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“Do you have some spare tights I could borrow, mate?” And that’s a question Louis never thought he would ask.
Zayn doesn’t look at him when he answers. “Nope. Sorry. I don’t think they would fit you if I had though.”
“Excuse you,” Louis gasps. “Are you calling me fat?”
Instead of hurrying up to explain that of course Louis isn’t fat and is just that Zayn’s legs are abnormally skinny, Zayn huffs and puts out his cigarette. Technically they are not allowed to smoke in the break room but the manager has a soft spot for them – well, for Zayn really, she blushes and giggles every time he so much as looks at her. Louis finds it really funny but he doesn’t have the heart to tell the poor girl that Zayn is not only taken, but so smitten with Perrie that she doesn’t stand a chance.
“Why do you need another pair anyway?” Zayn asks and Louis is confused for a second. Then he remembers – right, the fucking tights. He groans loudly.
“These ones have a hole in them, see?” he says pulling up the lower part of his costume and turning around.
“I’m not looking at your ass, mate,” Zayn says with a yawn.
“I’m showing you the hole,” Louis replies dryly.
And of course that’s the moment that their other coworker chooses to enter the room. “Please don’t. I’ve just eaten,” he sneers. Louis has to refrain from flipping him off and telling him to go to hell. God, he hates the guy.
“Why don’t you just fuck off, Maxwell?” So maybe he’s not that good at containing his impulses. At least he hasn’t punched him in the face. Yet.
“My name is Max.”
“I really don’t care.”
The bell hanging from the wall rings stridently, letting them now that their shift is starting. Max turns around without sparing them another glance and slams the door behind him. Louis doesn’t think he can act so high and mighty when he’s working as Santa’s elf just like them but whatever.
“C’mon. Let’s go before the kids start a mutiny,” Zayn says standing up and stretching his arms above his head. The bells on his costume jingle. Louis glares at him – how is it fair that he looks good even dressed like this?
“But my tights-“
“It’s not even noticeable, Lou.” Zayn steers him to the door with a hand on his shoulder.
“Ok, but if some poor child loses his innocence because of my body it’s completely your fault.”
Zayn nods solemnly. “Sure,” he says. Louis is about ninety percent sure that he’s not listening to him.
They both adjust their Santa hats and plant big (and kind of creepy) smiles on their faces. It’s time to do some magic. Or something like that.
-
If Louis thinks about how he ended up working as Santa’s elf in the mall on Christmas he gets to the conclusion that it’s totally his friend Stan’ fault.
See, Louis is a college student – a poor college student, at that – and he’s studying drama. So when Stan told him about a possible gig for the Christmas holidays Louis not only agreed but also roped his friend and flatmate into it (they desperately need more spending money, and no, for spending money he doesn’t just mean money for weed. They also have to buy other things, like food.). Except that he was expecting a small part on some play or maybe singing carols at a little concert. He definitely wasn’t expecting this.
Yes, there’s nothing that Louis loves more than getting on a stage and being the center of attention (except maybe sex) but this is just less than ideal. The costume is scratchy, he’s tired of listening to Christmas carols nonstop and if another kid calls him a faggot or kicks him in the shin he’s going to strangle them with the tinsel.
Zayn, being the lucky asshole that he is, got the easy task of walking the queue and offering candy to the kids. And even though he looks like a pervert elf searching for his next victim, Louis would rather do that than taking care of bringing the children to meet Santa. Louis didn’t know little kids could be that cruel and he has four little sisters.
He almost rolls his eyes when he hears the little girl asking Santa for a pony (seriously, a fucking pony) but he manages to maintain his smile. Santa’s helpers have to be happy and merry at all times (at least that’s what his boss said when he gave him the job. Louis had to bite his tongue not to ask if they provided the drugs for that or he had to bring them from home). He waits until Max snaps the picture and then takes the girl back to her mother.
