#louis tomlinson series masterlist

[babyflorencee]

Feeling Diva

Louis Tomlinson x fem!Reader

The dim light of the afternoon slanted through the blinds, casting golden stripes on the couch where Louis lay curled up, he was a tragic sight, wearing sweatpants and a hoodie two sizes too big. His hair stuck up at odd angles, and his nose was a faint shade of pink from all the tissues he’d gone through. Next to him, a box of tissues teetered precariously on the armrest, and an empty mug of tea sat abandoned on the coffee table.

Y/n emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of steaming soup, her hair pulled into a messy bun and her sweater slipping off one shoulder.

“Before you say anything,” Louis drawled from his fortress of pillows, his voice raspy but still sharp, while one of his hands draped over his forehead. “Just know I’m feeling diva today.”

Y/n stopped mid-step, her brow arching in curiosity. “You’re always a diva Lou” she asked, fighting a smirk.

He turned his head slowly, deliberately, to fix her with a look so sharp it could’ve sliced through steel. “Excuse me?” His voice dripped with disbelief, thick with the indignation only he could muster. “I am not always a diva. I am a man of refinement. There’s a difference.”

Y/n couldn’t help but laugh as she crossed the room, placing the bowl gently on the coffee table, before disappearing back into the kitchen. “Oh, of course, my bad. How could I forget?” She called out, voice slightly echoey, “Man of refinement. Got it.”

Louis sniffed, sitting up just enough to prop himself on one elbow, his other hand clutching the blanket to his chest, calling out to her. “Don’t patronize me, Y/n. I’m fragile right now. My fragility demands respect.”

Y/n came back into the room, stifling a laugh as she held out a cup of tea. “Whatever you say Lou. Now Drink this before it gets cold.”

He eyed the mug suspiciously, then looked back at her with the kind of skepticism that was usually reserved for used car salesmen. “What’s in it?”

“Tea. Honey. Lemon. Love and affection,” she said with a smile.

He squinted his eyes at her. “Hm, I don’t know if I trust the ‘love and affection’ part. Sounds toxic.”

“Lou.”

“Fine,” he said, sighing as though she were asking too much of him. He took the mug with a dramatic flair, pinky out, and sipped. “Too much lemon.”

“No, it’s perfect,” she said, stealing the mug back and setting it down.

“Well I disagree,” he muttered, sinking back into the couch.

Y/n rolled her eyes, pointing to the bowl on the table in front of him. “Well eat this before your attitude gives me a headache too.”

He stared at the soup as if it had personally offended him. “I can’t. I’m weak. My arms feel like noodles. Limp noodles, Y/n.”

She bit back a laugh, picking up the bowl. “I can feed it to you, if that’s what you’re angling for.”

Louis' eyes widened, and he leaned back, clutching the blankets back to his chest. “Oh, no. We’re not at that stage of desperation just yet.”

Y/n smirked. “But you just said—”

“Forget what I said. I’m a mystery. An enigma. Stop trying to solve me.”

She set the soup down with a sigh, leaning back against the couch. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you,” he said, turning to her with a weak but pointed look, “are underappreciative of my brilliance.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow. “Your brilliance?”

“Yes, my brilliance. It’s hard being this charming all while sick. You should be thanking me for gracing you with my presence in such a vulnerable state.”

Y/n leaned in, brushing a hand against his messy hair. “You’re right. I don’t deserve you.”

Louis closed his eyes and sighed, tilting his head into her touch. “Finally. Some recognition around here.”

Y/n let out a sigh before pointing to the bowl of soup. “Eat.” 

Louis let out an exaggerated groan, leaning forward as if the mere act of moving was an unbearable burden. With a dramatic groan, he grabbed the bowl of soup, sighing as though the effort had physically wounded him, and began to stir the contents lazily with his spoon. “What even is this supposed to be? It looks like you’re trying to finish me off for good.”

Y/n crossed her arms, staring him down. “You’re lucky I didn’t just bring you a can of chicken noodle and call it a day.”

He gasped, clutching his chest like she’d just stabbed him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I might,” she teased, nudging his legs with hers.

“You’re a monster,” he muttered, eyeing the soup with a disgusted look. “Is this even seasoned properly?”

“You’re welcome to get up and cook your own soup,” she shot back.

“Babe, please.” He held up a hand as if to stop her. “I’m ailing. On the brink of death. You wouldn’t ask a dying man to fend for himself, now would you?”

She reached for the spoon, scooping some broth and holding it out. “Eat. Or I swear I’ll let you wither away just to get some peace and quiet.”

Louis pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing. “Well that’s just rude.”

Y/n groaned, shoving the spoon closer to his mouth. “Just. Eat. The. Damn. Soup.”

He sighed dramatically, accepting the spoon but glaring at her as he swallowed the bite. Immediately, his face twisted in over-the-top disgust. “Too much pepper,” he declared, shaking his head like a disappointed food critic.

“I didn't even put pepper in this. You're insufferable,” she muttered, putting the spoon back in the bowl.

“And yet,” he said, placing the bowl back on the table before reclining further into the pillows, “you love me.”

“Do I, though?” she quipped, raising an eyebrow.

Louis' mouth dropped open in mock offense. “Y/n, if you don’t love me at my worst then you don’t deserve me in my prime.”

“Oh, please,” she said, laughing despite herself. “You don’t have a ‘prime.’”

He tilted his head, his lips curling into a sly smile. “You didn’t seem to think that last week when I wore that tight black shirt that you like.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away. “Don’t start.”

“Too late,” he said, his grin widening. “I saw that blush. You’re so predictable.”

Y/n shoved a pillow at his face. “Shut up and eat your soup.”

Louis batted the pillow away, laughing weakly before groaning and clutching his head. “Ugh. You’re giving me a migraine now.”

“Love, you’ve had a headache all day,” she pointed out, her voice softening.

“Well, now it’s even worse,” he said, throwing her a pitiful look. “Congratulations babe. You broke me.”

She sighed, reaching out to brush his messy hair out of his eyes. “I didn’t mean to. Do you want another cold compress?”

Louis blinked up at her, his expression suspicious. “What’s the catch?”

“There’s no catch, Lou. I just want you to feel better.”

He squinted at her, leaning back slightly. “Hm. This feels like a trap.”

Y/n rolled her eyes, standing up to fetch the compress.

“I saw that,” Louis called after her.

“Saw what?”

“The eye roll. So disrespectful.” He said, with a shake of his head, before flipping her off, although she couldn't see it.

When she returned with the cold compress, she carefully placed it on his forehead. Louis winced dramatically, flinging his arm over his eyes. “It's too cold!”

“It’s supposed to be cold.”

“Well, it’s doing its job a little too well.” He gave her another sharp glare.

Y/n couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re such a diva.”

He turned his head just enough to fix her with a glare. “If by ‘diva,’ you mean ‘icon,’ then yes, I am.” He said, with a proud smile.

Y/n leaned in close, her lips quirking into a smile. “You know, for someone who claims to be on the brink of death, you’re awfully energetic.”

Louis huffed, flipping her off again, but holding it up a little longer than before. “For someone who loves me, you’re awfully annoying.”

She rolled her eyes again, this time deliberately. “Lucky for you, I don’t mind annoying you.”

“Lucky for you, I’m too sick to retaliate properly,” he muttered, closing his eyes.

“Go to sleep, Lou,” Y/n said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

His eyes popped open, and he smirked. “Fine. But if I wake up cranky, just know that it will be all your fault.”

Y/n laughed, shaking her head. “Go to sleep, you diva.”

He stuck his tongue out at her—a small, childish act of rebellion that made her roll her eyes so hard she was sure they’d get stuck. But instead of snapping back, Y/n just sat beside him, arms crossed, daring him to make the next move.

“Don’t sit there and judge me,” Louis said, his voice muffled as he sank deeper into the nest of blankets. “I’m not judging,” she said, though her grin betrayed her.

“Oh, you absolutely are,” he replied, popping his head out to glare at her. “I can feel it in the air. The judgment. The disgust.” 

Y/n crossed her arms, her grin widening. “You’re so dramatic.”

Louis' eyes narrowed. He sniffled loudly for effect, making it sound like the universe itself had wronged him. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I supposed to be gracious right now? Because my ‘unsupportive girlfriend’”—he made air quotes with exaggerated disdain—“is out here bullying me in my time of need.”

She laughed, sitting down on the coffee table across from him. “I’m not bullying you, Babe. I’m literally just trying to take care of you.”

He sighed deeply, like a tragic hero staring down the cruelty of fate. “Taking care of me? By mocking me? By rolling your eyes like I’m some kind of burden?” His hand shot up again from the depths of his blanket cocoon, middle finger raised.

Y/n swatted his hand lightly, still laughing. “I’m just trying to help you, you big baby.”

“Baby?” he echoed, gasping like she’d just slapped him. “Wow. I pour my heart out, and I get called a baby. Do you even love me anymore?”

Y/n leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I'm not so sure right now.”

Louis threw the blankets off his chest, sitting up abruptly with a gasp of betrayal. “You did not just say that.” His expression shifted into a look so exaggeratedly wounded that Y/n had to bite her lip to keep from laughing again. “I have been out here, dying, and you—you—have the audacity to question your love for me?”

He flipped her off again, both hands this time, his fingers wobbling slightly like even they were tired of his nonsense.

“You’re ridiculous,” she said through giggles, reaching to tuck him back into the blankets.

“And you’re mean,” he shot back, letting her fuss over him but glaring daggers the entire time. “But fine. If you’re going to be cruel, I’ll just... suffer in silence.”

“Finally,” Y/n muttered, smirking as she adjusted the blanket over his chest.

“Oh, don’t finally me!” Louis barked, trying to sit up again, but she pushed him back down with ease. “This is abuse. This is oppression. I will not be silenced.”

She kissed the top of his head to silence him, and for a moment, he went still. Then, his lips curled into the faintest pout. “You think that’s going to fix it?”

“Fix what?” she asked, sitting back down.

“My broken heart,” he said, clutching his chest dramatically. “But sure, just kiss me like that solves everything. So lazy you are.”

Y/n groaned, leaning back. “Louis, if I wasn’t madly in love with you, I’d have left you hours ago.”

“And yet, here you are,” he quipped, smirking through his raspy voice. “I must be pretty incredible for you to put up with all this.”

“‘Incredible’ isn’t the word I’d use,” she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Oh, I know what word you’d use.” He pulled the blanket up to his chin, narrowing his eyes. “Diva.”

Y/n grinned. “If the crown fits...”

Louis raised a hand, flipped her off again—this time with such deliberate slowness it felt almost ceremonial.

“You know what? I’m done. You’re done. We’re all done. I can’t even look at you right now,” he muttered, pulling the blanket over his head.  “You’ve hurt me too much.”

Y/n shook her head, pulling the blanket back slightly to peek at him. “So dramatic.”

“And yet, you’re still here,” he replied, although it came out slightly muffled. “Which, frankly, says a lot about you.”

She sat there, watching as he huffed and wiggled to get comfortable, his grumbles growing quieter with each passing moment.

“Goodnight, my little diva,” she said softly, taking the blanket fully off of his head before leaning down to kiss his temple one last time, before brushing a hand against his messy hair.

“Yeah whatever. Goodnight,” he mumbled back.

She laughed softly, her fingers lingering for a moment before pulling back. “You’re lucky I love you.”

His eyes opened, just a sliver, and his lips curved into a small, tired smile. “I know,” he said, before pulling the blanket back over his head, finally being quiet.

[daisyblog]

Then There Were Four

Young Love Masterlist Summary: YN and Louis find out they’re expecting baby number two.

warning: positive pregnancy test, pregnancy

Since having Mia, both Louis and YN knew that they wanted more children. But with Louis’ work life with the band growing bigger and bigger each year and the tours getting larger and larger, they knew it wasn’t the right time. But now Mia was five, they agreed that they weren’t going to necessarily try, but they weren’t going to prevent it either. They were going to let things happen when they did.

With the band on a little break until their Europe leg of the tour began, Louis, YN and Mia were enjoying much needed family time. They were visiting Doncaster, somewhere they both loved to head back to when needing a tad of privacy and relaxation.

Mia was playing in Jay’s garden with Louis and his sisters as Jay and YN sat by the dining table watching them through the large patio doors.

“Louis said you’ve been feeling tired lately and not yourself?”. Jay asked gently, aware that she didn’t want to seem like she was being pushy. “Are you alright darling?”.

YN placed her mug of tea down on the table. “Yeah…I’ve just had a few dizzy spells and I could just sleep all the time”. YN explained with a shrug of her shoulders. “It’s probably just from the travelling and the last nights and early mornings”.

“Hmm…maybe”. Jay brought her mug up to her mouth to take a sip of her tea.

YN eyed Jay at her response. “Do you think it could be something else?”.

“I mean they are symptoms of pregnancy…and I’m no expert but I’ve had this feeling the last few days that you are”. YN couldn’t help but wonder if Louis’ mum was right. Was she pregnant? “If you want to do a test…there’s some up in my bathroom…go help yourself darling”.

After a little hesitation and wondering what she should do, and Jay practically telling her to go and do one, she found herself locked behind the bathroom door, counting down the minutes until the test would be complete. She paced back and forth between the four walls, hoping that time would go quicker. Before turning the test over, she took a deep breath.

Pregnant.

YN stood still as she read the word over and over again. She thought back to the time she found out she was pregnant with Mia. She was terrified at what life was ahead of her and Louis. But this time, she felt even luckier. They had come so far and now their family was growing.

She needed to tell Louis, but in a house full of people that wasn’t going to be easy. So she quickly typed out a message to him telling him to come to the bathroom, quickly.

When Jay saw Louis pull out his phone and scan the screen quickly before excusing himself from the game of tag they were all playing, she knew she was right and she was about to have another grandchild.

“I’m lucky”. Jay spoke as Louis walked passed her, on his way to find YN.

“What do you mean?”. Louis couldn’t help but wonder what she meant.

“You’re about to find my love”. Was all she said.

YN patiently waited for Louis to find her. She heard his footsteps on the stairs and she couldn’t hide her smile any longer. Once Louis opened the door, he was taken back by the happiness that surrounded them.

“Is everythin’ alright love?”. He reached for her hips to hold her closer.

YN nodded her head, the large grin still sitting proud on her face. With Louis’ arms still holding her close, she held the test in front of them both.

“I’m pregnant!”.

Louis was speechless, his mouth opened and closed, trying to find the right words. “We’re havin’ a baby?”.

“We’re having a baby!”. YN wrapped her arms around Louis, both mirroring each other smiles. Louis dipped his head and his lips found YN’s and they moved together.

“I fookin’ love you”.

“I love you”.

Taglist:

@ell0ra-br3kk3r @slaymybreathaway @wh0s-nadii @peterholland04 @lillisummers

[d-targaryenshoe]

Guitar Strings of Joy - Harry Styles

Word Count: 1702

Summary: Big moments, yet small ones are rather special to share with the people who support you through it all aren't they?

You stood backstage, your fingers running across the familiar strings of your guitar.

The hum of the crowd vibrated through the floor beneath your feet, and you could hear the murmur of excitement building as the lights dimmed in the arena.

It was one of those nights—one of those moments—that made your heart race, even after years of touring with Harry.

As one of his guitarists, you had played in some of the biggest venues worldwide, but tonight was different.

Tonight, you weren't just his guitarist, you were also his girlfriend and the soon-to-be mother of your first child.

A flutter of nervous excitement mingled with your anticipation.

In just a few minutes, your secret would no longer be yours.

Harry had insisted on making this night special, and you had agreed. You'd been planning it for weeks, keeping your little secret close.

The gender reveal of your baby would happen right here, on stage, in front of thousands of fans.

And it would be you who would announce it with the iconic guitar solo of Harry's song, 'Adore You'.

The thought made your stomach flip with both nerves and excitement.

Harry's voice came through the speakers as he greeted the crowd, his tone warm and familiar, like a friend welcoming everyone into his home.

He had that effect on people, a natural ease that made even the largest of crowds feel intimate.

"Hey, everybody! How are we feeling tonight?" Harry's voice boomed through the arena, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

You could almost see him in your mind, smiling that boyish grin that had captured hearts all over the world.

You listened as Harry went through the opening set, your fingers moving instinctively over your guitar strings, getting in sync with the rhythm of the band.

You had played these songs a hundred times, but tonight there was an added weight to every note.

Then, it was time.

The moment you had both been waiting for.

Harry paused after finishing the previous song, letting the last note fade into the electric buzz of the crowd.

He looked over at you, his eyes sparkling with something that made your heart skip.

There was a pause, the kind that stretched just long enough to build anticipation.

“So, before we go on,” Harry began, his voice suddenly quieter, more intimate, “I want to share something special with you all. Tonight isn’t just another concert for us. It’s also a really special night for me and someone you all know pretty well.”

The crowd murmured in curiosity, a wave of whispers rippling through the sea of people.

You felt your pulse quicken. You knew this was it.

Harry's eyes met yours again, and for a second, it was just the two of you.

You smiled, trying to steady your breathing.

“For those of you who don’t know, the amazing guitarist who’s been up here with me every night is also the love of my life, y/n.” Harry's words sent a surge of applause and cheers through the crowd.

