Happy December and Happy Holidays. Happy Louis Tomlinson Day. Sometimes you want to immerse yourself in the holiday season, but you still want to maintain a healthy Larry fix. Nothing’s more fun than imagining our boys during the holidays in one of the many universes in which they fall in love. So without further ado…Tis the season for some holiday fics. These are my top six.
Note that some AO3 fics are available publicly on the server, while some require an Archive of Our Own account/membership to access. If you don’t currently have access, you’ll need to sit on a waitlist – typically for a week or two – to gain access. Get yourself on that list ASAP as some of these require that access to read.
The “Summary” is taken from the author’s own AO3 summary. “Why I Liked It” is my opinion (and only mine). “Content Warning” is a mixture of my own warning and sometimes pulled from the Triggers the author has suggested.
These are NOT in ranked order.
- Christmas Always Finds Me by lovelarry10
Summary: Harry and Louis have big plans for Christmas. Neither is into the idea of celebrating, so they book a holiday to sunnier climes. However, fate has other plans in the form of Harry’s ten month old nephew Logan…
Why I liked It: I realized as I’m rereading these fics for this column, this one is really one of only two *really* holiday feeling fics I’ve profiled here. Some of them just take place over the holiday. Oh well. Anyway, I love this little bit of domesticity and the boys discovering they really love each other more than as just best friends–a little slice of domesticity over the holidays, and bonus, baby time with Harry’s nephew.
Content Warning: baby diapers? Seriously not much in the way of trigger warnings, but as always, read the ones provided by the author.
- In a Twinkling by jacaranda_bloom
Summary: Louis’ Nan just wants him to be happy, to settle down with a nice boy, and bring him around for Christmas.
Louis is too busy with his career to bother about relationships, but in an attempt to appease his Nan, he sends her photoshopped pictures of him and his pretend boyfriend, Harry. The fact that the man in the pictures is none other than Harry Styles, world famous Gucci model—and recurrent star of Louis’ fantasies—is irrelevant. It’s not like their paths will ever cross…
So it comes as somewhat of a surprise when Louis returns home for Christmas and walks into his Nan’s sitting room only to find the real-life Harry Styles happily chatting away with the grey-haired ladies of his Nan’s Crochet Circle.
Featuring Niall and Liam as Louis’ childhood friends, Harry as the painfully perfect man of Louis’ dreams, Zayn as Harry’s very protective best mate, Louis’ Nan as a well-meaning matchmaker, and Louis as a guy who thinks he’s happy with his life, until a certain someone shows him what he’s been missing.
Why I liked It: This one is super cute and also has a real holiday feel, more than some of the ones below I’ve mentioned here. It was originally an advent fic, so the author dropped a chapter once each day for 25 days of Christmas. It’s a lovely story of two boys finding each other through the weirdest meet-cute ever. The boys are all here (even Zayn), and Louis is just adorable and sweet. I love his relationship with his Nan, and Harry as a model is lovely. Side of Niam, which is unusual, but lovely. Some nice smut.
Content Warning: A bit of angst but really not much.
- You’re Never Alone with a Moon this Bright, part one of The Woods are Lonely, Dark, and Deep by HelloAmHere
Summary: Louis was a monster. But sometimes, even monsters get a Christmas.
Why I liked It: This whole series is amazing, wonderful–HelloAmHere is one of my favorite authors (as you’ll know if you read my first column last month), and they don’t disappoint on this one. I’m 100% in LOVE with OT5 as werewolves. The way HelloAmHere writes is almost lyrical, poetic. You’re going to love this one. Harry makes cookies and is lovely and warm and soft. Withdrawn damaged wolf-boy Louis is lovelier. They are perfect together.
I’m only linking the one shot here, but you MUST read the full series. It’s wonderful.
Content Warning: They are werewolves.
- Bitter Tangerine by PurpleDaisy
Summary: Maybe it’s Niall, he reasons to calm his storming heart. Maybe he’s not actually gone for the holidays yet, maybe Harry got the dates confused. Slowly, he holds his breath and pushes the kitchen door open. The first thing he sees make him jump, a wooden spoon held out like a sword. Once his brain processes the sight in front of him, it’s less the sword that gets him than who is attached to the wooden spoon.
“Harry,” the swordsmen speaks before Harry can, his voice low and steady though confusion laces each word.
Harry’s breath catches. Every string around his heart, all the protection he spent nine months building, rips out and tears open all at once as he says, “Hi Louis.”
AU: Nine months after they break up, a twist of fate brings Harry and Louis back together at Christmas
Why I liked It: Harry is a pediatric nurse, and Louis is a librarian. BT is an angsty, exes to lovers slow burn taking place primarily over the holidays. It’s NOT a warm, fuzzy, holiday romp. That said, it’s well written, and the payoff is lovely. This is a story about two people who are meant to be together, losing everything and clawing their way back to where they belong. There is solid character development. Well done. Nice back and forth POV. Side of Niall, very small glimpse of Liam.
Content Warning: some graphic descriptions of the wounded patients Harry treats as a nurse and PTSD nightmares.
- The Impossible Now by stylinsoncity
Summary: A wish on Christmas Eve sends Louis to an alternate dimension where Harry is a member of One Direction.
Why I liked It: I love a good magical element in an otherwise “real-life” story. This one is cute, but fair warning, it does have a bit of angst. I love an alternate dimension where they are ALSO in love. Soulmate shit gets me every time, if I’m honest. Niall as a magical creature/Santa-Claus-wish-granting being is one of the best things about this fic.
Content Warning: injury of a major character.
- Santa Baby Honey by SadaVeniren
Summary: “Let’s cut right to the chase,” Niall said, loading the powerpoint, which was just one page, consisting of Louis’ face and the words “How do you solve a problem like this asshole? “It’s the beginning of November and Louis is already being a fuckwit. How are we gonna have him knock that shit off this year?”
aka Louis is the CEO of a toy company and Christmas is a stressful time of year so his assistant decides the best way to make him chill out is by getting him laid through a Secret Santa
Why I liked It: This is a short, quirky, fluff ball. It’s mostly porn without plot, and beware if BDSM isn’t your cup of tea. It’s funny and has some moments of breaking the 4th wall. Fun and Sexy.
Content Warning: Again, if BDSM isn’t your cup of tea, beware of this one.
Xoxo – Rosann
Happy reading and thanks for checking out my recommendations. I’d love to hear from you and what you think of my suggestions! Let me know if you have any thoughts for future themes!
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