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watchmegetobsessed · 1 year

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JUST HOW FAST THE NIGHT CHANGES (part 5)

A/N: ahh we have reached the end!! thank you for coming with me on this journey, i hope you liked these high school sweethearts!

PAIRING: Harry x High-School-Best-Friend!Reader

WORD COUNT: 5k

SERIES MASTERPOST | SUPPORT ME!

“Are you okay? Are you hungry?”

“Harry, you’ve asked this like a million times in the past hour, I’m fine.”

You can’t hold back a chuckle as you pay with your water bottle’s cap. You feel quite out of place in the luxurious lounge you didn’t even know existed at the airport. You have only left Europe just once before and you did not fly with a private jet back then like you’re now. It’s a whole different world, Harry’s world that you now seem to be part of, though it’s gonna take a while to get used to it.

Maybe you shouldn’t. After all, this is all Harry’s, the attention, the money, the luxury, it’s all him, not you.

“I just want you to have a good time,” Harry mumbles beside you.

“I’m having a good time,” you assure him.

Things have been so different since the night he spent at your place. Waking up next to him was a whole new experience you knew you could get used to very quickly. Your feet were tangled together and he was lying so close to you, you could see every little freckle and blemish on his beautiful face.

You spent a peaceful morning together, just making breakfast, drinking coffee and talking before he had to leave. Since then, you’ve been texting nonstop and even met a couple of times. Harry seems to be seeking every and any opportunity to see you and it’s hard, if not impossible to say no to him when he begs you to grab coffee with him when you’re on a break from work.

You’re falling for him. Seriously and undoubtedly. And it’s not a silly teenage crush anymore, the feelings you’re harboring for him are heavy and kind of scary. You still haven’t figured out how to deal with your own fears, the hurt from the past and the desire to be with Harry.

For now, you’re trying your best to ignore these doubts and enjoy your impromptu trip to Palm Springs.

This is your first real glimpse into Harry’s life. The jet, the hotel, the restaurants, it’s been all just like in the movies. You knew this was his reality, but living it through with him is a whole different story.

You’ve been attached by the hip since the start of the trip, he’s been bringing you everywhere he could, though you still had some work to take care of, he tried his best to limit his meeting and work calls to those periods.

Tonight is his first show out of the two birthday shows he is giving. It’s not officially his birthday yet, but you still want him to have a great day. So for a change, you take matters into your own hands. You started off with bringing breakfast to his bed, you woke up super early to catch him before his morning workout session, brought his pastries, fruits and coffee that you ate on his bed together before parting ways, only to reunite before lunch.

You stay at the hotel restaurant, but you have the servers bring him out a cupcake with a candle on top to make it special.

“Y/N, my birthday is not until tomorrow,” he mumbles, but can’t tone down his goofy smile as he watches the light of the candle dance in front of him.

“You deserve a two day long birthday,” you chuckle. “Make a wish and blow out the candle,” you clap your hands in excitement.

He stares at you for a few moments before closing his eyes, thinking hard of his wish before blowing out the light quickly.

“Share it with me,” he says, pulling the candle out of the top and reaching for the butter knife he starts cutting it in half.

“Ah, no, I better not,” you shake your head, your chest tightening.

“Why?”

“I’m just… trying to… get in shape,” you say, feeling awkward that you have to say it out loud. It always makes you think of the comments Drew used to make on your appearance once you started putting on weight.

“In shape?” Harry asks, but still places half of the cupcake in front of you. “You’re in perfect shape, Y/N,” he says without even realizing how important the words are.

You stare at him for a while, watching him lick some of the frosting off, oblivious how he just made your heart race in your chest. It’s been forever since a man made you feel good in your own skin. Drew made no effort to help you when your body started changing and when you gained all the weight you’re carrying now as well, he just worsened it with his spiteful comments about your looks.

Now here’s Harry, who seems to be more than fine with your current looks and he just said your shape is perfect. And you finally believe it.

He looks up and finds you staring. “What? Did I say something wrong?” he asks, but you shake your head and before you could change your mind you lean closer and press a kiss to his cheek.

“No. You said the best thing. Now, let’s eat this cupcake,” you chuckle.

In the afternoon, Harry spends some time in his room, relaxing before the show and you use this opportunity to do some work until it’s time to leave to the venue. You’ve been jumping from excitement inside, because this will be the first time you see him perform live. Of course you’ve searched up videos of him throughout the years, watched some of his performances, but you know those will never be the same as being there in person.

It’s also your first experience being backstage at an event and it’s making you feel quite important, you have to admit. Harry hasn’t said anything, but you just know he noticed the child-like excitement in your eyes.

You watch the soundcheck, walking around the arena he will fill up very soon with his screaming fans, but for now it’s just you. You sneak some videos of him, wanting to have physical memories of this moment and you’re so absorbed in the experience that you completely miss it when he snaps a picture of you as well from the stage, being his only audience.

