Chapter Text
It was an early morning in London. The traffic wasn’t too bad at this hour, so Harry decided to get some things done before the worst of the morning rush started. He had, for the most part, always been a morning person. He obviously had times where he much rather wanted to sleep than do anything else, but for the most part he liked being up early in the mornings, but not today. He had spent the night before out partying with one of his friends and the struggle to get out of bed this morning was real. The headache was threatening to crack his skull open at any time, and he knew he needed to get some caffeine in his system before uni later.
He had been moving from one flat to another the past few days, with good help from his friends. He had never liked the flat he used to live in. It was just something he got to have a place to stay when he started uni, and at some point along the way he got so used to living there that he stopped looking for a new place. Until now.
He had been on the lookout for something better, and safer. Somewhere he wouldn’t risk the ceiling giving in, or where he’d always have warm water no matter if the neighbor next door used the dishwasher. It felt like Christmas and birthday at the same time when he finally found the new flat he now moved into. It was bigger than the old one, it had one bedroom, an open kitchen- living room solution and a bathroom with a washer/dryer, and a spacious shower.
At first he had worried about storage, but that was until he was shown the big closet or storage room connected to his bedroom. It could be used for both. Harry was pretty sure he would use it for storage for the most part and put his clothes in the dresser for now. Or maybe order another closet to have next to the door, he wasn’t sure. The options were endless.
He had gone through all his options when he knew he was moving. He had a lot of stuff to get from A to B, and only two hands to carry. His friends had suggested renting a car, so he could move all the small things he could fit on his own, and then have someone else help him with his couch.
Harry knew there was no bed included in the new flat, which was fine by him. He felt a bit grossed out by sleeping in the same bed as god knows how many else before him. He made a mental note to order a new bed online and have it delivered as soon as possible. Preferably yesterday.
His friends had helped him carry his couch and other big things up the stairs, because the building didn’t have an elevator, unfortunately. He looked at it like he was getting a little workout done every time he had to walk up to the fourth floor, but he felt bad for the older woman next door. He met her in the hallway one of the days he had been moving stuff into his new apartment and she was just as lovely as he imagined. He offered to help carry things if she ever needed any help.
The couch got stuck in the staircase when they tried to move it, despite the fact that there were five people carrying it. His friends, Niall, Liam, Zayn and Nick, were always supportive like that. Harry didn’t know what he would do without them. Especially Niall, who was one of his closest friends. They also lived closer to each other than the others.
Harry drove down the streets of London in his rented car, head pounding. He couldn’t afford a fancy rental, so he had settled for a turtle-green Toyota Corolla 2000 model. It worked for the most part, but it was not a car he ever wanted to own. It wasn’t the prettiest car on the road, that was for sure. It started, had four wheels and rolled forwards, that was the important part. He still had the car for some time before he had to deliver it back, which he was grateful for. His friends had helped him with a bit of money so he could keep the car and get done what he needed to get done. He didn’t like that kind of gesture, though. He was used to caring for himself after moving to London.
He passed a few cars along his way, some in a bigger rush than others. Most of the time it seemed to be businessmen stressing about getting to work. The ones that thought they owned the whole road and such. Some of the people he saw on his way looked more like employees trying to get to their stores in time to open.
Considering the old car, it didn’t have any fancy features like Bluetooth media player. He tried to connect his phone with the cord he had found on the floor, but all he got was static noise for the most part. The rental company had a few hideous Wunder-Baum’s hanging in the rearview mirror, a cross necklace and some oil thing that supposedly had some fresh smell in them. He had to admit that it looked more like someone’s personal car than a rental car.
He slowly stepped on the break when he came closer to the red traffic light ahead. He was a responsible driver after all. This was one of the slowest crossroads he had ever been in, and he had been here quite a few times during this move. It still shocked him, how anything could be this slow.
Harry kept an eye on the traffic, using his mirrors. He always did. He noticed a black SUV coming up behind him at a high speed. Higher than he would’ve ever expected considering the red light. It looked like someone was in a hurry, but there was nothing he could do about that. He thought the car was slowing down like a sane person would do, but before he knew it his car was pushed a few meters out in the crossroad.
“What the fuck?!” He breathed for himself as he checked his mirrors again. He fumbled a bit with his seatbelt before he opened the door and stepped out, thankfully not hurt. Except the headache. He turned around facing the other car. Frustrated, he threw his hands out to the side. “Oi! What did you do that for?” He tried to ask the man in the car, but he clearly couldn’t hear him.
Harry watched as the guy talked on the phone for a second, at least it looked like it. The windows were tinted, so he couldn’t see too much through them. The door opened a bit later and a young man stepped out, holding his phone to his ear. Harry groaned at the navy blue suit, both because it fit the man perfectly and because he didn’t like businessmen. They were too full of themselves for his liking.
