#mafia!harry

“Styles!” Harry’s head turns so he can see Danny, a cheerful young man that just so happens to be one of his favorite guards slipping a bright yellow envelope through one of the bars of his cell. “When did you start getting mail? Lenny said this is your second letter.” Harry rolls his eyes at the mention of the miserable man Harry has the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with a few times a week. “Said something about you-” Harry letting out a loud scoff has Danny snapping his mouth shut, knowing that the last thing he wants to do is get Harry agitated.

“I don’t give a single fuck what Lenny said-he’s a waste of breathable air.” Danny laughs as Harry gets up from his spot on his bed and walks over to grab his letter. “To answer your question I started getting mail about a week and a half ago.” He answers as his eyes scan the front of the envelope he holds back a smile, not wanting to give any indication that whoever it is that’s writing him is of any importance because even though he likes Danny he’s still a guard and guards have been known to use things like withholding mail from inmates as a form of punishment.

“Do you know anything about an inmate penpal thing?” Harry asks trying to move the focus away from Danny wanting to possibly know more about the person that sent him a letter in a brightly colored envelope with a sunflower stamp in the corner and more towards trying to help him figure out how he even started getting mail in the first place.

“Oh yeah we offer that for the ones doin serous time I think you gotta be doing over like five years or something like that to make it into that program.” Danny explains making Harry just nod his head, when he looks over he sees Danny quirking a brow at him and that’s when Harry knows the cogs in the guard’s brain are turning and he’s understanding why Harry asked such a random question. “Is that what this is? You got into the penpal program?” He asks as he motions towards the letter in Harry’s hand.

“I seem to have somehow managed to end up on some sort of list and now yes-someone is writing me.” He answers, Harry’s eyes watch Danny’s face for any signs that he might use the little bit of information he just got about Harry against him but to Harry’s surprise the man just smiles and lets out a laugh.

“Good for you-it’s nice to have a friend or whatever on the outside and since someone picked you that means you’re taken off the list…can’t have one inmate getting all the penpals ya know?”

“How did I even end up on the list in the first place?”

“Beats me-it’s all done on the computer now so someone probably just entered the wrong number.” This doesn’t sit well with Harry because in his business things like this don’t just accidentally happen and there’s no such thing as coincidences. “Do they know you’re gettin out soon?”

“I would think so since they knew my charges-wouldn’t it also list my pending release date?” Harry questions as he looks down at the yellow envelope suddenly worried that the girl who seems to have an array of brightly colored envelopes might not know he’s due to walk out of this prison as a free man in just three months.

“Yeah they list it all I think it would even have your uhm…family connections listed under your charges as well.”

This has Harry feeling only partially better because there’s no way his Goldie didn’t read everything under his mug shot so she has to know he’s getting out soon, but that thought also causes a sinking feeling deep in his chest because that would mean she might have an idea of the kind of man he is. Not that he’s necessarily a bad guy but he has been known to lean more towards ruthless and borderline cruel than compassionate and forgiving but that’s only when he’s pushed well past his threshold of patience for dealing with idiotic business owners and greedy members of certain families.

“You mean alleged family connections.” Harry says with a tone that’s not completely playful, it has an edge to it that makes the guard let out a nervous laugh.

“Right yeah yeah alleged…of course.” The man fumbles over his words as Harry looks at him through the bars, the intensity of the stare has Danny swallowing thickly and taking a small step backwards making Harry’s mouth quirk upward into a smug looking smirk.

“Run along now Danny I’ve got things to do.” Harry doesn’t even wait to see if the guard does as he says before he’s turning around and walking back over to his bed.

He sits down next to his pillow, the envelope in his hands and for a moment Harry debates on opening it and reading what he knows is going to be a few pieces of paper’s worth of pretty swirling handwriting telling him more silly facts and stories. As his eyes roam over the sunflower stamp he comes to the understanding that if he opens this letter it’s officially the start of something that he won’t have full control over because he can’t make sure Goldie keeps the letters to herself, he can’t keep a detailed eye on her at all times because Zayn has other duties he needs to perform and he can’t really guarantee her safety if someone on the ever growing list of people who hate Harry were to find out she’s even remotely important to him. But even with knowing all of this Harry just can’t help himself, he feels a strong urge that’s slowly turning into a burning need to get to know the bright eyed girl with the beautiful smile even more than he already does. So without wasting another minute trying to talk himself out of it, he gently pulls the paper from inside the envelope.

