"I just don't think he likes me.."

"What's the point in him liking you, Joel?" Laurie pressed resting her head on her palm.

"He's your best friend.. Call me crazy but.. I just want to be liked by my best friend's... best friend.." I mumbled before burying my head in my hands.

She stifled a small laugh. "You just like being liked."

"It's better than being hated."

"He doesn't hate you."

"He tried to burn my hand off!" I exclaimed.

She laughed a bit. "He's probably just intimidated by you."

At that I laughed. The chances of someone like Harley - The six-foot giant to be afraid of me? Yeah, that doesn't sound right. The thought of that.. It just doesn't seem like that. Plus the way with how he's acting? It's probably just hatred.

"I just... could you help me?"

"Ask that to Harley... Ask him to give you a photography lesson! He can't say no to that!" She offered.

I stared at her before nodding. "That's... not a bad idea, thanks, L!"

"Get to work." She said waving me off. Though she might have just been in a hurry to see her friends. Despite that I didn't want to keep her here, so I left her room.

I picked up a random camera before walking to his doorway. I halted, seeing him sitting at his desk with a guitar in his hands.

"I gotta learn how to love without ya! I gotta carry my cross without you! Stuck in the middle and I'm just about to! Figure it out without ya! And I'm done sitting home without ya! Fuck I'm going out without ya!"

I glanced at him. His voice was softer but slipping into a more comfortable area, he lacked real grace with his guitar but he made up with his skill and enthusiasm.

It was.. A whole other Harley I've ever seen. He always looked angry except with Violet and Laurie. Something told me he saw them as sisters..

But with everyone else, he was rough... was he really all that big and mean?

"I'm gonna tear this city down without ya! I'm gonna Bonnie and Clyde without ya!!"

I smiled a bit before knocking on the door, guilty to be interrupting him.

He spun around in his chair, the pleasant look in his eyes quickly faded as he turned away from me. "Oh you.."

Oh boy..

He placed his guitar back on his stand before pulling on his jacket. "Do you need something?"

"Oh... um-... yeah..." I said slowly walking forwards.

Well here goes nothing.. "Can you help me with photography..?"

Many emotions played on his face in that moment, Surprise? Doubt? Anger? ... Eagerness..? I expected him to say yes, but instead he crossed his arms looking down at me.

"Me? No thank you."

I swallowed hard. "Please.. Just for a few minutes..! Or... at least... could you give me some pointers..?"

His eyes narrowed down at my camera before he laughed. That was something! He laughed! And it wasn't totally condescending!

"With that piece of junk? That won't take any good shots, King." He turned away from me looking at his shelf that had about 20 different types of cameras.

He paced with a concentrated look, before grabbing one and throwing it to me.

"At least consider something worth more than 5 bucks. I would've thought you liked all the fancy things in life." He countered.

I stared at the camera in my hands. It was small but it still looked quite expensive, it surprised me that he even gave me one.. He said that no one but him touched his cameras.. So why...

"I don't-... why would you even think I like all the fancy things, I'm not that shallow."

He scoffed. "I dunno, connect the dots, your liege."

"Could you please stop calling me that, at this point, I'm not a prince."

He rolled his eyes. "You always will be, believe it or not."

I took a deep breath, I couldn't, as much as I tried, I would always come up short.. "I don't get you, Harley. Why do you hate me so much?? Yes I'm a prince, but I've never tried to be difficult with you!"

He was stunned. He took a step back, showing a chink in the armor he'd worn so proudly..

We both stared at each other, his face becoming hard, before he chuckled weakly. "Good job, King.. you managed to say more than one word to me." His voice lacked any confidence. He started trembling before turning away from me.

"I don't hate you, Joel.."

"What.."

"Don't get me wrong!" He turned towards me, the annoyance in his eyes. "You are fucking spoiled by your parents and Laurie, and your whole..." He shook a lazy finger at me. "Deal, is stupid, No offense."

"None taken.."

"Yes, I... do dislike you... quite a lot actually, but you haven't gotten to my hate list.. I just think you... your whole... Lost-runaway-prince-act... is.. It's difficult to swallow, Your entire personality is.. In general, you're difficult to swallow, you're shallow and it shows."

"It's not an act.."

"Of course it is, the whole thing with you is just an act."

"God dammit, Harley! I wasn't born and raised with a silver spoon in my mouth!" I stood walking towards him, pointing a finger at his chest. "It wasn't like that! M-Maybe in the beginning... but..." I pulled away from him.

I felt the cracks..

I felt the holes..

I felt the pain..

"It-... it wasn't like that.."

"Sure."

"Harley.. I'm serious... I just... what am I doing wrong..?"

He turned to me, the guilt and pity in his eyes just made it worse.. L was wrong.. I can't get him to like me..

I turned from him heading for the door.

I felt him pull me back, tightly grabbing my shoulders tightly. "... I don't hate you... Joel... I just... you... it.. ... you were just so fucking perfect.." He pulled away, sinking down against the wall. His hands tightly grabbing his dark burgundy hair.

"God I was jealous okay! I was jealous of you!" He breathed out.

I stared at him, before sitting in front.

"Harley.."

"You had the perfect life.. You had everything... You had the power... You were the prince of the land... you didn't grow up with nothing.." His shoulders sagged low, his face hard and his voice more rough.

"Harley.."

"The day Laurie introduced you... I hated that you were everything... you grew up with everything handed to you... you had options, you-... you were just... I wanted what you had... you were just so sweet and..." He buried his face in his hands.

"I was jealous of you.."

He stopped moving, his breathing stopped coming out in short breaths.

"You are so confident.. Funny.. You are compassionate.. You were a bit on the rude side and you did seem to hate me... but you just seemed so lucky... Harley.. I would've given everything just for something normal.."

He looked up at me. His grey eyes locking onto me, before he turned away from me, his expression softer.

"I've been a jerk, Joel.."

"So have I.. I didn't realize you felt that way.."

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. ".. Can we start over...? I was.. Such a bastard... such a salty bastard with you... I don't... I don't want to continue being that way.."

I felt a smile grow on my face. "Hi.. My name is Joel.." I offered my hand.

I saw a weak smile settle on his face, He took my hand, tightly gripping it, as if he was afraid to let go..

"Pleasure to meet you... I'm Harley.."

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Currently this is going to have a part 2, because I had a lovely idea UwU