The brown-haired guy stepped closer, but never stopped talking on his phone as he approached him. “Yes, Morrison, I know. Fucks sake, just send me the papers and I’ll look at it myself. I have somewhere to be and a situation on my hands right now. I’ll call you later.” The guy hung up the phone and finally looked at Harry.
Harry could still feel the frustration inside him, but even more when he noticed the man looking him up and down a couple of times, staring at him for no reason. Harry wanted to comment on it. To be rude or something, but he couldn’t help but lean in just a little closer when the man started talking. “You’re supposed to drive when the light is green, you know that, right? Some people really shouldn’t be on the road…”
Harry was a bit taken aback by the comment. “I— it wasn’t—” he got cut short.
“Sure.” The guy stared at him again, taking him in, before he opened his mouth again. “Doesn’t matter. It’s too late now anyway.” The man turned around and walked back to the front of his car to look at the damage before he returned to the driver's seat. Harry was convinced he was about to leave just like that, but he watched as the man reached a hand inside the car and got something.
He came back holding a piece of paper between his fingers. His phone rang again and Harry watched as the guy picked up his phone and brought it back to his ear. “I’ll have an answer for you by tomorrow morning, Morris. Don’t be a dick about it.”
The guy hung up his phone and returned his focus back on Harry, stepping a bit closer. “Here,” he said as he reached out his hand with the little piece of paper. “Deliver your car to this place by the end of the day and tell them it was from the accident this morning. Or just call them, I don’t care. They’ll know what to do and get it sorted.”
Harry reached out his hand to grab the paper. Unfortunately for him, he touched the man’s fingers too and felt like he was hit by lightning. He didn’t know what happened, but it was like electricity went through him. Harry frowned a little, brain feeling a bit cloudy, but he suddenly realized what the man had said. “I’m not paying for your mistake!”
“You’re not, dumbass. That’s why I gave you the fucking number.” The guy rolled his eyes.
“No need to be rude about it.” Harry huffed.
“I’m not, Princess,” the man said. “Deal with it or don’t. I have somewhere to be.”
Harry just stood there, looking as the man jumped back into his fancy big car and drove off. He wanted to comment on the nickname but he was in no state to say anything back before he left. It was like his brain just stopped working all together. He hurried back in the car after having a look at the back, thankful it was just minor damage.
He did stress the rest of the drive though. He had never rented a car before and didn’t know what the normal protocol was when damaging a car. He was sure they had told him when he got the car but he wasn’t paying attention, too focused on all the things he had to do. He put the note and his phone in the other seat before he drove off, trying to get to his new place.
He knew he had a bad habit of overthinking small things, so he stopped along the road and indicated to the side. He picked up his phone and the note with his hand and snapped a picture of the name and number of the person he needed to contact. He could breathe a little lighter on the rest of the drive, not having to worry about losing the note somewhere.
Harry drove in silence to his new apartment complex, too lost in his own thoughts to notice anything else, because what the fuck just happened? He pulled into the parking lot next to the building and parked in the designated spot for his apartment. The new place he had moved to had five extra parking spots for guests, which was nice. Not that any of his friends had cars, but if he ever got a car himself and had visitors that needed somewhere to park, there was room for them both. Sometimes maintenance used the guest spots unless they drove right up to the door, partly on the grass.
Harry got out of the ugly, green Corolla and opened up the trunk so he could bring a few more boxes upstairs. He pushed the key in the front door of the car to lock it before he headed towards the building. He carried one box in each hand, trying to make a plan for how he would open the door and get his things in. The last thing he wanted was to lock himself out.
He put one box down and tried to fetch his keys when a man opened the door. Harry smiled at him and tried to explain that he was moving in, but the man didn’t seem to care what he was there for, he just held the door open for him. Harry thanked him quickly, feeling like he was in the way, before he hurried towards the stairs.
He tried to get up as fast as he could, but four floors of stairs was a lot. He reminded himself that he had to start working out again soon if he was going to survive carrying things up and down those stairs all the time. He chuckled for himself when he remembered how they had been fighting against his couch on these stairs just a few days prior.
Getting stuck in itself wasn’t the problem, but they had taken up the whole space for quite a while and the stairs were the only way up and down, which made a few people a bit mad. Harry didn’t want to get any enemies already. He hoped he could live there for years, so the last thing he wanted was someone hating him.
A few days ago he was really happy he didn’t live on the sixth floor. That would’ve been hell when the couch got stuck on the second floor. He finally reached the floor with yellow walls. Each floor had their own colors and after walking all the way to the top and back down, Harry had noticed the colors made a rainbow. The first floor had purple walls, the second had blue, the third had green and so on.
