Status: active.
Perfect.
One
It all started the night I ended up at this party where I tried to drink away everything; my thoughts, pain, day, week, year, actually the last six years of my life. And for a while, it was working, though, in all honesty, it was just another poor idea.
“Put me down please,” I grumbled into the nape of Harry’s neck as he scooped me up and started to carry me somewhere. His dorm presumably, not so we could have sex but so he could watch over me for the night to make sure I didn’t die in my sleep. That was one of the many good qualities when it came to Harry Styles; he took good care of me, and he didn’t have to.
We weren’t dating. We were friends, just friends, and that’s all they needed to know. Regardless of our relationship status, Harry was good to me. It didn’t matter that we weren’t exclusive, after all, neither of us wanted to be. I wasn’t exactly in the position to be a girlfriend again, and while Harry hadn’t openly told me he was afraid of being hurt again was.
“Mm, Harry it’s cold out here,” I whined once we’d walked outside, or maybe we were just close to the door. Either way, I could feel the cold air from outside hitting my exposed shoulders, arms, and legs, and I didn’t like it.
“Well, Flora you’re drunk so negative I’m not going to put you down because you’d probably never make it home. Here, are you cold now?” Harry asked as a jacket was tossed over me.
I just mumbled a no and snuggled my head against Harry’s shoulder while he carried me away. I felt bad for getting wasted at this party that I hadn’t even come with Harry too since now he was leaving early to make sure I got home okay. Although it kind of revealed how much of a gentleman he was; at least towards me.
—
“Thank you for taking care of me,” I spoke softly with my eyes closed when we’d made it back to his dorm and he’d placed me on the bed. I heard him sigh and he was probably running his fingers through his curly hair ready to strangle me.
“It’s fine, really. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, plus the party was a little drab anyway. Okay I know you’re probably sleepy, but I’m going to need you to help me out with something okay?” He suggested while trying to help me stand up so he could help me slip off my dress.
I nodded my head, “okay, what’re we doing?” I asked shimming a little to help the dress slide to the ground.
“We’re changing. Surely you don’t want to sleep in that all night. I don’t even know how you were comfortable at all really,” he said before helping me slide on one his t-shirts, then I fell back onto the bed and he was slipping my heels off.
“It’s not about being comfortable,” I told him scooting over so there’d be room for us both, “it’s about being sexy so people notice you,”
“That’s idiotic,” Harry said rolling his eyes and then going to change himself before also climbing into the bed.
I made some kind of noise to acknowledge I’d heard him but was much more focused on sleep than anything.
—
When I woke up the next morning I felt like I’d been hit by a train. Which wasn’t shocking given I was unsure of how much I’d actually drank, I also didn’t remember going home with someone or at all, but I knew I wasn’t in my own bed. One because my walls weren’t beige, two I had more than one pillow on my bed, and three my room did not smell like sandalwood. Oh, yeah and I know I hadn’t gone to a party in someone else’s t-shirt.
“Here’s some water and aspirin,” Harry said walking back into the room with a cup and meds. And it smelled like he was making breakfast.
“Thanks,” I said taking it, “for this and for last night. Even though I don’t remember it,” I told him. At least I’d accomplished my goal of drinking everything away. I kind of regretted it now, but oh well it had worked for a while.
“It’s no big deal, um do you want some breakfast? I actually just finished,”
I nodded my head and slowly climbed out of his bed and followed him into his kitchen.
“So I’ve got to get to class so I’m not late. But well you know where everything is, so here’s a key if you wouldn’t mind locking up on your way out. And don’t feel rushed to get my shirt back. I’ve got plenty. Oh and if you want to just drop the key in the mailbox you can and I’ll get it when I come home. Or I’m supposed to be stopping by that new place off campus everyone’s been chatting about because well Niall wants to see what I think about it, and I’ll there be around four if you wanna find me and give it to me then,”
I nodded following along and totally understanding what he meant. Niall was most certainly the type of person who would want to try all the trendy foods. Probably so he could try and come up with his own trendy food for whenever they opened their business. Which wasn’t a bad idea, but with the way that Harry talked about trendy food it was easy to tell that wasn’t how he wanted to do things. He was probably just too nice to tell Niall he didn’t like the idea. “Sounds like a plan, have fun in class, and thank you again for last night,” I told him not sure what could’ve happened had it been someone else who decided to ‘look after’ me.
