Anchor Grind (H.S. / A.U.)

Chapter 30

MASS CHAPTER UPDATE:

CHAPTER 30, 31, 32, & 33!

Alanis POV

I felt like my breathing was paused as Harry's fingertips were burning into my skin. His hand remaining wrapped around my wrist. Harry was seated on my bed but I was only inches in front of him, my knees grazing the mattress in the space between his legs.

Play nice curly.

I always do.

"Do you?" I whisper to the darkness, my eyes were slowly adjusting to make out Harry. My brain filling in the spots I couldn't see, because I just knew. His smile turned up, dimple cratering, the brightest and truest of eyes.

Harry hummed and brought his other arm out to place lightly on my hip. I could feel the delicate touch he was ghosting over me, as if testing the waters. Was he also unsure?

This seemed like a new territory... us... being... whatever this was.

Today the light flirting that has felt like a way for Harry to pass time has started to turn into something that feels more real. It felt like the agenda has shifted and both parties are more aware that there is interest.

"Hey Alanis," Harry hissed out to me, "what are you overthinking about?" His face was upturned to me and he leaned forward to rest his chin on my stomach, just inches above my belly button. 

Harry has called me out on my overthinking and nonstop brainwaves that want to ruin most moments, and I am sometimes grateful for the interruption. With my eyes adjusted I could finally see him clearly. The window and sliding doors illuminated with lights from the screen and moonlight to give me a perfect view of this cute boy perched in front of me.

"Everyone is waiting on us. We should go." Harry didn't budge. Despite my words, he shook his head. 

"Nope. I told Poppy to start without us. Look." I obeyed and noticed from the doorway that the movie had started. Intro credits still danced on the bottom of the screen and I could tell it was at the beginning.

In one pillow fortress Niall and Poppy curled up together. Heaven was across from Niall, into a cocoon of soft surfaces herself, Louis close by but not cuddled up surprisingly. Other friends were sporadically placed in little pods of pillows or blankets. In the middle was one empty spot, was apparently left for myself and Harry.

"Okay...." I let the heaviness of my word slightly hang in the air, but Harry doesn't bite. "Harry... Why did you want them to start without us?"

Harry finally dropped my wrist. His chin still resting on my stomach, now both hands met at my waist holding me firmly in front of him and tethering us together. My arms were limp noodles at my sides because, honestly, I was still unsure of what to do. In my head I wanted to wrap around him, jump on top of him, kiss him passionately like a movie, but my life isn't like that. I didn't know if that would be weird or if we would fall over. What if he couldn't even hold me up?

"Alanis." Harry practically purred my name out. My body reacted like it was a calling card, instinctively I moved closer, threading my fingers into his still wet curls. I held on while gazing at the hue of evergreens before me. "Stop doing that. Just.... please, I'm trying here okay. You called me out. You said I was complicated and like... It was a little wake up. I was jealous after the boardwalk when it wasn't me you were wanting to talk to. You looked so much happier to be talking to Zayn than you ever had with me. That's my fault and I get it, but you gotta' let me in there." He brings a hand up to tap the side of my head, calling me out again for overthinking. "You said I was hard to understand and all that, but I'm not. I'm literally here aren't I. What more do you want? Just tell me."