Strictly Professional [Narry]

Chapter 48.

It's been quiet. Quiet for a while, actually. Gemma and Niall are sound asleep but Harry is the only one wide awake, listening for any sound of movement from downstairs. The arguing, the fighting, the shouting, it continued on for most of the night but eventually, it all died down and everything is quiet. Sometime later they heard Anne come up the stairs, switch the lights off and go to bed.

Now, Gemma and Niall sleep next to Harry, with their heads tucked into each other. It's a peaceful sight Harry doesn't want to disturb; his two favourite people on the whole entire planet. But then Gemma starts to stir awake and she opens her eyes. Harry's lost track of what time it is but it must at least be dusk; the sun beginning to rise, through the curtains, a small, hopeful light shining in the room.

"You stayed up all night?" Gemma whispers and Harry nods silently in reply, his eyes bloodshot and tired-looking. Gemma exhales softly and grabs the blanket that's tossed mainly around her waist and she gently throws it over Niall, who's still fast asleep but the movement causes Niall to wake too, having had a very light sleep and he rubs his sleepy eyes. Next thing, the door is opening and Des appears in the doorway.

"That's my cue to leave." Gemma sighs and yawns widely, standing up at the edge of the bed and she stretches, her sweat top riding up her slim belly a little and she wiggles her toes before running a hand through her hair and walking past Des, out the door.

"Niall, do you mind if I talk to Harry? Alone?"

"No. It's Niall and I or none of us at all." Harry snaps back, just as Niall's about to open his mouth. He closes it again quickly. Des sighs heavily and droops his head, massaging his forehead before going over to sit at the edge of Harry's bed.

"I wanted you guys to know that you have my blessing." Des confesses and at that, Harry scoffs, letting out a cold, dry laugh.

"I didn't want your damn blessing, I wanted a fucking explanation."

"Don't talk to me like that, son, I'm still your father."

Harry scoffs again, "You stopped being my father a long time ago."

Des' face softens and he sighs, lost in thought.

"All right. When you broke up with Hannah and all these rumours started, I had to take some precautions." Des starts and Niall's head snaps up.

"What rumours?"

Harry's face pales and his shoulders tense up next to Niall.

"There was rumours that started to spread after Hannah and Harry broke up; rumours that he was drunk in gay clubs and he was hiring male strippers back to his flat." Des explains, looking at Niall.

Oh.

Now, come to think of it, that did ring a bell to Niall. It was some time during university and he was hanging out with Louis. Louis had shoved a newspaper under his nose, the articles spreading rumours about Harry's sexuality, about him being curious, gay, bisexual etc. Louis had thruster the paper under Niall's face, excited for Niall about the possibility that Harry could be gay. Of course, Niall didn't get his hopes up. He never, in a million years, thought that he'd be even working with Harry fucking Styles, never mind dating him.

"Anyway, when -" Des continues, "When that happened and Harry took over the company, I made strict rules that he couldn't date anybody in the workplace. It'd cause too much of a distraction."

At that, Niall's eyebrows furrow as he's a little bit confused. It's as clear as day that Des doesn't trust his own son to run his company; he wouldn't have written those bylaws otherwise. But, at the same time; look at what happened to Harry and Niall. Their relationship is exactly the kind of thing that Des is afraid of. That's why he hired Hannah to go against them, to threaten to expose their relationship, to get them into trouble. He was hoping that one of them would come out worse and they did; Niall did.