Harry Styles Imagines

In The Shadows

The sun shines brightly on the row of small houses, the clear blue sky making them appear even nicer. It's nice weather, y/n thinks with a smile, the perfect weather for moving day. As if reading her thoughts, Jess voices her gratitude for the weather.
"God it's beautiful outside."
Y/n nods, lifting one of the boxes out of the car and heading towards their little cottage. She passes her mom, who smiles a bit too emotionally, heading into the house and leaving the box on the floor. Her mama slides it into a stack with the others, just as Jess enters.
"I call the other upstairs bedroom!" She suddenly shouts, as if y/n would ever argue with her. After years of being best friends, you think she'd know her better than that. The cottage houses four girls instead of two like a regular dorm, and the girls that are living with them had requested two of the three rooms upstairs, leaving y/n downstairs. Not that she minds, she'd rather not climb stairs every day.
"Guess we can start moving this stuff into the room down here." Her mama says, lifting two stacked boxes and taking them to the room down the tiny hallway. Y/n helps her, moving all her stuff into the fairly big room while her mom brings the rest of her stuff in. Y/n can't help but giggle watching Jess and her mother carry boxes up the steps, and her mama scolds her with a swat to her arm.
Y/n and her mom settle on the couch placed randomly in the living room, snickering quietly as the three girls go up and down the stairs.
"Laughing? Without me?" A dramatic voice gasps from the open doorway, and y/n's head snaps at the familiar voice.
Harry stands in the doorway, grinning boyishly at her and her mom. Y/n saw him a couple times over the summer, but she was so busy with working and he was constantly driving back up to the school for summer soccer practices that it wasn't enough. Not even close to enough.
"Either help or move!" Jess shouts, snapping y/n out of her gaze as she pushes Harry out of the way. He scoffs, and Anne mutters an apology as she pecks Harry's cheek.
"Harry! Oh come give me a hug!" Her mom cheers, rising up from the couch. Harry immediately swoops in to hug her, cheek squishing adorably against her mom's.
"I swear you get taller every time I see you." Her mom says motherly, squeezing Harry's face. He chuckles bashfully, turning to y/n with a grin.
"You all moved in peanut?" He asks, looking around for extra boxes. She smiles nervously and nods.
"Not unpacked, but moved in." Harry chuckles at her words, and his smile grows when his sister curses as she stomps up the stairs.
"Never take the room upstairs." He advises with a shake of his head. Y/n and her mom both chuckle, and Jess curses from upstairs again.
"It's only a matter of time before they make you take over." Her mom says, patting Harry on the back. He huffs, looking at y/n pleadingly.
"Want some help unpacking? I'm great at putting beds together!"
She probably shouldn't be in a room alone with him, not when he's wearing a practically see through white tee-shirt and he's got a hat holding back his curly hair. And definitely not when he's gotten much broader over the summer, and somehow started a collection of tattoos.
But she can't help herself. He's her friend after all, even if he's undeniably attractive. So she nods, and they quickly move to her room. Harry works on putting her bed together, and y/n starts unloading her things onto the white bookshelf.
"Remember how nervous you were for high school?" Harry suddenly says with a short laugh. Y/n scowling, shakes her head.
"Thought you were gonna throw up in my car peanut."
Y/n scoffs, glaring at him. "No you didn't!"
He smirks at the rise in her tone. "Was just thinking about it because you don't look too nervous for college."
Y/n shrugs, stacking a group of books next to each other and using a candle to keep them from falling over. "Don't have to be. I've got Jess."
She almost misses the way his eyes widen with faux hurt and he pouts. Her heart shudders in her chest, and she balks for a moment because she forgot he was so cute. "And you, of course."
Immediately his smirk returns, and he nods as he lays out the frame of her bed. "Where do ya want this peanut?"
Y/n doesn't even turn to look at him. "Corner please."
Harry grunts softly as he moves the bed, and then again as he moves her box spring and mattress for her. She turns back to her box, finding Harry laying on her unmade bed. She wants to tease him for only helping for ten minutes, but she also doesn't want to disturb him so she stays silent.
After a moment, he speaks. "Think ya should come to this party next week. S'at my house, so I know it's safe, and I don't know, might be a good initiation into the school."
