#the INSTANT that fucking clock came on screen i was like i cannot do this again 🫡🫡🫡

[curedeity]

Summary: After a late night working, Hikaru and Tsubasa hang out, with Kyoya along for the ride. Quiet conversations are had in the dead of night. (These three deserved to hang out, fight me)

    Work was strewn across the table as Hikaru and Tsubasa shuffled through paper after paper. There were emails to be sent to publicity companies, bladers to invite, a stadium to reserve, hotels to contact for discounts for participants. Planning a tournament certainly was a monumental effort of organization.

    No matter how many tournaments Tsubasa had helped organize, he never really got used to the amount of work that came with them, and from the mounting frustration on Hikaru’s face, it was clearly the same for her.

    Hikaru sipped the cup of coffee in front of her, despite the fact that it was nearing midnight. The tournament would be in two weeks, and to stay on schedule she would need to start sending out notifications for the necessary tournament officials already. They’d need a nurse on scene, security, an announcer, etc. 

    Kyoya sat on the couch, every so often looking over at the duo and raising an eyebrow. Tsubasa had invited him to stay in his house while Kyoya prepared to participate in the tournament. When Kyoya had agreed though, he hadn't expected to watch this duo run themselves ragged every night. 

    Wasn’t his concern though, he continued to half-listen to whatever was playing on the television.

    “What do you think about using the Piffling Advertising Agency?” Tsubasa mumbled as he fumbled through some files on his computer.

    “I think they have a good enough track record,” Hikaru rubbed at her eyes as she tried to remember. So much about planning tournaments was just remembering past experiences, but her brain had begun to pull blanks. Who were the agencies that had done good work in the past? Which DJ was best for hometown crowds?

    Tsubasa hummed and started to type out an email to them. Thankfully, they already had a draft format for emails like this, and now he had to just fill in all the openings.

    Kyoya went over and grabbed a soda can from the fridge, popping it open and drinking as he watched the duo slowly try to focus on their computers. This was just a waste of time at this point. With a sigh, he resigned himself to having to get the duo to bed. “Yo,” he tried to get their attention, but they barely even flinched. “Yo!” He repeated again, slamming his hand down onto the table.

    In an instant Hikaru had her launcher pointed at him and Tsubasa had knocked a sheaf of papers off the table.

    “Take a break you two, you ain’t getting nothing done anymore,” Kyoya snarled at them.

    “The fuck was that for?” Hikaru hissed back at him, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. Tsubasa nodded in agreement as he turned to tiredly glare at Kyoya.

    “Listen, if you both want to stay up the next hour trying to write just a single email because you’re too tired to focus, that’s your choice, but you’d be using your time much better if you just slept.” Kyoya rolled his eyes at the two dumbasses. He would’ve thought that with the duo working for the WBBA they’d have learned how to manage a workload, but apparently not.

    Hikaru sighed as she realized the truth behind his statement and cast her eyes toward the clock. It was really time to just turn-in for the night, there was no way she could focus now.

    “You wanna stay here instead of having to get back to your apartment?” Tsubasa asked her. He gestured at the couch, indicating it was hers for the taking. This wouldn’t be the first time either had crashed at the other's house, they’d spent many nights up late working together, and getting home was a bit of a pain.

    Besides, Hikaru had been on the blading circuit for a while, she could fall asleep almost anywhere.

    Hikaru collapsed onto the couch while Tsubasa wandered into his room, Kyoya sat at the table to finish drinking his soda. The whole house fell into silence.

    But no one was able to fall asleep.

    Hikaru groaned as she sat up and turned back on the TV. If she couldn’t fall asleep, at least a break would still do her some good. She curled up and pulled a blanket over her limbs as she watched whatever was playing with bleary eyes.

    It seemed to be a romance movie. But there was also some magic going on, so maybe there would be some interesting action.

    “Can’t sleep either?” Tsubasa asked her as he joined her on the couch, having given up on getting his own rest.

    Hikaru flicked him. “I drank a shitton of coffee, what’s your excuse?”

    “Being an insomniac,” Tsubasa deadpanned. The bags underneath his eyes supported his claim.

    “Take some melatonin then,” Hikaru grumbled as she shared the blanket with him.

    Tsubasa hummed and ignored her. “What are we watching?”

    “Not whatever this is,” Kyoya interrupted, grabbing the remote and switching the channel. He was not going to put up with watching whatever crap that had been. Within a few seconds, he settled on a cheap spy movie.

    “Hey look Tsubasa, it’s you,” Hikaru commented as the spy got caught almost immediately.

    Tsubasa didn’t even have a response for that.

    Kyoya got up from the table and started moving around, shuffling through the junk that had begun collecting around the house. He wasn’t really tired either, but the movie couldn’t hold his attention span, and sitting around was grating on his nerves.

    “What even is that cell?” Tsubasa mumbled as the spy was thrown into what seemed to be the flimsiest jail cell ever. The bars were so far apart that it looked like a person could strut out of there, and the padlock at the door looked like a tap would open it.

    “Paper mache,” Hikaru guessed, her face perfectly flat.

    Kyoya rummaged through a collection of small bottles before lifting one up and wiggling it at Tsubasa. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with nail polish on,” he commented.

    Tsubasa broke away from the TV and looked at what Kyoya was holding, his tired brain taking an extra second to process what had been said. “Yeah, I guess I haven’t been putting it on recently. Been too busy with everything. Used to wear nail polish often though,” Tsubasa shrugged.

    Hikaru wiggled out of the blankets and padded over to look at Tsubasa’s collection. She let out a low whistle. “Damn Tsubasa, you got a lot here.”

    Kyoya picked up as many bottles as he could hold and walked over to the ground in front of the couch, where he sat everything down. “Come on nerds, let me show you how to properly paint nails.”

    Tsubasa rolled his eyes and slid out from under the blanket to join Kyoya on the ground. Hikaru joined them as well, looking at Kyoya with a hint of teasing in her gaze.

    “Which of you wants to go first?” Kyoya asked, gazing at the rainbow of colors he had brought over.

    Tsubasa shrugged. “Sure, show me what you can do.”

    Kyoya pulled out a bottle of purple nail polish and began painting a thin first layer over each of Tsubasa’s fingers. His hands were surprisingly steady as he moved, with barely a drop of nail polish staining the skin. True artistry being performed in the dead of night.

    Hikaru had decided that braiding Tsubasa’s hair would be a good use of her time while she awaited her turn, even then she only had half her attention on it, the other half on the movie.

    The spy was now making plans with the prisoner in the cell next to his, who he seemed to be slowly falling in love with. Somehow, he still hadn’t broken out. Hikaru was pretty sure he could slip through the bars without a bit of effort.

