quarantine // h.s.

part 4 // scooby doo cartoons

the following morning, i roll over in bed and my eyes flutter open. the clock reads 10:14am, and i groan as i sit up and stretch. i stumble into the bathroom and brush my teeth and hair before making my way downstairs. the morning news plays softly on the tv as a few friends tune in to catch up on any pandemic news. just a few moments of watching the tv makes my anxiety spike and i open twitter instead while taking a seat at the breakfast bar. harry saunters into the kitchen and slides a glass of iced coffee over the counter.

"good morning." he smirks.

"you made me coffee?" i ask in a confused manner. i take a sip and instantly realize it was exactly how i like it- with almond milk and sweetener. "how did you know that was how i liked my coffee?"

"i've been observing. i told you i didn't hate you." he softly responds, flashing a small smile.

i try not to stare at his bare chest and his sweatpants hanging low on his hips as he walked past me into the living room. the air in the room hung heavily with tension- hints of confusion and restlessness as our questionable futures transform into mysteries. i scroll mindlessly through twitter, yet every word is related to the pandemic. each letter gets louder in my head and the echoes from the news on the television swarm within my head. my heart starts beating faster and the space in my chest grows tighter. suddenly, i feel the food and alcohol from last night rise up my throat. i jump up from my seat and rush to the bathroom down the hall, luckily making it to the toilet before it all comes out. i sit back against the wall and feel the cool tile press against my thighs. the breath coming up from my lungs feels as if i was drowning and the tears running down my face turn my cheeks raw. after a minute or two of silently choking on my sobs, i finally begin to calm down. a knock erupts from outside the bathroom door, and i wipe the back of my hand across my face to attempt to clear any trace of tears. i mutter a quick come in, and wipe my hands on my sweatpants.

"hi baby, are you okay?" jess asks, and i'm suddenly grateful to hear her voice. she comes and takes a seat next to me on the bathroom floor and gestures for me to rest my head on her shoulder. "are you hungover?" she asks.

"no. i- um- just kinda freaked out about all of this stuff."

"i'm sorry. its probably a little too early to start drinking, huh?" she giggles and i poke her side to tease her. we chat for a bit before i stand up and pull myself together by brushing my teeth and washing my face. "i'm gonna go back to bed." i weakly smile and give her a quick hug before going back into our bedroom. i open up the glass doors to let in some fresh ocean air. the only sounds coming from the barren beach were sounds of squawking seagulls and the ocean waves.

i don't even realize that i drifted off to sleep until penelope and ashton come into my room. penelope sits on the bed and runs her fingers through my hair to gently wake me up. "all of us are headed out to the beach, would you like to join us?"

"not today, i just need a break." i smile and she nods understandably. she tucks me in a bit before her and ashton leave the room. soon enough, the house is empty and quiet and i drift back off to sleep.

a bit later, i hear a knock at the door and i groan to signal for the person to come in. i see harry's face through the crack of the door and he comes in and sits on the bed. he's wearing a worn graphic t-shirt and blue jeans, yet his hair still hangs in long wet curls and he smells of saltwater.

"you feeling okay, wren?" he asks as he smooths out the comforter beneath him. "are you sick?"

"i got really overwhelmed this morning. i just needed a breather." i weakly smile and pull some of the covers over half of my face shyly. being vulnerable has never been my strong-suit.

"all this stuff" he starts "its making me put so many aspects of my life into perspective."

"i try not to think about it so theres not a repeat of this morning, but i can't help it."

"do you wanna watch some cartoons or something to take our mind off of it?" he asks and i smile. he lays down next to me and we scroll through the options until we settle on the old scooby doo, which harry said was his favorite as a kid, mine too. before we know it, we drift off to sleep with my head laying on his chest and his arm wrapped around my side.

the next time i open my eyes, the bright sunshine of the late afternoon floods through the windows and the tv is now turned off after inactivity. harrys eyes are still softly closed and his breathing is deep and low. his lips are slightly parted and his curls are intertwined in a mess of each other. i sit up and look out the window. our friends are still out at the beach, some tanning and some swimming. all of the sudden, i feel harry's hand caress the small of my back and he groans as he sits up and stretches. he brings his lips to my shoulders and leaves small kisses on them and smiles against my skin.

"let's go to the beach." he says softly and picks me up and throws me over his shoulder to go outside.