"Take it back, take it back, take it back." I kept chanting as I clung onto Vee like a distressed child while she struggled to drag not only her luggage but my entire body as I hung onto her, arms draped around her shoulders from behind while the tips of my Saint Lauren shoes trailed across the airport floor.

"You want me to take back my 'I Iove you?'" Vee turned her head to clarify my demands as I furiously nodded my head.

She smiled.

"No, fuck off." She deadpanned, continuing to walk, as I clung onto her and whined at her response.

"Why not...." I trailed off with a crinkled, droopy frown as I saw her stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"Because I don't take back things that I mean. I meant what I said and I said what I meant." She explained with a small huff, stopping completely as I slumped against her, pouting before she released the handle of her luggage and manually pried my hands apart that were keeping my arms looped around her neck.

"I don't even know why you're stressing so much, I'm the one who said it not you." Vee reminded me, holding my limp wrists in her hands as she fully turned to me with pursed lips.

"Stressing? Me, pft, I'm not- I'm not stressing." I quickly corrected her, pulling my hands away from her grasp as I straightened before making a show of carelessly shrugging.

"I mean really it's only been one week, seventeen hours, and twenty four minutes since you told me you loved me." I attempted to act nonchalant before she sent me a deadpanned expression as I awkwardly rubbed at the back of my neck, blowing out a small breath between my lips.

"But who's counting." I shrugged again as she mockingly nodded, as if agreeing with me with a convinced expression before she broke into an amused grin at my flustered state.

"Look, Harry, I didn't tell you I love you just because I want you to say it in return- I mean, yeah it would be nice but I'm not pressuring you to. Whether you say it or not it's not going to change the way I feel about you." Vee spoke in that soft soothing voice that she only used when she needed to calm me down as I lowered my head so she could cup my pouty face in her tatted hands.

"I was always forced to say it back before, and with other girls who said just wanted something from me so I just bought them stuff and never had to say it back." I explained in a small whisper, never having or wanting to bring up the reason why those three worshipped words disgusted me deep deep down, although I knew when they left Vee's lips, they were nothing short from the truth.

"Well I ask for nothing in return, promise." She raised her hands up in surrender, dropping them when she noticed my gloomy demeanor.

"Look, I kind of figured this would be a bit too much for you since you're kind of extra-"

"I am not extra!" I blurted out in offense, placing my hand over my chest before realizing I had caught a few people's attention nearby with my raised voice before Vee gave me a look.

I cleared my throat, avoiding the stares as I peered down at her.

"I am not extra." I repeated with a high raise of my chin, keeping my voice at a calm, collected, low volume before she retrieved something from the backpack slung over her shoulders.

She then extended a red balloon to me, holding it by the thin ribbon tied to it.

"A balloon." I blankly observed, taking it and giving her a dry look, flickering my green eyes to the floating sphere and her face.

"It's a symbolism thing. The balloon is my love for you." Vee tried to explain with a casual shrug, looking just as unenthusiastic as me before I raised my brow at her.

We made eye contact for a moment.

"Are you high again?" I whispered, wanting to know wondering why she didn't give me a shot gun kiss like she usually did every time she'd hit -you know- the blunt.

"You know I'm not good at this." She defended with a small chuckle before she retrieved a black sharpie from the small pocket of her backpack, mumbling a soft "look" from her lips as she grabbed the balloon and started to write something down on it.

I tried to lean forward like a curious kid, wondering what she was writing only for her to give me a sideways glance from the corner of her eye, smiling before placing one hand on my cheek gently pushing me back and then continuing to finish her message before fully turning it so I could see.

I looked at the thick 'I love you' words she had jotted down on the bright surface of the balloon before glancing back at her with a raised brow.

"Now my love is the balloon, got it?" She checked with me, pointing at my chest with the end of her sharpie as I gave her a small nod of acknowledgment.

"The balloon is your love." I repeated, our eyes locking.

"Does the 'I love you' on this side of the balloon affect the way the balloon floats in anyway?" She asked, making me squint my eyes wondering if this was one of those trick questions women always did to trap men in their web of lies, like the whole, "I'm fine" or "it's nothing" phrases when they're really not fine and there really is something.

"No...?" My response sounded more like a question as I sent her a hopeful look.

"Does the blank space on the other side effect the balloon's floatation in anyway?" She reiterated, gesturing to the part of the balloon facing me before I shook my head.

"Woah floatation, when did you start using big words it's kind of hot-" I began with a dazed grin.

