a/n: thank you so much for the support in the last chapter. I was feeling insecure about my writing but now I feel a lot better. I love you all so much ❤️

__________

"Oh Margaret, you look absolutely wonderful," Anne exclaims after opening the door. She's smiling kindly at me and goes to hug me. "Harry should be down right about....now," she adds, ending her statement when we hear loud thuds coming from upstairs.

Before I can ask what's going on, Harry comes running into view. His hair is all over the place and his green floral print shirt is only half buttoned. He seems flustered and his cheeks turn bright red when he sees me. I press my lips together to try and hide my smile.

"Meg," he breathes as he walks over to me.

"You've missed a few buttons," I say with warm cheeks as I reach over to close a few. I make sure to leave the top one open.

"I'm glad you were able to come," Harry says as he wraps an arm around my waist. He presses his lips to my temple and I see Anne smile at us before leaving, presumably going to the kitchen. "Remember that if you feel unwell at any point tonight, then tell me and I can take you home," he adds quietly. I nod in response and I allow him to lead me to his living room and the two of us sit on the couch. I lean against his chest for a few moments before he just pulls me onto his lap. His arms wrap around me and I rest my head on his shoulder.

A few days after my parents came back from their twentieth anniversary vacation, I was allowed to leave the hospital. I've been instructed to stay at home, but I was to walk around outside every few hours. I'm not allowed to go to school just yet because my immune system isn't strong enough to handle that. I was beginning to get frustrated and bored when Harry decided to invite me to dinner at his place. Mom and Dad were hesitant at first because they were worried about something going wrong but they eventually caved.

Francis helped me pick out an outfit and kept asking me when I was going to be official with Harry. I've been wondering the same thing too, but I wasn't about to push the subject. I figured that if it was going to happen, it'll be soon. Maybe tonight is going to be when he asks. Even if he doesn't, I'm honestly fine with that. I just like being in his company and he likes being in mine. Labeling whatever this is won't affect what we have.

"So, you have tattoos?" I ask, breaking the silence between us. When I had buttoned up his shirt, I had seen some marks on his skin, the more prominent ones being two swallows that rest on his collarbones. I think I had even seen two fern leaves on his hips.

"Oh yeah," Harry murmurs. "I forget that I have them sometimes."

"I've always wanted to get a tattoo," I admit. "I meant to get one before I started chemo but one thing led to another and it didn't happen."

"Well, when you're able to, I've got this friend who can give you whatever you want for free," Harry says as he rubs my back.

"I know a friend too," I reply with my eyes closed. "I'd prefer to use him because I've known him for awhile and he's also a survivor," I add.

"Can you tell me about him?" Harry asks. I don't hear any jealousy in his voice and I think he's genuinely curious.

"His name's Louis," I begin. "He had stage three laryngeal cancer and got it from smoking and drinking. He was upset at first but he knew that what happened to him was his doing. He had to get surgery as well as radiation therapy and while it's not super common, he kind of lost the ability to speak. He's had to learn how to use ASL, and so he wouldn't feel so alone, I decided to do the same thing," I continue.

"So you know sign language?"

"I'm almost fluent," I answer. "He was also grateful that I learned along with him and after being cancer free, he decided to open a tattoo parlor. I think you'd like him."

"Maybe one day you can take me to meet him," he says quietly. We fall silent after this and its broken when Gemma comes walking downstairs, dressed in all black except the white beanie that she's wearing. I lean my head up and watch as she comes over to Harry and I with a small smile.

"Hi Meg," she says as she stands at the end of the couch. I carefully get out of Harry's arms and walk over to give her a hug. My body feels heavy and I feel exhausted, especially after been so relaxed. "You look wonderful," she adds, eyeing the loose fitting black jeans and green sweater.

We spend a few minutes talking before I remember that Anne is in the kitchen, probably making food. I feel a little guilty at this and I go over to help, only to have her shoo me away. I keep insisting until she caves and lets me set the table. It turns out that she's made homemade cheese ravioli and vodka sauce and I turn to look at Harry when a large plate is set in front of me.

"You said that you absolutely adored ravioli with buckets of Parmesan cheese and vodka sauce," he says. "I thought that I'd mention it to my mother and she decided to do all this," he adds with a sly smile.

"Hopefully not alone," I reply with a raised eyebrow. Both Gemma and Harry smile sheepishly at me while their mother laughs quietly. "Thank you for making all of this for me, Anne. I know it's going to be great," I add before picking up my fork to start eating. I let out a happy groan and Anne grins at me. The first few minutes are silent as we all eat and I have to remind myself to take it easy. I still get nauseated which means that I could throw up this amazing meal.

"How're you feeling?" Harry asks quietly as he reaches out to hold my hand. Gemma and Anne continue to eat, pretending not to be listening but I know that they are. It's hard not to, considering that we're all sitting around the same dinner table.

"M'fine," I assure him as I stifle a yawn. "I wish I could eat more but I am absolutely stuffed," I add as I use my free hand to pat my stomach.

"Well hopefully you've got some room for desert," Harry chuckles. "We've made a s'mores pizza," he adds.

