#Harley Davidson Niall | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

alltheloveflowerh · 5 years

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70′s Love story

disclaimer: this is something i wrote a long time ago, ive teased it a few times but i never got around finishing it, not sure whether y’all are gonna like it but here it is, at least as much as it was written.

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The city of Brighton and Hove wasn’t the ideal place to live in the period of 1970’s, but despite everything Y/N made it work. Some parts of the city were threatened with demolition while others were being built, but the level of unemployment in Brighton and Hove was still very high, especially in the central districts. Therefore, Y/N had a bit of a problem at first; because inheriting a pub after her father’s passing wasn’t an option. It’s not that she didn’t want it, but more that she wasn’t fit for that kind of a job, since then an eighteen-year-old, didn’t know much about running a bar where all bikers of Brighton hung out; so her godfather, or the best friend of Y/N’s father, took over the business. That’s why Y/N choose to do art; a little bit of everything – street art, painting, drawing, embroidery – name it, she’s done it. It wasn’t the highest income, but it was enough for a now twenty-year-old to afford the rent and additional costs.

Living with one parent was hard for Y/N, but it was way harder after her father’s passing. When her mother left them, only to remarry some rich snob from London, it was tough on the young girl who was supposed to grow up without a mother, but her dad did everything in his power to make her feel as loved as possible and to make life easier for his little girl. Her father was one of the most respected men in the area; everyone knew him and everyone loved the kind biker who always had his little girl with a mop of curls in his arms. So after his death, Y/N’s godfather Niklaus took the responsibility of further raising her and making sure that the girl grew up to be as wonderful as her father was.

Y/N’s apartment wasn’t too big; it was a small one-bedroom apartment. The main room contained the necessary kitchen equipment, a dining table, and the remaining space could be considered the living room. Her bedroom, however, was much smaller due to the fact that half of it was used to make a bathroom and the other half had a platform bed and several but small bedroom cabinets for different uses. Despite it being a rather small apartment, the rent was still high, therefore when Niall came to Y/N looking for a couch to sleep on, they split the bills and it ended up being affordable for both of them.

Speaking of Niall, he had been Y/N’s best friend for years; he was one of the kindest people with a heart of gold, but he was forced to leave his parent’s house as they did not accept him for who he was, so Y/N was the first who immediately offered him a place to stay and food to eat. And Niall was a great roommate, amazing even; not only did he clean after himself and willingly help with all chores, but he also always assisted Y/N whenever she was choosing what to wear and Niall was damn good at it.

Like her father, who had been a biker living the rocker life for over twenty years, Y/N too became a massive fan of the rock’n’roll music and their style of living. Her wardrobe mostly consisted of denim and leather clothes, with worn-out band t-shirts and worn-out combat boots and converse shoes. Sometimes her appearance could remind one of the hippies, with her bright colours, patterned and floral clothes; but that was rare, it only happened when Niall had enough of seeing Y/N in different shades of black so he would make her wear those clothes.

So when Y/N, a sweet and soft spoken girl who always wore a smile on her face, met Harry who was the exact opposite of her, it was quite unusual. Because Harry was someone you wouldn’t know was nice, unless you met them. He had sullen face; a frown on his face, mean stare – a face that looked mad ninety percent of the time, but inside he was a nice and caring person although he rarely showed it.

Harry was this twenty-two-year-old boy who lived alone in the city of Brighton and Hove. He had been obsessed with motorcycles ever since he was around six years old, and he later on started working as a mechanic at the age of sixteen. At twenty-two, he continued being a mechanic although he only works with motorcycles – that was his forte. With that, Harry had earned himself the respect of fellow bikers who accepted him as one of their own. The older bikes thought of him as their son, while the bikers around his age considered him a brother and a friend.

With that one specific pub where all bikers gathered, Harry too became one of their regulars, famous for his significant leather jacket with a Harley Davidson logo embroidered on the back and Styles embroidered on the left side of the front; as well as his restored motorcycle parked at the front. In the past few months Harry also sang on almost every Friday and Saturday night, after the people in the pub discovered the young man’s talent for singing and songwriting. But that pub wasn’t only important because there he felt the most at home but because that’s where he met Y/N.

The day when they met, started for Y/N off by Niall violently shaking her to wake her up, since she was going to be late for work. As the day went by and Y/N was finishing her work, she planned to visit Nik (who she usually called uncle Nik). Y/N didn’t have a habit of spending too much time in that pub; she only went there at the end of each month when uncle Nik would need her to help him out with the bills and payment since she had the brains for that sort of thing. It was a usual day until she met the unusual boy.

As she walked into the pub, she went straight to the bar where all the papers were laid out for her. Quickly waving at Nik, who was sorting out the back, she sat down on a stool and started doing her thing. It didn’t take her a long time to finish doing the bills, so she put them behind the bar before sitting back down and taking a book out of her backpack. Y/N loved reading, and when she was reading she was so invested in the story that she would forget about her surroundings, which usually ended in someone scaring her, just like then when a certain voice startled her.

‘’What’s a girl like you, doing in a pub like this?’’

‘’Do me a solid and leave, yeah?’’ Y/N looked over at the boy leaning against the bar, looking straight at her with a smug face.

‘’You look a tad too young for this place, we do not approve of underage drinking here.’’ The boy with Styles written on his leather jacket said.

‘’Well, you look like a prick, but you don’t see me complaining.’’ With an annoyed expression and a fake smile she looked straight into his eyes; his pine green eyes with yellow spots. The boy chuckled at her.

‘’It’s a bummer you think of me like that, doll. Only looking out for you, this can be a very dangerous place, especially for a girl like you.’’ Y/N wished she could wipe that annoying smirk off his face. He was cocky, far too cocky for Y/N’s liking.

