informed consent | short story + one shots

all the little things

Mia had been on her period and it stopped about two days ago, and so they both craved one another incredibly.

Summer was coming to and end and Mia and Harry moved in less than a week. It was so exciting, but it also meant the beginning of a new semester. Anxiety and pressure for the both of them, but especially for Mia. She already felt the small pit in her tummy but ignored it for now. As long as she could, she would.

She did realize that as the weeks went on, the more they had to think about.

There was furniture coming in and they had appointments at the bank to see about their finances and how they could save up as well as possible.

Mia had a job interview in a few days as well. Even if Harry tried to convince her not to, Mia felt like she needed a bit of an extra income. She had actually tried to work at the school library, but they only worked with volunteers and Mia did really need the money.

She searched for a little job which wouldn't require her to speak to too many people and eventually came across a job in a flower shop. She wouldn't be manning the desk or the cash register, but she'd be in the back creating bouquets. A few hours on Saturday morning. Mia would be by herself, surrounded by flowers. And even if the thought of doing a side job gave her plenty anxiety, it also sounded like a calming way to spend her time.

And today, she had therapy with Natalie. It had been a few weeks, with the holiday of Mia and Harry, and then Nat took some time off too.

But she craved a conversation with Natalie today. Mia had spent her summer in a way she never had before. She gave up all control and completely let loose – or at least to her standards. She gave up her agenda and hardly knew what day it was. She had never lived like this, but she liked this version of herself.

She knew though, once school started again and her responsibilities came back, she had to be done hiding. The whole entire thing had two sides. Mia thrived on structure but very quickly overworked herself. That spiked her anxiety and turned her into a mess. Harry was a hundred percent her coping mechanism but Mia would give everything to also feel secure on her own and not always have to rely on him or depend on him too much.

She spoke about it to Hazel, who tried to make it clear that it wasn't the healthiest thing. Mia and Harry adored one another, but Hazel warned her for the risk of near melting into one person. Mia was still Mia, and Harry was still Harry. It meant they had to still do their own thing and have their own time.

And Harry couldn't always help her, because Mia couldn't always open up. She was... complex like that. All throughout their relationship, Harry had to sometimes pry things out of Mia. She didn't often explain things, because plenty of times she couldn't really understand what she was feeling of thinking.

Mia lacked emotional maturity like that, because she was so neglected in her feelings and thoughts all throughout her life. She had lived her life thinking she was born to feel bad about herself all the time. To always be jittery and anxious and quiet. She was trying to find her voice, but it was hard when she didn't know what to say.

And so before Harry and Mia well and truly realized it, the planning had begun. Their shared agenda filled up quickly, with social activities – such as a goodbye party for Harry and one for Mia. They had appointments at furniture stores or decided to go to flea markets on certain days. They had an appointment at a shelter to go look for a cat.

Mia blinked as Harry returned from the bathroom, boxers and shirt on in case he ran into Taylor or Hazel. He had cleaned up a bit and jumped back into bed with Mia. She pouted as she tugged on his shirt meekly and Harry's dimple popped, "Off?" he questioned.