Another World

"I can't believe Harry. How could he honestly think I would cheat on Zayn? Even if Edward did say we had something going on!" Valarie said as we still sat on the couch. Harry taking a shower in order to give us some privacy. It made me laugh at how nervous he had gotten during Valarie's outburst; now doing anything to avoid being in the same room as her. "He should know me better than that."

"Yeah, well can you blame him? He's just sticking by his friend's side. Just like I am with you."

"Whatever happened to chicks before dicks? Girl code? Bros before hoes?"

"I am on your side, Val! I just said that!"

She sighed, getting up to look out the window. "I'm sorry, it's just so irritating! How could Zayn possibly believe Ed over me? How could he just take his word over mine without bothering to talk to me, first?"

"You know guys, they'll believe anything they want to hear. Maybe hearing Edward's fake confession made it easier for Zayn to put the blame on you. If he came to talk to you and hear your side of the story, do you really think he'd want to admit being wrong for even thinking you could possibly cheat?"

"No."

"Exactly. It was easier to believe that you cheated and that he was right all along."

She turned around to face me again. "You should be a lawyer. You make a good point."

We shared a laugh before I could hear Harry calling my name.

I rolled my eyes, I was still a bit upset at him for believing Zayn right away, even if he was just taking his friend's side. "I better go to him. He's probably still shaken up by your shouting. Obviously you can tell he doesn't do too well with confrontation."

Valarie chuckled. "Yeah sorry about that, I'll apologize to him tomorrow."

"You'll be okay?"

She nodded, walking forward into my extended arms. "I'll be just fine."

I offered her a smile as we parted, turning around to now face the small child still calling my name.

"Yes, Harry?" I asked, walking in the room to find him sitting on the edge of my bed in his underwear. If he was using his body in order to get me to forgive him, he was absolutely genius. What could I say? I was a sucker for his body. Could anyone really blame me?

"Is she still mad at me? I didn't mean to upset her-" He began to ramble, getting up to tower over me. Funny how easily intimidating his height was, contradicting itself with his naturally friendly aura.

"Babe, it's okay. Relax, she's not mad at you. I mean not as much as you think."

"And more importantly, are you mad at me?"

I couldn't help but smirk, moving from the doorway to wrap my arms around his slim waist. "It's hard to stay mad at a face like yours."

"I'm sorry, I really am. It's just Zayn is one of my-"

"Best friends and you'll believe anything he tells you. I get it, you trust him. But I trust Valarie too, and regardless of what that Edward guy says, I know she didn't cheat on Zayn. I've known her for years, she's just not that type. Besides Edward has had a crush on her from day one, he most likely made up that lie just to break them up, which he did."

"Because Zayn already had suspicions about their friendship."

"Exactly. It's all absurd, if they would just talk to each other they could fix things in seconds. But I know Valarie, she's not going to cave first."

"And neither will Zayn. But enough about them." He suddenly lowered his voice, leaning down to press a kiss to my neck.

"You said something to Val earlier that made me think."

"Hmm?" He still continued to kiss and suck at my neck.

"You said when you first saw us you convinced Zayn to talk to Val."

"Are we still talking about them?" He sighed, pulling away in defeat.

"Not really. I was just curious because I thought you guys were just walking when you bumped into us."

He slightly chuckled, walking back to sit on the edge of the bed, me in between his parted legs. "Guilty. I was driving us home when we spotted you two. I suggested he talk to Val because he was smitten at first sight. But truthfully I saw you and I just had to talk to you. Seeing you struggle with those boxes it just made me want to help."

I smiled down at him, running my fingers through his soft, brown hair. "I'm glad you decided to stop."

He pressed his face against my stomach, pulling me closer in. His arms tightly wrapped around me. With an intake of breath he let out a sigh, a sigh that sounded - at least to me - happy.

It amazed me how much I could love a person in such a short amount of time. But that's how it was with Harry. He had this personality that gave you no choice but to love him. He cared so much for everyone, so much that he barely cared for himself and it hurt to see such a thing. If the media criticized him, he'd let them. Not a word of defense for himself just to avoid any problems. He let people take advantage. Let them do and say anything they wanted. And unlike him, I wasn't okay with just sitting around, watching them do as they please with the boy I love.

