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Like Home

Eighteen

Saturday, March 22, 2014

When Harry woke up the following morning, he was relieved to see Kit still curled up beside him. He never knew with her – she could have bolted from his house at the crack of dawn and taken a bus home, and he wouldn’t have been surprised. Disappointed, yes; surprised, no. But she was still beside him, her braided hair falling from the elastic and knotting around her delicate face. Though he yearned to, he resisted reaching out and touching her skin. The quiet hours of sleep hadn’t changed anything they’d discussed the night before… for him. He wasn’t sure if it was Kit or the alcohol talking the night before, but he prayed it was her.

He stretched his legs down the bed, the motion causing his bladder to cry out in agony. He sighed; not wanting to get out of bed but the discomfort making it unbearable to stay. He pushed the blankets aside, careful to not disturb Kit as he stepped into the washroom. Once relieved, he looked at Kit, still curled up motionless against the pillows. Given her intoxication the night before, Harry realised it might be better for her if she woke up without him there. Though nothing happened, he didn’t want her to panic in case she couldn’t remember the night.

Blowing his lips out in a quiet raspberry, Harry ducked out of the bedroom, making his way to the kitchen. He wasn’t sure if Kit would want a cup of coffee, but he knew he needed one.

He scooped the beans into the grinder, hoping the loud noise didn’t wake Kit. As the coffee brewed, Harry sat down at the table, chin in his hands as he thought about the night before and the day ahead. He knew he couldn’t force Kit to do anything, let alone end her sorry excuse of a relationship, but he hoped he’d done enough to convince her that she could, she should, and it would be incredible.

The hum from the grinder roused Kit and she arched her back in a stretch as her eyes lazily blinked open. She rolled over, disappointed to see Harry had already vacated the bed. Sleeping next to him, cuddling with him and sharing the covers had made her feel incredibly safe, secure and loved. She had never experienced that level of comfort with someone, and she didn’t want it to ever end. She knew what the first step was in order to secure a future with Harry, and the thought of executing that step terrified her, but also caused a sense of relief to wash over her. Kevin wouldn’t make it easy for her to end things, and though she could be a confrontational spitfire, she found it difficult – and nearly impossible – to be that way with him. But it had to be done.

She sat up straighter, the drinks from the night before causing her head to throb. She pressed her fingers against her temples with a sigh, pushing the blankets off her and standing up. Her stomach toppled and she hoped she wouldn’t throw up again. She was pleased to see clean towels and shampoo in the bathroom, and while she didn’t make a habit of showering in someone else’s home without permission, she didn’t want to face Harry until she looked slightly more presentable.

Harry smiled when he heard the shower run above him. He liked that Kit was comfortable enough at his home to shower at her own free will, but more, he was happy she was awake and he would be able to see her shortly.

He was still sitting at the table, sipping on his black coffee when Kit poked her head into the kitchen. Her wet hair remained in a braid, though newly pleated, and she smiled shyly at him when their eyes met.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Harry lightly jibbed, smiling at Kit. He couldn’t help but notice how cute – okay, sexy – she looked in his t-shirt. “How are you feeling?”

Kit wrinkled her face sheepishly. “Been better,” she admitted, sitting beside Harry at the table. She laced her fingers together, looking down at them. She’d never been a person to black out while drinking, but this morning, remembering how she’d attempted to proposition Harry, she wished she did. “I’m sorry about last night…” she told Harry.

He waved his hand dismissively. “You don’t have anything to apologise for, Kit-Kat,” he assured her, standing up. He rubbed Kit’s shoulder affectionately before stepping to the sink, getting her a glass of water and a couple of aspirin. He set them down in front of her before rubbing her shoulders again.

“Really?” Kit asked, smiling at Harry’s touch as she obediently took the medicine he’d placed in front of her.

“Of course,” Harry assured her, giving her shoulders another squeeze before sitting down. “So…” he began awkwardly. Immediately, he kicked himself for starting off the morning by bringing the elephant into the room. It would get brought up, he knew. He didn’t have to mention it before her aspirin even took effect.

Kit let out a quiet sigh before chuckling. “I have to deal with my life today, don’t I?” she asked, dreading the thought of confronting Kevin, but loving the anticipation of what would come next, with Harry.

