next to you ❀ l.s.

thirty - christmas shopping

"Put that down before somebody sees!" Harry hissed, snatching the sparkly bra from Niall's hands and shoving it messily back onto the rack. Two weeks had passed since the Thanksgiving drama, and they were all out shopping for Christmas gifts before their winter break began.

There was still some leftover tension -- especially between Louis and Liam -- but things had pretty much gone back to normal. Stan was almost completely forgotten, Louis was acting like his old self (or his old new self . . . the exact nature of his transformation was unclear, but most importantly, he was back to the confident, sarcastic stunner that Harry had met that first night), and Harry was on top of the world.

Niall threw his head back and laughed. "It's not porn, Harry. It's just a bra."

"And I'm gay."

Niall snorted. "I bet Louis would like to see you in a dress," he pondered aloud, trailing behind Harry as they aimlessly wandered the store aisles. "Gay or not, that man is kinky. I can just tell."

Harry flushed a deep red, feigning interest in a particularly ugly Christmas sweater. Luckily for him, Liam showed up at just the right moment, dragging them to the dressing rooms.

"I just don't understand why any shirt has buttons in the back," Liam kept complaining as they walked. "Like, seriously, what do they expect? Oh, no problem, I'll just use the third arm I have dangling from my right shoulder."

"You're such a grump," Niall laughed. He nudged Harry with his shoulder, shooting him a pointed look. "Be careful, Haz, because you're starting to sound just like him."

"It's not my fault that I'm grumpy! I'm never going to find anything for Louis!" Harry groaned. He was having serious trouble finding a gift for the older boy -- everything was too big or too small; everything said too much or not enough. "Every idea I have is all wrong."

"Your gift doesn't have to express all of your feelings, mate," Liam tried to comfort him. "You're going to have to use your voice to tell him that. The gift is just a side piece."

"An accessory," Niall supplied helpfully, nodding to show his agreement. "Do you think he'd use a handbag? Oh, or one of those cute little hand purses!"

Liam shoved Niall so hard that he nearly knocked over an entire display of socks, then he turned his attention back to Harry. "Just get him something simple. Something that he'll actually use, or something that he'll actually like. Honestly, you could probably give him a rock from the parking lot and he'd still be happy -- just because it's coming from you."

"True," Niall agreed as Liam beckoned Harry into the dressing room with him. He raised his voice slightly to be heard through the closed door. "If you weren't sure of his feelings for you before Stan-gate, you better be sure now."

It was true. Louis had completely launched himself into showering Harry with every ounce of his affection; maybe because he felt guilty for his week-long slip-up with Stan, but it seemed more likely that he just no longer had anything holding him back. His old feelings and insecurities had been taped up and sealed shut like a cardboard box, pushed to the side so that he could focus on the present.

And his present was pointing him straight toward a particular curly-haired boy, who had stolen his heart that very first night, under the cheap hallway lights of their apartment complex.

"Harry!" Louis called out right on cue, his loud voice ringing through the store. "Harry? Hazza!"

"Hold on," Harry replied finally, his tone much deeper and quieter than Louis's. He was still helping Liam with his shirt, fumbling with the small buttons. "Give me a moment, will you?"