The Girl With the Rose

Five

"Is this okay?" Harry asks nervously, pulling at the bottom of his light grey sweater. "Is this, like, too casual? I don't know where he's taking me, but-"

"You look lovely, H," Gemma reaches up and gently fixes the headscarf in his hair. She has that sisterly way of doing everything out of care and knowingness. "Really, stop fussing so much. You look beautiful."

"Are you sure?" Harry pouts.

"Doesn't Mummy look pretty, Lennon?" Gemma points toward Harry, who's still pouting. Lennon looks up, not at Gemma or Harry, but in their direction.

"Pretty, Mummy," Lennon croons before going back to playing with her blocks. That's when Harry looks down and blushes. Lennon's opinion is the only one that matters, even if she might have just been repeating her Auntie.

The doorbell rings. Harry feels like he's going to collapse. He's so nervous, he's always been an anxious person.

"You've got this, bub!" Gemma cheers softly, pumping her fist in the air before walking over to Lennon. Harry exhales, wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans, and opens the door.

"Wow," Louis exhales. He's dressed in a brown leather jacket over a white t-shirt, black jeans on the bottom. He's holding a bouquet of roses. "I mean, uh, hi. Sorry, I'm super nervous. My sister practically shoved me out the door. I, uh, brought you roses."

"They're beautiful," Harry says softly, blushing at his timid tone. "Let me put these in some water, do you, um, want to come in for a minute? My sister and Lennon are here, sorry."

"You've gotten closer than you probably wanted to with my sister," Louis shrugs. "Might as well meet yours." Harry giggles softly at that, and he steps further into the house.

"Gemma, this is Louis," Harry says, voice shaking slightly as Louis steps into the house. Louis looks around, observing the many, many pictures on the walls. Pictures of Harry laying in a hospital bed, a bundle in his arms as he looks at the camera, teary-eyed and beaming. Pictures of Harry and his sister together, some with Lennon as well. Pictures of Lennon as a tiny toddler, dressed in little matching outfits and sitting on the grass of the back garden.

"Lovely to meet you, Louis," Gemma says, her nails blue like Lennon's as she shakes Louis' hand. "Let's skip the nice introductions–hurt my brother and I'll choke you with my own two hands."

"Gemma," Harry whines exasperatedly. Louis just smirks at Gemma, glancing over to Harry.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Louis says seriously, eyes wandering over to Lennon. He smiles softly at the sight of her.

"Gemma, could you put these in some water for me please?" Harry asks shyly, blushing as Gemma raises her eyebrows at the flowers.

"Sure," She takes the flowers from Harry, winking at Louis before walking into the kitchen. "Have fun, boys!"

"Bye, baby," Harry says in Lennon's direction. She doesn't look at him, but he can tell she hears him.

"Oh dear," Lennon replies. "Buh-bye, Mummy."

♛

"The beach," Harry says surprisedly as they pull into a parking lot, the ocean suddenly in front of them. The parking lot is completely empty, and so is the beach.

"I'm not a fancy dinner kind of guy," Louis sighs, seemingly upset with himself. "I'm sorry. You probably expected more, but I want to get to know you and I figured we could go to a place we could, like, just talk."

"No, no, Louis," Harry soothes. "It's lovely, that's a lovely idea."

Louis smiles timidly, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the car door. Harry does the same, both of them getting out and walking toward the beach. Harry shivers slightly, wrapping his arms around himself as the cool breeze hits him.