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Eleven

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

“So you just watched some shitty movie… held her hand like some fucking twelve year old… and just went home?” Ed asked Harry incredulously, shaking his head in disgust at his friend. “Jesus Christ… and here I thought you were a lady killer,” he added with a smirk, knowing how much Harry hated the reputation and therefore bringing it up every chance he could.

Harry let out an exasperated sigh, bringing his cocktail glass to his lips and taking a drink. The tequila and water was going down way too easily that afternoon, causing Harry’s vernacular to resemble that of an old trucker. “Fuck…” he huffed out. “She’s just so hung up on that fucking boyfriend of hers. Why’s that asshole allowed to have her and I can’t?” Harry asked rhetorically, scowling into his cup.

“If you fucking start crying, you’re going home,” Ed warned Harry, though Harry knew that one of his best mates wouldn’t do that to him. If anything, he would phone Nick and beg him to come console Harry, relieving Ed from the sympathetic friend duties. Ed was the friend who would offer his lovesick friends copious amounts of alcohol, not a shoulder to cry on.

“I’m not going to cry, you cunt,” Harry spat out, though with enough tequila, it could be very likely. He only hoped he was able to hide from Ed and his cell phone camera before the waterworks began.

“She’s fucking giving you the run around, mate,” Ed pointed out to Harry. “I think Kit’s a cool chick and all, but she’s not really being all that cool right now.”

“That’s not true,” Harry answered defensively, though his tone was uncertain. Surely Kit was just trying to wade through the murky waters of her feelings and wasn’t intentionally jerking Harry about. He couldn’t see it. But, he also couldn’t see why Kit would stay with someone like Kevin, so maybe he needed new glasses.

“I think… I know she feels bad about these feelings and shit,” Harry added, annoyed that Ed was playing devil’s advocate and taking Kevin’s side, not Kit’s. He met Kevin, he saw how he acted on New Year’s Eve. It was a no-brainer as to whose side to take. “It’s not like she set out to get herself all confused…”

Ed shrugged apathetically. “Then why doesn’t she just fucking dump that bloke and get your dick wet?” He asked Harry, taking a long gulp of his drink, clearly exasperated by the entirety of the conversation.

“I guess… I don’t know,” Harry admitted sullenly. “She’s a good person and doesn’t want to hurt him?” Harry suggested, his voice taking on a hopeful tone, as though he was answering an elusive pop quiz. But it was the question that was constantly on the forefront of his mind as well. He didn’t understand why Kit would want to be with someone like Kevin when she could be with someone like him. He wondered if maybe he wasn’t as good of a catch as his mother preened him to be.

Ed guffawed loudly. “Sure, mate,” he answered sarcastically. “I mean, fuck… guess if shit goes real bloody sideways, gives you some fodder for some new songs, anyway,” he added with a snicker.

“Oh, piss off… like you’re one to talk,” Harry spat out, flipping Ed the bird, who just laughed. “I kind of… want to call her,” he admitted, knowing Ed would happily rib him for confessing his desire to him.

“Fu-uu-uck…” Ed chuckled out before wincing at Harry. “Why you gotta do that to me?” He wondered. “You know I gotta tell you to let this little one fall by the wayside, or least ‘til she gets her fucking mind made up. But you’re pissed up, and it’s a fucking Wednesday, so… I think it’d be rather hilarious.”

“Sod off,” Harry grumbled, fiddling with his phone. “I don’t know what the big deal is,” he added. “She’s my fucking friend,” he reminded Ed, and himself. Somehow, though, the more he called Kit his friend, the worse it sounded.

This time, Ed laughed even louder. “Yeah, she’s your fucking friend alright, mate!” He exclaimed. “If she was just your friend, you wouldn’t be fucking thinking about her ass. Now you’re thinking about her ass, aren’t you?”

Harry frowned. “Don’t talk about her ass,” he scolded Ed, even though he was right. “I just want to see how she’s doing… It’s been a couple days…”

Ed scoffed again. “It’s been fucking five, guy,” he told him. “I don’t even talk to you that much. Probably’ve talked to your little Kitty-Kat bloody ten times more than your own sister lately, yeah?”

“Just fuck off,” Harry told Ed, standing up, defying Ed. “I’ll tell Mama Nick you were in the toilet when I called,” he added with a snort, knowing Ed was secretly worried about the ramifications from Nick if he caught wind that Harry called Kit drunkenly on his watch. He appreciated his friends were just looking out for him and didn’t want him to be on the receiving end of unflattering press or a shattered heart, but right now, Harry didn’t care. He just wanted to hear the voice of the girl he was head over heels for.

~*~*~*~

“Kit, love, can I ask you a favour?”

