Frames That Used to Greet Me

When I woke up, Mickey was staring at me. My arm was still wrapped around her waist, as it should be, so I pulled her even closer to me and nuzzled my face into her neck. She squealed and tried to pry herself out of my grip, but I wasn’t having any of it.

“It’s creepy to wake up to someone staring at you, babe,” I mumbled into her skin, my lips trailing over her neck wherever I could get access.

She let out a breathy sigh before she kissed the top of my head. I pulled away and smiled. “I wasn’t watching you sleep, twat. I just woke up a moment before you did and couldn’t believe you were still here.”

I frowned. “You thought I’d leave? After last night?” That kind of hurt, to be honest.

She was shaking her head, though, so relief spread through me. “Not really. Not after last night. I don’t know, I just... I liked waking up to you still here, that’s all. It was nice.”

I smiled and kissed her lips quick before pulling back. “What are you doing today?”

She pulled away and fell back on her back onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. She let out a heavy sigh. “Well, job hunting I suppose. I have to find a new job sooner or later.”

“Or we could just, you know... not do that.” I leaned over the bed until I was hovering over her and placed my lips on her exposed collarbone. “Let’s just stay here. All day. In bed, doing nothing.”

I heard the sigh fall from her lips and then a giggle when my breath ghosted over a sensitive spot on her neck. “I was going to protest, but you know what? You’re right.”

I couldn’t believe it. I pulled away immediately. “Really?”

She nodded. “Why not? I’ve been working non-stop, and so have you I’m assuming. So why can’t we just... take a day and do nothing?”

I laughed and burrowed my head in her neck, wrapping my arms around her waist tightly. Her laughter made my head bounce slightly. “I demand breakfast.”

“Only if you cook it for me naked,” she fired back.

I didn’t even hesitate as I rolled out of bed, completely naked. The only thing I could hear as I made my way to the kitchen was Mickey’s shrieking laughter.

***

After a full meal of french toast and bacon, orange juice, and tea, Mickey and I retired to her bed. Again.

She was snuggled up to my side while my chin rested on the top of her head. I was full and tired, absentmindedly tracing circles on her bare skin and fully enjoying the moment, something I realized I didn’t do often enough with Mickey.

“Did you ever think this was where you would end up?” she asked, her voice quiet and her eyes closed.

I took a moment to think about her question. No, I didn’t, if I was being honest. This had never been the original plan with Mickey--we weren’t supposed to happen like this. Yet I couldn’t think of anywhere I would have rather been.

“Honestly? No,” I told her, shrugging. I felt her nod against my chest, but she didn’t say anything so I kept going. “I mean, am I happy right now? Of course. I just... I never would have thought this would happen.”

She nodded again. “I know. I mean, not what we were about, right?” She looked up at me with a smirk, so I laughed and kissed her quick.

“Don’t be a twat,” I murmured against her skin. She hummed, content.

“You know,” she said finally after awhile of silence, “I think maybe for awhile I was lying to myself.”

“‘bout what love?”

“You. Especially recently, like when you got home from tour? You asked me if I missed you...”

“And you said that wasn’t how you worked.” I nodded my head. “I remember.” I couldn’t hide my smirk as I looked down at her. “Were you lying?”

She shrugged, sheepish suddenly. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Aw,” I cooed, before launching into tickling her ribs like mad. “You missed me!”

She shrieked and rolled around the bed, trying to get away from my fingers as they darted around her most ticklish spots. “Harry! Haz, oh my god, stop! I’m going to pee myself!”

I laughed before falling onto the bed beside her, nuzzling my head into her skin. She let a sigh fall from her lips, but it sounded happy. I smiled before I spoke. “As much as I’d like to lay in bed with you for the rest of the day, we should probably go back to the flat and see Louis and Liv.”

I felt her fingers run through my curls and I leaned into her touch. My eyes closed and I groaned because it felt good and she was teasing me. “Or maybe not. Maybe we’ll stay here. All day. Maybe all day tomorrow as well.”

Her laughter rang out. “Don’t be a twat. We’ll go over. We can stay at yours tonight and then maybe tomorrow I’ll go job hunting.”

I sighed but nodded and pulled away. I placed a quick kiss on her lips and got off the bed, still naked from before, just as she was as well. Her eyes trailed over my body slowly and she groaned, grabbing her pillow and shoving her face in it, releasing a small scream before she surfaced for air. “Unless you’re going to walk around like that, then I really can’t be held accountable for my actions.”

I smirked and wiggled my eyebrows. “Meet me in the shower and we’ll decide.”

