"This is fuckin' stupid."
"I can hear you H!"
"I said I love you!"
I rolled my eyes as I ran my hand down my skirt before looking back up to the mirror. I was still annoyed that I ended up with a checkered skirt but at least it was purple.
And I mean, it wasn't like the rest of my outfit wasn't going to scream exactly who I was.
"Do I really have to wear the stupid scarf?"
I looked up as Harry appeared in the doorway of his room and I let my eyes drop down over him and I tried not to be weird about the fact he was dressed as my cartoon crush from when I was like eight.
"Yes." I said as if it was obvious and I mean, it was kinda was. "The ascot is like his trademark."
"His trademark is bein' a fuckin' wanker." Harry grumbled and I pouted as I finished fixing the somewhat orange wig on my head.
"If you really don't want to go in costume, we won't."
Harry looked at me for a long moment and I simply looked back at him, and it was true. If Harry really didn't want to go to Louis and Eleanor's costume party wearing a costume then we didn't have to.
The only reason I'd ended up picking what the three of us went as was because Harry refused to contribute any ideas or even help me a tiny little bit.
"S'fine, m'just bein' a knob." Harry rolled his eyes as he wandered over to me and pulled me flush against his chest and I smiled up at him. "Y'look pretty."
"Thank you," I smiled wider at him, "I think I make a pretty good Daphne even though purple isn't my colour."
"Yeh' definitely look better brunette." Harry nodded before he dipped his head and pressed our lips together, effectively swallowing any of response I was going to give him. "Almost ready to go?"
"Yeah, just gotta do Gatsby."
I stepped away from Harry and his grabby hands, giving him a look as I left his bedroom with the owner not too far behind me as I grabbed the bag sitting on the dining table and made my way over to the black and tan dog whose tail started thumping against the floor as I approached.
"Good boy." I hummed as I unclipped his own collar and replaced it with the blue leather one with the diamond shaped contact tag initialed SD.
I made sure I had my phone before I turned to find Harry much closer than I expected, leaning against the end of the sofa watching the two of us and I raised an eyebrow.
"Ready?" I asked, only receiving a nod from Harry before he got Gatsby's lead and I watched in amusement as the dog shot up like a rocket at the sight of it.
I kissed Pineapple goodbye with a promise of being home soon, although I knew how long Louis liked to party. Eleanor too actually, but my cat didn't really need to know that. I flicked off the lights, just leaving the one hallway one on and followed Harry to the lift.
"I look so stupid." Harry huffed again once we were the car, Gatsby's head resting on the centre console as I stroked his soft fur slowly.
I let my eyes drift over the white jumper Harry was wearing, the blue fake collar I'd grabbed from Topshop sitting around his neck nicely along with the orange ascot.
"I think you look cute."
"M'not cute, tha's' what yeh' call girls when you're sixteen."
"Did you call girls cute when you were sixteen?" I asked, I didn't know what it was but I couldn't picture Harry as a baby faced teenager. Obviously I knew he had been one once, but this Harry and even the Harry I first met were just worlds away from a cute teenager.
"Probably, who can remember that fuckin' far back."
I laughed at Harry's answer, his hand squeezing my thigh in response and I lent my head back to rest against the seat. I was really looking forward to seeing whatever dressed up as.
Admittedly, I knew what Zayn and Louis were going as.
Eleanor I didn't know, just like Liam and Ollie but if Liam got his way probably Batman and then I really couldn't guess about Ollie. I didn't think he was the same person who used to be my best friend two years ago.
I had to admit I was looking forward to seeing Lindsee and Niall the most.
My best friend had been very secretive and cagey about this party and it kinda made me upset. I knew it was stupid and obviously it had worked because I was excited and I know how much Lins loves surprises but she was my best friend! I had to a right to know!
"M'think we're the last to arrive."
I glanced at Harry before he roughly pulled into a space and I blinked at the parking, and I thought I was bad at parking.
"How'd you know?" I asked as I got Gatsby out of the back seat, Harry picking my hand up the minute he was on the pavement with us.
"Tha's Zayn's car and tha's' Niall's." Harry nodded his head and I nodded slowly, hm so they were both thinking about drinking and driving.
Interesting.
"Are yeh' sure yeh' okay to drive home later?" Harry asked just as the lift dinged open on the floor Louis lived and I nodded.
"Yeah, I said it was fine." I smiled, I was actually kind of excited about driving Harry's Range Rover, it was a nice car.
"I don't have to drink tonight."
"H, it's fine. I really don't mind and you know I don't drink really anyway."
Harry looked at me for a moment before he lifted his fist and knocked it against the door a couple of times, I rolled my eyes as Harry tapped his foot impatiently before the door was pulled open to reveal Louis.