"You're not gonna like make us streak across campus or sell drugs because we're new right?"
Harry's laugh is loud and bubbly, and it makes her blush and grin proudly. "I would never peanut."
"You're gonna call me that forever aren't you?"
His reply is instantaneous. "Absolutely. Always gonna be peanut."
Y/n doesn't mind the nickname Harry's always called her, but it feels right to complain about it. She however, doesn't get the chance before her mom and mama are entering the room, playfully scolding Harry for not helping. He immediately helps her mom crush empty boxes, and y/n can't help but think it's sweet that Harry's helping her instead of his sister.
"Harry, you promise to take care of my baby right?" Her mom asks, and y/n doesn't have to look at her to see the pout on her mom's face.
"Of course I will," Harry says firmly. "Always looking out for peanut."
She blushes, and her mama must notice because she immediately squishes her in a hug. Y/n rolls her eyes, hoping Harry didn't notice her blushing. As long as he doesn't notice, it doesn't matter. Because it's harmless, she reminds herself, her crush on Harry is harmless.
~
Y/n knows it's not okay to be doing this. God, it's so far from okay, but she can't help herself. She's never been good at handling alcohol, especially Tequila, which is what she's been drinking all night. Well, she's on her second glass but it's still enough to make her giggle at everything and nothing, and her eyelids are feeling heavy. It must be noticeable because Harry's slowly but surely plastering himself to her side, arm slinging around her shoulder when she stumbles on the uneven grass.
"Never should've given ya that drink," Harry murmurs, words laced in amusement as y/n pouts over the tequila that sloshed to the ground.
"Should give me another one, I think." She says innocently, blinking up at Harry. She's not sure when he got so tall or so handsome, and it bothers her. He's not allowed to be this attractive, not when she can't do anything about it.
"Should give you water, I think." He mocks with a deep chuckle. Y/n doesn't know what's so funny, but she giggles because he does, and he must know she's lost because it makes him laugh even more.
"Alright peanut," Harry sighs, snatching her drink out of her hand. Before she can whine he dumps it's contents to the grass, crushing the red solo cup in his long fingers. "no more tequila for you."
Y/n whines, pouting at the crushed cup in his hand. "You're so mean!" She cries dramatically. "You're a bully Harry!"
He laughs again, leading her up the porch steps and towards the packed frat house. "M'just terrible aren't I?"
"Yes."
"The absolute worst."
"Mhm."
"Big bad wolf, yeah?"
"Yeah."
Her whiny mumbles make him laugh again, holding her tighter to his side as they push through the crowd. She doesn't really know how she got stuck under Harry's arm while he laughs and teases her. She had just wanted to watch her first game of beer pong outside, and Harry had found her, explaining the rules. Next thing she knew, she was half way through her second drink and tripping over everything with Harry having to hold her up. Maybe she's not meant to come to frat parties.
They reach the staircase where y/n had left Jess about an hour ago. She's still there, taking selfies with a couple other girls from their chemistry class.
"Gonna hate me forever?"
"Probs."
Harry laughs loudly, the sound making Jess turn to look at them. "Stop talking like you're a text from a middle schooler."
"Stop being mean." Y/n says, smacking his shoulder gently. She giggles again, for no real reason, and that's when Jess finally stands up from the stairs, looking at y/n in amusement.
"Did you get my best friend drunk?"
"I found her this way!" Harry defends, stumbling when y/n steps on his toes. Y/n giggles again, leaning towards Jess with a drunken pout on her face.
"Tell Harry to stop being mean or you're gonna make Anne ground him."
Jess holds back a snicker, pursing her lips. "Our mom can't ground him from home, ya goose."
Y/n scoffs, looking back at Harry who shrugs innocently, gripping her elbow when she sways. "Anne can do whatever she wants. She's Anne."
"Well I'm a grown boy peanut, and you're drunk." Harry says, nodding towards the front door. Jess slips her arm around y/n, helping Harry lead her out of the house. "So I think you should head to bed, and we'll see if I'm grounded in the morning."
The fresh air feels good on y/n's sticky skin and she sighs dreamily. "Head bed, bed head, bed bed." She mururms, not realizing thst Harry and Jess are practically carrying her towards Jess' car.
