Two Pieces

"I Want You"

I'm very nervous about this, so be kind to me even if you hate it.

When Harry kissed her, Sofia's mind went blank. She couldn't think and she couldn't process anything. Any idea that one kiss would satisfy her hunger for Harry disappeared in an instant. When he pushed her up against the wall, and dug his fingers into her hips, all she could think about was more. She needed more.

She wanted more. She was so surprised by the kiss; she didn't even see it coming. But when it happened, it was like her entire world shifted. There was something about kissing him that changed everything she ever thought about what it meant to kiss someone. And if she could think straight, it probably would have terrified her.

"You look so damn good in my clothes," Harry mumbled against her lips, before he kissed her cheek, and then her neck.

She always loved when Harry whispered against her neck, but to feel his lips there, sucking on her skin, it was like fire igniting her every bone. She gasped as he bit down on it, before using his tongue to lick away the initial sting of his bite. And before she could process anything, his lips were back on hers – hungry and determined.

His hands slipped from her hips to the back of her legs, squeezing her ass quickly before lifting her up from the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her against the wall. Harry could feel her folds threw her thin underwear as his groin grinded against hers.

Harry felt her arms tighten around his neck, as he pulled them both away from the wall. He held her there, as he kissed her, before he carried her to the bed, and laid her down, his body colliding on to the bed with hers. As he pulled away, he heard her trying to catch her breath, and her eyes fluttered open.

"I have to have you," Harry said, pulling his shirt over his head, before he pushed his lips against hers again.

He felt her hands on his chest, as though she was trying to feel every part of it and memorize it. He didn't think, as he reached down and grabbed the top of her underwear, pulling it down.

As his hand grazed her hips and she felt his hands on her underwear, Sofia's brain switched on again.

You have to tell him, she thought to herself. Panic went through her. No you don't. It doesn't matter. It does matter. You have to tell him. She was arguing with herself, and suddenly she wasn't in the moment anymore. And Harry noticed immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately letting go of her boy shorts, "Are you okay?"

Sofia took a deep breath, as she stared up at him. She was blinking at him, her hands still on his chest. She was frozen. She bit her lip, a part of her wanted to say she was fine and get back to it.

But with Harry, she had always been honest. She had always been real. He had never asked her to hide who she was, and she didn't want to start now. She had to tell him.

"I have to tell you something," she whispered, as he hovered above her. She was out of breath, she was trying to slow her heartbeat down, she was trying to get it stop pounding through her chest. Harry looked down at her questioningly.

"You know you can tell me anything," he said, quietly, using his hand to brush a stray hair out of her face gently.

"I've never done this before," Sofia said quietly. She watched as Harry froze, not one muscle in his body moved.

Any alcohol Harry may have feeling was immediately washed away in that moment. She spoke, and he was stone cold sober. He moved off of her, standing up, and giving her confused look.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

He knew what she meant, but he had to hear her say it. She pushed herself up on her elbows still looking at him. She was wondering what he was thinking, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the thoughts going through his head.

"I'm a virgin," she said, Harry stepped away from the bed.

That changed everything. It was one thing to sleep with her, but to be the first one to sleep with her? That was a huge responsibility. That was a big deal. That was something she could never get back.

"But you and Zayn..." Harry said.

"Never slept together," Sofia said, standing up. She could see it on his face; he didn't want to do this anymore. She had scared him off. She knew that this could happen.

"But everyone thinks..." Harry said, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that she was a virgin.

Sofia was never shy with her sexuality; he had seen her with other guys for years. He had just always assumed that she was sleeping with them. But, now that he thought about it, she had never said that or even given any sign of that.

"I know what everyone thinks," Sofia said, looking at the floor and playing with her shirt, "I know people just assume that I've done it, because they think I'm a slut..."

"No one thinks that," Harry barked, he hated how she thought of herself sometimes. Or how she thought other people thought of her.

Harry's mind flashed back to the night in the pool. What was your first time like? Sofia drank. She didn't answer. Of course she didn't answer. Why didn't she answer though? Why wouldn't she tell him that?

"So you've never?" Harry asked, watching her carefully.
He could tell she was insecure about the whole thing. She was embarrassed. He didn't want her to ever be
embarrassed. He pushed the urge to bark at her that embarrassment didn't belong in their relationship. That's not what she needed right now, but what did she need?

"It never felt right," Sofia said quietly, "But it feels right now. This feels right."

Harry's heart stopped beating. She was so stunning when she was vulnerable. He knew how hard it must've been to say those words, to be this honest, and to show him what the rest world didn't see.

"And I know that it must be weird for you," Sofia continued, her words stumbling over each other.

"I know you probably are used to girls who are experienced. And I get that maybe this changes things. Because I know you want certain things, and it would help if I had that experience and maybe I'm not what you thought I was –"

Harry stared at her as he realized where her insecurity was coming from. She wasn't embarrassed she was virgin. She thought because she was, he wouldn't want her anymore. She thought that she didn't fit the bill of the type of woman he would want.

Harry swallowed hard as he watched her mouth move and how sad her eyes looked. He couldn't take it. He wanted to scream how beautiful and perfect she was, and to tell her that he had never wanted anyone more in his life.

"I get if you don't want me anymore," Sofia said, looking up at him.

And Harry couldn't stop himself. He just lunged for her. He grabbed her face and he pulled her in, and he kissed her hard. He felt her chest rise and fall quickly, because relief was rushing over her.

