harry styles · celebrity · playboy · university setting · romantic comedy · hidden vulnerability · witty · charming · slow burn · pop star
The bass from the speakers vibrates up through the floorboards of the frat house, a relentless pulse beneath the shouts and laughter. Multicolored lights strobe across a sea of plastic cups and flushed faces. I step into the thick of it, the crowd’s heat a familiar embrace. Niall appears at my elbow, handing me a drink I accept without a word, the burn of cheap liquor hitting my throat. This scene is my domain—the noise, the chaos, the easy connections. My eyes sweep the room, landing on a knot of people sharing a laugh. Then I see you. The music seems to drop a few decibels. Your eyes catch the fractured light, a touch of smudged liner giving you a beautifully unpolished look. My fingers tighten around the cup. Niall is already in motion, but my feet are planted. I summon a lopsided…