Falling for Harry Styles

“Good morning sweetie,” Perrie chirped as I slide into the booth across from her and groaned. “Bad morning?”
“Bad few days; I haven’t slept well if at all.” I dragged a hand down my face, rubbing at my groggy eyes.
“Why?”
I shrugged and shook my head, “I don’t know. I’ve been cramming and working full shifts. You would think I’d be completely knackered, but I just toss and turn when I lay down. I have finals beginning the day after tomorrow and I just can’t sleep.”
“Hmm?” She murmured as she sipped at her coffee, “Does Harry know?”
“I haven’t talked to him since he went to Louis’.”
“Oh, and um… that was a few days ago?” I nodded at her and she scowled, “Interesting.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” she smirked and shook her head. “Isn’t this your lunch break? Shouldn’t you be eating?”
“Eh… I’m not really hungry. But I should get back to it!” I slipped out of the booth, “Thanks for coming to see me Pear. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Hun.”

Six more hours of a shift, followed by two hours of cramming later and my brain felt like mush. I didn’t feel like I could sleep yet, so I went to the lounge and laid on the sofa, flipping on the telly. Not much is on at eleven o’clock at night, so I settled on an old episode of Friends. I curled up and made it through a few episodes before I started to dose off.
I was rudely awakened by the doorbell a little while later. I turned the telly off as I stood and padded to the door, rubbing sleep from my eyes. I opened the door to emerald eyes, wide and alert, and a mop-top of curls. “Harry?” I rasped, “What is it?”
“Can we talk about what happened Love?” he slurred as he leaned against the door frame with one hand.
“Haz, it’s two in the morning.” He had a wide and oblivious smile on his face, with glazed over blinking eyes. I leaned in closer to him, breathed in, and was hit with a wave of alcohol. “You’re drunk,” I sighed.
“Yes, I am,” he replied with the same wide smile, dropping his arm and stumbling backwards. I caught his wrist so he wouldn’t fall off the porch. “Thanks Nat. I think I’ll go back to Lou's now.”
He started to turn but I stopped him. “Harry,” I sighed as I felt myself caving, “C’mon.” I tugged at his wrist to get him to follow me and I practically dragged him into the lounge. I laid him on the couch and pulled off his shoes, setting them by the coffee table. His head was slumped sideways with his eyes half shut and his lips puffing out a little with every exhale of breath. I couldn’t help but think he looked almost angelic as I grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over his slender figure, pulling it up to his chin.
He groaned, “I love it when you take care of me.”
I smiled inadvertently, “I know.” I pushed some of his curls aside and leaned down to press a light kiss to his forehead, “Goodnight, Haz.”
“Sweet dreams Love,” he slurred, voice already full of sleep.
I made my way to the stairs and trudged up them, dragging my feet on the landing. I shuffled to my bed and slowly climbed in. Sleep eluded me, much as it has the past few nights, but this time it was due to my mind wandering to the couch, wondering if he had enough blankets and if he was comfortable. If I’m being honest with myself I just wanted to stop fighting. I was already over it, hell I was over it before he walked out that night. I wanted him to sleep in his bed across the hall again. I wanted to wake up to the smell of breakfast in the house. I missed him.
Giving up on the idea of sleep, I climbed out of bed and tiptoed my way down the stairs. I could hear his soft breathing when I got to the bottom. His head was sunk back into the couch with his arm hanging off the edge. I pulled back the blanket and curled into him, my head laying on his chest and my hand splayed over his stomach. I smiled as his arm curled around my shoulders in his sleep; the gentle thrum of his heart and his low steady breath the only sound in the dark room. The symphony of life from my best friend was all I needed to drift off to sleep.

Notes