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There is no one on the face of the earth more convincing than Zayn Malik, Louis is sure of it. No other soul would ever be able to drag Louis somewhere he doesn’t really want to be, except his (unfortunate) best friend.It’s Thursday evening, there’s a rerun of Friends on Comedy Central, and a box of chicken chow Mein on his coffee table, and a very exasperated Zayn on the phone. Louis hums and ahs in all the right places until the words “So I’ll pick you up at six?” Are ringing in his ears, and Louis realises he’s just complied to plans. Louis sits up and drops the remote, grabs his phone and turns it off speaker to shove it onto his ear. “Sorry Z, what?” Zayn lets out a massive sigh and Louis can imagine him pinching his nose between his fingers. “Bebz, did you listen to anything I just said?” Louis doesn’t say anything, and Zayn definitely knows that’s a no. “One of my work friends is having this party on Saturday, and I want you to come with. We all have to bring someone who no one else from work knows. I told you about this.”Louis sucks his lips in and scratches at his knee. Yeah. Zayn had mentioned it.His chow Mein is sitting dejectedly on the coffee table, taunting him by having no responsibilities and being nothing but something to eat. Fleetingly, Louis envies it. “And you want me to come with I suppose?” Louis asks, dreading the answer he already knows is coming. Zayn has offered up the space in his car for Louis to go to every work do there has ever been, and Louis hasn’t gone to a single one. So yep, he’d be quite the stranger to these people.“Yes, I very much so would actually. S’a bit embarrassing considering I’ve met all of their best friends, and none of them have met mine. I feel like I’m hiding a partner from my parents.” Zayn is guilting him and it’s working because for fucks sake, Louis feels bad. On the tv Ross talks about a dinosaur, makes a misogynistic comment, the audience laughs and Louis glares at him. Prick.With his silence, Zayn carries on; “You’d get to meet Niall, and Lauren and Azari would be there! You haven’t even met them Lou, and we’ve been dating for a month.” Louis rubs his eye because fuck, he hasn’t met Azari yet, and Zayn had been pining over them for a year before he finally asked them out. For fucks sake he’s going to say yes.“I mean- “Zayn interrupts. “C’mon they’ve been dying to meet you, and I know you’d love Niall. It’ll be fun!” See, most persuasive person.Louis leans back on the couch with his chow Mein on his chest now and nods his head. “Yeah, yeah alright I’ll come,”“Yay!” Louis imagines a tiny happy dance there.“But if I’m bored for more than an hour, I’m leaving.”“Yes, yeah whatever yeah. Just as long as you’ll come.” Zayn says and Louis can hear his smile. Bless him, Zayn is a softie and Louis is a softie and Joey is a big softie, caring for Rachel, and Louis smiles at them both. “So, I’ll pick you up at six then? Wear something casual.”Louis rolls his eyes and lets Zayn plan more of his outfit and his hairstyle while Joey and Chandler wreak havoc in Ross’ life and more of his chow Mein disappears.**Midday on Saturday finds him leant over a car fiddling with the oil. The shop is empty bar him and his mate Oli, who is fixing up an expensive Merc for one of their higher paying clients. It’s been a busy day, which is normal for a mechanical shop on the weekends, and Louis wants nothing more than to find out what the fuck is wrong with this Nissan before 1pm so he can go on his bleeding lunch.2pm hits and he’s still not figured out.At three he gives up and marches out to get them both a chippy.Four rolls around and he’s full-on chicken nuggets, Oli is finishing up his paperwork, and Louis is underneath the bloody car now. Not a single reason for the fault in sight.Finally, at half past fucking four, Louis figures it out, and it takes him until just after five to fix it. He closes up the shop after himself and rushes home to get ready for the party.His flat is tiny, just big enough for him, and he does his best to keep his grubby hands to the knot below his belly from the arms of his overalls. He’s got nothing but a muscle shirt and the overalls on, so he makes a beeline for his bathroom and has a shower. It takes a while to get all the oil out from under his nails, and the smell of broken cars out of his hair.Zayn knocks on his door when he’s stood in front of his cupboard in nothing but his pants, staring angrily at his clothes. “Come in Z!” He yells, not taking his hands off his cocked hips.“Jesus Lou,” Zayn covers his face when he finds Louis in his room. “Why aren’t you decent yet?” He asks, still not uncovering his eyes.Louis rolls his eyes with a smile, grabbing his black joggers with two stripes up the sides and slipping them on. “You can look now.” Louis chuckles, going back to glaring at his clothes.Zayn takes his hands off his face and joins Louis in staring at his clothes. “What are you thinking then?” He asks, leaning forward to finger through some of Louis’ shirts and jumpers.Scrunching up his face and pursing his lips, Louis grabs a black fleece jumper and pulls it off it’s hanger. “This maybe?” Louis holds it up to his chest and looks at Zayn.The way Zayn’s face lights up should be funny, but it’s honestly endearing. It’s a simple black Jumper, with a half zip turtleneck, but there’s the fancy Burberry logo in the middle. Zayn had bought for his birthday last year, saved up for it from art commissions because Louis mentioned a few times that he’d liked it. “Yeah, I think that one.”Louis grins and slips it on with nothing underneath, zips it up and fluffs up his hair. He grabs some black trainers and ties the laces while Zayn feeds his fingers through his hair. “I think leave your hair shaggy like this, maybe…” Louis looks up from his shoes and watches Zayn’s concentrated face as he figures everything out. “Swoop it to the side like this, yes!”