Moments || H.S

nine ; Dance with me

(writing this meant a lot to me as a member of LGBTQ community and also this chapter contains some mature themes of sexual harassment at bars ,so i hope you enjoy and TPWK - Pippy)

Come on Ave, don't be a pussy I think to myself as I look at Harry sitting on his grey couch, cross legged, scrolling through his phone. I lift myself off the chair and walk up to him, gently taking the phone from his hands and tuning it off, placing it in on the wooden table in front of us. He doesn't try and resist, instead looking up at me with concern in his eyes.

"Is everything ok, Avery?" he says, uncrossing his legs and grabbing my hand and pulling me onto the couch next to him. My heart starts pounding and my palms get sweaty. I hid this from him for way too long now, he's my soulmate for crying out loud, secrets like this shouldn't be left in the dark. 

Of course I trust Harry with my whole heart and know what he will definitely accept me for who I am, but it's more saying it out loud and getting it off my chest once and for all and acepting myself too. But I can't keep it from him any longer, So i take a deep breath... here goes nothing

"Harry," I start, meeting his curious and worried gaze, "uh.. I'm bisexual." I finally say. I watch as he raises his eyebrows high, and a huge grin stretches across his face and he wraps his arms around me in a massive bear hug. When he lets go, he holds onto my shoulders.

"Really? oh my god Ave, I'm so proud of you." he says finally, he clearly took some time to think what I just said over, before raising a single eyebrow "why didn't you tell me sooner?" I return the smile and shuffle forward so my knees are on top of his. 

"I think I was still figuring it out,  until about a year ago, and don't ask me why I hid it from you either, because I think I was hiding it from myself too." I blurt out. 

He listens carefully as I talk about how I grew up being attracted to girls and boys, and was never taught about bisexuality until a few years back, even then it was very vague. I opened up to him about how I felt like an outsider, because everyone around me was either gay or straight and I felt in between them.

Harry nods his head silently and thinks about what he was going to say next. "Ave," he says with a small chuckle, "I know how you feel." he laughs softly as my eyes widen, I wasn't expecting this.

"Wait, are you bi too?" I ask him curiously

"I don't like to label myself" Harry starts, "I don't want to be painted or pictured as gay or straight or bi or whatever, I just want to love and fuck who ever I want with anyone asking questions. I just want to be Harry." he looks at me with a small smile and I can tell that he is relieved to get that off his chest, just like I was.

"I love you, Haz." I say, smiling warmly at him, his hair is getting kinda long but I love it. It suits him and he has tiny braids I left in there a while ago. 

He returns me smile and puts his arm around my shoulders "I love you too, Ave." and I can tell he means it. My shoulders relax and my heart rate goes down. I feel so safe and comfortable with Harry, it's like nothing and no one can hurt me. I know that sounds pretty cliche, but it's the only way I can describe the emotional comfort I feel around him. 

We talk for a while before he suddenly jumps up off the couch "I have a great, idea, let's go to a bar to celebrate!" offering me his hand to pull me up. 

"celebrate what" I say laughing at his sudden excitement and energy.

"Us"  he says. and then I understand, so I take his hand and stand up next to him. 

He drives me to a bar in the later that evening, and leads me inside by the hand. He buys me a drink and sit at a table sipping our drinks and chatting. He takes our glasses back up to the bar when we were done, and then comes back and tells me to follow him. 

He leads me to the dance floor, of course, "dance with me, Ave." he says laughing. We dance and sing for a good 20 minutes before we make our way back to the bar and sit down, grins plastered on our exhausted faces. He tells me to wait here and he's going to the toilet then be right back. 

He is only gone for about 20 seconds when a man approaches me, he has an unshaven stubble and he reeks of alcohol wearing a white singlet and blue baggy jeans. "Hey sugar" he says, slurring his words and struggling to stand still. 

Clearly very drunk, I ask the man to leave me alone. But instead he gets closer and I smell the whiskey on his breath, he insists than I come with him, my heart starts racing as I try to tell the man to leave and glance around for Harry and wish he would hurry up. 

"Come on, baby." he says, wobbling around unbalanced and intoxicated. I can't help it, I start to cry with fear. The man notices and puts his hand on my shoulder and I freeze with fear at his unwanted touch.

"D-don't touch me." I sniffle and try lean away from him. Come on Harry where are you?

"What was that, pumpkin?" he said leaning even closer to where i could see how blood shot his eyes were.

"She said don't fucking touch her." I hear harry say behind him, he steps away from me and I look at Harry, I don't think i have ever seen him this mad, "when a girl says to leave her alone, you fucking leave her alone, how hard is it to understand?" he says in the drunk's face and the man looks at him like he recognizes Harry. Oh shit he knows him. Harry looks at me and grabs my hand tightly, "Come on, Ave, we're going home." and he pulls me out of the bar through back door and we hurry into his car. 

His face finally relaxes and his voice is calm again. "are you OK?" he says, placing his hand gently on my leg. I look at him, and I see regret in his eyes and I know he's thinking that he shouldn't have left me alone. 

"I am now" I say honestly, and wrap my arms around his neck and burying my head in his shoulder. I really am safe now. 

He drives me back to his place and makes me a hot drink and brings me a blanket. He doesn't leave my side the entire night. I know he feels like it's his fault, but it isn't and try my best to let him know i'm okay. I wake up the next morning in his bed. He is already awake on his phone, the second he realizes i'm awake he puts his phone down and hugs me sleepily.  

"you're OK, Avery." He whispers. He's right. I am.