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"Mum count it again!" Harry pressed his little fingers into his mum's hands forcing them over to the tub of cookies.
Harry giggled as his mum quietly recounted (for the third time) the cookies. Harry was very set on having enough for the whole class. It was only fair.
"17 cookies Harry! One for each of your classmates. Now get in the car, we don't want to be late for school."
Harry cheerfully scampered along, his curls bouncing with each skip he took over to the lounge to gather all his books together. Now that he was in first grade, he had actual books to carry, and loved every minute of it. Made him feel so important.
-
"One for you, and one for you, and one for you..." Harry continued as he passed a chocolate chip cookie to each of his classmates at lunchtime. A giddy smile spread across his face when everyone was happily munching along. He got up to the last person, Louis his name was. Harry placed a cookie on Louis' little napkin.
"Can I have another?" Louis asked. Blue eyes beaming up at Harry.
"I only made 17 though." A grumpy little frown appeared on Harry's face as Louis just sighed disappointedly.
Now, Harry hated making people unhappy, so he bit his lip and placed the cookie saved for himself in front of Louis.
"There." Harry beamed once he saw Louis smile the biggest smile he's ever seen.
-
"Mum, can you make 18 cookies this time?" Harry nervously asked. He played with the hem of his shirt waiting for an answer.
"No one new joined your class did they?" His mum gave her son a confused look.
"No, but you know Louis?"
His mum nodded.
"He asked for two cookies last week and I had to give him mine. But I wanted to give him an extra cookie because he smiled so big and it made my tummy warm! Mummy please make an extra cookie!" Harry was practically hanging off his mum's apron begging.
"Okay, sure. As long as it makes you happy sweetie." She ruffled his hair and he skipped along to the living room to continue watching Nemo.
-
Harry absolutely loved Fridays. Cookie day! Well it was a special day. Every week they got to bring in a treat or a show and tell item and Harry always chose a treat. What 6 year old didn't want a yummy, gooey cookie after a long week of Being a First Grader?
Harry clapped his hands together when the teacher dismissed them for lunch.
He was passing around cookies when he got to Louis again. Three cookies left in the tub. Perfect. One for him and two for Louis.
"And two for Lou!" Harry cheerily set down two cookies for him.
Louis beamed up at Harry and got up out of his chair to wrap his arms around the boy.
"Sit with me!" And okay Harry wasn't used to this. Usually Harry sat with his friend Niall over by the chalkboard. Louis sat in the back. But it made Louis happy, so he obliged.
Harry pulled the chair out next to Louis and settled down.
"Thanks for the cookies Harry! They're so good! Did you make them all by yourself?" Louis' eyes widened.
"My mummy helps me. I bring her the sugar and the chocolatey chippys and she does the rest. I told her to make 18 this time so you can have two!" Harry grinned wide as he spoke.
"Harry! Can you be my best friend?"
And then they were. Best friends. Harry invited Louis over pretty much every weekend and his mum started to ask if they should adopt Louis to which Harry nodded enthusiastically.
-
It was January 31 and Harry and Louis were in Harry's basement watching a stupid film that neither of them were paying attention to.
"5 minutes until you're 16 Harry!" Louis shouted a bit too loudly.
Louis stared intensely at the stopwatch running on his phone until it reached 1 minute.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6..." Louis whispered. "5, 4, 3, 2..."
"Louis look!" Harry pointed at the TV screen.
"What? Oh shit! Harry you made me look away! It was just about to turn midnight and I MISSED IT!! Harry you have no idea how upset I am, I can't believe you." Louis tackled Harry down on the sofa and began tickling up his sides making the now 16 year old squirm all over and gasp for air.
"My best friend is 16! I can't believe it! I remember it like it was yesterday, when I made you bake an extra cookie for me in first grade, you remember that 'Arry?" Louis laughed manically. How evil of his 6 year old self. Manipulating his classmate for more cookies.
Harry blushed. "Yes, and then we became best friends. Looks like your cookie scheme worked huh?"
"Hey! It was a very good plan! I think it was the eyes though. Gotta do the puppy dog eyes. Always works." Louis folded his arms above his head and watched as Harry smoothed over his shirt from the tickling assault earlier.
"I guess it did huh. Now where's my birthday kiss? I've been 16 for all of 7 and a half minutes and not even a peck on the cheek." Harry stuck his lip out to pout like those sad puppies on that sad puppy commercial.
"You bugger." Louis teased as he slotted his lips between Harry's as they kissed until Harry was 16 for 25 minutes. Not a bad start to the day.
-
"Do you want your gift now or later?" Louis asked, moving his eggs around his plate watching Harry.
"Hmmm... now!" Harry rushed to clean the dishes and sit on the couch where Louis was waiting.
The sun poured into the room so nicely, casting shadows over Harry's face and his curls making him look sort of angelic.
Louis handed him the gift. It was thin and looked like a wrapped DVD case.
Harry locked his eyes on Louis as he unwrapped the object. No he wasn't crying. Except he was, a lot. There, amidst the shredded wrapping paper, lay a black framed photo of the two of them, both 6 holding hands at the bus stop taken from the back so just the silhouettes were shown.
Harry remembers the day so clearly. It was a couple weeks after they became Official Best Friends. Louis refused to let go of his new BFF's hand that he took Harry's bus home and didn't even let go as they got off. 'But Louis don't you need to go to you home? Won't your mummy get frowny?' 'I want you to be my new home Harry. You're so nice and you make me cookies and I like when you smile.' Harry knew right then and there that they were gonna be inseparable. The Dream Team.
"Louis, oh my god I love you." Harry sobbed into Louis' shoulder, kissing gently over his black t-shirt.
"I love you too Harry." Louis cuddled the boy up in his arms and pet his hair, wishing him a happy birthday and letting him fall asleep in his arms. "Forever."
And one could say that Harry spent the rest of his life making sure Louis always got his extra cookie.