"that jacket isn't warm enough."
harry jumped as he was pulled back into the flat by an arm wrapped around his waist, gently.
"i'm fine," harry smiled sheepishly, lowering his head and staring at the floor. he was wearing a pair of fuzzy black boots.
"your cheeks are flushed," louis murmured, kissing each side of his face before placing one more kiss on his nose. "kitten's too cold to go outside."
"i was only outside for a second," harry laughed, a blush rising to his cheeks by the way louis was holding him. he was caught off guard when louis pulled his coat off his own shoulders and wrapped it around harry's, sending warmth throughout his whole body. he shivered at the temperature change, smiling foolishly as louis hugged the coat around him.
"too cold outside," louis whispered.
harry nodded.
"now let's go get our christmas tree, shall we? i'm hosting a christmas party."
harry pulled back in surprise. "really? but your flat's so.. small, lou."
"so is my group of friends," louis chuckled, and harry laughed along with him, giggling and stumbling as louis pulled them both down the stairs and out the door of the building. snow covered the ground, the trees, and the cars in the parking lot. harry could tell just by the weather that christmas was coming in less than a week.
"harry, do you think it's a good idea to host my own birthday party?" louis asked, genuinely curious. louis was holding both of their hands over the vents, letting the air warm their skin. his car smelled of leather and honey, just that musky scent that was louis. harry could even smell part of the football field, grass and that, a part that louis had brought with him into his car. the floors were spotless except for an occasional penny or gum wrapper. harry had to drive since louis still had on his boot.
"i think it's a good idea," harry said quietly, turning the key in the ignition. the car roared to life, and he turned on the windshield wipers to get rid of the pieces of snow blocking his view. "are you dressing up for it?"
louis turned his head to look at harry as they pulled out of the parking lot. "what do you mean, am i dressing up? do you want me to be santa claus?" he scrunched up his nose, in this adorable way.
"i'm dressing up," harry whispered, staring ahead with wide eyes at the wonderland in front of them. it wasn't snowing so hard that they couldn't see, but it was pretty... white. it wasn't dark enough to see any christmas lights, and harry couldn't wait until it was night and the city and houses would be lit up with rainbow and yellow lights. he loved the way they reflected off the sparkling snow.
"what are you dressing up as, an angel?"
harry turned the wheel, listening to the turn signal clicking, a sound he absolutely loved for no reason whatsoever.
"no. i'm not telling you," harry huffed. "i want you to see on your birthday."
louis just smiled, leaning over a little and kissing harry's cheek softly. "as you wish," he whispered.
harry smiled to himself, looking at his lap with his eyes closed for just a second before looking back at the road. he liked that he didn't have to be on guard with louis anymore. louis used to yell at him every other sentence, but once he started taking his medicine regularly, it just, stopped. the odd thing was, harry kind of missed that sassy, mean side of louis. he had no idea why. maybe it was because that part of louis, that part he saw when he was just a sophomore; he fell in love with that just as much as the other parts of him. and he hoped louis would never lose that spunk, that sass that was still there, just not as harsh.
"do you know how to get to the place where you get the, ehm, trees?" harry asked, stumbling over his words as he tried to think while focusing on driving at the same time.
"turn left," was all louis said.
"turn left where?" harry blurted, blinking rapidly as suddenly a billion left turns passed by.
"on the turn," louis chuckled.
harry took his left hand and pawed at louis' shoulder. "stop," he whined. "just tell me."
"calm down, kitten."
harry rolled his eyes, deciding on driving straight forward until lou would cooperate with him.
"okay, turn left right here," louis mumbled in defeat, but harry ignored him, just to make him mad.
"harold!" the boy screeched.
"hmm?" harry hummed.
"we're gonna get lost now. all i can see is trees. look what you did, you dumb bum!" louis shrieked.
harry couldn't help but laugh as louis started to pretend to cry and little whimpers escaped his lips. he just drove, on the road that was conveniently straight forward. louis was right, there were trees surrounding them now, an overhang that caused everything around them to be darker.
"we're supposed to be getting the tree," louis grumbled into his hands. "you've no idea how bad i wish i could drive right now."
harry blushed. why was he blushing? why was it that louis always made him blush? he decided to blame it on the heat of the car.
they drove in silence for about twenty minutes, just listening to some christmas radio station and humming along with it. at least louis was. harry was listening to him. he could listen to louis' humming with his high little voice all day long.
finally, harry stopped the car. they were in the middle of nowhere, the place between the city and the country. the farther they got, the denser the layer of trees and snow got.
