The dreamer meets the miserable. - (5.1k) [series introduction] angst
(2) the miserable
Violet gets a surprise visit from a not so pleasant person. - (3.6k) angst
(3) cupid
Violet tells the mythological story behind her tattoo.. - (5.9k) angst
(4) psyche
Violet gets more out of Harry than she ever expected she would - (8.3k) angst
(5) before
Harry unexpectedly caves in.. - (5.3k) angst
(6) pretty angel
Harry steps into Violet’s world, but he doesn’t stay long - (6.7k) angst
(7) after
Violet decides to give Harry another chance.. (8.5k)
(8) wonderland
Violet can’t control her nerves and Harry can’t tame his thoughts.. - (6.2k) angst
(9) to be wanted
Violet comes to a conclusion about Harry’s feelings.. - (10.8k) angst
(10) last kiss - available now on patreon
(11) different - available now on patreon
(12) the need - available now on patreon
(13) the desire - available now on patreon
> part 1 teaser <
> part 2 teaser <
> part 3 teaser <
> part 4 teaser <
> part 5 teaser <
> part 6 teaser <
> part 7 teaser <
> part 8 teaser <
> part 10 teaser <
🖤 extras 🖤
complicated (photos & playlist update)
small death (photos & playlist update)
waiting game (photos & playlist update)
and love (photos & playlist update)
[tattoo artist h x fmc]
An unexpected friendship sparks between a creative, bubbly girl and a moody, angsty tattoo artist. Violet meets Harry and immediately feels some kind of connection form between them. He tends to be very toxic and often treats her like she’s not important, but only when they’re around other people. Behind closed doors, he’s a different person who shows her affection and love. She’s unable to let go of the possibility of fixing him. He can’t stand the thought of admitting how he really feels. Her efforts to change him might not be enough.
[angst, smut, toxic]
warning: this will be extremely toxic. he is going to be mean, angsty, and hurtful at times (never physical, I won’t write any physical violence ever!!) - this is the super toxic concept I’ve talked about before. (the ivy series was just me dipping my toes into angst writing..) — alcohol use, drug/substance use, violence, harsh language, other dark themes
[fmc will have a name but limited to no descriptions — the name is just to make the writing process better for me]
> playlist :: spotify <
Cover image belongs to me. Collage image belongs to me.
ribbon banner credit: #cursed-carmine on tumblr
tattoo themed banners credit: #saradika-graphics on tumblr
Two weeks passed in a blur while also being painfully slow.
And all you did was stay in bed, drink and think. The only time you were sober was in the morning until the kids were off to school. It wasn't healthy, and everyone could see it now, even the kids.
Amie was getting frustrated cause she wanted to go home and be with her dad, Emiel was frustrated cause he was catching onto the whispers and murmurs going around.
No one was asking anything but everyone knew something was wrong.
You, while there, also searched for some apartment to rent. You thought of buying one first, but seeing the situation you were in renting was for the best.
The kids were your major priority through all of this and you have been trying to reach Harry for last week to get him some time spent with kids but he neither picks up calls or sees your messages.
Kids went to school in morning and the couple went to work when you decided to clean up their house before leaving. Whatever few things you had with you were packed and you were dreading the trip you will have to make back home that house to get other things back.
You were fine without your clothes you could wear and buy something, but it's other things like Amie's Simba teddy or Emiel's comic collection or his textbooks. You needed to get those things.
You were done with the kitchen when the doorbell rang. You thought it might be Bran since he likes to come home for lunch sometimes. You quickly wiped your hands and opened the door.
But to your surprise, it wasn't Bran. It was the one and only backstabbing whore, the homewrecker aka your sister, standing there in your clothes.
It made your blood boil. The whole two weeks sadness was slowly turning into anger but seeing her just catalyzed the process.
"What do you want? Wasn't breaking one home enough that you came for the second one?" You said through your teeth.
She smirked and dropped the box down near your foot, making some items slip out.
"I just wanted to help you out sissy. Brought some of your clothes back, although I did keep some. The only redeeming quality you have is your dressing sense and cheekbones" She laughed, but your ears were ringing when you realized which dress she was wearing. Harry let her wear that dress? that?
Harry twirled you around on the sidewalk, both of you enjoying the time without flashes of camera and shouts of people.
You giggled as he yanked you closer to him and kissed you sweetly. You two were coming back from your first official date. Many times, you two have gone out or have eaten together, but this was the first time he officially asked you out, picked you up from your house, and even bought you flowers! They were tulips his favorite, and they were soooo pretty.
You were happy with anything he gave you cause you were pretty damn sure you were already in love with him.
He brought you to a posh sushi restaurant but he could take you to a roadside dump and you would have still loved it. Now you two were returning back home with ice cream as dessert.
It was the best day of both of your lives.
Now that you recalled that day you saw how it was only company of Harry you enjoyed and how he did all the things he liked. The food, the flowers, everything was what he liked not you.
You felt panic creeping up your back. Your vision turned blurry, your hands shaking along with your body. Pair of hands gripped your shoulders and sat you down on the couch.
You looked up and saw identical pair of eyes looking back at you with nothing but emptiness. She didn't feel anything not a tad bit of sadness or remorse for doing this to you. She brought glass of water to your lips and forced you to drink it. You sipped some and coughed rest out.
"Why are you doing this? I'm your sister!" You cried out, more and more hot tears falling down your face. She just rolled her eyes and stood up straight.
"Cause you deserve it" She said, "You deserve everything I'm doing. Taking away your husband, your kids, family, everything you love, like you took everything I love" She said, her matching saphire eyes to your gleaming with hatred.
"What the fuck did I took from you? I fucking raised you when our incompetent parents where getting drunk off their asses" You screamed, now standing tall in front of her.
"Raised me?" She chuckled, "Whole childhood I spent in your shadow, I was nothing but your sister. You were out there getting on with celebrities, going to award shows being the favorite loving child of our parents while I did everything and still was nothing" She screamed back.
"You saw all that but you didn't see me suffering? I was right fucking there few years older than you raising two kids" You screamed pushing her back making her stumble.
"And you also killed one!" She screamed louder. You didn't know how it happened but one second she was looking into your eyes with matching anger and next second her head whipped to the side with a bright red mark on her cheecks.
Time stood still as you both took deep breaths. Everything was silent but the crack that formed in already damaged relationship of two sisters was louder than anything.
"Murderous bitch" She spitted and turned around leaving you all alone like always.
A loud sob broke from your lips and you fell down onto the couch. Your whole body was shaking so bad you didn't even notice when you had slipped from the couch onto the carpet and when Emiel came in and hugged you from side.
"Mom!" He cried, panicking, "Mom please you're bleeding! what is going on?" He asked while sobbing himself.
Not knowing exactly what to do, he called the only person he did whenever he was in tough situations, Harry.
He called and called and called but no one picked up. No one.
With shaking hands and betrayed heart, he called the emergency number and tried explaining everything, and soon enough the paramedics were at the doorstep taking you to the hospital.
It was blur for both of you, Emiel was trying to balance both himself and you but it was god damn hard and all he kept asking was where was his dad? where was Harry?
"Hey kid" One of the medicos from the team came and sat next to him, "Is there anyone adult who I can talk to? Your dad perhaps?" He asked.
Emiel was trying to make his mind work, "Is mom okay?" He asked with broken voice.
"She will be" He said with a sympathetic smile, "Trust me she will be, I just need an adult for papers and all" He said.
"Yeah, my father" He said and gave Elliott's number instead, not knowing if Harry would pick up or not.
"You're a good kid. You protected your mom. Good job" He said, giving Emiel a pat on the shoulder and walking away.
Soon enough, Elliott was there with his messed up clothes and hair and heaving like he ran a marathon.
"What happened?" He asked, Emiel just shook his head and started crying again. He hugged his father, and Elliott hugged him back, rubbing his back to comfort him.
No matter what, he was just a 13 year old kid, and it was a scary situation to be in.
"She was not speaking, and there was blood. I got so scared, and Dad was also not picking up my call so I called the emergency number" He said in between sobs.
"It's okay. He was probably busy. Now I need you to be strong for your mom, okay? She is dealing with a lot here, I will be back in a moment" Elliott said, pushing back hairs from Emiel's face. Emiel gave him a weak nod and tried to compose himself.
As he was about to leave but Emiel heald his hands, "Pa, are those rumors true?" He asked.
Bran didn't know how to respond. How was he supposed to explain this to a 13 year old? And neither was it his place to do so.
"Be strong Emi" He just said that and kissed his son's forehead hoping and knowing you will take all the pressure of this whole situation like a god damn dam holding the water pressure before anything reaches kids but for that he needed for you to be okay.
He ran towards the room you were in, while he was on his way there, he texted Bran to pick up Emi from here and Amie from school.
He reached the room and opened the door with shaky hands, you were wide awake staring at the ceiling.
"Hey dolce" He called out to you but you gave no response, he swept the hair back of your head. The weight loss you had in past weeks was very evident, your hollow cheeks and fragile body was making his heart ache.
"I lost it" You said, "I lost the baby" You said with not a single emotion behind your words.
"Oh darling, I'm so sorry" he said, his own eyes tearing up knowing how much you wanted a big family and kids.
"Maybe I'm cursed" you said, "Cursed to lose everything that I love dearly" you said, looking up at the ceiling, the white light of hospital burning your eyes, but you couldn't look away. It felt good. It felt good punishing yourself for a crime you didn't even know if you committed or not.
"Don't say that, just cause people are cruel doesn't mean you are cursed" He said, "You need to be strong, for yourself, for your babies" Elliott said holding your hand in his, "The future doesn't end cause a man cheated on you, you're a fucking emmy winner actress, kind, gorgeous woman who is not a amazing mother but also a amazing human being"
A single tear dropped from your eyes as you took in the words. It was nice to be comforted, but the bed was still made of thrones, and life did end. The future was dark and empty. Awards were a hollow struture sitting on your office wall, and the only thing making you go on was your kids.
"Emi is scared Y/N and he's asking questions I'm in no place to answer" He heaved a sigh, "You have to tell him sooner or later he's a big kid now rumors are getting to him" He explained.
Words felt empty to you though, what was the point of all this? Was this a character development phase like those in movies and books go through? But haven't you been through enough? A single mom, child actress, the horrors you have phased all throughout your life was not it enough that as soon as you grasped a thread of security, it broke?
Who was to blame, you, your sister, your husband, or your fate?
Even if you do play this blame game what's the point? your life is ruined, your kids will have trauma for life and you have a brokenfamoly again.
So it was right to assume you were cursed. Curse of a broken family.
*****
"And then she said get the fuck out of my house. I think she's fucking her ex again" She said taking sip of her drink, "I mean she looked pretty comfortable there"
Harry felt a visible chill going down his spine. The thought of you going back to your ex was an intense one. It's not like he still loved you he loved her, right? It was just concern considering you guys have been together for 6 years.
Anothet thing that made him uncomfortable and on edge was that this was first time he was out with her publicly. Although the place was discrete and not in the eyes of public. He felt weird when she chose this place cause this was yours and his place in corner of world where no one bothered you but things change don't they?
"I don't think so" He said, putting his glass down, "I think we should leave before someone sees us" He said, looking around, hoping there were no cameras pointing at him.
"Seriously? What is now? She has left then why should we still be in shadows?" She said loudly not enough to make every hear but enough to get few attention.
"Look we will talk about this at home right now it's too much for me" He said gulping down the rest of his wine and getting up, "Meet me outside I will call the driver" He said leaving the table.
His hands were shaking as he walked outside feeling uncomfortable and like it was wrong so wrong. But love is right, isn't it? Then why did it felt wrong.
He called the driver and in few minutes he was in front of him. She came out pouting like a child which annoyed Harry to no extent.
"Let's go" Harry said, holding open the car door.
"I'm sorry baby" She said looking up at him softly, "I just got made cause I want you all by myself" She said and got up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
He smiled and kissed her back, "It's alright" He said and pecked her lips one more time. She laughed and got down, going back into the car.
Although he didn't feel uncomfortable, there was this feeling that something wasn't right.
Liked by Harryfan2, Y/Nfan3, Y/Nfan1 and 345,901 others
StylesNews Harry and Y/N spotted near their favorite restaurant
View all comments.
Y/Nfan3 They look so cute
Harryfan1 Bestie...that's not Y/N
Y/Nfan4 She has nerves to wear her clothes!?
Y/Nfan2 Is that Y/N's sister? Wtf
HarryY/Nfanacc this why divorce rumors are going around?
*****
When Harry saw those photos the next morning, he knew he was in deep shit. It didn't seem to phase her, not even a little bit, which annoyed him. Does she not care about her reputation? does she not care about him? You would have gone up with your managers and been with him if something like this would happen, then why wouldn't she?
He called Jeff how rolled his eyes and gave him a 'I told you so' look but he was his manager so he had no choice. Damage control was on in about an hour but photos had people talking and it was spreading.
His mum, Gemma and dad called him several times, but he didn't have hesrt to pick it up. He didn't have the heart to pick anyone's phone, so he just switched it off. If Jeff needed something, he could call him on his professional phone.
Panicky he ran hand through his hair and walked towards his room, hearing faint voices when he got closer.
"Yes, thank you so much" she said with happiness.
"Who was that?" He asked, accidentally scaring him. She put the phone down on the nightstand and walked towards him.
"Oh nothing," She said with a strained smile, "just the modeling gig I applied to. I got it!" She said with sudden happiness.
Harry's eyebrows shot up, since when did she model he thought but let it go and focused on the smiling girl in front of him, whom he was totally in love with.
"That's great babe" He said kissing the top of her forehead.
"I know right why don't we celebrate it by going out to that Italian restaurant!" She suggested, "I'm really craving some gnocchi" She moaned.
"We went out just yesterday. I think we should give time to let things rest before going out and being seen again" Harry said. She rolled her eyes and pushed him making him stumble.
"Fucking wuss" She said before walking into the shared bathroom with her phone.
It has been two weeks of lying and moping aeound for you and reasonably enough. The pregnancy was early, so you not detecting it made sense, but it was still hard to cope with.
Not only did you lose your husband but also your child all in the span of less than a month.
Enough was enough now, though you told yourself you still had 2 loving, beautiful kids who needed you, and they also needed their dad.
His phone has been off as Elliot had tried multiple times to reach him so kids could have at least one parent but to no avail. Emiel was old enough, so it was okay he was snappy and closed off like he used to be, but your babygirl? she was a mess. She wanted her dad and rightfully so.
You got up and showered you had contacted your friend and manager Chloe disturbing her much needed vacation and honeymoon.
She had no idea from being off the coast of what was going on in the whole social media mess, but it was getting ugly. The pic of them in front of your restaurant didn't make things easy for you, but it was about time you took action.
She was seething when she heard of the cheating, considering she was one of your close friends.
The first thing you needed to do for getting your shit together was to get out of the house and search for a place to stay until a decision gets finalized.
You got up from bed, your whole body aching, dehydrated, your hair knotted. Cold air made you flinch as you made your way to the bathroom. You looked like shit. You looked like that 20s Y/N again who had lost herself but you wouldn't go there again never.
You got ready and dressed in simple jeans, a T-shirt and a long coat as it was getting cold, you put on a pair of sunglasses to hide your puffy eyes. You locked the main door and hid the keys under a stone (poor hiding spot, I know). You took your car and drove to the retailers office with whom you talked in the morning.
In front of the building, you took a deep breath in. This was it, the first step. The first step towards leaving everything behind. Towards a new phase, you don't even know what it is.
You popped open the golve compartment and reached for the cigarettes you hide under all the paperwork. You needed something. It had been so long since you had one probably years.
You got out of the car and lit one up, not wanting your kids to smell the smoke in the car. It was an empty, quiet street, and you were thankful for hat cause you were in no mood to find another picture of yourself on the internet.
Finishing the cigarette, you walked inside the building chewing on the mint you have in your pocket. You saw the mid-40s man standing there for you with a big smile.
"Welcome ma'am" He said with a smile, "I've been waiting for you." He walked towards his office and sat down on his chair. You sat down in front of him, sighing, still feeling slight ache in body.
"So what kind of property are you looking for?" He asked.
"Probably a rental. I don't have it in my mind to stay for long," you said, "Maybe a big apartment with at least 3 rooms," you said, falling back in the chair.
"And please let it be near the school." You said telling the name of school your kids were in. He nodded and typed away on his laptop.
"There are some but not a lot. Maybe 4-5" He said with a sad face. You looked through all the apartments and saw one you found most liveable. It had 3 rooms, an open space kitchen living situation, more like a condo, but it was nice.
Not home but a house.
*****
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Y/Nupdates Y/N spotted out today by some fans.
View all comments.
Y/Nfan2 God she looks rough, poor soul.
Harryfan2 She should address the things going around about her and her husband it's damaging his image.
Y/Nfan3 I heard she was looking for an apartment
Harryfan3 How do you know?
Y/Nfan3 My uncle is the retailer she went to
Y/Nfan1 I hope all is good, I love them together
*****
You finalized the apartment and drove with him to see it in person, and as you expected, it was nice with all the brick walls and high ceilings. Your son would love this, you thought, and that put at least a glimpse of smile on your face. You decided on that house and did all the procedures needed right away.
You were moving in the day after tomorrow. You were determined now. You got through hardships since you were born. You have been used, abandoned, cheated, and betrayed, but not anymore. You will take charge of your own life.
All it mattered was you and your kids no more, no less.
*****
Username1 Omg guys my dad said the girl from Cinderella came into his building to rent an apartment from his property. He met Y/N fucking Monet I'm going crazy!!!!!
230k Likes, 22k Retweets, 890 comments
Y/Nrry Rent an apartment!?
Username1 Yeah he said he didn't recognize her at first but after that he remembered on his way home. She looked pretty sad and roughed up.
Harryfan1 Omg guys is this official?
Y/Nfan3 I'm not crying definitely not
*****
As you walked towards the door, you heard noise of laugh, a special laugh, it was your daughter's. For a moment, you felt thankful, thinking maybe Harry came to his senses and thought at least about his kids, but it all got lost when you saw Chloe playing with her.
Everyone froze seeing you, Amie ran towards you, and you pulled her up in your arms.
"You're up mama" She said putting her little hands on your cheecks, "Are you okay now? Elliott said you're sick" She asked pouting.
"Yeah baby I'm fine now" You said fighting tears and pulled her into a closer hug but all of your resemblance broke when she said 'missed you' in her little voice. You abandoned your kids when they needed you the most you were no less than a monster.
"I'm sorry" You said, kissing her cheeks. Emiel watched the whole thing and walked towards you. You reached thinking he would hug you, but all he did was take Amie from your arms and walk back to their room.
You broke down feeling failure as a mother, wife, and everything you could be. You were failure build up as a person.
Chloe ran towards you, still in her vacation clothes, and hugged you, rubbing your arms up and down. Elliot gave you a glass of water when you calmed down a bit.
"I will kill that motherfucker" Chloe said into your hair, "I will fucking destroy him" She was seething as she kissed your head in affection.
"Don't" You said, looking up with watery eyes.
"After everything he put you through? Still? I told you he was not worth it, that pompus, narcissistic bitch" She said seething.
"He's more than just a man, Chloe. He's the father of my kids. I don't want them to hate him." You said, putting your head on the sofa behind you.
Chloe sighed and rubbed her forehead. You knew she was getting a headache, and if things were normal, you would be having tea and gossiping about her honeymoon, but that was ruined that also.
"You need to take some kind of action some kind of upper hand" Chloe said, and Elliot nodded in agreement. "Especially with your bitch sister" She said rolling her eyes.
"I need to get my things from the house first. Kids and my stuff all are in there, and I'm thinking of moving the day after tomorrow" You said now, looking up at the wooden ceiling.
"You can stay for longer it's no big deal" Elliot said, but you shook your head. "I've stayed longer than I should have" You replied with a small smile.
"We will go tomorrow and get your stuff. You don't need to go and look at their filthy faces" Chloe said, sitting beside you mimicing your posture and looking up at the ceiling.
"No, I want to go also" you said, sitting up straight, "I think I want to have a chat with him, and we are going today"
*****
You were driving in your car, and Chloe was with Elliot in her car. You had left just an hour after making up your mind. Would've left sooner, but Chloe wanted to quote on quote wanted Harry to see what he had lost.
You did nothing more considering you had no clothes at Elliot's house. She just swapped t-shirt with your trusty black turtleneck and put on some of your red lipstick and did just enough makeup to look presentable and also hide your dark circles.
As the house started nearing your heart, it started beating faster. You took a deep breath and kept driving. The gate lock still had your biometric on it, considering you lived there, so it was no difficult task to get in.
You kept it together even though the house that was once your home, a place where your sweet angel was born, a place of remembrance was now just some walls and bricks.
You got into the house and walked down the entryway, everything was somehow was same as it was yet it was different. Everything was different, you were different.
On your way to the staircase, you saw him. Him, the love of your life or the one who was love of your life, now he felt like a remembered stranger. You didn't know how and when it happened. When did he become that stranger? Was it six months ago when the cheating started or when you caught him? or when you finally decided that it was okay to go forward? You didn't know, and maybe you didn't want to know...
*****
Okay, so this was getting too long, and I felt like it would be frustrating to read this much so there will be a part 2 soon, soon in my terms as when I start writing as my exams are coming but it will be soon I hope you enjoy this.
I am getting ready for Niall's birthday party and right now I'm undecided on what to wear.
"Harry!", I shouted to my boyfriend of 3 years in the middle of the stairs in just my bathrobe
"What?", he replied coming to me
"Can you help me out?", I asked lifting two hangers with dresses on it.
"Hmm.. the black one, the red one is too short", he said. I rolled my eyes with a small smile on my face at his remark on the red dress. Of course Harry would say something like that. He can get really protective sometimes well.. all the time actually.
"What's with the rolling eyes, love? I just don't want others to see what's for my eyes only.", he smirked. I blushed and smiled at what he said, "Okay."
I walked upstairs to change and apply a little makeup on.
"Babe! You ready?", he called out from downstairs
"Yes.", I said walking downstairs
I walk up to Harry, and he was wide eyed. I began to feel self conscious.. "Do I look okay?", I questioned. "'Okay'? You look stunning, love!", he proclaimed.
"Oh shut it, Styles!", I said blushing
He just laughed and stated, "Let's go, we're already running late."
We got into his black Range Rover to head over to Niall's house
********************
We got into Niall's and the house was already crowded, a lot of celebrities were there.
When me and Harry started dating, I wasn't use to see people that I just used to see on the telly and meet them personally but I got used to it when Harry would bring me to special occasions from time to time.
We walk in the house with our hands intertwined, looking for the birthday boy.
Harry's POV
When we walked inside the house, I already saw a lot of men eyeing up Y/N, like she was a piece of meat that they wanted to taste.
But that won't be happening. She's mine and only mine.
We are looking for Niall and finally we already saw the birthday boy.
"Thank you, future Mrs. Styles", he smirked and laughed
I saw Y/N blushed and she hid her head in my chest as I laughed
"Aw, can't the two of you just get married and have babies already?!", Niall exclaimed
"We're going there at the right time, Ni.", I smiled at the thought of marrying Y/N and having her as the mother of my children in the future.
One day.
Y/N's POV
"Babe, I'll just go get us drinks.", Harry said
I blushed even more at what Harry replied to Niall's remark, "We're going there at the right time, Ni.", I smiled at the thought of Harry being my husband and the father of my future children and my heart flutters because Harry thought of that future too.
"Okay.", I smiled.
********************
I was having the time of my life on the dance floor
Someone is grinding behind me, at first I though it was Harry coming back from the loo but then I turned around and saw that someone
Definitely not Harry.
My eyes widened, "Uhm, excuse me.", I said struggling to get out of the dance floor since most of the people were there.
I finally got out of the dance floor
Where's Harry?
********************
Harry's POV
I just got out of the loo and was about to search for Y/N, i'll just get drinks for the both of us.
When I finished getting the drinks, I turned around, about to search for my girl but then I saw her with some asshole grinding behind her, holding her waist, they were on the dance floor.
I will just wait for Y/N to figure out that, that bloke wasn't me.
My blood is boiling right now. But I don't want to cause a scene because I don't want to ruin Niall's Birthday Party.
I. am. absolutely. furious.
Y/N's POV
When I got out of the dance floor, I didn't struggle finding Harry because he's eyes were already narrowed on me..
Shit.
I am really in deep shit right now.
"Harry, I ca-", I was about to explain but he cutted me off
"We're going home, now."
********************
It was dead silence on our way home, no one said or uttered a word. And I am really nervous right now.
We're already on our massive house and I was about to get out of the car but Harry opened the door for me being the gentleman he is even though he's obviously angry right now
I got out of the car and said "Thank you", in a small voice
He didn't reply and just closed the car door loudly, I flinched at the sound of it.
He straightly goes to our front door, me hot on his trails, opened the door for me then slammed the door, again.
"What the fuck was that, Y/N?", he spat
"Harry I-", I started
"What? Can you be anymore careless!? You're so fucking irresponsible!", He shouted
"Harry, I thought it was you but then I turned around and see that it wasn't you then I quickly excused myself to find you!", I explained
"You know what? If that was Kendall, she would be responsible enough.", he stated
That's when I felt the tears streaming down my face. Harry knows how insecure I am to his ex girlfriends, especially Kendall since she is a very beautiful model and she and Harry had a serious relationship. But Harry always reassures me that he and Kendall's relationship were through.
"Well.. I-I'm sorry, Harry if I wasn't as perfect as Kendall.", I cried out
"You know that's not what I'm talking about, Y/N. Stop twisting my words.", He snapped
"It's true though, isn't it? I'm nothing compared to Kendall. I should have always believed what your fans have been telling me. I'm sorry I'm not perfect, Harry."
And with that, I ran upstairs to our bedroom to bawl my eyes out.
********************
Harry's POV
I didn't know why I said what I said, but it was out of anger. I didn't mean it. But I know that it doesn't matter now. I still hurted Y/N.
I know how insecure she is to my ex-girlfriends, especially Kendall, since she is a supermodel. But what did I do? I fucking compared her to Kendall! Ugh! I'm such a dick.
I need to make it up to her.
Y/N's POV
I was crying for a good one hour in our bed but now it has stop, maybe because there's no more tears left.
Someone opened the door and of course I know who it was.
"Baby girl?", Harry said slowly with his handsome husky voice.
I almost gave in just by hearing his voice.
No, Y/N. Not so easily.
I turned around to see him leaning against the door frame and said.. too harshly than I intended it to be, "What?"
"Baby, I'm so sorry for what I said. I didn't mean any if it. I just said it out of anger.", Harry said lowly
"But did you mean.. it?", I asked emphasizing the word 'it' in a small voice. I was talking about him, comparing me and Kendall.
"What?", He asked, confused.
"With what you said about me and Kendall. I know I'm nothing compared to her and-", Harry cutted me and explained, "No, love! I said it out of anger. You know, I tend to say non-sense when I'm angry." He looked into my eyes and I know he really meant what he said.
I sighed, "It still hurts, you know? But i forgive you.", I smiled at him and kissed his nose. He chuckled a bit
"I'm really sorry, baby girl. I just don't want others touching what's mine and only mine."
Violet gets more out of Harry than she ever expected she would.
(part 4)
stained series >< part 4 teaser
word count: 8.3k
warnings/tags: harry x fem, tattoo artist h, toxic, angst, brief mentions of blood & tattooing
An irritated huff blew past Violet’s lips as her phone started to ring across her studio. Her hands were covered in watered down acrylic paint. Adding a thinned out layer of paint onto her prepped canvas was always part of her routine when it came to new pieces. The base coat got rid of the stark white of the canvas, allowing her eyes to view the colors more naturally. She sat the wide brush down and wiped her hands on her shirt. Whenever she worked in her studio, she wore old clothes that she didn’t mind getting messy. She rushed over to the phone, but it cut off the second she picked it up.
Her heart started to race as she read over the notification. Harry was the one who was calling. It wasn’t the shop’s number either, she had that saved. It was the number from his contact card that she had put into her phone under his name, assuming it was his personal number. Without hesitating, she called him back and pressed the phone to her ear as she walked to her sink. Her hands were dirty and needed to be washed before she tracked paint everywhere. It rang a few times before he picked up.
“Hello.” His deep voice spoke through the line.
“Hello. Um, did you call?” She squeezed her eyes shut and mentally slapped herself - obviously he had called.
“Yeah. I was gonna let you know I finished the drawing. If you want to come by today and approve it, we can get an appointment set up.” Harry said with a gentle sigh.
“Okay, yeah. I can do that.” A smile spread over her lips. She was very excited to see what he came up with. “Does it matter what time?”
“You can come around five. I’ll be free then.”
She nodded to herself. “Gotcha.”
“Alright, bye.”
He ended the call before she could say anything, but that didn’t really surprise her. She checked the time and mentally noted that she had about three hours to keep herself busy before she needed to head to the tattoo shop.
She was actually shocked that he had spent so long working on the design. Well, he probably didn’t spend every waking moment on it, but surely it was a lot. It had been close to two weeks since she walked into the shop and presented the idea to him. Knowing that he spent time on it, even if it really wasn’t that much, sort of meant something to her. Perhaps he was so focused on it solely because that was his job. It was literally part of the process. She wasn’t special. She was just another customer.
Last night, she actually spent a long time staring and admiring the master copy she did of the painting. It hung in the grand entry way of her home. These days, she doesn't really consider it her house anymore. She spent most of her nights in her studio. There was a small room she utilized as a bedroom. Since there was a kitchenette and a bathroom as well, she was pretty much set up to live on her own. But she was with her parents last night eating dinner before returning to the studio. Her excuse is usually that she has a lot of work to do. Even when she doesn’t have any paintings in the works, she escapes to her private space.
Her parents actually adore the painting recreation she did, so they decided to keep it in their possession instead of insisting she sell it. She was grateful for their decision. Violet loved the piece just as much as they did. It would be devastating to see it go.
Telling her parents about the tattoo plan would definitely not end well, so she didn’t even dare bring it up. Her mother was more lenient, but her father was harsher about those sorts of things. She almost brought it up during dinner, but she clammed up.
Down at the tattoo shop, Harry was sitting at the front counter staring at the print out of the finished design when his friend and fellow tattoo artist, Niall, came from the back. He sighed as he leaned against the wall behind Harry.
“What’s that?” He asked curiously.
Harry slid the paper over so he could see it. “A tattoo.”
“No shit.” Niall mumbled back as he snatched the paper off the countertop. “Pretty sick. Who’s it for?”
“Uh, a girl named Violet.” Harry shrugged as if he didn’t care at all.
“Oh, that weird girl that came in a few weeks ago?” Niall asked with a laugh.
Harry rolled his eyes to himself, knowing Niall couldn’t see his face. “I guess.”
“Mama Anne actually told me about her.”
Harry looked over his shoulder and furrowed his brows. “What?”
“She made me some of those good ass oatmeal cookies last week. When I picked them up, she mentioned something about Violet coming over. Then she said you did a tattoo on her.” Niall explained, his eyes fixed on his hands as he picked at his own nail.
“Mum knows her. They’re friends, I guess.” He went back to his emotionless tone.
“She’s sorta awkward, yeah?”
“My Mum?” Harry snarled his lip.
“The Violet girl, you fucking idiot.” Niall shoved his shoulder playfully.
Harry huffed. “I dunno.”
“She was weird when she came looking for you that day.”
Hearing all the negative chatter about her was making his stomach churn. Something about it felt off, it felt extremely wrong. He didn’t like the way Niall was poking fun at her and chuckling in between words. He shook it off, thinking maybe he was just being dramatic. There was no way he actually cared about the girl.
“Your Mum seems to like ‘er.” Niall smirked at his own sentence. “Maybe she’s tryna hook you up.”
“Fuck off.” Harry said through an exhale as he grabbed the piece of paper and stood up.
“Lover boy Harry, eh?”
“I don’t fucking know that bitch.” Harry spat back, obviously irritated.
Niall knew what he was doing. He was picking and teasing on purpose to get a rise out of Harry. It was working quite well.
“She knows you.” Niall said just before Harry disappeared down the hall.
Seconds later, he slammed the door of his work room, something he did far too often. Anger roared through his body suddenly. He balled up the piece of paper and threw it at the wall. It ricocheted and hit the floor with a soft thud. He wanted to pick up the tattooing chair and throw it through the ceiling. He was beyond pissed off, and he didn’t even know why.
“Fucking hell.” He muttered out as he went over to the computer monitor on his counter.
He knew he had to reprint the design so he’d have it ready for Violet to look at later. Niall getting under his skin had really thrown off his mood. He was actually fine before that happened. Now he feels like he’s about to explode. He sat down on his stool and threw his head back. It felt like he was losing control of his mind. How could that girl have such an impact on him? He didn’t even know her.
When it was getting close to time for her to leave her studio, she felt a wave of nausea go through her stomach. It was sort of frightening to know that she would be face to face with Harry soon.
The trip to the tattoo shop felt like it took hours instead of minutes. She was anxious and shaking with fear. He was the most intimidating person she’s ever met, and no matter how hard she prepared each time, he was able to maintain that dominance. It made her chest tighten, her heart beat faster than normal, and her stomach fill with butterflies.
There was no point in trying to predict how this meeting was going to play out. As she arrived at the shop, she felt an even more intense twisting sensation in her gut. It was just anxiety, she had to remind herself over and over. Everything would be fine. She will survive this encounter.
Walking into the shop was very difficult for her to handle. Two sets of eyes immediately landed on her before the door could even close behind her. Violet forced a smile as she recognized one of the people to be Niall. He was sitting on the sofa with his arm around a girl. Her eyes were dark, her hair was dark, her clothing was dark - she seemed like a specific type of girl. Violet gave her a smile, too, not expecting to get one back. Surprisingly, the girl grinned and waved at her politely. Violet noticed the bright red streaks in her black hair. She could tell that the black was dyed and wasn’t natural. A few piercings set on the girl’s bottom lip and nose. She definitely fit in with the vibe of the shop.
“Hi. I’m here to see Harry.” She said to Niall.
“Go on back.” He nodded towards the hallway.
Violet smiled softly before walking towards the doorway. She could hear Niall and the girl whispering, but she was too worried about seeing Harry to care what they were saying. She went to the familiar door and gulped down a lump as she realized the door was opened.
Harry was sitting on the stool with his iPad in his hands. His head was lowered and his eyes were fixed on the screen. Violet lifted her hand and gently tapped her knuckles against the door frame. He shot his head up, a hard expression on his face. The second he realized that it was her, his harsh stare softened and his lips lifted from the angry frown.
“Hi.” Her voice was soft as she stepped over the threshold. “Niall told me to come on back.”
Harry closed the case of his tablet and stood up. “Of course he did.”
She watched quietly as he sat it on the counter and started to go through a small stack of papers. His back was to her, so staring at him was an easier task for her. He had on a dark grey shirt and a pair of black demon pants. They were distressed and ripped in certain spots. She didn’t like that look on herself, but she thought he pulled it off well.
“Do I need to wait up front?” She asked nervously, unknowingly fumbling with her fingers.
“No, you’re fine.” He looked back at her for a second.
She seemed terrified. She was standing there like she was too afraid to make a move. Harry grabbed the papers he wanted to present to her before turning around. He walked towards her, not sure what to expect from her. Was she going to run out of the room in utter fear? It really looked that way.
“You wanted to reduce the amount of drapery, right?”
“Yeah, if possible.” She nodded lightly as their eyes met.
Harry stopped in front of her and extended the two pieces of paper out for her to take. “Here’s what I ended up with. The second one has the fabric like it is in the painting.”
Violet was hesitant at first, but she took the papers from him and looked over the printed out design. Of course, she recognized the image immediately. It was a near perfect replica of the painting. Obviously, he altered the amount of fabric that covered Psyche’s legs and wrapped behind the figures. This was exactly what she wanted. All of that struggling to get the design perfect on her own was supposed to result in this, but she wasn’t successful. Harry, though, did it perfectly. She looked at the second page, but quickly decided that she preferred the first option.
“I love this. I really like it better without the fabric down to her ankles.”
