A few weeks had passed since the party and I had ultimately sworn off heavy drinking for a while, only opting for a bit of wine or a single pint of beer, not daring to push it any further than that. Making a fool of myself in front of my friends was not something that was in my plans and I didn’t want to go back to that dark point in my life where I felt like the only thing that I could do to numb the pain and heartache was to drown my sorrows with alcohol. It was the lowest point in my life, and I would not let myself return to it.

Classes were in full swing and so were my Alpha Xi duties, taking up most of my time. If I wasn’t in class, I was working a booth for our philanthropy, with my study group, or raising money for our glow run we had coming up soon. It was always one thing or another and I was glad for the constant hustle and bustle that my days brought, things were finally starting to feel completely normal again.

It had also been a while since I had seen Harry outside of class, both of us completely busy with our schedules which left little time to hang out. After our little lunch outing, I had given him my number knowing that we would inevitably be hanging out again soon if not from personal desire, from having mutual friends. We texted on and off everyday; he’d send me corny jokes and I’d act like they were dumb when in reality I would be trying to stifle a few giggles in class. It was constant banter and I found myself enjoying our conversations more and more. There was never a boring moment with him.

After a grueling two hours of organic chemistry, I started my trek back to the house. I opted to walk to class today, it was just so beautiful outside. The mid September days bringing the slightest taste of fall to the beautiful antique and timeless campus, the air becoming cooler as the days passed, much to my appreciation. Fall had always been my favorite time of year; the leaves changing color, the crisp air, football season, the impending holidays. Everything about it just made me feel warm inside.

“Hales, you here?” I called, walking into the house, hanging my keys up on the hook. “Haley?”

No sound came from the back of the house. I shrugged, walking into the kitchen to grab a snack. Browsing through the cupboards and fridge, I realized just how much we needed to go grocery shopping, making sure to make a note of what we needed and placing it under a magnet on the fridge. Settling for a somewhat over ripened banana, I trudge into the living room, scrolling through my phone, noticing another text from Harry.

Harry: why do fish live in salt water?

I giggled, knowing that the impending answer to this question would probably make me laugh more than it should. But let’s be honest, I was a sucker for a good dad joke.

I don’t know, why?

Harry: because if they lived in pepper water, they would sneeze!

You can do better than that, Styles. I’m disappointed.

Harry: ok miss sass, I’d like to see you come up with a better one

What’s the difference between a hippo and a zippo?

Harry: what?

One is really heavy and the other is a little lighter.



I was in a fit of giggles as we continued to compete in who had the best dad jokes. Never would I have thought that I would be enjoying a conversation like this so much, but it was like Harry knew what would make me laugh without even trying. The more I talked to him, the more I found myself wanting to see him again.

*

Glancing around the quiet library, I hoped to find a secluded area to set myself up for the next few hours alone. I usually avoided the library, nothing about it made it easier to focus on the always present mound of homework to me. The harsh lighting, the deafening silence, the crowds of students that flocked together, no. I’d much rather study in the confines of my cozy little house, with the soft sound of a vinyl record playing while I flipped through the pages of my text books. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option when it came to study hall hours for Alpha Xi. The only way my hours would be recorded was if my phone was located at the library. Dumb, yes, I know.

Finally finding a seat in one of the corners of the fourth floor, I sprawled myself out, bringing my laptop out of my back pack along with my notebook of homework that I had yet to do. Thankfully, I had remembered my headphones and could drown out the chattering of freshman a few tables away.

*

It had been a couple of hours since I had arrived at the library, my eyes starting to burn from staring at my computer for too long and my back was aching from the uncomfortable chair. I leaned back, stretching my stiff limbs out in front of me, hearing my back pop. I sighed in relief, continuing my stretches as I stood from the chair.

When I glanced back up, I noticed a familiar mop of curls. “What are you doing here?”

He stood, holding two cups of Starbucks and a bag of takeout. “Haley told me you had taken refuge in the library for the night so I thought I’d come offer some company and a little bite to eat. Hope you like burgers.”

