“Problems” -h.s. - Part 2
Masterlist
Part 1
Today was a bad day. But it didn’t start that way. It started like all her days did. As soon as she woke up she started her coffee (she had a Chemex- because she was honestly that extra- and even though it took a little longer than any other coffee making methods known to man- y/n did it every morning). After she started that she always goes through the motions of washing her face, brushing her teeth etc. She did everything she normally did- there was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing new.
But as she went through her day, she felt a cloud cover her and her heart felt heavy. Sometimes this happened- there wasn’t always a reason for it. Sometimes it just dropped in, like an old friend checking up on you. She wished there was a reason because if there was a reason there was something to fight against. Instead, there wasn’t, it was just a bad day that she had to push through, a bad day that she had to fight in order to keep above water. So she went through her day as normally as possible. She did her best- she really did- but sometimes her best didn’t cut it. She knew her voice was barely above a whisper, her hair seemed a bit dull, her shoulders drooped and her face lacked the usual smile she sported. Even her eyes betrayed her- people always told her how her eyes always gave away how she was really feeling.
Harry notices as soon as he walks through the door. Y/n wasn’t sitting on her couch or in the kitchen like she normally would be. Instead, she’s curled up like a ball in the corner of her bed. Trying to make herself as small as possible. She wants nothing more than to make herself look as small as she feels- everything was overwhelming. Everything seemed so much bigger than her. She was so useless and stupid and she didn’t understand why anyone wanted to be her friend. Did she even have friends? Or did they just feel bad for her so they took her in like some stray? She feels a hand on her waist and tenses for a moment before she smells the familiar scent of Harry’s cologne. She doesn’t make a move and Harry sits with her- not talking or moving, just letting her know that she isn’t alone.
“Hi,” her voice sounds pathetic to her own ears and she winces. Moving out from under the cover she’s wrapped up in, Harry is sitting on his phone but closes it as soon as she emerges. “Do you want some tea?” Is the first thing out of Harry’s mouth and y/n is eternally grateful to have him as her best friend. She nods her head and he pushes some hair out of her face before getting up and making his way to the kitchen. Harry had made a habit of coming over as soon as his classes were done every day just to check up on her. Sometimes she had really good days and he only popped in for a second before leaving. Other days, like today, he would stay for a couple of hours. Make her some tea, put on Netflix and let her rest her head in his lap while he scratched her scalp. He never pushed her to talk about what she was feeling, he just accepted that some days she didn’t want to talk while other days she was like a 24-hour Taco Bell- always open. Y/n didn’t know what she did to deserve him but every day she was glad she had him. He never tried to ‘fix’ her. Never. He never told her that it was all in her head and that she could get up and do things if she really wanted to. Didn’t tell her that the anxiety she has about going to places by herself isn’t real. He never made her feel stupid for feeling the way she did. It was something she wasn’t used to if she’s honest. All throughout high school, she heard from people that her mental health problems weren’t actually problems. They were just things that she made up in her head for attention. For a while she believed them, and she pushed herself to the max- she was always busy doing something because she was told that as long as she was busy she wouldn’t feel like that- except she did. It made everything so much worse. She cried herself to sleep at night (when she only got three hours of sleep max if she was lucky), she had panic attacks and it took a toll on her body. So not only was she doing horribly mentally but also physically. It burned her out and for a while it seemed like she was never going to get out. But then she left for uni and all the people who told her it was in her head were gone from her life.
Suddenly she could breathe. She could take a nap if she wanted to (although she never did because she had this fear of wasting time), she could take a mental health day and just lie around doing absolutely nothing. Even on her bad days, she was doing better- something she didn’t ever think was going to happen.
