"I don't think we should have left it this late."
"Flower it's nine am."
I pursed my lips as I looked at Harry who wasn't really helping decorate but was instead just playing with Pineapple and a string of tinsel.
"You're stupid." I rolled my eyes at Harry who glanced over his shoulder at me and pulled a face. "Stop playing with her, you're meant to be decorating."
"Y'know yeh' like doing it all."
"That isn't the point!" I pouted as I stopped decorating to look at him properly, I had to admit watching him playing with Pineapple was very cute and it made my heart swell. "And I meant decorating anyway."
"Sunflower."
I sighed as the name fell from Harry's lips as he left the cat alone and made his way over to me and I was sure if I was a cartoon character I'd have heart eyes. As much as Harry was the cause of my annoyance, he was also my biggest relaxation.
"What's up pup?" Harry nudged my chin with his knuckles as he wrapped one arm around me and I leant my head against his hoodie-clad chest and shrugged. "Don't' give me that, hm? Tell me wha's' wrong."
"Nothing's wrong," I shook my head, "I just like decorating with you and I know you don't like it but it's our first Christmas together, in our new home."
"M'sorry Flower, c'mon I'll help." Harry gripped my chin so I was I forced to look up at him and I smiled slightly making him roll his eyes before he pressed his lips to mine and I hummed.
"Though yeh' wanted to decorate." Harry muttered as he pulled away from me and I smiled innocently up at him even though I was slightly breathless.
"I love you."
"Yea yea, love you too Flower." Harry rolled his eyes before he let me pull him back to the bags and boxes.
I chewed my lip as I looked down at all the new decorations, I'd gone shopping with Lindsee a few weeks ago, actually, it was back in November, a few days before her birthday to get decorations for the flat.
That was before she found out I was moving out and therefore about two weeks ago I'd dragged Harry to buy decorations.
He, as I predicted, was no help at all until, like today, I'd whined that we were supposed to be doing this together.
"Alright, when are we gunna do the tree?" Harry asked and I looked at him and shrugged.
"You can put it together if you want, then when I've finished decorating the kitchen we can decorate it." I offered, watching as Harry shrugged before he nodded and I went back to hanging the little wooden stars off the drawer handles.
"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart,"
I gasped as I heard my favourite Christmas song start playing and I practically launched myself across the kitchen to reach the speaker on the corner of the counter and turned the volume up and I smiled smugly as it drowned out Harry's groaning.
"This year to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special!" I sang along loudly as I climbed up onto the counter, tinsel in hand.
"Flower be careful." Harry called out and I hummed back to him before I carried on tacking tinsel along the top of the counters and singing.
I looked at my decorating proudly just as Harry called out that he'd finished putting the tree together and I sat down on the counter, ready to get down only to be grabbed and I squealed as I was lifted into the air.
"H!"
"Wha?" Harry asked as he set me down gently and I rolled my eyes at him, "I said be careful."
"I was being careful," I huffed before he forced our lips together and I patted his chest and pulled away and looked at the kitchen decorations. "What do you think?"
"Looks good, yeh' good at it." Harry hummed, his eyes flicking around the kitchen whilst I turned my attention back the lounge and I saw the tree that Harry put together and I smiled to myself as I saw the lush almost real looking bushy green tree.
"Thank you," I said quietly, "Will you decorate the tree with me?"
"If yeh' want."
I nodded as I stepped away from Harry and glanced at the time on my phone and I chewed my lip as I saw it in getting close to ten in the morning.
"Where's Gatsby?" I asked curiously as I put the bags of tree decorations on the coffee table as I tried to imagine how I wanted our tree to look.
"In bed."
I glanced over my shoulder to find the big dog bed in front of the window empty and I frowned as I looked back at Harry ready to tell him he was wrong.
"Our bed." Harry clarified and I closed my mouth before I pursed my lips and I nodded.
"I wish that were me."
"Yeh' got up at like half six." Harry pointed out dryly and I looked at him unimpressed.
"You know what I mean," I snapped, "I'm always tired maybe I need to see a doctor."
"Eat more iron." Harry said simply making me pull a face at him as I cut the tag off the white fluffy skirt before I wandered over to where Gatsby's bed was and pulled it out of the way.
"Why does he even have this?" I asked Harry curiously, I'd honestly never seen Gatsby even sit in his bed.