He put his key in the door, unlocked it and pushed it gently open. He took a few steps inside and sighed. The unfamiliar yet familiar scent of his new home filled his nostrils. He kicked the door shut with his foot, too busy juggling two boxes in his hands. He dropped one box down on the kitchen island and put the other one on top before he had another look around. Harry just couldn’t get enough of his light and spacious new flat.
Going from an old, dark flat that probably would’ve failed on a standards test, to this light, welcoming, warm, renovated flat felt like a dream. He had placed his couch on the opposite side of the kitchen, that way he could have his friends over and no matter where anyone was standing in the room he would be able to hold a conversation with them.
He had a small table with his fairly big tv on it placed close to the kitchen island, but kept enough room for anyone to walk in between. He had a couple of high stools on that side of the kitchen island, so he needed space to move around between the tv and kitchen. Thankfully the living room was big enough for that.
The living room had big windows on one side, facing the street and the parking lot. He had a little dining table placed by the windows, but for the most part he knew he would eat sitting on the couch. Harry stepped into his bedroom, still missing a bed. He opened the window a little, happy that no one was able to look into his bedroom.
He had plans on getting new curtains for the living room and possibly his bedroom too, depending on what he could find. Harry didn’t want everyone to look in on him, and he knew it was easy to look into his living room from the streets. He had already tested that with his friends. Other than that it was pretty private. He could always go with two sets of curtains, one set of light see-through to use during the day and others for more coverage at night.
Harry had one last trip to his old flat before he thought he was done. He had a goal to have it all done that morning, giving him time to relax and continue to unpack later. He headed for the toilets before he left, trying to hurry because he still had uni classes later. He probably ran a red light or two on the way, but as long as no cars were coming…
He quickly made it to the old flat, happy that it wasn’t a long drive. Harry was excited to now be living closer to Niall’s. Practically only a couple of minutes between their flats. Harry pushed the key in the door and opened it. He scrunched his nose, and not in a good way when he took in the sight. How he had lived there for a few years and not gotten sick was beyond him.
He walked around the empty space for a bit, taking in how disgusting it actually was. He walked through the few rooms he had, making sure he hadn’t lost a single thing. His eyes fell on the bed first, once again reminding him that he needed to order a new one. That was expensive for a student, but he knew IKEA had some cheap ones that still worked. And surely they could deliver it to him.
Harry sat down on the bed in the old apartment and scrolled through his phone. He found a good standard king bed, giving him just what he needed. Way too big for him alone, but big enough that he could have someone sleep over. Or, if his mum and sister ever visited, they could share the bed and he could sleep on the couch or something.
He noticed the brown shoebox on the nightstand when he looked up after ordering his new bed. “Oh,” he said, smiling a little. Harry picked up the shoebox and headed out of the room. “Can’t forget you, Sir. That would’ve been a nightmare.”
After a good look around Harry stopped by the front door, hand on the door handle. He took one last glance over the space before he said his goodbyes, closing that chapter for good. He was convinced a better and easier life was waiting for him at his new place.
Harry placed the shoebox in the back of the car, trying to find the coolest and darkest place. On his way back towards his new flat which was also in the direction of uni, he remembered that he never brought his backpack with him. He decided to stop by at home anyway. That way he could bring his last box inside, take a shower after getting slightly sweaty and stop by Barbra’s bakery on the way to uni for a much needed coffee, hoping that would help his headache.
He managed to get the old radio to work a little on the drive home, occasionally at least. The static noise was still there, but it was better than driving in complete silence. Harry pulled into the parking lot and parked in his spot. He jumped out of the car and picked up the shoebox before he headed inside. He took two steps at a time up the stairs, hurrying. He wasn’t really in a hurry but he was excited to get back to his new home, which was a new feeling.
He opened the door and kicked off his shoes before he headed to the dark, cold storage room and placed the shoebox on the floor. He picked up some new clothes while he was there and a new towel before he headed to the bathroom. He stopped when he saw the washing machine. He knew he had a lot of washing to do. The clothes from the old flat weren’t really dirty, but they felt dirty after living there for so long.
Moving wasn’t the only stressful thing in his life right now. He also had assignments and papers to deliver at uni, even though they had just started. How that came about, he wasn’t sure. He just knew it was weighing down on him. Harry stripped out of his clothes in the warm bathroom and turned the portable radio on before he stepped into the shower.
He stood there for a while, letting the hot water hit his back, hoping it would do magic. He rubbed his neck, like that was going to help his headache. His mind trailed off for a second, back to the crash earlier. He still tried to make sense of everything he had been feeling when he accidentally touched the man’s fingers. And he didn’t know why he had been leaning towards him when he started to talk. It was kind of like the man was a magnet and also erased his memory or capability to think. At the same time.
