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softforcal · 5 years

Text

Trouvaille : Harry Styles

Summary: When Harry gets a new roommate, he gets more than what he bargained for.

Word Count: 19k

Warnings: smut

Tropes: Roommates, Slow Burn, super fucking soft, art souls.

Harry Moodboard : OC Moodboard

Trouvaille : (french) meaning “a lucky find”

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His thumb absentmindedly fidgeted with the chunky silver band around his finger, rolling it over and over again as he studied Valentina with tired, but alert, green eyes. She wondered for the umpteenth time how she’d even ended up sitting across from the moody artist at a coffee shop at seven AM, but the answer was simple: she really needed a place to live.

Valentina hadn’t been ignorant to the challenges that would come with finding a new place for the start of term, but when her room mate had dropped out last minute and left Valentina to a two bedroom apartment she couldn’t afford herself, she knew she wouldn't be able to find someone dumb enough to move into the small shithole on such short notice, and that had left her one option.

“So why’s the room vacant? What happened to your last roommate?” Valentina asked, sipping at her black coffee as she eyed the man whose first words to her had been “I already had coffee, been here since six.” in a British accent that had had her heart flip flopping the moment she sat down.

“Never had one.” the guy stated simply, as if that explained everything. His left hand sat on the table, pads of his fingers creating soft thudding sounds as he tapped them against the dark wood.

“But it’s a two bedroom-”

“Parents pay for it.” he said. Once more, his words were a statement. The look in his eyes told Valentina that he wasn’t the kind of guy who liked to be questioned, likely viewing any inquiry she made as meddlesome and intrusive. His gaze was piercing and direct, the man sitting in front of Valentina wasn’t the type to shy away from doing socially questionable things, that much was obvious. He took her in fully, and she felt like she was under inspection, as if any wrong move would set him off and she’d be back to searching for an apartment. So Valentina kept her mouth shut.

“Surprised you did a facebook ad.” Valentina said to clear the silence, hoping this was an okay subject to discuss, “your pictures are amazing, and your price is really affordable, would have thought if you’d put it somewhere else-”

“Was hoping no one would see it.” he said, tilting his head as he gaged her reaction.

“Oh.” she couldn’t help the frown that marred her features as she set down her coffee cup, “so why-”

“Parents said I need a roommate.” he leaned forward for the first time, elbows on the table as he encroached on her as if he was about to tell her a special, dirty little secret, “apparently, I’m not social enough.”

At such a close distance, she could appreciate the green of his eyes, the strong chiseled jaw, his pretty pink lips, the beautiful dark curls that she wanted to run her fingers through - and Valentina was, without a doubt, slightly overwhelmed by it all. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as they just studied each other. She wondered if his eyes perhaps looked so devastatingly bright because of the comfy, large green sweatshirt he was wearing, a hole in the collar drawing her attention briefly. She could feel his breath on her face and she inhaled, some primal part of her hoping to get a hint of a taste of what the beautiful boy might smell like, but alas, she was met only with the aroma of roast coffee beans that blanketed the store at all hours of the day.

“You seem social to me.” Valentina said, only a half lie slipping from her lips, but it seemed to do the trick.

The artist smiled, leaning back in his chair again, one arm going casually over the back of it as he kicked his feet out lazily, flourishing his hand, “have a few questions to go through to make sure you’re a compatible roommate.” when she stayed quiet, he continued, “I’m an artist, I work when inspiration hits, and I work to music. Loud music. Sometimes it’s two in the afternoon, sometimes its two AM, regardless, I need my music.”

He paused, and Valentine recognized that although he hadn’t asked a direct question, he was waiting for a response, so she struggled to come up with one, blinking before stating “I’m a heavy sleeper.”

After another once over, and a curt nod, the man continued, “i have a random sleep schedule, and like my music, sometimes I cook at weird hours too.”

Again, another pause that Valentina filled with “I stay mostly in my room, so I doubt it would bug me much.”

The guy sat up a little straighter, his hand going onto the table again, fingers brushing over the wood, “you single?” his eyes were downcast, watching the pads of his digits dance across the oak, as if the motion was more interesting than the question he’d just asked.

“I-” Valentina had been ready to answer any question about cleanliness or food allergies or, well, anything, but this one was a tad surprising. After a moment to collect herself, she managed to stutter “no, I’m not, uh, not in a relationship.”

“No fuck buddies, that sort of thing?”

Valentina could feel her skin heating, her fingers gripping her coffee cup tighter as she shook her head, looking down, “no.”

“How do you feel about me having girls at the apartment?”

“I mean, it’s your apartment-” she bit at her lip, “are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Single.”

“Mmm.” he hummed, hand coming up to rub at his jaw, he finally took his gaze from Valentina, looking around the coffee place. Then his eyes landed on her half empty cup, “so do you want to come look at the apartment?”

--------

The soft sound of music was the only clue that Harry was even at the apartment as Valentina and Bethany finished carrying boxes into Valentina’s new room. He’d given her a key the day they’d met, mumbling that she could move in whenever, but preferably before classes started up the next week. He hadn’t offered a reason for this odd timeline, but Valentina hadn’t argued, throwing out a possible move in date that he’d nodded to without a second thought.

Part of her wondered if he’d even realized she was moving in. As Bethany had pointed out, it was a little odd he hadn’t so much as poked his head out of his room to say hi, or offer to help the girls cary things in. Valentina was starting to realize that this absent behaviour was likely something she’d have to get used to. Between the two of them, she figured all in all, they’d just be two ghost inhabiting one apartment, likely brushing past each other on odd occasions but never fully interacting. It seemed like he was the type that kept to himself, but Valentina was the same way, so she didn’t mind.

It was just beginning to get dark when Bethany finally left, voicing her disappointment in still having not been able to meet the elusive gorgeous artist roommate that Valentina was stuck with for a year, but Valentina assured her as she ushered her friend from the apartment that there’s be time for that later.

Valentina slid the deadbolt shut and turned around, almost jumping out of her skin when her eyes landed on Harry leaning in his doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, “You scared me!” she breathed.

He was wearing black ripped jeans and an old band t shirt that matched the Led Zeppelin softly drifting from his room. His eyes watched her for a few moments, “sorry.” he said, voice low and grumbly. She waited for him to say something else, to find out why he had finally left his room, but as more time passed, she realized that perhaps he had just come to look at her, as if gawking at a freakshow.

Valentina didn’t know what she was doing that could be so interesting that he felt the need to stare. She was in her everyday clothes - a tight black turtleneck and high waisted, coffee coloured, plaid pants. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she hadn’t felt the need to put in contacts on moving day, so square framed, black glasses sat on the tip of her nose, perhaps just a tad out of place.

Instead of looking at him, her eyes shifted past his broad frame, getting a good view of his bedroom through the open door. He had the corner room in the apartment building, and Valentina could see large windows, she could imagine how bright it would be in the morning sunshine, perfect for an artist. There were clothes strewn about, and Valentina could just make out a half buried mattress on the floor, but before she could look further, Harry must have noticed her wandering gaze and pulled his door closed behind him, stepping into the living room area, “what do you study?”

“Hmm?” Valentina looked up at him again, a little caught off guard by the question.

“I never asked. Before. What do you study?” he reiterated, walking over to the kitchen.

With his gaze no longer on her, Valentina felt pressure lifted from her shoulders, “I’m doing classical voice training, a focus on Opera.”

Harry opened the fridge and leaned over, reaching in and pulling out what looked like a box of Chinese takeaway. He didn’t ask any more questions as he loudly threw open a drawer, grabbing chopsticks which he held expertly in his right hand, remaining silent as he went back to his room, shutting the door behind him.

A few moments later, piano music filled the apartment, followed closely by a rummaging noise. The loud sounds forced their way out into the main area from the sliver under Harry’s door. Valentina sighed, recognizing this as her first night (of likely what was to be many) where Harry played his music obnoxiously loud, and she would be forced to listen or grab ear plugs.

Valentina looked around the apartment, hands on her hips as she took it all in. Her eyes landed on the small dining table, perched perfectly in front of the large window overlooking the busy street. The sun was setting but the last inklings of pink were dashing across the deepening blue expanse of sky, and Valentina had never seen such a perfectly situated table before in her life. She grabbed a book from her room and went to sit down, pleasantly enthralled by the pretty situation, the words on the cream coloured paper, and the piano music that could be heard from the dining table.

--------

“But I want to see if he’s as cute as you say he is.” Bethany whined, frowning at Valentina who groaned, stretching out on the grass and smiling up at her friend.

“Even if you did come over, I doubt you’d see him. He stays in his room all the time.”

“He must come out for food.”

“Probably, but not while I’m awake.” Valentina sighed, grabbing at her thick, dark hair to pull up into a bun.

“He must have instagram or something, after all, he’s an artist right?” Bethany said finally, eyes hopeful.

“I mean, I guess.” Valentina shrugged, having not yet taken the time to look up her new roommate on anything but facebook, which is where she’d originally seen the ad, but his facebook had been barren and she wasn’t very hopeful that his instagram would be much different.

“What’s his name again?”

“Harry Styles.” Valentina answered absentmindedly, but after a moment of thought, she realized it was the first time she’d said the name out loud, and it sounded good. It sounded right, falling from her lips that moved like they were used to the motion of it already.

“He’s friends with that Niall guy right?”

“Yeah, Niall sent me the ad.” Valentina confirmed, moving up to rest her weight on her forearms as she leaned over to look at Bethany’s phone. She watched as Bethany tapped on Niall’s following list on instagram, typing in ‘styles.’ Nothing came up so she tried ‘Harry’ next, again, nothing. As she deleted the letters Valentina’s eye caught something, stopping her friend at the letter ‘H.’ A somewhat pompous black and white photo of a rose staring up at them, beckoning them to come closer and for some reason, Valentina knew that it must be him.

The profile read ‘art n’ shit’ and there was something so oddly Harry about it that Valentina had no doubt they were on the correct instagram, even though a quick scroll through proved there were no actual pictures of Valentina’s new, elusive roommate.

“So he must be pretty big in the New York art scene.” Bethany mused, having noticed that Harry’s follower count was well into six digits.

“I guess.” Valentina said absentmindedly, not thinking too much about her roommates possible fame.

Something caught her eye amongst the art and the aesthetically pleasing pictures that were making her skin prickle. “That one.” she said, pointing to a canvas picture, “it’s in the living room.” she hadn’t realized it was one of Harry’s creations, but looking at it now, it made sense.

“What is it?” Bethany asked.

Valentina tilted her head, she’d never really inspected the piece, and it did have a lot going on. Many different blobs of colours caught the eye immediately, and it was hard to focus on just one, “it looks like… I think it’s a painting of a mirror next to a window, and the mirror is showing the reflection of his dirty room?” the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Thinking back, she could just remember a gold frame near his bed, she hadn’t gotten a good look at it, but that was definitely what it looked like in the painting.