The next one is a toddler. Louis still doesn’t understand the point of bringing a baby to this hell but he doesn’t say anything. At least he doesn’t have to sweet talk them into leaving their parent’s side and going up to see Santa, and they aren’t rude or obnoxious, but they can start crying and usually it takes forever to get a good picture. This one is strangely quiet though, and he laughs when they take the picture so it ends up kind of cute. Even Louis’ ice heart melts a little.
He can’t help making a silly face to the boy when he hands him to his parents. “What a good boy,” he coos. “You can pick up the picture over there,” he tells them gesturing towards Max’s spot.
“And who do we have here?” he says turning around to the next person in line. Who happens to be a boy. A very very attractive boy. Holding a little girl. Louis puts on his best flirty smile before remembering that – right, he’s Santa’s helper right now and he’s not supposed to be flirting with attractive boys. Life’s so unfair.
“This is Lux,” the boy says jiggling the girl and making her laugh. “And I’m Harry. We’re here to meet Santa, aren’t we?” Lux nods and Harry’s smile widens, showing a dimple. Louis absolutely doesn’t find it cute.
“Hi, Lux! How old are you?” he asks her without looking at Harry’s face. He may want to do unspeakable things to him but he’s working and he’s a professional. Lux holds up three fingers up and Harry smiles proudly. “Are you ready to meet Santa?” She nods and Harry puts her down.
Louis grabs her hand and takes her to Santa. “C’mon love, up you go.” He watches as Santa (or Bill, which is his actual name) wishes her a merry Christmas and asks her what gift she wants. Lux giggles while she shyly asks for a doll.
When he takes her back to Harry he’s smiling and filming it with his Iphone.
“I don’t think you can do that, mate,” Louis says. “You can only have the picture we take.”
“Oops. Sorry,” Harry says, but he doesn’t look sorry at all. He stops filming though. “Did you know that there’s a hole in your tights?”
“Yes,” Louis answers with as much dignity as he can muster. “Any particular reason you’re staring at my ass, Harold?”
“It’s a good ass,” Harry says smirking. “And it’s Harry.”
Louis’ skin prickles with excitement at the way Harry’s looking at him. He drops his gaze to avoid staring at Harry’s dimple and notices Lux looking at them with wide eyes.
“Are you getting traumatized, honey?” he asks her. Lux laughs shyly and turns to Harry, hiding behind his leg.
“Oh shit,” he says. “His mother is going to kill me.”
That makes Louis’ laughter stop. Of course Harry is taken – what was he hoping would happen anyway? That Harry would confess his undying love for a grown man dressed as an elf that he just met and they would ride off into the sunset together?
“She’s my best friend’s daughter,” Harry explains watching him closely. Louis tries to hide his relief. “I’m babysitting for the afternoon.”
“That makes sense. You can’t have a baby, you’re still a baby yourself.” Oh god, Louis cringes. Why doesn’t he have a brain to mouth filter?
“Excuse you I’m nineteen!” Harry protests.
“A baby,” Louis repeats. He might as well. His chance must be completely ruined by now.
“How old are you then?” Harry asks crossing his arms and raising his brow defiantly.
“I’m one of Santa’s helpers. We have no age,” he answers cheekily. Harry barks out a loud laugh and then he covers his mouth with his hand and his cheeks redden. Louis shifts on his feet and fidgets with his costume awkwardly – hiding a boner dressed as an elf is impossible, don’t ask.
“And don’t you have a name either?” Harry asks and he’s not even trying to be subtle, god. Louis loves it.
“I’m Louis,” he says. “And that was just sad, by the way.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” They stare at each other for a moment.
“Excuse me, is my son going to be able to see Santa anytime today?” asks the woman standing in line behind Harry. Louis suddenly remembers that there are more people in the world than Harry and him. He also realizes he’s been talking to Harry for about five minutes and, shit, he’s supposed to be working. Bringing joy to children and all that.
“Of course. Shit. I mean-“ he says when he remembers the kids there. “Fuck! Sorry,” he smiles sheepishly but the woman looks at him unimpressed.
