"Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight"
-Ed Sheeran, Perfect

* * * * * * * *

E m m e l i n e

After grabbing a ziplock bag filled with ice, I made my way to the back door before slowly trudging down the deck. I could feel Liam's eyes on me as I passed him and I felt like a child who just got yelled at in front of the whole family. I was embarrassed about everyone witnessing what happened but I knew I brought it upon myself. I was the one who flirted with him. I was the one who didn't stop him, so I willingly took in the humiliation I felt. I could have easily avoided it to begin with if I had just told Niall from the very beginning that I didn't, and would never reciprocate his feelings for me. Letting him believe there was a chance I ever would was wrong, not just to him but to Harry. I don't know why I had kept my mouth shut to avoid hurting Niall's feelings when not telling him hurt Harry's. I couldn't do that anymore, I saw it now. Either way one of them would get hurt and I had to choose whether I'd let it be Harry or crush Niall's hope.

So that's why I walked straight towards Niall with my heart pounding, dread filling me the closer I got to him. I ignored the gazes of my friends as I passed them and moved to where Niall sat on his towel. His hand was still over his eye and he was staring at the ocean with a permanent glare on his face. Amanda was next to him, her face staring at him worriedly even though I could see she was clearly upset over what happened. More guilt weighed on my shoulders at the fact I had let him follow after me to the water instead of sending him back to Amanda. She probably felt so alone and sad watching him with me. I was fucking terrible.

"Hey," I said hesitantly once I approached them and Niall looked up at me with cautiousness. Like he knew I was only over here to deliver bad news. "Here." I thrusted the bag of ice in front of him and he stared at it for a long moment before tentatively taking it from my hand.

"Thanks." He mumbled and my gaze slid from him back to Amanda, who gave me a forced smile when our eyes met. God she was ridiculously nice to even bother smiling at me after I was such a bitch. Had our positions been reversed, I would of been sneering at her. I guess that just went to show who the better person was.

"I'm sorry." I said to her and her cheeks flushed a little. I decided not to say anything else for now, not wanting to embarrass her in front of Niall. Turning back to look down at him, I jutted my thumb behind me. "Can we talk?"

"You sure Harry won't come out and plow his fist into my face again?" He spat rather rudely.

"You had it coming." I, along with Niall was surprised to hear the words leave Amanda's mouth. Her tone was a little bitter and Niall turned his head to look at her with shocked wide eyes. She looked away immediately, biting down into her lip like she hadn't intentionally wanted those words to come out of her mouth but they had. "Go talk to her."

Niall stared at her for a long moment before turning back to me, blue eyes meeting mine. He sighed and forced himself up into his feet, following after me when I turned to lead him a good distance away from our group. I looked back to see Harry coming down the steps of the deck, walking towards our group but his eyes were set on us. His gaze slid to Niall and I caught the way his jaw clenched but he looked away right after, green eyes meeting mine. I sent him a reassuring smile and his expression softened but he didn't smile back. Turning away once Harry turned his head when Gemma called him, I stopped and plopped down onto the sand. It rubbed uncomfortably against my bum and thighs but I dealt with it. This wouldn't take long anyways.

I looked at Niall when he sat beside me, leaving a good enough distance between us as he bent his knees and rested his elbows atop them. Bending his arm until the hand with the bag of ice hovered over his face before he slowly pressed it to his eye. He hissed, his face scrunching in pain as he let an audible deep breath out of his mouth.

"So I suppose this is where you tell me you don't feel the same way."

My shoulders sagged and I crossed my legs underneath me, looking down at my hands in my lap. "I'm sorry Niall."

He didn't say anything for a moment and I looked up when he shifted his body to look at me. "Why won't you give me a chance?"

"I'm with Harry."

"So?" He blurted and my eyebrows rose when he scoffed. "How do you know he's the one for you if you haven't even tested the waters with anyone else? With me?"

"Because if I had felt something for you, I would of felt it a long time ago." I told him honestly and he pursed his lips, looking down at the sand where he was drawing a circle with his forefinger. The bag of ice was tossed onto the ground beside him.

