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hanawrites404 · 3 years

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Wynne's Birthday Diary - William Hillenberg

"Wynne stop daydreaming and wash the berries. We don't have all day" I felt a nudge on my shoulder laden with flour. This disturbed the train of my thoughts which annoyed me a bit.

"M-My apologies. I was just..... pondering about something" I dusted my shoulder and continued rinsing the fruits with water.

"Oh yeah? What were you thinking of?" Portia asked me back. She had a teasing tone to her voice while I just rolled my eyes. Ugh, she really wasn't believing me, was she?

"It's nothing......really.......well........" I looked around for a second, trying to find a topic to talk about before Portia could press my spacing out further. And after a couple of seconds, I finally found two idiotic birds to snarl on outside.

"Ugh yare yare dawa" I scoffed as I stared out the window.

"What's the matter now?" Portia asked.

"Look at Ilya outside. Seems like Pepi is not going let go of his leg, is she??" I remarked as I watched the red-haired himbo trying to shake the innocent feline off his pillar limb that he falls on the grass during the struggle, still screeching like a monkey let loose.

I just sighed and shook my head after seeing the nonsense ruckus out. I was definitely tired of such a shit.

"Such a baka he is. Fucking scared of a cat"

"Pfff looks like Pepi is having fun. Too much fun" Portia laughed as she cut the blueberries into definite circles.

"True. Ugh but look at Erik now. Panicking as always" I scoffed again. And like I implied, Erik (@sylph-dreams) was trying to get Pepi away from Julian's leg and also shouting pleads to her. Seriously just why am I dating such idiots and how did I end up like this??

"Then why don't you go and help them, Ms. Whiny?" Portia nudged me hard enough to send me stumbling.

"Fine. Whatever" I rolled my eyes again and left the kitchen to both of the morons outside.

"Now now, would you two stop freaking out and calm down for a bit? You are creating a mess which I definitely won't tolerate, for your kind information" I crossed my arms as I glared at both of them.

After I came, Pepi instantly let go of Julian's leg and jumped off it before going inside the house and meowing like nothing happened. Her fellow feline Esther, who was watching the tantrum from the corner, too joined Pepi inside, not caring about the two.

"I-I am sorry Wynne. But she wasn't letting Ilya go!" Erik rubbed his neck from shame.

"You could have solved the matter in a cooperative way than panicking and making the situation difficult than ever Erik. Have some decency on the grounds" I scolded him sternly.

"I'm sorry......I won't do it again" he looked down, ashamed of his previous behavior.

I sighed and spoke to him in a bit more soft way this time.

"It's alright. Just keep it in mind to not mess up again, Ok? Same with you Ilya" I glared at Julian next.

"Y-Yes ma'am" he replied, his face red from embarrassment.

"Right. Now get in" I pointed behind me with my thumb, still glaring at both of them, and they quickly went inside the house by my command and without objecting with me.

I watched both of them from the corner of my eye and sighed once they were out of sight.

"Just what will I do with both of them....." I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples with my fingers.

"Wynne!" I heard someone calling my name from the front of me. And by the call, I shifted my eyes up to the person who called me.

And I found out that the person was none other than the birthday boy.

"O-Oh! William!" I walked quickly over to him. He was not looking so tired as usual. Looks like he was relieved from work early.

"There you are. I was looking for you. You and Esther weren't at the shop so I got worried" he told me.

"But I did leave a note that we both would be at Portia's cottage" I replied him back.

"You mean *this* note" he handed me the paper on which I had written.

in Japanese.........

"Oh fuck......I am so sorry!" I facepalmed hard.

"Do you even know how many dictionaries it took me to find the meaning of what you have written??" He crossed his arms. He was clearly annoyed.

"Gosh I am so sorry William. I was in such a hurry that I forgot to write it in English" I replied from frustration while he just sighed.

"Just don't do it again Pipsqueak. Japanese is a pain in the ass for me. We have been dating for more than a year. You should have known this" he walked away to the cottage.

"ugh I told you I was sorry. What is your problem?" I pouted and crossed my own arms, following him.

"Yeah yeah. Like I said, don't repeat it. I forgive you" he replied without turning to me as he opened the door of the house.

And as quick as she can, Portia lunged upon him and hugged him tight.

"W-Whoa! What the??" William stumbled back a bit.

"Happy birthday Will!!" She literally shouted from joy as she smiled brightly at him.

"O-Oh! Thanks Pasha! I didn't know you would remember it" He smiled nervously at her, and hugged her back lightly.

"Are you kidding me?? Of course I would remember!! You are my friend!" She punched his shoulder playfully.

"Oww. Thanks again Pasha" he smiled more, letting go of her and rubbing where she had hit him.

As soon as Will thought that he was finally free of any more hugs, Erik attacked him with his own tight embrace.

"Happy birthday My Dearest Pal!!" He was literally lifting him up with his strong hug that it made me giggle.

"Oh Gods! T-Thanks Erik. Sorry but, can you please keep me down now?" He was chuckling in between his words.

"Oh! Sorry!! Got too excited over here haha!!" Erik then let him down gently and grinned at him with a thumbs-up.

"Well. I will not lift you up but-" Julian gently hugs him and kisses both of his cheeks tenderly which made the brunet blush.

"Here. That should be enough for making birthday boy flustered" he smirked at him and winked.

"Gosh Ilya......" William blushed more and looked away. Gosh he looked so adorable that way. Like a kitten receiving the affection that was out of his expectations.

