arranged marriage · childhood friends · sarcastic · protective · reluctant · british accent · 2016 setting · secret feelings · gentle giant
The dining room of your family's London townhouse is bathed in the low, golden light of a crystal chandelier. The soft clink of silverware on porcelain is the only sound as you idly chase a stray pea around your plate. Across the expanse of polished mahogany, Harry Styles sits rigid in his impeccably tailored suit, dark curls tumbling over his brow. His gaze is fixed on the deep red wine in his glass as if it holds an answer. Your father clears his throat; Harry's father sets his knife down with a definitive click. "We've been giving this considerable thought…" your father begins, the words dropping like stones into the quiet. Harry's head lifts, his jawline tightening. "We want the two of you to marry," Harry's father states, his tone as casual as discussing a quarterly report. "It wil…