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narrycherries · 10 days

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call it what you want✨prt2

this kissing may be over, but you can’t seem to let the idea of it happening again go..

masterlist // part 1

word count: 6.2k

warnings/tags: harry x reader, friends to lovers trope, fluff, smut implied/mentioned

As the bedroom door opened, you stretched your arms above your head and yawned. Harry smiled as he noticed how sleepy you looked. He had been cleaning up after dinner, which consisted of takeout food and a movie on the couch. When the movie ended, you told him you were tired and decided to come to bed. You knew he wouldn’t be long. Even if he wasn’t sleepy, he was going to lay down with you.

“Hi.” You mumbled while your legs slipped under the blankets.

“Hi, peach.”

He sat his phone down on his nightstand and watched as you laid down on the bed, yanking the covers up to your chin and nuzzling your head into his pillow - the one he normally sleeps on.. He wasn’t going to make you move, you knew that.

“That medicine must be making you drowsy, hm?”

You nodded. “So sleepy.”

He chuckled lightly and leaned down, his hand pressing into the mattress. “Give me ten minutes.. I’ll be back.”

Your stomach dropped as his lips pressed against your forehead. It wasn’t anything new, he did that a lot, but after what happened earlier between you two.. it felt different.

“Okay.”

“Do you need anything? Water?”

You shook your head, smiling gently as your eyes met his. “M’okay.”

He wasn’t sure if you were just being nice so that he didn’t have to take the time to get what you needed or wanted. You had spent all day complaining about your leg and acting like you were unable to do a thing - and of course he took care of you. He knew sometimes you got upset with yourself for how you allowed him to cater to you, so he assumed you were doing that now.

“Promise.” You whispered after a long moment of him just staring at you.

“Alright.” He finally said. “I’ll be back in a few.”

Just as he promised, he was only gone a handful of minutes. While you waited for him, you laid there with your eyes closed. You weren’t intending to fall asleep just yet, but you were lost in your thoughts. Harry didn’t bring up the whole kissing thing at any point after it ended earlier - but it was constantly on your mind. Your heart fluttered as you replayed the nearly ten extra minutes of kissing that occurred after he assured you everything would be okay. It wasn’t too extreme - gentle touches and soft laughs - but it meant the world to you. Despite what he told you, it was important that you reminded yourself that just because he kissed you, doesn’t mean he’s wanting anything serious. He implied that he would do it again, whenever you wanted - and that’s all. Or well, that’s how you took it.

Your eyes opened as you heard him come into the room. You looked towards his dresser, knowing he would be finding some pajama pants to put on. And there he was, his back was damp as water droplets still lingered on his skin. You bit down on your cheek while you watched him get into a pair of pants. It wasn’t unusual for him to be in his underwear around you, but like always he was facing away from you so he wasn’t forcing you to look at his crotch. You noticed that his hair wasn’t wet, so you figured he didn’t want to have to deal with drying it. Well, he didn’t want to waste time.. he had promised you he’d only be gone for a few minutes.

“You didn’t have to come to bed so early.” You said in a soft voice as he walked to the other side of the bed.

He flicked the lamp on, then went across the room to turn off the light. “Tired of me?” He teased with a smirk.

Your eyes rolled as he took his phone from the nightstand beside you and walked around the bed. He put it on the charger as he sat down. You felt the dip in the bed, a reminder that he was going to be next to you soon. You couldn’t help but to watch the muscles in his back shift and contort as he moved his arms, messing with his phone and the half full bottle of water on his nightstand.

“M’cold, Harry.”

He smiled to himself. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

You let out a sigh of relief as he laid his phone down and finally got beneath the covers. He moved next to you, chuckling as you quickly turned onto your side facing him. He got close, but kept a distance like always. It wasn’t much, but it existed.

“God, you’re like a heater.” You said through a heavy exhale as you felt his warmth engulf you. Even though he wasn’t directly against you or touching you, his skin radiated off so much heat.

“You’re practically shaking, peach.”

“I’ll get warm soon.. doesn’t take long.”

He hummed lightly as he stuck his arm under his pillow. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

You gave him a smile. “I will.”

He went quiet for a little bit, but he was still paying attention to you. Your eyes were closed and you were trying to fall asleep, but you were still cold. Harry sighed and reached over to rest his hand on your waist. You smiled softly as you felt his warm skin.

“Lovey, do you want me a bit closer? You’re freezing.”

“Just a little, yeah.” You whispered back, your eyes still closed.

Harry moved over, his body just an inch shy of being against yours. This was normal for you, but after what happened earlier, everything felt so intense.

“Goodnight, peach.”

You curled your arms against your chest, and they were pressed against his due to your closeness. “G’night, Harry.”

——

While you slept, your mind was racing around with thoughts about Harry. You couldn’t help but think about the memories you had made with him. You even dreamed about the time he went bowling with you and your family two years ago.

You hated bowling more than anything. You weren’t good at it and you always had to beg your dad to ask the workers to put the rails up for you, even at 20 years old. Harry was teasing you about the rails, as was your brother, and you were very annoyed. Harry usually chose to be a little mean to you when he was around Austin. He never did anything that actually hurt your feelings, though.

“How are you missing so many pins with the damn rails?” Austin said with a laugh as you walked back to the bench and plopped down next to your mom.

“Family bowling night should’ve stopped when I turned eighteen.”

“Don’t be such a sore player, sweetheart.” She said, nudging you with her elbow.

“It’s tradition.” Harry said with a chuckle as he grabbed a ball and walked towards the lane.

“Everyone’s good at it but me.” You huffed while watching him roll a perfect strike.

“You’re such a cry baby.”

“Austin, act your age.” Your dad said with a stern look as he approached you, he went to grab a drink.

“Dad.. can you go for me?”

“No. You’re gonna play like the rest of us.” He shook his head and took his ball since it was his turn.

Harry sat down beside you, his hand hitting the side of your thigh to get your attention. “Why are you so upset?”

You huffed. “M’not.”

“You definitely are.”

“Harry, leave me alone.”

Austin overheard you, and he took the chance to mess with you. “She’s just a sore loser. She gets so mad when she loses.”

“No, I’m not!” You whined like a child. “I hate this game, it’s not fun. I don’t care about winning.”

“Austin.” Your mom gave him a sigh as she got up to play her turn.

“It’s the truth.”

“No it isn’t.” You crossed your arms over your chest and exhaled slowly.

Austin was up next, which meant he was distracted and not bothering you. Harry leaned closer to you, his shoulder against yours.

“Don’t get worked up over this. You’ll get upset.”

You shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Do you want me to show you-“

“No, Harry, I don’t.” You turned your head to look at him. You were irritated and he could tell. “I don’t care about bowling.”

He gave you a subtle frown. “Just try to have fun, okay?”

“This isn’t fun to me.”

He sighed as your mom called for you to take your turn. “Just try.”

You got up, not excited at all, and grabbed a random ball. You carelessly lined up with the pins and rolled the bowl down the lane. Of course, it curved to the left and rolled against the railing until it got to the end and only knocked over two pins. Austin was laughing while your dad was telling him to behave. Your mom was shaking her head in disbelief at your lack of effort. And Harry, well, he sighed and walked up behind you. He grabbed your elbow, stopping you from throwing the ball.

“Look, move over just a bit.” He tapped your waist on the right side and you did as he said, despite not wanting to.

“Look at the pins.. find the center of them.” He said as he pointed so that you could see where his finger lined up.

“Harry, I don’t-“

“Shhh.” He lowered his hand and touched your elbow. “Bring your arm back.”

You followed his instructions, moving your arm back as his hand stayed on your elbow. “This isn’t gonna work.”

“Just move your arm fast and drop the ball. Lean just a little.” His voice lowered. “Don’t overthink it, lovey.”

Harry stepped back to give you some space. You did as he told you to and watched the ball roll down the lane. You huffed, tears threatening to spill down your cheeks as you watched the ball curve away from the pins and miss every one of them.

“I’m fucking done.” You mumbled to yourself, but he heard you.

