Neely's POV:
Playfully kissing on Harry all over and him tickling me, we both finally fell asleep. As for me, I dozed on and off with my headache and eventually got up when I found Harry was gone again and there was a noise coming from downstairs.
"Harry?"
"Down here!" he called back, but something sounded different. Walking into the kitchen, he was standing at the stove, shirtless in a pair of shorts.
"Did you cut your hair?" I laughed as he turned around. His torso was bare. What the hell?
"What happened to your tattoos? What the hell?" I knew this all had to be a dream.
"I'm Edward," he smiled, identical to Harry. "Harry's twin." Watching as Harry came from the living room with a plate in his hands and a chuckle, I felt dizzier and more confused than I had when I woke up.
"Morning, love," Harry beamed and I could've fainted just on the fact he called me love. "I see you've met my brother."
"This is so freaky," I chuckled, staring at the two like a child in an aquarium.
"He has all the tattoos," Edward smiled. "Just keep that in mind when you wanna shower with him." I harshly blushed and looked down at my feet.
"Hey," Harry warned, shaking his head no. "Do you want something to eat?" Other than you? No.
"Is breakfast made already?" I asked, trying to control my inner urges.
"Edward, Louis, and I made pancakes, bacon, and eggs. There's plenty left." Handing me a plate and fork, I took one pancake from the stack, two strips of bacon, and a spoonful of eggs, lightly drizzling syrup over the pancake.
"Are you not gonna eat anymore than that? You're a tall girl, fast metabolism and all," Edward commented and I felt the urge to not even eat what I had in front of me.
"I don't eat very much," I chuckled awkwardly as Harry sat a glass of orange juice and two pills in front of me.
"Eat, you'll feel better," he smiled. (Potter heads: Lupin said this when he gave Harry the chocolate. I'm weird, I know.) I only nodded and took a small bite of egg and pancake together before taking the Tylenol he sat in front of me.
"So how long have you and Harry been together?" Edward asked, sipping on something that looked more than just orange juice and I almost spit mine out.
"W-we we we're n-"
"We're not together," Harry replied quickly.
"Hm?" he nodded. "You lot look oddly domestic not to be together. Are you still in college?" Harry looked at me with wide eyes and I'd lied about being in college loads of times before.
"Yeah. We were gonna try it out, but I'm so far away, it just didn't work," I lied seamlessly.
"Where do you go to Uni?"
"University of Tennessee, Knoxville," I beamed. That was my dream school ever since I was four years old. I'd only dreamed about the day I'd get to play for Pat Summitt until she got diagnosed in 2012 with Alzheimer's and Holly Warlick took over. I was still keeping my fingers crossed.
"You've got to play basketball," he laughed.
"I do."
"That's amazing. If I didn't live in England, I'd come see you play."
"Thanks," I laughed awkwardly. Finishing my food, I sat my plate in the sink and walked back up the stairs, hoping Harry would follow for some fun.
"Hey," he whispered, his hands at my waist. Turning around, my lips feverishly met his and I locked my arms around his neck. Judge all you want, but I was an under loved, under sexed teenager.
"I need you," I whispered against his lips, slightly tugging on his hair before moving down and placing kisses on his neck.
"Neely," he pleaded. "I know- I know you think you want me, but you're not level right now."
"I want you," I moaned, hoping he'd finally give in. "I want you inside me. I have since the first time I saw you. I wanna feel you come undone. I want you to rock me. (an: lol don't kill me plz.)" Running my hands over his clothed torso, down to his pants, I palmed him firmly, feeling that he was already solid.
"I knew you want me too." I didn't think I was being very sexy, but it seemed to be working for him. Pulling my arms from his neck and holding my wrists in each of his hands gently, he took a step back.
His breathing was labored and he swallowed before he spoke, "I know that you're going through things right now. You're looking for a distraction and you think hopping into bed with me is it. Yes, I am very physically attracted to you, but you're so much more that that, Neely. I'm not some high school boy that is gonna leave you. You're worth so much more than just sex." I had never thought of it like that before.
"And believe me," he sighed. "I want to, I really want to, but you're so much more than that and deserve something special, so I think we should just hold off on that for right now. All in due time, darling, all in due time." I had never been more embarrassed in my entire life. Here I was, standing in front of him like a Cheetah in heat, wanting him to take me with every fiber of my being and he was showing me respect I hadn't gotten from a guy since my father died.
"Um," I cleared my throat, unable to make eye contact with him any longer. "I'm gonna take a shower." My voice came out a whisper and I walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me as my cheeks continued to heat up and my heart beat hard and fast in my chest. How could I have been so stupid?
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After washing all of the embarrassment away and getting dressed back in my own clothes, I tried to steer clear of Harry. Unfortunately, he found me.
"Hey, I'm gonna run to the store, do you want anything?" My dignity back.
"I'm good," I shrugged. Hearing Harry leave, I sighed as flashes of the show I was pretending to watch filled the tv screen.
"Alright," Louis sighed, plopping next to me. "Tell Tommo what's wrong."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I had built a dam that was slowly cracking.
"You look like someone just told you you're short," he teased. "What's wrong, love? I know it has something to do with our Harry." Our Harry? He was my Harry.
"Sorry, your Harry," he smiled. I was about to speak and he held up a finger. "I know how it is love, he's yours."
"We're not even in a relationship," The dam had finally busted. "He's so kind and respectful and nice and cute and funny and smart and I don't know what the fuck to do because he scaresthehelloutofmeandhe'ssuperhotandIwannafuckhimbuthewantstowaitbecausehe'ssocuteandniceandI'm crazy," I blurted out as fast as I could.
"How much do you know about his past?"
"Like,nothing."
"Well, he had a girlfriend, Elizabeth. You would've thought they were the quintessential power couple. Everyone in our school thought they were gonna make it forever. Harry worshipped the ground she walked on and he was the first girl he ever loved. Voted prom king and queen junior and senior year, everything on the surface seemed perfect. Harry was gonna propose to her on graduation. We'd set everything up to be perfect, lights, candles, the whole show. She showed up, Harry proposed," Louis sighed, getting slightly choked up.
"And she said no. She told him that their entire relationship was a lie, she never loved him and he was just a weak coward." I couldn't believe what I had heard. How could anyone ever treat him like that?
"After that, he was guarded heavier than The White House. He politely refused anyone that came onto him and stopped giving people so many things. I hadn't seen him genuinely smile until he met you and started this new job. You have an effect on him and if he didn't like you in some way, shape, or form, he wouldn't keep you around. Although he might not want to have sex with you now, it doesn't mean he doesn't think you're fuckable." I didn't even think I was fuckable.
"With Harry, when he's opening up, he's like a small child in a dark room. You've got to coax him out gently and hold him tight until the shivers and tears go away. You've got to help him realize that just because one monster got to him, doesn't mean everyone's a monster."
"How do I do that?" I asked eagerly.
"Just be there for him. Be gentle with him and he'll come around. There's a teddy bear under all those tattoos. Trust me."