Harry swallowed softly as he watched her eyes light up at the image. She was grinning like she was gazing down at diamonds or gold. It was just a printed out tattoo design. Clearly, it meant a lot to her. He sighed lightly and took the papers when she offered them back.
“So, this has your approval?” He asked, holding up the first image.
“Yes, absolutely.” Violet gave him a firm nod.
“Just take a close look to make sure everything is how you want it.” He let her have her design of choice back as he walked over to his iPad.
Violet made sure to run her eyes over every spec of the image to make sure it was truly perfect. Everything seemed to align to the painting. He had captured the figures beautifully. While she double checked the design, he opened his bookings to see what he had available for her. She hadn’t said how soon she wanted the piece or what time of day would work best, so he was just glancing over the dates.
“Do you want to set up an appointment?” He asked, bringing the tablet with him as he walked back to her.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Do you have any preferences for days or times?”
She shook her head. “No, not really. Whatever works best for you.”
He flicked his eyes up for a second. “It depends. Do you want it soon or would you rather wait a month or two?”
“Oh, no, I want it soon, please.” She put her arms behind her back, locking her hands together.
“I have an opening Friday.” He said while opening the day up on the screen.
“You mean.. tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
Violet licked her lips and took a long moment to process what he said. If she agreed to that, it would mean she’d have to see him tomorrow. She’d have to come back to this terrifying shop and sit in this room with him for hours. She’d have to gamble with everything. What if he chose to be an absolute asshole to her? He could be mute and not say a word. She was not looking forward to discovering how it would go. But doing it tomorrow also meant that she could go ahead and get it done. She had been planning this for months. It was all she wanted. She pushed out an exhale and moved her eyes up. She didn’t expect to see him already looking at her.
“Sure. That works.”
“You can come in at five.” Harry selected the time slot and started to setup the appointment.
Usually, he required deposits for his appointments, but he figured he’d go easy on the girl and not ask her for anything else today. Besides, he was sure she’d come to the appointment and not stand it up.
“Okay.” Violet’s voice was light again.
He noticed that she did that a lot. Sometimes she would talk to him in a normal volume, but then randomly she’d go quiet. He wondered why she did it and if she even noticed.
“Alright. You’re set up.”
“Thank you.” Her smile grew.
“You’re welcome.”
He lightly nodded towards the door as he started to walk. Violet got the gist and followed him out of the work room. He led her to the front lobby. She walked past him while he took a seat behind the counter. Without saying anything, she left the shop.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Niall jumped up and walked over to the counter. He leaned down on it, a smirk stuck on his face.
“How was your date?”
“Fuck off, Horan.” Harry kept his eyes on the computer as he tried to do something unrelated to Violet and her tattoo appointment.
“Wait, what?” The girl who was accompanying Niall was his girlfriend, Sky. She appeared next to Niall at the desk, but her goal wasn't to pester Harry.
“That girl likes him.”
Harry cut in. “No, she doesn’t. We don’t even know each other.”
“You keep saying that and I keep not believing it, Styles.” Niall cocked a brow as Harry finally looked up at him.
“She’s a client.”
“Sure, sure.”
Sky sighed and shoved Niall’s shoulder. “Leave him alone, Niall.”
Thankfully, she drug Niall down the hall and out of Harry’s way. He shook his head once he was alone. Why was he letting those snide comments get to him? It wasn't like he gave a fuck about that girl. She was just someone wanting a tattoo. Niall could have whatever dreams and fantasies he wanted. It wasn’t going to change the fact Harry couldn’t care less about her.
—
The following morning was quite stressful for Violet. She woke far earlier than she intended. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when she got out of bed. In an attempt to occupy her worrying mind, she worked on the painting she was doing for Anne. She spent the night in her studio yet again, preferring the quiet space over the home she shared with her parents. During one of her breaks, she made herself a breakfast consisting of eggs and toast. It was nothing fancy, but she knew that if she ate more than that, she’d be at risk of emptying her stomach from the nervousness.
The morning actually went by faster than she figured it would. Painting was a time consuming process. There was a book she needed to return to the library, so sometime after noon she decided to get that task done. Before heading there, she stopped and got some lunch.
Spending a few hours in the library wasn’t necessary on her to-do list, but she didn’t mind since she had nothing else to do until it was time for the appointment. She checked out a new book and chose a quiet corner to sit in. Before she bought her own copy of books, she would get them from the library and read through them to ensure she liked it enough to buy it. She didn’t want her book collection to be flooded with things she didn’t like or would never pick up again.
With an hour and a half until her appointment, she went home to take a bath. The bathroom in her studio had a tub, but it was small compared to the one next to her actual bedroom. She wanted to soak in a hot bath before making her way to the shop. She lowered herself down until her chin was touching the surface of the water. Bubbles floated on top of the water, the calming scent of eucalyptus filled the air. Her goal was to relax her body and tame her spiraling mind.
It was working until she shaved her legs. As she slid the razor over her skin, she couldn’t shake the thought of Harry touching her there. It wasn’t necessarily an overly intimate spot, but people don’t touch other people’s thighs on a day to day basis if they don’t really know them. She was starting to build that anxiety back up. Hopefully, she could tame it before she needed to sit in that chair.
Someone who’s stopped by this tattoo shop as much as she had in the past month should be perfectly fine while walking through the door. Violet was not fine at all. Her chest was tight and it felt like swarming butterflies were crammed inside of her stomach.
A pair of blue eyes stared her down as she walked to the counter. Seeing Niall there was sort of a relief. At least she had a few minutes of freedom before being handcuffed to Harry’s side for the next couple of hours.
“Hi.” She gave him a kind smile. “I’m here for an appointment with Harry.”
He nodded back. “I’ll let him know.”
She watched as he took out his phone and started to type. She figured he was sending a message to Harry. Just as she was about to turn around and claim a seat on the sofa, Niall spoke up and caught her attention.
“So, you know Anne, Harry’s mum?”
Violet gulped softly. “Yeah, I do. I volunteer at the cat shelter.”
“She told me she knew you.” Niall was giving her a slightly odd look, but she tried to ignore it.
She was most likely just overthinking it, anyway. She didn’t know Niall well enough to read his reactions, so she just pushed it out of her mind. There were many other things she could focus on right now.
“Oh, did she?” She didn’t want to talk to him, but she didn’t want to be rude either.
“Yeah, she also told me—”
“You can come on back.” Harry’s voice interrupted Niall’s, shaking through the room like rolling thunder.
Violet swallowed the lump in her throat as her eyes met his. She gave him a soft smile and stepped towards him. Harry shot Niall a quick death glare before turning to go down the hall. He could feel Violet’s presence behind him as he entered the room. This was going to be the longest tattoo appointment he’s ever done.
“Was he bothering you?” He asked without looking at her.
Violet froze in the middle of the room. “Niall? No.”
“He has a habit of pestering people.” Harry mumbled in a low voice.
She wasn’t entirely sure if she was meant to hear that or if he expected a reply, so she chose not to say anything. Her eyes were glued to his back as he stood there collecting the things he needed for the session. All of the bits and pieces fascinated her and she was curious to know more about them, but she wasn’t going to dare ask him.
Harry’s shirt was tight fitting today. His arms were exposed to her gaze, tattoos littered almost every inch of his skin. There was a set of silver chains hanging from his jeans. She flinched at the sudden sound of metal hitting the countertop. She saw his pile of discarded rings when he stepped over to grab something from a cabinet.
Violet realized she wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen. Her leg was still covered. She took a deep breath and confidently spoke up.
“Is there a bathroom I can use to take my pants off? I have shorts on underneath.”
He didn’t look at her as he replied. “There’s one down the hall, but you can do it in here. I won’t watch.”
It wasn’t a big deal at all. It wasn’t like she wasn’t wearing anything beneath. She sighed softly and looked down at her feet. Was this an appropriate thing? It didn’t seem very rebellious or wild at all. She wanted to double check with him before making a decision.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Harry pushed out a sigh. “You said you have shorts on. How would that make me uncomfortable?”
“I guess it wouldn’t.” She shrugged to herself.
“Do whatever you want.”
It was obvious he was still occupied with getting set up. Usually he didn’t bring his clients back until he was done, but the thought of leaving her alone with Niall was enough to make him change his routine. Violet took advantage of his distraction and quickly pulled her sweatpants down to her ankles. She draped her pants over her arm and waited for his next move.
“This is the size you wanted, right?” He said while turning to face her.
Seeing the stencil made her realize how real this was. She stared at it for a minute then nodded. It wasn’t too big, but it was large enough for details to be visible.
“You can sit down for right now.” He glanced towards the chair.
Violet sat down and nervously started to toy with the bracelet on her wrist. She tried not to blatantly stare at him as he slid his hands into a pair of black gloves. He sat on the stool and rolled the small table closer to himself. It was covered with all of his supplies.
A shudder ran down her spine as his fingers gently rubbed over her skin. He was checking to see if he needed to grab a razor. Even though her legs were freshly shaven, he reached for one. It was a good precaution to take that wouldn’t hurt anyone. He wiped her leg with the cleaning solution before carefully moving the razor over her skin.
“Stand up so I can place the stencil.” He said while wiping her skin again.
Her legs felt weak but she did her best to stand up and walk around to the other side of the chair. She stopped in front of him and held her breath. Harry kneeled down, carefully holding the stencil as he eyed her thigh. Determining the right angle and position of the design on the anatomy of a client was always very stressful for him. No matter how many tattoos he’s done, he always gets nervous that he won’t place it correctly. Thankfully, stencils are not permanent and he can redo it if necessary. He noticed immediately that she was having issues keeping her balance while trying not to flex the muscles in her leg.
“Try not to move.” He said with a soft huff.
“Sorry, I’m.. I’m nervous.” She whispered back as her eyes bolted shut.
He looked up at her for a second. “Hold on to the chair. Just relax.”
“Okay.” She nodded back, her eyes still sealed as she stood there.
She grabbed the chair and held on as tight as she could. It seemed to help. Violet immediately felt her stomach drop as he touched the side of her thigh. He stared at the spot for a long moment, it felt like forever to her, before placing the paper on her leg. The feeling of his fingers on her body was creating waves of anxiety and excitement throughout her body. She was sure she’d explode if she exhaled. Harry gently patted his fingers on the stencil to make sure it was stuck on her skin. He peeled it back, revealing the design transferred on her thigh.
“How’s that look?” He gestured towards the wall of mirrors.
She went closer to get a better view. He watched her reflection as she studied the design and its placement. She twisted her leg around, posing it in different ways to see how the tattoo would move with her skin. Once she was absolutely sure she was satisfied with it, she rotated to face him.
“It’s perfect.” She said with a bright smile.
“Are you sure?”
“Mhm. I’m sure. Do you think it looks good?” Violet asked as she looked back down at it again.
It was surreal to see something there, and even more unbelievable to think it will soon be etched into her skin permanently.
“Yeah, that’s why I put it there.” He sat back down on his stool. “But it’s your body.”
“It’s perfect.” She repeated, assuring both him and herself.
“Alright. Sit down and get comfortable. I’ll adjust the chair.”
Even though the chair wasn’t low to the ground, she felt so small as he stood up next to her. He tilted the back of the chair backwards a little, then moved the bottom so that her knees were slightly bent. He wanted her thigh relaxed and not in a straight out position.
“How’s that?”
She looked up at him, nervous as their eyes met. “Good.”
“You’ll be like this for a while. If you need to stretch your leg at any point, tell me.” Harry grabbed the tattoo machine and licked his lips. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t waste any time. Once she confirmed it, he put the needle into her skin. She hissed at the feeling. The skin of her thigh seemed way more sensitive than her hip. She scrunched her nose up as he drug the first line through her skin. He glanced up at her, noticing how tense her leg suddenly became. He went back in, creating the second line into her skin.
“Oh.”
“Are you alright?” He gently wiped a damp paper towel over the two lines.
“Wow, that’s a lot more painful than last time.” She didn’t sound very pleased with what was going on.
“This is a lot more detailed than last time.” He sighed back. This was going to be a challenge if she couldn’t stay calm.
“Do you mind if I talk a bit? I, um, need to.. distract myself.” Violet pinched the bridge of her nose as she thought about how long this was going to take.
“Whatever helps you through it. Just don’t move around.” Harry mumbled, no sort of enthusiasm or real emotion in his tone.
He started again, this time he didn’t take any breaks. He did as much as he could without stopping. Violet winced a few times and started to dig her nails into her other leg to distract her brain from the pain. It sort of worked, but not for long enough. She knew that talking would be the best thing for her worried mind, so she started asking him questions that she figured wouldn’t make him irritated.
“Do you like doing colored ones or black and grey more?”
He thought about it for a moment. “I don’t mind doing either.”
“Do you like colored tattoos? I’ve heard people say they aren’t as good.” She immediately replied, not letting a second of silence grow between them.
He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to hear her talk.
He sighed, once again thinking thoroughly about the question before answering. “Colors fade quickly. Black and grey age well.”
She looked down at his arms and exposed areas like his neck. She didn’t see any drop of color in the tattoos she could observe. Now was the perfect opportunity to get to somewhat know him.
“Do you have any colored ones?”
“Um, not full color, no.” Harry glanced up at her, not expecting to see her eyes. “Got a bit of red on me.”
She read his subtly surprised expression wrong. She thought maybe she was being too invasive. What she thought was annoyance was simply shock. He really didn’t expect to see her pretty pair of eyes lingering on him. It threw him off guard. Clearly, he wasn’t as good at hiding his reactions as he thought.
“Sorry, I.. I’m just trying to not focus on.. what you're doing.” Her voice softened.
He lifted the machine away from her leg, but his eyes stayed fixed on the tattoo. “You're not bothering me.”
She was genuinely shocked by that response. So it really was possible? He could be a normal person who didn’t get irritated over someone breathing around him. He could be civil and have a friendly conversation. Was this the same guy she’s been around? Surely not.
Violet smiled gently, wishing she had enough nerve to say thank you to him. But it seemed like it would be odd. He didn’t do anything directly, just spoke to her like a normal human. It would probably be weird to him for someone to thank him for that.
“Have you given yourself any?”
He didn’t think someone could ask this many questions, but he wasn’t going to complain. She wasn’t moving around, which made his job easier.
“Yeah, a few.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. I wouldn’t be able to inflict pain on myself.” She let a small laugh follow her words.
“It’s not that painful, especially if you don’t mind a little pain.”
“So you like to be in pain? That’s.. interesting.” Her eyes widened lightly.
“Well, it doesn’t really hurt me. Some spots, sure, but overall.. it’s not that bad.”
There was a certain fact about him that she has been wondering about since she first laid her eyes on him. There would be no harm in asking. Now was her chance to pick and pry into him.
“Do you have them all over? Like your legs and back.”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“What spot hurts the most?”
“I dunno. The ribs suck.” He shrugged while pulling the gun back. He stared at what he just did, pleased with those few lines. Her skin was handling this well so far. There wasn’t a lot of bleeding yet.
“I really love the way you drew the design.” Violet said with a smile as Harry glanced up at her for just a split second. “Do you draw traditionally or just digitally?”
“Um, I do both.”
“Tattoos must be easier to do digitally, so you can, like, edit them and all that.”
As quick as she was to ask the questions, he was just as quick to answer her.
“Yeah, it’s easier and cleaner.”
“I’ve tried doing digital art, but I don’t really connect with it. I like to feel something with the things I make.” She sighed lightly. “But.. that’s just me.”
He was focused on the section he was inking, but he was still listening. Maybe his lack of a verbal response made her go quiet, or perhaps it was something else. A few minutes ticked by where she didn’t say a word.
Harry felt her thigh twitch under the pressure of his left hand pulling at her skin. He finished the line he was working on and pulled away from her leg. His eyes moved to look at her, expecting to catch her gaze. Her eyes were wired shut and she had her nose scrunched up.
“Are you alright?”
His voice got her attention, but his question caught her off guard. For just a split second, she thought he was genuinely worried about her. But she quickly reminded herself of the situation they were currently in. He was tattooing her body. He simply wanted to make sure she was doing okay.
She sucked in a breath. “Yeah, it’s just.. a bit rough right now.”
“Take deep breaths. Tell me if you need a break.” Harry furrowed his brows as he watched her features relax.
The tension in her body slipped away. Her arms slouched lower on her stomach as she got comfortable. He really hadn’t noticed how tense she was until she settled back down. That made him slightly worried. He was supposed to keep track of physical cues to ensure that his clients aren’t writhing in pain.
“No, no breaks, please. I just want to do it all at once.” Violet shook her head.
Harry let a very subdued smile slip before picking up where he left off. She winced as the needle pierced her skin, but she stayed strong and took slow, steady breaths. It was evident that she wasn't handling this portion of the tattoo well. He battled with his thoughts for a minute, but ultimately decided to help her out. If talking will make this easier for her, then he was going to talk.
“What do you do for work?” Harry asked, partially curious about the answer.
Violet licked her lips, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to dissociate from the pain. “Um, it’s.. complicated.”
“I can keep up.” He mumbled out, leaning his head further down as he drug a line through her skin.
She let out a soft whimper. The tearing and ripping of her skin was more noticeable now and it was starting to get to her. She worried she might have to take that break he insisted on.
“I don’t really work a real job.” She said reluctantly, not really wanting to get into it but it was too late. “I volunteer at the cat shelter and sometimes I work at my uncle’s restoration shop.”
Harry nodded slowly as he took in the information. He didn’t know what was so complicated about it, it seemed like a fairly simple explanation. He thought about the images he saw that she created in her sketchbook. The girl was definitely good at something.
“Like.. art restoration?”
“Yeah, and I do commissions and sell my art.” She added. “My parents sort of.. help me out a lot.”
“That must be nice.” He said in a low voice, not purposefully trying to say that out loud but it came out.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Violet felt a particular way about her situation and she really didn’t want to unpack her thoughts and feelings right now. She only told him that because he asked. Unlike him, she wanted to be kind and civil to people when they wanted to communicate with her. However, she was surprised that he’s still talking to her.
Once again, his mouth got ahead of his brain. “They must be rich then, hm?”
“Not rich rich.. but well off I guess. I make my own money with what I do, though.” She had to clarify that.
Sometimes, it made her feel guilty and really bad knowing her parents still do so much for her. She was grateful, nonetheless, but speaking about it to other people always seemed so awkward. Harry didn’t say anything, and unfortunately that led her to believe he was thinking what most people usually think about her.
“I don’t want it to seem like I’m lazy. They want to make sure I’m okay while I'm figuring everything out.” She added an explanation.
Harry looked up at her. “I didn’t say you were lazy.”
She could feel his eyes, but she chose to keep her stare locked on the ceiling. “People have told me that before, so I.. try not to make it sound that way.”
He understood where she was coming from, though he couldn't really picture the situation. His mom was left alone to take care of two kids. He had no choice but to contribute to the household and take care of himself once he was old enough to move out. It never was an issue and he didn’t struggle, thankfully.
“It’s not a bad thing that they’re willing to help you out. If you have that, take advantage of it and make the most of it.” He tried to sound like he didn’t have an opinion about her situation, and he sort of didn’t. It was her life, not his.
Despite the genuine nature of his reply, she wanted to change the topic. Thinking about her personal situation would just sour the entire day for her.
“Is.. is it almost done?”
He laughed under his breath. “The line work, yeah. I have to shade it.”
“Does that hurt more?”
“Probably will.” Harry was honest, that she was sure of.
“Lovely.”
“You did expect this to hurt, didn’t you? It’s not supposed to feel good.” He pulled at her skin as he prepared to go back to the area he was working.
“I expected it, yes. It’s just a lot.”
“We can break it into two sessions if you want. I can do the shading after the linework heals.” He dug the needle into skin right as she was about to answer, making her hiss.
“No, I.. I don’t think I can tolerate this again. We can just get it done today.”
He subtly smirked. “Whatever you say.”
Violet went silent again, and this time he chose not to interrupt that. Harry focused on the tattoo. Every few minutes, he’d pull back and glance at her just to make sure she was fine. She would make little noises here and there, tense up the slightest bit, but overall she was dealing with the pain.
The quietness between them lasted for a while. Violet didn’t really think of much while she sat there. Most of her focus was on the tattoo and trying to juggle the pain. She was doing a decent job. Harry wasn’t the kind of person to make conversation to fill any voids, so he stayed quiet, too.
He had already started the shading when she decided to say something. The need to distract herself was heavy. She wasn’t going to bring this up, but she figured it couldn’t hurt anything. She had already invaded his space for the day, might as well inform him she may be in proximity to him again soon.
“I’m going to be house sitting for your mom soon.”
Her voice distracted him. He moved the machine away from her skin, his tongue sticking out to coat his lips as he thought about what she said. He had been informed of this earlier in the day, actually. His mother was going on a trip with a few friends, so she wanted someone to spend some time at her house a few hours a day while she was gone.
“Yeah, she told me.” He said through a sigh.
“She mainly wants me to take care of the cats and the plants. She said, um, she didn’t want to worry you with it.. so she thought to ask me.” Violet said, her eyes shifting towards him.
He pushed the needles into her skin, making her wince. “She worries too much about worrying me. I would’ve done it, but I’m not gonna make a big deal out of it.”
“I think she said something about you having a busy schedule coming up.” Violet folded her hands on her stomach, her eyes avoiding the area of her body he was inflicting pain upon. If she watched, it would probably make it hurt worse.
“Yeah, I’ve got some long appointments during that week.”
“She mentioned a book case or something, too.”
He took a mental note of that, sort of glad she reminded him of that. “I’m supposed to put one together for her when it arrives. It’ll be coming while she's gone.”
Violet took another slow, deep breath as she waited through the pain. Harry was working on the legs of both figures as she sat there and tried to stay quiet. It was rather hard for her to do so at this point. She wanted to talk to him more, wanted to see how much information and tiny tid bits of details she could pull from him. Even if it wasn't much, she wanted to know more about him.
“I can’t believe you can talk and do this at the same time.” She laughed gently, her eyes dangerously falling on the side of his face.
It seemed far too easy for her mind to get full of thoughts about him. It wasn’t a good thing, but she couldn’t find a way to stop it. Just staring at the smeared eyeliner around his eyes and the metal of the piercing in his brow was enough to have her head filled with him. Harry. He was sort of a fascinating person.
“I usually don’t talk this much.” He muttered back, intensely focused on the area he was working on.
“Oh, do you want me to leave you alone?”
Her trance of him was broken when he looked up at her. The moment their eyes connected, she remembered what was real and what just existed in her head. She held her breath as she waited for what she figured would be a rude response.
“No. I already said you weren’t bothering me.” He gave her a slightly annoyed look, his brows knitting together and his lips straightening.
“Right, sorry.”
Deep down, tucked away in the darkest parts of his chest, was a tiny piece of him hiding in the shadows - wishing for nothing more than to listen to this girl talk forever. He didn’t get that wish granted today. Violet stopped talking and turned to taking deep breaths instead. She was calming her body down, trying to relax and ignore the pain. To Harry’s surprise, she actually ended up dozing off in the chair. He kept a close eye on her, making sure she was breathing steady and wasn’t in any sort of trouble. She seemed to be perfectly fine.
He worked on her tattoo as she slept. Every now and then, she’d make a small humming noise that caught his ear. He’d stare at her for a moment, wondering if she was going to pop her eyes open. But she never did. She stayed that way for a while.
Violet came to her senses and fluttered her eyes open as she felt a coldness against her fire coated skin. Harry was wiping her fresh tattoo down, cleaning away the stray ink and smudges he made. Once he was finished, he rolled back in his stool and pulled the gloves off his hands.
“Take a look at it and make sure it’s how you want it.” He told her with a sigh.
He definitely went slightly over schedule with this one. He didn’t intend to be so focused and precise, but he was very careful not to mess anything up. Maybe it was because it was a big tattoo and mistakes would be more easily noticeable, or perhaps it was because he knew the subject matter meant a lot to her. He wasn’t going to decide which one was his reason.
She stretched her arms high as she moved to the edge of the chair. She yawned, covering her mouth while standing up. She couldn’t believe she actually fell asleep. Harry distracted himself with messing with his supplies as she went to the mirror. She posed her leg at different angles, eyeing the design from different views. A smile grew on her lips. It was perfect.
The design was everything she wanted and more. It was gorgeous. The placement was perfect and flattering to her anatomy. The shading was deep where it needed to be and delicate in softer areas. It was absolutely perfect.
“This is beautiful.” She shook her head in disbelief.
Harry turned to face her, catching her eyes as she twisted on her heels towards him. “Give it about a month to heal and let me know if it needs any touch ups.” He looked down at his work.
Sometimes, the things his clients brought in premade were not things he wanted to tattoo. If you were to ask him a month ago if he would ever tattoo Cupid, he’d probably laugh and roll his eyes. But something about this design, something about the story, and frankly, something about this girl was different. He was proud of the design. He was proud of his work. And he was relieved to see that beaming smile stuck on her face.
“I love it. Thank you so much.” She wanted to hug him in a polite, grateful manner but she didn’t dare move. He definitely wasn’t that kind of person, it was easy to tell.
“You’re welcome.” He kept his voice low as he grabbed a fresh glove. “I’ll cover it and we can head to the front.”
Violet nodded, staying still as he walked over to her. He kneeled down after coating his covered fingers in ointment. He gently rubbed it against her skin, staying mindful of how painful this might be for her. Once he covered it with a plastic wrap and secured it with tape, he told her how long she needed to keep it covered and what the steps of aftercare would be.
Following Harry to the front was rather nerve wracking for her. She was kind of disappointed that she’d have to leave soon. She felt like they really got to better terms during her session. He was mostly polite to her by answering her and not giving her snarky remarks. Maybe she was just overthinking it again. He was doing a job. She was just a client.
Violet paid with her card, but made sure to hand him a cash tip. He tried to shake his head at her, but she wouldn’t take it back. Usually, he didn’t hesitate to take a tip, but it felt unnecessary right now. It wasn’t a hassle to do her tattoo. He enjoyed the process and the outcome. She thanked him again, in a soft voice since Niall was next to him. He watched her walk out of the door, wishing she’d go a bit slower.
Harry slid the copy of the receipt onto the counter with intentions to file it later on. Niall was sitting at the computer, the paper caught his attention. He picked up the sheet and read over the numbers. Harry was on the shop’s phone with someone who called to ask a question. Niall’s suspicions grew just as Harry sat the phone back down.
“Did she pay some in cash?” Niall asked with furrowed brows.
“No.”
“Are you serious?”
Harry rolled his eyes. “What?”
All Niall could do was sit there and give him a dumbfounded look. There was no way that Harry let someone get off with that much of a price cut for his work, especially something that big.
“What’s your problem?” Harry gave him a look.
“You undercharged her.”
“So?” He shrugged, pulling his cellphone from his back pocket.
“By a lot.” Niall added.
“It’s my work. I can charge what I want.”
“You never do that.”
Harry huffed back. “And you never mind your own business.”
“What’s your deal with her? I thought you didn’t know her.”
The last thing he wanted to do was discuss Violet with anyone. It was nobody’s business what he thought about her, how he viewed her, or even what he charged her for a tattoo. It was simply none of their concern.
“I don’t.”
“Clearly, you do.” Niall quickly rebutted.
“Why the fuck are you so worried about it?” Harry’s voice became louder as his blood started to boil beneath his skin.
“You’re being weird about it.”
“You’re being fucking obsessive with it. Let it go.”
Those were his final words. He went down the hall and slammed the door of his workroom. He pushed his fingers through his scalp and tugged at his roots as he thought about Violet. What was so fucking special about her? He shouldn’t care about her. He shouldn’t be curious about what she’s doing with the rest of her day. He shouldn’t wonder if she had any other tattoos in mind. He shouldn’t fucking pray that she makes it home or wherever she’s going safely. But he did.
He wondered about her. He thought about her. He cared about her.
[a/n: i am so so so excited for the things coming up in this series.. I’m ready to get the toxicity and drama and angst started.. hehehe. See you soon, hope you enjoy!] — for early access, check out the patreon! part 5 is out now.
Violet tells the mythological story behind her tattoo..
(part 3)
stained series >< part 3 teaser
word count: 5.9k
warnings/tags: harry x fem, toxic, angst
The rainy weather forced Violet to stay inside for most of the day. She was in her studio working on the drawing for the tattoo that she’s planning to get on her thigh. Although she loved the drawing at first, she was starting to second guess herself.
Maybe she wasn't cut out for doing this. Sure, she can draw, she can paint, she can create, but maybe she can't design tattoos. Perhaps she should actually take the idea to a tattoo artist and let them figure it out. She thought about it for a while and ultimately decided that that's what she needed to do.
While she was in love with her drawing and was happy with it as a sketch and as a concept, she knew that the line work wasn't going to be sharp enough, and it wasn't going to come across well in a tattoo form. Once the rain let up outside and the sun was peeking through the clouds just a little, she decided to head on down to a shop that she didn't really want to go to, but she figured she'd give it a second chance.
It almost felt shameful to leave the comfort of her studio, but she knew that she needed to get this done sooner rather than later. If she sat and dwelled on it more, she would eventually talk herself out of the tattoo entirely.
Unfortunately, that clear weather did not last long at all, more heavy storm clouds rolled in as soon as she pulled up at the tattoo shop. She slipped on her raincoat and secured the hood over her head before getting out of her car, Walking up to the doors of the shop was very daunting, much like it was the first time she came here.
The sign that read “Might As Well” shined bright in the gloomy shadows casting down from the sky. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Immediately, someone lifted their head from behind the counter, but it wasn't who she expected to see. She had only seen this person on the shop's social media page. She recognized him as the one Anne told her was Niall. His dark hair was swooped up off his forehead. A few facial piercings littered his skin, including a lip ring that hung off his bottom lip. She was somewhat surprised that he didn’t have as many tattoos as Harry did. It wasn’t a requirement for tattoo artists to be covered head to toe, but she assumed most of them would be.
He gave her a smile, which she also didn't expect, and greeted her as she walked up to the counter.
“Hey, what can I do for you today?”
She put on her most polite smile. “Hi. I was wondering if Harry was here.”
“Yeah, he is. Do you need me to grab him?”
“Is he available right now? I, um, don’t want to interrupt anything.” She gulped quietly as she waited for the answer.
Niall shrugged. “He’s free for a while.”
“Okay.” She chirped back, suddenly feeling nauseous.
“Hang on, I’ll get him.” He sighed out while standing up from the chair.
Niall disappeared down the hallway, leaving her alone in the lobby. She wasn’t sure if he was anything like Harry, but based on this first interaction, she assumed he was at least better at pretending to care about other people.
Mindlessly she started to rub her fingers across the top of her other hand. She normally wasn’t a nervous person, but something about this was making her feel sick. What if Harry didn’t want to see her? What if he refused to communicate once he saw that it was her? Maybe this idea wasn’t so great after all. She couldn’t imagine there being a positive outcome.
As he appeared in the doorway, she swallowed the lump in her throat and mentally prepared for what was about to happen. Though she hoped it was drama free and a cordial interaction, there was no way to guarantee that. Harry was occupied with his cell phone when he walked up to the counter. Violet didn’t say anything. She simply waited for him to actually look at her after a minute he tossed the phone onto the counter and looked up.
Her heart dropped as his eyes met hers, and he looked like he was offended by her presence. He stared at her for a moment, wondering why she was here. Hadn’t she bothered him enough already? First, she just magically appears at his mother’s house and now she’s returning to the shop unannounced with no appointment scheduled. Her rain jacket was coated with droplets of water. Her skin was flushed from the cool temperature outside. For just a split second, his mind drifted as he decoded her appearance. He quickly got himself together.
“Is something wrong with your tattoo?” He asked with the flat tone.
“What?” Violet furrowed her brows.
He rolled his eyes. “Your tattoo. Is something wrong?”
The emphasis he put on the words really made her skin crawl. Why was he so harsh on her? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She barely said anything. The intimidating look in his eyes was making her chest hurt. The dark liner wrapped around them wasn’t helping it either. He just looked so intense all of the time.
“Oh, no. No, I had a question.” She didn’t realize how soft her voice was when she spoke.
“We have a phone.” He huffed.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down those unwanted, anxious feelings. “I know. I just wanted to ask you in person.”
Harry didn’t know what to expect. He didn’t necessarily care, but while she was in the shop, he had to treat her like a customer at least.
He sighed heavily. “What is it?”
“Well.. I was wondering if you could help me design a tattoo.” Violet kept her courage up.
“That’s sorta what I do.” He gave her a dumbfounded look as he sat down in the chair.
Obviously, she knew that. Her question wasn’t meant to be taken literal. She was just trying to have a nice conversation with him or at least a normal one. Her fingers locked around her wrist as she tried to remain collected.
“I have an idea, but I can’t really decide if the drawing I did is good enough.” She told him, hoping maybe he’d change his attitude.
Harry crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. “What kind of idea do you have?”
Violet was genuinely surprised that he even expressed a sliver of interest in what she was saying. However, it was probably just because he could make money off of their conversation eventually.
“I want my favorite painting, but I’m having some trouble with drawing it in a clean style without any shading or fine detail details.” She seemed invested in the idea. “I know that designing tattoos is different than just a regular drawing. I don’t really know how to express like shadows and contours.”
Harry partially admired the way she explained it. She was being honest with the struggle she was having, and he thought that was a very honest thing for someone to do. It also made him curious as to what the design was, and how her drawing turned out. Was she actually as good as his mother had claimed?
“I’m sure I can take a look at it and draw it up for you.”
His response threw her off guard, but she appreciated it nonetheless. It seemed he was capable of acting like a normal average person instead of a total stuck up jerk. Would it last long? Probably not.
“I have it in my car if you wanna look at it or I can pull up a picture of the painting.”
He let out a deep breath. “Show me what you came up with.”
“Okay.” She smiled before turning away from him.
He watched as she walked out of the door. Something about her was rather intriguing and he didn’t know how to feel about it. Having any sort of interest in her seem like a dangerous thing, like something he didn’t want to even think about getting himself wrapped up in. For now, he was gonna focus on the drawing and the tattoo idea and try his best to ignore the fact that it was her.
Violet tucked her sketchbook under her jacket as she ran back to the door. When she returned to the counter, she felt more confident than when she had walked in the first time. At least for now, she knew she had Harry’s attention and he wasn’t going to ignore her. There was no guarantee that he would be polite the entire time. Just as she pulled the book from beneath her jacket, the door open and someone walked in. She looked over her shoulder, then looked back at Harry, silently wondering if she was in the way.
He stood up to greet the customer. It turns out they were there for an appointment with Niall. He sent him a text and told the person that he would be right out. When his attention shifted back to Violet, he realized that maybe this conversation needed to be more private. If this was an actual consultation that was booked with him, then he would do it down the hall where the client could talk with him without the chance of other people interrupting.
“C’mon. We can talk in my work room.”
Harry made no sort of gesture towards her. He just started walking to the doorway. Violet followed him, taking a few slow, deep breaths as they went down the hall. Being alone with him was definitely a difficult thing to process, but she knew she had to stay calm and treat it like a normal situation. At the end of the day, Harry was just a person who was doing his job and she was just a client.
His work room was just as clean and tidy as it was the last time she came in. She watched as he sat down on his stool. There was an uneasy feeling in her stomach when his eyes met her once again.
“Is it alright if I sit here?” She asked with a soft smile.
“I don’t care.”
Violet sat on the tattoo chair, opening her sketchbook to the pages that she wanted to show him. He kept his eyes on the book as she moved through it. From the glimpses of the drawings he saw, she seemed to be pretty good at it.
“It’s a painting called The Abduction of Psyche by Bouguereau.” She explained while turning the book to face him.
He reached for it, glancing up at her eyes for approval. She nodded lightly and let him take the book from her hands. Harry examined the drawing that she had finalized. The page next to it was full of smaller, sketches and zoomed-in details of the painting. As he saw the precision and accuracy of her work, he realized that perhaps he judged her too soon. When his mother said that she was an amazing artist, he truly didn’t expect this sort of talent.