Once everything is set and done you mostly just chill backstage when they start to let the fans in, Harry does some of his usual rituals and you meet tons of new people, because he keeps introducing you to everyone. You don’t have the heart to tell him you stopped remembering all the names like thirty minutes ago, he seems so enthusiastic to show you around and tell people you’ve known each other since forever.

You’re hanging out in his dressing room, watching him get his hair done though it will be ruined minutes into the show and he also gets his nails done, which you have to admit is an amazing thing to see. A man, so comfortable in his masculinity that he just sits and watches someone paint his nails different colors. It’s something you never thought you’d find hot, but it definitely is.

When he’s not paying attention to you, you reach into your bag and look for the little gift box that’s hiding his birthday gift and you’re just about to give it to him once he’s done with his nails, but then some people from his crew come in and you’re quick to drop the box back into your bag. Maybe you’ll have a better moment after the show.

“So, where do you want to stand?” he asks, curling an arm around your shoulders as the two of you walk out of his dressing room when there’s not much left until start.

“Can I go out?”

“To the pit? Yeah, sure,” he nods. “You want the fan experience?” he smirks down at you.

“That’s the real thing, right?”

“You should have made a sign then.”

“Who said I didn’t?” you tease him, making him laugh. “Well, I didn’t, but I might steal someone’s sign.”

“I’ll be looking out for it then.”

He soon has to leave your side to get under the stage. You watch him climb into his little box and you think it’s the funniest thing you’ve seen, you even snap a picture of him before it’s closed and he gets rolled out under the stage.

Until the start you stay with Jeff and when it’s time he walks you out to a secluded area in the pit, right on time to witness the opening of the show.

You knew he is truly in his element on stage, but seeing it with your own eyes is a whole different experience. It’s like a different version of him, yet you know it’s the same Harry. Everything he tends to hold back in his everydays he lets loose the moment he sets his feet on the stage. He’s breathtaking, the singing, the moves, the interactions, it all feels like magic and your heart is full every time you see him laugh up there.

“Okay, give me a minute, I’m looking for someone down there,” he speaks into the microphone as he is walking to the wing of the stage that’s closer to you and you already know you’re about to be in the center of the attention.

“Oh shit,” you shake your head and Jeff laughs beside you.

“Are you surprised?” he asks.

“Not really,” you sigh, just when Harry’s gaze lands on you.

“There you are!” he points at you, the fans start screaming as he stops at the edge of the stage. “Y/N, you promised me a sign, but I don’t see anything,” he scolds you, making you laugh as you bury your face in your hands. “Y/N is an old friend of mine, everyone, and tonight is the first time she is seeing me performing!”

The cheering washes over the arena as you feel the heat crawling up your neck and cheeks.

“How do you like the show so far, Y/N? Enjoying yourself?”

“It’s good!” you hold your thumbs up, which earns you a round of applause and a cocky grin from Harry.

“Okay, cool, but I’m still waiting for a sign from you.”

“Maybe tomorrow!” you laugh and Harry joins in as he walks away, carrying the show on.

By the end of the concert you’re jumping around and singing like the fans around you, having the time of your life. You catch Harry’s eyes on you several times and he can’t hold his own smile back every time he sees you.

Jeff walks you backstage when the show is over, everyone is buzzing and you’re bummed it’s over but you’re glad you can watch it all over again tomorrow. When you reach his dressing room you hesitate, not sure whether he needs some time alone after such a long show or not, but at last you decide to knock on his door. It flies open moments later and he’s there, still wearing his concert outfit, a cheesy grin plastered across his face.

“So, how did you like it?” he asks as he pulls you into the room, shutting the door closed.

“It was fantastic,” you smile at him, heart full of pride. “I never knew someone could be this good of a performer.”

“Aw, you’re gonna make me blush,” he grins, but you know how much he is enjoying the compliments.

Looking around you make sure you’re alone and you decide it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for.

“I have something for you.”

Harry watches you with curiosity as you dig into your bag and grab the little box again. Your heart is hammering in your chest, you really don’t want him to think your gift is stupid or childish. It’s nothing fancy, he has probably gotten gifts that cost a fortune, but this one is not one of those. You can only hope he’ll find it just as special as you do.

“I know your birthday is only tomorrow, but I want to be early and give this to you. Happy Birthday.”

You hand him the box that he takes as if it was the most delicate thing he’s ever touched.

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Y/N,” he smiles baskfully as he unties the thin ribbon on top of the box.

“It’s nothing big or extreme, just… a little something.” You’re rubbing your hands together nervously as you watch him take the lid off and finally lay his eyes on the gift.

You made him another bracelet, to replace the one that was ruined all this time ago. It looks a tad bit cooler than the original one that you made out of the most random beads. This time you looked for special, one of a kind beads to make the bracelet and you think it suits his style and personality perfectly.

“I just thought that you could have a new one, it’s a little more sophisticated than the previous one. Y-You don’t have to wear it, of course, I just–”

“I love it, Y/N, and I will be wearing it all the time,” he cuts you off, putting it on instantly before taking a closer look at it.

