Small authors note: I'm writing as fast as I can on instant, but its taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I'm hoping to have it up by Thursday.
Butterflies and Cotton-candy
Annie stepped off the bus out into the warm spring sun. A light breeze ruffled her hair making her look even more beautiful. She turned her head from side to side as if looking for someone. She smiled when the bus driver asked her if she needed any help with her bag and happily agreed.
Harry was watching her from the other side of the road. It had been a long time since he last saw her and he couldn't help but look at her. She had grown up a lot, and so had he, but that didn't change the way he'd always felt when she was near him. A warm, fuzzy feeling, like butterflies in cotton candy, inside him and it was a feeling that he had missed.
He had missed Annie so much. She was his best friend, but nowadays they didn't see much of each other than the occasional phone call or text-message. This didn't bother him that much though, not that he didn't want her around, he really did, but he knew she'd always be there for him even if they didn't talk every week. It was like no time had passed every time they met, they just picked up where they left off and it was all back to normal again.
He loved that about her; in fact he loved a lot of things about her. Like her smile, her happiness, her positive attitude towards everything, her beautiful grey eyes that always revealed every single one of her feelings, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he loved her. Harry loved her in a best-friend kind of way but also in a love-love kind of way. He had never told her that, he was way too protective over their friendship to ever do anything that might hurt it. He was used to putting his feelings aside by now, he had been doing it for years, and just being able to be near her made it all worth it.
He watched her take her bag and move away from the bus, still smiling over nothing special. She sat down on the pavement, as she always did, and pulled out a book from her bag. He smiled at the sight, she had not changed one bit, still carrying a book around with her, just incase she got bored.
He snapped out of his staring state and made his way across the road, his nervousness growing by each step. He had no idea why he was this nervous, it was just Annie, but then he remembered, it was his Annie, and for the first time in a year he was actually going to talk to her again.
'Are you waiting for someone special' he asked her when she didn't see him coming.
Annie looked up from her book and as soon as she laid eyes on him she jumped up and threw herself in his arms squealing with joy.
'Oh my god, Harry! It's so good to see you! I've missed you!'
Harry held her close and smiled into her hair as he realized how good it felt to be near her again.
'I've missed you too; it's been way to long this time!'
'Let me look at you' she said and removed herself a bit from the hug and eyed him closely. 'Wow, Mr. Judd, you sure have grown up nice'.
'So have you, last time I saw you, you weren't this, ehm, this…
'Smoking hot?!'
He laughed before adding: 'I was going for grown up, but I suppose you can say that too'.
She laughed with him before giving him another hug that lasted even longer this time.
'I have missed you so much, A-bear' he whispered to her.
'I've missed you too J-bear' we can never go this long without seeing each other ever again, promise?
'I promise, never again'.
After finally letting go of each other Harry picked up her bag and they walked over to a nearby coffee-shop which they entered. They ordered and then sat down at a table outside, directly in the early summer-sun.
Harry just couldn't stop looking at her. She looked so beautiful, especially with small strands of hair that kept on being blown into her eyes. All he wanted to do was reach out and push them away, but he didn't, he was afraid of what he would feel if he touched her like that. And right now, he just wanted to enjoy having his best friend back in his life again.
They finished their coffee and went for a walk back to Harry's apartment. He showed her around and they talked about everything, like they'd never been apart. When they reached a small park she quickly bent down and picked up a handful of leaves and threw it in his face. For a couple of seconds he was too surprised to move but then he registered her laughing and saw her running away from him. He set of after her and caught up after only a few feet.
He threw masses of leaves on her and she responded with the same amount. It was hard to laugh when he kept getting them in his mouth but it didn't stop him, he was enjoying this far too much.
He realized once again that they were acting like they'd never been apart. The leaf-war was something that they always did when they were younger and they would always get yelled at afterwards for destroying the piles their parents had done. But they never stopped; it was just too much fun.
Annie ran out of leaves and started running again when he caught up with her. She broke free from his grip and somehow managed to trip him and ended up on top of him. She sat there laughing at her success and breathing heavily from all the running.
'You've learned a few new moves since last time' Harry said in-between the same deep breaths.
'I know, I'm so proud of myself, but you on the other hand have let yourself go a bit. When we were younger I could never take you'.
'Maybe I'm holding back, these arms are made from steel you know'.
Annie smirked before lightly punching him in the chest, 'Eh, you wish, Judd, you wish'.
Harry laughed and before she could react he had flipped her over and he was now the one on top.
'Now, how do you like that? Not so weak after all, ey'.
'Fine, I take it back, but don't you dare…' she stopped mid-sentence and let out a squeal when Harry started tickling her.
'No…Harry…Please...' was all she managed to get out through the fits of laugher.
Harry laughed loudly at her speaking attempt but didn't stop. At least not until he found himself on his back, kneed in a very private area.
'Ouch' was all he managed to say while trying to cope with the pain.