‘’Listen, Styles’’ her eyes fluttered form his chest where his name was written up to his eyes again, ‘’Blow off, and stop being a jive turkey. I am well over the age limit and I sure as hell can go wherever the hell I want to.’’ If there was anything Y/N hated, it was when men were arrogant especially towards women. Men are pigs – she always thought. So in those cases, Y/N loved using derogatory terms, the same ones they used for women.

‘’Bloody hell, feisty little thing, aren’t you, foxy?’’ An attractive woman or Foxy – there it was, another term Y/N absolutely hated. She could see Styles leaning forward a bit, suddenly inhaling the horrible smell of cigarettes. He brought his lips closer to her ear. ‘’Not that I, personally, mind but a mouth like yours could get you in a lot of trouble. Be careful, aye?’’ He lowly spoke before pulling away and meeting her gaze again.

‘’Styles. You’re not harassing my niece, are you?’’ Nik said, with a towel hanging from his shoulder as he leaned onto the counter.

‘’No, no, of course not, Klaus.’’ The young boy straightened his back, standing taller; as Y/N gave him a very smug look because it seemed like no matter how confident he was, Nik still had the authority.

‘’I’d sure hope so, lad.’’ Nik nodded at him. Y/N got up, putting the book she was reading away before she was rudely interrupted, making her way towards the exit. ‘’Bye uncle Niklaus.’’

As the door shut behind her, she could hear the door opening again before a voice spoke up behind her.

‘’I never caught your name.’’ The Styles boy jogged quickly next to her.

‘’That’s because I never told you, Casanova.’’ He chuckled at her once again; he was a decent looking lad, Y/N though, but he seemed far too up his ass.

‘’Is that so?’’ He cocked his head to one side, ‘’Then do come by again, yeah?’’ He flashed her one of his best smiles.

‘’So it’s not dangerous anymore, huh?’’

‘’I’ll make sure to protect you, angel.’’ It was weird, because Y/N liked how he winked at her after saying that. She liked his whole look, his leather jacket, leather pants, a pair of boots. She only hummed in response before she turned away leaving him behind.

‘’My name’s Harry, by the way!’’ He yelled out after her, a smile on his face, but Y/N didn’t see it because she didn’t turn around but just waved her hand in a flipping him off manner.

Harry Styles – the name of a boy who was soon going to steal her heart. Of course Y/N told Niall about everything and of course Niall gushed about the biker boy with her. She told him about how full of himself he was, and how cocky he acted, but how sweet his smile was and how kind his green eyes were. Of course she denied finding him attractive, but Niall knew better.

For a few days, Y/N did not go back to the pub being swamped with work, but one time uncle Nik called her house phone, to come by the next day after work. Y/N worked for this old couple in their sixties called Charles and Tonya; technically she didn’t work for them but more like with them. Tonya owned an old art store, where people went in and out buying different arts for different purposes, but Charles was the one who asked a seventeen-year-old Y/N (and her father, of course) whether she would be willing to sell them her art. Which later became a little business of theirs, Y/N would get paid to do some embroidery on jackets, jeans, bags and so on, as well as paint some nice landscapes or portraits; and sometimes Tonya would give her extra money for her art when people insisted on paying a bigger price for her masterpieces, as the customers called them. Sometimes even, people would put in orders for a certain thing, and Y/N was always happy whenever she got a call.

After working on several items and their embroideries, Y/N decided it was enough for that day so she packed her backpack before heading to uncle Nik’s pub. Some days Y/N liked to walk and some, like that day, she took her baby blue bike and would stroll around town on it, with a little brown basket attached at the front. Leaning her bike against the walls of the pub, Y/N went inside greeting her godfather.

‘’Hey there, zippy.’’ Uncle Nik said, hugging Y/N tightly.

‘’Hii’’, she sat down in front of the bar, looking around, ‘’How have you been?’’

‘’I’m good, yeah.’’ Nik turned around grabbing a small envelope, and placing it on the bar. ‘’This is yours, zippy.’’ Ever since she was a kid, uncle Nik called her zippy as she was an energetic child who never stopped running and skipping around.

‘’What’s this?’’ Opening the envelope, she saw money inside and immediately pushed it back, ‘’No, no, this isn’t mine. I’m not taking this.’’

‘’Yes, you are, It’s your pocket money.’’ Y/N gave her uncle a deadpanned look. ‘’Don’t give me that look, young lady.’’ He added with a warning in his voice.

‘’I don’t need it, uncle Nik, I promise. I have my own.’’

‘’I do not care. I promised your father I would take care of you, and this is yours.’’ Gesturing to the money, he continued, ‘’Use it for paint, or cotton threads, just take it, alright?’’ A reassuring smile on his face.

She stayed in the pub for a little while chatting to uncle Nik, but also hoping a certain someone would walk in any second, but he never did. Uncle Nik continued doing his work, when Y/N said goodbye to him and headed towards the exit. Dropping her backpack in the little basket, she jumped upon hearing someone cough behind her. Turning around, Y/N saw Harry; his tall figure leaning against the wall, one leg bent in the knee holding the heel of his boot against the wall, the leather pants hugging his legs tightly, with a leather jacket draped from his shoulder. A half burned cigarette laying between his index and middle finger, indicating that he must have been standing there for a few minutes already. Harry took one more drag on his cigarette, exhaling the smoke before he spoke up.

‘’Fancy seeing you here, love.’’ A smirk was taking over his face while his eyes trailed up and down her body.

‘’You know smoking is bad for you, right?’’ Y/N didn’t exactly want him to know that she hoped to see him, but she mentally slapped herself after saying that out loud.

‘’Perhaps, but girls find it sexy, or so I’ve heard.’’ Pushing himself of off the wall, he walked the short distance between them, leaning on of his shoulders on the wall.