“Sorry,” Harry says. And this time it looks like he means it. “Didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”
“It’s ok,” Louis sighs. “You probably should go get your picture now.” He gestures towards Max, who’s looking at him with a smug smile. Louis wants to kick him in the balls. Instead he takes the next kid (his hands are all sticky – Louis really hopes it’s because of the candy) and absolutely doesn’t look at Harry leave.
He’s a professional. He’s not going to abandon his place to go snog Harry behind Santa’s cabin. Even if he’s dying to.
-
Louis sighs loudly while he sits on the couch and waits. When neither Perrie nor Zayn acknowledge him or bother to take their eyes off the TV, he sighs again, louder this time.
“What is it now, Louis?” Zayn asks with a bored tone.
“Well if you’re going to be like that, don’t bother,” Louis huffs out, offended.
“No, Lou, c’mon,” Perrie says grabbing his elbow to stop him from leaving. “What’s wrong? Tell us.”
Zayn groans. “Don’t encourage him! It’s what he wants. Now he’s going to start complaining.”
“I’m not.” Louis sticks his tongue out to his awful best friend and then turns to Perrie. “I met a boy.”
“That’s great!” Perrie says smiling. “Isn’t it?” she asks when she takes on Louis’ discouraged expression.
“No it’s not!”
“Here we go,” Zayn mutters. Louis ignores him.
“I was wearing my stupid elf costume and I made a complete ass of myself. He probably thought I was too horny and too desperate and an idiot,” he says. “Also he didn’t even ask for my number or anything so it’s not like I’m going to see him again.”
“Well, maybe-“
“He was so pretty…” Louis sighs wistfully without listening to Perrie.
“Louis!” Perrie says pinching his side to get his attention. Louis rubs at the spot with a frown but doesn’t say anything. “Why don’t you try to search him up?”
“Yeah, ‘cause that’s not stalkerish or anything…”
“Zayn!” she says hitting his boyfriend on the shoulder.
“No, he’s right,” Louis says. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll just go on with my life as usual and forget about how my soul mate is out there, probably having a great time and laughing about the stupid Santa’s elf that made an idiot of himself in front of him… It’s better this way, I’m clearly destined to be alone.”
Zayn mutters something that sounds like ‘oh, for fuck’s sake’ and leaves the living room but Perrie makes a cooing noise and hugs him.
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” she says while Louis let’s her pamper him. She’s so much nicer than Zayn. Louis doesn’t know what she’s doing with an idiot like him.
“I’m replacing you with Perrie. She’s better than you,” he tells Zayn when he comes back to the couch with a beer. Louis feels kind of offended about the fact that Zayn doesn’t even blink.
-
That weekend Louis has to keep reminding himself that there’s just a week of this job left to stop himself from killing someone. But it seems that, as days pass, Christmas Eve gets further and further away (it’s also the day he officially turns 22 – he’s trying not to think too much about the getting old part and focus on the presents).
It’s the second time he’s heard All I want for Christmas is you this afternoon and Louis kind of wants to rip the ants of a plastic reindeer and stick them in his ears. However, before he can take such extreme measures, something catches his attention, or rather, someone.
“Back so soon?” Louis asks Harry raising his eyebrows. Suddenly his day just got a hundred percent better.
Harry smiles. “Hi Louis! This is my friend Niall.” He gestures to a blonde guy on his left who’s holding a toddler (without supporting his head – Louis’ hands itch to correct his posture). Niall nods with a friendly smile.
“Please tell me you didn’t kidnap a child.”
“Of course not,” Niall laughs. “He’s my nephew.” Louis actually takes a relieved breath. “You know he absolutely had to meet Santa today. Nothing we could do,” he explains smiling teasingly.
“Oh, I see,” Louis replies.
Harry grins at him unapologetically. “Yeah, kids remember this stuff, you know. Wouldn’t want him to grow up resenting us.”
“No that would be bad.” Louis has to bite his lips to stop his smile but he can’t help the corners of his mouth from tugging upwards. Harry hasn’t looked away from him the whole time. “Alright, hand him over then.”
