Magic & Mistletoe (3 page)

Jason cleared his throat and then clapped Harry on the back. “Come on, the others are already at the pub, and they want to know what’s taking us so long.” Jason met Andrew’s gaze and then glanced down. “You sure you want to go out there in those? It’s started to snow by the looks of things.”

When Andrew peered out through the window, rapidly falling snow filled the night sky. He felt a wave of smug satisfaction and grinned back at Harry. “Told you it would snow.” To his delight, Harry blushed.

Harry glanced outside, shrugged, and said, “Guess the forecasters were right for once.”

He looked as surprised as Andrew felt. This was the longest conversation they’d had, and so far Andrew hadn’t had that sinking feeling he normally got after talking to Harry. Instead he found himself relaxing and wanting to prolong the moment for as long as he could. Especially with Harry looking like
that.

When Andrew first moved into his flat, he’d thought Harry and Jason were a couple, but then he met Jason and his girlfriend a few days later. There was no doubt in his mind that Harry was gay; he wasn’t shy about checking Andrew out. Andrew smirked to himself and smoothed out the front of his pyjamas, just to see Harry’s reaction. Sure enough, Harry’s gaze dropped and followed the movement of Andrew’s hands, lingering when Andrew put them in the pockets of his hoodie. His bottoms didn’t leave much to the imagination, and the outline of his cock was easy enough to make out in this light.

“So…,” Jason said, interrupting them again, and when Andrew looked at him, he was grinning at them. “Harry needs to get his gloves out of his car, and I’m sure he’d get your phone if you don’t mind giving him your keys. It’d save you going out there dressed like that.”

Andrew shook his head. “No, it’s fine, I—”

“I don’t mind, honestly.” Harry shuffled from foot to foot, looking awkward all of a sudden. “Um, unless, of course, you don’t trust me with your keys.”

Before they could ruin the best interaction they’d had to date, Andrew thrust his keys out and placed them in Harry’s uninjured hand. “That’d be great, if you’re sure. It’ll either be on the passenger seat or in the glovebox.”

“Awesome.” Jason grabbed Harry by the elbow and hustled him out the door. “Be back in a minute!” he shouted just as the door clanged shut behind them.

Andrew moved closer to the window and pressed his face against the cold glass to see if he could see them. The street lamps illuminated the road at the front of the flats, but the car park was at the back. He watched them walk, shoulders hunched against the snow, until they disappeared around the corner.

Less than five minutes later, a breathless Harry burst through the door with Andrew’s phone in one hand and his keys held gingerly in the other. Snow clung to his hair and his eyelashes, and his cheeks and nose were tinged with pink. He looked both adorable and as sexy as hell.

“Here.” He handed the phone and keys to Andrew, wincing as Andrew brushed against the fingers of his bruised hand.

Andrew frowned. “Seriously, keep an eye on that hand tonight.” He pocketed his keys, and held his phone up. “Thanks for getting these. I really didn’t fancy getting wet.”

Harry smiled and nodded. “No problem.” His phone beeped from inside his coat and he glanced back out into the snow. “That’s probably Jason. I should….” He gestured behind him at the door. “See you around.”

 Harry was gone before Andrew could reply, and it left Andrew feeling oddly dissatisfied. The hallway was too cold to stand and dwell on it further, so he headed back towards his door and the warmth of his flat.

CHAPTER THREE

Harry marched away from the front door, unsure of what had just happened. Well, apart from probably wasting a golden opportunity to ask Andrew out. But it was only a matter of time before he said something stupid, knowing him, so he would quit while he was ahead.

Jason stood waiting for him at the end of the street, rubbing his gloved hands together and grinning. “What the fuck was that?” he called as Harry caught up to him. “You almost conversed like an actual adult and not a tongue-tied adolescent.”

“Piss off,” Harry muttered, but he couldn’t hide his answering grin. “And I have no idea what happened.” It was the weirdest thing. Twice he had opened his mouth to say something, but then forgot what it was almost immediately. The door slamming on his hands hadn’t helped matters, but he had no clue what he’d been about to say.

When he mentioned as much to Jason, Jason wiggled his fingers and whispered, “It’s magic!”