    She stood up and went to heat up some popcorn for the group. Well, mostly for her because Tsubasa couldn’t eat with wet paint on his nails, and Kyoya wouldn’t want to get his grip oily. She laughed at the look of betrayal Tsubasa sent her when he figured that out.

    “You’re gonna want to eat the quick, ‘cause you’ll be up soon,” Kyoya grumbled as he applied the second layer to Tsubasa. “Eagle boy, you gotta stop picking at your nails, these are so uneven.”

    “Fuck off,” Tsubasa responded.

    Hikaru went into the bathroom and got a nail file for them, resisting the urge to throw it for emphasis. It was sharp, her brain reminded her, you cannot throw sharp things, that’s how people get stabbed and in the hospital.

    Tsubasa already had enough hospital trips under his belt.

    “Tsubasa, do you wear any other makeup?” She asked as settled back down beside him.

    He couldn’t shrug with his hands needing to remain still, so he purposefully kept his body motionless as he responded, “Some eyeshadow sometimes.”

    Kyoya rolled his eyes. “I think I remember seeing you once in that, please tell me you were just tired that day and that’s not normally how you put on eyeshadow, otherwise I’m going to have to confiscate it all from you until you learn to do it properly.”

    “I look amazing fuck you,” Tsubasa deadpanned.

    “I’m sure you do,” Hikaru agreed dryly, flicking his hair. “So, you the makeup expert here then Kyoya?”

    “Seems so, do you even wear makeup?” Kyoya asked.

    “Not often,” Hikaru replied. “I know how to put on a full face of makeup, but I don’t want to put in that much effort or want to look like that every day. I wear lipstick every once in a while though.”

    “On the days you go out for lunch with Madoka,” Tsubasa added in, shooting her a sly smile.

    Kyoya retracted the brush just in time for Hikaru to punch Tsubasa in the shoulder.

    The spy and the other captive seemed to have escaped their imprisonment and were now kissing on screen.

    “Put your hands back into place dumbass I’m almost done,” Kyoya huffed.

    “She’s the one who hit me!” Tsubasa protested as he did as he was told.

    Hikaru stuck her tongue out at him.

    In a few deft strokes, Kyoya completed his work, and Tsubasa lifted his hands up and started fanning them.

    “Alright, you’re next,” Kyoya gestured at Hikaru, and she and Tsubasa swapped places. “What color do you want?” He droned as he already was trying to think of what colors would go with her.

    “Blue,” Hikaru answered immediately, which came as no surprise to either of the boys in the room. Her entire wardrobe was made up of blues. “It’s a good color!” She defended herself as Tsubasa snickered.

    Kyoya pulled out a royal blue and began to get to work.

    The spy was now running through a base, a gun in his hands as he shot at the group of enemies. 

    “Is he even trying to be discreet?” Tsubasa critiqued, grabbing a few pieces of popcorn for himself. 

    “I dunno Tsubasa, you’re the only one of us who’s actually worked as a spy,” Hikaru said slyly.

    “Is that what spying’s like,” Kyoya deadpanned, earning a cackle from Hikaru. “Don’t move dammit!”

    Tsubasa shook his head, a breath of air whooshing out from between his teeth, “If you want to continue talking about my undercover activities Kyoya, maybe we should also talk about the time you and Gingka’s gang tried to break into the Dark Nebula. That’s a lot closer to what’s actually going on onscreen.”

    Kyoya whipped his hair up to glare at Tsubasa while Hikaru turned around just as fast to look at him with excitement. “Don’t you dare,” Kyoya warned him.

    “I don’t think I’ve heard about this escapade,” Hikaru grinned. “So they tried to break into the Dark Nebula?”

    Kyoya grumbled as he resigned himself to this.

    “Yes, there was security footage of the event. Yu used to watch it for fun so he could shittalk about what a terrible infiltration it was. I believe it was when Kyoya truly defined his tactic of hitting walls until they collapse,” Tsubasa shared a smile with Hikaru.

    “And it worked damn well,” Kyoya huffed.

    “Sure it did sweetie,” Tsubasa responded without sparing him a glance.

    Kyoya growled as the other two returned their attention to the movie.

    “Alright then bastard, you’re done,” he declared, pushing Hikaru away. She giggled and repositioned herself against the couch, fanning her own hands.

    Kyoya got ready to return the bottles, but Tsubasa laid his hand atop of his, stopping him momentarily. “Come on Kyoya,” Tsubasa said, reaching over and grabbing a bottle of forest green polish. “You did it for us, let me do it for you.”

��   Kyoya laid out his hands and watched Tsubasa slowly paint his nails. Tsubasa’s brushes weren’t quite as neat as his, but he was completely focused on the task, his braid falling down to brush against the floor as he leaned over Kyoya’s hand.

    The movie ended with the evil base being blown up. Hikaru was disappointed by how underwhelming the explosion was. She vocalized that very vociferously. 

    They put on some soft music as Kyoya let his nails dry. Hikaru had already fallen asleep against the couch, and Tsubasa draped a blanket over her. They didn’t talk much, only a few whispered comments here and there as Tsubasa cleaned off his Earth Eagle. 

    Within half an hour, both boys were asleep against the couch as well.

    The next day, Tsubasa and Hikaru went into work, their laptops open in front of them with their fingers click-click-clicking away. Both of their nails shone as the light hit them, Tsubasa’s being painted a soft purple with gold glitter, and Hikaru’s a deep blue with pink sparkles. Kyoya went into training and carefully didn’t chip his dark green with silver glitter painted nails as he did launch after launch.

    And if they happened to do their nails more often when they hung out now? Well, none of their friends commented on it more than a few nice compliments. 

[stevesnailbat]

hey! can you write something with reader making steve watch the lost boys cause it’s her favorite horror movie and he’s never watched it, so it’s fluff for awhile with them cuddling watching it but then they start getting flustered and there’s teasing going on, so they just cave and you know ;) smut happens. thank you!

warnings: smut, oral (male receiving)

word count: 1.5K

Every day that Steve worked at Family Video, his girlfriend would come to visit him at some point. On the weekends, he’d get off around noon. So, she’d come to the store and they’d head back to his house to spend the rest of the day together. This Saturday was like any other, besides the fact that she ran inside before he got off.

“Did you get tired of waiting outside?” Steve joked as he stood at the counter, watching the clock for the last five minutes of his shift to pass.

“No, I came in because I saw the Lost Boys poster in the window! Do you know where it is?” she implored but he only furrowed his brow in response, shaking his head. “Oh, c’mon! You know what movie I’m talking about, don’t you? The vampire one! It’s my favorite horror movie.”

“Dingus doesn’t know where anything in this store is.” Robin chimed in as she walked in from the back room, making Steve glare in her direction. “It should be at the front of the new releases shelf.”

She smiled at Robin while walking to the shelf, a small squeal of excitement escaping her lips when she saw it. Steve chuckled as she nearly skipped back over to him, handing it to him for checkout.

