me!”

She giggles, proud of herself. “Yes, how I picture you if you were born a mermaid. I reckon you’d be the heir to the throne.”

Harry blushes and knows Y/N can tell. He doesn’t mind because she deserves to see the effect she has on him.

“I think I’d be a good-looking mermaid.”

“You'd be the prettiest mermaid in the sea, no competition.”

Harry giggles, letting the compliment soak in. “If you were there, I imagine I’d have a run for my money, beauty.”

She tucks a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “Harry,” she drags out his name, turning away from him, her smile wide. His dimples pop out as he holds back from teasing her and instead asks if she’s hungry.

“I’d love some pizza,” she tells him honestly.

“Then I’ll get you pizza, beauty. Any preferences for toppings?”

“Love jalapeños.”

“Is pepperoni and jalapeños alright?”

“Perfect, Harry. Thank you.” She leans in to give him a kiss on his cheek. Harry mumbles no worries, his face burning from the sign of affection.

Dinner was delicious, and pizza was the perfect meal to share. Harry wrapped the leftovers and slipped them into a paper bag for Y/N to take home. She argued he should keep it because he paid (she offered, but he refused), but he told her that he remembered life during university, and she couldn’t argue with that logic. Harry drove her home, promising he only had that original cup of wine, and then switched to sparkling water. While Y/N allowed herself to have three glasses, two during the painting session and one during dinner. The drive to her apartment was different than driving to his house. They went from quiet small talk and listening to Harry’s playlists to telling each other their favorite childhood stories.

By the time Harry pulled up to Y/N’s apartment, she had realized that more dates like this with Harry would make her fall deep in love with him. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but a second date sounded perfect. Harry opened her car door and walked her to her door. He handed Y/N her bag and the leftover pizza after she unlocked the door, and she placed the items on her small entrance table. She shut the door, turning to look at Harry and bid him good night. Y/N realized through the night, Harry was careful with his touches and would only reciprocate anything she initiated.

Harry stares at her with a dimpled smile, and she knows that smile will become her weakness.

“My favorite flowers are calla lilies,” she tells him as she leans against her apartment door.

Harry’s eyes open wide in surprise. Does that mean she enjoyed tonight as much as he did? “Does that mean we’re going on a second date?”

She smirks, “I’d be open to the idea.”

He steps towards Y/N, allowing her to stop him, but she doesn’t. Her hands come to rest on his chest. He’s thankful she doesn’t mention the quickening of his heartbeat.

“Is this okay?” He breathes out.

“Mhm…”

Y/N’s hands fist the ends of his open jacket. He doesn’t care if his jacket wrinkles. He only cares that she wants him closer.

Harry leans his head down, his nose brushing against hers. Y/N pulls him closer, desperate to close the gap between them.

“Beauty,” he whispers.

“You can kiss me.” She tells him, “I want you to kiss me.”

She stands on her tiptoes, her hand curling around the back of his neck. His skin is warm, and I grab the hair at the nape and pull him toward me. Y/N knew she would end the night kissing him when he showed up with pink roses at her front door, calling her Beauty.

His hands came up to her cheeks, his mouth eager as he deepened the kiss. It was all-consuming, she knew kissing Harry would be like no other, but this was everything. He was gentle but firm and in control of the kiss. He knew exactly what she needed and gave it to her. He tasted of cherries, his lip balm he told her he carried everywhere, never one for dried lips. It paid off because his soft lips were addictive, and after getting a taste, she didn't know how long she’d be able to go without him.

“You taste sweet, beauty,” he confessed, pulling back, giving her a dimpled smile when he saw the dazed look on her face.

“You can have another taste.”

Harry giggles, “if I knew a kiss would make you so kind, I’d have kissed you sooner,” he teased.

“You can keep kissing me now,” she offered.

Harry was tempted to say yes, to keep kissing her out here as the moon shined down on them, but he knew he’d see her soon. He’d make sure of it.

“I’ll call you tomorrow to plan out our next date.”

“Sounds perfect,” she promised him. “Goodnight, Harry.”

“Sweet dreams, beauty.”

Harry kissed her one last time, then broke away. She leaned against the door frame as she watched him walk towards his car, turning to wave at her one last time before driving away.

Yeah, Y/N was excited to see Harry again.

+

After their date, Harry spent every free moment he had with Y/N. Their second date consisted of bowling and wings. Y/N had managed to win by a landslide. Harry complained how it wasn’t fair and to make up for Harry being a sore loser Y/N was happy to indulge him in kisses. It seemed Harry was a winner after all. Harry promised her he wanted to keep seeing her, and Y/N repeated the sentiment.

It seemed from then, their time together grew. Harry would visit Y/N during her lunch on the days she was at work and grabbed dinner most nights after her internships. Harry would pick Y/N up from campus and ask her what she was in the mood for. The answer was almost always ice cream which he was happy to indulge her with.

Sunday, he came to learn were grocery days for Y/N, and after he paid for her the first time he went, he got banned from accompanying her again, which led to Harry sending her groceries every other week. She couldn’t get mad because, without fail, her bouquet of calla lilies would arrive soon after. Y/N had never felt affection this way, and after a talk with Harry, he expressed it was his love language and quality time. He thought he was overwhelming her and promised he’d do better, and it broke her heart for Harry to believe she was anything but appreciative. After talking, she allowed him to surprise her with small gifts, but nothing out of the ordinary because if he showed up with a diamond necklace, she would be breaking up with him.

“Does that mean we’re dating Beauty?”

She rolls her eyes, “unless you don’t want to.”

He clicks his tongue at her response, “now, don’t be mean, baby.”

Y/N seemed to always fall for his term of endearment; something about his accent got her going crazy. “Yes, Harry, we’re dating.”

Harry smirks, liking the thought of being Y/N’s. Their time from then on increased. From coffee dates to morning walks on the weekends and late-night phone calls when Y/N couldn’t sleep and would ask Harry to keep her company. It seemed to happen during the middle of the week, and he’d wake up tired the next day for work, but Y/N was worth it. She apologized every time she called and sounded like she woke him up, but he’d ask Y/N to tell him about her thesis, and she’d settled down as he listened intently and asked her questions when it was allowed.

On weekends Harry would come over to Y/N’s and spend the evening making dinner together, watching TV shows Harry has never heard of, and Y/N promised he needed to watch because he was missing out. Truthfully, he watched to indulge her but came to look forward to their time watching New Girl together. Their evenings started with them sitting next to each other, then her arm resting on his thigh and his arm over her shoulder. He realized Y/N was a big cuddler, always wanting Harry to hold her and be the little spoon. He didn’t mind loving how snug she felt against him. She started falling asleep halfway through the episodes, laughing when Y/N mumbled a reply to the show. Over time, they’d go from cuddling to Y/N sitting in his lap kissing, ignoring whatever was on TV. Their hands explored everywhere above clothing. They rocked against each other, but they’d always stop before taking it a step further, and Harry respected Y/N too much to cross a line she wasn’t ready for with him.

Harry was happy to have her kisses.

Y/N, at this point, had talked so much about her thesis that Harry could understand from a certain perspective what she was writing about and allowed him to read over his thesis and make any annotations for her to fix, grammatically, of course. Harry was honestly very proud of her; it was clear how much work and dedication she had put into her thesis, and he knew she'd do it with ease when it was time to defend it.

“You’re my smart girl, huh. Going to run the world.”

Y/N would hide her face in his chest when he began with the compliments, easily getting overwhelmed. It seemed that dating Harry had brought her happiness she never saw coming.

It was odd if they spent time at Harry’s house. It was more convenient for them to spend time at Y/N’s. Harry didn’t mind because he loved being surrounded in a space that was all hers. Tonight, Harry took Y/N to a sushi restaurant for dinner, and instead of driving her back home, she promised it was still early enough to go to his house and watch a movie. She batted her eyelashes at him, giving him a sweet pout, and he found himself saying yes. He can’t remember a time she allowed him to say no, not that he would ever want to.

Harry played a documentary he had wanted to watch, and Y/N promised she’d stay awake and that the coffee she had earlier in the day would help. Although he doubted it because her coffees seemed to always be on the sweeter side. It was half an hour in that he heard her soft breathing. He knew she would be sleeping until the end of the documentary. Harry was happy to have her cuddled to his chest, that she was comfortable enough to fall asleep. It was close to two hours later that the documentary ended, and Harry looked at the time and realized how late it was and that he still had to drive Y/N home.

“Baby, wake up.”

Nothing. He tried again.

“Beauty, come on. Got to get you home.”

She groaned, burying her face deep in his neck, not bothering to pick her head up.

“Come on, it’s late, baby.”

She raised her hand to her mouth, covering her yawn as she began to sit up.

“Hi,” he cooed softly. “I’ll give you a minute, then we can head out.”

Y/N shook her head, “can I stay?” she whispered.

Harry couldn’t hide his surprise at her request. “You want to stay here?”

“Please, lovie?” Her eyes were filled with sleep, and he wanted her to stay; of course, he did. Tomorrow was Sunday, and the fact that he had the chance to wake up to her tomorrow would not be something he passed up.

“Of course, baby.” Harry lifts his hand to cradle her cheek. She turns her head to kiss his palm; he feels himself melt at her affection.

He helps Y/N to her feet and guides her up the steps to his bedroom. She walks in and sits on his bed as he finds her clothes.

“There’s face wash, a spare toothbrush, and towels in the bathroom for you to use,” he tells her as he hands her an oversized shirt and spare boxers. She thanks him silently as she drags herself to his bathroom. As Y/N gets herself ready for bed, Harry does the same. He washed his bedsheets two nights before and knows it’ll be okay for Y/N to sleep in. As Harry slipped out of his button-up and pants, he wore shorts and an old Stevie Nicks shirt, not wanting to make Y/N uncomfortable.

She walks out a few minutes later, clothes in her hand, his oversized company t-shirt on her frame with nothing else. He’s quick to avert his gaze, surprised to see her only half-dressed.

“Were the boxers not okay?”

“Don’t want them to sleep. Is that okay?”

He nods “ of course, come on, let me tuck you in.”

Y/N drops her clothes by his window nook. Harry has imagined Y/N in his room more times than he counts but now that he has her here, he knows he’s never going to get the image out of his head. She gets under the covers and sighs when the cool sheets hit her skin. She scoots all the way to the middle of the bed. Harry checks to see if she’s comfortable and is about to turn the lights off and leave when she calls his name.

“Where you going?” Y/N asks, concern in her voice.

“To the guest room.”

“You don’t want to sleep with me?”

Harry’s heart feels heavy in his chest, seeing that he has upset her. “I didn’t want to assume,” he tells her honestly.

“Come, sleep with me.” She extends her hand to him, and he’s happy to accept. Harry throws the cover away and drags himself right next to Y/N, placing his hand on her waist and bringing her closer. She turns to rest her head on his chest, using him as a pillow.

“Is this okay?” He asks.

“Perfect.”

Harry closes his eyes but feels Y/N move. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Kiss, please?”

If he wasn’t careful, he’s sure he’d fall in love with Y/N, but something tells him it’s a little late for that. He leans down and presses his lips against hers in a soft kiss. She hums in appreciation, letting him pull away without a fight giving her a final kiss on her forehead. Now they can both sleep content. As Y/N settles back down on his chest, about to close her eyes, a painting on Harry’s wall captures her attention. It’s hanging next to a photo of a lake in his hometown. It’s a mermaid painting, specifically the one she painted with Harry on their first date two months ago. She told him to keep it, but she didn’t think he’d actually hold on to it, let alone hang it up for him to see every day he wakes up. Y/N sighs against his chest, snuggling closer to him, feeling content to fall asleep in Harry’s arms, knowing she’ll be safe and cared for because Harry never fails to shower her in love and affection.

She can’t wait to make breakfast with him tomorrow, but for now, she’ll sleep.

+

Harry regretted inviting Y/N to the golf tournament. Pleasing hosts this golf event annually for new and old partners. He hadn’t prepared for how good she would look dressed in an active pink skirt and a white polo tank that hugged her figure beautifully. Her hair was up and out of her face, and she had a pink visor on her head to prevent sunburn. She looked prepared for a game of golf, where she promised she wouldn’t play besides chatting up the investors. He was clearly in over his head. Harry had taken one look at her when he picked her up and asked her if she wanted to stay home with him instead. She laughed, hopping into his car, reminding him he had promised her breakfast and she was craving a bagel.

“Beauty?”

“Hmm…” She turned to look at Harry with a beautiful smile on her face, just for him.

He reaches over and brings her in for a kiss. He sighs against her mouth, happy to have her here with him. As much as he loves his company, he only does this to make more connections and keep his company growing.

“If you get tired or hungry, just let me know, and we can take a break.”

She shakes her head, “this is important for you,” she reminds him. “I’ll be fine. Plus, you fed me and filled my water bottle.” She rubs her tummy to show him how full she still is.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re my priority.” He assures her.

Y/N scrunches her nose, placing a kiss on Harry’s cheek. “You’re an absolute sweetheart, lovie.”

Harry hurries out of the car to help Y/N out, earning him another kiss, he’s tempted to push her up against his car and keep kissing her, but Y/N seems eager to see him golf. He checks them in and gets the keys to his golf cart as she waits on the side, looking at the clean facilities. She overhears the receptionist telling Harry they’ll start at hole one on the east side, and his guest will be sent that way.

She trailed behind Harry taking in the lovely view in front of her. His outfit was anything but ordinary. He wore pastel yellow flared pants that hugged his ass just right. A black polo tucked in and a simple Gucci belt completes his look. He decided against a hat but had his glove ready on his left hand for that extra support. Y/N loved the contrast of his tattoos and how his tan skin seemed to shine due to the sunblock she helped lather him in. He almost always has hidden his tattoos, wearing a suit and sweater. She knew it was because of work, and he was easily cold, but she never took moments like these for granted. The contrast of tattoos on his arms while his left hand had endless tattoos, his right hand only a few. She had to wonder what he hid underneath. She had only ever seen the peek of two swallows on his chest.

“Beauty, you alright?” Harry is standing against a golf cart numbered thirteen. It’s been known to be an unlucky number, but she’s never seen it that way.

She shakes away her thoughts and focuses on the man in front of her. He’s been nothing but a sweetheart since the moment they started officially dating a few months ago, and she’s thankful she decided to give him a chance and that he proved to be a good person and not the cold man she met many moons ago,

“Sorry, I was just admiring. Haven’t been to the golf course in some time.” She takes his extended hand and slides into the golf cart, his hand settling on her bare, exposed thigh. A shiver runs up her spine. She’s ready to take it to the next level with Harry but has no idea how to bring it up.

Harry and Y/N don’t have to wait long when a group of men and a few women come and greet Harry. There is a mix of young and older individuals chatting, and Y/N right away spots the man who keeps to himself, much like Harry. He’s an older gentleman dressed in black slacks, a maroon vest, black gloves on both hands, and a frown on his face. Harry introduces her to Jeff, Niall, and Tyler, his good friends. He promised her if she needed anything, she could ask them. They were all welcoming, asking her questions, not a lot of teasing, but they assured Y/N that Harry wasn’t the grump he made himself out to be.

During the first few holes, a lot of conversation was happening, and Y/N sat in the golf cart because she didn’t know how she fit into this crowd. She was a graduate student among these men and a few women who run these million-dollar companies. She hated that Harry felt obligated to bring her because it was their date night, and he didn’t want to cancel their plans. He convinced her when he told her he’d miss her too much if he didn’t see her this weekend.

Harry, after every swing, turns to find Y/N, who’s already looking at him. He came over, and she’d kiss him, telling him how impressive the swing was and that she knew he would win. Slowly, Y/N began to let herself mingle and talk with the other players. She seemed to always gravitate back towards Harry and his small group.

Y/N was standing, arms crossed, visor lowered as the sun beamed down on her. There was a lot of chatter when she realized that the man with the vest who caught her eye was alone again; she decided to approach him as Harry was wrapped up in conversation.

“Hi,” she greets. “I’m Y/N.”

The tall man with eyes as blue as the ocean turns to look at her. He looks at her stretched hand and reaches out to shake hers. “Malcolm Levington. A pleasure, Ms. Y/N.”

“You as well, Mr. Levington.”

He grimaces, “Malcolm is fine.”

She shrugs, “if you say so.” Before he can ask what she’s doing speaking with him, she asks a question. “What is it you do?”

“I’m the owner of Star Horizons,” he shares.

“The hotels,” Y/N gasps.

He laughs, “the very one.”

“Oh, your hotel ballrooms are hard to get a hold of. I’ve been trying to plan an event there for ages. It finally happened a few months back, but it hurt to be told the wait was so long.”

Mr. Levington frowns, “what event was it?”

“Oh, uh, we had a private action event for Hermanas Unidas. They wanted to raise money to open a second location. We exceeded expectations thanks to generous donations and hired full-time staff to get it up and running in two months.”

“That’s wonderful. I heard about this event; it was one of the smoothest experiences we have ever had. We had no problems with staff or guests. We got a lot of guests to come back and stay with us. Were you in charge?”

She grins proudly, “no, I work with the sub-events teams. It’s part of my job to help nonprofits with their events to get donations.”

“Impressive work. Would you care to tell me more?”

