Don't Wave No Goodbye

They show up at Niall’s much later than they’d originally planned and the boys are already half way through Casino Royale when they enter the living room, Darcy chucking a container of mini muffins they’d picked up on the way onto Niall’s lap. Niall in turn lets out a screech of excitement and looks up at Darcy with bright, excited eyes.

“No way, you’re awesome!” he tells her, before ripping open the carton and shoving one in his mouth, his eyes rolling back as he gives a contented hum. “These are so good. Can we keep you?”

Darcy laughs, ruffling Niall’s hair affectionately as he just chows down another. “Maybe, as long as you don’t spray muffin bits at me all the time.”

“I make no promises,” Niall tells her solemnly, slapping Louis’ hand away when he goes in for a mini muffin.

“So how come you two were so late?” Liam asks conversationally, pausing the movie to focus his attention on the two of them.

Harry and Darcy give each other a look and say nothing, causing all the boys bar Zayn who isn’t currently in the living room to have matching looks of realisation on their faces and Liam flushes a brilliant red.

“Never mind then,” he mumbles quickly, and Darcy can’t help but laugh, Harry joining in moments later.

Zayn suddenly appears, shoving his cigarettes into his pocket when he eyes the treats on Niall’s lap. “Oh, mini muffins! Give us one, then!”

Niall lets out a predatory snarl, fighting Zayn off as best as he can but Liam manages to snatch the box away while Niall’s occupied, offering one to Louis who takes it happily before eating one himself. When Niall realises what happened, he folds his arms over his chest and pouts.

“Children,” Darcy murmurs, but she’s smiling because they’re endearing in a dysfunctional sort of way.

“Some more than others,” Liam agrees, eyeing up the sulking Irish beside him. “You have to share, Niall.”

Harry sits down on an unoccupied couch, pulling Darcy down to sit beside him and once Niall’s stop making faces at Liam, the movie’s unpaused and they all settle down to watch the rest of the movie. Darcy continues to make appreciative comments on how attractive Daniel Craig is, and Louis happily agrees, both of them glad Nick’s not currently around to rub it in that he’s met the man himself.

It’s hard to have Louis so close and not be able to just shake and tell him not to break Nick Grimshaw’s heart, because he’d be mighty confused and also because Darcy’s not in the right to be able to breathe a word about this to anyone, Harry’s much the same. Darcy worries though, all throughout the ending of the movie, because Nick’s not the one to fall in love and he’s so similar to her in the way that he never wants to put himself out there to get hurt. If Louis can’t love Nick the way he wants to be, or doesn’t feel the same, she knows it’s only going to mean trouble for everyone involved and the thought upsets her greatly.

As the credits begin, Harry wraps an arm around Darcy and holds her close. “You alright?” he whispers, just for her to hear.

“Hmm. Just thinking,” she murmurs back, letting her eyes close slightly when Harry presses a kiss to her forehead, and she doesn’t dwell on the fact that she doesn’t have to explain herself, Harry just knows.

“I’m the same,” he responds, giving her a meaningful look. “Not our place, remember?”

Darcy nods with a resigned sigh only to realise the rest of the boys had been watching the exchange, immediately trying to make themselves busy the moment they realise they’ve been caught in the act. Smirking, Harry checks his phone to realise it’s almost dinner time and his stomach rumbles at the thought.

“What are we going to do for dinner then, lads?” he asks, and all the boys seem glad for the change in subject.

They decide on homemade pizzas, with Darcy, Harry, and Liam assigned the roles of actually making the food, Zayn and Louis being directed to go out to get more wine and the ingredients for said pizza, and Niall just hovering around, still snacking on the mini muffins even though Darcy told him it would ruin his appetite.

“Doubt it,” all the boys had snickered in unison, making Darcy smile as she shakes her head in amusement.