Getting up from her bed y/n made her way into the kitchen and watched as Harry fixed her tea exactly the way she likes it. He moved around her kitchen like he belonged there and she couldn’t complain. It was nice to have another person around- it meant that she wasn’t so alone anymore. “Look at you- proper housewife you are.” He turns around and gives her a wink over his shoulder before picking up both steaming mugs and walking to the table to set them down. She’s still standing in the doorway and he makes his way over to gather her in a hug. Kissing the top of her head and holding her close for a second before pulling back. “Hi,” his dimpled smile makes an appearance and she pokes them with her index finger. “I love these,” her voice has a dreamy quality to it and it makes Harry smile harder. “Come on, let's sit down and drink those so we can hurry and watch Netflix for a while yeah?” Pulling away from him she sits in her usual spot and watches as he occupies the head of the table like always.
He tells her about his day and how his Mum was thinking of making a trip to see him. “Oh, Harry that would be so good! I know you miss her, haven’t seen her since Christmas.” He nods his head at her looking excited. “Told her all about you- said she can’t wait to meet the famous y/n.” She feels her heart speed up and a shy smile makes its way onto her face. “You told her about me?” Her voice is quiet and his smile turns into something soft. “Course, you’re my best friend and one of the most important people in my life. My mum’s heard loads about you.” She feels stupid for being so happy that he talks to his mum about her. It didn’t mean anything- they were just friends, but she couldn’t help the stupid happy smile she had on her face.
“There she is,” Harry says the words quietly and smooths his thumb across her cheek before pulling away. “Ready for that Netflix?” She nods her head and almost trips on the way to the couch because he gave the best head scratches.
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Y/n was sitting in her lecture scrolling through Twitter on her laptop when a message pops up on her screen. She forgot to turn off the sound when she got to class and ducks her head when several turn her way at the sound- hitting the silent button before opening the text and reading what it says.
Heard there’s a joker running around campus dressed as the Flash and has become quite popular among the student body - bet if we dressed up like Batman and Robin we would be even more popular, don’t ya think? xx
She rolls her eyes at Harry’s ridiculous text and tries to think of a reply while also trying to look like she was paying attention. They did this a lot- texted each other stupid things that never really had any true intentions besides being mindless banter to get them through lectures. They’d been doing this since they first became friends and it was something she looked forward to- he always said the most random thing that came to mind. Y/n couldn’t count how many times Harry had made her burst out laughing getting her a look from the professor and her fellow students.
if we dressed up as anything it certainly wouldn’t be Batman and Robin. can’t count how many times that’s been done. if anything we’d be something more OG.
She presses send and waits for the next text to come through. He always got mad at her when she didn’t capitalize her words and used her slang- she just couldn’t help it. Capitalised letters made her feel too formal and no one talks like their in a formal meeting in texts to their best friend. She only had to wait a minute before a new message popped up on the screen almost making her laugh out loud and getting her in trouble- again.
You’re right. We would be Richard Gere and Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman. Think you would look real nice in a suit and tie. xx
She was sitting next to her friend Nick and when he saw that she was holding back a laugh he pulls her computer screen towards him and rolls his eyes. “Ohh I like him,” he winks at her and turns back to the professor telling her under his breath she should at least try and look like she was paying attention. She goes back and forth with Harry until her class is over. When she walks outside the room she’s surprised to see the devil himself leaning against the wall across from the door. When he sees her a shit eating grin makes its way onto his face and he bows at the waist sweeping his hand out waiting for her to reach him. “Hey- what are you doing here?” The words came out ruder than she intended but it doesn’t stop Harry one bit. “Wanted to see my favorite girl and maybe convince her to go to First Watch with me in the morning? You can stay at my place- that way I can drive and you can just sleep on the way there.” Y/n groaned and started walking towards the exit with Harry in tow.
“We’d have to be there by at least 7:30am- when is the last time I have volunteered to get up before 8:30am?” He walks in front of her to open the door and slides out beside her grabbing her arm and steering her towards the quad. “If I remember correctly it was last week when you volunteered to drive Evie to the airport at 6am- with me in tow might I add.” She ignored the whine in his voice and found her favourite table to sit at and motioned for him to sit too. He did so without much grumbling but was looking at her like he was going to start grumbling at any second if she didn’t say yes to First Watch. It was the cutest food place in town and everyone wanted to eat there. It opened at 8am every morning and closed at 12pm- meaning if you didn’t get on the list you didn’t get to enjoy the delicious food. The only downside to going there was if you didn’t get your name down early you’d have a hell of a wait ahead of you. They made the mistake of going at 8:30 once and ended up waiting in line for an hour and a half- something they never would’ve done but their friends had all gone and raved about it (which was rightly so because they had the best food y/n had ever tasted).