Harry just sighed and nodded his head. “Really it wasn’t a big deal. I hope you don’t make a habit of it because well not everyone is as nice as I am, but I’ll see you later,” He replied quickly before rushing out the door and leaving me alone.
—
“Are you sure you aren’t dating Harry?” My friend Amelia asked me later that day when I’d met her for lunch.
I raised a brow not really sure where she was getting any of her information from, but sometimes I wish she could have a little bit of chill when it came to things. “No we’re not dating, and before you ask no we’re not hooking up either, were-“
“You’re just friends, okay whatever you say,” she said shaking her head, clearly she still didn’t believe me, and I wasn’t sure why but I wasn’t sure of a lot of things when it came to her.
“Well, we are,” I told her which wasn’t a lie. Harry and I were friends, we’d known one another for a while so we were just comfortable around one another. We weren’t dating, and we hadn’t hooked up ever. “I just don’t understand why you and no one else believes me,”
She laughed, “Are you serious? You really don’t know why no one believes you? Let’s see you guys spend a lot of your time together, he’s always pulling you away to help him and Niall with their business plans and last I remember you’re not here for business you’re doing child development. He treats you a lot better than almost every other girl I’ve ever seen him interact with. Oh, yeah and you were both pretty close last night when he took you home.”
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “Okay well, we spend a lot of time together because we’re friends. He asks me for my opinion on things because I’m his friend and Niall’s friend and I can be the unbiased third party to help them make big decisions for their restaurant. Of course, we interact differently from he does with other people because we’re friends and he knows I just got out of a six-year relationship so I can be a little emotional and irrational at the moment. And really? I was so drunk last night I don’t even remember the party at all. Plus you know how I get when I’m drunk I get all sorts of cuddly. So unless you and everyone else have better reasons for why you all think we’re dating or even hooking up when we’re not I’d really appreciate it if everyone stopped asking me about it,” I told her annoyed now and no longer in the mood for lunch; at least not there or with Amelia.
—
When I went to meet up with Harry around 3 to give him back his key it was clear we’d both had a rough day. I was just annoyed with everyone assuming I dating again, or with them thinking I was hooking up with anyone. Yeah sure I thought Harry was attractive, I honestly don’t know many people who don’t, but that didn’t mean anything.
“How’s your day been so far?” I asked him as I handed him the key and followed him into this little pastry shop to meet up with Niall.
He sighed, “awful,” he said running his hands over his face. “I just don’t want to be here. I don’t want to try this stupid pastry shop because I don’t even want to sell pastries. I hate making them more often than not and there are already so many damn places that sell them on this block alone that we’d be idiots to do the same thing,”
“So why don’t you cancel. Clearly, you have some steam you need to blow off and just explain to Niall what’s going on and he’ll understand. It’s Niall. Plus this place will still be here whenever you are ready to try it out,”
Harry nodded his head before he quickly texted Niall explaining that it hadn’t been a good day and he’d make it up to him later in the week or something when he felt more like himself, which of course Niall understood.
“Now tell me what’s really going on?” I asked him knowing there was someone bigger than not wanting a pastry.
He sighed again. “Nora texted me earlier asking if I could meet her after our first class. I figured she just wanted something back that I still had or whatever. Which I gladly would’ve given back because I don’t want anything to do with her anymore. But no, apparently she realizes how badly she treated me and how I was so good to her and wants me back. I guess things with whatever his name is aren’t going too well and she’s looking for a way out,” he said rubbing his temple.
“Haven’t you guys have been broken up for a while,”
Harry nodded his head, “Yea we have. And she pretty much flirted with other guys right in front of me, she’d blow me off to hang out with her friends then get mad if I made plans with my own friends because I didn’t spend enough time with her. Nothing I ever did was good enough for her either. I’d buy her gifts and she’d complain either it was something she already had or something she didn’t like or like this one time something that everyone else already had so it made her look like a trend follower and not a trend setter. It took me forever to see how awful she was for me and get out of the relationship while I could.”
“She sounds awful, and I’m kind of glad I never met her,”
“How have you been? I mean I know you and Bradly broke up not too long ago because of that girl he was sleeping with, and well you did get pretty trashed last night, so what’s up with that?” He asked probably because I didn’t normally go to parties, and then when I did I didn’t get so drunk I couldn’t remember anything.
I let out a sigh and pushed my fingers through my hair wishing the last couple of weeks could’ve just gone down differently.
