(DISCONTINUED)

○ 1.6 :: Ho Don't Do It ○

Dedicated to GeorgetteMarokian for adding this story to her reading list and for loving it so much.

[[SHE'S ALSO WRITING A BOSS ASS HARRY FF CALLED 'BE MY ENEMY' WHICH I'M HELPING EDIT SO GO CHECK THAT OUT]]

[[[ALSO CHECK OUT palatialstyles' NEW HARRY FF CALLED 'Imperious' BC THAT BOOK IS BOMB, TOO]]]

[[[[IF YOU GUYS EVER WANT ME TO CHECK OUT ANY STORIES AT ALL OR EDIT ANYTHING LET ME KNOW]]]]

*

I got back to the kitchen in a time my old running coach would be proud of, my chest heaving by the time I stopped running.

Liam looked over in concern. "You okay?"

I caught my breath enough to stammer out a 'yeah', bending to put my hands on my knees as I inhaled huge gulps of air; I had most likely been unconsciously holding my breath throughout most of the awkward exchange upstairs. "What's that for?" I pointed to the bowl filled with the same bright blue alcohol that I'd been drinking earlier, that Liam had obviously made while I was gone.

Liam shrugged. "You didn't seem like you're going to lay off the alcohol any time soon, so I thought that this way I wouldn't have to keep getting up to make you a drink, see?" He rubbed a palm against the nape of his neck, avoiding my eyes with flushed cheeks.

"Aww!" I cooed. "Thanks, Liam."

"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed, already making his way out of the kitchen. "Just... keep an eye on it, will you? Lord knows what people might try to slip in there," he warned me.

I gave him an obedient salute. "Aye, aye, Captain!" Liam shot me a questioning look and I shrugged in return; it was probably just the last bits of panic from my ecounter with Harry that were making me act weird.

I ignored Liam's chuckle and the amused shake of his head and grabbed a fresh cup, dropping it in. The bowl was heavier than it looked, but it was nothing I couldn't handle, and so I found myself back at the sofa in no time.

Only to find Harry sitting in my space.

My grip on the bowl tightened, though he hadn't noticed me yet. What was he doing here? Earlier, it had been clear that he had no intention of attending this party - and yet there he was, sitting comfortably next to Liam, calmly sipping from his cup with his sunglasses (and unfortunately a shirt) on. Now what? Did I move elsewhere? I didn't want to ask Harry for my space back, but I didn't want to alert Liam or anyone else to the fact that there was a problem. I nervously eyed the seat next to Harry. If I sat there, we'd be close - so close that I wasn't sure I'd be able to function - and I'd be trapped firmly between his body and the armrest. If he could just-

As if God himself had been listening to me, Harry raised himself up slightly and shuffled three inches to the left - more than enough that I'd be able to sit comfortably next him. I shot him a grateful smile as I carefully stepped over and around the people on the floor, knowing that his eyes were on me. As it turned out, either the space was smaller than it looked or I was bigger than I'd thought, because I ended up a lot closer to Harry than I'd been counting on.

Our proximity meant that I could feel the heat radiating from his leg to my leg, and from his arm to mine. Every time he so much as shifted even the tiniest centimetre, I was immediately aware of it, like my body was attuned to his every movement. Every time he spoke, or hummed along to whatever was being said to him, I had to hold back a scream. I couldn't deny that I was jealous of anyone he talked to, anyone he even looked at; he wasn't doing either of those things to me, and I was sitting less than an inch away. I missed talking to him. Hearing his voice again was a blessing, but it was also a curse - curse because it wasn't even directed at me. I grimaced and scooped two cups from the bowl in my lap, chugging them both. I would need it if I was to survive tonight, because I wasn't planning on going anywhere, and Harry didn't exactly seem like the dancing type. Maybe he'd get bored and venture back upstairs. I wouldn't mind that - as long as he was alone when he went back up to his room.