"You good to drive?" Harry asks, looking over the top of y/n's head at his sister. She rolls her eyes, nodding.
"I'm not stupid. I wouldn't get drunk if I knew I was driving."
"Didn't say you were stupid," Harry grumbles, "was just checking. M'allowed to make sure my baby sister gets home safe."
"I'm not a baby anymore."
"Stop whining, I'm trying to hear God." Y/n shushes them, blinking up at the night sky with big blurry eyes.
"You don't believe in God, y/n." Jess says, letting her rest on Harry as she unlocks her car.
"I could believe in God!"
Harry snorts, looking up at the sky too. "Look peanut, God's put a big bright star up for ya."
Y/n gasps at Harry's words, stumbling away from him and slowly spinning in a circle, head tilted all the way back. It's obvious she doesn't know what she's looking for, but Harry grins either way.
"Stop it Harry, you're going to make her dizzy." Jess snaps, walking over to grip y/n's arm and tug her towards the car.
"I don't see it." She mururms sadly, falling into the passenger seat with a pout. Jess helps her buckle and situate her legs in the car.
"That's because Harry lied to you."
"WTF Harry!" Y/n gasps, head snapping to look at him with hurt eyes. "You are mean!"
He crouches down by her now that Jess is out of the way, having moved to get in the driver's seat. "IDK peanut, I think m'funny."
Her eyebrows scrunch, head falling back against the seat. "What does that mean?"
He smirks. "I don't know."
Y/n nods slowly as Jess starts the car. "Oh ok. Maybe Jess knows."
Harry laughs again, eyes crinkling with it and bunny teeth coming out with how wide he smiles. "It means I don't know." He explains through his giggles.
"Oh," y/n says quietly, eyes focusing on the windshield as if stuck in deep thought. "good night Harry."
He barely has time to move before she's slamming the door shut, finger reaching up to press down the lock. Harry chuckles again, moving around the car to tell Jess goodnight. She rolls down the window, letting him kiss her cheek before they look at y/n who's laying against the center console.
"She'll be a blast in the morning." He murmurs, still chuckling at her.
"Can't be any more whiny than she already is."
Harry shrugs. "S'her first party. Give her a break." He ruffles Jess' hair, before murmuring goodnight. Jess repeats the sentiment, fixing her hair with a scowl.
He waits while she puts the car in the drive, smirking proudly when he hears y/n quietly mutter "Harry's a funny dude." Jess just scoffs, rolling up her window as she rolls her eyes. She waves at Harry through the glass before pulling away from the curb, and Harry stays watching until the car disappears around the corner. He even waits a few extra seconds, blowing out a puff of air in hopes to cool off the stirring in his stomach.
"God help me," he mutters to the sky, running a hand through his hair. "she's right. M'the worst."
~
Harry's unlacing his cleats and shoving them in his bag when Niall slides down the bench next to him. Harry nods to him as a greeting, sliding on his Nikes.
"First game of the season on Friday," Niall says, trying to play cool but Harry knows he's excited. Hell, he's excited too. "gonna be sick."
"Zoe coming to cheer you on?" Harry asks, knowing how much Niall loves when his girlfriend comes to their games.
"Of course!" Niall says proudly, the two of them rising and heading towards the parking lot. They're always the last two to leave, considering it's their job as captains to make sure the fields clean and everyone gets home safe. "How about you? Anyone special?"
Harry shrugs, heart thrumming in his chest. "Ma sister, I think." He says nonchalantly, but his brain enthusiastically adds 'and y/n!' He ignores it, glad that Niall can't read his thoughts.
"Her friend coming too? The funny one from the party?" Okay, maybe Niall can read his thoughts.
"Oh," Harry says, shrugging again, "probably. They do everything together."
Niall nods, but Harry can see the smirk on his best friend's face. "That must be cool, getting to see both of them all the time"
Harry hums, not sure what to say. Of course Niall would be able to tell that Harry has a soft spot for y/n, he knows him better than anyone.
"Anyway, you should invite them to the party after. Think the short one would be good at beer pong."
"Y/n," Harry quickly mumbles, scratching the back of his head. He always does that when he's nervous. "her name's y/n-" he clears his throat, "but yeah, I will."
