After the End: Book 4

61. End Table Lamp

A/N: I meant to post this last night, but I got high and fell asleep. Sorry.
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Naomi's POV

"You know, when I agreed to come live with you, I thought you'd actually be here some of the time."

My voice was sarcastic, by my arms were crossed. Harry turned around sharply, clearly surprised to have been caught.

It was just past 5 am. It wasn't even fully light outside yet, and he was already dressed in fresh joggers and a tshirt, the elevator open and ready to take him up to Louis.

"I was just going up to have a smoke," he reasoned lightly, composing his face.

"You have a balcony here," I reminded him.

"I've been smoking on Louis balcony for like 5 years. I can't stop now." He shrugged. Behind him, the elevator closed. When he heard it, he scowled a little.

My brain immediately slipped to remembering his ten month vacation where that hadn't seemed to matter, but that line of thinking brought me to the summer. Maybe Harry was just reveling in the fact that he had free reign to come and go again. I remembered the day he'd had a multi day long depressive episode over the simple acknowledgment that he couldn't go to Louis' place to watch TV.

"Dont let me stop you," I said instead with a shrug. "I just haven't seen you down here much this week."

He offered a friendly smile. "Well you're still coming today right? To watch me be a popstar? Or are you all boring with school again?"

"I'm coming," I promised.

"Good."

His cat chose that moment to wander up to him, curling around his leg in want of attention. Harry leaned down to pet her a moment, and then decided to keep her. He scooped her up from the floor, recalled the elevator, and then carried her on up with him.

I followed a long time later after Oliver woke up. While I got him dressed and ready, I couldn't help but think how ill fitted Harry's flat was for keeping him there. The space wasn't set up to house a child. He was too big for the crib still in the bedroom. Harry had mentioned rearranging things offhandedly once, like remedying his sleeping situation, but I felt reluctant to bring it up at all. It was something he had to do on his own timescale. I still thought about it as that morning went on anyways.

Harry made muffins upstairs which was a not so subtle way of letting us all know he was having a bad morning. He hadn't made anything several days that week, so I was taking it as an improvement anyways. Everybody was already at the table picking them apart when I arrived.

Becca, sitting to Louis right, included.

I didn't know when she had arrived. She was already dressed for the day whereas everyone else was still in sleep clothes aside from Harry(although really he'd just put on clean pajamas). It was still early morning though. Earlier than I'd seen her there in a while. I decided not to think much on it.

"Morning," Louis greeted me, rising to take Oliver. The toddler always reacted like it had been weeks when in reality he'd seen him just a few short hours ago. Just the night prior at bed time.

"How's everyone's morning?" I attempted cheerily.

"I wouldn't ask. The twins are on the verge of mutiny," Harry informed me.