It was making her a bit anxious to have him staring at her work. Did he think that it was ugly? Was it not the sort of thing that he liked to tattoo or that he liked to draw himself? Did he even draw his own things or did he only design tattoos? There were a lot of questions going through her mind, but she knew she wouldn’t get the answer to any of them. She held her breath as he moved his fingertips onto the page. It was like he was skimming over the drawing without even realizing it himself. Surely he wasn’t mesmerized by it, right? She saw the black polish coated on his nails. It was chipped in a few spots like it had been on there a while. Her eyes moved back to his face as she watched him study her drawing.
“There’s more on the page before that.” She said in a mumble.
He flicked back a page to reveal a collection of simpler sketches of the painting. On one side of the spread, there was a fleshed out, fully detailed drawing. He noticed a difference in this one and the other one, so he flipped back to the original page she showed him. Violet wanted to know what was going through his mind. Was he just trying to figure out her idea or was he admiring her drawings?
“You drew this one without the fabric covering her legs. Is that how you want it?” He asked, lifting his head to meet her curious eyes.
“Yeah. The fabric is pretty in the painting, but I feel like it would be too heavy as a tattoo.”
“Understandable.” He said through a breath. “I want you to send me some photos of the painting.”
Harry gave her the book back before spinning around on his stool and rolling over to the counter behind him. He grabbed one of his contact cards along with his iPad. When he came back to the chair, he handed her the card.
“You can send them to my email or text them to me.” He told her while opening the case of his tablet.
She stuck the card in her sketchbook, marking the page she had shown him. As he started to do something on the screen, she got a bit curious.
“Did you think that my drawings weren’t.. like.. good enough for a tattoo?”
Harry took out the pen and opened a new file on the app he used for drawing. “It wasn’t that they weren’t good enough. They’re very good actually.”
She swallowed hard as she heard what she assumed was a compliment fall out of his mouth. It was honestly a huge surprise to hear him say something like that. She truly didn’t think he was capable of being polite in any way.
“But like you said, shadows and details are sorta tricky to draw if you don’t know how tattoo designs work. I’ll be able to draw it in way that I know will turn out nicely on the skin.” Harry quickly glanced at her.
She barely caught it, yet it still made her stomach knot up. Although she wanted to thank him for saying something nice about her work, she didn’t want to make this awkward or uncomfortable for him. She highly assumed that he didn’t care about being thanked for giving a compliment.
“Go on and send me a couple photos.”
Violet took out her phone and went to her camera roll. She already knew she had several photos of this painting saved in an album. When she looked over them to ensure they were high definition, she sent them to him through a text message. While email was an option and she did consider it, she chose not to. It seemed less personal. She was sure he wouldn’t care either way, but she wanted to have some sort of familiarity with him the next time they saw each other. Communicating through her phone number seemed like a better option.
“When my clients do consultations, I like to ask them a lot about the piece that they want. So first I’d like to know where you want this and the size that you’re envisioning.” Harry sounded so professional.
“I want it on my thigh. Like, about right here to here.”
He looked up to see her measuring the area with her hands. He gave her a nod.
“So, what does this mean to you?”
Harry’s attention was refocused on his screen as he started to sketch something. She didn’t want to be invasive and watch, so she moved her eyes behind him to look at a few of the things he had on display.
“This was the first painting I truly fell in love with, and when I read about the mythology behind it, I just knew I’d love it forever.” She said with a soft smile. “It’s my favorite painting in the entire world.”
Harry opened one of the images she had sent him so he could see what the material was. Violet was lost in her thoughts as she reminisced on first laying her eyes on a photo of the painting.
“It was the first master copy study I ever did and it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever made.” She added, not even paying him any mind at this point. “I never want to lose access to it. I just wanna look down at my leg and see it whenever I want.”
He was doing a rough sketch of the painting to get a feel for the piece. He thought it was a nice painting, but he was unfamiliar with it. Knowing that she valued this painting so much sort of changed his initial impression of her idea of getting a big tattoo. He actually didn’t expect anything this nice or this well thought out. She was good at surprising him.
“Psyche was depicted as one of the most beautiful beings.” Violet took a deep breath before she started to tell the story. “So beautiful that Venus took offense to it. She wasn’t going to allow a mortal to possess such beauty and grace.”
Harry looked up at her for a moment. She was gazing into space, her mind tracking the story instead of reality. He sort of admired her obvious obsession and fascination for the mythology.
“She sent her son, Cupid, to punish her, but he fell in love with her instead. I mean, how could he not? She was considered to be unrivaled. He visited her in secret during the night to conceal his identity.”
She knew the details of the story by heart, but she knew that he probably didn’t want to sit and listen to her go on and on about it, so she kept her description of the two characters short. If he wanted to know the full story with all the details, then he could find time to research it on his own.
“Once she discovered who Cupid really was, Venus forced her to do difficult tasks to prove herself worthy. Though, Venus hoped she’d fail.”
Harry stared at the painting of the two mythological figures as he listened to the end of the tale. Although at first he didn’t want to listen, he found it extremely hard to ignore her voice. Even when she wasn’t looking at him or paying him any real attention, she was captivating.
“The gods were very impressed with Psyche’s success. They made her immortal and reunited her with Cupid.” Violet bit down on the inside of her cheek as she caught Harry’s eyes.
“You seem to know a lot about it.” He said with no harsh tone or sarcasm in his voice.
She nodded back. “Yeah. That’s the simplified version of the story.”
“I’ll trust your telling of it.”
Violet let her eyes wander down to his screen as he looked away from her. She noticed he had written a few things off to the side of the messy, rough sketch he did. She wanted to ask him what he jotted down, but she refrained from doing so. Maybe it was details about the tattoo that he wanted to remember, or perhaps about the placement she told him.
“I’ve got an appointment in half an hour.” He sighed while checking the time.
Violet slid off the chair as he rolled his stool back to stand up. “I’m sorry for not booking a consultation and just randomly showing up.”
He laid his tablet on the counter and shrugged. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks again for helping me out.” She let a bigger smile shape her lips when their eyes reconnected.
“I’ll let you know when the drawing is done and you can come up here and check it out before we schedule an appointment.” Harry wasn’t shy when it came to staring, so she wasn’t surprised when he did just that for a long moment as she stood there.
Violet was beyond nervous all of a sudden. She realized in that moment how tall and broad he was. He was intimidating in every possible way. She licked her lips and started to turn her body towards the door.
“Alright, see you later.”
Harry didn’t say anything in return as she left his workroom. She guided herself back down the hall and through the small lobby. The cool temperature from the rain made her skin crawl as she left the shop and made her way to her car. She had her sketchbook tucked tight under her jacket, hoping it wouldn’t get damaged.
Violet would spend the next week struggling to decipher her feelings and emotions in regards to Harry. She wasn’t sure if she was just fascinated by his intense demeanor and aesthetics, or if she really had some sort of obsession with him. She hoped it was just a silly, meaningless curiosity and nothing real. It wouldn’t be easy for her to sort through her swirling thoughts, though.
As for him, he’d spend the next week working practically nonstop on the design for her tattoo. He would have many late nights full of research about the mythological story. He even read up on other paintings of the same subject to get a vaster perspective of the story. Violet took up most of his mind for many, many days.
— —
Violet didn’t plan on ending up at Anne’s house today, but she was kindly invited over for tea and a catch-up. Anne hadn’t been feeling well the past few days, so she missed some shifts at the shelter. She brought over a homemade chicken soup to give Anne some comfort and relieve the stress of having to cook her own dinner while being under the weather. Thankfully, she was recovering and almost completely back to her usual, happy self.
As she sat the tea cup down in front of Violet, Anne let out a soft sigh and smiled. “Harry told me you came by the shop last week.”
Violet’s brows shot up. “Oh, he did?”
“Mhm. Said you were doing a consultation for a tattoo.”
She swallowed gently. Did he tell his mother that she randomly popped up in the shop and didn’t make any sort of appointment beforehand? Did that part even matter to him, or had it only been bothering her the entire week?
“Yeah, for the one I talked about with you a few weeks ago. He’s supposed to be designing something for me.” She explained with a forced smile that she hoped didn’t seem fake.
It’s not that she didn’t want to talk about the tattoo or about Harry, it was simply that the topic of him was suddenly very touchy and uncomfortable for her. She hadn’t figured it out for herself yet, so she didn’t like he idea of discussing him with someone else, even if that was his own mother.
“Was he nicer this time around?”
Violet gave her a more meaningful smile. “Yeah, he was nice.”
Anne was going to say something when her phone started to go off on the table. She picked it up and smiled as she read the name on the screen. “Oh, it’s Harry.”
Violet felt a lump forming in her throat as Anne answered the call. Was it just a coincidence that they were literally just talking about him when he decided to call? Could it be possible that some greater force had organized the two events to happen back to back? She didn’t know, but it was making her her nervous.
“Hi sweetheart!” Anne was cheerful.
“Hey. Are you home?” Harry’s gravely voice broke through the line. Violet could hear him almost perfectly.
“I am.”
“Okay. M’gonna drop by. I have something for you.” He said through a sigh.
Anne shot her eyes to Violet. “Harry, I have company right now.”
“Who? You’re sick.”
She took a deep breath, unprepared for how this might go. “Well, it’s Violet. I invited her over for tea.”
Harry huffed. “Violet? ”
“Yes, Violet.” Anne moved her eyes down to her cup.
As for Violet, well, there was a growing pit in her stomach. It was obvious that her presence at Anne’s was yet again making Harry irritated. She kept her lips sealed as she listened to the phone call. It didn’t feel wrong to do so. She figured if Anne wanted privacy she would have stepped out.
“So, what? I can’t come over?”
“You’re welcome to, honey, I was just going to let you know.” Anne shook her head lightly. His attitude was unbelievable at times.
“Alright, whatever.” He quickly muttered back.
“Harry.”
“Bye, Mum.”
The call ended quickly. Anne pushed out an exhale and sat her phone down. She wasn’t surprised by his reaction and she was honestly hoping he changed his mind about dropping by. The last thing she wanted to deal with while still begin sick was Harry’s unpredictability.
Violet was trying to occupy her anxious mind by rubbing her thumb over the small handle of her tea cup. She really liked the design on the cup. Anne had a lovely collection of tea cups that were all so pretty and decorative. Unfortunately, that wasn’t strong enough to distract her.
“I can leave if you want me to.” She said suddenly.
Anne frowned. “No, darling. You don’t have to go anywhere.”
“I don’t want to make Harry uncomfortable.” She tried to force another smile, but this time it was more obvious that it was fake.
“He’ll be fine, Violet. I don’t want you rushing off just because he’s in a bad mood.”
“Miss Anne, I promise I won’t be offended if you wanted me to leave.” She was willing to do whatever it took to prevent any more awkward run-ins with Harry.
“Please, don’t go.” Anne’s frowned deepened. “I will make sure he’s on his best behavior. I don’t want you to go yet.”
Hearing the desperation in her tone was enough to change Violet’s mind. She didn’t like to disappoint people. Although she thought staying would make it worse, it was clear that leaving would hurt Anne’s feelings. She didn’t want to do that to someone she considered a friend, especially when Anne had been nothing but kind to her since they first met.
The two of them were unaware of just how close Harry was to his mother’s house when he called minutes ago. Anne jumped at the sound of knocking, which was followed by the door being opened. She jumped to go greet who she assumed was her son. Violet swallowed as hard as she could in attempt to calm herself. Knowing Harry was so close to her was making her skin crawl. It was no secret that he disliked her. Within seconds, they would be reunited once again.
“Fix yourself a cup of tea, sweetheart.” Anne said as she guided him into the kitchen. “Violet, I’m going to run these up to my room.”
Violet looked over her shoulder and nodded when she saw a stack of what looked like new pajamas in her hands. Harry must have gotten her those as a get-well gift. She moved her head forward, not wanting to make it seem like she was watching Harry as he poured his tea. When he fixed it how he liked, he surprisingly joined her at the small table. Her throat started to swell as she glanced at him.
Like the other times before when she’s seen him, he was dressed in mostly black clothing with his eyes painted with liner. More of his tattoos were on display with his sleeves pushed up to his elbows. She wondered what else he had hidden on his body. Several rings littered both of his hands. He liked an accessory, that was something she could easily tell about him.
His attention was fixed on his phone screen, and not on her at all. It was a challenge to completely ignore her, but he was going for the gold. He’s spent too much time lately thinking about that girl, and not just when he’s working on her tattoo design. For some reason, she was clogging up his mind. He didn’t like it at all.
After a minute or two, Violet was starting to be concerned with where Anne ran off to. She was gone for way longer than anticipated. Sitting in silence was never something Violet liked when she was around another person, so she decided to extend a few words to him.
“How’s the designing going?”
Harry didn’t spare her a glance. “What?”
“For the tattoo.” She added to be more specific.
He shrugged back. “It’s going alright.”
Thinking about the tattoo made her very giddy all of a sudden. She leaned up, crossing her arms on the table as she gave him a bright smile and an even happier voice.
“Are you getting close to being done?” The excitement in her voice was jarring to his ears.
His features fell to expressionless positions. “It’s a delicate process that takes time. It doesn’t just take a few days.”
It was evident that he wasn’t joyful right now, and that this clearly wasn’t as exciting for him as it was for her. She licked her lips and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. She sat back in the chair, her hands resting on her lap as her eyes moved down to look at her nails. It was sort of offensive to her to think he wouldn’t consider her to be aware of design processes. She knew quite a lot about that, actually.
“I know, I.. I just..” Her soft voice trailed off to silence.
Harry lifted his eyes from his phone and stared at her for a moment. She looked fragile and small right now, like one wrong word would shatter her to pieces. Perhaps he was being a bit too harsh on her. He collected the small amount of kind energy he had resonating in his body in hopes of lifting her spirits. As much as he didn’t want to talk to her, he hated to see her this way. He didn’t understand it one bit. It was a complicated situation and a lot of unmanageable feelings. Why did he care?
He huffed. “I’m almost done.”
Violet didn’t reply to him. She simply looked his way as his eyes found her face again. It was hard to look away for too long. It almost pained him to do so.
“I have a picture of it.. if you want to see it.”
His offer was shocking. She nodded lightly and pushed the corners of her mouth up.
“Yeah, sure.”
Harry pulled up the photo and turned his phone towards her. “This isn’t he final version, but close enough to it.”
The image she saw was a digital drawing of the design. It was more than she ever imagined it could be. Something about it was just astonishing. He definitely knew what he was doing. The way he drew in the shadows and details were perfect. She was unable to achieve that in a graphic style. He did it like a master.
“Oh my god, wow. This is great.” She couldn’t believe what she was seeing was real.
“I got a few things written down at the shop that I wanted to double check with you on.” He told her through a sigh.
“It seems great, really.” She grinned as their eyes met yet again.
This time, he sort of admired the happiness spread across her face. She seemed like such a positive person, filled to the brim with sunshine and brightness - it was refreshing to see it. He realized then that he didn’t like to see her so down. Someone this bubbly and kind shouldn’t frown and cower. He could make her do either.
“We’ll deal with the questions whenever you come back to the shop.”
“Do I need to make an appointment now?” Violet asked curiously, figuring the tattoo was completed.
“Not yet. Let me finish it and call you to come check it out, then we can do the booking.” He shook his head, turning his phone back to him.
“Okay.” She gave him another kind smile.
Before he could say anything back or process what just happened with her, his mother appeared in the kitchen. She had heard them talking and from what she could pick up, nothing seemed to be going wrong. Maybe Harry had turned a new leaf and decided to act like he had sense.
“What are you two talking about?” Anne lifted her brows as she looked at Harry.
“Just the tattoo.” Violet answered.
“Mum, I gotta go.” Harry pushed the chair back and stood up, his partially drank tea in his hands. “I just wanted to drop that stuff off.”
In order to keep the calm mood strong, Anne chose not to pester him about staying longer. If he wanted to, he would.
“Okay, sweetie. Be careful.”
He hugged her tight. “I will.”
Anne walked him to the door, leaving Violet alone in the kitchen. She cradled the warm tea up in her hands and took a long sip. The hot liquid soothed her throat and melted away some of that worry she had worked up.
She started to wonder more about Harry. Maybe he was the kind of person you had to chip away at slowly in order to get to know him. His shell wasn’t as loose as hers. He was a more private person who needed time to express himself. She assumed all of that was the case, at least.
It had to be that. It made no sense any other way. How could he hate her if he didn’t even know her? From the day they met, he was cold and harsh towards her. He hadn’t known her at all. So it has to be that. It has to be that he’s just a difficult person to get to know.. She hoped that was the case..
Anne returned with a smile on her face as she rejoined Violet at the table. “He wasn’t rude, was he?”
“No.” She shook her and smiled, her eyes falling down to the cup. “No, he wasn’t being rude.”
Anne knew that she probably shouldn’t talk about her private conversations with Harry, especially with someone he seemingly didn’t like. But, she knew better than to think that. She knew her son better than anyone, even when he was being difficult and challenging. There was something about Violet that caught his eye, that kept hold of his attention.
“He’s taking your design very seriously. He told me he’s been working on it a lot.”
Violet looked up at her. She knew it would be better to act less concerned than she really was. Her chest was tightening at the mere thought of him talking about her tattoo with Anne or anyone for that matter. What else was brought up? Did he talk about her or just the design? Did he really care about it or was there more to it? No, there couldn’t be more..
“Really? That’s good to know. I was hoping it wasn’t something he didn’t want to do.” She kept her smile tame.
“He really likes to do tattoos that are meaningful. He said yours was definitely that.” Anne winked as she took a long sip of her drink.
Violet sighed and lifted her own cup to her lips. “Yeah, it means a lot to me.”
[a/n: oops my bad!! I totally forgot to schedule this to go up this morning! — I love this series.. like so much. I’m so excited to get to the good stuff. See you soon with more! this series is available for early access on patreon for members!]
He has added insult to injury and she gives him one chance to make it right.
(part 8)
masterlist // ivy series
word count: 17.5k
warnings/tags: harry x oc, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, alcohol use, fluff
A heavy feeling had been weighing her down for the past two weeks. Ivy wasn’t sure why things happened the way they did, why things always went wrong for her. She was almost certain that everything had been fixed, that her situation with Harry had finally turned positive and hopeful. Unfortunately, she was wrong. He hasn’t talked to her since that night. There were no texts, no calls, nothing at all. It made her heart anxiously flutter and her head fill with racing thoughts - all of which just made her feel worse.
The feeling was a mix of pain, confusion, and fear. It hurt her feelings that he hadn’t talked to her. There had to be a reason why but she was so bewildered by it. What went south? What happened that caused a rift? And of course, above all else, she was terrified. She gave a small piece of herself to him and he ran off with it. She trusted him and allowed her lips to melt into his. Was it not enough to make him stick around? Was she not enough?
Emma was unaware of what happened between her and Harry during the party. As far as Ivy knew, nobody knew what occured. She was going to tell Emma a few days after it happened, because she was so excited to finally be able to express her feelings for him. But when she realized he hadn’t reached out to her, her feelings about everything shifted. She was embarrassed. Maybe she overreacted and Harry was just being nice to her.
Of course, she replayed the night over and over in her mind several times as she tried to figure out what was going on. Harry had been so sweet to her, so caring and concerned. She was sure that he meant it. Did she do something wrong? Maybe begging him to kiss her was too much too quickly for him. Whenever it popped in her mind, her hands went clammy and her stomach dropped. She wanted to scream.
It didn’t end on a sour note. When they went back inside that night, Harry stayed close by as they danced with their small group and even when they all sat around talking and eating at the table. Harry was pleasant with everyone, even Cory - despite being irritated with him. He was enjoyable. It’s almost like everything stopped and stayed at the bar. Those bubbly feelings she had turned to worry. The absolute pleasure that kissing and touching him gave her was burnt out. Ivy wanted to know why Harry wasn’t talking to her, why he didn’t reach out, why he kissed her that night and then suddenly disappeared..
“Hey.” Emma’s voice filled the quiet living room as she came down the hall, a towel wrapped her hair up on top of her head.
“Hey.” Ivy sighed out.
She wasn’t particularly thrilled when Emma sat down on the other end of the couch, her eyes moving to stare at Ivy. She had noticed that things weren’t so well the past few weeks. At first, Emma assumed that Ivy was just having some bad days and she needed to recharge on her own. But once the second week hit of her avoiding Emma in their shared spaces and insisting to not cook any meals or spend any time together, she knew something was wrong.
“Ivy, have you been okay?” She asked with a soft voice, not sure what to expect.
“I’m fine.”
Emma didn’t accept that answer. She took a deep breath and tried again. “Ivy, what’s wrong?”
As much as she wanted to curl up into a ball on the floor and cry her eyes out, or sit in the bathtub as the water poured onto her from the shower head, or sit in her car in the driveway and let a sad song break her even more - Ivy knew she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t vanish, she couldn’t avoid it anymore. Emma had noticed, and she knew there would be no end of the discussion until the truth was revealed.
Ivy licked her lips and chose to lock her gaze on the wall in front of her, not wanting Emma to see her eyes water over. “I have to tell you something.”
“Okay.” Emma gulped quietly and tried to remain calm, she didn’t want to freak out or scare Ivy off.
“The other night.. at your party.. Harry and I sat together and talked for a while.” She felt a pinch in her heart, it hurt to even mention it or think about it. Emma stayed silent and waited for the rest of the story, assuming there was more to it. Ivy chewed on her cheek for a few moments, deciding how to word the rest. “He was.. very nice to me. We talked about some.. personal things and eventually we.. were holding hands and kissing.”
Emma’s eyes went wide and she tried her best to control herself. She didn’t want to scream or look too terrified by the information. Ivy dropped her eyes to her hands where she was fumbling with her own fingers. She was sort of irritated with herself that she didn’t tell Emma this sooner. It would have been so exciting to debrief everything and squeal about all the possibilities as they both grinned. She just knew Emma would be so happy for her. There was relief, though. She didn’t have to face the consequences of telling her that he hadn’t spoken to her since. It would be more embarrassing.
“You kissed him?”
Ivy nodded lightly. “We kissed for a few minutes.. just light stuff, nothing intense.”
“Did you.. like it? Like, do you really like him?” Emma was hesitant, but she was hoping to be helpful.
“I do, yeah, but I don’t think he likes me in the same way.”
Emma furrowed her brows. “But he kissed you and touched you.. You don’t think he feels the same way?”
There was so much doubt in her mind, and so much guilt filling her heart. She was selfish and she took advantage of their closeness, she did what she wanted and now it seems that it wasn’t something he wanted. She crossed a line and he was being too open with her, too nice to her.
“He hasn’t talked to me since that night. No text or anything. If he liked me.. don’t you think he’d.. want to see me again? Or at least.. text me?”
It was easy for Emma to pick up on the sadness in her tone. She hated knowing that Ivy was so upset about this, and so worried about how it would play out. She took a deep breath and moved closer to her on the couch. Ivy shook her head as she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She didn’t want to cry again over this, especially not in front of Emma.
“Have you texted him?”
“No.”
Emma gave her a half smile. “Maybe you should try. He might think the same thing you’re thinking.”
“I’m pretty sure I made it clear that I liked him.” Ivy rolled her lips in as she tried her hardest to keep the tears from rapidly falling.
“Harry’s a bit stubborn.. maybe he doesn’t know what to do.”
Ivy wasn’t open to considering anything. “It’s me. He doesn’t like me.”
A frown covered Emma’s mouth. “Ivy, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not hard to tell that he likes you. Niall’s even mentioned it to me before. He’s probably just unsure of how to approach it.”
It felt sickening to know that everyone has clearly noticed that there’s an attraction between them - Michelle wasn’t the only one. She swallowed harshly and wiped at her eyes, ridding her skin of the tears despite having replicas take their place. How could he be so willing to hold her hand and sit next to her and touch her waist and kiss her.. but not be up to reach out to her? It didn’t make any sense. She was drunk and vulnerable that night, it was most likely that she just felt her emotions too deeply. Harry was being nice to her, not flirting with her. He was being there for her as a friend, as a nice person. Right?
“Well, maybe everyone is blind because it’s obvious to me that he doesn’t care.” She threw her hands in the air, giving up on everything. She felt defeated.
Emma was slightly unsure about how to approach everything, but she wanted Ivy to at least know she wasn’t the problem. Ivy stood up as she was about to speak.
“He’s probably nervous, Ivy. I’m sure it’s not easy for him. He hasn’t been the nicest person to you.. he’s probably afraid he’s messed up too much.”
Ivy walked a few feet away, her back towards Emma as she battled the competing thoughts racing in her mind. “It doesn’t make sense. He.. he told me he didn’t hate me. He.. he wanted to kiss me first. God, I feel like I’m sixteen.”
Romantic relationships were not something she had much, or really any at all, experience with. She wasn’t sure what to classify this as. She knew she was head over heels for him, but was it that deep? She had nothing to compare it to. All she was sure of was that nobody she had ever gone on a date with or kissed made her feel the way Harry did. Nobody has ever occupied so much space in her mind before, claimed so much of her attention even when she wasn’t with them. No kiss had ever made her stomach fall and her heart twist in her chest, or made tingles roll down her spine and her head dizzy. Nothing had ever made her feel that way. It must be more than just physical attraction, but she was afraid to admit it to herself. One four letter word terrified her more than anything.
“From what Niall’s told me, Harry’s never had, like, an actual girlfriend. Maybe he doesn’t.. know how to do it.”
Ivy let out a sarcastic laugh. “It doesn’t take a genius to text someone.”
Emma frowned to herself. As much as she wanted Ivy to see her perspective, she knew it was going to be hard. Ivy’s thoughts are clouded, she isn’t thinking straight. She’s confused and upset, any obvious explanations aren’t going to cut it.
“You can text him first, Ivy. It’s not like we’re still living in times when the guy has to make the first move.”
The comment irked her. She was annoyed by everything anyway, but that just made it worse. Ivy didn’t move or rotate to face her, though, she didn’t want to be rude or let her anger get the best of her. She huffed through her nose and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’ve tried multiple times to talk to him and be nice to him. I’m not going to do it first this time. He owes me that. He should take a turn for once.”
To think about the amount of effort she put in to be polite to him was frustrating. Even after he insulted her that first time, she tried her absolute best to be kind to him. She didn’t want to hate him, she didn’t want to have any harsh feelings when he was around. She desired to be nice to him, to get to know him. Ivy put in so much work, and it seemed to be a waste now.
“Ivy-“
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore, Emma. It doesn’t matter.” She finally turned around, a mix of annoyance and sadness swept across her features.
Emma sighed softly. “I don’t want you to be upset.”
“It’s too late for that.”
Ivy gave up on everything. Without saying anything else, she disappeared down the hall and turned the lock on her bedroom door. She’d spend yet another night jotting her messy thoughts into her diary before crying herself to sleep, the stuffed animal Harry got her tight in her arms. She missed him more than she ever dreamed she would.
—•—
Later on in the week, Emma convinced Ivy to finally get out of the house and go do something more enjoyable than sitting in her bed sulking. It was Friday evening, she had gotten home from work early and hoped to stay home and relax. Emma brought up the idea of going to get a quick dinner together. She mentioned that she missed being around Ivy and she was hoping they could spend some time together. Of course, that made Ivy feel guilty for abandoning her friend for so many days, so she agreed to it.
They ate at one of their favorite restaurants. The conversations were light and funny, both of them avoided the hard topics Ivy dreaded to think about and that Emma nervously wanted to know. It was a relief to not discuss the situation with Harry, though. Ivy was able to think clearly and be in the moment with Emma, instead of losing her mind and getting lost in her head. When they finished eating, Emma mentioned that she needed to go by Niall’s store. Ivy wasn’t sure of the reason, but she didn’t mind.
Niall was working the later shift at the store, which was unusual for him for a Friday. He was scanning someone’s items at the register when they walked in. He looked up and smiled as he saw Emma. Ivy’s gaze started moving around the store like it normally did when she came here. She wasn’t new to the place, but everything was intriguing and attention catching for her. There was music playing softly from the ceiling, but the sound of someone in the back playing a guitar was overpowering whatever song was on. When the customer left, they met Niall at the counter.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, Ivy.” He said after walking around the counter to give Emma a hug and a kiss.
She put on a light smile. “Yeah, I’ve been keeping to myself.”
“Well, we’ve got a show tomorrow night if you want to come out.” His invitation made her skin crawl. Usually, it would sound like a fun time and she’s agree to it, but not this time.
“I’m just going to stay home.”
Niall noticed the frown that shaped on Emma’s lips. He furrowed his brows and looked back to Ivy. “Everything okay?”
She shrugged, choosing to stare at her own hands now. Speaking to Emma about everything was hard enough, she didn’t think she’d be able to discuss it with Niall. Not only was Niall Harry’s roommate, but they were best friends. How could Ivy vent to him about his friend and expect him to be on her side? Emma wanted to say something, but she knew it would be crossing a line. Niall had some ideas about what was happening, and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
“Did something happen with Harry?”
Emma nudged him and sighed, not pleased with the fact he just jumped straight to the point. Ivy met his concerned stare and she knew that she couldn’t get out of it, yet again.
“I don’t know.”
He dropped his brows lower. “You don’t know?”
“It’s complicated, Niall.”
“I know it is. He told me about it.” He gave her an apologetic smile.
It wasn’t shocking news to hear, she suspected that he probably knew something. Emma pushed out a sigh and let go of his arm, giving him an irritated look. “Niall, she doesn’t want to talk about it.”
Ivy licked her lips and thought quickly about what could come from this conversation. She wondered what all Niall knew. Did Harry tell him every little detail or did he tell it the way she did and just breeze past everything? Did he know that Harry was so sweet to her and was doing his best to make her feel better? How did the story go in Harry’s point of view, what all did he tell Niall? She shot her eyes back to Niall’s and gulped gently, there was nothing to lose.
“What did he tell you?”
Niall looked over his shoulder, almost like he was seeing if anyone was around. There were a few customers lurking in the store, but surely they weren’t that important to not speak in front of. Emma gave him a funny look when he did it again, double checking himself.
“What?” Emma said confused, looking back to see if she saw anything suspicious.
Niall turned his head back, giving them both a glance. “Harry’s in the back.”
Ivy felt her heart freeze and her chest tightened. Tension filled her body and strained her muscles, she was struggling almost like someone dropped a ton of bricks on her.
“I don’t care.” She forced out the lie, trying to appear nonchalant.
Niall could obviously tell she did care to a certain extent, but he wasn’t going to pester her about it. Instead, he took a deep breath and started explaining what he was told. While he spoke, Emma kept her eyes on Ivy to catch her reactions. She didn’t want her to get upset again.
“Well, he told me about.. how he found you outside and talked to you for a while. And he told me about the hand holding and the kissing.” Niall paused in case she wanted to say something, but her eyes were glued to him and she stayed quiet. “He also told me that he hasn’t spoken to you since then.”
“No, he hasn’t.” She had a firm line over her lips.
He nodded gently. “I know. He told me he’s-“
“Niall, I don’t want to know.” Ivy interrupted, rolling her eyes and shifting her body so she wasn’t facing him anymore. “I don’t want to hear it from you.”
“I can go get him.” Niall offered.
“No.” She was quick to reject the offer. “I don’t want to see him. I just.. want to go home.”
When her eyes moved to Emma’s, there was a silent understanding between them. Emma reached into her purse and took out her keys, passing them to Ivy. She was giving her the opportunity to go to the car if she wanted. Ivy took the chance and soon walked out of the door, the bells jingling above her made her ears ring.
Knowing Harry was in the same building as her made her stomach churn. Every piece of her was hurting, coated with fear and anxiety. She didn’t want to be near him. She didn’t want Niall’s version of Harry’s feelings and thoughts. Right now, the only thing she wanted was to disappear.
Ivy accidentally slammed the car door when she shut it. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, fighting back a scream. There was a lot of anger boiling beneath her skin, but she was still sad.
Back inside, Niall received a gentle slap on his arm from Emma. He threw his hands up, silently surrendering to her. She was not pleased with what he said to Ivy, in fact she was very mad about it. She crossed her arms and shook her head in disbelief.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
“I don’t want the girl to think she’s done something wrong. I was trying to help.”
Emma was tapping her foot on the ground, irritation taking over. “And seriously? Suggesting that you go get him? Niall, that was unnecessary.”
“Babe, I didn’t mean to make things worse. I thought maybe she’d want to talk to him. I’m sorry.”
Emma could easily explode any second now. She was disappointed that Niall was so bold and straight forward with Ivy. No matter how good his intentions were, he shouldn’t have done that. She was about to say something in return when a customer walked to the register. Niall quickly handled their transaction as Emma stepped a few feet away to give them space.
Once Niall had finished with the customer, she leaned her elbow on the counter and gave him a sour look. He locked the register and gave her a gentle frown, knowing that he messed up. He wanted to apologize again, but he was sure it wouldn’t matter.
“She’s been really upset about this.” Emma mumbled out, everything was crashing down at once.
Ivy was angry, but more than anything she was heart broken. Having her best friend feel that way made Emma just as sad. She wanted to scream at Harry and tell him how stupid his choices were, but she knew Ivy wouldn’t want her to do that and Niall wouldn’t either. It wasn’t her place to get in between them, just as it wasn’t Niall’s either.
“I was going to tell her that Harry’s been really worried about it. He doesn’t know what to do. It’s not like he’s.. the most open person or whatever.” Niall tried to offer the explanation, but he knew his words weren’t going to mean as much as Harry’s would.
Emma rolled her eyes. “He’s hard headed. There’s no reason why he should still act that way towards her.”
“I know that, Emma. I’ve tried to give him my advice.” Niall’s voice was lighter than it previously was.
“Do you really think he likes her, Niall? It would crush her if he didn’t.”
“He does. He told me.” Niall nodded, then pushed himself off the counter, his eyes looking past Emma. “Don’t say anything.” He quietly muttered to her.
She looked over her shoulder in time to see Harry walking up. She felt her stomach fall. He gave her a look, but didn’t offer a smile or anything too polite to her. He was concerned with one thing only, telling Niall he was about to leave.
“I’m out of here.” He said, gesturing his head towards the door.
Niall flicked his eyes to Emma’s and he easily caught her expression. She was practically pleading with him, and he caved quicker than he realized. He took a quick breath and mentally hit himself for doing this.
“Harry, wait.”
The call of his name made Harry stop just as he grabbed the door handle. He looked over and lifted his brows, hoping this wouldn’t take long. He was ready to go home and become reclusive in his room. Niall tapped his finger on the counter as he managed to get a sentence together in his mind.
“I just talked to Ivy.”
Harry shot his gaze to Emma for a split second. “Congratulations.”
Of course he was going to keep his hard front on in Emma’s presence. Not only was she Ivy’s roommate, but she was her best friend. He wasn’t going to be vulnerable.
Niall rolled his eyes. “I think you need to reach out to her, Harry.”
“I think you need to mind your business, Niall.” He mocked Niall’s tone and snarled his lip.
“Please.” Emma chirped out.
Harry shook his head, but he refrained from being rude to her. Instead, he focused on Niall. “Don’t talk to me about this again.”
“Harry, be more considerate of her feelings.” Niall tried to get through to him, but like always it was a failure.
“She’s better off without me considering anything involving her.” Harry made that his final comment. He pushed the door open and walked out, leaving Niall to drop his forehead against his head.
He was unaware of Ivy’s location, and he wasn’t paying enough attention to realize that she was in one of the cars outside the building. He didn’t catch a glimpse of her, though. However, she saw him. It was hard to resist looking at him and following his strides as he went to his motorcycle. Ivy bit down on her lip and pinched her own thigh, trying to distract herself but it was impossible. Harry was so close to her, and this time she could see him - but she knew nothing was going to happen. She watched him get on the bike and put his helmet on. She wondered how often he drove it, she obviously knew he had a car, too. Was it more freeing and fun to ride the motorcycle? Has he always been into them or was it a newer fascination? There she goes - getting lost in her mind, tangled in her thoughts about him. It was entirely too easy for her to trip over him.
Ivy ripped her eyes away and stared at the dashboard of Emma’s car, mixed emotions swirling in her body. It was heart wrenching and painful and annoying and aggravating and literally every emotion all at once. She wanted to hate him, but she could never bring herself to feel that way.