Bethany’s eye brows furrowed as she stared at the instagram picture of a picture, “his room is messy?”

“He had his door open for a bit the night I moved in, and there were clothes everywhere, it was chaos.”

“So this guy is a bit of a weirdo huh?” Bethany laughed.

“Yeah.” Valentina smiled. Her grin quickly disappeared, heart lurching as Bethany hit the follow button, “what are you doing?!”

“Following.”

“Yes, but why?!” Valentina asked wildly, sitting up fully to stare at her friend with a look of fear and betrayal.

“Why not?” Bethany countered.

“Uh, how about because he can see we follow each other and are friends and now he’ll know we were talking about him?”

Bethany broke into a grin, “fuck, I didn’t think about that. But wait, if he doesn’t know your insta then you’re fine right? Plus, the guy is super popular, I doubt he’ll notice a new follow.”

Valentina took a deep breath, realizing there was truth to that statement. Sure, she was mutuals with both Niall and Bethany, but there was no way Harry would draw the connection, especially if he didn’t even have her on instagram. “I think i’m just on edge.” Valentina admitted, “it’s been kind of odd living with him.”

“It’s only been a week.” Bethany pointed out, “besides you said he stays in his room.”

“He does, but I don’t know… knowing he’s only a few feet away, separated only by a wall… I just… I don’t know.” Valentina sighed, “if you knew him, you’d know what I mean.”

--------

He didn’t know the girl. Perhaps that was what made him lift the needle from the record, throwing the room into silence as his brows furrowed, clicking on her instagram profile. He said her name out loud, “Bethany” as if hoping that the verbal motion of saying it would spark some sort of recognition.

Taking a last drag of his blunt, Harry set it down in the ashtray, letting the smoke creep from his mouth to join the smell of incense hanging in the air.

Harry had no clue who the girl was but as he scanned her profile he realized they had a mutual: Niall.

Harry and Niall went way back, and Niall wasn’t the type to just be giving out Harry’s instagram.

Modesty was not a trait that many would connect to a guy like Harry Styles. He had ego. He had followers. He was well known in the New York underground art world, but usually he gained followers in correlation with events, not just randomly on a wednesday afternoon.

He thought about it for a moment, thumbs hovering over his screen. His jaw set, muscle feathering under skin, and he ran a hand through his messy curls, taking a deep breath before he tapped Bethany’s following list.

Valentina wasn’t hard to find, and Harry took a moment or two to study her profile picture, noticing the dimple on her left cheek. Harry often appreciated symmetry, but in this case, the appearance of just one, singular dimple, was endearing, and he wondered what it would look like in person if he ever made the beautiful girl smile.

Her instagram was nice, Harry was very particular about how things looked, but hers… well, it was nice. Harry noticed as he looked at her face that perhaps he was going easy on her because he thought she was gorgeous. It was undeniable, as much as he hated to admit it to himself. His new roommate was fucking insanely beautiful. It was very unnerving for him. It both excited and terrified him to the point that he didn't even want to think about it.

Harry took a deep breath, he supposed a follow showed at least some effort, and it was a hell of a lot easier than actually talking to the goddess who lived in the room next to his. After a moment of hesitation, he hit the button, then turned off him phone, throwing it across the room before putting the needle back on the vinyl, flooding the room with music again.

--------

She needed a drink. Valentina was regretting the fact that months ago when she’d chosen courses she’d thought history looked interesting. Staring down at the textbook at two AM, she wished she was dead, or at least, asleep, which was about as close to death as she could get. She itched for something to help her calm down, something to relax her so maybe the reading would flow easier. Having been thinking about grabbing a beer for over an hour, she finally conceded, standing from her desk to walk to her bedroom door.

The vibrations had pulsated through her bedroom wall that adjoined Harry’s, but with her bedroom door open, the music hit her even more. Classical piano had always been something she enjoyed, and although Clair De Lune was a pretty basic choice, it still felt like home, wrapping her in warmth as she walked to the kitchen.

Leaning down to grab a beer from the fridge, Valentina realized she didn’t have a bottle opener. A brief search through the drawers in the kitchen left her empty handed, turning to stare at Harry’s door. She shuffled from foot to foot, gnawing at her lip as she thought about whether she really needed the beer.

It had been a week since her awkward roommate had followed her on instagram, and somehow he’d gotten even more elusive. She hadn’t bumped into him once, and part of her was beginning to wonder if he ever left his room to go to school or eat.

With one last look down at the beer in her hand, Valentina took a deep breath, walking to Harry’s door. Her knuckles rapped against the wood firmly, and she waited for a moment. There was no response and Valentina wasn’t surprised, the music could easily drown out the sound of her knocks just as well as it was drowning out her thoughts.

She knocked again, louder this time.

As Valentina was about to knock a third time, the door swung open, releasing the smell of incense and sound of dangerously loud piano. Valentina’s jaw dropped, every thought disappearing as her eyes took in Harry.

He was shirtless, wearing nothing but sweats that hung low on his hips. His beautiful skin was covered in tattoos and Valentina’s eyes hurried to take them all in, hopefully burning them into her memory before she got caught staring too long. His hands were marred with paint, a brush in one hand, and as her gaze went up she noticed flecks of colour on his cheek that she itched to reach out and rub away.

“What do you want?” he asked, voice as grumbly as always.

Valentina blinked, swallowing hard as she struggled to relearn english. She laughed awkwardly, covering her face with her hand as she cast her eyes down, hoping that not looking at the gorgeous man in front of her would help her collect herself better, but all it did was make her notice the tattoos on his feet which did not help in the slightest, so she looked up again, “I don’t have a bottle opener-” she held out the beer.

Harry looked down at it before his gaze flickered back up to her. He put his paintbrush between his teeth then he reached out and took the bottle from her hands, and Valentina watched as he wedged the cap in the door hinge where the lock would slide into place if the door was closed. The bottle cap popped off easily and Harry handed it back to her as she stood there dumbfounded at how easy that had been, how graceful and sexy he had looked - then he shut the door and she was left standing there feeling like an idiot.

--------

When Valentina had arrived home she had assumed she was alone. There was no obnoxious music coming from under Harry’s closed door, nor was there a slight smell of incense lingering in the air, both of which always seemed to signify Harry’s presence in the apartment.

She took the alone time to have a bath in the massive four clawed tub. It was such an odd extravagance to find in an apartment like this one, and she’d never had the courage to ask Harry if it had been there when he arrived, but part of her always felt as if it was something uniquely his. The bathroom had a lot of tile, and it had an echoey feel that made it perfect for Valentina to practice her vocal training as she enjoyed the feeling of the hot water.

It had been a nice mid September day, and she’d arrived at the apartment early, the air outside still warm in the wake of her afternoon class. Once she was dried off from her peaceful bath, Valentina looked out her window. Her bedroom faced the alley and it had a terrace accessible if she climbed through her window.

It was a nice terrace, with flower pots and everything. Again, Valentina found her wondering intrusive thoughts about Harry, whether or not he was the type with a green thumb, but she pushed the lustful musings of her hot roommate watering flowers from her mind.

Figuring this as good a time as any to enjoy the fleeting warmth of the sunshine, Valentina opened her window and began to climb outside, stopping when she noticed Harry sitting there.

The terrace was in front of both of their rooms, and Valentina nearly smacked herself for not realizing there was a possibility of Harry taking advantage of the sunshine as well. He was sitting just outside his window, a duvet half wrapped around him, olive green beanie on his head and a blunt between two ring clad fingers.

Valentina began to apologize, moving to go back into her room when Harry’s voice surprised her, “it’s fine. Come out.”

She looked at him. His gaze was turned towards the street to his left, sunshine lighting up his side profile brilliantly. His eyes were closed, like a cat basking in the warmth and celestial light rays cast by a star. As he exhaled, smoke billowed around him, picked up and evident in the beams of sunshine that were making the entire look of him almost ethereal.

When he realized she hadn’t moved, he turned to her again, blinking, “seriously. Come. sit.” he shuffled over a bit, making room for her on the duvet, he patted the spot next to him, “I don’t bite.” his gaze went back to the street, “hard.” he breathed, but it was more of an afterthought, as if he’d been distracted by something out of Valentina’s view.

Harry brought the blunt to his mouth again, plump, pretty, pink lips wrapping around it, cheeks hollowing as he inhaled. Valentina finally approached, if nothing more than to get a better look at the god she called her roommate. After a moment of hesitation, she joined him on the duvet, mirroring Harry as she put her legs out in front of her, leaning back against his window.

“You have a lovely voice.” he mused, taking the blunt from his mouth as he blew out smoke.

Valentina’s heart lurched in her chest with the realization that he’d heard her singing while she was in the bath, “I didn’t know you were home-” she began.

“M’ not annoyed.” he said, “if that’s what you’re worried about.” he flicked the stubby end of the finished blunt off the terrace, and something told Valentina that maybe he was a bit annoyed by her being so on edge all the time.

“Oh.” she breathed, struggling to figure out the man sitting next to her.

“Why do you always think I’m annoyed or summat?” he asked, turning to look at her finally.

It took everything in Valentina to not meet his gaze as she fidgeted with her own fingers, eyes downcast again, “you just don’t talk much.”

“Not like you’re jumping at every chance to talk to me either love.”

“You’re never out of your room.” she pointed out.

“I’m out of my room loads.” he scoffed, “you’re never out of your room.”

She thought about it for a moment before laughing, “touche.”

“If you want weekly movie night or roommate bonding, I can find time, you just didn’t strike me as the type pet.” he breathed, pulling off his beanie so he could run a hand through his wild curls.

Valentina was surprised by the offer.

She was surprised by the whole interaction. This was a guy who hadn’t really spoken more than a sentence to her, and the few times he had, he had looked pained, as if conversation with her hurt some odd part of his soul. But now, here he was, not only talking, but making plans to get to know her better.

“Roommate bonding.” Valentina repeated his words back to him.

“Normal people do that right?” he questioned, securing his beanie over his head as he grimaced, hoping he wasn’t once again overstepping some weird social boundary he had been unaware of.

“I’ve only ever been roommates with people I’m already friends with.” Valentina admitted, “so I don’t know.”

He stayed quiet for a moment and Valentina wondered what was going through his mind. Then he sighed, standing, “if you wanna, let me know.”

He began to climb into his room and Valentina stood, “you’re duvet-”

“Do what you want with it, I have loads of blankets.”

--------

Valentina was used to the music, that wasn’t what was making her stare at the wall between her and Harry’s bedroom with furrowed brows. It was something beneath the music. A thumping sound that just didn't’ match the slow tempo of the song, and if there was one thing Valentina knew, it was music and pace.

What was confusing Valentina, was the fact that (as far as she’d seen) Harry didn’t have a bed frame. So if he was in his room with a girl at 2 am, what the hell was hitting her wall loud enough to be heard amongst the loud rock music?

