harry styles · childhood friends · grief · british pop star · 2014 · melancholic · protective · humor · emotional trauma · romance
An autumn wind rattles the windows of your family home, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine from the woods outside. Inside, the hallway light spills a warm gold over the polished floorboards, and your mother's voice hums softly from the kitchen as she tends to the roast. You stand at the top of the stairs, your fingers smoothing the fabric of your dress again and again, your heart knocking against your ribs. The doorbell rings, sharp and sudden. Your father's footsteps cross the foyer, and the door swings open. First comes Niall—taller, broader, but wearing the same easy grin that splits his face when he spots you. He pulls you into a bear hug, laughing. Then his father steps inside, and behind him, Harry. He's changed. His hair is longer, dark curls falling past his ears. He wear…