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hslllot · 2 years

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A Soft Place to Fall - Part I

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Word count: 3.6k // Rated M // harry x reader

Note: Wowowow ok! So, here’s the first part of what will be a multi-part story. It is just a short lil introduction to our duo... The second part isn’t too far away either :) I want to thank my bullies motivating friends that encouraged me to write and share this! I love writing but am always painfully nervous about sharing. So please, if you like it, let me know! If you don’t like it you can also let me know but I will probably cry. OK ENJOY :)

Part I

In a cozy log cabin at the base of Mount Yamnuska, Harry found himself in a position he thought he’d never find himself in again.

He was hiding.

It was something he tended to do after a particularly difficult break up: Flee to a different country, alone, to write and sulk and ponder how he always managed to screw things up.

Jamaica. Japan. Italy.

Canada.

In the heart of the Canadian rockies, he sat by the fire in his lonely wooden home. There was a winter unlike anything he’d ever experienced outside his window and a mug filled with English tea in front of him. Next to his mug was his journal, open to an empty set of pages, words painfully unwritten.

He arrived in Calgary by plane this morning, peering out the window to see the bustling and bright landscapes of California transform into blankets of fresh white snow on barren acres of farmland. They flew over the Rocky Mountains and, despite having seen them from above before, he was transfixed by their beauty and size, and he wondered if anyone ever got tired of seeing something so majestic. He had never seen the mountains in the dead of winter, the trees, the ground, and the mountains themselves covered in white while the surrounding frozen glacier lakes remained a brilliant blue. He appreciated the beauty of it all, and under different circumstances he might have turned to the person sitting next to him and urged them to lean over and take a peek out the window too. But his mood soured when he remembered that the person sitting next to him was a stranger, and he was, again, on this trip alone.

Once the plane had landed he sent a quick text to his family group chat and Jeffrey to let them know he’d arrived in one piece. He scrolled through his emails to find all of the different reservations Jeffrey forwarded to him so he could pick up his rental vehicle and begin the 100 kilometre journey to the sleepy mountain town he would be calling home for the next three months.

The GPS in the rental guided him to the Bow Valley Parkway, the scenic highway that would lead him through Banff National Park and to his destination. As he entered the parkway, he pulled into a designated lookout just past a wooden gate that overhead read “WELCOME BIENVENUE”. Directly in front of him was a cerulean river, frozen over and backed by the most massive snow-capped mountain he had ever seen. He got out of his car, feeling the cold January air like pinpricks across his face, and quickly took a picture of the view. He sent it to his mother and promised to one day come back with her so she could see it for herself.

As he drove further down the Bow Valley, he felt kind of silly for pulling over at the sight of his first mountain when each mountain and lake he passed seemed to be bigger and more beautiful than the last. Eventually, he saw the signs for Mount Yamnuska and turned off the highway onto a long and winding road that would take him to his final destination. With nothing but tall lodgepole pine trees, grey skies, and the crooning voice of Billie Holiday to keep him company, he felt like he was on a different planet. A planet where the trees and the mountain air could filter out all of the negative voices, thoughts, and feelings he’d been privy to in the last few weeks. A planet where he might be able to clear his head long enough to find within it a melody or even a lyric or two.

Harry wasn’t entirely sure what was waiting for him at the end of the road, only having skimmed the AirBnB listing Jeffrey had emailed him. He called Jeff two days ago, insisting that he needed to get away, to disappear for a bit. Having been in this exact position before with his client/friend, Jeff knew what that meant. His manager remembered seeing videos of aesthetic mountain vacations with rocky lookouts and great big turquoise lakes on TikTok, so he suggested that Harry sequester himself in the mountains. After discussing and agreeing on the destination, Jeff had the trip planned and booked within hours.

Harry passed plenty of tiny cottages and cabins tucked away in the forest alongside the highway, but as it got darker he focused more on the road ahead and fixed his eyes to watch out for any wildlife (he heard mountain lions were a possibility in the Winter). When he finally made it to his landing place, he was at the end of a long driveway in front of a cabin carved into a landscape of endless conifer trees. The cabin looked small and simple on the outside, the entirety of its exterior made up of orange-tinted pine logs. There was a foot of snow covering everything in sight, save for the walking path from the driveway to a front porch that spanned the width of the cabin. On the porch sat two Muskoka chairs, red, to match the front door.

Sat in the two chairs waiting for him, unphased by the darkening skies and blowing snow, he presumed were his hosts.

