It's Y/N's birthday today
And Harry is excited.
He loves spoiling his girl and seeing a big smile on her face, even though her mouth is saying 'you shouldn't have'.
He just loves her so much it feels surreal sometimes.
This is Y/N's third birthday since they moved into this flat. On the first one, Harry and Y/N weren't together yet. He bought her a cake and waited for her to come back, only to receive a text saying she was staying at her parents', and they'd already thrown her a big party and invited all of her relatives. He couldn't blame her for choosing her family over him. He hadn't told her about his plan anyway, and based on their relationship back then, him buying her a cake was very unexpected.
On her second birthday here, they were already together. Harry decided to make her a cake, which ended up tasting like...well, there wasn't a correct comparison for such a disgusting taste so...yeah. He didn't want her to get food poisoning on her birthday, that's why the cake ended up in the rubbish bin and he made Niall go buy a new one while he decorated the flat. He was more shocked to see her reaction that night, than she was when she walked into a living room full of balloons and candles (he had a hard time cleaning up the candle wax on the floor but it was worth it).
"You shouldn't have," she said with a big smile on her face as she showered his face with kisses. They ate the (store-bought) cake, unwrapped the present, and made love all night. The next day, Harry woke up with the determination to throw her an even bigger birthday party the following year, which is this one. His girl has to be the happiest and he has to make that happen.
Things seem to start out well for Harry when the first news he hears in the morning is that Y/N's best friends from high school are paying her a visit. That means she will be occupied the entire day and he has the whole flat to prepare for the party which he has planned for a really long time.
"Baby, don't come home too soon," he says, walking her out of their front door and she just smiles at him.
"Don't hire a whole band or something as crazy as that. I only want you," she tells him, pressing her lips against his while holding his face dearly.
"Okay, got it, nothing too crazy," he promises then kisses her nose and watches her walk towards the lift. Once she's gone, he immediately makes a call to cancel the band he hired for her.
...
Layla arrives not so long after Y/N was gone. When Harry comes to open the door, he's already wearing an apron, all eager to get started baking that perfect birthday cake he failed to give his girl last year.
"Look at you, all dressed up like a pretty housewife," Layla jokes and playfully pinches Harry's cheek.
"I've told you to stop doing that, it hurts!" He brushes her hand away, slightly annoyed, which only amuses his friend. She walks past him and heads straight to the kitchen. Now that she's so familiar with the flat it's basically like her own.
"Okay, have you bought all the ingredients I've told you?" She asks, laying both hands flat on the marble counter, looking at Harry, who's standing at the door.
"I forgot the eggs, Niall's out to buy some."
"You've got to stop mistreating my boyfriend, Styles!"
"Me?" Harry widens his eyes, pointing a finger to himself. "Last week you made my girlfriend stay up until morning to help you get those shoes on sale."
Layla purses her lips, thinking for a second.
"Let's face it, we don't deserve them," she admits.
"Both of them," Harry adds in, smiling as he does.
"I saw her on the way up," Layla tells him all of a sudden, searching through the paper bags on the counter to check if Harry has bought the correct ingredients. "She didn't see me. She was laughing with her two friends from high school. They seemed...nice."
Harry leans a shoulder against the doorframe as he stares at his friend in amusement after hearing what she said. "Okay, what is it?"
"What do you mean what?"
"I know that tone." Not only does he know it, he's also way too familiar with it. "You're jealous."
"I am not!"
"You certainly are! You're jealous of her best friends, aren't you?" Harry cracks up. The moment Layla shoots him a dead glare, he knows right away that his assumption is correct. With his hands behind his back, he approaches her with a huge smirk on his face which he knows drives her mad.
"Making fun of me all the time, and now you're jealous!" He playfully sings each word, receiving an eye-roll from Layla.
"You're a child, I'm not wasting my time talking to a child."
"Well, if Y/N was here she would talk to me, too bad she's out having fun with her. Best. Friends."
