*a handful of months later..*


//Julianne//

The warmth from the fire wasn't enough for me, I had to have his arms wrapped around me. He has been tending to the grill alongside Niall. But, as he joined the majority us I didn't hesitate to climb on his lap and throw my arm around his neck. He gave me a chuckle, sliding an arm around my lower back and then bringing his other hand to my neck, spreading his heat on my cold skin.

"I love you." I whisper into his ear, feeling his fingertips slide under my clothes to start tickling my side. I can't help the laugh that leaves me. It makes him grin, tired eyelids heavy as he looks at me.

"I love you more." He mumbles, pecking my lips a few times. "No, I love you more." I smirk, making him laugh slightly again. "No, no, I love you more, baby." He kisses me once more, this time holding it longer. When he pulls away, I press my palm against his scarred cheek. "No, no, no.. I love you more, babe." I give him a wink, peppering kisses across his forehead. He grips my waist, his other hand slides down to join in on the grasping. "Gentle." I utter, my lips rubbing against his temple as I speak.

"Yet, you tell me you like it rough." He lifts a brow, forcing me to hide my face in his hair. He just snickers, knowing that his comment got the best of the me. My cheeks are on fire with embarrassment, the usual. "Shut up. I said that once." My murmur makes him chuckle deeply, pulling me closer to his body. "Still counts."

"Alright, alright, let's not do any love making in the yard, eh?" Zayn laughs out as he sits down to the left of Harry and I. I just look over at him and grin, they all know how close Harry and I have gotten - how much more open and comfortable we are when we're around them.

They don't mind, but sometimes we do carry things a bit too far. Thankfully, the girls are indoors tonight. Niall put on a movie for them after insisting that the fire was for the adults tonight. I never considered myself an adult, they sort of changed that for me. They changed a ton of things.

We decided, after a vote, to just keep the fire in the yard tonight instead of traveling to our usual camping spot. I've only went a few times, Harry and I usually opt out on going. But tonight we thought it'd be nice to spend time with the family, it's been a few weeks since we've been over. Sophia and Perrie set up the fire pit while Niall and Zayn started the grill on the patio earlier. Some things are already done, mostly the items they've cooked for Ruth and Sara. The main stuff has just gotten started.

"They don't make love, Sophia, they fuck." Louis sighs, rolling his eyes jokingly at her. "Excuse me? I hate that word, Louis." I say, looking over at him. He wasn't too far away. He was smiling at me, shaking his head slightly. "I'm picking, Julianne, don't get your panties in a knot." Louis is usually the one to make a humorous comment, no matter what's going on or how serious things are. He's good at lightening the mood.

I've been through many New Year's Eve nights alone, but tonight I feel like I have a real family, a handful of people who actually care about me. It's perfect, really. I couldn't ask for a better group of people. However, the pack - as Harry often refers to them as - is missing someone tonight, and has been for months now.. Liam.

Harry hasn't heard much from him. He only talks to Sophia from what I've been told. They meet up every few weeks to handle their personal business. Sophia says that he's just not prepared yet, not ready to come back around us. Partially it's my fault - Liam never really was accepting when it came to my presence. Harry tries to convince me that he's just an asshole, but I'm sure it's something deeper. Sophia informed me that he's been taking some sort of medicine that's really helping him handle himself. She says within the next few months, he'll be ready to come home.

"You alright, baby?" Harry asks softly, his warm breath fanning my ear. I shift my head so that I could see his pretty eyes. "Fine.. just thinking." I assure him, rubbing my nose against his. He smiles, "Thinking about what?" His eyes are holding a heavy amount of concern. He worries entirely too much about me.

"My first New Years kiss." I bite down on my lip, touching my hand against his face again. He likes it when I do that, especially if I start to rub my thumb against the end of his scar. He really finds that relaxing.

