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» [ikyk by alessi rose]« 0:58 ─〇───── 3:32 ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

august 1st, 2022

HARRY WOKE UP IN a haze, the warmth of the bed wrapping around him like a comforting embrace. he blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the soft light creeping in through the curtains. he shifted, feeling a slight weight on his stomach. glancing down, he saw bjorn, millie's cat, peacefully sprawled across him, his little paws tucked under his chin.

harry smirked at the absurdity of it. only in millie's world would he wake up with a cat using him as a mattress. he tried to move carefully, not wanting to disturb the little furball, but bjorn didn't budge.

he turned his head slightly and saw millie, still asleep beside him. she was facing him, the blankets tangled around her, and she was only in a bra, her bare skin exposed to the soft morning light. harry took in the sight of her, his heart skipping a beat for reasons he wasn't quite ready to admit to himself.

the room was quiet, just the gentle rise and fall of their breathing filling the space. it was a rare moment of peace—no drama, no chaos, just the two of them in this little bubble, and harry couldn't help but appreciate it.

he looked at millie again, her face relaxed in sleep, her hair messy and sprawled across the pillow. she looked so unguarded, so real, and for a moment, he just watched her, not wanting to break the calm.

he shifted again, feeling the soft pressure of bjorn's body against him, and smiled. it was one of those moments where everything felt... right, even if it was just temporary.

as he lay there, he couldn't help but wonder what was next for them, but for now, he was content to just be in the moment.

eventually, harry padded downstairs, still shirtless, his feet quietly slapping against the wooden floors. he was still half asleep, his mind foggy from the warmth of the bed and the fact that he had no idea what time it even was. the house was unusually quiet, but as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard the soft chatter of voices coming from the dining room.

he stepped into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, and immediately froze when he saw louis, riley, and madeline already there. louis was crouched down, feeding millie's dogs, charlie and ruby, while riley was perched on the counter, sipping from a mug. madeline was at the dining table with her phone in hand, chatting with riley, her voice a calm hum in the background.

"bloody hell," harry muttered under his breath, his voice still rough with sleep. he hadn't expected anyone to be up this early. or late? he wasn't sure.

louis glanced up from feeding the dogs, flashing harry a grin. "well, look who finally decided to join the living," he teased, standing up and brushing his hands on his joggers. "you alright, mate?"

"yeah, just woke up," harry mumbled, still trying to wake up fully. he leaned against the counter, trying to make himself look more put-together, but it wasn't working. not when he was shirtless, with messy hair and a dazed expression.

riley gave him a smirk. "someone's living the dream," he joked, his eyes flicking to harry's bare chest. "millie's got you all comfy, huh?"

harry rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of a smile on his face. "you guys are ridiculous," he said, shaking his head. "what's everyone doing here this early?"

"early?" madeline snorted from the table. "it's nearly noon, harry. don't act like you didn't sleep in until now."

"it's not my fault," he said, shrugging. "i was up late last night."

"sure you were," louis said with a grin, looking back down at the dogs, who were eagerly waiting for more treats. "you're lucky you didn't wake up with a dog on your face."

"actually, bjorn was on my stomach," harry replied, smirking. "but yeah, i didn't exactly get a good night's sleep."

riley raised an eyebrow, glancing between harry and the others. "you sure about that? you seem pretty cozy this morning."

harry's face flushed slightly, but he didn't say anything more, just grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and leaned against the counter, watching the others interact. it was nice to see everyone so at ease. it felt... normal, in a way he hadn't had in a while.

louis, oblivious to the tension, continued feeding the dogs and chatting with madeline. riley, on the other hand, gave harry a knowing look, his smirk never fading. harry could feel his eyes lingering, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with it. not yet.

"so, what's the plan for today?" harry asked, trying to steer the conversation away from whatever riley was thinking.

madeline shrugged. "don't know. we're just hanging out, right?"

