The longest ED chapter and one of the longest chapters I've ever written.  
I hope you enjoy it, my rosy tulips 🌷

It's time to meet the family. Tee hee.

♬ ✥*

Harry.

Knocking on Serenity's door, I felt my heart pounding in my chest. The nerves I had for this evening was fucking sky rocketing.

I didn't even know if I was ready to meet her parents — and her other brother. I already had a disaster when I met Milo thinking he was her boyfriend. I just hoped that Serenity didn't mention it to anyone else — especially him. That was the last thing I needed for a brilliant first impression. 

Fuck, that would've been embarrassing.

My panic attack already was too much for me that one night. It drained me, but Essie made everything better.

It was unfortunate that I had a trip and left so suddenly, but she gave me Emerald to help ease my emotions while we remained apart. We hadn't been together for a long time, but I've grown attached to being with Serenity that I physically can't sleep without her anymore. Even when I held Emmy close to my chest, breathing in her scent that the plush tiger was infused in, it still wasn't the same.

My brain told me that it wasn't normal to want to be around a person for so long, but I felt like I needed it — I needed her.

And the fact that she was willing to let me stay was a fucking miracle.

Serenity was my miracle.

When I flew back, I told Archie to take us straight to her studio. I didn't even have to mention it, though — he just knew. The man had taken a liking to her, and it warmed my heart. She could charm every soul in a room with a smile.

We went back to her place, and took our turns in the shower. I noted that it was exactly twenty minutes before the water turned cold, so we split the mark in half. I never expected her to put my glasses on after I took my contacts out, and just as she moved back, there was a look on her face — her gaze was one that I couldn't describe. It was a mix of adoration, fondness, care, and something else. Whatever it was, though, it made butterflies swarm in my tummy. 

After small meal, switching off the lights, we laid down in her bed together. We were facing each other on our sides. Her hand reached up to grab mine, interlocking our fingers together. I never felt anything like how I felt with Serenity before. She stirred up emotions in my body that I had no idea they existed.

"Baby, were you comfortable when you played in public?" Essie's question was quiet, but I heard her.

"You mean in the orchestra?" I asked, and she nodded. "Yeah. It was the only place where I felt myself. Sure, the conductor was the main control, but just playing the instrument made me feel free. I never focused on people who watched me, only the notes in front of me. Hell, I didn't even need the sheet music, I had the songs memorised. There's just something about music that once I listen to it, play it once, that's it. It's kind of like muscle memory with playing in how I use my fingers on the strings. There aren't any frets on the neck, like a guitar, for example, so you can't mess up where you place them. Otherwise, it'll ruin the sound."

"If you didn't need the sheet music, did you have to put it there?"

"Yeah. No one knew my talent, and I didn't want anyone to know. They'd think I was showing off or try to do whatever cruel, creative idea they came up with to me."

"Fucking jealous bullies," she muttered, and I belted out a laugh.

I still wasn't used to when she swore, but it never failed to make me smile. She used it as a technique to emphasize her words, and it would break the tension I carried whenever I talked about my past.

There were things I was telling Serenity that I never felt comfortable to mention a word to Madison. As much as I loved that wretched woman, there was something about Essie that made me surrender and let my guard down entirely. She showed me that trust truly existed and that it was okay to be vulnerable. I tried to believe it as much as I could, but there were still times that I doubted it. After several years of abuse, I guessed that it was automatically programmed in my mind.

"So you can play any song?"

"Anything."

"On both instruments?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Why are you asking, Starlight?" I poked my finger in her side.

"No reason."

"That means you'll be up to trouble," I pointed out, but she just shrugged with a slight chuckle.

"Maybe."

We remained quiet for a few moments, and I let out a deep sigh debating whether I should say something or not. Serenity seemed to catch my apprehension, so she silently brought her hand up to softly caress my cheek.

When I met her gaze, her sapphire gems were watching me curiously.

Scooting a little closer, she whispered, "Tell me something."

Clearing my throat, I spoke, "The first night I spent here, in the morning, you had some music on. It was a solo piano piece. It was the last thing I heard and played. I loved it so much, the way it's composed is so beautiful. It brought back so many memories for me. Things that I've never thought about in years. It was one of the few good ones I have."

"I hope you're making good memories now.."

"The fucking best, Essie." I smiled. "C'mere."

I pulled her in my arms and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. And last night's sleep never failed to differ from every slumber I had with her.

