｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡ ﾟ。oxytocin 　ﾟ･｡･

» [opposite by sabrina carpenter] « 0:58 ─〇───── 3:32 ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

july 26th, 2022

A FEW DAYS LATER, millie sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a towel, her skin still warm from the shower. she was scrolling through her phone, sipping on a water bottle, trying to ignore the soft hum of the air conditioning in the room. the hotel room was quiet, and the thought of a chill night in was sounding more and more appealing.

harry stepped out of the bathroom, steam swirling around him as he towel-dried his hair. he looked over at her, raising an eyebrow when he saw she was still in her towel, scrolling on her phone like she had all the time in the world.

"you're still not dressed?" he teased, his voice light. "what, are you planning to spend the night in that towel?"

millie glanced up at him, her eyes narrowing playfully. "some of us like to take our time," she replied, smirking. "you know, relax a little. not all of us are in a rush to get dressed and go out."

"yeah, well, i'm ready," harry said, pulling on his shirt and grinning. "guess i'll just have to go out looking perfect while you take your sweet time."

"perfect, huh?" millie teased, rolling her eyes. "thought you were just going for 'i've been in a hotel room all day and don't feel like leaving.'"

harry chuckled, walking over to her and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "hey, i've gotta look good for the night ahead, even if it's just us chilling here."

millie smiled, setting her phone down on the nightstand. "you're always so dramatic," she said, shaking her head. "we're not doing anything tonight, just staying in and sleeping."

"well, i'm ready for tomorrow," harry said, leaning back and stretching his arms. "but before we sleep, we should figure out what we're doing tomorrow night. i'm thinking a proper night out—get the crew together."

millie nodded, grabbing her phone again to send a message to louis and audrey. "yeah, sounds good. let me text them, see if they're down."

as she typed, harry leaned back on the bed, his eyes following her every move. the tension between them was still there, but it was more of a quiet hum now, like they both knew what was happening but didn't need to talk about it.

"so, what do you want to do tonight?" millie asked, glancing up at him as she hit send on the message. "besides, you know, sit here and look perfect?"

harry smirked. "maybe we can just... relax. i'm good with whatever."

millie smiled, feeling the weight of the day finally start to lift. "sounds perfect."

she stood up and grabbed a pair of comfy shorts and a loose t-shirt from her bag. "i'm just gonna throw something on for bed. i'll be quick."

"sure thing," harry said, standing up to give her some space. "i'll just be out here, waiting to see what kind of outfit you pick."

millie rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "you're so annoying."

as she slipped into the bathroom to change, she couldn't help but feel a little lighter. whatever this was between her and harry, it was easy. uncomplicated. and for the first time in a while, that was enough.

౨ৎ

the bar was buzzing, the music thumping, and millie was surrounded by her friends—laughing, chatting, and trying to enjoy herself. but her eyes kept drifting back to harry, who was laughing a little too easily with the brunette beside him. millie tried not to let it bother her, but it was hard to ignore the way the girl kept leaning in, her hand resting on harry's arm.

"stop staring," chris had teased earlier when he caught millie looking in their direction. "you're not even dating him."

"i know," millie had replied, but the words didn't make the knot in her stomach loosen.

harry, noticing she was a little quieter than usual, sidled up to her at the bar, flashing his signature grin. "you alright, mills?"

"yeah, enjoying the environment," millie said, trying to sound nonchalant, though her eyes flicked over to the brunette again.

"you sure? you look like you're about to start a fight with someone," harry joked, nudging her with his elbow.

"nah, i'm good," millie replied, but she couldn't help the slight frown that tugged at her lips.

harry's smile softened as he leaned in closer. "you know, if you wanted me to pay more attention to you, all you had to do was ask."

millie rolled her eyes, but her heart skipped a beat at his words. "i'm fine, harry. really."

he didn't look convinced, and for a second, she could see the concern in his eyes. but before he could say anything more, the brunette reappeared, this time with a little more confidence, and millie felt the annoyance bubble up again.

harry, seemingly oblivious to the tension, turned his attention back to the girl. millie watched, her fingers tapping against her glass, trying to stay calm. but when she saw harry kiss the brunette, something inside her snapped.

without thinking, millie stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. harry looked up, confusion flickering across his face as she made her way toward the bathroom.

"mills?" he called after her, but she didn't turn back.

she pushed through the crowd, her heart pounding in her chest. she wasn't sure why she was so upset. it wasn't like she had any right to feel jealous. they weren't anything more than what they were—friends with benefits. but still, the feeling gnawed at her.

once she reached the bathroom, she leaned against the sink, taking a few deep breaths. she couldn't quite place what she was feeling, but it was definitely more than just irritation.

the door swung open, and harry appeared in the doorway, looking a little sheepish. "hey, mills, can we talk?"

"what's there to talk about?" she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended.

"you okay?" he asked, his tone softening. "i didn't mean to—"

"you didn't mean to what? kiss another girl in front of me?" millie interrupted, her voice tinged with frustration.

harry's face fell slightly. "it was a kiss, mills. nothing serious."

"yeah, well, it didn't feel like nothing," millie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

he sighed, stepping closer. "i'm sorry. i didn't mean to upset you. i thought we were having fun tonight."

"we are," millie said, her voice softening. "but i guess i didn't realize it would bother me."

there was a beat of silence between them before harry gently reached for her arm. "hey, if it makes you feel better, you're the one i want to be with tonight. not her."

millie looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. she could tell he wasn't lying, but that didn't make the sting of jealousy go away.

"you sure about that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"yeah," he said with a small smile, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "now, how about we get back out there and enjoy the rest of the night?"

millie hesitated for a moment before nodding, the tension in her chest loosening just a little. "yeah, okay."

as they walked back toward the bar, harry gave her a teasing grin. "you know, i think you look a little cuter when you're jealous."

millie rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "shut up, harry."

"you know you love me," he said with a wink.

"yeah, yeah," millie replied, shaking her head. "but you're still an idiot."

they made their way back to their friends, and for the rest of the night, the unease between them lingered—but it was different now. quieter. like a secret neither of them was quite ready to acknowledge.

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