Harry picked up the shampoo bottle and poured some in his hand before he loathed his hair. He swayed his hips to the music on BBC Radio 1 as he worked the shampoo into his hair. He waited for a bit, singing along to the music before he dipped his head under the water again.
He hurried a little when he made it out of the shower. If he wanted to stop by Barbra’s on the way he had to hurry up. Harry felt like he was visibly struggling after last night's fun, but he had been pushing through all morning and could push some more. All he wanted was a coffee. He toweled himself off and picked up the new pair of jeans. He tried to put them on but struggled because of his damp skin. Harry groaned as he tried to jump up and down to get them on, pulling on them so much he worried he would end up ripping them.
The jeans clinged to his body like their life depended on it. He picked up the white t-shirt and headed out of the bathroom, portable radio in his other hand. He placed it on the kitchen island when The Morning Show started.
“Good morning!” Nick’s voice dragged out the words, making Harry groan. He didn’t understand how he could be feeling that good after last night. “I’m Nicholas Grimshaw and you’re listening to BBC Radio 1! I’ll be your host this morning and if you are running late, you’re definitely not alone. I totally slept in today. Anyway, it’s 8am, let’s go!”
Harry pointed at the radio on the kitchen island, “this is your fault!” He slipped on his shoes and a jacket before he grabbed his bag and keys. He made sure he had packed his laptop before he headed out the door. He huffed as he walked down the stairs, suddenly reminded of last night’s craziness.
The fresh and slightly cold air hit him when he made it down to the first floor, making him gasp a little before he took a deep breath. It didn’t feel that cold when he was out this morning, but maybe the feeling was different after warming his body up with a shower. The sun was finally out, like it was promising this would be a good day after all.
Harry walked down the streets of his neighborhood, headed towards Barbra’s bakery. He watched as the city came to life minute by minute again. Everything was so chaotic in the morning and he didn’t blame any of them. He knew how it was being stressed trying to make it out of the house on time. He knew he could’ve taken the car, but he didn’t want to drive it more than he had to, considering the damage. The last thing he needed was for the car to break down on the road, and having to call for help. Or even worse, the man from this morning could show up again, but this time the car would be broken down, which would be extremely embarrassing.
He normally visited the bakery every morning for his signature coffee. He watched as a girl came out carrying a stack of boxes, about to drop all of them. She was trying to steady them before she attempted to walk across the street on a red light when a light blue car came speeding down the road. Harry’s blood pressure spiked immediately. He tried to call out to the girl with the boxes. He was sure the driver was just another stressed businessman late for work, especially with the way the car was speeding, clearly no second thought for possible children nearby. The car stopped at last, not hitting the girl or the boxes. Harry watched as the car honked, trying to make the girl hurry up. The whole thing made him roll his eyes.
Harry had always been a coffee person, but he liked tea too. But his go-to was usually coffee. He entered the bakery and walked up to the counter to order his drink. No matter how late he was, both today and any other day, he always had time to get a coffee. The young blonde girl behind the counter gave him a big smile when she saw him. “Good morning, Harry. What can I get you? The usual?”
Harry smiled back at her, loving how she always knew what he was gonna get. “Morning Jules, yes please, thank you.”
Jules nodded in his direction and gave him a small smile when he paid for his coffee. Harry checked the time again. Relief washed over him when he saw he was actually doing okay on time, more than normal. How that happened, he didn’t know. He decided to sit down and sort through some papers and sip his hot drink before heading to uni to see his friends.
He noticed someone walking up to his table in the corner of his eye as he flipped through some pages, coffee in his other hand. When he looked up from the table Barbra was looking down at him with a warm smile. “Hi Harry. How are you doing? Are you done moving?” She laid her hand on his shoulder, almost like she had to check if he was both alive and okay.
“Hi Babs,” he smiled up at her. “Uhm, I’m a bit stressed and I have a lot to do. I have a few assignments that are due soon, so I need to work on these,” he gestured to the papers in front of him. “And yeah, I moved the last few boxes this morning. Now I just have to give my key back.” He turned his focus back down on the papers in front of him, frowning a bit.
Barbra looked at him for some time before she put a couple of fingers under his chin and tilted his head back up so she could get his attention. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine, Harry. But I promised your mum that I would look after you when you moved here. Are you eating enough?” She looked him up and down, almost like she was trying to figure out if he was any skinnier than last time she saw him.
“Probably not,” he answered honestly. “But I’ll have time to eat when I’m done with all of this,” he said as he gestured down to his papers again.
“Why don’t you stop by when you’re done for the day and I’ll make some dinner you can bring home with you. How does that sound?”
