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“Baby formula, baby formula...” The blonde mutters to herself while the baby in the cart coos and desperately grabs at the air.
Her eyes flitter across the labels, not really caring what brand she buys as long as it's affordable. She picks a container up and waves it in front of the child’s face.
“Does this look alright, Sierra? I know you’re not that picky,” Cassandra says, speaking to the girl as if she's an adult.
In response, the little bundle of dimples and sunshine claps. Cassandra’s lips quirk in satisfaction as she places the item into the nearly full cart.
She later finds herself in the snack aisle, wondering whether to get chips or cookies for her and Allie’s movie night later. She's about to settle on chips when a familiar (and maddening) voice nearly scares the crap out of her.
“Cassandra! Congratulations. Who’s the father?”
She turns to lock eyes with the owner of the voice. His eyes are gleaming mischievously, and he's struggling to hold back a laugh.
The girl is surprised to see that he doesn’t look like a complete douche bag today. His brown hair is tousled, making him look ten times more attractive. He has on a white sweater which is paired with black sweatpants and Vans, very different from the dress shirts and boat shoes he wore all the time.
In his hand, he's holding a six pack of Red Bull which, Cassandra thinks, is probably all for himself. Mixed with whatever tablets he steals from his parents’ bathroom cabinet and crushes. She doesn't say such an intrusive thought out loud though.
“Harry. So nice to see you. She’s my cousin,” She clarifies, narrowing her eyes to give him a look that says ‘you’re not funny at all’.
“Hm, interesting,” He replies nonchalantly, finding interest in the food on the shelves and leaving the conversation behind. Cassandra rolls her eyes and does the same.
Not long after, he breaks the silence.
“She looks a lot like you, you know,” He remarks, eyes flicking between her and the child, looking for the similarities.
She avoids his gaze, trying to quickly decide on the type of chips she wants, but the intensity of his stare makes her too tense to focus.
She has to admit that they do kind of look alike though. Dirty blonde hair, pouty lips. But their eyes are different. In fact, Sierra’s eyes are the same as Harry’s. Harry’s are a mosaic of different shades of brown, something she only knows because she has to stare into his eyes all the time for plays; they are usually the leads, who are typically lovers. But of course, Sierra has a certain softness and kindness in hers that Harry would never be able to match.
When she looks over at Harry, she finds him pulling exaggerated funny faces at Sierra. To her complete horror, her cousin is enjoying it. Happily garbling and reaching out to him as if he is her favourite toy.
She has never seen Harry behaving in a manner like this. The girl didn't even think he knew how to act around children. Her appearance must be absurd because Harry furrows his eyebrows and asks her, “Are you okay?“
She clears her throat and nods, as if all the nodding would organize the jumbled thoughts in her head at the moment.
“I’m fine. Uh - “ She hesitates before offering information, acting in a way that is too motherly to her liking, “Her name is Sierra, by the way.”
“Sierra,” He repeats softly, sending the baby a small smile that is so unlike him that Cassandra has to suck her lips in to stop her jaw from dropping. The baby girl drools, and Cassandra is quick to wipe it off.
It's an odd situation for them; they're not fighting over something stupid or trying to stab each other.
Sierra makes noises of delight and stretches out her chubby little arms, signalling she wants to be held. Cassandra picks her up and begins to soothe her with reassuring words when the child starts crying out and trying to escape out of her grasp.
With panic, she looks over at Harry who is watching her with fascination and amusement.
“Oh,” Cassandra blurts, turning red in embarrassment as she realizes what the younger girl actually wants, “Um, do you want to hold her?”
He blinks, confused, as if she’d asked him if he was born on Mars, “What?”
Cassandra, with the fussy baby in her arms getting closer to screaming, repeats impatiently, “Do you want to hold Sierra?”
Putting his drinks in her cart temporarily, he nods. Before he knows it, the pint sized human is in his arms, looking up at him with big glossy brown eyes that remind him too much of his own. But the difference, he notices, is that there is warmth in hers. He doesn't know if he is still capable of that same warmth.
The young girl is suddenly silent and grinning widely, much to Cassandra’s irritation. Sierra is never that compliant with her. A thought that he could be a good father crosses her mind. But she immediately shoves that to the back of her mind. What is it that makes him so charming that even babies like him?
“Hi Sierra,” He croons with such uncharacteristic tenderness that Cassandra has to look around for any hidden Punk’d cameras.
And because the main job of babies is to hold onto things and never let go, Sierra firmly grips Harry’s necklace. He laughs heartily as his efforts to detach her tiny fingers fail. Then, she puts the chain in her mouth.
“No, no - don’t do that,” His eyes widen in concern, trying to remove the silver, "That's gross."
He looks up at Cassandra for help, and she's only gaping at him with a look that is a mixture of surprise and hilarity.
“What?”
“It’s nothing,” She shakes her head slowly, bemused, “I just didn’t know you acted so... different around kids.”
He deadpans, reminding her more of the arrogant rich boy she knows, “What, do you think I eat children when they’re around or something?”
“Yes.”
Harry rolls his eyes at Cassandra, but she notices the fleeting smile on his lips. She can't lie and say it doesn't make her feel some type of way.
“I think she likes you,” Cassandra says after finally accepting that Sierra has a favourite between the two rivals.
Her enemy looks up, eyes twinkling. He sends her a genuine grin that makes her avert her eyes, “Really?"
After a few moments, the girl checks her watch. Then, she grabs a few chips and drops them in the cart.
“Okay, um, we need to go now,” She interrupts, slightly feeling guilty about her hastiness when the boy looks up with an expression that almost seems hurt.
