March 2021

When Alina was little, she had a problem making friends. In fact, she mostly kept to herself. She didn't mind because it was just her and her thoughts. Linda, however tried convincing her to reach out more and make friends, to be involved in school. But the advice went through one ear and out the other.

Later on, in high school and college, Alina was still alone, but soon was making a few friends. Not best friends, just friends. Most of the time, it was just a temporary fix.

That feeling of loneliness was beginning to grow though and the only way she thought she was able to escape was when she bought a journal, where she'd write down poems or even possible plots that could possibly be turned into a movie one day. The only people who have read it were Liv and Conan.

The two of them were concerned after reading a few of the pages. One of the ideas that Alina had is where the entirety of Earth was filled with vampires and zombies, and then the protagonist tries to find a way to escape to a different planet.

And while the journal had all these crazy ideas, Alina was still determined to turn all of them into something more. It was also within due time that she would be able to share all this with Harry.

Speaking of, before the two left for lunch, of course with the approval of Sofia, Alina grabbed her bag that had her journal, just in case.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Harry told Alina to stay in her seat. Confused, she did as told until a few seconds later, her door was being opened.

Grabbing her bag, Alina got out of her car.

Harry had practically begged her to let him drive her car. He even threatened to get on his knees until she agreed. Not wanting to cause a scene, Alina had quickly agreed.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Smiling at Alina, Harry closed the door and then put on his sunglasses.

"Where'd you find this place at?" she questioned as she looks up to the restaurant on the second floor.

Hesitantly at looking at her again, his lips pursed.

"I used to come here with a few of my friends and uh," he scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. "And my ex-girlfriend."

Her gaze softening, she was about to comfort him.

But he immediately started shaking his head. "It's okay. That was over three years ago."

"Are you sure? We can grab some food from a vending machine or something."

Shaking his head again, he reassured her. "No, it's okay. We should head up, people are staring."

Taking a look around, Alina found a few people staring at the two of them. Thankfully, no one had their phone out. Then gently grabbing his wrist, Alina lead him up to the restaurant.

______________________

"Wait! So you moved your head and he kissed your cheek instead?" Laughing again, Harry was entertained at the thought.

Meanwhile, Alina held no expression. "For the last time, yes."

"And that was your most recent crush?" A hard smile on his face, Harry couldn't stop.

"More like my only crush ever." Blowing air out of her mouth, Alina rolled her eyes. "Conan even offered to be my first kiss, but I thought that it'd be weird."

Taking a sip of his drink, Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "So that means you've never had your first kiss then?"

Another unimpressed expression across Alina's face. "You barely gathered that right now?"

Harry nodded and shrugged his shoulders.

Scoffing, Alina threw a sushi roll at him. Instead he ended up catching it in his mouth. "Oh, c'mon!"

Chewing, he held a smug smirk. "I can be your first kiss."

Raising one eyebrow, Alina was now less than amused. "I appreciate it, but I'll pass."

"Your loss." He shrugged his shoulders. After finishing chewing his sushi roll, Harry turned his attention to his tote bag, where he began looking for something.

Making an aha! sound, he put his journal on the table. Turning the pages until he found the desired page, he slid it over to Alina.

"Before you read this, promise me you won't hold back on feedback." He held out his pinky finger.

Extending out her pinky finger, Alina sealed the deal. She then started to read over the page.

Medicine

I'm here to take my medicine
Take my medicine
Treat you like a gentleman

It was the same song she "accidentally" read in his trailer.

Give me that adrenaline,
that adrenaline
I think I'm going to
stick with it

Feeling his gaze, Alina looked up. "Seems good so far."

In return, Harry motioned for her to continue reading.

I'm here to take my medicine
take my medicine
Rest it on my fingertips
And up to your mouth,
I'm feelin' it out

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, she looked up at him again. She started smiling. " You cheeky man."

Her comment making him smile. "What do you know about cheeky?"

"Not enough until I read this," she pointed at the journal left opened.

Harry scoffed in amusement. "I just thought since you haven't had your first kiss, you wouldn't really know about sexual innuendos."

Snapping her head back up, she now looked at him in confusion. "Please, just because I haven't had my first kiss doesn't mean I don't know anything about s-e-x."

"Really?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you sound unsure?"

"I like to read in my spare time. Most of the stories I shouldn't be proud of considering the things the characters do in them. I always swear there's something wrong with me because I can read it with a straight face."

"Hm, cheeky woman, indeed." Harry smirked at Alina, making his dimples become more prominent.

Looking down at the floor, Alina faintly began to blush.

A familiar song began to play throughout the speakers of the sushi restaurant.