For a moment, Valentina’s mind was enraptured with dirty ideas of how, exactly, Harry could be achieving such a sound. Perhaps he was fucking the girl against the wall, yes, that would make sense-

Valentina’s stomach growled loudly and she sighed, mind wandering from the sinfully delightful concepts that had plagued her thoughts since noticing the noise. She looked down at the book she was reading and closed it, standing. She stretched, the hem of her oversized hoodie dragging up her thighs, teasing no one in her empty room as she groaned, enjoying the feeling of her muscles tensing then relaxing with an exhale.

She went to run a hand through her hair and realized it was still in a bun. Her shoulders slumped as she thought longfully about sleep, having not been aware of just how tired she was. Valentina decided she’d grab food then go to bed, that made the most sense.

She slipped her feet into uggs, having learned early on that she was not a fan of the cold kitchen floor whenever she went on a midnight fridge raid.

As Valentina shuffled to the kitchen slowly, turning on necessary lights, she thought about what she could possibly sink her teeth into. Bending over, not a care in the world, she rifled through the fridge, sticking to her designated shelf of food as she took in everything her last grocery trip had to offer.

She reached to grab an apple sitting in the back of the fridge and squealed when hands landed on her hips and something brushed by her bum. Valentina jumped forward, almost smacking her head against the top of the fridge before whipping around to look at Harry who was already busying himself by grabbing the toaster to plug it in, “what?” he asked, not even looking at the girl who was gawking at him.

“You…” Valentina stuttered, “you….” brushed past my ass “snuck up on me.”

“You weren’t paying attention and you were taking up a lot of room. Had to get past you love.” Harry answered absentmindedly, turning to look at her as he rested one hand on the counter, eying Valentina.

He was shirtless, skin and tattoos looking beautiful under a slight sheen of sweat.

Valentina swallowed hard as he approached, her mind once more going to what, exactly, he had just been doing in his bedroom. Or was it who he had just been doing?

She could feel his breath against her face as he looked down at her, “gonna move, or do I have to move you again?” he asked.

Valentina stared up at him, brain not understanding his meaning until his hand went to the handle of the freezer that Valentina was blocking, “oh.” she felt her skin flush immediately, taking a massive step back to allow him to open the freezer and access his Eggo waffles.

After he had his prize secure in his hand and had closed the freezer, he turned back to the toaster. Valentina watched his broad shoulders, muscles moving under unmarred skin as he popped the waffles into the appliance, head turning slightly so his eyes could meet hers, “do you need something?”

Valentina gripped her apple, showing it to him, “no, I’m uh… gonna go now.”

After a moment of waiting for a response that would never come, Valentina turned to go back to her room, her skin getting hotter with each step farther away from her gorgeous roommate.

Harry watched her go as soon as he was sure his wandering eyes wouldn’t be caught. He took a moment to appreciate the way her oversized hoodie hung perfectly, exactly at Valentina’s mid thigh. The white fabric set off her tan skin deliciously, and Harry wondered for a moment how hard it would be to match the tone. His fingers twitched, itching to grab a paintbrush and create something, anything, that could try to capture the beauty that was Valentina Armani, his hot roommate.

The toaster popped, signifying his waffles were finished. Harry plucked them and revelled in the oddly painful feeling of the hot food in his bare hands, pausing momentarily just to enjoy the heat prickling the tips of his fingers. He shoved one into his mouth as he walked back to his room, pushing the door open to reveal the pretty blonde lounging in his bed, the white sheets covering her nudity as she grinned at him.

“Who were you talking to?” she asked. Harry noticed the music had been turned down since he left the room, and he chewed his food a little faster, annoyed that the girl had dared to touch his sound system.

“Roommate.” he answered, collapsing onto the bed next to the girl he’d been casually seeing for three or four months.

She pulled him to her chest by his hair, fingers massaging his scalp and tangling in his curls, “didn’t know you had a roommate.” she mused.

Harry hummed as a response, rolling onto his back so his head was on the girls stomach, his legs kicked out half off the mattress onto the floor, “she’s new.”

“It’s a she?” the girl asked in shock.

“Yeah.” Harry said, shoving more of his waffle into his mouth.

The girl was a nice fuck, a nice cuddle when Harry was feeling sentimental, but half the time he ended up forgetting her name, which was probably his own fault seeing as her contact in his phone was ‘fuck.’ He liked simple things, things that were easy to remember. Besides, if he actually attributed a name to the girl, he might end up actually seeing her as a person, which he wasn’t too keen on.

Harry finished up his waffle and sat up, looking down at the girl who was tracing one of his tattoos with her fingers, “you need to leave.” he stated.

She sighed loudly, “see this is why you don’t have any friends Harry.”

He said nothing, standing fully as he went to go sit on his piano bench, cracking his knuckles and finding a joint to smoke while waiting for the girl to recollect her clothes from where they were mixed with Harry’s on the ground.

“You should really clean your room.” the girl said as she pulled on a hoodie.

Harry shrugged, taking a long drag from his newly lit joint, smoke curling around him.

When her clothes were on, Harry made a move to get up, but the girl waved a hand, “don’t bother, I’ll show myself out, I’ve done it before.”

--------

Harry sat on his floor, back hunched as he stared at his notepad. The afternoon sun illuminated his room, and small particles twinkled in the sunbeams when Harry shook his head, curls bouncing as he tried to get a handle on the situation.

His final project was pretty clear.

One model. One constant in three seperate images. One a photograph, one a painting, and one art medium of his choice. All the pictures needed to be something natural, something every day, a glimpse into the life of his model.

He’d known who he wanted to draw the moment his teacher had explained the project that morning, and in the hours it had been since his class, Harry had been trying to convince himself that there were better options than his roommate. Except, there weren't.

She was the obvious choice.

Clear as day.

Harry’s fingers twitched just thinking about drawing her, and again, he had to make a conscious effort not to grab his sketch pad and begin off memory.

He thought about it for a while, considering possible constants that he could put in each piece. He’d decided on a sketch as his third option, another obvious choice for Harry who had been doodling and perfecting his pencil work since he was old enough to hold a crayon.

As Harry was about to roll a blunt to calm down, he heard Valentina’s beautiful voice seep under his door, signaling her arrival home. He knew that she tried to be quiet whenever she thought he was around, that she drowned out her own voice with other music while she practiced. Harry had always wondered why she did that, but he’d never really gotten the chance to ask. Well, he’d had many opportunities to ask, but he’d never acted on any of them.

She was humming something, and Harry wondered if she was even aware that she was singing or if it came as second nature to her, like whenever he found himself doodling in the margins of his notepad during lectures. Harry had been sitting in silence, and whenever he did that he knew Valentina just assumed he was out, seeing as he was listening to music loudly most of the time when he was home.

He stood quietly, bare feed padding softly against the wooden floor as he went to his door, opening it slightly to peer out at Valentina who was in the kitchen. She’d discarded her jacket on the couch, and looked to be making pasta, hips swaying slightly as she quietly sang lyrics in a language that Harry guessed was italian.

The way the lyrics flowed from her mouth felt like poetry hanging in the air, and Harry felt his skin prickle, a shiver running up his spine at the passion that could be heard behind each word, even though they were quiet.

He had no clue what Valentina was singing about, but her voice made him want to learn Italian just to discover the secret meaning hidden just out of his reach by a foreign dialect.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest, leaning in the doorway to watch her cook. There was something so endearing about the way she stood next to the pot of water on the stove, as if her watchful gaze would make the water boil faster.

“Have you got laser vision or something I should be worried about?” Harry asked as he approached Valentina. She whipped around and Harry realized he would never get tired of that adorable look of shock on her face.

“What?”

Harry sighed, noticing that what he’d just said probably made zero sense, “forget about it.” he said, moving past her to grab his Eggos from the freezer.

“No, can you uh, what did you mean?” she asked, pressing him for answers for the first time ever, and it made Harry stop, turning to look at her with a cheeky grin.

He laughed, “I just meant, you’re staring at your water love, s’ not gonna make it boil any faster, unless you have laser vision.”

She studied him and for a few seconds the kitchen was quiet, two souls staring at each other, trying to figure each other out. Finally Valentina laughed, “you’re a bit of a dork aren't you?” she questioned, quirking an eyebrow at him as Harry went into motion, going to her other side to access the toaster.

“A lil bit.” he admitted.

Valentina watched him pop the waffles into the toaster and sighed, “is that all you eat?”

“Sometimes.” he said, turning to lean against the counter, arms crossing over his chest as he looked at her directly.

“Look, I know pasta is still a carb, so it’s not much better, but how about you give something that’s not frozen a try?” Valentina sighed.

Harry cocked his head at her, a grin flashing over his features, “you offering to cook for me sweetheart?”

Valentina rolled her eyes, scoffing, “wow, a girl tries to be nice and now I feel like I’m your mom-”

“Can’t fuck me mum now can I?”

Valentina gaped at him, “uh, can’t fuck me either-”

“I mean, no, you’re right-” the smile disappeared as he stood up straighter, eyebrows furrowing, “I just meant, you’re an option-” he gestured to her and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Uh…”

“Fuck me.” Harry groaned, quickly moving past her to escape to his bedroom. The door shut behind him and Valentina was left staring at it, mind still trying to comprehend the odd interaction that had just taken place.

A few moments later, heavy rock began blasting from under his door and Valentina sighed, turning back to her water which had come to a boil. She poured her pasta in and set a timer for eight minutes, pushing herself up so she could sit on the counter while she waited, scrolling through her phone absentmindedly.

The popping of the toaster nearly stopped her heart, and she groaned loudly, a little annoyed that Harry was still surprising her and he wasn’t even in the room. She stared down at the two waffles that Harry had abandoned and sighed, this guy was really something else.

--------

The knock on his door had been distinct, something Harry couldn’t have missed. He waited a few moments before going to open the door, surprised to not find Valentina standing there. Instead, at his feet, was a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce, his eggos sitting half on top. Harry looked down at the food, stomach flip flopping at the thought that Valentina had legitimately made him food, even after his very odd comment about his mum.

Harry stepped over the food, walking the two steps to get to Valentina’s door. He knocked softly, gnawing at his lip while he waited.

She opened the door with furrowed brows, surprised (again) at his behaviour, having not expected him to interact with her after such an odd interaction in the kitchen.

“Thanks for the food.” he stated immediately, his hands coming up to rest on either side of the door frame. Leaning over made him eye level with Valentina and she got a good look at his beautiful green eyes.

“It’s fine.” she said, “I offered right?”

“You did and I… uh… I don’t talk to people much? Sometimes- sometimes stupid things leave my mouth.” his eyebrows furrowed as he struggled to find the words, “and we live together, so I don’t want you to feel any pressure, m’ not a creep-”

“I know you’re not.” Valentina interrupted, “I don’t get creepy vibes from you.”