"Focus babe." She snapped her fingers in front of me as I blinked, letting out a small "right, right," trying to concentrate, tearing my endearing gaze away from her cute face back to the balloon.

"Now, one side has an 'I love you' and the other doesn't. That doesn't affect the balloon in anyway aside from appearance, what I'm trying to say it doesn't affect my love for you in anyway and I'm handing it for you to hold." She insisted, letting it go from her hands and bob in the air while I held the string.

"If you let it go, it will float away. If you mistreat it, it will break." Vee continued as I stared at her in confusion, brows pressed forward as I looked around, wondering where the fuck my girlfriend was and who this deep, poetic person was in front of me.

"Get it?" She checked as I blinked at her with a skeptical expression, shifting my eyes to a few people who passed by in uncertainty before gazing back at her.

"How is it that you can make that whole symbolism up but not understand abstract art." Was the first thing that popped into my head and most likely the last thing that would ever leave my mouth when Vee sent me a deadpanned look.

She then cupped my face with her tattooed hands.

"I'll only be gone for a week and after Thanksgiving at my mom's I'll be back here with you. I promise." She swore, pouting her lips when I pouted mine, giving her a sad, puppy dog look as she gently brought my face to hers and she gave me a quick pec, my eyes closing at the feel of her mouth on mine.

Puppy dog face, always fucking works.

The smile on my face quickly vanished when someone over Vee's shoulder caught my attention, my eyes blinking furiously as if I was seeing things before my girlfriend quickly noticed my reaction.

"What the hell is he doing here." I blurted out with a mixture of disbelief and anger, grabbing Vee's wrists and slipping her hands away from my face as she turned to find who I was looking at, Ethan lugging a large, heavy duffel bag over one broad shoulder like it was no fucking problem, a pair of aviators set over his his eyes as Vee and I stepped away from each other.

"I told you he was coming." She whispered while the scowl on my face seemed to be permanent the closer Ethan got as I tightly grit my teeth.

"Oh yeah, when."

"Exactly a week ago, in your house, right after you bought me those pajama shorts even after I said I'd be fine with pants." She reiterated, making me fix my gaze to the ceiling in thought as the memory of last Monday appeared in my head.

I may have recalled sitting down on my sofa with Vee standing in front of me, lecturing me in my glazed eyed state with all my attention on those damn booty shorts I made her wear around our house when it was just us, her cheeks hanging perfectly for me to see, the band hugging her tatted waist in the best way while she spoke.

"Hey, so next week for Thanksgiving, Ethan and-" was the last thing I heard from her before my brain somehow managed to input some type of dream dialogue as I stared at her with a slackened jaw and a goofy grin on my face, leaning back into the cushions enjoying my view.

"I'm telling you something very important but who cares because look how cute I look in these new booty shorts you got me Harry." Vee had said in my hazy mind, my eyes skimming up and down over her body, my dimples probably evident with how much I was smiling as I stared at her.

"I love these shorts you got me, I look so fuckable in them, don't you think?" She smiled and I felt my whole body warm as I gazed up at her.

"Harry, did you hear me?" Vee's normal, less flirtatious voice checked as I slowly blinked, still staring intensely at her ass.

I attempted to replay what she had said in my mind for a second.

"I look so fuckable in them, don't you think?" Her voice rang in my skull as I grinned.

"Yeah." I responded, nodding with a stupid smile as she let out a small huff, rolling her eyes and dismissing with me with a sweep of her hand through the air, turning and walking away giving me the best view of her ass cheeks jiggling with each frustrated step she took.

"That was such a great day." I sighed out loud, my mind wandering off before I realized I was still in the airport, Vee still standing in front of me with a raised brow, and Ethan still coming over to us packed and ready to go on a plane halfway across the country with my girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" Ethan mused when he finally approached us- why the fuck did it take so long for him to even walk towards us anyways, what, just cause he's got some chiseled jaw and muscles he thinks he can take his time and walk in slow motion like some fucking cat walk.

"Looking for Polly since I assumed she'd be here to say goodbye to you." I said before I could stop myself, the whole lying and making stuff on the spot becoming second nature before I realized that Vee and I were official and had no need to hide it from anyone.

Especially Ethan.

Vee noticed this, giving me a quick sideways glance as my eyes widened in realization at what I had just said, my attention going over to her before she looked away.

"Wait, what I meant was-"

"Ah you just missed Polly. She dropped me off and said goodbye already cause she was late for a dinner recital." Ethan interrupted me as I bore a tight smile.

Let me finish. Let me finish. Let me finish. Let me fucking finish.

