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user9 love them

user3 fav WAG

oscarpiastri love being in the same country as you my love

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user8 wait I am new who is this?

↪️ user04 her name is Y/N, she's oscars longtime gf and she is currently a student at Texas A&M University so she doesn't get to travel much to see him during the school year

↪️ user8 thank you 🧡

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oscarpiastri US helmet for Texas and Las Vegas designed by my lovely girlfriend

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youruser one of my favorite things to do is design things for you 🧡

↪️ oscarpiastri one of my favorite things to do is

↪️ landonorris you two are so cringe get a room

↪️ liked by georgerussell63, alex_albon, and others

user29 oscar always with the best helmets

mclaren YeeHaw 🤠

youruser posted a story: I am going to miss you this weekend danielricciardo 💔

Story Replies:

danielricciardo I miss you 💔

user93 I had just stopped crying

user32 I didn't even think about the fact I wouldn't ever get to see besties Y/N and Danny together this weekend 💔

liked by mclaren, alexandrasaintmluex and others

youruser Friday Fit what do we think?

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alexandrasaintmluex gorgeous girl

↪️ youruser no you🧡

↪️ youruser I need Leo cuddles on my way to the Ferrari Garage now

↪️ liked by alexandrasaintmluex

user93 I wish I was Y/N

oscarpiastri love of my life 🧡

user20 icon

youruser posted a story: Saturday Fit

tagged mcclaren

Story Replies:

landonorris PAPAYA

oscarpiastri my beautiful girl

↪️ youruser you can't even see my face in this, you are so cheesy

user32 fashion queen

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oscarpiastri Coming off a rough sprint qualy, we did our best to climb. P10 not ideal but not bad.

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youruser proud of you always

user38 what is going on with Mclaren this weekend?

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youruser maybe it wasn't the weekend we were hoping for but endlessly proud to be your girlfriend no matter the outcome! Can't wait to be back in the paddock for Vegas in a few weeks!

tagged oscarpiastri, mclaren

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user29 the F1 it couple

oscarpiastri I love you 🧡

mclaren we can't wait to have you back in the garage soon!

user9 rough weekend for papaya

youruser posted a story: on a date, kinda nervous 🧡 oscarpiastri

Story Replies:

oscarpiastri love you

user93 cutest couple on the grid

user32 OSCAR!!!!

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youruser easiest yes I have ever said, I can't wait for forever with you my love

tagged oscarpiastri

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liked by leclercfan, noverstoppen, and others

paddockgossip 2012 Halloween: Even before she and Max were showing us how to be the world's best couple Y/N was slaying halloween down!

liked by wagsgossip, maxfan33, and others

paddockgossip 2013 Halloween: Another slay without Max! This time with two of her besties!

liked by maxiel4life, wagupdates and others

paddockgossip 2014 Halloween: Max and Y/N's first halloween as a couple, looking absolutely adorable as Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable!

liked by wagsgossip, landonowins and others

paddockgossip 2015 Halloween: Ruh Roh Raggy, Y/n and Max in 2015 as Scooby and Shaggy!

liked by y/nfan, maxfan, and others

paddockgossip 2016 Halloween: Taking things a bit more sinister, Max and Y/N in 2016 as a Purge couple! This is also the first year Y/N and Max hosted what would become their annual Halloween Party!

liked by redbullracingupdates, paddocklove and others

paddockgossip 2017 Halloween: These killers will make you Scream! This years party hosted was the first one that was really popular almost every driver on the grid attended as well as some smaller celebrities!

liked by wagsupdates, 44love, and others

paddockgossip 2018 Halloween: Y/N and Max as Romeo and Juliet from the 1996 adaptation! Y/N has claimed this as one of her favorite movies in the past!

The 2018 party was the first one that really resembles what it still looks like today, they rented a club, a DJ, a photographer and more. The guest list was in the 100's for the first time!

liked by y/nfan, maxiel4life and others

paddockgossip 2019 Halloween: Hide your wallets and jewelry, Bonnie and Clyde are in town!

In 2019 Max and Y/N decided to charge admission into the party in the form of donations to Charities!

liked by checo11, russellfan63 and others

paddockgossip 2020 Halloween: First time they ever 'repeated' a costume, back as Bonnie and Clyde but this time after the shootout!

No Party this year because of the global pandemic! The couple still requested that their friends donate to charities to help support those that lost their jobs due to the pandemic!

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paddockgossip 2021 Halloween: Not much to say about this one, Catwoman and Batman,

Max and Y/N had their party in person again this year after taking the previous year off for the pandemic!

liked by noverstoppen, wagsupdates and others

paddockgossip 2022 Halloween: My personal favorite Max and Y/N costume, they absolutely killed it as Joker and Harley Quinn!

They asked everyone to dress up as heroes or villians at this years party:

Daniel went as Loki

Lando went as Darth Vader

George and Carmen went as Mr. Incredible and Elastagirl

Charles and Alex went as Superman and Lois

keep reading

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paddockgossip 2023 Halloween: Of course our Halloween Icons went as Barbie and Ken in 2023, with a first for Max and Y/N a costume change mid-party!

We can't wait to see what they dress up as this year!

liked by charles_leclerc maxverstappen1 and others

youruser We couldn't decide which costume to do this year so we decided why not both?

tagged maxverstappen1

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enews Queen of Slashers! Scream queen and final girl icon Y/N L/N is set to star in another horror movie! Check the link in our bio to find out everything we know as well as our ranking of Y/N's best final girl moments!

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User28 her movies are a halloween tradition for me!

user24 oh wow... i wonder how the movie will end? y/n the only one left alive... shocking

user94 i wish she would branch out more and take on some different roles

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scuderiaferrari Look who is joining us in the Paddock this weekend! Let's bring some of that final girl luck to C^2!

tagged youruser, charles_leclerc, carlossainz55

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youruser thank you for having me! so excited to be in paddock this weekend!

↪️ charles_leclerc not as excited as I am that you are here!

↪️ carlossainz55 that might be true, you coming is all he has talked about for weeks

↪️ youruser well I hope I measure up to the hype 😁

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youruser Using my lungs to scream Forza Ferrari this weekend instead of ahhhhhh

tagged scuderiaferrari f1

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user28 'instead of ahhhh' she's so funny

user03 when your fav actress supports your fav team ❤️

charles_leclerc Leo and I can't wait to hang out with you later

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scuderiaferrari FORZA FERRARI

↪️ mclaren We think you should be screaming Go Papaya!

↪️ redbullracing definitely should be screaming Du Du Du Du

↪️ scuderiaferrari get your own guest of honor

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f1gossip Y/N and Charles looking very friendly today in the Paddock

tagged youruser, charles_leclerc

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user38 are they not allowed to be friends without everyone reading into it?

user83 she is literally there as a guest of Ferrari so yeah I hope they are friendly 🙄

user9 they would be cute together but I agree with^

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youruser Don't worry everyone I met Ferrari's number one guy! Leo has been a great host this weekend!

tagged charles_leclerc, scuderiaferrari

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charles_leclerc Leo wants to know what you think about his dad?

↪️ youruser you can tell 'Leo' I will have to let him know after the race, it really depends on if his dad podiums or not 😉

↪️ charles_leclerc i'll tell him

roscoehamilton yous needs to come visit mercedes and meets me 🐾

↪️ liked by youruser

scuderiaferrari glad to see that you have had a great tour guide this weekend!

↪️ youruser he's been perfect!

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charles_leclerc P1 BABY!

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user30 congrats!

user93 YESSSSSS!

scuderiaferrari great weekend!

↪️ charles_leclerc had to do the tifosi proud!

landonorris great race mate!

↪️ charles_leclerc you as well mate!

youruser you can tell Leo that I think his dad is pretty cool!

↪️ charles_leclerc ❤️

carlossainz55 great weekend in scarlet

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paddockgossip Charles and Y/N spotted in Monaco this week!

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user03 um hello new ship!

user78 they would be so cute together!

user30 guys stop pushing a dating agenda on the drivers, they could just be friends!

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youruser it's a race weekend ❤️

tagged f1, scuderiaferrari

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user02 love that she has turned into as much of a fangirl as the rest of us!

user99 TIFOSI

scuderiaferrari glad to see you recieved the care package we sent!

↪️ youruser I did! I love every single piece of it! Thank you so much 😊

user94 anyone else noticing how more and more drivers are following her?

charles_leclerc wish me luck

↪️ youruser good luck😘

↪️ user49 um hello? anyone else seeing this?

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scuderiaferrari Qualifying ✅

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user03 is y/n at the gp this weekend?

↪️ user23 sure looks like it!

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f1wags Charles posted this on his story looks like Y/N is at the race this weekend!

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youruser 🌞🤙🏽

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iamrebeccad looks like you are having a great time!

lilymhe beautiful girl

user38 all these wags interacting with her post, something's fishy

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paddockgossip Rebecca posted this on her story! is that Charles and Y/N?

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charles_leclerc Summer ❤️

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user30 say it with me

↪️ user30 ahhhhhhh

↪️ user93 ahhhhhhhhh

↪️ user38 ahhhhhh

↪️ youruser ahhhhhh!

↪️ youruser wait... what are we screaming about?

youruser lover❤️

↪️ charles_leclerc angel ❤️

maxverstappen you two are insufferable

↪️ charles_leclerc no one asked for your opinion

↪️ maxverstappen yet I gave it

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scuderiaferrari C^2 at the premier of Possession tonight!

tagged charles_leclerc, carlossainz55

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user93 these men are so fine

user03 🔥🔥🔥

youruser is the one on the right single?🥵

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liked by charles_leclerc, netflix and others

youruser Possession in Theaters Now!

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charles_leclerc 🥵🔥

↪️ youruser 😚

user39 mommy? sorry, mommy?

user94 I can't wait to see it!

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youruser so the movie has been out for a week now what do you think? did you see that plot twist coming?

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user47 this one is for all of you who were saying she could only play one type

user94 so good!

charles_leclerc you can kill me any day

↪️ user30 he's one of us

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charles_leclerc many of you have guessed but here is my official statement,

I am so grateful to call this beautiful human mine! She is the kindest, funniest, most talented person I know. I am eternally blessed that she allows me to love her.

je t'aime chérie❤️

tagged youruser

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youruser He beat me to the post but...

Charles you are, without a doubt, the kindest, hardest working, most beautiful soul I have ever met. Everyone who gets to share even a moment of your time can attest to that. The fact that I get to spend my life loving you is something I will never take for granted.

Happy 6 months mon âme. I love you❤️

tagged charles_leclerc

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f1updatez Lando in a recent interview talking about how youruser is his celeb crush

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user12 who is Y/N

user23 are you living under a rock? she opened up for Taylor Swift on multiple stops of the Eras Tour!

user28 I could see it, they would be cute together

user79 just let him be single and focus on racing!

liked by oscarpiastri, margorobbie and others

youruser friday💋

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user92 YES another song and music video

user24 mother is mothering

user39 call me crazy but is that Lando's car?

oscarpiastri cool car

user39 Oscar what do you know?

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youruser PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE out now! The lovely Lando Norris let me borrow his car and his face for this one!

tagged landonorris

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user83 okay the chemistry 🔥🔥🔥

user92 🥵🥵🥵

landonorris thanks for having me

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landoupdates Lando in Y/N Y/L/N's latest music video for her song please please please

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user73 oh lord he is so hot

user93 they would be such a power couple

user39 its a good day to be a lando fan

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youruser thank you for having me mclaren and landonorris it was a great weekend to rep Papaya!

tagged landonorris, mclaren

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landonorris my good luck charm!

mclaren come back anytime Y/N

Scuderiaferrari join us next youruser

user28 um is no one going to talk about the last picture?

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landonorris great weekend in Singapore

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user38 um hello hardlaunch?

user28 Mclaren domination

youruser it really was a great weekend🧡

georgerussell63 congrats mate

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y/nupdates Y/N arrived in Monaco yesterday evening and was seen with Lando Norris (her new beau?) tonight

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f1wagupdates can we steal these pics?

user56 noooo my husband with another woman

user00 this feels like its starting to get serious

user4 they are the hottest couple

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f1wagupdates look who was spotted in Austin👀

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user44 landos good luck charm🍀

user98 guys shes not good enough for him

user56 shut up user98 🙄

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landonorris COTA! Got the girl and the podium 💪🏽 pretty successful weekend!

tagged youruser mclaren

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youruser that second pic tho 🥵

youruser thankful to be able to call you mine 🥰

mclaren great race this weekend 🧡💪🏽

oscarpiastri Lily wants to double date ASAP

charles_leclerc so does alex

georgerussell63 so does Carmen

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youruser 'I know I have good taste"

tagged landonorris

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okay this is my first SMAU so let me know what you think!

But two months after he broke the news, they were living in California, and she was miserable.

And it wasn't just her.

Mrs. Y/L/N had tried to show outward support for her husband, but it was clear that she was missing New York as well. Even though California was beautiful, and less busy, and sunny, and everyone always seemed to be smiling and tanned, it just didn't feel like home.

Things just got worse between Mr. Y/L/N and Mrs. Y/L/N, and now Y/N didn't have the roof of their apartment building to escape to with her best friend, Mitch Rowland. All she had now was the backyard, but she could still hear them yelling and things banging around inside.

She hated her school.

She hated her teachers.

She hated the other students.

She just hated everything.

The only thing that she didn't hate was the boy next door.

Well, at least, she didn't hate him yet. He could still possibly do or say something that might rub her the wrong way, but so far, it seemed that maybe they had a bit in common.

He was older than her, she knew that because he was in a higher grade than her at school. He hung out with a lot of people, and a lot of them were clearly popular, but he never really seemed interested in what was going on around him. He wore a leather jacket all the time, and he had ear buds in his ears permanently, hidden under his shaggy brown hair , and his emerald eyes were always moving around his surroundings. And more often than not...He had bruises.

The first time they properly saw each other, or at least, at the same time, was six months after she moved in. She was sitting on the swinging chair in the backyard, holding one of the chains connecting the chair to the tree, rocking it with one hand while the other was clenched in her lap. Her parents were going at it again, and it was almost funny, the way it sounded as though they were trying to out shout the couple next door. The curly haired boy came storming out the back door, and for a moment, the shouting from inside the neighboring house got louder, and then it was muffled as the door shut. He saw her sitting there, and his walking slowed for a split second. He frowned when he heard the shouting in her own home, and Y/N frowned back at him when she saw a bright red mark under his eye.

He paused and tipped his head in a nod at her, almost a sympathetic one, as though they were kindred spirits, and then he was stalking toward his car in the driveway. He got inside, turned on the engine, and then went roaring down the road.

At least he could escape, even if it was just for a little bit.

Y/N wished she could go with him.

The next day at school, the red mark around his eye had turned into a bruise, and it was an ugly blue and purple for the next few days. It was the first time that Y/N had actually appreciated the fights between her parents. At least they never turned physical. Sure, they were verbally vicious with their words, and sometimes Mr. Y/L/N would turn them on her, but they had never used their fists.

A few weeks later, they saw each other again. Over the screaming and the shouting of their parents, they looked at each other from over the fence that separated their properties. He looked like he was going to start walking toward his car without anything further, but then he held up his keys at her, like a question. Y/N lifted an eyebrow in surprise, her eyes widening, but then, probably against her better judgment, she nodded her head and walked alongside him on her side of the fence, until she got to the end and rounded onto his driveway. She let him open the passenger side door without a sound and slid inside.

The car was surprisingly tidy for a male, although she didn't really have much to compare it to. No one really had their own car in New York, and especially none of the guys she had dated or any of her friends. It was all cabs or buses or the subway. They didn't talk as he turned the car on, waited for her to put on her seat belt, and then reversed out of the driveway.

And then they drove.

It must have been for hours.

She actually fell asleep in the passenger seat, lulled by the quiet music playing on the radio, and the salty breeze coming from the open window as they drove alongside the beach, and the smell of his cologne. When she woke up, they were back in his driveway, and it was dark outside. He gave her a tiny smile as she got out of the car and she wiggled her fingers in a sort of goodbye wave, before going back into her own home.

She didn't even know his name.

It became a thing.

Once or twice a week, if they were both outside, they would gravitate toward his car, get inside, and drive until their minds didn't pound quite so hard. She learnt his name; not from him telling her, but from hearing someone call it out at school. He learnt her name as well, but she wasn't too sure how. At first they didn't really talk, although there was one time after a particularly bad fight, when tears were dripping down her face, and he reached across the center console and squeezed her thigh ever so slightly.

After that, they seemed to open up a little.

Sometimes she would sing along to the music on the radio—he seemed to like that, the way he gave her these soft looks out of the corner of his eyes.

He asked her about New York, she asked him about London.

She told him about her brother, he told her about his best friend, Louis Tomlinson.

Most of the time, though, they traveled in silence, other than the music. And for some reason, she felt that that was when she understood him the most. Because they both just needed someone, someone who knew what they were going through without needing to try and put their feelings into words. They didn't necessarily want someone to talk to, just someone to be there.

They exchanged phone numbers at some point, maybe a month after all of their interaction started, and then their drives became more frequent, because even then even if one of them were okay, and they weren't trying to hide outside, they would come if the other needed them.

And then they would drive.

Y/N had no idea what they were, but she knew that a couple of months after this had all started, they began holding hands, their fingers only unlacing when he needed to shift gear. The weight and warmth of his hand was comforting, and it made her feel relaxed, and a lot of the time, she fell asleep. She wasn't too sure what he told his friends about her, but they had started hanging out at school now, and his friends gave her these smiles in the hallways, as though they knew who she was. She hadn't really made any other friends, and he just one day started sitting at her lunch table.

And he held her hand when he walked her to class after.

There was this tension between them. This thing that they both knew was there, but they didn't want to push, just in case it changed things. If he tried to kiss her, Y/N would kiss him back, and he knew the same about her, but neither of them made the first move. Because their lives were already mixed up enough, and full of uncertainty and worry; with their parents, with themselves, with their future—and they didn't want to risk the good thing that they had.

But when they were in his car...When they were racing along the highway next to the ocean, the waves crashing in on the surf...The windows wound all the way down so that Y/N's hair was getting knotted beyond belief as it tangled around her face...The music turned all the way up so that even when she sung at the top of her lungs, she still couldn't properly be heard over the bass and the wind roaring in their ears...And there was this look in his eyes that promised that one day; one day they would just keep driving, just the two of them...And that was enough.

And it was the only time she felt like she was home.

Y/N's stomach swooped and spun as Harry took a corner faster than he really should have, but still easily in control of the vehicle. It wasn't nerves with him behind the wheel, he'd never given her a reason not to trust him in the car, more just the rush of adrenaline that came with it. There was something old that she didn't recognize playing through the speakers because all they had were some old cassette tapes that Harry's boss had given them. Harry had assured Y/N that he would make some upgrades so she could play her phone through the radio, but it had been a few months since the vehicle had been done and she had a feeling that he liked how original everything was inside and didn't want to make any changes. Y/N wasn't going to bring it up again, though.

He already did so much for her.

"You good?" Harry glanced over at her when they were back on a straight again, his hand reaching over and resting easily on her thigh. Y/N's smile was wide and genuine, her hand lifting from where it had been resting along the window frame and letting her fingers spread in the wind.

"I'm good," she replied, and Harry squeezed her leg once before his eyes stayed forward again. There was the ocean on one side, and it was a gorgeously breezy evening, the salty air filling the car and tangling Y/N's hair that she'd forgotten to braid before they had left. She wasn't even going to think about it until she woke up tomorrow morning, she was too content right now. It had been a relatively easy week for her, Harry had had relatively early nights every day at the garage where he worked, Mitch had confirmed his visit this weekend and now she was a passenger with the guy who made her happiest.

It hadn't actually been that long ago—three years, it had only been three years since she'd graduated—but her life was so completely different from how it had been then. She was completely different from who she had been back then.

Harry had been in the grade above her in school, he was a year older, and so he had graduated first. Coming up to his graduation, he had told her he would stay at his parents place, he would get a full time job and be out of the house most of the time anyway, but—Y/N knew that it wouldn't work. It would still be bad. It hadn't mattered Harry's whole life, not when he'd been a kid and not now that he was an adult, and it wouldn't change just because he had a job. The only thing that had been stopping him from retaliating, from returning one of the punches from his father, had been his mom, but she had let Harry down, over and over again, choosing her husband every time. And it was only a matter of time.

She wouldn't have been able to live with the fact that she was the reason that Harry wasn't leaving the house, just to be close to her until she could leave as well, to make sure she wasn't alone on the nights when it got too bad. She had been adamant that he needed to leave, that she knew he wasn't leaving her, that she knew he was there, that she knew she wasn't alone. It hadn't been as bad as when they had first met, when she had been so achingly lonely and angry. Her parents were still together, for some reason—they weren't happy—and they still fought, but Harry had helped her find her feet at their school, introducing her to his friends and cousins, encouraging her to join the soccer team and even though a lot of things were still shit, it hadn't felt as though the world was ending anymore.

And after all of that, how much he had helped her, how much he had given her, she couldn't be the reason that after eighteen years, he didn't leave the house that had kept him trapped in his own nightmare.

He'd moved out the day after his graduation, Y/N helping him pack his things while both of his parents were at work and carrying them out to his car. Harry was worried his dad might call the cops to say the car had been stolen once he realized that Harry had moved out since his name was technically on the insurance, and it made Y/N sad to think about Harry's father driving around in the car that they had created so many memories in. But it didn't matter, because Harry just needed to be out, and he already had a tentative job lined up on the other side of the city, and a place with one of Louis Tomlinson's friends that he was looking at next week. He had stayed with the Tomlinson’s until he properly sorted himself, and things had been messy between the Styles and the Tomlinsons, but Mr and Mrs Tomlinson made it clear they knew things weren't good in the Styles household and that they wouldn't be asking Harry to leave. And it had gone well, it had been fine. Not great, but fine.

Things became strained between Y/N and Harry for a while in her senior year, because Harry was now living a completely different life from her and it was difficult to adjust to that. They had been so used to being in the same worlds, and even closer, bonded together over something that had affected both of them. And it had made Y/N worry, that maybe she was clinging to Harry because he had been the first good thing to happen in her life in so long, and that maybe they didn't really belong together, maybe as they grew older it would become clear they didn't actually have anything in common.

It had been over four years that they were officially together now, and even though insecurities still rose to the surface occasionally, she knew one thing for certain.

Her and Harry belonged together.

After she had graduated, she and Harry left California all together. It was something that they had already planned to do—it had always been her plan, to go back across the country to where her brother was—and having Harry at her side had just made the move so much easier. Things had still been difficult, financially and emotionally, as they needed to adjust, and working multiple jobs each for a while had been hard, but they had done it. They had lived with her brother and his girlfriend in their tiny flat for six months as they had saved money and tried to find where they fit in, before they had decided to move to a small, coastal town in New Jersey. Harry had managed to secure himself a job at a mechanics garage through one of the job's he'd held in New York, and within a few months there, he had been offered an apprenticeship that he'd taken without a second thought. It hadn't been the direction that he had thought his life was leading him in a few years ago, but it made him happy now. Y/N had taken a few odd jobs to begin with, still trying to find something that made her content, until she had met Niall Horan. She'd been working in his flower shop ever since, with hours that still meant she got to enjoy the afternoon sunshine and take photos with the old camera that Harry had brought her for their first Christmas together.

Her and Harry ate dinner together most nights, usually Harry cooking when he got home from work because he was better in the kitchen and he loved cooking for Y/N. Y/N did the grocery shop once a week and was acquainted with most of the people who worked at the grocers, the butcher who knew the cut of meat that Harry liked cooking with and Niall's friend who was a manager would always greet her with a big smile. They had a house that was tiny but the perfect size for them, with a garden that was a bit unruly and a bright red mailbox that was completely mismatched from the colour of the house and a shower that they could barely turn around in but still managed to have sex in at least once a week, splashing water all over the tiled floor.

It was beautifully domestic.

Y/N knew that.

It was weirdly domestic, one that had unsettled her to begin with, because she had never had this before; not when she had lived with her family, not when she had looked up to her parents, not with anyone. But that's what this was.

It was peaceful domesticity, one that filled her soul with contentment.

"We're almost there," Harry mentioned as he took a turn and Y/N blinked as she refocused on her surroundings. His hand squeezed at her thigh, sliding up a little further so that his pinky finger disappeared under the short hem of her summer dress. Her tummy dipped at the feeling of his fingers tightening around her thigh, but she made sure to keep her breathing even as she picked up the bottle of water between the seats and took a long sip.

The turn they had taken meant they no longer had the ocean next to them, but the trees on either side were a pretty change of scenery, and it was only another minute or so before they reached their destination. They had been here a handful of times before—it had been Niall who recommended the drive-in movie to them—and they'd loved it. It wasn't too far away from where they lived, only fifteen minutes from their home and the drive was along the coastline almost the whole way.

Maybe Niall had also suggested the best places to park if they wanted privacy.

And maybe Harry and Y/N had taken his advice every single time since.

"Oh, did you get back to Louis?" Y/N asked to drag her thoughts away from things that would make her squeeze her thighs together. Harry seemed oblivious to her thoughts, his hand still high on her leg, as he hummed beside her.

"Yeah, I called him on my lunch," he replied as he pulled the car into the slightly bumpy driveway that led into the field next to a patch of woods where the drive in was. "He said that he and Sarah are going to come over the day after Christmas, because their parents would not be impressed if they weren't there on Christmas Day." Y/N nodded understandingly. It was nice that some of their friends had good relationships with their parents, given that both Louis and Mitch didn't speak to theirs much, similar to Harry and Y/N. "But—" he broke off as he slowed to a crawl and then a stop as they rolled through the gate and he reached out to hand cash to one of the people waiting before carrying on forward. "But I'm pretty sure Louis is going to be coming down sometime sooner anyway." Y/N's eyebrows lifted and she jerked in her seat, as she grabbed at his arm.

Harry smiled as he pulled the car in close to a crop of unruly bushes and the rickety fence line. It was the same place they had parked the last two times they were here, and it had worked well for them. Y/N was already reaching for the snacks that they had brought, the bag of crisps and sweets and the big bottle of soda, and she wiggled around in her seat excitedly. Harry turned off the car and slipped back further in the leather seat, moving it backwards so that he had more leg room. It was stupid the way her mouth started watering as she saw his thighs spread out of the corner of her eye, and it was a good thing that he'd taken his hand away from her thigh to shift the gear into neutral.

It had been Spring for a month now, and although it was heating up, it wasn't too hot, it didn't feel stifling yet. Both of their windows were wound down—hers all the way, his only partially—and the breeze was nice but Y/N already knew that she would need to wind it up soon now that the sun was going away. There was a blanket in the trunk, if they really needed it, and Y/N would probably use it to wrap around herself when she fell asleep on their way back home, forcing Harry to carry her inside for the umptenth time.