“You like it?” you ask quietly.

“No, I said I love it and I really do,” he corrects you. “Thank you so much.”

Before you could even get a word out he wraps you up in his tight embrace, his scent fills up your nose as your face is pressed against the base of his neck.

He has always been great at giving hugs, he uses almost his whole body and wraps you up in a way that makes you want to stay in his arms forever and it hasn’t changed a bit. You gladly circle your arms around his waist and hold onto him, melting against his warmth, giving yourself over to the feeling of being swallowed by Harry’s love and appreciation.

At one point one of his hands comes up to the back of your head, fingers lacing through your hair as he is still hugging you with just as much strength as a minute ago and it seems like he is not planning to let you go anytime soon.

“Y/N, you are…” he speaks up softly, but his words turn into an exhale you feel against your shoulder and a shudder runs down your spine. You wait and wait and then he finally speaks up again. “You are everything to me.”

Your heart grows three times bigger at his words, makes you feel like it’s about to burst out of your chest and right into Harry’s hands. As much as you want to keep hugging him, preferably forever, you know you need to see his face now. Mustering up all your will you pull back just enough to look into those breathtaking green irises and you see so much and even beyond that in them. You see your and his past self, your future, a life you could have if he never left and the one you’re possibly on the verge of.

And you love all of them. You love everything about him, every thought, every memory, every possibility you’re gonna face together.

“Harry…” you breathe out when his face is so close, your noses are almost brushing together.

“Yeah?” he whispers, just when his eyes slip down to your lips.

“What are we doing?”

“Whatever you want to do, Y/N.”

You almost whine at his answer, practically ready to beg him to never leave your side, but you manage to keep some of your dignity.

Taking a deep breath you close your eyes and try to think straight, because you know this is a moment there’s no going back from, but you need to make sure you’re fully ready for all of it. Harry doesn’t rush you, instead, he rests his forehead against yours and cups your cheek in one hand while the other one remains on your waist.

The teenage girl in you is screaming right now, demanding to give your all to him, but the Y/N that went through the past through years is scared, because it’s pretty much a free fall into something that could potentially break your heart and that would be deadly this time.

“If I do this, I’ll give my all to you, Harry,” you say as a warning, but you’re also silently begging for him to be the change you need in your life probably more than anything.

“Y/N, I would take whatever you have for me, even if it’s the smallest crumble. And if I get to have all of you… God, that would be absolute heaven,” he chuckles, nuzzling his nose against your playfully.

“So it’s not just a momentary thing, right?” you ask, holding onto the last bits of your self control before you let yourself fall completely.

“Momentary? I’ve… I’ve loved you since I was twelve, probably. My feelings for you are the least momentary thing in my life,” he breathes out the words as if he was in immense pain and you can feel the last string snapping before you push forward and your lips meet his.

Or maybe he is the first one to move, it’s hard to tell once your lips melt together and you kiss like there’s no tomorrow. You’ve never experienced a passion like this, the need to get closer and closer even when you’ve basically become one takes over your body, your mind is blank, Harry occupies all your thoughts, the way he is touching, you, his scent, the little noises he makes when you gently bite onto his bottom lip… You never thought kissing could bring this much excitement and passion.

It’s messy but simply perfect, Harry is pushing forward making you inch backwards and you bump into a chair somewhere in the way, which makes both of you laugh before you return to the demanding kisses. You memorize the way his hair feels between your fingers as you comb through them, how his fingers dig into your waist as he keeps you tight against him, the way his thigh ends up between your legs at one moment and your body moves against your will, grinding against him.

Maybe you would have gone even further, but there’s a loud crash somewhere outside the room that breaks your little bubble and makes you realize you’re still in his dressing room and someone could walk in any moment.

Not too willingly, but you come to a stop slowly, your forehead resting against his as you try to calm your breathing. Harry goes in for a few more soft pecks on your lips and nose before he finally forces him to pull back.

“I’m gonna take a quick shower and then we can leave,” he murmurs, playfully nuzzling his nose against yours.

“Okay. I’ll be here.”

Harry nods and his arms fall from around you, already making you miss his touch as he disappears in the bathroom.

You send out a few emails in the meantime and when Harry emits from the steamy bathroom in a pair of sweatpants and a simple white shirt, you’re ready to leave. He gathers his stuff quickly, throwing his Pleasing tote bag over one shoulder and he reaches for your hand, taking it gently before pulling you towards the door.

You walk out of the building hand in hand and suddenly you feel like a teenager again who is holding hands with a boy for the first time. But for god’s sake, you’ve been married before! What is happening to you?!

Harry is driving on the way back to the hotel and when he places a hand on your thigh over the console you almost start giggling, but you manage to keep a somewhat straight face. When you arrive he takes your hand again and as you step into the elevator, just the two of you luckily, he wastes no time to pull you into his arms and kiss you again, finally.