“You know this is, like, a real horror movie, right?” he teased as he flipped the movie around in his hands, making her roll her eyes.

“Of course I know that, I’ve seen it! But I wanna watch it with you tonight.” she replied, leaning across the counter to peck his cheek. “Now, hurry up and ring up the movie so we can get going!”

“There’s still two more minutes before I can leave! And I’m not letting you pay for this, just so you know.” he said, ringing up the movie as she giggled.

“Oh, you’re such a big spender! I’m being spoiled by him, Robin, he’s spending a whole dollar on a movie for me!” she teased.

“How romantic of you, Dingus. You two make me sick!” Robin joked as Y/N giggled loudly.

Steve rolled his eyes while shaking his head, but smiled over at his girlfriend as she stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. He handed her the movie and shoved his keys in his pocket while leaning over the counter to peck her cheek before going to the back to clock out. Soon enough, they were on their way to Steve’s house and Y/N had the widest smile on her face the whole time. She put the movie in as soon as they got there, pulling Steve onto the couch before getting everything set up.

“I cannot believe that you haven’t seen this movie!” she exclaimed when plopping down on the couch next to him, cuddling into his side as he wrapped his arm around her. “I think you’ll love it.”

“I think you’re just looking for an excuse to cuddle up on me like this, aren’t you?” Steve joked and she glared up at him playfully.

“That’s so not true, I can do this any time I want.” she huffed.

“Yeah, I guess you’re—“ he started, but was cut off by her hand covering his mouth.

“Shh! It’s starting!” she said, staring at the screen intently.

Steve started to protest, but could tell she was too excited about it. So, he only sighed and pulled her closer, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder. The movie was pretty good, if Steve was being honest. But once things started to get scary and suspenseful, he couldn’t focus on the screen. Y/N was as close to him as she could be without being on top of him, but he didn’t mind the distraction.

“Here, wanna get on my lap?” he suggested when she cowered against his shoulder for the fifth time, spreading his arms for her to crawl up. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Which she did, a small, satisfied smile on her lips as she settled into him. Steve pecked her cheek and snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as he could to protect her. Soon enough, she had her face buried in his neck again. She didn’t really think the movie was that scary, but she just wanted to be closer to Steve, and he was loving every minute of it.

Every once in a while she’d jump slightly, which would make Steve a little more aware of where she was sitting. It was getting harder to focus on the movie as it got more intense, since she was squirming around on top of him. He tried to stop her movements by picking her hips up and placing her on his leg instead of straight on his growing hard-on, but it didn’t work out very well.

“You alright, Stevie?” she asked innocently, blissfully unaware of what she was doing to him. “You seem a little antsy.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” he lied, smiling up at her nervous as his cheeks began to flush. “I just—you were sitting on my leg weird so I wanted to fix it.”

She raised her eyebrows at his comment, but decided not to say anything in return. She only kissed his cheek and cuddled closer to him again, purposefully moving herself back to the spot she knew would drive him crazy. He groaned under his breath as she did, but didn’t protest. Y/N could feel herself getting flustered as she thought about the situation, now unable to focus on the movie in front of them.

She looked up at Steve and could see the blush settling in on his cheeks, noticing how flustered he was too.

“Stevie.” she said, smiling up at him as she ran her hand along his arm.

“Yeah?” he asked, trying to act casual.

She didn’t respond, only turned around in his lap so her chest was against his. Her lips attached to his neck and he let a groan out, hands immediately moving to her waist.

“What’re you doing, baby? I thought we were watching this movie?” he chuckled, feeling how needy the kisses were along his neck.

“I found something a little more interesting than the movie.” she hummed, sliding her hand between them to move towards his belt buckle. “I’ve seen it before, it’s okay.”

“Fuck.” he mumbled, hooking his finger underneath her chin to smash his lips against hers.

Before he could even try to claw her clothes off, she was crawling off his lap and onto the floor in front of him. He watched her intently as she worked to remove his belt and unbutton his pants, a smirk on her face the whole time. She palmed him teasingly through his boxers for a moment, just to get a reaction out of him. He bit his lip to hold back a moan, feeling every touch like it was electricity through his body.

“Watch the movie, baby.” she coaxed, smiling up at him sweetly. “I’ll take care of you.”

“I think I’ve found something a little more interesting than the movie.” he joked, mimicking her from earlier.

She giggled as she tugged his boxers down, immediately taking his length into her hands. Steve threw his head back pleasurably while she stroked him a few times, mumbling a few curse word under his breath as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Her tongue traced along the length of his cock, trailing all the way up to the top. She wrapped her lips around him after licking the precum that had pooled on the tip away.

Steve’s eyes were fixed on her as she bobbed up and down on his cock, loving that she knew exactly what she was doing to him. His hand ran through her hair, making her innocent eyes flicker up to his lustful gaze for a moment. She pressed on, continuing to move her lips against the slick skin.

It didn’t take long for Steve to feel close because shit—she knew what she was doing a little too well. Her hand pumped the length that her mouth couldn’t reach as she heard his groans become choppy. He was close and she could tell. So, she pushed down, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could as he bucked his hips up slightly to her mouth.

Steve’s hand fisted her hair to hold her down as he came, his cum coating the back of her throat as he did.

“Fuck, Y/N.” he panted, relaxing his grip on her as he came down from his high and she pulled his length out of her mouth. “So good.”

“Yeah, I could tell.” she teased confidently, pulling herself back onto the couch as he caught his breath.

As she cuddled up next to him, his lips were on her neck in an instant. She giggled slightly, shaking her head at his unbelievable sex drive.

“Do you want me to return the favor, baby?” he mumbled against her neck, hand running along her thigh sensually. “Or would you rather watch the movie?”

“I think—I think I deserve some repayment.” she giggled, running her fingers through his hair.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” he said and was on top of her in an instant, hands roaming all over her body.

tags: @sourapplebaby @harringtown @queenofthehairharrington @charmed-asylum @jxnehxpper @daddystevee @lemonypink @a-magey @igotmadskills @heart-eye-harrington

[heyyyharry]

My Girl Series: Chapter 10 - Storm In A Teacup

…in which, breaking someone else’s heart is breaking your own.

Series description: Y/N falls in love with the older boy next door who doesn’t feel the same, years later they meet again at a funeral.

AU: actor!harry, older!harry, younger!y/n; (4-year age gap)

Chapter 9: Bambi - The little girl next door isn’t so little anymore.

Warning: a bit of smut (?), angst towards the end, plenty of mistakes perhaps?

.

In the next two weeks, sex was all there was to them. Most of the time they saw each other, somehow, for whatever reasons, it always ended with sex, like two teenagers falling in love for the first time. But they weren't teenagers, and it wasn't love, or at least not the kind that they'd experienced and heard of before. So the correct way to put it would be, a man and a woman trying to get close to each other without hurting themselves. And they were fine with that, at least for the moment.

