as it is || harry styles au

twenty-four

i v o r y

     I woke up the next morning tangled in the blankets of Harry's bed. Alone.

From the barest bit of sunshine seeping through his curtains, I guessed it was around six-thirty in the morning. I couldn't think of where Harry might be this early. We'd fallen asleep together, my body wrapped over his. I faintly remembered waking in the middle of the night, laying almost completely on top of him. It was cold here in December and Harry didn't seem to have his heat running very high—which I understood with the rates of gas and electricity these days.

I went for my phone on the nightstand to check for missed calls or texts. There was one from Bobby's mom from late last night telling me that she was planning on taking the boys ice skating in Midvale today so long as it was okay with me.

     I had just texted back that it was alright when I heard, "You're up early."

     He'd opened the bedroom door so quietly, I hadn't realized he entered until I heard his voice.

"So are you," I mumbled back sleepily. He carried a paper grocery bag in his hand.

     "Went to Jane's 24 Hour and grabbed some things." Jane's was a pit stop of sorts in town that had just about everything you could think of at all hours of the day. "I woke up and realized I wasn't prepared to have a...guest."

     A female guest, I filled in.

     "I could've just gone home," I reasoned.

     He shook his head and walked over to my side of the bed. My heart warmed when he leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "Go back to sleep, love. I'll join you."

     Well, when he puts it that way...

     I fell back against the bed and curled towards his pillow. The entire bed smelled like him, but his pillow was just a little more...intoxicating. I felt the bed dip, and immediately, I shifted so I was halfway on top of him again.

     My next moment of consciousness came hours later. My phone was ringing.

     I attempted to ease myself off of Harry, but faced some resistance in his tightening hold. Eventually, he woke up with the continued ringing and released me.

     It was Bobby's mother.

     I stamped down any panic and answered the phone as calmly as possible.

     "Hey, Erica. What's up?"

     "Hello, Ivory! Hope I didn't wake you."

     "No, no...just haven't had any coffee yet today."

     I'd (unfortunately) really caught onto middle-aged mom humor.

     Harry chuckled softly next to me. I felt his lips against my bare shoulder and just about lost my mind.

     "Oh, good. Well, I just realized I hadn't offered and wanted to ask and see if you wanted to join us for ice skating at the Midvale Center at noon. Bobby's father won't be coming because he had an early tee time with some work friends out in Sherwood."