The "Biggest" Fan (EN)

43.

The past two weeks had been... Easy. So easy that it made me rethink many things, mostly how fucking happy I was. I thought I was going to regret calling Julie and telling her "no" to her offer, but I didn't. And her reaction was calmer than I expected. Harry was right - we've got this. We could do this, together.

We were careful - extra careful. No lingering looks, no unnecessary touches, just two professional artists sharing a stage. And it was working. The rumors had died down, the scrutiny had lessened, and for the first time in a long time, it felt like we could just... Breathe. Walk down a street without checking over our shoulder every two seconds.

We've got this.

I looked over at Harry, leaning against a wall, sunglasses on, an empty milkshake cup dangling from his fingers. His curls were slightly damp from the heat, the collar of his shirt lazily popped like he belonged in some vintage movie.

Rome had that effect, I guess. It made everything feel like a movie.

"Imagine living in a city like this," Harry thought, tilting his head as if he were already picturing it.

"In this heat?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Is that really worse than living in a country where it rains every damn day?"

"Fair," I admitted with a chuckle. In fact, Rome did feel like a dream - it was buzzing with life, even in the middle of the day, but it wasn't overwhelming.

Harry nodded, satisfied, but his expression shifted slightly as he turned to me, "Have you missed home already?"

I hesitated for a second before offering a small smile, "Yeah. But we're going home in a week. Might as well make the most of it."

He hummed in agreement, then nudged my foot lightly with his, "What do you think happens when we get home?"

I turned to him properly, sensing the weight behind his question.

"If you're worried about us, I can guarantee nothing will change," I said easily.

"You'll probably have more concerts, and I..."

"And I'll make sure to spend every free second with you," I cut in, stepping closer to him - not touching, but close enough that he knew I meant it.

It was enough for him. His face turned into a warm smile, "Alright."

We stayed there for a few minutes, hiding in the shade, until it became clear that we had just become the center of attention.

Two girls stopped nearby, whispering in rapid Italian. I didn't need to understand the language to know exactly what they were saying.

Eventually, one of them dared to step closer, hands fidgeting nervously, "Excuse me?" She started, voice polite and drenched in an accent, "Can we, uhm... Take a photo with you two?"

"Of course," Harry said easily, pushing off the wall. I stood beside him, our shoulders brushing, while the girls positioned themselves in front of us for the picture.

"We love your music," one of them said, putting her phone back, "What are you doing in Rome?"

"Rehearsing," I answered easily, "Got a show here tomorrow."

"Ah, of course!" The other girl beamed, "Rome is very beautiful, yes?"

"Very," Harry agreed.

We had some more small talk before they decided not to bother us any longer, politely thanking and wishing us a good day.

"Well, that picture's definitely going online," I sighed as we decided to head back towards the rehearsal space.

"They're just normal pictures. Nothing suspicious," Harry said, casual as ever.