—•—
Although Emma tried her best to convince Ivy to go out for the night, it was a wasted attempt. She declined and eventually said she was tired of being asked, so Emma respected that and accepted the reality that Ivy wasn’t going to cave in. Ivy helped Emma with her outfit, of course, like a best friend would. They went back and forth on a few things, but eventually settled on something. Emma was sad to leave without her, even Niall asked to make sure Ivy wasn’t coming when he picked her up.
Ivy’s plans for the night consisted of take out and a movie. She wanted to snuggle a blanket on the couch and eat some of her favorite candies while she watched the television. She wasn’t concerned with what Emma was doing or what anyone else would think about her not being there. For the first time in the past two weeks, her mind was empty and her heart was calm. She relaxed with a glass of wine, settling on the couch once her dinner was over. Everything was normal, everything was peaceful.
Things were different at the bar, though. When it came time for the band to get ready to go on stage, Harry felt his stomach begin to twist and turn. He was nervous, and he normally was never, ever nervous to perform. If anyone had confidence and energy, it was him. Tonight was different. He sighed heavily as he watched Michelle check her phone one last time before sliding it into her back pocket. They had about three minutes to spare before they had to walk out. Niall was making sure everything was set up correctly while Zayn and Cory talked to each other.
Harry gulped quietly and mustered up his usual courage. “Hey, Michelle.”
She looked up and raised her brows high. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Harry to talk to her, he was her friend after all. He looked over towards the guys, then back at her. Her curiosity grew when he chose to walk closer to her, closing their distance.
He kept his voice low as he spoke. “Do you know if Ivy is coming tonight?”
“I know that Emma’s coming.”
He nodded lightly, forcing down the lump in his throat. “But you haven’t.. talked to Ivy?”
“No, I haven’t.” She shook her head, then tilted her head to the side. “Why are you so worried about it?”
“M’not worried.” He grumbled back.
She laughed. “Sure you’re not.”
“Whatever. I just wanted to know.” He huffed out, a flush covering his cheeks. It was sort of embarrassing for him to be so gushy about someone, and it was worse to think that Michelle suspected something more was going on. “Forget it.”
“Harry.” She quickly said his name as he turned away. “She’ll probably be with Emma.”
Her hopeful comment wasn’t enough to ease his anxiety. He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t spare her a glance. He simply nodded his head and ran his hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. The owner offered them celebratory shots ten minutes ago that most of them accepted, Harry did not. He regretted that now, he needed something to distract him.
When he first got on stage and started singing, he was keeping his eyes fixed on the crowd and trying not to pick out any specific person. He was hoping to dissociate from what was going on, but as time went on, it was challenging. Harry was facing a slew of feelings. He was still very anxious, yet he was annoyed with himself for being so caught up on his thoughts. He was worried - what if she was here and she was being bothered by someone? He was on the stage and unable to be there for her. He was upset at himself for being so fixated on her, yet he couldn’t stop it.
Dissociating was his most successful process so far. They were half way through the show and he hadn’t even realized it until it was time to sing a certain song. He gulped down his anxious thoughts and started the song. Niall knew the significance of this song, so he kept his eye on Harry. He was unsure of how Harry would react.
As he sang the lyrics to “Crimson and Clover”, his eyes scanned the crowd in a different way this time. He was trying to find her, trying to catch just a glimpse of her long, pretty hair or see her smile shine as she danced. His eyes kept landing on Emma throughout his search, and just like every single time he’s looked at her tonight, she was alone. Emma wasn’t dancing with Ivy, she wasn’t singing along and grabbing her hands and jumping around - Ivy wasn't here.
He hoped that maybe she was just sitting at the bar to keep her distance from him, that would make sense. Avoiding him was not something new to her, so maybe she was trying to do that. The longer he sang into the microphone, the deeper his thoughts went and the more he convinced himself she wasn’t here at all. Not at the bar, not in the bathroom, not in the back of the crowd..
That lead to the spiraling thoughts of wondering where she could be. Was she alone at home, curled up in her bed asleep? Was she visiting her dad, maybe she was out of town and that’s why she missed the show? Or she could be out on a date, she could have moved on from him and be exploring different options. That thought made his chest go tight. He fucked up. He ruined his chance. Ivy didn’t want to be near him, she didn’t want to risk her own sanity. And he didn’t blame her.
When the show ended, Harry joined everyone at their usual spot. However, he wasn’t speaking at all. He downed two beers quicker than he should have. The goal was to get drunk, not to talk to anyone. Michelle glanced his way every now and then, aware of at least a partial reason why he was mute. She didn’t think that Ivy’s absence would affect him this much, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made.
When Emma came back from the bathroom, she sat down in between Niall and Harry. She took out her phone and started typing, the bright screen attracted Harry’s eyes. He didn’t dare read over her shoulder, he just noticed she had her phone out. She closed it after a few moments. Niall was talking to Zayn, so she was quiet next to him. Harry took the opportunity to say something.
“Emma.” He said loud enough for her to hear over the music.
She looked his way. “Yeah?”
Eye contact was too overwhelming. He looked down at his hands as he twisted one of his rings over his fingers. The scar on his skin made him frown as the memory of Ivy being so curious about it began to circle his mind. He took a deep breath and gently swallowed. Emma was being patient, giving him time to compose his words.
“How’s.. how’s Ivy doing?”
As much as she wanted to sarcastically laugh at him, she held it in and just kept her eyes on his face. She figured her staring was uncomfortable for him so that was going to be his punishment.
“Do you mean today or in general? Because lately she’s been going through it.”
He lifted his head and moved his eyes to hers. “Is she sick?”
Her brows dropped, was he clueless? “No, she’s fine.”
“Did.. did she have plans tonight?”
Emma easily caught the gist now. She pushed out a heavy breath. “No.”
“Why didn’t she come?” Harry couldn’t hold the stare anymore.
The desire to be polite to him was starting to fade. She knew all too well how Ivy had been feeling lately and it was all because of him. Emma shifted so she was facing him now, a serious look spread on her face. Harry could feel her stare burning holes through her, like daggers being thrown.
“Probably because she didn’t want to be around you.”
He nodded slowly, fully expecting that sort of response. “That makes sense, I guess.”
“A lot of sense to me.” She quickly replied.
“Is she mad at me?” He leaned up to grab the half full plastic cup he sat on the table a few minutes prior.
Emma wanted to grab him and shake some sense into him, but she knew she couldn’t do that. Not only would it be rude, but Ivy wouldn’t want her to. She knew the importance of accountability, and Harry needed to take some.
“Why are you asking me?”
He rolled his lips in for a moment. “I don’t know.”
Harry hated himself for what he did to her, for how he’s treated her since day one and for how he’s been acting now. He should’ve never done that if he knew he wasn’t going to pursue anything with her - and it’s never been his intention to make anything happen. He wasn’t good for her, she needed someone who could really love her.
Emma saw how far his frown tugged the corners of his lips down. While she was annoyed with his behavior, she had to remind herself that he was human. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone deserves respect and sympathy.
“If you want to know how she is, you have to ask her yourself, Harry.”
All he did was lightly tilt his head back, his eyes were glued to his knees and his mind was dizzy with thoughts. Shortly after her final words, Emma occupied herself with Niall and left Harry alone. For the rest of the night, they all pretty much left him to himself. He downed more beer, ordered heavier drinks, and threw back shots. He wanted to get wasted, he wanted his thoughts to vanish. He didn’t want to think about Ivy, or anything for that matter. He swallowed the alcohol faster than he was taking breaths. The intention was to forget about her.
As the early morning rolled past three o’clock, Ivy was sound alseep in her bed tucked under her covers. Her bedroom was cool, but the heat her body let out encased her in a comforting warmth. Her bedroom was quiet, in fact the entire house was. Emma told her before she left that she’d be staying at Niall’s tonight. Ivy wasn’t expecting any sort of interruption. She was glad to be in a quiet space, after all her worrying her body needed the rest and relaxation.
That sense of peace ended abruptly when the sound of her phone ringing blared throughout her bedroom. She groaned, pulling the cover over her head to shield herself from the sound. She wasn’t sure of the time, so if the sun was out she didn’t want to risk her eyes being exposed to it. The phone rang until it went to voicemail. She figured it was some sort of spam call or something along those lines. It became silent again, so she hummed to herself as she got comfortable, ready to fall back asleep.
It was short lived. Just a few minutes later, the phone was ringing for a second time. She huffed this time, annoyed by the sound. Although she had a few thoughts pop in her mind, like maybe something was wrong with Emma or it was an emergency from her dad, her brain was fuzzy and she only wanted to sleep, not entertain any particular thought.
The third time the phone rang, she sat up in her bed and started mumbling to herself, cursing the noise for waking her up. She snatched the phone off her nightstand and pulled the charger out, bringing it closer so she could see. Her eyes squinted from the bright screen, but as they came back into focus, she saw five letters that made her heart drop. Harry.
Ivy read the time, furrowing her brows as she realized how late it was. Why was he calling her this late? She ignored the call, but opened her phone to check the previous missed calls. They were indeed all from him. What if something was wrong with him? Why would he be calling her? She felt an immense amount of anxiety start to build inside of her. The what if’s kept flying into her mind, circling her brain until her heart was fluttering from the anxious feeling. What if something bad happened?
Before she could even comprehend what to do, the phone rang for a fourth time. The sight of his name displayed on the screen was fueling her worry. If he was calling her again, that meant that he needed her. Something wasn’t right. Ivy sucked in a quick breath and answered the phone, pressing it to her ear as she anticipated hearing his voice. On the other end of the call, Harry was shocked that she answered.
“Hello?”
“Ivy.” His deep voice sounded groggy, almost like he was in the midst of falling asleep or just waking up.
She closed her eyes and calmly spoke back, trying not to fall apart. “Harry, why are you calling me?”
A grunt came out before his words. “M’sorry.. I know it’s late, Ivy.”
The sound of his voice saying her name was like music to her ears - a sound so beautiful and perfect that she wished she could hear it forever. Ivy gulped and took a long pause, which made him more nervous than he already was. She could hear how hard he was breathing, but it was slow.
“It’s very late.” She finally said back. “Are.. are you okay?”
Harry hesitated at first, only because he was unsure of how to word it. The alcohol was still present in his body. His mind wasn’t clear, and his heart was overpowering everything else. There was one thing he wanted.
“M’fine.. sorta.” He managed to get a couple words out, despite it not being what he wanted to tell her.
“Sorta?” She questioned, her voice so soft and light.
He wanted to reach through the phone and take ahold of her hands, he wanted to press a kiss to her forehead and tell her how pretty she was. He melted when she used that gentle tone, her innocence and sweetness made his heart swell.
“I.. m’not hurt or anything.”
A sigh of relief softly slipped through her lips. When her eyes opened, she realized it was dark in her room. She leaned over and switched on the lamp on her nightstand, the warm glow casted onto the ceiling. Harry was quiet as he waited for her to speak. As much as he wanted to ramble to her, he knew he had to be careful. One wrong thing could mess this all up.
“Why.. why did you call then?”
He gulped loud enough for her to hear over the phone. “I.. I have a question.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “A question at three in the morning?”
“M’sorry, Ivy, I know it’s.. it’s late.” He repeated what he already said.
Ivy felt a bit of irritation start to creep in. She wasn’t angry with him at this very moment, but she was confused as to what was happening. If he was alright and unharmed, then why was he calling her? More importantly, why was he avoiding telling her the truth?
“Harry, tell me why you called or I’m going to hang up.” She kept her courage solid, not willing to risk letting him get the upper hand in any way. One thing she had to enforce when it came to Harry was her own strength.
“Please, don’t.” He whispered out.
“Harry, I’m serious.”
She wasn’t completely sure, but she thought she heard him let out a soft whine. Thinking about him being sad was causing her heart to ache. She vividly remembered, and could never forget, how special it felt to have him console her when she was upset that night. Ivy wondered if he needed her in that way now, if it were his turn to be taken care of.
Harry choked out his response, his heart was racing in his chest. “Can.. can I see you? I.. I need to talk to you.”
She sighed. “Right now?”
This time she was sure she heard the whine he let out before his words stumbled from his mouth. “Yes, please. It’s.. it’s important, Ivy. I.. I need to see you.”
Everything was surreal now. She was becoming dizzy as the thoughts stormed in her mind. Harry was being more open than he ever had been. He was admitting that he needed to see her, and she could hear the desperation in his voice. She wanted to see him as much as he needed to see her..
“Are you drunk?”
Harry sucked in a breath, his nerves getting the best of him. “Yeah.. but it doesn't matter. I need to talk to you, please.”
Ivy’s heart skipped a beat as scary thoughts crossed her mind. “Are you driving?”
“No.” He was quick to answer, not wanting her to worry about him too much. “I’m with Michelle.. we had a show tonight.”
There was a quick feeling of remorse and regret growing in her gut. Although she was successful at not thinking about it all night, she began to wonder how the show was. She imagined Emma dancing along and cheering loud for them. She was curious to know what song they started off with because it was never the same order. And of course she was curious about their slower songs, what did Harry sit down on the stool and sing to the crowd? How many songs did he play the guitar while he sang? Did Harry’s eyes look out in the crowd for her, did he scan over heads and bodies trying to find her gaze? Her stomach was churning at the thoughts - had he been expecting to see her?
Ivy finally replied, pushing out a sigh. “Can this wait until-“
“No, Ivy.” Harry interrupted, squeezing his eyes shut as he silently prayed. “Please. I’m begging you, love.”
Just as every other time he’s said the word to her, it made her heart grow until it exploded in her chest. Her mind went fuzzy and her stomach filled with giant butterflies. It was such a simple word - one she wasn’t even sure was special - yet it easily drove her wild. It made her collapse like puddy in his hands.
“Ivy.. please.” He muttered out after a few long moments of her silence.
It was hard to weigh the pros and cons of her options. She was too focused on him to worry about anything else, including what wrong could come from this. It was safe to say she really didn’t care about the possible consequences.
“Okay.”
“Really?” He blurted.
“Yeah.” She kept her voice calm and light, not wanting to give away too much of her feelings over the phone. He didn’t need to know how worried she was about him.
“Michelle’s gonna drop me off. Is.. is that okay?” His voice quietened again, he was clearly nervous.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Just text me when you get here.”
Without waiting for his response, she ended the call and gripped the phone tight in her hand. She didn’t want him to get the last word - maybe that was part of her resentment towards him. He spent two weeks not communicating with her, he could survive the rest of his drive to her house.
Once Ivy realized what was actually about to happen, she climbed out of her bed and crossed her room. She put on a comfortable pair of pajama pants that didn’t really match her loose t-shirt, but she didn’t care as long as she was covered. She made her way into the living room where she turned on the lamp by the couch and sat down on the cushion, waiting somewhat patiently for her phone to ding.
Her eyes trailed over to the chair that Harry claimed as his spot while he stayed the weekend with her that time. The memories easily came to the forefront of her mind - he was so quiet and respectful while he was here. He watched the television with her mindlessly or sometimes focused depending on the show or movie, he sat at her kitchen table, he used her sink sponge, he touched the items in her refrigerator. He left his mark on everything in her house, including her.
Ivy opened the camera on her phone and looked at herself, hoping that she didn’t look worn out or ugly. Her hair was a bit messy, but she had it pushed over her shoulders. She let her lips shape to a soft smile as she thought about the night Harry touched her hair to move it for her. She liked the way it felt to have someone else’s fingers glide against her hair, especially Harry’s fingers. A sudden noise made her jump. A text message popped onto her screen, all of this was about to become very real for her. This wasn’t a dream.
Harry: I’m here
She didn’t reply, instead she moved her eyes to the door. She waited quietly, not sure how long it would take him to reach it. The house was extremely quiet, it was almost eerie. Her nerves were getting worked up as she sat there frozen on the couch. The sound his knuckles created against the door sounded amplified. She stood up and adjusted her shirt as she walked to the door, there was no going back now. If she really wanted to ignore him and forget this idea, she could simply turn around and go back to her room and leave him at the door. But that would be such a cruel thing to do. She wanted to see him, she just didn’t want to admit it to herself.
When she opened the door, she was met with his broad frame. The glow of the light outside of the door covered him, his saddened face shining in the yellow gleam. A frown was settled over his lips, his eyes weren’t wide open and his brows were limp on his forehead.
“Ivy.” He muttered her name out softly, afraid to speak too loudly to her.
She licked her lips and looked him up and down. He was in his usual attire, a dark colored tee and a pair of black jeans. She expected nothing different when it came to his clothes. And although it wasn’t necessarily cold outside, his leather jacket was tight on his arms. She gulped quietly, pushing down all the mixed emotions.
“Come inside.” She gestured with a nod of her head.
Harry dropped his eyes to his feet as he stepped over the threshold. He couldn’t believe that she was allowing this to happen. He knew he had one chance and he couldn’t fuck it up. There would be no way she would be able to forgive him if he did. Ivy shut the door behind him and turned the lock, chewing on her cheek as she watched him walk a few feet away from her. He was almost stumbling over his own feet.
“Hey, are you okay?” She appeared in front of him, her small hand reaching out to touch his elbow.
He was slightly hunched over, his head low and his arms seemingly weak by his sides. He grunted and lifted his eyes to look at her, surprised that she touched him but so grateful that she did.
“I’ve.. been trying to.. to sober up.”
Ivy nodded lightly, sliding her hand down to his wrist. He moved his eyes to witness it for himself. She carefully grabbed onto his hand, but she didn’t lace their fingers. She kept it loose, in case he wanted to pull back from her. She doubted he would, though.
“Do you want to sit down?”
Harry’s brows furrowed as he thought about her question. He had stopped drinking almost an hour ago, but the amount he consumed was more than he normally had and it was getting to him. He shrugged lightly before deciding to squeeze her hand. She liked the gesture, but she chose not to return it.
“Harry, look at me.” She reached up to nudge his chin with the side of her finger.
He sighed, but obliged with her command. When his eyes met hers, it was so easy to tell she was concerned. He felt his pulse go haywire as he stared into her pretty eyes. He missed her so much, missed looking at her and seeing her eyes sparkle.
“M’sorry m’drunk.” His voice was almost a slur.
“It’s fine. You just need some water and a snack.”
He shook his head. “No, I.. I wanna talk to you.”
“You can talk to me after I make sure you’re okay.” Ivy finally squeezed his hand back, that alone made his mood shift. He wanted to pick her up and twirl her around, but he didn’t have the stability to do that right now. “Are you tired?”
“A bit, yeah.” He nodded, but then he frowned. “But, but I.. want to talk, Ivy, not sleep.”
She let a soft laugh escape. “I know, we will.”
“Where are we going?” He asked as she started to walk, tugging him behind her.
“You seem dizzy and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He groaned slightly. “I won’t get hurt.”
“Shh, or I’ll make you go home.” She warned, slightly joking with him.
He smiled gently to himself, confused as to what she was doing but he was going along with it. He looked around as he walked the familiar path down her hallway. He had wished that weekend with her lasted a lot longer than it did, and now he’s glad he’s back. When she got to her bedroom, she opened the door and immediately guided him to her bed.
Harry’s eyes began to look around the room, it was foreign to him as he was forbidden from entering it during his stay. Ivy pointed to the bed, silently instructing him to sit down. He did as she wanted and let his head fall back so he could see her. She gave him a light smile and looked down at his feet.
“Take your shoes off. I’m going to go get you some water and something to eat.”
Just as she let go of his hand, he grunted and quickly spoke back. “Wait, am I.. am I staying here?”
“Well, I’m not driving this late at night and.. I figured you’d rather stay the night than find a way home.” She crossed her arms over her chest loosely, her eyes looking straight into his. “No funny business, though.”
“I.. I can stay on the couch.” He tried to stand up, but she grabbed his shoulder to push him back down.
“For now, stay here. We can talk when I get back, then I’ll get you a blanket for the couch.”
Harry didn’t say anything back, he was unsure of how this would go. When Ivy left the room, he let his curiosity get the best of him. He wasn’t sure what her room looked like before tonight. He had his wonders and his assumptions, but what he saw was more than he imagined. He figured she had a lot of girly things, maybe mostly pink or a chic white that matched everything. He was somewhat on the right path.
Her room was rather large, enough for her king sized bed to fit nicely while still having plenty of room. Her bed was tucked into the corner, and it was filled with more than just pillows and blankets. She had a collection of stuffed animals of varying sizes perfectly placed in the corner of the bed. They expanded out and against the wall, almost to the foot of the bed. Harry twisted his body as he looked around the room. He was amazed by all the different stuffed animals she had. Some were big and round, almost like thick pillows, while others were smaller and tucked tight against each other. When he looked at her pillow, he didn’t expect to see the pig he got her sitting there. It looked as though she abandoned it when she got up. Maybe she was sleeping with it cuddled against her? He hoped that was the case.
She had a few plants in her window that looked to be thriving and healthy. There were several little random things sitting next to the plants, including a small geode, a fairy figurine, and a glass jar full of buttons. He thought it was adorable, her mix of random odds and ends. She had a tall bookcase that was mostly full of things, only one shelf housed books. It was evident that she liked to collect random things. Most of the items seemed to be older or of a certain style. Harry felt as though he could discover something new every time he made his rounds in the room. There were things tucked here and there. Her vanity was neatly organized, aside from a few makeup products left out. He wondered what her routine was. Was it quick and easy or was it complicated and lengthy? His favorite thing, though, was a small, decorative glass dish on her nightstand that was placed next to her lamp. It was home to something familiar, something he recognized the moment his eyes landed on it. There in the small dish laid the guitar pick he had given her as a keepsake. It made his heart shake as he realized she kept it so close to her. It seemed like a safe spot for it, somewhere she could leave it and not worry about it. He knew she’d keep it safe. As he was scanning his eyes over the pattern of her rug, the door opened.
“I got you a banana.” She said with a soft sigh as she reached him, handing him the bottle of water and the piece of fruit she picked out.
He took them and started to peel open the banana. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Ivy sat down next to him, almost close enough for their bodies to touch. “If it’s not enough, you can have something else.”
Harry bit a piece off, chewing slowly as his headache started to pound harder. He closed his eyes to avoid the light, even though the lamp wasn’t bright it was enough to irritate him. Ivy watched him with worried eyes, not sure if he was going to pass out or throw up whatever his stomach was holding on to.
“Do you feel bad?” She asked quietly, her hand touching his thigh as she leaned closer, their arms brushing together.
“M’alright.”
She breathed out, not believing him. “Your face is red. Are you hot?”
“Little bit.” He mumbled back.
Ivy jumped up and walked towards the door. She flicked the switch, then went to pull the chain of her ceiling fan, turning the light off but leaving the blades spinning. She hoped that would help him some.
“Take this off.” Her hand touched his arm, her skin pressing against the leather jacket.
He finished off the banana, dropping the peel in her hand as she extended her palm to him. She tossed it in the small trash bin next to her vanity, not caring about taking it to the kitchen right now. Ivy kept herself a few feet away as Harry tugged the jacket off his body. He smiled to himself as she took it and laid it gently over her vanity chair.
“Now, that should help.” She returned to her spot next to him.
Being able to feel the cool air against his now exposed skin was actually relieving. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back messily. The motion made Ivy chew on her cheek. He was always so attractive in her eyes.
“Can, um, can we talk now?” Harry turned his head towards her, glad to see her sparkling eyes were already looking his way.
“I guess so.”
He didn’t know exactly how to say what he wanted to, so he took a long moment to think it through. He didn’t want to mess it up and ruin things with her again. She was too important to lose. Ivy was patient with him, understanding that not only was he upset, but his mind was juggling the alcohol, too. He realized he was staring at her leg, so he looked back up. The glimmer in her eyes made his heart flutter.
“I’m sorry I.. I haven’t talked to you.” He pushed out the words nervously. “I was.. kind of.. afraid.”
She licked her lips and swallowed softly. “I didn’t think you could be afraid of anything.”
The gentle smile on her mouth made his tension ease. “When it comes to you, I am.”
“You really hurt my feelings, Harry. I was.. very upset.”
His brows dropped and a frown tugged on his lips. “I know I did. I’m sorry.”
“Why were you afraid?” She wasn’t going to let him off that easily. She wanted to know the details and the reasoning behind his decision.
Harry tore his eyes away from her. He couldn’t stomach looking at her while talking about this. He was ashamed and upset at himself, and disappointing her made him feel terrible.
“Because I.. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to risk it. M’not good for you.”
Ivy trailed her gaze down to Harry’s hands. He was twisting one of his rings around his finger. It was evident that he was nervous and probably embarrassed. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who willingly admitted their feelings - she knew he wasn’t normally doing things like this. Although the whole situation hurt her, she couldn’t get past how he was battling this. She felt bad that he was so nervous. Ivy wanted him to fully trust her, to know she was right here.
“Why do you think that?”
The laugh he let out wasn’t humorous. “It’s pretty obvious I’m shit at treating you right.” He shook his head lightly as he pulled one of the rings off to push it down on another finger. He was trying to distract himself, but Ivy’s presence was making that impossible to achieve.
“You weren’t shit the other night. You were pretty good at it.”
He exhaled, not sure what to do. “Was I though? I didn’t talk to you after. I should have.”
“Well, I agree. You should have. But.. you were there for me when you didn’t have to be.” Ivy shifted her upper body so she was facing him, her hand moved to his forearm.
He looked over at her hand, noticing the perfectly painted pink polish on her nails. Her skin was the softest thing he’d ever felt. That night she held onto his hand like he’d slip away any moment was something he cherished. He missed the feeling of her skin.
“I know it’s kinda scary. I.. I was afraid to let myself open up to you, but when I did it felt so good. Like you were the only person I wanted to be around.” She pressed the pads of her fingers into his skin, careful not to let her nails sink into his flesh. “We don’t have to be scared anymore, Harry.”
When she said his name, he bit down on his tongue and tried to control the tingles running through his body. She was the one thing he wanted, the one thing he’d go to the ends of the earth to save. He wanted her, but the fear was strong. Ruining her was his biggest fear.
“I’m going to hurt you, Ivy.”
She squeezed his arm. “Why are you saying that?”
“Because I know it’s true.”
Harry immediately felt a punch to his gut as she let go of his arm. He wanted to beg her to put her hand back, to grip him even tighter. She didn’t move away, though. Her eyes stayed glued to the side of his face.
“If you don’t want to try, then just tell me, Harry.” Her voice wasn’t as soft as before, she was being serious. “I can’t keep.. running in the same circles.”
The thought of losing her to another person was heartbreaking. If he told her he couldn’t do this or didn’t want to, then she’d give up and let it go. She’d move on. She’d start by telling him to go home and never talk to her again. It was the scariest thought in his mind. He couldn’t lose her again, not forever.
“Of course I want to, Ivy. I don’t.. don’t wanna keep trying to.. to ignore you.” Harry fought the desire to reach for her hand. Even while telling her he wanted to do this with her, he was hesitant to make a move.
“Then let’s stop. I hate this stupid game.” Her voice fell back to a soft whisper.
“Can you.. forgive me?” He returned his eyes to hers, the world stopped spinning. “I wouldn’t blame you if you couldn’t.”
Ivy couldn’t help but to get lost in his eyes. She recalled the very first time she saw them. Nothing was as special as the night he was singing on stage with his gaze glued to her. It was easy to remember how bubbly her stomach was and how fast her heart raced that night. She thought about how worried he looked when she told him some stranger had approached her. But with every good memory, there were bad ones to consider. The night the cup of beer was accidentally spilt on her, his eyes were full of anger and rage. The time at the restaurant when he called her out for staring at him, his eyes were cold and harsh. She wondered if she could ease that anger, calm the rage, and tame the arrogance. She knew he could laugh and joke around. She knew he could grin and smirk. She knew he had joy in him, that he had happiness. She’s seen it first hand, felt the warmth of his smile, experienced the sweetness in his tone and the concern in his eyes. Ivy knew she could love him if he let her.
“Tell me something first.” She finally whispered, carefully placing her hand back on his arm.
He nodded, glancing down at her hand. Her skin was colder than usual, but he figured the temperature in the room was to blame.
“Be honest with me.” She started with a sigh, which made him wary. “Did you hate me when we first met?”
Harry gulped gently, hoping she couldn’t hear or notice his throat move. He licked his lips, his eyes fixated on hers. She wasn’t making it easy to stare at her - her gorgeous features always made him feel immense amounts of admiration.
“No, I never hated you. Not once.” Harry said truthfully.
“Then why did you act like you did?”
He shrugged lightly, the answer was complicated to understand himself, he was sure he couldn’t explain it correctly to her. He chose the best answer, making it quick while still being honest.
“I was jealous.. and I didn’t know how to talk to you.”
Ivy’s brows furrowed slightly. “Jealous?”
“Everyone kept your attention. I felt like I didn’t have a chance. Plus.. some people seem to like you in more ways than others.” His response was genuine and it made her smile a little.
“It’s hard to believe you couldn’t tell I was.. sort of fascinated by you. I would’ve talked to you for hours if you wanted me to.” Ivy slid her hand down some, covering his wrist but stopping before she reached his hand.
“I wanted to believe you were.. but I wasn’t sure. After a while, I knew you’d probably give me your attention.. but I was stupid.” Harry considered asking her to hold his hand, but he didn’t want to seem weird.
“I wish you would’ve tried.” Ivy felt a pinch in her heart. “But I could’ve tried more, too.”
He grunted. “You were nice to me a lot.. when you shouldn’t have been. It’s my fault.”
“Tried my best, I guess.”
Harry went quiet for a couple of long moments. He just stared at her like he’d never see again. Every detail of her face was captured by his brain - he wanted to remember every single inch of her face. She felt a layer of blush rise to her cheeks. Ivy nervously laughed and looked down at her lap. Now was his chance to tell her what he’s wanted to say this entire time, what he should’ve made clear the other night. She deserved to know how special she was, how much she mattered to him.
He reached over with his other hand to gently grab her chin between his thumb and index finger. He tilted her head back towards him, their eyes locking. Her breathing became more rapid as the anxiety began to creep through her veins. She wasn’t sure what to expect but she hoped it was going to be good. She couldn’t handle any more sadness.
His voice was low and deep as it rolled through the air, causing goosebumps to cover her skin. “You mean everything to me.. and I’m sorry if I ever made you think that you didn’t matter.”
“You did.. a lot.” Her lips fell, it was hard to admit it to his face but she knew he had to hear it.
He nodded back, already aware of his mistakes. “I know, and I’ll spend the rest of life trying to make it up to you. I’m sorry, Ivy.”
She finally moved her hand down to his, slipping her fingers around his palm. “I forgive you,”
“You don’t have to.” He furrowed his brows. As much as he wanted her to, he didn’t think he deserved her forgiveness.
She playfully rolled her eyes and leaned forward to place a kiss to his cheek. “But I do.”
“You’re too sweet to me, love.” He smiled when she kissed his dimple a second time.
“Just showing you that it’s possible for someone to be sweet to you.” Her light giggle made his smile grow.
“I like it, I know that for sure.” His fingertips traced her jaw bone as he moved his hand, settling it on the side of her neck just below her ear.
She nuzzled further into his touch, enjoying the way it made her feel. Ivy’s lips pecked a kiss to his chin, almost brushing his lips but she didn’t dare do that.
He rubbed his thumb over her skin. “Such a sweet girl, hm?”
“Sometimes.”
“Most of the time.” He clarified, his lips touching her cheek as he spoke. “Can.. can I kiss you?”
Ivy let out a quick breath, followed by a bigger smile and a soft laugh. “Please do.”
Harry molded his lips to hers and instantly sparks went off. He was gentle with her, paying attention to how she moved and reacted to him. The last thing he wanted was to move too quickly and scare her off. Ivy let go of his hand and grabbed onto his waist, squeezing him hard as she let out a soft moan. Since his hand was free, he slipped his arm around her body, pulling her forward. They moved in sync for a few minutes, softly pecking each other’s mouths and laughing between breaths. Harry had never kissed someone so gently before, aside from the first time he kissed her. It was magical and beautiful to him, everything was soft and sweet. It made him appreciate it more. It was special.
Ivy leaned back as she exhaled, but she didn’t go far. They stared at each other for a long moment, then returned to the kisses. This time, Harry held them longer and deeper. He wanted to ease her into doing more without scaring her. He didn’t know what her experience entailed.
A groan slipped out of his mouth as her hand found its way to his face. She held his cheek, keeping his mouth glued to hers. They were both lost in bliss, neither of them stuck dealing with their thoughts right now. Everything was perfect and just the way they imagined. Ivy felt some relief as Harry’s tongue gently poked out, silently testing the waters. When she didn’t pull away, he took that as permission. Her lips parted and his tongue slowly entered her mouth. She sunk her nails through the fabric of his shirt, anchoring into his body as he ran his tongue over hers.
Harry heard every single whimper and soft moan she let out, and he enjoyed every sound. He went on for as long as she wanted, letting her run her hand down his chest and around to his back. He let her do whatever she wanted. Her fingertips lurked around to the nape of his neck, twisting in his hair. That pulled a grunt deep from his throat, his stomach twisting as he fought back his stronger feelings. He didn’t want to push this too far.
After a couple of minutes of swapping tongue control and moaning lightly to each other, Ivy broke the kiss and left a few pecks on his mouth before pulling back. Her hand slid back to his neck then down, dropping onto his leg while the other still held his waist. He licked his wet lips and smirked as he caught her eyes. Her face was flushed and her gaze was starry.
“You’re good at that.” He whispered, letting a low laugh follow.
She grinned back. “As I’ve been told.”
Harry bit down on his lip, wishing he was back in her mouth. “Sweet but still sassy, hm?”
“Have to keep you on your toes.” Ivy dropped her eye in a wink.
“You’re good at that, too.” He placed a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth, making her blush even harder. “Thank you for letting me apologize and talk to you.”
She gave him a cheeky smile. “You don’t have to thank me.”
“That sounds familiar, hm?” He teased back, picking up on her cute joke.
“I’m glad we talked. This is how it should’ve been before.” She said through a sigh, keeping a smile on her face so he knew she wasn’t sad anymore.
“I know, but we’ll keep it this way from now on.”
“Sounds like a deal to me.”
Harry took a slow, deep breath and held it for a few seconds before pushing it out. He let go of her, bringing his hands to his thighs. Ivy wasn’t sure why he was moving away from her, but when he suddenly stood up she quickly joined him.
“I guess it’s time for me to head to the couch.” He nodded his head towards her bedroom door.
She felt a lump forming in her throat, but she pushed it down and stayed confident. “You don’t have to.. unless you want to.”
He really couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was she insisting he stay in her room and sleep in the bed with her? He didn’t want to assume anything, so he made sure to clarify.
“Do you want me to go in there?”
She shook her head shyly, her eyes falling down. “No, but.. if you want to, that’s fine.”
Harry chuckled as he took hold of her hand, giving her a comforting squeeze. “I’ll stay here with you.. I’d be honored to.”
“Okay.” A sweet smile covered her lips as she picked her head up to look at him.
“I’ll keep my clothes on.” He mumbled, glancing down at the fabrics latching onto his body.
Ivy couldn’t manage to get any words out, she was too embarrassed by him saying that. She couldn’t resist imagining him without a shirt on. She wondered what hid beneath the fabric.
“I’ll do what you tell me to do.” Harry said as he watched her eyes move over to the bed.
“There should be enough room.. with all my stuff.” She scanned over the plushies and roughly calculated the amount of space they had available.
“You don’t have to move anything for me.”
Ivy heard him but she ignored his comment. She climbed on the bed, moving on her hands and knees. She sat down and started to shift a few of the larger ones closer to the wall, creating more space for herself. She preferred to sleep in the middle of the bed, so she was leaving the outside open for him. Her legs slipped under the blankets before she looked back to him. He gave her a smile, amused by the precision she used to place the stuffed animals.
“Are you okay with the outside?”
Harry grabbed his belt buckle. “Whatever works for you, love.”
“What are you doing?” She chirped, her eyes widening as she watched him pull the belt through the loops.
He let out a light laugh. “Just taking this off so m’not laying on it. Is that alright?”
Her racing heart relaxed as she understood what he was doing. “Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s fine. I know it’s.. weird and unexpected. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’m okay.” She assured him with a smile and a nod, then she patted the open space beside her. “Get comfy.”
