Harry hung back for a minute and let me through the door first, and I scooted over to where Callie and her mum were sitting. 

"Do you want another drink?" Callie asked as I sat down. "Or did you want to head off?"

"I'm fine to head off whenever you're ready," I mumbled.

"Are you alright?" she asked, frowning.

"Fine," I sighed. "Just tired."

"Should I call a cab then?"

"I think Harry's driver is taking us home," I said. We stood up and started pulling our jackets on just as Harry came through the door behind the DJ's booth. He walked straight over to us.

"Are you going?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I've got work in the morning."

"Jess, I - "

"Just leave it, Harry. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"OK," he said uncomfortably. "I'll get Paul to bring the car round."

I turned away and as I did I heard Callie snap, "What have you done now?"

I looked round in surprise to see her glaring at Harry with her arms folded.

"Been an idiot," Harry replied.

"Nothing new there then," Callie fired at him.

"Callie! Leave it," I said, pulling her away by the arm.

She continued to glare over her shoulder all the way to the door and I ushered her through it before glancing behind me at Harry. He was standing where I left him, watching us leave, and as he caught my eye he mouthed, "Sorry."

I gave him a half smile and walked through the door to see a car pulling up. Paul jumped out and opened the door for us, and once we were safely inside he got back in and drove us back across London. Callie was pestering me to tell her why I was so quiet, but I wasn't ready to share what Harry had said.

Paul dropped Callie and her mum off first, and then took me back to Belsize Park. I pulled on one of my One Direction tshirts and a pair of pink checked pajama bottoms, made a cup of tea and got into bed. I went onto Twitter and saw that quite a few people had noticed Harry and I had both been at the Fleetwood Mac afterparty, and were speculating about us, but had no proof. 

As I was reading through some more of my mentions my screen changed - Harry was calling me. I hesitated. I wasn't in the mood to listen to any more apologies. I just wanted to bury my head in the sand and think about it tomorrow. I let the call divert to voicemail, set my alarm, and turned the light out.

A minute later my phone pinged. I sighed and reached for it, knowing who it would be.

From: Harry Styles: I'm sorry about tonight xxx

To: Harry Styles: I know. I don't want to talk about it x

From: Harry Styles: I was sort of hoping you would, though. I'm outside xxx

What?! I jumped out of bed and went into the lounge to peer out the window into the car park. Harry was standing by his black Range Rover looking up at the window. We stared at each other for a moment, before he began walking towards the front door of the building. I buzzed him in, then opened my door and stood in the hall to watch him walk up the stairs. My stomach flipped over at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as he reached the top of the stairs.

"Grovelling," he replied. "Nice tshirt."

Bollocks. I'd forgotten I was wearing one of my 1D tshirts. I gave him an embarrassed smile.

"Thanks," I said.

"Can I come in?"

"I suppose."

I stood aside and let him past me and shut the door behind us.

"I'm so sorry," he said, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. "I'm worried I've ruined things between us."

"So am I," I confessed. 

"What, sorry? Or worried?" 

"Worried. And sorry, I guess."

He ran his hand through his hair. "OK, now I'm even more worried."

"Do you understand why I'm upset?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, but his eyes gave him away.

"OK, just imagine for one second that the roles had been reversed tonight, and I'd said to you 'if I want a quick fuck I'll just call Gary'. How would you feel?"

He was silent for a moment.

"Would you?" he asked.

"Would I what?"

"Would you - do you fancy Gary?"

I raised my eyes to the ceiling. "No of course not. But you've just proved my point, far better than I could have done. Your first thought when I said those words was whether or not I actually would call Gary for a quick... you know. Which, by the way, I would never do. Or threaten to do. But you doubted me, just like I'm doubting you."

"I didn't exactly threaten to do it," he said awkwardly. "I was trying - badly - to get my point across, and I managed to sound like an egotistical dickhead in the process."

"I won't argue with that."

"I had a feeling you wouldn't."

We smirked at each other.