You felt your cheeks flush, both from the warmth of the spotlight and the love that emanated from the audience.

“And we’ve got a little surprise for you all tonight,” Harry continued, his voice tinged with excitement. “You see, y/n and I are expecting a baby!”

The cheers grew louder, and you felt a wave of emotion wash over you.

The audience’s energy was infectious, and you couldn’t help but smile even wider.

Harry waited for the noise to die down before speaking again. “Now, we thought long and hard about how we wanted to reveal the gender of our baby, and we decided there was no better place to do it than right here, with all of you."

"So, during the next song, when y/n plays the guitar solo, you’re going to see some fireworks. And when you do, the color of those fireworks will tell you if we’re having a boy or a girl.”

The crowd erupted again, this time with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

You could feel your heart pounding in your chest.

This was it.

You nodded at Harry, who gave you a reassuring smile, and then he turned back to the crowd.

“This is ‘Adore You,’” Harry announced, and the familiar notes began to fill the arena.

Your fingers moved over the strings, finding the melody with ease.

The song had always been special to you and Harry.

It was one of the first songs you had worked on together, back when your relationship was still new, still fragile.

Now, it felt like a full-circle moment, standing here with him, about to share the biggest news of your lives with thousands of people.

As the song built towards the solo, your nerves returned, but so did a deep sense of calm.

This was your moment.

You closed your eyes for a brief second, grounding yourself, and then you stepped forward, into the spotlight.

The world seemed to hold its breath as you played the opening notes of the solo.

The sound of your guitar echoed through the arena, each note carrying with it the weight of the moment.

The crowd fell silent, waiting, watching.

And then, as the solo reached its peak, the arena exploded in a dazzling display of color.

Fireworks shot into the sky, bursting into a shower of brilliant blue.

The crowd gasped in unison, and then the cheers began, louder than ever before.

You felt a wave of emotion crash over you, tears springing to your eyes as you played the final notes of the solo.

A boy.

You were having a boy.

Harry was beside you in an instant, his arms wrapping around you as the crowd continued to cheer.

You could feel him shaking, overwhelmed with emotion, just as you were.

You held onto each other, sharing the moment, as the blue fireworks continued to light up the sky above you.

Harry took the microphone again, his voice thick with emotion.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” he said, his words directed both to the audience and to you. “We can’t wait to meet our little fella, and we’re so grateful to have you all here with us tonight to share this moment.”

The crowd roared in response, and you felt another wave of tears threaten to spill over.

You glanced at Harry, who was looking at you with a mixture of love and awe.

It was a look you would never tire of.

As the final notes of "Adore You" faded into the night, Harry turned back to the audience.

“I think we’re going to need to play one more song after that,” he said with a laugh, and the crowd cheered in agreement.

But before you started the next song, Harry leaned in close to you, his voice low enough that only you could hear.

“I love you,” he said, his eyes shining.

You smiled, your heart full. “I love you too,” you replied, and in that moment, everything else faded away.

It was just you, standing on stage, under a sky filled with blue fireworks, ready to welcome the next chapter of your lives together.

Harry turned back to the microphone, and the band launched into the next song, the energy in the arena electric.

You picked up the melody, your fingers moving effortlessly over the strings, but your mind was still on what had just happened.

You couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Harry's face when the fireworks had exploded in blue.

The pure, unfiltered joy, mixed with a touch of disbelief, as if he couldn’t quite believe this was all real.

As you played through the set, you found yourself sneaking glances at Harry, catching his eye whenever you could.

Each time, he would smile at you, that same look of love and awe in his eyes.

It was a look that told you everything you needed to know about your future.

You were going to be just fine.

More than fine—you were going to be a family.

The rest of the concert flew by in a blur of music and lights.

The crowd was more alive than ever, feeding off the energy of the night.

When the final notes of the last song echoed through the arena, the applause was deafening.

Harry and you stood side by side, looking out at the sea of faces, each one filled with love and joy.

It was a moment neither of you would ever forget.

As the band left the stage, Harry grabbed your hand, pulling you close.

“We did it,” he whispered in your ear, his voice filled with pride.

You smiled, your heart swelling with love for the man beside you. “We did,” you agreed. “And now, we get to do the next part.”

Harry grinned, his hand resting on your belly. “I can’t wait.”

Backstage, the rest of the band and crew congratulated you, the air filled with hugs and laughter.

Everyone was buzzing with excitement, still riding the high of the reveal.

You couldn’t stop smiling, your heart full to bursting.

Later that night, after the arena had emptied and the crew had packed up, Harry and you found yourselves alone in your dressing room.

The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving behind a warm, contented glow.

Harry sat down on the couch, pulling you down beside him.

“I still can’t believe it,” Harry said, his voice soft as he rested his hand on your belly. “A boy.”

You leaned into him, your head resting on his shoulder. “I know,” you said, your voice equally soft. “It feels like a dream.”

Harry kissed the top of your head, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on your stomach. “It’s a dream I never want to wake up from,” he whispered.

You sat like that for a long time, wrapped up in each other, the excitement of the night giving way to a peaceful calm.

The future stretched out before you, bright and full of possibilities.

And as you sat there, in the quiet of the night, you knew that no matter what came next, you would face it together, as a family.

And that was all you needed.

[sparkrls]

High School Sweethearts

MASTERLIST

Summary: in which Harry Styles is the rookie on the football team and he's really lost and Adelaide Heathers is the captain of the volleyball team who's just a little too high-strung

Author's Note: Originally an AU of my Mastermind series, available on Wattpad

Word Count: 13.6k

•••

A FOOTBALL WAS KICKED STRAIGHT INTO ADDIE'S STOMACH, KNOCKING THE WIND OUT OF HER.

Addie wheezed, clutching her gut as she tried to recover air, but her lungs seemed to disagree with her intent. As she struggled to breathe, she reminisced on the peacefulness she'd been experiencing only a few minutes earlier.

It'd been just like every Tuesday afternoon. Finish school, head straight to the changing rooms and then to Addie's one true home: the volleyball court.

And now she felt like her lungs were collapsing.

The one and only thing Addie absolutely despised about training were the boy's football team training right beside them. It wasn't a rare event to have a football kicked into the sand, especially whenever the season was beginning and the rookies had yet to pass that learning curve.

But goddamn it, Addie was going to rip Captain Tomlinson a new one after getting hit straight in the gut. She'd been caught completely off-guard, and as she was busy showing the new girl how to properly spike the ball, Addie didn't have the time to dodge.

When air finally made its way into Addie's lungs, Tomlinson appeared right in time, wincing as he watched the other girls crowd around their Captain. She'd been leaning against her knees for balance, but when she caught sight of the blue-eyed football captain, she pushed herself up to storm over to him.

Louis Tomlinson, the captain of the football team. Fluffy brown hair, electric blue eyes and a bright smile. He was the kind of guy you took home to meet your parents, with a class clown personality, but kind enough.

His fatal flaw, in Addie's opinion, was being absolutely infuriating. With no adults around, his charm slipped into a sarcastic, more snarky personality.

If he didn't accidentally injure several of Addie's team with his stupid footballs, she might actually like him.

However, at the moment, Addie was pissed at him.

Addie raised her finger, pointing it at Tomlinson's face as he backed away hastily, stumbling over his own feet as he raised his hands in defense. She'd shouted at him enough times about balls getting kicked into their court for him to learn his lesson and know she was dangerous when angry.

"You moron, Tomlinson!" Addie seethed, as the back of his knees hit the bench, and he couldn't back away anymore. "How hard is it to kick the ball inside your huge field?"

Louis shook his head in protest, eyes wide with fear. He was a good ten centimeters taller than her, and he was still just as terrified of her as the rest of the school. "'S not my fault! We got a new player, and- he- he struggles a lil bit."

"A little bit?" Addie prompted, raising an indignant eyebrow. She gestured towards the field. "He kicked it forward, how the fuck did the ball go in the complete opposite direction?"

"I don't fucking know!" Tomlinson shrugged, looking just as bewildered as she was. "I told you he struggles."

"Struggles is an understatement."

Addie glanced at Louis, who seemed to be awaiting permission to move. She huffed, taking a few slow steps away from him.

"Fine, you're off the hook this time, Tomlinson."

Louis sighed, clearly relieved.

Addie rolled her eyes. "You're lucky it was me who got hit. Any of my girls go down because of you, and you're dead. Got it?"

Louis nodded eagerly. "A'ight, I'll tell Styles to watch it."

"Maybe kick him off the team if he's that incompetent," Addie muttered under her breath, crossing her arms as she watched some other boys on the football team start to approach. "Get your boys away from my court, Tomlinson, before I kick their ass."

"Noted," Louis turned around, clearing his throat before whistling, a sharp and loud sound that rang in the air. "Oi lads, back to the field. Move your arse, Oli." As the jersey-clad boys began heading back, Louis turned around and called, "I won't kick him off, just so you know."

"That's a stupid ass decision, just so you know," Addie shouted back.

Louis shrugged, in a 'what-can-you-do?' manner. "The lad's got potential."

Addie rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "He can shove that potential up his ass."

Addie pronounced 'ass' in a strange way, some unique hybrid between an American and a British accent. After a year or so of studying in England, she'd picked up a few odd habits of pronouncing certain words with an accent. She hadn't made a full transition, so of course her friends picked on her for pronouncing things 'too American' and then 'too British'.

Turning back around, Addie clapped her hands together to catch her girls' attention. "Alright, let's get back to work."

An hour later, Addie treaded back to her car, sand sticking to her thighs where she'd sweat and then later fallen down, ponytail a mess and in the spare change of clothes she carried in her gym bag. Taking a swig of water, she dug her keys out of her pocket.

Glancing around at the parking lot, she couldn't find her car.

Crap.

She always forgot where she parked her car, and so every afternoon, it was the same tedious game of clicking the buttons on her keys until she eventually located her car.

But just as she started clicking the keys, the universe decided it hated Adelaide Heathers. A small drop of rain trickled onto Addie's cheek. And then another. And another.

And within a few moments, the clouds were unleashing torment upon Addie, and she resorted to using her gym bag as a cover while she ran at top speed towards the roof of the basketball court.

When she finally made it to refuge, she collapsed on the ground, sitting and heaving as she watched sheets of rain fall down. The sound echoed through the basketball court. It was built in a strange way, with a roof covering the court and the bleachers, but with one open wall so that the court was semi-open.

Nevertheless, it was good for rainy seasons like these, in case it started raining in the middle of training, the football and the volleyball teams would huddle in the bleachers as they waited for the storm to pass.

Addie's ratty Spiderman shirt was sticking to her skin from the rain that had managed to get her wet. Once she'd caught her breath after the sudden run, she stood and squeezed the water from her shirt.

A shriek ripped from her throat when she turned and found someone else in the court. Her hand flew to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Oh my god, you scared me. Jesus, don't be so quiet," Addie groaned, cheeks flushed with embarassment as she spoke, "You're like a ghost."

The boy looked sheepish as he scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

His hair was a messy array of curls, sticking to his forehead that was dripping with sweat, his nose looked like a bunny's, and his eyes-

Oh god, his eyes.

Addie could've stared at them forever, analyzed every combination needed to unlock that perfect lively green color.

He had the potential to look like a frat boy, but there was something about the nervousness in his smile, and the kindness in his eyes that let you know he wasn't that way. He seemed to be a good person.

And of course he was exactly Addie's type.

"'S alright," Addie waved him off, her mind already racing on all the ways she could get this pretty boy's number, "Who are you?- I mean, I know every single person on the sports team, but I can't recognize you."

He smiled with only one side of his mouth, and the curve of his dimple gleamed like a star. "I'm new. Harry Styles." He offered his hand.

Addie shook it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Adelaide Heathers. Captain of the volleyball team. " Realization then dawned on her. "Shit, you're Styles. You're the guy who hit me in the stomach with that ball!"

The guy with the shittiest kick in the world, Addie thought, but she wasn't nearly rude enough to say it out loud. Or at least to his face.

Harry grimaced. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way."

She liked the slow drawl of his voice. It reeled her in and she couldn't escape even if she wanted to.

And she really didn't want to.

"So you really decided to torment me twice in one day, huh? First a ball in the gut and then scaring the shit out of me," Addie joked, but it seemed Harry took it too seriously.

Harry rushed to say, "I swear I didn't do it on purpose- I mean, you may count the second one on purpose as I didn't announce my presence- but I didn't mean to scare you, I'm really a nice guy- oh shit, I swear I'm not one of those assholes who says they're a nice guy despite obviously not being a nice guy-"

Addie cut him off, "Alright, alright, calm down, Styles." She placed a firm hand on his bicep. "You're alright, I was just kidding around."

Harry sighed in relief. "Okay. That's good."

Addie smiled, endeared by his antics. "So, tell me, Styles-"

"You can call me Harry, by the way," Harry jumped in, cutting her off. She gave him a look. "Just- just so you know."

"Well, Styles, I quite like your last name," Addie smirked, noticing a small smile begin to appear on his lips. She had to admit, it gave her a little power rush to know she flustered him. "Anyways, as I was saying, how come you're here so late?"

Harry said, "Uh, I was waiting for the bus to arrive but it was really late. And then it started to rain. So..."

Addie nodded, humming in approval. She began to take slow, deliberate steps towards the bleachers. She sat down, leaning her elbows against the row behind her and gazing up at the ceiling. Harry followed suit, crossing his arms over his torso.

"What bus do you take?"

"The thirteen."

Addie frowned. "The thirteen made its last stop an hour ago. It passes by at five and that's the last one of the day."

"But-" Harry was aghast. "But training ends at five thirty."

"Yeah."

"Fuck."

Feeling sympathy for the poor boy who looked like a kicked puppy with his eyebrows all scrunched up in worry, Addie asked him, "Where do you live? I'm sure there's another bus that passes by there, or maybe the subway."

"You mean the tube?" Harry prompted, the corner of his lips pulled up into a teasing smile.

Addie scoffed, playfully slapping his arm. "Shut up, you're the only country that calls it that."

"Okay," Harry said, unconvincingly. He was clearly teasing her, and it made her uncomfortable. She was supposed to be the one in control.

Addie took the reins of the conversation, "Alright, so where do you live?"

Harry shook his head. "The thirteen is the only bus that passes near my house, and the tube drops me off too far off. My house is too close for the tube but too far to walk."

"The bus is your only shot, damn," Addie cursed, "Well, I've got a car, and I can give you a ride home if you want."

"Wait, really?" Harry sat up. "You sure?"

"Yeah, why not?" Addie shrugged. "Just let the rain ease up and we can go."

"You're an angel, Heathers. A lifesaver."

Addie bit her lip to suppress her grin. "It's no big deal."

The cutest guy ever just called me an angel, Addie thought, and she knew she must be blushing.

When the rain finally died down, they ran to Addie's car, getting a little lost along the way, but managing to make it semi-dry.

Laughing at their idiocies, Addie turned the car on and pulled out of the school parking lot. Harry made small talk, asking her about her American accent.

"I'm actually from Mexico," Addie said with a small chuckle. Harry raised his eyebrows, and she explained, "Since the US is right there beside Mexico, I learned to speak English with an American accent. Then, a year ago, my mom and I moved here to London, and I started at this school."

After her parents' divorce, everything had crumbled. She'd been holding on by a thread, and that thread was this school, this city and these people. A fresh start where no one knew her as the weird kid, or the geek, or that girl in the pictures in seventh grade.

Sure, she was still top of her class, and people were terrified to be around her because of her reputation for a sharp tongue and a cold stare. But she had friends who could see beyond that mask she wore, she had found volleyball, and she found her place in this world.

Thing were okay here.

Maybe not at home, but at her school. At work, and here in the car with this new kid.

"What about you? You new?"

Harry nodded, drumming his fingers against the car handle. "Yeah, transferred this year, and somehow got into the football team?" He turned to look at her. "Quick question, just how low are the standards? I mean, I got in, so I'm guessing it's less a bar and more like a pit in the ground?"

Addie laughed, grinning despite her promise to keep her cool around him. But there was something about his warmth that made her drop her defenses. "Their standards are pretty high. Tomlinson's a ruthless captain, so watch out for him. But he's got trust in you, says you got potential." She stopped at the red light and turned to look him in the eyes. "Tomlinson's a pain in my ass, but he's also got a good eye for players. If he lets you on his team, it's for good reason."

The light turned green, and Addie started driving again.

"Thanks."

"Just stating the facts. Maybe learn to kick the ball the right way, though."

"Aye, aye, cap'n." Harry saluted her, making her crack up.

Addie faked indignation, "Don't distract me, I'm driving!"

Harry gasped, following along with her joke. "I'm sorry. I'll stop being so hilarious. Oh wait, I'm always hilarious."

"You're an idiot, that's what you are."

Harry smiled.

Mark her words, someday, Harry Styles would be Adelaide Heathers' idiot.

---

"Does it really not bother your parents that you drive me home every day?" Harry commented after three weeks straight of Addie giving him a ride. "I mean, you must get home late, right?"

Every day after training, Addie would pick up the things they'd used, get changed, and make her way to the car. She'd find Harry walking on the street, and honked her horn until he finally gave up and let her drive him home.

