chapter thirty-one
Louis's icy fingers interlock with Harry's as he guides them through the darkness. In his other hand, he holds two pairs of ice skates they bought at a yard sale a few weeks prior: white ones for Louis and purple ones for Harry. Damp earth squishes beneath their boots while they trot down the dirt trail, which is coated in a thin layer of crisp snow. This slush-filled path is the system of veins threaded throughout the farm, all connecting back to its beating heart— the pond.
It's a small body of water tucked away in the woods behind the cow pasture. It was often green with algae and smelled like a rotting sewer, but Louis loves it nonetheless. In the fall, he liked to sit at the edge and watch the little minnows swim around in circles.
Now, it's completely frozen. A thick layer of ice covers the entire surface. The forest is a winter wonderland of snow and icicles hanging from skeletal branches. Despite being cold and lifeless, Harry's warm breath exhales into a cloud of visible air.
"We're ice skating here?" Harry asks with disbelief.
Louis just shrugs and hands Harry his skates. "Why not?"
Harry scoffs. "Is this even safe?"
"Who cares? We're immortal."
"I care," Harry rebuttals, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. "Can't we go ice skating somewhere in the city? There's a few rinks in Missoula."
"It's one o'clock in the morning, H, and I'm very impatient," Louis chuckles. "Besides, do you know how crowded those places will be on Christmas Eve?"
Harry pouts. "But—"
"It's my birthday," Louis begs, fluttering his eyelashes. "Please?"
Harry frowns and slumps his shoulders with defeat. He can't really argue with that. "Fine, but only for a little while," he reasons.
Louis lights up like a Christmas tree. He kisses Harry's cheek before sitting on a fallen log to take off his boots and slip on his skates. He bites his tongue between his teeth while he ties the laces, making sure to double knot them. Harry reluctantly puts on his own as well. They're a little too tight and squish his toes a bit, but they'll have to suffice.
"C'mon," Louis hums, grabbing Harry's hands.
His legs wobble as he stands up and guides him towards the pond. He carefully steps onto the icy surface, using his boyfriend for balance. Once he's comfortable, he lets go and takes a few cautious strides across the pond.
"It's fine, love! If you can handle twirling around a pole and shaking your arse without falling, you can do this," Louis assures, seeing the nervous look on Harry's face.
"I'll break through the ice."
"Oh, please. It can support my big bum."
Harry blushes faintly. "Fine. Come help me, then."
Louis smirks and skates towards Harry. He lets him grasp his shoulder as he leads him onto the ice. His wide green eyes stare down at his feet, as if searching for a small crack in the ice. Louis just laughs and grabs him by the hips, holding him steadily.
"See? It's fine," Louis says, kissing the tip of Harry's reddened nose.
"I wasn't nervous about falling. I know how to skate. I was just nervous about the ice being, like, unstable."
"You've skated before?" Louis asks curiously.
Harry nods slowly. "Yeah, erm— my mum loved to take us skating around Christmas when I was a kid. Gemma and I used to compete to see who could do the coolest tricks."
Louis smiles fondly. "That's sweet."
The younger vampire just shrugs and attempts to drop the subject. He takes a few laps around the pond while staring up at the sky, watching the snow filter down from the heavens. He sticks out his tongue to catch a few flakes.
"Do you miss them?" Louis ponders out loud.
Harry stops in his tracks. His skates leave claw-like marks on the ice. "Who?"
"Your family. You never really talk about them."
Harry swallows the lump in his throat. "We ended on bad terms. Dad called me a failure for dropping out of college. Gemma blamed my boyfriend at the time, said he was a bad influence. Mum said I was throwing my future away," he rambles. "They never bothered trying to find me after that, so I guess they don't care."
Louis frowns and glides closer to Harry, cupping his jaw. He forces him to look up. "I'm sure that's not true. Maybe they just—"
"I don't wanna talk about it, Lou. It's your birthday and tomorrow's Christmas, so I just wanna... be happy, okay?"
Louis's lips flatten. "Okay," he agrees.
Harry drops a grateful kiss on his chapped lips. "Alright," he murmurs before smirking mischievously. "Race you around the pond!"
Louis laughs and follows him as fast as possible, smiling as wide as the moon.
~
Louis decides to bring it up two weeks later.
They're both lounging in the living room enjoying a lazy Sunday. Harry's typing a long message on his phone (the new iPhone 7 that Louis bought him for Christmas because he can't not spoil his baby) while Louis reads an old book written by an Italian philosopher. Perks of knowing multiple languages, he supposes.
They took down the Christmas tree and decorations after New Years, but there's still little pine needles scattered across the hardwood floors. The air smells like smoke and linen-scented air freshener. Outside, snow falls from the sky in large, heavy flakes.
