KEEP DRIVING - H.S

BONUS: The BRITs

*• 11 February, 2023 •*
- London, UK -

"ALL BECAUSE I LIKED A BOY!" Alliah belted, the highest note she had ever sang in her life. And then softly and gently, letting emotion leak through her voice, "All because I liked..." Her words were barely a whisper, "a boy."

She searched through the crowd, finding Harry's face, and those familiar green eyes. He was wide-eyed and blushing when she pointed at him.

Alliah bit her lip, trying to hide her smile at his reaction, and instead focused on the screams and cheers from the crowd. The applause lingered in her mind like smoke, and she stood taller as she found herself pleased by how loud the crowd was.

This was one of the most elaborate performances she had ever done, wearing a glamorous red dress that was draped in dangerous and elegant ways, with backup dancers and sparklers. The whole performance was supposed to be similar to the upcoming music video, set in a circus.

And sure enough, it did look like a circus on stage but in the most glamorous way possible.

She'd designed it all to be a metaphor, of the way her life was treated as if it were designed to be a circus, all her flaws and creases pointed at for entertainment. She would jump through hoops, walk tightropes and play with fire, just for the applause of other people.

Alliah had to admit she was proud of herself for coming up with the whole concept.

The lights shut off, the cameras turning to look at the crowd, and Alliah made her way off the stage as they quickly prepped it for the next award and the next performance.

She went backstage, where Harry was waiting for her, still dressed in the outift he'd used for the performance, red and black pants and an open jacket. No shirt.

His torso was like a sculpture of marble, embedded with black ink in lines and curves of beauty. Alliah could spent forever tracing her hands over his body, memorizing every little detail.

Alliah grabbed the skirt of her dress that was dragging on the floor, and ran up to Harry, hugging him tightly.

All she wanted was to celebrate this moment with Harry, bathe in the happiness of this day with him, the one person who truly mattered to her.

As soon as she backed away, she exclaimed, "Oh my God that was so cool! Holy fuck, I've never felt so confident. And did you see that little move I did with my hips? Did it look good? It felt good."

"You were incredible!" Harry agreed, kissing her full on the lips as she smiled into the kiss. "You looked beautiful and I loved the concept- you have an amazing mind, Mendoza."

Alliah grinned at the ground, blushing at his compliments even after being on the receiving end of them for years now. He always knew the right thing to say.

"I loved your performance, though," Alliah added, placing an arm around his waist as he placed one on her shoulder. She raised her hand to intertwine her fingers with the hand around her shoulder as she rambled, "You looked so happy and comfortable. Not like you were performing to a bunch of strangers, but the way you look when you're with fans."

Harry nodded, smiling softly as he gazed at her. "I just love being home."

"I get it," Alliah agreed, knowing how the location made all the difference. It's why she had been so comfortable at the Grammys and why Harry was so comfortable at the BRITs. "It really does make a huge difference, a little thing like geography."