a christmas chapter for you!! (it's long enough so sit down with some hot chocolate and enjoy. and ignore the mistakes. too long for me to edit)
December 1st.
Harry smiled widely as he placed the star on top of the tree. He stepped back, grinning, and nodded his head in approval.
"It looks so good!" He happily said. He turned around and the smile left his face when he saw Louis on his phone. "You didn't take the picture!"
Louis looked up, mouth hung open and stuttering.
"Louis," Harry groaned out as he walked over to the couch to sit beside Louis. "This is our first Christmas together, I wanted everything captured."
"I know. I'm sorry. The girls! They're just so funny. Daisy tackled someone for picking on Phoeb's, how awesome is that?"
Harry smiled and rested his head on Louis' shoulder. Ever since they had reconnected, Louis was constantly on his phone messaging them and calling them. It was really cute, Harry loved it. He just wished he wasn't so distracted by it.
"The tree looks amazing, Harry. I've never had a Christmas tree in here." Louis kissed Harry's forehead and Harry smiled.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Never really celebrated it since I left my family."
Harry snuggled in closer to Louis and rubbed his side. "Glad things are changing, then. Maybe we can visit your mum for Christmas? We'd have to plan a trip to Gran's, too. Gemma will come up with her fiance, can't miss out on that."
"When even is the wedding?" Louis asked.
Harry shrugged and realized the date hadn't even been set yet. Josh proposed to Gemma in November; he had taken her to New York City and had a stroll in Central Park, and Gemma told Harry that he said, "What if we got married?" And she said she shrugged and replied, "Worse things have happened to me." Then he got down on one knee and proposed. She, of course, said yes.
"I'm not sure. Bet it'll be cute and small, though. Gemma doesn't like people." Harry sighed as he thought about it. "I always wanted an outside wedding. Maybe under a big tree that's hanging with lights. And have dancing under the stars. Maybe. If the weather's nice. Ooh! I bet if Gemma hurries up and pops out kids, one will be able to be a flower girl. I always wanted to be a flower boy, but everyone said that wasn't a thing. I wanted to make it a thing," Harry said with a pout.
"You're my flower boy," Louis said as he patted Harry's thigh.
He smiled and put his chin on Louis' shoulder. "What's your dream wedding like?"
"I always imagined I'd elope." Harry gasped. Louis furrowed his brows and said, "Maybe not."
"No! No, you have got to at least imagined what your wedding day would be like? Right?"
Louis shrugged, then sighed, then looked at Harry, and then sighed again. "Maybe," he muttered out. "Outside me mum's house is this white gazebo surrounded by a small garden. I always thought that would be a nice place."
Harry started crying.
"What the...? Harry, what's wrong?" Louis asked, turning to him and resting a hand on his cheek.
"It just . . . it just sounds so lovely," Harry said with a frown. "So lovely."
December 3rd.
"Everything's a disaster," Harry said with his hands on his cheeks.
"Take a breath," Liam said.
Harry shivered and inhaled deeply. Today was supposed to be great. Amazing, even. Christmas shopping and birthday shopping was a thing that had always come easy to Harry. But, of course, he just had to be stumped. Louis' birthday was on the 24th, Christmas Eve. The plans for Christmas were all over the place because Louis was so hesitant to call up his mother, so Harry couldn't exactly decide a date for his own family's Christmas get-together, and that means he didn't know where he'd be on the night of Louis' birthday. He wanted to take Louis out, obviously, and make it a wonderful day. Louis wasn't a people person, so Harry couldn't take him anywhere during the day, and Harry was sure that everything nice would be closed for Christmas Eve. Harry wanted to scream.
"Okay?" Liam asked. Harry nodded.
"Right. Let's try this store, you might find something." Liam guided Harry into a small shop with things like books and jewelry in the front.
Once inside, Harry knew this wasn't the store he would find something for Louis in. It smelled of gingerbread. Louis doesn't like gingerbread. He took that as a sign and walked out. This made Liam very grumpy, saying Harry was being too picky, but then Harry threatened to not get him anything for Christmas if he kept acting like that. While shopping, he did find some things for Christmas presents. A poetry book for Madeline (she's really nice and once mentioned she liked poetry), an artistic spin of a painted picture of Deadpool (for Zayn), a new set of alcohol-making appliances that Niall needed (with Liam's help, because Harry didn't know what anything was), and a toy helicopter for Liam (Harry told Liam it was for Madeline's brother).