“Yeah, sorry,” He apologizes rather sourly before placing his new friend back in her designated area in the cart.
The infant, nothing but in love with him, babbles and beams, unaware that he is going to leave. Cassandra watches as he boops Sierra’s nose, making her giggle. Then, wordlessly, he picks up his drinks, grabs Oreos, and walks away. Neither of the two say goodbye.
They are about to leave when Sierra bursts into tears and tries to reach for Harry. After futile attempts to calm her down, Cassandra finally calls out to the boy. A headache is forming; she can't handle Sierra sobbing loudly right now and people glaring at her.
He just reaches the opposite end of the aisle when he turns around, clearly annoyed at the mention of his name. He walks back to them.
“What?” He questions with a little more edge than before. She flinches a little.
“Are you done shopping?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Can you get in line with us? If you leave, she’s gonna start crying again, and that’s gonna cause a scene. At least in the car, we won’t be around people.”
“Why should I care? It’s not my fault you can’t handle your own cousin.”
“Look at her right now,” They both turn to look at the baby who is happy (and quiet) at the sight of Harry. She makes sounds of glee, watching her pseudo-parents innocently like she has never done anything wrong in her life.
“Just until the car please,” Cassandra cringes at her words. She hates begging, but here she is, begging her arch nemesis.
Harry sighs heavily and thinks for a moment. He should be at home right now. Seeing colours that don’t exist and drinking something that isn't Red Bull and wallowing in self pity. Instead, he is spending time with Cassandra and her baby cousin. And for some fucking reason, the latter doesn't seem that bad.
“Okay. Fine.”
Cassandra sends him a grateful smile that only kind of lightens his mood. Kind of.
“Thank you, Harry."
He gives her a blank look before mumbling, “Let’s go.”
Cassandra wheels the cart while Harry walks beside her. When Sierra tugs on his sweater, begging for his attention, he has no choice but to scrunch his face up, looking silly. The girl notices, but doesn't say anything, instead pursing her lips to fight the stupid smile forming.
They eventually get to the cashier, and he starts putting his things on the conveyor belt first; then, she proceeds to the same. When Harry starts to help her, she doesn't object.
The cashier is a woman named Wendy, presumably in her late-fifties, with grey hair and a friendly smile. She begins to scan Harry’s items.
“How are y’all doing today?”
“Great, and you?” Cassandra answers out of polite habit, despite the fact that she isn't sure why the lady seemed to greet both of them instead of just Harry.
“Good, thanks.”
It is when the lady starts scanning baby formula that Cassandra realizes she forgot to put a divider between her and Harry’s items.
“Oh! I’m sorry ma’am but - “
Before she can correct her, Harry leans in close to Cassandra and casually says, “It’s fine. I got it.”
The woman raises a brow at the two. Cassandra, with her mouth agape, can't take her eyes off Harry.
“Sorry, go ahead ma’am,” Harry waves her off, flashing a magnetic smile.
Cassandra, suddenly chagrin, hits him on the arm, and angrily whispers, “Harry, what the fuck?”
“Ow! Why are you hurting me? I’m literally offering to pay for you,” He groans, rubbing his arm, irked at her irrational reaction. She rolls her eyes; she didn’t hit him that hard.
“Stop being theatrical. Your arm is fine,” She scolds, pointing at the increasing price on the screen, “I can’t let you pay for me. I know you’re loaded, but this is a lot of stuff.”
If Wendy notices them bickering, she doesn't say anything. Yet.
“Do you wanna fucking tell her that you want to pay separately?"
“Why did you do that anyway? I never asked you to!”
“I know you didn’t. I was just being nice!”
“Oh, so you can be nice?”
Sierra claps excitedly, finding humour in their back and forth.
“Seriously? I just wanted to pay for your groceries. Why are you acting like I killed your dog?”
“Do you think I can’t afford it? Is that what you think? God, you are such a piece of work.”
“When the hell did I ever say that? You know what? I think - “
“You make a very cute family by the way,” Wendy finally comments, amused with their argument.
Harry and Cassandra go silent, both staring at the woman, wide eyed with bewilderment. Sierra stares at her too, wide eyed with confusion.
“Better than reality TV, let me tell you.”
Then they both start rambling like their lives depend on it, sentences overlapping over one another.
“It’s really - “
“Not what it looks like - “
“I’m only - “
“She’s not - “
“He’s not - “
“This isn’t - “
The lady lets out a chuckle, holding her hand up.
“You remind me of my husband and I. We used to argue over things like that too. Anyway, cash or card?”
Harry clears his throat, fumbling to get his American Express out. The girl beside him notices the tremble in his fingers and the rose in his cheeks. She doesn't mention it as she probably mirrors him.
“We’re not,” Cassandra explains, laughing nervously, “- a family. This is my cousin, and he’s just... a classmate.”
Wendy smirks as if she knows something they don't, “Just classmates, huh? Well, here ya go. Have a good day.”
And with that, she gives the boy the receipt, and they finish loading the bags onto the cart.
They head to the entrance, with Harry pushing the cart, Sierra leaning against his chest, and Cassandra following.
“How’s that for causing a scene?” He says jokingly.
She gives him a pointed look, and he shuts up.
When they get to Cassandra’s car, he helps her transfer the food. He also assists her with getting Sierra in the car seat, and even offers to bring the cart back.
He leaves, but before she knows it, she's calling out his name.
He spins around, expression indecipherable, "Yeah?"
There is a pause, and then, “Thank you.”
He gives an acknowledging nod before becoming a blur in the distance. Behind her, Sierra starts crying again.