He probably sways his hips a little more than necessary when he takes the kid to Santa for the picture. Oh, well. When he turns around Harry still hasn’t taken his eyes off of him so it’s worth it.
When he takes the baby back he really wants to stay and chat but obviously he can’t. Max still mocks him about last time and a repeat performance would probably cause him to tell it to their boss which Louis can’t afford (he may complain about it but the job is easy and man does he need the money). Also he doesn’t want to give the jerk that satisfaction.
“You can pick up your picture over there.” He forces a smile and tries not to look at Harry. “Have a good holiday.”
Harry looks disappointed and confused when he says goodbye. Louis is still distracted by him and that’s why he doesn’t see the kid running in front of him and in order to avoid crashing into him he trips over his own feet – which is great, just what he needed.
He would have fallen on his ass if someone hadn’t caught him from behind. Someone that smells really good. Louis doesn’t have to turn around to check who that someone is.
“Thank you,” he says to Harry while he takes a step back.
“Are you alright?” Harry asks and he looks really worried, as if Louis just had a live or death experience instead of tripping because of some dumb kid.
Louis feels his cheeks flush, he prays it isn’t noticeable. “Yeah I’m fine.” He can see Max smirking at him from the corner of his eye and down the line of people, Zayn is laughing so hard that he’s dropping the candy from his basket all over the floor. Louis is gonna murder him. Some friend he is. “Thank god my shift ends in twenty minutes,” he sighs without thinking.
“Does it?” Harry looks at him carefully. “Do you maybe want to go for some hot chocolate? You know, to recover and all that.”
“I wasn’t fishing for that,” Louis clarifies. He still hasn’t recovered from the embarrassment, a pity date is the last thing he needs.
“I know. You didn’t need to.” Harry grins, eyes bright and dimple showing. How is Louis supposed to say no to that? He’s not made of stone.
Half an hour later he’s leaving the break room in his normal clothes, half expecting Harry not to be waiting for him. Fortunately he’s wrong; Harry is leaning on the wall and scrolling through his phone. He looks up when Louis approaches him.
“You changed!” He says like he’s surprised.
“Of course I did! Did you expect me to go for a drink dressed as an elf?” Louis asks. Harry’s disappointed expression is all the answer he needs. “That’s ridiculous. You’re ridiculous.”
“Heeey,” Harry says. “Watch it or I might withdraw my generous invitation.”
“Will you, really?” Louis asks not even a little worried. Harry hasn’t stopped checking him out since he’s walked out the door (he may like the elf costume but these jeans are Louis’ best outfit and Harry has definitely noticed).
Harry pretends to think about it for a moment. “Nah,” he says in the end. He wraps his arm around Louis’ shoulder and guides them through the crowd of people to the exit. Before they leave the mall Louis can hear the first notes of All I want for Christmas is you starting again and Harry sings softly along. Louis doesn’t mind.
-
Harry takes them to a hole-in-the-wall café. The kind you have to know it exists beforehand or you’ll pass it by and miss it completely. Louis almost rolls his eyes when they go inside and he takes it all in. Apparently they are so hipster that they don’t even celebrate Christmas, seeing as there are no decoration put up (not even a lonely Santa Claus miniature) and the drinks are so pricey that Louis almost feel guilty, but Harry refuses to let him pay for his own.
However the couches are really comfy, the place is quiet and intimate and the hot chocolate is delicious. And the company – well, the company is kind of perfect.
They talk and joke and flirt and laugh and the afternoon passes in a blur. Way too quickly for Louis’ taste.
He learns that Harry is in first year of Uni, that he moved to London to be closer to his sister after spending a year performing at shitty pubs all over the UK with his indie band and that he has a butterfly tattoo on his abs (Harry doesn’t tell him that part but his shirt is half unbuttoned and the butterfly peeks every time that he moves. Louis may drool a little).