"I barely had told you how I had felt a few months ago, just when you were barely seeing Harry. You didn't know how I felt back in high school so you couldn't have known if you felt anything either. M-maybe if I had told you then, you would of reciprocated my feelings," he spoke aloud and lifted his head to look at me. "Do you think that? If maybe I hadn't of walked away from our friendship, you would of eventually felt the same way?"

"I don't know, Niall." I stated with a tired sigh and turned to look out across the ocean. God, he wasn't making this easy. "Maybe if things had been different."

"Like what exactly?"

"Like the fact I hadn't been crushing on Harry for years," I told him honestly before looking back at him to see him staring at me intensely. "If he hadn't captured my attention freshman year at all then maybe. Maybe I would of looked at you differently. But then maybe I wouldn't of, not if fate has anything to do with who we date."

"Fate?" Niall said, voice high pitched in astonishment. "You really think Harry is the guy you're supposed to be with?"

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not." I bit my lip, knowing what I was going to say next was going to kill him. "But I know it's not you. I've never seen you any more than a friend, Niall. And I don't believe I ever will."

He fell silent after that and I could see that, my words did strongly affect him but he was doing a good job at hiding it. Blue eyes flitted back to the sea, blonde hair moving slightly with the light breeze that passed us. He looked so childlike in that moment when his face seemed to twist in hurt. "You won't give me a chance? Not even one date to make sure you're right about that?"

"I love him." I blurted out before I could stop myself, a deep shaky breath escaping right after it. It was the first time I had actually said those words aloud and though telling them to Niall, of all people for the first time wasn't the best, it felt good to get it out. "I'm in love with him." I repeated firmly but gently, focusing on how Niall's expression completely crumbled. I could actually see the little hope he clung onto being snatched away, his shoulders sagging as he hunched over his knees. Head bowing in defeat and eyes falling to the ground. I swallowed thickly, feeling a ball form at the back of my throat at how hurt he looked but it needed to be said. He needed to understand that I was one hundred percent invested in Harry. I wasn't looking for anyone else.

"Well, then I guess that changes things." He tried to say half-heartedly with a forced small smile. His eyes were glassy when he looked back up at me and I could see he wanted to cry. "I can't compete with that."

"I'm sorry." I repeated in a whisper and he nodded, sighing after.

"You can't force yourself to love me, Emmy. It's not your fault and I've been the stupid one here. I should have been upfront with you years ago but I'm too late and that's okay." He paused and shook his head. "Alright, so maybe it's not okay but it will be eventually. I don't necessarily like that guy and I would of fought hard for you but I can't do that if you're in love with him. I won't take your happiness from you."

I smiled at him and though he didn't look at me, I could tell by the way his lips twitched he had seen it through the side of his eye. Knowing that it must of been hard for him to say that, I lean forward against his shoulder and give him a sideways hug. He doesn't hug me back but still, nonetheless my head rests on his shoulder and I sigh.

"Are we still best friends?" I asked him and he nodded his head robotically.

"Course we are. That's never going to change." He said but I could hear it in his tone that he didn't actually believe it. And if I was honest, neither did I. Which was why I allowed myself to feel the sharp pain of loss in my chest. Because as I sat there and hugged him for what might be the last time, I knew that things would definitely change between us from here on out. There would be no more two hour long phone calls, no more sleepovers and marathons of the Big Bang Theory together, no more piggy back rides or telling every little secret to each other. A line had been drawn now and things between us were different now. Admittedly, our friendship had changed a long time ago but a small part of me hoped we could go back to the way things had been before he kissed me at that party. I was naive enough to believe it were possible but not anymore. I knew now that we could never be like that again, not with how he felt about me and with how I've now permanently left a scar somewhere on his heart. He'd never see me as his best friend, he'd see me as the girl that broke his heart and there was nothing I could do about that. It was time for both of us to grow up and stop pretending this friendship would ever be what it used to be. People grew apart all the time and I had to stop worrying about saving this friendship. Maybe we'd still be friends but we'd never have the same kind of bond and that was okay. But that didn't mean it didn't make me sad, because it did. Losing a best friend always hurt.

"You should give Amanda a chance." I said after I blinked back the sting of tears, releasing him and moving to sit back. I looked past his shoulder briefly to see Harry watching us and for a second, I thought he'd be mad at me hugging him but instead I find him holding an understanding look on his face.

"I can't force myself to feel something for her, Ems." He says a little sadly, turning to meet my eye before glancing away. "You know what I mean."

