Not too sure about this chapter as am not completely happy with how it's written, but just had to upload it as has been playing on my mind all day! Hope it's not too awful, and people still continue to read! Thanks again for all reviews. Keep them coming! :) I think, specially for tigpop, christmas will be next on my list of chapters!

Saturday 5 November 2011 (part 2)

7:42pm Arms will definitely ache tomorrow. Have carried a million boxes of fireworks, and twice as many bags of sparklers, into Leo's house from car. Groan!

7:43pm On the bright side, at least might develop huge bicep muscles as result of strenuous lifting. Hmmm. Perhaps is not as simple as first thought, as suspect development of hunky biceps is due to recurring exercises, such as would experience down gym, rather than single, agonising lifting episode.

7:44pm Am definitely not 'gym person'. Do not have discipline (or time) to go to gym repeatedly. Mind you, would prefer daily gym session to daily fireworks session. Am preparing to grin and bear tonight.

7:45pm Will get started on mulled wine ASAP. Is sure to help matters.

"Harry! Have you bought London's entire supply of fireworks with you?"

Grrr. Would kill Leo if wasn't such great boss and friend.

"I think you'll find, if you have a problem with the quantity of explosives adorning your living room, you will have to take it up with Nikki. She is like some sort of firework Nazi or something! Think fat kid in a cake shop. Only it's Nikki, in Tescos, with sparklers!"

"I might have known you'd have something to do with this, Nikki! Good job on the sparklers!"

Ha, now Janet's joined in! Typical. Bloody typical. Girls all sticking together. Would have to be over something stupid as love for sparklers! Gah!

"Well done to Harry though, for carrying them all in! You really do seem to have bought the entire shop! Your back must be aching Harry, sit down and I'll get you a glass of mulled wine."

7:53pm I take it all back. Janet is goddess! Appreciates my purchasing and lifting of heavy fireworks, and is now offering alcohol and opportunity to put feet up. Leo is v. lucky man.

7:54pm Can't imagine Nikki telling me to put feet up and handing me glass of wine. In fact, too often have to wrestle wine bottle away from her clutches. Can get quite brutal. Especially when have to start tickling process. If wasn't for brutal tickling, would forever be sober in company of ridiculous drunk. Wine battles are deemed necessary for survival of friendship.

7:56pm Mmmmmm. Can smell cinnamonny scent of mulled wine drifting in from kitchen. Wonder if will ever be lucky enough to have wife who will make mulled wine for me?

"Here you go both of you. Go easy on it. I may have accidentally put a little too much liqueur in it. Honest mistake."

Ha. Brilliant! Janet just winked at me. Will not have to worry about mulled wine-making wife after all! Will just steal Janet away from Leo. Sterling Plan.

"Wow Janet! You're right. This is sure to keep me warm when we're standing outside later!"

Love it when Nikki plays down love of strong alcoholic drinks in effort to seem more 'ladylike'. Is odd as never usually makes much effort to seem womanly etc when at work, or with me, but have noticed presence of other women increases likelihood of acting in feminine manner.

"Don't worry Janet, Nikki's just not used to a nice 'robust' festive drink like this beauty. Too busy necking back her girlie 'spritzers' in trendy London wine bars! But this, this is perfect. In fact , I'd go so far as to say you can never have too much liqueur in your mulled wine."

8:09pm Know for fact Nikki loves the odd whiskey to calm her nerves. Also know will drink Gin, Rum, Scotch, and occasionally vodka, and could probably drink me under table. In fact, am sure at some point in last seven years, have probably woken up under a table after drinking session with Nikki.

8:10pm Received pillow in face for previous comment about Nikki's drinking inabilities. Probably deserved it. Not sure she deserved to have pillow thrown back, but of course did anyway.

8:11pm . Tactical error sees return pillow fire knock mulled wine all down Nikki's front! Would laugh if wasn't so worried about it burning!

8:14pm Have established mulled wine was cool enough not to burn. Phew. Pity realisation had to come after had leapt across room and hurriedly tried to remove Nikki's jumper in what looked like giant perv attack! Slightly embarrassed now.

8:19pm Nikki now dressed in one of Janet's jumpers. Fits pretty well actually.

8:20pm Have been caught staring. If didn't look like huge perv before, when trying to get best friend naked, then certainly do now, looking at her chest. Knew when woke up this morning tonight would be disaster.

"Harry, look, I know you're as eager to see what's underneath this jumper as you were the last, but honestly, we're with company! If you're really that interested, you'll have to ask me later!"

8:21pm OK. Strange things are happening. Am wondering if brain is still functioning correctly after massive embarrassment overload! Best friend definitely just gave permission to see her naked! Ok, maybe not actually see her naked, but she definitely gave me permission to ask. Am positive heard high levels of sarcasm in voice, but subject in general seems rather risky, even for us... Maybe misheard whole thing and have in fact fabricated entire episode in head in hope that might actually get to see Nikki naked?

"I always suspected you two were going at it behind my back! So, how long has this been going on?"

OK. Stranger things are now happening. Have not misheard. That much is obvious. Leo has now assumed am in relationship/ secret tryst with Nikki. That much is also obvious...

"Ah Leo, a lady never kisses and tells. Harry only loves me for my body, hasn't he told you?"

