Good Girls
summary: Harry finds out that his goody two shoes neighbour is actually quite far from that. Based on the song, Good Girls by 5 Seconds Of Summer.
fratboy!harry era; a frenemies to lovers trope.
warnings: mention of alcohol, sex, the pressure to be perfect
“Good girls are bad girls that haven’t been caught.”
Harry enjoyed walking at night. He enjoyed strolling through his neighbourhood, which consisted of two parallel rows of houses, separated by a black strip of road. Harry was content and blissfully silent as he walked with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket and a sweet melody of a song he just recently heard swirling in his head.
“Jesus…. Fucking….. Christ.”
Harry heard someone mutter these words under their breath, to be more particular he heard a girl. He recognised the voice but wasn’t quite sure of his assumption as he whipped his head in the direction of that voice.
He saw a girl climb down the window of her bedroom. Muttering ‘fuck’ or ‘shit’ at every misstep of hers. He saw the girl skilfully yet so clumsily climb down, placing her hands in the nooks and corners of the brick lined house.
The girl jumped down and ran a hand over her jeans. She looked into the window, squinting to look at herself and ran a hand through her hair, ruffling it to messy perfection.
Harry finally recognised the girl, it was y/n. You looked different, very different from the girl who goes to ballet practice every morning before school, very different from the soft spoken girl in school and very different from the girl his mom spoke of with such fondness everytime you dropped off brownies, which was usually once a week.
“Y/n? What a surprise.” Harry smugly said.
You turned around with a look of shock on your face. Your eyes were wide open. You looked at him with a sheepish smile and began to go through excuses.
“Never imagined to see you sneaking out.” Harry added, crossing his arms over his chest a sly smile on his face.
“It’s for…. It’s for science.” You quickly said, your hands going behind your back.
“Oh yes yes. Forgot about the assignment, silly me.” Harry deadpanned. You roll your eyes at his response and huffed a breath.
“Listen, im sure we can come to an agreement or at least a conclusion yeah?” You reasoned.
“What?” Harry asked you, confused.
“You can’t tell anyone you saw me. No one. Not even your best friend, Lewis was it?” You mumble the last part under your breath.
“Louis.” He corrected you.
“Same thing Styles.” You rolled your eyes.
“Glad to see the mask is off.” Harry said, musing at your behaviour.
He had interacted with you plenty of times but none of those interactions were like this. He had seen you around school, hugging your books as you walked through the hallways with a smile on your face chatting with your best friend. Other times, he saw you at the doorstep of his house with your brownies in hand which he loved but wouldn’t admit. You always seemed to have a quiet, and soft spoken demeanour so seeing you like this, sneaking out and dressed up in something which wasn’t your school uniform or your ballet clothes was a surprise for Harry. Moreover seeing you sneak out of your bedroom window caught him off guard.
“Mask? What mask?” You joked, knowing well that Harry didn’t expect this out of you. “Well, pleasure meeting you at this hour Styles but I have places to be.” You said nodding your head.
“For the science project?” He asked you, a sly and knowing smile on his face.
“Exactly. Need to observe human behaviour in a club. Possibly even document the outcomes of underage drinking.” You said chuckling.
“Well, I won’t keep you from doing your homework then.”
“Great. I’ll see you around.” You said smiling as you booked a cab from your phone.
—————————————
Harry wondered about you after your little impromptu interaction with him. He saw you around school but you were always busy, your nose either stuck in a book or in school assignments.
You both made eye contact now in the hallways, but you would quickly divert your gaze after giving him a small smile. Harry wanted to be friends with you. He had no reason as to why. He simply wanted to.
Harry’s train of thought was disrupted when his phone began to rang. Ems the caller name displayed. Emily and Harry had a peculiar arrangement, they would have sex, go to parties together and were almost always together yet they weren’t dating.
“Hello?” Harry spoke.
“Harry! You forgot to pick me up from ballet. We’ll get late for Jaspers party!” Emily huffed.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Harry said, getting up from the comfort of his sofa.
“Great, I’ll stretch some more then.”
Harry reached the studio in a matter of ten minutes just as he promised. He searched for Emily and found her laughing with a few girls. Emily spotted him and ran towards him, a smile on her face.
“Oh my God, thank fuck you made it in time.” She said with a breathy laugh. “I’m a man of my word.” Harry replied. “Give me fifteen minutes, need to change and all.” She said and hurried off.
