This is part 2 of a double update.
French translations in the comments x
****
| MICKAYLA |
Sunday 30th April, 2023
"Well that was a complete waste of time and money." I huff under Harry's arm as we saunter away from the lamaze class we just spent an hour at, "Eighty-quid to teach me how to breathe. Ridiculous."
Harry laughs loudly, my attention on his head thrown back and dimples popping. If he wasn't wearing his sunnies, I'd be able to see his eyes crinkle all cutely.
"I'm so serious, Jagger." I can't help but chuckle as well, even if I am annoyed, "No more baby classes. All they've taught us is things we already know from the books, and things we could find out by watching a YouTube tutorial or something. They've all been practically pointless, aside from the first aid one last week."
"But you had so much fun putting nappies on the practice dolls." He teases while grinning amusedly, "Watching you and that blonde lady enter an unspoken race to see who could do it the best and quickest was brilliant, too."
"Ugh, do not talk to me about that cow." I grumble, the mention of my new archnemesis pissing me off even more. I'm quick to screw my face up, "Hi, my name's Claire. I'm vegan and I'm judging all of you fuckers that aren't. My carbon footprint is practically zero, and I'll be eating my placenta, too." I blow a raspberry sound as Harry laughs at my impression, "Surely there's a contradiction in being a vegan and eating your placenta, right?"
He chuckles and nods, "I'm with you on that one, babe. I'm also with you on going to no more classes. Dr. A suggested we try them out, which we have done, so that's that. We're pretty much prepared now. Just need to see her next week to talk through the birth plan a little more with her and the midwife, and then we're golden."
Harry agreeing with me comes as no surprise. I know he isn't just doing such a thing to make me happy, but because he truly does agree with me.
I've voiced my concern about that sort of thing before, which he's quashed. I have nothing to worry about. We both just so happen to want the same things.
Tipping my head back a little, I give him a kiss and a smile, "We're golden, that's right. Thank you, sunshine boy."
"Anytime, riot girl."
"So what's our plans now?" I ask, the pair of us coming up to the main shopping area of Hampstead. The sun is shining and the weather is warm. Spring is in full swing with summer on the horizon, and everything looks so pretty, "Wanna get some picnic food and head back to the Heath?"
We spent the morning there, with our Sunday habit of going for a swim at the ponds now back thanks to the season. Well, Harry went for a swim. I sat cross-legged on the edge; both of us a little wary about me going in in case of any bacteria that could be bad for the baby.
I didn't mind sitting on the sidelines at all. How could I complain watching his buff and beautiful body cut through the water before coming out of it glistening like a God?
Harry gives me a grin and a shake of his head, "I was thinking we do something else."
"Music session?"
While swimming at the Heath is an old and now revisited tradition of ours, music sessions in the Styles-Addams household is a new one.
It's something that began four weeks ago when I found out that Harry could actually sing, and it's continued on over the last almost month. I've asked him to serenade me with a song almost every day since, which he's happily obliged, but he hasn't just used his voice as an instrument.
Harry has been very taken with his piano, playing tunes on it daily. They've been mostly covers of classics or tracks from the LP he made me, but they've all been beautiful and magical to hear and pay witness to. He's incredible.
I was also introduced to his guitar expertise, too. The first ever one he bought - a plain black acoustic that he showed me on the house tour he gave me way back when - has been played regularly; with Harry strumming it alongside a record playing or freestyling a rhythm.
The first time I saw him tinkering with it was outside on the wicker sofa by the freshly planted peonies, and my heart filled with so much joy and giddiness. The Beatles' Here Comes The Sun was his song choice. I just sat back and watched a master at work, smiling to myself at the irony of the sun singing about the sun.
I followed the performance up with applause that made Harry blush, and then a reminder of the comment he made about that guitar the first time I saw it which made him laugh. Harry said then that it hadn't been touched in a while, much like its owner.
That had obviously long since changed, and we made sure it stayed that way. Harry set the instrument aside and then I got to touching, my hands all over his body as he sat all manspread and smirky while muttering all manner of dirty things that had my panties soaked.
Thinking about that now has my underwear heading a similar way. Harry's cheeky smile and another head shake keeps my horny mind from spiralling too much, though.
"No music session today."
I cock a brow and grin, now well into this being a fun little guessing game, "Sarah and Mitch's? Your Mum's? Elin and Ariza's? Gemma and Pauli's?"
We've spent some time at each of our loved one's homes these last couple of weeks. Family night is usually reserved for Wednesday's, but a few extra hang out sessions were necessary for certain reasons.
At Sarah and Mitch's, Harry and I spent a good chunk of our visit with Bella. The last time we saw her was at the dinner party we threw all those weeks ago, so seeing her sweet and sassy self was lots of fun.
Bella was very happy to see us, too. She was more hyperactive than usual because of it, the poor babe tiring us out as much as herself until she ended up crashing out while clung onto Harry like a koala; which is when we got to telling her parents all about our purpose for visiting.
"Mickayla and I..." Harry spoke up softly, being careful not to wake Bella, "As a thank you for all that you've both done for us, and because we see and can only dream of being as good at parenting as you both are... we'd like to ask if you would do us the honour of being our baby girl's godparents."
The couple were beside themselves with emotion, quickly nodding and quietly crying as they told us yes, they'd be truly honoured. I didn't doubt for a second that they'd say no, but nevertheless it was nice to hear and a joy to see.
Over at Anne's, it was an absolute treat to be in her company like it always is. Harry and I made the drive to Richmond in his Ferrari, with Sir Duke cuddled up in my lap. We always bring him whenever we go to her home so he can see his bestie Dusty.
The two fur angels got to catching up while the three of us spent some time out in the garden. His Mum needed some help getting her new greenhouse set up, so Harry assisted with the heavy lifting and I. alongside Anne, did the lighter duties of potting some new plants.
She cooed over us both as well as she did Peanut, later on fixing us up with a Sunday roast. My belly had never felt more full and I ended up sleeping away the entire ride back home because of it; waking up in bed thanks to Harry carrying me from the car to it.
