This chapter is continued straight from the last one! Enjoy!
p.s. drunk harry and Matilda content...don't say I don't treat you (p.p.s. I love them so much already, I have a feeling by the end of this book they might be my favourites I've ever written - although don't tell that to miniminter's sister die hards (aka me from age 15 to 18) !!!!)
"'Tilda!" A voice I'd recognise from anywhere shouts me from across the garden. I look to my right where I see a very happy Kon making a direct beeline for me. He doesn't look too drunk, but definitely tipsy.
"Hey! Where's Kirsty?" I ask, very quickly noticing that she was not by his side, like I assumed she would be.
"She's with Talia and Freya. They're just introducing themselves. But I actually wanted to tell you something about -" he starts, but is interrupted by Harry quite literally falling off of the bench, onto the hard floor.
I would've thought that everyone around him would've gone to help him, but it seems as if everyone is way too drunk to be able to comprehend what is going on.
"Oh, for fuck's sakes," I groan, pulling away from my conversation with Kon, and heading for a disgruntled Harry on the floor. Everyone around him just seems to be staring at each other, willing for someone to step up and do something. Harry is just muttering to himself on the floor, a lot drunker than he had been when I last saw him.
If there ever was a time for role reversal...it would be now. It was almost ironic how it had been the other way round a mere few days ago. With a sigh, I push forwards and bend down towards him.
"Harry, come on, let's get up," I say quietly, grabbing onto his arm gently, tugging ever so slightly.
'Mmm don't want to," he slurs back, and I can't help but roll my eyes. I was definitely not as stubborn as this when I was drunk.
"Come on. Everyone is staring at you, you can't lie on the floor for the rest of your party. Let's go and get you cleaned up," I instruct him, noticing a red patch of blood on his elbow, and on his knee. "Kon! Try and find a first aid kit, meet me upstairs in the first bedroom on the right," I say, knowing I can count on him to help. And he does, jogging off back towards the house where the party is still in full swing.
"Mmm, fine," he finally agrees, but still stays on the floor.
"All of you can stop staring now! Drama is over, go and enjoy yourselves somewhere else!" I say, my voice raised so they can hear me. I honestly didn't think it was going to work, or that anyone would listen to me seeing as they probably didn't know who I was, but to my surprise it did. They started filtering away, soon leaving just Harry and I, and a few bystanders who weren't really paying much attention to him anymore.
With some more encouragement, Harry finally decides to get up off of the floor, leaning on me for support. I'd never really taken notice of how well built Harry was until right now, because I was struggling to hold him up by myself.
It was like my mind was speaking out loud, because literally straight away, Tobi came jogging up to us, taking Harry's arm and draping it around his neck to help from the other side.
"Kon found me and told me what happened. I think I'm the only completely sober one at this party, thought I could help," he says, sounding a little out of breath.
I shoot him a very grateful look, both of us walking Harry into the house. "Thanks. He literally just...fell off the bench. I don't think he's that hurt, but he did fall onto concrete, and you know, very drunk. I was just planning on getting a first aid kit and disinfecting the grazes...then I guess he'll go back to drinking and probably only injure himself more," I tell him, which makes him roll his eyes too. I'm glad I'm not the only one.
"Honestly, he does this every time. Gets too drunk, hurts himself, then just goes back to drinking as if he wasn't near death a minute ago," he tells me, but it's in a fond way. He clearly cares a lot about Harry, that's obvious to tell.
"Yeah, I can see this happening again," I grin, but it abruptly leaves my face when I realise we have to try and get him up the stairs.
Tobi seems to realise the dread I'm facing pretty quickly, because his smile disappears off of his face the same time mine does.
"Right, you grab his arm, and just pull. I'll walk behind you guys and make sure he doesn't fall to his death," he plans, and it is not the safest plan I've ever heard, but we're running on limited options.
Grabbing on much tighter than previously, I hold onto Harry like my life depends on it, my other hand firmly gripping the banister. Tobi walks behind us, one hand on Harry's back the entire time. He ensures that we make it up the stairs unscathed, and that is no easy feat because Harry is stumbling all over the place, pulling away from my grip constantly, and putting pressure on Tobi when he starts swaying backwards near the top.
But we make it to the first floor, and I'm so relieved that I let out a deep breath I didn't realise I'd been holding.
Kon is waiting for us in the bedroom - which sounds awfully weird all things considered, with the first aid kit laid out on the table.