Harry was looking at her pleadingly and she gave in with a resigned sigh. “You have to promise you’ll wake me up with coffee AND I want your bed.” He smiles at her and she feels like there is something she’s missing when he says in a calm voice, “you want the bed? Then you can have it.”
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“H- I am not sleeping in the same bed as you” Y/n was standing at the foot of Harry’s bed where he was already laid down in boxers and a t-shirt. They had come back to his place after getting food and he told her how they were going to share a bed because his back was bad. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem- they had shared a bed plenty of times when she’s spent the night because his bed is quite big and she did her best to stay on her side (although 9 out of 10 times she woke up wrapped around him). This time it was different though- she couldn’t put her finger on it but lately, the dynamic between them had changed. It was closer than before- more intimate.
“Love, we’ve slept in the same bed plenty of times. Just get in here- I’m tired and we have to be up early.” She stood at the foot of the bed for a second before walking around and sliding under the covers. “ ‘m not putting on pants for you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of asking you to.”
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“Hey we’re here- do you want to wait in the car or stand outside with me? Either way is fine.” She cracks her eyes open to see a very sleepy looking Harry staring at her. She has half the mind to make him wait alone but she knows he doesn’t like to wait by himself so she moves to take her seatbelt off and opens the door to get out. She’s walking to the back of the line and becomes confused when Harry grabs her hand and walks her to the front. Her confusion turns to excitement when she sees a group of familiar faces at the front standing in a group.
“What- what are you guys doing here?” In front of her stood Evie, Alexa, Niall and even her friend Nick from sociology.
“Harry said you needed your friends so here we are. We know we haven’t been here for you recently but that wasn’t on purpose- we just wanted to give you the space we thought you needed. But that’s over now, we’re here and available whenever you need us.” Evie wraps y/n into a hug and she feels tears burn the back of her throat but she quickly swallows them to hug everyone else. Nick told her how Harry texted him out of the blue last week requesting that he show up for this early breakfast if he was really your friend. Niall was a little grumpy about being up so early but told her he would do anything to see her smile again. Alexa puts her arm around her shoulders and kisses her temple because the girl was taller than her and knows y/n likes being wrapped up in affection. They stood around and talked until the hostess finally opened the doors and let them sit down. They had to bring two tables together to fit them all but in the end it worked out. Harry sat to her right with Alexa at her left. Niall across from her with Nick on his left and Evie his right. They were all chatting animatedly among themselves and almost didn’t notice the waiter who had been trying to get their order for several minutes. It was ridiculously early in the morning but Harry insisted they all have a mimosa to celebrate being together again after all doing their own thing for awhile. He made this long and lengthy speech about friendship that made them all groan with how sentimental he was being but he knew that y/n secretly loved it- she was probably the softest out of all of them.
She was in the middle of telling Nick and Niall how she was thinking about moving in with a roommate because she was tired of being alone but she didn’t know who to ask when Harry cut in abruptly and told her he had an extra bedroom. “Harry I couldn’t impose like that- I know you like having your privacy and alone time. Plus tha’s where your study is! You love that study.” He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a side hug, “nothing would be better than my privacy and alone time being interrupted by my best friend. And I can move everything in there somewhere else. I rarely use the room anyway.” He gave her a cheeky smile and she argued with him for a few more minutes before agreeing with a loud “OKAY OKAY! Guess I’m movin’ in if you insist.”
The next hour with her friends was pure bliss. They all joked around and took dumb photos on each other’s phones with Harry taking a very artsy picture of them all holding their empty mimosa glasses in the air. “G’na caption this ‘it’s 5 o'clock somewhere’.” He told her when he opened his Instagram to post it. Soon the fun was all over and they all left in their own cars only for them to show up at y/n’s telling her they were there to help her pack.