“Let’s see what random bits of information I get from you today Goldie.” He says with a smile as he places the brightly colored envelop next to him so he can reach under his pillow with his free hand and grab the Polaroid he finds himself looking at a few times a day and especially at night when he has trouble sleeping.

“Oh…we have a new ink color…interesting.” He mumbles to himself as he moves backwards on the bed so his back is up against the wall letting him get a bit more comfortable before reading the letter. “Here we go…” Harry whispers as he glances down at the photo in his hand before looking back over to pretty swirly writing on the page.

The smile on Harry’s face grows into a full blown grin as he reads over the letter a few more times so he can be sure to soak up all the bits of information she gave him, chuckling to himself at the story of how Tuna got his name because while it may be extremely random it also feels very authentically her and gives him more insight into how her mind works. His eyes take in the hand drawn color wheel and it’s as if he can perfectly picture her in his mind sitting there with markers scattered everywhere making sure it looks perfect and a smile on her face the whole time, the wholesomeness of the image is enough to make Harry feel a seed of worry beginning to sprout deep in his chest. He starts to get a sense that Goldie might just be too good of a person for him and that she would be better off in more ways than one not knowing him, but even those pesky and negative thoughts can’t seem to stop him from placing the letter on top of his pillow so he can reach over and grab a few empty sheets of paper and his pen.

“Let’s take things up a notch…see how much she knows about things.” He mumbles to himself as he starts to write, deciding that there’s really only one way to soothe his worries about if she knows anything about the kind of life he lives and that’s to subtly ask her questions that seem innocent enough that she’ll have no issue answering them. But the truth is these questions are actually somewhat important to Harry and will help him figure out how to move forward with her, hoping that he won’t have to end things before he feels they’ve even really began.

“No Niall you can’t use watercolors on a wooden surface it’ll just get absorbed by the wood-oh but maybe that can actually be really pretty?” Niall just shrugs as you look over at where he’s sitting at your coffee table in your living room with a paint brush in one hand and a wooden box in the other that you got him to hold all the recipe cards you give him when he mentions how much he likes something you made for dinner when he comes over during the week. “It might look a little faded but your kitchen is that light shade of blue and white so-oh it’ll look so perfect but please don’t forget to clean your brush off before dipping it into another color.” He just rolls his eyes as you take your spot on the loveseat across from where he’s sitting, he watches you get comfortable before you reach over to grab your little strawberry printed bag that holds all your sewing stuff in it and bring it over to your lap.

“M’not a child I know how to not make a mess of the paints.” He mumbles as he dips his brush into the jar of water you gave him after setting up his little painting station making sure to give him all the options of different types and colors of paint, something he knows you get an odd sense of joy doing because you like creating spaces for people to let out their creativity even if it is just him painting a wooden recipe box.

“I know you’re not a child but-oh did I tell you that Mr. Hill’s granddaughter is turning five and he asked me to make her-” The sound of the mail slot in your front door letting out a loud squeak before the soft fluttering of envelopes falling to the floor hits yours ears causing you to stop mid sentence. Niall looks up from his box that he unintentionally started painting a dark blue that won’t match a single thing in his kitchen at your sudden bout of silence and raises a brow when he sees your head turned to face the front door while you lean over the armrest of the loveseat trying to get a better glimpse of whatever it is the mailman just delivered causing your sewing bag to be squished between your lower tummy and the armrest.

Now if Niall knows one thing about you besides the fact that you enjoy talking about anything and everything you find even remotely interesting it’s that you can somehow turn any situation into a potentially dangerous one. So when he sees you leaning over the armrest even more without giving any attention to the bag that has lots of pointy needles sitting in your lap he gets the very familiar sinking feeling in his gut that tells him something not so good is about to happen if he doesn’t intervene. He drops his paintbrush and places his box on the paper towel you put down for him to protect your coffee table from any mishaps he might have while painting, but when he stands up so he can attempt to reach over and grab the bag from off your lap he hears you let out a small squeal before leaning back and sitting in your previous position on the loveseat.