In return Louis tells him about his drama classes and about the time he played Peter Pan at the community theater (his greatest achievement to date). He also tells him about his family back home, and about how much he misses them.
“Four little sisters! No wonder you are so good with kids,” Harry says with wide eyes.
“I’m not that good,” Louis replies with a coy smile.
“Don’t lie. I’ve seen it.”
Louis just shrugs, he’d better not tell Harry how he sometimes fantasizes about original ways to murder some of the worse kids (not that those awful creatures don’t have it coming to them). “I guess it makes my job easier,” he says instead. “I’m still gutted that I can’t go back home these holidays.”
“Yeah, it sucks,” Harry agrees.
“But I’ll see them in February, for my mother’s wedding. And they are probably gonna force me to Skype on the 24th to wish me a happy birthday,” he says without being able to repress a fond smile.
Harry chokes on his chocolate. “Your birthday is on Christmas Eve?” he asks cleaning his mouth with a napkin.
“Yes?” Louis answers hesitantly.
“Are you a Santa elf for real?” he asks completely serious.
Louis bursts into laughter. “Shut up. God, you’re so lame.” They both laugh and Harry looks at him through his lashes and Louis feels a little like a teenager on a date with his first crush.
So yeah. It’s good.
When they are leaving (after two hours that for Louis may as well have been two minutes) Harry stops him at the door.
“What?” Louis asks putting on his beanie. Instead of replying, Harry cups his chin with his enormous hands and kisses him. It takes Louis all of a second to respond, grabbing Harry by the lapels of his expensive coat and pulling him closer.
When they pull apart Harry’s smile is so wide it threatens to break his face in half. Louis is not much better, to be honest.
“What was that for?” He asks softly.
“Mistletoe,” Harry says putting his hands on Louis’ waist.
Louis looks up and snorts. “Sorry to disappoint Harold but that’s not mistletoe.” He can’t seem to stop blushing. What’s wrong with him?
“Yes it is,” Harry replies without taking his eyes off of Louis’ mouth.
“Actually it’s not,” intervenes the girl cleaning the table beside them. “It’s bamboo, for good luck,” she explains unenthusiastically.
Harry smiles brightly. “Oops,” he says easily. “My bad.”
-
Louis practically floats down the hallway when he arrives to his flat later. Being the perfect gentleman that he is, Harry insisted on walking him to his building and kissed him again at the front door (on the cheek, but it still counts). They’ve exchanged numbers before saying goodbye and Louis can’t stop smiling.
He finds Liam and Zayn in the kitchen, pouring over a notebook with what seems to be the planning for his surprise birthday party (he’s been saying that he doesn’t want to make a big deal fo his birthday for months now – he’s glad that his friends understood it. If they wouldn’t have made him a party he would have skinned them alive).
Louis rolls his eyes and goes back to the front door, slamming it shut with more noise than necessary. “I’m home!” he yells and slowly makes his way to the kitchen. Really, the things he does for his friends.
“Hey, Lou! How’s it going?” Liam says casually leaning on the counter. To his right, Zayn seems to have stuffed the notebook down his pants. Louis holds backs a snort. Subtle.
“Hi, Li. Zayn,” Louis nods. He thanks god he’s an actor and can act like he doesn’t know what’s going on. It’s a big effort though.
“How was your date?” Zayn asks with an eyebrow raise.
“A date? With whom?”
Louis sighs and bites his lip. “Only the most perfect guy in the universe.”
“Really?” Liam raises his eyebrows. “Is that the one you were whining about two days ago? The manchild?”
“Shut up!” Louis replies lamely. Apparently Harry’s kiss has melted his brain. Louis is oddly alright with that. “I don’t whine. You spend way too much time with Zayn.”
“Hey!” Zayn protests. Louis ignores him.
“And Harry’s not a manchild, for your information,” he says offended, even though it’s kind of true.
“Louis, he giggles when he talks to you,” Zayn deadpans.
“I’m going to call Perrie,” he says with a huff. “You two suck.”
