The Reinvention of Harry Styles

Harry woke up early the next morning and could not get back to sleep. He lay in bed, listening, and could have sworn he could still hear the thumping of a headboard against the wall somewhere in his house. Even when he covered his head with his pillow he could still hear it - or maybe he was just imagining the sound. He got up and paced his room, not really sure what he would find if he wandered out into the hallway. ‘Was he still here?’ He thought, and this thought nibbled at his brain until he couldn’t take it anymore. He threw on his running clothes, pulled the hood of his hoodie firmly over his head and quickly made his way downstairs.

‘Okay, her door is still shut, so she’s still asleep…’ But this only fueled the thought gnawing at him. He tried to shake it out of his head, but this idea was firmly planted in his consciousness. He went for a run, as he often did, but stayed out longer than normal. He even stopped for breakfast and took his time eating it. He got his coffee to go, and as he walked home (he wasn’t going to run carrying coffee) he was sure it was late enough that he would be gone by now. He’d given them enough privacy, but this was his house, after all, and he shouldn’t avoid it just because his ‘girlfriend’ had brought a guy home last night.

But it wasn’t just any guy; it was someone he knew, and had become friends with while they shot Dunkirk together. Someone he should have seen in a play last night, but he let Molly go on her own because he’d already promised to go to the after party. He should have been there, with her, then none of this would have happened. Or, maybe it would have happened differently… he mentally smacked himself and tried to shake those thoughts out of his head. ‘Damn, Harry, what’s gotten into you?’ He thought, but his mental conversation with himself was interrupted as he came upon his house and saw a familiar ginger head bobbing along the hedges lining the path to the back entrance of his house.

‘Fuck.’ Harry froze, his feet seemed unable to take him any closer to his house, as he watched that ginger head come to the end of the pathway and make a right onto the sidewalk, heading straight toward him.

“Oh, hey!” Tom seemed surprised to see him, but kept his cheerful pace as he continued toward where Harry was planted.

‘Damn she has really put a skip in his step,’ Harry begrudgingly thought as he forced a smile at his co-star. “Morning,” he finally said.

“Missed you last night, mate,” Tom said, and Harry’s face froze.

‘They wanted me to join in?!?!’ He tried to keep the thoughts invading his mind from showing, but his face must have displayed some of his confusion.

“At the play?” Tom clarified.

“Right.” He relaxed. “Sorry, I got caught up elsewhere. I’ll have to see it another time.”

“No worries. Just let me know, and we can grab a pint after.” Tom smiled. “See you around.”

Harry finally tore himself from the spot he’d frozen in and quickly walked down the pathway to the back door. ‘This was probably how they’d come in last night’ he thought as he unlocked the door, and pictured Molly leading Tom up the back steps and fiddling with her keys. He noticed the table in the entryway looked a bit disheveled, as if the items that were usually neatly arranged on the table had been pushed out of the way suddenly.

‘Had they stopped to make out here before making their way upstairs?’ Harry thought, and this time, could not stop his mind from wandering. ‘Or maybe they just did it right here?’ Harry took a step back from the table. But honestly, had he not previously done the same thing? Brought a girl home from a club and fucked her right here in the entryway? Absolutely. That’s one of the reasons he liked this table so much, because it was just the right height for him.

A sound drew him out of this lewd thoughts and he listened for a moment. It was coming from upstairs...was that...someone singing? He followed the not-so-angelic sound until he ended up right outside of Molly’s bedroom. The door was open, so he carefully crept in. That tight black dress she’d worn to the premier was on the floor, and remembering the way it had hugged her curves sent an unexpected spark through him.

Her bathroom door was open ajar, and it sounded like she was in the bath. Singing. One of his songs, quite off key. Somehow, this set that unexpected spark ablaze and he boldly, without thinking, pushed the door and let it swing all the way open. Molly stopped singing immediately and stared at Harry for a second in shock.

“Harry, what are you doing? I’m taking a bath!” She tried to submerge herself in the tub below the bubbles.

“I can see that,” he said quietly, and slowly walked into the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” Molly squealed and tried to rearrange the bubbles to cover herself.

“I came back from a run and heard you up here, thought you might be in distress,” he teased, though his eyes told a different story.

Molly rolled her eyes. “I thought no one was home. Besides, can’t a girl sing her favorite song from her ‘boyfriend’s’ album?”

He suddenly moved closer and leaned on the edge of the tub to look her in the eye. “Even after she’s fucked one of his friends, in his own house?”

Molly stopped trying to cover herself up and looked up into his eyes. They were dark and intense, but he didn’t look angry. There was definitely some emotion he was trying to hide, and Molly searched his face to figure it out. She rolled onto her side, and, keeping her breasts pressed against the bathtub, slid up the tall side of the bathtub and rested her crossed arms on the edge.

“Harry Styles...are you...jealous?” She asked as she finally fit the pieces together. He took a step back so they weren’t so close, and leaned up against the sink.

“What? No…” He shook his head, but he seemed flustered.

“Yes you are,” Molly continued staring at him, a smile forming on her lips. “But why? Are you jealous because I could bring some random person home to sleep with, with no consequence?”

“He’s not a random person,” Harry nearly spat.

Molly’s eyebrows shot up as she figured it out. “Oh! No, you are jealous of Tom.”

“Am not,” Harry replied and looked down at his feet, shifting his position slightly.

“Yeah? Then why are you in my bathroom right now, watching me bathe?” Molly teased and slid up the side of the tub some more, exposing a little more (but not too much) of her ample breasts.