You walked to the bench and quickly got rid of the bowling shoes. Your mother was asking you to stay and have fun, while your dad was trying to console you. Harry just watched as you put your shoes on and grabbed your purse. You headed towards the arcade, the idea of bowling any longer was about to make you vomit. You were so anxious and overwhelmed, you just needed time alone.

When you entered the arcade area, you pushed out a sigh of relief and headed to the claw machine. You were decently good at lining up the claw with a prize, so you were glad to be doing something you actually enjoyed. You swiped the arcade game card and rolled in your lips as you started moving the claw. You didn’t know what was going on by the bowling lane, and you didn’t care - but Harry was telling your Mom how you were probably just overwhelmed from all the unwanted attention. Your family finished out the game, Harry rolled for you. And once that game was over, they started a new one without adding your name. You wouldn’t have cared if you knew. The only reason you were here was because this was something your parents wanted to do every six months - and they had been doing it since you were eight. In all these years, you’ve never learned how to bowl right.

You were incredibly tense and annoyed as you stared at the empty claw lifting up. There was no way you were going to suck at this, too. This is your thing, your favorite game to do anywhere. You huffed, but tried again. When you failed, you threw your head back and groaned. The desire to scream your lungs out was there, but you remembered you were in public and had to at least act like you had some composure.

The thing you weren’t aware of as you started a new round on the machine was that Harry had opted out of the game to go grab something to eat. However, he actually wasn’t hungry. His intentions were to find you and talk to you, maybe calm you down or make you smile. He walked into the arcade, his hands in his pockets as he looked around, while trying to find the back of your head in the crowd of people, mostly kids running around. He looked towards the claw machines and saw you. He smiled gently as you balled up your fists and let your head fall back again. You didn’t notice anyone coming up behind you, so when he appeared at your side and lifted his arm to rest it against the edge of the machine, you jumped.

“Harry.” You huffed lightly. “Why aren’t you playing?”

He shrugged. “I figured I could.. come see what you were up to.”

“Clearly sucking at everything.” You said, gesturing to the empty claw coming up from the sea of prizes.

His deep chuckle made your heart skip a beat, but you knew it wasn’t him making fun of you. Now, if it had been Austin here instead of Harry, then you’d be getting practically bullied.

“I think you’re just stressed, hm? You’re good at these.” He nodded towards the machine.

“Guess I have bad luck or something.” You let out a deep breath, you had a funny feeling in your stomach and you weren’t sure what was going on.

Harry stayed quiet and watched as you did another round of the game. He saw that you were going after a purple stuffed dog that was sort of stuck in between two other stuffed animals. His eyes moved to watch your face after the claw grabbed the dog, but left it in its spot.

“Do you want me to try?” He asked, taking a step closer to you and the control panel.

“Sure.” You mumbled back, moving over to let him take your spot. “If you get it.. I’m gonna scream.”

Harry laughed a little and shook his head. “No need to scream.”

You watched closely as he began to move the claw to the spot you had been going to this entire time. He peeked around the side of the machine, lining up the claw perfectly with the dog. He dropped the claw, but to your actual surprise, he didn’t get it.

“Maybe it’s the stupid dog.” You groaned, leaning close to him so you could swipe your game card.

“Want to try for something else?” He asked, despite knowing you really wanted that purple dog. He could just tell by how intense you were staring at it and how upset you were that you kept missing it.

You looked around at the other prizes, but nothing piqued your interests. Without hesitating, you looked up at him and caught his stare. He gave you a smile and lifted his brows, silently waiting for your answer. Your lips turned to a slight frown and you shook your head.

“I really want it.” You said almost in a whisper. “It’s super cute.”

That’s all he needed to hear. He started the next round and focused strictly on getting that damn purple dog for you. You were standing next to him, your body brushing his as you stared at the claw while he moved it. You felt a bit of hope as he dropped the claw and it grabbed the dog. It shocked you when the dog lifted from its spot. However, the joy didn’t last long. The claw was shaking and the dog was hardly hanging on. It fell before Harry could get it to move any closer to the prize drop.

“Are you serious?” You muttered, sadness spreading over your face.

Harry noticed your mood instantly and he gently touched the small of your back. “Hey, let’s keep trying, yeah?”

You nodded gently, biting your cheek as his hand fell down. You wanted it to stay there forever. The mission of getting the dog came back to your focus and you watched Harry. He was determined to win you the stuffed animal, no matter how long it took him. He was already considering buying another game card. But for now, he focused on the task at hand and tried his absolute best. Harry hated seeing you so upset. And it might be childish to some people, but he could tell you really wanted that dog. You had a mild obsession with cute things, especially stuffed animals. He wanted you to have it, no matter what it took.

“This might be it.” He said with hope as he dropped the claw and it grabbed onto the dog.

You gasped, your hands quickly wrapped around Harry’s elbow as you watched the dog move closer and closer to the hole. You squealed as he pressed the button and the dog dropped. He just stood there smiling, his eyes on you. Your mood had completely changed and you had your usual spark and joy back. You let him go to grab the dog from behind the small door.

“Oh my god!” You happily said, squeezing your hand tight around the stuffed animal.

Harry was chuckling, amused by your reaction and quite glad that it didn’t take forever to win the dog. Not that he wouldn’t have tried forever, but because he knew waiting any longer was going to kill you.

“Harry!” You realized the amazing deed he had done for you. Your arms flew around his neck and he automatically wrapped his around your body in return. He felt the dog hitting the back of his head as you jumped in his arms. “Thank you! You’re the best!”

“You’re welcome, lovey.” He said next to your ear.

When your celebratory hug was over, Harry insisted that you go sit with him for a bit so he could talk to you. Even though you knew what was coming, you agreed to it and followed him towards the front lobby of the building that separated the arcade and bowling lanes.

He sat down on a bench by the window and you sat right next to him, of course. He smiled as he watched you sit the dog on your lap, fixing its leg so that it was perfect. After a couple of silent moments, Harry nudged your shoulder with his. You did it back, realizing how close you were to him.

“Tell me what’s going on? You’re never this.. irritated.” He said with a gentle sigh, wishing it was easier to get answers out of you sometimes. You were a bit stubborn.

You shrugged, doing what he knew you’d do. “I dunno.”

“You know.” He said as he rested his hands on his lap and kept his head turned towards you.

You could feel his stare on the side of your face, but you kept your eyes down to the floor and fiddled with the dog’s ears to keep your hands occupied. He sat there, thinking about the things that could cause you to be this way, but he was coming up short. Even though your brother was constantly annoying you, it was nothing really new to you. So he assumed that wasn’t it. Your parents weren’t doing anything specific, so they weren't to blame.

“Are you.. upset.. because of tomorrow? How.. I had to change our plans?” He asked, slightly nervous to hear your answer.

You were supposed to have lunch with him because he’s been so busy with his classes lately, you haven’t had the chance to spend time alone with him. Sure, you’ve seen him a lot.. but your group of friends were always there. It was larger gatherings planned by other people, not little fun plans that you liked to make with him. He forgot he had already promised the guys of the group that he’d be over to watch a game with them. None of the other girls were going, so you didn’t want to intrude.

“I mean.. I wish we were doing that.. instead of.. bowling.” You finally spoke back, the corner of your mouth lifting just slightly as you thought about it.

“I know you were looking forward to tomorrow.. and I’m sorry. I really am. But.. we were supposed to have fun tonight, remember? You’re sad.. and I don’t like that.”

Your heart skipped a beat as Harry reached over and took your hand off of the dog. He laced his fingers with yours and gave you a comforting squeeze. This was nothing new, but each time it occurred your stomach would erupt with butterflies and your mind would go dizzy. It was just a friendly gesture, you had to remind yourself..

“I don’t like it when you’re sad, sweetheart.”

“I know.” You whined back, moving your other hand so that it was resting on his wrist. “This is all so stupid. I… I didn’t want.. you to come.”

Harry gulped quietly, a worry filling his stomach as he watched you. Your eyes were staring at your joined hands, and your mind was trying so hard to keep up with the conversation and not drift off to places it didn’t need to be.

“I’m sorry. By.. by the way your mom told me.. I.. thought you wanted me to.”