"This," Harry said, stopping in his tracks to look up at the building. It was painted black. It looked scary. "Louis' present is in here."
Liam groaned and opened the door for Harry. "If we get murdered . . ." Liam trailed off.
Harry walked inside and wasn't surprised that it wasn't all too different from the outside. It was dim and painted black on the inside; Harry didn't know what the heck he was getting himself into.
"Welcome to Kinks for Kings, how may I help you?"
"Oh, God," Harry muttered.
December 6th.
"What do you want for your birthday?"
Louis scrunched his nose up, then rubbed his chin, and then said, "nothing."
"Louis," Harry said, voice firm. He was exhausted because he was out shopping for everyone else with Louis, and all day, Louis wouldn't hint at what he wanted. "I am tired. I am losing my gift-giving touch. Help me."
Louis moved to the floor where Harry was sitting in the middle of wrapping paper, and began kissing his neck.
"Not that kinda help," Harry whined out. Louis laughed and didn't stop. "Do you want a new lip ring?" Harry asked, and then Louis made a point of rubbing his lip ring against Harry's ear, because he knew Harry turned into a mess when he did that. "You can't just . . . lip piercing . . . jewelry? Present . . . Lou . . . Gifts. Birthday. Birthday," Harry spoke, his jumbled words not making any sense. But Louis ignored him and moved to the spot below his ear. That spot. "You can't . . . pull that card."
"Just take your shirt off."
Harry groaned and took his shirt off.
December 8th.
"I AM NOT KIDDING," Harry shouted, which woke Louis up. Harry spent his morning Googling gifts and watching YouTube videos of perfect gifts for your boyfriend, but nothing seemed good enough for Louis.
Louis jumped and looked to his side, and realized that Harry wasn't there, so he sat up and squinted his eyes in Harry's direction. "What the fu...?"
"YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT," Harry kept shouting. He was going insane. Even Liam and Niall didn't want to hang out with him because he was going so crazy over this. Harry walked over to Louis and threw down ten magazines he bought at seven in the morning on his lap. "LOOK THROUGH THESE AND CIRCLE WHICH ONES YOU LIKE."
"Stop shouting!" Louis yelled back, rubbing his eyes, and then yawning.
"SOR--sorry," Harry cleared his throat and kissed Louis' head. "Good morning, by the way." Then he walked out of the room.
Harry started cleaning the apartment to ease his mind. He vacuumed, did the dishes, started the laundry, and had just sat down on the clean sofa when Louis walked out and placed the magazines back on Harry's lap. Harry covered his sensitive area before Louis could hurt it, though. Louis stomped off into the kitchen to make himself some tea, and Harry started flipping through the magazines, the large smile soon wearing off his mouth when he realized the magazines weren't marked in at all.
"LOUIS!" Harry shouted, and then started crying, because he was so clueless and didn't know what to get, and he knew crying would soften Louis up, so he threw in some sad noises.
Louis walked in the living room, sipping his tea, and shook his head. "Where's your pride, 'arry?" He asked, walking over to him and kissing his cheek. "Don't want anythin', I told ya. Don't fake cry over it."
Then Harry started to actually cry. Louis caught on and sat down beside him and handed him his tea. "Drink up." Harry did. "I mean it. You're all I need. And had a talk with mum last night," Louis casually decided to throw in. Harry stopped crying. "She was nice. Said it would be very nice to have me over for Christmas. I know you were stressing a lot, so I decided to just go for it. She also said that Felicite told her I was talking to everyone and that she was fine with it and wanted me there. Said she's excited to meet you."
Harry was so excited that he accidentally spilled the tea on the floor while trying to hug Louis. "I'm so happy for you," he quietly said. "Proud, too." Louis flushed. Harry kissed him sweetly and moved the magazines from his lap so that he could stand up and make Louis another cup of tea before trying to get the tea from the carpet.
December 13th.
"That one's pretty!" Harry happily said.
Himself, Louis, Liam, Niall, Zayn, and Madeline, all drove out of the city to see the Christmas lights a neighborhood is famous for having. They all parked their cars and walked around street to street, each house decorated beautifully and amazingly. Louis and Harry somehow ended up alone, taking their own sweet time in admiring the little things that made the Christmas lights really cool.
