My eyes were nearly drifting closed as I continued down the highway that would lead me to Springfield. The street lights illuminated the road in front of me, the yellow dividers reflecting brightly. My hand reached for the radio, turning the volume as far as it would go in order to keep me awake for the next 20 minutes.
I felt a buzz in my right pocket, sending a vibration down my leg. I was thankful for the small jolt, in hopes it would shake the drowsiness from my system. Pulling my phone from my jeans, my eyes squinted at the bright screen.
From: Rainy
be safe driving please : )
After the night of the party, the drive back to Rainy's house was silent. Even though once I was sat in the car, she grabbed a hold of my hand and didn't let go until she was opening the car door to leave. Not that I was complaining, I quite liked having her small dainty hand wrapped around mine. Though, I liked having her lips pressed against mine just a bit more.
I didn't talk to her the next day either, considering she was stuck at the bookstore all day (which I thought was outrageous considering how close it was to Christmas, but she argued that a customer might need a last minute gift so she had to go in) because she had missed too many shifts. She texted me something cute along the lines of 'I blame you'. And hey, it was probably true.
We didn't speak of the kiss, but it wasn't like either of us had forgotten. God, no, it consumed my thoughts all night (when I laid in bed, fiddling with my lips and remembering the feeling of her's against them until early morning) and the day after. Her lips were just incredibly soft despite the cracks that damaged them. And her scent of coconuts that seemed linger wherever she had been was intoxicating.
I couldn't get enough.
To: Rainy
thank you! almost there now
~*~
My eyes nearly bulged out of my head at the heavy impact on my groin. Pushing off whatever had landed on me, which happened to be a small nine year old girl, I turned over to sink deeper into the bed sheets.
"Lou! It's Christmas! Get up!" Phoebe screeched from the floor. I felt the bed dip as she knelt beside me, continuously hitting my arm. "Get up! Get up! Get up!"
I peeked one eye open and groaned, mumbling sleepily, "What day is it?"
"Are you kidding, Louis? It's Chris–"
I shot up from my position and pinned the girl down by her arms while she screamed maniacally, "Hm well, guess you better get downstairs and see what Santa brought you, yeah?"
She squealed beneath me, calling out helplessly, "Daisy! Help me!"
I ignored her, "Or, I could keep you here and make you miss out on all the gifts. How's that sound?" Collapsing onto the mattress, careful not to crush her, I threw a heavy arm across her stomach to keep her trapped. I snuggled into her side and hummed, "I wonder if Santa ate his cookies. Oh well, guess we'll never find out."
"Louis! Let me go!" She hit against the arm that was effortlessly preventing her from going anywhere. In between screams, she would giggle only for me to tighten my grip.
"Louis William! Let my sister go!" I heard Daisy stomp into the room, to which I glanced over my shoulder to see a determined look adorning her scrunched up face.
I laughed, "Oh yeah? And what're you going to do about it, Daise?"
She put her hands on hips and looked around the guest bedroom. "Hm, well I could tell Mom to not give you any of her special chocolate chip pancakes."
My eyes widened dramatically to go along with their games, "You wouldn't!"
"Oh, I would. Now, let her go!"
My arms immediately released Phoebe, allowing her to scurry off my bed and next to Daisy. Raising my hands in defeat, I looked over the two who seemed to have grown since I was here just Thanksgiving.
Our mom appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed over her very pregnant stomach with a fond smile set on her lips. "Alright, girls, go downstairs so your big brother can get dressed."
Once they had all filed out of the room, I slowly crawled from beneath the sheets and started to dress in the cold air. Pulling a shirt over my head, I didn't bother changing out of my plaid, pajama pants as I would get properly dressed when dinner time came closer. I took my phone from the nightstand and sent Rainy a quick 'good morning and merry Christmas' text before stepping out into the hallway.
The four girls stood at the top of the staircase watching our mother waddle around the downstairs with impatient looks. "Shoot, I could've sworn I left the camera right here! Oh god, where did I put that thing?"
We, including me (which was a bit ridiculous, considering I would be turning 23 in March), waited for a few moments until we heard an 'aha!' and our mom giving us the hand signal to move down the stairs.
The living room seemed to glitter with the golden wrapped presents and twinkling lights hung on the tree. The fireplace had even been lit, warming up the room from the cold outside. Smells of chocolate chip pancakes and cinnamon buns wafted through the downstairs, my mouth watering at the scent.
"Do you guys want to eat or open presents first?" my mom asked, closing up the video camera and sitting it down on the coffee table.
Daisy squealed, "Presents!"
"I'm actually going to make a cup of tea," I jabbed my thumb towards the kitchen. "But, go ahead and get started. Mom, do you want one?"
"That'd be great, Lou, thanks," she smiled gratefully at me before handing the twins two boxes wrapped in green paper.
The smell was even stronger in the kitchen, almost convincing me to just steal a pancake. I shook my head before putting the kettle on the stove and leaning against the counter. I listened to my sisters' squeals as they opened more presents and waited for the water to boil.
An unexpected buzz vibrated in my pants pocket and I hurried to dig it out to see who the message was from.
From: Rainy
remember that lady who interrupted our lunch when we first met? well she's sitting next to me and keeps asking about you
My eyes drifted away from the phone screen, trying to remember the woman she was talking of. The image of a pudgy woman with the brightest, red lipstick I've ever seen surfaced in my mind, and I laughed softly to myself. I remembered how the woman kepy insisting Rainy was on a date with her new boyfriend and she didn't want to interrupt.
