The boys were all sitting in the living room playing video games and the girls and I, except for Trish, were starting dinner when Anne came home. We heard the car pull up and honk. Everyone dropped what they were doing and came to welcome Anne at the door. Everyone lined the front hallway and Harry and I stood at the end, facing straight towards the door. As the door opened, “Harold Edward Styles, how many people have you brought into my house?”

I nudged him, “I told you so.” He bumped my hip to get back at me. Anne went from side to side down the hallway, visiting shortly with each house guest. Joe followed awkwardly behind, shaking each boy’s hand and half hugging the girls.

When Anne got back to Harry and me, she came straight for us. We both held out our arms to intercept the hug, but at the last second, she cut of Harry to bring me into a tight, warm embrace. “Oh my heavens sweetheart, it’s so good to see you again.” We sat there for a moment, thanking God that everything was working its self out.

“Wow, Mom. I love and missed you too…” Harry looked at her in disbelief and Anne simply rolled her eyes at him. “It’s hard to miss you when you’re every where I go in some form or another.” We looked at her quizzically for a moment. “I don’t think any of you boys understand how popular you are, especially in the U.S. I couldn’t go to a store without seeing your face on a magazine, or a banner, or a newspaper, or a bumper sticker…”

“Okay Mom, we get it.”

“Don’t interrupt your mother!” I playfully backhanded Harry’s chest. In turn, Harry grabbed her suitcases and began to head upstairs, motioning me to follow him. “Hey El, Dani, do you think that you could keep up with dinner?”

“Sure,” they responded simultaneously. I took the shopping bags from Joe and followed Harry up the steps and to his parents’ room. Harry shut the door behind me and threw the bags on the bed. I followed him with Anne’s new closet and set the bags down on the bed next to the suitcases. I faced Harry to stand up and he faced me at the same time. The result was that we ended so close that I could feel his breath, and I could see his chest moving in front of my face. If he had been any closer, his inhale would’ve drawn his chest to my face. I could smell his cologne and it was amazing.

We both stood, frozen, until I pulled my head up to look him in the eyes, and realized that he had been looking at me the entire time. His grip was on my waist, pulling us closer together. I hesitated but only for a second. Before I knew it, I had let him close the space completely and his arms were wrapped around my back, holding us together. I could feel his breath heavy on my lips. My arms slid up his chest and found themselves comfortably on his neck. He pressed his lips against mine; they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. I was surprised at first but quickly melted into the kiss. All too soon, his tongue brushed my bottom lip, politely asking for entrance. I pulled away, backing out of his arms. Come on, his eyes pleaded. I shook my head. He walked towards me and took my hand in his, “I’m sorry. I was moving too fast. It just kills me to not be touching you.” I stood there, and I could feel my worried expression fading. I was no stranger to the dating game. Having multiple boyfriends here and there, my brain had rewired itself to take everything the dirty way, and with all of the jokes that guys make, I had learned to just laugh and move on. Not being able to hold it in anymore, I let out a giggle and Harry took a hold of my face, making me look into his emerald eyes. As the laughter faded, we both stood there smiling at each other like raging idiots.

“Hey kids! You’re not unpacking too are you?”

“No Mom, everything’s fine!”

“Okay, well dinner’s ready!”

“Be right down!” Harry rolled his eyes, took my hand, and pulled me down the steps to the kitchen.

-

After we had finished dinner, all of the couples were sitting on the couch, except for Harry and me. I stayed in the kitchen with Anne to help clean up and, by the shouting, I’m pretty sure that Niall and Harry were playing video games. Having a clear shot of the living room couch, I witnessed Zayn with his arm around Trisha and Trish’s hand creeping up his thigh. She was all too perfect for this job. Seduction was nothing for her; she was a level that I had seen no man pass without her permission.

“Did you miss all the hectic of the house?” I turned my head towards Anne's voice and she tossed a drying rag at me.

“I thought I was just getting used to the quiet.” We continued to wash and dry the dishes.

“Was that really a good thing though?” Anne kept her eyes focused on the dishes, trying to look busier than she really was.

I looked at her, “I don’t understand.” I shook my head slightly.

“Harry got really used to the quiet as well. I really started to worry about him there for awhile.”

“I’m still a little lost,” I smirked.

“When you left, Harry… changed. You see, when he was a bit younger, I knew when he brought girls home… These walls are a lot thinner than he ever thought that they were.” I felt my face fall slightly. I knew that Harry had been with many girls, but I didn’t really want to hear about it all that horribly. “Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist,” Anne smiled at me. “What always amazed me was that did he bring girls home? Yes, but did I ever hear from or about any of them ever again?” She raised her eyebrows and shook her head, eyes on the plate she was washing. “Oh no, anytime that a girl came or went, I could never get him to talk about any of them. You know why?”