"It is," Louis agreed, his hand squeezing Harry's.
"Would you want that for your birthday?" Harry asked as he pointed to the mechanically moving reindeer glowing with lights.
Louis laughed. "Sure. Does the lawn come with it?"
"If that's what you want," Harry joked along. They started walking down the street again. Strangers were driving in cars and watching, too, and some of the people that lived here were giving out free hot chocolate, so that started attracting more people. It was nice.
"You did call your Grandma, didn't you?" Louis suddenly asked.
"Oh, yeah, I did. Told her we were free before Christmas. She was happy and then called Gemma, so we're going there before, and then to your mum's on Christmas day. Right? And we might have to spend your birthday at Gran's, you know. Tell me if you don't want to. Tell me something."
"I don't care. As long as we treat it like Christmas Eve, and not my birthday," Louis said.
Harry mumbled some words.
"What was that?" Louis asked.
Harry shrugged.
"C'mon, tell me."
Harry sighed. "I said . . . fine."
"Hm," Louis hummed out, uncertain, then Harry rolled his eyes.
"I did! And some other words, but fine, is what I said."
"What were the other words?"
Harry blushed, and said, "dickass."
Louis laughed, head thrown back and all, and Harry watched the breaths he made go up in puffs of clouds. "Is that even a word?"
"It is now!" Harry said, defending his word.
Louis continued to laugh, which made his already rosy cheeks appear even more rosy. Even the tip of his nose was rosy. The cold hair made his skin a touch more paler, and that made his icy blue eyes really pop. Every time Harry looked over at Louis, he just melted.
"That conversation we made earlier was such a couple-y conversation," Louis pointed out.
Harry nodded and smiled as he wrapped his arms around Louis' waist when they stopped to look at another house. "It was, cuddle bear."
"Oh, God," Louis muttered as he watched other people pass them, embarrassed. "Sh."
"No, snuggly-wuggly," Harry kept on, because he knew it made Louis slightly embarrassed being called that stuff in public.
"Harry."
"Cutie-wootie."
Harry stood up and started pinching Louis' rosy cheeks. "Chubby bunny."
"That's a game," Louis said, moving away from Harry's hands annoyed.
"But you just look so pretty tonight," Harry told him, in a much quieter voice. Louis rolled his eyes, but was smiling. "People know you're tough, don't worry. Your piercing's show that. No one wants piercing's in their face unless they're tough like that."
Louis nodded and touched the jewelry on his face. "Right," he agreed.
"Pretty baby," Harry said with his lower lip sticking out. "MY PRETTY BABY," he shouted, and then hugged him tightly. Louis groaned.
They soon met up with everyone else and drank hot chocolate. Harry wanted to remember this night for a long time, so he found someone to take their picture. In the picture, Louis had his arm around Harry and was looking displeased that he was being photographed, and Harry was smiling happily with his arm around Louis' stomach. Liam and Niall had their arms around each other and were smiling widely, and Zayn had sneaked a kiss onto Madeline's cheek, which captured her surprised face. It was perfect.
December 18th.
Harry opened the door and tried his best at covering his sweater as people came in. He didn't want his sweater getting in the way of him having a good time, even if he was the center of a joke tonight.
He lost a bet. That's all he wanted to say to people, but then Louis would swoop in all smiley and smug to explain what really happened.
"Harry said he could get anything out of carpet's," Louis started, again, for the fifth time tonight so far. "I, of course, said he couldn't." He grinned to the people he was telling the story to. "He couldn't."
And then he pointed to Harry's sweater.
Harry blushed and crossed his arms.
Louis was having the time of his life at the Christmas party. Every time he caught a look at Harry's sweater, he laughed. Especially when Harry blushed so easily and obviously looked so uncomfortable in it. It's true, maybe he shouldn't have agreed to the bet, but Harry was so positive that he could get that stain out of their carpet.
Louis was convinced to wear a Christmas sweater (convinced by Harry), so he chose what he thought was festive enough and bought it. If Harry was the one picking it out, it would be colorful. Maybe even have twinkling lights on it. Which is exactly why Louis didn't let him pick it out.
"I hate you," Harry told Louis when they were dancing together. (The party was at Harry's shared apartment because Louis' was too small.)
"Mhm," Louis hummed out.
"I do. I hate this sweater. People keep laughing."
