If I could fly (BOOK 2)

Will you?

Harry decided it somewhere between the end of the show and the quiet walk back down the hallway.
Not with fireworks. Not with panic.
Just clarity.

The lights were still buzzing in his ears when he spotted Y/N waiting near the side of the corridor, Darcy tucked against her chest, eyes tired but bright in that way that always undid him. She smiled when she saw him, and something inside his chest settled into place like it had been waiting all along.

Dinner, he thought.
Then a walk.

When he told her, she frowned immediately.

"The boys are not taking Darcy tonight," she said, already shaking her head. "Not again."

Harry smiled softly, like he'd expected the resistance. "They offered."

"That doesn't help your case."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "I just want a little more time with you."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're being suspicious."

"Rude," he said lightly. Then, gentler, "I want to show you something."

She hesitated. He could see the tug-of-war happening inside her-the pull to stay, the instinct to protect, the quiet need to still be herself too.

"She'll be right downstairs," he added, brushing his thumb across the back of her hand. "They promised to keep her safe. And if you don't like it, we turn around. I swear."

She searched his face.

Then sighed. "Okay. But if Louis teaches her anything inappropriate-"

"I'll disown him," Harry said immediately.

That earned a laugh, and with it, her nod.

Dinner was easy. Quiet in the best way. Shared plates, knees brushing, Harry watching her more than he ate, committing the sound of her laugh to memory like he might need it later.

When they stepped outside afterward, the night air was cool and calm, the city softer than it had been all day.

Harry didn't take her far.

Just a few blocks. A turn she wouldn't have expected. A narrow path that opened into a small park overlooking the water, lights from the buildings reflecting across the surface like scattered stars.

Y/N slowed to a stop.

"Oh my," she breathed. "This is-"

"Yeah," Harry said quietly.

She looked at him, something warm and open in her expression. "You always find places like this."

He shrugged, heart beating harder now. "I like places where you can breathe and not be overwhelmed."

They stood side by side, silence settling comfortably between them. Y/N leaned into him without thinking, her shoulder resting against his arm.

"I'm glad we came," she said softly.

Harry squeezed her hand, smiling to himself.

Good, he thought.
Because this is where everything starts.

And somewhere a few blocks from them, four boys were absolutely losing their minds babysitting-two of them completely unaware that Harry Styles had just decided exactly how the rest of his life was going to go. Or maybe they planned to be there. Who knows?

The park was nearly empty.

City lights shimmered across the water, soft and broken, the noise of the streets far enough away that it felt like the world had stepped back and given them space. Harry slowed first, then stopped altogether, his grip on Y/N's hand tightening just slightly.