Tattoos Together || Larry Stylinson

Chapter 23

The crackling of a paper bag woke me up the next morning.

I blinked tiredly and pulled the covers up to under my chin.

"Hey Loubear, I can see that you are awake. Hurry up and look at me, otherwise the nurse will be the first face you see today and then I would not have kept my promise ... Neither of us want that."

I smiled to myself and turned, eyes opening, in the direction from which the voice came. "Good morning, bubs."

His emerald-coloured eyes sparkled at my words and he returned the good morning greeting.

Edda seemed to have just woken up, too. She was lying on her side, her face facing us.

"Beautiful, good morning lads." She mouthed voiceless, still really sleepy.

"Slept well, you two? Did not want to wake you up..." Harry asked and crumpled the paper bag in his hands into a small, not very round ball.

"It's okay, we would have been woken up soon anyway. And yes, I slept well. what about yourself?" Edda answered, rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hand.

"A little too short maybe. What about Lou? How did you sleep?"

I evaded his question with a counter-question. "Why too short, Haz?"

"Oh, I had to explain everything to Gemma and Mom yesterday. Mom asks when she can visit you and Gemma wishes all the best, she is very busy at the moment. By the way, she continued to date Liam and the two of them have recently become something of an official couple."

While he was talking, he had taken my hand and sat down on the bed next to me.

"Yes, and at 4:30 in the morning I couldn't sleep anymore because I was waiting all the time for you to call and being mad at me because I wasn't there when you woke up. That's when I got the idea to bake waffles. So, yeah."

He pointed to the table that was standing in the room for some definitely non-decorative reason. On it was a plate with a tower of waffles, next to it was maple syrup, fresh strawberries and cream.

"I think that's better than dry mixed bread with jam from aluminium pots for breakfast... For you, too, of course, Edda" He added.

"That's nice of you and I'd have a real appetite for it, but I can't eat anything this morning. Or yes, but I should better leave it. I'll have chemo later. Everything I eat before; I'll throw up later anyway."

Wise words. I wasn't going to have chemotherapy, but my stomach turned at the thought of the puncture I was about to have.

"We shouldn't eat either. Out of loyalty." I announced and saw Harry looking at the waffle tower in confusion.

"Don't you like them?" He asked softly and a little sadly, disappointed.

"What? No, oh darling, that's not what I meant. We can eat them afterwards."

"Then they are no longer fresh."

I sat up in one smooth motion, wrapped my arms around him and rocked a little back and forth. Whispering a quiet "Don't be mad. Please. It's because... I'm afraid my stomach contents might not stay in there either." In his ear.

"It's okay. Then let's take them to the nurses' room. I think they'll be happy about it."

They were really delighted when Harry and I, both in socks and looking homeless in terms of clothes, me in pyjamas and Harry in black sweatpants with a hole in the left knee and a faded hoodie, stood in front of the glass door to the ward nurses' lounge.