HARRY
Thalia let out a loud laugh before covering her mouth and looking around the restaurant guiltily. However, rather than helping the situation, she only managed to make the both of us laugh even harder.
"Please tell me you didn't actually fall for that!" She whispered through hushed giggles.
"Course I did!" I replied, glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention to our little outburst.
"Oh Harry..."
"C'mon, you know how gullible I am," I chuckled, picking at my food.
"Who told you that?" She asked, a frown breaking across her smooth features.
I snorted. "Just about everyone I've ever come in contact with....why?"
"Just curious. Gullible isn't a word I would use to describe you."
"No?"
"Nope. I think trusting is the one you're looking for," she replied, turning serious. "You're too trusting. It's not in your nature to be suspicious of others."
I couldn't help but widen my smile at her kind interpretation of my character. "Yeah but you'd think I'd have learned not to trust Louis by now..."
"That or Louis has just mastered the element of pranking."
"Well that's also true," I laughed. "So then, maybe I should work on being quietly suspicious, like you."
"Quietly suspicious?" Thalia frowned before taking another sip of wine.
"Yep," I nodded, stabbing a few more noddles with my fork. "You judge a situation but then don't say a word about it. And then when it all turns out like you initially thought it would you get annoyed and start reprimanding yourself. It's quite silly of you."
"Damn, and I here I was thinking I was hard to read." Thalia replied before placing her wine glass back on the table and tracing her finger around the rim.
"You are."
Thalia eyes me suspiciously before asking, "Alright I'll bite. What gives me away?"
"Your eyes," I shrugged.
"My eyes?"
Thalia leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table, making to study me. I immediately mimicked her actions so that we were now mere inches from each other. I could have counted all the freckles on her cheeks.
Thalia's eyes flicked between mine. They were imploring, as if searching for some hidden answer I had buried deep within my soul. Somehow they seemed to shine in the dim glow of the candle lit restaurant and I briefly wondered if I'd ever be able to look away again.
"So what was that you were saying about my eyes?" Thalia asked, pulling me crashing back to earth.
Clearing my throat I replied, "Just that they give you away."
"How so?"
"I'm not sure exactly. It shows most when your excited - or scared."
"So I shouldn't play poker then?" She smiled and unconsciously bit her lower lip. God damn.
"No," I smirked. "No I wouldn't go playing any strip poker if I were you."
"Who said anything about strip poker?" Thalia laughed.
"Strip poker's the only kind of poker."
Thalia rolled her eyes and reached for her cup. "Oh so that's how you get all the girls is it?"
"Shh, don't tell."
Thalia eyed me skeptically over her wine glass, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
"So how did you find this place?" I asked, quickly changing the subject before Thalia thought I was pulling anything.
"Greta," she answered, setting her cup back down and glancing out onto the busy restaurant. She began absentmindedly twirling the old ring on her right hand. It was the one Paul had given to her last year for her birthday. It had belonged to his mother and Thalia had burst into tears on receiving it. I again wondered why she couldn't stand to hear his name anymore. But now wasn't the time to ask.
"You know I still need to meet this Greta," I said, realizing my silence was bordering on awkwardness. Thalia had reached for her glass again. "Is it strange that I just keep imagining her looking like Edna Mode from the Incredibles?"
Thalia nearly choked her wine.
"Are you alright?" I chuckled as she half laughed, half choked to death. I held out her glass of water and she took a few gulps. "Please don't die on me."
"No, I think I'll survive," she giggled, before letting out one last cough. "You know the best part about that is that there actually is a little bit of resemblance."
"Really?" I cried out loudly, before glancing around again.
"Oh yeah," Thalia continued in a shushed tone. "She's even a fashion designer."
"You're joking."
"Nope. And, I will admit, it's equal parts terrifying and hilarious to see her go off. She can get a bit snippy when she doesn't get her way..."
"Oh so you're like Mrs. Incredible in this situation then?"
"Ha! You could say that. Wow, what a revaluation!" Thalia marveled. "I don't think I'll ever be able to look at Gret the same again."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I love comparing people to characters, especially odd ones. Have you seen Monsters University?"
