fine line

𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

Harry is late. And tired. And slightly hungover. And to top it all off, it's his birthday, and he hasn't gotten a single text from any of his friends.

He doesn't want to seem selfish, but he expected a little more than a "See you tomorrow, mate" from Niall when he dropped Harry off at home last night and Taylor blowing him a kiss.

What is he late for, exactly?

An interview. Luckily, it's with one of his personal friends, Nick Grimshaw.

Harry always loves being on Radio 1 because he's treated like a queen, but the atmosphere is also very casual, and he never feels pressure in the same way as he'd feel on, say, GMA or something.

"Morning, mate!" Nick greets him with a brief hug before they take their seats opposite each other in the recording booth. Harry reaches for the radio headphones, but Nick waves his hand to stop him.

"We don't go on air for a couple of minutes," Nick says, and smiles at him. "How's your birthday been so far?"

Harry sets the headset down and grunts, rubbing his eyes.

Nick chuckles. "That bad, huh?"

Harry nods. "It's fine. It's still early in the morning."

"No birthday wishes yet?" Nick wonders, eyebrows raising. "Weird."

"That's what I'm saying."

"Well, there will be plenty of time for you to be narcissistic and sulky later. I think we're on now."

Harry takes a deep breath and pastes on a smile for the camera he knows is recording. Then he puts on his headphones and answers with a chirpy "Hi!" when Nick greets him on air.

***

"Don't get me wrong, I think you're great, but remind me why you had to drive me?" Harry wonders, glancing next to him at Nick, whose hands are grasping the wheel of Harry's Range Rover.

Nick throws him a playful look. "Because you took birthday shots," he says, as if that explains everything.

Harry rolls his eyes. "Yeah, two. Of totally watered-down tequila. Cheap tequila, I'll have you know."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry that our measly radio budget didn't satisfy your expensive tastes, Popstar. Also, it was three shots. Wouldn't want your fans to murder me if I was the last person you were seen with before you tragically died in a drunk car accident."

"I'm not drunk," Harry protested, but he let the conversation die after that. He really is grateful that Nick is taking time out of his day to drive him home, even if he's still a little suspicious of his intentions.

Nick has been known to prank Harry on occasion; all in good faith, of course, but a prank nonetheless. He's gone strangely quiet on that front since he got engaged. Harry supposes he now has better things to do with his free time.

"Where are we going?" Harry asks suddenly, noticing that it's been what should be the right amount of time to arrive in his neighborhood, but that they are decidedly not in it. Is Nick taking him to his flat?

Nick plays dumb. "Huh? Oh! Sorry, I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere," he says, glancing around. "But hey, I think there's a cool new sculpture in this park close to—"

He's interrupted by a ding, and he slows the car, being the only one currently on the side street they'd been driving on. Then Nick reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. The screen flashes on and he reads it quickly before stuffing it back in his pocket. Harry doesn't catch any of the words, but it was definitely a text.

"Okay, actually, I might need you to give me directions to your house, mate."

Harry rolls his eyes again, hard. Nick is an idiot, but Harry loves him. Even if he rarely admits it.

He pulls up a GPS map to his house and dictates the directions out loud to his friend, and they finally, finally make it to the community gate.

He never really wanted to be that kind of celebrity, but double-gated is just safer.

Harry reaches over Nick to punch in the code, and the gates open smoothly. The same thing occurs at Harry's house, and then they're pulling into the driveway.

Nick kills the engine and holds up a hand, then walks around the front of the car and chivalrously opens the door for Harry, who rolls his eyes.

"Birthday Boy," Nick says, extending his hand to help Harry step down. Harry knocks his hand away and jumps out of the car on his own, looking up at his house.

There's a light on in the living room. Weird...

He's about to check his security cameras with an app on his phone when Nick grabs his arm and all but drags him up to his front door.

"C'mon, let's get you inside," he says, and Harry wants to say he is absolutely stone-cold sober now, thank you very much, and he's perfectly capable of opening his own door, but Nick turns the handle and it's unlocked.

"What?" Harry exclaims, alarmed. "Did somebody break in?"

"Don't think so, bud," Nick tells him, with an unmistakeable air of knowing. Harry turns to look at him suspiciously.

"You're not pranking me, are you?"

Nick laughs out loud. "No! Of course not. Just...go on."

Harry eyes him for another few moments, then turns his attention to his house. He steps inside carefully, gaze moving around wildly as he tries to figure out what's going on here.

The foyer is dark, but Harry flicks the lights on, sighing in relief when it's empty and looks normal enough. He ducks into the kitchen next, and turns the lights on in there, too, tilting his head in confusion when he sees a small spill on the floor under the island.

"Let's check the living room," Nick suggests, and Harry gives him a look, but complies. It's the only room with the lights on, after all, so the most likely to have...whatever it is in it.

The lamp in the corner is on, but there's no other sign of life anywhere in the room. Harry glances around and finally notices the large cake in the middle of the coffee table. He looks over at Nick questioningly.

Nick meets his eyes, then makes a strange, inhuman sound, a bit like a bird call.

All of a sudden, people jump out from behind Harry's furniture, lots of them. They're all grinning. They're all his friends and family.

"SURPRISE!"

A/N: Soooo it's kinda short (sorryyyyyy) but I already kinda know what the next chapter's gonna be, so I'll get to writing that really soon.

In the meantime...I really hope you liked this one!!!

Thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?

Love you all 3000 and wayyyyy more <33333. Hope you're doing okay :D.

xoxo, K