《When We Were Young [H.S.]》31. One

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Harry's POV

Harry shut the car door behind him, closing his eyes as he slumped into the leather seat. His head was pounding from the night before, the hangover not easing up once during the entire flight back from LA. The wet and blistery London air was hardly as enjoyable as the warm American sun, but he was home. Stars twinkled in the black sky, even though it was only half four in the afternoon. Ah, the joys of winter.

"Where to mate?" the driver asked from the front, looking into his rear-view mirror.

Harry opened his mouth to give his home own address, before pausing and furrowing his brows. Then, without hesitation, he gave another address instead.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up onto a street already lined with cars, illuminations from the surrounding terraced houses highlighting the path.

"Thanks man," Harry said as the driver handed him his bags, watching him drive away before he pulled his bags to the curb and began to walk to the familiar house.

As he paced up the little tiled path to the front door, he could see the lights on through the window. Running his hand through his hair to make sure it looked presentable, he brought it down and knocked.

A slight smile crept up onto his face when he saw a figure emerge from the kitchen, walking towards the door. He could already picture of her face of confusion, her brows furrowed as she wondered who it was.

The door swung open to reveal Wednesday's reddened face and it took her a second to register that it was him stood in front of her. Meanwhile, his eyes dropped down her body, taking in the white powder smeared across her clothes with a smirk.

"Harry! What are you doing here, I thought you weren't back until tomorrow?"

He shrugged, amusedly looking at her slightly dishevelled appearance. Had she been baking?

"Thought I'd surprise you and come back early. Clearly, you've been busy while I've been away," he said, letting his eyes drop to her flour smeared clothes once more, his eyebrow raised.

"Oh yeah. Well, I thought I'd try my hand at baking," she blustered, looking back to the kitchen nervously as she kept the door firmly angled to show only her.

"You don't like baking," Harry stated as he leant against the door frame, the sides of his lips turned up.

"I re-watched the Great British Bake Off on Netflix and it inspired me, what can I say."

Harry nodded, noticing that she didn't make an effort to move or offer to let him in. Her eyes kept nervously darting between his and he realised she was nervous for some reason or other.

His grin widened as he gestured to the suitcases behind him.

"Are you going to let me in then, or am I going to have to beg?"

"Oh," Wednesday said, nodding quickly as she side-eyed the kitchen. "Yes. Yep. Come in, the TV is on so you can go and sit down in the living room."

She took the bag from his shoulder and placed it down onto the first stair, brushing some of the flour off of her cheeks. Harry had debated doing it for her, before quickly shutting that idea down.

As he closed the door behind him, the smell of warm cake floated through the air and his mouth instantly salivated. It smelt slightly like vanilla and he wondered what she'd been baking.

"What have you been making? It smells incredible."

She forced a smile, placing herself between him and the slightly ajar kitchen door, blocking his view of the room.

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"Just some cupcakes and stuff, you know."

"Can I have one?"

"Oh, they're uh...they're not ready yet."

"Oh, right. Well, I'll make us a cup of tea if you—"

Harry had moved towards the kitchen, finding himself quickly blocked by Wednesday as she moved to position herself in front of him again.

"No, no. You don't need to do that. No, I'll make them, you go relax."

Harry's brows pinched together as a slow smile formed on his lips. She was being weird and was definitely hiding something behind the kitchen door. Was she baking something...for him?

Backing off with his hands raised, he noticed that she waited to open the kitchen door, watching as he walked into the living room fully before he heard it open and close quickly.

The house was warm and inviting, but it didn't stop him from kicking off his trainers and grabbing the throw from the opposite sofa, lying down and pulling it over his legs as he pulled his hood over his head. Looking up to the TV, he squinted as he noticed that Grease was playing, the familiar sound of 'Summer Nights' drifting through the air. One of their joint favourites.

A minute later, Wednesday walked back into the room with a large mug in her hand and placed it down on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

"Cozy there?" she asked, smiling down at Harry's sleepy face peeking out through the hoodie.

