Harry's perspective.
Shit. I knew I should have asked my assistant to stock the fridge before I got back. I'm not convinced that offering Maddie a very questionable-looking banana and what I think might have been a kale smoothie once upon a time, but now resembles a bottle of congealed green goo with some sort of weird white fuzz on the top, is going to entice her into bed with me, or give her enough energy for what I have planned either.
It's too late for pizza, damn, looks like I'm going to have to make a run to the local twenty-four-hour Tescos around the corner. Of course, no sooner have I come to this conclusion than I hear the familiar buzzing of my intercom system indicating that she's here. Deciding it's best to be a gentleman, I grab an umbrella from the stand by the front door and run out to the gate to meet her.
After three weeks of spending practically every spare moment I've had - when I've not been sleeping, with my arms wrapped around this woman, you'd think I'd have gotten more acclimatised to her by now and that I wouldn't find my heart racing and my palms sweating at the simple sight of her in jeans and a hoodie, climbing out of a cab outside my front gate, but apparently not.
As she straightens herself up, I hurry to position the umbrella over her long brown hair which is whipping around her face in the wind and as her bright blue eyes catch mine in the glow from the interior light of the cab I actually have to take a second to remind myself to breathe.
It's kind of daunting how heavily I've managed to fall for her so fast, no amount of time with her ever seems to be enough. The moment she's gone from my side I miss her like crazy, and I spend pretty much all my time – excepting when I'm on stage of course – counting the minutes until I can kiss her again or writing out little verses of my favourite poetry to slip into her hand before soundcheck.
I feel like some little kid with his first crush, not a grown man who's had his fair share, - alright, maybe a couple of people's fair share - of partners. And it's not just because she's gorgeous or because the sex is great, although obviously, I am not complaining about either of those added bonuses! She's also talented and kind and thoughtful, and hellishly sarcastic and quick-witted.
No matter how tired I am or what a bad day I've had, I can always count on her to make me smile. It can get really quite lonely touring the world alone, I know I have my band around me, but honestly? I'm used to travelling packed into close quarters with three or four other lads. Always having someone to play videos games with, or kick a football around with when there's time to kill before a show. Or even someone to go get a drink with or just relax and watch a movie with afterwards. The first leg of my solo tour was a real adjustment, but this time around, with Maddie... I guess I don't feel so alone anymore.
"Are you hungry?" I ask Maddie quickly after greeting her with a chaste kiss,
"Erm, a bit yeah, the meal they served us on the flight was disgusting, so I didn't attempt to force much of it down. You?" She replies
"Yeah a bit, the problem is, I've got nothing in the house. Fancy a quick trip to Tescos?"
"What, now?" she asks, her eyebrows raising and her nose wrinkling up as she looks around at the deluge of rain coming down around us.
"Well, it's either that or a mouldy banana..."
"Tescos it is then." she agrees quickly with a smile.
I debate getting the car out for all of about two seconds before I decide that by the time I've located the keys, unlocked the garage and navigated around the one-way system, Maddie and I could have walked pretty much there and back already. Stowing her suitcase and bag in the front entrance and out of the rain, I grab a jacket, and we make our way through the dark, deserted London streets.
"Ew. You cannot seriously be considering having THAT at this time of night?" Maddie asks me, looking pointedly at the large bag of kale in my hand and wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Ha! No, this is for breakfast, so I can make a smoothie. But you're one to talk about shopping choices! Is there anything other than sugar in that basket?" I question her, rifling through the contents of the metal basket in her hands and spotting nothing but chocolate and sweets.
"Well... erm... no. Not yet anyways! But that's just because I haven't reached the crisps aisle!" she admits, staring up at me from under her long eyelashes with her wide innocent eyes. "Besides, if you're going to make me eat THAT in the morning, then I need to line my stomach tonight." She adds with yet another look of disgust at the defenceless bag of kale.
"It's good for you!" I try and defend my purchase. Generally, I try and eat healthily most of the time, but even more so when I'm on tour, it's practically impossible to find the energy to dance around a stage all night if you're full of chocolate and heavy crap, and honestly? After a while, I stopped even really missing it.
"Seeing as you like it so much, how about I get myself a nice pastry for the morning and leave all the kale just for you?" Maddie teases me, flashing me a quick smile before darting around the corner of the aisle and disappearing from my sight.
We seem to spend an amazingly long time wandering around Tescos, especially considering that the entire shop only consists of about ten small aisles. Still, every time I think we're done, Maddie will suddenly think of something else that she just has to have and skip off in search of it.
By the time we reach the counter, the basket is full to the brim, and I am cradling several bags of crisps, popcorn and pastries that wouldn't fit in it, in my arms.
"Do you need a ba.." The shop assistant's question dies on her lips as I heave our purchases onto the till and I know I've been made.