Niall nods, the two of them climbing into sperate cars. Usually they drive from the frat house together, but Harry had left a little later this morning. He had a hard time sleeping last night after having a dream that left his heart racing and fingers tingling. And maybe he tried to sleep a little longer hoping he'd get to stay on that dream, and maybe that dream was about y/n. Doesn't matter, Harry reminds himself as he pulls out of the parking lot, doesn't matter because it's harmless.
~
When Y/n and Jess decided to live together in The Cottages instead of the dorms, she'd thought it'd be fun. She thought it'd be her and her best friend bonding and having fun with two roommates. They'd maybe have movie nights, and decorate the living room they share with little plants and lots of pillows, and maybe they'd even cook together. Granted, she's only lived here for a week, but it is not that way.
Y/n is sat at the counter, chin in hand as she watches the blender spin round and round. Jess is sat with her, texting on her phone with a happy smile, and y/n is a little peeved by it. How did she somehow end up so drunk? Jess was drinking too and she's 100% fine. And Harry was drinking too but he looks even better.
She looks him up and down, only able to see from his hips up because of the counter. He had said he came straight from soccer practice when Jess had questioned his messy hair and athletic clothes, and that alone let y/n know that he wasn't hungover. She frowns as he shuts off the blender, pouring the green smoothie into a glass, and she wishes she hadn't drank last night. She had fun learning about beer pong from Harry and watching all his frat brothers cheer stupidly for every little thing, but her pounding headache is making her kinda hate Harry right now.
"Drink up peanut, it'll help." Harry says, sliding the glass over to her. Y/n has seen Harry drink this same smoothie lots of times before, especially during soccer season. After he made varsity his sophmore year of high school he started to take his health really seriously. He still joined y/n and Jess for midnight snacks when she slept over, and he loved their weekly root beer float parties, but he started working out more and trading off most of his favorite junk foods for healthier options.
Y/n thinks that's what did it for her. Harry was always sweet to her when they were growing up, and even though Jess is her best friend, she's always considered Harry her second best. But it was freshman year that y/n started to see as Harry as more than just sweet. He was cute, really cute with his mop of curls and dimples. Freshman year was when y/n started feeling weird about being at their house, mostly because she knew she would eventually bump into Harry after he'd come back from a run, all sweaty and cheeks pink. She still thinks he's cute, but when she looks up from the questionable smoothie to Harry's expectant gaze, she just feels irritated.
"You shouldn't have let me have a second cup." She mutters sadly, taking a hesitant sip of the drinks. It's strong and refreshing, and she imagines this is what it would taste like to eat straight grass. It's not bad, but she doesn't like how grainy it feels on her tongue.
"I tried to stop ya," Harry chuckles, turning his back to her and Jess as he puts the leftover smoothie in the fridge. "there's only so much a white male can resist."
Y/n doesn't mean to, because she's still annoyed, but she does giggle at Harry's words. "Why do you say it like that?"
Harry chuckles too, leaning forward on his elbows so their eyes are level. "Like what?"
"Like I seduced you for alcohol or something!"
Both her and Harry bust out in giggles, his head dropping forward as his shoulders shake, and y/n brings to hands up to stifle the noise.
"Who's being so loud?" Harry and y/n both turn to the walkway between the kitchen and living room, y/n's shoulders falling when she sees it's Tia and Jo, their roommates.
"Not me!" Jess immediately says, and y/n scoffs. Usually Jess is always laughing and teasing with her and Harry, when she's not glued to her phone. She hadn't even said a word to y/n before Harry showed up and drug y/n out of bed.
"Sorry ladies," Harry says smoothly, and he somehow misses the way the two girls swoon, "that was us."
"Y/n?" Jo gasps dramatically, coming into the kitchen and perching on the counter. "You? Being loud?"
"I do talk, ya know?" Y/n defends, taking another drink of her smoothie.
"Not like this." Tia sings, sitting next to Jo on the countertop. Harry moves down, now perfectly adjacent from y/n and she can't help but grin in triumph. She hates that Tia and Jo think they can oggle Harry. That's their roommates brother for Christ's sake!
"You don't even know me that well!"
Jo and Tia both shrug, exchanging an unknown look that has y/n scowling. She hears Harry breathe out a chuckle, and she turns to find him looking at her, clearly amused. She quirks an eyebrow.
