Chapter Text
Harry collapsed onto the sofa, bottle of beer in each hand.
“One of them for me?” Louis asked with a grin, reaching out from his chair to prod at Harry with his toe.
“Nope. Big day today, you go get your own.”
Louis pouted, and prodded at Harry again and again until the man rolled his eyes and passed him one of his beers. “Cheers!”
“Lazy.” Harry snorted.
Louis poked his tongue out, wagging it from side to side until Harry gave him a wide toothy smile.
Then Harry swallowed down a mouthful of beer and asked “You talk to your Mum?”
“Uh, not yet.” He replied sheepishly. “Bit noisy out there today. Hard to do anything when the kids are like that.”
Harry crinkled his brow and said “Hey! They weren’t bad!”
“I never said they were bad, babe, just that they were noisy.”
“What you did today?”
Truth be told, Louis did what he’d done every day for the past two months; he watched Harry work.
He couldn’t help it, really. The amount of mornings he’d got out of bed with the intention of actually accomplishing something were ridiculous, but he never did because Harry was too fun to watch.
They’d only lived in Doncaster for five months or so but Harry already seemed to have everything sorted.
When they had returned from the jungle, and after Louis’ short stint in hospital to get his leg seen to, they spent a couple of months in London just doing absolutely nothing. They spent the time cuddled up in Louis’ flat together, so absorbed in their own little world that they paid no attention to the outside. And in time, the outside world lost interest in them too.
It only took a few weeks of hiding out, but eventually the paparazzi that had been waiting in the streets and the journalists that had been speculating about what they were up to abandoned their search for answers. When Louis was in hospital it had been hard to hide out, reporters so hungry for information that they lied their way into his room for interviews, but he only had to put up with it for a couple of days before he could go home.
And when he went home, he just didn’t leave.
He deleted his twitter, quit his job, and changed his phone number so only people he liked could contact him.
Louis’ friends had been worried at first, suspecting he was having some kind of post-jungle breakdown, but they realised it was for the best. Besides, Zayn was still staying in Louis’ guest room so made it his job to keep watch. Which Louis appreciated, in all honesty, because he was stuck wearing a bloody cast on his leg for six weeks and needed help doing practically everything.
His manager, or ex manager, did what she could to help too, no love lost between them. She helped ease him out of the modelling business, keeping as many contacts as possible happy with him, hopeful that Louis would one day return. Which was useless, but Louis wasn’t going to say anything. He appreciated everything she did for him.
Louis found it nice having Harry to himself. They’d spend whole days on the sofa watching marathons of shows on Netflix or in bed having slow sweaty sex under the duvet. Louis would eat whatever he wanted, concern for his body weight gone with his job as a model. Because of Louis’ leg, Harry made all of their breakfasts and lunches so he didn’t really get to eat much worse than he would have liked. Still, it was nice to have the freedom. Plus, Zayn made their dinners when he got home from work most evenings and the food he made was always delicious.
Then there was showering. Having a cast on his leg made it almost impossible to do without help, which Harry was more than happy to offer. Louis had a slight suspicion that Harry actually loved that most about the whole situation. He would carry Louis into the stall and prop him up against the wall, wiping him down with a flannel and washing his hair until he was squeaky clean, then sucking him off while he struggled to stay on one leg. He’d have to grip Harry’s head for support, which only encouraged him further. It was probably Louis’ favourite thing about the whole thing too, in all fairness.
But despite their days of cuddling and sex and TV, eventually they got bored; Harry of being cramped indoors, and Louis of London all together.
It made sense they move to somewhere smaller and quieter, so of course they found a house in Doncaster not far from Louis’ family.
Well, his Mum found it, and checked it out for them, and said it would be perfect. It was ridiculously big, far too big for just the two of them, but it had a huge garden and that was what sold it to Louis in the end. Plus, the buying price was the same as two years’ rent in his London flat; he couldn’t complain about that.
Louis’ family was over practically every weekend for dinners and sleepovers, and on her way to work every morning Louis’ Mum dropped the babies off to be looked after. Which Harry absolutely loved.
It was how Louis originally got the idea.
Harry was so good with them, so gentle and attentive and caring and just all round amazing, that Louis asked his Mum if perhaps she knew of anyone who needed some help with their children. For a price, obviously.
Turns out, she knew a lot.
Harry went from caring for Louis’ siblings to looking after six kids all out of their house. It was safe to say Harry loved it.
He had endless amounts of energy like they did, could run around in the garden for hours with them playing tag and hide and seek and make believe. The kids were in awe of Harry, Louis could see it in their little faces. It was like they knew he was kind right to the core, that there was no one more gentle and honest than him.
The oldest of the children was four, and when she’d first come she was a right terror. She’d snatch toys from the others, throw herself on the ground in fits when she didn’t get what she wanted, and scream until she turned blue in the face if any of the other children got Harry’s attention. She’d choose the books Harry read before naptime, would refuse most of the food Louis prepared for them, and would poke the twins until they cried.
But this behaviour didn’t last long; Harry had her eating out of his palm after the third day. All he did was give her hugs and piggy backs and pull funny faces until she laughed, and when Louis asked him how he did it Harry replied “She is a lot like a baby monkey. She is cheeky like them, and loud, and very quick. When they were sad I just settled them with hugs and let them in my hair.”
“Right.” Louis had replied, eyebrow quirked up. “Don’t tell her parents that, though.”
But whatever Harry was doing worked. Louis was sure Harry was a genius when one afternoon he heard the naughty girl say to her parents “I want my hair long like Harry’s. I want to be tall like him, too!”
They just laughed fondly, but Louis knew what she meant. They all idolised him, Louis watched them all follow after him in the garden every single weekday morning, the toddlers waddling on their little chubby legs and the older ones running circles around him, jumping around in front for his attention. Louis couldn’t say he blamed them.
He missed having Harry all to himself.
Louis tried to busy himself by helping Harry where he could, he handled the parents and the money and the food, but apart from that he felt pretty useless. Louis had had jobs since he was sixteen, had known exactly what he wanted to do since he was that age too, and it was a horrible feeling to have no idea what he wanted in life any more. Harry had his little business that could eventually expand, but Louis only had Harry. If there was one thing Harry had taught him, it was that thinking about one’s own happiness was important too.
Louis needed to find something to occupy himself or he would become dangerously dependent on Harry again. He knew all of this, anyway, but he wasn’t exactly doing anything about it. It was too easy for Louis to spend his days sitting outside watching Harry play with those children, seeing how happy the lot of them were together brought a smile to his face, and he was getting too comfortable on his arse doing nothing for himself.
