The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the tickling sensation on my face.

I slowly opened my eyes as I reached a hand up to brush the hair away. I then realized that the hair I was brushing away was red. Lowering my eyes I found a bright red haired head tucked under my chin.

Dawn.

I smiled softly at her tightening bringing my arm back down to where it had been resting on her waist and pulling her closer. We were both on our sides facing each other, her warm breath fanning over my collarbone as she mumbled incoherently at the sudden movement.

She was still in the denim shorts and tank top from our sight seeing outing the day before. We must have fallen asleep after the movie.

My mind wondered back to that. Not so much the movie itself, although I could probably recite the whole thing with as many times as she’s had me watch it. I didn’t care, it made her happy.

She had said she loved me. It wasn’t the first time she had said she loved me but it was the first time I pretended it meant more then what it was. When I finally managed to find my voice to respond, I had sincerely meant it. I loved her as more then a friend. The moment felt so right to me, so perfect. Even if that moment was just pretend.

Now looking down at her laying so trustingly in my arms, right were she belonged, I knew I had to try. I couldn’t just let Cameron win. He was just like all the others, all of the other guys that broke Dawn’s heart before. They all came and went and I was still here because I was supposed to be with her. This moment here, the ease of it all, proved that. So I was going to try. I just had to figure out how to do so without risking our friendship in the process.

For the longest time I just watched her as she was cuddled up to my chest, resisting the urge to simply pull her up and kiss her.

“Harry?” Her raspy, just woken up voice asked before she even opened her eyes.

The thought that she would know it was me holding her made my heart soar.

“Yea Dee.”

She yawned stretching her body out beside me, inadvertently pressing herself into my chest and allowing me to feel every inch of her body against mine caused my pants to begin to feel uncomfortably tight. I gulped as I pulled away slightly and she rolling onto her back. She blinked a few times then turned her tired eyes to mine while rolling her head to the side on the pillow we were sharing. “What time is it?”

I glanced over her head at the glowing clock.

“Half passed five.” I said surprising myself at being awake at such an early hour. I had noticed it being dark but hadn’t really paid it much attention.

“Crap.” She sat up suddenly. “I have to get everything ready. You should shower. Everyone is supposed to be in my room by 6. Crap, crap, crap.” She chanted , scurrying off the bed. She looked around in a daze before looking back at me with widened eyes. For a moment I thought she could see what she had caused but I sighed in relief and I subtly pulled a pillow over myself when all she said was “Hurry Harry.”

She didn’t give me another glance after that as she quickly left my room. Perhaps a shower wasn’t such a bad idea, I thought looking under the pillow. Hello cold shower.

After a rather long torturous shower I managed to make my way into Dawn’s suite where she was already working on Liam. Niall looked to be done as he sat on her bed flipping through the channels. I had bumped into Zayn on the way in as he was designated to go on a coffee run. He warned me that Dawn was in true form that morning and to try not to irritate her too much as she would probably take it our on my hair if I did. I laughed realizing that he was probably speaking from experience.

“Harry!” Louis greeted as I walked into the room. He was far too chipper for so early in the morning.

I waved absentmindedly, my eyes drifted to Dawn. She had obviously showered also. Her hair was wet and her denim shorts and tank were replaced with rolled up sweatpants and one of my white v neck shirts she had obviously nicked.

“Who’s next?” She asked while Liam looked in the mirror above the dresser. Louis quickly pointed to me where I still stood at the door. I shrugged and made my way over to the chair she had pulled up to the dress, all her supplies lay spread out.

I watched her intently as she began to pick out the things she would need for me before setting to blow dry my hair. I closed my eyes as her delicate fingers massages through my hair. It was one of my absolute favorite things she did. It was soothing and slightly intimate in a way. When she finished drying my curls she set to styling them, I kept my eyes closed the whole time, trusting her to make me look good.

I reached up to brush a few locks behind my ear only to have her swat my hand away. I chucked, and she kept working.

I let my mind wander. How would this be when I finally worked up the courage to tell her? Would I be able to pull her onto my lap like my hands were itching to do now? Would I be able to kiss her senseless, not caring that Niall, Liam, and Louis sat just behind us? Would she giggle in her intoxicating way as they cat called?

“Stop that.” Dawn hissed slapping my hand away from my hair. I opened my eyes. I hadn’t even realized I had been doing it, I was so lost in my thoughts. “I swear Harry, if you touch your hair one more time I’m going to brake your fingers.”

“Someone is snippy this morning.” Niall chuckled from the bed.

I was sure her lack of enough sleep last night was adding to her already normally dangerous mood in the mornings.

She glared at him cursing under her breath, only causing him to laugh louder at her. I took the brunt of her annoyance seeing as she forcefully began to swipe some form of concealing makeup over the dark circles I knew I had under my eyes. I knew better then to say anything for fear of her actually being annoyed at me.

My eyes focused on her face as she pursed her lips and wrinkled her nose in that cute way that made me smile, while she finished up on my face.

I noticed how exhausted she looked then.

One side of Dawn’s mouth lifted in a nervous smile when she noticed me looking . “What?”

“Nothing.” I said with a chuckle.

She narrowed her eyes at me, about to speak when her eyes shifted to something over my shoulder that caused her smile to fall and a deadly serious look to take over.

“Payne, I promise if you do that again I will show you pain.”

I heard Liam chuckle timidly from behind me, Dawn continued to stare him down.

“Ugh. You boys are trying to drive me crazy.”

“It’s a bit late for that.” Louis chuckled. Again I saw her eyes narrow.

