Mini Mart » Harry Styles

epilogue

see next chapter for alternate epilogue.

Four months since Fire went to New York. Three months since she and Harry broke up. Two months since she finally decided to admit that she missed him. One month since she decided to come back and visit (and hopefully get back together with him). And now, today.

Fire walked out of the airport, hailing one of the airport taxis that were always nearby. Once she was dropped off at her hotel and had checked in, she left her bags in her room and made her way to Mini Mart.

Fire made sure to look presentable, fixing her hair and tugging on her clothes before she stopped. She laughed at herself a little. What was she doing? This was Harry. He didn't care.

But you haven't talked to him in months. Is he still the same Harry? A little voice in her mind shot down a bit of her confidence. She sighed, going back to fixing her outfit and her hair.

Fire walked through the automatic doors of Mini Mart, hoping that Harry's schedule hadn't changed in the past few months. To her disappointment, though, he wasn't there. She walked up and down the aisles for awhile, hoping to bump into him by chance. However, when it was obvious that he wasn't there, she felt herself droop.

Her eyes flashed to the manager's office door. Could she ask him? Would that seem too stalker-like? Something buzzed in Fire's pocket and she jumped, pulling out her phone. She ignored the text from one of her New York friends. Her thumb pressed in the familiar digits of Harry's phone number, somehow still ingrained in her mind, despite her deleting his contact awhile back.

The line rings three times before there's a click and Harry's familiar voice is playing in her ear. It takes her breath away, how his voice still sounds the same, deep, calming, and it's like her favorite song playing again after she hadn't heard it for years.

"Hello?"

"Harry," she breathed, a smile growing on her face.

"Fire. Hi." There was a bit of shuffling, and loud music was blasting in the background. Fire heard Harry saying, "Give me a second, babe," to someone before the chaotic noise faded away and it was all quiet.

"Babe?" Fire asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah, it's no one. Just a friend. Nicknames, you know? What's up? Haven't heard from you in awhile."

Fire cleared her throat, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. "I don't know. I'm back. I'm at Mini Mart and I didn't see you so I just called to see where you were and if you wanted to meet up."

"Oh. Yeah. I didn't get a chance to tell you, but I quit working at Mini Mart. A couple of months ago, actually. After the, you know," Harry's voice slowly got quieter, until it was just above a murmur, "the breakup."

"Right." There was an awkward pause and Fire frantically tried to think of something to say. "Um. Well, could I possibly stop by your apartment? Or, we could meet up somewhere?"

"Okay – yeah, sure. That'd be great. I, uh, I'm free tomorrow night? I could swing by wherever you're staying, around seven ish?"

Fire sighed a bit in relief. She thought for a moment that he was going to shut her down, tell her that he had no time for her anymore. But of course he wouldn't. This was her Harry. He was still her Harry.

"Yeah, I'll text you the address."

"Okay, cool, I'll see you soon then? Bye."

~

Fire had found a nearby coffee shop and decided to stop in and sit around. She found a booth in a corner close to the door. A cute waiter came and took her order, and before long, she was sipping a mug of hot chocolate, feeling her fingers thaw from the late-night chill. When she was about halfway finished with her drink, the door to the coffee shop opened, the little bell above it jingling, and Harry stepped inside.