Snow | L.S.

Epilogue

Two Weeks Later...

Gunwharf Quays was still quiet, like it usually was at eight-thirty in the morning. Only the cafés were open for breakfast, the outlets not quite ready for the rush of people coming in for the New Year's sales. Louis walked through the underpass towards the shopping centre, where a train pulling into Portsmouth Harbour station was screeching to a stop overhead. He blew hot air into his gloved hands as he walked, the morning chill particularly icy, as his eyes gazed over all the different brand names that Gunwharf carried and the illustrations printed on the walls.

He walked down the slippery path, looking to make sure no vehicles were turning down into the road to access the back of the centre before crossing and picking up a quicker march to keep himself warm. The smell of freshly baked doughnuts from the nearby Krispy Kreme stall made his stomach rumble and he stopped himself from walking over there to buy one for breakfast. He always told himself he would try and shift a few pounds in January but all it took each year was one Chinese takeaway with Niall and all his progress was thrown out of the window and he caved. So far, he was doing good, but he was only one week in, so it could all be over anytime soon.

It reminded him of when he had envied Harry eating twice as much as him and never putting on any weight. And since school, his appetite hadn't seemed to change, as Louis found out during their week together. He wondered what Harry's workout routine must've been like because Louis reckoned he'd have to workout at least six days out of seven if he was to keep the amount of food that Harry ate, off. But like everything, he supposed Harry made it seem effortless. Most things seemed to remind him of Harry these days. Whether it was observing a teenager playing football on the muddy field with his friends down at the park near his flat whenever he was on his commute back from work, or seeing an advertisement for interior designers in the Portsmouth area, or even when he watched a news report about a nudist beach on the BBC the other day. It varied, and somehow, Louis always managed to find a connection.

Louis had just turned down a left path towards Caffè Nero when his phone started buzzing in his pocket.

"Oi, where are you?" Niall's voice ripped through the device as soon as Louis accepted the call and pressed his iPhone to his ear.

"Where I usually am at this time of the morning. Why?" Louis asked with amusement, pushing open the café's door.

"I decided to come in early for a change and I'm bored!" Niall said dramatically. "No one is here."

"Well, no, there wouldn't be. I'm always the first one in!" Louis replied as he approached the counter. Caffè Nero still had their Christmas decorations up despite it being the first week of January; twinkle lights hung around the pillars in the seating area and tinsel wrapped across the counter, along with a very colourful selection of snowflake and Father Christmas stickers on the shop windows. "Hiya, a large hot chocolate to go please," he said to the woman behind the bar. She nodded, told him his total and he tapped his card on the reader. "What's got you feeling so productive anyway?" Louis asked Niall as he walked to the end of the counter to wait for his drink.

"Amelia and I have date night tonight, I want to finish early, but I didn't realise just how unproductive I'd be."

"Do you want a coffee?" Louis offered.

"Nah. I'm already full to the brim with caffeine. Perhaps that's why I'm not getting anything done," Niall wondered aloud.

Louis chuckled. "What exactly have you done this morning?"

"I've written the title for yesterday's board meeting."

"Is that it?" Louis asked in disbelief. "Have you not got the minutes in front of you?"