“Of course!” Kit replied, jumping up from the dining table and joining Kevin’s mother, Cynthia, at the kitchen counter. A frail woman with massive health problems and a heart of gold, she smiled apologetically at Kit and gestured to the spread of vegetables strewn across the counter.

“Can I be an enormous bother and have you finish preparing the salad for me?” she asked, sounding as apologetic as she looked. Kit had asked several times if she could help Cynthia – to the point of being irritating – but being a proud woman, Cynthia had refused until her strained health got the best of her.

Kit took the chopping knife from Cynthia’s feeble hands and carefully placed it on the cutting board. “It’s not a bother at all,” Kit assured Cynthia, gently taking her by the arm and helping her to the chair she’d just vacated. “I’ll get you a water,” she told Cynthia once the woman was settled, stepping in front of the sink.

“Thank you, darling,” Cynthia replied appreciatively as Kit filled a glass and handed it to Cynthia. She took a long, slow sip before setting the glass on the table. “I’ll just take a short rest, then I can finish up,” she promised Kit, who replied by shaking her head.

“Absolutely not,” Kit told her. “This is my kitchen now,” she told her, her voice teasing but serious. Cynthia was an absolute doll, one of the loveliest people Kit had ever known. Her health had been bad her entire life and had been diagnosed with – and beat – cancer twice. Kit wasn’t sure what her current prognosis was, or what she still suffered with, and didn’t dare ask. Kevin was incredibly close with his mother and talking about her poor health only upset him. Kit was of the understanding that Kevin believed one day Cynthia would wake up, miraculously cured of all of her ailments and would be the perfect picture of health. Having a healthy mother and not being able to understand what Kevin and his sisters were going through, Kit didn’t want to dash his dreams.

“Thank you, love,” Cynthia answered, sounding relieved that Kit wasn’t put out by having to prepare the dinner Cynthia had invited them over for. “But please, don’t hesitate to ask me if you need a thing.”

“Same to you,” Kit told Cynthia with a smile as she chopped the vegetables, concentrating hard on ensuring the pieces were all congruent. Normally, she wouldn’t have cared. ‘Close enough’ was Kit’s kitchen motto. But this was Cynthia’s salad, and she had to make sure it would look – and taste – exactly as it would if Cynthia had made it herself.

“I see someone finally quit being stubborn, yeah?” Kevin asked with a grin, bursting into the kitchen. He stopped beside his mother, wrapping his large arms gently around her small body and pressing a sweet kiss against her gaunt cheek. Kevin was a different person around his family. He was the man Kit first fell for – sweet, caring and compassionate. Seeing how he took care of his mother or played with his nieces reminded Kit as to why she was with him, in a time where the reminder was imperative for the successful continuation of their relationship.

“I’m not stubborn,” Cynthia argued in an ironically stubborn tone. “I just wanted to cook a nice supper for you kids. You’re both so busy, I just wanted to make sure you’re taken care of,” she added, clearly unaware that Kevin was yet again without a job.

“Well, that’s our job,” Kevin reminded her, stepping beside Kit and reaching for a knife of his own, affectionately rubbing the small of Kit’s back. She felt her body jolt with shock at his touch – Kevin wasn’t one to often show his affinity. But when he was around his family, he became the perfect boyfriend, a person Kit wouldn’t dream of cheating on.

Cynthia beamed at her son, a look of pride on her face. “I did manage to make your favourite pie this morning,” Cynthia assured her son, nodding towards the refrigerator. “I know you like it better cold.”

Kevin grinned, following his mother’s gaze to the fridge. “Thanks, Mom!” He replied happily. “Kit actually made it the other night, too,” he added, reaching his arm around his girlfriend and giving her side a light squeeze. “It was actually pretty good!” he added brightly, his compliment surprising Kit.

Kit flushed, looking up at Cynthia. “I wouldn’t have… if I knew you’d be…” she attempted to assure her boyfriend’s mother. She’d only made the pie in an effort to ease her own guilty conscience after her Friday night with Harry. It hadn’t worked, and Kevin had commented about the crust being quite thick, but he’d eaten the entire pie, save for the small piece Kit had, so it couldn’t have been horrible.

Simultaneously, Kevin and Cynthia both let out loud scoffs. “I’d eat that pie every fucking day, every day… Sorry Mom,” Kevin told Kit, apologising as he cussed in his mother’s house.

Cynthia waved her hand dismissively. “I’m flattered, love,” Cynthia promised Kit. “It makes me happy that my boy has a good girl to take care of him in the city,” she added, her eyes bright as tears formed. Her reaction made Kit feel a tremendous amount of guilt and she ducked her head, unable to look at Cynthia’s emaciated face any longer. The thought of the ailing woman sleeping soundly at night, knowing her baby boy was with a good girl who baked for him, relieving one of her many life burdens, when the so-called good girl was only baking for him to feel better about her clandestine “friendship” with Harry Styles was enough to make Kit want to throw up.

