Love in a photograph

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If last Christmas was the best Harry's ever had, this one is definitely the worst. Pa doesn't make any sort of improvement before the holidays, but he doesn't get any worse, either, so they decide to count it as a win. They manage to get him in a chair at the kitchen table for Christmas dinner, but he's back in bed before 3 in the afternoon and it's a rather somber evening without him.

When they were children, Pa used to make Christmas as exciting as he could for Gemma and Harry. He would always chop down the roundest tree from the field and they'd spend all night decorating it on Christmas Eve, and the following morning the sitting room would be littered with small presents. They never had much money to get extravagant gifts, but Christmas was always when Harry and Gemma would get all of their new clothes and shoes for school, and sometimes, if they were lucky, a few new toys as well.

This year there is hardly anything under the tree. There's a present for each of them, but not much more than that, since everyone's been so terribly busy they haven't had a moment to go shopping. Harry gets a lovely new scarf from Ma, Gemma gets a beautiful pair of homemade mittens, and Pa gets a brand new sweater for when he gets cold at night. The festivities end rather quickly once Pa

is back in bed, and Harry excuses himself quietly to his bedroom to open the Christmas letter and package that Louis sent.

Harry,

Merry Christmas! I hope you and your family have a lovely holiday, you all deserve it. Tell your Ma thanks for the sweater! (Sorry I peeked early, I couldn't help it). And thank you for the mittens, they're much nicer than anything I have. You'll be happy to know I've been wearing the socks you sent every night this week. It's been getting terribly cold in the apartment at night, and they're the only socks I have that keep my feet from freezing to the tiles when I make my supper in the evening.

It is very, very quiet here without you. I almost forgot to decorate, since I didn't have you here climbing the walls for something to do once your classes ended. I know we only spent one Christmas together here, but it still feels rather strange to have you gone. I wonder what Christmas morning will be like when I wake up and spend it by myself? Of course, I've spent the last five Christmases before last by myself, but I really wish I could have kept getting used to having you here with me.

I hope your parents are well. Tell you're Pa I've been thinking about him, and I hope he starts feeling better soon. And give your Ma a kiss for me. She's such a sweet lady, I hope she is holding up well.

Enjoy your holidays, and I will hope to hear back from you soon. Again, thank you for the gifts, you are too kind, Harry Styles.

Yours Sincerely, Louis

Harry smiles as he sets the letter down, reaching next for the small brown box Louis sent. He carefully peels the tape off the box and lets it fall to the floor, pulling the top open and peering inside. There's a bit of tissue paper, which Harry digs out and tosses to the floor, before he finds a few things lying at the bottom of the box.

He pulls out a wallet first, slim and black. It feels and smells like real leather, and Harry curses Louis in his head for spending so much money on him. There's a tiny emblem engraved into the snap button on the front, and Harry holds it closer to investigate. It's a small silver fish, a cod maybe, and it glitters in the light when Harry pulls it back. He shakes his head and reaches into the box again, this time pulling out a small, folded piece of material. He unfolds it and spreads it over his lap to find it's a handkerchief, creased and wrinkled from being folded so long. It's lovely, soft and cream coloured with small black accents around the edges. He reaches into the box once more and comes back with a small brown bag, like one from Louis's store, filled to the brim with all of Harry's favourite sweets.

There's another note at the bottom of the box, and Harry pulls it out as he unwraps a sweet and pops it in his mouth.

Merry Christmas! I hope you like these gifts. First is the sweets, obviously, because I know they're all your favourites. One good thing about running the drugstore is always having everyone's favourite sweets! I also sent a handkerchief, because it looks fancy and feels soft, which I know you like a lot. Lastly, the wallet. I know what you're thinking, and I hope you're not angry. It actually wasn't as expensive as it looks. A friend of mine sells them, and I thought you might like one, so he gave me a discount. The little fish is supposed to be a cod, to remind you of Boston. I really hope you like it.

Merry Christmas!

Harry chuckles to himself, putting the note down and picking up the wallet again. He thumbs over the little silver cod and smiles, imagining Louis spotting this and thinking of him.

He'll write Louis later and tell him off for getting him such an expensive gift, even though Louis told him not to, but he'll make sure Louis knows exactly how appreciative he is, as well. He grabs his bag of sweets and sets off to go find Gemma so that they can share them, like they're children, like they're young again, back when everything was okay and Christmas still felt like magic.