Elf Bites ❄ l.s. AU

17: Rescues and Reasons

C H A P T E R    S E V E N T E E N

Rescues and Reasons

❄●❄

                 THERE WERE A few things that Harry thought he'd never do in his lifetime. They included jumping out of an airplane (elves didn't use airplanes at the North Pole), hating peppermint, riding a bicycle, and caring about something more than Christmas so much that he'd give up the chance to save said holiday were the opportunity to ever present itself.

                  But that day looked like it might have arrived.

                  It was killing him, of course. This wasn't a decision he was going to be able to stick by lightly. He was letting down everyone – all of the elves, the entire world, really. His family. His mother couldn't wrap her head around it any more than he could, so he had to get out of the house for a little while. Thankfully, Ed was free.

                  They were sat around his kitchen table much the way they used to pass time. Ed had his feet propped up beside a glass of spiked eggnog, a guitar in his lap and a notebook left forgotten on the floor near him. Harry sat across from him, his legs outstretched beneath the table, feet occasionally tapping the legs of Ed's chair. He had the journal Louis gave him lying open, and he was tapping his pen against the page he'd just been writing on. Ed was playing some little drabble he's been working on, occasionally mumbling some words to go with it that Harry couldn't always make out, but it was nice. This was nice.

                 It felt like an entire lifetime ago since they sat around like this last. Everything was a lot less complicated then. They were weeks away from being promoted to Hit-Maker Elves in time for Christmas, Harry was spending his free time with elflings, and – obviously – the holidays weren't canceled.

                  A pair of blue eyes flickered behind his closed eyelids for a short second.

                  Of course. And he didn't know Louis even existed.

                  He stopped tapping his pen and began writing again. After a second, he checked the time on his phone. If that little lion man in question wasn't out with the lads making poor life decisions, he'd be calling Harry soon, preparing for bed. Harry hoped he wouldn't forget. He wanted to make sure Louis was actually alright after that phone call earlier.

                  Ed's humming and mumbling grew louder suddenly for a moment before his music cut off entirely. Harry peeked up at him.

                  "So," Ed began, propping his guitar on the floor against the table. "Tell me about the reason you keep checking your phone every five minutes."

                  Harry raised a brow and continued writing. "I'm not checking my phone every five minutes."

                  "You also left lunch to take a phone call earlier. Same reason?"

                  "There is no reason. Was just a phone call."

                  "Those poems, then. No reason for them either?"

                  Harry sighed. "Why are you pressing right now?"

                  "I'm just curious. We haven't seen each other in a while. I'm not used to you having friends outside of me," Ed laughed. "Tell me about them. You must have some."