Harry rolled his eyes and started walking down the street in the direction of the local pub. He’d had a whole three hours to mull over what had happened in the forest, and even though some of it couldn’t be explained, it must have been a trick.
I mean, magic. Really?

Jason bumped him with his shoulder, making him startle. “Did you ask him out?”

“Um….” Harry frowned, thinking about his hasty departure, and hoped he hadn’t come off as rude.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Jason glanced over, eyebrows raised. “That was the perfect opportunity—he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

While Harry agreed that Andrew had been less than subtle in his appreciation, he’d never paid Harry any attention before tonight. Well, nothing that made him think Andrew was interested anyway. The most he usually got were headshakes or scowls. Usually in response to something ridiculous Harry had said, but still… did he want Andrew to suddenly be interested because he scrubbed up well?

In that annoying way he had, Jason could read him like a book. “It’s more than sex you’re after, then? Cos I’m pretty sure that was on the table if you wanted it.”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“You could always start with sex. See how that turns out.”

“Yes, because that always ends well for me.” Harry’s track record with relationships wasn’t exactly the best, and his one-night stands—all three of them so far—had remained one night despite his best efforts to the contrary.

Jason laughed at him but slung his arm around Harry’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “Maybe this time it’ll be different.”

“Hmm.” Harry wasn’t convinced. It would take more than one friendly encounter to make him believe he had a chance with Andrew.

They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence, keeping their heads ducked down to avoid the snow. The pub they were heading for sat at the far end of the estate, past the supermarket and the small collection of shops, all decked with lights and other Christmas decorations. Some of the window displays were lit up, and Harry glanced over at the cafe as they passed, and he did a double take.

He could have sworn the writing in the window read “Well done,” but when he looked again it just read “Welcome” in bright red letters interspersed with clip art holly.
Weird
. Steadfastly refusing to think what else could have caused it, Harry rubbed his eyes and put it down to a trick of the light.

They stayed at the pub until closing time but couldn’t be arsed to go anywhere else afterwards. The snow continued to fall steadily and had started to settle, so the four of them made their way back home, opting for an earlyish night for once.

“So….” As he flopped down onto the sofa, Jason eyed Harry.

Harry sat down next to him. “What?”

“Are you going to do anything about Andrew?”

“Ugh… maybe.” Harry closed his eyes and sighed. “I don’t know. Tonight might have been a fluke. Just because we managed a whole five minutes without me putting my foot in it does not mean he’s interested.”

“No, but the way he was checking you out in those jeans certainly does.” Jason threw a cushion at him, hitting him in the face. “Just ask him out for coffee. It’s not difficult. The worst he can do is say no.”

“I realise that. I don’t need a pep talk. I’m twenty-three years old. I can ask someone out for a drink.” He was perfectly capable. Maybe if he repeated that often enough, his mouth wouldn’t run away with him when it came to actually doing it.

“Well, hurry up and ask. I can’t handle you moping around the flat for the next few weeks pining over him. It’ll ruin my Christmas spirit.”

Harry huffed and tossed the cushion back at Jason. “I don’t pine.”

Jason laughed at him. “Whatever. Right, I’m going to bed.” He stood and ruffled Harry’s hair as he passed, doing it hard enough to move Harry’s head back and forth. “See you in the morning.”

Harry shoved him off and tried to pinch him, but Jason was too quick and danced out of the way, shouting, “Night.”

“Night.” Harry closed his eyes and shifted around until he was comfy, using one of the cushions as a pillow. Falling asleep on the sofa wasn’t the best idea, but he couldn’t be bothered to get up and walk to his bedroom.

It took all of two seconds for his thoughts to drift to Andrew, with his curly black hair and brown eyes. Yeah, tomorrow he’d grow a pair and ask him out. If Andrew said no, then Harry would avoid him for a few weeks until he got over the embarrassment. Sorted.

With his mind made up, he drifted off to sleep.

Of course, nothing was that easy.

Harry woke up at four in the morning, freezing cold and with a stiff neck. By the time he shuffled his way to his bed and got in it, he was wide awake, and it took him ages to drop off again. Even though he stayed in bed until eleven o’clock, he still felt tired and grumpy.