“Oh. Well, good.” Harry nodded more to himself than anything, “I uh…” Harry groaned, conflicted on whether or not this was a good time to ask her to be his model for his final, “you know what? Forget about it.”

He turned to go and Valentina grabbed at his forearm, making him stop and look at her, “what is it?” she asked, eyes full of concern and intrigue at what could possibly be something Harry didn’t want to say.

She let go of his arm and he ran a hand through his curls, “I’ve got this final, and I need a model and, well, I thought of you-”

“Me?” Valentina asked in shock, “what about the girl you had over the other night?”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed, for a moment not realizing who she was even talking about. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. She’d heard when he’d had the girl over. He’d thought he’d played the music loud enough, “uh… she’s… uh, that girl, we’re not, she’s not-”

“She’s not your girlfriend.” Valentina stated for him.

“Yeah.” Harry breathed, “she’s just a girl.”

Valentina studied him for a moment, “and if I model for you, she’s not going to get mad?”

“‘M not seeing her again, she’s got nothin’ to be mad about.” Harry said, watching Valentina’s reaction to his words. She did visibly relax a little, taking a deep breath that told Harry that this topic may have been something that had been on her mind.

“Okay. I’ll model for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Harry beamed at her before he could stop himself, surprising them both with his enthusiasm. He hadn’t realized how important this was to him, how vital it was that she be the one he could base his project on. No one else could compare, and for a moment, Harry wondered if that statement applied to more than just his art, but he brushed it aside, “uh, wanna send me your schedule and we can figure out time?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“You, uh, you have my number right?” he rubbed at the back of his neck. They’d texted to meet that first day, then once when she told him when she was moving in, but other than that they hadn’t messaged each other. Harry didn’t talk to many people, so her contact stared up at him any time he opened his texting app, her name usually right under ‘fuck’ and it had always created an odd feeling in the pit of Harry’s stomach that he usually ignored.

“Yeah.”

“Cool, so, text me.” he said.

“I will.” she assured him, amused at his tone that implied the text was necessary for future communication, and they didn't live in the same apartment.

Harry bent down to pick up his food, “thanks again, for this.” he said as he moved to step into his room.

“Again, no worries.” Valentina assured him with a laugh.

They stared at each other for a moment longer before Harry closed his door and Valentina stood there for a few seconds before closing hers, shaking her head to herself. Wondering how in the world had she managed to snag such an odd roommate.

--------

“So a picture, a painting, and a sketch.” Valentina clarified.

“Yeah.” Harry said, popping a chip into his mouth. He was sitting on the kitchen counter, legs swinging slightly, watching Valentina read his notes on the plan for the project.

“Your constant is flowers.”

“Uh huh.”

“So… uh…” Valentina cleared her throat, “these ideas for every day things to take pictures of-”

“Want to get a photo of everything, even what m’ gonna paint or sketch, make it a little easier.” Harry stated, “but you’ll still have to pose-”

“That’s not a problem,” Valentina said, “I’m looking at this note that says bathtub.”

“Yeah.” Harry munched on another chip, the crackling of the potato as he chewed was too loud in the quiet apartment, “it’s everyday things and you like having baths.”

Valentina felt her skin flush, “I mean, I do but-”

“Wear a skin coloured thong and those nipple things.” Harry said, motioning to his chest area with the bag of chips.

“Nipple pasties?” Valentina asked.

“Yeah. Those.”

“You have a lot of different shots planned here.” Valentina pointed out.

“Yeah, figured I’d look at all the options and choose the ones that fit together best.”

“So how important to you is the bathtub shot?”

Harry thought about it for a moment, “pretty important.” he admitted, “if you don’t want to do it-”

Valentina took a deep breath, “No. let’s go for it. You have a vision and you’re an artist, wouldn’t want to step on your toes.”

Harry appreciated that. So much so that he felt his heart clench in his chest. She trusted him. Or, at the very least, she trusted his artistic eye, and that meant a lot to him. Most people were skeptical with Harry’s ideas. He was known for taking people out of their comfort zones if he was doing a project with them, which was one of the reasons he hated working with models, because they always questioned him and his vision. But not Valentina.

God, he adored her.

Harry set down his bag of chips, “so how much time do you have?”

“I have about two hours before I have to go study-”

“Want to get the bath picture done now? And we can do the other photos tomorrow?” Harry suggested.

“Uh…” Valentina thought about it for a moment then took another deep breath, “sure, why not.”

“Great, you go get changed, and I’ll start the water.” Harry jumped from the counter, “how hot do you like it?”

Valentina gnawed at her lip, allowing her mind to wander, if only for a brief moment, into the gutter to consider an alternative meaning to his words, “scalding.” she said finally, absentmindedly, earning a chuckle from Harry who disappeared into the bathroom.

In her bedroom, Valentina stripped and picked up a somewhat flesh coloured thong, stepping into it and pulling it into place. Her nipple pasties, which she had bought for certain backless dresses, were pressed to her skin firmly so they wouldn’t move out of place. Valentina looked at herself in the mirror, scrutinizing her every curve as one foot rubbed at the back of her calf anxiously.

Alas, she’d agreed to this. She slipped on a robe and hesitantly went to join Harry in the bathroom. He’d set up a chair right next to the tub, sitting on it as he tested the temperature of the water with a hand. His expensive looking camera was set on the sink counter, and he didn’t even look up as she entered, “should be warm enough.” he mused.

He sat up straight, turning to look at her for the first time and he noticed the robe, “shit, I’ll uh… give you space to take that off.” he said, standing as he realized how little he had actually thought this whole thing through.

Harry left the bathroom and Valentina eyed the door cautiously before removing her robe, stepping into the water that was somehow the perfect temperature. The water had a sort of white look to it and Valentina wondered if Harry had put something in it to make it opaque. Unsure exactly how to position herself in the large bath, Valentina rolled onto her stomach, her chest pressed to the cold tub as her arms held her up on the rim, her eyes on the door, “okay, you can come in.”

It took a moment but Harry entered, he looked a little distraught, and Valentina realized they were both uncomfortable with the situation at hand. Harry took one look at her half submerged body, the way her beautiful tan skin looked against the white water, and he took a shuddery breath, “Pink.” he stated.

“Pink?” Valentina asked.

“Yes.” Harry ran a hand through his hair, staring directly at her while his mind worked out a plan, “you stay here, I need to go get a bath bomb from that store down the street.” he stated, “and the flowers I bought, they’re all wrong, won’t match your skin tone. I’ll be back. Don’t move.” he commanded, voice strong and dominant, something unexpected from the usually quiet artist.

Valentina nodded, watching as Harry turned and swiftly grabbed his jacket from the kitchen. A few seconds later she heard the apartment door shut, and Valentina took a deep breath, turning onto her back so she could relax in the water while she waited for him to return with whatever products he deemed necessary for the photo shoot.

Valentina found herself in a peaceful half slumber, enjoying the warmth of the water that cocooned her nearly naked body, and the sunshine coming through the window. So at ease, Valentina almost missed the sound of Harry’s return, sitting up hastily, an arm covering her chest as he entered the bathroom with a bag in one hand and a bouquet in the other.

Valentina’s wet fingers came to brush a stubborn strand of dark hair from her face, the tendril having escaped from her messy bun, “flowers for me?” she asked enthusiastically, hoping to lighten the awkward mood with a joke, “Harry, you shouldn’t have.”

He tilted his head at her and for a moment she was worried he hadn’t understood her joke, but then he said “don’t think I’ve ever heard you say my name before love.” and Valentina suddenly looked just as thoughtful as he did.

She remembered the first time she’d said his name. Sitting on the grass with Bethany, looking up her elusive roommate on instagram. “You’re right.” Valentina confessed, “I guess I haven't.”

“Sounds nice. Coming from you.” Harry said as he sat on his chair next to the tub, setting the flowers down gingerly as he reached for the bag to pull out two pink bath bombs.

Without another word, Harry plopped the bath bombs into the water, creating a small splash that had Valentina pulling away, legs rising, more skin showing as her knees came above the water. Harry’s eyes locked on the newly exposed flesh and his mouth began to feel weird, making him swallow thickly as he studied the beautiful colour of Valentina’s skin, all shiny from the water and looking so smooth and inviting, as if begging for his touch.

The water was quickly turning pink, and the blossoming colour drew Harry’s eyes from his model, his eyebrows furrowing as he studied the changing water. He picked up the bouquet of wildflowers he’d found, considering colour scheme and how nice each flower would look on a pink background or next to Valentina’s lovely skin.

Harry had a knack for keeping plants alive, those growing on her terrace being a testament to that fact, but he’d be damned if he knew the actual name of any of the flowers he was looking at in that moment. He chose yellows and whites, enjoying the soft, delicate colours and how they looked as he set them into the water next to Valentina’s skin, who watched him carefully place the flowers.

Valentina didn’t realize she was holding her breath, biting down on her lip as she held completely still while he worked, until Harry looked up at her, “you okay?” he asked, noticing the tension and rigidity in the way she was holding herself.

He was leaning over the tub, so close to Valentina that she could feel his breath against her skin, creating goosebumps as she looked into his green eyes, “yeah, I, uh… do I have to stay still for this?”

“Got a good camera love, any motion won’t be captured.” he assured her, leaning back from the tub to give some distance as he grabbed at the camera.

“So do you have any poses you want me to do?” Valentina asked awkwardly, holding herself tighter with the arm that covered her chest which only pushed up her boobs more, something Harry most definitely noticed by the way his eyes flickered down then up again.

He cleared his throat, “a little of every position if you don’t mind, figure it’s better-”

“To take more than you need than not enough.” Valentina finished for him, understanding completely as she positioned herself a little better. Her interruption earned a small smile from Harry who wasn’t used to people finishing his sentences for him, but part of him enjoyed the fact that she knew what was on his mind, most people didn't.

Harry began to take pictures, looking for every possible angle, finding ways to use the natural light to his advantage as he moved around the room, studying the way Valentina’s skin lit up from different perspectives. He immersed himself in his craft, truly enjoying and finding solace in the process, the steps taken to get the best shots he could.

Little commands left his lips effortlessly, and Valentina gracefully followed every instruction as if listening to Harry and following his vision was second nature. It was the easiest photo shoot Harry had ever done in his entire life, and as he looked at the pictures, he gnawed on his lips absentmindedly.

Harry wasn’t the type to ever get distracted while working on his craft, but there was something about Valentina that was setting his pulse racing like nothing he’d ever experienced. His jeans were beginning to feel tight as Harry got a few of the last shots he wanted, pictures of her sitting up, head turned slightly as the camera got a nice glimpse of beautiful, delicate, slender shoulders that Harry wanted to mark up with little love bites.

A small strand of black hair fell out of place, and before Harry could help himself, he was reaching out to adjust it, his fingers brushing against one of Valentina’s high cheekbones as he moved the tendril behind her ear. Her eyes caught Harry’s and they looked at each other for a few moments before Harry forced himself to move away, getting the last, beautiful, picture.

