love me until i love myself / l.s

15

''What did you do?'' Louis asked, as he watched the green-eyed man approach him, holding at least four bags full of presents.

''You did not think I am going empty handed, did you?'' Harry raised an eyebrow and Louis took the bags from his hands and put them in the back seats, along with his gifts, a frown on his face.

''I think after I told you not to get them anything, you would finally do what I told you.''

''That just proves that you don't know me, at all.'' Harry smirked and Louis rolled his eyes, opening the passenger for Harry to enter and the younger man, just squeezed his cheek and got in the car.

''You're impossible.'' Louis groaned, shutting the door and he walked towards his side.

''Sorry. I'll be impossible again in the near future.'' Harry smiled.

''Donnie is four hours away, so you better not piss me off.''

''I wouldn't dare. Just let me...'' Harry mumbled, connecting his phone with Louis' car speakers and he put on 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry.

''Oh please, don't start sing-'' Louis' words died in his throats, as soon as Harry opened his mouth.

*

''I'm starting getting anxious. What have you told them about me?'' Harry asked, when he saw the first sign for Doncaster. Less than an hour.

''Not much. I am bringing a friend for the holidays. They couldn't be more thrilled. I'm leaving the rest on you, though, 'cause I don't know what you want them to know.'' Louis shrugged and Harry hummed looking outside the window.

''I don't want them to know I am a stripper.'' Harry mumbled and Louis nodded.

''Alright.''

''When I started this job, I swore I wouldn't be embarrassed about it. I always used to say I am a stripper with pride, because it was just a job, right? I've been doing this job for two years now and I am twenty-three. I should start getting my shit together and do something that I'm not embarrassed about. People my age have kids, a family and I always say how much I want those things, but how can I accomplish them, while being a stripper? No one wants a stripper, believe me. No one!'' Harry said, quietly, still looking out the window and Louis was caught by surprise.

''I didn't know you felt like that.''

''I didn't either. Hypothetically, would you ever get married to a stripper? Not me, no, of course, not. But if you were a few years younger, and you genuinely liked Eleanor, would you marry her?'' Harry asked and Louis shrugged.

''First of all, I would never make the same mistake twice. Second of all, if I loved them and they loved me too, sure. Harry, you always say 'I am a stripper', as if it's a bad thing. It's a job. We all have jobs. If you like it, no one can tell you that your are not worthy.'' Louis said and Harry frowned.

''What if I don't like it anymore?'' he asked again.

''Then, you figure out what you wanna do with your life and then quit. I can get you a job. You can read, right?'' Louis joked and Harry slapped his shoulder playfully.

''Fuck off! But well, thank you. I won't take you up on your job offer, but thank you. It feels strange that I want to quit my job. It just...it feels like stripping is the only thing I can do right and if I quit then I am just useless.'' Harry sighed.

''You are amazing at decorating and cooking and you brought life to my garden, so you are a great gardener. Look, you have many talents and I haven't even seen half of them. You can do whatever you want, Harry. Just think about what you really, really want and you will achieve it. You're the more stubborn bastard I've ever met. If you can't do it, no one can.'' Louis said and Harry let out a chuckle at that.

''You're pretty nice, when you try.''

''Well, it is Christmas Eve Eve Eve.''

''Two days, until you turn thirty, by the way.'' Harry smirked and Louis gasped.

''That's a lie!...Well, it is true, but you weren't supposed to know that!'' Louis let out a frustrated sigh and Harry giggled.

''Your mother told me.''

''My mother? What? You said you had never spoken to her!''

''I lied. She called, I answered. She's absolutely amazing and I am trying to understand how she is your mother.'' Harry smirked and Louis rolled his eyes at his comment.

''You're a liar and a jerkface. I just gave you the best of advices-that people usually pay me for- and you are still rude. You're a jerk.'' Louis mumbled and Harry felt bad. Louis was right. He just made him feel so much better about himself and his shitty job and he still made a very, very rude comment. Maybe he was a jerkface, after all.

''I'm sorry. You're right. You're a great friend, Louis, you really are and thank you. You made me feel so much better about myself and my job and surprisingly, we're only half an hour away from Doncaster. So, you can tell me again every tiny detail about your family and I will revise at the end.'' Harry said, smiling and Louis started explaining to Harry everything about his family, his five sisters and his brother, waving his free hand around, as he was talking and Harry grabbed his hand.

''You're waving your hand so much, it makes me dizzy.'' he mumbled.

He did not let Louis' hand, until they reached Doncaster.

Total coincidence.

*

A/N Sorry last chapter was so awful lmao. It probably will happen again, but thank you for 2.5k :)