Y/N happily indulges Mr. Levington as he tells her about the degree she is working towards. She shares about each event she has worked on. He offers ideas on how to help and ideas for new events. He promises to attend her next event.

“Y/N?” Harry calls her name, interrupting their conversation.

“Harry, I was speaking with Mr. Levington,” Y/N tells Harry, holding onto his forearm and giving it a loving squeeze.  

Mr. Levington looks between Y/N and Harry, a curious look on his face. “Are you his wife?”

“Oh, he’d be so lucky,” Y/N tells Mr. Levington, a loyal partner to Pleasing. She found out a mere seconds ago as Harry whispered it in her ear.

Harry laughs, “Y/N’s my–”

Y/N rolls her eyes. These men don’t need to know about her and Harry, not that she’d mind him showing her off. “Enough about me. Tell me about that TaylorMade Stealth PLus Driver you have there. I hear it has low spin.” She points to the clubs a few feet behind them.

“You golf, Ms. Y/N?” Mr. Levington asks, surprised.

Y/N leads the man away, turning to look at Harry, offering him a wink as the man tells her about his clubs.

They’re about to head to the next hole when he sees Y/N still chatting. The man held on to her every word.

“Now I hear the Sims 2 has a better grip as it’s more lightweight. But don’t take my word for it, I haven’t had the chance to swing it, but from what I’ve heard Harry and Mr. Rowland discuss, I’d say you ask him for a chance to swing, but I do know how you all are about your clubs.” She tells him, knowing she is setting up Harry for an interesting conversation.

“Y/N,” Harry calls for her once again. She turns to see him with a bright smile on her face. “We’re ready for the next hole. Y/N loves to chat, Mr. Levington”.

“She’s a dear. She was telling me about your driver. Seems she thinks mine has a problem.”

“Now, now, don’t go twisting my words,” Y/N chastises.

“Only teasing, Ms. Y/N.” Mr. Levington turns his attention back to Harry. “Think you’ll let me take a swing, Mr. Styles?” Mr. Levington asks.

Harry offers him a sincere smile. “We can work something out.”

“A pleasure, Ms. Y/N.”

Harry stands with a hand on her waist as they watch him walk away. “What did you do, you little minx?”

“What do you mean?” She feigns innocence.

“That man,” he gestures to Mr. Levington, walking next to Jeff with their caddy. “Always comes to our events and never says a word. Here you have him yapping on and on about clubs you probably don’t care about.”

“You’re right. I don’t,” she confirms.

“Then, beauty? You don’t have to be flattering all these old men.” He tells her honestly.

“Jealous, H?” Y/N teases, stepping closer to him, her hand resting on the back of his neck.

Harry hums at her touch. “Course I am. Prettiest girl here on the green don’t want to share you with anyone.”

She leans on her tiptoes, pressing a quick peck on his lips. “Promise I’m enjoying myself.”

“Will you still ride with me?” He asks her, as he hadn’t helped her onto the golf cart after each hole.

“Am I driving?” She waits expectantly.

He offers her the keys, which she snatches up before he can even think of pulling his hand away. “Now, now. Give me a proper kiss, and we’ll go.”

She doesn't even fight him, simply leans in and kisses him. Harry hums at her sweet cherry taste. He knows she must have stopped the cart girl and asked for a Shirley Temple with extra cherries, her favorite.

“Come on, Harry. I want to see you flex those muscles as you swing that club around.”

She skips towards his golf cart labeled thirteen. He sees her skirt bounce, and he groans. He takes a moment to remind himself to breathe. He could do this for a few more hours. He might lose his mind by the end of the evening, but he would endure it.

Safe to say, by the time they reached the last hole, Y/N had all of these men eating out of her hand. Each person listens as she tells another story.

“She’s a good one,” Mr. Levington tells Harry as Y/N tells the others about the time she went to a museum, and security gave her a private tour because she resembled a famous artist. “Never seen anyone so charming. Surprised she picked someone as sour as you.”

“Hmm…clearly, her magic worked on you. Can’t remember the last time you spoke to anyone besides your clubs,” Harry answers honestly, knowing he is lucky to have Y/N.

Mr. Levington chuckles. “Touche Styles. Keep her around. She's good for business and you, it seems. That facade has dropped.”

“Yeah, she’s one of a kind.”

“H,” Y/N yells, “Come tell them about the penguin. How he’d follow my every move.”

“Seems you’re wanted, Styles.”

They bid each other goodbye, and he makes his way over to Y/N. Harry doesn't think twice before taking her outstretched hand, launching into the story of how both penguin and Y/N had been amused with each other.

By the time they get home, Y/N’s exhausted. She wasted all her energy conversing with everyone and now needs to re-energize. Harry stopped by and got them burgers on their way to his house. They were quick to devour in the parking lot.

“Can I stay here?” Y/N asks as she throws herself on his couch, landing face down.

“Don’t want to go home, baby?” He slips off her shoes, giving her calf a squeeze.

She lifts her head searching for him. “If it’s okay. You got that nice bath I want to soak in, please.”

He walks over to her, planting a kiss on her head. “Course you can, beauty. I’ll go set it up for you.”

The bath is the perfect temperature as Y/N sinks in, sighing as her body relaxes. She apologized to Harry because she knew he was the one who must be exhausted from a long game of golf, but he was quick to assure her that it made him happy to take care of her. There was an abundance of bubbles around the tub, so she called Harry back into the room. She wanted him to keep her company.

Harry sat down at the edge of the tub, a bowl of strawberries in hand that he knew Y/N would be happy to eat. He offered her one, and she took a big bite humming at the sweet flavor filling her mouth.

“Yummy,” she giggles.

Harry thumbs away the bit of juice running down her chin; he brings his thumb up to his mouth and licks it clean, “yummy, indeed.”

Y/N feels her face flush and wants to sink underwater but keeps her gaze on Harry. She’s naked in his tub and wants him to touch her. She just has to let him know.

“Another, baby?”

She shakes her head no.

He frowns but doesn’t fight her; instead places the strawberries on the counter. He settles back down until Y/N gestures for him to come closer. He smirks but does as she asks. He leans in close until they’re nose to nose, and she presses her lips against his. She moans as Harry slips a hand in her hair; he pulls back as Y/N looks up at him, dazed. She follows him, but he doesn’t let her kiss him. Y/N whines for him to come back.

“What do you want, beauty?”

Y/N pouts. She doesn’t want to say it. Isn’t it clear what she wants?

“Harry,” she whines.

“Need you to say it, Y/N. Not a mind reader.”

Y/N sighs because he’s right. She leans forward, pressing a kiss to his thigh through his pants. “I want you to touch me,” she breathes out. She lifts her head, meeting his gaze. “I want you to touch me, please.”

Harry runs his hand down her neck, following a water droplet until he reaches the top of her breasts. “Is this okay?” His finger skims along the top, and Y/N wants more. She needs more.

“Yes,” she huffs, eager for his touch.

His hand sinks into the water, caressing her breasts, and she leans into his touch, moaning as he gets to know her body more intimately. He shifts position to kneel next to the tub, his hand pinching her nipples until she hisses from the contact. His lips settled on her neck as he bites down in different spots. It’s all so much, but Y/N is loving every second. His hand dances over her until Y/N has enough and directs him to where she needs him. His fingers glide over her steadily, whispering touch that works her into a frenzy, filling her with need. His mouth drifts down her jaw to the delicate space behind her ear. He swipes his tongue across her skin before blowing cool air, and a shiver wracks her body.

“Harry,” she whispers.

He finds her clit, rubbing his thumb back and forth in circles as he gives her the pleasure she’s been searching for. She loses her train of thought as he curls one finger inside her and rubs her in all the right places, bringing her closer to the edge faster than she thought possible. Her orgasm is fast and blinding. She grips the tub’s edge so hard that her hand aches, but Harry doesn’t stop.

“One more,” he whispers, his mouth tangling with hers in a hot kiss as they battle for control.

She shakes her head, “c-can’t.” She doesn’t think she’s ever orgasmed back to back with a partner in bed. She orgasms just fine, she can admit she’s had shit partners in bed before, but no one has ever treated her with so much care and passion as Harry.

“Oh fuck,” she yells as Harry wipes away the bubbles uncovering her breasts. He moves away from her lips, not caring that there’s water spilling over the edge as he drags his tongue over each pebbled tip promising Y/N next time, he’ll focus more attention on them.

Each touch Harry gives her is magic. She loves how in control he is of her body as he works to provide her with what she needs. His thumb moves quicker over her clit, two fingers moving in and out of her slick, making it easier for him. Y/N’s body gives in to Harry, and she knows she’s close once again. Y/N throws her wet arms around his neck because she needs him close. She feels herself tip over the edge. Breathless and satisfied.

“Gorgeous,” he mutters against her soft neck. “My beauty was gorgeous.” Each word is followed by a kiss.

Y/N feels heavy but relaxed as he holds her close to her breasts against his soft polo.  “H,” she manages to breathe out.

“Alright, baby?”

“Magic,” she giggles, her chest heaving as she leans back into the water, trying to catch her breath.

Harry laughs as he carefully separates from Y/N to reach for a towel from his towel warmer. She notices the towel and perks up, only now realizing how cold the water has run.

“If an orgasm is all you needed to be, my good girl, I would have begged to give you one sooner,” he tells her teasingly. Y/N whimpers at his words, leaning into his touch as he helps her out of the tub, still a gentleman as he averts his gaze. “Let’s get you in some clothes and then to bed.”

“Kisses and cuddles?” She requests quietly.

Harry chuckles. “Course, baby. Anything you want.”

+

Y/N had never been so comfortable in a relationship.

She had always been a confident, independent person. Yet, when it comes to Harry, she has come to let herself be taken care of because she sees he finds joy in caring for her. Y/N had never had an equal partnership where her partner put her needs next to his. She understood he was running a billion-dollar company, and she was finishing her degree soon. They were at two different points in life, but Harry always treated her events and exam nights with so much importance it sometimes overwhelmed her.

Harry was happy with her, and that’s all she could ever ask for. Date nights were reserved for the weekends and coffee dates during the week, and Harry always made time to pick her up from campus, so she didn’t have to ask for a ride from a friend. He made himself a part of her life effortlessly.

For a long time, she worried about how she fits into his life, but after dinner with Harry’s friends one weekend, she learned how much of himself he had already given her. Harry held her hand during dinner and asked what she liked to order, going as far as to order her second food option in case she didn’t like hers. He kissed her cheek any chance, not wanting to overwhelm her and his friends with PDA but also reminding her that he was thinking of her. The little things made her realize she was falling in love with Harry.

As Y/N met Harry’s friends and heard embarrassing and loving stories about Harry, she knew it was time for Harry to meet her friends properly. Sapra tried to convince her to invite Matias and Isaac, but Y/N wanted to save meeting her brother for another time. Harry suggested brunch, and Y/N couldn’t argue with that logic. If Sapra or Dawn said anything too embarrassing, she’d just get them drunk on mimosas.

“Are you nervous, Y/N?” Harry asks as she keeps her eyes on the restaurant's door, waiting for her friends to walk in.

Honestly, she was nervous because they knew everything, from when Harry rejected her to when she danced with him. She knows why they are a little weary (Sapra more than Dawn), but they haven’t had a chance to see how Harry really is. Y/N had told them how happy Harry made her. That he dedicated time to her and made her feel important and loved. She knew her friends would accept her if she saw how happy she was, but she also wanted them to like Harry.

“Is it our age difference?”

Y/N frowns that hadn’t even crossed her mind. “No, is that something you think about?”

Harry sighs, reaching down to grab her hand and bring it up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss. Her eyes stay on his face trying to figure out what he’s feeling. “It’s crossed my mind,” he shares honestly.

“It’s not a concern for me,” she promises him.

His green eyes focus back on her, and Y/N sees the glimmer of a smile. “I know, Beauty. It’s not something you’ve ever brought up, but I fear if one of your friends brings it up, then it’ll concern you, and I’ll most likely end up losing you.”

Y/N wishes they weren’t having this conversation now, but it’s her fault for being lost in her head when she should have been assuring him that her friends would love him. “Harry, lovie, I’m in this with you. In this relationship, it’s you and me. No one else. Thank you for being honest with me, but my friends do not influence how I feel about you.”

Harry fails at biting back a smile. He lowers his head, closing the gap between them in the booth. “How do you feel?”

Y/N knows she can be cheeky and tease Harry, but she wants to assure him that she sees a future with him and hopes he feels the same. “I’m crazy about you,” she whispers.

He doesn’t respond but connects his lips against Y/N’s, getting lost in each other, not noticing Y/N’s friends being directed by the hostess to their table. Harry pulls back breathless, allowing himself to get lost in Y/N’s eyes. “The feeling is very much mutual, beauty.”

“Hey lovebirds, can you not do whatever before I’ve eaten,” Sapra teases, pointing at how Y/N is fisting Harry’s button-up tightly. Y/N feels her face heat up and pulls away from Harry.

Dawn flashes them a smile, “it’s nice to officially meet you, Harry. This one’s always talking about you.” Dawn gestures to Y/N, who giggles bashfully against his shoulder.

Harry kisses her cheek, whispering how cute he is before turning his attention back to Dawn and Sapra. “Not as much as she talks about you both, I bet. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

As Y/N’s friends are telling Harry story after story, she realizes that she’s falling in love, and by the way, Harry is holding her hand tightly in his lap that he is too.

+

Harry has never been so happy to have someone make themselves at home in his house. His mother and sister had always told him it was too large for one person, but he told them it wouldn’t always be him. He didn’t know what he wanted in a partner, but after meeting Y/N, he realized he was waiting for her.

It was too soon to say he was in love, but he was basically there. Harry had no intention of letting her go, and by how Y/N enjoyed showering him with kisses every chance she could, he knew she wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon.

Everything was perfect.

She found herself in his study when she needed a quiet place to study. Usually, it meant he gave up his chair and settled on watching her from the couch next to the window. She would have her laptop in front of her, and if he let her, she’d work for hours without a break. He took it upon himself to bring her a snack and drink every hour to ensure she was well nourished. Harry found pleasure in cooking and making snacks because it was one way she allowed him to take care of her.

This evening Y/N was working on her laptop while Harry read a report for the upcoming month. Y/N sighed, closing her laptop and leaning back into the chair. He lifted his head in concern to find her already looking at him, a frown on his face.

“Beauty, what’s wrong?”

Y/N throws her hands up, “you're giving me too much?”

“Sorry?

“I didn’t need a new bag.”

She’s talking about her backpack ripping, and Harry thought nothing of replacing it for her.

“Your old one ripped.”

“My shoes were perfectly fine,” she fires back.

“The laces were barely holding together,” he reminds her.  

“I didn’t need new underwear.”

Harry smirks, “now that was for my pleasure.”

Y/N huffs, “Honey, I’m serious. I don't need all these material items.”

Harry sighs and pats his lap for her to come to sit. She does so without a second thought. She gets comfortable straddling him as his hands rest on her hips.  

“I like providing for you,” Harry expressed.

“I can provide for myself, mister.”

He nods because he knows she can. “But it makes me happy.”

“Harry,” she deadpans.

“Gives me a love boner.”

Y/N scoffs, slapping his chest playfully. “Be serious.”

Harry’s hands cradle her face, his thumbs rubbing her cheeks affectionately. “Baby, you could run me dry, and it gets me going because it means I was able to take care of you.

She sighs. “God, you're so cute,” she mumbles.

Harry grins, knowing he’s won. “Will you be my good girl and let me spoil you?”

Y/N nods slowly. He leans in to kiss her, but she stops him. “If you ever give me a diamond, I'm out,” she reminds him.

“Got it, no diamonds…. What about pearls?” He jokes. At least, she thinks he is.

“Lovie,” she exhales.

Harry has decided he’s had enough of the conversation and kisses her. Y/N always tastes so sweet. He gets lost in exploring her mouth against his that he doesn’t realize she has started rocking against him. Since Harry had given Y/N two orgasms in his bath, they’ve been more physical, but Harry isn’t in any rush, and neither is Y/N. They’re taking it slow, learning every part of their bodies before taking that final step in their relationship. He pulls back the dimples on display, he runs his index finger over Y/N’s swollen lips.

“Popcorn and Survivor, beauty?”

“Oh, Styles, you sure do know the way to a woman’s heart, don’t you,” she teases.

Harry pecks her lips. “Only yours, beauty. Only yours.”

+

Y/N couldn’t believe Harry would do this to her.

Harry sent over a large red box with a bow holding it closed. The carrier bid her goodnight, and she hurried to her kitchen to open the package. Removing the lid, she found a gorgeous emerald green dress. She picked it up, admiring the silk, and quickly pulled her phone out of her sweat pocket to call Harry. He answered on the first ring.

“Hi, beauty,” he greets cheerfully.

“Harry, tell me you didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?” He feigns.

“You sent me a dress for tonight.”

“Ah,” he giggles. “That I did. Do you like it?”

“It’s gorgeous.”

“Good. I'll be there at seven to pick you up.”

“You want to go together?” They knew they were both attending, but for some reason, she assumed they’d arrive separately.

“I didn’t get a matching tie for nothing.” He laughs. “See you soon, beauty.”

