♬ ✥*
Serenity.
Rain, rain, won't go away.
The storm carried into the next day, but it was not going to rain on my parade. Instead, I pulled out my rain boots, my favourite umbrella, and took a calming walk with River in the morning.
I'd told him the plan I had for Harry, and he just laughed at me while we strolled through the nearby park. In result, I playfully hit him on the shoulder, which caused for a fake injury. It didn't matter, though, when I linked my arm through his own, and leaned my head upon it.
Because of the heavy rain, a couple of my students couldn't make it to their class, so I cancelled it for the week. So instead, Riv and I went to Mars' little shop, helped her around for a couple of hours; and by that, I meant I let my two friends mingle together while I actually assisted the customers.
When it came time for me to leave, I left them together, and went to get ready to meet with Harry. I was in a plain shirt and yoga pants, and it wasn't exactly the best way to enter a prestigious company. Switching into more professional, yet fashionable, clothes, I headed out the door; of course, making sure that I cuddled with Luna a little bit beforehand. She was my good luck charm.
Today, I decided to pop my contacts in, seeing as it would be the best thing for what I had planned. What made everything even more exciting was that the main man, himself, did not know a single thing about it.
Last night when Harry messaged me, I was a bit taken back by even receiving it. River and I had just finished watching a movie when my phone lit up. He only saw the name and gave me a knowing smirk, before ushering me into my bedroom. All I could do was let out a laugh before shoving him away.
Flicking on the switch to my fairy lights, I settled comfortably in bed. I stared at the message on the screen, trying not to read much into it — but I wouldn't be me if I didn't. Harry loved to get things done on the spot, yet somehow he messaged me instead of calling.
And for that sake alone, made me respond to him the way I did.
But the fact he replied to me as soon as I sent the texts, assured me that he was waiting for my reply.
I could only picture him, sitting at his desk, jacket off, the tie long gone, exhausted from whatever day he'd had.
It still just confused me, why message me regarding that topic?
Just why?
It was the same question that left circling in my mind ever since last night.
"Afternoon, Iris. Boss in?" I questioned her as soon as she came into view. A smile was on her face in greeting.
There was one more thing I noticed that was strange that on any day I was scheduled to come in, a particular person was always in the elevator with me.
The security guard who Harry called for when he 'threw me out.'
At first, I thought it was a coincidence; but when I saw him again, something told me that he was there for a purpose.
Yet again, just why?
"When is he not?" She laughed.
"Swell. Can I pop in?"
"Sure thing. Go right on ahead."
"Thanks."
Slowly, I walked over to his office, doing the exact same thing I'd done multiple times before. The scene I saw was no different — including his colourless attire.
"Afternoon, H," I said with a wide smile, presenting myself in the room.
He looked up from his desk, fierceness in his narrowed eyes. It wasn't anything new — only his very welcoming and friendly greeting. I loved it, really.
"Do you know how to fucking knock?" His tone was just as aggressive as his expression, as he forcefully slammed his pen down on his desk.
"I did. You said to come in, but probably because your nose is way into whatever those files are, that you didn't even notice." I gave a sly grin, which did not impress him.
"Why are you here?"
"We have a 4 o'clock, remember? It's on your schedule. We also had a lengthy text convo the last night. So shall we?" I said, not commenting on the fact that he hadn't replied to me. I knew he saw the message, but probably refused to believe any of it — or I was wrong.
I guessed that time would only tell.
"We shall." He let out a deep sigh, grumbling about something while getting up. He slid on his suit jacket, adjusted his tie, grabbed his phone, and sunglasses.
With a hand, he gestured me to walk in front of him — a gentleman. How cute.
"Iris, there are some incomplete files on my desk. I need those finished by this evening and send them by email so I can sign them. Confirm that Pemberton gets them, and schedule a video conference with him for tomorrow at nine. I'd like you to join in, taking the notes of the next —"
"What did lunch ever do anything to you?" I interrupted, and he turned towards me with a glare. "What? I mean, do you even eat it?"
"No, and —"
"Just because you don't eat it, doesn't mean that the rest of the world doesn't."
"What are you on about? It wouldn't be lun—"
"Toronto is three hours ahead, therefore twelve, therefore noon, therefore lunch."
"How'd you know that Pemberton is in Toronto?"
"I told you, I did my research." A smile was on my face, which grew wider when I saw his nostrils begin to flare in frustration.
"Fuck, fine. Schedule the meeting for ten..." he paused, turning his focus away from Iris to me, "...does that work, Miss Hayes?"
"It's not my lunchtime, but sure." I grinned. His eyes shut tightly before he pinched the bridge of his nose in fury.
I looked at Iris, who was quietly snickering, but as soon as Harry's gaze went back to her, that expression dropped from 60-0.