“Harry, you didn’t have-”

“I know I didn’t. I wanted to see you. It’s been a while.” He smiled, setting the bag of food down in front of us before pulling the chair out next to me.

I found myself smiling slightly, why was he so nice? Most guys wouldn’t go to this extent to see me, opting to wanting to take me out to a party or a bar in hopes of getting me drunk and out of my clothes. This was different. He seemed perfectly content with sitting in the library, chewing down on greasy food, and I was beginning to be too. Harry just kind of put me in a better mood, whether it was a corny joke, or a sly flirty comment, or just a simple ‘good morning, hope you have a good one’ text. His company seemed to bring out a more content me, a happier me.

“So why are you stuck here?” He asked, taking a bite of his burger as I dug into a box of carton of French fries.

“Study hours for Alpha Xi. I put them off all week and now I have to do all four tonight or I don’t get credit for them.” I grumbled, dreading the fact that I still had to be stuck there for two more hours.

He chuckled, “I know how that is, but I come for an hour most everyday. Gets them over quickly.”

“I honestly haven’t had time to this week. I had to work the booth Monday and Wednesday, Tuesday I have classes until five-thirty and by the time I’m done with them, the last thing I want to do is come here. And yesterday I had a job interview.”

“With?” He asked, raising a brow.

“The hospital my dad interned at. It’s for a position in the ER, I’m hoping to get it. It’ll be good experience for me.”

He smiled, “I don’t think we ever covered what each other’s majors were.”

Now that I thought about it, that’s one of the only things we hadn’t talked about in the last few weeks, surprisingly enough. I didn’t necessarily like to talk about my major because it always led to the inevitable question of “Why did you choose that?” or “Do you have any people in your life who influenced your decision?” Because, in all honesty, I didn’t like to brag that my father was a surgeon. After people know, they start treating you differently, acting like you’re some spoiled brat that gets everything taken care of with daddy’s money. That was the furthest thing from the case with me.

“Biomed.” I answered truthfully, “What about you?”

“Undecided.” He shrugged, turning his attention back to his food. “Nothing has called to me yet. I’m just getting my bachelor’s and seeing where that leads me.”

“Nothing at all that’s caught your fancy?” I asked, sparing him a glance seeing him shake his head casually, obviously not too worried. I changed the subject, hoping to find talkative Harry in there somewhere. “Are you going out with everyone tomorrow night? It should be fun.”

*

It was the next day, Haley and I finding ourselves finally taking a trip to the grocery store to restock our empty cupboards and refrigerator. As we walked down the aisles, throwing items into the cart that we needed, I remembered something.

“So your anniversary is coming up.” I noted, pausing our stroll to grab a case of water. “Anything special planned?”

She shrugged, crossing the water off the list in her hand. “Not really, we’ll probably just do what we’ve always done. Dinner, tequila, and hot sex.”

“Four years, Hales. Do you think he’ll propose?”

She paled, “No, why? Has he said anything?”

“No, I was just wondering if you two had talked about it. You’re both about to graduate.”

“We haven’t even decided if he’s staying here or if I’m going back to Ireland with him.” She sighed, “I mean yeah, I’ve thought about it, of course I have. It’s just, scary to think about everything changing.”

“I’m sure he feels the same way. Maybe you just need to talk about the future. Both of you just lay out the plans you have for yourselves and the plans you want to have together.”

She grew quiet, and I knew she was hinting to change the subject. “So is Harry coming tonight?”

“He said he’ll try to make it,” I strained to reach the top shelf for the spinach wraps, standing on my tip toes before finally knocking it off. “More than likely.”

“Have you been talking to him much since the party?”

I tried to hide the blush creeping onto my cheeks, “No, not really just a few texts here and there.”

“Liar.” She smirked, “You left your laptop open the other night in the living room. It was going off every three minutes with a new message from Harry.”

She emphasized his name, teasing me as she fanned her face jokingly. I rolled my eyes, “Oh shut up.”

“Are you blushing, Callahan?” She teased, “Does Mr. Styles make you blush?”

