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Over the next few weeks, Harry integrated himself seamlessly into my life and circle of friends. With our newfound friendship, Niall and Melissa's dream of dinner or nights out around town with Harry and I became true. His playful banter and protective nature fit right in.
One Friday night we all decided to unwind at a pub downtown after a long week. The lively atmosphere immediately lifted my spirits. We grabbed a table, drinks in hand, laughter flowing easily.
Niall regaled us with animated stories while Melissa hung on his every word, utterly smitten. Meanwhile, Harry sat close beside me, his arm draped casually over my chair in a way that felt both platonic yet intimate.
"Your turn, tell us an embarrassing story from secondary school," Harry insisted, nudging my shoulder.
I groaned dramatically. "Ugh why, so you have more ammunition to tease me?"
"Exactly," he quipped with a cheeky wink that made me blush.
After much coaxing I finally relented and launched into the cringe-worthy tale of the time it snowed in my city, and the next day there was ice all over the school grounds causing me to slip and slide for a good couple minutes in front of the whole school coming back from lunch.
Melissa was crying laughing while Harry chuckled affectionately throughout the mortifying retelling.
"Alright, alright, I've sufficiently humiliated myself for one night," I concluded, hiding my reddening face against Harry's shoulder.
"I thought that was adorable," he murmured, the warmth of his breath tickling my cheek. My stomach fluttered at the unexpected compliment.
Across from us, Niall and Melissa exchanged a clandestine look I couldn't quite decipher. But I was too distracted by Harry's arm wrapping around my waist to give it much thought.
The night wore on, drinks and stories flowing. Melissa eventually pulled me aside on the pretext of touching up makeup in the restroom. As soon as we were alone, she turned to me wide-eyed.
"Okay, what's going on with you and Harry?"
"What? Nothing's going on," I said, feigning confusion.
Melissa gave me a pointed look. "Come on, Ev. I have eyes. You two are attached at the hip these days. And so...touchy feely." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"We're just friends," I insisted, but couldn't meet her knowing gaze. "He's an affectionate guy."
"Mmhmm," Melissa hummed, clearly unconvinced. "Just be careful, alright? I don't want to see you get hurt again." Her expression softened with concern.
I leaned over and pecked her cheek. "I know. But it's not like that, I promise."
We dropped the subject and rejoined the guys, but Melissa's words lingered in my mind. She had a knack for seeing things I was oblivious to.
The rest of the night proceeded without incident. Harry's arm found its way back around me, warm and secure. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
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Sunday afternoon I was tidying up around the apartment when a knock sounded at the door. I opened it to find Harry on the other side, guitar case in hand.
"Ready for your lesson?" he asked breezily, stepping inside.
I had completely forgotten I jokily agreed to let Harry give me informal guitar lessons. His enthusiasm was hard to resist. If he won the race to class, which he did, he got to choose his reward. And he chose to force me to showcase my lack of music talent.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied dubiously. My musical abilities were subpar at best. But Harry just grinned reassuringly.
We settled onto the couch, angled towards each other. The guitar rested delicately on my lap. Harry scooted closer, adjusting my hand placement on the strings.
"Relax this hand," he instructed, gently massaging my fingers until they loosened their rigid grip. I hoped he couldn't feel my racing pulse.
Harry proceeded patiently through the basics, occasionally moving my fingers to adjust fingering. His breath tickled the back of my neck each time he leaned in close to observe my progress.
I attempted my first strum, the sound resembling a cat being dragged across a chalkboard. Harry's eyes twinkled with amusement.
As I struggled to master the chords, Harry grinned. "You're a natural, Eveila. I can already hear the Grammy speeches."
I couldn't deny that having his attentive gaze and gentle guidance was equally thrilling and nerve wracking. Each compliment on my incremental improvement sent a thrill through me.
The lesson continued with Harry's knee pressed against mine, his head bent together with mine as we strummed basic chords. The domestic intimacy was almost dreamlike.
After an hour my fingers were sore, but I had managed a passable rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" that made Harry grin from ear to ear.
"See, you're a natural!" he praised, lightly bumping his shoulder against mine. It was okay at best, but the way Harry lit up, one would assume I was a child prodigy.
I laughed as I returned his guitar carefully to its case. "Clearly all thanks to the excellent teacher."
Harry gave an exaggerated bow. "Why thank you. I aim to please."
Just then Melissa emerged fresh from the shower, her damp hair bundled in a towel. She stopped short at the endearing scene unfolding before her.
"Well isn't this sweet," she commented in a sing-song voice, eyes darting between us.
Harry just chuckled while I felt heat rising to my cheeks. "Just having a little jam sesh," he explained casually, either oblivious or indifferent to Melissa's insinuation.
"Uh huh, a likely story," Melissa teased with a dramatic eye roll.
Harry just laughed goodnaturedly. I aimed a subtle kick at Melissa's shin and quickly changed topics. As charming as Harry was, now was not the time to analyze whatever was brewing between us. It was too new, too delicate.