"Sorry, Mr Styles."
"Miss Murphy, please attempt to keep your amused self a little more discrete."
"Will do, Mr Styles."
"Let's go, Miss Hayes," he said, gesturing me to follow him.
"Oh, so I'm allowed to enter the fancy elevator now."
"It's a one-time thing, Miss —" he paused as I gave him a soft glare before he sighed. "Serenity. Why do you hate being called by your surname?"
"I don't hate it. It's just too formal, and we're on a first-name basis, so why over complicate things?"
"Fair point," he understood, nodding once.
"Come on, let's go, Harry. We've got to burn rubber and get to the event. Chop, chop!" I said, clapping my hands, and he just shook his head at my enthusiasm.
If only he knew.
When the elevator doors opened, yet again, he let me go in first, then pressed on the main floor button before they slid back closed. Silently, I began to count but was definitely aware when Harry moved over slightly so that the back of his hand grazed my own. My heart fluttered at the gesture, and it warmth flooded throughout my entire body. The smallest smile curled on my lips that I lost track of which number I was on.
Once we left the confined space, he led us outside towards his car, stopping when someone at the entrance handed him an umbrella. He opened it for the both of us and made sure to move as quickly as we could, because of the rain. The tap never stopped from earlier, as it went from heavy rain to a downpour.
We found a man in his mid-years standing beside the rear door. A subtle grin tugged at his lips, but was visible to me, as the angle Harry stood at, he couldn't see it.
"Miss Hayes, this is my driver, Archie," he introduced me when we reached him.
It was then that I started to notice Harry only called me by my last name when there were other people around us. It seemed like he wanted to hide his lack of professionalism, or that he preferred to keep it casual just between us — to keep it friendly.
And that appeared new to him.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Hayes," he spoke, a soft tone was heard in his voice — almost fatherly.
"Likewise, and please, call me Serenity," I replied, raising my hand so he could shake it. He almost seemed surprised by my action, but accepted nonetheless.
"As you wish."
I believed I lost count how many times Harry let me go in front of him. I supposed that it was truly a gentleman quality he had that lived within him — that he was taught it.
Harry asked one question, only to confirm if his driver got the address of our destination — which, of course, he did.
When we were both seated comfortably in the vehicle, I saw a glimpse of Archie's eyes looking at me in the rearview mirror. Our view met, and he gave me a single nod which seemed of utter happiness. I was positive that I wasn't the only woman that was in Harry's car, after all, he was a businessman. However, from the looks I was receiving, it almost made it appear that I was the first.
There was something strange happening and I wasn't sure if it was for me — or for Harry.
The drive remained silent as we navigated through the city, and slightly outside of it. From the corner of my eye, I could see Harry alternating between checking emails and glancing out the window. His brows were furrowed the entire time as I studied his face.
He was an absolutely beautiful man. I'd obviously seen him many times, but I could never get enough of actually looking at him.
"We're at..." Harry paused when he realised where we were, his brows furrowed in perplexity — and that only amused me. "...your studio?"
"You've got a great eye there, H. You get a gold star for your ability to acknowledge reality."
"Seren—" he started, clearly unaware that he was even calling me by my first name — so I interrupted him.
"Thank you, Archie. Mr Styles will see you again in two hours," I called out to the driver, giving me a nod in reply, before wishing me a goodbye. "Come on now. We've got things to learn and things to do."
Opening the door, I grabbed hold of his hand, physically pulling him out of the car. I moved to unlock the studio, having Harry follow me as I flicked on the lights, illuminating my favourite space.
"What are we doing here?" He questioned, once we were stood in the middle of the large space.
"The day you agreed to invest, you mentioned that you have two left feet, yeah?"
"I don't understand what that has anything to do with what we're doing here."
"You really are oblivious sometimes." My brows lifted in surprise and let out an amused laugh. "We're here to dance."
"Dance?"
"It's not a foreign word, Harry. You know, dance? The ability to move your body in a rhythm with certain steps." It was evident that I was incredibly entertained by his puzzled expression. It seemed like I was telling him we were cliff jumping. "I'm teaching you how to do the regular slow dance."
"Why?"
"And then I'm teaching you how to do the tango," I continued, ignoring his question. I knew that it wouldn't be today, but I felt like keeping him in the dark for a bit.
"Isn't that a complex dance or something?"
"You studied your masters in five years, so learning how to tango in two hours — give or take — shouldn't be too hard. What do you think, eh? You can do it," I said, knowing it wasn't quite equal to be compared.
His brows furrowed, yet again, at my statement, before he responded, "I don't think that's a fair comparison."
"Yeah, well, life's hard, get a helmet." I was incredibly tempted to flick him across the forehead like I always did to Charlie, but I decided against it.
