*• April 2013 •*
- Los Angeles, USA -
~< Teenage Love Is Sweet >~
THERE WAS A VERY UGLY BEAR/HAMSTER HYBRID PLUSHIE on display.
Harry and Addie stared at it after at least ten minutes of serious discussion of what animal it was. It was something between a bear and a hamster.
Addie frowned, arms crossed over her chest. "Look at the ears, that's not a hamster."
"But the face isn't a bear!"
"The paws are from a bear!"
Harry pulled his hands out of his pockets to gesture while he argued, "Look at these two paws, they're hamster paws!"
It was the same arguments they repeated again and again, unable to figure out what animal it was.
Addie rolled her lips into her mouth and sighed, relaxing her arms and grabbing the soft plushie. "Whatever animal it is, it's cute and I'm taking it home with me."
"I like your thinking, Heathers," Harry commented, peering down at her with a playful smile.
Addie smirked back, keeping her chin raised. "Thank you, Styles."
Harry turned from side to side, scanning the aisle of the toy store they were at. Once he'd determined that the coast was clear, he swooped down, surprising Addie with a swift kiss.
Addie made a little sound of surprise, but he'd already pulled away, and began walking as if nothing had happened. As if his cheeks weren't dusted with pink.
With a sense of satisfaction in her chest and a stupid smile she couldn't hide, Addie approached the counter. She muttered, "Afternoon," to the girl who was only a few years older than her ringing her up.
"That would be twenty-five fifty," the girl said. "Would you like a bag?"
"Yes please," Addie told the girl as she rifled through her bag, and found her wallet. By the time she looked up from her search, there was Harry, who had been standing silently behind her, paying with his credit card. Addie exclaimed, "Harry!"
Harry put his pin number in and whirled towards Addie, gasping dramatically, "Addie!"
Addie punched him in the arm, making him yelp and pout. "Why'd you pay my stuff?"
"'Cause I wanna," Harry answered simply, smiling cockily as he grabbed his credit card back and handed Addie her paper bag. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, steering her towards the exit. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "I'm your boyfriend now. I can pay for your stuff."
Addie opened her mouth, ready to protest and chide him, and most importantly, remind him that she had double the money he did, and if anyone should be paying for someone, she should pay his things- and was then cut off by the immense joy and absolute giddiness on Harry's face.
Addie wouldn't kill Harry's joy. She was physically incapable of it. So she shut her mouth and looked forward.
As they stepped out onto the street, the chilly spring air refreshing and nice, Harry moved his arm from its spot around her shoulders. It was much harder to hide here in the streets of LA than inside of the toy store they'd randomly stumbled into.
Addie and Harry had just gone for a small walk, to explore the city a little and have some alone time away from the other boys and their disaster. It was fun to hang out with their friends, but they were a couple who wanted to do couple-y things.
And it was hard to do couple things when it wasn't just the couple there. So they'd gone out, seen this toy store and wandered in by mere curiosity.
They kept walking, sharing glances and blushing whenever they were caught staring.
Addie couldn't hold Harry's hand, not in public, but she 'accidentally' kept brushing her pinky against his. Small little brushes of their hands was the closest they could get.
They walked down the street, exchanging conversation and small smiles of adoration. And then Harry paused in front of the window of a store.
A quick glance, and Addie realized it was a jewelry store, and Harry grabbed Addie's wrist, pulling her through the door and into the store.
Addie laughed at his hasty movements, but she followed him wordlessly, trusting him enough to not inquire.
Harry grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him and pointed at a display, showcasing two necklaces, a simple little silver airplane charm.
He looked back up to Addie expectantly, raising his eyebrows inquisitively.
Addie smiled back at him, knowing what that look in his eye meant, and then she was gesturing at the woman in charge.
The woman approached them, "Good morning, how can I help you?"
Addie pointed at the necklaces, "Can we see those?"
Harry's eyes widened in awe, smiling so widely and warmly, that Addie knew she had to get those necklaces.
The woman nodded, unlocking the display and gently pulling the necklaces out. She laid them out for them.
"Want them?" Addie muttered into Harry's ear. He nodded eagerly, smiling so beautifully at Addie. She turned to the woman, "I'll take one."
"Both," Harry corrected, and gave Addie a look. He mumbled to her, "So we can match."
Addie gave a gentle squeeze to his hand and nodded. "We'll take them both."
God, she was wrapped around Harry's finger. But damn it if she didn't love being a fool for him.
The woman rang them up, and Addie paid for the necklaces, leading Harry out of the store.
"Any reason for paper airplanes?" Addie inquired as they sat down on a bench outside the store. She grabbed one of the necklaces and held it out for Harry.
Harry turned, allowing Addie to clasp the necklace around him. "You know how you think your songs are like love letters?"
Addie was lying on her stomach in bed, phone held up by a pillow in front of her. She wanted to reach out and touch Harry, his gorgeous face through the phone.