‘’Not exactly sure, what’s so sexy about dying before turning thirty.’’ She said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms over her chest. Looking directly into his eyes, trying too hard to intimidate him.

‘’That’s a bit morbid, isn’t it, love? Listen-‘’ Y/N took the cigarette from his hands and lighting it off after she tossed it on the ground and stepped on it. ‘’Now that was just rude, babe.’’

‘’I’d advise you to stop, but you do whatever you want to.’’ She picked it up from the floor, tossing it into the bin.

‘’How about – I forgive you for my cigarette, if you come by tonight. What do you say?’’ His flirtatious game didn’t work on Y/N, well it did, but she wasn’t giving in.

‘’I’ll have to see if I’m free, sadly.’’ Y/N said, her voice full of sarcasms. Turning away from him, she swung her leg over the bike, sitting down on it.

‘’C’mon, babe. You’ll love it, I assure you.’’

‘’Weren’t you the one who told me it was a dangerous place, for a girl like me?’’ Y/N furrowed her brows, placing her index finger on her chin. She was taking the mick out of him, loving the hard work he put into flirting with her.

‘’Don’t you worry your pretty self, I’ll knock out ever guy that even looks at you.’’ Harry got closer, the bike tire standing between his legs, as he leaned against the handlebars.

‘’Not promising anything, Styles.. Sorry.’’ She shrugged her shoulders at him, thinking that she was probably going to show up, but decided against telling him. She moved backwards with her bike, causing Harry to stumble a bit.

‘’Cute bike. A very cute bike.’’ Harry smiled at her, the dimples popping out and his lips stretched into a wide grin.

‘’Goodbye, Styles.’’ Rolling her eyes, Y/N started leaving, getting further away from the pub as she heard him yell after her.

‘’You still haven’t told me your name!’’ He was waving his hands frantically at her.

‘’It’s Y/N!’’ Pressing on her breaks, Y/N turned her head to look at him.

‘’See you tonight then, pretty girl!’’

Unfortunately, Y/N didn’t make it that day to go and see Harry, as she continued working a lot and due to the tiredness, she fell asleep and didn’t wake up until nine in the morning the day after. But after Y/N came back home from that little conversation with Harry, she gushed to Niall telling him all the details. Her tummy felt all giddy just talking about him, and it seemed like she was developing a certain type of crush that was more than silly. Niall was excited about the green-eyed boy almost more than Y/N was; he was so happy whenever Y/N talked to him about Harry even though they only met twice.

On that Saturday morning, once again Niall was the one to wake her up; seeing as she looked half dead he got a bit concerned. But once he found out that Y/N didn’t go and see Harry because she fell asleep, he started throwing pillows at her. If Niall had been home, he certainly would have woken her up, but as Niall was out till quite late, he couldn’t exactly do that.

‘’You’re so daft!’’ Niall said, throwing back the pillow at her.

‘’I didn’t mean to, okay?! Stop attacking me!’’ Hiding under the blankets, Y/N tried to defend herself.

‘’I even laid out a dress for you! You were going to look so shagadelic, Y/N!’’ He face-palmed his own self, because of how daft his best friend was.

‘’Niall! Stop it!’’ She took the pillow under her head and threw it at him, ‘’And for fuck’s sake! Do not use that word ever again!’’

‘’I will say whatever I want to! And that was the whole point of going there! To finally lose that bloody purity ring!’’

‘’Oh my God, Niall!!’’ Y/N yelled out, ‘’I was not going to shag him! He only invited me because- because he was being nice!’’

‘’Liste-‘’

‘’And I’m not wearing that stupid ring! I might have not… you know.. but I don’t have that stupid ring on!’’ She argued, but Niall only came closer and sat down on her bed.

‘’Right now, you’re going to wash your hair and I will lay out an outfit for you. And you are going over to the pub and apologise to the boy!’’ Giving her a stern look, he got up to look through her clothes while Y/N only groaned.

And that’s what ended happening. Niall laid out tight leather jeans – ‘’You’re wearing them! End of story.’’ – pairing them with combat boots and a white The Rolling Stones shirt. She added her significant denim jacket, with embroidery she had done on it. This time she decided to walk, as she wanted to mentally prepare herself to be in the same room as Harry. As usual, a lot of motorcycles were standing outside, she got around them and went inside the pub, releasing a breath like it was her last. The music was lowly playing, but the pub wasn’t as half as empty as she expected it to be. It was crowded, several groups of people sitting in the booths, but no one looked like a Harry. Squinting her eyes to take a better scan of the crowd again, but nothing, there was no Harry.

‘’Looking for someone, babe?’’ A way too familiar voice said behind her, scaring her.

‘’Bloody hell!’’ He almost made her scream; putting a hand over her heart she took a good look at him. He was standing behind the bar, leaning his elbows against it and once again with that stupid smirk on his face.

‘’Sorry for scaring you, love.’’

‘’It’s- it’s fine..’’ Taking a sit on the stool, she started feeling very panicky, not knowing what to do or say.

‘’I have to admit, babe, last night’’ He looked down, before looking directly into her eyes, ‘’While I was waiting for you,’’ he placed a hand over his heart, faking a sad expression, ‘’my heart was aching. A lot.’’

‘’I-I’m, I’m sorry! I-I am-‘’ Maybe Y/N was naive to believe his fake sadness, but she was a soft soul who didn’t like hurting others. ‘’I overslept Harry, I swear.’’

‘’I knew you would have a good excuse, puppy..’’ A fake sigh escaped his lips, trying to contain himself from breaking into a smile while she struggled to get a word out. ‘’But it’s okay, I guess. I can’t say I expected you to like me, really..’’Shrugging his shoulders, he leaned his head into one of his palms.