"Says the ballerina," he spoke, almost in a menacing tone.
"Watch it, Styles." I pointed a firm finger, with narrow eyes. "I can have you on the ground panting in less than ten minutes."
"I go to the gym, I think I can keep up."
His reply was quaint, cute even — it actually made me laugh.
"Doubt it. So don't tempt me."
"I have a dinner meeting in —" he began, but I interrupted.
"Yes, two and a half hours, I know. So..." I neared him, unbuttoning the single button on his suit jacket. I might've invaded his personal space bubble, but I couldn't stop myself. It was the only way to get him to comply.
My gaze lifted up to meet his eyes, only to find that he was looking down at me with the most profound way. It was compelling and mesmerising to be able to be in close distance of his face that was utter perfection. It gave me a chance to see him. To be able to notice every aesthetic element to what his physical charm is all about.
His complexion wasn't entirely smooth, but still appeared it could be baby skin soft. Faint acne scars were scattered all over his face, some hidden underneath stubble that only made me want to graze my fingertips along — along with the small mole nestled near them. Rosy cheeks radiated the warmth his body gave him, proving that he was well and healthy.
Raspberry lips had several cracks in them, but still show perfect imperfections, as he spoke words that could either make or break someone. They parted slightly and I felt the short distanced warm breath against my skin. I couldn't help but look at them, but quickly reverted my focus onto his eyes.
Vibrant emerald gems reflected the bright lights, sparkling even further because of them. Specs of gold dispersed within the hued irises, each carrying its own novel. As a tree's bark has lines proving their age, these treasured dots held stories, ones that would take years to be told. All of his emotions and tales lived inside the boundaries of two rich and vivid rings.
There was one thing that I noticed surrounding them, something that I never saw before — and I wasn't going to comment on it just yet. He seemed insecure about it and hid it very well; it was something that I came to grow, adapt, and accept with my beauty in every day I lived.
An awkward cough escaped his lips, breaking both of us out of the trance we were kept in. My own breath hitched at the realisation of how close we actually were — and for some strange reason, it didn't feel entirely wrong.
But he was my investor and nothing more.
I gave a tight smile as he struggled to show the same. Continuing my previous action, I hooked my thumbs under the dark fabric, as I slid the jacket off his shoulders. He took over, then handed it to me.
"So?" he asked quietly.
"So, what?"
"You were saying something, and you never finished."
"Oh, right. Um, I was saying that we should get started..." I trailed off before mumbling to myself, "...I think."
Walking over to the barre, I gently folded his jacket along it. When I turned back around, I saw that his gaze still held that same intense power.
Will he stop doing that?
I made my way back to him, and stood in a similar position as I was before, but kept a slightly larger distance.
"Alright, put your hand on my waist here, and hold my hand," I said, moving to place his hands where they should belong. I raised my left hand gently on his shoulder, tightening my grasp on our joined hands. I could feel his nerves through the sweat escaping his palm.
As soon as I met his gaze again, I noticed his eyes closed slightly and his nose scrunching. He suddenly moved back and sneezed — twice.
I'd never seen someone sneeze in such a cute way. So precious.
"Don't use that excuse now and say you're allergic to me. That only worked in junior high," I spoke with a laugh, but it only ended up in him sneezing again. "You okay?"
"I'm not normally —" Again, his words were interrupted by another sneeze. By now, his nose was slightly pink, and his voice was a bit stuffy. "Do you have any pets?"
"I have a cat, why?"
"I'm allergic to cats, not deathly, just —" And another sneeze.
"Oh, okay," I said, biting my bottom lip. "I have a change of clothes in my office. They're freshly washed. Maybe they'll be better."
He just nodded in response, catching his breath. Quickly, I dashed into my office and changed into a pair of leggings and an oversized shirt. I grabbed a box of Kleenex and made my way back out to the studio.
I held it out to him, expecting him to just take hold of a single tissue, but he grabbed the whole box.
I didn't understand how his body never reacted this way just minutes prior, or when we were sitting right next to each other, hands held tightly, in the elevator. What was it about those two moments that he never sneezed?
Harry excused himself to go wash his hands. A minute later, he came back with a nose that was bright red. He scrunched it a few times before he spoke with a stuffy voice, "Sorry."
"It's okay. Wanna try again and see if it's better now?" I asked softly, and he nodded. It came to a slight shock to me that he didn't nix the idea entirely, calling it out and saying how it was my fault he acted like that. He actually wanted to attempt it once more.
He moved back into the position I'd explained before, holding onto me gently. Harry didn't move any further or say anything, testing his own physical response; and when everything deemed to be okay, the tiniest curl on the corner of his lips formed — but disappeared just as quick as it arrived.
"What's next?"