"I do. But give yourself time. Be her friend at least, it might lead to somewhere." I tried to tell him and he nodded, pressing his lips together as he breathed out of his nose.

"I'll think about it." He stated and picked up the bag of ice before standing up to his feet. My head tilted back to look up at him and he gave me a forced smile. "I'm going to go upstairs for awhile now. I'll see you."

"Okay." I whispered and he watched me for another moment before turning to walk up the beach. I stayed where I was, letting out a deep breath as I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. I sat there staring at the water, feeling my chest ache in loss. I may not have been in love with Niall but I did love him. He had been my best friend for years and I couldn't seem to imagine not having him around as often. But then, I reminded myself that he had been gone for a year and I survived. Sure it had been horrible but I got through it. And I would again if we really did end up never speaking again. I hoped not, but it was his decision. I'd understand if he wanted to cut all communication off with me now.

A shadow fell over me minutes later, interrupting my thoughts and I looked up to find Harry standing beside me. He plopped down onto the sand before I could say anything, scooting closer until his side was pressed against mine. Just the contact of his body eased my worries and nerves and I knew whatever pain I had caused Niall had been worth it. Harry was worth it.

Harry leant into me, his nose brushing my temple before he pressed a kiss onto my cheek. His lips lingered and he sighed, moving his mouth until it hovered near my ear. "I know that was hard for you to do, but thank you."

I nodded and welcomed Harry's arm that wrapped around my waist. I moved to hug it to me, resting my chin against his shoulder as he buried his face into my neck. "I know I already said it but I'm sorry for earlier."

"And I told you it's alright. Stop apologizing, I've already forgiven you Em."

"Really?" I whispered and turned my head only to have Harry's hair in my face. "Because if our positions had been reversed I would of made you kiss my ass for days. I'm petty like that."

Harry chuckled against me, his chest vibrating and I smiled when I heard the sound of his deep laughter. "One of the many things I love about you." He whispered and sighed, lifting his head to cup my face in his palm. "I can never stay mad at you."

"I don't deserve you." I said with out thinking but it was the honest to god truth. Harry was too good. People had been so wrong about him in high school. He wasn't bad, he was everything good and he had the biggest heart all around. Sometimes I wondered if he were some kind of angel because it sure as hell felt like it.

"It's me who doesn't deserve you," he mumbled and kissed the tip of my nose, green eyes staring into mine. "You took me after everything I did to you. After what happened last June, you managed to forgive me and look at me like I hadn't committed a crime when I did."

"Was it really such a crime if I ended up feeling the way I did about you in the end?"

He didn't answer right away and only studied me, thumb moving in circles over my cheek. "It doesn't feel like it."

"Because it's not." I leant forward and gave him a brief kiss, sighing against his mouth as I hugged him. "You really are the best."

"So are you, even with your petty self." He joked and I laughed just as he kissed me again, stealing the air from my lungs before he pulled back to rest his forehead against mine. "Let's just forget what happened, okay? I want our date to go well."

"You're not just saying that so I'll have sex with you on the beach, are you?" I teased and he arched an eyebrow.

"Are you offering?"

"Harry," the smile flew off my face and I shook my head. "I refuse to get sand up places where they shouldn't be."

"Just checking baby." He said and 'booped' my nose. I laughed, watching his mouth stretch into a wide smile that caused his dimples to deepen in his cheeks. "Want to go back to our friends now?"

"Can we just sit here a little longer?" I asked, feeling my sullen mood come back as I glanced in the direction of the house. "I'm sad if I'm being honest."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked hesitantly and I shook my head. What would I tell him anyways? That Niall was for sure going to back off now because I've just told him how I was in love with Harry? Yeah, he'd probably run for the hills.

"I just want to sit here with you."

"Okay, love."

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and drew me into his side, kissing the top of my head. His thumb drew circles into my bare shoulder and the longer Harry sat there silently with me, comforting me unknowingly the more I came to the conclusion that Harry was definitely the one I did want to end up with.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

H a r r y

Hours after hanging out in the sun all day, the time for our date had finally arrived. Em had been locked away in the adjoining bathroom for over an hour now and I was currently sat at the edge of the bed, playing a game of pool against Anthony. It was his turn to go but he was taking too long so I closed out of it and went to my social media, scrolling through the pictures only to pause when I see a picture of Em. Lila had posted it, with the caption reading 'thankful for this babe I call my best friend.' I smiled at the picture, biting into my lip and shamelessly taking a screen shot of it. It was of her when we had been lounging on the deck earlier and she looked so fucking cute. With the sun hitting the side of her face and leaving a yellow glow around her head.

