Amazing Grace
Chapter 11
** Flashback 12 years ago **
"Hey Grace?" Harry asked looking up from his sandwich, jelly smeared on his cheeks.
"What's up Styles?" I asked through a mouthful of food.
"When are we gettin' married?" he asked nonchalantly.
"That's not how you're supposed to go and ask someone to marry you Styles" I said, quite arrogantly for a 7 year old.
"Well then how am I supposed to ask?" he asked, taking another bite. His brows knitted together in confusion.
"You're supposed to get down on one knee and have a ring and be all romantic about it and say how much you love the person you ask" I said in the same 'know-it-all' voice.
"Well why would I wanna go and do a thing like that for? If you wanna marry me, and I say 'let's get married' we should just do it. Why do girls always make things so un-easy." he asked, his confusion mounting as he hopped down from his chair and out his back door. I followed him to the swing set and sat down on the swing next to him.
"Hey Grace?" he asked as he rocked back and forth on the rickety swing. I looked over at him, and giggled at the jelly still smeared on his face. If he saw me laughing at him, he didn't say anything. "Wanna get married?" he asked again, not looking at me.
"Yeah maybe someday when we're all grown" I said absently, "and after you ask me the right way." I laughed as I kicked a rock at him, the conversation already forgotten...
** End Flashback **
My eyes fluttered open as early morning light began to stream through the massive window in the bedroom. I began to sat up but quickly realized I was rendered immobile as Harry's muscular arms was still wrapped around my waist, locked there as he slept soundly. I took in his naked form, memories of our early morning activities coming back to me. I smiled to myself bringing my fingers to my lips, savoring every sweet memory. I was never more satisfied that our first time had been like that, had felt like that, but now I was really hungry and really wanted to put pants on...
I shook Harry gently, running my fingers across his bare chest in hopes of waking his quicker.
"Harry get up please," I whined, trying to sound as cute as possible. "I'll make you breakfast if you get up" I bargained, trying to entice any kind of movement from his dormant body. Finally after a few more minutes of pleading and prodding he released me from his grip and rolled onto his side groaning. Good enough. I slid out of bed and pulled on an old t-shirt of mine and Harry's discarded boxers that lay on the floor next to the bed. I walked out to the kitchen and began to make two full english's, remembering how much Harry liked them. As I paused to look around the apartment, it seemed as if nothing had happened, as if only a few short hours ago there wasn't a half-dead lunatic on the floor of our living room. I shivered trying to shake the memory off.
As I danced around the kitchen preparing our food and tea I never heard Harry's stealthy approach from behind. As I stood over the stove cooking the eggs I felt two very warm, very large hands wrap around my waist. "Goodmorning gorgeous" he breathed into my ear. He used one had to shift my auburn waves to one side, exposing a new patch of skin. Immediately he connected his equally warm lips to it, tenderly sponging kisses down my neck and across my shoulder. I giggled as he wound his arms around me, hugging me into him. I turned away from the food for a minute to admire him in just his joggers that slung low on his hips, a very attractive V hinting at what was below the waist line.
"Goodmorning to you too" I said kissing his swollen lips softly.
"What're you making?" he asked, his eye brows raising slightly as he inhaled the aromas of the food on the stove.
"Full english, just how you like it" I beamed up at him, turning back to my work.
"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" he smiled back at me before walking over to the living room to watch TV.
After I plated the food, we sat at our dining room table eating hungrily. Not really speaking, but enjoying the silence nevertheless.
"Hey Grace?" he asked, crumbs from the english muffin still sitting around his lips. I giggled as I remembered the scene from our childhood, the immature conversation still playing in my head as if it were yesterday. I looked up at him with a mouthful of food, raising my eyebrows to signal he continue with his thought. "Now that all I'm all acquainted with your life, and the whole Ava Smith thing behind us, well I was thinking that maybe.." his voice trailing off.
"What babe?" I asked, holding his hand encouraging him to continue.
"Well I was just going to say that maybe you could become acquainted with my life..." he said, looking up at me under his curls, green eyes swelling with a hopeful expression. I smiled broadly and nodded my head in an enthusiastic yes. I wanted to know everything about Harry's life since I'd been gone, I wanted to be a part of it again. Harry's smile mirrored mine, those dimples popping up on his cheeks, a new light in his eyes. "You mean it" he said, almost in disbelief.
"Of course love." I leant over and kissed his cheek, taking our empty plates and moving into the kitchen to wash them off. I heard Harry move from the dining room table to couch in the living room, returning to whatever show he had previously been watching. After I'd cleaned off the dishes and silverwear I leaned back on the sink, resting my elbows on the smooth granite. "Hey Styles?" I asked quitely, almost hoping he wouldn't hear me, but he did. He turned round on the sofa to face me.
"What's up babe?"
"Do you like my hair red?"
"Well I mean, it looks nice on you, but it's not really what I'm used to. You still look good with red hair, don't get me wro-"
"I'm going back to my natural hair color" I blurted out cutting him off. His smile radiated across the room, causing a huge smile of my own to creep across my lips. "As long as I'm not Ava Smith anymore, there's no reason to continue to look like her. I'm gonna go get hair dye right now as a matter of fact" I said happily, skipping down the hall to get changed.
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The difference a simple box of hair dye and bit of make up can have on one's appearance and entire mood is incredible. My loosely curled hair now shone a deep black, matching my eyebrows, and the professional grade concealer Helene had bought me for Christmas easily masked my scars. I felt like Grace Abbot again, and I loved it. I threw on one of my old favorite outfits in hopes of bringing a smile to Harry's face. A cream colored lace tank top under a bright red cardigan, my favorite jeans that were severly faded and awfully ripped at the knees, and my red toms. Feeling like the old me I stepped out from the bedroom to a patiently waiting Harry and Helene. I'd invited her to come with me to meet Harry's "complex-mates" (as he'd informed me he & his 4 best friends had bought flats within the same complex".It made me feel better knowing Helene was there, less pressure I guess.
They both smiled at me as I walked down the hallway, and Harry wrapped me up in a tight hug, his loving hands running through my new/old hair. "My Gracie" his whispered as he kissed the top of my head and released me. Helene hugged me too.
"Nice to have you back" she said pinching my cheeks in the motherly way she had about her.
"Are you ready to go?" Harry asked, offering me his hand. I nodded and we all exited the apartment eagerly, but none more so than Harry. He'd better chattering all day long about how excited he was for you to meet his mates and how great we'd all get on.
As we pulled into a park in front of an extremely nice complex, I began to feel nerves clutching at my stomach. I wasn't sure how to be Grace Abbot anymore, or even if I could be.
"What if they don't like me?" I whispered to Harry as we walked up the flight of stairs to the flat he shared with his best friend Louis. He chuckled at me, rolling his eyes at Helene who chuckled along with him.
"How could they not?" he said reassuringly kissing me on the forehead. I relaxed as I felt his long fingers intertwine with my tiny ones. He squeezed my hand once as he rang the doorbell.
Inside I could hear a huge commotion, different voices shouting over a low hum of music, in addition to the faint sounds of a video game, or football game on TV, and glasses clinking.
"Did you invite the whole fucking neighborhood?" I hissed at Harry under my breath as we waited patiently at the door. Again he just chuckled, moving his thumb in small circles on the back of my hand. Behind us Helene pulled out her compact, making sure every bit of makeup on her face was intact, which of course it was.. she looked flawless even in her sleep. Suddenly the unlatching of the locks shook me from my thoughts as the door flung open. I took a deep breath in.
"Here we go" I thought to myself.
5/31/13