[ASTRID REESE]
London, England

★ ★ ★

It took almost a week for Astrid to regain control of her healthy body. In that week, she could not look at any sort of screen without getting the worst migraine in the world, and this meant she could not get any work done or waste her time by binge watching shows she's already seen. Anything that didn't involve sleeping had no place on her things to do list but perhaps that was for the best. 

Sofia made it home on day three of Astrid feeling like if she jumped off of their balcony, she would feel ten times better. Knowing how sickly Reese felt, Ayla didn't join her mother in moving back home. It gave Sofia plenty of time to go from looking after one child to take care of another. Somewhere along that week of nursing Astrid back to health, Sofia couldn't help but wonder where the hell Mr Sex on Legs went when he was needed the most.

Speaking of him, Harry did visit. Even if he could only pop up to see Astrid for ten minutes, he made the effort to see her after work. Each time, he wore his navy scrubs and his hair was dishevelled like it hasn't been touched by a brush in days.

During his last visit, he mentioned he would be away for the upcoming weekend due to a trip he had planned to Dublin. Astrid pouted, and teased him about leaving her behind. Harry was quick to jump to his defence, reassuring that he would be away for work and not leisure. Before he left that evening, he promised her that soon as his feet were on English soil again, he would be calling her and making his way over to the apartment.

That moment came around a little quicker than she anticipated.

That moment was now.

Today 19:48

Guess who's home!

The photo of the city from above took Astrid's breath away. The lights perfectly highlighting the roads, and different buildings in the night brought a sense of comfort to Astrid. Insane amount of jealousy filled her stomach at the sight, wishing for nothing more than to be sitting on that plane with him.

Before Astrid responded, she saved the photo to her phone. After she double tapped the message and hearted the photo, she went to reply.

Exciting!

I hope you had a great time. Have a safe trip home from the airport. X

Even though what Astrid wanted to say was a little more along the lines of, I can't wait to see you and hug the life out of you because I've missed you more than I anticipated I would. Throwing all of that onto him via text would've been overwhelming, plus Astrid didn't quite feel ready yet to accept how much his absence affected her.

Pathetic. That's how she felt. Absolutely pathetic.

Astrid Reese changed her lockscreen and homescreen to the photo of the city from Harry's point of view. It fit so perfectly that her heart physically swayed in her chest as though it was nothing but a lone boat abandoned on a lake.

Now that Astrid's body regained somewhat of its strength, she could actually use her phone, watch the TV, and pull her blinds apart to get some fresh air in the room. She also noted that it was now safe for Ayla to come home, which is why Astrid was alone. Sofia had gone to pick her up. It was Monday again tomorrow so school would start for Ayla, and considering that her father needed to travel up to Manchester for whatever retreat he had going on at work, she needed to come home.

No more texts came from Harry. The lack of response made Astrid's hope deflate. For whatever reason, she thought he would genuinely make his first stop at her home. Whilst he'd been away, and she was getting better, one of the only things that got her through the horrible cold she caught had been the idea of seeing him very soon.

Once again—pathetic. So incredibly pathetic.

But then somehow, after at least a good hour of the texts being exchanged between them, the front door of the apartment opened. Voices filled the quiet space. Ayla first, then—no.

"Yes, I would love to help you with your science homework," he said. Harry said. Harry Styles said that. Loud and clear. "How about you get yourself set up at your desk like your mum suggested in the car?"

"Alright!" Ayla claimed, and it sounded like she made a sprint for it from the door towards the stairs. She thumped her way upstairs, shoes and all, which was followed by her mother's shouting about 'what did I tell you about wearing shoes inside the house? For fuck's sake, Ayla.'

"Sorry," Sofia sighed, her voice nearing Astrid. For old times' sake, she pretended to be asleep. When she was a child, she'd do that so that her father would carry her upstairs and tuck her in her bed.

In this situation, she wasn't sure if she wanted Harry to do that, or if she simply felt embarrassed by her own thoughts and the way her emotions had washed over her earlier, so she decided to ignore Harry by faking being asleep.

"She knows she can't walk around the house in outside shoes," Sofia continued to explain. "And you don't have to help her with her science homework, but I would be most appreciative if you could because no one in this house knows a thing about the subject."

Harry laughed. Astrid heard it perfectly because they stood in the kitchen, which practically overlooked the living room.