Y/N hurried to get ready, excited for what the night had in store for her and Harry.

Harry knocked on her door at seven on the dot. She rushed to the door, swinging it open and telling him to come in as she rushed back into her room. He laughed because he had never seen Y/N frazzled, and here she was, rushing, knowing she was running late. Harry put the blooming calla lilies in a vase he knew she kept under her sink.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Harry. My curler was being stupid, and then I couldn’t find my heels.” She huffs as she stands at her entrance, slipping on her heels.

Harry takes a minute to admire the dress on her. It’s an elegant satin spaghetti strap dress with a high slit up her left leg. Her hair is in an elegant updo, with a few strands framing her face. She’s gorgeous, and she’s all his to show off tonight.

“You sure you don’t want to stay home tonight?” He asks, reaching his hands out for her to take.

She shakes her head, knowing exactly what he is thinking. “Absolutely not. It’s a big night.”

And it was.

Y/N’s internship was hosting their gala of the year, where she played a prominent role in helping with the budget and the guest list. He would never keep her away from an event where she was an important guest.

Y/N grabs her clutch that holds her most essential items, such as her lipstick, ID, cash, and keys. She’s telling Harry she’s ready to go when she catches a yellow vase on her table filled with her favorite flowers.

“H,” she sighed. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

He kisses her cheek. “Anything to see that pretty smile.”

As she focuses on Harry staring down at her, she realizes she didn’t kiss him hello. Y/N leans in close, pressing her glossed lips against his. Harry hums at the familiar feel. He wants to take it further but knows they need to get going.

“All set?” He whispers.

“Yes.”

“Let’s go then, my gorgeous date.”

Arriving at the venue, Harry offered his keys to the valet as Y/N was helped out the door. Harry met her by the first step and offered his arm. She happily accepted. Walking in, Y/N was awed at the displays of gold scattered around the room. The table decorations were pristine, the lights were perfect for photos, and the ballroom was full of people. As soon as they were inside, Y/N was whisked away by her director, Valentina. Y/N gave Harry an apologetic smile but promised to find him later. Harry had always been good at spending time alone, but for once, he wished Y/N could have paraded him around the room as they introduced each other to people they knew. He knew that time would come.

It’s a beautiful and busy evening; at one point, a waiter finds him a single drink on a tray and hands it over to him, saying that a woman in an emerald green dress sent it to him. It was an amaretto sour, his new favorite. Y/N smiled from across the room when she saw him raise it in her direction as thanks.

The event was winding down, the string quartet was playing their final songs, and Harry was ready to call it a night. After an entire evening away from him, Y/N managed to make her way across the room and stood before him.

Y/N perks up as she hears the opening notes to the song the quartet is playing, their song. Moon River. Harry doesn’t tell her he’s turned the song into her ringtone.

She holds her hand for him to take, and he takes it without a second thought until Harry realizes she’s leading him to the dance floor.

“We’re going to be the talk of the town,” he tells her looking at the lonely dance floor.

Y/N shrugs, “it doesn’t matter.”

As opposed to the first time they danced together, holding space between each other, they were much closer this time. Y/N wrapped her hands around his neck, and his hands found their place on the low of her back.

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that your opinion is the only one I care about,” Y/N promises him.

Harry’s dimples break through and she grins, leaning up to give him a sweet kiss. She settles back in his arms as their song plays, lost in their own world.

“You know,” Y/N lifted her head, resting on his shoulder. “You once told me you didn’t dance, and yet this is the second time I have gotten you to dance, hmmm?”

Harry laughs because she’s right. “I was waiting for the right partner,” he affirms.

“And is that me?”

“Beauty,” he says softly, his emerald eyes locked on hers. “It could only ever be you,” Harry promises.

Y/N smiles in delight. They might not have had the easiest journey to getting to this moment, but Y/N knew she wouldn’t change anything for the world.

Dancing with Y/N on an empty dance floor to a song he knew had now become theirs, he knew meeting Y/N would be the thing to ever happen to him in life, and he couldn’t wait to see what the future had in store for them together.

thank you so much for reading! i love you endlessly, amores 💜

please come tell me what you loved or your favorite part on anything at all. always happy to receive a message. 

[strawnarrries]

Can you please please do some kind of smut with Niall body worship. He would be single in this scenario. And maybe it's after a show and one of the venue workers does not care for him for whatever reason, but she ends up alone with him, and he's all sweaty in his tank top, and he seduces her and gets her to feel all his arms and then his chest. And then he has her take his clothes off and he's super patronizing and condescending, and then he has her suck him off, and he's laughing because she can't take it all. AHHHHH!!!

"Who is performing tonight? Why is everybody freaking out?" you asked your coworker as you helped set up the buffet for the musician and their team arriving soon.

You worked as a runner backstage during music concerts for the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. It wasn't the best-paying job but you liked it. Nights usually go pretty smoothly but for some reason, the air was tense tonight. Everybody was frantic and your managers were extra particular about everything being perfect. You felt like you were constantly being pulled in every direction.

"Y/N, you don't know? It's Niall freaking Horan! He's literally gonna be here in like an hour!" she replied excitedly.

"Oh," you replied, not impressed.

"You don't like Niall Horan?"

"Eh, I've never really liked him. I've heard he's super cocky and kind of an asshole."

"Oh my gosh, don't even say that! I never fangirl over artists but I'm so excited about tonight. He's literally so hot!"

"I guess," you replied with a shrug.

"There's a rumor Noah Kahan is making a guest appearance too."

"Who?"

"Y/N!" she scolded and you giggled before she added, "For someone who works backstage at concerts, you'd think you'd be more into music."

Your workload tonight picked up even more once Niall and his team arrived. You were assigned to work with his team to help set everything up, make sure sound production was working, as well as doing little things to make sure everything was running smoothly.

Niall was actually quite pleasant to be around. Although you could definitely tell he had his cocky side, he was friendly and had a great sense of humor. The concert itself was magnificent. With all the shows you've worked for, this crowd was one of the loudest you have ever witnessed. They adored him and you now understood why. He was insanely attractive and so talented. You hadn't ever noticed until tonight.

It was after the show and everybody had started the cleanup process. You were instructed to go to Niall's room and double-check that he was okay and to get him anything he needed. You knocked on the door, nervously awaiting his response.

"Come in," he yelled.

Opening the door, you walked through and was met face to face with him. A man has never looked so good packing up his belongings after doing a show. He had taken off his leather vest and was just wearing his jeans and his black tank top. He was still sweaty from the show, slightly breathless. His biceps looked huge, glittering with sweat and you couldn't help but stare a little bit, wanting so badly to feel those muscles.

"Hey, I was told to come check on you and see if you need anything from us."

"Uh, I think I'm okay, thanks." His accent was so thick, it made your thighs involuntarily clench together.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything then," you replied, getting ready to walk back out the door before he stopped you.

"Wait," he called.

"What?"

"C'mere, I wanna talk to you."

"You wanna talk to me?" you asked, slightly shocked by his words.

"Yeah, close the door."

You closed the door behind you, taking a couple steps closer to him. Butterflies were swarming violently in your stomach, nervous that you were alone with Niall and even more nervous that he wanted to be alone with you.

"Did you like the show?" he asked, sitting down on a stool near the counter in his room. He crossed his arms over his chest, and you couldn't help but let your eyes flick down to his biceps.

"I did actually. You're really talented," you complimented.

"Did you notice me watching you?" he added.

"You were watching me?" you asked surprisingly.

"Yeah. I know you were working but I could see how badly you wanted to dance, to sway those pretty little hips to my songs."

"O-oh," you replied, feeling embarrassed.

"What's your favorite song of mine?" he asked.

"Not sure. I've never really listened to your music."

"Ouch, love," he feigned being hurt, placing a hand over his heart, "Why not?

You giggled softly at his reaction, "I don't know, I've always thought you were a little cocky."

"Ouch again!

"Well, now that I've met you I understand why," you explained.

"Oh really? Elaborate for me."

"Well, you're very attractive and a great performer. Plus if I was a guy and had all those girls screaming for me, I'd be the same way."

You felt your eyes continuing to stray from his and land on his arms. His biceps were flexing with each movement of his arm, the veins on his forearm peeking out and causing your mouth to water.

"Oh you think I'm attractive," he smirked.

"Stop, that's not the point of what I was saying," you giggled shyly.

"If it makes you feel better, I can tell you think I'm attractive."

"What? How?"

"Well for one thing, you haven't stopped staring at my arms this entire conversation," he grinned.

"O-oh, no, I-I didn't," your heart fell into your stomach; you were completely shocked and embarrassed you got caught ogling.

"You wanna feel them?" he asked, throwing you for a complete other loop.

"I-I don't-." You didn't know what to do. Of course, you wanted to feel them. But this was Niall Horan and you were on the clock. You felt like you were dreaming honestly.

"Come on, come feel them," he smirked, cocking his head.

This was never something you ever imagined you'd be doing, especially on the clock at work, but you soon found yourself moving towards him, your palms wrapping around his thick bicep. His skin was warm to the touch and his muscles were strong as you squeezed them. The next thing you knew, your hands mindlessly traveled towards his torso, his damp tank top clinging to his abs and outlining them perfectly for you. You traced them, fingers soon traveling down to the hem of his top and teasing it, wanting to badly to feel what was underneath.

Your dreams came true when you heard the words, "take it off."

But you didn't believe it. There's no way he just told you to take his shirt off, "W-what?"

"Go on, take off my tank top."

You didn't respond, just slowly slipped your hands under his top and pulled it up, over his head and oh my gosh it was so much better than you could have imagined. His chest was glistening with sweat, hair lining every inch, making him look so sexy and manly. And you didn't even want to get started on his muscles. His pecs and abs were so clearly defined, that it was obvious that this man spent a lot of time in the gym. You have never felt so turned on so quickly.

You ran your hand over his damp skin. You could feel every ridge of his muscles, the coarse chest hair slightly rough against your soft skin. You watched in awe as your hands explored his body, your mouth watering at the sight.

"Close that mouth, pretty girl, you'll catch flies."

You hadn't even noticed that your mouth had fallen open. Your cheeks immediately reddened in embarrassment as your jaw closed and he chuckled at you, "You like what you see?"

"Mhm," you hummed, nodding your head.

Lifting his hand, he used his curled index finger to lift your chin up to look at him. You stared into his gorgeous blue eyes that were covered by lust. You traced every inch of his face with your eyes, landing on his lips looking so soft and kissable. It was taking everything in your power not to kiss him.

"I can tell you wanna kiss me."

Were you being that obvious?

You didn't even reply this time, just in complete awe of the man standing in front of you. He was so cocky but ugh he had every right to be.

"Go on. Kiss me."

You smirked softly, not giving in just yet.

"You better kiss me first because, in a couple seconds, I'm not gonna be able to resist not kissing you."

"Maybe I want you to kiss me first," you challenged.

His lips immediately covered yours and oh my gosh you could not believe you were kissing Niall Horan. His lips were so soft and fuck, he was such a good kisser. You parted your lips and allowed him to lick into you, tasting you and asserting his dominance over you. You grabbed onto his waist, holding him to your chest as your lips moved in sync with his. The kisses were hot, deep, passionate, sexy, all of the above. You melted against him, feeling your abdomen clench and your panties dampen as he angled his head, kissing you deeper.

"Fuck," he mumbled against your lips.

You continued to kiss, his hands beginning to roam your entire body and you let him. He reached down and cupped both of your ass cheeks in his large palms, squeezing roughly. You whimpered slightly against his lips, chills running up your spine as he nipped softly on your lower lip.

"Get on your knees," he demanded, "Wanna feel those sexy lips wrapped around my cock."

You have never been on your knees so fast for a guy before. Your fingers fumbled with his belt buckle, trying to undo it so you could free him from his pants. You were frenzied and nervous and excited, so much that you could not get it unbuckled for the life of you.

Niall began laughing, "I got you so flustered that you can't even do a simple task like unbuckle my belt. Do I make you that nervous?"

You didn't reply, your hands getting even shakier as the seconds went by.

"Come on, sweet girl, let me help you." he hummed, reaching down and messing with his belt, easily unbuckling it and pulling it out of the loops in his jeans.

"See how easy that was?" he commented and you were just glad you could finally get your hands on what you've wanted this whole time.

Unzipping his pants, you wasted no time and pulled them down his legs, letting his pants and briefs pool at his feet. His hard member was revealed to you and oh my gosh it was so much bigger than you had ever expected.

He laughed at you as you grabbed onto his member; he was so thick you just barely were able to wrap your entire palm around him, "You look scared."

"No, I just wasn't expecting you to be so big," you hummed, hating yourself for inflating his ego even more than it already was.

He was so hard. His red, swollen tip was peaking out from under his foreskin, precum oozing from his slit, practically screaming at you to do something. You began to pump him, squeezing slightly once you got to the tip, running your thumb over it and using his precum as a lubricant as you mentally prepared yourself for what was to come.

"Stop stalling. Go on and wrap those pretty little lips around my big cock."

Obeying him, you wasted no more time and took him in until he hit the back of your throat. You barely had half of him in your mouth before you began gagging, eyes watering in response.

You heard him rumble with laughter, amusement written all over his face, "Can't take it all, huh?"

"Fucking hell," you muttered mostly to yourself as you came off of him, a string of spit following you.

He smirked at your response as you took a deep breath before taking him in your mouth again. He gathered all your hair in his palms, pulling it up into a ponytail to hold it out of your face. You innocently looked up at him through your lashes, watching as his body reacted to your warm mouth wrapped around his most sensitive area. You bobbed your head up and down, your palm wrapped around what you couldn't fit in your mouth.

He pressed both hands against the side of your head and added pressure to stop your movements. Relaxing your throat, you let him take control, thrusting his hips so his member slid in and out of your warm mouth. His tip hit the back of your throat and you gagged with each thrust. His balls slapped against the underside of your chin and he grunted with each thrust of his hips.

"Fuck, this is so fucking sexy. Look at you actually taking it all," he grunted.

Tears began to slowly slide down your cheeks the more you gagged on him. You looked up at him through blurry eyes and felt your panties dampen at the sight above you. He was so sexy. A thicker layer of sweat was glittering across his skin, enhancing the look of his muscles. Chest hair was sprinkled throughout his torso, his happy trail leading down to the patch of hair tickling your nose every time he bottomed out. His face was scrunched in pleasure, eyes crinkled and mouth ajar as he watched in awe as his member was soaked in your saliva, your throat constricting around him and bringing him closer to the edge by the second.

His thrusts began to get sloppy and you could tell he was close to finishing, his words soon confirming your belief, "Jesus christ, I'm gonna cum so fucking hard. Gonna swallow it all? Like the good girl you are?"

You hummed in response, preparing yourself for his load. It was only seconds later when he left his balls contracting and his orgasm ripping throughout his entire body. He grunted in pleasure as his load shot down your throat, warming your insides. Pulling out, he stroked himself a couple times to finish off his orgasm, tugging the last spurts of his load onto your tongue. Once he had come down from his high, he let out a heavy breath and watched as you swallowed every last drop of him.

"Jesus," he breathed, running a hand through his sweaty hair, "fuck, I think that was one of the best blowjobs I've ever had."

Your confidence rose as you stood on your feet in front of him, smirking at him, "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm," he hummed as he placed his hands on your hips, eyes trailing down to your lips, "you're really sexy."

"So are you," you grinned, letting his lips engulf yours before pushing him off, "As much as I wanna continue this, I am still on the clock."

He giggled at your statement before bending down and pulling his pants back up, "Give me your number and maybe we can meet up next time I'm in town."

You smiled, "Okay."

What the hell just happened?

[harrywavycurly]

Do we ask Niall to be our man of honor since Gemma is Harry’s best woman? If so I’d love to see a little something of us asking him because as snarky as Niall is I know he’d cry 😂😊😊

Hiii lovey!!! Oh 1000% Niall James Horan is the man of honor, I will happily give you how it went when you asked him! I love how in this series it’s normal to just assume everyone is always crying 😂💖

-find all things Lonely here✨

A/N: Niall doesn’t do well with surprises but this really isn’t what he was expecting, enjoy a look at how you and Niall communicate because you two are besties✨

“Why are you in such a rush?” You ignore Niall’s question as your grip on his hand tightens as you practically drag him towards the back of the restaurant, smiling at the bartender as you head towards a private room that you had spent the better half of the afternoon decorating with the help of a very huffy and puffy Harry who wanted nothing more than to enjoy his Saturday lazing about on the couch, but who was he to tell his fiancé no. “What are we doing back here? Last time you and I went through a door like this it was in Paris and we accidentally stumbled upon that sex club place and honestly I still have nightmares about what we saw so please just tell me-”

“Niall.” Your voice stops his ranting as the two of you are now standing outside the door of the private room. You give his hand a little squeeze making him look down at you, his eyes are a bit wide and he’s bitting his bottom lip so you know he’s nervous for whatever’s on the other side of the door and you want to laugh because you know what’s waiting for him but you don’t you just bring your free hand up and give his cheek a playful pat. “We swore we’d never talk about that night again didn’t we? But don’t worry there’s nothing weird behind this door. Trust me.” You watch him nod as he lets out a deep breath as you let go of his hand so you can take a small step back and let him enter the room on his own. He runs a hand through his hair and looks at you over his shoulder and when you just give him a reassuring smile he turns his attention back to the daunting black door in front of him.

