Learn How to Play the Game

I topped up both our glasses of wine and Jenny sighed taking another bite of the meal I’d cooked for our night in.

“He just stared at me.” She sighed, “like he was waiting for the point.”

“Oh.” I bit my lip taking a sip of my wine, “what did you say?”

“Well I was just like, look I know you kissed Blair.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes skyward, “and he just nodded.”

“He nodded?” I blinked a few times.

“Yep.” She shook her head and laughed bitterly.

“Didn’t apologise?” I asked and she shook her head.

“Nope. Just nodded.” She shook her head, “god I was wrong about him.”

“We both were.” I bit my lip, “I’m sorry Jen.”

“It’s fine.” She shrugged, “it’s not like I loved him or anything.”

“You should come hang out with the guys.” I suggested eating my last bite of chicken.

“Really?” she raised an eyebrow and I furrowed mine together.

“Sure, why not?” I laughed lightly reaching for the wine.

“You never invite me along, I figured you liked keeping them separate.” She said standing up and picking up the plates.

“Oh. No. Course not. Anyway, I think they’d do you good. It’s so hard to stay sad around them.” I smiled taking our glasses over to the coffee table.

“I’d love to come along.” She smiled as she walked in, “hopefully I won’t make a twat of myself.”

“Trust me if anyone will be making a twat of themselves it’s one of them.” I chuckled lightly.

“Speaking of them. How is Harry?” she dragged out his name with a grin on her face.

“Jen,” I shook my head, “I’m not going to shove my love life in your face when you just broke up with Henry.”

“I don’t care, tell me! I want to hear all about it.” She grinned bouncing up and down.

I laughed and finished my wine, I picked the bottle off the table and distributed the remains between our glasses finishing the bottle off.

“What do you want to know?” I asked lifting the glass to my lips.

“I’d love to say I want to hear about the cute stuff but I don’t.” she shook her head a grin on her lips, “I want to hear about the dirty Styles sex I know you guys are having.”

“Jen!” I laughed shaking my head at her.

“Don’t pretend you aren’t having sex constantly. I have seen him, he is a fucking god.” She shook her head, “you are one lucky girl Monroe.”

“I’m glad you approve.” I laughed before sighing, “the sex is amazing.”

“I bet.” She grinned and I laughed.

I started telling her about how Harry had tried to have sex with me on the plane over from America and she was laughing along with my tale. I loved the whole set up of the night, we had had girls nights in before but this felt different. I finally felt happy with everything and though I wished Jenny wasn’t feeling as down as she was even though she was pretending she was fine, it was nice to finally be the one someone was leaning on. She had spent so many nights prying the bottles of beer out my hand as I sat just getting drunk and not wanting to talk about anything. We were about 4 bottles of wine in when I stood up and turned the music up much to Jenny’s amusement. I was then bouncing around the room singing at the top of my lungs to a Little Mix song.

“Don’t judge!” I pointed at her, “I can’t listen to them when I’m around the boys, it makes Zayn all sad and sulky and I hate sad and sulky Zayn. He’s no fun.”

She laughed and I grabbed her hand pulling her up from the sofa and making her dance with me.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” I punched the air singing loudly when I heard laughter behind me.

Jenny and I both froze and looked at each other willing the other to turn around. I knew who it was, I knew that laughter and I was so hoping I was wrong.

“Don’t stop on our account” Naill chuckled and I groaned.

“I was hoping I was wrong.” I turned around and Niall and Harry were grinning at us.

“You weren’t.” Harry laughed and held up two wine bottles, “we’re gate crashing.”

“Why?” I asked walking over to him and taking the wine from him to put in the fridge.

“I wanted to drink.” Niall shrugged sitting on the sofa and took the top off a bottle of beer with the bottle opener on the table.

“You always want to drink.” I shook my head, “boys, you know Jen.”

“We do.” Niall grinned, “hey.”

“Hey.” She shifted awkwardly and I chuckled.

“Come find some glasses with me yea Jen?” I grabbed her elbow.

“For me right? I want wine, not beer.” Harry grinned, “unless you have a bottle of Jack you fancy sharing.”

“You’ll get what your given Styles and you’ll like it.” I rolled my eyes and he chuckled saluting me.

I dragged Jen into the kitchen and she looked a bit dazed.

