Before Christmas

One

Louis POV

Ah Christmas. It really was the best time of the year.

"Oi Tommo, you coming for mince pies and Christmas cookies before Niall eats them all!" my best friend Zayn called. 

"I'll be in in a sec." I called back.

Zayn and I had gone to high school together and now we attended the University of London together, after moving from Doncaster where we grew up. With us in our building were three lads we instantly became friends with, the responsible, funny, kind, tall, and strong Liam who was a great friend, Harry, the boy from Cheshire studying physiotherapy with his curls and endless kindness and Niall, the guy from Ireland who drank beer, ate food and played the guitar with his infectious laugh. They were all really cool lads who were great to live with.

I finishing putting all my clothes in my bag, leaving the few odd things to pack later and headed into the shared kitchen where the sound of all the lads singing along to Christmas music could be heard. Harry was pulling another batch of biscuits out of the oven and Liam was busy dusting icing sugar of the top of some mince pies.

Niall was dipping his decorated biscuit into a glass of milk like some kind of Christmas movie and sitting on the table, swinging his legs happily. Something about that guy was just so happy and it kind of made everything better.

Zayn stuck his foot out to try and trip me as I snatched a biscuit off the tray where he was decorating them. Zayn was an artist, using his skills to ice biscuits into Santa, Christmas trees, Christmas stockings and candy canes.

I bit the end off my Christmas stocking biscuit and peered over Liam's shoulder to see the pile of mince pies.

"How are we going to eat all of these before we go home?" I asked. We were all heading off home today for Christmas with our families.

"Why do you think we're making them? They're to give to our families." Niall said, showing me the little foldable card boxes to put the Christmas treats into.

"Ahh, got you now." I said, catching on.

"Right Louis, you help Niall pack the food because he puts more in his stomach than the boxes." Harry said, putting his freshly baked biscuits on Zayn's decorating station.

We spent the next hour finishing all the treats and packing them up. It hit two o'clock and everyone headed off to their rooms to finish packing their bags.

I was choosing which book to take when Liam came into my room.

"Alright mate I'm off. Merry Christmas yeah? And happy birthday for the 24th." he said, giving me a hug.

"Cheers Payno, see you soon. Merry Christmas." I replied and he clapped me on the shoulder and left. 

Then Niall came in five minutes later, his suitcase by the door and his guitar case over his shoulder.

"Got to go Louis, my flight's in an hour and a half. See ya." he said, hugging me as well. Niall was off course going back to Ireland.

Then he was gone too and I was zipping up my bag when Zayn walked in.

"Tommo, see you New Year's Day. I'll Facetime you so you don't forget my wonderful face." he said, hugging me.

"Yep, Merry Christmas Zaynie." I replied.

He grinned and waved and then as I was watching him get into his car through my window my phone rang.

"Hey Mum." I said, accepting the call.

"Lou, I'm so sorry love but there's this massive snowstorm in Paris, the roads are closed and flights are cancelled, I know I said we'd be at home by tonight but we can't get a plane. I'm so sorry honey." my mum said.

My heart sunk a little at the thought of not being able to spend the holiday or my birthday with my mum and my sisters but I knew it wasn't her fault.

"It's alright Mum, I guess I'll just, I dunno. I suppose I'll stay here." I replied.

"I tried to book the train, you know, the Eurostar, but it's all booked out until January." Mum said.

"It's fine Mum, really. I know you've done everything you could, I love you." I said.

"Ok Louis, I love you too." she replied.

"Yeah and tell the girls I love them too, bye." I said and I hung up.

I let out a long sigh and flopped down onto my incredibly creaky bed. Why they gave university students creaky beds I don't know because anytime someone had sex it kept the whole fucking corridor awake. 

"You alright Louis? I'm heading off." Harry said, knocking on the open door.

"I'm not." I replied grumpily.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, putting his bag down.

"My mum and sisters are stuck in Paris so I can't go home for Christmas." I explained.

"Oh, that sucks. What about your girlfriend Eleanor?" Harry asked.

"She's in Germany." I said.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Um, you can come with me if you want?" Harry suggested.

"What? Wait, really?" I asked, sitting up again.

"Yeah, sure. My mum won't mind. Come on, grab your stuff." Harry said.

"You're amazing Harold, thank you so much." I said, hugging him.

He laughed and picked up his bags. I pulled on my coat, grabbed my bags, locked my room up and followed Harry downstairs onto the street where his car was parked a little way down the road.

"What about your car?" he asked, pointing at my car across the street.

"It should be fine." I said with a shrug so Harry lead me to his car and helped me put my things in the back. Off to Christmas at the Styles house.