You huffed, immediately turning to look at him. Your eyes were watering and he felt his heart sink. Why were you upset? He was so confused. He licked his lips and leaned a little closer to you. Before he could say anything else, you spoke.

“It’s not that I don’t want you here.. I knew I’d suck at this stupid game.. and it’s em-embarrassing.”

“Lovey-“

“I don’t wanna look stupid. That’s why I.. I n-never go bowling when everyone wants to go.. but m’forced to do this.. and I didn’t want you-you to see me.. be such a loser.” Your voice was so soft and broken, and he hated that so much.

“Hey, hey.” He let go of your hand so he could turn to face you. A whimper left your mouth as you felt his skin rip away from yours. He quickly mended that by putting his big hand on your jaw, his thumb rubbing across your cheek. “Don’t cry over this.”

“I can’t help it!” Tears began slipping down your cheeks.

Harry shook his head as he shushed you, trying his hardest to calm you down. “It’s okay to not be good at everything, darling. You’re supposed to be having fun, yeah? It’s just a game.”

Your eyes widened a little as a new pet name slipped past his lips. He said it so easily that it felt so natural to hear it. You shook your head and coiled your hand around his wrist. He didn’t allow you to pull his hand down, he wasn’t done consoling you yet.

“Don’t you remember all those board game nights when you completely dominated? You’re a pro at those. You beat me in every board game we’ve ever done. It’s alright to not be good at something.. especially when you’re great at so many other things.”

“I’m.. embarrassed.”

“I know, i know. But you don’t have to be. I would never make fun of you or make you feel useless. You know I care about you. I’d never want to hurt your feelings.” Harry used his other hand to sweep your hair out of your face and over your shoulder.

“We.. we hardly get to hang out.. and I.. I didn’t wanna be.. picked on and embarrassed during the only time I see you.” Your words broke his heart.

He never wanted you to feel like you were alone or abandoned, but to him it seemed that’s what he’s done to you. Sure, his classes were getting more difficult and he needed to study more, but he could do that while you were over. You always fall asleep on his comfy couch, he could just use that time to study or do assignments.. He was making excuses for himself and he was neglecting you in the process. You weren’t as close to anyone else in the group as you were to him, and he knew that. He knew you needed him.. and he definitely needed you.

“You know what.. We will be having lunch tomorrow. You can come over after and we’ll watch a movie or something.” He said with a smile.

You frowned. “Harry, the guys-“

He shook his head. “I don’t care. I promised you.. I didn’t promise them.”

You took a second to think about this, but then you grunted. “But they had those plans made.”

Harry leaned his face closer to yours, his pretty eyes locked on yours. “But I didn’t promise them.. I promised you.”

——

A small whimper left your mouth as you began to wake up. You could feel Harry’s arm draped over your body, his hand tucked against your stomach. The sun was peeking in through the blinds, lighting up his room and making your eyes sensitive as you slowly opened them. He wasn’t snoring or grunting like he did whenever he slept, so you assumed he was awake or just dozing off.

You shifted slightly, your leg was beginning to ache. He realized you were awake when you started slowly rubbing your index finger against his hand. He gave you a little squeeze.

“Been wonderin’ when you’d wake up.” He mumbled behind you, his voice deep as it rolled through the quiet space.

“What time s’it?” You muttered back, too lazy to move over and grab your phone.

“About ten.”

Harry slid his hand to your waist and gave you a gentle pat before rolling onto his back, his arm falling from your body completely. You resisted the huff you wanted to blow out. You had to remind yourself, like always, he’s just your friend. He had no obligation to touch you or hold you or anything. Just your friend..

“Wan’ me to make breakfast?” He asked through a yawn, his arms stretching above his head as he sat up on the side of the bed.

“Please.” You moved onto your back and turned your head on the comfy pillow to watch him.

“What do you want?” He sat there for a few minutes, checking his phone as he waited for you to answer him.

“Eggs.. do you have any pancake mix?” You watched his skin move over his muscles as his arm moved to lay his phone on the nightstand.

He stood up, turning to face you. “Sure do. I got some blueberries in the fridge.. want some of those in them?”

You grinned. “Yes! Duh!”

He always bought blueberries because he knows you love them, whether they’re tossed in muffin mix or pancake batter or eating straight from the container. “I’ll get to that. That all?”

“Mhm.” You gave him a sweet smile. “You’re the best.”

“I know.” His eye dropped to a wink, making you flush a bit.

He walked to the door, you watched him get further and further away. You wished he could have stayed a bit longer next to you, but there was no telling how long he’d been awake. He said he was waiting on you, so you felt sorta bad at the thought of making him stay in the bed even longer. He was a morning person, you weren’t.

Harry stopped in the doorway and turned your way. “How’s your leg?” His brows dropped.

“It’s a bit sore.. but much better.” You told him, playing down the ache that was throbbing in your leg. He had done so much for you already, why would you want him to do more? It was just too much..

“Alright, if you say so, peach.”

Harry spent a little while preparing breakfast for you. Once he was finished, he made you a plate and came into the bedroom to get you. You had gone back to sleep, which didn’t surprise him. If there was anything you were a fan of, it was sleeping in.

He shook your shoulder while leaning down to talk to you. “Wake up, sweetheart. The food’s done.”

You grunted back, your hand blindly searching for his. He let you take it, and chuckled as you tugged on him.

“Gotta get up.”

“Get back in here.. m’cold.”

“C’mon, let’s go eat. You’ve slept long enough.” He kissed your temple, but didn’t let up on his efforts. His voice got a bit louder. “C’mon.”

“Okay, okay, okay.” You whined back, letting go of his hand and gently pushing him away.

He chuckled while you threw the covers back and stretched your arms. He didn’t want to nag you too much, so he left the bedroom and went to the kitchen. Of course he had prepared your plate like always, he just needed to gather your utensils and get you a glass of ice water.

When you strolled into the kitchen, your mouth opened in a yawn, you instantly smelled the food and your stomach growled. You sat down at the small table in front of the plate you knew was yours, and picked up the fork.

“This looks amazing.” You said as he appeared next to you, sitting the glass on the table.

“Hope you like it.” He gently brushed his fingertips against your arm before turning away.

There were a few thoughts circling your mind as you started to dig into the food he made for you. It was delicious as always, he’s very good in the kitchen, but you were distracted. And, that distraction was causing you to chew very slowly. Once Harry sat down across from you and began eating, he took notice of your weird behavior. He didn’t say anything at first, figuring maybe you were just still waking up and gaining energy. But, the longer you kept staring at the table with a blank expression, the more concerned he became.

“Everything alright?” He asked quietly, glancing up at you before cutting into his pancake with the side of the fork. The scrapping sound of the metal on the plate caught your attention.

“Hm?”

He lifted his brow slightly. “Is everything alright? You seem.. a little lost in thought.”

You quickly tried to come up with something to say. “Um, just.. eating.”

Harry knew you entirely too well to believe that. He licked his lips and took a sip of his water, his eyes never leaving your face. You were picking at the pieces of pancake you had left on your plate, debating on whether to eat them. You could feel his stare, but you hoped he would just let it go.

“Y’know you can tell me anything, peach.”

“I know that.” You mumbled back almost instantly.

He sighed. “Is the food not good?”

“No, it’s great. It’s.. not.. the food.”

He sat there in silence for a minute, just watching as you slowly drug the prongs of the fork against a piece of pancake. Sometimes, he wished you’d just be completely open with him. But he had to keep in mind that you weren’t really the kind of person to just vent when something was on your mind. You took your time with your own thoughts and only said something if you really needed someone’s input. Right now, he wasn’t sure what you were going to do next.

“Did I do something?”

You gently sat the fork down on the table and pushed the plate away, deciding you were finished eating now. When your head lifted and your eyes met his, you immediately felt your heart sink. He looked scared, almost like he feared to know what your answer was going to be. You shook your head, not wanting him to have those thoughts.

“M’just.. thinking about.. going home.”

Harry furrowed his brows, slightly confused. “What do you mean?”

Of course this wasn’t exactly what was occupying your thoughts, but it was one of the things. It just wasn’t driving you as crazy as something else.. But you opted to go with this instead, to make it easier on yourself.

“Um, I don’t.. really wanna go home today. I kinda wanna.. stay with you again.”

