I'm absolutely sweating by the time I reach Harry's door. I walked -well, actually, more like speedwalked- to his apartment, and wanting to get sick on the side of the road and also walking five km isn't a great combination.

I knock on his front door, hands trembling.
He opens the door, casual as can be, but when he sees me he looks confused.
"Ellie? Are you okay?"
"Harry, i'm so sorry" I blurt out, followed by more words "I don't know why I never believed you, but I didn't think Gabby would lie to me like that. If you don't want to talk to me I get that but please just hear me out-"

"Hey" He stops me "come inside, close the doors, take a deep breath"
I take a deep breath, step inside and close his door. He walks to his kitchen counter and I follow him.
"Back go what I was saying. I'm so, so, so sorry for not believing you, and I feel so stupid but Gabby's like a sister to me and I didn't want to just stab her in the back, she just went through a breakup and everything and-"

I don't get to finish my rambling because before I can, he pulls me towards him and kisses me.
I'm momentarily stunned before I melt into him, wrapping my arms around his neck as his hand finds my waist, the other tangling itself into my hair.

When he pulls away, he's smiling at me and the way he's looking at me makes me forget why I came around in the first place.
"I forgive you, Allison. I was never angry" He chuckles.
"Why? Why were you never angry?" I wonder aloud.

"Because I know you. You're loyal, and I knew you wouldn't immediately choose sides without thinking it through. I've know you for twelve years, Ellie. Since we're fourteen and fifteen"
The faith he has in me makes me want to kiss him again. So I do. I pull him towards me, twirling his hair around my fingers.

"Still desperate, darlin'?" He murmurs against my lips.
I hum in agreement, my heart fluttering as I try ignore the heat rising to my cheeks. "I never stopped"

I lean back against the counter as he leans forward, and suddenly my feet are off the ground and Harry's arms are wrapped around my waist. I wrap my legs around his torso so i'm not just hovering mid-air.

When I pull away he's breathing quickly and I smile because I was the one who broke it up instead of him.
"Is that your bribe?" Harry teases, voice low "to get me to forgive you?"
"I don't need a bribe and you know it" I grin as he carefully puts me down onto the kitchen counter. He never moves his arms.

"Yes I do" He lifts a hand and brushes little bits of hair away from my face, like it's a habit that's burned into his brain now. It probably is.
"Harry, i'm going to say something" I hesitate "and I need you to not freak out"

He raises an eyebrow and nods "Go on?"
I breath out "I love you"
He doesn't even look surprised, just grins "About time, Ellie. I love you, too"
And in that moment, sitting on his counter while he has his arms wrapped around me, while it might not be the most romantic thing in the world, it sure feels like it.

A MONTH LATER:

As if it's a part two, we're all sat in Ethans house waiting until nine so we can go out to yet another pub. It's only half eight, so we're all just having a chat.

Harry asked me to be his girlfriend last month, when I was sat in his kitchen after I told him I loved him. I said yes, obviously, so now whenever I kiss him I can do it as his girlfriend. It's been nothing but amazing.

As Ethan tells Harry a story about Olive while Harry plays with my hair, and Faith is telling me something about her cousins boyfriend, I realise that this time three months ago if you told me this is where I am right now with Harry as my boyfriend and me and Gabriella taking a break from speaking to each other (which was her idea, because she told me she 'couldn't see me and Harry together being so happy' her exact words) I wouldn't believe you whatsoever.

"Ellie, darlin', did Charlie tell you anything about where her and Tobi are?" Harry turns to me.
I check my phone, a message from ten minutes ago I hadn't realised Charlie sent me that read 'me and Tobi are on our way, traffic is shit 🙏'.

"Traffic is shite, apparently" I inform him.
He nods, kisses my nose and turns back to Ethan. I smile at him.
Tobi and Charlie also got together around the same time as me and Harry. I was so excited it was all we spoke about for a solid week and a half.

Charlie was probably more excited then I was when I told her about me and Harry. She was bouncing with happiness for a week straight, and she even told her mother. The last time she spoke to her was Christmas time. In that week and a half we spoke about her and Tobi, we also talked about me and Harry.

Gabriella moved out. It must've gone deeper then a little crush, but she told me herself that her and Harry were never together or anything, so that's that.

Charlie and Tobi arrive at about 8:45, and we all decide to leave early, everybody getting up and waiting outside.
Ethan and Faith's taxi gets here first.
"See yous, lads and ladies!" Ethan yells as we all laugh and shout "goodbye!"
After the taxi is ordered, I turn to Harry, watching the wind tousle his hair.
"I can't believe we got here" I murmur.
"I can" He leans down and kisses me, hand finding my hip like a second nature.

I hear Charlie and Tobi groan dramatically.
"Get a room!" Tobi shouts.
I flip him off as me and Harry laugh.
"Ah, gowan, give us a kiss" I shout.
Tobi shrugs and leans down to Charlie, giving her the kiss we asked for.

Me and Harry cheer as Charlie laughs and pretends to hate it.
Our taxi comes and I turn to Harry while I grab his hand.
"Ready, Lewis?"
"Ready, Gilmore"