I stared at it once more before continuing on scrolling, only to stop when the door of the restroom finally opens and I feel my heart break out into a sprint. Because Em stepped out in a short white cotton dress, that complimented her freshly tan skin. The straps were thin and it hugged her chest and waist before flaring out loosely at the hips. Her hair was down, left in her natural waves and she only had mascara on along with a tinted light pink lip balm. She looked so god damn beautiful I felt like there was a hand wrapped around my heart and squeezing it.

"Holy Shit," I breathed and left my phone on the bed as I looked her over. She was barefoot but that didn't matter, we'd be on the beach anyways. "Fuck, baby. You look so beautiful." I finally tell her, moving across the room and resting my hands on her upper arms. "So perfect."

She blushed at my compliment and I smiled in satisfaction, liking that I still could have that affect on her. "Thanks babe. You look ravishing yourself." She said, fingering the button on my shirt, eyes flickering down to the washed out jean cut offs I wore. "I don't think I've ever seen you in blue denimem. This is strange."

"Do you not like them?"

"No, I do. I just need a moment to stare because I'm not sure if I'll ever see this again. " I laughed when she stood back and did exactly what she said she'd do, her eyes greedily taking it all in. Feeling my own cheeks begin to heat up, I crossed my arms and bit down on my lip as she laughed at my reaction. "I guess I'll stop now to save you from blushing anymore."

"Shush," I smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the bedroom. "Let's go down now, your dinner awaits."

"Did everyone already leave?" She asks, looking up and down the hall as we walk down it. The whole gang decided they would go out into town to a bar and spend the night out when we told them our plans to have a date on the beach. I suspected they were doing it on purpose to leave Em and I alone, probably thinking we needed it after the fight we had earlier. I was completely over it now but either way, I was glad to have her all to myself tonight.

"Yeah, Lila came in real quick while you were getting ready to tell me they were heading out." I turned to look at her once I reached the last stair, walking backwards as I looked at her with a smirk. "It's just us now."

She grinned and rolled her eyes at my cheeky smile before I chuckled and lead us back out to the deck. I paused at the back door, looking over my shoulder at Em. "Before we go out, close your eyes."

"How am I going to walk down those stairs?"

Pausing when her question stumped me, I grinned when an idea came to me and turned my back to her. Bending my knees, I lifted my arms out a little and jerked my head. "Hop on, baby."

"I'm heavy." She said immediately, stepping away from me but I didn't let her get far. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back before swiftly hooking my arm under her leg. She yelped when I swept her off her feet, lifting her up bridal style and hitching her higher up my chest until her face was right in front of mine. Her hands flew to grip my shoulders and I got a whiff of her perfume that I loved, her eyes wide as she stared at me.

"You weigh nothing. So shut it." I told her before she could protest like I knew she would, turning back to the door where I nodded my head towards it. "Open it for me."

She shook her head, mumbling something incoherently before reaching over and sliding it open for me. I stepped out once she did, not bothering to close the door as I started to move across the deck. "Close your eyes."

She did, sighing as her arm went to hook behind my neck while the other clutched my shoulder. She jostled a little in my arms as I moved down the stairs but it was amusing, seeing the way she kept holding onto me tighter, thinking I was about to drop her. I laughed quietly each time and I could see the way her jaw clenched when I did. Luckily for her, I reached the bottom step no problem before stepping onto the sand and trudging through it. Admittedly, it was a little harder to carry her when I was in the sand but I refused to put her down or make her believe she was heavy. She was fucking perfect just the way she was and I didn't want her to ever believe she wasn't.

"Okay," I said with a sigh when I reached our spot, slowly putting Em back on her feet. "Open your eyes now."

Slowly, she did. And my gaze was focused on her features, taking in the way it lit up when she saw the blanket on the floor beside a lit fire pit. It was satisfying to see the happiness on her face as she took in the flower I had set on the blanket when I was setting this up. Beside the flower was a basket of food and two solo cups, along with an unopened bottle of cheap wine.

