For Your Eyes Only

There was a loud banging on my door, and I cursed as I pushed myself from the warm confines of my bed and dragged myself to the entry hall.

"You'd better have a good reason for waking me up," I growled, throwing the door open. A too chipper Nicholas Grimshaw was standing there, a wide grin on his face.

"Morning to you too, sweet cheeks. Get dressed. We're going for brunch." I rolled my eyes, letting him into the flat. I walked to the bathroom, scrubbing my teeth and flipping on the shower. I knew better than to tell Nick that I wasn't going somewhere with him. He'd either guilt trip me into going or drag me against my will. There was no winning when it came to Grimshaw.

"Who's we?" I asked once I was showered and dressed. I was raking a brush through my hair and trying to pull on my boots at the same time. Needless to say, I fell on my arse. I wasn't very coordinated, and the universe liked to constantly remind me of that.

"We're meeting young Harold." I groaned in humiliation, finally managing to get both of my boots on. I grabbed my coat from the hook and slid my arms inside while trying to locate my keys.

"I don't think this is fair. I was proper pissed when I met him. Surely that doesn't justify having brunch. We're hardly friends." Harry had been by to check on me the next day, but we hadn't had a conversation since. I'd barely seen Nick within the week it'd been since I made a fool of myself.

"It was actually his idea, so if you've got a problem, take it up with him." He dragged me from the flat, down to the garage where his car was perfectly parked next to mine. Always the gentleman, he opened the door and helped me inside. I pushed my fingers through my hair, sighing as he pulled out into the street.

"Why is my presence being requested for this brunch?" I asked, picking at my already chipping black nail polish. I was in desperate need of a manicure, but on account of the constant rain we'd had for the past couple days, I decided against going out unless absolutely necessary.

"Harry finds you entertaining, and that's all I can really say. He doesn't make too many friends, but you sparked his interest."

"Of course I did. Drunken girl locks herself out of building. I'm everyone's definition of a good time," I replied sarcastically, lifting my foot onto the seat only for Nick to smack my knee as a way of telling me to put it back down.

"I think he was more impressed with the fact that you went all philosophical on him and didn't ask him for a picture."

"Why the fuck would I ask him to do that?"

"Surely you know who he is."

"Exactly, so I repeat my earlier question....why the fuck would I do that?" Nick was crazy if he thought I intentionally wanted to be photographed with Harry Styles. That was a disaster waiting to happen, and I wanted no parts of it.

"Okay, you've got a point, but I was just as confused as you were, love. I told him you were only being nice because you had half a bottle of whiskey in you. He's convinced you're some angel that's just misunderstood." I let out an unattractive snort, shaking my head.

"He's in for a rude awakening."

"I know. You're the furthest thing I've ever seen from an angel. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the child of Satan." I rolled my eyes, sinking down into the leather as he pulled into a parking lot. There were already a few photographers waiting outside, and I wasn't in the mood to be hounded by a bunch of men without proper jobs.

"Bit harsh, yeah?"

"I love you anyway. Come on, I think they'll let us in through the back." I stepped out of the car, keeping my head down as I followed Nick around the side of the restaurant. Someone was already there waiting to let us in.

"I didn't think you'd actually get her to come." Harry was grinning when he spotted us, dimples sinking into his cheeks.

"I know better than to fight with Grimmy when he wants me to go somewhere. I learned the hard way the first time I tried. Had rug burn for a week," I scowled, only halfway surprised when Harry leaned in to press his lips against the side of my face.

"It's lovely to properly meet you."

"Likewise. Now I don't know about either of you, but I'm absolutely starving." I slid into the corner of the booth and picked up a menu, glancing at the food choices. My stomach was screaming for eggy bread drowned in syrup.

"When do you start uni again?" Nick asked, nudging me with his elbow. It meant that he thought I was being anti-social. We'd only been there five minutes. There wasn't much for me to say. I didn't know Harry enough to know what was appropriate conversation.

"2 weeks, and it's back to the hell hole."

"You're a uni student?" Harry asked, staring at me in surprise.

"Yeah. What, did you think I sat around on my arse all day?" I quirked an eyebrow at him, trying to see if I could guess what his answer was.

"Well, yeah, kind of." I shouldn't have been offended. I was used to people thinking I was a spoiled little girl that got everything handed to her.

"Can't say I blame you, considering the position you found me in, but no. I do not sit on my arse all day." I sipped from the glass of water that was set down in front of me, enjoying the refreshing feeling it left in my stomach.

"What are you studying?" And this was the turning point for all of my friendships. The people that had known me for years thought that I was absolutely mental. More recent friendships thought I was bloody brilliant. Others thought that I was lying.

"She's going to be the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the UK." Nick spoke like a proud parent, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I cleared my throat awkwardly, tugging at the ends of my hair.

"You're studying to be a surgeon?" Harry eyes were wide as he stared at me with something that I wanted to think was admiration. It wasn't a look I was used to seeing from males when they found out what my planned profession was. As far as the world had come to make sure that there were equal rights for women, there were still misogynistic douche bags that thought a woman's place was in the kitchen.

"Don't look so shocked. I might have been pissed the first time we met, but I'm not an idiot." He quickly shook his head and held his hands up, but I wasn't actually offended.

"I didn't mean—" I cut him off, letting out a small laugh.

"It's alright Harry. I'm just busting your balls." He looked like he wanted to throw up for half a second, which only made me laugh harder.

