Work Text:
*
The entire situation goes so pear shaped so quickly that Nick would have found it hilarious had it been happening to anyone other than himself.
“All right then, Grimmy,” Phil says with a smile. “Explain for me and the possible one other poor sod who’s listening to my show who doesn’t know how to play your Call or Delete game.”
Nick laughs and stretches his legs out under the desk. It’s different, being here at night again. Nick can’t believe how quickly he’s gotten accustomed to working the morning show, the air smelling of fresh coffee and breakfast foods and being able to walk outside after his spot and still see some daylight. It’s strange watching someone else sitting in his seat while they broadcast what was essentially his show for years but Nick loves it; he loves working in the mornings and he loves his show and while there’s a small part of him that misses the night crew he’s definitely happy.
And Phil’s a strong lad. Nick likes him, and when his guest for the night flaked and Ian called Nick in a panic Nick said sure he’d pop down and do a few minutes with him. He and Aimee had some late dinner plans but Aimee’s always up for torturing Ian and Finchy anyway so here they are, all sat in the studio while Nick tries to convince Phil to do Call or Delete with him to kill some time.
“Well it’s simple really,” Nick says. Aimee is half asleep on the couch in the back of the room and Nick throws a handful of paperclips at her head to keep her awake. “Say I’m going first. So we each take out our mobiles and I scroll through the names in my contact list, and when you say stop I stop, and whoever’s name I’ve landed on I either have to delete from my contacts or prank call them right now.”
Phil laughs. “I’d think you’d have lost quite a bit of friends this way, Grimmy, but all right, let’s give it a go.” Nick flicks his mobile on and opens the address book. He’s barely started flicking his finger over the screen when Phil says, “Stop,” and oh. Oh, this is hilarious.
“Well, well,” Nick says. Something in his voice has Aimee looking up and quirking an eyebrow at him and Nick can’t stop grinning. “Twice in one day, this is,” Nick says. “I seem to have landed on my good friend Harry Styles again.”
Everyone in the booth laughs and Nick shakes his head. “I got Harry this morning on my own show,” he explains to Phil because honestly, Nick doesn’t expect anyone to wake up at the asscrack of dawn just to listen to him if they don’t contractually have to. “But he knew why I was calling straight away. It’s hard to fool him, he’s been around me so much when I’ve done the feature, but—“
“Do you think he’s listening now?” Phil asks.
Nick shrugs. He looks back to Aimee and says, “I didn’t mention I was coming here tonight so I don’t think so. Have you said anything to him, Aims?”
“I haven’t spoken to Harry in days,” Aimee answers, and god, Nick really wants to try and successfully prank Harry this time. He wonders if he could pull it off and rubs a hand over his mouth while he thinks it over. Finally he decides why not.
“Let me text him first,” Nick says, a plan already forming in his mind. “If I text him and tell him I’ve got to speak with him about something important he might fall for it better. Plus if he knows I’m on the air I’ll be able to tell straight away.”
“All right then,” Phil says into the mic and Nick texts as quickly as he can: are you busy? Xx
Aimee’s come over to sit on the edge of Nick’s chair and he leans his head back against her hip while she rakes fingers through his hair. “He answer you back yet?” she asks quietly. Just as Nick’s about to say no his phone buzzes in his hand and he taps open the message box.
not at all. you all right? X
yeah. can I call you for a mo? I have to talk to you about something xx
Instead of texting though, Harry calls Nick instantly and Nick almost feels guilty for what he’s got planned because that’s just how thoughtful Harry is, that he won’t even wait for a text from Nick before calling him himself. Harry’s just – well he’s an amazing person and a fantastically good friend but he did ruin Nick’s game with Tulisa this morning, (even if he did text Nick after to apologize, and honestly, who does things like that?) and this is the nature of the game, so…
Nick schools his face into a look as serious as he can muster and shoves Aimee off his seat so he can lean in closer to the mic.
“Hi, Harry,” Nick says brightly as he answers the call.
“Hi, Nick,” Harry says. “You alright?”
“I’m alright, yeah,” Nick says. He rubs a hand over his mouth and bites back a smile. Phil is grinning at him from across the desk and Nick waves him off. He needs to get in the right headspace for this. “You busy doing anything fun tonight?”
“Just relaxing,” Harry says slowly. “Have a night off and just figured I’d stay in at mine for a while and watch some telly. Why, you want to come over?”
“Hmm, maybe later,” Nick says, “I’m meeting up with Aimee for a late dinner.”
“Oh yeah? Give her my love,” Harry says happily. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”
Aimee hits Nick across the back of the head unnecessarily and when Nick bats her hand away he sees she’s making an Awww face at him. She curls her fingers into a heart and Nick flips her off. Honestly, she’s terrible.
“I will, yeah, don’t worry,” Nick says and then clears his throat. “So listen, mate, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something lately.” Harry makes an encouraging noise in his throat and Nick thinks, all right, this is it, and says, “Something about…well about you and me, actually.”