Sofia couldn't believe it. He still wanted her. Even though he knew that she wasn't experienced, or like the other girls he had been with, he still wanted her.

She felt her heart race, as she wrapped her arms around his neck again, and threw her whole body into this one kiss. He knew her inside out, he knew her secrets, and her thoughts, and she couldn't keep anything from him, and he still wanted her.

"You don't see it," Harry said, pulling away from her, "You don't even see how perfect you are."

Sofia didn't say anything, but she felt tears in prickling in her eyes. Sofia had been told she was beautiful her entire life. Men looked at her body, and her face, and had preconceived notions about who she was. All she had ever wanted was for someone to see past her looks, and see her for what she was, for who she was.

But it terrified her that anyone would ever do that. It terrified her because she had always hated herself so much for so long, and she just thought that anyone who saw her for who she was, they would hate her too. They would think the same things she thought of herself.

She was cold, and cruel, and lived from lie to lie. She had created a version of herself that could keep people away, and keep her safe. She had insecurities and secrets that she never wanted anyone to see. She had felt broken her entire life.

But, Harry saw everything. He saw her for exactly who she was. He looked past all of her lies, and he didn't buy her act. He saw her insecurities, and knew her secrets. And he still thought she was perfect.

And in that moment, hearing those words from him, knowing that he saw everything she tried to hide from the rest of the world, she felt whole. For the first time in her
life, she felt whole.

"I want you," Harry said quietly, wiping tears away from her face, "I want you exactly how you are, but only if you want that too. You have to make sure this is right for you."

Sofia couldn't find the words to tell him how right she thought this was. She couldn't bring herself to tell him exactly how she was feeling, or how much he meant to her, or how long she had been waiting for this moment. And how he was exceeding her every expectation of what she thought this moment would be.

She couldn't say those things, because it scared her. So, she just kissed him and hoped to God that he would know what she was trying to say when he felt her lips.


***


Harry pushed her back on to the bed. He hovered above her, taking in her body language. She would never say it, but she was nervous. She needed to relax; she needed to be in the moment. She had to get out of her head.

His every thought and instinct was on Sofia, he wasn't thinking about anything else. He had never cared so much about being with a girl. As new as this was for her, it was for him as well. But he wasn't thinking about himself, or what he wanted. Or how there was a part of him that was scared too. It was about her. It was always about her.

"Trust me?" he asked quietly.

"You know I do," she said, her hands gently caressing his face.

Harry pulled her shirt over her head, before leaning down to kiss her again. He kissed her lips, and then moved to her cheeks. He moved again to her neck, and sucked gently, moving his tongue against her skin. He could hear her heart and feel her pulse, and knew that his was racing just as fast.

He moved down to her chest, kissing her gently as he went. He kissed her breast before slowly moving his mouth over her nipple and sucking. He heard her gasp out, and his grip tightened on her body as she jolted toward him, enjoying the sensation of his tongue making circles where it was.

"Jesus Christ," she hissed out, and he smiled against her skin, as he slowly kissed and sucked his way down her stomach to her hips.

He paused for a second, to pull down her boy shorts. She felt her body go stiff, and he knew he was because she was wondering if he was going to take her like this.

He wasn't. She wasn't ready. He slipped a finger in her as kissed her hip. She was still too nervous and she wasn't relaxed enough. She wasn't wet enough. She wasn't ready for him to take her, and he didn't want to hurt her. He kissed her hip again, before slowly moving his lips to the inside of her thigh.

His tongue rolled over the inside of her thigh as he knelt by the side of her bed, and placed both of her legs over his shoulders. He pulled her body toward him as he continued to kiss the inside of her thigh, and he heard her gasp again. His eyes caught her fingers digging into her sheets, and he knew that she was in the moment with him.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to see how good you taste," Harry said, moving his lips to her spot.

Sofia let out a small cry, as she felt his tongue enter her, and she her back arched as she felt him suck on her. She grabbed his hair, because she couldn't think of anything but how good he was making her feel as he moved his tongue in out and around her.

"Oh my God!" she cried, as he sucked on her particularly hard, and she felt everything begin to build up in her. She had never felt like this when someone had their mouth on her, but she was pretty sure that she wanted to feel like this for the rest of her life.

Harry felt him yank on his hair, which only made him move his tongue faster, before moving his hand to flick her spot and making her cry out. She was so swollen and just about to come undone.

He paused for a second, allowing her to catch her breath. She tasted even better then he thought she would. The sounds she was making made him want to continue going on her forever.

Harry moved his tongue again, and sucked harder. He felt her legs go tight, and knew it was because she was so close. He was making her feel like this. He was causing her muscles to clench, and he her hands to yank continuesly at his hair because she was so unaware of what she was doing. The thought only made him want to go faster, and so he did.

Sofia felt the tension building up, she felt like her entire body was hot and cold at the same time. It was feeling she wanted to hold on to for forever, but she didn't know how long she had until she completely let go. She gasped again as he sucked on her long and hard, and then she felt his tongue roll into her. And that was it, she couldn't stop herself.

"I'm going to –" she cried out, she wanted to warn him, but she couldn't finish because her breath caught and her heart stopped and she cried out as she let go of everything, and felt her whole body explode in the moment. Her back arched, and her hands flew back onto the sheets so she could keep her balance and she let herself go.