“Thanks love,” Louis smiles, going to his mirror and checking everything’s in place. “Perfect! Right, I’m all ready, shall we go?”The party wasn’t far from Louis’ flat, and they didn’t need to be there immediately. So, Zayn leaves his car at the parking behind Louis’ flat, and they walk in the warm spring air to Ben’s house. “You’ll love Ben, he’s such a laugh.” Zayn says as they arrive, knocking on the door and beaming when Azari is the one to open it.“Zayn! Babe, come in” They lean forward to peck Zayn on the lips as they walk past, and Louis grins at the two of them. Zayn looks exceptionally happy and seeing him like that makes Louis happy.The three of them wander into the house and find a big group of people all mingling about around a table full of food of all kind and any drink you can imagine. Only then does Louis think back to Zayn mentioning Ben being the CEO of the company, so of course he’s able to provide a day’s worth of food for sixty people.“Azari this is Louis, my best mate,” Zayn says with a big smile as he gestures between them both. “Lou, this is- ““Oh, trust me I know,” Louis smiles, winking at Zayn. “He hasn’t stopped talking about you in a year love, it’s all Azari this, and Azari that. Smitten this one is.” Zayn blushes and gazes at Azari, not even bothering to deny anything he’s just said.Azari is gorgeous, tall with dark skin and even darker hair tumbling down their back. They have gold cuffs around a few braids in their hair, and an outfit to envy everyone else in the room. They’re about the same height as Zayn, and they match him in beauty wonderfully.The three of them chat for a while, Louis learning more about Azari until a strong irish man comes bounding over. “Zayn!” He yells, grabbing him by his shoulders and pulling him into a hug. Not even taking a break to breathe, he pulls Azari into a hug, and they giggle into his shoulder. “Hi mate!” He says happily, looking at Louis and pulling him into a hug also.Surprised, Louis lets out a nervous chuckle and pats him on the back a few times. When the Irishman pulls back, he looks around at the three of them with a bright smile on his face. “I’m Niall, these two know that, and I have no clue who you are ‘cause you don’t have your name badge on.” He points out, while pointing to his own name badge that states that yep, this man’s name is in fact Niall. Or NiaU with the way his two Ls connect in his messy writing.Louis immediately eats up Niall’s happy energy and sees him as the perfect person to laugh with over a beer. “I’m Louis, Zayn’s brought me. I didn’t know we were meant to have badges?”So, Niall guides them all over to a table where those generic ‘Hello my name is blank my pronouns are:’ stickers are, and they each write their names and pronouns and stick them on their shirts or jumpers. (Louis has to redo his twice because the first time his name looks more like loois and the second he accidentally circles the she/her option. Don’t talk about it.)From then on, it’s a lot of mingling. Whoever Niall brought wasn’t with him, and he had said ‘His Harry’ was making friends with the people by the food and they’d see him later. Louis is introduced into way too many people with way too many names, and he decides when he meets the third Tom that he’s glad for the name badges.When Zayn and Azari split off somewhere, Louis presumes to kiss a little, young love and all that (they’re twenty-eight), he decides he might as well make some fun before he inevitably decides to leave.The alcohol table calls for him and he fills up a glass with more Vodka than Red bull, before wandering around and introducing himself with the confidence of his drink. He decides that the ones in the marketing department are his favourite and spends a good hour chatting and laughing with Niall and a few others, Zayn and Azari joining him halfway through.“Oh, there he is!” Niall calls when a, jesus christ, tall bloke comes wandering over.Louis reiterates, jesus christ. This bloke Niall introduces as ‘His Harry’ is fucking tall and lean and his cheeks are flushed with his tipsy state and Louis might need a seat sometime soon.“Everyone, this is my mate and personal trainer Harry, as you can tell he’s allowed me a cheat day, and evidently himself, Harold you’re drunk!” Niall says with far too much glee. Harry giggles at his introduction and takes another sip of his bright pink drink. Louis grins.