"I dunno, you bought it." Harry looked at me pointedly and I flushed and I looked at the bed I'd discarded in front of the sofa and bit my lip.
Okay so maybe I had a problem with buying things for our pets but sue me, they were cute.
"So what do you think about it going here?"
I glanced over my shoulder at Harry as I laid the fluffy skirt out on the floor in the corner of the window and watched as Harry shrugged.
"S'fine to me."
I exhaled through my nose at his nonplussed answered and I flicked my head for him to bring the tree over. I rolled my lips together as Harry wrapped his arms around the tree and bent his knees before he picked it up and brought it over.
"You're hot." I said simply making Harry raise an eyebrow at me as he dragged the tree slightly forward so I could still get around the back to decorate.
"M'know." Harry shrugged making me roll my eyes and I pushed his shoulder which made him laugh before I handed him the bag that contained the all the gold baubles whilst I started to unpack the red ones.
"Thank you."
I said quietly a little while later once we'd finished the baubles and I'd started hanging the gold poinsettia flowers whilst Harry did the red ones and I saw him blink before he looked at me.
"Wot?"
"Thank you." I repeated making Harry stop what he was doing and I briefly realised it was almost twelve and I still needed to make food for the party tonight. "For decorating with me. For everything I guess."
"Shut up Flower."
+
"Poppy!"
I sucked my teeth as my best friends voice carried through the flat and I swept Pineapple up into my arms and got up off the bed and wandered out into the hallway, following the sound of the music and majority of voices.
"Hey Lins," I nudged her in the side as I smiled at Niall who patted Pineapple's head gently before I put her on the floor and was immediately pulled into a hug by Lindsee.
"Did you decorate?" Lindsee demanded once we'd pulled away, "Stupid question, of course you did. P it looks amazing in here!"
I flushed as Lindsee complimented the Christmas decorations as Niall pulled me into a hug and I took in their outfits and nodded appreciatively.
"Thank you, Harry helped."
"Helped with what?"
I jumped as a large hand landed on my hip and I tilted my head up to see the owner of the voice I'd recognise anywhere smiling at me slightly as he pulled me into him as he lent against the counter.
"Decorating." I smiled at him proudly making Niall and Harry roll their eyes.
"Don't lie to protect him Popcorn." Niall snorted making Harry punch him and this time Lindsee and I rolled our eyes.
"Shut up you dickhead," I muttered before I turned my attention to Lindsee, "I love your jumpsuit. Blue really suits you."
"P!" Lindsee gasped as her eyes rounded out and I looked at Niall in a slight panic making him laugh.
"She had a few of them vodka cans whilst getting ready."
"You pre-drank for my party?!" I looked at Lindsee in shock, "I thought we only did that when we were going somewhere we had anxiety about!"
"I like having fun," Lindsee pouted making me shake my head as I drained my wine glass and Harry immediately took it out of my hand to refill. "Besides if I'm buzzy then I won't be sad."
"Why would you be sad?" Niall asked just as the doorbell rang and I stepped away to get it only to have Harry hand me my now full glass and leave the room to get the door instead. "He's being very good."
"He's always good."
"Okay Popcorn, you're in love with him we get it." Niall rolled his eyes playfully and I smacked him as I reached behind me for a doughnut.
"Hey hey party people!"
I looked away from my jam doughnut as Eleanor's voice reached my ears and I smiled as she, Louis, Liam and Zayn filed in and I was pulled into a hug by three of them.
"I love your dress!" I complimented Eleanor's plaid sweater type dress, it even had cute little tasselled edges.
"Thank you, I love your skirt!" Eleanor complimented the shiny metallic silver plaid skirt I was wearing and I smiled.
I had to admit I thought it was a pretty good outfit. I mean, throwing a housewarming slash early birthday slash Christmas slash going away party was hard to dress for!
But I thought I'd done a pretty good job, my skirt was complemented by the plain black long-sleeved turtle neck and admittedly a pair of YSL heels I'd seen when I'd got decoration shopping.
"Ollie is stuck at work," Liam advised and I nodded as I sucked my lip into my mouth as my home filled with the people I loved most.
"Finishes at seven right?" I said without thinking making Liam, Niall, Harry and Lindsee look at me curiously as Liam nodded. "What? It's a Saturday."
I shrugged at the four of them, I didn't know what their problem was, Ollie had been my best friend for like two years, of course I knew things about him.
