a million tiny little things

Harry could have sat in the back of his car, talking about nothing, for hours with Fallon. She wasn’t very talkative anymore — he sensed she thought she already said too much — but her presence was comforting. She asked him plenty of questions, keeping the conversation on him and not her, but he didn’t mind. If keeping the conversation off her kept her comfortable, Harry would tell stories about his life until the sun came up.

However, they didn’t quite make it to sunrise. A light rainfall began, and while it first brought on a lulling, relaxing sound, the soft steadiness of the drops segued into a heavy downpour. An accompanying wind blew the rain into the back of the car, too much for even Harry’s sleeping bag to protect. The weather, along with Harry’s remembrance of an early morning the next day, caused him to huff out a dejected sigh.

“I know,” Fallon agreed, hugging herself against the sudden chill. Their date had been better than she imagined it would, and while it was late and well past her self-imposed bedtime, she realised she didn’t want to leave. Harry’s comforting company was something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She only hoped she would continue to feel the same way the next time they saw one another.

Harry chuckled, pulling Fallon closer to him. “Your hands are freezing,” he murmured, rubbing her small hands between his to warm her. He pulled one of her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “I don’t really want to take you home, but I guess I’m not much of a gentleman if I keep you out in this storm, am I?”

Fallon laughed. “You’re still doing okay,” she promised him. She gingerly rested her head against Harry’s shoulder for a moment. She enjoyed the closeness, and when he pressed a gentle kiss against the top of her head, she thought she might melt. Harry was making it quite easy for Fallon to fall down the rabbit hole.

“Good enough to see you again this weekend?” Harry wondered, rubbing his thumb along Fallon’s hand. He hoped he wasn’t coming on too strong, but he also hoped she said yes. “I mean… if you’re free,” he added, an attempt to save face if she wasn’t.

Fallon beamed, looking up at Harry. “I am,” she assured him. “And I’d, uhm… I’d like to see you again,” she confessed. She wanted to look away from Harry as she spoke her admission, but she forced herself to keep her eyes locked with his. And it was worth it. His bright, dimpled smile caused her heart to skip a beat, and knowing she was the reason he smiled like that made a smile of her own cross her lips.

“Good,” Harry chuckled. Fallon’s words caused an excited flock of butterflies to awaken in his stomach and a wide grin spread across his face. It wasn’t the greatest time for him to get tangled up with a girl — he was in the middle of a tour and album promotion lined up as soon as the tour ended — but he couldn’t imagine not trying to keep something going with Fallon.

“Why don’t you…” began Harry, tugging on Fallon’s braid, “… think of something awesome fun for us to do? And then we can compare whose idea was better. Ahem mini-golf ahem,” he fake-coughed.

“That’s some pressure…” Fallon answered thoughtfully. Harry lucked out with suggesting mini-golf, in that Fallon wanted to see Harry and would have done almost any kind of date he suggested. She wasn’t sure if she could come up with something Harry would find fun.

“No pressure,” Harry told her, giving her knuckles another reassuring kiss. “Honestly, Fal… I want to hang out with you,” he explained, blushing at his admission. “So, I mean… I just want to do something that you want to do, too. It has to be something good, of course,” he teased, “but I’ll like whatever it is. Promise,” he added for good measure.

Fallon blew a breath out, already wracking her brain for am amazing date idea. Despite what Harry said, the pressure was on. “All right…” she sighed out. “I’ll think of something way better than mini-golf,” she said with a quiet laugh.

“Good luck,” Harry teased back, ducking his head before fluttering his lips against Fallon’s. He let their lips mingle for a few moments, not wanting to pull away. “I’ve got to get you home. Your lips are ice,” he apologised. He ran his thumb along her lips. “Poor, poor Catnip,” he clucked. He took her hand as he slid to the back of the car.

“Jump and run,” he advised, the rain still pummelling down. He wished he had an umbrella for Fallon.

Fallon nodded. A little rain never hurt her, but she found Harry’s concern sweet. Or maybe he didn’t want the luxurious car seats to get wet.

Harry slid into the car a moment after Fallon. He grinned at her as he started the engine, shifting into gear before reaching across the console for her hand. “We’ll get you warmed up soon, babe,” he assured her, the term of endearment slipping off his tongue before he realised he was saying it. He blushed and avoided Fallon’s eyes for a moment before he discovered he liked how it sounded.

Fallon’s stomach flip-flopped as Harry called her babe. Having never been a fan of the pet name before, it surprised her to realise she enjoyed hearing Harry say it. She squeezed his hand, silently telling him it was okay to call her that. “Already better,” she told him. She couldn’t bring herself to call him a pet name yet.