Harry shrugged slowly. “Only if you want to…” he answered carefully, though inside, he was screaming the opposite.

Kit laughed again. “You know I want to,” she reminded him. Hesitantly, she reached across the table, her hand covering Harry’s. “It’s gonna suck…” she mused. “Kevin’s… I mean, he’s not nice,” she exhaled. “But I…” she looked at their hands before looking up at Harry, catching his gaze. “I really can’t wait for it to be you and me,” she confessed to Harry, smiling at the words.

Harry’s stomach fluttered at her confession. He matched Kit’s grin, squeezing her hand before standing up. “It already is you and me,” he reminded her, cupping her face with his hands. “Just gotta get this one hiccup out of the way,” he said with a soft laugh before leaning down and gently finding Kit’s lips with his own. He could feel her smile against his lips as he parted hers with his tongue, letting their tongues slowly mesh together.

Kit stretched her neck, eagerly meeting Harry’s kiss. She found his hand and tightened her grip around it, looking forward to the day when they could kiss without the thought of Kevin hiding in the shadows. And that day will be today, she reminded herself. Like Harry said, there was only one hiccup to get out of the way. As Harry kissed her, Kit had never felt more ready to end her relationship with Kevin

~*~*~*~

“This is close enough,” Kit told Harry, leaning forward in the passenger seat. He cast a side glance at her, shaking his head but obliging as he pulled the car over a few blocks from Kit’s home. She hadn’t wanted Harry to drive her home – she didn’t want to risk Kevin seeing his car as she was breaking up with him – but when Harry assured her he would drop Kit off blocks from her home, she allowed him to chauffer her home.

“Are you sure?” asked Harry, furrowing his brow. They were still several blocks from Kit’s flat. He’d rather drive her closer – truthfully, he’d rather drop her off at the door, but Kit wasn’t going to allow that. “I can drop you off closer. I don’t think Kevin has spies kicking around,” he added with a low chuckle.

Kit rolled her eyes at him good-naturedly. “Thanks, tips,” she teased him, fiddling with the seatbelt. “I just… it’s easier if he doesn’t know… about you. You know?” she asked, hoping her words didn’t seem uncaring.

“I know,” Harry answered, rubbing Kit’s wrist affectionately.

Kit let out a sigh, looking out the window. “Harry, I… I hope you know that I’ve wished I wasn’t with him since I first saw you at the pub at Christmas,” she told him, her words coming out in a hurried frenzy. “I never meant for you to feel like I wanted to be with him and not you. I’ve always wanted to be with you,” she whispered, though more to the side window than to him.

Harry let out a laugh at her confession, gently touching her cheek. “I know,” he told her, though he hadn’t always. She’d messed with his mind more than he would ever let on, and there were still many facets of her that remained a mystery. But he was excited to continue to peel back the layers and solve the riddles she possessed.

Kit faced Harry, looking relieved. She didn’t think she would ever understand the magnitude of Harry’s feelings for her, but she would try – and try to show him that her own feelings were just as strong for him.

“Good,” she told him with a smile. She breathed out a sigh, raising her eyebrow at Harry. “Okay… I have to get this over with,” she told him, her stomach tumbling at the anticipation.

Harry nodded, leaning closer to Kit. “Go dump your boyfriend for me,” he told her teasingly before planting a risky peck against her lips. Kit’s eyes rolled but she kissed him back.

“Too soon,” she told him, attempting to scowl but his smile was so infectious, she couldn’t maintain the farce. She gave Harry’s hand another squeeze before opening the car door. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” she promised him before jumping out of the car.

“Not soon enough,” Harry countered cheekily as Kit grinned at him, slamming the door behind her. He watched her as she looked both ways before crossing the street, darting between parked cars before she disappeared into the park, out of his sight.

He let out a loud sigh; not wanting to go home as he’d told Kit he would. He reclined his seat back a few inches and pulled out his phone, aimlessly scrolling through social media. He wanted to be blocks, not miles, from Kit when he received word from her that she was officially his. And so, again, he would wait for her.