Louis tightened his arms around Harry's waist. "I'll beat 'em up. Every single one of them."
"Don't do that," Harry muttered.
"Okay."
"I hate your sweater, too."
"I know."
"How dare you wear a sweater like that. Frosty isn't supposed to die!"
"I think it's just a snowma--"
"Everyone will think I'm some sexist white boy now. Thank you," Harry said, still not believing that he was forced to wear such a thing like that.
"No problem," Louis said. And then he kissed Harry's nose.
Louis decided to stop going on about Harry's sweater and spent the night in a tipsy haze, because Harry decided to get drunk, which rarely ever happened, so he let him have his fun. Harry was thankful for that; he didn't quite like being drunk, especially since the thing that happened last time he was. But he felt safe this time. He felt safe letting go and living in the moment, because Louis was there, and Louis made Harry feel safe. Harry liked feelings safe.
"I, like, really love you," Harry whispered to Louis. They were sitting on the sofa and Harry's head was in Louis' lap.
"I know," Louis replied, his fingers combing through Harry's long hair.
"I hate your sweater."
Louis laughed and didn't reply.
"I hate my sweater," Harry said as he tried to look down at his sweater. He ended up tugging it up and snorting. "Ho, ho, ho," he said to himself, and then he frowned. He twisted his face up.
Louis caught that and sighed; that was Harry's almost-going-to-cry look. "Baby, do you want to change?"
"No! Frosty isn't dead!" Harry shouted. He squeezed the top of his nose and sighed. "My life is so complicated."
"Guys, watcha doin' over here?" Niall asked. He had dragged Liam with him; they were wearing matching Christmas sweaters, both bright red with deer's doing inappropriate things on it.
"Therapy," Harry said when Louis said, "Chillin'."
"Come daance," Niall whined out. "Liam said he's getting tired."
Liam huffed. "I said that an hour ago."
"I'm obviously going through something traumatic, I need my therapy-ist. Therapy. Therapist? Therapy-ist?" Harry questioned to himself, his hand absentmindedly rubbing Louis' chest. "If a P makes a peeee noise, then why is there a Y at the end? Isn't a P supposed to sound like a P? Why would a Y make the peeee?"
"Without the Y, it would be ther-ap," Liam said, annoyed and tired. "I need an energy drink."
"You need an energy drink," Harry said, laughing at his comeback.
Liam just rolled his eyes and walked away. Niall ran after him.
"Louis," Harry spoke, in a suddenly serious tone. Louis looked down. "I think I'm P-I-S-D."
Louis furrowed his brows. "What?"
"Piiiiiissed."
Louis shook his head. "Yes, Harry. You're very drunk."
"I like it when you're stern," Harry rambled. "Hey. Wanna be my sexy therapy-ist and I'll be the cute flower boy and we do it on the sofa," he quietly said, not wanting other people to hear. Not that they were even listening.
"How about another night? I'm free tomorrow," Louis said with a humorous smile.
"I have plans with my boyfriend."
"Right, how could I have forgotten?"
December 19th.
"Your therapist is recommending some serious action," Louis said.
Harry squealed.
December 21st.
"Do you have your tooth brush?" Harry asked Louis.
Louis sighed. "Yes. I do. Now can we go?"
Harry paused, deep in thought, looked at his bags, and then nodded slowly. He just wanted to make sure he had everything he needed before they both head off to his Gran's to celebrate Christmas. The plan was to spend three days there, and a couple at Louis'. Harry was beyond excited for this weekend, because he loves family and Christmas. It's the best time of the year. And the most annoying one. He can't really sell his flowers.
Harry told Louis about that, had complained nearly the whole ride there. Louis understood and let him rant about not having the space to grow flowers. When Harry talked about that, he started going on about his dream of opening up a flower shop. Louis knew all of this, too, and didn't mind the rambling.
"Tell me again why we're not getting each other Christmas presents?"
"Because," Louis said, "We're the only gift we need. And I'm a horrid gift-giver."
Harry nodded. Secretly, Harry got Louis a new Adidas sweater and a pack of underwear because he said he was constantly losing his. Harry didn't know how; Louis said the washing machine was eating it.
