September 13, 2022

"Thanks for having me tonight," Harry laughs, waving at the crowd, "Take us out, Reggie!" Spinning his arms at the elbow he points towards the band as they begin playing. Heading to the audience, he shakes a few hands, provides some hugs to lucky fans, and greets as many people as he can before he feels Ben's hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Nice job," his friend comments, "You get better every time. If you ever want to give up singing or acting or modeling as career options, I could easily get you a talk show host gig."

"You're hilarious," Harry deadpans before smiling at one more fan and walking towards the backstage area.

"And I'm sorry to be the one that tells you that you're in trouble."

Ben's words cause Harry to stall in his stride to his dressing room. When some members of the crew glance at him oddly, he forces himself to grin and move forward. "With who?" The question is tossed lightly over his shoulder at Ben as they arrive at the door. Twisting the knob, he enters with Ben on his tail.

"Nat." The executive producer announces, and the pronouncement lands like a 100kg weight.

Dread fills Harry's stomach, and he grasps a water bottle from the coffee table, downing nearly half of it, feeling the cold rush of the liquid sliding down his throat.

"What happened?"

"Wasn't my fault, H," Ben protests proactively.

"Well shit. Now I know it's 100% your fault." Running his fingers through his hair, Harry removes his microphone and battery pack, making sure both are turned off before placing them on the table for the sound team to pick up later. "What happened?" He repeats.

"She heard me on the phone," Ben grimaces.

"She heard..." Awareness causes his body to clench in a fear he hasn't experienced in ages. "When you were trying to find a lawyer," he states matter of factly.

"Yeah." Ben's hands are in his pockets. "My door wasn't closed all the way." Shuffling his feet, he glances at Harry, likely in an attempt to determine how angry his friend is at the added challenge. "I'm sorry, H."

"I know you are, Ben. If you had known she would be there, you would have made sure your door was closed. What did she say?" Moving to the sink area, he cleans his face of the heavy makeup Bethany had applied.

"Just that I didn't need to get her one."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Harry reaches for a towel. "Does she already have one? Is she not planning to hire one?" Drying his face, he doesn't see Ben's response, so he listens to hear the verbal reply.

"No clue."

While there's a buzz in the hallway outside his dressing room, Harry knows no one will violate his privacy while he's changing clothes.

"She didn't say anything else?" He asks, pondering how he's going to repair this damage.

"Well she asked if I would support her in promoting Tyrone, and I said that I would gladly do that." Ben picks up the towel that Harry had tossed on the counter and places it on his shoulder as he washes his hands before drying them on the cloth before throwing it into the dirty laundry. "And she said that you're not both always on the same side."

Fuck. "Oh?" Harry pretends to be nonchalant.

"Cryptic as fuck, so I don't know what she meant, H. I just know that I feel awful that she heard me on the phone. I failed you."

Despite Harry's internal inclination to agree, he knows that any response that agrees with Ben's assertion will simply cause more issues, so he smiles and lies. "Nah. It's all good, Ben. I'll talk to her and get on the same page."

"Cool." The producer doesn't budge. He rocks on his heels towards his toes and back again a few times while Harry strips out of the suit coat he'd been wearing for the night's show and begins unbuttoning his shirt. "Ummm..."

"Spill it, Ben. We've known each other long enough that we don't need to play games with each other. Ask what's on your mind." Removing the shirt, he drapes it back on the hanger for Ryan to deal with the next day before reaching for his belt buckle and toeing off his Gucci loafers.

"Are you staying with her while you're here?" The question is blunt, and despite the lie he'd told a moment ago to spare Ben's feelings, Harry doesn't feel comfortable lying about something this factual.

To cover his hesitation, he turns away from the producer while stripping to his briefs. Placing the trousers on a different hanger, Harry coughs briefly. "Yeah. But for obvious reasons we're trying to keep it on the downlow."

Eyes wide, Ben murmurs, "I'm seriously incredulous. Are the two of you out of your minds?"

"Duh. Of course we are. It's clearly not a smart decision for either of us or for Noah." Harry rubs at the bridge of his nose. "But we're like moths to a flame, mate. Not a lick of sense between us."

Yanking on his jeans, Harry avoids his friend's eye contact.