Harry roamed around the studio. He heard the sound of a piano playing accompanied with a few frustrated groans. He saw you, dressed up in a white leotard with a baby pink flowy skirt. Your hair was in a braid, you put it in a bun harshly.
“Listen y/n, you’ve been at it for the past two hours. Take a break.” The man at the piano reasoned. You shot daggers at him.
“Start playing.” You simply said.
The man started to play. Harry saw you twirl and move with more grace than the pianist. Your face was etched in an expression of pain and a few quiet whimpers left your lips with every twirl yet you kept going. You powered through and once the piece was over, you fell to the ground, your chest caving in with every breathe.
“Listen Matt, we just need to go through the part before the temps de l’ange.” You said, still breathless.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself y/n, you’re really doing good. I’m going home now, so should you.” Matt said picking up his stuff and leaving you on the floor.
You sighed and got up. You winced with every time step you took towards the door.
“Need any help?” Harry asked you. You look at him with an expression mixed with exhaustion and surprise.
“Why are you here?” You ask him.
“I’m here to pick up Emily.” Harry said. You grimaced at the sound of her name and mumbled a ‘right’ as you continued to walk.
“You won’t make it all the way to the door like this.” Harry said, an edge of concern in his voice.
“Don’t worry. I’m used to it.” You curtly said.
It didn’t take long for you realise that he was right. You simply sat down on the floor without saying a word. You began to remove your shoes and whimpered with pain.
“That doesn’t look good.” Harry said, his eyebrows scrunched in concern as hovered over you, his gaze fixated on your bleeding feet.
“Thank you Harry.” You said sarcastically.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Just leave me alone. I’m having a shit day.” You said in frustration. You let your bun fall down, cascading into a loose and messy braid.
“Come on,” Harry said stretching his hand out to you. You debated on whether to take it or not. You decided to take his hand since he was right, there was no way you would make it to the door without hurting yourself.
“Ow..ow.. you’re too fast Harry slow down.” You said in between breaths of pain. Harry slowed down, your hand still encased tightly in his as he made you walk to your bag. You picked up your bag and slipped into more comfortable shoes.
In this distance, you saw Emily walking towards you and Harry dressed up in a tight mini dress. You had nothing against wearing tight dresses but seeing Emily wear a dress that looked as if it suffocated her made you scowl.
“Y/n hi, i didn’t know you and Harry are friends.” Emily said, eyeing Harry with a hardened gaze.
“Because we aren’t.” You said firmly. Harry stiffened a bit at your words. However, the reality of your interactions with him was that they were by coincidence, being in the right place at the right time perhaps. Harry understood this, he understood that you two were nothing but mere acquaintances and the more ironical thing about your circumstance was that you stood a far better chance at being friends with his mother (which you were) than with him, unlike his other friends.
“Oh.” Emily said curtly. She tucked her hair behind her ear and gestured for Harry to come to her side. “I’ll see you around.” Emily mumbled as she left.
“Will I see you at Jasper’s tonight?” Harry asked you. “I’d rather die.” You replied back, a slight smile on your face. “Till we meet again Styles.” You said, extending your hand to him. He shook your hand and replied with, “till we meet again.”
——————————————
The night sky felt alluring. You could feel it’s magnetic field reach out to you and call you. The air was cool and gentle as it blew around your bare arms and legs. You sighed contently and took a hit of the cigarette perched in your hand.
You were sitting on the grass, your legs stretched out to the road. You liked how quiet it was.
You took a hit of your cigarette, watching the smoke circle above your head. In the distance, you saw a muscular figure make its way towards you. You were about to get up but you heard the figure shout out your name.
“Y/n!” It was Harry.
He ran up to you and scanned his eyes over your relaxed figure.
“We need to stop meeting like this.” You said making Harry crack into a bright and pearly smile.
“Wanna sit?” You ask him, as you patted down at the free space next to you.
“Sure.” Harry said while he sat down, his legs own bare legs touching your cold ones. You felt your whole focus narrow down to the part where your thighs touched.
“Didn’t know you smoked.” Harry said, his eyes showing an incredulous look.
“There’s a lot you didn’t know.” You said shrugging lightly.
“Seems so. I didn’t know that you sneak out, drink, smoke-”
“I get it Styles.” You said, halting Harry’s long list of all the things he didn’t know about you. Harry chuckled at your response.
“How’s your foot?” Harry asked you. You only rolled your eyes as you disposed off the cigarette.