"Come on. Let's cut the cake now. I believe we should not waste any more time. Babe must be hungry you know" I approached William and hugged his arm close while facing the others.

"Oh yeah why not! I will go and bring it" As soon as I heard Erik say it, I quickly grabbed him from the back of his shirt.

"Wynne let me goooooo" he whined as he attempted to get away but I literally had my nails dug onto his fabric.

"I can't, sorry and also not so sorry. Pasha, you go and bring it" I ordered her.

After listening to the quicksand incident that happened with him when he was a kid made me not want to risk it at all.

"Sure! Right on it" Portia nodded and went to get the cake we both had made together for William.

I sighed and finally let Erik go before pushing William to the dining table and settling him down on the chair.

I then gave him a small kiss on the cheek before he giggled and patted my head.

"There there Pipsqueak" He rolled the strands of my hair around his fingers.

"Today is a special day. I gotta spoil you, you know" I whispered in his ear.

"I know Wynne. I won't resist. Don't worry" he lowly purred against me while rubbing his cheek on my nose. It was his natural incorrigible habit to purr like a cat, which I of course didn't mind. I find it rather adorable and arousing.

"Here is the mighty caaaaaaaake~" Portia sung her way through the halls from the kitchen to place it in front of William.

"Oh! It’s a Blueberry cake! How wonderful!!" William exclaimed from joy as his hazel eyes shone from excitement. It aroused a giggle from all of us, because it's very rare to see William so happy like this. But we all were of course glad so.

"Correct Dear. Only for you" I kissed William's cheek again, and this time he kissed me back on the corner of my lips, making me blush.

"Thank you Cornflower. I really appreciate it" he smiled at me.

I in reply just chuckled and bumped my forehead lightly with his as an acceptance of his compliment, which made him purr again.

"Alright you two lovecats, let's not let the candle burn away" Portia laughed.

This made us both snap away from each other and look away, still blushing, while Portia and others continued to laugh at us.

"H-Hey, stop. I missed him!" I pouted, my cheeks were still hot.

"Yeah yeah. I swear if I see you both sleep with each other tonight, I won't be surprised" Pasha joked while shrugging.

"Pasha!!!" Both Will and I yelled from embarrassment. Julian and Erik both wheezed and laughed from our reactions which made us even more flustered.

The fact that they both had started to sing 'Wynne and William sitting on tree' was making me literally lose my shit and want to bury them six feet alive.

"What? I am saying the truth" she smirked and wiggled her eyebrows, especially at me.

"N-No....it's not like that at all" I covered my mouth and let my cheeks have a massive blood rush.

"Y-Yeah.....she is right......We don't do that" William supported my statement, his blush was still on his face.

"Whatever. Now go on and cut the cake. We won't tease you anymore" Portia reassured us and the two boys had stopped laughing like hyenas after hearing her.

"Ugh finally!" I backed away from William to give him some space. Will then took the knife in his hand and as he was about to cut it, Erik interrupted him.

"make a wish first! It's important!" He reminded him.

"U-Ugh but, Erik. It doesn't matter. My wish will never come true. Even on my birthday" William protested.

"But it's a tradition! You cannot just ruin that!!" Erik didn't give up on his justification.

"Ugggggh. Fine" William rolled his eyes before closing them, and taking his time to think for his wish. Erik from satisfaction crossed his arms and smiled in triumph.

And when he was done, he opened his eyes and bent forward to blow the candle. He was about as close as the moon and earth from blowing the fire on the wax stick..........

But then they came..........

"Well how do you do, fellow humans??" The horned creature walked inside the cottage after they literally opened the door without touching it. A cool and fast gush of wind accompanied their menacing and chaotic aura also spreading it everywhere around.

Julian was shivering the whole time as he hugged me close, while Pasha and Erik were indifferent but intimated of their presence.

And William..........

"Q-Quaestor!! Is something wrong??" William stood up and looked at the doctor in front of him.

"Oh there is nothing to worry about My Dear. I just came here to wish my favourite lovely novice a happy being born day!" They had their usual crooked smile on their sharp mouth as they looked directly at William, who was now very red from fluster.

"I-I-I......T-Thank you so much Quaestor. I-It's really a pleasure hearing it from you. And the fact that you came here solely to wish me......it is really making me happy!!" Will beamed.

"Hehehehe! Anything for you My Lovely~ And I even bought a gift for you~" They sang happily.

William gasped from anticipation and I could literally see sparks in his eyes. Gosh he was just so obsessed with them that I could not help but roll my eyes from annoyance and a teeny meeny bit of jealousy.

"Oh gosh I can't wait! Wynne come on. Let's cut the cake and move to the presents fast!" William shook me by my shoulder.

"Ok Ok!! Jeez. Chill out Will! And Valdemar, what the hell took you so long?? I thought I told you to come at the exact time, didn't I?" I placed my hands on my hips and glared at them.

"Oh my apologies Sweetheart. I had some........ business to be taken care of. I didn't know that it would take me a lot of time" Valdemar excused themselves.

"Whatever. Come inside please" I ordered them.

"With pleasure, sweet cheeks" they grinned wider and came inside, the door shutting off with a slam by itself making Julian jump on his feet.

"I better not ask what they were doing this whole time" Ilya talked to himself as he shivered and rubbed his forearms.

"Yare Yare" I rolled my eyes again and sighed.