There was a speaker set up not far from them that made a high pitched whistling sound as it was being adjusted before the sounds of the movie began, and Y/N perked up, her attention shifting to the screen that was set up at the front of the field. It was far away, and she knew that Harry couldn't make it out completely clearly but he refused to wear his glasses, but it wasn't as though they hadn't seen this movie before. Y/N had seen The Goonies too many times to count when she was younger, and when she had realized that Harry hadn't about a year ago, and they had watched it then.

There was an excited swirl in the pit of her stomach as the movie started, the same one she always got, and she leaned forward in her seat, grabbing at one of the bags of sweets and tearing it open. There was a low, amused laugh from Harry beside her, because he had told her that she wouldn't be able to hold out any of her snacks for longer than ten minutes after the movie started and she had retorted that he was wrong. He knew he was right, but he had just laughed and kissed her.

They didn't argue over things like that, they didn't argue much at all, but when they did, it was never with pointed words and a raised voice. Both of them had too much history inside them that they didn't want to project onto a partner, and they had been in therapy for as long as they had been able to afford it. For a while in New York it had been a group therapy session that had been a good starting point but really hadn't been more informative than what they could find online, but in the past year, they had both been able to see therapists separately. It had been good, good for both of them, because sometimes they did have issues with communicating, but it was because the last thing they ever wanted to do was hurt one another in any way. Therapy and space from their parents had helped a lot with that.

Harry's hand landed back on her thigh, this time with a lot more purpose as it slipped under her skirt boldly, although his eyes were still facing forward, as though focused on the screen. Y/N's eyebrows pulled together for a moment, trying to force herself to keep her breathing even as she watched Mikey Walsh and his friends spying on the rundown restaurant run by the Fratelli's. His fingers were warm, and splayed out against the inside of her thigh, and she had to lick her tongue along her upper lip to stop herself from letting out a shuddering breath. She managed to hold out until Mikey and his friends were in the tunnels and Chunk was being interrogated, before she made the next move, purposefully sliding down in her seat so that his hand slid further up her thigh, fully hidden under the pink and white checkered skirt of her dress. She heard the huff of laughter from Harry and her neck tensed as she had to force herself not to turn to look at him, even though her interest in the movie had completely gone.

Harry only lasted another five minutes before he was hauling her across the center console and into his lap.

"Oof," Y/N gasped out as she was dumped into his lap before she was giggling and arranging herself. 

"You really thought I'd be able to keep my hands off you when you're wearing that dress?" Harry grunted as Y/N accidentally elbowed him in the chest before she was finally settled with her legs on either side of Harry's thighs, facing him and most definitely not looking toward the screen. Harry had a full view out the front and side and would easily be able to see if anyone was coming, but now that it was almost completely dark and they weren't near the bathroom stalls or where refreshments were sold, no one usually came into their corner. "What about—" Harry's question was answered as his hands skimmed up her thighs and reached her hips and quickly realized that there was nothing under the dress. No panties. His smile became sharkish, his fingers gripping bruisingly at her hips and pulling her forward so that she was pressed right up against him, no space between them. "Love it when you just wear this dress," Harry murmured as he leaned forward, his eyes on her mouth, bumping their noses together first before pressing their lips together,

"I know you do," Y/N grinned into the kiss, both her hands coming up to hold his face, her short fingernails scratching lightly at his scalp. Harry didn't bother to start their kiss slowly, letting her peck at him softly for just a moment before one of his hands was coming out from under her dress and grabbing at her chin. Y/N let out a surprised whine before melting into him, easily submitting to his touch, and her hands fell to his shoulders. He was in a loose flannel shirt, the top buttons undone and showing off hints of chest hair, and Y/N clawed at the well-worn fabric.

"Already impatient, huh?" Harry laughed under his breath, smirking as pushed her chin back a little, so his eyes could properly look at her face, and Y/N whimpered at the distance between them. "Fuck I love you," he huffed out as his eyes skimmed over her. "So much." Y/N's eyes widened at his admission, one that she heard daily but would never get tired of hearing. She pushed against the grip he had on her chin, swaying forward with her eyes focussed on his mouth, and Harry held her back for a moment, just liking the way that her gaze got a little more desperate and she made huffy noises under her breath, before he pulled her in close and kissed her again.

The amount of times that they had had sex in one of Harry's car was more times for her to count. It had been where they'd had their first time, and pretty much every time after that while they had still been in school. It had only been after Harry had graduated and started flatting that they were able to regularly start sleeping together in a bed. After they had moved in together with Y/N’s brother and his girlfriend, they technically had a lot more access to being able to sleep together comfortably, but it was often…Tainted by the fact that on the other side of the thin wall of their bedroom, they could often hear the other couple doing the exact same thing. It had been mortifying and hilarious and something that they had all needed to navigate around, but maybe sometimes, Harry and Y/N decided that before returning home from one of their date nights, that they would find somewhere quiet and fuck in the car with a giddy excitement that they used to have when it had all been new to them.

And maybe now, maybe sometimes, they did that again.

When Harry had first started working on his car, with his boss, he would tease Y/N about how much he wanted her to ride him while he was sitting inside it, on the butter-soft leather seats that were worn with age. She came to visit him when he was working late a few times, and he'd pulled off her jeans and bent her over the bonnet of the car and bitten at her shoulder, telling her that he was going to fuck her in the car too many times to count once it was finished. And then once it was finished, just a month and a half ago, and he was riding that high, he took her out to a deserted lookout spot. The sun had been setting over the ocean, and the adrenaline from driving the powerful car had both of them laughing and clinging to each other and Harry slipping inside of her under the tiny skirt she had been wearing at the time.

He'd definitely kept his promise.

It hadn't been a lot of times that they'd fucked in this car but…Y/N had already lost count of how many times it had been.

"Shit, sweetheart, keep your noises down, you didn't wind up your window," Harry chuckled against her throat as one of his hands worked under her skirt, his rough fingers scraping over the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.

"Oh, shit, I—" Y/N huffed impatiently, looking back across to the passenger side of the car and where her window was still wound down. All the way. Part of her really couldn't be bothered, it seemed so far and she really didn't want to climb off Harry's lap. But the instant that his fingers brushed against the middle of her legs, tickling lightly at her trimmed pubic hair, she let out a barely cut off moan that was definitely loud and she knew that she was going to need to wind up her window. She let out a grumble but pulled away from Harry, her lips red and beginning to swell in a way that satisfied a possessive part of him. She wasn't sure when he'd wound up his own window, but clearly he had already been a step ahead of her. She clambered back across the center console, reaching down for the handle to wind the window back up, and she could feel the cool air on the back of her legs, on her ass because her dress was pushed up around her waist, and she had just managed to get the window all the way up when Harry decided to grope at her ass, his fingers dangerously close to where she was getting steadily wetter. "Fuck!" Y/N squealed, her body buckling at its awkward stretched angle, but she didn't tumble anywhere, not when Harry's hands quickly shifted to stabilize her, before tugging her back into his lap.

"That's better, huh, baby?" Harry kissed her once, twice, before his teeth nipped hard at her bottom lip and she shuddered against him. "You can never keep your noises down, always such a loud and needy thing." Y/N whined again, and her legs tried to clamp closed, even though it was physically impossible with the way she was seated.

"Please, Harry, come on," she whined as she pulled at his shirt, managing to undo another few buttons so that his tanned chest was on display.

"Yeah? You're already ready for me, baby?" Harry rolled his hips upward, and she could feel how hard he was through the rough denim against her ass. "Don't need me to get you any more wet?" He was teasing, because he could be mean like that, because they both knew that was wet enough already. "Lemme just check, hm?" He let his head tip back against the headrest, watching her with knowing, half-lidded eyes as he held her in place with one hand, and the other slipped back under her skirt, this time not even hesitating before two fingers were sliding between her lips. The pubic hair at her slit was already curling and damp and she let out a whimper as she felt the two fingers prod against her clit, before adjusting and beginning to circle.

"Shit," Y/N's hips jerked forward in Harry's lap at the touch. He knew exactly how to touch her, even when he couldn't see what he was doing, and the way the two fingers were touching her just hard enough to make her ache, but light enough to make her needily chase after his touch was the exact pressure she loved. "Nnghh, fuck, I…" she wasn't even sure what she was planning on saying, her hands clenching his flannel into fists, scrunching it up as her body tensed as he continued his movements. She hadn't meant to start rocking forward, but she did, and it didn't seem as though Harry minded at all, from the smug smile on his face as he watched her, still comfortably leaning back in his seat.

When he looked at her like that, when he watched her like that, it made her feel both shy and powerful. Because it was such a vulnerable moment, having someone watch as she experienced such intense pleasure, and even though she still had a thin slip of fabric covering her chest, she felt completely exposed. But at the same time, Harry was only able to make her feel this good because he knew her, inside and out, in every possible way, emotionally, mentally and physically, and his eyes were always so filled with fondness and love and arousal that even after the years that had gone past, he still looked at her as though she was only person on the planet, and that made her feel invincible.

"Go on, Y/N," Harry murmured, and his lips shifted into a softer smile. "Cum for me, sweetheart." And it was as easy as hearing those words from him, the tension in her abdomen released, and she felt the stickiness between her legs spread, probably dampening Harry's jeans underneath her.

He didn't seem to care in the least.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," Harry growled out as he leaned forward, and it made it clear that the casual expression on his face had definitely just been a facade, because his eyes were fiery now as the hand that was still sticky with her arousal cupped her face and roughly pulled her forward. "Watching you cum for me—fuck, you're the prettiest thing in this fucking world." His tongue pushed between her teeth and licked at the top of her mouth and Y/N still felt warm and fuzzy from her orgasm and her body just dissolved against his.

He was easily able to shift her with one arm and undo the zipper of his pants, jerking them down just enough to pull out his cock. There was a strip of condoms in the door of the car that Y/N had seen him put there before they had left, and he took them out now, holding them up. Y/N smiled as she took them from him, tearing one off and opening it. They didn't always use condoms, but when it was like this, it was just so much more cleaner to use one, not as many sticky tissues to worry about afterwards. He settled Y/N easily back across his lap and pushed into her with one thrust.

Y/N let out a muffled noise as her face fell forward to bury itself in his shoulder. Harry held her firmly in place as he pushed into her, letting her cling to him and whimper as he chased after his own orgasm. The windows of the car were all fogging up around them and as Harry changed his angle and Y/N lifted her head, her hair brushing against the window, leaving smudge marks. He bounced her higher in his lap and she giggled as the top of her head bumped against the roof, before she was ducking her head forward again and kissing at the side of his neck.

Harry groaned as she sucked at the spot just underneath his ear, her teeth gently nibbling at the skin and making him fuck up into her harder before his nails were digging into her sides so hard that she could feel the pinch through the fabric and he came. Y/N's teeth moved away from his neck and changed to dropping kisses against the reddened skin as he breathed heavily, slumping back into his seat.

"Want candy?" Y/N mumbled after a few minutes had passed by and she could feel the stickiness between them turning cold and unpleasant.

"Yeah, and the wipes," Harry said quietly, and Y/N laughed under her breath as she straightened herself up before slipping into the passenger seat and taking in a few deep breaths of her own. Her legs still felt unsteady, but not as shaky as they had been before. She reached into the glovebox for the wet wipes that she'd packed, when she'd stored their snacks and Harry had been adding the condoms, passing them over before she took the lid off her lemonade soda and took a long drink.

The windows were even more fogged up than they had been a few minutes ago, and the air was thick with the smell of Y/N's perfume and sex, and she reaching over to wind her window down and let some fresh air in.

"Oops," she made a face at her lover, her everything, and he grinned back at her, copying her by opening his own window.

"I love you," he responded, already looking all put together, his pants closed up and finishing wiping down his hands while his eyes were locked on the caramel sweets that Y/N had brought for him. Y/N felt her face prickle, warm from their activities and his easy words.

Harry had said that he left his notes from the day before in his room and that you could stop by around 8 to get them. You knew where he lived, everyone did. He is Harry Styles, star soccer player, huge asshole, and fuckboy extraordinaire. He is a brother at Alpha Sigma Phi so that’s where you currently are. It turns out so was half or more of the campus. Harry had failed to mention the party that was happening tonight. You are not dressed for a party, thinking that you were just coming to grab some notes off a classmate you hadn’t bothered to change out of your Mickey Mouse PJ pants and old band tee. 

You grumble as you walk through the door, hit with the familiar smell of sweat, alcohol, and cheap cologne. The music is so loud you can feel it through the floor. As you weave through looking for Harry you see some of his brothers and try to ask them where he is, but they are all too smashed or too busy sticking their tongues down someone's throat to be of any use. 

When you find Harry a tidbit of information does click. He is standing at a makeshift DJ setup, one hand wrapped around a red solo and the other on a turntable. For someone who looks as drunk as he does he certainly was a good DJ, moving from one song to the next without a hiccup.

There are girls surrounding him, there almost always are, but he pays them no attention as he scans the crowd. That’s when he spots you. He leans over and whispers something to another guy as he takes the headphones he was wearing off. The crowd boos him as he hops down, almost falling but catching himself on a girl, who from your vantage point looks like she is only wearing her bra and thong. As he catches himself Harry also notices the girl's attire or lack thereof, his hands rest on her bareskin for what seems like an outrageously long time. 

You didn’t have a problem waiting when you were watching him DJ an annoying whisper in the back of your head. You shake it away as he makes his way over to you. 

“Y/N!!!! You came!” He slurs, yep definitely drunk.

“Hi Harry,” you shout above the music and crowd “ yes I came you told me that I could borrow your notes remember?” he nods his head

“S’course I remember.” The more he speaks the more sure you are that its a miracle he's still standing. 

“You didn’t tell me there was a party happening when you invited me over.” You said no annoyance was evident in your voice because he wouldn’t even remember in two hours any way.  

“You wouldn’t have come.” He pouts, you know that he’s right. As much as you loved a good party You had missed three days this week due to a sinus infection and were still playing catch up, which is why you need his notes. “Plus I wouldn’t have got to see you in your jammies.” You scoff. 

“I have a lot of work that needs to be done. Can you please get me your notes?” Harry nods his head and grabs your hand pulling you in the direction of the stairs. He expertly weaves and dodges people. The noise of the party starts to fade as you get further back the hallway at the top of the stairs. You have been here before if you remember correctly. You had hooked up with another brother a couple months ago. He had been mediocre hence the reason you were struggling to recall the night, well that and the two or three cups of jungle juice you had before that. 

“Harry, where are you taking me?” you question as he turns a corner

“To my notes, isn’t that what you wanted?” he slurs and looks back at you causing him to then trip and nearly fall pulling you with him as he is still holding your hand. When he finally stops in front of a door he reaches on the door frame for what you assume is a key. He then pulls you in the room. “Notes, notes, notes..” he mutters to himself

“Harry maybe I should just ask Melanie for hers.” he shoots his head up 

“NO!” he exclaims the shuffles a few more papers before standing up triumphantly “See I have them right here!” He falls over then looks up at you “Y/N I didn’t know you had a twin.” you scrunch your eyebrows at him “Hi, Y/N’s twin! It’s real nice to meet you!” he sticks his hand up to the right of you. 

“Harry, I think you should probably go to bed.” you say concerned for his health 

“Nah mm’ fine.” he stands up and automatically goes back down. 

“Okay Harry let’s get you to bed.” you help him stand up and walk to the bed. After he’s laying down you start to walk towards the door. Your hand is on the door knob when something hits you in the back of the head. You turn around, it was his shirt. 

He is looking at you with a pout on his face, 

“Help me?” you roll your eyes and walk back over to him, helping him slide his boots off. “Jeans to please.” you hesitate

“Harry, I don't think we’re that close.” you say to him. 

“Please. I can’t get them off.” he makes a very dramatic show of trying to pull down his pants. You sigh.

“You better have on underwear.” he nods his head and you can tell it is taking a lot out of him to stay awake. Once his pants are off you leave, he is basically dead to the world at this point and doesn’t even notice you're gone.

When you get back to your apartment you wash your face, still feeling sticky from being at the frat house. You sigh sitting into the hard chair you had chosen specifically to keep you awake. You then pull out the notebook Harry had handed you, opening up to the page he had dog-earred. 

Nothing…. Absolutely nothing.

You could kill him. And it actually wasn’t nothing there was a phone number scrawled with a winky face next to it. 

Damn it. You need those notes. You let out a scream thankful your roommate was out with her boyfriend for the night. Pulling your phone out you punch the numbers in and hit call.

Ring

Ring

Ring…

Ring 

Ring

Ring

Beep.

‘Ello you have reached Harry Styles, sorry I missed your call. I am currently drinking, drunk, asleep, or helping out a lady if you know what I mean. Oh! I could be in class also. You know what to do!

Beep

He tried to stop smiling because it hurt and just couldn't. Every time he managed to reign his happiness in a little she would do something funny or cute and his lips would stretch right back up.

They had gone to the Club House first to sign out of camp with the promise to be back before midnight, per camp rules, though that wouldn't be a problem because they had plans to be back for, before walking through the woods towards his car in the parking lot. It had almost been two weeks since he had dropped his car off and he was excited to get to drive it once more. It hardly took any time at all for him to peel back his soft top on the jeep so that they could ride with no roof. He liked taking the doors off but he had nowhere to put them where he trusted they would stay out of harm's way.

Y/N tied her hair in a ponytail and the base of her neck so that the wind wouldn't completely knot up her hair as they drove to the restaurant.

She was also in charge of the aux.

Harry normally found himself listening to harder music, songs that could be classified as warm-up songs. Her taste was much softer. Y/N had a stunning voice, her naturally deeper tone coming out raspy when she sang. If all soft songs sounded like they did coming from her, he could listen to it forever.

"This is my love song to you," she sung out loud, reaching out to grab his hand as she sunk into the song. "Let every woman know I'm yours. So you can fall asleep each night, babe, and now I'm dreaming about you more."

Harry had never heard the song before but he thought he might already be in love with it, especially when those words spilled from her lips. He kept his eyes on the road as best he could though he couldn't resist peeking over at her every now and then.

He sang along quietly to the few songs he kind of knew but mostly just listened to her sing when they weren't talking. She had asked him if she could go home with him when he went in July for a mandatory football camp. Michael had expressed some unhappiness about the fact that she was in the same state as him but he would never get to see her. Originally, he had wanted Y/N to hitch a ride home with Mitch when he went home for his own football camp but it had fallen on the weekend in between camps. They always had to a ton of work fixing the camp back up and it had been a miracle Mitch got Luke to agree to letting him go home. He had refused Y/N's request but told her he would be willing to do it a different time.

So really, Harry couldn't think of a better turn out.

He would have lost several days over two trip homes. Now, if he played his cards right, he wouldn't lose any days.

And maybe his friends could meet her, he was positive that when they were home between the end of camp and her departure back to August, he wasn't going to want to share her.

As long as Luke agreed to it, it sounded awesome to Harry.

He hadn't even given it a moments thought when she first brought it up before saying yes.

Harry helped her out of the jeep when they got there, just as he had helped her get in. There was a large gap between the car and the ground for a girl so short. He held her hand as they walked across the parking lot and into the restaurant, letting it go to hold up the door before her.

They only had to wait about ten minutes before they were being led to the back of the restaurant where a table for two was up with menus for them.

"Hi, I'm Greg and I'll be your server," their waiter, Greg, said mere seconds after they were seated. "Can I get you started with something to drink?"

"Oh, um, can I just get a water with lemon?" Y/N said, smiling politely at him after recovering from the surprise of his quickness.

"I'll have the same."

"Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks," he narrated before walking away.

They looked at their menus in silence for a couple of minutes before setting them down almost at the same time to look at one another.

"What are you getting?" She asked him, folding her hands together and tilting forward slightly so that her chin was resting on them. She smiled adorably at him.

"I think I want a mac n cheeseburger." He said, copying her position though with significantly less adorableness. "What about you?"

"I know we get it all the time but I really want their pasta."

Harry had no judgments there, they had really good pasta. The food at camp was good but it was nothing amazing.

The waiter came back and they placed their orders before looking at each other.

He grappled for something to talk about. The first thing he thought of was them. What they were and what they were going to be. But that was much too soon and much too deep. And then his mind went to what was going on in California, things they hadn't talked about while she was gone. But there wasn't much they hadn't talked about, they talked so much when they weren't together.

His friends back home always teased him for his desire to be home by 10 all the time so they could talk. The time difference sucked. She left places early and he stayed up late. It wasn't a rare occurrence for him to go to bed after 2 or 3 about once a week. Sometimes they would all jump on House Party and talk altogether, they normally tried to do that once a week.

It took a lot of work for them to keep their friendships up to date but they never complained about it.

Y/N snapped her fingers in front of his face, grinning.

"You still there, Harry?"

He grinned back, leaning forward in his seat. "Now you know how we all feel when you get lost in your head."

She rolled her eyes, she never believed them about just how often she lost herself in herself. "Please, I don't do it all that much."

"Don't do it all that much?" He questioned, incredulously. "Babe, you did it yesterday and only stopped because Penny thought you were staring at her."

She had been quite rude about it and it had led to a fight between the ever-aggressive Sarah about her nose job, that Sarah called botched.

Y/N was smiling with her teeth now.

"What?" Harry asked, self-conscious. Had he said something? Was there something in his teeth?

"Nothing," she lifted a pretty shoulder. "Just, that was the first time you've ever called me babe."

Oh.

It had just slipped out.

He had never called anyone babe before.

His flings were never consistent enough for names. Spending a few hours with a singular girl didn't normally require names or pet names.

And the only nickname he ever used, that wasn't a short form of an actual name like Mitch or a last name, was Sunshine with Y/N. It had started out just in the mornings, greeting her with a Good morning Sunshine, because she looked like the opposite of sunshine most mornings, but it had stuck. She liked it and he liked it.

"Well," Harry finally settled on saying, trying to ignore the excessive beating of his heart as he talked, "you're my girl, right?"

If possible, her smile got even wider. "Yeah, I'm your girl."

Her cheeks flushed slightly and he really wanted to kiss her. He hadn't kissed her at all today, a conscious decision because he regarded today as their first date and he wanted to kiss her when it was over. It had been a romantic thought, one that he really regretted now.

"Good," Harry said, confident now instead of nervous.

Her small comment had soothed a worry in him that he hadn't even been aware of. Conversation flowed easily after that. Just like before, when they were just friends talking. Because she was still one of his best friends, even if he got to hold and kiss her now.

Their food came and it took Harry forever to finish his burger because they were talking so much. It took so long that their waiter was bringing out their cheesecake before he had taken his last bite. The two of them split a piece of cheesecake, Y/N only managed about two bites before it was gone. He was smiling sheepishly at her when the waiter came around.

"How is everything?"

"Good," Y/N answered with a smile. Harry nodded along, too full to speak.

"Excellent, and is this one check or two?"

"One," Y/N and Harry said at the same time before looking at each other and narrowing their eyes.

The waiter laughed a little. "Okay, I'll be right back with your check and maybe you two will have decided by then."

"Harry, I asked you out which means I'm paying," Y/N said, leaving no room for argument.

He found one anyway.

"Y/N, since you asked I think I should pay."

Her nose wrinkled. "That doesn't even make any sense."

"Let's flip for it."

"You're only saying this because you know you don't have an argument, the loser always offers negotiations first."

He grinned in spite of himself, he had got himself a clever girl. "Flip me for it."

She rolled her eyes but knew that he wasn't going to budge any more than she was.

"Fine," Y/N said, "but when I win, no complaining."

He stretched his hand across the table. "Deal."

They shook hands and he pulled a few coins from his pocket, picking up the quarter and placing it on his thumb.

"Heads or tails?" He asked as he flicked his thumb up.

"Tails," she said confidently as he caught in his hand and flipped it on to the back of his hand.

"Loser covers tip?" He asked before he uncovered it, suddenly sure that he lost.

"Sure." She conceded, not taking her eyes off his hand.

He removed his hand and sure enough, tales up. She smiled smugly.

"Alright, sunshine." It was his turn to concede. "I've got it next time."

She smiled, no longer smugly.

It was perfect timing as the waiter strolled back up, an amused smile on his hand as he caught sight of the coin and put together what was going on.

"Alright, so who am I handing the check to?"

"That would be me," Y/N said with a smile. "Thank you."

The waiter walked away as Y/N opened up her purse and produced a wallet. She fingered some notes and pulled them out.

"How much am I tipping?" Harry asked, leaning over the table to look at the bill.

She turned it around so that he could see it and he winced at the price. He felt bad. He would have suggested the diner had he known she would insist to pay.

Harry was still getting several hundred dollars deposited directly into his account even though it was summer. He went in waves with his parents and their money, right now he was perfectly comfortable with taking advantage of the funds, though that was mostly because he was unbelievably hurt by what they did, even if he refused to admit it most days.

"Don't," Y/N said, seeing his face and narrowing her eyes, bracing herself for an argument.

"Y/N," Harry said, shoving his hand through his hair as he tried to think of a polite way to put his thoughts. "I just don't want-"

"Harry," she said, putting her small hand on his arm. "Relax, just because I don't have as much money as you doesn't mean I don't have money. I work year-round and my dad's kind of a millionaire if you didn't know."

His lips twitched.

"I know, I just don't want you to feel like you have to," Harry said, tripping over his tongue.

"Harry, I like you," Y/N said plainly, cutting across him. "I really like you, and I'm in this, there's going to be plenty more dates for you to spoil the shit out of me."

He was silent as the waiter came to pick up the check. Y/N was looking patiently at him, a bemused smile curling the edges of her lips.

The only response that came to his mind was to tell her he loved her. While it was true, he had known it for a long time even if the development in their relationship was still very new, he also knew that it was too much too fast.

"And you're going to be okay with that?" Harry finally asked.

"Okay with what?"

"Me spending my money on you."

"Not really, but I know it's something that you want to do so I'm going to try to be, just be patient with me."

"Okay," he said, stretching his pinkie across the table. "As long as you promise to be patient with me."

She hooked her pinkie with his. "Okay."

Harry left a generous tip on the table as they left the restaurant, her hand sliding easily into his like they had been doing it their whole lives.

"I have a bone to pick with you," Y/N said as they approached his car.

"And what's that?" Harry asked, stopping outside of her door.

"I don't think you've kissed me all day."

He laughed. "Didn't think you were supposed to do that until after the date."

"I think that ships already sailed." And then she was rising to her tippy toes so that she could press her lips to his. The kiss started soft and slow before it gradually became much more. Her back was against the door and her hand was under his shirt, resting above his hip.

