Gucci Suit || Narry au

11. [!]

He was so extra that he'd showed me what was in every cupboard in the kitchen, but his excuse was that I'd be coming back so it would be handy to know.

As you can imagine that made me die just a little bit. Okay, no, it was a lot.

Even more so when he called me cute for blushing and kissing my cheek over and over.

"He's shy? He doesn't seem that way, he's just, sort of, unfathomable most of the time at work. If not a little stern."

I glanced over my shoulder at her, to see that she'd turned the stool a little, so she was facing me more, still smiling like everything was perfect in the world, even when it so clearly wasn't.

I'd honestly expected someone much more depressed, or at the very least, less happy and content than she seemed. Her optimism was definitely admirable – she was obviously a very strong person, and I strangely envied it.

"He's one of the most timid people I know. When he was little, he'd spend all his time drawing and sewing by himself, even when his classmates would ask him to hang out with them, he'd always rather be by himself because it meant he didn't have to face people he didn't know,"

she shrugged, as I put a teabag in her mug and coffee granules in mine,

"I think from the business side of things, he likes to pretend he's angry and strict, but really, he's one of the most kind, gentle men I've ever known."

She seemed almost whimsical as she talked about her son, and I was mildly perplexed because she was telling me so much about him so quickly, but then again, depending on what Harry had told her about me, it may have been completely understandable.

Either that, or she just wanted to talk about him with someone who knew him personally, because he clearly meant a lot to her, and I knew she must be overwhelmingly proud of him.

"He is a lot more relaxed and normal than I thought he was from just seeing him at work, I must say." I chuckled a little, pouring the water into both mugs and stirring them as she laughed.

"I think his employees might have heart attacks if they knew what he was really like." She laughed as I handed her the mug, and she thanked me softly.

"You can say that again." I smiled as I sat down beside her, sipping from my mug and singeing my tongue a little.

I barely reacted to it – I burnt my tongue on coffee far too often.

She took a drink from her own mug, complimenting my tea-making skills before we fell into a strangely comfortable silence.

I'd been under the impression that this interaction would be weird and awkward, but it was the complete opposite. Maybe it was something in their genes that made them so easy to be around.

Yep, I was mentally fitting myself into their family dynamic already – way to go on not being psycho about this Niall.

"Anne, I have a weird question." I piped up, making her turn to look at me, her expression questioning but still infinitely kind.

"Yes sweetie?"

The fact that she'd already nicknamed me made my heart soar.

What in hell had Harry told her about me?

As much as I wanted to know exactly that, I had a completely different question I wanted to ask her. I inhaled deeply, holding it for a moment.

"Does Harry smile at you?"

She chuckled, setting down her mug of tea, her hands still wrapped around the porcelain.

"Of course he does,"