#niall Horan fan fic | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sparkrls · 1 month ago

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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.

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justmeinatree · 2 years ago

Text

To Wake Up By Your Side

Summary : Part 2 to Empty As A Bottle Of Wine … the morning after.

TW : smut

Word Count : 1.2k

A/N : i had no plan to do a part 2. but i got stoned, jumped on tumblr and saw that @strawnarrries rebloged with the tag “need more right now” so here we are ✌️

GIF : @horansqueen

you feel yourself start to wake, your eyes fluttering open to land on niall’s face. you smile softly, your eyes gently shutting again as you remember that he came home last night. well, more like this morning.

realization dawns on you and before you really have time to process it, your body clenches around niall’s cock. still tucked snuggly into you.

a wave of heat shoots down to your centre, your breath hitching, as all of this really registers with your sleep fogged brain.

you hitch your thigh higher, hooking your leg up from his hip to his waist, your foot pressing him impossibly closer.

the sudden movement and tiny whimper that leaves your lips, stirs niall from his sleep. you feel his thumb brush against the skin of your back, his arm thrown over you to keep you close through the night.

his eyes scrunch up tight for a moment, blinking open quickly, before shutting them again. “was supposed to wake up first. use my mouth and all that,” niall mumbles in a sleepy state.

the gravelly tone to his voice from his sleep dry throat, the thickness of his accent, the slow puffing up of his cock. another wave of heat pools between your legs, your arousal starting to coat niall’s member.

it’s not until your cunt clenches around him, that he even realizes he’s still tucked into you. a breathy moan escapes his lips, his nose rubbing against yours, “fuck, but this’ll do just fine.”

you whine, nodding, as your hand grips into his hair, lips slotting with his. and it’s so slow. both of you revelling in it. taking the time to indulge in what you’ve so painfully missed for the last 3 months of niall’s touring.

niall’s tongue slips its way through your lips, petting over your tongue, making you moan into his mouth, hips bucking and starting to grind on him.

his hand slides down your back to your hip, stilling you. he pulls away from the kiss, giving you a moment to catch your breath as he plants a soft peck on the corner of your lips. “dont want you to move yet,” he whispers, leaving a series of soft kisses down your cheek to your jaw.

you feel a tremble work it’s way through your body, your pussy clenching on him again, making niall’s breath catch in his throat, softly nipping at your jaw.

your thigh starts to shake, feeling so much him. the soft series of kisses he’s trailing down the column of your throat, the only movement he’s allowing himself. and with his tight hold on you, you couldn’t move even if you tried.

not that you want to. you’ve never felt so full. full of cock, full of joy, full of love. you silently wish you could spend the rest of your life just seethed on him.

“can’t stop,” you whisper breathily, gasping lightly for air. your cunt is literally throbbing around him, pulsing so hard with every press of niall’s lips to your throat.

“can’t stop what, petal,” niall whispers against your skin, between kisses, nose gently tracing patterns into your neck as he speaks. “can’t stop trembling ?” kiss. “can’t stop moaning ?” kiss. “can’t stop squeezing my cock ?”

this time instead of a kiss, his tongue lays flat against the base of your neck, licking up the column of your throat, up to your chin, avoiding your lips as he pulls his face just too far out of reach.

you whine loudly, a shiver running down your spine, your heat clenching harder around him.

“fuckin christ, you really cant stop, hmm ?” he asks quietly, his prick constantly being gripped on. as if your pussy wanted to suck him in deeper. if it were even at all possible.

“so full, ni,” you whimper, your breath hitching. “fucking-, so good. feels like my body’s burning.”

“sound like you’re gonna cum, pretty girl,” he groans, leaning in to crash his lips against yours. he can’t help himself, he’s so fucking needy for you.

niall bites into your bottom lip, tugging on it, “gonna be a good girl aren’t you ?” he asks, mouth ghosting over yours. “clenching so fucking hard on me. using me to cum. just like this. c’mon, be my good girl.”

“can’t,” you whimper loudly, lungs gasping for air. “fuck, s’not enough. need more, need more, please.”

he shakes his head no, his nose flicking yours back and forth, as he does. “s’my first day back. you’re gonna be a good girl for me. no matter how long it takes,” he murmurs against your ear, watching you squirm in his hold.

a loud, needy whine works its way out of your throat, your nails scratching down any bit of niall’s skin you can reach. you were so close. right on the edge. so close to the edge your toes were basically hanging over, feet teetering back and forth, but never taking the final plunge.

“help me,” you whimper, your body trembling on overdrive, trying to work your hips into his for any sort of movement, any friction, fucking anything.

“start begging, petal,” niall coos against your ear, his tongue pointed and licking over the shell of your ear.

“please,” you breathe out, without so much as a second thought. willing to do absolutely anything to be able to cum. you’ve been full of his cock since you shut your eyes around 5am. based on the reflection of the sun in your room, you’d guess it’s now mid to late afternoon.

“fuck, ni, honey, please. can’t anymore. hurts. fuck, fuck, i need to cum. need you. please, please, need to cum, ni, please, fuck, plea-“ your cut off by the press of niall’s lips against yours.

“keep begging like that and i’ll be the one cumming,” he groans. “tell me what you need, petal.”

“just- just,” you breathe frustratedly, trying to wiggle your hips, just enough to get some friction to your clit. a breathless moan leaves you as your bundle of nerves finally feels the dragging pressure it’s been craving.

niall keeps his hold tight on you, not letting your hips thrust, only giving you the opportunity to rut your body against his.

“gave you what you wanted,” he murmurs, lips slotting with yours. “please let me feel you cum, pretty girl. been fuckin craving it for months.”

finally. fucking finally. you feel your trembling body start to seize up as the burning string inside you snaps.

your jaw goes lax as you gasp for air, your inner walls clamped down so tight on niall’s cock, your brain cant seem to focus on anything else.

niall’s face buries itself in your hair as you’ve tucked your head in his chest, groaning from above you, “fuck, you’re such a good girl. missed you so much, petal.”

……

Masterlist

#niall horan #niall horan fanfic #niall horan blurb #niall horan smut #smut #niall horan one shot #niall horan imagine #niall horan fic #niall horan materlist #niall horan fan #niall horan fandom #niall horan writings #hello lovers #niall horan x reader #niall horan x you #writings #justmeinatree

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walkingintheheartbreaksatellite · 1 year ago

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Lover

(Harry Styles x Fem! swiftie! Reader)

Summary: Harry asks Taylor to perform Lover at his wedding as a surprise to his wife.

Contents: Mild angst, cringey fluffiness, dirty joke(bestlifeonline.com), mentions of insecurities, mentions of past relationship, cursing

(Ya’ll can thank Miss. Taylor Alison Swift for this idea. Came to me during the Eras film.)

I did it. Sitting at this table with Harry, during our wedding reception, all my dreams have come true.

“Y/N… Y/N!”

I shake my head, turning my attention to Harry who’s looking at me expectantly.

“Hm?”

He laughs and squeezes my hand.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, Mrs. Styles?”

I blush and shrug my shoulders.

“I don’t know, just kind of lost in my thoughts honestly. We’re here… We made it H. Like can you believe that?”

He smiles and shakes his head, squeezing my hand. Before he can respond, the DJ announces something over the microphone.

“Ladies and gentleman, please join me in welcoming the happy couple in their first dance! If the bride and groom could make their way out to the dance floor!”

Harry stands and takes my hand, leading me to the dance floor with a smile. He positions his hands and wraps them around my waist as I wrap my arms around his neck. The music starts to play but every other second, it skips.

I start to tear up, frustrated that my perfect moment could be ruined. Harry sighs and kisses my forehead before he lets me go and heads over to the DJ’s station, no doubt to figure out what’s going on.

I see him physically sigh from across the room and I frown, looking down at the floor as I try to hide my tears. A few minutes later, he takes me back into his arms and holds me close with a smile.

“I thought-.”

He shakes his head and just presses his forehead against mine before he whispers softly.

“It’s fine. Trust me.”

Before I can respond, I hear someone tapping on a microphone. I turn my head to the small stage and see none other than Taylor Swift. With a guitar in her hand.

“Is this thing on? Oh okay cool it is! Hi guys! My name’s Taylor and I’ve been given the tremendous honor to sing this song for these two amazing people here. It means so much to me that this song means everything to them and their relationship. Please join me in welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Harry and Y/N Styles.”

I look at Harry, my eyes tearing up as he smiles.

“You did this?”

He pecks my lips and smiles but he doesn’t respond. He just pulls me closer as she begins to play and sing.

We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January

And this is our place, we make the rules

“Harry… I can’t believe you did this- Did you- Did you plan this?”

He laughs and shrugs.

“Maybe yes, maybe no. You’ll never know though.”

I laugh and shake my head and he spins me around with a loving smile.

And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear

Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?

Flashback, 3 years before:

“Y/N, I’m sorry this isn’t exactly what I planned… I just wanted tonight to be perfect and now-.”

I smile and shake my hand, placing a hand over his. I look around and spot an ice cream shop across the street.

“It’s okay. I’m here spending time with you. It doesn’t matter what we do. How about we go get some ice cream? Nothing could go wrong with ice cream.”

He laughs and nods, taking my hand and leading me to the shop. We head inside and order our ice cream, then stand to the side while we wait. A familiar song comes on the radio and I start to him and sing along to it.

“You’re my my my… lover.”

Harry takes my hand before I know it, he’s pulling me into his arms and spinning me around the ice cream shop at almost midnight. I laugh and dance with him, enjoying the odd but sweet moment between us.

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

“Do you remember our first date? What made you pull me in?”

He purses his lips before he smiles and answers.

“I dunno really. It just felt right. My body moved faster than my mind did. But we sure surprised them, didn’t we? Dancing at practically midnight in an empty shop, just because we wanted to. We’ve always been like that, haven’t we?”

I laugh and nod as he twirls me around before he pulls me in closer than before, resting his for forehead against mine.

And ah, take me out, and take me home

You're my, my, my, my

Lover

“Y/N… I know I’ve told you this… Multiple times in fact… But you are one of a kind�� Everyday I just fall more and more in love with you, whether we’re dancing in the kitchen, watching a movie, attending one of my numerous events or even just sitting quietly together. I love you Y/N. I’ve… I’ve never known what true love feels like until I met you. And I never want to lose what we have…”

I tear up and try to blink away my tears before I peck his lips a few times.

“Dummy… What did I say about making me cry today of all days?”

He laughs and pecks my lips. His hands move to my waist and he lowers me down, dipping me before he pulls me close again.

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

Flashback, Christmas 2 years ago:

“I love your room, H. It’s so boyish and adorable. Makes me almost want to squish you.”

He groans and shakes his head before he plops on the bed on to his back.

“Mum hasn’t touched anything since I left. She leaves mine and Gem’s rooms the way the are and I have a feeling it’s for this exact reason.”

I smile and lay down next to him, resting my head on his chest before looking up at him.

“It’s sweet. You’re her babies. Of course she would leave them. I’m sure my mom would’ve too if we’d had a housing growing up.”

He sighs and pulls me on top of him so i now rest my chin on his chest.

“I shouldn’t have let you talk me out of hosting Christmas. I have plenty of room and a bigger bed! It also would’ve saved me the embarrassment!”

I laugh and shake my head. Before I can respond, Anne, Harry’s mom, pops her head through the doorway with a smile.

“Hey you two! We’ve got snacks and some tea downstairs! Why don’t you come warm up! Gemma wants to finish decorating the tree!”

I smile and nod, getting off of Harry before holding out my hand for him to take.

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

Flashback, 6 months ago:

“Y/N, I promise! We’re just friends! I would never want to be with her again!”

I frown and keep my back to him, refusing to look at him.

“But you know she’s better for you. She fits in better with your lifestyle and it’s obvious she still wants you… Maybe you really are better off with her…”

He groans and grabs my shoulders, turning me around forcefully.

“I’m not with her. I haven’t been for years! Nor would I want to! We’re better as friends! And before I go into all the reasons why it should be you, I’ll tell you why it’s not her. I care for her deeply… But she’s not down to earth like you are. She doesn’t understand what it’s like to work hard for what you want. Everything is handed to her. But you? My god… My Y/N. Your heart, your soul, your determination and your will… You never give up. You put your mind on something and there really is no stopping you. Your promotion at work, moving to London to be with me after only 8 months together. You have lived such a painful life and look at you. You are one of the strongest people I know. You inspire me to be the man I want to be… And that man loves you. All of you. So i don’t want to hear any more about how you think you’re not good enough. Fuck the fame. It’s nothing without love. The only words I want to hear are ‘I do’. Yeah?”

I sigh and give him a small smile.

“I should really know better by now. Every time I feel insecure, you always seem to burn me and love me all at once.”

He laughs and wraps his arms around me, kissing my forehead.

“Good. No more being mean to my girl.”

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)

You're my, my, my, my

Lover

Flashback, Harry’s 29th birthday:

“Happy Birthday old man.”

He rolls his eyes and laughs before he hugs me.

“Y/N, don’t start. I’m 29..”

I laugh and hug him tight.

“He’s 29 folks! Twenty noine!”

“We’re never watching that episode of New Girl ever again. Well, at least until you turn 29. I’ll be playing it on a loop that day.”

I snort and shake my head, pecking his lips.

“Y/N…?”

I look him in the eyes an hum. His eyes soften and he smiles.

“Thanks for coming with me… I know it hasn’t been easy… But having you with me…It means everything to me. I love you.”

I smile and peck his lips softly.

“I go where you go.”

Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?

With every guitar string scar on my hand

I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover

Flashback, a year and a half ago:

“Hey… H? Can you teach me how to play guitar?”

His eyes widen and he smiles before nodding enthusiastically.

“Of course I will, love! But why the sudden interest?”

I shrug and smile.

“I don’t know. I mean I already know who to play ukulele. Couldn’t be much different. And honestly I really want to learn how to play Push. You know how much I love Matchbox.”

He laughs and nods. He grabs a nearby guitar and pats his lap, motioning me to sit. I quickly do as he says and he starts to position my hands on the guitar, strumming it softly as he does so.

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

All's well that ends well to end up with you

Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

Flashback, 3 months into their relationship:

“Y/N L/N I swear! You are the most overdramatic person I know! And that’s saying something!”

He laughs and shakes his head as he looks at me, my eyes welling up with tears.

“I’m sorry! It’s just so sad! They could’ve been so good together and look at how miserable they are!”

I wipe my tears and Harry shakes his head, laughing.

“That’s Klaus’ fault! And Caroline’s not miserable! She has Stephan and she’s pregnant! She’s literally a pregnant vampire!”

“They could’ve been amazing and I’m not sorry for crying! This is why I don’t watch this with you because you love to tease me!”

He laughs and hugs me, kissing the side of my head.

“That may be true, but I love you’re overdramatic ways. Cry. I’ll be hear to wipe your tears away.”

And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me

And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover

Flashback, 6 months ago:

“Psst. Y/N. Y/N!”

I groan and advert my eyes from my phone to look at him, only to see a devilish grin on his face.

