《help wanted - Harry Styles au》Chapter 16
Advertisement
The days seem to go by faster and faster here at the Style's home. Every day that passed was another day that I fall more and more in love with this family. Maybe it's because of how comfortable I've gotten with Harry and the kids. It started feeling less and less like a job and more and more like a home. That was a little scary to think about.
Harry and I have this weird thing going on between us. There was no label or anything, I could only hope that he genuinely has feelings for me and this isn't just something fun in passing. I've grown attached, and that terrifies me.
Harry's been super affectionate ever since the kiss last week, always wanting to be touching me in any way possible at every second he can. It was an odd feeling, to feel affection like this. The last time I was ever with someone was Scott and Lord knows, affectionate was not a word that described him.
Affectionate and caring and loving, those were all words that described Harry. If we were eating, Harry would have his leg extended out in front of him so that his ankle or calf was touching mine. If we were driving in the car, his hand rested on my thigh. If we were watching tv, he'd prop my leg over his knee. In any way possible he wanted to be connected.
"Alright loves, it should be a short day at work today. I'll be home around 4." Harry kissed the kids heads and then my cheek, making me blush. Just last month he had almost kissed me before leaving for work and we were both stunned, now it felt right.
"Drive safe, please." I called out to him as he headed to the garage.
"Always, love!" He shouts back, closing the door. My heart flutters at the word love. The pet names have been more abundant lately. Sometimes I feel like he's trying all of them out to see what fits best.
"Anastasia?" Penelope spoke as she finished her breakfast. I stood behind her, combing her hair so that I could braid it.
"Yes, darling." I said, my fingers now tangled deep in her roots.
"Are you and daddy in love?" She asked nonchalantly. My eyes widened slightly at her words but I laughed it off.
"Why would you think that?" I chuckled. Kids will be kids, they don't really understand the concept of being in love.
"You and daddy are happy when you're together." She shrugged. If there's one thing to know about kids, they don't have any type of filter. "He smiles at you when you aren't looking." She continued to babble. This girl might be 4 years old, but she knows too much for her own good.
Her words left butterflies in my stomach though. Does Harry really look at me when I'm not looking at him? Does he smile at me like she says?
"I'm not sure what you're talking about Pen, finish your food, we gotta learn some words today." I finished braiding her hair, trying to dismiss her thoughts.
Advertisement
"I think he loves you." She continued to say. A part of me wanted to laugh at her persistence.
"Pen, do you even know what love is." I sat down next to her and smiled. She turned in her seat so she was facing me and she gave me a large grin back.
"Yes. Daddy says he loves me all the time. Daddy used to tell Mommy he loves her too. So love is big." She finished. I nodded my head.
"You're right, darling. Love is big. But I'm not so sure that your Daddy loves me like that." I finished clearing off the table, putting all the dishes in the sink and cleaning up Danny as well.
"What do we want to do today?" I sighed as we all gathered on the living room floor, Danny was already running around grabbing and throwing every toy he could find. He was a crazy boy for sure and I know it'll only get wilder as he gets older.
Throughout the rest of the day my mind was filled with thoughts about Harry and our relationship, or whatever you would call this thing. We weren't in a relationship, heck I have no idea what you would even call this.
Every logical part of my brain was telling me that there's no way that we would ever work out. Harry and I can't be in a relationship. Hell, I'm his nanny. He's my employer, he said it himself. There was so many things wrong with this situation, so many things to consider. He's 9 years older than me for goodness sake, what would people think when they find out he's dating his nanny.
These all things that need to be talked about. I haven't even met any of his friends, the idea alone had me shaking. Penelope talks about her uncles so highly, which I found out they're not actually related but they're Harry's best friends. They've known Harry for years. Which means they also knew Danielle, and the thought of not being able to live up to her made me miserable. I'm sure that his friends would have something to about the whole situation. He's romantically involved with his nanny that happens to be much younger than him.
But everything feels so right. This thing with Harry is new, it's exciting, it's terrifying. We agreed to take things slow, but I know that this is something that we actually have to sit down and talk about, I don't even know if we're on the same page regarding our feelings towards each other.
One thing is for sure, I didn't want to be the one to initiate the conversation. Confrontation is not one of my strong suits, obviously.
The rest of the day went by rather quickly, the kids and I have fallen into a good rhythm and routine with each other, everything felt so natural. It was like a dance, we knew what would happen next, we didn't clash or bump into each other.
It was nearing 4, and Penelope was very antsy to see her dad, Harry wasn't lying when he said he wanted to focus on the kids. It was obvious that he was constantly putting in effort to spend time with the kids, even when work was hectic and stressful.
Advertisement
One night last week, Harry stayed at work till after dinner. He had said there was some sort of deadline and then board meeting at a dinner. Even when he got home after a whole days full of work he gave every last bit of his attention to the kids till it was time to put them to bed. I could see how tired he was from the way his eyes looked, they were sunken and drained. But he smiled, vibrantly.