He let out a breath and cracked a smile. “You’re so silly. Of course you can stay, I don’t mind.”

You felt your cheeks fire up, so you looked down to try and hide it. “Okay.. if you don’t mind, I.. I really want to.”

“When I have ever told you that you can’t stay, hm?” His foot moved underneath the table to rub against yours, making you laugh a little.

“Never.”

“Never ever. And I’ll never say that.” He kept the grin on his face and it made you feel a bit better. At least now you knew he wasn’t worried about you.

“My leg is really sore and.. I don’t wanna be alone.”

He chuckled. “You mean.. you want me to take care of you, hm?”

You rolled your eyes and shaped your lips into a smile. “You’re so mean to me.”

“You know I don’t mind doing that either.”

You didn’t say anything, just gave him a soft laugh and stood up with your dishes in your hands. He watched you walk across the small kitchen and scoop your leftovers into the trash bin. When you cut on the water, he made a face you couldn’t see.

“Washing the dishes? You don’t have to do that, peach.”

“Just doing mine for now.. don’t want you to have to do everything.”

He just shook his head in disbelief and smiled. Usually he did all the work, not because you were lazy or you forced him to - but because he truly wanted to. He didn’t want you to have to lift a finger at his place, no matter what the circumstances were.

Once Harry had finished eating and cleaned up from cooking, he told you that he needed to run to get some groceries for the week. You were thrilled to tag along, of course. The entire time you were in the store, you were walking right next to him, your hand mindlessly holding onto his elbow. He didn’t like for you to be too far from him, his anxiety regarding your well being would always spike. You kept your curious eyes tamed and tried to fight the urge to run off and look at something.

He was letting you push the cart as he grabbed the things he needed. You would only let go of his arm whenever he needed to step away to get an item. He’d come right back to your side and you’d return your touch. You were holding his list in your other hand, it was slightly crumpled from hitting the cart.

“I wrote down fruits, right?” Harry said as you turned into the produce section.

You glanced down at the paper and read over his jotted words. “Mhm. Green apples, grapes, bananas, and one grapefruit.”

He nodded, but didn’t verbally reply. As the cart wheels squeaked and the music playing from the speakers in the ceiling was starting to fade from your focus, you bit down on your cheek and let your mind wonder off.

Harry left your side to pick out the fruits he wanted, leaving you to your thoughts - which, right now, wasn’t a good thing. All you could seem to focus on was the fact that he had kissed you for so long. It felt like it happened an eternity ago, it was so surreal for you. Without even realizing, you were gently rubbing your thumb against your bottom lip, the memories of his gentle pecks and soft touches of his tongue were making butterflies storm in your stomach. You wanted it to happen again, wanted it so bad. Wanted him to—

“Alright, got those.” Harry’s mumble made your head snap up and your hand fall from your face. “Is that everything?”

You stared at him for a second, trying to composure your sanity. Eventually, your eyes moved to read over the list again and you gave him a quick nod after glancing in the cart.

“That’s it.”

Despite trying to appear like you were completely fine, your palms were starting to sweat and your stomach was aching. All you could think about was kissing him again. How would you even ask him to? Would he be upset if you did so soon? What if he wanted to and he just didn’t want to ask you first? Similar thoughts kept racing through your mind, circling and spinning as fast as they could - making you feel nauseous.

“Ready to go?” He asked with a smile, nodding his head towards the front of the store.

You gulped softly. “Yep.”

[a/n: please keep in mind that this series will have several flashback/memory type of sections so don’t be confused! I will do my absolute best to make sure I clarify in the writing when a flashback moment is happening]

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narrycherries · 3 months

Text

call it what you want✨part1

Harry is your best friend, but one day things started to change..

masterlist

word count: 8k

warnings/tags: harry x reader, bestfriends to lovers trope, fluff, smut implied/mentioned

It all happened very innocently, out of the blue and probably due to the built up tension between you two. It was a cool fall day, nearly a year ago, when your big group of friends decided to play a friendly game of baseball together. It was a Saturday afternoon, you were playing your second game of the day. Everyone was having fun, especially your brother and his best friend, Harry, who both love the sport. Harry went to college on a sports scholarship, as did your brother, so they were both very active. A few of your other friends have always played the game growing up, including yourself, so it was always a good time whenever you all planned a game.

But that particular game will always be lingering in your mind. You were running when you caught a bad cramp in your thigh. Harry wasn’t on your team, he was actually trying to get you out when you tumbled over and started crying. Everyone instantly became worried - fearing you broke your leg. But Harry reacted the quickest, and the calmest.

He tossed his glove onto the ground and made the short distance to you, dropping to his knees instantly. His hands grabbed your face and he tilted your head so he could see you.

“Hey, peach, are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?” He asked in a sweet tone, his eyes skimming your lower half for any obvious breaks or bruising.

You shook your head and grabbed the back of your thigh. “Hurts.” You muttered back.

“Pulled a muscle, yeah? I know that hurts. Want me to get you up?”

A whimper came from your mouth as you nodded. His arms went around you and he picked you up off the ground. Your arm flew on his neck, whining began to erupt as you realized it hurt to put pressure on your leg.

“Everything okay?” Austin, your brother, appeared at your side.

You weren’t sure if he had been there the whole time or not, because whenever Harry was around all you could focus on was him. And he had been talking so sweetly to you, his big hands touching you gently. You were lost in a trance.

It wasn’t uncommon. Harry and you were close, due to his friendship with your brother. You hung out a lot more with each other than others did in the group. He was your best friend these days, not really your brother’s anymore. It was platonic, though.

“I dunno.” You sighed, eyes shifting to Harry’s. “I can’t walk.”

“Want me to get her?“ Austin asked.

Harry shook his head and suddenly swept you off your feet. “I got her.”

He carried you to the dug out while the game started back up. You weren’t bothered by not being able to play. You felt horrible, your leg ached like it was on fire. Harry sat down on the bench and sat you on his lap. You were still holding onto his neck, fingers tangled in his long hair. It wasn’t unusual for you two to sit this way - but normally it was in private. Like on the couch as you watched a movie or the nights Harry gets drunk and you look after him - he’s very clingy with you and always, always wants to hold you. But now, in front of all your friends and your brother, this was different. You figured everyone would brush it off and just blame your injury and slightly dramatic reaction.

“Feels like my leg is gonna fall off.” You said with a pout as Harry rested his hand on top of your hurting thigh.

He chuckled, squeezing your waist for a moment. “M’sure it’s fine, doll. Just a cramp.”

“What if I can’t walk tomorrow?”

He smiled, leaning closer to you to lower his voice. “I’ll stay with you tonight. Take good care of you, yeah?”

“Please, bubby. It hurts so bad.”

He pressed a comforting kiss to your temple. “M’gonna give you a massage when we get home. Make it better, promise.”

You nodded back. “You’re the best.”

“Mhm, I know.” He smirked as you rolled your eyes at him.

“Still cocky, though.”

Harry insisted on going back to his apartment instead of yours that night. He had a drawer system he was building for his room and he wanted to get it done this weekend. So you went to his place, not minding staying there for the night. You were curled up in his bed, the soft blanket you picked out months ago wrapped around your body.

You always slept so comfortably in his bed - ever since that time he assured you nothing had happened in this particular bed and no other girl had ever been in it. The idea of you laying where someone’s naked body had been, even if the sheets were clean, was weird. You took a little pride in knowing you were the only person who’s been in his room.

“Are you done yet?” You whined as he walked back into the room. The dresser he was building was finished now and in its new place, yet he was still walking around occupying himself. “Harry.”

He looked over his shoulder and smirked at you. “Few minutes, darling.”

“I miss you.” You mumbled into the pillow, your eyes fluttering shut.

“I’ll take a nap with you in a minute.”

You grunted. “Gotta rub my leg first.”

A shudder rippled through your body as you felt his weight press down on the bed, his lips against your forehead. “I know, sweet girl.” He pressed a kiss to your skin. “Five minutes, okay?”

“Four.”

He chuckled. “Five.”

“Three.” You pushed your luck.

Harry couldn’t resist it. He smiled against your skin. “Three, lovey. I promise.”