"You okay?" He asked, breaking me from my thoughts as he looked up at me with those beautiful green eyes. They were mesmerizing. Loving, caring. "You're being awfully quiet."

"Sorry, just thinking." I continued to mindlessly stroke his hair, something I knew comforted him in his toughest days. "You know I love you, right?"

"Of course. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No. I just wanted to let you know how much I do."

"Come here." He said, pulling me down to sit on his lap. His strong arms cradling my body against his chest. "I love you too. More than you'll ever know."

"Oh, trust me. I know."

With a gentle finger, he raised my chin to caress his lips against mine. My heart skipping a beat at the contact. It never failed, my body would react to whatever he did. I was always ready for him, eager even. And now that we were engaged in a sexual relationship, my needs and desires seemed to spike up.

But then there was Valarie, just on the other end of the apartment. Sad and lonely. "Harry," My breathless voice spoke up, breaking the contact our tongues and lips were engrossed in. "We can't."

He groaned, almost whining even as he hungrily kissed at my jaw and neck. "Why?"

"Because Valarie. She just broke up with her boyfriend. I highly doubt she wants to hear us. She wouldn't want to hear us regardless but now even more so."

"You're killing me, here." He glowered at me as he pulled away. Lips red and swollen, a sight I never got tired of seeing. I could feel his arousal against my ass, making my own excitement unbearable as I clasped my thighs together.

"I'm killing myself, trust me." I got off his lap, heading to the door before turning to face him. "I'm going to take a shower, will you be alright?" My gaze dropped down to the obvious erection hidden in his boxers.

"Just fine." He was almost bitter. I couldn't help but giggle at his frustration.

"It's just for tonight, we can make it through this. I promise."

***

"Aha! I got it!" I excitedly whispered to Harry as we sat on the living room couch. Both of us desperately trying to stir up a plan to get Zayn and Val talking again though she was in her room down the hall. "Liam's birthday party!"

"What about it?"

"They'll both be in attendance and it's at a club. Everyone knows the sexual tension in clubs are undeniably high."

"Okay so what? We stick them both in a room and force them to talk?"

"No," I rolled my eyes. "Could you be any more cliché? We have to be more subtle than that. It will be too obvious to them what we're trying to do."

"So what do you suggest?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Oh! Okay, how about we both make them sit at the bar. Let them have a couple of drinks and hopefully they'll talk."

"Because alcohol makes everyone talk! God, Harry you're a genius. I knew there had to be something underneath all that hair."

"Hey!" He whined, a kiss being placed to his cheek.

"Aw, I'm kidding. Alright, so how about I get Val to loosen up with a couple of drinks and you do the same with Zayn. Then after they're both drunk enough to loosen up but sober enough to listen and talk with one another, we 'accidentally' bump into each other and bam! They get to talking and Kate and Harry will be the heroes of the day."

"Brilliant!" He laughed, his dimples popping out to give that adorable smile of his.

"I hope this works."

"It will, I believe in you."

"Thanks." I smiled, snuggling against his side. It bothered me to see Val so locked up in her own world. It wasn't like her to let a guy affect her so much, an indication that Zayn meant more to her than anyone had known. I would be damned to sit and watch those two ruin something that could be saved. That deserved to be saved.

I knew if she had even the slightest clue of what Harry and I were doing, she'd kill us. But eventually she'd thank me for it because even she knew this was what she secretly wanted. Someone to push them to talk to each other since both of them sat on high horses. Both too proud to swallow their egos and just admit to the other they were wrong.

If this didn't work, then nothing would. But I wasn't about to let them give up on each other without at least trying first.

"How about dinner tonight? Just us two." Harry suggested after a silent moment.

"Would love to but I was thinking of taking Val shopping, then to dinner. Treat her to a girl's day out. She needs to leave this damn place already, get her mind off of that douche."

"Kate." Harry warned, making me scoff.

