Playlist:
Your call by Secondhand serenade (this is like their theme song)
~*~
It’s Christmas Eve, which means Louis is finally going to turn sixteen. Being sixteen, for Louis, four years ago, seemed to be something big. Bigger than what he is feeling right now. He feels the same he felt yesterday and he is going to spend his birthday the same way he spent last year. When he was eight, he liked his birthday. It was better. Till he turned thirteen birthday. It started to be awful. He didn’t go to Manchester like he used to, to be with his grandfather. He got used to it at some point. But he still feels an empty space inside of him. It’ll probably be there forever.
He doesn’t see himself inviting his new friends to his house to do something. Neither they would like it nor would Louis know what to do. Besides they must be busy with their families. Though, Louis can’t imagine Mickey spending Christmas with his family, the others yeah, Mickey, no. But he doesn’t know the older boy that well to judge.
Of course that before thinking about his new friends he thought about Harry. He cringes with the thought of putting his new friends first. Never. He will never do that.
But Harry usually goes to London to spend Christmas with his family. And if he is not going, like last year, he stays at home with his parents. Harry hates Christmas but that’s one thing Louis can’t help him with. He started to hate it as well.
“Louis! Harry is here.” He hears his mother from downstairs. She’s lucky that the music stopped right in time, otherwise he wouldn’t have listened to her due being using his earphones.
“Coming!” He shouts back and jumps out of his bed.
He hates this times when he has to say goodbye to Harry. He’s already imagining. Walking downstairs and being faced with a sad curly boy at the end of the stairs. They’ll hug each other and Louis will whisper sweet things close to Harry’s ear that only the both of them will know what it is. No one can hear it, it’s their secret. But the words make always Harry feel better and strong. So it’s probably I love you, it’s going to be okay. Call me when you reach there so I won’t miss your voice that much. You’re beautiful and strong. And Louis feels sad when sees Harry sneaking inside of his house again so his parents don’t get to know that he went to Louis’ just to say goodbye.
“Hey babe!” Louis makes his best to smile at Harry when sees him and yet, it seems like he doesn’t even need to try. Especially this time, he doesn’t see that sad expression he thought he’d see on Harry
“Morning!” Harry grins. He grins and besides his red cheek and puffy eyes, saying I’ve just been crying, he is fine. No really, he is fine.
“Hey, what happened?” Louis is confused, he doesn’t know if he should smile or frown or act concern. Fiona looks at the two boys for a moment before heading back to the kitchen.
“Nothing more. My parents are gone.”
“Gone?” So Louis makes a confused face
“Gone.” Harry nods and Louis’ face is enough for him to add “Not forever,” he chuckles even though it’s not funny. He’s not amused with what is happening and Louis knows it. Even not knowing what the hell is happening “but just for this week. I mean, I don’t know if they’re back for the New Year. But probably.”
Harry starts walking to the living room and Louis follows him. He knows the boy wants to talk so the hall is not a good place to do it.
“Wait. So they went to London without you?”
Harry nods once again “We had a fight this morning. Not sure about what to be honest.” It’s almost amused the way Harry says it. “But something about how I talked about our family. Imagine what it is to be two days with my father and mother’s family. It’s the worst because they’re all the same. All grumpy and snob and I can’t be in the same room as them without going mad. So my mother was saying the same thing she always says. Harry,” he starts to make a pitcher voice, with a strong accent, to mimic his mother’s. With no success because it’s just funny and Louis has to control his laughter “behave yourself and be nice to everyone. Don’t you dare to make something to shame us or you’ll regret it later. All of this in a nice tone, of course. Then I said, well then don’t make me go because I can’t act nicely with that people. Then she slapped me and started to shout at me because I’m impolite and shouldn’t talk with her that way. So I said, it was you and David who raised me so it’s all your fault and she slapped me again and my father appeared and they started screaming at me and blaming each other for my behaviour and well somehow they took their luggage and went to the car. And left.”
“God Harry.” Louis learnt that most of the fights Harry and his parents have are because of stupid things and things they can avoid. He never said it. But he thinks it and the fact that Harry is like he is because his parents don’t tolerate anything from him, pisses him off. “You know what I told you already. Just, don’t say anything when they’re like this. Don’t say things like that, things that you know that it will make them madder. It’s worse.”
“I know Lou, but sometimes I reach my limit of listening to so many bullshit and just say it without thinking.”
Louis shakes his head. There’s nothing that he can do. “I know but see how things end?”
“Are you saying it is all my fault?”
“No!” Louis says too quickly. “It’s their fault because they aren’t good people. They are just crazy.”
“Yeah sorry.”
Louis reaches Harry’s face with his hand to see those green eyes. He caresses his swollen cheek always blue meeting green. “I’m here now.” Harry nods and closes the gap between them, wrapping his arms around Louis’ neck so Louis holds the younger boy in his arms.