"Do you like it?" I asked her when she still hadn't said anything and she lifted her eyes, her lips pulling into a smile.

"This is amazing, Harry. I don't like it, I love it." She leant towards me and stood on her toes, pressing a kiss to my cheek that I felt all the way in my toes. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, love." I smiled and gripped her hand, pulling her down onto the blanket with me. She sat with her legs curled sideways, leaning on one hand as I reached to get the food out. It was just pepperoni pizza, but I knew the quality of the food wouldn't matter to Em. It was all about the thought behind it for her that counted.

"Fuck yes," she said happily when I passed her a slice, a laugh escaping her mouth as she took it from my hands. "This beats any fancy restaurant hands down."

"I'm glad you don't mind the cheap pizza and wine."

"Are you kidding? This is my description of a perfect date. So of course I don't mind."

I laughed before taking a bite of the pizza, sighing in content as it hit my tastebuds. My gaze moved up and down the beach to see we were really completely alone. There was maybe a few people far down the beach from what I could see of the fire they had lit, but besides that it was just Em and I. Turning back towards her, we conversed about the randomness things between bites. Em talked about her classes and then went on to tell me how she was positive Caesar and Gem had a thing for each other. I kept scrunching my face every time she reminded me, which ended up making her laugh at my expense.

"You know what I just realized," Em said all of a sudden and I lifted my eyes to her. She was finishing chewing and her face was thoughtful. "I don't know what you want to do with your career. We never talked about that."

Knowing she was right, I finished the last of my pizza and wiped my hands off with a napkin. "That's because before last summer I really didn't think I was ever going to have an option."

"But what about now?"

I rolled my lips into my mouth, sucking on them as I thought. I had options but there was never really anything I felt passionate about. The one thing I felt passionate about was sitting right in front of me. "My scholarship for NYU was for a business degree. I've always been good in math so I was just going to do something with that, maybe be an accountant. But I'm thinking of changing it."

"To what?"

I pondered over it for a moment, thinking about what it was that interested me. Sure, I was good with math but it bored me. It wasn't fun and I got tired of it real quickly. But I had always been interested in law. I used to watch that SVU show anytime I caught a marathon on tv and I always found the whole aspect of defending someone in a trial room pretty awesome. Yet I also really liked literature, reading and writing had been a hobby of mine for a long time. Maybe a teacher? I don't think I'd be too bad at that. "Possibly law? Or literature so I can be an English teacher?" I paused and shrugged. "I'm not too sure. It's an idea but I don't know what I want to do yet." I sighed, glancing back at Em and furrowing my brows. "What about you? Photography, I'm guessing?"

She blushed a little and her mouth quirked into a smile. "No, it's business too. Don't know why I chose it if I'm honest, I hate math. But I'm actually thinking of doing some photography on the side if I don't change my major."

"You should, you're great at it."

"Yeah?" She asked softly and I could tell that made her happy. "I really like it."

"I know you do."

She bit her lip, smiling through it as she looked down and grabbed the bottle of wine. I had already popped the cork off before putting a wine stopper on top of it instead, so Em easily pulled it off and poured some of the red substance in a solo cup. She handed it to me before pouring herself some, taking a tentative sip. "Mm," she hummed and pulled the cup back. "This is pretty good for a cheap wine."

I laughed at the look on her face, taking a sip myself to find that she was right. It was pretty damn good. "Never judge a bottle by its price."

"Ha." She fake laughed then broke into actual laugher when my face dropped. "Kidding! You know I think you're hilarious."

"No you don't. You never laugh at my jokes."

"I do too!"

"You fake laugh. You don't think I can tell the difference between your real laughs and fake ones? I can."

She pressed her lips together and shrugged. "Well, would you prefer me not to laugh at all?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No I like that you pretend to think my jokes are funny. Shows you care."

"I do." She said and tipped the cup back until she was finished with her drink. She hadn't poured herself a lot but she still finished it faster than I expected her too. Moving to place the cup down, she stood up from her spot and adjusted her dress. Tilting my head back to look up at her, I raised my eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"Didn't you say something about a walk on the beach?" She smiled widely and I mentally groaned at my cheesiness but nodded nonetheless. She held her hand out to me and I took it, moving to stand up on my feet as she attempted to help me up. I laughed when she nearly fell over because I wasn't exactly light but I caught her elbow, slinging my arm over her shoulder once she straightened.