Upon their arrival, they were greeted at the door by Gran with open arms and kisses. Harry welcomed the familiar smell of home and felt his insides turn to a warm and fuzzy blanket as comfort swept over him. The feeling of being home made Harry too happy for words. As they walked into the living room, Harry was quick to hug Gemma (and Josh), and then grab her hand to look at the ring in awe. It was a square-cut diamond that looked the size of his head. It almost took up the space on the couch. Harry said that, of course, which had everyone laughing.
"All right, fresh tea!"
Harry looked toward the voice that came from the unfamiliar man. He was old, about Gran's age, and then Harry's Grandmother walked into the room and kissed him. Harry stood, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed.
"Who's this, Gran?" Harry asked, beginning to step forward. The older man stuck his hand out for Harry to shake; he did, eyes still narrowed as he looked him up and down. He smelled of cigars and scotch.
"I'm Howard," the old man said. Harry didn't like him.
"I mean who are you."
The old man (Howard) furrowed his eyebrows, then widened his eyes in realization. Howard laughed. Harry didn't. "I'm your Gran's boyfriend."
"Gran!" Both Harry and Gemma said at the same time. Harry's was one of disapproval, whereas Gemma's was one of excitement and shock.
Gemma stood up to give the man a hug and Harry moved away to sit beside Louis. Harry's eyes followed Howard's every move.
"I don't like him," Harry said to Louis. "He's old. And smells like a horse."
"Harry," Louis said disapprovingly. "You don't even know the fella."
"Ever been married?" Harry loudly asked when Howard took a seat beside his Gran.
Howard laughed and put his arm around his girlfriend. Harry's right eye twitched. "Once, yes. She passed away many years ago, though."
"Did you have kids?"
"Sadly, no," he replied.
Harry sat back in his seat and chewed on the inside of his mouth. "What are your intentions here?" He asked, gesturing between the two.
"Harry Edward--"
"It's all right, dear," Howard said. He smiled at Harry. "I plan on making your Grandmother as happy as she makes me until the inevitability occurs."
Harry squinted, and then the tension flooded from his body when he felt Louis' fingertips massage his scalp. "And . . . And then . . ." Harry stumbled over his words, but then shut his mouth and leaned into Louis' touch.
Soon, the silence was filled with polite conversation as Gemma and Gran went to the kitchen to cook. Harry usually helped with the food, but Louis has him trapped under his touch and he didn't want it to go away.
"My kitten," Louis quietly said.
Harry shivered, and then finally pulled away. "I gotta help or else no one's gonna get any chocolate pie." He kissed Louis' jaw. "I make the best."
December 24th.
Harry has discovered that Howard isn't that bad in the past few days that were spent with him. Howard was quite funny and Louis got along with him nicely. He had a few cups of eggnog before he was confessing that he didn't like Howard upon first greeting. Everyone groaned and told Harry that they knew.
Now, the day of Louis' birthday, and he wakes up to the smell of breakfast. Gran usually goes all out when they're home, but if it's someone's birthday, you can count on her to make it a feast.
"I think Gran is cooking for a village," Harry whispered to Louis, one arm thrown around his waist. Louis was barely awake.
"Or Josh."
Harry snorted and brushed his nose against Louis' bare shoulder. He left a kiss on it before lying his head down. "Happy birthday," he said in that quiet tone again. Harry still felt horrible for not getting him anything.
Louis smiled, eyes still closed. "Already the best one yet."
+
After gaining thirty pounds from all the food, it was time to open the presents the family had gotten for each other.
Harry wanted to go first, so he did. (The baby of the family always gets his way.) He pulled out all the presents from a bag and felt like Santa Claus as he passed them around, with Louis' help. In that moment, all the hard work and long days were going to pay off. Christmas shopping is hard. He barely has any money in the bank now, but that's all right.
"Oh, Harry!" Gemma shouted when she opened hers. It was some save-the-date cards and an inappropriate wedding night gown. Gran laughed the hardest.
"Louis' idea!" he quickly added. Louis nudged his side.
Gemma, with a pink face, stuffed the gown back into the box and went for the other one, this time much slower. "If it's knicker's or anything like that . . ." Her voice went quiet when she opened the present. Then she lifted the books out of the box, still quiet, and looked through them. "Harry, this must have cost a fortune," she said. She leaned over to show Josh the first edition sets of her favorite books.
"I found a website," Harry muttered. Gemma got up to hug him. "All right?" He asked, when the hug was beginning to get a little long.
Gemma nodded. "Yeah, m'good. Thank you."
