Amore.

That's what Harry had called his nice friend Liza and boy were those two closer than two peas in a pod.

Not a second went by that Harry wasn't wearing a playful smile on his handsome face or letting out an amused chuckle here and there when he was with Liza, the two currently sitting at a table conversing over half eaten cheesecake and memories while I sat in the back at the hotel bar.

Alone.

Just sippin' mah eggnog.

I observed their interaction as I drank from my cup, holding the homey looking mug to me as Harry rubbed the tip of his nose to hold back his chuckles while Liza began to explain something with elaborate hand motions, a joking smile on her face while I let out a small thoughtful sigh, pursing my lips.

It was nice to see Harry happy, actually enjoying someone's company for once.

It was a side I had never seen from him and it was more than refreshing to see him like that, even if I wasn't the reason why.

"Now that's gotta hurt." A familiar, charismatic voice said from behind, making me jolt on my stool in surprise, almost making me drop my drink in the process before I quickly caught it, hunched over the sloshing liquid in alarm before I glanced back at Bryan and Ryan who were leaning against the bar on the other side with identical, sympathetic expressions.

"Oh goodness you two scared me." I breathed out, placing a hand over my racing heart as I sent them a nervous smile while they exchanged looks for a moment before turning back to me.

"You're scaring us sweetness, you're taking this way too well." Bryan spoke up with a confused voice as Ryan nodded at his side while I raised my brow at them.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, moving on my stool to face them as they studied me.

"Well duh." Bryan began, giving me an incredulous look as Ryan crossed his arms over his chest.

"Your best friend there, the one's penis you saw. He's out there getting all comfy and kadoodling with his old pal while you're just sitting here letting it happen." Ryan nodded over at the two who were still deep in conversation, Liza now eating her cake while Harry leaned back in his chair, intently listening to her speak, seeming to hang on to her every word as I blinked at them.

"Well yeah, it's understandable." I reasoned in an unconcerned tone, running my finger absentmindedly along the rim of my mug.

"Harry seems to have known Liza a lot longer than he has with me and that's perfectly okay. All I can do is let him enjoy his time to catch up with her. I'm just hoping one day he'll look at me with a smile rather than a scowl like he does with her." I explained with a sense of hope laced in my words, taking another sip from my drink as I stared at the two with a longing expression.

"But, I'm working on it and I know Harry will be comfortable with me one day as well." I then said, turning back to the twins with a confident smile, placing my cup down firmly onto the counter and straightening my posture as they stared at me for a few moments.

Well gee, I know I may not be Harry's most favorite person on Earth but I don't think he detests me as much as he tries to lead me on to think.

Hopefully...

"Oh my god it's like talking to a puppy." Bryan muttered under his breath in awe as he glanced at his brother who rubbed the back of his neck.

"What? What did I say?" I asked in a lost voice, looking between them with wide eyes.

"Malu don't you get it? Having three close friends never works out." Ryan reiterated with a grim face.

"Never." Bryan backed him up as my smile dimmed.

"But why can't it work out?" I questioned with furrowed brows, sounding like a child who had just been told Santa Claus wasn't real.

"Alright, say you got a trio of close buddies right? One of them will always be closer to the other and vice versa. Then guess what happens to the third friend hm?" Ryan continued, raising his hands expectantly as I squinted my eyes at them.

"Um... the third friend holds them all together, like a glue." I attempted to guess only for the two brothers to slam their palms down onto the counter adruptly, both of them saying "no" in unison as I flinched back in surprise.

"The third amigo is... well, how do I put this..." Ryan trailed off in thought, rubbing his jaw and snapping his finger as Bryan leaned forward.

"Ditched." Bryan claimed with a straight face.

"Forgotten." Ryan said, meeting my gaze.

"Rejected." Bryan added.

"The Kevin Jonas of the trio." Ryan tsked with a saddened expression, closing his eyes and shaking his lowered head in a sorrowful manner as I frowned.

"But- they're just talking though," I said in a somewhat weak voice, still having faith in Harry and I's friendship as Bryan inhaled slowly with a concerned expression.

"Well of course. First it starts with just the two of them talking..." Bryan lowers his voice in a secretive whisper, both him and his brother bringing their heads down making me follow them as we eyed Liza and Harry.