He exited his car and zipped his jacket all the way past his chin, a lame attempt to shield his face from the wind. As he made his way toward the porch, the older man and woman stood to greet him. Both were dressed in black puffer jackets and knit beanies, perhaps in their mid-to-late fifties. They appeared friendly, wearing bright smiles as they welcomed him to their vacation home.

“You must be Harry”, the man said, reaching out to shake Harry’s hand.

Harry returned the gesture, “Hello, yes, I’m Harry.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Paul and this is my wife, Nancy.”

“We hope you found the place OK!” Nancy chippered.

“Thank you, I did.” He said, shaking Nancy’s hand next. “I appreciate you taking me in on such short notice.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. We actually just had a cancellation before your manager contacted us. Our daughter was supposed to stay here with her partner for the week but their plans changed. So everything was already set up for guests!”

“Lucky for me then.” He said with a smile as Paul took his bag and Nancy moved to open the door to lead them all inside.

Harry did a quick scan of the inside of the cabin from where he stood in the front entrance. He saw they’d already started a fire in the wood burning stove and spotted a cozy looking armchair where he knew he’d be curling up with his book. “The place looks great.”

“We’re glad you think so. Please, come in, get comfortable. This is your home now for a bit, after all!” Nancy insisted, fussing over him to take off his jacket and shoes. She reminded him a bit of his mother, something about her demeanor making him feel at ease. “You’ve had a long journey so we’ll leave you to get settled in and explore the place. Just a few things though…”

He kicked off his shoes by the door and followed behind the two as they led him past the living room and into the kitchen.

“We’re going to get more snow tonight and you’re probably tired from your travels,” Nancy opened the refrigerator. “We’ve already stocked the fridge with all of our daughter’s favourites so there’s plenty of food that you can have.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind getting my own.”

“Really, we’d rather it didn’t go to waste.” Paul chimed in. “But of course if there’s anything more you need, there’s some info in that binder on the table about going into town and grocery stores and restaurants and whatnot.”

“Alright, thank you. I really appreciate all this.”

“Of course!” He handed Harry a set of keys on what looked like a moose-head keychain. “Here’s the key. Our house is north of here, about 15 minutes away. So if you need anything just give us a call or text. Our address is in there too just in case.”

Harry bid goodnight to Paul and Nancy and once they were gone he took his bag and scoped out the cabin. It was a simple layout with two bedrooms just off the living room, a full bathroom between the two rooms and the open galley kitchen along the adjacent back wall, opposite the front door. There was a small kitchen island at the center in front of the red kitchen cupboards, and a wooden dining table for two in its own little nook off the kitchen. The cabin had a warm feel to it. The decor, you might say was quintessentially Canadian in the way they leaned into maple-scented candles, wood carvings of mountains hung on the walls, and no shortage of throw blankets and pillows adorned with buffalo plaid.

Harry dropped his bag into the bedroom closest to the kitchen and was about to start unpacking when his stomach growled. Grateful they had left food for him to eat, he made himself a sandwich and got acquainted with where everything was in the kitchen before unpacking his things. He decided then that after he unpacked he would settle in for the night by the fire, brew some tea and maybe take a stab at writing.

—————————

You hated driving in the winter.

Were you competent and experienced enough to deal with the blowing snow and the black ice under your tires? Sure. But that didn't mean you enjoyed it. A lifetime of driving down the Parkway didn’t stop you from gripping the steering wheel so hard your knuckles were white, or straining your eyes in the darkness to avoid missing any moose or elk that might emerge from the trees.

One thing you did like about road trips was that they were a great opportunity for reflection. You’d been driving for about 3 hours at this point, and had barely listened to the playlist you put on at the start of your journey. You were too busy keeping an eye on the road, or thinking about the last 72 hours, and playing out scenarios in your head where things had gone differently.

You were exhausted, physically and mentally. Was it really only 72 hours since everything went down?

You replayed your last conversation with Luke over and over again in your head, hoping that if you went over it enough you could better understand.

“I just can’t do it. Even if I came, I would have to bring work with me and I’d be working the whole time.”

You were incredulous. Confused. Borderline seething.

“This trip was supposed to happen last summer, Luke. We’ve postponed it twice already for your job.”

“I know and I said I’m sorry. I just can’t up and leave right now.”

“Did you not book off the vacation time? Your boss knows you're supposed to go away. It’s literally one week.”

“Yes, I booked off the vacation time but I-”

“Well if you’ve booked it off and they gave you the time off what’s the problem?”