Breaking me out of my thoughts from last night, my girl opened her door for me.

"Hi, bab— What the fuck?" My jaw dropped as I took in her appearance. There was no doubt that she was always beautiful, but this was a bit much.

Adorning her body was a bright orange and navy jersey with the Oilers logo in the middle. A cap on her head with her hair pulled back into a ponytail popping out from the back. Her jacket even had the emblem just above her heart. Her socks also joined the rest of their family's gang. The only thing that wasn't related to the hockey team was her plain blue jeans.

"Well hi to you too, pretty," she said with a cheeky grin.

"What the bloody hell are you wearing?" I replied as she pulled me aside and shut the door. My eyes were still trying to adjust to the bright colours she was wearing — or her clothes in general.

"You don't like it?" She twirled in her spot, and I just raised a brow. "Have you seriously never seen a superfan in your life, Tiger?"

"Not to this extent," I said, then realised what team she was rooting for. "I thought we're supposed to be supporting Vancouver's team. That's the Canooks, right?"

And my words made her cackle, bending down while laughing loudly. Her hand slapped against her knee as she remained hysterical for a solid minute.

"What?"

"First of all, it's the Canucks," she explained, "And second, Charlie plays for the Edmonton Oilers. Third, Vancouver is crap. We don't like them."

"Hold up," I stopped, raising a finger as I smirked at the realisation. "So what you're actually saying is that you'd support whatever team he'd play with."

"You're a quick learner. He's our hockey star. Of course, we would." She smiled widely. "Oh, come on. It's not that bad."

I noticed a couple of items on the ground next to her boots, which made me hesitantly ask, "Um, why are there two of those?"

When I looked up, her sapphire gems sparkled in mischief.

"I got a foam finger for you."

"You're dreaming if you think I'm going to wave that thing around."

"You're dreaming if you think you're not going to wave it around." A smirk was evident on her face. She was enjoying this. "You want to win over my family, don't you?"

Fucking hell.

"And the hands of that happening is in that fucking finger?"

"Of course not, silly." She grinned, then took the cap that was placed beside them, and put it on my head. "You'll need this too."

"Seriously?" I asked, and she nodded. "Serenity, I know nothing about hockey. How the fuck am I even supposed to — Your family will hate — Nope. That's it. I'm sorry, but I'm backing out. This is —"

"Easy, Tiger. You'll be fine. Plus, I drew out this for you, so you can kind of get a feel for the sport. I figured you wouldn't know much."

Grabbing hold of the paper, I glanced at it, only to let out a chuckle. "Who did this? A two-year-old?"

"Ha-ha. Drawing isn't my forté. I'm a ballerina, not Van Gogh."

"I'm surprised you know who he is." I smirked.

"He had a blue period, didn't he?"

"That's Picasso, baby girl."

"Someone knows his art." A grin tugged at her lips. "And I knew it was Picasso. It was nice to get that reaction out of you."

"Infuriating."

"Difficult."

"I got no proper greeting, by the way," I informed her, eagerly waiting for it.

"Do you know how many times you didn't say hi to me before we dated? I lost count. Plus, you were the one that asked what I wore before I could give you what I wanted."

"Darling, I did say hi."

"I know. I just love riling you up." She grinned and I let out a defeated sigh. 

"Kissy?" I pouted.

With a small laugh, Essie flipped my hat around, and tossed hers on the ground. Her hands grabbed hold of my shirt, and she pulled me flushed against her. Her soft lips crashed on mine, surprising me with how intense her movements were. She took me completely off guard, and it took a few moments for me to take over with the kiss. I wrapped my arms around her waist, trapping my girl from pulling back.

Ever since she mentioned me having to take control, I needed to work on doing so. I only did that with my business, but in my relationship, it was difficult. Serenity was patient with me, though, and I was incredibly thankful about that.

She wasn't giving up on me.

As we parted, I raised my head and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Hi, handsome."

"Hi, beautiful."

"You look good."

I looked down at what I was wearing, and I didn't find it special. I was wearing a pair of black jeans, a jacket in the same shade, underneath it was a tan tee with a design on the front, and rundown white runners on my feet.

"I like lighter shades on you," she commented, pulling at the edges of my jacket with a smile on her face. "I love when you wear colour."

Blacks, whites, and greys were all I knew in my life — and my suits and casual clothes were the same. I barely owned any colour in my closet, except for a few items. Among them was what I wore with Essie when we went to the carnival, and now. It never looked good on me, and I couldn't even remember when I purchased them.