Visiting Elin and Ariza meant we needed to take two cars - one being my Jaguar, and the other being Ariza's. Harry had purchased for him the exact same vehicle only his was bottle green; the colour he wanted.
Harry and I stood outside of their flat, and he honked a few times until Elin came to the window. We saw her jaw drop with shock before it quickly started talking, no doubt telling Ariza to go outside considering that's what ended up happening.
They both came out, and the two men were quick to hug after Elin picked her sobbing boyfriend up off of the pavement. She and I watched them have their sweet moment where they both thanked each other over and over again; Harry for all of Ariza's hard work and friendship, and Ariza for the same with the added detail of his dream wheels.
On Wednesday - the night typically set out for family time - Pauli and Gemma had us all over for a belated flat warming party. It was very lowkey and full of laughter.
The pair of them filled us all in on the trials and tribulations of two single people living together. Gemma had yet another disastrous date, and Pauli has a big crush on his lesbian co-worker. The duo are going through it, but they're happy under the same roof and having lots of fun.
Throughout all of these visits, Harry and I have kept Baby Riot's name a secret. No one knows about Stevie Soleil, and no one has asked. I honestly think they've all, like I did, forgotten that she's due a real name and not one of the hundred nicknames we've coined for her, instead.
Harry looks to be enjoying the guessing game as well. He now smugly smiles and shakes his head again, "We're not going to any of their homes, no."
"What about ours?" I try, a teasing smirk on my lips as I wiggle my brows, "Wanna go home and do the no pants dance?"
He laughs loudly again, his tummy behind his brown Adidas sweatshirt shaking, "Mickayla, it's one-thirty in the afternoon."
"What's your point?"
"My point is that you're insatiable." Harry says with a breathy laugh, "You told me earlier on that you were experiencing abdominal pressure, and now you wanna have sex?"
I shrug with a lazy smile, "It's gone away."
"You ended up spotting after we had sex last time."
"That's normal."
"You've got an answer for everything, don't you?"
"Mhm. Especially when it comes to us fucking."
"Your sex drive is gonna be the death of me, I swear to God." He grins after giving his bottom lip a lick, "Didn't Dr. Anderson say that your libido would ebb and flow?"
I now breathe a laugh, understanding that he's implying that there's been no ebb, and shrug again, "I'm a medical marvel, I guess."
"You're a horny little shit is what you are." He chuckles, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose, "No to the no pants dance." Harry's eyes widen as he realises what he's said, "I take that back. We can tonight."
"Fabulous. I'll pencil you in my diary. Dick appointment at nine p.m."
His laughter encourages my own while his hand holding my own over my shoulder gives it a squeeze, "Comment as-tu trouvé ça, fille anti-émeute ? Dieu que je t'aime."
"If we're not fucking until later on, you can't be speaking in French." I protest with a pout, "You know fine well what that does to me. It's not fair."
Harry ducks and tilts his navy baseball cap-covered head until the peak taps my forehead, his smirking lips hovering over my frowning pair, "Je m'excuse, ma chérie. S'il te plaît, pardonne-moi. Je ferai n'importe quoi pour ton pardon."
"Right, that does it!" I'm slipping out from under his arm and storming off, the sound of him cackling in my shadow, "I'm going home and I'm taking back Sunset!"
A soap-opera style gasp cuts off his laughter. I'd bet anything Harry is clutching his pearls, too.
"You are not!"
I turn on my heel to give him a menacing grin as he gives me a dropped jaw, "Watch me."
Spinning back around, I attempt to run. That's not an easy thing to do when you're thirty-seven weeks knocked-up, though.
Even if I wasn't, I'd be no match for Harry. His athleticism is unmatched, and he proves it by overtaking and stopping in front of me in less than three seconds.
He smirks cockily at me now scowling at him, "Watch you do what?"
"This." I flip him off with a sarcastic smile that only makes Harry grin and giggle, continuing to walk forward as he walks backwards.
"Naughty mama. That's rude."
"So is speaking French in an attempt to turn your almost nine months pregnant girlfriend on."
"Attempt? You mean achieve, right?"
"Harry!" I complain through gritted teeth, which only amuses him more.
He looks to be apologetic, though; the emotion shown through his sympathetic eyes and sunny smile, "I'm sorry. Truly. I won't do it anymore unless we're able or about to get it on."
I feel myself softening up already, loving him too much to stay mad at him for too long, "Promise?"
Crossing his heart with his index finger, Harry nods, "Promise. Please don't take Sunset away."
The artwork of my sleeping sweetheart that I originally planned on giving him for Christmas is one he's now seen. Harry knew all about Sunrise, but Sunset was a surprise; one that he absolutely loved.
He was reading on the sofa when I presented him with the painting. I don't know why I decided on gifting it to him there and then, or why I hadn't gifted it sooner, but those details don't matter. The only one that does was his reaction.
Harry gasped so delicately upon looking at the piece I created of him after he passed out post-walk that ended with him carrying me home. He zonked out on the bed at my old place still dressed in his puffer jacket, beanie and trainers after climbing on top of me, pressing his cold red lips to the tip of my equally cold red nose a double dozen times and rolling off onto the mattress.
I remember every detail of that day perfectly, as I have done all of our sober ones. I managed to perfectly capture that specific moment onto the canvas, too.
The way he fell asleep smiling. The way his face was so soft and serene, with not a care or worry in the world as he had sunk into the land of REM. The way his curls poked out from under his pink woolly hat. The way the golden winter glow that shone on him through the window painted someone so pretty in such a pretty light. The way the sun was setting outside as it had done in our bed, too.
Harry peppered my face with countless kisses after he spent some teary moments staring at the canvas in complete awe. He complimented my art over and over again like he always does, telling me how proud he is of not only me, but that he's mine.
I smile at what's mine just now as I stop in my tracks, beckoning him with my index finger to come forward. Harry does so in an instant: the pair of us magnets that will forever attract.