You always got what you wanted when it came to Harry. It made you feel special and loved - he cared more than anyone else about you. You kept your eyes closed as you felt him move away. You didn’t want to bother him because that would ultimately increase the time he had to stay away from you. So, you let him be and laid there silently, waiting as patiently as you could manage.

—

Harry was your favorite person to be around. Sometimes, you forget that he hasn’t always been your favorite person. You met Harry when you were thirteen and he was fifteen. He was the new kid at school, from a different country, but he was great at sports so he fit right in. He met your brother, Austin, and they became best friends. He was always over at your house on the weekends and during summer breaks. You used to argue with him over any little thing - more than you did with your own brother.

It was like that for a couple years. He would just join in on Austin picking on you, you’d get aggravated and tell them off to your parents. It all changed when you were eighteen.

You were at a party with your friends, and Harry and Austin just so happened to be there with their friends, too. This was before your two groups mixed together. A guy decided he wanted to flirt with you and when you didn’t return his behavior, he got touchy.

Harry had been watching your encounter from across the room, without you being aware of that. Austin went to do something, leaving Harry in charge of keeping an eye on you. It was an unspoken rule between the two of them - something even you didn’t know. The moment the guy’s hand grabbed your butt, and you shoved his chest in an attempt to get away, Harry knew what was happening. He shot through the crowd. His big hand grabbed your waist and he pulled you away from the guy and into his body instead. You were about to freak out, scared out of your mind, until you looked down at the arm around your stomach and saw some familiar tattoos. It was Harry.

“Back the fuck off.” He said coldly to the guy, eyes full of anger.

Your nails sunk into his wrist, wishing he could just sweep you away. But Harry loved confrontation- and he wasn’t about to let this guy get away with anything. Besides, you were only eighteen. It was the first big party you’ve been to, Harry knew you were going to be vulnerable.

“Gettin’ selfish, Styles? Didn’t know you were fuckin’ Austin’s sister.” The guy laughed, the realization immediately hit you - this guy knew Harry and your brother. “Does he know?”

“Fuck off before I shove your head through the fuckin’ floor.”

“Do it, then. Know you like to fight, Styles. Let’s go,”

Harry dropped his arm from your body, his skin ripping against your nails in the process. He grabbed your elbow to pull you behind him, but you spun around and quickly snaked your arms around him. He stood frozen for a split second, surprised that you did that but he figured you were terrified.

“C’mon, loverboy. Don’t let a whore stop you,” The taunting continued.

But Harry wasn’t paying him any attention. His left arm went around your shoulders, keeping you against him. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed the guy's collar. He held it tight, twisting the fabric to create more tension.

“If you ever touch her again.. I’ll fuck you up.” He spat out, then let the guy go.

Harry immediately turned you away from the guy and rested his hand on your lower back, not quite sure what to do. You were shaking, tears dripping down your cheeks as you kept your face pressed against his hard chest.

“S’okay, now, sweetheart.” He said in a mumble as he let his chin rest against your head. “I’ve got you.”

—

A happiness filled your heart as Harry finally came to the bed. He motioned you to roll over onto your back, so you did. You stretched your arms out as he pulled the blankets away from your body. You were wearing a pair of his briefs as shorts, along with one of his shirts. You had clothes at his apartment, but you always wanted to wear his stuff instead.

“Gotta relax for me, alright? Don’t be so ticklish.” He said with a lift of his brows, trying to be stern with you.

You smile sweetly. “I know, I know.”

Thankfully, all those years of him playing sports has taught him things about healing cramps and pulled muscles. So you never once doubted what he was doing. He grabbed your ankle and pulled your leg up, resting your foot on his shoulder. You winced as the position forced your muscles to stretch out.

“Harry.” You whimpered, reaching to grab your leg but he swatted your hand down.

“Relax, peach.”

“Rub it.. don’t pull it.”

He smiled when your eyes met his. “I know what to do, honey.”

You groaned as he grabbed the side of your knee and began moving your leg, pushing your knee to a bend - pulling a grunt from you in the process.

“Don’t want this part, Harry.” You felt tears swelling in your eyes from the pain. “Please, pretty please, just rub it.”

“Darling, if I don’t do this, the rubbing won’t make a difference. Please, trust me.”

You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. A mutter fell past your lips. “Never said I didn’t.”

Harry was well aware that you hated it when he said things like that - if it was the slightest bit against you, it made you upset. Of course you trusted him, why would he say that? Is he insisting you aren’t trusting him? Is it not obvious? Obviously, he knew and you knew he knew - but his reassurance was read wrong, you were slightly upset now. A bit dramatic, for sure.

“I know, lovey. Let me take care of you, yeah?” He said, the pads of his fingers were now digging into the back of your thigh, right where he knew you were aching. “Y’know m’always gon’ take care of you, peach. Don’t get upset.”

You nod a few soft times, your eyes shifted to meet his as you realize you were being a bit childish. Your arms fell to your sides and you took a deep breath.

“Play some music, lovey. Get relaxed for me. I’ll work your leg.. don’t worry about it.” He insisted as he took his phone from the pocket of his pajama pants and gave it to you.

You typed in the password, your birthday of course, and opened his music library. You had your own playlist saved, so you started playing it and slid the phone away from you on the mattress. He chuckled as you snarled your lip at his actions - he was stretching your leg again.

Harry couldn’t help but to stare at you as your pretty eyes closed. You were laid out on his bed, his hands on your body. He swallowed as he pulled his mind out of the gutter. You playfully wiggled your toes against his neck as he brought your leg up. He shook his head, grinning at you.

“I think you’re faking it.” He mumbled, gripping the back of your thigh as hard as he could, making you wince.

“Harry!” You squealed, kicking his hip with your other foot.

“Fine, fine.. I guess you’re really hurt, hm?”

“Yeah, obviously.” You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest.

He kept on with the rough, but pain relieving massaging. You let out small grunts here and there, each of them making his eyes flick to your face to make sure you were okay. You were content, despite the discomfort, because he was with you.

A few more minutes passed before your arms fell down to reach for the phone. Harry gave you a funny look as you changed the song and dropped the phone back down. He noticed the red blush coating your cheeks, your eyes avoiding his.

“Thought you liked that one.” He said with a chuckle as you let out a deep breath.

“It says the p word.” You muttered back, not wanting to talk about it.

Of course he wasn’t going to let that slide though. He kept his hands focused on your thigh as his eyes watched you so closely, not wanting to miss a reaction.

“What, pussy?”

“Harry! Stop!” You whined instantly, pulling laughs from his mouth.

He was amused by your distaste for that word. It wasn’t anything he wasn’t aware of, but usually the songs don’t bother you. He licked his lips and decided to give your leg a bend, working your muscles as much as he could. You winced as he pushed your leg, your knee bending.

“You’re such a grandma sometimes. It’s just a word.”

You rolled your eyes. “I don’t like hearing it.”

He lifted a brow, even though you hadn’t looked at him. “You only get irritated when I say it.”

“Because you’re my best friend.. I don’t want to hear you say it.”

“You’re so mean to me, yeah? Won’t even let me talk.”

You nudged him with your foot again. “Leave me alone.”

“Fine.”

The moment he let your leg go, you whined and tried to sit up to grab him. You failed and a spark of pain shot through your leg. He grabbed your thigh again, chuckling as you struggled through the discomfort.

“You’re the mean one. That’s the second time you hurt me.”

“Cause you’re bullying me.”

You smacked your lips. “It’s your fault I got hurt!”

He gasped. “What?”

“Yeah! You were gonna get me out so I had to run faster and hurt myself.” You lifted yourself up by your elbows, a pout on your lips as you gave him a hard glare.

“You know I always go easy on you.. I wasn’t going to get you out.” The curl of his lips into a smirk made your stomach bubble. “You get special treatment.”

“Yeah, cus you’re a pussy.” You cocked a brow at him, a cheeky grin covering your face.

“Me? If either of us is a pussy it’s you.” He chuckled. “You’re a bit of a crybaby.”

“Don’t say that!” Your smile dropped to a frown.

“See, you’re getting upset and I’m just joking with you, honey.” He leaned down a little, just to get a closer look at you.