It was just another lazy Saturday morning. Y/N had a day off and Harry was as busy as always. He had to be at the table read for his new film at 10AM. But there was plenty of time until then to bury himself inside of her for the second time in the shower.

Y/N's flat had become their new secret hideout, a place for them to strip bare and do all the things they wanted without caring about the rest of the world. Harry had stayed over so often that he now had his own toothbrush in her bathroom. That should be weird for two people who were only fucking. But strangely, it wasn't. They actually enjoyed each other's company, not just the mind-blowing sex.

"Oh, you're still here?" Y/N asked, leaning against the doorway with a glass of orange juice in her hand while watching Harry pour himself some black coffee. Her hair was damp from the shower and she was still in her bathrobe, but she enjoyed that view too much to go dry off and get changed. How could she ever get enough of watching a beautiful half-naked Harry drinking coffee in the middle of her kitchen? Impossible.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." She pressed her lips into a cheeky smile, shaking her head. "Shouldn't you be going to work?"

Harry looked at the clock on the wall and gave her a shrug. "It's still pretty early," he said, laughing slightly.

"Well, you shouldn't be late on your first day on set."

"We haven't got to filming yet, kid. The table read is basically where all the actors sit down together with the creators of the project to read the script and discuss their parts."

"Sounds fun."

"Boring actually. That's why I need coffee to stay awake." Then he brought his mug to where she stood and pinched her side after pecking her on the lips. It was weird that his tiny playful teasing was what turned her on the most.

"Are you getting a sex scene in this one?" She asked, watching him flop down on the couch and place his mug on her coffee table. His eyebrows furrowed in response to her question.

"Why?" He chuckled. "Are you jealous?"

"Curious." She rolled her eyes.

"Hmm." Harry crossed one leg, lifting an eyebrow as he leaned back to make himself more comfortable. "It's okay if you're jealous. I don't mind."

"Those sex scenes are fake anyway."

"But the kissing is real."

Laughing, she walked up to him and put her empty glass right by his coffee, and without warning, pressing him down on the sofa so she was now lying on top of him. Harry didn't need her to say the word. He quickly untied her bathrobe and cupped her face to kiss her hard on the mouth, biting her bottom lip as he teased, "I'm gonna kiss my co-star just like this."

"Do whatever you want," she said as a whisper. "I know no one can kiss you like I do."

"You're right, kid." He laughed hoarsely, nodding fast. "No one can."

When Harry moved in, Y/N trembled in reaction to the tenderness of his lips against her neck, which he knew would turn the key to her engine. There was something about her that kept him coming back for more. It wasn't just the sex, it was all the other things, like watching her sleep, making her breakfast, and kissing her good morning, and goodnight. He found joy in discovering little things that she loved, outside and inside the bedroom. And after the last two weeks, he thought he now knew her body like the back of his hand. He knew that once he kissed her neck, her resistance would come to dust. She could act as indifferent as she possibly could, but when he leaned in to caress her skin, slow and gentle, she would toss her head back, hands running through his hair, begging for more.

But before she could capture his mouth with her own, the doorbell caused Y/N to sit back up instantly. Harry parted his lips, meaning to ask if she was expecting someone, but he was interrupted by the loud voice in the hallway.

"Y/N! It's me, my love!"

"Shit." She quickly covered his mouth, eyes widened. "It's Celine."

"I thought she was in Boston?" Harry sat up straight as the girl flew right off the couch to tie the strings of her rope together.

"So did I! Quick! Hide!" She grabbed him by the arm, pulling him up.

"What do you—"

"Hurry!"

Y/N watched Harry dash into the kitchen, taking a deep breath as she quickly rushed to the door, knowing Celine might suspect something was off if she had to wait for too long. Fortunately, the tiny girl couldn't look past the composure her best friend was faking as she pulled Y/N into a tight hug and repeatedly said how happy she was that they finally got to hold each other again.

"Cece, what are you doing here?" Y/N pretended to laugh as she stepped aside, one hand holding the door for her friend to walk in, the other resting on her hip. Her heart was pounding hard when Celine scanned her eyes around the room to get used to the changes in the place. All Y/N could do at the moment was pray that her best friend would never discover the biggest "change" hiding in her kitchen.

"I wanted to surprise you!" Said the blue-eyed girl. "Amala couldn't come because she got an exam this week. Trust me, she really wants to be here."

That smile immediately dropped from Celine's face once she saw the half-finished coffee cup resting on the table. She'd known Y/N since they were nine, so every little habit Y/N had adapted and given up in all those years couldn't get past her. She knew too well that her friend could never take a sip of black coffee without cringing and spitting it out. And that was the moment she realized, something was definitely not normal.

"Is someone else here?" She asked Y/N, yet her eyes were fixed on the coffee cup. Y/N knew she could lie to anyone but Celine, so she just stayed quiet. But silence, in most cases, meant yes for an answer.

"Y/N!" Celine gasped, turning to her friend in an instant. "Are you having sex with your plumber again?"

"I never had sex with that guy!"

"Yes, you did!" Laughing, the shorter girl quickly rushed to the kitchen. Y/N tried to grab her, but she was too quick. "Pretty boy, I know you're in th—"

Now it was too late.

Y/N leaned against the doorway, sighing as she locked eyes with a startled Harry, who now felt extremely lucky that he'd got his boxers and wasn't standing there fully naked in front of the other girl.

"Hi." He cracked a smile at Celine, whose mouth and eyes were all wide opened. "Uh...You're taller than the last time we met."

"Un-fucking-believable..." Celine muttered under her breath and stormed right out of the kitchen, not taking one last look at either Harry or her guilty best friend. As for Y/N, she could only stay quiet, knowing whenever Celine chose silence over an argument, it was never a good sign.

Now Harry had no choice but to get dressed quickly and head straight to the front door without being asked to. There was just enough time for him to steal a quick goodbye kiss from his Bambi before going on his way, leaving the poor girl with an angry best friend to deal with.

The atmosphere in the flat had become much heavier now that Harry was gone, and Celine sat silently on the couch, staring at her phone. Heaving a sigh, Y/N came to sit down next to the girl, elbows resting on her knees, hands together, as she finally spoke, "are you mad at me?"

It took Celine two seconds to shake her head. "No. I'm just disappointed that you hid something like this from me."

"Will I be forgiven if I tell you everything now?"

Celine's eyes finally left the screen as she looked at her best friend, one brow arched. "Go on. I'm listening."

So Y/N ended up confessing everything to Celine, not leaving out one single detail from the night she got so drunk that she passed out at a bar, to her and Harry having sex in a car for the first time, and then, to that very morning, when Celine had to find out about their affair in the worst way she could never have imagined. When she was done, all that was left on her best friend's face was a huge question mark. Celine looked so confused, yet amused, and upset at the same time. Honestly, Y/N couldn't figure out what that look actually meant.

