Tumgik
#fine line series
Text
Harry Styles — As It Was Part 2
Fine Line Series Bonus Instagram Blurb
Let’s check in and see how Y/N and Harry are doing ahead of the Harry’s House release!
Part 1 │Masterlist
Y/N’s Instagram Story
Tumblr media
Harry’s Instagram Story
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
Liked by yourinstagram, gemmastyles and 7,293,379 others
harrystyles As It Was. Out now. Hope you love it as much as I love Jamaica. x H
View all 102,382 comments
yourinstagram love you and this song! 
harrystyles @/yourinstagram Love you more
jefezoff Congrats, bro!
harrystan1 AHHH ITS FINALLY HERE!!!
harrystan2 New song and this pic… it truly is a blessed day in the Harry Styles fandom
pillowpersonpp So happy I got to be a part of it!
Tumblr media
Liked by jefezoff, harrystyles and 109,382 others
yourinstagram So proud of this one! Go listen to As It Was right now!!!
View all 2,386 comments
harrystan1 We love a supportive GF!!!
ynandharryforever It’s so good!
harrystyles Thank you for everything, my love. 
yourinstagram @/harrystyles my pleasure darling
hannahbananaa I can’t believe he wouldn’t let me listen to it until today. 
yourinstagram @/hannahbananaaa worth it tho?
hannahbananaaa @/yourinstagram Well yeah but it doesn’t mean I have to be happy about.
Y/N’s Instagram Story
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
Liked by annetwist, yourinstagram and 8,293,024 others
harrystyles Y/N Styles. Coming Soon.
View all 123,249 comments
yourinstagram I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me for a whole 2 weeks! 
gemmastyles AHHH CONGRATS BABY BRO!! @/yourinstagram sending champagne asap.
harrystan1 Does this man ever sleep?
harrystan2 @/harrystan1 Ikr? New Pleasing collection, new album, and now a fiancee?
ynandharryforever OMG I AM SOBBING CONGRATS BESTIES!!!
yourbff ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!? 
Tumblr media
Liked by harrystyles, yourbff, and 130,178 others
yourinstagram He told me we were taking a vacation because he needed a break before the album release but I’m sensing an ulterior motive…
View all 5,259 comments
yourbrother You better facetime mom before she sees this!
yourinstagram @/yourbrother she literally didn’t answer! gonna try again in a bit tho haha
harrystan1 From assistant to girlfriend to fiancee… she is living the dream
lizzobeeating I’m happy for you, but it should be me!
yourinstagram @/lizzobeeating its ok babe I understand!!!
hannahbananaaa I’m literally crying rn! So happy for you both <3
harrystyles Can’t wait to spend forever with you
yourinstagram @/harrystyles me either babe <3
225 notes · View notes
hes-writer · 2 years
Note
“For the record, I wasn’t going to apologize,”
THE WAY I GASPED
BUILDING THE SUSPENSE
2 notes · View notes
pricklenettle · 13 days
Text
inspired by this post, Danny’s lost in the ghost zone and comes across pariah dark’s keep. I had to draw it and had The most fun with the spooky green ghost zone
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
2K notes · View notes
sillyfairygarden · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
traffic series designs of the world’s most beautiful man 🫶 (1/2)
947 notes · View notes
mobius-m-mobius · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
#a man who DESERVES A SLICE OF PIE
1K notes · View notes
bottlesofrouge · 4 months
Text
☆ on one condition ☆ masterlist ☆
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・
Tumblr media
-ˏˋ i'll do it on one condition," harry drinks from his water glass and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "you can't fall in love with me."
"ah, there's the harry i know," lynn flicks her crinkled straw wrapper at his face, and it lands in the middle of his salad. he frowns and tries to fish it out with his fork, but he decides he's not really that hungry anymore. "something tells me that won't be a problem." ˊˎ-
one.
two.
three.
four.
five.
✰ part six soon ✰
228 notes · View notes
svechnikovvv · 1 year
Text
adore you
pairing: jack hughes x fem!reader
warnings: profanity
summary: jack has it down bad for you and you can’t seem to see that
a/n: sorry it’s taken me so long to publish this & for the sake of the fic, your fictionally older brother’s name is ryan
series masterlist: here
i get so lost inside your eyes / i’d walk through fire for you / lately you’ve been on my mind
Tumblr media
it started when you & jack were both six.
***
you were in your front yard with your older brother and the two of you were playing hide and seek and it was his turn to count. you had the genius idea to hide in a tree because, why not? however, what you didn’t think about was how you’d get down.
“ready or not, here i come!” you hear ryan shout from the front porch. about five minutes pass and you think he won’t find you until you hear his voice.
“i see you y/n!” you look down below you and low and behold, your brother’s standing there with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“i don’t like you at all.” you pout and he laughs
“come on, it’s your turn to count.” you sigh dramatically and try your best to climb back down the tree. however, that plan seems to fail, and you fall out the tree onto your arm. a sharp pain shoots through your wrist and it has you immediately crying. ryan runs inside to go get your dad as you sit on the grass holding your hurting wrist.
a hand then outstretches itself to you and you look up and see a brunette boy smiling at you. he has one of his front teeth missing. you give him your hand that’s not hurting and he helps you up.
“what’s your name?” you sniffle and his smile grows
“i’m jack. i just moved in next door.” jack thought you were the prettiest girl his little six year old eyes had ever laid themselves on. and you, of course, thought boys still carried cooties.
“y/n, sweetheart, let’s get you to a hospital.” both you and jack look at your dad coming outside with ryan behind him.
“ill see you later. i hope your wrist is okay.” jack says his goodbyes and you, your brother, and dad head to the hospital.
the three of you got home late that night and sure enough, you broke your wrist. you had to get a cast later that week and it was very difficult to try and figure out how to go about your day with it on.
a knock sounds through your house and your dad answers it.
“y/n, there’s someone here for you!” you get off the couch where you were watching cartoons and head over to the door and see jack standing there with a bag of sharpies.
“i came to sign your cast,” he smiles and you look down at the white, barren cast with no signatures and you hold out your wrist to him. jack scrawls his name in big letters on your cast with a little doodle off hockey stick next to it, and your dad watches the small interaction with a smile on his face.
“jack, why don’t you tell your parents that they should come over tonight for dinner.” jack looks up at the sound of your father’s voice and nods, taking his bag of sharpies and heading back home.
this was the start to an amazing friendship.
***
ever since that day, jack and you have been inseparable. you two were like siamese twins. wherever one went, the other wasn’t far behind. he stuck with you throughout the awkwardness in middle school, which was peak jack & y/n.
the big question: did you ever see him as anything more than a best friend? not really. but jack? he was head over heels for you, and it only got worse in highschool.
jack knew it was stupid to have a crush on his best friend for this long, but look at you. you were his dream girl. he swore to himself that he would wait as long as he had to for you.
you were so supportive of his hockey career and came to every game you could attend. you would also support his brothers and he loved how you bonded with them like they were your own. you remembered everything he told you and you always threw him the best surprise parties for his birthday. you got along with his friends, and to be honest, they thought the two of you were a thing to begin with.
but a bonus? seeing you sport his jersey at every single hockey game. there was nothing more rewarding than seeing you cheering for him in the stands with that familiar hughes jersey. to top it off, you’d always wait for him after every game to give him his post-game hug.
“sweaty or not, hughes, i need my post-game hug.” was your go-to line and jack would be lying if he said he didn’t have it memorized. like the way he memorized how your eyes lit up when he’d come out the locker room. or the way your nose would scrunch up when he’d get his sweat on you. jack noticed everything about you.
fast forward to his draft day. you wet right by his side and you could sense the nerves radiating off of him. with quinn in the league, he felt like he had a lot to live up to. but when they called his name for the first overall pick, that all flew out the window.
***
both you and jack looked at each other with shocked faces and you both stood up, embracing the other in a hug. you weren’t even the one being drafted, but the moment still felt so surreal to you. the ringing in your ears had become louder and it felt like only you and jack were in the room.
you pull apart from the hug and place both hands on jack’s shoulders. tears were streaming down your face and you were wearing the biggest smile. jack swore that in that moment, nobody was more beautiful than you. his y/n. and that’s when reality set in with him. the girl he’s lived next to for most of his life, he’s be leaving soon. he wouldn’t get to see you every day. he wouldn’t get to take just a couple steps next to his house and already be at yours. no, you guys would be miles apart now.
he broke out of his thoughts and shoved them down, focusing on the present.
“i’m so proud of you, j.” he swiped the tears away from under your eyes and pressed a kiss to your forehead. he then gave the rest of his family hugs and walked to the stage to receive his devils’ jersey. the whole time he had his eyes focused on you. the fluorescent lighting above lit up your face just enough to make you look ethereal in his eyes, even more than you already did.
***
jack will say, his rookie year was tough. and even more so because he didn’t have you by his side at all. you were at boston, the school you’ve dreamed of going to and he couldn’t be more proud of you.
***
you had the hughes clan plus your dad and brother with you in your living room as you propped up your ipad and dialed jack, and on the second ring, he picked up.
“hey gorgeous.” he smiled from the other side
“woah j, your hair’s growing out.” you paused “please don’t say you’re getting a mullet.” everyone laughed and shook his head
“not these luscious locks. who’s with you?” you maneuver the ipad to show everyone with you and he says hi to everyone and they catch up for a bit before ellen nudges you.
“right.” you cough a bit and jack’s attention falls onto you and you hold up an envelope from boston university.
“is that?” you nod
“the answers lie in this envelope and i’m shaking so bad right now because oh my god jack, what if i don’t get in?” your rambling was always one of his favorite things about you.
“hey, whatever happens, happens. just know, it’ll all be okay, alright? you’re a smart girl, so boston would be stupid not to accept you.” you take a deep breath in and nod. ellen places a hand on your shoulder reassuringly.
“okay, here goes nothing.” you carefully tear open the envelope and pull out a piece of paper folded up into threes. you look back at jack and he nods encouragingly. you unfold the paper and begin to read it.
accepted
you drop the paper and look at jack, tears welling into your eyes.
“well?” he asks eagerly
“i got accepted!” you start to cry and jack’s smile widens.
“oh my god!” ellen’s the first to pull you into a hug and jack wishes nothing more than to be there right now, holding you in his arms.
“awh, jack’s crying.” luke says, and you pull away from the hug to look at the ipad in front of you. you sit back down and wipe at your eyes, softly smiling.
“don’t let your mascara run over me, j.” he laughs and looks up, then looking back at you.
“i’m so so proud and happy for you, y/n/n. more than you know.”
***
ever since college started for you though, communication hasn’t been the best between the two of you. you’ve both been so busy with your own things, and when you do talk, it’s not for very long.
however, when jack gets an invitation in the mail that says, “you’re invited to y/n l/n’s graduation!” he cancels anything he had planned on that date and he makes it his priority to be there.
***
jack wore one of his game day suits since the red would go well with the school colors and he makes the long drive to boston. he sees his mom’s familiar car and parks near it, getting out and making his way to look for his family and yours. once he spots them, due to luke’s tall head, he makes his way over.
“jack!” his mom is the first one to give him a hug and he smiles, hugging her back.
“hey ma, i missed you.”
“oh i missed you too sweetheart.” they pull apart and he says more hellos to the rest of his family, then taking his spot beside your brother. soon, the ceremony begins and when your name is called, everyone erupts into cheer. jack’s smile could not possibly get bigger than it is right now. you did it. you finally did it.
once everyone was called, the graduates were allowed to go to their families. you stood on a chair to look for the hughes’ and your dad and brother when you suddenly feel two arms wrap around your waist, twirling you around. you’re laughing and they set you down and you’re face-to-face with jack. you didn’t know if he’d be able to make it or not. and when did he get so muscly?
“oh my god. jack!” you jump into his arms and he laughs, holding you up. “you’re here. you’re really here.” you whisper and he places a kiss to the side of your head.
“i wouldn’t miss your graduation even if i was on my death bed. nothing is more important than watching you walk across that stage.” you sniffle and oh how you missed your best friend.
“i did it, j.”
“and i’m so proud of you, you hear me?” he sets you back down and pulls apart to look at you.
“i thought i was the only one that looks good in red, but i’m starting to think you proved me wrong.” you laugh and the sound is so melodic to jack’s ears. he needed to tell you how he felt soon, because seeing you right now is making his heart have palpitations.
***
since your graduation, you’ve moved to jersey and you teach first grade at one of the local elementary schools. jack was ecstatic when you told him you were moving to jersey. he even convinced you to buy a place near him. he even introduced you to his teammates. they all loved you, of course, and jack was glad to see you getting along with them.
he even bought you a hughes jersey and a ticket to the devil’s home opener. it was one thing to watch him play on your tv, but in person on the ice? even better.
that soon became a routine: go to every devil’s home game that you could and of course take pictures for your students to see.
fast forward to today. it was raining nonstop today and you had to have indoor recess for the kids, so you’d been stuck with them longer than usual, and you were starting to develop a headache. the odds just weren’t in your favor today.
as you were driving home, your tire went flat so you were stuck in the rain on the side of the road. so you call the only person you could think of.
“j, can you come pick me up? my tire went flat on the side of the road.”
in ten minutes, jack’s pulling up near your car and you get out and make your way to his passenger side. the car is a lot warmer compared to the outside temperature and you turn on your seat-warmer to hopefully help you a bit. in no time, he’s pulling up to your house and you get out without saying a word to him. you were tired and needed a nap and an advil.
“hey, what’s wrong?” he grabs your wrist before you can get inside and you shake your head. his headlights were beaming on the two of you and they were making your head hurt even more. the cold rain was also pelting down on the two of you and you hated the feeling of wet clothes.
“nothing. i’ve just had an awful day.” you release your wrist from his hold and walk up your front steps, putting the key in the door.
“i’m always here to listen, you know?”
“yes, jack, i know. but my head is killing me so i need to go lay down and get out of these wet clothes.”
“why won’t you talk to me? you used to tell me everything.” this set you over the edge and you turned around.
“jackson hughes, we’re grown adults now. we’re not the kids we used to be.”
“okay, but i’m your best friend.” you let out a frustrated sigh because you could not believe he was doing this right now.
“just go home, okay? we can talk about it tomorrow.”
“don’t you see it?” he says weakly
“quite frankly, i can’t see anything. there’s rain on my glasses. but enlighten me as to why you have me standing here in the pouring rain confused, rowden.” you used his middle name. you hardly ever did that.
“i’m in love with you, y/n! how blind are you? i’ve been so in love with you since the day you fell out your tree years ago when we were six. you’re all i think about before i go to sleep and when i wake up. and it’s been so hard to be your best friend all these years when all i want is nothing more than to be your boyfriend. lately you’ve been on my mind more than usual and when you- god, when you look at me with those eyes.
“i get lost. i forget where i’m at and i want to bask in that feeling forever. the feeling of just your eyes on me. like my draft day back in 2019 when it felt like we were the only two in the room. you’re the only person i’ve ever considered seeing myself with.”
you were rendered speechless. you cant lie and say that the thought of dating jack hadn’t crossed your mind before, because it has. it’s like the stars aligned because next thing you know, your feet are carrying you to jack and you attach your lips to his. he’s quick to reciprocate and you feel those metaphorical fireworks go off.
the two of you pull away and jack’s smiling wide.
“does this mean-” you cut him off and hit his shoulder, making him laugh.
“yes. now turn your car off and come inside where it’s warm.” he nods and you head inside, making your way to your bathroom to grab towels for the both of you.
“leave your shoes by the door!” you call out from your bedroom and jack makes his way to you, and you stick out some dry clothes to him.
“you can use the guest shower.” he nods and the two of you take your showers to better clean yourselves and change into the dry clothes.
later that night, you’re cuddled up on the couch together, going through a keepsake box you had (which was an old shoe box). you then pull out a card and both jack and you give each other a confused look. you open the card and gasp when you do. jack had a look of remembrance on his face as well and your heart melts at the memory.
***
you loved valentine’s day because it meant free candy and what seven year old doesn’t like free candy? the teacher let the girls pass out their valentines to the class first, and then the boys did theirs.
you were sitting at your desk, coloring away at a valentine’s day coloring sheet the teacher printed out for everyone, when a teddy bear, a card and some candy is placed in front of you. you set your fuchsia crayon down and look up to see jack standing there, face reddening.
“happy valentine’s day y/n.” he gave you his one-missing-tooth smile and you smiled back at him.
“thank you jack. i love it!”
***
“i should’ve seen the signs back then.” you trace your finger over jack’s first grade handwriting and softly smile, setting the card back in the box.
“whatever happened to that bear i got you?” you get up and walk into your bedroom, coming back out with the small, stuffed bear. jack gasps and you fondly smile at him.
“i couldn’t get rid of rowdy.”
“rowdy?” he quirks a brow at you and you nod
“named him after my favorite person ever.” jack pulls you into his side and kisses the side of your head.
he adored you more than anything in this world.
Tumblr media
tags: @goldenbrokenheart @liquidflyer @alhanna05 @woodruff-edwards @i-padfootblack-things @fanboysfangirl @hughesx3 @austinbutlerscaresme @theywantedplayer @jackhues @marauderzkinnie @jackhughesily @babydollmarauders @akengii @bordeleaubeau @tomhollandsbabymama @starsandhughes @nowandkei @angzls @jhughesl0v3r
a/n: GAH, having mixed emotions about this
837 notes · View notes
todayisafridaynight · 8 months
Text
Tumblr media
'tumblr if you snipe the quality of another post of mine im going to break into your cellar and ruin all of your wine' translation: click for better quality
80's version
333 notes · View notes
pumpkinrootbeer · 3 months
Text
Eugene was truly the best boyfriend. saw his girlfriend get broken up with, and immediately had a revenge glow up. Imagine being Cassandra seeing your ex girlfriend's boyfriend and he's wearing a golden choker with the just deepest v neck known to man, the world's sluttiest gloves, and a thigh garter. I'd have to give up then and there.
81 notes · View notes
a-s-levynn · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
"Too many swallowed keys / Will make you bleed internally someday" A Series of Small Offerings - III/5 - day26
58 notes · View notes
Text
Harry Styles — As It Was Part 1
Fine Line Series Bonus Instagram Blurb
Let’s check in and see how Y/N and Harry are doing ahead of the Harry’s House release!
Masterlist
Four Years Later...
Tumblr media
Liked by yourinstagram, jefezoff and 6,830,224 others
harrystyles Been here for less than 2 hours and she’s already ignoring me to take sunset pics. 