“I’ve been stabbed.” You say softly with a small pout that has Niall letting out a low chuckle as he walks around the coffee table, glad that all you ended up with was a tiny poke with a sewing needle that he knows didn’t really do any damage because if it did you’d have tears in your eyes and a wobbly bottom lip.

“That’s because you’re too busy breaking your neck trying to see what just got dropped off in the mail you weirdo.” He jokes as he takes the bag from you and places it on the ground near your feet before turning to go grab the envelopes off the floor by your front door.

“You don’t even care that I’ve been stabbed? In my own house for that matter? That’s not very nice Niall and you-you know I don’t like name calling.” Niall laughs as he bends down and gathers the few pieces of mail from off the floor. “So like I was saying Mr. Hill asked if I could make his granddaughter’s crown for her princess themed birthday party and-oh I wonder which princess she’s gonna be? I’ve always like Ariel she had the neatest stuff I used to have a collection of shells I’d keep on my bookshelf.” You’re bent over digging through your sewing bag for the four leaf clover patch you’re meant to be sewing onto Amelia’s new tote bag that she wants to take with her on vacation so you don’t notice the way Niall is standing in the doorway of your living room with his face scrunched up in confusion while looking down at a bright white envelope in his hand.

“Does Amelia want me to embroider her name on her tote bag? I don’t mind adding it I think it’ll look really cute and-” You pause when you sit back up and finally look over at Niall who is taking a slow step into the living room, you follow his gaze down and when you see what he’s holding in his hand you all but leap up out of your seat and rush over and snatch the piece of mail out of his grasp. “Niall James Horan it is against the law to go through someone’s mail.”

“Did-is that a letter from…from a prison?” He asks as he follows you back into the living room, you roll your eyes as you tuck the letter into your sewing bag. "Who do you know that's in jail? Or do you do some sort of charity thing for them like-like crafts with criminals maybe?" You send him a glare as he walks back over to his spot in front of your couch so he can sit down and get back to painting his recipe box.

"I'm just going to add Amelia's name to her bag-I think she'll like it." Niall just shakes his head at your very obvious attempt to ignore his questions, not that he minds because honestly he isn't really sure what he read on the front of that envelope but he swears it was sent from some sort of detention center or penitentiary but part of him thinks he must've read it wrong because there's no reason you'd be getting a letter from someone behind bars.

"So Mr. H's granddaughter is gonna be a princess for her birthday? That'll be a fun party." He says going along with your change in conversation. You give him a grin as he picks up his paintbrush and dips it into the water before swirling it around in the blue paint, when he looks over at you he watches your eyes glance down at the letter in your sewing bag but he doesn't bring it up instead he just lets you sit back in your loveseat and get comfortable as you start to sew on the bright green patch to the front of the tote bag.

"I just love a good birthday party they are always so fun-you don't need to use so much water it's going to thin out the paint too much and you'll end up with just a soggy box with no color." You tell him making him just nod as he looks down at the very odd colored box in his hand that he knows isn't going to get much better. "Did I tell you about the man I helped with his very first birdhouse?" Niall shakes his head no as he tries to concentrate on not making any more of a mess out of the poor little wooden box in his hand. When he hears you let out your little excited hum he knows that whatever your about to tell him is going to be on the longer end because you can't help yourself but go into extreme details when telling a story so he leans his back against your couch and gets as comfortable as he can before you begin telling him about the birdhouse man.

"Well his name is Zayn and he was so nice-little shy at first but I got him talking a bit by the end-he got the biggest birdhouse we sell and he let me help him pick all the colors and I think-I think it's going to be a really good hobby for him-bird watching-because he looked like he might have some issues with relaxing because he sort of looked a little stressed but he said he's going to come back and tell me about how it's going once he's done making the house and everything." You have a very big smile on your face as you look down at the tote, being mindful of your fingers while poking your needle through the fabric of the bag and the thick stitching of the patch.

“I think the sunflower yellow is going to really attract some pretty birds it’s such a great-”

“Wait he let you pick out all the colors for his birdhouse?"

"Yes because he just didn't even know where to begin with everything so I walked him through it all."

"Hmm…I don't know Goldie I think he might've let you pick out all his supplies because he thinks you're proper fit."

