One More Night (A Harry Styles Fanfiction)

Chapter Seven: Treetops & Secrets

<pre style="line-height: 17px; white-space: normal; color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 13px;">.Nicki.

The Botanical Garden was open 24/7. I've always wondered to myself, 'who would come to a Botanical Garden at 2 in the morning?'. Then it so happened, that here I was going to the Botanical Garden at 2 in the morning. It all made sense now.

Harry had killed the engine a few seconds earlier. Now we were getting out of the car. I realized he didn't have his shades on. Strange.

Soon, we'd passed through the wrought iron gate of the garden. We stood on a worn brick-work road that wrapped itself around circular plots of land, and ran straight back to the wishing well at the end of the property. They weren't many--well, they weren't ANY--people there. Just streetlamps, flowers and empty benches.

"Wow. I kinda expected more people to be here" Harry thought out loud. Cause like, EVERYONE goes to a botanical garden this early in the morning.

"Me too" I said, standing beside him. My head was just near his shoulders, and he wasn't even standing straight. I noticed he never really did stand straight though. He had a hand in his pocket.

"So, let's get looking then" He looked down at me and smiled. I smiled back. "Where do you wanna go first?" 

"I dunno, that tree looks pretty cool" I pointed to a tree that was perhaps a couple hundres years old.

"Agreed. Race you there!"

I didn't have time to even respond, before Harry ran off. I followed, laughing childishly. As you can imagine, I didn't win. I can't really run fast.

I was out of breath, as he bent to read the placard nailed to a stake, stuck in the ground near to the tree. 

"It's an oak" He said, more to himself, than me.

"Cool"

I noticed a limb close by. I grabbed it and attempted to climb up. I wasn't really getting anywhere with it, until I felt someone give my legs a boost. I climbed unto the limb. It was pretty sturdy, it didn't even budge under my 110 pounds. Soon, Harry joined me.

"Why are we in a tree, Nicki?" He looked over at me. I gave him a goofy smile.

"Cause it's two in the morning, and we're badasses" I said in a high-pitched voice. He laughed.

We were silent for a while, just observing the pretty cool view we had from our limb. Then something sprang to the forefront of my mind.

"Harry?" His eyes met mine.

"Yeah?" 

"I don't really know much about you.." I said. A tiny smile tugging at my lips. "So, how about for everything you tell me, I tell you something for myself?"

He looked like he was thinking.

"And no lying" I added absentmindedly.

"Okay, should I start?" He said. Smiling slightly too.

"Yeah."

He bit down on his lip contemplatively. I waited.

"I'm from Holmes Chapel, and I used to work in a bakery" He said. I nodded.

"I'm from Jamaica, and I've never had a real job" He laughed. I did too.

"Jamaica? That's like in the Caribbean right?" He asked me.

"Yup" I popped the 'p'.

"That's pretty fun" He added, fixing his hair. I leaned back, resting my back against the main trunk of the tree. We sat facing each other, a leg on either side of the large limb.

"Okay. My turn" I thought for a moment. "I'm a vegetarian"

He seemed a bit surprised.

"I'm 5'11"" He said.

"I'm 5' 6"" I replied in kind.

"That's cute. I like short girls" He grinned. I hid a blush. 

"Well. Uhm. Growing up, I wasn't exactly 'skinny', that's why now, I'm afraid to eat too much, sometimes" I said in a low tone. I'd never told anybody except Jeida and a couple other people that. But, here I was, pouring my heart out to a stranger.

"But, you're beautiful the way you are, Nicki. I wasn't skinny growing up either. I had thunder thighs" Harry looked at me, and smiled the slightest bit. "I didn't let that stop me from eating, though"

I couldn't help but feel a little bit of kinship for Harry. No boy had ever said that to me. Never. I found some new respect for Harry. 

"And let me tell you something else" He began. "I wear my hair like this, because I think my ears are too big"

He lifted up a mop of curls, revealing ears that probably were a size larger than normal.

"Nope. They're fine" I smiled, touching one. I just touched his ears. 

"Thanks" He seemed a bit relieved at my response.

Just then, I glimpsed my wristwatch in the faint light. It was minutes about 5 minutes away from 3:30 am. 

"Harry! Come on, we have to get to the wishing fountain!" I said, jumping off the branch. I landed on my feet, with a thud. He did the same.

"Why?" He asked me, alarmed at my sudden excitement. I grabbed his wrist and started running.

"It's almost 3:30!"</pre>