C H A P T E R    T H I R T Y F O U R

Calamities and Cookies

❄●❄

"THEY'RE VERY INTELLIGENT. My favorite people here, honestly, besides my family and Ed," Harry said, pulling the door to the hospital's front entrance open and stepping aside, letting Louis in first.

"I used to help them decorate the lobby," he continued, gesturing at the large, open room around them. "Haven't in recent years, but it used to be fun."

To be totally honest, Louis wasn't really letting himself look around, take it all in, like he had the first time they'd come here. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn't be able to pay attention to what Harry was saying, would become tense or uncomfortable...well, more than he already was. It's not that he didn't believe H anymore. Clearly his entire life was a lie and he was going to have to relearn all that he thought he knew about this holiday and the world in general.

It was just that this was still a hard pill to swallow, and he felt like that was fair. He felt like he's been pretty open-minded and was pretty damn proud of himself.

So he'd keep his gaze laser focused on either the elevators or Harry's animated face and hand movements, and really that was the best he could do right now. He was trying.

"...and there was tinsel everywhere," Harry laughed, pushing the up arrow by the elevator doors. "They wouldn't let us use tinsel again for two years. It was awful."

When the heavy silver doors slid open, a woman Anne's age in an elf costume exited, offering first Harry and then Louis a friendly smile. Louis felt himself prickle, but it was the best he could do considering the entire time he had to fight a cringe.

Get it together, Tommo. It's just a costume.

Suddenly it occurred to him that the elf costumes much of the hospital staff wore may not be costumes at all. He opened his mouth to ask Harry about it but then decided he didn't particularly care to know as they stepped inside the elevator.

"You okay?"

Louis blinked over at the...the elf – half elf – by his side. The elf with human ears and a human smile and human eyes.

"Hm? I'm alright, yeah," Louis nodded too quickly. "Just have to get used to it, is all."

Harry's smile flattened just a little, enough to look dazed, and he stepped closer to Louis so that he could press a firm hand against the small of his back. He leaned down to press a kiss against Louis' forehead and then a little lower, near his temple. That one lasted longer, like he was worried he wasn't getting his point across. Louis let his eyes close until Harry's lips disappeared, and then he met his gaze.

"We don't have to stay here long," Harry said. "When I know Mum'll be alright, we can go."

Louis felt guilty instantly. "You don't have to rush on my behalf, H. I'll get used to it. Just might take me more time than the average nonbeliever. Have a little faith, yeah?"

"Nobody has more faith in you than I do."

The elevator arriving at their destination prevented Louis from having to respond, thank god. With the pot of stew safely tucked against him, he and Harry exited onto the third floor and immediately set out for Anne's door, mostly because Harry probably knew that this floor was worse than even the lobby for Louis.

Her door was open, as they were expected. Louis let Harry in first, feeling weirdly nervous all of a sudden. To be fair, he's only just met Harry's family yesterday, and though he and Gemma got on quite well, he's only spent a little time with Anne.

Not that he really had to worry about that, he realized upon entering, considering the first thing out of her mouth upon seeing her son and his boyfriend was, "Louis," accompanied by the strongest smile they've seen on her so far.

Harry threw his hands up and snorted. "Hey, Mum. It's me, your son. Good to see you."

Before Louis could make it far, Gemma appeared from where she'd been sitting in the room and intercepted the stew. While she began situating everything for lunch and he was certain she wouldn't need his assistance, Louis returned Anne's smile and found a spot next to Harry.

"How did you sleep?" Anne asked him, ignoring Harry entirely.

Louis' poker face hasn't failed him once over the last several years, and he hoped it wouldn't fail him now in this dire time of need. He peeked at Harry as stealthily as he could and saw that his much calmer counterpart exhibited zero indication that they'd had a squabble of sorts last night. And though it admittedly ended in the two of them pressed together on a small sofa and sound sleep, at least on Louis' end, he worried he'd somehow give them away. There was no point in discussing a row any further if they've resolved it, and he and Harry have. Resolved it, that is. Maybe.

So he offered Anne the most assured smile-nod combo he could muster and said, "Like a baby. Your home is lovely, by the way."

Sufficiently charmed, Anne reached for his hands to squeeze them – he wondered faintly if she did this a lot, even outside of a hospital bed – and began telling stories about a younger Harry.