“Not too good really,” I told him honestly. “I was doing surprisingly well for the fact that I just got out of a six-year relationship at least for the first couple of days. Then I spent a few days crying because I’d been with him for so long and given so much of myself to him, put so much into our relationship and he just didn’t care enough to do the same. Then I hated how he didn’t care and that I’d given him so many chances and I shouldn’t have. And finally earlier this week I told myself I wasn’t going to cry anymore, I wasn’t going to wallow anymore, I was just going to live and forget all about him because he wasn’t worth it. Then I saw him with someone else which put me in the worst mood and I didn’t really get out of it until last night when I just drank everything away,”
“Well I say we just head back to my place and make ourselves some drinks,”
I couldn’t help but laugh, “you can drink if you want, and I’ll keep you company but I’m still fighting off a hangover from last night so I think I’ll lay off the drinks myself,”
He shrugged his shoulders, “suit yourself,”
—
That was how we ended up back at Harry’s place and in bed together.
We’d talked some more about other things going on in life while we walked back to his place, and once we’d arrived he went right to the kitchen to grab a drink. We popped in a movie figuring we might as well do something while he drank and we were both a little talked out. And then it happened.
Harry wasn’t drunk, he’d had all of one and a half cups of beer and I hadn’t had anything aside from a glass of soda which was sugar, not alcohol, and we were just watching a movie. But it was a classic and his favorite movie and there’s something about watching a movie about love while you’re heartbroken that makes you lonely. And we were both lonely. Or at least I know I was. So without really thinking much about it or if it was a good idea or not I’d cuddled up to Harry, and then he’d started to stroke my hair and it felt really nice.
“You know I’m not looking for a relationship right?” He’d asked me softly as the movie played in the background.
I nodded my head. “I’m not either,” I replied softly since I wasn’t looking for anything. I’d just gotten out of a relationship I didn’t want to enter into another one right now. Didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy certain things that life had to offer.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded my head again, in the moment he’d asked me I was sure. Then and there I did know what I wanted, and I wasn’t worried about anything. And yes it was stupid, but nothing I can do now. So to assure Harry that I knew what I wanted I made the move and whispered in his ear that I wanted it, then kissed his jaw until I made it to his lips.
It was an experience being with Harry. His hair was the perfect length to do everything from running your fingers through it to simply playing with it. And while he wasn’t built like other muscley guys Harry had some muscle and it suited him very well. Then there were his hands which were the perfect size and felt nice on my body. Overall it was amazing.
“Put me down please,” I grumbled into the nape of Harry’s neck as he scooped me up and started to carry me somewhere. His dorm presumably, not so we could have sex but so he could watch over me for the night to make sure I didn’t die in my sleep. That was one of the many good qualities when it came to Harry Styles; he took good care of me, and he didn’t have to.
We weren’t dating. We were friends, just friends, and that’s all they needed to know. Regardless of our relationship status, Harry was good to me. It didn’t matter that we weren’t exclusive, after all, neither of us wanted to be. I wasn’t exactly in the position to be a girlfriend again, and while Harry hadn’t openly told me he was afraid of being hurt again was.
“Mm, Harry it’s cold out here,” I whined once we’d walked outside, or maybe we were just close to the door. Either way, I could feel the cold air from outside hitting my exposed shoulders, arms, and legs, and I didn’t like it.
“Well, Flora you’re drunk so negative I’m not going to put you down because you’d probably never make it home. Here, are you cold now?” Harry asked as a jacket was tossed over me.
I just mumbled a no and snuggled my head against Harry’s shoulder while he carried me away. I felt bad for getting wasted at this party that I hadn’t even come with Harry too since now he was leaving early to make sure I got home okay. Although it kind of revealed how much of a gentleman he was; at least towards me.
—
“Thank you for taking care of me,” I spoke softly with my eyes closed when we’d made it back to his dorm and he’d placed me on the bed. I heard him sigh and he was probably running his fingers through his curly hair ready to strangle me.
“It’s fine, really. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, plus the party was a little drab anyway. Okay I know you’re probably sleepy, but I’m going to need you to help me out with something okay?” He suggested while trying to help me stand up so he could help me slip off my dress.
I nodded my head, “okay, what’re we doing?” I asked shimming a little to help the dress slide to the ground.
“We’re changing. Surely you don’t want to sleep in that all night. I don’t even know how you were comfortable at all really,” he said before helping me slide on one his t-shirts, then I fell back onto the bed and he was slipping my heels off.
“It’s not about being comfortable,” I told him scooting over so there’d be room for us both, “it’s about being sexy so people notice you,”
“That’s idiotic,” Harry said rolling his eyes and then going to change himself before also climbing into the bed.
