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24th December, 2020

“SHUT UP!”

Every movement seemed to cease as Harry’s loud voice carried over the large room.

Niall stood with a pan in his hand, looking as if he was going to hit Liam with it. Liam stood there with his hands up, shielding his face. Zayn and Lottie stopped playing tug of war with the multicoloured confetti, midway. Gigi and Amelia stopped running after the twins and Doris, who were trying to sneak out the snacks. Even Mark and Anne, who had been drinking tea and chatting, stopped with their cups halfway to their lips. Only Ernest seemed peacefully asleep, oblivious to his surroundings.

“What are you all even doing?! You all came here to help! Help me to decorate! To make the day memorable! But all you seem to be doing is playing around!” Harry took a deep breath as he felt getting angrier by the second.

Nobody had ever seen the curly headed boy, now transformed into a young and handsome man, so furious before. Harry had always been the most levelheaded and calm. Even Liam used to lose his cool sometimes but Harry remained perfectly calm in the most adverse situations. Only once or twice had he gotten very angry and that too was because of the management.

But even that anger was nothing compared to what Harry looked like right now.

“Alright!” Harry clapped his hand. “Gather round everyone.”

Gradually, everyone shifted towards Harry nervously. They were almost afraid of the young man.

“Come on everyone!” Harry said as he rolled his eyes. “I’m not yelling anymore. But we need to discuss things again, alright?”

“You..sure you won’t yell anymore ‘Arry?” A frightened Phoebe asked, fiddling with her thumbs.

Harry sighed. “No, I won’t Pheebs”, Harry replied with his signature dimpled smile, making everyone sigh in relief too.

“But!” Harry said again, grabbing everyone’s attention instantly. “This time, you all will do the work, yeah?”

“Yes Hazza! We’ll do the work! Promise. But you gotta worry less, mate. We need you to be in a good mood tonight, don’t we?” Niall exclaimed, wiggling his eyebrows, causing Harry to blush a deep red.

“Okay then!” This time Zayn took the lead, saving Harry from further embarrassment. “Let’s get going lads and ladies!”

And just like that, everyone went to complete their chores. Harry felt delighted at seeing all his close friends and family together. Now he just hoped his sister would play her part nicely too.

Just as Harry turned to go and get busy again, Anne came to him.

“Harry, honey I know today’s really important for you. I do. But it isn’t nice to yell, right? I understand that you want everything to go perfectly but a little fun here and there won’t hurt anyone, yeah?” She said softly.

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and then said,” I know mum. I know you’re right. But I want to make his birthday as memorable as possible. He never fails to make us happy, this is the least I can do. And I don’t know mom, I think I just lost my cool for a while there, now I’m alright.” Harry gave a dazzling smile.

Anne smiled too at that and kissed her son on his cheeks.

“Okay! Now tell your mum what she could do? I wanna help my baby too,” Anne said ruffling Harry’s hair, making him pout cutely.

“Yes Harry. I’ll help too. After all, it’s my son’s birthday. So tell us, what can we do?” Mark said, coming into the kitchen as well.

Harry smiled and took his mother’s hand in his own. He kissed the back of her hand and said,”Mom, Mark, everything has been taken care of, ok? Don’t worry and both of just go and get ready, yeah? The parents need to look their best too. Now come on! Go.”

Anne and Mark went away, leaving a smiling Harry behind. He took a last glance at everyone doing their own work and went back to his baking. He was going to make this birthday Louis best birthday yet. It was his last birthday before he entered the next decade of his life, so it’s gotta be the best, right?

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“They’re here!” Doris shouted loudly.

“Niall! Close the curtains! Phoebe, take the cake out of the oven! Zayn help Doris and Gigi shift the furniture! Quick everyone! Hide!” Harry ran around, doing last minute things, yelling instructions at everyone.

Once everybody had hidden themselves, Harry quickly switched off the lights, drowning the house in darkness. Finally! It was time to welcome his husband home.

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“Why do you have a key, Gems?” Louis’ Yorkshire accent boomed in the hallways. Everyone inside the house were able to listen to him. “Ain’t ‘Arry home?”

“Uh..Harry..uh..yeah! Harry had informed me in the morning itself that he might fall asleep when we came home, so I just kept the key with me as precaution. Haha,” a very nervous Gemma replied.

“Hold on a second!” Louis said suddenly, causing Gemma to stop in her action of turning the key into the keyhole. “Harry never sleeps during this time! Tell me what’s the real reason.”

Inside the house, everyone facepalmed simultaneously.

“Um.. he decided to take a nap today, Louis! What’s that gotta do with you?” Gemma fired back.

“Your sister’s very bad at lying, Hazza,” Niall whispered quietly to Harry.

“I know Nialler! We need to do something before she accidentally ruins our plan!”

“Send her a message! Quick! Just type,’ don’t answer...unlock and come, asap,’” Niall advised Harry who immediately followed through.