She felt Harry pull away from her as she collapsed onto the bed. Her eyes were closed, trying to put a single thought together. Any thought. But she couldn't. She was coming down from a high and her entire mind was white with desire.

When she did find the composure to open her eyes, Harry was looking down at, his mouth and lips swollen, and her juices on him.

She had never seen anything sexier in her life.

Harry was hovering above her with a grin and her on his lip. He leaned down and kissed her hard again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his body, and didn't want to ever let him go. They could stay like this forever as far as she was concerned.

"You taste so fucking good," Harry mumbled against her lips, allowing her to taste herself. It was the first time anyone had done that. Tasted her, and then kissed her so that she could taste herself.

Harry pulled back, and stood up, causing Sofia to cry out in frustration. He smiled at her widely, before unbuckling his pants.

"Your turn," Sofia said, her voice breathless as Harry pulled off his jeans and underwear. He was standing there, and she had never seen anything so beautiful.

"Holy shit," she gasped, taking him in which caused him to smile down at her again. She sat up, clawing for his chest, and her hands moving towards his hips, but he grabbed them.

"No," Harry said, pushing her back on to the bed, so her hands were over her head.

"I should return the favor," Sofia said with a cocky smile, blinking up at him.

"Not tonight," Harry said, shaking his head, his voice quiet, "Let tonight be about you."

"Believe me," Sofia said, "So far, I'm good."

"Great," Harry quipped, "Let's see if we can keep it that way."

And then he pulled her entire body towards him, and kissed her hard again. She was ready now.

Her humor and wit were back, and her muscles and face were relaxed. She was with him again, one hundred percent. And that was all he wanted.



***


Harry adjusted himself while he was kissing her so that he could just push into her. He didn't want to ask, he didn't want to distract her, he didn't want her to overthink and get nervous again. He just wanted to keep her in this moment.

He pulled away from her, hovering on his forearms, as she lifted her head to kiss his chest. And then, he pushed into her, causing her to gasp loudly. His lips connected with hers before she could say or do anything.

He felt her fingernails dig into his back, but she was kissing him just as hard as he was kissing her, so he knew that she was okay.

He pushed further into her, and felt her nails dig even harder into his back. The sensation was killing him. She was so tight, and so wet. He had to control himself so that he didn't just let what he wanted to do to take over.

"You good?" he asked, he kept his calm casual and cool, because if he acted too concerned, she'd get defensive or she'd think too much.

"Yup," she said, her voice light and airy, Harry assumed it was because she was having trouble with her breathing.

"You should probably breathe," he said, humor in his voice. She glared up at him causing him to laugh, how Sofia of her. Even while he was burying himself inside her she could still glare at him.

He pushed into her further, and she gasped at how big he felt. Her walls tightened around him, and he groaned at how good she felt.

"You should probably breathe," she quipped looking up at him with cocked eyebrows and a smug grin.

"You feel so fucking good and tight," Harry said, his voice was raw and desperate. She loved hearing his voice like that, knowing that she was causing it to be that raspy and greedy. She was watching him come undone, and her walls tightened around him.

Harry slid back, and then back into her again, causing her to catch her breath. She pulled his neck, and her lips crashed onto hers as he gently began to move in and out of her.

She cried out against his lips, but it wasn't a cry of pain, just one of surprise. She had never felt this before, she had never felt someone inside her, and the sensation was setting her every hair on edge.

Harry moved his lips to her neck, he already he knew that that was the place he needed to be to turn her on. She cried out again as he bit down softly, still moving in and out of her slowly. He wanted to pick up the pace, but he wanted her make sure she was ready. If he asked her if she was, she might let her nerves take over. Harry knew better. He knew that she needed him to take control with this. She needed him to set the pace.

Sofia's head rolled back as Harry began to move a little faster, still sucking on her neck. She couldn't think, there were too many feelings. He felt so good inside her as he moved in and out, and she felt everything building up again.

His lips kept her distracted from the slightest discomfort she may be feeling, just because her body was getting used to his size.

Harry moved faster still, and Sofia wrapped her legs around his, wanting to feel his body in everyway she could. Her hands dug into his back, as she felt him began to pant against her skin. She heard him groan again and knew that just as she was building up, he was too.

Harry couldn't keep himself from moving faster, she felt so good around him, and he felt like he just had to keep going. He just wanted to explode with her, and his excitement about that moment plus the feeling he had of being buried inside her was taking up his entire thought process.

"Holy shit," he gasped, as he pushed even further into her, "Holy shit."

"Oh my god," she cried out, as he hit her G-spot from a different angle. They were both so lost in the moment and the ecstasy of it all, it was hard to think of anything but what they were feeling. Their bodies moving together in perfect harmony, and their hands clawing at each other as though they wanted to touch everything.

"I'm going to come," Harry panted out. He was so close, but she wasn't quite there yet. He could tell them she was feeling good, and she was okay, but she wasn't where he was.

He knew it was harder for women to get there, he knew it wasn't her fault or his. She just wasn't there yet. He was so desperate to come with her that he had to control himself, even if it killed him.

He reached his hand down, and moved it between their two bodies, so he could rub her again.

"Oh GOD!" she cried out, as his thumb hit her, rubbing her while he continued to move in and out. She was so swollen, and every nerve in her was about to explode. He continued to rub, and she felt her breath begin to speed up, as she felt everything again.

"I want to see you," Harry said, catching her attention, "Let me see you."