We moved down the beach, sand kicking up behind us and I felt Em shiver against me at the chill of the air. It was getting colder now that it was night and since we were at a distance from the house, I brought her closer to me to keep her warm. Holding her to my side as we walked down the shore, but far enough away from the water to keep from getting wet. We walked silently for awhile, both of us comfortably leaning against each other as we did until Em stopped. I halted beside her to see her laying her foot flatly into the wet sand and then moving it. There was an imprint of her foot left in the sand. "Put your foot down, I want to compare how much bigger yours is."

"Aren't you a size six or something? It'll look like a midget's foot next to mine." I joked but still moved to put my foot down beside the imprint of hers. Em playfully smacked my arm as I snickered and moved my foot away once I was done. And I continued to laugh when I saw I had been right; her foot looked so tiny next to mine.

"I think maybe you're just a troll, I've got normal sized feet." She chided and I narrowed my eyes at her but it only lasted for a second. I couldn't help but smile when she giggled and began to walk backward. The wind blew past her, causing her hair to whip around her face as she smiled. All I did was stare at her, a small smile on my face when she stopped and turned her focus to the water. She walked a little closer to it and stuck her toe out, waiting for the water to wash up and brush it.

"It's going to be ice cold." I warned her and she shrugged.

"I'm not a wuss like you."

"Yeah? Bite me."

"Wouldn't you love that!" She sang before laughing and all I did was stare at her. At the way the moon gave enough light to make her dark hair glow. And how her white smile was blinding and filled with so much happiness. She was so god damn beautiful, I could stare at her forever but it wasn't just her looks for the reason I couldn't find it in myself to look away. It was the way her personality seemed to make her glow, creating an even more beautiful person than what she was already. She radiated from it and it was what constantly drew me to her and what would probably be the very same thing that would keep me beside her. Everyday my feelings for her grew more and more until it was nearly suffocating. It was still early in our relationship but when I thought about the future, every time I pictured it, Emmeline was standing there beside me. I may not know what I want to do when it came to my career but I was one hundred percent positive about her. I wanted her for as long as I could have her. We were still young but I had never been so sure about anything in my life except when it came to my feelings for her.

"I love you."

The words poured out of my mouth before I could stop them and the moment they did, I felt my insides flip and my heart speed up. I hadn't planned on telling her that tonight; I wanted to make it special when I told her. But I couldn't seem to help myself, my feelings for her were overwhelming and though some people would say it's too early to say that to her, I've felt this way about her for months. It just got stronger when we finally got together.

Pressing my lips together, I stared at Em as her head had turned abruptly when those three words left my mouth. It seemed like our surroundings had silenced and all you could hear was the soft sound of the waves lightly washing up shore and the way Em's breathing had hitched. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape, like she actually couldn't believe I had said that. "What did you say?"

Licking my lips, I held eye contact with her and began to walk towards her. I stopped once I was right in front of her, standing no more than an inch away. "I said, I love you." I told her quietly, lifting my hand to tuck her hair behind her ears before cupping her face in my hands. "I'm in love with you."

It seemed like an eternity had passed, her silence making me think she didn't feel the same way. Fear made my heart beat harder but I knew even if she didn't say it back, I'd still love her all the same. I didn't tell her just to hear her say it back, I said it because I meant it and I wanted her to know how I felt. That despite all the people in her life that seem to constantly disappoint her or neglect her, I was not someone who would do that to her. I'd always be here whenever she needed me.

"Harry," she finally whispered breathlessly before reaching up to cup my own jaw. She bit her lip and my spirits began to lift when a slow smile grew on her lips, eyes shining happily. "I love you too."

"You do?" I asked quietly while every single fiber in me felt like they were buzzing with electricity.

"Yes. I've wanted to tell you that for awhile now, but I wasn't sure if I'd scare you or not. We haven't been together that long and I didn't want you to run away or something."

"I would never," I kissed her gently on the lips, pulling back enough to look in her eyes. "And I don't care about how long we've been together. I'm sure about how I feel when it comes to you."

