I woke up on the morning of my birthday to Harry carrying a breakfast tray into the bedroom laden with tea, toast, almond croissants and fresh orange juice.

"Hey, birthday girl," he smiled as I sat up rubbed my eyes sleepily.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"Just before seven," he replied. "I wanted you to wake up in plenty of time to enjoy breakfast and open your presents."

He set the tray down on the bed and then got back under the covers next to me, reached down the side of the bed and pulled out a couple of beautifully wrapped parcels and a white envelope.

I opened the envelope first. It was a birthday card that read To my Girlfriend, and had a picture of a cuddly teddy bear holding a balloon and a birthday cake. Inside it read, Jess, Have a perfect birthday, Lots of love, Harry xxx

I smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "That bear looks almost as squidgy as you," I observed, and he pressed his lips together to conceal a smirk.

"I'll let you get away with that comment, seeing as it's your birthday."

"Yes it is," I nodded happily. "All day."

He chose to ignore this, and looked down at the presents.

"Open this one first," he said, thrusting a long, thin rectangular box at me. I sat up properly in bed and carefully pulled off the wrapping to reveal a sleek, black jeweller's box. I held my breath as I gingerly opened the lid. Inside, nestling on a soft, black velvet cushion, was a stunning white gold, diamond bracelet.

I stared at it, open-mouthed.

"Harry," I breathed.

"Do you like it?" he asked, nervously.

I shook my head, unable to find the right words to explain how beautiful it was.

"You don't like it?" he asked.

"No!" I said hastily. "I mean, yes. I mean, I love it! Oh my God, Harry. I'm... I'm just lost for words."

I finally tore my gaze away from the bracelet to look up at him, to find him beaming happily at me. "You had me worried there for a moment," he grinned.

"Sorry," I apologised. "I just... I can't believe it. It's incredible. You've spent so much on me already for Christmas..."

"I happen to think you're worth spoiling," he stated, with a nod of finality. "No arguments."

He lifted the bracelet out of the box and I held my arm out so he could fasten it delicately around my wrist. The stones sparkled effortlessly under the artificial light (it was still dark outside), and I turned my arm left and right, watching how they twinkled with brilliance in the warm glow from Harry's bedside lamp. It was breathtaking.

He handed me a second parcel, much larger than the first, and heavier. It appeared upon first glance to be a large picture frame. I carefully ripped open the paper and pulled it out a rectangular glass frame containing a head-and-shoulders shot of me and Harry. I didn't immediately recognise the image. Harry was on the left of the picture but facing to the right, wearing a black tshirt, and looking down towards me with a soft smile on his face. I was on the right of the picture, slightly lower down, gazing up at him adoringly, and it took me a moment to realise I was wearing the top I had worn to their last show in Sheffield a couple of months ago. The images of us had obviously been taken separately and fitted together to make it look as though we were looking at each other.

Harry cleared his throat. "OK, so there's a story behind this. The photos were taken of us at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, at the band's final show of the tour. They were taken at exactly the same time, as we were looking at each other. I was singing the last line of Perfect... to you. Obviously we weren't photographed in the same shot, but you were smiling at me and I was smiling at you, and I just thought it captured us perfectly... so to speak."

I stared at him, my eyes filling with tears. Perfect... that word had so many meanings, not just for him, but for us.

"And if you look closely," he continued, almost a little shyly, "you'll notice that it isn't actually just a photograph. All the lyrics I have ever personally written about you, in a song recorded by One Direction, are in this picture. The words make up our hair, if you look closely."

My breath caught in my throat as I looked down at the picture again, and I realised with a start that the lyrics were indeed written into our hair - how had I missed this? 

If I could fly I'd be coming right back home to you.... I live for you, I long for you.... Goodbyes are bittersweet but it's not the end, I'll see your face again... I might never be your knight in shining armour.... I think I might give up everything, just ask me to.... Time is irrelevant when I've not been seeing you.... We had some good times didn't we, we wore our hearts out on our sleeves.... I might never be the one who brings your flowers.... I'm missing half of me when we're apart.... I love you, it's all I do.... Walking in the wind.... Baby we're perfect, so let's start right now....

It went on and on; every lyric I had learnt and loved and lived and felt and understood. These were the words of our lives, of our relationship, straight from Harry's heart. 

My vision was blurry, and my tears splashed onto the glass in the frame.

"Well I hate to be cliché," I half-laughed, "but this is just... perfect."

I reached over to him and flung my arms around him, pulling him tightly against me and burying my face in the warm skin of his neck. Every time I thought he couldn't be more perfect, he proved me wrong. His hands stroked my hair as he kissed my shoulder gently.

"Happy birthday, baby," he whispered in my ear. I squeezed him tighter as more tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes.

"I love you," I told him, pulling away to gaze down at the picture again.