"Alright everyone! Attention over here! The birthday boy is going to cut his cake!" Erik announced while adding a comical and dramatic tune to it.

"Jesus. Nice try Erik" I giggled between my speech.

"Hehe. Thanks! I had been practicing this for the past week" he rubbed his neck and grinned with a blush while I shook my head, still chuckling.

I then placed my hand gently on William's shoulder to give him some assurance. Will touched my hand with his, gave me a smile, and then looked forward. After he was done wishing, he blew the candle.

Happy birthday to you~

Happy birthday to you~~

Happy birthday to Dear William~~

Happy birthday to you~!!! ❣️❣️❣️❣️

There was nothing but joy and happiness in the room. Even though a literal demon was present at the party, it didn't curtain the delightful ambiance. A big hats off and thanks so much to Valdemar for not putting any crazy shit during the present time and dinner. Honestly.

After the cake had been cut, me and Pasha served everyone a piece. William of course loved it because it was made be none other than me✨. Julian and Erik liked it.......too much, that they demanded for more but I had to deny them because I had to save it for me and Portia.

And Valdemar did eat some of the cake saying that it was interesting how it tasted sweet and sour and creamy, and that it reminded of the taste of the flesh of an old angry lady they ate years ago.

Hearing this fact, Julian had almost died from choking on a fucking blueberry...........

And Erik almost broke down crying from seeing Jules losing his life because of a small fruit..............

But anyways, after both of them had calmed down. We moved onto the phase William had been bubbling with excitement for the past half an hour. And it was presents.

Erik went first with his present of a carmine red woolen scarf and beanie cap for him. William when wore it looked very cute and handsome in it that I couldn't help but call him Red Riding Hood.

And just like the name, he had really turned red from face after the compliment.........how adorable of him.

Next was Pasha who have him a handmade cat charm which looked like Esther. And also that was the first time I heard William purring the loudest that my heart was running marathons. Was it because it was arousing me a lot or it was hella loud for my eardrums, I will never know.

After that it was me and I gifted him with big baskets of blueberries right from my village. They were grown by me and my father and there were about 8 of such baskets full of love for him.

I am going to be real honest here but a soft spot on my neck was hurting and swollen red from how he had bitten me hard after the party for the berries.

Anyways, moving onto Julian, he had gifted William with brand-new sets of surgical knives. From the shine and the look of it, it was quite expensive-looking. I wonder how did he afford it. But aside that, William was of course delighted from his gift that it urged him to kiss the redhead doctor right on the lips, which turned both of them into cherries and left Pasha and Erik in awe while Valdemar just chuckled.

And me........well I just wanted to erase myself from existence. Nothing new here. hahahaha!!!!

And last but not the least, on no no of course not. How can they ever be the least huh?

Because THIS LITERAL DEATH DEMON GIFTED WILLIAM WITH A FUCKING BEATING LIVE HUMAN HEART!!!!! I DON’T KNOW HOW IN THE WORLD WAS IT POSSIBLE BUT YES WHAT I AM WRITING IS ALL TRUE!!!!!

And guess what.......

He adored it!!!!!!!

Yes......he loved it so much that he it got him meowing from 'orgasm' loudly, scaring the hell out of Julian as always. Ugh was there just for once a time where Ilya wasn't scared?? I bet none!

Anyways, back to the birthday boy, he was so overwhelmed and overjoyed that tears of joy were leaking from his hazel eyes. This of course got me worried to the most but when I got to know that the tears was not of pain and sadness but of happiness, I deadpanned, but make that times thousand plus 💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢.

But but but, if we ignore the bizarre parts of the birthday party (which are a lot) for the best boy ever, it was very very enjoyable and memorable. Valdemar had their own type of enjoyment participating in a human's activity, Julian, Pasha, Erik and I were satisfied with our work and effort. And William, the moon of our party, was happy and grateful to all of us. Just what we all wanted.

Though this party was not the one I had in my expectations and perfect according to me, I will of course never ever forget it. Whether it be the best or the worst thing about it. It would always be in my heart just like how William Hillenberg is.

Deep inside, safe and too good to be forgettable,

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burberryharold · 4 years

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Alone Together

Part One

Hello, guys! I’ve finally come around to writing my first fanfic on Tumblr and to say that I’m excited would be an understatement. I’ve had this idea for a while now and I’m hoping you guys like it; Alone Together follows the journey of Ellie and Harry through this rough period of quarantine. It’s just a little something I thought of and decided to have fun with it and make the best out of the current situation, so I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think! This is gonna be a series but I haven’t settled on how long it’s gonna be yet, but for now here’s Part One of Alone Together.

February 25th, Tuesday

Ellie huffed and wiped her forehead, taking notice of the dark strands of hair clinging onto her face from the sweat. She deeply regretted sending off the moving people, insisting that she can handle the rest of the boxes herself. Big mistake. She was by no means weak or incapable of lifting heavy items, but after a long day of moving back and forth from her old flat to her new one, Ellie was absolutely exhausted. In retrospect, she realised that she should not have moved all of her things in one day, but it’s too late, she has to face the consequences of her decision. Damn me for thinking that this was a good idea, Ellie thought to herself.

Staring at the boxes in the hallway in hopes that they would magically move themselves, Ellie failed to notice that someone walked out of the elevator and was heading in her direction.

“Ellie? Ellie Heart? Is that you?” a deep yet familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Ellie’s hand flew to her chest as she gasped at the sudden voice, “Bloody hell, you scared the shit out of me!”

