Awkward Beat [H.S]

Chapter 1

In which Fitz's scheme fails and leads her to a new and awkward place. 

Chapter 1. 

Sandwiched between two brothers, I grew up with constant verbal reminders that I was ugly and gross. It rolls off a girl back before she's thirteen and then again in her late teens when she realizes her brother's opinions matter about as much as Tic Tacs. As such, I was never a girl who spent hours primping and priming in front of the mirror.

"Hey," said Harry as he poked his head through my bedroom door. "Will you get out here? You've been in front of your mirror for hours."

 ... Okay, except for this once. But it wasn't as though I was examining my appearance for all that time – I was rehearsing some clever phrases, too, and some seductive yet not whore-ish poses.

 Important things. 

"All right," I agreed, finally distancing myself from my reflection. I patted down my black skirt and looked expectantly at Harry, waiting for his stamp of approval. 

Amused, he leaned against the door frame and looked me up and down without shame. Rather than offering a compliment, he said, "Fitz, remember that time you made me throw a party in my flat and then didn't attend?" 

Rolling my eyes, I knew it was time for another rousing round of 'Remember that time...' before I got him out of my doorway. I sagged my shoulders, replying in a sing-song voice, "Harry, remember that time when it was Niall's idea and not mine?" 

With dimples to compliment his smirk, Harry stood firmly in place. "Fitz, remember that time you were so desperate to woo my mate that he came and left while you were still putting every hair in place in front of your mirror?" 

"What?!" I cried, my eyes bugging. No!

 I stalked forward, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and wrenching him out of my way. As he stumbled aside, his quiet chuckles could be heard even over the blaring music. 

"So easy," he muttered to himself. When I stopped to give him an icy glare, he straightened his shoulders but kept his smile. He cleared his throat. "Of course he's still here. I just sunk him in beer pong. So go get obnoxiously hammered and make something happen for once." 

After his motivational words, Harry wound up his hand as if about to give a mean encouraging slap on the rear. I grabbed his wrist before he made contact.

 With a shit-eating grin, he patiently waited for my admonishing. In the narrow hallway within view of our guests, I could only scoff at his immature and, frankly, unnecessary behaviour.

 "Since when do you care?" 

"Since you forced me to spend a perfectly good evening keeping an eye on my flat instead of on leggy blondes with little to no inhibitions."

 I released his wrist, tucking my hair behind my ears and looking ahead, preparing for my entrance."Nobody's forcing you to watch the flat. Honestly, Harry. Loosen up. We invited our friends, not vandals and thieves." 

From the corner of my eye, I saw his pointed glare. "Have you met Louis after a run-in with Jack and Coke? That reminds me: you need to hide all of your writing utensils in your knickers drawer." 

Unfortunately for Harry and the soon- to be vandalized kitchen fridge (and Liam'sentire face), my attention was elsewhere. This was the moment I'd been waiting for with three years of build-up. In my last year of university, I was finally going to make a move on the man who I was certain was the love of my life.