“Hi everyone,” Harry says and yeah, Louis needs that seat about now please. His voice is deep and pretty, and his smile carves two dimples into his cheeks. “I don’t know names and I fear I’m not able to read very well at the moment so, who are you?”Harry asks around the whole group, shaking hands with everyone and watching their lips as they move. Louis thanks everything that he’s last in the circle, it gives him time to prepare to talk to the angel stood in front of him.When Harry finishes up with Azari (a full two minutes of compliments and shiny smiles that Louis pointedly does not care about), he turns to Louis and offers his hand. “And who are you?” He asks, putting emphasis like he’s excited to know. Louis doesn’t think about it. (He does.)Louis takes his hand and swallows at the way Harry's envelopes his. “I’m Louis and I’m here with Zayn. Or- Zayn and Azari at this point.” Louis smiles over at the couple, wrapped up in each other and looking very happy.With a firm handshake, Harry drops Louis’ hand and smiles at him. “I think I’d like to know more than just your name.” Flirty. Louis wants his kids.Louis flushes under Harry's intense eyes and nods his head. “Might need another drink to catch up with you.”Almost as if to prove his point, Harry reaches out and places his hand next to Louis’ name badge and leans in closer. “If I squint, I can make out your name,” Harry giggles, right into Louis’ ear and Louis thinks that if he doesn’t get that seat soon, he might have to just fall onto the floor. “He/Him. Wonderful.” He purrs. Louis wouldn’t mind if that seat was Harry’s lap.With the weight of his hand on Louis’ chest, Harry pushes him backwards gently, and they get walking into the kitchen.Louis tops up his vodka Red bull with more vodka and no Red bull and spots a seat at the island. He snags it before his knees buckle and sits down. When he turns, Harry plops himself down in the one next to him and gazes at him. “As Niall said, I’m far past tipsy, but I’m ace at small talk. So, you’re here with Zayn? How do you know him?”This is something he can do, chat up a pretty boy with a drink in his hand. “Zayn’s been my best mate since secondary. How do you know Niall?” Louis watches as Harry takes another sip of his fruity drink and reminds himself to shut his mouth when Harry's throat moves as he swallows.He sets down his drink on the table and places a hand over Louis’ forearm. His nails are painted a navy blue to match the bandana draped around his neck. His white shirt is loose over his chest, and one of his arms is covered in tattoos. He has a small claw clip hanging off waistband of his grey trousers. “I work at the gym just down the road from Niall’s work, and we’re pretty good friends outside of me being his personal trainer.” Harry manages, languidly blinking every few words like it’s hard to keep his eyes open.Louis hums, not quite knowing how to answer Harry when his hand squeezes his arm. “Do you go to the gym Louis?” He asks, gazing up at Louis through his lashes. Harry says his name like it’s a prayer. He’s miles taller than Louis, but by slouching in the chair, and leaning forward in a way Louis assumes is because of his drunken state, he has to look up at Louis.With an audible swallow, Louis blinks a few times before pulling his arm away. “Not really no, I don’t get much time out of work for it.” Harry seems to come back to himself a little, straightening up in his chair slightly and opening his eyes properly, rather than the half-lidded expression he was sporting.“Sorry, uh I’ve been a bit forward. I apologise.” Harry whispers, fiddling with his drink and following a drop of condensation down the side with his finger.Louis doesn’t want to break whatever tension they’ve formed, so he moves a little closer. “No need to apologise.” He whispers, looking at the angles of Harry's face, the way his nose sharpens to a point, but the tip shifts down when he moves his lips. Louis needs to stop thinking of the words tip, down and lips in the same sentence. A very abrupt and aggressive full stop appears in his head.Harry purses his lips, his nose points down, and a curl falls out of the pattern of the rest to lay on his forehead. He lifts his hand and rakes it through his hair to push it all back. The bandana moves and his fingers catch on the knot. The blues move together as he readjusts it then lets his hand fall. “I suppose I lose myself a little,” He starts, glancing over to Louis, his cheeks ruddy and red, his eyes wide and his eyelashes prettily framing them perfectly. “When I’ve got such a pretty boy with me, I can’t help but get lost in it.” He finishes and Louis gets lost in a blushy haze, as Harry gets lost in him.They sit and chat for a while longer, Harry noticeably sobering up as he stops drinking his colourful drinks and swaps them out for sprite and some crackers with vegan cheese on top. Louis holds a handful of grapes for him, for a reason unbeknownst to the both of them, and every time Harry takes one, his fingers brush Louis’ hand, and it feels like a zip of electricity courses through them. Like they’re in some sort of fairy tale novel or cringe rom-com. Maybe Louis’ imagining it.Louis has no idea how much time could have passed between them sitting down and now, but he also doesn’t care. When Zayn and Azari find them, they’re with another person, who Azari introduces as their person they’ve brought along. “This is Jake, he’s my next-door neighbour and running buddy sometimes.” They smile, helping push him forward a little bit.Jake is awkward in an endearing sort of way. Like he was written to be the male main character of a coming-of-age movie, like Perks of Being a Wallflower. Louis gives him a smile and he sort of falls over himself.The now five of them talk as a group, Jake adding little things every few sentences. Louis glances over to Harry after a few minutes