“Are we done?” Valentina asked when Harry went to sit on the sink countertop, looking down at his camera as his eyes scanned through some photos.

“Yeah.” Harry mumbled, too enthralled with the model on his screen to talk to the girl who was sitting in the tub right in front of him. He couldn’t look at her. He was afraid what would happen if he did. He was afraid that his words would catch, that his palms would get sweaty, that his mouth would get dry. He was afraid of how his body would react, beyond his control, yearning for his roommate.

“Can- can you pass me a towel?”

Harry’s eyes flickered up, and he sat frozen for a moment before grabbing at the seafoam blue towel she always used, handing it to her. He turned to look at his camera again as she stood from the bath, but he couldn’t help but admire her from his peripheral vision as she wrapped the towel around her body, securing it closed at her chest.

A long, beautiful, tan leg stepped out of the tub and onto the floor mat, and Harry had to fight hard not to appreciate the way droplets of water glistened against her skin, “thanks.” he mumbled, “for being my model.”

“Yeah, no worries.” Valentina said, “just uh, can you send me some? The good ones?”

“Yeah.” Harry nodded, not looking up as she left the bathroom. His eyes scanned the pictures he’d taken on the small camera screen and he sighed, if he sent her all the good ones, he’d be sending her all of them.

--------

It was a late September day and the New York sky was covered in distressed looking clouds. Harry had decided on skipping his morning watering of the terrace plants after a quick look at the weather forecast promised mid afternoon showers.

Feeling anxious about the photoshoot, Harry had slipped on a hoodie and some jeans, going to stand outside of Valentina’s room. He waited a few moments before awkwardly knocking on her door, earning a “come in!”

Taking a breath, he pushed open the door. Valentina was standing in front of her closet, the silky, floral robe from yesterday wrapped around her body, “what colours should I wear?” she asked, eyebrows furrowed as she scanned the clothing in front of her, “you seemed to like yellow, pink and white yesterday, but I don’t want to overstep and assume you’re keeping up that palette for the whole shoot thing.”

“Can I-” Harry began to ask, wanting to come further into Valentina’s room to get a better look at the options, but not knowing how to just ask for permission.

Valentina looked up at him, realizing what was on his mind immediately, “yeah, come look.” she said, moving over to give him space to stand in front of her closet as he awkwardly shuffled through her room, hands shoved into the front pocket of his hoodie.

“I like the plaid pants you always wear.” Harry mused, searching for them with his eyes, “and the tight black turtleneck. You always pair it with those little wedged black ankle boots and that long fawn coloured duster.”

Valentina looked over at Harry in shock, having not realized he paid so much attention to her outfits.

“With your hair in a messy bun and your glasses, and that little hat you wear sometimes.” he thought about it for a moment, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her clothes but he wasn't looking at the clothes, mind lost in the idea of Valentina, “no, not the hat, I like your hair.”

“Okay.” Valentina said, “I’ll put on that outfit then, but uh… I don’t really need glasses except for when I’m reading-”

“Then skip the glasses. And we should leave soon yeah? Might rain later.” Harry said, anxiety evident in the tone of his voice.

“Sure, give me five minutes.” Valentina said, watching Harry leave and close the door behind him.

He paced in the living room, one hand mussing up his wild, bed disheveled curls, while he held his camera protectively with the other. Harry figured they might as well take a bunch of shots to give him ideas, he’d choose what pictures would become what medium later, but as of that moment, he just needed to beat the rain.

--------

Harry was once more blown away with how effortlessly Valentina posed for his pictures. Harry knew he wasn’t easy to work with, some commands were so miniscule, the slightest tilt of Valentina’s head, but she complied to every single request beautifully.

The park was fairly deserted, and Harry attributed that to the fact that the clouds were gradually getting darker, setting him on edge as he eyed them every few minutes.

A few times, Harry caught himself just watching Valentina, camera forgotten in his hands as she walked down a cute rocky path with her hands in her pockets for a shot. He wanted to take pictures, but looking at the camera almost took something away from the reality of it all, and it was, oddly enough, starting to annoy Harry who had never felt that way before.

He’d brought the bouquet and gave it to Valentina for a few pictures, but there was something a little off about it. “Do you mind if-” Harry began and Valentina nodded immediately.

“Do whatever you need.” she said, eyes on him as Harry reached to pull her hair out of the messy bun. He ran his fingers through the thick, dark hair, reveling in how silky and beautiful it was as he tamed the half waves that were a result of the bun that he’d just dismantled. Once he was satisfied with the look, he plucked a pretty pink flower from the bouquet and settled it into Valentina’s dark locks, making sure it was sturdy before he gave her a once over, nodding with satisfaction.

He’d taken a few pictures when a rumbling sound made both Valentina and Harry look towards the sky, “shit.” Harry cussed immediately, the first rain drops already beginning to darken the cement pathway in spots, “we should go back before-” there was another loud sound of thunder, and a crack, then the rain started coming down harder.

Both Valentina and Harry began to run for cover immediately, Valentine a few feet ahead of Harry as they bolted for the trees. In those brief moments of caos, Valentina running with her long black hair swishing through the air, the flower still perfectly situated, her face half turned to make sure Harry was behind her, jacket billowing out beautifully, bouquet in one hand, half forgotten as she ran, Harry captured a few pictures.

As soon as they were under the cover of a tree, Harry put away his camera, making sure there was no water damage before he looked up at Valentina. Her hair was already a little wet, a few dark tendrils attached to her forehead and cheek, “we should have brought umbrellas.” she mused, collecting her hair again to put up in a ponytail. The flower that had been so perfectly situated amongst Valentina’s dark locks fell and landed at Harry’s feet, he stared at the meek pink petals, damaged by the rain.

Harry hummed in response, looking out at the parts of the path that were exposed to open sky. The loud patter of raindrops colliding with the earth made Harry’s skin prickle, or perhaps that was caused by a large water droplet running down from his throat to his spine. Harry rubbed the back of his neck in an effort to clear away some of the water, grimacing at the sight in front of him, they’d have to make a run for it and they both knew it.

“On three?” Harry suggested finally, turning to look at the beautiful girl beside him.

She nodded, looking determined.

“One.” Harry began, Valentina joined in on the “two.” and at “three” she grabbed his hand, the two of them scurrying out from under the cover of the trees as they made a run for the street. Harry stopped abruptly and pulled Valentina to a halt as he looked both ways before crossing, not having a death wish like the girl beside him who had looked completely content with bolting across and hoping for the best.

Once on the other side, they stuck close to the buildings, getting some cover from awnings and restaurant canopies as they made their way back to the apartment. Harry gripped Valentina’s hand tightly, despite the rain making both of their palms wet and slippery.

Other souls, with rain jackets and umbrellas, parted for Harry who looked like he was on a warpath, Valentina in his wake as he wove through the people on the street. Harry was getting cold, the rain having already soaked through his grey hoodie, his strong shoulders feeling the first of what felt like death's grasp as his teeth began to chatter. His free hand came up to push some wet curls from his face, and he turned to look behind him, able to feel Valentina there but wanting to get a glimpse of her face to see if his fast pace was alright with her.

She flashed him a smile, looking remarkable even amidst the fact that she was soaked, rain dripping down her face like tears that Harry realized he never wanted to see.

They picked up their pace a little as they neared the apartment, pulling into the alcove as a sanctuary from the rain as Harry took his hand away from Valentina’s, fingers shaking while he pulled out his keys. He fumbled with the door for a moment, feeling his entire body spasming from the cold as Valentina gently took the keys, managing to get the door open. Harry held it wide so she could slip through first, under his arm, then they ran up the old wooden stairs. Harry knew they were probably leaving puddles, but he didn’t care, all he cared about was reaching the apartment and the shower that awaited him.

Harry was practically buzzing out of his skin, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet as he watched Valentina open the door to their apartment, both of them rushing in as soon as they could, heading towards the bathroom.

“Fuck.” Harry said, realizing one of them would have to wait for the other to shower first. He’d gotten used to living alone for many years, and this was the first time there would be an issue over usage of a common space since Valentina had moved in.

Valentina must have heard Harry’s cussing because she turned to look at him, frowning as she came to the same realization Harry had moments before. She turned to look at him, watching him set down his camera on the couch next to the bouquet she’d tossed down seconds before. He looked like a mess, skin pale, whole body shivering, grey hoodie about four shades darker than normal, a small puddle already forming at his feet, and a decision was made immediately, “come shower with me.” she stated, grabbing his hand for the second time that day.

“What?” Harry’s eyes widened as he stumbled after her, dragged along by the determined looking opera singer.

“You’ve seen me practically naked already, and you look really cold, come shower with me.” she stated again as they entered the bathroom, already moving to turn on the shower and get the hot water started. Valentina let go of Harry’s hand to pull off her jacket, leaving it on the floor as her hands found the bottom of her black turtleneck, dragging it over her head.

Harry swallowed thickly, eyes taking in the pretty black bra and the newly exposed skin that he longed to reach out and touch. He wondered if the skin on her abdomen would be as soft as it looked, wondered how beautiful it would feel to trace the curve from her waist to hip bone-

“You are shivering!” Valentina said again, snapping Harry out of his daze as she grabbed at the bottom of his hoodie, “take this off before you catch cold.”

Harry allowed Valentina to pull it off of him, leaving him in a white vneck that was also soaked through, exposing his black tattoos that almost seemed to press up against the material, begging to be adored and explored by the beautiful girl in front of him.

Valentina stopped and suddenly Harry wasn’t shuddering anymore, in fact, his skin felt like it was on fire as Valentina’s eyes wandered over Harry’s form, unabashed and unafraid.

Her gaze flickered up to Harry’s and she could feel his breath on her face, realizing how close they were standing. She licked her bottom lip subconsciously, body reacting to the man in front of her before her mind could even process what she was doing. Harry noticed the small movement immediately and he looked at her lips for a moment before his eyes went up to hers again.

He didn’t think. Nothing ran through his brain, no thoughts, no fears, no worries, he just reached out and grabbed her face, bringing his lips to hers. Harry noticed first how cold she was, her lips tasted like summer rain and Harry melted against her, pressing his body closer as her fingers looped in the waistband of his jeans. He wanted to warm her up, tongue gliding across her lower lip before he sucked it into his mouth, earning a soft sighing sound that made his heart race even faster in his chest. He wanted to touch her hair, to feel it again, and within moments he’d managed to slip off the hair tie, releasing the heavy locks that tumbled down to her shoulders, ready for his eager fingers.

Her hands were cold, digits brushing against his bare abdomen that had been exposed when she’d lifted his shirt a little, and Harry hissed, pulling away from her slightly to escape her wandering touch.