He gave her an apologetic smile, “thank you,” he started to say. “You really are the best.”
Before he could say anything else Nick’s voice filled the room. Someone at the bakery had turned the radio on and, of course, it was on BBC Radio 1. “On this beautiful day I want to say hello to my good friend Harry Styles! I hope you’re just as fucked as I am today, and thank you for a wild weekend! Hope you’re not running late today.” Nick’s laugh could be heard around the room.
Harry wanted to melt through the floor when he looked up and saw Barbra’s disappointed look. She looked at him like he was her own son, and that was painful in a situation like this. She was about to open her mouth and say something when he cut her off. “He made me do it! You know, moving to a new place and all…” he chuckled a little but didn’t mean to. He heard how bad the excuse was when he said it out loud. “I’m sorry. I’m running late. Thanks for the coffee, I’ll be back later.”
He heard Barbra humming disappointed in the back as he fled the scene. He surely didn’t need his mum when he got Babs doing the same job. He had known her for as long as he could remember. She was good friends with his mum, and was considered a family friend. He used to see her a lot when he was younger. She always stopped by with freshly baked goods on Saturdays. His favorite used to be her delicious cupcakes.
No matter what kind of weather or what time of the year it was, she always stopped by on Saturdays. It was like Saturdays took his pain away because he knew he had one thing to look forward to during the week. A few years back she moved to London and took her business with her. A few weeks into his first year at uni Barbra had told him about the promise she had made with his mum. That she would keep an eye on him and keep him safe as long as she could, and in any way she could.
If he was honest, he was glad for that. When he first moved to London he felt so alone. But no matter what the day would bring, he knew he always had her. The good thing now was that he lived closer to the bakery and could see her more often. He also felt safer knowing he had someone like her nearby.
Harry met Niall, Liam and Zayn at campus fifteen minutes before his first class of the day. He was a bit down over the fact that they normally had more time together before class than they did today. He didn’t expect anyone to crash into his car when he had woken up that morning, and moving his stuff took longer than he had hoped. When he started to plan out his day he didn’t take meeting his friends into consideration…
“Hey man, where have you been?” Liam asked as Harry walked up to their table.
“You’re late,” Zayn stated.
“Yeah, sorry guys, I… uhm, overslept,” he told them in a low voice. He didn’t want to tell them about the damaged car just yet, and he couldn’t come up with a better excuse right now.
Zayn narrowed his eyes and looked towards the parking lot. “Don’t you have a car?”
“I do,” Harry sighed. “But I didn’t feel like driving and fighting people for a parking spot this late. So, I walked.”
“It’s okay,” Niall said. “But you never oversleep, like ever.”
Before Harry could answer, Zayn said something. “You were out with Grimmy again, weren’t you?”
Harry expected them all to know after Nick had talked about it on the radio that morning. “Yes, I was. Is that a problem?” He tried to give them a smile as he sat down, but he was tired of the shit he got for hanging out with Nick. He made sure to sit on the sunny side, because the other one was cold as fuck.
“Gay bars this time too?” Liam asked, trying to meet Harry’s eyes without any luck.
“Uhm, yeah. A few.”
“Are you guys a couple or something?” Zayn suddenly asked.
“Zayn!” Liam almost yelled while kicking his leg under the table. They all knew Zayn said what was on his mind and that he didn’t have any filter, but sometimes they all wished he used his brain a bit more.
“No, it’s not like that,” Harry defended. “We’re just friends, I guess.”
“You guess?” Niall questioned. “With benefits?” He snorted, laughing a little more.
“No!” Harry’s head snapped to the side, eyes falling on Niall. “It’s not like that at all.” He hated that he had to defend himself like this around his friends. He didn’t understand what all the fuss about Nick was about. They were just friends! Yes, they had been out partying a bit lately, in between his plans to move and stuff. But that was because he liked Nick’s company and he helped him get his mind off of things like being home alone in a half-empty flat all night. Alone.
“We haven’t done anything if that’s what you want to know, Niall.” Normally he wouldn’t get this annoyed by it, but he was tired and his friends were giving him shit for no reason at all. “Well, we’ve kissed. Once. Or, I mean, he kissed me.”
“I didn’t even have to ask, mate. You exposed yourself there,” Niall laughed vaguely.
“So you didn’t get any then?” Zayn asked with a smirk, looking directly at Harry.
Niall interrupted before Harry could say a word. “Okay, can we change the subject now? It’s not that interesting to know if H got something or not.”
“I think it’s a fair question when he spends that much time with Nick and not with us. Makes you wonder,” Liam defended, mostly in an attempt to defend his boyfriend.