and finds him glaring at Jake, to only then see Louis catch him and stop to beam at him. Hmm.Niall finds them soon after, and five becomes six, before six becomes four when Zayn and Azari make their exit. Niall chats up Harry a bit, putting him in a bright light like he’s selling something, and Louis can’t help but gaze fondly. Harry eats it all up, his face going a lovely shade of pink and his fingers fiddling with his rings. Louis wants to pet his hair and kiss his pretty lips.When Louis looks over to Jake, concerned by the lack of anything from him, and finds Jake gazing at him. He looks away quickly, then looks back and Louis smiles at him. “Y’alright love?” Louis asks, ever the one to use a pet name and help involve everyone. He’s never not a big brother.It seems like Jake trips over himself there, grabbing for words as he looks at Louis. Niall swoops in and claps him on his shoulder, including him a little more, and Louis feels Harry drift closer. “Lou,” He whispers, leaning into his ear, and Louis feels thankful that he’s facing away because he’s sure his face would reveal him. “Can you help me get outside?” Harry asks, sliding a hand onto Louis’ arm again.Louis turns to face Harry and finds his face close and his lips shiny with spit. Louis glances down at them then slowly back to his eyes, going over his cupids bow and pointy nose. It’s the perfect nose to kiss. “Why’d’you want to go outside love?” Louis whispers back, pulling back to rearrange himself so he’s facing Harry, happy that Niall has Jake in a conversation about something. Golf he hears.Harry doesn’t answer, he just grabs Louis’ hand and gets up. He pulls Louis towards the front door, through the throngs of people without a care of who he bumps them both into. When Harry throws the door open and pulls them both outside, the air is significantly colder than what they were sharing in the kitchen. It serves to sober Louis up almost completely and bring Harry further away from drunk.“He definitely fancied you.” Is the first thing Harry says as they get to the end of the driveway.Shocked, Louis faces him and stops walking. “Who?” He asks, the image of Niall popping into his headfirst. “Niall?” He just about yells.Harry lets out a huge cackle, the quiet street feeling like silence as Louis watches the laugh bubble through Harry's whole body. It’s beautiful really, the way his laugh moves every bit of him. Louis can see Harry’s knees shaking, the tops of his thighs rippling through his trousers. When his shirt stretches over his stomach, Louis catches it jumping with his laugh before he covers it by wrapping his arms around himself. His jawline moves under his skin and his eyes are squeezed shut and it’s just such a gorgeous sight, Harry laughing. A full body movement for that pretty sound to be heard by the people around him. By Louis.And to be the one who caused it, Louis feels like the luckiest man alive to be witnessing this.“No! Not Niall!” Harry stops to chuckle a few more times, his nose scrunched as he walks over to properly face Louis. “Jake, he was drooling over you the whole time he was there. Poor man barely got any words in because he was just staring at you,” Harry amends, reaching out and dragging his fingers down Louis’ jumper. “I like this jumper on you.”
On you.
Louis scrunches up his face and turns away, towards the house. “He did not, he was just nervous,” Louis assures, not moving enough to make Harry drop his hand. “And thank you, Z gave it to me for my birthday last year.” Louis adds, pulling his hand up a little bit to let his fingers fiddle with Harry's.With that small gesture, Harry’s entire face fills out with a beaming smile just like when he laughed. Two dimples carve into his face and Louis wants to kiss them both. Harry laces their fingers together and moves to stand next to Louis before moving them to walk, their hands swinging between them. “And when was this birthday of yours?” Harry asks, a jump in his step.“Christmas Eve.” Louis answers and braces himself for the pity that comes with that.But it never does. Harry’s face just lights up. “Oh! How adorable!” He squeals, inching closer to Louis. “All the pretty decorations and nice food and then your birthday right in the middle, how sweet,” He adds, his expression lustful. “December 24th. The day is yours before it’s anyone else’s.” Harry says, gazing over at Louis with a small smile.Louis doesn’t really know what to say to that. Every other response has been about how unfortunate that must be because he must have been forgotten and how it’s such a hassle to have two such big occasions so close. His mother never made it seem like it was. Sure, the Christmas decorations were up, but on his day (that’s what she’s always called it) he got to have a birthday. He opened his birthday presents wrapped in birthday wrapping and opened card with birthday on the front. He wore his number badge and stripy hat and cut cake with candles on the top.Instead of unloading all of his happy memories, Louis instead asks; “When is yours?”Harry swings their arms again. “February 1st.” Harry says with a grin, looking up at the sky and following the stars. Louis copies him and gazes up, flicking his eyes over to Harry to find him counting under his breath. He’s counting the stars. Louis needs another seat.“Louis, d’you ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there?” Harry asks, and no Louis genuinely might have to sit down for this one.