View all 85,293 comments
hannahbananaaa as she should!
yourinstagram @/hannahbananaaa thank you for validating me :)
harrystan1 I would never ignore you!!!
harrystan2 @/harrystan1 literally same Y/N is so stuck up and spoiled. She should be grateful for what she has 
ynandharryforever @/harrystan1 @/harrystan2 she’s literally on vacation? she can take sunset pics if she wants!
Tumblr media
Liked by harrystyles, pillowpersonpp and 106,208 others
yourinstagram Home for the next two weeks!
View all 2,392 comments
harrystyles The view here is 100 emoji
yourinstagram @/harrystyles I try
harrystyles @/yourinstagram I wasn’t talking about you
harrystan1 Ok their vacation house is as big as some hotels… love that for them
yourbff MISS YOU HAVE FUN 
yourinstagram @/yourbff MISS YOU MORE BB <3
Tumblr media
Liked by yourinstagram, gemmastyles and 7,028,382 others
harrystyles I like it here.
View all 97,271 comments
harrystan1 In his jerk chicken era
harrystan1 @/harrystan1 JERK CHICKEN AREA I-
yourinstagram “JERK”
harrystyles @/yourinstagram :.(
annetwist Hope you’re having a lovely time!
harrystyles @/annetwist We are, thanks mum!
Tumblr media
Liked by yourbff, harrystyles and 110,249 others
yourinstagram In my happy place
View all 2,922 comments
harrystyles AKA anywhere with a drink in your hand?
yourinstagram @/harrystyles you know me so well, babe <3
hannahbananaaa drink some rum punch for me!
ynstan ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!
jefezoff Meanwhile I am currently doing your job for you…
yourinstagram @/jefezoff i’m on harry-sitting duty for the next 2 weeks
harrystan1 Ok Harry’s my dream man but Y/N might be giving him a run for his money
Y/N’s Instagram Story
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
Liked by yourinstagram, zackattack and 6,720,262 others
harrystyles Remind me to never let her drive again.
View all 92,224 comments
harrystan1 Harry you can drive my boat any day 😉
yourinstagram it’s not my fault! you were blocking my view!
harrystyles @/yourinstagram Excuses, excuses
pillowpersonpp tbh I’d trust her over you
harrystan1 Harry is SERVING us so much content 
harrystan2 @/harrystan1 vacationrry is my fave!
gemmastyles Ugh wish I was there with you guys!
yourinstagram @/gemmastyles fly down and meet us!!
Harry’s Instagram Story
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
Liked by yourinstagram, hannahbananaaa and 6 others
mickgreenberg New phone who dis
hannahbananaaa STOP I’M WHEEZING
yourinstagram damn I look good
Tumblr media
Liked by yourbff, harrystyles and 115,928 others
yourinstagram Looking at me instead of the camera.
View all 3,164 comments
harrystan1 I want what they have >:(
harrystan2 @/harrystan1 I want what SHE has ;)
yourbff AS HE SHOULD 
harrystyles To be fair you are very distracting.
harrystyles Also, you smell good.
yourinstagram @/harrystyles wow a double comment! i must be special
Tumblr media
Liked by jefezoff, yourinstagram and 6,952,201 others
harrystyles Looking at me instead of the camera. 
View all 91,291,273 comments
harrystan1 I love that they troll each other haha
harrystan2  and he looks at me… and I look at him… and he looks at me… and I look at him
harrystan3 @/harrystan2 STOP OMG it’s literally them
yourinstagram ok sometimes you’re distracting too. 
harrystyles @/yourinstagram Only sometimes???
yourinstagram @/harrystyles yes <3
Part 2
185 notes · View notes
shoulmate · 11 months
Text
It's not until later that night, when Rin's chest is pressed against your back as he's breathing heavily against your neck and he roughly whispers those three words, do you realize something's changed within him.
"Don't fuck him."
270 notes · View notes
stylescine · 11 months
Text
Tumblr media
His hands felt rough on your skin, the green of his eyes taking the air out of your lungs.
Fingers undid your hair, hours of someone else's work falling apart for him.
"Let me take you on a ride, princess."
A princess and a tortured tattoo artist. The recipe for a disaster or the love story of the century.
When sneaking out at night brings you into the arms of a tattoo artist, a taste of freedom comes with it. Harry Styles is everything you never had the chance to experience and he pulls you in with every new breath.
With him, you can be more than the princess. With him, you discover a new life.
But what happens when reality is catching up with you?
A princess!reader x tattoo artist!Harry story
A/N: This is an idea that has been floating around in my head for so long and I'm finally writing it! Below you will be able to find every part of this series!
Get added to the taglist
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 (Coming 07/08/23)
...
153 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
Chapter 4
Series Summary: Gemma is definitely Cassidy James' favourite Styles family member, considering they are best friends and all. And especially considering that Harry Styles is Gemma's smug and self-centered younger brother. Her life isn't perfect, and neither is she, but she knows for a fact that anything involving Harry gets messy.
Chapter Summary: With Cassidy and Harry's new friendship forming, multiple interactions have her wondering who is feeling what. But does that really mean anything when it comes to knowing someone so ridiculously famous, no matter how normal their moments may seem?
Chapter Warnings: Some explicit language, interview, mild anxiety attack, moving, Valentine's Day, mention of Kendall Jenner (please no hate)
Tumblr media
[ present - Jan 2020 ]
Cassidy glances up to the sky, down to her watch, and then over to her daughter, who is giving herself a pep talk so she can go down the big slide.
"Cece!" She shouts out, waving her back over to the bench she currently occupies.
Cecelia lets out a quick, determined huff of a breath as she sits and guides her body down the play structure. As her feet hit the ground, she raises her arms in the air.
"Mummy! You see? You see me?" She squeals, trotting her little feet over to Cassidy.
"Of course! You did so well, Bug!" She replies, her arms open wide for an embrace. Cece runs right into them, wrapping her little hands around her mum, and giggling with glee.
"I'm go 'gain!" She exclaims, wriggling out of the hug.
"I'm sorry, honey, we've got to go." Cassidy gently grabs her shoulders and sees sadness roll over her daughter's face. "It looks like it's going to rain."
Cecelia pouts as her mum begins to pack their things, but when Cassidy looks up, she sees her daughter's face transform into a wide grin.
"Harry!" She shouts, immediately leaving her mum's side and rushing behind her.
Cassidy swivels around to, in fact, see Harry jogging over to Cecelia with a matching wide grin. He removes a headphone bud from his ear and kneels down to greet her. As Cassidy makes her way over to the two seemingly now best friends, Harry stands up, holding Cece's hand as they walk back towards her mum.
Cassidy is able to see that he's dressed himself in a black hooded jumper, black track pants, and a black beanie. Very casual, and very inconspicuous. She may not have even recognized him if she had only gotten just a quick glance. But now, it is unmistakably him. His square jaw, his distinct nose, the glistening green eyes, and his trademark dimpled smile. She knows that face too well. And apparently, Cecelia can see it just as clearly.
"Hello!" He smiles, stopping as he reaches Cassidy. His free hand lifts up, appearing to reach out halfway towards her, and stops awkwardly mid air. She notices the embarrassed look in his eyes and she quickly leans in to complete the action of the hug that he was attempting. They've hardly ever hugged since they've known each other, but they are friends now. It shouldn't be, and doesn't need to be, uncomfortable anymore.
"Hi!" She replies, still a little stunned at his sudden appearance, and still partially focused on having retrieved all of their things before they leave.
"What are you two doing here?" Harry suddenly asks, causing Cassidy's gaze to instantly refocus on him. His expression is playful, yet curious.
"It's nice out today, a crisp 15° compared to the 7° it's been lately. So I brought Cece here to play." She responds simply as she throws her tote bag over her shoulder. "Rather, it was nice out today."
His smile widens with ease and it causes a blush to rush to her cheeks.
"I mean…" He chuckles. "I mean, what are you doing here in London?"
"Oh! Right." Cassidy nods, bending down to button up Cecelia's coat and help put her little gloves on. "I had a meeting at POPSUGAR this past Wednesday. Since it's a few hours drive home, and Cece's still on holiday break, we decided to stay a few extra days. We were supposed to do some fun things around town, but the weather's been shi-"
Her eyes grow wide and they both immediately look down to Cecelia, sighing in relief at the fact that they find her fiddling with her gloves.
A small something hits Cassidy's cheek and as she raises her gaze, she sees that what she was trying to avoid is already starting to happen. Light drops of rain begin to trickle down from the clouds and she scrunches her nose at the timing.
"Great." She mumbles with a huff of a breath. She reaches down for Cecelia's hand, who places her little fingers within her mum's grasp, then meets Harry's gaze. "We better get to the tube."
"The tube?" Harry asks as he looks up to the sky, then back down to Cassidy, with a concerned expression written all over his face. "That's five blocks away…"
Cassidy lets out a small giggle, and leans in slightly closer to Harry.
"I was trying to tire her out with the walk."
Harry brings his lips inward and exhales a quick puff of air out through his nose, trying not to laugh and bring Cecelia's attention to what Cassidy just admitted.
Harry holds his hand out, glancing back up to the clouds. He closes his eyes momentarily before dropping his head back down and shaking his hand free from the rain drops.
"Can I at least offer you a ride there? It's only going to get worse…"
Cassidy chuckles and begins to take a few steps with Cecelia down the footpath, heading away from the park, with Harry quickly taking his own strides to walk beside her.
"That's very generous… but I'm assuming that you don't have a car seat…"
He instantly scrunches his nose, displaying a similar contemplative expression to the one he had when he found out about Cecelia. But obviously not as intense in this circumstance.
"Right." He sighs, beginning to chew on his bottom lip and he watches the ground beneath their feet. "Umm…"
"Mummy. I wan' food." Cecelia interrupts, causing both adults to look down and see a cute pout reappearing on her lips.
"Oh. I think…" She begins to rummage with her free hand through the tote that had been swung over her shoulder moments earlier. "I think I have a granola bar here somewhere…"
"Can I offer you a ride to my place?" Harry inquires. Cassidy's gaze shoots up, and her mouth opens to rebuttal with the car seat issue once again, but is halted when Harry holds up a finger. She notices an expression she can only describe as giddy. "It's right around the corner. Just a short ride. And I'll be very careful."
Cassidy runs her teeth along her lower lip. She has no reason to say no. It must be instinct from the past with him that causes that to be her immediate reaction. She agreed to being friends now, and she means it, but it hasn't taken away the awkwardness she feels at his offer. And if she's being completely honest with herself, she is afraid of what could come from it. Whatever that could mean. But she reminds herself that they've begun a friendship. That's all it is, so she needs to set those boundaries for herself but allow that connection in her life. And in Cecelia's life as well.
"You'll get out of the rain…" He adds, his gaze flickering between her and the little one beside her. "And maybe we can have a bite to eat… if you want to wait it out..."
"Mummy, please?" Cecelia chimes in, and Cassidy is reminded of how easily they have unknowingly begun to team up.
As if the sky senses their pleas, the sprinkle of rain drops multiplies, and Cassidy can't help but shake her head with a smile as she watches a smirk stretch out Harry's left cheek.
"Alright. Yes. Thank you."
Cece begins to bounce up and down as Harry leads the short walk to his Range Rover. Cassidy stops for a moment and glances over the vehicle in appreciation. It definitely is a nice car. Harry quickly opens the back door for them, and Cecelia hops right in without any hesitation, as if she's been in it a million times before. Cassidy scoots in and places Cecelia on her lap, buckling them both into the seat as Harry gets into the driver's seat and turns on the ignition.
He places his hand on the headrest of the front passenger seat and twists around.
"Everyone good?"
"M'ready!" Cecelia squeals with excitement, as if she were being taken around in a royal carriage.
Harry's gaze flickers over to Cassidy, and his eyes grow wide with a smile. He turns back to the steering wheel and buckles himself in, then adjusts the rearview mirror. Cassidy catches his glance before he turns on the indicator and begins to pull out of his parking spot.
"This is different." He chuckles. "Never been the chauffeur before."
•••
As Harry leads the way to the front door of his Hampstead Heath home, nervousness enters Cassidy's mind, and she isn't exactly sure why. It could be because it's solely Harry's house, as opposed to the one she knew so well in her childhood, with Gemma and the rest of the family present. This is new for her.
Her brain replays the day that Harry showed up to her house, confused and upset by her lack of attendance at his birthday dinner. She was uneasy then too, as she had watched him walk into her own childhood home, highly aware he had never entered the place before that. What if Harry is nervous this time? Though, he would have no reason to be. His life, family, and household have never been full of the chaos she has experienced.
But perhaps it is even more than that. More than just a change in location or occupants. It could be because it's the home of the famous Harry Styles, and she has no idea what to expect. There's also the possibility that it is due to the fact that the times that they were in the same household, there was always some sort of irritated banter or tension happening between the two of them. So, this is uncharted territory for her. What's really causing the nerves is a culmination of it all, of the unknown, and Cassidy hates that feeling.
The opening of the door in front of her, as well as Cecelia wiggling to get free from her mother's hold of her hand, brings her out of the nervous thoughts.
"Ladies…" Harry states, holding his hand to gesture that they are welcome to walk inside. Cecelia squeezes out of the grasp and rushes past Harry into the home. His head turns to Cassidy with a small smile on his face, and she hesitates for a second while she looks at him, feeling a fluster inside. He's clearly not nervous like she wondered, he looks so calm and comfortable.
"Wow." She blurts out as her eyes dart around the entryway.
"Is that good or bad?" Harry quietly asks, an undertone of insecurity lacing his words, but his posture tall and appearing confident. Cassidy's gaze switches over to meet his, thrown off by the timidity of his question.
"It's lovely." She replies.
He immediately gives her yet another smile, then turns away as he closes the door behind them. He guides both her and Cecelia into the large living room furnished with a comfortable L-shaped sofa, a beautiful coffee table in front, a large TV mounted on one wall, with some art pieces and personal photographs hanging on the others. To Cassidy's surprise, it actually feels quite cozy. A bit like the Styles home she was used to visiting when they were younger.
"Thank you." He utters. "This was the first house I bought."
"That's why it feels a bit like home."
She looks over to him, seeing a wide-eyed expression, and possibly even a light tint of a blush on his cheeks.
"Okay." He claps his hands together. "What can I make for us to eat?"
"Oh, you don't have to do that Harry." Cassidy states, giving her head a slight shake. She quickly notices that Harry's hands are now resting on his hips in defiance.
"I'm well aware. But I would like to."
"Harry…"
"Let me do this. Please. It can be a payback for the crepes." He utters, once again revealing a vulnerable tone that Cassidy is not accustomed to come from him. "I make some pretty good soup..."
She instantly lets out a chuckle and nods. What she once would've considered arrogance in the past seems to have been replaced by sincerity. And instead of scolding herself for caving to his charm, she finds herself flattered. It's definitely a new feeling when it comes to being in Harry's presence, but she acknowledges that it is oddly beginning to feel less and less awkward. Almost natural. Cecelia's presence is probably a major factor in that.
"I like soup…" Her daughter chimes in, grabbing Harry's attention, and giving Cassidy the opportunity to take a deeper breath. Even with the more positive atmosphere, it is still new and it is still unnerving.
"Excellent! Will you help me?" He asks Cecelia, creating a bright and beautiful smile to stretch across her face.
"Can I Mummy?" She pleads, staring at her mum with the most hopeful eyes.
"Umm…" Cassidy looks from Cecelia to Harry, who once again has mimicked her daughter's expression.
"We'll be safe." He assures her, gently grabbing Cecelia's hand. He stops before exiting the living room and turns back around with a mischievous smile. That's definitely something she is used to. "You coming to help or what?"
She manages to shoot him a quick eye roll before he turns again and heads towards the kitchen, which Cassidy is quite thankful for, as she feels a blush working its way over her cheeks.
Suddenly a familiar nudge in her chest appears. She's felt this before with him. Confusion. And she isn't sure if she is relieved or scared to feel something known with him.
•••
It is surprising that any kind of food was made at all through all the goofiness from Harry, the giggles from Cecelia, and the conversation between them all.
Cassidy gets up from the table once everyone has finished their meal, and takes the dishes to the sink.
"Don't you dare clean those." Harry states sternly from the table, but with a playful tone behind his demand.
"How did you-"
"I know you, Cass." He chuckles, standing up himself and walking over to her. "You always tried to do the dishes at my parent's house. Figured nothing has changed in that respect."
She scrunches her nose sarcastically, and turns off the faucet with a huff, as the context of his comment really sinks in. He knows her. He actually does know her. Well, he remembers a little fact about her. But it's true that those things about her have not changed.
"Looks like the rain hasn't let up yet." Harry states, arms crossed over his chest.
Cassidy's gaze points in the direction of his, towards the window, and sees that he is correct. If anything, it has gotten worse.
"You okay hanging out a bit longer?"
She nods and he leads the way back to the living room, finding Cecelia already propped up on the sofa, kicking her legs as she waits for the adults to join her.
"Harry, you don' have any toys."
"Cece!" Cassidy exclaims, immediately giving the man an apologetic expression, only for it to be returned with an understanding shake of his head.
"You're right. I should have some toys." He agrees, sitting down next to the partially disappointed toddler, who seems to be easing up as soon as Harry takes a seat. "I have a goddaughter about your age, I'm sure she'd like for me to have some toys here too."
"You have a daugh'er?" Cecelia asks, an adorably inquisitive expression written all over her face. Cassidy smirks in amusement at the idea that her own daughter may be a little jealous at the thought of him having his own child. She knows that he doesn't, but an odd feeling fills her own chest at the thought.
"No. No. A goddaughter is… is…" He stumbles, shooting a helpless look at Cassidy.
"Harry's friend has a daughter." She adds, seeing his relieved and grateful demeanor. "And they've asked Harry to take care of her if they… ever really needed him to."
She shrugs at him, hoping her toddler will accept that answer for the moment, and he returns it with his own.
"Oh. Okay." Cecelia simply states.
"I might have something you can draw with. I know you like doing-"
"Yes please!" Cecelia squeals, bouncing in place.
Harry chuckles and pushes off the couch, quickly exiting the room, and returning almost instantly. Cassidy sits up straighter with a bit of surprise at his enthusiastic pace.
He hands Cecelia a stack of blank paper and a handful of crayons he must have had lying around, and her face lights up as she wiggles on the couch and leans against the coffee table to begin coloring.
He maneuvers around the coffee table and takes a seat closer to Cassidy, stretching his legs out and resting his feet on the table in front of him.
"So, you're up for a promotion, yeah?"
"Umm… yeah… how did you know that?"
"Gemma." He quickly replies with a smirk.
"Right." She replies, rolling her eyes. She should've known that her best friend would be sharing the news with the family, despite the fact that she hasn't even gotten the job yet.
