FLORENCE'S POV

LITTLE KIDS BETWEEN THE AGES OF THREE AND SIX gathered around me in a circle in the story room. Since it was still early in the morning, and I was one of the very few people in the library at this time, I met with my supervisor and volunteered to read stories to keep the little kids who came in occupied while she got the computer systems running. A couple of nannies were lounging around the library as well, but they jumped at the chance to get a break from the children and go about their own business.

I sighed in contentment as I gazed at the youthful faces of all the children around me. They were so full life despite the fact that it was 9:45AM on a Saturday, and I felt some of their energy rub off on me.

"So which story would everyone like me to read today?" I asked the children, displaying the series of books I grabbed from the shelves on the rug.

I had chosen a variety of selections which included: Fish and Chip, Fox and Little Chip, The Hermit Crab, Penny, The Snowman Mystery, The Last Time, Who Will Be My Friends?, Can I Keep It?, and Where Do Kisses Come From?

You name it, I had it.

I watched the kids tilt their head in curiosity as they examined the covers of each book, conversing amongst themselves. A few minutes passed when a blonde haired girl wearing pigtails pointed at the book with two Hippopotamuses on the cover.

"Oh! Can we read this one? Pretty, pretty, please?" The little girl begged, looking at me with pleading blue eyes.

I shifted my attention unto the other kids for a brief moment before glancing back at her. "Do any of you have objections to reading this book?" I questioned the group while holding it up with my hands.

With the exception of a boy who I learned was named Charlie, the other children didn't mind reading the story I held up in my hands.

"I don't know. The cover looks boring," was all Charlie had to say when I asked him why he objected.

"Well, my mother always told me to never judge a book by its cover," I said to the little boy with short black hair. "You should take note of that."

Too stubborn to concede, Charlie let out a huff in response and crossed his arms while I read the title out loud to the kids.

"Where Do Kisses Come From? by Maria Fleming," I said aloud before turning to the first page.

"Where do kisses come from? Many places, little one. There are so many reasons to kiss you!" I said enthusiastically, making the kids smile. "Kisses come from the way your eyes shine like two suns when you open them in the morning... and from your smile, sweet as maple syrup." I couldn't help but pause and picture Harry's smile in that moment, my heart melting at the image.

"Kisses come from the way you look in your favorite hat. They come from tummy tickles and other silly giggly games," I continued reading before tickling the tummy of the girl wearing the pigtails next to me. She giggled loudly and slapped my hands away.

"Some kisses come from chocolate-covered noses. Others come from skinned knees and scraped elbows. Kisses come from your special way of helping. And from the way you make up silly songs while splashing in the tub. Kisses come from the way you snuggle up for a story, your cheek as soft as a rose petal," I wonder if Harry's cheek is that soft. "Kisses also come from wishes for sweet, sweet dreams. There are so many kinds of kisses, little one."

I began to list them off one by one. "I-missed-you kisses... thank-you kisses... feel-better kisses... and kisses just because. But no matter what kind of kiss it is, ALL kisses come from love. The end," I said, leaving the children in a fit of awwhs.

"Oh! My mommy and daddy give me all of those kisses," The girl with the pigtails beamed at me happily.

The other children also started to share out the kind of kisses they receive from their parents. I tried my best to look like I was paying attention, but somehow my mind kept wandering back to him. I froze up like an idiot when I realized he was leaning in to kiss me, so I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind: The Color Purple.

I didn't know if I'd ever get another opportunity to kiss him again and that worried me. I just hoped he wouldn't start ignoring me at the library in addition to school. I didn't know if I could handle that.

By the time the kids finished sharing out, it was ten o'clock and more people began to file into the library. I escorted the group of children back to their caretakers who were all seated in the children's section and then took the elevator to the second floor. When the elevator doors opened, I saw Harry leaning against the bookshelf holding a book in his hand.

He immediately straightened his posture when he saw me and sent me a tired smile, rubbing his eyelids. I returned his smile and stepped out of the elevator before the doors closed.

