Apricity (l.s.)

chapter fourteen

I walk out of uni, not even minding the cold as much since it's finally winter break and I couldn't be happier about the fact that I'm barely going to be doing anything except driving home for a few days in the upcoming week.

Zayn and I walk home together, wondering about how Niall's date is going right now, debating on whether she really likes him as something more than a friend.

My phone starts ringing halfway home so I pull it out of my pocket carefully with my frozen fingers, trying not to drop to the ground.

It's Harry calling, I notice once I spot his name popping on the screen. I am a little bit surprised concidering that he's also on winter break and I was pretty sure he'd take the time off of work as well.

I shrug, maybe it's an emergency meeting for work, he's had those in the past, a few times. I pick up the phone by pressing the little green icon and holding it up to my ear.

"Hello", I say, then noticing that Zayn has kept on walking and didn't wait for me to finish my call, so I start running after him, nearly slipping in the process.

"Fuck", I mumble, then immediately remembering that I'm still on call with Harry so I quickly raise the phone to my ear. "Oh, sorry Harry, forgot I was on a call for a moment, oops."

"Hi", he says, chuckling quietly and I can't help but start smiling a little.

There's a short break of silence and I wait for Harry to continue talking but he doesn't say anything, so I continue talking.

"Is everything okay? Didn't expect you to call for a while, to be honest. It's the holidays after all."

I quickly catch up with Zayn who seems to have completely forgotten about me, walking even faster than before.

"Oh", Harry says, a little quieter, "Are you busy right now? Sorry if I'm keeping you from anything."

"No, I'm not busy. Well, basically I am because I have to chase Zayn since he apparently can't wait for me and I slipped like three times in the process and nearly broke my leg each time so yeah, that's your fault, kinda."

I don't know why I suddenly felt the need to talk to Harry as if he was a long-time friend already. "Sorry", I say, shaking my head at my own dumbness, "Tell me why I had the urge to tell you that again?"

"I can't really tell you that", he says and it's almost as if I can hear him smiling, "But it's okay. Found it pretty amusing."

"Me breaking my leg is amusing to you?", I ask, not waiting for an answer before shouting after Zayn. "You know what, Malik, I'm just gonna go back on call with Harry now. You run away, but I can't keep up with you."

He doesn't turn around  but has the audacity to show me the middle finger over his back. I scoff and stop walking, not even trying to put up with him anymore.

"Okay, so sorry", I say, "Why did you call again?"

"I didn't find you nearly breaking your leg amusing", Harry quickly clarifies before continuing to talk, "And, um, well, it kinda sounds like you're out with your friend right now, so my call is a little unnecessary."

"Nah, I'm not, was just on my way home, that's all. If you need me today, that's okay, Harry. Is it an emergency meeting? Oh, right, sorry, none of my business, I know."

He doesn't say anything for a while and I look at the screen just to check that the call was still going and that one of us didn't accidentally hand up.

"Well, not really. I don't really need you. I was just, well, I don't know about you but", he makes a short pause, not saying anything again.
"Last time was fun", he then adds quietly.

I suddenly start smiling a lot, a little uncontrollably and bite my lower lip to stop it because I probably look like a creep to all the people walking by.

"Anyways", he quickly says, "I don't know if this is stupid but me and Elia always bake cookies at the start of the winter holidays."

"And?", I ask, just to tease him a little because by now I'm pretty sure I've got an idea of what he wants from me and I'd love nothing more than to bake Christmas cookies with him and Elia.

"Well, thought that maybe you wanted to come over", he rambles, talking quietly and fast.

I smile even more not, purposely looking at the ground so none of the strangers walking by think it's them I'm smiling at.

"Sounds like a plan", I say, "When does the baking session start?"

"Well, whenever you want to. On my way to pick up Elia from Kindergarten right now but you could come afterwards. If you want to."

"Where are you right now?", I ask, now that Harry suggested it, I really want to get there as soon as possible.

"Like about fifty meters from my flat. Wanna meet me at the kindergarten?"

I nod before realizing he can't see me. "Yes. I'll be there in ten."

"Okay", Harry says quietly, "See you then, Louis."

"See you", I say quickly before ending the call.

I find myself smiling the whole way there, trying to stop but there's something about them that has been making me pretty happy recently and I'm not entirely sure why, but I don't really mind.

Harry's waiting before Elia's kindergarten where I've picked her up before when Harry had a long meeting at work and I smile when I see him, even more than before.

"Hi", Harry says, standing there a little awkwardly.

"Hi", I reply as I walk closer, debating whether or not we're close enough to hug each other.

Harry apparently decides so because he shortly wraps his arms around my upper body and we stay like that for probably a little longer than needed but he smells rather amazing and his winter jacket is just really, really soft.

"Lets get inside?", he asks, pulling away, with a shy smile on his lips.

I nod, smiling back before we head inside, waiting at the entrance until Elia gets out.

"Daddy", she says, smiling, "You bringed Louis?"

"I did indeed. Thought we could make some Christmas cookies together?"

She grins, the small gap between her front teeth showing as she jumps up and down excitedly. She comes up to me first, quickly hugging me around the legs before raising her arms so Harry can pick her up and carry her for a while.

"Hi, baby", he says, kissing her cheek, "How was kindergarten?"

She scrunches up her nose, letting her chin rest on Harry's shoulder. "Good. Now I'm happy we can bake at home with Louis."

~~~

cookie baking in the next chapter <3

any ideas/ wishes for the next chapters, anything you really want to be included in this book?

hope you enjoyed:))