The truth was, he did and it was hard to deny that. Over the past few weeks and especially after our late night spent at the library, I was growing rather fond of spending time with Harry. It was just easy to be around him, easy to be myself. He put me at ease, and I appreciated that.

“Maybe a little bit.”

*

Our table was full of the usual chatter, everyone catching up from the week’s events over a few beers. It had been a while since our whole group of friends had gotten together in one place like this and I was happy to see them again. So much had happened while I was away that I had only known about through Facebook and Instagram. Jessica and Bryce got engaged, Lily adopted another puppy, and Mikey finally found love. It was like everything was falling into place like it should for everyone, I loved seeing them so content and genuinely happy with their lives.

Although our table was full, there was still one missing person. The person that I wanted to see probably more than anyone else that sat around.

Harry.

He had undoubtedly slid his way into my life at the most, what I thought, inopportune time. But I found myself enjoying his company far too much to ever want him to stop coming around. His presence had become somewhat of a safe haven for me, and I wasn't sure how to process it. I had promised myself that I wouldn't let a guy come into the picture yet, wouldn't let him distract me, but that's the thing; Harry wasn't distracting, at least not in the sense that it strayed my focus away from my own personal mental health and academics. He was distracting in the best ways, he made me feel like myself again. It was okay to be my full-fledged dorky self around him, he encouraged that part of me to shine brightly. Whenever I was feeling particularly gloomy, he seemed to pick up on it, but never pressured me to delve into what had sparked my sudden mood change, simply deciding it was time for some comedic relief. It was his effortless way of just making me smile that had me in awe. It had been so long since I had felt this genuinely content with my life.

“You okay, Tay?” Haley asked from her seat across from me, taking a sip of her tequila sunrise. “You’re kinda quiet tonight.”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired.” I lied, hoping she wouldn't ask anymore questions. It was inevitable that if I exposed what was truly causing my brow to furrow that I'd never hear the end of the constant teasing from Haley.

Just as I was about to give up hope on seeing him, he appeared through the crowd, looking slightly flustered. His cheeks were flushed from the unexpected crisp air that whipped just outside, dimples indenting his cheeks as his eyes landed on me, making my heart clench.

“Sorry I'm late.” He muttered taking his seat next to me, nudging my arm with his elbow. “How are you?”

I smiled softly, trying not to appear as eager as I felt. “Good, you?”

“Can't complain.” He grinned as the waitress came back to our table, her eyes finding the effortlessly adorable guy sitting next to me, a slight blush playing across her cheeks.

“Um, can I get you a drink, sir?” She asked, practically undressing him with her eyes. He turned to her, a full smile on his face, dimples deeper than ever.

“I'll have a whiskey and coke please.” He stated pulling out his ID.

She shook her head, winking, “Don't worry, I believe you.”

It took all I had not to scoff at her evident flirting as I finished the last sip of my drink. “Can I get another Grateful Dead as well?”

“Sure.” She deadpanned, not taking her eyes off of him. “I'll be right back.”

“She's nice.” He muttered, turning his attention to the menu in front of him.

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, just peachy.”

He turned to me then, a smile tugging at the corners of his raspberry colored lips. “Am I dreaming or are you jealous?”

I couldn't help the scoff then, “Please. You wish.”

“Oh come on, it's okay to be a little jealous, petal.”

My heart fluttered at the pet name, fighting back a smile. “What do I have to be jealous of? We're just friends.”

He smirked, knowing full well that our friendship was developing slowly into something more than we were both originally aware of. It hadn't taken long for us to become accustomed to spending ample amounts of time together.

“If you say so, petal.”

*

After leaving the restaurant, we began our journey to the first bar of the night. My head was slightly hazy, my three drinks at the restaurant giving me just enough of a buzz that I could be content with. That was my limit, and I wasn't going to dare push it.

“You know you don't have to come out tonight.” Haley nudged my arm, pulling me from my fixed gaze on Harry’s back as he walked beside Niall a few feet in front of us.

“I know but I've missed everyone.” I muttered as she looped her arm through mine, concealing our shared warmth. “And I'm not going to drink any more so I'll be okay.”

“Just promise me that if you start to feel uncomfortable, that you'll let me know and we can leave.”