It was classic him. He wanted to change things, he knew he needed to change things, but he just couldn’t be bothered. It was something to worry about later, something that would happen when it absolutely had to.
And that time wasn’t right then, sitting in the lounge with a beer in his hand and Harry watching him expectantly.
“The usual.” Louis answered with a shrug. “Still trying to find something all the kids would like eating. Can’t believe one of them doesn’t like pasta. Every kid likes pasta.”
Harry put his beer on the coffee table, then opened his arms wide. “Come sit.”
So Louis did, plopping down on Harry’s lap so they were facing each other. Harry put his hands on Louis’ hips, and Louis pressed a palm to the back of Harry’s neck, fingers latching onto his hair. His other hand was still clutching the beer, so he twisted around to put it down by Harry’s one.
“Finished?” Harry smirked.
Louis rolled his eyes, then ducked quickly down to give Harry’s collarbone a peck. The boy beneath him squawked out a laugh, and Louis did it again just to hear more.
“Stop!” Harry whined. “Want to kiss you properly!”
“You gotta catch me first!” Louis said with a grin, and jumped off Harry’s lap. He wriggled his eyebrows at Harry, waiting for him to catch on.
And when Harry’s mouth changed from a confused pout to a grin of realisation, Louis spun on his heels and made a run for it.
He barely made it upstairs before Harry had him, throwing a cackling Louis over his shoulder and carrying him into their bedroom.
Then Harry dropped Louis onto the bed and sat on his thighs, grabbing Louis’ wrists with one hand and pressing them into the pillow. With his free hand he rucked up Louis’ shirt and pressed a kiss right in the middle of his torso.
“I thought you wanted to kiss me properly.” Louis teased.
Harry simply hummed, and kissed a little higher on his chest. Louis’ heart leapt, and Harry grinned as if he’d seen it happen. Then he kissed Louis’ left nipple, then his right, and said “This is properly” and planted his lips on Louis’ throat and sucked.
Louis whined “I think I prefer it when you aren’t a tease. At least when you’re horny you give it right up.”
“Liar.” Harry murmured into his skin. “You come best when I take my time and tease. And I am horny. Just want to make you more.”
“I am more.” Louis groaned, trying to tug his hands free so he could grab hold of Harry’s head and kiss the life out of him. Harry was too strong though, and continued teasing with his tongue while Louis writhed beneath him.
Louis had never realised how much better sex could be with someone he loved. He’d always figured it would be boring shagging the same person night after night, but with Harry it never was. They knew exactly what the other liked, could tell how far off they were from coming and what to do to get them there. They were always learning too. Just when Louis thought he knew every inch of Harry off by heart he’d find a new freckle on his skin to taste or hear a new noise fall from Harry’s lips. And, such was his nature, Harry loved to learn. He’d find new positions for them to try out, would experiment with new kinks, always looking for new things to do. Some of it wasn’t great, some of it was fucking incredible, and some of it was just too weird for Louis to even want to try. But something that would remain Louis’ favourite, no matter how much research Harry did and how many new things he found to try, was when Harry rode him.
Harry had endless stamina and incredible core strength, could probably ride Louis for days. They’d once tried to see how long Harry could manage it, but they never found out because it was Louis who had to tap out, cock overstimulated to a painful degree.
Harry’s face would scrunch up with determination, his mouth would fall open with pleasure, his eyes would glisten with desperation, and Louis could just lie back and watch it all happen.
It’s what he hoped would happen with Harry sitting on his thighs like he was. They’d tried cuffs and ties, but having Harry holding his hands to the bed was way hotter.
“Haz!” Louis whined, bucking his hips into nothing. “I’m so horny already, you wouldn’t believe. Just get on my cock already.”
Harry chuckled against his neck, breath cooling Louis’ saliva-wet skin and making him shiver. “Wanna suck you first. Lick and suck everywhere.”
Louis groaned “Get on with it, then”. But Harry just grinned in answer, and Louis knew he was in for a long night. “Want you to fuck me.”
Harry released Louis’ wrists and shuffled down his body, planting his hands on Louis’ hips. “Fuck my mouth, then I’ll fuck you.”
“Christ, okay.”
Harry wrapped a hand around the base of Louis’ cock and licked a long stripe up the underside. Louis instinctively bucked his hips, and Harry glared up at him. Louis obeyed the wordless command to be still, gripping the pillow underneath his head and focusing on that to try to calm himself. Only then did Harry wrap his lips around the head of Louis’ cock.
Louis couldn’t contain the groan that slipped from his mouth, and Harry rewarded him by swirling his tongue around and over Louis’ slit.
Fuck but it was good. Always so much better than quick fucks, when Harry took his time and teased. Everything he did felt so thought out, like he’d planned beforehand exactly what he was going to do to Louis, and it made Louis feel pleasantly overwhelmed. Like he was completely helpless, totally under Harry’s control.
Harry relaxed his throat and lowered his mouth down onto Louis’ cock, then drummed his fingers on Louis’ hipbones, their silent way of saying ready.
So Louis fucked up into Harry’s mouth, thrusts shallow because of how high Harry was sitting on his legs. He could only manage small hip rolls, but fuck was it good. Harry’s throat was tight and warm and wet around him, his lips soft against his skin.
Then, with a pop, Harry pulled off. He rolled off of the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, then jumped back onto the end of the bed with the lube in one hand. He pushed Louis’ legs up and apart then settled himself between the gap. Harry stared down at Louis’ cock, slick wet and shiny with his spit, and grinned.
“Gonna open you up now.” He said, covering three fingers with lube.
“Hurry up.” Louis whined.
Harry answered by sucking Louis into his mouth again, holding his hips down with one hand on his lower abdomen and using the other to spread Louis’ arse cheeks apart.
Harry’s finger pushed through his rim just as he gave a particularly strong suck, and Louis couldn’t help but gasp out. Before he could even get his breathing under control, Harry added another finger. Louis liked to feel the stretch of two fingers best, one wasn’t quite enough and two was just the right amount of too much, and Harry knew not to wait too long between entering the first and the second.
Louis’ breathing was growing ragged already, so Harry pulled his mouth from Louis’ cock and planted his lips on Louis’ pubic bone instead. He kissed it sweetly, in complete juxtaposition to how his wet fingers were fucking in and out of Louis’ hole hard and fast, scissoring them and twisting them on every push in.
“Ready?” Harry breathed against his skin, and after Louis whined out a yes he added a third finger, brushing his knuckles against Louis’ prostate and sending a jolt through him.