After a week, he started helping her pick up after volleyball practice, saying it was the least he could do for all the trouble he put her through. She began letting him. It was just picking up a couple of cones and packing up the net.

Now, she'd gotten used to it, to having him help her while he chattered on about his day. If it were anyone else, she would've stayed in comfortable silence, but he always seemed to pull a conversation out of her. And every time he talked about his day, she listened intently, until he asked a question that forced her to open up a bit.

After picking up, they'd get changed in their separate locker rooms. Somehow, he always took half the time she did and would wait outside the door for her. Always had his curls damp because he'd squeeze water into them to make them curl again after messing them up during practice. And with that puppy-like grin on his lips.

Addie shrugged. "Nah, it's just my mom and me. Dad and sister are back in Mexico, and since my mom works most of the time, she doesn't really notice I'm gone." She chuckled to herself. "Guess being a workaholic just runs in the family."

It wasn't uncommon for parents to be absent because of long work hours. It wasn't like Addie's mom couldn't afford to cut back her hours. Even if her mom only worked part-time, with her salary, they could have a great life.

But, like Addie said, being a workaholic was in their genes. Addie supposed that was the reason she was so focused on school and volleyball and work. She was addicted to being busy. To praise for her achievements and her work ethic. That was how her entire family was wired. That was how she'd been raised.

Harry's eyebrows knitted together in that way they did when he was deep in thought. "Well, if your mom won't mind, why don't you stay tonight for dinner?"

Addie's face slackened in shock. She turned her entire head to look at Harry before remembering she was supposed to be driving. She adjusted her hands on the steering wheel and cleared her throat. "Um... I mean, are you sure? You don't have to.”

Addie didn't want his pity or his fake niceties. She wanted him to truly want her. Maybe want her for more than just a casual dinner with his family. More than just that one friend who drove him home every afternoon.

Harry smiled, placing his hand over Addie's hand. She tightened her clutch on the driving stick as she felt the unfamiliar feeling of someone else's skin on hers. It only took a few moments for her to relax under the comforting warmth of his hand. "I want you there."

Pulling his hand back, Harry sat back, looking straight ahead.

Meanwhile, a million thoughts were whirring through Addie's head as she tried to understand what his hand on hers in this enclosed space meant. What did it mean?

Was Harry feeling the butterflies swarming his stomach the way she was? Or was she alone in her rose-flushed cheeks and thoughts of jumping and falling for someone who might not catch her?

Addie stayed at Harry's for dinner that night. She met his sister, who was studying at a college on the other side of the city, and his parents who were the sweetest people she'd ever met. It was no wonder Harry had turned out so amazing when he'd grown up in this family.

There were no sharp comments, no subtle comments to dig under skin, just teasing banter and sibling loving each other. Harry looked at his sister with such admiration, Addie felt a small pang of jealousy. His parents listened intently as he talked passionately about his day at school.

And when they turned to get to know Addie better, their words were kind and understanding. It started with the simple questions about her parents and their work. And then they asked, "So, why do you like our Harry?"

"Is it a pity thing?" Gemma joked, hiding her smile behind a roll of bread. That was another thing Addie hadn't experienced in years. Carbs at a meal.

When Addie started getting into sports, her mom stopped buying bread, saying "You need to stay in shape. Imagine being captain of the volleyball team and being overweight" (She hadn't even been promoted to captain yet, but her mom assured her that she would get the position one way or another).

Addie was hesitant to grab bread, but it'd been so long and it tasted so good slathered in butter and dipped in the creamy tomato soup.

Snickering, Addie nudged Harry with her shoulder. "I guess he's decent. He did throw a ball at my stomach the first time we met."

Harry's Mom, Anne made a sound of shock. "Harry, you did what!?"

His eyes widened with alarm. "It was an accident! I swear-!"

"Harry, I swear to god, you make such bad first impressions," Anne chided him, shaking her head in bewilderment. "Did you apologize?"

"Yes, Mom."

When dinner was over, they helped clean up and then Harry took her to his room, showing her around his house.

Harry showed her his small collection of CD's, blushing when she teased him for the obscene amount of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks.

"I have Rumors on vinyl," Addie said as she scanned the CD, noting the small crack at the edge of the plastic case.

Harry's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. It was a gift from my dad." The last gift he gave her before she left for London. They'd sat down in the living room, next to the dozen of packed boxes, put the vinyl on and skipped to 'The Chain'. He'd held her hand and squeezed it, promising he would visit as soon as he could.

It'd been eighteen months and he hadn't visited even once. Calls were rare and short. Texts were a little more frequent, but still scarce.

Addie looked up, setting the CD down back onto its shelf, and wandering around the rest of the room, hands in her pockets. "You should come over sometime. I'll play it."

Harry's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yeah!" He exclaimed. And then he seemed to realize how eager he sounded, and cleared his throat, saying in a more laidback tone, "Yeah. I guess that'd be cool."

Pretending to look at the poster above his bed, Addie tried to hide her stupidly huge grin.

Harry had stars, those glow in the dark stars that every kid wanted in their room. The only lighting in the room was his desk light, so she could see a bit of the glow in the stars. They were randomly placed on the ceiling.

Even if they were real stars, she doubted any of them would shine as bright as Harry’s eyes as he met her gaze. His cheeks flushed a light pink, lips curved in a nervous smile.

Addie’s breath caught in her throat. She could reach out and graze the softness of his lips or the curve of his nose. He looked so soft in the absolute best way possible. Soft like the petal of a rose. Soft like the first stream of sunlight through the window.

The spell of the moment was broken by the door being shoved open. It made a loud sound as it hit the wall.

Both Harry and Addie jumped, startled. Standing in the doorway was Harry's dad, Robin. "Keep the door open at all times, Haz." He glanced between the two teenagers, who looked equally embarrassed despite standing quite far apart. And only being friends. "Have fun."

Once Robin was gone, Harry groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "I'm sorry. My parents are embarrassing."

Shaking her head, Addie laughed. "No, I think your parents are really cool." She smiled softly, sitting down on the gray blanket of Harry's bed. He sat down beside her. "They really care about you. You're lucky to have parents like them."

Harry's gaze softened. "They are pretty great."

Addie would kill to have parents like Harry's. Caring and nurturing, who actually gave a shit about their kids.

Clearing her throat, Addie stood up. "This was great, but I should get back soon. School night and everything."

A pang of disappointment shot through her chest as she remembered she had to go. There was a very stupid part of her that really wanted to stay with Harry forever. A very stupid and foolish part of her. The same part that felt butterflies each time her eyes met his and drove him home every afternoon just to get a few minutes with him.

Addie waved goodbye to Harry's parents, thanking them for dinner as she walked past their room. Harry walked her to her car, where he then hugged her and hesitated before placing a swift kiss to her cheek.

They both tried to play it cool, even though the two were flushed tomato red, and Addie stumbled as she got into her car.

The entire drive home, her cheek tingled where she'd been kissed. And if her fingers wandered over the lingering warmth, and her mind ran with thoughts of where this could lead, well... that was just for her to know.

---

Addie lost the match.

The first match of the season, and they'd been beaten by a landslide. It was absolutely pathetic how they'd barely gotten any scores in. The match was so clearly dominated by the opposing team, it was actually sad. But most of all, it made her realize just how shitty of a captain she was.

She wasn't made for leadership. All she had was her own strength, but she didn't have enough to keep everyone else moving.

When they got to their locker rooms, it was dead silent as they took turns in the showers. No one wanted to speak, afraid it would only make the moment real.

But it was when Lexi started sniffling, and Alice turned to hug her that Addie couldn't take the silence anymore.

"It's okay," Alice murmured to Lexi.

Lexi shook her head. "I'm the one who didn't hit that final ball. It's my fault."

"Lexi," Addie spoke. Everyone turned to look at her. All eyes were on her. This could make or break the moment. "We're a team, alright? One of us lose, all of us lose. And it's okay to fail sometimes, that just means we gotta work harder." She got to her feet, sitting beside Lexi and pulling her into her side. The younger girl clung to Addie, searching for some comfort. "We lost a match, but it's the first one of the season, we're still learning how to work together and that's okay. Now we know what we need to work on, and we'll do better next time."

"I'm sorry," Lexi sniffled. "I tried my best, I swear."

Addie's heart ached as she watched the girl cry. "It's okay. I know."

By the time the locker room emptied, Addie was the only one left. She always made sure to be the last one to leave, just to make sure the rest of her team were okay.

She cried in the shower, totally alone in her sorrows as she only had herself to blame. Maybe the whole team had lost, but she was the leader. Addie was the one who was supposed to steer them to victory, not to this.

This had been Addie's shot to prove herself, and she'd thrown it in the trash and set it on fire.

Addie locked up the locker room, and made her way to the parking lot, digging through her bag for the keys.

She found someone leaning on the hood of her car. Curly hair swept back as he leaned his head back, closing his eyes, breathing in the fall air.

Addie clicked the car keys, and the car made a sound, startling Harry. He jumped, stumbling forward and barely catching himself before he fell face-first onto the asphalt.

She snickered at his reaction, pushing past him to place her gym bag in the backseat of her car. "Hey, Styles."

Harry leaned forward, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He'd made it a tradition to always greet her that way. "Hi, Heathers."

Addie tried not to blush and failed spectacularly. "You looking for a ride?"

"You offering one?"

Addie shrugged, gesturing with her head. "Door's open." Harry got into the car eagerly, already buckling his seatbelt by the time she was barely sitting down.

Addie buckled her seatbelt and placed the keys in the engine-

"How'd the match go?"

Something inside of Addie snapped, and for the second time that day, tears began to spill down her cheeks. She sniffled, trying to wipe the tears away before he could notice, but it was too late.

Harry leaned forward, grasping her face with his hand, gently turning her towards him. "Love, are you okay?"

Addie squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she would stop crying. Harry probably thought she was embarrassing. She couldn't keep it together for even a few minutes. That was certainly embarrassing. All he wanted was a ride home, he certainly didn't need to see her tears.

"Ads? You can talk to me," Harry said, his voice ever so gentle, as if she were so fragile he could break her with just a few words. "Love?"

Addie opened her eyes, allowing him to see the tears swimming, the hurt hidden behind her amber eyes. "We lost. I fucked it up. I fucked it all up."

A strangled sob escaped her throat despite her best attempt to choke it back. Harry shushed her, leaning forward, the brake digging into his gut, but he endured the pain just so he could hug her.

And despite everything that had been ingrained in Addie's mind for so long- that crying was showing weakness, and weakness meant shame, and shame was the worst crime of all-

Addie took his comfort. She clung to it like a lifeline, because she was drowning and Harry was her lifejacket.

This was all she had ever needed all along.

Because even now, when she felt so incredibly low and pathetic, she didn't feel alone. Addie didn't feel alone, instead she felt a hope creeping into her life the way a candlelight slowly lights in a dark room.

"You didn't fuck up," Harry murmured into her ear, holding her tighter. Addie closed her eyes, bathing in the warmth of his touch. "You didn't, okay? You're amazing, and smart and so dedicated and maybe you lost this time- but you're goddamn Adelaide Heathers, and when you fall down, you get back up."

Addie weakly asked, "And if I can't get back up?"

"You will." There was no doubt in Harry's voice as he spoke. "Maybe you'll struggle a little, but you'll get back up. You always do. And you know that I'm always there to help you up."

"I don't feel like getting back up anymore," Addie protested, pulling away from Harry's hug with regret. She was bitter as she cried, "I keep getting kicked down and getting back up and I'm so sick and tired of it, and I just-" Her breath was shaky as she inhaled -"I just want to give up already."

Harry placed a gentle hand on her arm, a soft reassurance that he was there. "You can stay down a little while, but you'll get back up again. That's just how you're wired."

"I don't know if that's true anymore."

"Well, I know it's true," Harry defended, not aggressive but more insistent as he said, "Because I know you. And you trust me, right? So you can trust me when I say that you'll get back up. And even if you don't, then I'll be there anyways."

Addie sniffled, quickly wiping her tears away. "You're a really great person, Haz. Have I told you I'm really glad I have you in my life?"

Harry shook his head with a light chuckle. "No, but it's good to know."

"I mean it," Addie insisted, her voice still thick with tears. "I don't know where I'd be without you. Thanks for kicking that ball into my stomach."

Harry threw his head back laughing. The sound rang through the air like the chiming of bells, making Addie feel like she was on a cloud knowing she'd made Harry laugh. She had made him happy, even if only for a few seconds.

Once Harry's laughter had settled down, he turned his head to look at her. Something clouded his eyes, like a lavender haze falling over them.

His voice dropped an octave as he said, "I really like you, Adelaide Heathers."

"You're not half-bad yourself, Harry Styles," she whispered back, eyes flickering down to his lips.

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if Harry was leaning forward just a few inches, about to meet her halfway. And there was a yearning to crash her lips against his and take what she'd wanted all this time.

And then her phone rang.

Their bubble burst just like that, and Addie could recognize the ringtone. She answered, "Yeah?"

"Adelaide," her mom warned her, "You greet people with 'hello' not 'yeah'."

"Sorry, Mom," Addie said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What's up?"

"Why aren't you home yet?"

"I told you I was having dinner at Harry's tonight," Addie said, frowning in confusion. She looked over at Harry, who was looking at her for an explanation. She simply shrugged, as confused as he was.

Mom scoffed. "I didn't say you could go."

"Yeah, you did, Mom," Addie reminded her, "You told me yesterday morning it was fine. I told you I had my match and then after, I was heading to Harry's for dinner."

"You had a match today?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Don't use that tone with me," Mom snapped at her. Yeah, well, you missed my match, so get off your high horse, bitch, Addie thought bitterly. "Did you win?"

"No, we didn't."

"I'm disappointed in you, Addie. I thought you would do better."

Addie was ready to snap. Not only did her mother miss her match, but she had the audacity to then be disappointed in Addie?

Then again, her mom's words hit her like a punch in the gut. Even her mom thought she'd win. How many people had she let down today?

"Look, I'm headed to Harry's, I'll be back before curfew."

"I want you home at nine."

"Mom, it's seven-"

"Nine."

"Fine."

Addie hung up the phone and turned it on silent, knowing her mom would try and call her back just to tell her off. "Can I stay until midnight tonight?"

"I thought your curfew was eleven," Harry said, trying to piece together Addie's interaction with her mother.

"It is."

Harry waited for an explanation until he realized none was coming and nodded. "Stay however long you want to."

Addie got home at one am, by which time her mom was passed out on the couch, a glass of sugar-free lemonade beside her. She walked past her and headed to her room.

And that night, she dreamt of sitting in a car and no stupid phones interrupting a kiss with Harry. She dreamt of holding his hand and kissing him like he belonged to her.

The next morning, Addie was numb to her mom's yelling and didn't even give a shit when she was grounded. Addie realized she didn't really give much of a shit when it came to her mom. Not anymore.

She was fed up.

---

Addie whistled, "Horan! Come over here, you idiot!"

Niall whipped his head around, blue eyes sparkling with glee as he caught sight of the younger girl. "Heathers!" He ran towards her, hugging her tightly as she returned the embrace with matching eagerness. "How have you been, love?"

"I've been good, babe," Addie answered with ease, used to the friendly flirting with Niall. They pulled back from the hug. "What about you? You're the one who disappeared for two months, you dick." She punched him in the arm.

"Okay, first off, ouch. Second, it was actually really good?" Niall answered, slinging his arm around her shoulder and leading her towards the bench on the edge of the field. "I was worried 'cause 's been a while since I've visited my fam, right? But it was nice."

He was wearing his football uniform, and the scratchy fabric of the jersey infuriated Addie, but after last year of near-constant physical contact with Niall, she'd gotten used to it for the most part.

They ended up sitting down on the bench, chatting while Addie slung her legs over Niall's, always maintaining some kind of physical contact. She needed it after he'd gone away for two months to Ireland to be with his family.

Louis arrived fifteen minutes later, looking slightly disgruntled with his hair a mess and the front of his jersey dripping wet and spreading to his shorts. Addie took him in, raising an eyebrow at the water that didn't seem to have spread to the back.

"Niall, aren't you supposed to be warming up?" Louis grumbled, running a hand through his hair as he tried to fix the disheveled mess. "And Heathers, don't you have a training to lead?"

"Don't you know how to drink water?" Addie retorted, looking him up and down.

Louis scoffed. "It was your stupid boyfriend that did this to me. Got distracted looking at this-" He gestured towards their intertwined legs -"And spilled a whole fucking shit bottle of water on me. Grabbed my arm in a fucking vice too. Pretty sure I'mma get bruises from the fucking thing."

Louis' swearing filter was removed whenever he was faced with the smallest of annoyances.

"Boyfriend?" Niall sat up, staring at Addie. "Fifteen minutes talking shit and you didn't mention a boyfriend?" He then turned to look at Louis. "Our little Heather has grown up and gotten a boyfriend at long last?"

Addie flicked Niall in his forehead, where the dark roots were beginning to grow below the bleach blond. "Asshole. Both of you. No, I don't have a boyfriend. Louis' just being a little shit."