“Spend the night with me,” he mumbles against your lips and you involuntarily stiffen for a moment. You’ve been yearning for him forever but you don’t want to jump into things too fast, you need some time to think and process.

Harry notices the change in you instantly.

“We don’t have to do anything, I just want to fall asleep and wake up next to you.”

“Okay,” you whisper when the elevator comes to a stop and the door slides open. “I need to grab a few things though.”

“Sure. Just come over whenever you’re done,” he nods, presses a kiss to your forehead and you part ways, going into your separate rooms for now.

You run around the room in a frenzy, you shower and do a quick shaving session even though you truly don’t plan to have sex just yet, but still, you want to be smooth. Then get dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and your sleeping shirt before heading over to Harry’s room. You barely just knock on the door and it flies open instantly, Harry pulls you inside and kisses you like he hasn’t seen you in ages when in reality it’s been only twenty minutes.

“You smell so good,” he hums, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck as he walks you over to the bed, unable to keep his hands off you.

“I just showered,” you chuckle at the tickling feeling of his breath on your skin.

He kisses you some more before pulling back and approaching the mini bar.

“Do you want something?”

“Just maybe some water, thank you.”

He hands you over the bottle and he chooses to drink some orange juice. You make yourself comfortable on his bed, set your phone on the nightstand and watch him move around the room, throwing some of his stuff into his suitcase before he joins you on the mattress.

Now that you’re settled it all dawns on you, the kiss, the things you both said and you realize you need to talk it out to make sure you’re heading in the same direction.

“So… That happened,” you say, nervously fumbling with the covers, but you realize how awkward it sounded the moment the words leave your mouth. Harry chuckles as he runs a hand through his hair.

“It definitely did. How do you feel about it?”

“I’m… nervous. But also… excited?”

“Is that a question?” he smirks cheekily.

“No. I am excited.”

“Good. Because I’m fucking ecstatic about it.”

“Really?” you smile sheepishly, resting your head in one hand as you lean onto your elbow on your side.

“Thought it was pretty obvious when I confessed to you earlier. I want whatever you have for me, Y/N. Truly.”

“So… we’re gonna do this? We’re… together?”

“Is that what you want?”

You take a moment to think about it, though your answer is already clear.

“Yes,” you nod. Harry scoots closer and kisses you softly.

“Then yes. We are.”

“How are we going to do it? I mean… I can’t always just travel with you, I need to return home at one point.”

“We’ll figure it out. Don’t stress about it.” He traces the side of your face before cupping your cheek gently. “I’ve wanted this for so long, I will do anything to make it work.”

“Isn’t it crazy that we both had feelings all these years ago and… it only happened now?”

“Wait, you had feelings too? When we were young?”

“Thought it was obvious,” you shrug with a shy smile.

“Not really,” he chuckles. “Damn, I could have just made a move on you back then and we would have been together since then?”

“Maybe the timing would have been wrong. I think things happened this way for a reason. We had to go over all of this to reach this point.”

“You mean we had to stop talking and meet all those wrong people? I feel like I could have been fine without that,” he sighs, his hand resting on your waist as you lie facing each other. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“You don’t have to answer, but… I noticed that your whole relationship with your ex was very… private. I didn’t even know you got married let alone had a divorce.”

“Were you spying on me?” you tease him and you notice the pink shade on his cheeks as he shrugs.

“Maybe.”

Deep down you kind of knew this would come up at one point, but you didn’t think it would happen so early. You had plenty of time to think about why you never felt the urge to show off your relationship with Drew and you always knew one thing for sure that contributed to the end of it as well along with the terrible happenings.

“You’re gonna think I’m insane,” you whisper, scrunching your nose as you pull your legs up.

“I’m sure I won’t. I could never judge you.”

Chewing on your bottom lip you muster up the courage to tell him the truth.

“I loved Drew but part of me always knew it wasn’t meant to be, I just ignored my instinct. There was this voice in the back of my head every time we reached a milestone and I tried not to listen to it, but it lingered there and it had an effect on my acts either way.”

“What was it saying?”

“That he was not you.”

Your confession seems to catch him by surprise, leaving him stunned and you wonder what’s going on in his head.

“I inevitably kept comparing him to you or… the idea I had of you. I always knew my feelings for Drew were nothing like the ones I felt for you, but I told myself it was silly, because at that point we weren’t even talking. But it didn’t feel right. That part of me always wanted to be with you and I kept my relationship to myself because it simply didn’t feel right in a sense. It should have been a red flag, I shouldn’t have stayed with him, but I didn’t think I would ever see you again and I was afraid of ending up alone so I just… put up with what I had.”

It’s probably the very first time you’ve ever said it out loud, it’s been a secret you kept buried deep down in your chest, but you feel like with Harry you can share anything.

“Do you… Do you think it’s crazy?” you ask, not entirely sure what he is thinking but the fact that he hasn’t moved away from you is definitely promising.