~*~*~*~

Kit wished she could use the time spent walking to her house to practise what she would say to Kevin, but she was still at a loss at to what those words would be. She knew she didn’t want to say too much – she refused to bring up Harry or mention all of the other times she’d wanted to end their relationship—but Kevin would pry for information. For a narcissist asshole like himself, he wouldn’t be able to accept the fact that he was at fault, not Kit. But she knew she owed it to herself and to Harry – and, to Kevin, if she was thinking kindly – to rip the bandage off as quickly as she could. Still, as she climbed the steps to her apartment, her stomach tumbled as though she was on a rollercoaster, and she wished the break up was already over.

The front door was ajar, and Kit took it to mean Kevin was home. With his friends coming and going from Kit’s home as though it was Heathrow Airport, he would leave the door readily open for them rather than tossing a key from the window. She – as well as the other tenants of the building – didn’t appreciate it, but this one time, she did.

She exhaled quietly before pushing open the door into her apartment. Kevin was standing in the kitchen, fixing himself a meal. He looked up at Kit as she entered, but didn’t say anything. His tightly pursed lips and square shoulders said more than words could say.

“Hi,” Kit greeted hesitantly, avoiding his eyes as she dropped her purse on the dining table.

Kevin didn’t answer; keeping his eyes turned towards his meal. When Kit asked how his day was going, he scoffed loudly, shaking his head at her.

“Where the hell were you?” he demanded, his anger apparent. Kit bit her lip – it wouldn’t be easy to end things with Kevin while he was already riled up.

She unbuttoned her jacket, draping it along one of the chairs. “I stayed with Jessica,” she fibbed, avoiding Kevin’s eyes and wishing she was a better liar. He would see right through her words.

Kevin scoffed again, making an obscene amount of noise as he bustled around the kitchen. “Really?” he countered. “Because I fucking Facebooked that chick yesterday when you didn’t answer your phone and she said you went home with that fucking Harry Styles!”

Kit didn’t expect Kevin to believe her lie about being with Jessica, but she hadn’t expected Kevin to go through social media lengths to find out where she was. She shrugged nonchalantly, attempting to appear aloof. “Oh, psh,” she commented airily, waving her hand. “Tim asked him to pick me up. I didn’t have my house key, so I stayed in his guest room,” she added, gesturing to the set of keys on the dining table.

Kevin rolled his eyes, appearing disgusted by Kit. “Why didn’t fucking Tim just call me?” he questioned. “Or why didn’t you?”

Because Tim hates you and so do I, Kit thought to herself. “I…” she began, only able to utter the single syllable before Kevin interrupted her.

“Do you think I’m a fucking idiot?” Kevin exploded, the sudden change in decibel causing Kit to jump. Her head remained down as she toyed with the button on the jacket, her stance screaming out her guilt. “Those fucking sick flowers from Valentine’s Day! Those were from him, weren’t they? Weren’t they?” he shouted louder when Kit remained silent.

This wasn’t how Kit wanted the breakup to go. She wanted to be in control, not Kevin. Instead, she avoided his eyes like the plague, all but tearing the button off her coat. “Kevin, he bought them for everyone…” Kit tried to explain.

Kevin wasn’t having it; immediately shouting over her words. “Fucking bullshit, you disgusting slut!” he hollered at her, slamming his plate down in frustration. The dish shattered, shards of ceramic spilling onto the floor. Kit jumped again, Kevin’s outburst startling her. She wished with all of her heart that Harry was there to protect her, but this was something she had to face on her own.

“That’s not true,” Kit argued meekly. “He’s just my friend…”

Kevin grabbed a water glass, hurling it across the room towards Kit. Her eyes widened and she quickly ducked at the glass smashed against the wall behind her. The glass wouldn’t have hit her if she hadn’t ducked, but she couldn’t be sure if Kevin was aiming for her or the wall.

“You’re fucking him too, aren’t you?” Kevin yelled, stomping out of the kitchen towards Kit. Her heart stopped as she saw the anger in his eyes. Kevin had yelled at her before, but this was different. He was seeing red.

“No!” Kit exclaimed hurriedly. “I’ve never, I swear to God, Kevin!” she pleaded with him, silently praying he wouldn’t hit her. He never had before, and though Kit didn’t have many nice things to say about Kevin, she didn’t think he was capable of hitting her. Until now.