‘’No, no, no! Harry, I-I did want to come, I-I swear! It’s just- I was working a lot and I got tired, bu-but I planned what to wear already and I just thought to have a little nap before I come here..’’ Y/N reached her hand over, holding one of his in a way trying to assure him that she, in fact, wasn’t lying. ‘’But I overslept... An-and I only woke up like two hours ago.. I’m sorry, Harry.’’ Her voice was so sincere, that it broke Harry’s heart how kind she was, apologising to him for nothing. So he came over around the bar, sitting next to her, placing her small hand in his.

‘’I am messing with you, my love.’’ Harry chuckled, ‘’It was a shame that you never showed up, but I guess, I could forgive you.’’ Gasping, Y/N hit his chest repeatedly.

‘’Why are you such a prick?’’ It kind of bothered her that he was acting like that, because she was worried that he could have been mad at her, and there he was taking the piss. Y/N stood up from the stool, taking a few steps away from him wanting to hide in the bathroom. But as soon as she got up, an alarm went off inside Harry’s head, making him take her hand to spin her and pull her in his embrace.

‘’Nooo, don’t be mad at me now, pretty girl.’’ Having his hands around her and having her close to him felt like heaven. ‘’Forgive me, puppy?’’ He whispered; a hand in her hair playing with it, his lips pressed against her head.

‘’You’re being very mean to me..’’ Her voice was small, barely understandable. She wanted to fight him hugging her, but she seemed to enjoy it way too much.

‘’How about I make it up to you?’’ He asked, humming afterwards, still holding her tightly despite the stares he got from his lads sitting on a few meters away. ‘’Tonight, at Rover’s Diner, yea’? Just you and me.. what do you say?’’ Harry lifted his head to take a better look at her.

‘’I-I-‘’ Did he just call me out on a date?, Y/N thought, but she might have said it out loud.

‘’Yes he did, babe.’’ Laughing softly, he shook his head at her being so cute yet mesmerising.

‘’Shit...’’ Y/N coughed, feeling her face get warm from embarrassment. ‘’I’d-I would really like that...yeah..’’

‘’Good.. would you like me to pick you up?’’ He said, releasing the tight grip he had on her, but still holding onto her.

‘’N-No. I will meet you there.’’ Y/N looked up at him for the first time in a while, taking in the features of his face; his pink lips that looked very soft, his green eyes with the tiniest amount of yellow in them. She started wondering what would it be like if she were to have him as her muse, but Harry interrupted her thoughts.

‘’Okay. Then be there at 8 o’clock. Do not fall asleep on me again, got it babe?’’

‘’Y-Yeah, I won’t.. promise.’’ She chuckled nervously, feeling her face get warm again because of how Harry made her feel.

‘’Tonight it is then, baby.’’ Harry placed a soft kiss on her cheek. He slowly let her go before he went back behind the bar, as that was his whole purpose – watching the pub while Nik was out paying bills. But luckily for Harry, he went behind the bar just before Nik came back.

‘’Mornin’ zippy, didn’t know you were gonna be here.’’ Kissing his goddaughters cheek, he went right next to Harry. ‘’Alright there, Harold?’’

‘’Y-Yes, sir. All good.’’ Harry was stuttering, because he, now, felt intimidated by the bearded man who once called Y/N his niece.

‘’Not bothering my niece, are you?’’ Nik narrowed his brows at the boy, in a questionable manner.

‘’N-No, Klaus, certainly not, sir.’’ Nik only nodded his head and went into storage room, as Y/N chuckled at the stuttering Harry.

‘’Oh shush, you!’’

‘’See you tonight, Harry.’’ Fidgeting with her fingers, she kept rocking back and forth on her feet. ‘’Goodbye.’’ She waved at him, walking towards the exit but still looking at him with a little smile on her face.

‘’Bye, baby.’’ He sang, dragging the Y out and winking at her.

Both of them could feel the excitement in the pit of their stomach, but they showed it in two different ways. While Y/N bounced up and down throughout her walk back home, only to get even more giddy after talking to Niall about the whole situation; Harry on the other hand, kept a stern look on his face, putting up a facade as if nothing happened, only to feel the tingly sensations inside his whole body, nervously waiting for the clock to hit eight.

His friends were making fun of Harry as soon as he sat down next to them. Upon seeing the rather unusual interaction between a very reserved Harry and sweet looking girl, his best mates made it their goal to tease him about her. Harry kept suppressing a smirk, not wanting to give his mates the satisfaction of knowing, but that didn’t stop them as all four of them either nudged his shoulders, winked or made kissy noises at him.

‘’Who’s the bird, Styles?’’ His mate Aaron asked, taking a sip of his beer even though it was way too early for alcohol. A smug look on his face, knowing well enough who the girl was.

‘’Do not call her a bird, do you hear me?’’ A warning tone lingering in Harry’s voice. Clasping his hands together, he leaned his elbows against the table.

‘’Alright, calm down Harold. We know who she is, but I really hope for your sake, you do too.’’ Putting an arm over his chest and pushing him back, the dark-eyed boy said.

‘’Yes, Silas. I am aware.’’ Harry looked straight into his eyes, which had the power to intimidate anyone but Harry. ‘’She is Klaus’s niece.’’ But after adding that sentence, all of his mates looked at him with worry.

‘’You know she’s Raphael’s daughter...’’, Silas narrowed his eyes at him, hoping he was quite aware of that, ‘’...right? Harry?’’

‘’What do you mean?’’ Questionable look on his face. Could she be..?

‘’The original owner of this pub, Raphael... He was like a legend in town, you know him? Well that’s his daughter your smitten with.’’