“Harry, I don’t wonder, I know.” Louis answers, looking away from them to watch Harry.Harry also looks down and over to Louis. “Oh, what are they?” He asks as he pulls Louis over to a long bench on the side of the road. He lays down and lets his legs hang over the side, and with a look, prompts Louis to do the same.They end up with their legs dangling over the ends and the tops of their heads pushed together. “They’re fireflies. Fireflies that got stuck up in that big blueish black thing.” Louis responds, doing his best not to giggle under his breath.With a giggle, Harry carries on. “Oh geez, I always thought they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away.” He says, lifting his hand to cover his mouth and laugh into it.“Harry, with you, everything’s gas.” Louis can’t contain his laughter now. He bursts out with a loud laugh and sits up, puts his hand down and leans on it to look over Harry.They both laugh until it reduces to chuckling then giggling. Then Harry reaches out and cups Louis’ neck to bring him closer. “Somebody once told me, that the great kings of the past were up there, watching over us.” Harry whispers, looking into Louis’ eyes before he flicks his gaze to his lips. He subtly pulls Louis closer, their face in opposite directions, until their lips are barely a breath apart.“Who told you something like that?” Louis whispers, leaning in closer.“Rafiki,” And with that, the moment is thoroughly broken. Louis pulls away to snort and Harry can’t help but laugh along with him. “Shit, I ruined it.” Harry says through his laughter.Louis calms down then stands up, reaching out his hand to help Harry stand as well. “You ruined a moment of us quoting The Lion King.” Louis deadpans, which sends Harry off again.They laugh at themselves for a few minutes more, every resurfaced word from their quoting setting them off into giggles again. The night grows later, and the stars get brighter as they wander aimlessly through the streets, no route in mind.Harry asks questions that Louis answers and shoots right back and they learn about each other. Louis’ favourite colour is dark red, “Like Maroon.” And Harry's is light blue, “Like your eyes.” Louis is from Doncaster and Harry is from Holmes Chapel. Harry has one older sister whom he deeply loves and misses often, while Louis has an army of five sisters and a brother, who he definitely doesn’t see enough and must visit soon. They both talk with high praise for their mothers and share secrets of silly shenanigans they got up to when they were younger.Louis texts Zayn that he’s safe and with someone when they’re wandering through an overnight Tesco for a meal deal. Harry lets Niall know that he’s okay and will be home safe and sound soon. But they both feel very safe with each other.They find a park with a picnic table and eat their feast of a sandwich, crisps and vanilla coke for Louis, and a chicken ceasar salad, box of fruit and lemon water for Harry. They chat and giggle and play footsie under the wood while the galaxy moves above them. It’s nearing three, but neither of them yawn or show signs of fatigue because they’re with each other, and Louis doesn’t think he could ever tire of Harry.Louis pushes Harry on the swings and smiles at Harry's shrieks of joy. It’s just past four when Louis finds himself with his back to the noughts and crosses board in the park, with Harry leant over him. “I’ve been with you for at least eight hours, and I’ve yet to have a kiss from you.” He whispers, reaching around Louis to spin the device to show a cross.“Well, isn’t that a tragedy.” Louis grins, crossing his arms over his chest and looking up at Harry, doing his best not to show the affect he’s having on him.Harry honest to god lets out a tiny whine in the back of his throat and cups Louis’ face. “It is a tragedy,” He starts, leaning in close and shuffling his lower half even closer. “I don’t think I can go on much longer.”Louis teases him and leans in slightly closer, their lips gently brushing. “I have vanilla coke breath.” He smiles, pulling away and slipping out from under Harry while he’s distracted with lidded eyes.When he notices Louis is gone, he drops forward and catches himself on the metal bar, before turning to Louis and finding him strutting away. “Looouuuu,” He whines, chasing after him and sliding his hands onto his hips. “Please.” He breathily whimpers into Louis’ ear, crowding up close behind him.Louis giggles, squirming away from Harry's breath. “Aren’t you cold, darling? Just in a shirt?” Louis asks, sitting down at their picnic bench.Harry crowds up into his space again, running his fingers through his hair and down the back of his turtleneck, his cold fingers scratching at the top of his spine. “I’m much warmer with you.” Harry answers, and Louis chuckles at him, at how desperate and pretty the boy is in front of him.Louis opens his legs and Harry steps into them. “Touch me.” Harry begs, reaching down to grab Louis’ hands that were in his lap to instead hold his hips. Louis tightens his hold and stretches his body and neck up to their lips are closer.