“Jesus, what’s wrong with your face?” Jason handed him a cup of coffee. “Did you fall asleep on the sofa again?”

Harry yawned and stretched before taking the coffee from him. “Thanks, and yeah. Woke up in the middle of the night and then couldn’t get back to sleep.”

Jason shook his head but didn’t say anything. He had his house keys in his hand, and by the looks of him, he was already dressed and showered.

“You off out somewhere?”

Jason groaned. “Christmas shopping with Karen.”

Harry made a sympathetic face. “That sucks.”

“I tried to just give her the money for my half, but apparently I should at least know what we’ve bought people.”

“Isn’t that what girlfriends are for?”

They both looked at each other and shrugged. Not that Harry would ever dare say that to his mother or his sisters—they would cause him bodily harm—but he was shit at buying presents, and he doubted Jason was much better.

“Well, good luck with that. Are you staying at hers tonight or both coming back here?”

“Not sure. I’ll text you.” With a wave and a resigned sigh, Jason grabbed his wallet and left.

The sun shone through the living room curtains where Jason had opened them. Last night’s snow had already disappeared. Harry wandered over to have a peek outside, and only small patches of brown slush lined the edges of the road. It looked to be a beautiful day, one that made Harry want to be outside instead of lazing around doing fuck all.

He should probably go Christmas shopping too. The one present he’d got so far was his mum and dad’s, and that was only because he and his three sisters were getting them a joint present. The idea of braving the masses in town or up at the shopping centre at Cribbs Causeway wasn’t all that appealing, and when Harry’s stomach growled, it made the decision for him. Breakfast first, and then he’d think about shopping.

The fridge was pretty much empty, so Harry dressed quickly and decided to nip up to Sainsbury’s. Maybe they did an all-day breakfast in the cafe. When he pulled open the front door to the flats, Andrew was out on the grass verge, bent over with his hands on his knees and breathing heavily.

Been running?
Harry felt the words form on his tongue as he opened his mouth to speak, helpless to stop himself stating the obvious. Andrew glanced up, and Harry got as far as “B—” when a car alarm went off, making them jump. It sounded suspiciously like Harry’s and he fumbled for his car keys, almost dropping them twice as he jogged around to the car park.

His car sat there, horn blaring and lights blinking away, and Harry rushed over to it. After turning off the alarm, he checked that the windows were all the way up, which they were. Nothing looked to have fallen on it either. He had no idea why his alarm had decided to go off. His skin prickled uncomfortably, goosebumps appearing on his arms and the back of his neck.

By the time he got back to the front of the building, Andrew was gone.
Damn it
. Maybe it was just as well…. Opening the door to a sweaty and breathless Andrew had taken him by surprise. He hadn’t been prepared for that sight greeting him on an empty stomach, and it had put him off his game.

He’d just have to catch up with him another time. There was no big rush or anything.

Except it happened again. Harry had stopped in the entrance hall after work on Wednesday to pick up his mail, when Andrew burst through the front door, shivering and rubbing his arms. Despite having only walked in the door five minutes ago himself, Harry was about to ask if it was cold out, when his phone rang, thankfully distracting him. He managed to smile at Andrew as he dug inside his coat for his phone, but the call dropped before he had chance to answer it. Instead, a text flashed up on his screen in bold type.

It’s December of course it’s bloody cold
.

Harry dropped the phone in shock, and winced as it hit the floor and bounced across the carpet to land at Andrew’s feet.

Andrew raised an eyebrow, then bent to pick it up. He didn’t say anything, just held it out for Harry to take.

“Thanks,” Harry managed, blushing furiously. He glanced at the screen, but the message had vanished. His heart skipped as his mind pieced things together in a way that was becoming difficult to ignore.

“No problem.” Andrew smiled and walked by him into the corridor that led to his flat.

Harry heard Andrew’s front door open and shut, and realised he was still standing in the same spot, clutching his phone.

Shit
.

Two minutes later Harry ran up the stairs to his own flat and pushed the door open with enough force to make it hit the wall with a
bang
. “Jason?”