I had managed to avoid all of Niall's apology calls and text. I was legitimately angry at him, a first for us.

Not even when he unexpectedly kissed me that first day had I been quite so angry at him, of course after that night a lot of things were confessed and cleared up and it was hard to be angry at the adorable boy after all of that but now... Now I was pissed.

And to boot, Harry was avoiding me.

That was also something new.

In all the time I had known Harry he had never avoided me. Been rude, annoying, and a pain, yes but never avoided.

It bothered me a lot more than I thought it would and I suddenly felt really bad for the short period in which I gave him the cold shoulder because being on this end of it sucked.

Luckily for me Darcy was home and I had definitely missed her while she was away with her grandmother.

And Anne.

She had given me the oddest look before she left. Some sort of mysterious smirk. It was unnerving.

Between that and Harry and Niall I felt like I was being left out of some huge secret. I hated it but it wasn't like I could ask anyone what was going on. Harry wasn't talking to me and I wasn't talking to Niall and I'm pretty sure Anne would think I was a crazy person if I called her to ask her what she was keeping from me.

And maybe I was a crazy person.

I mean... sane people didn't worry or stress this much about someone they just became friends with not speaking to them, right? Normal people didn't watch that person's every move wondering if they were going to speak to you and then feeling disappointed when he just left the room.

God, I'm a mess.

"You're a mess."

Well thank you, captain obvious.

I looked up from the puzzle Darcy and I were putting together to see Louis leaning against the dining room door with a smirk on his face.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." I said as I quickly looked back down trying to find the lower part of Tinkerbell's face.

"Uncle Lou!" Darcy exclaimed happily holding her arms out for a hug from her uncle who made his way over to oblige her and kiss the top of her head before looking back at the top of mine.

"It's really obvious." He kept going when Darcy returned to searching for the puzzle piece she was missing.

"What is?" I continued to play dumb, still not looking up from the table top. I knew Louis wasn't stupid and I knew what he was referring too but I didn't want to talk about it, least of all with him.
But we don't always get what we want, do we?

"He doesn't notice though so you're alright, love."

That kind of hurt.

I had enough, glancing at Darcy through my lashes and deciding she was well occupied, I turned my harsh glare on the still smirking Louis and nodded towards the hall. "Baby I'll be right back. You finish Iridessa, okay?"

"Okay Ari." Darcy agreed not looking up from the fairy wings she was trying to piece together.

I stood up and followed Louis out of the hall, glancing at my napping son in his playpen on the way.

As soon as we were out of earshot I turned my glare on Louis and crossed my arms over my chest. "If you have something to say, just say it Tomlinson."

"Alright Aria." His eyebrows rose at my tone and a chuckle fell from his lips before he licked them and copied my stance. "Why haven't you called Niall?"

"Because I'm mad at him." I answered simply raising my own eyebrows in challenge.

"Alright, fair enough..." He looked into the dining room from over my shoulder then back down at me. "And Harry? Is there a reason you two aren't talking? I mean, you can't still be mad at him, I was under the impression that you two were on better terms."

I sighed and let my shoulders drop slightly which only made Louis look more curious at my answer. "I don't know. For once, it's not me doing the avoiding."

Louis looked genuinely confused as his head tilted to the side. There was a peculiar look on his face and once again I got the feeling that something else was going on here, something I had no idea about.

I would have questioned him but my attention was pulled over his shoulder as Harry descended the stairs.

Harry was a fashionable guy, I was highly aware of that by the magazines I had seen him in and the few times I had caught sight of the boys on TV, but Harry's normal home attire was comfy-casual. Sweats, jeans, tee shirts, hoodies and such. The only time I had seen him all dressed up in person was on the disaster of a night out with Niall, and then I had been so angry at him I didn't get to fully appreciate the beauty of him, not like now.

This... this was... mouthwatering.

Oh crap.

Try as I might I could not tear my eyes away from his form in the smoky gray tight pants that made me wonder how he got them on, and the printed button shirt with the dark charcoal blazer over it. He hadn't seen me staring as he was rolling up the sleeves but Louis had.