"How? How are you protecting the three of you? Please tell me you're not driving to work together." When a negative head shake is the reply, Ben asks, "Are you staying in a gated community then?"

As Harry pulls his t-shirt over his head, he again indicates the negative.

"Harry! This is beyond reckless. You're begging for trouble, and you know it."

Cringing at the lecture that he knows he deserves, Harry stays silent which only encourages Ben to continue.

"Let's get the three of you into a rental somewhere. Or stay at Soho House."

"Ben..." Harry cautions.

"Do not start with me. I know that Noah is part of the equation, and I am well aware that both you and Nataley are as stubborn as a pack of mules. But this isn't about being independent. Shit. If you want to be together that badly, then let me protect all three of you."

It's an honest assessment from his friend, and Harry considers the request, staring at Ben for several long seconds. The ramifications of his time in Nat's house might be astronomical and push everything back to the previous levels of crazy. The ones that had driven a wedge between them.

"I'll talk to her," he mumbles, aware that she's going to fight the imposition like a banshee.

"Don't just talk to her, Harry," the producer warns. "Convince her."

Sliding his feet into his Vans, Harry loosely laces them before rising from the couch. "Where would we stay?"

"You know what? I know the perfect place! Gabe's in NYC for the rest of the month. You could stay at his place in Santa Monica."

"Ben..."

"It's not the kind of place anyone would look for either of you, so you could have a little mini-vacation with Nat and Noah."

Skepticism rushes through Harry's mind, but he considers the possibility. He'd been to Gabe's house once, and it wasn't ostentatious. Plus it had a backyard for Chuck. And Ben's right. No one would consider looking for him there. Maybe he could convince Nat?

"Thanks, Ben," Harry claps the producer on the back. "I'll float the idea past Nataley."

"In the meantime, how are you getting to and from work? You're not arriving and leaving together, are you?"

"Mate, we've not gone off the rails. Of course not. Nat is dropping me off and picking me up at the exotic car rentals place down the road."

Ben's eyes roll, and Harry grins. "You're spending a fortune on expensive cars? H, let me pick you up and drop you off. Please."

"But it's fun driving them."

"And just as risky should you get caught. Do you not recall the past? Cause if you can't remember that hell, I'm sure I can dredge up some press to help."

"No, no. No reminders needed. It was torture for all of us. If you insist, Ben, you can pick me up at Nat's in the morning."

"Thank you." The producer is gracious in his response, and Harry feels a flood of love and gratitude for this man. Wrapping him in a hug, Harry holds on tightly, patting the man on his back. "Gotta get going. Nat will be at the rental place before me, and that's not good."

Exiting the building, he climbs behind the wheel of the Lamborghini. It's a smooth ride, but Ben and Nataley are both right. It's a waste of money. He will allow Ben to give him a ride daily. And he'll try to convince Nat to stay at Gabe's. It's a compromise that will keep them safe, and he mentally crosses his fingers that she'll accept the terms.

Not that it matters. Harry knows he will agree to whatever conditions Nat sets as long as he can continue to be with her.

Dropping the keys into the slot on the door, he turns to find Nataley's pathetic Toyota waiting for him, and it makes him smile. Why can't she just invest in a new car? Even a used car would be good. But no. She's as obstinate as they come.

"Hi, love," he comments as he settles into the passenger seat.

She doesn't respond, and he knows that things are going to get bad before they get better. As soon as his seatbelt clicks into its buckle, she takes off, not even pretending to head to her mum's to pick up Noah. Stopping at the dry cleaners, she carelessly hangs his pressed items on the hook behind the driver's seat. Taking the 101 south, Nataley doesn't let up on the gas. The music blasting from the radio is country music, and the volume is high enough to cause his ears to bleed. In fact, he reaches up to touch them to make sure that the effect is only in his imagination. Luckily, his ears aren't actually bleeding.

As his hand moves towards the volume dial, she gently slaps it away. "I'm listening to this, Harry," and her calm tone of voice worries him more than if she were ranting. So he sits back and waits to see what's happening.

Twenty minutes later, Nat takes the Arlington Ave exit, and he wonders what she's thinking. But she's in the driver's seat -- literally -- so he sits back and attempts to enjoy the ride without worrying about the end result. If she plans to kill him and dump his body in the ocean, he suspects he can fight her off. Maybe.

