So lets cross the lines we lost

Chapter 18

"I can't believe I'm missing your birthday," Zayn says for about the hundredth time as he hauls his suitcase down the front porch. "Seriously. First time ever. Since your birth."

"I'm older than you, but sure, okay," Louis says, grinning and breathing out warm air into the arctic weather.

Zayn stuffs his suitcase in their car and slams the door shut. "I don't even celebrate Christmas. I shouldn't be forced to go home like everyone else."

"Why are you going?" Liam asks, hauling his own bags towards the van.

Zayn sighs and leans back against the car, tucking his fingerless-gloved hands into his pockets. "Mum wants the whole family there for New Years, and we're going to this cabin over Christmas for some quality time, since she never sees me ever." Zayn makes a face. "That's so not true, I tag her in all my selfies on Facebook so she won't forget what I look like."

"Not quite the same, babe," Niall says with a wink.

"Is this everything?" Harry asks, setting one of Liam's Marvel suitcases in the back of the van.

Liam nods, sliding the door closed. "That's it."

Emotional hugs are shared––Zayn and Niall are a little over-dramatic, but who is Louis to judge––and then that's it. Liam and Niall are hopping into the van and driving off for their shared family holidays. Zayn reluctantly leaves shortly after, and Louis is left all alone with Harry, and this is how it's going to be for the next couple of weeks. And that's good. Alone time with his boyfriend is good. Even when his boyfriend is leaving in two months and Louis isn't holding onto any hope that things will remain the same after that, despite what he keeps telling Harry.

Louis is completely, completely fine though. Even Zayn had said he was dealing with it better than he thought he would. So there, he has the Zayn seal of approval. He's dealing with it. Words out of Zayn's own mouth. He dealt with it when Harry went to visit Anne for a couple of days after the party, and Louis decided to stay home and help Liam with the "winter cleaning". They skyped about nothing that really mattered and Louis only said goodbye once before ending the call, and it was fine.

And when Louis woke up and Harry had come back and crawled into bed with him, a thunderstorm rattled the house, and they took the blankets downstairs and ate cookie dough out of the bowl while Niall was baking. They watched Christmas movies in each other's arms, Harry's head against his chest, and they eventually fells asleep on the couch together.

And it was fine.

The rest of the day is fine. They fuck each other senseless as soon as they get back inside and curl up on the couch watching crime shows and eating leftovers, stumbling back to bed sometime late at night with their fingers hooked together and kissing in the dark, trying to hold onto moments like sand slipping between their fingers.

And in the morning, Louis expects another completely fine day, except when he wakes up, the spot next to him is cold and empty.

He squints one eye open, taking in the ruffled sheets where Harry should be. He turns to his other side, checking his phone, but there are no messages. He must have gone for a run, Louis thinks, pulling the covers back over himself and closing his eyes.

When he opens them again, it's to the door creaking open as Harry slips back in. He tip-toes over to the bed, crawling over top of Louis and singing something quietly in his ear. Louis' lips quirk into a lazy grin.

"Hey," Louis says, shivering as Harry's lips touch his neck. "You're in a good mood."

"I am."

"Where did you run off to?"