Harry pulled each ring off his hands and carefully placed them on her nightstand. She had seen him wear more before, but tonight it was just a total of four. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it back, his eyes glancing down at the white sheet. He wasn’t expecting this to happen at all. He never would’ve imagined this option would be in the cards for him. With a gentle sigh, he got into her bed.
Ivy stayed still as he got situated, and once he was comfortable she laid down on her side to face him. There was space between them, but it felt like there was none at all. The reality of him being in her bed next to her was pumping her brain full of intense thoughts. Harry was in her bedroom laying next to her..
He was on his back with one arm resting over his stomach and the other folded underneath his head. His eyes were on her, though. The glow from the lamp casted a golden light over her, illuminating her features beautifully.
“Sorry you have to see all my stupid stuff.” She said in a mumble to break the silence.
He furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”
“My plushies and my crap all over the room.” She rolled her eyes at herself.
It wasn’t that she hated her belongings, it was just sort of embarrassing for her. Her bedroom was her most private space and allowing someone into it was not something she was used to. Emma was the only person who had experience being in here.
Harry was entertained by the annoyance she had with herself. “You have all these things for a reason.. I assume they mean something to you, yeah?”
“Yeah.. I’d say so.” She shrugged back.
He stared into her dazzling eyes for a moment, easily distracted by them. “Then it’s not stupid stuff. You love these little things.”
“It’s mostly silly things.”
Harry smiled. “Silly things you love.”
She became silent as her cheeks kept a hold of a thick layer of blush she couldn’t seem to get rid of at all. Harry kept his stare on her while she looked down, keeping her eyes away from his. It was so easy to feel his eyes, to feel the burning of her skin as he fixated on her.
He wasn’t sure if she wanted to keep talking or if she was tired. Her eyes weren’t struggling to stay open, so maybe she wasn’t sleepy just yet. A thousand thoughts flooded his mind, but he focused on only a few. He wanted to hear her voice, wanted her to talk his ears off. Without contemplating any further, he turned himself onto his side to face her, his arm sneaking under the pillow. His other hand dropped to rest on the mattress, capturing her attention. She stared at it for a long moment, wondering if she should grab it or not.
“Y’know.. I missed you at the show tonight.” Harry’s low tone made her toes curl, she loved the sound of his voice.
She darted her eyes back to his. “Well, I didn’t figure you’d want me there.. so I chose to stay home.”
“I messed up big time, hm?” He sighed out slowly, regretting so much while still being thankful for this moment and everything that happened tonight. “Hopefully you’ll come to the next one.”
She nervously laughed at his wink. “If I’m invited, of course.”
Harry moved his hand across the space between them and slid it beneath hers. “This is your invitation.”
Ivy smiled sweetly as he squeezed her hand. She chose to let him go, only so she could guide his hand where she wanted it. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be okay with whatever she wanted him to do. She placed his hand on her waist and let her fingers fall from his skin. He shaped his hand to her form and held her tight, glad to know she was wanting this from him.
She didn’t verbally acknowledge her actions. “Did you sing any new songs?”
“Yeah.. I sang one for you.. thought I’d see your pretty eyes in the crowd.” His lips turned to a smirk when she shied away from his stare.
“What song?”
“Lips of an Angel.. when I heard your karaoke rendition I figured you liked that song.” He tried to catch her gaze but she was purposely denying him of it.
“I love that song.. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“I’ll play it for you next time.” He squeezed her waist, getting her attention.
“Promise?” Her eyes moved to his finally after her tricks.
“Promise.”
There was only thing circling Ivy’s mind, and that was that she wanted to feel his lips on hers again. She wanted to kiss him until the world ended. The desire was burning inside of her, she was becoming impatient with her own thoughts. Harry believed he was good at catching every micro change in her expressions, so he noticed when she was suddenly distracted. He lowered his hand just a tiny bit on her waist, trying his best to get her attention. As her eyes shifted back to his, he gave her a soft smile. Before he could get anything out, she spoke.
“Harry.. can you..” The words were quiet, and the pause was not part of her plan. That confidence she thought she possessed had burned out, or at least vanished for now. She was nervous again.
“I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” Harry reminded her as he watched her tongue poke out to coat her lips.
She pulled in a breath, then mustered up enough strength to ask him. “Can you come closer?”
“Yeah.” He was quick to reply.
Ivy felt the warmth radiating off his body come closer to her as he shifted over on the mattress. They were still apart, though. She didn’t think that would be enough to hold her over. She moved her hand onto his forearm, circling her fingers around him. Harry could tell she wanted to say something else, but she was anxious.
“Want me closer?” He decided to just ask her to make it easier for her.
She lifted the corners of her mouth, her eyes peering into his. “Please.”
He obliged and scooted closer to her, leaving just a few small inches between their bodies. Ivy’s heart grew ten times bigger as she realized how close they were. There was a relief that came with it. She felt safer now. If there was anything she was sure of, it was that Harry would do anything to protect her.. whether they were in a crowded bar or not.
“Is this better?” He asked, also noticing how much closer they were now. Her face was aligned with his, and the need to kiss her was trying to take over.
She grunted lightly. “A bit closer.”
Ivy was the one to move this time, fully closing the space. Her chest softly pushed into his, and at first she was hesitant about the feeling, but she quickly let it go. There were more important things to focus on in her mind. Harry’s hand slipped to the small of her back as he held her body against his own.
“Is this okay?”
He nodded lightly. “Perfect.”
“You’re so warm.” She whispered as her eyelids fell shut, she was soaking up every second of it.
Harry gently touched his lips to her chin, the heat of her breath fanned over his skin. “You’re quite the cuddle bug, hm?”
She put on a shy smile, burying her face into his. “Guess so.. never done this before.”
“Neither have I.”
Ivy dropped her brows, not fully believing him. “Really?”
“This is too personal and intimate.. never done this with anyone.”
She swallowed carefully, hoping not to make an audible noise. “Too personal?”
“It’s not a bad thing with you, love. I didn’t care about anyone else. I’d cuddle you forever, sweet girl.” Harry was more clear with his words this time, not wanting her to think that she wasn’t worth it.
“Don’t cuddle with anyone else ever.”
He chuckled back, his lips pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Only you.”
“Can you kiss me again?” The question flew from her mouth before she wanted it to, which made her cheeks glow red and her eyes squeeze shut.
Harry licked his lips and smirked lightly. “You can kiss me, too, y’know.”
He didn’t expect her to flutter her eyes open, but being this close made it so intense. She bit down on her cheek, just staring at him as he pecked her cheek again. She wanted to swallow his tongue, wanted to get so lost in his mouth that she would forget it was real.
“I like it when you do it first.” She uttered back, her lips barely moving as she spoke.
Harry didn’t want to tease her anymore, although he liked it when she was on the edge. He put his mouth on hers and instantly everything changed. This kiss felt different, it felt more intense and real. They were laying in her bed together, their bodies touching and their mouths connected. It felt like a dream.
As he brought his other arm out from under his head to wrap around her, she snuck her hands onto his body. One was pressed on the side of his neck as the other crawled down his torso until it landed on his waist. She could feel every curve and dip of his toned body through the fabric of his shirt, and the heat of his skin was burning hot. Harry lost his hand in the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her long hair and grunting loud as he pushed his tongue as far as it would go into her mouth. She enjoyed every second of it, every touch and sound and bump of their bodies hitting together.
Ivy’s chest was pushing into his and he couldn’t help but to feel the hardness of her nipples grow. He tried hard to ignore it, but they were literally against him and it was difficult. The kiss grew sloppier than the previous one had been. Ivy fought for control of his mouth and after a few giggles and scratches of her nails, he let her have it. She explored his mouth, pulling moans from his throat that made a small damp spot form on her underwear. She had never felt this way before, never felt like she was going to melt into someone’s arms. If she never kissed anyone again, she’d be fine with Harry being her last.
Her mind was so boggled and dizzy that she didn’t realize her leg was lifting to rest over his. Harry was reading her body, trying his best to determine what she wanted. He was confident that she was giving him signals, that she wanted more to happen. He was going with the flow he thought she was giving out. He grabbed her waist, just above her hip, and pushed her back. His elbow dug into the bed as he tried to get above her. But just as he managed to get a leg between hers, she came to her senses and started shaking her head, pulling herself from his mouth. Her hand shot to his chest as he tried to push him away.
“No, Harry, stop.”
He immediately froze and let go of her. He leaned back, tracing his eyes over her face to get her expression. She was frowning and her brows were low, and worse of all she had tears swelling in her eyes.
“I can’t.. not now, I’m sorry.” Ivy’s bottom lip started to quiver.
Harry shook his head and reached up to touch her jaw. “Don’t get upset, baby. It’s okay. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.”
He swore he saw twinkles in her eyes as they widened. She didn’t care about anything that he said except one specific word. It made her heart stop and her stomach fall, did he actually say that? Harry was getting nervous as she just gazed at him, almost like she couldn’t believe what was happening.
“B-baby?” She muttered out.
“Do you not want me to call you that? M’sorry.”
Her frustrated frown turned up to a smile. “No, I do. I.. I do.”
“Yeah?” He said with a gentle laugh, amazed by her reactions to him.
It was just literal moments ago that she was scared and worried, now she’s being the cutest thing he’s ever seen. Her hand reached up to his neck, pulling him down to her mouth. She laid a few kisses on his lips, then one to both of his dimples. He grinned when she let him go.
“Yeah.” She assured him.
“Then you’re my baby, hm?” He planted a kiss on her forehead before looking back into her pretty eyes. Her emotions were swirled thick, he still wasn’t quite sure how she was feeling. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pressure you.”
“It’s okay, I know.” Ivy said through a brief.
He furrowed his brows, sort of irritated by his own actions. “Got a bit ahead of m’self.”
“Me, too.” She smiled back, letting her teeth show for a second as she laughed.
“I don’t want to rush anything with you. Take your time, okay?” He made sure his tone was serious so she knew he wasn’t trying to do anything she wasn’t ready for.
“Okay.”
Harry moved back to his previous spot, his hand returning to her waist. She seemed fine with the arrangement as she snuggled closer to him again, hiding her face in his neck. When she moved her arm between their bodies, Harry was confused by what she was doing. She covered her own chest, separating their bodies.
“Oh my god, I’m sorry. I.. it won’t stop.” Ivy whined as she tried her best to get her nipples to relax.
“What’s the matter?”
“My.. my boobs.” She sighed out, not wanting to directly say it.
Harry smiled and held in a laugh, he didn’t want her to think he was making fun of her. “You’re fine, love. Just a natural reaction.”
A huff passed her lips. “It’s embarrassing.”
“I didn’t mind it. That showed me I was doing something right. You don’t have to hide unless you want to.” He had a way of talking that just made her entire body relax. Any worry she had subsided, he knew exactly what to say and how to say it.
“Having my arm like this isn’t comfortable.” She admitted.
“Then put it down. You’re fine.” Harry’s hand moved to gently touch her elbow, insisting she relax her body.
They went silent for a short time, both of them just staring at the other. Harry’s eyes were half hooded as his body began to slowly crash down. He was exhausted, but he was trying to stay active for her. Even after their heated exchange of physical contact, he was tired. Ivy kept looking at the chain around his neck. After a few minutes of just admiring the metal against his skin, she let her curiosity take over. Her hand moved up to his collar, her fingers dipping under his shirt. Harry’s eyes opened as he felt her tugging the pendant out of his shirt. She rubbed the cross slowly, feeling the smooth texture of the metal against her skin.
“Curious little cat, hm?” Harry hummed, the vibrations from his throat sounded loud to her ears.
She rolled in her lips as she stared at the cross for a little while longer before letting it fall. “Harry.”
“Yeah?”
Ivy leaned forward to leave a kiss on his chin. “I like kissing you.. a lot.”
A smile yanked his lips up. “Yeah? You’ve got nice lips.”
“Mhm.” She nodded gently when he moved his eyes to meet hers. “And I.. like it when you touch me. Feel so safe when you do that.”
Harry returned the gesture and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, making her curl her body closer into his. “I’ll always keep you safe.”
His hand shaped to the curve of her lower back, securing her body in place. He wasn’t sure how she slept, if she was the kind of person who tossed and turned or if she got settled in one spot and stayed there until morning. It was exciting to know he’d find out soon, that he’d wake up to see her in the morning. Ivy pushed her face back into his neck, her lips leaving a kiss on the base of his throat.
“Promise you’ll still be here when I wake up?” She mumbled out quietly.
He kissed her head, her hair slightly sticking to his lips. “I promise. I have to get some good morning kisses.”
“We’ll see about that. Goodnight, Harry.” Her words were followed by a yawn, he knew it was over for her. She would be fast asleep before she realized.
“Goodnight, Ivy. Sweet dreams.”
—•—
It wasn’t exactly early in the morning when Ivy started to stir, waking up from her deep sleep. She grunted slightly as she felt an incredible warmth engulfing her, the same heat that kept her cozy all night. Her eyes finally peeled open. A gentle sigh left her mouth as she was met with an incredibly close view of Harry’s neck. It was hard to believe it all wasn’t some crazy, elaborate dream. It was real. He was in her bed with her, sleeping peacefully with his arms locked around her body.
The sun snuck in through the blinds and half drawn back curtains. She didn’t dare move her body to check the time, she didn’t care about that. If she moved, she’d disturb Harry and she knew he needed as much rest as possible. Not only did he have a show the night before that wore him out, but he consumed a lot of alcohol and exhausted himself. She wanted him to sleep longer.
As he laid there asleep, she couldn’t help but stare at him. Now was her perfect chance to get an uninterrupted look at every inch of him. Ivy wanted to take note of every detail of his face, look over every little thing to memorize it. So she did just that. For what felt like forever, she observed his skin. She was familiar with his face, but she did take notice of a few small things she hadn’t seen before. When she moved her eyes down his neck, she felt a jolt inside of her at the sight of the structure hiding beneath his skin. Veins, muscles, bones. He was beautiful in every way to her.
What captured her attention the most, though, was his arm. She slowly snuck her hand up to his bicep where she pushed back the cover and started to run her eyes over his tattoos. She’s seen his arms plenty of times before, but she never had the chance to actually look at the ink buried into his skin. Ivy practically held her breath in order to stay calm and quiet. She tried not to make a sound. In addition to his tattoos, his toned muscles wrapped tight by his skin made her heart beat faster than usual. He was attractive in every way possible.
She didn’t really know what hid under his sleeve. She couldn’t recall ever seeing that area of his arm. Her fingers lightly touched his skin, just enough so she could push them up against the fabric. It raised with her movements, scrunching up as she moved it up his arm. She wasn't sure how far she could get it without being a pest and disturbing his slumber, but she tested the limits. A faint grunt came from him as she shoved the sleeve up even further. Ivy paused, her eyes shooting to his to make sure they were still closed. The tiny space between his parted lips hadn’t changed and his eyes were sealed, she was certain that he was asleep.
A smile formed over her lips as she scanned over the tattoos she hadn’t seen before. It made her curiosity about the rest of his body grow. Did he have tattoos on this part of his other arm? Were his legs home to any ink? Was his back free of anything or was it covered? She wanted to know, and she hoped that one day soon she’d find out. Once she made a mental note of the tattoos, she rested her hand on his arm and slowly inched it back down to his elbow. She couldn’t remember a time when she was more gentle than right now. Her eyes were trained on his arm so intensely that she didn’t catch him waking up.
Harry first thought he was imagining something touching him. Maybe it was just the blanket moving on his skin? But he quickly realized there was actually something moving against his skin. When he barely opened his eyes, just enough for him to see through his lashes, he saw that Ivy was in fact awake and touching him. He recognized the feeling of her fingertips on his skin, of her hand moving down his arm. Her pretty eyes were locked elsewhere, not looking his way at all. A subtle smile crept on his lips as he watched her. She seemed to be very focused on what she was feeling and staring at. He wondered what was going through her mind. Was she patiently waiting for him to wake up or was she savoring the silence and opportunity to admire him without being watched? He assumed it was both. Ivy drug her hand further down his arm, rubbing over his elbow before she stopped it again, at the top of his forearm. She was hardly applying any pressure, which created a tingly feeling on his skin.
After a few more moments of watching her, he started to wake up more. He didn’t want to startle her, so he carefully began to move. He slid his hand a few inches up her back, grunting as he leaned his head forward. She had created a little distance when she chose to observe him. Ivy shot her eyes to his face, not expecting to see his eyes. He smiled lightly, still trying to wake up fully.
“Good morning.” She whispered sweetly as she kissed his chin.
He went in for a kiss, but instead of her cheek he opted for her lips. She smiled against his mouth, happy that he greeted her with a few soft pecks. As much as she enjoyed the use of his tongue, she appreciated the soft, delicate actions just as much.
“Good morning.”
Ivy let out a gentle sigh. “Did I wake you up?”
“No.. but I saw you looking at my arm.” Harry gave her a smile, amused by how red her cheeks were.
“Sorry, I was being nosy.” A breathy laugh followed her soft voice.
“You’re fine, love. Do you wanna see the rest?” Harry didn’t give her time to answer, instead he raised his arm up, exposing the underside.
It took all of her control to not burst into flames from the embarrassment of being caught. Although she was shy at first about it, Ivy found herself pulling down the sleeve of his shirt so she could see every inch of his arm. Harry watched her eyes as they moved along his skin, covering every line inked into his arm. She was trying to take a note of each one, making sure she’d never forget them.
“Why are you staring at me? You’re making me nervous.” She mumbled in a light tone, her eyes avoiding his as she fixed his sleeve back to its normal spot.
Harry lowered his arm, returning his hand to her waist. “Because you’re beautiful. Hard not to stare at something so perfect.”
Ivy pushed out a breath and lightly shook her head. She placed her hand on his forearm and gave it a squeeze, wishing he’d go easy on her with his statements of admiration. As much as she appreciated it, it was hard for her to believe it was true. He took notice of how she was growing shy again, her eyes were trained on his neck and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip.
“Do you want to see more of them?”
Ivy perked up, her eyes growing wide with curiosity. A smile covered her lips, Harry was glad to see that his idea had brightened her mood. She nodded and waited patiently as he started to move. Harry laid back and shoved the blankets down. As he grabbed the hem of his shirt, Ivy propped up on her elbow to get a better view. She wasn’t sure what he was going to uncover, but she was ready to glue her eyes to his skin. Harry pulled his shirt up to his collarbones, holding it out of the way.
She was unsure of what captivated her the most - his tattoos or his body. His muscles were toned beneath his skin, just like they were in his arms. He was built incredibly, like a marble statue in a museum. On his abdomen laid a large insect tattoo, sunk deep into skin. Every line was crisp and each blended area of the ink into his skin was smooth. She couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch it, but she was fighting that urge.
Ivy had seen the tattoos at the top of his chest poking out before, but seeing them in their full glory amongst everything else was fascinating. He was a collection of designs, words, drawings, meanings.. These things were a part of him, and she was intrigued by every single one. Harry smirked to himself as he saw her hand come up, but she quickly withdrew it.
“This might be my favorite.” She pointed to the insect, her eyes glancing his way for just a second.
“You can touch me. M’all yours.” Harry carefully grabbed her wrist and started to pull her hand down. He waited for her to resist or pull away, but when she didn’t, he laid her hand over the tattoo. His hand covered hers, pressing down so she wouldn’t be afraid to actually touch him. Ivy held her breath as Harry rubbed his thumb over her skin.
“All mine, hm?” She whispered, her lips barely moving with her words.
Harry chuckled, the movement of his body made her heart flutter. “All yours, darling.”
It wasn’t long after the tattoo tour that Ivy’s stomach started to growl from hunger. She didn’t want to get out of the bed, mainly because she didn’t want to leave Harry’s side, but her stomach was fighting against her heart. She brought up the idea to make breakfast, and that was an offer Harry wasn’t going to pass up. They got out of the bed and walked to the kitchen together. While she cooked, Harry sat at the table and watched her in silence, smiling and holding back laughs as he listened to her talk to herself and get frustrated by the smallest annoyances. Being able to experience her in this kind of scenario was more magical than kissing her seemed to be. Of course he enjoyed that an immense amount - but this was different. He got to witness how she naturally behaved when she cooked and waltzed around the kitchen. She was deep in her own world as she hummed while flipping the eggs. Harry was unable to look away the entire time.
After they ate together, Harry gave her no choice but to let him clean up the mess. She wanted to help, and actually do it all herself, but he refused. He told her she’d given so much time and energy to him in such a short time that it was only right for him to do something for her. It wasn’t long after they finished the dishes that Niall called to find out where Harry had ended up last night. He was astonished to hear that Harry had crashed at her place. Niall finding that out immediately resulted in a call from Emma, who was in the car with him. He was bringing her home since she stayed the night at his place.
Ivy laughed on the phone and promised Emma she’d give her all the details when she arrived. Harry was fine with the fact that Niall and Emma would find out everything and obviously be aware of what was now going on between them. In fact, he was telling Niall the same thing - he’d find out the details later. Since he was going to catch a ride home with Niall while he had the chance, he thought it would be better to tell Ivy what was on his mind before they got here to bother them.
Harry grabbed her waist and pulled her body into his, the strength he possessed made it easy for her to fall into him. She looked up, her pretty eyes full of stars. He just knew there was no pair of eyes more beautiful than hers. He leaned down to her lips and pressed a kiss to her mouth.
“Thank you.”
She let out a light giggle. “For what?”
“For breakfast.” His mouth lifted with a smile. “And for letting me stay.. and for talking with me and forgiving me.”
Ivy pushed herself up on her tiptoes, her lips planting pecks along his chin. “You’re welcome.”
“I promise I’ll call you this time.” His wink made her stomach twirl.
“You better.”
Harry gripped her waist tight, not wanting to ever let her go. “I already miss you.”
“I think I’m gonna miss you more.” She lifted her arms to hug him.
The moment he felt her lips pressing a kiss to the spot below his ear, he regretted saying he needed to go home so early. She had plans today that she couldn’t get out of and didn’t necessarily want to change, so he was being respectful of that by giving her space. As much as he wished he could stay with her forever, she had things to do and he had a few tasks he had to get done at home, anyway. Ivy locked her arms around his neck, letting one hand slip into his hair. He hummed as she tugged at his roots, not wanting to let him slip away just yet. They stayed like that, holding each other breathing slow and steady, until Niall and Emma arrived. He wasn't sure of the exact time he’d see her again, but he knew it couldn’t be too long. He couldn’t survive another two weeks without her.
[a/n:: I am so excited that this part is finally out! I hope you enjoyed soft h :) thank u endlessly for all the positive feedback & love you’ve shown to this series! I don’t think I’ve been this proud of myself before I love writing this series. reblog, like, comment all that nice stuff if you’d like.. see u soon! Ps I was very tied when I edited this so if there’s any errors just ignore them I’ll fix it later]
She builds up her confidence and he takes care of her, just as he promised he would..
(part 10)
masterlist // ivy series
word count: 26.7k
warnings/tags: harry x oc, enemies to lovers, fluff, angst, smut (p in v), fem masturbation, oral f receiving, lhh
One month had passed since they made things official, and they were better than ever. Harry took her out on their anniversary, making a big deal out of what she thought was such a simple thing. Yet, she enjoyed every second of their dinner and movie, and of course the kissing that came afterwards. He wanted to celebrate her, wanted to make sure she knew he adored her and appreciated the chance he had to be with her.
They kept their at least one date a week promise with one another. They switched things up, some of the dates were planned by Ivy instead of him. No matter what they decided to do, Harry would greet her with a bouquet of flowers and a mumble of how much she meant to him as she tried to tell him he did too much for her. He always chose to drive them to take the lead and be traditional, well somewhat. One night, they went to see a movie that Ivy was excited about. Harry didn’t have an opinion on it, he just agreed to take her so he could be with her. He enjoyed it, though. The movie and the snacks were alright, but Ivy holding his hand and sneaking kisses to his cheek was his favorite part of the night. The other date nights consisted of trying different restaurants and choosing a sweet treat to indulge in after. They switched up who’s house they ended up going to after each date. They’d spend the weekend at Harry’s, then the next at Ivy’s. It was quite odd that they each preferred the other’s home. Ivy thought Harry’s room was more excluded and private, and it offered her a peace of mind to know that Niall couldn’t hear them if he were at home. On the other hand, Harry thought her bed was better to snuggle and sleep late in. They enjoyed each other's company so much that it didn’t really matter.
There were many occasions throughout the month when Harry leaned in to kiss her and she quickly took over, throwing her leg over his lap or pulling him against her on the couch. They would deepen the kiss, tongues fighting and spit mixing in their mouths, until Ivy grunted and pulled away. She’d apologize for leading him on, and he’d just smile and shake his head at her, assuring her she was fine. He had no issue with what she chose to do or not to do. He wanted her to be comfortable, and it was a long process for her to learn that. He was never going to be upset with her for stopping herself. Sometimes he went too far himself and he had to stop.
Their date for this week was planned a tad bit differently than the previous ones. Instead of waiting until it got dark to do anything, Ivy thought it would be nice to go to a park and have a little picnic. Harry was up for anything as long as she was involved.
“Is this a good spot?” Ivy twisted around to ask, her hand gesturing to the open spot of grass beneath a cluster of trees.
“Yeah, this is nice.” Harry nodded while unfolding the blanket she brought.
She didn't ask him to carry everything, but he practically gave her no choice when they arrived. With a sweet smile, she took the reusable tote bag from his arm so he could properly deal with the blanket. He laid it out on the ground, patting the corners down with his foot.
“Perfect!”
He let out a soft laugh as she fell to her knees on the blanket. He joined her, opting to stretch out his legs as he watched her unpack the bag. Before they left her house, she had made them a pitcher of fresh lemonade. Harry was impressed at her effort, and at the taste - he had a small sip before she poured it in the plastic tumblers.
“It’s such a pretty day.” Ivy mumbled as she glanced up at the sky, the limbs of the trees above them were home to blooming flowers and bright leaves. Spring was her favorite time of year.
“Not as pretty as you.” Harry smiled when she rolled her eyes and blush rose to her cheeks. “What all did you bring?”
She pulled out a glass container with a plastic lid. Inside of it was a mix of strawberries and blueberries. She sat it down, Harry’s eyes following her hands as she set everything up.
“Bunch of yummy snacks.” She grinned as she caught his glance.
She had another container with pretzels and chocolate chips in it. Harry thought the addition of the chocolate was cute. She liked a good sweet treat.
Ivy grabbed the item Harry dropped in the bag in the car. “Here’s your journal.”
He had mentioned to her that he wanted to show her something, that’s why he brought it. He sat it next to him to worry about in a little while.
“These strawberries smell amazing.” She sighed as she popped the top off the container.
Harry watched with a smile as she picked up one of the strawberries and bit off the bottom, humming as the sweet taste filled her mouth.
“Do you want one?”
“Depends. Are you gonna feed it to me?” He said playfully.
Ivy lifted her brows and picked up one of the strawberries. She leaned toward, poking his lips. Harry chuckled before opening his mouth and sinking his teeth into the berry. He grabbed her wrist and held her hand in the air so he could bite the rest, leaving the leaves in her grasp.
“Don’t expect that to happen again.” She teased, flashing him a grin.
“I should be the one doing it, hm?”
“Yes.” Ivy slid the container towards him and walked on her knees to get closer.
He watched with a bright smile, amused by her actions as she got situated between his legs. He drew his knee up, providing her back some support. Ivy threw her legs over his other one and reached up to grab his jaw. She placed a kiss on his lips before grabbing another strawberry.
“You’re cute, y’know.” He mumbled as he kissed her temple.
“You tell me all the time. How could I forget?”
She went to collect a few blueberries, but he gently knocked her hand away from the bowl and grabbed them himself. She smiled, giggling softly as he brought one to her lips. He popped it in her mouth and pressed a kiss to her skin as she chewed it.
“Thank you.” She whispered.
“My pleasure, darling.” He gave her another one.
They stayed like that for a while. He’d feed her a piece of fruit and she’d sneak a quick kiss as a thank you. Harry couldn’t resist staring at her as she flicked her eyes around, looking at the trees and the bright green grass. While she took in the sights of nature, he admired every detail about her.
In his eyes, she looked absolutely beautiful today. Her skin was glowing as the sun shined down on her, her eyes sparkled in the natural light. Even her hair had a glow to it. He swallowed gently as he moved his eyes to her jaw, then slowly down her neck. Her skin was exposed, soaking up the sun with a gentle flush. Although they agreed the date would be more casual, she still opted for a dress. It was a loose fitting sundress covered in a floral pattern with thin straps. She wanted to be comfortable, yet still somewhat dressed for the occasion. Harry’s t-shirt and jeans were just a step down from her attire, but she thought he looked nice and handsome.
The thin layer of gloss remaining on her lips caught his eye. He was so in love with this girl, so infatuated and obsessed and in love. Just as she went to grab one of the berries, Harry carefully grabbed her chin between his fingers and pulled her head over, his lips molding to hers. She smiled, then deepened the kiss. He always let her get control over him, he easily gave it to her. This time was no different. His touch fell from her chin, but she reconnected with him by grabbing onto his neck. There was something so possessive about the way she would touch him - something that made his head spin. They didn’t go too far, keeping in mind the fact they were in public and the park wasn’t vacant. As Ivy pulled back, her fingers moved to his jaw, those pretty eyes opened to find his.
“Something on your mind?” Her brows dropped as she noticed the look in his eyes.
He shook his head. “Just thinking about you.”
Her lips turned up, her smile causing his stomach to bubble. “Why think about me when I’m right here, hm?”
Her cheeky words pulled a chuckle out of him. He held her body tight, almost as if the wind would blow her away. He never wanted her to leave, never wanted to lose her. Ivy realized quickly that the look hadn’t faded.
“Is it something else?” She asked in a soft whisper, her thumb toying at the corner of his mouth.
Harry looked away from her and put on a smile. It wasn’t necessarily fake, but it was forced. He did have more on his mind, a lot more. Even though everything between them seemed perfect, he still had those lingering thoughts in his head. She’s so beautiful, so beautiful that she deserves someone else. She’s so precious, so precious that one wrong word from his mouth could hurt her. She’s so fragile, so fragile that one rough touch could destroy her..
She tapped her thumb on his lips, trying to reclaim his attention. “Harry, what’s wrong? I don’t want you to be sad.”
“M’not sad, baby.” He returned his gaze to her, but she could sense something was still off.
“It must be something.”
He was quick to respond. “I promise, darling, it’s nothing. I would tell you if it was.”
The way his lips melted to a soft smile and his eyes peered into hers was just enough to have her believe his lie. He had a way of looking at her sometimes. The right expression could just make her heart swell and her head go dizzy - the truth of the situation or the curiosity of it all vanishes. She believed him too easily sometimes, and he was very aware of that.
“Okay.” She sweetly mumbled, pecking his dimple a few times.
He squeezed her waist and gave her one on the lips, further distracting her from the fact he lied to her. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to know she believed him. He despised himself for lying to her, for being able to win her over. Yet, he still did it too often.
“Have I told you I love your dress?”
Blush flooded her cheeks as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, the wind was blowing it around. “No, but thank you.”
“It’s very pretty.” Harry said with a smirk. “You look like an angel.”
Ivy rolled her eyes with a grin. “Yeah, sure.”
“My angel, hm?” He planted a kiss on her temple, keeping her close for a moment.
Ivy chewed on her cheek as she tried to ignore the heat burning on her face, and that didn’t include the rays from the sun. Her eyes fell down the journal Harry brought with him. It was one she was familiar with seeing. She’d seen it on his desk whenever she stayed over, but it was always closed with a pen or two sitting on top of it. She never dared to look at it without his permission. She wouldn’t want him peeking in her diaries, so she would never look at his personal items.
She didn’t realize she had leaned up, her hand reaching out for the book. She gently placed her fingertips on the leather. Harry watched in silence as she rubbed over the texture. There was no sign of her wanting to grab it, she was just touching it.
“Might be an angel.. but you’re still my curious little cat.” Harry’s words came out in a low voice, a rumble that made her stomach fill with butterflies.
She had been caught and she didn’t even know she was doing it. She pulled her hand back and returned to her previous position.
“Sorry.”
Harry grabbed the book and offered it to her. “Don’t apologize.”
“What?” She was confused as she took it from him.
He smiled. “You can open it.”
Ivy was in disbelief. “You’re letting me look at this?”
“Yeah, do whatever you want with it.” He gave her an approving nod, but there was still hesitation.
“Are you sure?”
He placed a quick kiss to her lips, smiling when he leaned back and saw how adorable she was while trying to hide her blushing cheeks. “Yes, love. Whatever you want to read.. I don’t care. I want you to.”
Although she didn’t question it anymore, she was still slightly nervous as she ran her finger along the edge of the cover before lifting it up, revealing the inside of the journal. Ivy took a deep breath and gently let it out as she scanned over the first page. There wasn’t much written down. There was a quote from a movie she had never seen jotted down in the corner and a message about who the book belonged to and contact information in case it was ever lost. The next spread was more packed, his mind began to spill out on the pages. It was making her stomach knot up as she looked at his personal writings. She wondered if he was actually comfortable with her doing this or if he just wanted to please her curiosity. Harry watched closely as she turned the page again. His eyes were glued to the side of her face, trying his best to read her expressions or pick up any hints of reactions. She was focused, though, and the only movements she did were gentle lifts of her brows and very subtle smiles, both of which intrigued him.
Harry was curious to know what she was thinking. Was she reading every little thing or just letting her attention be drawn to certain things? He knew what was in the journal and it was honestly terrifying to know she’d see some of the stuff, but he was staying confident. He wanted her to know everything about him. Sometimes he was not very well with spoken words. It wasn’t a secret that he wasn’t the best at communicating his feelings or thoughts. Perhaps this would help him, show Ivy the bits and pieces he couldn’t express out loud.
After flipping through some of the pages, noticing some short poems and random doodles, she landed on one that caught her eye. She saw her name in the upper right corner, a small drawing resembling an ivy leaf accompanied it. She read over the spread. It was full of little notes, some were scratched out while others had stars written next to them. In the bottom of the page was the phrase “make this a song” followed by a question mark. There was something about seeing his handwriting jotted down on the paper that made her heart flutter. She reached for the words, running her fingertips over the indention the pen left in the paper. The words he wanted to turn into a song jumped out at her, taking her full attention.
Put a price on emotion. I’m looking for something to buy.
Harry dropped his gaze down to where her touch was. “If you go a few more pages.. the full song is written out.”
When her eyes flew to his, he couldn’t help but smile. She seemed very surprised and still a bit confused. Ivy gulped loud enough for him to hear, and it was just as cute as her confusion.
“It’s a song I wrote about you.. a while ago.” He explained. “Before we started dating.”
“A.. a song?” Her brows furrowed as a breathy laugh slipped out of her mouth. “You really wrote a song about me?”
Harry chuckled, amused by her surprise. “I told you that I did. Do you remember?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I remember. I just thought.. you were being sweet.”
Harry gathered her hair and carefully pulled it back, the wind had jostled it around and it was in her way. She felt her heart jump as he did it. He was always so gentle with her.
“How long have I been a muse?” She was trying to be cheeky, despite wanting to melt in his arms and cry about how incredible she felt.
He licked his lips, smiling at her cute question. “I, um, I’ve been writing about you since.. um, that night at the restaurant. I just.. realized how intriguing you were. Tried to ignore it, but it was too hard.”
Ivy instantly thought about how she spilled her guts in her diary after that night. She was so beyond frustrated and confused by his actions then, so worried that she had done something to make him hate her forever. She recalled how hard it was to battle her thoughts - did she like him or was she just intrigued by his appearance? Those days were the worst. It was challenging and hard to decipher. Now, she’s so deep in love with him that none of that matters anymore.
“I’ve written a lot about you.. not songs or poems, but just.. stuff.”
“Stuff?” He cracked a smile.
She pushed out a sigh. “Some of it wasn’t nice.. I just vented a lot. Most of it is nice, well, more like insane.. like I’m obsessed with you.”
“That’s fine with me. I like the attention.” He shrugged, chuckling as she rolled her eyes.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I wouldn’t ever let you read my diary.”
