Harry's POV

Niall. I wasn't expecting him to be living here, not with Stephanie. I can't help but feel a little anxious - the history that lies between us three is a little hard to swallow. Niall adores Steph and I've always understood why, he's a great guy who fell for a girl that he thought would love him back. I know she did, I saw the way she would look at him. He was friendly, loving and a gentleman at all times - what girl wouldn't be attracted to him? Niall is a good looking guy, that's partly why I used to get so uptight with him being around Stephanie. But at the end of the day, he never got in the way intentionally and I respect him for that. Stephanie is mine and I know he'd still have her if he could.

"What are you love birds doing tonight then?" Chloe asks as she glances up at us. Amelia is currently sat with her as they have Inside Out playing on the TV - Amelia loves this film.

"We're going to have dinner and then maybe we just have a late night stroll." Stephanie answers and she looks over at me smiling. I notice in the corner of my eye, Niall watching her.

"Well have fun." Chloe grins and she looks at Amelia as Steph and I kiss her goodbye. Amelia is far too excited to sleep - staying over with Chloe is always exciting and Amelia loves it.

"Bye sweetie" Stephanie's says as seen blows Amelia a kiss as she follows me out. I take her hand as we decide to walk to the restaurant - having more time together is precious right now.

"Steph, do you think Niall feels a little uncomfortable around us?" I ask as we get going. She glances at me and sighs.

"Maybe a little? He's a good guy.."

"I know, I just feel bad sometimes with how he got caught up in us." I answer as I look down at her and she nods. Niall never deserved to be involved in such a twisted situation.

"I liked him, I was single at the time. It's not like he did anything wrong. Having him around me when I moved here was good. Although he never made me feel like you do, he still made me feel safe and I'll always appreciate him." Stephanie answers and I understand her answer is fair. She has a weak soft spot for him because he was there for her. They had a great connection that I have no right to get jealous of. But sometimes I wish we never grew apart and got involved with other people as it made everything more harder. I couldn't imagine my life without Stephanie.




Flashback:

"I think she feels the same , it's just the whole distance thing and now she's with Niall, that adds to the list of complications" I sigh and Liam nods as he listens.

"I stand by what I've always said-"

"I know, I know..if we're meant to be then we will be brought back together" I mimic and Liam laughs as he nudges me.

"What's for dinner?" Louis asks as he walks in and looks at us.

"Cottage pie, now you're here you can chop the onions" I say and I throw an onion to him, he quickly catches it.

"Why do I get the worst job? Onions make me cry!" Louis moans-

HARRY! HARRY??


End of Flashback.



"Harry?!!" Stephanie waves a hand in front of my face as she tries to get my attention. I quickly snap back to her and frown. "Are you alright?" She asks and I nod as I grab her and kiss her quickly. I keep my lips pressed down on hers as I don't want to part from her. I don't want to lose her again. My Flashback was a realisation that Liam was right - we were brought back together.

"Sorry." I smile as I let go of her. She looks a little flustered as she straighten herself out again.

"What was that for?" She asks and I lick my bottom lip as I can't stop smiling at her. "Harry.." She laughs as she looks at me with so much love I can finally feel it. After all this time, this is like the Steph who I had first met again when we were younger.

"I love you.." I start as I look directly in her eyes. "You saved me so much.." I continue and she stays still as she listens to me. People walking past look over but I don't care - for once I feel like I am wide awake.

"What do you mean?" Her question is soft, her voice is in shock at my random words. This isn't the sort of place to declare your love for someone, in the middle of a street on the way to dinner - I'm hardly romantic.

"Well you know how messed up I was, I had no care in the world. The fights I got involved in were so stupid. You made me realise that I could love someone" I watch her as I can't believe my mind is finally seeing sense - it's took so long with all the obstacles we had to break through to get here.

"Harry that was a long time ago-"

"But you don't understand. I may not have been here Steph. I had people wanting to kick the shit out of me..I had a girl who just wanted to look pretty on my arm. I never had someone to settle me down. Only now I can understand how my Mum felt when she sent me to you. God I thought she was sly to send me away - but I'd do whatever I could to help Amelia. " I feel a tear stroll down my cheek.

"Oh Harry.." Steph hugs me as she looks up at me.

