Chapter Song: Blueberry Eyes by MAX feat. SUGA
~ same day ~
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"I wish you had let me change. I have batter all over myself and my clothes."
My appearance isn't a far cry from how I normally look. I enjoy wearing cute clothes, whether it be graphic tees, denim, skirts, or dresses, but somehow they always end up covered in remnants of baked goods. Even an apron really doesn't make a difference at the end of the day. And though Harry sees me like this all the time, I do wish he would have let me change this once. This is a special occasion after all. Ripped denim and a graphic tee really don't scream "romantic anniversary".
"I like you best this way, Belle. You smell and taste sweeter than you already do." Harry leans over the centre console after he's parked his car and presses a few kisses to my cheek, playfully nipping at the area where I know there's bound to be a bit of cake batter. He's always such a flirt... and I love it.
Releasing a yawn that had been stuck in the back of my throat for some time, I finally look around us to try and figure out where we are. My brain had wandered long ago, as did the sun, the street lights cascading the road in a golden hue. They help me locate our familiar whereabouts and I find myself utterly confused when I take in our surroundings. Here I was thinking he'd take me home and we'd get our love on or he'd take me to a very low-key restaurant open late, but no.
"Babe, why are we outside Niall's house?" Harry chuckles as he undoes his belt and throws his car door open.
"Don't worry, he's not here." My jaw nearly drops as I look up to the house that seems pretty deserted. There's just something about his tone that I can't help but shake. There's something to his tone and I doubt it's any different than usual.
"Harry Edward Styles," I gasp, leaning over the console to look up at him as he's stood outside the car, "I am not having sex with you in your best mate's house. Have you gone absolutely mad?" Harry lets out a loud laugh that is sure to wake the neighbours before shutting his door and leaving me all alone in the dark car. I watch as he crosses the bonnet of the car before flinging my door open and outstretching a hand to help me out. "Harold," I warn, eying him as I try to figure out what's going on in his head.
If he thinks I'm going to willingly get it on with him in his best mate's house, he's surely mistaken. I don't care if Niall is out or not, there is just something so wrong about it. Call me a prude, I don't care, but I'm not into that. Even though I know Niall wouldn't think twice about shagging someone in our flat; he lacks decency, that one.
"Trust me, love. That's not why I've brought you here, although that can always be arranged."
"What is with men?" I playfully hit him in his arm as I hop out of the vehicle. He gasps, rubbing the area with one hand before grasping the hand that had hit him with his other one.
"Watch the ring, love. This thing could cut skin." He mumbles, running his fingers over the engagement ring on my left ring finger, a shy smile plastered on his lips. It's the same far off smile he gets in his lips whenever I catch him staring at my left hand.
The day he popped the question would be a day I'd never forget. It was a busy day in the bakery and I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. He'd come in looking more bashful than I'd ever seen him, but I was too preoccupied to actually ask him what was the matter. In between assisting customers and ordering Ruby and Ian around, I saw him begin to wipe tears from his eyes. My heart had nearly dropped out of my body when I saw that. I thought he was hurt, or upset, or possibly even breaking up with me - I don't know, I panicked. Instead of answering me when I asked if he was alright, he had dropped down to one knee. I barely let him get out his whole loving speech before I, too, was on the ground, agreeing to marry him and kissing him as if my life depended on it. I don't think I'd ever been so happy.
"I guess that's your fault for buying such a big one then, huh?" My arms rope around his waist, pulling him flush against me. It doesn't matter that we're stood in the street or that anyone can see, it's just us at that moment.
"Guilty." He whispers, leaning down to press a chaste kiss against my lips. "Needed to make sure everyone knew you were mine."
"Enough of that," I joke, swatting him playfully away from me with my hand, "I'm not your property and as a feminist, you should know that full well."
"Oh trust me, I do." Once again his lips are on mine when they should instead be explaining the reasoning behind our current location.
I indulge in the kiss for a little while longer, wanting nothing more than to catch up on all the snogging we've been missing out on with our differing schedules. His lips never fail to surprise me with their velvety softness and incredible talent for making me weak in the knees. It takes everything in me to pull my mouth from his and look up at his face. With his eyes still sealed shut, I reach up and run my fingertips over his moist lips, parting the bottom one ever so slightly before letting it pop back into place; Harry's eyes opening as his lips quirk upwards.
"Are you going to tell me what we're actually doing here because I'm fairly confused?" With a sigh, he reluctantly pulls his hands from their firm placement on my lower back and upper behind and drops them at his sides.
"All in due time, love."
Harry breaks away from me to go to the boot, forcing me to trail after him out of pure curiosity. Inside the boot, is one of our coolers from our flat and a few blankets. I try to hide the shįt eating grin that wants to break free on my lips, but there's absolutely no use. There's really nothing more romantic than what appears to be a picnic underneath the stars.