O...K... Strangest thing yet has happened. Nikki has not only suggested various ridiculous notions of nakedness and relationships, but is now not denying their viability. How could Leo actually think we are 'going at it'? Surely if was 'going at it' with Nikki, would have been caught in office or lab, or locker room, or cutting room, or car park or somewhere by now, as would definitely be 'going at it' in all these places given half a chance.

8:23pm Have realised have been sat still for quite some time with mouth wide open, while ridiculous thoughts are processed in brain. Probably look like am drooling at Nikki. Ah well, couldn't possibly make situation any worse than already is.

"Leo, leave them both alone! What they get up to in their own time is their own business..."

Ah. Goddess Janet to the rescue once more!

"As long as they invite us to the wedding!"

8:24pm Eh?

Am no longer interested in stealing Janet away from Leo for mulled wine-making abilities. For one, is awful person on side of Leo, and for some reason Nikki, in this ridiculous thing that is unfolding in front of me. And two, has not made wine strong enough so that ridiculous thing unfolding does not cause awkward feeling in pit of stomach.

"Wedding? Wed... weddi.. sorry, what?"

Great. Have lost power of speech.

"HA! They're only messing with you Harry!"

Nikki finally seems to speak some sense.

"Now get outside with Leo and get those fireworks lit! I'm going to get the sparklers!"

8:25pm Am utterly baffled by what just happened, but am grateful for excuse to end particular conversation.

"Right, yes. Fireworks."

"And don't leave a giant pile by the-"

"By the shed! I KNOW! Thanks for the reminder!"

Will never leave down explosive shed episode from last year. Will be talking point of every firework night to come!

"So Harry, you know you could tell me if there was anything going on between you and Nikki."

"Leo. Seriously. The only thing 'going on' between me and Nikki is regular nights in with wine and a film, or regular nights out with wine and a kebab. All of which are strictly platonic!"

"Right. Well, if there ever was anything...more, I'd like to think I'd be the first to know."

"No Leo, I'd like to think I'd be the first to know! Unlike tonight, when everyone seemed to be in on some joke I had no chance of ever understanding! I actually began to wonder if I'd been sleeping with Nikki and had blocked it all from my memory, you all had me so freaked!"

"Ah, so what you're now saying is that you are pretty sure there's nothing going on between you and Nikki, but in the case of a blocked memory, you couldn't be 100% sure? Sounds like you two are an accident waiting to happen!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Never mind. Now let's just get these lit. The sooner we set off these things, the sooner those two over there will be content and we can all get back inside!"

8:43pm Have lit seven sets of firework 'collections'. Totalling four thousand, three hundred separate 'bangs', all the same as last year, all equally noisy, and all equally bright.

8:44pm Shit! Forgot to check have not left unused boxes near live fireworks. Will quickly run back up garden and see...

8:45pm GAH! Nearly had head blown off by rocket. Have not left unused fireworks around. Will return to patio with others.

8:46pm Great. Am being laughed at by everyone for eternally forgetting about unused fireworks boxes.

8:49pm Forget how bloody loud these things are!

8:50pm Nikki has hands over ears due to noise. Would ordinarily be annoyed as she was one who wanted them in first place, but looks v. v. cute, so cannot possibly be annoyed.

8:51pm Have instead pulled her head onto my shoulder to block one ear, and have put spare hand over other ear, so she can enjoy pretty colours in sky, noise-worry free. Will not admit to anyone present, but am having quite acceptable firework eve, despite shoddy start.

8:53pm Then again, always have bloody good time when with Nikki, Leo and Janet. Is like little dysfunctional family of pathologists and a criminal profiler. Ha! You couldn't make this stuff up!

8:56pm Just felt Nikki's, now free, arms wrap round waist in v. tight hug.

8:57pm Am smiling what suspect to be gigantic smile right now. Hope no one is looking.

9:00pm Have just remembered, have giant packet of Haribo in coat pocket which bought specifically for tonight, but due to continual embarrassing moments, had completely forgotten about!

Will sneak one out of pocket and eat obviously, so as to tease Nikki as much as possible.

9:01pm Worked like a charm! Cue much begging, pleading, and the classic 'puppy dog eye' trick from Nikki.

Will give her ONE sweet. Am such a tease! HA!

9:02pm GAH! Pulled out a ring shaped one!

"Harry, Janet was only kidding about the wedding earlier! You haven't even seen what's under here yet! Don't you think proposing to me, even if it is with such a spectacular ring, is a little premature at this point in our relationship?"

Nikki is laughing, and want to laugh too, but am not currently sure what is coming out of my mouth at all right now. Wish ground would swallow me up! Will just act casual as always and brush off entire ridiculous but scary conversation about fake marriages and jelly rings!

"Well, alright. If you don't want it, I'll have it back. I happen to find the rings the tastiest ones."

"I didn't say that. You can't have it back, you gave it to me!"

"I gave it to you so you could-"

"Harry, Shush, and watch the rest of the fireworks!"

Have shut up.

Have also noticed something strange.

"Nikki, you're wearing the ring."

"Well, we've known each other for seven years. You gave me a ring. Be impolite not to wear it."

9:15pm Is smiling at me now with grin like have never seen before. Am not entirely sure what smile is insinuating, but if am honest, really don't care. Just love seeing her smile.

"Be even more impolite not to eat it though."

Ring is gone. Smile remains.

Maybe fireworks night isn't so bad after all.