"For once we are okay. There's no drama, there's no complications waiting around the corner for us. I feel like we can breathe and it fucking scares me." I look away as I can't believe all of this emotion has built up inside of me.

"People love you Harry. Your Mum made the best decision. We wouldn't be here together. You may have a had a child with Naomi. I may have been with Niall. You just don't know." Stephanie looks at me as we part away. We start to walk towards one of the park benches.

"How did I ever turn myself into a man?" My words hit her hard as she starts to cry. "I don't shame my mother anymore, she's proud and that's weird. I don't fuck you and leave, I want to stay with you. I have no interest in anyone else." The reality sinks in and I haven't managed to talk with Stephanie like this for so long.

"Where has this come from?" Stephanie asks as she sits down on the bench next to me.

"Partly seeing you and Niall in the same room and actually letting my mind roll back to the past.You know one night I came home from the cinema." I pause as I see my old house clearly in my head. I walked through the front door and just lent back on the wall. I got into a fight with a kid round our area - I was with Naomi at the time. His name was Aaron . He was a right dick." I shake my head as I think about him, but a smile appears on my lips. "Hitting him then made me feel alive, I could have kicked the shit out of him and would have felt on top of the world." I glance at her as she looks down. She's listening as she flicks her eyes up to me. "Mum got upset to see the state of me, blood on my clothes, body shaking from the adrenaline." I stop as I can't imagine the fear Mum must have felt.

"Is that when you were sent to me?" She asks and I nod.

"For the first time that was the moment where I actually thought I hated my Mother." I cry softly as I hate thinking back to that feeling. So much anger and hate flooded my veins. "But now I know she was just being a Mother who loved her son and was scared of losing him." I add and I cough to clear the lump in my throat " I was so fucked up." I look down and Stephanie takes my hand. "Two weeks before that incident, I had the police at my door, I'd escaped through my bedroom window. It was about a fight that broke out at a house party. The kid ad a knife-"

Stephanie gasps in fear, I stop and look at her I rub my thumb over her hand as I hold it rightly. The fear grows in her eyes as the start to well up.

"I wasn't hurt. He was the one who didn't fight. Instead his mates did the damage all because the girl he fancies liked me." I shake my head as it seems so pathetic now - it's horrible when you look back and you realise what felt like a huge deal at that time was actually nothing big at all.

"Has this been bothering you? Thinking about the past?" Steph asks and I shake my head.

"Not really. But I never understood before why it was such a big deal. Like I said, for the first time in my life I felt like I hated my Mum. For sending me away and making me feel like she was just throwing away the wasted child - I had no love in me. But now I understand that I love her so much. I love my Mother for sending me away, she helped me become who I am now just like you did. Having you back in my life saved me and she is too thank as a major part of that." I answer and Steph wipes her few tears away. "I'm sorry, I don't know where this has all come from" I laugh nervously and Stephanie rests her head on my shoulder.

"It's beautiful Harry to hear how you have changed and how you feel is a wonderful thing. You've done so well." Stephanie's words cause a smile to grow on my lips.

"Enough about me. I should get you some food."

"I'm not too worried. I quite like sitting here, with you.Maybe we can get some chips later? " She suggests and I nod as I lift my arm up and hold her.

"Tell me about you, before we met again, did you change? " I ask and she shakes her head.

"Not really I was a good girl who concentrated well with college. I had a boyfriend who you met. ." She laughs and I nod. Jason. "But it wasn't anything like we had. When I first saw you again I finally felt nervous and worried to be around you." She laughs and I smile as I keep my arm firmly around her. "I thought you were this bad boy that I should stay away from. You kinda were too, but I saw the good and soft side in you." Her added words make me shake my head although I am smiling. I can't believe the impact she had on me.

"Stephanie , you don't have to agree on this.." I pause as she looks up at me. "But if we are going to be serious and try, then, do you want to move in with me and Amelia?"

Notes

Hi all!
Hope you are well. If anyone is reading this - Thank You!
It won't be long until I end this and close Harry and Stephanie for good - I've loved these so much as they were my first characters on here. I've learnt a lot since writing their journey. I will be sad to stop.

Please let me know what you think. Thank you ♡♡