-
The day of his birthday (or Christmas’ Eve, as some people like to call it), Louis wakes up to a couple of birthday texts that make him smile. Zayn just spares him an unenthusiastic “happy birthday, mate” before they head off to the mall. Louis pouts, the party better be amazing or he’s not going to talk to Zayn ever again.
He had thought that being the day before Christmas, the mall would be more quiet and peaceful than the previous days. Turns out he couldn’t have been more wrong. The shops are filled to the brim with last minute buyers and the queue of kids wanting to see Santa is twice as long as usual.
The only bright point of his day so far has been Zayn leaving early to “go pick up Perrie’s Christmas present” – never mind that Zayn showed him Perrie’s actual present (a portrait of her made by Zayn himself) weeks ago. But Louis doesn’t even have it in him to make fun of Zayn because of the lame excuse (he will though, at some point) and it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Harry hasn’t replied to the text he send him this morning. Nope.
He checks his phone again when he has a little break. Nothing. It’s probably not a big deal, Harry must be with his family or his friends and too busy to answer. But a small part of Louis’ brain keeps thinking that he’s coming across as too clingy and Harry is gotten tired of him. He quells it down, remind himself that, not only they have texted each other almost every day for the past week, Harry is usually the one that texts first and he’s as flirty and charming as ever.
“Still no answer from your boyfriend?” Max asks approaching him from behind and chewing on a candy cane. “He must be too busy looking for a younger model to replace you with.”
“Fuck off, Maxwell,” Louis says curtly. He silently hopes that the prick chokes on his stupid candy. “Why don’t you go get a life of your own instead of butting in on mine?”
“I’m just saying,” Max replies smiling mockingly. “Sucks to spend your birthday alone. I thought your boyfriend would be here to shower you in flowers and diamonds?”
“Well, now you’ve ruined the surprise!” A deep voice says from behind Louis. Max’s smile drops from his face when he looks over Louis’ shoulder and Louis smirks at him before turning around.
“Harry!” He says throwing his arms over Harry’s shoulder and hugging him tight. He realizes what he’s done and freezes. He’s going to pull away and apologize but Harry wraps his arms around his waist and buries his head on the crook of Louis’ shoulder. Louis relaxes on his arms.
“Hi,” Harry says when they pull away. “I missed you.”
“We saw each other last week and we talked yesterday,” Louis says, but he’s smiling fondly. Harry just shrugs.
“Happy birthday,” he says. “Sorry for not answering your text but I wanted to say it to you in person.”
Louis absolutely doesn’t swoon. “Thanks,” he says looking at him through his eyelashes. Harry’s smiling coyly and biting his lip and Louis is dying to kiss him.
“Got you a present.” Harry blushes.
“Oh, yeah? Is it flowers and diamonds?”
“Nope,” Harry answers grinning widely. “Something loads better.” He pulls out something from his coat pocket and Louis snorts when he sees what it is. Mistletoe. “The real deal, this time.” He puts it above both their heads and looks at Louis expectantly.
“What a stupid gift,” Louis says and Harry’s face falls. “I mean, you don’t need mistletoe to kiss me,” he explains softly.
Harry smiles and all but throws the mistletoe away to grab Louis by the hips and put their mouths together. Louis kisses him back eagerly, maybe too enthusiastically for Santa’s village – definitely too enthusiastically for Santa’s village. They are probably traumatizing a few of the kids while their parents try to explain why an elf is making out with another boy.
When they separate, Harry’s eyes shine brighter than the Christmas lights hanging above them. Louis can’t help pecking him on the nose, which only deepens their dumb smiles.
“It’s a good thing today is Christmas Eve,” Louis says then. “Because I’m pretty sure I would definitely get fired for this.” He kisses Harry again before he does something ridiculous and unnecessary, like apologize for kissing Louis. “So, my mates are throwing me a surprise birthday party at my flat and I could do with a plus one. What do you say?”
Harry grabs his hand, intertwining their fingers. “Lead the way.”