It was Louis' turn to be charmed, then. This must be a thing in their genetics, he thought. How can one family be so goddamn charming? Anne spoke similarly to Harry when she was feeling up to it, a slow drawl paired with wide eyes. Louis could have listened to her talk for hours, the same way he would always wish he could hear Harry drone on and on. Something about it was magnetizing, and for the first time he even wondered if that was a genetic thing or if that was an elf thing. He'd enjoyed listening to Ed speak too, albeit not to this degree. So perhaps a genetic thing. He hoped it was a genetic thing.

For some reason he couldn't explain, he wanted it to be special to Harry and Anne and Gemma. And he wanted to know them, to be a part of their lives so that he could listen to all of them all the time.

God.

After a couple stories about Harry's school days, Gemma disappeared and returned moments later with bowls, spoons, and a now familiar ginger.

Ed paused by Anne's bedside on his way to the back counter where Gemma was beginning to serve the stew in order to lean over and peck her on the forehead. When he pulled away, she was narrowing her eyes.

"Edward Sheeran, why aren't you in the kitchens?" she asked.

Ed simply waved a hand. "I'm busy."

Louis felt Harry's body stiffen suddenly, and when he looked to see why, he saw pure elation spreading across the lad's face.

"Louis and I will do it," he said.

"You and Louis will do what?" Louis asked, his brow furrowing. Had he missed something? Why was Ed supposed to be in the kitchens? What kitchens?

Nobody answered him. Anne glared at the back of Ed's head a moment longer before turning her gaze on the two of them. She watched Gemma hand first Harry and then Louis a bowl of the stew. "Better eat up then and get going."

❄●❄

LOUIS HAS NEVER been one for baking; before Harry he preferred to purchase his baked goods at the market, mostly because he enjoyed their meticulous attention to detail with their blueberry and cream cheese muffins. He's certain they position the cream cheese just right, every time, for the right amount of crumbly – not too much, not too little.

But now, he's had Harry for the last few months, and though he didn't make blueberry cream cheese muffins and maybe only made peppermint flavored things (Louis liked peppermint as much as the next person but he kind of hoped this was just a holiday thing and that Harry would venture into other flavors come January), he's had it pretty well, has been saving money by not having to buy his muffins or his cookies or his desserts at the market once or twice a week.

Louis found himself now arranging too many different tubes of colorful sprinkles, some of which quite frankly look like glitter to him, shoving them over to one end of the counter so that there was still counter space by the cooling racks.

It was a magnificent kitchen, really. He couldn't deny it, even though everything was...too colorful, not the right kind of colors for a kitchen meant for adults, even elven adults. But he could see it in his mind, could picture several teams of elves around certain areas of the enormous table in the center of the room, able to accomplish different tasks.

If he must be anywhere, he figured the decorating area was his safest bet. He'd rather not have a hand in burning anything or screwing up the important ingredients. But dumping a pile of glitter on a cookie? He was surely capable of that.

A clatter beside him startled him out of his own thoughts. Harry had slammed down four different large tubs of frosting, slid them over toward the sprinkles. He was smiling down at Louis, his hair pulled back and out of his face by a rubber band he'd stolen from Gemma before they left the hospital. There was a glint in his eyes, some weird energy drawing out that godforsaken dimple of his though he looked to be suppressing the smile that usually comes with it.

He pecked Louis on the forehead and as quickly as he had come, he was gone, a damp wash cloth in hand as he began wiping down the table. Louis watched him a while, admiring – well, everything. His hair tied into that bun, his maroon sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows ("Why didn't you just push them up?" Louis had asked. "They'll fall down. I've got slipper forearms apparently." "Oh, Harry."), those fucking black jeans that are going to give Louis a heart attack one of these days.

Louis cleared his throat. "How many cookies are we making again?"

With his back still turned, Harry said, "Fourteen or fifteen dozen probably."

"A bit ambitious, in'it?"

Harry finished with the table, turning to return the wash cloth to the sink. He offered Louis another smile full of something Louis couldn't read again. "We'll have some extra hands."