Harry grinned, pleased the word didn’t appear to bother her. “Good,” he answered, attempting a left turn out of the parking lot with just one hand. He didn’t care how slow he had to drive, he would not let go of Fallon’s hand until he had to.

“Don’t crash on my account,” Fallon teased, watching Harry navigate the winding curves of Mulholland Drive with only one hand. She gave his fingers a squeeze before pulling his hand closer to her and wrapping both of her hands around his.

He let out a laugh. “Kind of possessive with my hand, though, aren’t you?” he teased back. Not that he minded — he liked Fallon showing affection. He pulled her hand towards his and kissed her knuckles. “But don’t worry. You’re in good hands,” he added with another kiss.

Fallon giggled. “So are you,” she flirted, squeezing his hand between hers. She wished they were sitting closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder again. She found she liked that.

“The best,” Harry agreed, casting a sideways glance at Fallon. God, she was so gorgeous. He still wondered how he got so lucky to score a date with a girl like her. She was so real, but so mysterious. She had so many layers and wasn’t just one-dimensional like so many of the girls he’d met over the years. Peeling back those layers might be difficult, but Harry wanted to give it his best efforts. He suspected the discovery would be worth the frustration.

It only took Harry twenty minutes to drive down the hill and park in front of Fallon’s apartment. He wished it took longer. Fallon’s delicate hands wrapped around his own was the best thing he’d felt in a long time.

“Can I walk you to the door?”

Fallon smiled at the cordial, chivalrous request. There was something so different about Harry. His fame and celebrity could have turned him into a cocky, self-absorbed jerk, but Harry was such a kind, good-hearted man. He seemed to have a genuine interest in Fallon and her life even though she knew she wasn’t the easiest person to get to know. She didn’t know how she ended up on a date with a guy like him, but she was already looking forward to doing it again.

“Of course,” Fallon answered. The rain had let up, so Fallon didn’t need to have any guilt for allowing Harry to escort her to the door. She stepped from the car, meeting Harry at the front. He found her hand again as they walked along the driveway and up the stairs to her second-floor apartment.

It would be a lie if Harry said he didn’t hope for an invitation inside. He wanted to be alone with Fallon and kiss her and touch her in ways he couldn’t while they were in public. But he didn’t think she was that kind of girl, and he didn’t want her to think he was that kind of guy. He wasn’t, but it wouldn’t be easy to convince her of that if he tried to come inside after the first date. He reminded himself that the good things were worth the wait.

Fallon stopped in front of the front door and turned to face Harry. A part of her wanted to invite him inside, but she hadn’t ever done that before and she didn’t want Harry to think it was something she did after every first date — not that she’d had many first dates. She reminded herself good girls didn’t bring guys inside after the first date, and Harry seemed like the type of guy who liked a good girl.

Harry pulled Fallon into a hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her as close to him as possible. He felt her arms around the back of his neck and grinned as he realised she was on her tip-toes. She was so adorable. He wanted to kiss her, but he wasn’t able to kiss her and hug her so close at the same time.

“At least you’re not so cold anymore,” Harry mumbled into her hair, letting out a quiet laugh. He forced himself to release her and held Fallon at arms length to look into her eyes. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight,” he told her, his low voice matching the quiet of the neighbourhood. “Even though I asked you in a fucking stupid way…” he added with another chuckle.

Fallon laughed, running her fingers along the nape of Harry’s neck. “Thank you for asking me out,” she answered, a teasing tone to her voice. “Even if you asked me in a fucking stupid way,” she told him as she giggled.

Harry snickered as he rolled his eyes. “You’re so cheeky,” he mused, running his thumb along her cheek. “I like it, even if you are making fun of me,” he decided before pressing his lips against hers. He kept his arms wrapped tight around Fallon’s body, her small curves pressed against his body.

Harry’s hands wandered down Fallon’s torso, grabbing her hips and tugging her towards him. His impassioned mind took over even though he knew he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. The kiss deepened, Harry’s hands travelling across Fallon’s back. He wanted to touch her more of her body, but he controlled himself.

His lips were so gentle, so warm. Fallon’s hands slid up Harry’s chest and encircled his neck as the kiss grew heavy. She continued kissing him hungrily, wanting more, and forgetting she shouldn’t be that kind of girl. She felt herself being pushed against the French doors, Harry’s body pressing against hers. Their lips moved in perfect sync and the kiss became more passionate by the second.