"Then it turns into calling and making plans with just the two of them." Ryan elaborated in the same grim tone.

"Ring ring, oh hey Harry." Bryan used his hand as a phone, bringing it to his ear as he batted his eyelashes and pretended to twirl his non existent long hair while Ryan leaned over the counter, using his own hand as a make shift phone as well.

"Hey Liza, wanna hang out today?" Ryan cleared his voice, making it lower and deeper as I blinked at the two with uncertainty, shifting my gaze between them.

"Love to, should we invite Malu?" Bryan asked in his high, falcetto lady voice.

"Nah, she seems busy and it would be cool to just hang out one on one." Ryan replied with a scrunch of his face, causing my jaw to drop as I placed my hand over my parted lips at his words.

"Sounds great." Bryan giggled.

"Wait no I'm not busy at all- I can totally hang out, I can hang out hello." I panicked, reaching over and grabbing Bryan's make shift phone with a distraught expression, getting ahead of myself and actually speaking into his hand and bringing it to my ear while the two sent me knowing looks.

Lowering Bryan's hand I ended the fake phone call with my lips pressed in a firm, line.

"Harry wouldn't do that." I defended in a firm voice as Ryan sucked in a breath of air between his teeth at my claim.

And if he did, then that was okay.

Because people have more than one friend.

It's just for my case I had only one.

"Don't say we didn't warn you sweetness." Bryan wagged a disapproving finger at me while Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his eyes on me.

"See for yourself," Ryan then urged, gesturing over to Harry and Liza's table.

"Yeah, don't just take our word for it, try seeing whose company he seems to enjoy the most." Bryan said, raising his hands up in surrender as I looked at the brothers before turning my head towards my friend across the room, a nervous knot twisting in my stomach as I took in a deep breath.

"Okay, I will." I proudly stated with my chin held high, sliding off my stool with a determined expression as I slowly approached Harry and Liza with steady steps.

They were of course laughing over something, a funny memory or an inside joke I guess since I really couldn't piece together what was so humorous just by their little snippets of chatter.

When I was close enough I joined in with their chuckles, trying to include myself before they both stopped and turned their heads to stare at me, leaving me the only one laughing until my 'ha ha's' slowly faded into silence under their gazes.

I blinked at them with wide eyes, not knowing what else to do before I decided to just take a seat besides Harry who was situated in between Liza and I.

"Hey Malu, how is it working with this guy anyways? He's not too hard on you right?" Liza smiled at me, a sincere, friendly tone in her warm voice making me smile as I scootched closer to the table.

"It's the best actually. Harry saved my life, he took a bullet for me on our first mission so I know under all that tough exterior he's a big softie." I informed, directing the end of my sentence towards Harry who avoided my gaze as he took a drink of his mug while Liza's eyes widened, accentuating her long lashes.

"Well look at you bein' all heroic and stuff..." She playfully nudged him as he stared at her with a blank expression.

"It's true though, he really is a softie. You can tell with all those Italian nicknames he pulls on people. Swear when he first called me amore I was dead." Liza laughed at the memory as Harry ran his fingers over his pierced lip, leaning his elbow against the arm of his chair and keeping silent with a subtle smirk on his face while he watched her.

"He gave me a nickname too!" I brought up with joy, finally finding a relatable connection with Liza.

Great start, great start, everything was going good.

"Ohh... what is it?" She asked with interest.

"Manichina." I beamed, feeling Harry's intense gaze on my face.

"That sounds pretty. Must be something nice, does it stand for flower? Beautiful?" Liza questioned with a tilt of her head as my eyes widened in realization when I remembered what my nickname actually meant.

"Uh... it means dummy..." I responded, deflating slightly in my chair with slumped shoulders as Liza's mouth formed a small 'O', not knowing what to say while Harry leaned back in his chair.

"I only call you that when you annoy me. Now I usually call her neonata." He informed with a nonchalant shrug, catching me staring at the steaming mug of hot cocoa he was drinking before he subtly pushed it to me across the table, making me send him a grateful grin before I took a sip of his drink.

"I'm sorry, the only languages I can speak are English and bitch. Neonata means..." Liza trailed off with an expectant look as Harry kept his heated gaze on me.