"That's exciting, Cass! I'm sure you'll get it." He exclaims. Cassidy feels a mild heat rush to her cheeks at his excitement for her. For something happening in her life that doesn't affect or involve him at all.
"It would be a big change…" She nervously admits.
"What do you mean?"
She looks over to Cecelia, whose little tongue sticks out from the corner of her mouth in concentration.
"If I get it, I'll have to be in the office a bit more than usual. Which means we'll have to move here to London." She states with a sigh. "I'd be taking Cece away from what she knows."
She hears Harry hum, and switches her attention back to him.
"What?" She asks. He pulls his lips inward. In the past, Cassidy has been able to read the expression, but this time it leaves her puzzled. "Please tell me."
"Well…" He clears his throat. "It's not such a bad thing. Right? I mean, it's a better job with better pay. And London is a great place to live."
"It's not that simple." She quickly and quietly replies. "You're not a parent Harry, you don't understand."
There's a sudden silence and Harry's head drops down, causing Cassidy's heart to do the same. She didn't intend to be mean. Maybe it was instinct, but she hates that thought. She's nervous about the situation, and the decision can't be made there on that couch. Not with him. This is something she will have to figure out on her own, if it even comes to that.
"I'm sorry, Harry. That was rude of me."
His gaze shoots back up to hers with the most shocked expression he's ever displayed. He's looking at her like she's never apologized to him before. Her chest begins to tighten. Maybe she hasn't.
"No. You're right. It's a lot more complicated." He runs his hand through to tossle his soft, curly locks and gives her a small smile. "For what it's worth, I think you'll get it. And… it'll be nice to have you here… in London."
"Yeah." She replies, feeling that heat return to her cheeks. "Will be nice to have another friend nearby."
That famous, heart-stopping grin spreads across his face as if she just gave him the biggest compliment he has ever received. Her expression turns inquisitive and she opens her mouth to speak, but is stopped when his head quickly turns back to the window.
"Hm. Seems the rain's letting up." He mutters, slowly returning his gaze to hers. "I was thinking I'd call Ben, see if we can borrow his daughter's car seat for Cece. Then I can drive you both back to your hotel if you'd like."
"Oh. Right." She utters back, unintentionally letting out a small sigh behind her words.
A small giggle from across the coffee table grabs their attention and they both turn to find Cecelia scribbling vigorously across what looks like her fourth piece of paper. Cassidy smiles and turns back to Harry when she hears him release a small chuckle.
"Maybe…" She hesitantly begins. "I could let her finish just one more?"
His eyes widen as he nods.
"Sure." Harry clears his throat as he pulls his phone out of his pocket and stands up from the sofa. "Can't interrupt an artist in the middle of creating a masterpiece. I'll just call Ben. And then make us some tea."
"Thank you."
"It's no problem at all." Harry states as he leaves Cassidy and Cecelia together in the living room.
"Hey Bug, you can color a little bit longer, then we'll leave."
"Okay, Mummy." Her daughter replies, her focus never leaving the paper in front of her, with her little hand moving from one corner to the other. "But can we come back soon?"
"Why do you want to come back soon?" Cassidy asks, not shocked, but very curious to hear Cecelia's reasoning.
"I like it here at Harry's house." She states, so matter-of-fact, as if that should be well-known to her mum.
"I'm glad to hear that." Harry's cheerful voice replies from the room's entryway. Cassidy turns to find the same beaming grin from moments before, with two cups of tea in his hands, as he makes his way back to his previous spot on the couch. He hands one cup to Cassidy, then flickers his gaze between her and the toddler across the way. "And you're both welcome here any time."
•••
The morning has not gone as planned, not even in the slightest. Today is the interview for Cassidy's potential promotion. She had been excited, calm, and confident up until this point.
Cecelia's daycare teacher has gotten sick, which Cassidy thought she had resolved by bringing her along to London the night before, with an offer from Roxie to look after her daughter during the interview.
But now, the morning of the interview, Roxie has been given an urgent assignment, leaving Cassidy to figure out whether she can find someone else in London to look after her daughter, or cancel the interview that could potentially be a life-changing moment for the two of them.
She stares at her phone, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, as she scrolls through her contact list.
Her thumb stops and she looks over the name that caught her attention. She couldn't possibly ask him, or expect him to do this favor for her. He might not even be in town, or in the country, for all she knows. But, her desperation takes over. It's her last resort before she gives up.
She brings the phone to her ear and listens as it only rings twice before she hears a breath on the other line.
"Cass?"
"Hey, Harry." She replies, already feeling defeated as she can determine that there is music playing in the background. Of course he is busy.
"How's it going?"
"It's… well…"
"What's wrong?" He asks suddenly, a stern concern evident in his tone.
"It's nothing. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
"Cass… what is it?"
"I… I have my interview today, but…" She sighs, still unsure whether to ask such a big thing of someone she only recently became friends with. "But I don't have anyone to watch Cece. Her daycare teacher is sick. Your mum and Gem are busy, and now Roxie has to work. If I can't find someone to look after her then I have to cancel and I don't know what that-"
"Cass. It's gonna be alright. Take a breath for me, in and out." He encourages in a soft voice. It's one she has heard before, each time she's begun to panic in front of him. He was the cause of at least one of those sudden attacks, to an extent, but he is also the one who has been there to calm her down. This time seems to be no different, even if it's through the phone. "I'd be happy to watch her."
"What?" She stops in her tracks, not even realizing she was pacing back and forth in the hotel room.
"If you were going to ask if I can look after Cece, then yes, I can."
"Harry… you don't have to do this. I'm sure you're busy and I don't want to bother you. I can figure something else out."
She hears the music cease and a small laugh replaces the noise on the other end of the call.
"I wouldn't have offered it if I couldn't do it." He replies, serious but also with a hint of sweetness to his statement. "I want to help. Please let me."
The tears that had stationed themselves in her eyes begin to trickle down her skin, and she quickly wipes them away, as if visible to Harry through the call. The panic fades and is replaced by overwhelming gratitude. She doesn't know why he's doing such a big thing for her, but she couldn't be more thankful for his help, and she is determined to repay him one day, somehow.
"Th-thank you. Harry. This… this means a lot."
"Anytime, Cass." He immediately replies. "I'll send you my address. Just message me when you're on your way."
•••
As she walks out of the office and back to her car, Cassidy cannot hide the smile stretched across her face. All the nerves about finding help with Cecelia, about spontaneously calling Harry to help, about ruining his day by leaving her with him, and about the interview in general, have all become a distant memory at this point. She isn't sure what she was so worked up about, because everything worked out fine. Perfect, in fact. That's something she isn't used to, but at this moment, she will embrace it.
She pulls into the driveway of Harry's home, anxious to get inside and share the news. So much is about to change for the two of them, but Harry was right, this is a good thing for both her and Cecelia. As terrifying as it may be, it's still a very good thing.
She bounces up to his front door and knocks a few times, her legs shaking with adrenaline and anticipation.
But there's no answer.
She knocks again, attempting to hear any type of movement, but is met with nothing. She pulls out her phone and opens up the messages from Harry, pausing when she lands on the one with the code to his front door. When the light on the keypad signals and she pushes it open, she walks through and is surprised to find only a quiet, muffled noise coming from the living room.
She walks in that direction and comes to a sudden stop when she enters the room. Her heart stops, then races, and then flutters.
There on one side of the sofa lies her daughter, curled up under her favorite blanket with her new favorite brown bunny that had been gifted to her by Harry. On the other side of the couch is that particular man. His head is resting on his arm, his mouth slightly agape, and an unfamiliar stuffed animal in the crook of his other arm.
On the television, credits are rolling for what she can determine was a Disney movie. It's now clear that was the noise she heard from the front door. Her gaze wanders around the room and the fluttering in her chest grows as she sees two large wicker storage baskets full of toys.
He bought toys for his house. Just like he agreed with Cecelia that he should do.
She maneuvers around the sofa and kneels down in front of him, placing her palm on his shoulder and gently rocking it to wake him.
"What-..." He mumbles, eyes blinking open and widening when he sees her in front of him.
She brings her finger to her mouth, then points in the direction of her daughter, still content in her slumber, so he nods as he lifts himself up.
Cassidy stands and walks out to the kitchen, with Harry's shuffling following close behind. Once she reaches the kitchen, she turns around to see him rubbing his eyes with a large yawn.
"I'm sorry I woke you up…" She chuckles, noticing the plush toy still nestled under his arm.
"I'm sorry I fell asleep." He replies with his voice still laced with drowsiness. His gaze drops down to the stuffed animal and he plucks it out with a giggle and sets it down on the counter.
"Looks like you two had a good time."
"We did. Played 'zoo', and watched a movie. Both of us must've fallen asleep during it, but I think she had a lot of fun."
"Harry… thank you." Cassidy states, a sudden timidity creating a dryness in her throat, which she tries to clear before her next words come out. "You didn't… I mean, this was…"
"Cass…" He replies, placing a warm, comforting hand on her arm. "It was no problem for me. I was happy to help. Alright?"
She responds with a simple nod, unable to truly give him any other statement that could express her gratitude. Though, he seems to understand. Somehow he knows.
"But hey, how'd it go? Did you get it? Did you get the promotion?"
His enthusiasm sparks a smile from her and she bites her lower lip to control her own excitement, only to not wake Cecelia just yet.
"Yes."
"That's amazing! I knew you would." He doesn't hesitate and pulls her in for a congratulatory embrace. His scent, that familiar and consistently sultry scent, overwhelms her senses and she cannot hold back from melting into his hold. Just a little bit. It feels nice to have someone, other than a three year old, to share this moment with. "We should celebrate!"
"What?"
"We should celebrate!" He pulls back from her and clears his throat as he runs his fingers through his hair, a shy expression taking over his exuberant one. "It's just… this is good news… and it should be celebrated."
"We don't need to do anything." She replies sheepishly.
"I know. I know. You don't like people fussing over you, but you're allowed to enjoy the moment, Cass." He smiles so sweetly at her that it causes that mildly familiar flutter in her heart. "How about I make you dinner?"
With the sincerest look in his gorgeous green eye, it feels almost impossible to turn down his offer. Not that it is something to be rejected. It's such a generous thing he wants to do for her, after already helping her out so much, even if he thinks very minimally of it. She isn't used to that sort of kindness. Besides Anne, Robin, and Gemma, of course. But definitely not from Harry, who could be doing way more exciting things with his time. This thoughtful gesture adds to his genuine plea to be friends, and since her new home will be London soom, she may as well take as many friends as she can get, and really give this friendship with Harry her full effort.
"Alright, Styles. I'll do it for you."
"It's not for m-"
"I'm joking. Dinner sounds great." She chuckles, shooting him the mischievous smirk that she is used to receiving from that exact person. "And thank you, for everything."
"Cheeky." He replies, poking his tongue out in a playful, childish manner. Something she used to see when they were kids, but it causes her to let out a huge laugh seeing a grown man reenact the same gesture. "And it's my pleasure."
•••
Despite Harry's protest, Cassidy stands at the sink, cleaning off the dishes he has used to prepare the delicious meal for the three of them. And as Cecelia winds down with a show on the television, Harry stands in the kitchen beside Cassidy to help.
"Thank you, again, for dinner." She states, enough to be heard over the running water. "You really didn't have to."
"Cass…" Harry replies sternly, and she turns to see a serious look in his facial features. "I know I didn't need to. But I wanted to. And, please, please know that's the truth. Yeah? You don't need to worry about that. I like doing things for my friends."
"I just…" She clears her throat as she hands him a plate to dry off, keeping her gaze on the task in front of her. "I feel as if you're doing a lot for us… too much. More than a friend needs to."
A silence falls between them, and Cassidy can't even discern why she said that. Not even what she meant by it, really. The only thing she can come up with is that she isn't used to this level of kindness and generosity, especially not from him. Especially since they hated each other for so long, and only recently changed that dynamic into something much more positive.
"What do you mean?" He quietly asks, and as she turns to his direction, she is met with the sight of him running his teeth against his bottom lip, something she knows he's done before when he's worried. Or at least contemplative.
"I'm sorry. I'm… I'm very grateful. I guess it just… feels like a big change… all at once, and…" She sighs, turning her gaze back to the sink, absolutely smothered in nervousness and maybe even embarrassment at the next words she knows will slip out next. "And I just need to know if… shit… if you're expecting… something… more."
A subtle chuckle next to her grabs her attention and she faces him once again, anxiety practically pouring down her face, but seeing his worry turning into potential amusement.
"No. Umm… no, that's not what it is." He pulls his lips inwards and meets her gaze, clearly seeing her glare, and straightens up like a child getting scolded, even though a small smile remains on his face. "It's just… I guess… I've been trying to make up for lost time or something."
"What? Lost time?" Cassidy asks nervously. Even with his light-hearted demeanor, she isn't sure what to expect for what he could mean.
"Umm… yeah. Like, for not being friends for so long."
"You've wanted to be friends for a long time?" She asks, her mouth dropping open with shock. Whatever she thought he was going to say, that was not it. "Like, since we… you know… hooked up?"
"Hooked-... that wasn't-..." He clears his throat as he dries his hands off with the towel, placing it down on the kitchen counter and turning his body to face Cassidy full on. "No, I've wanted to be friends since we were kids."
"What? Really?" Cassidy replies, her eyes growing as wide as possible and she feels as if she could be knocked over from the shock of his admission. "But you pestered me and Gemma all the time!"
"Well yeah! That's what younger brothers do." He chuckles, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms around his chest with a mischievous smirk on his face. "I read it somewhere in the handbook."
"But I'm not your sister…"
"No. You're definitely not." He utters, looking down at his arms before returning his gaze back to her. "But you were, are, Gem's best friend. So, I suppose the pestering transferred to you as well. But… I, umm, did want to be your friend too, back then."
"Funny way of showing it." She quips, sticking her tongue out at him like she used to do when they were younger.
"Well, that's why I'm trying to make up for it now!" He exclaims, a smile and roll of his eyes accompanying his words.
"I'm glad you are." She admits, turning away for a moment to hide the blush unintentionally forming on her cheeks. "And that we're friends now."
"Me too."
•••
[ present - Feb 2020 ]
"You didn't all need to come and help me." Cassidy states, looking at Gemma, Michal, and Harry as they stand outside her now former residence. "Your mum is already helping by watching Cece."
"Which means we are free to give you a hand." Gemma replies with her typical sass, which Cassidy is never shocked by. "Did you really think I wasn't going to help you move?"
"Technically, Harry and I are here to help you move." Michal states, pointing towards the boxes stacked up besides the entryway.
"And I'm here for emotional support!"
Cassidy laughs and shakes her head as her best friend maneuvers her way through the door, immediately getting to work on organizing the workload for the boys, though Cassidy knows she genuinely does intend to do a little heavy lifting as well. She's never been afraid of a little hard work, something the two of them instantly connected on as kids.
Michal moves to meet his girlfriend, leaving Harry to be the last one on the other side of the threshold.
"I wouldn't have come, but Gem dragged me here." He states with a smirk.
"Surprised you were willing to risk callusing those dainty, musician hands." She jokes back, causing him to throw his palm against his chest and his jaw drop in dramatic fashion.
"Kind of regret bringing these now…" He replies, holding up two small bottles of champagne, with the word 'congratulations' written on the labels of both.
"Thank you! These will be fun to get into."
"Yes, but later.." Gemma exclaims from the kitchen. "Right now, let's move you out of here and closer to me!"
"And me…" Harry adds, shooting his sister a subtle, sarcastic glare.
"Whatever. She's definitely not moving there to be closer to you."
"Technically, I'm not moving there to be closer to either of you. I'm moving for my job…" Cassidy chimes in, smirking as her head stays down, with her eyes on the tape she just picked up, to avoid any of their annoyed or shocked gazes. "But I'm glad you'll both be close."
She stops for a moment and pulls her lips inward, hiding a small smile, gaze now frozen on the box in front of her. It's still a bit surprising that she's saying those things. That she is grateful to have Harry as a friend, let alone living only a short distance away. And it's even more shocking that she's happy about it. So much has, and is, changing, again, but she is learning that she needs to embrace it, because it's only been positive changes so far.
Her gaze wanders up to find Harry with a goofy, childish grin. Considering how persistent he was to be friends a few years back, it makes sense that his expression is one of happiness. Yet, like most times in the past, she can also sense a little bit of arrogance hidden behind it. She's almost certain he could feel like he won that battle. However, this time, he has every reason to feel that way, because it's true. They are now friends.
"So, do you like your new flat?" Michal asks, grunting as he lifts one of the heavier boxes.
"Yeah, Regina…" She looks over and points towards Harry to acknowledge his recommendation. "She found the perfect place for us. I swear she knows magic, because I couldn't find a damn thing on my own."
"I'm glad she could help." Harry chuckles.
"And thank you for yours." Cassidy replies, watching as Harry pulls his lips inward and nods.
"No problem." He states, running his fingers through his hair, like a habit he cannot seem to break. "Now… umm… how are we tackling the large furniture?"
She turns towards the sofa and small coffee table, which are nothing compared to Harry's stylish pieces, and laughs.
"I have actual movers coming… did Gemma not tell you that?"
"No. She didn't." Michal states as he arrives back through the front doorway.
"Gem!" Cassidy lets out a loud laugh, shaking her head as she shoots her best friend a glare of disbelief. "What's wrong with you?"
Gemma simply shrugs, attempting not to laugh as well and refusing to look at either man that she clearly lied to. Cassidy suddenly realizes that both were willing to help her move everything she had, and her heart thumps harder.
"I just wanted to get some of this lot over there today to start unpacking." Cassidy adds, still taken aback by her friend's sneaky deception and the willingness of the others, despite their lack of information.
"Well, then let's get it over there!" Harry states with enthusiasm, grabbing a box of his own to take down to a vehicle. "But Gem is buying pizza when we're done."
Cassidy turns to her friend, expecting a bit of a fight from her, but is shocked to see a smile on her face.
"Fair enough." She chuckles, pointing towards the front door. "So… get moving then."
•••
Once the final box had been emptied, pizza was ordered and almost completely consumed in record time. Moving definitely worked up an appetite in each of them.
"Alright. If you're all good here, we're going to head out. I have work tomorrow." Gemma expresses, walking up to Cassidy and wrapping her arms around her. They stay in the hold for a moment, and as Gemma pulls back, she grabs onto Cassidy's shoulders. "Welcome home, CJ."
Michal steps around his girlfriend as she moves off to the side, and gives Cassidy a quick side squeeze.
They say their goodbyes to Harry, and exit the door, leaving the two of them alone in the flat.
"You don't have work?" Cassidy asks as she turns in his direction, pulling one last piece of pizza from the box.