“What?”

He smiles even more before he whispers to me.

“What’s the difference between a G-spot and a golf ball?”

I groan and look at him.

“What, was Niall bored again?”

“Just answer the question Y/N!”

I sigh and look at him.

“I don’t know, what?”

He smiles and whispers again.

“A guy will actually search for a golf ball!”

I groan and Harry laughs, throwing his head back into the couch.

“Tell Niall to find some new material because that joke was not a hole in one.”

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)

Flashback, 6 month anniversary:

“No matter how many times we go out, taking you home has to be my favorite part.”

I give him a look of shock and his own mouth drops, realizing what he just said.

“No! I just meant! I just meant that.. When I take you home… I give you a kiss goodnight… I always sleep better with a kiss goodnight. Honestly I wish you just lived with me so I could kiss you goodnight and good morning everyday…”

My mouth gapes in complete shock.

“A-Are you.. are you asking?”

He looks in my eyes and purses his lips, giving me a small nod.

“I-I know we’ve only been dating six months but… I love you Y/N L/N… I’m serious about us. More than I ever have been with anyone else… You can say no… I’ll understand-.”

I grab his cheeks and pull him down to my level, wrapping my arms around him as I kiss him passionately. He smiles into the kiss and wraps his arms around my waist, lifting me up slightly.

After a minute or so I pull away for air and Harry smiles, resting his forehead against mine.

“I love you Harry…So much.”

He smiles, pecking my lips lightly before hugging me again.

A couple weeks later:

I wake up to the sun in my eyes and arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I slowly turn to see a sleepy, smiling Harry. He squeezes me in his arms and pecks my lips softly.

“Good morning, love.”

I smile and snuggle up close to him before whispering back to him.

“Good morning, boyfriend.”

You're my, my, my, my

Oh, you're my, my, my, my

Darling, you're my, my, my, my

Lover

Present, the wedding reception:

Harry holds my close, one hand holding my hand as the other remains secured to my waist. As Taylor finishes singing, harry softly whispers the last few lyrics to me before her kisses me. In the moment, nothing else mattered. It’s like it was just us and no one else was around…

6 years later, 6 year wedding anniversary:

I wake up, groaning as I turn only to be met by a small, look alike of my husband.

“Hi mommy.”

I smile and take Riley into my arms, hugging her tight as she giggles.

Riley Anne Styles, our honeymoon baby. Shortly after we came home from our honeymoon, I discovered I was pregnant after repeatedly getting sick while I was trying to get my some done. She’s 5 years old and an exact copy of her daddy. She’s a mommy’s girl, and is always close to my side.

“Good morning, my little bug.”

Riley groans as she wiggles in my arms.

“Mommy! I told you! I’m a big girl! I’m not little! Jude is little…”

She pouts and I smile, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“That may be true, but you’ll always be my little bug. Just embrace it, love bug.”

I sit up and get out of bed, carrying Riley as I walk out of the bedroom and downstairs, where the smell of eggs and coffee waft through the house. I set Riley down and she paddles her feet over to her daddy, who’s holding our son, Jude, while cooking at the stove.

Jude Edward Styles. A carbon copy of myself and our unplanned miracle. I was on bed rest my last trimester because of complications and he spent a few weeks in the NICU. He’s our little fighter and a daddy’s boy through and through. He’s only a year and a half but he’s so lively, you can’t but smile when you see him.

“Daddy! I woke up mommy!”

Harry turns around and sighs when he sees me.

“Ri- I told you not to wake up mummy, remember?”

Riley frowns and tears up a little. Harry sighs once again, turns off the burner and moves the pan to the back burner before turning around.

“It’s okay lovie, but remember, sometimes mummy needs to sleep. Remember how she’s been gone because of work? She was really sleepy and she got home pretty late last night…”

“Baby it’s okay. I slept great and I feel fine. C’mere bug, it’s okay.”

I kneel down and Riley runs over to me, flinging herself in my arms.

“It’s okay, love bug. Know one is mad at you. Right daddy?”

Harry smiles and nods. He fixes his hold of Jude before he walks over to us and kneels to my level.

“Sorry love, I just-.”

I kiss his cheek and shake my head, smiling.

“I know, and I appreciate you for doing that. But I feel fine. I missed you and I missed the kids… I didn’t want to be gone so long, especially because of our anniversary but work just kind of got out of control-.”

Harry pecks my lips and takes my free hand in his, squeezing it.

“I know, my love, I know. But you’re home. And I have so much planned for tonight, I just need to take the kids to mum’s-.”

“I love that you made so many big plans, I do… But- Can we maybe keeps the kids tonight? Do our anniversary dinner another night..?”

Harry smiles and nods.

“Of course. I know better after 6 years of marriage and 2 years of dating that you hate fancy restaurants for special occasions. I was going to cook your favorite and we were just gonna stay in and do- things…”

I laugh and shake my head.

“Last I checked, this is our anniversary, not just mine. Do I have any more say in what we do?”

He laughs and nods.

“Well, go ahead Mrs. Styles. What did you have in mind?”

Harry sets Jude in his lap and he crawls over to me with a drooly, toothy smile. I take him into my arms so I now have both my babies in my lap.

“I want a day with all my babies. Like we used to before we both went back to work…”

He smile and nods, before he pulls out his phone. He makes a quick call and just like that, we have a day full of family time. We go to all of our family places, and for the first time in a while, everything felt… normal. We spend the morning at the kid’s favorite interactive museum and then get some lunch before hitting the park. The kids manage to exhaust themselves so we take them home and put them down to nap. Normally, Riley doesn’t nap but she doesn’t sleep the greatest when Harry or I have to travel for work, so we decided to let her sleep.

We set them down in the tent in their playroom, and before I leave the room, I see Jude cuddle up to Riley and my heart melts. I snap a quick picture and fix their blanket to cover them more before I leave the room. I walk out to the living room to see Harry on the couch, his legs propped up on the davenport as he scrolls the the channels. I sit down next to him and curl up next to him, kicking my shoes off so I can curl my knees up. Harry wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me close before pressing a kiss to my head.

“They’re out cold. Jude was cuddling Ri when I left and I kid you not H, I almost cried.”

He laughs a little and sighs.

“Missed you lover, we all did. But it was nice getting some one on one time with them. I tried getting Ri to sleep in her bed but she wasn’t having it. She missed you. Always cried after you hung up at bedtime. But mum came over and had a tea party with her. They managed to get Jude to join them but of course, that lead to them fighting over crowns and then he demolished the tea party in his dragon costume.”

I snort and shake my head.

“Of course he did. He’d live in that thing if he could.”

We cuddle and after about an hour, the kids wake up. We play in the backyard and have a nice, family dinner. After bath time, the kids are off to bed. As expected, Riley demands I read her a story and tuck her in, leaving Harry to handle Jude.

“Mommy, read more!”

I sigh and give her a small smile.

“Just one more, bug. Then it’s bed time. Now what are we reading?”

She gives me her normal sneaky smile before dropping her bombshell on me.

“Tell me how you and daddy met!”

I sigh and shake my head with a smile.

“Okay, okay fine.”

I lay down next to her, pulling her close as she snuggles up to me.

“So it was a little over 9 years ago. I was on something that you could call an adventure-.”

“Like Bluey mommy?”

I smile and nod.

“Yes, my love. Like Bluey. Anyways, I was on an adventure. I took a break from work and I decided to travel. I couldn’t pick where I wanted to go, so Papa booked me a flight for somewhere. A whole different country! My first day there, I visited this small coffee shop by my hotel and there’s where I met daddy. He was behind me in line and we ended up talking, and the rest, my sweet girl, is history.”

She giggles and cuddles up to me.

“And then you got married and then I was born? And then Jude?”

Before I can respond, Harry’s voice rings through the room.

“That’s right, lovie. And they’ve been the best years of my life.”

Harry’s leaning against the doorway, smiling with his arms folded. He walks over to the small bed and sits down at the edge of the bed.

“Daddy, were you happy?”

He smiles and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to her head before sitting back up.

“Very. Mummy is my best friend and I love her very much. And she gave me you and your brother. Our little family is all I’ve ever wanted and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Now how about we get some shut eye, little miss? You’ve got a big day tomorrow. You’re going to nana’s!”

She smiles and giggles, nodding before she shuts her eyes. I place a kiss to her cheek and she smiles before turning her back to me to face the wall. I get up from the bed and walk out of the room with Harry, quietly closing the door.

We walk upstairs and start our nighttime routine, smiling at each other as we enjoy the silence. We get into bed and I cuddle up to Harry, who pulls me in his arms. We lay there quietly for a minute until Harry speaks up.

“6 years, how crazy is that?”

I laugh and cuddle up to him.

“They’ve been good to us though. I love you more and more each day. And you know? I can’t wait to see what the next six years bring us.”

He lifts me up and lays me on top of him so I see his smiling face.

“I was thinking… How would you feel about trying for another?”

My eyes widen in shock.

“Baby? H, Jude isn’t even 2!”

“But he’s walking and by the time the baby is born, he will be! Lover, please!”

He pouts and gives me his puppy dog eyes. I sigh and peck his lips.

“Fine, fine. I give in.”

He smiles and pecks my lips.

“Did you have a good anniversary, Lover?”

I smile and nod.

“I did, I really did. It was perfect. Thank you, H.”

He nods before his eyes widen and he lifts me off of him, rushing out of bed and into the closet. He comes back a moment later with a medium sized box, wrapped in blue ribbon. My eyes widen and I frown.

“Harry! I thought we agreed no presents!”

He gives me a weak smile and hands me the box anyways.

“I know… but I couldn’t resist!”

I smile and reach into my nightstand, and pull out a small box before handing into him.

“Neither could I.”

He laughs and pecks my lips. We open our gifts at the same time, but I’m more anxious to see his reaction.

“A locket?”

“With me and the kids in it… I have an old coworker who designs them now so.. I designed one and he made it. That way, when you have to go and you get overwhelmed and can’t call… You’ll still have us.”

He tears up and puts it on before bending down to my level and pulling me into a kiss.

“I love it, Y/N. I really do.”

I smile and wipe his tears before pecking his lips again. He then grabs my present off the bed and hands it to me, gesturing me to open it. I sigh and open it slowly. Inside, is a finished brown box, seemingly to be a music box. I open into and tear up at the sound.

“It’s our song…”

He smiles and nudges his head to the box.

“Keep looking.”

I open it more and as a general music box has, there’s a figure inside dancing. But based on the immense detail, it looks like Harry and I on our wedding day. The box is littered with pictures of us with the kids and some with just us. I tear up and set the box down, pulling him into a hug.

He laughs and hugs me tight, pressing a kiss to the side of my head.

“It’s perfect…”

Harry smiles and opens the box, placing it on the bed before he lifts me up and pulls me into his arms.

“Dance with me.”

I laugh and nod, laying my head on his chest as he holds me and we slowly sway. After a few minutes, I readjust and wrap my arms around his neck, our foreheads resting against each other as he softly whispers to me.”

“Darling you’re my, my, my, Lover.”

———————————🩷————————————

Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought!!! If you liked this, please feel free to check out my masterlist!

Tag List:

@be-with-me-so-happily @swiftmendeshoran @babyiamperfectforyou @freedomfireflies @kaminokatie @harrysmimi @violetsandfluff @fruitmans @fruitmansrecs @harringtons-honey @rafaaoli @kimmi-kat @erggggggggg @cayleyhannha-blog @acesofspadess @that-mcu-fan @styles-barnes-bitch @purple9950 @justmystyles @itslottiehere @daydreaming-laur @atharryshouse

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butdaddyilovehim-hs · 1 year ago

Text

Stars Around My Scars: Part I

Summary: Y/N and Harry meet by chance on the street and Harry just so happens to be Y/N's longtime crush. Sparks fly between the two but there's just one problem... Harry has a girlfriend. Featuring our favourite 1D boys and soft Harry <3

Word Count: >1k (super short to set up the story) Warnings: none

Based off this ask

"Liam you forgot the candles!”

“They weren’t on the list Y/N.”

“But it’s a PARTY, of course we need candles?!” Y/N rolls her eyes at her roommate who sits unbothered on the couch, stuck in the latest round of whatever new game he had bought.

“They. Weren’t. On. The. List.”

“Ok. Fine.” Y/N sucks in a deep breath before grabbing her keys. “I’ll go get them. You’re lucky we still have time before the party tomorrow.”

Liam groans in response and Y/N rolls her eyes again before heading to the store. Party planning is not for the weak. She isn’t quite sure why she’s taken on such a large responsibility especially because it’s Niall’s 30th so she can’t mess it up. But he’s one of her best friends so obviously she had to throw him a party. And then her idea of a small gathering spiralled out of control and now it’s a surprise party with over 100 guests. It’s not like Liam and Louis have been much help because well… Liam would rather be doing anything else than helping her plan the decor and Louis can’t keep a secret to save his life so he doesn’t even know about the party. Y/N has over a million things to prepare before tomorrow and getting these candles was definitely not on her to do list for the day.

She rushes out of her car and into the party store, grabbing the first packet she sees, pays for them and rushes back out to her car. However in her rush, (and due to the fact that she was looking at her phone) she slams into someone. Hard. Said someone grunts softly at the impact before reaching out a hand to steady her.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going, I didn’t mean to- holy shit.”

“No worries love. You alright?” The man in front of her smiles, making sure she’s regained her footing before gently letting go of her.

“Oh I’m fine… it’s just. Well. You’re Harry Styles.” Y/N can hardly believe her eyes. Her first thought is that his eyes are even greener in person. Her second thought is that he’s even more attractive in person and that’s saying something because he was pretty damn good looking in his pictures. And in the posters Y/N used to have (still has) on her wall.

“That would be me. You look really familiar love. Have we met?” His voice is low and slightly raspy and it sends a flurry of butterflies to Y/N’s core.

“Um well no. But I’m Liam’s roommate so maybe you might have seen a picture of me on his instagram or something? It’s really lovely to meet you. You’re… taller than I imagined.” Y/N wants to die. It’s like she’s forgotten how words work all of a sudden because her childhood crush is standing right in front of her and he’s smiling at her like that and Y/N doesn’t really remember how to breathe either.

“You’ve imagined?” He sends a smirk her way and Y/N’s knees almost give out.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” She blushes and Harry chuckles at how flustered she is.

“Well anyway, it’s nice to properly meet you… I’m so sorry love, I don’t remember your name.” He winces as if it’s something he should have committed to memory.

“Oh. It’s Y/N.”

“Y/N! That’s right. Pretty name.” He tests it on his tongue and she shivers slightly. Y/N decides she only wants Harry to say her name from now on. It certainly sounds pretty coming off his lips.

“The boys mentioned you were living in LA? What brings you to London? Just visiting or…?”

“I’ve moved back actually. I bought a new place and my uh girlfriend and I just moved in a few days ago.” He runs a hand through his hair and Y/N can’t place the slightly sheepish expression on his face. Girlfriend. Of course he has a girlfriend. He’s Harry fucking Styles. She’s probably a model, Y/N thinks to herself. Blonde, skinny, legs for days.