Danny was cuddling with me on the couch, we all were watching a few episodes of Mickey Mouse, mostly Pen.
My phone rang in my pocket and I looked at it to see my Grandma was calling, I answered the phone quickly, worried something was wrong since she wasn't one to call out of the blue.
"Hey Mommsy, are you okay?" I asked in a panic but was eased when I hear her chuckle on the other end.
"Everything is fine, Bunny." She assured me. "I was hoping to see you soon, It's been almost a year.. I can go visit you there if that would make things easier." She offered.
"I actually don't live in the apartment with Tina anymore, maybe it would be better for me to go to you.. I'll have to see when I'm available." I needed to make sure it was okay with Harry if I dipped for a weekend. He did say weekends were free but I felt like I needed to give him a heads up anyways.
Speaking of the devil, Harry walked into the house and yelled "I'm home." Like he always does. I instantly cringed, knowing Mommsy definitely heard and she is definitely going to say something about it.
"Oh? Who is that??" Her voice raised in excitement, I rolled my eyes and laughed.
"There's a lot to catch you up on." I giggled. "Are you sure everything is okay?" I asked again on the phone, Harry came into the living room and greeted the kids before sitting next to me. He raised an eyebrow at me and pointed to my phone. I just shook my head softly and waited for mommsy to answer.
"I promise, everything is okay. I just miss my sweet bunny. And now I'm dying to know about this man that you share a home with." She continued to press.
"Oh my goodness." I let out a breathe. "I gotta go, Mommsy. I'll let you know when I can come see you. I love you, bye." She replied with a quick I love you before hanging up the phone.
"Who was that?" Harry instantly questioned as soon as the phone was away from my face.
"Just my grandma, she wants to see me soon." I just shrugged, Danny crawled onto my lap and laid his head on my chest. "How was work?" I diverted the topic to Harry.
He let his head fall back onto the couch and sighed. "It was awful. But It's alright, because I'm home now with the best kids in the world!!" He cheered while he tickled Penelope.
"You guys want a snack?" Harry stood from his spot and checked his watch. Of course the kids wanted a snack so we all made our way to the kitchen. I put Danny in his chair and helped Harry rummage through the fridge.
We decided on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I started to spread the peanut butter on the bread while Harry spread the jelly.
"I missed you today." Harry said softly to me, I looked up at him and a blush instantly crept onto my face, a small smile to join it.
"Really?" I asked pathetically like some love sick teenager.
"Of course.. I thought about you all day." As if my face couldn't get any redder.
"Yeah.. me too." I said softly. We put the sandwiches together and gave it to the kids along with their drinks.
"Anastasia." Harry said beside me as we sat down at the table. Penelope was munching away on her bread while she watched Cocomelon on the iPad. "I would love to take you out on a date."
My eyes widened at his words, he was being very straight forward and I was not ready to have this conversation right now.
"What?" I looked at him dumbfounded, he chuckled lightly at my reaction.
"A date. Dinner? A movie? A Picnic? Anything really... I would just love to spend time with you, alone.." He explained, his eyes discreetly gazing at the two kids and then back at me.
"What about the kids, we can't just leave them." I laughed nervously.
"Of course not, we'll get a sitter." He shrugged.
"Harry, I am the sitter." I pointed out.
"Yeah well.." Harry laughed at my remark. "We'll find a sitter for the sitter. Look Anastasia, I really want to explore... this with you." He spoke, his fingers gestured to the space between us. "It's new and unpredictable, but I want to figure this out. I want to see where this leads." He explained. "I haven't felt this way about someone since Danielle.." He said softly and my heart swelled.
"Okay." I smiled at him, he raised an eyebrow at me.
"Okay?" He asked. I nodded at him again.
"Yes, I'll go on a date with you.. Maybe we can ask Tina to watch the kids for a night, I'm sure she can manage." I shrug at him.
"Perfect.. How does Tomorrow night sound?" He grinned. I was a little shook with how soon he wanted this date to happen but I agreed and said I'd call Tina and ask if she's available tomorrow.
My heart was racing and I was getting anxious. A date. With Harry. Alone.
This is like straight out of a movie. A young girl falls for her incredibly attractive boss.
How cliche.