"Finish your drink peanut, you're being grumpy."
"I am not!"
"Yes you are." Jess and Harry say in unison, and Harry proudly smirks at the backup from his sister. Y/n, not feeling like arguing with them, continues to down the smoothie.
"Anyway," Harry says, drumming his fingers on the counter, "I've got my first game on Friday, and the house is having a little tailgate before so if ya want..."
Y/n looks over at Jess, finding her eyes still locked on her phone and eyebrows furrowed in that same way Harry's do. "We'll be there." She says for the both of them. Harry beams, silently thanking her with his fond eyes, before reaching over the counter to smack the top of his sister's head.
"Thanks for the support J."
Jess finally looks up, rolling her eyes at Harry. "Of course I'll be there. The fact that you think I need an invitation to go, is insulting."
Y/n giggles, quickly bringing her cup up to her mouth when Harry gives her an unimpressed look.
"We were thinking of going to the game too!" Tia pipes up, speaking at a higher pitch than normal. Y/n can't help but roll her eyes. She's always hated when girls act differently around guys to gain their favor, especially if that guy is Harry. He's the most accepting and welcoming man she's ever met, and if whoever's trying to impress him is faking it, they obviously know nothing about him and therefore should leave him alone.
"Oh, sick!" Harry smiles, "Who are you going for?"
Y/n can't help but snort, the sound echoing in her nearly empty glass. She quickly brings a hand up to her mouth, wiping away the dribble of smoothie on her chin. Tia huffs, hopping off the counter and tugging Jo with her, the two disappearing out of the kitchen.
"Wha' was that for?" Harry asks, brow furrowed in bewilderment.
"Are you kidding?" Jess asks, finally locking her phone and sliding it in her hoodie pocket. Harry looks at her with a blank look on his face, and Jess and y/n share a look of astonishment.
"They were obviously going for you!" Jess exclaims, sighing in annoyance when Harry's face immediately scrunches up in confusion. He begins to shake his head, looking at y/n for help but she has none.
"I'm with her!" Y/n quickly says, raising her hands up. "Those two have been drooling over you since you helped us move in."
"No they haven't!"
"Yes they have!" Jess practically screams. "Why do you think I'm constantly on my phone around them? I will not talk to anyone who blatantly lusts after my older brother. You are off limits to friends and roommates, and they know that."
Y/n feels her stomach twist, breath feeling heavy in her lungs. Harry's mouth opens in shock, eyes widening like a deer and y/n turns her gaze to the countertop.
"You mean to tell me, that if I met one of your friends, and we got on, we were like real fucking soulmates, they can't date me?"
Jess shrugs. "Yes."
"But she's my soulmate? You'd take me away from my bloody soulmate?"
"Duh! No one's allowed two Styles'. I should be enough." Jess says with certainty, and y/n feels Harry look at her. She ignores his gaze.
"Y/n grew up with both of us, that's two Styles." Harry says, crossing his arms over his chest. Y/n practically whines, not wanting to be drug in this. When it comes to Harry and Jess arguing, there's no reason. Jess is the baby of the family, used to always winning and she's quite the diva. And well, Harry's stubborn and clever, and he takes everything personally. And they both can hold grudges for a really long time.
"But she's my best friend, you just happened to be there too."
Harry scoffs. "Bullshit. I got personally invited to her Sweet Sixteen."
Y/n, hating that they're discussing her as if she's not in the room, silently climbs off the barstool and heads towards her bedroom. She can hear Harry and Jess talking over each other about all the sleepovers they had as kids, and it makes her head pound. She sighs, stomach feeling nauseous and she knows it's not the hangover anymore.
~
"I thought football was supposed to be the big deal, not soccer."
Y/n chuckles at Jess, tugging down the sleeves of her long sleeve. She didn't have any shirts that match the school colors, so she just wore a plain black top, knowing that that's a pretty neutral color. She doesn't know the color of whatever team Harry's playing tonight, but she didn't want to risk accidentally wearing their color.
"Why can't both be a big deal?"
"Because that's not how life works," Jess says, as if it were obvious. "one sport is always favored at a school, typically football. I guess that's not the case here."