"harry," louis paused, taking a deep breath before reaching out and moving some of harry's curls out of his face, "what are you doing babe? i'm trying to let you do your thing but it's killing me."
harry looked over at him, his green eyes burning into louis' blue ones. louis looked so beautiful it hurt, it actually caused a pain in harry's chest. harry didn't think he could ever describe how louis looked without it being an understatement. the best writer or storyteller in the world could attempt but could never match the feeling harry had in his heart as he looked at louis.
basically, his eyes were shining so bright, a light pale blue. his lips were dark red and slightly chapped from the cold weather, his skin was flushed from the warm air of the car, tan compared to harry's pale skin. his hair was in a messy fringe across his forehead, part of it sticking up and part of it flat. and wow, why were his eyeleashes so long?
it seemed as if louis was doing the same thing to harry, running his eyes over every single feature. he even went so far as to reach his hand out and run it over the place harry's dimple was when he smiled.
"we're so lost," louis said lightly.
"we'll find our way back," harry said in response.
***
after about thirty minutes, harry managed to drive them back into civilization, and louis told him the directions to the tree farm. they pulled into a gravel driveway, the wheels crunching against the snow and rocks. nobody else was there except for a few men dressed in big coats with fuzzy beards.
"let's go pick out a tree," louis smiled, reaching out and squeezing harry's arm.
they walked out of the car, louis immediately skipping to a small green tree and calling harry's name.
"angel, angel baby harold this is the one! this is our tree!" he screeched sliding on the rocks and turning around, hopping up and down. it reminded harry of a kangaroo.
harry flinched when he heard laughter from a nearby tree.
"stop laughing at me tree," he whispered, wide eyed. he watched as his breath dissolved into the air. he could hear louis squealing in the background and it made his heart stutter.
"louis, stop acting like a fool!" the tree called. harry almost fell backwards, tripping over his own feet.
louis was by his side in a second.
"don't fall," he said softly, wrapping his arms securely around his waist. "come with me. ignore darren. we need to buy our tree."
"oh," was all harry said. it was darren.
louis led harry towards the small tree. it was about louis' height, dark green and fluffy. harry immediately fell in love with it when someone he already was in love with started hugging it.
"how's this?" louis smiled, not even flinching when darren started walking towards them and saying they looked like they were in a commercial.
"louis, smile for the camera!"
harry turned his head to see chris right next to darren, leaning into his side with a camera in his right hand. louis squealed, hiding behind the tree. "no, don't take a picture of me!" he called, despite the looks he got from the men that supposedly would be cutting their tree for them.
harry was caught off guard when louis reached out his hand, pulling him by his sleeve to hide with him.
"let's take a selfie," louis said in a girlie voice.
***
"there's something missing."
harry was sitting on the couch, sipping from his steaming cup of coffee and scrutinizing the tree, his eyes squinted and his neck craned forward to see even closer. he had been sitting there for a few minutes, trying to find what louis meant when he said, "there's something missing" for the fifteenth time.
there were only a few ornaments they had bought at the dollar store. louis claimed that you had to build your ornament collection over many years, instead of buying them all at once. they had wrapped rainbow lights around the bottom of the tree, but then they ran out and had to use yellow ones for the top instead. in result, they had a multicolored tree with dark spots because louis really didn't know how to wrap lights around a tree.
his flat smelled overwhelmingly like coffee and the sugar cookie scented candle harry had bought louis for an early birthday present.
"i don't see anything missing," harry said after they sat in silence, watching louis as he stared at the tree with judging eyes. "stop judging, lou. the tree didn't do anything. i think it looks beautiful."
louis' eyes suddenly lit up as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head, and harry cowered as louis charged towards him. "what are you doing?!?" harry screamed when louis grabbed him around the waist and threw him over his shoulder.
"there needs to be an angel on the top of the tree."
harry couldn't decide whether he should laugh or cry because louis was struggling to put harry's legs around his shoulders.
"help me out here, babe," louis laughed, breathless.
"how do you expect me to be on the top of the tree?" harry asked, incredulous, but he positioned himself so he was sitting on louis' shoulders anyway. he had to duck his head a bit because he was a little too tall.
"let's go," louis said in a low voice, bringing them towards the tree, ignoring harry's protests.
"louis put me down now," harry begged, trying not to laugh as louis continuously walked in and out of the tree, making some ornaments fall to the ground. luckily, they didn't break.
louis finally listened to him, but he didn't let him go. he just pulled harry so he fell backwards on the couch and harry fell right on top of him, and then harry fell in love all over again when louis hugged him until he couldn't breathe and then started kissing him senseless, and the coffee mixed with the peppermint was a wonderful, christmasy combination.
harry couldn't wait for the party.
***
babes, i'm not gonna be able to update for a while because my finals are this week and monday and tuesday. so bear with me.
i might update on sunday, though, because that's the qualifying round for the bromance awards. keep that in mind, sugar plums.
-kayla x