The Adjacent Room [h.s]

Chapter 19

'Let me just change, hang on.' I say, making my way to the bedroom and to my suitcase. In my admiration of this house I didn't even take my shoes off, and now I'm just extremely uncomfortable. I change into a pair of sweatpants, and Harry's Columbia hoodie. His hoodie is becoming just about the only thing I wear, but I really can't be blamed.

'You really don't take that thing off, do you?' He questions.

'Leave me alone' I laugh.

In my absence, Harry layed out all the ingredients on the counter. Harry has always been a good cook, but I'm impressed with his ingredient purchases. He picked various vegetables, along with a variety of sauces and hokkien noodles. We're not going to be able to use up all these sauces, but I'm sure the next guests here would die to know Harry Styles bought their soy sauce.

What do you want to do? I guess one of us can do the noodles and all that and then the other can cut up all the vegetables.' Harry asks. He looks down at all the ingredients on the table like he's puzzled by them. Or maybe just deciding what he wants to do. I'm really not fussed at what I do, just that I get to be here with him. I haven't even been in the kitchen in such a long time, and I've really missed it. I love to cook when we're home, whether that's London or LA, and it's even better that Harry is here to do it with me.

'If you're not going to answer, I'll do the vegetables.' I was so lost in thought that I didn't even answer Harry's question.

'Sounds great.' I say with a smile.

Harry starts cutting up the carrots, broccoli and snow peas, while I boil the water for the noodles. I create a mixture with the sauces too, and put it beside the wok for when we cook the vegetables. I was very impressed when I found a wok in the cupboard beside all the pots and pans.

I like everything in my life to be planned and organised, but when I cook I'm not very particular with measurements and like to just experiment. One of Harry's many traits that have rubbed off on me.

'I used to cook all the time for the boys when I was in the band.' Harry says mindlessly, while biting down on a piece of carrot. Harry doesn't talk about the band or the boys much, and I don't think they speak very often either. He loves them all to the ends of the earth, but it's just not something he talks about a lot. It's strange that he's mentioning them now, but maybe it's the 10 year anniversary coming up that has gotten Harry feeling so nostalgic.

'I used to make them tacos all the time.' He adds in.

'Didn't Niall think he was the better cook though?' I tease, quoting an interview I had watched. 

'Well yeah, but everyone knew that I was better. Niall was just kidding himself.' Harry laughs, just as I pour the vegetables into the wok and the whole room is filled with the sound of sizzling.

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'Did this satisfy your need for a home cooked meal?' Harry jokes, while carrying the empty bowls to the sink.

'Very much so. Really, thank you for doing this..all of this.' I reply, looking around the whole house dazed. It's not just the cooking that I've missed, because I feel like I've found something in him that I've been missing my whole life.

'Is there anything you want to do tonight? We could do a movie or go for a drive or a walk. Whatever you want.' He says.

'I'm not sure..we could do a movie?' I reply, before quickly registering that I'm standing here while he cleans the whole kitchen. 'Oh, I'll clean.' I add in, moving closer to the sink beside Harry.