Both of the boys looked unconvinced. Louis rolled his eyes. "Sure, he's not your boyfriend. You just look at each other with lovey-dovey eyes, and you drive him home after training every day, and he walks to the other side of the school just to be with you for ten minutes during break. He's not your boyfriend."

Addie groaned. "Goddamn it Tomlinson, he's not my boyfriend and he's not interested in me!" Louis and Addie had had this conversation a million times before. It was infuriating that he kept insisting that Harry was interested in her. This crush was not a mutual thing.

"Have you ever hung out with him outside of school?" Niall asked.

Addie made a sound. "I mean... not really. I just stay for dinner a couple times a week."

"What?" Louis shrieked, this being new information for him. "Why didn't you tell me that part?"

"'S not important."

"You've known each other for two months and you're already having dinner with his family?"

"It's not like that!"

Addie knew it was because Anne knew more about her family situation than Harry. She was always the one who insisted that Addie stay over for dinner and talked to her and cared for her.

In the last five weeks or so, Anne had done more parenting towards Addie than her own mother had done in the last two years.

"You know damn well that boy is head over heels for you," Louis said, making a tsk sound with his tongue. "Mark my words, Adelaide Heathers and Harry Styles are going to date someday."

Driving Harry home that afternoon was a quiet ordeal. They had their routine down to a T, and it seemed neither of them were in a particularly talkative mood.

Addie wasn't sure what was going on with Harry, but she was dealing with the fact that she had a huge crush on him and couldn't get him out of her head despite knowing he wasn't interested either. Plus her grades had been slipping lately and her average had dropped from a perfect 10 to a pretty good 9, but it was sure to result in another fight with her mom. And training had been a disaster, everyone was off their game and tournaments started in two weeks.

Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong that day. Addie didn't want to take it out on Harry, and she didn't need him to know she was struggling and weak. So she stayed quiet, to avoid questions.

But then five minutes passed and Harry asked, "Who was that guy you were with earlier?"

Addie frowned. "Who? The blond guy?"

"Yeah," Harry muttered. Something about his demeanor was off. He was too closed off, filled with unnecessary tension. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Addie laughed. "No, he's not my boyfriend. His name is Niall, and he's a really good friend of mine." She snickered to herself. "I spent all of last year battling rumors that he and I were dating, but we're just friends."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Addie cleared her throat. "Niall's amazing. And we've always had this dynamic of flirting with each other, but he's just a friend. He... he was the first person to ever talk to me when I got here. Without him, I probably never would've talked to anyone. Today was the first time I saw him since summer break, so I was happy to see him."

"He's on the football team," Harry prompted. He was almost reluctant as he admitted, "Seems like a nice guy."

"He is. He really is," Addie answered immediately, quick to praise her friend. "Last year, he was basically my best friend, so I ended up hanging out with the football team a lot. Now that he's back, I'm willing to bet he's going to start dragging me along to a lot of things, so get ready for me to annoy you a lot more."

A weak smile began to appear on Harry's lips. "You could never annoy me."

"Yeah well, you'll get sick of me eventually. Tomlinson hated me the first couple of months, but he was outvoted by everyone else who wanted me to stick around. He eventually tolerated me," Addie chuckled. "He's not a close friend, but we're on good terms now. I think he just hated that no one liked his girlfriend Eleanor but everyone liked me."

"I thought you said you weren't Niall's girlfriend," Harry snapped, his voice brisk and cold.

Addie felt a small pang of annoyance. She was hanging on by a thread and her patience was running thin. "Yeah. I'm not."

"So why would you compare yourself to Louis' girlfriend?"

"Because everyone else did. I wasn't Niall's girlfriend, but I was basically his date." Addie clenched the steering wheel, reminding herself Harry wasn't the one annoying her. She couldn't take her anger out on an innocent.

Harry scowled. "Yeah, right."

"The fuck's your problem, man?" Addie snapped at him, finally having enough. "You're pissed I have a best friend? That's pretty fucking jealous of you, don't you think?"

"No, I just think it's ridiculous how you lead me on for two months and then your boyfriend shows up," Harry seethed, crossing his arms and looking out the window. "Real fucking nice that feels."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Addie exclaimed.

She tried to laugh it off, but it had been so annoying to try and date guys only to have them warded off by her best friend. If her boyfriend felt uncomfortable about her closeness with Niall, she'd set boundaries. But no one wanted fucking communication.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Addie growled in frustration, feeling a bubbling rage underneath her skin, and she needed to get it out. So she pulled into Harry's driveway and snapped at him, "Get the fuck out, you jackass!"

"Gladly, you prick," Harry retorted, grabbing his gym bag and slamming the door.

"Don't slam my fucking door!" Addie shouted, rolling the window down. She was glad Harry's parents wouldn't be home to hear this.

Harry whirled around, voice dripping with venom. "You didn't even pay for the fucking car. Your mommy gave it to you to make up for the fact that she doesn't give two shits about you!"

Ouch.

That one dug deep into her heart.

Because it was true.

"It's better than being an insane jealous asshole like you, who's always so obsessed with me!" Addie yelled. "I bet Tomlinson only put you on the team because he felt sorry for how fucking pathetic you are."

Addie knew that would strike a nerve. Deep down, Harry was an insecure person who was always worried about his worth. And there was a part of Harry that truly thought he didn't deserve his place on the team.

"Yeah? Well, everyone thinks you're a cold, narcissistic bitch who doesn't give a shit about her friends and just nitpicks and criticizes everything she can!" Harry yelled, knowing every word would dig deep into her intrinsic insecurities the same way she had.

"Well, this narcissistic bitch is telling you to get a new fucking ride!" Addie shouted, noticing Harry's blue plastic bottle still in the passenger seat and throwing it through the window, hitting him in the arm.

Addie pulled out of the driveway, vision swimming with tears. She managed to stay in one piece until she got home and hid in her bedroom, collapsing into tears.

Addie cried herself to sleep that night.

---

"Hi, Mrs. Horan," Addie smiled as she opened the door. She tugged her sleeves down, fiddling with them in her palms.

Mrs. Horan smiled back at Addie. "Hi, Addie, honey. Niall's down in the basement with the other boys."

"Thank you," Addie made her way through the hallway and down the stairs of the basement. There was one step near the bottom that was creaky and felt like it might break at any moment, so she usually just skipped the last few steps and jumped down onto the floor.

The sound of her landing alarmed the other boys to her presence. Niall leaned over the back of the couch. "Babe, you're here!"

"Honey, I'm home!" Addie said in a sing-song voice as she approached Niall, hugged him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then threw herself onto the armchair beside him, kicking her legs over the armrest as she watched the other boys playing FIFA. "God, I forgot how much you suck at FIFA, Tomlinson."

"Shut up," Louis muttered under his breath, sitting on the edge of the couch as he lost miserably to Liam.

"Oof, that's gotta be embarassing," Addie winced in mockery as Louis lost. He looked over to her and gave her a dirty look. In turn, she smiled innocently. And then noticed the raven-haired boy beside Louis. "Hey, Zayn."

Zayn smiled. He had this really warm and kind smile that made you feel like you were at home. "Addie."

Zayn played defense on the football team, while Niall was midfielder and Louis was forward. And then there was the final one of the bunch, Liam, who was the goalkeeper.

Against her will, Addie had learned most of football terminology last year because she'd hung out with these four boys a lot. She'd gone to every match she could, and would never admit it, but actually got invested in the game.

"Hi, Payne," Addie smiled at him. He waved back as he passed the control to Zayn.

Niall caught Addie's attention with the wave of the control. "You want in?"

"Nah, I'm shit at FIFA, you know that," Addie shook her head. "I'll watch." She'd always sucked at video games for the most part, but whenever they played Street Fighter or Mario Kart, she kicked everyone's ass. So, she usually stuck to just watching them play and insulting them as if she wasn't ten times worse than them.

Then, when Louis and Zayn took a smoke break, going upstairs to Niall's room to stick their heads out the windows like dogs so Niall's parents didn't catch them, Addie transferred to the couch, sitting down next to Liam for a change.

Once Liam won his round, he passed the control to Addie, giving her advice and tips on how to be better. She didn't win the round, but it was the closest she'd gotten to being half-decent.

"Not half-bad," Liam mused, giving her a reassuring smile. "You've got potential, Heathers."

"And that potential will remain unfulfilled," Addie insisted, passing Liam the control.

Liam twisted his body around, turning to look at her properly. "Hey, tell me something."

"Something."

Liam nudged her with his shoulder. "What happened between you and Louis? You two used to be like this," he twisted two fingers together, "And now you barely even talk."

Addie sighed, sitting back and crossing her arms. She looked to Niall for help, who shrugged and gave her a look that told her she needed to tell Liam.

"Look, during summer break, there was this one beach trip we took. It was Louis with Eleanor and me with Niall," Addie began to explain. "Eleanor mentioned she wanted a spot on the team. She thought I could help her out, and she thought that just because we were friends, I would give her the spot. I told her we should play a match and then we'll see."

Addie recounted the rest of the afternoon. They'd played the game, and at the end, Addie had been disappointed in Eleanor. She'd refused to give her the spot. Eleanor was furious. She snapped at Addie, calling her an incompetent captain and making unsupported claims that she was doing this just to lord her power over Eleanor.

"My cat plays better than you do," Addie had snapped at Eleanor. Granted, the comment had been unnecessary, but Eleanor was being a dick about the whole situation.

It was then that Louis and Niall appeared, and they both had stepped in to calm the girls down.

Addie had made the offer to give Eleanor personal training once a week, and said, "You can take volleyball lessons all you want this year, but you're not making the team. Get some actual practice in and then we'll talk. But right now, you're incompetent and your play is lousy."

Louis had defended Eleanor. Addie was pissed at both of them, and Niall was stuck in the middle as a mediator.

"Louis took Eleanor's side, said I was out of line with my comments," Addie huffed to Liam. "But she assumed I would give her the spot just because we were friends when she's a shit player! I let her down nicely, told her to work on her game and maybe she'd make the team next year. But then she called me incompetent and a dick."

"She was way out of line," Liam agreed. "If she doesn't make the team, it's because there's a better player who deserved the spot more, and just because you're friends, doesn't entitle her to that spot."

"Exactly!" Addie exclaimed, getting frustrated once again with the situation. "And even now that they've broken up, Louis refuses to apologize. I know I have nothing to apologize for. I stood my ground and I spoke the truth and Eleanor was the one who was out of line."

The door to the basement opened and the thuds of footsteps along the stairs rang through the room. Addie pursed her lips, sitting back on the couch as Liam and Niall began another round.

Louis sat down on the arm of the couch, a few inches from brushing shoulders with Addie. "What'd I miss, lads?"

Addie sat up. "I'm going to get some water."

Liam glanced at her furtively, and then at Louis. Addie shook her head, silently asking him to keep it under wraps.

Addie headed upstairs, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and then going back down.

"-Styles has been off his game lately," Louis said, ranting to Liam whose eyes were stuck to the screen. "He's got potential and he was doing good, but if he keeps going like this, I'm worried I'll have to bench him."

Addie had gone stiff at the mention of Harry's name, reminded of the last two weeks of dead silence and cold shoulders in the hallways of school. Every car ride home from training seemed too short, too silent without the comforting chatter of Harry's slow drawl.

Instead of home cooked dinners with Harry's family, she had to settle for microwaving week-old leftovers alone in her room.

Addie couldn't help it. She needed to know about Harry and most of all, she felt concern for him. Football had become so important for him. He loved it.

"You're going to make Styles a reserve?" Addie prompted, taking a swig of water as she sat down.

Louis made a face and nodded. "I don't wanna. I know he can do it, but he's just- I dunno."

Addie frowned. "I thought things were going well."

"Yeah, but he hasn't been pulling his weight lately. And our first game is next week, I can't have any dead weight. Nothing against him, he's just not been the best player lately."

"I get it," Addie prompted, "No matter the personal relationship you have with a person, you gotta think about the team. I'm captain, I know how this goes." She gave Louis a look. "But I guess it only really counts when it's your team we're talking 'bout, right?"

Louis finally processed what Addie was implying, and his expression switched immediately. "Jesus, Heathers, seriously? Get over yourself."

He stood up, taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch.

That was always the problem with Addie and Louis. Both of them had huge prides and were equally stubborn.

But goddamn it, Addie was sick and tired of all of her friends being stubborn assholes. First Harry, and now Louis?

"Lou," Liam warned, a sharp edge to his voice. He looked like an adorable puppy most of the time, but when it came to his friends, he would do anything to protect him. Which sometimes meant putting on an intimidating facade.

Louis glanced at Liam. "What?"

Liam gave him a look, but Louis simply rolled his eyes.

Niall then stepped in, deciding to change the subject. Somehow he was always the peace negotiator in Addie's life. She should find a way to thank him. "So, Addie, speaking of Harry, have you talked to him?"

"Talked to him?" Zayn echoed, looking confused at what Niall said.

"After their fight," Niall stated, seemingly confused that they didn't know what he was saying.

Addie immediately snapped, "Niall." She didn't need her dirty laundry aired out for everyone to see.

He seemed to realize he was the only one who knew about Addie and Harry's fight. "Oh. Oops?"

Sighing, Addie hid her face in her hands. These boys were the most troublesome people she knew, and she just knew they were going to stick their nose in her business.

Liam asked, "You and Harry had a fight?"

"When?" Zayn asked.

"Who started it?" Liam prompted.

"Okay, stop," Addie threatened them, giving them a sharp glare. She inhaled deeply, and sat up. "'Bout two weeks ago, Harry and I had a bit of an argument-" Zayn paused their game. "Seriously?" He shrugged, and Addie rolled her eyes.

She continued, "I'm not even sure what the fight was about. It started when he made the assumption that Niall was my boyfriend. I explained to him that we were friends, and it was a mistake most people made."

None of them were fazed by this information. They were the ones who had spent most of last year being asked whether Niall and Addie were together, and always were the first ones to deny the rumors that spread.

"I don't know, at some point I made some comment that I guess pissed him off. He said I had been leading him on for weeks only for my boyfriend now to show up, I said he wasn't my boyfriend, he said 'sure' in the most passive fucking aggressive way possible. I told him to get the fuck out of my car, so he did but he slammed the door so I got pissed at him and that's when it really went off the rails."

"What'd you say?" Liam asked, gaze softened with sympathy as he listened to her story.

Addie scratched the back of her neck, looking at the floor. "He said..." her voice was just above a whisper, barely loud enough for them to hear, "He said 'you didn't even pay for the car. Your mom just bought it for you to make up for how shitty she is."

Liam's face dropped as the realization of the statement settled in. All of them had learned the hard way what Addie's mom was like.

"So I told him he was an insecure jealous asshole. And that Tomlinson only gave him the spot because he felt sorry for him," Addie confessed, guilty as sin as she did. "He told me that everyone thought I was- and I quote, 'a cold, narcissistic bitch who doesn't give a shit about her friends and just nitpicks and criticizes everything she can'".

"The fuck?" Louis exclaimed. Addie's eyes looked up from where they'd been stuck to wooden floorboards, to find that Louis' face was filled with outrage. "That little shit didn't say that to you."

Addie's face went cold. "Look, it's not important, alright?"

"Addie, he called you a bitch."

"He said everyone thought I was a bitch."

"Same difference-"

"Don't act as if you're so high and mighty," Addie snapped at Louis, finally sick and tired of him. "Harry's not the only one who's treated me like shit lately."

"That's different," Louis defended, sitting up. On instinct, Addie sat up too, glaring at him even if he was slightly taller than her. Meanwhile, Zayn and Liam watched the two argue with equally shocked faces.

"How is it different?"

"Because you're the one who's too stubborn to admit you were being a jackass!"

"Eleanor was a shit player and you know it!" Addie seethed, taking a step closer to him. Her anger was beginning to bubble over and become something uncontrollable.

Louis argued, "That doesn't mean you could call her a moronic bitch!"

"Wait, you did what?" Liam exclaimed at the same time Zayn said, "You called her what?"

"I only called her a bitch because she deserved it!" Addie shouted back, "She called me a dirty skank, and if you'd given one damn about me, I would've told you that. But you decided to side with your lying, conniving girlfriend who- suprise surprise!- is now your ex." She could feel the tears falling freely down her cheeks. She always cried when she was angry. "I thought you were family! I called you my fucking brother and you didn't even hear my side of the story before deciding I wasn't- before cutting me out of your life."

Embarrassment crawled under Addie's skin as she realized the huge argument she'd just had in front the other three. She sniffled, quickly wiping her tears away.

Addie scrambled to grab her coat and keys, leaving a shocked Louis to simply stare at the space she'd once occupied. Protests came from the other boys, most noticeably Niall, who was beginning to get up, "Addie!"

She ignored them all and ran up the stairs, not even bothering to say goodbye to Mrs. Horan as she rushed to her car. She wiped the tears out of her eyes, and clicked the button to unlock her car-

A pair of firm hands grabbed her, turning her around. Addie yelped, and Louis let his grip go slack. "Did she really call you that?"

Addie shrugged. "Everyone loves to slut-shame, right?"