“You’re so mean to me.” You huffed as your arms fell and your back hit the bed.

You knew he was joking and it didn’t really bother you, but the idea of him teasing you always made your stomach churn and your heart race. Every little snide comment was followed by a comforting mumble or touch, it was just teasing.. and it drove you crazy. Nobody else gets that treatment from him, and it makes you feel so special.

“C’mon, don’t be sad, angel.” He sighed out heavily as he realized you were still pouting after a few minutes went by.

You grunted, keeping your response very limited. He let go of your thigh and gently moved your leg so that it was bent and your foot was resting on the bed. You glanced at him, somewhat concerned as to what he was doing. You didn’t want him to stop, not even for a minute.

“Smile for me, peach.” He rubbed his fingers against your calf, knowing you were oddly ticklish there.

You groaned, trying your hardest to ignore his efforts. He didn’t like how you were acting, so he figured he could try to help. He ran his eyes down your body, but stopped as he saw your shirt had rode up a little and your stomach was exposed. If you were ticklish anywhere, it was definitely your stomach.

With no warning whatsoever, he shoved his hands up your shirt and started tickling you. You shrieked, kicking your legs up as he moved his fingertips against your skin. His laugh filled your ears and you couldn’t resist it anymore. You started giggling and squealing as he dug his fingers into your sides and stomach.

“Harry! Stop!” You whined through your first of laughter as he leaned down to move his arms further under your shirt, tickling up to the band of your sports bra.

“No, you won’t smile for me so I gotta make you.” He said with a chuckle as you tried to grab his arms.

“You’re so-so mean!” You couldn’t stop laughing, which was making him laugh just as much.

“Hey!” He yelped as you grabbed his elbow and sunk your nails into his skin. “That’s not fair.”

You grinned. “Don’t be a baby.”

“That’s it. I’m done going easy on you.” He chuckled out as he slid his hands down to your tummy, tickling around your navel and above the waistband - an area that drove you absolutely mad.

“No, please! Ha-harry!” You cried out with the biggest smile on your face.

He couldn’t help but laugh along with you as he tortured your nerves. It felt like a never ending sensation and it was causing you to curl your toes and squeeze your hands into fists. He was enjoying this entirely too much, and that was making you feel like you had the disadvantage.

In an attempt to throw him off guard, you tried to use your feet against his thighs to push him away from you. It was hard to concentrate your strength when you were gasping for air and twisting in his hold. Harry anchored a knee on the edge of the bed to strengthen his position. He was too strong for you to fight, but you didn’t give up.

“You’re a bully!” You said between laughs as you grabbed his forearms and tried your best to tear his hands away from your body, but it was a poor attempt.

Harry kept on, lightening up his movements every now and then to allow you time to catch your breath. But it wasn’t much time. He didn’t want you to retreat back to your previous mood. He wanted to see you laugh and smile and be playful with him. He wanted you to be happy, always happy.

For just a moment, he slowed down his fingers and shifted his eyes to your face. He needed to make sure you were okay and not too overwhelmed by everything. You caught his gaze and instantly grinned at him, a layer of blush covering your cheeks. He figured it was your body’s reaction from the tickling, a soft flush was covering your arms as well. The moment he decided to set aside for you grew into several long seconds, allowing you the perfect opportunity to get him back.

You grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward, immediately grabbing his waist to start tickling him. He let out a laugh as you curled one hand around his neck and brought him down even further, you needed better access.

“Don’t do it!” He said amusingly as you started pinching the skin behind his ear. He was sensitive there and it always made him cackle.

“Payback.” You smacked your lips, then shaped them into a smile as his eyes met yours.

You hadn’t realized how close you actually were to him. He was letting you have your way now, pulling him as close as you wanted and doing whatever you desired. His fingers had stalled on your waist, which surprised you. He had been so intent on tickling you that it seemed unusual that he stopped.

“Finally give up?” You asked with a giggle, but it was too late. He slid his arm under the small of your back and started lightly rubbing his fingertips across your skin - causing you to burst into a fit of laughter. “No!”

Your nails let go of his skin and you instinctively grabbed his nape, applying pressure that caused him to lean further down. Your body began to flop around and limbs were twisting around his body, trying to be freed. He kept on, laughing the entire time as you went through hell.

The leg you had injured was resting on the bed, but the other had wrapped around the back of his thigh. “Please, please.. need a break.” You begged through a whine. The tickling was now truly hurting you.

He decided to be sweet to you, so he stopped moving his fingers, but kept them in place. You whimpered softly, feeling your body start to realize the pain was over for now. It felt nice to come down from the intense high, but you feared it would end quickly. To your shock, Harry dropped down so his head was next to yours, his lips gently pushing against your temple.

“I’ll stop.. for now.” His words were soft as his warm breath caused goosebumps to rise on your skin.

“Thank you.” You whispered back while your fingers trailed into his hair.

“Only because I don’t want you to strain your leg.” You felt his smirk against your skin.

A heavy breath filled your lungs and slowly left your parted lips. “You’re supposed to make me feel better.. not make me hurt more.”

“M’sorry, peach.” He let out a low chuckle. “Want me to take care of you?”

“Yes.. that’s your job.”

He licked his lips and carefully placed a kiss on your temple again. “My job, hm? You’re a bit bossy.”

You shifted your head slightly to catch his eyes. You silently admired how pretty the color was. It was obviously something you were familiar with, but every time you saw them this close up you become intrigued. He furrowed his brows and gave you a smile, slightly unsure as to why you were looking at him that way. Little did either of you realize, he looks at you the same way all of the time, even if by accident. He had been doing it when you decided to distract him just minutes ago.

“Did I really hurt you?” He asked in the softest voice he could manage, not wanting to be too loud this close to your ears. He cared so much about you, even the simplest things were always being considered.

“No.. just made my tummy twist up.”

He licked his lips gently, turning his lips to a smile. “I can always rub the twist away.”

“I do like a good tummy rub.” You giggled back, thinking of the times when you would be on your period and he would insist on rubbing your cramps away. Just the slightest touch of his skin on yours would always make you feel better.

“I know you do, peach.” He quickly pecked your cheek, making your face flush even more.

“Thank you for taking care of me.” You curled your fingers into his hair. “Even though the tickles hurt.. i feel better.”

“You don’t ever have to thank me. Like you said, it’s my job.”

A meaningless sigh slipped past your lips. “Can I give you a hug? As a thank you.”

Harry gave you a soft smile. “You don’t have to ask me that, y’know.”

Without saying anything else, you slid your arm around his torso and the other around his head. He let out a soft grunt as he fell against you, his face nuzzling against your shoulder. The amount of security you felt was incredible. You never wanted him to move. You were the safest when you were with him, that you were sure of. Harry moved his other hand off the mattress and under your body, pulling you even further together.

“Can I stay with you all weekend?” You asked in a mumble.

He swallowed softly. “M’supposed to go to the bar with the guys tomorrow night.”

A displeased grunt came from your throat. That made him smile. He turned his head, pushing his face into the side of your neck. You wanted to beg him to stay home so you could be with him, but you didn’t say anything. The fear of seeming too annoying or clingy was something you had to deal with a lot. Harry was your friend, that’s all..

“But.. I can always go with them some other time.”

You sunk your nails into his back. “So, I can?”

“Of course you can.” He pressed a kiss to your neck without even thinking about the location - it made you gasp. “Um, sorry.” He nervously laughed out, about to lean up but you tighten your arm around his head.

“Don’t get up yet.” You muttered, closing your eyes as you savored the feeling of his lips lingering on your skin.

It felt wrong to soak up the pleasure like that, but at the same time you were so consumed by it that it didn’t matter. You were not at all mad about his little action, in fact you wished he would do it again and again. But, in the end, Harry was your best friend and you shouldn’t feel that way. Maybe you were just tired and overthinking how you felt.. or maybe you were really being honest with yourself for once.

“I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Shh.. it’s fine.” You gently chewed on your bottom lip as you relived the moment over in your head.

“Do you.. wanna take a nap?”

You shook your head. “Not yet.. my leg still hurts.”