"Don't belittle the experience of me helping him start a new hobby by saying he only let me help him because he-he thinks I'm cute." Niall looks over at you just in time to see your nose scrunch up and your face twist into one of slight disgust because you don’t like thinking people only come up to you or let you walk them through new projects just because they think you’re pretty. "You know I don't like that-people let me help them because I'm good at my job it has nothing to do with how I look."

"Sorry love-I know you're the best little crafter they've got working down there at Hobbytown and anyone that gets you to help them is one lucky duck." Niall gives you a playful wink when you look over at him with a smile that lets him know you're not upset with him.

“Now tell me more about the girl who came in asking for glitter spray-did she end up getting the holographic stuff you mentioned or did she stick with boring silver?" He asks with a quirked brow as he goes back to looking down at his paintbrush. He is well aware that you know this is his own unique way of trying to further apologize for his earlier comment because he knows asking about anything glitter related will lead you to go on a long winded excitement filled rant, and even though it will take you a solid five minutes to get all your thoughts out and he will no doubt get lost half way through, it will make you happy and at the end of the day that's all that matters.

You give Niall one last smile and wave from your front door as he walks down your steps, his very splotchy dark blue and light blue painted box in his left hand and a plate of leftovers from dinner wrapped in tinfoil in his right. He gives you a shout goodnight before he makes his way up his own front steps right next door, you hear him mumble a few curse words as he struggles with his house key making you shake your head and giggle as you step back inside your house so you can close your front door. The moment you hear the click of the lock you turn and face the living room, your eyes automatically find the corner of the white envelope sticking out of the your sewing bag. You don't even try to stop the grin that starts to breakout across your face as you rush into the living room and grab the letter from your bag, a giddy type of excitement rushing through your body as you head to your bedroom.

"Tuna look what we got." Your words come out like a song making the goldfish on your desk do a little swirl before stopping on the side of his tank that faces your chair. "Who do you think it could possibly be from? I mean we just get so much mail these days don't we Tuna?" You say with a giggle as you hold out the crisp white envelope for him to see as you sit down in your comfy oversized desk chair. "Okay lets open it-oh and guess who saw this before we even did? Niall Nosey Rosey Horan himself-I know isn't it rude to go through people's mail? It's a crime yes-that's exactly what I told him." You explain as you grab your letter opener and slip it through the top of the envelope while Tuna flutters around his tank a few times as if he's just as excited as you are to read whatever may be inside.

You chew on your bottom lip as the folded pieces of paper sit on top of your desk, your excitement and giddiness suddenly fading away to make room for a nervousness that has you hesitating to read the words written on the four separate pieces of paper. You stare at the rainbow colored flower poster on the wall above your desk as your mind starts to list off all the things these pages could say including how odd he thinks you are, how he doesn't want to hear from you again because you seem too easily excitable and talk about dumb things like romance novels, all of these things being very common responses you've gotten when you attempt to make new friends.

You know your personality isn't for everyone and that you can be a lot to handle with how generally happy you are most of the time because you just choose to see the good in things and people, only doing that because you don't enjoy the way your mind and feelings can so easily spiral downward leaving you feeling stuck in a dark pit of despair if you focus on the negative too much. But then you remember who the letter is from and how if Harry really didn't want to talk to you he wouldn't have replied to your first letter so that must mean he enjoys hearing from you to a certain extent.

"Okay Tuna," You let out a deep calming breath as you pick up the folded pieces of paper so you can open them up. "Lets see what Harry has to say." Tuna just swishes his tail and as your eyes read over the first few lines written in his shockingly decent handwriting you feel your nerves melt away and the corners of your mouth tug upward into a small smile.

"Oh my goodness he-he is so nice and he didn't-oh Tuna he just…" You let out a sigh as you hold the pieces of paper to your chest. "He wants to be my friend." You whisper to yourself as a lump starts to form in the back of your throat, feeling only a bit silly for how Harry's words are making you emotional but it's not often that someone you don't know just seems to accept you and all your rambling glory. Because not only did Harry just let you tell him about the things you enjoy but he then took the time to answer all the odd questions you asked and even tossed in a few of his own so he can get to know you more.