“Oh that’s… wow. I’m sure the guys will be thrilled to catch up with you. I’ll have to let them know I saw you.” Y/N offers him a weak smile. She isn’t exactly sure what she was hoping for. For him to fall in love with her on the street and whisk her off to his apartment to have his way with her? Actually that’s exactly what she was hoping for.

“I’m throwing Niall a surprise birthday party.” She blurts out, filling the silence.

“Oh really? It’s his 30th yeah?”

“Yeah it is. You should come. If you like. No pressure. You could bring your girlfriend?”

“Sure we’d love to. It’ll be nice to see the guys again.” Harry perks up at the invitation.

“I’ll get your number off Liam and text you the details if that’s ok?”

“Nah, I’ll give it to you now. I’ll surprise all of them by showing up.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket. He rattles off his number and Y/N quickly enters it into her phone before sending him a text so he has her number too. They say their goodbyes and Y/N finally makes it to her car, sitting in silence in slight disbelief as to what just happened. She’s staring, slightly dazed out of the window when her phone buzzes.

(1:05pm) Harry: Send me the details! Lovely to meet you :)

Harry Styles is texting her. 15 year old Y/N would have passed out by now and current Y/N isn’t really sure she’s got function in her limbs.

A/N: This is something just to tide you guys over until I can get part 2 of obsession out!! My laptop died on me so it's taking me a bit longer I'm afraid. BUT I adore you all for loving that series so much, and I hope you enjoy the start of this 😘

If I haven't added you to my tag list because I've missed your message or forgotten, please message me or comment! Reblogs and feedback are always appreciated xo

Tags:

@lukesaprince @harryspirate @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @lilyrmason12 @styleslover-1994 @stylesfever @kathb59 @indierockgirrl @bxbyysstuff @gills-lounge @lomlhstyles @opheliaofficial07 @stylesmoonlight12 @babyiamperfectforyou @velvetballaspark @harrys-flower @macy-tpwk @mema10 @jerseygirlinca @daphnesutton @rafaaoli @allthelovehes @lovrave @tenaciousperfectionunknown @namelesssav @hsonlyangelxo @smartcookee @laurenstears

#harry styles #hslot #harrystyles #love on tour #harry styles au #harry styles fics #harry styles fic #harry styles x fem!reader #harry styles ceo #harry styles fan fics #harry styles smut #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fluff #one direction #niall horan #liam payne

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dailytraingirl · 12 days ago

Text

btw i made a post sometime here about being in a restaurant or something and hearing teenage dream and thinking of larry stylinson because of that one video of them singing it

anyway like two days ago i went BACK to that restaurant and they played just the way you are AND viva la vida

it actually made me feel like i was going insane

#ask me anything #one direction #1 direction #1d #liam payne #MY HEART HAS BEEN ACTUALLY RIPPED OUT #rest in peace liam #zayn malik #niall horan #harry styles #louis tomlinson #larry stylinson #also ive begun to read the most popular larry fics #so far i have read walk that mile and young and beautiful #and like inbetween nights where i can read them i have to go to school and stuff #but now i feel like im in a constant state of death #idk how this happens 😭 these make me feel insane and rip me apart #anyway i loved walk that mile and i loved y&b #i just wish they were longer 😔#just the way you are #teenage dream #viva la vida #coldplay #katy perry #bruno mars #i would actually sell my life or my right arm to go back and be able to experience being a 1d fan during like 2010-2013 #i would give anything #i want to see it happen in real time instead of watching videos knowing it all happened one million years ago practically a different plane #then again its given me this weird sense of time #like if i didnt know better i could almost trick myself into thinking that thats them now

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hsdiaries · 5 months ago

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‘til forever

chapter four - 9k words

masterlist

LAST MONTH

The rugby game rang through the apartment walls as I sat on my couch working through my third glass of Guinness; my head buzz strong. Mitch, Pauli and Chase had all gone out for drinks, but I wanted nothing more than to just relax at home. The game was almost over, and sleep was creeping over my body when I heard a knock from my door.

My brows furrowed at the sound, turning to look over my shoulder. I wasn't expecting anyone tonight, it was much too late for a food delivery service. Lowering the volume on the tv, I wondered if maybe the knock was meant for the neighbor until it came again on my door. Placing the beer down on the small side table, I pushed off the couch and walked over, peering into the peephole. There stood Bentley, mascara clear down her cheeks, her hair in a messy bun.

I quickly unlocked the door, prying it open taking in my beautiful mess, "Benny baby, what's wrong. Come 'ere." I pulled her gently towards me, closing the door behind her, "What are you doing here so late, love?"

She sniffled, swallowing back tears, "I drank too much at home, and I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to be here…with you."

Her words drove electricity throughout my body, my head nodding, unable to form words as her hands came up to my face, holding it, caressing it softly, "You're too good to me, you know that?"

"No, sweet Benny, I'm only the right amount of good to ya. The good you deserve," I cooed, trying to soothe her pain. She nodded softly, taking me in, inhaling deeply as she leaned in and kissed me hard. Kissed me feverishly. My hands moved to instantly grasp onto her, pulling her close as my lips kissed hers back.

My mind clicked into protective mode, reminding me she was drunk, I wasn't far behind, "Fuck," I breathed out as I pushed away from her, biting my lip and shaking my head, "Benny baby, your drunk. I'm intoxicated. We ca—…”

“…—we can. I'm not…I came here. I wanted to be here, with you. God, please Niall, I just don't want to think, please, I want to just be here with you," she begged so desperately I gave into all of my senses. My lips crashing back into her, hands tapping the backs of her thighs, instructing her to jump into my hold.

She did, wrapping her legs around me, hips pushing into mine, driving blood straight to my prick. I no longer had the self control I needed to stop this, and I didn't care. I moved us quickly into the bedroom, it was like the dream bubble could burst at any given second and I didn't want it to.

I sat down on my bed, her legs bent on either side of me, gripping onto my sides with her thighs. Her weight felt so good pushing down on my hardened cock, her moans letting me know she was feeling the same. She rocked her hips on me, my hands moving to grip onto her hips, helping with her movements.

"Mmm, so good f'me, feels so good, Ben," I whimpered against her lips, her head nodding.

"Bet it's even better with no clothes on," she giggled onto my lips, the most pure giggle driving heat through my body. God, this couldn't be real. I would wake up tomorrow and it would be a dirty wet dream.

"Smart mind, Benny, smart mind," I said, biting her lower lip softly before standing up and laying her down on the bed. I broke our kiss to strip myself free of my clothes, leaving just my briefs, my cock tight in them. My hands grabbed at the band of her leggings, fingers slipping under them and her underwear peeling them off her legs.

My breath left me as I watched her spread her legs on my bed, her folds glistening in her arousal. Arousal that was there for me, and just me.

"Fuck me, Bentley Rose, you're such a lovely sight," I said, hooking my arms under her thighs and bringing her to the edge of the bed as I lowered down onto my knees in front of her. My lips kissed and sucked on her soft inner thighs, traveling to her wet middle, open mouthed kisses pressing into her clit, down her slit, on her entrance.

I let my tongue travel inside her, pulsing in and out of her as she squirmed under me, legs struggling to stay open as I slipped it out, running it up to her clit, circling with the tip of it.

"Oh dear god, Niall, fu-uck," she breathed out as I continued to eat her out like she was the last meal I would ever have. I pulled away to breathe, my two fingers slipping inside her, curling to her spongey g spot, earning me the sexiest shudder from her, moans spilling out for me.

"You're so wet for me, Benny baby, so needy," I groaned, my other hand reaching under her cropped tee, pulling down at her bra, exposing her beautiful tits, feeling for her nipples and letting my fingers wrap around them, tugging at them.

"Niall, please, god please I want to feel you," she moaned, her eyes burning into my soul, panting as my fingers moved faster in her, her walls pulsing around them, her arousal dripping down my fingers.

"You will baby, come f'me first okay? Let me get you warmed up for me, okay?" I hummed, lowering myself back to her clit, my tongue flicking against it, fingers moving at a steady pace inside her. Her thighs began to squeeze against my head, suffocating me in a place I would gladly go in.

"Fuck, please, please, oh god Niall, yes," her back arched against me, my hand moving off her tit to push her legs apart, as she began coming, her arousal coating my mouth and chin completely. I enjoyed every bit of her taste, lapping up every bit of it helping her ride out her high.

Slipping my fingers out of her, I traced them up her body, pushing her shirt up with them until they landed on her bottom lip, letting them slip into her mouth, her tongue welcoming them willingly. She was a fucking seductive dream, a dream that had your heart completely without even knowing how much you needed it.

"Take off your shirt, Ben," I demanded, moving quickly to find a damn condom, something I didn't think I would need anytime soon. Especially not with her. Walking back over, she laid, resting back on her elbows, her beautiful tits on full display for me, "Fucking hell you're so beautiful."

Placing one knee on the bed, I began to open up the condom wrapper as she sat up further, her delicate hands wrapping around my length, making my head fall back, a groan vibrating in my throat before it managed to escape.

"I want you to feel so good, Niall. I wanna be good for you too," she said, blissed out eyes meeting mine as I brought my head back straight. I moved her hands, nodding, slipping the condom on my cock.

"Oh you are more than good to me, I promise," I breathed, crawling on top of her, pressing my lips to hers. I wanted to engrave the memory of them forever in my mind, just in case I never found myself here with her again. Lining the tip of my cock up with her entrance, I rubbed against her opening, teasing her clit. She was still sensitive, her soft whimpers letting me know it was the case. I let my arms wrap around her as I slipped in, just the tip moving in and out of her tight cunt, walls needing little adjusting after making her come before.

She moved her lips to kiss along my face, my jawline and neck, moaning soft each time I pushed further in until I completely bottomed out, her teeth across my skin, "God" the only word she breathed out. Thousands of dirty things and positions came to my mind, ways I wanted to bend and pull her body, fuck her so good she blissed out to another universe.

But everything was slow with her, everything moved in a way where I thought I would never be closer to her. Her chocolate brown eyes peeked up at me, arms wrapping around my body pulling me closer to her. Our hips moved towards each other in sync, moving away with trembling movements only to be met again in bliss. I wasn't going to last long, not like this, not when the woman I was desperately and foolishly falling in love with was this close to me.

I moved my hands to either side of her head, using them to stabilize me over her, thrusting harder into her, "God you feel so good, Ben. A bloody dream, love."

Her nails dug into my skin, her walls flutter around me making every bit of me cover in chills. I felt her squeeze me deeper into her, her warmth intensifying my need for a release. Knots forming along my stomach and lower back, tightening with pleasure I couldn't even imagine.

"Niall, please don't stop, I'm so-so close," she strutted, her eyes searching mine for her release. My left hand moved down between us, my fingers moving on her clit, rolling quickly on it to help her get there as I was barely hanging on.

"Yes, please, oh, Niall, fu-uck. I'm…” I felt her legs clench around me, her arousal dripping down between us as she came. My climax quickly followed, warm ribbons shooting into the condom. Our bodies shifted closer to each other, clinging on as we came down from the high we just brought for each other.

My lips tumbled over her face, pressing into her cheeks and nose. Tracing over her lips. She smiled into the kiss, pecking soft kisses until I couldn't help but chuckle. She inhaled through her nose, letting out a soft breath, my body shifting to pull out of her, both of us groaning at the sensation.

I rolled over on the bed next to her, slipping the condom off, tying it and lazily searching for the packaging until I found it, stuffing the used condom in. I turned to her, pulling her into me, "I'll clean you up right now, I promise, just, five more minutes."

"Mm, I'll give you ten," she said softly, her face nuzzled into my chest, her fingers tugging softly on my chest hairs.

"Make it twenty," I kept playing at it.

"Shut up, Niall Horan. Just shh," she kissed my chest, her breath slowing as we laid quietly. We never moved from this spot, we never cleaned up.

And I didn't care. I didn't care at all.

Saturday came by quicker than I hoped, and every part of me was crawling in anxiety. Everything Niall had done to prep me for tonight seemed so small now, my heart constantly feeling like it was sliding up into my throat to kill me. Inhaling deeply, I looked in my closet mirror, taking myself in. I untucked my shirt, immediately hating how that looked and tying up the end into a knot to crop it - which I only hated even more.

Pulling out the knot I groaned, turning and falling onto my bed, completely frustrated and nervous, "I'm not going. I refuse."

The bed dipped, a strong smell of cigarettes and vanilla quickly calming my nerves, "Yes you are honey bee."

I turned my head in the direction of Louis' voice, inhaling deeply, "You didn't knock."

"I was gentle," he smirked, making me chuckle.

"You were. Lou, what if they hate me? What if they don't want anything to do with me anymore?" I squeezed my eyes close, turning my face back into the bed.

I felt his finger softly run through my hair, massaging my neck gently, just like how he always used to soothe me, "Bentley, they have been begging for you to make an appearance. They miss having you around, want to just make sure you're okay."

"I feel like my stomach is going to explode from the amount of knots I have right now. Niall will be here soon, my outfit isn't working, I haven't done my makeup, I have half my extensions in…”I rolled on my back covering my face.

"Bee, you used to wake up late for work more times than anyone I know and somehow still made it on time. If anyone can get their shit together, it's you. Now get up, and get ready. The outfit looked better with the shirt tucked. So see, I solved that, now get, go go," he said, tickling my sides causing me to squeal and quickly shoot up.

"Okay! Okay! I'm going," I laughed through my breaths, shaking my head at him. Tucking in my shirt as I made my way over to my vanity, I sat on my big white chair, starting to work through the rest of my hair. Louis and I didn't say much to each other the entire time I got ready, just soft glances exchanged through the mirror. Made me wonder multiple times if I was going crazy, if he really was there, but every time I looked over my shoulder, there he was.

Fifteen minutes later, a knock came from the front door, Niall arriving just in time as always. I didn't even get a chance to say bye to Louis, when I turned, he was just gone. It made my chest clench just a little, reminding me of the times we would race to the door, see who got there first. Loser having to tell Niall a bluff, get him riled up for no reason other than to just tease him. Another knock followed by the doorbell quickly followed and I sighed out, patting my thighs before getting up and heading to the living room. I quickly opened the door, and there stood Niall, a fluffy light blue cardigan, plain white tee and his favorite khaki pants on. He looked freshly shaven, but the usual stubborn facial hair around his chin. I couldn't help but smile at him instantly, his warmness radiating off his skin, embracing me with no touch.

"You look good, Ben," he blushed slightly, messing up his hair slightly.

I bit my lip, shaking my head, eyes drifting down to my feet, "Thanks, Niall. I'm nervous as hell. You might have to carry me out of here."

He moved through the threshold, lifting my chin gently, "Nope. I'll hold your hand and we will walk out together. You'll be fine, because you are strong and ready.

Swallowing, I nodded a bit, turning to find my combat boots to slip on, "Do we need change for the machines? I haven't been to that bar in a while, I can't remember."