She used all of the energy she had to open her eyes and look at him. He moved in and out of her a few times more, rubbing her still, and then he heard her whimper.

Holy shit, Harry thought, she actually whimpered and it was the hottest sound he had ever heard in his life.

Their muscles tightened together as the came undone with each other. Her mouth was open, and her eyes crinkled as she orgasmed with him, and he was so glad he was paying attention because if he blinked he would've missed it. In that moment of her coming totally undone, she looked stunning.

Her mouth, her eyes, and the cry that came from her. She was stunning. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.

He collapsed on top of her, and pulled her toward him. He felt her lips on his shoulder, as she tried to catch her breath. Both their muscles began to relax again, as their bodies melted into each other.

"Oh My God," Sofia said, her head hitting the pillow as she her energy was drained from of her. Her hand stayed on his shoulder as he rolled off her, and then they sat comfortably on his chest.

"You okay?" he asked, looking over at her.

"I'm amazing," Sofia said, catching her breath, "That was amazing. You're amazing."

"Well, I try," Harry said, with a small laugh, pulling her into him.

"Was it okay for you?" Sofia asked, blinking up at him her eyes laced with concern and anxiety.

"You're amazing too," Harry said softly, his hand on her cheek, "It was perfect. You're perfect."

"Are you just saying that?" Sofia asked, sitting up and looking at him seriously.

"I don't just say things, Sofia Payne," Harry growled, giving her a knowing and stern look, "You know that."

"I just want to make sure I was okay," Sofia said quietly, her eyes shifting back and forth.

"There are many words I would use to describe what just happened," Harry said, "And okay isn't one of them, babe."

And then he rolled over on her again, causing her to shriek with laughter, before he kissed her. He couldn't stop kissing her. He never wanted to stop kissing her.



***


Somewhere in between all the kissing and the touching each other. In between all the whispers and the nervous laughter, they had fallen asleep together. Her naked body on top of his.

At some point in the night they both shifted, so that his arm was around her waist, holding her to him. They slept peacefully and blissfully, like they didn't have a care in the world. A creak outside her door caused Sofia to blink a few times, her eyes opening to the darkness of her room.

She felt Harry's arm around her waist, and they heat of his body against hers. She felt tired, but happy. But she was thirsty. She needed something to drink, so she moved his hand carefully and stepped out of her bed.

Her muscles ached as she stood up, and her legs hurt as she walked forward. It was a good kind of hurt though, one that she would gladly experience again and again. She slipped on his gym shorts that she was wearing earlier, and his shirt. She tip toed quietly across her room, and slipped out the door.

She crept to the kitchen, and opened the fridge and pulled out some juice. She poured herself a glass, and glancing out the window she saw Zayn sitting on the back steps. She went to the back door and opened it up, walking out to into the cold, dark, early morning. Zayn turned to her, cigarette in his hand.

"What are you doing awake?" he asked, his voice gruff because he was just waking up.

"I was thirsty," Sofia said quietly, sitting next to him. She watched as Zayn took a drag of his cigarette, "You?"

"Wanted a smoke," Zayn mumbled, holding up the cigarette as if to show her like she didn't already see it.

"Terrible habit," Sofia commented, and Zayn said nothing in response, he only rolled his eyes.

"It's getting colder," Zayn said, "You should start wearing pants."

Sofia laughed lightly at his words, before taking the cigarette from his hand and taking a drag of it herself.

"It's too early to fight," Zayn said, taking the cigarette back, "But you don't get to smoke. It's a terrible habit."

"Hypocrite," Sofia scoffed quietly, rolling her eyes.

"I'm okay with that," Zayn said, leaning against the rail and taking another drag. They sat quietly together, Sofia taking a sip of her juice while Zayn smoked.

"I slept with Harry tonight," Sofia said, she didn't know why she said it, or why she felt the need to tell Zayn. She just had to get the words out of her mouth. Zayn turned his head toward her, his eyes wide with surprise.

"That escalated quickly," Zayn said, there was no judgment or anger behind his eyes.

The surprised faded quickly from his face. He just looked like a friend that was listening now.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Sofia said, her voice light and happy, "Yeah, I'm really good actually."

"That's good then," Zayn said, putting his cigarette out, "Right?"

"Yeah," Sofia said, nodding, "I mean, I think."

"So I guess it's official, you're Harry's," Zayn said, there was no hurt or anger behind his words. He was just stating the facts as he saw them.

"I wouldn't say that," Sofia said, causing Zayn to look over at her again in surprise.

"So, you're not together?" Zayn asked, looking confused. He swore this is what she wanted for the last few weeks.

"Just because we slept together doesn't mean anything's changed," Sofia said, shrugging, "I slept with him, I didn't go off and marry him."

"Does Harry see it that way?" Zayn asked, he knew this Sofia well.

The one that fought against what she really wanted because she didn't think she could have it. She didn't think she deserved it. She didn't think it was what her father would have wanted. She was still fighting between what she had been raised to think and what she wanted to think. She didn't see the possibilities, because they had never been in front of her like this before.

"I don't know what he sees," Sofia says, "But Harry knows me. He knows I'm not that type of girl. I'm not ever going to be Danielle or Eleanor. I'm never going to settle down. Or give him kids. It's not in me. I've never been that person. I'm too selfish for that. I'm too independent for that."

"Things change, Sof," Zayn said, "People change. People want different things then they did before."

"I don't want anything different," Sofia said, shaking her head, "I just want to have fun. Serious is too scary."

