Gypsy wakes up and realizes one thing in particular.

She is not in bed alone.

In fact, she is not even alone in her room.

Instead, Gypsy is in tangles.

In a mess of sheets and hair and shirts and skin, she's much warmer than she would be, had she awoken at her usual time for her wake-up call for her job at the front desk.

For the most brief of moments does she pause, confused, because she's so warm.

There is her comforter and her sheets which both happen to be splayed across her shoulders, but there's an arm around her waist that's lightly clutching her mid-section, and there's a hand that's gently playing with the fabric clinging to her skin. There are a few fingers in her hair before she rolls over and meets two wide green eyes and a little grin that makes her heart do summersaults, and then there are those fingers, again, the ones from her hair, that are now pushing back strands from her forehead.

"Hi," Gypsy breathes.

Harry wiggles closer. "Eew," he says. "Morning breath."

Gypsy gasps, slapping his arm. "Rude."

Harry laughs as she chuckles, wiping her heavy eyelids as Harry greets her again with another of his signature smiles.

"Morning, love."

"Good morning, Harry."

He lifts her hand and plays with her small fingers.

"How're you feeling?" is what he asks, because this is Gypsy, and he knows that there's at least a 92% chance that she was drunk amidst their entire everything last night and she can no longer remember a word he's said about feeling the way he does about her.

She nods. "I'm good," she says.

Harry stares at her fingers. "You're sure?"

She hums in response.

Harry lifts his eyes to hers. "I mean, if there was anything wrong, you'd say it, right? I want you to be able to talk to me, yeah? I don't want you to think that just because-"

"Harry."

Gypsy grabs his shirt and pulls him close, kissing him hard to shut him up.

"Eew, but your breath," is what he says when she finally releases her hold on his shirt and pulls away.

Gypsy rolls her eyes.

"What?" He smirks because he's liking how this feels-waking up to Gypsy.

Gypsy shakes her head. "It's not supposed to go that way, Harry-Sheesh, you're bad at this."

He shakes his head. "What isn't? What am I bad at?"

"This," she says. "You do know that you're not supposed to say any of those things, right? C'mon, now. It's really not that hard."

He grins. "What am I supposed to say, then?"

"Duh," she laughs softly. "You tell me that you love me-"

"I love you."

"-That things'll be alright."

"Okay?"

"That you're thinking of me-"

He laughs.

She taps her chin. "Don't remember you saying that last night..."

Harry rolls his eyes.

"Because for some strange reason, you know I need you, just like you need me," she sings, and then she groans loudly because Harry's rolled on top of her and he's pressing all of his body weight down upon her little frame.

"Goodness-You need to go on a diet."

"What?" He scoffs. "You don't like my curves?"

Gypsy laughs, hand covering her mouth. "Oh my god," she sighs. "Where'd you even come from, honestly?"

He chuckles softly. "I just wanted to listen to you tell me all the things I'm supposed to do for you in the mornings, apparently."

He leans close to her.

"Go on, then."

Gypsy rolls her eyes. "You're supposed to tell me that I look beautiful in the mornings, duh. You're supposed to tell me that I'm the most perfect girl you've ever seen and you're supposed to lie and say my hair looks nice even though it's probably as tangled as a rat's nest and you're obviously never supposed to mention my breath," she rolls her eyes again. "Come on, now. This is like, a beginner's course in Girlfriend -101."

And Harry's eyes widen at the same time Gypsy mentally curses herself - Fuck, fuck, fuck, is what she's thinking - because no way did after one night with Harry simply kissing her and telling her he liked her is he ready to be in a fucking relationship already and here she is letting the 'g-word' slip.

She shakes her head. "I mean-"

Harry cocks a brow. "You mean...?"

"I didn't..." She grimaces. "I didn't mean to say that."

His eyebrow is still raised. "You didn't?"

"I mean-"

Harry is so close that Gypsy is finding difficulty in deciding where to look.

"Because you did just say it."

"I know, I-I'm sorry, it literally just came out."

Harry chuckles because he's enjoying this a bit too much. "Came out?"

Gypsy with her guard finally down is hilarious.

"You're my girlfriend?" Is what he asks.

