a/n: harry has a beard right now. i just know it.
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It was almost here. The dreaded day.
I honestly can't believe it, though I'm not sure why I get so surprised every year. There are only 364 days between the last and the next, but that whole year feels like only a few weeks when I look back on it. And every year, I tell myself the same lie, only to be disappointed. I tell myself it's just in my head, but then it happens again...and again. I didn't understand it. It's like...the day is cursed. It has been since that day.
My parents don't like celebrating my birthday because of it. I don't really blame them for that though. But...do they blame me? Like it was somehow my fault? I wasn't even there but... it was my birthday. Does that automatically make the blame fall into my hands? I mean, it sure as hell wasn't Dad's fault, though he tends to blame himself. No matter how many times she's tried to tell me otherwise, I still to this day think Mom blames me. But maybe she blames me so she doesn't blame Dad. Or worse...herself.
Since then, the days have gone slow but the years fly by, and now here I am turning 25 years old in two days. It's been 8 years.
I've finally caught up to Harry in years, but not for long. His birthday is in less than a month and I haven't even thought about what to get him. The clothes he wears are worth more than my rent, so that was off the table...unless I get a new job at least.
I hike up the stairs, wanting to shower after I just finished eating my breakfast. I slowly walk down the hall and into my room, in no hurry to do literally anything whatsoever. I make my way over to my dresser, getting out a clean pair of underwear, leggings, and a workout top. I had no intention of working out today, but they were comfortable to lounge in. Plus I don't have to wear a bra with them.
I had almost made it to the bathroom door when I noticed Harry wasn't in the room or the bathroom. He wasn't downstairs when I was down there either. With a confused look on my face, I set my clothes down on the foot of my bed, walking out into the hallway. I notice Jess's bedroom door was closed, which caused even more confusion since she never closes it unless Jackson is over. Her messy room was always displayed for any guests who might happen to wander upstairs.
I approach the door, but stop in my tracks immediately once I hear the sound of Jess laughing quietly behind the wood. Confused now more than ever, I softly knock on the door.
"Jess?" I say just loud enough for her to hear me from the other side. In response, I hear something drop and rustling around in the room before I hear it... Harry's voice. He was in the room with her. "Jess?" I call once again. The sounds of hushed cursing grab my attention.
"Uh, yeah?" She answers and I hear the sound of Harry whispering, but I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. I quickly place my hand on the doorknob to open the door, but as soon as I tried to, the knob wouldn't budge. The door was locked.
"Jess, why is the door locked?" I ask, panicking slightly. There's no response to me, but they were definitely talking to each other in hushed voices. Within a matter of seconds, I hear footsteps approaching the door quickly.
The door opens ever so slightly, causing me to take a step back. Harry squeezes his body through the small crack, blocking my view into Jess's room completely. He quickly shuts the door behind him and I hear it lock from the inside. A smile is forced over his lips as he looks at me.
"Hey, hun." He smiles awkwardly, his lands still against the door behind him.
"What's in your hands?" I ask, looking down at his arms. He raises his hands up to show me they were empty. I gulp harshly. "What were you two doing in there?" I ask, honestly not sure if I really wanted to know the answer.
He quickly steps forward, wrapping his arm around me and turning me around, leading me away from the door.
"I need my nails done," he changes the subject as he speed walks to my bedroom with me still in his grip. "Maybe even my toes too."
"You can't just come out from behind my roommate's closed door and not expect me to ask you what you two were doing in there." I stop walking and take a step away from him, folding my arms. "What were you two doing in there?"
Harry lets out a sigh of defeat, sitting on the edge of my bed.
"You caught us." He raises his arms up in surrender. "We were planning your party."
"With the door locked?" I raised an eyebrow. I knew I should've believed him, and I really wanted to, but I just...didn't.
"We didn't want you to see what we were planning. It's a surprise." He winks and I feel my tense body relax. That made sense. Why was I so worked up over the fact that they were planning my party in Jess's room? Was it because they were alone?
I nod slowly, looking down. I felt stupid for not trusting him, even if it was for only a few seconds. And I felt even dumber for not trusting Jess.
"You said you wanted your nails done?" I recall, desperate to change the subject.
"Yes!" He says excitedly. "I have music videos to film in a little over a week and I want them to be freshly painted. And like I said, maybe you could do my toes too."
"Why do you want your toes done?" I ask out of curiosity. I take a step forward and sit next to him on the edge of my bed.
"Because I'll be on the beach with my toes in the sand. I don't want the hermit crabs making fun of my ugly feet."
I couldn't help but chuckle fondly at him. "Are you filming the Falling music video on the beach?"
"Nope." He shakes his head. "Watermelon Sugar."
"You never told me what you were doing for that, by the way," I point out, my curiosity of this music video at its peak.
He hums and places his head on my shoulder, letting it rest there. "You'll just have to see, I guess."
I groan, hating his teasing. I just wanted to know what the music video was about and I wanted him to tell me. "Will you at least tell me what you're wearing?" I ask, with a roll of my eyes.
He lifts his head from my shoulder to look at me. "I've been meaning to ask you," he begins and my heart thumps nervously. "I may or may not have been snooping around in your closet looking at your clothes..."
"Harry!" I gasp, a smile on my face.
"Anyways," he continues, "I found a shirt I want to borrow for the video. I found a few things I wanted to borrow, actually. But we'll start with one thing."
"Okay," I chuckle, "what did you have in mind?"
Harry springs to his feet, heading over to my closet. He disappears behind the door for a solid minute before returning into the bedroom. In his hands, he holds a sweater on a hanger.
"This." He raises the hanger up.
I couldn't help but laugh at his choice. Out of everything in my closet, he had to choose that sweater. I hadn't worn that sweater in so long, I can't even remember when the last time I wore it was. It was slightly big on me, so it may fit him perfectly anyway.
"I would've chosen to wear the boots, but I think they may be just a little too small for me," he says and I roll my eyes. "So I figured this was the next best thing."
"Knock yourself out," I tell him with a shrug. He smiles like a literal child, taking it off the hanger, folding it up and placing it into his suitcase.
"You can have it...on one condition," I tell him and he looks up at me curiously. He raises an eyebrow, signaling for me to continue. "You shave your face before the music video."
He hasn't shaved his face in a few days and his facial hair was getting insanely long. He can do whatever he wants, don't get me wrong, but the beard was a no from me.
"I'll be sure to give it back once I've finished wearing it." He winks.
I groan, laying back onto my comforter. My hair sprawls out around my head as I stare up at the ceiling fan. Then all of a sudden, my view is blocked by a very smiley Harry Styles.
"Why don't you like the beard?" He frowns playfully as he stares down at me. His body hovers above mine, his hands placed on either side of my head.
"It looks weird." I giggle. I reach my hand up to feel it, the hair much tougher than the ones on top of his head.
"Well, it loves you." He bends down to plant a kiss onto my forehead. I thought it was sweet...until he then proceeded to rub his jaw and chin against my cheek.
"Harry!" I squeal, laughing uncomfortably, even though I hated the feeling of the hair against my skin. "Stop!"
After a moment, he stops. He looks down at me lazily as I catch my breath from laughing so much.
"Let's go do my nails, yeah?" He suggests getting up off me and holding out a hand for me to grasp. I take his hand and he helps me stand to my feet.
"Sure." I chuckle.
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a/n: okay i have a serious question that you have to answer honestly!!! do you like Lili more or less (or the same, you tell me) than you did in the beginning??