"Why?" Zayn asked, "Why not be serious about one person? It feels good when you get it right."

"Yeah, until you lose them. Or disappoint them," Sofia said, "I am who I am. And if Harry can't except that, or if he wants something different, then that's okay. He can move on and so can I."

"You just slept with him and you already talking about him moving on," Zayn snorted, shaking his head, "It's like you're always waiting for people to leave, or for the bottom to drop out."

"Because that's life," Sofia said, "Nothing is forever. Things happen."

Zayn swallowed hard at her words. Things happen. Something Geoff Payne would repeat over and over. Something he drilled into Sofia's head again and again, so she would never get attached or caught up.

"You don't have to be alone, Sofia," Zayn said, "I know you're used to it. Being alone. Living for you. Being independent. Not counting on anyone, not depending on anyone. But you don't have to be. Alone is no way to go through life. I know it scares you, the possibility of counting on someone or on this family, and losing them. I know the idea of getting your heart broken scares you. But isn't being alone scarier?"

Sofia was quiet for a while, she didn't say anything, and she didn't even acknowledge that Zayn had said anything. She just stared out into the morning air in silence.

"When the police showed up," Sofia finally said quietly, "I knew. I knew immediately they were dead."

Zayns body froze as he stared at her. They had never talked about her parents by themselves. She had never talked about it with him. She had never talked about that day. Not when it was happening, and not anytime after. The fact that she was talking about it now showed how much she had changed, even if she didn't see it. Or, she didn't want to see it.

"He had prepared us from the time we kids," Sofia said, shaking her head, "That he could be gone. That something could happen to him and mom. I mean, he made sure that we knew it was a possibility. And so when they showed up, I knew. They didn't have to tell me, Liam didn't have to tell me. I knew they were dead. And I thought I was prepared for it, you know? I thought I knew what I was supposed to do. He had said over and over, you just move on. You keep doing what you're doing, you let Liam take over, and you move on. He prepared me for him dying. So I thought I knew what it'd be like."

"But?" Zayn asked, his voice so quiet she could barely hear him.

"But nothing prepares you for that. Nothing can possibly get you ready for not seeing someone ever again. The pain and hurt I felt, I just wanted to crumble. It hurt everywhere. I felt like my heart had physically been ripped from my chest. The idea that I would never see them again, or hear them, or talk to them, or touch them. It was overwhelming. It was horrible."

"You were so calm, though," Zayn said.

"Because that's what I was supposed to be. It didn't matter what I was feeling. I had to move on, and be strong. And keep going. But I hated him sometimes, because he didn't prepare me for what it really was. He didn't prepare me for that pain and that ache. And the worst part was and is, is everyday I wake up and I still feel it. Not as much or as bad, but I still feel it. Losing someone, it's awful. But the worst part is, is when you wake up and you lose them all over again, day after day."

Sofia wiped her eyes, and Zayn wrapped his arms around her shoulder.

"I never want to feel like that again," Sofia said, shaking her head, "And if that means keeping people far enough away, and being alone, fine. Because at least I know my heart will never break like that again."

"Yeah," Zayn said, nodding, "Losing people is hard. But losing them while they're still here, it's worse. Not taking advantage of the time you have, it's worse. It's one thing to wake up and not see somebody ever again. But it's another thing to wake up and see someone, and know that they're lost anyway. And that's what happens when you're determined to be alone. It's like mourning for the living. And I don't want you to do that. Because that would break my heart."

"I'm not ready for serious, Zayn," Sofia said, "I've only loved one man and it was my father. It was complicated and unhealthy, I know that, but I loved him. And losing him was the worst. I can't do that again. I can't love someone like that again, or depend on someone like that again. Because I wouldn't survive it. So, I'm not ready. I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

"That's okay," Zayn said, "Like I said, things change. If you're not ready, you're not ready. But just take it one day at time, live in the moment. See how it goes. Don't prepare yourself for the worst, and push him away."

"What if he wants something else?" Sofia asked, looking up at Zayn.

"I don't know much, Sofia," Zayn said, "But I see the way he looks at you. I think he wants what you want. And I think he'll take you however you are. He's never pushed you to be different, so don't lose faith in him. Trust him, just like you have been."

Sofia and Zayn eventually stood up from the steps, and Sofia did feel better after their conversation. She had forgotten how good a friend Zayn could be. She missed him. She made a note as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom to put more effort into their friendship, because she didn't want to mourn his loss while he was still living.

Sofia slipped back into her room, and turned to see Harry sitting up in bed.

"Where'd you go?" he asked, his voice raw and rough, he must've just woken up.

"Just to get a drink," Sofia said, taking his shorts off herself and slipping back into bed next to
him.

"I thought you snuck out on me," Harry said, his voice still tired, and his eyes already starting to droop again.

"It's my room," Sofia said, "If anyone has to sneak out, it's gonna be you."

"Not a chance," Harry mumbled into the pillow, as Sofia lay back down next to him.

She felt his hand go around her waist again as he pulled her close. He kissed the back of her neck so gently she wasn't even sure if it was a kiss.

"Whatever it is you're thinking about," Harry mumbled, "It can wait till tomorrow. Let it go, and just be here."

Sofia bit down on her lip. Of course he knew that she was thinking. Of course he didn't have to see her face to know that she was lost in thought. And still she was surprised he read her mind.

