“Harry, give the lettuce back to me!” Mirabelle yelled, chasing him around the island of the kitchen.

“Never!” Harry shouted in a superhero type voice racing around the flat with the lettuce bag in his hand.

Baby Lux watched happily in the corner from her high chair, most likely wondering why Harry hadn’t found such an entertaining girl sooner.

“Harry Styles! Get your ass back here right now!” Mirabelle screamed, trying not to start laughing. She was enjoying this, though she hated to admit it.

“Come and get me.” He winked, running into his room. Mirabelle chased after him, circling the large queen sized bed. Harry hopped on top of it, holding the lettuce bunch it his hand, while jumping lightly on the mattress.

“When I said challenge accepted, I never knew this was what I would have to deal with.” Mirabelle scoffed.

“Why do you care so much about this old thing anyway?” he paused, staring at the lettuce.

“Because we haven’t got anything made for lunch, you bastard.” Mirabelle growled playfully, trying to snatch his foot. He was too quick for her, bolting out of the room. Mirabelle chased Harry back into the kitchen. Before he could go any further, Mirabelle trapped him against the wall, their bodies pressed together. She had her hands pressed against either hide of Harry’s head, staring at him from only an inch away.

Harry was surprised. Normally, it was him who had someone pressed up against a wall.

“Give the lettuce to me, or else.” She threatened, glaring at Harry. They were almost equal in height, so Harry was forced to stare back at her.

“What would you do? Huh?” he shot back, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I would knee you right in the one place you never, ever want to be kneed in.”

Harry gulped. Mirabelle was serious.

“Fine.” He stammered, handing her the lettuce. Mirabelle backed away, then sprinted to the other side of the island.

Harry smirked, as he watched Mirabelle tear off leaves of lettuce, slicing them up skillfully with a knife. He then turned to Lux, who watched as Mirabelle cut the lettuce. Lux looked up at Mirabelle’s focused face. Harry turned to Mirabelle as well, watching how she bit her lip and pushed her hair back as she sliced. The kitchen was in silence.

“You two are watching me.” Mirabelle said suddenly, looking back and forth between Harry ad Lux.

“Guiw-ty.” Lux said, raising her hands. Mirabelle stopped what she was doing and Harry stared shocked at the two year old.

“Where did you learn that from?” Mirabelle cooed as Harry kept staring at Lux.

“Uncle Harreh.” Lux pointed to Harry.

Mirabelle turned around and smirked at Harry.

“I used to do that a lot.” Harry said. “Lux’s mum, Lou, she always caught me doing something, so I always said I was guilty. I never thought Lux would catch on.” He chuckled.

“Wux loves Harreh.” Lux grinned, clapping her hands.

Harry gave Mirabelle a cheeky grin. “Now that, I taught her.”

“Bella, too.”

Mirabelle turned to Lux, blowing the baby girl a kiss. “Bella loves Lux, too.”

Harry loved the way that Lux and Mirabelle were getting along. Lux normally didn’t like strangers, and never, ever talked to them. This was definitely a special moment for Lux.

“I think Lux deserves extra chocolate ice cream for dessert.” Mirabelle smiled at Lux. Lux’s eyes went wide as she nodded. “What do you think, Uncle Harreh?”

“Uncle Harreh agrees.” Harry laughed, walking over the give Lux a kiss on her head. Then, Harry joined Mirabelle at the island to help her make the chicken salad.

“I’ve gotta admit, Sedora, you’re pretty fast for a girl.”

“Of course I am.” She snapped, winking at Harry. Harry was a bit taken aback by this. It was a start.

Once the salad was made, Harry and Mirabelle sat down on either side of Lux’s high chair. Mirabelle watched as Harry fed Lux, calling the spoon a “plane.”

“Here comes the plane, Luxypoo!” Harry cooed, driving the spoon full of chicken salad around with his hand. “Open up; it needs to land.”

Lux opened her mouth in glee, chewing down the salad once she got it.

After feeding Lux, Harry put her to sleep again, then headed back to the table where Mirabelle was beginning to serve herself.

“Hello, love.” Harry smiled as he sat down.

Mirabelle smiled back, putting the a last spoon of chicken salad on her plate.

“Louis texted me just a minute ago.” Harry informed, stabbing his fork into a piece of chicken.

“Oh, the rude one?” Mirabelle asked, smirking a bit. Harry laughed.

“Yeah. He wants to come over tomorrow. We’re going to play video games and stuff. Are you alright with that?”

Mirabelle smiled. “Of course, Harry. It’s your house. You do what you want. It doesn’t have to matter what I think.”

“But it does.”

Mirabelle shrugged, taking a fork full of chicken salad into her mouth.

“This is delicious.” Harry moaned, chewing the salad. Mirabelle gave him a strange look before continuing to eat.

“This is delicious.” Mirabelle mocked Harry, moaning loudly to insult Harry. Harry smirked and shook his head.

“Ha-ha. You are so hilarious.” He said, hoping Mirabelle would notice the sarcasm.

“You know it.” Mirabelle winked. Second time. Harry was impressed.

“Would you really have kneed me in the balls?” Harry asked, referring to the earlier event.
Mirabelle paused in thought. “No,” she said. “I would’ve punched you in your guts, instead.”

“Oh, I’m scared.” Harry said in a dopey voice, letting his eyelids sag.

“You should be. I have a feeling I did a lot of fighting in my past.”