She finally opened her eyes to look at the person as he chuckled; her jaw dropped at the familiar sights of chocolate curls and green eyes. “Harry? What? What are you doing here?” she questioned with wide eyes.

Her heart fluttered at the sight of him; she had not seen Harry in quite a while and was shocked to see him standing outside of her new flat. “Are you stalking me, Styles? Is that what this is?” she jokingly narrowed her eyes at him, resting her hands on her hips.

Harry ‘s bright eyes twinkled in amusement.

“Oh yes, Heart, that’s exactly what I’m doing, you caught me.” He raised his hands in surrender.

Ellie's smile widened at his words and she started taking in his attire. He was sporting a pair of grey sweatpants and a black hoodie with “Treat People With Kindness” printed on it, despite it being an abnormally warm afternoon. She smiled at his choice of outfit and decided to tease him for it, “Nice hoodie you got there, Harry, I see you’re still your usual narcissistic self.”

Harry threw his head back in laughter at her words, “Good to see that you’re still as funny as I remember you, Ellie, it’s been a while.” He flashed her another bright smile and gestured to the boxed discarded along the hallway, “I take it that you’re just moving in?”

Ellie nodded, suddenly remembering that she’s standing in front of him drenched in sweat and looking disheveled, while he managed to look like he just stepped out of a runway, despite his casual outfit. “Just moved literally all of my things here today, which was a huge mistake if I’m being honest, but yeah.” She paused after taking notice of the grocery bags resting beside his feet, “Wait, do you live here as well?”

There were only three flats on this floor, hers, the one right across from her, and another just at the end of the hallway. “This is me, just moved in here recently actually,” Harry pointed at the door beside him, “My house is being fumigated because of bloody termites and I’ve been meaning to do some renovations, so this seemed like an appropriate time. Can’t go back home for a few weeks so.”

A shy smile made its way onto Ellie’s lips, “Guess we’ll be neighbours for the meantime then, huh?”

She marveled at the sight of his dimples, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Ellie tried to ignore the way her heart started pounding faster at the prospect of having Harry so close to her for a few weeks. It’s just a little crush, El, let it go.

Ellie being a huge fan of Harry is no secret to anyone that knows her, not even to Harry himself she fears. Even as a One Direction-obsessed teenager, she’s always paid Harry a little extra attention. When his debut album came out, Ellie was beyond ecstatic. She had known that Harry was a fan of artists like the Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac, and she definitely felt their influences on him in music, both in his solo career and in One Direction. So, despite being absolutely devastated that the band is on a hiatus, Ellie can’t deny that she is enjoying their solo careers.

They had originally met back in 2014 when Julian Bunnetta first introduced them to each other. She’d known Julian for about a year, having worked on a number of songs with him. She was no stranger to his close relationship to the band, but she had never expected to ever meet any of the members. Needless to say, Ellie was floored when she saw Julian approaching her, at the party he dragged her to, with the tall, handsome boy beside him.

Julian smirked at her wide eyes, “El, this is Harry, but you already knew that,” he sent her a wink. “H, this is Ellie, the songwriter I’ve been telling you about.”

Had she heard him correctly? Did he just say that he has talked about her to Harry Styles?

Ellie had to pull herself together as the boy smiled in recognition, “Hello, Ellie, it’s good to finally meet you! Been hearing a lot of things about you, this guy won’t stop talking about how insanely talented you are.”

Ellie thinks she’s about to faint.

She’s met a couple of celebrities from working alongside Julian, but she has never been this starstruck before. And the fact that Julian has been praising her songwriting talent in front of Harry does not help ease her erratic heartbeat.

“I- uh- thanks?” She wanted to facepalm. “You too- I mean, um, thank you, I’m such a huge fan of you guys.”

Harry chuckled at her response, “Thank you, Julian may or may not have mentioned that before.”

She narrowed her eyes at Julian, who had an amused expression on his face. “Oh yeah, told him all about your crazy obsession with him.”

“Julian!” Ellie groaned and covered her face with her hands, feeling the warmth rushing to her cheeks, “You bloody knobhead, I hate you.”

“Don’t worry, love” Harry laughed, “he only had good things to say about you, and if anything, I’m flattered.”

Ever since that night, they’ve only ran into each other two other times, which Ellie was disappointed about. Once when she had worked with the band on What A Feeling, and another back in January 2019. Ellie was surprised when her friend Tom Hull called her one night and invited her to the studio, saying that he and a friend of his were struggling with a song and he wanted her help. She hadn’t hesitated and went to meet him the following day at a studio in Malibu. What Tom had failed to mention was that his friend was Harry Styles, who was working on his second album.

Her eyes had noticeably widened when they fell upon the tall figure standing in the corner, talking to someone on the phone. She immediately darted towards her friend and pinched his arm, “You didn’t think to tell me that Harry was here?” she whispered-exclaimed. A wide grin painted Tom’s lips, “Thought I’d surprise you.”

Since then, after spending a whole day helping them with the verse and the bridge on a song called Canyon Moon, Ellie hasn’t seen the rockstar. Until now.

She didn’t even think it was possible for him to look any more beautiful than he already is, but he’s managed to prove her wrong. The light stubble and mustache that graced his face made him look more mature; she remembered how he had once complained about not being able to grow any facial hair, but it seems like that has changed.

Looking that good should be a crime, she thought to herself.

Harry cleared his throat, pulling her out of her thoughts yet again, “D’you need any help with that?”