“Fuck it.” You laugh as he mumbles the words as his hand grips the doorknob giving it a twist so it’ll open. You slowly follow him into the little room and you clasp your hands behind your back as you watch Niall take in the sight before him. “You’ve got to be shitting me.” His eyes are the size of golf balls as he fully steps into the room, not sure what to focus on first.

You know the surprise in his voice is genuine because while Niall Horan may be your bestfriend, when he found out you and Harry were getting married he didn’t assume he was going to be apart of it other than a guest or maybe a groomsman for Harry but that was a big maybe since everyone has always considered Niall more yours than Harry’s. So asking him to not only be in your wedding party but the Man of Honor wasn’t something he was expecting so he surly wasn’t prepared to be asked like this.

You got fancy silver balloons that spelled out “Be my Man of Honor?” And hung them on the wall above the little couch that was in the room and then got white and powder pink streamers and hung them from the ceiling framing the balloons and on the wall across from the couch you picked some of your favorite photos of the two of you throughout your decade long friendship and clipped them to some fairy lights that Harry neatly hung in nice rows while you stood off to the side and supervised. Sitting on the table in front of the couch was a basket filled with random things Niall would need to help plan wedding activities, a flask with his name engraved on it and his title, little bottles of his favorite liquor and a card that would no doubt make him cry when he reads it. But the thing that you know was going to really send him into shock was the two pints of Guinness sitting next to the basket, something you know he’d instantly take as your way of bribing him to say yes and normally he wouldn’t be wrong but this time it was just a token of your love and appreciation for him.

“Did you really think I’d be able to marry that lanky hunk of a man without the help of my bestfriend?” Niall turns to look at you from where he’s standing in the middle of the room and you feel your eyes begin to get that all too familiar sting to them when you see the look on his face. His eyes are still a little wide but glossy and his cheeks are a tiny bit pink while his bottom lip is tucked between his teeth and you know he’s doing his best not to full on lose it.

“You’re a proper asshole for this.” Is all he says before you meet him half way and he’s wrapping his arms around your shoulders bringing you into his chest for a hug. “Like really you get me all dressed up just to make me fucking cry in a back room of a pub.” You just laugh as your arms wrap around his middle, you feel him rest his chin on the top of your head and let out a sigh. “Tammy is gonna be pissed you didn’t ask her.”

“Tammy? You thought I’d ask Tammy to be my maid of honor?” You pull away from him just enough so you can look up at him with a raised brow making him just shrug as he looks down at you. “Niall she doesn’t even like Harry why would I ask her to help me plan my wedding to him?”

“I mean I don’t like him either and here I am.”

“Oh shut up you love him.”

“Yeah whatever. So what’s a man of honor do anyway? Is this a paying gig?” You can’t help but laugh and shake your head as Niall releases his hold on you so he can walk over to the table and take a look at what you put in the basket. “Is this a checklist of things I have to do? Why do I have to do so bloody much? It’s your wedding not mine.” His tone is teasing as he flips through the notebook you put in the basket that had random things in it that you found online that listed what most maid of honors did so you figured a man of honor could do them as well. “This says hold the bride’s dress while she pees? Now I love you and all but I’m not holding your dress while you pee.” He states as he looks from the notebook and over to you.

“I held your hair when you got sick at Halloween two years ago when Amelia was out of town.”

“That was a wig so it wasn’t even my actual hair.”

“So? I still held it while you got sick. So why can’t you hold my dress while I pee? It’s not like you’ll see anything you big ninny.”

“Ninny? Real mature. Does Harry know one of my jobs is watching you take a piss?”

“No but-”

“You know how weird he’s always been about people getting too close to you and that was before he went and decided to marry you. I can’t imagine he’s gonna take too kindly to seeing me follow you into the bathroom so I can assist you in taking a leak.”

“Fine I’ll have someone else assist me during my bathroom breaks you asshole.”

“I’m not an asshole I’m being a proper gentleman and not trying to get an inappropriate glimpse of my bestfriend’s lady bits on her actual fucking wedding day.” The two of you stare at each other for a moment, both of you have your hands on your hips and playful glares in your eyes but Niall is first to break as his mouth forms a grin before he starts laughing making you laugh as well.

“I love you Niall.” Your voice is soft once you finally get your laughter under control, you reach for one of his hands so you can give it a nice squeeze. “Thank you for being my man of honor.” You add making him shrug as he leans down and grabs one of the pints of Guinness off the table with his free hand.

“I love you too and you’re welcome because it says here I get to plan your bachelorette party so you’re in for a world of fun love.” You roll your eyes when he shoots you a wink before he brings the pint up to his lips to take a good long swig. “I’m thinking strippers and a round of golf. How’s that sound?”

“Horrible.”

[glitterquadricorn]

letter to me - Niall Horan

+summary: On the day of her wedding, reflects on her life via a letter to herself. +pairing: Niall Horan x f1!driver +warnings: mentions having a breakdown, mentions sexism, mentions misogyny, curse words, mentions bullying, mentions the FIA, poorly edited, etc. I do not give my permission to have my work reposted. I do not give my permission to have my work translated. If I'm notified that you've stolen my work or claim it as your own, you'll be asked to take it down before I'll report you. End of discussion.

She glanced around the room, observing the guests before standing up and tapping on the microphone to get everyone's attention. Niall, who was sitting next to her, raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Hello everyone! I hope everybody is having a lovely evening so far. Dinner will be served momentarily, but until then, I decided to do a little speech of my own," she paused. "One night sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by wedding stuff, I found myself getting overwhelmed to the point where I had a breakdown. But while I was having my breakdown, I had my country playlist from Spotify playing in the background. The song Letter to Me by Brad Paisley came on and I thought, 'writing a letter to my past self sounds like a pretty good idea.' I'm happy to read that letter for all of you right now."

Their wedding planner handed her a white envelope containing the letter. Opening it, she cleared her throat and began to read.

"If I could write a letter to me, and send it back to myself at sixteen first, I'd prove it's me by saying go over to your closet, and on the top shelf all the way in the back is an orange shoe box. In this shoe box is a dedicated shrine of your first crush, your one true love, Jenson Button," she grinned as said man's laughter loudly echoed throughout the room, which in turn made everyone else laugh. "And I really hate to break it to you, but he's happily married to a beautiful woman who is out of his league."

"And then I'd say I know it's tough to see all the other guys on the grid get opportunities to further their careers while you stand still, stuck in the same place not really going anywhere. At one point you even ask yourself if racing is really worth it because of the limited opportunities and all the sexism and misogyny. But future me is here to tell you don't give up and don't quit because there's a man who would've loved to have been here today and who sadly isn't with us anymore. He clearly saw potential in you that others didn't and without that man, you wouldn't have met Toto Wolff and if it wasn't for Toto, you wouldn't have been a part of the Mercedes drivers' program. Sadly, you don't get a seat at Mercedes, but you will get a seat at Porsche, who are making a serious name for themselves and pose a real threat to the championship standings."

Y/n sniffled, thinking about Niki and all the good things he's done for her. Feeling Niall's hand on her arm, she continued.

"The stop sign that's two blocks down from your childhood home? Don't run it. There's a huge pothole in the middle of the intersection and since you were speeding, you hit just right to not only flatten the tire but bend the rim of said tire. You manage to drive it back home safely, park it in the garage, sneak into the house and up to your room with no one noticing you were gone because you weren't supposed to be out at eleven o'clock at night. Unfortunately for y/b/n, he ended up taking the fall cause to our parents' knowledge, he was the last one to drive the car."

At the table next to hers, her brother yelled, "I told you it wasn't me!"

"I apologize for that, and I will pay you the money it took to get it fixed now that you know it was me," she laughed.

"You'll be bullied for your love of cars and all things racing. You'll be told by teachers, peers, and some of your own family members those sorts of things are only for boys and as a girl, you should aim for something more realistic like a nurse, or a teacher. Which there is nothing wrong with that, but as Grandma Agnes once said, "Aim for the fucking moon and If that makes people mad, then so be it."

"Speaking of people who feel you shouldn't be racing, there's this association called the FIA. While they do not openly admit to it, the FIA will hate you and it's only because any chance you get, rather it be on social media or in person, you'll call them out for their bullshit. But you'll prefer to do it in person because nothing will make you happier than seeing a bunch of crusty, crunchy, salty, bitter old men get red in the race with anger."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, bracing herself for the end of the letter to herself. "The journey to formula one will be one of the hardest things you'll ever do in your life, but you'll be rewarded with new friendships and experiences that'll last a lifetime. So, I'll end by saying you may never ever win a formula one championship, and that's okay. You will however inspire the next generation of girls to pursue their dreams in motor sports and that will always be more gratifying than winning a title."

"Oh! And PS, make sure you remind your husband, who is a pasty white Irish man who burns brighter than Ferrari, to put on sunscreen with a spf of 75 or higher because you don't repeat of Mykonos 2021."

Niall, being the only one who knew what happened in Mykonos 2021, laughed while getting up from his chair, bringing her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. After she read the letter, dinner was served and not too long after that, the bride and groom had their first dance. And as they twirled around on the wooden dance floor, they looked into each other's eyes, seeing their entire future ahead of them and they couldn't wait for what was in store.

---

I've had this in my drafts for a hot minute.

Happy Birthday to me! :) 🎉🎂🥳🎁

tagging:

@patzammit @mrspeacem1nusone @alexxavicry @catswag22 @eugene-emt-roe @bibissparkles @cherry-piee @khaylin27 @evie-119 @green-thots @2pagenumb @myescapefromthislife @ironmaiden1313 @lottalove4evelyn @mynameisangeloflife @newlifeforus @jxnellat @loloekie @c-losur3 @czennieszn @d3kstar @reiofsuns2001 @sweate-r-weathe-r @itsjustkhaos @hiireadstuff @wcnorris

[daisyblog]

I Won’t Give Up

Too Young Masterlist Summary: Louis finds out YN is pregnant at his Mum's wedding.

It was the 20th of July, 2014. The day that YN had to see Louis for the first time, since their one night of passion. For the last fews weeks, YN had kept busy, uni assignments had helped with that but now that she had completed her second year she had time to think about the reality.

Louis' Mum was getting married today, and YN had been looking forward to the day. But since her and Louis steamy night and YN finding out she's pregnant, she was nervous to see him again.

YN arrived had the wedding venue with her Mum and Robin, and they were each handed a glass of champagne. YN looked at her Mum not knowing how to say no to the drink.

"Just hold it in your hand for now." Anne whispered discreetly in her ear. Her Mum and Robin were the only people to know that she was pregnant.

"C'mon...I can see Harry down there." Robin spoke to the two women, nodding his head in the direction where Harry was standing talking with Niall.

The three walked down to where there were groups of guests huddled together. Jay and Dan had got married a little earlier in the day, their ceremony was small and intimate with just their close family and friends. Therefore the other guests were invited to the afternoon and evening celebrations.

"Hey womb mate." Harry wrapped his arms around his sister after he had given his Mum and Robin a cuddle.

"Hi twin." YN gave Harry a slightly smile, one that didn't quite reach the top of her cheeks.

Harry knew his sister better than anyone. "You alright?".

YN nodded her head quickly, not wanting to make Harry any more suspicious. "Yeah..I'm fine.". YN heard Louis voice behind her, he was talking to one of the guests. "Niall...you can have my drink...I don't like it." YN lied and passed her drink to Niall before she excused herself to use the bathroom.

Once YN got to the bathroom, she touched up her make up, her way of procrastinating so she could hide away for longer. After she touched up her lipstick and fixed up her hair, YN took a deep breath and went back outside to find her family. As YN was walking towards them, she bumped into Jay and the one person she was avoiding.

"Aw YN, there you are." Jay greeted her with a warm hug. "I just asked your Mum where you were.".

YN avoided looking at Louis, who's eyes she could feel burning into the side of her head. "Toilet break." YN tried to joke. "Congratulations...you look beautiful.".

"Oh thank you my love." Jay smiled sweetly at the younger Styles. "But between us, I can't wait to get out of this dress.". Earning a giggle from YN. "Lottie is calling me over...I'll see you later sweetheart.".

On the inside YN panicked as Jay hurried off in the direction of her daughters because now she was alone with Louis.

"Not talking to me are you?" Louis wasted no time in calling YN out for giving him the silent treatment.

YN looked at the ground, not feeling confident to look at him. "I haven't seen you to talk to you."

"You won't look at me either." Louis continued to push for answers. "Look...if it's about what happened-".

"Just leave it Lou!" YN snapped, shocking Louis. "Like you said, no stings attached so stop talking about it.".

Louis wasn't expecting YN to be so defensive. "YN...what's wrong?".

"Nothing...just leave me alone!" YN huffed before she quickly went back to find Harry, leaving Louis stood in the same spot wondering what had just happened.

But little did the two know that Anne had been watching their interaction from a far, wondering why their conversation seemed so tense.

YN relaxed once they were all in the marquee and sat in their designated seats, her between Harry and her Mum. Niall, Liam and Sophia also sitting on their table too. YN had turned down many drink offers and continue to sip on her orange juice, she was glad that nobody had mentioned the fact that she was not drinking any alcohol. YN was talking across the table with Liam's girlfriend, when she saw Louis walking towards their table.

"Alright Tommo?" Niall asked as Louis stood next to his chair.

"I've got meself into a game of dare with me sisters." Louis began to explain, everyones eyes on him.

Liam's eyes scrunched up as he laughed. "What have they dared you to do?".

Louis eye's found YN's eyes. "Daisy dared me to dance with YN".

YN knew all eyes were on her now too. She wanted to say no but she didn't want any one to question why. So she put on her best fake smile and followed Louis to the dance floor.

Her hands rested on his shoulders, as his slipped around her waist. Goosebumps covered her arms from the touch, teasing her about what had happened the last time they were this close.

The song changed to I Won’t Give Up and YN tried her best to hold her tears back, trying to put on a good show.

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts We got yeah we got a lot at stake And in the end you're still my friend at least we did intend For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn We had to learn, how to bend without the world caving in I had to learn what I got, and what I'm not And who I am

The lyrics were taunting her, her throat went dry and she was focusing on her breathing. “YN…you’re crying.”.

She shook her head slightly. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.”

I won't give up on us Even if the skies get rough I'm giving you all my love I'm still looking up I'm still looking up

Louis was filled with worry and guilt as he saw a tear threaten to fall from YN’s eye. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“I can’t tell you here.” YN looked at him directly in the eye, silently pleading with him.

He guided her off the dance floor and outside to where the was a small building where his Mum had gotten ready this morning. Once he checked that the room was empty, he led YN inside.

Even though they were alone, YN still couldn’t find the words to say.

“I’m sorry about what happened between us…it probably shouldn’t have happened…I mean I don’t regret it but you obviously-“.

YN interrupted Louis. “I’m pregnant.”.

Silence.

YN’s heart was thumping against her chest now that she had said the words out loud to Louis. It was real now.

Louis was never speechless but his mind was completely blank as he stared at the girl in front of him. He didn’t really know what to expect YN to say, but her saying she was pregnant never crossed his mind.

“You’re pregnant?” Louis said out loud, looking to see if he had heard correctly.

YN sniffed from the tears running down both cheeks. “Yeah…about seven or eight weeks.”.

“Shit…fook…fookin’ shit.” Louis mumbled to himself. “Harry’s going to hate me.”.

“I won’t tell anyone you’re the dad, if you don’t want people to know.” YN offered to protect Louis.

“Hey…you’re not doing this alone.” Louis spoke. “I’m the dad and a dad to this baby I will be.”.

Hearing these words, YN pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around his torso, Louis following and holding her close to his chest.

As the pair stood as one in the middle of the room, the sound of the bathroom door opening caused them both to freeze. As they turned to look at who had heard their conversation, Jay was standing in the door way.

“I think you two have some explaining to do.”

Taglist: @jillsvalentinex @itsmytimetoodream @peterholland04 @youcan-nolonger-run @chronicallybubbly

[unabashegirl]

Lycan 16 — werewolf

Y/N Y/L/N returns to her hometown, Alsfield, when her father falls ill, only to discover the town hides a dark secret—one protected by the mysterious Harry Styles. As Y/N unravels the town's mysteries, her plans to return to San Francisco are derailed. 

check out my patreon (starting at $2) and get full access to all chapters, various one shots like The Cover and much more :)

— lycan masterlist —

The moon hung low in the night sky, casting an ethereal glow over the Shadow pack territory. Harry, Niall, and a group of warriors moved stealthily through the dense woods. A sense of unease lingered in the air, a premonition of something dark.

Harry, his senses heightened, led the way. His nose twitched as he caught a scent that shouldn't be there—an unfamiliar and unsettling aroma. Harry, his expression tense, followed closely behind. The warriors, their eyes vigilant, formed a protective perimeter.

As they ventured deeper into the woods, a chilling discovery awaited them. Harry’s low growl signaled that something was amiss. The group stumbled upon the lifeless body of a teenage girl, her pale form contrasting starkly with the shadows of the night.