“Guy we literally just decided I was going to move in, I don’t even have someone to rent our this apartment yet.”
“Ahh but you do remember my friend Victoria that told me she was looking to move into an apartment by herself?” Nick stepped up with a boyish grin on his face watching y/n as she nodded. “Well- turns out she is in desperate need of her own place ASAP and I told her during breakfast that I had a potential place for her to live that she could sublease from a friend and she just texted me back telling me to let her know when she could move in. So, with that all being said if we have you moved out by the end of this week you could be all set up Harry’s by the end of this month, how does that sound?” She looked over at Harry and he snatched up his car keys from where he set them down on her living room table.”Let’s go get some boxes.”
The next week was one of the most hectic of y/n’s life. She was originally going to rent storage for the furniture that she had but Nick convinced her to just rent the furniture to Victoria while she accumulated the money to actually buy it from her. The only furniture she ended up taking was everything in her bedroom and her favorite living room chair that just happened to match Harry’s couch perfectly. Between going to class, homework and moving by the time Friday rolled around she was absolutely exhausted and very grateful for the friends that showed up when she needed them. She was so busy she didn't even have time to overthink what she was doing and how this could turn into a potential disaster. Sure, she had her up and downs this week but they weren’t nearly as bad as they had been two months ago- and she could honestly say a lot of that had to do with Harry. He showed up when she needed him but he never allowed her to wallow in her self-pity. He convinced her to get help from a professional after a particularly hard day a month ago and it just seemed like everything was falling into place. She was moving in with her best friend and the rent was a lot cheaper than where she was staying at even though the apartments Harry (and now her) lived in were much nicer.
“I’m going to the store do you want anything while I’m out?” Harry told her he made a run to the grocery store every other week and that they could switch off on who would buy groceries. He was standing in the doorway to her new room that was only half unpacked. “Almond milk, pineapples, tomato soup, fresh strawberries and tampons please.” Y/n doesn’t look up from what she’s doing but when she doesn’t hear the front door open or shut she finally looks up to see Harry staring at her. “What H?”
“ ‘S just… I forgot that having a uh… period is a thing.” They stare at each other in complete silence before she bursts out laughing. “If you’re uncomfortable with grabbing tampons H just tell me, I can go out and get them myself.” He stands up straight from where he’s leaning against her door with a loud, “NO! I can do it- ‘m a big boy. Just forgot is all. Doesn’t bother me one bit. It’s all part of the beautiful natural process of being a woman.” She’s holding back laughter so she doesn’t make him feel bad and instead nods her head with a huge smile on her face. “ ‘’ppreciate it, now go and hurry back so you can help me unpack some more.”
It took awhile but when Harry came back from the store it seemed he bought more than he originally went for. He had lots of food but also lots of candy and a heating pad that he presented her with upon arriving. “Kno you said that sometimes your back kills you during this time of the month and I researched that heating pads are supposed to be really good for that and I bought chocolate because I also read that they are good for relieving cramps- although not sure how true that one- oof.” Y/n practically threw her body at Harry’s and pulled him into a soul-crushing hug mumbling how great he was and that she loves him so much into his chest. He simply laughed and kissed the top of her head, pulling her into an even tighter hug while saying “love you too.”
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Y/n found that living with Harry was effortless. They fell into a routine that fit them both quite well. Every morning Harry had some kind of breakfast made that she could take on the go when she woke up (he was always talking about how breakfast was the most important meal of the day so she ate it to make him happy). Harry always got home from classes first and like the proper housewife he was, there was always a steaming cup of tea and some type of snack waiting for her. He obviously did all the cooking which he was fine with because y/n dealt with all the cleaning and decorating. After she moved in she realized how much of a bachelor pad he lived in and that just wouldn’t do. It always had a home feeling to it but Harry told her once that her being there and adding little pieces here and there really made it a home (which warmed her heart so much it brought tears to her eyes and Harry teased her relentlessly for them). She felt so at home. And not just in the apartment but with Harry.
