Elf Bites ❄ l.s. AU

35: Fear and Fathers

Those distant noises bouncing off the towering walls and empty concrete floors, even covered in dirt, scattered straw, and probably poop as they were, had Harry nearly bouncing on his toes in anticipation for the spectacle. It truly was nothing to get this excited over, but Harry couldn't help it, and he worried suddenly he might have overshot this. Louis likely wouldn't find it as cool.

As if the human had heard his name in Harry's thoughts, he spoke up. "I thought we were going back to your place to talk."

"We're here to talk," Harry promised. "Just going to do that here. I never said we'd do it at my house."

Louis didn't respond, and Harry's worry deepened. Maybe he should have waited until Louis was in a better mood to see the reindeer. The attitude he has now might sour the whole thing, even though it was supposed to be cool. He didn't think this through enough.

The first time Harry had seen the reindeer training, he was young. He'd loved it. He'd always been told how it was done, how the yearlings trained and trained before they were able to fly and actually be useful. And he'd seen the finished product enough times, but getting to finally see all that goes in to getting the animals to that point was like uncovering a goldmine. He'd return as he could, year after year, even without his mum or Gem.

In fact, he got to a point where he preferred coming alone. Sitting in the bleachers with nobody to interrupt his thoughts was something he cherished, especially during the years when Ed had been particularly difficult, especially rebellious in his way. Truthfully, this might be Harry's favorite place in all of the North Pole, and he wanted nothing more for Louis to at least like it.

Harry led them up three levels of stairs before they finally approached the large metal doors guarding the entrance to the ring. He pushed through one and held it open for Louis, who walked past him and stopped off to the side, unwilling to be in the lead for even a short moment.

When Harry let the doors close and returns to Louis' side, he can see that Louis' eyes had been drawn to the ring like he'd hoped they'd be, like his own were itching to do. But it didn't last, and Louis looked away, so Harry took that as his queue to keep moving, though their destination was merely a row of seats away.

So once they were sitting in the area Harry always does, he opened his mouth to turn Louis' attention back to the reindeer, where his own already was drawn even though he could feel Louis' eyes on him since they sat down.

Before he could speak, Louis said, "I still think you're making a mistake."

Reluctantly, Harry met his gaze. "I don't think I am."

With their gazes locked like this, Harry could see that Louis' eyes were simmering with anger despite keeping it carefully in check. A silence began to ensue, but Harry didn't want Louis to continue feeling this way, to continue holding himself back like this, so he exhaled slowly through his nose and admitted, "I'm worried you're projecting your own feelings and experiences on this situation, and that...that you can't see past it."

Louis bristled, like Harry expected he would. But he also looked hurt, as if Harry had purposely set out to say the thing that would betray him most, and Harry immediately felt awful.

"Louis," he whispered.

"You may know the whole story now that I've told you, but that doesn't give you the right to assume you know how it's affected me over the years," Louis bit back. "At least not the point where you can make that presumption."