"Please don't yell at me," she mumbled, hands clasped together in front of her chest.

But Celine only snorted. "I'm not going to," she said at last. "Look, I'm just a third person standing outside looking in, I cannot judge you or even tell you what to do. So I respect your decision no matter how dumb it is. I hope you know what you're doing though."

"I do."

"Alright then..." Celine giggled, pulling her best friend closer so their foreheads were together and they were eye to eye. "I'm gonna be there and support you, no matter what."

"Just like from the start?"

"Just like from the start."

So despite the awkward situation with Harry, the girls carried on with their day together as if nothing had happened. They decided to stay in and do all the things they used to do when they were still in high school, like taking turns painting nails or braiding each other's hair, meanwhile Y/N would share her craziest book ideas to Celine, who would just laugh and try to elaborate and create even more insane ideas. But they had a lot of fun, and soon it was time for the girls to make dinner. That day, Celine volunteered to be the chef and prepare a big fine meal for her best friend, who would just burn the whole kitchen down if she ever attempted to cook.

"Oh my god, are you making fish stew?"

"Yes, your favorite." Celine chuckled when Y/N hugged her from behind. "Just like how your mother taught me."

The taller girl breathed out a laugh as she shook her head. "You should be her daughter, not me."

"Shit!" Celine cursed loudly and turned to widen her eyes at a confused Y/N. "Do you have green onion here?"

"Why would I have green onion if I never cook?"

"I forgot to buy it." Pouting, Celine released a sigh. "Don't worry. I can manage without green onion."

"No! You cannot make fish stew without it!" Y/N scoffed as she put on her jacket, typing down a quick text before putting her phone back on the counter. "I'm gonna run to the grocery."

"Okay. But hey, bring your umbrella. I think it's going to rain," said Celine with her back facing the kitchen entrance, not knowing that her best friend had already left.

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.

.

⌲ Bambi: Gotta go to the grocery. Be back in 15 mins.

It had been forty minutes since Harry received that text from Y/N. He knew he shouldn't be worried, she could be doing something with Celine and forget to text him back. But deep down inside he had a very bad feeling about this, like he was sure something bad was going to happen. It was never a good idea to act on a hunch. But all of a sudden, one of the director's assistants rushed into the room, and told everyone at the table that it was raining so hard outside that she couldn't go out to buy them coffee. That was all it took for Harry to rise from his seat.

There were ten minutes left until the read through was over, so he excused himself to go first, saying it was an emergency. Since he was the main actor, the directors decided to just let everyone else leave early as well. Harry was the first to run out of the door, yet he was stopped in the hallway when a co-star called out his name.

Breathless, he turned around. It was Madeline Grey — the actress who played his love interest in this new film. He knew Niall was obsessed with her, and if Niall had been there he would've called Harry an idiot for wanting to walk away when Madeline tried to start a conversation with him. However, he had his priorities.

"I really gotta run. Can we talk some other time?"

"Oh okay. How about dinner?" The girl giggled. "Getting to know each other can be a great way to build chemistry for our characters."

"I'm really sorry, I—"

"Why say no now when you can just think about it?" She cut him off before he could finish, pressing her red lips into a smirk. "Just think about it, and call me?"

Without answering that question, Harry turned his heels and kept on walking.

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.

It wasn't so long after Y/N had carried her grocery bag out of the store that the gentle-tapping of the rain on her arms and shoulders grabbed her full attention. She looked up, eyebrows furrowed as the sky turned dark and pillows of heavy grey clouds gathering above London as if to swallow the city as a whole. The girl muttered a curse word under her breath and walked faster to get home before it started to pour. But from what she'd learned from two years living in London, the sky never showed mercy.

In just a minute, there came the rain — the type that got everyone wet just as they took the first step outside. With one arm above her head and the other clutching the paper bag, Y/N quickened her paces, her stubbornness told her she could make it home no matter how hard it was pouring. But it was hard to figure out the way home when you were drowning in an ocean of mist.

The screeching of car tires on the road made Y/N scream as she dashed to the right in fear of being run over. Thanks to the treacherously wet pavement, she soon lost her balance and fell into a massive puddle. The pain got Y/N's head spinning in a second, yet she soon regained her composure and propped up on her hands and knees to pick up her grocery bag. With struggle, she managed to get back on her feet and take cover on the doorstep of a closed store nearby. Her jacket had given up on keeping her body dry a while ago. But the discomfort of having drenched clothes on couldn't compare to the pain of a sprained ankle.

Y/N sat on the step, the wet paper bag placed by her side. She cuffed up the hems of her jeans to see how bad the injury was. It didn't look awful, but it would be a miracle for her to walk home on her own now. On the spur of the moment, Y/N searched for her phone to call the first person she could think of — Harry. She knew he would come and save her if she called.

Unfortunately, Y/N didn't even have her phone there. She left it at home when she went out, assuming that she would return in less than twenty minutes. But on the bright side, if she'd had it there, it would've been soaked and broken anyway.

"Why do bad things always happen to me?!" Y/N cried out, thinking no one could hear or even see her behind the thick white curtain of water.

However, somebody did show up for her.

"Smiley?"

At first, Y/N thought she was having a hallucination, that she was desperate to have someone around so she ended up imagining him. But when the man dropped down on his knees and looked her in the eyes, she knew it was impossible for her mind to fake a color blue that seemed so real.

"Why are you always crying in the street?" Isaac chuckled lowly and laid his umbrella down. Gently and carefully, he picked up her right foot to examine her sprained ankle, looking genuinely concerned about her pain as if it was his own.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Rome right now?" She finally asked, her voice trembling from the chill running down her spine.

"I just got back yesterday." Isaac looked up to give the girl a reassuring smile. "Do you think you can still walk?"

"I can try."

Her answer made him laugh. She didn't know why it was funny, probably because he could already guess what she was gonna say when he asked that question. Knowing Y/N, Isaac believed that even if her leg was broken, she would never admit that she couldn't walk on her own. So he picked up the umbrella, handing it to the girl and telling her to hold it for him.

"Get on my back," Isaac said, still on his knees as he turned around.

"What?" Y/N chuckled, thinking he was only joking. But he seemed so serious.

"Who knows how long the rain's gonna last? You can't sit here forever."

"But...I'm gonna get you soaked."

"I'll be soaked eventually." He shrugged, turning his head to smile at her. "C'mon, Smiley. You can be stubborn later when you're safe and dry."

As much as Y/N didn't want to be a burden to Isaac, she thought he did have a point. Her ankle would just get worse if she didn't apply some ice onto it, and the rain looked like it could last forever. Eventually, she heaved a sigh and leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck, one hand holding the umbrella above their heads, the other clutching the dripping grocery bag. Isaac picked her up without much effort, and just like that, they headed out in the rain.