"Okay, that's it!" Layla huffs and grabs a carrot on the plate nearby, just about to toss it at him when they hear the doorbell ring. It cannot be Niall because he never rings the bell, but Harry isn't expecting any other party guests, at least not this early.
So he leaves the kitchen to go see who it is. Surprisingly, it's not anyone on Harry's guest list. It's the last person on Earth he would expected to show up at their door.
It's Y/N's mother.
"Mrs. Y/L/N!" Harry's whole body turns to stone the second he sees her face. It's been a long time since they last met at Y/N's brother's wedding. They didn't speak then but he knew she still hated him for thinking he wasn't a match for her daughter.
"Y/N is not home."
"I know, she's out with her friends, I asked them to take her out so I could come here," the woman says calmly.
There's something about her that makes Harry feel so alarmed. He swallows hard when she takes in a sharp breath then lets it all out.
"I'm here to see you."
...
Niall bursts through the kitchen door with those eggs Harry asked him to buy. He's all out of breath from but as soon as he enters the room, everyone's already in the process of baking.
"You took too long! Lucky for us, Y/N's mother brought some eggs," Layla answers without waiting for her boyfriend to question.
That's when Niall finally notices the presence of a stranger in the kitchen, who's instructing Harry how to properly beat the batter.
"Just leave those on the table young man," she tells Niall without looking at him. "If Harry ruins this cake we'll make another."
"Heeey!" Harry furrows his eyebrows at the older woman who looks so unbothered if he's really offended.
Niall has never met Y/N's mum, he's only heard stories about her from Harry, which is why his impression of her is not positive, at all. He quickly apologizes the older woman and his girlfriend before dragging his best friend out of the kitchen to have a word with him in private.
"Why is she here? She's going to ruin Y/N's birthday!" Niall worriedly tells Harry, at the same time keeping his voice down because the walls aren't that thick.
"Don't worry. She's here to help," Harry replies calmly, which really shocks his best friend. The last time these two spoke about this lady, Harry made it sound it she was the most terrible human-being in this planet!
"Look, I was also very worried when she showed up, but she sounded like she genuinely wanted to get it right with her children. So far she's been very helpful." Harry's lips curve into a small smile to ensure Niall, who lets out a sigh and simply nods his head. He appears a bit more relaxed now that Harry's said so.
"Well, at least now we don't have to worry about the cake, right?"
Right.
With the help of his girlfriend's mother, for the first time in his life, Harry's made a birthday cake.
He seems overjoyed to see the final result, laughing like a little boy on Christmas morning, all because he knows Y/N is going to be happy, and very proud of him.
Seeing Harry like this makes Y/N's mother feel quite...guilty. Of course her initial intention for doing this is getting her daughter's forgiveness; so even though the thought of spending the day with Harry irritated her, she had to come begging for him to let her help with this party.
However, after the whole morning spent in this kitchen with this boy, she thinks she's changed her mind. She was wrong to assume Harry didn't really care about Y/N when he obviously does, very much, probably more than she could sometimes.
"To be honest," Harry speaks up as he lets out a sigh. Niall and Layla just ran out to buy some other things and he's now left alone with the uninvited party guest.
"I'm glad that you're here," he says to her. "Y/N's going to be so happy when she sees you."
The mother raises an eyebrow at her daughter's boyfriend. "Are you sure? Because she didn't answer my calls or texts..."
"You're Y/N's family, even though she's mad at you, she still loves you." Harry breathes out a silly smile, and his eyes sparkle at the sound of his girlfriend's name.
That smile. Y/N's mother knows what it is. Being alive for so many years, the woman has learnt one thing about a person's smiles: There are many different kinds, every of which has its own meaning, but this one...You don't get to see this a lot, but if you do, you're lucky, because the person with this smile on their face, are truly, foolishly, and passionately in love.
"What made you want to apologize to Y/N?"
Harry's question breaks the older woman's train of thought. She simply stares at him in silence, so he goes on, "it's okay if you don't want to tell me. I'm just curious."
"No, no, I wasn't paying attention, sorry."
Then she begins with a long heavy breath.