It was easy to act as if it was no big deal that everyone said that about her. Addie had spent her whole life pretending not to care about other people's opinions. It was second nature at this point.

But Louis saw through that cheap mask. "She shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have sided with her." His voice broke, and just a small piece of fragility broke through, "I called you my sister too."

Addie couldn't help it. She yearned for family, for belonging and love. She'd forgive Louis a million times over because that's what it took.

She hugged him tightly, tears running down her cheeks and onto his denim jacket. She sniffled, "Sorry."

Louis shook his head, burying his face deeper in Addie's black coat, as if he was afraid she might disappear if he let go. "Let it all out, babe."

"I love you, asshole," Addie muttered through choked tears.

Louis sniffled, just slightly as he pulled back and looked her in the eyes. His blue eyes were glassy with tears. "I'm really sorry I was a dick."

Addie sniffled. "It's okay. Family sticks together, right? No matter what."

"No matter what."

---

Addie had bruises all over her knees and elbows, and she was about to pass out from exhaustion. But she put on a brave face for her girls, and led them through the match.

This match would determine whether or not their team made it to State Championships, which meant all the pressure was on Addie.

This was her team, the one she had spent countless weeks, days and hours training. Sleepless nights thinking about strategy and sweaty afternoons training until the sun went down and all her energy was spent- it all boiled down to this moment.

Addie's role as Captain would be put to the test. She couldn't fail.

And yet she didn't feel alone. All she had to do was look over at the bleachers and she'd see the people who had her back. Niall and Louis' cheers stood out from the rest, both from the accents and the volume of the shouts, but Addie could always make out Liam and Zayn's cheers even over the other two. And then there was Oli, a ginger-haired boy who'd been dragged along by Louis. He was kind, and he cheered for Addie even if they hadn't interacted much before.

Addie took a sip of her water and grinned as she gave a thumbs-up to her boys, even with sweat dripping down her spine and the thoughts whirling through her mind.

Her mom hadn't shown up. She never showed up. It'd been so painful every time for Addie last year, but it had been her four boys who had filled that gap left by her mom.

Ever since Zayn caught Addie crying right outside of the locker room as she tried to call her mom, but reached nothing but an answering machine, the four of them had ganged up and decided they would be Addie's supportive family. "You're not getting rid of us anytime soon," Zayn had winked at her that first match they'd shown up.

Addie wiped her sweat away and grabbed her teammates. "Okay, Tara, don't be scared to move through your zone, and Claire, hit the ball a little harder, it was too close to the net, alright?" The girls nodded with a grim look in their face. This was war. Addie clapped her hands. "Let's go."

Despite their best efforts, it came down to the final set. Each team had won two sets, and now it was just a matter of seeing who could get that final set.

Addie grabbed her girls, and told them, "Alice, stop hovering over Tara, and Lexi, when you spike the ball, hit it towards that girl, Grace. She won't see it coming. We've got this. We worked for this. We can do it."

It was excruciating to watch the other team hit the ball back with such ease, while some of Addie's girls were beginning to wear thin because of exhaustion. They kept going, but it was looking bad.

And it was when their captain, Jordan, hit the ball just a little too far out of Addie's reach that she finally panicked. Lexi was the only one who could reach it. But she was always afraid, scared that she would be the one who made the mistake.

But Lexi gave a running start and jumped, hitting that spike at just the right angle for Jordan to slide forward, scraping her body against the sand, with her hand just an inch away from where the ball hit the sand.

It was the boys' loud cheering that snapped Addie out of her daze. Lexi gave her a tight hug, and their team gathered in a circle, catching their breath as they shared grins of success.

They'd won.

Addie had won.

---

Addie's wet hair seeped into the back of her shirt, leaving a dark stain on the jersey, an Eagles shirt, one she'd stolen from Harry. She could still feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, and the exhilaration of making it to State Championships made it impossible to wipe the grin off her face.

Maybe Addie still had a long way to go to Nationals, but in her first year as Captain and second year on the team, she'd qualified for State. That was a hell of an achievement.

Addie grabbed her gym bag, once again the final one to leave the room. She always made sure her team was all set before getting cleaned up herself. It was second nature by now.

She was supposed to head over to Tara's now, where her team and her friends would be waiting to celebrate, probably with a few packs of Louis' cigarettes and some six-packs of cheap beer. It was the kind of celebration Addie could've never appreciated last year, but it had turned into her own kind of comfort. Her home. Her family.

Addie locked the locker room behind her, making her way past the empty volleyball court and the extensive football field, breathing in the smell of freshly cut grass. They always cut the grass before a football match, and next weekend there would be one. Addie would come and cheer for her boys, no doubt about it.

She dug around for her keys in the pockets and zippers of her bag, finally finding it and clicking it. She turned towards the sound, and found a certain curly-haired boy leaning against the hood.

Addie froze, unsure of how to proceed, but she made her way towards him. His head was ducked, and he seemed to be staring at his hands. Addie shouted, "You better not be asking for a ride!"

Harry's head snapped up, green eyes landing on her. He blinked, scrambling to stand up straight, grabbing something he'd left on the hood and hiding it behind his body. "I'm not!"

Addie let herself stop several feet away from Harry. "So why are you here?"

"To apologize." Harry moved his hands from behind him and outstretched them to reveal a bouquet of red roses.

Addie's lips parted. "Flowers."

"You said roses you were your favorite," Harry explained sheepishly. She nodded slowly, meeting his gaze. She took the flowers from his hands, staring at the flowers. She'd never gotten flowers before. "They're apology flowers. And congratulations flowers. They- They're multipurpose."

Addie cracked a smile. Something about Harry's lighthearted jokes could always make her laugh. And the day had been good. She was happy.

Addie said, "I'm going to Tara's to celebrate our win."

Harry swallowed thickly, nodding somberly. "Right- I'll go then. Sorry."

Addie realized he'd taken it as a rejection and hastily said, "No- I meant, in case you wanna come with? And we can talk on the way, maybe?"

Harry blinked, giving her a once-over before slowly nodding. "Alright."

It was when Addie pulled out of the parking lot that Harry finally spoke.

"I'm really sorry."

"Haz-"

"No, I am," Harry insisted, twisting his body to face her fully. "I swear, I didn't mean anything of what I said, and I wanted to take it back and apologize but I didn't know how but I shouldn't have waited."

Addie cut in, "Harry-"

"You're just so amazing, and I think I like you, so I got jealous and that was wrong of me, I shouldn't have taken it out on you, and I don't think any of those things about you. Everyone's terrified of you, yeah, but they're so impressed by your talent and your intelligence and your kindness-"

"You think you like me?" Addie repeated weakly. She braked at the red light, and slowly turned to face a frozen Harry. "Harry, do you-"

"Yes." Harry looked shocked at his own words. "I don't want that to screw up our friendship, but I'm really in love with you."

A smile spread slowly over Addie's face as she pulled over to the side of the road.

"I can get out now, don't-" Harry started, but she cut him off by grasping the front of his shirt and pulling him toward her. Once he was close, she grasped his face delicately in her palm and gently laid her lips against his.

A gasp came from his lips, and she took the chance to trace the shape of his lips with her tongue. He emitted a soft groan, the sound swallowed by her slow and passionate kiss.

Harry's hands wandered up into her hair and on her waist, while she pulled him closer until she was practically in his lap. And he finally did finish the job, grasping her waist firmly and tugging her towards him until she was straddling his lap.

"That's my shirt, by the way," Harry murmured against her lips when she pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

Addie smiled. She knew everything would be alright. It'd all gone according to plan for the most part. She had a curly-haired, green-eyed boy wrapped around her finger, her heart in his hands and his shirt in her wardrobe. "It's not. It's mine now."

---

"C'mon, Addie, we're going to be late," Liam whined, knocking desperately on the bathroom door.

Addie groaned, fumbling for her lipgloss. "Shut up! You're not making this easier."

"You know Louis hates it when we're late."

"Well, he can shove his complaints up his-" Addie started, only to be cut off by the sound of a car engine rumbling. She yelped, the clattering of her makeup bag falling over and the contents pouring out echoing in her ears. She grabbed her lip liner and lipgloss, pulling the door open. "Shit. They're here."

Liam rolled his eyes, grabbing the makeup from her hands. "Go grab your bag, I'll meet you downstairs."

Addie smiled. "Thanks, babe."

She rushed to her room, grabbing her purse and pulling her heels on, glancing at the mirror in the hallway one last time and then making her way down the stairs, almost tripping halfway down.

Liam caught her before she fell. "Idiot."

"Thanks," Addie smiled nonetheless, giddy with excitement. "You look handsome, by the way. Zayn's going to love that suit."

Liam looked down at his fitted black suit, smiling to himself. "You think so?"

"He's going to die," Addie reassured him with a grin, grabbing her makeup and shoving it in her purse just in time for the bell to ring.

Addie made her way forward, eager to open the door, but Liam caught her wrist, pulling her back and adjusting the back of her dress, where the straps formed an 'X' but often got all tangled up. "Now you're all set."

Addie gave Liam's arm a quick squeeze of gratitude and opened the door. She met his green eyes, the color she'd become so familiar with for the last year. It was the color of the trees that grew, the grass you could smell in spring air, of christmas trees on holidays, of ivy that grew on you until it became a part of you.

Green was Harry's color. And now it was Addie's favorite.

She smiled at him, unable to keep a grin off her face for long around him. "Hi."

"Hey," Harry breathed, looking almost shocked as he took in the sight of her sharp eyeliner, the sweetheart neckline, the ruffles and layers of the skirt and the gloves she wore. "You look... you're beautiful."

There was something in his voice, that vulnerable honesty that always lingered, reminding Addie that he saw her as truly beautiful.

The way he looked at her, she could almost feel the love radiating from him, an affirmation that she was truly that special to him.

Addie smiled, confident in the fact that she was never letting Harry go. She took in the tailored pants, the cut of the blazer and the silk of his shirt. With curls swept back except for a single strand that fell in front of his face, framing his sharp cheekbones and that angled jaw.

The curve of his dimple appeared, and Addie's chest radiated with warmth as she grabbed the loops of his belt and pulled him forward, giving him a firm kiss.

Liam cleared his throat. "We gonna get moving?"

"Your boyfriend's waiting in the car," Harry muttered bitterly at Liam, unappreciative of the interruption.

Addie snickered as Liam pushed past them, practically skipping to the car where Zayn got out to greet him. She turned to Harry, wiping the lipgloss of his lips. "I love you."

Harry's eyes carried so much emotion, every bit of happiness and longing showing in them. He wanted her, he had her, and he was grateful for it. "I love you."

"You and me," Addie whispered, raising her pinky.

He crossed his pinky with hers. "That's my whole world."

A little game they'd made up one day. A way to reassure each other they would always be there, no matter what. It was silly and a little childish, but it was theirs.

The honking of the car was the second interruption to their moment. Harry inhaled sharply, glaring at the two boys he considered brothers waiting in the car.

Addie laughed, grabbing Harry's hand. "C'mon, it's prom, let's have some fun."

Prom was fun. They snuck in flasks of booze and spilled it into their cups of punch, easily sneaking behind teacher's backs.

Harry convinced Addie to dance with him, just for a little while. It turned into a good thirty minutes of them both smiling and enjoying the moment.

They snuck away for a quick make out session under the stairs, and when they returned, it was clear from the mark on Liam's neck that they weren't the only couple who'd snuck away.

Later, Louis snatched Addie's phone away as she was in the middle of taking pictures, and she chased him out of the gym and to the basketball court.

The others weren't far behind, watching with amusement as the two sibling bickered, their last time fighting before Louis went off to college and joined the big leagues.

That realization seemed to hit both Addie and Louis at the same time as she snatched her phone back. And their smiles faded as the facts settled over their chests like a weight.

It was then that Zayn kicked a ball towards Louis. "Show us some moves one last time."

Louis was up for the challenge and ready to distract himself from thoughts of what they might be losing. Addie kicked her heels off and padded onto the cold grass, chasing after Niall, who'd stolen the ball.

Their little group of six, the small clique that had formed and the bond that'd grown between them the last year, was all Addie could think about.

Addie didn't focus on Zayn and Louis leaving, she focused on winning the match, even with Niall's knee that had been acting up since his injury before the end of the season.

It turned into a match filled with trash talk, a few loose elbows and lots of smile and laughter. It was Niall, Addie and Harry versus Louis, Liam and Zayn.

"Pass it!" Addie shouted into the evening air, brisk to her bare arms, gloves discarded long ago as she waved her arm in the air. Harry caught her eye and kicked the ball towards her. A little too hard.

She tried to get it to hit her knee, but instead it flew into her stomach, making her bend over as she wheezed, all the air knocked out of her.

Harry ran towards her, his hand flying to rub her back as a steady stream of apologies spilled from his mouth. Meanwhile, the others snorted with laughter.

"Guess we end the year the way we started it, right?" Louis snickered, clapping Addie in the back. She straightened at the sharp pain, but smiled nonetheless.

"Shut it, Tomlinson."

No one won the match.

When Addie got home that night- or morning, it was three am. The alcohol had left her system hours ago, but the smell of tobacco from Zayn and Louis' smoking lingered on her dress, mixed with Harry's cologne.

Addie would miss these kinds of days when the two boys went off to college. But for now, she simply smiled into her pillow as she remembered the five loyal friends she'd made. And that one green-eyed boy she loved so dearly.

---

Addie cried during her graduation. For a number of reasons.

First, it was her mom's text that she wasn't showing up. No big surprise, but it still hit her hard. Then, it was seeing her friends in those cap and gowns. It meant they were all parting ways. And finally, it was as she got onto the stage for her speech as valedictorian, and looked into the crowd, expecting not to see a familiar face when-

"Let's go, Heathers!" Louis cheered, as Zayn shouted, "That's our girl!"

Addie grinned, reminded of the brothers she had. Her mom wasn't family. Those two were.

Addie told her speech perfectly, barely even glancing at her notes as she spoke about the loss of a stage of her life she'd never get back, strangers from another country who had embraced her with welcoming arms, and the friends she'd made along the way. She spoke of the hardships, and the challenges, but refused to leave out all the happiness and the victories.

She reminded them to take that leap of faith, jump and see where they landed, that the biggest risks came with the biggest wins. And the choice you feared the most would be the one to reap the rewards.

Addie got her diploma and after they tossed the caps in the air, it was almost as if it had been planned the way all four of the freshly-graduated kids sprinted towards Zayn and Louis, the six of them squeezing together for a hug.

That was the last time Addie cried. When she realized she'd found her forever home with this little mismatched family. Their Sacred group of Six.

---

It was at the end of their first year of college that Addie and Harry took their first trip as a couple. Just the two barely legal adults taking a trip to Mexico for the beaches.

Addie didn't tell her family she'd be in town, and instead just relaxed on the beach with Harry. It was when the weekend was coming to a close, and their last night at the resort was spent having a nice dinner.

He paid for dinner and then grasped her hand, leading her back onto the sand of the beach. The night sky was dark, freckled with the whites of stars and the gray hue of the moon.

The water reflected the moon, and a single one of Harry's knees touched the cold sand. His hand clutched a black box, and Addie's heart raced.

Words spilled out of his mouth, promises he would fulfill and letting all the love inside his heart linger in the air for Addie to know.

Six months later, they had a small wedding. A ceremony in Harry's backyard, with white and red roses everywhere and their family.

Addie's parents had been invited. She reckoned they could come as guests, but they wouldn't be allowed to participate in the wedding. Her parents had been bitter about not being a part of the wedding and being reduced to simple guests, so in protest, they didn't show up. It didn't bother Addie nearly as much as she thought it would.

Instead, it was Robin who walked her down the aisle and handed her off. And it was Anne beside her as the maid of honor. The two had done more for Addie in three years than her own parents had done in nineteen.

Addie had learned the hard way that family had nothing to do with blood. But it was a lesson she cherished having learned.

They'd decided to skip a little bit of the tradition and instead had divided the groomsmen/bridesmaids evenly between the two sides.

Liam and Zayn stood behind Harry, with Gemma in between them, while Niall and Louis stood behind Addie, Anne in between the two boys.

Over the last three years, Gemma had become like an older sister to Addie, guiding her through the rough parts of her life, and giving her a strong woman in her life she could turn to.

It was the first time several people had seen Addie cry, but it was only fitting for who they were. She kept a strong, cold face for everyone else, but the second her eyes met Harry's, it all melted away.

Every single wall Addie had ever built to keep herself safe crumbled to the ground with the one person she would always love. Her forever home, Harry.

And Harry cried, of course. He'd always been a shining star, but when he had Addie, he became the sun, fierce and radiating warmth. She was everything he had ever wanted and never known he needed.

Getting through their vows was the hardest part, both of them choking up as they tried to get through their speeches. Harry had had to write his down because every time he tried to speak it from memory, he'd get so distracted by the knowledge that he was marrying Adelaide Heathers, that he'd forget it.

And Addie managed to memorize hers, but faltered halfway through as she sniffled. It was Louis' reassuring squeeze on her shoulder that gave her the strength to finish.

Her speech was beautiful and poetic, and she'd worked tirelessly to make sure it could capture the essence of her adoration for Harry. But words were never enough.

