It's You [H.S.]

8.8 | Only you

*A/N: Trigger warning for a female health issue... It's relatively niche but could be upsetting for some. I'm keen to avoid spoilers, but please feel free to message me if you'd prefer more info before reading.

2nd July 2017

Harry and Eloise have been adjusting to a new normal, but feeling closer than ever.

After a spur of the moment decision, in need of a change of scenery,  Anne and Gemma arrived in Hampstead yesterday to stay through the weekend.

Michal drove over from their flat to join their lovely long walk, deep into the Heath, for a picnic yesterday afternoon, but left earlier this morning to play football.

After a slow start, they're gathered in the kitchen, chatting, with the radio on in the background.

Harry has been rapping his mum playfully over the knuckles each time she tries to lift a finger or interfere with his dutiful work, prepping for a Sunday roast.

"Don't make me throw you out of my kitchen!", he warns sassily. "If you insist on making yourself helpful, why don't you grab a bottle of red from the top shelf in the wine cellar?".

>

When Anne quickly returns, placing two bottles on the marble island, he raises an eyebrow at her.

"What? It looks good... And it's after twelve!", she shrugs with a grin, stepping to his bar cabinet to fetch the corkscrew and wine glasses.

She stretches and wiggles her fingertips but can't quite reach them off their high shelf.

With a dejected huff she nudges her hip playfully into Eloise's, where she stands leaning back against the counter, staring distractedly through the patio doors into the garden.

"Hmm? Sorry", she snaps out of it and turns to her.

Seeing Anne nod up to the shelf with a sheepish grin, she smiles and pivots, shuffling closer.

Eloise's extra few inches make the difference and she successfully wraps her fingers around the base of one of the delicate stems. Stretching up on to her tip toes, she suddenly gasps.

In a flash, the fine crystal glass slips from her grasp and she fumbles, trying to avoid it hitting the marble work top.

But she's too slow and the thin stem, sheered off jaggedly near the base, ricochets and catches the side of her palm.

As Anne cries out in shock and flinches away, Eloise's sharp hiss pierces through the noise of the delicate crystal smashing.

It cuts Harry's laughter-laden shout of "Oh, for fuck's sake!" short, and he drops his knife with a clatter to dash over to her.

Grasping her left arm at the elbow, he tugs her back from the broken glass and leads her over to the sink, "Quick, let me see...".

Reaching to turn on the cold tap, he's close enough to hear the deliberately slow and shaky breath she blows out through pursed lips.

Cutting his eyes to her, he sees she's wincing with her eyes screwed shut. Knowing she isn't squeamish about blood, he scans lower and notices her unusually hunched posture, leaning forward slightly with her right arm held tightly against her hip.

"Shit, baby...", he feels her flinch as he presses a large warm hand to the small of her back. "Still bothering you?", he whispers lowly in her ear as he rinses off her hand and peers closer to check for any shards of glass.

At her silent nod, he addresses the others as he wraps her palm loosely with a paper towel. "It's a clean slice but I'm going to find something upstairs to dress it. Can one of you just put the beef in when the oven beeps?". He tugs her gently towards the stairs, "Come on, clumsy".