"Fuckin' finally." Harry snapped, practically barging Louis out of the way and I murmured a sorry to him as I gave him a quick hug, careful not to get any of his face paint on me.
"Oh my God!"
My ears perked up at the somewhat and sometimes obnoxious American account and my eyes searched the rather packed living room for my best friend.
I stumbled as I was launched upon from the side and I laughed as I was kind of herded into the kitchen by Lindsee, with Niall, Zayn, Louis and Harry following suit and I relaxed a bit as I saw the kitchen was much emptier than their living room.
"You look so good!" Lindsee said as she forced Harry and I next to each other and I laughed as I joking flicked the red hair I was sporting over my shoulder. "Gatsby you're so handsome, you're not wearing a costume!"
I laughed as Harry rolled his eyes before he started talking to Zayn and I overheard him telling him that 'this was all her idea', so what if it was?!
Once everyone had gotten over the fact that Harry and I had come as Fred and Daphne, I took in what Lindsee was wearing.
The all white outfit sitting nicely on her skin despite the fact she was as pale as me and I blinked as I spotted the white fluffy wings sitting on her back.
"You're an angel!" I gasped as I grasped her forearms, Lindsee's head nodding rapidly before I spun her around so I could see the wings. "These are so soft."
I ran my hand through the fluffy feathers on her back before Lindsee faced me again and I nodded at the white and very obvious American Apparel skirt.
"You look so pretty best friend." I said honestly, watching as her face grew red before she rolled her eyes at me. "Lemme see you then, stupid."
I turned my attention to Niall who was bothering the dog and I blinked as he returned to his full height and stood alongside Lindsee and I raised my eyebrow at his outfit, his black suit not exactly giving it away, and neither did the red shirt he was wearing.
"I don't get it." I said as I cocked my head, Niall's eyes rolling.
"Get your horns!" Lindsee snapped making Niall roll his eyes again before he disappeared momentarily and I took in Zayn and Louis as members of KISS, before Niall reappeared wearing a set of plastic red horns and a holding a red plastic pitchfork.
"Oh my god." I laughed, finally realising.
"I have a halo somewhere, but I took it off because it was stabbing me." Lindsee waved her hands and I held my cheeks as I looked at the two of the standing together.
"So cute." I gushed at the angel and devil. "I wanna put a photo of H and I on instagram before we all get too gross."
I handed Lindsee my phone before I got Gatsby to sit alongside me and I nudged Harry making him raise an eyebrow at me, Zayn's eyes following my boyfriends eyes and I smiled back at him.
"Come take a picture." I said to Harry making him groan loudly. "Please, H?"
Harry stepped in beside without another word or sound and I smiled softly at him, his arm falling around my shoulder as I looked at Lindsee and smiled.
I knew she took a whole bunch before she gave me my phone back and I unclipped Gatsby's lead and let Harry go back to drinking his beer and talking to Zayn and Niall about something.
I had no idea where Louis had left too.
"Thank you." I said to Lindsee as we lent against the counter and looked through the pictures, I was right she had taken a whole bunch. She was too good to me.
I chewed my lip as we debated which picture was the best until a glass of something orange was thrust into my hand by Harry and I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Orange juice and lemonade." Harry shrugged and I smiled at him making him roll his eyes before he let us know he was going for a smoke with Zayn.
"Driving?" Lindsee asked once we were alone and I nodded, offering her some of drink only for her to shake her head. "Brought cranberry."
I looked at her for a second, the words not really making any sense inside my head even though I knew what she had said and what she meant.
"Is Niall drinking?" I asked instead, a nod coming my way and I sucked my teeth before I opened my mouth to express my concern.
"I'm driving, don't stress." Lindsee cut me off and I shut my mouth stupidly.
"Oh." I nodded, "Good."
Lindsee rolled her eyes before she went to get some more cranberry juice and I selected the two photos I wanted on Instagram, the first one was me grinning away at the camera whilst Harry looked nonplussed and the second was me still grinning at the camera but this time around Harry was looking down at me and smiling.
He seemed to do this a lot in photos of us together and I never even had a clue until I saw the final photo and I never knew why.
I laughed to myself as I captioned the post Jinkies! before I took a hold of Lindsee's outstretched hand and we wandered into the lounge of the Tomlinson's flat.
"I haven't seen Eleanor yet!"
"She's Lara Croft!" Lindsee shouted into my ear, the music in the flat incredibly loud despite it being almost twice the size of Harry's flat and probably like three times the size of ours. "Probably with Amelia."
Oh.
The news of Amelia being here made my stomach shift uncomfortably and I was suddenly glad even more so that I wasn't drinking tonight. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong but I still felt incredibly guilty where she was concerned.
"Poppy!"
I jumped at the loud call and Lindsee pulled me towards the window where Eleanor was waving at the two of us, I watched as she pulled Lindsee into a hug before it was my turn and I patted her back before I looked at Amelia and smiled tentatively.
