Winter [Harry Styles AU]

twenty two

winter // twenty two

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Lena thought April was the month of continuous showers, but now she thinks it might be the month of transition. Transformation. A gradual development from winter into spring. During the day, the sun shines warm, and at night the chill comes crawling back.

It's a shift. Boxes filled with Liam and Zayn's belongings are starting to stack up alongside the door, but at the same time the rest of the boys have already started converting the now empty room into what they call "The Laddiest Lad's Room Ever".  

It's a revival. Exams are approaching. People have started ordering iced coffee again. Harry can resume naked yoga without "freezing his balls off". Louis isn't forced to choose between shoes or hypothermia. Blankets and beanies are no longer required inside flat 4B.

It's the end of April and the sun is starting to shine through the showers like a promise of what's to come, like a revelation, or a rebirth, or something less important but still incredible. It's Lena's very own Age of Enlightenment.

On Friday it rains, a heavy summer shower, and Harry doesn't let her leave the bed. He's cuddly and cute and sweet, more so than usual, which Lena didn't think was actually possible, but there goes Harry Styles, defying all logic once again.

On Saturday it's still raining, and they all spend four studious hours in the library preparing for exams (in which Zayn folds an entire origami city and Harry kisses Lena's neck until she threatens to cut off his curls) before the rain stops and they give up to go home and play True American. Lena shotguns three beers because she doesn't care that exams are in a week.

No, Lena ignores the outside world in favor of braiding Harry's hair and doing yoga and FIFA tournaments, and it's all very ridiculous but Lena can't bring herself to care as she pulls Harry in for another drunken kiss, laughing.

So Sunday is spent nursing their hangovers and making out mindlessly underneath the covers and, then, when Harry returns from a smoke break to find her flipping through a textbook, it's spent sprawled out on the mattress while Harry quizzes her on biology. He rewards each correct answer with a kiss.

("You just need to find balance in your life," he tells her. "Work hard, play hard." 

"Get hard," Lena says, very seriously.

Harry arches an eyebrow. "Well now you're acting like you don't want to study."

"You're acting like you don't wanna get laid."

They don't study much after that.)

And then Monday comes around.

And Lena doesn't want to go back to the real world, and not only because she's warm and Harry's kissing her right now. She's afraid because this is the beginning of something they've never done, and it's terrifying.

"Harry — "

He bites down on her lip. "We're breaking the kiss world record. Hush."

"How long is that again?"

"Doesn't matter. We have to be the best 4B couple. A world record will seal the deal."

"Liam and Zayn won't know what hit 'em," Lena agrees.

"It's a foolproof plan."

She hesitates. "Yes. Like, Bay of Pigs Invasion foolproof. I have to be at work in an hour.

Harry groans and presses harder against her smaller body, kissing her and kissing her until her lips are numb with it. "You cannot go," he manages to say in between furious kisses. "Be nice to me."