"I'll get some there. Don't worry about that. Did you want to grab a bite before we head over? Just in case you're too nervous to eat?" He offered as I slipped on my boots, lacing them up and moving to find my purse and keys.

"Nope. If I really am strong and ready, I have to go through the whole thing. Plus, chewing is a great excuse for not being able to talk. Mouth full and speaking? So rude, I could never," I shrugged playfully, slipping my bag on my shoulder. Niall gave me a soft eye roll, making me laugh as we made our way out the door. I locked up and soon we were on our way.

The bar wasn't too far from my house, so we chose to walk there - which also helped calm my nerves. Niall held my hand the entire time, his thumb gently caressing the back of my hand. I watched him do it, trusting him to guide us around people, my mind hanging onto the idea of him. What if he was the one Louis was here to bring me closer too?

What if in some twisted way, my mom was even right? All this happened, because I was destined to be with Niall. I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head, bringing my attention back in front of me. I could feel Niall's gaze on me, a soft squeeze from his hand made me turn to look at him again.

"You okay, Ben?" He said softly, his bright blue eyes something I could get lost in if I let myself.

"Yeah, just, crazy I really have avoided this for so long. Like, I forgot how much I loved bear hugs from Mitch, and Pauli, how they can make me laugh with their zingy one liners. And then Chase, well he's Chase," I shrugged making us both burst into laughter.

"You know, I think Lou was the only one that would tame Chase with just one single look. Just daggers straight at him, and Chase would fix himself instantly!" Niall said, pretending to draw lines from his eyes to me.

"That's just because he always thinks with his penis! His dick dicktates his life choices," I laughed, Niall pulling me into him as he laughed. I wrapped my arms around him as we walked.

"Did I tell you he tried to hit on Marlee?" he said, as I pushed away a little bit, eyes wide.

"He had just met her!"

He nodded, "I know, but thankfully she can really hold her own. It didn't even phase her. She walked away like nothing, you should have seen his face."

I rolled my eyes, "Typical. I just hope he doesn't try with me again. I might just kick him in the nads."

"Just give me a head up, let me record that please."

The rest of the walk was spent in small conversation and before I knew it, we were at the bar entrance, the pings of gaming machines and laughter of other patrons spilling out the door. I swallowed, running my tongue along my cheek, "Well, time to get this over with."

Niall kissed the top of my head, whispering against it, "You got this. They are your friends, I'm here, and I betcha Louis is right by your side supporting you."

I froze a bit, my own secret making my blood run cold for a moment. Looking over to the side nobody stood at, I wondered if Louis was around. I knew he said he wouldn't be nosy, or interfere, but I couldn't help but wonder. Gathering myself, I looked up at Niall, nodding before we made our way inside.

We pushed through people, Niall interlocking his fingers in mine, leading the way. We moved to the set of booths in the back, my heart beating so loud I soon heard it in my ears, taking out the sound of everything else. I saw my friends over Niall's shoulder, I heard their muted yells of his name. Everything was moving slow until I felt Mitch wrapping his arms around me, lifting me up in the air and spinning me around.

"B. Rose! Oh my gosh I fucking missed you," I heard him say as I came too, realizing I was laughing as he put me down, arms instantly wrapped tight around him.

"Mitchy boy, oh god you still smell the same," I heard myself say, but there wasn't any judgment from Mitch, just another embrace.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the ninth wonder of the world, Bentley Rose," Pauli shouted behind us, tackling Mitch and I, hugging me from behind.

"Pauli, oh, I'm turning to pure mush," I said, my eyes watering slightly. I looked at them both, wondering why Chase hadn't approached yet. "Hey douche? Are you too good for me or something?"

"For you baby, I'm perfectly made." I heard Chase say, appearing in my vision and kissing my nose making me go cross-eyed and teasing him, my tongue sticking out.

"Glad to see you're still disgusting as ever," I said, breaking free from Mitch and Pauli, hugging Chase.

Pushing back I took in all three of my boys, feeling Niall's hands on both of my shoulders, massaging them gently. I leaned back into him, his arms wrapping around my neck as my head rested on his shoulder.

"You can't disappear again, B. Look, we get it, okay? And we aren't going to discuss it tonight, but just know we get it. Our ears have the same functionality as Niallers. Well, expect Chase. His for some reason hear "fuck me" in between each common phrase, but Pauli and I, we got you," Mitch said so sincerely, Chase shooting him a glare that made us all burst into laughter.

"I know. And…I won't disappear. I just…I can't promise consistency right now. Maybe I'll think different by the end of the night, but right now, that's all I can give. Right now, all I can handle is…meeting your new girl and this Harry guy Niall keeps talking about. That's all I can handle right now."

My best friends looked at each other then back at me and nodded. Pauli reached for my hands, pulling me out of Niall's hold and towards them, "And that's all you'll have to worry about tonight. Sarah, is lovely, and Harry is a shy one, but he fits right in. Marlee too, she’s Harry—…”

“…—best friend. Yeah I met her while I was at the mall with Niall. She was sweet, which makes it a bit easier. Already got that greeting out of the way, you know?" I shrugged, Pauli nodding.

"Why don't you let me get you a beer, you all go make sure our booth doesn't get stolen. Mitch just got off the phone with Sarah, she met up with Harry and Marlee, so they should be here shortly," Pauli said, squeezing my hand before turning on their heels and heading towards the bar.

Chase and Mitch moved to the booth they were previously sitting at, Niall pulling me back against him. I felt his breath on my neck, a soft whisper, "See, I told ya, easy."

I turned my body around, locking eyes with him, a big smile on my face. Niall was the best part of me these past months, shining even brighter tonight. I reached my hand up, placing it gently on his left cheek.

"Thank you, Niall. Really. I don't know how I'll ever fully thank you for how you've built me up these past months. I'm here because of you. And I know they all think they have ears as good as yours, but it's just cause they haven't gotten an up close look at these babies," I giggled, tugging softly on his left earlobe.

"No one has ears as cute as these, there is no comparison," I teased slightly, earning me a blush from him that made my heart warm in ways I had never experienced before. It was like my mother and Louis tagged teamed to invade my mind and ran a streamline of heat and nerves straight to my heart and gut. Like all of a sudden, Niall was a different version of himself that my brain used to refuse to accept.

Someone I could have feelings for.

"Can you two stop being weird and come sit down at the booth? You know people like to take over if they see the space!" Chase called out, breaking me from the moment I was having. Niall chuckled, gently placing his hand on my lower back and leading me to the booth. We slipped opposite of Chase and Mitch, my hand reaching out to squeeze Mitch's arm.

"So tell me about your new girl! Niall said her name is Sarah. What's she like?" I smiled, Mitch suddenly shy, an emotion I didn't think was possible from him. I watched as his eyes glanced around, suddenly brightening up.

"What if I just show you instead," he said, pointing with his chin. Bringing my gaze over to where he directed me, I caught a glimpse of Marlee, and next to her was a tall slender woman, hair in a ponytail, bangs framing her eyes. She was dressed in high waisted pants and a cute crop, funky earrings on both her earlobes. She was exactly the type of girl I always pictured Mitch to be with. I watched her and Marlee interact, a clear friendship already starting there that made my stomach ache in nerves and jealousy. I hated making friends with girls, it was so hard for me, and the idea they were already getting along so well made me nervous at trying to fit in.

Yet soon my own anxious thoughts were put to an end, when behind the girls, there he was. Walking in with the same long hair and eyes that still played both blue and green to me. I felt my body stiffen slightly as the three of them walked in our direction, my eyes quickly shifting down.

"Holy shit," I breathed out, Niall instantly glancing at me.

"What's wrong, Ben?" He whispered, my eyes glancing to him.

"That's the guy. The chocolate croissant guy. From Posh," I bit my lip, sinking slightly in my seat as they got closer to us.

"Harry? Harry's the cute meet?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Meet cute, Niall - and yes. That's him."

"Hey everyone!" I heard Marlee call out, her voice I learned was always going to be so distinct, "Oh my gosh, Bentley, you look great!"

My eyes shot up in shock that she was addressing me so directly, but at the quick glimpse of her warm smile, I felt slight relief. I smiled, Chase interrupting me before I could speak.

"Wait, you know B?" His face was so flustered, causing me to chuckle a bit.

"I bumped into her and Niall at the mall. Harry almost did too, but he left literally right before I turned the corner and bumped into them," she explained at Chase, like it was no big deal.

"And it turns out Harry and Bentley have also met too," Niall started, my head quickly whipping in his direction. With eyes wide, I tried to communicate with him to hush, but as always, he ignored me.

"We have?" I heard the British accent, as he fully stepped into the small circle they had formed around the booth. Our eyes locked, they were definitely green, a soft smile forming on his lips, "Oh, croissant girl."

A laugh escaped my lips, nodding a bit, "I prefer matcha girl, but that works too."

I watched as he turned to Marlee, "It's no drama girl."

"Oh, wait…really?" She said, and for some reason, her demeanor seemed to change. She glanced over at me, then back at Harry.

"I feel like I'm missing something here?" Sarah said, narrowing her eyes at Mitch.

"We ran into each other, at the little market cafe place under where I live. We both were craving a chocolate croissant apparently," Harry smirked, running his ring clad fingers through his hair.

"Wait…at Posh?" Mitch said, raising an eyebrow as Pauli approached with three beers.

"Who went to Posh?" Pauli asked, placing the beers down on the table, sliding one to me.

"Uh, I did," I said, suddenly feeling uneasy as all my friends turned to look at me. It was like they were all asking so many questions with their eyes, shocked expressions trying to remain hidden on their faces.

"And then she met Harry, seems like the world meant it for all of us to be friends. That seems like a pretty swell deal if you ask me. But if you also ask me, I'll tell you I'm starvin'," Niall quickly interjected, saving me as always.

I knew the shock they felt knowing I had gone into Posh, none of us went in there since Louis. We all avoided it at all cost, each with our own trauma with that place. Harry seemed to catch on to the sudden shift in mood, playing along with Niall's remarks.

"I'm starved too, I'm sure you know Niall. Girl best friends and getting ready, dreadful waiting times," he pushed his shoulder into Marlee's arm, earning him a glare.

"Right, because someone doesn't spend hours on their hair," she said with a head tilt, Harry narrowing his eyes.

I chuckled, looking over at Niall, "Sounds like someone I know, with less hair for that matter."

"Listen, these gorgeous Irish locks need moisture, conditioning and shine, okay?" Niall said, making Mitch snicker.

We all started laughing, the tension fully melting away. Mitch kicked me softly under the table, winking at me, "Alright, let's start with wings for the table? Mixed flavors, ranch and blue cheese?"

"As long as we get fries and onion rings, I'm golden," Pauli smiled, making room for everyone to slide into the booth. Everyone had settled into their place, Mitch ordering food for the table. Harry had somehow ended up straight across from me, both of us at the ends, his long legs extending and touching the bottoms of my boots. I ignored that I was aware of this, turning to Niall glaring at him softly.

He chuckled and leaned in, whispering, "I figured if I broke the ice for ya, you wouldn't have an excuse to play dumb and make things awkward for yourself."

"You're so considerate," I rolled my eyes, turning to my beer before taking a long chug. It tasted like pumpkin, a surprise for this time of the year.

"Pauli? How? Tastes like pumpkin Sam Adams" I said, leaning forward to catch their eye.

"We found a fake, they make it year round and got Lance to set up a draft. I knew you would enjoy it," he held up his glass to which I reached over and cheered, sipping more of it.

"But does it actually taste like pumpkin?" Harry asked, my eyes drifting to him.

I licked lips nodding, "It does surprisingly, here give it a go."

Reaching across the table he took the beer from me as I handed it to him, our eyes locked on each other's as he took a sip. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth after swallowing, nodding, "That's pretty spectacular. It's like a bitter pumpkin, not sweet and overpowering."

"I feel like pumpkin is a chosen taste," Marlee added, scrunching her nose a bit to show her distaste.

"Oh, I agree. I love it in muffins and even a good tea, but a latte? I can't get away from it quickly enough," I chuckled a bit, taking my beer back from Harry as he smiled at me.

"I can get on board with that statement," He said, wiping his lips with his thumb.

"You've never even had a pumpkin muffin," Marlee said, eyes narrowed the tiniest bit.

"I can just imagine they aren't as sweet as a latte. I've tried a pumpkin chai with you, your favorite but they are so nasty to me. Too sweet," he stuck his tongue out at her, his statement making her previous reactions slightly confusing to me.

"Mmm, yeah, guess so," she said quickly, turning to Sarah and Mitch's conversation. Harry and I glanced at each other, a small shrug from him, which I returned.

We didn't interact much the rest of dinner, Harry clearly noticing something off with Marlee's statement and Chase keeping me busy with his rollercoaster love life - that always ended with him being alone.

The wings came and we all dug in, plates being passed around the booth. Without anyone bringing too much attention to it, I learned my friends kept our tradition of cheersing our wings before we ate them - something Louis had started.

"For Louis."

It rang over the table, echoed by the rest of us as we tapped our wings before taking our first bites. I sat in silence for the rest of it. My eyes danced across all my friends, old and new. I watched the different ways everyone ate their wings, something Louis and I used to go into great discussion about. I bit my lip, looking down at my own, watching myself rip off the chicken from the wing and popping it in my mouth.

"Still eating them like a bird," I heard Louis start, his presence soon near me, his smell. I started to turn towards him, his voice quickly stopping me, "No, just keep eating, I just wanted to tell you I'm proud of you, bumble bee. You're doing a good job and yes, Marlee is off, but you'll be friends. You'll see."

I felt his lips press a kiss onto the top of my head and soon, he was gone. I glanced over quickly to where I thought he would be, but of course, like in reality, he was gone.

—

"I'm going to the bathroom, will you be fine?" Niall asked, his eyes gently searching mine. We had all finished up dinner, deciding to start playing some games, each of us breaking apart into small little groups. I had been out of it since Louis popped up, Niall obviously noticing and making sure the both of us could escape for a bit.

"Yeah. I'm going to just play the coin game, get us some tickets," I smiled, pointing at it with my head. I had always loved that game, Louis and I had it down to a perfect played out routine. We knew exactly what slot to drop the token in to get the quarters to drop right where we wanted them. We always left with the biggest prizes because of it.

Niall chucked, nodding, "Alright, I'll come find you."

I nodded, watching him walk away before making my way over to the machine. Reaching into my crossbody, I pulled out the last couple of tokens I had stored away specifically for this game, swiping the point card to keep track of my tickets. Analyzing the current set up, I eyed what areas the coins were about to fall and what areas had the least. I decided to go with the obvious first, moving the slider and dropping the token in so it hit at the bottom right. The machine kept shoveling the mixture of quarters and token forward until it knocked down a couple just like I had hoped. I stuck my tongue in my cheek to hide my excitement, feeling slightly embarrassed at how happy it made me.

"You know, I always wondered why people willingly played this game," I heard a voice I now instantly knew was Harry's say. My head turned over my shoulder, seeing him standing there, a jean jacket on his body covered in different pins, hands behind his back as his right foot seemed to draw a pattern on the floor.