“Uh...Let’s play 20 questions inside, yeah?” Gemma asked, once she had read the message discreetly.

“But how could he forget my birthday?” Louis asked. “Wait a second! I figured it out-“

Without waiting for Louis to finish his sentence, Gemma quickly turned the key into the hole, successfully opening the door. She didn’t waste another second, grabbed Louis by his arm and dragged him inside.

“So as I was saying when you very rudely interrupted-“ Louis tried to finish his last sentence but was suddenly cut by the lights turning on.

“SURPRISE!!” Everyone yelled at once, startling Louis.

“Fooking hell!” Louis yelled on instinct.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUIS!” Everyone yelled with a sound of “Louis! Language!” from Anne, causing everyone to laugh.

Everyone went one by one to hug the birthday boy, wishing him and giving a kiss on his cheek. It was fine until the lads came up all at once and planted big, sloppy kisses on both of his cheeks, which made everyone roar with laughter.

Once everyone had had their chance, it was finally Harry’s turn. Everyone had already gone towards the ‘games-and-food’ area when Louis slowly crept up behind his husband.

“Harry!” Louis yelled in Harry’s ear, making the younger man yelp loudly and stumble in his step. Louis laughed quietly but quickly put out his arms to catch the falling man.

“Oops,” Louis whispered softly when he had a blushing Harry between his arms.

“Hi,” Harry too replied, as if that was his response on instinct.

Both straightened themselves when Louis engulfed Harry in a hug.

“Happy birthday, Boobear,” Harry whispered, tickling Louis’ ear.

“Thank you so much babe,” Louis responded.

They were just going in for a kiss when their friends had called them to join in the festivities. Both men sighed but immediately masked their face with a smile and went to join their friends.

Harry only wished everything he had planned would go swiftly. After all, it was Louis’ birthday!

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Louis smiled as he saw all his friends and family scattered around the room, bickering and laughing with each other.

His dad Mark, His mother-in-law Anne, all his siblings-Lottie, Daisy, Phoebe, Doris and Ernest, his mates-Liam, Zayn and Niall and even their girlfriends were present there. And of course Harry, his loving husband.

Louis felt a tear slip past his eye as his thoughts took a turn towards his mother, sister, and also Robin, with whom he had bonded quite well. He wiped it away and before more tears could betray him, he quickly glanced at his ‘large-family’ and made his way towards the terrace, hoping no one would see him. But his actions didn’t go unnoticed by Liam who nudged Harry to go after Louis. And that’s what Harry did.

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“Thought I’d find you here,” Harry said as he stepped onto the chilly terrace, announcing his presence to Louis.

“Harry?” Louis inquired without turning back.

Without responding, Harry swiftly made his way to Louis and hugged him. Immediately Louis succumbed to his tears, once he felt safe inside the arms of the man he had loved since forever.

Harry didn’t say anything but continued running his hands down Louis’ back, in an effort to calm the older man.

Once Louis had calmed down majorly, he looked up at Harry with red-rimmed eyes and tears still running down his cheeks. Harry quietly wiped the tears away, kissing Louis’ forehead. He then took the shorter man in his arms and leaned against the railing in such a manner that both of them stood side-by-side.

“I was remembering mum, Fizzy and Robin,” Louis said, turning his head towards Harry. “I miss them Haz. I miss all three of them,” he continued.

“I miss them too, love,” Harry replied as he too turned his body to face Louis.

He then took Louis’ hands in his, kissed them and continued,” But you never have to hide your tears, darling. Never from me.”

“I know, Hazza. Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

Instead of replying, Harry simply leaned down and attached his lips with Louis’.

The kiss was sweet, soft and electric, all at the same time. To Louis, it felt like the first time they had kissed. It always did to him. When they were both young and naive but the kiss had never failed to make butterflies erupt in his belly. This kiss made Louis feel like he was in heaven and nobody mattered to him at that time, more than Harry. Nobody existed for him, but Harry.

When the kiss had ended, Harry stood there with his arms around Louis, his forehead joined with Louis’. Both of them felt a bit disappointed because it had ended but content because they had finally kissed, without getting interrupted by anyone.

“You taste of chocolate,” Louis said, breaking the silence, eyes still closed.

Harry laughed softly.

“That is the only thing you had to say?” He whispered softly, grinning.

“I mean, I got a lot more to say but if anyone were to listen to our conversation right now, they’d have to rinse their ears with holy water tomorrow,” Louis replied, causing Harry to laugh loudly.

Both the men stood there, only silence and fog surrounding them.

“Happy birthday, Lou,” Harry broke the silence.

“Merry Christmas, Hazza,” Louis replied as the clock chimed loudly, signaling midnight.

Soon, Louis had Harry’s lips between his own again, pushing him against the wall and kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

It was one of the best birthday’s Louis had had and Harry’s presence in his life only made everything better.

Louis was happy. Louis was safe. Harry was his home and Louis, he was finally home.