“Can I kiss you?” Louis asks, putting breath into his voice and lowering his hands.Harry whimpers and doesn’t answer. Instead, he leans down and kisses Louis, sighing through his nose. Their lips move languidly together as Louis shifts his hands to be around the back of Harry’s thighs where he squeezes and feels them tremble under his touch. All that can be heard in the park is the wet smack of their lips, and Harry's tiny moans breaking from his throat.When he breaks away, Harry breathes shallowly and blinks a few times. “Lou, I- ““Sh babe.” Louis whispers then pulls him in for another kiss.Harry takes some initiative and places his right knee onto the bench besides Louis’ body. It gets him a happy sound from Louis, who helps pull half his weight on the seat. “Yes.” Louis murmurs, manoeuvring Harry so his legs are bracketing Louis’ body, and his hips are settled on Louis’ lap.It could be hours they waste away kissing in the park. Louis can’t get enough of this boy sitting in his lap, releasing tiny moans and whimpers and whines whenever Louis does anything. It’s long enough that when Louis pulls away, there are less stars in the sky and its lighter. “Haz.” He mumbles, not being able to carry on because Harry lifts his head from Louis’ jawline to his lips to kiss him more.Louis tries to pull away again, but Harry scratches behind his ears lightly, and Louis’ eyes roll. “Harry,” He tries again, his voice coming out more wrecked than he’d hoped. But then Harry rolls his hips and Louis is a simple man. A simple but determined one. Determined to watch the sunrise with a beautiful boy. “Babe, look.” Louis manages, and grins when Harry finally pulls away and just looks at him.“You’re so beautiful,” Harry breathes, and tries to lean back in, but Louis stops him. “Lou, I want to- I want- ““Love, I meant look.” Harry finally listens and looks up to the sky where Louis is gesturing. His eyes are shinning, and Louis watches his smile widen and his dimples appear as he moves his head to follow all the stripes of colours and lights in the clouds above.Louis just about manages to tempt Harry off of his lap. He whines and he pouts, and he tries to distract Louis by kissing him enough that Louis could forget his name, but he eventually gets Harry sat on the bench. Louis climbs up behind him to sit on the table, with his legs open where he pulls Harry to sit between them.With the sun rising and rainbow colours beaming around, Harry leans his head back to Louis’ chest and wraps an arm around Louis’ leg. Harry watches the sky and Louis watches Harry, a hand in his hair fiddling with his curls while Harry scratches lightly around Louis’ ankle. The day wakes up and Harry cranes his neck up to face Louis who looks down to him. “Lou.” Harry breathes, turning his body slightly to better face Louis.“What?”“What? God you’re so- the colours-“ Harry grapples for words but can’t find any, so pulls Louis down into a kiss instead. “You’re so lovely,” He murmurs against Louis’ lips, sliding a hand up the bottom of Louis’ jumper and around his waist.“And you’re sneaky.” Louis giggles, getting a grip on Harry's hair and teasingly tugging on it.His response is a guttural moan as Harry tightens his arm around Louis. “Don’t start something you’ve got no intention of finishing.” Harry smiles, pecking Louis’ lips a few times before peppering kisses all over his face and jaw.When they pull apart, Louis finds a purple-pink mark on the side of Harry’s neck and smiles, sure there are probably more if he pulled away to inspect properly. “No intention today, but certainly for another time.” Harry’s face gets painted pink with blush and the colours of the sunrise.Time doesn’t feel like it exists when they start walking back towards the roads. Their hands swing between them, and Harry stops them every few steps to cup Louis’ face and kiss him hungrily. It’s easy to get distracted and side tracked when every time Harry passes a wall, Louis can’t help but push him up against it and snog him senseless. Like they’re teenagers in their first relationship.“I’m close by,” Louis whispers when the sky is bright, and they’ve passed a few dogwalkers. “Just up this street.” Louis points up the road and if he squints, he can see the daffodils growing on the tiny patch of grass in front of his flat building.Harry pulls them to a stop by their hands and tugs Louis to face him. “I’m a few streets over,” He answers in a whisper, stepping closer to Louis and gazing down at him. His skin is covered in goosebumps and Louis reaches out to rub his hand over them to try tame them. “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk away if I watch you go in alone.” He adds with a mumble, and Louis just smiles at him,“I don’t think I’d be able to either.”So, there in the middle of a street at some arse crack time, Louis reaches up on his tippy toes and cups Harry's face. He grins when Harry’s cheeks puff together, then closes the distance and kisses him gently. Harry wraps his arms around Louis’ waist and slips a hand up the back of his jumper, the other drifting low to slide along the waist band of his joggers.They snog on a Sunday morning with the soundtrack of early birds and excited dogs, getting lost in each other one more time before Louis pulls away. “No,” Harry breathes, then pulls Louis right back in because it’s not enough, they need more.It could last one minute, or very well could last an hour, but it’s not enough. Somewhere deep-down Louis fears he’ll never get enough of Harry.Eventually though, they manage to pull apart enough for Louis to drop down to his flat feet, and Harry lets his hands slide further up Louis’ body, still not ready to let go. Louis moves his hands from Harry's face to the sides of his neck and brushes his thumbs over his jawline, dipping them in to his dimples when they show up.