Harry sighed. "Look, baby, I didn't mean what I said. I was cross because you seemed to think I only wanted you to come back to my place because I wanted to have sex, but it wasn't about that. I wanted you to come back so I could spend time with you before the tour starts again. If I was the type of guy who just wanted sex then surely anyone would do... but I'm not like that; I've never been like that. And you are far, far more to me than just a... a quick fuck." 

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and then back again. 

"OK," I sighed.

"OK as in... I'm forgiven?" He looked hopeful.

"OK as in I understand you weren't trying to be a dick. And I understand what your intentions were. But you need to stop assuming I'm just going to jump every time you click your fingers. I probably don't help matters because most of the time I do exactly that. But you can't get arsey every time I say no to you."

"So don't say no to me," he grinned.

I glared at him. "You're on thin ice, Styles."

He stepped towards me, still grinning, and wrapped his arms around my waist. "You know you're really sexy when you're annoyed."

I pulled his arms away, furiously. "I mean it!" 

"I know you do," he said, that irritating grin still on his face. "And I mean it when I say I am really, really sorry for messing things up again. I thought I'd lost you this time." His face was suddenly serious. "I thought you were going to call off tomorrow's meeting."

"It crossed my mind," I admitted. "But then you turned up here grovelling and made me realise you weren't as much of a dickhead as I thought you were."

He blinked. "Ouch."

I shrugged. "Just being honest."

"I suppose I deserved it."

"Yes, you did. You deserved a lot worse. But I won't hold it against you."

His mouth twitched. "If I said you had a gorgeous body would you hold it against me?"

I rolled my eyes. "That is the worst line ever."

"But would you?"

"NO," I said firmly. "I'm going to bed now."

Harry stood awkwardly in the hall as I turned away, and when I realised he wasn't following me I turned back round and looked at him. 

"What are you waiting for, an invitation?"

"Well... yeah, kind of," he muttered.

"You can stay if you want," I shrugged, and he followed me into my bedroom. 

I got into bed and he stripped down to his boxers and slid in next to me. I turned the light out and instantly he was leaning over me and pressing his lips on mine. I pushed him off gently.

"We are not doing that," I said.

There was a tense silence for a second. "W - why not?" he asked.

"Because I'm tired," I said.

There was another pause. "Let me guess - you have a headache, right?"

He rolled off me and onto the other side of the bed. I could feel anger rising in me, and I couldn't stop it. 

"No," I snapped. "I'm tired, I just told you."

"That's bollocks," he snapped back. "It's never bothered you before."

"Are you seriously trying to pressure me into having sex with you?" I asked through gritted teeth. I was really trying to keep my temper under control.

"What?" he spluttered. He rolled over to face me. "Are you seriously asking me that? Of course I'm not! I'm pissed off because you're making excuses. If you don't want to it's fine, I would never push you, but you could at least admit that the reason you don't want to is because you're still pissed off with me, not because you're tired. I'm not stupid, Jess. And I'm not a bastard."

Well that put me in my place. Immediately I felt ashamed for even thinking he might have been trying to pressure me. 

"I know - I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," I said, noting the irony of the situation.

"It's fine," he said. "You think I don't know you, but I do."

"I know. You're right, I am pissed off. But I'm not saying no to try and punish you for hurting me. I'm just not feeling it."

Through the darkness I could see the shock on his face. 

"What do you mean, you're not feeling it?"

It was way too late for this kind of conversation. I had to be up in a few hours for work and I was shattered.

"I'm just not in the mood," I sighed. "I'll be alright tomorrow. Sorry."