“Well, I’m a boxer.” Harry argued, flashing Mirabelle a smirk.

“Oh big deal. Any buff guy can box with a little bit of practice. Even I can box, I bet, and I’m not even that strong.”

“Finally you admit you’re weak.” Harry grinned.

“I will strangle you.” Mirabelle muttered, rolling her eyes.

“I want to see you do that.” Harry laughed, taking more salad into his mouth.

“You highly underestimate girls, don’t you?”

“No. I speak the general truth, love.” He answered innocently, batting his thick, long eyelashes.

“Why aren’t you a girl?” Mirabelle blurted suddenly, going a bit red.

Harry chuckled. “Excuse me?”

“I mean, you bicker like you are one. And I guess, you’re too, well, pretty, to be a boy. I think you would be better off as a girl. Just grow out the curls and put some makeup on. In addition, you’ve got these really long eyelashes that an average girl would kill for.”

Harry cracked up, trying hard not to spit his food out.

“Mirabelle, you are crazy.”

She shrugged. “Only telling the truth.”

They continued their regular banter throughout dinner, insulting each other like brother and sister. Harry knew he was becoming extremely attracted to Mirabelle. She was his definition of perfection. Long hair, beautiful eyes, not too sweet, funny, a bit insecure, tough, and genuinely kind. The bond Mirabelle had grown with Lux was just a bonus.

“So you think I’m pretty?” Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

Mirabelle rolled her eyes. “Yeah. So do the other five million fans of yours. Don’t worry. My opinion really isn’t that special.”

But it was to Harry. He smiled.

“You’re pretty, too.”

“Alright, Harry. No need to return the favor if it’s a lie.”

Harry sighed. “Suit yourself, beautiful.”

He consumed the last forkful of chicken salad on his plate, scooting out of his chair to place his dish in the sink. Mirabelle groaned and finished the last of her salad as well, getting in line behind Harry to wash her dish.

“I’ve got it.” Harry said, attempting to take Mirabelle’s plate.

“Nope. I’m not a guest. Therefore, I do my own chores.”

“Cut the shit, Mirabelle. Just give me the plate.” Harry smirked, trying to grab it from her.

“No. Move it.” Mirabelle protested, pushing Harry out of the way. Harry sighed, leaning against the island as Mirabelle washed her own plate. Once she was finished, she spun around to face Harry.

“See. That was not hard at all.” Mirabelle grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Whatever you say.” Harry grumbled childishly, leaning against the marble counter of the island of his elbows.

“So, I was thinking we could watch a movie.”

“What if I’m too tired for a movie?” Mirabelle sighed loudly, leaning against the sink.

“What if I don’t care?” Harry mumbled, back.

“What if I don’t care that you don’t care?”

“What if I don’t care that you don’t care that I don’t care?”

“What if I don’t care that you don’t care that I don’t care that you don’t care?”

“Mirabelle, I can go on forever, love.” Harry smirked.

“Try me.” Mirabelle shot back with a grin.

So instead of watching a movie, the two went bantering back and forth until Harry got himself confused and Mirabelle gained her bragging rights. The teenagers soon triggered a laughing session that, when it seemed like it would end, would start up again. Mirabelle finally slid to the floor, clutching her stomach, which hurt from the laughing.

“So, what do you say about that movie?” Harry asked again with a sly smile, wiping away the tears that the laughing had caused.

Mirabelle giggled. “What if I’m too tired?”

Harry groaned, giving her a look. “Be that way.”

He stalked off to the living room and Mirabelle saw the flash of the television reflecting against a picture frame.

Laughing internally, she pulled herself up and watched from a distance as Harry picked a movie from a list using the remote, settling into the sofa as it began.

“Wait for me!” Mirabelle laughed, running into the room.

“Eww.” Harry scoffed, turning his gaze to the T.V. screen. Mirabelle stopped where she was, pouting to Harry. He looked at her again.

“Fine, come on.” He said, patting the large empty space beside him. Mirabelle grinned and joined him on the sofa. Harry hesitated for a second, then decided he would take a small risk and pull Mirabelle into him. He took her by the waist and hugged her to his side. For the first time, Mirabelle didn’t flinch, or stiffen.

“What movie is this?” She asked, resting her head on Harry’s shoulder.

“Love Actually.”

“Oh, this is the movie that boys are not supposed to like.” She giggled, looking up at Harry. She looked back down when she realized that their noses were just about touching.

“You could say that.” Harry laughed, absently stroking Mirabelle’s arm.

Mirabelle liked this. She liked having Harry hold her. He was wonderful friend and she knew he would never hurt her, even with the little time she had known him for. She felt safer in Harry’s strong arms, protected by him. She couldn’t help but feel happy about that.

The movie went on and on, and Mirabelle didn’t really understand much of it. She was too busy drifting off to sleep. She normally never fell asleep after lunch, but today she felt tired. She figured it was from the running Harry had made her do in exchange for the lettuce.

“Why aren’t you watching it?” Harry pouted suddenly in the midst of the silence other than the movie. Mirabelle pretended to fall asleep, not wanting to answer. She felt too lazy.

“Mirabelle, you’re bad at pretending to be asleep.” Harry chuckled, poking her eyes lightly. She opened them, staring back at Harry.

“Boo.”

Harry grinned, and then turned back to the screen.

Mirabelle smiled widely, sinking into Harry’s arms, and letting a calming sleep take over her.

Notes

woah chapter eight guisss. gah more people must votteeeee