“Happy Birthday. Again.” Harry places a soft kiss on Louis’ neck due the angle and Louis holds him tighter. Harry called him last night, singing happy birthday in a soft whisper and between giggles from the other side of the phone. Nevertheless, it’s never enough.
From a second to another Louis pulls away, eyes wide open “So that means… that you’ll finally spend the day with… with us?”
“If your mother don’t-“
“Oh my god, yes!” Lois shouts and hugs Harry again. Eyes pressed together with a wild smile on his lips by the happiness.
Harry laughs and hugs him back.
Maybe they’ll both learn to like Christmas again.
~*~
Louis’ mother didn’t mind. Would never mind.
First time Louis is spending his birthday with Harry and he feels like they’re nine and ten again. That’s amazing. He is happy and the best of it is that Harry seems like he’s part of the family tonight. Well more like he seems to be. Because everyone considers Harry family by now. Even Zoe. And Peter loves Harry.
Harry feels like the Tomlinson’s are more like a family to him than his own. He doesn’t know if that’s good or just sad. Maybe both.
“Excuse me, but it’s my turn Harry.” Zoe says firmly, getting up from the couch and taking the Wii remote from his hands in a blink of an eye
“Nope, my turn.” He says following her and taking the remote from her hands, from behind her back. Harry is so much taller than her that it’s easy to just reach it behind her shoulders. “Thank you” he jokes and walks back to his place next to Louis.
She looks at him in indignation with her blonde hair falling over her forehead, only showing one blue eye. Louis laughs due her face, he just loves when Harry teases her till the point she looks like is going to explode.
Zoe doesn’t waste time by walking towards him again, in a way that it was just by luck that she didn’t bump in the coffee table “My house. My remote.” She tries to take the remote from Harry’s hand but with his move she misses it. Also, just by luck that it didn’t hit Louis. First time he’s thankful for not being so close from Harry. “Harry! Give me that!” her voice is high pitch
“No.” He laughs
She tries again to take it from his hands but misses it once more, losing her balance and almost falling over him. Harry prevents that to happen by holding her by her waist, but in a quick movement he presses her on the couch so she’s shouting at him and calling him names.
“Hey, can you two drop it already?” Louis says looking at her sister laid on the couch and Harry tickling her “My birthday present, my remote.” he says and takes it from Harry’s hands. The situation started not to be funny anymore
“Oh Lou is grumpy now.” Harry leaves Zoe and turns his attention to his best friend, putting his arm around Louis’ shoulders.
Louis tries to push him away but Harry keeps still “You two are just so noisy.” Louis says
“Do you really wanna talk about it bro?” Zoe says sitting up, rolling her eyes. She’s just one year younger than Harry and it seems like she’s more mature than the two of them. Well, Harry seems more mature than Louis and he’s a year younger. Dammit, why do Louis has to get along with people that make him look younger than he is?
“Sorry babe.” Harry teases and gives a wet kiss on Louis’ cheek and then snuggles on the crook of his neck
“You two make me sick.” Zoe says making a disgusted noise
“What’s been happening here?” Fiona says while Carl and Peter appear behind her. Peter with napkins in his small hands, Fiona holding a cake and Carl with a tray with cups.
“Cake, cake!” Peter shouts and goes sit next to his siblings and Harry. When he sees cake he doesn’t act like a seven years old boy. Or maybe he does. Maybe kids in his age love cake look happy when see it so Louis doesn’t remember how it was to be seven.
Fiona puts the cake on the coffee table. Louis and Harry did it themselves and Louis hopes is eatable. They kinda made a mess in the kitchen so cooking seems not to be for them. Harry looks optimist about it though.
They turn the lights off and the room is illuminated by the few light from outside and from the candles. They sit on the floor, in a circle while Louis keeps sat on the couch with Harry next to him.
They sing happy birthday and Louis’ eyes are shining with the candles. He probably doesn’t realise how wild he’s smiling, how happy he is actually feeling. Well maybe he does and this precisely moment should be shared with the world, the way Louis looks at everyone, the way he forms crinkles in the corner of his eyes and he is listening to them singing. But somehow, is like he only hears to Harry’s voice. Maybe it’s because he is the closest from him or maybe because it’s a new voice singing this to him.
Carl is recording the moment. He has his camera on his hands and filming the whole moment, catching Louis’ face, Louis’ happy face. Catching the smile he gives to the people around while they’re applauding after the song finishes, the way he stands up and receives with opened arms his mom to hug him and the way Harry steals him from Fiona.
The way he curls his arms around Louis’ neck making him almost lose his balance by the sudden movement. He catches Harry whispering something in his ear, but that, once again, is something that will be just between the two of them. Maybe it’s a new promise or just a reminder from an old one.
He catches everything, even the way Louis’ grabs Harry’s face in both hands and kisses his forehead in a gesture that Carl might or might not have recorded himself saying an awe and his wife’s tender look.
Peter appears between the two boys and Louis takes him in his lap, the little boy is small and tiny so it’s easy for Louis.