“I just can’t go now, ok?”

“Is it that you can’t go, or that you don’t want to go?”

That question had been lingering in the back of your mind every time the trip had to be postponed, but you never asked because you were afraid of the answer. You hoped that work really was so busy that he couldn’t take a week off, even though he had the vacation time approved by his boss. You wanted to believe that this was just the reality of being in a relationship with a lawyer.

The trouble was that you’d been with Luke for two years and he had yet to meet your family. He seemed excited to visit the small mountain town where you grew up, citing that he’d always wanted to visit Banff and the Rocky Mountains. You met his parents and got on well with them and your relationship was moving forward, with talks of moving in together and maybe even a proposal on the horizon.

However, every time you brought up visiting your family, he put it off and said he was too busy. You would visit home and he would stay back in Vancouver. Eventually he agreed to join you and the trip was booked, but at the last minute he claimed to be in the middle of an important case and couldn’t leave. You rescheduled twice since, and it was looking like you’d be adding a third.

“Of course I want to go. It’s just not a great time right now.”

“Is there ever going to be a great time? At some point I’m going to need you to make time for it, Luke.”

You were beginning to think that he didn’t understand how important your family was to you. He didn’t understand that you needed to see how he fit into your family in order for the relationship to progress. Would he get along with your dad? Would he be kind to your mom? Could he be friends with your brother? You were realizing that maybe his lack of motivation to meet your family and see your home was all you needed to know.

Before he could respond, you added “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

Of course over the last 72 hours you doubted yourself constantly. Had you overreacted? Should you have been more understanding about his job? You went back and forth, reminding yourself that you had a job too, sure it wasn’t as demanding as that of a lawyer, but no matter what you always found the time for things that were important to you. You even took a week off to go on a ski trip with his parents a few weeks ago.

After the break up, you called your parents to let them know you weren’t coming anymore. You fully intended to wallow in your apartment for the week and mourn your dead relationship. The wallowing lasted less than 24 hours before you decided the best antidote for a broken heart was a hug from your mom and a beer with your dad.

That’s how you found yourself on the Bow Valley Parkway at 11pm in the middle of a snowstorm. You thought it would be fun to surprise your parents, but now you were regretting that decision. You weren’t sure that the rental vehicle was equipped to deal with a January snow storm in the mountains and if you ended up in a ditch or hit by a moose, no one knew where you were. Knowing your parents, they were probably already asleep, and you didn’t want to wake them. You decided to spend the night at their guest cabin you had initially booked, with plans to surprise them in the morning.

—————————

Harry knew that a few hours on a plane and an evening in a log cabin in the middle of the wilderness wasn’t going to instantly fix his writer’s block. But he did hope his new setting might be able to wiggle some ideas free.

As he sat with his tea and his journal open to an empty page, he begged the words to come to him. But he didn’t know what to say.

How could he write about a break up that he still didn’t even fully understand?

He was just short of banging his head against the table and throwing his journal in the fire when a light shone through the window.

A set of headlights turned onto the driveway, a small car bustling through the snow storm that had started raging outside. He looked to the door to make sure he’d locked it, in case someone was on their way to murder him in the middle of nowhere.

Maybe Paul or Nancy forgot something, he hoped to himself. It was nearly midnight, so he knew that wasn’t logical.

It was when you pulled up and parked next to his rental that he saw you in the driver’s seat. Your face was perplexed as you looked over at his vehicle and then to the log cabin. You awkwardly made eye contact through the window before you quickly looked away.

Maybe she’s lost, he thought to himself next.

He waited for you to come to the door, but you remained in your car. Eventually, thinking you looked harmless enough, Harry bundled up in his coat, slipped on his shoes, and went to meet you outside.

—-

You whipped your head towards the cabin door when you saw it open to reveal a strange man walking toward your vehicle.

Why is he coming out here? Oh god is he going to murder me? You thought.

Embarrassed you’d been caught outside the cabin, you rolled down your window, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think anyone would be here! I’m just leaving!“

You were hit with the realization of who was walking toward you, followed by some confusion.

What the fuck…

And then panic when you realized he was walking up to your car.

“I really am sorry this is my parents cabin and I thought no one would be here!” You shouted as he approached your opened window. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening.”

Harry fucking Styles crouched down to look at you through the driver’s side window. In the darkness, you felt his eyes on you taking note of your black and yellow North Face puffer jacket and the knit beanie on your head. There was a look of recognition on his face, perhaps noticing some of your features were strikingly similar to those of a woman he’d met only a few hours ago.