"Told you she was a bitch," Nick finally decided to chime in, a wide grin on his face. He was used to this sort of behavior from me, but Harry looked terrified.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to be saving lives one day. That earns me a one way ticket into heaven." I sat back, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I think we both know you have a seat waiting for you on the right hand side of Satan." I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"You're just a ball of happiness this morning. Insulting me more than usual? Seems like someone hasn't gotten laid in a while." I smirked, taking another sip of my water as his cheeks turned red.

"Do you actually believe saving lives is going to get you into heaven? Because your language alone would make the Lord take one look at you and pull the lever." I laughed because he was probably right. I had the worst potty mouth, especially when I was angry.

"Well, it has to have some effect. I'm a ginger, which apparently means I have no soul. I need all the help I can get." I heard a snort that didn't come from me. Harry was across the table, trying to hide his laughter behind his hand and failing miserably.

"Oh look, I've made him laugh. Have I passed the test?" I asked Nick, batting my eyelashes. I knew I was supposed to be getting some sort of stamp of approval from this outing, though I didn't actually care whether or not I got it.

"With flying colors." I tried my hardest not to complain about the lack of customer service when our waitress finally arrived, using the excuse that they were busy and short staffed in the kitchen. She seemed completely starstruck by Harry's presence, but I kept my comments to myself. Nick was giving me a look that told me to be on my best behavior.

"Letty's calling you." Nick said as my phone started to vibrate against the table. I grabbed it, pushing Nick to make him slide out of the booth.

"Who's Letty?" Harry asked as I answered the phone.

"Colette. She's the other half of this demon seed." In a very childish manner, I stuck my tongue out at Nick, holding the phone up to my ear.

"Is that Grimmy? HEY BITCH!" She loved him more than I did on account of the fact that he let her feel him up on several drunken occasions.

"Hey. When are you coming home? Ash's being grumpy." I rolled my eyes and moved back into the corner of the booth. I regretted introducing the two of them. They nearly always forgot about me anyway. It was bullshit.

"That's why I'm calling. I'm at Heathrow, and I wanted her to come get me." Nick put the phone on speaker and set it in the middle of the table. A few people glanced in our direction, but neither Nick nor Harry seemed to care.

"We're at brunch right now. Can you take a cab?" I asked. I really didn't want to leave before I got my food. My stomach felt like it was going to eat itself.

"Fuck you. I called because I didn't want to take a fucking cab. You're an asshole." The line clicked off, and I sighed, knowing I was in for a world of shit when she made it to my flat.

"She sounds lovely," Harry said, smirking behind his cup.

"Like I said, she's the other half of this one. The two of them together are a molotov cocktail waiting to explode."

"Oi! I'm actually offended by that. I think we're a bit better than a molotov cocktail, thank you very much. You can make those things anywhere. I'm one of a kind." I flipped my hair over my shoulder, giving Grimmy my best death stare. All he did was laugh at me and clap his hands together once our food finally arrived.

"How long have you and Colette been friends?" Harry asked, trying to keep the conversation going. I wasn't one for small talk, especially when I was trying to shovel as much food into my mouth as possible. It was unattractive and unladylike, but I didn't care much for manners unless they were absolutely necessary.

"Since we were little. We've been wreaking havoc on London since the tender age of 3."

"She sounded American."

"Her mum was born over there, and when her parents split, so did her time. She was there six months out of the year and here the other six months, but she decided to stay in America once she hit 18. She only just decided to move back. Claimed American men were wankers. But I told her that before she decided to stay permanently. No one ever listens to me." I shoved more eggy bread in my mouth and attempted to chew with my mouth closed while Nick stared at me in disgust.

"Were you raised by wolves?" He asked, handing me a napkin, though he already knew the answer to the question.

"I might as well have been." My father was a dick, but that's what I loved about him. He didn't really give a fuck about anyone's feelings. I was the exception to every rule. I was daddy's little princess despite the fact that I'd always been a problem child. It's why I wasn't surprised when my mum left, but she needed us more than she thought. I just hadn't told my dad that I was still in contact with her. He'd have my throat if he knew.

"Your parents can't be that bad." Harry struck me as the type of person that saw the good in everyone. I had enough sense to know that people were shitty. It made things less hurtful when they decided to show their true colors.

"You've never met them." I wasn't too keen on telling people who my father was. I'd had issues in the past of people attempting to befriend me for the wrong reasons. Obviously, Harry had experience with that, but I didn't want to reveal my life story just yet.

"We have to throw her a welcome home party."

"You never throw me any random parties."

"I threw you a party when you got into medical school, love." He had a point, but that wasn't a random party. That was a special occasion. Everyone was shocked when I got into medical school. No one in our circle was surprised that Letty made the decision to come home.

"That doesn't count. That was actually something to be celebrated. Letty coming home doesn't call for celebration. She's probably going to get us arrested her first night out." It wouldn't be the first or the last time that she got us in trouble with the law. Letty liked to get drunk, and when she got drunk, all of her common sense went out the window.

"I wouldn't doubt it, but you know she's going to complain if we don't make a big deal of her return." She would. Letty was a drama queen. I'd always told her to try her hand at acting, but she was more focused on how many shots she could take before she blacked out.

"Fine. We can throw her a party, but we're doing it at yours. My flat isn't getting destroyed. She's not worthy." I felt bad for not including Harry in the conversation, but I still wasn't sure what to say to him, and he hadn't spoken to me directly since he mentioned my parents.

"Harry, you'll be in attendance, right?"

"I wasn't sure I was invited, but yeah, I'll go. Letty sounds like a good time." He was smiling, a sweet, naive smile. Letty was a shit storm that was going to do everything in her power to get into his pants, but I was going to let him figure that out for himself.