"I-" She's at a loss, actually because would she like to be Harry's girlfriend? Is this what she wants? Can she see herself being with him? She hadn't even thought about the idea. Could she date Harry? Yes, she thinks. She could. She could date the hell out of him, and the more she thinks about the idea the more she likes it...

But, she was just with Calum and then she wasn't and then she was again (or was she, even?) and now she's not, again.

What she'd like to do, she realizes, is take things slow and do things right and go out on dates and hold hands and hang out and do coupley stuff, like watch movies and share inside jokes and have fun, because relationships shouldn't be difficult, they shouldn't.

And she says all of these things and the extra bit that's tumbled from her mouth with Harry literally laying on top of her, still staring at her with wide green eyes, nodding occasionally.

So, when Gypsy finishes she holds her breath and awaits his answer.

When he finally does, Gypsy decides that she might be able to breathe, again.

"Okay," Harry says with a nod.

"Okay?"

"Yeah," he says. "Okay."

"Because," she continues quickly, because he told her he freaking loved her, already. "'Cause I know I like you, Harry," she say. "I really, really do and when you tell me you love me I want to be able to be truly honest and sure of myself when I say it back."

Harry really grins at that because she's considered the thought of 'them.'

And that says a hell of a lot coming from Gypsy.

"Gypsy," Harry says, "okay. And honest, I don't mean that in a bad way, love. I want you, and so obviously I want to do whatever you want to do together. Really," he chuckles. "Honestly, I'm glad that you even want to give me," he shakes his head, "us, a chance considering the very..." there's a pause, "interesting summer we've both had."

Gypsy melts completely into a puddle between her sheets.

She shakes her head. "Where did you even come from, Harry?" She asks.

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, can anyone possibly deserve you?"

And it is when Harry opens his mouth to speak does he hear a knock on Gypsy's bedroom door.

"Gyps?!"

He freezes-stiffening on top of her.

There's another knock. "Gypsy, ma cher-Are you up?"

Gypsy attempts to yell around Harry and not in his face. "Yeah, Grandma," she calls. "I'm awake."

"Okay, then," Sissie calls back. "Breakfast is on the stove, babe. There's eggs and toast and juice..."

"Thank you, Grandma!"

"I'll be downstairs with your grandad if you need me."

"Okay, Gradma."

"Oh, and Gyps?"

She hums back a response as Harry relaxes a bit.

Gypsy tries not to laugh. "Yes?"

Her grandmother presses her body close against the door.

"Tell Harry I said 'good morning,' cher - And please let him know that he's more than welcome to breakfast, too."

"Oh-umm...uh? Okay-alright."

And 'fuck' is what she whispers with eyes wide and Harry still on top of her as Sissie's laugh fills the living room until she's left the suite and locks the door.

________

"How about lunch today?" Harry asks, leaning over the counter.

"Sure," Gypsy nods, as she checks the clock overhead. She can't wait for Demi to finish summer school so she no longer has to work the mornings. "Ed ought to be making lunch now, huh? I'll be done in," she squints, "sixteen minutes. Thank god."

Harry shakes his head. "How about we actually leave Charming for once, yeah?" He suggests. "Why don't we ever go out?"

"Oh," she grins, "I love adventures," she frowns, "But, I can't. Dinner, yes. Lunch," she sighs, "I can't leave until six."

"Right. I forgot you're lame and you work."

"You forgot?" Gypsy laughs. "I was gone too long, apparently."

"Fine," Harry says. "Dinner, then."

"You're taking me to dinner?"

He shrugs. "You can't go out to lunch, right?"

"Right..."

"So, dinner, then."

"Okay," she nods, and she's grinning and he's grinning and they're both actually so happy with the other. "Dinner."

Harry drums his fingers on the counter.

"I've been meaning to tell you," Harry begins, "that you should really share your voice with others more often."

Gypsy snorts, rolling her eyes because where did this come from? Harry was just so random.

"Oh yeah?"

Harry nods, "And it's funny, really, 'cause I've got the perfect opportunity for you to do so."

Gypsy laughs, spinning slowly around in the chair at the front desk.

"Um," she begins, "what?"