“He does,” Kevin agreed, smiling down at Kit. She could feel his gaze on her but couldn’t look up, not while the look on her face proclaimed her guilt as though it was a billboard. She concentrated on her chopping, methodically pressing the knife through the vegetables and wishing the dinner was already over.

The vibration coming from Kit’s back pocket startled her out of her deliberate trance. She set the knife down before pulling her phone from her pocket and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name across the screen – Hannah Stewart. She knew her feelings were getting out of control when she changed Harry’s name to a nondescript female name in her phone. Realizing she’d been holding her breath, she let out a fake cough in order to exhale, holding the phone against her chest. Despite her remorse, she realised she hadn’t even considered ignoring Harry’s call.

“It’s Hannah from my poetry class,” Kit told Kevin and Cynthia, voicing the lie she’d recited in her head since the weekend. She only hoped her facial expression wouldn’t give her away. “Sorry, I’ll just be right back. Excuse me,” she added to Cynthia, touching her shoulder as she darted past her. “Hello?” She greeted quietly into the phone, her hand on the front door handle. She realised how suspicious it looked going outside to speak to “Hannah from poetry class” in February, but she’d think of an excuse after. She couldn’t have Kevin, and especially Cynthia, overhear her conversation.

“Hi Kit-Kat,” came Harry’s voice, raspy and pitchy. She could hear his smile behind his words, and picturing the adorable dimpled smirk made a smile of her own cross her face.

“Hi Harry-Canary,” Kit replied, her voice soft. She sat down on one of the old rockers Cynthia’s father had brought with him from their farm in the Netherlands, hugging herself against the damp chill. “What are you doing?”

Harry sprawled out on the couch in the quiet living room, leaving Ed and his comments behind in the family room. He didn’t know what he wanted to say to Kit. He just knew he wanted to talk to her and hear her voice.

“Nothing,” Harry answered, running his hand through his hair. “Just… hanging out at Ed’s… Thinking about you…” he admitted in a quiet voice. Like always, he thought.

Kit felt a flutter in her stomach and smiled widely at his words. “Really?” she asked him, her voice rising in octaves. She covertly looked to her right, ensuring the window to the kitchen was closed. “I’m… what about?” she questioned, stopping short from telling Harry she’d been thinking about him as well, non-stop.

“Mostly just about your shitty taste in movies and weird granny socks,” Harry ribbed her, wishing Kit was sitting beside him on the couch so he could teasingly poke her arm or ruffle her hair.

Kit laughed loudly. She liked how Harry could kid around with her and it was the furthest thing from insulting. If Kevin were to insult Kit’s choice in movies or fashion – which he had, many times – she would feel belittled and embarrassed. When Harry did it, Kit felt giggly and coy. Though maybe that was more her problem than Kevin’s.

“Cute that you make fun of my socks when you walk around with that thing on your head, like you’re a Survivor contestant,” Kit gently teased back, giggling at her attempt at humour.

“Hey!” Harry exclaimed with a laugh, finding it ridiculously adorable that Kit laughed at her own jokes. “It’s not weird… it’s fashionable!” He protested, though not feeling insulted. He knew Kit was only teasing him, and he loved it.

“Mm-hmm,” Kit hummed, ducking her head and resting her palm against her forehead, her elbow on her thigh. She didn’t think Kevin would believe that Hannah from poetry class could make her giggle like she was, and needed to keep her face was hidden from the window. She was surprised to realise that while she felt shameful talking to Harry on the phone at Cynthia’s house, she felt a bit exhilarated as well.

Harry scoffed at Kit. “You’re a bit of a cheeky brat, aren’t you?” He asked endearingly. He felt an ache in his arms as he spoke to Kit, as though they were fiending to hold her. “What are you doing, anyway, brat?” Harry wondered, suddenly hopeful that she was at home and wanting his company. He knew driving himself was out, but he would pretentiously call a driver to pick him up in a sleek, black sedan and drive him to the wrong side of town, just to see Kit.

“I’m, erm… well, nothing, really…” Kit lied, not wanting to tell Harry where she was. For reasons unknown to her, telling Harry she was spending time with Kevin’s family made her feel more guilty than talking on the phone with Harry at Kevin’s parents’ home.

“Really?” asked Harry, his tone hopeful. “Well, uhm… Maybe if you… if you want me to come, erm… over, ahh… we could maybe… find some real crappy movie? I’ve, uhh… heard the Day After Tomorrow is quite realistic,” he added facetiously.

Kit’s heart throbbed as Harry stammered out his suggestion. His shyness was evident, and so sweet. “I… really want to,” she confessed. “But I’m… I’m not at home. I’m with Kevin… at his parent’s house…” Kit admitted to Harry, not wanting to lie to him.