***

It took us awhile, but eventually we both showered and had our clothes on, ready to head over to my flat. We left Mickey’s building hand in hand and didn’t let go until we reached my Range Rover. Even then, it was only momentary, our hands finding each other again as I drove.

I called Lou as I drove to let him know what was going on. “I’ll be home in fifteen minutes.”

“Alone?”

I wanted Mickey to be a surprise, so I acted indifferent as I said, “I’ll be home in fifteen minutes,” before I hung up.

Mickey laughed from next to me. “You’re bad.”

I shrugged. “More fun to see the look on their faces when you come traipsing into the flat behind me, yeah?”

She didn’t argue.

When we got to my flat and parked, we held hands walking across the street once again. I swore I heard a camera going off, but Mickey waved me off. “So what if you did? We’re official now, yeah?”

And I couldn’t argue with that, because she was right.

When we got up to the flat, we were laughing as we walked through the door hand in hand. Livia was about ready to pounce as soon as she saw me. “What happened? Are you going to rip my head off if I ask--OH MY GOD!” she screamed when she saw Mickey.

I looked at Mick and caught the blush covering her entire face, right up to the tips of her ears. She burrowed her face into my shoulder as I laughed and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“Oh my God, get out,” Livia said, her voice still several octaves too high. “Get the fuck out of here right now!”

I smirked at her. “Problem Liv?”

“You twat!”she screamed, stomping over towards me and smacking me hard on the shoulder. “You couldn’t have done this, like, weeks ago? I mean, Jesus!”

I rolled my eyes. “Lou, control your girlfriend yeah?”

He sighed and grabbed Liv by the shoulders, steering her towards the kitchen. She fought him, but followed eventually, as did Mickey and I.

The two of them sat down on stools while Mick and I stood in front of them, Mickey’s arm still wrapped around me with my own around her shoulder.

“Hey Lou, have you met my girlfriend Michaela yet?”

He laughed. “Nice to meet you Michaela.”

I watched her face as the blush continued to cover her. “I hate you,” she muttered. “I hate you so much. I’m leaving. I’m going back to my flat.”

I laughed and kissed the top of her head once again. “No you don’t, and no you won’t.”

She sighed and smiled at me. “No, I suppose I don’t.”

I heard Liv making fake-gagging noises, which made me roll my eyes and tear my gaze away from Mickey. “You’re honestly such a twat, you know that right?”

She smirked. “I’ve learned from the best. But seriously, you’re together now? No more Cora? No more stupid games? No more pissy Harry because he can’t live without Mickey?”

I groaned at the end bit and Mickey laughed. “Have you been bad without me?”

I frowned. “Maybe. I may have been a bit of a twat...” I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders.

“May!” Livia burst, scoffing loudly. “What a joke! You were a bigger twat than... than...”

She seemed to be struggling for a comparison, so I smirked. “Than when you wouldn’t admit how you felt for Louis?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but then frowned and glared at me. “You’re a twat,” she muttered, falling back into her seat.

Louis just laughed, reaching over to kiss his girlfriend on the cheek.

“Well I’m glad,” Louis said to us then. “Happy for you, Hazza.”

I smiled at my mate. “Thanks, Lou.”

“I say we go celebrate!” Liv exclaimed. “Why not, right? I think this is as good of an occasion as any.”

I shrugged, up to it. I looked at Mickey. “What do you say? The second word gets out, we’re going to get papped like no tomorrow. Are you up for that?”

She smiled. “Well, boyfriend, I say yes.”

I grinned and gave her a kiss, because this was Mickey and I now. We could go out to eat places together and not care who saw. We could tell whoever we wanted, or not tell. It didn’t matter, because Mickey was mine now and I was hers. This is how we are now I thought to myself with a smile. No more only seeing each other when we were both home, or when we needed to. No more sneaking out of each other’s flats early in the morning so as not to be seen by anyone.

Once we were ready and heading out, Mickey and I held back from Lou and Liv. I stopped us in the hall and put my hands on her cheeks, completely covering the sides of her face. She leaned into my touch and smiled. “What?” she asked.

I didn’t answer, but instead leaned down and kissed her full on the lips.

When I pulled back, she was still smiling. “What was that for?”

“I love you.”

She grinned. “I love you too. Weird saying that, yeah?”

I shook my head. “Not at all, because I think I always have. It was just realizing it. Now I don’t want to stop saying it.”

She laughed and wrapped her arm around my waist before dragging me down the hall. “Well guess what? You don’t have to.”