“Ah, you’re Nancy and Paul’s daughter.”

“Yeah, I am…So I’ll just h-”

“They said you’d canceled.”

“Oh? Yea, I did… I, uh, changed my mind, I guess. I didn’t think they’d book someone so quickly.”

“It was good timing on my part, I guess.”

“Right, ok, I’m so sorry for interrupting your evening! I’ll just go to their house!” It was nearly pitch black outside, save for the light of your headlights shining on the cabin in front of you. The wind was violent, whipping snow around him, and you felt bad that he was standing outside in the cold. His arms were crossed and hugging his jacket closed, talking to you while not wearing nearly enough layers to be outside.

Harry pondered for a moment, sucking his lips into his mouth and turning to look at the snow coming down around him. He was sure being from here that you had experience driving in weather like this, but he could not in good conscience let you leave without offering.

“The snow’s coming down pretty hard. I was just having some tea before bed… Would you like to come in? At least until things calm down a bit.”

Harry felt bold asking you to come inside when you were strangers. He could tell you were mulling it over, maybe unsure if you could trust him or if it would be appropriate. He wasn’t sure if it was either, but he kind of hoped you agreed to it anyway. Jeffrey would yell at him for this.

“Are you sure?” You asked. Your first instinct was to outright decline the offer, but you knew the roads were treacherous and you were exhausted.

“Yes, I’m sure.” He insisted. “Selfishly, I would never forgive myself if I let you go and you got into an accident or something on the highway.”

“Okay,” you agreed reluctantly. “I’ll come in just for a bit.” You got out of the car and followed him back quickly through the blowing snow and up the path to the front door.

Once inside, he turned to you. “I apologize I didn’t even ask your name.”

You told him your name as you toed off your boots and took off your many layers of outdoor winter wear.

“Well it’s nice to meet you. I’m Harry.”

“Nice to meet you too, Harry. I know who you are, by the way. I’m a fan.” You paused and he noticed the way your face twisted, almost in embarrassment. “Ugh, sorry, is that weird to say?”

“Not weird.” He tried to reassure you. “Would be more awkward if you said you hated me or something.”

You took a seat on the sofa, grabbing the buffalo plaid pillow next to you and hugging it to your chest. You felt awkward. What was Harry Styles doing in your parents’ vacation rental? And what were you doing with him alone in the middle of the night? Were you going to sit here and chat with each other? Or would he carry on with his evening as if you weren’t here?

You spotted his open journal and a mug of tea abandoned on the side table near the fire. He did mention having tea before, which was confirmed by him now filling the kettle with water.

“Again, I’m sorry for interrupting. Really appreciate you letting me hang here for a bit.”

He grabbed a mug from the cabinet to the right of the sink. It was the green mug you painted for your mom for Mother’s Day in middle school.

“You’ve got to stop apologizing. Very Canadian of you though.”

“Right. Sorry. Shit.”

Harry laughed whilst shaking his head at your incessant apologies. You liked his laugh. And his dimples.

OK, he’s cute, you thought.

“Would you like a snack?” Harry called out, interrupting your wandering thoughts. “I’m pretty sure all of the food here was supposed to be for you anyways.”

— END OF PART 1 —

Thank you so much for reading! I am looking forward to diving into this story a bit more and would like to know what you think :)

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#harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles writing #harry styles fic #my writing #asptf

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hslllot · 1 year

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A Soft Place to Fall - Part II

Story List | Part I

Word count: 4.1k // Rated M // harry x reader

Part II

“Is that why you’re here?”

Conversation with Harry came surprisingly easy after you got over the awkwardness.

At first, you were both quiet and Harry seemed shy. You watched him move delicately around the space as if not to disturb anything, like he was a guest in the home. There was, however, a strange sense of familiarity when he opened a red kitchen cupboard and pulled out a plate that you and your mother picked out at IKEA years ago. He quietly asked how you preferred your tea and you saw him cut up your favourite type of cheese and arrange it with meat and crackers on the plate.

“Just plain, please.” You moved to stand, feeling helpless as he doted over you. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, you’re my guest.” He responded cheekily, gesturing to the sofa and urging you to sit down.

When he was finished preparing the snack, he placed your mug and a plate of charcuterie on the coffee table in front of you.

“Thank you.” You chirped, looking up at him from your spot on the sofa. He wore a soft smile that had those dimples poking out again. He grabbed a slice of cheese and a cracker off the plate and shoved it in his mouth before making his way to the armchair by the fire.