Next was Josh. This one was hard, because who really knows what to get for a future brother-in-law? Not Harry. Especially a very rich one. Louis told him there's only one thing to get for a person that has everything, and that's children's toys. Harry called Gemma and had asked what his favorite toy as a child was, and went out and bought it.
"A remote-controlled Transformer . . ." Josh said, with a big smile on his face. He looked over to Gemma. "That's why you asked me that! Gosh, it's been forever since I've messed around with one of these. Thanks, Harry. and Louis."
Louis nodded towards him.
Harry didn't get anything for Howard, so next was Gran. Gran opened hers and pulled out things like a new sweater, jewelry, and things like that. Gran was an easy one to please and was always happy with a new outfit.
Gemma started passing around her presents. Louis' was in a medium-sized box and Harry's was in a smaller one. After she got done passing them around, she sat down and looked at Louis and Harry. "Well, go on."
Louis tore through his before Harry could even blink.
"Oh, my God, this is amazing," Louis said, unable to hold his laughter in. It was a kids tattooing kit. "It's got designs and all. Harry, I know what we're doing tonight."
Harry laughed, and soon, all the attention was on him to open his present. It was uncomfortable, every year it always was, having eyes on you in that awkward silence. He ignored it, and ripped open his present. It was a velvet box. Harry looked at both Josh and Gemma. "If it's a proposal, then sorry, guys, my answer's no," he joked out. But then he opened it. And it felt like the air was torn from his body. Insides, was the pendant his mum used to wear. A silver cross with a small diamond in the middle. He pulled it out by the chain and stared at it. It had been years since he last saw this; his mum used to wear it everyday, never took it off once.
"Where did you . . ."
"Found it in some box's in Gran's attic," Gemma smiled, eyes welling up with tears like Harry's was. They stood up again and hugged tightly. Harry kept saying thank you over and over.
When he sat back down, he showed Louis and told him who it previously belonged to. Louis hugged him and helped him put it back on. Harry was in a sort of daze after that. Gran made Louis a cake and gave him money like she did the rest of them (she did that every year since they were kids), and then they drank some more eggnog. The day was spent reminiscing and watching old baby videos, all while celebrating Louis' birthday at the same time. Gran told Louis he was a direct gift from God for having a birthday on Christmas Eve. Overall it was a good day. Their big, round bellies kept them cozy in bed from all the food that was eaten.
"I suck," Harry suddenly said. They were both brushing their teeth at the sink.
"Why do you suck?" Louis asked, spitting down in the sink.
"I didn't get you a gift."
Louis rolled his eyes and rinsed his mouth out. Harry did the same. "I've told you over and over that I didn't want anything."
Harry followed Louis into the bedroom and replicated his movements when he started taking the extra pillows off the bed. "But I feel like I should have gotten you something."
Louis climbed into the bed. "You know what I want?"
Harry pulled the covers up and climbed underneath them. "What?"
"You."
Harry shook his head. "You've already got me."
"No," Louis scratched his head and laid his arm out, knowing Harry would want to lay his head down on his shoulder (and he did). "I mean . . . Move in with me. It's already like you have, but we still stay at your place when you run out of clothes. Now you don't have to run out of clothes. Or we can look at another place. Just move in with me."
Harry, open-mouthed, stared in shock. "Move in," Harry repeated.
"We could probably just get our own place. Maybe one with an extra room for when Niall or Liam visit. They'd like that, huh?"
"Louis, you want me to move in?" Harry asked.
Louis sighed. "Don't get emotional . . ."
"You want me to move in," Harry said again, tears rolling down his cheeks. He hugged Louis and nodded his head. "Yes, of course. Let's live together. I love you. Happy birthday. I love you."
"Yeah, yeah. Love you," Louis said, trying to hide a smile.
December 25th.
"I don't think I can do it."
Harry rubbed Louis' back and stared at the house. The cab driver was tapping his thumb against the wheel impatiently.
"You can. We didn't ride in a train with Psycho Santa for nothing," Harry told him.
Louis nodded. "It looks the same," he quietly said.
They both got out of the cab, paid him, got the luggage, and headed for the house. It had a cute fence in the front. The house itself was white and two-story; Harry died a little because everything looked too cute for him. The front door was decorated when Harry knocked, because Louis was far too nervous.
