Serendipitous: Harry's Story

Of Nightmares and Jackfruits

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“You look beautiful…” Harry trailed off in awe as he stepped into the room with the most distraught smile on his lips. 

Across the room, the figure that his emerald eyes were fixated on froze before slowly, so slowly that it felt like as if his heart had stopped beating to match in tandem.  The long gossamer veil was brushed to the side as the figure turned to face him.  Seeing him, rose painted lips parted but nothing came out before the lips once again closed into a small half hearted smile, if one could even call it that. 

His name wasn’t spoken but it felt like as if her voice calling out his name; his name ringing in the uncomfortable space between them. They were so close, he could take four steps and he would stand right in front of her, yet they could never get any further away because she was wearing an ivory gown, sleek but with a full skirt, the bodice intricately designed with small beads that glimmered with the small streams of light that flooded through the walled window just to the right of them.  She was breathtaking as always to him, standing before him in her wedding dress.  Only thing was…

“Why did you come?” she asked in slight wonder, looking up at him with her wide almond brown eyes that seemed almost pained, not lit up as they once were when he stood before her.  Yes, she was so close now, he could reach out and touch her but she could never be farther than his. Because he wasn’t the groom.  Fate had thrown her at him, time and time again, yet it had also cruelly made it that he was too late, that she could never be his.  She was the apple too far up for him to reach, yet he could only look on with hunger. 

“Why are you so cruel as to ask me something like that?” He blurted. 

“But Harry, you promised… so it would be easier for both of us.”

“My wedding gift may be that I will leave you alone when you are no longer Hope Matherson so until then, please let me look at you so I can remember all the could have beens… if only I had fought-”

“Don’t say it Harry!” She shook her head, her veil swishing with the motion.  “Please.” She practically plead before looking down, avoiding his gaze. 

He could never seem to say no to her when she pleaded to him, so he said nothing more but neither did he move to take a step back.  She would only be his Hope for so much longer… the least she could do was let him relish in the few minutes left before she was no longer his.  His hand shook as he lightly touched her cheek before his fingers trailed to her chin so that he could tip it up, so that her eyes met his once more, thus he could say a farewell to her but the words died on his lips as their eyes met. 

Lips began to meet halfway when a cough interrupted and broke the spell of the moment. 

“It’s time,” The maid of honor whispered. 

Harry didn’t even have anytime to tighten his hold when the bride flew away from him, as if he were a plague she had to escape and maybe he was in some sense. 

Still before reaching the doorframe to take her bouquet of plum blossoms, snow drops and a sprinkle of dogwood, the bride glanced back at him, giving him a small smile that crushed his very being because he realized that she would never flash him another Matherson smile, instead her smiles would be demure like as if he were just a person she was passing on the street.  “Good bye Harry Styles…”

“Nooooooooooooooo.” 

With that Niall and Liam nearly jumped out of their skin as Harry suddenly bolted out of his seat in the tour bus. His eyes were wide and set with panic.