Advertisement
The Dungeon Mayor
Hop on into the journey of a young man, talented in management, politicking, and strategy. Born a noble, he is sold into slavery and learns much about the world on his journey. Though one lucky stroke frees him of his lifelong captivity and puts him where he was always meant to be. Now as the Mayor of a small village he has a bright future before him if it wasn’t for a rogue dungeon. What to Expect:Epic battles, unexpected schemes, genius tactics, efficient production cycles, management of a city, and how to handle a rogue dungeon core. I hope you enjoy the fiction and what I wrote. If so a rating, review, or feedback is always welcome. Update Schedule:2-4 times a week -Tuesday, Thursday, and on weekends. About 1000 words Other works I published: The First Dungeon Core - A fiction about the first-ever dungeon core and its journey in a world, that just like itself just began. The Librarian - Coming soon!! - The adventures and stories of a librarian in a fantasy world. Cards of Creation - Continued soon!! - The rise to power of a genius card player on a planet ruled by the game he played his whole life. Guinness book of RR Records - A collection of absurd and mind-boggling records on RR, become a part just by submitting a record you saw or broke yourself!! Currently searching for a cover!!!!!
8 160No Easy Mode
Reincarnation isn't easy, Sure you might have a status menu but unlike a video game the training is real, the blood, sweat, and tears are real. Unfortunately for Samuel Erasi Fuller he found out that no amount of video game knowledge can prepare you for a world of skills, attributes and magic and even his top notch survival skills only go so far when there are beasts that shoot fireballs or move like a bolt of lighting. Worse yet there are no levels of skills just a name and description and a percentage display! Edit: Yes the poorly done cover is my personal work. Drawing anything using your finger and an app on your phone was not as easy as the tutorial made it look!
8 112Nirvana
In the world's top resort super-metropolis you can fulfill your craziest desires. If you have the credits and know where to go, you can do anything. This resort was built by two global corporations for the sole purpose of realizing the dreams of the rich and famous.... or so it seems. But not all is as it seems from the outside. Follow the Retainer Emma Foley down the rabbit hole that is Nirvana. Is this a playground for the grown up, or is there something else going on under the shiny surface. Discover what is means to bite off more than you can chew and follow along as Emma tracks down something sinister that seems prepared to bring Nirvana to it's knees...or at least out of the skies.
8 99The Dreamside Road
Five years after the world fell into chaos, a treasure of artifacts is up for grabs. The relics of the Dreamside Road offer a power that could help rebuild or annihilate what remains. Orson Gregory is an adventurer for hire, but hunts this treasure for answers, not glory. Enoa Cloud’s late aunt helped hide the Dreamside Road, but following in her aunt’s supernatural tradition offers her as much peril as power. Together, Orson and Enoa battle a magic-obsessed militia, clash with a host of rivals, and face constant adventure on their journey to find the Dreamside Road. *Updates Monday and Friday The Dreamside Road is now on TopWebFiction! Vote so people know this exists. _____________________________________ NOTE: The Progression tag applies specifically to Enoa. Also, fair warning, that element doesn't enter the story until she begins her studies. Content: Main characters range in age from teenagers to people in their thirties and older, but it will not contain gratuitous violence or explicit sexual content. It also won’t shy away from implication, anything to make this story and its world feel more real. Characters will freely allude to potentially triggering topics, including living with a disability, facing terminal illness, coping with trauma, surviving societal destabilization, and the consequences of bigotry. At its most intense, the Dreamside Road is a hard PG-13. Worldbuilding: This is not a story with a lot of early exposition scenes, conveniently explaining ‘magic systems’ and political dynamics. Readers will learn, progressively, as the characters do. This story/world has a ‘magic system’, or rather, a set of systems, but the effort to quantify and understand the truth of the setting plays a role in the backstory, as well as in some character motivations. In that same vein, not every character has a firm grasp on the nature of their world, and not every piece of dialog from every character should be taken as entirely truthful Worldbuilding. Also, this isn't the softest Sci-fi. There are at least some basic explanations given for various elements, but Royal Road does not give me a spectrum to choose from. Given the choice between hard and soft, let's just say The Dreamside Road won't be cited in any college Physics papers. Setting and Theme: The Dreamside Road walks the line between fantasy and science fiction and deals with finding one’s place in a changing world. Many of the characters in this story are United States natives and the story begins in the United States, my homeland. However, knowledge or interest in this country is not necessary to understand the story, especially as it progresses. Also, as this is a novel that deals with societal collapse and while that damage may be widespread, in story, I don’t want to overstep and critique the culture of others’ unless I have particular knowledge in a given area. Ultimately, the Dreamside Road is American in the same way Harry Potter is English, fantasies that do not have a full secondary world, but with enough original elements to fully diverge the setting from our the real world.
8 135Road of the Immortal Tao
The story is a fanfiction created based on the mobile game Immortal Taoists, following the development of Server 87, adapted to fiction, plus a backstory. You will be able to find many names of actual in-game players in the novel (yours truly included), all of which agreed to participate in this little project.For obvious reasons there will be deviations from the actual game in order to match an actual timeline and for the story to make sense. Enjoy the journey of the S87 players on their path to Immortality!
8 145Leksa kom Trikru and Klarke kom Skikru
Lexa has a heart that's still bright, when all this time she wished for it to be stone to hide weakness.
8 144