His fists were clenched together so hard, Kit was certain his palms would be bleeding. He stared at Kit, standing dangerously close to her. Knowing she wasn’t lying about sleeping with Harry, she managed to maintain weak eye contact with Kevin as his dark eyes searched her soul. Finally, he breathed out, though his attempt to calm himself futile as he punched the wall behind Kit, his hand leaving a hole in the drywall.

She let out a startled yelp, jumping away from Kevin. “Stop it!” she insisted, her voice squeaking. “It’s not what you think!”

“Like fucking hell it’s not!” Kevin yelled. “You’re fucking him! You sick, dirty whore!”

Kit had never been called such vulgar words in her life, and if she hadn’t been finally feeling confident about a future with Harry and his feelings for her, she might have believed them. She didn’t, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear the words.

“I’m not!” Kit tried to explain. Kevin took a couple of long strides towards Kit and instinctively, she backed away from him.

“You’re with me, not him!” Kevin exclaimed. “Or did you fucking forget that while you were fucking that cocksucker?”

“I don’t want to be with you anymore,” Kit told him, her voice quiet. She kept her eyes on the floor, though knowing she should look up and be on alert in case Kevin swung his fists around again.

“Huh?” Kevin barked, having not heard Kit’s quiet declaration.

Kit swallowed hard, making eye contact with Kevin for a moment. “I said, I don’t want to be with you anymore,” she repeated, struggling to make her voice sound more confident than she felt. The words hung in the air, Kit’s gaze dropping again.

Kevin choked out a humourless laugh. “What, you’d rather be with that fucking fairy?” he scoffed out disbelievingly. “What the fuck makes you think he’d want to be with you? Look at you!” he exclaimed. “You’re a sodden mess! You’re a fucking idiot, annoying as hell! I fucking put up with you because I’m a God-damn good fucking guy, Kit! You’re fucking lucky I even give you the time of day, fucking fool!”

Kevin’s words hurt, and Kit felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She blinked quickly in an attempt to rid them, to no avail.

“And now you’re fucking crying like the loser you are,” Kevin snickered, shaking his head disgustingly at her. “Grow up, Kit,” Kevin added with another shake of his head. He turned on his heel, returning to the kitchen. He side-stepped over the broken glass and tossed his meal into the garbage before pulling out the loaf of bread to start over.

Kit swiped at her eyes, watching incredulously as Kevin ignored the words she said and carried on as though nothing had happened. If she didn’t have Harry, she would have accepted defeat. She would have obediently cleaned up the broken glass and offered to finish making Kevin’s sandwich for him. She would have pushed this fight aside and carry on as they always had. But things were different now.

Kit crossed her arms over her chest, stepping towards the kitchen. “Kevin… I’m breaking up with you,” she tried again. His back was to her, but she saw him stiffen at her words. “I want you to leave my house. And I don’t want to see you again,” she added for good measure.

Exhaling loudly, Kevin slowly placed the butter knife along the side of the sink. He bushed his hands against his jeans before turning around, facing Kit. “You’re… breaking up with me?” he asked her skeptically, chuckling. “Kit, get a fucking life. You know I’m the fucking best thing to ever happen to you. Just go fucking calm down. Paint one of your shitty paintings or something. Just fuck off.”

Kit closed her eyes, swallowing hard as she forced herself to muster up the strength to make Kevin believe her words were true. “No,” she answered defiantly, surprised by how confident her voice sounded. “This is my house. I want you gone. You can take your sandwich with you,” she added, the statement bravely cheeky.

Harry had scrolled through Facebook until his thumb was sore, though he couldn’t remember any of the updates he’d read. His stomach was unsettled – he didn’t like the thought of Kit confronting Kevin alone, and something kept nagging at his mind, telling him that the breakup was not going as smoothly as Kit had naively believed it would. He knew it would make matters worse if Kevin saw Harry come to Kit’s rescue, but he needed to make sure his girl was okay.

He started the car, maneuvering through the narrow streets until he arrived at Kit’s apartment building. Peculiarly, the front door was open, but it was a relief for Harry. As he walked into the building and began climbing the stairs to Kit’s floor, he could hear angry shouting coming from her unit. He broke into a jog, taking the stairs two at a time before pushing open the apartment door.