"Well...I wasn't a very good parent, I've said and done things that I'm not proud of, but I've always loved my children. I thought I had the right to ask them to be perfect, because I gave birth to them and raised them up."
She shrugs slightly as there's a short pause.
"It wasn't until I tried to reach out and none of my three children picked up the phone, and my husband started keeping distance from me, that I realized how much family really meant. I'd spent a lot of time alone, thinking, before deciding to come here to do the right thing, starting with Y/N. I hope she'll hear me out."
"She will," Harry speaks up as he feels like now it's his turn to say something. "She's a really nice person, she forgives and forgets, which is not always a good thing because people may take advantage of her."
"You really love her, don't you?" Y/N's mother presses her lips into a smile, then receives one in return from the young man. It's a rhetorical question, she needs no confirmation from him, but he gives her one anyway.
"More than anything," he replies, as if no one could see the way his face brightens up whenever someone mentions Y/N.
The mother chuckles slightly and stays quiet for a few seconds, before she breaks the silence by thanking Harry.
"You don't have to thank me," he denies, giving her a simple shrug. "We're both doing this for our girl, aren't we?"
"Not just this. I want to thank you for...taking care of Y/N, when I couldn't," she confesses, which comes as a great shock to Harry. This woman cannot be the same person he met last time! Of course, he has nothing to complain.
"No problem, Mrs. Y/L/N."
"Son, you can now call me Margaret."
...
The lift door opens and Y/N cautiously steps outside, looking to her left, then to her right, as if she was a spy on a mission. Her two best friends exchange looks with each other then John just has to ask her what she's doing.
"I was expecting them to jump out and put a blindfold on me."
"Them? Your friends?"
"Yeah." Y/N rolls her eyes, smiling as she marches towards her flat knowing she's safe...probably for now. "Harry was planning a party with them. Who knows what they're up to?"
"Well?" Violet takes a deep breath, beaming as she tells her friend who still hesitates to open the door. "What are you waiting for? Let's go inside!"
Violet doesn't wait for another word from Y/N to step in front of her and open the door immediately. Y/N expects to at least get jump-scared by her other friends, but...nothing happens.
She's now facing a dark empty living room, not a sight of her boyfriend or the others. Slowly she walks in, followed by Violet and John, feeling somewhere between shocked and disappointed.
"Maybe the surprise is there's no surprise at all?" John jokes and instantly gets elbowed by his girlfriend.
Y/N reaches for the switch to turn on the lights, but apparently someone has cut off the power in the flat.
"Nope, they're definitely up to something," she calmly assumes before scanning her eyes around the room. That's how she finds Harry's laptop on the sofa, on top of which is a yellow note and three words in his sloppy handwriting: Turn me on ;)
Y/N giggles as she reads it. This is so Harry, she thinks to herself then sits down on the sofa, placing the laptop on her lap as she presses the power button.
On the desktop, there's only one single folder, which contains only one media file named 'your first surprise'.
The video begins with a black screen, then it takes a few seconds until the first special guest pops up.
"Hello, Y/N! My favorite babysitter!"
"Jamie..." Y/N smiles as she sees the little boy on the screen. Apparently he was recording that clip by himself. He moves away from the camera then sits down in front of it, crossing his legs.
"I'm sorry we moved away. My new babysitter sucks and I miss you so much. I ran into Harry the other day at a grocery store and he told me about this project for your birthday! He asked me to give one reason why I love you. I have a million! But I can only give one so..." He shrugs slightly, sticking out his bottom lip, that face of his makes Y/N giggle. "I love you because you let me stay up past my bedtime and always gave me extra sweets." Then the kid looks behind him cautiously before lowering his voice. "Don't worry, I won't ever tell mum."
Y/N snorts as she puts both hands on her chest and mumbles a 'thank you'.
"Happy birthday, Y/N! I love you and I miss you! Come and visit me someday, okay?"
"Jamie, who are you talking to?" His mother walks into the frame, standing in the background holding a laundry basket. Jamie turns around and tells her he's recording a birthday wish for Y/N.
