Dove

When the night comes, we decide to sleep at an inn close to where we are roaming around. More like, I convince the others to. They are of the opinion that it would be way too dangerous, given how much people talk and how important Styles's safety is, but it doesn't take long to make them realise that, considering all the kinds of people in the city that never sleeps, and considering how many people wouldn't be against sending Styles straight to hell in a permanent way, it would just be better to hide somewhere during the night.

"Do you really think I'd go to hell if I were to die now?" Styles asks me while we're walking down a to me familiar street.

I shrug, and glance at him. "I don't know, are you hoping in some kind of divine forgiveness?" I say sarcastically.

"I don't really believe in that kind of thing. I think that once we die, we just die. Everything ends there" he admits looking down.

"What a positive way to see our future. And what a good way to spend the little time you have in this world, murdering and hurting people. You really are making the best out of the time you have, aren't you?" I reply, and he glares at me, sensing the sarcasm dripping from my words.

"Is this your real opinion about me?"

I stop and turn around to face him. "What else could it be?" I say glaring at him.

"Maybe your frustration speaking. Do you need to get laid, love?" He snickers as my jaw drops at his forwardness.

"Fuck you, Styles" I hiss before going away, leaving him and the two guards to rush after me.

We reach the inn, and Max forces Styles and I to stay in the corner of the room with our hoods up as he and Aaron get the rooms. During the whole time I glare at a weird yellowish stain on the wall, feeling Styles's eyes on me but not looking up in fear of my hood falling. I wouldn't have really minded if we were in a different setting, but the woman behind the desk was one of my mother's friends - before she was taken away by force, of course - and I really can't risk her seeing me. She surely would start asking many questions, being the old lovely lady she is, and it would do no good, since I also know for sure that she has a tendency to say a little bit too much to the wrong people.

"Got the rooms" Max mumbles coming our way together with Aaron. "Let's just move to the other room."

He leads us to the room that leads directly to the stairs to the upper floor, and stops us there.

"The rooms are two" he says looking at me apologetically.

"What?" I say trying to keep my voice low, but miserably failing.

Aaron rolls his eyes. "Shut up, Winters. It's safer like this. This way, you won't risk to get murdered without us knowing."

"Alright, whatever. How do we divide the rooms then?" I ask, annoyed.

"You and Styles, Aaron and I" Max says, causing another exasperated sound to come out of my lips.

"Why the hell me and Styles? What about he stays with one of you and the other stays with me?"

Max sighs. "Look at us, Miss Winters. We're very tall, and big. We can hide under a hood, but it's pretty clear to everyone that we are guards. If we were to sleep as you said, it would be weird, and generate many questions. Everyone would think we're defending the both of you. Like this, on the other hand, you and Harry can pass for two young lovers hiding from their parents or whatever peasants do these days, and Aaron and I can just look like friends having a day out."

"You have to be joking" I say, shocked, as Styles stands silently next to me, "Young lovers? What did you smoke? Are we also supposed to moan loudly and hit the damn walls to make people pretend that's what we are?!"

"Don't be so dramatic" Aaron says with a snicker.

"How about I make you moan loudly against the wall by other means?" Styles whispers into my ear leaning down a little.

I turn around so fast that I almost feel my neck snap. "Keep your dick in your pants, for fuck's sake" I hiss at him, and he laughs and retreats, leaving the two guards to wonder what in the world has just happened between us.

"We'll be in our room if you need us" Styles smoothly says grabbing the key from Max's hand and turning to look at me dangling the key, his gaze telling me to follow him without complaining.

Remembering the reason I'm in that situation in the first place, which is to protect him, I push to the back of my mind the hatred I'm feeling for him at the moment and take the key from him, checking the number and going upstairs, leaving him behind me with a surprised look on his face.

I turn around to look at him. "So? Gonna come up?"

He bites his lower lip, his eyes darkening. I pity him and how he even believes something can come out of this night.

"Coming" he says, walking up the stairs to reach me.

I don't wait for him, but go ahead to search the room with the right number. When I find it, at the far end of the corridor, I put the key in the lock and turn it, making the door open slowly.

I walk into the room, glancing around. There is one single bed, a fireplace to fend ourselves from the cold and a large window right across the door.

The door behind me slams shut, and I know he's just come in as well. I take off my cloak without turning around, glancing at him from over my shoulder. I leave it on the chair next to the fireplace and walk to the window. The sky is completely dark, but the myriad of lights beneath me tell me that nobody can see what is going on where we are, because of the strong contrast with the darkness we are in.

I hear the slow tapping of Styles's boots on the wooden floor as he approaches me, and turn around just as he puts his hands on both sides of the window, trapping me. Honestly, what is up with him and cornering people.

"Do you want something?" I ask him as he seemingly has no intention to say anything.

"Yeah" he replies, "You." He leans down pressing his lips against mine for the second time in less than a day. His lips are chapped, but there is a sweetness I didn't know he possessed in the way he kisses, as if he's trying to melt my resolution with tender touches and the light pressure of his tongue on my closed mouth.

"Stop it" I mumble pushing him away, almost not finding the strength in myself to do so.

He complies, a smirk on his face. For an instant there he won, and he knows it.

I walk past him and stop in the middle of the room, glaring at the door in front of me. Just a few more days and I'll finally be free of his presence, I remind myself.

I take one of the pillows from the bed, throwing it on the floor. "You're sleeping on the floor tonight."

Without waiting for a reply I sit in the middle of the bed, my eyes focused on the fireplace, wanting to lay down but at the same time not wanting to let my guard down before his eyes.

He sighs and closes the window, walking to the chair I put my cloak on. He undoes the string of his, letting it pool messily at his feet. He turns around, his back facing me, acting as if he doesn't even know I'm here. Before I can say anything to stop him he takes off his shirt, revealing the defined muscles of his back.

"Excuse me?" I say, and he turns around, his green eyes piercing into mine.

"What?" He says shortly, leaving me to gape at his behaviour.

"How about you don't?" I reply.

He stares at me for a few seconds before letting his hands slowly travel down his lower stomach to the button of his trousers. With a fast movement of his long fingers he undoes it, unzipping his jeans soon after. Then he pulls them down, and steps out of them.

At this point I'm sure my face shows how utterly shocked I am by his actions, and a little smirk twisting his lips shows me he's aware of it as well.

He plays with the elastic of his boxers teasingly, making me fear that they'll join the rest of his clothes as well, but then he stops, walking to the light on my nightstand and turning it off, letting the multitude of fairy lights on the street enlighten the bedroom at best.

"Goodnight, Dove" he whispers before I see his dark outline stand up and walk to where I threw the pillow for him to sleep with.

I lay down on the bed sighing and turning my back to him. It's as if he enjoys to piss me off, and somehow, I feel like I act like I'm more bothered by it than I truly am. I resist the urge to roll around to look at him and I close my eyes, drifting off to sleep.