"Come on," Harry said, pulling back with a heavy breath. "We're already late."

The sun was already setting behind them, and they had to drive thirty minutes back to camp.

"Okay," Y/N said, pressing her lips against his once more before opening the door and taking his hand. He helped her step up before going to the driver's side and starting the car.

Before he moved the car into to park his phone buzzed and Mitch's name popped up on his phone.

"It's Mitch," Harry said, reading the text and summarizing it. "And he's wondering if we're on our way back."

He handed her the phone as he pulled out so she could message him back that they were on their way.

When they pulled in almost thirty minutes later they walked to the Club House where they checked in before walking upstairs to one of the rooms upstairs. Mitch, Liam , Louis, Niall, Emma, and Alex were already sitting on the floor in between the rows of chairs and the projection screen.

"Hey kiddos," Louis said with a large and goofy smile when they entered. "Sarah's coming back in a minute with the popcorn."

They had found some cushions and pillows to put on the floor and added a few blankets. Niall was sitting with his back up against a chair with Emma in between his legs. Louis was sprawled out and Harry wouldn't be surprised to learn that he was asleep. Alex and Liam were sitting next to each other. 

"Biscuit, that dress is so cute," Sarah said to Y/N.

"Thanks," Y/N smiled at her as the two of them sat down next to Mitch, who was leaning against a chair like Niall. Before she sat down, Y/N grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her so she was like a burrito. "What did you guys decide on?"

"Umm, the Greatest Showman," Mitch said, looking over tiredly at his sister. "They dragged me out of bed to come here."

Y/N reached over to ruffle his hair. "Then go back to sleep."

"Will do."

Harry wrapped his arm around her and tucked her into his side, resting his head on hers before closing his own eyes.

"You tired too?" She asked him, lifting up a hand to comb through his hair.

"Yeah," he whispered.

"You haven't seen the Greatest Showman yet," Y/N said as Sarah came bounding into the room with two large bowls of popcorn. "You're not allowed to sleep yet."

"But Y/N," Harry begged, with extreme maturity. "I'm tired."

"Well, suck it up," she said as the movie started in the background.

He sighed. "For you."

From the very first line, Harry was hooked. And when he went to tell her that about twenty minutes in, her eyes were closed and her breathing was steady. He couldn't help but let out a breath of disbelief at her hypocrisy. When he looked to his other side, he saw that Mitch was also passed out. Their mouths were both open, their heads tipped back. They looked so much like twins in this moment his smirk shifted into a genuine smile.

He had to practically carry Y/N to her bed when the movie was over because she was so out of it that when he got to his own bed, he was very grateful that he didn't have to go to work until noon the next day. It really was the small things in life.

Alex was sweating as much Harry felt like he was and his face was set in sheer determination as he shuffled with him. They were playing skins vs shirts in basketball and Harry's team, skins, was down by two points. He was dripping in sweat from the exhaustion of it. This was their third game and whoever won this one, won their tournament, and both teams wanted it badly.

Harry faked a step towards Mitch, who stood past the arc with the ball, before cutting towards the hoop. Mitch lobbed the ball over his head and he caught it begore laying it gently off the glass. A second later, he was shoved from behind and went stumbling to the ground, barely managing to catch himself on his hands before his face would have bounced off the pavement.

"Dude what the fuck!" Mitch yelled, and Harry turned to see him coming at Wyatt who was evidently the reason he was on the ground. "What was that for?"

Mitch shoved him but Wyatt only smirked as he raised his hands in the air. "It was an accident."

Harry took a deep breath, taking Alex's hand to help him up, before jogging to the other side of the court to play defense. He was too tired to give Wyatt any more of his energy. They were tied now and Harry didn't need the bastard getting in his head as they tried to prevent a basket. Their benches were in charge of the score and game clock, as there was an outside scoreboard at camp. Harry hadn't even known those existed until they installed one here a couple of years ago, but he wasn't complaining, it made things a lot easier.

There was only a minute and a half of their thirty-minute period left, and a lot could happen in that amount of time.

The point guard passed it to Wyatt first and he threw up a very contested shot from the three that began their demise. Mitch jumped high to get the shank before chucking it up the court to where Liam was running for the basket. He kissed it off the glass and then they were the ones up by two.

"Let's go!" Mitch yelled in excitement, high fiving Harry at half as they backed up to where they were before the ball was stolen.

They finished up by 5.

Besides a few half-hearted yells, both teams were too tired to sulk or celebrate. Harry ended up collapsing where he was on the court and laying there for several minutes. Alex was only a bit away from him so he knew he wasn't alone in this. He only got up when the teams started asking to go again. Harry considered it for a second before he caught sight of Y/N walking onto the old courts several yards away from the ones they were playing on now. She was carrying her camera and talking to Sarah, who had her hair done.

"Nah," Harry said, pushing himself up from the ground. "I'm done."

The others shrugged and went about divvying the teams. Mitch and Alex were still playing, both red-faced and exhausted.

Harry went to where he had set his stuff down and picked up his shirt and water bottle. He took a drink before throwing the shirt around his neck and walking over to Y/N and Sarah.

She had been in the art room again and he had missed her at lunch and dinner because of shift changes. Sarah had been with her and apparently roped her into doing a photoshoot.

"Hey," Harry said as he approached, smiling at the both of them.

Y/N turned to him with a wide smile, camera momentarily forgotten. "Hey."

He kissed her lightly, aware that he was a disgusting mess and that they were on a very crowded court.

"Harry," Sarah whined, stomping her foot childishly. "You're crashing my shoot."

"Just here to watch," Harry said, backing away and putting his hands in the air, before leaning against the fence.

The court they were on was old but had a fresh paint job. The colors were bright and funky, and Harry could see why they wanted to shoot here. From what he could tell, they were turning out pretty cool. Sarah was a stunning girl and she could make most things work, so that added with Y/N's skill was sure to be a recipe for success.

"Ooooo," Y/N said, pulling back from the camera and looking away. "Golden hour is here."

"Yesss," Sarah said, getting up from where she had been sitting on the ground. "Beach?"

"Yes ma'am," Y/N said, offering her hand to Harry as they began walking. "Coming?"

He took her hand and they started walking.

When they reached the beach, golden hour was in full bloom. Sarah posed on the sand, rocks, and in the water for several minutes before Y/N turned her camera to him.

"Smile," she said, taking a picture of where he was sitting on the ground with his shirt still around his neck. He was leaning back on his arms and he smiled, moving his arms when they started to tingle.

"Tilt your head," Sarah said as she stood by Y/N. "No, no the other way."

He let her humor herself for another minute before he shifted and held out his hand. "Come here."

Y/N peeked her face out from behind the camera. "What?"

"Come down here," he said again, smiling at her confused face. "Let Sarah take some of us."

Y/N took the camera off her neck and handed it to Sarah before taking his hand and settling between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her torso and smiled at the camera.

"Y/N, smile," Sarah said, laughing a little as she clicked anyways.

"Can we take these out?" Harry asked, looking away from Sarah and down at her braids.

She sighed but nodded. It took a minute to comb through the braided section so that her hair was all out but it was worth it. She slid the bandana out of her hair and tossed it to the side. Sarah let the camera rest against her stomach as she came to fluff Y/N's hair up until it was sitting the way she wanted.

"Perfect," Sarah said, raising the camera back up.

"And now," Harry said after a minute, dislodging from her. "Just you."

He stood behind Sarah as they subjected Y/N to the same thing she normally did to other people, though that was all voluntary.

"Damn," Harry said as the clicked through them on the camera screen. "I'm going to need these."

"Okay," Y/N said, ready to move on, standing up and brushing the sand off her shorts. "Ready to get in the water, Sarah?"

"Yes ma'am," she said, handing Harry the camera to hold as the two of them took off their clothes to reveal bathing suits. Once Harry had ditched his t-shirt he waded with them in the water.

They played around with a lot of different poses while Harry watched, fascinated. When it was dark enough, everything turned into silhouettes with a few adjustments Y/N made to her camera's settings. Harry wanted a picture like that with two of them, too. Thankfully, Sarah had the same idea as him. She really was their relationship's biggest fan.

Y/N ducked under the water so that her hair was slicked back as she turned to him. He figured he should do the same. He kissed her, the brilliant orange and pink sky in the background as Sarah repeatedly clicked the button to take the pictures.

Y/N took the camera back after that, switched her settings back, and took a few more of the both of them before they headed back to shore.

"Shit," Sarah said as she moved towards the rocks. "We left our towels somewhere."

"Fuck," Y/N said, laughing a little. "We definitely had them when we left the cabins."

They climbed out at the rocks so they could lay down on the dock and dry off a little before heading to the sand. Y/N was still taking pictures, capturing their view as well as them.

After about ten minutes they grabbed their clothes off the beach before heading to the Snack Shack where they left their towels.

"Well, I'm going to go shower," Sarah said, pulling her shirt over her bathing suit and ruffling her hair. "You coming?"

"Nah, I'm actually going to get started on these," Y/N said, holding up her camera.

"Can I come with?" Harry asked, wanting to spend some time with her.

Y/N led him through the Clubhouse and to the computer lab. It didn't get a whole lot of use and it came as no surprise to him that is was completely empty. They walked past the several regular desktop computers and sat down at the big Mac desktop computer.

She pulled out her flash drive, memory card, and adaptor and started setting everything up. It took a long time for everything to load but they didn't mind. They just talked and kissed until all her photos were loaded.

Y/N opened some of the ones of Sarah and started using an editor software on the computer she was familiar with to fix them up. There were a lot of really cool ones that she clicked through but the best ones were definitely the ones she took on the old basketball court.

"You're really good," Harry said, leaning his head on her shoulder.

"Thanks, bub," she said, bending her arm so that could run her hand through his hair as she continued clicking away, not looking away from the screen.

He watched as she skipped down towards the bottom and found the ones of him, the two of them, and just her. They both pointed at a few that they liked and she started putting them aside to fix up.

"I'm going to go to the snack shack," he said, a sudden thirst overcoming him. "Want anything?"

"Can you get me a popsicle?" She asked, turning to him with a sweet smile.

He kissed her before nodding. "What kind?"

"The red, white, and blue rocket one."

He left her with another quick kiss before walking back to the courts and towards the shack. There was still a game going on on the court he had left an hour or two ago but it seemed to be different people playing now for the most part.

"Hey, Harry!" An older counselor who had not been with them earlier yelled over to him. "Come play, we need a fifth."

He shook his head and called back. "I already did my time."

Thankfully, he was at the shop and could duck in before having to deal with whatever he was going to call back.

Niall was the counselor at the register and Harry was grateful because this meant he wasn't going to be required to make uncomfortable small talk while he got his stuff.

He stepped up behind the other person in line and waited, wishing for the first time that day he had his phone on him to pass the time. The last time he had checked his phone had been this morning when he turned his alarm off, there had been several texts in his football group message and he wasn't looking forward to having to catch up on everything he missed.

"Hey Niall," Harry said, stepping up and resting his hands on the counter. "Can I get a popcorn, a water, and a popsicle."

"Damn, slow down dude," Niall said, laughing while another counselor behind Niall started moving to the popcorn machine. "In a hurry to get back to anyone?"

Harry smiled, shaking his head and looking down. The door opened again and he glanced around to see Miranda Queen walk through the door before quickly, and hopefully casually, looking back towards Niall.

Miranda’s arm pressed against his as she leaned against the counter next to him. Harry smirked as a vivid memory of Mitch coming back to the room after making out with her for the first time came to his mind. Mitch had run into his bedpost twice in the five minutes that followed and Harry could still remember the bruise on his forehead he wore for several days.

"What are you smiling about?" Miranda asked coyly, and Harry turned his head to see her face directly next to him.

He blinked before pushing himself off the counter so that she wasn't touching him anymore.

"He's probably thinking of his lady friend," Niall said before Harry could come up with something, handing him his popcorn and water.

Miranda’s face furrowed, turning towards Niall. "Lady friend? Who?"

Niall looked over at him, wondering what to do so Harry stepped in. "Y/N."

Her head whipped around towards his, much like an owls, looking shocked. "You and Y/N? Since when?"

"About a week," Harry said, wondering where his popsicle was so he could get back to her. "Are you guys out of popsicles?"

"Oh, yeah," Niall said, smacking his hand on the counter and turning towards the freezer. "What kind, again?"

"Uh, the rocket one," Harry said, hoping Niall knew what one he was talking about and was grateful when he saw the package Niall held up.

"Your total was 2.50, I'll just charge it?" Niall said hesitantly, looking at him for confirmation after handing him the popsicle.

"Yeah, that'd be great."

"Alright, then you're all set."

"Thanks, Niall."

Harry walked out of the shop and towards the Clubhouse, relieved to be out of there. The whole trifecta thing was playing in his head and he was not ready to be confronted with that yet, maybe ever.

Y/N was still sitting at her computer when he reached the room, though half of the screen now had Marcus’ (her best friend from Cali) face on it via facetime.

"Thank you," Y/N said brightly as she took the popsicle from him with a thankful smile.

Marcus eyed him as he slung his arm around the back of her chair, not being possessive whatsoever, and took a sip of his water. He sat in silence, munching on his popcorn, for a bit while Y/N continued to sift through photos and talk to her friend.

"Find any cool ones?" He asked after a while and there was a break in their conversation.

"A couple," she said around her popsicle which he was pointedly not looking at because she was hard enough to handle without the popsicle. "Look at this one of you."

She pulled up a picture of him sitting on the sand, his arms sitting loosely on his raised knees. He was laughing and he looked so happy, his stomach rolled in his laughter. The love in his eyes was apparent to him as he looked above the camera at him and he wondered if she could see it too.

"Damn," Harry said, dropping his head on to her shoulder. "Not bad, sunshine."

"I emailed it to myself and when I get back to my cabin I'm going to make it my new lock screen."

He dropped a kiss to her shoulder and smirked as Marcus rolled his eyes on the side of the screen. The two really didn't get along. All it took was about an hour of being together to realize that the other also liked Y/N. It was different than Wyatt and him both liking Y/N, Wyatt and her were not friends, she did not spend the majority of her life with him like she did Simon. Harry had attempted to be civil but then Simon had something stupid and that had ended.

"Oooo, look at this one of Sarah," Y/N said clicking on a different image. "This is porn, like she looks so good."

Sarah was on her hands and knees on the beach and crawling to Y/N. Harry could see the picture ahead of it and he knew she burst out laughing only a second after Y/N snapped the pic. But for one split second, Sarah looked like she belonged on a Playboy magazine.

"You've got some serious talent, " he kissed the side of her face, "I think you give your subjects too much of the credit. "

Her face flushed a little.

"I mean it helps to have photogenic subjects."

Harry snorted. "Please, stop being so humble all the time. Just take the compliment, I dare you."

Her eyes narrowed at him and he could see her mind reeling with possibilities of what to do. He leaned in so their noses were right next to each other, his face pretty much demanding her to challenge him.

"No," she finally said defiantly.

His grin only got wider. "Fine, if anyone can do it then I'll just have rat-face do it when I'm in Cali next."

"Don't call him rat-face." Y/N said angrily at the same time Marcus asked, "You're coming here?"

Harry paid him no mind as he took in the anger in his girl's eyes. Her eyes were burning, and her mouth, stained with her now finished popsicle, was pursed. Her normally soft features were uncharacteristically sharp and he really wanted to kiss her.

"Why not?"

"Because no one likes a bully," she told him. Her words slightly surprised him and he could feel his smirk fall a little.

"He hates me as much as I hate him," he defended himself, suddenly serious. "And he's just as mean to me."

Y/N rolled her eyes, saying a quick goodbye to a smirking Marcus before hanging up. The two of them sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes while Y/N continued to click around before he finally figured out what he wanted to say.

"I'm sorry that I called him rat-face but I meant what I said, he is just as mean to me, I'm not a bully."

"I know you're not," she said, looking apologetic. "And I know it goes both ways, I'm sorry for saying that you were a bully."

"That's okay," he said, just relieved that the silence was gone.

She leaned over to kiss him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and sinking into him. They sat like that for several minutes, just kissing and smiling before she pulled away.

"I've just got to send some of these to my email and then I want to take a shower and go to bed," she said, kissing him one last time.

"Want to spend the night with me?" He asked, not wanting to say goodbye to her for the night.

"We have our cabin checks tomorrow," she said, smiling sadly. "And you know what Sarah leaves in her wake."

He nodded, remembering the state of her room back home. Her clothes were piled everywhere. And he had also seen Y/N's room, she was no better.

"Sure, blame Sarah."

Y/N smiled sheepishly. "My side is really not that bad, it's mostly Sarah."

"If you say so."

"Did you even apply it once?" He asked, looking at her burnt body. She had pulled on a pair of tiny shorts over her suit and was leaning into her locker. She couldn't see him so he took the small window of opportunity to stare unashamedly at her pert ass.

"Yes, I did." She looked over her shoulder with more attitude than he would have expected and he quickly diverted his eyes, hoping she could not see how he was practically salivating as he stared. "Several times in fact. Is it really that bad?"

He gave her the look right back, determined not to be out sassed. "Sunshine, your legs are solid red, I can't even tell that they're normally white."

She threw her head back before sighing and shutting her locker, frustrated and defeated. "I swear I did, this makes no sense."

"Well it's noon o'clock which means you were supposed to reapply a couple times, did you?"

"Harry," she whined, stopping both of them just outside of the lifeguard station as she grabbed his arms. "You don't understand! You're not super pale, you don't get it!"

"Get what?" He asked, laughing at how animated she was.

"You've got this bronzed skin that has never been burnt in its life, like what the fuck! I could reapply every twenty minutes and still end up looking like a lobster."

Harry was highly amused but also kind of worried.

He shook his head at her. "Y/N, I think you're getting delusional, we've got to get some water in you."

Thankfully the pool was not too far from the dining hall because Harry was genuinely concerned about Y/N, her freckles were nonexistent under her red skin.

"What are you in the mood for?" He asked as he opened the door to the facility for her.

"What did we have yesterday?" She asked, biting her bottom lip as she tried to remember.

"Pizza for lunch and then chicken tenders and french fries for dinner."

"You mean camp officially started yesterday and we haven't gone to the pasta place yet?" She asked sounding like she had offended herself. Up until the kids arrived they hadn't had a whole lot of options in the food choices they were given.

"We decided we didn't want to wear it out so fast, remember?"

"I'm weak, I'm ready." She said, leading the pair to the dwindling line. The hall had been open for at least ten minutes now and most of the rush was already sitting down with their food.

"I would argue with you if I didn't feel the same way."

She looked over her shoulder to smile brightly at him and his little regret dissipated completely.

"We feeling Alfredo or Marinara?" He asked, looking over her shoulder at the options for the day. Randomly they would throw in stuffed shells or ravioli just to mix things up. "Penne or fettuccine?"

"Obviously fettuccine alfredo, are you nuts?" She asked him, her sass full force once again.

"I didn't know if we were starting out with the best or not." He put his hands up in his defense. "I chalked you up for having more patience than this."

She ignored him and smiled at the lady behind the counter who was in charge of making sure the food containers stayed full.

"Hi, Shelly."

Harry hadn't known her name and when he looked around the place he found that he couldn't name a single person behind the counters that he hadn't known from when they were campers with him. He also couldn't imagine anyone else learning their names but Shelly seemed very happy to talk to Y/N, a girl who was kinder than about 97% of the people here, if not 100.

Shelly was an older lady who probably lived in the town over and commuted to work. They needed legitimate people to be head cooks and that definitely wasn't the kids they hired on to live here as kitchen staff.

Something Harry had never really thought about before.

"Harry, broccoli or no broccoli?" Y/N asked him in regards to her own bowl of pasta.

"Always broccoli," he answered immediately. She dumped a generous scoop on top of her pasta, content with his answer.

She took his plate to the table as he went to get their drinks. He got her a glass of water because he did not want her to get dehydrated on him.

"Damn, did you forget your sunscreen too?" Harry asked Mitch when he made it to the table. He looked as red as his sister which was rather odd because she burned far easier than him.

"No, I put it on." He shook his head, wincing as he moved his arms, the stiff skin splitting. "I feel like I got pranked, like someone switched out my sunscreen with lotion."

"Here, here," Y/N seconded, sounding a little better than her brother though Harry doubted that would last very long. When sunburnt skin got out of the sun is when it started to really kick in. Mitch had been inside much longer than Y/N so she had a slight advantage for the moment.

Harry would totally do that to Mitch, as would Alex, but he certainly wouldn't do it if there was even a chance that he would share his sunscreen with Y/N and he knew Alex wouldn't either so it wasn't them.

"Or maybe you just forgot how hot the sun could be," Sarah pointed out reasonably.

"Bitch, I live in Southern California," Y/N looked at her friend, "I've been in the sun since I left here."

Sarah was silent before she waved her fork at her friend. "You have a point, darling, forget I said anything."

"What SPF were you using?" Alex asked.

"35? 50?" Mitch shrugged. "They're all the same."

"And did you share bottles?" Harry asked.

Y/N nodded. "Yeah, I forgot my sunscreen in the cabin and Mitch let me use his."

"Fuck, who was it?" Mitch asked, sitting up straight in his chair and looking around like someone was just going to stand up and scream 'it was me'. "I'm going to kill a bitch."

"Relax." Alex pushed him back in his chair. "We already know who it is, we'll kill him later."

"Hold up," Y/N intervened before Mitch could get a word in. "What is going on? Who are we killing?"

"Wyatt." Harry filled in the missing blanks for her. "The bitch fucked his sunscreen up."

"But why?"

"Because he didn't know you were going to use it," Mitch said bitterly. "Because he still has that stupid crush on you and is afraid of us."

"We're going to kill him," Harry reassured Y/N. "We just have to wait for the right time."

"Normally I would warn against it but this is just fucked up." Y/N looked down at her red arms as she spoke. "Does he not know how painful being sunburnt is?"

"I'm sure he'll feel bad when he sees he also hurt you," Sarah supplied unhelpfully. "Because his already slim chances of ever getting in a bed with you just completely flew out the window."

Y/N rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Sometimes there was just nothing you could say against the truth.

"So how do we get him back?" Alex asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Push him off the ledges blindfolded," Mitch suggested hopefully.

Y/N shook her head. "I don't think dad wants to get sued, it's got to be somewhat of an innocent prank that can't lead to us getting in too much trouble."

"Oh?" Harry raised a brow at her. "Are you joining us this time?"

"Look at my face." She leaned in close to him and he swallowed, a very risky move Y/L/N. "I hate being sunburned."

"Point made."

"It's literally the second day of camp," Sarah huffed, "why are you guys already messing with each other?"

They had no answer for her. The four of them all hated one another. Wyatt's dad was like the richest man in New York and he walked around the place like he was better than everyone. Last summer, sometime between the wooing of every female camper and Miranda, he had found the time to ask out their Y/N, who he had always had a thing for. Since Harry had also always had a thing for her, which everyone seemed to know except his darling girl-at least he hoped she didn't know because her knowing and not doing anything meant his feelings were not returned- Wyatt had always hated Harry. Some people thrived off competition, Wyatt hated it. Thus, he hated Harry and was a giant dick to the three boys.

Since the boys first shared a cabin during their second year of camp, they were always pranking one another. Things had escalated in their recent years and now Y/N had gotten caught in the crossfire.

"Put like dye in his shampoo or something and call it a day," Y/N suggested lightly through her mouthful of pasta.

"It's a start," Mitch agreed, on board with the suggestion.

Harry nodded, it was a start but it was by no means the end.

"And now I have to walk all the way back to my fucking cabin to get the actual sunscreen," Y/N realized, letting out a pitiful noise as she pouted.

"It's okay, I'll go with you," Harry offered.

She smiled gratefully at him, eating her last two bites of pasta before standing up with him. His plate was already long gone and he had had about twice as much as her plus a piece of garlic bread.

"See you at dinner," Y/N said to the three before they walked to the back of the hall to the dishwashing window where buckets went around and around to take their dishes to the back. It always smelled disgusting and Harry was glad that he did not work back there.

They stopped at the dessert counter on the way out to grab a cookie before exiting the air conditioned building back into the gross heat.

It took several minutes to get to her cabin, all of which was spent with the two walking directly next to each other, knocking into one another. It became like a game and Harry accidentally knocked her on her ass when he hip-checked her mid-stride. She was laughing as he bent down to haul her to feet, profusely apologSarahing to her.

"Harry, I'm fine," she said for the twentieth time, bumping her shoulder into the jammed door before walking inside the cabin.

Unlike the boys who were all in one giant cabin, the girls were all separated into four smaller cabins with about ten people in each. It was empty as she led him to the back wall where her bunk was.

"Do you have aloe?" Harry asked her, taking a seat on her cotton sheets.

"Yeah," she said as she shuffled through her organized suitcase, pulling out a bag from the bottom that held her cosmetics. Harry leaned back on his hands and was surprised when he his finger hit something hard under her pillow. He pulled out her sketchbook with a smile. It was different than the one she d had the last two summers which meant that she had completed yet another one.

When he had visited her a year and a half ago they had spent an entire day going through the art in her room while Jackie and Mitch were spending some time together. It was hard to keep art organized, as Harry realized after about five minutes into the process, so it had taken a full day and two trips to the container store to finish.

Y/N liked photography, painting, and sketching, so her room was full of dozens of full sketchbooks, blank, finished, and half-finished canvases, and at least a hundred printed and edited photos. They had sorted her things into three piles; keep, garbage and for Harry.

He had taken home an envelope full of photos she had taken of them while at camp and a rolled up painting she made when she was 12 after her first time visiting New York. It was of Central Park in the rain and she thought it was childish and crude, but that was why Harry loved it so much. His friends had found all the photos he kept in his closet one day in addition to the three he had framed on his bedroom wall of each of his friends, because he wanted to hang up a picture of Y/N but couldn't without looking like a creep, and the teasing hadn't stopped since. Those pictures and the painting were the only personal things he had in his room, something that did not escape his friends' notice either.

The sketchbook that he was holding now was obviously new as only the first few pages had anything on them. The first two pages were full of sketches of her friends back home and the next three or four were of camp and her friends here. Harry was drawn three times and it was insane how much she had improved over the years.

"You want to help me?" Y/N asked, pulling his thoughts and eyes away from her sketchbook. Her skin was shiny from the aloe she had spread everywhere but she couldn't reach her back.

He swallowed. "Yeah, sure."

She smiled at him as she turned around, showing him her back and handing him the blue bottle. Her skin was hot under his hands and he was careful about keeping his touch light because it was obviously sensitive.

"Jeez, Y/L/N," he said when he felt just how ridiculously hot the back of her neck was. "Do you have water in here?"

