The Collaboration

15 minutes

Taylor can feel the faint vibration of the music and hear the crowd cheers and screams from the changing room.

She is sitting still on the sofa, unable to move after their argument, sorting out her thoughts.

She had no idea he had felt that way.

And she has to admit that he had been right when he said they never really spoke what they really meant, or discussed anything back then.

But they were so young, how was she to even understand then; they were learning to navigate their fame, feeling the constant pressure of pleasing everyone around them and having to follow what was best for themselves, even against their own will.

They were so naive, emotionally raw, and focused on selfishly protecting themselves from further heartbreak every time they had crossed paths.

In hindsight she recognises she had been standoffish and cold at his attempts to win her back. But she was hurting.
She had allowed him back in, only when the longing for him had overwhelmed her, just to push him away, as soon as doubt or resentment creeped in.

She feels suddenly really bad, and regretful, cos he had been actually hurting as much as she did.

She pulls out her phone to text.
Monica from her team shows up shortly at the door.
"Here is the guitar, paper and pen you needed. Rob is at the back, in the sound room. He is waiting for you, with any changes, as soon as you are ready", she nods at her "thank you".

"Also, Mel will be here shortly with your outfit to get you ready".

She pauses in thought.
"No" she says, "it won't be necessary. I'll go like this". Like me.
Monica nods and leaves the room.

And then she does what she does best, say it in a song.
She rearranges her song performance, not enough for Harry to get lost during it, but enough for her to share what she needs to say.

( hi!, the performance is the mashup from YouTube I attached to this chapter - enjoy)

*

"Car is here, we need to leave before the roads get jammed, H", Jeff voices over the cheers.

The roar and chants of the crowd are still ringing in Harry's ears, background sound for the image of his band members jumping and celebrating around him.

A smile refuses to leave his face, he had not realised how much he had actually missed this exhilarating feeling. This is his life.

His gaze scans the backstage area then, looking for her,  "where is Taylor?" He asks, worry sinking in.

"She left right after her set. We need to get going". Jeff tells him.

Harry gets in the back seat of the black Mercedes that has been waiting for him, and takes his phone out of his pocket, scrolling until he finds her name on his contact list. Text.

"Are you chickening out on me?" he types, sent. 

It is about time they both start calling things by its name.

He looks down at the screen in his hands. The three dots jumping in front of his eyes, she is typing. And instinctively he presses the call button instead of waiting.

She answers at the first ring: "Hey, congratulations, sorry I couldn't stay until the end..."

"I am not upset with you", he says quietly, cutting her predictable excuse off.

Silence.

"You are not", she mutters more to herself than for him.

"So you changed the arrangements and lyrics without warning me"

"And added a male background singer"

He smiles, staring at his rings on his hand.

"I liked it", he admits.

"You did?", he hears her sigh relieved, and can picture her smiling at his words.

"I am coming to you"", he informs her.

"I would like that", he grins at her words.

"wait!, but what about your band? Are you not going out with them to celebrate?" she asks dubiously.

He stares out the window, as the car drives over the bridge, and he takes in the sight of the London illuminated skyline.

"Nah. There will be plenty of other shows to celebrate after this", after tonight's success, he knows there will be, but only one like tonight's, he thinks.

She has made this one special, it is only fair he goes to her. He wants to be with her tonight, and if she would have him tomorrow night, and the rest of his nights.

Her voice breaks the silence with a simple question, "are we going to do this?" hope and fear transpiring.

"Do what, Taylor?, use your words", he smirks, teasing, not expecting from her the words that follow.

"I missed you. I did it because I missed you, and I care for you. I never stopped caring, Harry"

He closes his eyes and rests his head against the car seat back. Relief sipping through him.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you, I just thought, would you have let me help you if I had?"

"No", he says plainly.

He hears her sigh.

"I love you, Taylor", he lets it out, without hesitation. Just because he cannot keep it in any longer.

She is quiet and for a second he is afraid he has crossed a line, and read their past weeks together all wrong. But he hears the quiet sob then.

"Babe?", he asks softly. She sniffles.

"Yes" she answers.

"No more mind games", he states plainly, "just us".

"I like you in charge, Styles", she adds in that soft flirty voice that sends shivers up and down his spine, every time. And he chuckles.

" I love you too", she ads on a sweet tone.

He grins at her words, his heart expanding.

"15 minutes", he promises.

But what are fifteen minutes, after ten years of waiting.

The end  (The beginning) ❤️