‘’Fucking hell... Klaus is going to dissect every inch of me if he finds out...’’ With worry in his voice and a tight lip, his mates only nodded. ‘’I’m even taking her out tonight and if he as much as sees me...’’ His own eyes widened with fear, because he knew Raphael but he also knew Klaus.

It did worry Harry that Klaus could get mad at him for taking his niece out, but for now Klaus didn’t know anything about them and he was more worried about how he was going to look like for that night since he really wanted to impress Y/N, both with his looks and his charm.

‘’Do any of you own a shirt?’’ Harry looked at each one of his mates, ‘’Just help me, alright? I don’t own any shirts and I need it for tonight. Please?’’

‘’I have a pink one, with polka dots. My mum bought it for me, but I only wore it twice.’’

‘’I can’t bloody wear a pink shirt, you bloody mental?’’

‘’What do you mean? Yes you can. Pink is very rock and roll.’’

Thinking about it his friend was probably right, there was nothing wrong with pink. Harry sighed deeply and just nodded his head in agreement. The polka dot shirt didn’t look bad on him, he left a few buttons undone but it wasn’t so bad after all. If someone was looking at the four men and that one man changing shirts in from of them, no one would have ever thought that those people are biker who were supposedly a bad influence and very dangerous. Harry put his leather jacket on, before he crouched down to tie his shoelaces of his black converse as he decided against boots this time, considering his plans for that night.

While Y/N, on the other hand, stood in her underwear for almost two hour before finally deciding what to wear. Of course Niall was by her side, but after going over several different combinations Y/N became a little fussy. In the end, they chose a long red floral dress with small flares on the end. It wasn’t tight nor wide and it had a small ribbon being tied around the waist. Finishing her outfit with the denim jacket and white worn out converse shoes, Niall and Y/N headed towards Rover’s Diner. Y/N was feeling nervous, jumpy and happy, all at the same time, while Niall walked with her because he wouldn’t let her walk alone at night and well, he was also there as moral support. But as soon as the fluorescent sign came into view, he kissed her cheek and let her walk there on her own.

Approaching the diner, Y/N noticed one bike parked in front of it which could only indicate that Harry was inside already. Taking one deep breath, Y/N walked into the diner scanning the space before she noticed Harry sitting in one of the booths with a frown on his face. Once he saw Y/N, the frown disappeared instead there was smile when he stood up to greet her.

‘’Hi there.’’ One arm lingering over her lower back and the other going over Y/N’s shoulders, Harry hugged her. ‘’How are you?’’

‘’I’m good, thank you..’’ She sat down across from him, ‘’Yourself?’’

‘’I’m, I’m good, yeah.’’ He chuckled, ‘’Better now.’’ He added, before quickly glancing at her.

Looking at him made her whole face feel warm, the pink shirt looked really good on him; his exposed chest looked toned, bits of his tattoos were peaking. And it made Y/N wonder how many more he had. But after thinking of his tattoos, she imagined him without any clothes; thinking how he would make a beautiful muse – how good his toned body would look painted on her newly bought canvas, how she would highlight those green eyes and the little spark in them. Admiring his beauty, Y/N also just wanted to stick her hand out and poke one of his dimples.

‘’Alright there, love? Look a bit flustered.’’ A cheeky grin on his face, loving the fact that she’s just as mesmerised with him as he was with her. Y/N coughed uncomfortably, due to being caught.

‘’That’s a cute shirt you’re wearing. Very cute.’’ Changing the topic, Y/N complimented the polka dot shirt he was wearing.

‘’Thanks,’’ he said through a little laugh, ‘’I forgot to say, you look very beautiful. Stunning even.’’

‘’Thank you.’’ It seemed like her face getting warm became her usual state around Harry.

‘’Well hello, handsome. What can I treat you to, babe?’’ A figure suddenly appeared next to them; a pretty tall girl with an apron around her waist and an awful sound of her chewing her gum. She was looking directly at Harry, ignoring the fact that Y/N was right there. And it kind of bothered her, bottling up the anger in the pit of her stomach.

‘’Um, can we have two quiches and two iced teas, please. Is that alright with you, love?’’ Harry asked, stretching his hand over to table to hold hers, but she quickly put it under the table, nodding only.

‘’This one doesn’t look much like a speaker to me, bet I could give you the fun you want, lover boy.’’ The waitress said, scribbling down their orders, before sending a little wink Harry’s way.

‘’You might as well then, I’ll just fuck-‘’ Was Y/N overreacting? Probably, but she couldn’t help herself.

‘’I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk to me or my girl like that again. Thank you.’’ Leaning himself over the table to lightly push Y/N down, who was half-way up ready to leave. The waitress gasped in shock, leaving both of them quickly in embarrassment.

‘’Do forgive me for that, yeah? I wasn’t quite aware that the waitress was gonna be rude.’’ Harry turned his hand, the palm facing upwards, waiting for Y/N to put her own on top.

‘’Yeah. It’s...fine.’’ Ignoring the sensations in her body when he called her his girl, Y/N finally placed her hand into his, only for him to grasp it and leave a kiss on the back of it.

Despite him looking pissed at everyone most of the time, Y/N thought that Harry was lovely and very charming. But that was only the stereotype everyone had for bikers, so Y/N knew better than to judge Harry based on how he looked at first because now, she was enjoying his presence and having an amazing time with him at the diner.

Their night was filled with chats, laughter, jokes and amazing food. From time to time Harry would reach for her hand and just stroke it with his thumb. They learned new things about each other, but only the basic stuff for now. The night was coming to an end, but neither of them wanted it to. After paying for their dinner, they were standing in front of the shop; Harry’s hand holding hers, not wanting to let it go. He closed the distance between them, leaning his chin on top of her head.

‘’I don’t want you to go.’’

