Harry's POV
Today's the day - moving day! Although Avery and I have basically been living together for a few months, it's been on and off between apartments and I'm excited to just start fresh with her in a new place we can call home. It's a nice place, having everything we could possibly need. Bedrooms for guests, our own master with a beautiful master bath and a private balcony, our own patio to entertain on, and most importantly, lots of character. We'll need to spice it up to make it our own, but that'll be the fun part.
I stretch my legs a bit and run my fingers against Avery's tummy, where they're currently positioned. She's still asleep, rightfully so, considering our alarm hasn't gone off yet that's set for 6:30. The movers will be here at 8, but she wanted to be up and moving well before then to finish packing some stuff. I don't know why I always wake up so early. I think it's kind of an anxiety thing, especially on busy days. I don't want to accidentally sleep too long and miss something.
I close my eyes and continue to lay and hold Av, playing with her hair. She's sleeping so peacefully, which makes me happy, since she used to have nightmares there for a while. Things are better now, though.
Another 10 or so minutes go by, before the alarm set on my phone starts blaring obnoxiously. Avery groans and I immediately reach behind me to turn it off, the light on my phone screen being way too bright for my likings right about now.
Avery turns to face me, eyes tired as she gives me a sweet smile before nestling her head into my neck. We both fell asleep last night stark naked, after deciding we wanted to have sex one last time in our room before we move.
"Morning, angel," I say quietly, brushing my fingers through her hair.
"Mm good morning. How'd you sleep?" She mumbles against my skin, kissing the area lightly.
"Good, thank you. I've been awake for 20 or so minutes, just very excited for the day I guess. How'd you sleep?"
"I'm glad. I slept like a baby, I was so exhausted from all the last minute packing, but I'm glad we didn't leave any for today," she says while lifting her head up to look at me, eyes looking tired.
"Mmm me too," I mumble against her skin after placing a light kiss to her neck.
"Our last day waking up here," I remind her after a moment, and she sighs and rolls over fully so that her body's parallel to mine.
"Hey now. You're gonna make me sad and emotional when this is supposed to be a happy time," she pouts, and I chuckle.
"Oh my little pisces, you. Always so emotional," I chuckle, and she scoffs.
"Oh whatever. We just have so many memories here, is all," she says, pouting.
"I know, baby, I know. But we're going to make so many new ones in our new place. It'll be a fresh start," I tell her, petting the back of her hair. She smiles at this, nodding.
"Yeah, we will. I'm excited."
"Good, me too. Now, we're you gonna get in the shower before the movers come? I can pack up the bedding and go grab us coffee and some breakfast," I offer, and she nods against me.
"Yes, sounds perfect. I'm gonna need lots of caffeine to get through today," she says, and I laugh.
"I can second that."
*
Jeff offered to help us with the whole moving process, which I initially declined since moving is such a huge pain in the ass and I didn't want him to feel like he had to, but he insisted multiple times, so I gave in.
Him and Glenne got here at 9, about an hour after the movers arrived. They've been working like crazy, taking apart and packing up all our expensive furniture. I've offered multiple times to help them, but have realized it's best if we just stay out of the way. Avery and I have made ourselves busy moving the smaller boxes full of clothes, décor, plates and bowls, all that good stuff.
"Hey H, can you help me with this one?" Avery calls while I'm talking with Jeff, nudging a bigger box.
Glenne gets up from her seat, reaching down.
"Hey, hey, hey. That's where I draw the line. Jeff can break a sweat if he wants, but I'd really prefer if you didn't," I say, and she huffs. Jeff laughs, but nods in agreement.
"I just want to help, I'm barely pregnant, and the box can't be that heavy," she snickers, before Jeff interferes.
"Come on babe, we talked about this. I know you want to help, but it would be more helpful to us if you just rested. Don't want you to accidentally overdo it," he says, and she huffs, before nodding.
"I agree with them, Glenne. I really appreciate it, but Harry and I can handle this one just to be safe," Avery says with a sweet smile, and Glenne nods.
"Okay. Well if you guys need anything else folded or packed, let me know. That's the least I can do."
"Okay, I'll let you know if I come across something," Avery reassures her, before I help her with the box. It's surprisingly light, but I grunt to make Glenne feel better as if it was super heavy.
After about another 20 trips to and from the moving van, which required going up and down the elevator and hauling shit out from the lobby, we seem to have packed every last thing in this damn apartment.