"You look really cute." I complimented Amelia, "Ariana Grande right?"
"Yeah!" Amelia grinned, her eyes dropping down my costume. "Scooby Doo?"
"Yeah," I nodded, "It's better when the dog is actually here and Harry is, um, Harry is Fred."
Amelia's eyes flicked around behind me they returned to me and she nodded, a smile on her lips and I hoped that meant she was okay with the fact we were back together.
"You look really good to El," I complimented, the two of them had definitely gone for that stereotypical "sexy" halloween ideas that men are always moaning about but they both looked amazing.
"Thanks Pops! This is Angelina Jolie's Lara by the way." Eleanor said seriously and I took note of the half empty wine glass in her hand before I nodded. "Alicia Vikanders fucking sucked!"
"I had no idea you had such strong Lara Croft opinions."
I laughed as Eleanor rolled her eyes but Lindsee and Amelia laughed too and the four of us settled into general chat, mostly about other people's costumes and how work was going and all the usual good stuff that adults talked about.
The more the four of us talked the more I relaxed with Amelia, she seemed to hold no grudges or ill feelings so I guessed it was time for me to stop feeling so guilty and walking on eggshells around her.
+
I eyed up the little group huddled in the corner of the kitchen, the party wasn't exactly slowing down but there'd definitely been a few people leaving but considering their flat was almost completely jammed pack, it was nicer to be able to move a little bit more freely.
I smiled at Zayn as he talked about something at work, it had been interesting and I had been listening and invested but then I realised I hadn't seen my best friend, or my boyfriend for quite a while.
They were two of the three people huddled in the kitchen and it made me suspicious.
"I'm just gunna go for a smoke sweets."
I nodded at Zayn as he smiled at me and I turned my attention to the little group and headed into the kitchen, Harry's mouth moving as both Niall and Lindsee grinned at him, occasionally looking at each other.
"This seems like it needs to be broken up."
Niall's eyes widened as he looked at me vaguely panicked as I reached the three of them, Harry's arm immediately reaching for me and I lent into his side as I glanced between them all.
"Where's your Mum buried Popcorn?"
I blinked at Niall before I raised an eyebrow, "Primrose Warren cemetery." I said slowly. "Why?"
"Oh I just think she's probably having a whale of a time to the Monster Mash."
I looked at Niall as if he'd grown a second head and frankly, I felt like he had. What a fucking weird thing to say.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
I laughed as Harry pulled a face at Niall, Lindsee simply shaking her head at her not boyfriend but friend that was a boy and was definitely sleeping with.
"So what were you guys talking about?" I asked as I drained my glass of juice, Niall's wide eyes reappearing as he looked at Harry in a panic this time and I frowned.
"I'm in love with you."
"Yeah I'm in love with you too." I replied to Lindsee, the statement nothing new but I didn't know why she'd said it right now. "You're my soulmate you know that."
"Just thought I'd remind you." Lindsee shrugged. "I'm gunna love you forever because you're my soulmate and best friend."
"Okay..."
"Say it back then!"
"This can't be what you guys were talking about." I laughed, looking up at Harry who simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're my soulmate and I love you forever best friend."
Lindsee simply nodded and smiled smugly at my words, Harry's fingers flexing on my hip and I lent into him slightly more, Niall whispering something in Lindsee's ear and I pulled a face making Harry laugh but dip his head to my ear.
"I love you."
"I love you too." I parroted instantly, Harry smiling at me.
"More than Lindsee?"
"Different kind of love." I said evenly making Harry raise an eyebrow at me. "She's my best friend."
"Thought I was yeh' best friend."
"You are." I nudged him as I rolled my eyes. "It's different and you know it."
Harry laughed at me before he pressed a very quick and soft kiss to my lips before he offered to refill my glass and I took him up on it, Niall being pulled over to the fridge as well and I turned my attention to my best friend.
"So what were you guys talking about? You two were looking at Harry like he'd hung the moon."
"Oh nothing really." Lindsee waved her hand and I looked at her for a long minute, that wasn't a usual Lindsee answer. "He loves you."
"Mmm," I hummed as I lent against the counter so we were alongside each other, "He better otherwise he tells me so several times a day for nothing."
"No he does," Lindsee said seriously making me blink. "I wouldn't want anyone else for you, best friend."
I smiled in a silent thanks to Harry as he handed me my now orange glass and I looked at Lindsee who simply smiled at me and squeezed my hand before she asked Niall about something to do with work which launched Harry into a story.
I felt my chest fill with love as I stood there in one friends kitchen with my three favourite people on the planet and I was happy that Lindsee was happy with Harry. Not that I could do anything if she wasn't.
I didn't want anyone but Harry either.