Harry’s so quiet for a second Nick thinks the call might have been dropped but then he hears Harry clear his throat a little and say, “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I mean,” Nick sighs heavily. He can do this, he thinks. It’s just like when he called Sam on the Call or Delete he did with Harry months ago. He just needs to remember the things he said and play it up that way; there’s got to be a way to make Harry believe he’s in love with him. That’s the plan, at least. “I’ve just – you know I think how great it is that we get on and all, and how much fun we have when we’re together.”
“Riiiiiight,” Harry says quietly, drawing out the word so it’s even longer than usual.
“And you just have a lot of stuff going on lately and I know you’re going to be leaving soon for tour and this is probably a horrible thing to tell you right now – how I’m feeling and all, and—“
“Oh my god,” Harry says interrupting. “Are you really doing this? Are you actually going to do this now on the mobile?”
Nick can’t believe how perfectly this is working out. He’s got Harry – he’s got him, finally – and this is going to be the funniest thing ever. Harry is going to take the piss forever teasing Nick about being in love with him but it’s nothing Nick can’t handle and he whines a little as he says, “I just think you should know how I feel,” Nick says. Aimee flicks him on the ear and Nick shoves her away. “I just – I think I’ve been falling for you for a while now and it’s not fair for you not to know.”
The entire room goes quiet; Aimee and Phil and Ian and Finchy. Nick can actually hear the rhythm of his heartbeat in his ears because Harry’s completely silent on the other end of the line and it’s strange, in a way. He’s actually quieter than Nick has ever witnessed and it’s oddly disconcerting. Nick taps his fingers against his thigh and waits for Harry to laugh or call Nick out for joking or guess he’s being pranked even – anything, really.
What Nick doesn’t expect to hear is Harry’s breath shake, and his voice wobble as he says, “Yeah, Nick. Me too.”
And that’s – that’s just—
“I mean, I didn’t really know if I should say anything either, yeah?” Harry says softly. “And I can’t believe you’re doing this now but I’ve been thinking about it a lot, you and me, and how great we get on and it just seems stupid not to even try, don’t you think?”
Nick is actually speechless. He can feel his mouth opening and closing and he’s trying to figure out how to form the words he needs to say to come out but he can’t. He’s actually frozen stiff in his chair, his heart pounding so loud he can hear it thumping in his ears, his stomach a twisted mess of knots that keep swirling and clenching the longer he sits there saying nothing. Because Harry could be joking – he could have figured out what was going on and he could be pranking Nick back right now – but Nick doesn’t think so. As he looks around the room and sees Phil’s mouth hanging open and Aimee’s eyes shocked wide he realizes no one else thinks so either.
“Uhm…” Nick fumbles with his bottle of water and takes a long sip. “Yeah, Harry, we might want to—“ and it’s like everything that could possibly happen happens at once. Phil coughs and Aimee whispers Nick’s name and Ian and Matt cut the station music in and Nick hears Harry suck in a breath and he closes his eyes because this really wasn’t what Nick was going for.
“Oh god,” Harry mumbles. “I’m on radio, aren’t I?” But it’s not even a question, really, because Harry knows he is and Nick realizes that.
“Hi, Harry,” Aimee says quietly into Nick’s mic and Nick could kiss her because he needs a minute right now, he really does.
“Hi, Aimee,” Harry says and Nick has to give it to him, he’s already bounced back; Nick can hear him struggling with it but Harry already sounds closer to his normal self than he has the whole call. “You alright?”
“I’m good, love,” Aimee says. “You alright?”
“I am, yeah,” Harry says, and then asks, “So who am I on with? Is Annie there?”
“No, mate, it’s me, Phil,” Phil cuts in with quickly, and bless him, he adds, “And I have to say, I’ve never seen the pranker turn into the prankee quite so quickly! Good job, Harry Styles, making Nick bloody Grimshaw think you’re in love with him. Can you imagine that?”
“Yeah, it’s a right laugh, that idea,” Harry says, and Nick thinks that most people would be fooled. A year ago he would have even been fooled, but tonight, right now…
“Harry, I’m going to ring off now, yeah?” Nick says. “Thanks, erm, for playing along.”
“Right, yeah,” Harry says, but his voice is dull and Nick wants to punch himself in the face. “Cheers.”
Nick disconnects the call and thankfully Phil jumps in and queues an advert and then Aimee is smacking Nick so hard across the back of the head he wouldn’t be surprised to find a bald spot there come morning.
“You are a bloody sodding twat tosser of an arsehole, Nick Grimshaw,” she spits. Her face is nearly are red as her hair and Nick has to duck before she hits him again. “I cannot believe you just did that to him!”
