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      » [lily by arthur hill «
0:58 ─〇───── 3:32
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july 28th, 2022

MILLIE WOKE UP SLOWLY, the soft light from the morning sun filtering through the blinds. she squinted at the clock on the nightstand—late morning, but not too late. she blinked a few times, trying to clear the haze from her mind. the room smelled faintly of him—of them—and she couldn't help but smile at the memory of the night before. everything felt so surreal, almost like a dream, but a good one.

she stretched out under the covers, her legs tangled in the sheets, and winced slightly. her head throbbed, a reminder that she might've had a bit too much to drink last night. but the smile on her face didn't fade. not even a little. she glanced over at harry, still asleep beside her. he was lying on his stomach, one arm thrown across the bed, his hair messy from sleep. he looked... peaceful. she couldn't help but watch him for a moment, her heart doing that little fluttering thing it always did when he was near.

after a minute, she couldn't resist anymore. she reached over and gently poked his side. "hey," she whispered, her voice thick with sleep. "wake up, bro."

harry groaned, his eyes still closed. "mmh, five more minutes," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow.

millie chuckled softly, shaking her head. "you're the one who kept me up all night," she teased, nudging him again.

he finally stirred, blinking his eyes open and squinting at her. "you're such a tease," he said, his voice rough with sleep but still playful.

"oh, i'm the tease now?" millie raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "you're the one who—" she stopped herself, not sure if she should finish that sentence.

harry smirked, his lips curling up into that familiar grin. "who what?" he asked, his voice low and teasing.

millie rolled her eyes, reaching for her phone on the nightstand. "nothing," she muttered, trying to act nonchalant. but inside, her heart was racing. the night had been complicated, in the best possible way. and now, here they were, lying in bed together, the morning after.

she unlocked her phone, scrolling through her messages as harry sat up, stretching and rubbing his eyes. he looked over at her, his gaze lingering on her for a second too long. "you're really not gonna remind me what happened last night?" he asked, his voice playful but with a hint of curiosity.

millie glanced at him, then back at her phone. "it's not that," she said, biting her lip. "think it's for the best, really."

harry chuckled, sliding out of bed and standing up. "you're always so cryptic," he said, shaking his head. "come on, let's get up. we've got a day ahead of us."

millie sighed, setting her phone down and sitting up. "yeah, yeah," she said, rubbing her eyes. "what time is it?"

"late enough that we could just stay in bed all day," harry suggested with a grin, pulling on a t-shirt. "but i know you've got places to be."

millie shot him a look, half amused, half exasperated. "you wish i'd stay in bed all day with you."

"well," harry said, walking toward her, "i was thinking more like, just having fun together."

millie raised an eyebrow, her heart skipping a beat at the words. "oh really?" she teased, her lips curving into a smile. "you wanna just do nothing all day?"

"well," harry said, walking toward her, "i was thinking more like, sex. you know?"

millie's smile widened, her stomach flipping at the suggestion. "you're such a mess," she said, laughing softly.

"you love it," he replied, his voice full of confidence.

millie shook her head, but there was no denying the truth in his words. "yeah, maybe i do," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

harry leaned in slightly, his gaze softening. "good," he said, his tone sincere. "because i'm not going anywhere."

millie looked at him, feeling the warmth of his words settle deep in her chest. she smiled, biting her lip. "i like it, you know," she said softly. "the way we've got this, space, these hotels. it's like our place to just be ourselves , away from everything."

harry grinned, his eyes glinting with amusement. "yeah, well, we don't gotta live out of hotels," he said, his voice playful. "we could do it in my room all day."

millie laughed, her heart skipping a beat at the line.

he shrugged, a teasing glint in his eyes. "what can i say? i'm a man of my word."

she shook her head, still smiling. "you're ridiculous."

"but you love it," harry said, his voice dropping a little lower as he leaned in closer.

millie met his gaze, feeling the tension between them shift in the most natural way. for a moment, everything felt simple. uncomplicated. like maybe, just maybe, they could figure this out.

but for now, she was content. just lying there with him, knowing that whatever happened next, they'd be okay.