The entire way there, Louis' mind was filled with doubt. He doubted that his family really wanted to see him, especially his mum. He thought they really didn't care for him.
Until the door opened.
Harry stared in fascination. The woman looked so similar to Louis. Harry pictured an older woman, no doubt, because of how many kids she had, but this woman barely looked forty. Her eyes were beautiful color that Harry couldn't even explain, and those very eyes had tears flowing from them as she wrapped her arms around her boy.
"Louis," she said, voice breaking. "My baby. Louis, son," she sniffled, hugging him even tighter.
Louis was crying, too. His face was buried deep into hers. The rest of Louis' family was gathering around to watch the two reunite, their faces beaming with fondness and happiness.
"Mum," Louis said when the hug was over. He cupped her cheeks and Harry saw something in his eyes he'd never seen before: wholeness. "Mum, you haven't aged at all!" He laughed and kissed her forehead, and then hugged her again. "Had more kids, 'ave ya?"
"Yes! Meet your brother and sister, go on." She shoved him inside and Harry had a hand on his chest, unbelievably happy. "You're Harry, right?" And then she hugged him. Harry smiled widely. "Heard some very good things about you."
Harry blushed. "Really?"
"Yes, the girls really adore you."
"Harry, come here!" Louis said as he bent down to his youngest siblings to play with them.
"Looks like Louis does too."
Harry's face heated up even more at that. He walked over to Louis and sat down beside him as he explained who he was. They both looked a little confused, but soon warmed up to him and let Louis play with a toy truck of theirs.
"Everyone!" Johannah loudly said, a glass in her hand. A man was standing beside her, who could only be her husband. "It's fairly early, but whip out your champagne, because we've got something to celebrate." She looked directly at Louis. "My baby son is back. As you know, the years that have past have been very rough on all of us." The man beside her grabbed her hand. "Sometimes family is all you have to keep your head above the water. For such a long time, I let the loss get to me. I turned rather bitter . . ." Everyone laughed and agreed. "Oh, shut up and let me get through this." She laughed and then continued. "But today, right now, in this very moment, I've never been happiest. Life can be so mean to us, and it can take away the people we love, but we can either take that heartbreak and do something with it or let it destroy us. I decided family is what's important--to me, at least. And I lost that before my two youngest came into my life. And now Louis.
"Louis, my oldest, has returned, and now my heart feels like it wasn't broken in the first place. Christmas is a tricky Holiday because we're always so caught up in getting the perfect gifts and wondering if we'll be able to even afford them. But look around. Look at the joy you can have by just sitting down with your loved ones and holding a happy conversation. That's Christmas." She lifted her glass in the air and wiped her eyes. "To family."
All around the room, glasses clanked together and a murmur of, "to family" sounded out. Louis stood up and hugged her again. Then the girls followed in, and then the rest of his family. Harry sneakily took a picture and then joined the massive hug.
+
Harry had a moment where he closed his in the middle of the loud talking of people, and let himself enjoy the noise. Louis had a big family, and it made Harry happy to lose himself in the laughter of these people. Louis' smile never left his face, and it even grew when he handed out the presents to his siblings. Louis spent the day with his family. The first time he'd done that in years, and he could tell he loved every minute of it. Harry realized that he really shouldn't have been so stressed about getting Louis the perfect gift after all. All Louis wanted was this; he wanted to be with the people he loved. And that included Harry. Harry's never felt so loved, so important.
"When're you two gettin' married?" Johannah asked.
Louis was now sitting beside Harry on the crowded sofa, his mum beside him. "Mum . . ." Louis whined out.
"It's a simple question!" She said in defense.
Harry giggled.
"Maybe in the future, mum, don't worry. You'll be invited," Louis said.
"I better be!"
Louis laughed and leaned into her. And Harry wanted to remember that. He wanted to remember Louis leaning over to his mother's side as they both laughed, in each other's arms, practically. Louis looked whole. Johannah, looking so youthful, clutched Louis and whispered something in his ear, that made Louis almost snort out his drink.
"Mum!" He said in shock. Then he leaned in to whisper back.
Harry smiled and turned a little to look out of the window and into the backyard. He didn't really see it before, but there it was. The gazebo sitting in a garden filled with dead grass. The cold weather was harsh on everything, but something happened to Harry when he stared at it. It was beautiful. Simple and beautiful. A wedding would be nice there.
rest in peace, johannah.