Louis pretended he was fine with sharing Harry with other people now that he finally had him alone. And now that that time was limited, Louis decided to abandon his post and approach Harry, who was drying his hands on a towel. Louis slipped his fingers into the belt loops of Harry's jeans and tugged on them, pulling him a little closer. Rather than do anything even mildly attractive or seductive, Louis chose in that moment to fucking pout about their dwindling alone time. Because of course he would.

The grin Harry had been suppressing before finally broke free. He reached up to brush Louis' fringe out of his eyelashes where bits of it had gotten caught, and then to Louis' immense surprise, he leaned forward and took Louis' pouted lip gently between his teeth.

Louis' breath shuddered out of him, and his eyes closed. His knees might have shook. And then Harry released his lip, kissing him instead.

When he pulled away, it was only to smile at Louis some more. And Louis was reeling, hardly ready to return to reality after that, but there was something Harry wasn't saying. That was what Louis hadn't been able to place before. There was something on the tip of the poet's tongue.

"What?" Louis asked, almost embarrassed by how rough his voice sounded.

Before Harry could answer, little voices were becoming evident on the other side of the kitchen doors. Harry glanced that way, and Louis listened as the chattering grew louder and louder. Children?

When Harry returned his gaze to Louis', he said, "I'll tell you later. The help is here." He wiggled his brows, and then he stepped away from Louis' hold on him.

This all happened just as the doors were shoved open, and in walked...children. Little elves. Tons of them. Louis looked to Harry, a little alarmed, but Harry is approaching them with open arms and a wide, open-mouthed smile.

When the kids took note of him, their faces completely lit up like a goddamn Christmas tree. They rushed to him, more of them hugging him than could possibly fit in those long, gangly arms comfortably. A chorus of "Harry!" was the cherry on top of the scene for Louis, and he felt a small smile grace his lips.

Harry was hugging whoever he could, telling them how much he's missed them while they all spoke over each other, returning the sentiment.

And Louis was overwhelmed, really. He knew the kind of effect Harry had on him, and his siblings and their friends, but... To see this, to see a room full of young eyes completely adoring him... It should be no surprise. Clearly Harry had such an effect on every single person who had the pleasure of knowing him.

The kids eventually detach themselves and it's then that Louis realized they were dressed in elf costumes. All kinds of them. Or, whatever they were if they weren't costumes. Uniforms, maybe? And he won't cringe, he won't. Not when Harry was straightening up, coming to return to Louis' side, watching for any changes in Louis' expression.

Besides, it wasn't so bad. Elves were real, this was a thing, and it wasn't so bad.

Louis swallowed, but he found he wasn't nervous. Wasn't even uncomfortable. If he was anything, it was just worried that he would let Harry down. So he wouldn't. Simple as that, Tommo.

The kids were sitting themselves around that table, and Harry pressed a soothing hand against the small of Louis' back to nudge him forward a few steps. There was no more chatter; everyone was patiently awaiting Harry's instructions.

"I want to introduce you all to my special friend, Louis," Harry said. "And Louis, these are the elflings."

"Elflings," Louis mumbled quietly to himself. If Harry heard him, he didn't react.

One of the elflings raised her hand and asked, "Is Louis like Ed?"

Harry's hand slid up Louis' back, over his shoulder blade, and came to rest on his upper arm; he squeezed it softly. "Not like Ed. He's special in a different way than Ed is." And then his grip was gone, and he clapped his hands together. "Alright. Let's get to work."

❄●❄

IN WHAT MIGHT very well be the greatest plot twist of the century, Louis found that he was enjoying himself. He was with the decorating committee, assuring Harry and the elflings that the cookies will be better off this way.

A young girl – Frieda, as she introduced herself – quit her committee to join him a while ago. She'd been talking his ear off ever since, and wherever he went, she followed, like she'd attached herself to him by some invisible means. He kind of liked it.

"...and even though it was his only job, he burnt them!" she was saying. "We were supposed to be done already, but we had to hurry up and make another batch because the Elders were coming to dinner that evening."

Louis spread a layer of green frosting atop the cookie in his palm and then passed it along to her, just as she was finishing up her pretty sprinkle design with a different cookie. He said, "I mean, I'm honestly not surprised."

