Billiards and Boundaries

seven: the date

(a/n: this was edited super quickly, so sorry for any mistakes!! hope you enjoy and as always, 18+ READERS ONLY)

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Harry had been helping Blair through her mourning as much as she was helping him with his own.

Blair's grief was obviously much fresher, but he still felt the trauma of his mother's death in his bones, weighing down his posture.

Harry helped her plan her father's funeral since she had no idea what she was doing, and he'd had to go through the same ordeal the year before. He tried his best to remain strong for Blair's sake, but he couldn't deny that picking out flower arrangements and looking at the different caskets and urns that the funeral parlor offered brought him back to the early days of his mother's passing. He'd had to hold back tears while Blair was filling out paperwork and she noticed the distraught expression on his face when she was done. After they'd left the funeral parlor, they'd gone back to Blair's flat and held each other the rest of the day, recounting silly and comforting stories of their late parents, drying each other's tears when they would surface.

After retrieving her father's final will and testament, she learned that her father had left everything to her. His house, his car, all of his belongings. She decided to put the house up for sale and keep his car, even though she rarely drove anywhere (but now she could drive herself to Harry's house, so that was one benefit). Harry helped her go through all of his things to either sell, donate or keep. As a tradeoff, Blair agreed to assist Harry in sorting through his mum's room that he hadn't stepped foot in since her death. He felt he was ready, but he knew he would definitely need Blair to support him through it.

The house had been on the market for two weeks, and her realtor was certain it would sell any day now. Harry's birthday was in three days, and as far as gifts went, Harry only wanted one thing from Blair.

"Can I take you on a date?" He murmured in her ear with his hand curled around her hip as they examined the shelves for a specific brand of crisps. They'd been grocery shopping for the last half an hour and Harry had been building up the courage to ask her.

Blair switched her basket from her right to her left hand and kinked an eyebrow at him, a grin pulling at the corner of her mouth. "Why are you asking?" she proclaimed as her eyes lit up at the product she was looking for. "We go places all the time together." She pointed to the bag of crisps on the top shelf and had Harry reach for them since she wasn't quite tall enough.

He narrowed his eyes at her as he placed the crisps into her basket. "I hardly think taking you to McDonald's for a breakfast sandwich is considered a date. I want this to be an official date."

"What about that night at Perry's?" She countered with a playful grin.

Harry rolled his eyes teasingly, trying to hold back a smile with his tongue in his cheek as they made their way to the checkout line. "I told you then that it was hypothetical." He noted as he gripped her sides and then his voice darkened, his pink lips tracing the shell of her ear. "Or did you forget everything I said once I'd gotten my hands on you?"

Blair stiffened, clearing her throat as she arranged her groceries on the conveyor belt. "You're so cheeky."

"You love it."

"So what's your answer then?" Harry asked as they climbed into the girl's car, Blair on the passenger's side since Harry always insisted on driving.

"My answer is obviously yes, goofy," she jested as she assembled her seatbelt. "Where are you taking me, and when?"

Smiling as he took her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers, he started the engine before replying. "I wanna take you to my mum's favorite restaurant on Friday." He blushed. "It's a little fancy so we'll have to dress up, if you don't mind."