I Remember You Laughing [Larry Stylinson]

Chapter 13- Not The Attic

The next morning at Breakfast Gemma made no hesitation to fake pant and wheeze while shaking her hands to and fro to mock Harry's initial state the night before.

"Gemma!?" Harry said, feeling betrayed. He eyed her to shut up as their mother put bacon on their plates.

Gemma's hand reached for the milk and noticed an extra place setting to her left. She swung her head Harry's way and he took a bite of the bacon; looking at her. She sent her eyeballs in the direction of the unoccupied plate and back to Harry. 

Harry bit into a slice of toast.

"Coorrdd!!!"  he bellowed like a goat, mocking her from the night before. She smacked him over the head but both ended up laughing like two hyenas anyway.

 Anne looked at them, baffled at how they ended up her children.

"Someone called!?" 

A fresh-shirted, cologned Cord clad in a new pair of jeans came in, shut the back door and huddled over to the table. "Good morning!"

As soon as his eyes hit Gemma he slid off his Stetson and hung it behind him on the chair.

"Good morning, Cordy." Anne said. Gemma shot her a confused look.

Harry repeated his mother's "Good Morning", looking at Cord teasingly. Gemma shot Harry a look too.

"Gemma, what's the matter with you? I reckon they don't say "Good Morning" at that city college, but you're from the country, and I know I taught you manners." Anne said. 

Cord and Gemma looked at each other and blinked at the same time. "Morning." Gemma muttered, looking down at her eggs.

Anne filled Cord's plate. "There's a lot to be done this week! Murrey and his guys are coming today to start replacing all the old floor boards in the house. Someone can fall through the back porch! Harry, when you get back from school you and Cord will tackle that attic. I want it cleaned out to serve as an extra room for when Louis gets here."

Harry shot his head up from his plate and drove his eyes around the table. There were four huge bedrooms upstairs. If all the girls stayed in the extra bedroom then Louis would surely be left without a room. Harry forgot they even had an attic, and after chatting with Louis last night, he was willing to do anything to make the older boy's stay comfortable. he had gained a burst of excitement knowing that he may get to see him again, let alone have him stay at their home. He just wished he'd call and confirm soon.

"He can stay in my room..." Harry offered. His room was big enough for another mattress and sure he was nervous but he decided that if it came to that he will just have to box up all his stuffed animals and old cosmetics he doesn't even use anymore and hide them; in the attic , perhaps... But then of course there was the issue of his blanket. Harry had a huge pink blanket with white ringed patterns which he had forever and was never able to sleep without. His brain raced through all the strategies he could use to get through a couple weeks without the older boy seeing it. Boxing it up was out of the question so he devised to overlay it with another ordinary, not so flamboyant one, preferably bigger so the pink won't show up in the edges.

Anne didn't seem to hear Harry's offer as she sat down to eat now.

Gemma shot Harry an apologetic look and Cord smiled at them, trying to be included but she ignored him.

"I can stay on the couch if you want them to stay in the cabin..." Cord offered.

Gemma eyeballed him.