“Okay love, I’m gonna go now,” Louis whispers, but doesn’t make any effort to actually move. Harry just slides his hands around under Louis’ jumper and all over his skin some more, letting his thumbs settle beside Louis’ belly button and his hands wrapped around his waist. “I need to go Haz.” Louis adds, and this time manages to pull away, so his hands drop to his sides. But Harry keeps his there, rubbing softly at Louis’ skin so Louis grins.“Alright, just-“ Harry pulls Louis in close one more time and starts kissing and sucking at Louis’ neck, enough to make him giggle loudly and squirm away from him with a big smile on his face. Harry covers his entire face in kisses, then finally lets him go and takes a step back. “Go home before I follow you there.” Harry grins, turning around to walk away so Louis is forced to.They go their separate ways and Louis gets into his house through a haze of happiness and dark green. He slips into bed and puts his phone on charge, to see the time 7:48 glaring back at him. He’s working this afternoon, so he has enough time to sleep, but the grin on his face barely lets him.He falls asleep, and only when he wakes up an hour before his shift does he remember that he never got Harry’s number.++++Sunday is a big blur for Harry. He gets home around eight and falls asleep into happy dreams of blue eyes, soft hair and a pretty smile. He’s not working because none of his clients get trained on Sunday’s, but he is planning on going in for his own personal workout. However, when he picks up his phone ready to go, he realises he’s not got Louis’ number.He’d spent all day thinking about Louis, even in his dreams, but never once stopped to think about why he hadn’t had a text or a call from the boy. Because he hasn’t got his number. Sunday passes in a more solemn manner from then on. Harry does his workout with earphones in, so he doesn’t have to think about it and finishes his evening lounging about in self loathing with shit tv and a prepared meal from the previous weekend.At 9pm he forces himself to make his meals for the next week. He cooks salads and fish and healthy snacks for work and gets distracted by everything. This tomato is red just like the words on his jumper. This lid is black like his outfit. The sauce is the same colour as his hair. He held grapes just like these for me. We snogged in a park and held hands walking home and I didn’t get his number. Harry goes to sleep significantly sadder than earlier.**While Sunday was a jump from extremely high on happiness, to wallowing in self pity, Monday is full of determination.He only has two clients in the day, Niall at 7:30 for an hour, then another around midday. Between those, he fits in his own workout and some paperwork in his office, his head full of Louis all day. He gets a tad distracted while doing his own workout by thinking of Louis working out, without his shirt on and grunting breathily. He takes a break and drinks a lot of cold water before carrying on.Getting done with everything before his last client leaves the afternoon free, perfect for his plan. He waves goodbye to all the other workers, thanking Emma for letting him have the afternoon off, and rushing out to his car parked in the staff area.He knows Louis works at some mechanics place, and his mate Oli works there. They’d talked more about their jobs at around 2am, so Harry knows just about enough to get by. He had spent a little while in his office looking up mechanical shops around the street Louis lived on and found two. One called ‘If it’s broke, we’ll fix it’ which Harry clicked on to and snooped through the website. There was a staff picture and Louis was not there, so Harry clicked away.The other he had found was called ‘Wright fix’ and when he clicked onto the website, the first picture on the page was a ginger bloke with big ears and an even bigger smile, stood with his arm around Louis.
‘Wright fix has been in the Wright family for four generations, and is currently owned by the handy Oli Wright, partnered with long time best friend Louis Tomlinson.’
When he found it, Harry had grinned into his chest at knowing Louis’ surname, and where he worked.Now, after going home to shower and change before venturing out, Harry takes the last turn into the shop and finds the ginger lad from the picture with navy blue overalls on, twisting some sort of tool to try and fix something in an expensive looking car. Harry’s not great with cars, can you tell?Harry steps out of his car and shuts the door behind him, loud enough that Oli turns away from his work to look at him. “Hiya mate, you must be John, right?” Oli starts, and Harry doesn’t have enough time to correct him before he carries on. “Louis’ gonna be working on yours, he’s just out back I’ll fetch him.” Harry doesn’t get any chance to stop him before Oli is walking off and away to ‘out back’.Harry just dawdles for a minute or two, fiddling with his rings and fluffing his curls. He’s got a pair of black skinny jeans on and a red button up, loosely blowing in the spring wind, and a pair of black sunglasses to keep the spring sun away.“I swear you said it was a Honda?” Harry hears Oli say as he and Louis make their way over to the front of the shop.