"I don't have a real job." He responds with a chuckle as he shrugs. "Do you mind if I hang out and have another slice?"
"Of course not. Feel free to take any spot on the floor…" She replies.
Harry lets out a quick, exuberantly loud laugh, immediately covering his mouth to quiet himself as the noise bounces off the walls of the unfurnished flat.
"Bloody hell, Harry! I don't want my neighbors hating me on the first day!"
Harry immediately displays an apologetic smile, with his mouth stretched wide across his face. As he keeps his glance on her, his expression suddenly changes into a glare and he sticks his tongue out towards her.
He grabs his own piece of pizza, plopping it on a paper plate, and makes his way behind her into the living room.
She places a blanket on the ground in front of one of the walls, and sits down with her back against it, placing her own plate in her lap.
"You've got a nice place here, Cass." Harry states, sliding down next to her, his knees bent and his plate resting on top of his joggers.
"Thank you. I'll be happy once the furniture is here." She states, her gaze looking around her new living space, imagining what it will look like once everything is in its place. "Hopefully we can be settled by the end of the week."
"Like, Valentine's Day?" He asks quietly, almost timidly, and seemingly tensing as he waits for her answer. "Are you doing anything to celebrate?"
"There's not much to celebrate." She laughs, wiping her hands together over her plate and setting it down next to her. "I haven't had a date since I got pregnant."
"Oh." Harry replies, lifting his pizza to his mouth and slowly taking another bite, looking as if he could be contemplating a million different things sparked by her answer.
"I might just make Cece some heart-shaped pancakes in the morning, then maybe do a little something fun later in the day… if we can manage it…"
"She seems pretty easy to please."
"She's always happy with what she gets. But she deserves to have everything she wants."
"You're a good mum, Cass." Harry states, giving her a quick bump on her shoulder with his own. "There's no way she doesn't know how much you love her."
Tumblr media
[ flashback - Feb 2010 ]
She never hates being at the Styles house, it's quite the opposite, but it does always remind Cassidy of what she is lacking in her own home, and in her own family.
Valentine's Day has never been an occasion celebrated between her parents. But why would it be? There's no love there. But at her best friend's house, between Robin and Anne, it is quite palpable and she loves to see it. It gives her hope that maybe one day, maybe, she will be able to have that kind of love for herself. Someone who thinks the world of her, to make memories with, and who she can love back deeply.
However, without any boys to pamper them this particular Sunday afternoon, the two teenage girls sit outside and fan their newly painted toenails.
"I heard that Tasha dumped Freddie last week, and she's already going out with Rodney!" Gemma exclaims, clearly enjoying the little bit of gossip she was privy to.
"I honestly don't feel bad for him." Cassidy states sternly through gritted teeth. "Serves him right."
"Fair enough. He did abandon you at the dance to get piss drunk and fuck Rebecca." Gemma shakes her head, discontinuing to wave her hand over her nails as she looks up to Cassidy. "Wow, he's a bit of a whore himself, isn't he?"
"I should've known…" She admits, wrapping her arms around her knees. "He is not romantic… at all…"
"But he's hot." Gemma quickly replies with a laugh, almost falling backwards with the power it had.
"Which is why I went to the dance with him!" Cassidy laughs back, shaking her head at herself, knowing full well that his appearance was the only factor in her decision. It was the only reason that she had a crush on him, at the time.
"But you deserve better anyway." Her best friend encourages, only receiving a small shrug that Cassidy isn't even certain was visible. She has no firsthand experience with any sort of deep love. She's seen it. Not within her own family, but in Gemma's, so would she even recognize it if it was there for her?
The sudden sound of the door handle keeps her thoughts from sinking too low, and both girls turn around to find Harry stepping outside with a bakery box in hand.
"Hello ladies." He states with a smirk, an arrogant pep to his walk that Cassidy feels should be illegal for a 16 year old boy to possess due to his complete immaturity.
"Busy at the bakery?" Gemma asks.
"Actually, not really." He shrugs, walking around the patio furniture to stand in front of the two girls. "Guess everyone already has their baked goods for their loved ones."
"Speaking of, what's in there…?" His sister inquires, pointing gleefully towards the box he's holding.
He looks down to his hands, shooting a quick gaze to Cassidy before meeting Gemma's once again.
"Baked… goods…"
He hands the sweets over to Gemma, whose sweet tooth takes over as she quickly flips the top open.
"Custard creams? My favourite. Thanks little bro." She extends the goods to Cassidy, who receives them without hesitation. As her eyes glance over the contents, she sees biscuits that are not usually the first choice of her friend.
"You got Viennese Fancies too?" She utters, not truly intending to vocalize the question, but looking up to Harry once she realizes it's been said out loud.
"You got CJ's favourite biscuits too?" Gemma adds, with a teasing tone that causes Cassidy to feel the sudden needs to look back down.
"Yeah… well…" Harry begins, and Cassidy looks up to see him shaking his fluffy curls with his fingers. He looks over to his sister, and Cassidy notices, out of the corner of her eye, her best friend giving her brother an intensely curious gaze. She turns back to the boy as he straightens his posture. "Didn't want you two here sulking…"
All eye contact is on him as he clears his throat.
"I didn't want to hear it. Figured biscuits would keep you occupied…" He adds. "And maybe… shut you up, so I could, like, have some peace."
Gemma's mouth immediately drops open and Cassidy internally scolds herself for knowing better yet still believing, for a moment, that Harry would do something for her simply out of kindness. She grabs one of the biscuits, and glares in his direction as she takes a huge chunk between her teeth out of spite.
Despite it being a jerk move, it seems fitting for how this day would and normally does go for Cassidy. There's nothing special about it for her.
Tumblr media
[ present - Feb 2020 ]
"Mummy?"
"Yes?"
"I love you!"
Cassidy looks up from her plate of heart-shaped pancakes to her daughter, to see her grinning with a smidge of syrup on the corner of her mouth.
"I love you too, Bug!"
Cecelia giggles and she takes another bite of her breakfast.
"What are we doin t'day?"
"Well, you have daycare this morning because I have a little bit of work to do, and then after I pick you up…" Cassidy looks around the room, feeling a twinge of disappointment due to the fact that there are still unpacked boxes remaining around the flat.
That's actually part of the 'work' that she needs to do. Moving, working, and taking care of her three year old has been harder to juggle than anticipated, so she hasn't had any time to plan a little something special for Cecelia today. Granted, the girl is only three, and probably doesn't care at all considering her sweet and content nature, but that doesn't ever stop Cassidy from wanting to go above and beyond for any occasion she can. She's well aware it stems from the lack of such things in her childhood, which only fuels her more to do them for her own daughter. But, to Cassidy's displeasure, this year it might have to remain minimal.
"After I pick you up … we can try do a little something fun."
•••
Little fingers pick through the bowl of popcorn in Cassidy's lap, and a tiny voice sings along as 'Frozen' plays on the television.
"Le' it go! Le' it go!" Cecelia belts out, waving her arms in imitation of the ice queen, Elsa.
Cassidy chuckles at her daughter's adorable attempt to sing the powerful, defining song of the movie. It may not be much, but at least they are having a good time together. It doesn't matter that Cassidy doesn't have someone else to share this day with. Cecelia is the love of her life.
Suddenly, a quick ping from her phone alerts her of a text notification, and she brings it up to open the message.
🗨️ Harry: hello there, how's your day?
🗨️ Cassidy: going well thank you
🗨️ Harry: are you home? i am in the area & have something for cece
🗨️ Harry: from my mum
🗨️ Cassidy: of course, we're home, come on by
Cassidy takes a moment and smiles to herself, realizing how her instincts have completely changed when it comes to Harry. When they were kids, she would have immediately scoffed. After their double hotel rendezvous', she probably would have hesitated to answer, at the very least. Hell, even a few months ago, she would have second guessed her response.
But, now, this is the friendship he wanted. And this seems to be the friendship she's needed.
Besides Gemma, she has very few close friends. Not that she needs many, but it's nice to have another one. And it is an added bonus that it is someone else who already knows her a bit more than most. In a sense at least. As much as he can know through the lens of the pestering younger brother of her best friend. As well as the secrets about her family that she hardly reveals to anyone.
She looks at her messages and a mild frown begins to swipe across her brows. Not at Harry, but at herself. She wants to stop dwelling on how different things are now between them, and about how wild it is that they are actually friends. Those things are true, but the reality is that they are in the past. She and Harry are friends now, and she's happy with it.
"Da storm don't bofer me an'way!"
Cassidy snaps her head up and over to Cecelia, who has managed to sneak to stand up on the sofa, due to her mum's attention being elsewhere.
"Oi, you cheeky monkey!" Cassidy exclaims with a giggle, reaching her hand over to her daughter's stomach as she plops back down onto the cushion, and squeezing her fingers in a tickle.
"Mummy!" Cecelia squeals with a giggle that matches her mum's.
"Alright, I'll stop. Guess what?" She quickly changes the subject, causing Cecelia to look up with intense curiosity.
"What?"
"We are going to have a visitor."
Cecelia's eyes widen with anticipation and glee, causing Cassidy's heart to flutter in a way that only her daughter can elicit.
"Who? Who?"
A sudden and timely knock on the door causes both girls to jump slightly in their spots. Cassidy looks to the door, then back to Cecelia, and gives her a wink.
She pushes herself up and walks over, quickly swinging it open wide enough for Cecelia to get a full view of their surprise guest.
"Well, hell-"
"Harry!" Cecelia shouts from behind, brushing past her mum and wrapping her arms around the first leg of his that she finds.
Harry instantly laughs, shifting the items in his arms and bending down to her level, opening his free arm up to give her a hug.
"Hello there!" He exclaims, smiling as she releases her hold, and standing up to meet Cassidy's gaze. "Sorry to interrupt your Valentine's Day plans. Mum insisted I bring this over today."
He holds up a medium-sized gift bag, plastered with the word 'love' in multiple languages. It is definitely something Anne would pick out. Accompanying it is what Cassidy can only assume is a box from a bakery, due to the familiar shape and delicious aroma now wafting through the air.
"Oh, it's no problem." Cassidy replies, moving to the side and waving Harry in, closing the door behind him. "We aren't doing much."
"We're watching F'ozen! And have popcorn! And Mummy has ice c'eam!" Cecelia squeals, clearly unaware of the gift in Harry's hands, as she skips back to the sofa and plops her little body back down. "You can sit 'ere…"
She pats the spot on the opposite side to where Cassidy had been sitting, with wide sparkling eyes and a wide grin to match.
"Oh. Umm…" Harry mumbles, running one ringed hand through his hair, as he has done many times. He shoots a quick look to Cassidy, and she can see a subtle pink hue covering his cheeks. As confident and arrogant as he can be on stage, he certainly gets quiet and shy when he isn't.
"It's okay." Cassidy replies in an attempt to save him from having to disappoint the little girl. "Harry probably has plans today."
"No, I don't." He swiftly responds, causing her to quickly turn and see him shrug. "I'm free… if… if it's okay with you…"
"Sure! You're welcome to join us." She instantly states, watching as Harry's timidity turns into excitement as he rushes over, as if a child himself, placing the gift bag and baked goods on the coffee table and sitting right down beside Cecelia.
Either she doesn't notice, or shockingly doesn't care, that a present has just been set right in front of her. She smiles at Harry and turns back to the television, watching as Anna enters the trading post.
"Yoo hoo!" Cecelia exclaims along with the movie, giggling along as she nestles further into the cushions.
Cassidy wanders into the kitchen, quickly microwaving another bag of popcorn, and grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
She moves back into the living room, handing the bottle to Harry, and refilling the snack bowl that now rests in Cecelia's lap.
"You know… I've seen dis, and…" Cecelia leans to Harry, attempting to keep her voice at a whisper, though failing in the most adorable way. "Kristoff loves Anna."
Harry's mouth drops open at her spoiler, and Cassidy chuckles as she can't help but wonder whether or not he has actually seen the movie himself.
"Guess what?" Harry leans back, pretending to cover his mouth from any eavesdropping. "I've seen it too, and Anna definitely loves Kristoff as well. It just takes her a while to figure it out."
A sudden flutter arrives in Cassidy's chest, and she immediately stands up. Her feet manage to take her back to the kitchen, and as she opens the refrigerator, she bends down unnecessarily. Well, it is necessary so that she can gather her thoughts. That reaction to his words is unexpected, and he wasn't even directing them to her. He was talking about the two characters in a children's movie. He doesn't love her. Cassidy shakes her head at the ridiculous thoughts. It's got to be the context of the day that is causing all of this.
She retrieves a new drink for herself, and rejoins the two others on the sofa, steaming the snack bowl to occupy her busy mind.
"Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm pugs!" Harry exclaims, causing Cecelia to produce the loudest laugh from her little body.
"No, Harry! It's hugs! Olaf likes warm hugs!" She squeals.
"Wow, you know this movie well…" He replies.
"It's my fav'rite!" She shouts with glee, turning towards her mum. "It's Mummy's too!"
"Really?" Harry asks, his brow forming into an inquisitive and amused expression.
Cassidy shakes her head and Harry chuckles. Cecelia swivels her gaze to her mum, and Cassidy quickly nods in her daughter's direction.
"Things change when you have a kid." She states with a shrug.
"Mummy, wha' was your fav'rite movie?"
"As a kid?" Cassidy asks, seeing Cecelia's nod as a response. "It was Ma-"
"Matilda." Harry interrupts, a wide-eyed and shy expression instantly forming on his features. "Umm… right? I just… I remember you and Gem watching it a lot."
Cassidy fights the urge to bite her lower lip at his admission, and memory, of knowing that random fact. Why she felt the need to hide it, she doesn't know, but what she is sure of is that a mild heat is warming her own cheeks as they continue to sit in a timid silence.
"Our kitty is Matilda!" Cecelia exclaims, seemingly looking around for their pet, but swiftly turning her attention back to the television.
"Did you name her after the movie?"
"Seemed fitting at the time."
"Why's that?"
"I got her after I got kicked out. After living with your parents." Cassidy's gaze drops to her hands, which begin to fidget with each other as they clasp the popcorn bowl. "I was a little lonely."
Harry clears his throat and she looks back up to him, finding a subtle and compassionate smile. It is so much different than the arrogant smirk she had grown up with.
"Well, it's a good name. It is a good movie too! Although, it doesn't have Olaf… or the songs…"
Cecelia's gaze suddenly shoots to Harry's as she bounces in place.
"I like da songs!"
"I could tell. I heard you singing when I got to the front door. Very good!" He praises her, with all the sincerity in the world pouring out through his expression.
Her grin stretches as wide as possible and her eyes light up. Cassidy can't remember a time she has seen her daughter so elated.
"Fank you." Cecelia answers. "I like your songs too!"
Harry immediately makes eye contact with Cassidy, his mouth slightly dropped open with surprise at the young girl's exposure of their secret.
"I thought you didn't listen to my music…" He inquires, with his famous, and annoyingly arrogant smirk following along with his words.
"Well… we didn't before…" Cassidy scrunches her face, reluctant to admit anything that will boost his ego, despite it being light-hearted. "But once she met you, and learned that you're a singer, she insisted that we play your stuff."
"Mummy likes to dance to it!" Her daughter exclaims and Cassidy immediately puts the popcorn bowl in Cecelia's lap.
"Okay, let's just watch the movie…"
She looks up to find Harry's gaze still on her, and the smirk still caving that dimple into his cheek. She rolls her eyes at the way he seems to be enjoying the new information.
"Okay, Styles, don't let it get to your head. It's just like you said, your biggest supporters are your friends, right?"
His smirk quickly turns into a grin, almost matching the intensity she had seen moments ago from her daughter.
"We dance to 'em in da car." Cecelia blurts out, her young innocence completely unaware of how much she is exposing and embarrassing her mum.
"Oh yeah? Which songs?"
"Bug…" Cassidy warns with a chuckle, a rush of a blush heating her cheeks.
"I like da 'Ad-... Ado You' song." Cecelia states, turning her glance to Cassidy, who gives her a quick, defeated, and approving nod, then looks back to Harry. "And Mummy likes the gold one."
"Golden." Cassidy utters.
Harry pulls both lips inward, a slightly less expression of cockiness, but still a hint of happiness peeking through. He glances down to his lap, nothing there to look at, then over to Cecelia.
"Well, thank you for listening to them. I'm glad you like them." He states, flickering his gaze up to Cassidy momentarily and subtly smiling again before turning to the television.
Suddenly, Cecelia winces and curls a little into Harry's arm. He looks down and his breath hitches at her action.
"I don't like dis part." She mutters. "Anna gets hurt."
His eyes snap to Cassidy, wide and uncertain. As much as she wants to assure him that it's okay, a twinge of hesitation rises within her. Is this good for Cecelia to be so attached to him? He's just a friend, and Cassidy doesn't want her daughter to get confused about any of that. He's also one of the world's biggest pop stars, and she doesn't want her daughter to feel pushed to the side or left in the dust and forgotten.
However, the comfort Cecelia feels with Harry, and the strong bond they already share, warms Cassidy's heart to the maximum level. Having someone like him in her daughter's life cannot possibly be a bad thing. She can, and will, make the boundaries and realities of his career clear to her daughter as best she can. She doesn't want to take that friendship away from them. Cassidy blinks her eyes to get back into the moment, but right before her vision clears back onto Harry, she realizes that she doesn't want her friendship with him to be taken away either. They both want him in their lives, at least in that respect.
She blinks again, everything coming into view as it should be, and she notices Harry's expectant gaze. He was waiting for her reaction. She quickly smiles and nods, watching as his face and shoulders relax as he moves his arm around Cecelia and pats her shoulder for reassurance.
"It's only for a moment. Remember? True love makes her better."
"But not dat mean guy." Cecelia growls, pointing at the villain of the story, and causing both adults to let out amused laughs. "I don't like him!"
"Me either." Harry agrees, a dramatic frown appearing to mimic the sentiment.
"But I like you!" She exclaims, giving him a quick squeeze of a hug before settling back into her previous position as the scene changes to one she knows won't frighten her. "M'happy you're my f'iend!"
He looks back up to Cassidy, emoting almost every positive expression a person could have, and causing her heart to fill with the same.
"I'm glad you're my friends, too."
•••
Cecelia bounces on her mum's lap, whose attempts to keep her daughter still are all but successful.
"Hold still, Bug!" She chuckles. "Or Harry will mess it up!"
"Hey!" He quips, pausing his actions and giving her a glare. "I happen to be very good at this."
"Don't you have professional people to do it for you?" She asks, creating an even deeper frown between his brows.