Chuckling, I shrugged, looking back at the game in front of me, "Um, I think some people just like the little bits of logic hidden behind it. The chance of it. It's kinda like life if you think about it. We add layers to things, both good and bad, and the end result is those layers eventually getting knocked down to reveal something wonderful or completely tragic."

I heard as his footsteps lead him to my side, his vanilla musk was so strong, making my insides flip from how easily I felt drawn to it. It was like half of Louis, minus the cigarette scent. "That's an interesting way of viewing it, and I guess like life, you get to choose the obvious or build upon the one that doesn't look like it has enough layers yet."

"Mhm, exactly like that," I said, dropping another token in, this time no quarters falling to give me tickets. I pulled out another, turning to him and holding it out in his direction, "Wanna give it a go?"

He looked at it hesitantly, before taking it and turning to the game. His free hand moved up to his lower lip, pinching it between his fingers as he seemed to analyze what his move would be. His brows moved his face into a serious glare, almost making him look angry, and I couldn't help but chuckle softly. His evergreen eyes shifted over to me, face softened instantly as a crescent of his dimple appeared in his cheek.

"You seem to really know what you're doing, I can't embarrass myself on the first try," he licked his lip and I shook my head.

"No move is wrong or right, remember, like life. It's just, a little bump in the road or another move forward," smiling at each other, he nodded in response, lining up where he wanted the quarter to drop, slipping the token in. We watched it drop to the bottom, from the tiny cheer gesture of his hand I knew it landed exactly where he wanted. I was taken by surprise when it knocked down a giant section of the quarter wall, all from landing in the perfect middle spot.

"See! I told you! You nailed it on the first try! I'll remember to give you your fair part of the ticket prize," I smiled, as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a token of his own and making another move, that wasn't as fruitful, but could be after a few more were dropped in.

"Mmm, you can keep it. Marlee and I know how to rig the skee ball machine to win extra tickets, so, we always end up with more than we actually need," he smirked a bit at me, my eyebrow raised, genuinely intrigued.

"What do you mean by rig it?" I said, leaning on the machine and crossing my arms in front of my chest. He looked over in the direction of the skee ball and then back to me. Biting his lip, he reached for my arm, pulling them apart and sliding his hand gently into mine. Our fingers didn't interlock, but he cupped it securely pulling me forward as he started walking toward the game.

"Come on, I'll show you," he said, leading us through the crowds of people. We made it to the machines, hanging back until the one closest to the basketball game was free. He moved quickly to it, pulling me along, the whole time holding my hand. He finally let go, loading in tokens to get it going, swiping his card to keep track of the tickets. As soon as the balls dropped, he pushed his hair back, looking around before reaching to the side of the machine. He fiddled with something for a couple seconds, tongue between his teeth, before he finally accomplished what he wanted, smirking as he stood up and grabbed a ball. He handed it to me, gesturing with his hand for me to throw it.

Narrowing my eyes, I took the ball from him, turning to the game and rolling it up the ramp. The ball jumped up, only making it to the lowest possible point ranking, but on the screen, it reflected as if I made it to the highest. My eyes quickly widened, my head quickly turning to him.

"How did that happen?" I said pointing to it, a chuckle coming from him as he grabbed another ball and rolled it up himself, the ball bouncing up to the middle, but once again increasing by the highest points.

"Magic," he shrugged, my eyes not leaving their narrowed state, "I bet you're the kind that looks at the prizes before you start playing so you know exactly how many tickets to get."

"Maybe," I said, pressing my lips together so tight to stop myself from smiling.

"Maybe?" He tilted his head forward, chuckling.

"And what if I did? And what if I know I need at least 3,000 tickets to get the giant stuffed bee with the cute little wings?" I said, reaching down and grabbing another ball, rolling it up and actually getting the highest this time.

"I say I can get you two," he said, adding more coins to the game, at least three more games worth.

"Bet?" I said playfully, surprised at my willingness to go along with it. He grabbed the two remaining balls, handing me one and keeping the other.

"Oh, bet indeed," he winked before turning and rolling the ball. I followed his lead and soon it became like a giant speed round, each of us taking turns throwing the ball up the ramp. We would laugh as our balls sometimes collided as we threw them at the same time, fighting for the balls as they rolled down to replenish us as the games kept going on.

It was down to the last ball of the last game, both of us fighting over who we get to do the honors, snatching it out of each other's hands, his fingers soon tickling at my waist to try and get it away from me, lifting me up slightly as my feet kicked the air in retaliation. Our laughter was the only thing I could hear until it was quieted down by Niall's concerned voice, anger seemed to be laced through it.

"Bentley! I've been looking damn near everywhere for you. I was starting to get worried," his eyebrows were furrowed, deep lines between them forming. Harry quickly placed me down on the floor, my body straightened up, turning to hand Harry the ball. I inhaled deeply, clearing my throat, I felt embarrassed, slightly ashamed. I hadn't told Niall what I was doing, I hadn't even thought about him. I didn't even know how to address the situation, for some reason I just froze.

It was like everything came flooding back to me, Louis was dead, his ghost was hanging out at my house, Niall was my best friend, who also was obviously in love with me, who I didn't know what my clear feelings for him were; and I had left him hanging for the guy with the long hair that for once just made me - forget.

I swallowed looking back at Harry, then back to Niall, but before I could even speak, Harry did, "Sorry mate, my fault. I dragged her over here, didn't really give her a choice. Uh, um actually, you should throw her the winning roll! With the tickets you two got and the ones we just earned she's going to be able to get two of those stuffed bees she was eyeing."

"Oh. Interesting. Bet you're happy," he said, almost condescending in its tone. He walked over and took the ball from Harry, throwing the ball into its roll up, it landed at the highest scoring slot. He turned back with a smirk on his face, a snicker coming from me, my hand quickly coming to cover my mouth.

Harry's face moved into something resembling a frog only making me burst into a fit of laughter, he quickly joined me leaving Niall clearly more confused, "Did I miss something?" He said looking between the two of us.

"I just lost a bet mate, I was supposed to get the highest score of the night, but you did, and seeing as you are basically an extension of Bentley here, she wins and I lose," he shrugged, pulling out a random bill from his pocket and handing it to me. I tried to maintain my composure, taking the bill from him and slipping it in my back pocket.

"Well, I'm going to go see how many tickets we actually have, um, Bentley, you coming?" He said, almost hopeful, but I knew the right answer right now.

"Here," I reached in my purse, pulling out my points card, and handing it to him, "I'll catch up in a bit."

He smiled small, nodding his head like he understood before turning on his heels and walking away. I bit my lip turning to Niall, his arms were crossed in front of his body, his gaze somewhere away from us.

"Nialler, I'm sorry. I should have let you know where I went. I'm really sorry," I said softly, trying to uncross his arms.

I watched as he pinched his eyes tightly closed inhaling deeply, before lowering his gaze to me. My own met his with big round eyes, eyes I knew would break him instantly, and as he let out the breath he was holding I knew I was right.

"I'm just crazy," he sighed out, my hands reaching up for his face.

"Just over protective that's all, not crazy," I smiled and he nodded.

"So you're getting your bee? A bee for a Benny bee?" He teased slightly, making me chuckle.

I pressed my lips together nodding, "Yes, like a five year old, I am getting the stuffed bumble bee. And I will sleep with it nightly."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. So, you and Harry really are hitting it off huh?" He said, fiddling with his single ring.

"He's easy to talk to, but it really was just the fun of the game. Makes you forget you know?" I assured him, tapping his chin softly.

"Either way, it's a good thing to see. You know? You, smiling, laughing…happy," he licked his lips and tilted my head at him.

"Niall, that's me with you always. Stop being weird," I raised my eyebrows at him, his hands running through his hair.

"It’s just…the way you met him, and how I know your mind works, the ideas you love. And then he was here—…”

“…—Niall, stop. It's my first time around this many people. First time socializing in this way. I'm sure as much as he doesn't know, he also knows and was probably trying to just make this easier on me. I'm not just, magically in love with him because of a circumstance that happened."

"You could be. He ain't an ugly lad, and he's nice on top of it," he said, a shake to his voice.

"But I don't know him. He could be the worst person in private. He could be a dog hater," I said, face with wide eyes.

Niall laughed, shaking his head, "I highly doubt it."

"Plus…you're not an ugly lad, and well, I know you aren't mean, or a dog hater. So I think, I'd rather just get to know you…you know?" I said softly, nerves making my throat dry out.

"Benny, you already know me." He said, as I licked my lower lip, covering my face.

"God, I suck at this," I uncovered my face scrunching my nose at him. "I just mean, maybe I can get to know you in new ways. You know, just like…ways you maybe have hinted at, but have be—…”

"I get it Bentley," he laughed, placing his finger under my chin and bringing my face to look at him, "You mean it?"

"I want to try. I just don't want to lose you. We are so good at pretending things didn't happen…like, you know," I blushed, looking down, "but I don't know if we can pretend if we screw this up….”

He kissed my forehead gently, "Hey. I would pretend you were hideous inside and out if it meant it would help me ignore my feelings and keep you around. Benny, all I've ever wanted is a chance. That's all."

"I just need you to understand, I'm trying to have patience with myself…I'm not trying to rush myself, I'm just trying to…try." I swallowed and he nodded.

"Then let's try together. You and me, figuring it out just like we have been this entire time," he said, my eyes perking up at him, a smile of a clear fool on his face. It felt so foolish, how quickly I got to this point, but Louis was here for a reason - and I needed to know who that reason was.

"Okay, but at my speed? Okay? Who am I kidding everything has been at my speed, just…" I shrugged, throwing my hands up a bit making him laugh.

"It's my favorite kind of speed, my type of joyride," he smiled, peeking up then back at me, "Go get your prize, don't keep Harry waiting longer. I'll be waiting with everyone. Maybe after you and I can head over to my place. Just relax, drink one more beer, talk about trying some more."

I nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

"Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you!" I exclaimed as I found Harry walking around the prize store, a couple things in hand.

"Mar, sorry. I was playing skee ball and lost track of the time," he smiled, holding what looked like two stuffed bumble bees in his arms.

"That's okay, I was with Sarah and Mitch playing a mean game of air hockey, which of course, I completely conquered!" I exclaimed, shaking my hips as I did.

Harry laughed a bit nodding, looking past me, "That's good Mar, wouldn't expect anything less."

I looked over my shoulder to where he was looking, then back at him, "Expecting someone?"

"Oh! I'm sorry Marlee, I'm just keeping an eye out for Bentley. These are hers actually, she won them fair and square so, I want to make sure she gets them before she leaves." He smiled down at the two bees then at me.

"Oh, I didn't realize…You played with her? Skee ball?" I couldn't help the jealousy that twisted in my stomach. Skee ball was our game, our thing, our secret.

"Yeah, she showed me her game so I just thought I would show her mine. You know, it was her first time back with everyone, just wanted to make sure she felt included," he shrugged.

"Right, did you show he—…”

“…—we got two of them?!" I heard Bentley's voice call out from behind me, his attention instantly moving to her.

"Yup! Now you have one for different occasions," he smiled at her as she approached gently, throwing one her way. She caught it with the biggest smile on her face, taking the stuffed animal in before hugging it tight.

"Louis used to call me, bumble bee, so, you know?" She pushed her smile into her left cheek, head tilting in a way that seemed to be the cutest thing and I hated it. Her eyes dropped down to the other one Harry was holding, before moving to hers and back, "Keep the other. They can be friends from afar. We'll schedule visitations," they both chuckled and he looked down at it with the exact smile I hated seeing on him. The smitten smile, shy yet happy, stupid and adorable.

It was a smile that was never meant for me.

"I like that idea. Gotta make sure they stay friends," he nodded, and I knew there was a double meaning to it. I hated knowing my best friend this well - especially at this moment.

"Deal," her eyes moved to me, "Oh, Marlee, I'm so sorry. I got distracted by the stuffed animal. I'm so embarrassed."

"Oh no, don't worry. I get it, that's how I am with cats," I shrugged, putting on my best smile.

"Well, I'm going to find Niall again. Um, thanks for tonight Harry, I had so much fun. Learned new tricks?" Bentley shrugged before turning on her heels, looking around for Niall.

"Uh…um Bentley wait!" Harry called out, taking two large strides towards her. She turned to face him, her eyebrows up at him with her full attention, "I was uh, just wondering if you wanted to walk home with me tonight. I'm guessing we are in the same direction."

My heart dropped into my stomach hearing his words, usually it was us two heading home together, but I guess it wouldn't be the case tonight. There was a soft blush that came on Ben's cheeks, a silence lingering between the two of them that only made me need to look away. Made me feel like I needed to let them have their moment.

"Harry, um, maybe a rain check? I'm actually heading over to Niall's after,…" she said gently to him, my eyes watching only from my peripheral vision.

"No, yeah, duh of course, you came with him, so, duh. Uh, rain check, for sure," he ran his fingers through his hair, twisting them in his usual nervous manner.

She nodded with a shy smile, before awkwardly turning around again and walking away. Harry turned to me while kicking an imaginary something in front of him making me slow clap at him.

"Wow, your vocabulary has never been so deeply rooted in dumb until about two minutes ago," I smirked, because teasing him was the only way I knew how to respond to this.

"Shut it!" He threw the stuffed bee at me, which I quickly caught, looking down at the round thing. I swallowed knowing he would think of her every time he saw it now. I looked up at him throwing it back.

"I know you say you don't have game with the girls, but I never actually believed you until just now," I chuckled a bit, rolling my eyes.

"I wasn't spitting game, I was just trying to be…gentlemanly?" He closed his eyes laughing because he knew it was so stupid of him to say. I hit my lip, trying not to join in, but I couldn't help it. He was my best friend, regardless of how I felt, so his cute mess ups still got to me.

"You think she thinks I'm weird?" He said softly. I wanted to tell him yes. To never try again and just let it be. That she clearly wasn't interested; but that also meant breaking his heart and I couldn't do that.

"No, she walked away blushed, H. Pretty sure she meant it when she said rain check," I smiled small, to which I received a signature cheshire smile in response.

"Well…good. Hmmm," he said walking over, throwing his arm around my shoulder, "You ready to head out?"

I studied his face, knowing I was the second option, knowing he would have left me to walk home alone if she had said yes.

"Yeah. Let's go," it hurt my soul, my ego, but as I inhaled his scent and felt his warmth, I couldn't give any other response but yes.

#harry styles #fanfic #harry styles fanfic rec #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles ff #harry styles au #harry styles blurb #harry styles x original character #boxer x harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles fic rec #harry ff #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry styles fan fics #harry smut #niall horan ff #harry x niall x oc #niall horan fanfiction

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1dchristmasfest · 1 year ago

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We’re back for 2023! Sign up info and prompt info coming tomorrow, 25th October 2023!

Share far and wide, and join us for more fantastic festiveness!