After what seemed like hours, Fallon pulled back to catch her breath. She thought if she didn’t stop their kissing now, she never would. She looked up at Harry and matched the crooked smile playing on his lips. Despite the darkened porch, his bright eyes sparkled as he looked at her. Fallon’s heart skipped a beat, and she wondered how she got in so deep, so fast.

She laughed as she reached up and touched her thumb against Harry’s lips. “I think we’re wearing the same shade now,” she teased him. “Looks good on you.”

“Looks better on you,” Harry teased back, fluttering his lips on the top of Fallon’s head. He still didn’t want to leave her. He let out a quiet sign, drawing Fallon to him again. “I guess… I ought to let you go…” he told her as he made no movement to do so. He kept his arms around her, swaying back and forth, as they hugged.

Fallon echoed Harry’s sigh. “I suppose,” she answered. Her voice muffled as she rested her head against Harry’s chest, listening to the thumping pulse of his heartbeat. “I really had the best day today,” she told him, looking up at Harry with a smile. “It’s nice to do something fun like that, simple, you know?”

Harry nodded. “I’m a very simple man,” he joked. “You’ll find that out soon enough.”

“I already have,” Fallon teased. She laughed, seeing Harry’s wounded face, and cupped his cheeks between her hands. “You’re cute…” she added as a thoughtful muse. She ran her hands down his neck and wrapped her arms around him again. “And so… if I come up with a great plan for Saturday, you’ll hang out with me again?” she asked him, a teasing smirk on her face but also looking for clarification.

Harry nodded, pressing another kiss on Fallon’s head. “Even if you come up with a shitty idea, I’ll still hang out with you,” he told her with a laugh. “But I have faith in you,” he added. “The lookout was your idea, and… well, even though it wasn’t my idea… it was my favourite part of the night…”

Fallon beamed. “Mine too,” she agreed. She traced her fingers down Harry’s arms, admiring his tattoos scattered about. Such a fox, she thought to herself as she laced her fingers with his and squeezed his hands. “I guess I should go in… let you get home…” she told Harry, her voice unintentionally dejected.

Harry chuckled at her voice. “Guess you kind of like hanging out with me, yeah?” he asked, tugging on her braid. “Good,” he answered before she could. “Because I like hanging out with you, too.”

“Good,” Fallon echoed, unable to keep the wide grin off her face. She let out a sigh as she hugged Harry again. “So… I’ll see you Saturday, then…”

Harry tipped Fallon’s chin and looked into her eyes. “Saturday,” he promised, gently fluttering his lips against hers. “Goodnight, Fallon.”

Fallon gave Harry’s hands a final squeeze before reaching for the doorknob. “Goodnight, Harry.”

**

The moment Harry got home from dropping off Fallon, he sent her a goodnight text and thanked her again for the lovely evening. He wasn’t sure if she would appreciate a text so soon, but he couldn’t help himself. She responded straight away, and any trepidations, worries or wonderings about the rules of texting went out the window. If he wanted to text her, he would, and he thought if she wanted to text him, she would. And she did.

A few days following their date, Fallon was in her apartment, sprawled out on the couch as she scrolled through Instagram while an episode of Hoarders played on the TV in the background. She and Harry were texting here and there throughout the day, but his responses took longer than she would have liked. He was busy with work, and Fallon knew it wasn’t an excuse on his part. Despite her cautious heart having conflicting feelings, it was nice to know she could trust him. She just had to let herself.

Fallon hadn’t been able to come up with a great idea for Saturday. She wanted to do something fun and exciting with Harry, but mostly, she wanted to see him. He only had another week before his tour resumed, and it would be a few weeks before he came back. It would be the true test to see how she could handle dating someone with a career like Harry.

It was an odd thought, dating him. They had only been on one date; it hardly constituted as anything official. But it would be a lie if Fallon said it wasn’t on her mind. She knew it was way too early to call him her boyfriend, but she also knew she wasn’t interested in spending time with anyone else, and wondered if he felt the same.

As Fallon scrolled through her phone, she came across a post from an event she’d forgotten about — an outdoor theatre showing of The Shining to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the film. A big lover of horror movies, Fallon had been so excited when the event was first announced, but her mind became preoccupied with thoughts of Harry since. But now, she wondered if it would be something he would like to do with her.

Fallon took a screenshot and sent the image to Harry, amazed by her newfound courage. She hoped he would want to go with her. If he didn’t, she would go alone, but it would be much more fun with company — especially Harry’s company.

Harry heard his phone beep, and it was torture. He and the band, and a couple writers, were deep in a writing session and had put away all phones to focus on their projects. The lack of distractions helped, to a point, but as soon as Harry heard that quiet beep, his mind instantly went to Fallon.