She finished with one last sentence; "I can't wait to have forever with you."

After the ceremony, the two had had to retire to a private room before beginning the reception. Just letting each other process the fact that that was it. They'd just promised each other forever.

"I can't wait to start the rest of our lives," Addie said. "Me and you."

"That's my whole world."

---

Addie was in college for her scholarship to practice professional volleyball. She would later go on to win the Summer Olympics her first season as a player, and would rise through the ranks until eventually becoming Captain.

Harry kept going with football for several years. But after getting a camera for his birthday, soon discovered his passion for photography. He quit the team and began discovering his love for art.

He worked as a freelance photographer for a couple of years, and then worked with a highly-esteemed fashion magazine, worked as a model once with the same magazine before discovering he preferred being behind the lens than in front of it.

Harry then worked as a photographer for an album photoshoot for the highly-recognized Love Band, and then became close friends with members Mitch and Sarah Rowland. It was then that he began venturing into music.

After Addie was injured during her last match before her team could qualify for the Olympics, she was forced to drop out from the rest of the season. She them began to explore writing, and published several compilations of poems and short stories in the six months of break before returning to her team.

Years later, once Addie retired, she would join Harry with his exploration of music and the two would co-write an album. It would be Adelaide Heathers' debut in music and Harry Styles' fifth studio album.

They would spend the next few years exploring art, creating new and bizzare things, and most of all, staying in touch with the family they'd had since they were kids.

This is your reminder that in every world, and in every universe, no matter the circumstances, Addie, Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn find their way to each other and become a family.

And in every universe, Adelaide Heathers and Harry Styles fall in love. And despite the twists and turns, it always works out in the end.

[niallerspayno]

NiallersPayno Masterlist

One Direction

Series

Liam Payne and Niall Horan (love triangle)

We’ll Be Alright

Moments

Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan (love triangle)

Between the Lines

Liam Payne

Faking It

Spaces Between Us

To Build A Home

Niall Horan

Temporary Fix

One shots / Mini Series

Niall Horan

Rock Me

After Midnight

It's Just Science

Our Secret

Same Mistakes

I Like Your Style | Part 2

Black and White | Part 2 | Part 3

Be My Baby Daddy

Gotta Be You | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Irish Charm | Part 2

Good Girl

Louis Tomlinson

Heat of the Moment

Two Loves

About Last Night | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Don’t Call Me Love | Part 2 | Part 3

Hide and Seek

Guess

Zayn Malik

With You Always

Game Night

Last First Kiss

In The Silence

It's You

Steal My Girl

Fire and Ice | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

My Sunshine

She's Not Afraid | Part 2

Bordersz

Liam Payne

I'll Look After You

Shelter from the Rain

Troublemaker | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 (rewriting into a series)

All I Want For Christmas

I Want

I Can Help

Harry Styles

Behind Closed Doors

English Love Affair

Only Angel

Love Triangles

The Line | Part 2 | Part 3

Three’s Company | Part 2 | Part 3

No Control | Part 2

Drabbles

Getting caught under the mistletoe

How they kiss you on NYE

[merrybloomwrites]

One Direction Masterlist (Updated 3/15/2025)

Harry Styles x Mitch Rowland x Sarah Jones x Reader

You Can Start a Family

Main Story: One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five ; Six ; Seven ; Eight ; Nine ; Ten

Sickfic Part 1 ; Part 2

Mitchrry Prequel

Fan Reactions

Holiday Blues

Mitchryy Reunion

Getting High

First Earthquake

Mitch x Reader Cockwarming

Harry x Reader First Time

Pet Loss

Coachella

Telling the Parents & Celebrating the Holidays

Dom/Sub Dynamic

One Direction

Oneshots

Passing Contact ; When You're Lost, Just Look for Me

Beach Day

Health Scare

Through the Dark (Choose Your Own)

I'm Sorry if I Say I Need You

Build You a Boat ; Ready to Run

Walk Through Fire for You

Harry Styles x Louis Tomlinson x Reader

Oneshots

Cheese is a Good Thing

I Like to Watch

Something Great

To Hold You While You Sleep

Before You Leave Me Today

Series

Little Reader

Chapter 1 ; Chapter 2 ; Chapter 3

We Need a Little Christmas

Sickfic

Harry Styles

Series

I Hear Them Calling

Prologue ; Chapter 1 ; Chapter 2 ; Chapter 3 ; Chapter 4 ; Chapter 5 ; Chapter 6 ; Chapter 7 ; Chapter 8 ; Chapter 9

Thanksgiving

The Only Way of Knowing You

Chapter 1 ; Chapter 2 ; Chapter 3 ; Chapter 4 , Chapter 5

Oneshots

Harryween

I Can't Take it Back

HS4 at Midnight?

Been Here for Days

It's Just a Game, But Really

We Know Where We Belong

Ficlets

Hard Launch

Fireflies

Louis Tomlinson

Ficlets

Mark Me

In Front of Me

Oneshots

Take the Pain Away

I Can Ease the Pain

Zayn Malik

Ficlets

Gardening

Niall Horan

Oneshots

She's (Not) Afraid

Good Girl

Hope You Feel the Same Way

Ficlets

You're My Muse

Liam Payne

Oneshots

I Can't See, Two Feet in Front of Me

Ficlets

Rainy Days

Secret Little Rendezvous

[midnightwritingsessions]

Louis masterlist

“When we’re finished saying nothing can we please go back to loving?”

Navigation

Newest works appear at the top

One shots:

-Promises of forever: Louis planned a very special date night for the both of you where unbeknownst to you he planned to give you a promise ring. [1.1k]

-Only us: You and Louis lock eyes while he’s performing (established relationship)

-Building memories: You and Louis babysit lucky, his nephew, he enjoys his time with both of you so much he doesn’t want to go back to his parents. [1k]

-Found in the crowd: While singing along to your favourite bands concert someone interrupts you to ask for a cigarette light, someone you recognise to be Louis Tomlinson. This chance encounter turns into navigating the line between a friendship and a relationship. [1.7k]

-Everyday with you: A quiet Tuesday evening in with Louis is spent making dinner with him. Short blurb

-Yours and only yours: While on a date with Louis you run into your ex and Louis doesn’t like the way he’s looking at you. [1.4k]

-TikTok troubles: When Lottie convinces you to join her in a TikTok prank, louis jumps into save you from Lottie unknowingly becoming the target.

-Cigarettes and conversations: After having a bad day a stranger comforts you at the bar. This stranger somehow becomes a big part of your life.

Series:

None yet

Please feel free to send requests! :)

[pankowcrumbs]

Masterlist for 5 Seconds of Summer, One Direction (minus Liam) and The Vamps

Please request anything you would like to see

Please note I will not take any request to write for Liam for obvious reasons.

💕Fluff 🌶️Smut 18+ ❤️‍🔥 possessive

Calum Hood

💕Summer romance (short series)

A short summer romance with a heartbreaking goodbye

Chapter 1. 2. 3.

Luke Hemmings

Ashton Irwin

Michael Clifford

Harry Styles

💕 Unwritten (series)

Y/N is a singer who meets Harry at a red carpet.

Chapter 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

💕 Weekend at the Cabin (one shot)

a weekend away with Harry and friends leads to something more with extra touches and longing looks from Harry.

❤️‍🔥 I own you (one shot)

"Everything on you i bought and paid for. i think that means i own you too.”

💕 Hushed moments (one shot)

Finding Harry in his home studio quietly singing when he can't sleep

💕 Got That Out of Your System, Princess? (one shot)

After a petty argument you charge Harry's amex a ridiculous amount in a tantrum.

💕Timing (one shot)

falling pregnant at the wrong time? or the right time?

💕 Regret (one shot)

Harry regrets years later breaking up with you.

Dad Harry AU (connected stand alone stories with the same kids Hattie, Felix, Finn and Mabel)

💕 Another baby girl (one shot)

Telling your kids you're having another baby sister (birth of Mabel)

💕 Love in every corner (one shot)

While moving house Harry and you reminisce

💕 Easter (one shot)

Easter with the kids and the chaos.

💕 Lake Como (one shot)

A chaotic family holiday to Lake Como

💕 Talk show (one shot)

Harry gushes about his family on Jimmy Fallon

💕 Tour (one shot)

Snippets of life on tour with the kids

💕 Just like us (one shot)

Harry has trouble letting your youngest daughter Mabel grow up when she is going on her first date.

💕 Empty Nesters (one shot)

Harry really struggled when your youngest Mabel moved out and it's just you two in the house.

💕 Tuscany (one shot)

Your eldest Hattie gets married in Tuscany

💕 Love is love (one shot)

Your son Finn is nervous to introduce his boyfriend to the family

💕 Christmas (one shot)

Christmas with the Styles family and an announcement that changes everything

Zayn Malik

Louis Tomlinson

💕 Seagull (one shot requested)

A picnic with Louis ends up with him being chased by a Seagull.

💕 Puppy (one shot requested)

You and Louis get a new Puppy from the shelter.

Niall Horan

Bradley Will Simpson

💕 The Wedding (short series)

You see your Ex Brad at your cousin James wedding and it sparks something in you both.

Chapter 1. 2. 3.

Tristan Evans James McVey Connor Ball

Copyright © 2025 by Pankowcrumbs on tumblr

All rights reserved. No part of these stories may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including printing, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

[venusgfs]

Everlasting Arms (H/L) Masterlist

Summary: Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are stars of the hit urban fantasy series Everlasting Arms, and, just like their characters, they can’t stand each other. But when the relationship between evil vampire heir Oleander Pemberton and his benevolent magical roommate Duncan Williams, as well as the actors playing them, become the focus of a dedicated online shipping community, Everlasting Arms’ producers encourage Harry and Louis to play nice and give the fans something to latch on to. However, as production of the latest season continues, Harry and Louis start to unexpectedly develop feelings for each other, and come face to face with the ugly truth of online shipping culture and the sacrifices that come with the spotlight.

Genre: Angst/Fluff/Smut

Chapter 8/? currently available | Updates every Friday

Word Count (so far): 21,967 words

A long form co-written actor AU inspired by Rainbow Rowell's Carry On with slow burn enemies-to-lovers, alternating POV, shipping culture commentary, OCs with referential names, and, of course, vampires.

Read the entire fic HERE (TOC below the cut)

Chapter 1 / Harry – Read Here

Chapter 2 / Louis – Read Here

Chapter 3 / Louis – Read Here

Chapter 4 / Harry – Read Here

Chapter 5 / Louis - Read Here

Chapter 6 / Harry - Read Here

Chapter 7 / Louis - Read Here

Chapter 8 / Harry - Read Here

[babyflorencee]

Florence's Masterlist of hot guys

I'd love to hear any requests that you may have for these boys and the character that they portray!! 💋♥️

One Shots:

Timothée Chalamet 

❦ Cigarettes

❦ Worries and apologies 

❦ Books, pillow talks, and an attention-craving boy

❦ Sleepy

❦ You're stuck with me

❦ Hair tie

❦ Stop taking your hand out of mine

❦ Give Me Some Love

❦ Fragile

❦ Midnights In Manhattan

❦ Can I Call You Tonight?

Louis Tomlinson

❦ Feeling Diva

❦ I Can't Believe You're Mine

Harry Styles 

❦ A Morning Made For Two

❦ Diva

❦ Clingy

❦ More Than Friends

❦ Lucky in Love

❦ Little Spoon

❦ Harry's Shirt

❦ Adorable

❦ Velvety Jealousy

❦ Cherry Cola Love

Dylan O’brien

❦ Raindrop Romance and Puppy Dog Eyes

❦ My Flannel

❦ Ignored ignorance

❦ I love you

❦ Fuck it

Reese Wilkerson

❦ Reese Wilkerson’s Guide to (Over)Reacting

❦ The Rigged Bet

❦ Loving You In Secret

Extras

❦ Jealousy (Gilbert Blythe)

❦ P.s I love you (Andrew Garfield//Peter Parker)

Series:

Harry styles

❦ Just Pretending (temporarily discontinued) Part one, Part two, Part three

Y/n pretends to like Harry, the nerd everyone bullies, as part of a joke. At first, it’s all just for fun, but over time, she begins to realize that maybe she isn’t just pretending after all.

[daisyblog]

Behave Yourself

Young Love Masterlist Summary: Louis and YN find out Mia has been on dates ft Uncle Harry.

based on this request.

(Mia - 13, Tommy - 13, Noah - 8)

YN had noticed for a few weeks that Mia had been glued to her phone. At first she thought it may have been because she’s at that age where teenagers are attached to their devices, scrolling through endless amounts of TikTok’s.

But the way Mia typed fast and smiled childishly at her screen, and the little giggles that followed told YN that her not so little girl had a crush. As much as YN wanted Mia to remain her little baby girl, she knew she was growing up quickly and the day that someone else stole her heart was closer than she thought. But she knew Louis wouldn’t be so keen on the thought of Mia dating.

With Louis touring, YN decided to let Mia enjoy her small romance and what Louis didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

But a few weeks had gone by and it was noticeably obvious that Mia was going on a few dates. She would come downstairs dressed to impress, makeup and hair done to perfection. She would tell her mum she was going out with friends but YN was a teenage once too, she knew all the tricks.

But the week leading up to YN, Mia and Noah going to see Harry’s LOT show at Wembley, she was surprised when she received a phone-call from Harry.

Quickly pressing the green button her phone to accept the call, she placed it next to her ear. “Hi darling! You alright?”.

“Hey YN! Sorry to bother you love…just wanted to check something”. Harry’s voice came through the phone, YN continued to stir the pan of pasta that sat on the hob. “Are you coming to the show on Saturday?”.

YN frowned slightly, confused as why Harry thought the plans had changed. “Yeah…it’ll just be me, Mia and Noah…Lou’s on tour”.

“It’s just Mia text me asking if she could have another ticket”. Harry explained, before continuing. “Which is fine, I’m assuming she wants a friend to come”.

“Oh she’s cheeky!”. YN let out a giggle, knowing how bold Mia was. “I’m sorry H…I didn’t know she asked you or was even wanting to bring someone”.

Harry’s smile could be heard through the phone. “Teenager ey?”.

“She’s keeping me on my toes that’s for sure…thirteen going on thirty”. YN couldn’t deny that Louis had stamped their daughter well, with his infectious and carefree personality.

“Can’t believe she’s a teenager already!”. The disbelief was strong in Harry’s sentence, he always saw Mia as that little baby he first met. “How little Noah? Can’t wait to see them both!”,

YN always loved how much the four boys loved Mia and Noah, despite not seeing Noah as much as they did Mia at his age, they still all made the effort to be apart of their lives.

“He’s good…loves football at the moment, in fact he’s kicking the ball around the garden as we speak”. YN glanced to the open door where Noah passed by kicking the ball with his boot covered feet.

“Oh that’s my boy!”. There was a sound of movement and muffled voices. “M’sorry love but I’ve got to to go…I’ll see you on Saturday though”.

“No worries my darling…see you soon H!”.

It was around 9pm, YN was enjoying five minutes to herself as Noah was asleep for the night. The tv playing in the background when Mia walked into the room.

“Hi Moo’s!”. Mia playfully rolled her eyes at the use of her mother’s nickname for her, but continued to sit next to her. “Have you spoken to Dad?”.

“Yeah…I miss him so much Mum!”. Mia had never coped with Louis going away on tour. YN could see the sadness on her face and as a mother it hurt her that she couldn’t do anything but be there.

YN moved her body so she was now fully facing her eldest child. “I know you do love…but we have a fun weekend planned don’t we?”. Mia nodded her head slightly, knowing her Mum was trying to cheer her up. “Uncle Harry actually phoned me earlier this afternoon”.

Mia tried to hide her nerves, knowing she had texted him to ask for another ticket. Her fingers were fidgeting with the bracelet that laid neatly on her wrist.

“Who’s the lucky friend?”. When Mia couldn’t look at YN, she continued. “Mi…if you think I wasn’t sneaking out at the weekends to meet up with a boy when I was around your age…then you’re very wrong”. YN gave Mia a wicked smile as she looked at her mother with curiosity.

“Who said anything about a boy?”. Mia bit back, a sassy grin wide on her face. YN raised her eyebrows in question. “His names Tommy, I like him…but we’re just friends…kind of”.

“Kind of?”. YN knew dating wasn’t as simple in terms of labelling relationships as it was when she and Louis were younger.

Mia looked up at her Mum for the first time since the conversation had began. She knew her mother wouldn’t judge, or have a strong negative opinion, that just wasn’t her. But openly talking about a secret she’s kept for a couple of weeks felt odd. “We talk and act like we’re more than friends…but then we haven’t said we are…so kind of”.

“Sounds like you’re both being mature about the whole thing,..which is good because you’re still both young”. YN complimented the pair, despite not knowing this Tommy that had her daughter in smiles and giggles. “So is Tommy coming to Uncle Harry’s show?”.

The shy smile on Mia’s mouth returned, and YN couldn’t deny how amusing this side of her daughter was. “Yeah…but he’s nervous…I think it’s because we get noticed at shows sometimes and then because he’ll meet you and Uncle Harry”.