"Anyway, everyone there's food and cocktails and wine and beer and all that stuff in the kitchen," I announced, "I'm happy you're all here, thank you for coming to Harry and I's house warming um, and Louis' early birthday party and our Christmas party. I'm very happy you're all here and in my life and I love all of you."
Everyone cheered and held up their various bottles and glasses before Harry turned the music up and I fell onto the sofa alongside Zayn with a slice of pizza in my hand and wine in the other as he told me about work.
+
I browsed the leftover food on the counter as everyone was sat around, Louis and Harry were busy playing some video game whilst everyone watched or rather I think Eleanor and Ollie were talking about other things.
I smiled as Lindsee joined me in the kitchen, her eyes also drifting over the counter and I watched as she grabbed a sushi roll and I went for another french fancy before I looked at my best friend.
"This was fun." Lindsee hummed and I smiled, nudging her with my shoulder.
"You make it fun."
"Shut up," Lindsee rolled her eyes as we looked at our friends, "Are you excited about Christmas?"
"Ye-"
"Stupid question, of course, you are." Lindsee cut me off making me gasp and she laughed, "You know what I mean P, I meant about Christmas with Harry."
"The answer is still the same," I nudged her, "I wish we were together though. Can you believe we're going to be spending Christmas separated by the Atlantic this year?"
"Hey, the offer was there for you to come back to Colorado with me."
"And leave Harry alone?"
"He wouldn't be alone." Lindsee snorted and I looked at her pointedly. "Bro, that man is so lame without you."
"Hey!" I protested, "I almost ruined my three-year friendship with your boyfriend over you, be nice to me."
Lindsee rolled her eyes as she pulled me into a hug and I smiled as I rested my chin on her shoulder.
"Hey, puppy."
I blinked as I heard Harry's voice I had no idea why he called me that when there were other people around but I knew he'd be annoyed if I didn't answer him properly even though my back was towards the lounge unfortunately but I lifted my head from Lindsee's shoulder.
"Yes Daddy?"
The flat fell silent once the words had left my mouth and I froze as I quickly realised Harry wasn't talking to me. I pulled away from Lindsee and turned to see everyone looking at me and my entire body burned.
"Oh my god."
Louis' shit-eating grin appeared on his face as Niall stared at me horrified and I looked wide-eyed at Harry for help.
"Was talkin' to Gats."
"Oh my god." I muttered as I hid my face in my hands as the entire room erupted in laughter, whilst Lindsee hugged me to her chest in an attempt to hide me away from everyone whilst Harry sat there grumbling.
"That was priceless." Louis laughed as Lindsee and I rejoined the group and I handed Harry a slice of now cold pizza whilst I picked through a plate containing pretty much everything left over.
"Popcorn are you in danger?" Niall asked making Harry glare and I snorted.
"Are you forgetting who your girlfriend is?" I clicked my tongue at him, I knew everything he and Lindsee got up to in the bedroom.
I laughed as Niall's cheeks tinted pink and Louis started to pick on him and I settled in the sofa, although I was squished right into the arm next to Harry considering Zayn and Liam and Harry took up a lot of room.
I kissed Harry's clothed shoulder before I leant against him and sipped my rosé.
"Y'alrigh'?"
I nodded at Harry's quiet question, "Just thinking."
"About wha'?"
"How lucky I am." I shrugged as Harry won whatever game they were playing much to Louis' annoyance making him throw the controller at Zayn whilst Harry looked down at me.
"Hm?"
"Just thinking about how lucky I am," I repeated, "Sat with my family and everyone's happy and I'm happy and I have you."
"Family?" Harry raised an eyebrow and I nodded.
"Chosen family," I said simply, "Found family, whatever."
"Think m'the lucky one m'love." Harry pressed his lips to my temple just as Zayn started another game and Harry's eyes lingered on me for a second as I smiled at him before his attention was back on the TV and I sat there in my happiness.
It didn't matter that Niall was going to Ireland, that Lindsee was flying back to Colorado and Eleanor and Louis were driving up to Doncaster for his birthday and Christmas, all that mattered was that we were all together now.
And I knew after Christmas when everyone came back to the city we'd all be back together again like we'd never been apart.
And even if it did bother me, I knew I was going to be okay. I knew I was going to be happy because I had Harry. Harry was going to be with me this Christmas and New Years and for every day, hopefully, from then on.
I was happy.
It was Christmas and I was sat with my chosen family drinking rosé, I couldn't have been happier.