Tangled Hearts | Chapter 1
Summary: You finally moved back to Manchester after living on the other side of the country for several years to go to university, just in time for Olivia's birthday. What surprised you the most was the effect her dad had on you.
Pairing: bfd!harry x reader
Word count: 4.3K
Warnings: Age gap, BFD, no smut whatsoever.
Taglist: @justmystyles @bitchybabyharry @harrysslut7 @swiftmendeshoran @lucasandharold Let me know if you want to be added to my taglist! 🤗
There are going to be links to visuals whenever I consider them necessary. If y'all want more visuals then pls let me know! A/N: I've been working on this story for AGES and I'm so excited to finally be posting the very first chapter! Let me know what you think and I'll be back soon with the next chapter! <3
Y/N is startled by the sound of her intercom ringing. She’s been waiting for Olivia to come over finally. Olivia is her best friend; they have been inseparable since they were only 5 years old. Both girls were put in the same kindergarten class and the rest is history. It had always been Y/N’s dream to become a professional photographer, so when the time came to look for universities her eye caught a certain school nearly 260 miles away from home; Falmouth University. After graduating she moved to London to work in the big city for two years before finally giving in to being homesick and making her way back to Manchester.
Olivia bursts through the door to attack Y/N with a big hug, dropping her bag in the process. She squeezes her arms tightly around her best friend’s body.
“I can’t believe you’re finally back. I missed you so much!” Olivia exclaims before she lets go of Y/N. She turns around to pick up her bag and closes the door behind her. Her eyes travel across the room.
Y/N’s brand-new apartment is small but cosy. When you’d first enter the door, you’d set foot in a small corridor. There are a couple of doors on your left hand leading to maintenance and a wardrobe, and on your right, there’s a door to the bathroom. Around the corner on the left, there is a door leading to Y/N’s bedroom. The kitchen is located at the end of the hall. Countertops are placed in a sort of bent L-shape, with a bar area on the end part. And if you would walk past the kitchen, you’d enter the open living room with a pull-out couch for guests, a small TV, and a round dining table on the left.
“It’s so weird how we went so long without seeing each other outside school vacations,” Y/N replies. “But honestly, I couldn’t take it anymore. I missed everyone back home so much.” She adds and opens the door to the wardrobe as a hint for Olivia to drop her jacket. It might be July, but it’s a good old rainy day.
After a full tour of the apartment, the girls settle down on the couch. Y/N has been working as a full-time photographer these past two years, barely taking any time off. So aside from the holidays and Facetime calls they haven’t seen each other for that same amount of time. There’s a lot of catching up to do.
Y/N tells Olivia about the work she has done in London. She worked mostly freelance but one of her biggest clients was a magazine based in the city. They did a lot of articles on all sorts of celebrities and sold copies all around the country. One time Y/N had a photoshoot scheduled with Henry Cavill and she wasn’t allowed to speak about it, professional secrecy. But now that she is no longer working for the company and is just hanging out with her best friend, she doesn’t see any harm in sharing the story of how she is convinced Henry flirted with her.
“At first I was pissed, the fucking man came an hour too late and just left me waiting. But you gotta believe me when I tell you, this man had a fucking halo above his head when he entered the room.” Y/N starts, at some point during said photoshoot she was sure the actor was totally flirting with her. He was asking all these questions to show interest, trying extra hard for her to get the best shot. He suggested opening a few buttons of his blouse, he was totally working on her nerves and he knew what he was doing.
“I swear to god, I have never cared for any celebrity but that man knew how to turn me on by just looking at me. I can’t say I haven’t thought about him in the most sinful way possible without lying.” Y/N shrugs.
“When was this? Please tell me you gave him your number!” Olivia asks but sadly she hadn’t given him her phone number as she wasn’t allowed to. There are strict rules when working with A-list celebrities.
“Hold on, isn’t that man like 45 years old?” She asks Y/N. “I think he’s roughly the same age as my dad. Ew.”
“He is 40, he was 39 at the time of the photoshoot. But yeah, it’s getting weird if you compare it to your dad. I totally wouldn’t mind having him all over me.” Y/N laughs. The comparison of Henry Cavill to Olivia’s dad is one she hasn’t thought of before. It puts things in perspective and makes it a little bit weird. But on the other hand, she can’t say she hasn’t thought about Harry in a sinful way without lying either.
