#teacher!yn

Standing in front of him were his two brothers, Sonny and George. All three of them were pilots in the military and had been since they left school to sign up after the War. There wasn’t too much age difference between them which was probably one of the reasons the brothers were so close.  Harry was the oldest, just over a year senior to George, who happened to be taller despite being the middle child, and Sonny was the youngest.

“Yeah well, she still needs some work. One of her engine cylinders is faulty.” The three of them walked side by side towards the maintenance shed. Despite their differences in height, anyone would assume the three brothers were triplets from how similar they looked. Most people on base knew them for their signature sea-glass green eyes and their brown hair. 

“Oh I’ll go and tell Ruddy, he might still be here.” Sonny ran ahead 

“Oh and Sonny,” Harry called for his younger brother, “Good job.” Harry winked at his younger brother, referring to his work on the plane he had just flown. In response, Sonny straightened his shoulders and smiled feeling proud after receiving a compliment from his older brother. 

Harry and George both lit a cigarette each, pausing outside the door to the warehouse to smoke together. “I opened up a letter this morning from Ma.” George exhaled, smoke escaping past his lips. 

Harry tried not to show his annoyance, “Wha’d she say?” He grumbled.

“She misses us… All of us and she wants us to stop by, come visit for dinner one day maybe.” George explained.

“Is she still with that old bastard?” Harry looked up at his younger brother.

George nodded, “Last time I heard.”

“Then we’re not going, none of us are.” Harry thought back to the last time he had allowed himself and his siblings to visit his mother. It was going well in the beginning, she’d cooked them up a roast pork and engaged in conversation, until their Father came home. It wasn’t long into their visit before they left the house and Sonny had gone home with a black eye whilst Harry had to get his hand stitched up at a hospital on the journey back.

Harry had grown up in Dallas, Texas, in a tacky old house that barely stood upright just on the outside of town. Whilst his Father was out working on a ranch somewhere and getting pissed up every night, Harry would spend most of his days keeping the house together whilst tending to his younger siblings. His mother was often somewhere in the house - nobody knew exactly what she was doing, since she wasn’t exactly all there half the time - but she was there.

Every visit they made back home was a reminder as to why they had entered the military in the first place. Whenever their mother would send them a letter, it was either because she wanted something or wanted them to come home so she could ask for that same something in person. The last time Harry had bought his siblings home was the first time in years. He thought his mother would be different yet he had no idea why - she was still letting that old man walk around as if he was the one who kept the house from falling. 

“Sonny and I agreed you’re picking up Elise from nursery by the way,” George smirked, chucking his cigarette on the ground and putting it out with his foot. 

“You and Sonny agreed that?” Harry frowned, receiving a nod from his brother, “I’ve been flying all day and y’ still want me to go pick up the baby?”

George clapped his older brother on the shoulder, “We’ve both got to help out in the warehouse this evening and besides, you’re Offutt's best pilot, I think you can handle picking up a two-year-old on the way home.” 

Harry didn’t have time to argue with his brother as he stepped into the warehouse. He let out a deep sigh and took one puff of his cigarette before throwing it to the ground. He put his flight cap on his head to cover his messy hair and straightened his aviator jacket, walking towards the nursery. 

. . .

“How have you found your first day Y/N?” Midge, one of the other nursery workers asked as they stood at the sink together to wash up some of the paint pots a few of the kids had been playing with in the afternoon. 

“It’s been wonderful, Midge.” Y/N grinned. Although she was tired, she also felt ecstatic to finally be working again after months of searching for a new job.  She had always been good with children thanks to her older sister having a kid of her own for her to babysit now and then. So when the opportunity arose to work a well-paying job at a nursery on the military base, she couldn’t pass it up. They’d even offer her free accommodation and discounted food for groceries which was perfect considering she didn’t have much of any of those things when she was living alone.

“I expect most of the kids will be getting picked up soon,” Midge glanced at the clock, “Everyone will be returning from work.”

Y/N hadn’t expected pick up time at the nursery to be so busy but fathers and mothers bustled in to pick up their children to take them home all at once. Once the majority of the kids had been picked up, Y/N glanced around to see the mess that had been left from the day that she’d have to clean up by herself. Her shoulders dropped as she landed on a small figure, realising she wasn’t completely alone yet. 

“Elise, what are you doing?” Y/N smiled at the tiny girl playing in the corner, she was picking up picture books and flicking through them as if she were actually reading them. Y/N crouched down in front of the small toddler, “Are you enjoying those?” 

Elise just grinned, picking something up with her small fingers and trying to put it in her mouth. Her brown, curly ringlets were no longer in uneven bunches like they had been this morning and her overalls were covered in food and paint stains. Y/N picked up the two-year-old to place in her lap, “Shall we read something before your dad comes to get you?” Elise babbled a reply. 

Halfway through their fifth book, Elise was near enough asleep on Y/N’s lap. It had already been an hour since all of the other children went home and it wouldn’t be long before the sun would set. Y/N carefully picked Elise up so her head was on her shoulder and it was comfy enough to sleep as she stepped towards the telephone to see if Elise’s father was coming to pick her up. 

As her hand went to pick up the telephone, a voice stopped her, “Hello?” It was deep and southern and husky like he had just smoked a cigarette or two, “I’m here to pick up Elise.” 

Y/N turned around, and her breath caught in her throat as she spotted a tall figure leaning casually against the door frame. He wore a brown leather aviator jacket and grey trousers, with his flight cap tucked under his arm. His piercing green eyes, similar to Elise's, met hers, framed by brown curly hair. An unlit cigarette dangled from his lips. 

Y/N had never seen anyone like him in her entire life. 

“Y-yes,” She cleared her throat and forced her eyes to look away from his intense gaze. She stood and walked over to where he stood by the door with Elise in his arms, “You must be Elise’s father.” 

“M her brother,” He corrected. 

“Excuse me?” Y/N wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly, too busy gawking at him to actually pay attention. 

“M Elise’s brother, one out of three of her brothers to be exact.” He repeated, his eyes glancing at the sleeping girl Y/N was holding. 

“O-oh,” She blushed, “My bad, you look so similar I thought you were her father.”

“Easy mistake,” Harry smirked, “Would you like me to take her from you?” 

“Yes, of course,” Y/N gently removed Elise from her and passed her to Harry.

“There we go,” He cooed as Elise whimpered at the sudden movement, “There’s m’ little Elise.” 

Y/N thought her ovaries might explode as she watched the pilot interact with the small girl in his arms, making sure she was comfortable enough so she could remain asleep. “Are you new here ma’am?” Harry spoke his focus now back on Y/N.

“Yes actually, today’s my first day here,” She explained. 

“No wonder, I ain’t ever seen y’ around the place. How’re you liking it so far?” 

“I’ve only been here a couple of days but it’s been nice. Working here at the nursery has been lovely too,” 

“Yeah?” Harry’s lips curled, “I hope this one hasn’t been giving y’ much trouble. She can be a little devil with my younger brothers.” 

Y/N immediately shook her head, “No, she’s been lovely honestly. Think I spent most of the day with Elise out of all the other children.” 

Y/N noticed how Harry focused on her face as she spoke to him, every now and then his eyes would dart to her lips and then back up to meet her eyes, “Y got any friends here?” 

She paused, “Any friends?” 

“Yeah, you know,” He half smiled, it felt almost flirty but maybe Y/N was just imagining it, “People y’ like to hang out with.”

“Uh yeah, I share a house with a few of the girls who work in various places around the base. I get along with most of them and the ladies who work here at the nursery too.” Y/N explained, cringing at how awkward she was and how she’d probably be replaying this conversation back later only to die of embarrassment of all the things she said. 

“Y’ know there’s a dance down at the community centre this Friday, y’ should come, oh and invite some of those friends of yours too.” 

“Oh I don’t know, I think I’m working this Friday and-” 

“A lot of my buddies who I fly with go there sometimes - a good time they said. It might be a good chance to meet some of the people here,” He shrugged, “Could offer y’ a dance or two if you’d like.” 

Y/N wondered if all this was really happening right now or if she was just so tired that she was hallucinating, “O-okay,”

Harry grinned, a dimple carving into his cheek, “Well alright then,”

“Alright then,” Y/N tried to keep her smile at bay as she took it as his queue to leave. She kept the door open so he could easily step out as he walked backwards with Elise in his arms and his eyes still on Y/N even as he said nothing. 

“So I’ll see y’ at the dance?” 

“Maybe,” Y/N shrugged, even though she had already decided she was most definitely going to the dance. 

“Alright, maybe I’ll see y’ at the dance then,” Harry responded with a light, amused chuckle. 

Y/N watched as he turned his back and began to walk down the dirt road until he stopped briefly and spun around, “I didn’t catch y’name by the way,” He called out to her.

Y/N cupped her mouth, “It’s Y/N,”

“Y/N,” He said the name like he was testing how it sounded, “M Harry. Hey, I better see y’ at that dance Y/N, I don’t handle rejection all that well.” Y/N couldn’t help but giggle.

“I can believe that,” She yelled back.

“I’d say goodbye but I wanna see y’ at that dance so I’ll say goodnight instead.” Harry said with a casual salute before turning and continuing down the road.

Y/N shut the door and leaned against it, clutching her hands over her chest in complete disbelief. Her sister had warned her the pilots on the base would be young men near enough her own age and that she ought to be careful hanging around them. However, her sister hadn’t warned her that a man like Harry would stumble over to her workplace to pick up his sister and invite her to a dance on Friday night.

Y/N quickly cleaned up the nursery, shoving things into boxes and wiping down the tables, before grabbing her coat and running down the road to her house.

On every street on the housing estate, there was a row of houses that all looked the same but were owned by different types of people. Some had big families all living under one roof, others were men who lived alone. Y/N’s house was the first house on the street. It was a traditionally designed home with a pitched roof, a small front porch and symmetrical windows. She shared it with three other girls who all worked different jobs across the Air Force base. 

The sun had already set by the time she entered the house. All the lights were turned on and the gentle music of Buddy Holly sounded from the living room. Y/N kicked off her heels and hung up her coat, walking to the living room where Patsy and Molly were lounging on the couch. Molly had Patsy’s foot in her lap as she painted her toenails a wine red. 

Y/N collapsed on the couch next to Molly, “What’s wrong? Work not go so well?” Molly inquired.

“No,” Y/N huffed, resting her head on Molly’s shoulder, “It was wonderful.”

“Well, what’s got you so blue Peggy Sue,” Patsy questioned, her tone playful. She was reading a magazine and smoking a cigarette. 

“A man came into work after everybody left to pick up one of the girls, Elise.” Y/N clarified. 

“You mean Elise Styles?” Molly asked. 

Y/N sat up, “Yes, you know her?” 

“Just about every woman on this base knows her. She’s the Styles’ little sister.” Molly explained, “We’ve all had to babysit her at least once for those brothers.” 

“Yeah and neither of us will be doing it again,” Patsy piped up, as if reminding Molly. 

“Oh, you must know Harry then,” Molly paused, shoving Patsy’s foot off of her lap and turning to face Y/N.

“Is he the man you’re sighing over?” Patsy’s magazine fell to the floor as she too stopped to listen. 

Y/N furrowed her brows, confused by their reaction, “Y-yes, what about him?”

“What about him?” Molly stood, grabbing a cigarette from the packet on the coffee table and lighting it up, “Y/N you oughta be careful around all three of those brothers but especially Harry.”

“What do you mean?” Y/N glanced at Patsy who nodded in agreement with Molly. 

“That boy is not good news. He’s Offutt’s best pilot and he thinks that gives him the right to go around sniffing out every woman that steps foot onto this base.” Y/N frowns, watching as Molly begins to pace back and forth, “He didn’t ask you to go out with him did he?”

“Well he asked me to the dance on Friday. The one at the community centre.” 

“Oh, I bet he did!’ Molly exclaimed, “Listen Y/N, I’m telling you this because I don’t want any trouble for you. That boy is no good, he’s slept with half the ladies residing here and even the wives too I bet! He asked Patsy to go out to dinner with him one night and stood her up to go see another woman.”

