"Harry!" Ruth, Liam's sister, exclaimed upon Harry's arrival. She wished him a happy birthday and invited Harry in.

"I didn't know that you were bringing a 'plus one', Harry." Ruth remarked upon seeing Louis.

"Sorry, I didn't tell you earlier. It was a large minute decision. There was no time to write before coming over. Even if I did, it would only get here by tomorrow." Harry rambled. "By the way, this is my friend. His name is P-"

"Louis." Louis said firmly, shaking Ruth's hand. "Nice to meet you, Madam."

"Nice to meet you too, Louis." Ruth greeted and welcomed him in. "Make yourself at home. I'm sure we have enough food to feed one more mouth. The name's Ruth, by the way."

Louis and Harry stepped into the house. Ruth closed the door behind them. In the living room, there were two children, fighting.

"Dad! Elaine is bugging me. Tell her to cut it out!" The older one screeched as her younger sister climbed over her body, grabbing at the book she was reading.

"Emilia, let me read with you. I want to read with you." Little Elaine begged pulling at Emilia's hair.

"Piss off!" Emilia shouted, shoving her sister off the sofa where she had her legs spread across two seats.

"Emilia, watch your language!" Ruth scolded. "We have guests over."

"Harry!" Elaine cried, noticing Harry in the house. She ran up to him and Harry bent down to pick her up. He lifted her off the ground. She kissed him on his cheek.

"Hello, Elaine." Harry smiled.

"Girls, do entertain Harry and Louis for a moment while I finish preparing dinner and be nice." Ruth instructed before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Harry, who's this boy? Ooh, is he your boyfriend?" Elaine chirped. She leaned her head back and looked up at Louis. "Hello, Harry's boyfriend. You're cute. I like you." Elaine poked Louis' nose and made a 'beeping' sound.

"Louis and I are just friends." Harry informed Elaine.

Elaine pouted. "Why don't you like Harry? Harry is so cool." Elaine asked Louis. "Did you know he's gay, which means you can be together?"

"Louis is getting married to someone else." Harry told Elaine.

"Oh okay." Elaine responded.

"Emilia, can you set the table?" Ruth called out from the kitchen. Emilia groaned as she closed her book and put it aside.

"I'll go help her." Harry said, handing Elaine over to Louis. Louis carried her in his arms.

"Look, I'm a fish!" Elaine sucked in her cheeks to make her lips look like fish lips. Louis chuckled.

"Look what I can do." Louis said to Elaine. He crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out. Elaine burst into giggles as the two began their competition to find out who could make the weirdest funny faces.

Harry got a cloth and wiped the table. As he and Emilia laid the table, Louis and Elaine laughed hysterically at each other. Harry snuck glances behind him at Louis holding his cousin upside down.

"Have we met Louis before?" Emilia asked Harry. "He looks familiar."

Harry responded, "Remember that time we got to visit the royal family of Ariak?"

"Yeah."

"Louis is the prince."

"Wait, if you're friends with the prince, why were you exiled?"

"That's confidential."

"Harry?" Louis cried. "A little help?" Louis had tried to put Elaine down on the sofa but she refused to comply. She yanked on Louis' hair as Louis tried to pull away.

"Go, help him. I can take over from here." Emilia said.

Harry placed the cutlery that was in his hand onto the table. Harry attempted to pry Elaine's tiny fingers off Louis' brown locks but she wouldn't budge.

"Elaine, if you don't let go of the boy, you will not get any dessert tonight." Thomas, Ruth's husband threatened. Elaine released her grip at once. "Thanks, Uncle Thomas." Harry said.

Ruth called everyone to the table to eat. Harry sat next to Louis with Elaine on his other side.

"This is really good." Louis commented on the mashed potatoes.

"I told you. Aunt Ruth makes the best mash." Harry remarked.

"Oh Harry, you flatter me." Ruth blushed.

"Yeah, but this broccoli is terrible!" Elaine piped up. She stabbed the vegetables on her plate with her fork. She moved them around on the dish but did not take a bite out of it.

"Elaine, you have to eat your vegetables." Ruth chided. "Look at Harry. He finished all his vegetables. Don't you want to be like Harry?"

"I want to be like Harry so I can eat cakes all day." Elaine said.

"Sweetheart, I bake cakes all day. That doesn't mean I eat them." Harry informed.

"Whatever." Elaine rolled her eyes. "Your boyfriend didn't take any vegetables either!" Elaine climbed onto Harry's lap and pointed her fork with a piece of broccoli on its end at Louis. Louis' eyes widened as the vegetable was held close to his face.

"Elaine, it is rude to point," Ruth scolded her daughter. "Especially so, with the cutlery."