‘’Don’t let me then.’’ Nuzzling her head towards his neck, Y/N placed a soft kiss right in the crook of it.

‘’Then let me take you somewhere, baby. Somewhere far away from here.’’ Leading her by the hand, they’re standing in front of his bike. ‘’You gonna be okay on this?’’

‘’Y-Yeah, sure..’’ Swallowing hard, she couldn’t exactly say she wasn’t scared.

‘’What did I tell you the other day about your safety?’’ He hummed, talking into her hair.

‘’That you’re going knock everyone out?’’ Raising her eyebrows, she looked up at him a tad confused.

‘’Well, my point was that I’m gonna keep you safe no matter what. I do care for you, my love.’’

‘’Do you promise?’’ Y/N asked, holding up her pinky finger.

‘’I promise.’’ Hooking his pinky finger with hers, he pressed a light kiss on her forehead. ‘’C’mon then, let’s go.’’ He turned away from her, taking a helmet into his hands and putting it on Y/N’s head.

‘’But where’s yours, Harry?’’

‘’Don’t you worry about me, puppy.’’ He answered, concentrating on clasping the little belt under her chin.

‘’Harryyy, you have to wear one too!’’

‘’I’m gonna be okay, baby. It’s you, who I want safe.’’ Turning away, he raised one leg just above the bike to swing over it, before he reached a hand for Y/N hop on.

‘’But I’m wearing a dress...’’ Her face getting warm once again, because it was a problem. How was she supposed to sit?

‘’Here, take my hand’’, when she placed her hand over his, he held it tight, ‘’Now, with your other hand pull your dress up, enough to place your leg on the other side of the bike.’’

Somehow Y/N managed to sit right behind Harry, but her dress reached her knees now because it wasn’t that stretchy to be pulled further down. Harry pulled his hands back a bit, wiggling his fingers and signalizing to her to put hers there. Every time their skins touched, her whole body felt alive, as if it was electricity sending shocks through her body but it was only Harry’s touch. He intertwined their fingers together, but soon untangled when he placed Y/N’s hands over his stomach.

‘’Hold on tight, alright baby?’’ The second he said that he could feel her grip around his stomach tighten. ‘’You can also lean in, if it’s more comfortable. It’s not a long ride, but better make it good.’’

She slid an inch down the seat, pressing her body against his. The horrible smell of cigarettes could still be felt in his leather jacket but Y/N simply didn’t care considering the situation. As Harry started driving, the ends of Y/N’s hair sticking out of the helmet started floating as the wind hit her face. The cold wind sent shivers down her spine, but yet she felt warm holding tightly onto Harry. The ride wasn’t too long, Harry was right, but it was rather bumpy as they went up hill until all they could see were trees. Getting off the bike, Harry reached out his hand and helped Y/N get off of it as well. He intertwined their hands again leading Y/N through the woods with only the moonlight illuminating the way.

‘’You’re not going to kill me, right?’’ Y/N said, looking back at his bike before turning her attention back to Harry.

‘’Perhaps not, but I’ve been told I have some killer looks, so no promises, babe.’’ He winked at her giving her hand a little squeeze.

The walk wasn’t long as they soon approached a small wooden bench with the most beautiful view. Y/N wasn’t sure how or why that bench was there, but it fit perfectly into the whole aesthetic. They both sat down on it, leaving some space between them only for Harry to chuckle and shake his head to himself as he slid right next to Y/N.

‘’This place is really pretty, Harry.’’ And it was; fields of green surrounding them looking like a soft green blanket covering the earth; a three quarter full moon illuminating its light onto the endless fields and the lovely couple sitting on a bench.

‘’What can I say, comes with the charm.’’ A cheeky grin on his face, wide enough to make his dimples appear as he kept looking at the even prettier girl right next to him. ‘’God, why do I feel like you’re gonna break my heart, angel? Hm?’’

‘’Me? I’m not the one who’s going to break someone’s heart.’’ Y/N looked at him, as he brought his head closer to her neck, brushing the tip of his nose against it.

‘’I wouldn’t even dream of breaking your heart.’’ He placed a soft kiss in the crook of her neck.

‘’Yeah? Because I really don’t want you to.’’ Her heart beating faster with each second, as she raised hand and put it on Harry cheek to lift his head a little bit.

‘’I hope no one steals you away from me, baby. And I’m scared, you know, because you’re so, you’re so loveable.’’ His voice came out as a whisper, letting his head lean into Y/N’s palm and closing the distance more and more.

‘’They won’t..’’ Y/N mumbled, the distance between their lips only an inch away.

Harry closed his eyes, as he made the final move closing the distance between them. He kissed her gently and carefully, moving his lips against her soft ones. It felt like something Y/N had never experienced before, her grip on him tightened, pulling him even closer; while Harry’s palm was laying on Y/N’s cheek caressing it gently. There was silence all around them, but it was like fireworks going off in their heads. Y/N didn’t want him to stop, because it was like everything had fallen into its place; it was like their hearts were beating in the same pattern and their minds racing at the same speed, warmth spreading all over their bodies, just because of a simple kiss. Making herself giggle, Y/N broke the kiss smiling so widely that Harry kissed her teeth by accident. Her giggle was a simple sound, yet strong enough to make Harry smile as well.

‘’I swear to God, angel, I’m on the edge of falling in love with you with every passing second.’’ His eyes were still closed, his nose was brushing against hers and his heart was going wild, just for her. Harry never wanted to let go of that feeling, he never wanted to let go of her.

‘’Harry?’’ He hummed as response. ‘’Kiss me again, please.’’