"yeah," riley said, his grin widening. "just chilling. maybe we'll do something later. but for now, we're just vibing."

harry nodded, taking a long drink of water as he leaned back against the counter. for a moment, he let himself just breathe, the chaos of the night before fading into the background. everything was calm. everything was... fine.

but just as he was starting to settle, the sound of the front door opening interrupted the peace. millie's roommates, audrey and cami, came into the kitchen, both chatting loudly and laughing.

"well, well, well," audrey said with a mischievous grin as she looked harry up and down. "didn't expect to find you here shirtless, mate."

cami joined in, her voice dripping with teasing. "yeah, are you trying to make an impression or something? because it's working."

harry groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "seriously? this is how you're gonna greet me?"

riley chuckled from his spot on the counter, while louis just shook his head, grinning. "told you, mate. you can't escape the teasing."

"i swear," harry muttered, shaking his head. "you guys are relentless."

"oh, we're just getting started," audrey teased, walking over to riley to grab a cup of coffee.

"you know," cami added, "if you're gonna be hanging around here shirtless, you might want to consider a little fashion advice." she gave him an exaggerated once-over, making harry blush a little.

"yeah, maybe put a shirt on before the entire neighbourhood gets the wrong idea," audrey said with a wink.

harry, clearly over it, threw his hands up in surrender. "alright, alright. i'm going back upstairs before you guys give me an aneurysm."

"good idea," louis called after him, still grinning. "go hide before we make you do a fashion show."

harry rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips as he made his way back upstairs. he didn't know how he ended up here, surrounded by all these people who were so comfortable teasing him, but there was something about it that felt... right.

as he disappeared up the stairs, the sound of laughter echoed behind him, and for a moment, he let himself enjoy it. even if it was at his expense.

౨ৎ

harry trudged back upstairs, his mind still spinning from the banter downstairs. he was half-laughing to himself, but when he opened the door to millie's room, he froze for a second.

there she was, millie, sitting at her vanity with her back to him, wearing a joni mitchell t-shirt and black baggy trousers, her hair pulled back messily as she started her skincare routine. the soft light from the window hit her face just right, making her look effortless and calm.

harry couldn't help but grin. he'd never get used to how she just was—so effortlessly cool, even while doing something as simple as skincare.

without thinking, he dove onto the bed, landing with a soft thud, and let out a loud sigh. "you're not gonna believe what just happened."

millie, clearly used to his dramatic entrances, spun around in her chair to face him, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "what happened now?" she asked, clearly amused.

"i went downstairs," harry started, still lying flat on his back, "and louis, riley, madeline—everyone—was already there. feeding the dogs, chatting, the whole lot of them."

"and?" millie raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but not too surprised by his dramatic storytelling.

"and i walk in, shirtless, of course," he continued, gesturing at himself, "and louis gives me this look like, 'oh, you finally decided to wake up, huh?' then riley starts with the jokes, right? saying stuff like, 'oh, someone's living the dream,' and i'm just standing there, trying to act like i've got it all together, but i'm not even wearing a shirt, millie."

she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, a playful glint in her eyes. "well, you're clearly making an impression. what happened next?"

"then," harry said, dragging out the moment for dramatic effect, "audrey and cami walk in, both of them start making fun. like, i can't even walk down the stairs without getting attacked."

millie laughed, the sound light and easy. "i'm not surprised. you know they can't resist."

"honestly," harry groaned, "it's like they've been waiting for me to slip up. i just wanted to get a glass of water, and they act like i'm the main character in some fanfiction."

millie smiled, shaking her head. "well, you are a fucking disaster, harry."

"don't even start," he muttered, throwing an arm over his eyes dramatically. "anyway, i gave up, went back upstairs, and here i am. all that just to get a drink of water."

"you poor thing," millie teased, swivelling back in her chair to continue with her skincare. "how ever do you survive such a tragic life?"

harry couldn't help but laugh at her sarcasm. "it's a hard knock life, millie. you wouldn't understand."

she turned back around, giving him a mock sympathetic look. "i'm sure it's so tough. but hey, at least you didn't get stuck with me this morning. i was dealing with my own chaos."

