Harry Styles One Shots

Part 3 of Y/N knows something she shouldn't and Harry does what on Fridays?

iii.

"A rematch?"

Y/N has to lean close to hear Niall clearly, the club particularly rowdy tonight for some reason or another. From what she remembers, earlier this week Harry told her that there were a few men coming to fight from out of town, and with them, they brought their friends. A club like their own in a different city; Y/N thought it was cute and referred to it as a play date. Harry told her not to say that while they were there, but essentially, yes, it was a play date.

New people meant more people crowding Harry before his fight (he'd been scheduled to go fourth), and afterward, prior to him going to the locker room. And no matter how happy Harry is to introduce her to every single person he's speaking to, she thought tonight she would just let him have fun socializing without worrying about keeping her included. So she stuck near Niall, leaning close to him, thankful that Niall more often kept to himself – people would come up to him sometimes, but he made quick to answer their questions bluntly, quickly, and made it clear he was finished speaking to them afterward.

(Y/N had inquired about this, and Niall told her, "Listen, Babe, you been listening to drunk fuckers drone on and on about this that and the other, you learn to keep the conversation short before they start threatening' to swing on ya.")

They had been chatting idly, when Niall had casually mentioned rematches, and Y/N questioned it further. She hadn't known rematches were allowed, mostly because she had never seen any of Harry's previous wins try to match him again. She guessed maybe they just knew there was no chance of them winning against him so they never tried it again. Hell, if she had fought someone and they had been giggling and laughing while they spun around, dodged all her hits but managed to land most of their own, she would be hard-pressed before she challenged him for another go.

But apparently, it is pretty common among the other fighters, Niall explained, as she leaned closer to him to hear over the commotion while Harry mingled, "Some guys will stick their tail between their legs and accept defeat, others will not leave well enough alone and are convinced the other fought dirty. I reckon this one he just feels like he needs to prove himself since he'd done such a shit job before. Even if he doesn't win, he told me that he just wants to last longer and get better, and he thinks he could learn with Harry."

"Oh," Y/N was close enough to Niall to hear him, that his breath washes over her cheek when she tilted her ear toward him, smelling almost overwhelmingly of mint, but she didn't mind it. She'd rather it be mint than whiskey; the smell of that makes her recoil, "That's...um – kind of commendable. Wanting to make it a learning experience."

Niall nodded, "I mean, you sure as hell wouldn't catch me going up against Harry after he beat my ass, but yeah more power to him."

Y/N is going to ask who it was exactly that he was going up against again, but she's cut off when someone bumps into her. It was an accident, she thinks, because she hears an "oh, fuck my bad mate," but since it wasn't directed toward her she assumes she must just be collateral damage of an unintentional shove. The gasp that originally left her was muffled against Niall's chest, the cotton fabric of his striped shirt rumpling beneath her fingers. She'd shot her hand out in an effort to stop from slamming into him, but it proved to be futile. Niall's arm wrapped around her to steady her, while his leg shot out to stand firmer on the ground so he didn't slide off his seat.

"Oi, watch where you're fucking going!" Niall called over her shoulder, giving one reassuring stroke of his hand up the center of her back, "Christ sake, it's like m'running a daycare." His voice rumbled through his chest as she regained her footing, setting her other hand on his thigh so she could push herself back up.