“Oh.” Harry replied, his tone flat. Of course she was with her boyfriend. He felt embarrassed that he thought she would be available to him, to be at his beck and call whenever he drank enough liquid courage to ask her to spend time together again. This was the problem with having feelings for a taken girl – there was always another man who took precedent over him.

“Well, that’s alright,” Harry continued, struggling to make his voice sound cheerful, but the thought of Kit having a warm, family dinner with the one person he thought he might truly hate was enough to make his blood boil. “Probably shouldn’t just ditch on Ed, anyway.”

Kit was quiet. She wanted to reassure Harry that she’d rather the Day After Tomorrow – or, quite possibly, even the Notebook – with him than spend another minute at Kevin’s lovely parents’ home. She wanted to convey to him that he was the one she thought about when she couldn’t sleep at night, and he was the one she wished she could hold hands with, not Kevin. She wanted to tell him that she knew Kevin was a bad boyfriend, but she was also a bad girlfriend, and she wanted Harry to believe her and accept the fact that he shouldn’t pine for someone like her, not argue with her like she knew he would.

“Hey…” Harry continued, Kit’s silence making him feel unsettled. He wished he could see her face. It would be easier to know what she was thinking if they were together. “Uhm… I know you have Friday plans, but erm… on Saturday? Gemma’s throwing this birthday party for her boyfriend… It’s at this cool, little speakeasy lounge… thing… and uhm… can you come?” Harry wondered, feeling like he was asking a girl to their first boy-girl party.

“Of course,” Kit answered, quickly accepting the invitation without hesitation. She beamed at the thought of seeing Harry again, though Saturday seemed so far away. “Wait, what’s Friday?” She asked, furrowing her brow as she tried to picture the calendar in her mind.

“Well… it’s Valentine’s Day…” Harry reminded Kit. “Thought Kevin might have something fun planned for you guys…” he added, feeling as though he was forcing the words through a metal door. He didn’t want to think about Kevin and Kit’s Valentine’s Day plans.

“Oh,” Kit lamented. “Erm… well, maybe, but… I doubt it…” She trailed off. While she and Kevin hadn’t spent a Valentine’s Day together – and it was her first Valentine’s Day with a boyfriend ever – she would bet her hat that the day would be completely unremarkable. If she received a flower from him, she’d pass out from shock.

Kit’s comment infuriated Harry. Being Kit’s boyfriend, it was Kevin’s duty to make Valentine’s Day – and every single other day – special and memorable for her. He couldn’t even drag his sorry ass to a corner gas station and buy Kit some week-old carnations? If he bought her chocolates, he’d likely eat them all before giving them to Kit. He would spew out some bullshit rhetoric about how Valentine’s Day was invented by the card companies, how it was a gross waste of money and how it shouldn’t be just one day when couples show their affection – which, if Kevin spent the rest of the year acting like a gold medalist in Boyfriending, Harry would almost agree with. But Kevin was an asshole, and his assumed disregard for Valentine’s Day proved it even more.

“Well… so long as you’re free on Saturday… We’d like – I’d like – for you to come…” Harry told Kit. “It’s not like, uhm… It’s just a couple of friends,” he added, not wanting to evening to sound like something glamorous. He didn’t want to scare Kit off, and had a feeling she would balk at the idea of attending a fancy party.

“It sounds really fun!” Kit enthused, though if anyone else had invited her to a trendy lounge in downtown London, she’d hard pass every single time. But with Harry, he could ask her to dig through three feet of snow in minus-twenty weather, just to watch the grass grow, and she would happily oblige.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief; elated that Kit was going to accompany him on Saturday. He didn’t care; he was calling it a date and was going to treat it as such. Kit deserved it. “It will be,” Harry agreed, unable to wipe the smile off his face. “I’m happy you’re coming.”

“Me too,” Kit answered, her insides fluttering. “I should go… Uhm, but… I… can’t wait for Saturday,” she blurted out quickly, her face heating up at her confession. Not only had she fallen down the rabbit hole, she’d brought a shovel to dig herself deeper.

Notes

Comments

Wow wow wow. Finally!! I love this so much and you ended it perfectly!

LMAOOOO YES they should search rom coms on netflix lol
im so glad pos kevin is gone

@Kammy.
Thank you so much love!! <3 (and I knew you'd love the punch out ;p)

harambejtrump harambejtrump
7/31/17

Omg woman, I am in tears right now...thank Fuck Harry showed up...AND HE PUNCHED HIM!!! yes!!!

i loved this story so much!!!

Kammy. Kammy.
7/31/17

Finally! Kit get it together woman! What has happened that she thinks she owes Harry anything? God, Kevin has done a number on her, FFS

breaks my heart

Kammy. Kammy.
7/27/17