﹌﹌
The anticipation buzzed in the air as Niall joined Melissa and me in the line for popcorn at the crowded movie theater. Melissa had excused herself to the restroom, leaving us in the midst of an animated conversation about the Marvel we were about to watch.
"So, Ev, you and Harry, huh?" Niall remarked casually, eyes twinkling mischievously. I shot him a puzzled glance, my mind racing to comprehend his unexpected comment.
"Uh, yeah. We're friends," I replied, uncertain of where Niall was steering the conversation.
Niall chuckled, his nonchalant demeanor belying the subtle undercurrents of mischief. "You know, you two would make a pretty good pair. Just saying."
A flush of surprise and confusion crept into my cheeks. Was Niall suggesting what I thought he was suggesting? My gaze darted between Niall and the entrance, half-expecting Harry to walk in at any moment.
As if sensing my internal turmoil, Niall continued, his tone light and easy. "I mean, you guys spend a lot of time together. It's almost like you're already dating without realizing it."
I blinked, trying to process his words. Was this another one of his and Melissa's way of setting Harry and I up? The movie poster above the concession stand suddenly became the focus of my attention as I struggled to find a suitable response.
Niall, unfazed by my silence, nudged me playfully. "Just think about it, Ev. You and Harry. It's not such a crazy idea, is it?"
The line shuffled forward, and Niall's words lingered in the air like a persistent melody. A perplexing mixture of emotions swirled within me—confusion, curiosity, and a subtle hint of warmth. Did Niall see something I hadn't noticed? Everything between us was just friendly, right?
Melissa returned from the restroom, blissfully unaware of the undercurrents in the conversation. Niall seamlessly shifted gears, steering the discussion back to the movie, leaving me with a lingering sense of intrigue.
﹌﹌
The semester marched on, marked by study sessions, coffee breaks, movie nights and long meandering walks under starlit skies. Before I realized it, Harry had become someone I couldn't imagine my life without.
Which is why seeing him injured after a rough football match felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me. I rushed to meet him as he hobbled off the field, concern etched on my face.
"It's just a sprain," Harry assured me through gritted teeth, his arm slung around my shoulders for support. But I still fretted over him as I helped him home.
I gently guided Harry to the couch and fetched an ice pack for his swollen ankle. He gave me a brave smile, though the pain was evident. My heart ached seeing him this way.
"You take such good care of me. What would I do without my own personal nurse?" Harry joked, but his eyes were filled with sincerity.
I perched beside him and stroked his hair soothingly. "Well you won't have to find out because I'm not going anywhere," I said softly. His answering smile lit up the room.
The next few days I barely left Harry's side, keeping him well fed and entertained as he recovered. We binged shows curled up on the couch, his arms wrapped securely around me.
When boredom set in, I suggested playing board games, which made Harry's eyes light up enthusiastically.
"Scrabble?" he proposed, already reaching for the box. "Hope you're prepared for me to kick your arse."
I scoffed in mock offense. "In your dreams, Styles. My vocabulary is expansive."
We set up the board on the coffee table, our knees touching as we sat cross-legged on the floor facing each other. I could already tell this would get competitive.
As expected, Harry was a formidable opponent, crafting high scoring words with ease. But I managed to hold my own, surprising him with some obscure terms.
"Alright, Oxazepam? That can't be a real word," Harry protested when I laid down the tiles.
I smirked triumphantly. "It's a tranquilizing drug used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal."
Harry blinked in surprise then let out an impressed whistle. "Damn, look at you pulling out the fancy terms you learned from class! Maybe I've met my match."
"Maybe you have," I replied cheekily, bumping my shoulder against his. I delighted in every grin and laugh I pulled from him.
In the end, Harry won by a slight margin, but it was a hard-fought battle. We were both sprawled on the floor giggling by the time we added up the scores.
"Well done, love," Harry praised, poking my cheek playfully. "You almost had me."
His smile made my heart flutter against my will. Get it together, I mentally scolded myself even as I soaked up his attention. I was in dangerous territory, falling for this charming boy.
While Harry recovered, I was constantly residing in Harry's apartment. And without much of a word, Niall spent the nights at mine without any complaints though I assume knowing he got uninterrupted time with Melissa has something to do with it.
Melissa and Niall came by often to check in. More than once I caught whispered conversations and knowing looks exchanged between them when they thought Harry and I weren't paying attention.
It was clear they noticed our increased closeness and unspoken connection. And try as I might to deny it, even I was becoming aware of the shift. Lingering touches, playful banter laced with flirtation, inside jokes - it was undeniably more than friends.
I convinced myself I was reading into it too much. Harry was just affectionate by nature, and I happened to be the recipient of that affection for now. Even if sometimes his emerald eyes lingered a beat too long on me, sparking that traitorous flutter in my chest.
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a/n: just registered to take organic chemistry and lab over the summer pray for me 😭 (context i suck at chem)
love y'all, see u same day next week?