Serenity said I looked handsome that day when she saw me, but I didn't see it.

However, today, I decided to wear a tan shirt just to change it up.

It wasn't really a change per se, but to me, it was something.

"Thank you," I shyly replied, and she pressed a chaste kiss on my lips. 

"Come on, let's get going. It's going to be packed, and we need to get a parking spot at the arena. Walking a kilometre away is a no from me," she spoke, slipping on her boots, and grabbed the foam fingers.

A deep sigh escaped my lips as I grabbed them from her, along with her purse. She placed her hat upon her head and locked the door behind us.

And then, we made our way to a night I was secretly dreading. I just hoped they would approve of me.

♬ ✥*

"You told them I was coming, right?" I asked Serenity as we walked into the arena. The place was crowded with fans of both teams. The clear majority for Vancouver's native team — so I assumed.

"Yes, I did. Stop stressing, pretty. They're excited to meet you," she replied, looking at me with a smile.

I froze in my place which forced her to stop with me. She gazed up at me, her sapphire gems flickering back and forth between mine.

Her gaze softened as she easily read the the apprehension held in my eyes. I was a fucking multi-millionaire who's used to being in rooms for events, but has never once been to a hockey arena. The number of people around me was excessive, and the crowd was only adding to my nerves. I didn't want to have a fucking panic attack in a public space like that and only steps from my girl's family. The embarrassment would destroy me — letting it happen a second time, was not going to happen.

"Hey, if you want to leave whenever you want, we can leave. I won't be upset," she whispered, holding my hands. "Whatever's going on in your mind, it won't happen again. I'm not her, and neither is my family."

She didn't know anything except for what I told her, which wasn't much; but nonetheless, she somehow knew the right things to say.

"How do you know?" I spoke softly.

"Because you can do anything," she replied, cupping my cheeks. "And, I know you're strong enough to get through this, and I'm right here. I won't leave your side, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded hesitantly.

Essie then pressed her lips against my cheek, lingering in a soft, gentle kiss.

"My pretty man can do this. Let's jump this fire together, Tiger."

With a deep breath, I nodded once more, and she intertwined our fingers together as she tugged my hand, leading us where we needed to go. It appeared that she knew this massive arena wholeheartedly as we navigated easily through the filled space.

In all honesty, she made it seem like we were going to war when I was just meeting her family. In my eyes, it was about the same.

But then, we finally reached a spot where some people were waving at her. I stood next to who I assumed to be her parents, Milo, a woman I haven't seen before, Amara, and River. That's just fucking great.

"Rennie! Long time no see," her friend called out to her. "Your boyfriend's taking up a lot of your time."

Boyfriend — a pathetic word.

However, because of that, I knew that Serenity didn't mention anything to them how I hated that term. Anyone would find it strange, so she kept it between us. I liked that.

I liked her.

"Oh stop. We've both just been busy, and you know that," she snidely remarked with a chuckle, then let go of my hand.  

"Shut up, Riv." Amara laughed, embracing her friend.

"Hey, sis," Milo greeted his sister with a kiss on a cheek and a hug in which she returned.

Fuck. Hugs. I don't do those.

Hugs are only for my Essie.

Come on, Styles. You can do this.

Serenity looked at me to make sure I was okay, but I showed her a small smile. She greeted the unknown woman with the same action, mentioning that it's been a long time since she's seen her. They interacted briefly, and I was stuck in my own thoughts.

I was trying so hard to be okay.

My girl embraced each of her parents — and then, they turned towards me.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like to introduce you to Harry. We are together, so please don't harass him," she said with a light chuckle.

"Oh, sweet pea, we'd never do that," her dad replied with a smile, turning to look towards me. "So, son, where'd you go to school? I mean, sure, you're a multimillionaire, but what are your next goals in life? Do you want to marry my daughter? Care for a family anytime soon? I'd like to be a grandfather eventually."

And then I choked on my own spit.

"Dad!"

"I'm just kidding." He grinned. "The name's Julian, but you can call me Mr Hayes."

"Okay, mom, he's being himself again. Make it stop."

"Husband, give this poor man a break." Her mother laughed. "Hi, Harry. I'm Genevieve, but you can call me Gennie."

"Rennie and Gennie, the best duo." Essie smiled as Milo spoke, pointing at them both. "Or according to Charlie, Rini and Genie."