"I wasn't sure what you guys needed. Is he okay?" He asks, which Tobi answers.
"Just a few grazes. I can get him sorted, you guys should go enjoy the party," he says, which Kon seems happy enough to do, looking at me to come with him.
"You go," I tell him, shaking my head indicating that I'll stay here. "I said I'd help clean him up, I'll stay," I tell them both, and Kon shrugs, smiling as he walks past.
Tobi goes to try and get Harry to sit down on the bed as Kon leaves, but not before I remember that he'd been trying to tell me something before the debacle.
"You were trying to tell me something earlier, before that dickhead fell off the bench," I say fondly, looking over at Harry who is mindlessly now wandering around the room. It's almost endearing to watch.
"Oh! Yeah. I asked Kirsty to be my girlfriend. She said yes," he tells me, a genuine smile spreading on his face. I'd truly never seem him happier than he was right now.
"Oh my fucking god, you finally asked her! Nice one, I'm happy for you," I congratulate, bringing him in for a quick hug. "Right, go find your girlfriend and look after her. Full boyfriend mode activated," I instruct, pushing him gently towards the door.
"Have you met Kirsty? She is very capable of looking after herself...but I will try," he laughs, walking off.
It's refreshing, seeing him like this. His last relationship was a piece of shit, who treated him like an absolute doormat. Kirsty was the opposite of that, and aside from being baffled at how he dated these two very different girls, I was so much happier knowing that he was with someone that liked him as much as he liked her.
"Matilda, can you just sit with him whilst I sort this shit out? He keeps fidgeting and I can't get him to sit still," Tobi calls out, snapping me back into real time. I look over and see Harry practically rolling around on the bed, and it makes me think about how much this man has actually had to drink in the time he left the balcony, because he's probably one of, if not the drunkest at this party.
That's not to say I'm annoyed, or I'm judging him. First off, it's his party. He gets to do whatever he wants, we're here to celebrate his birthday. Secondly, I know that I've been just as bad in front of him, so even if I was annoyed, I'd have no right to be.
I edge myself onto the bed, careful not to accidentally push Harry off of it, his position very precarious.
"Harry," I say quietly, reaching out a hand to grasp his shoulder, making sure he knew I was on the bed with him. "Can you sit up? Tobi needs to clean up the graze on your knee...and your elbow, by the looks of it," I say, holding in a bout of laughter as he just mumbles into the duvet.
However, he slowly sits up, blinking a few times in rapid succession as realisation dawns on his face that it's me sat by him. I can see his face ease up, as he sighs.
"Matilda," he drawls out, looking at me with an intensity that is able to make me feel a little on edge.
"That is my name, yes," I reply, a wry smile playing on my face.
"Like the musical," he goes on, and I have no idea where this is heading, but I let it play out for his sake. I can see from my peripheral vision that Tobi is smiling as he sorts out the first aid kit.
"Correct."
"Can you sing?" He asks, and this time I can't stop the laughter from leaving my mouth. It's loud, and sudden, and I clamp my hand over my mouth when I realise I've just released my real laugh in front of these two people.
"So that's your real laugh, huh?" Tobi muses from the corner.
"Indeed it is," I say quietly, just a little embarrassed. But when I turn back to Harry, his face is still entirely serious, and I remember I haven't answered his question yet. And I know better than to keep a drunk person waiting. "But no, I can't sing. I am quite literally tone deaf, you don't want to hear it."
"Well, now I do," Tobi chimes in, but shuts up when I send him a look, saying, please don't encourage him.
"I do too -" he starts, but thankfully Tobi receives my message loud and clear because he finally comes over with an antiseptic wipe and a plaster.
"Harry, mate, this is gonna hurt so just -" he stops and looks at me, and with a slight roll of my eyes I nod my head, "hold onto Matilda's hand and squeeze," he finishes, and as promised I hold my hand out for Harry to take.
"Is it okay for me to take your hand?" Harry asks, and I'm so taken aback by the purity of his words that I'm actually a little speechless for a minute.
I soften my gaze, and tell him it's absolutely fine, and his hand fits into mine. I look down at the duvet, until he starts squeezing my hand, and I notice his eyebrows furrowing.
To be fair, Tobi is trying to be quick about it, but also going as gentle as he can. He manages to disinfect and pop a plaster on his elbow, then moving onto his knee.