You both sat there for a moment in silence, sipping on your hot tea while the sound of wind and snow rattled against the windows of the log cabin. From where you were sitting you could see outside the window, an image of white snow swirling against the black of the night. You focused your attention on the wood burning stove, the orange glow creating shadows that flickered and danced along the walls.

Taking a deep breath, your muscles melted into the sofa. The exhaustion from your travels was starting to catch up to you.

The last three days felt like a whirlwind. Everything happened so quickly you almost forgot that three days ago you thought you’d be here in this cabin with Luke, your partner of two years. Instead, you were here sitting with a famous stranger, waiting for a storm to pass.

“Where did you travel from?” Harry’s deep voice was the first to cut through the crackle and pop of the fire.

You told him that you lived in Vancouver, and the only flight available landed in a city five hours away, having to drive the rest of the way.

“What about you?”

“I flew in from Los Angeles today, and arrived here this evening.” It was his turn to fix his eyes on the fire. You leaned over to pick at the plate in front of you.

“I don’t suppose you expected to spend your first night here in the company of a stranger.” You formed a tiny sandwich with the charcuterie. As you took a bite, pieces of cracker crumbled from your mouth into your lap.

He turned to look at you then, chuckling and shaking his head, and you felt a bit of warmth creep up your neck. Gathering the crumbs from your lap, you mouthed a sorry, and placed them on the plate so as not to make a mess.

“No I didn't... But it's alright.”

He wore an amused grin while he reached for another piece of cheese and you took a moment to study him.

Harry was undeniably handsome, cozy in a pair of grey sweatpants and an oversized white crew neck. His hair was a bit damp from when he was outside talking with you, the falling snow melting and leaving a few stray curls hanging over his forehead.

What was he doing here?

Harry interrupted your curious line of thinking, “I’m sorry if you were planning on staying here.”

“Oh - no, don’t be. I was planning to stay with my parents.” You explained, “I just came here for the night because I got in late… I was going to surprise them in the morning.”

You usually stayed with your parents when you came home. This time, it was Luke’s idea to reserve the cabin. He insisted that it would be nice to have some privacy away from your family, and of course you agreed.

“How long are you here for?”

“Just the week, what about you?”

“Umm, about three months I think.” You nearly spit out your tea and he laughed at the way your eyes flew open wide in surprise. “What? What’s wrong with that?”

“Three months? What are you going to do here for three months?” You sputtered, finding it hard to believe that someone like him would willfully stay in the middle of nowhere for more than a couple weeks.

“Hopefully write an album�� Do some hiking… I welcome any recommendations you might have.” He shrugged, his large hands gesturing around the cabin.

Frankly, it wasn’t that crazy of an idea. There was certainly an appeal to escaping to the mountains for somewhat of a writing retreat. It just never occurred to you that someone famous would find solace in your parents’ vacation rental. The thought of it made you smile.

“Your parents said you canceled your trip…” It was Harry’s turn to be curious, teasing at his bottom lip as he asked, “What changed your mind?”

“Hmm…” You contemplated how much you could tell this stranger about your life without oversharing. “I was supposed to come here with my boyfriend, but we broke up the day before our trip.”

His gaze softened, and you looked away.

“I’m sorry,” He said softly. You grabbed your tea and took another sip, focussing on the warmth of the mug in your grip. “If it helps any, I’ve just been through a break up too.”

It was then that you decided to let your eyes meet his, and where you thought you might find pity, you found understanding.

Harry was handsome, yes, but he was kind too. You knew it from the moment he invited a total stranger in the middle of the dark woods into his cabin. You could have been a murderer or a stalker for all he knew, but he let you inside anyways.

Did he not know how dangerous it could be to open your home to a stranger?

You supposed you weren’t any better. Did you not know how dangerous it could be to accept such an invitation from a stranger?

Harry was disarmingly charming, to the extent that you felt rather safe here with him. In the short conversation you had up to this point you heard and felt the sincerity in his words. You knew who he was: an international pop star whose face was plastered all over your best friend’s bedroom when you were teenagers.

But tonight, he was just some guy. A kind, quiet guy on a vacation alone in the mountains.

And it seemed you two had something in common.

“Is that why you’re here? To write about your break up?”

“It’s definitely a part of it.” He responded with a mouthful of cheese, using his fist to cover his mouth while he chewed and spoke at the same time.

Before you could say anything else, he asked, “So, what do you do?”