"Well he is! Even if he is your friend."

"I don't want to discuss their relationship anymore, got it?"

"Fine." I huffed, another silent moment falling upon us. "Look, I'm going to take her shopping before it's too late."

"Are you mad?" He asked as I got off the couch.

"Jeez Harry, I won't get mad at you for every little thing you say. Relax, I just want to get going before she gets too comfortable at home. I know getting her to leave will be a struggle anyway."

"As long as we're good. I'll call you later?" He asked, getting up to hold me.

"Yes, please."

"Be careful out there. Call me if you need anything."

"Duly noted."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye." He kissed me before we let go. I turned to walk towards Val's room when he called me, making me face him once again. "Yes?"

"I love you."

"And I love you." I smiled, my heart fluttering at the three words so overly used now in days, but yet so special and different coming from his beautiful mouth.

Though everything in me told me to run over, stop him from leaving, and desperately claim what many craved for, I shook it off and entered Val's room. My friend needing me more than ever.

"Now, what is going on in here?" I asked, looking around to see a bunch of crap scattered around the room. A depressing love song quietly humming through the speakers.

"Just packing all of that bastard's stuff. I no longer want them in my presence, it gives off a bad vibe in here."

"Aw, you can't be really serious. You've only split just a few days ago."

"You think we're going to fix this and be all lovey-dovey again, don't you?"

"Well may-"

"You're wrong, Kate. You don't know anything, alright? He doesn't trust me and frankly I can't be in a relationship like that. Jason," She began, cutting herself off before restarting again. "He didn't trust me. And because of that, we went through hell. I went through hell! I'm not going there again, I am over and done with what's his face."

I sighed knowing fully well not to continue this conversation. I wouldn't win with her no matter what I said. "You're right, I don't know anything. I didn't come in here to tell you to get back together with Za-"

She shot me a glare before I could finish the pronunciation of his name.

"Sorry. You know I didn't come in here to talk about that, I just came in to ask you if you wanted to go shopping. Liam's birthday party is next week and it never hurt anyone to do a little shopping."

"I'm not going anymore, it doesn't matter." She responded, staring at a picture before dumping it into the box.

"Oh come on! Val you have to go! You're going for Liam, it has nothing to do with you know who."

"I'll give him a call, I'm sure he'd understand perfectly why I can't go."

"You can go, you just choose not to. If you won't go for Liam at least go for me."

"You have Harry, you'll be fine."

"Not really, Harry will go off talking to the gazillion friends he has and I'll be left all alone."

"In that case you can talk to El, Dani, Lou, Caroline - you know the list goes on forever."

"Valarie, cut it out. None of them will provide the same comfort as you will. Please, come for me. I'll be with you through the whole night, I promise you'll have fun. You need to go out, forget about all of this drama. So let me take you shopping and then we can get some dinner afterwards."

"All you had to do was open up with a food offering and I would have been sold minutes ago."

I laughed, watching as she sat the box down on the floor. "Alright then, it's settled. Get ready and I'll wait for you in the living room."

***

"How about this one?!" I excitedly held up a red dress for Val to see.

"Nah."

"That's the sixth, perfectly fine dress, you've declined." I slammed the hanger back onto the rack. "I understand this is hard for you but at least try, damn it!"

I looked around to see I had received a few looks from other customers. No doubt wondering why this crazy girl was shouting in the middle of the store.

"Look, I can't help you if you can't help yourself."

"I'm sorry, I know. You're just trying to help and I'm here being all stubborn. But to be brutally honestly I told you I didn't want to shop."

"But remember it was you who always told me to never beat myself up over a guy? That he should be the one all depressed about what he lost while I was the one with my head held high?"

"I'm not depressed."

I glared at her before she sighed.

"Okay, okay. Again, I know you're right. I'll go to Liam's party. I'll show that bastard what he's missing out on." She forced a smile onto her face. "Oh, and the first dress you held was to die for, where'd you put it?"

I nearly strangled her as she walked away in search of the first dress offered. I tell you helping people out was too much of a hassle.