“I’m ready for your cock.” Louis groaned. “Had enough of fingers.”
Harry didn’t need to be told twice, pulling his fingers out and pouring more lube onto his palm. He stroked himself quickly, covering his cock in the substance, then he lined himself up.
His cock nudged at Louis’ entrance, tantalisingly close as he asked “You sure?”
Louis rocked his hips, whining out a “Fucking yes”.
Harry held his cock in one hand and slowly pushed in, pausing when Louis whimpered. “Too much?”
“Yeah, but don’t stop.”
So he sunk into Louis deeper, keeping eye contact, watching Louis’ expression to see whether he needed to stop. But Harry’s concern only made Louis want him even more, for them to be even closer, so Louis canted his hips up to pull him further in.
Harry rocked his hips experimentally, brushing Louis’ prostate and making him moan. It gave Harry the confidence to pull out further before pushing back in again.
Louis threw his head back, pushing his hair into his hands that were still above him despite no longer being under Harry’s hold. His fingers gripped onto the strands, tugging, trying to bring himself back down.
“So good, Haz, fuck. So good.” He gasped.
Harry responded by pulling out until only the very tip of his cock was keeping Louis open. “Yeah?”
“No,” Louis whimpered, opening his eyes to find Harry grinning cheekily. “In. Fuck me, please. Need it.”
“This?” he teased, pushing in half an inch, smile growing when Louis gave a high pitched whine.
“Yes, no. More!”
Harry did as he was told, pushing in to the hilt, swerving his hips and pulling out again. Before Louis could complain, Harry drove in hard and fast repeatedly, finally fucking him how Louis needed it.
Louis gripped his hair harder to stop himself taking hold of his own cock, and Harry wrapped a hand around him as if he could read his mind.
Harry jerked Louis in time with his thrusts, hand moving faster with his hips until Louis felt like that pleasant buzz of too much.
“I’m gonna come.” Harry grunted the words on the edge of Louis’ tongue.
Louis felt Harry’s thrusts getting erratic and he whined “Don’t stop, keep going.”
Harry clenched his eyes shut and stilled his hand on Louis’ cock for a moment, trying to calm himself, but Louis wasn’t having it. He canted his hips, fucking up into Harry’s loose fist, clenching around Harry tightly.
Harry came with a stream of groaned Fucks, slowing his hips, causing Louis to beg him to “Keep going. Fuck, don’t stop.”
Harry collapsed onto Louis, cock still buried deep, managing a few shorts thrusts. He was still thick inside Louis, come warm and wet inside his arse.
Louis rolled his hips, fucking himself on Harry’s cock and up into Harry’s hand until he was coming onto Harry’s fingers and stomach.
“Fuck.” He huffed, completely exhausted.
“Yeah.” Louis agreed from beneath him, finally letting go of his own hair to run his fingers through Harry’s instead. “Good work.”
Harry snorted a laugh into Louis’ chest. “You too. We need to clean the come. It everywhere.”
“Your turn.”
Harry groaned in response. He carefully pulled himself from Louis’ arse before rolling off the bed to get a flannel.
Louis managed to keep his eyes open long enough to watch Harry’s arse waddle away, but had already drifted off by the time he was leaving the bathroom again.
---
The thing with Harry was that he still woke up at ridiculous hours of the morning, no matter how late they were up the night before.
Louis felt the tell-tale shift in the bed when Harry got up, and cracked open an eye to look at the time. It was just gone seven, so he groaned and rolled onto his stomach. Which rumbled, crying out to be filled.
He tried to ignore it for as long as possible, desperate to go back to sleep, but it was pointless.
Louis forced himself up, and stumbled out of the room in search of Harry.
“Haz!” He called, then let out a croaky yawn. “Babe, ‘m hungry!”
“In here!” Louis heard coming from the lounge, so he wandered in only to find Harry bent over backwards, feet and hands firmly pressed to the ground with his back arched and his stomach high in the air.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Yoga!” Harry said, head still hanging upside down, the ends of his hair brushing against the floor. “Keeps me stretchy.”
“How do you know about yoga?”
“TV! Before the breakfast news show they do it. At six o’clock. I missed it but I remember moves so now I can do it with no watching.” Harry slowly lowered himself to the ground as he spoke. “You want to join?”
“God no! I’ll go make us some breakie.”
Louis made himself a cuppa as the bread toasted, watching Harry contort his body into different positions. It was a hilarious sight, but also an incredibly hot one.
Harry didn’t wear clothes around the house. He only did when people were coming over or they were going out, but when it was just the two of them Harry wore nothing so the majority of weekends were spent nude.
So there Harry was, on a rug in the lounge room, doing yoga with his cock hanging free.
It did explain a lot. Harry was incredibly flexible and his muscles were still incredibly defined despite the fact that he didn’t do exercise, as far as Louis knew. He’d thought Harry’s only method of expelling energy was running around with the kids until he’d discovered the secret yoga. Louis wondered if that was also how Harry could get into the most impossible of positions during sex. He’d always figured it was because of the muscles he used and the joints he worked during his jungle days that most people would never have had to use.
“I want jam toast!” Harry called when he heard the toast pop up. “And throw me a banana please.”
“You can have it at the table, you always leave the peels everywhere.”
“Fine.” Harry harrumphed, and Louis grinned down at the toast he was buttering.
“I’ve found too many rotting in weird places to risk it love.”
“I said fine!”
“No need to be grumpy about it.”
Harry sighed loudly as he stood up straight. He walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Louis and gave him a kiss on the nape of his neck. “I not grumpy. I just didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. Now you do. Peels go in the bin, yeah?”
“I knew that. Just I didn’t know I forgot sometimes about it.”
Louis turned his head around enough to give Harry a quick kiss. “What jam do you want?”
Harry pursed his lips in thought, and Louis couldn’t help but kiss them again before Harry answered with “Blackberry.”
“’kay. Can you pour us some juice?”
“Yep.”
Louis missed Harry’s arms around him as soon as they were gone. He’d never been with anyone who liked touching as much as Harry did, and it was one of his favourite things. He had a lot of favourite things about Harry, too many to count, but his need for receiving and giving affection was definitely in Louis’ top ten.
After they ate breakfast, Louis called his Mum.
“You promised you’d call yesterday!” she chastised.
“Hello to you too.”
“Oh, stop it. How were the kids this week?”
Louis rolled his eyes at the question. “Fine. Good. Like they always are.”
“And Harry?”
“Amazing as always.”
“What about you?”
“Good.”
