The Gambler

Elle had never been one for romance. She had, like every other girl, been obsessed with The Notebook at one point in her life. She did daydream of her perfect wedding, but all in all, she wasn’t that bothered with love. Her lifestyle didn’t make it hard for her to not think of it and yet, on those off times when she was doing something amazing like standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower or bunjee jumping off of a cliff in New Zealand, she wished she had someone beside her to share the moment with. And not her manager or her stylist or a friend, but rather someone she could kiss in the thrill of the moment.

So now, as Harry sat in front of her surrounded by candles and flowers on a tartan blanket with food around them and a guitar in hand, she knew that she immediately believed in romance. While he wasn’t the next Carlos Santana by any means, his fingers moved along the neck of the guitar gracefully as he played a familiar tune.

Before she knew it, her mouth was opening as she began to sing the song, “You’re a part time lover and a full time friend. The monkey on your back is the latest trend. I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else, but you.”

He gave her a wide smile that she reciprocated before his raspy voice began to sing, “I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train. I kiss you all starry eyed, my bodies swingin’ from side to side. I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else, but you.”

They continued to sing the song, pausing for small laughs and glances. Their voices, undoubtedly went together perfectly. What Elle lacked, Harry made up for and vice versa. The song finished and Elle looked up at him with the happiest face Harry had ever seen on a girl’s face before.

“You’re quite the romantic, Styles.” Elle teased before taking a small bite of a french fry.

Harry grinned and held up the bag with the infamous golden arches on it, “Even if I did only get McDonald’s for us?”

Elle laughed and nodded, “Even if you did only get McDonald’s.”

“You have low standards then.” Harry joked before he bit into his burger.

They ate in a comfortable silence, interrupting it for only sporadic moments to comment on something that caught their eye. They could hear the hum of crowds as they began to line up for the concert.

When they were finished their meals, they lounged on the blankets. Elle lay on her side while Harry played the guitar lazily. Each of them took turns singing different melodies and harmonies, pausing to laugh at silly things that had happened to them earlier that day. Elle sat up and took the guitar from him, “I want to play you something.”

“You play guitar?” He asked in shock as he watched her adjust her position to accommodate the large acoustic instrument.

“Try not to sound too shocked.” She said with a short laugh before she cleared her throat, “K, this is is a bit rough. So don’t make fun of me.”

Harry watched with a huge smile on his face as she began to play an unfamiliar song. The song was simple, yet infectious. Her voice was quiet as she sang, her eyes making contact with his only once.

You’re far away tonight
Haven’t seen you in awhile
It always feels like a climb
On this never ending hill

And I keep saying, wait just one more day
The days slowly drift away
And I can hold onto the memories
But they won’t hold me in the same way
As you

Her fingers paused on the guitar and she glanced back up at him, “It’s all I have so far. But, yeah.”

Harry was silent for a few more moments as he let the meaning behind the song sink in. He took her hands in his and ran his thumb along her knuckles. He looked up and stared directly into her eyes, “That was beautiful. Was it about me?”

He wasn’t expecting her to burst out laughing, but she did. She lay back on the ground, her eyes hidden behind her lids as she clutched her stomach from laughing so hard. He stared at her with curiosity, only making her laugh more. When she had calmed down, she bit her lip, “Are you that stupid?”

“What?” Harry asked, afraid it wasn’t about him.

“Of course it’s about you!” She practically yelled at him before smirking, “Who else would it be about? Louis? Zayn?”

Harry laughed along with her and shrugged, “I didn’t want it to not be about me and then end up looking like an ass!”

“You’re ridiculous.” She grinned and chuckled quietly before she rolled over onto her stomach, looking out at the water.

Harry copied her movement so they were now side by side. They began to run their fingers along the grass, pulling blades out occasionally.

Elle let out a sigh and turned to him, resting her head on her folded arms, “Do you ever wish you weren’t famous?”

Harry shrugged, “I miss my friends and my mum and sister. And home sometimes. But other than that, not really. I get to travel around the world with my best friends and do what I love.”

Elle nodded, but remained silent.

“What about you?” Harry asked as her silence carried on.

She let out a long exhale and looked back out to the water, “I don’t know. I just wish that I could have a normal life sometimes. Like prom and graduation. Even going out for a movie night with my friends and boys hitting on us without having to shut down the theatre or have security guards around me at all times.”

“I get that.” Harry said with a nod of his head, “I suppose it’s different for girls and boys who are famous.”

Elle nodded, “Yeah. Although, I will say that had I not been famous, I wouldn’t have met you. And that would have been horrible.”

Harry threw his head back with a laugh and grinned at her, “How would you have survived without all of this?”

She let out a loud giggle as he gestured to his body and rolled her eyes, “I don’t know how I put up with you.”

“Maybe because you like me?” Harry suggested.

“Hm, maybe.” Elle mused before sitting up. Her legs stretching out in front of her this time.

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed over them before Harry sat up. He moved over so that their legs were touching and grabbed her left hand, resting it on top of his knee, “Elle Peters, I have a ginormous crush on you. And I think you might have one on me too.”

“You could be right.” Elle teased.

Harry grinned, “So, it is with great hope that I ask you this question. Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”

“No.” Elle joked making both of them laugh. She nodded her head excitedly, “Of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”

They kissed slowly, their lips moving gently over each other. She tilted her head lightly causing their noses to bump against one another and made them let out tiny laughs. Harry brought his left hand up to the back of her head running it slowly through her hair until he reached the back of her neck. He pulled her closer to him and her cheeks flushed with the sudden contact of his chest against hers.

After a few more kisses were shared, Elle pulled back with a grin on her face revealing her perfectly white teeth, “You’re quite the kisser.”

“Eh,” Harry shrugged, “You’re not bad yourself.”

Elle scoffed at his joke and stood up slowly. She held her hands out to him, “We should get inside the venue though. You guys have a meet and greet, right?”

Harry nodded and looked down at his watch before taking her hands. He heaved himself off of the ground, his hands pulling away from hers only to attach to her hips lazily. He stared down at her long legs before a moment before looking goofily back up at her, “How the hell did you walk onto the grass in those shoes?”

Elle laughed, “Extreme precision. I may have over dressed for this particular dinner.”

“You do look absolutely stunning though.” Harry encouraged her before pressing his lips to her forehead, “Let’s go inside.”

They picked up their picnic items and walked side by side back into the venue, hidden from the view of the fans. After an hour, the boys were set for their meet and greet and Elle happily went to sit with Eleanor backstage.

“You look happy.” Eleanor said with a grin of her own.

Elle smiled and bit her lip momentarily before glancing back down the hallway where the boys were walking, “I am incredibly happy.”