"Hmm.." He presses his lips against mine, only keeping them there for a few seconds before leaning back. "Hard to believe I've had you with me this long." He mumbles, his hand rubbing circles into the small of my back. "It won't be a year until a few more months.." I say, furrowing my brows with a smile. He hasn't gotten his months mixed up, has he? "I know that, silly girl. But still.. I'm so happy you're here." I give Harry a kiss, showing him that I appreciate his words.

"You look cute, baby." Harry whispers, burying his head in the side of my neck as I lean up, trying to get comfortable on top of him. His arms tightly coil around me, holding me in place. Both of my arms are wrapped around his warm neck, pressing his face even further into me.

"You picked it out." I giggle out, referring to the over-sized hoodie I'm wearing. It's navy blue with the words NEW YORK written across the front of it in a faded white color. It's also Harry's. He insisted that I put it on, so that I would be nice and cozy in the chilly weather - along with a regular shirt of mine.

"I know." He places an open mouth kiss under my ear lobe, making me shiver with a grin. "You're stupid, Hare." I mumble lowly, never having to worry about his ability to hear me clearly. He sighs, "Stop calling me that." He's never liked it, but I only do to hear him complain. It's cute to me.


-

Louis and Niall were across the yard with the girls, setting up fireworks. Of course, Gemma is making sure that the girls are keeping a safe distance. Niall and Louis aren't the most cautious people in the world. Sophia is standing close to me, I know she's a little upset that she isn't with Liam tonight but she chose us over him. That makes me feel loved. Zayn and Perrie have started kissing already, with five minutes to go before midnight.

Harry comments on their decision, "They're always shoving their tongues down each other's throats." He rolls his eyes as I tilt my head back to look at him. "You're just jealous that I'm not letting you spoil my first New Year's Eve kiss." Earlier, he tried to start our kiss as well, but I denied him of it. "It's just a kiss.. It'll be like all the other times we kiss." He huffs, still not understanding the importance of it.

"Stop complaining.. or I won't kiss you at all." I warn him, slapping my hand against his chest. He smirks down at me, "I doubt you'd be able to resist the temptation, baby doll." His eye drops to a wink, making me blush at his words. "I'm sure I can contain my desires." We share a laugh, his chuckle dominates over my little giggle though.

"Four minutes." Sophia says, giddy with joy. She told me that she adores fireworks, she never really knew why she loved them so much though. She's clapping her hands together, prepared for the show Niall and Louis are putting together. Harry told me to be ready for the loud cracking of the fireworks - the guys like the big ones, apparently.

"Too bad we're not going home tonight." Harry whispers to me, his heavy hands grab my waist to guide my closer to him. I lean my head against his warm chest, even in the freezing cold temperature he's hot like a wildfire. He's just wearing a jacket and a tee - the jacket isn't even zipped! They'll all much better at handling the cold than I am.

A smile comes across my lips, Harry's always been so flirty with me but now that we've started to explore other areas of our relationship, he's gotten worse. We don't have sex constantly, maybe one to three times a week - three is definitely the max. It takes a toll on my body, so we try to keep things PG rated most nights. However, sometimes our goodnight kisses lead to a whole lot more. But, I refuse to have sex - any form of it - in the house his family lives in. I just don't feel comfortable with that.

"What makes you think I would want to do that anyways?" I bite down on my lip, even though I'm not looking at his handsome face I know he's smirking. "Being funny, are we?" He lowers a hand down to my butt, and even through the pants I'm wearing I can feel him pinching my skin. I jerk in his arms, pulling a laugh out of his mouth. "I love you." He kisses my head a few times and squeezes me with both arms. I don't reply, but I know there's no need to. He and I both know how much I love him.

"Thirty seconds!" Sophia yells out so that everyone outside can hear her. Zayn and Perrie take a few seconds out of their kiss to clap and cheer. Harry and I remain silent, but he does begin to prepare us for our kiss. His fingers grab my chin and lift my head up. His eyes meet my sleepy ones, I'm fighting my tiredness just for him, and he lowers himself closer. Our lips are only a few inches apart now, making me wish that thirty seconds wasn't as long as it is right now.

