Dark. (Harry Styles)

Chapter 24

"Do you fight?" I asked.

Harry shook his head.

"They, err...They told me it was too dangerous for me to fight. That's why I train instead."

I tilted my head to the side, not completely understanding his explanation. He noticed.

"Apparently I punch out of my weight class." Harry paused. "It wouldn't be safe for my opponent."

My mouth made an "o" shape, not being able to respond verbally to him. I had assumed Harry was just angry when he took his aggression out on other males. That's how he was able to use his strength to beat someone who was of a larger build than himself. But I didn't realise it was something he possessed normally, without being provoked or angered. My mind flicked back to when I took Harry to my house. The night he had taken a substantial beating from Jake. Harry was drunk and outnumbered. He wasn't able to defend himself because he wasn't coherent enough.

I gripped the ropes surrounding the ring as I slowly walked round the edge, back to Harry. I found myself drawn to his arms, curiosity taking over. My right hand hesitantly reached out to him. Fingers only managing to wrap round part of his toned arm. I could almost feel the strength Harry emitted. The power behind every punch he had given. I couldn't help but feel intimidated by him. Harry's frame was built much larger than mine, his height towering over me. If he ever turned on me I wouldn't stand a chance. The eerie thought chilled through my body. It was almost as if he had read my mind, his head dipped down to my ear. My forehead rested against Harry's shoulder, fingertips pressing into the warm skin as he spoke.

"I would never hurt you." Harry whispered.

I closed my eyes, his words giving me a sense of protection and safety. We were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. My head darted up to see the man who had led me to Harry earlier. He had a smug grin plastered on his face before Harry told him not-so-politely to go away. He laughed before strolling off towards the door.

***

"Have you done anything like this before?" Harry asked.

He helped me in putting on the gloves as he spoke.

"No, but I feel tougher already."

Harry laughed at my comment.

"Well, I think we both know you can slap the shit out of someone twice your size."

"Hey." I protested whilst laughing.

I playfully hit him in the shoulder with my right boxing glove. He pretended to wince, rubbing over the area with his hand. A small giggle escaped my lips as I nudged him to stop. Harry moved to stand directly in front of me.

"Right, so this is a simple defence. You bring your forearms up like this to deflect a punch. It's called a block."

I watched as Harry drew his arms together, bringing them up to protect himself.

"Like this?"

I attempted to copy him.

"Yeah, but try not to raise them too high. Otherwise you risk exposing your middle."

He playfully poked me in the stomach to prove his point. I laughed as Harry moved to stand behind me. I was vaguely aware we were being watched by multiple pairs of eyes from round the hall, but my focus stayed with Harry. My back lightly touched his chest as he brought a strong pair of arms round to my front. His large hands gripped my elbows, repositioning them lower.

"That's it."

Tom's POV

A few of the guys watched on as Harry continued to teach the girl how to block. It was weird, none of us had really seen him like this before. He was being cautious, perhaps overly so as he grinned at her. She flicked her head, attempting to rid her vision of the hair that fell over her eyes. Harry's laugh echoed before he reached forward to her, tucking the loose waves behind her ear.

"Is that her?"

I turned to see Danny, his expression questioning as he nodded towards them.

"The girl? Um...Bo?"

"I think so."

When asked if Harry was seeing someone, he would normally laugh, shaking his head. He was never really one for serious relationships. To be honest, I don't think I'd ever seen him in anything vaguely considered a relationship. But when asked the question again a couple of days ago he reacted differently. He became stern, a little defensive. Obviously the thought of one girl in particular crossing his mind. The only information revealed was her name and even that he was protective over. Bo.

We stood and watched. They were playful with each other. I had never seen Harry look so happy. His eyes constantly trained on her as she swung a right hook to his hand.

Harry was always the one to pull first when we went out to a bar. I guess the ladies were drawn to his dark demeanour. The bad boy image he emitted proved to be an alluring attribute when attracting the opposite sex.

I curiously sat back against the wall, taking a sip from my bottle of water. Danny went back to his training as I watched them interact further. Bo definitely wasn't Harry's usual type and it made me wonder where they met. How could two people so different be completely captivated by each other? They shouldn't be compatible.

The only way I could describe the relationship in front of me, was darkness and the light.

Harry leant down, whispering something into the girl's ear. Her face flushed slightly, looking to the floor of the ring. Harry chuckled before placing a kiss to her cheek. She retaliated by lightly punching him in the stomach. He managed to dart his arms out at the very last second as Bo jumped up to him. His hands cupped her thighs but the action must have caught him off guard as they went tumbling backwards.

Bo's POV

Harry stumbled back, falling with me on top of him. I giggled, apologising as he let out a groan, his eyes squeezed shut. My body wiggled before he caught hold of my forearms.

"Hold still." He laughed.

His long fingers fumbled to remove my gloves. Once they were off I gripped his wrists, pinning him to the ring floor. Green eyes sparkled up at me, a smirk crossing his full pink lips.

"I surrender." He joked.

My fingers pressed into his warm skin.

"Do I win?"

His smile faded slightly. The intensity of his gaze made me feel weak. A certain darkness could be felt as he focused on me alone.

"You win." He whispered.

But we were soon broken out of our own little world. My cheeks blushed slightly as I looked to the side. I was still on top of Harry. A knee either side of his waist. I had forgotten we were in the middle of a gym. The ring in the centre of the floor attracting numerous pairs of eyes as I pinned Harry.

"Oi, Oi!" A guy cheered. "Get in, Styles!"

"That's it." Harry abruptly spoke.

I let out a small shriek as he rolled me off him. He stood, bending down before gripping my hips and lifting me over his shoulder.