Harry laughs. "Li wanted me to tell you, actually. He said, actually...I dunno," he shrugs, "I guess, he said there's supposed to be some sort of talent show? It's at a hotel in a few weeks," he shrugs again, but he's biting on the inside of his lip like he does when he's attempting not to smile. "Niall and Justin actually know more about it but I said it was a great idea, yeah? You know, you singing in front of a crowd again, y'know? Since you liked it so much? So, Matty took the liberties of signing you up, okay? Alright then? Alright," he claps his hands, "So about dinner..."

Gypsy gapes at him like a fish. Her mouth falls open as if she's hit the deck and no longer surrounded by water, despite the sinking pit in her stomach that's literally drowning between her intestines.

"Matty did what?"

"Who?"

She narrows her eyes. "Don't you dare play dumb, Harold."

"Is 'Harold' what you call me when you're angry?" He grins. "I don't know, Gyps. S'kind of a turn-on."

"Harry!" She exclaims. "Matty signed me up for what?"

He sighs. "A show-A talent show."

Gypsy stares ahead. "A talent show..."

"At the place where all the boxing matches are, y'know? The one with the lions..."

She laughs humorlessly. "The fuckin' MGM Grand...?"

"That's the one."

"Harry, but-?"

"Look, Gyps," he holds up his hands in surrender, "you could always drop out, yeah? But, the boys and I were all talking and we think you could really do something with this, love. Like, you're a bloody fantastic singer and honestly, it's not like you don't know it and we know it but the world should know it."

"Harry-"

"Just," he interjects, "could you think about it?"

His green eyes are wide and Gypsy can't say 'no' to those eyes although she's just so uncertain about this.

Really?

MGM Grand?

Really????

"Fine," she huffs. "I'll think about it."

Harry grins sheepishly. "Great," he squeals and that definitely makes Gypsy laugh despite her trying so hard not to do so. "Besides, we still haven't gotten to see you perform, yet."

"I sent you a video!"

"Not the same, Gyps. Not the same."

______

"So, about Harry..."

Gypsy's steps halt and she pivots on her heel with a groan. She's just gone out with him, and he's just promised to come back in a bit and spend the night after she promised him a good-night kiss even though 'it's the first date' and all.

"Grandma..."

"What?" Sissie shrugs, Bubba in her lap on the couch. "I knew I liked him."

Gypsy's shoulders fall. "You didn't tell Grandpa, did you?"

Sissie clicks her teeth. "Of course not, my love. I quite like Harry, Gyps."

"Grandma-"

"But," Sissie sets Bubba on the floor and crosses the carpet, reaching her granddaughter and placing her hands around Gypsy's forearms. "You like him, don't you, cher?"

"I mean-"

"No, no," Sissie shakes her head. "Don't you give me that runaround, Gypsy. Either you do; you care about this boy or you don't. There is no in-between."

"I do," Gypsy blurts, because she'd be a liar to say anything else and her grandmother was far too keen for her to even pretend to lie. "I do like him, Grandma."

"So, he's your boyfriend, now?"

"No!" Gypsy exclaims, because she'd already messed that up that morning.

"Well," Sissie shrugs, "just be careful, cher. You're off to college next year, and-"

"Grandma," sighs Gypsy, "that's a year away."

Sissie lifts a hand. "It'll be here before you know it. Hate playing devil's advocate, but it's the truth," she shrugs. "What happens to Harry when it's you that has to leave?"

-~*~-

Yessss I'm back! Can you take all of this #Hypsy? Don't worry, #Calypsy is coming veeeeeerrrrrryyy soon. Like, next chapter soon. *Cue the evil laughter*

LITERALLY this story started out with me hoping to just write a short story for NanoWriMo and then I was like, no its a real story now and I was like, okay, 35 chapters and now I just don't even know like will Gypsy's lil tale ever end???? Jk jk it totally will.

Thanks sooooo much for all of your comments on the last chapter. Literally you guys are the BESST and I'm sorry for not responding to them. I read them all and smiled a lot and then attempted to do the mountain of work I literally have had since the beginning of the semester.

Anyway. Enough about me. Sorry about all of my crappy updates -- they'll get better I promise -- because now i've finally got some down time and can write some chapters to update more frequently.

PS THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO COMMENTED/VOTED ON NEBULA I'VE FINALLY GOT A ZAYN FIC AAAYYYYEEEE

Comment and vote! Sorry for this long a$$ author's note (lolz rhyming yay).