"Ow! That hurts!" Harry protests, jerking his knee away from Tobi, which then pushes me to the side, causing me to almost fall off the bed.
"Hey! Watch out for Matilda. You almost just pushed her off the bed," Tobi warns, his voice sounding more serious than usual. "And I'm not surprised it hurts. You fell off of a bench onto concrete. You're lucky it's not worse, you complete twat," he chastises, but I honestly think it's no use because there's no way he's remembering this in the morning. I'd be more surprised if he did have any recollection.
Tobi finishes up on his knee, then goes back to the table to pack the first aid kit away. I watch him do so, not realising that in the thirty or seconds I did, Harry had fallen asleep, his hand still tightly in mine.
"Is he asleep?!" Tobi asks incredulously, turning back round to look at him.
"I believe so," I say, looking at Harry curiously. He truly is conked out, and looks like he's in a deep state of sleep already.
"I mean...I know it's his party but this guy literally never sleeps so I know he needs it...but I don't want to -"
"Tobi, I'll stay with him. I can't really be bothered to drink anymore anyway, and I know for a fact that you're missing that girl from earlier, aren't you?" I say, and the minute his face changes ever so slightly, I know I'm right.
"I can stay with you, keep you company, I really don't mind -" he starts, but my mind can't be changed. There's no way I'm standing in the way of Tobi having a good night.
"Absolutely not. You go and have fun. I promise if I need you, or change my mind I'll text you. I've got my phone," I say softly, motioning to the pocket of my jumper where my phone had been all evening.
"Promise?"
"I promise."
He looks reluctant to go, but in the end he decides it's okay, giving me a very light and brief half-hug before leaving the room, where just me and Harry remain.
He's lightly snoring, but not in an unbearable way. It's more of a 'I'm going to tease you about this in the morning and never let you forget it' type of snoring.
"Passed out at -" I check my phone, "eleven o'clock. On your birthday party. You sure know how to go all out," I say out loud, looking over at Harry from my position. My hand's going slightly numb now from not moving for nearly ten minutes, but I'm too scared to move it, in fear of waking him up.
After another five or so minutes, I make the decision to wriggle it slightly, just to get some feeling back into it.
That turned out to be a mistake.
From his position on the bed, Harry stirs. "Matilda?" He groans, sitting up to the best of his ability.
I swear. In my head. Multiple times. He had been sleeping so peacefully!
A part of me considering messaging Tobi, but almost instantly I shut that thought down. I could deal with this by myself.
"Yep, still me, still here," I confirm, feeling his grip on my hand tighten a little.
"I think I'm drunk," is his response, and honestly, the understatement of the year.
"I think you are too. But that's okay. It's your birthday party, you can be as drunk as you want," I reassure him.
"Is it my birthday yet?" He asks, and his confusion brings a smile to my face.
"Not quite yet. Just under a week though! Really soon."
"That's nice. I'm going to be twenty-six, did you know that?" He asks earnestly, his head flopped to the side, resting on his shoulder, looking at me.
"I did know that. Good age, twenty six," I say, playing along.
"Do you like being called Matilda?" He asks, and the abrupt change in conversation catches me off guard, but I've learnt my lesson with drunk people that I just go along with whatever they want to talk about it.
"Well, it's my name so yes, I do," I laugh.
"Do you have any nicknames?"
"Kon calls me 'Tilda. I think he got bored of saying Matilda all the time and it stuck. I like it, but it basically sounds like Matilda anyway."
"Can I call you Tilly?" He asks, and the request is endearing in itself. No one has ever called me Tilly, but it's not a name I'm opposed to, and I have no reason to decline his request.
"If you really want to," I tell him.
"I think I will. You suit Tilly. Like - you suit Matilda too, of course, because that's your name. But Tilly is nice too," he says, and through his drunk rambles I can tell he's trying to be nice about it.
"Thank you. Of course you can call me Tilly. It's going to feel weird at first, I think," I wonder out loud.
"I can always just stuck to Matilda," he starts saying, but he has a pout on his face now.
"Hey now, did I not just literally say you could call me Tilly?" I counter, eyeing him up.
"True. Okay." He says simply, just resorting back to looking at me.
"You wanna go back down to the party or stay up here?" I ask, wanting to give him the choice.
"I think I'll stay here. I'm happy here. Are you happy here?" He asks, closing his eyes as he talks.
"I would say so, yes," I agree, but by the time I finish my sentence, he's passed out once again, still holding onto my hand.