“Crazy? There’s nothing crazy about this, Y/N. If anything, it’s making me happy,” he smiles softly.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “Because I can absolutely relate to these feelings and thoughts. I felt like I was searching for you all my life, the way you made me feel… nothing compared to that.”

You’re on the verge of crying, hearing that your feelings have always been mutual is like a piece you missed all your life, but now he’s made you complete.

With wobbling lips you scoot closer until you can wrap your arms around his neck and he doesn’t hesitate before locking you in his embrace.

“Don’t cry, this is a happy moment, isn’t it?” he asks with an airy laugh as he holds you tight.

“It’s a happy cry,” you admit as tears start rolling down your cheeks, melting into his shirt. “God, I missed you. I missed all of you, all the time! I hated it when everything changed overnight and you weren’t here, but I’m so happy you’re here.”

The words are flowing out of you uncontrollably, but you don’t mind it, this is the moment when you know you can let it all out.

“I’m here to stay. Forever. I’m never letting go of you,” he whispers and holds you in his arms until you both fall asleep.

And in the morning you finally face the start of the life you’re spending together.

WEDDING SEASON IN STYLE

Harry Styles is kicking off the summer wedding season in style with his lovely girlfriend by his side. The singer was spotted at a high school friend’s wedding this weekend in the English countryside, having a blast at the party after the ceremony. A series of photos have surfaced of the special occasion where we can see the As It Was singer supporting his friends at the ceremony wearing a creamy colored suit with a baby blue shirt underneath, his pearl necklace spicing the fit up that coordinated perfectly with his girlfriend’s dress of the same shade of blue.

The pair is known to make a habit out of color coordinating their outfits, they have proven to be the perfect match before on casual outings and their first official debut as a couple on the red carpet at the Grammy’s earlier this year. It is unknown how long they’ve been together, but devoted fans have pointed out they have known each other from before Styles’ X-Factor days. In the past few months they have been spotted together several times in different cities while Styles is on tour and the latest photos are proof of how happy they really are.

They were photographed slow dancing, goofing around with their other friends and mingling with guests, of course, holding hands the whole time. A source close to the pair has said earlier that the lovebirds are practically glued together, kind of in a honeymoon phase and the singer is trying his best to navigate his life on tour with his lover’s life back home in London. They are said to be devoted to the blossoming relationship and everything that has surfaced about them just proved how happy they are. Maybe soon enough it will be their own wedding they will be attending? The fans’ reactions have been mixed, but mostly positive, especially because it’s obvious the singer seems to be in his best shape and mood in the past months.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Y/N Y/L/N holds up funny sign at boyfriend Harry Styles’ latest concert

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watchmegetobsessed · 1 year

Text

JUST HOW FAST THE NIGHT CHANGES (part 2)

A/N: okay okay part 2! here we are!! my progress about the story is not as fast as i would like it but im trying my best!! feedback is always appreciated!

PAIRING: Harry x High-School-Best-Friend!Reader

WORD COUNT: 3.6k

SERIES MASTERPOST | SUPPORT ME!

Harry has thought of seeing you again so many times in the past months, he imagined this moment when he lied in bed, counting the days until he meets you again after all this time, but seeing you in real life is nothing like his daydreams.

You’ve changed so much, yet he can see the version of you he last saw clearly too. Your facial features have matured, your hair is longer than he was expecting, though he only saw pictures of you from the past years. You have a black wrap-around dress on that’s hugging your curves that look absolutely delicious.

It’s pretty obvious you’ve put on some weight and judging from the way you nervously keep fixing your dress every other second, it’s something you feel insecure about, but Harry cannot take his eyes off you and he forces himself to tame his already wandering thoughts.

“Dude, close your mouth!” Beckham walks up to Harry, patting his shoulder to snap him out of his trance.

“Shut up,” he mumbles under his breath, averting his eyes from you, but it only takes a few seconds before his gaze returns.

“Go say hi,” Beckham encourages him, but he shakes his head no.

“Later. I don’t… I don’t think I’m the person she wants to see the most.”

Beckham laughs as he walks away with his beer while Harry returns to his seat that’s not as close to yours as he would want it to be, but at least you’re on opposite sides, so he can keep an eye on you as the dinner finally starts. He can faintly hear your voice over the chatter every time you speak up or laugh at something and he wishes he was part of the conversation as well, sitting next to you instead of sneakily stealing glances.

Sometime after the main course and before the dessert it’s suggested that everyone say a short little summary of what happened to them in the past decade, and the round starts, everyone curiously listening to what their old pals are saying.

“Um, hi,” Harry chuckles awkwardly when it’s his turn. “Well, I’ve had a pretty busy couple of years,” he grins, making everyone laugh. “I don’t know what I can say that you can’t read online, but let’s pretend you know nothing. So I just published my third solo album not long ago, I’ve been really enjoying experimenting with music on my own, though I loved my time in the band as well. I’m working on new stuff lately and I still have part of the tour coming up. I’m doing good, it’s all good,” he nods to himself before smiling around and giving the word to the next person.