Y/N glanced at Patsy, “He was flirting with two different women inbetween the moment he asked and our date a week later.” She added. 

“That’s right. Y/N darlin’, we shoulda warned y’ before y’ stepped foot out of this house this morning. Those Styles brothers will mess you around and leave y’ lonely for sport. You’re too nice to deserve all of that.” 

Y/N's shoulders slumped, “But he seemed so… nice.” Y/N pictured Harry with Elise and how gentle he was with her. 

“He’s not a bad person Y/N but when it comes to women, there’s no guessing what that man turns into.”

“Everyone’s heard plenty of things about why they came here too. If you ask me, his home wasn’t exactly a perfect example to him.” Patsy said.

“Well, whatever reason, best stay away from him.” Molly finished. 

Y/N heaved a sigh, “So I shouldn’t go to the dance on Friday?”

“Oh no, we’ll go to the dance. Harry’s not the only fine, young pilot on base I’ll tell you that.” Molly smirked and Patsy cheered with excitement at the thought of going out Friday night. 

Y/N attempted to smile, but she couldn't shake off the sadness upon realising that the man she had met earlier in the evening wasn't as kind as she had initially believed. Molly fell back onto the couch next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, “Cheer up sweet cheeks. I’m sure plenty of men will want to take you out after this dance.” 

Y/N managed a weak smile, grateful for Molly's comforting presence. "Thanks, Molly," she murmured, leaning into her friend's embrace.

"Yeah, plenty of fish in the sea, darlin'. You'll find one that's worth your time." Patsy chimed in.

Feeling a bit more reassured by her friends' words, Y/N nodded. "You're right. I can’t let one bad apple ruin my night."

Molly squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "That's the spirit! Now let's focus on having a great time at the dance. We can tell you about some of the other fellas who live here too."

With her friends' support, Y/N felt an inkling of hope return. She might have been disappointed by one man, but she wasn't about to let it dampen her spirits for the rest of the evening. She was glad she told her friends about her interaction with Harry and now she was left with one rule stitched into the back of her mind.

Keep away from Harry Styles. 

. . .

The night sky was clear enough to see the stars glittering against the pitch-black backdrop. A soft, gentle breeze flowed through the air as Harry lay back on the swinging chair on the front porch of the house he shared with his three brothers. 

This was his favourite time of day when it was completely silent and the air was cool and crisp. He didn’t like the nights so much when he was living with his parents. After midnight, or sometimes just before, his father would come in through the backdoor stinking the place up with alcohol and waking everyone up with his nightly rampages. 

Nowadays, the nighttime was the most relaxing part of the day and Harry savoured every second of it. He often finds himself sat out on the porch after putting Elise to bed. He’d smoke a cigarette or two, and maybe play his guitar a little bit. 

Tonight felt a little different though. Whilst his brothers were upstairs trying to put a fussy Elise to bed after she’d napped when he brought her home from nursery, he came outside and could think of nothing but the woman he found holding his little sister in her arms. 

Harry knew everyone on base the same way they knew him. He recognised faces easily and had at least one brief encounter with everyone he met in passing. However, the face he had met for the first time this evening was unfamiliar and new. 

Her features were delicate and angelic, with large doe eyes that held a hint of shyness to them. A soft, rosy blush adorned her cheeks and her lips were full and plush that he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of them. Her movements were gentle and her voice was airy and sweet, Harry thought of her stuttering and the way she’d blush whenever she spoke. He hadn’t seen anything like her in his life - he wasn’t a religious or spiritual person but, at that moment, he was pretty sure an angel had landed right in front of his very eyes. 

Even her name sounded as though it came from some kind of mythical text - one full of beauty and purity, love and light. 

Harry wasn’t the purist of men, far from it. He had slept in the beds of women he couldn’t remember the name of and indulged in his fair share of reckless behaviour. But in the presence of Y/N, he felt an unfamiliar stirring within him, a sense of longing tugging at his heartstrings. He didn’t know what it was and he wasn’t so sure he was ready to find out yet. 

He lit a cigarette with a matchstick and exhaled into the air, tendrils of smoke dancing above him. The sound of footsteps thudding inside of the house as someone walked downstairs, broke the silence he had been basking in. 

The door swung open and George stepped out, “Finally managed to get Elise to settle down though it took a whole round of nursery rhymes. Sonny’s still up there now, he’s afraid she’ll wake up again if he stops singing.” George took a cigarette from the pack Harry had in his pocket, “I thought you told those ladies at the nursery not to let her nap before she comes home.” 

“I did,” Harry spoke, his voice husky. 

“What? They didn’t listen to y’?” George chuckled. 

“There’s a new worker. I’ll let her know next time I see her.” Harry hadn’t wanted to tell Y/N that Elise wasn’t allowed to sleep so late in the afternoon because it was harder to get her to go to bed at night. He didn’t seem to have the heart to as he watched her hold the small girl in her arms. 

George scoffed, “A new worker? Is she a knockout at least?” 

Harry didn’t reply, instead asking,  “What do y’ think about the three of us going to the dance at the Community Centre on Friday?” 

George laughed until he realised his brother wasn’t laughing with him, “You’re serious?” 

The door swung open again and out stepped Sonny, “I swear if that baby wakes up, you two can sit in there and dance circles around her singing Miss Muffet for all I care. I ain’t doing that again.” He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, “Can y’ pass me a cigarette, George?” 

George handed the cigarette to Sonny, “Hey Sonny, Harry wants to know if we’ll go to the dance at the Community Centre this Friday.”

Sonny chuckled but that quickly went away, “Oh shit really?”

“Yeah tha’s what I thought,” George said.

“You got your eye on someone Harry?” Sonny spoke, “Is it that girl from the med centre? She sure is something.”

Harry sat up and turned to face his two brothers, “No, it’s not that,” He lied, “Jus’ thought we could go do something other than sit around and drink at the bar.” 

“But the dance?” Sonny quirked a brow, “You hate dances.”

“I never said that,” Harry said, even though he always made it known how much he hated the dances they held every Friday night. 

“No, I definitely think I remember y’ saying dances were for people who wanted to get laid but couldn’t,” George spoke, backing up his younger brother who nodded in agreement. 

“Alright,” Harry held his hands up, “Alright maybe I did say that. C’mon, what are you, Gunther and Francis? Sit down the pair of you.” They followed their older brother's orders, sitting on the seats opposite him. “Maybe there is a girl.” He sighed.

“Oh yeah?” Sonny smirked.

“Yeah, little shit,” Harry chuckled, “So if you could both do me a favour and get yourselves cleaned up Friday night because we’re going to a shitty dance and I won’t be having either of y’ covered in grease and soot.”

“Okay, alright, H.” George took a puff of his cigarette, “But you’re paying for drinks after.”  Harry shook his head, unable to suppress a chuckle.

. . .

Y/N stood in front of her bedroom mirror when Friday night rolled around. She had left the nursery in a hurry, needing as much time as possible to get ready for the dance at the Community Centre. She had been wracked with nerves all week, knowing there was a high chance she would see Harry there and she’d have to do her best to ignore him like Molly had told her to. 

She had picked out her outfit the night before. It was one of her best dresses- a lovely duck egg blue, satin fabric with a fitted bodice and a sweetheart neckline that showed off her decolletage. From the waist, the skirt flowed down in a full, flared A-line silhouette, gently swaying with every step. She wore white low heels on her feet and decided to carry a small purse with her too. 

Most of her time in the evening was spent on her hair and makeup. Y/N had almost used an entire can of hairspray to ensure her hair would stay intact the whole night. Molly had even given her a French manicure the night before and she spent the whole day at the nursery trying her best not to ruin her perfectly shaped nails. 

It had been a long time since she had put this much effort into going somewhere and it was all for a measly dance. There would be many other pretty girls who had spent more or less time on dressing up who probably had a better chance of catching the eye of a man than Y/N did. Yet she wasn’t hoping for the attention of just any man. 

Even though Molly and Patsy had warned her of Harry’s nature, she couldn’t stop thinking about Harry. The way his eyes sparkled when he smiled and the sound of his voice as he spoke in that deep, southern drawl. Every time she thought of going to the dance, he would appear in her mind. Maybe she didn’t necessarily want anything from him but she wanted to at least catch his eye enough to make a lasting impression on him. 

Y/N applied a little more powder to her nose and did one final check in the mirror. She straightened her shoulders, “This will have to do,” She muttered, grabbing her purse. 

Patsy and Molly were already downstairs drinking margaritas and listening to Frank Sinatra on the record player. “Oh and another one comes to join us,” Molly grinned, wearing a navy, spotty dress with a red belt wrapped around her small waist. 

“What took you so long?” Patsy grinned, pouring a drink in a martini glass and handing it to Y/N.

“O-oh no thank you, I don’t drink.” Y/N shook her head and forced a smile out of politeness.

“What? You don’t?” Patsy replied like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“Oh c’mon! Just one little sip - liquid courage and all that.” Molly took the glass from Patsy to give to Y/N who forced herself to take it from her. She held the glass to her lips, taking one small sip and feeling a tiny burn from the alcohol. 

“Good right?” Molly smirked, lighting a cigarette and holding the packet open to Y/N. 

“No thank you, I don’t smoke either.” Y/N laughs nervously. 

“Fair enough,” Molly shrugs, passing the pack over to Patsy who happily takes one for herself. 

Y/N places her drink on the table, knowing she won’t be touching it again. “We’ll be heading out in a moment, we’re just waiting on one more.” As if she could hear them talking about her, footsteps thumped down the stairs and into the living room.

Y/N’s eyes widened when her eyes landed on the tall, blonde standing in the doorway. She was wearing a black dress with a neckline that showed off her bust and a tight waistline that accentuated her curves. The strands of her golden, blonde hair were tied back into a high ponytail with her fringe perfectly curled. She wore red lipstick on her plump lips which made the blue in her eyes even brighter than they already were. 

“You’ve been in your room for hours, Nancy,” Patsy whined. 

“Yes well, I don’t just plan on getting wasted tonight Patsy.” Nancy retorted. 

Nancy was Y/N's other housemate, but Y/N didn't know her as well as she knew Patsy and Molly. Even though they lived together, Nancy seemed a bit distant compared to the latter two, who were friendly and nice. Nancy would smile politely, but she didn't say much else. Oftentimes, Y/N would get a strange feeling about Nancy like how she would make little comments that seemed to be jabs masked by forced politeness or how sometimes it felt like Nancy enjoyed pointing out Y/N's mistakes, like how she did her laundry or what groceries she bought. She wasn’t sure what she had done to upset Nancy but Y/N hoped it was just her over-thinking that made her believe she was this way and that tonight would allow them to get to know each other a little better. 

Nancy’s eyes fell on Y/N and looked her up and down, “Nice dress,” She said, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness.

“Thank you,” Y/N offered her a smile but received nothing in return. 

“Alright ladies,” Molly stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray, “Let’s go catch us a few good men.”

“A few?” Patsy giggled.

“You’re right, I think a few is a little too much for this place.” Molly huffed and led the way out of the house and towards the community centre. 

Y/N could hear the live music coming from the centre as they walked down the street. Patsy and Molly were stumbling ahead, arms linked together as they laughed side by side. Y/N tried not to laugh at her friends as she walked alongside Nancy. 

“You planning on hooking up with anybody tonight?” Nancy’s voice broke the silence between them. 

“No I don’t think so,” Y/N replies. 

Nancy scoffs, “These dances are mostly for that you know, better prepare yourself when a fella tries to talk to you.”

“You think they’ll want to?” Y/N asked, hopeful.

Nancy glanced at her, “I’m sure they’ll snatch you right up those pilot boys.”

Y/N blushes, “Is there anyone you’ve got your eyes on tonight Nancy?” She liked this, conversing with Nancy. She hoped this would be the start of breaking the ice between them and maybe they could become friends eventually, or at least build acquaintances. 

Nancy smirks, “Only one.” She said nothing after that. 

The girls walked into the community centre which was already full of people from all over the airbase. A live band was playing Elvis Presley songs, the music blaring into Y/N’s ears once they stepped inside. “Any of you girls want a drink-”

“Molly is that Everett?” Patsy pointed to a man in the corner, talking to a woman. 

