GREEN (RL Harry Styles fanfic)

24. True Colors

I heard the click of the latch unlock. I grasped the cool metal handle and pressed the lever to open Harry's large birch door. I turned and waved to Jessie letting her know Harry had unlocked the door remotely. He told me he would once he got in his car to head home. Now that I realized he was on his way, the anticipation was almost too much. I almost felt nervous, which I never felt with Harry.

As I stepped inside Harry's house, I realized it had been a while since I had been there. Everything looked just as I remembered it. The way the light cascaded through the large windows and tinted the room. The console table in the foyer where one of Harry's hats was discarded. I set my large purse down beside it and heard my phone buzz from inside.

Did you make it in okay babe?

I sent off a reply letting him know I had, and that's when I noticed the text field. I remembered the teasing message I had sent him during taping. Realizing I better make good on my promise, I slipped my panties from underneath my dress and tucked them into my purse with the change of clothes I had brought for tomorrow.

I made my way into the kitchen and decided to grab a beer. I think my nerves were due to dealing with the paparazzi rather than seeing Harry. I wondered how his interaction with them had gone. I sifted through Harry's kitchen drawers until I found bottle opener. I opened two bottles and carried them to the coffee table, making sure to use Harry's coasters. I kicked my shoes off under the table and settled into Harry's couch with my beer in hand, the other still waiting for him when he got home.

Sitting in the spot I had been two weeks earlier, I could't help but think of how things had changed and progressed from that moment. I had wanted to know more about Harry the instant I laid eyes on him, but on this couch is where I felt a shift. My mind had gone from simple curiosity to an intense desire to find out who he was, his stories, his thoughts, everything. I wanted to know him in every way. I still did.

I brought the bottle to my lips and tilted it back, letting the cool brew flow down my throat. I let out a sigh from the feeling of relaxation. It was purely mental at this point, as the alcohol had no effect on me yet. Harry and I had the whole weekend to spend together, and now that that moment was here, it had me feeling calm.

I heard the door open and the click of Harry's boots on the hard floor. I turned and looked over my shoulder to see him still in his pinstripe button up from the show, unbuttoned most of the way, as usual. He was smiling so big and I could see his dimples deep in his cheeks. He wasted no time hurrying to sit beside me on the couch, that I didn't even have time to get up. The force of his body hitting the cushions bounced me up off my seat a bit. I saw his body relax and go heavy as he settled into the comfort of home.

"Does it feel good to be home?" I asked with a smile, still so glad to have him to myself again.

"It feels even better to have you to welcome me home." His eyes were soft and his smile was wide.

"And I got you a beer," I said as I handed it over to him with a wink.

"Today just keeps getting better," Harry joked.

He leaned his body back and lifted his feet up onto the coffee table. Harry extended his right arm and gestured for me to come and find my place at his side. I nuzzled up to him and he draped his arm over me as he took a swig from his beer. We cuddled on the couch in silence, the only sound I could make out was the beating of his heart where my head lay on his chest.

"I missed you babe. I missed just being with you," Harry said as he rubbed my side lightly with his fingertips.

"I missed you too Harry" I said as my fingers traced over the 'Things I can' tattoo on the soft flesh of his right forearm, the only tattoo on his otherwise bare arm. "I missed every part of you," I paused and looked up at him. "Tell me the story of your tattoos," I pleaded softly.