With two dainty fingers, she pinched some of that glitter-looking stuff and began meticulously sprinkling it across the cookie. She and Louis had switched positions when she first joined the decorating committee after she'd seen him dumping what was apparently far too much of the sugar crystals on the cookies. She'd been appalled. He's much better at frosting anyway.

"We were all late for the meal, but we luckily got the cookies there in time for dessert. Miss Anne made him eat the burnt ones," Frieda continued.

A giggle bubbled out of Louis, and then he felt a presence behind them. Harry was there, his hands on his hips. "Are you gossiping about me?" he asked the girl.

Her response was to turn away from him, back to her sprinkles, and to roll her eyes. Louis laughed harder.

In a lot less time than should have been physically possible, they had finished fourteen dozen cookies. Louis and Harry helped the elflings carry them all to what must be where they eat dinner. Louis didn't spend much time thinking about how the entire North Pole eats their meals together in this cafeteria-like place, instead began looking for somewhere he and Harry could sit once they put the cookies where they belonged.

But Harry tugged on his hand once the cookies were situated and the elflings had scattered. "We should go back to the hospital."

Louis was fine with that, maybe even preferred it. He had a small plate filled with cookies for the others, and he held it safely in his lap on the carriage Harry had waiting outside for them. He couldn't feel his fingers, couldn't feel his face or any part of his body, but when Harry pulled one of his hands away from the plate during the ride and intertwined their fingers, Louis felt warm all over.

Back at the hospital, Louis handed the cookie plate off to Gemma as soon as they were back in Anne's room. He turned to smile at the woman in question.

"I decorated one specially for you," he told her.

Behind him, Harry muttered, "Jesus Christ," and Louis was certain an eye roll had likely accompanied the comment.

He turned and wiggled his brows at Harry, who was leaning against the wall by the window, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at Louis, an amused quirk to his lips. He said, "You're being a shit."

Louis heard Anne gasp, and he caught Harry's eyes widening before he turned to glimpse Anne's expression. "Harry Styles," she was scolding.

Louis whipped his head back around to catch Harry's reaction. He looked like a deer in headlights, his shoulders hunched, eyes wide. His lips were parted like he was preparing an excuse but couldn't seem to find one.

He couldn't help it – Louis chuckled openly.

"It's his fault!" Harry said, jerking his chin in Louis' direction. "He curses all the time – it's rubbed off on me."

Mustering his most serious expression despite being in the middle of laughing, Louis gave Anne a sincere "I would never."

Gemma passed the plate of cookies around the room; Louis really had decorated one for Anne, and she unsurprisingly loved it. Ed ate two, which meant that Harry and Louis had to split theirs. They were leaning against the window sill, out of the way of the nurse that came in to check on Anne at one point, Harry's arm behind Louis' back so that his hand could settle on the sill against Louis' hip. And Louis shamelessly leaned into him, still wishing they were alone but grateful for the company they were in regardless.

He remained on his best behavior unless a moment to tastefully tease Harry arose, but Ed was pretty good at doing that too, so unless Anne or Gemma directly asked Louis anything, he was content to remain quiet and listen to the other conversations going on around them. Anne spent some time scolding Ed for just overall not being the best elf he could be, and then Gemma was asking Anne if she was excited to return to school. Harry told everyone about the elflings and how baking the cookies had gone.

It was nice. Louis was trying to figure out why he was so surprised by this.

They'd been there for about an hour when Ed scooted out of his chair and approached them. "H, could I talk to you outside a minute?"

Harry's brow furrowed for a second, but then there was an understanding. He looked down at Louis, pinched his hip lightly, and said, "Be back."

Louis watched them go. What would Ed want to speak to him about? Probably a plethora of things, really, but what would it be that he couldn't do it inside this room? Louis chewed on his lip as he thought about it, but he was coming up with nothing.

He didn't appear to be the only one confused. Gemma, by the side of Anne's bed, wrinkled her nose in the direction of the door. "What's that about?"

Anne didn't seem bothered. She waved a hand. "Ed's been in touch with a Hit Maker for some reason...might have to do with that. Are there any cookies left, love?"

It dawned on Louis, then. Pressing his lips together, he told himself he should stay out of it. But then he pushed away from the window sill.

Gemma was watching him. He said to her, "Excuse me a minute," and slipped into the hallway.