Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Where the fuck did I put my keys?” Louis asked himself, digging in his backpack while he stood in the hallway outside Niall’s flat. It was a miserable early June day in Boston, so his raincoat was dripping fat droplets of water into the open pocket, soaking his notes and slipping off his laptop case.

At the very bottom of his bag, half wedged under his laptop and the glass container he’d brought his lunch in, were his keys. Or key, really. Just the one for Niall’s door. He’d managed to duck into the building behind Niall’s neighbor, joking about the weather and he was thankful he hadn’t had to do this outside.

Louis was just twisting the key in the lock when his phone started to ring in his back pocket.

“Shit,” he muttered to himself, pushing the door open with hip and twisting to grab his phone, while trying to keep his still opened bag from spilling everywhere. He was mostly successful, only losing a pen and a little bit of his dignity before getting the door shut behind him.

Swiping haphazardly to answer the FaceTime call, Harry’s face loaded onto the screen just as he tugged off his jacket and toed off his shoes.

“Hi Lou!” Harry said cheerfully from his dorm kitchen, the screen low enough he could see Harry from his smiling face down to the apron he had over his neck.

“Baby, hi,” Louis exhaled as he tried to get his shoes and his jacket neat enough not to hear Niall’s annoyed sigh when he got home. “Sorry, I just got in. Was running a bit late with the weather.”

“It’s okay, I was just getting everything set up. I’m still nervous about this whole cooking thing even though we’ve done it before.”

Louis double checked his shoes and that his jacket hook was facing the same way as Niall’s before shuffling in his socks to the kitchen. His first week in Boston, he and Harry had inadvertently made dinner at the same time on a call and decided to do it on purpose, at least once weekly, while they were apart for the summer. Harry had wanted to learn to cook anyway and it was a nice way to spend time with each other.

It was cute how serious he took it. Louis had been trying to sprinkle in a bit of French as they went as well, but he didn’t want it to start feeling too much like a classroom.

“You don’t have anything to be nervous about, sun. Mike texted me four times to tell me how excited he was for dinner tonight.”

Harry looked bashful on the screen, fidgeting with his apron and then the ends of his hair where they were long enough to curl around his ears. Louis missed the feel of it between his fingers, smell staining his skin for hours afterwards. It’d been just under a month since finals had ended and he’d flown to Boston. He missed Harry something fierce, but at least he’d be seeing him again in just over a week for Olympic Trials.

“He keeps calling it family dinner,” Harry joked.

Louis smiled at the camera, warmth rolling through him. The last two months of school had been the best. The ways he and Harry had settled into each other, how their lives had seamlessly worked themselves together. Harry’s roommates were his friends now and it wasn’t weird like it could have been. Not like Harry worried it would be.

“I guess it kind of is.” Louis pulled off his suit jacket, moving through the flat to put it in the second bedroom. It was Niall’s home office which was so small all that fit next to Niall’s desk was a lumpy futon; Louis’ bed until mid-August. It was free so he could hardly complain.

Louis pulled off his tie and loosened the collar of his dress shirt. Harry’s face was taking up most of the screen, as if he’d pulled it close for a better look.

“You have something to say, baby?” Louis teased, propping the phone on Niall’s desk so he could roll up his sleeves.

“Yeah,” Harry teased, running his bottom lip between his teeth. “But the guys are here, so, I’ll hold back.”

Humming, Louis smirked at him, before picking his phone back up and moving to the kitchen. Niall’s space really was immaculate and it had been a challenge for Louis, he couldn’t lie, to try to keep it that way. Niall had even sat him down on the first night to give him a lecture about cleanliness and order. There had been a PowerPoint and everything.

Louis opened the fridge and said, “Okay, what were we making again?”

“Shrimp tacos. I bought three times as much as you recommended because when I let the guys know, suddenly everyone was free for dinner.”

Louis snorted and took the ingredients out of the fridge, pushing them onto Niall’s counter. “Funny how that works, isn’t it?”

With a teasing note to his voice, Harry asked, “What’s first, chef?”

His laughter echoed across the speakers from Harry back to himself and filled the space between them. They chatted about their days while he led Harry through deveining the shrimp - how Louis was getting on with the other summer associates now that they had all started (about as well as he expected) and how Harry’s training had picked up with Olympic Trials right around the corner.

Setting the finished shrimp aside, Louis went to wash his hands, and then turned to the camera balanced against Niall’s coffee canister. Harry was just popping a cherry tomato into his mouth.

“Oi! Those are for the salad,” Louis scolded him, halfheartedly, but Harry was smiling back at him with a bit of juice on his lip.

“It was just one,” Harry protested and continued to not look the least bit guilty. Louis shook his head, but he knew the effect was lost by how much he was smiling back at him.

“Let’s make the sauce,” Louis said, prompting Harry to nod.

Out of a cabinet next to the sink, Harry dug out the food processor with a look of triumph Louis had only ever seen in the pool. Louis led him through making the cilantro lime sauce and when it was done, they both tasted a bit off the end of a spoon. Mutually agreeing that yes, it was salty enough and no, cilantro didn’t taste like soap to either of them, they added it to the cabbage to finish off the slaw.

“Quinoa next,” Louis said, grabbing the package from his dwindling stack of ingredients. “Not my fave, personally, but good for you, yeah?”

Harry was nodding. “You get used to it.”

While the quinoa was cooking on the hob, Louis relayed the conversation he’d had with his mum on his lunch break that afternoon.

“She finally decided to book flights for the second week of October,” Louis said, smiling at Harry while he stirred.

“Oh, that’s so great.” Harry’s dimples were deep set in his cheeks and Louis wished he was there to press his thumb into the left one, his favorite. To kiss over it, press his nose to Harry’s temple and breathe him in. “Are they staying down in Orlando?”

“Yes, I think it was Dan’s idea actually to book into one of the hotels at Disney. My mum kept arguing about the cost and he was saying ‘but it’s a once in a lifetime trip!’ which makes me think he’s more excited for it than he had been letting on.”

On screen, Harry was giggling and Louis watched him fondly. After their argument in February, after he talked to his mum for the first time, and after he and Harry worked their shit out, he had tried to be better at keeping in touch with her. Before, he always brushed anyone off when they mentioned her, but now he let Harry encourage him and listened to him.

They both were working on being better listeners, being less stubborn, trusting each other more. It wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be. Not when he wanted to do those things for Harry.

“I think I’m going to go down there for the whole week,” Louis added on.

