STAY MINE // Harry Styles

Forever Childhood

The story is updated biweekly just in case you might forget. Stay safe! :) - Allie

Next chapter: Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

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"Knock knock."

"Dad, you don't have to say knock knock while actually knocking," Thea said without taking her eyes off the laptop screen. The door closed behind her as her dad walked in, squeezed her shoulders and kissed the top of her head twice.

"Why aren't you with your friends in the backyard?"

"The treehouse's gone; there's nothing to do in the backyard," she said, typing away. "And I'm sorry if Alice and Niall do something to Marcy's flowers. Niall probably has never seen a garden as small as ours, and Alice is unpredictably crazy."

"They'd make a good couple."

"Don't tell Alice. She'd lose her mind," Thea said.

Feeling her dad peering at the screen, she tilted her head back to see his face. "What do you think?"

He leaned forward with both hands on the back of her chair, shaking his head. "A masterpiece. Shakespeare wished he'd come up with this."

She snorted, leering at him. "From now on, all yours and Harry's comments about my work are invalid."

"We're your biggest fans, Theadora."

"That's the problem. Love cancels honesty in this case."

"Oh, God."

Her dad spun her swivel chair around so they were face to face as he sat on the edge of her bed, his legs spread wide, elbows resting on his knees. He clasped his hands together in front and cocked his head. "Take a short break and talk to me, will you?"

She drummed her fingers on the armrests. "About my book?"

"Yeah, your book. And, well...boys."

"Daaaad." She tossed her head back, groaning into her palms like an embarrassed teenager. "If this is about Blake and Harry–"

"Blake Roman," her dad hissed as if the name was toxic. "I can't believe you're hanging out with him again. Is he still riding that stupid motorcycle from high school?"

"No. And Harry also owned a motorcycle, Dad." He'd also crashed it and ended up in the hospital. There was no way she'd tell her dad about it.

"Well, I'm already biased, so Harry is good no matter what he does," her dad said. "I'm team Harry, by the way. That's what you kids say, right? Team Edward. Team Jacob."

Thea dropped her face into her palms, shaking her head in defeat.

Her dad cleared his throat. "You and Harry are endgame, Theadora."

"Oh my God, Dad!" She couldn't help laughing as she looked up, smoothed her hair down and held it at her neck. "Marcy made you watch Riverdale again, didn't she?"

"I kind of like it now," he said thoughtfully. "It's so dramatic. Everyone's in love with everyone."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure the show writers are men your age."

"That makes a lot more sense."

"Anyway," she giggled lightly. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm team Harry, too; I can't believe you made me say that." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Blake and I were a long time ago. I love Harry more than I can put into words." She leaned back into her chair and puffed out her cheeks. "Though sometimes I feel like I can never be good enough. He's just this wonderful person who does great things, and I'm just...I'm still trying to figure my life out."