Walk in your rainbow
paradise (paradise)
Strawberry lipstick state
of mind
I get so lost inside your
eyes, would yo-

"You hear that, Cheeky Man? Your song is playing on the speakers."

"Please don't tell me that's going to stick," Harry squinted his eyes.

Innocently softening her eyes, Alina looked down at Harry's journal. "Well it's between that and Hank. But I've decided Cheeky Man will stay around longer."

"Great," he sarcastically replies.

"Great! Now back to your song." Her words were now being drowned out in Harry's head.

Snapping her fingers in front of his face, Alina called out for him.

"Harry?"

"I think I have an idea for a song."

"Where did your mind wonder off to?" Alina questioned pointing to her head.

"Don't you think it's weird they're playing this song in a sushi restaurant?"

Looking at Harry strangely, she furrowed her eyebrows. "I guess. Why?"

"Music for a sushi restaurant," he started to sing. Nodding his head, he slid his journal back over where he flipped to the next page and began writing in it.

Music For a Sushi Restaurant

Sushi rolls, soy sauce
Sitting in the corner
With a friend

Carbonated soda
All I can think about is you
Too good to be true
Now I have a heart rate of 102

"You work fast, Styles." Alina seemed surprised, watching Harry write out his thoughts. Sometimes when she would write poems, it would take her at least ten minutes to finish them.

"Amongst other things. You got any ideas?" he slid the journal back over.

Alina's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Of course."

Biting her lip, Alina started writing more on the page after taking a once over.

Cold inside
Unlike your emerald eyes
I could cook an egg on you

A boring life
Until you're mine
Cause you know I love you

Music For a Sushi Restaurant
Da-Da
Music For a Sushi Restaurant

"Is that good?"

She slid the journal again. "If not, totally feel free to change it. I was just going off of the vibe of the song."

Intensely looking at the open page, Harry nodded his head and hummed an unfamiliar tune. "I like it, you sure you don't want to be a songwriter instead?"

Waving him off, Alina was trying to stay humble. "Please, it was only a few lines. It was nothing."

Her phone started ringing. Linda.

"Oh shit," Alina exclaimed. "I need to take this." Putting her phone up to her ear, she heard a voice from the other side.

"Alina?"

"Mom? Everything okay?" It was weird for Linda to be calling her. It was earlier in the month which meant she was in New York finding some rare vinyls that she could buy, bring them back, and sell them at her store.

Usually when she is away, she doesn't like to be reached out to. So it's rare for her to be calling.

"Alina, sweetie, could you tell me why there are pictures of you and Harry Styles together on the internet?"

"What are you talking about? What pictures?"Alina pressed on her ear to hear better from the other one, to block out background noises.

While she had been on the phone, Harry was still jotting down ideas for the song. The last question grabbed his attention. He mouthed, everything okay?

Only giving him a thumbs up, Alina listened closely.

"I decided to go that one coffee shop, Johnny's, the one we like to go to. But as I was waiting for my order, I looked up at the television to see Harry and my daughter, together. I know I've been gone a little bit, but what the hell?"

"Shit." That was the only word that was able to form out of Alina's mouth.

"Dear, I couldn't be more excited for you and Harry."

"Just make sure he wraps it before he taps it. I'm a little too young to be a grandmother," Linda sarcastically jokes.

Even though it may have been a joke, that didn't stop Alina's face from turning tomato red. "Mom, I promise I'll explain it when you get back. I have to go."

"Oh! Alright, just remember what I said."

Awkwardly laughing, Alina said her goodbyes and then Linda hung up.

"Everything alright?" Harry was worried.

Clearing her throat, Alina was a little weary to share the news with him.

Taking a quick look around the restaurant, she found older couples minding their business, and then something caught her attention.

"That may be a problem." She pointed at the T.V. behind Harry.

Turning around, he had his eyebrows furrowed. That was also until he saw what Alina was getting at.

"Famous English Singer, Harry Styles, has been spotted with a mystery woman. These pictures have just been sent in by an anonymous source. Does this mean that our favorite Fruit Man is officially off the market? Let me know what you think, I'm Rita Watson and this is E News."

With Harry now turned back around, he looked up at Alina with a smile. "So, girlfriend?"

"Harry, that's not funny."

"Mood killer."

kami speaks!

- fun fact: this chapter is heavily influenced
by the irl inspiration that harry had

- the lyrics for
mfasr in this book will be the
lines mentioned in this chapter,
i thought that it'd be cool
to make it more "intimate" in way
where it feels like
alina is included in the writing
process of the album (& yes
these are my lyrics, i just bounced
off of what the og lyrics
are. i in no way, shape, or
form am a songwriter)