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Harry awakes in Louis’ slender arms to the city sounds of impatient (i.e. all) drivers honking and people shouting. He squints his eyes open and kisses Louis’ nose.
“Wake up, wake up, wake up! We’ve only got a day left in New York City and I don’t want to spend any of it sleeping.”
Louis groans and turns over, fitting his small back easily against Harry’s chest. It takes all of Harry’s willpower not to just let him lie there all morning, breath tickling Harry’s big hands, but his excitement about the city overpowers his gentleness towards Louis and he throws off the covers.
“Come on, sleepy bear,” Harry calls over his shoulder just in time to see Louis propped up and admiring his boyfriend’s ass as he walks to the shower.
They both shower and get changed, on their own so as not to waste any time taking part in any other, ahem, activities, and are out on the city streets before ten in the morning.
They spend most of the day shopping and visiting the most famous New York skyscrapers as true English tourists but it’s the evening that Louis is most excited for.
They get in the taxi after dinner at 10 p.m. and Louis whispers something to the cab driver before pulling a blindfold out of his bag.
Harry smirks, “In the taxi, Lou? Naughty, yeah? Maybe let’s wait till we get home.”
Louis swats his nose, “God, you little prick. Not for that! I want to surprise you.”
Harry sighs, allowing Louis to tie the cloth tight around his eyes.
“Can you see anything?” Louis asks, waving a hand in front of his boyfriend’s eyes.
Harry leans in quickly to kiss Louis but misses, ending up kissing half his nose and some of his cheek.
“Guess that’s a no, then,” Louis giggles.
The taxi stops after around 5 minutes and Louis leads Harry out of the car, holding both of his hands. He murmurs gentle commands of when to step up or turn and finally sits him down on a cold hard bench.
“Okay, take it off now.”
Harry tugs off the blindfold and glances up to see that he’s sitting in the lobby of an ice rink. Louis is standing in front of him holding a pair of skates.
“Go on, put them on.”
“Lou, I’m still not getting what this is about,” Harry whines, pulling on the skates.
“Just put them on, you’ll see soon enough.”
Harry does and the two boys walk hand in hand to the swinging double doors that lead to the ice itself.
He pushes them open and gasps at what he sees. Louis took him to the Rockefeller Center ice rink. Not only that, but he reserved it for just the two of them. The clean, open ice lays out before them, glittering with the reflection of the hung Christmas lights that dangle around it.
“Oh, Lou. It’s wonderful,” Harry breathes.
Louis grins, “You really like it, love?”
Harry settles his hands on Louis waist and dips his face down to kiss the older boy, long and deep. Louis brushes his fingers through his boyfriend’s curls and sighs happily into the kiss.
Harry pulls back, grinning, “It’s perfect.”
He pulls the smaller boy out onto the ice and takes a moment to regain his balance before grabbing both of Louis’ hands, skating backwards and pulling him along with him. The empty ice is soon covered with clean, sharp lines from the two boys’ skates, always parallel as they don’t let go of the other’s hand once during the full hour that they skate. Harry teaches Louis how to skate faster and Louis giggles at Harry’s anecdotes of his childhood skating days.
Once they’re back in the main lobby, both boys are panting, rosy cheeked and blissful. The faint glow from Christmas lights illuminates Louis’ small, elflike face and Harry catches himself just staring at the older boy.
Louis glances up at Harry and his face switches to concern, “What is it, love?” he rubs his nose, “Do I have something on my face?”
Harry giggles and leans in to press a small kiss to the tip of Louis’ nose.
“No, no, it’s nothing.” I just love you so much I feel like I can’t breathe. “This was just the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received.”
Louis smiles, “Happy Christmas, then, Hazzabear.”