"Please," Harry said, and Sofia moved closer to her and grabbed his hands with hers.

"I'm here," she whispered, allowing the exhaustion to take over again. And then she closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.


***


"Sofia," Harry whispered on her shoulder, "Sof, we gotta get up." He kissed her shoulder a few times sweetly, causing her eyes to blink open.

"No," she mumbled into her pillow, and she heard Harry chuckle behind her.

"Sorry babe, but we have to," Harry said, against her shoulder again. Feeling his hot breath on her skin would never get old. She rolled over her face him, and looked up at his small smile.

"Why?" she asked, "Why do we have to get up?"

"Because people might come looking for us soon," Harry said, glancing over at the clock that read 9 am, "You have to train in like an hour."

"Fuck it," Sofia mumbled, closing her eyes, and causing Harry to laugh louder.

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound and she smiled up at him. Her fingers traced a tattoo on his chest gently, as her thoughts carried her away. She wouldn't mind waking up like this everyday.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, as both of them heard a small crash and voices from downstairs.

Harry laughed quietly at the noise, knowing that Niall probably dropped something in the kitchen and Eleanor was probably furious.

"I was thinking," Sofia said, pulling Harry towards her, "That we have a house full of people downstairs and if we wanted we could have the best wake up of all of them."

"Oh yeah?" Harry said, with a smirk, as he moved on top of her, holding himself up on his forearms.

"Mmhmm," Sofia mumbled, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to kiss her. Harry sucked her lip, before biting it gently, causing Sofia to let out a quiet moan.

"Oh no," Harry said, pulling away from her, looking down, and pretending to look concerned, "I think I've awakened a monster, you just can't get enough of me.""

Sofia gave him a look that told him she was not amused by his comment at all.

"Go screw yourself," she hissed, rolling her eyes.

"I'd rather screw you," he quipped, before pushing into her and causing her to gasp loudly. Harry's hand quickly went over her mouth.

"Yeah, you're gonna have to be a little quieter then last night," he said, "There are people downstairs."

"And how do you suppose I do that?" she said, breathless as he began to move in and out of her slowly. His answer was to put his lips on hers and hold her close as he took her again.




***


"Are Harry and Sofia still asleep?" Niall asked, causing Zayn to look up.

He didn't want to say anything, or give anything away, so he immediately looked back down at the newspaper in front of him.

"Yeah," Louis said, "But they better get up soon, Liam's gonna be pissed if she's late to train."

"She's still got time," Eleanor said from her position at the stove, "Besides Liam and Danielle are out to breakfast, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was the late one."

"Even so, someone should go wake them up," Louis said.

"Leave them," Zayn said, protecting both Sofia and Harry. He wasn't sure they wanted anyone to know yet, he was still kind of surprised Sofia told him, "They won't sleep too late."

As if on cue, Harry walked into the kitchen, and took a seat next to Louis, grabbing a muffin. Sofia shuffled over to the coffee pot. Neither of them said anything, but Zayn could tell immediately that there was a certain glow about them that wasn't there before.

"How'd it go?" Louis mumbled quietly to Harry, Harry looked over slightly confused and surprised, "Did you ask her out?"

"We uh... didn't quite get to that," Harry said, before biting into his muffin.

It was just then that Louis noticed Harry's appearance. His hair was a mess, and his lips were a little swollen. There appeared to be perspiration on his chest, and he was shirtless. Louis' eyes narrowed on him, Harry didn't usually walk around shirtless.

Eleanor looked between both Harry and Sofia as Sofia poured herself a cup of coffee. Sofia's hair was an absolute wreck, and she kept stretching her neck and shoulders, not to mention she was in all of Harry's clothes. Louis and Eleanor looked at each other, before Eleanor's mouth dropped open.

"Oh my God," she gasped, causing everyone in the kitchen to look at her, "Oh my God!"

She was now pointing between Sofia and Harry, with an excited and surprised look on her face.

"OH MY GOD!" Eleanor squealed again, "You two totally did it!"

Sofia's jaw dropped, as Harry's eyes went wide. They looked at each other in total shock, before looking back at Eleanor.

"I don't know what –" Harry began to say, but Eleanor interrupted him.

"Don't even deny it!" Eleanor said, pointing at him, before looking over at Sofia who still looked surprised, "You two totally hooked up!"

Sofia looked down at her clothes, wondering how the hell Eleanor knew, while Niall cackled in his seat at the table only to be silenced by Harry punching him in the arm. Zayn looked between everyone, still trying not to give away that he knew anything.

Harry stood up, noticing how awkward Sofia was looking, and moved towards her, pouring himself his own cup of coffee and leaning against the counter. His put his arm was on Sofia's lower back, and he instantly felt her relax at his touch.

"I don't comment on you and Louis because it's none of my business. And what happens between you and Sofia is really none of your business," Harry said, his voice confident and calm, Sofia loved that voice.

She felt better already as he talked for both of them. It really wasn't anyone's business, and she was glad that Harry was putting them in their place.

"And I'd appreciate the same courtesy Eleanor," his voice was firm, and somewhat stern as his eyes narrowed on Eleanor.

She was smart enough to look somewhat ashamed by her outburst before offering them both a soft apology.

"Yeah Eleanor," Louis said, "That's very rude."

"Thank you, Louis," Harry said, as Sofia leaned into Harry trying to tell him how much she appreciated him handling this particular situation. She felt him making circles with her fingers on her back.