She nodded. "Why?"

"Because you're going to get dehydrated if you don't keep your fluids up," he said, capping the bottle of aloe and setting it down. "Are you sure you can go back to work, Luke would be so mad if he found out."

Luke Williams had known Y/N her whole life as he was the only person who Jackie kept in contact with from her life in New York. They had been best friends their whole lives, well before Jackie had met Micheal and long after. He had not been happy about the secrets he was forced to keep from Y/N but he only saw her three or four times a year for a week or two at a time so it wasn't something he had to do very often. Jackie has been dating the same guy, Sam, for about six years but Y/N has hope that one day Jackie might come to feel for Luke as he feels for her. It was oddly romantic, odd because Y/N didn't really do romantic.

That being said, Luke was fiercely protective of Y/N.

"I'm not looking to get you all in trouble," Y/N said, reaching under her bed to grab a half-finished water bottle that made Harry purse his lips at her.

"Let's go to my room," Harry said, reaching down to grab the bottle of sunscreen and close the lid of the suitcase before standing up and pushing the case under her bed with his foot. "I've got cold ones."

Y/N didn't put up a fight, instead she just threw the water bottle down on her bed and followed him to his cabin next door.

Unlike the girls, the boys had kept their fans running through the day and they both sighed in relief as they entered the makeshift room. Y/N slid to the floor in front of his fan because she didn't want to get aloe on his sheets. The fan was blowing directly on her and he slid down next to her before pulling a bottle of water out from under his bed.

The boys had stolen a bucket from a storage closet and always kept it full of ice. Right now, it was full of plastic water bottles but in the future, it would also keep their illegal alcohol cold.

"Thanks," Y/N said, taking the bottle and placing the cold plastic to her warm neck.

"You good?" He asked her stupidly. Y/N was never one to complain and he knew that she was fairing much worse than she pretended to be.

"Yeah," she breathed, leaning sideways so that her head was resting on his shoulder.

His watch read 11:43 so they still had seventeen minutes until they needed to be back at their posts to relieve the other guards.

Harry was so angry with Wyatt. Over the summers, the boys had all had their skin and egos bruised, embarrassing photos taken, or items ruined, but no one else had ever been caught in the crossfire. Especially Y/N Y/L/N. It sucked to see someone who was so good and so kind hurting at the expense of others. Mitch and him were going to have some serious words with Wyatt later.

"You sure you don't want to stay here?" Harry asked again, they had to get going if she wasn't going to stay. "Luke would understand."

Y/N shook her head before pushing herself to her feet. She offered him her small hands to pull him up after her. He took them, using his legs to push himself off the ground because there was no way someone that small would ever be able to lift him up, under any condition.

"Drink first," Harry told her, leaning on his bedpost as he waited. "You can grab another one then before we go."

Y/N complied, unscrewing the cap and chugging half of it in one go, spilling some of it around her mouth and down her neck. He watched the trail of water run down her throat and past her collar bone until it disappeared under her swimsuit. She was just so pretty.

Liam and Louis were walking into the cabin as they were leaving, obviously in a hurry but able to drop a quick hello to the both of them. Y/N liked Louis and Liam, and she had told him that one of her cabin mates, Kimmy, thought they were both hot.

"I want to punch him," Harry told Y/N when they spotted Wyatt. He was a lifeguard for the lake and he was sitting on a tall chair surrounded by several older camp girls. You could attend this camp until the summer after your senior year and start working at age 16. A lot of the people Harry had spend the last however many summers with were still campers but when Y/N said she needed a job and money last summer, they all decided to apply to be activity counselors. So far, he had no regrets.

"And how will that help?"

"It'd be an improvement to his face, for one."

"And how do you think the girls would react to one of the trifecta being disfigured?" She teased, lightly bumping him with her shoulder.

"There's only one girl whose opinion I care about and I know she wouldn't give a shit," Harry said, watching out of the corner of his eye as her red face tinged pink.

It brought a smile to his face.

She was just so pretty.

Y/N was panting with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She had joined them today on their run in nothing but a tiny pair of shorts and a sports bra. Harry had to run ahead of her the whole time because he couldn't stop looking and he knew he really didn't have a right to.

"You did good, kid," Mitch told her, his hand messing up her already messy hair.

Her hair had practically fallen completely out of its ponytail and was sticking to her forehead and neck with sweat. Her face was flushed and sweat clung to her bare skin, which looked a lot less red today than it had yesterday. It was pathetic how good he thought she still looked, and it made Harry feel hot in a completely different way than the heat did.

"Don't call me kid. " She slapped her brother's hand away before resting her hands on hips as her chest rose up and down heavily.

"Why not, you're so young?" Mitch asked, teasing his younger sister of only twenty minutes.

"Then don't do it in such a patronSarahing way," Y/N snapped at him, not really mad.

"We're only like forty seconds behind our last time," Harry cut through the both of them, not wanting to be in the middle of an argument with the two, no matter how playful it started out. They were siblings, and sibling arguments always got out of hand. "That's impressive Y/L/N."

"Thanks," she smiled widely at his compliment, her brother forgotten. "I don't normally feel this winded when I've finished, though."

"You haven't run in a couple weeks," Harry reminded her, referring to the hecticness of the past few weeks for her as she tried to finalSarahe everything before coming to New York. "Cut yourself some slack. You lose it so much faster than you gain it."

"If this is you run after a break I hate to see what you normally push," Mitch cut in, starting to walk towards the cabins. They followed him, stepping out of the shade of the trees and into the sunlight. Both of their sunburns had healed quite a bit over the past two days due to the excessive use of aloe and Y/N's freckles were about ten times darker than before and that much harder to avoid looking at.

"Scared of a little competition, Mitchy," Y/N teased before jumping on his back.

Mitch almost fell over which was definitely Y/N's intention by the way she was pushing him down with her body.

Harry laughed as he walked beside the two. Mitch was pinching her legs and trying to throw her off as she squeezed his body with her legs and choked him with her arms. Harry always liked when they got to this point, when they were over the nine months of separation and back to being like normal brother and sister.

Their relationship was always better than most siblings, a combination of how cool the both of them were and the amount of time they had lost and still lost, but it was always nice to see them become familiar with one another again.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit at breakfast," Y/N told the two as she slid off of Mitch and on her feet. They both watched her walk the distance between their cabin and hers before opening their own cabin door.

The blackout curtains Luke had gifted them did wonders to keep the light out and they struggled their way to their 'room' and then to the bathroom. Harry finished before Mitch, stepping out of his stall in a towel and heading back to the room, stopping to brush his teeth quickly at the sink. He pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before laying back down on his bed and fishing for his phone. He hadn't been able to check it the night before because he had been so exhausted when he got back from night shift.

The activity counselors were on a five-day shift where they had to work from after dinner until one in the morning when all of camp was required to have lights out. Quiet time started at midnight where campers had to head back to their cabins and wind down for bed, whether that included a shower or not. It mattered less for the counselors who was on their shift than who wasn't. If all of them were on different shifts they would never have nights all together. Thankfully Tessa had come through and got them all on two nights so they had three nights all together. Harry, Alex, and Y/N had been on duty last night and Sarah and Mitch were on tonight.

"Niall," Harry said, shaking his half-asleep friend by the shoulder after answering the text his father had sent him last night to make sure he wasn't dead in a ditch somewhere. "Breakfast in ten."

"Yeah," Mitch called unhelpfully from behind Harry. "Don't make us pull you off that bed."

Niall cursed the both of them before rolling over so that he couldn't see them, like that would make his problem go away. They did pull him from his bed, tackling him to the ground. Niall and Louis were already awake and rushed to jump in. They did this often enough, and it was the only good perk about waking up to run, he had never been woken up by tackle.

It was all fun in games until someone gut hurt and Alex had to step in. Yesterday Louis had accidentally elbowed him in the face and made his nose bleed. Alex hadn't been happy and neither had Y/N, who had been concerned when she saw the blood he had missed when wiping it up. She had babied him for a bit, which he had so not minded. It made Alex nervous because now he feared that Harry was going to purposefully get himself injured while wresting in order to get that treatment again.

This one ended with Liam tapping out on Harrys back before they all let go of one another. They had to run across camp to be on time for breakfast and Harry prayed that the girls had grabbed a close table because he was starving and he wanted first dibs.

All activity counselors and members of the maintenance crew were on Breakfast A with a few of the early riser campers who were old enough to go without their camp counselor, there were maybe ten of those weirdos.

Sarah and Y/N were seated at a large rectangle table with some girls Harry vaguely recognSarahed. The bell rang as the boys walked to them and they all hopped into the line a couple of people behind them.

When Harry made it to the table with two plates full of hashbrowns, a waffle, eggs, some bacon, and an egg and cheese bagel along with his orange juice he had no choice but to head to the other side of the table than Y/N. He was pleased to see that she was eating more than just her usual apple, having a waffle and some bacon also on her place. She looked up as he walked by and met his eyes, a smile spreading across her face like she couldn't even help it. It took him a moment to realSarahe that he was already smiling without telling himself too and he ducked his head.

He sat next to Mitch and some blonde girl he had never seen before.

"Hey," she smiled at him. She was pretty, looked to be in college, and was nothing at all like the redhead angel at the other end of the table.

"Hi." Harry nodded at her and the other girls around him.

"You're Harry, right?" The girl who said hi to him asked. Harry nodded. "I'm Betty."

"Hi, Betty," Harry didn't know what to do, he did not want to be rude but he also had no interest whatsoever in carrying on the conversation. "You room with Sarah and Y/N?"

"Yeah," Betty nodded. "You guys are all best friends, right?"

"Yep," Mitch said from next to him. "Though I think everyone knows Harry wants to be a little more than friends." He had the audacity to wink at the girl and Harry elbowed him hard in the side as he fought a blush and the urge to look down the table to see if she had heard and if she had, her reaction.

"Mitch, I've told you several times, it was just a one-time thing," Harry said, recovering his wits.

The girls laughed and this time Harry did glance down the table to see Y/N's reaction. He felt like a young school boy acting out for attention from the girl he liked. She was smiling at him, at his joke, and he smiled back before Mitch shoved him and caused their eye contact to break.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just eat your food."

Harry did as he was instructed and shoved his eggs down before they got too cold to stomach.

When breakfast was over Alex headed over to the boat dock, Sarah to the Snack Shack where she was scheduled for the day, and Harry, Mitch, and Y/N headed to the pool where they were all on duty. The day went by quick enough and was even slightly exciting because one kid was running on the deck and bit it. There had been a lot of tears and blood, both of which made Y/N sad, but it still sped up the time. After lunch, Harry took his turn in the small concession stand that really only sold drinks and popsicles.

Y/N had been on break for half of his shift and had sat next to him in the small air-conditioned room sucking on a red popsicle that made it even harder for him to resist staring at her lips as she talked.

Dinner came and their workday ended. Harry and Alex headed towards the courts for some pick-up games before it got too dark. They both had to stop when they got too sweaty and too hot.

Alex went off with some other people and Harry went out to find Y/N who was nowhere in sight. After at least twenty minutes of looking for her, he headed back to his cabin to grab his phone because, with any luck, she would be near enough to her phone for the Bluetooth on her watch to work.

"Harry!" He heard someone yell his name and he turned to see Y/N running up to him. "I've been looking for you forever."

That made him smile. "Same, I think I've walked around this entire camp."

"Want to steal a kayak?" She asked him, grinning mischievously.

He didn't have to think twice before nodding his head.

The two of them walked to their cabins to put their swimsuits on under their clothes before walking towards the lake. Thankfully it was almost dark and no one would be able to see them put the kayak in the water and paddle it away from the clearing.

Harry lifted a two-person kayak from the trailer and carried it to the water, making sure half of it was still on the sandy slope that led to the lake so it wouldn't float away from them while Y/N grabbed two life jackets. The good thing about doing this in secret was that they wouldn't have to actually put them on, though Harry was glad that they had them with them in case anything went wrong.

When he turned around from the canoe to head back up the small hill he saw her pulling her t-shirt over her head, her bare back and legs to him. Her bottoms were high waisted and her ass spilled from the back. Great. He hadn't even considered the idea that she was going to be wearing a lot less material than her already tempting lifeguard suit. When she turned around he took in the low cut of her top that cut her chest into a large triangle with ruffled sleeves. How was it possible to look so cute and hot at the same time?

She pulled her hair from her ponytail as she smiled at him, oblivious to the horny thoughts in his head. What he wouldn't give to kiss every last inch of skin.

"Ready?" She asked him when his own shirt was off, a paddle in each of their hands.

"Definitely." He helped her down the hill, more for an excuse to hold her hand than anything, Y/N was very capable of doing it on her own but she didn't make any comment about it.

She took the first seat and he climbed into the one behind her after pushing the boat into the water. They paddled towards the right so that the trees would shield them from the view of the camp, lest anyone looked in the direction of the lake.

"No, no," Y/N was laughing, batting away his paddle. "Harry, you're going to make us spin in circles."

They had both been campers for years and were both very aware that he knew what he was doing, but they were both laughing anyway.

"I swear to God I will tip this thing if you don't stop," Y/N threatened, turning around slightly to glare at him, though most glares didn't also involve a smile.

He leaned in towards her, smirking. "Bet."

Her eyes narrowed at the challenge and she was pushing herself up before he could do anything about it. When she put her weight towards one side he threw himself to the other in a poor attempt to counterbalance the two. Only he was like sixty pounds heavier than her and in his attempt to counterbalance, he just tipped the boat the opposite way and they both fell out.

He bobbed up before her and started splashing her the moment her head breached the water. She laughed as she put her hands up in a poor attempt to block the water he was splashing at her.

"Harry, stop," she laughed, not noticing how close he was getting to her.

His feet met rock and he realSarahed they were close enough to shore that he could touch on his toes. He moved a little further in so that he could stand there flat-footed.

"That's not fair," Y/N said, pouting. "You can touch but I can't."

"Come here then," Harry said, moving his arms through the water to reach her. Her hand found his arm and he guided her towards him.

"It's so pretty out here," she told him, her eyes locked on the sky above them.

"It is." He pointed at one of the constellations. "Do you remember everything I taught you?"

"Harry," she laughed and looked over at him, "everyone knows the Big Dipper."

"Sunshine." He shook his head at her, "that's the Little Dipper."

She looked back at the stars to see who was right but he kept his eyes on her. He knew his stars. Instead, he took in the curve of her lips and nose and tried to gather the nerve to do something about it. He wanted to stop looking and start touching.

"Damn," she muttered and looked back at him. "It is the Little Dipper."

"I really don't like you looking at me as you talk about a Little Dipper," he told her seriously as he pulled her in closer to him. "I much preferred the Big Dipper."

Her face was only a couple inches away from his as she laughed and he could not resist leaning forward to place a kiss to her lips. She gasped against him as he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her whole body against his while his other hand tangled into the hair at the base of her skull.

"Is this alright?" He whispered against her lips, forcing himself to pull back after only a few seconds of finally getting to taste her.

"Yes," she answered breathlessly before leaning back into him.

Her lips were soft as they moved against his. Her arm had wrapped around his shoulders and she was clinging to him just as tightly to him as he was clinging to her. Stars of his own were exploding behind his eyelids and his whole body was tingling.

His foot slipped from the rock he had been standing on and he broke apart from her to try and rebalance them. She was giggling softly in his ear and he could hardly think straight. Her eyes were as bright as he had ever seen them, the green so bright and deep that he felt like he was swimming in them instead of the lake.

"Was this your way of showing me you didn't have a Little Dipper?" She asked cheekily. "Because if so, I think it worked."

Harry barked out a laugh before leaning forward to place a brief kiss on one of the freckles on her neck. He had been wanting to kiss that particular one for far too long to not.

"I'm so mad about you, Y/N Y/L/N," he told her honestly, taking in the way her smile lit up her whole face and eyes. "I've been mad about you since I was like 12 and saw you and your little braids for the first time when you stepped out of your dad's car. I've wanted to tell you for over a year but I've been so scared. You mean so much to me Y/L/N, you always have."

She looked like she didn't know what to do for a second. He was slightly surprised when she wrapped her other arm around his shoulder and hugged him tightly, her head pressed against his own. He enveloped her in his own arms, hugging her as tightly as he dared.

"I don't think I've been mad about you for quite as long," she whispered but her mouth was so close to his ear he had no issue hearing every word. "But I'm so mad about you too Harry."

Harry was kind of glad that she couldn't see his face, he was smiling something silly.

"That's good," he whispered back as he peppered her shoulder with kisses. "Like, really really good."

Her skin felt fucking magical underneath his fingers and he was glad she didn't seem ready to push him away yet because he just wanted to hold her forever.

"You know," Harry said after a few moments of silence. "I'd be happy to show you I don't have a Little Dipper in a completely different way eventually."

Her head tipped back as she laughed loudly into the silent night. He smirked, placing a chaste kiss on her throat because he could before she dropped her chin to look at him.

"How bold of you to say, Styles," she teased him with a smile. "I only told you I liked you like two minutes ago and you're already trying to get in my pants."

He moved his hand back to the base of her skull so that he could bring her lips towards his own, kissing her softly. He was positive she knew that he was just making a joke but he figured it could never hurt to reassure like this anyway.

"I'm terrified that a water snake is going to jump out at us," she whispered against his lips.

Harry let out another loud laugh, amused with the way she whispered it, like a snake would hear her fears and come attack her. "It's okay, I'll protect you."

They kissed again because Harry was already an addict and it hadn't even been five minutes before they swam back to the kayak that had drifted away slightly. He helped her into it, which took way too fucking long because they both kept laughing, before climbing up into his own seat.

They paddled back to the camp, being as stealthy as possible as they took it out of the water and back up to the trailer.

"Want to find a hammock?" She asked him as they walked back into camp, hand in hand.

"You don't waste any time do you, Y/L/N?" He teased her, using their hands to tug her in the direction of the nearest one that came to mind.

"Shut up," she teased, slapping his arm lightly with her other hand even as she laughed.

There were several hammocks around the camp and the one they were heading to now was towards the edge of camp, and if it was open, they wouldn't have to be around anyone. He felt like he could cry in relief when they got near enough to see that it was indeed empty.

He climbed in the netting and waited as she pulled her shirt on before helping her climb in next to him. She tucked so perfectly in next to him as their legs intertwined and their hands rested over his heart, also connected.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked her quietly after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Would I still be dressed if you were dreaming?" She countered, sounding like she was mostly joking but also a little curious."

"Depends on the dream," he answered honestly, "and somehow I don't think having sex in this type of hammock would be all that enjoyable."

"A fair point," she reasoned with a smile in her voice, "I think you can conclude, then, that is not a dream."

"Well now all I'm thinking about is you being naked so I'm officially useless."

"You're the one lying here without a shirt on and your fucking eight pack on display," she laughed, "if I can do it so can you."

He bent his neck so that he could kiss her again. She made him so goddamn happy he didn't care that it was kind of an awkward angle. But she fixed that too by shifting over him so their lips were on the same plane.

"I get it now," Y/N said after a few minutes as she pulled away from him half an inch. A really far half an inch.

"Get what?" Harry asked her, moving his fingers up to touch the freckles splayed across her cheekbones.

"What Penny said about you kissing like a god."

"Shut up," he said, rolling his eyes before catching her chin in his fingers to pull her back down to him.

Y/N was sprawled almost on top of him now as she rested her head back against his chest. His arm curled all the way around him and he dropped one of his legs out of the hammock so that he could rock them back and forth a little.

"It's 12:47."

Harry blinked blearily above him. Someone was shining their phone flashlight in his eyes.

"Huh?" Harry asked, royally confused as he tried to move his hand up to block the light from his eyes only to feel a small body on top of him.

"Lights out in 13 minutes, you guys have to get back to your cabin."

Y/N Y/L/N was passed out on his chest, in a hammock, and suddenly the events of the nights flooded behind his eyelids. He had kissed her and she had kissed him back before he told her that he liked her, to which she had also said back. And then they had fallen asleep in a hammock together.

"Sorry, yeah," Harry managed to say, shifting around a little. "Thanks."

The person walked away and left the two in almost complete darkness.

"Sunshine," Harry said, shaking her shoulder lightly as he tried to rouse her awake. She groaned in her sleep and burrowed deeper in his arms. He smiled, she was so cute. "Y/L/N, we've got to head back to our cabins."

"No," she moaned against his chest, sending vibrations through him.

"Yes," he countered with a laugh. "Y/N, I will tip this hammock if you don't wake up."

She lifted her sleepy head off of his chest to glare at him and he ducked forward to kiss her softly because he could do that now. It was brief but it still caused his stomach to flutter happily and judging by the dopey smile that took over her face, she felt the same way.

"Come on," Harry said, shifting around slightly so that he could help her climb out. "We don't want to be caught out here."

Y/N clumsily clamored to her feet, stretching out her whole body as she yawned. He stood up behind her and yawn-stretched too, as it was contagious, before bending down to scoop up their stuff with one hand so that he could take her hand in his other one.

He felt extremely sad when their cabins came into view, he wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet. They slowed to a stop right outside of her door and he handed her her stuff.

"Good night," she whispered sleepily, pushing herself up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Hmm, goodnight Y/L/N," he said back, smiling at the pretty sight in front of him that he could see because of the light above the cabin door.

She slipped in the cabin and he made his way to the cabin next door, grateful to see that their light was still on, unlike Y/N's cabin.

"Yo, where have you been?" Mitch asked him from under his blankets when Harry reached their room. "And why are you smiling like that?"

Harry hadn't even noticed he was smiling and he tried to tone it down but that was useless. "Just a good night, is all."

"A good night?" Mitch questioned, sitting up in his bed to look at him. "What does that even mean?"

Harry was trying to fight the urge to jump around in circles and pump his fist in the air and was only half succeeding.

"Oh my God," Alex gasped, also sitting up in his bed, wide awake now. "Did it finally happen?"

All five guys in the room were looking at him now as he nodded.

"Shut up," Niall said, shooting up in his bed. "Are you fucking serious?"

Harry was looking at Mitch as he nodded again. This was his sister after all and even though it had been talked about for the past several years, it was actually happening now.

"Err, what's going on?" Liam asked from where he was sitting on the floor in front of the fan.

"Loverboy over here finally got the girl," Niall said, slipping off of his bed to dap him up. "You beat the friend zone, you are all of our heroes."

"Oh, congrats dude," Louis said awkwardly. "Um, with Y/N?"

Harry laughed finally, because honestly, who else?

"Yeah." He nodded in Louis’ direction.

"Well, what happened?" Alex demanded.

"We went kayaking," Harry said, leaning on his bedpost. "And then we kissed."

"Just the once?" Alex asked.

"That was several hours ago," Harry said with a slight shrug. "Take a guess."

"Ahh, man," Alex practically yelled, jumping from the bed to pull him into a hug. "It finally happened, I can't believe it."

"But you guys actually talked, right?" Mitch asked quietly. "Like she knows this means a lot to you, right?"

Harry nodded. He knew Mitch was worried about what would happen if when Harry finally grew the courage to ask her out and she didn't feel the same way. "Yeah, Mitch, we talked, she knows."

"And feels the same way?" Mitch asked, looking for clarification and Harry couldn't say that he blamed him.

"Yeah, she does."

And then the room erupted into a celebration as Mitch sprang from his bed. Harry did end up jumping around like a middle school girl with his friends for about three minutes before the lights turned off and someone yelled at them to shut up.

"Hey," Mitch said quietly one last time. "I'm really happy for you both."

"Me too," Harry said, smiling as sincerely as he could ever remember.

"You may be my best friend," Mitch said seriously. "But I swear I will kick your ass if you ever hurt her."

"I would expect nothing less."

"Now go to bed, loverboy."

It was a little hard to navigate through the beds and to the bathroom by phone light to brush his teeth but he didn't think there was anything on planet earth that could dampen his mood right now.

His phone vibrated on the way back and somehow his mood lifted even higher.

Sarah woke up the whole cabin with her screams

i think i broke an eardrum

worth it tho, for a kiss from a god himself

Harry smiled to himself as he slid underneath his blanket.

if i wake up tomorrow and this was all a dream, do me a favor and make the first move this time.

Three dots popped up to indicate that she was typing.

how do you make me roll my eyes and smile at the same time?

just know that even if this was a dream, real-life me wouldn't mind if you just came and planted a kiss on me

Harry's cheeks were beginning to hurt at how wide he was smiling.

because its a kiss from a god?

no, because it's a kiss from you

It was a bit weird at first, this thing with Y/N and him. They had been friends for so long and there had been more than a few awkward moments over the last day and a half as they began to figure out how to be more. There had been a few times where one of them went to kiss the other person and ended up on their cheek or lips instead, which was a bit jarring. They bumped noses and their teeth clanked. Trying to navigate around Mitch, Sarah, and Alex was some work already, like how much touching was too much touching around your friends. Harry had kissed her, like a proper one, for the first time in front of Mitch this morning when they were stretching before their run and Mitch had slapped him over the head.

But Harry and Y/N had been best friends since they were 12 so it was easy to find the humor in their awkward moments. And both of them were just happy something was going on finally between them. As for their friends, they had had more than enough time to get used to the idea of them dating over the past few years so their expressions of annoyance were just a show. They were all happy for their friends. Especially Sarah.

When Sarah and him were alone at dinner yesterday, because Y/N had been pulled to the art room and a lot of the lifeguards' shifts had been changed because of it, she had hounded him the entire time about what exactly went down, what was going through his head at the moment, and what he thought was going to happen now.

He had been ready to kill her before Y/N had walked in for Dinner B and rescued him with her sunny deposition.

After their run this morning, Harry had convinced Y/N to come take a nap with him in his bed after some long, separate - of course- showers. They all had the day off and the only reason they had woken up before 3 was because of their stupid football coaches and Y/N's greatness to run with them even when they didn't have to. He was looking forward to the next weekend when they all had Sunday off, both with work and working out, thank you to Tessa yet again.

Until then, he had to make do with the day he was having now, which definitely was one of the best Saturdays he had ever had because of who he got to spend it with.

Y/N was still asleep next to him as their nap had turned into more of a second sleep. Their cabin lights were off and the fans were on. In their tiredness, it was easy to ignore the light peeking around their window shades and Harry was willing to bet that they had slept through lunch.

Mitch was sleeping on his own bunk, half of his body pretty much hanging off of it as he slumbered in oblivion. It had been a long and tiring week first week of camp, per usual, and they treasured their day off.

He fished around the floor for his phone, content to just lay there and respond to all of his forgotten text messages with one hand as he kept the other one wrapped around the sleeping angel next to him. That only lasted about ten minutes before she was opening her eyes and full body stretching, her cold toes touching his calf and making him smile.