“Louis Tomlinson skipping classes?” Dropping his jaw in mock outrage, Harry pressed a hand to his chest. “As I live and breathe? I never thought I’d see the day.”

Rolling his eyes, he huffed out a laugh. “I’ve already started texting Liam about class notes and recording lectures. You can imagine how that’s gone over.”

Harry laughed loudly, tossing his head back. Around his giggles he said, “Lou, it’s over three months away.”

“Whatever,” Louis scoffed. His quinoa seemed just about done. “How’s it looking? I think I’m there.”

Still smiling, Harry leaned forward to look in the pot. The curls around his face sprung up from the steam. “I think it looks right?”

The video shook a little as Harry picked his phone up and then the view changed to show the pot. “Looks good, baby. Pull it off the burner to cool and we can start on the tomatoes.”

Harry flipped the camera around again and set Louis back down so he could take the quinoa off the hob. While Louis walked him through marinating the tomatoes for the salad, he peppered in the French words for every item they picked up. Harry repeated them back at him slowly, his pronunciations curling with a lick of a southern accent at the end. Enough to have Louis smiling helplessly at him.

The dull sound of Harry’s knife on the cutting board echoed over the line as he sliced some of the larger pieces in half. “Well, y’all will have the best time. It’ll be great to see them.”

Louis chewed on his lip and watched him for a moment, the curls over his ears bouncing with every movement of his shoulder as he worked the knife, the gentle slope of his lips as the happiness settled onto his face.

“Come with us,” Louis said. He wanted Harry to meet his mum, his sisters, so badly. He wanted so much with Harry and in all the ways it was easier with him now, that was just as hard. The feelings he had for him, some of which he’d yet to say, burned under his skin.

The urge to look away from the screen after he asked was strong, to blurt it out and then not let Harry read the adoration on his face, the hope, but he stayed watching him. Harry’s eyes flicked up and his smile grew wider, his nose scrunching with the force of it.

“Alright, yeah, of course, Lou. I’d love to meet your family.”

Those words had a blush heating his ears. “Well, good. I know your schedule isn’t out for autumn yet…”

Harry waved him off. “I’ll fit it in. Even if I can’t be there the whole time.”

As he pushed the halved tomatoes off the cutting board and into the bowl, Louis could barely contain the fondness he felt for him. He didn’t need to look at the small image of himself in the corner to know that his lips were pursed around it, like his face could barely hold back the open affection he wanted to smother Harry in.

He must have been quiet too long, just watching Harry, because he looked up after wiping his hands on a kitchen towel, his mouth quirked, and asked, “What’s next?”

Louis looked at him for a moment longer, just taking him in, long enough Harry’s cheeks pinked a bit, before he shook his head and got on with the rest of the marinade.

They powered through the rest of the salad and seasoning the shrimp, getting it in the frying pan before they were interrupted. Louis had heard Harry’s roommates occasionally in the background, but the noise that jostled him this time was coming from inside Niall’s flat.

Leaning back from the hob with his hand still on the handle of the frying pan, he strained to peek into the entrance hall, but it was just out of sight. The smell of the spice wafting off the shrimp was strong and the whole kitchen smelled amazing. Knowing Niall he’d be floating in there nose first in half a second at most.

“Mike is salivating on the couch, I think,” Harry joked, looking over the top of the screen towards his roommate.

Through the phone he heard Mike call, “It smells so good!”

They laughed and then, just as he was taking the shrimp off the heat, Niall yelled, “Holy fuck Lou!” behind him.

He snorted, feeling his neck go warm from the compliment. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Niall and Zayn walking into the kitchen, Niall in his work clothes still and Zayn in jeans and a loudly patterned button down.

About two days after getting to Boston he’d met Zayn. He and Niall were attached at the hip, so Louis was almost surprised it had taken that long. Niall had been delighted with how well they got on and the three of them had done several things together since he’d been up here. One of which were these family dinners, as Mike called it.

“I’m nearly done,” Louis said, smiling at the pair of them.

“I could make drinks,” Zayn offered, shrugging. “I make a mean mojito.”

Niall let out a whoop, chanting out, “MOJITOOO,” and then started pulling out ingredients for him.

“Are these done, Lou?” Harry asked. Louis turned back to his phone to see Harry had already rotated the camera towards the frying pan so Louis could check on his shrimp. They looked good, nearly perfect actually, and he told Harry so, watching a blush rise on his cheeks.

“Now it’s just plating.” On a nonstick pan over the same burner, he started warming the tortillas. Harry was doing the same, familiar with this part of the process.

“Can I just grab-” Zayn said, leaning past Louis to reach into the cabinet next to him. He pulled something out from inside and then tossed Louis a small smile in thanks.

Louis looked down at Harry who had picked up the phone and was squinting at it.

“Is that Zayn?” he yelled. “Oh my God, he really is the hottest man I’ve ever seen.”

Zayn froze next to him and a beat later Niall broke into laughter. So loud, Louis was certain Harry’s neighbors had to have heard it. On screen he looked a bit sheepish, one hand pressed to his mouth like he hadn’t meant to say it, and Louis couldn’t help giggling along.

“Thanks, man,” Zayn said, waving at the phone. Harry waved back at him, still covering his mouth with the other in embarrassment.

He walked back to the other side of the kitchen where he was preparing their drinks and Harry finally dropped his hand, shaking his head.

“I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” he muttered, looking sheepish.

“Hard to control yourself around him, I get it,” Louis teased and Harry’s face got impossibly redder.

“I hate you so much,” Harry said with little conviction.

Louis smiled back at him and took the last of the tortillas out of the frying pan. Everything was plated and ready to go to the table; Harry having everything finished as well.

Niall reached around him to grab the plates and the shrimp, tossing a, “Hiya,” at Harry as he passed.

Behind Harry he could see his roommates flooding the kitchen, starting to make their tacos. Mike was already chewing, nodding enthusiastically.

Louis opened his mouth to say something, he wasn’t sure what, something to delay the end of the call, but Niall cut him off by shouting from the table, “Give Harry a kiss and come to dinner, Lou!”

He rolled his eyes and Harry huffed out a laugh, ducking his chin as he did so. Louis stretched his arm out to give Niall the finger, but all he got back from his best friend was another round of loud laughter.

“Guess it’s dinner time,” Louis said, smiling and digging his teeth into his lip, just for Harry.

Harry grinned. “Guess so.”

“I’ll talk to you tonight?”

“I’ll text you,” Harry said, already turning back towards his roommates and the food behind him.