He stops by my feet and smiles down at me smiling up at him. I slide my hands to link around the back of his neck, a gentle sigh leaving his lips from my touch.
"Sunset is all yours, baby. I won't take it from you. I never could."
Harry grins at me now, tilting and ducking his head until his lips ghost mine once more, "And I'm all yours."
"Mm, yes you are."
Closing the gap between us, I kiss Harry as feverishly as he kisses me. Neither of us have ever cared about PDA before, and we aren't about to start now.
His hands come to rest on the small of my back, fingertips touching the top of my ass. Mine mindlessly play with the hair at his nape that peaks out from under his cap; our lips transitioning from wrapping around one another's to parting instead.
Harry dips his tongue into my mouth, stroking it along my own in a lustfully lazy way that makes me see stars behind my closed eyes. My whole body tingles from the feeling, and I want him to experience that, too.
Moving my own against his makes a grunt leave his chest, and his cock in his brown matching sweatpant shorts grow hard. I smugly smile into the embrace; happy with my work.
I'm the one to pull away first, though, which seems to surprise Harry. With peachy cheeks, dark eyes and glossy lips, he looks baffled that I've stopped, and it makes my laugh.
"I might be a horny little shit, but you said no sex until tonight." I answer his silent question while cleaning up the lipgloss I've left on his mouth, "Us kissing like that always leads us in that direction."
He laughs lightly while nodding in agreement, but both things stop as quickly as they started. Realisation of something seems to have dawned, and it has Harry giving me squinted eyes of suspicion.
"You just wanted to get me as riled up as you are, didn't you?"
I shake my head with an exaggerated expression of innocence and faux offence, "I would never do that. That really would make me a naughty mama."
"Good luck."
I'm giggling now while batting my lashes, "And what do I need good luck for, hm?"
"Your dick appointment tonight at nine p.m." Harry hums, his smirk and stare lethal in the way I love so much.
A full body shudder rushes through me, but I play it off with a cocky smile and a shrug, "Can't wait. I should probably get my energy up for it, right?"
We start walking again hand-in-hand this time, with Harry no longer in dom mode as he chuckles again, "I love how you always find a way to bring any situation back to food."
"A gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do."
Five minutes later, Harry is holding the door to a café open for me. I walk in first and he follows, the establishment cute, cosy and quiet.
"You wanna sit in or take it away?" He asks me as we approach the counter, only one person ahead of us in the queue.
"We can take it away on our walk to wherever and whatever it is you've got planned."
Harry grins and nods, "The usual?"
"Yes, please."
A brunette and pink-haired barista finishes serving the person in front before turning to us with a smile. I look at their green stripy apron and the name badge pinned to it, reading Aimee and she/her pronouns.
She doesn't look at me, though. Her big blue eyes are instead blinking rapidly at Harry.
"H-Hi." She stammers, her face going red upon Harry giving her a polite and pleasant smile, "What can I get you?"
"Hello. Two decaf teas, a mozzarella and pesto panini and a slice of carrot cake to take away, please and thank you." He rattles off the order, the only thing on it for him being one of the teas. I'll share with him like I often do.
Aimee taps all the appropriate buttons on the till, clearing her throat that I just know is dry as hell while gawking at Harry, "That'll be £15. Cash or card?"
He pulls his phone from his pocket with a smile, "Card, please."
He taps, the payment goes through, and Aimee grins. A sudden burst of flirtatious confidence has miraculously conjured up within her, and now she's batting her lashes and all but twirling her hair.
"Coming right up."
Harry, none the wiser to what he's doing to the poor girl, simply starts whistling as we wait. I can't help but scoff with laughter; the whole situation massively amusing as much as it is mildly annoying.
The noise I make pulls his attention my way, a intrigued expression all over his pretty face, "Something funny, love?"
"I'll tell you outside." I say, giving a knowing look towards a very flustered Aimee who keeps giving sneaky ones to Harry.
He's clueless to both glances, but shrugs and nods nonetheless, "Okie dokie."
His whistling resumes, and I smile while staring at the barista. I'd put her at twenty-two, twenty-three maximum, and she's pretty. There's an edginess to her style that I like.
But what I don't like is her disregarding my existence to look at my man knowing fine well that he's my man. It's rude.
I could be petty, because I've been there and done that kind of shit before. I could stick my tongue down his throat, make a wild innuendo-like comment about our sex life, or tell him I love him, but there's no need.
Sure it might be entertaining, but it also comes across as though I don't trust him. Harry would suss it out, or I'd just straight up tell him what I was playing at, and that can get weird. We're possessive enough with each other in a healthy way. I don't need to mark my territory when I already know he's forever mine.
Aimee hands us our order, or rather she hands it to Harry. He'd have taken it from me anyway, but that's besides the point.
With the two takeout cups in one hand and the toasted panini and carrot cake in its respective box and bag in the other, Harry gives the barista one final polite smile, "Thank you. Have a good day."
Now she actually does start twirling her hair, and she's giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush. I get it, I really do.
"You too, sir."
Before I can stop it from happening, I'm bursting out into loud laughter. Aimee's brow furrows as she finally registers my existence, and I feel Harry staring at me in complete confusion.
I press my fingers over my mouth to stop the giggles, the pair of us walking out of the café. Harry, with a furrowed face of perplexity, uses his elbow to push the door open; nudging his head for me to go first. Even with full hands he's still a gent.
The second we're outside, I'm taking my tea, panini and cake from Harry. He stares at me like I'm a criminal; eyes squinted as he tries to suss out the reason for my laughter and what I said I'd tell him soon.
"Out with it, riot girl." He huffs, fighting a smile that's threatening the corners of his heart-shaped lips, "What's got you cackling like a witch?"
We start walking again as I open my panini box to dig in, the hot sandwich soon hovering by my smirking mouth, "You really have no idea, do you?"
"No idea about what?"
"About the barista who's heart you just stole."
"Huh?"
I can't help but laugh again, because he really is clueless. Even after telling Harry what just happened he's still unaware. His ignorance is adorable.
