Years Ago

just them

This was the thing about Bailey- she was deeply in love with her best friend, Harry Styles.

This was the thing about Harry- he was deeply in love with his best friend, Bailey Williams.

They'd known about each other's love for each other, and they dated. They were the kind of boyfriend and girlfriend that were best friends with each other, who happened to just kiss each other and credit the other with the title of their significant other.

They'd been best friends since birth, and it had been just them for almost as long. Neither had a need for any other friends, it was just them two forever and always. So when Harry Styles told his best friend he was going to X-Factor, she was so supportive.

"Bay?" he had asked, calling her by her nickname that only he called her.

"Yeah, Harry?" she had said, turning to face him.

"I've something to tell you," he had muttered, nervousness evident on his face.

"You can ask me anything," she had reassured him, taking his hand in her own."You know that, right?"

"Course," he had said, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "But... I'm going to X-Factor."

He had met her eyes, worried about her reaction. He shouldn't have had to worry, she knew him better than anyone else; she knew how much he loved singing, and how talented he was, and how much he wanted to be singing in a packed venue.

"Good," she had smiled, squeezing his hand a little. "It's about time," she joked.

Harry had cracked a smile, but worry was still evident in those green eyes that she loved so much. "I'm leaving. I'm not going to be able to see you if I make it."

"When you make it," she had corrected. "And I don't care; I want you to be happy."

Harry had frowned, biting his lip as he pondered her words. "But I don't want to leave you."

"And I'm not leaving," she had promised. "I'll always be right here," she had tapped his chest, right where his heart was. "You love me, right?"

Harry had nodded earnestly. "More than anything or anyone else."

"Then I'll always be with you," she had said simply. "So go. Win for me. Promise?"

Harry had smiled for real then, making her heart flutter at the sight of the smile that had her going weak in the knees ever since she could remember.

"Promise."

And when good-bye came, they did it differently, of course, because they were different from other couples in the world.

"I'm going to miss you," Harry had murmured, his hand glued to hers, refusing to let go until he absolutely had to.

"I'm going to miss you too," Bailey had whispered, hugging him tightly.

"I almost don't want to leave," Harry had confessed, biting his lip.

"Harry Styles, you're going to leave and you're going to like it," she had scolded, but a slight smile tugged at her lips. "You want this more than anything, you've told me."

"No," Harry had corrected her. "I want you more than anything."

Little did he know that those words had made this a lot harder for Bailey. "Harry..."

"Shhh," he had shushed her, holding her tighter. "I just want to hold you."

They had stood there for a while, everyone watching them, but of course they didn't care; all that mattered to them was the other.