"Of course," Harry responded ever so politely. The idea of helping a kid with homework didn't scare him away at all. In fact, he genuinely sounded like he didn't mind lending a helping hand because in that moment, he thought that to be the most important task to complete.

"I would ask you to kick her down the stairs along with those dirty shoes she is wearing but I'm afraid it would make you call the police on me," Sofia continued to chatter away, completely free of the things that left her mouth in Harry's presence. Somehow, he managed to make Sofia feel comfortable around him, and Astrid knew that was the case because Sofia was being Sofia.

"Hey, I'm not going to tell you how to parent your kid," Harry came to his own defence right away. Harry was a smart enough man to know how to differentiate between banter and something serious. 

Some time had gone by and only shuffling could be heard. A few 'thanks' and 'sorry' echoing in the kitchen. Ever so sneakily, Astrid peeked but given how she was laying, she couldn't see anything but the TV before her. To turn and look would've meant giving herself away.

"So," Sofia broke the silence, her voice filled with question marks. That one word told everything of what was to come—questions that she should've left unasked. "I'm curious. Do you have kids?"

"I don't have kids, no," he replied, not phased by the question in the slightest. Did he know he would be grilled until the end? Did he come prepared? How did he even end up here? Coming back with Sofia and Ayla?

"Do you want any?"

He stayed silent for a few seconds like he thought about the question. He did that sometimes. "That's a difficult question to answer. Is there a reason you want to know?"

"Why is that a difficult question to answer?"

A chuckle left the surgeon, one that clearly revealed he felt uncomfortable answering that question. Would this have been the appropriate time to stop faking being asleep? No, I want to know his answer.

"It's a tricky subject for me, that's all," he responded rather than revealing his true response. "So, if this is a security question I must answer to be cleared to help Ayla with her homework, I'm not sure I can stay for much longer."

The tension thickened the air to the point where Astrid felt like she could choke any second.

Thankfully, her other half diffused the situation like she didn't even notice the awkward blanket that covered them suddenly. 

"No... no," Sofia said, voice light—mellow. "You just seem to handle my daughter well, though I suppose that has a lot to do with the nature of your job."

"I have a younger sister which I think prepared me in a way," he found himself saying. It surprised Astrid to hear him be so open with Sofia. It also surprised Astrid that he spoke of his sister. This had to be the first time. "My job also helps, sure. Ultimately, though, I think me being able to... handle, as you said, your daughter has more to do with the way you and her father raised her."

Sofia chuckled. "Perfect answer."

Harry also laughed until they were both quiet again.

"Well, what about you, then?" Harry decided to spark up the conversation again. "Do you want more kids?"

"Oh, are you serious?" Sofia started to laugh, not watching how loud she was becoming which could only mean one thing. She knew Astrid was awake—and has been this whole time. The question about Harry being a dad was more for Astrid's sake than Sofia being truly curious.

When Jameson spoke again, her voice quieted down to the minimum. "I never, ever, wanted a kid. The idea of being pregnant again makes me want to run for the hills."

"Really?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Oh, yes," she laughed dryly. "If I ever pick up an infant again, it will be Astrid's kid."

"Hm."

"She is obsessed with them," Sofia let it slip. God damn you, Jameson, she thought. I thought we were gathering information on Harry. "Did you know she was a baby cuddler?"

"She was?" he sounded surprised but he had to be the first man she encountered who knew what that was. He is a fucking doctor, of course he knows what a baby cuddler is. While Sofia hummed, he said, "Wow."

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I was pregnant with Ayla, and she would always, always come to the check ups with me. Every single time, she'd say she'll be back she's just going to the toilet but she'd never come back again. Somehow, she'd always find her way to the newborns and just watch them with such amazement that I actually wished I could detach my stomach and pass it to her."

"That would've been a great relief, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," Sofia scoffed. "I was huge while I was pregnant, and I delivered past my due date—look."

Did she just show him a photo of her pregnant belly?

Harry sounded like he gasped. "Bloody hell."

She showed him a photo of her pregnant belly.

"Yeah," she hummed. "But anyway—Astrid. She'd just be there, every single time, and the nurse was always the same one there. They asked if she wanted to help out, and my god," Sofia laughed like she thought back to the moment fondly. She was there when they asked Astrid. The memory brought a small smile to Astrid's face. "I have never seen her happier."