"Of course!" I scoffed. "What kind of question is that?"
"Right, silly me."
"Very silly. You know how much I love Disney movies."
"Yes it's bit of an obsession isn't it?" she teased.
"A healthy obsession."
"Anyway," she sighed, then paused, "where was I?"
"You were asking if I've ever seen one of the most critically acclaimed animated movies of all time."
"Don't you think that's stretching it a bit?"
"That was a high quality film!"
"Right. Well since you're such a fan, do you remember the nerdy old guy who has the suction cup hands?"
"Of course! What was his name? Carl? John?"
"Could have been a bodyguard."
I almost spit out my wine at her remark. Thalia let out a light laugh before passing me my water. We were a mess tonight.
"Anywho, back to the story. I'm 92% sure that the character was based on my old physics teacher."
"Only 92%?" I teased.
Thalia rolled her eyes. "It's the same mannerisms, similar voice...Fred even had the same mustache!"
"Hold on, and his name was Fred?"
"Fredrick, but he wanted us to call him Fred since we were all such great friends," Thalia replies, biting her lip to keep from laughing again.
"Well that seals the deal then!"
"I remember him trying to do an experiment once. He got up on one of the desks to try and teach us about buoyancy but lost his balance and fell over!"
"Why are you laughing?" I accused, while simultaneously trying to keep the smile off my own face. "That's a horrible story!"
"I know!" Thalia hid her face in her hands as her shoulders shook in silent laughter. "He was alright...he just had to wear a sling around his arm for a few weeks."
"Oh my God," I chuckled. "You're still laughing! You're going to hell."
"Then I'll see you there! Don't pretend you're not laughing too Mr. Harry Styles -"
“Hai finito?" The little old waitress interrupted, leaning next to our table as if she was peering through a window. Thalia drew back from me at once and I was sad to see her smile slip from exuberant to polite. The waitress was a sweet lady who ran the restaurant in honor of her late husband, a notorious mafia member and godfather figure, or so Thalia had told me over hushed tones when we had taken our seats.
“Sí. Grazie señora," Thalia smiled.
"Grazi," I repeated as the little old woman looked down on us fondly.
“Hai avuto abbastanza da mangiare?” she asked. “Vuole qualcos’altro?"
I looked at Thalia who smiled and shook her head lightly, “No grazie. Siam trope piano! Grazie per il crib delizioso."
“Nessun problema cara! Visitare più spesso, il vostro uomo qui potrebbe usare più cibo."
Thalia bit her lip and flared her nostrils in an an attempt not to burst into laughter. I looked over at her with raised eyebrows. They were talking about me.
“Lo terro ‘a mente," Thalia gave me a smile which I happily returned, having no idea what was being said about me.
“Lui é en uomo molto bello Thalia. É necessario spostare rapidamente e sposarlo prima che lui corre."
Thalia's cheeks flushed pink and she began fussing with the coat in her hands. "Grazie señora."
How could she be so adorable? I was completely entranced by everything about Thalia. Her movements, her expressions, her compassion, hell - even her temper. I had fallen for this women hook, line, and sinker and I had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.
I was too busy watching Thalia I had almost forgotten to thank the little old waitress, turning with a smile I nodded and said, “grazi per la cibo señora.”
Thalia bit her lip as the little old woman smiled at me dotingly and shot her another meaningful look.
“Grazie Harry. It’s grazie per il cibo,” Thalia corrected once the woman had left.
“Isn’t that what I said?” I frowned.
Thalia rolled her eyes. “No, you said ‘la’ which is Spanish not Italian. And you should start saying grazie rather than grazi. You sound like an American.”
“Oh well we can't have that,” I chuckled.
“No we most certainly can't."
"So what'd she say about me?" I asked curiously, attempting to get off the topic of my grammar.
"What all little old ladies say about you," Thalia said, looking at my slyly.
"That I'm a cheeky little devil?"
"No, that you could use some fattening up."
"Well that's not very nice," I frowned.
Thalia broke into a smile, "She said you're a lovely lad and that I'm grateful to have you."