'Oh my god, Harry, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you there'. Annie sat down beside him and he could tell that she really felt awful.
'It's ok; I'll just never be able to have children though'. He watched her shocked eyes grow even bigger before adding: 'I'm just kidding, it hurts like hell, but I'll be fine. Just give me a minute or two'.
'Don't scare me like that!' she said fake-anger in her voice and lay down beside him. 'I almost though that I'd hurt you'.
'I'm made from steel you know, it'll take more than this to hurt me' Harry said in an over-confident voice. He heard her laugh and joined in. He felt so happy that he was here with her again. Even if it was only for a week, he loved having her back in his life again.
'Can I tell you something personal?' Annie said after a couple of minutes of silence.
Harry raised himself up on his elbow and looked her in the eyes.
'Of course you can, you can tell me anything'.
'Ok, well, this isn't easy to say, but I've been holding it inside now for too long and I just have to say it ok.'
'Ok' Harry said with a confused look on his face. He wondered what it was that made his normally so freely spoken friend act like this,
'Don't say anything until I finish though, otherwise I might not get it all out'.
He nodded and watched her take a deep breath before continuing.
'The thing is, I've been having these weird feelings for a long time now, and I kind of feel like I'm going to burst unless I put them into words. And this might come as a shock to you, and you can react in whatever way you please, I just have to say this, and, oh my, I'm so nervous. Ok, here goes nothing, well, these feelings that I've been having are romantic kinds of feeling and the person I'm having them towards aren't someone I should be feeling like this about and now I'm confused and scared that I will ruin our friendship if I say something. But, Harry, you are my best friend in the entire world and I would never want to loose you, but I can't keep it inside me anymore. I love you, and not just as a friend but as more than a friend. I really, really love you.'
Harry took a deep breath while trying to process everything that just came out of his friend's mouth. She had blurted it out but he was sure that he had heard at least one thing correctly, she loved him. She loved him like he loved her. His heart jumped as he replayed the words over and over in his head.
'Harry?' He snapped out of his dreamlike state and looked at Annie's anxious eyes as sat next to him. 'I'm so sorry to throw all this at you, but I just had to get it out, and it's ok if you don't feel the same way and…'
He cupped her cheek to get her to stop talking and gently stroked it. He looked into her eyes and leaned closer to her. He lightly brushed his lips against hers and then pulled back.
'I love you too'.
The look on Annie's face was one of pure revelation, surprise and happiness. She smiled at him before adding: 'Are you sure?'
'I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life. I have loved you since the day I met you but I never said anything cause it might risk our friendship and now you said it and I just, I didn't know what to say and…'
He stopped talking as Annie leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his lips. He felt her smile into the kiss and did the same. The feelings that rushed through him now were butterflies and cotton candy times a million.
They broke apart and he looked into her grey eyes, like he had done so many times before, but this time he saw them in a different light. He saw her happiness and how she meant every word of what she just said. He saw that she really loved him and that was a feeling that he wouldn't trade for anything.
'I love you so much, and I'm sorry it took me so long to say it'.
'I love you, and I'm sorry too'.
Harry smiled at her and when she smiled back he felt like the luckiest man alive. He looked up at the sky and felt one single raindrop hit his chin. One became two and soon it was pouring down on them.
'So' he said while pulling her up and moving under a nearby three. 'Are you ready to meet the boys?'
'As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for anything'.
She quickly leaned closer and gave him a small kiss on his lips. He grabbed her hand and together they ran though the rain all the way to his apartment.
'Danny, Dougie, Tom! Come out here, I've got someone for you to meet'!
As the others came tumbling through the doorway he felt Annie squeeze his hand and he squeezed it back.
'Guys, this is Annie, my girlfriend. Annie this is Danny, Dougie and Tom'. He said as he pointed them out in order.
'Girlfriend?' Tom started of. 'I thought you were picking up your friend'. The others nodded their heads in agreement.
'Something's changed on the way, this is my best friend, and now my girlfriend as well' Harry said while giving Annie a small kiss on the forehead.
'Cool' Danny said and walked closer to shake her hand. 'Welcome to the family'.
Tom and Dougie exchanged surprised looks before walking over to where Harry and Annie were standing. 'Yeah, welcome to the family!'
Tom looked over at Harry's face and saw the true happiness that was displayed in his eyes. It was a feeling he knew all too well, and he was really happy that his friend was feeling the same way. Looking over at Annie, he saw the same look and he knew that this was going to be something spectacular.
'Once in a while,
Right in the middle of an ordinary life
Love gives us a fairytale'
'Dude, what was that all about?' Dougie said with a questioning tone in his voice.
'What, it's just a nice moment and I thought I'd say something'.
'Well, I thought it was beautiful' Annie said and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. 'Just beautiful'.
Harry smiled at Tom's deep moment and then showed Annie the rest of his apartment. He held her hand the entire time and he never wanted to let it go, he never wanted to let her go. And he wasn't going to. He loved her more that he thought possible, and it was an amazing feeling.