"Yes. But I do it myself sometimes too!" He exclaims, turning back to Cecelia and holding her hand in his. "But your mum is right, can you be still for me?"
Cecelia nods, and readjusts her body one last time before ceasing to move. Her bright eyes focus on the brush that sweeps over her nails and leaves a coat of beautiful lilac polish. It may be the first time the toddler has ever been so controlled.
"So pretty!" She states, brimming from ear to ear as Harry fans his hand over her tiny fingers.
He places his hands gently on hers to keep them still and prevent any smudging, looking up to her with a grin of his own.
"I'm glad you like them."
"Can I pain' yours?" Cecelia asks him, a hopeful look in her eyes.
Cassidy opens her mouth to answer, wanting to spare Harry the need to deny her that opportunity.
"Of course you can!" He replies, and Cassidy's mouth drops down a little further in surprise. But it shouldn't come as a shock to her that he agreed to let her do it. He's fun, carefree, and great with kids. "But… I will have to take it off in a few days for The Brits."
"Wha's dat?"
"The Brits? Is, umm, like an awards ceremony. Kind of like… like a celebration, where singers can win trophies." He explains, giving Cassidy a subtle shrug, most likely in hopes that it was a decent enough answer, and she nods in response. He did well.
"You're gonna get trophies?" Cecelia squeals, pulling her, thankfully, dry hands from his hold, and reaching for the recently used bottle of polish.
"Maybe." He quietly answers back.
"You fink you will." She instantly replies, and Harry chuckles at the unknowing confidence she has in him. She lifts up the same nail polish used for her own fingers. "You like dis colour?"
"Harry, you don't have to-" Cassidy states quietly, still not wanting to put him in an uncomfortable or inconvenient position.
"I'd love to match you, Cece!" He exclaims, causing an amazingly bright smile, and excited giggle, from her daughter. "And I'll ask them to do a similar colour for my outfit, yeah?"
Cassidy sighs, knowing how easily Cecelia is persuading him, and how easily he is caving to it. He looks up to her and winks, mouthing that it is okay with him, and her worries wash away.
Cecelia swiftly grabs onto the hand he has already placed on the table, and begins to swipe the brush across his nails. He looks down and chuckles at her technique, which seems to be to finish the job in record time, giving each nail one thin coat of the polish.
"Done!" Cecelia shouts, placing the brush back in the bottle and looking up for Harry's approval.
"It's… amazing! Thank you so much!" He answers with enthusiasm. The young girl bounces with glee, then quickly twirls around, heading back to the sofa and starting up the movie that they had paused for their current activity.
Cassidy looks at Harry with one eyebrow raised, fully aware that her daughter's polish work is not even close to being good.
"What?" He chuckles, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers in front of his face.
"Let me redo it."
"Not a chance. This is work done by Cecelia James." He shakes his head, blowing on his fingers in an attempt to help them set.
"At least let me fix it… just to get it off your fingers…" She offers, feeling a mild giddiness over his insistence. It still catches her off guard, but she is so grateful for how connected Harry and Cecelia are to one another, and how much he cares about her. She thinks he may even love her daughter with the way he treats her, and that is something that Cassidy will not only welcome, cautiously, but also cherish. This friendship really does seem to be working out well.
"Alright." He concedes, placing his hands back down as Cassidy dips a cotton bud into some polish remover and begins to run it around the outside of his cuticles.
"So, are you excited for The Brits?" She asks, her focus on the task in front of her.
"I suppose so." He utters.
Cassidy stops her motion and snaps her eyes up to Harry, another curious raised eyebrow pointed in his direction, needing more of an explanation.
"Aren't you nominated in two different categories?"
"Yes." He responds so plainly, in such a humble and nonchalant manner. Shouldn't he be boasting about the possibility of winning multiple awards?
"Alright… why the lack of excitement then?" She inquires, unsure and thrown off by his sudden timidity and lack of confidence.
"I'm excited, it'll be a fun night. The Brits always are." He gives a little shrug of his shoulders as his gaze points down to his nails. "I don't like to assume I'll win anything though. Everyone is so talented."
"Right. I guess that makes sense." She replies. She puts down the cotton bud and swipes her thumb along his index finger to make sure the cleaner has dried off his skin. "But not winning doesn't mean that you aren't."
A silence falls between them and as her eyes meet his, she sees a genuine smile displaying across from her. It's almost as if her statement was the biggest compliment he's ever heard. Perhaps it's due to the fact that she never used to give him any, so this one might have felt like a bigger deal than it normally would be between any other set of friends.
"Mummy…" The little voice comes from the sofa, causing both adults to turn in that direction. "Da movie is done… is it dinner time?"
"Oh! Right." Cassidy replies, straightening up in her spot. "Umm… it is, but-"
"We're havin' chicken nuggies!"
She shoots her gaze over to Harry, feeling utterly guilty that she had not known he would be present around the time they will be eating.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming… and that's what she asked for…" She utters, hoping her tone is received as nothing but apologetic.
"Oh! No, don't worry about me! I should head out anyway." He waves his hands with a reassuring gesture and begins to maneuver around the table. "I need to look over some things for the performance."
"You're performing?" Cassidy asks with excitement. Probably for the first time since his singing journey kicked off, she can openly acknowledge that she is excited about his career. "What song?"
"Can't tell you." He replies with that familiar smirk. "You'll have to watch and see."
Cassidy playfully rolls her eyes as she begins to follow his path, slowly getting closer to the exit of her flat.
"Will you… be watching?" He asks, with an anxious look and tone to his question.
"Please, Mummy?" Cecelia's little voice rings out from behind her, feeling the tiny hands wrap around her leg, and looking down to see those big, persuasive eyes waiting for an answer.
"We have to now! I want to see what song you chose!"
Her eyes flicker to Harry's and catch a glimpse of a smile, making her turn back to him fully and confirm the wide grin stretching to his cheeks.
"Good. Yeah. Thank you." He replies as he grabs his things from the table and makes his way towards the front door. "And thank you for letting me hang out."
"Well, thank you for bringing Cece her little gift. Thank your mum also."
"I will."
"Oh! And also for the Viennese Fancies! They're my absolute favourite!"
Harry's timid demeanor intensifies as he reaches up and rubs the back of his neck.
"Oh, umm, yeah those are actually… from me…"
Cassidy's eyes shoot over to the box of biscuits sitting on the coffee table and back to the man in front of her.
"Harry…"
"I know I didn't have to, Cass." He lets out a breathy laugh with the hint of mocking. Apparently he was prepared for what she was going to say. "But I wanted to. Umm… you… you both should have a little treat on Valentine's Day, yeah?"
Cassidy sighs. It's not as though she isn't appreciative. It's such a nice gesture. She just hates when people make a fuss. But more so, she hates that people even think they need to go out of their way for her. She doesn't need anything special.
But the way he is looking at her sends a sort of tingle down her spine. He knows her favourite biscuits. No, he still remembers her favourite biscuits. And he was also made the conscious effort to find and buy some to bring over, despite it not being his original plan to begin with.
"Thank you. Very much." She relents, knowing Harry and how he will argue for her to accept the gesture until he is blue in the face.
"You're most welcome. Plus… they're really for Cece." He chuckles, receiving a swift but gentle elbow to his side.
"Twerp." She shakes her head. "Those aren't her favourites though. Just mine."
"Hm." He hums in reply, looking over to the toddler, who has managed to sneak her way back to the sofa and begun to play another movie. "What are her favourites then?"
Cassidy can't help the way her heart flutters at his question. He cares to know Cecelia, and do things for her, and he doesn't even know how much that means to the both of them. It's just biscuits after all. So why is it making her blush?
"Custard creams. Just like Gem." She manages to get out with a hushed tone, not wanting to alert Cecelia of the conversation.
"Got it." He replies with a nod, looking towards the front door then turning back to Cassidy. "I should get going."
"Right! Of course. I should get those nuggets cooking, too." She chuckles, swiveling around to the direction of her daughter. "Cece, come say goodbye to Harry."
Cecelia immediately jumps up from the sofa, not even bothering to pause the new movie she has chosen. She runs up to Harry and he instantly kneels down to her level as they both open their arms and embrace in a hug.
"Happy Valen'ines Day, Harry! Was so fun wif you!" She exclaims, squeezing a little tighter around his neck. Cassidy notices his eyes snap shut for a moment, almost as tight as the little arms wrapped around him.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Cece! Thank you for letting me join in."
"Das okay!" She quickly replies, pulling away and immediately bouncing back over to the sofa.
"Hopefully this one was decent enough… for the both of you…" Harry utters, causing Cassidy to twist her attention directly onto him.
"Yeah." She mutters back, clearly her throat in an attempt to come up with other words to use as a reply. Something to describe her gratitude. "It was really nice, Harry. Thank you… for coming by. And, well, everything else."
As she ends her sentence, she realizes her words were just above a whisper. She is suddenly unsure of the reason her body is reacting the way it is.
"No problem. I'm happy Cece had a good time." He runs his hand through his hair, sending a whiff of his scent in her direction. "Hopefully you did as well."
She nods, now unable to form any response, completely aware yet uncertain as to what to say or do now. She's suddenly losing control of herself.
"Good." He reaches his arms out for a hug, with Cassidy entering into it in some sort of default mode of a daze. She feels his cheek on top of her head, and she closes her eyes to take in the embrace. "I did, too."
His words are simple, and casual, yet for some reason they send a spark through her body. She's felt it before. Similar, at least. Similar to what she's felt when she had previously been in close proximity to him. It was when they had been together, intimately together. Those nights when the boundaries were blurred and they crossed that line. She feels nervous again. But, despite the similarities in the feelings, it's also quite different. The circumstances have completely changed. And the nervousness may not be that at all. It might actually be contentment. Their situation is so different, and so much better. The friendship really is working.
Yet, that doesn't feel like the full answer. It's not only that.
And as Cassidy pulls away from their hug, catching the glimmer in Harry's gaze, her heart thumps harder. It's not only that, it's not just contentment.
Harry says another goodbye and walks out the front door, leaving Cassidy pressed against it in a flurry of thoughts.
It's not contentment she's feeling. She's giddy. But that means something else. It means she is feeling something stronger for him and that makes her terrified.
•••
"Excuse me, boss lady…?" A voice sounds from the doorway, causing Cassidy's focus to snap up to her coworker and friend.
"Don't call me that, it's weird." She responds, with a roll of her eyes.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Oh for fucks sake, Roxie!" Cassidy exclaims, causing a loud laugh to leave her friend, who quickly covers her mouth to muffle the noise.
"Sorry." Her friend chuckles, walking into the room and sitting in the chair across Cassidy, parted by her new office desk. "Elyse said she's on her way. Maybe 10 minutes."
"Oh thank god." Cassidy lets out a huge sigh of relief, and feels her body relax for the first time since she walked into the office this morning.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh. It's just loads of new stuff to learn."
"Well, yeah. Senior Writer to Editor is a big jump, love!" Roxie exclaims, a proud yet compassionate expression on her face.
It's not as if Cassidy can't do the job. She wouldn't have applied, and clearly wouldn't have gotten it, if she couldn't do it. She just needs to learn the ropes. And fast.
"I'm only a Junior Edit-"
"Don't do that." Her friend's tone suddenly becomes stern, and her expression matches it quickly. "Don't minimize your job. Or your success."
Cassidy pinches her lips together, fighting the urge to argue, but knowing she will ultimately need to concede.
"Be proud of yourself!" Roxie adds. "I am!"
"Thank you." Cassidy mutters back, hearing a notification pop up on her phone. She opens it quickly as she sees it's from Elyse, the one who is training her for the new position, and another sigh of relief leaves her body. "Elyse just sent over some of the articles for me to look at before she gets here."
"Oh?" Roxie asks, intrigue dripping from her words. "Is mine in there?"
Cassidy turns to her computer, searching through the files she recently received, as she feels her friend slowly scoot around the desk and up next to her.
She looks over the titles and lands on one that catches her attention, unintentionally clicking it open before her brain can register what her fingers are doing.
HARRY STYLES AND KENDALL JENNER REUNITE AT A BRIT AWARDS AFTER PARTY
As soon as the article draft appears on her screen, her eyes are met with a few photos that trigger a memory from years ago. Granted, these ones are not risque like those from before, but the same sharp twinge of something hits Cassidy's chest. She hates to think it, and won't admit it aloud, but what she is feeling could be jealousy. Is jealousy. Just like before.
"I'm surprised you weren't assigned to write about The Brits…" Roxie states.
"I'm… it's… because I'm a Junior Editor now." Cassidy manages to reply.
"Right, but you're still going to write articles occasionally." Roxie shrugs, scooting in even closer to Cassidy so they are shoulder to shoulder. She leans in and releases a hushed giggle. "And since you have a thing for a certain British pop star that you know personally, I figured you'd snatch that assignment right up…"
"I don't have a thing for him!" Cassidy instantly replies, her wide eyes searching the vicinity for any potential eavesdropping coworkers.
"Oh come on, it's Harry fucking Styles! I'm pretty sure my cousin would hit that… and she hasn't seen a dick in twenty years! Who doesn't have a thing for him?"
"Me." She states sternly, yet politely. "We're… just friends. Good friends, but yeah, just friends."
Friends. That's what they are. And all that, the glitz and glamour she sees in front of her, that's his life. Awards shows, star-studded parties, celebrity girlfriends. That's what his life consists of, and she's been naive in thinking that their casual, comfortable interactions are the norm for him. Which doesn't matter. She's happy for him, and actually proud of all he's accomplished. As his friend, now, she's going to do what all his other friends do and support him through it all.
She closes her eyes for a moment. What she was feeling on Valentine's Day was silly. He is immersed in this world of fame. Not only would she, and Cecelia, not fit into it in a more significant capacity, but why would he even want them to? He is still Harry Styles, and even though the visuals in front of her don't portray anything more than two people having a conversation, she recognizes it'll never be her. And to be anything more than a friend to him is a ridiculous thought.
Friendship is good. That's what he wanted all those years ago, that's what he wants now, and so does she. What they have is good, great even, and it's benefiting Cecelia too, so she doesn't want to let any irrational thoughts or feelings get in the way of that. She can't. So she won't.
Friends, they are just friends.
Tumblr media
Series Masterlist
•••
If you like what I post, and want to just send some extra support, I have a ko-fi account. Even the smallest amount is greatly appreciated. There is no obligation or expectation to donate, because I am honestly just so grateful that you're here! 💗 Bee xx
•••
Overall Taglist: @watermelonsugacry @tw1nflamebruis3 @hopefulwastelandcreation @tenaciousperfectionunknown @that-daydream-look @queenmadi2 @runway-to-my-aid @theekyliepage @be-yourss @b-reads-things @behindmygreyeyes @michellekstyles @a-strange-familiar @yousunshineyoutempter @buckybarnessimpp @sagcas-latte @msolbesg @sleutherclaw @katiebaxterrrrrr @percysaidnever @mrspeacem1nusone @thurhomish @harrystylesrecs @vickiii17 @itsbebeyyy @divalovesyou @bxbyysstuff @jessitpwk @sunshinemoonsposts @theroosterswife24 @boybands-baseball @austynparksandpizza @missmielyhoran @harryspirate @qualitygiantshoepsychic @tiaamberxx @matildasatellite @cherryshouse @yatebe-kohayu @perfectzinenerdperson @babyiamperfectforyou @daphnesutton @around1302 @daydreamingofmatilda @swiftmendeshoran @one-sweet-gubler @jerseygirlinca @carey86 @lomlhstyles @vrittivsanghavi
If your name is blue, I couldn't tag you
170 notes · View notes
okitanoniisan · 17 days
Text
new rgg fans will never know what they missed back in ye olden days of the fandom (like, 2019), doubly so now that scott strichart's deleted his twitter and jon riesenbach's privated. twitter was so fucking fun and then whatever-the-hell at sega of america happened and caused a fucking snowball effect and now we have shitass localization and resulting discourse that makes every release nigh unbearable, misinformation, confusion, people complaining about "bad writing/mischaracterization" not realizing it's because of the shitass english loc, i'm sitting here like jesus christ these loc bitches massacred saejima's character voice, people will never see him as he was intended, as original yakuza 5 localization Correctly painted him, and now they're coming for kiryu. god help us. we used to be a proper fandom. before everyone was subjected to the remastered localizations and shaky eng characterization. no one had even played yakuza 3-5, people still called morning glory "sunshine" orphanage, kiryu was our only protagonist and people still called him "boring", it was beautiful...
anyway gaiden uses affective instead of effective because the current localization team is full of careless dumbasses who don't give a fuck about ensuring they're using correct english grammar and this is not an isolated incident
Tumblr media
#ada speaks#ive been playing through the series again from 0-5 and. yeesh#it goes from LIFE IS GOOD. LOC IS GOOD. to. oh.#yakuza 5's original localization is near perfect and they couldve made it better but instead#they opted for the cost cutting approach and decided NOT to retranslate and instead#just fucking. re-localized the localization and SO much is wrong. so much.#im playing simultaneously with a friend (myself on ps3 them on pc) and seeing the differences#and it happens in y3r and y4r too where#the original line is localized > the remastered line takes it and runs with it bc they have no original translation context#ie. in 3 rikiya says he likes 'wild' dancers. (re: strip club) it gets localized to be him liking 'aggressive' dancers.#in 3 remastered he says he likes AGGRESSIVE DOMINEERING WOMEN and that gets his Gears Turning#or. in 5 shinada says that uno is 'a little sad up top' re: his hair. and 5 remastered he says 'kinda mopey'#because they misunderstood the original english loc and so. completely fucked up the line to mean something else entirely#its like broken telephone#the same is SOMEHOW also happening in 8... i dont know HOW but somehow it fucking is#meanwhile im revisiting zero and going OH YEAH GOOD CHOICE. THAT MAKES SENSE. GREAT WRITING. WOW THAT'S AN A+ INTERPRETATION OF THAT LINE.#i miss the old loc team so bad. bring me back.#its mostly frustrating because i can see the shitass eng writing and still enjoy the game beneath it (unless it's not voiced.) but#i feel so bad for everyone flying blind and forced to take the loc at face value#its been like this since lost judgment but the main story was Fine (if a bit rushed) because. scott was still doing his thing#the substories in lost judgment also felt like they were of the same calibre (shit.) as remastered and. idk.#it seems like its been a shitshow at SoA behind the scenes for Years#and it shows.
36 notes · View notes
bottlesofrouge · 13 days
Text
on one condition.
harry styles x original character
part five.
word count: 12.6K
warnings: talks of a past physically abusive relationship, smut (finaalllyyy!!!), nsfr!
