Serendipitous: Harry's Story

Operation Fail

As Harry opened the door to Louis’, he sighed heavily.  Mia had been pissed after his sharp words and he couldn’t blamed her. 

“I’m not anyone’s second choice Harry Styles!” She’d screamed before slamming the door. 

He’d been too tired to go after her so he’d simply driven away.  Not even a minute later he’d gotten a text message saying that they needed to talk tomorrow when things cooled down and she wasn’t as emotional. To say that he was not looking forward to that was an understatement. 

“Lou-” He was cut off as he turned on the lights only to have Hope and the boys yell Happy Birthday at him. 

Niall finally got to blow his nose maker as Louis threw a generous amount of sparkly purple confetti at Harry. 

Harry  laughed loudly as he saw his friends wearing headbands with Happy Birthday on them. He grinned widely as he was bombarded with hugs from Niall and Zayn.   

“Happy Birthday to you!” Niall began as Zayn placed a Happy Birthday headband on him too.  Harry couldn’t help but look around wondering where Hope and Liam had gone. It seemed that they had disappeared literally after yelling surprise. 

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Harry!” Hope and Liam began to sing, the boys immediately joining in after Zayn turned off the lights once more so that the candles on the miniature cake they’d literally bought barely ten minutes ago, could blaze and lighten the room with their flames.  “Happy Birthday to you!”

“And you belong in the zoo!” Louis chimed in, still a bit buzzed from his alcohol consumption. 

Harry though ignored him as he watched Hope laugh before she told him to make a wish.  He grinned before bending down to do just that. Never taking his eyes off her, he blew out the candles. 

Hope’s bright  smile was replaced with a look of shock, her jaw slightly agape, her almond eyes widening like those of a doe’s caught in the headlight as his eyes told Hope everything. He didn’t have to say his wish out loud for her to know what he was wishing for, making her gulp nervously in the process.

~~~

“It tastes like raspberry or maybe strawberry.” Louis said thoughtfully.

Hope glanced sideways at him.  They’d bought a marble cake; it was the only one left that still looked good when she and Liam had gone to the store to find one last minute as Harry’s surprise party had ended rather… interesting.  They’d left before cake and even Niall said nothing because he too could feel the awkwardness in the atmosphere when Mia had finally met Hope and finally saw what the boys already knew all along. 

“That might be because you drank my pink and lavender cocktail!” Hope huffed. 

“Oh,” Louis said sheepishly.  “Maybe.”

Harry couldn’t help but laugh.  Because right now, this moment with his mates and Hope, with a cake that wasn’t bigger than his body or strange people he barely knew the names of, coming up to him to talk and praise his success, was the right way to spend a birthday.  Not some bar with a larger number of people than his graduating class.

~~~

We need to talk

Harry groaned as his phone rang.  He read the message before burying his head back into the pillow. But then his pillow moved. 

“Turn that off!” Niall groaned. 

Harry’s lids fluttered before he looked up. Looking around he realized that apparently last night, they had all crashed on the living room.  But Hope… he looked up to see that Hope was on the couch, curled up into a ball practically… with Liam’s jacket over her.  He raised his brow at that, but he knew that Liam was just being caring and just him… but it still irked him.  Hope should not be snuggling in Liam’s jacket.