🎄🎅🏻🎄

#1d christmas fest #christmas fic #fan fic #larry fic #fic rec #coming soon #fic fest #one direction #Harry styles #Louis Tomlinson #zayn malik #liam payne #niall horan

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panye · 2 years ago

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fic post: take me back, take me back

Niall Horan/Shawn Mendes | Explicit | 32k

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” Niall says. He puts his head between his hands. “How is this happening?” “I didn’t want to say anything,” Harry says. “I wanted you to figure it out on your own.” “You think I like Shawn, too?” Niall asks and he’s shocked. “If anyone is supposed to tell me that I’m gay it’s supposed to be my gay best friend!” Or, Niall invites his new friend Shawn to Zayn and Liam's three-day wedding in Napa Valley, California. He gets way more than he expected.

A fic for @onedirectionbigbang with creative by @haztobegood

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firstlightfanfics · 2 months ago

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I Messed Up

The lovely Shell brought it to my attention that “Sparks Fly” was incomplete so I have added some more to the story.

#one direction #harry styles #liam payne #louis tomlinson #niall horan #zayn #interactive fan fics #interactive fan fiction #fan fic writing #fan fics #fics #first light #fan fiction #fiction #story #firstlightfanfics #firstlightfanfiction

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elioslover · 6 months ago

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horansqueen · 2 years ago

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Babygirl

OU - FLUFF (rated T)

Niall lost the girl he loves back in 2014, right before starting 1D’s last tour. When Louis invites him to a Christmas party 5 years later, he never thought he’d see her again. And she’s not alone. She brought her daughter with her… HIS daughter. Now, Niall has to reorganize his life to add a kid in it, and it’s not an easy task to achieve. It takes a good dose of patience, a small dose of humility and lots, lots of love.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13 (coming soon)

Part 14 (coming soon)

Part 15 (coming soon)

#niall horan #niall horan dad #niall horan story #niall horan fluff #niall horan fanfic #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan fan fic #niall horan fan fiction #dadniall #dad niall #dad!niall #my fanfics

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sparkrls · 11 months ago

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Youtuber!Y/N x Harry Styles

MASTERLIST

Summary: Y/N is a Youtuber who does videos on celebrity gossip, then gets cancelled for the unethical nature of her channel. And finds her way to Harry to be better and learn from her mistakes.

Author’s Note: Tumblr exclusive! We’re feeding the girlies 🤪

•••

THE DEVIL HAS FALLEN: Y/N Y/L/N FEUD WITH AMANDA MCADAMS FINALLY OVER?

After months of a brutal and relentless feud between Youtube influencer Y/N Y/L/N and actress Amanda McAdams, it seems that Y/N has finally disappeared

After deleting all social media posts, and wiping her accounts clean, Y/N released a statement on twitter, declaring:

Y/N Y/L/N started off as a Youtube creator, filming videos of her singing covers of her favorite songs. After finding no success, she began to venture into creating videos about the one thing she knew everything about: celebrity culture.

Y/N found rapid success and her videos soon became viral, with her first series, ‘Internet Gossip’, explaining various cases of infamous celebrity deama. With the rise of social media and a wave of consuming media based on celebrity drama and gossip, Y/N found her place among an audience of mostly young women.

Soon becoming very successful with her videos, she branched out, beginning a few series, among them, ‘Salty Scandal’, focused on celebrity feuds and ‘Radical Romance’, about ongoing or previous famous relationships.

Although Y/N had a large fanbase, her rise to celebrity status was her first red carpet at the People’s Choice Awards, where she participated as an interviewer. It didn’t take long for her to become viral, as she was abrasive and blunt with her questions, not wasting time by beating around the bush.

Among fans and watchers, she was known as someone who searched for truth. Among those questioned, she was thought of as a person who dedicated their life to exposing others and invading privacy.

Y/N began to see the results of her fame. Her community grew and she hosted countless red carpets, interviewing the most famous people on the planet. And just as she seemed on top of the world, her downfall came from her own creation.

With the video, ‘Amanda McAdam: Actress or Victim?’, Y/N claimed that McAdam’s had dramatized her experience with a verbally abusive director, and that it was all for ‘a pity party’.

Following this video, McAdam’s and Y/L/N began a long feud, including several Twitter arguments and subtle shade thrown at each other in interviews or Instagram posts.

It culminated in what seemed to be the final blow; McAdam leaking Y/L/N's address. People and paparazzi alike stood outside of Y/L/N's home, with signs and hollers to let her know what they thought of her. This caused the Youtuber to have to hire private security to escort her as she moved to an undisclosed new home.

Everyone is glad to see Y/N, the devil of the internet, finally gone from the public view. Hopefully forever.

liked by y/nstan07 and 188,242 others

celebrityupdates Y/N Y/L/N spotted for the first time in THREE MONTHS out in LONDON today!

view all 2,541 comments

username1 wtf? who wants to see her?

username2 Did I miss something? Since when is she in hiding? And didn't she use to live in LA?

-> username3 Since her address was leaked by Amanda

-> username2 omg, that’s so fucked up

-> username3 Y/N had it coming after all the shit she said about Amanda

username4 idc what y’all say, y/n is still an icon and that b**ch

username5 I don't agree with anything that Y/N does, but her having to move to another CONTINENT to avoid stalkers and death threats is too far

username6 she should’ve stayed in hiding

username7 Y/N is so fake, she deserves all the hate, tbh

liked by yourinstagram and 5,927 others

ynisthatbitch Y/N for her newest interview with Variety

view all 1,876 comments

username1 WTF? Isn’t she cancelled?

username2 I really don’t care how much she claims to have ‘changed and improved’. Once a devil always a devil

username3 Y/N does NOT deserve a redemption arc after all the shit she talked

username4 Does Y/N seriously think that she can disappear a few months, claim to have gone to therapy and done self-reflection and everything will be fine?

-> username5 I think she just craves attention

-> username6 LMAO fr, Y/N just wants to be famous again. TOO BAD!

username7 Honestly y’all, if you took the time to read the article properly, you’d understand that Y/N was just a teenager!

-> username8 Y/N was literally fifteen when she started making those videos. Every 15-year-old makes mistakes

-> username9 Y/N is no longer 15. She’s now 21 and should know better.

-> username10 Or maybe it took a reality check to burst Y/N’s bubble and make her realize that she’d normalized things that shouldn’t be normalized?

-> username9 That sounds like excuses to me

liked by sparkrls and 107,187 others

harryflorals HARRY AND Y/N Y/L/N LEAVING THE SAME GYM TODAY IN LONDON!

view all 15,678 comments

username1 WHAT THE FUCK???

username2 this cannot be real

username3 why would harry associate with the devil?

-> username4 lmao fr fr

username5 It has to be a coincidence

-> username6 Did Harry conveniently forget that Y/N once made a whole video about his relationship with Kendall Jenner and called it a 'wretched PR stunt’???

-> username7 I find it crazy to believe that THIS isn’t a PR stunt

username8 Maybe y’all shouldn’t make assumptions about people you haven’t met? Harry clearly knows Y/N personally and has good judgment.

-> username9 stfu, no one asked for your opinion

username10 Is it so wild to believe that people can change (Y/N)?

-> username11 once a devil, always a devil

liked by gemmastyles and 833,384 others

annetwist It was wonderful to meet the lovely @yourinstagram and finally hear her perspective on her life! Read the article, written by yours truly. Thank you, Y/N, for your well-thought and introspective words ❤️

view all 22,864 comments

yourinstagram Thank you for giving me the chance to talk to you and share my side of the story 🫶

-> annetwist 💕

username1 Y/N is Anne-approved. That’s all I need to know.

username2 what is wrong with the world?

username3 I expected better of you. I thought you had common decency than to associate with the devil

-> annetwist I believe that God is all about forgiveness and Y/N has found her way to kindness and forgiveness ❤️

username4 say it with me, 4+4=

-> username5 ATEEE

username6 Thank you, Anne, for interviewing Y/N and giving us such a fresh perspective on everything that happened in her life. Loved the article 💕

-> annetwist Thank you, love

liked by gemmastyles and 2,194,801 others

yourinstagram Hell Is My Birthplace. New Single. Jun 1, 2022.

view all 7,657 comments

annetwist Can’t wait to hear it

harrystyles 🔥

-> username1 EXCUSE ME?!?

taylorswift WOW. Loved the preview 😉

-> username2 MOTHER?

-> username3 nothing is more iconic than y/n’s once greatest rivals now becoming her biggest supporters

username4 Y’all doubting if Y/N changed, but if Taylor and Harry can forgive her, so can I

username5 ICON. MOTHER.

username6 you don’t get it. y/n was called a devil and now she’s saying hell is her birthplace. and it was announced on the anniversary of her cancellation. you just don’t get it.

username7 no one will ever love y/n and her cunty moves more than me

username8 I LOVE YOU

username9 I hope your address gets leaked again

username10 ONCE A DEVIL ALWAYS A DEVIL

-> username11 stfu

liked by ynstan07 and 15,768 others

ynupdates INSIDER INFO FROM DEUXMOI!

view all 1,656 comments

username1 I can’t imagine Harry with someone with Y/N

username2 Honestly, I get it. As an ‘I can fix him’ girlie, I understand Harry 😔

username3 not my husband with the devil!!!

username4 Speechless

username5 they lowkey seem cute together

username6 I'm happy if Harry is happy

username7 If Harry is dating her, then Y/N has definitely changed

liked by harrystyles and 1,646,410 others

yourinstagram Paint the Town Red. 2nd Single.

view all 2,678 comments

username1 not harry liking all of her posts 😭

-> username2 man is WHIPPED

username3 MMM SHE THE DEVIL

-> username4 obsessed with y/n leaning into the devil image during her comeback

username5 is anyone concerned that she’s being so provocative?

-> username6 y/n has been laying low and keeping her life to herself. i’m not concerned

-> username7 i think she’s the happiest she’s ever been, tbh

username8 that line "You can't talk no shit without penalties" DAMN

-> yourinstagram I said what I said

liked by harrystyles and 1,121,107 others

yourinstagram dancing with our hands tied. a good metaphor and my 3rd single. out now <3

view all 3,787 comments

harrystyles 💕

-> username1 harry KNOWS this song is about him and y/n

-> username2 He’s a proud boyfriend and we stan

username3 omg the soft launch

username4 PARENTS 😭

username5 lowkey concerned about the two together

username6 am i the only one who doesn’t like the two of them together? it feels icky

-> username7 good thing it’s not your relationship

-> username6 y/n is a terrible person

-> username8 you’ve never met her. don’t make assumptions

username9 awww my babies 😭

username10 I LOVE YOUR MUSIC AAAAA

liked by yourinstagram and 5,677,207 others

harrystyles Grammys. February 2024.

view all 87,567 comments

yourinstagram thanks for being my date <3

-> harrystyles always xx

username1 not my parents flirting in the comments 😭😭😭

annetwist cuties 💕

gemmastyles love you both ❤️

username5 THE FAMILY APPROVAL

username6 Y/N is officially the first gf to be on Harry’s IG feed

username7 tbh, I think that Harry really helped Y/N at her worst and allowed her to redeem herself

-> username8 FR. look at her smile. She’s never seemed so happy. I think Y/N is finally being herself

-> harrystyles Y/N did all the work herself, I was just along for the ride x

-> yourinstagram Don’t be fooled no matter what he says, he saved me.

username10 WAR IS OVEEERRRR

username11 I love seeing Y/N grow so much in her life

-> username12 I don’t think she ever liked who she was before. She seems so happy now

-> yourinstagram Funny how being yourself can fulfill a person. Become a version of yourself that you can love and love will surround you

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justmeinatree · 2 years ago

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Made Of Something New

Summary : you meet niall in your hotel bar. and there’s an intense connection.

Story TW : this is a cheating fic (not on you, but none the less). almost all chapters are smut heavy. there is also occasional drug use. each part will have it’s appropriate warnings.

A/N : i want to preface this story by reminding everyone that it is just that, a story. no one is named or described, aside from niall & reader. you can imagine virtually everyone as you so please, or not at all, there’s honestly no importance placed on any character that isn’t niall & reader. enjoy ✌️

Intro

Canada

Mexico

Italy

Sweden

Telephone

Ireland

USA

Home

Extra Chapters :

Italy, night 2

……

Main Masterlist

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walkingintheheartbreaksatellite · 1 year ago

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Sky High(1)

(Harry Styles x Fem!Reader)

Summary: You take Harry to do something he never would have thought he’d do.

A/N: In honor of Balloon Fiesta season(aka my fav time of year) ITS TIME FOR BALLOONRRY! This has literally been spinning around in my brain since last December so yeah… enjoy.

Warnings: Judgmental family member, mentions of body shaming(only once), fear of heights, mentions of traumatic childhood and abusive parent (not in detail), Mentioned aged gap but not specified.

>>>————————————->

London, Wednesday

Harry smiles as he shuffles around the house, throwing things in his suitcase.

“Hey Harry, don’t pack your puffer-.”

“Y/N, you said it was gonna be cold and that I should expect snow!”

“Yes but- your puffer is cotton. Which can catch on fire. And we’ll be operating a propane burner. And don’t pack your wool gloves either-. You know what, finish packing your clothes and then we’ll go get you everything else. I need new gloves anyways.”

He rolls his eyes and kisses my forehead before turning back to our dresser.

This year, Harry is joining me for a hot air balloon rally that I crew for with some of my family every year. I have never seen him more excited for something so boring.

After he finishes, he drags me out the door immediately and we head down to the shops.

“We need to go to Workwear. They should have everything.”

He nods and grips my hand as we walk down the chilly streets. Harry grabs the door and we head inside. Harry bites his lip, a bit reluctant at his unfamiliar atmosphere.

“Come on, dork. Let’s go find you a jacket.”

I manage to find a nylon and polyester jacket that he’s satisfied with, though he complains that he’d rather his puffer.

“I know- you can pack it but you can’t wear it when we’re crewing or Bob will never let us hear the end of it.”

I grab a few pairs of nylon gloves before dragging him over to the shoes.

“Boots, love? Really?”

I snort and nod my head.

“We’re carrying heavy equipment. Your Vans won’t work. You could drop something and seriously hurt your foot. Hence the steel-toed boots. And they’ll keep you warm. Trust me.”

He nods and we head to the checkout, excitement rushing through us at our week ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday

As soon as we land in Albuquerque, we quickly pick up our bags and our rental car before getting on the road. We get settled on the highway and Harry turns on cruise control, taking my hand in his while driving with the other. My hands start to shake more and I sigh.

“You’re shaking Y/N. Why are you shaking?”

I let out another sigh and I look at him.

“My father might be there… And my brother and sister. You haven’t met them… And honestly I don’t really talk to them. So I guess I’m just nervous. And you’ve never met my granny or her husband- And since you’re helping crew for Andrew… I don’t know… Just a lot going on.”

He lifts my hand up and kisses the back of it before he squeezes it. His eyes remain on the road but his words make me tear up.

“I know you’re not particularly looking forward to all of that- But I’m here. I’m always here. And your mum. You know she won’t let him do anything to you. I will be the perfect Angel that I always am-.”

I snort and he gives me a playful side eye.

“As I was saying- everything will be just fine. Okay? So let’s have fun. I’m definitely excited. And happy to see your mum again.”