"I didn't know that about her," he said.

"Not a lot of people do," she mentioned. There was an apparent change in her voice as she said, "She kept in touch with a few of the parents for a while but then life happened and she's not mentioned it since."

Astrid knew what Sofia meant. The pain shot through her chest like an arrow on fire at the bare thought. There'd been a particular family, a moment where Astrid's judgement had relapsed. Not once she allowed herself to think of it because it no longer mattered, even if it hurt.

She shifted uncomfortably. The blanket weighed down on her left and slid to the floor. To stay and pretend for longer made her feel hot and bothered and achy, so she exhaled, long and deep, like she would in the morning. Stretched her body as much as she could. Rubbed at her eyes as she allowed them to get used to the light.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Sofia called out right away, a knowing smirk on her face welcoming Astrid. A second later, Harry turned around. He sat on one of the bar stools in a pair of burgundy trousers, a black jumper, and what seemed to be a white long-sleeved button up under it. "I brought your prince home."

"Shut up," Astrid mumbled as blood rushed to her cheeks and sold her out completely. "When did you get in?" she yawned, and it was real. Sofia must've thought otherwise because she rolled her eyes, aware that Harry wouldn't see. Definitely not with the intensity he was watching Astrid.

Did I grow another head while I slept?

"Ten minutes ago," she responded. "I would've been home sooner, but—,"

"I asked Sofia to pick me up from the airport," Harry interrupted. He glanced back at Sofia, who nodded to confirm his story.

Astrid's eyebrows shot to her forehead. "And she did?"

"Well, he is here, isn't he?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, I must've missed the part where you two became such close mates," Astrid laughed beneath her words, breathless—stunned.

Neither of them said anything in response. Nothing more than the two of them sharing a glance then shrugging, resulting in Astrid feeling like a damn stranger in her own home. Correction, like someone who escaped from a mental institution because it sure as hell felt like she was seeing things.

"Right—I'm going to get changed, then make some dinner," Sofia announced, walking around the kitchen island, leaving Harry behind her in the process. Before she disappeared towards the stairs, she glanced back at the surgeon and said, "I'll check on Ayla, and let you know if she's ready for her little tutoring session."

"No worries," Harry nodded, and then they were alone.

Astrid and Harry.

How could she stay alone with him when the only thing she wanted to do was kiss him and tell him how good it was to see him again? 

"How are you feeling?" that was his first question. A very normal question. Something she should've expected, but her previously delirious mind built this picture of Harry for her and she could only see him in front of her.

"Huh?" she looked at him while her cheeks flushed red. What. The. Fuck. "Me? I'm okay." I think. "You?"

"Me?" Astrid nodded, and an amused grin made his lips curl upwards. "I'm okay."

It took a second. And then it clicked. Astrid gasped at him and then laughed, "That's not funny."

"What's not funny?" he wondered, leaning his elbow on the kitchen island, his cheek in his palm. Those green eyes of his showed how exhausted he was yet they still sparkled like he stared up at the stars on the night sky. Deepening into his cheeks, the dimples were a lovely match for the soft rose shade of blush that filled his skin. Astrid didn't know why he got so flushed around her.

"You, copying my answer," she said, crossing her arms. Her legs took her closer to him, step by step. Calculated. Slow. She didn't know how far to go with him. Did he think about her while he was away?

"That laugh of yours begs otherwise," he stated, and it was her turn to feel the blood rushing to the surface of her skin all over again. Sheepishly, she looked down and brushed a finger under her nose to hide her embarrassment. Astrid now stood close enough to him to feel the heat radiating from his legs—his knees so close to touching her thighs. In the end, Harry took it up on himself to reach out and grab her hand. Warm skin connected to warm skin, his thumb over her knuckles. "I've missed it. I've missed you, honey."

The confession made her knees weak. Something about it, and his tone of voice, caused her heart to race, to deepen, to reach up to her ears and fill them completely. While Astrid knew it was impossible, she couldn't help but wonder if her skin started smoking from how hot her blood turned, melting her from the inside out.

"I've missed you, too," she admitted. It felt like letting the heaviest set of weights fall from her grasp to the floor. Uncontrollably, her mouth twitched upwards and he mimicked her facial expression. Except he looked so beautiful Astrid practically choked on her own breath of air.