"What time is it?" She mumbled, sounding drunk in her sleepy state.

"12:47." They hadn't missed lunch after all.

She sighed, lifting one of her hands to rub at her eyes. "I'm starving."

"Want to go to the Dining Hall?" Their only other option was the Snack Shack.

"In a minute," she mumbled, shifting slightly so that she was propped up on his chest with her arm folded underneath her chin. "I'm not ready to move yet."

He smiled, lifting up his hand that had been holding his now forgotten phone to push her hair over her shoulder so that he could see all of her pretty face. Her eyes were half lidded and she had a sleepy grin on her face as she looked at him.

"You're so pretty," he told her, running his finger down the adorable freckles on her nose. Her cheeks flushed a light pink and that made his heart want to explode a little.

She leaned forward to kiss him and his hand slipped past her delicate features to tangle in her hair. They were getting good at this. There were significantly fewer accidental nose bumps or teeth clankings. He was having completely different problems now that involved some major discomfort with his Big Dipper. She just sounded so fantastic and felt practically sinful against him, it was sensory overload.

Her eyes stayed closed even as she pulled away and he was so goddamn happy as he looked at her pretty face. He just felt so, so light.

"Okay," she said as she showed him her pretty green eyes. "I'm ready to move now."

Y/N climbed over him to get off the bed and stretch before walking over to her sleeping brother. Harry heard her wake him up and ask if he wanted to get lunch with them.

Harry slid out of his own bed and stretched. The rest of his roommates, Alex included, were gone though they had all been sleeping when he had laid down to nap earlier after their run, except for Niall who had a shift at the Rec Center. He could hear the two siblings talking behind him as he rifled through his suitcase, looking for a pair of socks.

The three of them walked to the Dining Hall together and waved at Alex when they spotted him sitting next to Liam and Louis and some other friends. There weren't any open seats so the three of them sat at the end of the table next to them, Mitch and Harry on the edge with Y/N sitting next to him.

"Oh shit," Y/N whispered and he watched out of the corner of his eye as she covered her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter.

"What?" Harry asked, instantly alarmed. He searched around the room for what made her freak out and had the exact same reaction when he saw Wyatt sitting across the Hall with some friends.

With an insane hair job.

"Y/L/N, what the fuck did you do?" Harry asked her, turning his head away from that monstrosity to look at the gorgeous girl next to him but she was already on her feet and walking over to the dick, probably to tell him that she was sorry if the apologetic look on her face was to say anything. Mitch had caught on to their conversation, looked over at Wyatt, and was now biting his fist to keep his laughter from erupting.

The two of them watched, Mitch in extreme amusement and Harry with suspicion as Y/N put her hand on the bastard’s shoulder. Harry had seen Wyatt mad before and it wasn't something he wanted Y/N to get caught on the receiving end of.

Harry didn't know when the two girls had managed to do all this and he wasn't sure he wanted to. Wyatt’s once blonde hair was now unevenly streaked with red hair dye. It looked like someone had tried to clean up a red mess with a blonde mop, only the mop was someone's head and they actually had to walk around and look like that. His girl was brilliant, there was no denying that.

Y/N and Wyatt’s conversation was brief, there were several smiles from both ends during it, and a few high five from some of his friends, which relieved him greatly. Harry doubted very much that would have been the case if anyone else had gone up to him, Sarah included.

"Sister, you two did him dirty," Mitch told her through his laughter as she slid into her seat, not bothering to look away from her masterpiece and at the distraught look on her face.

"It's not that bad," Harry tried to cheer her up. "And it'll wash out soon, right?"

Mitch turned around in his chair to look at him in disbelief and was just in time to watch as Y/N buried her head in her arms, visibly upset with herself.

"He's right Y/N," Mitch said, instead of whatever else he had been planning on saying, "and that red is certainly better than the red he caused you."

That was true. Harry still wanted to kill him for that. She had spent the first night she had gotten burned overheating in her cabin from how hot she was and the next day in pain as her skin rebelled against the burn, not to mention the dehydration is had put her through. This hair dye was harmless compared to that.

She lifted her head off of her arms, looking at both of them with sad and disbelieving eyes. "It looks awful, I'm a terrible person."

Harry put his hand on her thigh, wanting to comfort her. "No you're not, Y/L/N, and it's really not that bad." The second line was a total lie. Not everyone could pull off red hair like his pretty red.

"He asked if this made you guys even," Y/N said, sounding like she was asking the question too.

"We'll see," Mitch said for Harry, sounding less amused now. "I don't think it's really an even trade."

"Yeah, but you prank each other all summer long, I'm sure you'll get him again, eventually."

Harry pursed his lips. That was true in some ways. The three of them and Wyatt, along with a few of his friends, always spent their time at camp at one another's throats, and not in a friendly way. Though no one had even been caught in the crossfires like this before, especially not someone like Y/N, who meant something to both sides. Harry was sure that even Wyatt felt somewhat bad for hurting her. She was just such a kind person.

"We'll see, Sunshine," he told her, smiling a little as she slipped her hand in his. "But in the meantime, I say we just enjoy the view."

It was her turn to smile, albeit hesitantly, as she looked over at her handiwork. It really was funny. "I mean, we did a good job."

"That you did, sis," Mitch said, smiling widely at his sister. "Like honestly, how did the two of you pull that off?"

"We snuck into your cabin while everyone was at dinner and figured out which kind of shampoo he used. Then we snuck out after lights out and headed to the Walmart in town to buy a bottle of that and some hair dye. We mixed the two bottles in the parking lot before sneaking back into camp and then into your cabin to swap the two bottles."

"You mean to tell us that the two of you walked through the woods that late in the night?" Mitch asked, impressed.

"More like sprinted, but yeah," Y/N confirmed, laughing a little.

"And you didn't wake anyone up in their room?" Harry asked, also impressed. She shook her head and took back her hand to hold her fork. "Damn, Y/L/N, you've got skills."

"Or, it's camp and everyone is exhausted." Y/N reasoned before perking up. "Oh, it's Sarah."

Harry turned to doorway to see Sarah walking in, her hair in a high ponytail and wearing a t-shirt and shorts, both unusual things for her.

"She must be beat," Mitch said, noticing the same things. "I think I've only seen her with her hair up three times."

"Don't be so dramatic," Y/N said, rolling her eyes. "She does this all the time."

Harry very much doubted that though he didn't do sleepovers with her regularly like Y/N. She jumped in line at the pasta place, just as Y/N and Harry had done, before walking over to their table.

"Hey guys," She greeted them tiredly, dropping into the seat across from Y/N.

"Turn around," Y/N said, skipping the typical morning greetings and tipping her head towards Wyatt.

Sarah turned around, caught sight of Wyatt, and spun back around, clapping her hand over her mouth as her whole face lit up in laughter.

"That is so much worse than I was expecting," Sarah said, taking her hand off her mouth to look at all of them in disbelief. "Has Alex seen it?"

Harry turned towards the table next to them that he had forgotten all about as they got swept up in Wyatt's ugly hair. Alex's back was turned and unless someone else had seen it, it was very unlikely that Alex had been graced with the opportunity to see Wyatt in all his glory.

"No, I don't think so," Harry told Sarah, turning back towards her, a grin overtaking his face. "Nor the rest of the table, I'm betting."

"Harry," Y/N whined, putting her hand on his arm. "Don't be mean."

"Everyone at camp is going to see it sooner or later," Harry reminded her, putting his hand on hers that was holding her fork.

"Y/N, girl, it's a harmless prank," Sarah said, rolling her eyes at her friend as she bit some pasta off her fork. "What did you expect to happen?"

"I don't know," Y/N said, "for him to look a bit better, I suppose."

Mitch snorted, and Harry bit back a grin. "Well, he must not have gotten that memo."

Sarah leaned across the table so that she could talk to the table of boys next to them. Besides Wyatt's few 'friends' and his temporary flings, there weren't a whole bunch of people who liked him at camp. It was no surprise when all of them started cackling and a few of them reached over to high five the girls. Sarah took hers proudly but Y/N did so hesitantly.

"You guys coming to the Ledges with us tonight?" Their friend and fellow lifeguard Liam asked when everyone was done laughing.

Harry looked around at his friends and they all shurgged in the 'sure' kind of way. "Yeah, after dark?"

"Course man," Liam said, "is there any other time to go?"

Such was true.

"See ya then," Mitch told them, reaching up to dap a few as they all stood up from their table. Alex joined them with his empty dishes and the five of them finished their lunches together or watched as the others did in Alex's case, before heading towards the field house.

The five of them found an empty room in the basement and some rackets. Over the years, they had picked up enough of the racquetball rules to play it casually. And then eventually it just turned into the boys whipping the balls at one another and off the walls while the girls sat in the corner and rotated between talking and fending off stray balls.

They had dinner in the dining hall before changing into the suits and heading to the deserted beach and chilling in the sand, waiting for the sunset. Y/N was taking some photos of them with her phone, including one of the two of them with the sunset behind them and his lips on her cheek.

He posted it on his Instagram story, a way of letting his friends back home that something was happening between the two of them that didn't involve extreme embarrassment. Mitch and him hung out all the time in Brooklyn. His friends were Harry's and Harry's friends were his. Sometimes, Harry would show up places and Mitch would already be there. He loved it. But, there were a few drawbacks. Mitch had no problem spilling things about Harry's obsession with Y/N and he knew that if he didn't say something, Mitch would, and it would be very embarrassing.

"Guys!" Liam's voice came from behind them and they turned around to see him and several other guys waiting for them. "Come on!"

The five of them grinned at one another before getting up and running after the group of guys.

They all dropped their clothes at the top of the highest rock and Harry couldn't stop the laughter as he looked at Y/N's 'tan' lines that were getting worse by the day.

"Harry," she whined, smiling despite herself as she looked at him.

"What?" He leaned in, smiling too, and kissing her softly.

"Oh, shit!" One of Liam's friends, Chandler said, his eyes going wide. "Since when have you two been a thing?"

"It's new," Mitch said for him, wrapping his arms around both of their shoulders from behind. "Aren't they cute?"

"Shut up." Y/N pushed his face away.

They moved to the edge of the rock, Harry keeping a firm hold on Y/N as Mitch and her had a little shoving match.

"Dang, I forgot how high it is," Y/N mumbled as she looked over the edge and down at the water below. Luke had installed some lights on the path and it was bright enough to light up the water below. Campers weren't allowed to night jump but they still did it so he had figured he might as well prevent them from dying. Luke was smart like that.

"You'll be fine," Harry said, grabbing her hand. "You ready?"

She nodded.

A few people had already jumped since they arrived at the rock, Sarah included. They followed their lead.

He let go of her hand mid-jump, not wanting either of them to land weird. Harry surfaced first, wiping the water out of his face as Y/N emerged from the water.

"Oh my God," she half laughed, half cried as she tipped her head back. "Oh my God, my ass."

Harry laughed loudly, reaching out for her. "Come here."

She shook her head, shaking herself out a little as she looked up at the sky.

"What's up with her?" Mitch asked, swimming up to them.

"She didn't close her legs enough," Harry said, trying not to laugh for a second.

Mitch tried to turn his laugh into a cough and only half succeeded.

"You good, Y/N?"

"Yeah, just need a second." She sounded out of breath.

"Alright, you've got her, I'm sure."

Mitch swam away and Harry helped her swim towards a rock a little aways, just so she wouldn't end up getting jumped on by someone.

"You okay?" He asked her, touching her hip lightly.

"Umhmm," she said, looking at him finally. Her eyes were a little shiny and his stomach clenched painfully.

He lifted himself up on the rock and let her swim in between his legs, giving her the opportunity to cling to him if needed. Which she did. She folded her arms and kicked her legs back so that she was lowkey laying on the water.

Harry felt like he was living in a movie. It was the perfect temperature outside and he was with the perfect girl, in the perfect place, with his best friends.

"Hey Harry," Y/N said after a few minutes, looking up at him.

"Yeah?"

She pushed herself up so that her arms were fully extended and her face was inches from his. He wrapped his arm around her and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Go on a date with me?" She asked. "After work tomorrow?"

He blinked in surprise before smiling blindly. "Where you taking me, Y/L/N?"

"Well, I don't have a car, so the only place I can take you is the Diner."

"So you're asking me to take you on a date?" He teased her.

"If that's what it takes, sure."

"Well, I'd be honored." He couldn't stop smiling. "Are you going to dress up for me?"

"Depends on where you're taking me."

He rested his head on her shoulder as he thought for a moment. There was nothing in this town other than a few family owned restaurants that stayed afloat purely by the fact that there was nowhere else to go. But he knew there was a bigger 'town' about twenty minutes ago with an Olive Garden. It was kind of cliche but they didn't have a whole lot of options here.

Y/N's arms were beginning to shake and when he lifted his head up, he helped her up into his lap, one of her legs on either side of his hips.

"Well, there's that Olive Garden like twenty minutes away," he told her, cueing her in on his thoughts.

She tilted her head to the side as she thought about it. "I mean, who can say no to those breadsticks."

"Oh," he said, as a thought came to him. "Isn't there a Cheesecake Factory out here somewhere, am I crazy? Didn't we go there once?"

She nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, it's in the other direction I think, in the city with the casino."

"Dang, you're right." The memory came back to him. "It's on the way home, Michael took us there once when he was driving the three of us back to Brooklyn."

"Just so we're on the same page, if I had a car I would be the one taking you out."

"Aye, aye, captain," he said, leaning in to kiss her. The rock he had led her to was away from the lights and he doubted that anyone could see them, he could barely see her.

Her small hands tangled in his hair and he sighed into her mouth. So much of her wet, bare skin was pressed up against his and his teenage brain was going haywire.

"Not scared of water snakes anymore?" He teased her, pulling away not even an inch.

"I've learned that the water can be just as scary."

"You good now?" Harry asked her, remembering the reason they were over here in the first place.

"Good, Y/N's around here somewhere," Mitch said, looking over his shoulder for her before waving in a direction absentmindedly, not seeing her. "She just got in yesterday so we've still had quite a bit to catch up on, don't think there was a second of silence in the entire ride."

"As good as it is to see you, the person I really want to see is your sister."

"Course you do." Mitch snorted, eyes once again looking for her. "We just got here and I can't imagine what she already got up to."

Harry turned away from him to look too, his eyes hungrily searching for a small girl with flaming hair and a smile he had not seen in person for far too long. The parking lot was full of cars and people, everyone finding their friends after a long school year away. He was lucky to live in the same city as Mitch and therefore did not need to have a large reunion with him, he had seen him a little over a month ago. The two of them normally spent several days or nights together every month.

He also saw a lot of Alex and Sarah, who he had yet to see today, but he had seen them in March.

But Y/N, Y/N he hadn't seen since August and it was May 31 now which was far too long. So really, you couldn't blame him for almost giving himself whiplash every time he saw something move.

"Oh, she found Sarah," Mitch said, slinging his arm around Harry's shoulder and pointing the opposite way Harry had been looking. He saw the back of Sarah first, standing with her back to him and talking down to someone. The girl was smiling up at her, looking as cute and happy as always. "Wipe that look off your face, your feelings are showing."

"Shut up," Harry snapped, the smile on his face rather ruining the threat. Also, the fact that he didn't look away from Y/N to deliver it.

Harry took off after the initial shock faded and Mitch's laughter was loud as he chased after him. Y/N looked up moments before he reached her, her eyes wide and bright before he enveloped her small frame in his arms.

Her arms wrapped around him tightly and he lifted her up in his arms, his smile buried in her hair as he breathed in her scent. She smelled like pomegranates and happiness.

"Hello," she said, smiling up at him after he let her slide back down to her feet.

She looked the same as when she left him, though her hair may have been a bit longer. Her skin was coated in the same dark freckles as always, her eyes just as round and bright and pretty, and her mouth as curved and full. She was barely tall enough to reach his heart which was fitting because she was the person who owned it.

"Hi." Harry reached out and took one of her long and soft curls in his fingers.

"Hello to you, too," Sarah said, smirking from where she leaned against Alex's car. "Want to feel my hair?"

"Of course," Harry said easily, stepping away from Y/N to pull her into a hug, tugging on a section of her hair, too. "And Alex, how are you?" Harry asked, moving on to hug her brother and tug his hair. Alex swatted his hand away though he was smiling.

"I'd be better if it wasn't so fucking hot outside," Alex said grumpily, no real bite to his tone.

Mitch laughed at his best friend's attitude, slinging his arm around Alex's broad shoulders. Harry pulled Y/N into his side and looked down at her with a smile when her hand slammed onto his chest in an effort to keep her balance.

"Sorry, girl," Harry apologized.

"That's okay," she mumbled, snuggling into his side and wrapping her arms tightly around his stomach.

"Cold?" Sarah asked her, still smirking. "Cali that much warmer?"

"As a matter of a fact, yes," Y/N said, making no move to back away from him, just as content to hold him as he was to hold her.

"Really? Bring enough blankets to keep warm at night or are you going to need Harry then too?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, curious to why she was pushing Y/N now instead of him. He had had a crush on Y/N since he was 12 and met her for the first time and Sarah had been pushing him to do something about it since she figured it out when she 14. But never had she teased Y/N about it before, not like this.

"Holy shit," Alex said, rolling his eyes at his sister. "Chill."

"Just curious." Sarah shrugged, her smirk fading from her mouth slowly to be replaced with a genuine smile.

"I forgot what it was like to be surrounded by rich people," Y/N said, untangling her arms from him and winding them around her best friend. "No tact at all."

"Sorry, girly." Sarah hugged her best friend back, rocking a little from side to side. "I forgot that you were normal and subtle."

"That's okay," Y/N said before moving on to hug Alex and Mitch, stretching up on her toes to wrap her arms around their necks. "You guys are worth it."

"Glad you think so, sister." Mitch wrapped her up in a tight hug, same as Alex.

Y/N fell back down on her feet before finding her way back to Harry and allowing her shoulder brushing his arm lightly. Harry tampered down the need to put his arm back around her because he wanted to touch her, and instead just leaned a little so he could feel her arm against his.

She was wearing a tank top and her shoulder reached below his sleeve so he could feel every inch of her soft skin against the hard muscles of his, a delectable contrast. She was always soft when they were hard.

Harry had met Mitch when they were 11 during their first year at camp. Alex had been 12, and they had all become fast friends. They lived in a cabin together for a month and after that, there was no way they could stop being best friends. Alex was from upstate New York, only an hour from camp, but both Mitch and him were from Brooklyn, three hours away from camp, two hours from Alex.

Y/N, on the other hand, was 43 hours away from Brooklyn New York by car, a little under 7 hours by plane. Harry spent a lot of the school year each year on Google Maps pouring over the fastest ways to her, looking at pictures of where she lived like a full-on stalker.

Life was unfair that way, she got to spend every summer walking in the halls of his home and streets, being a New Yorker. On the other hand, Harry had been to her home only once over one Spring Break Harry's spring break matched up with Mitch's. Y/N always came for the summer while Mitch went over Christmas break until basketball became too important to miss and he started going over spring break instead.

It had been the best Spring Break he ever had, and he had spent some on cruises or in fancy hotels in Italy, France, or Greece.

Y/N lived with her mom and her mom's boyfriend out in California while Mitch lived with their dad in Brooklyn, where both of them had been born seventeen years ago. They were twins, spending only their first year under the same roof before their mom left with Y/N. It wasn't until Mitch found a box of pictures under his dad's bed while working on a family history project that they discovered one another's existence. Michael took Mitch to California two days later to meet his mom and sister and every summer after, Y/N had come. And since Mitch came to camp every summer, Y/N did too.

Camp Haven was for the kids of rich mommy and daddys who didn't have the time nor the patience to watch their kids all summer. They got shipped off, but very few of the kids minded. For many, Harry included, they felt more at home in the clearing of a huge forest in Upstate New York than they ever had in their large Manors back home.

Y/N, on the hand, was raised on a nice Vineyard with two parents who loved her and was surrounded by normal people with normal lives. In other words, Y/N was kind and beautiful, something that was virtually unheard of at Camp Haven. People always took a liking to her, she was so sweet and real, but the four of them had the luck to be closer to her than anyone else.

But Harry was selfish with his thoughts.

He dreamed of taking her on dates and kissing her in the rain, cuddling with her in his bed and bringing her to all the parties he was dragged to in the hopes he would manage to have fun. He dreamed of getting to tell her he loved her before they slept and then again when they woke up. But worse than that, he thought it too, all school year long while they talked, shooting each other texts and snap chats, catching up over the phone and face time before they went to bed. Harry had always been a ladies man, tall, athletic, and muscular with a handsome face and a thick wallet, but he hadn't even thought about going near another girl since before last summer.

If he was being honest with himself, he would say he was in love with her.

But he couldn't afford to be honest.

So instead he just pretended that all he did was really really like her and that it wouldn't break his heart if she didn't at least somewhat like him back.

"Did any of you guys check in yet?" Mitch asked them, looking over at the registration tent.

Harry shook his head but Sarah and Alex nodded.

"We've been here for at least twenty minutes," Alex told them. "We would have gone over already but they said none of you had checked in."

"How sweet." Mitch pinched Alex's cheek, dancing away from the hand Alex raised to swat him away. "Then let's go, camps not going to set itself up."

Harry threw his backpack on before picking up his large duffle bag and the garbage bag with his sheets and pillow in it. Y/N was doing the same as him, though she had another smaller bag on her shoulder.

"Give me one of those," Harry told her, holding out his hand.

"Harry," she started protesting before sighing at the look on his face. The only say she had was which bag she was going to cough up. She gave him the smaller bag and he carried it by the handles, taking care to keep it from dragging on the ground.

It only took a few minutes to get them all checked in before they headed to the pathway that led them into Camp. Light poles were placed along the edges because even though it was only midday, the forest was so dense at some parts it would have been hard to see without them.

Five minutes later they were standing on the other side, staring out at their home for the entire summer. Instead of only spending one month here like they did when they were campers, they spent two months here as activity counselors. It would be their second year working at camp instead of coming as campers. They made decent money, not that any of them needed it anyway. Mitch, Harry, and Y/N worked as lifeguards at the pool while Alex drove boats and Sarah floated where ever she was needed.

"Damn," Mitch muttered, stopping at the top of the small hill and looking out at the entire camp tucked away in the large clearing. "It feels good to be back."

"You think they finally installed AC?" Sarah asked, her nose scrunching up at the thought of their hot cabins. She had two large suitcases with her, one in each hand. She wasn't one to rough it.

"Not a chance, Sarah," Y/N said, slinging her arm around her best friend. Y/N was the first person in their lives to touch them casually all the time and when she realized just how much it meant to them all, she did it at every opportunity. "Now let's go, I really don't want a top bunk, we'll never stay cool."

"Amen," Mitch said in agreement and they started down the hill.

The lake bordered them to their left, spanning on for miles with its own set of rocks for jumping, sand for beaching, and inflatables for playing. On occasion, the boys left their stands at the pool to watch the lake instead.

Three large buildings bordered them on the right. Besides the field house, the one in the middle and on the left were the only buildings on campus that were air-conditioned. From left to right, there was the dining hall, the Club House, and the Rec Center. The Club House was a very tall building that had several lecture hall esq rooms that were used for movie nights and meetings, a computer lab, several lounges, offices for directors, and a fifth-floor ballroom for skate nights and dances. Before the field house was built, the Rec Center was the only place to play inside. It was an old white farmhouse with large doors and cement floors. There was a half basketball court that didn't get a whole lot of use anymore though the octaball (ga-ga ball) set up was always in use. In the back, there was a large art-room that Y/N sometimes got relieved of being pool-side to assist Brynn, the old art lady who adored Y/N.

Between his seventh and eighth grade year, the camp had built the Field House in the back of the clearing. It was huge, with two turf football fields and three indoor basketball courts. There was a second floor over the racquetball, tennis, and other racquet sports that housed the fitness center which was filled with treadmills, ellipticals, and lifting equipment.

There were three outdoor basketball courts, several sand volleyball pits, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond spread out in the clearing. A large pool with an even large water slide sat near the two circles of cabins, the girl circle and the boy circle. That was where they stayed with their senior and junior counselors back when they were campers. Now they stayed at the very back of camp where there were five mismatched cabins in a line. The only thing past the cabins was the fire pit which more like a stadium because of how large it was.

Harry envied the counselors who only had to walk to the circles, something he took advantage of when he was a camper. It was a hike to get to the back.

"I take it back," Mitch panted when he set his bag down on his bunk. "Doesn't feel good to be here anymore."

"That out of shape?" Harry teased his friend, opening the garbage bag and locating his sheet to cover the mattress with.

"Coach said I had to work out when I got here, nothing before that," Mitch sank to the floor and started going through his own bag.

"We running tomorrow then?" Harry asked, carefully tucking his sheet around the corners of his mattress and smoothing out the wrinkles it caused. Harry was a bit of a neat freak, living in the same space as Mitch often drove him nuts, not to mention the other fifty guys he shared the cabin with.

The girls split up into the much smaller cabins while the boys squeezed into the large cabin with at least twenty-five bunks. The three of them snagged three bunks in the very back corner, shifting them so that they could make their own little room. Everyone did it and last year they had made the mistake of not bringing extra sheets to make the walls and had to run to the Walmart in town to buy some. This year they had come prepared and with a plan.

Two new counselors Louisand Liam, had been hovering around the beds looking lose when they reached them. The three of them took pity on the two and showed them the ropes. They pushed the bunks so that two of them made a square with the walls and the other one sat against one of the walls. They left a gap between the two wall beds that was just big enough for them to walk through. Mitch snagged one of the box fans and one of the oscillating ones from the main part to put in their 'room' so that they blew directly on them. Harry, Mitch, and Alex snagged the three lower beds while Liam and Louisclimbed into the lofted ones of the wall beds.

"You got an extra bunk?"

Harry turned to see Niall leaning between the beds with his bags and watching them all with a smile. He was a year younger than them and had been a camper last year instead of a counselor. Harry was happy to have him back all the time now, he was a cool kid.

"Niall!" Mitch got to him first, pulling him in for a hug. "Yeah, the one right above me."

Harry and Alex both hugged him and introduced him to their other roommates before he started emptying his own belongings.

"This is cool," Niall said, looking around their little space. "Wyatt was trying to do this but doesn't have a corner unit so it's rather pathetic."

"It's also wyatt," Mitch pointed out, laying on his now made bed. "What a prick."

Harry laughed from where he kneeled next to his bed as he got everything in order. They had hung the sheets from the tall posts of the bed and tacked them to bottom so they wouldn't blow from the air the fans created. The sheets were thick enough that they weren't see through and despite the situation, Harry was pretty content with what they had done.