“Snap out of it Jen.” I laughed.

“What if they hate me?” she said and I shook my head putting the bottles of wine in the fridge.

“They won’t.” I assured her, “trust me, Niall is incapable of hating anyone and Harry wouldn’t dare not love you. In fact he’ll probably be sweet talking you for your approval.”

“Okay.” She nodded, “I’ve got this. I am a strong confident woman.”

I laughed shaking my head as I grabbed a wine glass for Harry and pouring in the remainder of our bottle of wine.

“Isn’t it going to suck for you two? With Niall not knowing?” she asked and I shrugged.

“We’re good just hanging out together,” I bit my lip, “I just like being near him.”

“You better be talking about me.” Harry appeared in the kitchen and I grinned, “I came to find out where my wine was.”

“Here.” I held up the glass and he walked across the room towards me.

“Hey you.” He leant down and pressed his lips to mine quickly.

“I’ll give you two a minute.” Jen grinned leaving the room to go to the lounge.

“Why are you here?” I asked cocking my head to the side.

“I hear I’m quite good at cheering people up.” Harry said before pressing his lips to mine again.

“Who said that?” I asked laughing.

“Well, you but I figured I can’t just kiss Jen and make her troubles go away so I brought Niall. You can’t be sad around Niall, it’s like the law.” Harry laughed and I chuckled.

“Well, I’m glad you are here.” I told him going onto my tip toes and kissing him.

“Good.” He smiled into the kiss before pulling away, “so what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger does it?”

“Shut up!” I hit him as we walked into the lounge.

“Ouch.” Harry held his arm, “you should be careful you might leave a bruise and then you’ll have my fans to deal with.”

“Oh scary.” I rolled my eyes at him and stopped as I saw Naill and Jen deep in conversation, Jen was grinning as Naill was flailing his arms around.

“Aw they are cute.” Harry said quietly and I laughed.

“Yea, well.” I shook my head, “she isn’t interested in guys at the moment.”

Before Harry could say anything I walked in sitting next to Niall.

“Sup irish.” I grinned and Niall laughed, “long time no hang out.”

“Yea I know. You keep ditching me,” he put his hand over his heart, “it hurts.”

“She ditches me all the time too.” Jenny shook her head with a sad face.

“We should ditch her together.” Niall grinned at Jenny who laughed, “we’ll hang out and not invite her.”

“What about me?” Harry asked sitting opposite us.

“You’re always AWOL too.” Niall chuckled, “I swear this is the first time I’ve seen you out of rehearsals since you got back from America.”

I bit my lip and avoided looking at anyone, I picked my wine up and finished it.

“Really?” Harry scrunched his eyebrows together, “I guess I have been busy.”

“Course you are.” Niall rolled his eyes, “so what do you say Jen? Want to hang out?”

“Sure.” Jen smiled, “Blair was only saying earlier that I should come along next time you guys get together.”

“What are you up to tomorrow?” Niall asked and she shrugged.

“Nothing, I was meant to be interning at this PR agency but it fell through.” She sighed.

“Well come to rehearsals!” Niall grinned, “that’ll be alright right Harry?”

“Course.” He nodded, “you can keep Blair company, I swear all she does is watch us perform.”

“I do other stuff!” I protested and Niall laughed.

“You do spend a lot of time just watching us.” He grinned and I frowned, “not a bad thing though B, we love that you’re so supportive.”

“Talking of how supportive, she is” Jenny grinned, “she made about 10 different itunes accounts to order your comic relief single.”

“Shut up.” I hit her laughing.

“You did?” Harry asked and I nodded blushing, “ah that’s so cute.”

“You’re so sweet.” Nialled grabbed me into a hug and I laughed.

“So will you be doing anything else for it?” Harry asked and I shrugged.

“I’m doing a sponsored silence.” Niall grinned and I laughed. Hard. “Why are you laughing?”

“You are so not going to last.” I grinned, “that’s like getting Lou to act normal for the day.”

“Lou is dying his hair red.” Harry chuckled and I laughed.

“Wait, you’re not are you?” I asked seriously and he laughed shaking his head.

“Nah, my lovely locks are staying the same.” He assured me and I grinned.

“Good.” I sighed in relief and Niall looked confused.

“Why would you care?” he asked scrunching his eyebrows together.

Jenny looked between us as Harry and I paused.

