Different 24 (Patreon)

Author's note: hello everyone, I just wanted to come on here and thank everyone who has recently joined! Here is a new chapter of different. Stay tuned for the next one cause it's going to get spicy and lot's of drama will be taking place.

word count: 2.0K

"What the fuck!" Y/N exclaimed as James leaped onto her, catching her off guard. She had just returned to campus from her pilates session and was engrossed in her homework at a café nearby when James startled her.

"Hey you!" James greeted her with a kiss on the cheek before settling into the chair beside her. "Sorry about that. What are you up to all alone here?" he inquired, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "Where's your lover?"

"Probably in class," Y/N replied, rolling her eyes as James reached for his laptop. He seemed eager to share something he had stumbled upon and recruit her into whatever scheme he had brewing. “He actually attends to his classes”.

"Rude. What are you drinking?" he asked, glancing up at the line forming at the counter.

"Matcha latte," she replied, taking a sip before turning her attention to whatever to James. “What’s going on?” Y/N inquired, curiosity piqued as James seemed unusually animated.

"Well, I've got an idea for all of us. Aren't you tired of the same old routine and going to class?" he asked, swiveling his laptop around to reveal an email he'd received. "I think it's time we went camping."

Y/N's eyes widened with surprise as she scanned the email. "Camping? Like, in the wilderness?"

"Exactly!" James grinned, clearly excited about the prospect. "Think about it: fresh air, no technology, just us and nature. It'll be like a little adventure."

Y/N hesitated, considering the idea. She'd never been much of an outdoorsy person, but the thought of spending time with her friends away from the hustle and bustle of daily life did sound appealing.

"I don't know, James," she said slowly, still uncertain. "Camping isn't really my thing."

"But it could be!" James persisted, leaning in eagerly. "Come on, it'll be fun. And besides, Sebastian is always talking about how much he misses camping. This could be a great opportunity for all of us to disconnect from the real world."

Y/N glanced at the laptop screen again, feeling torn. On one hand, the idea of escaping into nature sounded tempting. On the other hand, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease at the thought of leaving the comfort of civilization behind.

"I'll talk to Harry" she finally conceded, offering James a small smile. "But no promises."

“Fine!” James replied, undeterred "Ask him if Sarah can come too," James suggested.

"Oh, is this just an excuse to get some alone time with her?" Y/N teased, relishing the opportunity to tease her friend.

"Shut up," James retorted with a roll of his eyes, reaching over to take a sip of her matcha.

They lingered in the cozy cafe, attending to their emails and various tasks until lunchtime. When Harry finally texted her to say he'd finished class, Y/N greeted him with a smile as he approached. But her good mood faltered slightly when she noticed Ivy trailing behind him, wearing a broad grin. Y/N did her best not to let her annoyance show; Ivy hadn't done anything to directly threaten their relationship, but there was something about her presence that unsettled Y/N.

"Hi," Harry greeted Y/N with a kiss before turning to James and giving him a quick hug. He then swiftly fetched two chairs for their group.

"Hey, Y/N!" Ivy waved with a smile.

"Hey, how are you?" Y/N responded politely, though she harbored reservations about Ivy. Despite her feelings, Y/N remained composed, adhering to her principles of manners. With Harry sitting beside her, his hand resting reassuringly on her leg, Y/N felt a sense of calm and acknowledgment.

"Good," Y/N replied as she settled next to James.

"Do you remember Ivy? Harry's friend from high school?" Y/N asked James as she reintroduced them.

"Ex-girlfriend," Ivy chimed in, extending her hand to James, who looked at Y/N with widened eyes. Y/N and James exchanged shocked glances at Ivy's unexpected remark.

"Right. Nice to meet you," James politely said before redirecting his attention to Harry. Harry remained quiet, as though he hadn't heard James and Y/N's conversation. "How was class?"

"Boring," Harry replied. "I'm starving. Do you have a menu?" Y/N nodded and handed it to him.

"They only sell healthy stuff," James pointed out. "You know how your girlfriend is."

"Ugh, I would rather have a burger and feel guilty about it than eat grass," Ivy quipped to Harry, a hint of disdain in her tone as she glanced at the menu.

"I actually don't mind. I was thinking of going swimming later," Harry remarked casually, his attention still on the menu. Y/N let the comment pass, but that didn’t mean it didn’t go unnoticed by her.

"Tell Harry about my plan," James interjected, his eagerness palpable as he leaned forward to share his idea. Y/N shot him a look, silently urging him to reconsider. She knew that if they discussed their camping plans in front of Ivy, she might take it as an invitation to join them.

“James wants us all to go camping this weekend,” Y/N reluctantly divulged, bracing herself for Ivy's inevitable enthusiasm.

“Oh, fun! Can Ivy come?” Harry surprised Y/N with the question, causing her eyebrows to shoot up in surprise.

“Yeah,” Y/N replied, feeling a twinge of reluctance but not wanting to dampen Harry's enthusiasm. Ivy's excited squeak only reinforced Y/N's reservations. “Just tell Sarah and Mitch.”

“Oh, Sarah is coming?” Ivy inquired, her tone laced with uncertainty. “She and I don’t get along that well. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Sarah and I have grown close, as have James and her, so yes,” Y/N assure leaving no room for discussion or protest, though inwardly she braced herself for potential tension during the trip. However, she was glad that she had someone to talk with.