He plugged his extension cord/surge protector into the wall and used a command strip to stick it on to the post so that Liam's cords could reach it while he laid in bed. There wasn't really a need for their phones or laptops during the days but they were nice to have on their rare early nights. Harry's phone had been dead for three days once last year and he hadn't even noticed and never would have except for he had about twenty missed calls from his dad and several angry voice messages.

"Damn, Styles," Niall whistled from his now made bunk. "You really thought of everything, huh?"

"Last year we had come quite unprepared and had to make a run to Walmart, I just brought everything back."

"I'm just grateful I couldn't find a bed near my friends, their space isn't nearly as cool as this." Niall laid his head on his pillow and sighed loudly in content. Harry snorted at the kid and collapsed on his own bed.

It was 1:17 now and they were supposed to meet at the field at 2:00 for their first meeting with Luke. He deLouised between resting after the long travel day or going to see Y/N and Sarah but he didn't want to bother them before they were ready. He opted for setting an alarm for ten till and closing his eyes, the familiar noises from the fan and the talking from the rest of the cabin causing him to doze in out of consciousness for about twenty minutes before Y/N and Sarah walked into their room.

Thank God that they didn't have the same no boys and girls in the same cabin policy they had when they were campers.

"How many boys got the pleasure of you two walking in on them before you found ours?" Mitch asked with a smirk as Sarah sat down on Alex's bed by his feet. Y/N slid into Harry's bed, laying down so that her back was against his front. They were spooning. He was surprised but not complaining as he wrapped her small body in his large arms and shared his pillow with her.

"Just a couple." Y/N smiled over at her brother before closing her eyes and letting out a quiet sigh that made him smile. She was so freaking cute.

"We might have just seen Wyatt naked," Sarah confessed, biting back her smile. "But God I hope that wasn't him."

Laughter morphed Y/N's resting face as they both roared with laughter, joking about something they didn't seem in a hurry to let them in on.

"Not worth the hype?" Niall asked, dipping his head over the side so he could see Y/N. She stood up, making Harry frown at the loss of her warmth, yelling his name and throwing her small arms around him in a hug. She had to stand on her very tippy toes but that didn't stop her.

She was so fucking cute.

And my God, that ass. He hadn't gotten a good enough look of it in her cut off jean shorts, but now he didn't think he'd ever be able to look away. They had ridden up a little and he could see her legitimate cheeks. It was round and perky and hanging out of her shorts as she stretched her perfect legs. Harry knew from several overheard conversations that he wasn't the only one who appreciated her curves and as much as he didn't want to hear it, he couldn't blame them for what they were thinking.

She was so fucking hot.

And they had as much as right as him to look at her ass, which none at all.

"Not at all." Sarah shook her head at Niall's question. "I'm no stranger to seeing soft dicks and that's got to be one of the smallest I've ever seen."

"Oh," Mitch said as leaned out of his own bed so that he could point properly. "Louisand Liam, this is my sister Y/N and that's Alex's sister Sarah."

The girls both smiled and waved at them, exchanging a couple words that were completely lost on Harry because he was too busy staring at Y/N.

Harry remained lost as Y/N slid back into his arms and pressed that beautiful ass back into him as she snuggled into him. Her hand curled around his hand that was splayed out on her tight stomach while the other one slid under her cheek. She really was precious.

"I've missed you," she told him quietly, looking back a little so that she could see his face.

He smiled at her, squeezing her more tightly to him. "I've missed you, too, sunshine."

She grinned at the nickname, shutting her eyelids so that he couldn't see her brilliant eyes. And so that she couldn't see the way his whole face revealed just how smitten he was with her as he watched her. Sometimes it was impossible for him to hide how he felt about her.

They talked every day during the school year and often during the school day. His friends back home teased him mercilessly for the way his face transformed when he opened her messages or snapchats. It got worse when they realized she was Mitch's twin sister, someone they all saw several times a month because of how often Mitch and him hung out. They didn't know a whole lot about her, just that she lived in California, was gorgeous, and that she held Harry's affection since they were 12 and he met her for the first time.

Almost all of them had never met her and Harry knew that if they ever saw the way he acted around her he would never hear the end of it. He also knew that he wouldn't care one bit.

His feelings for Y/N were completely out of his control and that was something he had come to peace with a while ago.

The annoying beeps of his alarm broke their moment several minutes later and the eight of them got to their feet to walk to the field for their first meeting. All of the cabin counselors were spending the day together doing bonding exercises and things while the rest of them started getting the camp fit for people. They all got a small break for dinner at the dining hall where they all sat together with the pizza that Luke had ordered for them because the kitchen staff wasn't ready to cook for people yet.

Their day ended at the fire pit as they all sat around together, both activity counselors and camp counselors. Besides a ten minute period where he had sat with his cousin and his best friend who worked as camp counselors between their school years away at college, he spent the entire time leaning back between Y/N's legs as she sat on the bench above him.

It was a good start to what he was sure would be an even better summer.

Harry was tired but happy, which was normally how he felt during his summers here at Camp Haven.

He had spent the entire day cleaning out the gross pool. New York winters were brutal and it definitely took a toll on the camp facilities. Luke would regularly drive over on his four-wheeler during the winter but one man could only do so much.

So Harry and some other people he didn't really know had spent hours draining the pool of all the gross water and picking out the matted leaves and other gunk.

Hence, the tiredness.

After a long forty minute shower, Harry had found Y/N and Sarah spooning in his bed while they waited with Mitch and Alex for him. The five of them were now walking through a dark part of the forest on a path towards town. Camp Haven was located right next to a small town that had a population of 1500 with a two-pump gas station, a Walmart, and a 24-hour diner that made the best milkshakes and fries.

Y/N was on his back, thighs resting on his forearms and chin tucked on his shoulder, the fly aways from her hair brushing his skin with the wind.

Hence, the happiness.

"Fuck," Mitch swore, stumbling a couple steps after he tripped on a large rock.

It was against camp rules to sneak out and they were pretty sure that the majority of camp didn't even know this path existed. The only reason they knew about it was because Mitch's dad had went to this camp when he was a kid and had shared the little secret with them. Because of the secretness of the path, it wasn't lit so even with their flashlights the path was still pretty dark. Unfortunately for them, Mitch's mishap with the rock wasn't uncommon for any of them.

Their own stumbles didn't stop them from making fun of their friend, of course.

Harry could feel the curve of Y/N's mouth against his neck as she smiled at her brother's mishap. If Harry hadn't already been smiling, the feel of her smile and the sound of her pretty laugh right next to his ear definitely would have made him.

The path got a little lighter as they neared the opening and the colors of the setting sun dipped between the trees.

"I've been craving one of these milkshakes for months," Sarah practically moaned as they stepped out of the woods and into someone's yard. They made this run several times a summer since they turned 14 and had only run into the owners three times. Luckily for them, it was an elderly couple who thought their friendship was sweet and told them they never minded when the five of them cut through their yard.

Y/N made a noise of agreement next to his ear at the same time Mitch made the same noise. Twins.

Three minutes later they were walking into the dinner and getting seated by one of the familiar waitresses whose name tag read Denise. She looked a little older than Harry's mom but with laugh lines and a soft figure, two things that his mother would never be caught dead with.

"What can I get y'all to drink, darlings?" She asked, her voice drenched in that small town accent that everyone around here seemed to have.

"I think we'll all just have waters," Y/N said hesitantly from her seat next to him, looking around at the rest of them for someone to disagree. Her thigh was pressed against his and Harry was so distracted he would have agreed to just about anything that came out of her mouth.

After no one disagreed, Denise nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back with those for ya."

"Should I go for oreo or cookie dough?" Mitch asked, looking at the milkshake section of the menu.

"Chocolate," Alex said, not bothering to look at the menu because he already knew exactly what he was getting.

"What are you going to get?" Y/N asked him, leaning in as she looked at the menu they were sharing. She had showered too, exhausted and sticky from her day scrubbing the camper's cabins down, and her shampoo smelled even stronger because of it. It was intoxicating.

"I don't know," Harry told her, looking away from the menu so he could see her face. "But I'm for sure getting their fries."

Her smile was devastating. "I knew you were smart."

Harry couldn't help but grin at her in response to her smile. He always smiled more at camp than he did at home and after a full day with his friends yesterday, his cheeks had ached.

"Are you getting the usual?"

"I don't know." She bit her lip. "Like I think I'm hungry but I don't know."

"Like hungry hungry? Or like just want to eat hungry?"

She laughed. "I think I just want to eat hungry." Y/N's smile faded as she pouted, resting her head on her arm. "But I already ate way too much today, Sarah and I got into the popcorn at the snack shop when we were done cleaning."

"Calories don't count at summer camp, remember?"

"They do when you're here for two months." She said, shaking her head at him at the very thought. "If I lived with that philosophy, I'd be two hundred pounds by July."

"You'd still be a dime," he reassured her with a wink, smirking slightly at the light flush that spread across her cheeks.

"Gag me with a fucking spoon," Mitch said from across them, his arms crossed over his chest in what he thought was an intimidating stance. Harry just thought he looked like an idiot.

"Here ya are, honeys," Denise said before setting down their waters. "Are y'all ready to order?"

They all nodded and Y/N lifted her head and arms from the table, leaning back so that she could talk to the waitress.

"Uh, can I just get a dark chocolate milkshake, please?" Y/N asked, starting them off.

"Sure thing sweetheart," Denise said, writing it down on her notepad before turning to Harry. "And what about for your boyfriend?"

"Oh, uh," Harry stuttered, all of his usual charm flying out the window. "I'm not her... um, can I just have a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake with a side of fries?"

The other three were laughing into their hands and even Denise looked like she was enjoying their obvious discomfort as she jotted his order down. Y/N was laughing, her face a pretty pink as she looked at him almost shyly. They both seemed unusually uncomfortable.

"Can we get two chocolate shakes?" Sarah said for her and Alex, relishing the moment with way too much pleasure.

"And I'll have an oreo shake with a side of cheesy fries." Mitch finished them off, collecting the menus as Denise walked off to tuck them back behind the condiments.

"Well that was fun," Alex said, smirking at Harry and Y/N. "I wonder why she thought that?"

"Yeah, like Sarah and I are sitting next to each other too but she didn't think we were dating." Mitch tapped his finger on his chin, feigning a look of thoughtfulness. "So I wonder why she thought the two of you were?"

"Maybe she just figured there's no way someone as pretty as her can be with someone as ugly as you," Y/N countered, crossing her arms over her chest as she dared him to say something. Harry hid his smile behind his hand, deeply amused like every time she got sassy.

"Oh? So you think Harry is pretty enough for you then?" Mitch asked, mirroring the same look as his sister.

"Have you seen his face?" Y/N countered, steely toned. It was a good thing she wasn't looking at said face because he was blushing as red as a Harryato. And it wasn't like he was a stranger to compliments from girls, he just wasn't used to them from her.

"No, actually, I'm blind, care to describe it for me?"

Y/N leaned forward in her seat, her normally soft features narrowed at her brother as he mirrored her for the second time. They were only a couple inches away from each other, having a conversation with their eyes as only siblings could. In the end, it was Mitch who pulled away with a resigned sigh.

"Okay, okay, okay," Mitch said, slumping back in his seat and looking none too happy about it. "Anyway, how bout this weather we're having?"

Alex snorted, turning his head as he tried to hide his laugh in his hand and ultimately failing terribly. Harry put his head in his hands and groaned loudly, wanting to sink in his chair and disappear. This isn't how he wanted to talk to Y/N about his feelings so he just wanted them to shut up.

"That is literally the worst thing you could have possibly done," Sarah told Mitch, rolling her eyes at her friend's stupidity.

"You okay?" Harry asked Y/N quietly, turning a little towards her so the rest of the table couldn't hear him.

"Just peachy," she muttered as she played with the straw in her cup.

He pursed his lips before letting them tilt up a little. "You really think I'm pretty enough for you?"

"I don't think you're privy to that type of information, Mr. Styles."

"Oh yeah?" He leaned forward, his lips fully tilted now. "And who is?"

"Oh my God," Mitch groaned, making Y/N turn her pretty eyes away from him to look at her stupid brother who Harry very much wanted to kill. "Would you guys quit it?"

"You are the worst best friend ever," Sarah told him.

"What?" Mitch gaped, turning to her. "I'm the best fucking friend ever."

Sarah rolled her eyes and Harry was grateful when she didn't elaborate. His silent pleas for the conversation to end were answered when Y/N's wrist started vibrating, indicating that her mom was calling her.

"Hello?" She answered, surprised that her mom was calling her. "Yeah, yeah."

She excused herself from the table with a finger and walked out the front door. Mitch looked like he kind of wanted to go after her to make sure everything was okay but before he could Sarah slapped him over the head.

"You idiot, stop interrupting them."

"Hey," Mitch exclaimed, rubbing his head and glaring at his friend. "Excuse me for not wanting to see my best friend all over my little sister."

"Well you're going to have to get used to it," Sarah told him with no sympathy at all for the dude. "And I, for one, would rather watch him trip over himself for her than hear him mope all school year long because he just likes her so much and she doesn't know and what if she's with someone else."

Harry winced a little at her imitation. All of those things had come out of his mouth at one point or another but hearing it from someone else made him sound so desperate. He'd probably be upset if it wasn't true.

"Okay, okay, okay." Mitch put his hands up in surrender. "I'll be better."

"Or we can just stop making things awkward, period," Harry suggested, leaning back in the booth and stretching his arm on the back of it.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Alex taunted with a smirk.

"I just," Harry started to say before licking his lips and checking behind him to make sure she wasn't walking back over. "Something feels different now."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, leaning forward a little in excitement.

"You know," Harry prompted, looking around at his friends and shrugging his shoulders a little, feeling foolish. "Just that maybe she likes me too?" Sarah rolled her eyes, falling back in her own booth and looking extremely disappointed in him. He instantly heated up, getting defensive and demanding, "What?"

"I thought you were supposed to be smart?"

Harry glared at her, feeling a mix of hurt, frustration, and confusion. Was she implying that of course she liked him? Or was she implying that of course she didn't like him?

"What's up?" Mitch asked Y/N as she approached their table again.

"Nothing," Y/N said, settling in her seat and letting her head fall back on his arm. He felt the same sensation in his sHarryach he always did when they touched. "Just something about the vineyard."

"And she needed your help?"

"I'm not just a pretty face, you know," she said sarcastically, sticking her tongue at him.

Mitch shook his head though he was smiling. "That's not what I meant."

"Yeah, I know. It was just about a sale I made before I left and forgot to write down, the books were off and she wanted to ask before she did the calculations again or freaked out on someone."

Harry watched as Denise approached their table with five milkshakes on a platter. "Here ya are, darlings, and your fries will be out in just a few minutes."

"Thank you," Y/N said, sitting up and helping her pass them along the table without making her tilt her pan too much.

"Fuck," Sarah said the moment Denise was out of earshot and she had slurped up a large mouthful of her shake. "This is heaven."

They all nodded, sipping at their own shakes. This place had to use magic in making their shakes because there was no way they came from this earth because if they did, there would be no way that this was the only place that sold them. Harry had never had a milkshake as half as good as the ones here and believe him when he said he had tried.

"It's so good it's sinful, actually," Alex corrected his sister and Harry couldn't help but think that was a better word for it than heaven.

"I have tea," Sarah said, setting down her shake as a thought came to her suddenly. "Well, Y/N and I have tea."

"Which is?" Mitch asked, setting down his own shake and looking over at her.

"We're living with Miranda and Penny this year as you guys know and they told us something interesting that everyone at camp seems to know but us."

The boys' eyebrows all rose. There wasn't much that went on at camp that people didn't hear about, especially things that they didn't hear about. They were all quite popular in their own right, even if the term popular seemed way too middle schoolish for him to say. What he meant was that they had a lot of friends here at camp and friends liked to talk.

Y/N was grinning next to him, looking to be on the border of losing it all as she watched Sarah explain what they learned. "Last night Miranda was asking the usual bullshit about Harry and whether he would be willing to fuck their sexual tension out in a closet somewhere, you know, the usual. Apparently, it's her goal to be the first girl at camp to be with the entire trifecta."

"The what now?" Mitch asked, sounding completely dumbfounded.

"Apparently when the three of you were fourteen the rest of camp nicknamed you the trifecta until they found out Alex batted for the other team and they renamed Wyatt the third member."

"Talk about a fucking downgrade," Y/N interjected under her breath and Harry felt his lips twitch.

"That is the dumbest fucking shit I have ever heard," Mitch said, looking around at the rest of them as if daring them to disagree.

"We thought they were joking at first," Y/N said with a shrug, pausing to sip her milkshake. "But sadly they weren't."

"The trifecta?" Harry said, looking over at Mitch in his own bewilderment. "No, there's no way this is real, this is like some middle school shit."

"Wait, wait, wait," Alex said, waving his hand around like he was realizing things and had to Louisaway all the other thoughts. "And Miranda plans to seduce him for the sole reason of being the first person to say they've been with all three?"

Harry felt a little violated. What a sucky reason to try and get with him with all these years, he had thought it was because she thought he was hot or something. It used to boost his ego when he felt down about his nonexistent progress with the redhead angel sitting next to him.

"That's so fucking wrong," Mitch said, shaking his head. "And we never even had sex, we barely reached third base."

"And she's been with Wyatt?" Harry asked, so many thoughts coming to his head at once. "How did he have the time with all the campers he was seducing last summer?"

"And what about Penny?" Mitch asked before Harry's question could be answered. "Doesn't she know her best friend fooled around with Harry?"

Harry winced at the reminder. "Hey, we never even reached second base, it wasn't exactly fooling around."

Y/N snorted, sounding deeply amused. "You should have heard the way she talked about the kisses you two had, she made it sound like you were a god."

He felt a feeling of deep shame curl up his stomach. It wasn't like he could change the past but he could regret it. There was something in Y/N's voice that told him she wasn't as amused as she was trying to seem. He wanted to tell her that he couldn't even remember what it felt like to kiss her, and that it had only happened twice, not to mention the fact that he hadn't gone near a girl since he visited her in California over spring break during his tenth grade year, almost a year and a half ago.

Denise slid the fries in front of them, topping off their water in the uncomfortable silence around them. They were all in their heads about something and all Harry wanted to know was what was going through Y/N's pretty little head now.

"Miranda didn't have the same sentiments as Penny," Sarah said, and both Y/N and Sarah grinned at one another. "She doesn't have a very high opinion of Mitch's hands."

Y/N covered her laugh with her hand, missing the very affronted look Mitch was now wearing. "She'd be the first."

"That was because she was your first," Harry said, also laughing at his best friend. He dodged the cheese covered fry Mitch threw his way by ducking behind Y/N's head. If he stopped a second to smell her hair as he pulled back, well, sue him. She snatched one of his fries, popping it in her mouth with a perfect smile that was so her it made his heart clench painfully.

"Okay, enough of all this middle school shit," Alex said, waving it off with his hand. "Nothing should change just because we know about it now."

"True," Sarah said, nodding as she stole of Mitch's fries. "It's not like Miranda has a chance with Harry anyway and I don't think she's stupid enough to actually do something about it other than talk."

Harry raised his half-finished milkshake up in the middle of the table. "Well, here's to hoping that none of that shit touches us."

They all raised their glasses. "And to another unforgettable summer."

Harry turned to Y/N at her words, echoing the cheers of the people around him as he looked at her. Cheers indeed.

Harry was doubled over with his hands on his knees and a stitch in his side. Mitch had already collapsed on to the ground next to him with his arm curved over his eyes as he tried to catch his breath.

"Why did we do that?" Mitch panted.

"Because our coaches are a bunch of headasses." Harry's legs went out from under him and he fell down next to Mitch in a heap. "How far was that?"

"6 miles." Mitch managed to get out as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "A really fast 6 miles after an entire ab workout."

"Fuck them," Harry panted, his eyes closing. "We have to do this every day."

"Except Sundays," Mitch reminded him, reaching over to his chest in mock celebration.

Harry raised an arm in a sarcastic fist pump.

"What time is it?" Mitch asked. "I forgot to put on my watch."

Harry opened his eyes and turned his wrist so the screen lit up. "7:27, breakfast in thirty."

Mitch made a noise that let Harry know he understood before he fell on his back again. Harry reclosed his eyes and they laid there catching their breath for another couple of minutes before heading into the cabin to shower. They stepped out of their showers with towels around their waists just before the mad rush of people scrambling to get ready before breakfast filled the bathroom.

They both changed openly in their 'room' with no shame. Harry had seen every one of his roommates butt-ass naked and some of them he had only met a couple of days ago.

Alex was leaning on the wall on his bed, already changed and ready for breakfast, scrolling through something on his phone as he waited for them.

Harry chucked his now very unnecessary towel at Alex to grab his attention.

"You ready to go?" Harry asked, bending down to lace up his shoes.

The amount of sass in the look Alex gave him while he sat up was unreal. "You act like I haven't been waiting for you dumbasses for the past ten minutes."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Mitch hit him on the shoulder as he walked by, also fully ready now. "We get it, come on."

They walked to the dining hall in their matching purple camp t-shirts that they always had to wear on the first day of camp. Most of the people inside of the hall were also wearing the same shirt. He looked around for Y/N and Sarah but didn't see them, which didn't surprise him, they weren't exactly known for being punctual in the morning.

The three of them joined Liam, Louis, and some other cabin mates at a large rectangular table right next to one of the two open stations. Some time since his first year here, the dining hall had been redone to provide food that was actually good. There were five stations that served different foods around the large building, three that always served the same things, a pasta bar, burger bar, and pizza bar, and two that had a constant rotation, one with vegan-friendly food and the other for the rest of the population. At lunch and dinner times, there was a large salad bar in the middle of the room that Harry didn't think he had ever really been to. Normally for breakfast, only the two rotating stations were open. Over the past few days that they had been there those had been the only two bars open at every meal and Harry was excited for the campers to get here so he could actually have options again.

He heard Sarah's laugh and turned his head just in time to see Y/N enter the building.

Y/N looked like she did every morning he saw her, cute and sleepy. She liked to snuggle up in heavier clothes when she was tired so it was no surprise to him to see her wearing a sweatshirt. It was a surprise for him to note that it was an old one of his. He had given it to her when she got cold at a bonfire last night and hadn't even noticed that she had never given it back. It had been a little big on him and it completely swallowed her small frame. His high school name was on the front and he knew, most importantly, that his last name was printed on the back.

They walked up to the table and took the last two open chairs, Y/N's nearly unconscious body collapsing into the seat next to him with a dramatic sigh.

"You look like shit, sister dear," Mitch told her, reaching across Harry to ruffle her hair. Normally, Y/N smacked his hand away, but she was always too tired to muster the energy in the mornings.

"Thanks, Mitchy," Y/N mumbled, shifting slightly so that her head was resting against his shoulder.

He let her rest there until the bell rang for them to get in line and they both got to their feet, one much quicker than the other. The sleeves slipped over her hands and her bare thighs were once again on display, he could only assume she was wearing shorts under his hoodie because he had yet to see them. They stepped behind the few people already in line and he could see his last name across her lower back with his good hanging down her back.

As he stood behind her he tugged on a stand of her hair, she almost always wore her hair down in the mornings and that was another thing he loved about her in the mornings because it somehow made her even prettier.

"Nice hoodie, Y/L/N."

She glanced down at her own body before smiling shyly up at him. "I didn't notice until I was back in Cali that I forgot to give it back and I was going to give it back but then I got in the habit of sleeping in it."

"That's okay, sunshine," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a light hug because honestly, he thought he might die if he denied himself the urge any longer. "It looks better on you anyway."

She snorted, letting her forehead fall against his chest as she wrapped one of her small arms around him. "You're such a cliche."

"Only for you."

She shook her head as she pulled away from him, her cheeks flushed a light pink. It made him smile as she handed him a plate before grabbing one for herself.

The boys made sure she at least ate something for breakfast every morning, their days on the stand were long and hot, they didn't need her getting sick from the heat. He watched as she grabbed an apple and a bowl of yogurt before waiting for him. It was better than nothing, he supposed. His own plate was full of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and some fruit. The only time she ever added to her plate was on the rare occasion they served bacon, and maybe the occasional waffle.

She took his plate from him and walked them to the table while he went to get their drinks. A glass of milk for him and one of orange juice for her. They had a system every morning, you see, because they just worked like that.

"Thanks," she said with a soft smile when he set the drink in front of her.

"No problem," he returned her smile before picking up his fork and stabbing at his eggs. They were the first things he ate because he couldn't stand cold eggs. Y/N crinkled her nose next to him because she couldn't stand eggs at all, the smell included. If he didn't need to follow some sort of eating regime because of his annoying coach, he wouldn't force her to smell them almost every morning.

"We already know Penny and Miranda are in your guys' cabin," Mitch started, talking to Sarah and Y/N. "But are there any other hot girls in your cabin?a"

"You're looking at them," Y/N stated, her mouth full of her yogurt and her hand under her chin like she was showing her face off.

Harry couldn't help but agree even as Mitch snorted.

"You're funny," he deadpanned. "Now, seriously, Harry and I can't go into this summer blind and neither one of us are going anywhere near the devils."

"No, you can't." Harry threw a piece of his egg at him, he also hated eggs and the face of disgust made Harry's lip twitch. "I'm not interested."

"Come on, you did this last summer too."

Harry shrugged, "I'll be the dutiful wingman as always but no more than that."

He didn't miss the way Sarah was smiling at him but he refused to look in her direction. He also knew Mitch was just goading him, Mitch knew better than anyone how much Harry cared for Y/N.

"What about guys?" Iz asked, saving Harry from having to respond, turning back to Mitch. "This information doesn't come free."

"What information?" Mitch looked at her.

"Please, you two and Wyatt are the three cutest straight boys here and we heard all about you the other night."

"Really?" Mitch laughed as Sarah nodded. "Nice, you've got to help us stay away from the crazy ones."

"Just you," Harry butted in, reminding him and a certain redhead that he wasn't interested in anyone else.

"Well, at first they didn't know we were all friends let alone related," Y/N said with a little laugh, "then Penny came into the cabin and spoiled the fun, they quieted down after that."

Mitch laughed, too. "The guys don't bother trying to talk about you guys, they already know we wouldn't like it."

Sarah waved him off. "I'm not worried about that, I just need to know if there are any cute ones." She turned her eyes on to Alex. "You must have seen some."

He rolled his eyes. "There are cute boys everywhere, find one for yourself."

"You guys are no help," she huffed, though she wasn't mad in the slightest. Sarah did just fine on her own.