Molly’s face scrunched up, “I guess he’s back from Italy.”

Nancy interrupted the conversation, her eyes darting across the room like she was searching for somebody, “You girls grab something to drink, I’m just going to use the bathroom.”

“Who’s Everett?” Y/N asked Patsy as they walked towards the drinks table. 

“A guy Molly had a thing with last year,” Patsy explained.

“Yeah until he told me he was going to Italy for a year and wanted to break things off so he could get laid by an Italian woman.” Molly ranted, leading the girls to the drinks table. 

A bowl of punch resided in the centre of the table, Molly grabbed the ladle and poured them all a drink. Y/N took a sip and allowed her eyes to scan the room. Couples were dancing in the centre whilst others spoke in groups off to the side.  

Eventually, her eyes caught sight of a group of men walking through the door. Each one of them was dressed in a similar uniform, a navy blue tailored jacket and matching, fitted trousers. She watched as an entire group of them continued to flood in through the doors until the last man stepped through. 

He was wearing the same uniform as the others and his hair was gelled back with one curl falling in front of his forehead, unlike the messy curls she had seen when they first met. Y/N couldn’t help but stare as he weaved through the crowd and interacted with people as he walked past them. Everyone seemed to know him from the looks of it. He exuded confidence and bravado, people’s faces lighting up whenever he stopped to talk to them.

“Patsy?” One of the boys spoke. 

“Here we go,” Molly muttered, forcing a smile. 

A man with features that looked similar to the man Y/N had been eyeing, walked up to them with a taller man following him. “Hi Sonny,” Patsy greeted. 

“Y’ sure know how to make yourself look good when you want to,” He winked, eyeing her up and down.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Patsy put both her hands on her waist. 

“You know what I mean,” Sonny argued, realising he might have said something to offend her even though he had no idea what that might be. 

“Hi,” The taller man behind him spoke. Y/N looked up and was met with familiar green eyes except they were a little bit lighter than the ones she had seen. 

“Hi,” Y/N blushed.

“I’m George. Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around.” He wondered, pointing his thumb over his shoulder to the crowd as he spoke. 

“Y-Yes, I arrived recently actually. I just started working at the nursery.” She clarified. 

“Oh, the nursery! You must know my little sister Elise.”  Y/N’s lips turned upwards thinking of the little girl she had been spending so much time with over the last few days. Since her first day, Elise had constantly been wanting her attention whether it was to nap or play with things or read books. “You must have met my older brother then.”

“Older brother?” Y/N didn’t have enough time to register as George glanced around the room and called out his brother’s name. 

“Harry, c’mere!” He called. 

Harry’s head turned towards them in the middle of his conversation. His eyes landed on his brother until they found hers. He offered a small smile and began to walk towards them with a drink already in his hand, “This is one of the new workers at Elise’s nursery.” George introduced even though he didn’t really need to. 

“Yes, we’ve already met,” Harry said and Y/N thought she might melt into a puddle on the floor at the sound of his voice. “Hi there,”

“Hello,” Y/N smiled, shyly.

“So you came?” He teased. 

“I did.” She laughed, lightly. 

“And these are y’ friends?” He looked to Patsy and Molly who were bickering with Sonny who seemed to have said something else to offend them, George now joining in on the argument as he let Harry and Y/N talk. 

“Yeah, they’re my friends,” Y/N said, feeling nervous under his gaze. But despite her nerves, she couldn't deny the thrill of being the focus of his attention.

“Good to know,” He murmured, “Y come here with anyone else?” 

"Um, no, just the girls from my house," Y/N stuttered, feeling a rush of nerves as Harry's gaze lingered on her. "I don't know that many people. Other than the girls I live with and the ones from the nursery, who are all lovely, by the way," she added, her words tumbling out in a nervous ramble.

Harry grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement at her flustered state. "You know me too," he stated, his tone playful as he leaned in closer. 

Y/N gulped the air she breathed just as the lights in the centre dimmed. The fast-paced music began to slow down and couples gathered to the dance floor to slow dance together. “Y wanna dance with me Y/N?” Harry asked. 

“I-I’m not very good at it,” Y/N smiled sheepishly, her cheeks tinged with a delicate blush. It was impossible to resist the charm that radiated from him.

He held out the palm of his hand and Y/N’s lips parted as she glanced down at it, “S just swaying tha’s all. Think y’ can do that?” 

Y/N hesitantly nodded, her pulse quickening as Harry's long fingers gently wrapped around her wrist. A tingling sensation danced across her skin, sending shivers down her spine and causing goosebumps to rise in response to his touch. He led her to the centre of the dancefloor and turned around so they were face to face. Harry took both of Y/N's hands in his own, his touch sending electric currents coursing through her veins. With a tender yet confident touch, he trailed his fingers down her arms, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. As his hands settled at her waist, Y/N's breath turned shallow, her heart racing as the music floated through the air. 

She was stiff at first, unable to relax until he leant forward and whispered, “Relax birdy,” She felt his breath against her neck as he spoke. He squeezed her waist a little and she dropped her shoulders, trying her best to loosen up under the circumstances. 

“Birdy?” Y/N spoke, questioning the new nickname.

“I spotted y’ as soon as I stepped through the door. Your dress is blue ‘n it reminded me of the bluebirds I used to see back home whenever I’d go up in the mountains with my grandpa.” He explained. 

“I didn’t know you’d seen me.”

“I searched for y’ as soon as I walked in. I only came because of you, if I couldn’t find y’ I’d probably just turn back and go to a bar or something.” He chuckled and Y/N laughed with him.

“No Elise?” She questioned, unable to stop herself from asking about the little girl she had become fond of. 

“Elise is staying with the family next door. Little rascal tried to get ketchup on my uniform,” He rolled his eyes, “I got a free house if that’s what you’re implying though.”

Y/N’s face turned beat red, “N-No that’s not what I’m implying at all.”

“M just messin’” Harry grinned, cheekily.

Y/N relaxed, composing herself and trying to pull herself together, “I’ve heard things about you, you know.”

“Oh yeah?” Harry smirked, “What things?”

“Just things.” Y/N felt his fingertips press her skin for a moment.

“And do you believe these things?” Harry murmured, leaning in a little closer.

Y/N looked him in the eye, trying to see if she could read him without having to ask him a thousand questions, “I don’t know yet.” 

Harry opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by the sudden change in music and the lights turning on above them. People cheered as they gathered back into big groups and began dancing again. Harry bit back a grin, shaking his head, “Y wanna come outside with me?” He asked, shouting over the loud music. Y/N bit her lip and nodded, taking his outstretched hand and allowing him to pull her through the crowd of people. 

The air was cold once they stepped outside. Harry led her over to a small bench nearby where fewer people were gathered. He pulled out a cigarette and offered her the pack, “Oh no thank you, I don’t smoke.” She declined, politely. 

Harry smiled around his cigarette, his gaze lingering on Y/N for a beat or two as he casually slipped the pack into the pocket of his trousers. The air between them was filled with a comfortable silence, broken only by the soft sound of music drifting from inside the centre. Sensing Y/N's slight shiver, Harry swiftly removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders without saying a word.

"But you'll get cold," Y/N protested, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Don't y’ worry about me. I don't get cold," Harry quipped, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he shrugged off her concern. His white t-shirt revealed toned arms adorned with a few tattoos littering his tanned skin. 

As Harry tilted his head back to blow smoke into the night air, Y/N couldn't help but admire the way he carried himself with effortless confidence. Gathering her courage, she decided to strike up a conversation.

"Were those your brothers back there?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Yeah, Sonny and George," Harry confirmed with a hint of pride in his voice.

"They look so much like you," Y/N remarked, her curiosity piqued.

"Strong genes, I suppose," Harry shrugged, his tone becoming more serious as he opened up about his family background. 

"What about you? Do you have any siblings?" He inquired.

"Just an older sister and my little niece, Rosie Jean," Y/N replied, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she thought of her family.

"And your parents?" Harry pressed, his gaze intense as he studied her reaction.

"My parents are doctors, they work at a surgery in town," Y/N explained, feeling a pang of homesickness as she reminisced about her upbringing.

"And yours?" She prompted, turning the conversation back to Harry.

"M parents are nobodies," Harry's voice took on a sombre tone, clearly his family life was a sensitive topic. Sensing his discomfort, Y/N chose her next words carefully.

"What about Elise?" she asked, hoping to lighten the mood with talk of his sister.

"Elise is better off being raised by us three than being left alone in a house with batshit crazy," Harry scoffed, his protective instincts kicking in.

Feeling the weight of their conversation, Y/N searched for a way to lift Harry's spirits. "What made you want to be a pilot?" she asked, genuinely interested.

“Sonny came home wanting to sign up for cadet training after they visited his school. He came home running through the doors with a flyer in his hand and told everybody he was going into the army. I told him ‘No brother of mine is going anywhere that requires trench foot and guns.’ He didn’t talk to me for a week after that. It wasn’t until I found an advertisement where y’ could train to fly planes when I decided I was gonna make a better life for myself and my siblings. It just so happened Sonny and George wouldn’t let me go at it alone.” He inhaled his cigarette before tossing it to the ground. 

As Harry shared the story of how he and his brothers found their way to Offutt, Y/N couldn't help but admire his determination. She found herself drawn to him even more, captivated by his strength and the way he always included his brother’s in everything he spoke about. 

A comfortable silence settled between them. Y/N's heart skipped a beat as Harry smoothly slid his hand next to hers, their fingers intertwining effortlessly. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through her. 

"Have I told y’ how beautiful y’look tonight?" Harry's voice was soft, his gaze locking with hers in a way that made her heart race.

Y/N blushed at his compliment, unable to tear her eyes away from his. "You're lying," she protested, feeling a surge of warmth spread through her cheeks.

"I swear it," Harry insisted, his hand reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Swear on m’ life, birdy."

Y/N's heart fluttered at the nickname, a secret thrill running through her as she turned to face him. His eyes held a tenderness that melted her defences, and she found herself smiling back at him.

"Hi, birdy," Harry murmured, a dimple appearing on his cheek as he leaned in closer.

"Hi, Harry," Y/N whispered, her voice barely above a breath as she savoured the moment.

Harry's shoulders dropped and a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips, though he seemed to be fighting to contain it. “I can’t lie to y’ birdy, I can’t stop thinking about kissing you,” Y/N's breath caught in her throat, her heart racing at his words. “I was gonna lie and tell y’ I’d been thinking about it since I saw you tonight but… quite honestly, I think I've been dreaming of y’ since I met y’ the other day.” 

Y/N didn’t know what to say, she felt as though someone had put a zipper straight across her mouth and she couldn’t get it to open. All she could feel was every muscle in her body beating against her skin as though they were trying to force her to surge forward and kiss him herself. “Y-You can if you want,” She stuttered, cheeks pink.

Harry laughed, “What about if you want? Can’t go kissin’ y’ if y’ don’t want it birdy.” 

“I do want it,” Y/N nodded. 

“Yeah?” He spoke but it came out more like a whisper. 

“Yeah.” Y/N gulped, feeling nervous. 

Harry didn’t hesitate once the word had left her mouth. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. Their lips met in a gentle, tentative kiss, soft and exploratory. Y/N's heart fluttered as she melted into the warmth of Harry's embrace, her senses flooded with the taste of his lips and the scent of his cedarwood cologne.

Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in the sweetness of the moment, their kisses deepening with each passing second. Harry's arms wrapped around Y/N, pulling her as close to him as possible. 

In that instant, everything else faded away—the noise of the party, the chill of the night air—leaving only the two of them, lost in the heat of their first kiss. 

They were both breathless as they pulled apart. Y/N’s eyes fluttered open to find Harry already looking at her, his eyes filled with emotion and intense desire. She noticed his tongue poke out to lick his bottom lip and she couldn’t help but giggle when she noticed the red lipstick stain she had left on his mouth from her kiss. 

“Where abouts do you live?” Harry murmured.

“Clemon Street,” Y/N spoke, her voice coming out a whisper. 

“Yeah? That’s on my way home,” He grinned. 

