🎄 Underneath the Tree 🎄 Zarry

Six ❄️

The next morning, it's time to decorate the main tree in the living room. Despite how much he loves Christmas, having more than five people decorate the one and the same tree is more than annoying. When they were all kids, it was better as only the adults bickered about what should go where but now everyone's a bit too opinionated. So generally, Harry stays out of it as much as he can. He warns Zayn about the war of the tree, as he likes to call it and they retreat to a loveseat as far from the tree as they can. Evie keeps them entertained and seemingly too preoccupied to decorate, as they play with her and drink coffee.

    Harry sort of gets lost in it. The awkwardness and the reluctance to relax and accept the situation has disappeared. This is what it is. No matter how Harry tries to put it in his head, he and Zayn are pretending to be boyfriends. He doesn't have to be miserable about it just because they did a dumb thing as college freshmen. They are friends, even despite Harry's prolonged grudge. Sure, they never hung out on their own and texted, not really, but they've hung out with the same group of people at the same time on too many instances not to be friends. Harry considers people he knows less friends so he can uncomplicate this situation without feeling stupid.

    He and Zayn are just friends, hanging out together over Christmas. Sure, they might kiss for show and somehow find themselves wrapped around each other in bed in the morning but that doesn't change the basis of this. Harry doesn't have to be a dickhead about it, which he absolutely was. Zayn agreed to spend Christmas with a bunch of strangers and a loosely-termed friend so the least Harry can do for him is not be a bitch to him.

    So far, they've been having a nice morning, ignoring the tree battle and playing with Evie when Harry's cousins slink towards them and eventually sit down on the carpet at their feet and try to lure Evie away from them.

    "What are you two plotting?" Harry asks immediately because there's never something these two don't want. "If it includes my cat then forget about it."

    "We're not plotting anything," Jane rolls her eyes. "We just wanna hang out with the only young people here. Right, Mark?"

    "Of course, Janet," Matt grins. "So, Zayn, has Harry told you about the 4th of July last year? It's such a great story."

    "No fucking way," Harry sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I knew you guys would do this."

    Zayn gives Harry an amused look. "No, he hasn't. And by the way, I know your names are Jane and Matt. I know about Logan."

    "Oh," Jane raises her brows at Harry, wiggling them. "Harry's not dating a complete asshole! I genuinely didn't think I'd see the day. Welcome to the family, Zayn."

    Harry scoffs and shakes his head. "We're not getting married, Jane."

    "You might as well," Matt answers for her. "You won't score anyone better. Anyway, back to Fourth of July 2018."

    Harry whines and closes his eyes as he has to listen to the retelling of the story when he got spectacularly drunk, jumped into the lake naked and got his dick bitten by a catfish. He would much prefer they'd tell some embarrassing stories from his childhood, because there are plenty and he wasn't an adult when he did all that dumb shit.

    Zayn laughs at the story, but doesn't tease Harry about it, much to the dismay of his cousins. He does however put his hand on Harry's knee and say, "Well, I'm glad he didn't get any permanent damage from that bite, yeah?"

    Harry's eyes shoot open at that. He knows Zayn doesn't truly mean it but Harry still looks at him, mildly perplexed. Zayn just winks at him, his hand a warm weight on Harry's knee. It feels like there is half the universe instead of a single hand, chaining him down and burning through his skin at the same time.