"Harry babe, Aimee was sending you fuck-me eyes. You had the girl twirling her hair, blushing and giggling. If she was lying down, you can bet your peachy arse she'd have been kicking her feet, too."
He doesn't buy it, shaking his head while I take a bite of my food, "No way."
"Yes way." I mumble, chewing and swallowing with a snicker following, "It's not a bad thing, baby. You're a beauty. Of course people are gonna fancy the pants off of you. It only becomes bad if you, well, you know..."
I don't need to go into detail on what I mean, nor do I want to. Harry knows, and he looks as guilty as I now feel for bringing it up.
"That's never gonna happen again. Please tell me you know that."
"Of course. I trust you. I love you." I reply quickly and honestly, reaching up to give his cheek a kiss. I smile at him now smiling at me, "I didn't bring up what just happened to bring up what happened in the past. I just did it because I find it cute that you don't see how attractive you are, and you're completely oblivious to the other people that also see it and show you they feel that way about you, too."
Harry's smile grows a little bit more. As does the rosiness of his cheeks, "Well I don't care about what other people see or want to show me. I only wanna be flirted with by you."
I can't help but think about Dana now. I don't think of that horrible night, but all of the occasions where she flirted her tits off to Harry and he was so unaware of it.
The reason for that I now know, because he's just told me. Sunshine boy only ever wanted to have riot girl make eyes at him.
Giving Harry a kiss on the lips this time, I pull back and find him smiling dopily as he stares at me in a dreamy sort of way, "And that's exactly what you'll always get, baby."
"I mean it, Micki." He sternly states, his tone catching me by surprise as much as his 'not fucking around face' does, "It's me and you. I'll show you that if that's what you need from me, darling."
Another full body tingle takes over, this one stronger than the first. I let it happen, forgetting all about our self-imposed sex schedule because I want him now. I need him now.
"Yeah? How so?"
Harry brings us to a sharp stop beneath an oak tree, the shaded area cool. He looks down at me looking up at him, both of us smirking at one another now. My back is pressed against the trunk, and his stomach is pressed against my own.
"Remember what happened in the studio after Cillian flirted with you?"
"Mhm."
"That, except I'll be the one proving myself to you this time."
The memory mixing with this moment has me shivering and smirking harder, "You gonna let me claim you as mine like you claimed me as yours?"
"You already have, ma chérie." He hums, voice all rugged and rich as he smirks cheekily, "But you can do it every day until my last if that'd make you happy."
"That would make me very happy, yeah. Nothing wrong with a little possessiveness, right?"
"I hope not, otherwise I'm fucked for some of the thoughts I've had about you."
His admission makes me grin broadly, "Mm, do tell."
Plucking my food from my hand, Harry slides both items into my tote bag that he carries on his shoulder. His free hand not holding his cup of tea comes to rest against the bark above my head; my empty one toying with the hem of his sweatshirt.
His breath falters as I dip my fingers beneath it and touch his bare skin. I know his eyes behind his shades are darkening, too. I'm teasing his ferns and happy trail; two of his many sensitive spots.
"In my mind, you've been mine and only mine from the moment we met." He tells me, and his honesty is making me happy as much as it's making me horny, "That was definitely an inappropriate outlook given we were just friends..." He mocks the word we stupidly referred to ourselves as for so long, which makes me giggle, "but that was just how I felt. You were, and still obviously are, carrying our baby. That meant and means that I've marked my territory, even if it was, and still is, a backwards way of thinking. Anyone who attempts to try it on with you needs to fuck off and leave you, my girl, alone."
My thighs are pressed together tightly now, the tingle in my cunt almost unbearable. The urge to rip Harry's clothes off and for us to have our way with each other here and now is real.
"Well... you're not fucked for thinking all of those things." I tell him with a taunting smile, bringing my mouth to his jawline covered in stubble that I nip with my teeth, "But you will be tonight."
I hear a small whimper that's followed by a chuckle, the sight of his beaming smile seen now that I've pulled back, "That was smooth."
"I can't help it, it's just so effortless." I tease, earning another laugh from Harry, "Can I have my food back, please? I'm famished."
He retrieves the box and bag with a grin and hands them both back to me, "My apologies, Micki love. I completely forgot that you've only had two breakfasts, a snack, brunch and lunch number one today. Of course you're starving."
"Stevie steals all of it!" I exclaim as we step away from the tree and continue our journey to god knows where, "She needs it to shine!"
"Did she tell you so herself?"
"Mhm. You'd better listen to her. She's a riot."
Harry tosses his arm back over my shoulder as I dig in to eat, and he gives me a loving smile followed by a loving kiss to my temple, "Just like her mama."
I finish eating my panini a few minutes later after giving Harry the last quarter. He knows not to fight me when I offer to share my food with him, so he takes it with a thank you.
My carrot cake is something I split with him evenly, the pair of us munching that between sips of tea as he walks us along the sunny streets of Hampstead. We're close to my old flat, and my mind goes to thinking that we're going to Jin Kichi for more food.
Harry stops us abruptly now, which makes me look at him with wide eyes of curiosity. He slips his arm from around my shoulder and swallows the last of his tea, tossing my empty cup along with his and the other rubbish into a nearby bin while giving me a cheesy grin.
"Close your eyes, please."
"Why?"
Harry mimics zipping his lips, which makes me giggle. It takes me back to doing the same motion at him countless times; the beginning one being a drunken journey after meeting his Mum and sister for the first time.
I concede with a sigh and a smile, feeling reminiscent of all the occasions one of us has been told to shut our eyes in the name of giving a surprise. The Wet Leg concert comes to mind, with Harry's eyes closing upon my instruction and threat to blindfold him.
"You'd better not make me walk into anything, Jagger. Stevie and I will both be pissed if you get bump bumped."
Harry comes to stand behind me, his large hands gripping the tops of my shoulders. He presses a kiss to my lobe, but doesn't say a word. He's sticking with his zipped-up mouth schtick, and honestly I admire the commitment.