Without wasting another second, Harry connected their lips again. And Y/N, not caring that she was wearing a dress, she pushed herself off the bench placing her legs on each side of Harry’s body, without once disconnecting their lips. The dress crumpled up all the way to her knees, sending shivers through her exposed legs, but yet her body wasn’t trembling from the cold. They kissed until both of them ran out of breath. Y/N was sitting right on top of Harry, pushing herself lightly against him, making a groan escape his lips.

‘’Not only do you make my heart beat faster, baby, but you also make my dick harder.’’ He said, detaching their lips and looking directly into Y/N’s widened eyes. There was a little but proud smirk on his face. He earned himself a light slap over his chest, as sudden rush of warmth took over Y/N’s cheeks.

‘’Stop it..’’ She giggled, hiding her head in the crook of his neck, only for Harry to tighten the grip around her waist; Y/N pressed herself more against him, just to tease him a little more.

‘‘You can’t just move against me like that, baby, it does things to me. But very good things.’’ The closeness of her body keeping him warm, but the way she was sitting on his lap, an innocent act but in a form of intimacy. Y/N was practically asking for him to get a stiffy, considering the power she had on him, it was hard not to get hard as she herself pressed further into him.

‘’Fine then, maybe I’ll just move away-‘’

‘’No, no, no. No, you stay right where you are.’’ There was something about her that made him fall hard. Perhaps it was her flowery scent of her skin, or her beautiful eyes that sparkled every time he looked her; or maybe it was the way she made him feel, but whatever it was – it caused him to fall.

‘’Are you cold, my love?’’ Harry asked, suddenly remembering that it was quite windy and Y/N was only wearing a denim jacket. ‘’Denim isn’t exactly the warmest material you could have picked.’’ A cheeky smile stretched over his face, thinking of his next move.

‘’How was I supposed to know you were going to take me up to a bloody hill?!’’

‘’Now now, no need for that, babe. Here, I’m gonna take care of you.’’ Running his hands over her body, Harry took Y/N’s jacket off of her laying it right next to him. Then he took his own off and slowly placed it over her shoulders taking her arms and gently pushing them through the sleeves. ‘’Better now, baby?’’

‘’Yeah...’’ She pulled the jacket around her body tighter, the warmth of the inside of his jacket taking over her skin. ‘’Feels nice, thank you.’’ As Harry pulled her jacket over his shoulders, putting it on, Y/N left a little peck on his lips.

‘’Where did you get this jacket with embroidery though?’’

‘’Somewhere downtown, it’s just a jacket.’’

‘’I had to have my done, so how come you have embroidery on yours?’’ Y/N always wore oversized jackets, so her denim jacket fit perfectly on Harry and it looked really good especially with his pink shirt.

‘’Oh that, I did it by myself.’’ She shrugged her shoulders, as if it was that simple.

‘’Wait, really? All of it?’’ His eyes widened in surprise, as Y/N nodded her head. The embroidery on her jacket was beautiful; a big wreath over the back of it, filled with different flowers and colours, a small heart in the middle of it in the colour of a rainbow; on the front of it there were some patches of different band logos, but Harry couldn’t believe she did it all because he knew how hard embroidery was, his mum used to do it. ‘’Wow, it’s, it’s amazing. It’s really really good.’’

‘’Thank you...’’ Y/N was never good with compliments, she never knew what to do or say except thank you, but after each compliment she’d lower her head as the warmth crept into her cheeks. ‘’It’s what I do.’’ She quickly added.

‘’How did I not know this? Why have you kept this from me?’’

‘’I didn’t know you were supposed to know!’’ She hid her face into her palms, but Harry took her hands and placed them on his neck, pushing his forehead against hers.

......

sorry if ends here, like i said i never got around to finish it but i wanted you all to read as much as there is. hope you liked it and sorry for the mistakes.

lemme know whacha think, i’d love to know

#harry styles imagine #harry styles writing #harry styles one shot #harry styles #harry #styles #harry styles imagines #alltheloveflowerh

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vespaporn · 3 years

Text

WHEELS

It Looks Like a Vespa, Rides Like a Vespa, but Doesn’t Smell Like a Vespa

An Irish mechanic in London has developed a kit to transform classic Italian scooters into clean-riding electric machines.

By Nick Czap

April 1, 2021, 6:00 a.m. ET

Among the iconic designs of Italy’s vibrant postwar period, few capture the essence of La Dolce Vita like Vespas and Lambrettas, the free-spirited motor scooters that brought mobility to the masses and became beloved across Italy, and subsequently, the world.

While the two companies still make scooters, those early models — whose whining two-stroke engines spew plumes of aromatic smoke — are by far the most sought by collectors, some commanding up to $30,000.

But just as vintage scooters are reaching a new peak of popularity, a wave of emissions regulations aimed at reducing pollution threatens their access to Europe’s city centers. Within every regulation, though, lies an opportunity, and one lifelong scooter enthusiast has seized it firmly by the tailpipe.

Niall McCart, an Irishman from the city of Armagh, got his first Vespa at 16. De rigueur for a youth swept up in Britain’s early-1980s Mod revival, the Vespa was eminently practical as well.

“A two-stroke is a very simple mechanical structure,” Mr. McCart said, with a modesty common to the mechanically gifted. “I could fix it with a screwdriver and a hammer” — an ability that would eventually serve him well on rallies along the English coast, and on extended tours of Europe and India.

In 1989, at the age of 21, Mr. McCart moved to London, where, after stints in the building trade and delivering packages on a Vespa, he began working as a mechanic at a scooter shop. In 2000, he opened his own concern in a garden shed. Today, his business, Retrospective Scooters, occupies a 3,500-square-foot warehouse in the East End town of Walthamstow.

As Mr. McCart’s business grew, so did restrictions on older vehicles. The European Union’s first Low Emission Zones were established in 1996. By 2018, there were over 260, and still rising.