Valentina opened her eyes, looking up at him with a smile, “your lips are turning blue.” she teased, reminding Harry again of the cold that had seeped through his skin and was threatening to clutch at his bones. “Come on.” she said, stepping away from him as her fingers went to her belt, undoing it so she could slip down her plaid pants. Harry watched her, eyes devouring her half naked body, nothing but a little matching black thong and bra keeping her from him.

She went to the shower, back turning to Harry as she tested the water, and he got a good view of her backside. He’d seen it before, having taken a few more risque shots in the tub the day before, but in this context, it was different. His hands fumbled with his own jeans and his shirt, pulling them off and tossing them to the floor next to Valentina’s wet pile of discarded clothing.

Harry hurried to join Valentina in the medium sized shower, he’d spent a lot of money on an expensive rainshower head so it would cover his whole body, and he’d never appreciated it more in the three years since he’d gotten it than he did in that moment. Pulling the door shut behind him, he got as close to Valentina as he could without touching her, unsure whether one kiss merited anything more, especially with them both almost naked in a shower.

Valentina sensed that he’d entered the hot stream of water and turned to look at him, which was hard to do since she had to tilt her head up and keeping her eyes open against the steady drops was not something her body was keen on doing. Harry grinned, head dipped down as he looked at the shorter girl in front of him.

Giving up, Valentina closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of him being there as her hands came up to interlock behind his head, forearms resting on his shoulders as she pulled him close until their chests were touching. Her head dipped, forehead resting on the spot just between his collar bones at the base of his throat, and Harry pressed his cheek against the top of her head, his hands settling on her waist to keep her close.

The shower was quickly filling with steam and the hot water was relaxing Harry, his skin turning a light shade of pink as it reacted to the temperature. The muscles that had been so tense in his shoulders unknotted as he enjoyed the feeling of his hands on Valentina’s small waist, the curve there was just as he’d imagined it to be, he could trace it forever with his fingers.

There was something about the embrace that felt so familiar, which didn’t make any sense to Harry because he usually wasn’t a hugger. In fact, he hadn’t hugged a girl in, well, he couldn't remember the last time exactly. But he knew that whenever it was, it had not felt like this. He was holding onto Valentina and he never wanted to let go, he felt more at home with her arms around him than he ever had in the apartment that he was thanking god he’d been forced to open up to her. It felt so right. Harry wanted to live in the shower with her forever, wanted to exist solely in that moment for the rest of his life.

Then Valentina was moving and Harry wanted to groan, wanted to tell her please stay like this with me forever, please stay, but then her lips were meeting his and he realized perhaps this is where he wanted to be forever. He thought the embrace had been heaven and it had been, but this was something more, this was something indescribable, and it left his mind blank as he revelled in the feeling of her lips against his.

Her fingers came up to tangle in his wet curls, and a slight pull had Harry groaning into her mouth, his black briefs straining to keep him contained. Harry forced himself to pull away, resting his forehead against hers as he caught his breath, water streaming down both of their faces. Valentina looked up at him, noticing the way small droplets of water clung to his long, dark, pretty lashes as he met her gaze under heavy lids, green eyes almost fully obscured by lust filled pupils.

“You’re so pretty.” she mused, brushing the pads of her fingers against a cheekbone she’d been aching to touch since the day she met him.

He nuzzled his face against her hand, breathing deeply, “you’re the pretty one love.”

Valentina felt a blush rising on her skin and she looked down, noticing his briefs for the first time, and, more particularly, the fact that Harry was hard as a rock beneath them. She swallowed a lump in her throat, mind reeling at the whole situation.

She’d kissed her roommate.

She was half naked in the shower with her roommate.

She was considering sleeping with her roommate.

If there was one thing Valentina knew, it was that shower sex was not something she enjoyed. Gorgeous roommate or not, she was not about to have sex with someone in a shower and prove, yet again, that water was, in fact, not lube.

Before she knew what she was doing, Valentina was exiting the shower, leaving Harry confused and alone under the stream of hot water.

She wrapped a towel around her chest, awkwardly slipping out of her bra and panties while still covered with the fabric as Harry poked his head out of the shower, “did I do something wrong?” he asked, looking so innocent and sweet, cheeks twinged red, eyes full of concern.

“No.” Valentina assured him, putting her hair up in a second towel “I just- shower sex. Not a fan.”

Harry seemed to consider it for a moment then nodded, “right.” he said, still confused by the interaction.

“But… the bedroom-” Valentina’s voice was soft. So soft, Harry almost missed it as he began to shut the door to the shower. He stopped. Wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him as he stood there.

Poking his head out again he eyed her, “go to my room, I’ll join you in a mo’ yeah?”

Valentina bit at her lip and after a moment, she nodded, leaving the bathroom to go to see Harry’s room for the first time while he finished up in the shower and tried to steady his racing heart beat.

Pushing the door open to Harry’s bedroom, Valentina’s curious eyes ate up everything in front of her.

Two large windows illuminated the room in a sort of grey hue, the rainclouds outside were even stormier than before, and the sound of rain hitting glass filled the space with a soft ambiance that made Valentina’s skin prickle. It was messy, but it was a sort of organized chaos that Valentina was beginning to realize was a bit of a Harry staple. As she’d seen the first day, a mattress was on the floor, a white duvet crumpled up on the middle, Valentina wondered if Harry had troubles sleeping.

She almost missed the piano, as it was have obscured by clothes and a record player sitting on top of its closed lid. It looked like either a baby or medium grand piano and Valentina’s fingers began to feel like they were buzzing. She’d grown up playing, but hadn’t played since she moved to New York for university.

Clutching her towel tighter around her body, she approached the piano, careful to step over the things that marred the floor. The keys were a little dusty, as if it hadn’t been played in a while, and Valentina knew this was true, she would have heard it if Harry had played it while she was in the apartment.

There was bench that she sat on gingerly, pushing a comfy looking hoodie out of the way to do so as her fingers stretched over the keys, mind flipping through all the songs she knew.

The song began before it had really registered in Valentina’s brain that she’d chosen something, but as soon as the familiar notes filled the room, her shoulders relaxed, a smile playing across her face as she immersed herself in the music. She ignored the cold of the piano pedal against her bare foot, wanting to do the music justice.

Movement flickered in her peripheral vision and she looked up, noticing the massive mirror she’d suspected was somewhere in his room for a while. Harry was in the doorway behind her, his image reflected through the old looking, golden framed mirror. He had a camera in his hands and he was taking pictures of Valentina. Her skin heated up immediately, and she stopped her movements, the music cut off abruptly as she turned to look at him, “hey!”

“What?” he asked, a small smile appearing on his face as he lowered the camera, looking at her.

“You’re taking pictures.”

“So?”

“So…” she struggled to find a good reason for him not to take pictures of her but came up empty, sighing loudly as she instead decided to focus on his tattoos. Her eyes scanned his torso, looking at the birds and the butterfly on his stomach.

Figuring her hair would be less damp, she removed the towel from her head, releasing her black tangle of curls that cascaded down her back.

Harry watched her motion, itching to capture the beauty of it with his camera, wanting to have it forever, to look at over and over again when he was bored. The towel landed on the floor amidst his clothes but it made Harry smile, the act of tossing the fabric aside like she belonged in his room was something marvelous to him, making his breath catch in his throat.

“Didn’t know you played piano.” Harry mused instead, walking into the room to set his camera down on top of the piano next to the record player.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me I guess.” Valentina said, returning her gaze to the pretty white keys that her fingers tested gently, creating soft music that filled the room like it belonged there, mingling with the soft percussion of the rain on the windows.

“There’s a lot I want to know.” Harry said, walking over to the closet.

Valentina focused on the piano, giving Harry some privacy as he slipped on some grey sweats. Then he came up behind her, leaning over her as his arms went loosely around her front, “gonna show me some notes love?” he asked, breath on her ear and neck creating goosebumps that ran rampant across her skin.

Valentina took one of his hands, settling it on the keys, placing each finger. “Press this one.” she said, applying a little bit of pressure as he followed the command. She continued this for a few more notes until he could play the start of ‘Heart and Soul,’ which was one of those songs that Valentina supposed anyone could learn.

“Wait. If you have a piano, don’t you play?” she looked up at him and he smirked.

“Caught me.”

“Hey!” she laughed, tearing her hands away from his as she shoved backwards at his thigh to get him to move away, “not funny.”

“‘S sorta funny.” Harry said, collapsing down onto his bed as he watched Valentina sit at his piano. His left arm went behind his head to prop himself up and Valentina got a nice view of all the other tattoos she hadn’t seen before.

He looked relaxed, lounging on his bed like a large, dark cat with mischievous green eyes to match. An odd thought crossed Valentina’s mind while she watched him, wondering what it would sound like to make him purr, but she shook it away, turning to look at the piano again.

Even not looking at Harry, she could feel his eyes on her and turned to gaze at him, smiling, “why do you look at me so much?”

“Cuz you’re gorgeous pet.” Harry answered immediately, offering a shy grin, “m’ an artist after all.”

She tilted her head at him, thinking about his words. Valentina definitely had noticed there was something that set him apart from other guys she knew. His attention to details. The way he looked at her, noticing everything. It had made her uncomfortable at first, feeling like she was being judged the moment she met him in the coffee shop the month before, but she’d gotten used to it. Sitting on the piano bench in Harry’s chaotic room, his eyes watching her as they always did, she realized perhaps having his attention wasn’t a bad thing. He wasn’t judging, not really, and if he was, he was enjoying what he was seeing, a thought that made Valentina’s heart flutter in her chest.

With a loud sigh, Valentina stood, carefully approaching Harry who immediately made room for her on the bed. She sank to her knees and, after a moment's hesitation, laid down next to Harry, using his bare chest as a pillow as their legs tangled like they’d done it a hundred times before. Harry enveloped her with his body, breath steady against the top of her head, skin warm under her touch. Sneaking a glance up at him, she once again took the time to appreciate how beautiful he was and after a moment, he laughed, seemingly uncomfortable being under her gaze.

“Not so easy being looked at is it?” Valentina teased, earning a chuckle as he stared up at the ceiling.

“Guess not.” he admitted.

“So…” Valentina trailed off, knowing what she wanted to ask but not knowing how to ask it.

“So.” Harry echoed, lost in his own tumultuous thoughts that rivaled the chaos of the storm pattering about outside the window.

“We live together.”

“We do.”

“And…” Valentina struggled to find the words, “I don’t want there to be issues if something happens between us-”

“Something bad.” Harry clarified.

“Yeah. Something bad.” Valentina reiterated, “because we live together.”

The room was quiet aside from the sound of the rain and the soft breaths Harry took as he thought about what to say. Finally he rubbed at his eyes with a hand, blinking to clear his mind of an fogginess that might impair him as he struggled to communicate exactly what he was thinking, “you fit.” he sighed, that was not what he meant, “we fit. You don’t mind my two AM waffle runs or the fact that I blast music. You said yes to being my model, and don’t question me when I want to take a specific shot. You try to help me achieve my vision, and you look absolutely lovely doing it. You’re stunning. You’re smart. Your voice… I’ve paused my music to listen to you sing a number of times. The way you belt out lyrics when you think I’m not here-” Harry chuckled, “I like you a lot. And I don’t like most people. I know I’m awkward. I know it’s probably not easy, living here with me. But, I really like you. And if you don’t want to try something because we’re roommates, I will move out. I will.”