"Me too." She said so quietly, eyes focused on my mouth. Before I could say anything else, she stood on her toes and pressed her mouth to mine. Arms moving to fold behind my neck, as my arms encircled her lower back and hugged her to me tightly. We were pressed up against each other so closely that I could feel the increasingly quick rise and fall of her chest. How her breathing sped up and her kiss became firmer, more frantic. I could feel my need for her escalating when the kiss grew heated and my hands slid to grasp her hips tightly.

"Em." I breathed when I forced myself to pull back, opening my eyes to see the glint in her eye I knew all too well. My groin ached and I bit down hard on my lip, circling my thumb over the spot my hand currently rested on.

"Take me upstairs." She whispered, her lips hovering in front of mine. Warm breath fanning my lips and causing shudders to run down my back.

"Our date, though." We had only been out here for a little over an hour.

"Is perfect," she pecked my mouth. "But I want you." She said it so quietly and even with how close we stood, I almost didn't hear it but her eyes spoke volumes. The way she was looking at me was already making me hard.

Not being able to find any other words, I grabbed her hand and pulled her back up the beach. We walked hurriedly to where the blanket was before I kicked sand over the fire pit to put it out. Em kicked along with me to speed up the process, bending down after to grab the blanket while I gathered the bottle and basket. There was an eager smile on her face when our eyes caught each others and my blood buzzed in excitement. It had felt like days since we last slept together, when really it's only been just three. But this was different, my want for her was not based off of just lust but also my overwhelming love for her and the fact that she knew. And that she happened to love me right back.

We made it in the house and I tried to keep up with Em, pausing to put the basket on the counter of the kitchen while she went straight for the stairs. I called for her to wait but she kept going, a giggle echoing through the house as she ran up the stairs. A smile tugged at my lips when I heard it and I hurriedly ran up them to catch up to her. Her feet pounded against the top of the stairs when she heard me not far behind her now, a squeal leaving her mouth before she took off down the hallway. She was laughing as I chased her down it, running into our room and trying but failing to close the door on me. I caught it just before she could, easily pushing back and slipping through the gap. Slamming the door shut once I was through, I swiftly grabbed her by the waist and spun her around until her back was pressed against the door. She was panting, an amused grin on her face while her eyes were filled with love and desire.

"My impatient girl," I shook my head and leant towards her, moving to hold the nape of her neck. "My impatient girl that I love."

It seemed my words had broken whatever patience she did have left and she grabbed my face in her hands before crashing her mouth against mine. She kissed me hotly and I immediately responded with as much enthusiasm. Her hands left my face to run through my hair, pulling on it as she went until her palms were on my shoulders. She slid them down the front of my chest and then she was working on unbuttoning my shirt. Knowing what she wanted, I reached down for the hem of her dress and was quick to pull it over her head. We broke apart in those few seconds before our lips were connected again. The removal of our clothes was frantic, lips crashing and moving to each other's neck and shoulders. It wasn't until we were both bare did I begin to slow things down, moving her to the foot of the bed. My mouth kissed her gently this time, fingers lightly caressing her waist and lower back. One of her hands played with the hair at the nape of my neck while the other softly traced a line down my abdomen, leaving goosebumps in her wake. I pulled away momentarily, resting my forehead against hers as I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her naked body to mine.

"Let me show you how much I love you." I told her quietly, kissing her nose as her eyelashes fluttered.

"Okay." She said against my lips, gently kissing me and I carefully lead her back onto the bed. With my body hovering over hers, I moved to kiss her jaw. Her nose, eyelids, forehead, and back down to her lips while my hand slid down her body. Palm slipping between her legs before pressing my fingers to her bundle of nerves. She let out a shaky breath when I did, one of her legs bending at the knee as she arched up off the bed. I could feel how wet she was already and I was becoming impatient to be inside her but I wanted to make her feel good first.

Moving my fingers further down, I easily slipped my fingers inside her and began to pump them slowly. Feeling her walls tighten around them and I moved to kiss her again when she whimpered quietly. I was painfully hard already and needing some kind of relief, I pushed my hardness into her leg. Em groaned into the kiss, moving to entangle her fingers through my hair as she pulled back.

