A Match

Twenty Six

Even after we'd had a shower and got dressed and dried our hair and I'd done my makeup, it was still only half ten in the morning. Because it was the second day at the venue, the boy's didn't have a dress rehearsal so we didn't need to be at the arena until four, which meant we had the six hours to kill, with nothing to do.

"We could get breakfast and go for a walk round Central Park?" Harry suggested, and I grinned, nodding.

"That sounds perfect." I agreed.

Harry took me on a very long walk to Central Park. He knew it was my first time in New York, so we took what he called a "scenic detour". By the time we bought our cinnamon buns and coffee from a van in Central Park, I'd already seen the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square.

By the time we'd strolled around Central Park, it was time to walk back to the arena. We didn't pass any landmarks on our walk back, but I didn't mind at all; I have a strange fascination for just walking through cities and getting a sense of everyday life.

New York was so stunning. Fourteen years of films and TV shows had given me high expectations of the city, expectations which the city only exceeded. Even the ropier areas were still absolutely gorgeous, with their high brick blocks of flats, the yellow cabs weaving recklessly through the streets, not to mention the millions of people, of all different walks of life walking down the pavement.

"Ah, there they are! We were just beginning to think you'd got kidnapped!" Louis cheered when we walked into the dressing room. Harry and I both chuckled, and Harry kissed my cheek before joining Liam on his vocal warm ups.

We ordered Chinese takeaway for dinner. The boys didn't have time to eat it before they were running onstage, so the five of us girls sat cross-legged in the wings and ate our portions. The boys kept casting lustful eyes over to the food throughout the performance, and we'd tease them as we waved Chow Mein about, then ate it.

"Tasie!!" I froze when Harry called my name about halfway through. I cleared my throat.

"Yeah?!" I called back.

"Can I have some of your Chinese please?!" All I could hear was the crowd laughing and cheering as I rolled my eyes fondly and scrambled to my feet. I walked out onstage and stood by Harry. The crowd nearly pissed themselves laughing as Harry stood there for about five minutes, just eating my Chinese while the others tried to persuade Sophia, Perrie, Lottie and Lou to give them some of theirs.

"Ooh sorry." Harry mumbled, his mouth full of noodles. I giggled, shaking my head.

"Last time I share with you Harry, there's nothing left!" I said, snatching back the last morsels of food. Harry shrugged apologetically.

"Do One Way or Another next, yeah?" I said, patting Harry's shoulder before walking offstage. The crowd lost their shit at my song choice, and I saluted them as disappeared into the wings.

The next day we were travelling up to Massachusetts, so Harry and I were up relatively early, packing the clothes we'd managed to throw about the room over the two days. I was feeling really tired that day, so as soon as we were seated on the tourbus, I curled up against Harry and slept for the entire three and a half hours.

When we got to the hotel, Harry had no choice but to shake me awake to wake me up.

"Hmm. What?" I grumbled, flopping onto the sofa when he slid out from under me. He chuckled.

"We're here, babe. You have to get up." He said, stroking back the hair from my face.

"Nooo... I don't want to! I'm pregnant and I'm tired, leave me alone." I heard Harry sigh, and then his big hands were under my armpits, hoisting me up. He held me like a koala on his front, and I sighed in content as I went back to sleep for the duration of the walk into the hotel.

As soon as Harry got into our hotel room, he lay me down on the bed and changed me into the fluffiest pair of pyjamas he could find, before tucking me under the covers and letting me sleep.

The next morning, I was sick again. I hadn't been having morning sickness for weeks, and yet that was how Harry had found me at twenty to nine. Like old times, he held my hair back and rubbed my back until it was all over, and when it was over, he ran me a bath.

The bath turned out to be a huge mistake. It was lovely and warm and usually I'd have spent hours in there, just chilling out. But today, the steam went straight to my head. My brain just seemed to fog up and start spinning around inside my head, a sensation that wasn't helped my the baby moving in my stomach. I just about managed to get myself out the bath and lowered onto the floor.

"Harry!!" My voice came out cracked and quiet. He suddenly appeared in the doorway, eyes wide and frantic.

"What? Tase, wh-"

"I think... I'm gonna faint." I just about managed to slur out. I heard Harry swear loudly and then that was it.

When I woke up, I was still on the bathroom floor, just with a towel over my body, and another rolled under my head. Harry was sat next to me, gripping my hand while chewing his lip. Another woman was hovering over me.

"Anastasia! Welcome back poppet!" She spoke in a thick American accent. I groaned, squinting to try and block out the too bright bathroom light. Squinting seemed to bring her into focus more, and I noticed the 'Paramedic' badge on her shoulder. I frowned, turning to Harry.

"You called the Paramedics?" I said, my voice coming out significantly slower and quieter than usual. He shrugged apologetically.

"You'd been out cold for 20 minutes. We didn't know what else to do." He defended himself. I nodded, accepting his answer for a minute, until I fully processed what he said.

"Wait, 'we'?" I mumbled. He sighed again.

"Yeah well. I thought you'd died so I went and shouted down the corridor. It's only the boys and the girls left in the other room now though. Everyone else got shooed away." He said.

"Oh my God." I groaned, making both Harry and the Paramedic giggle.

"Alright... I think you'll be fine Anastasia. Just rest today though, no going to the concert tonight." She said. I slumped, completely gutted to miss the first show. Harry shot me a sad smile and stood up.

"Thanks ever so much for your help." He said, shaking her hand before showing her out. He appeared back in the bedroom about a minute later, and smiled softly at me.

"C'mere baby girl." He said, pulling me onto his lap. He took my face between his hands and shook me ever so slightly. "Don't you ever scare me like that again." I giggled, and nodded.

"I love you." I whispered, kissing his bare shoulder.

"I love you too gorgeous girl." He muttered, pulling me just a little bit closer to him.

The girls- bless their little cotton socks- decided that if I couldn't see the show tonight, then they wouldn't either. So after the boys left for the dress rehearsal, they camped in our room, and we spent the evening flicking through magazines, trying to help Perrie plan for the wedding she had yet to arrange. Strictly between us, I fell asleep at half seven.