"You never really realize how much shit you have until you have to move it, do you," I joke and let out a huff, wiping the sweat off my forehead. I lean against the kitchen counter, looking around the empty complex.
"You're so right," Avery laughs, re-tying her hair back up into a smoother ponytail.
"Yeah, we had the same thought when we moved houses in LA. Remember that whole hassle?" Jeff asks, holding onto a tired looking Glenne.
"Oh geez, yeah. That was a lot of work," she chimes in, nodding.
"Hopefully this will be worth it like it was fo you guys. I know you've been staying at your place here lately, but your home in California is beautiful," I say, thinking about how nicely done their house is out there.
"Yeah, for sure. When do you think you'll move back to Cali?" Jeff asks, and I let out a laugh. He loves it there. As much as I do too, I needed a change of scenery. I love LA, and I love the weather there, but there's something about the lifestyle that can get to me sometimes. So many celebrities and entitled rich people make it kind of exhausting at times, especially when you're surrounded in that environment almost every day.
"I dunno, can't even think about that now with all this moving. Maybe someday. I don't know if anytime soon though, especially with Avery's work here," I look over at Avery, who has pursed lips. She shrugs, nodding.
"Yeah, I don't know. I spent my whole life there up until after college. I was just kind of sick of it. I wouldn't be opposed to ever moving back, but H is right, it's hard with my job," she explains, taking a sip of her third iced coffee of the day.
"That makes sense for sure. Until then, you guys have a wonderful new place here in the big apple. Speaking of which, is everything all set here now?" Jeff asks, looking around the empty space.
"I think so, yeah. I can't thank you guys enough for your help, really. It means the world to us," I say sincerely. I don't know what I'd do without Jeffrey in my life, if I'm being honest. He's always there for me no matter what.
"Of course, buddy. I'm glad we could be of any help," he says with a smile.
"Yeah, it's really no problem at all. I don't know if I was much help, but I'm glad I could be here still," Glenne laughs, and we all chuckle.
"You were very helpful Glenne, seriously. Now you guys should seriously get going, you look tired and you're growing a baby human inside of you, so I think that's enough of an excuse for a nap," Avery smiles while walking over towards Glenne, hugging her. She laughs in return, before we all say our final goodbyes and thank you's, walking them to the door.
I shut the door once they leave, leaving just Avery and I. The movers had already left to make their way over to our new place, so we really should wrap it up here soon.
I walk over to Avery, who's standing in the doorway, looking around. I hug her from behind and place my head into her neck, swaying a bit with her in my arms.
"Hi," I mumble into her neck, placing a kiss against the smooth skin beneath my lips.
"Hi," she giggles, holding onto my biceps and caving into my body.
"I love you, miss Collins," I tell her, all of a sudden getting a profound burst of affection for this woman right here.
"I love you too, Mr. Styles," she laughs some more, tilting her head to meet my eyes. I smile and plant a kiss on her cheek, squeezing her tight.
"Glad we're on the same page," I laugh, causing another giggle to fall from her lips.
"Yes, me too. I'd be pretty upset at this point if we weren't, especially considering I've sold all my furniture," she says, turning around and placing her hands around my neck. I laugh heartedly at this, shaking my head.
"Speaking of furniture, we should probably get going. The movers probably have places to be," I say, and she nods.
"Yeah, you're right. Are you ready? Ready to do this?" She asks, and I nod, big smile on my face.
"More than ever. Are you?"
"Absolutely."
*
After another few hours, the movers are just about ready to get wrapped up, and I for one, am exhausted. I can tell Avery is as well, but she's doing her best to keep pushing through the day. She's constantly been hauling boxes and asking the movers if they need anything, almost to the point of them looking at me for her to stop. She's just excited and overly nice, nothing wrong with that.
The new space is beautiful. It's so open and bright, and honestly, a breath of fresh air. The biggest plus is having a huge balcony to entertain on, that was definitely the biggest flaw of my old place. I just never needed it I guess, since I had my place in London and California where I spent most of my time before I met Avery.
It has beautiful wood work throughout both floors, alongside exposed brick, which Av and I both love. It's also right on the lake of Manhattan, so the views are incredible. It almost seems less busy to look out to the water instead of busy busy busy. It just overall has so much more character, and I'm so excited to make it home with Avery.
"Hey man, I think we're about done here. Everything look alright to you? Eric and Mark should be bringing up the last of a few boxes, but they're just labeled clothes, so all the heavy work is done," one of the movers says to me, as I'm unboxing all of our dinnerware and kitchen supplies.