“Well, Liam,” Harry started. “It’s not like all of us have a dick hanging around, ready at all times, at your service, living in your flat. Now is it?” Harry gestured to Zayn as he talked.
Zayn almost choked on the water he was drinking while Niall was laughing so loud he was sure it could be heard all the way to the moon. Liam was just sitting there, staring at Harry, not knowing what to say or do at first. “Well,” Liam started to say. “I mean, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he looked over at Zayn and smiled a little. “But that really didn’t answer the question, H.”
Harry huffed and looked down, contemplating his next answer. It wasn’t like anything was a secret, he just didn’t understand why they cared so much about his friendly relationship with Nick. “No, I didn’t get any. I wasn’t planning on it either. I just wanted to have some fun and see people. Is that so wrong?”
Niall moved to sit beside him and gave him a hug. “No it’s not wrong, Harry. We’re just worried about you and we know Nick can be, and do crazy things that none of us should be involved with at times.”
“That’s true,” Liam and Zayn said at the same time, making a toast with their water bottles.
“Come on, H. We should go if we want to make class on time,” Niall said, patting Harry on the back while making his way out from the table. Harry nodded in return and stood up.
“Are we still on for tonight?” Zayn asked as Harry grabbed his bag.
“I don’t feel like going out again tonight,” Harry said. He was tired and had a whole flat to organize. And hopefully soon a bed to put together.
“Oh please,” Liam started to say. “We’ll even invite Nick.”
Harry shot him a warning glare while Zayn chuckled beside him. “You guys can go without me, and be my guest. Invite Nick if you want to. Maybe you’ll get to know him like I do. I promise, he’s a really good person and a lot of fun.”
“I bet he is,” Zayn mumbled and Liam slapped his thigh, trying to silence him.
“Look, why don’t you ask him, Harry. And just don’t say you’re not going. Then you bail on us and leave him with us. Let us handle him for the night,” Niall suggested, looking at all of them.
They were all quiet for a minute, deep in thought. “That’s actually a really good idea,” Liam agreed, smiling wide.
“I’ll think about it, but now I really have to go. I’ll see you guys later,” he swung the backpack over his shoulder and headed off. “Or not…” he whispered to himself.
“Harry, wait! You dickhead!” Niall shouted behind him. Harry slowed down his walk, just enough for Niall to catch up to him.
“Sorry, but we need to hurry up!”
*
Harry had been on campus all day. He decided to stay back a bit longer than the others so he could work on some of the many assignments he had on his list for the next few weeks. He kept thinking about whether or not to text Nick about going out. He didn’t want to lie to him, but… He found himself typing out a message before he knew it.
Hi! The lads are meeting up tonight for some drinks. Do you maybe want to come too? If you’re up for it, I mean. Thanks for the weekend, I had so much fun :)
He put his phone back down before he started to collect his things and put them in his backpack. The others were meeting up at 8pm, just for a few beers. At least that was what they had said. It didn’t take long before Nick texted him back, and by then it was already 5:30pm.
I’ve been thinking a lot about you today. How was your day? I’m always up for that, and you know it! When and where? I’ll get the taxi and swing by your place :)
Harry felt bad for lying to him, and he knew he was a bad liar too. He had to come up with a good answer and just hope to God that he didn’t hurt Nick’s feelings with any of this. Surely he could say he didn’t show up because he was tired after the move and everything, right?
My day has been good :) uhm, they said 8pm but I’m not sure where yet. You should text Zayn or Liam and ask them where to meet. You don’t have to stop by my place, I’m still at uni and have a lot to do. And I have to swing by Babs too, so yeah. Text Zayn!
Harry hoped that was a good enough reason.
Got it! See you at 8, Princess. Don’t be late.”
Harry rolled his eyes at the nickname. Why did everyone call him that lately?! He didn’t get it, and it started to become annoying. He could’ve been called Prince. That would’ve fit him too.
He double checked that he had packed everything before he made his way off campus. He really needed some food and energy and was beyond happy that he could stop by Barbra on the way home and pick up some food. He loved her for more than that, but it was definitely one of the things he appreciated the most.
Harry knew the bakery usually closed between 6 and 6:30pm, depending on the day and the amount of people. If they had a lot of goods left she often kept the store open longer, even though that didn’t happen very often. He checked his phone to look at the time and was happy that he had enough time to get there either way.
He got hungrier by the minute as he walked closer and closer to the bakery. It was like his stomach knew where he was going and what was about to happen. He passed a man walking his Rhodesian Ridgeback on the way. Harry stopped to look at the dog, from a distance. He had always wondered why they had that weird looking stripe on their backs, but had to admit they were cute dogs nonetheless. He had always had a thing for animals.