“Oh really?” Y/N bit back a laugh, “I thought y’ lived on Newark Street - it said so in Elise’s file.” 

Harry shrugged, “I like to go the long way round.” Y/N didn’t bother pulling him up on the fact that the two streets were on opposite ends of the housing estate. 

“Can I walk y’ home?” He asked, his fingers fiddling with the fabric of her dress. 

Y/N nodded, biting her bottom lip, “Yeah I’d like that.” 

Harry grinned, “Well alright then.”

They stood up, Y/N keeping his jacket around her shoulders since it was still cold out, “I’ve just got to go to the bathroom,” She motioned towards the community centre. 

“I’ll wait for y’ at the door,” He said, following her as they walked to the community centre side by side. Y/N walked up to the steps and opened the door, she looked over her shoulder to make sure Harry was still there- that he was real and not just someone she dreamt up.

Harry caught her eye, “M not going anywhere birdy,” he winked, “hurry up so I can walk y’ home and kiss y’ again.” 

Y/N laughed and hurried straight to the bathroom. Once inside, she closed the cubicle door behind her and sank down onto the lid of the toilet seat, a wide grin spreading across her face. Unable to contain her excitement, she let out a delighted squeal, her mind buzzing with thoughts of the moment she had just shared. 

She pulled out the pocket mirror from her bag and quickly reapplied the lipstick that had been smeared off. She fluffed up her hair with her hands and rubbed her aching cheeks from where had been smiling so much. She stood up and held Harry’s coat in her arms.  As Y/N stepped outside the community centre, she scanned the area in search of Harry, hoping to catch a glimpse of him waiting for her. Her anticipation turned to disappointment when she couldn't spot him anywhere, and her shoulders slumped slightly in resignation. Just as she was about to turn away, a figure caught her eye—a silhouette that had a striking resemblance to Harry—standing in a shadowy corner illuminated by the lights from the community centre.

Heart fluttering with excitement, Y/N smiled and took a step forward, eager to walk home with him. However, her joy quickly turned to dismay when she realised he wasn't alone.

A sudden giggle pierced the air, causing Y/N's heart to sink. Molly's warning appeared typed out in big letters at the forefront of her mind, filling her with regret and dread as she hesitated, frozen in place. With each step she took closer, the scene before her unfolded—it was Nancy, her housemate, clinging to the man she had just kissed.

“I see I still have tha’ effect on yah?” He chuckles, opening his lips in a teasing smirk.

“Shut up! ‘S not because of you” 

“I know” he says, and his eyes soften at the sight of the girl in front of him, all shy and anxious about something that he thinks is so natural. “‘M just teasing. Everything’s gonna be okay” 

She sighs at his words and takes a step closer to him, “ugh, I know… just want it to be perfect”

“‘S already perfect with you here” he smiles, grabbing her upper arm and tugging her closer to him. He circles her back with his arm and squeezes her against his chest, holding her tight in a soothing embrace.

“You’re perfect” she sighs once again, inhaling the pleasing scent of his fabric softener lingering on his hoodie. 

YN still can’t believe he is hers.

“C’mon let’s go inside, yeah?” 

“Mmhmm” she nods against the fabric of his sweatshirt.

Once Harry closes the front door behind him, he takes YN’s duffle bag from her hands and tells her to follow him upstairs. 

“Where’s Aidi?” She asks.

“In her room” 

“Is she… does she know I’m here?” 

She watches as he nods his head, and she wonders for a moment if there’s something wrong going on. Is Aidi upset? Is it too soon? 

“Harry…” she whispers once they enter his room, “maybe it’s too soon. We should have-“ 

“YN.” He interrupts her, a serious look adorning his gentle features, “I told you already everything is fine.”

“Okay” she nods doubtfully, not really convinced by his words.

He tosses her bag on his bed and after he turns around to face her. He takes her hand in his and squeezes it to reassure her. He knows how she is. How much she worries, but that’s the very same reason why he’s so sure about this. He knows she cares about Aidi very much, and he thinks she’ll be good for his daughter, even if it takes her some time getting used to having another person around more. 

YN follows Harry out of his room, and, once they reach Aidi’s door, she watches as he gently knocks on it. 

“Aidi?” He asks, opening the door and peeking his head inside. “Hi bug” he says softly, and YN feels herself melt at the interaction. He’s so gentle, so sweet. He makes her feel warm, like the first spring sun shining on her skin after a cold winter.

He opens the door wider and YN spots Aidi laying on her bed, her ballerina bunny squeezed under her chin. She lights up as soon as she sees her dad, and she nods timidly when Harry asks her if she was asleep.

“I was really tired, daddy” she mumbles, knuckling at her eyes sleepily. 

“Tha’s okay” he reassures. “‘S almost time to eat dinner” 

YN watches from the door jamb, unsure on what to do. She doesn’t want to interfere in their moment, still feeling a bit unease at the situation.

“Do you want to say hi to YN?” Harry asks when Aidi gets up from the bed. 

She shakes her head no. “I already said at school”.

YN bites hard on her bottom lip. She knew it would be hard. 

Harry furrows his brows and looks at his daughter, confused by her behavior. She loves YN. She always talks about how nice she is and how she’s so happy she’s his friend so he doesn’t really know where this is coming from. He figures she’s just grumpy from being woken up. 

YN, on the other hand, thinks this is going to be harder than they thought. 

…

It’s a little bit later in the evening, and despite the abrupt start, things seem calmer now. Aidi had played with her dolls while she watched cartoons on the tv, and YN had helped Harry with setting the table for dinner. 

She thinks it’s nice. Settling into a routine and sharing it with them. She’s always been kind of alone, and she’s always thought of herself as more of a loner, but maybe she’s been wrong all along and this is where she was actually destined to be. 

“Aidi?” Harry calls from inside the kitchen.

YN smiles fondly once she sees Aidi walking towards them with a pep in her step, she seems fine, until Harry asks her what she wants to eat, because nothing seems of her liking. 

“Noooo daddy I don’ like that!” she protests when Harry shows her the package of pasta he intended on cooking.

“But you’ve always liked it! You looove when granny makes it for yah!” 

“Yeah” she gives him a firm nod, “but yeh’re not granny” 

YN has to refrain herself from laughing at them. She wonders if she’s like this everyday or she’s putting on a show just because she’s there. 

“Uggh fine, then. How about…” he looks through the cupboard to see what other thing he could cook, he picks up another package of pasta, shaped like butterflies this time, and holds it in front of her, but Aidi shakes her head disgusted once again.

He moves toward the fridge then, taking out some chicken and showing it to her, but “noooo” she protests. 

“Wha’s gotten into yah!” He sighs discouraged.

“I’m sorry” he mouths to YN, to which she replies with a knowing smile.

Harry opens the door to the freezer and YN spots a package of chicken nuggets inside, and she points to them trying to hide her gesture from Aidi, not sure whether she could eat that kind of food.

“She usually doesn’t like them” he shrugs, but when he takes out the package to show it to her, Aidi starts jumping excitedly in her place, “yes! Yes! Daddy want them, pleaseee”.

“But-“ he’s about to protest, but he feels it’s actually pointless to argue with a child, so he sighs and: “fine!”

“Make them crispyyy please daddy” she says seriously, but when YN erupts in an uncontrolled laughter, Aidi starts giggling too. 

Harry joins in on their laughter, but his is more of a disbelieving one, amazed by his daughter’s behavior.

Once dinner is ready, Harry, YN and Aidi all sit at the small table in the living room.

Harry fills his and YN’s glasses with the most prestigious red wine he had, and he serves first Aidi (the chicken nuggets with looots of ketchup), then YN (the special pasta his mother taught him to make and that’s the only fancy thing he knows how to make — but, honestly, YN was fine with everything. Even if it meant eating dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets).

The air around them is quiet, there’s a comfortable silence between them, and YN feels happy. Like she belongs. She looks at Aidi tenderly when she hears the quiet humming of what she recognizes is a cartoon’s theme song, and she watches as the little girl dips her nugget in what seems to be way too much ketchup for only a small piece, and when YN raises her glance from Aidi’s plate, she realizes Harry is looking at her with one of the softest looks on his face she’s ever seen. He smiles sweetly at her, but, as opposed to how he used to always avert his gaze when they were still in college — embarrassed she’d catch on the crush he’d always had on her, he doesn’t look away. 

‘What?’ She mouths, worried she might have something on her face or that he wants to tell her something without his daughter hearing, but he just shakes his head.

‘Pretty’ he mouths back, and his eyes do that thing YN loves, they twinkle like the brightest of the lights, the warmest shade of green she’s ever seen, like the grass on a chilly spring day, the feeling of seeing a bit of color after months of whiteness. 

She bushes and looks down at her plate, still not used to his cheeky compliments. 

After dinner, Harry takes out of the fridge the ice cream YN had brought, and when he opens it, he smiles fondly when he realizes she picked Aidi’s favorite flavors: chocolate and strawberry. In the same bag, there’s another tub of ice cream, much smaller, and when he opens it, to his surprise, he sees his favorite flavor: mint chocolate chip. 

He knows now she remembers their ice cream runs after a long day of studying, but he’s genuinely surprised she would after so many years, and he thinks it feels nice. It’s nice having someone take care of you, even if it only means picking up your and your daughter’s favorite flavors of ice cream.

He comes back in the living room with the ice cream and three small bowls, and he places them on the table.

“Look what YN got you!” He smiles excitedly, hoping to spark some excitement in his daughter, since she’d been pretty quiet all throughout dinner. 

“Ice cream!” She lights up, but when Harry shows her the flavors, she makes a disgusted face and pushes the tub out of her face.

“I don’t like chocolate” 

YN, that had watched the encounter proudly, feels her face fall. She thoroughly remembers Aidi loves chocolate ice cream. She’d told her many times in class, and it was what she had asked that day Harry forgot to pick her up and YN had brought her to eat ice cream to distract her. Maybe she remembers wrong? She feels herself panic inside, because how could she have gotten it wrong! She’d been so careful while picking. 

“But ’s your favorite!” Harry stresses, his brows furrowing on his forehead. 

YN feels a little bit relieved at his words. At least she hadn’t gotten it wrong. 

“No, it’s not” she shakes her head, grimacing.

“I’m so sorry, YN. I don’t know wha’s gotten into her” he apologizes, sitting back down in his chair, his shoulder sagging, he feels undefeated. 

There’s no way Aidi doesn’t like chocolate ice cream, because he remembers she ate it two days before at his sister’s house, but he chooses not to tell YN that to not aggravate the situation more. He knows this is silly, because it’s just ice cream, but it’s then he realizes maybe everything isn’t okay and Aidi isn’t comfortable with having YN here.

He’s unsure on what to do, feeling conflicted about the situation. 

He knows he should put his daughter’s feelings before his, but he also cares about YN, and he doesn’t want to push her away. 

“Harry” he hears YN interrupt his train of thoughts, “maybe I remembered wrong. It’s no problem at all! Do you like mint chip?” She asks Aidi the last part, and her voice is soft.

Aidi nods, “’s daddy’s favorite” 

YN smiles at her and then throws a quick glance at Harry, “really? You both have great taste then! You share that with your daddy and I’ll eat the other one, okay?” 

“Okay” Aidi nods once again and leans forward on the table to pick up the tub of ice cream. She shows it to Harry to signal she wants it in the bowl, and he consents quietly. 

Harry — too — realizes this is going to be harder than he thought.

…

Harry feels bad. Tonight hasn’t been what he thought, at all. 

He had planned in his mind all the nice and fun things he wanted to do with both YN and Aidi, and maybe, he realizes just now, he had been wrong to assume Aidi wanted to do that. He understands it’s always been them. Since she was born, it’s always been the two of them, tucked away safely in the walls of their home, and Harry understands how she could feel now that YN is here as well.

He just feels bad, because he’d like to do some of those things with YN too. He’d like to eat breakfast with them, he’d like to watch a movie and cuddle them both under his arms, he’d like to kiss both of them goodnight, he’d like to snuggle with them in his bed until it’s inevitably time to get up. But how can he? Aidi is little, and she doesn’t understand what it means to share. 