A smile shaped on his lips. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”
Ivy’s focus fell back down to the page she still hadn’t turned. She was very interesting in finding the page with the song lyrics written out, but she was suddenly lost in her head. She thought about those angry pages in her diary. Her emotions poured out in such a raging way at times.
“What’s wrong?” Harry mumbled, moving his hand to her waist to give it a comforting squeeze.
“Just.. thinking about how upset I used to get.. back when I didn’t understand you.”
His heart sank as he saw how her features shifted. She wasn’t smiling and bubbly anymore, not even blushing from his words or trying to act brave. She seemed upset, and he wasn't enjoying that.
“Baby, don’t worry about it. I.. I did a lot of stupid things that should’ve made you mad. I don’t blame you for feeling that way.” He reached up to gently touch her jaw, turning her head towards him. Sometimes when he did that, it took more force, but right now she was putty in his hands. “Don’t be sad, darling.”
“M’not trying to be.” She pouted her lips out, wishing she could melt into his touch.
“Then don’t be.” He kept his smile on, wanting her to feel better instead of falling further into the sad thoughts. “I want you to read the song. Do you still wanna see it?”
She nodded, moving her head back as his hand fell. She flipped the page, opening the next spread. Even though her brain was screaming about how she should be ashamed of the things she wrote about him, her heart was stronger. They were on a date and he deserved all of her attention.
There was nothing relating to the line on the pages, so she turned again. Harry wasn’t quite sure which set of pages held the song, but he knew it was close to that original note he made. This spread was filled with random things, though, like most of the others.
“Oh.” She said as she turned the page, revealing the song that Harry wanted her to read.
The title was written at the top in larger letters than the rest of the words. She couldn’t hold back her smile as she realized he had written a full song about her and it appeared that the song had been annotated. He was fully invested in making it perfect.
“It’s not very, um, lovey dovey.. but.. I hope you like it.” He told her as she began to trail her eyes over the lyrics.
She didn’t say anything, just stayed quiet as she read. She could sense Harry’s stare on the side of her face, and the feeling of his hand gripping her waist was distracting. Despite all that, she was calm as she read over the words he combined into lines, words that he put together into a song for her. Her heart swelled as she realized how serious this was. This was a song, not just a note or a paragraph about her.
Ivy rubbed her fingertip over the last line, feeling the depth his pen pressure created in the paper. She could feel her eyes watering over, and it was too hard to control it. As a tear slipped down her cheek, Harry grunted and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“Ivy.” He muttered her name, the sound was so perfect and beautiful to her. “Why are you crying?”
She couldn’t quite get her thoughts together right away. The only thing she could do was read over the song again as Harry patiently waited for her to reply. He kept pressing soft kisses onto her skin, doing his best to make her feel better. After a few minutes of tears falling from her eyes, she finally sucked in a breath.
“You wrote.. a song.. for me.”
Harry smiled gently as he realized she wasn't upset in a bad way. “I’ve written a lot of songs about you, baby.”
“That’s so sweet and.. and it means a lot to me.” She looked over at him, her eyes red from the tears and her lips poking out as she failed to contain her emotions. “Thank you.”
“Sweet girl.” He said with a soft laugh. “You don’t have to thank me, baby. I love writing songs about you. You’re my favorite person.”
There was something so personal and deep about it that just made her feel very special. The worrying thoughts she had minutes ago were now gone, and in their place were these intense emotions. How could anyone care so much about her that they want to write songs about her? She thought she wasn’t worth the time, and wasn't worth all the trouble. The fact that Harry put time and effort into this song, and the others he’s mentioned, just meant the world to her.
Ivy closed the journal and sat it down next to the bowl of fruit. Harry was about to ask her if she was alright when she grabbed either side of his face and pulled him in for a kiss. He groaned softly against her mouth as his hands easily found her waist. She moved to her knees, tilting his head back as she deepened their kiss. She wanted to push him back and climb on top of him, but the reality of where they were was still on her mind. She could kiss him, but nothing more. And she kissed him like she’d never get the chance to do it again..
Their park date ended on a good note. After they kissed for a good chunk of time, they finished the fruit and some of the other snacks before packing up the bag and deciding to go for a walk. They strolled hand in hand, with Ivy doing most of the leading. She’d tug him in whatever direction she went. When they approached the small pond area, there were ducks and other birds around that caught her attention. Of course, Harry let her pull him wherever she wanted to go. They enjoyed their time, and eventually decided they were hungry for actual meals and not just snacks. They picked up a quick order and took it back to Harry’s place.
They put on a movie that they somewhat paid attention to while they ate on the couch, side by side of course. Once they were finished, Ivy practically begged Harry to be the one to clean up the mess they made. He didn’t want her to do any work, but she wasn’t going to stop asking. So, after she cleaned up the trash and adjusted everything back to normal, Harry insisted they go upstairs to his room and relax on the bed for a while. She was up for it, especially since the sun had drained her energy earlier at the park.
“Harry.” Her voice was gentle as she called from him from her spot on the side of the bed.
He tossed the shirt he had worn all day on the ground before turning to face her. “Yeah?”
Ivy was sitting with her legs crossed going through her overnight bag. She sucked on the inside of her cheek as she picked through the items she packed. What was she thinking when she threw all these clothes together? She seemed to forget a pair of pajamas that would be appropriate to wear. A huff pushed past her lips as she dropped the items she had in her hands and shifted her eyes to him.
“Something wrong?” He asked as his brows furrowed.
Harry abandoned his own task of changing clothes and walked over to her. She watched him the entire time, her stomach churning quicker with each step he took. He glanced down at her bag, not sure what she seemed to be worried about.
“I forgot to pack some pajamas.” She said with a soft sigh, her eyes moving back down to the clothes that were once neatly folded in her bag. “Well, I accidentally packed one of my night gowns.”
“If you don’t want to wear it, you can put on one of my shirts.” He felt a bit of relief knowing that it wasn’t something serious. “And a pair of my shorts. Might be a bit big on you.”
She smiled and nodded, her eyes glued to his back as he walked over to his dresser to find a pair of gym shorts to slide on. Ivy thought about the offer he made her. While it was tempting to agree to, her mind kept drifting to the idea of wearing the night gown. It wasn’t anything too revealing, but the satin fabric with lace trim was very comfortable to sleep in. The neckline was low, but her cleavage would be contained. The longer she sat there and thought about it, the more her inner voice was screaming at her.
Harry silently walked out of his room to go double check that the door was locked downstairs and the lights were off. Niall would be staying with Emma tonight, so it would just be the two of them in the house. Ivy suddenly remembered a conversation she had with Emma earlier in the week. She was encouraging Ivy to be more open and flirtatious with Harry, and not just verbally. As much as she liked to believe she knew what to do, she always ended up listening to Emma’s advice when it came to Harry. She wondered if he would like the way the fabric looked on her, if he’d like how it loosely fit her body but showed enough of her frame to make it alluring.
She picked through the clothes until she found it again. The entire time Harry was gone, she held it in her hands and just stared at it. There was a heavy internal debate about what she should do. With each passing minute, the cons became less important. If she put this piece of clothing on and Harry liked it, then that would make things better. She knew that if he never saw it, he’d still be pleased with cuddling up to her tonight. The possibilities of what could happen if she did put it on were circling her mind.
The sound of the door shutting pulled her out of her trance. She gulped quietly as she looked up and caught Harry’s eyes. He looked so good standing there with his tattoos on display for her, his skin exposed, and his hair was a wreck. Her lips turned upward as he flashed her a smile before going to his nightstand to pick up his phone.
“Did you want a shirt, babe?” He asked as he put his phone on the charger.
“Um, I have a question.”
He walked over to where he left his clothes on the floor to grab them and toss them in the hamper. “What is it?”
Of course, the moment he said that, her confidence seemed to drain from her body. She held her breath as she stared down at the pretty soft blue fabric pooled in her hands. She wore these often at home, especially after long days when she wanted to be completely relaxed in bed. Their outing at the park really exhausted her, the sun beat down on them all day. It would feel incredible to fall asleep in this comfortable night gown.
“Do you care if.. if I wear the night gown?” The softness of her voice made his heart sink.
He ignored the mundane tasks he was going to do before getting in the bed and decided to walk over to her. This time, he reached out for her body and gently placed his hand on her back.
“You can wear whatever you want, baby. I don’t care either way.” He kept his voice calm and slow.
Ivy licked her lips and looked up at him, a slight sadness in her eyes. “I just don’t want to.. like, offend you.”
“Offend me?” Harry was confused.
“By not wearing shorts or pants like I always do.”
For a second, he thought she was kidding, but the look on her face was enough to tell him she was serious. He shook his head lightly and rubbed his hand across her back. Over the past few weeks of being with her, Harry had noticed how confident and brave she became with him. With each day, she was more courageous to say something or do something with him. He never wanted that to end, never wanted her to think that he didn’t want her to do something she clearly wanted to do. He could just tell by the way she was handling the item that she wanted to put it on.
“Trust me, Ivy, that would never offend me.” He combed her hair out of her face, bringing it past her shoulder. “As long as you’re comfortable, you can wear whatever you want.”
Her features relaxed as a sense of approval washed through her. Maybe he did want to see her in something different, something more feminine and revealing. She went to stand up, a smile on her lips as Harry backed up to give her some space.
“Okay.” She grinned, clearly pleased with his response.
“Want me to step out?” He nodded his head towards the door.
“Just turn around.”
Their usual arrangement was just Harry turning away so she could change. She didn’t necessarily turn the opposite way whenever he changed, but it was somewhat different. He knew that she had a harder time with the idea of him seeing her than he did with her. It didn’t bother him, but it was a challenge for her. Little by little, though, she was gaining confidence.
He held in a chuckle as he heard her moving behind him. She was tossing her clothes in her bag, trying to shove everything back in. He wondered what exactly he’d see when she allowed him to turn around. He had noticed the color of the item, but he was unsure of what it looked like. After a few minutes of trying to adjust it on her body and fooling with her hair, she told him she was done.
“It’s not too grandma, is it?” She asked, looking down at herself as he rotated to face her.
A nervous lump began to grow in his throat as he trailed his eyes down her body, then back up slowly - admiring every inch of her. The color of the fabric was so soft and pretty against her skin. The fit was flattering, without being too tight or scandalous. He could tell this wasn’t meant to be intimate lingerie, but more of a relaxing gown to slip into bed with. She looked perfect.
“You look beautiful, like an angel.”
A layer of blush covered her cheeks as she toyed with the trim. “I guess since I wore one the other night I just grabbed one without thinking.”
It was obvious that she was trying to avoid the intense gaze he was giving her. He thought she looked precious, like the fragile girl he knew she was. He carefully grabbed her waist, dragging her body into his. Her head fell back, those pretty eyes found his instantly.
“I like it. You should wear them more for me.”
Her insides began to knot up at his words, he had a way of saying things that would drive her mad. She tried to play it off with an eye roll and a smile, but he was aware of the effect he had on her. Ivy’s eyes fell down to his abdomen, then they went straight to the waistband of his shorts. Sometimes her mind would drift off so far that she didn’t realize what she was doing. Like now, for instance, as her fingers rubbed over the waistband, hooking around it to get a grip.
“Want me to take ‘em off?” Harry asked in a low voice.
She flicked her eyes up, realizing what she was doing but it was too late to pull away. How was he so good at reading her mind, at her understanding her thoughts without her having to say a word? It made her nervousness fade. He understood her in a way she could never comprehend, and that was comforting.
“If you.. want to.” She shrugged lightly, trying not to make it a big deal.
“I will, if you want me to.”
All she could do was nod her head lightly and peer up at him with her sparkling eyes. Harry smirked, glad that she was being honest with what she wanted from him. He squeezed her body, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. Before he pulled away, he started to talk.
“Get comfortable in bed.”
A grunt left her mouth. “Are you coming, too?”
He chuckled, kissing her skin again. “Of course, baby.”
She did as he insisted, only after giving him a quick hug. He let her slip away and climb on the bed, after she tossed her bag on the floor with a gentle laugh. Harry watched as she got under the covers and claimed her spot, like always she chose the side he slept on when he was alone. He didn’t care either way, as long as she was content.
“So you like this?” She asked as he pulled the covers back.
“Yeah, I do.”
Ivy felt her heart start to race as he laid down next to her. “It’s cute, right?”
“It’s more than cute, darling. Why are you so worried about it?” Harry chuckled softly as he reached for her underneath the cover.
“More than cute?” There was a lot of innocence laced in her words.
He gripped her hip as his other arm went under her body. “It’s very hot.. You look incredible.”
She took a few seconds to get comfortable in his hold, it didn’t take long since it was so easy to do. He was letting her do whatever she wanted, move his hands wherever she wanted them. Her fingers grabbed his elbow, but she didn’t shift his arm, she just wanted to touch him for a moment.
“Goodnight, Harry.” She placed a kiss to his chin, then one to his lips that made him smile.
“Goodnight, love.” He returned the kiss.
“I had fun today.”
“Mmm, me, too.” He added another kiss to her cheek, making her giggle and hide her face in the crook of his neck. “Get some sleep, baby.”
Harry figured that since she told him goodnight, she was ready to fall asleep. So, he closed his eyes and let his own body relax. He felt his absolute best whenever he was holding her. He wished that he could spend more nights with her during the week, but they have only been sticking to weekends. Waking up next to her every morning would be like heaven.
It didn’t take him very long to fall asleep, but Ivy, on the other hand, was having a hard time. She wasn’t sure why she was suddenly wide awake and unable to shut off her mind. There were thoughts spinning in her head that were keeping her awake, but there weren’t any specific worries sticking out. She was confused. She was so tired when she made it up to the bedroom, now she’s laying in the dark with her eyes open.
Harry’s gentle snoring filled the room, his occasional grunts and sniffs too. His hand held onto her tightly, while the other was relaxed on the mattress behind her. His arm was stuck under her pillow. She was sure she’d pass out as soon as she got in the bed, but yet here she was awake. A frustrated huff left her mouth as she tried to force herself to go to sleep, but her eyes wouldn’t stay shut. She kept popping them open as thoughts appeared in her mind.
Although she was physically comfortable and she knew Harry was, too, she wanted to grab her phone to see how long she had been laying there. Harry was always quick to fall asleep, so her track of time might not be accurate. She wiggled out of his grip and moved to grab her phone off the nightstand. She squinted her eyes as the bright screen lit up the room. If she remembered correctly what time they laid down, then they had only been in the bed for a little over half an hour.
She returned to her spot next to him and placed his hand back on her body. He gripped her immediately, almost like it was an instinct to hold her. She brought her phone up to her face, hoping to distract herself for a while or maybe find something to do that would bore her to sleep. Once the volume was cut down to a level that wouldn’t disturb Harry, she started to scroll on different apps and open random games she had installed.
None of her efforts seemed to be enough, though. She spent fifteen minutes doing random things, trying her best to make her mind go blank so she could fall asleep. It was becoming more of a frustration than she imagined it would be. After a couple of more minutes, she decided that it wasn’t going to work.
“Harry.” She tried to speak loud enough for him to hear her, without scaring him awake. Ivy grabbed onto his bicep and shook his arm. “Harry.”
Since he hadn’t been asleep that long, it was easy to wake him up. He grunted a few times, furrowing his brows as she repeated his name a few more times. A yawn took over him as he opened his eyes, the light from her phone was shining bright in the room.
“What’s wrong?” He slurred out, his eyes closing to shield himself from the light.
Ivy took in a deep breath. “I can’t sleep.”
“Something on your mind?” He moved his hand up to her waist, settling his touch on one of his favorite spots of her body. It was just nice to hold her there, feel her warmth and the softness of her body.
“No, I don’t think so. Nothing specific.”
Harry cleared his throat. “If there’s anything you want to talk about, just let me know. I can stay awake and keep you company.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“You won’t.” He tightened his hold on her, smiling when she gave him a gentle whimper.
Ivy wasn’t necessarily afraid to say anything, she just didn’t have anything on her mind. She started to think about different things that have been on her mind lately, perhaps something could become a topic they discuss. Harry stayed quiet as he waited for her to say something. His eyes were closed but he was listening to her slow, deep breathing. For a minute, he thought maybe she would just fall asleep, but she didn’t.
“Anything is fine?” She asked in a gentle voice, as if she was scared to speak any louder.
“Yeah, anything.” He peeled his eyes open, noticing that she laid her phone higher on the pillow to light up the space they shared.
“Well, you know I.. I like to know things about you.” She started nervously, her chest starting to feel tight and heavy.
“Yeah.”
Ivy swallowed, trying her best to stay brave. She shifted her eyes to his, glad that the phone light was there so she could see him. He looked so adorable with his sleepy eyes and soft smile. She felt bad for waking him up, yet grateful that he was willing to stay up with her.
“When’s the.. last time you, um, did something with someone? I want you to be honest, please.”
As the words came from her mouth, she felt her stomach drop. Did she really just ask him that? She wanted to sink under the covers and hide her face from him, but she refrained. Her eyes were locked with his, and she could tell he was surprised by her question.
Harry shifted his body lightly, adjusting his arm under her. “You mean.. sexually?”
“Yeah.”
“And you want me to be honest?” He squeezed her waist, his eyes glued to her.
“Yes, the answer won’t bother me. I just want to know.”
He wanted to ask her why she wanted to know, but he didn’t. Maybe it went farther than just curiosity. Maybe she wanted to know for a specific reason that she wasn’t going to tell him. He opted to just be honest with her like she asked.
“Well, you know the day we first met or, well I first saw you.. it was that weekend.” He said through a sigh, not sure what to expect next.
She had this waiting look on her face, as if she was ready for the details. He nervously laughed and looked away from her for just a moment.
“Do you want the entire story?” He lifted his brows, still uncertain.
“If.. if you want to tell me.”
He nodded lightly and decided he’d continue to be honest with her. “I was hooking up with this girl. She had brown hair and I only remember that because I kept thinking about a blonde girl.. a blonde girl with the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.”
Ivy felt her face heat up as she realized he was referring to her. He pecked her forehead, wanting to give her some affection.
“It was hard to do what I was trying to do. I kept picturing you.. kept thinking about you. Just thought you were so gorgeous.” He paused to take a deep breath. “After that night, I haven’t done anything. I attempted a few times, but you seemed to prevent that for me. Which is fine.”
Ivy didn’t say anything at first, she just laid there with her eyes stuck on his. He didn’t know what else to say, so he stayed quiet, too. After a long minute of just looking at him, she finally spoke.
“I guess I got in the way a few times.” She smiled as she recalled how she ran to him that night with tears in her eyes and terror rushing through her - he disregarded the woman he had been entertaining and chose her instead.
He let out a light laugh. “I didn’t mind it at all.. just had me doing it myself to the thought of you instead of doing it with someone else.”
Despite wanting to improve how open she was with him, that comment made her heart nervously flutter. To hear him say that he pleased himself while thinking about her was enough to send her insides into a frenzy. Sometimes he truly didn’t understand the full scope of what he did to her.
“Is there a specific reason why you wanted to know?” He asked in a low voice, his intentions were to keep her calm. It was easy to see how flustered she got.
“Not really. I just.. thought about it the other day.”
He was curious to know what other thoughts lingered in her mind, what kinds of things kept her up at night just like right now. Her hand moved to touch his chest, the warmth of his skin made her relax. There wasn’t any embarrassment she felt, it was mostly just nerves. She had no issue talking about this stuff with him, but it did feel a little scary to approach.
“You.. you know I.. I really want to do it, right?” Ivy started to talk before she even decided if that's what she wanted to say. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed her face into his neck.
“I know, babe.” He placed a soft kiss to her hairline, amused by her shy behavior.
“Do you think it will hurt me.. since it’s been so long?”
Once again, he was surprised by her sudden question. He licked his lips and thought about how to answer it. He really didn’t know what to tell her. It really all depended on how her body reacted to him. He wasn’t sure he could predict it.
“Well, I’m not sure. Do you.. ever use anything?”
Ivy leaned her head back to get a view of him. “You mean like.. my fingers?”
He smiled gently. “Or a toy.. something that you put in.”
She quickly contemplated what to tell him. If she wanted to be honest and open with him, then obviously the truth was what she needed to choose. What if he thought it was weird? Exploring one’s body is normal and perfectly healthy, so why was she all of a sudden debating if it would make her seem odd? She took a deep breath and shifted her gaze to his soft stare.
“Sometimes, yeah. A.. a toy.”
He nodded slowly, listening to every word she was saying. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t care or that he wasn’t taking this seriously. She asked him a geninune question, and she deserved his full attention.
“Do you take all of it?”
She shook her head. “Just.. maybe an inch.”
“Does that hurt?”
Ivy felt a lump forming in her throat, but she pushed it down and stayed strong. “No.”
“I think you’ll be fine then.. if you’re somewhat used to something being there.”
Harry’s answer was acceptable, but she just wasn’t sure if it was enough to change her mind. She lowered her hand to his abdomen, absentmindedly circling her index finger across his skin as she settled on a spot.
“What if it’s not enough to help?”
He took a slow breath, thinking of how he could answer her question. He didn’t want to frighten her. He truly didn’t know what to say. They wouldn’t know how something would go until they did it, and there really isn’t anything he can assure her of.
“How big is it?”
Her eyes tore from his as she felt a heavy heat building on ehr cheeks yet again. “I dunno.. it’s not that big.”
He chuckled gently, knowing that his question was a little too much for her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, trying to calm her back down. She wouldn’t look back at him, she wasn’t ready for that.
“How about this.. whenever you feel like you’re comfortable with the idea of us trying.. you use it a few nights leading up to when you want to tell me you’re ready. Just take a bit of it, that way you’ll be a little more used to the feeling.”
The suggestion he offered didn’t sound so bad. Ivy gave him a nod, understanding what he wanted her to do. Without saying anything, she placed a kiss to the corner of his mouth and mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’. Her precious response made him smile and tighten his hold on her waist. He wanted to pull her as close as possible and melt into her body.
“And if that doesn’t help, then don’t worry.” Harry reached up to grab her jaw, tilting her head back so he could see her pretty eyes. “I’ll take care of you when the time comes, I promise.”
Her fingers curled around his wrist, pushing his palm harder against her skin. “I wish I was ready now.”
He lifted his mouth to a smile as she pouted, clearly irritated with herself. “Don’t worry about it, babe.”
A soft breath passed her lips. “Take care of me, hm?”
“Of course.” His lips molded to hers for just a moment. “Make you feel so good.”
She shied away, turning her head so his lips landed on her cheek instead. He chuckled as he felt how warm she was. There was a sensation occurring in her gut that she knew all too well. If she were alone, she’d slide her hand into her panties and think about him as she got herself off. But right now, while laying next to him, she was frozen solid.
“It’s okay to talk about all this. Don’t be shy.”
She nervously laughed. “I’m not trying to be.”
Harry squeezed her waist and tried to nudge her head back, but she wouldn’t let him. “It’s just me, baby. Just you and me. We can talk about anything. I don’t want you to ever feel shy.”
“I know.” She mumbled back, wishing she could be as confident as he was.
He paused for a moment, his eyes closed as his lips softly brushed her skin. He was considering different ways to approach this. Did he want to tease her or did he want to calm her down? Was it enjoyable for her or was she really uncomfortable? He decided to just let it go.
“I’ll stop, darling.” He pecked her cheek.
“M’fine, Harry.” She finally turned her head back to look at him. “Well, I should be.”
“What do you mean?”
As much as he wanted to get the answer and figure out why she became so shy with him, he didn’t want to seem like he was prying or trying to force it out of her. If anything, his intentions were purely to make her feel as comfortable as possible. Ivy’s brows dropped as she felt herself becoming agitated by her own actions.
“I just told you I had a sex toy and now I can’t even handle you looking at me. What’s wrong with me?” Her eyes shot to his and he gave her a soft smile.
“You’re nervous.” Harry stated as he kept his stare on her. “I make you nervous.. I always have.”
She grunted back, her eyes shifting to look at the dimple indented in his cheek. “I guess you always will.”
“We can work on it, babe. The more we talk, the easier it’ll be for you.” He assured her, leaving a kiss on her lips that made her want more. “Remember, you can tell me anything or ask me anything.”
Ivy wanted to grab him by his face and pull his mouth back onto hers, but she was too afraid to do that. Instead, she opted to distract herself as Harry watched her. He always wanted to be patient with her and never make her think she had to spill her guts out to him every time she was upset. If she didn’t want to say another word to him tonight, then he’d be fine with that. She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she just let her mind wander. She was staring at his neck as her fingertip slowly circled his navel. He was intrigued by her soft touch, curious to know if she wanted to do more. He’d allow her to claw him to pieces if it meant she was satisfied.
“Let me see your beautiful face, yeah?” He said quietly as his hand moved to touch her jaw.
She relaxed in his hold and let him move her head, angling it so he could see her. He licked his lips and gave her lips a tap with his thumb. Ivy grabbed his forearm and dug her nails into his skin, her eyes looking at him through her thick lashes. There was something special she did with him that she hadn’t done in a while. It wasn’t a common thing, but she’s done it a handful of times. He wanted her to do it now, but he didn’t want to pressure her by asking. Thankfully, she wanted it just as much.
When he placed his thumb on the corner of her mouth, she parted her lips and poked her tongue out, touching his skin. His smile shaped to a smirk as he slid his thumb across her thick bottom lip, the softness of her skin was like butter.
“Take my thumb.” His deep voice rattled through her, shaking her bones and vibrating her nerves.
She gave him the most innocent smile before closing her lips around his thumb. He stuck it in further, swallowing hard as she gave it a gentle suck. He was in disbelief as he watched her, it was like a surreal moment he never wanted to let go. Ivy closed her eyes for a moment, playfully biting down on his thumb.
“My kitten, hm?” He lifted his brow slightly.
Her eyes opened, blush blazing on her cheeks like wildfire. She didn’t try to say anything, just gave him a starry eyed look and switched back to using her tongue. He couldn’t help but to imagine the swirling sensations on other parts of his body. He let out a light groan as she moved her hand onto his waist, gripping him tight in a similiar way that he did to her whenever he grabs her there. He wanted her hand to be stuck to his body forever, never let him go.
“You’re not as shy as you believe you are, darling.” He teased, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. “Think you just need to be warmed up.”
She fluttered her lashes before closing her eyes again. She began to imagine different things playing out. She thought about how it would feel to have his hands touch places he’d never explored without a layer of clothes between them. Would he be gentle with her or would he make it pleasurable torture? He was very good with his words, so he must be good with his actions. Sometimes, she found herself getting very jealous and angry when she thought about his past experiences. To know that other people had a chance to touch him before her was fuel to her greedy nature. She was never a possessive person before she met Harry. Now, he’s all she wanted.
“Try something for me, okay?” He said slowly, his eyes fixed on her face. She didn’t say anything, just nodded back. “Think about what you want.. Think about what you need.”
She was unsure at first what he was referring to, but she hoped it was what she thought. He was going to be more specific, but he wanted to slowly lean into it at first, tease her a little to make it more enjoyable. Ivy has shown him on multiple occasions that she wanted to have sex with him, but she just can’t get the confidence that’s needed for it. It was his goal to build that for her, to help as much as he could.
“Think about what you want me to do. Where you want me to touch you.. kiss you.. feel you.”
She tightened her lips around his thumb as she recalled all the times she day dreamt about him and pictured him doing things to her when she would touch herself. It was easy to bring those thoughts to the front of her mind because they often took over when she least expected it.
“I always think about your perfect lips.. think about you using them to mark me up.” His comment made her mouth twitch to a quick smile. “Bet they’d feel so good covering my skin, hm? That pretty tongue licking me. Your teeth biting down on me.”
She let out a soft noise that made his smirk grow, he could tell it was working. He wasn’t trying to coax her into anything. This was simply a way to make her more open to them talking this way, to being more intimate.
“Will you tell me what’s on your mind?” He asked through a soft sigh, pulling his thumb out of her mouth.
She whined at first, not wanting to let him go. But when he rested it on the corner of her mouth, she figured he’d be willing to give it back to her. Ivy kept her eyes shut as she pondered what to do. Should she do what he asked and be honest with him, or should she shy away and just avoid it again? She didn’t want to do that, though. She wanted to tell him very little thing she’s ever imagined about what it’ll be like sharing that experience with him.
“I wanna.. feel your mouth all over me.” She breathed out, finally admitting what was on her mind. “Wanna know.. how it feels to be kissed everywhere.”
He slowly rubbed his thumb over her skin, his eyes still locked on her. “Everywhere, hm? I can’t wait to kiss you everywhere. Down your neck.. all over your chest, your tummy.. make my way down your thighs all the way to your toes.”
Her breathing became heavier as his list went on, and he could easily tell she was experiencing intense feelings. It was going well, just as he had hoped, so he kept on.
“And of course.. between your legs. Do a bit more than kissing down there, though, hm.”
Ivy sunk her nails further into his side, making him bite down on his cheek. He knew he was saying the right things and easing her into it. While he seemed to be calm and relaxed during this, she was losing control inside of her body. Her mind was dizzy and her stomach was tight with knots and twists. His words were going straight to her core, making her tingle all over.
“Tell me more.”
She nodded lightly, trying to determine what she wanted to reveal and what needed to be kept to herself. Harry was so naturally confident in himself that sometimes it made her feel bad that she wasn’t that way. Things would most likely be a lot easier if she had some courage. Right now, she was trying her best to channel that confidence hidden inside of her.
“I.. I, um.” She paused.
Harry felt a pinch in his chest as he saw her brows furrow. She wasn’t happy with her inability to reply to him. She wanted to tell him so much more, make him see that she was brave and confident - but that didn’t happen.
“It’s alright, Ivy.” He whispered as his lips planted a few soft pecks on her forehead, trying to give her some encouragement. “You don’t have to, baby.”
Her eyes opened and instantly found his. He gave her an apologetic smile, thinking that maybe that was too far. He should take it slower with her so that he didn’t frighten her.
“Can.. can we kiss?” She asked suddenly, not caring or addressing the fact she didn’t answer him. Right now, she just wanted one thing.
He let a smile cover his mouth. “You don’t have to ask, babe.”
He chuckled as she grabbed his face and pulled herself to his mouth. He let her have her way like always, and she gladly took control. Her tongue shoved into his mouth quicker than ever before. There were no soft kisses leading them into the session. She knew what she wanted, and she demanded to get it now. He reattached his hand to her waist to keep her against him, her boobs pressed hard against his chest as she practically molded her body with his. He never wanted her to move.
Harry was willing to go as far as she wanted to go, so he paid attention to her body language. He was surprised by how low her hand trailed down his body. She normally didn’t mess with the waistband of his underwear, but right now she was slightly slipping her fingers beneath it. He didn’t want to overthink the action, so he stayed focused on her lips instead. She was swallowing him whole by this point, lapping up every inch of him.
A soft moan slipped out of her mouth as his hand moved down to her hip. He wanted to slide it to her ass, but he stopped himself. If he did something she didn’t want, then he’d be upset with himself and feel terrible. He didn’t have time to think about it, though, because Ivy grabbed his nape and pushed herself even further against him. He didn’t think it was even possible to be any closer. She felt his knee nudging into hers, and for some reason she parted her legs. It felt natural to do that, to let his leg slip between hers. He didn’t push it far, just enough to make their bodies even closer than they already were.
Their kissing was quickly becoming sloppy and messy, just like it always ended up being. Spit was pooling in their mouths and dripping out the corners, smearing on each other’s skin. The sounds of lips smacking and tongues fighting filled the air. Harry grunted as her hand returned to his face. He didn’t quite know what to expect, but after another minute of kissing, she finally pulled back. He huffed as her lips tore from his, her tongue slipping back into her own mouth. He tried to reach for her again, but she let out a gentle hum and dodged his lips.
“We don’t have to stop, baby.” He said through a slurred mumble. “I’ll kiss you forever.”
She gave him a sweet smile and licked her lips, tasting what he left behind. “I have to stop, Harry.”
“You don’t have to.” He frowned, not sure why she chose to do that.
“M’feeling.. um.. a certain kind of way.” She said through a breathy laugh, embarrassment creeping in.
He was somewhat surprised to hear her admit that to him. He figured she was probably growing a pool in her panties, especially since he was no longer soft in his own underwear. Whenever they get caught up in a kissing session, they both get extremely heated.
“Tell me.”
“I.. can’t.” She shook her head, that was too much to say out loud.
He let out a rumbling sound before pushing his lips onto the corner of her mouth. “Don’t be shy, tell me what you need, kitten.”
“Harry.” She whimpered his name, almost in desperation.
“Shh, it’s alright.” He curved his hand to fit against her body. “Tell me.”
A heaviness seemed to lift from her chest as he softly kissed her chin, being so gentle with her that it was melting her worry. She licked her lips and hesitantly moved her eyes to his. He was relaxed like always, his eyelids halfway open as he waited patiently for her. He knew this could all end here, and he was okay with that, but he hoped she would push herself further.
“I need.. to.. touch.” She finally muttered out, her eyes pouring into his - trying her best to send him signals and messages without using any more words.
He lifted his lips. “Where do you need to touch?”
She knew he was well aware of what she was hinting at, but it was all part of his plan to make her more comfortable. If she’s willing to tell him exactly what she means, then she will be more confident in future situations. She tried to remind herself to stay calm and just talk to him - she kept repeating it over and over and in her mind.
“Down there.” She whispered back, keeping her word choices very pure and innocent.
“You can touch yourself if you need to.” He told her with a soft smile.
A fire hot layer of blush rose over every inch of her body. She shook her head and tore her eyes from his. He squeezed her, trying to get her attention back.
“I can’t do that right now.”
Harry noticed his leg was still stuck between hers, the middle of his thigh closer to her warmest spot than he realized. He took in a slow breath as he thought about something. Perhaps it would scare the hell out of her, or maybe it would be the thing that made her feel better. She was so shy, despite trying so hard and wanting to be confident. He took the chance.
“You wanna use my leg, babe? Make yourself feel good on me?”
As the words rolled from his lips, her eyes widened and she knitted her brows. “What?”
He chuckled, thinking she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. “Rub yourself on my leg.. Don’t have to take your panties off or use your hand.”
His explanation still wasn’t enough to tame her chaotic thoughts. Did he really just insist that she grind on his thigh until she came? Her heart was pumping quick as she debated it. Could it be a bad idea? If he suggested it, then obviously he didn’t have a problem with it. She closed her eyes for a long moment and thought about the previous times she’s wanted to do something intimate with him. She remembered that first night they laid together after they kissed, how she couldn’t hide the hardness of her nipples. She thought about the first time he pulled her on his lap downstairs, and at the club - he was growing beneath her, clearly feeling sensations just as intense as her own. All of the sneaky kisses, the dirty words, the teasing comments.. She wanted this.
“Please, Harry.. just a little.” She popped her eyes open, taking him somewhat by surprise.
“You can do whatever you need to, baby.” He nodded slowly.
He didn’t expect her to go along with his idea, so he was genuinely excited. Ivy kissed him for a minute, just swapping spit and soft moans to thank him for the suggestion. When she broke away, he gripped her hip and pushed his thigh further up, bumping into her hard enough to make her whine. The feeling was more intense than she thought it would be.
“Do whatever feels good.” He mumbled as she tried to adjust her position.
“Is it okay if I lift this some?” She asked in her quietest, sweetest voice while grabbing the hem of her night gown.
“Of course, baby. Make yourself comfortable.”
Ivy pushed out a breath. “Can.. can you turn on the lamp so I can see you?”
“Wanna look at me while you get off on my leg, hm?” His smirk grew.
“Harry.” She couldn’t hold in her giggle. He knew exactly what to say to make her lose her mind.
“Like I said, doll, whatever you want.”
He quickly leaned back to reach for the lamp. Once the light flashed on and lit up the room, he returned to his previous spot and helped her get readjusted on his thigh. She pulled up her nightgown, not revealing too much, but just enough so it wouldn’t restrict her in any way. Although she was comfortable with doing this, she was unsure about him seeing her, so she pulled the covers up. Harry didn’t question it, he was okay with whatever decision she made.
“I hope this works.” She whispered out, nervously flicking her eyes to his.