You decide that after reading this letter you should really let Niall in on who you've been writing to and who is sending you letters from prison because while you did have every intention of telling your bestfriend about Harry you also know how Niall can get when it comes to you and your safety and he might not handle it as well as you want. So you figured you would wait a little while to see if this whole penpal thing was going to last but now after reading Harry's kind words you know the two of you will be hearing from each other a lot more and just like he almost did tonight, Niall will somehow manage to find out and it'll be better if he hears it from you and not because he decides to open your mail one day.

"He likes to paint-oh and he is leaning more towards the cooler toned colors and that makes sense doesn't it Tuna because he seems very calm and collected." You tell your goldfish who is staring at you as you place the pages back into the envelope so you can put it in the drawer in your desk with his other letter. "We have so much to tell him-you think he would want to hear about Zayn? Maybe-maybe because he would like to learn more about birdwatching for when he gets out in like…a few years-that's when he gets out right? Yes yes that-that's what the website said five years or more…anyway lets get to writing." You can barely contain yourself as you pull out your paper and a dark green pen so you can see if that's the same kind of green he likes, the image of the little smiley face he took the time to draw for you fluttering around in the back of your mind as you start to write the first few words of your letter.

Zayn lets out a deep sigh as he prepares himself to go inside his least favorite store because of how much money he seems to spend every single time he steps past the threshold and that store just so happens to be where you work, Hobbytown. This is now the third time he's visited you at work since his first visit nearly two weeks ago, all under the guise of needing more things for his birdhouse kit that's still sitting in it's box on his kitchen table that he's never home enough to use for anything other than a makeshift desk. He made sure his appearance is less aggressive this visit, dressed in a dark pair of jeans and a cream colored sweater that lets some of his inked skin be seen through the fabric while his hair is pulled back because he's noticed you really seem to like to look people in their eyes when speaking to them so he doesn't want his hair getting in the way.

"Zayn!" Your bubbly cheerful voice fills his ears the moment he pushes open the door and walks in, the little smile he puts on his face isn't a forced one it's one that you just always manage to pull out of him because he's starting to think there's no way people can't be somewhat happy around you. "How are you? I was just thinking about you this morning-a cardinal came and sat on the railing of my front steps and-oh I love the sweater it looks so cozy and with this weather you need all the coziness you can get." He just nods as you walk over to him and instantly place a hand on his arm giving it a small pat, he knows you like to hug but he made it a very awkward encounter the first time you tried to wrap your arms around him and he backed away because he isn't about to deal with the wrath of Harry if he somehow finds out you gave him a hug when in reality he is just supposed to be observing you and not interacting with you this much.

"Oh uh really? That-that's so cool those are the uhm…red ones right?" He asks making you laugh and nod as you stand in front of him, your apron covering up half of the giant pink heart that's printed on the front of your bright purple sweatshirt that you have on with a pair of black jeans with little pink rhinestones going down the sides. "I like your sweatshirt-looks very uh-uh festive with all the uhm Valentine's Day stuff." He tells you as he rubs nervously at the back of his neck, you just smile and then he watches your eyes glance behind him as the bell above the door jingles and before he can even try to stop himself he is turning and looking over his shoulder as a brunette haired man walks in and has a grin on his face the moment his blue eyes land on you.

"Hiya love." Zayn's brows furrow at his Irish accent, he looks back over to you as you move around him so you can walk over to the brown haired man with your arms open wide.

"Hi Niall-you're a few minutes early." You tell the man with a smile as he wraps his arms around you in a very tight hug that Zayn misses as his mind starts to flip through the names of the people he's heard you mention before that Harry has explicitly asked him to look into, trying to think of why the name Niall sounds so familiar.

"M'just gonna putter around a bit then while you get your stuff-who's this?" Zayn turns around to face the blue eyed man that he now knows is named Niall and when Zayn looks over at you it suddenly hits him, this is the guy you told him talked you out of getting a tattoo because your thing with needles the very first time Zayn met you and you complimented his tattoos.

"This is Zayn." You say with a smile as you motion towards Zayn from your spot next to Niall who looks him up and down with a quirked brow that makes Zayn stand up a bit straighter as his expression hardens into one of pure judgment as his eyes take in Niall's appearance.

