Savages

Meghan was curled up next to a shirtless Niall, their arms wrapped around each other, and their legs a tangled mess in the sheets. Her hair was sprayed around the pillow that supported her head and I could see the twitching of her eyes in the darkness.

"Meghan," I half-whispered, half-pleaded as I stood over her sleeping form. When she didn't react, I shook her shoulder.

"What?! What's going on?!" She shot up from the bed exposing her nude chest, her cheeks instantly flushing as she reached for the sheet that had fallen. Niall stirred on the other side of the bed but continued his chorus of light snoring. Meghan self-consciously attempted to smooth out her mass of wavy brown hair before letting out a breath. "Jesus, Elle. What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you." The irritated expression she gave me in response did little to phase me. "It's urgent."

"Life threatening urgent or question about how to be a teenager urgent?" One of her eyebrows arched as she spoke and I scanned her profile briefly.

"I guess it would fall under teenager."

"Just bloody help her already, I'm tryin' to sleep," Niall grumbled, voice muffled from the pillow pressed to his face.

"Fine, fine. Give me a few minutes to find some clothes." Nodding I left her bedroom and seated myself on the leather couch, my eyes focused on a small crack in the paint by the window.

Off in the background I could hear Louis' voice as he said something to Harry in the other flat. Meghan's footsteps broke my concentration as she appeared in the room in a tank-top and pair of Niall's shorts.

"So what's got you sneaking into my room in the dead of night?" She plopped down next to me and bounced slightly on the cushion, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed in the dim light.

"How do you feel after Niall kisses you?" I watched her facial expression mold from shock into confusion as she bit her lip and tilted her head slightly to the right.

"What do you mean?"

"How does your body react?"

"Well, I get this bubbly sensation in my stomach that spreads through my entire torso, and then I get warm," she stated simply. Furrowing my brow I analyazed her response and frowned. "Why?"

"I didn't feel that at all."

"Wait, did Niall kiss you?!" Her voice rose several octives and instantly her heart picked up speed.

"No," she settled down, "Harry did."

"Oh my God," she gasped throwing her hand up to cover her mouth. "This isn't a joke, is it?" I shook my head and visible cringed when a squeal generated from her throat. "He kissed you?! When?!"

"Two hours ago." She clasped her hands together and threw herself back into the cushions in excitement, her legs kicking the air.

"Tell me, what did you feel when he kissed you?"

"My senses exploded, heightened, and crumbled all within three seconds. I felt a spark of electricity shoot down my spine and my skin felt like it was on fire."

"Wow," she breathed before propping herself back into a sitting position, "and then what happened?"

"I ran."

"What?" Her mouth slacked.

"You have to understand, Meghan. I've hardly been touched my entire life and I've been thrust into a situation I'm not accustomed to. These feelings aren't natural to me and I panicked."

"You like him." It wasn't a question.

"I don't know what 'like' is."

"It's what Niall and I feel for each other."

"What you and Niall feel for each other is primal and animalistic," I stated flatly. She snorted and shook her head.

"No, that's what we do to each other."

"What do I do?" I was breaking, slowly but surely, and it scared me. She took one of my hands and wrapped both hers around it, our gazes locked on each other.

"I say let it happen. He obviously makes you feel different than the others do and maybe he's finally coming around to his own feelings. I can't tell you how many times Niall and I talked about Harry and his behavior, how it all pointed to him actually liking you." She squeezed my hand and let it fall back onto my leg. "What you're feeling is borderline between crush and 'liking' him, in teenager terms."

"Should I talk to him?" She shrugged.

"See how he acts in the morning. If he's distant like he was before, I'd try to talk to him. If not, let life take its course."

"I'm sorry for waking you over this," I apologized.

"You never have to apologize to me, Elle. That's what I'm here for."

"Thank you." For the first time since I had been living with the petite brunette, I reached across the couch and wrapped my arms around her tightly, taking her by complete surprise. After a few seconds her arms quickly wrapped around my middle and we held each other in the silence. "Niall is getting restless, go back to him." She let out a small laugh as I released her.

"Goodnight, Elle."

"Night."

.........

"We're going to the beach!" Gemma shouted bursting through the front door of the flat with her arms out wide.

Meghan and Niall nearly jumped out of their skin from their spots on the couch where as I just sat quietly across the room in the reclining chair.

"Is that the smartest idea?" Niall asked once Gemma came into their line of sight.

"Paul will be there and so will Elle. Which, by the way, Louis and Harry explained to me what is going on," she pointed out with a grin in my direction. "So pack a bag and let's go!" She clapped her hands together and spun around.

"I don't have the proper attire," I stated.

"You can borrow one of my suits," Meghan said with a small wave of her hand. She pushed herself off the couch and planted a kiss on Niall's forehead. "We'll meet you in the hall in half an hour?"

"Sounds good!" Gemma looped her arm through Niall's and practically skipped out of the flat.

"Do you want black or blue?" Meghan called out moments later while rummaging through her closet.

"I don't have a preference." I met her in the doorway of her bedroom and took the black two piece out of her outstretched hands.

"Put this on and pull a tank and pair of shorts over them. I'll pack the towels and stuff," she explained.

Once we were changed and ready to go I felt the nerves kicking into high gear. Without her opening the door I knew Harry was standing in the hall with Liam, my ears picking apart the different heart beats easily. I anxiously pulled on the bottom hem of the dark blue tank covering my torso and my legs fidgeted against the tight black shorts that adorned my thighs. Meghan had pulled my hair to the side and braided it, the tail resting along my right breast. Her appearance mimicked mine save for the braid on her head that went straight down her back.