“… take your sandwich with you,” he heard Kit say, neither her nor Kevin seeing Harry step into the apartment. The sassy comment was hardly out of Kit’s mouth before Kevin’s arm extended, his flat palm connecting with Kit’s tender cheek with a loud slapping sound.

Harry had heard the term ‘blood boiled’ in the past, but he didn’t know what it meant until that moment. His body felt painfully hot, his extremities tingling. He felt as though he was having an out of body experience as he strode across the dining room and gently shoved Kit away from the kitchen entrance. He locked eyes with Kevin, and if looks could kill, Kevin would be six feet under. Without a moment of hesitation, Harry swung his arm, his clenched fist clocking Kevin right under his left eye.

Shocked, Kevin stumbled backwards against the sink, his own fists clenched. He didn’t have a chance to swing back as Harry wasted no time driving another right hook against Kevin’s face.

“You fucking think it’s okay to hit girls!” he shouted at Kevin, desperately wanting to tend to Kit, but avenging her was far more important. He grabbed Kevin by the shirt collar, turning him so his back was towards the kitchen entrance. “Fucking piece of shit!” he yelled, allowing himself one more punch to Kevin’s head before forcefully shoving him towards the front door. “Get the fuck out of here!”

Kevin stumbled again, sputtering in shock as he tried to enunciate his threats. “You’re fucking dead, pal!” he finally spat out. “That’s fucking assault, superstar. Lawyer up,” he added haughtily, rubbing his chin.

Harry crossed his arms, chuckling at Kevin’s sorry attempt at a thread. “You fucking hit her first, mate,” Harry reminded Kevin, gesturing to Kit and meeting her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes were red-rimmed, an angry handprint was forming on her cheek, but she looked so happy to see Harry. His heart swelled as he looked at her; there was no question that he was head over heels in love with her.

Kevin scoffed. “What the fuck ever, asshole,” he snapped. “Have fun with that fucking whore!” he added, slamming the front door behind him as he stomped out of the apartment.

Kit let out a shaky sigh of relief as Kevin left, ducking her head as she covered her face with her hands. Unable to hold back the tears, she began sobbing – sobbing with relief that Harry knew well enough to come to her rescue, sobbing at the words Kevin spat at her, sobbing at the fight scene she’d just witnessed. She didn’t know what event was causing her to cry more, but as Harry enveloped her in his arms, she felt herself go weak against him, her sobs dissipating. He was such a comfort.

“It’s okay…” Harry soothed in a quiet tone, softly stroking Kit’s hair. “Shhh… honey, it’s okay. He’s gone now. You’re okay. Are you okay?” he asked suddenly, holding her out at arm’s length, carefully examining her cheek. He hadn’t broken her skin, but it would take a fair amount of cover-up for the next couple of days.

Kit nodded, wrapping her arms around Harry’s waist and pressing herself against his cheek. “How’d you know to come here?” she questioned, her words choking out in a hiccup. His arms encircled her, protecting her, loving her.

Harry quietly laughed. “I just had a feeling something was wrong with my girl,” he told her, caressing her back slowly.

Kit smiled at his words, pulling away to look at his face. She reached up, pushing a stray curl from his forehead. “I am your girl now,” she told him, her face beaming at the thought. All of the doubts and fears she had about being with Harry were nothing but a distant memory. How she felt now, she couldn’t believe she’d ever felt so much trepidation.

Harry matched Kit’s beam, pressing a kiss against the top of her head. “You are my girl now,” he confirmed, hugging her close again. The two of them stood in an embrace, the silence comfortable as they both thought about what the future could hold for the two kids from Cheshire. Finally breaking the silence, Harry dropped another kiss against Kit’s forehead, smirking at her.

“So… should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and then see what we find?"

Notes

That's it, that's it, it's all over! The Wonka contest is all over!
Seriously, though, thank you guys so much for your comments, votes and support for Like Home! I loved writing this story, but all good things must come to an end! I'm still working on Summertime & Butterflies, and I have another idea dancing around in my head, so I hope you check out both those stories as well! Again, thank you so much, you guys rock! <3 <3 <3

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