“Mate, we said turn the phones off,” Liam pointed out. “Not just put away… We all can hear it.”

Harry shrugged. “Sorry,” he answered, not sounding sorry at all. He huffed out a quiet sigh, wanting to check his phone but not wanting to deal with the wrath of Liam. Harry felt his phone in his pocket, akin to a hot branding iron, unable to forget its presence.

He must have had a scowl on his face, because Niall pointed across the coffee table, laughing at Harry. “You look bloody miffed,” he cackled. “Must’ve got a text from the new little lass, hey?”

Harry scowled. “I don’t know, Niall,” he snapped. “I’m not looking at my phone!” He held up both hands to show he hadn’t broken Liam’s dumb rule about no phones. His outburst only made Niall laugh harder, which made Harry’s scowl deepen.

Liam sighed. “Check your stupid phone,” he told Harry. “We’re all talking about it anyway, so might as well see what she said.” He nodded to Harry. “Go on. Read it.”

Harry rolled his eyes but obliged, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He saw a message from Fallon from a couple hours back, and he felt bad he hadn’t been able to answer it. The second text was a screenshot from Instagram, an advertisement for an outdoor movie the following night, with a text asking if he wanted to go with her. His first thought was wow, she actually has Instagram, followed by a brief wondering of what her screen name was. Finally, he noticed the picture on the screenshot.

“Gonna read it to the whole class?” Niall cracked, laughing again.

“Shut up,” Harry told him. “Jesus… she wants me to go to this… outdoor movie thing… The Shining…” He let out a humourless chuckle. “The fucking Shining?”

Fallon’s suggestion made everyone laugh, even Liam. Everyone knew Harry hated anything scary… except Fallon, apparently.

“What are you going to do?” Louis asked. “Not quite your cup of tea…”

Harry shrugged. “No… but she is,” he admitted. “Is it really that scary?” he asked. “I mean, it’s old so… it won‘t be as scary as, like… whatever that really scary one last year was. Right? Stop looking at each other,” he moaned, watching as his band mates looked at each other but not him. “Fuck…”

Niall continued laughing. “Guess it’s better she finds out you’re a soft little fluff sooner than later,” he chuckled. “Maybe I ought to go instead,” he teased.

“Ooh, too far,” Louis joked, pointing out Harry’s death stare directed at Niall. “It’s not that bad,” he added to Harry. “It’s just…”

Niall held his phone out. “… the scariest movie of all time!” he exclaimed, showing everyone his internet search. “Or, one, anyway. Ha! You’re fucked, mate!”

Harry thought he might hate Niall Horan at that moment. But he ignored his so-called friend and tapped out a reply to Fallon.

the shining? *scary face emoji* *cry-laugh emoji*

Fallon laughed when she saw Harry’s reply. The fact The Shining might have scared Harry never crossed her mind. She knew horror flicks scared some people, but she was not one of them, so she always had a hard time figuring out why fake story-lines terrified so many people. In her mind, world disaster movies — no matter how cheesy — were scarier than haunted hotels. The Shining could not happen in real life. Deep Impact could.

it’s the best movie ever *surprised emoji*, she typed back. Plus there’s a bunch of food trucks at this outdoor theatre… GUACAMOLE.

She knew the way to his heart. Harry chuckled when he read the message. He tapped out a quick ok sold *thumbs up* before added a second message. I’m almost done here so can I give you a ring when I’m home? Harry, like most people his age, didn’t use his phone for talking — unless he was talking to his mother or taking a business call. But he quickly found out over the last couple days that only texting Fallon wasn’t as satisfying as hearing her voice and her adorable giggle. He didn’t remember the last time he’d talked on the phone with a girl about nothing, but not wanting to hang up. He liked it.

Fallon smiled when she saw his message. absolutely! She didn’t make a habit out of talking on the phone, unless she was talking to her dad or someone important, but the day after their date, Harry asked if he could call her. While the call had been short, it was amazing. It was funny, because they only lived a short drive away from one another and could have visited in person, but being able to have comfort with one another on the phone was another aspect of Harry’s life she would have to get used to. The call ended too soon, but she assumed she could spend hours on the line with him and not want to hang up.

“Guys, why don’t we call it a day?” one of the writers suggested. He looked at Harry, a small smirk on his face. “Unless you’re planning on putting all your new feelings on paper, you’re kind of useless here, aren’t you?”

Harry rolled his eyes, but it was true. “We leave in like a week,” he pointed out. “And we’re all together then,” he added, gesturing to his band mates. “But Fallon’s here and… so what?” he stated defensively. “I like her!”

