The Assistant

Nora woke up to Harry roaming around her hotel room. Well, he wasn’t so much as roaming as he was pacing… in only his boxer briefs. She couldn’t quite gather why he was doing it. He didn’t seem upset. He wasn’t tugging at his hair in anger or anything. He was just pacing. And every so often, his index finger and thumb would come up and tug at his bottom lip like he was really thinking hard about something. It was actually kind of sexy in a way.

Nora almost felt semi-voyeuristic watching him. He didn’t know she was awake and she didn’t make it known. She kind of liked just seeing him in a real moment. He almost seemed like a pleasant person. Like if she tried hard enough to block out the shit he pulled in the past two months, then maybe—just maybe, she could see the good in him… the good her heart hoped was there.

“Shit,” she heard him breathe, stopping his pacing. And she was convinced she was caught, that he saw her watching him. But when he sat down in the desk chair, she was sure she was in the clear.

She couldn’t see him as well as when he was standing up, but she was certain he was looking out the window. Slowly, she pulled herself into the sitting position, watching him the whole time. He didn’t move, he didn’t even notice her.

“Hi,” she said quietly.

His eyes flickered toward her, his facial features even, yet a part of her thought he might be upset at her for disrupting his private time. If he was, he did a good job of holding it in. His face didn’t even twitch with a hint of emotion. He just stared at her, right in the eyes. And she felt her own emotions began to fluctuate inside of her. She just sat there staring back, willing him to say something, anything.

What the hell was he thinking? What was he doing? The questions were gnawing at her.

“What,” she said finally. It fell out of her mouth in a flat sonance, no hint of a question at the end. His eyes finally dropped from hers as he shook his head.

“Are you okay?” She asked him hesitantly.

“I’ll be fine,” he said quietly. He speaks!

“I’ve never seen you like this before,” she said quietly, feeling concerned over the mood he was in.

“Like what?” He asked, looking back up at her, his brow knit tightly.

“So… introverted,” she breathed, feeling her cheeks blush. He scoffed lightly, his eyes falling away from hers again.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he said finally.

“Oh,” she murmured, looking away from him too.

They sat in silence for longer than she cared to. But she couldn’t think of anything to say. His mood was just so unlike him.

“This is weird. Why is this weird?” Nora said finally, her voice ringing bold, although she was kind of frightened of what his answer might be. He looked over at her again, pausing as he let her question settle.

She didn’t like this. She didn’t like that his mood made her long for the spontaneous, egotistical, self-centered little boy she knew him to be. Anything was better than melancholy Harry. This Harry made her heart sputter and wrench for him in ways she didn’t know it could. What was eating him? What was on his mind? She wanted to know so badly, but she didn’t dare ask.

He quickly stood on his feet, disregarding her question altogether as he pulled his sweatpants up from the floor, stepping into them. Nora furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what the hell was going on. It was starting to make her incredibly self-conscious, like it was something she did. And that was making her angry.

“What the hell is your problem?” She spat at him. She caught the roll of his eyes as he leaned down grabbing up his t-shirt.

“WHAT!?” She growled, clambering hurriedly out of the bed, ripping the bed sheet up with her to wrap around her naked body.

“WHAT IS IT, HARRY?” She yelled at him, moving quickly toward him, annoyance seeping through every inch of her body.

“Nora,” he sighed as he put on his shirt.

“What?” She asked, exasperated.

“I’ve gotta go. I’m not supposed to be in here. We’re gonna get caught,” he breathed, sounding bored with her.

“That’s what you’re worried about? We’re gonna get caught? I seem to recall Liam and Louis walking in on us mid-fuck, Harry. I’m pretty sure that’s already happened. You and I – we’re in love, remember? Or did you forget that already?” Nora yelled at him, oozing sarcasm with every word. He scoffed at her, shaking his head.

“Okay, you’re just being a fucking dick. I get it. Back to normal,” she scoffed right back at him.

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“I shouldn’t be surprised really. God, you make me so mad!” She growled.

He just stood there staring at the wall, jaw clenched, not saying a word.

“Can’t we just say we made a mistake? That we’re not compatible. That it’s just not going to work out,” Nora said finally as she dropped her shoulders in defeat, the fight in her words lost.

Harry’s head snapped in her direction, his eyes searching hers, but still he didn’t say anything. He was so frustrating. She just wanted to shake him and tell him all the ways he was killing her.

“I’ve got to go back to my room. I don’t want to get caught,” he told her, ignoring her words again. He didn’t want to get caught? Meaning he didn’t want their fake relationship to end.