Ellie was about to shake her head and refuse, but then she bit her lip and paused. She doesn’t know if it’s because she’s exhausted, or if she just misses his presence and wants him around her for a little bit longer. She figured it was a combination of both, and that’s why she found herself saying “Actually, yeah, I’d really appreciate that.”

“Hold on a minute,” he pointed to the bags in his hands and gestured to his flat, “gotta put those inside first.”

Ellie was busy hauling a box that held her cutlery and plates into her kitchen when she heard Harry calling out for her. “Love? Where do you want me to put this?”

She tried not to think of the pet name, assuring herself that that’s just who Harry is; he’s always friendly and charming, calling people around him “love” or “sweetheart”, but it makes her heart skip a beat nevertheless.

The box had “Bedroom” messily written on it and so she pointed towards the hallway on her left, “Just down the hallway, first room on the right, please.”

His short curls bounced as he nodded his head and carried the box to her room with ease. She couldn’t help but stare at the way his arms flexed holding the box; he’d changed from his sweatshirt into a fitted black t-shirt, emphasising his muscles.

Ellie silently scolded herself for staring and went back out to the hallway, carrying yet another box. This one, however, was much heavier than the rest. She had packed all of her vases together and now sees how it was a bad idea. God, Ellie, you’re just making dumb decisions left and right, she thought silently.

She groaned as the box weighed her down and struggled to not drop it. “Hey, hey, let me.”

Harry suddenly appeared in front of her, reaching his hands out to take the box. In the process, his hands brushed hers and it took everything in Ellie to not drop the box. She felt like a silly kid, freaking out over touching a boy’s hand, but this was Harry. The same Harry who she admired and has had a crush on for as long as she can remember; she can’t just ignore the feeling of his soft hands against hers.

Get it together, Ellie.

“Thank you,” she flashed him a guilty smile, “careful, that one’s heavy.”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing,” Harry smirked and held the box as if it was as light as a feather, flexing his arms in the process, “see these guns over here? They can handle anything.”

She stopped herself from staring at his arms yet again and instead rolled her eyes, “Okay then, Superman, go put that in the living room, please.”

Harry let out a laugh and made his way towards her living room, making a show of flexing his arms and looking at her over his shoulders.

Ellie really missed him.

Once Harry and Ellie had finished moving everything into her flat, she invited him to have a drink and a little chat, to which he delightfully agreed.

After settling comfortably into the couch, with a bottle of beer in his hand, Harry turned his body towards Ellie’s and smiled, “How have you been then? Haven’t seen each other in a long time now, haven’t we?”

Ellie relaxed into her couch and nodded, “Yeah, a little over a year since I last saw you and Tommy at the studio.”

“I’ve worked on a few projects since then,” she took a sip of her drink then shook her head, “no, actually, I have worked on a lot of projects and I’ve decided to just take a break from it all.”

“A break? How come?” Harry’s eyebrows furrowed, “I remember you saying you loved writing all the time, in fact, think you said that you couldn’t go on a day without writing at least a few lines.”

Ellie’s insides almost melted at his soft, slow voice; she’s always loved the way Harry spoke.

“I did yeah, but everyone needs a little break sometimes,” the corners of her lips turned a little upwards, surprised that he remembered. “I didn’t feel as inspired as I used to be, felt like I was just a machine producing lyrics, so I figured now is a good time to take a break and be free of any pressures.”

Harry held her gaze for a second before nodding his head. “Yeah, I get that,” he said with a soft tone, “sometimes even the thing you love doing the most can get exhausting.”

Ellie breathed out a soft sigh, knowing the meaning behind his words.

“Well, look at you now, you’re the one in complete control, aren’t ya?” she nudged his thigh with her foot that was resting on the couch. He smiled at her words.

“Loved the new album, by the way,” she sat upright, as if she suddenly remembered that he released his second album not too long ago. “Never got to congratulate you on that.”

A bright smile graced Harry’s face. “Really? You did?”

She hummed in affirmation, “How could I not? It’s so fucking good. The lyrics, the melodies, everything. You were amazing, H.”

Ellie didn’t realise what she called him until the words were out of her mouth, but Harry didn’t seem to mind. She was well aware that they were not exactly friends, having met only a few times, and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

Harry avoided her gaze and bashfully stared at his lap, “Thank you, means a lot coming from you.”

A blush burned its way to Ellie’s cheeks, wondering what he meant exactly by that, but she didn’t question it.

“Uh,” Harry cleared his throat before continuing, “what’s your favourite song then?” He asked, looking up at her through his dark lashes.

“Oh that is a tough question,” Ellie set her drink down on the coffee table and turned to him, a serious expression etched on her face. “This is gonna take a while.”

After an intense and thorough explanation of why she can’t simply choose one favourite song off of Fine Line— because, Harry, I love every song too fucking much— Ellie noticed that she’s kept Harry busy for the last two hours.

Ellie started panicking. I wasted so much of his time! What if he didn’t even want to hang out with me?

“Oh God, Harry, I’m so sorry,” she started apologising, feeling her hands getting clammy, “I’ve wasted two hours of your time and you probably had things to do-”

Frowning at her words, Harry abruptly sat up from his previous laid back position on the couch. “’course you didn’t waste my time, love, don’t say that,”

“I didn’t have anything else to do today. Went out to do a shop and I planned to stay in and watch movies, so I’m glad I ran into you.”

