third person pov.
"I need a hug." was all Jas had to text before Harry quickly situated himself in his car to drive to her house.
He could care less that she lived an hour away or that he would be driving in the pouring rain. His best friend needed him and he was going to be there.
"I'm on my way." Harry sent back before setting off.
It was six o'clock in the evening and the sky was already dark. The drivers on the road were driving like they lost their minds.
Harry lowered the radio as a means to help him stay focused on the road.
He didn't want to end up in a car accident and have to explain what took him so long to Jas.
Meanwhile, Jas was sitting on her bed, wiping her tears away and smiling to herself. She didn't believe Harry when he said he was coming, but she thought his response was cute.
Jas: thank u stink. can't wait to see you soon. :)she sent back jokingly.
She waited a few minutes for a response, before putting her phone down to make some tea.
Once she had finished making her tea, she checked her phone again. Still no response.
"Weird..." she thought. Harry was usually a fast responder. Unless he told her that he was going to be busy, he would usually respond within five minutes.
Just then, Jas heard thunder roll outside. She peaked out the patio door to her apartment and saw the pouring rain.
Jas smiled contently to herself. This was her kind of weather. It was the perfect weather for her to snuggle up with a blanket and read a romance novel.
She quickly dashed over to the couch, pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, and began to read.
Jas had started reading a new book series called Shatter Me. It is a dystopian thriller with romantic themes so nevertheless, it peaked her interest.
Thirty minutes went by and still no response from Harry. Jas was getting really in to Juliette and Adam's story. Jas could easily relate to the longing to be touched. That's how she felt right now.
She just wanted to be touched. Not in a weird perverted way, but simply the comfort that comes with being held by a loved one was what she yearned for.
An hour had now gone by and Jas still hadn't heard back from Harry. It was unusual to say the least. She was beginning to get worried.
Jas: you okay? Nothing.
Jas: harry? Still nothing.
Jas: come on this isn't funny anymore... Once again, nothing.
Jas got got up and began to pace the floor. The bad weather mixed with the lack of response from Harry was truly beginning to worry her. She knew it was probably just her hormones still being worked up from crying earlier, but she couldn't help the bad feeling hanging over her.
She decided to give Harry a call.
"You've reached the voicemail box of 'Hello, it's Harry-'" Jas was sent straight to voicemail. Now she was really starting to panic.
It's like when you know your parent(s) are supposed to be home at a certain time, but they're not home yet and you begin to imagine the worst case scenario.
Jas begins to dial Harry's number again. "You've reached the voi-" she hangs up the phone and tries again.
"You've reached the voice-" she hangs up the phone again. Just as Jas is about to dial his number again, a soft rap is heard at the door. She halts in her movement and peers skeptically at the clock.
7:34 PM was blinking back at her. Who was at her door when it was almost eight o'clock at night? Jas rounded the sofa and slowly made her way to the door. She peered through the peephole only to see a mildly wet Harry standing in the hall.
Jas quickly opened the door and gaped at the man in front of her. Harry stood there with a wide grin on his face as he took in her appearance.
"Harry, wha- what are you doing here?" Jas asked. Harry simply stood there and watched her. He looked deep in thought as if calculating his next move.
Harry licked his lips before stepping towards Jas and wrapping his arms around her. He buried his face in her neck. He let his one arm snake around her waist, and held her tight for he knew that's how she liked to be hugged.
Jas could only stand there in shock, the phone calls since forgotten. Slowly, but surely she came back to reality. She was still reeling over the fact that her best friend had really driven an hour to her house just to give her a hug.
Tears began to well up in her eyes as she returned the gesture by wrapping her arms around his neck. Harry exhaled softly while running a hand throw Jas' kinky black hair.
They stood in the doorway like that for a minute, soaking each other in both figuratively and literally.
A shiver ran through Harry's body. Not just because his clothes were damp, but because it felt so surreal being here with Jas.
Jas sniffled and it caught Harry's attention. He pulled back to give her face a one over and make sure she was okay. He placed his hands on her cheek and gently wiped the tears away.
"There's no need to cry, baby. I'm right here." he said with a smile. Jas nodded realizing how ridiculous she probably looked.
"But how? How are you here? My message was just wishful thinking. I mean-" Harry softly shushed Jas' rambling.
"You called and I came. That's all that matters." he said tilting her head up so they could maintain eye contact.
Jas shook her head with a sigh before embracing Harry again. Harry let out a soft chuckle and returned the hug.
He reached out with his foot behind him and kicked the door shut. He then walked them over to the couch all while never letting go of their hug.
Jas giggled as Harry plopped them down on the couch. Jas is the first to let go of the embrace. She sits back and just looks at her best friend.