"Um, that fits well. It's, um — it's n-nice to meet you both." I struggled to show a smile as I tried.

"Kid, you can call me Julian. I was just messing. It's been a long time since our Ren has brought a guy home — or well, in this case, the arena."

"Dad, ease up on the dude. He just got here. We'll have plenty of time to grill him later." Milo patted his father's shoulder, then stuck his hand out for me to shake it — which I accepted. He smiled at me. His words did absolutely nothing to calm me down.

"He's not normally like this — actually, scratch that. He's always like this. He's harmless, though, I swear." She smiled, then turned to her older brother. "And Milo, I love you but shut up. Don't encourage him. If you do, I'll make sure I bring up the streaking story."

"You wouldn't dare." His brown eyes narrowed at my girl, but she only smirked.

"Try me."

"Fuck. Fine," he muttered, and his mum sent him a warning look, which he raised his hands in surrender.

Shit. Harry, say something. Think of anything. You can't stay quiet all night.

"So, I — um, I heard that you make good blueberry muffins," I said, remembering the one thing Essie said that would win her dad over.

And by the look on his face, I might have.

"Nice going," her mum whispered to her daughter. "Taught him well, and quite quickly, I must say."

"Stop by our house, and I'll bake you the best muffins you've ever tasted in your life."

"I might take you up on that offer." My lips curled slightly upwards at his words, and I felt Essie give me a soft assuring squeeze on my arm.

"You'd better. You know, I've always wanted to open up a bakery, but my wife here, won't let me." His head nodded towards Gennie, who snorted a laugh.

"Julian, we all know that you can bake gold, but you couldn't run a business to save your life."

"I told Mil—"

"He's not going to run it. Milo has his own life. Let him live it," she countered.

Looks like the Hayes women are known for interrupting people. I can definitely see who Serenity takes after.

"Um, I can help show you the ropes if you'd like. It's tough getting started, but once you have the right mentor, it's a lot easier," I nervously suggested, and his eyes lit up with a grin on his face.

The man looked like he'd won the lottery.

"You would do that?"

"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't help often, but I can check in once in a while. This one keeps me busy quite a bit." I referred to Essie, and she just laughed it off with a guilty nod and a shrug. "But there're tons of great people in my company that I could get to help you in no time."

"Wow, that's a lot. Thank you, Harry. You really don't have to do this," her mum spoke.

"It's no trouble at all. I'll have someone call you to set up a meeting on Monday, if you'd like." I smiled, and he showed his appreciation with a thank you. 

"You're doing great, baby," Essie whispered in my ear, and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. "I'm proud of you."

We all took our seats, and I looked around to see the crowd of people mingling together. They were all chattering about their daily lives, previous game scores, and predicting how tonight was going to go.

But I was sitting silently, wondering what I could possibly say that wouldn't make me sound like a fool.

"Miles!" Serenity suddenly exclaimed, pointing up to the ceiling of the arena to catch her brother's attention. He looked to watch she was referring to, and the smile that graced his face was so bright.

"Oh, don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me! I said you're holding back!" They started singing together, the rest of their friends and joining along. She was dancing in her seat as she sang along to the lyrics — terribly, I might add.

"Shut up and dance with me!" Their energy was infectious, and I couldn't help but stare at them. I suddenly felt like I was intruding on a family moment. They had their own fun, and I was just the person who tagged along, thrown on the side.

"This woman is your destiny!" Essie grinned, pointing to her brother's girlfriend. It was precious how they considered her part of the family.

But she was. Amara was Serenity's best friend, as was River. Milo was dating Amara's sister, Destiny — who I found out was the mystery woman to me. They had a reason to be there, but I was just a person.

My thoughts were broken when I felt a hand on my knee. Essie's gaze was intense on me, watching me with concern.

"Baby, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," I spoke quietly with a brief nod, but she didn't believe me. For a moment, I thought that she didn't hear me over the loud music echoing in the space. Her eyes studied me, then she took my hand and placed a soft kiss on it.

"You belong here just as much as they do. In my eyes, even more. Throw those thoughts far away, Tiger," she said, "Okay?"

"It's just hard. I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin this evening for you."

"You're not ruining this. You couldn't even if you tried." Her voice was soft and sincere. "Pretty, having you here with me, sharing this moment, is something that I will always remember. Any moment I have with you, and the people I love are my favourites."

"Every moment with you is my favourite too," I admitted, feeling my cheeks flush.

Anything she said helped make everything better.