The scene was haunting, a tragic tableau in the moonlit woods. The victim lay sprawled on the cold forest floor, her lifeless form bathed in an otherworldly glow. The trees, their branches reaching out like spectral fingers, cast eerie shadows over the solemn gathering.

The air carried a mix of scents—the damp earth, the scent of pine from the towering trees, and the unmistakable tang of blood. The girl's body, once vibrant with life, now bore the marks of a brutal encounter. Her clothes were torn, and the pallor of death had settled on her skin. Her neck had been slit.

Nearby, the underbrush was disturbed, evidence of a struggle that had unfolded in the heart of the Shadow pack territory. The foliage seemed to whisper secrets of the night, but its secrets were elusive, leaving the investigators with more questions than answers.

The air thickened with a somber silence as the pack members surveyed the scene. The girl's eyes, frozen in terror, stared blankly into the night. Harry, a mix of sorrow and rage in his eyes, spoke softly, “It’s isabella. patrick’s oldest” He had been an omega to his father.

Harry, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders, knelt beside the fallen girl. The warriors exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. This wasn't just an intrusion; it was an act of violence that struck at the heart of their territory.

Niall, his voice roughened by the emotions coursing through him, reported, "She crossed into the territory and didn't make it far. Whoever did this knew our borders."

Harry's jaw tightened as he assessed the situation. An outsider breaching their territory was one thing, but the brutality inflicted upon this girl was another. The pack's safety was paramount, and this incident demanded swift action.

"Territory patrol has to get intensified," Harry declared, his eyes reflecting both determination and sorrow. " and a curfew has to get established for teenagers and kids"

The warriors nodded in agreement, their loyalty unwavering. The search for the perpetrator had begun, and the Shadow pack, bound by a duty to protect their own, would not rest until justice was served.

"He's an outsider. A rogue," Josh disclosed as he approached the grim scene. His reputation as a tracker preceded him; the uncanny ability to decipher the traces left behind in the air and on the ground. Harry's silence spoke volumes; anger emanated from him, and the primal instincts of his wolf simmered beneath the surface, seeing nothing but red.

“Cover her body and take her to Michaela. I’ll go speak to Patrick. He must already know that something is wrong” Harry's voice cut through the heavy silence that hung over the tragic scene. The lifeless body of the teenage girl lay on the forest floor, an unwarranted guest in the territory of the Shadow pack. Niall and the warriors moved swiftly to follow Harry's orders, draping a cloth over the girl and lifting her gently.

As they carefully carried her away, Harry's eyes lingered on the disturbed earth, a mix of sorrow and fury etched across his face. This act of violence within his territory was a direct challenge to his leadership, and the stakes were higher now that Y/N was in the picture.

Harry turned on his heel, striding purposefully toward the heart of the pack territory where Patrick, had his residence.

The peaceful silence of the night shattered as Y/N awoke abruptly to the jarring sound of things being thrown around. The remnants of a calm evening, where she had taken a soothing bath and attempted to lose herself in a movie, were now replaced by chaos.

Confusion clouded Y/N's mind as she fumbled to grasp the reality of the situation. The room was cast in an eerie glow from the moon filtering through the curtains. It was barely five in the morning. The distant echoes of the commotion outside reached her ears, and a knot of unease settled in her stomach.

Swiftly, Y/N rose from the bed, her senses on high alert. The room felt different, charged with an unfamiliar tension. She could hear muffled voices, urgent and agitated, echoing through the walls. The pack, normally a cohesive unit, now seemed to be in disarray.

With cautious steps, Y/N moved to the window, peering outside to witness an unsettling scene. Shadows danced in the moonlight as figures darted back and forth, their urgent movements painted with a sense of urgency and concern.

The pack territory, usually a haven of tranquility, was now a canvas of unrest. Y/N's heart raced as she tried to piece together the fragments of the situation. It was evident that something had gone awry, disrupting the fragile peace she had briefly known.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N steeled herself, the remnants of sleep dissipating. She needed to find out what was happening. The hallway outside her room was dimly lit, the atmosphere heavy with an unspoken tension. As she ventured out, she noticed other pack members moving with purpose, their expressions etched with a mix of determination and concern.

The first face that greeted Y/N in the hallway was Niall's, his usual composed demeanor replaced with a visible expression of concern. His eyes, usually calm, now reflected the turbulence that seemed to have enveloped the entire pack.

Y/N approached Niall with a myriad of questions crowding her mind. "What's happening?" she uttered, her voice hoarse from sleep and the abrupt awakening. The urgency in her tone mirrored the disquietude that echoed through the pack's territory.

Niall, caught off guard by her presence, looked at her with a mix of surprise and caution. "What are you doing up?" he asked, his tone revealing that her awakening was not expected. The worry etched on his face deepened as he motioned for her to move closer, away from the prying ears in the hallway.

The escalating cacophony of shouts and the discordant crash of objects colliding made it difficult for Y/N to focus on anything else. She turned to Niall, her expression reflecting the urgency of her need for answers.

"What's happening?" she inquired once more, the volume of her voice rising to compete with the tumult resonating from Harry's office. It was evident to her that the heart of the disturbance lay within those walls.

Stepping closer, intent on unraveling the mystery, she noticed Niall attempting to divert her attention, a subtle indication that this was not a situation meant for her ears. However, her determination pushed her forward, and she didn't hesitate to approach the door.

Niall, caught off guard by her persistence, jumped slightly, his attempts to guide her away met with resistance. "Niall, what is going on?" she demanded, her tone more authoritative as she sought the truth.

His reassurances fell flat in the face of her determination. "Nothing. Go back to sleep," he insisted, hoping to spare her from the unfolding chaos.

"Tell me now," she commanded, her voice cutting through the tumult like a blade. The urgency in her eyes matched the turmoil in the corridor, and Niall, realizing the futility of deflecting her, took a deep breath before responding.

Niall's words carried the weight of concern as he explained the situation. "It's Harry's wolf. He is angry, and we haven't been able to contain him. Something set him off, and he's just seeing red," he elaborated, his tone heavy with the gravity of the circumstance. "You can't go in there. If something happens to you, he's going to kill me."

A determined look settled on Y/N's face as she responded, "I have to. Let me see him. Perhaps I can help."

Niall hesitated, torn between the urgency of the situation and the instinct to protect Y/N. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded reluctantly, realizing that her willingness to face the volatile situation might be the key to diffusing the tension. With a deep breath, he stepped aside, allowing her access to the tumultuous scene beyond the office door.

He was enormous, his massive form barely fitting in the room. Dark as the night, only his eyes allowed her to identify him amidst the chaos. Several people were in the room, attempting to calm him, but all efforts had failed. The space was in shambles, with his powerful paws having torn through everything. The moment she entered, his intense gaze fixed on her, the sole point of focus in the turbulent room.

"His name is Zion," Niall shared as he introduced them to each other. She swallowed heavily, feeling the weight of his intense gaze on her. He stood before her, studying her, as Zion hadn't had a chance to meet her before. “Now calm him down before we all get killed”.

Zion's eyes, a deep and penetrating shade, seemed to bore into her soul. His massive form exuded power, and the air in the room crackled with tension. The other pack members stepped back, giving Y/N and Zion a wide berth.

Y/N nodded, her eyes locked with Zion's. There was an odd connection, an understanding that transcended words. She took a cautious step forward, and despite the chaos in the room, Zion's attention remained fixated on her.

Niall warned, "Be careful, Y/N. His wolf is dominant right now, and he might not recognize you as his mate”.

----> Chapter 17

[butdaddyilovehim-hs]

Stars Around My Scars: Part I

Summary: Y/N and Harry meet by chance on the street and Harry just so happens to be Y/N's longtime crush. Sparks fly between the two but there's just one problem... Harry has a girlfriend. Featuring our favourite 1D boys and soft Harry <3

Word Count: >1k (super short to set up the story) Warnings: none

Based off this ask

"Liam you forgot the candles!” 

“They weren’t on the list Y/N.”

“But it’s a PARTY, of course we need candles?!”  Y/N rolls her eyes at her roommate who sits unbothered on the couch, stuck in the latest round of whatever new game he had bought.

 “They. Weren’t. On. The. List.”

 “Ok. Fine.” Y/N sucks in a deep breath before grabbing her keys. “I’ll go get them. You’re lucky we still have time before the party tomorrow.” 

Liam groans in response and Y/N rolls her eyes again before heading to the store. Party planning is not for the weak. She isn’t quite sure why she’s taken on such a large responsibility especially because it’s Niall’s 30th so she can’t mess it up. But he’s one of her best friends so obviously she had to throw him a party. And then her idea of a small gathering spiralled out of control and now it’s a surprise party with over 100 guests. It’s not like Liam and Louis have been much help because well… Liam would rather be doing anything else than helping her plan the decor and Louis can’t keep a secret to save his life so he doesn’t even know about the party. Y/N has over a million things to prepare before tomorrow and getting these candles was definitely not on her to do list for the day. 

She rushes out of her car and into the party store, grabbing the first packet she sees, pays for them and rushes back out to her car. However in her rush, (and due to the fact that she was looking at her phone) she slams into someone. Hard. Said someone grunts softly at the impact before reaching out a hand to steady her.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going, I didn’t mean to- holy shit.” 

“No worries love. You alright?” The man in front of her smiles, making sure she’s regained her footing before gently letting go of her. 

“Oh I’m fine… it’s just. Well. You’re Harry Styles.” Y/N can hardly believe her eyes. Her first thought is that his eyes are even greener in person. Her second thought is that he’s even more attractive in person and that’s saying something because he was pretty damn good looking in his pictures. And in the posters Y/N used to have (still has) on her wall. 

“That would be me. You look really familiar love. Have we met?” His voice is low and slightly raspy and it sends a flurry of butterflies to Y/N’s core. 

“Um well no. But I’m Liam’s roommate so maybe you might have seen a picture of me on his instagram or something? It’s really lovely to meet you. You’re… taller than I imagined.” Y/N wants to die. It’s like she’s forgotten how words work all of a sudden because her childhood crush is standing right in front of her and he’s smiling at her like that and Y/N doesn’t really remember how to breathe either. 

“You’ve imagined?” He sends a smirk her way and Y/N’s knees almost give out. 

“I didn’t mean it like that.” She blushes and Harry chuckles at how flustered she is. 

“Well anyway, it’s nice to properly meet you… I’m so sorry love, I don’t remember your name.” He winces as if it’s something he should have committed to memory. 

“Oh. It’s Y/N.” 

“Y/N! That’s right. Pretty name.” He tests it on his tongue and she shivers slightly. Y/N decides she only wants Harry to say her name from now on. It certainly sounds pretty coming off his lips. 

“The boys mentioned you were living in LA? What brings you to London? Just visiting or…?” 

“I’ve moved back actually. I bought a new place and my uh girlfriend and I just moved in a few days ago.” He runs a hand through his hair and Y/N can’t place the slightly sheepish expression on his face. Girlfriend. Of course he has a girlfriend. He’s Harry fucking Styles. She’s probably a model, Y/N thinks to herself. Blonde, skinny, legs for days. 

“Oh that’s… wow. I’m sure the guys will be thrilled to catch up with you. I’ll have to let them know I saw you.” Y/N offers him a weak smile. She isn’t exactly sure what she was hoping for. For him to fall in love with her on the street and whisk her off to his apartment to have his way with her? Actually that’s exactly what she was hoping for. 

“I’m throwing Niall a surprise birthday party.” She blurts out, filling the silence. 

“Oh really? It’s his 30th yeah?” 

“Yeah it is. You should come. If you like. No pressure. You could bring your girlfriend?” 

“Sure we’d love to. It’ll be nice to see the guys again.” Harry perks up at the invitation. 

“I’ll get your number off Liam and text you the details if that’s ok?” 

“Nah, I’ll give it to you now. I’ll surprise all of them by showing up.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket. He rattles off his number and Y/N quickly enters it into her phone before sending him a text so he has her number too. They say their goodbyes and Y/N finally makes it to her car, sitting in silence in slight disbelief as to what just happened. She’s staring, slightly dazed out of the window when her phone buzzes.

 (1:05pm) Harry: Send me the details! Lovely to meet you :) 

Harry Styles is texting her. 15 year old Y/N would have passed out by now and current Y/N isn’t really sure she’s got function in her limbs.

A/N: This is something just to tide you guys over until I can get part 2 of obsession out!! My laptop died on me so it's taking me a bit longer I'm afraid. BUT I adore you all for loving that series so much, and I hope you enjoy the start of this 😘

If I haven't added you to my tag list because I've missed your message or forgotten, please message me or comment! Reblogs and feedback are always appreciated xo

Tags:

@lukesaprince @harryspirate @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @lilyrmason12 @styleslover-1994 @stylesfever @kathb59 @indierockgirrl @bxbyysstuff @gills-lounge @lomlhstyles @opheliaofficial07 @stylesmoonlight12 @babyiamperfectforyou @velvetballaspark @harrys-flower @macy-tpwk @mema10 @jerseygirlinca @daphnesutton @rafaaoli @allthelovehes @lovrave @tenaciousperfectionunknown @namelesssav @hsonlyangelxo @smartcookee @laurenstears

[iguana-eyanna]

Baby Girl

Pairing: Niall Horan x curvy reader

Summary: after a night of drinking, you and Niall realize that you're more than flirtatious friends

Warnings: mature themes, explicit language and unprotected sex.

The music was thumping, the bass reverberating through the club as Niall and you made your way to the bar. You were both a little tipsy, having indulged in a few too many drinks during the night out with your friends. The playful banter that had become both your trademark was in full swing, as you teased each other with witty comebacks and flirtatious remarks.

"I swear that these heels would be the death of me." You said out loud.

"Thought you had that spot reserved for me?" Niall asked, smirking as he closed in.

You rolled your eyes as you turn around, grinding in front of him seductively.

"Try all you want lover boy, but you can't handle all of this." You said, biting your bottom lip as your cheeks heated up.

Niall couldn't deny of how much he needed you.

"I'll do my best."

You met on the Voice where you did a guest appearance. He thanked Kelly as you were a guest on her show to promote your latest album. Once you said you were a fan of the singing competition show, Kelly invited you with no hesitance. You kicked it off with the other judges as Kelly introduced you to Niall after the show. He was blown away by your voice and the way you brightened up the room.

You two kicked it off quite strongly, already skipping the awkward of meeting someone for the first time. Everyone witnessed it. Tabloids and late night shows were already skeptilizing that you two were an item. Kelley, Chance, and Blake would even tease Niall when he was tying the knot with you.

All he could do was chuckle and shake his head.

But tonight, with the alcohol fueling his emotions, he found himself looking at you differently. Everything about you was beautiful to him, and he couldn't help but admire how you carried yourself with such grace and charm.

As you stood at the bar, waiting for the bartender to take your order, Niall's gaze lingered. You were wearing a stunning green dress that hugged your curves in all the right places, and he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to touch you, to taste your lips.

Niall leaned in closer to your ear, whispering with his husky voice. "What can I get you, Baby Girl?"

Your cheeks flushed at Niall's sudden change in tone. You were used to your flirty banter with him, but the way he called you "baby girl" sent shivers down your spine. You couldn't deny the attraction you felt towards him either, and the alcohol was making your inhibitions slip away.

"You know what I like," you replied, with your voice slightly breathless.

Niall ordered drinks and you two found a quiet corner to sit in. As the night went on, your conversation grew more intimate, and touches more lingering.

"I never realized you wanted to be an author." Niall asks when he just asked you what occupation you would do if you didn't pursue music.

"Yeah, I really loved to write stories when I was kid. When I got older, I took every opportunity just to write. Had to wake up from that dream when my University denied to publish one of my works I was most proud of."

"Hey." Niall said, placing a gentle hand on your thigh.

"They don't deserve to have your works publish, you can do that yourself, cause you know why? You're the most talented, gorgeous person I know. Those who say otherwise can come through me." Niall said, defending your honor.

The sexual tension between you two was palpable, and Niall found it harder and harder to resist the temptation to kiss you.

You could visibly see him staring at your lips, but you realized that this wasn't the right moment.

With enough drunken courage, you dared to say the sentence that would change your friendship forever.

"How far is your place from here?"

Before he knew it, you were both outside, the cool night air hitting you two as you stumbled towards an Uber. Niall's hand found its way to the small of your back, pulling you closer to him. You didn't protest, instead leaning into his touch, your own hands gripping his shoulders. The ride felt like an eternity, as you tried to take your hands away from him but you couldn't.

When you reached Niall's apartment, the moment of truth arrived. Niall hesitated for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. He had never been one for casual hookups, but he couldn't deny these feelings stirring inside his chest. And the way you looked at him with those dark, longing eyes made him lose all reason.

Without another word, Niall pulled you into his apartment and closed the door behind him.

You leaned towards the wall as you tried to untie the strings of your heels.

Niall closed the distance between you and whispered to you.

"Let me."

He slowly bends and unties the wraps around your legs. You look down, thinking this is the most sexiest thing anyone has done for you. Once he was done, you lift his chin up to connect your eyes back to his.

"I need to know what we're about to do isn't a mistake. I don't want to be a regret."

Niall got up, hovering as his hand leaned over you as your back laid flat to the wall.

"You will never be a regret. I want this, and I want you... more than you know."

