Harry's Childhood Home, 9:30 PM Christmas Eve--Wheeler's POV
"We're here!" my heart catches in my throat as Harry's words jolt me fully awake. I can't believe I'm about to meet his family. Hell, I can't even believe I'm in the same car as him, but I know that I needed to come with him or freeze to death where I was.
Before we can even exit the car, a beautiful woman with long brown hair and warm eyes comes barreling toward the car, not stopping until she's squeezing Harry and he's blushing.
"Mum..."
"Oh Harry, I've missed you so much!"
"Mum..."
"I'm so delighted to see you!"
"Mum..."
"You really need to eat more!"
"Mum..."
"What, honey? What is it?
"I've brought a guest." Immediately Mrs. Styles' eyes move to me, and I freeze as she examines me and her shock turns to fake happiness.
"Oh...hello! Why haven't I heard about you?" her eyes look me up and down, and I feel sorry for her because I'm sure a million things are running through her head.
"I-I'm just Harry's friend, and I hope I'm not imposing, but I had nowhere to go....I'm Wheeler." as soon as I've explained myself, her mood immediately lightens and she and I half smile at each other.
"Call me Anne, and please, come in! Harry will get your bag." Anne takes me by the hand and leads me into her lovely home. I gasp, taking in all of the garlands covered in red bows and the giant green Christmas tree covered in what are obviously Harry and his sister's childhood art projects. My family never decorated the house this wonderfully. Christmas is my favorite holiday, but I never quite got to celebrate it the way I imagined. Never like this.
As I'm examining the large room, a beautiful blonde girl catches my eye. She isn't facing me, but I can still tell that she's stunning. When she turns around, my suspicions are confirmed by her bright smile.
"You have to be Wheeler. I'm Gemma," she approaches me and opens her arms for a hug that I immediately reciprocate.
"How did you know?" I grin at her, surprised.
"More importantly, how was I the only one who didn't know?" Anne says, inducing loud laughter from all of us as Harry walks in lugging the bags.
"Hey, Wheeler, come with me for a sec, okay?" he directs, making a sharp left into a hallway I haven't seen yet. Anne and Gemma stay behind and Harry beckons me to follow him into a dark room at the end of the corridor. He flips the lightswitch as we stroll in and I quickly realize that it's his childhood room. Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Blink 182 posters line the walls and piles of assorted CDs litter one corner of the room. Another corner contains an old desk littered with a few papers that looks like it hasn't been touched in years, and the last usable corner contained his queen-sized bed.
"I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable, but we're going to have to sleep in the same room. You can have the bed though," Harry says, throwing his bag down into his dirty closet.
"I can't take that from you..." I protest, but Harry cuts me off.
"First of all I want you to have it, and second of all my mom will kill me if she doesn't see you in it instead of me," Harry admits, smiling sheepishly.
"Okay. I'm just gonna change really quick and then go talk to Anne and Gemma some more," I nod at Harry and retrieve pajamas from my bag, hurrying into the bathroom adjoining to his room. I feel like a major loser walking out there in pajama pants with whales on them and an old bakery t-shirt, but that's what I packed when I thought I was going to be homeless for a while.
When I emerge, I find the cute little family gathered around the Christmas tree and sitting on the floor, with a spot for me next to Harry included. I am so happy I could cry.
"We made you some cocoa!" Gemma says excitedly, contributing to the water behind my eyes.
"Thank you so much, this is all wonderful," I beam, taking my place next to Harry.
"We have a tradition of opening one small gift on Christmas Eve. We hope you don't mind, and we would've had one for you, but we didn't know---" Anne seems flustered and I feel bad, so I cut her off.
"Just watching this is enough...my family never really gets into Christmas like this, and I'm enjoying the atmosphere," I admit, hoping that I'd reassured Anne.
"You're so sweet, we love you already. Harry, you open your gift first."
Harry wastes no time tearing off the pretty paper covering the small package, and I can't help but lament. If anyone ever wrapped a package for me like that, I'd never want to open it. He opens the underlying box and smiles a childlike smile as he pulls out a series of tiny icing applicators. I can't help but laugh, because the gift is so completely him.
Gemma tears off the adorable pink paper on hers a bit more carefully, but she's just as excited as she pulls out a delicately woven mint scarf, with a subtle hint of blue knitted in. She immediately puts it on and thanks Anne profusely.
Now it's Anne's turn, and I can't wait to see what Gemma and Harry came up with for her...though I'm somehow sure that it was mostly Gemma. Anne nearly cries when she tediously pulls off the shiny blue paper, opens the box and reveals a delicate ornament with Harry and Gemma's names on it.
"We figured you'd want a new one..." Harry says as his mothers wipes tears.
"So we made it." Gemma hugs Anne and I feel tears coming, too. So this is what family is all about. The family I never got to actually have. It seems nice. It seems wonderful.
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"The cocoa has me so hyped I can't sleep!" I admit as to Harry. He's lying in the floor on a puffy sleeping bag and I'm in the bed feeling awkward lying in pitch blackness. It's midnight.
"Can we turn a light on?" I ask before he can even answer my first statement.
"Don't worry Wheeler, if an intruder comes they'll trip over me," Harry laughs uncontrollably at his own statement and I can't help but laugh, too.
"I guess we should go to sleep," I admit, staring at the little sliver of light under the door from Anne's room.
"Good idea. Good night, Wheeler," I can hear Harry snuggling into his sleeping bag and I can't help but grin.
"Good night, Harry." I start to cuddle into the sheets and get comfortable, but something stops me.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you so much."
"The pleasure's all mine. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Harry."
A/N: WE ARE SO CLOSE TO THE END IT HURTS! OMG. Anyway, please vote and comment and leave suggestions or anything! I'm posting this chapter 100% unedited right now because I'm really busy and it's late so I'm sorry if you see any grammar mistakes, I'll be fixing them tomorrow. I love you all so much! Thank you for everything!