A laugh left his mouth. “Want me to get back to that?”

You thought for a moment about everything that had happened. The way you felt when his hands were touching your body, the way your heart melted when his lips pressed against your neck, the way your eyes seemed to get lost in his.. every little thing. Perhaps you were tired, and your judgment was altered. Or maybe you were tired of pretending the feelings you always got were fake.

“Can you.. do it again?” You asked in the softest voice he had ever heard you use.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t confused. He gulped as he thought about what to say back. Did you mean what he thinks you did? No, surely not.. you weren’t interested in him that way.. or were you?

“The.. massaging?” He asked innocently, hoping that was what you meant.

It wasn’t that he was opposed to the other possibility, he just didn’t want to seem desperate or weird by insisting that. To his surprise, you answered him truthfully.

“No.. Kiss me.. just.. just one more time?”

Harry’s heart began to race in his chest, causing his entire body to receive sparks. There wasn’t anything he wanted more right now than to give you what you want - whatever you want. He licked his lips and carefully placed them on your skin. You released the quietest moan he’s ever heard - it was hardly even a sound, and that alone made his heart explode. Even though you asked for just one, he decided to give you a few more. He created a short line of kisses along your warm skin, hoping you’d be okay with that.

“Harry.” You whispered his name, making his stomach drop. “Don’t stop. I.. I like it.”

He listened to your command and gladly kept going. He didn’t hesitate to move further up your neck, marking your skin with his lips. Your stomach was churning in the best way possible, making a wetness grow between your legs. You tried your hardest to ignore that, but it was difficult. Harry meant the world to you, he was your favorite person. Now here he is.. kissing your neck and holding your body like this, like he really, really cared about you.

A small lump began growing in your throat as he covered your jaw and suddenly came to a stop by the corner of your mouth.

“You’re so soft.” He said through a breath. “Gotta be gentle.”

You smiled sweetly. The movement made your mouth touch his lips just slightly. “You’re always so gentle with me.”

He pressed a feathery kiss to your skin, still avoiding your lips. “s’because you’re my little peach, hm.”

A breathy laugh slipped from your lips. “I.. I.. never noticed this.” You brought your hand to his cheek and gently used your index finger to tap on the little freckle.

He couldn’t help but grin at you, his dimples sinking into his cheeks. You bit down on your bottom lip as you trailed your fingertip over his skin, admiring the feeling and searching for new freckles. You didn’t see anymore though. Harry’s eyes watched yours intensely as they moved across his face. He felt like the world had stopped and time was frozen. It felt magical to be so close to you.

“You’ve got the slightest bit of.. green in your eyes.” He said quietly, which grabbed your attention. “Just a tiny spot of it on both.. barely there.. the blue almost hides it.”

Hearing him say that made your heart flutter. You realized how close he had been looking at your eyes because those spots he’s referring to were very faint and small. You only ever noticed them yourself when you were doing your eye makeup close up in a mirror.

You gently laid your hand over his jaw. Your thumb was rubbing against his cheek, the stubble growing from his skin was scratchy. You took a deep breath and pushed it out slowly.

“You’re so beautiful.” He muttered the words as quietly as he could, his eyes locked with yours.

Your cheeks were on fire. Despite his weight literally being on top of you, you felt weightless and blissful like this. Harry leaned his face back down, his lips peppering soft kisses across your cheek. You closed your eyes and mustered up every ounce of courage you could. The grip you had on his jaw tightened and you pulled him over, his mouth brushing yours. He wanted to so bad, so desperately bad. You swallowed, trying to keep your composure.

“Please.” You uttered out.

He didn’t wait any longer. His lips touched yours, pushing against your mouth as he let out a soft grunt. You moved your hand to the side of his head, your fingers grabbing his hair as you squeezed your eyes tightly, trying to savor the moment forever.

Harry’s hands were glued to your body. One had snuck down to your waist while the other was on your back. You hoped he’d never move them. You wanted to melt into his body, never be torn away. A whimper fell from your mouth as he gently moved his lips away from yours.

“Harry.” You whispered faintly, unsure of how to tell him you wanted more.

“I.. I, um.” He paused to swallow harshly. “I can stop.”

“No, don’t have to.” You said through a gentle whine.

His eyes moved to yours and you instantly felt your heart overflowing. He gave you the sweetest smile and lowered his lips back to yours, but he didn’t kiss you just yet.

“Your lips are so soft.” He whispered, chuckling as you gave his waist a playful squeeze in an attempt to distract him from your flushed cheeks. “Peaches are soft though, hmm?”

You rolled your eyes and gave him a cute smile. “I guess so.”

“I know so.” He winked, then pushed his lips on yours.

Your stomach turned to knots as he started to move, guiding you with him. It was purely just lips, but the feeling was phenomenal. Harry’s gentle hold of your waist caused tingles to shoot through your body. You wanted him to squeeze you tighter, but you feared asking him. The last thing you wanted to do was ruin everything by doing too much.

A deep grunt filled your ears and made you pull your lips back. Your hand froze on Harry’s head as his eyes opened to look at you. He furrowed his brows slightly, wondering what was going through your head.

“Do you want to stop?” He said quietly.

You shook your head. “No, please.. no. Just.. wanted to see you for a second.”

He curved the corner of his mouth. “See me?”

“You’re.. you’re very nice to look at.”

His chuckle made you whine and furrow your brows at your own words. He gently kissed your cheek then made sure to return his eyes to yours. Your cheeks were covered in flames.

“You’re attractive.” You muttered once you gained some courage. “You know that.”

“You’re quite attractive yourself, peach.”

You scoffed. “Am not.”

“If you weren’t.. I wouldn’t keep doing this.”

His lips pressed onto yours yet again, sending an explosion of sparks through your body. You whimpered softly against his mouth while your fingers twisted into his hair. Naturally, his body began to relax against you, his pelvis nuzzling between your legs. You hadn't really noticed that your legs had fallen apart for him, the uninjured one was still wrapped around his thigh.

The kiss lingered for a few more moments before you decided to take it a step further. You stopped the soft pecking and parted your lips. Harry didn’t say anything, but he did copy your actions to slot his lips with yours. Before you could process anything, his tongue was slipping into your mouth. He grunted when your hand returned to his face and gripped his jaw, keeping his mouth on yours as you returned the favor with your tongue.

Your heart skipped a beat with each touch of his tongue against yours. You felt your core tingly, your stomach bubbling as his hands got greedy with your body. He was squeezing and sliding under your shirt, his hot skin burned against yours.

There was nothing in the world that could ruin this for you. You were both completely engulfed. Harry was grunting while you kept softly moaning into his mouth. He wanted more from you, wanted to show you how he felt but he didn’t. When your nails scratched down his bare waist, he let out a breathy moan, his lips tearing from yours for just a moment.

“Harry.” You muttered out and grabbed the fabric of his shirt, pulling at it.

He understood your unspoken request and he quickly snatched it off his body, throwing it onto the floor before returning to you. Your hands immediately hit his body - you rubbed over the contours of his muscles and ribs before settling on his sides again. You loved to cuddle with him and hold him there, so right now it was more than you could have ever imagined. It felt like he was yours and you could do whatever you wanted. Little did you know, he would tell you that if you asked.

Just as things were starting to heat up, you realized what was happening and who it was happening with. You furrowed your brows and opened your eyes the instant you felt his hardened crotch rutting against yours. He was deep in the kiss, both hands possessively holding your body. You gulped and turned your head so your lips could be freed. He huffed and tried to reconnect to your mouth, but you quickly brought your fingers to his lips.

“Harry.” You whispered, a frown covering the lips he had made swollen.

“What’s.. what’s wrong?” He asked nervously, unsure of what was going through your mind. Was it too much? Did he do something you didn’t like? He started to worry, his heart was racing for a different reason now.

“Just.. not this.” You mumbled back, gently pushing up against his hips.

He lifted his body up some, dropping his brows as your eyes returned to his. “M’sorry.”

“It’s okay.” You whispered back, making sure to give him a sweet smile.

He licked his lips and flicked his eyes to your mouth. “Are we.. done?”

A thousand thoughts ran through your head but you settled on just one. “We don’t have to be.”

