Niall reaches over to grab his tank top off of the ground, slipping it on as the sheer cotton catches and sticks to his skin because it’s slick with sweat. Harry’s still sleeping as Niall looks down at him, noticing the way the brunet’s cheeks are still flushed with a rosy glow from their earlier escapade. His brown curls are loose but still hold a slight curve to them, fallen over in front of his closed eyes.
Niall’s gaze trails down further, watching as Harry’s back rises and falls with each breath he takes through his parted puffy lips. Before he reaches to the waistband of his boxers that stretch tightly over his bum, his phone starts vibrating against the dirt. He groans and so does Harry, large hands reaching out clumsily to grasp at Niall’s bicep, like he knows Niall will have to move as his fingers curl and lock the blond in place.
“Baby,” Niall breathes out lowly with a smile, running his fingers through Harry’s hair. Harry leans into the touch, body going lax again as he drifts back into a deep slumber in Niall’s lap.
“Hello,” he mumbles once he manages to unlock his phone and answer the call, still in a haze as he squints to even be able to focus on one thing.
“Mate we’re about to go on stage, where are ya?” Ashton’s voice rings through the phone with laughter and cheers in the background – most likely from the small crowd gathered outside the stage setup.
“Was just a bit busy,” Niall replies with a smirk as he glances down at Harry, words somewhat slow and slurred.
“Quit fucking your boyfriend for two seconds and get your arses over here,” Ashton mutters before hanging up without a goodbye. And well, he isn’t wrong.
“Harry, babe, gotta get up. The lads are about ta perform,” Niall murmurs gently as he gives Harry’s shoulder a shake, feeling like a mother attempting to wake her son for school.
“Noooo,” Harry groans, the garbled noise almost inaudible as he curls up against Niall. Niall’s tank top rucks up, the sparrow tattoo on his pale hip peeking out as Harry nuzzles his face against it.
“Harry,” Niall snaps and that catches Harry’s attention, his head jerking up and glazed-over eyes as wide as they can be as he struggles to keep them open.
“Okay,” Harry says softly, the word thick and heavy on his tongue. He still has a small scowl as he complies, his intoxicated mind still not understanding why Niall wouldn’t just want to stay and cuddle with him
He feels around for his jeans and tries to pull them on when he’s found them, long legs sprawled out and feet getting caught in the pant legs. He gets them over his thighs finally after minutes of struggle with Niall watching and giggling – yes giggling because apparently weed makes Niall the giggly type – and the waistband of Harry’s jeans settle low on his hips. Harry’s tongue pokes out between his plump lips as he tries to button them, eyebrows furrowed and the word ‘cute’ comes to mind when Niall sees Harry look up at him with a tiny pout.
“Can’t button ‘em,” Harry mumbles, more to himself than anything, and his face flushes at the loud chuckle he gets in response.
“Suppose it’s because you can’t see,” Niall hums, slipping a pair of glasses over Harry’s eyes. Harry laughs, eyes crinkling in the corners as he leans over and leaves a sloppy kiss on the blonde’s cheek before crawling out of the tent.
***
Life’s a tangled web
Of cell phone calls and hashtag I-don’t-knows
And you, you’re so caught up
In all the blinking lights and dial tones
I admit I’m a bit of a victim in the worldwide system, too
But I’ve found my sweet escape when I’m alone with you
Tune out the static sound of the city that never sleeps
Here in the moment on the dark side of the screen
I like the summer rain
I like the sounds you make
We put the world away
We get so disconnected
You are my getaway
You are my favorite place
We put the world away
Yeah, we're so disconnected
The Australian lads decided to sing a song they wrote up not too long ago called Disconnected. It was good, good enough to make the band be easily mistaken as one who’s been selling albums for years.
The song has a catchy tune, and Niall can’t help but to tap his fingertips to the beat of the song against Harry’s side as he has his arms wrapped around the brunet’s waist, leaving little kisses on his neck once and while. Harry hums along to the tune of the lyrics, but his focus is mainly elsewhere as he stares at the girl standing beside them.
She’s relatively short, hair long and soft as it cascades down her shoulders. Her feet are bare, and she’s wearing black shorts and a shirt that stops just above her pierced bellybutton. She sways to the song with a beer bottle in hand, taking drinks from it every once in awhile. But it’s the flower crown lying gently around her head that interests Harry.
He’s always liked flowers, how they come in all different sizes and colors. Some smell sweet and others don’t, but he sees the beauty in them nevertheless. He reaches out and strokes one of the petals, the texture soft and smooth under his fingertips.
The girl looks over at him and he blushes, slowly pulling his hand away with a sheepish grin. She giggles and returns the smile; obviously not mad or angry unlike other certain people he’s unfortunately had the burden of running into before.
“Would you like to wear it? I have a ton more back at my tent, I don’t mind,” she says, a hint of a smile still playing on her red lips.
“Really?” Harry tries not to sound as excited as he is, but the tone in his voice betrays him regardless.
Instead of replying, she bows her head a little towards him and he slips the flower crown off, placing atop his own mess of curls.
“Where’d you get them?” Harry asks suddenly, fingers still brushing over the petals with wide eyes.
“I make them, actually! I could show you how to make one back at my tent, if you want to come?”
“He’s not goin’ anywhere.”
Niall’s voice is icy and low, a heavy threat dripping from his words like acid. The effects of the weed seem to be wearing off now, Niall’s better judgment and over-protectiveness beginning to surface. Harry turns around and gives Niall a harsh glare, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
“You’re not my mum,” Harry snaps, and he surprises himself at how direct and quick it was of him to say. He probably wouldn’t be so confident with those words if it weren’t for the weed working through his system still, to be quite honest. “I can do what I want. M’not a child.”