Harry hummed as though the words satisfied him. Seeing him like this, so tightly clutched in her soft hands, she felt like she controlled his whole world. The stars in his eyes painted a future that seemed to answer to everything Astrid ever wanted in life, and perhaps the naivety of believing it could ever happen felt enough to encourage her to make her next move.

Closer to him than she'd been in a while, arms wrapped around his neck and body trapped between his legs, she could only think of one thing.

Kiss me. Kiss me. Kiss me.

As if Harry could sense her thought, his hands tightened on her waist. He held on to her like she'd disappear if he lifted a finger. Being so close to him, feeling the warmth engulfing Astrid's entire body, left a tingling sensation in her chest—in her heart. Everything about this felt strangely right. It didn't make sense to Reese, but she knew she couldn't have been anywhere else but here. With him.

Zoned out and overwhelmed by her mind, Astrid missed the moment where Harry decided he would kiss her. The gentle nudge of his nose against hers left her body to stiffen, awaiting the second he'd finally remind her of what she truly had been missing while he was away from her.

His breath fanned her lips, light, and cool, and—, "Would it be alright with you if I kisse—"

"Yes," she interrupted him, refusing to wait a breath longer for him to be a kind and polite man who always had to ask for permission before doing anything. "Yes, please. Please kiss me or else—,"

He kissed her.

His lips quite literally smashed against hers with such intensity that their teeth clashed, leaving Astrid to whine and lean her forehead to his.

Harry's soft chuckles made her smile, despite the uncomfortable feeling in her mouth. His hand first perfectly to the side of her neck, his fingers swam towards the back of her head, softly closing his fist around her unbrushed hair.

"Perhaps we should slow down," he suggested, and she nodded, curling her body to his. Moments later, with her face tucked in the crook of his neck, she was inhaling the scent of his clothes, the perfume he wore, the chewing gum in his mouth. "Are you alright, beautiful?" he asked, running his fingers down the back of her head, the other arm affectionately around her body.

"Yes," she mumbled, letting her arms fall from around him and she rose. The light hit her—blinded her, so she squinted while he brushed the hair back from her face and he smiled. "Thankfully for me, I have a teeth surgeon on hand if I need one, right?"

At first, Harry didn't seem to understand. Then it clicked for him, and he laughed. "That's right. You do."

Astrid winked at him and moved back, wandering into the kitchen to roam through the newly filled fridge. From the corner of her eye, she could see Harry turning back to watch her but the blue white light pouring from the machine highlighted paradise.

"Get out of the fridge," said Sofia without even being in the same area as her. The volume on the TV turned louder until it could be heard from the kitchen.

"I'm not in the fridge," Astrid responded while ever so quietly closing the door.

"And I've known you since 2017—how many years is that? Fourteen—fifteen?"

"Fifteen," Harry chimed in.

"Thanks, Doc," she replied, now directly in Astrid line of view. "Ayla is almost out of the shower. Do you want to take one?"

Harry's voice came out uncertain as he stated, "I don't want to be in the way. You two still need to settle back in."

"Nonsense," Sofia waved him off, grabbing the handle on the fridge. Harry's eyes slid back to Astrid, who sat on the counter, hands under her thighs, legs dangling off. She shrugged. This definitely felt like Sofia was her mother. "Plus, I won't be driving you back to your place. Sorry, babe."

"I was just going to call an Uber after I was done here," he explained. Knowing that Harry didn't plan on staying longer than the time it took for him to help Ayla caused Astrid's heart to sink.

"Oh, quit being a gentleman. Go, and make out with Astrid in her room while you're not needed for your brain."

"Fuck off," Astrid said immediately, hating how those words affected her. Honestly, she wished for nothing more than to be a part of a heavy make out session with Harry but knowing that Sofia would know, made her uneasy. For whatever insane reason, Astrid wanted to keep whatever she had with Harry going on private.

"Though, you will definitely need a shower and a change of clothes if that's what you want to be doing," Sofia continued as she got to preparing the chicken. With the large, sharp knife waving in her hand, she looked up, pointed it at her and said, "She despises when people get on the bed in outside clothes. If you're sweaty, she will literally drown you in perfume or deodorant then send you for a shower if that didn't help."

"Okay," Astrid hopped off of the counter, eyes wide. She rounded the kitchen island and grabbed Harry's hand to pull him away. "Thanks for that, Sof."

