Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

seventy six.

I was such a hopeless romantic as a child. There were numerous occasions where I would ask Mum or Nan to tell me the story of how they met the loves of their lives, they were constantly retelling me the story of how Dad and Pa proposed.

As perfect as it was for the two of them, I always hated the way Pa proposed to Nan. Nan always spoke of it so fondly though, it truly was a beautiful moment between the two of them. My Pa had proposed at a party on New Years. Right as the clock struck midnight and fireworks began to fill the sky, Pa dropped to his knee in front of all their friends and asked Nan to marry him.

It fit their narrative perfectly, but I remember asking her everytime she told the story 'but Nan, didn't you hate all the eyes on you?' She would always give me the same answer, "JoJo, I couldn't feel their eyes on me, the only eyes I noticed were his."

My Dad on the other hand is very similar to me, he too enjoys exchanging such intimate moments in private. He proposed to my mother on the beach while on vacation. He simply sat the box on her lap and told her he loved her. No huge scene or attention drawn to them, they simply enjoyed the moment together.

I used to tell Will all the time that when the time came, I would want a private proposal. Public proposals were never something I could get around. A part of me was more hurt by his blatant disregard for my wishes than the events that followed. He knew a public proposal was the last thing I wanted yet he chose to do it at a restaurant where people would watch the exchange unfold.

Harry's proposal was everything I had ever wanted, and that's what it was - a proposal. As much as I knew his words were sincere and I could interpret it as I wanted, this was certainly a proposal. It ticked all the boxes young me had drawn; private, not a huge deal, sweet and free of pressure.

My lungs were refusing to let in an adequate amount of air as I stared at the green eyes looking deep into my own, his eyes held nothing but love and adoration. The way he looked at me was something I would never be able to get over. Regardless of the fact I probably looked like a deer in headlights, he still sat there with a lovesick smile on his lips.

"I- Harry. I don't know what to say. It's too much, I don't deserve this." I whispered, glancing between his eyes and dropping to his lips.

"Of course you deserve it baby." He replied in a hushed tone, bringing his hand to stroke across my cheekbone.

My eyes fluttered closed and I brought my hand up to rest against his on my cheek. A deep sigh left my lips before I opened my eyes again.

"I love you so much, Jo. I'd give up my whole world if it meant I could be a part of yours."

A single tear slid down my cheek, he was perfection. In a spur of the moment decision, I grabbed both sides of his face and slammed my lips against his. I kissed him with an urgency I had never experienced, we weren't close enough even though I had pulled him flush against me. One of his hands remained on my cheek, the other pressed the space between my shoulder blades, forcing our chests together. Mine threaded back into his hair, lightly tugging at the roots.

"Ask me again. Please ask me again, Harry." I begged between kisses, leaving him whimpering at the loss of contact. He gently pulled away from my lips and locked eyes with me once again.

"Spend the rest of your life with me, Jo. Please? I don't think I would be able to exist in a world where you're not with me."

"Have you had a good day?" Clem quizzed across the table.

The six of us sat in the loungeroom, individual tubs of icecream in our laps and a movie on the tv. The night had gone better than I had expected, Ella was actually being really kind to me and Michael was finally interacting with the group a little bit more.

"It was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better day. So thank you everyone, you've all made me feel so fucking special."

Ella shot me a tight lipped smile before spooning another scoop of ice cream into her mouth. She was noticeably tired but I really appreciated that she was staying up with us to watch the movie.

Not long after the credits began to roll, Ella stood up and declared she was off to bed. She wished me a final 'happy birthday' before heading down the hallway to bed. Adrian and Clem decided the same soon after, closely followed by Michael.

I grabbed the remote and switched the tv to a radio channel, leaning more into Harry and closing my eyes. He smelt amazing beside me, his usual smell of faint vanilla mixed with the caramel of his ice cream in the most intoxicating way.

"Are you smelling me right now?" He chuckled, scaring the shit out of me.

"Pfft, no. Why would I be smelling you? That's a really weird thing for someone to do." The back of my hand hit his chest lightly as I tried to play off the fact I was indeed smelling him.

"Mmm, you tell me." A mischievous smile broke out on his lips.

He stood from his place on the couch and pulled me up to join him. The empty ice cream containers and spoons caught my attention on the coffee table and I moved to try and clean them up. It was the least I could do, considering what everyone had done for me today.

"Uh uh, nope. You're not cleaning a single thing. They will still be there in the morning and we can clean it up then. But right now I want you to enjoy the last few minutes of your birthday and spend them with your second favourite Styles sibling." His arms wrapped around my waist from behind, stopping me from collecting the rubbish and dishes.

**Play I Want To Feel Alive by The Lighthouse And The Whaler**

"Dance with me." His voice muffled against my hair as he pressed kisses to the crown of my scalp and along my temples.

I spun in his arms and wrapped mine over his shoulders. We began swaying on the spot, unable to wipe the stupid smiles off our faces.

This was a core memory for sure. This was the kind of moment you see in the black and white montage of a romance movie, a moment everyone has envisioned at least once. This was the kind of moment that would make listeners shriek and scream with joy as you told its story.

This was the kind of story you tell your children.

And he looked at me again with such love in his eyes that it almost scared me. I prayed to any god that would listen that he would continue to look at me like that, that his feelings for me wouldn't fade as time went on.

I feared that I wasn't the kind of person he should want to marry. That my only role in life was to be the girl with baggage and scars, that teaches guys like him what unconditional love is before he inevitably becomes exhausted by the effort required and leaves.

Not that I think he would ever be like that, but the insecurities I felt continued to bring that fear to the surface. How could my brain make me think such things when he clings to me like I am oxygen? How could my brain make me think such things when he looks at me like I am the end goal?

It wasn't fair to him.
It wasn't fair to me.

"Don't overthink it." He mumbled, continuing to press kisses along my forehead and cheeks.

"Overthink what?"

"I'm not sure, but that's your overthinking face and I love you too much to let you overthink something while we dance together."

I bit my lower lip to hide my smile, "I love you so much. You know that right?"

"I do know that. But feel free to tell me again." He winked.

The drums in the music intensified, prompting Harry to spin me around under his arm like a Disney Princess before spinning me into his chest so my back was against him. His arms threaded around my waist and his chin came to rest on my shoulder. My hands, still slightly cold from the ice cream container, threaded with his and rested on my lower stomach.

"I want to feel alive." Harry mumbled into my ear, arms tightening around me.

"I want to feel alive." I sang back, tilting my head to face him.

I want to feel alive.

Harry makes me feel alive.

"Yes." I whispered before leaning up to meet his lips.