"But you two totally did it, right?" Louis asked, with raised eyebrows and a large smile, causing both Harry and Sofia's mouth to drop open.

His timing couldn't have been worse, because just as he said what he said, Liam and Danielle entered the kitchen.
Liam paused at Louis words confused, before looking at Harry and Sofia. Liam's eyes narrowed at his sister's physicals appearance, especially when she closed her eyes in frustration and looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.

Then he took in Harry's appearance, and it became quite obvious. If his sister and Harry weren't sleeping together before, they certainly were now.

"Liam –" Harry said, but Liam interrupted him and turned to Sofia instead.

"Get dressed," he said, his voice kind of rough, "You have to train. I'll meet you in the car in 5 minutes."
And then he turned and was back out the kitchen before anyone could say anything else.

"You're an asshole," Harry said, looking pointedly at Louis.

"I didn't mean it," Louis said, as Sofia sighed deeply in frustration. That was not she wanted her brother to find out.

"I'll talk to him," Harry said, trying to comfort her anxiety about Liam.

"No," Sofia said, shaking her head, "I'm a big girl. I will handle my brother."



***



"You hold that steering wheel any tighter and you might break a finger," Sofia said to her brother, after many minutes of uncomfortable silence.

Liam glanced over at his sister, only to show her how un-amused he was, and that looked back at the road still not saying anything.

"So what?" Sofia asked, glaring at Liam, "You're not gonna talk to me because I slept with Harry? I mean, you pretty much expected this was coming."

"I expected for you two go on a date, maybe," Liam barked, "I expected for you two to kiss, maybe. I didn't expect to hear that you had slept with him UNDER MY ROOF at 9 o'clock in the morning!"

"What do you think dating and kissing leads to?" Sofia scoffed, "So what if it didn't go the way you expected? What are you so upset about?!"

"Look, I know that you don't take boys seriously, and I know that you don't take any of this shit seriously," Liam said, "And you don't think it's a big deal, but sex is a big deal! I could always pretend that you knew better when it wasn't right in front of my face, and now it's in my God damn house! I mean, sex IS a big deal Sofia, whether you want to admit it or not!"

"I KNOW IT'S A BIG DEAL LIAM!" Sofia screeched, "That's why I waited!"

Liam's foot hit the break pedal, and he glanced over at Sofia surprised, his eyes wide and his mouth open.

"Try not to look so shocked," Sofia scoffed, looking out the window instead of at her brother.

She knew what people thought of her, but it still hurt to know her own brother thought of her that way. Sofia watched as the car began to pull over on the side of the road.

"What are you doing?" Sofia asked, looking at her brother like he was nuts. Liam put the car in park on the side of the road, much to Sofia's disbelief.

"Liam, we're on the side of the road, I don't think you can do this," Sofia said still staring at him like he was nuts.

"I don't care if we're on the side of the road," Liam said, "All I care about is that you're okay..."

Sofia paused, looking at her brother gently. That was so Liam. To only care about how Sofia was doing.

"I'm fine," Sofia said, and that was the truth. She had absolutely no regrets about what happened with Harry.

"You waited?" Liam asked.

"Until last night," Sofia said, causing Liam to take a deep sigh, and look at his sister like he was just seeing her for the first time.

"I didn't know..." Liam said.

"I know what people think about me, Liam," Sofia said, "Everyone thinks I'm easy, and I'll do anything without a second thought. I know you think that you're sister is a big whore."

"Hey!" Liam snapped, "I don't think that! You're not a whore, Sofia. I never thought that, I just didn't know you were waiting..."

"Well I was," Sofia said, her voice frustrated, "And now I'm not. And you can't be mad at me for that."

"I'm not mad," Liam said quietly, "I was just thrown off, and I just want you to be careful..."

"Because you think I'll ruin him..." Sofia said, looking down at her hands.

"Fuck him," Liam barked, catching Sofia off guard, "I don't care about him."

"He's your best friend," Sofia said, giving her brother a look of disbelief.

"Yeah," Liam said, "But he's not my concern. I don't care about him. I care about you. I don't want this to ruin you. I want you to be careful..."

"I'm not going to get pregnant Liam," Sofia said, rolling her eyes, "You don't have to worry about that. I would never get pregnant and effect the job."

"That's not what I meant," Liam said, shaking his head, "I want you to be careful with your heart, Sofia. And your mind and your soul. Harry, the job, what I think and feel, what anyone else thinks, that all comes second. I don't care about any of that, and neither should you. I just want you to do what is right and best for you. And protect yourself. And be careful with yourself."

Sofia bit her lip and grabbed her brother's hand, giving it a squeeze. She took a deep breath.

"You're the best, you know that?" she said quietly.

"You know this is hard for me, right?" Liam said, shaking his head, "Sometimes when it comes to you, I feel so lost. It's hard to –"

"Watch me grow up," Sofia said, finishing his sentence, "I know. I know it's hard for you. And I know it's hard especially because you missed so much. And I know that you look at me and you still see a little kid. But I'm not a kid anymore, Liam. I'm an adult. And I have to make my choices, and live my life. And you have to realize that you can't protect me from everything. You have to let go a little bit."

"I can't let go of you," Liam said, "You're all I have left. You're my only blood. I'm not ready to let you go. Especially with Harry, not yet..."