Valentina had been watching him the duration of his speech and she was taken aback by his words, by the serious determination in his eyes as he told her he would move if it meant even getting a chance at something with her.

“I really like you.” he said again, softer this time as his fingers ran through her hair, wrapping a strand around a digit as he finally looked down at her where she was propped up on his chest, “and if I’ve just made this weird then I’m sor-”

Valentina pressed her lips to his, cutting off the unneeded apology as she grabbed at his face. His hands went to her towel covered waist, pulling her on top of him as her legs straddled him, getting a better angle as she ground down against his grey sweatpants.

Harry still had a semi from the whole interaction in the shower, and all it took was one swivel of Valentina’s hips to have him groaning into her mouth again. His fingers dug into the towel that covered her body, the only thing keeping her from being fully naked on top of him. Fighting the urge to tear the fabric off, Harry brought a hand up to tangle his digits into her hair, but that only proved to make the situation even worse as he fought the need to tug on the strands and see if she enjoyed the tingling of pain just as much as he did.

He wasn’t a fan of not having control, and although Valentina was working magic with the way the motion of her hips sent shivers up his body, Harry could only stand being under her for so long before he grabbed her waist and threw her off of him, sliding between her legs again as his lips met hers hungrily. Her fingers went to try to get at Harry’s sweats, pushing them down slightly as he tore open the towel, a low sound vibrating through his chest as he looked down at her with eyes so dark and intense that Valentina almost felt something like fear, something like exhilaration, something that made her heart race in her chest like nothing she’d ever experienced in her life.

Now that she was naked, Valentina was even more eager to get Harry on a level playing field, once more tugging at his grey sweats in an effort to get them off so she could see exactly what she’d been dumb enough to live without all month. Before she could get them down, Harry sat up on his knees, taking in deep breaths as he looked down at her, running a hand through his hair.

“Condoms.” Harry stated as she fussed with the drawstring of the sweats, tearing his eyes from the beautiful girl underneath him whom he just wanted to look at, for ages and ages and ages.

“On the pill.” Valentina said, finally managing to get the knot of his joggers undone, pushing his sweats down to his knees. Harry swallowed thickly, eyes darting down to stare at Valentina. Any other girl and he wouldn’t risk it, any other girl and he’d question who else they’d fucked that week, but Valentina wasn’t any other girl. She was the girl. He knew she wasn’t the type to fuck around, and any inhibitions that would have made him pause, made him wonder, ‘is going in raw really worth the possible risk of having a baby?’ flew out the window. Besides, an apartment baby didn’t sound that bad.

Harry stared at the beautiful naked girl below him ,and as much as part of him wanted to just slip inside and ravage her like every other girl he’d ever had on his overly expensive mattress on the floor of his room, a bigger part of him just wanted to kiss her and praise her and make her feel good.

He brought himself over her again, supporting himself on his forearm as one hand slid up her body and his lips met hers again. Valentina’s legs wrapped around his waist urging Harry to do something, but he wanted to enjoy it, instead pulling away and slipping his fingers into her mouth.

He watched her with interest as she eagerly sucked at the two digits, swirling her tongue around them in a way that was making Harry’s body practically shiver with need for her. He could only hold off for so long, taking his fingers from between her lips and dragging them down her body, letting them leave a trail of wet that had Valentina’s skin prickling with goosebumps as her back arched off the mattress.

Before he could get his hand to where he wanted it to be, she grabbed his tattooed forearm, eyes opening to meet Harry’s questioning green ones, “no foreplay.” she stated, voice sounding the most certain and commanding he’d ever heard, and Harry wasn’t one to argue about a request like that. There’d be plenty of time later to do whatever he wanted to the girl he wanted to worship, but in that moment, he was willing to go to the end of the earth to do exactly what she wanted. And what she had so eloquently stated she wanted, was no foreplay.

Harry adjusted the way he was positioned over top of her, pressing his lips to hers as he pushed inside slowly, marveling at how wet she already was for him. She needed him just as much as he needed her and that was obvious by the way her nails dug into his strong shoulders, lips parting against his as a high pitched mewling sound made Harry groan in return. He gripped her thigh, hiking her leg up higher on his waist so he could get in deeper with each testing thrust.

“Please.” Valentina groaned, feeling him holding back in the way that the muscles in his shoulders were coiled, tense, on edge, body not having free reign to do what it did best: fuck a girls brains out.

“Wanna make this count.” Harry breathed, lips trailing up her neck and nipping at her jaw, wanting to taste the pretty skin he wanted to mark up so bad.

“It does count.” Valentina assured him, grabbing at his jaw to bring his face up, looking him dead in the eye as she brushed some of his dark, wild, curls from his face, “I like you. This counts.” her lips danced against his softly, still feeling his hesitation. Finally she cracked a grin at him, “you going to make me ride you or what?”

Harry laughed, burying his face in her neck, “not a chance.” he breathed, voice low as he kissed her throat softly one more time before his hands gripped her legs, holding her tight and anchoring her to the mattress as he finally let loose.

The sounds Valentina was making were like angels singing in Harry’s ear, urging him to continue, if not for his own euphoria, then for hers. Her pleasure that was so important to him, more important than anyone else’s happiness in Harry’s life, even his own. He cupped her face, somehow managing to kiss her both hard and soft at the same time. Although the action itself was a little rough, there was some sort of emotion emanating off of him in waves, something that engulfed Valentina in a warm and fuzzy feeling that told her she was safe in his arms.

His touches were soft, one of his hands trailing up her bare waist to tease her throat, fingers grabbing at her jaw as they kissed. She felt something patchy brushing against her sensitive cheekbone and she wondered if there was paint speckling his artist fingers, wondered if perhaps this was a constant for him, wondered if she could get used to the feeling of it against her skin.

Harry enjoyed touching her, enjoyed the way she scratched at his back, panting against his lips, and even as close as they were, he somehow wanted to be even closer. Grabbing at her arm and forcing it down above her head, he interlaced their fingers, pulling away from Valentina’s lips, just pressing his forehead against hers as they panted, eyes opening to look at each other.

It was strange for him. Harry wasn’t the type of guy to make love to girls, if you’d asked him the day before if he even knew how to incorporate that emotion into sex, he would have told you he had not a clue. And yet, there he was. Baring his soul to a girl who had bewitched every fibre of his being in a terrifyingly short amount of time.

With one hand pressed into the bed, fingers laced with Harry’s, Valentina used the other to grab at Harry’s curls, revelling again in how pretty his hair was. A small tug had Harry groaning, lips eagerly meeting hers again as their tongues clashed, teeth knocking a little, but not in an unpleasant way. The clumsiness was a sign of their mutual need, and it made both smile, chuckling against each others lips like young lovers who’d just shared their first forbidden kiss under the bleachers.

Valentina’s stomach fluttered, once more overcome by the heat and positive energy radiating off the beautiful art student buried inside of her. The clenching of her muscles had Harry practically melting in her arms, whole body shuddering as he panted against her mouth, “gonna cum if you keep doing that.” he warned her, kissing at her cheeks, nose, then finally her lips again.

“I’m close.” Valentina breathed, squeezing his hand in a way that felt something like permission.

Harry wanted nothing more than to continue, to fuck his beautiful room mate until his body physically couldn’t anymore, but damn, he’d never been so close to exploding in his life. Valentina was just so warm, so perfect, like she was made for him, and that little hand squeeze had his skin tingling, as if kissed by some higher power telling him to just give in to the pleasure engulfing his body.

His motions became faster, lips pressed against Valentina’s roughly as he chased his high, feeling her getting closer and closer with every thrust. She was squeezing his hand so tight that Harry wanted to growl, the slight pain sending electric shocks running up his arm and driving him wild.

Once again, he hiked her leg up on his waist, driving in as hard as he could as she clutched his hand like an anchor, finally falling over the edge and dragging him with her as they both moaned into each others mouths, bodies shaking together, enraptured in the feeling of euphoria that they’d created. Harry pulled away from her lips and Valentina’s eyes remained closed, chest pressing against Harry’s with each deep breath as she struggled to recollect herself. He moved off of being on top of her, laying next to her as he propped up his chin on the palm of his hand.

He studied her face, fingers once more dancing across skin. He itched to grab his camera, to capture the moment, to capture the image of the beautiful girl amidst his messy white sheets, skin flushed, eyes closed, lips parted, looking absolutely divine. There was something about her that was almost celestial, something otherworldly that took his breath away.

Ideas flashed in Harry’s mind, possible pictures of her he could paint. A goddess sitting on the moon, stars speckling the scene behind her. A sun crown on her head as she wades through a field of flowers. A galaxy cape afixed on her shoulders as she climbs the stairs to heaven, head turned to show her beautiful side profile, hair in that messy bun he loved so much-

Her eyes opened and all the ideas darted away, scurrying to hide from the steady gaze that made Harry’s heart sing. “Hey.” he said dumbly, hating himself the moment after the word left his lips.

“Hi.” Valentina beamed, laughing a little. The dimple on her left cheek showed and Harry’s chest hurt, brain working as he fought to remember if that tiny detail had been captured by his camera at least once earlier that day.

Now that they had both steadied their breathing, the sound of rain once more filled the room, a low rumble of thunder drawing Valentina’s gaze to the window. She bit at her lower lip before looking to Harry again, “I like the sound of rain.” she stated, almost absentmindedly, but there was something else to it.

Harry thought about her words, thought about whether or not the statement had been an attempt to strengthen their bond, as if him knowing more about her was a positive. Harry supposed it was, and he knew he’d remember that small detail, because for some reason, it mattered to him.

He liked that she liked the sound of the rain.

Valentina stretched her arms over her head and sighed loudly, rolling onto her stomach. Harry was then distracted by her pretty back, marveling in the gorgeous tanned skin and how soft it was under his wandering digits as he drew everything and nothing with the tip of his index finger.

“Can you play me some of your piano music?” Valentina asked, breaking the silence.

“Hmm?” Harry hadn’t been ready for a question directed at him, having not really processed her words, too distracted by her pretty skin under his fingers.

“Piano music. The stuff you listen to when you paint.” Valentina clarified, turning to look at him, “it always sounds so nice.”

Harry took a deep breath, not too keen on leaving the warmth of his bed, but he’d do anything to make Valentina happy so he grabbed his discarded sweatpants and pulled them on, standing to go look at the records he kept in a crate under the piano. He pulled the box out, sliding it across the floor with his foot so he could grab the most used record from the front of the bin. He placed it on the player and moved the needle, setting everything up so after a few moments the sound of classical piano flooded the space.