He grinned boyishly, snuggling further down into the cocoon he'd created.

"Just a bit," he said, exaggeratedly humming out comfortably. "Anyway, where's this second hug I was promised?"

Wednesday raised her eyebrow, looking down to her flour smothered clothes. "You want a hug from me like this? Covered in flour and god knows what else?"

"Mhmm," he hummed, sticking his arms out from the confines of the cover and holding them up like a child.

He knew the hug comment from her on their facetime the other day had been said offhandedly, but he hadn't forgot, making a mental note to hold her to the promise as soon as he returned. It was rare that he ever got to hug her, despite how much he often found himself wanting to, and so he had to take the chances whenever he got them these days.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, but a grin played on her lips as she took a step towards him.

"Okay. You asked for this."

She leant down, finding his arms as he pulled her in. Her long hair was pulled into a messy low bun, but two strands of hair still hung from the front, tickling Harry's nose as she placed her head onto his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her middle, his chin resting on her shoulder. Harry had to physically stop himself from nuzzling in, the scent of floral shampoo that was radiating from her too inviting.

After a few seconds of her being half leant over him, she pulled back slightly. With a mischievous grin, Wednesday stared at him. Before he could ask what she was smiling at, she swiped some of the cake mix from her top and rubbed it onto his nose in one quick motion. Harry's jaw dropped open at the surprise, his eyes crossing to see the dollop of beige mixture on the tip of his nose.

Wednesday breathed out a laugh above him, trying to hold in her pleasure at the small act of rebellion as she stared down at her handy work. For a second, Harry just stared up at her, admiring the happiness in her expression with a warmth in his chest. He could have stared at her smile all day if she let him. Blinking himself out of the gaze, he replaced his shocked face with a smirk, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her.

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"You're gonna pay for that."

The last thing he saw were her eyes widening before he sat up and grabbed onto her waist, pulling her down with ease onto the sofa. Sitting up now from his position, he leant over her and pinned both of her hands above her head, using his free hand to explore her weakness. His fingers tickled around her stomach, travelling quickly over the area and eliciting whimpers and laughs from her as she writhed around under him. He bit his lip as his eyes crinkled in satisfaction, the sound of her deep laughs filling the room.

"Harry...please...stop...I'm..." she laughed through gasped breathes.

She kicked out, trying to pull her hands out of his but he knew it was no use. He had them in a death grip above her head and he'd manoeuvred himself to now be practically straddling her, ignoring the way the view of her under him made him feel.

"I'M SORRY," she yelled breathlessly after she realised she couldn't escape. When he deemed she'd paid the price, he stopped, still holding her hands up.

"Told you you'd pay for it," he grinned, swiping the cake from his nose back onto her own with a small boop.

She wiggled her nose in response, rubbing it on the arm of her t-shirt.

"Was still worth it," she smiled, never one to back down.

He loved that about her though; her stubbornness rivalled his own, and always meant there was a degree of competitive tension between them.

He looked at her smile and the way her full lips turned up at the edges. She looked so happy in that moment. If he could have one wish in life, it was so she could always feel as good as she did then.

"It's nice, seeing you smile."

Her cheeks turned a shade of pink at his comment and she tried to turn her head so he wouldn't see it, but he did. He always noticed.

Realising that he was still hovering over her, her hands still held in his with her body underneath him, he cleared his throat and moved away. With her hands released, Wednesday ran a piece of her hair behind her ear and sat up.

Smoothing down her clothes and standing back up, she looked down to where Harry sat with a smirk she tried to hide.

"Drink your tea and watch Grease."

"Yes, sir," he replied, snuggling back into his former position as she walked back to the kitchen.

It wasn't long until the combination of warmth, the songs from Grease and the sheer exhaustion from jetlag caused Harry's eyes to droop shut. He didn't wake once from his slumber, images filling his mind as he dreamed comfortably. His eyes only opened once again when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

"Harry," Wednesday whispered above him.