“Please tell me you and Styles have finally admitted your feelings for each other and are planning a summer wedding.” Y/n pulls out the chair next to Alexa at the bar and thumps her on the shoulder. “No we have not because for one- Harry doesn’t feel like that about me and two- I would never plan a summer wedding, it’d have to be in the fall or spring.” Y/n orders her drink from the bartender and tries to ignore the look Alexa’s giving her but gives up after a few seconds. “What is it woman? Just spit it out.” Alexia sips her drink gingerly before turning to face y/n fully and putting her hands on the other girls shoulders.
“Babe- you’d have to be stupid to think that Harry doesn’t have feelings for you- AH! Let me finish.” Y/n grumbles a little but picks up the drink the bartender bringers her and sips it without saying a word, telling the girl with her eyes to continue. “As I was saying- you’re not stupid so don’t act like it. Harry wouldn’t have gone out of his way to make you happy and to ensure that you’re healthy mentally and physically if he didn’t like you at least a little bit. Don’t get me wrong- he is an exceptional guy that does go above and beyond but he doesn’t do as much for anyone as he does for you. Hell- he cleared out his study for you and insisted that you lived with him. That is above and beyond what a friend does.” Alexa finishes her speech and waits for y/n to say something but she didn’t know what to say. Sure, she noticed that Harry did go out of his way to make sure she was happy and healthy but she did the same thing for him. Maybe not on the level that he did but she did go out of her way. Like she knew that he likes having clean sheets so she strips his bed every other day and washes them before spraying lavender on his pillow because he expressed once that he likes to smell it before falling asleep at night. Or how she drove 30 minutes at least once a week to his favorite bakery to pick up muffins that didn’t even last three days in their apartment. The truth is- y/n knew what Harry did for her. How he made pretty much every meal she consumed, threw her favorite throw in the dryer for a few seconds before they cuddled up on the couch to watch Netflix, never complained with the obnoxious amount of times she watched Criminal Minds (something she’s seen over a million times) instead of watching something new. It was the little things (and the bigs things) that they did for each other that people picked up on. Alexa and Evie had been texting her nonstop wondering when she was going to finally make things official with Harry and from what they told her Niall and Nick were bugging Harry too.
“I just don’t know Alexa.” The other girl sighed but didn’t bring it up for the rest of the night. They talked about everything but Harry and while it was nice it also made her miss him ironically. When it hit 2am she kissed Alexa on the cheek and wished her goodbye before catching an Uber home. When she walks into her apartment it was nice and cold- just the way she likes it. She walks into the living room to find the tv playing softly in the background while Harry was asleep on the couch. Tip-toeing over to him and she sinks down to her knees before running a hand through his hair- softly coaxing him awake. He blinks up at her owlishly before knuckling at his eyes and asking a sleepy “what time is it?” Y/n has the stop herself from cooing at his sleepy self and answers his question instead. “ ‘S half-past 2, what are you doing lying on the couch H?” He sits up slowly and knuckles at his eyes some more before clearing his throat. “Wanted t’wait ‘til you were home before I went t’sleep- in case you needed me or somthin’.” Y/n’s heart feels like it could bust at any moment and she grabs his hand to lead him to his room.
“You’re too sweet to me H, Lexa says hi.” He doesn’t say a word as she leads him to his room. His room was bigger than hers but she didn’t mind it one bit because contrary to popular belief the dude has more stuff than she does. His bed is huge and she moves to pull back his covers gesturing for him to get in. Harry doesn’t say a word when he lays down and she sits on the edge of his bed combing her fingers through his hair. “Thanks for waiting up for me.” His eyes were closed but he reaches out and grabbed the hand that was laying in her lap and brought it up to his mouth giving it a small peak. “Anytime.”