“Just go,” Nora breathed, feeling defeated as she looked away from him.

She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to fight with him. She wanted to get down to the bottom of his melancholy mood. For the first time, she actually wanted to spend time with him. But he didn’t. And to her, his rejection was almost worse than his torment.

Nobody had time to eat a real breakfast that morning before getting on the bus. They were due to get on the road almost immediately after they woke up. When Nora got on the bus, Harry was sitting at the table eating cereal with Louis, Niall and Liam. And what really caught her attention was that he was joking and laughing with them like he hadn’t woken up on the emo side of her bed that morning. But seemingly as soon as his eyes found hers, his face darkened. Nora’s stomach twisted and she hated him for making her feel that way. Louis’ eyes were on her too, noticing the icy mood change. When Liam registered Harry and Louis’ vision on Nora, he turned in her direction.

“Hey, Nora,” he said, smiling brightly as she watched as Louis’ eyes darted between her and Harry.

“Hi,” she said quietly.

“What? Did you two have a fight or something last night when you snuck out of the room?” Louis asked bluntly, smacking Harry’s arm.

“Shut it,” Harry said, elbowing him back, causing Louis to laugh.

Nora felt ten shades of awkward and wanted to flee immediately.

“Nora,” Harry said, standing up, blocking her from moving passed him toward her bunk.

“What, Harry?” She breathed, unable to meet his eyes.

“Uh, can I talk to you?” He asked.

“Uh, okay,” she said quietly, finally looking at him.

“Uh, out there,” he said, nodding toward the open door of the bus.

Nora turned on her feet, going the same way she just came from, stalking off the bus with Harry on her heels. Once she was on the pavement, she walked the length of the bus toward the back just so they were out of ear shot of the other guys, before she spun to face him.

“Look, I was just in a weird mood this morning, okay. I didn’t mean to make you so angry,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

“You didn’t make me angry, you made me feel worthless,” she shot at him. His eyes darkened as his brow knit in concern.

“Nora,” he sighed.

“Why are we even doing this? What is the point of it all?” She asked him, feeling exhausted.

“I thought you knew the point. You want to keep your job don’t you?” He spat back at her, his words almost icy.

Nora hung her mouth open, appalled by his words. Was he threatening her job now?

“You act like there’s nothing in for it for you,” he said dryly.

“Like what?” she asked, gaping at him.

“Me,” he said, raising the bar of his fucking ego. Nora scoffed just about as loudly and as accentuated as she could. The fucking audacity.

“Wow. Is that all?” She spewed sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at him. His lips twitched up in a smug smirk and she wanted to punch him in his stupid pretty face so badly. She was literally about to get whiplash from his mood swings.

“Oh, Nora,” he said, looking much too amused.

“You’re an idiot,” she scoffed, shaking her head.

“I saw the way you looked at me last night,” he said lowly, his smile only getting smugger. Her eyes were narrowed into slits, she was glaring so hard at him.

“I was drunk, Harry. Do you not remember that?” She shot at him.

“You were in a lust coma,” he teased, chuckling at her.

“How is this funny? Why are you laughing?” She growled at him.

“Because you have a thing for me,” he said with a cocky smirk.

“You’re a fucking dick. And really, I don’t find any pleasure in being associated with you,” she spat at him.

“No pleasure? None at all?” He asked, giving her a look of ‘bullshit’.

“Don’t even say it!” She snapped as she stuck her finger out at him, knowing he was prime with a degrading comeback.

“’Fuck, Harry. Ohmygod. OH!’” He imitated, what she could only assume to be her at orgasm.

“Shut up!” She said, punching at him, unable to keep a smile off of her face even though she was so thoroughly angry at him. Harry easily dodged her punches, jumping spryly out of the way.

“Why are you such a dick? I don’t get it,” Nora whined, feeling utterly defeated by him. He constantly messed with her head and it was getting to be too much.

“Maybe it’s my adolescent way?” He smirked at her, shrugging his shoulders.

“You’re adolescent way of what?” She asked, looking at him confused.

Nora watched as Harry’s eyes darted up behind her. And seconds later he grabbed her in his arms and kissed her lips hard before setting her back down on her feet.

“Time to get on the bus,” he said quickly and made a dash for the bus door, disappearing back onto it. She stood there staring at the gaping hole of the doorway he just jumped through, her mind reeling.

“Ready to go, Nora?” She heard Preston’s voice from behind her and her heart sank. Was the kiss just for the others amusement? Just a show like everything else? And what the hell – his adolescent way? What did that mean?

He was so confusing. Nora so thoroughly hated his mind games.

Notes