Her voice sounded so soft, that he wondered if he was in a dream still. But when her finger brushed his arm again, his eyes slowly opened to reveal Wednesday's face looking down to him, smiling.

"How are you feeling after that sleep? It seemed like you needed it."

He hummed out as he stretched, his cheeks puffed up against the pillow he had rested on. His lips were slightly swollen from sleep and he still felt tired, but at least his hangover had disappeared. Now, it had been replaced by ravenous hunger and thirst.

"How long was I asleep for?"

"A couple of hours. You were snoring your pretty little head off."

He sat up and scowled, rubbing his face to hide the grin.

"No, I wasn't."

"The video on my camera roll says otherwise," Wednesday grinned, before continuing. "Anyway, come into the kitchen. I've got a surprise for you."

"Is it the cupcakes?!" Harry asked quickly, his demeanour changing as a wide toothy smile came over his lips.

"Maybe," Wednesday said, walking off in the direction of the kitchen.

Harry followed closely behind her, pushing down his hood and ruffling his flattened hair.

Wednesday looked back at him with an excited glance, before grasping the handle to the kitchen door and slowly pushing it open.

When she stepped aside, Harry looked up to the scene before him. Randomly dotted on the floor were a load of blue and pink balloons and golden streamers. On the kitchen counter island were a selection of various cupcakes, biscuits and brownies and in the centre of them all, was a large cake on a stand. It was covered in thick white frosting, with hundreds and thousands sprinkled all over the top and a stick was stuck into the top that read '26' in bold, glittery lettering. And then his eyes flicked up to the end of the kitchen, above the dining table where blue bunting was stretched across the wall.

'Happy Birthday Dickhead'.

Taking in the scene in amazement, he looked to Wednesday who'd been carefully watching his reaction.

"You did all this for me?"

She shrugged, her lip getting caught between her teeth.

"Yeah. I couldn't celebrate with you on your actual birthday, so I thought I'd throw you your own mini party."

"Wednesday..." he started, looking back to it all with warm cheeks and a strange sensation in his chest. "It's amazing. Thank you."

"Well, it nearly didn't happen when you showed up a day earlier than you were meant to." She rolled her eyes at him. "But thank god you conked out for a few hours. It meant I could finish the cake and get everything done quickly."

Harry looked back to the cake, his eyes widening as he noticed it had a homemade quality about it that he'd missed originally.

"You made that cake?"

"Yep. Carrot cake. Your favourite."

Harry looked to her earnestly then, blinking as he stared at her side profile. She looked at the scene, taking in her handiwork. But he admired the way her long lashes fluttered, the small proud smile that played on her lips. He wanted to reach out and move the strand of hair that hung over her cheek behind her ear. But when she looked back to him, he averted his gaze quickly back to the room.

"Well, I'm getting stuck into this cake. And some of these cupcakes. I'm bloody starving."

Wednesday grinned, grabbing the large knife from the countertop and cutting a slice out.

"Love the sign, by the way," he said, looking to the bunting.

"Knew you would," Wednesday replied with a grin.

Hours later, after they'd loaded up on enough cake, biscuits and brownies to last a lifetime, they both sat strewn across the sofas, watching the credits of Forrest Gump roll.

Wednesday yawned loudly, struggling to keep her eyes open any longer as she watched the clock tick past midnight. Looking over to where Harry looked equally exhausted, she switched off the TV.

"Am I assuming you're sleeping over here tonight?"

Harry didn't reply, instead smiling deeply and snuggling into the throw over him further, doing his best to appear cute and innocent.

"Right," Wednesday laughed, standing up and rubbing her eyes. "I'll go get the guest bedroom ready for you."

She disappeared upstairs and after a few minutes of aimlessly scrolling through his phone, he pulled himself from the sofa and grabbed his carry-on bag that held all of his essentials, padding upstairs. After brushing his teeth and quickly washing his face, he peeked into the room Wednesday stood in, straightening out the bedding on the double bed.