The single mother approaches the camera and stands behind the sofa, leaning forward to get her face in the frame.
"Hi sweetie! We miss you a lot! Happy birthday! Stay smart and sexy as always!" She furrows her eyebrows and points straight into the camera. "Your boyfriend is a keeper! Go and give him the best head he's ever received tonight!"
"Jamie is right there!" Y/N speaks out loud as if her ex-upstairs-neighbor could hear her, then facepalms herself when Jamie looks at his mum so confused.
"A head? Like a person's head?!!!"
John and Violet, who are standing behind Y/N, burst into laughter when they hear the kid's question, which his mother decides to ignore.
"Go do your homework, J. Come on, turn the camera off."
"Okay, mum!" The boy frowns then whispers his goodbye to his ex-babysitter before ending the recording. The screen goes back to black for a second before transits to the next clip. Y/N's guess is correct this time, it's Ben. Apparently this was filmed in the hallway, right outside their flats.
"Hello sweetie! It's me, your very gay neighbor! I hope you're having a good day!" He says cheerfully, making Y/N smile. "When I first moved into this building I thought I'd never make friends because most people I'd met before you and Harry were all snobs. So I'm very glad we're neighbors. You were my first friend here and you've been such a great friend since the beginning, that is why I love you. Harry told me you two are moving out after your graduation which is just two weeks away, that makes me really sad. I hope I'll still get to see you two around. I love you, birthday girl! Stay gorgeous!"
The camera shifts away from Ben, but suddenly he raises his voice. "Harold, wait! I still have one thing left to say!"
Now that Y/N knows who's filming this clip for their neighbor, it makes her enjoy this even more.
"Okay, go." Harry moves the camera back on Ben, who instantly puts on his biggest, most adorable smile.
"If we don't see each other again, please remember me when you send out your wedding invitations."
"You can just ask me, you know?" Y/N hears Harry says, to which Ben responds with a scoff.
"If you two get married I doubt she'll let you be in charge of the guest lists."
"Heeeeey!" Harry stresses out the word then the screen turns black again. The fact that he's talking about their wedding as if it's going to happen in the near future makes her love him so much more. And she didn't even know it was possible!
Now Y/N is curious to find out who the next person is.
"Happy birthday!!!" Both her brother and sister show up on the screen and say at the same time.
"We're so sorry we cannot make it to your birthday party but after watching this clip we hope you can feel like we're there with you!" Her sister says, beaming with joy.
Y/N really does miss having Maisie at the flat every once in a while. Nevertheless, Maisie had to move to another city to work for Darren's wife's firm.
"Do you want to go first?" Maisie asks her brother, who tells her to just go ahead and finish her part.
"Okay." Maisie laughs and looks up as she begins. "So I thought really hard about this, because I love you for so many reasons, but one truly stands out and that's got to be how you took me in when I came back with nothing. When little Eleanor and I had no one to turn to, I could only count on you. You have such a good heart, I love you, and I hope you have the best birthday ever!"
She turns to Darren to tell him it's his turn.
"Well, little sis, I know Maisie is obviously your favorite sibling and she's always been ever since we were kids." He points to the one sitting next to him, making her smile and the sister watching him on the screen is smiling as well. "But just know I love you very much. I love you because you've always been there for me, fixing my wounds after my fights at school, and listening to my problems. I used to think growing up with two sisters sucked, but now I know how lucky I was. We wish you all the best little sis!"
They both wave goodbye then the screen turns to black for the third time. Shortly after, she sees her boyfriend's sister and mother. Did he actually make his family do this as well?! She thinks while shaking her head with her mouth agape.
"Happy birthday, Y/N! Mum and I cannot be there to see you in person but thank God my loser brother came up with this idea."Gemma rolls her eyes, causing Y/N to laugh. "So I know we haven't got to spend a lot of time together, but ever since we met, I've thought of you as my little sister. I love you for bringing out the best in Harry. He would never have done something like this for anyone else."