"I'm not going anywhere, Liam," Sofia said, "I see the way you look at Harry. And I see the way you look at the two of us together. He isn't your competition. He isn't taking me from you. I'm here. But I'm also a big girl who makes her own choices. And you have to live and be okay with that, because, my decisions are my own. And you're just going to have to trust that if I screw up, or things get messy, I'm going to come to you. But you can't try and protect me from the mess of life, Liam."

"You being Harry's," Liam said, quietly, looking back out at the road, "That's gonna take me some getting used to."

"I'm not Harry's," Sofia said, shaking her head - and causing Liam to look over at her.

"What do you mean?"

"This doesn't change anything," Sofia said, her voice frustrated, "I slept with him and maybe it'll happen again. But my feelings on being independent and having fun and not being anyone's girl... those didn't change."

"But you waited..." Liam said.

"Yeah, until it felt right," Sofia said, "And it felt right with Harry. But that doesn't mean I've changed who I am."

"Does Harry know this doesn't change anything?" Liam asked.

"If anyone will understand the concept of sleeping with someone without the commitment, its Harry," Sofia said, "And if he doesn't, then fine. I'm not going to change for him."

Liam didn't say anything, because it wouldn't matter if he did, but he saw it, it was too late. She had already changed. And she could deny it all she wanted, but she had already changed for Harry. And he had changed for her.

And Liam thought it'd probably be messy, and complicated, and long but if he knew Harry, and he did, eventually Sofia would be his. Liam could already tell by looking at her, even if she didn't see it herself, she didn't stand a chance.



***


"I heard you didn't even get to the gym," Harry said, startling Sofia as she sat by the pool.

"I think Liam felt bad for being kind of a jerk this morning," Sofia said, "He took me shopping instead."

"Can I sit?" Harry asked, he was standing by the table awkwardly, as though he wasn't sure how to approach her.

Sex doesn't change anything. Remind him of that, Sofia thought of herself.

"Since when do you ask?" Sofia said jokingly, motioning for him to sit down.

Harry felt relief at her words. He wasn't sure how it would be between the two of them after last night, even if she seemed okay this morning.

"You okay?" Harry asked, looking at her with concern.

"A little sore," Sofia said, knowing that he was really asking about how she felt about last night, "But I'm great."

She threw her legs on top of his as though to prove a point. Harry began massage her legs causing her to groan.

"You're muscles are tight," Harry said, "It's because you clench everything when you orgasm."

Sofia's mouth dropped open at his words. One, because he was being so blunt about it and two, because she didn't think he had notice. She felt like an idiot for being surprised at either. Of course Harry wasn't embarrassed talking about her orgasms, and of course he had noticed what her muscles did when she orgasmed.

"Are you okay?" Sofia asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding, "I'm great."

"Harry," Sofia said quietly, "I don't want this to change anything between us."

Harry looked up at her, before leaning back in his seat. He wasn't sure what she meant.

"I mean, I'm just not –" Sofia said quietly, "Having sex with you, I don't want it to change anything."

"Sex tends to change everything," Harry said.

"Only if you let it," Sofia argued.

"So you don't want anything to change between us?" Harry asked, "What does even mean?"

"I mean, we're friends," Sofia said, "We can stay friends."

"So you don't want to have sex again?" Harry asked his voice surprised, as he sat up.

"Oh no, I definitely want us to have sex again," Sofia said, "I think we're good at it. It'd be a disservice not to have sex."

"I agree," Harry said, smiling at her humor, "So what are you saying?"

"So, we're friends who have sex. People do that all the time," Sofia said, shrugging, "Right?"

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding his head.

She was making it clear that she didn't want him to claim her. Harry knew that there was that possibility. He knew that sleeping with him wouldn't make her change overnight. He knew that she was still scared to call herself anyone's.

And he was willing to play along. There wasn't anything she could say or do that would scare him off, or frustrate him enough to walk away.

If she needed him to pretend that they were just friends, he would do that. If she needed him to pretend that she wasn't his, he'd do that too.

But, she was. Maybe she wasn't ready to admit it, or maybe she just didn't see it yet. But Harry knew better. And he knew they had a future together, which is why he didn't mind playing along with her now.

"So do friends also sleep with other people?" Harry asked, he wasn't asking for his sake. There was no one else for him. He was asking because he wanted to know what to expect, and how to be prepared.

"Because I'm not really good at sharing," Harry said, a warning tone in his voice.

"I don't have other guys in mind, if that's what you're asking," Sofia said, "But that could change. And if it does, we'll deal with it then."

"Okay," Harry said, his voice thin. In his head he was thinking about exactly how he'd deal with something like that.

"So we're good?" Sofia asked, leaning back in her chair, "Friends who have sex?"

"Best friends who have sex," Harry corrected her. And Sofia smiled at him.

"Yeah," she said, nudging his chest with her foot, "You are my best friend..."

"Who woulda thought?" Harry said, shaking his head, "I had a lot of predictions and assumptions when I came into this house. You and me wasn't one of them. I mean, you we're the worst."

Harry laughed so Sofia knew he was joking, at least a little, but she agreed. She absolutely would have never predicted this.

She never saw Harry coming.

Sofia let out a loud laugh, and gave him the middle finger. He grabbed it.

"Manners," he said, he tone warning, but there was a twinkle in his eye. And then he kissed her finger to show her that he really was joking around.

"It's funny how things change," Sofia said.

Harry laughed lightly, not because he was amused at how things had changed, he was amused at how she was refusing to see how much they were about to.