Tumblr media
27 JULY 2018
harry wakes up to lynn sitting on the arm of the couch. her fingers dance along his arm as his name falls from her lips in quiet whispers. it’s still dark outside, and he rubs the sleep out of his eyes, struggling to remember just exactly where he is. 
silas and lynn had gone into the bedroom shortly after dinner. he wasn’t really sure why he was expecting silas to take the couch, but when the click of the lock echoed through the quiet condo, harry knew that he was stuck with the short end of the stick. 
there were no goodnights said and no sleepy smiles from lynn. harry sat in the dark for what felt like hours, listening to the muffled laughter coming from behind the bedroom door while he tried to swallow down the ugly, burning jealousy that came bubbling up in his throat.
“harry,” she whispers again. her touch moves from his arms to his hair. “are you awake?”
“yeah,” he hums. “what’s going on? are you okay?”
“i can’t fall asleep,” she says. “not when i don’t know if you’re alright.”
“why wouldn’t i be alright?” he can barely make out anything in the dark. the only source of light was the dim glow of the moon coming in through an uncovered window. it doesn’t do much, but it illuminates her face enough for him to see the way it’s etched with worry.
“the same reason i can’t sleep unless all of the doors are locked,” she doesn’t elaborate any further, and harry’s not really sure what she means by that. “i’m sorry for waking you. couldn’t tell if you were breathing.”
“do you wanna lay out here with me?” she only blinks at him. “you don’t have to, but i think you’d be able to feel if i was breathing or not.”
“are you sure?” 
“c’mere,” he presses himself further into the couch, and lifts the blanket for her to slide under. harry’s shocked a little when she actually does.
it’s uncomfortable at first. he lays there like a board, arms straight down at his sides until lynn reaches behind for his hand. he thinks she’s giving him the key to the front door, but instead she presses his palm to her stomach just like he had done the night before. 
it really was a complete accident. harry was so embarrassed to open his eyes and find himself wrapped around her the way he was. lynn was still sleeping when he woke up. she never mentioned it, and he had hoped that maybe she never noticed. he could not have been more wrong.
she doesn’t say anything when she does it, so instead of overthinking the situation and letting it keep him up until the sun rises, he leans into it. harry molds his body to lynn’s, letting his fingers stretch across her tummy just like she wanted them to. their legs are crossed at the ankles, and harry can’t help it when he lets his lips press right where her neck meets her shoulder. he half expects her to push him away, but she only sighs, falling asleep mere seconds later.
✮✮✮
“good morning, cuddle bugs,” harry doesn’t wake up again until silas is practically whisper singing right into his ear. the man’s standing over the two of them, a mug of coffee in each hand and a wide grin on his face.
when harry blinks enough to get the sleep out of his eyes, he sees that lynn’s got her cheek squished against his chest and her arm thrown around his torso. both of her legs are in between his and she had stolen their previously shared blanket and selfishly wrapped herself up in it. “were my cuddles not good enough for you, lynn?”
“oh my god, shut up, silas,” lynn groans, letting herself lean into harry even more. “and close the curtains while you’re up. m’so tired.”
silas does as he’s told before coming back over to harry to hand him one of the mugs he was holding. he sits down in the recliner next to them without saying a word, and turns on some local news station for the two to watch.
the volume’s on low, and silas is too focused on whatever stories that are running that he doesn’t try to engage in any conversation. he is so incredibly thankful for it, too. he wasn’t exactly sure what the other had to say about walking out of the bedroom to find his best friend wrapped around him. he wasn’t sure what lynn has told silas about them, but she surely had to have mentioned the fact that he has been treating her so terribly for the last two months.
harry’s free hand absentmindedly travels to lynn’s hair, fingers gently scratching her scalp as quiet, appreciative hums leave her mouth. he can’t really tell if she’s just in and out of sleep or if she’s fully awake, but he doesn’t care as long as he got lynn like this. he’d be stupid not to wrap himself up in everything that she was willing to give him. after all, it’d all go away as soon as they got back to new york.
part of him couldn’t wait to get home, even though he knew that going home meant he would have to face his parents. he also knew that it meant he would be getting back to his new routine. ever since he stopped sharing his days with an entire bottle of hard liquor, waking up has never felt so good.
he was productive. incredibly productive, actually. during the first week, he got around to turning his office into a small art studio. harry had purchased easels and canvases and nearly an entire display of oil paints. of course he put the transactions on john’s credit card. he thought of it as reparations for his shitty childhood, but if his dad asked, he would say it was a parting gift for his frat.
the other part of him wanted to be anywhere but home because home meant no more waking up to lynn and no more soft kisses and warm touches. home meant morning coffee alone and silence so loud that if he closed his eyes hard enough, he would swear he could hear it screaming.
you’re alone. you’re alone. you’re alone. you’re alone.
and honestly, the first few days wouldn’t be too bad. harry thinks he’d use the time to clear his head. the forced proximity had him thinking (and feeling) so many confusing things when it came to lynn. he knew that once they were apart for a little while, they’d all go away. maybe the two would even go back to hating each other. 
they’d see each other once a week, maybe twice if they were feeling crazy, and harry would only be brutally reminded of just how alone he actually was. the words would echo in his head like they always did. just like the ticking of a clock.
you’re alone. you’re alone. you’re alone. you’re alone.
maybe it’s his fault for giving himself away so easily. there are so many people who know absolutely nothing about him except for what gets him going in bed, and normally, that fact didn’t bother him one bit. he likes feeling good and making other people feel good, and he loves the fact that he can participate in both of those activities with no strings attached.
however, on the rare days like today, the mere thought of it makes harry want to scratch the skin off his body and start fresh. he wants to be someone new. someone who is loved, and someone that people actually want to know.
and really, that’s where this whole thing stems from. the constant craving for something that is so unattainable for him. he just wants to be known. 
harry itches for the day that someone knows just how much he loves ballet and theater. they’ll know he spent the first three years of high school dedicating his life to the drama club, spending afternoon after afternoon designing and painting sets. those long afternoons would soon turn into rehearsing lines in the passenger seat of oliver’s car, nothing but a flashlight on one of their phones illuminating the words on their scripts.
they’ll know he stopped because of how his dad felt about it. they’ll learn all about his senior year football stint, and maybe he’d also be inclined to tell them that he did it just to please him, but even then, john never went to a single game.
“harry,” silas’s leaning forward to nudge harry with his hand. “did you hear me?”
“no,” he admits. “what did you say?”
“i asked if you were hungry. we’re supposed to meet everyone for breakfast in ten.”
“i’m okay,” harry hums. his eyes fall to lynn who’s now created a small wet spot on his shirt with her drool. “you go. she’s been having a hard time sleeping.” 
“she has for years,” silas responds. harry isn’t sure if he’s just stating a fact or if he’s trying to make sure he’s aware that he knows lynn in ways that harry never will. “i’ve never seen her out like this though. it’s weird.”
when silas decides to take harry up on his offer, he stands up, stretches, and then puts his shoes on before walking out of the door. it slams a little bit behind him, and lynn jolts at the sound. her head flies up, and she’s looking at harry with wide eyes and parted lips.
“just silas, honey,” his knuckles drag across the highest point of her cheek. “you can go back to sleep for a bit.”
✮✮✮
silas: it’s amelia day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
silas: you better be awake when i get back
silas: first round is on you btw consider it your apology for having to look at you and harry all morning #YUCK
lynn shuts her phone off and peers up at harry to make sure he wasn’t reading over her shoulder. (that would be so humiliating.) she finds him fast asleep underneath her. his head is tilted back, resting on a pillow that was propped up on the arm of the couch. his lips are parted, and she thinks that if she’s quiet enough she could hear tiny snores fall from them. god, he is so cute.
“harry,” she gently shakes him, and when he opens his eyes and blinks a few long blinks like he’s trying to gather his surroundings, she can’t help but laugh. “good morning, sunshine.”
“what time is it?” he rasps out around a yawn.
“nearly noon.” lynn sits up so harry can stretch and sit up properly. “it’s amelia day, so we have to leave soon. get ready, and i’ll make you something to eat. my treat for sharing this uncomfortable thing with me all night.”
lynn only makes them a plate of leftovers that consists of stuff she found in various take out boxes in the refrigerator. it wasn’t anything crazy; yet, it takes nearly fifteen minutes before she has it all set out on the breakfast bar. she shouldn't be blamed though. it’s not her fault that she couldn’t stop thinking about last night. 
it wasn’t until silas was knocked out next to her that she realized harry was out in the living room all alone. she didn’t mean to exclude him. it kind of just happened, and she felt so guilty for it. she couldn’t stop wondering just how upset harry would be with her in the morning, and soon after, all of the overthinking turned into wondering if harry was okay.
honestly, she knew deep down there was no reason for him not to be, but that didn’t stop her from going out and checking. that’s all she meant to do, really. she planned on making sure he was alive and well and then she would climb back into bed with silas, but when he made room for her on the couch, lynn couldn’t say no.
she missed sleeping next to him.
it was stupid. they had only been on good terms for a few days, but lynn couldn’t imagine ever falling asleep without him pressed against her again. she thought that maybe it was just the simple fact that she was next to someone that had her sleeping so well, but no. it was harry.
silas has probably spent hundreds of hours helping her fall asleep. nearly every time he’s in town, he sits next to her in bed and runs his fingers through her hair until she’s napping. lynn really did appreciate it so much. she knew she would never get those precious naps in without him, but that was just it. they were always a quick little nap, never lasting more than an hour.
with harry, it was so different. all he had to do was be in the same room as her and she’d be out for hours. it was silly, and all in her mind. of course she knew that, it’s just… she doesn’t really want it to end.
harry doesn’t talk until the two of them are sharing an uber to the town square. he’s exhausted. lynn knows that, and she feels so shitty for having him take the couch. he was doing her a favor being there. the least she could do was give him the bed.
“it’s amelia’s birthday?” his voice is quiet when he asks, like the uber driver hearing would give away the faux relationship.
“no,” she laughs a little, not because of him, but because of what amelia day actually is. “silas pays amelia to watch jane while the adults go out for a few drinks.”
“is it the same day every year?”
lynn shakes her head, “just whenever silas feels like it. it’s usually just the two of us, and he convinces her when he thinks i’ve burnt myself out watching them.”
harry only hums and looks out the window.
lynn sits at the bar, nursing her third dirty martini as she watches silas and harry play a game of darts. silas was honestly great at the game. never once has he let lynn win. however, when harry threw his first dart, she realized that today might be the day her dreams of silas losing come true.
she’s been dreaming of the day ever since she had played against silas for the first time at a bar in her college town. he was visiting her for spring break. nearly the entire school had gone further south to a beach, so they pretty much had the bar to themselves. they played forty seven games that week, and lynn had only been close to winning once.
so, she offers to buy harry a shot if he wins, and when he says he’d rather have a kiss, she says he can have that, too.
she watches as harry goes to throw his dart. he closes one of his eyes and the tip of his tongue sticks out a little at the corner of his mouth every time he brings his hand up to aim. normally, she would’ve poked a little fun because he looked crazy, but she was a couple drinks in and she couldn’t help but find everything harry did to be at least a little bit attractive.
harry throws the winning dart, and lynn already has a shot of don julio waiting for him. she holds the little glass in between her fingers and the lime wedge in between her lips as she moves over to the two guys. a little pool of anxiety fills her stomach when she thinks about what exactly she’s doing. the lime placement seemed like a good idea after she had finished her third drink, but when she sees silas’s face, she thinks that maybe she was wrong.
the worry is only there for a second because harry tips the shot back, and then presses his mouth to hers and takes the wedge in between his teeth. the whole thing has her skin burning all the way from her toes up to her ears, but she doesn’t have time to be embarrassed about it because as soon as he’s done, he’s kissing her.
their kisses are messy and wet, and lynn can taste the lime sitting on his lips and the tequila coating his mouth. his mouth is practically devouring hers in a way that has her chest aching and her fingertips tingling. there’s no way that the vodka and olive juice she had been drinking tasted as good as he’s making it seem. 
harry pulls away when silas clears his throat and lynn can’t even work up enough nerve to look over at him. the blush on her cheeks. her heart skipping beats in her chest. the way she feels so giddy. god, it was like she was a teenager again.
“i think we should get another drink before we head back,” silas breaks the silence first.
harry agrees and the two of them follow silas over to the bar. harry’s got his arm around lynn’s back, and his hand rests on her waist. he orders his drink and her dirty martini while she pretends not to feel the way his thumb is sliding against the small sliver of skin poking out between her top and skirt.
lynn sits on a bar stool next to kathleen when her fourth dirty martini is placed in front of her. harry keeps his arm draped around the back of her chair, chatting to silas about their last game. silas claims harry cheated, but harry insists that silas is just a sore loser. 
“are you three enjoying your vacation,” lynn hears her dad’s voice from down the bar, and makes no move to respond. instead, she brings her glass up to her lips and takes a big sip.
“i am,” harry turns his attention to the older man, offering him a small smile. “thank you for having me. i really appreciate it.”
“it’s the least i can do since you’ve been putting up with my daughter. she can be a lot to handle sometimes.” 
her dad laughs, and lynn can’t help the rage that’s bubbling up in her chest. putting up with my daughter? how would he know what putting up with lynn was like? peter was only around for half of her life, and even then, they’ve only shared a few hundred words with each other, if that. the man barely fucking knew her.
“it’s quite the opposite,” she feels harry moving his hand from the chair to wrap around her shoulder and pull her into his chest. “really, lynn puts up with me.”
“good to know, but i was referring to jane,” he brings his bottle to his lips. “she has so much energy, and at my age…”
lynn doesn’t really care what else her father has to say, so she turns her attention to the bartender and orders herself one more. it would probably end up being a mistake because she could already feel her head going all fuzzy. (and that was obvious a drink ago when she made out with harry in the back corner of the bar.) but, she felt like she needed it in order to stomach being around her parents for a second longer.
“you’re sure you need another?” kathleen’s speaking to her. “don’t want to have a repeat of the last time where you didn’t even make it to dinner.”
lynn decides to pretend like she didn’t hear, and insteads thanks the bartender when he slides the glass in front of her. she didn’t come to dinner the night her mother is referring to because of something more than a little too much to drink, and she thinks that if she lets herself think about it for a minute longer, she’d start crying so hard that she might end up coughing up a lung.
aunt cecilia moves from the other side of her father to sit next to silas. she strikes up a conversation with the two boys, and lynn can’t make the buzzing in her brain quiet down enough to focus on what they’re saying. it is so unfair that being around her mother has the ability to ruin what was supposed to be a fun day with her friends.
lynn gets why silas invited her parents. really, she does. just because they treated her so poorly, doesn’t mean they treated everyone else the same. that was obvious when silas came home from his freshman year of college to all of his stuff sitting on the front lawn of his parents’ house. peter and kathy had moved every discarded item of his into the guest room within the day, and silas claimed it as his own until he moved out for good two years later.
“y’alright, honey?” harry’s voice is so low and breathy. it tickles her ear enough to make her laugh, and he offers her a warm smile at the sound. “there we go.”
his lips tenderly press against her forehead and then he’s leaning back to look at her, worry deep in his eyes. she loves when harry’s soft like this, even if she can see silas rolling his eyes at the two of them in her peripheral.
“i miss your last boyfriend,” lynn’s brought out of her trance by kathleen’s voice. “he never touched you like this in front of us. it’s just disrespectful.”
lynn thinks that she’s misheard her mom at first, but when harry’s hands fall from her, she knows he’s heard it, too. silas and aunt cece are deep in conversation, missing what kathleen had just said, and harry’s looking at her with a frown on his lips. his eyes are pleading with hers, like he’s trying to apologize for something that isn’t even his fault. 
“i’m sorry, ms. kathy. i didn’t eve-”
“yeah, well,” lynn clears her throat. “jaxson used to hit me when we weren’t in front of you guys.”
“what?”
she knows that she shouldn’t have said it, especially not here. lynn’s just so upset and angry and sad, and all she wanted to do was make kathleen feel the way she has been making her feel since the day she was born. like a complete and utter failure.
“i couldn’t make it to dinner last time because my mouth was bleeding so bad,” her voice is quiet, yet her confession draws the attention from the rest of the group. “not because of one too many drinks.”
it was definitely the five dirty martinis that had her spilling the secret she’s held on to the tightest, but it’s out now and so were the tears that came flooding from her eyes. 
“why didn’t you tell us?” her mom has tears of her own on her cheeks, and it only makes lynn roll her eyes. kathleen never really cared about her, and she wasn’t about to start letting her now.
“don’t you see how you treat me? of course i didn’t come to you. nothing i ever do is worth a second of your time,” lynn feels so incredibly vulnerable as she speaks. she half expects kathleen to tell her to grow up, and the other half expects her to get on her hands and knees and apologize profusely for being such a shit mother.
she does neither. instead her eyes fall on silas and aunt cece, a look of realization spreading across her face. “you two knew.”
when lynn showed up on her aunts’ doorstep after a particularly rough fight with her ex, aunt cece helped put her back together again and let her move in for a few months. they hid it from peter and kathleen, per lynn’s request, and when jane was born, she went home. the three of them never really spoke about it, but lynn thinks she wouldn’t be standing here right now if it wasn’t for aunt cece and aunt rosie.
“this is exactly what i fucking mean,” she stands up from her stool, using harry to steady herself, and then she begs him to please, please take her back to the condo.
and he does. harry doesn’t say anything the entire uber ride back. instead, he holds her hand in his lap and wipes under her nose with the sleeve of his shirt when he’s had enough of her loud sniffing.
“i could’ve found a tissue,” her voice is so scratchy it hurts when she speaks.
“but you didn’t,” harry counters. “‘was kind of grossing me out if i’m being honest.”
“heeeeey,” her hands gently shove his shoulders as she laughs under her breath. it’s quiet for a second, and she can’t seem to tear her eyes away from his. it’s like she can feel the pity from his eyes seeping into her own, and it makes her a little sad. “please don’t look at me like that.”
harry looks away and clears his throat, and lynn feels so incredibly guilty for even saying anything, “i don’t like when people pity me. i didn’t mean…”
“i know you didn’t mean to tell me, but knowing now helps me understand you better.” he’s running his forefinger along the creases in her palm. “and i don’t mean to make you feel like i pity you. i just… you didn’t deserve to go through that.”
“okay,” she offers him a warm smile. “i was going to tell you, but i was nervous that i’d scare you away.”
“you could never scare me away.”
“why’s that? am i your only friend?” lynn only means it in a teasing way, but the way harry’s smile drops says that she’s hit the nail on the head. 
“yeah,” his face draws together when he speaks. “um, i don’t know. there’s not really anyone besides you. sorry if that’s weird or makes you uncomfortable. i’m not the best at making friends.”