“Well I didn’t know, all right!” Nick says as he jumps from his chair. He’s texting Harry furiously: Harry I’m coming over, don’t go anywhere and Harry is answering back just as quick: no don’t its fine I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
“Then you’re even stupider than you look,” Aimee tells him, “And that’s not saying much,” but Nick is barely listening, too busy grabbing his jumper and keys and blowing through the studio and down the hall so he can get to his car and Harry’s flat as soon as possible.
*
Harry doesn’t pretend not to be home or something equally dumb when Nick gets there which is a relief. Nick was fully prepared to break down the door but Harry’s doors are new and reinforced and Nick’s not quite sure he would have managed it which would have been one of the less mortifying moments of the night so far, but mortifying nonetheless.
Harry opens the door and is rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he steps back to let Nick in. He looks up at Nick once and all Nick can think is; He’s going to try and lie to me and then he thinks, I’m not going to let him.
“So about tonight,” Nick says as he closes the door behind him. He tosses his jumper on Harry’s couch and watches as Harry bustles around his kitchen needlessly fussing around with the makings for tea.
“Yeah, I really got you there, didn’t I?” Harry says. He’s trying for teasing but all it sounds is strained. Nick hates that he made Harry sound like that. “I knew straight away what was going on,” Harry adds. “Who calls the same person twice in one day for Call or Delete, Nick, honestly.”
“Harry.”
“No, it was a good one, I’ll give you that.” Harry bangs the kettle around in the sink for a minute to fill it, but his back is still to Nick and he hasn’t turned around once since they walked into the kitchen. If this is how it’s going to be with them from now on Nick doesn’t think he can stand it, especially not when he can do something about it. “You definitely got me.”
Nick crosses the room and puts one hand on Harry’s hip, fingers sliding up under the hem of Harry’s shirt to rest on warm skin. With his other hand he reaches around and takes the kettle from Harry before setting it on the counter and flicking the heat off on the hob.
Harry freezes, his body going still and stiff. “Don’t, Grimmy,” he says quietly. “Don’t make this worse than it has to be, yeah?” Nick shakes his head and tugs on Harry’s waist because this isn’t what he wants. It might have taken a botched prank call and some horrifying declarations of emotion to realize it, but Nick gets it now.
Harry turns and then he’s looking at Nick with his jaw clenched tight, his eyes steady, and when Nick leans in and kisses him Harry almost kisses back for a second before he’s shoving him away.
“Ugh, don’t be a twat,” Harry curses. He’s trying to get past Nick but Nick has opened his legs and is bracketing Harry in against the kitchen counter. “You don’t have to come here and throw me a snog because you feel guilty, Nick. I’m hardly going to curl in a ball and die because I said some stupid things on the radio tonight.”
“I don’t think they were stupid,” Nick says. It’s the first thing that comes to his mind because now that he’s standing here this close to Harry and all he can see is Harry’s face and eyes and hands and he can smell his hair and skin. And thinking about what it would be like to kiss him it’s is all Nick can concentrate on.
It’s not like he’s never thought about kissing Harry. He just figured if it was going to happen it would have happened by now, not that Harry was maybe not doing something because he cared about Nick. The idea is so amazingly mind-blowing that Nick can’t manage to put into words everything he’s feeling and instead leans in again, sliding his hand up Harry’s side, over his arm and into his hair to tilt his head to the side and kiss better at his mouth.
“I think they were brilliant,” Nick says, forming the words against Harry’s lips. He can feel the warm puff of air from Harry’s mouth and Nick kisses him softly on the corner of his smile. “I think they were the most brilliant bloody words I’ve ever heard, honestly.”
Harry pulls back and looks at him steadily, and then he grins, slow and sexy and perfect. “Do you now?”
“I do,” Nick tells him, but it’s Harry that leans in this time setting his teeth into Nick’s lower lip and biting a little before pulling back and kissing him proper.
It’s ridiculously amazing, is really the only way to think of it, because it’s Nick and it’s Harry, and Nick knows every single thing about Harry already except for this so it makes it even better. He knows what Harry looks and sounds like when he’s happy or sad or cross, and when he’s sleepy in the morning or too keyed up at night. He knows how Harry’s hands feel patting him on the back or rubbing over his shoulder when he’s tired or feeling poorly, and now these are just more things for Nick to know.
Now he knows what Harry tastes like and the small sounds he makes when Nick licks into his mouth, their tongues tangling lazily, mouths hot and wet. He knows how Harry’s hands feel curled around Nick’s waist, fingers digging into Nick’s skin or his nails scratching up Nick’s back and sides. He knows what it feels like when Harry is pressed against him, the steady thump of his heart beating against Nick’s chest. And he knows how flushed and dazed and gorgeous he looks when he pulls back and smiles with just the edges of his mouth and his eyes.
“Really?” Harry asks, and Nick can’t help it, he dips his head and kisses him again.
“Really,” Nick tells him. “So…sorry about tonight and all.”
“Eh,” Harry says, but he’s grinning brightly as he shrugs. “I don’t know, I think it might have been one of your best Call or Deletes yet.”
And really, Nick has to agree.
-end-