little talks • harry styles

1

"I don't like walking around this old and empty house"
"So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear"

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"I know it's not the nicest place at the moment but we'll clean it up, and once all the furniture is here, it'll feel just like home"

Bella glanced around the house nervously, she hated new places and despite what her mother thought, she knew this place would never feel like home.

"I saw some of the movers taking boxes upstairs, I think I remember them carrying some from your room, why don't you go unpack? You don't have to finish it all straight away but it might feel a bit more homely with some of your things out" She said sweetly. Bella hated this, she hated the fake niceness, she hated the tone, the 'could literally fall apart any second now' tone.

It had been like this since the divorce, Bella was pretty sure her mum thought there was still a part of her that was considering going to live with her dad.

Is there a third option? Bella wanted to ask, things were weird with both of her parents, she was about 100% positive that their divorce was her fault and they both could barely look at her without getting all emotional.

Bella had spent night after night with her back against the cold wooden door of her bedroom, her knees drawn to her chest, listening to their arguments - that were mostly about her and her 'problems'. Their words cutting her like knives.

Talking to herself

She needs real friends

This isn't healthy, for her or for us

Crazy

Bella's hands shook as her parents voices got louder, the shouting getting worst. Both of them blaming the other for the way she had turned out.

"You're not crazy, Bells" Harry had reassured her that night, his back pressed against her door. "They just don't understand you, but that doesn't matter cause you have me, I'll always be here"

Harry was her best friend. They did everything together. Bella couldn't deny that she was slightly in love with Harry. She was amazed by how alike they were. Because, much like Harry had said about her parents, nobody else really understood Bella, the kids at school all called her a freak, but none of that mattered when Harry was around.

He understood her.

"We're practically the same person" He'd always told her.

Bella wasn't entirely sure when the two of them had properly met each other, looking back on it now, Harry kind of just popped up in her life one day.

It was when Bella was twelve, she had never really had any friends until Harry showed up so she'd spend most of her school days alone. One French lesson had gone particularly bad that day, she was struggling, falling behind the other students and Louise Bower had noticed and seen it as a perfect opportunity to tear her down.

"She's such an idiot" She'd said, giggling with a few of her friends.

This, nowadays wouldn't affect Bella very much, she'd probably brush it off or come up with some rude quip to say back. But when Bella's was twelve, it was devastating having those girls laughing at her - watching as the first few tears rolled down her cheeks, only adding fuel to their fire.

Bella ran to the grass on the far side of the school, tears running down her cheeks as her classmates laughed at her expense.

A curly haired boy with bright green eyes sat down beside her, Bella was surprised she had never seen him before.

"Don't worry about people like that, Bells. They just don't understand you"

Walking down hallway towards her new bedroom, Bella felt an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. The floorboards crackled as she stepped on them and she felt as if the wood would break under her feet.

"I don't like walking around this old, empty house" Bella whispered apprehensively, running her hand over a particularly large crack in one of the windows.

"Here," A husky voice startled her, she couldn't help but grin when she realised who it was. "Hold my hand, I'll walk with you, my dear"

Harry linked their fingers together, smiling slightly. Bella wanted to ask how Harry got in - he always seemed to just show up though, it was just what he did and she didn't mind one bit.

"I don't like this place, Bells" Harry said with a frown, looking around disapprovingly.

"I think it'll be better when I get used to it, I just don't like new places, you know?" She said. A sinister smirk spread on his face.

"You could wait it out or you could just run away"

"Run away?" Bella asked, "I couldn't do that" She shook her head.

"Why not?" Harry asked angrily. Bella loved Harry, she did, but his short temper definitely wasn't one of the good things about him.

"I couldn't do that to her" Bella defended, gesturing downstairs, where her mother sat in silence, listening to her daughter talk and wondering where she went wrong.

"I don't like her, Bella" Harry said, "she's trying to take you away from me. She thinks there's something wrong with you. Bells, you have to promise me, no matter what she says to you, you'll remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, okay? Not a thing"

"I promise" She stammered, confused. "Why would she be trying to take me away from you? I don't get it"

Harry shook his head, a pained expression on his face.

"You don't need to worry about it, Bells. I'm not going anywhere, I'll always be with you, if that's what you want"

In that moment, nothing else mattered. Bella didn't care that Harry's story had missing pieces of important information, she didn't care that he didn't like her mother, all she knew was that Harry was standing beside her, looking more beautiful than ever - he reminded her of an angel, like her own personal angel - and she loved him, and he was always going to be with her.