“I come baring coffee.” Zayn announced, effectively saving Louis from Dawn’s wrath by holding a cup out to her. She smiled gratefully taking the warm cup from him.

“Thank you. You are my favorite.” She said taking a sip from the cup.

Zayn just gave her a lopsided smile as he handed Liam his coffee.

“I hear you have a new assistant joining the tour tonight.” Liam said looking up at Dawn as she looked over my face and hair one last time before patting my shoulder for me to move.

Now that she had her coffee we all knew it was safe to actually speak to her.

“Yup.” She said popping the ‘p’ while pointing at Louis and crooking her finger at him so he would take the seat I had just gotten up from. “She’s flying in tonight. Adam hired her for me. I’ve been kind of busy following you guys around and all.”

“Is she cute?” I asked simply to mimic her and the way she always asked me obnoxiously if other men were attractive.

I was a bit disappointed when all she did was shrug. “I dunno. I haven’t met her yet. She’s Australian if that helps. Adam said her resume was pretty impressive. She’s young too. Hopefully she’ll fit in. It would really suck if she didn’t.”

“Do you know her name?” Niall asked as he flipped through a magazine.

“Jeneane, I think Adam said.” She pulled the comb she had been attempting to use out of Louis’ hair before standing in front of him and glaring down at him. “What did you do?”

I had to hold back my chuckle at Louis petrified look. Obviously what ever it was wasn‘t going to make her happy. “I, erm, used a bit of wax in my hair.”

“Why would you do that?” She asked placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot.

For such a little thing she could be quite intimidating when she wanted to be. From beside me I could hear the others chuckling.

“I was, um, trying to make my hair look like Zayn’s. Just for a laugh.” Louis said slowly nodding over to where Zayn was biting his lip trying to keep his laughter quiet.

“What would posses you to do that? You are Louis, not Zayn.”

“I am aware.” Louis smiled. Wrong move mate.

Dawn’s eyes widened dangerously while her nostrils flared as she lifted her hand to smack the side of his head.

“Ow, that’s not fair.” Louis shouted. “You got your coffee already. You’re supposed to be nice. I waited until Zayn brought you coffee so you would be nice to me.” Louis whined as she set back to roughly pulling the comb through his hair.

“There is no amount of coffee to make this better Lewis.” I chuckled as Louis cringed at her purposely mispronouncing his name. He hated that. More then he hated being called Boo Bear by us. It was probably worse for him as she managed to drag the comb through his hair extra rough while she said it.

“When does this Jeneane girl get here?” Zayn asked trying to change the subject and save Louis, who was wincing every time Dawn began to comb.

“Tonight. She should be her in time for the show. Stop wiggling Lou.”

“You’re hurting me. Do I have to call Paul?” Louis threatened and ducked away from her hodling his hands up in defense.

Dawn just laughed. “He would hold you down for me, let’s not even play.”

She was probably right, Louis must have thought so too because he quickly shut up and let her finish combing out the unnecessary wax he had so daringly put in his hair. All that was heard as she finished was a few hisses from Lou and Dawn cursing him under her breath.

“Are they almost done?” One of the tour manager’s assistants asked walking into the suite as Dawn was just finishing adding some kind of hair product to the tips of Louis’ hair and shaping it to the side.

“Yeah... just finished.” She said looking over her work before pointing a finger in Louis’ face. “Don’t you ever do that again.”

Louis nodded, quickly jumping off the chair and running out of the room like he was scared Dawn was gong to chase him.

I remained where I was while the others followed Louis out of Dawn’s room. She had her back to me and hadn’t yet realized I was still there as she was gathering all her supplies.

“Oh.” She jumped a little when she looked up and saw me reflected in the mirror. She spun around to face me and began waving her hands in a shooing manner at me. “Harry, you should go. You’re going to be late.”

“They can wait.” I walked over to her. “What are you’re plans for the day?”

She shrugged, returning to her gathering. “Caroline asked me to go to the venue a little early to help her set up the quick change. Something about it not being set up right. Other then that I’ll probably take a nap, maybe see what Cameron is up to since I kind of ditched him last night.”

My smile fell at the mention of Cameron. He needed to go away. I had to remind myself that he hadn’t won yet. I just needed to grow a pair and finally admit to her that I wanted her in the worst way. Until then, however, I had to playing it cool.

“Oh. Well I hope you have fun.” I smiled as I wrapped my arms around her. Dawn gave me a funny look but returned the gesture. “See you tonight.”

She kept looking at me like she thought I was up to something but nodded anyway. “Yea, see you tonight.”

Flashing her one more smile I dashed out of the room, running to catch up with the others who were waiting for me at the lift with Paul and our tour manager.

“What were you doing?” Louis asked wiggling his eyebrows at me.

I laughed and shook my head. “Not what you think.” And then under my breath. “yet.”

He clearly heard me as his eyebrows shot up and an amused look took over his features. “Are you finally going to tell our lovely Dawn that you have fancied her since our X Factor days?” He stressed the word ‘fancied’ in such an obnoxious way.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hid the smile. Now that I had finally set my mind to going about getting what I had always wanted with Dawn, nothing could make me unhappy.

“Let’s just say I’m glad that I know I always get what I set my mind to.” I replied smugly.

“Yeah buddy.” Niall shouted clapping me on the shoulder. Zayn and Liam smiled approvingly and even Paul looked pleased with my words. Louis looked at me like a proud parent before grabbing me into a tight hug. I just laughed at me idiot friends.

Notes

Ejoy lovelies <3