A Rose for the Prince | Larry Stylinson

002

They were lucky that the store was within walking distance, because Harry was sure that their shoes would otherwise stick to the asphalt. Looking back, he was quite happy that Niall had snatched his ice cream, since it was too much fun to see how he was trying his best to eat  it all before everything melted. Harry laughed at the sight and he got a dirty look back, but he just laughed harder. He was surprised that Niall still managed to do it, but there were more things to the blond boy which amazed Harry more than once. 

It reminded him of when they were little, they had built a tree house in Niall's backyard and he somehow ended up falling three meters down. Harry remembered how much he was panicking because his friend hadn't land that great and he was just screaming all over the place. The miracle was, not a bone was broken, not even seriously bruised. Since then, Harry refuses to believe that Niall was hundred percent human. 

A relieved sigh rolled over his lips as soon as the cool air from the air conditioner in the store touched his skin and for a moment he considered lying down on the ground and not getting back up until it had cooled off, but he was worried that people might start to use him as a doormat.

 "Okay, what do we need again?" Niall asked, who already took a basket and was waiting impatiently. Harry understood, they both wanted to go home, turn the air conditioning to its max and not move for the rest of the day. 

"Um, we're low on bread, milk, diet coke and something to eat for tonight or something," said Harry, who already walked through the aisles looking for what they needed. They never really had a fixed list, they just took what they thought they needed or if something special was coming up, and of course they took the cheapest version available. He pushed his sunglasses into his hair, people would think he was on drugs if he wore sunglasses inside. Harry bit his lip and looked nervously around. What he had listed was perhaps what they both needed, but he had one more thing that he needed that Niall didn't have to know the existence of. Although Harry had plenty of excuses if he did find out, as long as Niall didn't figure out what he was actually using it for. 

In the meanwhile, the blonde boy was busy figuring out what kind of bread they would take, so Harry took his chance to slip towards the health and care aisle. He sighed, he hated to have to be so sneaky around the one who had been at his side since forever, but Harry knew that he woudn't understand. Nobody would understand. Although, there was one person who knew. Harry had met her in his first year as they both got into the army. Harry in the infantry and Noek as a nurse. 

She was a smaller girl, but appearances are deceiving, he had noticed that the first day. He had learned that she was one of the most fierce women he would ever meet and he was still slightly intimidated by her, but she was the only one on this doomed planet who knew what Harry really used nail polish remover for. That same nail polish remover was luckily still in the same place it had always been so Harry could grab it easily. Step one completed. Step two: Passing by Niall without being seen. Harry decided that the easiest way was to send him a text that he was not feeling well and went home earlier. 

Harry: He, Ni. I'm already heading home, I suddenly got the worst headache. :(
Ni: That explains why you were suddenly gone. I'm almost done here, I'll see you at here. Should I bring some Ben and Jerry's?
Harry: You're the best. <3
Ni: I know ;)

Harry sighed and walked quickly with the bottle in his hand toward the cash register. This week was Niall's turn anyway to pay for the groceries and it was not like this was worth ten gold bars, so he had enough change to pay appropriately. He smiled at the girl behind the counter, more out of automatism than politeness, because he just really wante dot get out of here. Harry put the money on the counter, said a quick goodbye and wished her a good day before he walked out of the store with a tight grip on the small bottle. 

The apartment he shared with Niall was five streets from here. He had to survive five streets without someone he knew saw what he had. The heat has already ensured that people are more self-centered than usually, so Harry did have that luck.The downside was that the heat made you walk a lot slower and increasing your pace was terrible tiring. But hey, Harry was tired rather than a giant weirdo. 

He was an outsider in the family, everyone had a steady and reliable job and he, as the youngest and only son, had to be in the army so badly. It wasn't Harry's fault that he wanted to do something good for his country and innocent people. It had been accepted with the people he really cared about, the rest didn't carecare and he didn't care. 

Harry remained worried and he could not stop thinking about it while he walked into the cold of the apartment and hid the bottle in his nightstand. Everyone knew he was a bit strange, extraordinary prints on his shirt, too many candles, he did yoga at odd times and a great set of other quirks. But the thing that worried him the most: did an army print and pink nails really go so well together?

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A/N: A slightly longer chapter this time, yay! If something isn't quite clear, just ask me. Any comments are much appreciated though. *insert ashamed monkey emoji here*