“I sure hope you mean having Henry Cavill all over you and not my dad.” Olivia laughs.
After all the stories from living in London, she asks how Olivia has been. Olivia starts explaining how she’s been struggling to find a job she actually loves. All the things she tried are not quite it. Either her boss is a big bitch or the work itself totally sucks.
“I feel like I’ve tried everything that’s within my options. I did retail, I’ve worked as a waiter, and I even started a course in hairdressing but it was all just not for me. So, now I’m stuck with a little above minimum wage and still live with my dad.” She explains although Olivia doesn’t complain about her current living situation. Her dad has a well-paid job, and therefore a beautiful house with a built-in pool in the backyard. Her home provides all the luxury she might need.
Y/N grew up alongside Olivia as they met when they were only 5 years old. A lot of her fond memories from her childhood were spent with Olivia at her grandma’s house. Harry was only 18 years old when his girlfriend at the time fell pregnant. He convinced Melissa to keep the baby because he fell in love with the little one the second he heard the news. Melissa on the other hand never wanted anything to do with Olivia and after 2 years she completely disappeared from her life.
Anne, Harry’s mom, took it upon herself to help her son out by taking care of her granddaughter. This allowed Harry to go to university and get his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business and finance. Now at the age of 44, he is the most successful CEO of Manchester and he’s not only able to provide for his daughter but for his parents as well. He loves to be able to give back as they helped him out when he was in need.
Y/N always knew Harry was a special dad. But it wasn’t until she started seeing boys in a different light that she noticed how young he actually was. By the time she was 14, she developed a small crush on her best friend’s dad. And by the time she was 17, she was convinced all men would suck compared to Harry.
“That reminds me, how is your dad? I feel like I haven’t seen him in a decade.” Y/N asks nonchalantly. She had to bring him up somehow. Of course, she visited her family and friends back in Manchester during the holidays and other vacations. So, most of the time when she went to spend time with Olivia, she would catch a glimpse of him. But it was never like the good old days when she’d stay over for dinner and Harry would cook an amazing meal followed by the sweetest dessert. “For the sweetest girls.” He’d say.
“He’s still the same old self. Busy with work as always. His firm took over this other company so he has to dive into the nitty-gritty of that.” Olivia starts off leaving Y/N unsatisfied. She’s mainly curious about Harry’s dating life but of course, his daughter isn’t going to bring it up. “He took me to Edinburgh for a weekend a couple of weeks ago to celebrate my birthday early.”
Olivia always loved Scotland. She was obsessed with kilts when she was younger, well skirts with the same pattern to be honest and she adored the accent. So hearing Harry take her there for her birthday makes her feel very happy for Olivia. Harry always wants what’s best for his daughter.
“Which actually reminds me. As you know, my birthday is next week and I plan on hosting a birthday barbeque for some close friends and family. And I was hoping you’d help me with setting things up?” Olivia asks. And without a single doubt, Y/N agrees to help her friend. It’s not like she made other plans for her best friend’s birthday anyway. ***
During their teen years, Y/N and Olivia made it a tradition to bring each other breakfast on their birthdays. Because they’ve spent the past six years apart on their actual birthdays, neither of them had their beloved breakfast on their special days.
This year, Y/N decided to pick up the tradition as she moved back home. Early in the morning of Olivia’s birthday, she made her way to the bakery to pick up some freshly baked bagels along with two chocolate muffins. The next stop is the supermarket which is located in a shopping mall. She picks up the rest of the food items and some fresh orange juice and on her way out of the mall she stumbles upon a cart with helium balloons. Just for the fun of it, she picks one out and hops back into her car.
By the time of 8:30, she reaches Olivia’s house. Well, it is Harry’s house really but Olivia lives there too. Y/N picks up her phone and calls Olivia, hoping she is up already.
“Oh god, Y/N, why are you calling this early?” Olivia answers the phone as if the sleep has been knocked out of her body.
“Congratulations, Liv. You better open the door.” Y/N whispers.
“What do you mean?” She replies.
“Just open the goddamn door already.” Y/N whisper-shouts.
