Sweetened || HS AU

• eleven •

final update of triple update day!!!
we did it and with that being said, we have a little soft chapter.

Jailen

I don't remember seeing anything about thunderstorms when I looked at the weather earlier. I probably would've thought this through or maybe rescheduled for tomorrow. Hayden hates thunderstorms and this one was bad.

If we were at home, she'd have no problem sleeping in my bed but Harry decorated her room well beyond anything a four-year-old needed and she was obsessed. I tried negotiating with her multiple times about sleeping in the guest room with me but she was set on sleeping in the bed her dad had brought for her.

So here we were, uncomfortable in a bed made for a toddler. Well, I was uncomfortable. She was sleeping peacefully, cuddled up beside me and snoring as if she'd just finished working a double. I glanced down at her and adjusted her bonnet, before shifting and attempting to move away, just to put a little room between us. But she moved with me. So, I moved again.

And she moved too. And just when I went to move again, I realized that there wasn't any more bed. I hit the floor with a grunt, thankful that the bed was that high off of the ground.

I huffed out a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. There was a sea of stars that had been hand-painted and a constellation that spelled out her name. They glowed in the dark and I smiled. I remember the sticky glow-in-the-dark stars I had on my ceiling growing up. They were nothing compared to these, though. Mine was hardly sticky, barely glowed, and had to be reattached to the ceiling every two days. At some point, they only stayed because I super glued them.

But the ones on Hayden's ceiling almost looked real. And they were actually on the ceiling and not just stickers. They were bright but not as bright as the ones that spelled out her name. The fact that Harry put so much effort into it made my heart swell...

I sat up and looked at the door. There wasn't any light coming from underneath the door, so I assumed everyone was asleep. Everyone being just Harry...

I stood up and adjusted my shorts. I needed something to drink. I took another glance at Hayden to make sure she was still sleeping before I made my way to the door. I twisted the knob slowly, relief washing over me when the door didn't squeak.

However, it took everything in me not to scream when I saw Harry standing on the other side, "What the fuck!?" I whispered, clutching my chest as Harry chuckled lowly.

"I was just about to check on her but it seems like you're doing that already," He brought his hand up to his mouth and pulled on his bottom lip.

"She doesn't like thunderstorms, so I'm sleeping with her tonight, I guess," I mumbled and Harry nodded, looking over my head and into the room.

He smiled, "That can't be comfortable, sweetie."

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped past my lips, "It's not," I said, clearing my throat when I noticed that I had laughed too hard, "Like at all."

Harry chuckled and scratched his neck. I couldn't help but take in his appearance. Shirtless, as always and my eyes lingered on the tattoos that covered his torso. He'd added many more in the past four years. They looked good. He looked good. With his sweatpants hanging off of his hips, I was able to see the way his stomach muscles clenched whenever he would do the tiniest bit of movement. My breathing got caught in my throat and I took a step back, snapping out of my thoughts just as he spoke up again.

"Sleep in my bed," He blurted out and I raised an eyebrow, ready to shake my head before he cut me off, "Not like that, baby. It'll just be better. You'll be comfortable and she'll still feel safe." I hesitated for a second and he shrugged, "Unless you want it to be like that, then I'm perfectly fine with her staying here-"

"Absolutely not," I chuckled, feeling the blood rush to my face and I was so thankful that it was dark. I'm sure I was as red as a tomato. I turned away from him and glanced at Hayden, who stirred in her sleep just as another flash of lightning lit up her room. I didn't think my back could stand another minute on that bed, so I nodded, "But, yeah. We'll sleep in your bed."

Harry didn't hesitate as he pushed past me and slowly lifted Hayden from the bed. I moved aside, letting him lead the way to his bedroom. I followed after him, my eyes trained on his back and the tattoo that had graced his spine.

"Did that hurt?" I asked before I could think.

He kicked his door open with his foot and stepped to the side, nodding his head so that I could go first, his voice low as he spoke, "Did what hurt?"

"Your little back tattoo?" I asked, reaching back and patting my own back as he snorted.

"Told you I'm a tank, baby. It didn't hurt at all," He bragged and I just rolled my eyes as I climbed into his bed.

It was a California king that was entirely too high off of the floor. I struggled at first, annoyed that he climbed on with ease while holding a toddler. He laughed at me as he laid Hayden in the middle.

"Shut up," I scolded him, "Why the hell is your bed so high? Who the fuck needs their bed to be this high?"

He pulled the blankets back and sighed heavily as he laid down, "I like to actually hop out of bed in the morning." He snorted, unable to keep a straight face as I cackled.

I laid down, scooting closer to Hayden but just as I went to wrap my arm around her, she stirred in her sleep and I couldn't help the way my mouth fell open when she turned to Harry and snuggled into his chest.

I scoffed, offended as Harry smiled triumphantly, "I think I'm the favorite parent, sweetie."

"Yeah, right!" I whispered, "She probably thinks you're me. You used my soap tonight in the shower."

He snorted out another laugh, the bed shaking as he tried to keep from laughing so loud. Then he looked at me before his eyes traveled down to my chest. My tank top had been twisted in the process of me lying down and my boobs were almost close to spilling out. He hummed, "Don't know how she'd mistake that, but sure, baby," He smiled, "If it's gonna help you sleep tonight."

"Shut up, Harry," I yawned, my smile never leaving my face as I closed my eyes, "Just be quiet." I was tired. Today had been long and I couldn't recall doing much but I was drained. A few seconds went by, maybe even minutes and I could feel Harry's eyes on me. And with my eyes still closed, I spoke up, "You're so weird."

It took him a while to respond but when he did, I held my breath, "I didn't think it was possible for anyone to get prettier but I'm looking at you right now, and I'm being proved wrong." He whispered and I felt my heartbeat pick up. I let out a shaky breath, keeping my eyes closed as he continued to speak, "Hayden looks just like you... she's beautiful, Jai."

I never saw it. Whenever I looked at my daughter, I always saw him. It was always him. His eyes, his smile, his cheeks. She was a walking reminder of Harry Styles. But, I couldn't bring myself to tell him that he was all I think about when I look at her, so I cleared my throat, mumbling a small thank you as thunder rumbled through the house.

"No, thank you, baby. For this, for her..." There was a tone in Harry's voice that I couldn't quite decipher and even though I wanted nothing more than to look at him and actually see what he was feeling, I kept my eyes closed and I kept my mouth shut as he continued, "I know I don't deserve it but..." He trailed off, more silence filling the room around us.

The bed shifted beneath us as he moved and before I could think, I felt his lips on my forehead, "Goodnight, Jai."

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not him still being obsessed with her 🙄