Y/n nods, looking around the huge crowd of people. The soccer fans have taken over the baseball field, trucks and cars parked in outfield. Grills, and tents, and games have been set up, and a mini game of soccer using a child's ball has broken out. That, and the school banners and flags and posters for the team do give away the fact that soccer is a favorite here. She looks over the signs, smiling proudly when she sees that Harry doesn't have one specifically for him. Her fingers tighten on the poster she painted this morning.
"That's cool that Harry's a part of something so big then, right?"
Jess shrugs, pushing through a group of people. A table with red solo cups comes up on their left, and Jess immediately grabs a cup. "I guess. I mean, it's not like he can put this under achievements on a job application..."
Y/n eyes the beer next to her, nose scrunching at the smell. She's not a fan of beer, and she doesn't really feel like drinking tonight anyway.
"I think it's great." Y/n finally says, looking around the crowd. She's not the kind of person who goes out a lot, especially in high school, but being here makes her feel sort of giddy. She's not sure if it's because she was actually invited out, or if it's just the energy in the crowd.
"Oh, there's Tina!" Jess whispers excitedly. Y/n follows her gaze, finding a group of girls gathered around a fire pit. They're all wearing matching sorority shirts that are tied up under their chests, and a couple of them have numbers painted on their cheeks. She wonders if they're dating any of the players, and she wonders if one of those numbers is Harry's.
"Which one's Tina?"
"The tall one! With the pink hair!" Jess exclaims, lightly smacking y/n's arm. Y/n finds her, noticing that she doesn't have a number on her face. She doesn't know why, but her lips quirk up a bit.
"If I get in with Tina, I'll be set for the rest of school." Jess breathes longingly. Y/n doesn't really want to be left alone at such a big tailgate, but she supposes she could find Tia or Jo, so she nudges Jess.
"Go talk to her. I'm sure she'd be impressed with you."
Jess beams, and she sets her empty cup down before squishing y/n in a hug, cautious of the poster she's holding. "Are you sure? You'll be okay?"
Y/n forces a nod. "I'll find someone to talk to." She assures, and that's enough for Jess to spin around and head towards Tina and her group. She watches her walk, smiling sadly when Jess is easily greeted with smiles and hugs. She wishes it were that easy to talk to new people. Lucky for her, y/n isn't alone for too long.
"Y/n! You made it!" Harry's already in his uniform, white jersey stretched over his broad chest and thin waist, shorts hugging his thick thighs. Y/n is too busy trying to keep her from jaw from dropping to look at the number on his jersey.
"Told ya I would!" She smiles, and then his eyes are dropping to the poster she has pressed against her legs, and her face grows hot.
"What have ya got there?" He asks innocently-too innocently-and y/n tightens her hold on it.
"None of your business."
Harry's mouth drops in shock, and he brings a hand up to his chest like a character in a soap opera. "Who are you and what have you done with my peanut?"
"Your peanut?" She repeats, hoping he can't tell how flustered his words got her. Her palms feel sweaty against the poster, and her long sleeve suddenly feels too hot.
"M'the only one that calls you peanut, aren't I?" He takes a step closer to her as someone passes behind him, and the sudden proximity of his chest catches her attention. Without thinking, her hand comes up to rest in the middle of his abdomen, and her eyes fall on the large number 7 resting there. She traces a finger over it, smiling softly. None of those girls had a number 7 on them.
"Have I got something on it?" Harry suddenly asks, sounding a bit panicked as he tilts his head down to try and look at his jersey.
"No!" She quickly says, pulling her hand back as if she'd touched fire. "No, I just, I didn't know your number."
"Oh," Harry says, and she finally looks up from his chest. He's looking at her with a smile that purses his lips together a bit but ultimately makes his dimples sink deeper.
She clears her throat, awkwardly wiggling the poster. "Was gonna put it on your sign, but yeah."
Harry's eyes light up, and his lips part to show his little bunny teeth. "Ya made me a sign?"
Her face grows hot again. "Y-yeah. Don't usually do the sports thing but uh I saw on tv that fans make signs so..."
She almost smacks herself for admitting that she watched a couple soccer games this week so she'd know what to expect from tonight's game. She went to a couple of his games in high school, but she didn't really pay attention to the game. She was more focused on the way Harry's shorts rid up every time he'd sprint down the field.
"Come with me, I've got a surprise for ya."