YN could empathise. She was a young teenager once going to meet the boy she liked family. Luckily for her Louis’ family become her family and welcomed her with open arms.

“I get that sweetheart”. YN voice was calm because she knew how it felt to be misunderstood by the people you’d expect to be supportive. “Okay…how about we opt for sitting in the box?”. Mia’s eyes darted to her mother’s, full of curiosity and anticipation at where her mum was going with this. “Yeah? So we can have our space and maybe that’ll help with the nerves”.

“Really?”. When YN nodded in response, she was hit with Mia body as she wrapped her arms around her mum in a tight cuddle. “I love you Mum…you really are the best!”.

The words caught YN in the chest. She would never get tired of hearing how much both Mia and Noah loved her. She absolutely adored both her children and hearing them say it back, meant more to her than she could ever explain.

Being a mum herself, she could never understand how her own parents could have treated her the way that they have done. Her children are her world, and she’ll do anything to keep them safe and loved.

“I love you much more sweet girl!”. YN held her daughter close, enjoying the cuddle before she rushed back off to her bedroom.

---

“A what?”. Louis asked again through the FaceTime call, unsure if he had heard YN correctly. “You didn’t just say Mia is taking a boy to the show with her”.

YN knew Louis wouldn’t be so understanding about Mia and Tommy, but their little girl was growing up. “Oh relax Lou…she’s being honest with me about it all…plus I didn’t see you worrying about us being young when we were sneaking out to kiss down by the bridge behind your house”.

Louis but at his lip to try and conceal his grin as the hidden memory had come back to life in his mind. “Yeah alright…alright you’ve got me there…but I don’t like that she’s growing up this quick love”.

“I know babe…but these things were going to happen at some point…and I think we need to give her some space and trust that she’ll make the right decisions for herself”. YN knew Louis would find the transition of Mia becoming a teenager hard. She was always Daddy little girl and had Louis wrapped around her finger.

“I miss you all…how’s Noah? Hope he’s not growing up to quick!”. Louis’ smiled screamed sadness. Touring was bittersweet for him, he loved travelling and singing every night but he missed his little family more than anything.

YN could see how hard this tour was for Louis. When he toured with the band, she and Mia were with him every step of the way. But it was different now that they were older. “He’s good…scored a goal in football today…I think I managed to video it, I’ll send it to you”.

“Tell him I’m so proud of him…I can’t wait for you all to come and visit”. Louis felt the tears threaten to appear, but he kept it hidden, not wanting to upset YN.

“We miss you more!”.

---

Saturday had come around quicker than YN realised. Since Noah woke up, he had been excited to see Harry later that day. He’s had multiple times what time they were going to leave to head over to the stadium.

So when YN had decided that they would leave a little earlier than planned, Noah was jumping with joy as he wore his Love On Tour personalised sweatshirt that Harry had sent over for him. As much as Mia loved her merch too, she had made it clear that she was ‘too cool’ to wear it to the show. Not wanting to match her younger brother.

Instead Mia opted for loose pink jeans, a white t-shirt and pink feather boa to match. As they waited for Tommy to arrive, YN snapped several photos of Mia and Noah ready to send to Louis.

The sound of the doorbell, caused Mia to dart to the door ready to greet Tommy. YN could hear muffled voices as the pair walked closer to the living room.

Mia walked in first, looking shy as she glanced back to the boy who was following her closely. YN noticed the young lad behind her, nerves following him. His dark hair held some curl, and his eyes were a light shade of blue.

“Mum this is Tommy”. Mia broke the silence, a nervous smirk covering her face. “Tom…this is my mum and brother Noah”.

YN gave the young boy a welcoming smile as she still stood with Noah next to her. “Hi Tommy…it’s so lovely to meet you”.

“You too!”. Tommy smiled in return. “Thank you for letting me come today”.

The politeness was causing YN to melt inside. “You’re so welcome my love, although I hope Mia has prepared you for some of the chaos that we cause at these shows”. YN hoped the slight humour would break the ice, and loosen Mia and Tommy’s nerves.

Tommy glanced to Mia and they shared a smile. YN felt like she was watching herself and Louis about fifteen years ago. “Yeah she did”.

“Okay…how about we get on our way…Uncle Harry said we can go and see him after soundcheck”. YN explained as she reached for her bag.

“UNCLE HARRY!”. Noah’s excitement began again as he rushed towards the front door.

---

Mia and Tommy walked closely together, as they followed YN and Noah down the corridors of Wembley stadium.

“Your Mum seems nice”. Tommy spoke softly for only Mia to hear, their arms brushing slightly as they walked.

“She is…she’s the sweetest woman ever”. Mia glanced to her mum in front of her, smiling and greeting everyone they passed. “By the way…my Uncle Harry will probably act really protective and try and scare you…but he’s big softie really”.

Tommy laughed at Mia’s words, both of them trying to keep up with YN and Noah’s fast steps. “I’m not that worried about him…I’m already scared of your dad without meeting him”.

Mia turned to look at Tommy, to see that the fear was real in his eyes. “Oh he’s a big softie too…once he finds out you play guitar, love football and support man united…he’ll talk your ear off”.

Before they could continue their conversation, they were in a large room filled with different people. Some YN and Mia recognised and others they were not too sure of.

“Oh YN…over here!”. Anne’s voices echoed across the room. She was standing with her partner and Gemma.

They quickly walked over to Harry’s family, all greeting each other with hello’s and a big cuddles. YN introduced Tommy to the familiar faces and once they welcomed him with open arms, Mia noticed how relaxed he was.

As the group chatted and caught up with one and other due to not seeing each other for a while, a tall figure appeared behind them. “Well look who it is!”.

Noah was the first to notice Harry standing behind them. “UNCLE HARRY!”. He scooped the younger Tomlinson up into his arms. “I’ve missed you!”.

“‘ello lad…how’s my little man?”. Harry smiled brightly, his white teeth on show. “You look so much like your dad”.

“Everyone says that!”. Noah laughed into the air, his small blue eyes squinting as he did.

With Noah still wrapped in his arms, Harry gently brought YN in for a loving hug. “How are you my love?”. Harry and YN had always been close since Louis introduced them when the band got put together. YN was like a sister to him, and Harry was the brother she always wanted.

“I’m good…missing Lou but I’ve got my two cherubs to keep me busy”. YN gave Mia and Noah a motherly warm smile.

Harry gently placed Noah back down on his feet. He noticed Mia standing there, a shy grin covering her face and a nervous looking boy standing close. “So do I get a cuddle from you…or are you too cool for Uncle Harry now?”.

Mia rolled her eyes with sass, opening her arms to wrap around Harry’s taller frame. “I’ve always been too cool for you…but since it’s your show I’ll give you one!”. Harry chuckled at the banter Mia had picked up, despite having her mums looks, she was her father’s personality.

“So who’s your friend?”. Harry stood tall, pushing his shoulders back to increase his bulging muscles.

“This is Tommy”. Mia spoke quietly, aware that most eyes were on them.

“Nice to meet you Harry…thank you for the ticket to your show”.

Harry continued to stare hard into the young boys eyes, YN noticed that Tommy shifted on his feet with nerves. “Harry…stop teasing, you’re scaring the poor boy!”.

“Nice to meet you Tommy!”. Harry held his hand out for Tommy to shake. “I was only teasing…I’m not scary”. Tommy let out a laugh at his words, before his eyes widened as Harry added another joke. “But her dad…wow good luck!”.

YN playfully swotted Harry’s arm as Mia muttered for her uncle to shut up. “Don’t listen to him Tommy…Louis’ not scary…and is going to love having you around”.

“Me and Tom are going to get a drink”. Mia quickly grabbed Tommy’s hand pulled him in the direction of where the drinks were being offered.

“Mia’s got a boyfriend!”. Harry’s voice whisper shouted at YN in shock.

---

The last show in Wembley Stadium was in full swing. The fans were singing and dancing along, having a ball as they shared a night at Love On Tour with family and friends.

As they stood at the barrier of the box, Noah was singing along to every word with Harry. The young Louis was having the time of his life as he danced along to each song, waiting for a One Direction song to play.

Now they were slightly hidden away, YN could see Mia and Tommy were far more at ease and were enjoying the show. Mia knew every word to the songs, but it was obvious that Tommy wasn’t a Harry Styles fan so he opted to bobbing his head to the catchy beats instead.

Harry and the girls from his band, had made their way to the very front platform on the stage. All standing next to each other in a line in front of their designated microphones. As Harry adjusted his mic on the stand, he had a hard stare on his face that left the fans curious.

“I apologise if I seem a little distracted…my niece is on a date”. Harry began to move around, as he covered his eyes to look out at the sea of fans. “And I’m trying…I’m trying to keep an eye on it…they’re up there somewhere, so Mia behave yourself…or I’ll tell your dad!”.

The sound of Mia’s name told the fans he was referring to Louis’ daughter. But whilst Sarah and Elin shared a giggle at Harry’s attempt to embarrass the young pair, Mia shot her mother a look, before folding her arms with confidence.

“Uncle Niall is now my favourite!”.

miatomlinson

liked by louist91, tommybaker and 982,616 others

miatomlinson Love On Tour🍓🪩🎈🩷 View all 6,927 comments

tommybaker ❤️

louist91 Looks like you had fun!! Love you Mi!! X

yntomlinson the best night with my little family❤️

annetwist You looked beautiful Mia💖

gemmastyles Lovely to see you girlie💕

niallhoran How are you so grown up??🥺

lottietomlinson aw you look so cute🥹💞

the.daisytomlinson OMG LOVE YOUR OUTFIT🫶🏼😍

thephoebetomlinson cuties🩷

louisfan7 Louis family at Harry’s show🥹🥹🥹

harryfan4 harry calling mia out for being on a date🤦🏼‍♀️😂

1Dfan I feel so old! Mia was a baby when one direction was on the X factor!!😱😱

Taglist:

@ell0ra-br3kk3r @slaymybreathaway @wh0s-nadii @peterholland04 @lillisummers

[kwgjficrecs]

Unravelled, Unbroken I Kiwiwatermelongrapejuice I 49k I E

A/B/O

Omega Rights Movement

The sequel to Unsaid, Undone.

Five years ago, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles shattered expectations, defied the odds, and proved that a fated mate bond didn’t have to define them—it could be theirs to shape. Now, with their bond stronger than ever and a future they built together, life should be simple. But nothing about being bonded, in love, and in the public eye has ever been simple. When a scandal threatens everything they’ve worked for, Louis and Harry are forced to navigate a world that still doesn’t know how to handle an Omega who won’t back down and an Alpha who refuses to play by the rules. With their relationship under scrutiny and their future on uncertain ground, they must decide—how far will they go to protect what they’ve built? But just as the world tries to break them apart, fate delivers an unexpected twist—one that changes everything. A story of loyalty, defiance, and the undeniable pull of fate.

If you read Unsaid, Undone and enjoyed the thrill, you’ll be happy to know the story continues.

Unravelled, Unbroken picks up where the first left off—but it’s a different kind of journey. Lighter in tone, more personal. It leans into the quiet, the soft, the moments between moments. But don’t worry—I haven’t abandoned the chaos or the angst. And the smut? Some of the most gratuitous I’ve ever written (at the time, anyway… Book Three is currently fighting for the crown).

Come for the bond. Stay for the heartbreak, the healing, and Harry and Louis trying their absolute best to love each other through it all. Read Unravelled, Undone by Kiwiwatermelongrapejuice here Check in on the whole Fated Mates series here (Soon to be a trilogy)

Or look at other recommendations on my fic rec masterlist here

[writteninthesewalls28]

Masterlist

Niall Horan

Niall Horan Masterlist

Original Content

Original Content Masterlist

Keeper of the lost cities

Best friends, right?

Louis Tomlinson

Forever, let the feeling last

Family Series

Family Masterlist

Poems

friendship

promise

butterflies

Lando Norris

Racing Psychology (series)

DO NOT REPOST OR STEAL MY WORK

Banners from @roseraris <3

[niallerspayno]

Spaces Between Us - Chapter One

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Author’s note: light smut

…

You’re Louis Tomlinson’s little sister—that’s how everyone knows you. It’s the title you’ve carried since you were old enough to realize your older brother was larger than life, a force of nature who swept up everyone in his path. But you’re more than that. You’ve carved your own place in the world, walking a similar road but forging it differently. While Louis thrives in the chaos of the spotlight, you stay behind the scenes, pouring your heart into the music as a songwriter.

It wasn’t hard to find your footing. Being Louis’s sister opened doors most people could only dream of, and soon enough, you were working with One Direction, crafting lyrics and melodies that shaped their sound. It’s your passion, but it’s also complicated—especially when it comes to Liam Payne.

Liam is everything you’re not used to: calm, steady, endlessly polite. Where Louis is a whirlwind, Liam is an anchor, and you’ve always been drawn to that quiet strength. You’ve spent years watching him, noticing the way his brow furrows in concentration when he works on a track, how his smile lights up a room without demanding attention. You’ve kept your feelings to yourself, though. It’s easier that way. Safer. Because no matter how much you might want him, there’s Louis to think about—and the unspoken rule that lines like that shouldn’t be crossed.

So, you bury it. You keep things professional, write songs that Liam sings without ever knowing they’re about him, and tell yourself that it’s enough. But it’s not, and deep down, you know it never will be.

Tonight is no different.

The bar is buzzing, alive with the kind of energy that only a Friday night in the middle of tour can bring. You sit at a corner table with the boys, the laughter and banter blending into the hum of music and conversation. It’s one of those rare nights where the whole group—including their entourage—can relax, no cameras, no fans, just them. And you.

You swirl your drink absentmindedly, eyes scanning the room, but you know exactly where they’ll land. Liam is across the bar, leaning casually against the counter, chatting with a blonde woman you don’t recognise. She’s smiling, leaning closer, her hand brushing his arm. He doesn’t pull away.

You tear your gaze away, heat rising to your face. It’s not the first time you’ve watched him flirt—it comes with the territory—but tonight it feels sharper, more personal. Maybe it’s the way you can’t stop imagining what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of his soft smile, or maybe it’s the way he seems so at ease, completely unaware of the ache sitting heavy in your chest.

Louis is beside you, mid-story, his hands flying in exaggerated gestures as Harry and Niall double over with laughter. You smile faintly, but the usual warmth you feel around your brother and his antics doesn’t reach you tonight.

“Alright there, love?” a familiar voice asks. You look up to see Zayn sliding into the chair beside you, his dark eyes scanning your face. He’s always been good at reading you, better than you’d like sometimes.

“I’m fine,” you lie, taking a sip of your drink.

He doesn’t buy it, of course. He never does. “Sure you are,” he says softly, his tone gentle but pointed. “You’ve been quiet all night. What’s going on?”

You hesitate, glancing at Louis to make sure he’s still preoccupied, then back at Zayn. “It’s nothing,” you murmur. “Just… tired, I guess.”

Zayn raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push. Instead, he leans back, his presence steady and grounding in a way you’ve come to rely on. “Well,” he says, a faint smile tugging at his lips, “if you change your mind, I’m here. Always.”

You nod, grateful but still feeling the weight pressing down on you. Across the bar, Liam laughs at something the blonde says, his hand brushing hers as he gestures animatedly. It’s a casual, fleeting touch, but it feels like a dagger.

You look down at your drink, the ice clinking softly against the glass. Maybe another one will dull the ache. Maybe not. But either way, you take a long sip and try to pretend that you’re fine.

...

The drinks keep coming. At first, it’s just an attempt to take the edge off, but before long, it’s more about distraction than anything else. You and Zayn sit side by side, the rest of the group fading into the background as the alcohol loosens your tongues and dulls the ache in your chests.

Zayn is nursing a whiskey, the amber liquid half gone, his fingers trailing absently around the rim of the glass. “You know,” he says, his voice low and quiet, “sometimes I think I’m not cut out for all this.”

You glance at him, his words pulling you from your thoughts. “For what?”

“This.” He gestures vaguely around the bar, but you know he doesn’t mean the venue. He means everything. The fame, the pressure, the constant scrutiny. “You lose pieces of yourself along the way, don’t you? And when you do find something real, something that feels like yours…” He trails off, taking a deep sip of his drink instead of finishing the sentence.

You don’t have to ask what he means. You know about his breakup—it’s been written all over him for weeks, in the way he avoids certain questions, in the quiet sadness behind his eyes.

You swirl your drink, staring into the half-melted ice. “I get it,” you say softly. “Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, you’re always on the outside looking in.”

Zayn gives you a sharp look, his brow furrowing. “That about me or you?”

You shrug, your lips tugging into a wry smile. “Maybe both.”

He hums in response, tipping his glass toward you before taking another drink. “Alright, then. Your turn. What’s eating at you?”

You hesitate, the truth hovering just on the edge of your lips. Across the bar, Liam is still deep in conversation with the blonde, her laugh echoing faintly even from this distance. It’s the kind of sound you wish you could pull from him, the kind of closeness you’ve dreamed about but never had the courage to chase.

“It’s nothing,” you lie again, the words hollow even to your own ears.

Zayn snorts softly, shaking his head. “You’re a terrible liar, you know that?”

