the baby project | harry styles

Chapter 5 - Beating Hearts

After a sweet stroll down the sidewalk with Cheryl, they reached what Harry called home. Before Harry took her inside, he gazed down into her shimmering, auburn eyes in complete silence. Cheryl giggled at him with a look, "What?"

Harry smiled down at her, "I'm just admiring how beautiful you look in this porch lighting." She blushed, latching her dainty hands to his again.

"I want to thank you for your timing. You know, when Harrison came in." She glanced away for a second, then looked back up as Harry listened to her attentively. "I don't think I should be telling you this, but," She paused again. "Harrison was forcing me to stay with him. I recently tried to break up with him, but he said that he was going to hurt me if I left him. And I had no choice."

He flashed her a look of great concern, "Cheryl, you know you can tell me anything. I would've put him in his place right there." Harry smiled sweetly with a look of charm on his face, trying to make her feel better. "But it doesn't matter now because you're with me. You'll always be safe with me." He leaned in and planted a warm peck into her lips as she smiled when they broke away.

"I know." Cheryl nodded in agreement, her cheeks rosy red once again.

Harry didn't want her to be embarrassed—even though he thought it was the cutest thing in the world—so he took the opportunity to change the subject.

Letting go of her hands, he asked, "So what do you want to eat? I know you said you were about to go on your lunch break."

She chuckled at the lad, "I'm not really all that hungry anymore, and besides, I don't think I'll be going back to Starbuck's any time soon. Harrison knows I work there, silly."

He made a face as if to say "oh yeah" and turned to open the door to his place, "Well would you like to freshen up? I have the best tub in the whole place." His voice trailed off as he waited for her to walk in before him. It was the gentlemenly thing to do.

"Why? Are you gonna try to spy on me?" Cheryl smirked slyly, waltzing on in. He hadn't thought about that, until now.

"I don't know. Do you want me to?" Harry flirted, leaning himself on the wall he was next to. Cheryl beamed at him, suddenly inching her way slowly toward him.

Harry pressed his back against the wall, surprised by her actions. Cheryl was now very close to the curly-haired lad, and he didn't know whether to kiss her or stare at her. Her body was pressed against his while her dainty hands rested on his neck as she whispered seductively into his ear, "Well I would like to take a steaming, hot bath."

Did she just tease me? Harry asked himself in both shock and amusement, watching what she was going to do next. She backed away from him, allowing him to lift himself off the wall. He cleared his throat innocently and glanced away from her, "Okay. Follow me."

Harry was sort of dazed. He had no idea of what to think about Cheryl's actions, but he did like the new attention she was giving him. It was different.

Anyway, Cheryl trailed after Harry down the long, dim hallway all the way to a room which belonged to the curly-haired lad. He was the only one who had an on-suite bathroom in his bedroom, and it was great for times like these.

"Thank you Curly," Cheryl hugged him tightly.

"No problem love." Harry smiled sweetly, recognizing the nickname she always used. He'd always liked that nickname. Plus, it was way better than Harold.

So Harry shut the door for her and exhaled a heavy sigh, strolling toward his queen-sized mattress. He tossed himself onto the bed and snatched the remote to his television, switching it right on with the quick push of a button.