untitled |h.s|

eleven

Harry

"Where are we going?" Ari whispers behind me as I continue to drag her up the staircase.

Surprisingly, this was the first time she even asked, but I can't tell if she was just trusting me enough to follow or if she was too distracted by the other thoughts running through her mind to even realize what was happening. Watching her fall apart outside of the bar was hard enough, I can't even fathom what was going on inside that pretty head of hers.

Everything had shifted from lighthearted and teasing fun to watching the world crumble in seconds. One moment, I had the girl of my dreams dancing against me with the biggest smile on her face, and all of a sudden I was holding her together in my arms for the second time that night. I fucking knew Niall was acting weird earlier. I'd be lying if the thought of him ditching Ari for some girl didn't cross my mind, but I never would've thought he'd actually ditch her, especially for that bitch.

"Shh, you'll see," I hush her, picking up my pace as we approach the top. She stays quiet, waiting for me to open the door once we finally make it to the end of the stairs. I force myself to take a deep breath, needing to keep my composure for her- even if I'd never done this before.

I push the door open, revealing the spot I'd kept to myself since we moved into this apartment, the roof. It was quiet up here, high enough to evade the sounds of the city that never sleeps, allowing you to look out over the tall buildings that spanned the skyline. I'd stumbled up here one night, desperately looking for any sort of quiet space. I've been coming up here ever since, using it as my own little hide-out whenever I needed to clear my mind. At some point, I somehow managed to convince my landlord to let me have access up here so I could come up whenever I wanted instead of hoping someone had accidentally left the door propped open.

"Harry," Ari breaks me from my thoughts. I feel her gently pull away from my grasp, my gaze following her only to watch her getting lost in the view. Her focus is locked on her surroundings, taking in everything as her eyes bounce around the city. "It's beautiful," she says, so quiet it's almost like she's talking to herself.

"Like you," I subconsciously mutter in response. I immediately catch myself, my breath hitching in my throat as the unexpected, although true, words left my mouth. She didn't hear me though, or at least, she pretended not to as she stayed silent a few feet away from me.

I walk up behind her, closing the distance she'd slowly put between us. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her waist and hold her, but I know I can't do that. I feel my shoulders slump at the internal disappointment, forcing myself to simply stand behind her. Eventually, she turns around, her sad eyes lighting up as she looks up at me.

"Why did you bring me here?" her tone is still quiet, like she's afraid to break the subtle calm that has fallen over us.

"It's kinda like my safe space, I guess," I shrug, realizing I don't entirely have a reason. "I come up here to clear my head sometimes, I figured you could use a spot for that."

She doesn't say anything in response, staring at me for a moment as she takes in my words. After a few seconds, I feel her arms wrap around me, her head falling into my chest.

I wrap my own arms around her, an instant calm taking over my body. I hadn't even realized how nervous I was to be up here with her, but the second I felt her warmth against me, it felt like everything faded away. My focus was solely on her in that moment, and I never wanted it to stop. This hug wasn't like the others we'd shared today. It was still fueled by intense emotion, but for the first time, it wasn't sad. I took in her presence, holding her tight in my arms until she finally pulled back from my chest, giving herself just enough space to look up at me.