“That’s what he said, a Honda Civic,” Louis says, and Harry instantly gets nervous. “Why?” He says just as they come around a car into sight and Louis stops.Oli just carries on walking, back over to the car he was working on and getting back to it, but Louis is just looking at Harry. He has the top half of his overalls off, and the arms tied around his lower belly in a knot. Harry just stares, letting his eyes flick over his arm full of tattoos, then the other almost just as full. He’s wearing a muscle shirt and it dips low enough for Harry to see a chest tattoo. His breath is gone, and he’s forgotten all that he was going to say.“Harry.” Louis breathes, quiet enough that Oli doesn’t hear him.Harry doesn’t really know what to do or say, all semblance of his plan gone from his mind. So, in lieu of doing something else and getting caught up in details, Harry strides over, cups Louis’ face and kisses him.It’s not long but it’s also not brief. It’s perfect.They pull apart with a quiet sound, and Louis blinks his eyes open, his hands wrapped around Harry’s wrists. They smile at each other, and Louis’ face is a pretty shade of pink, all the way to the tip of his nose. “What are you doing here?” Louis asks in a whisper, Oli still oblivious to them.Harry rubs his thumb under Louis’ cheekbone and looks all over his face. “I didn’t get your number,” Harry starts, grinning when Louis looks down to giggle quietly. “And I’d rather say this in person anyway,” He carries on, leaning in to kiss Louis’ nose then peck his lips. “Go on a date with me?” He says it with a tiny murmur of a question, and the sounds of pleading.Louis’ smile grows and he leans up to capture Harry’s lips in another kiss. “I’d love to darling.” He whispers between kisses, moving his hands to go into Harry’s hair and scratch tightly at his scalp.“Are you sure you don’t go to the gym?” Harry says while moving his hands to drift down Louis’ arms, over his biceps and to his wrists.“Oi, why are you necking John?”**It’s the Saturday marking a week after they met when Harry picks up Louis and fully wines and dines him. After a week of constant texting and calling, three gym visits from Louis and two shop visits from Harry, they spend a whole evening together. They dress up in fancy clothes, Harry collects Louis with a bouquet of flowers which earns him a quick snog before they make their way to a fancy restaurant.They’re sure they piss off everyone else with their loud chatting and even louder laughing. Harry isn’t nervous and Louis rubs his knuckles over the table as if he is. They split a dessert and share a fork, gazing at each other like they can’t wait to get themselves alone.In a bow to the first night they met, they wander around the streets until midnight, holding hands and sharing kisses, gazing up at the stars and making up stories because they don’t know anything about the stars, and they only know what they watch at night.They spin in circles and giggle into each other mouths, until Louis whispers ‘Come home with me.’ Into Harry's mouth, and he’s go no mind to say no to that.Their evening ends with breathy sounds and tiny laughter as they move together and wander each other’s bodies with their lips and tongues. Louis traces every tattoo, mark, line, and mole on Harry's body with his fingers and follows with pretty kisses for his pretty boy. Harry rests his head on Louis’ chest and draws around Louis’ ink with the tips of his fingers and kisses the skin he can reach.The moon shines in the sky, the stars acting as brackets as they fall asleep wrapped in the lust of each other, the sheets a tangled mess around their ankles. They wake up to the sun in the sky and the other’s eyes. Louis kisses Harry, morning breath be damned, and they spend the morning learning their bodies all over again.****Four years into loving one another finds Harry with a permanent ring to match Louis’. It finds them in the park where they kissed for the first time, where Louis proposed in the early morning and where they first went the morning after their marriage, still in their suits. It finds them with a picnic laid out for the two of them and their three children.They adopted Max first two years ago, soon after their wedding, when he was three. Now five, he takes the role of big brother to two sisters very seriously. He badgers over Rose to make sure she eats enough food, drinks enough water and lets it all settle before they’re rushing off to play again. She’s barely a year younger and was adopted six months after Max, and Louis loves how much responsibility he’s taken on with her.Their third child is far more recent, and with a bigger age gap. Yelena is only 18 months old, and they’ve had her for two months. She’s a gorgeous little addition to their family, and Max barely leaves whoever is carrying her alone, making sure she’s safe and comfortable.Harry holds Yelena up under her armpits, so her socked feet are just barely touching the table as she giggles happily at her two fathers. Max watches on sceptically, making sure Harry doesn’t upset her, and Louis settles him down by brushing his hair back. “She’s alright love,” He whispers, lifting him up onto his lap as Emma comes bounding over to tickle Yelena’s belly. “We’re all happy, see?”Max looks up at Louis, and Louis leans down to kiss his forehead, listening to Yelena babble and Emma giggle, with Harry smiling dimply all in the middle of it.They’re all very happy.