“Bye, sunshine,” Louis said, ending the call, the I love you burning unsaid on his tongue.

On the 17th of June, Louis wrung his hands together behind his back in the doorway of Patrick’s office.

“Hey, mate,” Louis said in greeting.

Patrick looked up from his computer screen, his eyes still tired like his morning coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. Beyond being the associate to interview him for the position, Patrick was also in charge of the summer associates now that they were on site. Aside from Louis, there were seven others, mostly 2Ls, so Patrick had a lot on his hands outside of his regular work.

“Oh, good morning, Louis. What’s up?” Patrick took a loud sip of his coffee and then winced.

“I’m still working on doc review for the Cortes-Bryant case, but I should be done with that by tomorrow morning at the latest.”

Patrick nodded, but squinted his eyes at Louis like he knew there was something else.

“Also,” Louis tacked on, awkwardly. “I just wanted to make sure it was on your calendar that I’d requested Friday off. If it’s not still okay, that’s fine, of course.”

Patrick raised an eyebrow and then turned back to his computer and clicked a couple times, presumably to the Outlook calendar. “Yeah, I see it here. Let me double check what we need completed this week.”

“Alright.”

“What did you have going on again?” Patrick asked, still looking at his computer.

Louis shuffled on his feet. “A family event out of state.”

“Are you going back to England?” There was a slight alarm in his voice.

Louis laughed, “No, just Indianapolis. I’ll be back on Sunday. But if there’s anything you need me to do when I’m gone, I can 100% work from my laptop.”

Patrick clicked a few more times and Louis could see his eyes scanning the screen. “We actually look pretty caught up. I had you blocked out for that doc review through Thursday anyway, so if you’re finishing that by tomorrow morning we can actually be slightly ahead for once.”

Relief flooded through him. “Yeah, absolutely. I’m nearly done. I might even be able to finish today.”

Patrick snorted. “You don’t need to kill yourself for it yet, Louis. Let the 2L’s duke it out in competition a little bit more, they are the ones vying for an offer at the end of the summer.”

Louis let out an awkward sounding, to his own ears at least, laugh. Trying less hard wasn’t something he could even really fathom doing, but he could pretend for Patrick’s sake.

The mouse clicked loudly a couple more times and then Patrick cleared his throat.

“Yeah, you’re good for Friday. But bring your laptop just in case, you never know what the partners are going to hand me at 4pm on Friday.”

“Will do, thank you again,” Louis said, stepping back out of the doorway. Patrick gave him a wave with his coffee cup in hand and his eyes already back on the computer.

Letting out a shaky breath, Louis walked down the hallway to his cubicle and wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers.

Friday morning he took the first flight out to Indianapolis, landing just after eleven. Harry and his family were staying in a hotel near the stadium where Olympic Trials were being held and Louis was anxious for the entire uber ride there, about ready to jump out of his skin for how much he’d missed Harry.

FaceTime, phone calls, and texts were all well and good, but they’d always had a very physical relationship. Not just the sex, but they were very touchy, they liked to be in each other’s space.

When he’d gotten in the car, Harry had sent him his room number. Originally, he’d wanted to get Louis from the airport himself, but his schedule didn’t have a lot of room. The very last thing Louis wanted to do was interrupt his routine.

Rushing out of the car, through the lobby, and into the lifts, he kept his head down and fiddled with the strap of his duffel bag until it reached Harry’s floor.

Before he knocked on the door to 428 he took a deep breath, suddenly nervous, suddenly overwhelmed remembering who was on the other side of the door. When he exhaled, he rapped his knuckles on the very center of the door.

It was only half a minute before it was pulled open and there was Harry on the other side. Louis didn’t even have time to properly take him in, the blue USA swimming t-shirt, the curls that were long around his ears, before he was yanked inside.

As the door closed softly behind them, Louis dropped his bag and launched into Harry’s arms. It was perfect being wrapped up in him again. Like the greatest comfort - the smell of chlorine on his neck and that same herbal soap. Louis would drown in it if he could.

“Hi sunshine,” Louis said, his lips pressed to Harry’s throat.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Harry said, somehow pulling them closer together. His hands were flat against Louis’ back, the warmest pressure through his shirt.

“You too,” he whispered, closing his eyes and breathing in.

They stayed like that a minute longer, soaking each other up, finding peace in the balance between them. Louis’ heart had been beating wildly in the corridor, just before he’d knocked, but it was steady now, syncing up with Harry’s, which he could feel pulsing against his lips.

Squeezing him tightly once more, Harry pulled back slightly. “My mom wanted me to text when you got here so we could all get lunch.”

Louis smiled, scraping his lip through his teeth. “She’s missed me.”

“She has,” Harry agreed and then laughed. Anne still texted him semi-regularly, but a lot of it recently had been about how worried she was about Harry, the fears she didn’t feel like she could say aloud so she said them over text. What if he didn’t make it? What if he did?

“Let’s make her wait another five minutes,” he decided and tugged Harry in for a kiss.

It was light, familiar. He kept his arms over Harry’s shoulders and one of his hands against his scalp, tangled in his long hair. Harry’s palms were hot points against his hips and it could have all gotten heated easily. He was dying to get Harry naked, get his mouth and hands all over him. But they had time.

All too soon they pulled apart, kissing each other’s cheeks and foreheads, and nosing under their jaws. Touching each other thoroughly until the very moment they couldn’t anymore.

They went to a long lunch with Harry’s family and then the five of them went to the stadium to watch the Saturday evening races. Harry had qualifications the next morning for the 1500m final. Louis could see he was nervous, even though he wasn’t saying it. Through every single race they watched, his knee was jiggling and his fingers were twisting together in his lap.

He wanted to reach over and soothe him, but he couldn’t.

Instead, he leaned over to whisper, “Let’s go.”

There were a couple semis left, but no finals. Harry surely knew that when he looked at the pool, looked back to Louis and then, finally, nodded. He leaned over to say something to his mum, then they were hugging and Harry was standing up.

They walked the short distance back to the hotel with their hands swaying just inches from each other. Louis missed touching him so much, he wasn’t sure if it was worse being across the country or within sight of him and still not allowed to reach across the space between them.

When they were in the lift, Harry said, “I’ve just got to take a quick shower and shave down.” He rubbed at his arm and Louis could see that some of the hair had started to grow back since his last race on Tuesday.

As he watched Harry touch his own skin a whole different set of images came to his mind and before he’d even properly thought about it, Louis asked, “Can I help?”