Niall is dressed in dark navy slacks and a white button up with a light gray suit jacket tucked under a dark tan coat and Zayn can instantly tell he's not too thrilled with what he sees standing in front of him and he gets it, he isn't the usual kind of person you'd see in a craft store. Zayn looks behind Niall and out the front window of the store, his eyes reading the name of the business across the street before looking back at Niall who has what appears to be a name tag partially hidden underneath his coat and Zayn is willing to bet it says he works for the bank right across the street, probably an accounts manager if he had to guess by the way he's dressed. Meanwhile Niall is practically glaring at him as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his coat and it makes Zayn's lips curve upward into a smug smirk because he gets a sick sense of enjoyment at making people uncomfortable and he knows that if this Niall character is getting this way over him, he is going to really hate having to deal with the overwhelmingly casual yet threatening vibes Harry gives off.

The only thing he knows his boss might appreciate about the man standing in front of him is the way he angles himself so he is slightly between you and Zayn in a protective sort of stance that most people wouldn't notice but given Zayn's line of work he is paid to noticed everything and that even means picking up on things about Harry, such as the protective energy he radiates anytime Zayn brings you up in conversation which these days is quite often. You are a topic Harry both enjoys talking about and also hesitates to bring up himself to Zayn because he doesn't want to give away just how important you might be becoming to the man who is known for not letting anyone get too close to him that's not family or a business associate. So like a good right hand man, Zayn chooses to ignore all the little signs and acts as if he doesn't notice the way Harry has to actively fight off a smile when he hears your name, so much so that Harry has to scrunch his nose up and act like he is going to sneeze so no one will see the upward twitch of his lips and the dimple that's threatening to pop out. Zayn doesn't see the harm in letting his boss have a friend like you while he's sitting alone in a prison cell, not that he has the power to do anything about it even if he did have a problem with it, but what really worries him is what Harry is going to do about you once he gets out in a few short months.

But that's an issue for another day.

"Zayn this is my bestfriend Niall-we are also neighbors." You tell him as you point at the man standing next to you, Zayn just nods as Niall reluctantly pulls a hand out from his front pocket and extends it towards him, something he knows the man is only doing because of your presence because he knows if you walked away right now the two of them wouldn't utter a single word to one another before turning and walking off in opposite directions.

"Nice to meet you-hows the birdhouse coming along?" He asks as Zayn looks down at Niall's hand with a raised brow, having no intention of shaking it.

"Oh sorry he's not really big on touching." You try to whisper to Niall who instantly drops his hand to his side but Zayn hears it and has to hold off a laugh at how annoyed this little piece of information seems to make him. "But let me just help him really quick and then we can go." You add making Niall just have no choice but to nod before he walks off towards a random aisle so he can let you get back to whatever it was you were in the middle of before he showed up.

"You two have plans or something?" Zayn asks as you start leading him towards the part of the store that has every possible thing he could need for his birdhouse, he hears you let out a soft laugh that has him relaxing with each step he takes behind you because something about the bubbly-ness to it always has his shoulders feeling less tense and his jaw becoming unclenched.

"No he walks me home on days we both work."

"Walks you? Don't you have a car?" The moment the words leave his mouth Zayn is overcome with a fear that he might've come across as rude and possibly hurt your feelings because a lot of people don't have cars when they live in a city so it's not all that uncommon. To his relief you just shake your head and let out a chuckle while stopping right in front of the small bags of birdseed your store offers.

"I did have a car but then-it's a long story and happened a long time ago but I got in an accident-someone hit me and it was dark and raining it just-just wasn't good so after that I just never got a new one so I walk most places or sometimes I'll get a taxi." Your voice is soft and holds a timidness to it that has Zayn biting his tongue to keep himself from asking questions about who it was that hit you, desperately wanting their name and address so he can pay them a visit, but then his mind catches up with the rest of your sentence and he feels his eyes widen at the thought of you sitting in the back of a taxi with some stranger driving you around and he knows Harry is going to flip when he hears about your lack of transportation.

"I'm sorry that sounds horrible-you uh like walking or would you like a uhm…driver or something if you-you had the opportunity to hire one?" He asks trying to get ahead of what he already knows Harry is going to demand of him, making sure you get to and from places safely.