I look around at the furniture that they've helped us set up, and I nod. "Yeah, looks perfect, thanks a lot mate. Let me go grab my wallet," I say with a smile, and he nods.
I walk upstairs and into our new bedroom to see Avery making the bed, her hair tied up in a ponytail. I must admit it'll be quite different having to go up and down the stairs to get to our room, but we'll get used to it.
"Babe, you didn't need to do this, I could've easily made the bed," I say, and she rolls her eyes.
"I'm not useless H, I promise it's no problem. I like helping," she insists, fluffing some pillows before turning around to give me a kiss on the cheek. I smile, my tummy turning in the nervous, excited kind of way.
"Okay. The movers are all done, so I was just gonna pay them and then it'll be just us, if you wanted to come say bye to them with me," I say, and she nods.
"Yes, of course. I'll be out in a sec," she says, and I nod and give her a quick kiss, before grabbing my wallet and heading back down to the main living space.
I pay the head mover guy before giving them some cash, making sure to give them a good tip. They're out here doing some hard labor, they really do deserve it. I can tell the guy is surprised by the way he widens his eyes, but he keeps his cool and thanks me, shaking my hand.
"We really appreciate this, you have no idea," he says, and I smile.
"I'm happy to do it, mate, you guys have been a huge, huge help. Seriously, thank you so much for sticking with us," I say, and he nods.
"Not a problem at all! If you guys find any problem with the way things are arranged and need another hand, feel free to call us again, we're happy to help," he says before handing me his business card. I take it and nod, before Avery comes waltzing down the stairs.
"Leaving so soon?" Avery says, and the guys all laugh.
"Thank you so much for everything, and for putting up with our craziness. Well, my craziness. Today has just been very exciting," she says with a smile, shaking their hands.
"Of course! You two and your friends were a pleasure. Enjoy your new place!" The one says before they all grab their things and we walk them to the door, saying our final goodbyes.
I shut the door and lock it, before turning around and looking at Avery.
"This is crazy," she blurts, smiling ear to ear before jumping into my arms.
I laugh and hug her back, picking her up and spinning around. She wraps her legs around my waist and pulls her head back from my neck, looking at me.
"I know. Do you like it?"
"It's even better than the pictures. I'm obsessed, Harry. Oh, and I'm paying for the water and electric bills each month. No ifs ands or buts," she says, playing with the hair at the nape of my neck. I sigh, not wanting to get into it right now.
"Okay, missy. We'll see about that," I smirk, walking over to the kitchen, placing her on the counter.
She goes to open up her mouth, but I kiss her hard before she can say anything. We haven't been able to properly kiss all day, and it's always an easy way to quiet her money talk.
I really appreciate her wanting to help pay for things, but I'd rather have her save her money. I know it's not up to me what she spends her money on, but I need her to realize that I'm lucky enough to be in a position that money is certainly not a problem for me, and I'm more than happy to pay for our home.
We make out for a little bit before pulling away breathlessly, a small giggle falling from her lips. "You really know how to shut me up, don't you?" She questions, playing with my hair.
I give her another quick kiss, laughing. "Mmhmm. If you really want to pay for something we can discuss that another day, but let's just enjoy our new home for now, okay?"
"Okay, okay. But I'm holding you to that conversation another day," she insists, and I chuckle, nodding.
"Fair enough. Do you want to go out to eat? And then maybe grocery shopping?" I ask, looking down at my watch to see that it's nearly 6pm.
"Sounds good to me, I am pretty hungry," she says, hopping off the counter and stretching. "Let me just go change real quick."
"Okay, I need to change too. Maybe put on some more deodorant too, I'm sure I don't smell too nice," she scoffs at this, laughing.
*
It's a beautiful night, so we are able to enjoy walking around outside a little after dinner. The restaurant we chose wasn't far at all, but we still drove since we're going grocery shopping, so it was nice to get fresh air.
"I cannot wait to cook in our new kitchen," I say as we walk into the big grocery store, grabbing a cart for us.
"Me too, we'll definitely need to make a celebratory breakfast tomorrow," Avery adds, and I nod in agreement.
"Oh for sure. We can have a nice lie in and not worry about getting up early. This weekend will be so nice."
"Yes, except I do want to get as much of the little work and unpacking done as we possibly can before I go back to work on Monday. Also, I was wondering if you wanted to paint some canvases tomorrow? Maybe have a wine and painting night so we can hang them up in our room or something," she suggests, and I smile.