"And what's with the 'I love you' balloon?" Ethan snorted, continuing to unknowingly aggravate me even more when he flicked he floating sphere, my eye twitching as it bobbed in the air.

"Don't touch Vee's love for me! She gave it to me not you!" I completely snapped, my loud voice overpowering every sound in that airport as I violently pointed at Ethan who gawked at me in shock before I tackled him to the ground like an overly steroid injected American football player.

He fell to the ground with a surprised 'oof' escaping his lips with me on top of him, one fist still tightly holding onto Vee's balloon and the other coming down to Ethan's jaw, making his head snap to the side, his glasses falling right off his face and skimming across the ground while Vee cheered me on, clapping her hands together behind me.

"Don't ever mess with my girlfriend again." I grit out, rising off his pained, groaning body and sweeping a swooning Vee off her feet into my arms as she squealed before we furiously made out on top of Ethan's dead body while everyone in the airport applauded.

"Harry? Hey man, you good?" A male voice asked in the distance.

"He's been zoning out all day." Vee's voice was the one that fully brought me out of my daydream as I blinked, finding myself in front of Ethan and Vee who were staring at me with furrowed brows and squinted eyes.

"Oh, what?" I muttered, still in a daze.

"I asked what's up with the balloon." Ethan chuckled, nodding at it.

Wipe that smile off your fucking face you cunt hole.

"Just another gift from one of Harry's many admirers he never fails to brag about to me." Vee answers for me, crossing her arms overs her chest and smirking as I stared at her, realizing she probably thought I still wanted to keep our relationship a secret.

"Actually-" I opened my mouth, attempting to stop the lies right here, right now before Ethan decided it was the perfect time to speak as well.

"I don't think even you can annoy Ron today. Every time me and her spend thanksgiving at her mom's place we get the best food. I love eating your girlfriend there." Ethan sighed with a reminiscent grin as my ears perked at the last statement, my entire body tensing.

"You love doing what now?" I spoke in a low, threatening voice, taking a step quick forward catching both Vee and Ethan off guard as he took a step back in response.

"I love eating there?" Ethan slowly repeated in confusion, unsure as to why I was being so hostile before my shoulders relaxed slightly at his words.

"Oh, right." I retracted back, relaxing from my fighting stance as Vee stared at me.

"Yeah well.... I should go get in line already before it gets too long, we still have to go through security." Ethan said, jutting his thumb over his shoulder to the line of people waiting to put tags on their luggages at the front before Vee looked back and nodded.

"Alright, I'll catch up with you there soon." She told him, giving him a slight nod.

"Sure," he causally responded, turning to me to probably say goodbye before he noticed he fixed glare I was currently sending him as I grumpily held onto my balloon, subtly shifting closer to Vee.

"Uh... see you man." Ethan began with uncertainty, raising his hand in a quick goodbye as I simply gave him a curt nod, saying nothing else and watching him exchange looks with Vee before he hesitantly left, disappearing in the crowd across the spacious hall.

"You know I would have invited you to come with us but you can't just leave your brother by himself on thanksgiving." She gently reasoned, playing with the bottom of my polo shirt.

"And who says I can't leave him." I scoffed, not caring.

"Me." She firmly said, bringing her head up, making the tips of our noses brush against one another causing a small smile to make its way to my face and hers.

"I have to go." Vee whispered, still brushing her nose against mine as I lowered my face to hers.

"Then go." I said back in a low whisper, kissing her and pulling her closer as she laughed against my lips.

"I'm gonna miss my flight if I don't leave now." She mumbled with a smile as I kept my lips against hers, our mouths closed while I made repetitive kissy noises.

"Then leave, no one's stopping you." I told her once I broke away, wrapping my arms around her and physically stopping her from leaving me.

"Harry."

"Oh my god go away you're so annoying." I scoffed, holding her tighter, pressing my face into the crook of her inked neck and kissing her there as she tried not to laugh.

"Seriously-"

"I don't know why you're still here." I continued, fully trapping her against me.

"I guess there's just something that's stopping me from leaving you." Vee sarcastically responded, giving me a look when I brought my head up to lock eyes.

"You're so clingy." I accused with a scrunched face, making her place her hands on my cheeks the way she always did so well, with me leaning into her touch as she gave me one last, bittersweet kiss.

"Take care of that balloon for me while I'm gone." Vee simply said, tickling my chin with her long acrylic nails and giving my nose a quick peck before pulling away, waving goodbye as I felt my hand rise up and do the same until she disappeared in the crowd.