“You sure as hell act like one when yer high.”
“You can come with, then. Besides, I wouldn’t let him get hurt anyhow. He’s too cute for that,” the girl says before the argument can escalade any further. Harry gives her a shy glance and ducks his head, giggling into his shoulder.
Niall’s face becomes even hotter than before at the girl’s words, jealously flaring up inside his chest. She’s calling his Harry cute. And Harry’s fucking blushing and giggling like some schoolboy with a crush!
“It’s that or I’m going with her alone. Your choice,” Harry warns, stumbling over his own feet because everything around him still feels tilted. (And his pigeon-toed feet aren’t really helping the matter.)
“Fine,” Niall growls through clenched teeth, narrowing his eyes at the hipster girl. Niall can’t just let Harry go off in the state he’s in and expect to feel that he’s safe, no matter what this girl says.
“Lead the way, sweetheart.”
***
Harry and the girl – Autumn – sat with their legs crisscrossed on a quilt as they wrapped leaves and other greenery tightly around a piece of wire. Niall watched from the side, eyebrows furrowed in a grumpy expression because A) he has to sit and watch his boyfriend and some stranger make flower crowns and B) he somehow got talked into wearing one of the damn things.
“Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers actually,” Autumn chirps, grinning as she glances from the flower crown to Niall’s bright blue eyes. “It’s a good color on you.”
Harry looks up from where his fingers are taping the stem of two flowers to the wire, nodding and eyes twinkling despite still being glossy and red.
“Imagine if he dyed his hair lilac!”
Autumn eyes widen as if she’s just heard the most incredible thing in the world, nodding along with Harry and Niall has to bite back the groan that’s trying desperately to escape.
“M’not dying my hair purple—”
“Lilac,” Harry corrects as he reaches for another flower.
“M’not dying my hair lilac.”
“Big bad punk boy afraid of a pretty color like that?” Autumn coos with a pout, and Niall’s cheeks flush.
He mutters something under his breath and reaches for a beer from the case sitting next to him, twisting the top off and taking a large gulp as soon as the cold rim of the bottle reaches his lips.
“Tada!”
Harry places the flower crown he just finished around his head, lips stretched across his teeth in a wide smile. Autumn squeals and gushes about how well he did, and Harry just giggles as he adjusts it atop his hair.
Niall hadn’t really taken a good look of Harry in one earlier, but now he has a perfect view and his stomach might have just done a little flip. He just looks so good; reminding him of how innocent Harry really is underneath. He licks his lips, tongue sliding slowly across the metal ring pierced in his bottom lip. His tongue is just far out enough to show the metal bud pierced in it, catching the light just right and making it glint.
Harry catches the intense stare Niall’s giving him, his smile faltering ever so slightly. He shifts and drops his gaze, playing with one of the fallen petals on the ground. His face is dusted a light pink and he chews on his lower lip, feeling self-conscious because he can’t read Niall’s expression and tell what it might mean.
“Sorry, love. We need to be gettin’ back to the lads now. Thanks for the pint!”
Harry doesn’t have time to even get out a goodbye because Niall’s latched onto his arm and is dragging him from the tent. He cranes his neck back to wave clumsily to Autumn, and she calls after them to stop by again before they leave the festival.
The next thing Harry knows is that he’s being pressed up against the nearest wall – which happens to be an empty vendor’s stand – and Niall’s lips are on his.
“God,” Niall groans thickly as he pulls back, hands gripping Harry’s hips tightly, “do you know what you do ta me?”
As to answer his own question, Niall roughly kisses him again, pressing the bulge in his black skinny jeans against Harry’s thigh. Harry gasps into Niall’s mouth, fingers curling and bunching Niall’s thin tank top in his hands.
“And that stupid fucking flower thing on your head,” he growls, eyes slipping shut as the sweet smell from the flowers invade his airways. He chuckles breathlessly and shakes his head like he can’t believe something as simple as that can make him feel like this.
He then feels wet drops hit his back, slowly sliding down his skin and leaving goosebumps in their wake. He glimpses at the sky, seeing dark rain clouds move in and block out the sun as the water droplets begin to come down harder. His eyes drift back down to Harry, watching his skin and hair become wet, water dripping and soaking deep into the fabric of his clothes.
He kisses under Harry’s jaw, trailing down until he reaches the sweet spot behind Harry’s ear that makes his toes curl in his shoes, earning a whimper from him when he feels Niall’s cold lip ring press against his hot skin. The petals in Harry’s hair begin to droop, one falling and sticking to his cheek as Niall murmurs a hushed “I love you” against his damp skin.
“D-Do you really love me? Not just because you find me attractive, right?” Harry asks in a quiet voice, knowing Niall will understand what he’s getting at without having to actually come out and say what he’s referring to.
“Of course,” Niall says earnestly as his expression softens, a bit of shock laced into his voice at such an outrageous question. “Of course I do, baby. You’re cute and lovely and sweet and sexy and honestly too good for a person like me. I’m in love with you and everything that makes you . . . you.”
And Harry can tell by the way Niall gently places a soft kiss against his lips after saying those words that he’s telling the truth.
“I love you, too,” Harry whispers as the rain continues to fall on them, “I’ll love you as much as you’ll let me.”
—
A/N: Hellooo! First, I want to say thank you for all the comments on the author’s note I posted. You guys are literally so so sweet and lovely. I’m going to be honest and say that after going through all the comments and reading them, I was in tears. I can’t even explain how much it means to me that I have my readers there for me when going through something like this.
Also, I want to say thank you for the reads and votes so far. (Even though I probably sound like a broken record!) There are no words to explain how happy it makes me to see you guys enjoy the story so much!
Anyway, I really hope you liked the chapter, and as always, make sure to comment and vote! I love you all so much! :) x