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Y/N hates contacts.
She's in the bathroom, over analyzing everything and it takes her about ten years before she gains up the courage to actually take them out of her eyes. The thought of touching her eyeball petrifies her, so she's glad when it's finally over and she can put on her glasses for the remainder of the night. Harry knows she takes a while too, so he's taken to calling up someone and ranting for a bit.
"Yeah, she's just been smothering me lately. S'like she's afraid I'm gonna disappear or something. She always needs to hug me leg before going somewhere, and when I watch the telly, she has to plop down in me lap or between me legs, and I just need some space, y'know? I didn't have all this attention while I was on tour, so this is new, and I feel a bit claustrophobic when I'm around her."
Y/N feels her heart deflate like a balloon being popped by some malicious preteen trying to make a child cry, and she has to wipe her eyes before tears drip down her face.
Is that what he really thinks of me?
She stands still for a moment, feeling empty and hollow in her chest, until she hears footsteps coming her way. Panicking, she runs back upstairs, into the bathroom and shuts the door. Within seconds there's a knock, and she really doesn't want to answer it.
"Baby? You got your contacts out yet?"
Funny he's calling me that when he thinks I'm smothering him.
She swings open the door, giving him a big, fake smile. "Yup, m'all good." She pushes her glasses up on her nose as she brushes past him, going to the living room. She sits in one of the solo chairs - fitted for one person - so she doesn't have to feel guilty about making Harry sit next to her on the large couch. Because he doesn't want to.
"Why are you sitting all by yourself, puppy?" He plops down on the couch, patting a spot next to him. "You don't wanna sit with me?"
YOU don't wanna sit with me!
"Just thought I'd sit here." She fiddles with the cuffs of the long sleeve she's wearing, which is Harry's, and she wants to yank it off and throw it in his face. He looks at her confusingly but nods.
They watch mindless television for maybe twenty minutes before Y/N feels unbearingly uncomfortable. She shoots up out of the chair, alarming Harry a little.
"You know what? I think I should go home." She goes around the couch, slides on her shoes and nabs her overnight bag, putting her contact case in it.
"What? Why?" He's at her side in practically no time at all, surprising Y/N because if she annoys him so much, why is he so eager to be so close to her?
"Gotta take care of my dog."
"You hired a dog walker for the night, remember?"
"Oh... yeah, but she has really bad anxiety, and I feel bad leaving her with a stranger, you know?" She's already half-way out the door, expecting Harry to grab ahold of her by the shirt, but he doesn't. Why would he? I'm smothering him, right?
"All right...", he eyes her warily. "You're coming over tomorrow though, right?"
"I don't know", she tries to think up a lie. "I'm really backed up with my studies, and I have so many tests coming up. Maybe I can come over some other time?"
"Oh, okay." His face falls, making Y/N's heart feel like it's decaying but she has to stand her ground. She won't be somewhere she's not wanted. "Call me when you're free, yeah?"
Y/N nods, but she doesn't kiss him goodbye like she usually does.
///
The couple hasn't seen one another in the better part of a week, and it's absolutely killing Y/N, but she has to give Harry the space he needs. She's sure if Harry made her feel the way she's making him feel, she'd want as much space as possible as well. She could've used the week to herself to actually study like she said, but 90% of it was spent looking up recipes on Pinterest and trying to recreate meals that she knew beforehand she would end up burning. The activities keep her mind off Harry for short amounts of time, so he's still digging a hole in the back of her brain. She wants to see him so badly, but she's going to let him come to her. He's texted and called her every day asking if she could come over, but she declined each one, telling him she was busy. Like today, it's Sunday and she should've known her lie would fall through because she told him she was studying all day, and she never studies on Sundays. She dedicates the end of her week to skin care routines and cleaning up the house (and maybe trying out a cool soufflé recipe she found online). So when a knock comes pounding on her door, she should've known who it was.
"Do you usually wear that when you study?" He points at the face mask she's wearing while stepping into her apartment, looking frustrated and angry. "Or did you just lie to me because you didn't want to see me today or any day this week, for that matter!" His voice raises in volume but lowers in pitch, something that would scare someone who didn't know Harry but Y/N knows that's just how he gets when he's huffy.
"Why are you yelling?" She peels the mask from her face and tosses it into the bin she keeps by her couch (which is a bit difficult because she forgets to take her glasses off first and she knows she must look like a dingus), knowing the conversation is about to get serious and she can't be serious while wearing a paper sheet mask.
"Why am I yelling? Are you joking?" He throws his hands in the air, pacing back and forth. "You've been avoiding me all week, and I wanna know why!"
Y/N begins nibbling on her bottom lip, not sure if she wants to get into the specifics of it all because she tends to be more emotional on Sundays and she doesn't know if she can take any blows thrown at her in Harry's angry state.
"Because you don't want me near you." Her voice is barely above a whisper, causing Harry to step closer to her.
"What was that?" Although he must've heard the gist of it because his eyes soften.
She huffs, putting both her arms through the other cuff of a sleeve to make one long sleeve, and looks down at her fuzzy socks as she repeats herself. "You don't want me... to, like, hug you and stuff, so I thought I'd just give you s-space overall so I didn't smother you anymore." She hiccups through her speech, releasing a pitiful whine and sniffling as tears form in her eyes.
"What on earth are you talking about?" He holds her by her shoulders, tilting his head to look at her at a different angle.
"Heard you on the phone", she sniffles again, pulling her arms out of her combined sleeve and wiping the tears from her eyes. "You said I was smothering you, and that you feel claustrophobic when I'm around."
Harry takes one last look at her before bursting out in laughter, his head tossed back and hands hovering over his belly. "You silly girl." He shakes his head through the laughter, wiping his eye afterward. "I wasn't talking about you."
"Then who?"
"Evie." He pulls her in for a hug, still chuckling slightly and kissing her cheek.
"What?"
"Yeah, babe. I was talking to me mum about the cat she just gave me. She's a bit of a handful and very needy. She never leaves me alone. Remember that one time we were cuddling in bed, and she hopped on top of you? Jealous little thing."
Y/N feels dumb, absolutely dumb, and begins giggling herself. "I'm stupid."
"You're not stupid, puppy." He kisses the top of her head. "Just a little oblivious."
"Hey!"
"S'true in this case! How could you possibly think I was talking about you? Don't you know I'm crazy about you?" The atmosphere changes quickly when he rests his forehead against hers, tilting his head to sprinkle kisses on her cheek repeatedly. "Could never get tired of your cuddles. And I think you owe me a week's worth, yeah?"
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