Ellie’s shoulders visibly relaxed and a smile made its way onto her lips, “I’m glad I ran into you too, it was nice catching up.”

She had definitely missed the curly-haired boy; she was still having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that he’s sitting right here on her couch, but she knew he had to go soon.

“It was, and I really hope we don’t spend another year without seeing each other again.”

Warmth coursed through her body. Me too.

Harry‘s mouth opened and closed, seeming as if he had something to say then decided against it. She noticed he was playing around with the rings on his fingers, twisting them around.

“Tell you what,” Harry started, turning his focus towards her again, “how about I give you my number? You know, in case of emergency or anything since we’re neighbours now.”

Ellie mentally cursed her genes as she could feel herself blushing again, for absolutely no reason. She’s always been the type of person to get flustered and blush at everything, just like her father. Be cool, Ellie, or he’s gonna think you’re weird.

She merely nodded her head in response and mechanically handed him her phone. Harry chuckled at her and grabbed the small device. He put in his number and gave her the device back, having put his contact name as “H. Styles”

“Just text me so I know it’s you, yeah?” he rose from the couch, stretching his muscles from sitting for too long. Ellie stood up too and walked him to the door, watching as he made his way into his own flat across the hall.

After unlocking his door, Harry turned back to face her. “Have a good night, yeah? Don’t hesitate to call or text me if you need any help, okay?”

Ellie wanted to take a picture of him right then and there. The dim lights in the hallway cast a soft glow on his face, making his features look even more ethereal and soft.

“You too,” She pulled a few strands of her hair behind her ear and leaned her body against her door frame. “And thank you, that’s very sweet of you.”

He flashed her another smile and put up his hand in a small wave, the both of them backing up into their own flats and ready to close the door.

Ellie wasn’t sure if it was just the lighting or if Harry was really blushing, but she likes to think that it was the latter.

Once she made it back into her living room, she picked up her phone and typed in a new message.

“Hey, it’s me, your weird neighbour across the hall :)”

And that’s all for part one guys! What do you think about it? This part is short because I’m just introducing the story and our main character Miss Ellie Heart, but the next ones are gonna be longer so brace yourselves. I’m so glad to finally get back to writing! Everyone is quarantined at home because of COVID-19 and I have more time on my hands now to write. Let me know what you think about this and if you’d like to read the next part, I’d really love to know what you guys think!

Remember, stay home and stay safe xx

#Alone Together #Harry Styles #Harry Styles imagines #Harry Styles fanfic #Harry Styles blurbs #Harry Styles writing #Harry Styles fluff

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pandemicthestory · 4 years

Text

5: distanced

The next step is to find an in, and then an out.

The morning news briefing on TV:

Kelly Sanchez, lead anchorwoman, stares gravely into the camera. It will be another day of news that no one wants to hear.

“Good morning, Chicago. We’re here with your daily update of the coronavirus. Schools across the country have been canceled due to a significant shortage of public funding. These are funds that are currently being allocated to bail out the tanking airline industry. The President says that allowing the top corporations to suffer will result in a greater hole for the economy. We hope he’s right.

Meanwhile, bars, restaurants and shopping centers that have been re-opened early to boost the economy have not seen the dramatic rise in business that was expected. Perhaps people are too afraid to go out to dinner amongst the public, or perhaps they simply can’t afford it due to a loss of work. One thing we do know is that the most detrimental effect of these early openings is causing a further spread. As people in certain states that have not seriously social-distanced begin to cross state lines…”

Emma’s mom and dad are sitting on the couch, waiting for Kelly to tell them that things are going to get at least slightly better. But she doesn’t. It’s getting impossible to convince themselves that this will all be over soon--that everything will return to normal. It’s becoming likely that the new “normal,” if it ever comes, will be something that no one has ever seen.

*buzzzz*

Emma’s alarm wakes her up at 8:30 AM. She facepalms herself upon remembering that school doesn’t exist anymore and therefore alarms are canceled. Dammit.

But then, she remembers that Universe is currently downloading to her external hard drive. The excitement of this sends a shock through her system and wakes up every cell in her body. It’s that “Christmas morning” excitement, which is marginally more enjoyable than that “about to run away with a possibly bad dude” excitement. That kind is good too, just, different. She runs over to her computer.

16 HOURS REMAINING

Shit. The size of this application is no joke. Seemingly she’ll have to wait until tonight to begin her exploration. To find Mason.

Emma remembers the talk they had last night, and reflects on his support of her relationships with her friends. She realizes that she didn’t know many people with that quality, guys especially...it seems like they always demand her full attention and become frustrated if asked to share. Especially one guy. Well anyway, Mason. Intriguing.

Emma heads downstairs to make herself a bowl of cereal. Oh wait, there’s no milk. And no cereal either? These days, groceries are scarce and pickings are slim. Ah well, might have to be plain oatmeal. Serious orphanage vibes--which is somewhat fitting since her parents wish they could leave her at one.

Ugh. Every time you eat oatmeal, you forget how horrible oatmeal is. Isabel sits across the table from her, scrolling through her phone with intent and drinking black coffee. Emma smirks.

“Aren’t you kinda young to be drinking coffee? Plus what do you have to energize for, your job at the office?”

Isabel pays no attention to her.

“Hello? Okay what is up with you.”

Isabel looks up from her phone, a faraway look in her eyes.

“Do you have a headset?” she asks.

“Um, what do you mean? Like headphones? What are you talking about?”