Without hesitation, your lips crashed together in a hungry, desperate kiss, hands roaming each other's bodies with urgency. The heat between the two of you was electric, as the desire for each other reached a fever pitch.

Niall's hands slid down to your waist, pulling you closer to him as he whispered against your lips, "You're mine, baby girl."

Your breath hitched at his words, and found yourself melting into Niall's embrace. His hands traveled to the back of your dress, trying to find your zipper as you tried unbuckling his pants.

You both staggered upstairs half dressed as you landed onto his bed. His piercing blue eyes try to memorize every part of your skin. All was left was your underwear and Niall had to resist from tearing it straight off your body. He uses his finger to drag down the little material and trailed it down your legs.

He released a breath, sitting up a bit. He combs his fingers through your hair and kisses you softly. You melt under his hot touch as you closed your eyes. Niall hastily undresses himself soon he finds his hands on your waist, steadying you on top of him.

You gasp as you began to feel him within you. His hands hold you tighter as you began to have a steady rhythm.

"God, you're fuckin- perfect." Niall huffs out.

You smirked down at him as you bite your bottom lip.

"I can say the same about you..." you teased.

Niall became undone with your words. Your confidence, your beauty, and damn that luscious body - all he could see was stars.

You thought the same about him: the way he held you so tenderly and how his eyes looked up to you like you were a goddess.

You both wished that the night wouldn't end.

By the end, you two were breathless (almost lifeless too.) You laid down next to him, placing a hand on Niall's heaving chest.

"Next time, you're on top." You said, catching your breath.

Niall looks over at you with a twinkle in his eye.

"Next time?" He asks.

"Well, we'll just see by morning." You said, knowing he's teasing you as you're already sinking in the pillow next to him.

His hands glue back to your side as he pulls you in.

"Oh, you'll like what I have planned," he said before you two drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, you felt light-headed as you turned around to meet Niall. He was nowhere to be found. You thought he somehow left for work but you were gladly wrong when you saw him coming in shirtless, holding a tray of breakfast and drinks.

"Wasn't sure if you wanted coffee or juice, so I made both." Niall said, walking towards the bed and laid the breakfast tray on the mattress.

You smile, holding the blanket over your chest as you sat up.

"It's definitely a coffee morning." You said, grabbing the mug.

"Wanted treat my baby girl." he said as he grabbed the other glass, taking a sip.

"Thank you Ni, you're definitely the sweetest man I ever met." You said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

His cheeks grew red by your action, so he took your free hand and kissed it.

"I want to spend these mornings with you, and hopefully to be with you if you'd like to." He asks, his heart slightly thumping as he awaits your answer.

You place the coffee down by his nightstand and turn to him, smiling like you're lovesick.

"I'd like that very much." You said, as you two began to kiss and laid down on the bed.

Let's just say the breakfast Niall just made was long forgotten.

[themultifandomgal]

From 2010- BBC Radio Teen Awards

2012

Part 26

“Ah the glamour. Welcome to the backstage of the radio 1 teen awards. I’m here in a toilet, a very showbizz toilet. I’ll be inviting some guests from the show to answer questions from this, the radio 1 tombola. One Direction hello” we all reply to Matt saying hi back “did you ever dream when your journey began that you’d be here backstage at Wembley in a toilet for the teen awards?”

“We dreamed about it everyday” Harry says making me giggle. Louis is sat leaning against the wall with his feet on the sink. Harry and Zayn are stood leaning on the wall. Niall is knelt on the floor, Liam is sat on the floor under the sink and I’m sat on the sink next to Louis.

“Now as you can see in front of you is the radio 1 tombola. Niall give it a spin, dip in and pull out a question” Niall give the tombola a spin then takes out a question “ok question 1. When did you last offend someone?” Liam explains that he had accidentally told one on the x-factor contestants good luck but they had already been voted out “next question if you were a puppeteer what voice would you give to your puppet?”

“Hello I’m… I’m James the puppet…. I went Irish, he’s relatable that’s why he’s James”

“I’ll be honest, the freak me out so mine just doesn’t exist” I reply laughing

“Niall let’s have another question please. What is the rudest thing you’ve seen on the internet?”

“Errrm…”

“We know what you’ve been Googling” I reply to Harry

“Come on Harry tell us” Matt says

“I don’t know. Probably them fan fics”

“They can get a little spicy to be fair” I say agreeing with Harry’s answer

“Ok Niall can you get out another question please…. Have you ever attempted to squat over a mirror and look at your own bottom? Louis”

“Let’s go over that one again. Your squatting and…”

“Your looking at your bum” Matt confirms

“I assume the bum hole? Is it to make sure you’ve wiped correctly?”

“Do we really have to discuss the reason?” I ask

“I just want to know the logic behind it YN”

“He’s going to go try it later now” Niall says

“Niall let’s dip in again. This is the last one… have you ever had a saucy dream about a celebrity?”

“Liam had one. He came into work and was like ‘I had a dirty dream about Kat Slater from Eastenders and I don’t know why” Harry says

“YN had a sex dream about me and Harry” Louis says

“Wait no I need to explain. I wasn’t in the dream!” I practically yell “I saw fans what is it ship…”

“Shipping” Liam says

“That’s it shipping them and then I went down a rabbit hole then woke up literally thinking that they doing the dirty”

“She came downstairs while I was making a cuppa tea and scowled at me” Harry says laughing.

After our interview we are then taken to see Dan and Phil who are doing another interview

“Welcome to the backstage of the radio 1 teen awards. We are here with one direction” Dan says looking at the camera

“I’ve invented a game for you. What you have to do is take these pieces of paper. Don’t show each other, it will have someone’s name on it so don’t show anyone else” Phil says. I take a little look at the name I have, Harry “your going to have 30 seconds to draw that person. Go” the boys all turn to the table but me and Niall look at one another. I pout at him since we’ve been left out

“Oh no YN and Niall have a disadvantage right now” Phil get me and Niall a pen and paper. Mines fairly easy. Just draw a lot of hair.

30 seconds go far to quickly. We show each other our pictures

“Who do we think Harry has drawn?” Dan asks laughing

“That’s obviously YN” Niall says laughing

“Ok YN”

“That’s Harry 100%” Liam says pointing to the hair. Zayn drew Louis, Liam drew himself, Louis drew Zayn and Niall drew himself

“Ya know what I’m gonna frame this” I say looking at Harry’s drawing of me making everyone laugh “no you know what I want all of them. I’m gonna frame all of them or make one big picture with them” I take the pictures from the boys. I write down the date on the back of the pictures and who draw what.

[celebtf]

Golf with Niall

It was a sunny day outside and I was talking a walk in the city. The sun beat down with intense heat and I felt the need to drink water, but there was no shop or waterstand nearby.

I walked a little longer in the intense heat, I finally saw a white tent, so I walked towards the tent and it was part of this budle of tents .

As I was walking around at the location I saw it, this was a Compition in Golf, I know nothing about golf but I needed water that was for sure.

As I was walking towards the waterstand, I saw him, That was Niall horan walking past me " What do I do, do I follow or not " I took to seconds to think and later started following Niall to his trailer, he's ofc a Vip guest so he gets something a little more fancy.

I followed Niall a bit till he got to his Trailer, and I was not far behind him, he didn't close the door all the way so I saw my chance so I took it and opened the door without really thinking what I was doing.

The Shower was running, I could here that, Niall was singing in the shower so he probably didn't here me opening the door. Niall had left his clothes out here on the couch, I couldn't help it, I went for it and took a look, I found his underwear, socks, tight pants, a shirt and watch, perfect that's all I need. I started sniffing Nialls underwear and took of my pants, I needed to be fast.

My clothes were off and I stood there nude and put Niall's sweaty underwear on, they felt amazing against my naked ass, I took his shirt and put it on next with his Pants too.

I could see it happening, my arms grew bigger and more hairy, I felt this pain in my back and legs, I was growing. My hair got shorter and a more blond tone, when I looked in the mirror I could see my face change, I was Niall.

The shower was turned off, and out came Niall with a towel around his waist, I took a golf club from the bag and hit him. I started dressing Niall in my own clothes, started with my underwear and socks, I could see his dick shrink and hair grew black and messy, Niall himself shrinked and his face changed.

" Ouch what happend? " the accent was american and in a deep voice. " Hii Niall " I said with my new brittish accent " I would love to chat but I got a golf game to get ready for". I tied niall up with handcuffs and a ballgag and satt down at the table with a mirror.

I snapped a few pics getting ready " This body is so hot, I am so hot "

I took out the golf clothes from my new bag and put them on " Niall this pants are so tight, you can really see everything and this leather glove on your... I mean my hand are looking so hot laughed and left Niall in the trailer and went out and played the game.

" Hii Niall I'm back " he was in the same place as I left him. " This pants and your.. I mean my new body just made me so horny out on the field" I took out the ballgag from his mouth " Let's see how you like sucking yourself " I laughed..

[applesaucesims]

When the guest sat down for some food and (non-alcoholic) drinks, Emma pulled Laura aside for some well wishes. But as it turned out, she was not actually aware of the real reason for this wedding. This whole time, she had been under the impression that Franklin and Laura were a real couple, why would she assume anything else?

Niall made sure to tell her the entire backstory. If there was ever a time to tell her, it was now. He still struggled with his own sexuality now and then, but at this point, it was already much easier for him to talk about, so he just let it all out. To his surprise, Emma took it really well. On the other hand, he had no reason to expect anything else from her, so he was already mentally kicking himself for worrying. But seeing his wife smiling at him instantly made him feel safe and loved, just as much as he loved her.

[TRANSCRIPT]

Emma: "Congrats on the wedding, Laura!"

Laura: "Why, thank you, darling."

Emma: "How long have you been together?"

Laura: "How exactly do you mean?"

Emma: "Well, you and Franklin?"

Laura: "Oh, sweetie." *laughs*

Laura: "You didn't tell her, Niall?"

Niall: "I've had a lot on my mind. I did not think it would come up."

Emma: "What do you mean?"

Niall: "One thing I didn't tell you is that Franklin and I... we were together for a short while."

Laura: "Perhaps I've opened a bit too big of a tin here."

Niall: "But, you see, he's not into women, unlike me. The older we get, the more suspicious the public will be of something like that."

Laura: "And let's just say I'm not exactly interested in any romantic attachments. People calling you a spinster isn't the best thing for your image either."

Emma: "Well, you know about Harrison. Why didn't you want to tell me about Franklin?"

Niall: "I don't know. I'm still insecure about that stuff. And him and me are still friends. I figured it might be strange. It's stupid."

Emma: "It's not stupid. I'm glad you told me now, anyway. Just know my love for you is unconditional."

Niall: "I love you the same, Emma."

Laura: "You know this was supposed to be my wedding, right? Now quit sweet-talkin' and let's get to eating!"

[strawnarrries]

Niall fluff PLS

dad niall pulling out his dad skills on his wife

Squeezing the water out of your hair, you swung open the glass door and stepped out of the shower, onto the soft, white rug in front of the door. You grabbed your towel on the hook against the wall and wrapped it around your shoulders. Your husband stood in front of his sink on his side of the bathroom counter, washing his face. You looked up at him once you heard his thick, Irish accent echoing throughout the bathroom.

“Baby, why are ya bleedin’?” he asked frantically, ignoring the foamy face wash dripping down his neck.

You looked down at where he was staring and saw a small cut just below your kneecap, blood pooling at the opening and leisurely trickling down your leg, reminding you of your mistake a few minutes ago, “Oh, I accidentally cut myself with my razor.”

“Ya got yourself good didntcha?” he asked before preceding to aggressively rub the soap into his face.

“Yeah, it hurt so bad,” you replied while drying off your body, avoiding wiping the blood on the towel.

“Gimme a sec and I'll help ya” he hummed before splashing his face with water, washing away the soap.

"I'm okay," you giggled at him, heart swelling at how sweet he was to you.

While you squeezed the water out of your hair with the towel before wrapping it around your body, Niall patted his face dry with a washcloth before bending down and grabbing a bandaid out from the bottom drawer.

"Niall, I don't need a bandaid, it's just a little cut," you protested but he didn't listen. It was like he never heard you in the first place.

After grabbing a tissue, he walked over to you, crouched down, and was now face-to-face with your wound.

"Niall," you giggled at him, looking down at watching him.

"My poor baby," he pouted, pressing a sweet kiss to your kneecap.

He wiped away the blood with a tissue before quickly sticking the bandaid against your cut. He pressed a kiss over the bandaid before standing back up with a popping sound from his knees and throwing away the wrappers.

"All better. I even kissed your boo-boo," he grinned, wrapping his arms around your waist covered by the damp towel.

"You're so dramatic," you giggled at him.

He gave you a peck on the lips before replying, "Am not. My girl is crippled. Can't walk now, can she?"

He knew you were right, but he just liked seeing you grin.

"C'mere, baby girl," he grunted, picking you up bridal style, "I've gotcha."

"Becoming a dad to a toddler has got you all babyie," you giggled.

"That's not a word," he replied with a chuckle.

He walked into your shared bedroom, gently setting you down on your bed while you squealed, "Niall, I'm not even dressed yet, I'm still wet."

"Two of my favorite versions of you," he smirked, punching his eyebrows up at you, "Naked and wet."

"Oh my gosh, stop," you giggled, immediately getting off of the bed, "You're gonna get my side of the bed wet and then I'm gonna have to sleep in the guest bedroom."

"Look whose bein' dramatic now," he teased.

"You don't get me naked or wet now!" you teased back before storming back into the bathroom.

"Wha-Y/N, c'mon!"

You couldn't help but giggle.

~

i cant figure out if i think this idea is cringy or cute lol lmk what you all think

[justmeinatree]

03 - Made Of Something New : UK

Summary : you meet niall in your hotel bar. and there’s an intense connection.

previous part /// jump to pt. 1

TW : smut, choking, cheating (not on you, but none the less)

Word Count : 6.5k

Series Masterlist

GIF : @horansqueen

June 16th - London, UK

“hey ! girl, guess what !?” you hear your coworker yelling at you excitedly as she tries to catch up to you.

you were heading back to your hotel room, walking down the long hallway in some fancy, high rise in london. your coworker was at the other end of the hallway, making her way towards you, causing quite the scene with the few other guests in the hall.

“what’s up ?” you chuckle as she runs past everyone else and finally catches up to you, waving some papers around in your face.

“i had a great presentation with some ceo’s today. they gave me two tickets to a concert tonight as a reward of sorts,” she hops around excitedly as you try your best to catch any info from the papers she’s flapping around.

“that’s amazing ! who are you seeing ?,” you chuckle, happy for her. she deserved this, she’s been working hard lately, trying to make a name for herself with the company you both work at. “and more importantly, who are you taking ?” you ask suggestively, knowing she’s surely taking you. unless she wants to go to a show with one of the 70+ year olds travelling with you on this trip.

she gives you an eye roll, giggling, “think i’m gonna take charles, he needs a night out on the town.” you laugh loudly, knowing full well that charles is in no state to go to a show. he’s the oldest man on the payroll, can barely take a few steps without stopping to lean on his cane. 

“you’re coming with me, of course. i hope you brought something other than work clothes, we’re going to see niall horan !” she exclaims animatedly.

hearing his name makes you stop cold, your eyes going wide. you remember that night like it was yesterday. if you close your eyes and really think about it, you can still feel the trail of fiery heat his fingertips traced over your skin. 

it’s been just over 5 weeks now, since that fateful night in vancouver. waking up to your alarm that morning, was one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do. niall’s soft sleepy breaths made your chest achingly heavy. you remember gently running your fingertips down the side of his face, making his eyes flutter open.

you will never be able to forget the content sigh that puffed out from between his sleep dry lips as his eyes made contact with yours. as they flutter shut again, the brightness of the early sun a little too harsh in his sleepy state, his tongue darts out to wet to his lips. a raspy “good morning petal,” escaping under his breath as his lips curl up into a small smile.

“are you okay ?” you hear your coworker asking, snapping you out of your thoughts. “do you hate his music or something ? if that’s the problem, please come anyway. we can get proper drunk and have a good laugh ? i just really don’t want to go alone.”

“hey, no sorry, good god stop rambling,” you laugh, giving your head a shake and taking a breath. “no, no i do like him. his music, i mean. i think you just surprised me there, sorry,” you attempt to brush off your little moment. “wouldn’t have thought that our company had niall horan tickets to giveaway.”

you firm up the details of when you’ll both meet in the lobby, still giving you plenty of time to get ready. when you finally have alone time in your room, you take a moment to gather up your thoughts. never in a million years had you thought you’d be in the same room as niall again. you had honestly figured you’d avoid going to his shows just because it might be too painful to see him there. see him and know that you can’t do anything about it. see him and have him not even know you were there, felt almost bizarre. like you were cheating him in some way. 

but you couldn’t think about that too much, you honestly just wanted to see him again. torture yourself for god knows what reason. fuck it, maybe you should get drunk for this.

as you shower, fix up your hair and makeup, and get dressed, you help yourself to a few of the tiny liquor bottles from the hotel room bar. the company is paying for it anyway. you’re just tipsy enough to not have too much anxiety about tonight as you head down to the lobby, meeting up with your friend.

you both get into an uber, the car dropping you off at the arena. you follow her through the crowd as she has the tickets and knows where she’s going. you never asked where the seats were, but you start to grow a bit nervous as she’s leading you towards the floor.

