Everglow | on hiatus.

everglow: twenty one

When Harry wakes up in the morning, he turns to see Nia peacefully curled up next to him and he breaks into a smile.

She looks adorable in his t-shirt and it's almost funny because she's sometimes a chaotic sleeper. He gently stands up without disturbing her and he walks to brush his teeth.

The idea of them sleeping on the same bed after ages warms his heart and he really likes how nothing happened between them. It was nearly platonic and intimate at the same time.

Once he's done, he calmly returns to the bedroom and meets her slowly opening her eyes. Nia frowns in annoyance at the fact that it's already morning and he calmly sits on his side of the bed, watching her gather herself to wake up.

In the old days, they'd wake up kissing or just holding each other. Today, he doesn't know what the rule is with their situation. It's just nice to have her here and that's enough.

Nia slowly kicks on the bed and rubs her socked feet against each other, an old habit she picked from him. He lightly taps her and smiles.

"Morning...Nia," he says.

"Morning H -" she stops herself. "I mean Harry, old habit,"

"No...H is nice," he shrugs it off.

"Sure?" she sits herself up and yawns.

"Yes...you say...say it nice," he tries to explain.

"You're waking me up with compliments, is this a dream?" she playfully blinks at him.

"Yes...yes good one," Harry nods along with her joke.

"Sod off," Nia smiles.

"Sleep...well?" he asks, simply staring at her.

Nia notices that her hair band came off and her curls are pooling down. Normally, she sleeps with her silk scarf securing her curls but the date got her distracted and she has no idea when she passed out on his bed.

Ideally, she'd have fought the idea of spending the night in his room but she cannot fight every single thing. Pushing her hair away from her face, she looks at him and smiles.

"I slept like a bab, you?" she asks in return.

"Okay....sleep okay," he replies.

"Just okay? I know you were struggling when you returned from the hospital," she frowns in concern.

That's another thing. Harry is not sure how to explain last night being the first night he got stable sleep since he returned from the hospital without sounding like a corny man trying to impress a girl.

He just gives a weak smile and shrugs, trying to evade the topic.

"Okay...no therapy today," he points out.

Nia rolls her eyes, knowing he's being evasive and she doesn't push it.

"You have a free day today, me too," she replies.

"Oh," he nearly panics and she notices.

"What is it?" she asks, worried.

"Okay...not...not making plans for us," he tries to explain.

"After last night? You're banned from making the next plans," she quickly says.

"No... I make plans," he frowns a little.

"But you planned the date so it's only logical for me to plan the next thing," she explains.

Harry understands this but he just wants to plan everything. If it was left to him, Nia wouldn't have to raise a finger. This second chapter of their relationship has to be all on him because he messed up the first chapter.