London has one such zone, as well as an extra-stringent Ultra Low Emission Zone, in the city center. Introduced in April 2019, the more stringent zone will expand substantially this October. To drive inside it, owners of polluting scooters must pay a daily fee of 12.50 pounds (about $17). Failure to pay can result in a hefty fine.

In 2017, with the end of cheap and dirty scootering looming, Mr. McCart posed a question to a friend and fellow scooter enthusiast, John Chubb: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could make our old Vespas electric?”

Mr. Chubb recalled the moment vividly. “We were sitting in a tent in a music festival in Cornwall, and he was saying the future is electric. I said, ‘I reckon I could build one of those.’”

He could also bring a raft of technical competencies to the project. A retired Royal Navy commander with degrees in electrical engineering and rocket science, Mr. Chubb is also an expert in anti-ship missiles, a qualification whose benefit, though perhaps unquantifiable, couldn’t hurt.

Mr. McCart’s brief was explicit. The conversion “was not to interfere in any way with the original design and setup of the scooters,” he said. “You don’t do any cutting or welding or destruction of the original chassis.” And critically important for preserving a scooter’s value, the process had to be reversible.

An encounter with a Chinese manufacturer at a motorcycle show in Milan in 2017 proved instrumental.

“The Chinese have been riding electric scooters for 15 years-plus,” Mr. McCart said. “They’ve done it and made it and perfected it. They had it all laid out.”

Mr. Chubb, meanwhile, hobnobbed with the chief technical officer of QS Motor, a firm in Zhejiang Province that makes motors for electric scooters and e-bikes.

“We had a really good conversation,” Mr. Chubb said. “I’d done a whole load of first-principles calculations about the power of an electric motor and how that would work in an electric scooter. I saw all his equations, and he and I did it exactly the same way.

“Seeing that data was very interesting,” he continued, “because we knew exactly where the sweet spot was in terms of the specifications of what we wanted to run as a motor, and we could run it more or less to optimum efficiency.”

Mr. McCart and Mr. Chubb devised the basic plan: Pull the gas tank and put a lithium-ion battery in its place, and replace the scooter’s original swing arm (which supports the engine and rear wheel) with a custom-made swing arm that holds a wheel with a built-in hub motor.

Mr. Chubb set to work on the prototype, meeting periodically with Mr. McCart, who fine-tuned various components. In June 2018, Mr. McCart unveiled their creation — an electrified 1976 Vespa Primavera — at the Vespa World Days rally in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The initial reaction was skeptical. “These guys were purists,” Mr. McCart said. “They were against it when they seen it,” he recalled, “but as soon as they drove it to the other end of the car park and back again, they had the biggest grin on their face.”

One rider made a pivotal suggestion: “You’ve got to sell it as a kit.” Mr. McCart, who had planned to offer electric conversions only as a service, embraced the idea. “I thought, ‘He’s right. I’ve got to make it really simple.’ The next step was to try and make a plug-and-play kit.”

Three years later, Retrospective Scooters sells kits for five types of vintage Vespas and Lambrettas. Costing £3,445 (about $4,750), each includes a 64-volt, 28-amp-hour battery that can push a scooter to a top speed of 50 miles an hour and go 30 to 35 miles on a charge.

Certain scooters can accommodate two or three batteries. A Lambretta GP for instance, packed with three lithium-ion units, can go 120 miles between charges. Mr. McCart, though, thinks a single battery is sufficient.

“Let’s not forget what scooters were invented for — traveling in a 20-to-30-mile radius of where you lived,” he said.

To date, Mr. McCart has sold 60 kits — 24 in Britain (20 of them installed at his shop), and 36 to customers overseas, mostly, and somewhat surprisingly to Mr. McCart, in the United States.

“I expected more to go into Europe,” he said, “but there’s quite a lot of bureaucracy and official inspections of any vehicle alterations, so there’s really no incentive for Europeans to buy our kit with all that up against them.

Last summer, Danny Montoya, the owner of a children’s woodworking studio in San Francisco, installed a kit in his 1973 Vespa Rally 180. Mr. Montoya had owned the scooter since 1999, but in recent years had grown uneasy with its pollution, not to mention the constant reek of petroleum.

A capable do-it-yourselfer, he initially considered cobbling together his own electric kit with information gleaned from internet message boards, but when he came across Mr. McCart’s, he said, he thought: “Whoa, this guy has actually done the work.” Although the price gave him pause, after corresponding with Mr. McCart, who promised to assist with any technical issues, Mr. Montoya said, “OK, this is legit.”

Mr. Montoya estimates he spent 20 to 30 hours on the project, the most complex part of which, he said, was ensuring that all of the electrical connections were correct. Mr. McCart acknowledges that at the time, in late 2020, the installation guide was rudimentary. Since then, he explained, the design of the kit and the instructions have been improved so that someone with basic mechanical skills should be able to complete the installation in about 16 hours.

These days, Mr. Montoya seeks any excuse to ride his electrified machine, which performs just as advertised, delivering 30 miles on a charge, even on San Francisco’s hills. Recalling his first ride, Mr. Montoya said: “It was very weird. A normal scooter is so loud, all you hear is the motor. This is so quiet, all you hear is the wind.”

On a recent afternoon, as Mr. Montoya did a few drive-bys, a reporter struggled to discern which was louder — the soft hum of the motor or the sound of the tire treads licking the pavement.

The new incarnation is so stealthy, in fact, Mr. Chubb finds that “when you live in a quiet village, people walk right in front of you.” He’s looking into noise generators that could produce anything from the thrum of a Harley-Davidson to the futuristic racket of a “Star Wars” Podracer.

Mr. McCart, who commutes every day on his electrified Vespa, takes a different approach to unwary pedestrians: “I shout at them. I say, ‘Oi!’”

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