“I wouldn't want to pull you away from a good time though.”

“Stop it,” she shook her head. “You’d do the same thing for me.”

The line to get into the somewhat popular bar was growing as the clock inched its way closer to ten. It was unusual to have this many people out before eleven, but I suppose the live music was something to come out earlier for.

Haley found her place wrapped in Niall’s arms, trying to find some warmth as I hugged my arms around me. The wind was whipping around us, making it colder by the second. I suddenly regretted wearing a skirt, feeling the hairs on my legs beginning to grow.

“Are yeh cold?” Harry’s deep, smooth voice rang in my ear quietly. His breath tickling my neck ever so slightly, increasing the goosebumps that were rising on my skin.

“Just a little.” I chuckled as my teeth began to chatter slightly. “I don't know why I thought this was short skirt and light cardigan weather.”

He smirked, “As cute as yeh look, yeh do look a little out of place.”

I glanced around, noticing everyone had obviously taken time to check the forecast before coming out, unlike me. Clad in jeans and jackets, everyone was prepared for the sudden cold front from the east coast.

“Here,” Harry offered, opening his arms for me to snake my own around his waist beneath the warmth of his jacket. “Better?”

I smiled, finally feeling my shivers lessen as his arms wrapped around me. “Much.”

It was the first time I had been this close to Harry since the morning after the party. He smelled of peppermint and Tom Ford; it engulfed me in comfort and I found myself just wanting to stay there for the rest of the night.

*

The bar was bustling with life, the volume increasing as the band made their way onto the stage. I stayed back at our table that we had managed to snag tucked away in a much quieter part of the bar sipping my water. Two years ago, I would have been elbowing my way to get to the front of the stage, regardless of who was performing, but now I was more worried about not making a fool of myself again, continuing to rehydrate myself.

“Hey you.” Harry muttered, flashing a small smile as he took his place beside me.

“Hi.” I grinned, thanking him silently from saving my appearance from looking lonely. “Why aren't you with everyone else?”

He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink, pulling up a stool. “Wanted to keep yeh company. Plus this band isn't really my style.”

"Yeah, I'm not too keen on being here much anymore.” I slouched over the table, resting my chin in my hands. “Kinda wanna curl up on the couch and watch How I Met Your Mother.”

*

It was growing close to midnight and I was more than ready to leave, not finding the drunk crowd appeasing in the slightest. Harry had found his way over to a group of his fraternity brothers leaving me to fend for myself. I was bored to say the least, no one goes to a bar just to enjoy it because let's be honest, if you're not drinking, what's there to enjoy about a big crowd of obnoxiously intoxicated college kids?

My eyes finally found Haley and Niall just steps from where Harry stood cackling at something the girl he had been talking to said. There it was, the jealousy again. Damn, I needed to stop that. He wasn't mine to be jealous over.

My boots found the hardwood as I gathered my bag and cardigan before bringing me closer to where my friends stood. I half-heartedly smiled, hoping to be able to slip out sooner rather than later.

“Hey, I think I'm gonna head home. You don't have to come, I'm completely sober. Stay with Niall.”

Haley turned towards me, shaking her head. “I told you I'd come with you.”

“I promise I'm fine.” I smiled, pulling her into a quick hug. “Enjoy your night. I'll see you in the morning.”

“Be careful.”

As I was saying the rest of my goodbyes, a strong arm caught my waist, “Where are you off to?”

I smirked up at him, loving the feeling of his arm around me again. “I'm going home.”

“Oh.” He sounded disappointed, his lips curving into a frown.

“Come keep me company?” I asked hopefully.

He grinned, setting down his empty glass at a nearby table before retrieving his jacket. “After you, petal.”

After he bid everyone a goodnight, Haley eyed me suspiciously from beside Niall, a knowing smirk playing across her lips. I smiled innocently, batting my eyes at her before Harry returned to me, grabbing my hand, beginning to lead me through the dense crowd.

Finally finding our way to the outside sidewalk, he draped his jacket over my shoulders, although he only wore a light button up and was surely cold as well, I was thankful for his generosity.