"A driver? That sounds very fancy-I actually really like walking it helps clear my head a bit I mean unless it's raining then it's not as nice but I do have a very good pair of rain boots and a raincoat that keeps me dry for the most part oh and an umbrella but I don't use it a lot-I don't like to bother people with how massive it is and take up too much room on the sidewalk." Zayn just nods as he does his best to take in all the words that come out in a bit of a rush as you reach up and grab at a bag of birdseed that's meant to attract song birds but it's just out of your reach, before you can even try to place a foot on one of the lower shelves Zayn quickly beats you to it and with one hand reaches up to grab the bag off the shelf and tucks it under his arm.

"This will help get you some birds that make really pretty sounds-I know you like music or at least I think you do with that little microphone you have on your arm." You explain with a smile as you point at the bird seed Zayn has under his arm and the tone of your voice is soft and gentle but still has a shyness to it that tells Zayn you want to move on from the topic making him think that maybe this is something you don't like having to remember and it has him nodding and accepting the change in conversation.

"Thank you Goldie this is perfect I don't know how you always know what I need but uhm th-thanks." His kind words have you grinning at him and soon your usual giddiness and excitement is spilling out of you as you lead him towards the front of the store to the cash registers.

"You're so welcome Zayn-Julia will ring you up and if you need anything else don't hesitate to come back." His eyes look over to the girl standing behind the counter who has a smile that Zayn knows is fake plastered on her face. "I'm still waiting on photos of the finished birdhouse." You tell him teasingly while walking behind the counter and untying your apron so you can slip your coat on. "Have a good evening Julia." The girl doesn't even acknowledge you as you walk by making Zayn glare at the top of her head as she leans down to grab a bag for his birdseed. "Bye Zayn-I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon but have a good night okay?" You say cheerfully just as Niall appears by your side to help hold your things while you fuss with buttoning up your bright yellow coat.

"Yeah you too-have a good night." He replies with a smile and a small wave as he watches Niall hand you back your purse. "Nice meeting you Niall." This has the blue eyed man shooting him a questioning glance before nodding his head and rubbing his lips together and it makes a small chuckle slip past Zayn's lips at how much the man really can't seem to stand him.

As he watches the two of you head for the front of the store he smiles when you look over your shoulder and give him one last wave before walking through the door with a very grumpy looking Niall right behind you with a hand on your lower back, a little piece of information that Zayn will leave out whenever he meets with Harry in three days and goes over who exactly Niall is and how he went about meeting him. When he looks back over at Julia she is just staring at him as if his very presence annoys her, so will a roll of his eyes he hands he his credit card not really bothering to have her repeat the total to him because he knows he more thank likely isn't going to like how much he is paying for a small bag of bird seed he doesn't have any intentions of using. After slipping his wallet back into his pocket and mumbling a thank you to the not so nice employee he grabs his bag and heads for the door, mentally making a list of all the little details he learned about you during today's short interaction and when he walks outside and is hit with the cold winter breeze he looks down the street and to his shock even from a few blocks away he can see your bright yellow coat as you and Niall walk down the sidewalk.

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐦

secrets cut wounds into the relationship.

𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞

you’re compelled to adapt to his lifestyle.

𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞? ( 𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 )

You laugh, adjusting your grip on your books. "I know, right? As if we didn't already have enough on our plates. But I guess it's good practice."

Rayleigh nods in agreement, her expression softening. "Yeah, you're right. Still, it's going to be a long night. Coffee later?"

"Absolutely," you reply, grinning. "I wouldn't survive without our study sessions."

As you walk through the corridors, you spot Harry leaning casually against your locker. His presence is striking, a mix of calm and vigilance that makes him stand out from the crowd. He's dressed in a plain black T-shirt and jeans, his tattooed arms crossed over his chest.

"There's your shadow," Rayleigh teases, nudging you gently.

You chuckle, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and amusement.

Rayleigh gives you a quick hug. "See you later."

"Bye, Ray," you say, waving as she heads off.

You approach your locker, where Harry straightens up as you get closer.

"Hey," you greet him, opening your locker and starting to put your things away.

"Hey," Harry replies, his voice steady and calm. "How was class?"

"Busy, as usual," you say, glancing over at him. "Professor Thompson assigned us another case study. I'm starting to think he enjoys watching us suffer."

Harry chuckles softly. "Sounds intense. Y’handling it okay?"

"Yeah, it's all part of the deal," you shrug, organizing your books. "How about you? How's standing guard duty treating you?"

He smirks. "S’a bit different from m’usual assignments, but I don't mind. Keeps me on my toes."