“Blair should give up alcohol!” Jenny declared and Niall laughed forgetting what had just happened.

“That’s not likely.” He shook his head.

“Shut up.” I shoved him, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“I’m baking.” Harry grinned.

“Baking?” Jen asked and he nodded.

“I used to work in a bakery.” He told her and she nodded.

“I think most of the English speaking world knows that.” She laughed and he smiled.

“Oh yea.” He chuckled.

I smiled as I watched my three friends all talk and laugh together. I hadn’t realized how separate I had been keeping my lives but as I watched Niall throw back his head and laugh at something Jen said I knew that was over. I wanted Jen to be happy again and the easiest way would be to make her forget about Henry and I knew first hand that these boys make everything better. I caught Harry’s eye as Jenny was laughing and he winked. He wanted to cheer her up because she was my best friend, I felt a wave of love for him flow through me and I couldn’t help the smile on my lips. We were well through the extra wine by now and I had done another rendition of DNA for Harry and Niall’s benefit. I was next to Harry and was vaguely aware of the fact I had my head rested on his shoulder and he had wrapped his arm around me. It wasn’t till I looked up at him as he laughed and he went to kiss me that I jumped away from him. He looked confused and then we both looked at Niall who had stopped talking and was staring at us.

“What’s up Niall?” I leant as far away from Harry as possible and sipped my beer.

“You…” he trailed off and scrunched his eyebrows together, “Harry…”

“I don’t know what you are saying Niall.” I laughed lightly, “maybe you drank too much.”

“I never drink too much.” He shook his head, “you two almost kissed.”

“No.” I said at the same time as Harry.

“We didn’t.” Harry finished.

“Not at all.” I added.

“Not even slightly.” Harry continued and Jen giggled.

“Did you see?” Niall turned to Jenny who shook her head.

“I wasn’t looking at them.” She shrugged, “I do however have a joint that needs smoking. Blair?”

“Sure.” I shot up and followed her out the room.

“You guys smoke weed?” Harry asked standing up.

“You two nearly kissed! I saw it with my own eyes!” Niall followed behind.

“No questions around the weed.” Jenny smiled, “it’s relaxing.”

“Yea Niall.” I bit my lip and grabbed the joint from Jen’s hand and inhaled deeply, “embrace the relaxation with no interregation.”

Jen took the joint out of my hand and Harry bit his lip cocking his head to the side as he looked at the joint.

“No.” I shook my head putting my hand on his chest, “don’t even think it.”

“Come on.” He went to take it from Jen and I beat him to it placing it between my lips.

“No.” I blew out a smoke ring and Niall chuckled.

I watched as Niall lit up a cigarette and I frowned, he held his hands up laughing but didn’t put it out.

“Come on B.” Harry whined, “let me.”

“No.” I shook my head, “I know what kind of smoker you are and it isn’t pretty.”

“I don’t care if it’s pretty I just want a go.” He huffed and Jenny chuckled.

“I hear you don’t get that high off a blow back.” Jenny said shrugging.

“I’ve heard that too.” Niall nodded blowing out his own smoke ring, “but you two wouldn’t do that.”

“Blow back?” Harry asked and I sighed watching Jenny inhale from the joint.

“I would take a big inahle and then blow it into your mouth.” I explained, “like when you pass your gum into someone elses mouth but with smoke.”

“Oh.” He nodded, “so we’re doing that?”

“I don’t think so.” I shook my head, “it’s not something you should do.”

“Blair you’re doing it right now.” He crossed his arms.

“Let him.” Niall shrugged, “everyone does it at some point wouldn’t you rather him do it here with us?”

“You guys are talking about me as if I’m some child.” Harry shook his head before looking at me, “stop treating me like one to. I can make my own decisions.”

I sighed before taking a big hit from the joint closing my eyes and holding the smoke in as I handed the joint back to Jen and walked over to Harry standing on my tip toes I pressed my lips to his and he opened his mouth to me, I fit my lips over his and gently breathed out. I moved my lips slightly to let any smoke he wasn’t inhaling out. His hand rested softly on the small of my back. I pulled away once I had let all the smoke out.

“Blow it out.” I said softly and he did gently and I smiled at him, “happy?”

“Yea.” He nodded looking down at me happily.