While he is interested in what everyone has to say, he is mostly looking forward to your turn finally so he can shamelessly stare at you while you talk.

“Hi everyone,” you smile nervously around, squaring your shoulders as attention turns to you. “Um, I don’t really know where to start. I started marketing at college, but I didn’t really like it and I was learning coding at the time so I thought I would start a career in that field. I went to an intense training so now I mostly make websites, but I do other stuff too. Um… I live here in London as most of us do now,” she chuckles, the class sharing her smile. “Nothing… Nothing else to share, really,” she adds in a mumble and looks to her right, signaling that she is done talking, it’s time for the next person.

It wasn’t enough. Harry wants to know more, everything if that’s possible and if it wasn’t for all the people around him, he would stand up and just sit beside you, asking you dozens of questions.

But he has to sit and wait patiently, pretend like you’re not the only one he is interested in the bunch.

An entire hour passes by before he sees you slip away from the table and out to the back patio. Part of him tells him he shouldn’t follow you, but he just can’t stop himself. He excuses himself from the conversation and heads after you, hoping no one will notice him missing inside.

In the summer time there are tables outside as well with fairy lights creating a cozy mood, but it’s too cold right now to sit outside, so it’s only used by smokers occasionally. When Harry steps out as he slips into his coat he spots you right away in the corner, scrolling on your phone as you’re probably having a break. Even when you were younger, you often told him your social batteries easily run out and those were the times Harry gladly sat outside with you until you felt comfortable enough to go back inside. Seems like not much has changed.

“Hey,” he breathes out and watches your eyes widen when you realize he came after you.

“H-Hi!” you clear your throat, slipping your phone back into your pocket.

“Having a social break?” he smiles warmly, standing only a few feet away from you.

“Yeah,” you chuckle.

There’s a bit of a pause where you’re not too sure how to act with Harry right next to you and he is stunned as well. There’s so much he wants to say and do, but he doesn’t know how you’d react. He doesn’t know about a lot of things when it comes to you but he is determined to change that.

“So… how have you been?” he asks at last, the ure to speak up taking over the silence.

“Um, I’m fine. Fine, yeah,” you nod.

“Do you still work at that civil organization, or…?”

“You know I worked there?” you ask, the surprise is pretty apparent on your face.

“Of course,” he smiles softly, a blush tinting his cheeks.

“Uh, I’m not there anymore. I work for a bigger company.”

“But still in marketing?”

“Yes,” you nod. “I can do more designing here on the side, that’s why I switched.”

“You like it?”

“It’s good. But work is work, you know, I was never the kind to be obsessed with my job.”

As you say that you realize he can’t know that, because you weren’t talking by the time you started working. It brings the awkwardness right back and he knows he needs to address some things before moving on.

“Y/N, I hope you know I didn’t… I didn’t want us to eventually stop talking. It’s just that so much happened, all at once and I didn’t take all of it the best way either. I should have focused more on my oldest friendships. I’m sorry, that’s what I’m trying to say.”

“It’s fine,” you shake your head with a weak smile. “People have fallouts all the time, it’s natural.”

But it wasn’t supposed to happen to us, Harry wants to say, but he bites his tongue. He shouldn’t bring everything up the first time you see each other.

“But we could start again,” he suggests, holding his breath as he watches your reaction to his words.

“Start again?”

“Yeah. I would… love to catch up with you, hear about everything I missed. Only if you want to tell me about it, of course.”

You stare back at him for way longer than he would have loved it and it convinces him it’s the part where you tell him to fuck off. He wouldn’t be surprised, you haven’t talked in ages and now he is so desperate to reconnect. You have every right not to want him back in your life even if you never had a fight that resulted in the fallout.

He is about to take back what he said, but you finally speak up.

“Okay,” is all you say with a tiny nod.

He’s shocked, to say the least, even though he was hoping you’d say that. But seeing that small smile on your face is all he needs right now.

“Cool,” he breathes out. The door behind him opens and another guest walks out to have a smoke, making them realize they should probably return to the table. “Look, if you’re free sometime soon, I’m staying until the end of the month. We could have lunch, dinner or even breakfast,” he chuckles. “I would love to see you again and talk. Just the two of us.”

“Alright, I’m in.”

“Cool! Great!” he enthuses, probably more excited than he should be, but it doesn’t matter.

The two of you return to the table soon, no one really noticed that you slipped away, but it leaves Harry with a silly smile on his face that widens every time he looks at you again. Suddenly, he feels like a teenager all over again, he is in that basement with his best mates, just having fun, looking forward to spending some time alone with you.

Your bike rides home together were always his favorites, even the ones when you didn’t exchange a single word. He just loved seeing you by his side, the way you always squinted your eyes when the wind blew harder than usual, how you always checked back at him if he was behind you whenever you were about to cross a road. These are all tiny things that are etched into his memories probably forever.

Sometime towards the end of the evening Bee gathers your little group and asks to talk to you outside. You stand in a circle, everyone eyeing her suspiciously as she tries to hold her smile back, Lucas standing right behind her.