They were both leaning against the back wall of the lift and Harry looked over to him sharply, the heat of his gaze palpable in the small space. Now that Louis had said it, spoken it out into the universe, he couldn’t stop thinking about it - rubbing soap onto Harry’s skin, revealing it to be silky and smooth underneath, the way he’d feel in Louis’ arms as he took care of him.

His lips parted at the thought and Harry swallowed hard next to him. Then he nodded just as the lift opened onto their floor. For a moment, long enough the doors started to close again, they simply stared at each other before they shook themselves back to reality. Out of the heady little bubble that encased them under those god awful fluorescent lights, where the only thing Louis could see was Harry, the only thing he could feel was the thudding of his own heart and the tension coiling, then snapping between them.

As Harry unlocked the hotel door, Louis stood close, maybe too close, behind him. His hand brushed over Harry’s hip, feeling the heat of his skin from under his shirt, just as Harry pushed open the door.

Once the door closed, Harry turned in his arms, taking Louis’s head in his hands, and drew him in for a bruising kiss. Louis tucked his thumbs into the waistband of Harry’s shorts, anchored together through the hold they had on each other.

Their lips pushed and twisted before Louis pulled back with a smiling bite, dragging his teeth along Harry’s lips to feel him shiver. Harry let out a huff that sounded like it was half moan and half laughter, flexing his fingers on Louis’ jaw in retaliation, the tightening causing a wave of pleasure to race down his spine.

They kissed for minutes more, until Louis was hard in his jeans and was just about to shove Harry back towards the bed.

Harry leaned back, pressing one more peck to Louis’ lips. With just an inch between their mouths he said, “Let me just shave real quick, it’ll be faster.”

Smiling, he kissed the corner of Harry’s mouth, and asked, “Why do you want it to be fast?”

Harry’s breath was hot on his lips on the exhale and then he leaned in to kiss him again, sliding his hands over Louis’ shoulders, his arms, and then slipped around his waist.

“Okay,” Harry whispered into his mouth.

“Slow,” Louis murmured, running his tongue along Harry’s bottom lip before pulling back. His eyes blinked open languidly and when he looked at Harry, Louis saw he was still living in that moment, his hair messy, lips wet and eyes still blissfully closed. “Get undressed for me, baby.”

Harry nodded, rubbing his hands on Louis’ hips for a moment more before he dropped them. When he looked back up to Louis, the green in his eyes was striking, that summer shade like grass glowing in the sunlight, like the haven he’d like to sink down into. Louis had known for months that he loved Harry, but it was never more clear to him than in that moment. He’d do whatever it took, whatever necessary, to always have Harry looking at him just like this.

While Harry undressed, Louis went into the small bathroom, thankful to see there was a tub and not just a shower stall. All of Harry’s bath products lined the edge of it, including his razor and shaving cream. On the soap dish sat a half finished bar, which Louis recognized as the soap he’d bought Harry for Christmas with his sisters. Where he’d spent what felt like an hour sniffing everyone and picturing what Harry would smell like wearing it. Now he didn’t have to wonder.

Pulling off his clothes, he kicked them against the vanity. The tub was filling up slowly and he’d just bent to test the temperature when Harry stepped into the room behind him.

“You are a tease, you know that right?”

Louis let out a startled laugh. “Yeah, that was my nickname in school. Tommo the Tease.”

“Was it really?”

“No, of course not.” Louis rolled his eyes and then turned off the tap.

When Louis turned around Harry was shaking his head, but he had a broad smile on his face. He was fully naked and somehow in the month since he’d seen Harry, his tan had gotten deeper and the line on his lower abdomen where his speedo cut was sharper than ever.

Louis rubbed his thumb across the skin and watched goosebumps trail after his touch.

“The tub isn’t the most convenient,” Harry said, as if his whole body wasn’t pebbled from one brush of Louis’ finger, as if his cock wasn’t already chubbing up against his thigh.

“I don’t care,” Louis retorted, shrugging. “Want to be in the bath with you.”

Harry smiled, shaking his head slightly, and then kissed Louis on the cheek, so high his lips brushed Louis’ eyelashes. He slipped by him and then into the water, leaning back against the wall.

“Are you going to attend to me? Is that what they call it?”

“Fuck off,” Louis snorted. “Move your legs a bit.”

Harry shuffled in the tub and then Louis stepped in. The water was warm as it rose on his leg and he steadied himself with a hand on Harry’s shoulder while he sank down to his knees, straddling Harry’s thighs.

“Oh,” Harry breathed out a bit dumbly, his hands sliding under the surface to curl around Louis’ knees.

“Oh,” Louis echoed back, his voice a little mocking just to see the blush rise on Harry’s face. He moved a hand from Harry’s shoulder to sweep across his pecs and then down his arm under the water to squeeze Harry’s hand. “Want to talk to you while I get your chest. I’ve missed it.”

His nose scrunching in affection and Harry smiled up at him. “Me too. FaceTime is nice and all, but it’s not the same.”

“No, it’s nothing like this.” Louis adjusted on his lap, felt Harry’s hard cock slip against his inner thigh and smirked down at him.

“What if,” Harry started, running his hands up Louis’ thighs and around to hold his arse. “When all this is over, I come to Boston?”

“When all this is over? Sun, you’re heading to Paris.”

“Okay, but if I don’t.”

Louis shook his head. “But you are.”

“It’s not official until it’s official,” Harry said, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “I can’t believe it’s true until it is.”

Louis carded his fingers through the ends of Harry’s hair that were wet from the bathwater and looked at him. The nerves he’d had while they were watching the meet was back. Louis hated to see the doubt on his face.

Olympic Trials had started the Saturday before and Harry had his first final that day, Sunday and then on Tuesday. He’d not done poorly in the first two races, the 400m free or the 400 IM, but both of those had always been the longest shots. He’d come in 6th and 7th respectively - incredible, really, given where he’d been time wise in June of last year.

But the 800m free final had been on Tuesday and Harry came 2nd behind Bobby Finke, his training partner.

Louis and Niall had watched it from Niall’s couch, holding hands the entire race because they were so nervous. Niall didn’t even scold him when the popcorn container flipped in celebration because he was that excited.

There was a long and confusing explanation on whether or not Harry could make the team from that alone. But what it came down to was that it should be good enough, but it wasn’t official. And it wouldn’t be until Sunday. Somehow this was making Harry more nervous for his 1500m race on Sunday afternoon.

