No Strings Attached [ A Harry Styles AU ]

Part 1

Naina reaches over her and grabs the milk, pouring some in her bowl before she shakes the last of the cereal into it. She picks her phone up and starts scrolling through all the notifications and emails that have piled up over the night. Her finger hovers over the message bar with her boyfriend of a year, Tyler. She stops chewing for a moment and then clicks on it, her heart sinking a little when she sees that he left her on read.

"So you and Harry are like roommates?"

Naina locks the screen, making the issue vanish. She shakes her head to herself, feeling her messy bun flop around on top of her head. "Yeah we are. Like best friends too." She can't help herself. She's not a morning person.

The blonde doesn't seem to notice the way she mocked her, though. She's obliviously looking at her neon pink colored nails. "Oh, that's cool. Is it weird... like being a boy and girl and doing that? All my friends are girls."

It's a question so many, many people have asked Naina and Harry over the past 5 years. Looks of shock when they tell them all that they are just friends, best friends, and have been for as long as they've known each other. Even in their immediate friend group, everyone is convinced that they have these undiscovered feelings for each other, oblivious to the blatant fact that Naina is committed to Tyler while Harry on the other hand is committed to having lots and lots of sex.

Naina's not surprised by the blonde's inquiry. If she didn't know Harry so well, she'd ask the same question.They were complete opposites. She was organized, driven, and particular about who she spent her time with. He was messy, laidback, and didn't care who he spent his time with as long as there were females in the near vicinity.

He was the talk of the college and still was years later now in graduate school. That's why Naina had been surprised to see him at a humanities recruitment fair freshman year. He'd caught her eye across the room and nosied up to her when she was looking into the student writing center. She tried to lose him, but he was a persistent little shit. He'd hit on her with the cheesiest line ever and to this day she never let him forget it. She'd turned him down, of course, but that didn't seem to deter him. More than anything Naina learned he was interesting. It was a shock to her that he was a history major, because honestly she pegged him to be a business kid. They'd both joined the student writing center and slowly became friends through their time there. Soon, there wasn't a day that went by without them talking or meeting up on campus. For all intents and purposes, he was her first and best friend.

"No, not really," Naina says, pushing her glasses up her nose.

As if on cue, the devil himself shuffles into the main living area in nothing but red boxers. Blondie turns her head and Harry meets Naina's eyes before hers. It's then that Naina notices blondie is wearing a shirt that looks familiar. It is hers, she realizes as an icy cold shiver crawls up her spine. Harry never gives these girls his clothing, claiming that it gets them attached and clingy. That doesn't explain why Naina has at least 3 of his hoodies in her room right now, but that's not the issue at hand.

Naina shoots daggers at him and slides her index finger in front of her throat. Harry ignores her.

"Hiiii," blondie greets, making Naina roll her eyes.

Harry's brown curls are so messy. His green eyes are exhausted, the bags under them so clear in the bright daylight. But despite all that, he still looks handsome as ever. His tattoos are all on display and Naina can just imagine that Blondie is staring at them in all their glory.

"Hey," Harry rasps, giving her a smile that is so fake Naina laughs a little. She pretends to clear her throat when Blondie turns around to look at her. "What are you..." Harry trails off, realizing he doesn't know how to ask what he wants without being an ass.