I also trust him entirely. When I say it, I mean it. I've never felt safer with anybody in my life, so Harry guiding me to walk with my eyes closed isn't a problem at all. I imagine other people walking by might think we look crazy, but I don't give a shit about them. We are crazy. Crazy in love.
Despite knowing he won't spill his surprise, I still probe him for answers. I don't know how many guesses I make, or how many minutes pass of me shuffling forward with Harry's eyes acting as my own, but I do know that I'm excited. The butterflies in my belly are going crazy, and my heart is thudding hard with anticipation.
Harry stops us again, but this time it's not abrupt. I can sense him grinning as he was before, and I just know he's excited as I am about whatever this is.
He lets go of my shoulders but stays behind me, his hands falling to cradle bump as mine come to rest on top of his. I feel his smile against my cheek as he presses his own against it.
"Alright." He whispers, his voice heard for the first time in far too long sending sparks up my spine, "Open those honey eyes for me, ma chérie."
I do just that, grinning hard while my eyelids flutter open. They're quick to widen, and my jaw is even quicker to drop at what I see before me.
Where Harry has brought me to is the vacant building I've dreamt of owning one day. The very same one I brought him to after our drunken dinner at Jin Kichi in June.
What we're doing here now, I don't understand. My reaction of shock stems from that; this being the last place I ever expected to be brought to.
"My gallery?" I murmur, my mind going a million miles an hour.
Harry nods and hums against my lobe, "Exactly. Your gallery."
I blink a few times, convinced I'm hearing him wrong because there's no way. There's no fucking way he means what I think he means.
Turning in his arms, Harry pulls back to stand tall. His hands come to rest on the bottom of my back while my own stay on bump; his mouth stretched into a wide smile while mine opens and closes repeatedly like a fish.
I pull myself together as best as I can, shaking my head literally and mentally, "I'm gonna need you to spell it out for me, Harry babe, 'cause my head is spinning with a certain possibility that just can't be true."
"Oh, but it is, Micki love." He hums, pulling me as closely to him as he physically can, his eyes bright and dancing between my own, "This is your gallery. Literally. I bought it for you using the money from the surrogacy check."
Tears fill my eyes fast, and I'm blinking them away while breathily laughing in a state of disbelief, "No you fucking didn't."
"Yes I fucking did." He smirks and snickers, "You wanna take a look inside?"
I'm nodding fast and giddily, which earns me a sweet chuckle and a swift kiss. Harry steps back and takes my hand, guiding me towards the building made of white brick walls and large gleaming windows.
He stops us outside the glass door, using his spare hand to fish through the pockets of his shorts. A bunch of keys are produced, the cluster not belonging to our home and tied with a red ribbon.
Harry rifles through the set until he finds the one he's looking for, and then offers it to me with a wink, "Do the honours?"
I sob a laugh and take them without hesitating, my hands trembling with excitement. It takes a few attempts for me to get the key in the lock, which makes us both laugh. I'm forever struggling.
The sound of the snib signalling an unlocked door makes us both grin wider. I push the door handle down before pushing the door open; the scent of cleaning products hitting my senses.
We walk in together in silence as I take in the space. I'd been inside once years ago when it was a bookstore, but the owner relocated to a different spot. This building has been vacant and up for sale for quite some time, but I can still smell books amongst lemon and bleach.
The entrance room we're in is one big square area with white painted walls, high ceilings and wooden beams, oak flooring, a few columns that reach from ground to roof, and lots of natural light thanks to the windows behind us. There's a square counter in the centre of the room, one with a flap to give you access to stand in the middle of it, and a few archways on our left and right that lead to smaller rooms and a staff only area, too.
For the longest time I've had the vision of what this place can look like once I've got it done up and decorated with my art work.
Seeing three of my pieces already here brings not only that vision to life, but a flood for tears to my eyes.
Every wall is empty with the exception of the back one. Hung up on it are Sunset, Sunrise and Sunshine Boy; the latter the piece I painted after Harry's help with the 'Devotion' prompt, and the one he accompanied me to drop off for the client.
I'm untangling our fingers and walking towards the trio of art on my own, caught up in a daze to see them all here but especially Sunshine Boy. It sits between Sunrise and Sunset; looking right at home.
Harry follows behind me, though. I can feel his presence. I can feel his smile. I can feel his love.
"I told you I was tempted to offer you double what the client was gonna pay you for it." He speaks softly, coming to a standstill by my side as I stop and stare at the painting, "You said no, as was your right, but the person you painted it for didn't. They loved it, so don't be thinking otherwise, but after I explained the sentimentality behind it, they were happy to let it go knowing it was going to its rightful owner. Me."
His explanation makes me giggle, and I'm turning to look at him with a taunting head shake, "And you brought it here along with Sunrise and Sunset?"
"I did. Snuck them out of the house on Friday morning and hung them up after work before coming home. Thought that this way, with them here, you've got me with you when you come to work. Don't want you to miss me too much, riot girl."
I'm giggling again at Harry's sweet suggestion, "You remembered their address from the drop-off day, didn't you?"
"Mhm. I was always gonna bring Sunshine Boy home. Was just a matter of when." He grins and shrugs.
"And a matter of why." I retort, totally overwhelmed by everything that's happening right now, "I didn't think you loved this piece that much..."
"I love all of your art, Micki love." Harry hums, fingers coming up to tuck my hair behind my ears as he smiles at me, "You're the world's best artist, I've told you that a million times, but Sunshine Boy is a special one. We worked on it together, remember?"
"I could never forget. You wanted a percentage of the profits for inspiring it."
"I ended up profiting way more." He grins, his stare so soft and sweet, "That whole moment of us spitballing ideas... I opened up. I gave those lyrics over to you so freely when I'd never done that before for anyone, and that's when I knew."
"Knew what?"
"That the hole in my heart was gone, because you'd made it feel like there never was one there at all."
Harry's admission has my breath hitching, my own heart going so fast while feeling so full. I'm still crying. I'm still smiling. I'm still dreaming, I think.
