FLICKER (h.s. au)

16.

Sixteen

Harry Styles

Two weeks ago

"What's your biggest fear?" Emery's voice rang softly as her fingers grazed my bare chest. Our legs were tangled with each other under the sheets, and the room was dimly lit, creating an intimate atmosphere.

I let out a thoughtful hum. "Escalators," I grumbled playfully. Emery chuckled beside me and lightly slapped my chest, her touch warm and comforting.

"No, I'm serious," she insisted, her tone softening. A smile stretched across my face as I wrapped my arm tighter around her naked body.

I faked a gasp, feigning offense. "I am being serious, Emery! Escalators are serious business. Have you never heard any of those stories of the steps falling beneath people's feet? It's a death trap waiting to happen, honestly," I huffed, only half-joking.

Emery pushed herself upwards, propping her head on her hand as she gazed down at me with a mixture of annoyance and affection. I met her gaze with a playful smile, despite her unamused frown. A comfortable silence settled over us as I pondered a more sincere answer.

"Would it be super cliché if I said failing?" I turned my head to face her, raising an eyebrow.

Emery's expression shifted, her features softening with understanding. "Failing what?" she asked carefully, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest.

I pursed my lips, pulling her body back down towards mine so she was resting her head on my chest, our skin touching in the most intimate of ways. "Everything," I confessed, my voice softer now. "Work, my family, myself," I mumbled, the weight of my admission hanging in the air.

Emery's fingers continued to tap on my chest softly, her touch a soothing presence. "I don't know," I sighed. "I've built my life up so much. I'm at the top of my career, and I've climbed the ladder so high. But I feel like if I slip, if I fail even once, I'll go crashing down." I realized I had never spoken these thoughts aloud, and it felt strangely liberating to share them with her. Failure had never been an option, not in any aspect of my life.

"Sometimes there's beauty in failing," Emery said gently, her voice filled with compassion.

"How so?"

"Think about it," She shifts slightly. "How many times did you fail at the bottom of the ladder? I'm willing to bet my job that you were stuck on that first step for a while." She says.

Emery's words hung in the air, inviting me to reflect on my journey. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to sit with her words.

"You're right," I admitted, a small smile forming as I traveled back in time. "I spent years at the bottom rung of the ladder, struggling to get a foothold in the industry. I faced rejection after rejection, and it felt like every door was closed." Not that I blamed anybody, I was a clueless guy that thought he was a hot shot. Honestly, if 24 year old me walked into my building, I'd probably laugh and shut the door on his face too.

"But with each failure, I learned something new. I honed my skills, refined my approach, and developed a resilience I didn't know I had."

She nodded. "It's not all that scary. You may fall a few steps but you won't crumble to the ground if you don't let yourself. Failure isn't the end. It's often the beginning of something new, something better." She hums.

"Although if your family deems you as a failure..." She hisses, "That's tough luck, buddy." She lightens the mood with her joke. I roll my eyes but let myself laugh, pressing kiss to the top of her head.