"You are something else, Harry." Harry shrugs with a soft smile. Jas places her head on Harry's lap. Harry combs through Jas' unruly hair and gives her a head massage. Jas smiles up at him contently. A beat goes by and they enjoy each other's company.
"Hey, listen," Harry begins, "I want you to know that anytime you call for me, I will always do my best to be there. If I can't physically be here with you, I'll try to reach you virtually." Harry continues to play with Jas' hair as he speaks.
"We don't even have to talk about what is bothering you. If me just being here is enough for you, then I will do that."
Once more, tears begin to brim in Jas' eyes.
"Aww, Harry, stop." she whines. "I've cried enough for one night and then you go and say the sweetest things all because I said I needed a hug."
Harry smiles as he leans down and rub their noses together.
"If I could, I'd hug you forever." he whispers. Their eyes run over each other's faces, soaking in each other's features. Harry leaned back knowing if they had stayed like that, he might do something he shouldn't.
You see, Harry has had a crush on Jas for a year or two now. He's watched her go out with men who don't deserve her—Harry's opinion—and have her heartbroken by said men.
Does it hurt watching the woman you love go out with other people? By all means, but he doesn't let that interfere with the bond they've built so far.
Harry's in it for the long run and if all he can do for now is be a friend that Jas calls up when she needs physical affection then that is exactly what he'll do.
Their eyes never once left each other as Harry leaned back. Jas could visibly see Harry's eyes darkening in shade. She could feel her cheeks burning up at this.
Its moments like these that make the boundaries become blurred lines. Right now, Harry wanted nothing more than to lean down and kiss Jas.
And who knows...maybe Jas wanted Harry to kiss her too.
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141,727 Literary Works • 675,620 Reviews
Hey there, s65ns! Rebel here for a short review!
First of all, this is an adorable story that you have concocted. Harry (presumably Harry Styles and a hug lore made by the internet that I am not at all aware of), Jas' best friend comes down to give her a hug in the rain after driving an hour just because she asked for it - that's just adorable.
I like how Jas didn't believe Harry's words in face value, as she presumed that it's probably some of the friendly banter that he often does. I like how you've sprinkled the entire story with condiments of real life that can make the reader relate to the characters. For example, the next quote:
Like, here, we get the first hint of the fact that Jas might secretly love Harry too.
Sometimes, I hear people say the urge of "I want to be touched" is inherently sexual, and yet, most of the times - it's not. It's just the craving for a warm embrace by your loved one, it can be anyone, honestly - your mom, your sibling, your friend, your best friend, or just a neighbour who's heard you weeping all the time. It's just the desire to be loved, perhaps the most human desire of all.
I love how perturbed Jas is for Harry.
I love how they do it all - nose rubbing, playing with hair, shushing one's lips - yet stop before kissing. Perhaps, both of them would love it (Harry definitely would), and yet - they don't. They simply sit there comfortably, in each other's embrace, and feel happiness for their desire to be loved has been satiated.
Honestly, I don't have any criticism for your work - perhaps except for the fact that the paragraphs are a bit short. Perhaps, that's just your style, but it's a bit unique. This was a really heartwarming read, I hope you are doing well wherever in the world you are! Keep writing! :p
P.S.: This review was brought to you by Team Tortoise.
First off the bat, singular impressions, I like the playfulness of this piece. The whole Harry Styles hug lore, you have taken a pop-culture topic and made a playful story out of it. Pop culture can sometimes be hard to meld into writing so I applaud you on the job you have done with that so far. I can tell that you haven’t gotten use to the YWS format yet, because your formatting squirt strange. Was it intentional? If so, I believe that it would be better to have a longer paragraph form. The current formatting is a little distracting that's all.
You have a way of getting down to the bare minutiae of your character's thoughts. I think that this ties in very well with a minimalist style, but don’t be afraid to expound on certain thoughts. Allow yourself the freedom to really get lost in the head of your character. This is where we as readers can fully immerse ourselves in the story. Do not be afraid to become the character that you are writing.
I like how you delve more into thought than dialogue. This is a piece where that works extremely well since I as a reader would much prefer knowing their state of mind and individual longings, than what they say to each other. Dialogue can lie, but thoughts cannot. Remember that writing is real life on paper.
You have a great sense of mood when it comes to storytelling. Apart from that, I think you should vary your style a bit more. Learn when to mix and match stylistic techniques. This is kind of a stream-of-consciousness story, so give me some rambling thoughts and a deeper dive into the character's head. Match your writing style with the kind of story that you are writing.
All in all, I think you did a good job. I’m not a fan of fan fiction, but I think you did a helluva job on this. I enjoyed reading it. Keep up the good work.