"Whatever," Mitch said, waving her concerns off in favor of his own. "I can't make it all summer so I just need to find a chill girl to hang out with every once in a while."

"Ew, what the fuck." Y/N scrunched up her nose in disgust. "When did you become such a man-whore?"

"Since I was like fourteen, you were around, don't play dumb." He smirked back at her.

"Yeah, but you would at least wait until I wasn't around, what would you do if I started talking about my sex life in front of you?"

Something in Harry's stomach twisted painfully. He never wanted to hear about her sex life, unless it was with him of course.

"You're my baby sister, that's gross." Mitch looked truly disgusted at the thought.

"You're older than me by twenty minutes." She rolled her eyes. "That doesn't even count and you died twice during that time anyway."

"Yeah, and you weighed like three pounds, your point?"

"Maybe that was because you hogged the whole fucking womb the entire nine months." She countered. "Trying to kill me then, too."

He stuck his tongue out at her, which she mirrored.

"I'll be right back," Y/N said to him, setting her apple core in her empty yogurt bowl and pushing herself to her feet. He watched her go in confusion until he figured it out. She was headed towards the coffee machine and that made him smile, he had never met someone more addicted to coffee in his life. And she drank it black!

"Better?" He asked her when she returned looking a little more alive.

"Mhmmm."

After they had all finished they dropped their dished off in the back and cleaned up the table before splitting up. The girls had to hurry back to their cabin to change since they had decided to just roll out of bed earlier. Then they all got to work in order to clean up the messes they had made since they got there. All of the communal bathrooms needed to be cleaned, the rec and clubhouse needed to be put in the same order they had found them, and the snack shops needed restocked. Yesterday they had all used the swimming pool and Harry and Mitch were in charge of making sure it was in tip-top shape once again.

While the activity counselors were all working on this side, the cabin counselors had traveled through the woods to reach the drop-off point. They had tents and tables to set up, papers to organize, and computers to hook up. Once they had finished up on this side they would head to the other side to help. Everyone but the kitchen staff and maintenance crew were going to help check the campers in and take them over.

The last tent was finished only about ten minutes before the first buses and vans started to arrive. Then camp was bustling with people of all ages who all needed help in one way or the other.

"Excuse me, sir?" Harry turned around to see an older woman with a kid on either side of her. "Where do I drop off their medication."

"Right over there ma'am." He pointed at a blue tent a little over from where they were standing that was manned by his cousin's girlfriend who was working this summer as an intern director. "Tessa's the woman behind the table, she'll help you."

He turned back to Y/N who he had been talking to before the lady had interrupted them. She had shed his hoodie and gotten ready for the day. The coffee and the last few hours had officially woken her up. Her hair was now piled on top of her hair and tied back with a white bandanna that looked so much better on her than it did on the dozens of other counselors wearing them. Same could be said about her in her purple tee.

"Sir?" She questioned, her eyes bright as she looked up at him. "Is that what you want me to call you, too?"

"Stop." He shook his head at her though his eyes were also bright. "I'm not a thirty-year-old man with a receding hairline and beer belly yet."

She laughed up at him. "Well, I wouldn't quite say you don't have a beer belly." She patted his sHarryach.

He caught her hand, gasping. "Are you calling me fat, sunshine?"

"No. No. I would never." She shook her head at him. "Just maybe a little pudgy."

"Pudgy?" He repeated, dumbfounded. "I'll have you know, I'm the lightest I've ever been."

She raised both of her eyebrows. "You weighed less than ten pounds at one point, you know that, right?"

He stuck his tongue out at her before releasing her hand. "The point is, I am still very much in shape."

Y/N reached up to pat his cheek mockingly. "Whatever you say, hunny." Then she walked away, her very short shorts not doing much to cover the curve of her ass.

"You know that's my sister's ass you're checking out, right?" Mitch came up to him not even a second later.

"Yeah." Harry didn't pull his eyes away until after he lost her in the crowd. "Your point?"

"That's disgusting, Styles." Mitch shoved his shoulder. "I don't want to watch my best friend ogle at my twin sister."

"Well get used to it, hunny." He patted his best friend's cheek just like Y/N had done to him. "Because you've got a whole summer of me and I don't think my feelings are going to change any time soon."

"I suppose there are worse people she could choose."

"In case you've forgotten, we're not actually dating, you know that right?"

"You've got a whole summer to change that, Harry, what's stopping you." Then he too walked away, though Harry didn't stare at his ass as he did.

There was a lot stopping him. The fact that she lived hours away by plane. He had no idea what she felt back. He was really scared of falling even harder than before because watching her leave was hard enough as is. But maybe Mitch was right, maybe it was time for him to stop letting fear rule his life.

Just, maybe not right this second.

There were other things to worry about, like the fleet of kids running up to him to say hi and catch up. That was the thing about Camp Haven, they generally only saw the same kids. And those kids were generally the ones who applied to work there when they got older, it was a revolving door.

It took about an hour for all the counselors to get all their kids to the other side and then about another one for the remaining activity counselors to clean up the drop off site. By the time they got back to the clearing all of the campers were spread out around the camp. There were several basketball games being played on the courts, a large circle of people passing a volleyball around, and a bunch of young kids climbing on the playground. A group of counselors went to drop off all the equipment in one of the back garages while the rest of them joined the bustling camp.

Y/N and Sarah joined the volleyball circle after getting about a dozen hugs from some of the younger girls. The boys were instantly hounded to start a football game in the large field by some of the older kids who knew they all played.

Luke whistled and all of camp dutifully circled around him and Harry joined the girls on one of the picnic tables around the court. He sat on the table top behind Y/N as they listened to Luke do the same speech he did every summer. It was all about rules and expectations, the fun they would get up to over the summer, and how the counselors were all here for the campers.

Y/N had started leaning on his leg after about three minutes and was now playing with his shoelaces while he scratched her back. She hated shoulder massages but she loved getting her back scratched and he loved getting to touch her so they were both happy.

"I'm going to have some of your counselors come up now and lead you guys in a group game," Luke's gruff voice carried over to their group as the crowd of campers started talking and moving in excitement. Harry sighed because this was his cue, Luke had come to Mitch and him yesterday about being those counselors.

Y/N pushed herself to her feet, stretching up on her toes. Harry watched her body as it extended, a smile coming to his face. She was the cutest person he had ever met. The bandanna looked so much better on her than it did on any of the others.

She fell back on her feet before turning around to extend him her hand.

"You sure you're not getting a little pudgy?" She teased as he took her hand. "Can't even stand up on your own anymore?"

He narrowed his eyes at her as he looked down at her, standing almost a full foot taller than her.

"I'm beginning to think this is your way of telling me I actually do need to lose weight," he said, looking down at his stomach. "Am I getting fat, Y/L/N?"

"No, but your ego doesn't need to know that." She was grinning up at him. "Sometimes I think you need to be knocked down a peg or two."

He pouted, "What if there are no more pegs to be knocked down."

"That's when I'll stop, then." She lifted her shoulder.

"Whatever, sunshine." He had never let go of her hand and he used it to pull her in the direction of the others before dropping it. "Luke's going to throw a fit if I'm not there to explain the game."

"No one is stopping you, Styles." She was smirking as she walked with him to where Luke was.

"That's cute, you thinking I can just ignore you like that."

She smiled and shook her head at him, stopping when they reached Sarah and Alex who weren't demonstrating. "Yeah, yeah, I'm cute, I know."

He grinned, turning so he was walking backward for a couple steps, "What happened to the modest Y/L/N I used to know?"

"She met you." She lifted her shoulder at him, a sly grin on her face.

She and Mitch shared two things. Those eyes. And that grin. It was a grin he wore often but she rarely did. It meant a lot of things he had learned from both of them over the years. Normally it meant they were up to no good. Sometimes it meant they were teasing or making fun of someone. And a few times he had seen it on Mitch's face when he was flirting. Harry couldn't help hoping that was what the smile meant now.

He lifted his shoulder back at her with a grin of his own before turning so he could actually see where he was going. Mitch was already standing next to Luke as he talked to the crowd so Harry slid in right next to him. He chanced a look back to look at his friends. Y/N and Sarah were hanging on each other as they talked to Alex. Harry turned back to see Mitch was surveying the crowd, stopping every now and then when he saw something he liked in a girl. Typical.

"Harry!" He was pulled into a hug by Sarah. "Glad you could make it."

Harry hugged her back, smelling the alcohol on her breath.

"Is Y/N here?" Harry asked instead of commenting.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, her and Jasper are out back."

Harry nodded, fighting through the crowd to the back. He grabbed a beer in his way. He didn't really plan on drinking it but he figured it couldn't hurt.

"Baby!" Y/N shot up when she saw him and threw herself in his arms.

He laughed, kissing her head. "Are you drunk?"

"No, I just missed you." She pulled back and he could see it in her eyes that she was one hundred percent here.

"I love you." He kissed her lips, no alcohol taste on them.

"Love you too." She nudged his nose with hers and then pulled away almost completely, only holding on to his hand.

"Hey." He nodded to Jasper.

Jasper nodded back, not saying anything. Not a crack of a smile or any other type of friendly acknowledgement.

They had met a week ago at Y/N's house when he made another spontaneous visit. Jasper had been rather peeved when he had seen Harry and Harry couldn't help but feel the same way. It was Tuesday. That was his day with her.

But he had made an effort for Y/N. He wasn't dumb. A four month old relationship or a lifetime friendship.

"How was work?" He asked her instead.

"Long." She fell back down beside Jasper, pulling him with her.

"When do you go in next?"

"Sunday at one." She looked at him over her shoulder. "You?"

"I leave Wednesday for London and I'll be back Saturday."

"So you're mine until then?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "I have lunch with Jeff on Sunday but you won't be able to hang anyway."

She smiled at him before turning back to Jasper.

"You're coming up for Thanksgiving, right?"

Jasper nodded. "Is Mike coming?"

Y/N shook her head. "No, but we're going to Harry's house. His sister will be there too. And so will his bandmates/best friends."

Jasper nodded, his lips pressed together. "We're still cooking together, right?"

Y/N looked at him like he was stupid. "Duh. We'll just meet them there." Jasper looked like he wanted to say more but kept his mouth shut. He nodded. Y/N rolled her eyes. Harry leaned back on his hands, wishing he was alone with Y/N.

"Are you going to stop acting like such a bitch?"

Harry had to bite back his laugh as Y/N turned to Jasper.

"I'm not." Jasper protested. "I just met the kid, you can't expect me to spill everything in the first week I've known him like you."

"Hey." Harry warned.

"Oh, shut up." Jasper rolled his eyes. "You've known her for like four months, don't act like you know everything."

"I see him more in one week than I've seen you in the last year, don't act all high and noble."

"Maybe if you invited me around more I would be."

"Piss off." Y/N interjected. "I told you anytime you wanted to come over you could. That's how it's always been, I didn't think anything's changed."

"You haven't come to my place in months."

"I'm a doctor Jasper!" Y/N turned to him angrily. "My days off aren't real days off. I'm almost always on call. Don't blame that on Harry, he's even closer to the hospital than I am, it's not an inconvenient trip."

"I wasn't." Jasper protested, rather weakly.

"Please." Y/N rolled her eyes again. "We've never had an argument about this and we haven't lived within three hours of each other in like 5 years."

"You've never had a boyfriend in those five years."

Y/N threw her hands in the air. "What does that even mean?"

Jasper clenched his fists. "Y/N," Harry grabbed her hand. "Just let it go."

"What?" She turned to him. " I just want to-"

"Because I've been in love with you since we were kids." Jasper started quietly. "And it was a lot easier to believe I had a chance when you didn't have anyone either."

Y/N's jaw dropped. If Harry hadn't figured it out last time Jasper had been in town his probably would have too.

"I'll go get us some drinks." Harry gripped Y/N's thigh before getting to his feet.

It wasn't exactly easy, leaving someone he loved with another guy confessing his love for her but he knew it had to be done. And he trusted her and her feelings towards him. He didn't want to make it anymore awkward than it already was.

Harry walked through the mass of people back inside and upstairs to the master bedroom. He knew Mitch would be there, watching Netflix by himself.

"Harry?" Mitch questioned as Harry entered the room. "Why are you not with Y/N?"

" Jasper just told her he loves her, figured that's a conversation they need to have by themselves. "

Mitch raised an eyebrow. "How mature of you."

Harry grinned a little before flopping down next to him. "I wish I could have stayed but this is between them and I trust her."

Mitch nodded , turning back to the tv. "Want to watch some Criminal Minds."

Harry nodded, shooting Y/N a quick text of where he was for when she was finished. "How long did you make it down there this time?"

"About an hour." Mitch grinned. "It's a lot harder when you're not wasted."

Harry laughed, trying to focus on the t.v. and failing. He was just waiting for Y/N to be done so he could see how she was doing and make sure she was okay.

The episode was almost over when the door finally opened and she walked in. He sat up and caught her in his arms when she reached him. There were no tears or shaking but he could feel the emotion radiating off of her.

"I'll just go." Mitch made to get off the bed.

" No. " Y/N's hand shot out to grab his sleeve. "You can stay."

He nodded and somewhat awkwardly leaned back on the bed.

"You like Criminal Minds?" Mitch asked her.

She nodded, settling in between them on the bed. Her hand was still in his but other than that they weren't touching.

When the episode finished Mitch excused himself and left them to talk.

"You okay?" He held her face in his hand.

Her bottom lip wobbled. "I'm the worst best friend ever."

"No you're not." He kissed her head and pulled her on top of him, hugging her.

"Yes I am." She fisted his shirt with her hand. "He's hurting so bad right now and there's nothing I can do. I never even knew that he ever liked me as more than a friend. He's my family." She paused. "I don't have a big family, I can't lose anyone else."

His heart ached a little for her. "You haven't lost him. You're family and family doesn't turn their back on family."

She nodded. "I want to call Mikey, can we go home?"

"Of course." He kissed her forehead before releasing her. She rolled off of him and stood next to the bed, just holding his hand for a second.

Her face was still dry but he could see the restraint crumbling in her eyes. And he could also see the composure she was trying to hold onto. Her eyes locked up and her body tensed. He couldn't tell if that was something she learned as a child or because she was a doctor. Either way he wished she wouldn't have to do it.

"Come on." He tugged at her hand. "It'll all be okay."

She gave him a small, tight lipped smile.

"Jasper drove me here, can you take me home?"

"I was planning on it." He led her to his car.

"He told me he didn't want to see me for a while." She gripped his hand tighter as they walked. "And I told him that would probably be best but Thanksgiving is in a month and I don't even remember a Thanksgiving I've spent away from him."

"Too much space and you'd never be able to repair anything. Send him a text in three weeks, let him know you're still counting on him to come up. Those feelings have always been there, it's weird to think about, but the only thing that's changed is that you know now."

"But that's a big change." He opened the door for her before getting in on his side.

"Only if you make it." He pulled out. "I know it's hard to look past but you love him too and you don't see that as weird just like he doesn't see the way he loves you as weird."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"I am." He nodded. "Louis thought he was in love with me when we were kids. And I knew all along and was too afraid to ever say anything. It would have been easier if I just had. I love him like a brother and he loves me like a brother, it was just a little unclear for him at the beginning."

"And it wasn't weird?"

"It was, but only as much as we allowed it. We worked through it and now neither of us hardly remembers."

"He told me he's loved me since we were 11, that's 14 years now, how do you just forget that."

"Time heals all wounds. Do you think of your dad often?"

" I guess not. "

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Living in the present is hard enough, don't make it even harder by living in the past."

" I'm not, I'm worrying about the future. "

"If you live well in the present there is nothing to worry about in the future."

" Easier said than done. "

"Such is life." He pulled into a parking spot. "I love you, that's a constant. Your whole world didn't just suddenly change. You're still the best doctor ever. The most beautiful woman to ever grace the planet. Your brother still works for the FBI. And you're still best friends with Jasper."

Her eyes started watering. "Are you sure you have no experience as a real boyfriend?"

He grinned. "Positive, it's just really easy to love you."

She put her hands on her face. "Stop, I feel like I'm going to explode with warmth right now."

" Good. " He leaned across the consul to kiss her. "That's my job."

She kissed him back. "I'll talk to Mike tomorrow, I just want to go to sleep."

"Next to me?"

"No place I'd rather be."

She ran out of the car as he chased her, laughing freely. God he was in love. And as his arms wrapped around her he thought he could die a happy man.

Harry had never got out of the airport as quickly as he did today. It had been a few days since he had seen Y/N and he honestly thought he was going to go crazy if he didn't see her soon.

The only problem was she was in the middle of a 12 hour shift at the hospital. He figured it was as good enough time for coffee as any. It was almost ten at night so he figured it wouldn't be too busy.

One quick stop at Starbucks and then he was at the hospital. He called Y/N as he walked to the

"Hey babe! Did you land?"

"Yeah and I really want to see you."

"I'll be off in a couple of hours."

" Or you could just let me in. "

"Oh, thank God." She gave a little laugh. "I'm on my way down."

He grinned. "Good, I forgot my cigarettes, I wouldn't know what to do while I waited for your shift to finish."

"You would have gone home and gone to bed, I would have met you there and you would have woken up to me probably laying on top of you."

"You can still do that after I leave."

He heard her laugh before she hung up. The door opened and than he was hugging her to his body.

"I missed you." She mumbled into his shoulder.

" I missed you too. " he pulled back. "and I brought you coffee."

She kissed him. "I love you."

He smiled. "Love you too."

"Now come on." She pulled him inside and up to the Emergency Room floor. "How was your meeting?"

"Alright," He shrugged. "I spend too much time missing you to enjoy myself."

"Maybe I can go with you one time." She gave him a smile. "And I talked to Mike about Christmas, he's actually off for the week and I was wondering if you'd be opposed to him coming."

Harry shook his head. " Of course not."

She let out a breath of relief. "Good, cause I already told him he was invited.

" What would you have said if I told you no? " He laughed.

"I'd make you change your mind." There was a glint in her eyes that made Harry's insides tingle.

"Now I wish I would have said no."

"Or we could just celebrate."

Harry groaned. "How much longer is your shift?"

"Four hours." She held up four fingers. " And then I'm all yours. "

"Good." They reached the door to the staff room.

He followed her in to find it not empty for once. There were two girls sitting at a table next to an empty chair he assumed Y/N had just vacated. A guy was passed out on one of the beds and there was a couple in the corner exchanging kisses and laughs.

Y/N led him to the table and took her seat, motioning for him to take the one next to her.

"So this is the famous Harry." One of the girls gave him a knowing smirk.

"I hope I'm the only one."

"Please." The other girl snorted. "We're almost too busy to have one guy in our lives, let alone a secret one."

Both Y/N and the other girl hummed in agreement. Harry didn't know if he was pleased by that information or not.

"So I do have to admit I am quite the fan."

"IWell it’s always nic to meet a fan, you guys are the reason I am who I am."

"I have always been a Harry girl from the very beginning."

"Thanks."

He felt a little uncomfortable, he hadn't been flirted with, even fake flirting, in a long time. Normally he just told everyone he had a girlfriend and they backed off. And it was extra weird that he was sitting next to Y/N who he wished was flirting with him instead.

"Granted Y/N been too." One of them winked at her.

"Oh, shut up." Y/N rolled her eyes. 

"Oh really?." Harry could see the color rising to her face "That's news to me."

“Yeah whatever.” Y/N nodded and took a sip out of her coffee. "The more I hang out with Harry the more I come to know what an asshole he is, he's just not one with me. It was all just a teenage fantasy"

Harry laughed. "What can I say, you make me crazy."

She rolled her eyes. "I just keep you around cause you bring me coffee and make sure I shower before I get to bed."

Harry shrugged, "I'm cool with that."

Y/N smiled over her coffee at him and her leg found his leg under the table.

"You don't seem like an asshole." One of the girls commented.

Harry shrugged. "It's hard to be one around Y/N, she makes me happy."

"Alright, that's enough sap for one day." Y/N stood up. "I'll walk you back."

Harry whined but got up anyway. He followed her into the hallway.

"But babe! I'm going to have to wait another three hours before I see you again."

She rolled her eyes. "You'll live."

He pulled her into him, stopping in the hallway. "I don't think I will."

"If I can do it, you can do it."

"But you're so much stronger than me." He kissed her. "I can't sleep when I'm not next to you. I can't breathe properly when you're not around. I worry about you constantly, whether you're doing okay or if your job is stressing you and I'm not there to comfort you."

"I miss you when you're gone, too. I like working long shifts so I can't spend as much time missing you."

"I love you." he kissed her forehead. "I'll be at my place waiting for you to get off."

"Okay, I'll see if I can leave a little early." She let go of him. "I love you too."

"Bye." He leaned in for one last kiss. "Save lives."

She smiled up at him. "As long as you keep saving mine."

"Always will babe." He watched as she walked back to the room, stopping to send him a kiss when she got to the door. He caught it and then left himself, happy now that he had seen her.

__________________________________________________

Harry ran to the door when he heard the knock. Y/N and Jasper were here. With the turkey.

"Babe." He greeted her, reaching out to grab the stuff in her hands and give her a quick peck on the lips. "Hey Jasper." He nodded over to him.

They had made up over the last week. They both apologized and things were still a little strained but Y/N didn't want to let too much time go between them.

Jasper gave Harry a nod in acknowledgement before following Y/N inside. Harry shut the door behind them before making his way to the kitchen and dropping everything off. Drake and Gemma were on the couch in the living room. Sarah was passed out on the chair, tired from the baby, and Mitch was working on some music at the coffee table.

Gemma got up to hug Y/N and introduce herself to Jasper. Harry watched from the doorway, a happiness in his heart that had not been there last year. Even if Drake still stunk up the room with his presence.

Mitch tucked his papers away, hugging Y/N and shaking Jasper's hand. They let Sarah sleep as they all introduced themselves and got to know one another. Harry set the table and finished cooking the ham. Y/N had already cut the turkey, separated the meat, and put it on plates. He cut the ham and warmed the mashed potatoes up. He honestly liked Bob Evans mashed potatoes better than homemade ones.

"Need help?" Jasper asked from the doorway.

Harry shrugged. "I was just about done, you can set the table if you want."

"Thanks for doing this for Y/N." Jasper told him quietly. "She'll never admit it but she really misses her big family togethers for the holidays."

Harry nodded. "Thanks for coming, she would have hated this if you weren't here."

" I'm sorry for being so immature about this. " he sighed as he set the table. "We don't spend nearly as much time together anymore, my feelings faded a long time ago. It was just seeing you, being your perfect self, with something that I had always thought I wanted but could never have, which made me so angry."

Harry nodded. "I didn't mean to make things uncomfortable for you. I know you've known her whole life and I've only recently come into her life but I don't plan on leaving anytime soon, hopefully ever, and I'd like us to get along."

Jasper didn't say anything. Just looked at him. And then he nodded and stuck his hand out. "Okay."

Harry shook it, nodding his own head.

"You guys okay in here?" Y/N walked through the door frame, pausing as she saw the two of them shaking hands.

"Perfect." Harry crossed over to her and kissed her forehead. "Now let's eat."

She laughed, her hand finding his and she dragged him to the living room.

"Food's ready." She announced it to them.

Mitch nodded, waking Sarah up. Drake and Gemma followed them to the kitchen where Jasper was waiting. Mitch came in with Sarah trailing him, looking tired but still happy.

"Jasper and I normally say what were thankful for, is that okay with you guys?" Y/N asked. They nodded and she grabbed Jasper's hand who grabbed Gemma's. Mitch and Drake reluctantly grabbed each other's hands. Sarah took Harry's.

"For friends, old ones and new." Y/N started.

"For another great year." Jasper continued.

"For getting my brother back." Gemma looked down.

"For forgiveness." Drake squeezed Gemma's hand.

"For my family." Mitch gave Harry a small smile.

"For our health." Sarah winked at Y/N.

"For Y/N, who brought us all together." Harry leaned over to kiss her temple.

She laughed. "Alright, let's dig in."

They all let go of each other's hands and grabbed plates instead. When they all finished loading their plates they made their way to the table.

"Are you coming to the cabin with us for Christmas?" Gemma asked Y/N when they were all seated.

She nodded. "So is my brother."

Gemma smiled. "Good, Harry would be miserable without you."

She laughed. "So would I."

"See, I'm not the only love sick fool here." He leaned over to place a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Stop it." She pushed his face away from her. "I just wish Jasper could come, he's going to his mom's house though."

They continued chatting until Gemma finished her turkey. "Do we have pie?"

Harry nodded. "Patience, we're not all as fast of eaters as you."

She glared at him. "You've got to eat fast so it doesn't catch up to your stomach."

Drake rolled his eyes. "Maybe that's why you should eat slowly."

"Are you calling me fat?" She turned to him, her hair hitting Jasper next to her.

"What?" His mouth opened. "No, I just meant you're going to feel so sick later.

" Sure. " she pursed her lips.

Harry had to hide his laugh in his napkin. For once Drake wasn't being a piece of shit and for once Gemma was calling him out.

"I wasn't." He protested. " you're the furthest thing from being fat. "

"Oh, so now I'm too skinny."

Y/N pushed her laugh into his shoulder.

"Oh my God, we are not doing this right now." Drake went back to his ham.

Mitch was trying to hide his grin by eating another piece of Turkey and Sarah started coughing in her napkin. Jasper looked thoroughly confused.

"I'll go cut the pie." Gemma stormed into the kitchen, a frustrated Drake following her.

Harry hesitated a second before joining them. They hated leaving her alone with him.

"What just happened?" Jasper asked.

"Drake is a bastard, normally she just accepts it. For once he wasn't being an asshole and she flew off the handle." Mitch explained.

" Yeah, I don't like the vibe I get from him. "

"That's because he's a piece of shit." Sarah raised her glass to Y/N's words.

"Amen."

"I'm ready for my pie." Y/N leaned back and rubbed her stomach.

Harry laughed. Walking back out to them" You look like it. "

She turned to him, her face in mock indignation. "Are you calling me fat?"

"Yep." He rubbed her non-existent belly. "All 115 pounds of you."

She laughed, smacking his arm. "Shut up, I'm short."

"I know Angel."

Gemma walked back in with new plates, a frustrated Drake following her, no pie in sight.

"Where's the pie?" Y/N teased.

"Shit." Gemma ran back to the kitchen.

"Was she in charge of the pie?" Sarah asked. Mitch nodded. "Please tell me it was store bought."

Drake answered before Mitch could. "I made sure it was."

"Why?" Jasper asked.

" Gemma's a shit cook. Drake answered, unaware of Gemma's reappearance.

"Oh, tell us how you really feel." She hissed.

" Shit, sorry. " Drake cringed. "I just meant that your talents lie elsewhere."