Motioning me with his head to follow him, Harry and I make our way towards the side gate of Niall's garden. I open the latch for Harry and we both walk through the threshold, making our way to the large back garden to Niall's home.
I've always been a bit jealous of Niall's house and garden. It's fit for a king, it really is, but the garden is such a fun escape. Completely enclosed in a wooden privacy fence and foliage, it has a wonderful patio with outdoor seating for a party of ten, a fire pit, and a large cooking area. But Niall didn't just leave it at that, he splurged for a pool after living here for two years. He had a very spacious inground pool built to his liking, meaning Edward, Harry, and I are here quite often in the summers. Even with a large pool in the picture, there is still a large space of luscious green grass, perfect for a footie game or in our case a night picnic.
"Does Niall know we're here?"
"Course he does. He's on shift tonight and I asked him for a favour. He even said we could spend the night if we're too tired, or drunk, to drive back to our place when we're done."
Niall's always been a good friend to Harry and I'm lucky to call him a friend of mine too. He's done so much for Edward and I that I could never repay him. I don't think all of the drunken nights he's crashed on our couch could make up for his hospitality and overall kindness.
"Trying to get me drunk tonight, Styles?"
"Guilty." I laugh, following closely behind as he wanders to an open space in the grass.
"Too bad it's cold, we could've taken the pool for a spin." Harry drops the items in his hands on the ground and looks back at me with a look that only could pin me up against the wall.
"Don't tease me like that, woman."
I smile back innocently and trail over to where he's now leaning down setting up blankets and the cooler. He helps me sit down on the blanket once it's spread out and then drapes another one over my legs to keep me warm. Harry drops down to sit beside me and begins opening the cooler full of steaming food, the smell immediately hitting my nose and making my mouth water. I can't remember what time I ate today, and my stomach clearly can't either because it releases a loud grumble at the sight, causing Harry and me to laugh.
"Good thing you're hungry; I made a lot." He starts to take the food out of the bag, handing me a covered Tupperware full of what appears to be a pasta dish with grilled chicken and broccoli florets for me and a separate one filled with a vegetarian dish for him. I nearly moan at the sight, my cravings for pasta through the metaphorical roof at the moment. "Almost forgot, stay right here."
I watch as Harry gets up and makes his way towards the back door of Niall's house. He uses his spare key to let himself into the abandoned and dark home, rummaging around for what feels like forever. I don't get scared of the dark, but I can't deny the feeling of emptiness when my man is so close yet so far. Luckily, Harry emerges from the house relatively quick with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a precious smile.
"Thank you," I say, once he's poured me a glass and has joined me on the blanket. We raise our glasses and turn towards each other, smiles on both of our faces.
I love that we can make any moment special between the two of us, no matter the kinds of days we've had. I could have had a disastrous day at the bakery and he could be so sleep deprived he can barely keep his eyes open, but we'd still make time for each other. Without time spent together, any relationship can falter, even ours. Since we don't get to spend much time together, even curling up on the couch with him is a special moment, so this moment right here is extraordinarily special.
"To us."
"To us," I repeat, clinking my glass against his, "Happy Anniversary, Harry."
"Happy Anniversary, Belle. I love you." Harry mutters, leaning over to kiss me like we haven't kissed in years. I smile into the kiss, savouring the taste of his lips and the way they feel against mine. I don't think I'll ever get tired of the act.
"I love you more."
"Not possible, but I accept it. Now dig in, because I can't stand to listen to your stomach anymore."
**
The meal Harry had prepared was honestly one of the best he's ever made, and Harry is an excellent cook so that's saying something. The dish was savoury and filling, but not too filling that we weren't able to enjoy the chocolate covered strawberries he had prepared. He's a romantic, that man, and I wouldn't trade him in for anyone else in this world. Chris Hemsworth could be standing right in front of me and my heart wouldn't dare wander - my eyes maybe, but not my heart and love.
After finishing our meal, we've just been laid out together, cuddled under the night sky underneath a warm blanket. A cool breeze has picked up around us, but luckily for me, Harry is practically a sauna of warmth, so he's kept me cosy. Between the surprise, the picnic, and the dessert, I can't imagine a more perfect anniversary. This puts a candlelight dinner at a fancy restaurant and a film at the cinema to shame.
"So, I've been thinking..." Harry says after a long beat of silence between the two of us. If I'm being honest, I sort of suspected he had fallen asleep.
"Uh oh, that can't be good." I joke, propping myself up on my elbow so I can look down at the man lying beside me. Harry smiles up at me before turning on his side and pulling me close with one arm so that we're practically flush against each other.
"It's nothing bad, I promise."
"Last time you said that you suggested we go on a cruise for our honeymoon!" I say, laughing at the memory of that conversation.
"How was I supposed to know that you get seasick?"
