A Shot of Reality [Harry Styles]

XXII. Deceit

A/N: EARLY UPDATE WOOHOO! Xx

February 14th, 2010

Valentine's Day in central England. A picturesque scene; the white snow glistening under the slightest outlet of sun on the tops of rose bushes, various kisses being exchanged with lovers and friends alike, and plethora's of caramels and chocolates being bought and tossed on the floor, for the lovers had other ideas in mind besides consuming those kind of sweets.

Well, not for Harry Styles at least.

He had gone to a "Single Mingle," or otherwise known: You're-single-for-a-reason-but-never-fear-we're-going-to-have-a-party-where-you-can-at-least-fuck-someone-today. He knew it was mind-numbingly dumb, but he had nothing else better to do. Gemma was out with her boyfriend at their two-year anniversary dinner, his mum was in Paris vacationing with Robin, his best guy mate Tom was probably shagging some girl he found at a frat-party and Sydney was on a date with the new guy at their school, Garrett.

Every time he gulped down the stale beer in his hand, he screwed up his nose in putrid disgust at the moans and pants were sounded from the windows next to him. He wondered why the hell he was here but more so, why the hell he turned down the activities of the party. Many of the girls here had come up to him, curling their manicured fingers around his belt loops and whispering invitations into the bedroom with vodka and seduction plaguing their voices. They were plenty fit, drunk and ready; so why was he on this damn balcony and not making the most of their invitations in the bedrooms adjacent to him?

"Some party, huh?"

The sudden voice had caught him offhandedly but as he sprung out of his grip on the railing and stance on the cement its source was known and suddenly, Harry wasn't so alone.

It was Sydney, donning a dusty gray blazer with a loose peach top under, black skinny jeans and wedges with her long hair whipping against her back from the bitter winter squalls of wind and her makeup light and smoky; classic date attire.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have a date?"

"Garrett bailed at the last second. His grandma died," she spoke softly and walked over beside Harry, wrapping her slightly blue hands around the wooden rail.

"Oh," he mumbled simply. "That's a sucky Valentines Day gift."

"Yeah, that it is."

Mutual silence fell among the two, besides the noises of pleasure echoing and the wind whistling from its brush against the pine trees. The delight of having someone by his side warmed his chapped skin, but that "someone" being Sydney is what warmed his heart into a gooey mess. They didn't need glances, clearing of their throats or meaningless small talk about the weather to aid their loneliness. All they needed was the presence of someone who cared about them and they had found each other, amongst scrambled dates and occasional sips of cheap beer.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

He kept his field of vision of the dark, starry night ahead of him as he waited for her response. Getting none for a few moments, he started to turn his head towards her in the proper acknowledgement that she deserved but a soft, tender kiss on his cheek halted his motions. It was one that he would've been convinced that she wasn't even kissing him if her lips were still and room temperature. They instead danced upon his skin, like a ballerina skimming her toes on her dance floor and heated his cheek with total passion and love.

As he felt the heat leave his cheek, his snapped his head towards her and found her smiling a modest grin. A gasp escaped the threshold of his dry mouth, for nothing other than that exited it. He couldn't believe his luck; he came to a party to celebrate his championed loneliness only to sip on trashy beer and surrounded by even trashier women. By the end with it, a gorgeous girl had come directly to him and planted a kiss on him by her own doing. It wasn't a real, fiery kiss on each other's lips, but it was perfect. It was perfect to him, because she was perfect in his eyes. He needed nothing more than her, and nothing less than their stagnant yet close friendship.