"It means babygirl." He responded in a low, gravelly voice that actually gave me a bit of the goosebumps- either that or the hot cocoa here was just that amazing before I felt it.

Right when Harry said 'babygirl' I felt him lightly nudge my foot with his underneath the table, a very small, subtle gesture yet it made me almost choke on the hot cocoa all together.

I placed the cup down, smiling softly at his action as Harry caught my eye before he looked away with a smirk.

"Only because she acts like a baby." He added with a sly look, making Liza glance between Harry and I as I light heartedly scrunched my face up at him.

I don't even know why I was so nervous about this whole friendship thing, Liza was so sweet and I'll always put my faith in Harry.

There was absolutely no competition and there shouldn't be, I was simply being silly and paranoid for no reason.

I was so content with how everything was going I didn't even notice Harry and Liza were already standing to their feet until I heard the sound of their chairs screech against the wood floor.

"Bambina, Liza wanted me to show her a few more defenses and attacks today in the gym before she leaves. We can make gingerbread houses tomorrow yeah?" He asked, placing his palms on the table and leaning forward to meet my gaze as I looked up at him.

"Sure," I agreed, shifting in my seat and blowing on his cocoa before bringing it back to my lips, remembering how Harry had told me he used to train Liza in fighting when they first met.

"We could always do it on Christmas day. When are you leaving? Harry and I are leaving tomorrow after a play I'm acting in for the local kids around here." I told her with an eager look etched across my face.

Not only was Christmas only two days away, but before Harry and I head back home I had volunteered to be in a short notice fairy tale play for the kids who lived around this area and the families who were staying in this hotel.

I signed up to be none other than Red Riding Hood and the best part was that the play was going to be set up outside in the snow near the tall, forest like trees which made it seem even more realistic for the children.

I joked that Harry should have volunteered to be the big bad wolf, I even complimented him and told him he'd look great with little wolf ears, like a cute puppy.

He pushed me into the snow and walked away after I had said that.

"I'm leaving tonight. My real destination's LA but I got kinda side tracked with the snow over here, and then I spotted Harry over here." Liza informed as I nodded in understanding before Harry ran his hand through his brown hair with impatience.

"Right, well we might take all day so just stay around here and relax for the next couple of hours." Harry told me, his stern voice making his sentence sound more like a demand before he left the table without waiting for a response, leaving Liza lingering there for a moment before she sent me a secretive smile.

"Hey, did you know you and Harry's name mashed together makes 'Marry.' Coincidence.... I think not..." She sang the last sentence out with wide eyes, wiggling her brows at me as I couldn't help but laugh at her goofyness before Harry snapped at her from across the room.

"Liza. Now." He said in an irritated voice, waiting for her at the exit as she sent me one last eye raise.

"I'm in trouble." She shrugged in a carless tone before she walked over to Harry, a clear scowl on his face.

"What did you tell her." He hissed at Liza in annoyance as they walked out of the door, their voices fading into the hallway as I figured out what I was going to do today.

I decided I was going to work on wrapping Harry's Christmas gifts already, mentally contemplating which wrapping paper I should use when Bryan and Ryan approached me, taking a seat at the table with arrogant looks.

"Now did we tell you, or did we tell you." Ryan began, pointing at me before looking over at his brother.

"Oh we told her." Bryan said with a nod as I let out a breath and gave them a knowing smile.

"Okay you two, cool it. Harry just had to go teach Liza a few new fighting moves at the gym today it's no big deal, you guys worry too much about the negative." I told them with a carefree attitude before I rose to my feet, peering down at the twins with a motivated grin.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a three sleeved sweater I have to finish making for someone very important to me."

**

I chose dancing snowmen for the wrapping paper.

It was really a tough decision between that and the candy cane elves but I knew Harry was the cool, quiet, mysterious type so I chose the dancing snowmen.

I had knit the white, cozy, sweater with love for Harry, wrapped up with baby blue soft tissue paper, the snowman wrapping, and then all tied perfectly together with white silky ribbon.

The anticipation of waiting to see the look on Harry's face when he would open and see his home made sweater was practically killing me slowly, I had imagined every type of reaction from him all day from him smiling those rare, cherished miniscule smiles or maybe even giving me a high five.