Y/N is standing in front of Olivia’s door with a paper bag stuffed with food in her left hand and a heart-shaped helium balloon in her right. Sounds of shuffling feet are coming closer to the door before her best friend opens it to reveal herself.
“Oh. My. God. You did not!” Olivia screeches, she wasn’t expecting Y/N to pick up their old traditions at all.
Both girls make their way towards the kitchen and Y/N stalls out all the groceries she got. She bought all of Olivia’s favourites just to spoil her on her big day. They gather some plates, glasses, and a knife to cut the bagels and prepare their breakfast, which they then eat and chat at the kitchen island.
All the noise, giggles, and chatter woke Harry up from his sleep. His curiosity gets the better of him. He kicks his feet out of his bed before he gets up. The July heat causes him to only sleep in his cotton pyjama bottoms. To cover the top half of his body, he wraps his purple robe around him before he walks out of his bedroom.
Harry’s house might be big, but it’s all floor-level. His bedroom is at the very end of the hallway. When you enter his house, there is a long L-shaped hallway on your left, and your right leads you straight into the open kitchen and living area.
As soon as Harry enters the kitchen his gaze falls upon Y/N, he feels a warmth in his chest, like a fire kindling. She was breathtakingly gorgeous, with her long hair falling down her back, her eyes are a deep brown, and they seem to contain a thousand words. He feels mesmerized by her beauty, and he can’t take his eyes off her. She hasn’t changed a bit over the years he hasn’t seen her. But somehow she also looks totally different. More mature, more sophisticated.
“Oh, Y/N, hi. I haven’t seen you in a decade.” He walks towards her and greets her with a firm hug. Y/N wraps her arms around his neck, standing on her tippy toes. The smell of his leftover cologne from the day before still lingers on his skin, intoxicating her head.
“It’s actually been 6 years, but it’s been too long, I agree.” She can’t help but notice the chest hair peaking out from between his robe. Her eyes staying fixed on them for a little bit too long.
“Ahem.” Olivia fake coughs.
“Oh shit. Sorry, Oli. Happy birthday, baby.” Harry walks over to his daughter and plants a kiss on her cheek. “I see you’re being spoiled already.” He adds before he breaks off a piece of muffin and sticks it in his mouth. He hums in enjoyment of the sweet taste on his tongue.
Y/N gets up to grab a third plate from the cupboard. She might not have been in this house for a long time but since she spent so much time in here during her teen years and because Harry doesn’t like to change up the organization of his kitchen, she still knows where everything is. She puts the plate down in front of Harry.
“I bought more than enough for all of us.” She says as she shoves the bagels over to his side of the table. “Orange juice?” She asks to which Harry nods. ***
After they finished their breakfast, Harry told the girls to sit down on the couch but Y/N insisted on helping out with the dishes. If she hadn’t brought the food there wouldn’t have been any dishes to do in the first place. So, Olivia takes place in front of the TV while Harry and Y/N stay in the kitchen.
“Let’s just wash these by hand so we save space in the dishwasher for tonight after the barbecue.” Y/N suggests. She gathers the plates from the kitchen island along with the cutlery and Harry takes care of the glasses.
Once the sink is filled up with hot, soapy water, she drowns the plates in the water and starts to clean them.
“It’s so good to see you again.” Harry murmured, just hard enough for Y/N to hear. She wasn’t expecting to turn all shy on him. He just has this magical effect on her that she doesn’t quite know how to deal with.
“I just couldn’t stay away from my favourite people much longer.” Y/N replies. ***
After making another trip to the mall, this time to gather all barbecue supplies, Y/N and Olivia return home to prepare all the food for tonight. Olivia wanted to make everything from scratch as she loves cooking. So, their afternoon was spent making two different types of salads, some sauces, marinating various types of meat and fish, and making some vegan skewers. All to host the perfect birthday barbecue.
It wasn’t until 6:30 when the first guests arrived. Anne loves her grandchild dearly and doesn’t want to be late. So it was no surprise she called Gemma to pick her up on her way to the party thirty minutes before it started.
Y/N promised to help out the entire evening, catering to guests, grabbing food out of the fridge to be added to the grill, or maybe just bringing some dirty dishes back inside. As Anne took a seat on the long table in the backyard, Y/N already walked up to greet her and ask her what she wanted to drink. Anne was over the moon to see Y/N, as it had been years since she last saw her as well.