“What are you thinkin’ about?” He hears YN gently ask, and he shifts his gaze from the tv to her.

Aidi wanted to watch the new Little Mermaid movie (her favorite of the week), and she had demanded her daddy watched too. YN hadn’t minded, and she sat contently next to them, but only half an hour into the movie, Aidi had fallen asleep against Harry’s chest, his shirt crumbled between her little fingers as she held onto him, almost scared he’d leave her to sleep alone. 

Harry leans his head on the backrest of the couch, he then turns it and looks at YN fondly. She’s so pretty now, her hair frame her face perfectly, and the glasses on her nose make her face look softer. 

He shakes his head, wary of what she could say if he voiced his thoughts aloud, and when he sees her brows close in a furrow, he averts his gaze, his face facing the ceiling as he closes his eyes.

“Hey” she whispers, careful not to wake Aidi sleeping in his lap. When she realizes he isn’t opening his eyes, she raises her arm and rests it next to his face on the back of the couch. With delicate fingers she caresses the tender skin of his neck, below his ear, where she hears his pulse quicken. 

“Harry, hey” she repeats, hoping to gain his attention, but she may have been a little too loud, because Aidi stirs in his lap and opens her eyes slowly. 

“Hi, bug” he smiles down at her, his expression changing as soon as she woke up. “Let’s get yah to bed, yeah?” 

He stands up from the couch and props Aidi on his hip, caressing her back gently to lull her back to sleep. 

She falls asleep on his shoulder almost immediately, and YN raises on her feet quickly, placing a gentle and quiet kiss on her hair. Harry smiles at her and informs her he’d be putting Aidi to bed in her room. 

YN turns off the tv and picks up the throw blanket to fold it, when she’s done she puts it on the couch and makes her way upstairs towards Harry’s room.

She sits on his bed and she waits for him, her heart beating fast against her ribcage. She wonders if she should leave. Is that what Harry is so scared to tell her? She’s sure he realized too that Aidi wasn’t comfortable with YN staying over.

She hears the door close quietly and she looks up immediately. She can feel her heart in her throat, convinced he wants to send her away. 

Maybe it’s too soon. 

Maybe he doesn’t want a relationship with someone his daughter doesn’t like. 

Whatever the reason will be, she’s sure this will be their final conversation. 

“Hi” he interrupts her train of thoughts.

“Hi”.

He walks towards her and stops in front of her, sitting between her open legs. 

“Harry -“ she starts saying, but he interrupts her quickly: “Baby, I’m so sorry”.

“What?” she asks confused, “why are you saying sorry?” 

“I thought… today was supposed to be different” he sighs. He raises both of his hands and cradles her face in his palms, caressing the skin of her cheeks with his thumbs. 

“I’m sorry” he repeats, “I wanted to make a nice dinner and maybe go for a walk, and… I don’t know, maybe watch a movie but…” 

“But we did!” YN chimes in, bringing her hands up to squeeze his wrists, “it was perfect”

“I know but… Aidi…” he says, shaking his head, panic lacing his voice.

“You don’t think she’s happy…”

“It’s not that… I’m just scared. I didn’t think it would be this difficult” he sighs. He feels guilty, and if there was any way he could have this conversation with her without hurting her, he would. But YN has also taught him to communicate his feelings, and he couldn’t just not tell her what was going on in his mind, how scared he is for his daughter and to cause her pain. 

“Oh Harry” she shakes her head against his hands, biting down on her bottom lip so hard she thinks she can taste the blood. “She’s just little, and not used to… all of this. I think you should talk to her.” 

“I don’t know how” he looks at her pleadingly. 

“Just say how you feel. Start from there. She’s the most wonderful kid I know, she will understand.” 

It’s when she says things like these that Harry remembers why he is so sure about YN. She loves him, and perhaps she loves his daughter more than she loves him. Her presence is crucial in both of their lives, and Aidi needs to know her. She needs to be around her, because Harry thinks there’s a part of how YN loves that only she could teach, and he wants Aidi to learn, he wants her to see her dad happy, and he wants her to understand that love is really all that matters.

He gives her a small smile, not big enough to show the dimples YN really loves, but enough for her heart to tighten in her chest.

“Everything’s going to be fine.” She whispers, before tilting her head upwards and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. 

He dips his head forward and deepens the kiss, sighing into her mouth. 

Despite the heavy weight on his chest, he’s really happy she’s here.

Her lips are soft against his, and he wants to drink her in, drown in her taste, like the sweetest summer fruit. 

Her hands make their way up his arms, her fingers dipping into the cotton of his shirt, and once she reaches his shoulders, she pushes him down against her. 

They both fall on the bed, and with the way she’s kissing him, YN hopes she can reassure him. She hopes he understands she’s here now, and he doesn’t have to do it alone. His tongue caresses hers, and his hands are everywhere on her body, holding onto her skin desperately. 

He settles between her legs, and pushes his hips forward when she bites his bottom lip, his erection pushing hard against her center where she needs him the most.

“Harry” she says as soon as he moves his head to kiss down her neck, “we shouldn’t. You’re upset” she breathes.

“Mmh” he whimpers against the skin of her neck, “please” he begs, “i need you. I need you so much.”

She tugs at his hear and he raises his head from her neck, the sight of him almost making YN cum on the spot.

As opposed to how he always is in bed, dark and dominant, he looks soft and pleading, his eyes big and veiled with lust, his lips wet with spit and a particular shade of red mixed with purple. 

“You’re the only one that can make me feel better” he whispers looking directly into her eyes.

“Okay” she nods, “okay”.

Harry buries his head back onto her neck and kisses the skin there gently. 

His hands travel down to her jeans and he quickly unbuttons them, tugging them down her legs and then throwing them on the floor.

His movements are frantic and eager, but everything about him is soft, from the way his hands caress the skin of her stomach to the way his fingers shift her panties to the side to expose her. He dips his thumb between her folds, rolling tight circles on her clit a couple times. She sighs heavily, and she has to refrain herself from moaning.

When he sees that she’s wet enough, he holds his weight with one arm and with the other he tugs his own jeans down, followed by his boxers right after. 

When his cock is finally freed from its restraint, he doesn’t waste a second before he slides it between her folds, coating it with her juices. She brings a hand to his cheek and tilts his head up so he can look into her eyes when he slips inside of her. 

“Oh” she whimpers, and he’s quick to swallow her sounds with his own mouth, sighing into her while his hips drill into her.

She feels warm against him, and he finally feels the comfort he’d been looking for. 

With gentle fingers he raises the fabric of her t-shirt and exposes more of her skin, his hand resting against her ribcage, under her side boob. With his thumb he pushes her bra up and finally frees her tits, his head dipping down to kiss all over the new exposed skin.

He takes her right nipple into his mouth and sucks on it lightly, soothing it right after with his tongue.

“Please” she moans quietly, arching her back and pushing her tits into is mouth. 

“Shh, baby” he giggles, leaving her boobs and going back to her mouth, “fuck” he whispers against her lips, “gonna make me cum already”

She clenches around him, flattered that she could make him reach his high so quickly.

“Baby I need you to cum” he says, and he brings a hand down between them, drawing tight circles on her clit. He knows she’s close by the way her walls clench around him, but he needs her to come before him, so he brings his mouth back on her nipple, the left one this time, and bites on it gently. 

With the stimulation on her clit and now on her nipple, YN knows it’s going to take her seconds to cum, and she brings a hand to clasp against her mouth when he gives a particularly harsh thrust that makes her come on the spot. She sees stars and all her body trembles as Harry keeps moving his hips with the pace that made her cum, never taking his hand off her clit. 

He parts from her nipple and when he sees her face beginning to contort in discomfort, he pulls his cock put of her and with a few tugs he comes against her stomach, his sticky liquid coming in spurts out of his slit.

“Fuck” he groans, giving another few thrusts against his hand.

When he’s done, he falls on the bed next to her, lifting his arm so she can squeezing in against his side. 

She rests her head on his chest, and she can hear his heart beating hard against his chest. She almost falls asleep right there, lulled by the sound of his heart beating loud for her, but: “thank you. I love you”, he whispers against her hair delivering a soft kiss against her hairline. 

She chuckles against the skin of his chest, placing a kiss there “i love you too”.

…

“I got more of that cream yeh like… the one made with wine” 

They’re both still in their towel, the bathroom foggy from the steam of the hot water. 

“Harry!!! Thank you!” She exclaims, “you didn’t have to” she beams at him, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth as he shows the cream to her.

“I wanted to” he smiles, leaning down to kiss the side of her head.

This is what he has longed for all his life, always feeling like there was something missing from him. The comfortableness of sharing his routine with the person he loves the most.  

They stand side by side in front of the sink, their naked shoulders touching, and YN massages the cream onto her skin while Harry brushes his teeth.

When he’s done, YN hands him the cream and “want?” 

He nods, and, “you put it for me” he says, closing his eyes immediately and bringing his hand up to swat away a couple of curls from his forehead. 

YN grins widely and she sprinkles a little bit of cream on the palm of her fingers. She rubs them together to warm the cream, and then she raises on her tips to massage it onto Harry’s face.

She’s delicate in doing so, rubbing his cheeks gently and then under his eyes, his nose and all the way down to his chin. He looks serious but relaxed at the same time, and YN rubs at his temples a little to ease what could be left of the tension he felt before. 

He sighs dreamily and once she’s done, she rubs the remaining cream on his neck, and then she places a kiss on his lips, “all done”.

“Thank you baby” he smiles, leaning down to give her another kiss. And another. And another, until she’s giggling against his lips.

“Shh” he shushes her, placing another soft kiss against her lips.

“I’m so tired” YN says, knuckling at her eyes.

“Yeah… let’s go to bed, yeah?” 

Once they reach his room, they both slip into their pajamas and hurry to get to bed, the tiredness of the day catching up to the both of them. 

YN asks what side of the bed Harry sleeps on (the one near the door) and YN gets in beside him. She can smell the fabric softener of his cleaned sheets (that Harry had changed before they got in the shower), and she burrows herself more into the comforter, hiding her face under it.

“Where are yah!” He whispers, and when he hears her giggle, he raises the comforter over his head and joins her under the covers.

“Hi” he says once he’s face to face with her, the mint scent of his toothpaste tickling her nose. She looks extremely soft, her skin dewy from the cream and her eyes droopy with sleep. 

“Hi” she repeats, moving closer to him. She rests her head on the palm of her hand, and she looks up at him dreamily. Harry feels a little claustrophobic from the lack of oxygen and the heaviness of the comforter over their heads, but he has to admit it’s comforting, being with her like this. Close. 

“Thank you for giving me this” she whispers, shifting her gaze form one of his eyes to the other. 

She hopes he understands what she means, because YN doesn’t mean the cream, the dinner, or the sex. She means a family. A routine. Something to look forward to at the end of the day when she feels exhausted. She knows now as long as she has Harry and Aidi she will never feel alone, and she will never have to question herself, how she did all those years ago in college when she would wonder what was wrong with her that made her so unlovable. 

…

The next morning, Harry wakes up at around seven o’clock, too early for a Saturday morning, and he casts a glare towards YN that is sleeping soundly next to him.

When he realizes what time it is by looking at his phone, he understands something is missing. Aidi isn’t awake. 

She usually wakes him up at around half past six by jumping on his bed, and then falls asleep almost immediately on his chest, clutching her stuffed bunny protectively to her side. 

The possibility that she’s still asleep is very slim, and he decides to check on her, not without leaving a kiss on YN’s head before.

When he reaches Aidi’s room, he opens the door and frowns sadly at his daughter. She’s awake, lying on her bed still under the covers, talking quietly with her stuffed bunny.

“Hi bug” he whispers, “g’morning!” 

“Hi” she says in a small voice, but she doesn’t raise her gaze to look at him. He knows she’s still upset. 

“Why didn’t y’come wake me up?” 

When she shrugs, he walks towards her bed, and with his hand he gestures for her to scooch over a little so he can lay down next to her. 

He lays his head on her pillow and looks at her. She’s still sleepy, her eyes laced with sleep and her hair ruffled and curly. Her pajama top has shifted a little to expose the soft skin of her tummy, and Harry adjusts it to cover her. 

