June 16, 2017

I'd never realized how quiet the city could be sometimes.

It was almost disconcerting the lack of noise since I was used to the hustle and bustle of life, the constant sound of people. Without it, it just seemed a little too lonely. I hummed absentmindedly to whatever was going through my head in a sorry attempt to keep myself distracted without having to go through the pitiful effort of turning the radio on. Somehow the idea of using music or the television as background noise in an effort to not hear myself think seemed a little too far.

"Honey I'm home!"

He came in without a warning, not even a text warning me that I was about to be bombarded by the harrowing boredom of another lost soul. But I suppose that was Harry's style as he grabbed whatever caught his fancy out of my kitchen before plopping, shoes and all, on top of my brand new sofa.

"No shoes on the sofa, I just got it Saturday." I yelled in mock horror my eyes already drifting into an eye roll.

I was beginning to think Harry spent more time at my flat than he did at his. Not that I minded the company... usually. It was another matter when he let himself in at all hours of the night unannounced especially when I had company which he had learned apparently to no avail several nights earlier.

"It's comfortable." He managed to mumble around a mouth half full of crisps much to my disgust.

Sending a well aimed kick at Harry's shins to try and send the message that his beat up, muddy loafers really needed to get off my couch I curled up on the other end giving him an incredulous look to ask why he was here. Either noticing it and ignoring me or too caught up in his food Harry offered no explanation for barging in on a Friday night.

"Harry it's Friday night." I prodded in an effort to tell the tall lanky figure that he was not welcome on my couch this particular night.

"So?" He asked before taking a single look at my face, my actually curled hair and the soup warming on a hotplate in the kitchen. "Oh...... it's Friday."

He actually remembered. I didn't know whether to laugh at his sudden uncomfortableness or break down and cry. He wasn't actually coming, I didn't know why I still put together the effort when it didn't make a difference. Zayn wasn't coming, he never came anymore. But Harry damn well didn't need to know that.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Harry sent a glance at me before his too keen eyes picked up all of the notice signs. It was the one thing I hated about Harry, despite how chipper and oblivious he seemed he was way too observant for his own good. He always knew when anything was wrong, especially when it came to me.

"Hal?" He asked slowly as I played with my hands uncomfortably in my lap my eyes darting to the pile of unwatched movies.

"He's not coming." I said softly biting my lip to try and avoid the tears that threatened to spill out.

It only took an instant for Harry to be across the couch and for me to be back in a pair of warm familiar arms. Despite the quiet encouragement I just couldn't seem to let myself cry. I had no real reason to, just the hopeless excuses I told myself to help get to sleep at night. Part of me knew that all pining would do was hurt me but I just couldn't help myself.

"How long?" Harry asked and I swore some not so nice words under my breath, he had noticed.

"About a month."

It had been exactly twenty eight days, twenty eight long and torturous days since Zayn had stood up our weekly movie night without so much of an explanation, or a phone call since. I knew he hadn't fallen off the face of the planet because in my weak moments I noted the aesthetically pleasing pictures that still showed up on his way too artsy social media and the occasional comment that he still left despite not talking to me in person. I hated myself for it.

Harry didn't deem words necessary as he offered a long hug, his sweater smelling of a familiar cinnamon and vanilla. I hated myself for yearning for this, a pair of warm arms, the light smell of aftershave even if his didn't smell quite right. But most of all I hated myself for wanting to cry like a baby even though I'd spent my entire life telling myself I didn't need anyone else.

"Freddie projectile vomited in Louis' mouth today." Harry offered the obscure and totally unneeded tidbit to try and cheer me up.

Spluttering slightly in laughter I tried to quickly wipe the dampness from under my eyes without Harry noticing. The image that popped up in my mind of what Louis' face probably looked like upon receiving that gift from his son was enough to bring a smile to my face. I also tucked the reminder that I really owed him a call into the back of my mind.

"I'm sure that was much appreciated."

It was Harry's turn to try and stifle a chuckle his hand briefly slapping his pants in humour. Apparently a smiliar image had gone through his head upon hearing the news. We both knew that secretly Lou was a bit of a germaphobe.