Harry averted his eyes and sighed. “Molly, stop.”

She giggled and slipped back down into the tub. “I’m just having fun. Besides, if you didn’t want to see me naked, why are you still in here?”

“I just…” he looked around but could not think of a reasonable explanation. “Wanted to make sure you had towels and everything you needed.”

“Clearly I do, but thank you.” Molly replied, but Harry seemed unwilling to leave. “Is that all?”

“Is ‘Only Angel’ really your favorite song?” He blurted out

“Off your album? Yeah, I guess so.” Molly answered, and it was quiet for a moment. “Hey, can we maybe finish this conversation when I’m dressed?”

“Right, of course.” Harry jumped up and took a step toward the door.

“And can you close the door?” Molly shouted after him, and he shut the bathroom door on his way out. He shut her bedroom door, as well, and walked into his own room next door. He closed the door and leaned back on it, slowly sliding to the floor.

“Oh, Jesus,” he sighed and tried to shake his head clear of any thoughts having to do with Molly.

While Harry took what Molly assumed was a very cold shower (judging by the way he kept awkwardly adjusting his running shorts), Molly finished up her bath and got dressed in one of her favorite skirts, and a top that complimented her shape. She was feeling quite confident for perhaps (very possibly) giving Harry an erection. ‘Was he really jealous because I’d slept with Tom?’ She thought and laughed as she put her earrings on. ‘I certainly did not see this coming’.

She made her way downstairs for breakfast and heard Harry at the other end of his house with his guitar, playing something she’d never heard before. He stopped when he realized she was in the kitchen and slowly made his way across the house as they both tried to piece together what exactly they would say to the other.

He appeared in the kitchen and leaned on the counter top, not exactly looking at Molly. “Have a nice shower?” She finally asked, and shot a teasing smile at him.

He blushed, but otherwise gave no answer. After a few moments of silence, Molly turned to face him. “Is the angel in ‘Hey Angel’ the same angel in ‘Only Angel’?” Molly asked.

Harry laughed. “You’re perceptive, but no, I didn’t write ‘Hey Angel’. Wish I had, it’s a good song.”

The pair settled into silence again as Molly continued eating breakfast. When she’d finally worked up the nerve, she turned to look at him again. “Okay, if you don’t want me bringing guys back here, I understand. But I thought it would be safer, that way, Jeff wouldn’t see me coming home this morning, or if he showed up to visit unexpectedly and you had to explain why your girlfriend wasn’t here. Or if I showed up wearing last night’s clothes.” Molly looked over at Harry for his reaction but he remained silent. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t quite know how to say it, so she kept talking. “Or is it because I hooked up with someone?”

He shrugged, but still didn’t say anything.

“Is it because it was Tom? Should I avoid sleeping with people you know?” Molly asked. “Honestly, I didn’t plan on it; it just kind of happened. That kind of thing doesn’t happen to me very often, I was just having fun.” She started to feel like he was judging her, the way he kept staring without saying anything.

But Harry kept his mouth shut because he didn’t want to say anything he’d regret. No, he was not angry, not exactly. Molly took his silence as her cue to keep talking.

“You never said I wasn’t allowed to hook up with anyone, and well, sometimes a girl just needs a good boning.” Molly said and took her empty plate back to the kitchen, where Harry was laughing at her terminology.

“I understand that, trust me.” Harry finally spoke and Molly turned around to face him, leaning on the counter across from him. “You could have just, asked.”

“Ask permission?” Molly raised her eyebrows.”I didn’t think I needed-”

Harry interrupted her. “No, I mean you could have just asked me. You’re not the only one pretending to be in a committed monogamous relationship.”

Molly stared at him dumbstruck. “Me? Ask you? To fornicate?”

“Do you not use the word ‘sex’?” Harry again laughed at her choice of words. “I’m supposed to be your boyfriend, after all, isn’t that what boyfriends are for?”

“But, you said nothing physical…” Molly was still in shock and stared back at Harry with her mouth hung open, her heart beating faster and faster.

“I know, and at the time, I meant it. I didn’t want you to think I was just keeping you around for sex. I really do value your opinion and need your help.”

“I wouldn’t have minded that,” Molly said quietly, still wide eyed.

“Did you even consider me?” Harry asked and bit his lip, embarrassed to have even asked that.

“Oh my god yes. I’ve been considering you since I was 16,” Molly answered a little breathlessly, and Harry laughed.

“I don’t need to know what teenage Molly did while thinking about my awkward 17-year-old self.” Harry blushed.

“The fanfiction I wrote back then is probably still online if you really want to know.” Molly laughed, and Harry blushed even more.

“No, I don’t need to know you wrote fanfiction about me.” he laughed and hid his head in his hands.

“So,” Molly said after a pause. “We’d be like friends with benefits?”

Harry nodded. “I guess so, I’ve never actually done anything like that before.”

“And when do those benefits kick in? Is this like health insurance benefits? Does it start on the first of the month?” Molly jokingly asked, but slowly moved around the counter towards Harry.

“It can start whenever.” Harry grinned, and got that dark look in his eyes again.

“Like, right now? Is right now too soon?” Molly asked and bit her lip, reaching out to run her index finger down the front of his shirt.

“Right now’s perfect.” Harry took her hand to whisk her up the stairs to his bedroom.

Notes

OMG I had too much fun writing this chapter! Ironically I got the idea while taking a bath (my cat kept trying to get in the bath with me, somehow that turned into Harry??!) Molly is so much fun to write, she’s like my alter ego. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

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