The Collaboration

Babe

"I think we are done", she smiles widely. Proud.

"Yeah, sounds good enough", he returns the grin.

"Good enough?", she rolls her eyes at him, and he chuckles.

"It sounds perfect"

"That's better, Styles"

"I'll go through the arrangements with the band"

"Good" she nods.

It has been four weeks of blending music work and conversation, and they both feel like suddenly they have run out of things to say.

She fixes her hair behind her ear.

He just follows her movements, realising this is it. They will see each other in a week's time, perform together, and then... Then he may not see her again.

He won't get to speak to her nearly every night, or look forward to her voice notes and texts, and silly cat photos - yes, she still sends those-. And he feels like he already misses her.

"Tay", he says suddenly, and she lifts her eyes to look at him, relieved he is breaking the silence.

"Do you ever wonder?" he asks her.
She leans her head to one side, not sure what he is asking her.
"What would have happened if things would have been different then?"

Her expression changes, in thought, as the question hangs in the air.

"I suppose everyone wonders about that at some point," she replies softly. "What if we had taken different paths, made different choices?"

He nods, his gaze distant. "Yeah, exactly," he murmurs. "Like, what if we never met, or if we met sooner... or later?"

She smiles, a wistful glint in her eyes. "It's a universe of what-ifs, isn't it?"

He goes quiet, studying her face.
Has she always been this beautiful?. And feeling somehow like he is running out of time, he braves to ask, "do you think maybe in one of those universes, we are still together?"

She feels the air leave her lungs, as she looks for signs of humour in his face, but she sees none. Instead she sees a serene, somewhat hopeful expression on him, his eyes fixed deeply on her.

"Maybe", she breathes out. Not sure what to say.

"It's a comforting thought though, isn't it?", he says quietly, "knowing that somewhere out there, we could still be 'us'. "

She just smiles softly at him. "It is a nice thought".

She compels herself not to cry, resisting the urge to  get emotional over a conversation that may ultimately mean nothing.

He looks down, breaking eye contact, and she senses he is fidgeting, unsure of what to say next or how to.

"Harry?", she calls him her voice full of concern then.
And he looks up, his eyes dark and probing as he speaks.

"If the timing was right, would you ever consider 'us' in this universe again?"

She stares at him, taking in the beautiful grown-up features of the man he has become over the years, and that she has gotten to know over the past weeks.

She feels the familiar pull towards him, that sense that they somehow belong. And she simply nods, letting warm feelings envelop her, in a mix of affection and nostalgia.

He attempts to conceal his happiness, a shy smirk playing on his lips, a subtle chuckle escaping, and he momentarily looks down before meeting her gaze again. A beaming smile on his face.

"I guess I will see you in a week then", he tells her, still smirking.

"You will", she says quietly.

"Looking forward to it", he looks down.

"Me too, babe", she tells him, getting his complete attention before wishing him good night.