To: Rainy
really? hahaha :D
The kettle screamed and I quickly poured the water into two cups, shades of brown seeping from the tea bags that floated around. I hummed some Christmas song while waiting until I felt it was time to remove the tea bags and add in sugar and cream.
I emerged from the kitchen with a mug in each hand, biting my lip in concentration as to not spill the tea over the brim of the cup.
"Mom," I handed her the mug then sat beside her on the couch.
With her free hand, she patted my knee, "Thanks, lovey. Now, it's your turn to open a present. Fizzy, hand me that one there." Fizzy crawled to the desired present and gave it to our mom. "Hope you like it, Lou. The twins picked it out."
The child in me ripped open the wrapping paper and broke open the box. Inside, a sweater with two red deer sewn into the wool laid delicately on top tissue paper. I held it by the shoulders in front of me, admiring the design and fabric.
"Thanks guys, I really like it."
Reaching out, I ruffled both the twins' hair while they looked up at me with wide smiles.
Daisy hit Phoebe on the arm, "Told you he'd like it."
I chuckled lowly and brought my mug to my lips, the hotness of the drink burning as it as it slid down my throat, "So, show me what you've gotten so far."
~*~
Slipping the new sweater the twins' bought me over my head, I ran my fingers through my hair before placing a Santa hat on top my head. I gave myself a nod in the mirror and stuffed my phone in my jean's pocket.
At the shrill sound of my relatives obnoxious greetings, I groaned but walked into the hallway anyway. I could see them at the bottom of the stairs, carrying gift bags and dishes.
Hesitantly my feet started to move down the stairs toward the ear-splitting loud voices. When I reached the bottom, I tried sneakily avoiding any family I hadn't seen in the past five years. I was almost successful until I heard the famous laugh that belonged to my favorite cousin. I stopped in my tracks and looked around the crowded foyer.
"Louis!" a short woman with the warmest smile stared up at me.
I threw my hands in the air, "Aunt Maura! How're you?"
"Very good. Yourself? How's college treating you?" Her hands cupped my face, the moved down my neck to my arms where they stayed.
"Good. Break ends early January, so I'm going to have to get back into the groove of things," I let a lighthearted laugh leave my lips.
I struggled to hear her with all the commotion that was going on around us. "Well, I suppose you're wondering where my son is, yeah?" She shook her head while I laughed. "I swear he was right next to me a minute ago!"
"Don't worry about it; we're bound to run into each other at some point."
And with that, I made my way into the living room where Lottie was sitting alone reading her new Nicholas Sparks book. Smiling at the memories of Rainy and I's first encounter over that book, I sat down next to her.
"So, how is it so far?"
She looked up at me, an excited grin plastered on her lips, "I'm only on the second page, but I can already tell it's my favorite book!"
My eyebrows furrowed because she couldn't possibly tell that from the second page of the book. Plus, it probably would be her favorite until she reads another book and that takes the crown of the most beloved. But, I just shrugged and patted her shoulder, "Glad you like it. You know, one of my good friends helped me pick it out."
Her face turned to a slight look of disgust, "A boy picked this book out for me?"
"No, no," I chuckled. "It was a girl. You'll have to meet her sometime; you'd like her."
She closed her book and smirked up at me, "Do you like her?"
I felt a crease of confusion carve into the space between my eyebrows, "Yeah, of course I like her. I just said she's a good frie–"
"No, Louis, I meant," she clapped her hands onto her lap, "do you like her?"
My eyes widened with realization; of course, I knew I liked her, but I didn't want to share these type of things with my fourteen year old sister. "I mean, like, she's a good friend. And, like, yeah, she's super pretty. But, I mean, I don't know, like, if I like her–"
"You like her," Lottie stood from her spot on the couch. "Mom probably needs help in the kitchen."
On her way out of the living room, a blonde-haired boy passed her, sending a "hey, Lotts" over his shoulder. He held his hands out to me and his mouth hung open with a wide smile. "Well?"
"Niall!"
"How is the architect?" Niall clapped me on the back, his blue eyes looking impossibly brighter from the twinkling lights that adorned the Christmas tree sat next us.
I laughed, "The architect is good, thanks for asking. How's the singer?"
"No too bad. The bars love me," his smile was infectious and soon both of us were in hysterics. "Why are we laughing?" He managed to sputter out between fits of laughter.
"I don't know!" I took deep breaths to calm myself down. "It's nice to see you, Niall."
"Yeah, well, we'll be seeing each other more often, you know." He smiled. "'M moving to Chicago next month. Mom says business will be better in a bigger city. I love Wheaton, but if I want my career to pick up soon, I need more of a lively environment."
"What, really? Do you already have a place to stay? Oh man, this is great!" I was laughing again.
Niall shrugged, "A small apartment; it'll do."
"Why didn't you call me? You could've just stayed at mine!"
His shoulders when up and fell again, "Dunno; just kind of wanted a place of my own, you know?"
I nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I know."
He smiled at me again before throwing an arm across my shoulders, "I missed you, Lou."
Giving a half-smile back, I patted his chest, "Missed you too, Ni."
WELL HEY THERE FRIENDS
um this chapter is just meh idk how i feel about it so sorry if you wanted some intense #rouis action
but i just really love family man louis he's so cute :))
and niall whaaaaat?
bUT IF YOU GUYS LIKED IT PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT FOR ME !!
ily guyyyssss so much
dedication to @CynicalCaroline bc she was my motivater ::)
-kay
(i should probably stop signing off as that bc i don't go by that anymore but hey whatevs)