“You know, no matter what, I’m so proud of you, right?” Louis brushed a kiss to Harry’s forehead and felt him exhale a hot breath on his throat. “We all are.”

Harry moved his hands from Louis’ arse to his lower back and pulled him up his lap so they were in a tight hug.

“I know, it means everything to me. Really.”

Louis squeezed him back, smiling into his hair. Wishing he could force his belief, his own strength into Harry. Or even better, peel back the nerves, the insecurity, and flush them down the drain.

They held each other close for a moment longer before Louis pulled back and grabbed the razor over Harry’s shoulder, handing it to Harry to hold. Then he took the shaving cream, spraying some out onto his hand.

“Chest and arms?” Louis asked. “We can do your legs after.”

“Yup,” Harry said. “Shouldn’t be too bad, the bulk of it was taken off last Friday. It’s just growth from this week.”

Louis nodded and rubbed a hand over Harry’s heart, feeling the barest stubble under his fingers. Harry didn’t have a lot of chest hair anyway, but it was good to be thorough. He smeared the shaving cream over Harry’s chest and then sniffed, a bemused smile curling on his face.

“Is that lavender?”

Harry laughed, brightly, with his head tipped back so he could smile at Louis. “Yeah. I forgot mine and Gemma lent me hers. Nice though, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, sunshine. Smells good.”

He accepted the razor back from Harry and then hesitated with the blade over his skin.

“It’s just like doing your face, except bigger and generally easier,” Harry offered, still smiling at him. His eyes had gone a bit sparkly in the bathroom lighting, like maybe the steam from the water and his closeness to Louis had stirred a bit of magic in them.

“Alright,” Louis said, pausing a moment more before making the first swipe.

He worked slowly across Harry’s chest, surely taking three times as long to do it as Harry would have. But the bathwater was still warm and Harry was talking through the events earlier in the week, his voice slow and syrupy around Louis, so neither of them were about to complain.

After each swipe of the blade, Louis followed it with his fingertips on his other hand, soothing over the skin and feeling if he missed anything. He rinsed the razor off in the water as he went and it was becoming cloudy with soap. Harry’s hands were slowly caressing his sides, his thighs, around his arse.

Louis ran a hand down Harry’s abs underneath the water, feeling for any stubble, and instead bumped into Harry’s cock, hard and floating in the water. Licking his lips, he took him in his left hand, stroking up firmly once.

Harry let out a stuttered moan, cutting off his sentence at, “-Thursday’s heats with-”

“Sorry,” Louis said with little apology, leaving a messy kiss on Harry’s temple. “Was just right there.”

Harry swallowed and tilted his head up, so Louis leaned down and pressed their lips together, still slowly working over Harry’s cock clumsily with his non-dominant hand. On his arse, Harry’s hands tightened as he ran his tongue over Louis’. Heat curled through him, pleasure burning through his body and straight to his own cock.

Most of Harry’s body still needed to be shaved and the water was slowly cooling around them, but it didn’t feel like there was anything more important at the moment than the heady space between them. He rocked closer so his cock bumped Harry’s stomach, just near where his own hand was pulling, and then back into Harry’s firm grip. It felt so good with the warm water lapping against his skin, even better when Harry spread his cheeks to run a finger against his rim.

He moaned into Harry’s mouth, then breathed harshly against his lips. Moving his hand to tug at Harry’s nipple, he blinked his eyes open when he remembered the razor was still clutched in his fist.

Harry moved to kiss under his jaw, but Louis slowed his hand and then let go of Harry’s cock all together. A whimper cut through the space between them and Louis’ couldn’t help but laugh at how pitiful Harry sounded.

“I’ve got a lot of skin left to get to.” He ran his hand back up Harry’s abs and tweaked his right nipple.

“We have time,” Harry said, looking up at him sweetly.

“Thought you wanted it done fast,” Louis teased, grinding back into Harry’s hands as if he was doing something else entirely.

Harry licked his lips, dimples deep set in his cheeks as he looked up at Louis, voice rough when he said, “Don’t want you to stop touching me.”

“I won’t,” Louis assured, running his hand down Harry’s arm. He shuffled slightly further back in his lap, not far enough that Harry couldn’t still reach around and hold him, but to give himself some more room to work.

Halfway through shaving one of Harry’s arms, he started to talk again. “I don’t remember where I left off.”

“You were telling me about Thursday.” Louis ran the razor around Harry’s elbow carefully and then traced it with his thumb.

“Right,” Harry said, blowing out a breath. “Right, yeah. Um, Gemma and I went to the heats in the morning. She doesn’t even really like swimming all that much, but I didn’t want to go alone.”

Louis hummed and listened to him rattle on as he finished Harry’s bicep. Then he lifted his arm up and ran a finger through Harry’s armpit. Just the barest growth had reappeared. He spread shaving cream on it, then tickled down Harry’s ribcage before rinsing his fingers off in the water.

Each caress over Harry’s skin, each swipe of the razor felt like he was worshiping his body. Like he was praying at the altar for some sort of deity and paying the price in devotion.

After he scooped up bathwater and rinsed off the remaining soap, he teased a finger down the smooth surface of Harry’s underarm before kissing in the center of it. Right where Harry smelt the most like himself.

Louis gave his left arm the same treatment and when his upper body was fully shaved, Louis finally reached back under the water to take Harry’s cock in hand again.

They kissed as he pulled Harry off, going from a steady twist of their lips to Harry panting against his tongue as he spilled over Louis’ fist. Through it all he held him, his left arm wrapped around Harry’s shoulder, feeling each muscle flutter through ecstasy.

On the comedown, Harry laid his cheek against Louis’ so he could feel every quiver of his lashes and then a smile rise on his face. A breath rushed past his ear and then Harry leaned against the shower wall, his hands slipping off Louis’ body and into the cloudy water.

It was nearly cool around them now and Louis sat back against Harry’s thighs, stretching his spine out. He’d been holding himself taut, hunched forward and focused, as he’d shaved Harry’s upper body and sitting back now he felt almost like he did after a long study session.

“Gotta do your legs,” Louis said, cracking his neck and then every single one of his fingers.

“Okay,” Harry agreed, but didn’t move an inch.

Louis laughed and then stood on shaking legs out of the water. His knees were a bit sore from kneeling on the tub floor, but he could barely feel it underneath the arousal still coursing through him. With a hungry gleam in his eye, Harry looked up at Louis’ cock, still standing firm, untouched for the entire time he’d been focused on Harry.