“It’s fine. Nothing big.” You said, your eyes set straight at the road.
“I don’t like Emily.” Harry blurted out, his words a bit haywire, an indication that he was drunk.
“You’re drunk Harry.” You said.
“Tipsy.” He corrected you before he continued, “don’t get me wrong, she’s pretty and nice but is it so scandalous to admit the fact that she tires me?” Harry sighed.
“Tires you?”
“Like a record player you know. At first, you’re fascinated, then you like it and then you’re obsessed but after a while you realise, ‘shit, it’s the same thing over and over again’ and then you want something different. Something real.”
“Wise words Styles.”
“You don’t understand me.” Harry grumbled rolling his eyes.
“What, I do!”
“No you don’t.”
“I understand how it feels when you’re living your life according to the likes of others. I understand how it feels when you’re walking on eggshells, afraid that one wrong move and everyone’s going to see who you are under that facade. I understand how it feels to be suffocated. I understand Harry.” You mumbled the last part in a quiet voice.
“Shit man, welcome to the club.” Harry said, slinging an arm across your shoulders as he brought you closer to him.
—————————————
As the months passed by, you and Harry became attached at the hip. You no longer passed him small and shy smiles but would wave at him with full enthusiasm and he would often steal you away from your friends just because he needed a dose of ‘reality’ when he spent too much time around Emily.
Tonight, you had promised Harry to take him to the places you would vanish to in the night. Harry was apprehensive at first, any experience he had when it came to drinking and partying came from high school house parties. You somehow convinced him with a few hugs and slobbery kisses on his cheek.
You climbed down the balcony of your house, Harry watched you intently with every step his hands open to catch you if you fell. You got off with a jump, running your hands over your skirt.
“Graceful.” Harry said. He offered you his hand which you took, ignoring the faint warmth that rose up to your cheeks.
It was a ten minute drive to the club you usually went. Harry couldn’t help but wince at how loud the music was at first but as time passed he began to let lose. You both had downed a couple of drinks and spent the night in each others arms, close enough to have your hearts beat in synchronisation.
“Have I told you how pretty you are?” You said to Harry as you put a hand on his face. Harry leaned into your hand and closed his eyes giving you a lazy smile.
“No.” He said.
“Well I think you’re really very pretty.” You said hiccuping, a slight giggle passing through your painted lips. “Keep it coming y/n.” Harry said, a smug smile on his face. You roll your eyes and draw your hand down to your side.
“We should head home. Got school tomorrow.” You said and Harry groaned. “We can skip.” He said, a glint of mischievousness in his eyes. “Nope.” You said shaking your head no. “Why don’t you try skipping school.” Harry pleased and you immediately shut him up by placing your hand on his mouth.
“We’re leaving now and I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow.” You said. Harry licked your hand and you squealed. You took a step back but Harry pulled you closer, a hand on your waist as he tugged you towards him.
“Fine.” He said defeated. You smiled and kissed his cheek.
You wanted to stay here, in his arms and not leave his warm and strong embrace. You mentally slapped yourself in the face for thinking like this. You told yourself that Harry didn’t want you. He wanted someone pretty, someone who would got to house parties and post about them, someone who everyone admired, someone who everyone loved and wanted to be friends with.
He didn’t want someone who hides behind a carefully curated identity of ambiguity, he didn’t want someone who would purposely go into self destruct mode, someone who buried themselves in work, someone who no one liked, someone who no one knew about and more importantly he didn’t want someone like you.
Harry one the other hand was fully convinced that he wanted no one other than you. There was nothing more he wanted than to hear you laugh because of him, to spend his days with you and simply bask in your presence.
“You there?” Harry asked you, bring you out of your trance. You looked up at him and gave him a smile. “Yeah.”
You needed to get away from him before you fell even harder.
————————————
Harry wondered what went wrong.
The two of you had last talked a week ago. Harry noticed that you had been running away or at least seemed to run away from him. He had seen you once or twice when you came to drop off your brownies. Other than that, you were usually drowning yourself in school work and spent your nights studying rather than sneaking out. At least that’s what Harry thought.
You would sneak out every night or two around one or two a.m and would return by four in the morning which gave you three hours of sleep in total. You spent your time in school studying and answering all questions asked in class diligently, like the person everyone in school thought you were. You practiced ballet every day, until you felt your bones and legs cleave into two, hoping to suppress the roaring in your head whenever you thought about harry.
