Apricity (l.s.)

chapter seven

"Oh, shut up", I say, throwing an unused tissue at Niall who doesn't move away causing it to land right in his face, falling onto the floor where the rest if his used tissues lay.

"You better tell me that wasn't used", he says, already having a tissue ready.

"No", I quickly shout, "It wasn't."

"I'd say that too, if I was you." He leans back on the couch, paying attention again to the Quiz show quietly gambling in the background for a second.

"God, I'm so tired", I say, fully knowing that I stayed up too late scrolling carelessly on my phone yesterday, "Really don't feel like getting up anymore today."

"Then tell Harry you can't make it", Niall says, shrugging as if it didn't matter at all, and still waiting for the guy on TV to answer.

"You know I can't do that. He needs to see a doctor and I promised I'd look after Elia. You really could use that as well."

"Someone to look after me?", Niall asks, frowning in confusion.

I snort. "That too."

He doesn't question me any further but turns back to the TV, watching as the guy, who seems rather stupid, think about the answer to an easy question for way too long until the timer runs up.

"That was so fucking easy", I say, "Maybe I should just try to go there and win lots of money in the end."

"Or you could make me some soup", Niall says matter of factly, blinking way too rapidly and trying to make a puppy face.

I sigh heavily, not being able to say no because I know he feels like shit.
"Ugh, for real?"

"I'll help you", he says, "And we can make a little more than needed so you can bring some to Harry and Elia."

I think about it for a second before I nod. "Alright." I push myself off the couch and grab the remote to turn off the TV before walking to the kitchen.

I didn't attend my last to lectures today because I simply felt too tired to listen to the professor talk about such an unimportant, and extraordinary dull may I add, topic and besides, I felt more like hanging out at home with Niall who still hasn't returned to uni yet.

"How do you even make soup?", Niall asks and sceptically stares at the kitchen as he keeps standing by the doorframe.

"You throw a bunch of vegetables into a pot and mix it", I say, certain that I'm right.

"I think I'm going to call Liam", Niall says, already pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I can't trust you with anything associated with cooking ever again considering that I had to extinguish that fire you lighted while cooking a steak."

"No, it wasn't like that", I protest, but Niall's already dialling Liam's number. I wait for them to stop calling impatiently, already starting to cut some carrots and celery because I'm sure we can use that.

"Okay", Niall says once they hung up, "We need to boil the vegetables in water and then add spices and stuff and maybe some vegetable consommé, as far as I remember. And then we can mix it or not."

"That's what I said", I say, knowing that that is not what I stated and roll my eyes out of protest.

Niall doesn't respond because he certainly knows that that's not what I really said and then he continues helping me cut some broccoli and potatoes.

It takes a while until we're done and all the vegetables are boiling and everything is in the water. It was then that we noticed that potatoes probably need to cook longer than celery and that they'll be overcooked but we don't really care at this point.

"God, cooking is exhausting", Niall says, dropping onto a chair and stretching his legs out, crossing his arms behind his head as if he was sunbathing.

"Maybe we really should help Zayn and Liam sometime. We probably could use that knowledge we'd gain."
Niall laughs and nods. "Just too lazy, to be honest."

We wait for the vegetables to finish cooking, talking about everything and I even think about Elia and Harry for a small while, perhaps hoping that they're already a bit better.

When the potatoes slip of the fork, according to Niall that's how you tell they're prepared, we start trying to flavour the soup but it doesn't really work until we call Liam once more and he tells us what flavours to add.

He's a bit mad at us for interrupting him at work but, in our opinion, he has no reason to be, at least we're finally learning how to cook.

In the end, we mix it all together and it actually tastes quite decent, if you consider this pretty much being our first time trying to cook alone.

We sit down at the table, a plate in front of both us and eat some buttered bread with it. "Good", Niall mumbles with his mouthful, "Imagined it to turn out worse."

I grin and nod, trying to blow the soup so it gets cooler because I'm supposed to be at Harry's in thirty.

We finish eating and even manage to wash the dishes within fifteen minutes and then I start to struggle with searching for Tupperware that isn't broken and will let me carry the soup to Harry without it leaking out.

I end up finding a bowl with a lip in the last corner of a drawer, wondering why I've never seen it before. I fill as much soup as possible into it and then hurry to the door so I'll still make it in time.

I put on shoes, a jacket and even a beanie and scarf because it keeps getting colder outside. I'm still hoping for some snow to fall before my birthday.

"Bye, Niall", I shout and nearly forget to grab the bowl from the dresser before closing the door behind as I hurry down the stairs, carefully carrying the bowl so it doesn't drop.

I arrive a minute too late at the building, sweaty but cold at the same time and hope for the hundredth time this winter, that I won't catch a cold before pressing the bell and waiting patiently for Harry to let me in.

~~~

hope you liked it<3