“hey, i never asked where we’re sitting,” you hum knowing full well you should have asked earlier. you did not mentally prepare for this. why on earth does your company have such great seats to niall horan ?

“fifth row, right by the centre,” she smiles excitedly, leading you right up front as your heart beats right out of your chest. there is absolutely no way he won’t see you now. 

what is he going to think ? that i’m stalking him now ? we agreed, just one night in the hotel in vancouver. that was it. just a little taste of what could never be. and although we never stated that we’d try to avoid each other, you just kind of assumed that was a given. 

it was so intense with niall, there were so many feelings involved, for both of you. you knew avoiding him was the best solution. neither of you could handle seeing each other again. could hide out in the bathroom all night, you think to yourself.

just as that thought seemed to grow more and more tempting, the lights drop, the crowd starts screaming and the first strums of a guitar can be heard blaring through the room. and that’s when the stage lights up, niall walking right out, front and centre, to the mic stand, screaming out a “hello london.”

he’s there. he’s right there. and he’s just as beautiful. and oh my did you ever miss his voice. listening to him sing the first verse has you in a trance. you watch his skin glowing under the lights of the stage and your fingertips are itching to feel him.

as you hear his voice bellowing through the speakers, you feel shivers down your neck as you can picture his lips ghosting your skin, whispering in your ear.

with time though, you start to vibe with the crowd and as more and more songs go by, the more you relax. maybe you can get away with not being spotted ? it would make this so much easier on both of you.

but as luck would have it, on the 7th song of the set, his eyes scan the crowd and fall right on yours. he doesn’t think twice at first, eyes scanning right by. but you see the double take, you notice the moment it clicked and there he is, staring right at you. 

niall can’t believe what he’s seeing. it’s you. really you. how hasn’t he noticed you yet ? what are you doing here ? who the hell cares, you’re right there. he’s trying to focus on the song, and it’s almost over, but christ, you are right there. 

he grabs his guitar for the next song, and as he grips the neck, his fingers curled up on the strings, he’s taken back to that night. as his eyes keep flicking back to you, almost as if to make sure this isn’t a hallucination, he can feel your skin under his hands. remembers how much you loved his fingers wrapped around your neck. how tight your pussy squeezed down on his cock when he did. thank god he’s keeping the guitar for another couple songs, it can hide the situation happening in his pants.

not a day has gone by that he hasn’t thought about you. thought about how much he misses you. thought about how much of an idiot he was to not at least ask for your number. he knows he shouldn’t have a way of contacting you, you’d be too hard to resist. but still, having the option would be nice sometimes. especially on the days he needs to escape from it all.

and what the fuck is he supposed to do today ? this is the O2, he’s got some friends here, christ even his girlfriend is here. and even if they weren’t, there is absolutely no way for him to talk to you. pause the show to say hi, meet me backstage ? no that’s not possible. so what’s he supposed to do ? pretend this isn’t happening ? pretend you’re not less than 30 feet away from him ?

as the show nears the end, his heart grows heavy, knowing that yes, he does have to pretend he didn’t just see you and he has to go back to his friends and girlfriend as if nothing out of the ordinary happened tonight. and he absolutely hates himself for hating that. this is supposed to be a great night to share with his favourite people. a celebration because he’s playing the O2, all by himself. it’s his name in lights and it’s fucking epic.

but all he can think about is how badly he wants to celebrate with you. he wishes that you were the one about to head off backstage to greet him with open arms when this song finishes. but it’s not you, it’s his girlfriend and his friends, he can see them from the corner of his eye. 

and for a split moment, he wishes he was strong enough to send it all to hell and make a huge public display of love to you. but his management would kill him, his girlfriend would be super embarrassed, and you both would probably piss yourselves. and just like that the lights are out. the show is over and even if he actually really wanted to, the chance has slipped away. 

he’s being rushed off stage, tons of people patting his back and high-fiving him and then the arms of his girlfriend catch him in a big sweaty hug. they sway back and forth from left to right as she excitedly squeezes him. and for a split second, he hates her ocean breeze shampoo and wishes he was smelling your sweet strawberry scented hair. this is gonna be a long night, he thinks to himself. 

“fuck this is gonna be a very long night,” you mumble to yourself as you’re now back in your hotel room. the show was great, niall was great, of course, of course. but you saw him so so close and his voice was ringing in your ears for over an hour and a half. and now you’re supposed to just sit here. 

and so that’s what you did. just sat on the bed, still in the outfit you wore to the show. just dangling your feet off the side of the mattress as you’re a bit too short to reach the floor. your mind is in an absolute fog, just whirling every imaginable thought of niall. churning up every memory you have of that night. it’s all you have to hold onto.

the raspiness of his voice, the thickness of his accent, the fluffiness of his hair, fiery heat of his touch, soft drag of his lips, needy nibbles of his teeth, roughness of his calloused fingers, tightness of his hand around your throat. he’s all you can think of, your body is consumed by him. so fuck, maybe it was a bad idea to go to his show.

your phone buzzes next to you, an instagram notification catches your attention as you notice that it’s been almost 2 hours since you sat down on the bed. you shake your head, a bit embarrassed that so much time has gone by, grabbing your phone and flicking over to instagram.

you have a message request from an account you don’t recognize. curiosity getting the best of you, you open the message : “hello petal. can’t believe you were there tonight. i couldn’t forgive myself if i didn’t try to reach out to you. miss you. -nh”

could it really be him ? you ask yourself. although, really, no one else knew you were at the show. no one else calls you petal. and even less people knew that there was any type of history between you and niall. 

you write back : “fuck, it’s really you, isn’t it ? i didn’t mean to ambush you tonight by being there. it was a fluke really. but i’m so glad you reached out, miss you more than i can explain. -xx”

your smile could rip your face in half, it’s so big. niall’s writing back, the three little dots floating up and down at the bottom of your phone screen. “it’s really me love, promise. where are you ? i can try to sneak away from this party. maybe what happens in canada doesn’t have to stay in canada ? -nh”

niall had to try. in the last few hours since the show’s been over, he’s plastered a smile on his face, shared beers with his friends, cuddled up with his girlfriend and partied away. but the longer it goes by, the harder it is to pretend anymore. 

knowing that you’re in the same city, it’s enough to make him sick with want for you. so he does the only thing he can think of. he excuses himself to the bathroom, locks the door behind him, and opens his instagram. he switches over to his private account and does a general search for your name. after looking through a dozen accounts, there you are. it’s so obviously you. and although niall’s only spent a matter of hours with you, he can feel you radiating off the random photos he’s looking at.

so he chances writing you a message. the odds are horrible that you’ll see the message tonight, it’s somewhere between 2 & 3am, but he needs to try. he’ll forever regret not trying. so when he gets the message with your hotel and room number, he splashes water on his face, and walks right out of the bathroom. 

ignoring everyone at the party, he heads straight for the door, making a quick escape without anyone noticing. he quickly whistles down a cab, jumps in and he’s off to your hotel. or more importantly, he’s off to you.

as niall’s sitting in the taxi, he can’t believe he’s just left everyone, his girlfriend, his best mates for a chance at a quick encounter with you. he’s panicking. this feels like crossing the line. a hell of a lot more than last time. this is actively seeking you, and leaving his life behind tonight, without so much as a goodbye. people will probably worry, especially his girlfriend. and yet, he cant quite bring himself to care. he’s just much too excited to see you.

the moment you send niall your location, you quickly got up off the bed, go to the bathroom and look at yourself in the mirror. what did he mean when he said it doesn’t have to be a one off ? your mind can’t stop whirling around that message. what does he want ? what’s going to happen ? you’re so excited to see him, for real, touch him, feel him close again. but you’re a little nervous this time. you know a talk is coming up and you’re not sure how it’s going to go. not sure how you want it go honestly.

you brush your teeth for good measure, take a big gulp of water and that’s when you hear the knocking at your door. you straighten out, taking one big breath before padding over to the door and opening it, revealing niall with his hair mussed up, his eyes sparkling back at you as his smile grows more and more the longer he’s looking at you. “beautiful girl,” he mumbles under his breath, a content sigh leaving his mouth as he wonders why the hell he felt any nerves about meeting you. your presence just makes everything okay, he should know that by now. and as scary as it is, he revels in it. 

“gonna let me in,” he chuckles lightly, making you blush. you were so busy admiring him, all of your previous nervousness washing away as you feel his energy right in front of you. 

“fuck, sorry sorry, c’mon in,” you giggle, stepping aside, niall making his way past you, as you close the door behind him with a gentle click. turning to face him, you aren’t sure how you should react, what it is you’re allowed to do. this time feels so different.

but all he does is smile with a light chuckle, his arms opening up wide, as a sort of beckoning call. you scurry into him, your arms wrapping around his waist as he engulfs you into a tight hug, burying his face into your hair, taking a good steady inhale. and he’s absolutely ecstatic to find that you haven’t changed shampoo in the last month. so much better than ocean breeze, he thinks to himself.

your face is buried into his chest, feeling any stress just melt away. it’s the first moment you notice how unnerving this day has been. all the stress of going to the show, coming back alone, your whirring thoughts, it’s been a lot and you hadn’t quite realized how much it was affecting you until it’s all whooshed away.

as you both finally pull away from the hug, one of niall’s hands comes up to cup your jaw, thumb gently stroking your cheek bone, quietly asking the question he’s had on his mind all this time. “did ya really miss me as much as you said ?”

and as soon as the words leave his mouth he feels like an idiot, especially hearing your soft giggle. but the embarrassment vanishes as quickly as it appeared when you grip the collar of his shirt, pulling him in slowly, until your noses are pressed together and your lips are just ghosting his. you mumble against his mouth a quick, “m’i allowed to kiss you ?”

before the full sentence is even out of your mouth, niall’s lips are pressed firmly against yours. his one hand slides over from your jaw, cupping the back of your neck, fingers tangled into your hair, tugging slightly. his other hand grips into your hip, having lifted your shirt just enough to for his palm to collide with your flesh. fuck, you’re so soft, so warm, sending an electrifying buzz through his hand from the contact he’s so desperately missed.

“you’ve no idea how bad i missed you,” you murmur against his lips, niall taking the opportunity to dart his tongue out into your mouth.

niall drags his fingertips lightly from your neck, down between the valley of your breasts, over your stomach, settling on your other hip. he can’t stop kissing you, can’t get enough. the drag of your lips against his, the little bit of suction, it’s so much you and it’s overwhelming. his brain feels foggy. in this moment, nothing else matters, nothing else exists. he’s not sure whether to love that or be completely scared of it.

his thumbs give your skin a soft little rub before his hands travel over the swell of your ass, gripping the back of your thighs as he picks you up, walking you backwards towards the bed. 

you groan softly as he bites on your lip, letting you down gently on the bed. he wastes no time crawling up to you, his lips attaching to your neck. he takes his time, pecking, sucking, nibbling, indulging in all the pretty sounds you’re making.

“can we catch up later ?” you hear niall mumbling against your ear. “need to do this now, need to feel you again petal, please.”

a deep groan works its way up your throat as your hips roll into him, silently giving him your answer. the weight of him on top of you is so comforting, it’s what your body’s been craving.

you’ve naturally gotten yourself off quite a bit in the 5 weeks since the last time you saw niall. always with the thought of him sneaking into your brain. but it was nothing compared to actually feeling him. and that’s when you realize you’re both wearing way too much clothes.

you tug on his shirt, murmuring a quick “off, now, please.” 

niall gives you another peck on the lips, lifting his body just enough to grip the back of his shirt and lifting it over his head in a quick swoop, shimmying out of his pants at the same time.

“same goes for you beautiful girl, wanna feel that soft skin of yours,” he hums, his hands gliding from your hips up to your breasts, lifting your shirt in the process. 

you raise your arms, allowing niall to take your shirt off completely. he leans back, his bum settled on his calves, between your legs as he admires you. his fingertips graze over your bra covered chest and down your stomach. he watches the goosebumps arise on your skin, taking in every dip and curve in your body. 

“you’re fucking intoxicating petal,” he murmurs, making you blush. niall notices the shade of red tinting your cheeks, left hand coming up to cup your face.

you lean into his hand, turning your face just enough to leave a series of small pecks into his palm, mumbling quietly, “you make me feel so fuckin good.” and it was true. you dont remember a time where someone’s made you feel quite as special and wanted as niall makes you feel. 

“hmm, m’about to make you feel even better,” he smiles, leaning down to kiss you again and again. he really can’t get enough of kissing you. 

niall gets your pants off, with a bit of a struggle, refusing to stop kissing you even for a second. “finally,” he grumbles into the kiss once your pants are off all the way.

you giggle, biting his lip playfully as niall rolls his hips into yours. you feel the outline his cock so well with just your underwear on. can feel the head of cock bumping against your clit.

“already so fuckin wet for me, can feel it through my briefs,” niall hums, the wet patch on your panties soaking right through his last piece of clothing. 

“please niall,” you moan against his lips, one hand reaching down to grab a hold of his cock. “please, can i taste you ? been dying to have you in my mouth. didn’t get to last time. please,” you mumble, absolutely not letting that opportunity pass up again. you needed the weight of him on your tongue. needed to hear all the sounds you could pull from him with your mouth.

“fuckin christ pup, want it that bad ?” he asks completely besides himself. never has he had someone literally beg to have his cock in their mouth. without a second thought, niall rolls you both over, his back colliding with the mattress, leaving you on top of him.

“m’all yours pretty girl,” niall hums, smiling and relaxing back into the bed. he notices the darkness taking over your eyes, noting that although you seem to be on the more submissive side, you also like little opportunities of control.

you settle yourself between niall’s thighs, taking your time kissing over his body. your tongue flicking out to wet his nipples whenever you’re close to them, blowing some cold air to watch them harden. you love the deep chesty groan he lets out whenever the coolness hits his spit wet skin.

you kiss over his chest and tummy, fingertips tickling his skin lightly, watching his stomach twitch under your touch. making your way down to his briefs, your fingers grip into the waistband, pulling them down his thighs. his cock springs free, looking achingly hard as he wiggles his legs to help you pull his underwear off completely.

on your way back up his body, you lick a long stripe over his balls, up his shaft and to the tip, opening up your mouth and taking him all the way down your throat. 

niall’s hand goes flying down to your head, gripping onto your hair as he moans out, “oh fucking -. shit. you’re so good for me.”

you pull up to the head of his cock, taking a deep breath through your nose, your tongue working on the underside of his shaft as you slowly bob your head. 

you moan around his dick, loving every moment of it. you knew you were good at sucking guys off, it’s one of your many talents. you enjoy it too, love hearing their moans for you. 

but finally getting a chance at niall. a chance you were sure was never ever going to happen. it was better than anything you could have imagined. he sounds so fucked for you. plus, he’s heavier on your tongue than you imagined, you’re head is spinning with it. his tight grip in your hair, reminding you that even if you’re having your fun right now, he’s still in charge here.

he lets out a particularly loud moan as your tongue ring collides with the underside of his tip, the sound making your pussy clench. and as much as you loved having your mouth on him, you needed him. needed him now. you tug your panties off, your mouth sliding off his cock in one quick motion.

niall looks down in shock, eyebrows furrowed, “what the, why did ya -“ words getting caught around a moan as you reposition yourself and sink down on him. his cock stretching you so deliciously, you’re left trembling as you sit on him fully.

his hands reach out, gripping onto your thighs, “shit pup, warn a guy next time yeah ?” he hums, eyes raking over your body, hands roaming your legs and hips.

you nod, smiling, knowing that’s just an expression. but your tummy still flips at the thought of next time. “promise,” you murmur, taking your time with him. your hips move over him slowly, feeling the drag of him against your inner walls. your moans coming out in small puffs, one hand gripping into your breast, just needing something to latch onto.

niall watches you, small moans leaving his parted lips. his nails are lightly raking over your thighs, taking you in. the moment is so sensual, the air in the room thick with emotion. there’s something about a second time. there’s less guessing involved, less nerves.

he notices the furrow in your brow as his cock hits a particular spot inside you, your tummy twitching, head rolling back. his hands travel up your hips to your waist, one hand splaying across your stomach, feeling the muscles twitch when his cock slowly grinds against your sweet spot.