He ran a hand up the back of Louis’ calf and then circled his knees to scrape his nails up the front of Louis’ thighs. Louis shivered under the touch and then laughed as Harry moved forward with his tongue already out.

“We’re not done, sun.” Louis stepped back out of his grip and Harry’s lips twisted into a pout. Rolling his eyes, he turned to pull the plug on the drain.

When he was still bent down, Harry’s hands ran back up his legs toward his arse. Louis turned to see he’d scooted up in the tub to reach him properly, so he could press a kiss right where Louis’ thigh met the underside of his arse.

“Baby,” Louis let out a sigh, freezing for a moment to relish the hotness of Harry’s breath ghosting over him before reaching for Harry’s hand and clasping their palms together. He straightened and turned on the slippery tub floor, catching himself with his spare hand on the shower wall. “Get up for me.”

Harry’s mouth fell back into a pout again, but Louis’ tugged on their interlaced fingers, until Harry stood as the last of the water drained from the tub. They were both covered in the dregs of soap and probably Harry’s hair and maybe even his come. So, Louis turned on the shower, then pulled Harry in for a sloppy kiss under the spray.

They kissed while the water warmed up, while the soap ran from their skin and down the drain, while their hair got wet and fat droplets raced down their cheeks into their mouths. He pressed his cock against Harry’s stomach, grinding into the smooth slickness of his belly and moaned around the pleasure of it.

When it started to feel too good, he moved his mouth to kiss over Harry’s cheek and then under his jaw to feel his pulse fluttering. Harry’s hands were rubbing all over him and, despite him just coming a few minutes before, he was already half hard against Louis’ thigh.

Louis reached past him to grab the shaving cream and then angled the shower head against the wall so it was just misting them.

“Put your leg on the edge,” Louis instructed, waiting for Harry following his order before Louis sprayed shaving cream down the whole thing. Afterwards, he went in with his hands to smear it over his skin. As he worked, Harry was looking down at him with his bottom lip between his teeth, clearly loving the look of Louis bent between his spread legs.

When he rinsed his hands, Louis said, “I love your legs.”

He looked over to see Harry swallow hard. His eyes were low lidded with arousal, but they had stayed that same sunny green that Louis loved. So clear, so lovely, even in pleasure.

Louis teased a finger up the inside of his thigh, all the way to his groin, licking his lips at the way Harry shivered from the touch. The razor was on the edge of the tub and Louis reached around Harry’s leg to grab it, before turning around into the space of his legs, facing away from Harry.

“What are you doing?” Harry asked, his voice ragged.

“Feels more natural this way, don’t you think?” Smirking to himself as he said it, leaning back against Harry’s chest, cradled between his thighs, with Harry’s cock fattening up against his arse.

Harry ran a hand around his middle and pressed on his stomach, holding Louis to himself. His words were quiet and whispered right into the side of Louis’ head, when he said, “Feels right.”

Louis hummed and felt a flush burn through his whole body.

He leaned forward, Harry’s hand still on his stomach, thumb pressed right on his belly button and fingers spread low enough they were in his pubic hair, and ran the first stripe of the razor up Harry’s calf. Bent over like this had his arse right in Harry’s groin, cock digging into Louis’ cheek in a delicious way.

With each stroke of the razor on Harry’s skin, and the corresponding run of his thumb over the exposed skin, Louis felt his breathing getting more ragged. Something about being surrounded by Harry on all sides, their bodies touching in every intimate way possible, the care he was showing for Harry - it had him on edge.

As he leaned back to work on Harry’s thigh, Harry started mouthing at his neck. Just light, barely there kisses. Drags of his tongue that had Louis feeling like his muscles were turning to liquid.

He finished the front of Harry’s thigh, resolving to get the rest after, and instead turned his face to meet Harry over his shoulder in a messy kiss. It was mostly tongue and the bite of their teeth. Both of them were too hot, the gentle presses of their hands pulling the pleasure between them as tight as a bowstring. Had it singing, echoing off the shower walls.

Louis pulled back, turning in Harry’s hold, to press their groins together in one mind numbing grind. Harry’s leg dropped off the end of the tub and he leaned down to kiss Louis again, but Louis leaned back with a sly grin on his face.

“I’ve got to do the other side.” Louis swirled his finger in the air. “Turn around.”

Harry let out a huff of faux annoyance, but turned slowly on the slippery tub floor. With the shower head pointed at the wall, there was nothing but a misty humidity keeping them damp, but not washing anything away. The last leftovers of the shaving cream still clung to the back of Harry’s thigh.

He molded himself to Harry’s back, curving around the shape of him, his arms curling underneath Harry’s to hug his chest tightly. When he pulled Harry back into his body, his cock slid along the back of Harry’s thighs and then, from the slickness of the shaving cream, slipped right in between both of them.

Louis let out a moan and dropped his head between Harry’s shoulder blades. The pressure from Harry’s closed legs was stunning after how long he’d been hard. He thrust a couple of times without really thinking about it, mindless to the tight heat of them.

“Fuck,” Harry moaned. Louis looked up to see Harry’s head drooped, hanging really, as if he was lost in the sensation too.

He meant to pull out, to get back to shaving Harry’s legs, but he thrust forward instead. His palms were flat on Harry’s chest and with one pinched Harry’s nipple, causing him to jerk against him, tugging his cock tighter between his thighs.

“Baby, can I-” Louis started, but thrust again instead of finishing. His head was hazy with it and he could hear how slurred his words were. Like a couple more minutes and he’d be drooling against Harry’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Harry groaned. “Yes, fuck, Lou.”

Harry shifted slightly and Louis realized he had moved his legs fully together and leaned more of his weight against Louis’ chest. Harry’s arm rose up and reached around to hold Louis’ head, fingers slipping in between the wet strands, and tugging, just slightly. Just the way Louis liked it.

Thrusting faster, he lost his head in the tight vice of Harry’s thighs. With one hand he kept playing with Harry’s nipples and rested the other low on his belly. Low enough he could feel the sway of Harry’s cock as he rocked with Louis’ movement.

Louis mouthed at his shoulder and then the back of his neck. It felt so good, hypnotic even with the steam of the shower and the slow, slow build between them.

Harry was starting to get loud in his arms, his moans and sharp intakes of breath echoing off the tiles and wrapping tightly around them. Louis opened his eyes, realizing Harry was tugging at his own cock in time with Louis’ thrusts between his legs.