"Relax, Harry. You're overthinking, stop doing that, and I promise it'll be one of the best evenings for you too."

"Thank you, Essie." I smiled as she leaned into me, and I placed a kiss on her temple.

"Anytime, Tiger."

Before I could say anything else, Milo clapped his hands, rubbing them together. "Game's about to start, and they're going to get fucking creamed. Charlie better get some great shots in tonight."

"Language, Milo," Gennie commented this time, and he replied with a "Sorry, mom."

Everyone turned to face the rink, all of them were wearing either their city team or the opposing team — the Edmonton Oilers.

Essie told me which number he was to spot him out from the rest of the players.

The athletes stood where they needed to be with Charlie was positioned centre-forward — from what Serenity mentioned. I had absolutely no clue what all of the lines and shapes on the ice were, and I didn't bother asking. I learned that a puck, not a ball, was dropped and that officially started the game.

The players skated across the ice, their speed and agility was outstanding. As they glided, I noticed their footwork was precise and determined as they moved, their stick held tightly between their glove-covered hands. I could barely keep up with following along on which team was which as the colours were starting to blend from their momentum. All I knew was that I had to keep my eyes on the blue and orange jerseys.

I'd never tried any form of ice skating before and knew that I'd fall flat on my face in a split second if I tried it. Essie noticed how my jaw was slightly dropped, and she whispered that she'd teach me one day. I never expected that she knew how to do that, but considering her brothers played for years, it made sense.

I tried to keep up with everything Essie explained to me during the ride to the arena, and while the game was in play. Unfortunately, I was failing miserably at understanding what was happening.

Not long into the game, Charlie was smashed into the glass by one of the opposing team members. Part of the crowd booed at the action, and one of the refs came to check on him to see if he had any visible injuries — but we could all tell that there was blood on the ice. I expected his family to be concerned about what happened, but instead, they were yelling in anger at the person who hit him.

Apparently, it wasn't the first time something like this happened, and they were already used to subtle injuries. Through his helmet, he swiped across his mouth while looking up at his family, they understood and claimed it was just a busted lip and nothing else.

Hockey wasn't as safe as I thought it would be. Instead, it could be violent, and with several illegal moves, it could seriously harm the players.

Because of that stunt, the opposing player was benched — but it was only for five minutes. During that time, Charlie swiftly moved on the ice, passing the puck to one of their team's defence players, and it easily flew straight into the top right corner of the goal. The net captured it perfectly, the goalie missing it as he went to block the other side.

The score changed to a tie at 3-3.

After that, the game went into rest after the first period. I knew basketball quite well and was used to its four quarters, not three periods. During that time, Riv, Amara, and Milo went to get some drinks and food — and I learnt was beer as their drink of choice for games.

"How're you feeling now?" Essie asked after turning to face me in her seat.

"Better. This is an intense game."

"Yeah. Sorry, I should've warned you about that.

"Are you sure your brother is okay? That looked like a harsh hit."

"No, don't worry about it. Just a little ointment and a kiss from whichever girl he's seeing, and he'll be fine." She laughed.

"Oh, okay."

"Come here." Her tone was soft as she tugged lightly at my shirt and placed her lips on mine. It was far too much PDA for me, but I accepted it because of my nerves. I kissed her back slowly, but it broke quickly when we heard someone clear their throat.

River was standing above us, a grin on his face while Amara shoved his shoulder. "Leave them alone, babe," she said, grabbing hand as they walked back to their seats.

"Ignore him," Essie spoke, putting my focus back on her.

"I'm trying."

"Do I have to kiss you again?"

"Not in public, baby. I'm sorry," I whispered, and she cupped my cheek.

"It's okay. I'll save it for later. Are you going to stay at mine again?"

"Don't know where else I'd rather be."

"You sure that your condo doesn't miss you?" she teased. "It's been a few days deprived of its owner."

I shrugged. "There's no one there for it to miss me."

"Do you — um, do you think we can stay there? Maybe? If you want."

"Mine?" I asked, and she nodded nervously. "I mean, I guess. You've already seen it, and it's massive for just me. I like your place. It's cosy."

"I thought it was a sardine can." A smirk tugged at her lips.

"A homey, sardine cane." I smiled. "But yeah, we can do mine if you'd like."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Let's do that then." The fact that she wanted to dip her foot in the pond of my condo was something I didn't expect. I loved staying with her; it truly did feel like home. It was cold and simply depressing at mine. The only thing I liked about it was the mountains and the Pacific view — that's it.

