Ambition || Harry Styles

*19*

"This is the first Saturday I've taken off work in like... five years," I tell the man sitting opposite me as I flick my lighter and raise it to the cigarette perched between my lips.

The sun is warm and the breeze is light on our faces as Harry and I lounge around the table out on my balcony. The smell of coffee wafts through the air as pastries filled with custard and creams, buttery croissants and a couple of blueberry muffins sit high on a plate in the middle.

As my legs rest up on the chair next to me, I feel relaxed, dare I say it, and I think I had forgotten how it felt.

Harry pulls the hair tie from his knotted locks and messes a hand through the front to untangle his unruly mane. Shaking his head with pouted lips at my statement, he takes a sip of coffee before biting into a golden treat.

"You're gonna burn out if you keep doing that.  Need to have some balance, love."

I ignore the pet name but take advantage of the fact his arrogant façade is down and maybe we can have a real conversation about something other than the superficial.

"I have to," I tell him, inhaling the nicotine I crave and am reassured when he wants to know more.

"Why is that? You already work hard, anyone can see that," he says matter of factly and my chest fills for the first time in a long time, with warm, gooey pride.

"Thank you for saying that," I mumble genuinely. "My relationship with my dad isn't a great one," I start to delve and although I don't know if I can trust him, there is something about him that makes me want to talk to him, to open up. Maybe I need to talk to someone about it who may understand, even for my own sanity.

His eyes are intense and unwavering, urging me on with his undivided attention.

"He doesn't see me in the same way he does my brothers, you know? He keeps me out of everything, strategic decisions, important meetings, even the fucking name of the company. I'm not even listed as a member of the board in the official documents," I pick at a muffin, distracted by my own thoughts. "So I have no choice, I just need to keep working at it, proving myself, showing them I can be an asset."

Harry is quiet, his eyes never leaving mine, the croissant in his hand remaining by his plate and I swear I can see a million thoughts running through his head.

"Why wouldn't you leave, find another job?" he queries the same thing Katie interrogates me about almost weekly.

I shrug, telling him exactly what I always say to her. "Pride. I want him to see my worth."

Silence takes over and I can feel him watching me despite my mind swirling in my own thoughts.

"So, if you're hanging out with me to get to my dad, then maybe you should try one of my brothers instead," I kid, playing with my food and look up just in time to see his brow furrow.

"I sincerely hope that was a joke," he says seriously and his tone makes my heart rush.

Our eyes are locked on each other, searching for something not yet out in the open.  I twirl the ends of my hair and he bites the inside corner of his lips, obvious that we both have things that are on the tips of our tongues, emotions bubbling too close to the surface but being reckless and showing feelings with an instinctive outburst is not either of our personalities.

In control and restrained, that's who we both are, despite the differences we have in character.  I may not understand him, but I do understand this.

Harry's pink tongue juts out to leave his lips glistening before breaking his gaze and taking another bite of his breakfast, the ash from my smoke balancing too delicately from the tip.