“I’m sure it will.” He gave her a quick wink.
At first, she was waiting for instructions before she realized that he was letting her lead. Ivy was somewhat anxious about doing this, but as she started to slowly move her hips back and forth, she could feel her nerves loosen up. She let out a breathy moan as she pushed harder against his leg. Harry kept his eyes on her face as she rutted on him. She was making the hottest, most beautiful expressions he’d ever seen.
As she sped her movements up, soft moans and quiet sounds filled the space between them. She was about a minute in, her hips moving like it was natural for her to be doing this. Harry admired her noises and quick glances. She didn’t want to stare at him, so she tried to keep her eyes on his collarbone. She loved touching him there, it was one of her favorite spots to kiss on while they cuddled.
He couldn’t believe this moment was real, that she was rubbing herself into his thigh. Not only was it incredibly hot, but it showed him that he was doing something right. She was comfortable enough to do this, to give this part of herself to him. Sure, it wasn’t sex and they were both covered in fabric, but it meant a lot to her - and he knew that.
Ivy was thanking herself for choosing a thin pair of underwear to put on tonight, it made the friction of his skin feel much nicer. The thin material also made this more enjoyable for Harry. He could feel the wetness between her legs and the shape of her womanhood. Even without seeing or touching it with his hands, he knew it was perfect and stunning. As her body reacted more and more to the pressure, he couldn’t resist holding back. He was going to let her do her thing, but he wanted to tease her now.
“Mm, you’re soaked, hm?” He tightened his grip on her hip, gently assisting in her movement.
“Harry.” She whimpered his name, her eyes finding his.
He licked his lips, in utter awe that he was witnessing this. “Look at you, yeah. Rubbing your pussy on me.. making yourself feel good, huh?”
“Yes, Harry. Oh.” Ivy grabbed his forearm and immediately anchored her nails in his skin.
Her slow motions quickly turned fast and sharp, her goal had changed from wanting to feel every second of it to wanting to come undone. Harry guided her hips, his strength added to her speed. Her eyes rolled back slightly as a jolt shot through her. The quick snaps of her hips caused so much friction to her clit, she thought she’d explode.
“Feels so good, yeah?” Harry’s deep voice made her stomach drop.
“You feel so good.” She mumbled through a moan, a string of quick breaths following.
He watched her closely, trying his best to calculate how far she had to go. It wouldn’t be too much longer. Ivy closed her eyes again as she grinded herself on his thigh, sliding her covered pussy against his skin and ramming her clit on him. She never dreamed this would happen, never thought this could be so good. She’s imagined a lot of different sexual scenarios with Harry, but never this. When her eyes opened just to roll back in her head, he knew she was close.
“Gonna cum for me, kitten? Soak your panties for me, yeah?” Harry’s filthy words made her heart flutter.
They were fuel to her fire. Within a second, her stomach began to knot up as her hips rolled into him. A wave of euphoria flooded her body as she felt herself slipping over the edge.
“Harry, fuck.” She barely got the words out before she came, her head tilting back as a moan left her mouth.
“There you go.. all over me, baby.” Harry had a proud smirk on his mouth as he watched her face contort and react to her orgasm.
It was a glorious sight. Her lips were swollen from her biting down on them, her cheeks flushed and warm. She was trying to catch her breath as she recovered. Her grip on his arm eased up and she let her hand fall between them. She felt exhausted. None of her previous sessions had ever made her feel that good, not even the intense ones when she’d say his name aloud. No matter how engrossed she became with the thought of him, none of those times could compare with this. Her clit was throbbing beneath her panties. She’d never had an orgasm that good before.
“Oh my god, Harry.” She finally breathed out after a long few moments of trying to come back to her senses.
“Fuck, that was so hot. Feel better, yeah?” He reached up to sweep her hair out of her face, all of her moving around had made a mess of it.
“Yeah, I can’t believe I just did that.” She grabbed his wrist to guide his hand to her cheek.
He gladly touched her hot skin, smiling as she tried to hide her face in his palm. “I can’t believe it either, to be honest.”
Her voice was light as she was still trying to cope with everything. “Have you done that with someone before?”
“No, never. But I’d love for you to do it again sometime.”
His cheeky smile made her playfully roll her eyes and press a kiss to his hand. She was glad to know she had something special with him that nobody else had experienced. Her mind was still fuzzy from all the pleasure that soaked through her body. It was hard to convince herself that what she did was actually real. Harry wanted to ask her if something was on her mind, but he stayed quiet. It was obvious by her behavior that she was still trying to calm her body down.
After a few minutes, she spoke in a hushed tone. “I need to, um, change my panties.”
Harry let a smile cover his lips when her eyes moved to his. “Go ahead.”
It was at this moment that they both realized his leg hadn’t moved at all. He pulled his leg from between hers and chuckled as she sat up next to him, a sleepy look taking over her features. She leaned down to press a kiss to his lips before she climbed out of the bed. He watched her scurry over to her bag and rummage through it in search of a clean pair of underwear.
“Don’t take too long, kitten.” He called out just as she opened the door, her panties clutched tight in her hand.
She whipped her head around to glare at him, making him chuckle. She disappeared into the bathroom to change. As she grabbed the underwear from around her ankles, she couldn’t help but be curious about the mess she made. She looked at the fabric in her hands, shaking her head in disbelief as she saw the large wet spot that was soaked into the panties. She almost always kept her underwear on when she handled her needs, and she couldn’t recall a moment when they looked this wet. Harry had a way of doing things to her that was just unbelievable.
After cleaning herself up and changing her underwear, Ivy returned to the bedroom. She flicked off the lamp before crawling back in the bed, settling back in her spot next to him. Harry’s greedy hands grabbed onto her body and yanked her closer, his lips landing on her forehead as she melted into him.
“Thank you.” She whispered sweetly, her lips brushing his throat before she pecked his skin a few times.
“You don’t have to thank me, baby.” He reminded her, this was something he’s said more than once to her. “M’glad you were comfortable enough to do it.”
“It was very nice.” She smiled against his skin.
Harry had to get a quick kiss in before he told her goodnight. Of course, she let out a cute laugh and tried to dodge him, but he was too fast. They gave each other gentle kisses for a while, just soft pecks and light touches. They mumbled goodnight a few times each before finally ending with a long, tongue filled kiss. Harry was relieved to know that Ivy was now ready to fall asleep and no worrying thoughts seemed to be keeping her up.
—•—
The following week was very busy for both of them, so they were unable to catch any random lunch dates with each other like they easily did most of the time. Ivy was exhausted more than usual, so even their phone calls every night were cut short when she’d fall asleep. Harry knew she was handling a lot, and he never got irritated with her. He had a lot on his plate, as well, since he took on more lessons for the week than he normally did. They were both excited to be together when Friday came, although they wouldn’t be alone.
Niall insisted earlier in the week that everyone come together for a friend’s dinner since they all had been so busy lately. Ivy was all for it, while Harry was annoyed that he couldn’t just be alone with her instead. She promised him they could go back to her place and watch a movie after like they usually did - of course, the movie watching was always put on the back burner when the kissing and cuddling started.
They met at her place so Harry could drop his bag off before dinner. Ivy was contemplating her outfit in the mirror when Harry arrived. He greeted Emma, who told him Ivy was stressing out over her attire. He thought about not getting involved, but the longer he sat on the couch waiting for her, more guilt was building up in his gut. He headed to her room, excited to see her but nervous to know how she’s feeling. When he tapped his knuckles on the door, she assumed Emma was the one there so she rushed to pull open the door. As she saw Harry standing there instead, her eyes went wide and she threw her arms around his neck.
He laughed into her neck, rocking them slowly from side to side. “Hi, baby. I missed you.”
“I missed you!” She squealed back, letting her arms fall so she could see him. “I didn’t know you were here already.”
“Been here for a few minutes.” He shrugged, his eyes falling down to her body. “Emma said you were worrying over your outfit.”
She sighed heavily, her hands moving to cover his wrists as he held on to her waist. She wanted to run and hide from him, but she stayed brave and expressed her thoughts to him. Maybe he could help her figure out what looked the best.
“I just don’t know about this dress. Do you like it?” Ivy asked seriously, looking down at the fabric covering her body. “Be honest.”
“I do like it, yeah. It’s very pretty.” He stayed truthful like she wanted.
He thought the dress looked wonderful on her. It wasn’t too fancy, but it fit her well. The dark blue fabric was very flattening against her skin tone and with her hair. He wasn’t a fashion expert, but he believed she could make anything look perfect.
“It’s not too low in the front, is it?” She asked, glancing down at her cleavage.
He looked at her chest, lifting his brows lightly as he thought about what to say. It wasn’t low enough for it to be an issue if she bent over, he thought it was fine.
“You look perfect, I promise.”
It didn’t take a lot more convincing for her, surprisingly. Usually, her freaking out over her outfit has a lot to do with whether or not she thought Harry would like it. Having his direct, in person response and review of her outfit was enough to assure she was dressed well. Not only was the dress nice, but he thought her shoes and jewelry tied in well, and her makeup was light, yet complimentary to her features. Perfect.
When they got to the restaurant, Ivy was anxious because they were running a few minutes late. Emma and Niall left ten minutes before they did and were able to avoid the traffic. Harry kept telling her it was fine and that nobody would be upset with them, especially with her - they adored her. He guided her to the side of the restaurant Niall mentioned in his text, hand in hand of course. She had her other hand curled around his wrist as they walked.
Ivy usually didn’t pay anyone else any attention while she was with Harry, but something caught her eye as they made their way to the table. There was a girl who made an effort to turn her head to get a better look at Harry, and that was enough to make Ivy snarl and grip his hand tighter. He had no clue what had happened, he just assumed she was squeezing his hand.
Michelle gasped when they approached the table, still surprised that they were officially a couple and had been for weeks now. Ivy felt a layer of blush cover her cheeks and she laughed, trying to ignore the reaction. There were two open chairs left. Niall and Emma sat in front of them, while the others filled the other end of the table. Ivy was about to claim the spot across from Emma, but Harry gently tugged her back towards him. She furrowed her brows as she looked up and saw his expression. He didn’t seem too happy.
Although he knew she wanted to sit across from her best friend, he wasn’t going to let it happen tonight. Cory would be on the other side of her if she sat down, and Harry wasn’t going to deal with that mess tonight. He gestured for the other chair. Ivy glanced at Cory, realizing that Harry might actually be doing this for the sake of keeping his composure. She gave him a sweet smile before sitting down in the other chair. He sat next to Cory, passing a greeting to everyone before turning his attention to Ivy.
“Not risking it tonight.” He mumbled while leaning to her cheek to leave a kiss on her skin.
She shied away from him, not wanting to show too much affection in front of everyone. “Okay.”
He just smiled at her reaction. She could be the greediest person while they were alone, hands glued to his body and lips all over his face - yet, she could act like she had never been touched before when other people had their eyes on them. He thought it was cute.
Her attention moved to the menu. She had been to this place before, she was familiar with the options, but she needed to make a decision. Harry didn’t really care about the menu or anything else, he just kept his mind focused on Ivy. Everyone was keeping to themselves as they all looked at the menu, aside from Emma who was asking Niall what he was going to get. A waiter approached not long after and got everyone’s drink orders.
“Ivy, I feel like none of us have seen you in ages!” Michelle said once the waiter walked off.
“Ever since you love birds got together, we don’t see either of you.” Zayn added with a smile, glancing at Harry.
“Well, I’ve been keeping Harry busy. Niall says we go on too many dates.” She said with a laugh, nudging her knee against Harry’s.
He was listening, but not paying full attention. From the corner of his eye, Harry could see Cory trying to peer around him to get a glimpse of Ivy as she spoke. Despite everyone else also looking her way, he got the impression that Cory’s glare meant something more. Maybe it did, or maybe he was just overreacting. He clenched his fist beneath the table and tried his best to remain calm. Ivy wouldn’t want him to lash out right now.
“Well, it’s a good thing you’re making him go and do things.” Niall sighed. “He’s too used to being home all the time.”
“I’d rather it be a good reason like so many dates than a bad reason that we don’t see you.” Michelle grinned.
Ivy shifted in her chair as she felt the need to go to the bathroom creep in on her. Harry furrowed his brows as he watched her hand cover her stomach. He started to worry about her ovarian cyst history. When she had that emergency surgery, that was the same area she pressed her hand against while he was staying at her house. Thankfully, it wasn’t that right now. It was actually just the need to empty her bladder that was bothering her.
“Are you okay?” He asked, his hand squeezing her thigh as he waited for her to answer.
“Yeah, I need to run to the restroom. Will you order for me if I’m not back?” She said with an exhale, tapping her finger on the meal she wanted.
Harry looked down at the menu and took a mental note of it. “Yeah, sure.”
“I’ll go with you!” Emma jumped up as she overheard the mention of the restroom, she needed to go as well.
The girls excused themselves and headed towards the restroom together. Harry kept his eyes on Ivy for as long as he could before she disappeared from his view.
Ivy rushed to handle her business so that she could get back to the table quickly. On the other hand, Emma was taking her time. She adjusted her clothes then her hair in the mirror once she came out of the stall. She cover her palm in soap as Ivy waited patiently next to her.
“I noticed Harry was a little annoyed when you guys walked up. Is everything okay?”
The sigh Ivy let out was harsher than she intended it to be. “Yeah he’s kinda upset that I agreed to come tonight, he wanted to do something alone.”
Emma cocked her brow, glancing over her shoulder at Ivy. “Something as in what?”
She shook her head. “Not like that. He just wanted to take me on a date.”
Emma pursed her lips for a moment. “I feel like I hardly get to see you. Even when you’re home, you’re on the phone. He enjoys taking you out, I assume?”
Ivy gulped quietly and thought about the best way to approach this. She knew that sometimes Harry could be a bit overbearing, but he did it out of admiration. He didn’t want to be a bad boyfriend. Taking her out for dinner, to the movies, for ice cream, whatever it is they chose to do - those things mean a lot to him. Ivy loved it all, too. She never once complained. From an outsider’s perspective, though, it may seem intense. They would spend every waking moment together if they could.
“He’s making up for a lot of.. bad times. Don’t be hard on him.”
“I’m not. I’m actually so proud of him.” Emma smiled, she was always one to be honest. “He should be worshipping the ground you walk on. He owes you that, at least.”
Ivy shrugged, not sure how to respond to that. It was no secret that Harry had done a lot of hurtful things to her in the past, that he had really done some damage. But she knew he was trying his hardest to fix everything, that he wouldn’t stop until he made it all up to her. Sometimes, when they cuddle or when they’re sitting in silence, he’ll tell her how sorry he is for treating her bad. Every time, she’ll assure him it’s alright now and that he’s doing things right now.
“He’s a sweetheart, trust me.” Ivy sighed out as she watched Emma rinse her hands under the water.
She was drying her hands off, about to reach for the door when Ivy decided to blurt something out.
“I have to tell you what I did last weekend.”
Emma turned to face her, a curious expression on her face. “Oh, gosh. What is it?”
She took a deep breath and pushed it out, her chest was tightening. “Harry and I did something.”
Emma’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “What!”
Ivy shushed her, taking a few steps closer so she could whisper. They were alone, but she still didn’t want to risk anything. The pure excitement on Emma’s face made her tension ease. She’s had these talks plenty of times with her, especially recently since she started dating Harry.
“We were cuddling and.. talking about stuff. I asked him some questions that kinda led us.. to me getting off on his thigh.”
Ivy thought Emma was going to pass out as her draw hit the floor and her hands reached out to grab her. She laughed at her reaction and waited for her to catch her breath.
“Are you serious? You rode his fucking thigh?”
Ivy shushed her again. “Kinda. We were laying down.. he put it between my legs.”
“You are so fucking insane.” Emma said with a bright smile. “I’ve never even done that!”
Ivy bit her cheek for a moment as the memory replayed in her mind. “You should try it.”
“So.. do you think you’re ready?” Emma turned serious, her eyes wide as she waited.
“I want to be, but I’m not sure.”
“Maybe you should try.. even if you aren’t sure. You may change your mind.”
Ivy didn’t say anything, just smiled and felt her cheeks warm up. If anything, she was going to flush hard at the mention of intimate details. Neither of them ever thought Ivy would be the one to give a sex related tip. Emma was beyond proud and she made sure to express that before they left the restroom.
While they were leaving the restroom, a small altercation broke out at the table. Harry was trying to stay quiet, but as he sat there waiting for Ivy to return, he couldn’t stop thinking about the way Cory was trying to get a clear view of her. His blood was boiling beneath his skin, steam blowing out of his ears. He was irritated. He almost didn’t say anything, but when he turned his head and met Cory’s eyes, he lost control.
“Don’t fucking break your neck trying to look at her.” He snapped, making Cory flinch and grabbing everyone’s attention.
“Harry.” Niall tried to intervene, but it didn’t work.
“I haven’t done anything.” Cory furrowed his brows and gave Harry a sour look.
“Keep your eyes to yourself. Or I’ll fucking make you.”
“Do we need to swap seats?” Zayn offered as he realized how hostile the situation was becoming.
“No.” Harry answered for both of them. “If he sits anywhere else, he’ll fucking stare at her.”
“Harry, Ivy’s coming back.” Michelle chirped in, trying to reign in the drama before it turned to something more.
Just as Ivy returned to the table, Harry brought his hand from his lap and sat it on the table. She would’ve thought nothing of it if it hadn’t been clenched to a ball. She sat down and gently placed her hand over his fist.
“What’s the matter?” She asked him, not caring about anyone else at the table.
“Nothing.” He huffed out, avoiding her eyes.
He knew that if he looked into her pretty eyes and saw how confused and possibly upset she was, he’d feel immense guilt and ruin the night for everyone. He tried to keep his gaze off her, but it was hard to resist.
“What happened?” She turned her head towards Niall, demanding an answer from someone.
“Just a disagreement, that’s all.”
“It’s not a fucking disagreement.” Harry cut in, already abandoning his plan to not tell her the truth.
Ivy tried to pry his fingers apart, but he wouldn’t let her. “What happened?”
“I told Cory to stop staring at you. It gets on my nerves.” Harry had a look on his face that she hadn’t seen in a while - he was very annoyed.
“Okay.” She nodded softly, sliding her hand up his forearm. “It’s been addressed, so just calm down, alright?”
He softened his eyes as he watched her lips fall to a frown. “M’trying.”
She pulled his arm down, bringing his fist to her lap. He opened his hand this time when she touched his fingers. With a sigh, he laced his fingers with hers and gave her a half smile. He wasn’t feeling that anger anymore, instead he was focused solely on her. If she wanted him to calm down, then he would do just that.
Although he wasn’t angry, he was very reclusive towards everyone else. As they waited for their food to arrive, he never once joined in on a conversation. He didn’t laugh at any jokes or make snide comments about anything that was brought up. He either stared at the table or looked at Ivy whenever she spoke. It was extremely obvious that he was upset. Per usual, they all just acted like it was no big deal and carried on with their night.
Ivy wasn’t just one of his friends, though. She was genuinely concerned that he was going to explode if someone said the wrong thing to him. His anger and annoyance was shown through his hard expression and tense body language. It was like he was holding back, waiting for the moment to jump on someone. As her conversation with Emma and Niall faded out, she shifted her focus to Harry. He had been eyeing her already, so she met his eyes when she turned her head. She put on a smile, leaning over so their arms were touching. Before she said anything, her eyes darted to everyone at the table. Nobody was paying them any attention.
“Are you feeling okay?” She asked in a soft voice.
He just looked at her, didn’t say a word. She saw his throat move as he gulped. Maybe he wasn’t in the mood to talk. It was digging up memories for her, but not the good ones. She thought about those times he would just stare at her instead of speaking or when he’d ignore her existence. She never wanted to revert back to those times.
She licked her lips, smearing her lip gloss, and squeezed his fingers. “I bought stuff to make homemade chocolate chip cookies for you tonight.”
Harry moved his eyes down to her lips, noticing that her gloss had slipped onto her skin. When he looked back to her eyes, she had a precious look on her face. Her smile was gentle, her eyes wide as she stared at him. He gave her a nod, not wanting to say anything out loud.
“I got an extra bag of chocolate chips.” She pushed herself forward so that her chin touched his shoulder, her eyes fluttering as she looked up at him. “Since you love them so much.”
When Harry agreed to stay with her for the weekend, she thought about cooking him different things. The cookies were the top priority since the last time she made them he absolutely loved them. She was sure talking about this would make him respond, but he didn’t.
“Are you not gonna talk to me?” She pouted her lips out after a few long moments of them just staring at each other.
He lifted his hand to her face and gently rubbed his thumb along the spot her lip gloss smeared on to, clearing it from her skin. As he dropped his hand back to his lap, she frowned.
“Are you mad at me?” She asked in the softest voice she could muster.
He sighed, clenching his jaw as he stared at her eyes that were now full of sadness and worry. The sparkle had simmered out. He wanted to tell her that nothing she had done caused his mood, but he didn’t open his mouth. All he did was gently shake his head.
Ivy felt frustration start to stack up in her chest. Why was he acting this way? They weren’t supposed to be this way anymore. Had she actually done something? She leaned back in her chair, turning her head away from him. Her eyes fell to her lap, where his hand sat so comfortably on her thigh. She wiggled her fingers out of his grip and chose to cover his big hand with her own. He relaxed his fingers on her thigh and squeezed her a few times. She stared at his hand for a long moment, her eyes trained on the rings covering his fingers. At least he was touching her, and not yelling at her or saying hurtful things. Staying quiet might be his only way of controlling himself. Ivy feared it would be a long night.
Harry didn’t say a word to anyone for the rest of the night. He ate his food in silence, surrounded by conversations and laughs from everyone at the table. Ivy couldn’t spend the entire time focused on him, she would get too upset and possibly have a breakdown. So, she just kept hold of his hand under the table and stayed active with everyone else. The only time she let his hand go was while she was eating, but he never once moved his. He gripped her leg tight as he waited for her to return to her touch.
When it was time to pay, Ivy grabbed her purse off the back of her chair. Harry shewed her hand away from the bag as he laid his card on the table. She got the gist of what he was doing, so she snapped her purse shut and let out a deep breath. She hoped his mute session would end once they were in her car.
As cards were being returned to the table, Harry stood up and said nothing as he slipped his wallet in his pocket. He walked around Ivy’s chair and held his hand out, waiting for her to join him. She put on a fake bright smile for everyone and thanked them for the invite. Harry didn’t even look at anyone as she stood up. They started for the door, that heavy silence still beating down on them. Ivy looked over her shoulder, a sadness taking over as she saw how happy everyone else looked. Emma was smiling and Niall was laughing loud enough she could still hear him. Everyone had a good time, then there was Harry.
Ivy was going to drive back home, but Harry guided her to the passenger door instead. She wasn’t going to argue with him, even if it was her car - she wasn’t in the mood to drive. He opened the door for her and held her hand until she got situated. Still, he said nothing. He got in the car and started it up, his eyes fixed on the windshield as he waited for the car behind them to drive by before he started to back out of the space.
The entire ride home was quiet, the only sound was the low volume of the radio. Ivy didn’t dare say anything to him, she stayed silent. Her eyes looked out the window but she didn’t actually process anything she saw. She was deep in her thoughts, lost in them really. Her weekend with Harry might have been ruined by tonight’s dinner, and that was making her feel bad. She insisted they join everyone when he clearly didn’t want to. Maybe it was her fault. She should’ve put him first and did what he was comfortable doing. He’s done that for her, why didn’t she return the favor? The only time they made contact with each other was when they were halfway home. Ivy reached over and carefully grabbed his hand. Harry wasn’t going to deny her of touching him, so he relaxed his tense muscles and let her pull his hand across the console to her lap. She wanted to feel his skin on hers.
She didn’t think he’d actually stay quiet this long, but even when they got out of the car to walk inside, he never said a word. He stood directly behind her as she tried to find her house key. His hand touched her waist as he waited, the touch gave her some hope. Maybe he was just not sure of what to say to her, so he was remaining silent. She was praying that was the case, and that he actually wasn’t mad at her. Ivy stuck the key in the door and twisted it, finally letting them inside.
She started the trip to her bedroom, not expecting him to follow her. “I’m gonna go change.”
Harry didn’t say anything, he just walked the same path she was taking. She could sense him behind her, so when she got to her door, she left it open for him to come on in. He leaned against the frame, his eyes watching her as she trailed to her dresser. She contemplated what she wanted to wear. Was she aiming to be super comfortable or should she change into something more casual? When she opened her drawer, her stomach started to fill with butterflies. Without hesitating, she grabbed an item out of the drawer and turned to face him.
“Do you like this one?” She asked with an innocence to her tone, holding up the baby pink silk nightgown that looked similar to the one she wore at his house last weekend.
He observed the fabric for a moment, realizing that she would be wearing that around for the rest of the night. The last time they were together, he didn’t have the chance to admire her in it as she walked or lounged on the couch. He licked his lips and gave her a nod. Ivy felt some disappointment when she didn't hear his voice, but she was trying to remain calm.
“I need to wash my face and all that.” She said through a sigh as she crossed the room, heading straight for where he stood at the door.
Ivy was about to mumble a faint excuse me and squeeze by him when he grabbed her elbow and gave her a light tug, pulling her back in front of him. She felt an odd sense of fear start to fill her veins. As she tilted her head back to look at him, she fully expected to see an enraged face. Instead, she was met with a subtle frown and lowered brows.
“I’m sorry.” Harry’s deep voice was almost foreign to her. It felt like it was the first they ever spoke to one another. “I.. I shouldn't have acted the way I did to you.”
Ivy chewed on the inside of her cheek for a few seconds as she stared into his eyes. She could see they were full of worry and concern. He was afraid he’d really messed up again and that she wouldn’t forgive him or give a chance to make it right. She tore her eyes from his and opted to look at his chest.
“I almost forgot what your voice sounded like.” She mumbled.
He was relieved to hear her sass come back, even if it was in a hushed voice. He slid his hand on her jaw, picking her head up so he could see her eyes again. She definitely wasn’t boosting with excitement, and that was all his fault.
“I’m sorry, I mean it.”
“You made me very sad.” She told him truthfully, her lips forming a pout.
“I know.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek, feeling the natural worth of her skin. “M’alright now, I promise.”
Ivy brought her hand to his wrist. “But you weren’t earlier. What happened?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“You got very mad. It must’ve been something.”
As much as he didn’t want to address it, he couldn’t keep being rude to her. He had hurt her so much tonight, she couldn’t take much more. He huffed, but kept his composure. There was no need to lose it on her, she just asked a question.
“I don’t like when people stare at you like they want you. It makes me..” He stopped, his eyes moving off hers for the first time since he stopped her.
“Jealous.” She finished his sentence.
He rolled his eyes, a smile lightly flashing on his lips. “Maybe.”
“It’s okay to be a little jealous.” She pulled his hand off her face so she could slot her fingers in between his. “Just have to be nice, too.”
“I’m trying to do better.” He was serious, and she could tell.
“I know. You’re doing a lot better.” She placed a kiss to his chin, teasing him by not going any further. “I’ll go change and then I’ll make the cookies.”
“I’ll help you.” He said with a smile.
“I can change on my own.”
“Attitude, hm?” He cocked a brow at her.
She didn’t say anything, just grinned before letting his hand go. Harry moved out of her way so she could go wash her makeup off and get ready for her comfortable attire. He chose to change in her room, opting for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
Ivy decided to let the incident go. There was no point in worrying over it any longer. She was more focused on enjoying her alone with Harry. As she gathered the ingridents for the cookies, he stood with his back leaned against the refrigerator, waiting for instructions from her. He told her he wanted to help, but she insisted it wouldn’t be necessary. After seeing him pout about it and practically be her, she decided he could help out.
“Will you get the eggs? I forgot them.” She glanced over her shoulder as she sat the other things on the counter.
He did as she asked, taking them to her so she could get the number she needed. She picked a few out and sat them in an empty bowl for now. Harry put the carton away and returned to her side, his curious eyes watching her every move. He had never made cookies from scratch before, so he was paying close attention. Ivy started to scoop out the amount of each thing she needed, dumping them in the mixing bowl one at a time.
Harry was intrigued by her desire to do this from a real recipe. He thought pulling the precut squares out of a package was much easier and less time consuming. But as he watched her crack the eggs into the bowl, he realized that she enjoyed it a lot. She had a big, content smile on her lips as she started to incorporate the ingredients together. He wasn’t quite sure how much of each thing was included, he got easily distracted by her profile and the sound of her voice. When she added the extra portion, or two - she wasn't measuring, of chocolate chips, a warmth grew in his chest. To know she considered him enough to add extras meant more to him than he ever thought it could. Last time she made cookies, she had a few leftovers that he found in her microwave while staying the night with her. He complimented them and mentioned how much he loved chocolate chips. He never told her the cookies needed more, but to know she figured he’d want more was enough to make him fall deeper in love with her.
Ivy mixed everything together and instructed him to grab the pan. He quickly did as she told him, making her giggle at his anxious behavior. He didn’t want to do anything wrong or mess up her process by being too slow. She wanted him to be included, so she showed him how to scoop a bit of the mix onto a spoon, then shape it into a ball with gentle touching. She then told him to do the rest. He was nervous at first, and definitely afraid that he’d mess them up, but her encouraging nod and smile made him feel better. She wanted him to do this, he could never tell her no.
“This looks horrible.” He sighed as he showed her the ball he made.
She held in a laugh, gesturing for him to sit it down on the pan. “It looks fine. It’s going to flatten out anyway.”
His eyes fell down her body, still in disbelief that she was wearing this in front of him. He was very pleased by it, though. It was a distraction, but he tried to ignore it as he made more of the dough into balls.
“You finish doing this while I switch over my laundry.” She patted him on his back, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw for encouragement.
“I’ll try.”
Ivy snickered to herself as she walked away, hearing him huff as the shape of the cookie dough wasn’t turning into what he wanted. She left him to finish the job on his own, figuring he’d be occupied long enough for her to do what she needed to do. Despite wishing she was by his side, he persevered through the task while she was gone. He tried his best to get the cookies to be even, if not then at least close to it. She was moving quickly as she pulled out the dry clothes and threw in the washed load. There was a mix of hers and Emma’s clothes, so she just left the hamper in the small laundry room with the intention to sort and fold them tomorrow.
To her surprise, Harry was finishing the last scoop of cookie dough when she returned to his side. She clapped her hands together, grinning as she saw the big tray of cookies ready to be put in the oven.
“These look great!” She said with a soft laugh, he was not impressed with his work.
After she put them in the oven and set a timer on her phone, Ivy insisted they sit on the couch and try to pick something to watch. Harry didn’t care what they chose, as long as she was pleased with it. They sat down, side by side, and started to flick through their options. She wasn’t necessarily feeling any type of way, so she didn’t know what genre of movie to look at. When asked what he wanted to watch, Harry told her it didn’t matter. She wanted his input, so she practically begged him to pick something. He didn’t give in.
She settled on a random movie she’s seen multiple times after not getting any ideas or any suggestions from Harry. She nestled close to him, her body sinking into his as his arm laid over her back, pulling her close. Neither of them really cared about the television screen, but they both opted to watch the movie at least while waiting for the cookies. Ivy was starving for a sweet snack, and she knew that if she focused on the movie the wait time would fly by.
Harry chuckled to himself as Ivy mumbled something about wanting to be comfortable before throwing herself on his lap, her hair all over the place as she situated her head on his thigh. He helped her pull it back over her shoulder, running his fingers through it carefully so he didn’t catch a tangle. She rested her hand on his knee, giving it a squeeze as she relaxed on him. He didn’t mind one bit, in fact he was very satisfied with this new position. He placed his hand on her side, smiling as she let out a soft giggle. She was rather ticklish in that spot.
A few minutes passed by and Ivy decided she wasn’t interested in the movie. She let out a sigh and flopped over onto her back, making Harry laugh as she groaned and tried to get comfortable on his lap again.
“You alright?” He asked in a low voice as his hand found a new resting spot on her abdomen, right on top of her navel.
“I just wanna look at you.” She shot him a quick grin.
“Hm, I could tell you weren’t very thrilled about watching a movie.” He offered her a smile while combing her overgrown bangs out of her face.
“Not really.”
He licked his lips as he looked down at the beautiful woman lounged on his thighs like they were made just for her. He was certain they were. She trailed her eyes to the ceiling, mindlessly laying there as she waited for the timer to go off. There was something so pure and innocent about her gazing up with her lips slightly poked. Here she was laying on him while wearing this very flattering piece of clothing that just barely covered her bits and pieces. It was making his heart flutter and his mind wander to things he shouldn’t be thinking about, but it was hard to resist the ideas and the things he was imagining.
Ivy laid her hand over his, grabbing his thumb to stop it from moving on her stomach. When she flicked her eyes back to his, he gave her a slightly confused look. She was gripping his thumb tight, like she didn’t want him to move it.
“That tickles.” She muttered, a redness covering her cheeks.
“Sorry.” He smiled, not even realizing he had been rubbing circles into her body.
She let her attention move to his index finger. He was still wearing his rings, he only took them off before bed or when he would shower. She was curious to know which one he had on this finger, so she pulled it off and brought it closer to her face. He watched her observe the ring’s details, turning it slowly in her fingers to catch every angle of it. She slid it back on after a minute, shifting her eyes back to his. Of course, he had been staring at her the entire time with a soft smirk on his mouth.
“Those cookies are taking forever.”
Harry shook his head lightly at her. “You’ll survive, babe.”
She grabbed his wrist and moved his hand higher up her torso. “But what if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll eat one for you.” He lightly pinched her through the nightgown, making her shriek.
Right when he was going to do it again just to get the cute reaction out of her, the timer on her phone started to blare out. She leaned up, her hand digging into his thigh to hold herself up. She had so much excitement and joy on her face, he couldn’t believe something so trivial could make her so happy.
“I will survive after all!” She cheered, then quickly kissed his lips.
He wanted more, but he knew there would be no holding her back from getting those cookies out of the oven. She jumped up and hurried into the kitchen, beyond excited at this point.
Ivy sat the tray on the stovetop and turned off the oven. She was pleased with how the cookies baked. She didn’t like them to be crispy or hard, so she pulled them out at the perfect time. They had gooey centers and slightly browned edges. Her lack of patience was taking over and she was using a spatula to pick up a few of the hot cookies. She put them on a plate and carried them back to the couch. Harry eyed her with a smile as she returned to sit next to him, this time facing him with her legs crossed on the couch.
“I didn’t want to wait for them to cool.” She said with a shrug, resting the plate on her lap.
“They don’t look too bad. M’not the best cookie shaper.” Harry was amused while watching her handle the piping hot cookie. It was breaking in her hand, chocolate smearing on her fingers.
“They’re perfect. We did a good job.” Ivy gave him a proud smile before cautiously popping a piece into her mouth.
It was hot, but it was bearable. She hummed and closed her eyes as the taste coated her tongue. It was heavenly. Harry wanted in on the action, so he stole a piece of the cookie she had broken in half and took a bite. He nodded in approval when she looked his way for his reaction.
“So good!” She squealed, eating the rest of what broke to mushy pieces in her hand.
Harry always found her the most attractive when she was doing the simplest of things - like eating a cookie that they made together. Her genuine excitement and laughter just made her feel so real. It was refreshing and relieving and magical and perfect - she made every moment more special. He found himself abandoning the cookies all together and just staring at her. She didn’t notice, which was a surprise. It was always something she took notice of, whenever he stared at her. The experience with the cookie was distracting her. It offered him some time to just admire her. He didn’t take a second of it for granted.
Ivy glanced at him, her cheeks naturally reddening as she saw his intense gaze, but she wasn’t worried about it. She was breaking a second cookie into two pieces to eat more. Even though she was thoroughly enjoying the cookies, there were a few thoughts lingering in her mind. She remembered she had the nightgown on, which made her think about last weekend when she contemplated it. Ever since they made their relationship official, she’s wanted to give Harry every part of her. They’ve done so much together, gotten to know each other on deep levels, spent so much time doing both fun and relaxing things with each other. He’s opened up to her, shown her that he’s capable of showing affection and love. Every time she looks at her, whether he’s already staring at her or not, she falls more and more in love with him. Every time he lays his hands on her body or touches his lips to hers, sparks erupt in her chest and butterflies the size of airplanes swarm in her stomach. She loves him so much. The words hadn’t been spoken by either of them, but she could feel it.
