Unlikely (H.S.)

forty-two

~Harry~

The night air carried a lingering warmth, but a cool breeze slipped between buildings, rustling the hem of Harper's cardigan as we walked. The streetlights cast a golden glow on the pavement, stretching our shadows long beside us. It was quiet, the kind of quiet that could either be comfortable or unbearable. Right now, it felt like the former.

"You excited for the tour?" Harper asked, glancing up at me with a small smile.

I grinned, my chest tightening with something warm. "Excited doesn't even begin to cover it. Having you there is gonna make it even better."

She let out a soft laugh, nudging me lightly. "I feel like I'm intruding."

"Intruding?" I scoffed, shaking my head. "No chance. I want you there. More than that—I can't wait to share it with you. The rehearsals, the travel, the shows. It's all... I don't know, it's my world, and having you in it feels right."

She looked down, biting her lip like she was trying to hide a smile. "What part are you most excited about?"

I thought for a second, shoving my hands in my pockets. "The first show, probably. That moment right before I go on stage, when the lights drop and the crowd starts screaming—it's electric. And knowing you'll be in the crowd this time? That makes it even better."

Her expression softened. "I love how much you love it. You light up when you talk about it."

I felt a flicker of something deeper in my chest—something I wasn't ready to name yet. "I just want you to have fun. I know it's a lot, traveling and the chaos of it all, but I want you to feel like you belong there. Because you do."

She nodded, and for the first time in a while, she looked genuinely happy. But before I could say anything else, voices rang out ahead.

Fucking hell. All the fucking time...

"Oh my God, Harry!"

The shift was immediate. My stomach clenched as I looked up to see three girls rushing toward us, their faces lighting up with recognition. I felt Harper tense beside me, her fingers curling around the edge of her sleeve.

"Hi," I greeted, offering a polite smile. "How are you?"

"We're great! Sorry to stop you, but—wow, this is crazy! We just had to say hi!" One of them beamed, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Another girl's gaze flicked toward Harper, her brows raising slightly before she leaned in to whisper something to her friend. I saw Harper shift uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye.

"Can we get a picture?" The third girl asked eagerly, already reaching for her phone.

Fuck no, not tonight.

I exhaled through my nose, steady but firm. "Can we not?"

Their expressions faltered for a second before one of them—the one who had been whispering—tilted her head. "Oh. Is it because she doesn't want you to?"

The fuck do you think you are?

Breathe, they can't see you lose it on young girls.

Harper inhaled sharply, her fingers tightening around her sleeve, her lip between her teeth.

I felt heat rise up my neck. "Oh, no, it's because I'd prefer not to, thank you,"

"Right," the girl said, her tone light but edged with something sharper. "We saw the video, by the way."