She pursed her lips. "Oh yeah, and where would those be?"

Mitch cut through them. "Argue on your own time, we all know Gemma's a shot cook and that Drake's a piece of shit, I want my pie."

"Amen." Sarah answered.

Y/N snorted into her napkin while Jasper looked down to hide his smile. Harry was too late. His stomach hurt from how much laughter he unleashed. And then everyone else joined in, except for Drake who looked really out of place.

He had gone home and honest to God walked into a door he had been so out of. Jeff wasn't happy when he walked in on Friday with a bruised cheekbone. But makeup had fixed it right up and he was as good as new.

Well not exactly. He was so out of it during dinner. Luckily Mitch covered for him saying that he had been up all night working on a new song, which was a complete oie and then he had to come up with a new song idea on the spot. It wasn’t his best idea but he did jot it down for later. The only problem was that he had to go back to his house when he was done, knowing he wasn't going to see her for another 24 hours.

Texting had been at an all time high. She wasn't at work but he knew she was enjoying the time she had by herself. As much as he wanted to see her he didn't want to suffocate her. He had nothing but free time the last month and a half, a luxury she didn't have. He'd give her her space until she gave him the clear to come over.

And it didn't help that Gemma gave him strange looks every time he let out a laugh at his phone. He knew he looked like a lunatic, grinning the way he was, he just couldn't care less.

"Harry, if you smile any wider your face is going to break." Gemma finally broke the silence, a smirk visible in her voice.

Harry showed her his favorite finger, not looking up from his phone.

Gemma had to admit he certainly looked happier. Even when he wasn't smiling there wasn't the normal scowl etched on his face. He looked lighter than he had in years, really since he had auditioned for the X-Factor.

"Speaking of." Harry looked up for the first time in hours. "I'm heading over there so I'll see you tomorrow."

"I thought you weren't going over until tomorrow?" Gemma asked him.

"She offered on Thursday." He got up, walking to his room. "And we both sleep better when we're together." He shrugged.

He grabbed the bag sitting on his bed. It had been packed since he woke up, ready to go whenever she said she was ready.

"Alright, I'll be back tomorrow." He stood overlooking the room. "Yeah." Harry said distractedly, Y/N had texted him again. "Bye." He called over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

He heard Gemma call back, telling him to say hi to Y/N for her. Something that made him ridiculously happy.

She had told him to pick up dinner on his way. It was 6 o'clock and she was starving. And just like always he could eat.

So here he was, standing at her door with a pizza in one hand and flowers in his other. She opened the door in her pajamas, a pair of soft shorts and a t-shirt.

"Hey you." He smiled down at her.

"Hi." She took a step forward to kiss him. Needless to say he no longer regretted kissing her. "Hungry?"

"Always." He followed her in, setting the pizza on the counter and handing her the flowers.

"They're so pretty." She smiled widely as she took them, smelling them. "Thank you."

He kissed her head. "What's the plan for tonight?"

"Netflix and food." She smiled over at him as she put the flowers in a vase.

"Sounds perfect." He grabbed two cans of pop from the fridge and set them on the table. "We should start a show."

"What show?" She asked, grabbing plates from the pantry.

"I don't know." He shrugged, opening the pizza and putting some on his plate. She did the same before following her to the couch.

He sat in one corner of the couch while she sat in the other. That would have to change later. Their legs overlapped in the middle and he wondered why he ever thought fucking strangers was a good idea.

"It's got to be something neither of us have watched before." She took a bite of her pizza, moaning and making a face that would haunt his dreams. "The Following?"

He nodded. "Mitch loves that show, I've been meaning to watch it."

"Sounds like a plan." She dusted her hands off on her now empty plate and grabbed a remote.

By the time he was done with his four pieces it was up and ready to go. The lights were off and she was walking back to the couch with a large fluffy blanket.

"Come here." He opened his arms. "You're sitting too far away."

She smiled, flopping down between his legs so she was laying on his chest. "Agreed."

He spread the blanket over them, making sure it didn't cover her face, and then wrapped his arms around her.

"How are you so comfortable?" She asked into his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm laying on your abs and I feel like I'm laying on a pillow. That's scientifically impossible."

Harry laughed. "I don't know, love. I've never laid on abs before."

They laid like that for hours. His hand rubbing rhythmic circles on her hip. Her fingers tapping on his chest. He never wanted to move.

Y/N's fingers stilled and he looked down to see her sleeping, eyes closed and breathing even. He studied her freckles. Her nose and cheeks were coated with them. The top of her forehead had really light ones and there were light scattered patches across her face. His favorite was the heart shaped one below her eye.

He gently touched it. She unconsciously snuggled her head in his hand and he couldn't help but grin. She was too cute.

It wasn't too long before he drifted off himself. Arms around her, hands back at her sides. Her legs were curled up and feet tucked in the couch. The blanket was keeping them warm and he was so content with the light of the t.v. and the lack of fan didn't even bother him.

And when he woke up he felt a warmness wash over him. His arms were still around her but they had turned so they were lying on their sides, facing each other, with Y/N in between him and the couch. She was still out cold, fingers and legs now intertwined with him.

He couldn't find himself to move. so he laid there, memorizing her face and the facial expressions she made while she slept.

It wasn't much longer until her nose was scrunching slightly and then her eyes were blinking despite being closed. He moved a hand to rub her cheek bone, ready to see her beautiful green eyes. They blinked slowly up at him and then her lips curved into a smile.

"Good morning." She leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed her back, long and sweet.

"Morning." He pulled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You have morning breath." She told him and buried her head into his neck.

"So do you love." He buried his face in her curls.

She laughed, pushing him so he was back on his back, her laying on top of him.

"We've got like three hours before Mikey comes, what do you want to do?" He asked, rubbing circles on his back.

"Go grocery shopping?" She asked with a cheeky smile.

"Depends." He leaned in real close. "What do I get out of it?"

She grinned and before he could kiss her she climbed off of him.

"I'll show you." She gave him a hand to help him up. He took it and she led him to her bathroom.

"Isn't it a little to early in this relationship for shower sex?" He asked, only half teasing.

She swatted him on the chest. "I got you a toothbrush."

His heart skipped a beat. Somehow he preferred this over the shower sex.

"Thank you." He kissed her head, touched. "Now let's put them to good use so I can kiss you properly."

She laughed, grabbing her toothbrush. He copied her wondering how even something so tedious could entertain him.

"Ready to go?" He asked when she joined him at the front door. A pair of athletic shorts on and an old crewneck.

"Yeah." She pushed her feet into a pair of flip flops. "Are you?"

"Anything for you." He held open the door for her with a smile.

She went through it, sending him a smile of her own. He held her hand on the way to the car. And then while he drove. And as they walked into the store. And as they pushed around the cart. And as she refused to let him pay for her groceries, she was a doctor for goodness sake. And all the way back to the apartment, even though it doubled the amount of trips they had to take. And he finally let go when they were back on the couch and she was sitting with her feet in his lap.

There was a knock on the door and she grinned widely as she hurried to the door.

"Mikey!" He heard as he made his way to the door.

"Y/N! I missed you!"

He saw his girl being engulfed by a large dude with blonde hair so light it was almost white. He wondered if that's what they looked like.

"I missed you too." She leaned back and grabbed Harry's hand. "This is Harry, Harry this is Mike."

Michael grinned at him and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." And he meant it. He had half thought he was going to get shot when they met.

"What are we eating?" Michael asked as he made his way to the kitchen.

Y/N shrugged. "We just went shopping so whatever really."

"I don't care what we eat." Michael plopped down at the island. "I've just missed your cooking."

Harry laughed, hopping on the counter next to the sink. Y/N rolled her eyes and leaned on his leg. His hand unconsciously went to her back and started rubbing in circles.

"Quesadillas? Tacos? Pasta? Chicken Divine? Or Pepperoni Bread? Your pick." Y/N told him.

Mike groaned. "But I love quesadillas and pepperoni bread equally."

Y/N rolled her eyes. "It's up to you than Harry."

"What? No! You're the one with the leftovers, what would you rather have?"

"I don't care, what would you rather have?"

Harry sighed, thinking. "Quesadillas."

"Now was that so hard?" She teased and leaned off of him, going to the cupboard.

Mike laughed. "Jeez Y/N, don't have to be so harsh."

Harry didn't mind. He liked how quick her tongue was and how much she teased him, even though he shouldn't. It was a giant turn on.

Y/N shrugged. "He teases me too. It's a symbiotic relationship."

Mike rolled his eyes. "That's healthy."

Y/N scoffed, grabbing the chicken from the freezer. "You and Marie have been in a beneficial relationship for three years with a rule that you can't see anyone else and you still won't ask her out. Really healthy."

Harry bit his lip to stop from laughing.

"We're just friends." Michael rolled his eyes before adding, "Who like to see each other naked," when Y/N looked at him.

"Wow." She dumped the chicken in a skillet on the stove. "Really healthy."

"Oh, shut up." Michael was grinning now.

Y/N was smiling as she turned on the maker. "It's a good thing you chose quesadillas, pepperoni bread takes hours, I forgot about all the prep work."

Harry shrugged. "What can I say, I'm a genius."

Michael's phone rang and he excused himself. Harry took advantage of his absence by kissing her, still sitting on the counter.

"He's a lot cooler than I thought he’d be." Harry told her as she pulled her lips away from him, not moving from where she was leaning.

" He knows I can take care of myself. " she shrugged. "It's only dangerous if you hurt me."

Harry grinned. "Noted." He didn't plan on it.

She grinned up at him, kissing him once more before turning her attention back to the chicken. Harry watched her. It was unfair how he found everything she did so attractive.

"Sorry about that." Michael came back into the room, sliding into a seat at the island. "I might have to leave a little earlier than I expected."

He didn't look very happy which was probably why Y/N only pursed her lips at that.

"Want to set the table for me?" She asked him instead, putting the chicken and cheese on their shells and then putting them in the machine. She had it down to a science.

"Sure." He slid out of his chair and grabbed the plates from the cupboard. Harry helped him, grabbing three cups from another cupboard.

"What do you guys want?" He asked opening the fridge.

"Water's fine with me." Mike called from the dining room.

"Same." Y/N took the quesadilla off and put a new one on, cutting the first one.

Harry poured three cups and took them to the table where Michael was putting out napkins and chips.

"She must really like you." Michael said to him.

"I hope so."

"Anyone want sour cream or lettuce?" Y/N walked in with three plates in her hands.

Harry shook his head as Mike nodded. She put the plates down and then went back to the kitchen.

"I wouldn't be meeting you if she didn't."

"Have you met a lot?"

"You're the first." Mike grinned at him.

Harry's mouth opened a little in surprise.

"Are you guys ready to eat?" Y/N walked in carrying lettuce, sour cream, and a plate of lemons. She really liked water with lemon.

Harry really wished Mike wasn't there so he could take her in his arms and kiss her until neither of them remembered what day it was.

"Yeah." Mike smirked a little, knowing the bomb he just dropped.

Harry nodded, sliding into a chair and trying his best to rearrange his face. He knew that he had completely dropped his walls and his desire for her had just been written undeniably on his face.

"You alright?" Y/N asked him, looking worried.

"Yeah." Harry smiled at her. And she smiled back.

And that's how they spent the next three hours. Sitting at the table and talking. Harry learned that Mike was actually a huge softie who liked to spend his free time working on projects in his barn, watching Netflix, and having casual hookups with the same girl whenever he could.

And Michael really liked Harry. There was just something in the way he looked at his sister. Like she hung the moon. And as gross as it was, he wanted someone to treat her right. And Harry seemed to do just that. He washed the dishes, scooped her ice cream, held the door open for her, and made her laugh constantly.

"Bye Y/N." Mike reached down to hug his baby sister. "I'll try to see you as soon as I can."

"Bye big brother." She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him. "Me too. I'm only a phone call away."

She let go of him and Mike turned to Harry.

"It was nice meeting you." He shook his hand. "Take good care of my sister."

"I will." Harry grinned, wrapping his arm around Y/N as they watched the door close behind him.

"Come on." Y/N tugged his hand. "I want to watch some Once Upon a Time."

Harry laughed. "What happened to the Following?"

Y/N shrugged. "I changed my mind."

Harry couldn't find it in himself to protest. Even when he looked at the clock to see it was 5 hours later and he had no idea what was going on in the show. Because when he looked down a beautiful woman was laying in his arms, eyes locked on the t.v. She really deserved a break. And he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying the show. But it was mostly the content look in her eyes that made him sit there in silence, stealing a kiss here and there.

___________________________________________________________________

"Happy Birthday, baby!" Harry wrapped his arms around Y/N, kissing her head as she laughed.

"Thanks." She was still in her scrubs, having just finished an 8 hour shift at the hospital. She looked tired but happy as she leaned in for a kiss. He had been waiting at her apartment for her to get home, she had never gotten that key back. Flowers were in a vase on the table and a present was waiting to be wrapped in the living room.

"Go change." He told her, letting her go. "I can only imagine how hungry you are."

"Starving." She smiled over her shoulder as she walked to her room.

He walked to her living room where he had been wrapping her present when she got here. He had spent a long time trying to figure out what to get her. He had only known her for about two and half months now and they had only been together for a month but he felt like he had known her for his whole life.

They hadn't seen much of each other since they had dinner with Mike. He had been in New York for a week, recording. And she was always busy. Except for Tuesday's. And he made sure he was always free to spend the day with her. Even planned his trip around it. Never had meetings or studio sessions that day. It was his one guaranteed day with her. No if and or buts.

The first Tuesday they had gone shopping on Hollywood Boulevard, with Gemma. It had been fun although he was sure it didn't help Y/N feel anymore rested. But she had been happy so he had been too.

The second was after his week in New York and he had gone to her place and they had lounged around all day, napping and watching the following. She had already finished Once Upon a Time. And then he had taken her out to dinner because he had never taken her on a date before. She had told him she liked to dress up, a change of scenery from her scrubs. He decided he liked when she dressed up  too after that. She had even let him help her out of it.

The third Tuesday was spent with Mitch and Sarah at Harry's apartment. Much to their dismay Gemma had gone back home the past Friday. Drake had called her and demanded she return before he came up to get her. She had been with them for a month and they knew she wasn't ready to leave yet. She just wasn't ready to leave Drake yet. So she missed hanging out with them as they played games and sipped on their beers all day long. And Harry had found out what a hardcore Lakers fan Y/N was when they turned the game on.

And the day before her birthday had been a Tuesday. He had taken her to see Hamilton… on Broadway. She had loved it, as he predicted. And when they had gotten home she downloaded all the songs on Spotify and they had listened to them the whole plane ride back and talked, sitting together under a blanket and looking at the stars until she fell asleep. 

Her water had turned off already and he could hear her getting ready in her room. He knew he still had time. He was taking her somewhere nice and she had to get ready. Her music blasted through the house and he smiled to himself when Satisfied came on.

He finally wrapped the present a good twenty minutes later. He really sucked at wrapping. And he wanted it to look perfect. He had used a whole role and it wasn't even that big of a present.

"Harry!" He heard some ten minutes later. "Where are you?"

"In here." He yelled from the living room, putting his phone away.

"Harry." She scolded as she caught sight of the present. "I specifically told you not to get me anything."

"And I specifically didn't listen." He grinned. He couldn't see her yet. And then she was walking in front of the couch and climbing in with him.

Her hair was curled neatly and her eyes were surrounded by dark colors, making him lose himself in them. And she was wearing a long black dress with thin straps and a plunging neckline. A slit in the slide allowed her to wrap her leg around his black slack covered ones as she hugged him.

"You're too good to me."

"You're way too good for me" He kissed her head. "But I'm cool with it."

She laughed, her hand fisting his shirt.

"Now open your gift." He nudged her.

She groaned, her head falling on his shoulder, before pushing herself off of him and grabbing the box from the coffee table. He sat up with her so he could see her reaction.

She ripped the paper and slid the box out. She popped the lid open and pulled out the tissue paper. A teddy bear's head popped out and she looked at him with a smile.

"You're so cute." She leaned in and rubbed her nose with his. And he totally did not blush.

"Pull it out." He encouraged her.

She pulled it out, grabbing the picture frame as it almost fell. It was a picture from game night with Mitch and Sarah. Her on his lap with a big smile. He was squeezing her to him with the same smile. He had to admit. They were cute.

Y/N wasn't looking at the picture anymore. She had found the necklace around the bear. An elephant with a grain of rice in it. The elephant magnified the rice and you could see her name written on it.

She unclasped the necklace from the bear and handed it to him, turning around so he could put it on for her. He did, brushing her hair to the side and hooking it. He placed a kiss to the back of her neck before letting the hair fall back.

"Thank you." She turned around and kissed him, nice and slow. He took her face in his hand and used his other hand to press her closer. And that's how they stayed until she pulled away, holding his hand with hers.

"Come on." He kissed her one more time. "You're starving."

She smiled at him and he felt like he was going to explode. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He kissed her again.

"If you keep kissing me." She kissed him. "We're never," again, "going to," another one, "get out of here."

"Then stop looking so irresistible." He countered, kissing her again for good measure.

She rolled her eyes, pushing off of him and the couch. He followed her, walking behind her as they headed to the door. She slipped on a pair of heels and grabbed his hand. He led her to the elevator that had finally been fixed. She was almost to his shoulders now and he missed how cute and little she was. But he couldn't find it in himself to mind too much. She still looked irresistible no matter what she wore.

He opened his door for her and helped her in. She grabbed his hand when he put the car in drive. He kissed her hand too.

"Nubo!" She exclaimed when she finally saw where he was pulling up to. It overlooked the water and he had to pull a lot of stings to get a reservation.

"Only the best for you." He helped her out of the car. She rolled her eyes with a smile. A smile that stayed on her face the whole time. And one that he reflected back at her. He couldn't remember a time where he ever felt happier.

Her eyes glazed over when they brought out a piece of cake. The crust was stacked with chocolate chips. Layers of different cakes made up the body. And luckily for him she decided to share with him too. He needed a distraction from the sweetness.

And when they were finally back in the car he couldn't help but look over at her and stare. She was leaning against the window, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. She was beautiful.

He almost crashed a few times, stealing glances at the beauty next to him. And when he finally pulled into her parking garage he thought he was going to have to carry her.

"Happy birthday." He told her again, not wanting to get out quite yet, watching as her eyes fluttered open a little. "I'm so glad I broke my hand." He leaned across the center console to kiss her temple.

"Me too." She grinned, taking said hand. "My life is better with you in it."

He was constantly being pleased beyond words. All he could do was smile so big it hurt and kiss her. So he did. Until one gave away to the other. This time it was the smile.

He brushed her nose with his and then kissed her forehead. "Come on." He leaned back and opened his door. "Let's get you to bed."

She grinned and opened her door. He helped her out of it, running around the car to get to her before she was done.

"Why thank you." She curtsied.

He bowed, taking her hand and walking her to her door.

"Are you not staying?" She asked, a frown on her face.

He kissed the crease in her forehead away. "Do you want me to?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course." She backpedaled. "I mean as long as you want to."

He rolled his eyes. "Stupid question."

She rolled her eyes again. "Right back at you."

He grinned, leaning in to kiss her. "Besides, who else is going to help you get out of that dress?"

She laughed, breaking the kiss and opening her door. "I'm sure I could find someone else."

He growled, teasingly. "Over my dead body."

She squealed as he picked her up, kicking his foot back and slamming the door shut and carrying her to her bedroom where he continued to show her just why it was him that got the privilege to help her out of her dress.

 __________________________________________________________________

Harry was not in a good mood. He was supposed to be home hours ago. At 4. It was almost 8. And normally he wouldn't have cared. But Y/N was off today and waiting at his apartment for him to get home to hang out with him. And he hadn't seen her in a couple of days and he really missed her.

Instead he was being barked at by photographer after photographer to pose this way and that. He was frustrated. And tired. And he just wanted Y/N.

And then he was done. And rushing to change and grab his stuff.

"Harry!" He heard one of the models he was working with yell.

He wanted to pretend he didn't hear them but he wasn't that rude.

"What." He called back. Not bothering to turn around. He supposed that was a little rude too.

"We're going out afterwards. Are you coming?"

"No, sorry." And then he was gone.

Twenty minutes later he pulled into his parking garage and then he was opening the door to his bedroom to see Y/N settled on his bed, the tv on.

"Hey babe." She greeted him with a smile.

" Hello. " He leaned over her to give her a kiss. "How was your day?"

" Good. " She stretched her arms up. "I just woke up from my nap."

He took advantage of her position and slid in next to her, wrapping an arm around her.

"I missed you." He muttered into her hair.

She hummed happily but didn't say anything.

"Are you hungry?" He finally asked her. He was starving.

"Yeah." She shrugged. " I could eat. "

"Want to go to that little cafe?" He asked her. He was craving some mozzarella sticks. And they made the best ones.

She nodded. "Just let me change first."

He lifted his arm so she could get up. He watched as she slid out of her t-shirt and shorts into a pair of jeans and a tank top. A tank top that exposed the top of her spine tattoo and reminded him that he still hadn't asked her about the one on her rib cage.

"Angel." He started as she sat back on the bed. "What's the tattoo on your rib mean?"

She pulled her shirt up and showed him it. "I lost a bet."

"What's it mean?"

"With a body like this, how can I not be confident?"

Harry let out a surprised laugh and touched it with his finger

"It's true though." He pulled her down on top of him. "You're the most beautiful person I have ever seen."

She turned red and buried her head in the crook of his neck. "Stop."

"But it's true." He curled a piece of hair around his finger. "And it's more than just skin deep." He paused. "I love you, Y/N."

She raised her head to look at him, the corner of her mouth upturned. "Why?"

He took her hand and intertwined their fingers. "You fixed me in more ways than I ever knew I needed fixing. You pulled me from a deep hole. A hole I wasn't even aware I was in. You made me want to do more than just survive. You made me want to thrive. I love you. I love you so much it physically hurts sometimes."

"I love you too." She leaned down to press a kiss to his lips.

"Why?"

"Because you make me feel like the patient and not the doctor. I forgot how good it felt to be taken care of by someone. You're the best person I ever met. I love you more than I ever thought I would and it's only been four months."

He felt a wetness on his cheek. And was surprised to find that it was from his eyes.

"I. Love. You. So. Fucking. Much." He finished every word with a searing kiss.

She laughed and kissed him once more. "Now come on, I'm starving."

He grinned up at her, pulling her down for one more kiss. "Mozzarella sticks here I come."

She laughed, climbing off of him and giving him her hand. "I'm in the mood for some now too."

He let go of her hand to shrug his jacket back on at the same time she pulled hers on before grabbing it again.

He grinned at her. "I love you."

She smiled up at him. "Love you too."

It felt so good to say. Like he had a better way to express his feelings for once. And he just wanted to shout it from the empire state building.

He opened his car door for her before getting in his side. She had the radio on before he had the car in reverse. And then she was jamming to the music that came blaring through the speakers.

He laughed at her, trying to keep his eyes on the road and albeit failing. She made everything look so goddamn irresistible.

When a commercial finally broke her jam session he turned it down and grabbed her hand.

"Do you ever get off for holidays?"

"Sometimes." She shrugged. " I've worked on and around Christmas the past three years so I'm due for some time off. Same for Thanksgiving. Why? "

"I'm just trying to think ahead." It was almost October. Which meant Thanksgiving was coming soon. Which meant Christmas was right around the corner. "We normally rent this cabin in the woods that we spend Christmas at.  I was wondering if you wanted to come? As long as you don't have your own Christmas traditions of course." He rambled.

"Mike doesn't get a lot of vacation time, believe it or not." She grinned over at him. " And mom and stepdad have kids of their own, I try to let them be their own family. "

Harry looked at her sharply. "You are their family."

She rolled her eyes. "No, Mike's my family. My dad's dead and my mom's moved on, all we do is remind her of what her life used to be like. Terrible."

Harry pulled into the parking spot and turned to look her in the eye. He was trying to gauge how she was truly feeling. Her walls were up.

"Like you said, Mike doesn't get a lot of vacation time, how's that fair that your mom gets to have a family now and you don't."

Y/N rolled her eyes. "I'm not a little kid anymore. And even then it was always Mike I went crying for help too. I see mom for lunch dates and the occasional holiday. She has her own family now." She bit her lip. "Besides, I have you now. And you make me feel more at home than they have in a long time."

Harry closed his eyes for a second. She had a way of making his stomach drop and his heart soar all at the same time.

"I like that you feel that way about me but what happens when I do something stupid and you need to talk to someone about it and you can't come to me. And you don't want to go to Mike because you like having a breathing boyfriend."

She looked at him like he was stupid. "If we're having an argument you're the only one  that I am talking to about it. It's between you and me and that's the way it's going to stay. I'm all for ranting about annoying things but if we're in a legitimate argument we're handling it. That's how relationships end, when other people get involved."

He blinked. She had a point. "Okay, but she's still your mom."

"But she's other people's mom now, too. I'm old enough to take care of myself, they're not. I've got a great job and a bunch of money from my dad that they don't have. I have Mike and Jasper. I'm not 8 anymore."

He shook his head , letting it go. "Alright, I don't feel like fighting with you on this, let's eat."

She nodded, her eyes beginning to open up again.

They were barely one step in when he heard his name. He gripped her hand and turned to see a group of models he worked with that day waving him over to where they were sitting.

"I'll get us a table." Y/N let go of his hand.

Before he could protest she was talking to the hostess and nudging him in their direction.

"Harry!" One of the guys whose name he did not know started talking. " Is she why you bailed? "

"I didn't bail." Harry rolled his eyes. "That would require me having the intention to go with you guys. "

"Sheesh man." The guy had a funny look on his face. "Why so touchy? Trouble in paradise?"

Harry's eyes flicked over to where Y/N was sitting, laughing with the waitress. His lips turned up.

"Nope." He looked back at the dude. "Perfect as always."

He turned before they could say anything else and called "later" over his shoulder as he made his way back to Y/N.

He slid across from her and smiled up at the waitress who was waiting for him to give her his drink. The waitress did it all with a smile and he couldn't help but look at Y/N. She had a way of putting everyone in a great mood.

"I'll be right back with your drinks and to take your order." She walked away and Harry turned to Y/N.

He groaned. "It's bad enough that I spent the day with them today, I was hoping I never had to see them again."

She laughed, looking over at them. He looked with her to see them all staring over at him. And her. He resisted the urge to punch them in the face and turned back to Y/N. Her attention was already back on him.

"I must say, you're definitely the most handsome one."

He grinned. "And you're much better looking than me so what does that say of you."

"Then we're both dating someone out of our league."

He laughed, grabbing her hand. "I'm definitely okay with it."

She smiled back. "Me too."