Eight | W2S

THIRTY NINE.

This is a long one...enjoy!

AUGUST 15TH, 2024 - one day before album release

We need to talk about your tour," is what Harry says to me as soon as he arrives to my apartment, after giving me a quick hug and a kiss.

"Good afternoon to you too," I greet him, closing the door behind him. "Is this a serious talk?"

"Depends on what you call serious," he starts, sitting on one of the high chairs around my kitchen island. I follow his lead, sitting on the one beside him. "I don't want to be away from you for two and a half months."

"Harry —" I start, because we've talked about this many times over the last few weeks, and with the tour commencing in little under two months, it was all beginning to feel real.

"I know the situation, I know the pros and cons to it. I'm just telling you how I see it. I don't want to stay here whilst you're off touring. I want to come with you," he says simply.

I wish it was that simple.

"Harry — it's a two and a half month long tour. I'm already missing all of those Sidemen shoots, you can't miss them as well — I don't even think they'd let you miss them," I try to reason with him.

As much as I want him with me every step of the way, it's just not feasible.

"But it's such a long time," he says shortly, and his voice gives away his vulnerability.

"I know it is," I say softly, ending my words there because I'm not sure what else I can say.

"They can't physically stop me from coming," he wonders out loud, looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

I laugh. "Harry!"

"What?!" He asks incredulously. "I'm just saying. What are they going to do if I just don't show up?"

"Maybe not management, but look at it from a viewer standpoint — both of us aren't in videos for like eight consecutive weeks?"

His face deflates now. "No, yeah, I know. You're right. I'm just so used to seeing you every day. This just feels — weird. Not right."

"What if we compromise. Let's look at our schedules, you can fly out where you can and if I have free days in between shows I can maybe fly back?" I suggest, knowing the idea was insane, that I'd be exhausted, but spending time with him would be worth it.

"You'd do that?"

I melt. "Harry, of course I would. You'll have some time off, minimum two days a week, I'm sure you can wrangle a little bit of time off. If you can, then I can too. You know there's nothing I'd want more than for you to come to as many shows as possible."

He relaxes a little, and I can see his shoulders become less tense. "I'm excited to hear the rest of the album," he says, changing the subject.

I still hadn't played it to him. It was coming out tomorrow — well, technically tonight, at midnight, and things had been crazy over the last few weeks.

And it was only going to get busier. The press tour for the album commenced tomorrow morning, where I would be going on the radio to promote it. That was only the start.

It was inevitable that I would be asked about the inspiration for my songs, and I still wasn't entirely sure what I was going to say when asked about it.

"I'm excited for you to hear it, too. But very terrified about the entire world hearing it," I say truthfully.

"Why?" He asks, encouraging me to actually talk about my feelings for a change. "What are you scared of?"