Timeless [ A Harry Styles OU ] {1/2}

twenty

a/n : here it is! last chapter before the epilogue. they've come so far! I'm anxious to hear all your comments on this chapter so please leave them!

Timeless just hit 25k reads on  and I am... speechless. This fic is very much my heart and soul, I cannot thank you all enough.

After telling Rhea he'll just be over at his table, Niall shoots Harry a look and then walks away, leaving the two estranged lovers blinking at each other on the dance floor.

"Can I have a dance?" Harry asks meekly, offering Rhea his hand.

She looks down at his upturned palm and nods after a second, delicately placing her hand in his and letting him close the distance between them. His other hand finds her waist and Rhea's teeth dig into her lower lip of the familiar feeling of his fingers curling around her hip. She sets her free hand on his shoulder lightly, as if they're in olden times and they're dancing together for the first time. Shy, awkward, and a little jittery.

They find their tempo, swaying back and forth against the soft music. Rhea looks over Harry's shoulder to see Louis batting the DJ away, playing another slow song and when he catches her staring he gives her his famous crinkly eyed smile, lifting his hand in the air and shooting her a thumbs up.

"Harry," Rhea says, stopping their movements. She pulls her hand away from his and puts it on his other shoulder, slightly pushing him away from her. She peeks at him with her big chocolate eyes, desperately searching his features for some indication as to why he's doing this. She lowers her gaze a bit, "What are you doing here?"

Harry tries to ignore the fact that she's pushed him away, again. He lets his hand drop from her waist reluctantly as she crosses her arms over her chest and stares at him. He clears his throat, scratching at the back of his neck, "M'here to fix this, fix us, love."

Rhea raises a brow at him, shaking her head, "There is no us, Harry. You made that clear, I finally got the message," she mumbles stubbornly, looking away from him.

Harry's not backing down easily, though, he takes a step forward and Rhea stares at him, startled at his sudden proximity. He stares into her eyes long enough that she's not sure when her arms uncross and fall limply to rest at her sides. Harry tentatively reaches his hand up to cup her cheek, ever so tenderly swiping his thumb across her cheekbone, "Baby, what do you need me to do to fix this?"

Rhea's temper flares but she doesn't pull away from his as she glares, hating how comforting his touch is to her, even after all that's happened, "I wanted you to fight for me, Harry! I wanted you to try harder, to make me feel like I..." she trails off, shaking her head as tears fill her eyes, "to make me feel like I was worth something to you. Like I mattered," She looks up at him with a broken expression, whispering, "You gave up so easily. Like you didn't even care."

Harry doesn't hesitate this time, her words breaking his heart just like they did that night in the alley. With his hand still on her cheek he leans forward and presses his lips to her forehead in a hard kiss, keeping them there as he closes his eyes. For a second, just a blip of time, he thinks he might have crossed a line. Rhea doesn't move, she doesn't react, she doesn't do anything.