"Bed's all ready for you," she said tiredly, yawning again as he placed his bag down on the bed, throwing himself down on top of it dramatically.

"Thanks Nessie," he grinned, earning a glare from her.

"You know I hate it when you call me that."

Shrugging, he watched as she rolled her eyes.

"Thank you."

"For what?" she asked, halfway out the door.

"For the cake, for the decorations. I don't know. For just being you."

Even in the harsh light, he could see the redness appear in her cheeks. She didn't reply. Instead, she smiled a genuine wide smile down at him and said her goodnights, before exiting and closing the door behind her.

Getting up from the bed, Harry pulled his hoodie and t-shirt over his head, slipping off his joggers too. Opening up the bag, he sprayed on some more deodorant, before turning the light off and climbing into the bed. But for as long as he kept his eyes closed, he couldn't get to sleep. He tossed and turned, eventually giving up altogether as he laid and stared at the ceiling through the darkness, sighing in frustration. The rain that had started outside gently pattered against the window, the only source of noise in the whole house.

He wondered whether Wednesday was asleep yet. Images flashed in his head of moments where he'd witnessed her asleep before. Vividly, he remembered the night in New York when he'd slept in her bed. She'd fallen asleep beside him, her face flush against the pillow as her hair fanned out – she slept on her front, like him. Her lips had parted slightly, and he'd laughed silently when he noticed the slight dribble from her mouth onto the pillow. He hadn't even considered going back to his room in that moment, instead turning the light off and getting back in beside her, her face the last thing he saw.

Without thinking about it, he pulled back the covers and found his joggers, pulling them on along with his t-shirt. Gently padding across the floor, he opened his door and walked along the landing to where Wednesday's room was. Placing his ear to the wood, he listened for any sign that she was awake. When he heard nothing, he turned the handle, slowly pushing the door open.

The room was coated in darkness, the silhouette of Wednesday faced away in bed only slightly visible through the slither of moonlight that came through the curtains. He could hear her gentle breaths and for a moment, he stood by the opened door watching her, wondering whether to go back to his own room or not.

"Harry?" her voice, broken by sleep, called out quietly into the dark. "Is that you?"

Looking up from his own thoughts, he noticed that his presence must have roused her. She wiggled in bed, turning over to see him as she rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah. Sorry, I...I couldn't sleep."

Silence fell between them as he looked down to her nervously, waiting for her to say anything. As the seconds passed, he started to feel more and more like he shouldn't have come in. It was a stupid idea, and he began to get ready to apologise and go back to his own room, when her voice radiated out again just as softly.

"Do you want to sleep in here with me?"

Harry felt himself let out a breath he'd been holding, releasing all of the anticipation he'd built up inside. Humming his reply, he slowly walked to the edge of the bed as Wednesday scooted further over, allowing him full space. Pulling the cover open and lowering himself into the warmed bed, a distinct smell of something sweet, like strawberries or flowers hit him.

Her.

Manoeuvring himself so that he was on his front, his arm furthest away placed under his pillow, he got a glimpse of Wednesday properly for the first time. She looked tired, her lips pouted from sleep as she wiggled her nose. A yawn emitted from her before she smiled at him tiredly with droopy eyes. He swallowed, smiling back. Something about her face, in this partial moonlight, made his skin tingly.

"Hopefully you can get some sleep," she said, yawning again as her eyes already began to flutter shut.

"I hope so," he replied quietly, his hand balled up into a loose fist between them as he continued to just look at her, taking in every small detail and feature like he never wanted to forget them.

And just when he'd thought she'd gone back to sleep, when his own eyes had started to give in to the exhaustion that wracked his body, he felt her hand slide over his own, encompassing him.

Not long after that, they both fell asleep. Hands intertwined.

/

we LOVE a good harry pov! hope you are all doing okay and being kind to yourselves. it's been hard to drag myself away from the news lately, everything feels very surreal. sending love to my American readers, it ends SOON! x

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