Given that this shop is around the corner from my house, I come in here fairly often, and most of the staff are used to me popping in now and don't make a fuss about it, but the young woman manning the till tonight looks to be all of about twenty-one, maybe twenty-two, and I'm guessing she's new as I don't recognise her. Not a problem she's had as she's clearly recognised me, despite the beanie hat pulled low on my head and the large jacket that I've got done up practically to my ears.
"Oh my goodness, your.. your.." she stutters, and I smile back at her happily.
"Harry." I supply, as the poor girl looks like she's going to have an aneurysm if she keeps trying to force my name out of her own mouth.
"H-Harry.. oh my god. I mean, I knew you lived around here of course, but I never thought that you'd come in here on my shift... This is, I mean well, it's just... you're amazing." she blurts out in one long drawn out breath.
"Thank you, that's very kind," I say as I help myself to a bag from next to the counter and open it up, ready to pack the shopping into.
Maddie, who is clearly not quite sure what to say or do, follows suit and we both patiently wait for the cashier to start scanning our items. After a minute or so, it's clear that she's not going to without a bit of a nudge.
"Erm, it's great to meet you, Chloe," I say reading the name tag on her blue Tescos polo shirt. "But do you think maybe you could scan the shopping through for me? It's getting kind of late, and I had a really long flight."
"Oh, of course! Sorry! You just got back from Japan, right? Me and my friends have been following your tour on Twitter, the suit that you wore in Bangkok was amazing by the way." Chloe says, still not scanning my shopping. Urgh.
"Thanks. Erm, the shopping?" I try again, and she finally picks up the first of the many items shoved onto the till and scans it through. It seems to take her an absolute age to get through all the shopping.
I'm not sure if that's because she's purposefully taking her time or because of the sheer volume of stuff we're buying, but I can almost feel the tension radiating from Maddie as the minute's tick by. This isn't what I want to be doing with our evening either, I think to myself as I tug my wallet out of my back pocket and place my debit card into the chip and pin machine.
"Do you think, sorry, I know this is totally inappropriate and my boss would just kill me if he found out, but on the other hand my friends will kill me if I don't ask so, do you think I could maybe get a picture with you?" Chloe asks, and I feel my shoulders deflate.
"Erm, could we maybe do it another time Chloe? Sorry it's just, it's nearly three O-clock in the morning, and I'm soaked, and we'd really like to get home." I say indicating Maddie at my side who Chloe has pointedly ignored for the entire five-plus minutes that we've been standing at the cash register.
"Oh, right, sure. Sorry. If you could just enter your pin." she says, noticeably disappointed and her face falls.
It's not that I'm trying to be a dick or anything, but selfies are one of my least favourite things at the best of times, but in the early hours of the morning after a twelve-hour flight, I really can't think of anything worse, to be honest.
"Hopefully I'll see you in here again, Harry? Or maybe, maybe I could give you my number, and we could go and get a drink sometime?" She says out of nowhere as I am picking up the shopping bags. I don't have to look at Maddie to know that her jaw is hanging wide open at the audacity of this girl asking me out right in front of her.
"Thanks but I'm spoken for," I tell her, and transfer the shopping bags into one hand so that I can reach out and take Maddies in the other. Giving it a light, reassuring squeeze as I do so before heading back out into the rain.
"You didn't have to do that you know, I mean, we've not even really spoken much about what we're doing here, other than that first night... I don't expect you to, what I mean is we aren't..." Maddie trails off.
Thankfully the rain has slowed to an almost unnoticeable drizzle by the time we head back outside, and so I don't have to let go of her hand to hold up the umbrella. Stopping suddenly, I pull on Maddie's hand and turn her around until she is facing me under the orange glow of a nearby street light and look deep into her eyes.
"Trouble, whatever you think we aren't? We are. I'm in far too deep to turn back now. I don't want anyone else. As far as I'm concerned, I am one hundred percent yours." I tell her honestly and bend slightly to place a soft kiss on her pouty pink lips.
For a second she just stands there not reacting, a little stunned by my words maybe? Did I go too far? Just as I am about to pull away, I feel her push herself up on her toes and kiss me back. Sliding her tongue between my lips and my whole body relaxes, it feels as natural as breathing.
"Come on Mr Styles, take me back to your palace already, I seem to remember you promising me something on the phone, and I'm really looking forward to it!" Maddie says after we break our kiss, making me chuckle.
"Oh yeah? If I'd have known you were that eager, I would have made good on my offer before we came to get food." I say playfully as we start walking back in the direction of my house.
"Eager? I can't wait! I mean, it was so much fun the last time!" she exclaims excitedly, and I glance over at her confused, not really what you'd expect someone to say about sex. Not sure if that's a compliment or not really.
"Erm, well thanks I guess, although I hope it was a little more than just fun?" I venture hopefully,
"You're right, it was awesome! I can't wait to see your face when I beat you again!"
"Wait, what?" I ask her, utterly confused at this point. Sure I made sure she came first, but surely she can't be referring to that??
"At Call of Duty silly! What did you think I meant?" she asks me, her beautiful face the picture of innocence and I can't help but laugh out loud.