Alright, one week without her I thought as I looked up at the balloon I was holding, reading the small 'I love you' on it.

I could survive.

"Vee I can't do this whole long distance relationship, I'm dying I miss you so much, come back home pleaseeeeeee...." I pleaded with no hint of shame, almost at the brink of tears as I looked at Vee's sympathizing face on my phone screen as we facetimed.

At least she was finally starting to get used to the new rose gold iPhone I had bought her.

"Harry, it's been three hours- I just got off the plane." She informed as I watched her struggle to carry her luggage and hold up her phone high enough so I could see her cute face.

"Three hours is so long....." I whined, making a face and laying across the bed, wanting to throw a tantrum but then remembering that I was a full grown man but then remembering again that I was a full grown man without my full grown woman.

"Do you have anyone you can spend some time with? Get your mind off things and relax?" Vee asked, sounding distracted as she read a map at the airport she was in.

I was in a dark bedroom, hearing the loud, male hollers and cheers from the living room through the closed door at whatever basketball game they were watching as I looked back at my phone, my face the only thing illuminated from the brightness of the screen.

"Yeah, just with the boys, cracking a cold one, watching sports, fixing shit." I attempted to make my voice sound deeper, more masculine, maybe masculine enough for her to want me more and come home sooner as I heard her snort.

"But you hate sports and beer. You like a glass of wine and binge watching The Vampire Diaries, and shopping." She lovingly said, not sounding the least bit ashamed or embarrassed that her boyfriend was into those kind of stuff instead as I smiled, missing her that much more before the door opened, light pouring into the black abyss I was laying in.

Alan stood at the entrance with a can of beer in one hand and the other holding onto the door handle as he gave me a 'what the fuck' look, staring at me with wide eyes.

We locked gazes for a moment.

"How the fuck did you get in my house." He snapped, pointing at me as I looked at him.

I stayed quiet for a moment.

"Vee, I might have to call you back-"

"Get the hell off my bed!" Alan was already yelling, chasing me as I quickly scrambled off his mattress, looking back and running in fear at the same time while he cussed me out.

"You wouldn't let me join your guys night! Come on!" I screamed back in frustration, not used to being treated like I wasn't VIP, even if it was a kick back at someone's house as I slipped through the halls and jumped over the couch, Alan's pierced, delinquent friends yelling at me when I blocked the television screen while Alan followed close behind me.

"That's cause you have a tiny mangina between your fucking legs. Now get out." Was the last thing Alan said to me when he finally caught me, not even caring about how badly he was wrinkling my designer, cashmere sweater before he kicked me out of his house, slamming the door loudly in my face.

My shoulders slumped with disappointment, the cold night air surrounding me.

"Did Alan just kick you out?" Vee's slightly angered voice came out from the speaker of my phone making me realize she had witnessed the whole thing.

I sniffled.

"Yeah." I muttered, head hung low.

"Be right back." She simply responded, quickly ending the call before I could say anything back making me feel even worst as my frown deepened.

I turned to leave, stopping when Alan opened his front door, ending a call on his phone with a press of his thumb as he looked at me, slightly impressed.

"Get inside you little snitch."

I must had fallen asleep on the unoccupied couch in Alan's living room while everyone else watched whatever sports show was on, my mind drifting off to Vee until I woke up in disappointment, finding a couch cushion in my arms in her place as I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

"What time is it." I slurred, slowly sitting myself up, resting my elbows over my knees and rubbing my face when I noticed he morning light peeking through the large, open windows, illuminating the entire house as Alan walked in.

"Ten am. You crashed here and Ron said if I even tried tossing you outside or pouring cold water over you she'd have my balls. And not in the nice way." He said, sitting on the sofa across from me as he tilted his head back, taking a swig of his water bottle, watching me.

"Mhm.." I acknowledged, still trying to regain my senses, feeling tired before I straightened my back, cracking it the process and stretching.

"You sure got yourself a real babe you know that right?" Alan mentioned, leaning back against the cushions as I ruffled my hair.

"I know." I simply said, meeting his gaze.

We stayed silent for a moment, looking at one another in thought, my gaze falling to the hickies displayed across his tattooed chest.

I must have been real fucking tired to sleep through whatever poor girl Alan brought home when his friends left in some kind of sick one night stand.

"You know I don't like you because you have feminine tendencies and interests." Alan spoke up, breaking the silence as I brought my gaze up from the floor.