She released a slow breath, her hands grabbing the plate of cookies. “Do you want any more?”
“Not right now.” He shook his head.
Ivy got up to go to the kitchen, the plate in her hand. She wondered why he only took a small piece of a cookie and didn’t indulge in more. Maybe he wasn’t craving the sweetness the same way she was. There was no need to let the thought worried her, so she pushed it out of her mind.
She came back to the couch after putting the plate on the counter. The task of putting all the cookies away did not sound fun, so she decided to do it before she went to bed. As she stepped in front of him, he reached out to grab her waist. She let out a soft giggle as he roughly gripped her to keep her still. When she looked down at him, those bright green eyes were already gazing up at her. He had a devious smirk plastered on his lips and a lustful gleam in his eyes.
“Haven’t kissed you much today.” He said with a greedy tone, his eyes hungry for her.
“No, you haven’t.” She replied, a sweet tone in her voice that teased him more than anything. “Mind if I have a seat?”
“Wouldn’t want you to be anywhere else, baby.”
With ease and confidence, she placed herself on his lap and let her hands find his neck. He groaned softly as she pressed the edges of her nails against his skin. She didn’t dig in, just applied some pressure. It made his stomach knot up.
“I love this on you.” Harry’s voice was deep and raspy as he gently tugged at the hem of her nightgown.
She smiled, brushing her lips against his cheek. “I put it on just for you.”
“Hm, know how to torture me, don’t you?” He chuckled as she nudged her nose against his ear lobe, taking in the scent of his hair.
“Payback for what you do to me.” She whispered, her warm breath making goosebumps rise on his skin.
Ivy left a couple of soft pecks to the corner of his jaw before finally giving him what he was patiently waiting for. The second her lips touched his, he felt his stomach drop. He had waited all week to kiss her like this and hold her this way. He missed her so much, and after tonight’s drama he just wanted to melt into her. It was no surprise that he was immediately possessive with her body. He held on tight to her waist, squeezing her every few seconds. Ivy couldn’t keep her touch off him.
Her tongue poked through his lips, making him laugh softly and bump his tongue into hers. She had waited just as long for this as he did. All night during dinner, while they sat side by side, she wanted to swallow him whole. Now, her wish had come true and he was all hers.
They kissed for what seemed like forever. Grunts and moans and gentle laughs filled the air, the sound of their lips smacking together and tongues moving added to the noise. Ivy was lost in the bliss, not caring about anything at all. Harry was focused on her mouth, trying his best to ignore how she was gently rocking her hips on his crotch. He didn’t think she was doing it on purpose, since it was more likely it was just her body moving as they kissed. It was hard to avoid certain thoughts.
Her fingers moved to his hair, where she pulled on his roots. His head would jerk back when she gave him a hard tug, making him moan into her mouth and grip her tight. He wanted to test the water, so he carefully shifted his hands down to her hips. He held her in a way that made her toes curl and her heart pound. His heavy hands felt like they were made to squeeze her. Ivy curled her fingers in a section of his hair as he let one hand fall to her ass. She didn’t stop him, so he assumed she was okay with it. She was more than okay with it - she wanted more. She wanted him to touch her all over and remind her that she belonged to him. Yet, she was still hestiant to say that.
Ivy let out a breathy moan as he groped her butt. Some of it was still covered by the nightgown and she wanted to know what it was like to feel his skin on her. She grabbed both of his wrists and manuenvered his hands to her hips. She pressed them against her body and started moving them upward, the fabric catching against his skin. He grunted as he realized she was wanting him to pull the gown up. He took over, gently pushing her hands back, so he could push the material over her hips. Without breaking their kiss, he slid his hands under the fabric and started to explore her bare skin.
Her stomach was flipping and twisting around, the feeling of his warm skin in places it hadn’t been before was enough to make a wet spot form on her panties. He wanted to look at her, wanted to see how beautiful she looked like this, but he didn’t dare break the kiss. They were too deep in it, too intensely tied together for that to happen right now. The feeling of her body in his hands was making his head spin. He knew touching her would be incredible, but he never imagined it would be this nice. She wasn’t even naked, yet he felt like he was experiencing it all.
With each passing minute, their kissing became sloppier. It was always the same cycle for them. Greedy hands, soft moans, and spit coating their lips. Harry slid his hands to her hips, feeling the fabric of her underwear against his skin. He was hardly paying attention to what he was doing as he started to push her down on his crotch. He bucked his hips up, sending friction straight to her clit. She tried to ignore it, but when he did again, she couldn’t fight it.
“Harry.” She gasped, her forehead landing on his as she tore her mouth away.
“M’sorry.” He mumbled out, having already convinced himself he went too far.
Ivy grabbed his face on either side, holding his head up so she could stare into his eyes. She had never seen someone so beautiful before. Her heart swelled as she saw his soft frown. He really thought he had messed up and went too far with her again, but he was wrong this time. She rolled her lips in for a moment as she looked over his face, admiring his features and wondering how she became so lucky. Harry was attractive enough to pull anyone he wanted, yet he chose her. He’d say the same about her, of course, but she’d never believe she was worth anyone’s spare glances.
“Can we go to my room?” She asked in a soft voice.
“Are you tired?” He gave her waist a squeeze. “Or do you just wanna cuddle?”
She couldn’t resist the sweet smile that shaped her lips. “I wanna do more than cuddle.”
His brows gently furrowed. He chose not to say anything, only because he didn’t want to assume. Maybe she meant she just wanted to utilize his thigh like she had a week ago in his bed. If that were the case, he’d be on board for that. Without saying anything more, she got off his lap and reached for his hand. Her tug to pull him up wasn’t very strong, which made him chuckle as he brought himself to his feet. Ivy wasted no time dragging him towards her room.
She flicked on the ceiling light and quickly turned to face him. She didn’t say anything, just slid her hands onto his waist and pulled herself into his body. He wrapped his arms around her, sort of confused about what she wanted. Ivy held him like that for a few moments, savoring the feeling of being safe in his hold. When she let him go, she laced their fingers again and walked him to her bed. She was nervous and unsure of how to do this, but she hoped that he would understand what she wanted.
Harry watched her carefully as she rotated to face him again. She licked her lips and stared at his chest for a few seconds. It took a lot of courage, but she mustered up all of her energy and took hold of the strings of his sweatpants. He touched her elbow, making her freeze. She was afraid to look at him. What if he didn’t want this with her? What if he was tired of waiting and he had lost all interest? That was an insane thought, of course, but it was something she feared.
“Baby.” He muttered the name, wanting her to look up at him.
“I want to try, Harry.” She said quietly, her eyes staring at the tied strings she was holding on to.
She could obviously see that his body had reacted to her being on top of him. He wasn’t completely erect, but it was definitely obvious. It gave her some hope. That senseless fear wasn’t really present anymore. Now she was simply trying to retain that courage. Harry had wanted this just as long as she did, he definitely wouldn’t deny her now.
“Then let me take care of you.” He took hold of her waist like he always did.
Her head fell back. It felt like it was the first time she had ever looked at him. His piercing eyes made her chest tighten, but she knew there was no need to be afraid. He moved them backwards, her legs hitting the bed.
“Lay down, get comfy.” He told her.
She climbed on the bed, aware that her ass was on display as she crawled to the middle and laid down, kicking the covers back. Harry pulled the strings of his pants and discarded them on the floor. Before he joined her, he went to his bag and got something out. Ivy gulped a lump down her throat as he laid the condom down on the nightstand, his eyes flicking to hers.
Harry was trying not to make a big deal out of it, but he should’ve known she would be watching his every move. He pressed his hand into the mattress and leaned down to her, a serious look on his face.
“Are you sure you want to? I don’t want you to rush yourself.”
She was thankful he was so considerate, but she was tired of waiting. She grabbed his jaw and brought her lips to his, kissing him for a long moment. When her head landed back on the pillow and her sparkly eyes met his again, she gave him a soft smile.
“I’m sure.”
He returned the smile, then got on his side next to her. His hand covered her stomach as he propped himself on his elbow. Ivy wasn’t sure what she needed to do or say, so she stayed still and waited for him.
“I want you to be vocal with me, okay?”
“Vocal?” She muttered the word out, her brows furrowing.
He held back a chuckle. It was always cute to see her so flustered. Now she’s forgetting what simple words mean because she can’t control her feelings. He was pleased to know she was at least paying attention.
“Tell me if I’m hurting you or if you don’t like something.” He explained.
“You won’t hurt me.” She frowned at the mention of it.
He didn’t say anything, just let out a gentle sigh. He wasn’t sure how it would go. It had been a long time since she had something go inside of her more than the inch. He was afraid of hurting her by going too fast or being too rough. Ivy didn’t know what to expect, but she trusted him more than anyone.
Harry started to kiss her again, this time going more slow and gentle with her. She was easily invested in the kiss. Her hands reached for him, grabbing his jaw and his shoulder. He let out a light laugh as she tried to pull him. It was obvious what she wanted, so he gave it to her. He climbed on top of her, nudging her legs apart with his knee. She relaxed her body, letting her legs fall so he could rest between them. The feeling of his crotch pressing into hers was heavy. He weighed her down, his body felt much different when he was the one on top.
Kissing her was definitely one of his favorite things, but he didn’t want to waste too much time on that. He twisted his tongue with hers for a few more minutes, letting his hands glide up and down her sides, pushing the material of her nightgown up. When he grabbed the hem and broke their kiss, Ivy started to chew on her cheek. He guided the fabric up her body, stopping right as he reached her boobs. She gave him an approving nod when he glanced at her. Harry assisted her in taking the item off her body. She wiggled her arms out and laughed as he struggled to get it off. He threw it off the bed, his lips returning to hers for a few seconds.
“God, you’re so beautiful.” His eyes looked over her chest, what he had felt pressed against him while they slept or when they hugged was finally visible. He just knew they would be perfect. “So beautiful.”
Ivy gasped as Harry started sucking a spot on her neck, just below her ear. This went past the usual kisses he sneaks to that area, but she wasn’t complaining. He marked her neck in a couple of spots before licking a stripe up her throat. The feeling of his warm tongue sliding on her skin made her toes curl and her hands reach for his hair. He grunted the moment she twisted them in his locks, holding on as he moved lower. He kissed a trail down the middle of her chest, then carefully started to dot pecks across her boob. She had never experienced such intense sensations before.
“Do they look okay?” She nervously asked, fearful of the answer.
Harry lifted his head so he could see her. “Baby, shh, you’re perfect.”
She chose to believe him. As he softly kissed her boob, his hand massaging the other one, he realized he had never worshiped someone’s body the way he was doing with Ivy. He’d never taken the time or cared to try it out. The task seemed too personal, and he was always in that no strings attached mentality. But with her, things were astronomically different. He was in love with her, and he wanted to kiss every inch of her body. He wanted to show her how important she was, how much he loved her.
A soft moan escaped her lips as his mouth moved to her other boob. He wanted to give her equal attention. Although she was thoroughly enjoying the way it was all making her stomach drop and her heart flutter, she was starting to think it was unfair. He was doing all of this sweet stuff for her, and she hasn’t done anything in return.
“You don’t have to do all of this.”
He grunted as he pulled off her nipple, moving his mouth to hers. “Shh, stop worrying, baby. I want to do all this. Do you like it?”
Ivy whimpered as he took his lips away. “Yes, I love it.”
He smirked softly, soon picking up where he left off. He started his path down her stomach, being mindful of her ticklish spots. He was gentle with his hands, carefully caressing her body and pushing his palms into her. Her mind was dizzy as the emotions swirled in her head. She didn’t want to embarrass herself by making too much noise, yet she wanted to moan with every touch he gave her.
Harry peaked at her through his lashes as his lips reached the top of her panties. The soft, pink cotton fabric almost matched the nightgown perfectly. He wondered if she did that on purpose. He licked his lips before pressing a kiss over her clothed skin. Her chest started to rise and fall at a quicker pace, her breaths quicker than before. Ivy tried to control herself, but it was difficult to manage her breathing when her heart wanted to jump out of her chest. Her fingers were loosely holding onto his hair. She debated letting go, but she didn’t want to lose feel of him.
“Tell me if you want me to stop.” He said in a low voice as he took hold of her thighs, parting them further to open her up.
Harry’s own heart was pounding as he continued his trail down her center, placing soft kisses on the inside of her thigh. He avoided her most sensitive area for now, just teasing her with gentle bites and sucks down her thigh. As he lowered himself, she released his hair. The feeling of it brushing against her skin made shockwaves race through her body.
She didn’t realize her eyes were closed until she felt the bed dip under his weight. He moved to his knees, his eyes on hers as he touched the outside of her thighs. He pushed them together, then placed his hands over her hips.
“Is this okay?” He waited for her to answer as he had his fingers hooked over the band of her panties.
“Yeah, s’fine.” She assured him with a smile, raising her head to watch him.
She held her breath as he drug the fabric over her hips and down her thighs. She kept her knees together as he plucked the panties off her body, dropping them next to him. He gave her a gentle pat on her calf muscle, silently telling her to let her legs fall again. It took every ounce of courage in her body to do it, but she did it with a smile. He nudged her knees further apart, his eyes finally uncovering a piece of her he’s craved to see for so long. He chewed on his tongue as he looked over every inch of her.
Harry returned to his previous spot, this time with his arms wrapped around her legs and his face shoved between them.
“Got such a pretty pussy, hm? Knew you would.”
“Harry.” She whined, desperate to feel him down there.
“Look at you. So wet f’me already, baby.” He twisted his tongue as he tried to hold back just a bit longer - more so to tease himself than to make her wait.
“Please.”
He smirked. “Want me to eat your pussy, kitten? Hm, want my tongue?”
It wasn’t his intention to be so filthy with her, but he couldn’t resist it. He knew the effect his words had on her, how he could make her flush and shy away from him so easily. It was a turn on, especially now as she laid on her bed with her legs opened for him.
“Yes, please, Harry.” Ivy used a soft tone, her eyes squeezing shut as she waited.
“Watch me, baby. Want you to look at me.” He gave her thigh a pinch, getting her attention.
She propped herself up on her elbows, her lustful eyes gazing down at him. Harry widened his tongue and pushed it through her small folds, from the bottom to the top where her clit was throbbing. The most beautiful sound he’d ever heard came out of her mouth, followed by his name. He did it again, slower this time so he could savor the taste. Harry started to suck on her clit, the sounds he was pulling from Ivy’s throat were making his cock throb. He wanted her so bad, needed her more than anything.
She was trying to keep her eyes on him, but they were rolling back as she let out moan after moan. Her head fell after a short time, he was slurping her up like his life depended on it.
“Fuck, Harry.” She was breathless as he continued the sweet torture.
Touching herself or using some kind of toy had never given her this level of satisfaction and pleasure. She felt like she was floating, like her soul had left her body. Harry had a way of doing things that made her lose her mind, and using his tongue happened to be one of those things. She couldn’t imagine it getting any better than this. He licked and sucked on her for a few more minutes until he decided it was time to ease into her. He pulled back to stick his finger in his mouth, coating his skin so it would be slick.
Ivy whined as she tried to tug on his hair, wanting his mouth back on her. He smirked while glancing at her, she was definitely a needy girl. The thought of making her wait any longer was not appealing, he didn’t want her to get irritated. He returned his mouth to her pussy, sucking hard on her clit to distract her from any discomfort his finger might bring. He kept his eyes on her while his finger slid in. She didn’t react badly or wince, so he assumed it was okay. He kept it in for a few moments, letting her body get used to something being there, before pulling it out. Feeling it push back in made her stomach churn. She liked the fact it was his finger and not hers. As he sucked hard on her clit, she grabbed him by his roots and held his head down. He was genuinely surprised yet excited that she was being so reactive with him.
She was feeling herself fall close to the edge as he added a second finger. His tongue was destroying her, making her back arch off the mattress and her fingers pull as hard as she could on his hair. Moans filled the air, the sound of him eating her up mixed in.
“Fuck, Harry, m’gonna cum.” She gasped suddenly while stars filled her eyes.
She fell back onto the pillow, not caring to watch him anymore. She was too overwhelmed, too much was happening inside of her body. Harry kept on fingering her and hallowing his cheeks around her clit, watching as her body moved and her belly rolled.
“I’m cumming.” She announced through a high pitched voice, her eyes falling back in her head as it hit her.
It was like waves crashing on a shore - hard, fast and constant. It was never ending. The orgasm riddled her body, making her legs shake and her hands twitch. She was experiencing the best climax she’d ever had, and she wanted it to last forever. Harry was still licking her pussy, and the oversensitivity was kicking in. She shoved his head back, her hand falling to cover herself. He chuckled as he proudly grinned. He was quite baffled by how gorgeous she looked while cumming for him.
“Fuck, baby.” He licked his lips to clear up any leftovers. “You’re so fucking hot, yeah?”
She couldn’t say anything, just shook her head in disbelief as she tried to catch her breath. Harry fell forward, his hand catching his body weight on the mattress. She had a layer of sweat over her forehead, her eyes were hardly opened as she peered up at him. He smiled again, so proud of what he did and how well she responded to it.
“Taste so good.” He told her in a low mumble, his tongue poking out to coat his lips again.
She finally smiled, slightly embarrassed but more blissful than anything. “That was.. amazing.”
He dropped his forehead to hers, teasing her lips with a kiss. “Yeah?”
“Mhm.” She bit down on her cheek as she watched his hand disappear between them.
“How was my finger, hm? Feel alright?”
She nodded, her eyes trying to see what he was doing. He noticed her eagerness, so he raised back to his knees, his hand holding his bulge. Ivy was definitely intimidating by it, but she was ready to see and feel what he was hiding. He stuck his hand in his underwear and pulled himself out, showing her exactly what she was waiting on. She swallowed as she saw him. Harry quickly slid off his underwear and leaned over her to snatch the condom off the nightstand. She shuddered as she felt his cock brush against her body. He let out a light chuckle, thinking it was the most innocent thing she’d done.
“Positive you want to go this far? We can stop if you want.” He said as he got back to his knees, his fingers ripping open the package.
“Yes, I want to.”
He gave her a nod. Just as he was going to slid the condom down his length, Ivy’s hand moved down towards him. She stopped as she realized what she was doing. There was a desire burning in her gut. She wanted to touch him, wanted to feel him there. Harry focused his eyes on her, ignoring the condom for now.
“You don’t have to.” He told her as he saw how nervous she suddenly was. That bliss had faded.
“I want to.” She stayed brave, inching her hand back towards him.
He would be lying if he said he expected this to occur. Tonight was solely going to be focused on her needs and pleasure. He didn’t want to stress her out with the idea of a blowjob or even using her hand. But, as he saw the curiousity grow in her eyes, he knew she wanted to do this. She was hesitating to touch him, so he figured he’d make it easier for her. He took her hand and guided it to his cock. Her eyes locked with his as she wrapped her hand around it. He let out a sigh, the feeling was indescribable.
She could feel a bubbling in her stomach as she held it. There was a small voice talking in her head, suggesting that she ask him if she could put it in her mouth, if she could play with him the way he had done to her. But her confidence wasn’t that bold just yet. Instead, she gave it a few slow pumps, tightening her grip at the tip. Harry was breathing extremely slow, trying his best to contain his emotions. Watching her do this was sending electric pulses through his body.
Ivy finally let him go after a few seconds, leaving him to grab it himself and slid the condom on. She watched as he held himself at the base, angling his cock down to her pussy.
“Oh.” She jumped slightly as he started to rub the head of his cock over her clit, the intense feeling was mutual.
He wished he could feel her without any barrier, but now was not the time for that conversation. He spit on his hand and coated his tip, hoping it would be enough. He didn’t have any lube and he was certain she didn’t own any at all. He held himself in one hand as the other dug into the mattress beside her head, his body positioned over her.
Ivy noticed the furrow in his brow, and it was worrying her. Did she do something wrong? Did he want her to do more with her hand? She tried to ignore her thoughts and instead focus on him. She pressed her hands to his chest, his heartbeat racing against her palm.
“Is.. is this okay?”
He shot his eyes to hers, not even realizing he was staring at her shoulder. “Yeah, baby, it’s fine. I’ve never.. done it this way.”
A somewhat amused smile shaped to her lips. “Really? Isn’t this.. like the default way?”
“For most, I suppose. Too personal for me.” He lifted the corner of his mouth so she knew he wasn’t in a bad mood or anything.
“We can do it a different way.” She suggested with a shrug. “If you want.”
“No, you deserve the proper way.” He kissed her for a few seconds, losing himself in the way her lips felt on his.
He rubbed his cock through her folds, trying to ease her into it. She seemed to enjoy it so far. He gulped, hoping she didn’t notice, as he lined his tip with her entrance. Her eyes stayed locked with his, her hand moving to his jaw to hold on to him.
“Tell me if it hurts.” He whispered softly as he started to push in.
She grunted almost instantly, her lips rolling in as she tried to contain any noise. He shook his head, annoyed that he couldn’t make the process easier for her. Ivy rubbed her thumb over his dimple, trying her best to keep his attention. He huffed as he slipped further in, the tightness of her walls was suffocating in the best way possible.
“Is it okay?”
She nodded. “Mhm. It’s.. different, but it’s okay.”
He pushed more of himself inside of her. “Oh, fuck.”
Hearing him moan because of something she was doing was music to her ears. It really made the experience a thousand times better for her. He looked incredibly hot as his face contorted, his lips parting as her warmth consumed him.
“Oh my god.” She sighed out as he finally went all the way.
He stayed still, his eyes closing as he took slow, deep breaths. If he didn’t calm himself down now, he’d be busting inside of her within seconds. He had never felt this good before, never wanted to cum instantly. Ivy kissed his chin, hoping to get his attention back. Of course, he couldn’t deny her for long. His eyes opened and he gave her a smile.
“Are you okay?” He asked, checking on her before making any sudden moves.
“Yeah. I’m okay.”
Ivy couldn’t quite determine if something was off or not. He had an odd sense about him. Was something wrong with her body, was it not what he expected? Maybe she was overthinking it and he was just reacting to feeling her the same way she was with him. Harry distracted her as he asked her another question.
“Is it okay if I move, or do you need a few seconds?”
She shook her head. “You can move.”
He held his breath as he pulled halfway out of her before slowly sinking in. She let out an angelic moan, her mouth falling. He kept his eyes on her as he did it again, this time slightly quicker. He didn’t want to rush or hurt her, but it was extremely hard to not engulf himself in the act. His body was telling him to pound into her until he came, but his heart and mind were reminding him to be gentle with her. She was a fragile girl, after all, he couldn’t hurt her.
“Harry.” She muttered his name, it was the most beautiful thing to him.
He went faster, but still not too quick. She seemed to be content with the feelings and her body was reacting well to his. He kept his attention on her as he moved his hips, grunting each time they met hers. It stayed like that for a few minutes. He kept a good pace, hitting spots she didn’t even know existed inside of her. Ivy’s moans and quiet gasps filled his ears as he gave her a few groans and a mumble of how perfect she was.
Everything was perfect, so far. Her expectations had been exceeded. She never imagined this could be so good, that she could be so in love with someone. This wasn’t just sex to her. She was giving him a piece of herself she couldn’t get back. Sure, it wasn’t her first time, but it was close enough and it meant everything to her. He had caressed her body, kissed her skin, and filled her with so many emotions and feelings. She loved him so much.
As he started to fasten his pace just a little, she felt a familiar feeling approaching. Her moans got louder, her nails scratched harder into his shoulder. Her stomach twisted as she felt it, so close.
“Harry, m’gonna cum.” She said through a chirp, her hand slipping into his hair. The second she tugged on his hair, he let out a groan and felt her walls tighten around his cock. “Oh my god, fuck.”
Her eyes fell back again, her mouth wide as she lost her breath. This time, he got to see close up how beautiful she looked when she came. He was throbbing inside of her as she clenched around him. He felt his own stomach knot up. Ivy rode the wave of her orgasm until it was crashing down. She grabbed his waist, holding onto his body as he slowly thrusted in her.
“Fuck, I.. I need a second.” He suddenly said, burying himself deep but stopping his movements.
“Did.. did I do something wrong?”
When he heard her worried tone, he felt like an idiot. He pushed his mouth on hers, kissing her hard for a long moment. As he pulled back, she returned her hand to his jaw and waited for an explanation.
“No, Ivy. You’re just.. so tight.”
“I’m sorry.”
He laughed lightly, kissing her lips again. “Baby, it’s not a bad thing, trust me. You feel incredible.”
“You can keep going. I’m okay now.” She said with a soft smile, wanting him to finish at whatever pace he needed to take.
Harry kissed a trail across her cheek to her jaw, then down to her neck. He slowly started back, keeping in mind that she was probably sensitive. She felt her heart swell as he nuzzled his face into her neck, his hips starting to move a bit quicker. Harry had his arm wrapped under her while the other elbow was next to her head. Her arm was holding onto his shoulder, her fingers messing with his hair as the other stayed glued to his jaw. She wanted to give him as much attention and affection as he had shown her tonight.
“Feels so good, Harry.” She whispered into his ear, making him groan.
His mind was racing with thoughts about her as he pushed and pulled out of her. He had never been so immersed into someone before, never felt this good while having sex. This was different, though. This wasn’t just a random fuck, this was special. It was a challenge to keep his attention on reality as he fought off thoughts of what all he wanted to do with her, how long he wanted to eat her pussy out and how good her mouth would feel wrapped around his cock. He didn’t realize he was thrusting harder until she was letting out a few whimpers. They were different than her previous ones.
“Harry, slow down, please.” Ivy said as her nails dug into his shoulder.
“M’sorry, fuck.” He lifted his head, checking on her to make sure she wasn’t crying.
The amount of worry he had on his face was concerning. She licked her lips and gently pulled his face closer to hers. He had moved so far and didn’t even realize it.
“It’s okay, Harry, it’s okay.” She spoke in a sweet tone, smiling so he knew she wasn’t hurting.
“M’sorry, baby.. I don’t wanna hurt you.” His frown made her heart sink.
She wondered what was going on in his head. How intense did this get for him before, how far did he go with his hookups? Was it rougher than this, did he prefer that? She wasn’t sure, but it was obvious he was trying to control himself.
“Shh, just.. go slow. It’s okay. You’re okay.” She placed soft kisses on his lips and chin, trying to bring him back to her.
“Does it hurt?”
She purposely clenched around him. “No, it feels good.”
“Yeah? Promise?” He asked, pleading with his eyes for the truth. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.
“Feels so good, I promise.”
With her confirmation, he kept going. This time, he stayed present in the moment with her. His eyes fixed on hers, his mind clear of the thoughts. When he dug his face into her neck, he lost sense of time and just let the feeling of his cock being squeezed take over. That was a dangerous thing. He didn’t want to lose track of reality and end up hurting her.
Ivy combed her fingers through his hair as he slowly rocked his hips into hers. She was moaning softly, the feelings were returning for her. She was going to orgasm again, and she didn’t know how much her body could take. Was three going to be enough to wear her out, or would Harry need her to go one more time? She was willing to make him happy, as he did her.
It didn’t take much longer since Harry decided to focus on her and not his mind. He wasn’t concerned with releasing too soon. It was their first time together, he had to get used to her body. She was incredibly tight, and it was a wondrous feeling.
“Ivy, fuck.” He grunted out as he started to feel his stomach fall.
“M’gonna come again, Harry.” The second the words left her mouth, he felt his cock twitch.
“Cum for me, baby.” He sped up slightly, his own orgasm approaching.
Ivy couldn’t get any words out as her body experienced another orgasm. This time, her legs shook harder and her body arched up into his. As he felt her pussy pulsing around him, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. With a loud moan, he started to fill the condom.
“Oh, Ivy. Fuck me, baby.”
She watched with a happy smile as his mouth opened and a string of moans fell out. He looked very hot as he came. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, his hair slightly damp at his hairline. His eyes never left hers as he spurted ropes into the condom. She felt the warmth, it just added to her pleasure. As he finished, he slowed his hips and let himself rest inside of her.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful when you cum for me, baby.” He told her through a heavy sigh, his lips falling to hers.
She swiped her tongue through his mouth, tasting him for a few long moments. He held her body tight, his hand moving to the back of her head to bring her up. He never wanted to move from this spot - her boobs pressed into his chest, her lips locked with his, and his cock sunk into her pussy. He could live like this forever.
“Thank you.” She muttered out, her voice so sweet and soft.
He smiled. “Don’t thank me, baby. You were amazing.”
She giggled. “I didn’t do much.”
“You did more than you think, doll.” He winked before smacking a few more quick kisses to her lips. “I’ll grab something to clean you up with.”
She groaned as he tried to move. “Not yet. Wanna stay like this for a minute.”
Harry lowered his head to the crook of her neck, his mouth starting another kissing trail. She lost her fingers in his hair so easily, her eyes closing as she savored the feeling of his lips and tongue touching her skin. They stayed like that for longer than a minute. Harry was still hard inside of her, he wasn’t sure how long it would take for his cock to fall soft. But he didn’t care, he’d stay like this as long as she wanted. Ivy kept her hands on his body, moving them down his back then across his shoulders. She touched him like she’d never get the chance to again. And Harry, well, he left marks on her as if he had to prove his claim.
[a/n: hehehe you guys thought i was going to post early?? I had to tease you! hope u enjoy, be gentle with the smut this is their first time! Expect crazier stuff in the future. love u see u soon]
in which you and Harry have a strange relationship...
Sugar Daddy!Harry Styles × Sugar Baby!Reader
[Warning- Angst, Little fluff, children, sadness, Harry being filthy rich]
Masterlist
*****
You were painting your nails when you heard the knock on the door. You got up from the floor fanning your hands in the air to dry down the nails.
You opened the door and there he was the same old man who visits you every weekend. Alberto, his name, you got to know after a few weeks in.
He hands you a new bag full of brand new clothes like every weekend, you take them with a smile and close the door as he starts ascending down the stairs.
You set the bag down on the floor where you were sitting previously when your phone buzzed. You picked it up from the floor and looked at the text sent by him.
Be ready at 5.
That was all it was, always. He was never the man of many words you got to know. You sighed as you took out the outfit he sent you this time.
It was an oversized sweater and a plaid skirt. This weirded you out at first. You expected a sexy lingerie or dress at first, but he never sent you anything like that. It was always casual outfits like this.
The clock stared back at you. It was 3 already, and if you didn't want to be late, you had to get up and get ready.
You had whole weeks to yourself but weekends you had to day how he wanted you to, every single step. He gave you shampoo, to body wash, skincare everything and that only reserved for weekends. Yes, if you liked something you could use it everyday and he paid for everything and even more.
He was sort of like your sugar daddy, well who were you kidding you did found him on sugar daddy website. Well not you technically, it was your best friend, Taylor. She was the one who suggested you go on the website when you were struggling to pay for your college, she was also the one who found him.
You couldn't even say no when you saw him. Those beautiful eyes held so much familiarity that you just couldn't.
He pays for you everything, from college to your groceries, everything anything. In return, you just had to play dress up and go on a date with him, not even sex which you were mentally prepared for, well sort of.
You got on with your usual routine of showering, washing your hair, putting on moisturizer, sunscreen, and then getting started with the same makeup you always did on weekends for him. Simple makeup, no foundation, and a bold red lip.
Soon enough, it was 5, and Alberto was on your doorstep, ready to take you with him. You got in the car. Very luxury car, something you only saw in your dreams.
Your heart was racing, even though it was a deal which you have been doing for the past 7 months you didn't know when it became more than that.
I mean, can you blame the girl for falling for a tall, hot, rich, generous man? with eyes like his? you were bound to.
Car stopped, and so did you thoughts. Alberto stood with open door, you got out and saw what was a small restaurant nothing fancy but not bad, it looked cozy.
You walked inside and saw it was empty, all the chairs were made but not a single person was there not even staff, from what you could see and guess with your intuition of knowing him for past 7 months, there was not more than 3 to 4 staff inside.
There, he was sitting on the bar stool, the lights from the small bar illuminating his side profile. His messy hair fell on his face just right, his ring cladded fingers holding the whiskey glass. He was dressed in nothing fancy himself, a simple orange sweater, and blue jeans.
You slid in beside him, catching his attention. His face lit up in a smile, and you just melted.
"You're here" He said, breathing out looking at you up and down. Your cheeks turned flaming red under gaze, "You look beautiful" He said, looking up into your eyes.
"Thank you" You mumble out. You didn't know why you felt this shy. You should be used to it by now, but his charm, his face, his hair, everything just made you fall and fall deeper.
You guys talked like you do, him telling you all about his week from his hectic work, the meetings, the annoying investors, to his daughter going through her runner phase.
Oh yes, he has a daughter, Aira who is 7 and going through her runner phase. She runs anywhere and everywhere whenever she gets a chance.
He shows you the pic of her showing off the teeth she lost yesterday, and you smiled. She had his eyes and curls and was an adorable child. He always kept you updated on her every single detail about her, and it never felt odd. Which you should have cause she was a stranger's child, to be honest, but she felt like your own.
It was late when you stumbled out of the bar with him. His arms around your torso holding you so you wouldn't fall down on your face.
You squealed when he picked you up in a swing, followed by a hearty laugh, which made him laugh also.
It felt like this had been happening for so long, not just 7 months or so but forever. It was as if he had been picking you up like this for years, but it wasn't. Was it?
It further got proven when he called you the name he always does, "Cherry". It would've been cute if you would've fed into your delusions and thought it was a nickname he gave you, but no.
The contract, the talk, you weren't here on a real date with him no, you were playing a part. You were not you but Cherry, his first love the one he couldn't have.
He slid in beside you, his arms around your shoulders. You put your head on his and closed your eyes. You wanted to sleep, fall into a deep slumber with his smell all around you forgetting who and what you were here for just him and him only.
So, you did. You fell asleep.
Harry smiled when he saw you fell asleep on his shoulder. It was your usual habit, every car ride no matter how long or short you fall asleep.
He sighed as he pushed some hair away from your face, your cheeks still red from all the booze, you were never one to hold liquor.
It was a sweet torture for him, this whole thing, this whole persona, yours and his both.
Alberto stopped the car in front of your apartment complex that was also chosen by him. He got out first carefully not to wake you up and rounded around to your side and picked you up to start to walk towards your apartment.
The familiarity of those steps always made him tear up, can't blame a guy for being emotional, right?
The routine had become so usual for him that he could do it with his eyes closed.
So, he opened the door, walked towards your room, and set you down on the bed. He took off your shoes and jewelries he knew you don't wear every day and set them on your nightstand.
Taking off his sweater, he walked out of the room to get some water when he heard the sound. He looked down and saw the cat circling around his legs purring.
"Yes Evie, still doing your witchcraft, huh?" He said, chuckling. He sat down and gave her all the belly rubs and scratches, "You being a good girl for Mama? I know you are" He said, kissing her forehead and getting up.
He took out the cold water bottle from the fridge, knowing you would have a headache in the morning.
He set everything on the nightstand and then slid in beside you. You smell engulfed him, and he melted into the bed.
For the first hour, he just watched you sleep. Was it creepy? totally, but he couldn't help it. He never could.
His phone buzzed, taking him out of the trance. He smiled when he saw the selfie Aira had sent him with her gummy smile.
Grandma made me pancakes for dinner.
How much did you bribe her darling?
I didn't! She loves me
That is true. Still
When you will be back Dada?
On Monday morning love
Okay
He heard the voice note say. She still couldn't type properly, but god did she sent him voicenotes.
Are you with Mama?
His heart stopped for a second as he looked over at you sleeping beside him. It was a difficult situation. It was difficult for an adult while she was just a kid. He couldn't even think how she was coping.
Yes my love.
Tell her I love her and miss her.
I will. Now go to sleep or I will sell all your toys.
He chuckled when a shrill No came in the reply. He put the phone down and shifted closer to you and brought you into his arms, and as always, you fitted right into it.
He kissed your forehead and closed his eyes, "One day Cherry. One day you will remember me"