“Y/N, dear, how are you??” She asks her, not even remotely answering her questions with her preferred drink of choice.
After a brief catch-up with Anne, Y/N walks inside to grab two glasses of wine for Anne and Gemma. At the same time, Olivia is leading her friends, who’d just arrived, outside to get them seated.
“Thank you for helping Oli with all the preparations today.” Harry’s voice startles Y/N, causing her to spill the tiniest bit of wine. She didn’t expect him to be in the kitchen, as he wasn’t there when she entered.
“Sorry, love. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He laughs and picks up a cloth to wipe the counter. “Here let me get that.” Y/N can’t help but giggle and to Harry, it’s the most precious thing he’s ever heard.
“It’s okay, I just didn’t see you come in.” She explains, to which Harry smiles.
“I thought you’d moved back home, but I heard you bought your own apartment.” He starts. “How’s that going for you?” All he wanted was to make small talk with her, he wanted to know more of her.
“Oh, yeah. I did consider moving back in with mom and dad. But I just wanted my own space. After being on my own for all this time, I didn’t feel like living with my parents again.” Y/N laughs. The idea of living with her parents is enough to make her cringe. Not that they aren’t the greatest, but she loves being independent.
“I get that.” He agrees. “What neighbourhood do you live in?”
“Just a few blocks down from here. It’s like a 10-minute walk.”
Their conversation is cut short as Mitch and Sarah enter the kitchen. Olivia already let them inside when the door rang. Y/N took it as her cue to bring the glasses outside. ***
Now that everyone is seated around the patio table, Olivia officially welcomes everyone to her party. Harry is grilling up some sausages and Mitch is keeping him company. Y/N can’t help but let her mind be occupied with the middle-aged man in front of her.
“Helloooo, earth to Y/N!!” Olivia calls out. Y/N snaps back from her thoughts. “Where is your beautiful brain at?” She laughs.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been so tired lately. What was it you said?” Y/N tries to come up with a lie to hide the fact that she’s been lurking.
“I asked what you think of Timmy. I’m thinking about asking him out.” She repeats. Olivia and Timmy met through mutual friends, as Timmy is Chris’ friend. And Chris is Lena’s boyfriend. They’ve known each other for a few months now and the girls are convinced he has a little crush on Olivia too.
“Go for it! He’s a cutie.” Y/N answers barely above a whisper.
Their conversation is cut short when Harry rejoins the table with a plate full of grilled sausages. They look and smell absolutely delicious. He places the plate in the middle of the table and shoots Y/N a quick wink. He sits down at the head of the table. Harry likes the overview, but it’s also the one seat closest to the grill. Mitch is seated on his right side and Y/N and Olivia are seated on his left side.
“These sausages look amazing, Harry!” Sarah compliments the cook.
“Babe, don’t talk about my friend’s dick like that.” Mitch bantered, and Harry nearly choked on his bite.
“Jesus, Mitch. Don’t mention my dick in front of the kids.” He snorts, turning slightly red.
“I’m not a kid anymore, Harry.” Y/N reassures him. The second she heard someone mention his manhood, she was all ears.
“I know, Y/N. That’s not what I meant. I mean, you look be-” Harry stopped himself mid-sentence, he wasn’t sure he could just go call his daughter’s best friend beautiful, and admit that he’d been looking at her in a whole different way. “Never mind.” He says.
Y/N goes back to her conversation with Olivia, learning all about her crush on Timmy. They met a couple of months ago when Lena and Olivia wanted to go to a club. Of course, Lena wanted to bring her boyfriend, who insisted on bringing a friend because he didn’t want to be the odd one out on their girls' night out. Olivia was smitten from the second she saw him.
When Gemma’s empty wine glass hit the table after her last sip, Y/N took it as her cue to refill the drinks. She brought some empty glasses inside, rinsed them clean, and refilled them. She placed the filled glasses back in front of Anne and Gemma and went on to the next glasses.
“Here, let me help you.” Harry said as he grabbed 4 empty beer bottles with his big hands. Y/N tiny hands can pick up only one glass at a time, so a little bit of help is more than welcome.
