Concupiscence | HS | currently on hold

IX. Don't be so shy

'In the dark, I see your smile. Can you feel my heat on my skin? '
Don't be so shy - Imany

Slurping greedily from her minty cocktail while listening to the heavy beat of the music, she was tasting heaven in a cup. Nina had forgotten how much she liked this lethal drink, always choosing the safer choice instead...Beer. However, tonight wasn't about staying safe, tonight was about escaping reality for real, as Harry had asked. Whatever was going to happen, she was letting it roll the way fate wanted it to roll. She was having way too much fun with the crazy people surrounding her to actually give a shit. Nina sat next to Michelle, almost fully perched on Harry's lap, the booth being far too squishy for all ten of them to have a proper seat.

"He's got so much better jokes than you have." Nina bluntly leaned into Harry and whispered into his ear, the three mojitos she had sipped rushing to her head. Harry turned his head to her and chuckled.

"Nonsense. I've got great jokes." She shook her head vehemently. Harry pouted, making Nina playfully slap it off his face.

"What was that?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"Don't pout. I can't handle the cuteness." She said before going in for another sip of her drink. Sadly Nina was left disappointed when she noticed the drink was finished way too soon to her liking.

"I want another one." She pouted in turn.

"Easy on the drinks, love." He whispered in her ear, not giving a single fuck when he saw Astrid, another one of his victims, staring at them with a poorly hidden envy.

Michelle let her head fall onto Niall's shoulder and he squeezed her hand tenderly while turning his attention to Carter's story about another set of his infamous house parties. He looked over at Nina once after hearing her cute giggle and saw Harry whisper something into her ear while placing his hand on her thigh. Niall winked at his friend from across the table when they caught each other's eye and smiled when Nina returned the gesture.

Nevertheless, Niall couldn't help feeling a little worried. Whatever amount of fun Nina was having, she was once again letting herself get close to a fuckboy. Even though Niall thought Harry was a nice enough guy, at the end of the day, he remained a guy who thought relationships and love were the most atrocious things in the world. Both him and Nina knew very well what the consequences could be, what boys like Harry or Nina's ex could achieve. He didn't want her to be taken for granted and completely fucking heartbroken twice in a relatively short period of time.

"I was supposed to let loose, remember?" Nina whispered back, feeling Harry's hand warm her thigh. The alcohol making her love every flutter she felt in her stomach.

"I do." He simply answered back. He gazed in her eyes, the brown wonderfully illuminated by the blue spotlights. "But are you having a good time, though?"

"Yes. Very much so. Who knew you would actually have cool friends to hang out with." She exclaimed rather loudly, pausing the conversation around the table and making all of them laugh, Nina included before hiding her flushed face in Harry's neck. The action was unexpected, sudden, but Harry loved every second of it. He squeezed her thigh and leaned his head on hers before catching Astrid's envious gaze once again.

"Anyway, we should have a little meeting about our trip to Bristol." Carter continued his monologue after straightening from his slum position with Annie on his lap.