I felt him scoot over to me and pull me into his arms, and I rested my head on his chest. He kissed the top of my head, and I rested my leg on his and closed my eyes.

~~~~~~~~

Harry gave me a lift to work in the morning and promised to pick me up at 5 so we could go straight to our meeting with Modest. It would take us at least an hour to drive over to Fulham at rush hour, and obviously we couldn't take the tube due to Harry's international superstardom. 

He had seemed even more affectionate than usual before we left my flat, and I put it down to the need for reassurance again after what I had said to him last night about 'not feeling it.' I had woken up with a clearer head, and in the cold light of day I was able to rationalise his words, and understand they had just been said in the heat of the moment and hadn't been an indication of intended infidelity. I wasn't happy that he had used my insecurity against me in this way, but I felt I was in no position to be taking the moral high ground after the shit I had given him over the last few weeks.

When I left the office at 5pm his Range Rover was waiting outside Costa and I jogged over to it, pulled open the passenger door and jumped in.

"Hi Squidge," I said as I fastened my seatbelt.

He grinned and shook his head at me. "I thought we agreed you weren't going to call me that."

"We agreed a lot of things," I reminded him. "Like no winking."

He winked at me, and my stomach flipped.

"See, if you can't stick to our agreements, don't expect me to," I teased as he indicated and pulled away from the kerb.

I was right - it took us over an hour to get across London, and by the time we turned onto Peterborough Road I was tired and hungry.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"We're nearly there," Harry replied.

"Um, are you sure you're in the right place?" I questioned. We were on a quiet street with large Edwardian terraced houses on one side and boring looking office buildings on the other. It didn't strike me as the type of area to be home to a multimillion pound artist management company, looking after the likes of One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer and Little Mix. 

He side glanced me and smirked. "Yes, funnily enough I do know where I'm going."

"I know what you're like about asking for directions," I teased, and he winked for the second time that evening, awakening the butterflies in my stomach again.

"Is Modest run from someone's living room or something?" I muttered, staring out the window at the neat row of houses on my left, and he chuckled.

"OH MY GOD IS IT LIKE AN ORDINARY BUILDING IN DISGUISE, LIKE ST MUNGO'S OR SOMETHING?!" I suddenly screamed, making Harry jump. The car swerved and he swore before regaining control and staring at me. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, breathing hard.

"Like in Harry Potter," I explained, at a more reasonable volume. "The hospital - St Mungo's - is just an empty shop-front to the muggles. Or - oh my God - do we access it through a phonebox on the street like..."

"...the Ministry of Magic," he finished. "No, sorry to disappoint you." He grinned at me. "We have to flush ourselves down a public toilet instead."

I whipped my head round to look at him and he began to laugh. 

"Your face," he chuckled.

"Don't joke about Harry Potter," I warned him.

"Hmmm, Harry Potter or One Direction?" he asked.

I looked away out of the window. "Seriously - don't make me choose. You might not like the answer."

He opened his mouth to answer me, but I cut him off.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I demanded.

"Yes!" he answered exasperatedly, slowing down and indicating left just past a road called Studdridge Street. We turned between two houses and stopped in front of a set of black security gates that were tucked away, set back from the road. A man appeared and opened them for us, and Harry drove slowly through and nodded his thanks at him. 

"Six, two, four, four, two," I muttered, and ignored Harry's confused stare. He drove up the ginnel and pulled into a parking space in front of a large building. 

"Ready?" he said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"As I'll ever be," I replied, and we climbed out of the car and walked up to a non-descript brick building with a plain black door. The same man who had let us in through the gates also let us into the building and Harry led me straight over to the stairs and up onto the first floor, nodding hellos at the people we passed. 

A tall woman with shoulder length chestnut hair wearing a black jacket and black skirt came out of a door and looked me up and down before holding her hand out to me. "Hello, I'm Karen," she said in a business-like manner.

"I'm Jess," I replied, adopting her tone and shaking her hand. Harry had warned me she could be a bit of a dragon and I was not about to be intimidated by her. "Nice to put a face to the name."

"Likewise," she said. "Come on through."

