Once in a Lifetime ➳ Larry

chapter thirty-one

chapter thirty-one

Louis's icy fingers interlock with Harry's as he guides them through the darkness. In his other hand, he holds two pairs of ice skates they bought at a yard sale a few weeks prior: white ones for Louis and purple ones for Harry. Damp earth squishes beneath their boots while they trot down the dirt trail, which is coated in a thin layer of crisp snow. This slush-filled path is the system of veins threaded throughout the farm, all connecting back to its beating heart— the pond.

    It's a small body of water tucked away in the woods behind the cow pasture. It was often green with algae and smelled like a rotting sewer, but Louis loves it nonetheless. In the fall, he liked to sit at the edge and watch the little minnows swim around in circles.

    Now, it's completely frozen. A thick layer of ice covers the entire surface. The forest is a winter wonderland of snow and icicles hanging from skeletal branches. Despite being cold and lifeless, Harry's warm breath exhales into a cloud of visible air.

    "We're ice skating here?" Harry asks with disbelief.

    Louis just shrugs and hands Harry his skates. "Why not?"

    Harry scoffs. "Is this even safe?"

    "Who cares? We're immortal."

    "I care," Harry rebuttals, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. "Can't we go ice skating somewhere in the city? There's a few rinks in Missoula."

    "It's one o'clock in the morning, H, and I'm very impatient," Louis chuckles. "Besides, do you know how crowded those places will be on Christmas Eve?"

    Harry pouts. "But—"

    "It's my birthday," Louis begs, fluttering his eyelashes. "Please?"

    Harry frowns and slumps his shoulders with defeat. He can't really argue with that. "Fine, but only for a little while," he reasons.

    Louis lights up like a Christmas tree. He kisses Harry's cheek before sitting on a fallen log to take off his boots and slip on his skates. He bites his tongue between his teeth while he ties the laces, making sure to double knot them. Harry reluctantly puts on his own as well. They're a little too tight and squish his toes a bit, but they'll have to suffice.

    "C'mon," Louis hums, grabbing Harry's hands.

His legs wobble as he stands up and guides him towards the pond. He carefully steps onto the icy surface, using his boyfriend for balance. Once he's comfortable, he lets go and takes a few cautious strides across the pond.

"It's fine, love! If you can handle twirling around a pole and shaking your arse without falling, you can do this," Louis assures, seeing the nervous look on Harry's face.

"I'll break through the ice."

"Oh, please. It can support my big bum."

Harry blushes faintly. "Fine. Come help me, then."

Louis smirks and skates towards Harry. He lets him grasp his shoulder as he leads him onto the ice. His wide green eyes stare down at his feet, as if searching for a small crack in the ice. Louis just laughs and grabs him by the hips, holding him steadily.

"See? It's fine," Louis says, kissing the tip of Harry's reddened nose.

"I wasn't nervous about falling. I know how to skate. I was just nervous about the ice being, like, unstable."

"You've skated before?" Louis asks curiously.

Harry nods slowly. "Yeah, erm— my mum loved to take us skating around Christmas when I was a kid. Gemma and I used to compete to see who could do the coolest tricks."