“Why?” She handed me the plate to dry.

“It was because he was always so hung up on this one young lady. She had beautiful, lengthy, brown curly hair, and her eyes were the most peculiar mix of blue and green. I knew all of that before I even met her, because everyday, Harry brought home stories about what they had talked about and when they wanted to hang out next.” I felt blush rise on my cheeks and Anne chuckled. “Oh, but in any case, when you and Harry had the fight, he was devastated. He came over and didn’t come off of my couch for three days and then finally the boys had an interview that he had to go to.”

“Wait,” I stopped her. “Not for three days?” We both leaned against the counter, the dishes being done.

“Nope, not for three days. I was getting rather worried about him.”

“But it’s not like he wasn’t still bringing girls home.”

“That’s just it,” I looked at her confused, “he wasn’t.”

“Okay, I know that we’ve had the whole ‘don’t listen to the media’ conversation, but how does he get caught with a different girl every other night then?”

“Have you ever seen a picture of them in bed?”

“Well, unless you took the pictures, there’s no way.”

“Exactly,” she exhaled deeply, “he would hang out with a different girl every day and then he would come home telling me that she thought things were going to ‘get serious’ so he dropped her off at her house, or apartment or wherever she was staying.”

“So, with all of those girls that the world’s seen him with, he hasn’t slept with one of them?”

“He may be a recycled version, Sweetheart, but he decided that he wanted one woman, and realized who he wanted her to be a long time ago,” her eyes started to water up, “and now you’re back.” Her voice cracked and the sweetest smile spread over her face and she wrapped me in a hug. I loved Anne’s hugs; there was no way to escape them, but there was no one who wanted to. Soon, another pair of arms wrapped around my back and all the way over Anne’s shoulders and back. I turned my head to the side to see Harry, his lips nestled into my neck and his curls brushing my cheek.

“Were we having story time?”

“Yeah,” I responded.

“And I missed it?”

“Wasn’t for you to hear anyways Darling,” Anne patted Harry’s head and pulled away, leaving Harry and I standing there, his arms buckling mine to my sides.

“Again… Thanks Mom.” He grabbed my hand and led me to his room. Shutting the door behind him, he said, “So?”

“So what?”

“What were you two chatting about?” The hugest grin came over my face. Holding in the laughter was impossible.

“So apparently the walls are thin around here.” I busted out laughing as Harry’s face turned red with embarrassment.

“That’s what you were talking about?”


“Yep!” He sat down on his bed and put his smiling, blushed face in his hands. I sat down and patted his back. “It’s okay. No big deal.”

“But I could have lived my whole life without you knowing that.”

“Why wouldn’t you want me to know?” My face became rather serious as did my voice.

He looked up from his hands. “Well… I know that you’re not particularly… fond of that… type of lifestyle.”

“Well, whatever you’re doing doesn’t really affect me, does it?”

“It could eventually.” He switched off between looking at me and the floor, quickly glancing between the two. “The point being, that I don’t want that type of life anymore.” His face stayed towards the floor.

I rested my head on his shoulder. I may or may not have lost it to Harry last night, but I wasn’t going to assume anything. “I’m proud of you.” I lifted my head and kissed him on the cheek. His hand slipped onto my waist, keeping me close, as he turned his head and pressed our foreheads together. “Harry, we shouldn’t right now. Everyone’s going to wonder where we are and what we’re up to.” I pulled my head away and stood up. I heard him stand up behind me and not shortly after, I felt his hands find my hips.

Leading Harry down the steps, I saw Louis, Liam, and Niall leaning against the couch on the floor playing video games. Zayn sat on the love seat, Trish leaning on his chest. They were having a thumb war. Stupid hand games, good move Trish. Zayn looked up at me and paused temporarily. I winked at him and smiled largely. His smile shone back and he went back to screwing around with his hopeful love interest. Harry and I climbed in behind the boys and lied on the couch. I nuzzled into his chest, and watched the boys as they acted as if they were adolescents. Harry and I were the youngest, I being ready to turn 20. We sat on the couch, watching over them. We may have been the young couple, but I was defiantly one of the wisest, or so I thought.

Notes

Sorry I have'nt been posting everyone. I had finals all this week. I should be posting way more often now that I don't have to study. More coming soon!
xoxo Hannah <3