“Anything new?” she asked hopefully.
“No.” he replied. And here it comes.
“I just worry about you Lou!”
“I know Mum, you tell me that every time I see you.”
“You’ve just gone through so many changes in the last year, and I know what you’re like. I know you’re not used to doing nothing, or relying on others. You’ve had to worry about yourself ever since you were a little boy.” Louis rolled his eyes again, because the amount of times he’d heard this spiel from his mother was ridiculous. He knew she felt guilty about how little time she had for him once the first set of twins were born, she’d outright said it so many times, just like he’d told her it was not an issue. He’d accepted that he had to look after himself when he was a teenager and just got on with it. Packed his own lunch for school, washed his own clothes. It was all for the best, what with how early he left home to move to London. “But Louis, don’t let anything build up. If you’re feeling lonely, say something. If you’re getting bored, find something to do! If you’re getting jealous of Harry then don’t let it grow into resentment.”
“Christ, Mum, if I knew you wanted to lecture me I wouldn’t have called!”
“Don’t be like that love.”
“You don’t be like that!” he snapped.
And Harry was by him, arm thrown over Louis’ shoulder and pulling him into his side in comfort. “Can I speak to her?” he asked, and Louis nodded and pushed the phone into his hands. “Hello!” Harry said chirpily.
Louis could hear the faint chatter of his Mum but couldn’t make out exact words.
“They are very good, yes.” Harry hummed. “Getting bigger all the times! They played with blocks this week, getting very good at building.”
There was a pause, then Harry laughed. “Yes, one day. Are you coming for dinner tonight?”
Louis poked Harry’s thigh and shook his head. “The boys are coming over remember? They’re all driving up and staying for the night.”
Harry nodded and said into the receiver “Another time, yes. I am going now, would you like for to say goodbye to Lou?” Another pause. “Yes, goodbye! Love you!”
Then Harry was shoving the phone back into Louis’ palm with a stern look.
Louis sighed before pressing the phone to his ear. “Sorry Mum.”
“It’s fine, love. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah yeah. We’re fine. I’m fine, honestly. If I feel any of those things I’ll tell you okay?” he lied.
But his Mum believed him. “Yes, please.”
“Love you Mum.”
“Love you too.”
And after Louis hung up the phone he dropped it down onto the sofa and groaned. “I love Mum, I do, but I’m too old to be told what to do! She keeps trying to make sure I’m okay which makes it feel like she thinks there’s something wrong, you know?”
“I know.” Harry nodded.
“Do you actually know or are you just saying that?”
“I actually know. But it’s because she cares! Don’t be rude to her.”
Louis sighed again, but didn’t say anything more. Harry was right, as usual. Louis just wanted to whine but it was awkward to whine about his Mum when Harry’s was so – odd. They’d only heard from her twice since she left them in the jungle. The first time was when she got back, calling to tell them she was okay, and the second was when they first moved to Doncaster and she promised to visit them. That had been over a month ago, though.
Louis would just complain to Zayn when he got there that evening.
“Can we watch telly now?” Harry asked, already reaching for the remote.
“Yeah, I’m done on the phone.”
Louis lay himself down on the sofa while Harry scrolled through the Sky menu, rolling onto his side and putting his head on Harry’s thigh and curling his legs until his knees were against his chest.
Harry put his spare hand in Louis’ hair and fingered the strands, and Louis was asleep before Harry had even picked a program to watch.
---
Their mates didn’t get there until well after lunch, and Harry ran to them with open arms as if he hadn’t seen them for years.
It had only been a few weeks since they were over last.
Niall was first to get a hug, laughing when Harry nuzzled into his neck and gripped him tight. “Good to see you too.” He snorted. Then, when Harry released him to grab hold of Liam, Niall came over to Louis for a quick hug. They’d all become very huggy since Harry joined their little gang, they barely even shook hands before Louis’ trip to the jungle.
“What you been up to?” Louis asked as he pulled back. “You’re looking very pink.”
“Been golfing loads. It’s this bloody Irish skin, burns in seconds. What about you?”
Louis shrugged. “The usual. Nothing.” Then he turned to Liam, whose face was slightly pink after Harry’s hug. “All right?”
“Yeah, mate, forgot what he’s like.” Liam said, grin falling over his face. He threw one of his arms over Louis’ shoulders and asked “What’s been going on?”
“Nothing, he says.” Niall interrupted. “The usual.”
Liam frowned. “And what’s the usual?”
Which was when Zayn finally wormed his way out of Harry’s grip and joined their conversation. He pulled Louis to him, squeezing tightly before releasing him to say “Worshipping Harry, obviously.”
“He does more!” Harry squawked. “He helps me with the children.”
“How many you two got now?” Niall asked.
Louis answered with “Six. Might be a seventh starting soon.”
“It very good.” Harry nodded. “Parents like Louis and the children like me so we doing well.”
“Don’t you need, like, government checks and stuff? Like legal shit?” Zayn asked with concern. “To make sure your house is child-friendly and all that? I remember when my auntie was looking for a place to stick her kids she was fussy as all hell. Isn’t it like that here?”
Harry looked confusedly at Louis, who said “Probably, but most of the parents know me, or at least know my Mum really well. I doubt we could take on more than eight, not with just the two of us, but maybe one day this could be a proper business and we can hire people and stuff. Make this level of the house a proper child care centre. At the moment we’re just winging it.”
“What you all doing?” Harry asked, putting his hands behind his back and rocking back and forth on his heels, little smile on his face. He looked proud of himself, and probably was. He’d been working on his manners and conversation skills lately.
“I’ve just been taking pictures and painting and that. Got a few photography gigs lined up. Well paying ones.” Zayn said, and Louis grinned.
“How’s the boss?”
“She’s good, yeah. Keeps asking for you, wants to know what you’re up to. She misses you loads I think.”
“I’ll have to invite her up some time.” Louis thought aloud. He missed his old manager too. She’d been a big part of his life for so long, they could definitely do with a catch-up. As it was, they’d only really kept in contact through Zayn. She’d signed him up once he graduated his course, promising to help find him some work with all of her connections. He was inexperienced, his portfolio was lacking, so the jobs he was getting weren’t the most high-end but they paid well enough.
“And you Liam?” Harry asked, still wearing that proud smile. “What you up to?”
“He’s got a girlfriend!” Niall near-shouted, obviously unable to contain himself.
“I don’t!” Liam groaned. “I’ve only been on a few dates with her.”
“But you’re practically in love.” Zayn said with a roll of his eyes.