Anne quickly adds in, "you are very special lovely. I really do hope you and Harry will come home again soon. You are always welcome here, as a member of our family."
Hearing those words from Anne really warms Y/N's heart. She just sits there with her hands on her chest, trying to contain her extreme elation while continue watching.
The next person, shockingly, is her friend Ethan.
This clip is filmed in the parking lot on campus, which reminds Y/N, last Friday Harry came home really late with a camera saying he had to film something for a research paper. So this is what he'd really been doing. She didn't suspect a thing!
"One reason why I love Y/N?" Ethan wonders, putting a finger to his lips.
Before he can say anything else, Harry, who's behind the camera speaks up, "no, for you it's one reason why she's a 'good friend'."
Y/N breathes out a laugh and rolls her eyes. Typical Harry.
"Sorry for thinking too hard about this, Y/N. I'm trying to come up with something to say that won't result in me being punched in the face."
"Stop trying to be funny, mate. Hurry up!" Harry rushes, making the other guy sigh.
"Okay, so Y/N...you're a good friend, because you're kind, you give off this positive vibe that makes the people around you happy. Thank you for helping me study, I just got the result and I passed with flying colors! You're the best! I hope you're having an awesome birthday and lots of presents! I cannot make it to the party but I know it's going to be amazing!"
"Okay, thank you Ethan."
"Can I say I love her as a friend?"
"No, you cannot, goodbye Ethan!"
Y/N chuckles, shaking her head at Harry. She expects the screen to turn black now, but no. Harry turns the camera around to finally show his gorgeous face.
"Hi, baby." He waves at her with a smirk. "This is the end of the video. Now, look behind you."
So she puts the laptop down on the coffee table in front of her and does as she was told. The moment she turns around, all the lights go on at once and her friends and boyfriend are standing right behind the sofa. Harry's holding a birthday cake.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Y/N covers her mouth, too emotional to say a word so Harry tells her to make a wish. She closes her eyes, intertwines her fingers in front of her chest and silently makes her birthday wish before blowing off all the candles in the cheering of everyone.
"Were you two a part of this?" She turns to Violet and John who both nod their heads though they're taken a back by her question.
"How did you find out?" John asks, receiving a smile from the birthday girl.
"I know Harry, he wouldn't have forgotten to include you two in the video."
"Damn she's smart!" says Louis and Y/N thanks him for the compliment.
"Are we gonna eat the cake now?"
"Trix!" Liam huffs. "Not yet!"
"No, it's okay, we can eat the cake now," Y/N says in attempt to grab the cake, but Harry's quick to move it out of her reach.
"Wait! There's still one more surprise!"
Y/N crosses her arms and stares at him with an eyebrow raised. "Harry, if a band walk out from the kitchen—"
Her expression cracks him up. "No, no, not a band!"
Puzzled, her eyes follow his finger to the kitchen door where he's pointing at. There she finds the last person she would expect to show up tonight.
"Mum?!" Y/N widens both eyes then turns to Harry. "You invited my mum?"
"No, she came here on her own. She helped me bake this cake for you."
"Wait, wait, hold on! You two—" she wiggles her fingers back and forth between her mother and boyfriend "—spent the whole day together?!"
"It was true, I was there," Layla confirms, and so does Niall who nods his head rapidly.
"If you don't want me to stay, I can leave," the mother speaks up at last. The anxiety is so obvious on her face while she's holding a gaze with her daughter. Everyone else is also on the edge of their seats, waiting for Y/N's answer.
"No, don't," she finally says. "I want you to stay."
Y/N cannot remember the last time she's seen her mother that elated. So, maybe her birthday wish last year came true after all.
...
"You think we did it?" Layla asks, standing with her back against the wall and Harry by her side. Both are staring at Y/N talking to her mother.
"We did it," he agrees, wearing a beam on his face.
"Well, I'm glad she didn't decide to open our presents right in front of us."
"Why?" Harry breathes out a laugh and turns to his friend. "What did you give her?"