“So, there is something that we would like to share with you guys,” Bee starts and without any time to waste, she pulls out a ring from her pocket and slips it on her finger, holding it up, her grins stretching from ear to ear.

“Oh my God!” Chloe gasps as she realizes what it means. “Congratulations!”

It’s a shock, but not really. Bee and Lucas became an official item sometime before graduation, had a short break during college since Lucas studied abroad and long distance took a toll on them, but they found their way back not long after. Engagement was definitely the next step after they moved together three years ago and adopted a dog just last year.

But still, it’s shocking for Harry to see his old pals move on in life together. There’s a pang of jealousy in him too, but it’s overruled by the happiness.

There’s a round of hugs and congratulations before Bee reaches for her purse and pulls out a stack of envelopes.

“We want to invite you all to the wedding that’s gonna be held in June. You guys have been here from the start and it only feels right if you’re there with us on our big day.”

“Man, I might even start crying!” Joshua jokes, but Harry can see the shimmer in his eyes as he takes his invitation.

“Don’t get too mushy,” Lucas chuckles, patting his shoulder.

Chloe is already talking Bee’s ears off about the wedding and offers to help with basically anything, while you’re examining the invitation card with a soft smile on your lips.

Harry’s excitement runs even higher when he realizes it’s gonna be another occasion where he’ll see you, though he plans to meet a few more times until June.

The night stretches long, it’s way past midnight when the last guests get ready to leave. Harry has been keeping an eye on you all evening in case you wanted to slip out, but you stayed until the end and he doesn’t hesitate to take this opportunity.

“Do you have a ride home?” he asks, when you’re putting your coat on.

“Um, I’ll just call an Uber or something.”

“We can share, I already called one.”

“Oh, okay, thanks.”

In front of the building everyone says their goodbye, heading their own way and you are left alone with Harry on the curb as the car pulls up.

“So when will you be free for that breakfast slash lunch slash dinner?” he asks, not wanting to miss the chance to see you again.

“I have to check my work schedule, but… I’ll text you, okay?” “Promise?” he arches his eyebrows.

“I promise.”

“Okay. Just so you know, if you ghost me I will come for you.”

“So you’re that desperate?” you chuckle and he just shrugs with a smirk.

“I’m just eager to start over and reconnect with you.”

“I’ll text you, don’t worry. My days are just… a bit hectic lately.”

He wants to ask you about it, would be even better if you just opened up about whatever it is that’s happening in your life, but he’s fine with what he got as well. He doesn’t want to be greedy.

You make some small talk on the way to your place and when the car comes to a stop Harry is already looking forward to seeing you again.

“Don’t forget about texting me!” he reminds you again, to which you exhale sharply.

“I actually keep my promises, Harry. Goodnight,” you say before hopping out of the car, leaving him too stunned to speak and the car drives away before he could even react.

It was like a stab in his chest, your words ring in his head all the way until he arrives home and even after that.

He pushed too hard. He wanted too much. His nagging was supposed to be just a joke, but apparently, he should have been more careful, because your reaction was sharp and painful. But he deserved it, he knows, because what you said… that was a reminder that he fucked up and he can’t just start all over again so quick and easily.

He wants to go back in time and take the words back, everything was going so well up until that point and now it feels like a setback. While in the shower he is composing a text to apologize for overstepping your boundaries and he is just about to type it out when his phone rings, your name on display.

“Hi!” he answers, shocked to receive a call from you but also thankful that he can apologize.

“Hey.” Your voice is weak, but a lot lighter than it was in the car when you parted ways. “I’m sorry, Harry.”

“No, no, no, you have nothing to be sorry for,” he shakes his head, sitting on the edge of the bed and he wishes he could talk to you in person, see your face.

“It was rude. You’ve been so nice all evening, even asking to reconnect and I was… I was an asshole,” you sigh and he can imagine you closing your eyes and pinching the bridge of your nose.

“I kinda deserved it. It’s been long, Y/N, I shouldn’t have expected to just go back to being best friends. I pushed too hard, so if anyone has to be sorry, it should be me.”

There’s a long pause at your end of the call, Harry is dreading to hear your voice and make sure he didn’t fucked up royally.

“I’ve been kind of… moody lately. I should think about my words before talking.”

“Do you… want to talk about it?” he asks, but then realizes that it might be over the line too. “Only if you want to, you don’t have to share anything with me, I totally understand it.”

“Maybe some other time,” you quietly answer and Harry swallows down his greed to know more. “But… I’m free on Friday,” you add and his heart skips a beat.

“Friday is awesome!” he answers without even thinking through his schedule. If he has anything that day, he’ll surely cancel, nothing can be more important than meeting you again. “We could go out for dinner?”

“Can we… Is it possible not to go out?”

“Yeah,” he nods, though his chest tightens. Does this mean you don’t want to be seen out with him? He wouldn’t blame you, it would put you in the spotlight instantly. “Want to come over? I could cook something.”

