For the First Time- A Harry Styles Fanfiction

Chapter 5 (Part 38)

Harry's POV

She laid on the bed beside me, her head beside mine and her long legs stretched out and resting at the top of the head board. She had taken down her hair from it's tight bun and I now admired it, untouched by any sort of chemical or dye, and all around her. We were in her old bedroom. The five of us had left it the way it had been the day she left. Sometimes, we'd find each other sitting on the plush rug or in the window seat, remembering the good times we'd had in here, watching movies or waking her up with various pranks.

We weren't talking. I was sort of just enjoying the fact that she was here. That I could reach out and touch her if I really wanted to. It was still very surreal, the fact that she was back in my life again. The only real noise in the room was the quiet sound of her favorite Pink Floyd record and the a light pitter-patter of the rain outside. She sang quietly to the song and I smiled to myself, closing my eyes.

Her singing quieted, "Harry? I want to tell you something." She suddenly said quietly.

"Anything, Tessa. Shoot." I said, keeping my eyes closed, happy and content. I did not open them until her presence disappeared from my side.

She propped herself up against the headboard, sitting up. I mirrored her action, moving pillows and sitting beside her. "Okay, Haz. You can't get weirded out or anything. Promise me that you won't." She stuck her small pinky finger out to me.

I chuckled and shook my head, wrapping my own around hers, smothering it with the tremendous size difference, "Alright, alright. I promise."

"I want to show you something. I got it for you." A million thoughts filled my mind as to what it could be. She took a deep breath and slowly rolled up her sleeve. The silhouettes of birds were etched across her soft skin.

It took me a moment to register what she meant, but when I did, my heart jumped into my throat. "Y-you got that... for me?" I asked, in disbelief. She nodded slowly. I took her wrist, ever so delicately, the same wrist I had bruised so long ago. I examined the tattoo, placing my finger on each of the flying birds. They looked so elegant upon her wrist.

"Do you like it? It reminds me of what you did for me, you set me free, like the birds. You're not creeped out?" She asked, her cheeks becoming lightly rosey. I leaned down and barely placed a small kiss onto her wrist, a silent yes.

I hopped off of the bed, suddenly remembering that I had something for her too. I hurried over to the closet, "Harry? Where you going?" She called.

"I have something for you to see." I disappeared into the closet. I grabbed the square of scarred canvas. I poked my head out the door to see what she was up to. I let out a relieved sigh when I saw that she was fixed on her nails. I crept out into the open, the painting behind my back, until I was directly in front of her. She looked up at me, with those stormy grey eyes, and I remembered the sadness and spite that they held the day she left.

I took one breath and held the painting up in front of her.

She sucked in a small breath, before taking it from me and holding it closer to her to observe. She crossed her legs on the bed and placed the painting in her lap. Her thin fingers began tracing the stitches upon the canvas, cutting like knives through the beautiful images that she had painted. I could feel the guilt creep back into me. The fact that I had fixed it meant nothing, seem as how I was the cause of its destruction.

A smile appeared on her lips. "You fixed it." She didn't take her eyes off of the painting.

"Yeah, my mum sort of coached me on the sewing over the phone."I said nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. She giggled, continuing to stare at the image. Suddenly, she got up and brought me into a hug. I smiled, pulling away to look at her, "Help me hang it, yeah?"

Tess' POV

It's been about four weeks since I told Harry about the tattoo, since I let him back in. I feel so much happier, Emmett is happy too. Happy that he can add another person to my arsenal of protectors. His men showed up about two weeks ago. They're all really great guy, you know, beside the whole 'I work/worked for a drug cartel'.

There are two main guys, Calvin and Jessie. Both of them were large, heavy set guys. Calvin was intimidating at first, all scarred up and tattooed, but wasn't too bad when he loosened up. He took his job very seriously. Jessie was rough on the outside, but a total softy inside, just like Emmett. But, they both were forces to be reckoned with when they were crossed.

They had about ten other guys with them, who had gathered over the last few weeks. All of them sported various weaponry and stayed in the shadows. I was amazed by their ability to lay low and not be heard or seen for such a long amount of time. I was so grateful for them, though I'd probably never get the chance to tell them that.

Despite my okay, Emmett insisted that Calvin and Jessie not stay in my house. I had plenty of extra room, but I could see why Emmett wasn't comfortable with that.

Other then that, things were pretty normal.

I sat on the sofa, home alone. Elizabeth was probably going to come have dinner with me later, but until then, I was pretty much unaccompanied, which is why the loud, urgent sounding knock at my door startled me.

I sat up, pausing the television. I walked to the door and looked through the peep-hole. A familiar head of curls made my shoulders relax. I opened the door and my smile dropped.

Harry's face was pale, like he had seen a ghost. He had his cell phone in one hand and keys in the other. "Harry? What's wrong?" I grabbed hold of the front of his shirt and pulled him into the apartment.

He was still silent as I pushed him down onto the couch. He stared blankly ahead of him, not looking at me. I took his shoulders and shook him, "Harry! What the hell is the matter?" His eyes suddenly found mine, looking at me as though he had just noticed I was there, like he was in a different world this entire time.

"Tess..." His voice faltered, then broke. Tears welled up in his eye, causing a glistening layer of water to shield his emerald eyes.

"Harry?" I was becoming worried. I scooted closer to him, taking his hand in mine.

"I-it's Tisdale." His voice was shaky. A lump formed in my throat and I felt my fave get hot. I gave him a look, urging him to continue, "S-she, I found out why she was gone. She- Tess, she's..." His voice trailed off, but he didn't need to finish.

"She's pregnant." I finished. That's when he broke. With a lip quiver and a pull from me, he fell into me, letting a river of emotions overtake his usually reserved personality. All I could do was hold him, as he cried into my lap like a small child. I stroked his hair and gripped his back. The roles were switched. Harry usually was the one holding me as I cried, I never had to be strong. But now, I needed to be, for his sake. All I wanted to do was cry. I felt his pain. I was feeling my own pain. All of the things that would change for him, for us, flooded my mind the minute I figured it out. Tisdale was now in his life forever. There would be nothing he could do about it, depending on what she would decide.

"Harry, did she tell you how far along she is?" I asked quietly. A muffled 'twelve weeks' answered my question. I fisted the back of his shirt, resting my chin atop his head. After a few moments of silence, be raised his head.

"She said she's keeping it." His eyes were puffy and red. "She just called me and said, 'I've been in Washington with my mother. I'm pregnant with your kid and I'm keeping it. I'm b back there in a week.' And that's all she had to say about it. She just hung up, Tess. I don't want to be a father. I'm not ready. Imagine what this is going to do to my career when the press finds out. What it will do to all of the guys' careers. I'm never going to marry Tisdale, I won't. So I'll be known as, 'That kid from the boy band who knocked up that one girl.' What am I going to do?"

I couldn't give him an answer. Because I didn't know myself.