"I don't give a shit about that. I don't like you cause you're a privileged little shit who's never seen a day of work before." He pointed at me with a hand that was holding the water bottle, as if stating a fact before I gave him a look.

"Thanks, really clears that up." I blankly replied.

"Yeah you're welcome you little son of a bitch." He said, smirking.

"Vee wanted me to let you know that you don't have to change yourself in any way, you don't have to -fuck, what did she say- conform to society's gender stereotypes, that you're perfect the way you are." Alan made a face, physically struggling to word her message as he stretched his lips in an awkward frown.

"Thanks-"

"I mean I personally think you are far from perfect but you know, love is blind so-"

"Alright, I got it. Thanks." I cut him off with a sarcastic smile as he shrugged.

"Look, I out of all people wouldn't judge your tendencies. I recently just found out I'm gay so-" He casually began, his voice so laid back and face unphased that I swore I misheard that last part.

"I'm sorry, you're gay?" I reiterated, now fully alert from shock as I stared at him with furrowed brows.

"Yes, gay. You do know what gay means right? It means happy but also means that I like dick. Gay." Alan repeated, slowly and with careful motions of his hands as if he was explaining something to a child before I shifted on the couch.

"But I thought you had a thing for Vee's sister?" I asked in confusion.

Alan slowly blinked at me, giving me a look.

"Who the fuck is Vee again?"

"Ron. Ron." I corrected.

"Oh right, yeah well, I was but every time I looked at her boobs I was immediately turned off. That kind of freaked me out because I used to be a real tits kind of guy so then I called up my ex-fiancé for a quick fuck but that wasn't doing it for me either." He explained, sounding so unbothered with the whole thing that I felt like he was telling me about the weather or who won that basketball game last night.

"So what really like, confirmed that you were gay?" I asked, raising my brow watching Alan scratch his scruffy, sharp jawline, humming out a small "hmmm" in thought as his green eyes wandered up to the ceiling.

"I'm gonna say it was probably when I fucked your brother."

I nodded, running a hand through my hair.

"Yeah, that's probably- wait what." I shot up from the couch like my ass was on fire, gawking at Alan who calmly stared up at me, shrugging and drinking his bottled water right as Arlo walked out into the hallway straight from Alan's room.

Butt naked.

"Oh hey bro, saw you getting some Z's when I came in. You sure don't look that mellowed out-"

"Jesus fucking Christ, god, put on some clothes. Please, just please." I cringed, quickly raising my hand up to cover his crotch from my view, not wanting to see my brother's junk as he just casually stood there, ruffling his wavy brown hair, a habit similar to mine.

I knew my brother was pansexual ever since high school but never in my life would I have guessed him and Alan would hook up.

"I thought you were in the hospital." I slowly exhaled, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Shyah, the cool nurse lady said my body was doing really well so she let me go and Alan was there so he let me crash. We also really tuned our bodies together to the same rhythm afterwards." Arlo slowly nodded with a lazy, care-free grin while noticed the love bites

"Please don't call you fucking me in the ass that." Alan said, taking another sip as he looked back at my brother with a blank expression.

"You got any gluten free munchies?" Arlo yawned into the back of his hand, leaving the room to walk into the kitchen down the hall.

"Does it look like I have gluten free anything." Alan made a face before turning his attention back to me.

"What was I saying again?" He asked me with pursed lips, his forehead creasing in concentration.

"You fucked my twin brother." I stated, still standing.

"Oh yeah, that."

"So what, are you attracted to me?" I was more than horrified as Alan burst into hysteria.

He threw his head back against the cough, laughing, his chest rumbling before he looked at me.

"No." His laughter abruptly stopped, his smile immediately dropping as he readjusted his position on his couch, resting his tatted arm on the cushions behind him.

"Your personality is shit and I'd rather stick my dick in an ant hill than in you." He gave me a thumbs up.

"What I was saying was, is that I'm gay, but that doesn't mean I listen to Madonna on a daily, it doesn't mean I know the difference between pink and fucking salmon, and it doesn't mean I want every hot guy around me." He reiterated, leaning forward and maintaining eye contact with me as I wondered where he was going with this.

"You're straight -or so you say- and you love pre-teen girl shows, you like getting your nails filed, and you can probably list all the latest fashion trends." He continued, raising his hand to stop me from speaking and interrupting him.

"Either way Ron loves you for who you are, and that's not going to change." Alan reassured me, making me keep my lips shut as I swallowed, heart thrumming at the thought of her.

"And one last thing," He carefully said, pointing at me as I listened, waiting for his next words.

"Get the fuck out of my house."