"My beautiful girl." Harry mutters out, his lips brushing mine. I feel the heat radiating off his body, melting my skin with his warmth. "You mean everythin' to me, darlin'." Whispering softly, he touches his lips against mine but doesn't push - we have to wait a few more seconds.

"Ten!... Nine!... Eight!..." Sophia begins a countdown and my heart immediately skips a beat. I raise my hands up to Harry's neck. I let one rest on his shoulder while the other one sits over his jawbone. As Sophia gets close to the final numbers, his eyes drop and I copy his actions. "..Three!... Two!... One! Happy New Year!"

I'm smiling into the kiss as I hear Niall, Louis, and the girls happily screaming across the yard, along with the loud bang and crackle of the fireworks going off in the skin above us. Harry's tongue slides past my lips and does a few loops around my mouth before he slows us down, making it more romantic and less rushed. My hand carelessly glides down his covered chest and onto his waist, I give him a squeeze just for the fun of it.

A few moments pass, and we're still laced together in the kiss. Harry's slowing down though, and I am doing the same. Finally, we mutually decide to come to the end. I'm the first to part, but only slightly so that I could speak.

"I love you so much." I utter onto his lips, my words filling his mouth. "I love you more." I feel his smile against my mouth, which makes me want to throw my arms around his neck and never stop kissing him. But, I keep things civil and appropriate. Our foreheads press together as we stand there, bodies still tangled up.

"There's something I need to tell you." Harry sighs out, causing me to worry just a tad. He leans off me entirely now, his hands drop from my body. I whimper at the lost of contact, and he notices it. He gives me a smile, "Don't worry, I'm not leaving." He assures me with a kiss on my forehead.

However, our closeness ends when he takes a few steps back. Right when I was about to ask him what he was doing, I look around and see that everyone has made their way over to us - even Niall and Louis. "I've thought long and hard about this, darlin'.. but I think now's a good time." Harry takes a deep breath, which grabs onto my attention. I furrow my brows, what's he talking about?

"Wh-what're you doing?" I ask nervously, my words tumble from my mouth. Everyone's so calm as they stand back and watch, yet I'm so confused. The only response I get from Harry is that smile I adore so much. He lowers himself to the ground, resting on one knee. Is this actually happening? Without an actual explanation, Harry takes a deep breath and starts to speak directly to me - eyes never leaving mine.

"Julianne Grace Dempsey... You far are more than just the love of my life. You are my entire world.. You are everything I've ever wanted, and everything I didn't know I'd need. You are the reason I'm alive. You are my purpose. Life without you sounds terrible. I could never exist in a place where you aren't around. We have had our fair share of difficulties.. as well as our exciting times.."

My hand covers my mouth, trying to hide the fact my lips are quivering uncontrollably. I'm surprised, confused, happy, sad, shocked - but most of all.. I'm definitely relieved. I knew this day would come, but I didn't know it'd be so soon.

"..But there is no one I want more in this entire world, no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. I spent many years watching over you, protecting you, supporting you and loving you.." Harry's words bring tears to my eyes, they slowly begin to fall down my face. I'm sure I'm very flushed right now, my cheeks feel like flames. I don't care though, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed.

"..And I've come to learn in these past few months.. that you do just as much protecting and loving as I do. You can calm me in a second.. You can make my anger vanish.. make my happiness reappear. You are everything to me. I will never be able to repay you for all the love you've shown me, the acceptance, the care.. I try my hardest but you always win. You're so strong, so brave.. Stubborn at times, but that's just as courageous." The complimenting words don't help my shaking nerves. I don't like to be the center of attention, and Harry has placed me high in that position.

"It blows my mind every day to witness how strong you are. Even through the hardest of times.. you remain collected. Waking up to you every morning.. it's a blessing. Seeing your beauty when I open my eyes, the way the sun shines on your skin.. You're perfect, baby. There's no one I'd rather wake up to.."

