strawberries and cigarettes (always taste like you)

Nineteen

Flashback: Christmas with the Tomlinson-Deakins

Harry's POV:

Louis and I have been together for over half a year now. Honestly, I still can't wrap my brain around it sometimes. The way we started dating was so... Weird. In a good way. Always in a good way. It's just surprising. I wouldn't change anything about us though. Never. Even though he's an annoying brat most of the time.

You know what's funny though? Our roommates still don't know about us. Like, literally. We've been sneaking around in the same house as them for like six months now and they still have no clue. Ha, and Alaska prides herself on being quite perceptive. Louis and I talked about telling our friends actually. While it would be easier to be in a relationship without having to hide it and sneak around, it's so much fun seeing our friends be so deceptive and believe our acts so easily.

We decided to not tell them and continue to sneak around. Let them figure things out at their own pace. The looks on their faces when they realize that we've been together all this time is going to be so funny. It's going to be worth it. Plus, we don't need them all up in our business. So if we don't tell them, they can't try to get involved in everything. Other than that, it's also a challenge to hide it from four other people, who happen to be our best friends. And both of us like a good challenge. So, we decided not to tell the others and let them find out on their own.

Anyway, this week is Christmas week. Which means it's both, Louis' birthday and Christmas. We have a week off from college, so that's amazing. For birthdays, the six of us have roommate traditions, in a way. We do at least something together if it's one of our birthdays. For example, for Niall's birthday, which was in September, we went clubbing. I know, I know. Nothing different, but Niall wanted to go clubbing and it's a rule that none of us can deny what the birthday person wants to do.

For Alaska's birthday, she wanted to go bowling, so we did that. Considering Louis' birthday is during the Christmas break and all of us were going back to our respective homes, we celebrated as a group a little early. Louis didn't really want to go out and do something fancy, since it was really fucking cold outside. So, we stayed home, got pizza and watched a bunch of movies. Including both the Grease movies, of course.

Anyway, Christmas break starts tomorrow, which is the 23rd, and all of us are leaving to go back home tomorrow. Alaska's parents are away so she's going to stay with the Horans, that is, Niall's family. My mum is staying with my older sister Gemma in USA for a while, and hence, she's spending Christmas there as well. My flatmates don't know that though. They think I'm going to spend Christmas with my family, but I'm actually going home with Louis. As in, I'm spending the week with Louis' family. Including Christmas and New Years' Eve, of course. And we'll be coming back to college on 2nd January. 

Presently, the cab pulled up in front of Louis' house. I'm not sure what I was expecting, to be honest. Probably a huge house, considering Louis' family is kind of rich. But their house was pretty decent-sized and nothing too overboard.

Louis noticed me looking at the house curiously, and he nudged me as we got our luggage off the cab, "What were you expecting? A mansion or something?"

I grinned back at him, shrugging, "Not really. I'm just pleasantly surprised."

Louis scoffed as I followed him to the main door, "You're an idiot."

I laughed as Louis knocked at the door, "Love you too."

The door was opened by a teenage girl a few seconds later. The girl, who is most definitely Lottie (Louis has shown me pictures of his family), called out to everyone else, "Mum, Louis is here!"

Louis rolled his eyes at her, "Don't be a brat, Lots. Give me a hug."

Lottie obliged, but complained just the same, "Ugh, you're so annoying."