He smiles and squeezes my hand again before turning his attention back to the road. After about 2 hours, Harry gets off at the exit and it only takes us a minute to get to our hotel. He parks next to my mom’s car and we get out. She gets out of her car and rushes over to Harry, pulling him into a hug as he laughs and smiles.

“Oh my god, Harry! I’ve missed you! Look at you! You look great!”

He laughs and hugs my mom back for a minute before they pull away.

“I’m great, Kelly. How are you?”

She nods and gives him a smile before she pulls me into a hug as well.

“Hi my babies.”

I smile and hug her, rolling my eyes at Harry as he laughs.

“Hi mama.”

She pulls away and shoves her hands in her pockets.

“You both doing okay? Taking care of each other? You look good but you know I worry.”

I smile and nod.

“We’re fine. Harry is very excited.”

Harry nods and wraps an arm around my waist, his smile clear as day. We stand by the car, talking to my mom for a few minutes when my grandmother pulls up. Her husband gets out of the truck and gets her walker out, setting it up as she gets out. Not ready to face her, I drag Harry inside to check in and get our room keys.

We collect our keys and walk up the stairs to our room.

“Love, I really don’t think you need to avoid her-.”

“You know how frustrating she is! The woman flat out told me when I was 16 that it was my fault that my mother was depressed! Because somehow I could control who she slept with to create me!”

He wraps his arms around me and kisses my head.

“I know love, I know. But you know your mum won’t let her do anything. Did you pack your meds?”

I huff and just shrug. He holds me for a minute, rubbing my back before he decides we need to go downstairs and get our bags. He drags me down the stairs and out to the car where, surprise surprise, my grandmother is. I elect to ignore her, opening the back to start grabbing bags. My mom pulls us over to them as I huff in frustration.

“Mom, this is Harry, Y/N’s boyfriend. Harry, this is my mom, May and her husband Andrew. You’ll meet Bob later. He’ll be crewing with us.”

Harry shakes my granny’s hand as well as Andrew’s when my grandmother adverts her gaze to me.

“Sweetie, what did I say about all that eating you do? It’s not good for your figure. I mean look at you-. And did you get that job I sent you the link to?”

I sigh and shake my head, squeezing Harry’s hand to calm me down before answering her.

“Granny, that job was in Arizona. I live in London, remember? And I have a job. I work at a publishing firm, remember? And I like it.”

Before she can say respond, Andrew interrupts her.

“How about we all get settled in our rooms? We’ll meet back here in the parking lot at 6:30 to go check in?”

We all nod and head inside. Before we enter our room, my mom puts her hand on my shoulder, and I turn to face her.

“You two go ahead and have to time with each other for the night. We don’t all need to go to check in and I know you’re not exactly ready to see him. I’ll text you what time we need to meet in the morning.”

Harry smiles and hugs my mom and I let out a heavy sigh.

“Thank you, Kelly. I’ll take care of our girl. She’ll be fine.”

My mom kisses my forehead and squeezes my shoulder before she heads into her room and disappears behind the door. Harry pulls me into our room and pulls me into a tight hug as soon as the door closes. He rubs my back and I let out a sigh.

“How about we go on a walk after we get settled in love? Think that would help? Or are you in the stuff your face with sweets until you pass out kind of mood?”

I shake my head as I hang up my jacket.

“I’m actually in the take a hot shower and then cuddle with my hot boyfriend until I fall asleep kind of mood.”

Harry flashes me a bright smile and hugs me as he hangs up his jacket.

“You take your shower. I’ll run to the vending machines and get some sweets. When you’re done, we can head to bed.”

He kisses my forehead and leaves the room. I grab some sweats and a soft top before heading into the shower.

By the time I’m done, my hair in a wet braid and teeth brushed as I walk out in my soft clothes, Harry is already in bed, scrolling on his phone. He looks up and smiles, pecking my lips softly when I get into bed.

“Your sweets are in the fridge, let me brush my teeth and I’ll turn the light out.”

I nod and curl up into bed as I wait for him. Not 5 minutes, he’s back in bed, pulling me close before he turns out the light.

“Are you gonna be okay, love? You’ve been tense since we got here.”

I sigh and bury my head in his chest.

“I’m nervous… And honestly I haven’t been feeling that well lately so maybe that’s just not helping. And with the stress of seeing him, and of course my granny, I guess I’ve just been a little off. But I’m really glad you’re here… I’m excited for you to meet my sister. She’s a-.”

“A pain in the ass, you’ve mentioned.”

“But you’ll like her! We fought a lot when we were kids of course but we got closer in high school. You’ll love her!”

He laughs and squeezes me tight.

“I could never love anyone as much as I love you. But I’m sure she’s great. Just keep thinking of all the positives, remember? You love this town, you love this time of year, don’t let them take that excitement from you. And I am very excited to experience this with you. Now let’s get some sleep, okay?”

I smile and curl up into his arms before slowly falling asleep.

Friday 05:30

So put your best face on everybody

Pretend you know this song everybody

Come hang (Come hang)

Let's go out with a bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!-

I wake up to my alarm going off as I feel butterfly kisses on my cheeks. I wake up to see Harry, planting soft kisses all over my face before he smiles when he sees I’m awake.

“Time to get up, love. We have to be downstairs in 30 minutes.”

I groan and wrap my arms around his neck as I sigh.

“Can you just tell them I died or something? Or better yet we both did? I don’t want to go into the cold… I wanna stay here and cuddle.”

He laughs and shakes his head, pecking my lips before he pulls me up.

“Well, your mum is bringing coffee in like 10 minutes so you have to be alive if you want some of that. Because I do.”

I laugh and shake my head as I get up from the bed, pulling clothes out of my bag before I start to change. Harry and I are quickly dressed by the time my mom knocks on the door and Harry happily accepts the coffee.

The second I smell it, I get nauseous and I run to the toilet, throwing up. I hear Harry sigh and he comes into the bathroom, throwing my hair up in a clip before he starts to rub my back. I throw up a few minutes before I flush, slowly standing up so I can rinse and brush my teeth.

From the corner of my eye, I see my mom with a worried expression on her face.

“How long has that been going on, Y/N/N?”

I shrug and wipe my mouth, turning out the bathroom light before fixing my hair quickly.

“A couple weeks I guess. I’m never running a temp so I figured they were just random waves of nausea.”

She sighs and shakes her head.

“I think you should take a test.”

My eyes widen and I look at her.

“You think I could be-.”

Harry and I share a look, one filled with anxiety.

My mom only nods and rubs my back in comfort.

“When we come back after breakfast, I’ll go get you a few tests and you can take them and we’ll go from there, okay? Just try not to stress about it.”

We only nod and she leaves only a minute after. Harry lays back down and holds his arms open to me and I immediately lay in his arms, holding back tears.

“What are we-.”

“Shhh. Everything will be just fine, love. No matter what. If you’re pregnant, we’ll handle it. And if not… maybe it’s just not the right time. Either way, I’m not going anywhere. We will figure this out. Together.”

He kisses my head and rubs my back as we lay there for a few more minutes before we finally head out to the parking lot. We all hop into the van, the vehicle filled with silence as we make the small journey to the lift off field. After about 10 minutes, Andrew parks the van and gets out, meeting Bob outside so the can attend the pilot’s meeting. Harry squeezes my hand and gives me an anxious look.

“So… we just wait? I thought we would all be getting out and that’s when the hard work starts.”

My mom and I laugh and I shake my head before I peck his cheek.

“No, there’s always. Just a little waiting. They have about a 30 minute pilot meeting to determine whether or not we can fly. Based on the wind, I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Right now, if we flew, we’d flop around and lose control.”

He laughs and nods. As expected, when they come back from the meeting, we aren’t able to fly. Andrew makes the decision to head to breakfast rather than still inflating like most were doing, even though we couldn’t fly. We pull into the parking lot of an almost empty diner and finally get out of the van. We eat breakfast, Harry and I sharing a plate since I really wasn’t in the mood to eat much.

The minute we get back to the hotel, my mom runs to her car and takes off, no doubt to go buy me tests. After about 20 minutes, she comes back with a knock on our door. She hands me the bag and I let out a shaky sigh.

“I’m sure you know how to use these… I’ll give you two some space. Call me if you need me sweet girl.”

She kisses my forehead and squeezes Harry’s shoulder before leaving the room. We’re quiet for a few minutes before Harry sits next to me on the bed, taking my hand in his, squeezing it before he raises our joint hands to his lips, softly kissing the back of my hand.

“I meant what I said, Y/N. No matter what the results are… we’re gonna be okay.”

I sigh and start to tear up.

“Are we even ready for this-.”

He sighs and puts a finger on my lips, silencing me.

“We’ll figure it out love. Just like we have with everything else. Alright? Now go take those tests. We can cuddle when you finish and we’ll wait for the results.”

I sigh and stand up, taking the tests into the bathroom. I take all 4 and place them on the counter, letting out a shaky sigh. I wash my hands and take a quiet minute to myself before opening the door and flinging myself on the bed and into Harry’s arms, causing him to laugh. Harry sets a timer on his phone before he puts it back on the nightstand and cuddles close to me, kissing my head.

“Are you hoping for certain results…?”

Harry is quiet for a minute before he turns to me with a small smile.

“Well… If you are pregnant… I would be extremely happy. I mean we’ve been together for 3 years and we live together. And besides… I want a little you… I’ve thought about it on and off… And maybe that can happen now. If you’re not… I don’t know… Maybe it’s something we could talk about? I mean… obviously I’m not getting younger despite how hot and young the girl next to me is…”

I laugh and nudge him playfully as he laughs and hugs me. He pecks little kisses all over my face before he starts to tickle me. He towers over me, determined to tickle more, but is interrupted by the timer on his phone going off. My face pales and we both sit up. He turns off the timer and we sit quietly for a minute before Harry speaks up.

“We’ll do it together…”

He takes my hand and pulls me up before he walks to the bathroom. We share a look and nod in agreement before looking at the tests. Positive. All positive. I turn to him, tears in my eyes, as are his as he quickly pulls me into his arms and hold me tight. After a minute, he pulls away and kisses me passionately as he holds me close. When we pull away for air, we share a small laugh and he hugs me once again.

“God I just- We’re having a baby! I love you! We need to call mum! And Gem! We need-!”

I laugh and shake my head.

“Let’s try to find some onesies here… Maybe we can surprise them. But we should go tell my mom since- of course she knows and she’s probably dying to know.”

He laughs and nods. We leave our hotel room and head over to my mom’s room, softly knocking on the door. She opens it and immediately lets us in.

“We’ll…?!”

We laugh and she glares at me.

“Okay okay… I’m pregnant. We’re having a baby.”

She tears up and hugs the both of us tightly.

“I’m gonna be a grandma again!!!”

I shush her and put my finger on her lips to shut her up.

“Hush! There’s people here we don’t want knowing!”

She nods and I remove my finger. Her phone pings and she picks it up, reading it before she looks up at us.

“Your grandmother wants to go shopping and Andrew wants to know if you guys are going to dinner tonight.”

Harry and I share a look and I sigh, falling back into his arms with a groan.

“Tell them we’re still jet lagged. I don’t want to deal with her tonight.”

She laughs and nods, hugging the both of us before she leaves our room. For the rest of the night, we cuddle and talk a little about the baby until I finally fall asleep, drifting into my dreams of hoping for a bright beginning.

And in the back of my head, I knew that this weekend was going to be a whirlwind.

>>>—————————————->

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hsdiaries · 8 months ago

Text

‘til forever

chapter two - 3.9k

master list

Living on the westside of LA in sunny California was never exactly on my checklist of things I needed to accomplish in life, but opening up a car repair shop was - and this for some reason became the easiest place to do it. Truthfully I owed it all to Mason, the man I ran my apprenticeship under. He took a special liking to me during my time, and when he passed, with no kids of his own, he left his shop to me. My best friend moved out here, helped me run the social media and marketing for the shop, I kept some of the team adding some younger guys for more heavy lifting jobs. We did minor maintenance to the place, spruced it up to appeal to different kinds of people, and the shop has been doing better ever since.

One thing I didn’t expect to get out of this was friendships, but here I was, walking over to meet up with one of my coworkers turned friends, meeting his group of people and new girl. I quickly turn the corner, walking into the bar, taking the last couple bites of my croissant, licking the left over chocolate off my fingers. Mitch was thankfully easy to spot, taller than most in the room, longer hair too.

“Harry!” He quickly called out when he spotted me, I chuckled, walking over as we quickly embraced, our hands patting each other's backs.

“Everyone, this is my boss, Harry, he owns the car shop I work at. Harry, this is Niall, Chase, Pauli, and of course Sarah.”

Mitch flushed a deep shade of red as he introduced the woman he was now dating, and I chuckled, lifting my hand up to greet everyone, “Nice meeting you all, thanks for letting me crash.”

“Mitch told us you were new in town when you opened up the shop, so we weren’t going to say no! Everyone needs friends,” the mousy haired man named Niall said.

“He’s not off, just have my best friend from college here, Marlee, she’s actually joining us later as well.” I smiled, Sarah’s eyes perking up.

“Oh thank god, another girl! I was so scared I’d be in a giant testosterone fest all night,” she said, making us all chuckle.

“Well, Horan was supposed to get Bentley here, yet we have no Bentley,” the dark haired tattooed man who I assumed was Chase spoke, hitting Niall hard on his back.

“Listen, I can’t force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. I don’t want to pressure her into making decisions she’s not ready to make,” Niall said, sipping his beer, a Guinness.

“Including finally giving you a chance,” Pauli quipped, making Niall fake a laugh, flipping them off. I couldn’t help myself and chuckle.

“Who’s Bentley?” I asked, holding my hand up for the bartender, quickly ordering myself a beer.

“She’s our late friend Louis’….ex? I guess that’s what we would call her now. Niall’s got a thing for her since they trauma bonded, but she won’t give him the green light,” Mitch rolled his eyes and Niall scoffed.

“I’ve never asked her to give me any green light. I’m fine just being her friend, that’s all I want,” his tone clearly bothered by everyone’s antics, and I couldn’t help but feel for the guy.

“Seems like you’ve been there for her after his passing, from what Mitch said, I now remember him mentioning the situation, I know she hasn’t let anyone else in, so ignore them. Especially this one, he fucks up a car for me at least once a week,” I teased Mitch; Pauli, Chase and Sarah laughing as I paid for my beer, taking a long sip with a smile on my face.

Niall raised both his eyebrows at Mitch, who quickly shot me a glare. The overall pointing of fingers was quickly broken when the door to the bar burst open, a short brunette tripping over herself, quickly straightening out and looking over in our direction. I broke into a big smile as I saw my pixie like best friend, her smile soon reflecting mine. Her cat-like hazel eyes seemed to glimmer, as she waved at me, her cheeks red with slight embarrassment.

“And that’s Marlee, my best friend,” I said, holding my beer glass out in her direction as she made her way over. She reached me and quickly buried herself in my embrace, my lips pressing a kiss to the top of her head softly.