“Cinna” Harry addresses her stuffed bunny once he realizes Aidi doesn’t want to talk to him yet, “why’s Aidi sad?” 

Aidi pets the bunny’s ears and keeps her eyes forward, not looking at her dad. 

“Is it because YN is here?” He asks gently, whispering as if it was a secret between them.

Aidi wraps her small fingers around the bunny’s neck and makes it nod its head. Harry smiles sadly at her, his chest aching at the sight of his daughter hurting, and him being the cause of that pain.

His sudden reaction is to just reassure her and he wonders if YN would understand if he told her to wait a little before coming over again, but then he remembers what she told him: that Aidi is smart and she will understand if he talks about his feelings. He figures it’s worth a try.

So, “Come here, bug” he says, stretching out his arm so she can rest her head on his chest.

It takes a while to convince her but after a little bit she shifts and places her cheek on his chest, holding her bunny tight under her chin.

“My baby” he coos, petting the hair out of her face, “just because YN is here it doesn’t mean we can’t do what we always do!” 

He hears her sigh loudly through her nose and he understands she isn’t really convinced by his words.

“It doesn’t change the love I have for you” he says, but she’s little, and he tells her he loves her everyday, so it doesn’t do very much.

“YN is really nice” he tries, “and she’s my friend. She’s funny and she loves ice cream. And she gives great cuddles. Like… great. Way better than I do, because she’s warm and she smells nice, like candy”  

He hears her giggle at his words, so he keeps going, “and she makes me really happy” he coos.

“How much?” Aidi asks, her voice muffled from the cheek she has smushed against his shirt.

“Ooooh, like how much happy we are when granny comes over” 

Aidi hums and raises her head from his chest to look at her daddy. She looks a little less sad now, her lips open in a small smile.

“And she loooooves bunnies. She has like three stuffed bunnies,” he smiles, and Aidi looks down at the bunny clasped in her small hand.

“Really?” 

“Yeah… she actually asked me if you and Cinna’d like to meet ‘em?”

She nods her head eagerly, “maybe we could invite them over next time?” She asks doubtfully, almost shy, and Harry beams with pride upon seeing her reaction.

“‘f course bug!” He exclaims excitedly, circling her back with his arms and squeezing her against his chest. He tickles her back and she giggles uncontrollably, her laugh muffled from his shirt, “daddy stooop! Please daddy!” 

He joins in on her laugh and he stops tickling her, squeezing her hard against his chest one last time.

“Is miss YN still asleep?” Aidi asks.

“Dunno,” he says, “do yeh want t’check?” 

When she nods her head, he sits up on her bed and takes her in his arms, propping her on his hip and picking up her stuffed bunny.

They make their way towards Harry’s bedroom, and when they open the door, YN is still sound asleep under the duvet.

“She’s sleepin’” he whispers, and smiles when Aidi clasps her hand on his mouth, shushing him.

“Do yeh want t’sleep a little mo’?” 

“Like always?” She asks, looking at him with big eyes.

“Yeah” 

Aidi nods her head and points toward the bed with the hand that’s holding the bunny, “in here”.

“Okay” he nods amused.

He lays her down on the bed next to YN, tucking her under the covers, and then he scooches in next to them, shutting the small light on his bedside table.

“Harry?” He’s almost half asleep when he hears her small voice, and he opens his eyes tiredly to look at her.

“Everything’s okay?” YN asks, her voice laced with a bit of worry, that he’s quick to reassure. 

“Yes. She wanted to sleep a little bit more” 

“Okay.” She nods happily.

“Go back to sleep, darlin’. Everything’s perfect” he reassures, stretching a hand to caress her face.

He smiles fondly when she turns her head to kiss the skin of his wrist and then he lulls her back to sleep like he did with his daughter, petting her hair soothingly. 

YN falls asleep almost immediately, and Aidi, too, is sleeping peacefully between them.

Harry, despite the tiredness, stays awake a little longer to look at both of his girls trough the dark, sleeping next to him, his heart growing in his chest every second he spends looking at them, and he wonders what they’re dreaming about, these two girls that in different ways gave him a reason to love again. 

In the morning, he’ll be the last one to wake up, alone in his bed, and he’ll hear the laughter coming from the kitchen along with the sweet scent of pancakes and bacon. He will let Aidi tell him all about how YN really gives the best cuddles and smells of candy, and he will kiss YN tenderly on the head. Aidi will ask YN when she can meet her bunnies while she bites down on her Nutella pancake, and YN will say whenever her and Cinnabunny are ready. 

And Harry will finally feel at peace in his routine. No pieces missing.  

Charlie is very excited when Harry tells him about the trip, and even though he's still very young, Harry can tell he's already forming his own ideas about the kind of person he wants to be. And that means the world to Harry. It's one thing for him to shape his son, but he's determined to give Charlie a voice, as well.

Later that week, Charlie is sent home from school with another letter. One that explains how the class will be visiting the farm, what the schedule will be like and what exactly they need help with from the volunteering parents. With this insight, Harry has a much better understanding of the day, and can teach Charlie about things he might see. Teaching him new words and showing him the pictures in the books that Harry has at home.

On the morning of the trip, Charlie is a bundle of excited nerves. He's practically vibrating as Harry helps him get dressed, and when Harry makes sure he's got his raincoat, he almost bursts.

“It's not going to rain, daddy.”

“Oh yeah? Then what's that.” Harry asks, pointing out the window where the clouds are hanging low and grey.

“It's not gonna rain” Charlie states again. “Promise” Harry huffs out a laugh because of course, the boy is going to be stubborn today

“Okay, little man. We'll see.” As they get ready to leave, Harry puts a light jacket on and grabs an umbrella. When Charlie notices, he pouts, making his father chuckle.

Harry is supposed to drive to school first so a few more kids can fit in the car, and then drive them all to the farm together. Charlie is excited to sit in the front, which gives him a perfect view of the sky and a chance to show Harry how wrong he is.

He's quiet for a while, just staring out the window, but Harry doesn't pay too much attention. He's too focused on the road and making sure the other kids are safe. But soon, the clouds part and the sun shines through.

“See? Told ya.” Charlie grins. Harry hums and nods.

“I suppose you did.”

Harry parks his car on the school grounds. They walk towards Charlie's classroom and when the door opens, Harry sees a young woman standing in the middle of the room, facing away from him. If he remembers correctly, his son's teacher used to be in her fifties, so who is this woman?

“Char? Did you get a new teacher” Harry asks his son as he puts his coat away, but Charlie shrugs.

“No. Miss Green is gone. This is Miss Y/L/N.” Charlie answers, pointing to the woman. At the sound of his son's voice, she turns around and Harry can finally see her face. She locks eyes with him and it feels like time stops.

“Y/N” Harry asks confused, his heart beating faster. She looks exactly the same as she did all those years ago, the only difference being the hair length and a few laugh lines on her face.

“Harry. Hi. Um... I wasn't expecting to see you here.” She says. Her voice sounds a little strained.

“Well, I wasn't expecting to see you either.” Harry chuckles. “How... are you? I didn't know you were a teacher.”

“Oh, I just started this year. And I'm doing great. How are you?” She smiles. It's a little awkward, but it's real.

“Good, good.” He smiles back, scratching the back of his neck. Y/N used to be his girlfriend in high school, until they broke up because of college. They've only seen each other a couple of times since then, mostly when their paths crossed in their hometown. He always knew he loved her, but as they grew older, the distance between them had grown too, and now they're basically strangers.

“Daddy, are you okay?” Charlie tugs on his jacket, looking up at him. Harry blinks and shakes his head a little.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm good, little man.” Harry says and runs a hand through his son's curls.

“Daddy?” Y/N asks, sounding amused. Harry can feel the blush spreading on his cheeks.

“Uh, yeah. Charlie is my son.” He tells her, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

“He's a lucky kid to have you, Harry.” Y/N smiles, and for a second, he's a teenage boy again, completely infatuated with her.

“Thank you.” Harry clears his throat.

“Are you ready to go to the farm, Charlie?” She asks, kneeling in front of the boy.

“Yep! Can we see the horses?” He asks excitedly, jumping a little. Y/N giggles.

“There aren't going to be any horses on the farm we're going to today, but I'm sure we can find a different animal. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Harry is a bit distracted for the rest of the day, and Y/N's eyes keep meeting his over the children's heads, making him blush and smile. He can't believe she's back in his life, and a teacher no less. He really hopes he'll see her more often, now that his boy is in her class.

“Okay kids, gather 'round!” Y/N calls as she stands in front of the pigpen. Charlie and his friends hurry over, giggling and talking excitedly. “Can you all say 'hello' to the pigs?” The children repeat her words, and she gives them all a warm smile. “Great job! Now, if you all take a step closer, you'll be able to pet the pigs. Remember to be gentle, okay?”

Harry can't believe his ears. Y/N was never a fan of animals, especially when they were close to her. Yet here she is, standing in the middle of the mud, smiling and laughing. It warms his heart to see her so fond of the kids.

As the kids pet the pigs, Harry steps next to Y/N, who smiles and waves.

“This is incredible, Y/N. I can't believe you're doing this.” Harry laughs.

“Yeah, it was a little weird at first, but the kids seem to love it. It's nice to see them all together and have fun.” She admits. “And it's also a great learning experience.”

“It really is. I don't think Charlie will be able to talk about anything else but pigs for the next few days.”

“It's great though, isn't it? Their little minds are constantly absorbing information and figuring out how the world works.”

“Yeah.” Harry smiles and nods, looking at his son, who's happily petting the pig with a huge smile on his face.

“Okay guys, I think it's time for lunch. Can we all thank the pigs?” She calls and the kids cheer.

“Thank you, pig.”

“Thank you, piggy!”

“Thanks, pig.”

They all wave at the pig and walk towards the picnic area, where a couple of parents are setting up the food. Y/N instructs the kids to wash their hands, and they all run to the bathrooms. Harry joins her, and they fall into a comfortable silence as they wait for the children.

“I'm really happy to see you again, Harry.” She admits, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

“Me too, Y/N. It's been a long time.” He nods.

“Yeah.” She says, but doesn't elaborate. There's so much Harry wants to say to her, but the kids are coming back and he knows it's not the right time. He'll just have to find another opportunity.

Lunch is a fun affair, filled with laughter and the occasional mess. Afterwards, the kids play in the meadow for a while before heading back to the farm building.

“Okay, let's all sit down on the floor and I'll tell you a story about the farm.” Y/N instructs, and the kids all follow her. Harry sits with the parents, keeping an eye on his son and watching the woman he used to love.

Y/N talks to the kids about how the farm started, who built it, and what happened over the years. She has a way with words, and the children are hanging on to every word she says. After the story, they head over to the goat pen and watch as the baby goats jump around, chasing each other and bleating.

“Daddy, can we get a goat?” Charlie asks.

“Maybe, buddy. But I don't think we'd have a place to keep one.” Harry replies.

“Aww, but it's so cute.” Charlie whines, and Y/N can't help but chuckle as she picks up on their conversation.

“It is very cute. But maybe you can come here and see the goats, instead.” She suggests. Charlie nods and smiles, he walks back to the adorable creatures.

“Thanks, you just saved me there.” Harry laughs.

“Don't mention it. I'm glad I could help.”

“So, um... Charlie's mom. How's she doing?” Y/N asks, and he can see the hesitation on her face.

“Oh. She's fine, I think. We haven't seen each other since she left.” Harry answers.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious.” She says, wringing her hands together.

“No, no, it's okay. I just didn't expect it.”

“Oh. Well, that's good.”

“Yeah.” He smiles. They look at each other for a moment before someone calls for Y/N, and they're pulled out of the moment.

The rest of the day passes quickly. There are many games and activities for the kids to try out, and lots of running around and laughing. Charlie is completely worn out when it's time to go, and he falls asleep in the car.

When Harry pulls up to the school, he lets the other kids out of his car so they can go home but makes sure to let Charlie have his nap. 

“Thanks, Harry.” Y/N says as she walks up to him.

“For what?” He asks.