You ignored the way he expertly changed the subject and redirected the attention to you. The conversation became easier from that point. You told him about your job as a legal proofreader at a law firm, which was where you met your ex-boyfriend. He asked loads of questions about it, from what it entailed, and how you got into it, to where you went to college, and whether or not that’s actually what you wanted to do with your life. For every question he asked, you had an honest answer, because why-the-hell-not.

Eventually, you turned the job-talk around on him, noting that his career was much more exciting than yours. But he never made you feel that way. In fact, he gave you all of his attention, asking about the intricacies of your job as if he might be interested in taking it up himself.

-----

The conversation between you and Harry went on much longer than you expected. He was telling you a story about a road trip he took to Italy last summer for a Gucci campaign when you found yourself in a bit of a daze. You were trying your best to pay attention, and maybe it was how tired you were after the long day, but you kept getting distracted by details of him.

You fixated on the deep honey-like drawl of his voice and the way his mouth moved around certain words... Your eyes scanned his long fingers and the way they wrapped around his mug... The delicate tattoo of a cross near his thumb was calling your name, begging to be touched… You wondered for a moment what it might feel like to run your own fingers through his chocolate curls...

“You must be tired.” Harry startled you out of your reverie before you could run too far off with thoughts of him. He chuckled a bit to himself knowing that you’d stopped paying attention to what he was saying.

“Wha- Oh.” You cleared your throat. “Yea, sorry, it’s been a long day.” You hoped that the glow of the fire didn’t illuminate the blush tinting your cheeks.

You looked out the window, prompting Harry to turn and look for himself as well. What you both saw was the same image you’d seen for the last two hours. In the short amount of time your car had been parked, it was covered by nearly half a foot of snow.

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s going to stop.” You said defeatedly. “I should just warm up the car and get ready to head out…”

Rising from the sofa, you grabbed your keys from your jacket and pointed the remote starter toward the window.

“Could stay here for the night. If you’d like.”

His offer stopped you in your tracks. When you looked at him, he was standing too, scratching the back of his neck. His head was bowed, but his eyes met yours expectantly through his lashes.

You figured with a face like that, no one has ever said no to this man in his life.

“That’s very nice of you, Harry. But I think I’ve invaded your privacy enough as it is.”

“There’s an extra room. Really, love, I don’t mind.” He caught himself, raising his palms in defense. “Obviously it’s totally up to you, no pressure.”

“Are you sure though?”

“Yes, I’m sure. It’s dark and scary out there!” He exclaimed with an exaggerated British accent, gesturing toward the window.

It was embarrassing how little convincing it took for you to agree, but it was nearly two in the morning and you dreaded driving on the highway at night in the storm.

“I’ll leave as soon as the sun comes up.” His face lit up and he let out a sigh of relief at your response. “I just need to grab my bag in the car.”

You went to put your jacket on, and that was when he stopped you, his hand reaching out to grab yours.

“No, let me,” he said quietly, nearly a whisper. “It’s cold out, and dark.” Stood there still with his hand over yours, he was impossibly close. His fingers felt like they were burning right through you and the warmth of his body and his cologne invaded your space and your senses. All you could do was swallow and nod in response as you relinquished your keys into his grip.

What was only a split second felt like minutes before he took a step back, releasing your hand.

“Thank you,” you peeped out. “There’s a duffle bag in the back seat.”

He put on his jacket and shoes and you watched him through the window as he trudged through the snow to your car. He grabbed your bag from the backseat and tried to run back into the cabin, but it was difficult to move quickly with snow riding up past his ankles.

When he made his way inside, you met him at the door. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “It’s cold”.

He shook the snow out of his hair, leaving his brown locks a tousled mess. His nose and the tips of his ears were pink. He had snowflakes in his eyelashes, the tiny ice crystals embedded in the dark wisps of hair that framed his eyes. It was all so endearing.

He handed you the bag and his fingers grazed yours as you reached for the handle. His fingers were cold from being outside but when your hands touched you felt a zip of warmth rush through you.

After you let out a loud yawn, the two of you decided it was time for bed. Harry let you use the bathroom first to brush your teeth and go through your skin care routine. You removed your pajamas and your toiletries from the duffel bag, but decided to change in the bedroom. You were comfortable around Harry, but not necessarily comfortable enough for him to see you like that.

You brushed your teeth and washed your face, removing the remnants of a long travel day from your skin. There were a million thoughts running through your mind but you tried to focus on the way your moisturizer soothed your skin as you rubbed it in.

