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Something was burning
Nick’s mind took a moment to process the thought before he shoved thekey into his front door and rushed inside. He followed the cloud of smoke to the kitchen where he found a frantic Louis Tomlinson, his hands covered in oven mitts, carrying baking trays over to the sink and running water over them. Nick moved to the oven and turned it off before turning to Louis with his eyebrow raised.
Louis bit his lip, put his (still covered) hands behind his back and hung his head. “I wanted to make gingerbread snowmen but I fell asleep and they stayed in a bit too long,” he said, sounding like a guilty child.
“A bit?” Nick asked. “Lou, the place is filled with smoke. Besides, we decided that you’re not allowed in the kitchen without supervision.”
“Nick, it’s Christmas and you decided that all on your own,” Louis shot back.
“Well, you can clean this up by yourself,” Nick said and walked out of the kitchen.
Nick was just settling down in front of the tv to watch an episode of Nigella (someone who wasn’t a total disaster in the kitchen) when Louis walked into the room and curled up next to him on the couch.
“I just really wanted to make things more like Christmas and I wanted the biscuits to be a surprise for you, it was supposed to be easy to make,” Louis said.
Nick pulled Louis closer to him and kissed the top of his head.
“Why would you think making biscuits would be easy?” Nick asked. He was genuinely interested, Louis could barely make a salad on his own without causing disaster, of course Nick was curious as to why he’d suddenly decided to attempt anything more complicated.
“Harry said so, he even gave me the recipe,” Louis answered.
Of course. Nick should have known it’d be something like that, he swore the two of them were incapable of seeing each other’s short-comings.
Nick just shook his head and said, “Well, next Christmas Styles can make the damn biscuits on his own and you won’t have to burn down my house.”
Louis sat upright and stared at Nick.
Nick sighed and said,”What? Do I have something on my face?”
Louis shook his head. “Next Christmas?” He asked tentatively. They’d only been dating for five months, they hadn’t even said I love you yet “You think we’ll still be together next year?”
Oh, Nick’s helpful brain provided. He looked at the man in front of him and smiled; Louis was gorgeous, funny, spontaneous and sure they fought over everything but Nick had never felt more himself than he did with Louis.
“And the year after that and the year after and as long as you’ll have me, Louis Tomlinson,” Nick said before smiling at Louis in what he hoped was an endearing manner.
That is, until a horrible thought occurred to him. “Unless that was actually you trying to break up with me, then I take it all back!” Nick said in a rush.
Louis laughed and said, “Nicholas, you moron, I baked you biscuits. I don’t get domestic for just anyone and definitely not someone I’m breaking up with.”
“…thank god,” Nick managed to get out before Louis started speaking again.
“And I accept your marriage proposal,” Louis teased.
“…I. What? No,” Nick stammered, until he noticed Louis’ amused expression and glared at him.
Nick tugged Louis onto his lap, planted a kiss on his lips and said,”Babe, when I propose to you, we won’t be sitting on this couch. It won’t be because you nearly burned down the house, I’ll make it perfect.”
Louis smiled and rested his head on Nick’s shoulder.
Neither of them had said I love you but they had when and for now that was enough.