You finish putting your things away and close your locker, turning to face him fully. "I appreciate it, you know. Having you around makes me feel a lot safer."

Harry's expression softens slightly. "S’the goal. M’here to make sure nothing happens to you."

You nod, feeling a sense of comfort in his presence. "Thanks, H. It means a lot."

He nods in return, his gaze steady and reassuring. "Anytime. Ready to head home?"

As you walk towards your car, chatting with Harry about inconsequential things, a sense of normalcy begins to settle over you. The campus is still busy, students milling around, completely unaware of the tension that shadows your every step.

Suddenly, you notice a red dot flickering on Harry's chest. Your heart stops. Your mind races, realizing the implications—someone knows Harry is protecting you, and taking him out would make it easier for them to get to you.

Without a second thought, you push Harry out of the way. "Harry, look out!"

A gunshot rings out, splitting the air, and you feel a searing pain in your shoulder. You scream, falling to the ground in front of him.

The world spins as you hit the pavement, agony spreading through your body. Students around you scream and scatter, the chaos erupting in the once peaceful campus.

Harry is at your side in an instant, his face a mask of panic and horror.

"No, no, what have you done?" he cries, crouching down next to you. "Silly, silly girl."

A tear slips down his cheek, and your heart aches at the sight. You've never seen him cry before, not once in all the time you've known him. The anguish in his eyes is almost too much to bear.

You manage to smile weakly through the pain. "Harry... you're too pretty to cry."

"And you're too pretty to die," he replies, his voice breaking. "S’was never supposed to happen. S’my job to protect you."

He presses down on your wound, trying to stop the bleeding, his hands shaking. "Everything is going to be fine. Just hold on, help is coming."

You focus on Harry’s face, seeing the raw emotion and determination in his eyes.

"Promise me….you'll be careful," you manage to say, your voice barely audible.

"M’promise," he says fiercely, more tears falling. "But y’have to promise me you'll fight. Fight to stay with me."

You nod weakly, using every bit of strength you have left. "I'll... fight."

As the world around you blurs and fades, Harry’s face is the last thing you see, filled with raw, heartbreaking emotion. He leans closer, his voice trembling.

"I love you," he whispers, his words like a lifeline pulling you back from the brink.

Love.

You had always loved Harry, you can’t pinpoint a time when you first felt it, perhaps it was when you first met him, or when your lips first connected to his, but it was a feeling you had always felt and always would feel.

"I... love you too," you whisper back, your voice barely more than a breath. The pain is overwhelming, and you can feel yourself slipping away.

"Tell my father..." you start, struggling to get the words out. "Tell him I want a flower crown... when I'm buried."

Flower crowns had always been your thing, your mother had taught you how to make them when you were little and your father always had one in his office, as a reminder of both you at her.

His girls.

They were a symbol of your family.

Like a family crest.

Harry shakes his head fiercely, more tears spilling down his cheeks. "You're not going to get buried because you and I are going to get married and live forever. We'll have babies and grow old together."

You manage a faint smile at his words, the thought of a future with him a beautiful distraction from the pain. "Harry..."

"Stay with me," he pleads, his voice raw with emotion. "Keep your eyes open. Don't you dare close them."

... ONE SHOTS ...

A Keeper**- Y/N and Harry are seeing each other for the first time since the pandemic and he has a full-grown mustache. (oral f-receiving, bare $ex)

No Coincidence**- Y/N & Harry happen to vacation in Italy at the same time and it seems that one way or another, their paths were meant to cross. (oral, $ex, multiple rounds, 1 night stand)

Extras from the COMPROMISED au. Extras can be read independently from the fanfic.

The Wedding** (bare $ex, oral, fingering, breeding kink) Family Matters^** (loss/grief, bare $ex, oral f-receiving)

... BLURBS ...

Harry proposes to Y/N on the Amalfi coast. Harry plans to completely wear out Y/N.** (voyeurism) Harry takes Y/N to Venice (Film Festival)** (BJ, face fuck, throat pie) Y/N surprises Harry on a break from tour with their baby Harry wants to take things further with his bff Y/N & Harry eloped in Italy and she wants to post a picture on her instagram Reality hits Y/N & Harry while they vacation in Italy from the Keep Driving au (one shots linked in blurb post)