When you finally came out of the bathroom feeling fresh, Harry rose to his feet.

“It’s all yours,” you told him. He moved to stand in front of you, blocking your way to the bedroom.

“Great.” He nodded, biting his bottom lip.

The two of you stood there waiting for the other to make their next move. Harry was close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from him. Your pulse quickened under his gaze.

“It was really nice to meet you,” you blurted out, trying to ease the pressure of the moment. Uncertainty coursed through you, unsure if the tension building between the two of you was simply a figment of your imagination.

Letting out a breathy chuckle, his eyes found yours. “It was really nice to meet you too… I hope you sleep well.”

He stepped to the side, clearing the way for you to move past him toward the empty bedroom. As you entered the room, you paused to look back at him. He stood in the same position with his back turned to you. Before he had a chance to catch you staring, you shut the door quietly.

You stood with your back against the wall for a moment, letting out a deep breath. Your heart hammered against your chest. Seconds later, you heard the bathroom door close.

-----

Despite how tired you were, it felt impossible to fall asleep. Images and soundbites of your conversation with Harry played over and over again in your mind.

There was a part of you that felt guilty. Less than a week ago you were in love and planning a mountain getaway with Luke. Yet tonight, you found yourself feeling wildly attracted to a man you’d just met.

It wasn’t intentional and the conversation itself didn’t have any intonations of flirtation or romance. But the way you left the conversation had you feeling some type of way.

You laid in bed thinking about how, under different circumstances, maybe if the timing was right, you might find your way to Harry’s bedroom. You thought about finding the courage to knock on his door. You wondered if he would let you into his room. Into his bed. Although you were certain it was probably a one-way thing, you couldn’t help but wonder if Harry was in bed thinking of you too.

-----

Harry woke up that morning to find you had already left. He wasn’t entirely surprised given that you mentioned leaving as soon as the sun came up, but he hoped he might get to have a coffee with you before you left.

He might have taken your early departure more personally if you hadn’t left a note for him on the counter.

Thanks again for letting me crash! If you need anything while I’m here my number is 780-555-4321. 🙂

P.s. there’s a shovel and a snow brush for your car in the closet by the door.

He grabbed his phone and typed your number into it. Would it appear too eager if he contacted you right away? He didn’t allow himself to think about it too deeply before typing out his message:

Heyy, it’s Harry. I hope you got to your parents’ house safely. x

After hitting send, he left his phone on the counter and walked over to the window to draw the curtain back.

The view outside from the cabin window looked different in the light of day, especially now that the sun was shining and the snow and wind had ceased. An endless blanket of snow covered the ground, the sun reflecting off it like it were made of crystals - nearly untouched except for your footprints and fresh tire tracks left behind as evidence that you drove away this morning after the snow had finally stopped.

Before putting on a pot of coffee and making breakfast, Harry decided to take a shower, something he was planning on doing last night before you arrived.

As the hot water washed off the lingering Los Angeles air from his skin, Harry thought of you. Not in the sexual way that one might suggest while he was naked in the shower - although he did find you attractive - but in the sense that he really did enjoy your company last night. It was not lost on him that it was the first night in a while that wasn’t spent thinking about his ex.

He just wanted to get to know you.

There was a bit of tension between the two of you at the end of the night, and he figured it was a mixture of exhaustion and loneliness that had him practically begging you to stay. The pretty sound of your laughter and the softness of your skin when he grabbed your hand clouded his senses. Thoughts of asking you to join him in his bed came to mind, and he was glad he stopped himself before you tucked yourself away in the spare bedroom. He knew he wasn’t ready to be with someone new yet, and you deserved better than that anyways.

Turning off the shower faucet, he grabbed his towel off the nearby hook and used it to quickly dry his hair before wrapping it around his waist. The steam from the shower seeped out of the bathroom and into the cold cabin air as he made his way back to the kitchen.

He grabbed his phone off the counter and his lips curved into a smile when he noticed there were two unread messages from you.

Hey! I made it. Thanks again for letting me stay the night

The highway was very unpleasant this morning… glad I didn’t have to do it in the dark

He could hear the sound of your voice as he read the messages and he thought about how he’d like to hear it in person again… An idea came to mind.

Good to know… was thinking of driving into town today

Chewing at the corner of his lip, he waited for you to respond. He thought about following the message up with the invitation to join him, but he chickened out. After a minute or so, he put his phone down and opened the fridge to decide what he could make for breakfast.