Isabel looks down again.

“No, like a viewing headset. Like an Oculus or a Vive. Aren’t you like, a tech nerd? You don’t do anything with VR?”

Odd request. Emma isn’t much of a gamer anymore, she used to play Dota and Warcraft, but that was before she decided to cut back to become more social. Spend time with her friends. Date an asshole. Whatever. But in all her experience with gaming, she had never gotten into VR. She never saw the point...either play games or experience the real world. What was the point in trying to achieve both at the same time?

“No I don’t. And you know those are expensive as hell, right?”

Isabel looks nervous.

“I know. Which is why...um, I was wondering, can I borrow some money?”

Emma bursts out laughing.

“No Iz, you can’t borrow 800 dollars to buy a VR headset. Hey are you aware that we’re going through a global pandemic and the world may or may not be ending? I think food and toilet paper are better investments than virtual tennis, or whatever.”

Isabel just shakes her head. What is with this girl? She’s normally the queen of smartassery--loves to spar with Emma and argue about literally everything. She’s usually so ready for a fight, but now she feels surrendered. It’s weird how you can be trapped in such close quarters with a person and still feel like they’re on a different planet.

Emma and Isabel are two years apart. Up until Emma was 6 and Isabel was 4, they were best friends. They shared everything. Isabel didn’t want to play with a toy unless Emma played with it with her. She wouldn’t wear clothing unless it was Emma’s hand-me-down. They shared a bedroom, the walls covered with monarch butterflies. Their mom went for a theme, tacky lamp shades and all, lord knows she tried her best. Often, they would stay awake late into the night, vividly describing the dream that the other sister would have. They thought if they focused hard enough, they could carry those dreams with them into sleep.

But as they got older, things changed. The tacky butterflies were no longer endearing. Emma moved into a room that was being used as her dad’s office. She got a Nintendo DS for Christmas. And she started locking her door.

Isabel was left to wonder where her role model went. But after Emma made it clear that her hobbies were no longer to be shared, Isabel hardened herself to the rejection. She promised herself to become her own person in any way that she could, to never be dependent on Emma to define her personality.

In fifth grade, Isabel met Anush. They met because they were both teacher helpers in art class, and it was their responsibility to help set up the room before class and clean it up afterwards. They were both very outgoing, emotional, and honest. Isabel always told Anush exactly what she was thinking, and vice versa. The two girls were popular among their classmates, but the good kind of popular. They were kind, and they included the other girls who wanted to be like them.

So really, it makes no sense that Isabel is being the way that she is. She’s confident, vocal, and annoyingly optimistic. On a normal day. So what’s wrong?

“Emma, someone just dropped a package off for you.”

Their mom called from the other room. Isabel leaves the table, stressed and defeated. Emma continues to chip away at the bowl of grey sludge in front of her. It’s crazy that there are still people out there delivering the mail--how long until that stops too?

*buzz*

Good morning, group chat.

OLIVIA: GG morning check-in: I want to talk about what the hell Serena sees in Dan

MADISON: or what dan sees in serena?? Come on he’s like an intellectual and she’s a superficial barbie princess

ZOE: Mad you know that is MISOGYNISTIC and that you’re letting the fact that she wears expensive dresses and has blonde hair cloud your judgement!!

MADISON: oh shut up it’s early

OLIVIA: Remember when you were begging not to watch the show??

MADISON: quarantine does weird shit to people ok

Emma enters the chat.

EMMA: Ok but without Serena, don’t you think Blair is so much more lame? Like it’s the best friend combo that makes the show imo

ZOE: There she is!!!

MADISON: goooood morning to our very own barbie princess!

OLIVIA: Why are any of us even awake? SCHOOL’S OVERRR. Should we like, do something?

EMMA: Like what? Sit on our asses and text each other from afar?

MADISON: sounds chill

Emma laughs to herself. Damn. She’s going to miss them.

Maybe there’s a way for her to tell...part of the truth? Leave the part about Julian out? Kind of a big part... Say she’s coming back? Make up a concrete opportunity? There has to be some sort of acceptable explanation...there just has to be. And even if she can’t come up with one...there are other things she wants to tell them about. Another boy.

EMMA: Hey do you guys wanna do a zoom chat in a few min? Just kinda feel like talking more than texting rn

MADISON: do u mind if i go back to bed and pass on that? I love u girl but i’m tired af

ZOE: aaand same here, but it’s only because i’m supposed to do this thing…

OLIVIA: so call Gabriel?

ZOE: Wellllll...I don’t wanna lie to y’all.

Ha. Emma knows the feeling.

EMMA: you out too Liv?

OLIVIA: I am innnnn give me a call when you’re ready

MADISON: kiss kiss kiss

ZOE: kiiiiissssss

EMMA: bye losers

Well, maybe telling one person is a good place to start. Liv is super understanding...she’ll be able to think of a good way to break the news to Mad and Zoe. Emma runs up to her room and closes the door. She flops down on her unmade bed, and facetimes Olivia.

“Hey Liv”

“Emmmm”

Lingering silence. Emma just kind of stares at the wall. Olivia breaks the silence.

“Sooo what did you wanna talk about?”

Emma doesn’t know if she can do it. Ok, form words. Try.

“I wanna tell you something, that’s kind of a long story. And it’s connected to other stories. And basically I’ve just gone too long without talking about any of it and now there’s like this big clusterfuck of details that I need you to know but can’t figure out where to start.”