Harry’s eyes went to his box of joints next to the record player, and he snuck a look over his shoulder at the girl tangled in his sheets, noticing and appreciating the way she’d rolled onto her side, head propped up on her hand, the white covers haphazardly strewn about her body and teasing him with bits of flesh on her waist and chest as she watched him.

“Do you smoke?” Harry asked, realizing that he hadn’t offered her weed the day they’d bumped into each other on the terrace.

“Usually I don’t but if you’re offering-” she trailed off, grin returning to her face as Harry smiled, looking down and choosing a joint as Valentina took in his beautiful back.

He grabbed a cheap lighter he’d bought at a gas station and walked back to the bed, sitting next to Valentina, “do you want to start it or should I?”

Valentina sat up, holding the sheet around her body as she leaned against the wall, holding out two fingers for Harry to slide the joint between. She brought her lips to one end, looking up at Harry with a quirked eyebrow, waiting for him to light it for her. Harry chuckled, “bloody princess.” he muttered and she grinned around the joint that was so deliciously placed between her pretty lips.

He brought the lighter up and watched her inhale as he lit the joint, her cheeks hollowing marvelously as she inhaled deeply. Harry watched in something like awe as she exhaled, the smoke wrapping around them as she held the joint out to Harry. He accepted it and took a long drag, moving to sit next to her with his back against the wall.

They stayed quiet, listening to the piano and the rain, smoking together like long time friends who did this sort of thing every day. Harry felt completely at ease, brain going blank as he allowed himself to just be in the moment, which wasn’t something he did often. Harry was usually the type to be thinking too much, only managing to calm down when he smoked, but this was something he hadn’t experienced in years: relaxation.

And it felt fucking amazing.

--------

He’d gone to get the pictures printed first thing the next morning, rushing home through the storm so he could begin his work. Finally reaching his room, one look at the mess had made Harry set the folder of pictures down and begin cleaning, needing a cleared space for the project ahead.

Once his floor was completely free of anything and everything that would impede Harry’s artistic process, he began meticulously arranging the photos on the ground.

Perhaps having a gorgeous model hadn’t been the best plan. Harry felt attached to every perfect picture, every single shot that captured the beautiful dimple, or a smile, or light in her eyes that seemed to jump out at him.

He’d never had a muse before.

No one thing that inspired him.

But looking at all the wonderful pictures, Harry knew he could paint every single one and not grow tired for Valentina’s face.

Harry groaned, pulling out the piano bench so he could stand on it, getting a birds eye view of all the pictures in the hope that certain colours would stand out and draw him in.

Standing on the bench, a joint between his lips, looking down at all the images that were all (in their own way) stunning, Harry realized the issue with this project wouldn’t be getting the task finished, it would be narrowing the task down to just three.

--------

“Your hot roommate. The hot one you still haven't let me meet yet. That hot roommate. You slept with him.” Bethany said, still in a state of shock as she stared at Valentina, “and then you smoked a joint and listened to piano music.”

Valentina shrugged, reading her textbook with her eyes but the words weren’t registering in her brain.

“And how was it?” Bethany prodded, moving closer and lowering her voice after taking a look around at the people working quietly in the lounge.

Valentina laughed, finally looking up from her text book, “it was really good. Like… really good.”

Bethany squealed, grabbing at Valentina’s arm and earning a few harsh glares from people around them as Valentina quickly shushed her, giggling at her friends excitement and her own giddiness that was beginning to bubble like butterflies in her tummy. “So are you two going to date or fuckbuddies or-”

“I don’t know.” Valentina said honestly, “we didn’t really talk about it exactly.”

“Do you like him?”

“Yeah, he’s really nice.” Valentina said, feeling kind of shy about talking about Harry, who she’d kept sort of as a dirty little secret, just for herself, until this moment. She couldn’t hide the fact that she’d fucked her roommate from her best friend.

“But he’s still doing that art thing right?” Bethany pressed, eager for answers.

“Yeah, so we’ll see what happens.”

Bethany rolled her eyes, “we’ll see what happens.” she imitated lamely, “bitch, I better be your maid of honour, that’s all I can say.”

--------

“So I’m going to paint the bathtub photo, use the picture of your running in the park with the bouquet, and for the final piece, I’m going to sketch you sitting at my piano.” Harry explained.

“But when I was sitting at your piano there were no flowers-”

“I can draw them in.” Harry said, “gonna have them on top of the piano, dripping onto the ground. Besides, the flowers will be the obvious common element to every picture but there’s also water. Rain, bath, wet flowers.”

“Okay.” Valentina paused, “and you need me in the bath for the painting?”

“Honestly, I can probably do it based off the picture and get it mostly done, but there would be a few things I might need to see, but it’s not necessary if you don’t want to-” Harry was tripping over his words, and he knew that. He’d been a little on edge since they’d fucked, not really knowing how to feel or act around the girl who made his chest hurt whenever he looked at her.

“Yeah, uh, just let me know when you need me to get in the tub and we can make it work.” Valentina offered an easy going smile and Harry felt his shoulders relax immediately.

He was itching to ask about them, about what anything meant. But he was afraid of what she’d say. Afraid of rejection. He’d dished it out so many times before, but Harry knew he was too fragile in this case to be able to take it if he was finally going to be on the receiving end. So he kept his mouth shut, offering a brief explanation of time frames before scurrying to his room to begin the project he’d been dying to start since the day he’d seen her swirling amongst flowers and pink water in his four clawed tub.

--------

It felt like Harry had been blasting music for a week straight. Valentina hadn’t seen him, not even when she snuck out to the kitchen at 2 am in the hopes of running into him, covered in paint, hunched over the toaster watching his waffles cook. She wondered if he had even been eating, enraptured by the thought of Harry being a tortured kind of artist who couldn’t sleep or eat until completion of his work. Valentina also wondered when Harry even went to class, or perhaps he just kept his music playing while not in the apartment, but that seemed just a tad too obnoxious.

The weather had been bad for six straight days, so when the first rays of sunshine peaked through the clouds to say hello to New York, the wind breathing a sigh of warm relief across the city, Valentina immediately opened her window to take in a deep breath, engulfed in the smell and taste of the receding storm.

Valentina waited for the day to get clear enough, for the blue sky to finally win her over with its enticing beauty, and then closed up her textbook, walking to the window to climb out and enjoy the day on the terrace.

As soon as she stuck her head out, a puff of wind sent the smell of weed barrelling into her and she laughed, turning to look at Harry who was sitting there, wrapped in a hoodie and duvet, joint perched regally between his fingers.

“Great minds.” Valentina mused as she swung her legs out of the window, going to join Harry where he was sitting in front of his room. Harry looked up, immediately making room for her next to him on the blanket. As she sat, he held out the joint but Valentina declined it with a wave of her hand and a smile.

“So how’s the art going?” she asked, staring down at their legs that were almost touching. Valentina noticed something amidst the rips in his black jeans, something new. A tattoo. She wondered when he’d added that to his collection.

“Good.” Harry said, letting out a long puff of smoke as he twiddled with the joint between his fingers, Valentina noticing the pink speckling his digits for the first time. It looked like he’d used sharpies on his nails, the colour fading but matching the black of his oversized hoodie, the sleeves coming down like paws that half obscured his hands, leaving only his elegant, paint marred fingers, wrapped in rings.

There was a moment of silence and awkwardness, neither knowing how to act. Then Harry’s arm moved to settle around Valentina’s shoulders, pulling her close, and they both let out a sigh of relief, relaxing together immediately. Harry continued to fidget with the joint but his motions were more fluid, rolling it around before bringing it to his lips again.

They sat quietly for a while but, as it had the week before, it just worked. Harry once again found himself marveling at how well they clicked. In his weed relaxed hazy state, he found himself internally musing about her being the missing puzzle piece he hadn’t even realized he needed, only to hate himself for being so cliche. When had he stooped to such a level? Harry had always fancied himself to be, at least in some regard, somewhat sophisticated, but next to Valentina he had regressed to a school boy experiencing his first crush, brain becoming practically useless.

Harry turned so his nose was pressed against the crown of her head, inhaling the sweet smell of her shampoo. He’d seen it in the shower when she’d moved in, picking it up to study the bottle. Harry was feeling a little fuzzy, but he knew it was grapefruit and something, maybe sage or perhaps mint? He didn’t know, but it didn’t matter, she smelled wonderful and he’d always enjoyed that about her.

“Are you smelling me?” Valentina sighed, pulling away from his shoulder to look up at him.

Harry grinned lazily, taking the last drag of his joint before putting it out in his ash tray that sat a few feet away, “maybe.” he paused, “you smell nice.”

She smiled up at him, gaze darting between his eyes and his lips, even taking in the little dimples that appeared on his cheeks, “you’re kind of a dork.”

Harry chuckled, hand coming up to brush at Valentina’s cheekbone, “you love it.”

He was right. She knew he was.

Even as she shook her head at him, letting out a sigh as she readjusted herself, leg swinging over his so she was straddling his lap as his hands settled on her waist securely, she knew he was one hundred percent correct with his statement.

His hands snaked down further, grabbing at her ass and he smirked, making Valentina laugh, throwing her head back in defeat at his antics. Harry took the opportunity to sit up a little, lips just able to reach her neck as he peppered her skin in soft kisses that felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Her fingers tangled in his curls and she allowed him to kiss her, adoring every possible inch he could reach before she grabbed at his jaw, tilting his face up as she looked down so she could finally kiss him. He smiled against her lips, overcome in a euphoric sense of happiness that drowned out everything else in his life.

One hand came up to cup Valentina’s face, thumb brushing over her cheekbone as he kissed her. This kiss was soft, nothing like the fiery clash of teeth and tongues from the week before. Harry hadn’t ever really kissed a girl the way he was kissing Valentina, hadn’t thought to be soft and gentle, but this felt right, it felt (like everything else) natural. There was something endearing about the way that they were both struggling not to smile against each others lips, torn between the need to kiss and the overwhelming happiness that threatened to turn them into matching cheshire cats.

Valentina ground down against Harry’s lap and he groaned into her mouth, hand gripping her ass harder, wanting to rip the material of her silky sleeping pants, wanting to tear them off of her and ravage her there on the terrace.

Someone whistled loudly from the alley below and a “get it!” made Valentina pull away from Harry, looking down at the men who were casually walking towards the street, flashing two thumbs up at the happy pair who had been so enraptured with each other that they’d forgotten about the outside world.

“Piss off!” Harry called down at the men, earning some wild laughter as the men reached the street an turned the corner, disappearing from sight.

Valentina looked down at Harry who returned her gaze, paint speckled fingers once more rubbing soft circles against her cheek, “so.” she breathed, “are you going to ask me on a date or what?”

Harry beamed, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, “now who’s the dork?”

***

masterlist :)

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