With the hand on Harry’s belly, he scraped his fingertips down the rest of Harry’s smooth stomach and then around the base of his cock. He didn’t interrupt Harry’s movements, just pet around the skin, caressed over his balls, tugged them lightly in time with a thrust and a pinch of his nipples.

Harry let out a long groan, clenched his legs together and came.

“Fuck,” Louis groaned, dropping his head back to Harry’s shoulders. Closing his eyes, he focused on the trembles coursing through Harry’s body and the tightness surrounding him. Harry tugged at his hair and slipped his other hand under the one Louis was using to still twist at his nipple, lacing their fingers together and just held on. Their hands were over Harry’s heart and he felt the steady rhythm of it as he spilled between Harry’s thighs.

His hips slowed and as he came down from the high he kissed along Harry’s shoulder blades before squeezing him in a tight hug. When his heart slowed and his cock softened, he tapped Harry on the hip so he’d loosen his legs and stepped back.

“Let me wash off your legs,” Louis said, voice rough.

Harry nodded and turned around. His eyes were a bit glassy, like maybe all that pleasure had been overwhelming. Two orgasms in and Louis wasn’t even done shaving him. Harry hadn’t been exaggerating when he said it would have been faster alone, it was probably taking Louis five times as long.

The detachable shower head made quick work of the come and soap on Harry’s legs. Louis ran his hands over each bit of exposed skin and kissed his arse cheek before standing back up. Once he’d replaced the shower head, he laid a hand back on Harry’s waist, catching his eyes.

“Still feeling good, sunshine?”

“Yeah, Lou,” Harry breathed out, then let out half a giggle. “Maybe a bit wobbly though.”

Louis smiled at him and then kissed his cheek. “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll do the rest up quickly.”

Harry agreed and perched on the tub ledge, extending his legs as far as he could in the tub, which, admittedly, was not far. Louis shaved his right leg as quick as he could, while still giving it the same care and attention and then carefully shaved the back of both of them, while Harry remained with his bum just on the edge of the tub.

When he was done, he rubbed his hands around Harry’s thighs to be sure they were cleanly shaven and then kissed over each of his kneecaps. With the shower head, he rinsed Harry’s legs and then they both stood under the spray and washed their bodies quickly.

Once they were dry they climbed into bed naked, slipping their legs together under the sheets, and talked until they fell asleep. Finally, blissfully, back in the bubble of them.

Harry had his heat for the 1500m in the morning and he finished 3rd in the seeds, easily making the final on Sunday. After his race and a massage, the five of them went to lunch. Harry was a ball of nervous energy all day, antsy and knee shaking through three games of Scrabble. Anne kept sending him anxious looks across the board each time Harry lost, who was typically competitive to a fault.

When they went back to Harry’s room that night and climbed into bed, Louis sat cross legged next to him. They’d stripped to their pants and Harry was slouched against the headboard, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

“You’re nervous,” Louis stated, rather than asked. He knew it, he didn’t need Harry to confirm it. But still, he nodded his head, curls dancing against the tops of his shoulders with each jerk of his head.

“I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Louis ran a hand along the waistband of his pants, not sexually, but in a soothing way. “What would help? I can take your mind off it, or we can keep your mind on it.”

Harry let out a breath.“On. I want to stay focused.”

“Alright, sunshine.” Louis scooted up the bed and leaned back against the headboard next to Harry. “Come here.”

Harry turned and inched down the bed until his head was on Louis’ chest and his arm was wrapped around his middle. He let out a deep breath, which ran hot down Louis’ air con chilled skin.

“Tell me about the race,” Louis said, soothing a hand through his hair. “Every bit. Every worry. I want to hear it.”

Harry started talking, his words slow and his story rambling. But he talked until his voice was hoarse, until his fingers stopped nervously tapping against Louis’ ribcage, until his breathing calmed and he’d fallen asleep.

Harry’s race didn’t start until the evening on Sunday and Louis walked to the stadium with Harry’s family. All of them had nervous, shaking hands.

When he’d woken that morning Harry was already gone. They’d run through his whole schedule the night before, so Louis knew he would be, but still he ran a hand over the cool sheets next to him and sighed.

It was his last day in Indianapolis. He was on the very last flight out that night back to Boston. In the lead up to the evening session, the only session of the day, Louis had done some anxiety-ridden work on his laptop and then spent the afternoon with Harry’s family where they all pretended like they were fine.

Now they climbed the steps up to their section, an excited energy filling the stadium. It was the last day of races and the team would be official tonight. For every family member or fan waiting to hear if their swimmer had made the team, this was the moment. It surely was for the four of them as they settled into their seats.

“I’m going to throw up,” Gemma muttered under her breath.

Anne scoffed on the other side of her. “Don’t be dramatic. It’s going to be fine.”

Her words might have been more encouraging if it hadn’t sounded like she ground them out with her teeth clenched. Like things better be fine or she’d make them that way herself.

“I can’t believe you’re calling me dramatic when you’re wearing that shirt.”

Anne looked down at herself, pulling out her white, hand printed t-shirt from her chest. On it was a photo of Harry, a year or so ago, grinning widely at the camera with the words ‘We think Harry has the Olympic Factor’ on it in a truly horrendous font.

“What’s wrong with my shirt? Look how cute your brother is!”

Gemma rolled her eyes. “You even made Louis wear one.”

He was indeed wearing a matching shirt. She’d shown them to him in the middle of their scrabble tournament, thrusting a spare one in his hands. It didn’t require any convincing, to be fair. The laugh Harry would let out seeing him in it was enough motivation alone to wear it.

“He wanted to!” Anne protested.

“I love it,” Louis tossed in, just to add fuel to the family argument.

Gemma threw her hands up in exasperation, while Robin started talking over Anne to try to keep the peace. The three of them continued to bicker until the meet started.

The first race was over quickly, just a mere 24 seconds for the women to swim the 50m free. Afterwards, the stadium was abuzz. There was only one more event - Harry’s. The team would be official sometime that evening and surely everyone was just as excited about it as they were.

“Do you think he’s throwing up right now?” Gemma asked, clearly meaning Harry.

Louis let out a snort, but Anne swatted her arm.

“Don’t talk like that,” she scolded.

“It’s not like he can hear me,” Gemma drawled, rolling her eyes. “Besides, he probably needs a laugh right about now, always so in his head before big meets.”

“He’s been way more level headed than usual,” Anne offered and then all three of them leaned over to look at Louis.

An awkward laugh bubbled out of him. “I don’t think this is on me.”

