Waifs and Strays [Larry Stylinson]

Chapter Eighteen

AAAAH GUYS!!! I already have well over 2,000 reads when less than 4 weeks ago, I only reached 1,000 reads on this story!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This means the world!! :)

Also, sorry I haven't updated for a week! I am not going to be able to update very often in the next 3-4 weeks. I have some final exams and an art exhibition coming up and I have to write some grated papers of 5,000 words each. But I promise I will sneak the one or the other update in there, so I'm not completely gone! :)

But now, I hope you enjoy the update!!

"Well, go ahead, run," I say to Linda. She has been wiggling in anticipation for the whole ride over to the pond by the edge of the forest.

Harry jumps out of the Jeep after her when he sees her running off.

"Oh damn, she's running right towards the water. I'd better go with her," he says with a worried crease between his eyebrows, before he jumps out of the car too, and jogs to catch up with the little girl.

I find myself smiling again, I have been smiling an awful lot today and I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to think about the reason for that yet.

I retrieve a blanket from the back of the car and follow them to the small lake.

Linda has already taken Harry's hand and points to some ducks that she spotted on the water.

When I sit down on the blanket (I don't really need to join them admiring some birds), Harry turns around to face me.

"Louis? Do we have something to feed the ducks with?" he calls over to me, seeming pretty excited himself, "She wants to feed them."

"What? Great," I roll my eyes, "What did you tell her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can you come here for a second?" I say and sigh.

Linda doesn't seem to mind him leaving her alone, she is screaming at the ducks in joy, no need to say that the ducks keep as much distance to her as the pond allows them.

"What's wrong?" Harry says when he hesitantly sits down on the blanket next to me.

"How did Linda get the idea of feeding the ducks?" I ask him, crossing my legs.

Harry is wearing black skinny jeans again, he seems to have the same taste as I when it comes to leg-wear. But unlike me, he likes to combine it with colorful and printed butten-ups, leaving the first few buttons open. Today his shirt is mostly white, though. I can almost see his whole butterfly tattoo in the middle of his chest, the way he is sitting next to me, slightly leaning back on his hands and stretching out his never-ending legs infront of him.

When Harry speaks up, I catch myself olging his body and quickly look up into his eyes. "I asked her if she'd like to feed them," he answers my question.

I press my lips together and shake my head. "Harry," I start, "we never feed the ducks."

"Really?" Harry says, always keeping an eye on Linda, "But that's always so much fun!"

I pull a face at him. "No doubt," I deadpan, "But we never feed anything, that's why we don't have any pets. We can't afford to give our food to some animal, especially ducks that have a pretty good life even without our food."

"Oh," Harry says, looking sympathetic which bugs me a little.

"We never told her that feeding animals is a thing," I tell him, "She didn't even know about feeding ducks until now."

Right at that moment, Linda turns around and beams at us. "I wanna eat them!" she screams at us, at which I laugh while Harry looks mortified.

"Seems like she didn't really get what you meant by 'feeding'," I chuckle.