The downfall was gradually becoming less heavy as he kept on walking, now as calming as the beating of her heart. Just a moment ago she was shivering from the cold, but now, on his back, she began to feel warm again. Isaac was no longer dry because the water from her clothes was soaking through his sweater and dripping down his jeans. Though he kept telling her to stop apologizing, she still couldn't help but feel guilty.

"If I'm too heavy you can put me down," she said.

The sound of his laugh was so relaxing when mixed with the tapping of the raindrops on the pavements.

"You're the lightest thing I've ever carried."

"Such a good liar." She rolled her eyes, smiling to herself. "But why did you come back? I thought you were gonna be in Italy for six months."

"Well...I asked for a couple weeks off. My little brother's in the hospital."

"Oh no." Y/N gasped. "Is he okay?"

"He is now. He just had an appendicitis surgery the other day."

"How long is he gonna be in the hospital?"

"Probably a month."

Y/N frowned in response to the sadness in his voice. Sighing, she said, "I'm so sorry."

"He's fine, don't you worry." His voice was as warm as the heat radiating from his body. "I needed a reason to come back anyway."

What followed right after that sentence was absolute silence that remained for the rest of the way back to her block. The rain had ceased by the time they arrived, so Y/N folded Isaac's umbrella and leaned in closer to tighten her arms around his neck for more support. She thought he might feel her grip because he let out a soft laugh and just kept on walking.

As both were preoccupied, they didn't notice the black car parked on the other side of the road. From there, through the rain, Harry could see everything. He gripped onto the steering wheel as his heart pained in reaction to what he had to witness. Maybe the downpour was just over for the other two, but for him, it had only just begun.

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"Baby! Oh god, you're safe!"

Celine pulled Y/N into a tight hug, not caring that her best friend was soaking wet. If Y/N hadn't pulled away, Celine might've already squeezed all the air out of her.

"I was so worried I almost went out to look for y—" The tiny girl paused halfway when she noticed the handsome stranger standing right there. She knew who he was because Y/N had shown her a couple photos of him before. But he looked so different in person, he was taller and much more attractive, so attractive that Celine needed a moment to remember how to breathe properly.

"This is my best friend, Celine. Celine, this is—"

"Isaac!" The girl squealed in excitement as she grabbed his hand, shaking it with much enthusiasm. It was only then that she finally noticed how Y/N was soaked from head to toes but Isaac's sweater was the only thing on his body that was really wet. "Wait." She gasped loudly, gripping onto Y/N's arm. "What happened?"

"I fell and sprained my ankle," Y/N mumbled, glancing at Isaac. "He carried me on his back all the way back here."

"What?! Oh my god! Poor baby! Let's get you dried off and I'll put some ice on your ankle, yeah?" Celine wrapped both arms around her best friend's waist to help her walk into the living room. But as Isaac turned to leave, she stopped him right in his tracks. "Where are you going? Come in."

The man widened his eyes, pointing at himself. "Me?"

"Yeah. Who else, silly?" Celine scoffed when she saw the look on both Isaac's and her best friend's face. "Y/N, you're gonna let him walk home after he gave you a piggyback ride all the way home in the rain?"

Y/N turned to look at Isaac, smiling apologetically when she saw rainwater dripping down from his sweater onto the hardwood floor.

"Do you wanna stay for dinner?" She finally asked him.

"I don't wanna bother you two."

"Not at all!" Celine jumped in, laughing loudly. "I've made plenty of food for all three of us."

"But..."

"Your shirt?" She rolled her eyes. "Come on in. We'll blow dry the shit out of it and it'll be good as new."

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.

Y/N couldn't remember the last time she sat down at a table and had a decent dinner on her own, let alone with other people. The girl couldn't cook, so she would just go out every night, or order some food to eat right on her sofa. Of course, living alone had plenty of benefits for someone who enjoyed being alone like herself. However, sometimes it did feel kind of lonely. When her mum was still alive, she always had a great home-cooked dinner every single night. Though her parents would just kill the mood by not talking to each other or arguing over something with her sitting right there, at least they were together, and Y/N wasn't alone. So to be honest, she did miss nights like that.

But now, while the soft rain was tapping on her window, she sat at the table full of nice food, laughing with two of her friends, and the three of them really looked like a happy family. At that moment, she had thought about inviting Harry over, because it wasn't the same without him, but then she remembered that she couldn't. It would be extremely awkward for him to show up there and sit at the same table with his 'used-to-be-best-friend' Isaac, and Celine wasn't a very big fan of him, if at all. So Y/N texted Harry to ask if he was home yet, just to be sure that he was safe from the rain, but what she received wasn't a reply, it was one disappointing little word — read.

With eyes fixed on her phone, the anxious girl tried to listen to the conversation between Isaac and her best friend while waiting for three dots to appear in the chat box. But all she got was nothing. He didn't answer.

Despite knowing it would seem like she was desperate if she double-texted him to demand a reply, Y/N couldn't stop herself from doing it anyway. She ended up sending not only the second text, but also the third, and the forth.

⌲ Why didn't you answer my text? :(

⌲ H?

⌲ Call me when you're free.

This time, he left her on read...again.

Putting her phone down, the girl pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering why she was acting that way. She was being immature and impulsive over a couple messages, like a teenage girl being obsessed with the guy who didn't text her back. Harry didn't have the responsibility to report all the things he did to her, because they were nothing more than friends who fucked. But now she began to question herself — was it just that simple for her?

"Y/N!"

The knife collided with the floor as Y/N flinched and shot her head up to make eye contact with her best friend, causing Celine to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh my god, what's wrong with you? I called your name three times!"

"Sorry, I was just...texting my dad."

The answer made Celine frown, so apparently, she believed that was true.

"Oh sweetie, is it about the wedding again?"

"Yeah, but never mind. I left him on read."

Faking a smile, Y/N picked up the knife to go get herself a new one. Meanwhile, Celine continued to ask Isaac about his new job in Italy, after following him on Instagram and asking him to do the same to her.

"Oh my god, you're kind of famous on social media! Y/N, look!" She squealed and grabbed Y/N's arm when the girl returned to her seat. "Do you know how many likes there are on that one photo of you?"

"Oh, the photo at the exhibition?" Y/N chuckled when her best friend showed her the post. She turned to look at Isaac and the man's face reddened all at once. "I didn't know you posted it." She smiled, and he did too.

"I post all of my works on Instagram."

"Oh, oh!" Celine literally bounced in her chair. "If you post a story with us in it, maybe we'll get many new followers!"

"Cece!"

"What?" The girl glared at her best friend. "Wait, I forgot, your Instagram is dead. But hey, I still need to stay relevant."