Liam sighed. “Well, yeah, but I don’t know if she’s my girlfriend.”
“Anything else then?” Louis prompted.
“Nah, still just working and studying. Occasionally dating. That’s my life.”
“Same here.” Niall nodded, and Louis smirked.
“And golfing.”
“What that? Is that on the telly?” Harry asked excitedly. “Can you teach me?”
“’course! I’ll bring my clubs over next time, we’ll set up a course in the yard or something. Do some putting.”
“There’s a proper course a few miles away.” Louis suggested. “I’d rather you not go tearing up our grass.”
“Christ, aren’t you an old man now?”
Louis pushed Niall in the shoulder, grumbling about being a responsible adult while the others laughed at him. He liked their yard, he didn’t want it to get chopped up by Niall’s bloody clubs.
“I made a cake!” Harry interrupted them, holding his hand out towards the kitchen. Louis was starting to get suspicious that maybe Harry had stumbled across the Stepford Wives film or something.
It got them all out of the hallway, anyway, and into the lounge. Harry rushed off to fetch the cake, and Louis followed him into the kitchen to make some tea, watching Harry as he cut if up and put it onto plates.
“What kind of cake is it?”
“Banana!” Harry grinned. “I thought it would be funny, and also I like banana. I Googlered the recipe.”
“When did you even have the time to do this?”
“When you was asleep.”
The boys all devoured the cake, which was surprisingly good. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, really, because Harry was good at everything he tried. He beamed under their praises, serving up seconds with his proud little smile.
Louis probed Liam about his new maybe-girlfriend, and Harry asked more about golf. Zayn showed them copies of some of the pictures he’d taken, and eventually Louis brought out the beers.
They talked and drank well into the evening, and Harry popped off for a bit to get something sorted for dinner.
He just made up some pasta and they ate it in front of the telly, and one by one they slipped off to bed until it was just Louis and Zayn left.
Louis could barely lift his head from the back of the sofa, but he managed to roll his head over to give Zayn a grin. “So.”
“Here we are, last ones standing. As always.”
“I reckon the lads do this on purpose.” Louis slurred. “Give us private time.”
Zayn scrunched up his face. “Why would they do that?”
“’cause they know we miss each other the most.”
“True.” Zayn nodded. He lifted the beer to his mouth, but the rim of the bottle missed his lips by over an inch. Louis burst into a fit of laughter, and Zayn punched him on the knee.
“How’s the flat hunt going?”
“It’s okay. My sister said I can just stay in the spare room at my parent’s place but I’d rather not. Feels like I’m still under their thumb when I’m there. I liked being at yours’, you know?”
“Sorry about that.”
“What? That you’re lease is running out and I can’t afford to renew it myself?” Zayn scoffed.
“I could –”
“Pay for the lease yourself?” Zayn interrupted, giving Louis a look that shut him right up. “For a flat you’re not even living in anymore? Don’t be a twat.”
“’kay.”
“So tell me about what you and Harry are really like?”
“What do you mean?”
“It can’t be that perfect. No relationship is.”
Louis pouted his mouth, crinkling his brow in thought, searching his brain for something less-than-perfect about Harry.
“Christ,” Zayn laughed. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
“I mean, we’ve got problems, sure. Just dumb normal stuff. Like –” Louis paused again. “Fuck, I can’t even think of anything. Think we had more than enough issues to sort out before we went off to the Congo, you know? We’ve had our fair share of drama, we’ve been through more than a lot of people can say they have, so now we’re just – here. Happy.”
“You two are proper domesticated, aren’t you? You’ll be adopting kids and getting married in no time.”
Louis shrugged. “One day, yeah. Once we got careers sorted, I guess. Can’t live off my modelling money for ever, and Harry’s little business doesn’t bring in much just yet. We had to spend loads to stock the place up with toys and shit.”
“You’re Mum still on your arse about finding work?”
Louis threw his head back and groaned. “Yeah, every day I swear. She says she’s worried but it’s fucking annoying. I’m too old for that shit.”
“Give her a chance to mother you for a bit. She never really got to.”
“You sound like Harry.”
“’course I do, we’re both geniuses. Great brains think alike and all that.”
“Toss off.” Louis laughed.
Zayn let him for a few moments, but brought Louis back to reality with the words “It’s true though, you know. You remember how happy she was to see you when you visited with Harry that first time. You just gotta let her do this stuff for you. Listen to her advice, or at least pretend to. Don’t shut her down when she’s trying to help. Appreciate her a bit more.”
Louis didn’t say anything. He didn’t like admitting when others were right and he wasn’t going to just do it. Maybe he’d tell Harry he was, but not Zayn. Zayn wouldn’t let him live it down and besides, they were off their faces; the ribbing would be at least twenty times worse. So Louis just swallowed down another gulp of beer and stifled a yawn with the back of his hand.
“Bed time, yeah?”
Louis nodded. “Yeah, better. Harry’s probably waiting up for me so I can fill him in on everything we’ve said.”
“Why doesn’t he just sit in with us?”
“Thinks I won’t say everything I want to. He reckons when he’s here we don’t talk about this stuff at all, but if he’s not we do and then after I’ll him everything anyway. He’s right, too. Like always.”
“He really is a smart one, isn’t he?” Zayn said, sounding incredibly impressed. “Seems to have you figured out.”
“He’s far too observant.”
“You know him too, though. I swear half the conversations you guys have are telepathic.”
“Yeah?” Louis grinned. “You noticed?”
“Fuck off to your own bed and get out of mine.”
“You sleeping on the sofa? You realise we’ve got, like, four spare rooms? Harry made a bed up for you and everything!”
Zayn got up to grab himself one of the throw rugs that were piled up amongst all of the board games and toys. He grabbed Louis’ arm and wrenched him off the sofa as he said “But I have to go upstairs for that, don’t I? I like sleeping here, anyway. Feels proper homey.”
“Fine.” Louis got out through a broken yawn. “Suit yourself.”
He threw a good night over his shoulder before he trekked up the stairs and went into his room, collapsing onto the bed with a grunt.
He felt a hand in his hair and he sighed out.
“Brush your teeth.” Harry demanded. “You stink like beer.”
Louis grunted again, but after a few nudges from Harry he did what he was told.
He took off his clothes and climbed into the bed, curling up against Harry’s side.
“So?” was all Harry said before Louis was recapping the entire conversation he’d just had.
Harry had Louis wrapped around his little finger, but Louis couldn’t ever say he minded. It was the best place to be, after all.
---
The following week was the same as always, and yet at the same time it wasn’t.
