Two days till Christmas and Harry was walking himself in the light snow towards his apartment at six o'clock. He passed happy couples in the streets, laughing, and nuzzling each other's noses as they shared pockets and cups of hot cocoa or hot beverages. Then thee was Harry, walking through the snow with nothing but a hat, coat, gloves, boots, cup of cocoa, and no one by his side. He really was thinking about not going to the family get together, maybe it was for the best he didn't go. Then he wouldn't suffer stress of turning the corner and having an aunt pop out of no where asking where his girlfriend was.
He didn't want a girlfriend.
He just wanted someone who he could call a partner. He really didn't care the gender, as long as they loved each other, right?
Tucking the collar of his jacket higher, he crossed a slush filled street, and his phone buzzed in his pocket. Giving a huff, he put his cup into his other hand and pulled out his phone to an unknown number calling him. He stared a moment before debating whether he should answer it. He did anyways.
"Hello?" He said bummed.
"Wow, the more we get closer to Christmas - you're really hating it, aren't you?" They laughed.
Harry came to a slow stop, pausing before answering again. "Who is-?"
"Louis."
He didn't speak, didn't move. Louis.
"Gemma gave me your number. She didn't give me hers, she gave me yours." Louis laughed, "Sneak one she is."
Harry scoffed, knocking a nervous laugh out of himself. "I guess she is."
There was a moment of silence, and Harry thought he had hung up on Louis by accident. "Do you want to hang out today?"
Harry took a breath, "Hang out?"
"Yeah, me and a couple of friends are heading over to the skating rink tonight and I wanted to know if you were going to tag along?"
Harry stuttered, "I - don't know how to skate-."
"It's alright. Nobody's perfect here, I'll help you around." He gave a laugh, "Come on you Ebenezer Scrooge, you can't hide out forever in the clouds."
Harry shrugged, even if Louis couldn't see him. "Do I have to?"
"Yes, you do. Now, make sure you wear something warm. The ice rink is the center of cold in this town." He gave a laugh, and Harry smiled. "Give me the address and my friends will be on their way. Eight o'clock, so be ready."
"Sure."
"And Harold?"
"Harry." Harry mumbled.
Louis chuckled, "Lighten up. Not everything in the world is so bad." With that, he didn't wait for Harry to say goodbye as he hung up and left Harry out in the cold to suffer having been still in the snow for too long. He huddled his cold limbs to his apartment quickly, and gave Louis his number. Saving Louis' number in his phone as 'Lewis'. Oh, the humor in that made Harry laugh to himself.
. . .
By the time Harry was ready, he was shaking his knees as he sat on the couch worried. He might make a fool out of himself, he might fall and hurt himself. He was going to make a total idiot of himself, and he wasn't ready for the embarrassment. He looked to the clock in the corner, and watched as his phone lit up with Louis' name blinking on the screen. He hurried to get his coat on, answering it on the way to his door.
"Hello?"
"You know, making people wait is a horrible first date." Louis joked.
Harry flushed red, "You just got here."