Celine's enthusiasm made Isaac laugh as he pulled out his phone and asked her how she wanted to show up in his story.

"Here," said the happy girl as she quickly rearranged the table so it wouldn't look like a mess on camera. "You pretend to film this table full of food and 'accidentally' get a nice shot of my face in it!"

Y/N rolled her eyes as she moved her chair aside so Isaac could film Celine, but the blue-eyed girl was quick to clutch onto the arm of the chair and pull her best friend back in.

"Baby, if I showed up alone on his insta story, his fangirls would kill me." She rolled her eyes, locking an arm around Y/N's shoulders so she couldn't escape, leaving her no other choice but to stay there and smile at Isaac.

"Only on my—"

"On your good side." He chuckled, shaking his head and holding up his phone. "I got it."

"Good." She nodded, raising a smile in response.

.

.

.

Harry was bored, really bored.

If he knew that dinner "date" with Madeline Grey would be so boring, he wouldn't have agreed to come. He'd actually thought a lot about calling it off when he was driving to that restaurant, but his mind didn't let him do it. As his heart screamed no, that stubborn voice inside his head told him yes, because if Y/N could spend time alone with Isaac, he should go out with someone else too. That was a mindset of a teenage boy, not a 24-year-old man, he knew that, still he didn't fight it and listened to that voice anyway. He was trying to prove that he could do just fine without Y/N, but to whom? her, or himself? Right now, he was leaning towards the latter option more. And he was actually failing, because all he could think about was his Bambi.

Madeline had a lot of to talk about, but not a single thing she'd been saying could keep Harry entertained. He knew it wasn't fair to call her boring when he was the reason she had to do all of the talking on their "date". He didn't even bother to try and initiate the conversation. It was impossible to enjoy that dinner when his brain kept making comparisons between this girl and his girl. Everything was just different with Y/N.

She always knew how to keep the conversation going without ranting about how many expensive pair of shoes she'd got in her closet. She could talk about the universe and aliens and make those topics the most interesting things in the world. Harry assumed it might be because she was a writer at heart so she saw the world from a kaleidoscope rather than the world as it was. And while thinking of her, he cracked a smile, making Madeline think he was actually interested in hearing about her trip to Bali last summer.

A couple more texts popped up on the screen, grabbing Harry's full attention when he saw the name.

⌲ Bambi: Why didn't you answer my text? :(

⌲ Bambi: H?

⌲ Bambi: Call me when you're free.

"Harry!"

"Huh?"

"Have you been listening to me?"

"Of course!" He chuckled nervously. "You were talking about your trip to Bali?"

"Yes!" Her face brightened up.

Now that Harry finally looked her in the eyes, he noticed how they were almost the same color as Y/N's, only a shade lighter. Of course, they could never compare to the perfect color of her Bambi eyes. But he shouldn't be thinking about her again. He really had to stop.

So for the next couple minutes, Harry tried to pay attention to Madeline talking about how she'd lost her diamond earring while tanning on the beach, but once a notification got his phone buzzing, he had to grab it really quick to see if it was another text from Y/N. Sadly, it wasn't. It was an alert from Instagram that let him know Isaac had just posted a new story. He was rarely on social media anyway, so putting Isaac and Niall on notification would help him never miss a single post of his two best friends since they did a lot of self-promo on their accounts. However, right now, a part of him kind of regretted checking Isaac's latest story.

It was a short clip that showed a table full of food. Harry didn't need to see Celine and Y/N in it to recognize the kitchen in which he watched her dance in her underwear every single night before bed. A little part of him wanted to leave the restaurant and drive all the way there to demand to speak to her, but that was just an impulsive thought that lit up and died out in a split second.

He wasn't invited to a dinner with her best friend, but Isaac did.

So what?

Y/N didn't have the responsibility to include him in every single moment of her life because they weren't actually together. She wasn't his and he wasn't hers, no strings attached. He kept telling himself all of those things, only to grip onto his napkin and fake a smile to swallow down his anxiety. At last, he chose to ignore her texts and carried on with his "date night", even though it smelt just as bad as the special dish he'd ordered out of boredom.

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.

"Oooh, I got ten new followers in five minutes!" Celine clapped her hands while staring at her phone on the table, and her elation got both Isaac and Y/N burst out laughing. But the laughter in the small kitchen soon faded away at the same time with the wide grin on Celine's face. The tiny girl picked up her phone as she clenched her other fist, now staring intensely at the screen.

"What is it? Let me see?"

When Y/N reached out to grab the phone from Celine, the girl smacked her hand away immediately.

"It's nothing!" She blurted out, making Y/N confused.

"What? You got hate messages from Isaac's fans or something?"

Y/N's joke made Isaac laugh as well, but Celine didn't join them. She held the phone close to her chest and quickly finished what was left on her plate so that her mouth was full and she didn't need to answer any more question. At that very moment, Isaac also received a notification. He quickly read whatever it was that somebody had sent to him, then his eyes grew wide — the same reaction as Celine. Now Y/N had a feeling that she was the only one there who didn't know what was going on.

Taking in a deep breath, she held out her hand and demanded her best friend to hand the phone over. Celine shook her head fast with her mouth still full, yet Y/N furrowed her eyebrows, this time looking much more upset. So her little friend had no other choice but to hand her the phone.

The second Y/N saw the post with her own eyes, she instantly wished she had never asked.

Pictures of Harry walking side by side with a pretty actress were all over the internet, as well as the ones of them having dinner together in a fancy restaurant. Those pictures were definitely recent, because Y/N could recognize that coat he was wearing which she'd just made fun of the night before. Now that she knew where he was and what he was doing, and whom with. She finally understood why he'd been ignoring her messages.

It took Y/N a moment to calm down and look up to see both Isaac and Celine staring at her. So she plastered a fake smile on her face and said, "I don't see why people are so obsessed with other people's business."

Celine rocked slightly in her chair as she made eye-contact with Isaac, pursing her lips awkwardly. They both knew that Y/N was trying to act like she was okay, when in reality, she was never good at concealing her true emotions.

"Stupid rumors...right?" Celine scoffed, snatching her phone away from her best friend's hand. "I mean, they weren't even holding hands."

That comment was supposed to make Y/N feel better, but what she knew that Celine didn't was, Harry would only hold hands on a date if it was for PR. So him walking so far from the girl didn't actually mean they were just friends, and Y/N hated herself for having reached that far. After all, those were just photos. He was a celebrity after all, and he could hang out with other celebrities if he wanted to. He didn't have to tell her everything since he wasn't her boyfriend. They weren't exclusive.

Sadly, maybe a part of her wanted them to be.