"I need you, I don't need the foreplay. I just need you." She breathed heavily, reaching to withdraw my hand from her and instead grabbing my length in her hands and making me grunt. "Love me."

"Always." I was already panting, lightly prying her legs further apart before jutting my hips forward. She held me in her hand to help me guide myself into her, and once I was, she breathed heavily out through her mouth. Releasing her hold on me, I pushed forward until I was completely inside her and groaned quietly at how fucking amazing she felt. Her walls were contorting around me and I laid still for a moment to just take it in and enjoy it. Em wasn't having it though, she lifted her hips up and moved slowly against me. Complying to what she wanted, I thrusted forward slowly before pulling back and repeating. Eyes trained on her face as her mouth hung open, brown eyes briefly fluttering closed while her hands found my hair again. I continued to roll my hips against her leisurely, creating a languid rhythm to savor the pleasure and experience.

"Harry," she whispered my name in a quiet moan and I lowered myself down more until our chests were pressed together. Tilting my head, I kissed her jaw repeatedly before resting my face in the crook of her neck with my nose in her hair. It was becoming harder to keep things slow with how good she felt but I held myself back. My body felt unbearably hot, like I was on fire and all my nerve endings seemed heightened. I was aware of every little thing she did, whether it be the way she hitched her knee higher to allow me to go deeper or the way she'd release me to grip the bed sheet in her hand before grabbing onto me again. Like the pleasure was too much she didn't know what to do with her body. It made my groin ache with pleasure and my heart squeeze with love that I felt spreading through my chest. It was fucking overwhelming, how much I loved her and my body was aching to speed up so I could release those feelings into her, but I needed this to be slow. This wasn't one of our quick or rough fucks; this was love.

Em moaned into my ear and I panted into her neck, feeling her turn her head to kiss my temple. My hands moved down the curve of her waist, caressing every inch of her before they slid back up to her hand that was in my hair. Gripping it, I gently pushed her palm back into the bed before intertwining our fingers together. I pushed myself up on my other arm, resting my forehead against hers as my pace picked up a little. I knew she was close already by the way her walls were tightening around me, her arousal making it so easy to slip in and out of her. My gaze swept over her perfect body, watching her perky breasts bounce a little at the movement of me pushing into her. At the sweat gathering at her collarbone and then back to her brown eyes that were watching me right back. Her mouth was agape and loud pants were coming out, her hair sticking to her forehead.

"I love you." She moaned and those three words was what caused my pace to increase. Hips pushing into her quicker as a groan left my mouth and I kissed her like my life depended on it. She bucked against me, breathing hard into my mouth before she moaned into the kiss and came around me. She pulsed around my length, squeezing repeatedly that I couldn't help but let go and come inside her. A moan of my own escaping me as our bodies shook together, lips lazily moving in sync and our hands still intertwined. We kept kissing even after I stopped moving and was still inside her, her other hand lightly rubbing up and down my back soothingly. We stayed like that for a long while, just laying there physically and emotionally connected until we could barely continue to kiss each other. Our lips became a lazy mess and finally, I pulled out and rolled off of Em while she giggled tiredly. She immediately rolled onto her side and curled up to my chest.

"I love you too, by the way." I tell her when I realize I never said it back in the midst of making love to her.

"I know, Harry." She laughed and kissed me over my heart. "You don't need to say it all the time."

"Yes I do." I told her firmly and curled my arm around her shoulder before entangling our legs together. "I'm going to say it every chance I get."

"You don't have to." She might be saying that but I could tell by the tone of her voice that she really did want me to do it.

"I want to." I mumbled tiredly, closing my eyes and tightening my hold on her. "Gonna say it every chance I get, so might as well get used to it."

"Promise?"

I didn't even have to open my eyes to know she was holding her pinky up. But still, I smiled and without opening my eyes held my own pinky up, feeling her hook her finger around it seconds later. I was right. "Pinky promise to love you everyday, baby."

* * * * * * * *

A full book and half of another later they finally said it! Lol hope the wait was worth it! I legit listened to 'Perfect' on Ed's new album and it instantly made me think of this chapter. Thought it went well :)

Questions:

Who felt bad for Niall?

Favorite part? 😋

It's finals prep week so I might take a little more time before I update my other stories so please be patient! Vote + comment and thanks for reading! <3