She stood aside and I followed Harry through the open door into a small office with a large desk and a window overlooking the car park. We sat down in the two chairs set out for us, and Karen let the door close behind her and came and sat behind her desk.

"So, you want to go public with your relationship?" she asked briskly.

"Yeah," Harry said, clearing his throat.

He's nervous, my subconscious whispered.

"And how do you feel about it, Jess?" Karen asked abruptly.

"Fine," I replied.

"It doesn't worry you?"

"It'll be a big change," I said carefully. "But I'm ready for it."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Really?" I saw the hint of a smirk on her lips but it quickly disappeared.

"I think so," I answered confidently, trying to suppress my annoyance at her attitude. I had learnt by now that I would have to bite my tongue over a lot of things that pissed me off.

"So what attracted you to Harry?" she asked me.

"His eyes," I replied. Why was she asking me this? What did this have to do with us going public?

"His eyes? Really? Not his fame or his money?"

"Karen!" Harry snapped.

"No. I am not interested in either of those," I said shortly.

"But you enjoy the perks," she pressed.

"Yes," I said before Harry could protest further. "I enjoy going for walks in Holmes Chapel with Harry and his family. I enjoy the late night phonecalls when he's on tour and wants to know what I've done at work that day. And I enjoy laughing at our own private in-jokes that no one else understands. So yes, I love the perks."

Harry's hand crept over and squeezed mine.

"What will you do when the next story hits the headlines about some random female being linked to Harry?" Karen continued.

"I'll ring Harry and hear his side of the story."

"What about if you fall out, the relationship ends and you're hurt and angry and want revenge?"

I rolled my eyes. "Been there, done that. It never crossed my mind to get revenge."

"You're out and about, fans get pushy asking for pictures."

"If Harry wants to, we'll pose for pictures. Unless it goes crazy or something, and then security will get us the hell out of there."

I saw Harry smirk out of the corner of my eye.

"Do you swear?"

"When I am annoyed or excited, but not in front of people I don't know."

"Are you in love with Harry?"

"That's none of your business," I snapped.

"People will ask you."

"I will ignore them."

"Why?" 

"How is this relevant?" Harry asked, but I ignored him.

"Because I don't discuss my relationships with anyone, never mind strangers," I said to Karen. My patience with her attitude was wearing really thin.

"The media can be very cunning when they want to get a reaction from you."

"I'm sure they can," I said as calmly as I could manage. "But I think I've done alright so far."

She tilted her head and looked at me thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose you have. Alright then, Jess. Just pretend for a moment that I am a journalist who has cornered you and Harry briefly, and will print - and twist - everything you say."

"OK," I said nervously. My palms began to sweat.

"How does Harry feel about Zayn leaving the band?" Karen asked.

"All Harry wants is for his friends to be happy."

"What do you think Zayn's departure will mean for One Direction?"

"They've got a hugely loyal fanbase who will support them through their toughest times."

"Is Harry a good boyfriend?"

"Of course he is."

"What is the most romantic thing he has ever said or done?"

"I think you should probably ask Harry."

"What do you love most about him?"

"Being interviewed by his management company."

Harry let out a laugh and a snort and I couldn't help but grin at him. This whole conversation was taking so much concentration it was making my head hurt.

Karen gave a wry smile, and turned to Harry.

"Are you still against the Confidentiality Agreement?"

"You know I am," Harry replied.

"The what?" I asked.

"I wanted you to sign a Legal Agreement," Karen said to me, brusquely. "To prevent you from sharing any personal information relating to Harry, One Direction or any of their affiliates. But Harry has refused."

"I'll sign whatever you want me to sign," I said, not really surprised that this had been brought up.

"No you won't," Harry said.

"I will," I insisted. "I've got nothing to hide, Harry. I'm not going to talk to the press about you, no matter what may happen between us. I don't want the attention brought to my door, so I certainly wouldn't ever sell a story about you."

"You say that now," Karen said. "But things can change. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. By signing this agreement you help to protect Harry in the future."

"Of course I'll sign it," I said.

"No!" Harry said loudly, and we both looked at him. "I'm not having you sign anything, Jess. I trust you. If it was anyone else, I would be all for it. But I know you, and I know you wouldn't sell me out. The last couple of months have proved that."

"It makes no difference to me either way," I said, as Karen laid a large document in front of me. "I'm not going to talk, so who cares if there's a legal agreement in place preventing me?"