"Well I'm grateful you took me in," I said, grabbing the check before Thalia reached it.
"Harry, you don't need to-"
"I know I don't, but I want to. Please? After this we'll call it even."
Thalia let out a huff and leant back in her seat. "Fine. But I'm buying the gelato.”

***

“If I could choose one last thing to eat before I died, it would be Italian gelato,” Thalia said, as she scooped another hearty spoonful of gelato out of her little dish.
I let out a laugh as she stuck the spoon in her mouth and threw her head back in delight.
“What about your mum’s cinnamon twist bread?” I quizzed, taking a bite of my own pistachio flavored dessert. Thalia had already shot me numerous smirks for being so excited about what I had considered a unique and exciting flavor.
Thalia let out a small moan, “oh, why would you say such a thing?”
“I’m sorry,” I chuckled.
As we rounded the corner of another medieval street a large piazza came into view. Three fountains seemed to have erupted from the cobblestones to dwarf everyone who passed by. I knew it was a famous site but couldn’t quite recall the name. Thalia probably knew.
“Mum’s cinnamon bread is going to be the first thing I eat when I get back to England,” Thalia thought aloud.
“And when will that be?” I asked curiously, looking down at her as we continued towards the fountains. She had her light cardigan wrapped tightly around her in attempt to fend against the crisp night air that was creeping through the city. She hadn’t brushed her hair but instead pulled it back in a lopsided bun, leaving light wisps to fall and frame her face.
“Well I’m not quite sure,” Thalia said slowly, looking up at me guiltily. “I haven’t actually booked a flight yet.”
“What! I thought you were excited to go back?”
“I am! I just…I don’t know. I guess I’m scared too.”
“Scared?” I frowned. “What’s there to be scared of? You’re going to be with your family - your sisters!”
“No, I know. That’s not it. I dunno, I guess I’m scared that everything will just go back to the way it was.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Of course it was going to go back to the way it was, that was the point of going home wasn’t it? To return to that familiarity? Maybe she was talking about us, and whatever we were back in England. But we hadn’t been anything when she had left so what was there to fear? I looked down at her in confusion.
“Life is very different in Rome,” Thalia began, pausing mid-sentance to take another bite of her gelato as we began looping the piazza. “Well it was anyway…it was my escape.”
“Not anymore?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
We continued walking in silence for a moment before finally asked, “escape from what?”
Thalia let out a small laugh. "Life. All the drama. School-"
"Me?"
She froze, before breaking into small smile once more and nodding her head in agreement, "yes you too.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Isn’t it?” I frowned.
Thalia looked up at me, her eyes searching. After a minute she gave me a smirk and shook her head. “No.”
I frowned but didn't push it further. We finished out gelatos and continued walking around the fountains in silence. It was peaceful being in her presence when the rest of Rome seemed to have gone to sleep. But the longer we walked, the more pressure I felt to finally put our past to rest.
“You know, if you use that logic...Marco’s in Rome," I pointed out in a moment of courage.
"Yes, but you're still in England."
I stopped walking to look at her. “Is that really why you won't go home? Because of the memories of us? What about all the memories of your family? Or Uni? I can't mean as much to you as them."
"Don't underestimate yourself Harry," she smiled sweetly.
My stomach leapt into my chest as my heart rate doubled. Did that mean that she still had feelings for me? Thalia let out a sigh and turned to look at the fountain while I attempted to regain control.
“Those last few weeks in London were unbearable,” Thalia whispered. “The two most important people in my life were both so sad and for once I wasn’t sure how to make it better.”
"You know you don't have to fix everything," I replied, giving her a small nudge.
"No matter how many times people say that I still don't know how to believe it. I mean, isn't that the whole point of love? To help those you love if you can?"
"It's also about trust. You can't do it all on your own Thal, you have to trust people to help you."
"My mum does it all on her own," Thalia replied. The reflections of the fountain were lighting up her features in an almost angelic way and it was hard for me not to stare.
