three hearts in one home (l.s.)

33. Groceries and colours

“Bye, baby, see you in a bit!”
Jonah waves and disappears into the school. It’s Saturday but he has some project to do for Christmas, now that December started.

“Okay, shall we?”, I ask, smiling.

He nods. “Fucking finally, can’t wait to finally get that fucking thing off my leg. I’ll finally be able to walk again.”

I drive towards the hospital, Louis hand in mine. It’s been a week since he met my family and everything has gotten even more perfect, really.

“I’ll wait here?”, I ask as I pull the car into the parking lot.

He nods, leaning over to press a kiss to my cheek before opening the door.

“Good luck, babe”, I mumble before he closes the door. Still feels a little unnatural, being able to call him that, being able to say ‘I love you’.
I said it once or twice more, maybe, scared to say it every time. I’m just not used to this.

I stare out of the window and watch the grey sky; I hate winter when there’s no snow. It’s grey and depressing and cold. There’s some Christmas song playing from the radio. I scoff and turn the volume down. I can’t have this already now or the song will be stuck in my head until new year.

I scroll through my phone until Louis knocks on the car window abut half an hour later. I unlock the car and he enters, grinning. “Look at me not walking like a grandpa anymore.”

I chuckle and kiss him on the lips lightly. “Glad you’re okay, love.”

He smiles and buckles up. “Next stop grocery shopping?”

I nod and start the engine, heading to the shop. Louis keeps staring at his leg, moving it carefully. “Can you believe it’s been six weeks? Six weeks since I got into that stupid accident that somehow changed everything for the better?”

I smile. “Felt like so much shorter and yet feels like I know you forever."

When we enter the drugstore, there are already Christmas products being sold. I roll my eyes, it’s so annoying.

Louis heads to the shampoo section and pick out Jonah’s shampoo and some soap. I stare at the nail polish section right next to us.

I can’t help that thought appearing in my head every now and then for a few months now. I can’t help but stare at the pretty colours and imagine how they’d look like, how they’d match with some of my outfits.

“Harry?”, Louis asks and I snap back into reality, smiling at him and following to the snack session.

It’s stupid anyways, isn’t it? Louis would probably hate it, everyone would. It’s not attractive, seeing a guy wear nail polish, is it?

“Baby?”, Louis asks, “What do you think?”

“Huh?”

“This one or that one? What will he like better?”
I shrug and point to one of the bags with crackers in them and throw them into the cart. Maybe I could ask him? See, what he thinks? Try it out, just at home?
No.

“What’s wrong?”, Louis asks, tiptoeing and cupping my jaw with his hands, “You’re so quiet, darling, what is it?”

“Nothing”, I say quickly and then I blurt out: “Can we head to the nail polish section?”

I talk so fast and quiet; I’m scared he won’t understand it but he just shrugs and nods. “Sure, is it a present? Who is it for?”

Shit. I thought he’d get it, maybe. Thought he’d understand immediately but of course he won’t. God, he’s going to hate me for this.

Louis walks in front of me, still waiting for my answer.
“It’s not a present”, I nearly whisper when he waits in front of the shelf.

“No? Haz, talk to me, please.”

I shrug, feeling so small and vulnerable, not strong at all anymore. “I didn’t, I wanted to, maybe”, I stop talking, shrugging again. “It’s stupid”, I mumble.

“Oh”, Louis makes, “Baby, if you want them for yourself, please don’t feel the need to ask me. You want to buy them for you, don’t you?”

I smile a little now, nodding shyly, he got it and I didn’t even have to say anything. He always gets me.
“You won’t think I’ll look ugly?”

He frowns. “Um, no. First of all, you’d never look ugly, not in anything, and second of all, I think it’d be hot.”

I blush a little, smiling. “And even if I did think it was ugly, it was none of my business, Harry. It’s your decision, not mine, not ours.”

“Okay.”
I take a step forward, looking around as if anyone would come at me for this, feeling a little overwhelmed with the big selection.

“Can I choose some for you?”, Louis asks, sounding more excited than I am, “You don’t have to wear them, obviously, but can I?”

I shrug and nod. “Yes.”
He grins and starts looking at the colours, picking one every now and then. At the end he hands me five bottles. A black one, a light blue one, an olive green one, a yellow and a red one.
“You like them?”

I nod. “Yeah, thank you.”
I smile, pressing a kiss to his cheek, suddenly feeling really relieved. He’s okay with it. I’ll try it out.

We buy some more stuff and Louis pays for all of it since he only shopped for his flat.
“How much were the nail polishes?”, I ask when we sit in the car again.

“I don’t know”, Louis says, “But don’t worry about it, they’re a present.”
“No.”

“Yes. Shut up.”
I do shut up and smile softly because how did I get so lucky?

Back home, we sit down on the sofa and Louis climbs into my lap, without struggling because of that stupid cast this time. “Can you paint them?”, he whispers and kisses me slowly, “Would look so pretty.”

“Now?”
He nods and smiles. “Please?”
I shrug and pull out the dark green nail polish, trying to paint them evenly. I’ve done it for Gemma a few times and it wasn’t that bad so I have a bit of practice.

Louis is still sitting in my lap, so I place my hand on his thigh, laying my chin on his shoulder to get a better view on what I’m doing.

He chuckles quietly when I paint over half my finger accidentally and presses a kiss to my cheek when I finished the first hand. I feel so supported, so loved.

When I’m done, he takes my hands into his, inspecting them carefully.
“My pretty boy”, he whispers, “Prettiest out of all.”

I blush. “You actually, really like it?”

“No.” He rolls his eyes. “I hate it and I’m lying. You’re not pretty at all, surprise.”
I chuckle and press my face into his neck. “’Course you’re pretty. Gorgeous, even. Beautiful.”

My nail polish probably isn’t completely dried yet, but I don’t care and turn him around in my lap so he’s facing me.
“I love you”, I whisper, “So much.”

He smiles and his eyes light up a little. “I love you, even more. And I love your hands.”
I chuckle and he takes them into his again, staring at my nails. “Hot.”

“Shut up.”

“No. Would be so hot, having those hands touch me.”
I blush again and place them on his back to pull him in.

“We got about half an hour for that, then we need to pick up J.”

He kisses me, softly but forcefully. My hands in his hair, green nail polish on them.

~~~

i am nearly done with writing the book, it'll be about ten more regular chapters

i was thinking of posting not one but a few 'epilogues' where you can get to see more of their future together

any ideas about which events you'd really like me to write?