“feeling good petal ?” he asks quietly as to not startle you, the moment so deep and slow and full of breathy moans and whimpers.

your head lolls back over your left shoulder, slumping forward a bit, eyes opening and locking with his. niall feels your stomach muscles twitching as your eyes make contact with his, and he needs to kiss you. he’s feeling so many emotions, unsure how to handle the jumble in his head. especially considering all of his blood is rushing to his cock, leaving his brain a bit fuzzy.

you nod and whimper a breathy “fuck yes” to answer his question, as his hands leave your body momentarily to press against the mattress. niall leans up into a sitting position, his hands gliding up your thighs and wrapping around your waist.

you smile at him, arms reaching out to wrap around his neck, resting your forehead against his. the new position has added tons of pressure to your clit as you grind on him, feeling that familiar warmth building in your lower tummy.

niall rubs his nose against yours, kissing you with as much emotion as he can muster. he can feel your walls start to tighten around him, knows your orgasm is starting to build. your kiss is getting sloppy, jaw going slack as niall pecks and nibbles on your lips. 

he can feel your pussy fluttering around his cock, your thighs trembling, as your grip on his hair tugs achingly harder. without a second thought, one of niall’s hands glides up your body and finds a familiar spot around your neck, silently asking you for permission.

you whimper out a yes, niall biting your bottom lip, groaning against your mouth, “with all this whimpering, you really are acting like a puppy.” as the words leave his mouth, his hand tightens around your neck, a breathy moan leaving your mouth. your eyes roll back as your orgasm crashes over you. 

his words has your mind racing, plus the feel of his hand restricting your airflow, the burning coil in your stomach snapped. it didn’t stand a chance. you’re sure you blacked out for a moment, the orgasm hitting like a strong ocean wave that takes you under and hurtles you out into the sea. 

you blink your eyes open, niall’s lips pecking over the side of your neck, his hand cupping the other side, thumb stroking the column of your throat. “should see how amazing you look when you cum like that,” niall murmurs against your ear, adding to his mental note to include mirrors sometime, if at all possible.

“don’t think i’ve ever cum like that,” you hum, giggling quietly. you were being honest, that was the most intense thing you’ve ever felt. and thank fuck you’re too blissed out to care, or else you’d be pissing your pants at the sheer thought of how intense this man makes you feel after only 2 nights together.

niall chuckles breathily, sucking wet kisses over your neck, to your jaw and chin. “had your fun sweet girl ? s’it my turn now ?” he asks, tongue flicking out against the fullness of your bottom lip.

“mhmm, please,” you hum, rocking your hips, still sitting on his cock. the movement pulls a groan out of niall, his left hand colliding with your ass cheek in a stinging smack.

“f-fuck,” you stutter out, caught completely off guard, nails digging into niall’s biceps for support. 

his hand smoothes over the swell of your bum, soothing the stinging in your heated skin. he swallows down your moans, kissing you through it, as he wraps his arms around you, rolling you onto the bed. 

niall pins your hands to the mattress, on either side of your head, his hips slowly rolling into yours. the slow drag of his cock against your dripping walls, making your head go fuzzy. 

he keeps his pace slow, feeling your walls split open to accommodate his size, sucking him back in every time he thrusts. niall feels absolutely delirious for you. he really means it when he says you’re intoxicating. your sweet smell, silky smooth skin. the feeling of your pussy fluttering around his cock. the way his entire being seems to melt in your presence. 

you can feel your second orgasm coming on, the torturously slow drag of his cock making you feel every bump, every ridge, every vein. the tip of his dick steadily grinding into your sweet spot, bringing you closer and closer to the edge with every thrust.

“gonna cum again for me sweet girl ?” niall mumbles against your lips, feeling your walls start to clench on his length. “feels good like this yeah ?” he asks, thumbs gently rubbing over your palms, hands still pinned to the mattress. 

“s’so good ni, fuck -“ your words cut off by your second orgasm crashing over you, a whimpery moan leaving you as your back curls. 

niall buries his face in your chest, groaning as your pussy clamps down on his length, but he doesn’t stop. keeps fucking into you just as deliriously slow as he has been. the head of his cock rolling into your sweet spot over and over.

and you can’t stop cumming. your next orgasm starts before the last one can even end. your hands are gripped into his tightly, thighs shaking, your moans getting louder.

“fuck, fuck, fuck, oh my god,” you whimper, your third orgasm rolling into your fourth, gasping for breath as niall bites into your neck. “fucking can’t - can’t stop. can’t stop cumming, fuck,” you cry out as your fifth orgasm rolls on.

niall lets go of your hands, needing to anchor himself to you. he rests on his elbows, forearms on the mattress, boxing you in. his fingers wrap over your shoulders, thumbs stroking your skin.

your hands immediately fly to grip into his hair, arms wrapped around him for dear life. you’re feeling so overstimulated, but it’s the best you’ve ever felt in a long time. you can feel niall’s cock twitching, as he struggles to hold on through your sixth ? seventh ? orgasm.

“christ petal, m’the luckiest lad on the fuckin planet,” he groans out against your neck as his hips finally still, cock buried deep inside you, tip seethed into your sweet spot, as he spurts ribbon after ribbon of hot cum.

your body is an absolute trembling mess as you gasp for air. one of your hands carding through your hair before falling limply on the bed. your other hand in niall’s hair, raking through his locks.

niall’s breathing heavily, catching his breath, laying flat against you. a moment passes before he lifts his chest up from yours, looking over your face, “doing okay pet ?”

“mhmm,” you hum, nodding lightly, smiling at him. “that was, honestly, the best. ever,” you giggle, high on whatever endorphins are coursing through your body, in a post sex haze.

“couldn’t agree more,” he murmurs, reaching up to kiss you, as he slowly drags his cock out of you.

you whine against niall’s lips, the sudden emptiness making your overstimulated pussy flutter over nothing. “sorry, let me get something to clean you up,” niall whispers, slowly standing up and heading into the washroom to find a washcloth.

he makes his way back to the bed, smiling at your fucked out expression, “christ, you’re so beautiful petal. wish i could see you like this every day.” he crawls up the bed, gently resting his hands on your inner thighs to pry your legs open. he softly swipes the washcloth over your cunt, apologizing at every twitch and whimper.

once he’s done cleaning you off, niall lays back down on the bed, partly on top of you, his head resting on your chest, leg thrown over yours, his fingertips lightly rubbing up and down your bicep. you card your fingers through his hair, gently scratching at his scalp and pulling on his hair. you’re not sure how long you both lay there in silence, enjoying each other as much as you can until the cozy bubble you’ve created inevitably pops again. especially when you start to take notice of the early hour, the first peaks of sunlight starting to stream through the sheer white curtains.

“we’re gonna have to talk about this,” niall breathes out against your chest, breaking the silence first, as he watches the trail of goosebumps that follow the path of his fingertips. he hears you hum an affirmative response, your face burying into the top of his head, taking a calming breath, the smell of his shampoo still lingering.

“mind if we order some room service first ?” you mumble. “could really go for a coffee,” the lack of sleep and scratchiness to your throat is made obvious the more you speak. 

niall looks up at you, a bright smile on his face, kissing the underside of your jaw, “you’re really fuckin cute when you’re tired.” he keeps trailing his kisses up to your chin, finishing off with a deep kiss, right on your lips, before reaching over to the nightstand for the room service info.

niall calls in for some coffees and a large array of breakfast foods, pecking over your skin as you both wait.

once you’ve got coffees in hand, some food spread out over the bed, both of you comfortably sitting, niall breaks the ice, “i’d be fooling myself if i said i’d be able to walk out of here like i did last time.”

your eyes make contact with his, listening attentively as he goes on, “i dont know how we’re supposed to go about this, but it killed me to know we were in the same city and we weren’t together. i’m so fucking pulled to you, i cant explain it.”

you nod along, completely understanding. the moment you saw him walk out on stage last night, everything came crashing around you.

“i know,” you hum. “i feel it too. it’s so hard to say goodbye to you. but what do you suggest ?” you ask. truthfully, you barely know each other.

“i just-“ niall sighs. he knows this is crazy, he wants to throw everything away for someone he doesn’t really know at all. just based on a feeling. no, fuck, he can’t do that. can’t do that at all.

“i just want to see you,” he sighs again, knowing that’s really the only way he can describe it. the only way he can really get away with this. “you make me feel so good. so safe. so, i dont know, it’s like relief ?” he tries to explain. “like everything else can just wash away. is it totally selfish of me to want to hold onto that ?” he adds quietly. “you’re the only bit of peace i have. the only thing that’s truly just mine.”

you think you just felt your heart get ripped to shreds. how can you deny him the comfort he’s been so desperately craving ? it’s not like you’re getting nothing out of this agreement. and maybe if you weren’t exhausted, running on no sleep and an absurd amount of orgasms, maybe if you weren’t so fucking gone for this man, you would have thought about this. 

but your heart aches for him, you want to help him, you want to do this with him. so you find yourself nodding, smiling reassuringly as you lock eyes with niall, “sounds like we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other then.”

Part 4

……

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

[mightdeletelater]

when fame turns fatal: the tragic cycle of celebrity exploitation

this blog post was originally posted on my substack

How do you capture the unknowable life of someone else? Someone only seen through interviews, music videos, and invasive paparazzi snapshots? Maybe starting by laying out the simplest biographical details? Liam Payne was born in 1993 in Wolverhampton. He first auditioned for The X Factor at 14. Joined the boy band One Direction at 16. Had a son named Bear at 23. Released his only solo album at 25. And passed away at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Another approach could be to focus on the photos, the ones from both the beginning and the end. In 2010, when One Direction was formed, judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, and Nicole Scherzinger hovered over a polaroid of a 16-year-old Payne, arranging it with pictures of three future bandmates – Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson – as if they were playing with dolls. "That looks good." "That looks great." "It looks unbelievable." When Payne passed away in 2024, TMZ published zoomed-in, cropped photos of his lifeless body. His arm, and section of his side, both with his distinct tattoos. The article had no warning of the contents. 

Denial of dignity in death is a tragic culmination of a toxic kind of fame, one especially endured by pop stars and teen idols. Payne was simply just another one who was dehumanized throughout his life – by the music industry that propelled him to stardom, by the tabloids, by social media, and even by his own fans. Being idolized can be as depersonalizing as being vilified. He became a pin-up poster, and eventually a literal doll (fans could collect all five members of the boyband). 

The cycle of objectification persisted even after One Direction disbanded in 2015. Payne's solo career and erratic interview behaviour became a source of online mockery. Once endearingly called the "dad" of One Direction for being more serious, ambitious, and occasionally a bit awkward, these traits grew exaggerated over time. His ‘cringe moments’ became viral content on social media. Despite being open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, he received little empathy. He was open about by long periods of boredom that came after the highs of performing to sold out arenas which led him to an alcohol and drug addiction and suicidal thoughts. Speaking on the Diary Of The CEO Podcast in 2021, Payne said: “I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where's rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I'm very good at hiding it. I don't even know if I have hit it yet. I can either make that choice now and pick my last moment as my rock bottom or I can make a whole new low.” While the exact circumstances of Payne's fall from the balcony remain unclear, emergency services were called to the hotel for “a guest who has had too much drugs and alcohol.”

Before his death, Payne was accused by his ex-fiance Maya Henry of physical and emotional abuse, including chasing her with an axe and forcing her to get a self-induced abortion. Last week, Henry had issued a cease and desist against Payne, accusing him of repeatedly contacting her. She also alleged that the singer continuously contacted her friends and family, including her mother. 

The fantasy that One Direction embodied for a generation was always deeply co-dependent – a symbiotic relationship between the fevered daydreams of millions of teenage girls and the dream come true for five young boys. But what once seemed like a fantasy looks more like a nightmare. There is something undeniably troubling about adults marketing 16-year-old boys to children for maximum profit, despite the clear risks to their well-being and mental health. Why do we only recognize this when tragedy strikes? How can we justify doing this to such young people – isolating them from their families, their normal lives, and their sense of self – only to mock them as they struggle through adulthood? How many more lives must the pop industry claim before something finally changes? It all just feels irredeemable. What is someone supposed to do with all that fame and then all that vilification? What does it say about us when there is a market for identifying tattoos from a corpse?

And there will never be closure. Henry will not get justice. Payne will have never beaten his battle with addiction. While the tributes pour in for Payne, it is clear how most of the decisions he made – and that were made for him – never were in his best interest. But that never mattered because the industry chews and spits out young people but will continue to thrive and produce entertainment. Unregulated fame has horrific ramifications, for the person in the spotlight and all the people in their lives standing just outside of it. 

[daisyblog]

Never Have I Ever

Our Story Masterlist Summary: One Direction are guests on The Jonathan Ross Show, where they play a game of ‘Never Have I Ever’ and Harry gets embarrassed in front of his girlfriend's brother and bandmate.   *** “Ah so first of all lovely to have you back here boys” Jonathan welcomed the four boys as they sat on the mustard sofa, with Michael Mcintyre sitting on the end. Jonathan began by reminding the boys about Niall needing to go to the toilet when they were last on the show but ended up having to wait 20 minutes to go.

“So you’ve just finished..am I right now this was your fourth world tour?” the boys nodded “What do you miss when you’re away…and what is it when you finish..what do you think okay I now have the time to do this that I couldn’t do when I was on the road?” the host rambled.

Liam began explaining that staying in hotels and not having a fridge and it’s nice to have that luxury when he’s home, to which Michael interrupted and explained that there are fridges in hotel rooms under the TV, which made the audience laugh and the boys joined in. Louis added that he enjoys playing football when he’s home because he doesn’t get a lot of time to play when he’s on the road. “Harry?” Jonathan said as a way of asking him the question. Harry thought about his answer “I feel like mines a bit boring…I just like to relax I suppose..and just like enjoy some quiet time” Louis began to chuckle beside Harry at his answer “Mate..there’s no way you’re getting any quiet time wiv YN” to which the others joined in the laughter, including Harry.

“It’s like living with Louis I suppose..is it Harry?” the host questioned. “No comment” Harry replied and the audience laughed. “I guess I..just like home cooking..like your mum’s cooking and stuff like that” Niall answered. --- “Let’s take a break..we’ll chat some more afterwards and we’ve got a fun thing..I’ve asked fans in the audience to give us a list of things, we’re gonna play that game Never Have I Ever” Jonathan announced. “Oh god” Harry said with a nervous expression.

The host welcomed the audience back from the break and explained the game of Never Have I Ever to the boys and Michael, and proceeds to give them all a paddle with ‘I Have” on one side and “Never” on the other.

“I have never danced naked in the rain” Jonathan began. Joanthan – I Have Niall – I Have Harry – I Have Louis - Never Liam - Never Michael – Never “Okay..three bold adventurous young men, three boring old farts” Jonathan described.

“I’ve never been in the mile-high club” the host read the next item.

The crowd ooo’d in response. Harry’s instantly closed his eyes, whilst trying to think of a way he could get out of answering this question in front of his girlfriend’s brother who was sitting beside him. Jonathan, Niall, Louis and Liam instantly held up their paddles showing their answer, Niall being the only one to show ‘Never”.

“Harry what are you waiting for..come on we know the answer?” Jonathan brought attention to him sitting there with his paddle resting on his knees, and the crowd cheered at the embarrassment on his face.

“It’s awkward” Harry explained whilst running his fingers through his shoulder-length hair and avoiding Louis's eyes.

“Yeah..man there’s some things I like not knowing” Louis agreed.

“I’ll answer for you..there you go” Jonathan states whilst giving Harry the paddle showing ‘I Have”, which Harry uses to cover his face, making Niall chuckle next to him.

“Okay..this is a revealing one..remember guys honestly is the key here..alright?” Jonathan continued. “I have never smoked a joint”.

The audience ooo’d once again, and Louis sat there with the cheekiest grin on his face. The boys all began to look at each other hoping the game would end, and Harry even tried looking at the next question on the sheet of paper in front of the host.

“Answer this one..I think we know the answer to this one” the host ordered as Harry sat back in his seat. Louis was the first to hold up his paddle showing ‘Never’ with a big smile.

“What did you expect them to do..only you’ve given these paddles and you really think they're all gonna go..yeaah high as a kite” Michael interrupted the host whilst waving his paddle in the air “I’ll give you complete professionalism under a normal interview situation..but give me a paddle I’ll reveal everything to you” Michael mocked the game, making the boys and audience roar with laughter.

Michael continued mocking “ I just got up this morning..I was completely naked, do you think that’s what Harry’s gonna say..I got up this morning I smoked a fat blunt…I danced around in my shower completely naked…and then I ran around naked in the streets…and then I got on an aeroplane and fooked my missus” Whilst the audience and the other boys laughed at Michael's performance, Harry leaned forward and hid his face behind his hands.

“That’s about as wrong as things can be” Jonathan interrupted.

Continuing on “They're not gonna do that, they're media-trained megastars” Michael explained and showed that the paddle should have ‘Never’ on both sides. The audience applauded his performance and Harry had now lifted his head from his hand but continued to look everywhere other than at his future brother-in-law.  

“That’s the end of the game..that’s spoiled the game for everyone..that spoiled the game” Jonathan aimed the statement at Michael “You spoiled the game for everyone.. I hope you feel proud of yourself…the best bit was you were doing a bad Cheshire accent, which was insulting to my friend Harry here” all the boys were hysterically laughing at the older men. --- “I know this is one you particularly like being asked..what’s happening in your love lives at the moment..who’s single?” Jonathan asked “You’re all single..apart from you Harry, is that right?”

“I think we are yeah” Louis answered on behalf of the boys. “How’s that going for you three single boys?” Jonathan continued to quiz the boys. “Good…yeah..I think we’re just enjoying ourselves and..we’re just havin’ fun” Niall explained and the other two boys nodded in agreement. “What about you Harry?..Are you happy?” Harry couldn’t hide his smile “Yeah.. it's good..I’m enjoying myself” “A bit too much is it?” Jonathan teased. “Alright…c’mon let’s move on” Louis interrupted before he found out more about his sister’s relationship, making the audience explode with laughter.

***