Elaine slide the piece of broccoli onto Louis' plate. "Eat it." She smirked as Louis eyed the vegetable in disgust.

"Elaine, that's enough." Ruth snapped.

"But if Harry's boyfriend doesn't eat his vegetables, why do I have to eat mine?" Elaine whined, crossing her arms.

"Louis is not my boyfriend." Harry reminded.

"Then, what makes you think I was referring to him?" Elaine retaliated.

"If Louis eats the broccoli, will you eat your vegetables?" Harry asked.

"Deal." Elaine said.

"All your vegetables?" Harry clarified, knowing she'd probably take two bites and leave the rest of the broccoli to be wasted.

"Fine." Elaine agreed.

Louis glared at Harry. "I hate broccoli." Louis huffed. "Why did you make a deal with her without consulting me first?"

"Just eat the broccoli. It's not that bad." Harry whispered to Louis.

"Not that bad?" Louis scoffed. "Fine, I'll eat it but you owe me one."

"Sure." Harry uttered.

Louis muttered under his breath and picked the broccoli up with his fork. He brought it to his mouth. Louis took in a deep breath before eating the broccoli. The taste he dreaded filled his mouth as he chewed. When he swallowed, the awful flavour lingered in his mouth. He tried to wash the taste down by gulping the water in his glass.

"There, I've eaten my vegetables. Now, it's your turn." Louis grinned at Elaine.

"Uh-oh." Elaine said.

Harry took her fork and thrusted it into a broccoli. He held it in front of her lips which were pursed tightly. "You better eat up, Elaine." Harry said, giggling. Elaine rolled her eyes. A deal was a deal. Elaine unwillingly bit the broccoli off the prongs of the fork. She chewed reluctantly.

"You like him, don't you? Emilia asked Harry. It was after dinner. Harry and Emilia sat on the front porch of the house. The frozen breeze blew against their skin, causing their faces to feel numb.

"Who? Louis?" Harry responded. "No, off course not."

"Are you sure? I can see the way you look at him." Emilia said.

"Was I staring?"

"No, but the spark in your eyes can tell more than hours of staring."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Do you actually think-?" Harry left his sentence incompleted.

Emilia asserted, "Nevermind what I think. What matters is what you're going to do about your crush on the prince who's arranged to be married."

"I do not have a crush on him." Harry insisted.

"So, it's something more than that. Love, perhaps?" Emilia probed. "What's stopping you then? Is he straight?"

"No." Harry responded.

"Is it the monster thing?" Emilia asked. "He found out, didn't he? That's the reason you're banished, isn't it?"

"Harry," A voice interrupted the conversation before Harry could respond. "We're late. It's 7.45 already." Louis said.

"Wait, already?" Harry panicked. "Shit. We can't get back in time. How did it get so late? I swear, it was only 7.15 a minute ago."

"Well, it isn't. We need to go, now." Louis asserted.

"Or we have a guest room that Harry can sleep in for the night." Emilia suggested.

"She knows." Harry informed Louis.

"Mum! Can Harry and Louis stay the night?" Emilia shouted at her mum who was in the kitchen.

"Sure, honey," Ruth yelled back. "As long as they don't make a mess."

"Thank you, Aunt Ruth." Harry shouted as he followed Emilia to the guest room.

"Both of you can stay here but I have to warn you, the room is not meant for two." Emilia said.

The door to the guest room was pushed open. Emilia flipped the switch. The lights flickered on to reveal a room that was a little smaller than Harry's room in the palace. It was not the size of the room that was bothering but the fact that there was only one bed.

"You know, I don't have to stay, right?" Louis told Emilia.

"Yeah, but I already told my mum that you are staying." Emilia said. "Furthermore, someone needs to make sure Harry goes to bed. It's between you and me and I'm not doing it." Emilia left for the living room before Louis could object but her words were enough to convince him to stay.

"So, I guess we have to share this bed?" Harry said awkwardly as he lay down on the mattress.

"It's only awkward if you make it awkward. Besides, it's not like we haven't shared a bed before." Louis stated. "Go to sleep."

"Okay." Harry murmured.

Louis and Harry lay on their sides. Louis slept at the edge of the bed. Harry was pressed up against a wall.

"Quit hogging the bed." Harry scolded.

"I'm not hogging the bed. You are!" Louis shot back.

"Am not!" Harry retaliated.

"You're taking up more space than me." Louis pointed out.

"I'm freaking taller than you." Harry defended himself.

"Really sucks, doesn't it?" Louis said smugly.

Harry groaned in frustration.

"Alright, I'll move over." Louis said, giving in. He rolled over onto his side and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. Harry was left minimally covered under the blanket. He curled himself into fetal position. He fell asleep in a few minutes.