Labels || H.S. [#Wattys2020]

EIGHTEEN

Harry had led Reagan into an actual recording studio. Not a large one, but it was large enough for him and her and a few instruments. He looked at her with a smug look as she frowned at him. He loved making Reagan feel uncomfortable, loved the way her cheeks flushed and her eyes became instantly darker, greener, as she became angry at him for making her feel that way.

"I'm leaving." She said turning her back and walking towards the door.

"I was joking." Harry pleaded, grabbing her arm and pulling her back into the small room, "Besides, I do really want to play you something I've been working on."

"What?"

He opened the door to the recording area and stepped in, grabbed a guitar, and came back out to sit on a stool. He had obviously been sneaking out to this place to start working on his songs, something the other boys knew he needed to do because he was Harry and he had funny quirks with everything that he put his heart into.

Reagan reluctantly sat down and listened as Harry began strumming. He didn't sing, he wasn't ready to yet, but he played the melody and it was certainly something else. Reagan would never admit how incredibly beautiful it was, but Harry could tell by the look on her face and that was enough.

"It was nice." She said sincerely when he was done.

He nodded, he knew that she loved it, and that was all he wanted.

"Lydia and Paul are going to be back soon." Reagan muttered, getting up from her own stool and smoothing her skirt. She walked past Harry to step out of the room and turned back to look at him when she noticed he wasn't following, "Aren't you coming?"

The fact that she even asked astounded him. He thought she would just try to run out again, try to leave him behind, but she didn't. She actually asked if he was coming with.

"Right behind you, Rae."

She smiled that smile of hers, that rare one that was kind of unguarded, the one that Harry loved the most but saw the least. Yeah, he knew he was kind of falling in love with her, knew it the moment he wanted to kiss her. But what he would do about it? Not much he could do now, all he could do was wait.

He closed the door behind him and observed how Reagan actually waited for him. He was really floored, he couldn't believe she was actually waiting for him. She actually wanted to walk beside him and talk to him, and it was an amazing feeling.

She looked down at her feet shyly as Harry walked up beside her. He looked at her and smiled, "So, did you like it?"

She nodded, "Pretty good. I would think it would have lyrics by now though."

"Kind of do, can't rush perfection though."

"It's going to take you forever then."

He nudged her with his shoulder and she laughed.

"No, but really, I heard the boys saying that it takes you so long to just write two or three songs."

"I'm not a machine Rae, I can't just crank them out."

"I know, but, I don't know, I guess I thought it didn't take you so long." She shrugged.

"Well, it does. Now you know why I'm so meticulous about them."

"Yeah."

He nodded and they started walking back to the room, hoping that it no longer smelt like cheeseburgers and french fries. Harry's stomach growled ferociously and he reminded himself that he only had another day to finish the cleanse. Besides, he had a delicious island coconut juice waiting for him at home for dinner, his favorite.