“My car is back at the restaurant.” I noted, beginning our walk back to the parking lot. “So are you going to call that waitress?”

As our waitress had come around with our checks at the end of our meal, I had noticed a tiny note at the top of Harry’s. It was what I assumed was her number followed by a scribbled heart. Of course, the jealousy consumed me, but I was able to conceal it to where Harry hadn't noticed, at least as far as I knew.

“Probably not.” He shrugged, digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Not my type.”

HA.

“Oh? And what is your type, Styles?” I glanced up at him with a raised brow.

“You.”

*

“I win, again.” I giggled, downing the rest of my wine as I threw a sweatshirt clad arm in the air victoriously. After three grueling rounds of go fish, I had won yet again.

“You cheated.” Harry grumbled, throwing his cards into the pile in front of him. “There’s no place in this world for cheaters.”

I grinned, “I won fair and square. You’re just a sore loser.”

“Am not!” He whined, throwing a pillow at me.

“Are too.” I winked, pouring another hearty glass of the fruity liquid. “So, now we play truth or dare.”

“There’s only two of us.” He chuckled as my sock covered feet padded over to the couch where he sat, making myself cozy next to him. Only a few inches were between us but I desperately wanted those to decrease somehow. My slight intoxication was only making my hormones escalate and honestly, I wasn’t mad about it.

“I know, that’s what makes it fun.” I winked, gaining some sort of sudden confidence. “Since I won, I get to ask you first. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

I pondered over the possibilities, trying to keep myself from asking the nitty gritty questions too early. There were things about him, personal things, that I had suddenly found myself wanting to know. But then again, we hadn’t known each other long and I didn’t want to pry too much.

“Is it true that you think I’m the bestest girl in the world?” I giggled, feeling the wine even more.

“No, but you’re a close third.”

“Third?!” I shrieked, holding my hand over my heart to heighten my dramatic reaction. “Whoever could be before me?”

“I do have a mum and sistah, yeh know.” He grinned, taking a sip of his wine. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare.” I muttered confidently, ready to take on whatever challenge he threw at me. “Lay it on me, Styles.”

“First off, I would love to.” He winked, making my heart flutter. “And second, I dare you to dance with me.”

“That’s not a very good dare.” I muttered as he stood up, reaching out for my hand. “Come on, give me a good one.”

Instead of returning to his seat, he shuffled to the hall, returning a few moments later with my record player. A soft, familiar melody began playing (play Like Real People Do) as he reached out for my hand once more. With a small smile, I allowed him to pull me to my feet, his arm instantly wrapping around my waist as the other held my hand close to his chest.

As the song played, we swayed in silence. This was different than any other time we had been this close. This was intimate and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t beginning to make my realizations clearer. What we had between us was definitely more than I ever expected to have so soon. I was drawn to him, and I felt like he was to me, but I could never be sure.

“See? This isn’t so bad.” He grinned, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

Green eyes sparkled as he peered down at me, my heart fluttering once again as his face inched towards mine. Soon, our foreheads were meeting, my mind feeling hazy again from the wine and sudden interaction. Every time he touched me, I could melt. It had been so long since someone had made me feel the way Harry was making me feel then. There was no denying how much I wanted to finally feel his lips on mine.

“Is it alright if I kiss you now?” His words were reduced to soft whispers, making goosebumps rise on my skin. We had stopped swaying, letting the music fade into the background as the world seemed to fade with it. It was just us, in my living room then, nothing else mattered.

“Please.” My plea had barely come out before soft lips were pressing to mine gently. As he pulled back, I knew that there was no turning back now. “Again.”

It took him no time to cup my face, pulling me closer as his lips enveloped mine once again, this time with more urgency, more fervor. My eyes fluttered closed as he gently swiped my bottom lip with his tongue. At this point, I wasn’t sure if it was the wine or if it was simply Harry that was so intoxicating.

“Tell me when to stop.” He whispered in between kisses. “Just say when.”

“Don’t.” I muttered as my fingers found the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him back to me, needing to taste him again. “Don’t stop.”

Notes