ambience [h.s]

CHAPTER 14.

When I wake, it is because the sunlight has hit my eyes. The brightness slowly peels my eyelids off. I groan and put a hand to a bare chest, with a butterfly sprawled right under my fingers. The memories don’t come back until I look into a snoring Harry’s face. Careful not to wake him I crawl out of bed and shut the blinds. He stays asleep, thank God. I pull down my shirt when I realize that it was nearly above my chest. My underwear is still in usual position luckily. Diana is curled up in a ball like a child and I slip out the door and pad over to the kitchen. Diana is going to be a little mess this morning so I decide to make breakfast. I pull out three mugs and put some coffee beans in. I pull out the pancake batter and begin pouring the powder into the bowl. The coffee beeps loudly and I rush to shut it off so it doesn't wake anybody. I fill the three cups and add what I like to mine, what Diana likes to Diana’s and leave the last one empty, because Harry seems like a black coffee type of guy. I finish adding the correct ingredients to the bowl of pancakes and get out the skillet so it will heat up. While it is doing that, I quietly stride to the bathroom to wash up. I put a headband in as I wash my hands and face. Then I brush my teeth and put on deodorant. I rush into the kitchen when I hear the skillet beeping. I quickly shut it off and pour the pancakes in. 

“Morning.”

I yelp at the sound of a raspy voice and curse under my breath. 

“What the fuck?” I scowl at him as I compose myself. He giggles and strolls up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me on the cheek. The gesture surprises me and I smile because I can’t help it. 

“Sorry. What are you making?” Harrys asks as he pulls his arms back and walks to the coffee. 

“Dinner.” I say sarcastically. He rolls his eyes, chuckles, and snatches up the black coffee.

“Can I-“ He begins, but I cut him off.

“I had a feeling.” I grab the spatula and begin flipping the pancakes. 

“Can I try?” He asks excitedly. I giggle and hand over a different spatula. He flips one a couple of times. I laugh at his determined expression. 

“Let’s pass one back and forth.” I say, trying to keep my voice down. His face brightens and he scurries to the other side of the island that sits in the middle of the kitchen. He flips one up high, slightly towards me and I stick my spatula out to catch it. It makes contact but slides off and falls onto the island, where the skillet sits. We giggle and he picks up another and throws it high again. This time I catch it because it is smaller than the last. He whoops before I shush him because of Diana. I throw it up at him and he catches it. 

“Pitch it to me!” I whisper-yell. He nods, luckily understand that I mean that I mean pitch it like a baseball so I can hit it. Just as the pancake leaves the spatula and comes flying towards me Diana walks through the door. 

“What the hell?” I swing my spatula hard and it flings off the metal and sails over Harry and hits above the fridge. Harry and I burst out laughing and he runs “slow motion” towards me. I laugh and forget Diana is standing there for a moment.

“Home run?” I ask as he spins me around in a fake victory hug. Even though he’s joking the fucking butterflies are going crazy. His curls brush my forehead. 

“I like third base better.” He winks at me. I laugh again and slap his chest at his perverted comment. 

“Um, I said what the hell?!” Diana says from the doorway. “Rose! How can we reach that to clean it?! We can’t! You can’t just stain the walls with food! This isn’t a playground! We are going to get bugs! Climb up and clean it!” She scolds me and I bow my head and walk to the paper towels, muttering a “yes ma’am” on my way. Harry is doing everything he can to not laugh and I narrow my eyes at him as I climb onto the fridge from the counter and wipe up the pancake.