౨ৎ

millie sat in front of the hotel mirror, applying the final touches of makeup, her fingers moving methodically as she tried to focus. she was supposed to be filming for the fellas podcast today, but she'd canceled at the last minute. it wasn't that she didn't want to go—she just couldn't bring herself to leave the comfort of the hotel room. the thought of being in front of the camera today felt like too much. she sighed, staring at her reflection, wondering if she was making the right choice.

the sound of the bathroom door creaking open interrupted her thoughts. she glanced up and saw harry standing in the doorway, fully dressed and ready to go out. he was looking at her with a slight smirk, like he already knew something was off.

"you good?" he asked, his voice low and teasing, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "you're usually the first one out the door, and now you're just sitting here?"

millie didn't answer right away. instead, she let her gaze linger on him, her eyes tracing the way his shirt fit him perfectly, the casual confidence in his posture. he looked effortlessly put together, ready to head out and take on the day, while she was sitting here, feeling like she couldn't be bothered.

"i don't know," she finally muttered, her voice quieter than usual. "i cannot be assed with anything today."

harry raised an eyebrow, stepping further into the room, still watching her closely. "you sure? we could go grab lunch or something. or i could take you to that new place you've been talking about." he sounded like he was trying to coax her out of her funk, but there was a softness to his words, as if he could sense she needed a bit more than just a distraction.

millie shook her head, her fingers still hovering over her makeup. "nah, i think i'm just gonna stay in today. can't be bothered to go out. it's just one of those days, y'know?"

harry's expression softened, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "fair enough. sounds like a pretty good day to me." he walked over to the bed, casually sitting down as he looked at her, his gaze never leaving her face. "what's the plan, then? just gonna spend the day in here?"

"yeah," she replied, her voice a little lighter now. "i mean, it's a nice hotel. could do worse than just hanging out here."

"well, if you're staying in, i'm staying in," harry said with a grin. "no need to go out and do anything. we've got everything we need right here, right?"

millie couldn't help but laugh a little, her mood lifting just from being around him. "yeah, i guess we do," she said, finally setting the makeup brush down. "so, what do you wanna do? just chill?"

"i'm down for whatever," he said, leaning back on the bed and propping himself up on his elbows. "could watch a movie, order room service, play a game or two. anything to make today feel like it's actually productive."

millie smiled, her eyes softening as she looked at him. "sounds perfect."

as she stood up to change into something more comfortable, harry threw himself back onto the bed, kicking his shoes off. it was one of those rare moments when everything felt easy, and there was no rush, no pressure to be anywhere or do anything. just the two of them, in a hotel room, with no expectations except to enjoy the moment.

"you know," millie said as she grabbed a hoodie from the closet, "i'm really glad we're doing this. i was stressing about today, but now, this is way better."

harry looked over at her, his eyes warm. "yeah, me too," he said, his voice low but genuine. "sometimes, just being with someone, not having to do anything, is all you need."

millie paused, looking at him for a moment, feeling a flutter in her chest. it was such a simple thing, but it meant more than she could put into words. "yeah," she agreed softly, a smile tugging at her lips as she pulled the hoodie over her head. "it really is."

౨ৎ

the soft hum of the hotel room air conditioning filled the space, the only sound breaking the quiet that had settled between them. millie lay on her side of the bed, propped up on one elbow, her eyes lazily scanning the ceiling as she absently fiddled with the hem of her crop top. she wasn't in the mood for much, just the comfort of the quiet room and harry's presence beside her.

harry, on the other hand, was sprawled out, his back against the pillows, his red checkered pajama bottoms hanging low on his hips, the waistband slightly rolled down. he was munching on some crisps, crumbs dotting his chest as he reached for another handful, completely unbothered. he glanced over at millie, a teasing grin tugging at his lips.

"you're not eating anything?" he asked, his voice muffled by the crunching of the chips.

"nah, not really hungry," millie replied, her voice light. she glanced at him, her eyes lingering on his relaxed posture, the way he seemed so at ease, even in the chaos of their usual lives. "i think i've eaten enough for the day, honestly."

harry raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming. "you sure? you don't want some of these? they're the best."

"you always say that," she teased, rolling her eyes. "you say that about every snack you get."

"because it's true," he said, unbothered. "you've gotta try them. i swear, they're life-changing."

millie chuckled, her fingers tracing the edge of the pillow. "life-changing, huh? maybe next time."

the room felt like it had slowed down, the hours stretching lazily. the quiet comfort between them was something they both had grown used to—no need for words, just the occasional comment or laugh that filled the space.

after a few moments of silence, harry broke it again, his voice casual. "do you ever wonder if dogs think we're just like, giant walking trees?"

millie blinked at him, clearly caught off guard by the randomness of his question. "what?"