You sigh, downing the rest of your drink in one go. The burn feels good, grounding. “It’s Liam,” you admit finally, the words tumbling out before you can stop them. “It’s always been Liam.”

Zayn doesn’t look surprised. Instead, he follows your gaze, his eyes landing on Liam and the girl. “And tonight’s just a reminder you’re not the one he’s looking at?”

You nod, the knot in your chest tightening. “Pretty pathetic, huh?”

Zayn shakes his head, his expression softening. “Nah. Just human.”

The words settle over you, warm and oddly comforting, and for a moment, the two of you sit in silence. Another round of drinks appears, and you reach for yours without hesitation, letting the alcohol blur the edges of your sadness.

“Here’s to us,” Zayn says suddenly, raising his glass. His smile is crooked, tinged with the kind of sadness that mirrors your own. “The ones on the outside.”

You clink your glass against his, a bitter laugh escaping your lips. “To us.”

The drinks keep flowing, the night slipping further and further out of focus. Zayn leans closer as you both let your guards down, your shared sorrow turning into quiet laughter, then something softer, more vulnerable. You don’t know how it happens—if it’s the alcohol or the aching loneliness, or maybe just the fact that you’ve always felt safe with him—but when his hand brushes against yours, you don’t pull away.

The noise of the bar fades into the background as you and Zayn slip out unnoticed. Liam is still at the counter, his hand resting on the blonde’s arm as she leans in closer, her laughter cutting through the low hum of music. Your chest tightens, but you shake it off, focusing instead on Zayn’s hand lightly brushing your back as he leads you toward the exit.

The rest of the group doesn’t notice. Louis is in the middle of one of his stories, his voice animated, drawing laughter from Niall and Harry. Even if someone did look up, they wouldn’t question it. You and Zayn disappearing for a quiet moment isn’t unusual.

The cool night air bites at your skin as you step outside, the lingering warmth of the alcohol in your veins doing little to stave off the chill. The quiet outside feels jarring after the noise of the bar, and for a moment, you hesitate. But Zayn is there, his presence grounding. His jacket settles over your shoulders, heavy and warm, carrying the scent of him—earthy cologne with a hint of cigarettes and something distinctly Zayn.

“Thanks,” you murmur, your voice barely audible over the distant hum of city life.

He doesn’t respond, just gives you a slight nod as his hand brushes the small of your back, guiding you down the street. His touch lingers, steady and unhurried, and you find yourself leaning into it, letting him lead.

The walk to the hotel is quiet except for the muffled sound of your footsteps against the pavement. The air is crisp, almost sharp, and you feel it in every breath, the cold biting at your cheeks. Zayn’s shoulder occasionally bumps against yours, his arm close enough that you feel the heat radiating off him.

Inside the hotel lobby, the warmth hits you instantly, wrapping around you like a blanket. The subtle scent of polished wood and fresh linen fills the space, and the muted sounds of the concierge’s soft conversation and the occasional ding of the elevator create a strange kind of stillness.

Zayn presses the elevator button, his hands now shoved deep into his pockets. The quiet between you isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s heavy, charged with something unspoken. When the elevator doors slide open, the two of you step inside, and the silence deepens.

You watch the numbers tick up as the elevator hums softly, the polished walls reflecting fragments of light. Your stomach tightens with every floor, your pulse quickening. You steal a glance at Zayn. His jaw is set, his profile sharp against the dim light.

When the elevator dings, your breath catches. Zayn leads the way, his footsteps quiet against the plush carpet of the hallway. He stops at his door, the faint sound of the key card beeping as he unlocks it. The click of the door shutting behind you feels deafening, sealing you in this moment.

Zayn turns to you, his dark eyes searching yours. His voice is low, almost a whisper, as he asks, “Are you sure?”

You nod, though your throat feels tight. “I’m sure,” you say softly, the words barely more than a breath.

He closes the distance between you in a single step, his hands warm as they cradle your face. His lips meet yours, soft but insistent, and a jolt of heat courses through you. His kiss tastes faintly of whiskey, smoky and rich, and you can feel the roughness of his stubble against your skin.

The room feels warmer, the faint hum of the air conditioning fading into the background as the weight of Zayn’s body presses against yours. His hands roam your skin, strong yet careful, as though he’s trying to memorize every inch of you. His lips leave a trail of heat along your jawline, down the curve of your neck, and you gasp softly, your fingers tangling in his hair.

The alcohol hums in your veins, blurring the edges of hesitation and amplifying every touch, every sound. When Zayn pulls back for a moment, his dark eyes searching yours as if to ask one last time, you answer by pulling him closer, capturing his lips with yours in a kiss that’s desperate, unrelenting.

Clothes disappear in a tangle, each layer shed without thought, until there’s nothing left between you. His skin is warm against yours, and every movement feels deliberate, unhurried yet urgent. You feel the rough drag of his hands on your hips, the soft pressure of his lips tracing your collarbone, the steady rhythm of his breathing in your ear.

When it happens, it’s not rushed, but it’s not tender either—it’s raw and needy, a release of everything you’ve both been holding back. His name escapes your lips in a whisper, and you feel the way his grip tightens, his breath hitching in response. The world outside the room ceases to exist, every sound drowned out by the beat of your racing hearts and the quiet gasps you exchange.

You lose track of time, the night folding in on itself as the lines between comfort and mistake blur beyond recognition. When it’s over, the stillness settles over you both, heavy and quiet. Zayn lies beside you, his chest rising and falling steadily as he stares up at the ceiling. You’re on your back too, staring at the faint shadows playing on the walls, the weight of what just happened sinking in slowly.

You know this changes nothing. It’s not love, and it’s not meant to be. It was a moment—just a moment to forget the pain, to feel something real in the middle of all the chaos. But as you lie there, the warmth of Zayn’s presence beside you, the reality of what you’ve done begins to take shape.

...

The sunlight streams through a crack in the curtains, too bright and entirely unwelcome. You groan, squeezing your eyes shut as the pounding in your head intensifies. Your mouth is dry, your body heavy, and it takes a moment for the events of the previous night to resurface.

The first thing you feel is the warmth beside you, the steady rise and fall of someone else’s breathing. Your eyes snap open, and your stomach drops as you turn your head to find Zayn lying there, his arm draped loosely over his eyes, his expression tense even in sleep.

You sit up slowly, the sheets pooling around your waist, your heart thudding against your ribs. Zayn stirs at the movement, a groggy groan escaping his lips as he shifts to look at you. His dark eyes are bloodshot, his hair mussed, and the second he sees your face, you know he remembers everything too.

“Shit,” he mutters, sitting up and rubbing a hand over his face.

You nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah. Shit.”

For a moment, neither of you speaks, the weight of the previous night hanging heavy in the air. The sound of the city waking up filters through the window, muted but relentless, and you wish the earth would just swallow you whole.

Finally, Zayn breaks the silence. “Look,” he says, his voice hoarse, probably from the drinking and the smoking, “last night… it was—”

“A mistake,” you finish for him, your voice quieter but firm. “It was a mistake, Zayn. We were drunk and upset and… it just happened.”

He nods, his shoulders sagging as he exhales. “Yeah. Exactly. It didn’t mean anything. Just—” He pauses, searching for the right words. “Just two people trying to forget for a while.”

You glance at him, his features softened by exhaustion and regret, and despite the awkwardness of the moment, you feel a flicker of gratitude. “I don’t regret that it was you,” you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. “I needed someone last night, and you were there. Thank you for that.”

He looks at you then, his expression softening. “Same. And we’re good, yeah? Friends?”

“Friends,” you agree, giving him a small smile that feels like it might crack your face.

With that settled, you both get up, the silence broken only by the rustling of clothes as you dress in last night’s wrinkled outfits. Your hangover screams louder with every movement, and you wonder how you’re going to make it through the rest of the day.

By the time you both make it downstairs to the hotel dining area, the rest of the group is already there. The dining area hums with quiet conversations and the clinking of silverware. The smell of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon is overwhelming in your current state, turning your stomach. You slump into the chair between Louis and Niall, muttering a groggy, “Morning,” as you shield your eyes from the sunlight streaming through the windows.

“You look like death,” Louis says immediately, his grin wide and unrepentant. “How much did you drink last night?”

“Too much,” you mumble, your head in your hands.

Louis leans closer, his voice full of mock concern. “What’s the verdict, then? Whisky? Tequila? Or did Niall convince you to do shots of that god-awful green stuff again?”

“I’m right here,” Niall chimes in, his mouth full of eggs. “And for the record, the green stuff’s brilliant. You’re just too weak for it.”

Louis waves him off, still focused on you. “Go on, spill. Who dragged you under the table last night?”

You groan, pressing your palms harder against your forehead. “No one dragged me under anything. Can you not?”

“Oh, come on. You know it’s my duty to torment you. Big brother privileges and all that.” Louis nudges you with his elbow, a laugh bubbling in his throat. “Honestly, I’m impressed you’re even upright.”

You force yourself to look up, your bleary eyes scanning the table. Niall is focused on his breakfast, already working on a second plate. Harry smirks at you from across the table, his curls falling messily into his face, clearly amused by your suffering.

But it’s Liam, sitting just a few seats down, who catches your attention. He’s quiet, sipping his coffee, his face unreadable. He glances at you briefly, and the knot in your chest tightens. His expression is softer than you expected—no teasing, no judgment—but you quickly look away, not ready to deal with the pang of hurt that rises every time you think about last night.

You’re not sure if it’s your hangover or the way your heart still stings from watching him with that girl, but you can’t bring yourself to meet his gaze again.

It’s Harry who breaks the moment, his grin playful as he leans back in his chair. “Speaking of last night,” he starts, “where did you and Zayn disappear to?”

The table quiets slightly at his question, and your heart skips a beat.

Zayn, sitting at the far end of the table, doesn’t even flinch. He takes a slow sip of his coffee before shrugging casually. “She needed air,” he says, his voice calm, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Went outside for a bit to sober up.”

“Yeah,” you chime in quickly, hoping your voice doesn’t betray you. “I wasn’t feeling great. Zayn was just making sure I didn’t pass out somewhere.”

Harry raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but Louis cuts in before the conversation can go any further. “Well, aren’t you the gentleman, Malik?” he says with a grin. “Though I’d expect nothing less. Can’t have her ending up on a tabloid cover, can we?”

The table bursts into laughter, and the tension in your chest eases as the spotlight shifts away from you and Zayn. You glance at him briefly, catching the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips, and you’re grateful—both for his quick thinking and for the ease with which he covered for you.

The conversation moves on, Louis launching into another story about some ridiculous encounter he had last week, and the table erupts into laughter once again. But you stay quiet, pushing your food around your plate.

Liam, however, is still watching you. You can feel his gaze, even when you don’t look directly at him. It’s not accusing or judgmental, just… searching. Like he’s trying to piece together what’s going on in your head.

You refuse to meet his eyes. Not now. Not when your heart is still too raw, and the weight of the previous night sits heavy in your chest.

Instead, you focus on Louis’s voice, on Niall’s carefree laughter, on Harry’s smirk as he tosses a grape at Louis and narrowly misses. It’s easier to fade into the background, to let their banter wash over you, to pretend, just for a little while, that everything is normal.

...

You retreat to your room after breakfast, your head still pounding from the hangover and your mind a mess of emotions. You need some time alone, away from everyone. You sit down at the small desk by the window, a guitar lying next to you, and try to channel all your chaos into something productive. The quiet hum of the city outside is a reminder that life goes on, even if your own feels like it’s stuck in limbo.

The words don’t come easily, though. No melody is flowing. Instead, you’re caught up in the same thoughts that have been swirling in your head all morning.

Just when you think you might break, there's a knock at the door, followed by Harry’s cheerful voice.

“Hey, mind if we come in?”

You don’t bother to reply. The door swings open, and Harry and Niall step inside, a small tray of tea and crackers in Niall’s hands. Harry’s gaze sweeps over you, immediately taking in the slight frown on your face, the tension in your shoulders.

“You look like someone’s been running over your heart with a truck,” Niall says, his tone light, though there’s concern underneath it.

Harry raises an eyebrow, a knowing look in his eyes. “You’ve been acting a bit off all morning,” he notes gently, his eyes flicking to your outfit—still the same one you wore last night. “You wearing the same thing from last night?”

You can’t meet his gaze, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on you. The last thing you want is to explain what happened. But as they both sit down on the bed, the tea resting in front of you, you can tell they’re not going to let you off easy. They’ve always been able to read you, even when you don’t say a word.

Niall gives you a small, reassuring smile. “You know, we’re not here to judge. But something’s clearly eating you up.”

You sigh, letting your shoulders slump as you finally give in, the words spilling out before you can stop them. “I... I saw Liam last night. Flirting with some girl at the bar. It... it hurt, more than I thought it would. I know we’ve never really talked about it, but it just... it’s always been there, the feelings. And last night, seeing him with her, I felt like a fool.”

Harry and Niall exchange a quick look, both of them already knowing the depth of your feelings for Liam. You’d never been able to keep that a secret, even if you tried.

You continue, your voice barely above a whisper. “And then there was Zayn. He’s been... he’s been hurting over his breakup. He’s always been there for me, you know? He just... understood. We both were feeling low, and... I don’t know. We ended up drinking too much. One thing led to another, and we...” You can’t finish the sentence, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Niall looks surprised but says nothing, just nodding. Harry, though, watches you closely, his expression soft. “So, you and Zayn...?”

You nod, feeling a lump in your throat. “Yeah. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything. I don’t even know what happened. We just... needed comfort, I guess. But now I feel like everything’s ruined. Zayn and I are fine. But... Liam. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t know how to even tell him.”

Niall lets out a long breath, leaning back against the wall, his tone calm but serious. “You’ve been carrying this around for a while now, haven’t you?”

You bite your lip, nodding. "It’s been there for so long, and I just... I’ve never told him. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to lose him. I didn’t want to ruin everything between us, especially with Louis already being protective of me.”

Harry's gaze softens. He knows you too well. “Look, I don’t think Liam’s the type to let this kind of thing come between you two. You’ve both been walking around with all these feelings for ages, and now you’ve finally taken a step. Maybe... maybe you just need to be honest with him. You can’t keep hiding it forever, love.”

Your head drops into your hands, and you exhale shakily. “I don’t even know where to start. I’ve made such a mess of everything.”

Niall places a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “Hey, you’ve always been the one who figured things out. You’ll find a way to make it work. Maybe... maybe this is just the beginning of figuring things out for good. But you have to tell him, don’t let this fester.”

You nod again, appreciating the support. It’s comforting to know that, despite everything, they’re both here for you. “Thanks, guys. I... I guess I just needed to say it out loud. I’m scared, but... you’re right. I need to face it.”

The room feels quieter now, like a weight has been lifted. Not entirely, but enough to take a deep breath. Niall stands up, grabbing the tea, and hands it to you with a playful wink.

“Get some rest, yeah? You’ve got a lot to figure out, but you don’t have to do it all at once.”

Harry follows Niall to the door, his expression thoughtful. “You’re going to be alright. You always are.”

You watch them leave, feeling a little lighter, but the gnawing anxiety still lingers in the pit of your stomach. You’ve taken the first step by telling them. But the real work is ahead—talking to Liam, being honest with him, and figuring out what happens next.

And maybe—just maybe—you’ll finally get the courage to do it.

...

Next chapter

[slaymybreathaway]

FAITH IN THE FUTURE ~ Character Aesthetics

Masterlist Series Playlist

☆Louis Tomlinson☆

Born: 24th December 1991

"The guy from that one band"

&

☆Ruby Reilly☆

Born: 27th August 1990

"That bitch with the guitar"

_________________

[Comment to be added to taglist]

CHAPTER ONE OUT SOON!!

[midnightwritingsessions]

Celebrity masterlist

Newest works appear at the top

Navigation

Billie Eilish

One shots:

-Autumn walks and warm lattes: Billie and you go on an early autumn walk with shark and stopped off at a coffee shop

-Stolen moments: A cosy morning spent waking up with Billie. Short blurb

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Joost Klein

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Zayn Malik

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Niall Horan

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Harry styles

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Louis Tomlinson

One shots:

-Promises of forever: Louis planned a special date night for the both of you where unbeknownst to you he planned to give you a promise ring. [1.1k]

-Only us: You and Louis lock eyes while he’s performing (established relationship)

-Building memories: You and Louis babysit lucky, his nephew, he enjoys his time with both of you so much he doesn’t want to go back to his parents. [1k]

-Found in the crowd: While singing along to your favourite bands concert someone interrupts you to ask for a cigarette light, someone you recognise to be Louis Tomlinson. This chance encounter turns into navigating the line between a friendship and a relationship. [1.7k]

-Everyday with you: A quiet Tuesday evening in with Louis is spent making dinner with him. Short blurb

-Yours and only yours: While on a date with Louis you run into your ex and Louis doesn’t like the way he’s looking at you. [1.4k]

-TikTok troubles: When Lottie convinces you to join her in a TikTok prank, louis jumps into save you from Lottie unknowingly becoming the target.

-Cigarettes and conversations: After having a bad day a stranger comforts you at the bar. This stranger somehow becomes a big part of your life.

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Lewis capaldi

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Lady gaga

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Please feel free to send requests! <3