“I have a present for you!” Harry says then and Carl doesn’t turn off the camera just yet. No, he needs this moment as well.
Louis looks surprised at him but doesn’t say anything when the curly haired boy disappears from the living room, only to come back a minute later with a small and brown box in his hands. Louis raises his eyebrows when sees holes made up on the box and curiosity takes over him.
“You need to thank me as well for that, Louis.” Fiona says laughing a bit.
Louis accepts the box when Harry hands it to him and the moment he touches it and feels it moving, feels a small weight inside of it, is the moment he smiles realising what the possibility of the present is. He even needs to sit back on the couch.
“Oh Harry, don’t tell me that…” he stops himself from finishing the sentence when opens the box and sees a small pink nose, long whiskers, fluffy white paws and pierced blue eyes peeking out.
“Remember when we talked about adopting a kitten? Well I thought about it and why not? Your mom allowed it and helped me a bit.” Harry says and oh… that beautiful dimply smile that makes Louis shivers is there. For him.
“So is it ours?”
“She’s ours.” Harry nods
Louis’ smile was impossible to be wilder than what it is but he manages to break that possibility. “I wanna hug you so badly again right now.” He says giggling and Harry laughs as well
“Come here then” Harry opens his arms and Louis puts the box with the kitten on the couch to run towards his best friend and hug him again. Maybe home is this. Maybe is nothing but two arms holding you tight when you’re at your worst and even at your best. Yeah home is definitely this and Louis feels like home whenever he is with Harry. So Harry is home then.
Carl and Fiona almost feel bad for witnessing this moment. This moment that should be only for the two boys. But it’s fine. Harry and Louis forget about their presence for a moment.
“Did I tell you already, that you two make me sick?” Zoe says and no one noticed her taking a piece of cake in a napkin and eating it along with Peter by her side with the cat in his lap “By the way this cake… not good, suggest everyone not to eat it.” she says giving another bite to the cake. The irony in her words make Louis feel relieved. So the cake is good.
“Smile for the picture boys!” Louis’ father says and both look right into the hole of the camera.
Or maybe only Harry does it. Louis is too busy looking in fond at his best friend.
~*~
“We didn’t give her a name.” Louis suddenly says looking at Harry petting the white little kitten – though it has a black spot just above her nose and another in one paw – in his lap. They’re already sat under the covers from Louis’ bed. The night is cold. Too cold. The duvet, blanket and sheets almost aren’t enough.
“How about… Kiara!” Harry suggests finally looking properly at Louis
“You really do like that movie.” Louis chuckles “But how about Daisy?” he smiles and it’s Harry’s time to laugh a bit
“Thought you didn’t like flowers.”
“I learnt to like it.” Like many other things you taught me to love, Louis thinks.
“Do you wanna be named daisy?” Harry asks her and Louis can’t believe the person he chose to be his best friend is asking a kitten if she wants to be named daisy. The kitten purrs into his soft touch behind her ears “She wants to be named Daisy” Harry smiles at Louis.
“All right then.” The blue eyed boy yawns speaking the words
“Let’s sleep shall we?” Harry suggests looking softly at Louis. He doesn’t even think it’s possible but the look Harry gives him is soft and gentle and makes Louis love him more and more. Because yeah, let’s face it, Louis loves Harry. He is his best friend after all. They’re special.
Louis nods and Harry places Daisy at the end of the bed, but in a place where he knows they won’t hurt her with their feet. Louis makes his pillow comfortable and lays down, taking the blankets with him. Harry does the same, turning off the light on the nightstand so now the full moon coming from the window is the only light illuminating the room. It’s enough for Louis to see Harry’s face in front of him.
They keep in silence and slowly, not even being award of their movements, by being so natural of them, they’re coming closer and closer to each other.
“Cold?” Louis whispers. And it’s in such a whisper that seems like the room was always in silence, after all.
“A bit.”
“Come here.” Louis says and raises the blankets a bit, giving Harry the space he needs to snuggle in his chest. It’s the first time they do it and maybe that’s why Harry hesitates a bit. But even then he rests his forehead in Louis’ chest, his arms wrapping around Harry’s body and Louis’ nose brushing in his hair. It smells like Harry. It smells good. “Love you.” Another whisper that sounds like Louis has never spoke
“Love you too.” Harry raises his head to look properly at Louis and not to breathe properly.
“Be with me always, yeah?”
Louis nods “Be with me always?”
Harry nods “Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Promise.” Harry finishes and kisses Louis’ jaw just to sink his face, this time, in his neck and fall asleep warm and loved.
~*~
A month later, after school started, Louis talks with Harry telling him the news.
Caroline. From his group of friends.
Yeah…
She’s his girlfriend.
~*~
[an:/] I said i was only going to update when i'd reach the goal but idk i just wanted to publish this now so yeah, see this as a surprise.
BY THE WAY GUYS , "FRIENDS" BY ED SHEERAN.. OKAY LET'S TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT FITS IN THIS BOOK SO WELL AND I'M CRYING!!!!
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