"Well, your posture is pretty much perfect, so no need to work on that," I said with a small chuckle. "Okay, so you're going to take one step to the right with your right foot, then one with your left."
He took one large step, and I didn't realise how far he was going, which resulted in him stepping on my foot. I winced from the pain but shook it off.
"I'm shit at this," he complained, trying to pull away, but I only held on tighter with a chuckle.
"You literally took one step. Try it again, just make the distance a bit smaller," I encouraged softly, then laughed at a realisation. "You know, if you were going to take such a large step, I would've suggested starting off with the tango."
He glared at me, though with slight confusion, not understanding what I was actually saying.
"Put that scowl away, Mr Styles."
"How can I when you're not that good of a teacher, Miss Hayes."
"Oh? Is that what you think, eh?" I raised a brow, and he challenged me with a single nod. "Listen to what I'm saying, follow along, and learn. It's not rocket science."
"Seems like it," he muttered, and I huffed.
"Am I going to have to lead?" I said, taking him by surprise.
"Fuck no."
"Great, so open those cute little ears of yours, and listen."
"Fine."
"And if you think that you can leave early, you're dreaming H. I made sure that your driver doesn't show up on time, even if you called him."
"You've really thought this through, haven't you?"
"I sure ha—" I started, but was interrupted by pain on my toes, navigating up my toes. I looked down, then back up to see a smug grin on his face. "Not funny."
"I did nothing." He simple shrugged innocently.
Yeah, right.
"Take off your shoes. I'm barefoot, that's not fair."
"But you said —"
"Shoes, Mr Styles. Don't make me tell you again."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"I'll wear stilettos while you're barefoot. I have some in my office. Don't think it'll be nice for Mr CEO to show up to work with broken toes. What do you think?"
"Infuriating."
"I know. I've been told."
An hour in, we'd 'mastered' the basic steps, which I knew I'd have bruises on my feet in the morning. We tried a couple of spins, which resulted in my crashing into his chest multiple times — not soft at all. It was supposed to be a slow dance, but Harry was creating a whole new meaning for it. There's no actual possibility for someone to be that bad at learning how to do it. I've done it many times before, but Harry had officially turned the name to 'lethal dance'.
After several tries, we finally managed to have some progress — and I actually saw the smallest smile tug at his lips at his success; but as usual, it was gone quicker than I could blink.
Before I could continue my thoughts, I was surprised with a move that I hadn't even expected.
He dipped me.
His hands were in the correct positions, one holding onto my lower back, and the other still tight on my own. My leg was slightly in the air, and the balance was perfect.
The only difference was that the distance between us was even closer than before. I could feel the warmth of his breath directly on my lips. His emerald eyes were locked on mine, studying me, and no force could remove such a powerful gaze. I could tell that something was going on in his mind and that he wasn't planning on making any advance towards me. I could tell that there was a war of confusion happening, and I let him have that for a few more seconds.
When I blinked, he did the same, slowly pulling us backwards to stand vertical.
"You did well," I spoke softly, breaking our silence.
"I suppose the teacher isn't as bad as I thought."
"You only had to give her a proper chance."
"I took a risk."
"It worked well the first time..." I paused, debating whether or not to say more — which I did, "...at least, I hope."
"It did," he said with the tiniest of smiles.
"You have a dinner meeting."
"I know." He nodded. "I'll see you again?"
"You can't get rid of me that easy, Harry." I grinned.
"Oh, I know." A short laugh escaped his lips — a melodic sound it was.
"Good luck on whatever you have next."
"Um, thanks." He seemed puzzled by my simple comment. It was almost as if no one had ever told him that in a long time.
Deciding to push the awkward mood away, I walked over to where his jacket was and handed it back to him. His shoes returned where they belonged, then swiftly put the jacket on with such ease — it was mesmerising. We then made our way to the entrance, seeing Archie parked out front, the door opened as he stood beside it holding an umbrella.
"Bye, Harry," I said with a smile.
"Bye, Serenity," he replied with a single wave, then headed towards the vehicle. A firm nod was given to his driver before he entered the car.
I stood by the doors, watching as he drove off, and there was only one thing that crossed my mind.
There was so much more to Harry than meets the eye.
...
A/N:
First things first, sorry if I confused you based on the song's chapter title. They do not kiss. A bit too early for that, don't you think? It's a beautiful song, though. Thought it fit it perfectly.
Who guessed right for Serenity's plans?
And what do you think is going on in Harry's mind?
What other thoughts did you like about the chapter? Or if you liked it at all, I'd love to know!
Please press on that little star on the chapter, I mean, it only takes a millisecond. They're nice gifts.
Kissy, stay golden, and TPWK!
And another three important things, STAY INDOORS, WASH YOUR HANDS, AND SOCIAL DISTANCE!
S x