Jameson smirked as she went back to the chicken. "Please—he has to know that you were one of those girls in the P.E. changing room who walked in with a bottle of Victoria's Secret body spray and emptied half of it to get rid of the smell of sweat in there, then proceeded to douse yourself to make sure everyone knew it wasn't your smell."

No lies detected. Still incredibly embarrassing to be sharing with Mr Sex on Legs present.

"Oh gods—were you also the type to stink up the classroom with that bloody spray?" Harry questioned, groaning as his eyes accused her. "I swear they gave me a headache so bad I had to go to the nurse for a head pill."

"No, I didn't do tha—,"

"Yes, she was that girl," Sofia interrupted, throwing her under the bus. Astrid gasped and almost said something mean when her best friend continued, "I'm really glad we didn't know each other in secondary school because I most definitely would've hated you, and made fun of you with my friends."

Astrid gasped. "I told you all of this in confidence!" 

"Now, not to stereotype," Harry began to say whilst he pulled Astrid between his legs again. The chair was far enough that she could fit before him, and the way she leaned into his chest made her smaller so he could easily put his arms under her armpits and rest his chin on her head. "But those girls were always called Megan or Caitlin. I was terrified my sister would turn out like that, but I suppose it's only a certain spelling of Caitlin that are annoying as shit."

Astrid frowned, and Sofia shared a look with her. In the end, it was Reese who questioned, "How else can you spell Caitlin?"

"With a K."

She couldn't help it. She choked on her breath, and scoffed. "Kaitlin?" she asked back. "Who did your mother think she was, Kris Kardashian?"

"Who's that?" Harry questioned. It made Astrid lean forward and turn back to face him. "What?"

Astrid shook her head. "Nothing—no one. I won't ruin your purity."

She got comfortable again. The conversation stirred to whatever was Sofia making until her and Harry basically went head-to-head in how best to flavour the meat. It got boring real fast, though the way Harry's voice resonated through his chest and against Astrid's back felt incredible. The soft caressing of his fingers under her shirt, spreading across her hip bone and stomach left her skin in covered in goose bumps.

When the hell did we become so comfortable?

"I'm ready!"

Ayla's sudden voice made Astrid jump. In the process, she managed to headbutt Harry in the chin who hissed and grabbed his face.

"Oh, fuck! I'm so sorry—are you okay?" she asked, hands in front of her open mouth. The laughter bubbled in her chest until her eyes started to crinkle. A moment passed and her chuckles broke. Reaching forward as if she could heal his face, she said, "I'm so sorry, Harry. Does it really hurt?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," he repeated as he got to his feet, opening his mouth as if locking his jaw would help him. He looked at her in the end, and she stood by Ayla. Harry said, "I'm fine. Just don't do that again, alright?"

"Yes."

"Sorry."

Astrid turned to Ayla just as Ayla turned to Astrid. The little girl apologised with such guilt in her eyes that it took everything in Reese to not pick her up and reassure her it was fine. Since she couldn't feel Harry's pain, she couldn't exactly do that, no matter how much she wished.

"Nothing to be sorry for," Harry took over, smiling gently. "It happens, alright? Now, let's go tackle this science homework, Little Miss."

Ayla nodded once, her hands behind her back. "Let's!" she agreed, then led Harry upstairs while explaining what she could remember of her task.

★ ★ ★

[A.N.]

[HAPPY HARRY FRIDAY. HAPPY BIRTH-DAY TO HARRY'S HOUSE.] 

[Please leave your favourite track in the comments. Actually, rank the songs. I want to know!] 

[In other news, Astrid was a baby cuddler. You know who else used to want to be a baby cuddler? WESLEY ATKINS. I miss Wes SO MUCH. I feel like he is part of Astrid now. What if I brought him over from the LBOL universe? OMG. What if Griffin and Wes end up together in this universe? Harry ends up with Astrid here. Oh my god. This just gave me a whole new sense of motivation. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. Do I have any readers from LBOL here still, or did you all leave me? </3]

[This is all I can think about now.] 

[I shall see you next week. Please continue streaming Harry's House. His best album. Truly. I can't wait to see him on tour next month, and hear it all.] 

[With love, B.] 

[P.S. Please let me know what you think of Wes+Griffin joining the Hastrid universe.]