“s’not weird. i was only joking, harry. i didn’t mean-”
“you don’t have to apologize,” his eyes fall to his lap, and then he looks back up to her. “that’s not why you can’t scare me away. i just… i like having you around, lynn. i don’t want that to change once we go home.”
his words make her cheeks warm, “it won’t. i like having you around, too.” and when that doesn’t feel like enough, “i’m really glad you came, harry.”
29 JULY 2018
when harry wakes up, the bed is empty and the condo is quiet. there’s no echoes of an overworked coffee pot and no hushed whispers bouncing off the walls. his phone reads 11:53am, and there is nothing but a singular text from lynn sitting in his notification center.
getting breakfast with si & then going to the beach. join us when you’re awake :)
harry gets out of bed and heads for the shower to wash the sleep off of his face (and also the sweat off of his body). he’s spent the last two nights wrapped up with lynn in the bed while silas took the couch. the girl loved her blankets, and being next to her sometimes made him feel like he was next to a furnace. 
he decides against joining the two when he’s on his second lather of shampoo. after lynn had talked about her last relationship at the bar, the three have practically been conjoined at the hip doing pretty much everything together. even at the family dinners, they sat at the end of the table next to jane and amelia to keep kathleen, or anyone else, from bringing it up.
as soon as harry heard what lynn said, he wanted to throw up. he felt sick the entire uber drive back, and even worse when they sat on the couch next to one another and she told him about the time she had brought him here. lynn was so incredibly kind, and the thought of anyone hurting her was just so devastating.
but, he did as she asked, and tried acting like looking at her didn’t make his chest feel like it was caving in. (because it did.) instead, he offered her kisses and soft touches every time the thoughts got to be a little too much. lynn deserved to feel loved and appreciated, and he was going to make sure she never forgot that.
harry: i think i’ll spend some time with your sisters. have fun with silas
her response comes through almost immediately.
lynn: they’d loooove that!!! couldn’t stop talking about you at breakfast
lynn: i’ll miss you today :(
the grin that spreads across harry’s face when he reads the message is embarrassing. he never really understood what people meant when they said ‘giggling and kicking my feet’, but when he catches his reflection in the mirror, he gets it.
jane and amelia are waiting for him on the front porch of their condo, and as soon as he’s in sight, the little girl runs to him like she’s an olympian sprinter. she giggles as she does, and harry soaks up every last one because he knows there will be a time when he is nothing but a distant memory for her.
the three of them walk to an ice cream parlor that harry has been dying to go to since the first day they arrived. the outside was painted a bright pink and had mismatched patio furniture sitting out in front of it. he always found these ice cream shops to be the best, and preferred them over the lousy chains.
harry orders his usual mint chip and jane her chocolate chip, and then he tells amelia to get whatever she wants. it was his treat today, even though the two girls were the ones to bring up the idea to go. the older sister decides on a plain strawberry shake, and once it’s all paid, they sit at one of the tables outside.
“don’t forget your napkin,” he reminds jane. “i don’t want to return you all covered in sugar.”
the little girl laughs, and wipes awaythe river of melted vanilla ice cream flowing down her chin, “s’okay. mom says it’s bath night anyway.”
harry listens as jane then goes into a play by play of her day. if one singular detail was wrong, she’d have to pause, reset the scene, and then she could continue. it starts with her saying she chose a red shirt to wear, but actually it was more orange now that she’s thinking about it. then, it’s what she ate for breakfast. jane realizes midway through that she had actually eaten four apple slices instead of the five she said previously because silas had taken one from her plate. the whole thing is painful, but harry sits through every second of it with a smile on his face. 
“you alright, amelia?” harry asks once jane has quieted down and turned her attention back to her ice cream. “you’ve been quiet.”
“does lynn ever talk about her last boyfriend?"
he swallows. "yeah. she talks about him sometimes. why?”
“he was mean to me,” amelia states. “and i thought you’d be the same.”
“melia, i would never-”
“i know. i know,” amelia’s quick to cut him off. “that was obvious when jane hit you with that ball.”
jane’s shoulders drop at her sister’s words, “i’m still very sorry, harry.”
“i know you are, janey,” his hand squeezes her little arm from across the table. “i already told you to stop worrying about.”
“i feel bad for being so rude to you,” amelia admits. “and for trying to get lynn to break up with you.”
“you what?”
“i’m sorry. i didn’t-” the girl’s stumbling over her words like she can’t get them out fast enough when harry interrupts her with a laugh. really, he doesn’t mean to, but the thought of amelia trying to end a relationship that wasn’t even real to begin had him giggling.
"no need to be sorry," he says. "if i saw my sister in a bad relationship, i'd probably act the exact same. probably even worse if i’m being honest.”
“a man who grew up with girls,” amelia nods her head slowly before sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed. “makes sense.”
“now, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“it’s a compliment! ugh, you’re so old.”
harry laughs at the girls in front of him, a feeling of genuine happiness washing over him. maybe he was planning too far ahead, but he can't help but think that he actually does want to be a dad. 
“hurry up and finish your ice cream,” he says. “i think there’s a souvenir shop we can go to just a few stores up the street.”
the three don’t end up going back until dinner time. the two girls walk in front of him, each swinging their shopping bags at each other for no other reason than to be annoying. he didn’t really mean to spend a hundred dollars on the two, but he did. jane always looked up at him with big round eyes and he could never say no.
they had passed a boutique with a blue dress hanging in the window, and amelia made a comment about it matching the shade of lynn’s eyes. she was right. it was printed with this floral pattern and had ruffles at the sleeves. harry couldn’t stop thinking about just how pretty lynn would look in it, and that’s how he ended up with a bag of his own.
maybe it was pushing the boundaries of their friendship a little too far, but he really didn’t care. harry thinks it would be a crime for that dress to belong to anyone besides lynn.
aunt cece is the one who opens the door when jane knocks, and to his surprise, she invites him in to enjoy the dinner that she had prepared. he’s about to say no when she lets him know that lynn and silas had gone into town for an early dinner of their own before he had to go to the airport, so he changes his mind and joins the two aunts in the kitchen.
harry sits at the table while the two shared red wine out of a singular glass along with what seemed like a million kisses. rosie rested herself against cece’s back as she finished transferring the meal to serving dishes. she’d whisper things to the other in tones so quiet harry couldn’t make out the words, but each time aunt cece’s face would flush and she’d playfully push the other woman away.
he hopes he gets a love as pure as theirs when he’s older.
“what’s in the bag?” aunt rosie joins him at the table. 
“it’s nothing really,” harry can feel his cheeks grow warm and he does his best to avoid the woman’s stare. 
“oh come on, you’re blushing all the way to your neck. what is it? we’re very big on sex positivity, so-”
“oh my god. it’s a dress. a normal dress,” harry can’t listen to it a second longer. his finger pulls the collar of his shirt away from his neck. god, why was it so hot it here? 
“aww,” aunt rosie coos at him, peaking into the brown paper bag. “it looks gorgeous, harry.”
he hums. “it reminded me of her.”
“you should take her to that restaurant she was talking about this morning tomorrow. give her a chance to wear it,” aunt cece says from the kitchen, and rosie seconds the idea.
“i overslept today, so i don’t really know which one you’re talking about.”
“hmm,” the woman in the kitchen has her hand on her hip and her face in her hands. “i’m forgetting the name.”
“latitudes,” kathleen’s voice comes from the doorway. “that’s the restaurant.”
harry can tell by her demeanor that she’s trying to be nice, so he offers her a warm smile before thanking her.
dinner isn’t as bad as he thought it would be. he imagined it being incredibly awkward because of what had happened a few days prior, but surprisingly it’s not. he’s not really sure what was said or what happened after he had left with lynn, but he suspects it was something eye opening by the way kathleen is acting.
when gets back to his condo, he finds lynn sitting on the living room floor with at least twenty photobooks sprawled around her. there’s a half full bottle of wine on the side table, and an empty glass seated at her feet. he wasn’t really sure where she kept getting so much wine. they had only purchased three bottles.
“hey,” he’s kicking his shoes off by the door.
“hey,” she doesn’t look up. her eyes are too focused on some photos that she’s holding in her lap, and he takes the opportunity to slip the boutique bag into one of his drawers.
harry changes into his pajamas and then gets himself a glass from the kitchen. with a deep breath, he moves to the living room and sits next to her on the ground. “can i join you?”
“you don’t have to ask,” lynn reaches for the bottle before filling both of their glasses and setting it back down. she offers him a smile, “such a silly question, harry.”
“did you and silas have a good day?”
“the best,” she says with a grin on her face. harry can’t help the jealousy that starts burning in his chest. he wonders if she says the same when silas asks about him. “we found all of these photobooks. what about you? were the girls good?”
“so good,” he replies. “we got ice cream, and had a little shopping trip.”
“i bet they had so much fun,” she takes her eyes away from the photo book to look up at him. her mouth opens and she pauses, and then, “i missed you today.”
they sit next to each other as lynn opens up a fresh book. it was full of photos from when she was only a kid. there were so many pictures of her in the summertime, lounging around a swimming pool wearing rugrats themed swimmies and eating ice cream, and there were even more of her hanging from the monkey bars in playgrounds and posing cutely in flower fields. his favorites were the ones of her standing behind a mixing bowl with a monogrammed apron tied around her waist.
as she turns the pages, the pictures turn from summer to fall and it goes from wide toothy smiles soaking up the sun rays to close lipped grins at school events. there were photos of her at chorus concerts and class parties and some of her sitting with her arms around her friends in the school cafeteria.
there’s a woman who appears in quite a few of the photos, not enough that he would say she was in almost all of them, but enough that harry recognizes her presence. she looked nothing like lynn or any of her family members. her skin was tan and she had long dark hair with matching dark eyes. she wore red lipstick in a lot of the photos, and every time she did, baby lynn had a matching red lip print stamped on the side of her cheek.
“who’s that?” harry decides to ask when she pulls out a picture from the plastic sleeve. it was of the woman hugging her tight while lynn held up a little certificate indicating she won some award.
“she was my au pair,” lynn traces the corners of the picture as she brings it closer to her face.
“the one your dad had an affair with?”
lynn shakes her head. “the one after. elena,” she clarifies. i spent most of my childhood with her.”
“yeah? it looks like she loved you an awful lot.”
“y’know like that feeling that you get when you think of your mom?” she asks. “i get that when i think of her. she was wonderful, harry.”
“do you still talk to her?”
“no, i think my mom stopped hiring her when amelia was two,” her voice is thick when she speaks, and harry can see the glassiness in her eyes when she looks over to pass him the photo. “i still use that recipe in my bakery today. i wish she could see it.”
harry looks at the photo and can’t stop the smile from growing on his lips. little lynn was grinning so wide, her smile nearly went from ear to ear. the certificate was proudly displayed in her hands with a large FIRST PLACE written across the top. elena had her arms wrapped around her body so tightly, you could see the imprints of her fingertips in little lynn’s flesh. his fingers flip the photo over, and his eyes scan the words written on the back.
e. adams, 1998
“you’re what?” harry speaks. “24? 25?”
“i’m 27,” the girl laughs when she sees harry’s face. “what? is 24 too young for you?”
“i’m 21, lynn,” he deadpans. “freshly, too. my birthday’s in february.”
“oh god,” her wine glass nearly tips over when she turns to face him, and harry wraps his fingers around the stem to catch it. 
neither of them speak for a moment. her eyes are scanning over his face like she’s not really sure what to say. both of them had just assumed they were each other’s age. 
“is that,” harry pauses. “does that bother you?”
lynn’s bottom lip goes between her teeth before she sighs, “i mean, it’s all pretend, isn’t it?”
harry wants to say that it doesn’t feel all pretend when lynn’s got his mouth pressed to his. or when they’re alone and her fingers rub every ounce of stress from his body. or when they’re in bed every night, pressed so closely together that harry can feel the way her heart beats against his own.
instead, he only smiles. “yeah, i guess it really doesn’t matter.”
they each finish their glass of wine, and harry’s quick to pour them the rest of whatever’s left in the bottle. honestly, she was right. what they were doing was supposed to be pretend. it was his fault for letting parts of it get too real. 
maybe lynn didn’t need to know that some of his family disowned him because of his queerness. she also probably didn’t need to hear harry’s drunken confession about him being a friendless loser, and she definitely could’ve gone without seeing him sleeping with someone else.
he takes another large gulp of wine when the realization hits. he likes that she knows those things about him.
“evelyn,” her voice is soft as it pulls him from his thoughts.
“hm?”
“i know you saw it,” she points to the discarded photo on the ground between them. harry was so focused on the bolded 1998, he didn’t even notice the tiny e that preceded it. 
“evelyn,” the intensity of his voice matches her, and as soon as the words leave his lips, her eye’s fill with tears. “oh, don’t cry.”
“they’re good tears,” she breathes. “promise.”
his hand cradles her face and tucks her hair behind her ear so it doesn’t get all sticky from the now falling tears. the way she looks up at him feels so real to harry, and it makes his chest grow tight. he didn’t know how he’d be able to walk away from all of this unscathed, but at least he had her now. he’d be stupid not to soak up everything she wanted to give him.
“it’s a pretty name,” he’s nearly whispering now. “fits you.”
“it was my grandmother’s,” she chews on her lips. “she was lovely, harry.”
“she sure seems like it,” her head feels heavy in his hand like she’s relying on him to hold it upright for her. “why’d you change it?”
“jaxson ruined it for me, and hearing it was a lot,” she sighs and her eyes squeeze shut. “it’s stupid i know.”
“i don’t think it’s stupid, blondie,” she looks up at him like she doesn’t necessarily believe him, and harry thinks that if he didn’t find out that she was twenty fucking seven years old minutes prior, he’d kiss her. “not stupid at all.”
really, he still wants to. harry wants to kiss her so hard that she forgets that goddamn loser that made her own name sound unbearable to her. the thought just makes him so incredibly angry. he could kill him.
“hearing it used to make my stomach churn,” she admits.
“it doesn’t anymore?”
her head shakes, “no. at least not when it comes from you.”
“i can call you evelyn if that’s something you want,” lynn sits up when he offers, straightening herself so she’s no longer leaning into his touch. he instantly misses the weight of her.
“yeah, i mean if it’s not too much of an ask. and maybe not in front of my family? it’s been forever since anyone’s called me that. i just- haven’t been able to recognize myself in the mirror since i started going by lynn.” she laughs lightly, but it just sounds sad at this point. “sorry, i think i’ve had too much wine.”
“yeah, i can do that,” harry hums, and he can’t help it when he reaches for her hand. his finger trails across the back of her knuckles. “it’ll be our little secret, won’t it, evelyn?”
30 JULY 2018
harry is absolutely gnawing the fuck out of the sides of his fingers while he waits for lynn to get out of the shower. as soon as she went in (for the third time because she kept forgetting things), he had laid out the dress neatly on the bed with a necklace that kathleen had slipped him at breakfast. she had said that it was lynn’s grandmother’s.
he wasn’t really sure if this whole thing was crossing the line of their fake dating arrangement. they’d be going for no other reason than to spend some time together, but really, friends spend time together all the time. silas and lynn just had dinner last night.
but did silas buy her a dress for it?
whatever. it was too late to take it all back now. he hears the water shut off, and harry knows he’ll see how she really feels about it soon. he was going to be sick.
the sound of the door knob twisting echoes through the quiet room, and then, “harry?”
“yeah?” he sounded so fucking stupid.
“what’s all this?”
“um, a dress?”
lynn moves into the doorway of the bedroom to look at him. she’s wearing a robe around her body and a towel in her hair. “obviously. where did it come from?”
“a boutique,” he replies, and she raises her eyebrow. “i bought it for you yesterday. with amelia and jane.”
“you bought me that?” her voice is quieter than before, and she no longer has the teasing smile that was sitting on her lips just a moment ago.
“yeah,” why did he feel so shy? “if you don’t like it, i kept the receipt-”
“don’t like it? harry, i love it. it’s gorgeous.”
“good,” he sighs. “i thought so, too.”
lynn doesn’t say anything else, but she doesn’t move from her spot in the doorway either. she’s got the softest smile on her face, and she’s looking at him like she’s not really sure what she wants to do next.
“well, go put it on,” he’s moving in her direction to get to the shower. “you don’t want to miss our latitudes reservations, do you?”
“no way!” she shrieks, and when harry follows it with a corny little ‘yes way’, she hugs him around his neck so tightly, her feet aren’t even touching the ground. “thank you. thank you. thank you.” her words are being whispered against the skin of the crook of his neck. 
“it was nothing, really.”
“you always say that,” lynn leans away from him, still keeping her arms around his neck. 
“i just like seeing you like this,” and maybe he should have picked different words. 
“what?” she laughs. “half naked and pressed up against you?”
“jesus christ, no,” his cheeks warm, and he can feel the way her fingers are rubbing the back of his neck. “happy. you’re different here.”
“only when you’re the one here with me,” she presses a kiss to his cheek before stepping back. “now get in the shower. we are not missing latitudes.”
✮✮✮
lynn talks so much during the uber ride to the ferry port. she does it with a big grin on her face, and harry can tell that she’s genuinely excited about their night he had planned. she spends the entire drive discussing the menu and comparing it to yelp reviews, and when they’re on the ferry, she tells him stories about coming here with her grandma while her fingers toy with the small pendant that hangs from the gold chain around her neck. 
the two talk all the way through two appetizers and a bottle of wine. harry lets lynn order everything for them because she was the one who wanted to come in the first place, and also because she had spent so much time dissecting the menu. honestly, he didn’t really care what he ate, as long as she was having everything she wanted.
their table was right on the beach, and he had a perfect view of the sun starting to set right behind lynn. harry was sure of only two things at this moment. lynn looks breathtaking in her pretty blue dress, especially during sunset, and he absolutely adores hearing her voice. harry thinks he could hear her talk forever and ever.
she tells him the story from the picture of her and elena with the first place certificate. it was a simple strawberry cheesecake cupcake, and the two had spent nearly a month practicing beforehand. lynn swears that they came out perfect every single time, except for the day of the contest. apparently, the first batch of icing wasn’t setting properly because she had cried too hard over the bowl.
when their mains come, harry realizes that this is the first time the two have hung out and gotten to know each other without some depressing undertone hanging around their conversation. sure, harry learned about elena last night, but the conversation was sad. here, lynn talked about her childhood with shiny eyes, and laughed with harry when he did the same with his.
“have you ever been grand gestured?” lynn asks around a forkful of seared grouper. her dish looked absolutely delicious, and harry regretted not getting it himself.
“not unless you’re counting a cheesy promposal.”
“hm,” she hums. “i’m going to have to go with no.”