Today however had been a difficult storm to hone. You had finished baking your batch of brownies and headed to Harry’s house. You hoped he wasn’t there although it was a holiday. A part of you wished that he were with his friends or even Emily while the other part of you missed him. Missed him in a way that you believed was best left unattended to.
You rang the doorbell of his house and were greeted by the warmth of his mother.
“Y/n! Oh how I missed your brownies.” Anne said hugging you tight.
You smiled at her and handed her the container. “Made them the way you like.” You said.
“With extra love?” Anne asked you, a glint of happiness and adore in her eyes.
“Of course. Always with extra love.” You said, shoving your hands in the pockets of your jacket.“Well I best be going.” You said.
“Nonsense. Come in for a cup of tea. It’s the least I can do for you.” Anne said, holding the door wide open for you to enter. She didn’t give you the time to say no or to even think about her offer as she pulled you in and shut the door close.
Harry’s house always smelt like fresh cut flowers and honey. It was warm and welcoming. You followed Anne to the kitchen, a wince forming on your lips as you walked owing to your swollen ankles. You were over worked and exhausted but you needed to an escape from the plague of thoughts Harry left in your head.
But here, standing next to Harry’s mother in his own house was no remedy to the illness that plagued you in your head and heart.
“How is school going?” Anne asked you as she brewed tea. She set down three cups instead of two on the counter top.
“School is good. Just a lot of work and studying.” You said shrugging cooly.
“If Harry worked half as hard as you, I’d more than happy with him.” Anne choked on a laugh. You gave her a weak and small smile.
“I’m glad that such things are being said about me.” A voice from the stairs said.
It was Harry.
You turn around to meet his gaze. He looked effortlessly beautiful in a plain white tee shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. You wondered if he knew that fact about him since there was no one to tell him that other than your occasional drunken self.
“Hi.” You breathed out.
“Hey.” Harry said, his eyes narrowing at your frame. He walked closer to you, his eyes not leaving your face. You felt yourself burn and heat under his gaze but you kept your posture high and stiff.
“Can we talk?” Harry asked you in a quiet voice.
You never noticed how close the both of you stood to one another until today. You never noticed how you would find yourself leaning into him, as if it were second nature until today. You never noticed that there was an undertone of love in his eyes when he was around until today.
“Yeah.” You said. Harry held you by his wrist and took you up his room.
You sat down on the edge of his bed as he stood at the doorframe, his arms crossed and lips pursed in contemplation as if he were wondering what to say.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” Harry asked you, breaking the icy silence between the both of you.
“I’m not.” You replied, your voice far and distant.
“Bullshit.”
“It’s… it’s difficult.” You said.
“Not if you explain it to me y/n.” Harry said, walking close to you and held your hands in his. A silent plead. A whisper of love. A promise of acceptance.
You hated this. You hated being so vulnerable in front of him. You hated knowing the fact that he could strike where it would hurt the most with only words.
But you had to. You had to wear your heart on your sleeve just as he had done repeatedly. If not for him, then for your own sanity.
“I like you Harry. Fuck, do you know how difficult it is to fall for your best friend and also be aware of the fact that you’re not good enough for him?” You said. Harry’s grip on your hands only tightened at your confession. He was silent. Quiet.
“Say something. Please.” The last word came out as a weak whisper. Harry brought his head closer to yours, your eyebrows touching each other as he held you in the embrace of a lover who had longed for this, longed for you.
“Y/n, you’re far too good for me. Screw Emily, I don’t want her. I don’t want any of the things people think I do. You’re the reason I smile everyday and it pains me that you don’t know that. I love you y/n, like it or not I do and there’s nothing you can do or say that’ll change that. If anything, I might be the one who’s not good enough for you.” He said, his eyebrows scrunched in sorrow at the thought of you thinking you’re not enough for him.
“What! No Harry. You’re everything I want. Don’t ever think that.” You said.
“Can I kiss you?” He asked you.
You didn’t let him speak further as you crashed your lips onto his, letting pure and sweet oblivion sweep away every thought of insecurity and uncertainty that crashed through you.
This was real.
He was real.
Harry broke the kiss, his hand caressing your face.
“I promise to take care of you y/n. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.” He said before kissing you again.
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authors note: thank you so much for the overwhelming response to kiwi! Let me know how you liked this. Interact with me, send me asks, requests and whatever you wish to, it means a lot and always brings a smile to my face! All the love!