There were a lot of cars out at this time, understandably so. Some were more in a hurry than others, and right now Harry was happy he didn’t take the car. He didn’t like traffic that much. Not that he was a bad driver, he just… liked less cars on the road. He sighed with relief when he saw the bakery at the end of the street.
A man in a navy blue suit walked in when Harry was close. The man didn’t even bother to hold the door open. Dickhead, his subconscious remarked as he pulled open the door himself. Harry groaned internally. He didn’t have the energy for more idiots today. The man this morning and then his friends were more than enough… And now possibly this?!
He looked at the man from behind. Standing slightly to the side. He looked like he could be just a few years older than himself. A bit too young to wear a suit maybe. Harry guessed the guy was in his late twenties or early thirties. He didn’t really get a good look at him from behind, but that was all he could make out from where he was standing.
Harry stepped a little to the side to see if there was a bag waiting for him behind the counter. If there was, he was ready to skip the line and head behind the counter to get it. He stopped himself though, realizing how that would look for everyone else. The man turned his head slightly as the woman in front of him was about to pay. Harry felt his stomach drop when he finally realized who was standing in front of him.
What the fuck?!
Barbra gave the man her biggest smile when he walked up to the counter. Harry watched it all happen with his own eyes. The man smiled back at her, charming as always. He couldn’t see the man’s expression but he could hear the smile when he talked. The man suddenly fixed his hair and turned around, looking at Harry who was, unfortunately, staring at him.
“Can I help you?” The guy suddenly asked.
Harry scoffed internally. Did he not remember they already met that morning? Was he really that blind? “Uhm, no.” Harry answered back, almost like a robot, but his body betrayed him again as he leaned his upper body closer to the man. Harry snapped out of it and walked out of the line and stepped back to the table by the windows. He could feel the flush creep up his neck, threatening to expose him in front of the few people at the bakery.
He sat down on a chair and looked out the window, wondering if this day could get any worse. First the guy standing in the bakery crashed into him with his car, and now he was standing there acting like it never happened. Harry looked out the window, noticing the black fancy car outside. It was probably his. He was sure of it.
Before he could finish the thought he noticed an ugly pink sweater on the other side of the street. “Oh fuck no!” He whispered to himself as he realized that the person he was looking at, in the ugly sweater, was Nick! Harry stood from his chair and walked over to the counter, next to the douchebag. He couldn’t risk meeting Nick now, so he was suddenly in a rush.
Barbra gave him a look, making Harry take a step back, getting in line. The dickhead in a suit was still trying to figure out what he wanted. Harry didn’t understand how it could be that hard. Surely he could get one of each if he was unsure. Based on the looks and the car he drove he could afford it. Harry found himself talking without even knowing what he was saying. “Could you, like, just pick something? Some of us are actually in a rush here.”
The man turned around and looked at him, apparently not phased at all. His sea blue eyes were shining when he looked over at Harry. He turned back to Barbra, giving her another smile and completely ignored Harry. “What do you recommend on a late afternoon?”
“Are you looking for pastries or dinner? We have chicken soup on the menu today, that is really good. Maybe you want to try that if you’re looking for dinner?” Barbra smiled at him before her eyes landed on Harry who was rolling his eyes at the man. “If not,” she continued. “We’ve got this blueberry pie, or cupcakes in various flavors. That’s all I have left today.”
Harry looked back over his shoulder just as Nick disappeared out of sight, and that was not comforting considering the circumstances. His pulse spiked, stress filling his whole body. “Can I please just get the food, Babs? I really have to go,” Harry pleaded like never before and Barbra looked over at him and then back at the man, as if she was asking for permission. Awkward silence filled the room for what seemed like years before the man spoke.
“I think I’ll get the…” and then he stopped again.
Dickhead.
Harry looked over his shoulder again and out the big windows. He could finally see Nick again, now talking to a guy and pointing over at the bakery. Harry shifted on his feet, stressed and cornered between the douchebag from this morning and the friend he lied to about his day. “Are you enjoying yourself? You’ve been here for like thirty minutes and still haven’t decided on what to get!” Harry blurted the words before he could even stop. He didn’t mean to spill all those words, it just happened. He wasn’t a fan of the man this morning, and he wasn’t changing his mind now. But he still didn’t mean to say all that.
Barbra gave Harry a stern look, clearly not happy with the way he was behaving towards her customers. The man straightened his suit and looked over at Harry before he opened his mouth, slightly smirking. “I believe it’s only been ten minutes and there is a lot to choose from.”
Harry huffed at the answer. He looked out of the window again and watched as Nick crossed the road towards the bakery. He started to freak out a bit, which probably wasn’t necessary, but he was close to just walking out of there without the food. Until he remembered he couldn’t use the front door. He looked over at Barbra with pleading eyes one more time. He switched between looking back at Nick who was still outside, the man from this morning and Barbra.