"Hey do you want to do something?" Harry asked sitting up in an expectant posture.

"But that means getting up." I whined as I lounged even further into the couch.

I could be insufferably lazy sometimes and Harry knew that when I was in one of those moods the likelihood of getting me to leave the house was slim. With a mischievous look on his face Harry instead went straight to the game cabinet that no one was supposed to know existed before prattling out all of the options. It became quite obvious that he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.

..............

"I swear you cheated!" I shrieked from the couch as I sent one of my expensive throw pillows at Harry's face, clipping the Jenga tower in the process.

Harry watched the tower of blocks tumble to the ground with barely concealed amusement knowing that it would have happened on my turn one way or the other. I had forgotten why I didn't play games with Harry, mostly because of my stubborn competitive streak and the fact that he never seemed to lose. We had played every game that I owned and jenga had been my last hope of actually beating him at something tonight.

"I don't think you can cheat at jenga." Harry stated with a taunting smirk on his face.

I knew I was feeding right into his hands as I sent another pillow in his direction but it was late enough that I didn't care. Harry had successful managed to distract me for nearly 8 hours, thoughts of Zayn the farthest from my thoughts, but part of me wondered for how much longer.

"You lose." Harry's words came a breath away from my ear making me jump. "Ow!"

The grunt of pain echoed from Harry as he realized that scaring me wasn't always the smartest option. In all of my infernal clumsiness I had headbutted him in the face a slight trail of blood already beginning to leak from his nose. I raised my hand to my mouth to try and conceal my giggles even though a part of me felt awful.

"Don't tilt your head back." I instructed as I went to quickly retrieve paper towels.

I wasn't going to be a happy camper if he got blood stains on my new couch. Sitting down so that I was facing him I pressed the paper towels to his face trying to be gentle. Harry's skin was soft and warm underneath my hand and several shades redder, probably from the flush that accompanied a nose bleed. It wasn't until Harry's hand went to take the towels from me I realized I had been staring at his cheek bones. Looking up I felt my own face flush out of embarrassment my eyes meeting his searching gaze.

"Sorry." I murmered with a sheepish smile.

"S'okay I shouldn't have scared you."

I don't know why but we feel into a comfortable silence. Harry cleaning up the last of blood that leaked from his nose and me trying to look anywhere but at the boy next to me. However, I couldn't help myself from sending sidelong glances at Harry. I suppose most of the world was just obsessed with his gorgeous green eyes and his supposed endearing way of trying to cover himself in ink but I was just wondering how lucky I was to get him as a friend.

"What?" Harry asked catching me staring.

"Thank you." I managed to choke out.

"For what?" Harry's eye brows furrowed together because he honestly didn't know why I was thanking him.

"I think I would have gone crazy here by myself tonight."

I blamed the fact that it was two am and that I had several glasses of wine before Harry's arrival for the fact that I was turning into a sap. Harry's face froze as he debated what to say. He had gotten off the couch reaching for his coat to let me get to bed.

"Hailey..." My name was barely a whisper in his throat as he appeared to be waging in an internal war.

He turned to leave obviously deciding that sappy me wasn't good for conversation. And at that moment I realized I was absolutely terrified. I didn't think I could stand another night in this empty apartment with just my thoughts so standing I took a step in his direction before something stopped me. Lowering my arm I headed in the direction of my room fighting my own internal war. I paused at the door losing to the part of me that was logical.

"Harry?"

He had paused in the doorway to make sure I got to bed safely. Shuffling nervously he was obviously wondering why I'd stopped him. I honestly didn't know either before I asked a question that surprised the both of us.

"Stay?"

Notes

I'm back..........

I honestly didn't know if I was ever going to have time to write again but sometimes life has a way of surprising you.

I started this story a long, long time ago but I went back over the idea and decided that I was still in love with it. But the boys and I have grown up a lot since this was conceived. So here is Off Limits 2.0 I hope you like it :)
-Cass


Oh and Hailey is played by the lovely Rosie Huntington-Whiteley


And Harry is played by himself (with his old hair of course)