Harry roams his pretty eyes all over my face, his own grin wide and wonderful, "I'd like to apologise in case you think I've overstepped any boundaries by making such a big purchase of buying the gallery, one that was your dream that you had planned out. I wanted to tell you, but I also got carried away with the idea of this big romantic ges-"
Silencing Harry with a kiss steals his words and his breath. I hear it stifle and feel him smile as I kiss him hard, my hands cradling his face while I give him all the love for this beautiful gift.
Our lips mould together perfectly, the embrace as slow and soft as it is speedy and sexy. We're taking our time while also carelessly throwing it away; getting lost in one another like we always do.
I break it off first again, pulling Harry's cap from his head and sunglasses from his face. I'm met with his cropped chocolate curls and gorgeous green gaze, the sight of both details on this incredible man making my heart swell some more.
He takes both items from me and puts them in the tote, his grin not letting up an ounce, "I take it you're not mad at me?"
"I'm not mad." I tell him truthfully, shaking my head while wiping my tears away, "I'm made up. Harry, you bought me my dream."
"Well you made my dream come true by giving me our Stevie." He hums with another casual shrug, his hands falling to stroke the sides of bump like they so often do, "Something you were always going to do for free. Isn't that right?"
His question catches me off guard, and I laugh confusedly, "What do you mean?"
"Sarah and I, as you know, spoke about the surrogacy back in January. She told me a few things that I haven't yet told you, but they're things you already know."
"Like what?"
Harry grins gently, looking as in love with me as I am with him, "Like how you agreed to surrogate before even knowing my name, and how she believed that you never intended on taking the payment for doing such a thing. You just said you would so you could do it, because you knew I wouldn't be down if you weren't getting something out of it, too."
He's absolutely right. I did say yes to doing the surrogacy before knowing the beautiful name Harry Styles, and I never had any intentions of taking money for doing it, either. I told myself, and him, that I would because if I didn't, he wouldn't have let me help him.
Sarah's theorising was true, and I can't help but laugh for thinking that I was so smart to get away with it. He's laughing, too; crinkled eyes flitting between my own after calling out my act of kindness.
I won't confirm or deny either thing out loud, though, but we both know. It's written all over my face as much as it's written all over his.
"You said this place was pretty." Harry continues on softly, changing the subject while gesturing toward the gallery with his eyes as bright as his smile, "I replied that it was 'beautiful', but I wasn't talking about the building, Micki. I was talking about you. You nodded in agreement thinking that I was talking about it and your dream, but I was looking at you by my side knowing that it was meant for you. Just you. That you were a dream instead. And my god, was I right."
His sweet words have me welling up some more. Harry's own eyes are a little glossy; the pair of us having cried more times than enough around each other. He blinks his away as I do the same with mine, and instead he just keeps that smile shining my way.
Harry brings one hand to fiddle with the collar of the cream, fuschia and yellow crochet shirt he gave me that I wear open over a pair of white dungarees and black tube, the other toying with the pink tourmaline and black opal necklace he bought me for my birthday. I have my hands flat against his chest, right over his heart that I promise to love, cherish and protect for the rest of my life.
"I did this for you because I wanted to." He hums, now tracing the edge of my bottom lip with an index finger, "I wanted to take off the financial pressure and just let you enjoy your dream with no complications or concerns, just like you let me do the same. It was also a really good investment, and I'm a brilliant haggler. I negotiated like hell and got it at an absolute steal."
"Of course you did. You're quite the businessman." I giggle giddily, still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing, "When did this happen?'
"The business details that I was wrapping up on Valentine's Day? That was my solicitor emailing me the deed to sign."
"You sneaky sod." I'm shaking my head and laughing dizzily, but the motion and sound stops until I'm just left smiling and staring at Harry with hearts for eyes, "I don't even know where to start in thanking you."
"Then don't." He hums, stepping forward a little more while feathering his fingertips across my cheek that he cups, "Just kiss me again."
There's no hesitation from me to do just that, and there never will be. I'm meeting Harry's mouth with a smile stretching my own; his lips wrapping around my top one while his hands cradle my face so tenderly.
Unlike earlier, I'm the one to deepen it first. I tentatively lick at the seam of his mouth as a silent invitation for him to let me in, to which he does.
Harry sighs in a satisfied way at the feeling of my tongue stroking along his own, and I whimper when he returns the favour. I feel him smirk. I feel him harden. Both things, along with every other incredible thing that's happened today, makes me feel more and more light-headed.
Disengaging before we get too carried away, I'm met with Harry whining while chasing my lips for more kisses. I giggle and keep my mouth out of reach from his own, but he instead plants his pout against my neck; peppering pecks there before blowing a tickling raspberry into the crook.
My laughter is shrill as I shove him back, finding his face peach and eyes onyx. I'd bet anything my own looks the same way.
"Nine o'clock, Jagger. Not a second sooner." I warn him.
We've both agreed to wait until tonight, and that's only going to make it more amazing. Teasing is something we're both into, and that's what these kisses have done. They're only adding to build-up anticipation; something that will explode euphorically later on.
"You got it, love." He winks, stepping forward to drape his arms over my shoulders while mine come up to clean the lipgloss off of his mouth before resting against his chest.
I trail one up to fiddle with the pearl necklace I gifted him while giving him a grin, "I've said it before but I'll say it again, I'm never going to get used to just how amazing you are, Harry."
He blushes deeply and shakes his head, "I'm no-"
"You are." I argue firmly, no room for negotiation in my tone, "Saying thank you doesn't and will never be enough for all that you are and all that you've done for me, but please believe me when I say that I'm gonna show how thankful I am for everything, for you, until the end of time."
"Having you in my life is all the thanks I need, Micki love." Harry hums, "I don't need anything more than that."
I smile and shrug my shoulders lazily, "Well tough, 'cause you're getting my gratitude on the daily. For the flowers. The notes. The camera. The necklace. The installation of a bath in our home before it became that simply because I said once that I loved baths. The LP full of songs you composed just for me. The car of my dreams. The home that I've never really had before. The gallery to make my other dreams come true."