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Y/n was tired and really annoyed. Harry promised her they would leave two hours ago but he was still tucked away in the corner with some girl that kept touching him. They were at this new club that had just opened with the rest of their friends but she couldn’t focus on anything that was happening around her because her eyes inadvertently carried themselves back to Harry. “Do you wanna dance?” Evie was pulling her off the seat she hadn’t left since they arrived and y/n tries to tell the other girl no but she wasn’t taking no as an answer. She tries to tug away once more but Evie has a strong hold on her wrist so she lets herself be dragged to the dance floor and doesn’t object when Evie puts her hands on her shoulders yelling at her to move. At first she feels a little awkward but after a moment she loosens her muscles and allows her body to move to the music. “That’s it girl! WHOO!” Evie is pulling their bodies close and they are laughing- dancing like nobody's watching. Y/n feels someone at her back and turns her head to see Alexa. “You didn’t think I’d let you guys have all the fun did you!” Evie laughs and grabs Alexa’s arms effectively smushing y/n between them and she isn’t mad about it. These girls have been her friends since the first semester of Uni, they all banned together after the campus coffee shop was closed for construction and y/n was the only one with a car, she offered to drive them to the coffee shop off campus. They ended up spending the whole day together talking instead of doing the work they originally ate out to do. They were all close and very comfortable with each other making the way they danced not a huge deal- it’s just what they did. There wasn’t anything sexual to it but a few hoots and hollers cut through y/n’s hazy mind and she ignored them like she always did. Except the hoots continued and when she opens her eyes again she feels big burly hands on her waist trying to pry her from between Evie and Alexa. “Stop- hey what are you doing!” There’s two of them trying to wiggle between the girls and they smell strongly of the whiskey that’s served at the bar. “Jus tryna hav sum fun,” he’s slurring rather hard and y/n’s trying to stay calm because Evie looks like she’s a second away from throwing up while Alexa looks ready to throw hands (something she’s done before and it never ends well).
“We’re just going to sit down now- we don’t want any trouble.” Y/n had read enough about women rejecting men that turned out badly and despite the fact that they were in a full club no one had even turned to see if they needed an out. “Come on girls,” y/n starts to pull her friends away when she feels a hand on her wrist digging fingers in hard enough that she knows she’ll have a bruise in the morning. “Didn’ say we were finished.” Just when she feels herself being pulled back another arm comes into view and she’s relieved when she sees its attached to Niall. “Best let her go lad, this won’t end well if you don’t.” Niall was probably the least violent person y/n knew but standing there watching his face set into hard lines and sharp angles- it wasn’t the same Niall that she was used to. Behind him stood Nick and his friend Liam who tagged along and after a moment's hesitation the hand on her wrist loosened and she was pulled into Niall’s arms while Evie and Alexa cling to each other.
“I want to go home Ni, please take me home.” Y/n speaks the words into Niall’s shirt and she feels him nod and kiss her head softly. “Let me tell Haz,” she doesn’t let go of him and he doesn’t let go of her. When they reach him, Harry’s cheeky smile is wiped off his face as soon as he sees y/n clinging onto Niall for dear life. “What happened?” The girl who sat next to him was forgotten as he stands and tries to pull y/n into his arms but she didn’t want him at the moment. A look of hurt crosses his face but he listens as Niall tells him what happened and his face turns hard. “She wants to go home, think we’re all going to head out actually. I can take her back- you can stay if you want.” Harry is shaking his head before Niall is even finished talking. “I’ll take her home.” Y/n pulls back from Niall’s chest and grabs his hand instead, asking him to walk her to the car and he agrees with a soft smile. The next ten minutes are filled with everyone walking out to their separate cars and y/n’s glad that Harry decided not to drink tonight along with Niall so that they could drive everyone home. Nick takes an Uber and she sends him away with a hug assuring him that she’s alright. Evie and Alexa get into Niall’s car and promise to let her know when they arrive home and she promises to do the same.
The ride back to the apartment is quiet and y/n can almost feel Harry holding back words. His hands are tight on the steering wheel and he didn’t offer her the aux cord like he normally does when they get into the car. Their apartment is still lit up by the fairy lights they decided to leave on so that it looked like someone is home. Harry immediately walks to the kitchen and starts to make tea. Y/n sits at the island watching him work and for the first time since they moved in together the air is filled with tension. “I’m going to sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.” She says the words softly and is about to clear the room when she hears Harry start to talk. “I should’ve been there.” Ah, so that’s why he was so quiet. “There’s nothing you could’ve done that Niall and Nick didn’t do. They handled it, nothing happened.” She leans against the doorway and watches as his hands tighten around the cup he’s holding. His eyes are darker than they usually are and she knows he angry at himself.
