as it is || harry styles au

thirty-eight

I appreciate your patience always!
enjoy this one (:

h a r r y

Em and Jenna made it from work in time to say their goodbyes to Ivy before we set off for the airport. While they did so, I'd stepped away to call Lena and ask her to relay a message to her sister.

     Find us the best lawyer she possibly could—no matter the price—and send me their phone number.

     Mick drove us without mentioning a word of this past afternoon, as promised, since Ivy didn't offer up any information about the meeting with Lance and Mick.

     Once we were through security, we had an hour to kill before we boarded our red-eye flight. We found our gate and took a seat with a good view for people-watching.

She curled her arm through mine and rested her head against my shoulder. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You need to eat something, baby."

She grumbled incoherently, and I snuck a peek at her face to see her eyes closed.

"At least let me get you a sandwich."

     She shook her head on my shoulder, humming her refusal.

     "How about a muffin?"

     Another head shake.

     I craned my neck down the terminal and saw some golden arches. "How about some fries?"

     An eye popped open.

     I chuckled. "Fries it is." I reached my opposite hand over to cup her cheek and press a kiss to her head. "I'll be right back."

     I walked a couple of gates away to a McDonald's. There was no line, so I placed an order for large fries and a Sprite. While I waited for the fries, I kept an eye on Ivy. She was sitting up now, fully awake, but with a sleep-dazed look to her face as she tracked her gaze around the terminal.

     Fries and drink in hand, I made my way back to her.

     She tucked her arm through mine again, returning her head to my shoulder. I held the fries between us and when she didn't take any, I shook the container. "You better start eating these before they start to disappear," I teased.

     She lifted her head, and I heard a sniffle.

"Love?" I rested the soda down at my feet, then shifted to better see her face. "Hey..."

"I'm not crying." She tilted her chin away to hide her face. More sniffles ensued, calling her bluff.

     I had no other choice but to palm her cheek and gently turn her back to me. Her eyes were watery, but no tears had broken the surface yet. Seeing her eyes swimming in sadness hit me right in the chest. A sick feeling grew in my stomach.

     "Ives..."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "You're so good to me."

     I wasn't sure what she was getting at. "Why the tears, love?"

"I don't want to get sappy at an airport."