The smile on his face was unbearably smug as he turned to look at his friend before clearing his throat.

"Looking good, Styles."

Harry's wide eyes drifted up but not to Louis. The locked with mine for a moment, his hands freezing over his sleeves before he shifted his stare to his friend.

"Thanks Lou."

"Why so dolled up?"

Harry rolled his eyes but quickly looked to me. I don't know why but I had a strong urge to run my fingers through his clearly styled hair. Normally Harry's hair was either messily pulled back or in one of his famous beanies, but tonight it looked like he put effort into it; like he was trying to impress someone.

"I have a date." Harry finally answered, agonizingly slowly and I realized that his eyes never left mine, even as I let mine run over his body once again.

At his words I snapped my eyes back up to his. He was looking at me like he wanted something, like something was supposed to happen or I was supposed to say something, but I had no clue what.

I didn't know what he was waiting for. I was too busy trying to figure out why there was a dull ache in my chest at the thought of him going out with someone tonight.

Louis sent me a knowing look. I felt like he was reading my thoughts and it was a bit unnerving. I wondered if Harry noticed, since his eyes were still glued on me even though mine had dropped down to the carpet at my bare feet.

"Erm... a date?" Louis asked, sounding like the idea was crazy.

It shouldn't have been. The idea of Harry going out at night shouldn't have been a foreign one to either of us, but it was, because ever since I had been here I hadn't seen Harry go out. It was odd because even pop culture-illiterate me knew enough about Harry Styles before I meet him to know he was a playboy. The first time I met him was at a club and he had tried to pick me up.

I couldn't really expect that to have changed, could I?

But I had forgotten about all that because I knew the father, the man who stayed home and watched princess and fairy movies. The man who attempted every morning, and failed every morning, to braid his daughter's hair. The man who was always home to eat dinner with and tuck his little girl in.

But looking at him now I was reminded that this was also The Harry Styles, and not Harry my boss.

I had missed the whole conversation between Louis and Harry, too caught up in my own thoughts. I didn't rejoin the present until Harry was standing in front of me, ducked down slightly so he was looking me in the eyes.

"Aria?"

I blinked and shook my head. "Um, yea, sorry. What's up?"

He narrowed his eyes in question but carried on anyway. "I'll probably be back pretty late. Sorry for the short notice. If you want me to reschedule -"

I waved him off, swallowing the lump in my throat as the scent of him invaded my senses.
"Don't worry about it Harry. It's what I'm here for."

It was such a contrast to how I would have reacted, say, a week ago. I probably would have told him to screw himself then, I probably still should now, but the dull twinge in my chest was only getting stronger the closer he was to me and it was overpowering all my reason and logic.

"Well, still." He cleared his throat and stood at his full height, a look on his face that almost seemed... disappointed. "I owe you, Aria."

I just shrugged; too scared to use words in fear the wrong ones would come out.

Louis' eyes stayed on me as Harry walked past me to say goodbye to Darcy.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up at his genuinely concerned eyes and I just knew he knew about my internal struggle.

Maybe it was because I was tired from a long day, or maybe because Harry was walking out the door to go on some date with what I assumed was some model or singer or equally glamorous person but I knew that lying to Louis in that moment would have been pointless.

I shrugged again, not trusting my voice not to break this time because a sudden overwhelming emotion took over and all I wanted to do was run out the door and tell Harry to stay home instead, to sit in his sweats with me and Darcy and finish the puzzle while Jamie napped in the playpen.

Louis wasted no time taking the few steps towards me and pulling me into a hug. And even though it was quite comforting and sweet, my mind kept telling me that I would much rather have two very different arms around me right then.

Notes

alright... fun stuff to come. I hope you guys enjoyed that and let me know what you think. Also I have recently discovered I enjoy making banners (altho I still don't think Im super great at it) and I am also uber bored so if anyone needs help with making one or wants me to make one please just message me and I will try my best. I make my own so those are some examples. I promise I don't bite and there is no pressure to use anything I make if you dont like it. Anyway thats all.
<3