“I should’ve been there- you know what? We should’ve been gone ages ago, I told you we were leaving and then I didn’t leave. This is my fault.” Y/n furrows her brows and walks straight to where he is leaning against the counter. She stands right in front of him but doesn’t make a move to touch him. “ ‘S not your fault H, it’s no one's fault but those damn drunks thinking they could touch whoever they want.” He holds out his hand and she takes it without question letting him pull her into his body. He rests his face in her hair breathing in and out for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak. “I didn’t even want to be in the corner with her ya know. I wanted to be snuggled up on the couch with you but she was so nice and told the funniest jokes- felt rude if I just up and left. ‘M sorry for not leaving when I said I would.” She tells him it’s okay and pulls back from him. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Without another word y/n walks out of the kitchen and to her bedroom closing the door with a soft click leaning against it.
Y/n’s not gonna lie- she was kind of angry at Harry. She didn’t blame him for the situation but she was angry that he was snuggled up in the corner with another girl but just admitted that he had wished it was her he was snuggled up with on their couch. She was angry because she felt like he didn’t see her the same way she saw him but he treated her like she was the best thing that happened to him. Y/n was angry because she was completely in love with her best friend and roomie while he seemed to have no trouble at all pulling other girls in the same vicinity as her. And she was also angry that Harry didn’t see what he was doing to her. There was no way he didn’t know how she felt about him yet he never addressed the subject. Never pulled back.
She made a decision right then and there- she had to be the one to pull back because he wasn’t going to and y/n needed to protect herself before she got hurt. She wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her ever again.
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“I’m going to stay at Alexa’s tonight.” Harry looks up from his bowl of cereal and y/n feels her stomach do a summersault. In the morning his face was still a little swollen and his lips redder than usual.
“ ‘M stayin’ in tonight, have a huge paper to write.” Y/n nods her head at him once before moving to the door and her heart pounds a little harder when he yells out “have a good day honey!” Right before she closes the door behind her.
They hadn’t really talked at all these past two weeks and it was all y/n’s doing. She stood by her decision to pull back- so when Harry invited her for nightly snuggles she suddenly had a lot of work to do. When he wanted to go out just the two of them she was tight on money, and when he woke up in the morning she always made sure she was already gone. Niall told her she was going about it all wrong, that she should take the time to talk to Harry but she couldn’t bring herself to. Y/n was never really good at conflict- it was the one thing she avoided at all costs. At this point, Alexa and even Nick were starting to think she should talk to him but every time she gathered the courage to do it she would walk away like a coward. Alexa suggested that she spend some time away from their shared apartment and stay the night with her so that’s exactly what she was going to do. She had an early morning yoga class she was on her way to (something Evie talked her into) and after that she was spending the entire day out with the girls- getting their nails done and doing some damage to their bank accounts. They were having a long overdue girls day/night.
Yoga was the workout she didn’t know she needed and Evie promised her that there were three more free sessions she could attend before deciding if she was going to get a membership or not. Alexa brought up Harry a total of three times, each time she asked if y/n had talked to him but honestly y/n didn’t know why she bothered to ask- everyone knew that Harry had been talking to Alexa trying to get information out of her as to why y/n wasn’t talking to him. But like a true friend she kept tight-lipped and said she would see what she could do- hence why she was so insistent on y/n talking to him. Midday y/n had a phone conference with her therapist so she took the call in the privacy of Alexa’s bedroom while she and Evie made cookies. She had decided to do phone conferences with her therapist every other week while she went into the actual office between phone calls. It was what worked the best for her and it was nice to have someone to talk to. It helped with her getting to a better place and she was in a much better place than two months ago when Harry came to her apartment and refused to leave until she told him what was wrong. Thinking about Harry made her heart do a little squeeze and she suddenly wanted to take a nap- something she usually tried to avoid at all costs but she was so drained. Right when she was going to climb into Alexa’s bed there was a knock at the door and she yelled a tired “come in!” She expected Evie to be on the other side but jolted up straight from where she was sitting on the bed when she saw that it was Harry.