Now that Y/N wasn't in the mood to joke anymore, the dinner ended soon. While Celine was cleaning the table, Y/N came to the door to say goodbye to Isaac after he'd insisted on her staying in her seat because her ankle was still in pain. But Y/N knew if she was left alone even for just a second, she would burst into tears, and that was the last thing she needed at the moment. Therefore, she held onto the last couple minutes left with Isaac before he went away, just to keep herself preoccupied for a couple minutes more.

After thanking him for everything, she pulled him into a hug. But this time, Isaac did hold her a bit longer than usual; and Y/N knew he could already see what she refused to admit to herself.

"You're okay, right?" He whispered into her ear, one hand at the back of her head.

Tightening her arms around his waist, Y/N only gave him a slight nod. Now that he couldn't see her face, she could finally let a frown appear.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She snorted. But both of them knew it was just another lie. Slowly, Y/N backed away and kept a considerable distance from the man, leaning against the doorway for support so she wouldn't torture her poor ankle.

"Hey, about your brother," she began, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Uhm...is it okay if I tag along the next time you visit him? I can buy him milkshake or sweets, whatever he prefers."

Isaac put on a smile when he heard that. "You don't have to get him anything."

"I want to though." The girl rolled her eyes, exhaling a soft laugh. "I mean, that's the least I can do after what you did for me."

"Okay." He lifted his shoulders, hands shoved into his pockets. "But let's wait until your ankle gets better."

"You can carry me to the hospital."

"Sure, if that's what you want."

His answer made her jaw drop. She poked his shoulder, laughing lightly. "I was joking!"

"So was I." Isaac gave her a lop-sided grin. "Next time you get on my back, you'll get charged like everyone else."

"Haha. Hilarious." Y/N crossed her arms, biting back a smile.

"Goodnight, Smiley," Isaac said, placing a hand at the back of her head to pull her for a forehead kiss. She didn't mind him doing that because he used to do it every time they said goodbye before he left for Italy. She had to thank him actually, because for a second there, she actually felt happy.

"Goodnight," she said, waving goodbye to the man and watching him head down the stairs until he was completely out of sight. With another sigh, the girl dragged her painful foot into her flat and locked the front door, telling herself that maybe a cup of tea couldn't help her sleep well tonight.

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.

As a child Y/N used to have trouble sleeping alone, the darkness worried her, and her great imagination wasn't so useful in this case for all she could think about were the types of monsters lurking under her bed. But now she embraced it. She loved lying in the dark and listening to her own breathing, thinking about her castle on the clouds. She'd grown to enjoy sleeping alone, because, without the presence of another, she could cry all she wanted to if she must.

Right now, she couldn't.

She lied perfectly still under her warm bed covers with Celine spooning her like Harry had done many the nights before. She was almost holding back her breath in fear that if she made a tiny sound, her best friend would just jump right in to make comments about what had happened at the dinner table. But same as Isaac, when Celine broke the silence, she only asked how Y/N was feeling at the moment.

"I'm fine." There came another lie. "After all, we're only fucking. I've done this all the time."

"But never with someone you used to love." Those words hit Y/N extremely hard on the head, causing her to exhale harshly, yet she remained silent for Celine to fill in that awkward pause. "It's 'used to', right?"

Right?

Y/N wanted to say yes, but instead, she said, "I think I'm gonna end it..."

The first response she received from Celine was a long and sorrowful sigh. She felt her best friend shift a little bit, arms tightened around her waist to pull her closer. Then Celine finally nodded to agree with that decision. She said, "I don't want to see fourteen-year-old Y/N pining over the boy next door again."

Somehow, those soft words punched a massive hole right through Y/N's chest. She didn't say anything else and lie there with her eyes wide open, waiting for her whole body to feel exhausted so she would just drift away without knowing.

Half an hour later, Celine was already soundly asleep, yet Y/N was still staring at the clock on the wall. She thought about a lot of things, most of which were the things her best friend had said. It was only when the phone on her nightstand lit up with a new message that she finally fell back to reality. In an instant, she grabbed the device and checked the message she'd just received.

It was from him.

⌲ H: Bambi are you there?

Then came another.

⌲ H: I miss you.

He missed her. He said he missed her. But this time, she didn't believe it. How could one person really miss you when they were with another? Maybe what he meant was "I miss your body", "I miss having sex with you". Maybe that would make more sense than him actually missing her. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe this shouldn't matter.

But it still did.

A lot.

It hurt her to see him with someone else.

A lot.

She guessed Celine was right after all. She couldn't go back to being that fourteen-year-old who kept on pining over the boy next door who didn't feel the same. This had got to stop. If she was going to be selfish, she must be the one who ended this in order to save herself.  

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.

.

As Harry stepped out in the street, he folded both arms to hug himself the same way his Bambi would if she was there. This time, he was all alone, cold in the night. His date had ended with the girl asking for a kiss goodnight and him turning her down to keep it 'strictly business'. She did seem pretty confused because if he didn't want to be romantically involved with her, why did he agree to go out with her in the first place? Honestly, he didn't get it either. At that point, he'd already given up on trying to understand himself, knowing he couldn't.

So he walked back to his car, which was parked a couple blocks away from the restaurant. With his head hung low, he didn't look at the night sky like he used to ever since that night in Holmes Chapel. But somehow, he still thought about her. He always did when the night came.

Going faster, Harry tried to stop the image of her from flashing inside his messed up mind, but now she was everywhere.

Everywhere.

The scent of her perfume lingered in the air, making him chase down a stranger and calling out her name only to be disappointed when the girl turned around and was a different person. Embarrassed, he apologized for his careless mistake and turned to walk in the opposite direction, not knowing where he was going, but he just needed to keep on walking. Maybe he was just being stupid, maybe he was overreacting. But a storm in a teacup was still a storm. And he wanted her so much that he had turned selfish and couldn't stand seeing her laughing with another man.

Taking a deep breath, he stopped by a brick wall and stood with his back against it, pulling out his phone. She hadn't sent him any other messages after he'd left her on read twice. So he pondered for a moment, tapping his foot impatiently then finally typed down something.

⌲ Bambi are you there?

Read.

⌲ I miss you.

Read. Again.

This time, he held his breath, waiting for a little bit more. His hand was shaking and his heart was pounding like it was going to burst right out of his chest. Then three little dots appeared, giving him so much hope, but the reply he received ripped the beating organ right out of his lifeless body.

⌲ Bambi: I don't think we should keep doing this. Please don't text or call me again.

Harry stared at that one text for so long that he almost forgot how to breathe. Those words hung over him like a black cloud, raining on him, soaking him in his own sorrow. And there he stood on the side of the road, head tossed back, gasping for air like a fish out of water, wondering to himself why it was called a heartache when his entire body and soul was aching too.

Frantically, Harry searched in his coat for the little pack he knew was still there because he kept forgetting to throw it away. Then he found a lighter in the back pocket of his jeans.

With a sigh, he lit a cigarette.