I made some kind of noise to acknowledge I’d heard him but was much more focused on sleep than anything.
—
When I woke up the next morning I felt like I’d been hit by a train. Which wasn’t shocking given I was unsure of how much I’d actually drank, I also didn’t remember going home with someone or at all, but I knew I wasn’t in my own bed. One because my walls weren’t beige, two I had more than one pillow on my bed, and three my room did not smell like sandalwood. Oh, yeah and I know I hadn’t gone to a party in someone else’s t-shirt.
“Here’s some water and aspirin,” Harry said walking back into the room with a cup and meds. And it smelled like he was making breakfast.
“Thanks,” I said taking it, “for this and for last night. Even though I don’t remember it,” I told him. At least I’d accomplished my goal of drinking everything away. I kind of regretted it now, but oh well it had worked for a while.
“It’s no big deal, um do you want some breakfast? I actually just finished,”
I nodded my head and slowly climbed out of his bed and followed him into his kitchen.
“So I’ve got to get to class so I’m not late. But well you know where everything is, so here’s a key if you wouldn’t mind locking up on your way out. And don’t feel rushed to get my shirt back. I’ve got plenty. Oh and if you want to just drop the key in the mailbox you can and I’ll get it when I come home. Or I’m supposed to be stopping by that new place off campus everyone’s been chatting about because well Niall wants to see what I think about it, and I’ll there be around four if you wanna find me and give it to me then,”
I nodded following along and totally understanding what he meant. Niall was most certainly the type of person who would want to try all the trendy foods. Probably so he could try and come up with his own trendy food for whenever they opened their business. Which wasn’t a bad idea, but with the way that Harry talked about trendy food it was easy to tell that wasn’t how he wanted to do things. He was probably just too nice to tell Niall he didn’t like the idea. “Sounds like a plan, have fun in class, and thank you again for last night,” I told him not sure what could’ve happened had it been someone else who decided to ‘look after’ me.
Harry just sighed and nodded his head. “Really it wasn’t a big deal. I hope you don’t make a habit of it because well not everyone is as nice as I am, but I’ll see you later,” He replied quickly before rushing out the door and leaving me alone.
—
“Are you sure you aren’t dating Harry?” My friend Amelia asked me later that day when I’d met her for lunch.
I raised a brow not really sure where she was getting any of her information from, but sometimes I wish she could have a little bit of chill when it came to things. “No we’re not dating, and before you ask no we’re not hooking up either, were-“
“You’re just friends, okay whatever you say,” she said shaking her head, clearly she still didn’t believe me, and I wasn’t sure why but I wasn’t sure of a lot of things when it came to her.
“Well, we are,” I told her which wasn’t a lie. Harry and I were friends, we’d known one another for a while so we were just comfortable around one another. We weren’t dating, and we hadn’t hooked up ever. “I just don’t understand why you and no one else believes me,”
She laughed, “Are you serious? You really don’t know why no one believes you? Let’s see you guys spend a lot of your time together, he’s always pulling you away to help him and Niall with their business plans and last I remember you’re not here for business you’re doing child development. He treats you a lot better than almost every other girl I’ve ever seen him interact with. Oh, yeah and you were both pretty close last night when he took you home.”
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “Okay well, we spend a lot of time together because we’re friends. He asks me for my opinion on things because I’m his friend and Niall’s friend and I can be the unbiased third party to help them make big decisions for their restaurant. Of course, we interact differently from he does with other people because we’re friends and he knows I just got out of a six-year relationship so I can be a little emotional and irrational at the moment. And really? I was so drunk last night I don’t even remember the party at all. Plus you know how I get when I’m drunk I get all sorts of cuddly. So unless you and everyone else have better reasons for why you all think we’re dating or even hooking up when we’re not I’d really appreciate it if everyone stopped asking me about it,” I told her annoyed now and no longer in the mood for lunch; at least not there or with Amelia.
—
When I went to meet up with Harry around 3 to give him back his key it was clear we’d both had a rough day. I was just annoyed with everyone assuming I dating again, or with them thinking I was hooking up with anyone. Yeah sure I thought Harry was attractive, I honestly don’t know many people who don’t, but that didn’t mean anything.
“How’s your day been so far?” I asked him as I handed him the key and followed him into this little pastry shop to meet up with Niall.