“Hi guys, sorry for the grand entrance. You will learn I have two left feet,” she shrugged, taking my beer and sipping from it. Everyone laughed, introducing each other to her. It was nice to mix our friendship with Mitch’s friends. I was used to a big group of friends back home, so this just felt right.

“So you two met in college?” Sarah said, bringing me another beer as the boys moved to the side to have a conversation, eyes flicking to us constantly as they did.

“Yeah, we were in American Literature together. He sat next to me, he sucked at annotating his readings, I was amazing at it. One day, he leaned over and asked me to help him. I asked to be paid in pizza rolls and he added root beer on top of it and I was sold!” Marlee quickly explained, smiling up at me and I laughed.

“She always leaves out how I helped her with math, but college calculus is a touchy subject, we shall avoid,” I said, pretending to whisper at Sarah as Mitch called me over to the rest of the guys.

Walking past the girls, I messed with Marlee’s hair, reaching the guys, left hand deep in my pocket as I took a sip of my beer. Chase clearly looked like he might foam at the mouth if he didn’t speak soon, my eyes narrowing at him.

“So that’s just your best friend? Not your best friend you secretly have feelings for but too scared to admit?” Chase said quickly, head tilting forward, eyebrow raised.

“No, that’s my best friend and just that, my best friend.” I peeked over at Marlee, then back at the guys. I wasn’t lying, that’s all she was to me. There was only one moment in time when I thought there might be more, but that was quickly squashed by how wrong it felt when I tried to kiss her. She was like my sister, it couldn’t be anything more past that for me.

“So, she’s free game then?” He raised an eyebrow making me snort out a laugh. This was something definitely I was accustomed to, my best friend was beautiful with a personality to match. The amount of time I was approached for permission to attempt to woo her was anyone I had lost count of.

“Good luck, Marlee ain’t easy, and she’s picky as hell, mate. You can give it a try though, but…” I moved my lips from side to side, leaning in closer to him, “you hurt her, I don’t mess around either.”

Chase chuckled, tossing his hands up in the air, “I’m just here for a good time, friend. I set my boundaries clear and right from the very start. Now if you’ll excuse me, Marlee looks like she needs a refill.”

He winked obnoxiously at us, my eyes trailing his path to my best friend, my head shaking as I locked eyes with Niall who rolled his, “Ignore Chase, he thinks with his dick, so naturally, he acts like one.”

We both laughed, Mitch choking on his beer as he did as well, “Righto!” He managed out as he cleared his throat, “Even tried to put moves on Bentley, Niall shut that down so quick.”

“He was taking advantage of her vulnerability, trying to get a pity fuck so he could say he did. Louis had just gone, it was fucking wrong!” Niall exclaimed, Mitch sending him a look, teasing the real reason why Niall put a stop to it. I felt for him. You could tell he truly cared for this Bentley character, everyone trying to make it a negative thing.

“Girls that have mates like us are lucky, don’t let these dick heads try and shake how you treat her. She will always appreciate it more than she vocalizes,” I smiled at him, a small nod from him in exchange, Mitch and Pauli looking at each other, then down, embarrassed that they were teasing Niall.

“So you and Harry have been friends for a bit now then?” Sarah asked as I drank more beer. Personally I hated beer and its taste, but the new environment meant I wasn’t ready to dip my toes into hard liquor around them. It was better for all those involved.

“Yeah, I feel like I’ve known him my whole life really. It was just an instant click. Now he can’t get rid of me,” I giggled, shrugging my shoulders as she nodded. Her green eyes and their curiosity let me know exactly what question was next, bracing myself for it.

“Nothing more there?” She leaned in, her eyes hopeful, as if it would add excitement to the situation. I licked my lips, biting down on my lower lip, shaking my head.

“Yeah no. We are just best friends and it ends there. He’s like a brother,” I said, the last sentence feeling like bile in my throat. Truth was, I loved him so much more than just as friends. It would never happen though, it would never be reciprocated; the imagine of him laughing as he leaned in to kiss me forever engraved on the back of my mind. I remember my heart racing, thinking this was finally the moment he would see me as more than just his friend. The moment he realized he felt for me how I felt for him.

It wasn’t.

Instead, he laughed about how he wasn’t sure what he was thinking, apologizing, head shaking in disbelief. I never in my life readjusted my feelings so quickly, shoving him back and calling him a weirdo for even trying in the first place. The entire time, my heart breaking, eyes fighting the tears that wanted so badly to fall.

“Sometimes that’s for the best you know? I think we all need a best guy friend, but it’s hard when they always seem to want something more. I mean, even us girls cross that line too.” She said, sipping on her beer, so unaware of my feelings.

“What about you? How long have you known the guys?” I said, wanting to direct the conversation away from me and Harry.

“Oh, it’s my first time meeting everyone too. I just started dating Mitch a month ago, thought it was time to meet the friends,” she shrugged. I nodded, licking beer off my lips.

“Well then I’m glad we’ve been thrown into this together, men are strange, women superior always,” I raised both eyebrows at her and she lifted her glass to cheers with mine. I met hers, sipping on my beer as one of the boys approached us.

“It’s Marlee right?” He said, squeezing between Sarah and I, arm resting on the bar as he smiled up at me. I shot him a look of confusion, “Yes and you are? Sorry I’m not good with names.”

“I’m Chase, thought I would personally introduce myself. Just let you know I’m super excited to add you and Harry to the group. Maybe we, you and I, can even grab a bite sometimes,” he pinched his lower lip, my eyes flashing over at Sarah’s quickly. She shrugged, my eyes moving back to Chase.

“Mmm, we’ll see. Have to decide where you rank amongst the other guys. Let’s run the trial for about two weeks and then I’ll give you a rundown on where you land,” I smirked, winking at Sarah before pushing off the bar and walking towards Harry. From the immediate laughter coming from the guys I could only imagine what his face looked like behind me.

Slipping my hand around Harry’s waist, he pulled me in for a hug, shaking his head, “Couldn’t you at least give him five minutes of your time?”

“I didn’t completely let him down, I just let him know that I needed to test out the Irish one as well, Pauli too,” I said so only he could hear, his vanilla scent strong on his hair near my face.

“Marlee, Marlee, this is why we never make new friends,” he chuckled and I shrugged.

“I never needed anyone else so, eh,” brushing it off, because it was true, all I needed was Harry, that was enough. He wrapped me up in a tight embrace, kissing the top of my head like he often did.

Soon Sarah and Chase joined us again, everyone pushing past Chase’s lame attempt to ask me out. We shared embarrassing moments, how everyone met each other, Sarah and I planned to grab lunch later next week. As much as I hated the idea of sharing Harry’s time with other people, it did feel nice to make new friends. We all moved over to the pool tables, taking turns ordering rounds of beer and playing pool against one another.

Niall began asking Harry and Mitch about the shop, hoping to bring his car in for an oil change and to get his brake pads fixed. As always Harry began playing down how good he was at fixing cars and truly how successful his shop was. He was so humble, it was his best trait, and that’s why he had me, so I could sing his praises.

“Did you all know the shop is getting the AAA Award for Outstanding Service?” I piped in, Harry’s eye flicking to me, basically yelling at me for bringing it up. I ignored him, rolling my eyes, “Yeah, he’s the best in town too, 100% mark on the award.”

“Harry, you never mentioned that!” Mitch exclaimed, back handing his chest. Harry coughed, rubbing his chest softly as he laughed.

“It just slipped my mind, I don’t…I don’t really pay attention to those things,” he said, running his ring clad fingers through his hair.

Sarah scrolled through her phone, peeking her eyes up, “Harry that’s a really good award to have. You are registered with AAA and their website. That’s why you guys have been so busy, babe!” She exclaimed looking over at Mitch, “The shop is on the site so it directs more customers! Harry, that's so amazing. Oh my gosh we should celebrate!”

“Guys, please we really don’t have to—…”

“…—no we totally should mate! It’ll be further bonding and welcoming you in the group. Maybe it’ll finally get Bentley to come out,” Niall said, something hopeful in his voice. I had no idea who Bentley was, but she felt like the motivating factor in every aspect of his life choices.

“Yeah Harry, let us celebrate to get Bentley out!” I said, shifting my body next to Niall, pulling his lower lip down gently into a pout, “Do it for Niall and Bentley.”

Niall chuckled a bit, but kept his pout making Harry roll his eyes, “Fine, fine, we can plan something. There’s this arcade bar Marlee and I love, we can do something there, play games and shit. They have food too!”

“Perfect!” Sarah clapped her hands, moving to stand next to me, “Marlee and I will handle everything, you boys just show up, and Niall get the infamous Bentley to join us! It’ll be fun!”

—

Harry and I walked home, it was late but it was our favorite time to be out and about. The city was quiet and besides avoiding the few cars driving by, we could walk in the middle of the street.

“So everyone was really nice,” I smiled over at him, walking along the middle yellow divider, one foot in front of the other.

“Yeah, good people, normal friend group with their issues and drama. They actually lost their friend Louis about six months ago? That’s where that Bentley girl comes into play. She was dating Louis, and from what I gathered, Niall’s soft on her. Took care of her the most when he passed.”

“Mmm, that’s horrible. Do you know how it happened?” I said as he moved in front of me, walking on the same divider backwards.

“Nope. Just still feels new, you know? Mitch can barely talk about it when he does mention it. So I just avoid it,” he said, reaching out for my hands to help keep us balanced.

“I can’t even imagine losing you…I don’t know what I would do,” I said softly, his hands squeezing mine.

“I ain’t going nowhere, they’ll have to catch me first and I’m too fast,” he wiggled his furrowed brows, making me laugh.

“Yeah?” I said, my head tilting in a challenge, his hands quickly releasing mine.

“Oh come on Marlee, I drank so much beer,” he whined and I shrugged, instantly moving to tackle him, his strong arms quickly stopping me and picking me up over his shoulder, “You literally will never learn. I’m always too quick.”

I burst into laughter hitting his back over and over, “Put me down!”

“Nope, this is how I’m getting you to your apartment. Learn your lesson,” he said, hitting my leg, my arm reaching up to pull his hair, “Ow! You brat!”

We both laughed, Harry staying true to his word, carrying me over his shoulder until we finally got to my apartment. He placed me down on the ground, helping me smooth out my hair like he often did. I inhaled, shivering slightly, something that he often ignored.

“Thanks for coming with me today, it always makes new situations easier,” he smiled, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“Course. I had a good time, and Sarah and I have lunch plans. Me, plans with a girl. Isn’t that insane?” I said with wide eyes, a soft chuckle from him, a smile from ear to ear.

“That is actually, so now I won’t be forced to go on every single shopping trip you decide to take,” he teased, my eyes narrowing.

“You know you enjoy those trips, I always buy you cinnamon pretzel bites!” I pointed at him, his lips pressing together, in a questioning manner.

“I mean…” his eyebrows raised, laughter leaving him as soon as my face dropped in disappointment, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I’ll be incredibly jealous of you and Sarah’s newfound friendship.”

“That’s better,” I said, starting to look for my keys in my purse, “So I finished all the marketing stuff for you, new flyers and all. I’ll drop them off after work tomorrow so you can go through and approve.”

“Sounds good, thanks, Mar, really. The shop got to where it was because of you, so thank you. You marketed the shit out of it,” he stuck his tongue in his cheek.

“I told you we were going to make it happen, but H, you did everything else. You fix the cars, I just let people know the hot guy in town can do the fixing,” I giggled, pulling out my keys.

“And Mitch appreciates it,” Harry joked, my hand moving to shove him back. I turned to my apartment door, unlocking the front door. I pulled it open, holding it open and peeking over at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah, go get ready. I’ll call you when I get home so we can watch New Girl before bed,” he said, reaching over and holding the door open for me.

I looked at him nodding, wondering if he ever thought it was weird how we did this. How we called each other each night, watching New Girl until we fell asleep. It started as me making him watch it from the beginning, to now just rewatching random episodes each night.

“Don’t forget I get to choose the season tonight, I’m feeling three. It feels right,” I said, and he rolled his eyes.

“Let me guess, episode five, because you can relate to Jess’ need to stick her nose in everyone’s life?” He tilted his head at me.

“Listen if I didn’t stick my nose in your life, you never would have kept the auto shop, so…kiss my ass, Harry. Night!.” I smiled, blowing him a kiss before turning on my heel and heading into my complex.

“Night you troll!” He called out, my hand sticking up and flipping him off, his laugh trailed behind me.

Everything about tonight felt right, which was a relief, because I didn’t know how I would face Mitch at work the next day if it didn’t work out. His friends were funny, friendly and just the right amount of messy to keep things interesting. Walking to my apartment, I couldn’t help but ponder over my encounter before the bar, the girl and the chocolate croissant constantly popping into my head throughout the night. She had a permanent sadness etched into the furrow of her brows, her lips seemed unable to twitch into a convincing smile.

I couldn’t move past how stunned she was at me using “no drama” a phrase I picked up from the Australian exchange students at Uni, never thinking much of it. I wanted to stop by again every morning and every afternoon at that little shop, hoping to see her again. I wanted to find out why her brows furrowed into such sadness, what put that sadness there.

My phone went off, buzzing on my bedside as I settled into bed; without looking I knew it was Marlee, ready for our bedtime ritual. I pulled the cover on my bed quickly slipping in before calling out to my phone.

“Hey Siri, call Marlee on speaker,” I said, grabbing my laptop and opening up, starting to set up the Netflix party so we could watch together.

“I’m more than positive I grew an inch,” Marlee said when she finally answered, my eyebrow raising in confusion.

“Mar, I’m more than positive you’re past your growing age,” I said quickly sending her the link.

“Can you please just accept I’ve grown an inch?” I heard her clear pout through the phone.

“Fine, fine you grew an inch,” I gave in, adjusting in bed the show starting as she pressed play on her end. The show began playing, filling the space, my body relaxing into my bed. I loved this tradition we had, sometimes we watched, sometimes it just played as we talked or fell asleep. I bit my lip as I thought about the croissant girl again, a sigh leaving me, “I had a weird interaction with a girl today. Not weird, just…interesting.”

I chuckled, Marlee readjusting on the other side of the phone, “Oh?” She said softly.

“I needed to eat something, so I went to the cafe under the apartment—…”

“…—wait like..the store?”

“Yeah, I just knew I would be drinking, so, I just went in. I saw this chocolate croissant, went to grab it and this girl reached for it too. Pulled back freaked out, and I told her no drama, you know, and she knew what it meant - but she was weirded out that I knew what it was. I don’t know…I guess I’m just intrigued by how sad she looked. Her eyebrows were permanently skewed,” I said, realizing I was rambling. I took a deep breath, clearing my throat, “I’m wondering if I’ll see her again.”

“Well. I guess you’ll just have to see what happens. You already sound…enamored? I guess,” she said quietly, clearly tired.

“Yeah, have to see. I��m not enamored…I just, I’m just curious - but, let’s just go to sleep now. I’m exhausted after today. Night fairy girl.”

“Mm, night Harry. Love you.”

“Love you always.”

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