"I'm your fiancee, babe, you should know these types of things." I jest, poking his shoulder playfully, only for him to grab my finger and playfully nibble on it. "I'm joking! What's going on in that gorgeous head of yours?" I ask, softly dragging my finger against his forehead softly to relieve the harsh lines that appear there.
"What are your thoughts on houses?" His question causes the crease between my eyebrows to appear. Where had that thought come from?
"Houses?" Harry hums, "I think they're larger than flats, generally more expensive, but overall a good investment for some. I like to look, as many are aesthetically pleasing, and don't get me started on celebrity properties. Have you seen photos of Chrissy Teigan and John Legend's home? Magnificent; to die for."
I joke when I'm nervous, sue me. Clearly, he's not just asking what I think about houses; I know that. I'm trying my best to stay calm, my heart beating erratically for some reason. Maybe it's because I'm nervous to take that next step as if we're not engaged to be married, or maybe it's because I'm excited to think of things like that.
With a sigh, I lick my dry lips and focus my attention back on Harry. "What's wrong with our flat?" I wonder.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing. I was just thinking," He sighs and pulls me into his chest, causing him to roll onto his back and take me with him, "thinking about our future and I just don't think a two-bedroom penthouse is really conducive to..." My heart is fluttering in my chest again at the possibilities of where he's taking this conversation.
"To what?" Harry's eyes shift from staring up at the sky to look down at my eyes, staring back at him from his chest. A bright smile breaks out on his lips whilst he runs his hand up and down my back in soothing patterns.
"To starting a family." I try not to look surprised, but apparently, my acting skills need to be worked on, "I know, I know we're not there yet, Belle, but I can't help but think ahead." One minute we're celebrating our anniversary and the next we're talking about kids. It's a lot to take in; he's caught me off-guard. "I want a family with you and I want a place to grow old with you. I can't imagine us doing that in the place we're in now. I mean we're practically growing out of the space with just the three of us." I lay my head on Harry's chest, letting him continue on without interruption, mostly because I'm trying to gather my thoughts and slow my racing heart. "It's in our cards, Belle, and I'm just trying to plan ahead for the future. Wouldn't you like a place like this," he motions to the spacious area around us and back to the large house to our rear, "room to breathe, plenty of room for Edward and our future children to run around."
I'm trying my best to hide my face away from Harry, not wanting him to see the tears welling in my eyes. I can't help but get emotional, I mean who wouldn't when their significant other starts talking about children and other big steps in life. Plus, I'm just notoriously emotional in general.
"What are you doing down there?" He asks, brushing his hand against my hair before tugging at my messy ponytail.
"Nothing," I murmur, hiding my face against his chest, "definitely not trying to hide my tears." Harry sits up almost immediately, taking me with him as he goes. He holds me against his chest, which vibrates with a chuckle that leaves his lips. "Don't laugh at me, you big lug."
"I'm sorry, I can't help it." With a large sigh and a quick swipe to the area under my eyes, I sit up fully and cross my legs so I'm not leaning on Harry for support. "You know I love you right? And that I want all of those things with you too. But..."
"But?" He looks petrified and I scold myself for not taking a different approach to my words.
"But," I reach out and place my hand on his thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze in hopes he doesn't go running for the hills, "we've still got a wedding to pay for, one that with the way Juliette and your mum are going is not going to be cheap. Plus, we can barely find time to have dinner together these days, what makes you think we have time to house hunt?" I lean forward and peck my lips against Harry's pouting set. "Let's get married first and then go from there. Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah, that's okay with me." I'm being pulled into his embrace yet again, this time my body manoeuvring to sit atop his lap.
"'M sorry."
"Don't be. Let's just focus on getting married first; the rest will fall into place."
I wrap my arms around his neck and lean into him so that our chests are pressed together. I grind into him softly before planting my lips on his hungrily. I can't exactly explain the things this man does to me when he looks at me like he does, but he drives me mad. And one nibble of his teeth against my bottom lip and a squeeze of his hand on the curve of my bum does it for me.
Screw what I said earlier.
"Let's go check out one of the guest bedrooms." Harry looks shocked at my change of heart, his eyes scanning mine immediately after parting from me.
"I thought you said -"
"Forget what I said before and take me inside before I change my mind." He smiles as if I've just told him he's won the lottery.
In one swift move, he's holding me bridal style and climbing to his feet. Our picnic blanket and leftovers are quickly forgotten. The excitement radiating off of him is electric and I find myself feeling the same way, already imagining all the fun we're going to get up to. I'm lost picturing the placement of his hands, lips, and other parts of him on all of my parts. It's enough to make a girl go crazy.
"Yes, ma'am; don't need to tell me twice."
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Aren't they just the cutest? I hate them.... just kidding, I love them. Their love story just makes my heart hurt. I write what I lack in life LOL! Sooooo, what was your favourite part?
Question of the Week: favourite season? mine is either spring or fall
Instagram: ambere3love34
15.10.2020