I'd rather gaze at my starlight instead.

So bright and beautiful, with sapphires that I could get lost in for eternity. The way I felt myself floating whenever I looked deep into them, the speckles of silver that sparkled were enchanting. The gates of heaven were in her shimmering dark blue eyes, too enthralled to dare take a step further.

Essie was my celestial enchantress.

And I needed her — always.

"There's just a few more minutes of intermission," she spoke, breaking me out of my thoughts. A faint smile tugged at her lips, and I returned the same.

I took a brief look around, watching as most people had a cup or can of something.

"I think I'm going to need a drink," I said.

"Want me to come with you?" my girl asked, but I shook my head.

"No, that's okay. Where's the stand?" She pointed towards it, and I nodded. "Do you want anything?"

When she said no, I made my way towards the kiosk. The closer I got, I could smell the fresh scent of day-old hot-dogs. Condiments of ketchup, mustard, and relish bottles were placed on the side. People were kindly passing the bottles around after they finished with them. I observed how friendly they were with each other, and they were only strangers.

I've lived in Canada for nearly a decade, and I still wasn't used to that.

All I knew were snooty, rich women and men who had either mistresses or lovers by their sides. Talks of gossip and fake smiles were are all around the events, praising whoever they pleased.

I would know — all of mine were fraudulent.

Money was donated to 'good' causes, but not for the sake of being kind-hearted, but only to show the world that they had a warm soul. However, it was all to prove to one another who had more money.

"What can I get you?" A bored man asked as I stood in front of the stand.

"Molson Canadian, please," I said, and he nodded.

Because of Serenity, I've learnt to carry some cash on me, which worked well in my favour. I handed him the purple tenner, and he passed me the drink.

"Hi," I turned around to see a blonde woman smiling at me. "I noticed you have an accent, and just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Meghan."

Of course, it was the accent that attracted women to me. Raising a brow, I watched her expression widen in excitement. She was waiting for my reply — so, I gave her one.

"And I'm not interested. So thanks, but no thanks."

"Come on. I see you have a drink and there's five minutes left in intermission. We can just have a chat and get to know each other."

"I said —"

"Baby, what's taking you so long?" Essie spoke, looking at the blonde, then continued, "Can't catch a break at these games. So many stray cats everywhere."

"Oh, I didn't know you were see—"

"Hiya. I'm sorry, I didn't realise that my boyfriend has to wear a sign that says 'I'm not single' so that people get the hint after they already say they're not interested. So, in case you want me to spell it out for you, here goes. This is my boyfriend, and I am his girlfriend. Got it? Okay good. Now leave."

The girl scurried away quickly after the embarrassing situation she was put in. Essie smiled in victory as she looked back at me.

"Starlight, you scared the poor girl. Based on the look of her face, I might need to get a sign," I teased with a grin.

"What can I do? You're one pretty man that attracts the eyes of everyone, I've got to make sure no one steals you."

"I'm your Tiger, and you've got me wrapped around your finger. Couldn't escape even if I wanted to — and I wouldn't dare do that."

"Good. Now come on. We're going to miss the start of the second period," Essie said, grabbing hold of my hand, and snatching my drink from the other. "Half of this is for me."

"I thought you said you didn't want anything."

"You got a Molson. Of course, I'd want some. I expected you to get a Bud or a Guinness, but you didn't. So obviously, I'm sharing your booze."

I just laughed and pulled her close to me.

"Steal your drink, did she?" Julian asked me, and I looked at him to see a grin on his face. I just nodded, and he chuckled. "Might need to get you another one. You're not getting that back."

Surprising me, he went and bought another drink, passing it to me. He patted me on the shoulder as I accepted it and thanked him. Gennie peered over at our interaction, giving me a short nod with a smirk on her face.

I looked back at Serenity, who had a wide smile on her lips. She didn't say anything and shifted to face the rink just as a buzzer went off to continue where the teams left off.

With help from some liquid courage, I was able to find a way to invest myself in the game. I kept track of things that were happening and asked my girl questions when I needed to understand something. I refused to look at the drawing she made me, but it was surely going to be a paper I planned on keeping.

Time went on, and by the end, we were all cheering as Charlie won the game with a killer final shot. Needless to say, I was still wearing the cap — and I wore the fucking foam finger.

Let me just add on, it was voluntarily.