However Harry was going to react, I couldn't wait any longer and by the end of the day I decided to give him the gift as an early Christmas present and a little 'thank you' for putting up with my high, jolly, holiday spirit and going along with everything.

The problem was I just couldn't find him or Liza.

They weren't at the hotel gym and I had looked everywhere around the almost empty lobby for them, cradling Harry's gift to my chest as I aimlessly wandered around.

I went to the bar in the back in hopes to catch Bryan or Ryan and ask if they had seen Harry or Liza anywhere but the twins weren't there.

Glancing around for a few more moments at the empty bar I was about to turn and look somewhere else when I heard two familiar voices in the back room where the kitchen was making me pause in my step.

They were Harry and Liza's voices.

A smile of relief washed over my face, happy that I finally found them as I made my way over the back door that was open just a crack, the welcoming light of the and the quiet chatter of two friends pouring out from the gap as I braced my knuckles over the wood, ready to knock before the next words that left Harry's mouth made my whole body freeze all together.

"-that the only reason I'm doing this is because I made a deal and I can't wait till Christmas is over so I don't have to deal with her ever again." Harry's baritone voice informed on the other side of the door, my heart plummeting to my stomach while my shaking hand hovered over the barrier.

"You see the ridiculous things she makes me do." He pointed out, the silence that followed after almost suffocating as I held my breath, biting my lip in guilt.

Harry really didn't like me...

And all this time I was forcing everything on him but I just thought- I thought we'd gotten closer over it all.

"Alright chill out, stop squeezing too hard or the icing's gonna burst." Liza told him, making my eyes widen slightly at the 'icing' part before I dared myself to lean forward and peek at them through the crevice of the door, my jaw dropping at the sight of Liza helping Harry ice a gingerbread house.

The gingerbread house that Harry had told me we would do another time.

The one that I've been waiting to make with him.

"You know I'd only do this with you amore." Harry commented with a sly smirk as they exchanged smiles, getting closer when she helped him hold the icing bag.

I was- I thought I would be the one to help Harry handle the icing bag...

"Well I'm glad I could help and all but did you really have to lie to Malu like that?" She questioned in a soft voice, my frown deepening as it seemed like a century until Harry answered.

"She's a nosey child who will always try to include herself in everyone's business. Of course I had to lie to her about what we were up to." Was his response before I slowly inhaled a shakey breath, my throat feeling dry and my hands feeling clammy as I stepped away from the door like I had just been slapped straight across the face.

I had been stabbed, burned, tazered, and shot on at least half of my missions.

But hearing those words come out from the only friend I thought I had hurt more than that put together.

I was heart broken, I was angry -although I didn't know if I was more mad at Harry or myself for pushing all of this on him- and the more I looked down at his gift in my hand the more I wanted it out of my sight.

The pattern of happy dancing snowmen, the curled white ribbon, the knitted sweater inside that I had took my time to make were just reminders that they meant absolutely nothing to Harry.

I, I meant absolutely nothing to Harry.

With creased brows and a small, uncontrolled huff I placed the present down in front of the door, not bothering to look at it any longer before I quickly turned on my heel and left, blinking back tears and forcing myself not to cry.

I furiously wiped at my watering eyes with the sleeve of my shirt, sniffing with a vexed expression on my probably flushed, cross, face as I stormed into the elevator.

I am not a child.

I'm not going to cry.

I had no idea what I'd do once I reached Harry and I's hotel room on the tenth floor, knowing I would just see him again later on as I placed my card key in my sweaty hands into the slot of the door, ready to turn the knob and scream my frustrations into the nearest pillow I could find before a sudden cry for help bellowed throughout the hall.

"Call 911!" A man yelled in alarm, catching my attention as a few people even ran past me to whatever was going on down the hallway.

A few hotel guests even came out of their rooms at all of the commotion so late at night before I disregarded my room and bolted to the source of the chaos, running through the corridor until I approached a group of frantic people, yelling and reaching out for something- or someone outside of the large window.

"Help! I changed my mind I wanna live!" The shout of a desperate man rung through the air, some people recording, some actually trying to help, and the rest phoning the police as I pushed my way to the windowsill, finding a shaggy, scrawny man dangling right at the side of the window by the Christmas lights that were decorated over the hotel exterior.