“That sounds good. See you on Friday, Harry.”

“Good night, Y/N,” he manages to say before the call ends.

A week has never felt longer. Every waking moment was spent by counting the days until Harry could finally see you again. He planned out the whole evening the day after the reunion, from the meal to the outfit he would wear, he knew it all by Monday rolled around so he had to spend five days anxiously waiting for Friday.

On Wednesday he has a few drinks with just the boys, Joshua, Beckham and Lucas, cheering on Lucas’ engagement and having some boytalk. Even though they kept in touch throughout the years, there’s still a lot to share. They are having a great time, lots of laughs and jokes are shared over their beer.

“Alright, I want to talk about something major,” Joshua smirks over his pint, his eyes finding Harry and he already knows it’s gonna be about you.

“Just ask it,” Harry chuckles.

“Can we talk about how you had the heart eyes for Y/N all evening at the reunion?”

“Like a lovesick puppy!” Beckham laughs, patting Harry on the back as he puts up with the teasing.

“It was nice seeing her again, what can I say?” Harry shrugs, but he can’t hold his smirk up, which earns another round of laughter from his friends.

“Oh, it was more than just nice, right?” Lucas grins with a knowing smirk.

“We shouldn’t be surprised though, you were so in love with her back then,” Beck scoffs as he leans back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest.

“Not in love, I was just…” Harry tries to explain himself, but fails.

“Just in love,” Lucas teases him.

“I might have had a crush on her, I admit. But it’s been a long time, we obviously changed a lot. It was great to reunite with her.”

“And you plan to reunite some more with her soon?” Joshua wiggles his eyebrows.

“We’re actually meeting on Friday.”

“You little minx!” Beckham laughs. “Will you shoot your shot?”

“We literally just met again after almost a decade. There’s no shot to shoot.”

“Yeah, and maybe it’s better if you’re careful,” Lucas nods, but Harry doesn’t really understand what he meant by that.

“Careful?”

“Yeah, I mean, after what she went through…”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, you don’t know?” Joshua asks, his gaze flickering between Harry and Lucas.

“What? Tell me what it is!”

“She got a divorce not long ago. Like, about a year ago,” Lucas says, keeping his voice down.

“Huh? I didn’t even know she was married!”

It feels like a punch in the stomach, how he missed such a major event in your life. Not getting an invitation is one thing, but how did you manage to keep it so secret that he didn’t even know you were engaged?

“She kept it pretty low,” Beckham says. “I mean, the divorce and also the whole relationship.”

“Yeah, I didn’t even know about them until she was engaged,” Joshua shakes his head.

“And what happened? Why did it end?”

Beckham and Joshua shrug their shoulders, but Lucas seems like he knows something.

“Lucas? If Bee told you something…”

“I don’t know the whole story, okay? But as far as I know… he cheated on her.”

“Oh fuck,” Harry breathes out, his heart sinking instantly.

“Pretty rough, yeah. But maybe don’t bring it up until she is ready to share it with you.”

“Yeah, sure,” he nods.

The night carries on and they talk about anything and everything, but Harry’s mind stays stuck on you. To be more precise, your divorce he knew nothing about. It’s no surprise you are so reserved and moody, it must have been hard for you to go through it. He can only hope you had friends to rely on, Chloe or Bee at last if he wasn’t there for you.

Another thing to add to the list of things he should feel horrible about when it comes to you.

At the end of the night he offers to share a ride with any of the boys and Beckham accepts, so they leave together.

“I know it’s eating you away,” Beckham speaks up in the car.

“Huh?”

“That you didn’t know about her divorce.”

“I wasn’t there for her, Beck. I should have been, but I didn’t even know she was engaged!”

“You weren’t talking, you couldn’t have known.”

“Yeah, but it was my fault we weren’t talking. I should have tried harder and… I should have kept my promise I made to her.”

Silence falls over the car as the passing lights illuminate their faces. Beckham is looking at Harry while Harry is staring straight ahead, his jaw jumping.

“Look, you’ve made mistakes, it’s fine, totally human. If she is willing to meet you again, I’m sure she is not that mad at you, so it’s a good sign. You… Do you… want to, like… date her?”

Harry presses his lips together, thinking of his answer.

“It’s complicated, but… I think I still have feelings for her,” he admits, finally peeking at his friend. “Is that crazy? I mean, we were kids, can I actually still have… feelings for her?”

“Don’t underestimate your younger self. Look at Lucas. He’s been in love with Bee since forever and now they are getting married.”

Harr hums and nods in agreement, but there’s still a lot he needs to get clear in his head. Whatever it is that he feels for you, he wants to explore it but he also needs to be extremely careful now that he knows what you went through. And what if there’s more to it than the cheating? What if the guy did something else too that left you even more scarred?

He wants answers, but he needs to be patient and give you time.

Time, he couldn’t give you before.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed and buy me a coffee if you want to support me!

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