".. Thank you for loving me.. for being here for me.. for allowing me to love you and be in your life. I've been around a long time.. and I never imagined I would ever settle down, never thought I'd ever find anyone to love. But I did.. I have you and that's the best gift I've ever received. I would be greatly honored if you were to do something for me - with me." Harry reaches behind his back, into his pocket I assume.

My other hand makes it way onto my face, shielding my mouth entirely. A small red velvet box rests in the grasp of his fingertips. I watch closely as he brings his other hand up, opening the box. Thanks to the fire's glow mixed with the patio lights, I can easily see the beautiful ring sitting in the box, the diamond sparkling and the silver band shining.

"Julianne, my love, ... will you marry me?" His voice is so calm, so thick. My knees feel weak, I don't know how much longer I will be able to stand here. Harry licks his lips quickly, his eyes gazing up at me. Thankfully, the tears are falling quickly so my vision isn't blurred. He's so handsome, the way the orange glow of the fire shows his features. I'm so in love with him, it's unbelievable at times.

"O-of course.. Yes.. I-I'll marry you, Harry." I drop my hands, nodding my head a few times. He grabs my hand gently, takes out the ring, and carefully slides it down my finger. I saw that he was slightly shaking, I'm sure he was very nervous. It's a nice fit, not too tight, but not too lose - it won't slip off. He quickly gets to his feet, and that's when our bodies collide.

My arms fly around his neck, just as my feet are lifted off the ground. He holds me tight against him, rocking slightly from side to side. "I love you." I whisper into his ear, kissing his lobe gently. I feel his smile against the side of my face. "I love you."

At least a minute passes before Harry speaks again. I think we're both so caught up in the moment that we've forgotten to say anything. "I was afraid you wouldn't say yes." He admits to me, his voice soft as his lips move against the shell of my ear. I lean myself back, keeping my hands on his nape to balance myself. "Why wouldn't I?" I ask, smiling with a cocked eyebrow. He's got to be kidding, right? There's no reason why I wouldn't have said yes.

He shrugs slightly, "Not sure.. I was just afraid you wouldn't be ready." Harry, without my consent, puts me back on the ground. My hands grab his waist, holding on tight to his shirt. I press my face against his warm chest, he's always so hot. "Why'd you put me down? Am I too heavy?" I ask, my words muffled by his shirt. A squeal comes from my mouth as Harry swoops me off my feet - literally.

"Don't ever say that again." Harry says, kissing my cheek a few sloppy times. I laugh at him, he always goes out of his way for me. "Um, the party has barely started? Where are you goin'?" Niall yells out, throwing his hands in the air - but careful not to spill his beer. Harry just laughs at him as he carries me towards the house.

"Where are we going?" I ask him, confused myself. "To celebrate.. on our own." Harry winks at me, making me bite my lip to hold in my flirty words. "They've seen enough of us tonight.. time for some alone time."

Before I had to think things through, Harry opened the passenger door to his truck and placed me on the seat. I let him go, but not before I get a kiss from his soft lips. "What about our bag?" I say through my smile. We were supposed to stay the night. "Already in the back." Harry informs me, pulling the seat belt across my body. He snaps the buckle it and leaves a few pecks across my lips as he leans out of the truck. "You're sneaky, Styles." I roll my eyes, smirking at him.

"What can I say? I've got m' ways, Mrs. Styles." My heart skips a few beats when he says that to me. I'm quick to defend myself, not wanting him to be incorrect. "It's Future Mrs. Styles.. get it right." He holds his hands up in surrender, laughing at me. "Yes ma'am."


-


A smile runs over my lips as Harry falls down onto the mattress beside me, sliding his arm around me. I'm still trying to catch my breath and make it steady once more. Harry's soft lips are pressing kisses into my temple. I smile bigger, the smallest things are the best. "Mmm.. I'll never get tired of doing this with you." I mutter out, letting my fingernails sink into the skin covering his forearm. "Hope not, darlin'." He chuckles into my ear, moving his kisses down my jaw just a moment later.