With the oven already on and Liam and Darcy cutting up the vegetables they had available while they wait for Zayn and Louis to return, Harry leaves the kitchen to go help Niall find something good to play in the background. Liam and Darcy both work in silence, but it’s the easy kind and she’s starting to feel very comfortable, too comfortable. That is, until Liam decides to bring up what’s on his mind.

“So, um, I mean it’s not really my business but I have to ask,” Liam starts awkwardly, focusing intently on the red capsicum he’s slicing delicately. “You and Harry, you know what you are to each other, right?”

Darcy almost drops her knife in surprise, giving a startled little laugh. “Well, I mean, yeah, we know the arrangement, if that’s what you’re asking? We’re friends, Liam, and sometimes a bit more. But we know what we’re doing.”

Liam doesn’t look so sure. “Right, yeah, obviously you’ve talked about this but I just want you to be, uh, careful, is all. Although sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, Harry’s young, you know? Kind of vulnerable and he’s so open with his feelings that it means he could get hurt. He, ah, he falls in love very easily and I think that’s something you should know.”

“Liam, Harry’s not going to fall in love with me, nor am I going to fall for him,” Darcy tells him seriously, placing her knife down to look at the younger boy. “I know that this whole thing might bother you but Harry wouldn’t be involved if he wasn’t comfortable, right?”

Liam nods slowly. “Of course. I’m just saying that Harry cares very deeply about the people he gets close too, sometimes he cares too much and I don’t want to see him get hurt. You understand right? He’s like my brother and I only want him to be happy.”

“I get that, I do,” Darcy says, and she does. She understands completely where he’s coming from. “If I feel like things are getting to serious, I’ll be sure to stop all this as soon as I can. That’s the best promise I can make you, Liam. I don’t want him hurt either, I mean, I kinda care about the little shit.”

Hearing the fondness in her voice, Liam smiles before nodding again. “Okay, thank you. You know, for not getting angry at me for prying and such. I just need to know he’ll be okay.”

“I can only try,” Darcy tells him but feels this heavy feeling settle in her stomach. She doesn’t want to be responsible for Harry’s feelings, she’s barely able to be responsible for her own, and she doesn’t want to have to carry this guilt around with her, knowing that his closest friends trusted her not to hurt him. It’s all too much really, and she’s starting to feel a bit suffocated.

Zayn and Louis finally turn up with the rest of the ingredients and start pouring glasses of wine for everyone in between yelling what they’d like on their individual pizzas. Niall’s in the middle of listing possibly every ingredient you can have on a pizza when Darcy suddenly feels sick to her stomach, unable to handle the way Harry looks at her with so much affection when she play fights with Zayn over which wine to use or when she and Niall banter over whether pineapple on a pizza is a good idea or not.

She feels hot and flushed, like she needs some air, and all she can hear is Liam’s sensible voice telling her over and over again that she’s only going to hurt him, that whatever arrangement they’d agreed on weeks back won’t work.

“I have to go,” Darcy suddenly blurts, jumping up from where she’d been resting against Harry to grab her coat and her bag while the boys watch on in confusion.

“Why? The pizzas aren’t even done yet?” Niall questions, and Harry’s already on his feet.

“Is everything okay?” he asks slowly, looking at her in concern and god, this is just too much.

“Yes, I’m fine, everything’s fine, I just remembered I have somewhere to be. Sorry, uh, it was good seeing you all!” she finishes weakly, giving a half-assed wave as all the boys but Harry return it, sharing confused glances.

“Wait, wait, do you want me to drive you home?” Harry looks exactly like what a worried boyfriend would look like if his girlfriend wanted to walk home in the dark and this is the last thing she needs.

“No, I’ll call a cab, just, enjoy your dinner!” she says abruptly, shutting herself out of Niall’s flat and running away like the coward she is.

It’s only when she gets home, after spending the entire cab ride in a state of panic, that she realises she doesn’t want to be alone right now with her feelings and her thoughts, and it doesn’t take long until she’s inviting Nate over with flirty texts and doing her very best to forget everything else.