WILDEST FANTASIES

THIRTEEN

THREE YEARS LATER

Niall's spacious living room is now littered with cardboard boxes and suitcases, the stylish furniture he carefully chose out upon moving into his new home now almost get lost between the mountains of his best friend's belongings.

"Dude, I know you're like an academic and intellectual person, but do you really need to own a whole ass library?" Niall sighs, as the two of them walk into the apartment with two more boxes filled with Harry's books.

"Shut up, it's not even that much," Harry rolls his eyes, dropping the box he's been carrying on top of one that's labeled to contain shoes.

"Man, this feels like first day of college all over again!" Niall enthuses, quickly dropping his interest in Harry's book collection. "Only this time we're not sharing a tiny dorm room but my fucking cool New York City apartment!"

"Thanks for letting me crash here while I find a place for myself, I really appreciate the help," Harry sighs, taking a look around all of his stuff he is moving in with to his best friend's home.

"Anytime. You've helped me so many times before, it's the least I can do. You've been through a lot. How are you holding up?"

How is he holding up?

He wants to answer that truthfully and tell Niall that he is the lowest he has been probably in all his life. Having to move in with his best friend after his fiancé broke up with him after moving across the country just to start a life together. Harry sold his house and moved in with the woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with, but turns out the feeling wasn't mutual, because out of the blue, he found himself single and without a place he could call his home.

At least he has a job. It would definitely be his last straw if he was sent away from the publishing company he started working at after deciding to give up his career path of being a college professor. It was a hard but necessary choice, especially after everything that happened on campus. There was no way he could keep working there.

Moving to New York he dived right into finding a new but still fitting job for himself and he ended up being an editor at a decent size publishing company, so he now spends his days buried in manuscripts and possible best-selling novels.

With all the changes he went through the past years, his new job is the only thing that has truly brought him happiness and a sense of safety. Everything else crumbled around him, it seems.

"Um, I'm doing okay. Just taking it one day at a time," he sighs, hoping to sound convincing. Niall has been such a big help to him, his biggest support system.

A year ago, Niall has decided to take over the States, leave his home country behind and bring his talent overseas. He already had several clients and projects going on with American artists and now that his base is permanently in the Big Apple, he is off the charts, doing better than ever in his career, working with the biggest names in the industry.

Being physically closer, Niall stood by Harry's side in these trying times and now they are even sharing a home. He is determined to do everything he can to get his friend back on the tracks.

"Great. Let me know if I could do anything for you. I'm always here for you, you know that right?"

"Of course," Harry nods with an appreciating smile. "Thank you."

"Alright, are there any more boxes in the car?" Niall claps his hands together.

"No, these were the last ones. Thanks for the help, I'll just start to unpack."

"Cool. I'll head out then, I have a few things to take care of. Make yourself home and I'll see you later."

As the front door closes behind his friend, Harry takes a moment to take in his new home for the upcoming weeks. It's a pleasant place Niall has got for himself, definitely a bachelor's home with the darker tones and stylish furniture. It's not necessarily Harry's taste, he always tried to make his place homey and welcoming, a warm hideaway from the outside world.