Luella

46 | happiness

L U E L L A

"Morning, beautiful," he says as a streak of sunlight engulfs the room. I groan in response, stretching my body across the bed in exhaustion, noticing too late that Harry had either of his hands on each side of my head and I turn into a tomato as I take in how close he is to me.

"Hi," I rasp, poking his dimple deliberately with a smile plastered on my face. Harry bends down a tad bit more and slides his nose along mine before he plants an innocent peck on my nose.

"You know," Harry started as he scooted next to me and laid down under the covers, me turning to lay on my side so I'm facing him. "Santa Clause dropped by yesterday."

I almost laugh, but it comes out in a girly giggle that makes me cringe before I reply, playing along. "Did he, really?"

"Mhm," he hummed, grinning. "He actually got you a couple of presents, too."

I smiled wider, excited and mesmerized by how lucky I am to wake up to Harry's pair of green eyes that send warmth all within me.

"Thankfully, though, he didn't eat the entire stash of cookies or the boxes of milk, so there's some for you to have downstairs." Harry informs me and I chuckle, nodding in gratitude.

"Oh, that's nice of Santa," I mused, yawning. "What time is it?"

"Nine, I think," Harry says.

"Is Josie up?"

"She is always up at dawn," Harry sighs. "I woke up around eight, but I've been lonely without you."

"It's only been one hour," I pointed out, smiling.

"Babe, you basically kicked me out of your room yesterday," He says and I smile at the nickname. "I had to be without you for, like, seven hours."

I roll around on my back and shake my head, trying not to grin or smile or beam or look like a cliché idiot too much.

"We should head downstairs," I suggest after we stay a couple of minutes engaged in the most comfortable of silences. But just as I sit up on the bed, I'm yanked back by my hand and tamed in a warm, protective hug that makes my insides melt with the gesture.

"No," Harry simply says.

"What do you mean, no?" My voice is muffled, being in his tight embrace.

"Oh, come on, pretend you want to spend some alone time with your boyfriend for a second, okay? Help me out here," he huffs, nuzzling his nose into my neck, making me feel ticklish but I supress it.

"Not when your au-" I stop myself, remembering that she's not really his aunt, but the woman who adopted him and helped raise him for a while. So I correct, "Not when Josie is waiting for us downstairs on a Christmas morning, Harry."

"She's not going anywhere," He mumbles, sighing and I knew he'd closed his eyes by now.

"Harry," I try to sound stern, like I'm seriously scolding him. But, who am I kidding? I'm absolutely loving this, our comfortable little bubble, just cuddling and enjoying each other's presence. Given, we'd never cuddled this way before and it felt so good. I felt safe.

I let us be in peace, just listening to my heart beating, his heart beating, the inevitable human noise we laid making. It was a spiritual kind of peaceful. Like we were still talking, somehow. And it felt heavenly.

But, moment had to be ruined, the obnoxious ringtone of Harry's phone sprung between us, sound slightly muffled from being stuffed in Harry's pocket. Harry groans and untangles himself from me before he slides his phone out and answers.