Harry gave Y/N a look noticing her stern tone, but she ignored it.

"Good. Should we leave on Friday at six? Just to make the most out of the day? Or do any of you have plans?" James posed the question as he rummaged through his belongings. "Do you have your dad’s tents here?"

"Crap. I think they might be home," Y/N admitted, earning a playful glance from James. "What? How was I supposed to know that we were going to be camping?"

"Always have to be prepared," James teased.

"We haven’t gone camping since we were freshmen in high school just so you could hook up with a bunch of girls," Y/N remarked with a smirk.

"Good times," James chuckled, eliciting a laugh from Y/N. "Do you think you can pick them up before Friday?"

"I think so," Y/N confirmed.

"We can make a date out of the day," Harry chimed in, glancing at Y/N with a smile that made her heart flutter. "I’ll go with you."

"Great! I am going to go tell Sebastian then. Maybe he’ll bring a girl or two, one for Mitch too," James remarked as he packed up his laptop. Harry chuckled, knowing well that Mitch was interested in Sarah and only had eyes for her. "Bye. Love you. Text me." With a kiss on the top of Y/N’s head, James bid farewell to the group and left.

“Goodness. He sure is a close friend, right?” Ivy commented to Y/N as she moved to the seat in front of her.

“James and Sebastian are practically Y/N’s brothers. They grew up together, and their mothers were very close long before they were even planned,” Harry explained, reaching for Y/N’s hand and pressing a kiss to it.

“Right,” Ivy nodded. “When are you going swimming? Maybe I can join?”

Harry scratched his neck, unsure of how to turn Ivy down. He genuinely wanted to spend some time alone with his girlfriend.

“I was actually thinking of swimming at Y/N’s apartment since I wanted to stay with her tonight,” he explained.

“Really?” Y/N chimed in with a big smile. “You're self-inviting to my apartment now?” she teased him, though she secretly enjoyed how comfortable he felt staying over whenever he pleased.

“Really,” Harry confirmed, smiling sheepishly with flushed cheeks.

"Right. Well, then I should get going. I have a few things to take care of," Ivy said, feeling a bit awkward and like a third wheel.

"See you," Y/N smiled and waved, subtly dismissing her before she could say or suggest something else. She didn’t like being mean, but she could tell that Ivy was trying to take her place. It was subtle, but Y/N had enough experience to recognize the signs.

"What's going on with you?" Harry asked, scooting closer to her. He could sense her unease caused by Ivy's presence, but he couldn't quite grasp the reason behind it.

"Nothing. What do you mean?" she responded, taking a sip from her drink and avoiding his gaze by focusing on her laptop screen.

"Are you jealous or something?" Harry inquired, observing her closely, trying to decipher her expressions and emotions.

"No," she replied, but Harry could sense that she wasn't being entirely truthful. Despite her denial, he maintained his silence, studying her carefully.

"I know what she wants, Harry. You might not see it, but I can. She wants you," she admitted, her voice tinged with concern.

"Please. We're just old friends. Don't you trust me?" Harry pleaded, hoping to reassure her and dispel any doubts she might have.

"I trust you, Harry, but I don't trust her," she confessed, her words hanging in the air as the waiter approached to take their lunch order.

Harry nodded, understanding her unease. "I can tell her not to come if that would make you feel more comfortable," he offered after they had placed their orders for soups and wraps.

"No, it's fine. She's your friend. I'll get over it," she replied, forcing a smile. "If you say there's nothing happening, then there's nothing happening." Despite her attempt to appear unaffected, Harry could sense her lingering doubts.

"What do you want to do today?" Harry inquired, shifting closer to her. "Besides swimming."

Y/N pondered for a moment. "Should we go to the movies or something? There's this horror film I've been wanting to see," she suggested, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

Harry grinned and nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan”

“How was your class anyway? Is it getting any better?"

"Sort of," he sighed, his expression clouding with uncertainty. "I just sometimes question if medicine is really what I want to do."

Y/N reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "I understand," she murmured sympathetically, offering him her support. "But I also can't imagine myself doing anything else," Harry confessed, his gaze distant as he contemplated his future.

Y/N offered him a reassuring smile. "I think it's just a rough patch. Things will eventually get more exciting," she reassured him, her words laced with encouragement. Harry nodded, leaning in to kiss her, but the nagging doubts persisted in his mind. He knew he had to persevere, to keep pushing forward in his studies to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor. The weight of expectations from his parents loomed large, driving him to pursue excellence and secure a better future for himself.

After lunch, they returned to her apartment. While Harry headed down to the pool for a few laps, Y/N stayed upstairs, feeling a pang of embarrassment as she surveyed the cluttered apartment. Unlike Harry, who was naturally organized, she struggled to keep things tidy, and the messiness of the apartment weighed on her mind. There were dishes to be washed, items to be put away, and clutter to be cleared, tasks she had been putting off for too long.

After finishing her cleaning spree, Y/N slipped into her bathing suit and made her way down to the pool. Harry was already on his tenth lap when she dove in, causing him to surface with a grin.

"Fancy meeting you here," he teased, wrapping his arms around her as she swam closer. "I thought you weren't going to come down."

Y/N simply smiled in response, brushing his locks away from his face before leaning in to meet his lips in a passionate kiss. The cool water surrounding them seemed to amplify the warmth of their connection, and for a moment, everything else faded away.