“D’aww!” Niall and Louis cooed in unison.

Harry glared at them. He hadn’t intended on being so open with his feelings towards Fallon just yet. His band mates would find out soon enough, but he wanted to enjoy getting to know Fallon and see where his developing feelings would take him before his friends took the piss out of him. But he’d told Niall, which was akin to erecting a billboard.

“Anyway, if you’re serious…” Harry stated, standing up. “I’ll, uhh… try to have more focus on Monday,” he added with another shrug.

“Bullshit,” Louis laughed.

Harry shook his head. “Later,” he said with a small wave before bolting from the studio. He knew putting work on the back burner just to talk on the phone with Fallon wasn’t a good idea, but he also knew it wouldn’t happen every night. Harry would be lucky to talk to her once a week once he was back on the road. He wanted to enjoy her and her company now while he was able.

Harry wanted to call her the moment he was in his car, but he refrained, deciding instead to wait until he was at home and settled so he could give Fallon his full attention — and also his driving his full attention. Still, he drove faster than usual to get to his house.

Fallon’s stomach jumped when her phone finally rang. She let it ring twice, so not to appear too eager, before answering Harry’s call. “Hello,” she greeted, unable to keep the smile out of her voice.

Harry grinned when he heard Fallon’s voice. “Hello yourself,” he greeted, stretching out on the patio sofa. The sun was nice, and he felt a little bad he wasn’t still in the studio, but one day would not a deadline break. “What are you doing?”

Fallon muted her television. “Been binge-watching Hoarders all day, actually,” she admitted with a laugh. “It’s so gross, I feel all icky now.”

Harry echoed her laugh. “A big bug episode?” he wondered. “Or just old newspapers?”

“Bugs,” Fallon answered. “And dead animals.”

“That’s disgusting,” Harry determined.

Fallon nodded. “Yeah, but not as bad as the fridges filled with roaches,” she told him. “That’s just terrifying!”

Harry chuckled. “So, speaking of terrifying…” he began. “The Shining?”

“Yeah,” answered Fallon with a laugh. “I forgot all about it until I saw it on Instagram today. They might not have any tickets left, but… if not? You… want to… go?”

He absolutely did not, and he prayed Fallon didn‘t find tickets, but her stammers were so endearing, he agreed. “Of course I want to go with you.”

“Oh, good!” Fallon exclaimed, relieved. “I’ll check right now,” she told him, reaching for her laptop. “This outdoor theatre is really neat,” she told him while she typed. “They play old movies and stuff, like usually on anniversaries. They’re going to play all the Back to the Future movies in October, since this is the future year. We probably should get tickets for that as soon as… Uhh… I mean, not…” Fallon closed her eyes and pressed her palm against her forehead. “Sorry…”

Harry laughed. Just when he thought she couldn’t get any cuter, she opened her mouth. But he didn’t have the heart to tell her he would be touring the UK for the month of October and wouldn’t be able to join her. “That’s a great series,” he said instead. “Sounds like a neat place. And they have guacamole, hey?”

Fallon, still with a reddened face over her slip up, gave a small giggle. “I seem to remember you kind of liking it,” she told him.

“I seem to remember you kind of liking me kind of liking it,” Harry teased back. He wished she was beside him, so he could playfully tug her hair or give her a gentle kiss. He could, he supposed. They lived less than two miles from each other, it would be nothing to get in his car and drive to her place. But he had to remind himself they weren’t there yet. While he liked Fallon a lot, they had only gone out once. He couldn’t monopolise her time or show up at her apartment, no matter how much he wanted to.

“Yeah, yeah…” Fallon told him, rolling her eyes. He was right though. “So… there’s still tickets for Saturday,” she told him. “So… I’m going to get two?” she said, her tone sounding as though she was asking his permission.

Bloody hell, Harry thought, but he didn’t say that to Fallon. Instead, he forced himself to sound enthusiastic. “Definitely!” he answered, wondering if his affirmation sounded too excited. He was looking forward to seeing Fallon, however, he wanted to pass on The Shining.

“Oh, good!” Fallon exclaimed, pleased Harry sounded as excited as she was. “Is it okay if… you pick me up? Or I can drive,” she quickly added. She didn’t want Harry to think driving or paying was always solely up to him.

Harry scoffed. “I’ll pick you up, dopey girl,” he teased her. “What time?”

“Uhm… six?” asked Fallon. “It’ll give us lots of time to get a good seat and plenty of guacamole.”

Harry laughed. “Six it is,” he agreed. He only hoped he wouldn’t end up being too wimpy while watching the terrifying film.

Notes