“what about you?” harry picks up the wine bottle sitting in the chiller and works on refilling both of their glasses. “have you ever been grand gestured?”
“this is as close as i’ve come.”
“this is not a grand gesture,” harry stresses. he’s worried it’ll come across wrong for a moment until she laughs. “i just meant this is the bare minimum.”
“i know,” she smiles at him, and harry wishes he could take a picture of this moment and keep it tucked away inside his brain forever. “thank you for this again, harry.”
he’s a bit tipsy, and he can tell she is too by the amount of giggles leaving her mouth. harry always saw a sad lynn when she was drunk, and he can’t believe he was lucky enough to see this side of her, too.
this side was magical. there was really no other way to put it. she was the kind of woman that people write books about.
when harry gets tired of his pasta, he twirls little bites around his fork before leaning across the table and feeding it to lynn. it was probably a little immature to be doing at a restaurant like this, but he didn’t really care, and he could tell that she didn’t either by the little appreciative hums that fell around his fork everytime.
“ugh,” she groans when harry orders a slice of key lime pie for dessert. “harry, i’m going to explode!”
“s’okay,” his hand reaches across the table to pat the top of hers. “you don’t have to eat any of it.”
“of course i do. you know i love a sweet treat,” and really, he didn’t, but he does now.
their arms are wrapped around each other’s backs as they walk in through the front door of the condo. lynn immediately goes to the kitchen to get the last of their remaining wine while harry takes the bedroom to change into something a little comfier. 
“more wine? where all you getting all of these?”
“been swiping them from my mom’s cabinet,” lynn’s sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the couch, and she laughs at harry’s words, the half empty bottle of wine pressed to her lips. after a sip, she stretches her arm out to harry, “c’mon. it’s our last night.”
he sits next to her, taking a gulp from the bottle before passing it back. “did you have fun tonight?”
“of course i did,” her voice is quiet, not much above a whisper. “i always have fun when we’re together.”
harry turns his head so he’s looking at her. he watches as her eyes drop to his mouth and then travel back up. a little laugh makes her hair float around her face, and as soon as harry thinks she’s leaning in, she stops with a loud ow falling from her lips.
and that’s how harry ends up sitting on the couch with lynn between his knees, working at the pinched nerve she complained about.
"jesus, you're so tight," harry mutters as his thumbs dig into the flesh of her shoulders. 
"you're not the first guy to say that.”
"absolutely filthy tonight, aren't you?" 
she laughs, and rests her head on her knees. a breathy moan pushes past her lips when he digs into a particularly sore area, "feels good. my neck fucking aches."
harry continues working her shoulders and neck, paying extra attention to the areas that make her breath hitch. he can’t stop looking at the way her lips part and eyebrows draw together. her head tilts back, and her neck strains, like she’s trying to stop herself from making a sound. the soft sighs and muffled whines that she does let fall from her mouth are enough to make him half hard.
he’s embarrassed by it, and really, he tries to think of anything else. if lynn knew he was feeling this way, they’d probably never speak to each other again, but her skin is just so soft and warm, and she sounded so fucking pretty. he really couldn’t help it.
“didn’t realize how much i missed this,” she murmurs with her head leaning against his knee.
“getting a massage? you know they have places for that.”
“knock it off,” he can feel her fingers pinching at his ankle. “i meant this… touching.”
harry hums. “i know what you mean.” 
“what?” lynn laughs. “is seven days without taking someone to bed too long for you?”
harry hasn’t been with anyone in weeks. not since lynn had walked in on him and the girl from the bar. he wasn’t necessarily avoiding sex. it’s just that every time he’s gotten close to bringing someone home, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
“s’different when it’s someone you care about,” he says instead.
harry can feel the way lynn stops picking at the carpet. her body stills except for her shoulders which move up with a deep breath when his fingers brush over her neck. he’s not really working out the knots in her muscle anymore. he’s just… touching.
it doesn’t last for very long because lynn is soon crawling up to sit next to him on the couch. she drapes her knees over his with a sigh on her lips and color blooming on her cheeks. her eyes are glassy when he looks into them, and her mouth is open like she’s going to say something. she doesn’t.
instead, her fingers cup his cheek, and then her mouth is pressing short, sweet kisses to his. she’s slow with it. her lips lazily sucking, and sometimes she drags her tongue slowly across his bottom lip, never letting it venture past that. harry savors her kisses, letting her do whatever she wants.
he knows it’s just fun for her. she’ll probably pull away with a giggle and say something about how it’s been so long since she’s been kissed like that. she’d press her lips against his once more and then they’d go to sleep. it was his fault for letting it feel intimate. with every suck of her mouth, he felt the want for her grow hot in his belly. she was just so perfect. 
her lazily kisses pick up a little more pace until they’re feverish. she sucks and licks and harry groans when he feels her teeth nip at his lips. he thinks he possibly couldn’t get even more turned on than he is right now and then she’s straddling his lap, her knees tightly pressed at the sides of his thighs.
“fuck,” she gasps into his mouth as soon as he feels her against him. harry can’t even think straight. the warmth of her has his brain going foggy and his heart racing in a way that should probably be concerning. all it took was one roll of her hips, and he was a pathetic, whining mess beneath her. 
"maybe you'd like a reward for all of your hard work?" she breathes into his mouth as she grinds down against him.
"i hope it's that mouth," the pad of his thumb brushes across her lips. they’re swollen and shiny with their spit. "y'know how much i like kissing you. still sweet from dessert, too.” 
"how does my throat sound?" harry thinks that he’s heard her wrong, but then she parts her lips and takes his thumb into her mouth, sucking hard.
he can’t help the way he groans at the sight in front of him. her pretty blue dress all the way up to her thighs with her red lips wrapped around his thumb. she is going to kill him.
when she opens her mouth and sticks out her tongue, harry pushes his thumb further back before pressing it down right at the back of her mouth. she gags at the intrusion, looking down at him with big, teary eyes.
"don't think you could fit all of me in there," he pushes down a few more times just to see the way her eyes water over, and then he lets his thumb smear the thick saliva pooling at the corners of her mouth down her chin and all the way to her chest. 
"wanna find out?"
he hums, leaning forward. "how bad do you want it?"
she laughs a little, the air from her mouth fanning across his face. "i don't beg, harry. especially not for you. don’t you see that?”
"oh really?" he pulls her into a searing kiss, letting his fingers slide all the way around to the back of her neck until they’re threaded in her hair. harry grabs a fistful of the soft strands and pulls her mouth away from his while his other hand nudges her leg over so she’s back sitting next to him. "that's too bad, blondie."
his lips sponge soft, wet kisses from her mouth down to her shoulders, and then back up. he angles her head so he can trail them up the front of her throat all the way to right below her ear. he lets his teeth graze at the soft skin until she’s letting out a shaky breath and pushing his face away.
"god, harry," he thinks she's going to cave. "i know you're practically a teenager, but you don't have to try and mark me up like one."
"didn't realize turning thirty meant you can't have any fun," harry bites back.
"i am not-" he presses his lips to hers, swallowing down whatever else she was going to say. he thinks if he had to spend one more second without his mouth on hesr, he’d die. "you're lucky you're pretty."
"you think i'm pretty?" he's got a teasing grin on his face.
"don't be annoying. look at you.” and that was it. he knew exactly how to get under her skin. 
"do you think i'm prettiest in those yellow swim shorts you put in my suitcase?" he’s leaning in so his nose is nudging hers. lynn’s face flushes and she opens her mouth to speak but closes it. "don't get all shy on me now. i've felt you staring all day."
she scoffs, hands coming up to push at harry’s chest. "you wish."
"maybe i do," a kiss. "wore them just for you after all."
lynn fists his t-shirt, bringing his mouth back to hers. they kiss like they’ve been starved of each other for weeks. harry lets his touch slide up her calf, and his fingers caress the back of her knee.
"harry," her words are soft. a whimper.
"evelyn," harry’s fingers push higher, running all the way up to the inside of her thigh and back down. each time his touch gets closer until he’s thumbing at the cotton edge of her underwear. "what's the matter, blondie? you've gone all quiet on me."
"please," is all she says. it’s so quiet, harry barely catches it over the sound of his heart thumping in his ears.
"what was that?"
"you heard me.”
"i don't think i did."
"please, harry," she rolls her eyes at him, but harry sees right through it.
"please what?" his thumb slides a little under her underwear where he could feel the heat pooling. "are you still all achy?"
lynn nods with a whine in her throat and she turns her head to try and hide the pink flush in her cheeks. looking at her is practically intoxicating.
"gonna tell me where so i can make it better?"
when she doesn’t answer, he squeezes her shoulder, "here?"
her head shakes.
“hmm..” his fingers trail to her neck. “here?”
another shake.
 “what about here?” he says as his fingers pinch back at her calf.
lynn groans as she takes his hand, pressing his fingers against her cloth covered center. "here, harry."
"poor, baby," harry murmurs against the crook of her neck. his finger is only gently running against the dampness of her underwear. enough to make her whine, but not enough to give her much relief. "got yourself all worked up over what? little old me?"
"you're ridicu-" a moan from deep in her chest cuts her off when harry thumbs at her clit. she’s looking at him with wide eyes and a heaving chest. he’s not sure if she didn’t expect him to actually touch her, or if she wasn’t expecting to sound so loud.
"here's what i think," he’s only looking at her, his hand back to barely touching her. "you like to act all tough, but it's quite the opposite, really. my sweet honey just needs someone to take care of her, doesn’t she?"
"y-yes.”
he adds a little bit of pressure. a treat for giving him what he wanted. "wanna hear you say it.”
lynn doesn’t answer, and harry tsks before pulling away from her. “nothing? what a shame?”
"i need someone to take care of me," she rushes out like she was so desperate for his touch to be back on her. and what kind of man would harry be if he didn’t listen?
"who?" he pushes further. she's looking at him with furrowed brows. "who do you need to take care of you? to make it all better?"
"you," she cries, her voice broken and needy. "need you to make it better. please, harry.”
"there you go," he praises her with a few kisses to her face. "c’mere, baby."
he tugs her hand so she’s seated in between his legs with her back pressed to his chest. she spreads her legs over his when he nudges her with his knee, and then his fingers find the hem on the pretty blue dress to bunch it at her waist.
"being so good f'me," he kisses her neck while he lets his fingers travel over the plush flesh of her tummy. sure, he felt her like this every night, but this was different. "don't wanna do anything you don't want to, okay? just have to tell me if you want to stop."
"okay," she rushes out. "just... please."
"such good manners," he murmurs against her skin. "think you deserve a little reward."
harry wishes he could forever hear the sound she made when he first dipped his fingers in the front of her underwear. he never imagined her to be so noisy, so loud, but with each stroke of his fingers came whines and moans and whimpers so filthy, they would make the devil look away.
his hand is cramping against the restricting fabric, so he pushes her ruined underwear down her legs, leaving her to kick them the rest of the way off, before moving her hand to the back of her thigh and instructing her to hold herself open for him.
“you’re so fucking hot when you listen, y’know that?” lynn whines at his words and squirms against him as his fingers slowly make a mess of her, watching the way her arousal strings between his fingers. harry’s breathing stops when he catches the perfect view of her. all spread open and glistening. just for him.
harry’s thumb rubs circles against her clit while the rest of his fingers move all the way down, teasing at her entrance. he never pushes in further than his fingertip before he moves them back up and starts again. he does this until she’s so wet that he knows it has to be dripping down onto the couch, and then he slowly pushes a finger in.
lynn’s head is tilted back against his shoulder, and he sponges kisses to the part of her neck that she has bared to him.
“do you think y’can come from this?” he murmurs against her skin. “i know it’s-”
“yes,” she’s quick to breathe out. “god, yes. you’ve got me so fucking horny right now. i’ll be the easiest you’ve ever had.”
and she’s right. once harry moves his free hand from her waist to her center to give her a bit more stimulation, she’s a goner. her moans and whimpers turn into high pitched whines, and her back arches away from him. he can feel her clenching on his fingers, and all it takes is one more curl and she’s nearly convulsing. 
harry’s fingers offer lazy touches until she’s whining and snapping her legs together. his lips press warm, encouraging kisses against her neck and shoulders and really, anywhere they could reach. lynn melts in to him, her face falling in the crook of his neck. little giggles tickle his skin as he pulls her dress down to cover her back up.
“so perfect, evy,” he whispers. he expects another laugh or maybe a bashful shove, but instead she’s quick to stand up and head for the front door. “wait.”
"i- um, sorry i just," she clears her throat, and then. "i need some air."
"lynn-" the door slams, and harry’s left wondering what exactly he did wrong.
✮✮✮
harry: im sorry
harry: i shouldn’t have let myself get so carried away
harry: i don’t know what else to say but i am so sorry.
lynn shuts off her phone and slips it into her pocket before quietly opening up the door to the bedroom. all of their stuff was packed up. only an outfit that she had picked earlier in the day was left on top of her suitcase in a nice neat pile. the huge mess she had made in the bathroom before dinner was all packed up into her toiletry bag, and when she stepped a bit closer, she could see harry stretched out under the covers all the way on the other side of the bed. he was such a gentleman.
she felt so embarrassed when she found herself calling her aunt to let her into her condo. she didn’t mean to run out on harry the way she did, but once everything started to feel a little bit too real, she didn’t know what else to do. what was she supposed to say? i actually haven’t let anyone touch me like that in over half a decade, but yeah, we can call it two friends just helping each other out.
her aunt offered her a shower and a change of clothes and then sat with lynn on the bathroom floor while she cried so hard, she nearly threw up. aunt cece rubbed her back while she dry heaved over the toilet bowl, and then she sat and listened while lynn told her all about their fake arrangement.
“isn’t that pathetic?” lynn had said once she was finished.
aunt cece only sighed, “i think it’s more pathetic that you’re crying this hard over here instead of just telling him how you feel.”
and once aunt cece mentions that she thinks that harry likes her in a way that’s more than just platonic, lynn starts thinking that maybe letting him know about her feelings wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. 
they’d spend more alone time together once they got home. lynn would probably invite him to the bakery on a sunday where she could show him everything elena had helped her create. she’d send him home with loaves of bread and all of the muffins his heart desires. 
maybe he’d let her watch him paint. they could spend sunny afternoons in the park with a picnic and a canvas. she’s only ever been artistic in the kitchen, but she’d definitely try to paint something for harry. it’d probably end up terrible, but he’d keep it. maybe even hang it up in his house. she knows she’d do the same. covering her walls in harry’s art just because they were made from him.
long nights would be spent in between her sheets, where he’d give her the best orgasms she’s ever had in her entire life (just like he did tonight). and then maybe, he’d let her touch him, too.
“he called me evy,” lynn told her aunt. it was the very phrase that had her running, but this time a smile forms on her face when she thinks of it. “i told him about evelyn, but not evy.”
it was a nickname her grandmother had given her. everyone had called the older woman evie, and so she called lynn, evy. she had said she wanted her granddaughter to feel like her own person, and the name stuck. 
the first time her dad called her evy after her grandmother's passing lynn cried so hard she threw up in her front yard. it didn't feel right coming from peter, and even when luke wrapped her in all the love he could muster, pressing kisses to her face and promising evy that everything would be okay night after night, it still felt wrong. it was like there was an itch that could only be scratched by her grandma's voice. and now harry's.
“maybe she sent him to you,” her aunt’s fingers smoothed her hair away from her face before kissing her head. “go see him.”
harry looks up from his phone when he hears lynn step into the small room. “i’m so fucking sorry, lynn.” 
his voice is raw and scratchy, and the thought of him crying over what she did to him makes her heart break. she climbs into the bed, sitting with her feet underneath her. “you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”
“but, i-”
“nothing, harry,” she stresses."you didn't do anything wrong. i just... i get in my own head sometimes. i'm sorry i left the way i did."
"it’s okay," he rolls over so he's facing her. his hand covers hers. "you can talk to me when you feel like that, lynn."
"the guy i dated before my last, he was," she clears her throat. "he was a friend. well, he is a friend and i think..."
she doesn't know how to say what she wants. lynn thinks dating her friend was one of the best decisions she's ever made. that relationship happened nearly a decade ago and she still secretly wishes that she was selfish and asked him to stay when he came to her door. 
well, she used to wish. she hasn’t thought about it in a while.
she thinks that maybe her and harry could be like that. or they could try to be like that. they were friends. they knew each other and she was comfortable with him. comfortable enough to let his hand go up her dress. her cheeks warm at the thought.
she'll tell him that being with luke ruined their friendship and she was never close with him again. lynn never really minded the way luke slipped so easily from her life, but she’s terrified that the same would happen with harry. she really likes having him around.
she’s going to tell him regardless, and perhaps she’ll make him promise that trying wouldn’t ruin anything. that if their relationship went south, they’d still have their friendship to fall back on.
"i think that, um," she closes her eyes and harry squeezes her hand. “um, well-”
"it's okay. i'm still hung up on my ex, too. what happened between us doesn't have to mean anything."
oh.
"okay," she breathes, trying to make sure she didn’t look as devastated as she fucking felt. "good. that’s what i was going to say."
harry sighs, "i haven't been able to stop thinking about him recently, if i'm being honest."
shut up! shut up! shut up! shut up!
"why don't you tell me about him?" she gets under all of the covers, an excuse to pull herself away from him. "since you know about mine."
lynn doesn’t really know why she asks, but she did. so, she listens to harry talk about his stupid ex named oliver with a huge smile on her face. like she could not be more elated to be hearing about how much he loves him if she tried. lynn wipes his tears when he talks about how mean he was to the boy when they were in high school, and even holds his hand when he hiccups about how much he misses him. 
“you should reach out to him,” she says, letting her fingers card through his hair.
“you think so?” harry sniffs. 
“yeah,” lynn hums. “it might be good for both of you.”
when lynn mentions it, she doesn’t expect him to do it right then and there, but he does. he pulls out facebook messenger, and she has to pretend not to notice the way that oliver jones was the only saved search.
maybe they’ll meet up, oliver will want nothing to do with him. harry will have a cleared conscious and he'll come back to lynn. she’ll go to therapy as soon as the plane’s wheels touch down in westchester, so when he ultimately comes knocking at her door, she’ll be better. good for him.  yeah, she thinks. that will totally happen.
she clings on to whatever little sliver of hope she had left because that stupid scenario was the only thing keeping her from bursting in to tears.
when lynn looks over at harry, he’s tapping away on his phone screen. the dim light illuminates his face, and she decides if that moment were to ever come around, she’d be selfish. just that once.
✰✰✰✰
a/n: this felt like sooo much information but! part six sooon (hopefully by the end of next week)
81 notes · View notes