~
Y/n is pretty sure she's not allowed in the soccer boys locker room, but Harry doesn't seem to care as he tugs her between rows of metal doors. She tries not to stumble on haphazardly tossed bags or shoes, holding her poster up so it doesn't get bent or torn.
Harry stops in front of a locker, pulling open the door and releasing her hand to dig through his duffle bag. She leans against the closed lockers, looking around the dim room. It's pretty similar to the girls, and it doesn't smell as bad as she thought it would. Though the smell of cologne is a bit overwhelming.
After a few seconds of just Harry rifling through his bag, he lets out a noise of triumph as he reveals a white tee-shirt. He closes his locker, smiling like a boy on Christmas as he holds it out to her.
"Here," he says, "that way you'll always know my number."
Y/n holds the poster between her thighs, taking the shirt from him. She holds it out, and even though it's a bit crumpled, she smiles. It's got the schools logo on the front, along with a little number 7. She flips it over, and the back is set up like a jersey, Styles stamped across the back.
"B-but this is yours." Y/n stutters, mentally cursing herself because she really does want the shirt but won't that bother Jess? What will she say to her if she asks? "I don't want to take your clothes, you'll run out."
Harry chuckles, tugging on his earlobe nervously. "I mean, I've got a bunch, and well you don't have any school gear so..."
It may be against the rules, but y/n is only human and she can't turn him down twice. Sighing dramatically and trying to fight a smile, she pulls the shirt over her head, hoping to God that Harry didn't hand her a dirty shirt.
It's a bit too long on her torso, and the sleeves bunch up awkwardly, but she can't help but think it looks nice. Especially when Harry reaches over, nimble fingers rolling the sleeves up until they fit nicely.
"Looks good peanut." He says quietly, eyes lingering on the number on her chest. Typically she'd blush or scold him for teasing her, but he's got a glimmer of something innocent in them that just makes her heart swell.
"A little big, but it suits me I guess."
His eyes move up to hers, that pursed smile taking over his face again. "S'not my fault you're the size of a peanut."
She rolls her eyes. "It's not my fault you're the size of a beanstalk."
Harry shrugs as if saying "yeah and?" and y/n doesn't continue their bantering. She's too busy admiring the way they match. Eventually Harry takes her hand again, this time less rushed as he leads her out of the locker room and back towards the tailgate. They don't have much time before Harry has to get back for warm ups, but they manage to find a marker and she happily scribbles a big number 7 on the bottom of the poster. She can't stop reminding herself that out of all the girls, even Tina's group of girls, she's the one that gets to wear his number.
She thinks tonight might be the best night she's ever had, and it only gets better when they run into Harry's friend Niall and his girlfriend Zoe. They all chat for a bit, and Zoe turns out to be really sweet despite her thick eyeliner and intimidating amount of tattoos. She invites y/n to watch the game with her, and Harry smiles encouragingly at her when she falters.
"I'd love to, thanks." She says grateful, clinging to her poster because she's so excited she doesn't know what to do with herself. Harry and Niall leave a little after that, Zoe kissing Niall for good luck and y/n giving Harry an awkward but warm hug.
She starts to feel a little lonely again when she can't find Jess anywhere, and then finally spots her sat higher in the stands with Tina. Zoe must notice her shift in mood, because she bumps her elbow.
"He'd never be able to see your sign up there," Zoe says comfortingly. "so it's a good thing you get to sit here."
She leads her to the very first row of the bleachers, right in front of the cheerleaders and the bench, and y/n realizes the little section is actually roped off. Confused, y/n sits between Zoe and a girl wearing a shirt similar to hers but with Tomlinson written across back.
"It's the VIP," Zoe explains, "it's saved for the players girlfriends."
Y/n can't help but blush, feeling a bit dazed and Zoe pulls her to her feet. The announcer is listing off the starting line up, and her and Zoe holler loudly when Niall is announced. And then Harry's name comes up too, and y/n waves her sign for him, cheering shamelessly. He gives her a tiny wave as he takes the field, and y/n forgets about Jess sitting all those rows above her. And she has a lot of fun. For the first time in a long time, she's undoubtedly happy sitting in the VIP section with Harry's shirt on her shoulders and his name constantly on her mind.