Rattling off the gifts he's bought for me makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world, which I absolutely am because of him. It goes beyond presents, though. So far beyond.
Expelling a shaky breath, I give him a loving grin, "For supporting my art, whether it was subtly promoting it, complimenting it, inspiring me to make it, your help wrapping it up, walking me to a client's house to drop it off or driving me to another country to do the same. For making me laugh so much every single day until my belly aches. For making me smile so hard every single day until my face hurts. For making me constantly cry happy tears instead of sad ones. For dancing with me. For singing to me. For playing the piano and guitar for me. For planting flowers in my name. For all you've done for me during this pregnancy, like looking after me, running me baths, making me food, carrying my bags or me, dressing me or undressing me. For giving me the courage to open up about my past. For teaching me so many things. For being there for me through the bad days by holding my hand through them. For believing that I would be a good Mum. For trusting me to be that to our baby girl. For making me feel so safe. For loving me so immensely that it almost doesn't feel real. For giving me a home in the arms of you."
Harry wraps me up in those arms immediately, his face burying into the crook of my neck he just tickled with his lips. I feel his smile against it now, his tears dampening my skin there much like they did when he saw his hat-wearing sun tattoo for the first time.
I soothe his back as he sniffles, "There's more things that I haven't even mentioned, and I know there'll be more things to come, too. Putting every wonderful thing you've done for me together and saying them all out loud really drives home just how much of an angel you are though, Harry. My angel. Even without a pair of fluffy wings that you've stolen from someone else, you're that. It's in your pretty soul."
"I love you. I love you. I love you." He murmurs into my neck, punctuating each confession with a kiss before pulling back.
Harry smiles at me with glossy eyes and a tear-soaked face; one that I wipe clean with my thumbs while smiling back at him, "And I love you. I love you. I love you."
He drops his forehead to press against my own and works to rid my own tears with his own thumbs, the pair of us soon dry and left grinning. I'm still feeling emotional, but that will never stop. Harry gives me all the good emotions.
"You wanna take a look around at the other rooms?" He murmurs a few moments later, "Talk me through your decorating plans and such?"
The idea of that has me feeling immediately giddy, and I'm nodding fast, "Absolutely! I'll pull up Pinterest for references!"
Harry steps back with a chuckle as I dive into the front pocket of my dungarees for my phone. My attention is on that while I walk off to the first room on the left as you come in, but the last room on the right from where we ended up standing.
Entering it, I feel Harry by my side as I scroll through the numerous boards that I've got made for lots of different things in search of the gallery one. I really need to have a clear out.
"Surprise!"
The word yelled mixed with the bang of party poppers has my head flying up from looking at my phone, and my phone flying out of my hand out of fright. I flinch and freeze simultaneously; finding Sarah, Mitch, Bella, Elin, Ariza, Pauli, Gemma and Anne grinning at me with the cannons in hand as confetti covers me, Harry and the floor.
One hand clutches my heart as the other clutches bump, and I immediately start laughing deliriously, "What the hell?!"
"Welcome to your baby shower, Micki love." Harry hums, my head turning to find him grinning at me.
I'm quickly pulled away from Harry's side and into the arms of everyone else, each person taking their turn to give me a hug while my mind tries to process all that's happening. I can't help but giggle and grin while greeting everyone, finding them all to be as excited as I am.
"I told them not to use the party poppers, but I was overruled." Anne tells me while stroking my hair back from my face, "Are you okay? Is Peanut okay?"
"My water didn't break, but I almost peed a little." I laugh as she does, "We're okay, though. Promise."
She presses a kiss to my cheek before turning me back into the arms of Harry, who was waiting for me with a smile. I could feel him watching each and every interaction I just had with our family; his stare fond and full of love.
Everyone else occupies and talks amongst themselves as Harry holds me to his chest, my chin resting on it as I grin up at him. He pulls out pieces of confetti from my hair; pocketing a few pieces.
"Your phone screen smashed, by the way."
"Fuck sake." I huff teasingly as he laughs, "You could've given me some sort of head's up so that I wouldn't have my phone in hand when a surprise was waiting for me!"
"I didn't expect you to head into this room first!" He argues with a grin, chuckling lightly as he does, "I'm shocked they managed to keep quiet. I'm also shocked that you didn't suspect a thing considering you walked past the room earlier on."
"I was distracted by Sunshine Boy, but then again what's new there?"
Harry grins and blushes, pressing a quick peck to the tip of my nose, "No more surprises, I promise. I don't think your waters will allow it."
"You and me both, babe." I giggle, giving the hollow of his throat a kiss that earns me a hum. I smile against his skin that vibrates from the noise he makes, "Now I've got another thing to thank you for."
"This was all Sarah." Harry tells me, the information pulling my head back until I'm staring at him with wide and surprised eyes that he chuckles at, "I just supplied the venue, but she organised it all as a thank you to you for organising her wedding. Said it was her duty as godmother to make sure Mama Riot had the best baby shower there's ever been."
Turning around while still in the arms of Harry, who cradles bump and rests his chin on my shoulder just like he did outside, I look across the room full of our loved ones and just love in general.
It's been done up gorgeously, with everything colour coordinated in shades of pastel rainbow. There are balloons and streamers stylishly hanging from the ceiling and walls, plus a banner strung up along the window that reads 'BABY RIOT'S BABY SHOWER'. White roses fill vases to break up the multi-coloured scheme; the flower symbolic of loyalty, purity and innocence that I've come to learn through Harry's teachings.
Furniture has been brought in for the occasion, too. I see a few round tables set up with baby shower-themed games, party favours and my film camera. There's a white letter board behind the device that reads 'SAY CHEESE. SNAP A PIC WITH THE PARENTS TO BE.'
There's also a long table over by the window beneath the banner. Ten chairs are set up around the object that's covered in a starry-patterned tablecloth and full to the brim with cutlery, cups and plates as well as food and drinks.