"You've literally made all of my favourite foods, I think I'm in love," I say happily.

"You'd be in love with our mum then," Gemma chuckles. "She's the one who made all of this."

"Shit, I might just come over for Anne's cooking," I say, sitting up. "Forget about Harry."

"Hey," Harry whines as he attempts to grab my hand again. "Meg, I know you like me," he pouts as I give him a neutral expression. Gemma and Anne watch on with amused expressions and I finally break when Harry begins to slouch.

"Oh all right, I like you," I say as gently pat his cheek. He gives me a look and I roll my eyes at him before leaning over to quickly kiss him. I feel a little embarrassed that I did this in front of his sister and parents but they don't seem to mind at all. Instead, they're smiling wide at the two of us.

"I'll go get dessert," Anne says before slowly getting up. I feel my cheeks grow warm when I feel Harry's fingers graze the back of my hand. A few moments later, she comes walking back out with a large tray and I swear I almost started crying then and there. It smelled so good.

"This is the best thing I've ever had," I say as I take a large bite. Anne laughs softly and after a few minutes she starts asking questions about myself. I notice that she's avoiding anything about the cancer, but I'm glad when Gemma finally asks.

Harry's hand is resting on my thigh as I talk about my experiences and he squeezes gently every so often. It's his attempt at comforting me without saying anything and I'm actually pretty grateful for it. Both Gemma and Anne listen to every word I say and I really like that they're not giving me sympathetic looks.

"You've caught me on a really good day," I say as I take a small drink of water. "I'm mostly fatigued right now, but other days I can get pretty nauseated or my arm will go numb or there will be a searing pain there. It's anyone's guess as to what I'll feel each day, but it's not too bad."

"Well, we won't keep you here for much longer," Anne says as she clears her throat. "You need to rest, and as much as I'd love to have you over for longer, your health is more important than what I want," she adds in a motherly tone.

"Well I guess that means that I should drive Meg home," Harry says hastily.

"Don't think that this'll get you off the hook from doing the dishes, young man," Anne calls as Harry steers me out of the room. "I expect you to help once you get back!"

"Yes mum!" Harry calls before ushering me out of the room. His cheeks are flushed red as he leads me to his car and it takes me a few minutes to realise that he isn't driving in the direction of my house. He smiles nervously every time I ask him where he's taking me and I eventually give up since I think he's trying to surprise me. My mind begins to race with the possibilities of what he's going to do and there's a small part of me that's wondering if this has anything to do with prom. He still hasn't asked anyone to the dance and Francis seems adamant that Harry's going to ask me.

"What're we doing at the park?" I ask curiously when I see the old playground that I used to hang around.

"Oh, I uh, I just thought that maybe we could play around for a few minutes," Harry says shyly. "I know my mum kind of implied that I was to take you straight home, but I feel like being a bad ass."

"You feel like a bad ass when you directly ignore what your mother wants?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. I reach out and grab his outstretched hand and he smiles shyly again.

"I've gotta get my street cred somehow," he mumbles. I let out a quiet laugh and kiss his cheek before pulling him over to the see-saw. It's gotten much more run down in recent years, but it still works well enough. My amusement grows as I see him try to sit properly on his side and he keeps falling off. He eventually gets the hang of it and soon, we're both having a fun time. When Harry had invited me to dinner, a big part of me was scared, even though I had met Anne and Gemma before. I knew his father was out of the picture and I knew not to ask.

Part of me expected that the nice exterior that they had put up earlier had been a ruse. As it turns out, Anne and Gemma are just really nice people. They didn't care that I had cancer, or that I had one leg. The only thing they seemed to care about was if I liked Harry or not. I must have passed their test because they seemed to like me. Now I've just got to make sure my parents actually like him and then everything will be perfect.

"So I was thinking," I begin slowly as Harry pushes off the ground, making me go down as he goes up on the see-saw. "Maybe we could meet up at my house on Friday night and--"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Harry asks rather suddenly. Both of us go silent and his eyes widen in surprise. "I mean...uh, why don't you go on with what you were saying?" he adds, suddenly getting very flustered.

"Harry--"

"I didn't mean for that to come out," he says nervously. "I've been meaning to ask you for awhile but I was scared that it would be too early, you know?" he continues, not pushing off the ground so I have to stay up in the air.

"Harry--" I try again.

"So, just forget about what I said and lets go back to what you were saying before I so rudely interrupted you," he says. I pause to make sure he's not going to say anything else before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"I guess you'll never know the answer to my question then," I say as I stare at him, carefully watching his reaction. The area is illuminated by street lights and I see his eyes widen. "So, as I was saving, I was thinking that maybe we could meet up on Friday and--"

"No wait, I changed my mind," Harry interrupts. "I want to know what you'd say."

"Sorry no can do, mister," I say, trying desperately to hide my smile. His face falls for a fraction of a second before recovering. "You said to forget about it."

"That was in the past," he replies quickly. "What'll your answer be?" I almost want to continue this little game, make him suffer a little more but the poor guy seems genuinely worked up about this so I decide to just answer him.