Harry played with the kids, Louis fed them, they both put them to sleep during nap time, but something felt off.
It wasn’t enough for Louis, he needed more.
He couldn’t watch Harry piggyback the kids around in the morning for more than half an hour without feeling entirely bored, making little sandwiches and cutting up carrots into sticks made him frustrated, and by the evening when the kids started getting grumpy with tiredness, worn out from their busy day with Harry, Louis was feeling just as snappy.
Harry noticed his mood, and kept asking him what the matter was, but Louis couldn’t tell him because he had no idea.
Well, he did have an idea, but it wasn’t anything new. It was the same thing that had been bothering him for the last couple of months, not having his own job to do, not having his own thing to accomplish, so why was it affecting his mood only now? Why wasn’t watching Harry enough anymore?
“We should go out.” Harry suggested. “It been four days and you still are grumpy. We need to get out of the house and do something. Maybe you are feeling trapped.”
“I’m not feeling trapped!” Louis snapped.
Harry’s face fell, and in a quiet voice he said “It okay if you are.”
It made Louis feel like absolute shit, the expression on his boyfriend’s face. “No, babe, I promise I’m not – well, maybe I do feel trapped. Not here or with you or anything, but just – I don’t know. I’m just bored.”
“So let’s go out!” Harry chirped, thousand watt smile back where it belonged. “I want to go to the cinema! Liam said he took his not-girlfriend there, I think we should go. Can we?”
And Louis couldn’t help it – he burst out a laugh. What a bloody normal thing to do. He couldn’t imagine doing anything more normal. Harry frowned, and Louis was quick to assure him that “I’m not laughing at you! Just – we don’t do normal stuff.”
“Why not? We should! Do you not want to go?”
“Nah, I do. It’ll be nice, actually. You’ll love it, it’s like watching telly on a massive screen.”
“I know, that what Niall said. So can we? Right now?”
Louis looked down at himself, at his trackies and stained shirt and holey house socks. “Give me time to have a shower, yeah?” Harry smirked, and Louis was quick to add “You stay out of it! I just need a quick one to wash myself, I don’t need you giving me ideas.”
“Fine.” Harry rolled his eyes. “But if you not out in five minutes I coming in.”
---
They’d settled on the new Avengers film, and all the way there Harry was chattering away about the first ones. Louis could barely remember them, but Harry had seen them both rather recently and was filling Louis in on every minor thing that happened.
He stopped talking when they got to the cinema, too busy taking everything around him in to carry a conversation. It was a Thursday night and the place was far busier than what Louis expected.
“It very bright and noisy.” Harry frowned. “How we meant to hear the telly?”
Louis answered with “Just wait and see”, and put his arm around Harry’s waist to lead him to the queue.
They bought tickets and popcorn and some chocolate and fizzy drink, and Harry held it all in his big paws while Louis shoved the tickets in his back pocket.
They were standing in the middle of the foyer, waiting until their screen opened up, when Louis felt a tap on his shoulder.
He spun around to find a couple standing there smiling. “Hello?” he said unsurely, racking his brain for whether or not he’d met them before.
“Hi, we were just wondering if we could grab a picture with you and Harry?” the man asked.
At the sound of his name, Harry spun to face them as well. He had his lips pursed around the straw of their drink, releasing it from his mouth to ask “What?”
“We just – we’re big fans!” the woman said excitedly, stepping from foot to foot like a child.
Harry frowned. “Fans for what? We don’t do anything.”
She ignored his question to say “We thought you’d both left for the jungle again! But here you are at our cinema! We come here every Thursday, it’s date night you see.” Her partner nudged her shoulder with his, and she stopped. “We’d love to ask you what the jungle was like. The both of you are fascinating. And to think, you threw away the chance to be with an American celebrity to be with Harry. It’s obviously true love.”
“Christ, you read a lot of Heat don’t you?” Louis laughed, but the joke went over her head. She just kept going.
“It was probably for the best, though, he’s not doing so well now I heard.”
Louis couldn’t help but grin. He’d heard a lot about it when he came back, how the actor’s movies all flopped.
“It’s that awful attitude he has,” the man piped up. “I read that he can’t get a job because word spread that he’s difficult to work with.”
Louis gave them a strained smile and said “That doesn’t surprise me. Look, we’re just here on a date too, so we’d rather not get pictures and stuff you know? Kinda trying to leave all that behind.”
“Oh!” the woman gasped. “Of course, we’re so sorry to bother you! We just saw you over here and couldn’t believe our eyes.”
“Just thought we’d give it a try.” The man nodded along.
“Sorry.” Harry said sincerely.
“Enjoy your film, yeah?” Louis added, offering his hand for the both of them to shake. Harry watched the exchange longingly, obviously wishing he could do the polite thing. His hands were full, though, so he had to settle with smiling at them and saying bye as they left. Louis turned to him when the couple was out of earshot and said “Can’t wait ‘til we’re totally forgotten about. It’s awkward when that happens.”
“It happens a lot?”
“At Sainsbury’s, at Boots, even at the bank when I go. People always ask about you.” Louis added with a grin.
Harry smiled back and said “That is nice of the people. They care!”
“Bit weird though.”
When their screen opened, Harry was quick to the front of the line. He blinked at the usher who asked for their tickets, and Louis quickly got them out of his pocket and passed them over.
When they got to their screen, Harry gasped at the size of it.
“Wow! It huge!” he grinned. He made to sit at the seats at the very front, but Louis was quick to get him up and to the back row. When they sat down, Harry grunted “But we are so far away!”
“The front seats are the worst. Nobody chooses them, they’re too close and you can’t see anything!”
Harry didn’t look convinced, but he shrugged and turned back to face the screen. “Turn it on. Who has the remote?”
“Babe, it’s not actually a giant telly. We just have to wait ‘til it starts.”
Harry scrunched up his face adorably, and let out a big long sigh. He shoved some popcorn in his mouth and flopped back into his seat.
“Don’t get stroppy.” Louis couldn’t help but laugh.
Harry was just about to answer back, had his mouth open and words ready on his tongue, when the screen flickered to life and an ad started playing, one of those ones telling everyone to switch their phones to silent.
Immediately, Harry’s eyes were widening and his mouth was dropping open. He looked to Louis, grinned wide, and that was the last Louis saw of his eyes at all until the film was over. He was transfixed, couldn’t look away from the screen, even when Louis muttered to him about passing the bag of malteasers over he didn’t stop watching.
Only when the credits started to roll did Harry look away. He had a huge smile on his face, a handful of popcorn clenched in his fist. “That was good.” He said, and shoved it all into his mouth in one go.