"You'll thank me," she replies, shooting him a cheeky wink. "A vibr—"
"Hey guys, what are you talking about?"
Harry almost chokes when he hears that voice. He and Layla both turn their heads to see Y/N and her friend Violet right in front of them.
"Nothing," Harry lies, which makes Layla laugh and the other two girls as confused as ever.
All of a sudden, Y/N takes hold of Layla's wrist then pulls her near. "Layla, this is Violet, my best friend from high school. Violet, this is Layla, my best friend here."
"Best friend?" Layla exclaims with a huge grin on her face. It's the first time she's been called Y/N's best friend, and that's really made her day. Harry gives the girl a subtle pat on the back then steps back so the ladies can carry on with their conversation.
When his eyes accidentally meet Y/N's, the corners of her lips curve into a grin, secretly letting him know how proud she is of him tonight. This must be how Layla is feeling right now, that one-of-a-kind feeling, when you know you are someone's special someone. Harry thinks as he releases a happy sigh.
If he has to pick only one reason why he loves Y/N, he will not hesitate to say, she's made his world a better since she came along.
...
It's ironic how Harry was the one who invited the guests, yet when he sends the last person out of the flat and closes the door, he feels more relieved than ever. Guess there's always going to be a selfish part of him that wants her for himself only.
Harry returns to the kitchen afterwards, only to find Y/N cleaning up the empty bottles on the table by herself. He has to tell her to stop.
"Leave it there, I'll do it."
"You've done a lot already."
"My stubborn baby." He breathes then comes to stand behind the girl, wrapping his arms around her waist with his chin on her shoulder.
"Missed you," he whispers, feeling her shoulders vibrate when she laughs.
"I was with you the whole night, H."
"I know." His answer sends them back into silence. Y/N thinks she's enjoying being held so much she could just stay like this forever if he didn't let her go.
"Are you proud of me?" He asks after a moment.
"Always," is her answer. "You made me so happy today, do you know that? And my mum likes you now. That is insane."
"What's not to like?" He scoffs. "I mean, look at me."
Y/N quickly unwraps his arms around her then spins around, placing his hands on her hips.
"I am." She grins, cupping his cheek. "Do you know what my birthday wish was?"
"What is it, love?"
"I wished you would always stay around...and we'd always be happy...just like today."
He smiles the same stupid smile he only wears for her. Sometimes he wonders if she notices, how infatuated he is with just the idea of her.
Harry takes her hands then brings them to his lips. "I'm not going anywhere, love. I just hope you won't get tired of me."
"Me? Tired of you? Please!"
"I'm getting extra clingy recently. I want to be around you all the time. Sure you can handle such a clingy boyfriend?"
"My boyfriend is not clingy! He's the best!" She throws her arms over his shoulders, watching a grin form on his face. "He's charming, sexy, adorable, extremely good-looking."
"Go on." He licks his lips, seemingly amused by these spontaneous compliments.
"He's so smart, so caring, he makes me feel loved all the time, he protects me and keeps me safe as well."
"This boyfriend of yours sounds like the perfect guy."
"He is!" Y/N raises both eyebrows at him. "In fact, I don't think there's another man like him out there."
"Is that so?" Harry knits his eyebrows together, fingers sneaking under her shirt to rest on her bareback, wanting to feel her hot skin under his palms. The contact makes Y/N squeeze her eyes shut and lean in so that his mouth is close to devour hers.
"I think..." He pauses to kiss her lips "...your boyfriend..." her cheek "...has another..." the side of her neck "...surprise for you."
Y/N's eyes fly open immediately. "Another?"
"The last one." He holds up one finger between the tips of their noses. "I haven't given you a present yet."
Without warning, he picks her up, causing her to squeal in surprise. With her legs around his waist, arms around his neck, he carries her out of the kitchen.
"Does receiving 'this present' requires physical activities?" Y/N jokingly asks, whereas Harry looks dead serious.
"Yes, baby, it does." He furrows his eyebrows, staring at her lips. "But you'll have to put 'my present' on first, so I can take it off later."