Art | Harry Styles

39

If he's left the house at all over the past week, it's been in the car, and the journey's been brief. Occurring more times than he can count, he's spent warm June afternoons in one of Scotland Yard's many interview rooms, bringing him no more reassurance than his time in the police station in New York.

Murmurs of, "So tired," have been his greeting to Sophie most nights, a drained look in his eyes and a pale cast over his skin. It's exhausting - paperwork, and repeated conversations consisting - quite simply - of 'are you sure?', and 'yes, I am.'

There's been points where he's wanted to give up. Points where it's seemed far easier to just drop the matter and move forward, but he still hasn't. He's pulled through to now - his eighth night arriving back from the police station a little after six; this time to Sophie seated at the kitchen table with his mother.

"Hi," his girlfriend looks up from her mug when she hears the front door close. She's trying to read his face before he can read hers - to see if this day had been as successful or unsuccessful as the last. He looks up, laying a fresh stack of papers on the table and catching the small, near hopeful smile she's sending him.

"Hi," he returns, glancing between her and his mother, "hi, Mum."

"Hi, darling. How are you?" she asks him, nervously drumming her fingers against her own mug.

"Good - okay. I'm okay," he nods, heading over to take a seat beside Sophie. She offers him her mug, and when he notices that it's tea, he takes it from her gratefully, thankful to find it's still hot.

"Any progress?" she asks anxiously.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so," Harry nods, taking a sip of tea, pausing before taking another and then passing the mug back to Sophie.

"Oh, that's so good to hear," Anne smiles a smile of what looks like relief, "so good." She almost nods to herself, standing up. "I'll go tell Gem."

Harry's lip falls between his teeth the moment his mother is out of the room, and Sophie catches the action in an instant. Her eyebrows furrow, as she narrows her eyes a little bit.

"How was it, really?" she asks him, resting her chin in her hand, as he blows out a breath.

"Horrible," he lowers his voice, glancing back over his shoulder as if he's scared his mother will resurface. "I don't think they even believe me. They won't even question her."

Sophie's face falls, and she brings her lips together. "M'sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

His lips press into a fine line as he remembers what she'd told him once - months ago, now. That the apologies come when people don't know how to fix things. And the bitter reality is - she doesn't know how to fix it. There is no easy fix - there's nothing.

He can't help but think back to when she'd told him that. Back in her bedroom, when they were nothing more than friends and she'd invited him over for Thanksgiving so he wouldn't be alone. When she'd painted his nails, talking about her family as well as his and making him feel so normal - so wanted. As if he wasn't someone or something irrelevant.

"Come and lay down with me," he murmurs suddenly, bringing his hand over hers. "I want a night away from it all. Away from talking about it."

Sophie nods easily, "We can do that."

He stands up from the his chair, curling his fingers gently around her wrist to lead her over to the stairs and up them.

"What did you do today?" he asks her as they walk, genuinely curious for her answer.

"I just went shopping with your mom and Gemma, and we got some lunch," she responds, as he pushes open his bedroom door.

A small smile tugs on his lips, one of the most genuine ones Sophie has seen from him in days. "S'cute that you lot get along," he remarks, closing the door behind them.

"Good for all of us that way, isn't it?" Sophie grins back, "not to mention how my mom would - without a doubt - adopt you if she could."

"I'd adopt Jackie if I could, as well."

She raises her eyebrow, "Because that's totally possible."

"We'd make it work," Harry furrows his eyebrows back in a playful manner, near-throwing himself back onto his mattress and opening his arms to invite Sophie into them.

Sophie's body has barely grazed over the mattress before Harry has brought his lips to her own, catching her off guard. She expects the kiss to be a short one, as they near enough all have been for the past few weeks, but he defies her expectation by smoothing his tongue over her bottom lip, deepening the kiss.

"Did you know," Harry breathes against her lips, a tiny grin breaking onto his own, "there's a playlist on Spotify dedicated to making out?"

Sophie's eyes narrow, "Please don't tell me this required research-"

"No," he laughs, crinkles forming by his eyes, "but there is! I was on the homepage earlier."

"You're a grandpa when it comes to technology, I swear-" she begins, but he's already pulling his phone from the pocket of his jeans.

"What?!" he playfully returns, tilting his head forward a little to bring it off his pillow, turning it to look at his phone. "Does that mean you can't kiss me?"

"I think the fact you're looking for this playlist might," she giggles quietly, her lips brushing over his temple as his own lips form a subconscious pout due to his concentration while scrolling.

"Shush," he mumbles with another grin, finding - at last - the page he'd been looking for, his phone connecting to the ancient speaker plugged into the wall.

"Hurry up," Sophie whines, earning a soft chuckle from the boy beneath her as music begins to sound through the speaker and he sets his phone down on the table beside his bed. "We didn't need music," she adds.

"You're the one who's still talking," he retorts, catching her grin as their lips connect once more, his mouth moving smoothly against her own.

"I love you," he murmurs against her mouth, kissing her cupid's bow gently, "a lot, y'know that?"

"Is there a playlist for that?" she quips, as he lets out a mocking groan before breaking into laughter, and he tilts his head back again, causing her hands to cup his face and bring it back to her.

"You're a nightmare, Sophie Ashford."

"Mm, maybe," she hums, nuzzling into his chest, "but I love you, too. A lot."

-

back with some FLUFF because i havent updated in so long and im so sorry for that

ONE more chapter and then the epilogue

mwah love u very much

p.s go check out 'Scrabble', my newest book

xoxo S