Louis laughed and asked “Yeah?”
Harry nodded, popcorn falling from his lips as he said “Really good! Much better. Can we buy one of these for the house?”
“Maybe one day.”
They were the last to leave, even after those that stayed for the bit at the end of the credits. Harry was too happy in his seat, munching on his popcorn, staring at the giant screen. “What next?” he asked, and Louis had to slap himself.
“Nothing! We’ve got to go home now, or pay to see another film. I don’t think there are any more playing tonight, actually. We’ll come back to see something on the weekend, yeah?”
Harry scrunched up his nose but nodded his head anyway, picking up all his bits and throwing them away on their way out. Louis found that funny, how it was just instinctual for Harry to tidy up after himself when most of the other people in the cinema had just left their rubbish behind.
“I’m tired.” Harry sulked, grabbing onto Louis’ hand and flopping his head down onto Louis’ shoulder. It made the walk to the car a lot more difficult, but it was sweet. When they were both buckled in, and Louis turned the ignition, Harry said sleepily “Thank you for taking me out. We should do date nights too, like those people. Do the cinema and different things. Dinner, too, like what you did with the movie man for pretend.” Harry’s eyes were closed, his head tipped back against the seat. When he was tired his language slipped, showing just how much he had to think about his speech and how little of it was automatic. He had improved a lot, but somewhere along the line he’d plateaued.
“’course love. We’d be like a proper old married couple.”
“When we getting married?” Harry asked, peeking an eye open to peer over at Louis.
Louis was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. It was odd. He’d always thought marriage would be a big deal, and in honesty he’d never thought he himself would be one to go through with it, but with Harry it just felt like natural progression. He couldn’t picture his life without Harry by his side, every one of his thoughts of the future included him, so marriage was a given. The when of it though was something he didn’t know. “When do you wanna get married?”
Harry shrugged. “I like being boyfriends right now. It funner to say. We are boys and friends.” He put a hand on Louis’ thigh and laughed. “Who fuck a lot and live together and be together for always. We can just be that. Be Harry and Lou. That can be it for now.”
Louis smiled to himself, risking a glance away from the road to look at Harry. Who was still grinning, just staring at Louis as he drove. “That what you want? To just be us? Because I’m happy with that. It feels obvious that we’ll get married one day. No need to rush it, is there? Not when we’re perfectly okay now?”
“Yes.”
Louis looked back to the road. “You know, marriage is usually a big conversation for couples. Usually someone proposes and there’s crying and all that malarkey.”
“I know, I see the movies.”
“You don’t want that?”
“No.” Harry answered, quick, with absolutely no hesitance. “I already have you, we don’t need any silliness. You my Lou, I your Harry, that is even more than enough.”
---
Louis felt far better the following day.
When they got home, they fell into bed, too tired for even a quick handjob. It had been the first night in months that they hadn’t had any kind of sex, and Louis obviously wasn’t the only one who noticed it because he was woken by Harry’s mouth on his cock. He was still sleep-groggy when he came, and felt guiltily grateful that Harry got himself off by humping the sheets while he gave Louis head.
“I don’t want to work today.” Harry sulked, crossing his arms over Louis’ stomach and peering up at him from between Louis’ legs. “I want to sleep more.”
“You could have been sleeping just now instead of sucking me off. Not that I’m complaining.”
“But I was more horny than sleepy just then.” Harry got out through a yawn.
“It’s a Friday, we can sleep in tomorrow yeah? One more day, then we don’t have to be responsible adults.”
Harry groaned, but climbed out from under the covers and disappeared into the bathroom. He had a shower, calling for Louis to jump in after he’d finished.
They were both washed and dressed and fed by the time Louis’ step dad arrived with the twins, and so started their day.
Louis was back to feeling quite happy after his week of self-doubt, and even the naughty girl’s foul mood wasn’t ruining his day.
She was clearly getting to Harry, though.
Harry looked three seconds from crying when she wrenched his hair hard, trying to get him to put down one of the toddlers and pick her up instead.
Louis hurried to her, kneeling down to ask “What me to pick you up instead?”
She gave him the most horrified of looks and said “No! You’re not my horse, are you? You’re the stupid prince’s horse. I’m a princess, I can’t ride a prince horse!”
Louis looked to Harry, who was bouncing his little baby brother up and down on his knee, trying to calm him. He turned back to the girl and said “But, did you know I’m actually the prince’s sister’s horse? She just lets him borrow me because she’s older and kind to her little brother. So really, I’m a princess’ horse just like Harry is. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you had a ride on me instead.”
She considered it for a moment before tilting her chin up and saying “Very well. Bow down, steed.”
Louis bent down on all fours and let her climb onto his back, and next thing she did was grab fistfuls of his hair and pulled them hard, shouting Go! as soon as he was up on his feet.
He ran around their yard, going faster when she tugged his hair and neighing when she told him to. Louis was huffing by the time she let him stop, almost collapsing on his knees when he ducked down to let her off.
She released his hair and dropped down from his back with surprising grace, then rubbed her hands on her skirt as if he’d made them dirty. “Come on, princey horse, I need to brush you and give you carrots.”
She didn’t give Louis time to answer, just spun on her heels and headed towards the house so all Louis could do was follow. He did a quick search for Harry, who was sitting with the littler ones in the plastic sea-shell-shaped sandbox helping them build castles.
“Come down!” she called, waving a hairbrush about in front of her.
Louis sat down cross-legged, resisting the urge to watch her as she disappeared behind him. He flinched when the brush plonked down on his head, and gritted his teeth as it ran through his messy hair.
She tutted and said “Silly horsey, you’re so knotty! I have to tell the other princess that she is not looking after you properly. Maybe I should have you instead, and she can have Harry. He doesn’t let me brush his hair.”
“It’s ‘cause there’s so much of it. Plus, he’s got the others to care for too, you know?” Louis asked, but was answered with a thwack to the head with the brush.
“My mummy said you were an actor. Is that really true?”
“No, not really. I wanted to be one but I was a model instead.”
“What’s that?”
“Someone who gets their pictures taken for a living.”
“Yuk!” she shrieked. “I hate getting my picture taken. Why would you do that for a job? You’re silly.”
“I know.” Louis laughed. “I don’t do it anymore though.”
She was silent for a moment, just running the brush over his back and arms as if he had fur like a horse. Then she said “What do you do now?”
He pursed his lips in thought. “Nothing really.”
“Of course you do something, you’re a grown up!”