"That is a wonderful idea," I peck her lips, having a burst of adoration for this woman.
"Yay!" She exclaims like a kid in a candy store, making me laugh.
We take our time shopping, stocking up on a lot of food, drinks, alcohol, and most importantly, painting supplies. We got a pack of 6 canvases so we have some for the future, and make sure to grab acrylic paint bottles of every color, and a few packs of different kinds of paint brushes.
I surprisingly only get stopped once to take a picture with a fan, which isn't bad for a long shopping trip. Well, I guess I should reword that. It's never bad to take pictures with fans, I love meeting them, but it is nice sometimes to just have a normal outing.
By the time we get back home it's 10pm, and we are both beyond exhausted. As we are parking in our new garage and pulling grocery bags from the back seat, a younger looking couple walks over to us.
"Did you guys just move in? We saw a moving company here earlier and were wondering who our neighbors were," the woman says with a warm smile.
"Yes we did! I'm Avery, nice to meet you," Avery says, putting a bag down to shake both of their hands.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Nicole, this is my husband Ben," the woman says, gesturing to the man next to her.
"Hi, I'm Harry, pleasure to meet you guys," I say, smiling and shaking their hands.
"Well we know who you are, silly. I dragged Ben over here to a one direction concert a few years back," Nicole laughs, and Ben shakes his head.
"She's right, but it was lots of fun, really," Ben says, laughing. I laugh at this, my cheeks heating up in a little bit of embarrassment. It's always a little awkward when we meet new people and they immediately talk about my music, but I'm pretty used to it. It's humbling, if anything.
"Well I'm glad you guys had fun. Was it here in New York?"
"Yes at the stadium!" Nicole exclaims, pointing behind her in the direction of where the stadium is.
"New York shows are always a blast," I nod, smiling.
"It for sure was. Do you guys need help with your bags? We're just getting back from dinner, and were about to head up ourselves," Ben says kindly.
"Oh no, you guys don't need to. It's no problem, really," Avery says with a smile.
"Oh please, it's the least we could do for you guys! I'm sure you've had a long day," Nicole says, already reaching into the trunk and grabbing bags. Well it seems like she's already made up her mind.
"As long as you don't mind, you really don't need to," I say, and they both shake their heads.
"It's no problem, I promise. We've had an easy day, could use the exercise," Ben says, before helping to grab the last of the bags.
"Well thank you very much, that's really kind of both of you," Avery says as we walk into the lobby, after I close the trunk and lock the car.
"Yes, thanks so much. We're on the third floor, by the way," I say as we all walk into the elevator.
"Oh awesome! We're on the fourth, room 402, if you guys ever want to stop by. I work from home most of the time, and Ben is normally home by 6," Nicole says with a smile.
"That's so sweet! We'll definitely have to take you up on that, I'm also normally home around 6, and Harry isn't on tour right now, so he's normally home too," Avery says as the elevator dings and opens back up to the third floor. There's only 2 apartments on each floor since they're bigger and two stories, so our entrance is right off the elevator.
"Okay! What do you do, Avery?" Nicole asks as I reach in my pocket to search for my keys.
"I'm a journalist for NBC, just started a few months ago. What do you both do?"
"That's awesome! We are actually both realtors, but I'm actually working on my own book right now about home renovating," she responds.
"Oh wow that's so cool! Writing is the best," Avery says.
"I write too, just in a different way, I guess," I say, and they all laugh. I finally get the door open after looking for my keys, and let them all in.
"Sorry it's a mess in here, we still have some unboxing to do," Avery says, placing the bags on the counter.
"Oh stop it, it's not a mess at all. Coming from two realtors, trust us," Ben says with a laugh.
"That's reassuring, this perfectionist over here has had me thinking all day that we're hoarders," I say, nudging Avery.
"Oh, please," she scoffs, rolling her eyes with a giggle. The couple both laughs at this, shaking their heads.
"Well thanks again for helping us with the groceries, we really appreciate it. You guys feel free to stop over here as well whenever you'd like, we'd love to have company and like Avery said, we're both normally home after 6," I say, shaking Ben's hand again.
"Of course! It's been a pleasure to meet you two, and enjoy your new home! Let us know if you need anything at all or have any questions about the place," Ben says, as we walk them back out to the door.
"Oh, we will. It was so nice meeting you guys too, have a nice rest of your night," Avery says and I second her, smiling before the pair leaves, and I shut the door.
