Child's Play {Harry Styles AU}

Chapter I

The first time I saw Harry Styles was in a crowded, dimly lit, too loud club. He was leaning across the bar, ordering a drink. I was surprised that, like me, he'd ordered just a bottle of water. He was tall and handsome in a rugged way. His hair was a deep, rich brown, textured with the slightest curl. It was pushed up from his forehead, like he always ran his hands through it. He was wearing tight jeans and a button up shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up to his elbows, showing off his tattoos that danced in the shifting light of the club. He turned in my direction and smiled crookedly, showing off a single dimple. I returned it with a small nod, before turning my attention back to the crowd, my back leaning against the bar, my hands wrapped around my water bottle.

Through the crowd of sweaty, grinding bodies, I could see my friend, Mia, who had dragged me to this smelly place with accusations that I don't get out enough'. That may or may not be true. Clubs just weren't my idea of a good time. For one, I am a kindergarten teacher. One of my worst fears is that I end up intoxicated in the accidental presence of one of my kids' parents, which could cost me my job. For two, I don't fit in at clubs. At a glance, you could tell that I didn't fit in with the other girls that occupied the dance floor. Even standing next to Mia, you could tell that I was the appointed, voluntary, designated driver. I was wearing my favorite pair of jeans and a floral blouse. My shoes were flat, as I liked them, despite Mia's insistence that I "at the very least" wear heels. 

Mia is my complete and total opposite. Her hair is dark and cropped short while mine is blond and cascades past my shoulders. She is fearlessly fashionable and can stick out in any crowd, at that's how she likes it, while I prefer to lean back and blend in. Maybe that's why I don't like clubs, because I'll never fit in here.

"Is this seat taken?" I turned to see him, standing next to me, pointing to the seat beside me. Despite my feminine senses tingling, telling me to keep him away, I shook my head and tried my best to smile through my boredom. As he sat he said,  "I'm guessing the club scene isn't your forte either?" His accent was thick, sweet, and drawn out, like molasses. He was definitely British. 

"What gave me away?" I said with a shrug, straining my voice over the loud music to make my words clear. 

"I'm Harry." He held out his hand, I shook it, immediately noticing the size difference as his fingers cradled my hand. The metal of his rings was cold against my hand, a nice contrast to the heat in the room. 

"Piper." He nodded, running his hand through the front of his hair, confirming my suspicion. 

"So, Piper," He said my name with care, like it was something he could break. "What excuse did your friends use to get you here?" He took a sip of his water, holding it in his mouth for a second before swallowing it. 

"She said that I'm too involved with my job and that I'll die sad and alone if I don't come with her." His jaw dropped slightly and he let out a shallow laugh. Behind us, I could hear the bartender pouring a drink for another customer, the harsh smell of the alcohol invaded the already polluted air. 

"That's rough." I nodded in agreement. "What is your job? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"I teach elementary school, kindergarten." He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but stopped himself, like he had a secret to tell. I didn't push the subject, though, afraid that I would lose my new-found company. After all, talking to a stranger was better than being completely alone. 

"That must be interesting."

"It is. It' stressful sometimes, but I love kids so it doesn't really seem like work to me." He nodded, more to himself than to me." He nodded. "What about you, Harry?"

I'm a musician." He looked like a musician. 

"Are you any good?" I asked with a smile. He shrugged.

"I've been told that I am a few times. " He smiled. "I give guitar, piano, and voice lessons out of a little shop downtown."

"The one by O'Bailey's?" He nodded. 

"That's the one." I didn't even live ten minutes from that shop, I walk by it everyday on my way to work. I knew there was something familiar about this handsome stranger. "Hey, I need some fresh air, would you want to maybe continue this chat outside?" I couldn't help but smile. Intelligent conversations are hard to come by, especially in that particular setting." I nodded and he led the way to the club's exit. Harry made it easy to move through the crowd of people. He made sure to stay just behind me, occasionally leaning in front of me, using his shoulder to push through the densest part of the crowd. He was taller than me by a good six inches. 

The air outside was a welcome relief. It was dark, the street was lit solely by streetlights, lights of the few shops that were still open, and by the glow of headlights. The weather was cooling down, gearing up for the summer-fall transition. Compared to the heat of the club, though, it was frigid. He sighed. 

"I can honestly say that I do not like clubs." He said with a small laugh, pushing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. We started walking, subconsciously, down the sidewalk, farther and farther from the club. It occurred to me that he could be lying to me, using his charm and looks to get another notch on his belt. Somehow, I didn't really care. Maybe I had been too up-tight lately. Maybe I could use a nice conversation with a gorgeous stranger. 

"I don't either." I said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "How long have you been in the states? Assuming that you aren't from here, of course."

"I'm from Cheshire, in England, actually. It's a long story but I moved here because of a girl." He looked at his feet as they scraped along the ground. By the sad expression on his face, I could tell that that woman was no longer in his life. I nodded, sensing that a change of subject needed to be made. 

"I've always wanted to go to England." 

"It's a beautiful place, loads of history. I remember the first time I went to London for a daytrip with my mum, we went to Buckingham Palace- ".

"You've been?" I asked, extremely jealous. He laughed and nodded, I felt like a tourist, like a child asking hundreds of questions.

He smiled and nodded. "It took me maybe an hour to break something." He glanced at me as he talked. "They have ropes that separate the tourist areas from the 'do not touch this' areas. I was, well, kid." I knew all too well what he meant. "Really though, it was entrapment." I laughed. "Anyone who sees a sign that says, 'Do Not Touch' is going to feel a deep need to touch it."

"What did you break?" I asked through my laughter.

"It was this stupid little golden vase." I covered my mouth with my hand in shock. "I knocked it over and put a huge dent in it; It was completely ruined; my mum was mortified. Turns out it wasn't actually the real thing, lucky for me."

We spent the night like that, walking up and down the street, talking about random things that meant nothing but somehow meant everything at the same time. It was refreshing. He was refreshing. He made me forget about the laundry list of tasks that I had waiting for me at home that needed to get done before the start of the new school year.

"I enjoy talking to you, Piper." Harry said with a dimple-revealing smile. I smiled back, looking at my feet to hide my smitten face as I secretly wished that I would get to see him again.

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Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Updates for this revamp will be slow due to me working and classes starting back but they will come! Thank you guys so much! Don't forget to comment!!!!! <3