"No she doesn't, she has you. And your aunt Lucy, Elaine, Kenzie, she has all of you. You don't think she turns to you when she's upset or overwhelmed? She needs you. Just like you need her, and the rest of your family for that matter. You're not alone Thal."
She took a deep breath and rested her head gently against my shoulder. Unsure of how to comfort her without overstepping my boundaries, I rested my head atop hers so we were both looking out at the fountain together.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Maeve." Thalia had spoken so quietly her words were almost lost in the churning waters. "We were already having a hard time and I didn't want to add on another burden or think I was making excuses or something. The only thing I seemed able to do was worry. Worry about Mae, worry about you, worry about school, money, and the kids...I was in no state to see you when you came. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too. I should have realized something more serious was going on. I was dumping everything on you - tour drama, fan drama, Zayn leaving, management - I should have been there for you like you were for me."
Silence followed.
"Thal?"
"Hmm?"
"You believe me that I didn't cheat right? I just - when we stopped talking Val was there to listen. I pretty much used the poor girl as my therapist. I promise Thal I-"
"-Harry," she cut in, "I believe you."
I let out a sigh which lifted a weight that I'd been carrying for over a year. She believed me. She actually believed me. But was it too late?
"Do you think you could tell Kenzie that? It'd be nice to see her without there being a scowl on her face," I joked.
Thalia let out a light laugh before linking her arm through mine. "I saw a funny joke the other day and thought of you - and by other day I mean like two months ago."
"Really? Let's here it."
"It's really bad."
"You're keeping me in suspense!"
"Alright, alright! What is Beethoven favorite fruit?"
I frowned and looked down at her curiously. She was biting her lip to keep from laughing. She was busting with the excitement of a five year old online at Disneyland. I was too distracted by her expression to make any attempt at a real guess. "Go on then, what's his favorite fruit?"
"BA-NA-NA-NAAA!" She whisper shouted.
I threw my head back in a loud laugh and had to lean on Thalia for support. She clapped a hand over my mouth as silent giggles shook her own small frame. Giggling and fumbling like a couple of drunks, we made our way over to a bench to catch our breaths.
"That's brilliant!" I smiled, feeling giddy with happiness as I looked down at Thalia.
"I knew you'd enjoy it," she chuckled. "Unfortunately I can't take credit for it. It was on a sign at the Irish pub we always go to."
"Irish pub? In Rome?" I frowned.
"Of course! Doesn't every metropolis have to have Irish pub to qualify as a city?"
"You've been saying a lot of interesting things tonight, you sure you're feeling alright?" I frowned.
Thalia rolled her eyes, "don't tease."
"Speaking of Irish," I said slowly, "are you ever going to tell me what happened with you and Pauley?"
With a huff, Thalia mumbled, "might as well seeing as it's a night of secrets."
"That could be a novel - 'A Night of Secrets'," I cut in, attempting to backtrack the conversation to lighthearted jokes.
"A romantic novel," she brightened. "And it'd be a cover of you with a deep white v-neck and the wind rushing through your luscious locks."
"And a white horse," I added.
"And a sunset glowing in the distance," Thalia giggled.
"Glorious...maybe that's what I'll do when I can't sing anymore," I mused.
"Write a romantic novel or pose for the covers of them?"
"Pose on the beach with a white horse until people notice me," I teased.
Thalia let out a low whistle, "I'm thinking they'll notice you."
"Nah, it's not like I'm followed every waking minute of my life," I waved, sarcasm sneaking it's way into my voice.
"As my Grandmother would say, Harry Styles you stick out like a pimple on a bald man's head!"
I let out another loud laugh, which in turn caused Thalia to take hold of my hands in a silent, but teasing, plea. As she was going best to maintain composure I ran my thumbs over her hands gently.
"What have you been taking tonight?" I asked, shaking my head in bemusement. Thalia broke into another round of giggles. "Is it past your bedtime?"
"Oh most definitely. It's..." After a quick glance at her watch Thalia looked back at me, horrorstruck. "Shit Harry it's almost 1am!"

Notes

Sorry guys. I had a really rough week. But I promise I've been writing and will get another chapter up for you this weekend :)