Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts

13

December had flown by faster than a bullet train, a mess of emotions, pies, and Christmas cookies.

Now it was the 23 of December, the day before Louis' birthday, and the day before he was going home for Christmas.

They were at Zayn's- recently it had been more strange if they weren't- the five of them, six if you count Mowgli.

They all had asked Louis if he'd like a party before they all left to go home for the holidays, but what with all the parties Louis had been to recently, he was honestly craving a quiet night in, as boring as it sounded.

Besides, Louis didn't know if he wanted to be seen outside with Harry and Zayn. Not that he was embarrassed by either of them of course, but he knew that he could potentially get a lot of eyes on him if he did. And that was the last thing he needed really.

Right now he needed a sheet cake from Tesco and someone to gift him fuzzy Christmas socks.

"Don't you ever get tired of your birthday being Christmas Eve? I feel like that has to be rough." Zayn asked as they all sat in the living room eating cake.

Louis shrugged, "Not really. It's just like how I grew up- and my mum did a decent job distinguishing it from Christmas. I suppose I had friends who didn't like it- you know, couldn't spend my birthday with me ever."

Louis' eyes brushed to Harry's, and it was strange, like how it always was recently. He and Harry would stare, and they wouldn't have a single reaction but they'd both still know the other one knew.

And no one knew but them.

Like the biggest secret in the whole world. A whole entire lifetime, whispered between stolen glances.

"Well, Liam's gotta catch his train soon, we should do presents." Harry said, waking the silence in the room.

Everyone in the room hesitated, looking between each other.

Louis waved Harry off, "You know I said no presents this year. I don't need anything, really."

Liam, Niall, and Zayn all seemed to let a breath go.

"Yeah, but you secretly want at least a little something." Harry said with a knowing smile.

"So then you got me something?" Louis questioned, glancing between the other boys and Harry.

Harry jumped up from his spot leaning against the couch, "It's in the other room!" And with that he pranced off excitedly, leaving the rest of the boys waiting.

After a moment of silence Zayn spoke up, "It's cool we didn't get you-"

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Louis quickly resolved.

"Okayyyy, here it is!" Harry ran back into the room with a bag.

"Harry, you didn't have to." Louis smiled, but Harry did have to, and he was glad they both knew.

"Well open it already- I'm dying of suspense." Liam groaned. He always did this. Once on Niall's birthday he had gotten so impatient he had unwrapped one of Niall's gifts himself.

Louis smiled, ripping out tissue paper from the top of his gift until he pulled out an old black Adidas hoodie.

His old Adidas hoodie.

His old Adidas hoodie that he had been begging Harry to give back since 2013.

Louis looked up to Harry with wide eyes as if to say, you kept it?

"What is it? A jumper?" Niall asked, reaching over to look at it.

"Uh, yeah. An Adidas jumper that I've been wanting for a while now." Louis said absentmindedly, grabbing a note that he found in the bag.