"It makes a difference to me," he said. "I trust you. And that's enough."

"You're being incredibly reckless, Harry," Karen interrupted. "If Jess wants to sign it, let her sign it."

"No!" Harry said, pushing the document back across Karen's desk. "I am completely against this. I told you I didn't even want this brought up."

"It's standard procedure," Karen said, pushing it back to me again. "Sign at the bottom please, Jess."

Harry pulled the document away from me and put it under his chair. "No."

Karen sighed. "I can't force this, but I strongly advise you to cooperate, Harry."

"I'm not having it," Harry said firmly. "And that is final."

It became obvious I wasn't going to get a say in any of this so I kept quiet, and made a mental note to discuss this privately with Harry after we left.

"So, you've already said you're not doing any official interviews about your relationship," Karen said, moving on with a sigh.

"No way," Harry replied, and I shook my head too.

"So you just need to let the paparazzi see you out together somewhere."

"Yeah, and then once it's gone viral you can get our next interviewer to ask the right questions, and I'll just confirm it." Harry said. "I don't want any surprise questions though."

"OK," Karen nodded, making a note on her pad in front of her. "Is this going to be within the next week?"

Harry and I looked at each other. "We haven't really decided yet," he answered. "Just when it feels right, I suppose."

Karen nodded again. "I'd prefer it if you tell me beforehand. But if you get spotted and you realise, just let me know asap ok? Just so I'm prepared. No more surprises." She kept her head down but glanced up at Harry and gave him a knowing smile.

Harry smiled back. "Karen's never been more out of the loop than she has been since we got together," he said to me. "She hates it."

"It's my job to manage you and the others," Karen said, looking down at her pad again. "I like to know what I'm dealing with." Her phone vibrated on the desk and she glanced at it. My heart lurched as I looked at the screen and saw Louis Tomlinson. Karen swiped the screen to divert the call.

She looked up at us and smiled. "Right, I think that's everything for now."

We stood up, and her phone vibrated again - Louis again. 

"Someone's keen," Harry remarked. 

"Mmm," Karen frowned, diverting it again.

"We'll see ourselves out," Harry said, and opened the door for me. 

Karen held her hand out and I shook it again. She gave me a brief smile, before turning back to her phone which was now vibrating for the third time with Louis' name on the screen. "I'd better take this, it seems urgent," she said. "Bye guys."

"Bye," we replied, and as we walked down the corridor we heard Karen say, "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

We exchanged looks, and Harry led me out of the office, back down the stairs and out of the building to the car.

He opened my door for me and I jumped in, and he got in the driver's side and shut the door.

"That was intense," I said, breathing out a huge sigh to relieve the tension.

I was cut off by Harry's lips pressing hard against mine and his hand cupping my cheek. My heart jolted and began to race and I couldn't stop the flush creeping up my face.

"What was that for?" I asked breathlessly as he pulled away.

"You were incredible in there," he said huskily.

Wh... really?"

He nodded. "The things you said... about me... and you were... would you really have signed that stupid agreement?"

"Yes," I said. "I would. You should have let me."

"No," he said firmly, sitting back in his seat and starting the Range Rover engine. "I'm not budging on this. I'm not having you think I don't trust you."

"It's not about that," I said as Harry backed out of the space and drove back down the ginnel to the security gates. "It's about keeping your management on our side."

"Not like that," he said, shaking his head. "I told Karen I wouldn't entertain the idea but she didn't listen, as usual." We pulled onto the road and turned right back onto Peterborough Road.

"It didn't come as a surprise," I said. "I've been expecting something like that for a while now. It really isn't a problem."

He smiled at me. "I love that you just get it. I was worried you'd be pissed off."

"I don't get pissed off about stuff like that," I told him.

He smiled at me. "Have you packed for this weekend yet?"

"No, I need to do it tonight if you're picking me up straight from work tomorrow," I said.

"I'd better get you back home then," he smiled.

And he reached over and held my hand as we made the journey back to Belsize Park.

-----*****-----

Anyone really good at manips? I fancy a change of cover for No Control for when it is completed, and I'd like both Harry and Jess on the cover (I'm picky though, just to warn you in advance!!!) If anyone wants to have a go at making one, please message me. I'd rather have someone do it who has read the story and knows the characters! Full credit will be given of course :)

Don't forget to vote!!! xx