Bring It Back

I just want to know you better

Twelve.

What's Going on with Harry Styles and Norah Winters?
december 2nd, 2016

Norah isn't one hundred percent sure what this thing her and Harry have been doing these past couple of weeks is. She's not even sure if she likes it. (That's not true. She likes it, much, much more than she should, especially this early on, she just doesn't want it to admit it to herself.) What she is sure about–at least what she thinks she's sure about–is how Harry feels about her.

Perhaps their past fallings out clearly made him rethink some things, because now instead of being closed off and indecisive, he seems to be completely sure about his feelings for her. And Norah's not just saying that to be cocky, or to show it off. She's saying that because he's made it pretty clear recently. It seems as if Harry really must believe in the saying 'show, not tell.'

He's invited her over to his place countless times now to watch Orphan Black–or, as Liz likes to put it, 'watch Orphan Black', quotation marks included–and although he hasn't kissed her yet, they've come pretty close to it. Just once, though. At the time, she had decided to be brave and lean into him while they were watching on his couch. He had shifted his head down to look at her, but it wasn't just any other glance. No, he really looked at her. But it was more than that. When other people lay their eyes on Norah, they just look at her. But when Harry does it, it's like he sees her, inside and out. And even though this scares her more than anything, it also fills her with a sense of warmth that spreads throughout her body against her will.

Norah had thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he had just smiled and pulled her close to him, and honestly, now that she's thinking back on it, that had been enough for her. Being on the receiving end of one of Harry's smiles was something special, because he didn't just smile at anyone. Most people gave away smiles like it meant nothing to them, and that way, you could never really tell if they meant it or not. But Harry only smiled at you when he really meant it. He smiled at you like you were the most special thing in the world, and when he smiled, he didn't just smile with his lips. He smiled with his eyes, his cheeks, his whole body. When Lucas smiles at her, Norah feels normal. To be honest, she feels....nothing.

When Harry smiles at her, Norah feels fireworks.

++++

They're sitting in his living room–for the third time this week–when Norah lets it slip.

"Why haven't we gone on a date yet?"

She's not sure who looks more taken aback by the question, her or Harry. She immediately shuffles out of his embrace, where she's been lying on his chest for the past hour, and quickly straightens up and leans against the sofa. He blinks as she pulls away, but he doesn't look upset. Instead, he just seems confused. He isn't smiling. She isn't sure if she wants him to be.

"What?" Harry asks. He leans forward for the remote and pauses the TV, which only makes her feel worse about things.

"Never mind," Norah mumbles, pulling out her phone for a distraction as she runs a hand through her hair. Unfortunately, it's so tangled that her hand ends up getting stuck in it, and her cheeks flame bright red as she struggles to get it out. They always leave this part out in the movies, she thinks to herself miserably as she catches the sight of Harry's lips twitching out of the corner of her eye. "Forget I said anything."

He ignores her request, and instead asks her, "What, you don't think this is a date?"

Oh my God. She is going to die. "I don't know why I said that. I'm sorry." She hesitates for a minute and then practically bounces off the couch before saying, "You know what, I should just go."