"You realize we can't have an actual wedding.." I blurt this out before I had time to actually think about it. It's something that circled my mind during the ride home. Harry laughs lightly, "Remember, love, the government makes us legal documents. We can get married. Besides.. you already said yes." His fingertips begin to massage into my hip, I adore it when he does that. I sigh at his words, that's not what I meant.

"I haven't forgotten.. and I could always change my answer." I take a deep inhale before saying what my point actually is. "I mean.. we can't go all out. We wouldn't have any guests.. I.. I don't.. associate with my family members.. never have.. never plan on it." I explain what I was referring to. Harry's movements come to an unexpected halt, he stops his fingers and lifts his mouth away from my skin. "We don't have to have a fancy reception.. and besides.. I've got friends all 'round the world.. I'm sure they'll support us." Harry's words aren't very convincing to me.

"I don't know them." I'm not trying to make this difficult, I'm only stating the facts. We wouldn't have a large guest list, I wouldn't need to go all out - thousands of dollars for nothing. All I really want is the certificate, the vows, and the rings. It would be official then, there's no need for an after party celebration that large.

"Baby.. we have plenty of time to worry about everything. I've told you.. we can wait as long as you want." Harry's sigh holds some irritation, which makes me wonder if I've chose the wrong time to mention this to him. We did just finish proving that we love each other, why would I want to crush the mood? Too late for that. "Can we just sign the paper.. and say the vows?" I groan out, annoyed by all of his already and it hasn't even been two hours since I said yes.

"Patience, baby girl, patience." Harry smirks against my cheek, his kisses returning to my skin. I allow him to carry on for a minute or two, just staying silent so I can soak in the beautiful feelings he's giving me. He never fails to make my heart skip a beat. "Would you really change your answer?" Harry makes the silence vanish, and my eyebrows furrow.

My head shifts on the pillow, our eyes meeting in the dark. His moon light covered face is just an inch from mine. "No, baby, I wouldn't." I seal my promise with a kiss against his plump lips. He gives me a smile, slighting blushing at my comment. "Good. The jewelry store I got that from doesn't accept returns." Harry smirks cheekily, making me roll my eyes and flop onto my side, pressing my butt into his crotch.

"M'sleepy." I tell him after hearing him mumble about not being certain of what I was doing. He drags me against him, lips against my ear as he speaks, "Too tired for round two, Future Mrs. Styles?" I do not have to ask him the same, I can feel him against me. I bite down on my lip, his hand has already started to grope my breast. "Never too tired for that, Mr. Styles."

Notes

t h a n k y o u

this has been an incredible journey for me - writing this story has always been an escape for me. life has been very difficult at times, and knowing that I could always turn to my computer to type up the next chapter made me have some hope in life. doing this has been so amazing, I have loved every second of it - even the times when I thought I wasn't doing well. Thank you to everyone who has ever supported me. The kind private messages I receive are so heart warming. The feedback in the comments has always motivated me to do the absolute best I can. I hope I've made you happy, I hope you liked how the first story ended. I am so blessed to have such amazing readers. I love each of you.

the sequel is going to be action (and love) packed! I am so excited to get it posted. It's come very soon, I will post a link here for you guys! - just a few things about the sequel - I will be structuring it a little neater than this story - I have grown a lot, that includes my writing skills and style. I hope that you don't lose interest in the sequel! I promise I won't take ages to upload it. Things are much easier in my life now due to some personal things, so I have plenty of time to cater to you guys! I love you so so so much, I hope you enjoy everything!

I decided to end BH this way because I wanted the l o v e to be noticeable above all else. You will see why in a few short weeks ;) I promise I have an amazing plot ready for you guys! Dozens of chapters for your eyes to see! Harry & Julianne have matured so much, you're going to be proud I promise! Expect the unexpected from other characters, **hint hint, wink wink** and pay close attention to details like usual.

once again, thank you all so much for everything. I am so proud of this story, and I am so glad I have the chance to share my creation with you guys. I love you tons xx

if you ever need anything, absolutely anything, I am one message away! xxooxx