“For being such a great dad and helping me out. I had a lot of fun today.” She explains, smiling at him.

“Anytime, Y/N.” He replies, giving her a small smile back. They look at each other for a while, both hesitant.

“Well, I better get going. See you around!” She asks.

“Definitely. See you.”

With that, Y/N walks away and Harry gets into his car. As Harry watches her go, he can't help but wonder what the future will bring and he realises he's not wanting to wait for it all to happen. He quickly opens the door and calls her name, stopping her in her tracks.

“Yes?” She asks, confused.

“Can I please have your phone number? I'd love to catch up.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” She says, pulling her phone out and giving him the number.

“Great. Thanks.”

“Sure thing. Have a nice evening, Harry.”

“You too, Y/N.”

He watches as she walks away, feeling a sense of calm wash over him. It's like he's found something he didn't even know was missing, and he can't wait to explore the possibilities with her. ***

Ever since the field trip when Harry would drop Charlie off at school, he can't stop thinking about Y/N. She's always been on his mind, but this time, it's different. Now that they've reconnected, Harry can't help but notice everything about her. The way she smiles, the way she laughs, and the way her eyes sparkle.

He hasn't dated since Charlie's mother left. He was too busy raising his son and working, and it wasn't really a priority. But now, as he watches Y/N interact with his boy, he can't help but want more. He wants her, and he's not sure what to do about it.

One afternoon, as Harry is waiting in the parking lot after picking up Charlie, Y/N approaches his car. She gives him a small wave and a smile, and he quickly gets out of the car.

“Hi.” She greets him, a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Hey. What's up?” He asks, leaning against the car.

“Um, I was wondering if you'd like to grab a coffee with me? You asked for my number but never called, so I thought I'd ask you in person.” She asks, her voice laced with nervousness.

“Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I've been... I got kinda nervous.” He admits.

“Really?” She asks, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yeah.” He says. He doesn't explain himself further, and they just stand there, looking at each other for a minute. “Let's change the coffee for dinner and you've got yourself a deal.” He smirks, making her laugh.

“Deal.”

They agree on a time and place and then Y/N leaves, her smile growing wider with each step she takes. Harry watches her, his heart beating faster with every passing second. As he's driving home, Harry can't stop smiling. He's finally going on a date with the woman of his dreams.

He decides to make an effort and dresses up a little, putting on a nice pair of jeans and a shirt. It's not much, but it's more than he usually wears. He even brushes his hair. When he's done, he goes into the living room and finds Charlie sitting on the couch, watching TV.

“Hey, little man. Are you hungry?” Harry asks. Charlie shakes his head. “Are you sure? I'm going out for dinner and I can pick something up for you on the way home.”

“Can I come?” Charlie asks, looking up at his father with big, puppy eyes.

“Oh, um... Maybe next time, buddy. Grandma is coming over to watch you. This is kind of an adult thing.”

“What is it?”

“I'm having dinner with a friend.” Harry explains. Charlie frowns, and his brows furrows in concentration.

“Do I know her?” He asks, his voice curious.

“Yes, you do. But you can meet her another time, okay?”

“Okay.” Charlie says, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “Daddy?”

“Yes, little man?”

“Do you have a girlfriend?” He asks, tilting his head to the side. Harry almost chokes on the air, his eyes going wide.

“What?” He manages to squeak out.

“I heard the other kids talk about it at school. They said you're supposed to have dinner with your girlfriend.” Charlie explains.

“Oh. Well, no, buddy. I don't have a girlfriend.” Harry says. “Not yet.” He adds, thinking about Y/N.

“Oh. Okay.”

Charlie's questions stop and they sit in silence until his grandmother comes. Once Anne arrives, Harry leaves the house, and heads towards the restaurant. The place is busy, but not packed, and Harry manages to find a table easily. He orders a drink and sits down, his leg bouncing nervously. He's not sure why he's so anxious, it's just dinner with an old friend. He has no reason to be worried.

Y/N shows up a few minutes later, and when their eyes meet, she smiles. She looks beautiful, her hair loose and a soft dress hugging her curves. Harry feels his heart rate speed up.

“Hi.” She greets him as she approaches the table.

“Hey.” He smiles, getting up to hug her. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you. You look good too.” She blushes.

“Thank you.”

They order food and talk about anything and everything. They talk about the past and how they've changed over the years. They talk about the present and their jobs, their likes and dislikes. They also talk about the future and their hopes and dreams. It's a nice, easy conversation, and Harry is glad she had the guts to ask him on a date.

After they finish eating, they go for a walk, taking in the fresh air and talking about the most random things. Y/N talks about the kids and the crazy stories she's heard and Harry laughs at her tales, especially when she imitates their voices. He can't believe how easily they fall back into a rhythm, and he finds himself hoping this will continue.

After their walk, they go back to his car, and Harry drives her home as she took the bus on the way here. He parks outside her apartment building and they sit in the car, neither of them knowing what to say.

“Well, I had a really nice time tonight, Harry.” Y/N breaks the silence.

“Me too.” He says, a soft smile on his lips. “I'm glad you asked me out.”

“So am I.” She says.

They sit there for a few moments, just looking at each other before Harry finally pulls her cheek to the side so their eyes meet. They lean in slowly, their lips almost touching.

“Thank you again for a wonderful evening, Harry.” Y/N whispers.

“It was my pleasure.” He replies, his voice low and husky.

Their lips meet, and a fire ignites within him. They kiss deeply and passionately, his hands exploring her body. She moans into his mouth, her fingers tangling in his hair. Harry knows he shouldn't do this, not on the first date, but he can't help himself. He needs her. They kiss until their lungs scream for air, and they have to break apart. They stare at each other, both panting.

“Wow.” Y/N whispers, licking her lips.

“Yeah.” He replies, his heart racing. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-.“

“No, it's okay. I wanted this too.” She interrupts, a soft smile on her face. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How do you feel about dating with Charlie around? I can imagine it's not easy, especially since he's only four.”

“Well, I've never dated anyone, so I'm not sure.” Harry shrugs. “But I can't stop thinking about you.” He adds, looking into her eyes.

“Really?” She asks, surprised.

“Yes. I've been thinking about you ever since I saw you again.”

“Me too.”

They lean in again, their lips meeting once more. They kiss until their bodies ache and their lungs burn, and then they part. Harry can't believe he's doing this, but he knows it's right.

“Let's just take things slow.” He says, his voice husky.

“Okay.” Y/N smiles.

“Now, before you all start packing up, I want you guys to know that all ten of your journal entries about ‘Brave New World’ are due this Friday. Yes, Eugene, this Friday.” She hummed, catching Flash grumble to his sidekicks. Flash’s head shot up and seeing YN already staring at him, he flushed and shouldered his backpack. 

When he bell rung, YN packed her things, waiting for the last student to leave before grabbing her keys and locking the door behind her and heading her way to the staff room. She greeted a few of the ninth graders sitting on the floor outside of her class and stepping over their bags and walking down the way. 

“YLN!” She heard a familiar voice call and she turned quickly to see Natasha Romanoff shutting the door to her honours history class and jogging to catch up to her. Natasha had proven to be a huge help in helping the younger teacher settle into the hustle and bustle of the school, and had also come out to be a very possible close friend. 

“How was your weekend?” She asked, falling into step with the younger teacher. 

“Boring, honestly. I just marked papers and binged ‘The Legend of She-Ra’ again.” She replied, and rolled her eyes playfully at the scoff that came from her friend. 

“You’re such a nerd it’s almost painful sometimes. Listen, there’s a barbecue at Sam and I’s place, and we’re inviting the whole staff. Its a beginning of the year tradition— you have to come.” Natasha smiled as she pushed open the staff room door. YN made a noise and walked in ahead of her and turned before she saw who was in the room. 

“I don’t know, I have a senior year class that’s giving me their journal entries for the book Rumlow made them read over the summer— which was ridiculous. Literally, how are you okay assigning homework over the holidays? And a book that complicated and expecting decent results? I’ve never met the guy but I’m happy he was fired.” YN ranted, and Natasha looked on fondly. 

“Listen, You’re new to the staff and you’ve barely met anyone but me and Sam and Steve. This would be great for you to do.” She begged and YN rolled her neck and turned away from her, eyes landing directly on the group of men crowded around a table and laughing loudly. 

Steve Rogers (Humanities), had his arm resting on the back of Tony Starks (Chemistry) chair— according to Natasha, it was pretty common for teachers to start relationships with each other here. Her and Sam Wilson (he also taught history) had been dating around two years, and Steve and Tony, guessing by the rings on their fingers, had been married quite some time. Sam glanced towards the door and upon seeing Natasha, shot up and made his way over to her. 

YN would have looked away as he kissed Natasha in greeting if she had been looking in the first place. Next to Steve sat the tall, beefy, brooding James Barnes. His long-sleeved shirt seemed about ready to tear at the strain his arms were having on it. His hair was tied into a bun at the nape of his neck, and a healthy amount of scruff seemed to have grown over the weekend. He was bantering back and forth with the other Physics teacher, Bruce Banner on an article that had come out on Sunday and while he seemed to be relaxed, he also seemed to be deeply amused by the way Bruce was getting so fired up over the subject. 

“Hey, Earth to rookie.” Sam’s voice broke her gaze away from Barnes, and without giving herself time to blush, she smiled up at Sam who seemed to be glaring at her already. 

“What did I do?” She asked immediately, and Sam only rose an eyebrow. 

“Someone tells me you’re thinking about bailing on this weekend feast? Did she forget to tell you this was an un-skippable event?” He explained and YN rolled her eyes, walking over to the coffee machine and filling her mug again— only adding two sweetener before taking a sip. 

“Someone must have forgotten that I have 300 journal entries to grade over the weekend.” She replied, cocking her head and looking at Natasha who only looked pleasantly annoyed. 

“So, let me get this straight. You’re going to stay home this weekend and skip a traditional barbecue to grade some homework that the teacher from last year left you?” Sam asked incredulously. 

YN pretended to think for a second before nodding and saying “Yep!”

“Dude, just give them all 80% and they’ll be happy.” He groaned, a slight whine entering his tone which happened to amuse YN more than anything else. 

“Yeah, and break Michelle Jones’ heart? I don’t think so.” She replied, and YN let her gaze flicker once more to the table in the corner by the window, heat flooding her body pleasantly when she saw James Barnes already looking at her. She watched as he held eye contact before letting his eyes drift over her form and taking in her outfit (flowing skirt and tucked in blouse) and heels before looking at her again and smiling kindly. 

“He’s going to be there, too,” Sam said, a smirk on his face that could almost rival Natasha’s. YN fought a sheepish smile and looked up at the couple and back to James, who had already dove deep back into conversation with Bruce. 

“I’ll, um— I’ll think about it.”

__________________________

YN was in the middle of shepherding her kids out to the courtyard for a class when she literally ran into James. He was running, already, and YN was amazed by his reflexes as he turned and caught her halfway through her fall. His arms were secure around her waist, and his eyes were wild with excitement— maybe less from their sudden proximity and more due to the fact that there was a group of teenagers behind him holding something that looked vaguely like homemade bottle rockets. 

He pulled her to stand, and found himself getting more and more nervous the longer he looked at her this close. 

“Im— um, I’m James Barnes.” He said, his voice strong, but nervous. He held out a hand and prayed it wouldn’t be as sweaty as he thought it was as she slipped her own hand into his. He was warm— the sudden heat made her arm hair stand on end, and he fought a shiver as the chill of her own palm rocketed down his spine. “But everyone calls me Bucky.”

“Come on, Bucky, let’s go!” A dark-skinned girl just behind him smirked and he whipped around in surprise before seeing who it was and pointing a finger down at her. 

“Watch it, America. I’m not afraid of taking that rocket away from you.” He said sternly, and she held her bottle protectively to her chest, sticking out her tongue playfully before retreating back to her friend group (who was laughing hysterically) consisting of Kate Bishop, Teddy Altman and Cassandra Lang (Scott Lang’s, (Biology) daughter). Eli Bradley and Rayshaun Lucas, who was in her class but also part of that friend group were giggling to each other. 

