as it is || harry styles au

twenty-one

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I'm proud of this one

h a r r y

Before

"This is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth."

I snorted.

She nudged me with her shoulder. "Oh, shut up."

Ives took her grilled cheese seriously. I hadn't known that before she explained to me in great lengths last week all the different ways you could spice up the simple delicacy.

After, I went online and googled all the places with the best grilled cheeses within a thirty mile radius of Camden. I found a diner fifteen miles away that made a pizza grilled cheese, and I surprised her with a thirty minute drive so she could try it.

Very quickly, I realized that witnessing Ives try different versions of her favorite food was ranked top five in my favorite things to do.

"It's pretty fucking good, I must admit."

"Why have I never thought about doing this?" She wondered aloud.

     I didn't want to burst her bubble and tell her that a pizza grilled cheese was essentially...just a pizza. It was good food and Ives was happy. That's all that mattered.

I sipped down my water and swallowed."I imagine we'll have to have grilled cheese at our wedding?"

Ives sputtered, but recovered quickly, taking a sip of her water.

We were young, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was meant to be Ives' forever. For weeks now I'd been getting flashes of our life together—her getting her degree and becoming a psychologist, myself making Lonely Cinemas one of the hottest tourist destinations in Oregon, building a home just for us, a little one with curls like mine when I was a kid and eyes like Ivory's.

She shook her head with a cheeky smile. "You just like to say things."

"What do you mean?"

"We're seventeen and you're talking about getting married."

"I don't say things to say things, love. I mean things. And I mean it when I say that in the future I'll be getting down on one knee for you."

Her eyes welled with tears. "Harry."

I leaned forward and kissed the single tear that slipped from her waterline. "Those better be happy tears or I'm kicking my ass."

She giggled. "You make me so unfathomably happy."

Now

Thirty-six hours without Ivory and Jamie told me one thing.

I belonged to them.

     I missed having Ivory around me. I missed Jamie's persistent chatter and curious questions.

     Dena was watching Jamie tonight while I took Ivory out. I was looking forward to spending some time with her where the two of us could just...be.