“H- what- what are you doing here?” He stood in the doorway in her favorite yellow t-shirt and light wash jeans (she always praised him when he wore the two pieces of clothing but he had never worn them together before). “I came to talk to you, I convinced Alexa that you were never actually going to tell me what was going on and tha’s okay- I am willing to wait for you to tell me but what I can’t wait to do is tell you how I’m feeling.” He walks into the room and shuts the door behind him with a soft click before sitting on the bed in front of her. He keeps twisting his rings around his fingers and she wonders what he’s about to say that’s making him so nervous.
“I’m g’na tell you something- it’s a lot and I need you to just listen to it all before speaking okay?” Y/n nods her head at him and leans forward to show him that he has her full attention. “Okay, okay cool.” Harry runs his hand through his hair once before letting out a breath and attaching his eyes to hers. “Do you remember the first day we met?” She furrows her brows and nods at him, “I had just finished coming back from a party and there you were.” He looks away from her for a moment and his eyes land on the open window, he doesn’t look at her when he starts talking again. “ Sitting at my favorite table in my favorite diner. You had your laptop opened and were trying to type while simultaneously shoving a burger down your throat- a proper lady I’d say.” Y/n leans forward to push him a little making him chuckle and he grabs her hand before she has the chance to pull away. He plays with her fingers while he talks, “I don’t kno what possessed me to go to the diner- all I wanted to do was fall into my bed but I found myself driving there instead and when I saw you sitting in my booth- I knew why I was there.” He intertwines their fingers and looks into her eyes again. “I knew I was there because I was meant to meet you- there is no other explanation. So- I sat down across from you and decided that by the end of the night I was going to get your number.” He lets out a little laugh and y/n looks down at their intertwined hands between looking at him once more. “Except you wouldn’t give it to me, said ‘if it’s meant to be it’ll be’.” He snorts and brings her hand up to his mouth to press a kiss to it. Her heart feels like it’s going to burst at any moment. “I was proper annoyed with you but then I saw you the next morning at my favorite coffee place. And when I went up to you the first thing you said was ‘buy me a coffee and then we can talk’.” He pauses for a second before letting go of her hand in favor of placing his hand on her face- running his thumb up and down her cheek. “After that I just couldn’t stay away. I fell in love with you.” Y/n’s heart is beating so hard in her chest she fears Harry can hear it. His eyes were staring into hers and she couldn’t look away. “I fell in love with you because you are kind, crave smoothies at the most ungodly hour, are the most selfless person I’ve ever met, you always call me out on my shit and you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’m in love with you- and I should’ve told you sooner.” Y/n is speechless, out of all the things she thought he was going to say- none of them involved him being in love with her (okay that was a complete lie but she didn’t expect his declaration of love to be this sweet). “If you don’t say something in the next few minutes I might think you don’t love me back.”
“I love you too, I do,” and Harry smiles wide showcasing his dimples before pulling her face closer to his and their lips collide messily with their teeth clashing for a moment before they find their rhythm. His lips are soft against hers and she tastes strawberries- leading her to wonder if that was her lipgloss or if he had just eaten strawberries before coming.
Harry pulls back first giving her a quick peck before leaning his forehead against hers to catch his breath. “ ‘m really glad I drove to the diner that day,” he peaks her lips once more and she smiles at him like he hung the moon.
“And I’m really glad you decided to be an absolute menace and interrupt me while I was in the middle of writing the best paper of my life.” Harry shakes his head with a grin on his face, kissing her softly before pulling back. “You know, when a guy confesses his feelings in the movies the woman always turns into a mess- why did I get stuck with the one woman who would calls me menace? Why is fate so cruel?” Y/n starts to giggle pulling back. “This isn’t the Notebook H.”
“Yeah? Well, that sucks because they have some great sex I think.”
