Any Other Heart

lucky street

The lads have a day off in Cardiff, but of course it’s never really just a day off for One Direction and this day is no different.

Lou had given me a schedule the first day of tour so I would know exactly what was happening every single day of the tour. It came in handy on the days the boys had a day off, because they often weren’t just days off. There were interviews and photoshoots and a million other things to do, and this day was absolutely no different.

After I calmed down on the bus ride to Cardiff, and once both Niall and Louis passed out, Louis in my lap and Niall falling onto my shoulder, I felt better. I was still upset about my mum and I knew I had to call her but I would deal with that later.

Today, I had an interview to help get the boys ready for.

I woke up extremely early Thursday morning to get ready. The boys had an interview down at the local news station, and while it wasn’t a huge deal, it was still live TV and the boys had to look good. I wanted to look professional while I was assisting, so I got dressed in a pair of my nice jeans, a blouse, and a blazer, my hair sleek and straight and neutral make-up on my face. I wanted to look like I knew what I was doing, and looked good while I did it.

Just as I was finishing getting ready, there was a knock at my door. I knew it was Lou, so I said, “One minute!” before gathering the rest of my things. I spritzed on a little bit of perfume that Loren had given me right before I left. She had said it was good luck perfume and she used it whenever she had a big exam, so she thought it would be perfect for the tour. I couldn’t help but smile as I set the bottle down, missing my best mate, but then Lou knocked again and I was brought back to the present.

“Sorry!” I apologized as I stepped out into the hotel.

“We’re early love, its fine. Caroline’s down in the lobby waiting with the lads though, so let’s get going.”

When we got downstairs, the lads were all waiting around but they seemed half asleep. I knew how they felt, because it was early, but I didn’t have many complaints because this meant the morning would go at least a bit smoother.

Getting to the station was easy enough. Of course there was a crowd of girls waiting outside for the boys, so Lou, Caroline, and I headed in first with the wardrobe and things so we could go in and set up before the boys got in and caused complete chaos. I helped Caroline get the clothes out for the interview while Lou got the hair and make-up things situated.

“Mia, might need you to help out with hair today. I don’t think we’ll have as much time as I was expecting.”

I froze with Harry’s blazer in my hand. “You... you want more help? You trust me?”

Lou laughed. “Love, I’ve trusted you from day one. So are you in?”

Of course I was in. I couldn’t wait to finally have a few more responsibilities aside from helping make sure wardrobe was in order and nothing was lost or misplaced.

When the lads came in, it was a whirlwind of commotion. I helped Caroline show them where their clothes were and once things were in order, I helped Lou with hair. “I’ll take Niall and Zayn first, you take Louis and then Harry. If you need help, yell, but you’ll be fine love. Wipe the scared look off your face.” She winked and patted my shoulder and then we went to work.

I took a deep breath and then I got to work as well.

Louis was dressed first in his trousers and a button up shirt, seated in the chair within minutes. “Work your magic, babe,” he said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be a twat or I’ll cut all of your hair off.”

He glared at me in the mirror and I just laughed.

He was quiet at first, just letting me work while he messed around on his phone. Actually, he was being oddly quiet. Something was off. “Anything good?” I asked him, unsure of what else to say.

He shrugged. “Kristen texted me late last night.”

I nodded. Kristen was Louis’s ex, and they had broken it off before Christmas. Actually, she had broken it off and it had been about three days before Christmas. Not that I was counting. Or secretly still holding a grudge against her. “How’s she?” I kept my voice even and calm. Louis always said they stayed friendly enough, but I still wasn’t sure. She was still an ex, so it was dangerous territory.

He shrugged again. “Fine, I suppose. Just wanted to ask how tour was going and the like.”

“Hey,” I said, putting my hand onto his shoulder and stopping what I was doing only for a moment so he would look up at me in the mirror. “You’re okay?”

He smiled, and while it didn’t quite reach his eyes I knew he was okay, or would be. “Just fine, love.”

When I finally finished Louis’s hair, I sent him off, with a promise to come to me if anything happened, and called Harry over.

Suddenly, I was frozen. It was ridiculous, but I was going to have my hands in Harry’s hair. That just seemed like an incredibly intimate thing to be doing, especially to the lad to you secretly in love with.

