The warm mug warmed my hands as I stood in front of the window and watched the snow fall silently over the city. The moon was high in the sky, illuminating the streets and causing the snow to glisten and sparkle. The lights from the Christmas tree were reflected in the window and the smell of the meal Louis was cooking wafted in from the other room.
I felt a warm pair of arms slide around my waist and a set of soft lips rest on the back of my neck. I took one hand off my mug and linked my fingers with those of the hand on my waist. The lips softly kissed my neck before the arms pulled away and my back went cold as the warmth from the body behind me disappeared.
I smiled as I watched Harry's reflection in the window as he left me and entered the kitchen. While I knew he was in the kitchen I snuck into our bedroom and crouched down at the bottom of the bed. I reached under and felt around until my hands came into contact with the box I'd hidden there a few weeks ago. I slid it out and pushed it into the living room as it was so heavy I couldn't carry it. I could hear Louis and Harry laughing loudly so I knew I could do it sneakily.
The large tree was in the corner of the room next to the window leading onto the balcony. I'd decorated it with Harry three weeks earlier and it still made me smile as I remembered him hanging the One Direction baubles on it. "The boys will be spending Christmas with us this way" He'd said as he looked at the 5 baubles spread out on the tree with pride.
I slid the box under it, amongst the other few presents that were there. This one definitely stood out, it was so much bigger than the others and was wrapped in white paper covered in birthday cakes. I stood back and made sure it looked okay where it was. Satisfied, I followed the sound of chatting into the kitchen.
"There she is!" Louis called. "I was just about to call for you. The grand birthday meal is ready!" He nudged me over to the table where I sat next to Harry. Vanessa was in front of me, chatting away to Harry about how she was meant to be going home for Christmas but got stuck in London due to the snow.
Louis appeared at the edge of the table with a steaming bowl of lasagna which smelt amazing. He placed it on the edge of the table before disappearing again. "Lilo, when are you getting your dress?" Vanessa asked me.
Louis returned with a massive bowl of salad and a tray of sliced up, freshly baked French bread as I looked at her. "What dress?" I poured myself a glass of water from the jug on the table.
She looked at me as if I were nuts. "The wedding dress!"
"Oh, that one." I laughed. "I decided on the final one last week. I've got a few fittings in the new year and then I'm all ready."
"You've decided already? You were so secretive!" She gasped.
"Yeah" I smiled. "I went with my Mom when she came up last weekend and we found it straight away."
"Really?" Harry asked, looking at me surprised.
"Yes." I laughed. "You all seem so shocked!" I took the spoon handed to me by Louis and started to add salad to my plate.
"That's because we are! You're so indecisive, I thought it would have taken you months." Harry said as he poured the bottle of beer he was drinking from into a glass.
"When I'm with my mother I'm unstoppable. She has amazing taste and there was no question about this dress. I loved it straight away…that's all I'm saying."
I put a forkful of lasagna into my mouth to emphasize that I wasn't going to be saying anymore about it.
We ate and chatted for a while before Nessa and I cleared the table, leaving Harry and Louis to chat about the performance they were doing on New Years eve.
"What's the dress like?" Nessa whispered. Her face was flushed and her long hair fell into her face as she stacked the dishwasher.
"Well" I whispered back "You'll have to wait and see." With a wink I flipped the dishwasher shut and turned it on, before following her into the living room where we joined the boys.
I didn't sit down like Vanessa did; instead I went to the tree and pushed the box over to Harry. He didn't notice as he was so absorbed in the conversation he was having with Louis, so I left it in front of him and went and sat next to Vanessa on the other sofa and chatted to her about the snow.
Eventually Harry must have noticed. "What's this?" He interrupted, his eyes on the box.
"An Easter present." I said sarcastically.
He looked at me with a raised brow and a grin.
"Open it then." I laughed, I wanted him to, I was dying to see his reaction.
He slowly began to rip the paper off, clearly milking the attention. I noticed more and more of the white box under the paper coming into view. It was a brand new iMac. He'd been desperate for one for ages but never got round to buying one, so I did it for him.
Harry gasped when he saw what it was. "You bought me one?"
"Nah, I stole it." I laughed. "Of course I bought you one." He spun the heavy box around to look at the back before jumping up and hugging me. The breath rushed out of me as he hugged me so tightly. "This is amazing." He whispered just so I could hear, "thank you so much. It's amazing."
"It's okay. Your welcome babe." I smiled as he let go and rushed back to the box.
Louis was crouched down next to Harry as they both looked at it. Harry gave in to the temptation and popped the box open. "Louis, shall we set it up now?" He asked, he was so excited.
"Totally man, this is so cool!" They slid the box over to the desk against the wall, moved Harry's laptop off it and started to empty the box. "It'll look great here." Louis nodded, approving where Harry planned to put it.
"That must have cost a bomb!" Vanessa said to me. I nodded as I turned to look at her.
"It did, but I don't mind, he's happy which is all that matters...How are things with you and Louis?"
"They're good." She smiled. "We've been together for nearly a year now. Can you believe it? He's such a great guy. I really love him." She took a sip of the glass of wine she was holding and blushed as she admitted her feelings to me.
"He's a genuinely wonderful person. You're perfect together."
We both sat and watched my Fiancé and her boyfriend set up the computer and laughed at the curses Louis exploded with as he cut his thumb on the corner of the box.