He grabbed at a carton of eggs when he heard his phone ping.

I would avoid the highway today until the highway gets cleared! You wrote back.

Before he could type his reply, another message came through.

If you want to leave the cabin though... me and some friends are watching the hockey game at the pub in town tomorrow, wanna come?

He couldn’t suppress the smile that crept on his face after reading your invitation. The entire purpose of his trip, to be alone, to focus solely on himself and on writing his album, left his memory.

He was never really good at being alone, anyways.

Not a single thought of appearing overeager crossed his mind, when he quickly typed ‘I’m in’, and hit send.

-----

“You’re lying.”

“I know it sounds like I am but I swear I’m not.”

Alyssa held a look of disbelief on her face as she sat across from you at Ed’s Pizza. The two of you were sat in your usual booth at the back of the restaurant, sharing a Meat Lover’s pizza. You took a sip of your diet coke while you watched the gears turn in her head.

“Harry Styles is staying at your parents’ cabin.”

“Yes.”

“For three months.”

“Yes.”

“Like, he’s there right now.”

“Yes, Alyssa, probably!” You said, exasperated yet amused by her line of questioning.

“Did you tell him about me?” That prompted you to laugh at your best friend of nearly twenty years.

“Why would I tell him about you?”

“Well you know I’m a big fan of his!” She said, as if she were stating the obvious. “I had posters of him on my wall for goodness sake!” Of course you knew this, but you enjoyed egging her on.

The first thing you did when you arrived at your parents’ house this morning, aside from greeting your parents, was text Alyssa to ask if she had lunch plans. You knew she would want to know about your parents’ latest house guest.

“Is that a detail you’d like him to know about?” You teased her. “Would you like me to tell him about your unhealthy obsession with his former band mate too?”

“Ok, ok, you’ve made your point. Now fuck off.” The look of annoyance on her face was one you were all too familiar with. “So… what did you two talk about?”

You gave Alyssa a breakdown of yours and Harry’s conversation. From the awkward beginning, to the carefully cut cheese, the divulging of career aspirations and heartbreak, and the way you two parted ways at the end of the night. Decidedly, you withheld the details of how you barely slept, overwhelmed with thoughts of him.

“Wow. So you and Harry Styles, both single now by the way, spent the night together.” She raised her perfectly groomed eyebrows, suggesting that your encounter with Harry was more than it actually was.

You rolled your eyes.

“I wouldn’t say it like that.”

Alyssa ignored your denial and continued, “Do you think you’ll see him again?”

When you invited Harry to watch the hockey game with them tomorrow night, you didn’t think about how Alyssa would react, and now you were regretting it.

You woke up this morning feeling a bit silly about how you thought about Harry all night. You chalked it up to exhaustion, and maybe even a bit of loneliness now that your relationship was over.

In the light of day, you realized that you were probably just reading too much into what you thought was some kind of sexual tension or attraction between the two of you. When that realization sunk in, you acknowledged that you actually enjoyed your night with Harry and saw a potential burgeoning friendship.

So you left him your number and decided that if he ever texted you that you’d take the opportunity to invite him to meet some of your friends.

You had a first hand knowledge of the number of folks that came to your parents’ mountain getaway to unplug, clear their minds, or even “find themselves”, only to be bored out of their wits by the end of the week.

Three months seemed like too long to be shut in. There were only so many hikes you could go on in the dead of winter.

Harry might, at some point during this trip, need a friend. And you were willing to help him with that.

“Yes, actually,” You responded to Alyssa. “I invited him to watch the hockey game with us at The Paw tomorrow night.”

She looked at you like she might kill you for not mentioning it sooner.

“Are you for real right now?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to meet Harry Styles?” Her smile grew wide and she could barely contain her excitement as she started bouncing around in her seat.

“Yes, but I’m begging you to please be normal about it.” You urged. “He’s here for three months so he could probably use a friend or two. I think he’d actually get on well with you and James, and my brother too.”

She scoffed at your insinuation that she would be anything other than normal.

“Babe, don’t worry about it.” She waved you off. “I’ll be cool.”

Taking a bite of your pizza, you side-eyed her. You weren’t so sure.

But you were going to have to wait and see.

-----

note: I’m always nervous to post, but I am so grateful for all of my friends that have encouraged me. The lovely feedback I got on the first part motivated me to keep going, so please, let me know what you think of this one. enjoy :)

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#my writing #asptf #a soft place to fall #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fic #harry styles x reader #harry styles fluff

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