fifteen: magnolias

                                    

                                          
magnolias symbolize things that are everlasting.
                          
henry: the flowers didn't work
                          
piper: what can i do?
                          
henry: come over here
                          
henry: it's 3321 hapsbury lane
                          
piper: i'm omw
                          
When Piper pulled up in front of Henry's mother's scenic condo, her heart was pounding. Henry was sitting outside, but he stood up and jogged over to her once he saw that she'd arrived. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her seamlessly off her bike. She stroked his hair and held him close to her. It'd been a few days since she'd seen him, but he'd been updating her on his mother's condition every now and then. 
                          
"Thank you for coming," he murmured, kissing her hair and her cheek. She nodded, nuzzling into his chest.
                          
"Of course. Is she...?"
                          
Henry nodded soberly and pulled her into the condo with him. She slid her thumb through his belt loop and kissed his shoulder sweetly. He held the door for her and then returned to her side, keeping a hand pressed to her lower back. He led her gently down the hall and to what she assumed was his mother's bedroom. Henry had informed. He stepped inside tentatively, and smiled sadly at Elliot and Isaac. They were sitting on the bed, holding each other, as Elliot buried his face in Isaac's neck and cried. Piper kept her arms around Henry.
                          
"Hey there, honey," Isaac said, giving her a tiny smile. "Come to comfort our Henry?"
                          
"Um, yeah," she said awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Do you guys need anything?"
                          
"No, Piper, thank you, though," Isaac answered, smoothing some of Elliot's blonde curls back from his face. 
                          
"We'll be in my room," Henry announced, locking his fingers in Piper's and dragging her out of the room. She followed wordlessly as he walked down the hall to a pastel blue door. 
                          
As soon as they were inside, hHenry threw himself onto his bed and opened his arms for Piper to join him. She rolled her eyes, but climbed under his sheets and wound her body around his. Henry shifted so she was on her back and he was laying on top of her, cheek pressed against her chest.
                          
"Do you like horror movies?" he mumbled. 
                          
Piper shrugged and then remembered he wasn't looking at her. "I guess, yeah. Only in  my room, though, cause I know I'm safe."
                          
"I watch them when I'm sad," Henry said, stroking the curve of her waist.
                          
"Like right now?"
                          
"Mm-hmm."
                          
Piper sat up, nudging Henry gently off her, and reached for the laptop on his nightstand. When he nodded his consent, she opened it and let him type in his password. ("It's Isaac's birthday.") She found Netflix in the bookmarks on the top of his browser. Henry leaned on her shoulder as she scrolled through the horror category, humming or grunting his approval. When her mouse hovered over Oculus, he grinned and nudged her. 
                          
"That one."
                          
"Have you seen it?"
                          
"No, but my dad has, and he said it made Isaac cry, so I'm ready."
                          
Piper smiled and turned the volume up. By the time they were both comfortable, the movie had been playing for five minutes and Henry was half-asleep. 
                          
He was underneath her, arms wrapped around her torso and head cushioned by the obscene amount of pillows on his bed. She was on his chest, neck craned to see the screen but mostly focused on the rhythm of his breathing. 
                          
Henry knotted his fingers in Piper's hair and dipped his head slightly to press a sweet kiss to her lips. "Thank you."
                          
Piper just clutched him tighter.
                          
a/n: thx for reading, also this chapter got me so off plan bc i've written like half of this book in my comp skills class and i don't have the google doc with the plot outline with me so i just kind of wing it so idk how to get this back on track but we shall see!!!! i love all 2 of my readers <3