The game went into overtime at the tie of 10-10, so it moved into a shootout. Charlie was chosen to take the final shot — and that changed the score.

"Oilers for the fucking win!" Milo's voice was loud as he punched the air up with enthusiasm.

The roaring joy that came from our side of the arena was enough for people to turn their heads. Frowning and displeased faces were given from the local fans, but we didn't care.

It was also an eye-opener for me because it was the first time that I honestly wasn't worried about how people saw me or what they would think of me. I just acted based on how I felt, and it was positively invigorating.

Serenity tugged at my arm, turning towards me with a wild grin. "Come on. Let's go down to the locker rooms so you can meet Choco. We've got to catch him, because he'll probably be out quicker than a lightning bolt to celebrate."

"Choco?" My brows furrowed in confusion. "Like chocolate?"

"I guess so. Kid's loves it since he was young, and I guess it's just stuck ever since." She laughed, then grabbed hold of my hand.

We bid goodbye to her family and friends, and left with a promise to stop by for an invite for some blueberry muffins. Julian said I could come without Essie if I wanted to, but there was no fucking way of that happening; that woman was my safe haven. It was far too early to have a proper conversation without her in the room with them.

But maybe later during our relationship.

Serenity navigated us throughout the arena, and it still surprised me how she knew the place inside-out. She had her apartment, her studio, and it seemed that the arena was her third home.

The grip on my hand tightened as we squeezed past people heading towards the exits. was still tightly held on mine. I was incredibly thankful for that because I easily would've got lost in the crowd.

Someone stopped us as they called out Serenity's name, and we turned around to see who it was. What didn't amuse me was the fact that a smile grew on her face as she greeted a 'him' with an excited, "Hey!"

"Hey, Ren. Saw you out in the crowd. You're looking good as always," the man said, and then pulled her in a hug. Based off his uniform, well, it almost lack-of one, since he was down to a sweaty white tank top.

The fuck?

"You too, Connor. You played great today. Brilliant start to the season, that's for sure. That goal you made in second period was so sick," she praised him.

Who is this fucker?

Serenity faced me, a smile on her face, as she introduced us. "Connor, this is my Harry. Harry, this is Connor, one of the players on the team and Choco's friends."

"Nice to meet you, dude. Heard something about you from Charlie."

"I've never heard anything about you, and the name is Harry," I replied, shaking his hand firmly.

"I would stay and chat, but I'm still a sweaty mess, and I need to hit the showers. I'm sure Charlie is taking the longest out of all of them in there. He cares about his hair way too much."

"He's a beauty queen." Essie laughed. "It was nice seeing you."

"You too. Take good care of this one," he said, referring to me, and then took off before I could say anything else.

She just grinned and sent a little wave to him, and grabbed hold of my hand as we walked through the crowded halls again.

Wait to ask. Wait to ask. Wait to a—

"You two seemed quite close," I said, trying to hide my jealousy.

That didn't age well.

I was never a jealous person, but things changed after I met Serenity. I always felt the need to protect and care for her. Healthy jealousy was what I was aiming for, but I was failing miserably. Essie knew how bad it was, for some strange reason, she still kept me around. It wasn't that I wanted her to be my possession because she wasn't, but there was just something about her that was indescribable.

"Oh, um, yeah. He and I dated for a while, close to a year I think, but we had a mutual breakup. He was travelling quite a bit for hockey, and I moved to Calgary at the time. It was hard to keep up with the distance, so we just decided it'd be best to end it. We don't talk often, but it's just a friendship now. You don't have to worry about a thing, Tiger. My heart is only for you."

I've heard that before.

Get that fucking thought out right now, Styles. She's not her.

"Hey, I'm not her, okay? I'd never hurt you, Tiger." Her hand pulled me out of my thoughts as she cupped my cheek.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to think of her or compare you. I swear," I confessed.

"I know, pretty. Your ex is one cold-hearted bitch, and I might say that until the day I die."

Terrible timing, but her word choice caused me to chuckle.

"You've got quite a mouth there, don't you?"

"She doesn't have a sliver of humanity. And she also hurt you, so yes, she is a sadistic and spiteful bitch."

"Easy, Essie. You sound homicidal."

"If I ever see her, I might be."

"I had no idea I was dating a Tigress."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that." Her smile was wide as she gazed at me with adoration. "I'll be your Tigress any day."