That brought a smile to his handsome face, which made you feel relieved. “Yeah? I.. I don’t wanna be.”

“Me neither.”

Harry placed a kiss on your cheek then chuckled against your skin. “Then let’s keep going.”

He practically swallowed your giggle, he wasted no time hitting his mouth on yours. Within a moment, you were locked back in. He picked up where you left off without any trouble or hesitation. It made you feel like you were worth something, like he really cared about you. Despite feeling that way, you constantly pushed back the lingering thought in your head: he doesn’t like you like that. He doesn’t love you the way you love him. He doesn’t want to be with you the way you want to be with him. He just wants to hook up. He just wants to use you.. Your mind kept twirling with the same thoughts over and over again, which were making you lose the sensations you had felt before you stopped the kiss. It didn’t feel magical anymore, it didn’t feel perfect - it felt scary. What if he never wanted to talk to you again after this? What if you went entirely too far?

“No.” You suddenly broke the kiss and whined to him, your hand gripping his shoulder while the other stayed on his waist. “Harry.. we can’t.”

It wasn’t for nothing, though. His crotch had been pressing into yours again, making your toes curl and your heart drop. It didn’t need to happen. He was your best friend, he was your brother’s friend - it can’t happen..

“No?” He furrowed his brows.

“We can’t do this.” You shook your head, letting your hand go down to his pelvis just so you could push him upward again.

He obliged with your movement and lifted his hips again. He hadn’t even noticed that they fell down. He was just as lost in the moment as you were. But now he felt like he had messed up. Was it too much? He should’ve never kissed your neck..

“Not now.. not ever.” You whispered out, squeezing your eyes shut as tears began to swell. You wanted to break down, but you hated when he saw you cry.

“Hey, honey, don’t get upset.” He sighed softly as he realized you were holding back tears. He recognized that every single time. “I didn’t mean to.. m’sorry. I really am. We.. we can keep .. going if you want or if you don’t.. that’s okay.”

You turned your head away from him, your hand coming up to cover your eyes. There was nothing you wanted to do more right now than cry your eyes out. Harry took a deep breath and gently tugged your arm away from your face. You didn’t fight him, there was no point. He was much stronger than you.

“No, Harry.” You felt a tear trickle down your skin. It was such an embarrassing moment for you, but Harry remained calm.

“Hey, if you don’t want to keep going.. It's fine. And.. if you don’t ever want to do it again, that’s okay, too. I won’t.. tell anyone or.. bring it up.” He told you with the sweetest tone and comforting squeeze of your fingers.

“You-you don’t.. get it.” You choked out.

He licked his lips and let go of your fingers. He gently pushed your hair away from your face. “Tell me, then. Tell me what’s going on.”

You huffed. “I want to, Harry. I want to keep going.. so bad.”

His hand found yours again and this time you didn’t try to push him away. You laced your fingers with his and gently whimpered as he gave you a squeeze. His eyes were glued to your face and you could feel his stare on your skin. You could also feel how warm your cheeks were and how wet they were getting from the tears.

“That’s all you have to say, peach. We can-“

“No, Harry.” You cut him off. “We can't! I can’t.. do this with you. You’re my-my best fr-friend.”

“Sweetheart-“ He tried again, but you didn’t let him get far.

“Harry!” You suddenly cried out his name, tears flooding your eyes as your head shifted on the pillow.

You felt like you were going to fall to pieces beneath him. He cupped your jaw and started rubbing his thumb over your skin. You loved it so much when he did that during a normal situation, so surely you’d like it now. You did. You felt comfort from his warm, soft skin. But yet you were still sobbing.

“Hey.. listen to me, okay?” He said quietly as you tried to turn your head in his hold. He shushed you for a moment, trying to ease you back down. “Listen, sweetheart. Calm down.. just take some deep breaths.”

His deep voice caused your stomach to burst with butterflies and your skin to get chills. He could look at you and you’d explode with emotion, but his voice drove you mad whenever he spoke like that. So low, so sweet and kind and comforting.. He wanted to take care of you, make sure you knew he was right there.

“There you go.” He smiled to himself as you started sucking in deep breaths and pushing them out through your nose. “Whenever you’re ready.. M’right here.”

His reminder was followed by the softest peck against your temple. He didn’t want to overdo it by touching your lips again. You needed some time to cope, and he knew that. He knew you so well. It made you feel safe. Harry knew how to take care of you and what to do when you were overwhelmed. You loved that about him.

After a few quiet minutes of thinking to yourself and trying to slow down your heart, you opened your eyes and looked directly at him. He gave you a smile and relaxed his features, waiting for you to speak.

“I.. I want to.. I really like kissing you.. I.. just can’t.. risk it.” Your voice was incredibly soft, but he listened.

“What are we risking?”

“Everything. Our.. friendship.” You whined, but tried your best to not let the tears return.

He rubbed his thumb against your cheek to wipe away part of the tear stream. “Why is it at risk, honey? We both agreed we liked it.. nothing wrong with that.”

“We’re friends, Harry. I can’t.. have these feelings for you.”

He frowned slightly. “Why not? I have feelings for you. You know I do.. you mean the world to me.”

“Harry.” You breathed out quietly.

“I’m serious. I’d kiss you to the end of time if you wanted me to.”

You licked your lips and swallowed harshly. “We can’t.. My brother would freak out.. everyone would.”

Harry exhaled, wishing he could make everything go back to how it was just minutes ago. But he couldn’t do that, and he felt guilty and responsible for the mess up. He should’ve controlled himself. He should’ve paid better attention.

“We don’t have to tell anyone about this.” He watched your face closely as you went from being sad to being annoyed.

“Harry, I know what guys talk about.”

“I would never tell anyone anything about you.” He was quick to retort your comment. His voice got stern and it made you lock eyes with him. “I would never disrespect you like that, ever.”

You huffed through your lips then pouted them out. “I’ve heard the things the guys say about girls they’ve-“

Harry interrupted you. “I would never tell a soul about anything that happens between you and I in private. Whether it's kissing or cuddling or anything.”

You couldn’t dare tear your eyes from his, so you just stared at him. You could tell he was being serious but he was also hurt by your assumptions. You gulped gently, pushing down the lump in your throat.

“You don’t trust me?” He asked in a mutter.

“I trust you more than anyone.” You gently hit your hand against his chest, forgetting it was bare until just now. “With my life.”

“Then why are you so worried about this?” He sighed back. “Nobody knows about the cuddling we do.. how you sleep in the bed with me or.. don’t wear pants while you’re here. You never have to worry about that stuff.”

“I dunno.”

“Do you really think I’d do that to you?” He furrowed his brows again.

“No.. I know you wouldn’t. I just.. need a reason.. for this to be wrong.”

“It isn’t wrong.” He muttered.

“Then why does it feel wrong?”

Harry lifted his head some, just to give you some space. He was about to move beside you on the bed when you let out a whimper and slid your arm around his waist to keep him there. He gave you a smile and shook his head in disbelief.

“If it felt wrong.. you wouldn’t want me to stay right here, peach.”

You shrugged. “Do you actually.. care about me?”

He scoffed. “Of course I do. You’re my favorite human. I’d do absolutely anything for you.”

You thought for a second about everything and eventually exhaled slowly. Harry watched you as your eyes moved to the ceiling, your mind was lost in thought. He waited patiently for you to say something.

“Would you keep this a secret?” Your eyes shifted to his and you surprised him by moving your hand up to his neck. “Like.. whatever we do together.. kiss or.. or whatever else.”

“Of course, peach.” He assured you with a smile. “I’ll never tell a soul.”

You gave him a nod and let your hand fall to his chest. The feeling of his chest hair against your fingertips made your heart jump. You had a weird thing you liked where you rubbed the light hair on his chest. He always found it funny, but he admired how it made you relax. It was comforting.

“Can we keep kissing now?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that.” He chuckled before finally returning his lips to yours.

…

[a/n: of course, this is just the introduction to this new pairing and short series! I am so excited for this one, It’s one of my favorite things i’ve ever written. Hope you enjoy! + this is more of a story telling format that includes “flashbacks” so I hope it’s not too confusing!]

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