Whew. Even the vaguest of outbursts feels cathartic. Olivia doesn’t seem to be freaked out yet.

“Emma, I’m pretty sure I know you better than anyone. And you can trust me.”

“I know you say that now but...I don’t know if, after I say what I, well I don’t know if you’re gonna trust me. I haven’t said everything that I need to say to you. Or Zo and Mad.”

“Ok, so, here’s your chance. I’m listening.”

Emma takes a deep breath. Where to start?

*knock knock*

The knocks are soft. Unlike her mom’s, whose are very prison guard-esque, and actually who is more likely to not knock at all. Emma calls out.

“What.”

Isabel’s voice comes from the other side of the door.

“I gotta tell you something.” Her voice is uncharacteristically soft.

“I’m on the phone with Liv right now, can it wait?”

Silence.

“Iz?”

Emma hears the creaking of Isabel’s footsteps down the wooden hallway, and then her beddoor shutting. Click, it locks.

Emma turns back to the phone.

“That was Iz, she’s been acting like a freak.”

“What’s going on with her?”

“No idea. I feel like 14 is a weird age, plus like, she’s REALLY social and into school and shit. This quarantine is probably forcing an inversion of her personality.”

Olivia nods with sympathy. “God, that’s rough.”

“Yeah...I feel kinda bad I guess. We just don’t really have anything to talk about.”

“Oh come on, you’re sisters. Talk about how controlling your mom is.”

Emma laughs. She flips onto her back and stretches her legs against the wall. Oh, physical exertion of any kind feels so unnatural.

“Well Liv...we do have one thing in common. Which is...one of the things I haven’t told you.”

Emma fights a smile.

“TELL ME”

“So I saw Isabel playing this weird computer game, I mean I don’t even know if it was a game or like what the hell it was, but now, I’m downloading it…”

“Uh, ok?? Why?”

“This is going to sound insane, but hear me out…”

“Hearing…”

“I got this...message...online. From someone who I’ve never met. A guy, I think, and his name is Mason.”

“OOOMG”

“Hahah well it’s not like that, I mean I have no fucking idea WHAT it’s like, because it’s very weird, and um, he’s the reason I’m downloading this game. The one that Iz is playing. Cuz he told me to.”

Silence.

“That...is really fucking weird.”

“I know.”

“You don’t even know how badly I wish I was coming over right now to go all detective on his ass right now with you…”

Emma laughs. “I know you would be. It’s so weird being here alone.”

“You’re not alone Em!!! I’m here. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but I’ll ALWAYS be here for you. That’s corny as hell but hey it’s true.”

“Hah, yeah...same. I’m here.”

How can Emma keep this incredibly annoying feeling of guilt suppressed? It’s kind of ruining the buzz of anything else. But it will be ok. Olivia will understand...

*ping*

Emma has come to expect that any message received to her ghostwriter account will be from Mason. She jumps up from her bed, still on the call with Olivia. Emma starts to get excited.

“So this is crazy but he just messaged me, ahhhhhh…”

“Eeee tell me what he said!!”

Sure enough, the message is from Mason.

MASON: hi! did you get it yet?

Emma reads the message aloud to Olivia, who is equally confused.

“What is he talking about?

“I have no idea…”

Emma starts typing a response.

EMMA: Good morning! Get what..?

MASON: a package!

Emma looks confused. Was it...Mason who sent the package? What the hell? How does he know where she lives?? Well at this point she’s not surprised.

“Liv, I gotta call you back!”

“Ok you BETTER tell me what the hell this package situation is because congratulations this is now the most interesting thing happening in my life!!!”

Emma ends the call and runs downstairs. Her parents haven’t moved from the couch, still watching coverage of the virus’s destruction on TV.

“Hey Mom where’s that package??”

“Iz said she’d bring it up to you.”

“What? Can you not give her my mail?”

Emma’s mom turns to face her. “Attitude. Chill.”

Emma rolls her eyes and runs upstairs. She knocks on Isabel’s door. Well, bangs, really.

“Hi ready to talk now. What’s up??”

No response. As Emma presses her ear against the door, she can’t hear anything. She jiggles the handle, it won’t open.

“This is really weird. Hello.”

“Hellooooo.”

“Fine, we don’t have to talk. But I need my package. Now.”

……

Emma grabs the little key from behind the thermostat in the hallway. Isabel will just have to forgive her for this. Emma inserts the key into the lock and…

The lock clicks, the handle turns, and the door opens.

Emma enters the room, ready for Isabel to yell at her.

“Iz??”

First Emma sees the packaging. The medium-sized cardboard box on the ground, the bubble wrap, the plastic…it had clearly been torn off in a hurry...

Isabel is sitting at her computer, her back turned toward Emma.

“Isabel?!”

Emma runs over and jerks the swivel chair to face her, and Isabel slouches over. She’s wearing a virtual reality headset.

The one that was sent to Emma in that package.

“ISABEL”

Isabel’s ears are covered with oversized headphones, but even without them, she wouldn’t be able to hear Emma anyway. Her body is limp. Non-responsive.

Emma starts panicking and checks Isabel’s pulse--steady. Her breathing, normal. What is happening here? What is going on??

Then Emma sees the computer screen.

The map. That fucking map.

She turns back to Isabel. She thinks of Mason. She realizes.

The right question is not “What”, but “Where.”

#writers #writers on tumblr #write #short fiction #shortstory #writing #pandemic #coronavirus #young adult #ya novels

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