"Stay calm-" Someone advised from the crowd.

"I'm dangling ten stories above the street! Why don't you come over here and then I try telling you to stay calm!" The endangered man panicked, flailing his legs around in fear as I quickly stood on the window sill, the cold air nipping my skin as the people behind me gasped and screamed in shock at my actions while I inched outside.

"What is she doing!?" A woman cried out in horror.

"Get back here!" An outraged man snapped.

"Fuck it they're both gonna die now." A teenager commented as he pressed record on his phone while I tried to stable myself, my feet easily slipping against the frosted ledge as I bravely criuched down and reached for the man.

He took my hand without hesitation, tears streaming down his face as he shook in my grasp before I grit my teeth, trying to pull him back onto the ledge with me.

I succeeded in that at least.

I helped the deranged man up, his knees wobbling as I slowly ushered him to the window first before me.

"Look at me, you're okay- don't look, don't look down. You're alright." I reassured him in a calm tone, making sure he kept his wide dull eyes trained on mine and right as I lost my footing I managed to push him through the window into the crowd of people before I fell.

My hands immediatly saught for any grasp I could hold to keep me from plumetting to my death as a surpressed scream escaped my throat before I grabbed the dangling Christmas lights, now in the same position as the man was before me while I glanced down at the ant sized cars and people below.

"Oh good grief." I breathed out through gritted teeth, tilting my head up to look at the people who were now trying to get out of the window and onto the ledge to help me.

"No stay there! Don't go out, there's a layer of frost on the ledge and you'll slip!" I quickly warned, readjusting my slipping grip on the lights as I inhaled slowly to control the fear that was bubbling inside of me.

Okay Malu, it's fine, you got yourself into this mess you can get yourself out, piece of cake-

"Malu!?" A female voice called out to me in shock and terror, making me look up through my brown hair that was whipping in my face from the wind to find Liza pushing her way through the crowd towards the window to peer down at me.

"I saw a group of people with their phones out so I thought I'd join! What are you doing!? Harry's looking for you in you guys' hotel room." She yelled, cupping her hands over the sides of her mouth so her voice would carry out to me as my arms began to ache ever so slightly before I looked back down at the large fall beneath me.

"Just- I'm just in a little pickle is all!" I called out to her, shivering in the cold before my eyes widened at the sight of Liza getting out of the window and onto the ledge like I had done before, swatting and hitting the people who tried to stop her.

"Wait! Liza no-"

"It's okay I got this! All we need to do is tug you back in by the lights!" She claimed, bringing her hands out and trying to go on the other side of the window to gather all the lights before she let out a startled scream, flailing and slipping on the iced exterior before falling and grabbing the lights on the other side of the window.

Now we were both stuck dangling over the street across from one another.

"Ha, woops, see it's funny because you told me not to- and then I- I did and now we're... yeah..." She swallowed, sending me a nervous smile as I let out a heavy sigh, trying to compose myself before I looked around me.

"Alright just don't panic, we can get out of this." I told her, eyeing how her hands were slipping considerably as she struggled.

"Take your time..." She wheezed out, already hypervenilating before our names were called.

Our nicknames.

"Neonata! Amore!" Harry snapped at us in clear alarm, bracing himself and leaning forward through the window as he peered down at us with wide, urgent green eyes as we both turned our heads up to him.

"Harry!" We both yelled, our screams sounding much too similar when the wires of the lights started to break away from the ledge, popping off one at a time causing the both of us to fall lower ever so slightly as we held on tight while Harry immediatly stood out on the window sill.

He frantically looked between Liza and I, his chest heaving up and down with a torn and distraught expression on his face.

And for the first time since I met Harry, I could see the pure fear in his eyes, knowing he only had time to save one of us from falling to our deaths.

He just didn't know which one.

AN: Lmao I love drama.

I had a 20 hour flight and I only managed to write this cause I'm jet lagged, my sleeping schedule is a mess, my hair and skin be greasy af and I don't speak a word of tagalog so I'm just nodding and smiling at all the nice filipinos greeting me here.

Idk why but im getting lots of appreciation posts on my message boards lately and I just want to thank you guys for always being so supportive and putting a smile on my face. I love writing because of you guys.