Don't Wave No Goodbye

By Tuesday the following week, Darcy’s almost back to her regular self and feeling much more alive and healthy than she had been. There’s still the odd coughing fit and her chest still felt tight and crammed with muck, but overall she was feeling good and better than she’d been in days. Since finding her practically passed out with a fever, Harry had all but moved in to look after her and keep her company, despite Darcy telling him over and over again that it wasn’t necessary. The two of them managed to get through the Back To The Future marathon without Darcy falling asleep and just like Harry had thought, Darcy had enjoyed them.

She’d had to take Monday and Tuesday off work with her voice sounding shot and her breathing wheezy, not exactly the ideal symptoms for a radio DJ, but Harry had been keeping her occupied as they started a movie marathon by watching a bunch of Harry’s favourites that he felt certain she’d enjoy. He’d been right of course, with the two of them curled up on the couch together laughing and commenting on their favourite parts in between Harry fetching her water and tea whenever he felt like she needed it.

Come Tuesday afternoon, Darcy’s stretched out on her couch under a light blanket, listening to the radio with her eyes closed and just resting like Harry had instructed her to when he’d left ten minutes earlier to run down to the shops. She hears the door opening and peers out of one eye in surprise.

“That was quick,” she comments, waiting to see Harry pop around the corner but instead she’s met with Nick’s crooked grin and ridiculous quiff. “Grimmy, oh hi!”

“Hello darling!” Nick greets cheerfully, swooping down to give Darcy a hug over the back of the couch. “Christ, you look terrible. You sound pretty awful too!”

Darcy rolls her eyes at this but can’t help but smile, she’d missed her obnoxious friend. “Thanks, Grim, just what I needed to hear!”

“You know I’m just teasing. I’m sure you look a lot better than you did a few days ago!”

Nick goes to sit on the couch, waiting for Darcy to shuffle up enough to give him space and the moment he sits, she props her feet up on his lap and throws the blanket over his knees. He just grins at this, giving one of her calves a squeeze.

“You should’ve seen me, although I’m glad you didn’t. Literally looked like death. It was not pretty,” Darcy says, grimacing at the thought.

“Sounds like your boyfriend didn’t mind seeing you all gross and wheezing and gunky,” Nick teases, letting out a yelp of pain when Darcy digs her toes into Nick’s thigh without mercy.

“You are so horrid, you know that? First you don’t even care enough when I’m dying to come look after me and whisper loving things at my deathbed, then you come over when someone else has cleaned me up to make fun of me and how awful I look. You’re losing friendship points all over the place, mate!” Darcy scolds, waving her finger at Nick threateningly.

“Oh please, I was very concerned for your well-being! Soon as Haz rang me, I was about to make my way over to look after you and you know how I feel about sick people! I was willing to do that for you anyway, but Harry seemed pretty adamant that he could look after you himself,” Nick explains with a knowing smile that makes Darcy groan.

“I don’t even know what this all means! You don’t just nurse your fuck buddy back to health, that’s not on!”

“Perhaps he’s looking after you to make sure he still has a buddy to fuck?” Nick offers unhelpfully, finding this whole situation just hilarious.

“I may still be sick, but I won’t hesitate to thump you,” Darcy threatens before sighing. “Okay, tell me honestly, out of all the young, stupid models you’ve tricked into sleeping with you, have any of them taken care of you when you were ill?”

Nick thinks about this for a moment before shaking his head. “The only people who ever take care of me when I’m sick is either Pixie, Henry, or Aimee, and that all depends on who draws the short straw. Then there was that one time my mum came up, and that was a very memorable occasion.”

Darcy laughs at the expression of horror on Nick’s face. “Right, exactly! That’s my point!”

“Yeah, but none of those models were in my friend circle, ya know? Different circumstances!”

“Hmm, maybe. I don’t know, I’m sick and feeling sorry for myself, I don’t wanna think about this.”

“Best way to deal with it, I say!” Nick says with a grin. “So where is Nurse Harold anyway? Did you finally kick him out of your house with your vicious, vicious words?”

Darcy laughs but can’t exactly look Nick in the eye as her voice lowers. “He’s gone down to the shop to get a few things we’ve run out of.”

Nick looks positively beside himself, grinning from ear to ear. “Ahh, domestic bliss!”

“Have you quite finished? You can leave now, I can’t believe I even thought I missed you!” Darcy pouts and Nick grabs her hand tightly, shaking it gently to get her to smile.

“Now don’t be like that, I’ve missed you heaps, right, and I need you to hurry back into my life, all healthy and such!”

“I’m trying my best,” Darcy tells him, before hearing the sound of her front door opening again. This time it really is Harry who appears, holding a few bags of groceries and looking positively adorable with his beanie and his cheeks pink from the cold.

“’ello Grim! You alright?” he greets cheerfully, moving straight to the kitchen to deposit the grocery bags, packing them away immediately. Nick raises his eyebrow at Darcy with a grin when Harry has his back turned.

“Doing just wonderful myself, and how are you? Sick of Darcy’s puffy face yet?”

Darcy growls, reaching out this time to punch Nick in the shoulder and he just laughs. Harry joins in but it doesn’t sound teasing like Nick’s does.

“I’m great thanks! And don’t be mean, she’s ill!” Harry scolds playful, causing Darcy to beam at this.

“See, this is why I prefer him to you, you old tosser,” Darcy tells Nick and he just makes a face at her.

“You feeling okay? Don’t need anything?” Harry asks Darcy, as if her health may have deteriorated during the time he was absent and Nick looks like he’s going to blow an eye vessel from keeping back all the comments piling into his brain.

“No, no, I’m fine. Come, sit and chat with us,” Darcy invites, feeling almost embarrassed that Nick got to witness Harry Styles rushing around her kitchen and tending to her like she’s actually dying right in front of them.

“Oh, yeah, okay!” Harry grins, putting away the last of the shopping. “I’ll just put the kettle on first.”

“So,” Nick turns back to Darcy. “Are you coming back to work tomorrow? Or do I have to go another day without you?”

“Aw, so touching, Grimshaw!” Darcy laughs, about to answer that she’s feeling good enough to return when Harry emerges from the kitchen, a worried look on his face.

“Probably not, I think you need at least another day to make sure you’re definitely over your illness,” Harry responds gently and Nick’s eyes practically fly open at this.

“No, no, I’m feeling much better, really. Besides, I’m getting cabin fever; I need to be back in the studio and talking to the masses about my sleeping patterns and what I had for breakfast again!” Darcy says easily, trying to ignore how displeased Harry looks about this.

“Are you sure? Perhaps you should listen to your nurse, Darce. I think young Harold knows best!” Nick says, ignoring the glare Darcy sends his way.

Harry shrugs, trying not to look affected by this. “Whatever you want to do, Darce,” he tells her and Darcy smiles at this.

“Then it’s decided! Never thought I’d be so excited to be going back to work!” Darcy cheers.

Nick stays for the rest of the afternoon, and things go back to what Darcy would consider relatively normal. The three of them laugh and joke and snark about celebrities like two of them weren’t sleeping together and one of them isn't a famous popstar. Harry convinces Nick to stay to watch the last film they had to officially complete their marathon, Love Actually, and Darcy falls asleep just before the end, sandwiched between two of her favourite people.