It seemed like she finally understood the urgency. “It’s in the back. I packed it in a bag for you. It should be beside the oven, love.”
Harry rushed behind the counter, kissed her on the head, said a quick thank you and ran to the back to look for his food. By the time he turned the corner of one of the counters in the back room and headed for where his food was supposed to be, he heard the doorbell ring and surely enough, the voice of Nick Grimshaw filled the room.
Harry was not taking any chances so he picked up the food and made his way out the back door, hoping he wouldn’t get spotted. He lurked around the corner of the building, looking for Nick and whoever he was with, but they were nowhere to be seen. He sighed with relief and started to head towards his new home when he heard the door open behind him. His whole body froze at the sound.
“Hey!” Someone yelled behind him, but Harry didn’t turn around yet. “Backpack guy.”
It couldn’t be, could it? Harry turned around slowly, facing the other way. Of course the man in the suit was there, with his fancy black shiny, non damaged car waiting by the pavement. Harry had to admit it was a nice car, but right now he didn’t like anything about him. Not even the car.
Well, maybe just the car…
“I really hope this one is good,” the man said as he held out his hand, showing a chocolate cupcake with what looked like the caramel&sea salt icing on top. Harry’s favorite.
Harry stared at him for a second, unsure if he wanted to take the bait or not. His body betrayed him again when he found himself asking the question he didn’t want to ask. “Is that the chocolate one with caramel and sea salt icing?” He hoped the answer would be no. It was not like he needed another reason to hate the guy. Besides, that specific cupcake was his.
“I believe so, yes. Anyway, have a good day.” And then he was gone.
Harry stood there, staring. He found himself wondering how a day could go so wrong. Or be so chaotic. He used to have happy days and today was just… this? He got distracted from his thoughts when he saw the door opened again, this time revealing Nick and whoever he was with. Harry was too paralyzed to actually move. Nick came out first, with his back against the door. Luckily the door faced Harry so Nick didn’t actually see him.
Thankfully, Nick started to walk the other way, away from him. The rest of the walk home was in total silence. Only a couple of cars drove past him on the way, but he didn’t meet a single person, which was unusual. He had to admit he was glad for it though. He couldn’t stomach seeing another person right now.
Harry walked up to the door of his apartment complex and got his keys out. He walked slowly up the stairs, like he had no energy left to lift his feet any faster. He sighed when he saw his door. He pushed it open, pulling the keys out of the keyhole. Finally he was home.
The couch looked so inviting he almost wanted to cry. He kicked off his shoes and put the bag of food down on the kitchen island together with his keys. Harry opened the door to his bedroom and put his backpack down beside the desk next to the window. He looked at the red bricked wall where his bed would be, kind of regretting not getting a headboard for the bed. He picked out a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, ready to bury himself in comfy clothes.
He went back to the kitchen with comfy clothes in one hand. He knew he had to reheat the soup but he tried to decide on using the microwave or a pot. Harry let out a long breath and turned around. He needed a shower first. Not because he was dirty or sweaty, but he desperately needed to shower off the day before it creeped under his skin.
The hot water made all his tense muscles relax. He sat down in the corner of the shower, just letting the hot drops of water hit him wherever. “Sometimes this is the best therapy,” he said to himself and let out a deep breath. He reached up for his bodywash, trying not to knock the rest of the bottles over, being hit in the head. He remained sitting while he washed himself, too tired to actually stand.
When he was done he dried himself off and put on his comfy clothes. He loved the soft lilac hoodie he had gotten for Christmas a few years back. He looked at himself in the mirror, his long wet curls being a total mess. He sighed. He looked so drained and honestly, he was. It had been a long and hard weekend with a lot of drinking and partying. It had also been a long week of moving, and on top of that, the stress from uni.
He put the soup he got from Barbra in a bowl and popped it in the microwave, heating it up. He opened the fridge and picked out something to drink and placed everything on the living room table. He still had to sleep on the couch for a night or so before his new bed would be there.
Harry grabbed his phone off the counter and put it in his pocket while he waited for the food to be ready. He had called the car people earlier, the number that guy had given him. They didn’t have time to fix the car the same day, but he was told to deliver it in the morning and have it back by noon. He decided to do that and then deliver it back to the rental company, still unsure if that was the right way to go about it.
Harry laid back on the couch, staring at the tv without even watching the show he had put on. He had gotten a few messages from Nick who was wondering where he was and if he was coming at all. He had simply answered that he didn’t feel good and wanted to stay home and relax, knowing they would see each other sooner or later.
He turned his phone off the rest of the night, just snuggling up on the couch under blankets and a duvet, hoping for a better day tomorrow.