"I have this idea," Addie started. They'd been sitting in silence while Harry tried to write a song. He'd called her because apparently Addie 'inspired him'. "That my songs are like love letters. I write them down, and I put them in a box underneath my bed. They're letters you write to people but never send because they're just too honest, too vulnerable and raw."
Harry leaned his head against his hand, staring at Addie through the screen as she talked. He had this look in his eye he got sometimes, where he looked like a puppy, adorable and innocently loving everyone who came across his path.
"My songs are love letters I put out into the world without an address, never knowing where they might end up."
Harry hummed, only a small sound he let out as he nodded, letting her know he was listening.
Addie concluded, "Maybe they get lost, maybe they reach the right person, or maybe it gets sent to the wrong person. But I never quite know. My songs are love letters."
Addie nodded, handing Harry the necklace and lifting her hair so he could place it on her neck. "Yeah."
Harry's knuckles brushed softly against the skin of her neck as he placed the necklace in place. Addie could feel a shiver run up and down her spine at the sensation.
"Well, songs are love letters for you," Harry explained carefully, as he fiddled with the clasp, "They're paper airplanes for me. You send them to someone, and they sway with the wind, never flying truly straight. It's chance whether they reach their destination or not. And when they do, it's easy for them to crumple it up and throw it in the trash. But the right person will answer and send it back."
Addie smiled gently as Harry pressed a soft kiss to her back, and turned to face him. She dropped her hair, and her voice was quiet as she admitted, "I don't know how to make paper airplanes."
Five seconds. Harry stared at her blankly for five seconds.
And then he threw his head back, roaring with laughter. Addie laughed with him. She always laughed when he laughed. How could she not when his laugh was the sweetest, most infectious sound ever?
"You- You don't know how to make a paper airplane?" Harry managed to get out, wheezing with laughter.
Addie shook her head, snorting. "No!"
Harry slapped his knee, stomping his feet as his whole body shook with laughter. "My god. Wow." Harry wiped a few tears away, inhaling deeply. He shook his head in disbelief, grinning as he glanced at Addie. "Don't worry, baby, I'll still love you even if you're really weird."
Love?
Addie's heart skipped a beat at the word, and then she shook it off, reminding herself that it was probably by accident.
"C'mon, let's go home, yeah?" Harry tugged at her hand, and she followed him.
They got into their car and Harry drove back to Addie's house, his hand on her thigh the entire time. She was smiling like an idiot.
When they got back home, Addie showed him all of the new books she'd bought.
"Look, so this one, 'The Song of Achilles' is so good. I swear I couldn't stop crying after I read it," Addie rambled, pointing to the book, and then pulled out another, "And then this, 'Shadow and Bone', it's like fantasy and I'm obsessed. I didn't like 'Cinder', it's just that fairytale retellings are so common and it just didn't feel fresh or new. 'Me Before You' wasn't bad, it's just not my absolute favorite."
Harry nodded along, not complaining even the slightest when she began to give long speeches about writers not giving characters justice or plot holes. He didn't complain or make fun of her for being so passionate for resting, he just listened and smiled contently. Happy to listen to her talk.
"And I apparently have some weird obsession with dystopias now, in between the Hunger Games and Divergent," Addie commented, pointing at the books. "The Selection isn't the best, but it's actually really entertaining and I like the main character. She's not perfect or the absolute best, but she's so... human. Even if I do hate that everyone's using the whole 'love triangle' thing. It's so overused and it's not original. But I've learned how to accept it... for the most part."
Harry nodded, smiling warmly. "How'd you find the time to read with how busy you are with work?"
"I read at airports or on the plane," Addie explained, "Whenever I need break from writing music, I read and since I'm traveling so much for tour, I have a lot of time on the plane."
Harry hummed, looking at the books on Addie's large bookshelf. "You have way too many books."
"There is no such thing as too many books, Styles. Only too little."
Addie went to the kitchen to get some water, leaving Harry in her room, waiting for her and admiring her bookshelf.
Addie watched the glass fill with water and then squealed. She was just so giddy and happy that Harry, her boyfriend, was in her house and they were dating.
Harry liked Addie.
It was a fact she had yet to accept.
Addie wandered her way back to her room, one cup in each hand.
"-Harry. Yeah," Harry said, his voice carrying through the ajar door and down the corridor to Addie. "Um, I mean, yeah. I'm your daughter's boyfriend, actually."
Addie froze in her spot.
Daughter. Boyfriend.
Holy shit, Harry was talking to her mom. SHIT.
Addie ran, pushing the door open and dropping the cups onto her bedside counter. Harry's eyes were wide with shock, lips parted with a phone pressed to his ear. Addie's phone.
"Um, yeah, she's right here," Harry spoke, his eyes unmoving and his voice sounded faraway. He passed the phone to Addie.
Addie immediately took it, answering, "Bueno?"