"Hey, I didn't know you were here already," I told him while crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, I came in and saw you reading stories to the little children and then I went up here to help set up," Harry said with a grin. "Oh, I brought the book by the way!"

He handed me the book he was holding in his hand. When I turned it over to the front, I read the title silently to myself, The Color Purple.

"Guess that means you finished your paper then," I observed, shuffling awkwardly on my feet.

Harry nodded his head. "Mhm, but I couldn't have done it without you though. Your notes helped a ton."

His confession made my smile widen. "Well, I'm glad I was able to make a difference," I told him truthfully.

A moment of silence fell upon us, but it wasn't awkward in the slightest. We just stood there grinning at each other.

The more I stared at Harry, the more I began to appreciate his facial features. His jawline was so defined that it made practically anything he did seem appealing. Like chewing gum. God, I loved it when he chewed a stick of gum.

"Would you care for a stick of gum?" I asked him out of the blue.

Harry's eyebrows raised in surprise, but he managed to recover quickly. "I thought eating wasn't allowed in the library," He reminded me.

"I won't tell if you won't," I told him with a sly smile.

Harry chuckled and captured his bottom lip with his teeth before letting it bounce back in place. His lips were so plump and full, drawing me in like magnets. I felt my face involuntarily leaning forward before I caught myself and stumbled on my feet a bit.

I could feel his gaze zeroing in on my face, but I tried to play it cool. "So whaddya say? You, me, and two pieces of trident gum?" I offered again.

"Deal," He said while momentarily dropping his gaze down to my lips.

"Follow me Styles," I told him as I walked in the direction of my work desk.

Harry happily obliged, slowing down his strides to match my pace. The small gesture made my heart flutter, and I bit down on my knuckle to keep myself from embarrassing myself further.

I leaned over the wooden shelf where my belongings were hidden and reached into my purse, feeling around for the pack of gum. I grabbed two sticks of gum and hid one in each hand.

When I turned back around to face Harry, his eyes quickly shot up to my face, making me wonder what he was staring at before.

"Here you go," I said before dropping the gum in the palm of his hands.

He dropped his eye in a wink as he peeled off the wrapper and put the gum in his mouth. "Thank you, love."

I just nodded, blushing furiously while I moved behind the wooden desk and sat down in my revolving chair.

I thought Harry would walk away and organize the books on the shelf like he always did, but when I looked up he was still there. A faint shade of red coated the tips of his ears once I caught him staring, and he stared back at me with a smirk.

"Hey, what are you doing for Halloween?" He suddenly asked, making my eyes widen in surprise.

"Um, I don't know, probably working at the shop," I replied. "Why did you ask?" My voice lowering to match my skeptical tone.

Harry did something I never thought I'd witness in a million years. He rambled nervously. "Oh, I-I just thought that maybe we could... I don't know spend the night together. Not like sleep with each other! But like hangout. A good friend of my sister's is throwing a Halloween party, and I wanted to know if you'd go with me," He rushed out. "As a friend of course," Harry added.

I bit my lip to prevent myself from laughing and just nodded my head. "I'd love to attend this party with you as your friend, Harry," I declared proudly.

He breathed in relief and ran his hand through his curls with a smile. "Great, I'll text you the day of with more details," Harry promised me.

"Okay," I replied, resting my cheek in my palm as I watched him walk away, chewing his stick of gum.

Only when I saw he was on the opposite side of the space did I let out a squeal into the palm of my hand and repeatedly stomp my feet in excitement.

Author's Note:

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a great weekend. I'm off this entire week from school because it's Mid-Winter recess. I'll probably be working on this story a lot and may even double update again.

Feel free to vote, comment, follow me, or share this story with you friends.

Question for my readers: What is your favorite Harry Styles gif? Include the link in your comment if you can.

Mine has to be the one of him chewing gum. That man can any activity look sexy.

—
Kaylandia