"like, think about it," harry said, leaning forward slightly, his eyes glinting with amusement. "we're just these big, weird creatures that walk around, and dogs are just like, 'oh cool, another tree,' right?"

millie stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter. "you're ridiculous."

"i'm serious," he said, grinning. "dogs are probably just like, 'why do they always move? and why do they keep throwing balls at us?'"

"i'm pretty sure dogs don't think that deeply, harry," millie said, still laughing. "they're just happy we're around to give them food and belly rubs."

"you sure about that?" harry challenged, his grin widening. "maybe they're plotting something. they're too clever for their own good."

millie shook her head, still chuckling. "you're overthinking it. my dogs just want to be loved and fed. they don't have some deep philosophical understanding of the world."

"nah, i'm telling you," harry said, leaning back against the pillows again. "one day, when you least expect it, your dogs will have a conversation about us, and we'll be like, 'wait, they've been onto us this whole time?'"

"i'm pretty sure we're the ones being watched by them, bog," millie said, her voice teasing. "they know i'm the one who give them treats. they're not plotting anything—they're just waiting for me to slip up so they can get some extra scran."

"yeah, maybe you're right," harry agreed, his voice a little more thoughtful. "but i still think they know more than we give them credit for."

millie shook her head again, smiling. "you're crazy. but it's kind of funny, i guess. i mean, imagine being a dog and thinking we're just trees that move."

"it would be pretty weird," harry said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "but also kind of cool, right?"

"yeah, i guess," millie said, her laughter fading into a comfortable silence. "you're definitely the only person who would think about that."

"i try to be unique," harry said, grinning widely. "you should try it sometime."

"nah, i'm good," millie replied, rolling her eyes. "i'll leave the weird thoughts to you."

they both laughed again, the sound filling the quiet room, and for a moment, everything felt easy. simple. just two people, lying in bed, talking about the most random things. no pressure, no drama—just the comfort of being in each other's company.

౨ৎ

the afternoon drifted on, the sunlight casting a soft glow through the curtains, creating a peaceful atmosphere in the room. harry had finally finished his snacks, and millie was still lying there, her head resting against the pillow, letting his fingers gently trace shapes on her stomach. the light chatter had faded, and now there was a quiet calm between them.

"you ever think about where you'll be in, like, five years?" harry asked, breaking the silence. his voice was casual, but there was a certain depth to it, like he was genuinely curious.

millie paused for a moment, her fingers stopping their motion on the blanket. she hadn't expected the question, but it made her think. "honestly, i don't know," she said, her voice soft. "i've always been so focused on the present, on what's right in front of me, that i haven't really thought about the future."

harry nodded, his eyes on her as she spoke. "i get that," he said. "sometimes it feels like the future is just this big unknown, and it's hard to plan for it when you're not sure what you want."

"yeah," millie agreed. "i mean, i love what we do, but sometimes it's hard to picture what comes next. i guess i've always just let things happen as they come."

"i think that's a good way to live," harry said, shifting a little on the bed, his bare chest catching the light. he reached for the drink on the bedside table, and as he took a sip, he knocked it over. the liquid spilled across his body, soaking his chest.

"well, that's one way to spill your drink," millie teased, her lips curling into a small smile. harry looked down at himself, laughing.

"brilliant," he said, wiping his chest with the back of his hand. "just what i needed."

millie chuckled, then let out a sigh. she shifted her position on the bed, stretching out her legs. "i think i'm gonna have to go home soon," she said, her tone light but with a hint of frustration. "i have no clean underwear left, and i've just been living out of tracksuits for the past week."

harry raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "you're telling me you've been wearing the same tracksuit for a week?"

"not the same one," millie corrected, laughing. "but yeah, pretty much. i'm running out of options, though. i've got to go home and do laundry."

"that's a vibe," harry said, smirking. "tracksuits for life."

"yeah, tracksuits and no clean underwear," millie replied, rolling her eyes playfully. "living the dream."

the conversation flowed easily, the banter light and comfortable. they didn't need to say much more; the quiet moments between them felt just as important as the words they shared.

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