"I love you too," he murmured back. "Now don't let these croissants go cold. I warmed them up in the oven specially."

~~~~

I was already regretting not taking my birthday off, as I could have quite happily stayed in bed with Harry all day, but eventually I had to drag myself into the shower and off to work. A bunch of flowers and a bottle of Prosecco were waiting for me on my desk when I arrived, along with a card, from all my workmates. Around lunchtime another bunch arrived, from Harry this time, with a card that read, Missing you, birthday girl. Can't wait for tonight. H xxx

I was back home to Harry by six o'clock, and Anne, Robin and Gemma arrived just as I was getting out of the shower. I got ready as quickly as I could, curling my hair to accentuate its natural waves, and decided on a pair of skinny jeans and a long-sleeved, silk blouse. I fastened my new bracelet on my wrist, and went for dark, smoky eyes for a change. I tended not to wear much eye makeup as a rule. 

When I entered the kitchen Harry gave a piercing wolf whistle and Anne, Robin and Gemma all made a fuss of me, and handed me cards and presents to open. Cars arrived to collect us at quarter past seven, and we arrived at the restaurant just before quarter to eight. My parents were already there, sitting at a large, reserved table with Calvin, Callie, Lou Teasdale and Nick Grimshaw. 

Harry and I made the formal introductions after I'd hugged everyone, and then our parents sat down at one end together, and I sat opposite Harry, in between Nick and Callie. Everyone had arrived by eight o'clock, and we ordered a few bottles of wine to share while we browsed the menu.

"What did Harry get you for your birthday?" Callie asked, and I held out my arm to show off my new bracelet. 

"Wowser," she breathed, her eyes wide. "Jess, that is absolutely stunning."

"I know," I agreed. "I can't stop staring at it. I'm mesmerised by it."

"I can see why," she nodded, looking over at Harry, and then quickly looking away.

"And he had the most amazing picture made for me," I added. I quickly told her the story of the photographs and the lyrics, and then showed her a photo I had taken of it on my phone that morning. "You can't really see it properly, because of the glare from the flash," I explained, looking at it again and feeling a warm fuzzy glow in the pit of my stomach. "But the words from the songs Harry wrote about me are written into our hair in the picture."

She stared at the small image on my phone screen, open mouthed.

"Jess... oh my God," she whispered. "That's... that's probably the most romantic thing I've ever seen in my whole life."

"Yeah," I blushed. "Harry comes up with the most amazingly thoughtful gestures sometimes. He puts me to shame."

"He puts us all to shame," she said softly.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, as she handed me back my phone.

She bit her lip, hesitating. "Just that... I've given him a hard time in the past, over you. Maybe - maybe I was wrong about him."

She stared down at a knot in the wood of the tabletop, looking downcast.

"Does this mean you're willing to give him a proper chance?" I asked.

She looked over at him, and I followed her gaze but he was busy talking to Grimmy and wasn't paying attention to our conversation.

"I guess so," she said eventually. "I guess he really does love you."

"He does," I affirmed. "And I love him, Callie. I know we've had our ups and downs, but I really think all that stuff is behind us now. We've been through so much, but it's strengthened us."

She nodded again thoughtfully, and a waitress appeared at the head of the table to take our orders. Calvin flirted with her shamelessly, causing me to kick him under the table in embarrassment, but unfortunately Grimmy found the whole thing hilarious which only encouraged Calvin further.

The food was mouthwateringly delicious, and after we'd finished our main courses the lights dimmed, and the staff brought out a couple of plates of iced cupcakes with candles in the middle, which they set down between me and Harry, and the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday to us both. Grimmy delightedly snapped pictures of this on his phone, and Harry gave him the nod to post one on social media, as this would confirm Harry was in London, and would hopefully buy him a few days' privacy when he flew out to LA the following day before the next sighting of him would undoubtedly go viral.

After devouring two cupcakes, I got up and made my way to the bathroom. I spent five minutes touching up my eye makeup in the mirror, and was just about to walk back out into the restaurant when I heard familiar voices just outside the door, seemingly mid-way through a conversation.

"Harry!" It was Callie.

"What?" He sounded annoyed. Hostile, even.

"Don't be like this - you can't blame me for being wary."

"I'm really not interested."

"No - please - don't walk away. I'm sorry."

There was a pause. 

I stared at my own reflection in the mirror, my heart pounding and my eyes wide. I didn't want to listen in to a private conversation, but I was somehow rooted to the spot.

"I've behaved really badly." Callie again.

Silence.

"I know you love her. I'm sorry for coming between you. I just wanted to protect her." Callie, apologising.

"She doesn't need protecting from me."

There was more silence.

"Don't give me that look." Harry again. He sounded angry.

"I don't want to argue about this anymore." Callie was pleading now.

I took two strides and yanked open the bathroom door. They both jumped as if they had been shot.

"Argue about what?" I asked.

---***---

So..... big news - No Control hit 1 million reads this week!! I won't lie, I shed a small tear when I saw it! The series as a whole now has over 2 million reads, and I just can't put into words how happy and excited that makes me feel! Thanks to each and every person reading this right now - I appreciate you all so much. Cute as a button, every single one of you!! ❤❤

Also, is anyone going to WattCon in London on 3rd December? Because I AM!!!! I'm so excited to be going! I would love to meet some of you and put faces to names, so let me know if you're coming! 

And lastly... what are Callie and Harry arguing about? ;)