His reading glasses are perched at the tip of his nose, and he keeps looking up from his book to steal glances at his boyfriend. He looks adorable like this— cuddled up on the sofa, wrapped in a fleece blanket. The fireplace makes his pale skin glow with flickers of orange.
Louis clears his throat and places his bookmark between the pages. "Love?"
Harry hums in response.
"How would you feel about taking a little holiday?"
Harry furrows his brows and looks up, meeting Louis's gaze. "I'd have to ask my boss for time off at the bar, so I dunno. What'd you have in mind?"
"England."
Harry's eyes widen a little. "What?"
"I quite miss it."
Harry scoffs. "Are you kidding me, Lou? What about Liam? Have you forgotten that he threatened to expose us?"
Louis sighs and stands up from the rocking chair. He sits down next to Harry on the sofa, resting a hand on his thigh. "I haven't forgotten, H, but it's not that difficult to avoid him. He basically lives at Fool's Gold, anyway."
"Even so, why would I want to go back there? Why would you want to go back there?"
Louis tilts his head a little. "Don't you miss your friends? Your family?" he asks slowly. "I'm worried about you. I just don't want you to be lonely."
Harry gives a dry, humorless laugh. "First of all, I didn't have friends. I had one friend, Zayn, and he's probably better off without me. Second of all, my family hates me."
"You don't know that."
"I do, Louis."
"You're not willing to give them a chance?"
"No. You don't know my parents," Harry insists, staring at the individual stitches in the blanket. The lump in his throat bobs up and down. "My dad worked a white-collared job at a law firm and my mum was a real estate agent. They both grew up in the suburbs and went to university. They don't believe in... alternative lifestyles. If they knew what I am— what I was— they'd be so disappointed."
Louis scoffs. "Being a stripper isn't the worst thing in the world, Harry."
"To them, it is."
The eldest vampire bites his lip with his fangs, suppressing a frown. "Baby, listen to me. You're immortal now. Do you understand what that means? You're going to keep on living while you watch every human you've ever loved die, including your parents and sister. Can you honestly say that you won't regret not forgiving them?"
Harry doesn't say anything. He keeps his gaze focused on his lap.
"Please consider it," Louis implores. "I never... reconnected with my parents after they accused me of witchcraft, and that's something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life."
Harry finally looks up, eyes tired and sad. Flecks of gold sparkle in his green irises, indicating his thirst for blood. They haven't had a proper meal in a few weeks.
"What happened after they banished you?"
Louis takes a deep breath. "I went to Germany and met a wise apothecary in Cochem. Her name was Johannah. She was familiar with vampirism and recognized the bite mark on my neck. I thought she might be able to cure me and turn me back into a human. She tried all different kinds of potions and herbs, but nothing worked."
"She adopted me as her apprentice and continued to try to cure me over the years. She took samples of my venom and studied it, trying to find an antidote. She taught me all about healing and natural remedies. She sort of... became the mother figure I always wanted."
"Eventually, she became very ill, but none of her medicines eased her pain. She spent her entire life healing others, yet she was unable to heal herself. I could see her slipping away, slowly dying, and so I had no other choice."
He pauses to blink away the tears in his eyes. Harry just frowns and reaches over to hold his hand, squeezing it lightly.
"I bit her," Louis chokes out. "I turned her into a vampire so she could live forever, but I almost didn't stop sucking her blood— I almost killed her. Once you bite a human, the thirst is almost... possessive. Unstoppable."
"But you did stop," Harry says, caressing his cold cheek. "You saved her life, right?"
"I suppose I did," Louis muses, "but I almost lost her. She almost died without knowing how much I loved her. I don't want that to happen to you, baby."
Harry drops his hand and twiddles with his fingers absentmindedly. "Where is Johannah now?"
"She lives in Peru, teaching natural medicine to natives."
"Do you still talk to her?"
"We send each other letters often."
Harry nods slowly. A few seconds of silence beat between them. The fireplace crackles to fill the quietness.
"I can't guarantee that my parents will be happy to see me, but perhaps getting some closure would be a good thing," Harry mumbles. "Plus, it'd be nice for you to know the people who raised me. And maybe, if you're okay with it, I could meet Johannah someday too."
Louis's smile widens. "So is that a yes?"
Harry sighs. "Yes, Louis. Go book a flight to London."
Louis explodes with happiness. He squishes Harry's cheeks between his palms and smashes their lips together. He kisses him messily for a long moment, just enjoying the softness of his pink lips and wet tongue. He licks over his sharp fangs, eliciting a quiet whimper.
"Lou," Harry whines, pulling back slightly.
"I love you so damn much, Harry Styles," Louis says earnestly. "I'm so glad I asked you for a lap dance when we first met."
Harry blushes and pecks his lips. "Right back at you, Louis Tomlinson."