"oh yeah? what happened?" harry asked, genuinely curious now.

"nothing too bad," she said, shrugging, "i had a dream about james charles murdering me. then i stayed in a new york apartment by myself. it was fun."

harry propped himself up on his elbows, watching her carefully as she finished with her skincare routine. "anything you want to talk about?"

millie paused for a second, the air between them shifting slightly. she looked at him, eyes soft, before giving a small smile. "i'm okay. but thanks."

harry nodded, sensing that she wasn't ready to dive into whatever was on her mind. "alright. but you know where i am, right?"

"i do," she said quietly, turning back to her vanity. "thanks, harry."

he stayed where he was, watching her for a moment, feeling the comfortable silence settle between them. it was nice, in a way, to just be with her like this—no pressure, no expectations.

after a few beats, harry flopped back down onto the bed again, staring at the ceiling. "well, i think i'm gonna go back downstairs. i can't hide up here forever."

"probably not," millie agreed, her tone light. "but don't worry. i'm sure they'll give you a break eventually."

"i'm not so sure," he muttered, a grin tugging at his lips. "but i'll take my chances."

he stood up and stretched, feeling the morning stiffness in his muscles. "you good, millie?"

"yeah," she said, not looking up from her mirror. "just... you know. doing my thing."

"alright," harry said, giving her a small smile before turning to leave. "see you downstairs."

"see you," millie replied, and he could hear the faint smile in her voice.

just before harry stepped out of her room, he paused, his hand on the doorframe. he turned back to millie, who was still focused on her skincare routine. without thinking, he walked over to her, gently cupping her chin with one hand and tilting her face up to meet his gaze. for a moment, neither of them said anything—just shared a quiet understanding in the space between them. then, slowly, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. it was brief, but it held something unspoken, a quiet reassurance. when he pulled away, he gave her a small smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "see you downstairs," he murmured, before quietly stepping out of the room, leaving millie to sit there with a gentle warmth spreading through her chest.

and that felt nice.

౨ৎ

millie finally made her way downstairs, still wearing her joni mitchell t-shirt, baggy black trousers, and the blue cap that gave her that effortlessly cool vibe. she walked into the kitchen and sat at the table, quietly observing the group. riley and louis were already there, giving harry a hard time about something, while madeline, audrey, and cami were gathered around, chatting and eating.

"so, harry," riley started, his voice light but with a hint of amusement, "you've been dodging us all week. what's the deal? you finally get some peace and quiet?"

louis, always quick to jump in, raised an eyebrow. "yeah, mate, we were starting to think you went off the grid or something. who's been keeping you busy?"

harry, clearly uncomfortable with the attention, ran a hand through his hair. "nothing like that, guys. just had some stuff to sort out."

"stuff, huh?" madeline teased, leaning back in her chair. "sure, sure. you know, you've been a lot more... mysterious lately. almost like you're hiding something."

"yeah, like you've been up to something shady," cami added with a playful smirk. "you can tell us, mate. no judgment."

harry groaned, trying to change the subject. "seriously, can we not do this right now?"

millie watched, trying to hide her smile as she sipped her drink. she loved how they could all poke fun at each other, but it was clear harry wasn't enjoying being the center of attention. she leaned back in her chair, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment, and she couldn't help but feel a little protective of him. she wasn't sure how much longer he'd last under the teasing.

finally, when the conversation seemed to be losing steam, millie stood up, stretching a little. "i'm gonna grab something from the kitchen," she said, breaking the tension. "you lot are driving me mad."

with that, she walked toward the kitchen, leaving the group to continue their playful banter about harry.

AUTHOR NOTES !!

i got alessi n billie tix today im so estactic its not even my birthday

anyway evie n alessi reunion! april is not ready