"Of course I'd be your girlfriend," I say with a wide smile. Harry lets out a loud whoop before getting off the see-saw, obviously forgetting that I was still on it and suspended in the air. He realises this too late because I come crashing down and I roll off to the side.

"Fucking hell, not even a minute into this relationship and I've already messed up," Harry groans before hastily kneeling beside me. "Are you okay?" he asks with furrowed eyebrows. I let out a loud laugh before placing my hands on the back of his neck to pull his face down.

"I'm fine, Harry," I say softly before leaning up to kiss him. He seems taken aback by my abrupt action but he quickly kisses me back. I can feel him smiling against my lips and we probably stay in that position for a good ten minutes before my phone begins to buzz. My parents, more specifically my father is calling, asking when I'll be home. He sounds suspicious on the phone which makes me think that Anne had probably called him to say that I was on my way home.

"Will you be able to come to the game on Saturday?" Harry asks as we quickly get back in the car. If I'm any later, I'm sure my father will be very cross with me.

"I should be able to," I say, stifling a yawn. "I can't guarantee it though. Large crowds mean a lot of people and a lot of people mean germs. I can't really afford to get sick right now," I add.

"Well, if you can't make it, I'll have Mum or Gemma face time you," he replies quickly. We continue talking for the rest of the car ride and when I get home, my father greets the two of us. He seems ready to chew me out for getting home so late but he stops himself, either because he doesn't have it in him to do it or because he sees how my hand is in Harry's and how happy I look. Either way, he shakes my now boyfriend's hug and invites him to dinner some time.

"So I'm guessing that boy finally asked you to be his girlfriend?" Dad asks as he follows me into the living room. "I was wondering when he would. He came over when you were with Francis to ask me if it was okay for him to date you," he adds, sitting in his favourite armchair. He turns the tv onto the news before muting it and turning his head to look at me.

"What did you say?" I ask curiously.

"I said something along the lines of 'son, I appreciate that you're asking me for permission, but the only person who has a say in this situation is my daughter'," he replies. "He seems to really care about you," he adds, smiling.

"Yeah," I say as I play with the ends of my hair.

"I'm glad you're finally happy again, Flower," Dad says. "After Reed, I thought that you would close yourself off forever, but I'm glad that you've found someone else that you like."

"Me too," I admit. He chuckles quietly and we sit in silence before I speak up again. "Shouldn't you be all worried about Harry breaking my heart? Where's the protective dad that always shooed away guys?"

"That dad decided not to interfere with this one because I can tell that you like Harry and he likes you. There's a mutual respect between you two that was never there with other guys," he answers. "Besides, I think the over protective dad is kind of old now. I want you to go out there, date a few guys, break some hearts and have your heart broken. It's part of life," he adds. I smile at his words and we fall silent as the news is unmuted and we listen to the events that are happening around the world.

🌼    🌼    🌼    🌼

As it turns out, I was unable to make it to the game on Saturday. I had woken up Friday morning with a sore throat and after waiting a few hours, it developed into a cough. Mom and Dad insisted on taking me to the hospital and it's a good thing that they did this because I caught a cold--the flu to be exact. I didn't think that there was anything to worry about because this seems so trivial but everyone else didn't think so.

The doctors fear that I won't be able to fight the infection and my parents are worried like always. Francis, like me, thinks that I'll pull through while Harry is cautiously optimistic. I told him what was happening Saturday morning when we got more information. He almost stayed with me instead of going to the game but I insisted that he go and that I'd FaceTime the whole thing with Francis. He had also decided to go to the game because he knew how stressful this whole thing was for me already. He could tell that I could barely handle my parents hysteria, add on his and Harry's and I could very well snap.

It took me a week to fully recover from this and I was beginning to get worried. I want to get back to actually being in school and this is only going to set me back. Graduation is already starting to be talked about and I'm not even sure if I'll be able to walk. I've put in my applications to Berkeley, Stanford, UC Santa Cruz and a few Oregon schools and I should be hearing back soon. I did early decision on Stanford while Francis did that for UC Santa Cruz. He applied to a few of the Oregon schools, but we both know he won't accept if he's offered admission.

Harry has applied to Stanford as well, and I'm confident that he's going to get in, especially with how good he is with soccer. I'll bet that he gets that soccer scholarship, and if he doesn't, that's the school's loss. He's also applied to a few schools in England but he doesn't seem to want to go to any of those. I think he prefers America, and the selfish part of me wants him to stay so I can be closer to him.

Prom is coming up soon and mom spent a few hours with me, searching the Internet for various prom dresses, suits and fancy jumpsuits. Harry hasn't really mentioned the dance to me and I've decided that I'll go with or without him. I'm just determined to go because this is probably the last chance to go to a school dance. I'll bet that it'll be shitty, but I feel like I need to experience it at least once in my life.

__________

a/n: let's play a game.

If you have predictive text on, type "my kink is" and let the text decide your sentence. I got "my kink is a bad idea."

How fitting...

Also, please enjoy this picture that I've had for years and still makes me laugh.