Grade 8

Gemma was watching Lux while Lou tried something on Lena's hair. Lux was having fun with the new scooter Harry had bought her.

"Where are you going?" Gemma asked as Harry ran past her.

"To ask Lena something." He said giving her a grin. "I'm finally going to listen to you."

"What?" Gemma asked but Harry was already gone. She looked down at Lux who was playing on her scooter. "He's so mysterious, don't ya think Lux?"

Harry continued down the hall until he reached Lena's door it was open he could see Lena sitting in a makeup chair while Lou did her hair.

"Lena." Lena turned her head mindful not to make the hot iron hit her skin. Harry was standing in the door a red blush creeping in to his cheeks went their eyes met. "Uh can I ask you something?"

"I suppose." Lou stepped back allowing Lena to give Harry her full attention.

"Well, uh, I was wondering if you'd want to go out with me tonight?" Harry stumbled over his words his blush only deepening, one of his large hands coming to scratch at the back of his neck.

"Like, what, a date?" Lena asked utterly shocked by Harry's question.

"Um, yeah, a date." Harry shook his head. "Would you want to go on a date with me tonight?"

Lena looked at Lou then back at Harry waiting for someone to jump out and say Gotcha! But as the seconds passed that never happened. "Sure."

Harry gave her a nod of his head then turned on his heel retreating out of the dressing room without another word. The door closed behind and Lena still stared at where he had been.

Lena turned to Lou her eyes wide. "Did I just agree to go out with Harry?"

"Looks like it love." Lou laughed at the look of shock on the young girls face.

"Well that's rather inconvenient considering I swore to hate him for all of eternity."

"Well looks like that won't be happening." Lou said going back to doing Lena's hair. "This is quite the surprise, innit?"

"I don't know why." Lena mumbled. "We haven't been getting along and now all of a sudden he's asking me out. Bipolar that one."

Lou just laughed at Lena's grumbling unsure herself what Harry was up to. It had only been a few days since his last drunken meltdown over Alexis. If he was truly trying to move on from her then Lou couldn't be happier, but if she found out his intentions with Lena were anything but pure she would have to hurt him.

"This is so strange." Lena mused her face scrunching up in confusion.

"Maybe he's turned over a new leaf?" Lou asked giving Lena a smile. "Come Len, tell me how much you fancy Harry."

Lena's face turned a bright shade of red. "Wha-I-I don't know what you're talking about. I don't fancy him!"

"Alright." Lou chuckled not believing her in the slightest. "Well he obviously fancies you."

"You think so?" Lena sounded so hopeful.

"He wouldn't have asked you out if he didn't."



Harry had told Lena to be ready by ten to go on their date. As soon as her set was over Lena went to work on making herself look good for this date. She spent time pulling her dark hair into a high ponytail the curls Lou had put in them earlier still holding up. He told her he couldn't tell her where they were going just to wear anything. Being a girl this meant Lena was left confused on how to look.

She found a black tank top with a sugar skull decorating the front. She paired that with jean shorts and her black vans. It was simple but she felt like it looked alright enough.

Before she knew it Harry was knocking in her door causing her heart to speed up and those annoying butterflies to act up again. Pulling open her door Harry stood there in his plaid shirt and too right black jeans with those brown boots Lena secretly loved; and Lena was sure her knees might give out. He was the same Harry she had seen everyday but it was different now.

"We're going to walk if that's alright?" Harry asked now holding open the doors to the hotel for Lena. "It's not too far from here."

"That's fine." Lena answered.

They kept a distance between each other not sure how to go about this. Lena wanted answers, she wanted to know why he was doing this, and when his feelings had changed. They hadn't spoken to each other in days when he suddenly asked her out she was more confused then anything, it was shadowing the excitement she should have felt. On top of how awkward they were feelings just ending around each other again Preston was their chaperon for the night, although he was following in a car and would stay in said car until they were back at the hotel.

"So, um, I'm a bit confused." Lena finally broke the silence. When Harry gave her a confused look she continued. "We hated each other yesterday."

"I never hated you." Harry said looking away. "We just didn't get on that well."

"Alright but that still doesn't explain why you would want to take me on a date."

Harry stopped walking giving Lena his full attention. She was looking at him her confusion clear in her eyes. It was in that moment that he realized he could never use her like he had planed. She would end up hurt and he didn't want that, he didn't want this insecure girl to feel anymore insecure then she already did. While he was regretting asking her out he was determined to have a good time with her no matter what.

"Lena, I think you're beautiful." Which was the truth he found her beyond beautiful. "I think you are so talented and determined. A little stubborn but I kind of like that. I like you." He wasn't necessarily lying to her, he did think all of those things, but did he like her enough to move on from Alexis; no.

"I guess I'll except that answer." Lena said fighting off a smile. "Come on we have a date, remember?"

After that they walked a little closer to each other the weird tension gone. Lena wasn't questioning things any longer instead coming to the conclusion to just enjoy herself.

"Well this is it." Harry stopped in front of a closed door the lights in the window off.

"We're getting tattoos?" Lena asked looking up at the tattoo shop jaw dropping.

"I thought this would be an appropriate first date." Harry said looking unsure of his decision. "We can do something else if you want."