"Well I think we just made some new friends!" I say, unpacking some groceries once we get back in the kitchen.
"Yeah, they were so nice! We could definitely use some new friends to hangout with, especially since I haven't gotten to see Jess and Liv for a while, and with Glenne being pregnant, she probably won't be wanting to go out much in the upcoming months," Avery says, putting the cold items into the fridge and freezer.
"Yeah, for sure. They were both super nice, I'm glad we met them. We'll have to go knock on their door sometime," I add.
"Yes, 100%," she smiles, before getting on her tippy toes to kiss me. It's longer than I expected, her mouth sweet against mine. I pull back and smile, before she goes back in again, adding some tongue. It takes me by surprise, but I gladly accept it.
"Well, thank you for that," I chuckle, grabbing onto her waist.
"Sorry, I just love you a lot. And it's been a good day," she says, pecking my lips once more.
"Only you would apologize for kissing me, as if I wouldn't have had you in bed by now if I weren't so god damn tired. I love you too, by the way, and it has been a wonderful day."
Her cheeks flush at this, getting all pink and rosy. "I'm tired too, exhausted really, but if we hurry up with these bags, I might have it in me for a quickie."
"Oh, really? Is that so?" I smirk, reaching my hand down from her hips to squeeze her bum. She squeals before nodding, giggling.
"Mhm."
"Well, lets get these bags put away, shall we?" I say enthusiastically, before patting her bum once more and quickly unpacking the groceries. She giggles again at this and helps me, both of us frantically unpacking the quickest we ever have.
"I can finish here, you can go up if you'd like," I offer as I continue putting things away.
"Are you sure?" She asks, looking at me.
"Positive. I'll be up in a few," I peck her lips, and she nods, before leaving to go upstairs.
After I'm all done, I double check that the door is locked before heading upstairs to our room. Avery's laid in bed in just her t-shirt and no panties, causing me to widen my eyes at the sight of her bare bottom half. She sets her phone down as I shut the door, before turning around to her tired looking, yet beautiful eyes.
I pull off my shirt and toss it on the arm chair, leaving me in just my pants. The room is dimly lit with just the side lamp on, the view of the water and the city lights twinkling through the window beautifully.
"I'm gonna go wash my face and brush my teeth real quick, my breath tastes like garlic and I feel gross," I say, and she nods, stretching out on the bed.
After a few minutes getting freshened up and ready for bed, I walk back into our room from the en-suite to see Avery completely passed out on top of the covers. I smile to myself at the sight of my sleepy baby, before undoing my belt and taking off my pants. I quickly put on a clean pair of briefs before crawling into bed next to her, turning off the lamp.
She wakes up at this, quickly sitting up. "Oh god, I'm sorry, did I fall asleep? I'm so sorry," she rushes to say while still pretty much half asleep, and I shush her.
"It's okay, baby, it's okay. Let's rain check and go to bed, we've had a long day," I whisper, kissing her head and lifting up the covers for us to go under.
She snuggles up to my side and clings onto my torso, nodding her head, before falling fast asleep. It's not long before slumber takes over me as well, the weight from the busy day slipping from my shoulders as I relax into holding Avery's body.
Well hello everybody and first of all, happy 10 years of one direction! Harry's tweets really made a bitch cry this morning.
I also wanted to apologize again for not updating sooner. I've been working on this chapter for a while, but had a bad writers block for a while.
Also, I wanted to take the time to say thank you to all my readers, and to my black readers especially, know that I love and support you until the end of time. I encourage all of my non-black readers to continue to educate themselves on the racial inequality that sadly still occurs in this world, and to continue having conversations with your friends, family, and peers as to how you can do better for the black community. Continue to donate to the black lives matter organization if you can, or at the very least, show support and love to the black community. This is a time that we all need to come together to fight for our black brothers, black sisters, and black non-binary friends. Not only do black lives matter, but they are SO important and I will continue to use my voice as a privileged white woman to stand with them, and amplify their messages. I love you all and just needed to put that out there.
Lastly, I hope you all are staying safe during this pandemic. Continue to wear masks, social distance, and wash your hands as much as possible. The more we do so, the more we protect not only ourselves, but each other.
I hope to update again soon, and am already working on the next chapter, so stay tuned. As always, comments and feedback is much appreciated. Thank you all for reading!
-Claire❤️
Also I haven't edited this yet but I'm sure you're all used to that lolz