As she turns into the Peace Awareness Gardens, his curiosity grows. Finding a parking space, she leaves the car without a word. When he also exits, he hears the lock click just before she pockets the keys. She sets off at a purposeful pace, and he follows behind her inquisitively.

Walking, they come to an open space with a giant circular track outlined on the ground. At the entrance to the space, Nataley closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before she opens her eyes and starts walking the path. Looking around, Harry spies a sign that describes the outline as a labyrinth.

Reading the directions, he learns that it's a way to expand your consciousness and your peace when feeling restless. As the purpose becomes more clear, he decides to follow Nataley and walk the marble maze on his own. At the entrance, he tries to clear his mind, but there's too much jumbling in his thoughts. Each step takes him both closer to the center, and then farther away. The path doesn't lead in a single direction. Twists and turns he wasn't expecting guide him to the unknown, and Harry starts to understand the point of the labyrinth, but he doesn't speak.

At the center, Harry is relieved to see Nataley still there. Either waiting for him or unwilling to pass him on her return. She turns to him, a serene look on her face.

Placing her hands on either side of his face, she draws his lips to hers. "I love you, Harry Edward Styles," she whispers.

"I love you too," he responds with gratitude at her choice of words.

"But there's no easy way out of our situation," she continues. "If you pay for a lawyer, Duane will find out. And we both know his restraint is nonexistent which means he would call an immediate press conference to drag you, me, and Noah through the mud."

"Yeah." His voice catches on the words, and he can feel the tears welling up. "I want the pain to end, Nat. Is that wrong?"

"No. Not even remotely. I want that too. And in three years Noah gets to stand in court and say he doesn't want to live with his dad."

"That's so far away," Harry chokes.

"Yes. Which is why I've decided to ask Duane for full custody. Just a conversation rather than bringing lawyers into it. I'll offer to give up child support if he will let me have Noah full time."

Surprise invades Harry's body. "You'd give up Noah's money? How would you...?"

"I've been putting most of the child support into a savings account for Noah for the last year. Ultimately, without it I'd have to cut out a few luxuries every month, but we can manage."

She smiles up at him, her hands shifting to plant themselves on his waist.

"Nat --" his voice cracks again, and he has to clear his throat. "I'll buy you whatever luxuries you want."

"You know how I feel about that offer." When he nods once, she continues, "H, I wouldn't have considered this move if it weren't for your interference," and he doesn't know whether to be proud or sad. So he chooses both.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"Don't be." Wrapping her arms around him, she buries her ear against his chest as he embraces her and rests his chin on her head.

"Nat --" he starts, but she shakes her head.

"Harry, you're such an amazing friend, partner, stepdad, and lover. I have no clue why the universe allows me to continue to have you in my life with everything else that has happened, but I'm grateful."

"I thought you were angry -- when Ben told me -- I was so scared you'd never talk to me again for going behind your back." He pauses. "But you have to know I never would have actually hired anyone without your approval. It's your life more than mine."

Her head pressed to his chest bobs up and down. "I know, Harry. Ultimately, I also know you have a kind soul and a giant heart. And I know you're in pain. I wish I could take that suffering away from all of us."

"Me too, love. Me too."

As she starts to pull away to exit the labyrinth, he tightens his hold on her. "Not yet, please. I have a proposal --"

When her breath quickens, and she starts to tremble, he feels like shit for using that word. "Hush, love. It's not what you think." Her body calms at his words, so he continues. "It's not safe for us at your house. You know it. But it's also not safe for us to go to any of my usual hangouts. Would you consider temporarily moving our indulgent home party to Santa Monica?"

"Like in a hotel? Or a rental? That's risky too, H. Agreements have to be signed..."

"Nope. Ben's partner in Fulwell has a house there. You remember Gabe?"

Nataley wrinkles her nose, clearly attempting to recall. "I think so."

"His house has a backyard for Chuck, and there are two bedrooms AND two bathrooms. It's not far from work, nor is it that far from school for Noah." He knows he's pleading, but he doesn't know how else to convince her.

"Okay," she quietly says before taking his hand. Together, they walk the path of the labyrinth back to the start without word. Harry's never felt so at peace before. Fuck. He loves this woman and her courage.