“I’m YN YLN.” She smiled, taking her hand away and shoving it in her skirt pocket to hide the way it shook nervously. In her other hand was ‘Three Day Road’ and on her shoulder was the ratty satchel that looked like it had seen better days. 

An expression of Overdramatic recognition flooded his face and he started walking towards the back entrance of the school beside her, their kids trailing behind them like lost ducklings. 

“The same YN YLN that would rather skip out on the barbecue and grade than have fun with her peers?” He teased and she laughed, throwing her head back. He ignored the way she went off balance and stepped closer to him. He definitely ignored the way their arms brushed for the fraction of a second. 

“You heard about that, huh?” She joked, pushing the doors open and taking a breath of fresh air. They walked across the schools back entrance road and made their way to the expanse of yard beside the track ring where the new gym instructor, Thor, was running laps alongside his students and helping their form and encouraging them with the largest smile. 

“I did, and I think you should come. It’s going to be fun, I swear on my life. You’ll be able to meet a few of the kids and everyone is bringing their dogs, so it should be great.” He stopped and told his class to walk a little further to the opening— somewhere safe they would be able to shoot off their rockets. 

YN turned to her class and told them to get comfortable as she dropped her bag at the place at the base of the tree they had stopped by. 

“The dogs make it even more convincing.” She quipped, now holding her book with both hands and looking up at Bucky. The students on the grass around them were watching them with rapt attention, soaking up this new interaction and getting ready to spread the gossip around the halls during lunch. 

“You’ll be able to meet Charlie,” He smiled, bouncing on his toes like an excited child. YN rolled her eyes and decided it would be in their best interest if she played along. 

“Who would that be?”

“My mastiff. He’s the biggest cuddle bug.” He smiled, and YN repressed a smile that mirrored his own. 

“I don’t know, Mr. Barnes—“ YN said uncertainly and he looked back to his class (not to hide the fact that he was blushing) who were waiting for him fifty feet away. He jumped with an idea ad ran to them, grabbing one purple hole hoop and jogging back, placing the hoop in the middle of her class and smiling at her.

“I’ll make a bet. If I get a bottle in this hoop, you have to come this weekend. If I don’t, you can stay at home and grade.” He smiled and YN just smiled and shook her head, sitting down against the base of the tree and squinting up at him. 

“Fine. Now, go do your job, Barnes. You’re being inappropriate.” She chided half-heartedly and he shoved his hands in his pockets and strut away. She looked back at her class who were already watching her with the most amused expressions. 

“What?”

“I don’t know if this reminds anyone else of Mr. Wilson in sophomore year trying to get with Miss. Romanoff?” Eli piped up and the rest of the class seemed to remember the story fondly, murmuring to each other and glancing back to Mr. Barnes who was setting his rocket station up. He looked focussed and determined, and YN felt her heart flutter with hope. 

“Turn to page 108, please everyone.” She said, cutting off the chatter and waiting for everyone to do so. She nodded to Michelle in front of her and asked her to begin reading. Just as Michelle opened her mouth to begin, a plastic soda bottle landed dead centre in the middle of the class. There was a crowd of ‘whoop!’s’ and YN spun her head to look over at Bucky Barnes, who had two fists raised in the air and the brightest smile on his face. 

“See you at Wilsons, YLN!”

________________________

“Mom always taught me it was rude to not bring food to someone's house the first time you went there, and I’m sure they won’t mind. It’s my great nan's recipe— tradition for a reason.” YN turned back and smiled, and he grinned back adoringly as he walked around and opened the gate for her. 

“Wait, where’s Charlie? You promised.” YN teased as she walked passed him and her question was almost immediately answered by a mass of back fur running past her and launching itself at Bucky, who crowed with laughter. Charlie was the largest dog, YN had ever seen— no less that one hundred and twenty pounds and rising to Bucky’s hip. 

“Come on, Bud, not in front of the pretty new girl.” He cooed at the dog and shoved him off of him, looking up at a flustered YN and winking playfully. “I’m trying to be cool and you jumpin’ up on me and makin’ me look like a softie ain’t what I was planning.”

YN waited for him to look at her before shrugging and raising an eyebrow. “Dog’s are smarter than us a lot of the time— he makes you look pretty good.” She looked fondly down at the large dog who was currently looking at Bucky like he had hung the sky and stars. She placed her free hand on the dogs head, and he wagged his tail at the new attention he was being given. 

“You look like your papa takes real good care of you, honey. He’s almost just as cute as you are.” She cooed, looking up at Bucky as she spoke the last half and letting a wave of giddiness wash over her at the way he shook his hair into his face to hide the red of his cheeks. Their moment was interrupted by a head of red hair and a glaring Natasha. 

“Is that food? What is wrong with you. Give it to me.” She snatched the Tupperware from YN’s hands and lead her deeper into the yard and placed it in the middle of the extra-long picnic table. There were even more dogs around the corner, and Charlie loped ahead and pushed a small Pomeranian over on its side, launching immediately into a gentle wrestle session. There was a swing by the yard (‘We have everyone over so much, we just decided to invest. I think the adults have more fun on it than the kids to, honestly,’ Natasha explained later over the beer in her hand, watching Sam and Bucky using the two-sided swing and wincing as the swing sets legs lifted from the ground) which held three toddlers being pushed by two teens— Cassandra Lang and a kid who YN had yet to meet, despite him looking around Cassandra’s age. 

“Guys! YN brought food!” Natasha’s exclamation was met with noises of interested protest and YN raised her hands in surrender. She could hear Bucky chuckling fondly beside her. 

“I won’t do it again, I promise!” 

_________________________

It was hours after YN arrived, and only one hour after the group had all had their fair share of food. They were all sitting around a fire, now, drinks of choice cradled in hands and thighs pressed against thighs. YN sat, staring into the fire happily when Natasha sat on the stone bench next to her. 

“You having a good night so far, Kid?” She asked, and offered YN a beer, which she declined politely. 

“I am— way better than grading, I have to admit.” She confessed and Natasha let out a sound of triumph. There was a cheer from the table behind them and YN watched, smiling as Sam ran around the yard, arms spread out by his sides as he did a victory lap and declaring himself ‘2019 School Year Beer Pong Champion’, much to Bucky’s annoyance. Cassandra and the boy she was pushing the kids with— Harley, ignored Sam, heads craned closely together and having a low conversation. Harley had been Tony’s kid from his previous marriage, and when the marriage hadn’t worked out, Tony won majority custody and fell in love with Steve as easy as breathing. Steve and Harley had taken to each other easily, and it was obvious they cared deeply for each other. Steve and Tony sat beside Harley, Tony’s pomeranian, Friday (nicknamed ‘Dummy’) snored loudly in his lap as his parents shared quick kisses with the other. 

“See? I knew you were more than some twenty-four year old stuck in an 80-year-olds body.” Natasha teased and guffawed as her drunk boyfriend face planted into their neat lawn. 

“Hey, I’m fun and hip, I promise.” She bit back and ignored Natasha’s playful scoff. 

“Yeah, you’re a real Donna Sheridan.”

“Thank you.”

_______________________

It was another two hours later before families made their way home. A sleepy Morgan with her nose buried in Steve’s neck and an equally sleepy Tony were shepherded out of the yard by Harley and Steve first. Then, Thor and his professor wife, Jane Foster left, having church to attend the following morning. The crowd of twenty dwindled down to fifteen, and when Scott and his wife Hope decided it was about time to leave, YN stretched her arms over her head and stood. 

“Well, I think I’m almost ready to head out.” She sighed and Bucky shot up quickly. Everyone looked to him sharply and he shifted his weight. 

“I— um— I think I’m going to head out too.” He said, patting his pockets to make sure his wallet and keys were in his pockets. Natasha only looked at him with her trademark smirk and watched as he lingered by the gate, messing with his helmet as she said goodbye to YN. 

“I think you have a fan,” She whispered into YN’s ear as they hugged and YN’s eyes found themselves resting on Bucky who was adjusting and readjusting the straps of his helmet, still. 

“I don’t think I mind all that much, honestly.” She replied and Natasha pulled back delighted. 

“I like you, Kid. Treat him right.”

“Oh my God.”

___________________

With a handful of final goodbyes to see if Bucky was, in fact, stalling to wait for her, YN waved one more and relieved him of his awful acting. He looked up when her feet touched the stone patio, and couldn’t fight the smile that found its way on his face, not that he would want to, anyway. 

“You waited for me?” YN asked as if she hadn’t already realized that seven minutes ago. He shook his head and held his helmet in the crook of his elbow. Charlie had gone home with the Stark-Rogers, as Bucky liked to ride his bike, and Charlie was particularly fond of their kids and of Friday.

“As if you didn’t already know.” YN giggled at his words and nodded her head. 

“Well, you did adjust your straps for a full seven minutes, so it wasn’t hard to guess what you were doing,” YN said, pulling her keys from her own pocket and swinging them on her finger. He walked past his bike and leaned against her car, folding his arms after depositing the helmet on his bike seat. 

“I was going to start spit-shining it if you didn’t hurry up, honestly.” He joked and huffed a laugh when YN wrinkled her nose in playful disgust. 

“Gross,” She commented and leaned against the door, facing Bucky and resting her cheek against her palm. “Why did you wait— not that I don’t appreciate it, but a girl has to know why a guy as smart and as handsome as you would wait around for her.” YN saw no need in beating around the bush— from small exchanges over the week in the break room and in the hallways to students approaching her and telling her random facts about Mr. Barnes, it was no secret how the two adults were attracted to each other. 

“I wanted to make sure you got safe in your car.” He stated simply, and her heart deflated just slightly. 

“Is that it?” She asked, and he turned his body towards hers, letting the back of his fingertips ghost over the exposed skin of her forearm. YN ignored the way it seemed to become much harder to breathe in order to properly hear his response. 

“I also wanted to see if you wanted to do something with me— without all these chumps, anyway.” He nodded towards the house where Bruce and wife Betty rolled the stroller holding his three-month-old daughter Lyra to their minivan. 

YN’s eyelids fluttered, as she looked up at him through her lashes and he felt all of the air in his lungs expel from his body. He wanted closer— needed closer, so he pulled her free hand from its place fiddling in her pocket and intertwined their fingers slowly, gauging for a reaction other than the soft one he was currently getting. 

“You wanna go on a date? With me?” She asked breathlessly, squeezing his hand with her own. He squeezed back twice and stepped closer. 

“If you want to, anyway.” He whispered, ignoring the bright shine of headlights from the minivan, taking this time to see YN’s expression in full light. God, he wanted to memorize every detail of her in every expression as soon as possible— he hadn’t felt like this since Dorothy, and the thought sent a thrill through him. How had she gotten him so wrapped around her finger in the two weeks she had known him was beyond him. 

“We’re pretty busy this week, so how about this weekend?” She whispered and her breath ghosted over his chin and throat, making him hold back a rumble of appreciation. Spirit week was this week, and he was overjoyed to find out that he had his favourite class with him— his honours senior physics class. 

“This weekend sounds great. Do you want my number so we can figure out more details?” She asked, barely able to tear her eyes away from his lips that were suddenly really, really close to her own. He nodded, and YN watched as a devious smile spread over his face. 

“I’ll take your number, but how about we make this more fun?” YN blinked at his proposition and stepped back, looking up at him with a bewildered expression. Bucky didn’t mourn the loss of her, knowing that they would be seeing each other very soon. 

“What?”

“It’s spirit week, right? Whoever wins between our two classes gets to pick the date. From top to bottom, everything.” He smiled and she matched it.

“You know I’m a little bit of a control freak, right?” She hummed, grabbing his other hand and holding it as well. She could see his pulse dilate with happiness and she leaned in closer to him, relishing in the way his tongue flicked out to moisten his lips. 

“Mmhm,” he couldn’t even form words, feeling just how the playing field had levelled. 

“It means I’m going to win.” She whispered, lips barely touching his own before she pulled away and opened her car door, climbing in and rolling down the window. 

“I’ll be sure to make you eat your words and take you out on the best damn date you’ve ever been on, YLN.” He grumbled, stepping away and watching as she shifted the car into gear— she knew how to drive a standard— that was hot.