Y/N busies herself with rinsing out the glasses once more as Harry places the empty beer bottles on the counter and opens some new ones.
“I’m sorry if I was overstepping before.” He says.
“Overstepping?” Y/N asks him.
“It felt wrong when we had that conversation about you not being a kid anymore and me nearly telling you how you look beautiful.” He spilled. Y/N has felt him look at her throughout the day. She could feel his eyes burn through her skin. But somehow she just thought it was all in her head.
“And how is that overstepping?” She muttered.
“Isn’t it kind of overstepping to tell the best friend of your daughter how she’s absolutely gorgeous?” He questions, more himself than someone else.
“Maybe. But maybe I don’t mind.” ***
The barbecue came to an end. Everyone went home with stuffed tummies and a gleeful feeling. Olivia had some time to chat with Timmy, and they made plans to go out for a drink later this week. So, it’s fair to say Olivia’s birthday barbecue was a success.
Y/N wouldn’t be Y/N if she didn’t stay a tad longer than everyone else. She has always been one of the last to leave Olivia’s birthday parties. So why would her 26th be something different?
The summer heat is allowing Y/N and Olivia to comfortably dip their feet in the swimming pool as they sit on the edge and have a chat even though it’s late at night and the sun is long gone.
“Thanks for all the help today. You’ve been amazing.” Olivia thanks her. It felt like second nature for Y/N to help out. She’s always felt right at home in the Styles residence, a couple of years isn’t going to change a thing about that.
“It was nothing, I enjoyed myself.” She explains. “I just hope you had a great birthday.” Olivia smiles because she had a wonderful day. “I couldn’t ask for a better present to finally have my favourite girl back in town. So, my birthday present came a few weeks earlier this year.” She chuckles. Y/N told Olivia some more stories of her work in London. She wasn’t officially allowed to tell things about the celebrities she’d worked with, but she trusted Olivia. Later their conversation wandered into the topic of hot colleagues and potential crushes they both had over the past 6 years. But there wasn’t much to tell to be honest.
“I had this one colleague, I mean yes, he was cute. But it felt like high school all over again. All my other female colleagues just did as he said, just because he looked a certain type of way.”
“You had a thing for him, didn’t you?”
“Uh, a thing of irritation, yes. Just because he might be cute doesn’t mean he can boss around all our coworkers. They all just thought he was hot.” Y/N objects.
“I think I’m used to that behavior by now. Everyone around me always swoons over my father. It’s so annoying.” Olivia complains.
“I mean, I get it though.” Y/N replies, but she doesn’t specify whether she gets how Olivia thinks it’s annoying or how she gets that people swoon over Harry. Because she for sure understands that last bit. Having a single, young dad must come with its cons. Y/N grew up in a happy little family, with no mess, and no complications. A total privilege.
Olivia quickly went on to go over some other topics before it was really time for Y/N to go home. Luckily it wasn’t a long way home. Y/N got up out of the pool to dry off her legs and step into her shoes. Before saying her goodbyes to Olivia, who decided to stay with her feet in the pool for a little longer. She’s going to stare at the sky and count the stars while she contemplates life, mainly her crush on Timmy.
Y/N walks inside through the big sliding door that enters in the open kitchen. She didn’t expect Harry to still be up. He went inside over an hour ago, but apparently, he dropped down on the couch and watched some TV.
“Hey.” He simply greeted her as he noticed the door opening. He looked outside through the big windows to see Olivia still paddling her feet in the water.
“Hi. I’m going to head home.” Y/N replies.
“Do you need a ride?” Harry offers.
“No, thank you. It’s only a 10-minute walk remember. Plus you had a couple of beers to drink, I’m pretty sure you aren’t allowed to drive anymore.” She laughs.
“Gorgeous and so wise. You really are not a kid anymore, huh?” Harry jokes, making Y/N blush.
“Well, I better head out.” She replies with a chuckle as she scratches the back of her head. Harry has been low-key flirting with her all evening and she would lie if she said she wasn’t enjoying it.
“It was good to see you again. I hope you won’t stay away as long as the last time.”
“Nah, I don’t think I will. I can’t stay away for too long.” She replies and exits the house.