“Well, I help Harry.”
“That’s not your job though!”
“I don’t have a job, then.”
She stopped brushing him and took a step back, frowning hard. She just blinked at him, incredulous, before asking “What did you want to do when you were really little?”
“How little? Your age?” he asked, prodding her in her little tummy.
She managed a small smile, as if humouring his attempt at a joke, before nodding.
“I wanted to be a football player.”
“Why don’t you do that, then?”
“It’s a bit hard.” He grinned. “I’m not good enough to play properly.”
She put her hands on her hips and stared him down. “Mum says you can be whatever you want when you’re a grown up, and you’re a grown up. Is she wrong?”
“Well, no, but –“
“No buts.” she shook her head. “Now get up, horsie, we have to go get you food now.”
Louis grunted as he stood up, and grinned when the little girl tutted.
“You’re like my grandpa.” Then she held out her hand for him to take, and pulled him into the kitchen. “Yours is much nicer than mine. It’s very big and clean and brown. Do you have a cleaner?”
“Don’t need one, it’s just the two of us.” Louis shrugged. He went to the fridge and pulled out a bag of carrots. “I have to get everyone’s morning tea ready, if you’d like to help?”
She sighed and rolled her big blue eyes. “Fine. Don’t give me the stupid jobs though.”
“I won’t.” Louis promised. He pulled out a knife from the block and the peeler from a draw. “Can you grab me six plastic plates from that cupboard there please?”
She did what she was told, skipping over to where Louis had been pointing. As she carefully pulled out the plates and some plastic cups, Louis peeled the carrots and chopped them up into sticks. He grabbed a container of pre-cut cucumber sticks out of the fridge and put it on the bench, then told his little helper to share them and the carrots out onto the plates. As she did that, and Louis got out a tin of biscuits, Louis asked “What do you want to be when you’re grown up.”
“A princess.”
“But I thought you already were one?”
“I am.” She pouted, putting down the last of the carrot sticks. “Just like you’re a football player. Could we play some after our snack? I’m very good.”
“Of course! I’m a bit rusty, you might have to go easy on me.”
She let out a long sigh and said “Fine, but you have to play your best.”
Louis called in the kids for food, and as they ate the little girl told them all about football. The only others who were keen to play was a little boy and girl a year younger than her, and when she heard this she gave Louis a pointed look and said “We need to discuss strategy, so please go.”
“Three versus one, is it?” he asked with mock outrage. “That’s not very fair!”
She rolled her eyes and waved him away, so Louis did as he was told.
He was rather excited for the game, and couldn’t wipe the grin from his face as he wiped down the kitchen.
He was still smiling like an idiot when Harry came into the room with a pile of dirty plates. “You playing football with the children?”
“Yeah! I’m looking forward to it, actually.” He took the plates from Harry and began piling them into the dishwasher. “Should be fun. Haven’t played in years, not since me and Niall kicked a ball about at a park.” When he finally turned around to look at Harry, the man looked seconds away from laughing. “What?”
“Nothing. You just look happy. I haven’t seen you this way for a while.”
“Really? I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry!” Harry laughed. “It good! I’d rather see you like this then not.”
“I suppose. I am happy though. You know that right?”
“Yes, I do. You are happy with me, but I know you want something more. For yourself. You have me, and I have you, but I also have these children. You can have them too if you want. I think you do want, you just scared about us having everything the same.”
Louis frowned and said “That’s not true! I mean, it’s true that I do want something for myself, but that’s just because I get bored in here.”
“You know you can always come out with us, yes? I always see you watching us. Is it because you want to join? Because you can, they all love you. They would love to play with you too.”
“Doubt it.”
“What have you been doing all morning? Playing! And you had fun, yes? Why don’t you give this a go with me? Just because it not something you always wanted, it does not mean it something you won’t love. It what happened to us, yes? I know you didn’t imagine your one-day-husband to be like me, but I perfect for you. Maybe this will be too if you try. You are good with children, you are good at teaching, you are patience, it will be perfect!”
“But – it’s your thing. Don’t you want to have your own thing?”
“No!” Harry snorted. “I want everything to be with you. It will be fun for us to do this together. We will be a team!”
Louis was stumped. He’d been trying so hard to separate himself from Harry’s work, even leaving his own siblings to be cared for by Harry to create some kind of sense of professionalism, thinking that’s what he would want. He’d taken a step back when all Harry wanted was for him to remain at his side. “I’ll give it a go then, yeah. I have been feeling a bit –“
“Trapped?” Harry asked, smirking knowingly. “You can say it, I won’t feel sad.”
“Fine,” he sighed. “I’ve been feeling trapped. Not with you or anything, just – in my head. I don’t know how to do nothing and it’s been tearing away at me.”
Harry pursed his lips, silent as he thought. “I think that what is good about this is that we can do whatever we love to do. I can run and be silly and climb trees and not think of what I don’t understand. That is why I like this, because I can be me with no worries. Being silly to adults it not good, but being silly for children is. We can put what we love into this. You love football, you love acting, you can do the things you love for fun again and the kids will be happy for it. It will be good for you, Lou.”
“Fuck it.” Louis groaned. “How do you have the answers to everything?”
“How do you know that about me and never ask me for them? Talk to me, Lou! I need to know how you feeling because I trying so hard to know everything about your world but it hard when I still don’t know you sometimes!”
Louis was quick to wrap his arms around Harry, kissing him firmly before saying “I’m sorry. I’m not used to someone getting me like you do, or caring about me this much, and that’s something I’m still learning to manage.”
Harry kissed him again, and they were interrupted by a shouted “Yuck!”
Louis pulled back to peer over Harry’s shoulder at the group of small children in the doorway, the oldest girl with her arms crossed in front of her.
“You are meant to be playing football, not snogging!”
“Sorry.” He laughed. “I’ll be right out.”
The kids ran to the back door to put their shoes on, and Harry said “The twins are still in their chairs, I need to get them out.”
“All right,” Louis nodded. “you go work. I’ve got some football to play.”
“You will think about what I said, yes?”
“Don’t need to, I already know you’re right.”
Harry gave him a quick kiss again, made sweet by the wide grin on his lips, before letting him go to collect the toddlers from their high chairs.
As Louis wandered out into the yard, he tried to picture doing this for the rest of his life, teaching football to children and preparing them food, putting them to bed with stories and playing games of make-believe. It wasn’t hard, not at all, and once he let himself he could see the two of them with their own children. He could see himself looking happy and proud and glowing with love, and for the first time in a long time he could see a way to make that future possible.