Burn

“So,” Rae ventured, walking from the closed door of the record shop to Harry’s car, sucking the remains of her milkshake. Niall and Harry were walking on either sides of her, happy as clams. Niall was bouncing along, oblivious to the world. “Are you going to keep sucking up to my friends, or what is all of this?”

Harry shrugged, going around the drivers side of the car. Rae half expected Niall to get into the passenger seat, but instead he went right for the back. Shrugging, Rae took the front seat next to Harry. “I just like doing the opposite of what you think I’m going to do.”

“Yes, you enjoy being difficult. Tell me something I don’t know.”

It was very true, and this fact was only confirmed when Harry smirked a little, turning the car on. It seemed that much of their relationship consisted of trying to doing something unexpected on the others behalf. It kept for quite the interesting actions.

Rae didn’t bother questioning where they were going. She knew by the turns that he was making that they were heading for Harry’s flat. She was in fact pleasantly surprised to find other cars there. It seemed he was having a small gathering at his place, for the night.

Getting out and walking towards the home, he fell into step with her, smiling a bit to himself. She elbowed him in his side, as if to ask what he was smiling on about. “Don’t worry, I’m not drinking tonight. I’ll be playing the perfect host.”

“So that means I can get as drunk as a sorority girl?”

He laughed loudly, walking up the steps and opening the door. Music floated from the house. “If that’s what you wish to do.”

Actually, it wasn’t what she wanted to do, she was just pushing his buttons. Throughout the night, she actually kept everyone in check, alongside Harry. Trystan was there as well, drinking her fill, but Rae was used to drunk Trystan. It was the other people she was just getting to know that took some getting used to.

Sam, the girl who had come with them to one of the clubs of the nights, was there as well. As usual, she was a complete sweetheart, thanking Rae for being one of the sober ones to make sure no one set the house on fire.

Walking to the kitchen to get a water, Rae stumbled into one of the boys she had met, but forgotten his name. He was tall with light colored hair, freckles and very pretty eyes. He was leaned against the counter, looking extremely out of it. “Are you alright?” Rae asked him, tapping his shoulder. Her face showed concern as he looked at her, a lazy smile on his face. “You are absolutely car parked.”

He nodded. “Who’re you? You’re lovely.”

“My name is Rae,” she answered, opening the fridge and removing a bottle of water. She twisted the top, her painted red lips taking a swig from the bottle. She still watched him with slight amusement. It was obvious he wasn’t having an easy time standing. “Can’t say I’ve seen you before.”

“Ah, you’re another one of Harry’s girls.” Rae frowned, pausing as the boy waved his hand, clearly not thinking anything of her. It struck an annoying cord, but she said nothing. “He always gets the pretty ones. Though can’t say most have stayed around as long as you have.”

Rae shrugged. “We get along.”

“Oh yeah,” he joked, pushing away from the counter. “I’m sure his rage doesn’t bother you in the slightest. Well you have fun with that, Reese-"

“Rae.”

“Yeah, that. We’ll see how long you deal with the anger-induced bloke that is Harry Styles. They all think they’ll last.” He laughed a bit, shaking his head. “Where’d the bloke go, anyways?”

She simply pointed to the living room, watching him stagger from the room. Her annoyance wasn’t in stating Harry’s anger issues. She knew they were there, and that they were very real. It was in his implication that she wouldn’t be able to deal with them. She didn’t think it very kind to tell someone what they could and couldn’t handle.

The rest of the night, Rae’s mood was slightly soured. She sat on the couching conversing with friends but never stopped thinking of those words. Part of her wondered how long she could deal with Harry’s spouts of anger. Though they were random and often she could calm them, how long would be too long?”

Trying to ignore that thought, she tried to enjoy the night. Harry did not seem to be in a bad mood whatsoever, and eventually came to sit next to her, sharing small smiles and jokes with her as the friends around were totally wasted. It was actually funny.

Until the same boy from the kitchen asked, “So, how long as this one been around?” He was gesturing to Rae, who paused her conversation with Sam. She looked at the boy, who was sitting on the ground, wavering back and forth. It was obvious he had no filter. “Longer than the rest, I suppose?”

Harry stared at him, not sure if he was amused by the idiotic behavior, or angry. She shrugged off the boys question. “Doesn’t matter, mate. No more drinking for you, yeah?”

“You’re not even drinking!” The boys voice as very loud and exaggerated as he laughed to himself. No one else was laughing, but rather looking at him with knowing and distaste. Rae got the sense that it wasn’t the first time he had been rude. “How does she make you do that?”

“She doesn’t make me do anything.”

Rae side glanced at Harry. There was now irritation on his face. He leaned back in the couch, placing and arm around the back of the couch, and closer to Rae. He did that went he got irritated, she noticed, as if trying to avoid conflict by being near her. “You’ve had way to much to fucking drink, mate,” Niall affirmed, clapping the boy on the back. Rae still had yet to remember his name. Not that she needed to know it to know he was an ass. “Why don’t you just come off it, yeah?”

“Well I mean, I just wanted to point out he isn’t slagging around anymore.”

Harry moved to say something but Rae beat him to it. “If you’ve got an issues with me, spit it out, yeah? Otherwise close your mouth and let us all think you’re a blundering idiot instead of proving it by speaking.”

Everyone blinked in surprise as she sat back, crossing her arms. “You’re sort of mean.”

“And you’re sort of drunk,” Rae shot back at him, over his shit. “You, my friend, are a two beer queer and you really need to learn how to hold your alcohol content.”

“Who invited you?”

“I invited myself. You know, somewhere out there, there is a little poor tree, dying to produce oxygen for you. You should really apologize for wasting it.”

That sent the entire party into an uproar of laughter as he sat on the floor, glaring now. Shoving himself up, he made his way towards the door, letting himself out and slamming it. Besides, her, Harry laugh along with the others, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Though she was never rude to people, Rae was not going to sit there and let some pissed twat say rude things to her or Harry. Her protective instincts had kicked in and she couldn’t help but fire comments back and knock him down a peg.

“There’s that fire I like,” Harry murmured, pulling her in closed and smirking at her. She smiled a bit, but not much, still annoyed. “Awe, don’t be annoyed love. It was rather sexy.”

“I can’t help but be annoyed. I wanted to give him a proper smack.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I just do not understand you men sometimes.”

“You probably never will.”

“I should think not.”

Towards the end of the party, Trystan was drunk out of her mind, and Rae knew it was time to take her home. Though Harry suggested that Rae stay, she insisted she was going home. It was alright for her to go home once in a while, which made him smile.

Before the two girls left, Rae bounced up to Harry when he was in the middle of saying something, causing him to pause. Bravery going through her, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips firmly against his, so firmly that he reacted instantly by pulling her waste in, deepening the kiss and making her heart skip a beat.

“Don’t mind me,” Niall called as they parted reluctantly, Harry pulling her bottom lip between his teeth as he pulled away, grinning at her. “I’m just the Irishman behind the curtain.”

With that, Rae let herself out the door, linking arms with her intoxicated best friend. Walking to Trystan’s car, Rae made Trystan get in the passenger seat, plucking the keys delicately from Trys’s purse and getting in the driver seat.

Starting the car, she stopped as her phone vibrated. She half expected the text to be from Harry saying something stupid or telling her to come back later, but it was an unfamiliar number. Opening it, she glared at the screen, knowing once she read it who it was.

Leaving so soon?

Feeling brave in the moment, she shot a text back and slammed the phone down, leaving Harry's parking spot.

Leave me alone, Leon. I will kill you.