my sister's boyfriend's bestfriend ⋆ a harry styles fanfiction

04: we're both stubborn, i know

"Okay so I can explain"  Eleanor spoke softly. 

My cheeks were absolutely burning. I could hear the sound of my heart beating, with the look that Harry was giving me, I wondered if he could hear it too. 

"Louis and I obviously bought this house for you Ellie, but before we got here there was a little bit of a miscommunication with us and Harry" I shot Harry a look. He was dripping water onto my brand new hardwood floors. The man couldn't even bother to dry his hair or put on clothes. He was still standing in a towel. His eyes looked up to meet mine and I promptly looked back at Eleanor. He definitely caught me glaring. 

"I think you should keep your eyes on your sister, its rude to look away while she's talking to you" he mumbled. I rolled my eyes returning my gaze to Eleanor. 

"Before you agreed to move here, this house has been empty so we always told the boys that any of them could crash here if they needed to but we forgot to tell Harry about you moving in so he's been staying here recently".

I looked over at Harry. We had met before in passing at some events Eleanor had brought me to. He never really talked to me, I was just Eleanor's little teenage sister who tagged along at events but couldn't drink or do anything fun really. Plus, he was often preoccupied with other... things while I was around. I didn't know anything about him. Certainly not enough to move in with him. After all, this was not part of my "blank slate" vision. 

"I understood that I'd have my new place to myself, I hope you can understand and find other arrangements" I said, making sure to keep my eyeline away from his towel. 

"I moved all my stuff here a week ago and just finished unpacking, I'll find a new place but give me at least a week" He puffed. 

"A week? You're a millionaire can't you afford an airbnb or hotel?" I whined. 

"It's not about affording love, I need to make arrangements for everything. Trust me, I don't want to be housemates with someone who takes a piss while I'm showering" He grunted it in a serious tone but I swear I heard him stifling a laugh. 

"Well I don't want to share with someone who doesn't lock the door while showering!" I rebutted. 

"I was home alone" he yelled, particularly emphasizing the words home and alone. 

"Stop bickering!" Eleanor yelled. We both silenced immediately. 

"You will be housemates for this week, and this week only. Harry will find new living arrangements by then. Before that, just don't rip each others heads off please." Then she walked away. 

I turned my head to look over at Harry but he had already walked away and began hiking up the stairs. 

How did I end up here? Eleanor made me believe I'd have a fresh start in London. My own house, a new city to find myself in. Now I have to share with a complete stranger, who also happens to be in the most famous boyband in the world. No wonder paparazzi camped outside our door. 

The door swung open and the movers began carrying my boxes into the house. I watched as they carried my things upstairs. 

"Aye, wrong bedroom! The other one is down the hall!" I heard Harry's voice scream from upstairs. 

I inhaled deeply. London was still a fresh slate and nobody, certainly not Harry Styles is getting in my way. 

I got a towel from the kitchen and wiped away the puddle of water Harry left on the hardwood floor. 

Eleanor left once it started to get dark, I watched her headlights fade into the distance through my bedroom window. Then I watched the more cars pass by and the sky get darker. Unlike back home, you couldn't see the stars at night. But, when I unfocussed my eyes the blinking streetlights and sparkling skyscrapers almost began to mimic the twinkling night sky. It still wasn't the same.

I hadn't spoken to Harry since the ordeal that happened when we arrived. I remained in bedroom, and him in his. Occasionally I would jump hearing him open the door to the bathroom or scuffle downstairs. But other than that it was silent.

I looked around at my new bedroom. It was large enough to fit a king sized bed, a wardrobe and a television with extra room. The walls were stark white and the floors a deep shade of chestnut. It had never been lived in before apart from Eleanor and Louis' friends who would occasionally crash over drunken nights, but you couldn't tell. The room looked overly clean, hospital-like almost with it's all white furniture and perfectly stainless state. I sighed turning away from the window and slumping into my mattress which was the only thing in the room that belonged to me. Everything else remained in labelled carboard boxes downstairs but I'd rather be without furniture then have to talk to Harry again.

He was just not what I was expecting when I came here.

This was not what I was expecting when I came here.

Living in a completely new city in a house that didn't feel like a home. Eleanor was in the same city but still felt far away, still left to be with Louis at the end of the day. Paparazzi standing by my door watching my every move.

I walked over to my window looking down at the crowd of people below. It had been hours but they remained stuck at their station like soldiers. Just then I made eye contact with one of the women below. She had bright red hair which laid below her camera strap. She yelled something out gaining the attention of all the people around her. Suddenly, kaleidoscope colours swirled across my vision as camera flashes rapidly blinked my way.

They were photographing me.

I reached over to the blinds as fast as I could and shut them swiftly. Still, they were translucent and the twinkling of the lights bled into my room violently. I ran to my mattress, pulling my blanket fully over my head, hiding from it all.

I came here to run away from the world, but now the whole world is watching me.

-

"Oh my god"

My jumped open as a voice ripped me from my sleep. I followed the deep voice to find Harry standing over my body in serial-killer like fashion.

"What are you doing in here!" I screamed. My hands gripped onto my duvet cover as quickly as I could in hopes to shield my barely clothed body from his gaze.

"Look at this shit" he spat turning his phone towards me.

His screen displayed an article posted by TMZ. Across the top in big red bold letters read:

HARRY STYLES MOVES IN WITH MYSTERY GIRL

Below it was a spliced image of Harry entering the front door with the movers and me standing in the window last night.

My eyes widened further than I thought humanly possible. I read and re-read the text on the screen hoping that they would change. Silently praying that it was all my imagination, but after two minutes of an unmoving stare, I realized it was real.

"What the hell are we gonna do about that"