"No this is great." Lena said excitement palpable. "This is so cool!"

Harry knocked on the door a few seconds later it opened a large man standing now standing in front of them.

"Hayden my man!" Harry greeted shaking hands with the man. "This is Lena."

"Hi Lena, the names Hayden." Hayden shook her hand his grip hard. "Lets get in here and this shit started."

Lena followed them into the shop, it wasn't Rich's shop but it would do. As they walked to the back where a chair was set up already a light illuminating the area.

"Is there anything you've been wanting?" Harry asked taking a seat in the chair first. "I already have something picked out but you can go look if you want."

"I know what I want." Lena answered. "I've been eating a cross on the inside of my left wrist for awhile now."

"Really?" Harry's smile widened. "I'm getting a cross on my hand."

It didn't take long for Harry's small cross tattoo to be done. Lena looked over it nodding her head in agreement that it looked great but she kept her excitement for it down. It was her favorite of his tattoos hands down.

"You look like you're used to this." Hayden commented when Lena sat own in the chair Harry had been in. He was in the middle of cleaning up his station and switching out needles.

"Oh yeah." Lena laughed. "I lost count of how many I have now."

"So this little thing should be a peice of cake."

Lena set her arm down on the small arm rest. Hayden was just going to free hand this one like he done with Harry's no outline needed. The familiar buzz of the tattoo machine started and Lena watched transfixed as the needles hit her skin. There was the initial shock of pain but it was so familiar she didn't mind. She had spent hours under these needles it was second nature for her to take her mind somewhere else until it was done.

She could remember the first tattoo she had ever gotten. The one under her bra line the small letters etched into her skin by Rich when she was just sixteen. After that it was almost like a drug she was in his shop every week begging for more. It wasn't until she was eighteen that he willingly gave her whatever she wanted. It only took a year for her to have a full sleeve done, all of them holding meaning. Her left arm was still a work in progress but she knew soon it would be done as well.

"How's your step dad going to like you getting tattooed by someone else?" Harry asked.

"He'll deal." Lena joked with a shrug.

"Your dad's an artist?" Hayden asked interested.

"Yeah in Arizona. His names Rich Hently owns the Bare Knuckle Tattoo Parlor." Lena told him a note of pride in her voice.

"I've heard of him!" Hayden replied. "He's pretty good."

"Better then good." Lena corrected with a smile. "He's the one that did my whole arm."

Hayden looked at her arm more closely then having a name to the tattoos now, his enthusiasm making Harry smile. He enjoyed listening to Lena explain her tattoos a brightness to her eyes that he had only seen when she spoke of her music.

"I got drunk and thought I could fly but ended up falling down a hill." Lena recounted pointing to a Raven on her upper arm. "So I got a bird to remember that awesome moment in my life."

Harry's smile was constantly there listening intently to Lena's stories. "You are one crazy girl."

Lena gave him a smirk. "You have no idea."

"Alright, Lena, you are all done." Hayden turned his machine off a smile playing at his lips. "It was a pleasure to get to tattoo you."

"Thank you!" Lena said looking at the solid black cross on her wrist. "This is great! I love it!"

Harry and Lena bid goodbye to Hayden after that. Harry had already paid for the tattoos and for letting them come in after hours. Harry pointed down the block.

"There's a pasta place up here." Harry told her and then bravely took her hand in his.

Lena looked down at their hands willing her blush away. "That sounds good." She said bringing her eyes up to meet his.

Inside the restaurant they were taken to a back table per Harry's request. They fell into an awkward silence now that they actually had to talk to just each other they were both speechless.

"Is your hand alright?" Lena asked not looking up from her menu.

Harry looked down at his bandaged hand. "Yeah it's fine. What about your wrist?"

"Doesn't hurt at all." Lena shrugged. "I've kind of gotten used to it."

"Are you ever going to tell me what that one on your ribs is?" Harry asked looking up to give her a small smile.

"Maybe." Lena said her smile sad. "It's not a fun story."

"They can't all be."

"Tell me about some of yours." Lena said wanting the conversation away from her. "In sure you've got some stories behind those."

Harry smiled. "Not really. I kind of just let people doodle on me."

"Really?" Lena deadpanned. "Please tell me that's not true."

"Some of them." Harry smiled looking at his arm. "Some have meaning but for the most part I just went a little crazy."

Lena smiled, it was such a Harry thing to do. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Why's that?" Harry asked setting his menu down his eyes trained on Lena.

"You don't really seem like the type of person to think about consequences too much." Lena answered. "From what I've seen anyway."

"I think you think about consequences too much." Harry commented. "You need to try the whole no consequences thing some time."

"I don't know about that."

"Come on. We can start tonight." Harry grinned loving his new idea. "We just have to run around all night doing whatever we want."

"What would be doing exactly?" Lena asked humoring him now.

"What ever the fuck we want." Harry proclaimed. "It's a night of no consequences, Lena, the world is in our hands."

"Calm down, Styles, we need to finish dinner first." Lena waved him away.

"One of these days Lena I'll get you to do this with me." Harry said looking down at the table for a moment. "Just you wait and see."

Lena shook her head at him not saying anything. She was secretly hoping he would stick with that promise. A night of absolute no consequence fun with Harry sounded like the perfect night.