I couldn’t help it, I reached up and kissed him. He smiled chuckling into the kiss pulling me closer as he wrapped his arms around me. My hands went into his hair and I heard Niall gasp.

“I knew I wasn’t see things!” he declared, “see Jen, I told you!”

“I know.” Jenny chuckled.

“So are you together?” he asked as we parted.

I turned around and Harry kept his arms around my waist and I leant back against him. I looked up at him and he smiled softly down at me.

“Yea.” I turned to Niall, “we are.”

“Wow.” Niall blinked a few times.

“Yea,” Harry chuckled resting his head on mine.

“So which one of you is telling Lou?” he asked and I bit my lip.

“We haven’t decided that yet.” I admitted and Niall whistled lowly.

“He’s going to hit the fucking roof.” Niall shook his head, “however, I’m so happy. This is literally the best news ever.”

“It’s pretty great huh?” Jen grinned at Niall.

“Did you know?” he asked.

Jen glanced at me and I nodded.

“Yea, B told me last night. I kind of figured it out. She’s pretty rubbish at excuses as to why she has yet to sleep in her bed since being back from America.” Jen laughed softly, “I pressed her till she confessed.”

“I’m so happy.” Niall grinned, “I told you two that you were soulmates.”

“I know.” Harry laughed lightly.

“I think you might be onto something Niall.” I smiled softly glancing up at Harry who smiled back happily.

“So why are you keeping it secret?” he asked.

“We needed time.” Harry shrugged, “to just be us. To make sure we could still be us.”

“We’re better now though I think.” I bit my lip, “we’re different people to how we used to be but it’s like we grew into each other rather apart from each other.”

“That’s so cute.” Jenny grinned and I laughed.

“We needed to be sure before we told people.” Harry ran a hand through his hair, “we know what happens next and I was not putting Blair through that if we weren’t sure.”

“We also so don’t want to tell Lou.” I winced at the thought and Niall chuckled.

“How bad could it be?” Jenny asked and we all snorted with laughter.

“Oh you have a lot to learn.” Niall put his hand on Jenny’s shoulder laughing softly.

“Lou is very…” I trailed off.

“Dramatic.” Harry finished and I nodded.

“He’s always very protective of me.” I bit my lip.

“Think of him as an Alsatian in human form.” Harry sighed, “he is literally going to kill me.”

“I’d take some defense lessons if I was you mate.” Niall laughed and Harry groaned.

“You never know, he might surprise us all and be really happy about it.” I tried and we all groaned knowing it was a shot in the dark.

I loved Louis but he was going to hate this. He hated it the first time and we proved him wrong. He didn’t want to see either of us hurt, he hadn’t wanted it to end badly and he definitely didn’t want it affecting my friendship with the boys and we had proved him right. We were both left hurt and depressed, it was a horrible break up and I completely abandoned everyone. It was a complete car crash and we were telling him we were risking it all again just as everything finally went back to normal. I could see where he was coming from but I so hoped he’d just listen to what I had to say before going off on one. I was tempted to ring Jay and ask her to come mediate but deep down I knew I had to man up and do it on my own. I had to be the one to tell him. I had to take the full brunt of Louis outrage. I glanced up at Harry who gave me a small smile, he could tell Louis but Louis would hit him. We both knew that and with the tour looming the last thing we needed was Harry sporting another black eye over me.

“I’ll do it.” I said softly and Harry turned me around pressing his forehead to mine.

“I’ll do it with you.” He told me and I shook my head.

“You can’t, you know that as well as I do.” I bit my lip, “he will just go for you and that isn’t fair.”

“It isn’t fair that you’re going to have to handle it on your own.” Harry sighed.

“I’ve been handling Louis tantrums since I was 7, I’m sure one more won’t kill me.” I laughed softly and Harry didn’t look amused in the slightest, “it’ll be fine Haz. I’ll just tell him how happy we are, he can’t be angry at us finally being happy for the first time in over a year.”

“You know he can and that he will right?” Harry said and I nodded, “I don’t want him hurting you B.”

“He wouldn’t dare.” I assured him and he shook his head.

“I know he wouldn’t hit you but we both know that he could hurt you if he wanted to. He knows all the things to say to hurt you.” Harry bit his lip.

“He’s my best friend Haz.” I sighed, “I have to trust that he won’t hurt me, that he won’t use it against me.”