"Nena, por que hay alguien contestando tu celular y diciendo que es tu novio?" Mom asked, voice cold and unforgiving.
Addie cleared her throat. "Ehm, pues por que es mi novio, tal vez?" She watched Harry carefully, trying to read what was going on in his mind.
"Y desde cuándo es tu novio?"
Addie clenched her jaw. Her mother had no right to speak to her like that, as if Addie had been at fault for not telling her about Harry.
Her mother had been the one to read her messages every few days and answer with short and cold replies. How did she expect Addie to tell her about her boyfriend when she hadn't even called in six weeks?
"Es nuevo, desde la semana pasada," Addie lied through gritted teeth.
Her mom seemed slightly appeased by that. "Entonces lleva una semana y no me habías dicho nada?"
"Perdón," Addie apologized, even if she had no reason to. After saying her goodbye, Addie hung up the phone, turning to face Harry.
"You didn't tell your mom we were dating?"
Addie sighed, putting her phone in her back pocket. "Harry-"
"I told my mom about everything!" Harry exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. "I told her when we had our first date and she gave me advice- and I definitely told her about when we became boyfriend and girlfriend!"
Addie could almost feel the salt being rubbed into the wound. "Harry, I wish I had that kind of relationship with my mom, but I don't. I don't tell her everything, I don't get advice, it just doesn't work like that-"
"I get if you're not close, but we've been dating for a month and that's more than enough time to tell your mom that you have a boyfriend."
Addie could feel the atmosphere in the air shift into something new and alien. Not electric, just fire, a tension like a bomb ticking slowly in the corner, just out of sight.
They'd never argued. And Harry had never gotten upset or angry around Addie.
"It's not that simple."
Harry scoffed, standing up from his spot on the mattress. He looked out the window, arms crossed and the lean muscle he'd gained was being flexed.
Addie reminded herself that they were fighting and this was a serious moment. It was not the right time to hyperventilate because of how hot his arms were.
"You and I have been a thing for a month, Adelaide-" Addie inhaled sharply at her name. Harry never called her by her full name. It was always 'Addie' or 'Ads', sometimes even 'Love'. -"A month. Don't you think it looks bad when you're too ashamed to even admit to your parents that you're dating someone?"
Addie's lips parted in surprise, ready to argue and defend herself-
Addie's phone rang. And she knew that ringtone. It was one she specifically placed for everyone from work. Meaning management and label.
Addie sighed, "Management."
She picked up the phone. It was Noelle saying the car would be picking them up and driving them to rehearsals.
"We were supposed to have the day off!" Addie protested, rubbing her temple.
Noelle exhaled through her nose. "You need to work on your vocals, which means more rehearsals."
Harry gave her an inquisitive look, and Addie placed a hand over the phone. She whispered, "Noelle."
"I thought we had the day off?" Harry frowned.
"I'm working on it," Addie answered before retreating farther into the house and lowering her voice so Harry couldn't hear her. "Noelle. I haven't had a free day in a month. I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can, and after everything I've been doing, I deserve a break. Please just give us this one day."
"I want you here immediately," Noelle answered simply.
Addie wanted to cry. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't.
She was so tired from doing tour, and interviews, meet and greets, endless rehearsals and still working on the album. Addie just wanted a break.
Most of all, this was the first time Addie managed to see Harry in person since they'd started dating. They had been relying heavily on texts and calls to get them by, and Addie just wanted this one day.
Their first date as boyfriend and girlfriend and they were going to be spending it in rehearsals with their four best friends. God.
It wasn't that much of a downgrade from the argument they'd been having five seconds ago, though.
"We-We'll get ready," Addie sighed in defeat, looking up at the ceiling and blinking to stop tears of exhaustion from falling.
Noelle paused, "We?"
Fuck.
Addie and Harry had kept their relationship secret from management, because having them find out and possibly intervene was a highly risky thing and they wanted a more established and stable relationship before they revealed it to management.
Addie mentally cursed, chiding herself for letting it slip- god, you fucking idiot, you couldn't keep it together for five seconds? idiot, moron-
"Harry's with me," Addie explained, hoping Noelle wouldn't think it through too much.
Noelle sighed. "So that's where Harry was. Alright, tell him to stop sneaking out and get in the car as well. I want you to be ready on time. Or else."
Noelle hung up without another word, leaving Addie as a hurricane of emotions. Frustration, anger, misery and exhaustion whirled inside of her. But she needed to keep it tamped down. She could deal with it later, but not now.
Just shake it off, Addie, she told herself, You're Adelaide Heathers. You always get back up.
a/n: so as you can see, this chapter is a little bit shorter than most. that's because the chapter in total was about 5500 words, while my limit is 3500. so i split it into 2 chapters, this one and the next. they'll be a little bit on the shorter side but it couldn't all fit into 1 chapter.
anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter. remember to vote and comment because i crave validation. love ya <3