"Everyone chipped in with either buying or baking goods for us to eat." Harry whispers to me, his breath and smile lightly tickling my ear, "Don't worry. Ariza and Elin bought what they brought. I checked."
I laugh at that, "Thank fuck. I really don't fancy food poisoning."
Looking from the prettily decorated room to the pretty people in it, my heart fills up fast.
Anne is busy trying to occupy Bella, who is very persistently trying to steal a cupcake. Gemma, Pauli, Elin and Ariza are pouring themselves a drink from a punch bowl, the four of them laughing about something as they do. Mitch is over by the portable speaker that Stevie Wonder starts to serenade us through after he switches it on. Sarah is straightening up a vase of flowers; seemingly trying to make things look more perfect than they already are.
Craning my neck, I give Harry a smile, "I'm gonna go give our baby's godmother a million face kisses. Fancy grabbing me a drink?"
"Absolutely."
I do exactly that, which catches Sarah by complete surprise. She giggles under my lips that attack her cheeks and forehead, and I laugh just as hard as I do it.
"You beautiful," kiss, "incredible," kiss, "wonderful," kiss, "woman!" I round off with one more peck before pulling back and grinning at her grinning at me, "Thank you so fucking much, Sarah. This, you, are stunning."
"Only the best for the best." She winks, tugging me forward for a tight hug that I reciprocate just as tightly, "How surprised were you when Harry brought you to your gallery, hm?"
I laugh loud as we disengage from the embrace, "Never recovering from it, actually. Did you all know?"
"Mhm. I found out the day after Valentine's Day, which is when we decided on throwing your shower here. Everyone else found out after receiving their invite." Sarah grins proudly, "Playing secret keeper was so fun."
"Well don't do it again." I threaten teasingly, earning a giggle from her, "Seriously, Sarah. Thank you. I'm over the moon with all of this, 'n I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to all of this love."
"You'd better learn how, babe. We've all got a boat load for you and Arty." She smiles, a hand coming out to stroke bump, "How's she cooking?"
"Only seventeen days to go 'til she's out the oven."
"Can't wait to squeeze her."
"You and me both."
Sarah gives me a grin, "How much do I have to pay you to tell me her real name?"
"Ten grand." Harry answers before I can, both of us turning to find him nearing us with two drinks. He passes me one and throws his arm over my shoulder as I take a sip, "No negotiation. The price is set."
I swallow and snicker at Sarah sticking her tongue out at Harry. He gives her a screwed-up face of playful contempt back,
"I dunno, Jagger." I speak in a faux-uncertain voice, "I think Mrs Rowland-Jones can get a discount. One-hundred percent off."
"And this is why you're my best friend." She grins triumphantly, earning a laugh from Harry and I.
Turning to him with a raised brow, he gives me his own bright smile, "Well why don't we just tell everyone? What better time or place to announce the name of our baby girl than at her baby shower?"
"Everyone!" I don't hesitate to call out, which makes Harry cackle as we turn to face the group, "We have an announcement!"
Pauli gasps dramatically, "You're pregnant?!"
I flip them off, but quickly remember Bella is present so I retract my finger just as fast. Harry continues to cackle, especially now that Anne gives me a lightly scolding look.
"What's an announcement?" Bella asks, none the wiser to the rude gesture.
Mitch picks his daughter up and pops her on his hip, "It means news, Bella Bambino. Aunt Icki and Uncle Harry have something to tell us."
I glance at Harry, who gives me another grin and a nod to go ahead, before turning to face the room once more, "We want to finally tell you all the official name of Little Sun Nugget Peanut Arty Fart Louvre Baby Riot." Everyone chuckles at me rattling off every nickname that exists for our daughter, and I give them a bright smile as I stroke bump, "And it's Stevie Soleil Styles."
Looking at the nine smiley people, some of which clutch their hearts or cup their faces from hearing the name, makes me grin. I'm glad that they all know the name of our girl, and I'm lucky to have witnessed another sweet family moment.
"That's beautiful." Elin smiles, "Truly beautiful."
"A cool name for a cool kid." Ariza adds with a proud nod.
"Soleil means sun, right?" Gemma asks, to which I now nod. She grins, "Absolutely perfect. She's a little ball of it already."
"Stevie? As in Stevie Wonder?" Anne queries.
"And Stevie Nicks." I elaborate, earning a kiss to the temple from Harry, "Our two favourite artists."
"So she's not called Baby Fart anymore?" Bella speaks up now, everyone's attention on her bottom lip wobbling sadly.
Sarah is quick to coo after her, "Uncle Harry said you could still call her that, remember? It just has to be a secret, and you're soooo good at keeping those, Smelly."
Her mum intervening saves the day, with Bella soon grinning and giddy, "Okay. I can do that!"
"That's my girl." Sarah beams, pressing a kiss to her forehead while giving us apologetic eyes for the almost meltdown.
"You wanna play some games, Belly?" Harry asks, seemingly trying to keep her in a good mood with the suggestion, "You can choose what we all play first!"
"Ooo, yes yes yes. Let's play the dummy game!"
Everyone moves to get situated, but Harry and I stay where we are. I turn to face him with a grin, "Nice save, Daddy-O."
"Practice makes perfect, right?"
"Right." I nod once and grin broadly, "What time will sunset be?"
He gives me and my random question a furrowed brow and pursed lips as he searches his mind for the answer, "Some time after eight p.m, I think. Maybe twenty-past? How come?"
"Just want to make sure that our walk home looks as pretty as you are." I grin, "You cool with leaving then? We've got that appointment, remember?"
"I'm having a hard time forgetting." He smirks, pulling me in for a warm hug and a quick kiss, "I'm cool with that. When sunset starts, we're out of here."
I reach up to give him a kiss now, pressing a few to his smiley lips, "Perfect."
****
I've been excited to write this chapter since July lmao so glad it's finally out!
I hope you enjoyed this double update. I'll be posting chapters 27 & 28 as another double feature on Wednesday 13th March.
Baby Riot's on her way soon, and the story's almost over. I'm gonna go cry, bye!