He sighed, “awful,” he said running his hands over his face. “I just don’t want to be here. I don’t want to try this stupid pastry shop because I don’t even want to sell pastries. I hate making them more often than not and there are already so many damn places that sell them on this block alone that we’d be idiots to do the same thing,”
“So why don’t you cancel. Clearly, you have some steam you need to blow off and just explain to Niall what’s going on and he’ll understand. It’s Niall. Plus this place will still be here whenever you are ready to try it out,”
Harry nodded his head before he quickly texted Niall explaining that it hadn’t been a good day and he’d make it up to him later in the week or something when he felt more like himself, which of course Niall understood.
“Now tell me what’s really going on?” I asked him knowing there was someone bigger than not wanting a pastry.
He sighed again. “Nora texted me earlier asking if I could meet her after our first class. I figured she just wanted something back that I still had or whatever. Which I gladly would’ve given back because I don’t want anything to do with her anymore. But no, apparently she realizes how badly she treated me and how I was so good to her and wants me back. I guess things with whatever his name is aren’t going too well and she’s looking for a way out,” he said rubbing his temple.
“Haven’t you guys have been broken up for a while,”
Harry nodded his head, “Yea we have. And she pretty much flirted with other guys right in front of me, she’d blow me off to hang out with her friends then get mad if I made plans with my own friends because I didn’t spend enough time with her. Nothing I ever did was good enough for her either. I’d buy her gifts and she’d complain either it was something she already had or something she didn’t like or like this one time something that everyone else already had so it made her look like a trend follower and not a trend setter. It took me forever to see how awful she was for me and get out of the relationship while I could.”
“She sounds awful, and I’m kind of glad I never met her,”
“How have you been? I mean I know you and Bradly broke up not too long ago because of that girl he was sleeping with, and well you did get pretty trashed last night, so what’s up with that?” He asked probably because I didn’t normally go to parties, and then when I did I didn’t get so drunk I couldn’t remember anything.
I let out a sigh and pushed my fingers through my hair wishing the last couple of weeks could’ve just gone down differently.
“Not too good really,” I told him honestly. “I was doing surprisingly well for the fact that I just got out of a six-year relationship at least for the first couple of days. Then I spent a few days crying because I’d been with him for so long and given so much of myself to him, put so much into our relationship and he just didn’t care enough to do the same. Then I hated how he didn’t care and that I’d given him so many chances and I shouldn’t have. And finally earlier this week I told myself I wasn’t going to cry anymore, I wasn’t going to wallow anymore, I was just going to live and forget all about him because he wasn’t worth it. Then I saw him with someone else which put me in the worst mood and I didn’t really get out of it until last night when I just drank everything away,”
“Well I say we just head back to my place and make ourselves some drinks,”
I couldn’t help but laugh, “you can drink if you want, and I’ll keep you company but I’m still fighting off a hangover from last night so I think I’ll lay off the drinks myself,”
He shrugged his shoulders, “suit yourself,”
—
That was how we ended up back at Harry’s place and in bed together.
We’d talked some more about other things going on in life while we walked back to his place, and once we’d arrived he went right to the kitchen to grab a drink. We popped in a movie figuring we might as well do something while he drank and we were both a little talked out. And then it happened.
Harry wasn’t drunk, he’d had all of one and a half cups of beer and I hadn’t had anything aside from a glass of soda which was sugar, not alcohol, and we were just watching a movie. But it was a classic and his favorite movie and there’s something about watching a movie about love while you’re heartbroken that makes you lonely. And we were both lonely. Or at least I know I was. So without really thinking much about it or if it was a good idea or not I’d cuddled up to Harry, and then he’d started to stroke my hair and it felt really nice.
“You know I’m not looking for a relationship right?” He’d asked me softly as the movie played in the background.
I nodded my head. “I’m not either,” I replied softly since I wasn’t looking for anything. I’d just gotten out of a relationship I didn’t want to enter into another one right now. Didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy certain things that life had to offer.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded my head again, in the moment he’d asked me I was sure. Then and there I did know what I wanted, and I wasn’t worried about anything. And yes it was stupid, but nothing I can do now. So to assure Harry that I knew what I wanted I made the move and whispered in his ear that I wanted it, then kissed his jaw until I made it to his lips.
It was an experience being with Harry. His hair was the perfect length to do everything from running your fingers through it to simply playing with it. And while he wasn’t built like other muscley guys Harry had some muscle and it suited him very well. Then there were his hands which were the perfect size and felt nice on my body. Overall it was amazing.
♠ ♠ ♠
Yay chapter 1!Let me know what you think! :)