It didn't take much longer to find who we were looking for. A male with hazel-toned hair and a charming smile, stood laughing with some friends. I knew it was him since the rest were darker in hair colour or blondes. I also saw a glimpse of his face on the ice, so it was an obvious choice. 

"Choco!" Essie called out loudly as she let go of my hand, and opened her arms out wide.

"Rini!" She laughed at her nickname and pulled her into a tight hug.

That interaction was normal. It was exactly how siblings are supposed to act. I liked it.

"How's my little sis doing?" he said, parting from their embrace, but kept an arm around her shoulder.

"Dude, seriously, enough of that," she joked. "You're younger than me."

"Never." He grinned. "You must be the infamous Harry I keep hearing about."

"That'd be me," I said, "You did a great job out there. That was quite a hit you took."

"Oh, that was nothing. Sure my lip's busted up and all, but I performed a little act out there to make sure that dick was benched for five instead of two. Worked like a charm."

His busted lip didn't look like nothing to me, but it was clearly otherwise to him.

"Beauty and a drama queen," Essie commented with a grin.

"You know me best."

"So, you're dating my sweet innocent sister here."

"Um, yeah."

"That's wonderful," he spoke with a smile, but then it dropped. "You hurt her, you'll end up with more than just a busted lip."

Well fuck.

I'm ultimately screwed.

"Choco, pipe down, would you? He's already been grilled enough by the other two Musketeers."

"Just letting him know. No harm, no fowl. Right, buddy." He smiled, elbowing me lightly, before wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "We'll be besties."

"Oh no, you won't. The last time you said 'besties', you spilled all of my embarrassing moments to Connor. Not happening again." 

"Actually, in that case, I think I might want to be besties." I grinned, and Serenity narrowed her eyes at me, crossing her arms.

"Not a chance. Charlie, you back away from my man before I expose all your secrets from when I taught you ballet," she threatened, and his smug expression dropped.

"Alright, no need to get all Serenity-like."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she spoke, the corners of her lips curled upwards as she raised a brow.

"Never." He smiled, then moved to place a kiss on her cheek. "I'll check you later. Ellie's waiting for me, and I really can't keep her waiting. I've still got to see the rest of the fam jam. And Harry, remember what I said. Peace, bro."

He turned on his heels with those words and went towards the ginger who was standing by his other friends. She grinned mischievously when he got close to her. 

Serenity turned to face me with a smile on her face. "Sorry about him. He's a handful."

"He seems n-nice," I hesitated, unsure what to really say about him.

"Oh, please don't sugarcoat it. He's a disaster." She laughed.

"Um, okay, yeah. He is." I chuckled, scratching the back of my neck.

"So, you've met my family, what do you think?"

"They seem wonderful. I can see where you get that sarcasm and sass from."

"Absolutely." A grin was wide on her beaming face. "Come on, let's go home — or to your home this time."

"I'd love that." I smiled. "But hold up, did you feed Luna?"

"Um — oh crap." She raised her hand to cover her mouth.

"I figured."

"What? I was excited about the game. I'm sorry. She'll hate me."

"Doubt that," I said, "Ask someone to go by and do say. Then, tomorrow before I drop you off, we'll stop by a Superstore to grab some extra food for her. I saw you were running low the last time I was there."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to."

"You see, these are the reasons why she loves you more. You shower her with your addicting affection, even if you can't cuddle her properly."

"What can I say? I seem to charm her."

"You charm everyone, Harry. You just don't see it?"

"I do?"

"Harry, you charmed me, my entire family, and friends, and my cat. What do you think?"

"I think you've changed my world upside down, Miss Hayes."

"Right back at you, Mr Styles." She smiled. "Now, let's get going. Half the lot should be empty by now — or at least, hopefully, it is."

"Alright. But keep in mind, my place isn't nearly as great as yours," I said, giving a warning in advance.

"I'll be the one who decides that, Tiger."

My hand grabbed hold of hers, placing a kiss on the top, before I spoke, "Let's go, baby."

One thing has been on my mind for a while, and I hoped that I wouldn't chicken out and change my mind.

But just the thought of it, made my heart flutter.

I hope she'll like it.

...

A/N:

So, hi. 

Harry met the fam jam. AYEEEE.
And well, her ex too. 

So...what'd you dig about the chapter? Because you know me, I love to know these things. 

Kissy, stay golden, and TPWK my beautiful tulips 🌷

S x

P.S. If you're curious at the outfit H was wearing...it's basically this one with a black jacket on top. He looked so fine this day UGH.