"Top of the morning to ya," Meghan greeted the two boys with a soft grin, her blue eyes hidden behind a simple pair of black Raybans.

"Mornin'," Liam returned with the same grin. His hair was spiked slightly in the front but still appeared messy, a plain white v-neck and black pair of board shorts covering his body. His fingers were racing over the screen of his cell phone before his smile reached his eyes. "Danielle and Eleanor are meeting us there."

"ELEANOR IS COMING!" Louis all but screeched as their flat door was pulled open and his body came stumbling into the hall. His legs bounced around as he did a small 'happy dance' and soon everyone was bubbling in laughter.

My eyes had shifted from Harry's body down to my feet, my skin crawling as I tried to push the awkwardness out of my mind. His curls were loose around his face, swept off to the side, and his green orbs were shielded by a pair of black Raybans as well. His upper half adorned a grey v-neck with the silver chains of his necklaces visible through the neck line, his bottom half holding a pair of grey sweats that most likely hid the swim trunks underneath.

"Paul is waiting for us in the car," Liam announced once everyone had ventured into the hall. Niall quickly reached over and grabbed Meghan's hand, his blonde hair concealed under a red snapback. She pecked his lips before the lift's doors opened, beckoning us all inside.

Gemma and Zayn whispered to each other, Louis and Liam typed away on their cellular devices, Niall and Meghan snuggled closer together in the front of the lift, and I stood rigid toward the back, trying to get my focus but failing with Harry's cologne wafting through the air next to me. I pushed the only pair of sunglasses I had over my eyes and took a deep breath through my nose in an attempt to calm my senses.

"You look tense, love," Harry whispered in my ear. His hot breath tickled the loose strands of hair near my ear and I felt a wave of dizziness circle my mind. "What's wrong?"

"You make me nervous," I answered honestly, shifting weight from one leg to the other as the lift continued its' decent at the slow pace. Glancing at him I caught the small smirk that spread on his lips and internally waged a war against wanting to plant mine on his again.

"I do?" There was a playful tone in his question that would've been missed by anyone else in the lift. But it didn't fool my trained ears.

"Yes." Before he could reply, the lift doors opened and we filed out, my long strides carrying me to the front of the group next to Liam who welcomed my presence with a wide smile.

.......

Against my better judgement and will, I allowed the sound of the waves smashing each other to engulf my entirity, causing my lids to flutter closed as I sat pulling my knees to my chest and resting my head on them.

The group had all but sprinted to the water, minus Zayn, who sat quietly a few feet away buried in a book while the rare sun rays kissed his already tanned skin. Eleanor and Danielle were delightful girls, all smiles and hugs upon meeting Meghan and myself, before running off hand-in-hand with their boys into the ocean.

Paul sat not too far away, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for anything out of the ordinary as few people passed.

I had managed to avoid any awkward conversation with Harry on the hour trip, his attention focused on his sister in the front seat while I remained wedged between a silent Liam and a jittery Zayn.

"Elle! Come on! That water is fantastic!" Louis shouted, tossing his arms up above his head, splashing Harry, Gemma, and Eleanor in the process. My blue eyes zeroed in on the foursome, tinted from the sunglasses, but I could make out every scultped muscle that moved and rippled under Harry's skin as he splashed his friend right back in the face.

Meghan and Niall were swimming around each other, their laughter floating with the wind, while Liam and Danielle were off looking for shells. I couldn't deny that I was itching to get into the water and let the waves pull me under and over in the currant, but I wouldn't allow myself to get too lost in the moment.

Harry jogged out of the water, running his fingers through his dark curls to push them out of his eyes, and slowed his pace to a walk as he approached me. Behind the glasses I examined his figure, how lean he appeared, his muscles fooling everyone who cared to glance at him. The shorts he wore were rather colorful with reds, blues, and yellows swirling around each other, perched low on his hips to expose the inviting 'v' shape under the soaking wet fabric.

"Care to join us?" The way the sun bounced off his skin nearly made him glow, the drops of water reflecting the bright light as they slowly fell toward the ground. His hand was outstretched, his eyes were glistening, and I caught the way his heart nearly skipped a beat when I slowly placed my hand in his.

Dropping his hand I grabbed the bottom of the tank and peeled it off, not missing the way his eyes hungrily trailed over the newly exposed skin, or the sound of his breath catching in his throat. After discarding the tank and shorts I grabbed my sunglasses and tossed them into the sand, finally setting my full gaze on the boy in front of me biting his lower lip.

"Hurry up, Hazza!" Gemma called with a wave of her arm, the water splashing up to her waist.

"Ready?" His voice caught in his throat and he coughed in a frail attempt to cover it up. I couldn't stop the small smile that pulled my lips upward as we started to walk.

"Do I make you nervous?" My voice was light and teasing, catching his attention as we neared the rising tide.

"No," he blurted, standing up straighter and pushing his chest forward slightly.

"Your body says otherwise," I pressed, jogging forward a bit and turning around so I could walk backward facing him. "Welcome to my world, Harry." His expression faltered slightly and I smiled, turning my feet in the sand, and greeted the salty water that splashed from my jogging steps.

Harry didn't hesitate to run after my figure, his mind only playing one thought.

I'm gonna make her my world.