I didn’t have a choice though, so I took a deep breath and got to work.

I was expecting Harry to mess around with his phone as well but he sat staring at me in the mirror, watching me work. “What?” I asked, self-conscious suddenly.

He smiled. “Just watching you work. You’re good at this, Mia.”

I laughed nervously and shrugged, working a bit of mousse through his curls. “Just doing my job, yeah?”

He shrugged. “You look nice, by the way.”

I couldn’t hide the smile on my face as I stopped and looked at him in the mirror. “Thank you, Haz.”

He grinned back and then finally looked down at his phone in his lap.

When I finally finished, he got up and grinned at his reflection. “Looks brilliant, Mia. Thanks.”

I started to say you’re welcome but he cut me off with a quick kiss on the cheek. I couldn’t find my words then and just stood there in awe. “You smell nice too,” he said, his voice lower with his lips close to my ear from the kiss. When he pulled back he was grinning, his dimples showing, and I had all I could do to not melt into a puddle right there on the bloody floor.

Getting the boys ready went smoothly after I regained my composure. Before I knew it, they were filing out of the dressing room so they could do their interview.

I stood off to the side with Lou, drinking a cup of coffee and snacking on a muffin while we watched the interview take place. All of the usual questions were asked, the boys were asked about the tour, and it wasn’t too awkward. The interviewer had obviously done her research and was prepared, which was nice for the lads’ sake.

But then she went way back, back to the beginning for each boy. She started with Harry. “So, Harry,” she asked, drawing out his name before asking her question. “You started out in a bakery correct?”

He grinned, his dimples appearing immediately, before he found my gaze. We locked eyes for a moment and he smiled, his entire face lighting up, before he nodded. “I did. Honest hard labor, and I met some people that I wouldn’t trade for the world. It was a great place, and everyone should go to it.”

He was looking at me while he said this and I felt my heart rate skyrocket. My cheeks heated up and I knew, if he was in front of me, he would be able to tell, well... just about everything.

“Quite different from singing on-stage to thousands, yeah?” the interviewer asked.

Harry chuckled and nodded. “A bit, yeah, but it was wonderful.”

The interview carried on, the boys caused trouble, and overall it was successful. Before I knew it they were getting herded off the set and Lou and I were following them back to the dressing room. The boys changed back into the clothes they wore to the station and we packed up all of their things before heading out.

I didn’t have time to find Harry, not until we were back at the hotel and standing around in the lobby, waiting for the lift. I pulled him aside. “Thank you,” I said quietly, having a hard time looking him in the eye. “Mum and pap will be incredibly grateful for the free advertising.”

He laughed and put his hand on my shoulder before giving it a rub. “Of course, Mia. I meant it, too. The bakery means a lot to me. Your grandfather didn’t have to give me a job, but he did and it helped more than you know. And I met you.”

I looked up then, finally smiling. He grinned back, but only for a moment before his face took on a serious look. “Plus, with last night, when you said your mum was upset... I figured...” he trailed off and shrugged. “I thought maybe the extra advert on the interview may help out a bit. Maybe alleviate some of the tension between you both.”

I felt my eyes burning with thankful tears that I refused to shed. “Thank you,” I repeated. “That was... wow. Thank you, Harry.”

He grinned, happy again, and nodded. “‘Course, Mia. Anything for you, yeah?”

I couldn’t stop smiling, even as he walked away to get on the lift. I stayed back, saying I’d get the next one, so I could have a few moments to myself.

“Maybe Loren’s perfume really is lucky,” I murmured to myself before finally getting in the lift so I could head back up to my room.
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Okay, so I know a lot of you have questions and maybe you're confused. All I can ask is that you stick with me. With the help of Ashley, who I need to give credit to for a lot of this, this entire story is planned out. The WHOLE thing. So I promise I know what I'm doing, and I hope you're all happy with the end result.
Hopefully this cleared some things up? I'd love to hear from you guys.
This story is SUPER personal for me, so it means a lot. Hearing that you guys enjoy it means more than you realize. I love all of you who are reading and commenting and telling me what you think!
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