“He gained this confidence from somewhere,” Robin said, smiling at him. “And I don’t think it was from all those times Gemma pushed him in the pool.”

She squawked next to him and threw her hands up in the air. “It worked! I don’t know why everyone has such a problem with a proven method!”

Placatingly, Anne patted her arm, but Robin was laughing on the other side of her, a hand pressed to his belly over his ‘Gator Dad!’ t-shirt.

The lights in the stadium dimmed and spotlights started dancing on the top of the pool. After a few minutes, every screen in the arena lit up with the event title.

The emcee began announcing the swimmers and they walked out one at a time, waving to the crowd.

“In lane five, representing the University of Florida, is Harry Styles,” the announcer called. Harry’s name flashed on the screen a second before he stepped into the tunnel and walked out.

Robin was on his feet cheering, sticking two fingers in his mouth to let out a loud whistle that had Anne jumping in her seat.

Harry walked to the chair behind lane five, his black tech suit running down close to his knees and a big hoodie on to keep his muscles warm. It was easy to follow him from across the stadium with the bright blue of his swim cap, a slash of white cutting through the top that Louis knew were his wireless headphones.

All eight of the swimmers were behind their respective lanes, warming up their muscles, adjusting caps, shaking out their limbs. Harry was nodding along to the music in his headphones while he kicked off his slides, putting them in the bin next to his chair. Then he glanced up, looking at the section they were in, probably hoping to see them, but Louis was sure from this distance he couldn’t. Still, Harry smiled, his cheeks pushing up against his goggles just before he pulled off his headphones and then the hoodie in quick succession.

The group of them were next to the blocks now, making adjustments and then climbing on. Harry bent down in the starting position and Louis reached over to take Gemma’s hand.

He nearly apologized and let go, but she squeezed it tightly.

“I’m so nervous, I could puke,” she muttered and then laughed at herself. “Wish he didn’t swim so fucking far, makes the wait nearly unbearable.”

Just as Louis nodded in agreement, over the speaker system rang, “Take your mark.”

The buzzer went and all the swimmers were off the blocks.

To Louis, it looked like Harry had a good start, but the race was nearly fifteen minutes long, so it was too soon to tell how it would all play out.

For most of the race, he sat back in his seat, clutching Gemma’s hand over his jiggling knee. When Harry hit the halfway point, Louis leaned forward, the whole line of his family pulling forward together like there was a string connecting them. Maybe there was, they had all linked hands as well.

Harry was in third, a full body length behind Bobby Finke in lane four and a shoulder length behind a swimmer Louis didn’t recognize in lane six. His body sliced through the water as gracefully as ever. Louis was so accustomed to how he looked in the water, the way his stroke looked and his legs kicked, that he could tell he wasn’t rushing. Wasn’t pushing more than he was intending to.

It meant Harry was exactly where he wanted to be at the half.

Knowing that did nothing to calm the nerves in Louis’ body. He felt himself breathing harshly, as if he was swimming, as if this was his race to win. Sometimes being in the stands was worse, he was pretty sure.

Harry turned with 150m to go and Gemma’s grip turned to a vice.

Under her breath she was muttering, “Come on, come on.”

Louis bit his lip as the bells rang in quick succession over lanes 4, 5, and 6 as they all made the turn for the last 100 meters.

Robin was on his feet yelling down at the pool, cheering loudly as Harry’s kick increased into the last turn.

With 50 to go he was .05 behind the second place swimmer and two full seconds off first.

“He has a great last 50,” Louis said aloud, maybe for himself more than anyone else.

He held his breath and watched as Harry inched up past the person next to him, then closed the distance between his stroke and Bobby kicking in the lane next to him.

Gemma stood and the tugging of her hand had Louis rising to his feet as well, yelling out with the rest of Harry’s family as he made the last, final stoke into the wall.

The board showed he was just, just behind Bobby and in second.

“That’s a new personal best,” Louis said, staring at the time. “That’s like four seconds faster than prelims.”

Gemma cheered loudly, pulling her hand from Louis’ and wrapping it around his shoulder, tugging him in for a hug. Louis laughed into it, looking back to the pool to see Harry hugging Bobby over the lane divider, a broad smile on his face.

It was still only second, but he’d come in second twice.

The swimmers climbed out of the pool and Louis’ ears were ringing from how loud the stadium was. He pressed a hand over his heart, relishing in how fast it was beating. In how proud he was of Harry. It stung at his eyes, that pride, the joy that burned through him. Over Gemma’s shoulder he saw Robin and Anne embracing, Harry’s mum subtly wiping at her eyes.

“This is really happening,” Gemma said and then laughed loudly. Then she clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes welling up. “Oh, God, dad would be so proud. I can’t believe he’s not here for this.”

She wiped at a stray tear and Louis gave her a kind smile. “Harry knows.”

As she was nodding, Anne wrapped an arm around her and pulled Gemma into a hug. It had been Harry swimming in the pool, but this dream had never just been his. It belonged to each member of his family, the coaches he worked with, his teammates. The joy of him succeeding bubbled through all of them. It was so clear to Louis, how he could feel that in himself, how he could see it in Harry’s family. They all just loved him, so much they were bursting from it.

With the races over, the crowd thinned and Louis checked the time on his phone. He had to be leaving soon to make it to the airport on time for his flight. It was landing at a god awful time back in Boston, but it was worth being tired tomorrow at work to be here for Harry now.

Swiping away notifications from Niall and Oli, he pulled up his text thread with Harry.

Harry

Louis: so proud of you baby!!!!!
Louis: gotta head out in a few for the airport

Most likely Harry was still in the warm down pool, cooling his muscles off. If not, he was getting therapy on his legs. Louis really wanted to see him before he left, but he still needed to go back to the hotel to get his bag and he didn’t have a lot of time.

They weren’t going to see each other until August now, though, and that ached a bit. He wanted just another moment with him, his mind still snagging on the cool sheets that morning, that empty space where Harry was meant to be.

“Have you heard from him?” Gemma asked. Louis looked up from his phone to see her peeking at it.

Shrugging, as if it didn’t matter, as if his heart wasn’t stinging, he said, “Not yet.”

The four of them moved down the row and then descended the stairs, making their way to the lobby. He was still jittery from adrenaline, feeling the excitement from the race all the way through to his fingertips.

The stadium was still fairly full of people milling about. The official team announcement was meant to be made at any moment and likely they were wanting to be around when it happened. Louis wished he could stay for it, but he’d surely miss his flight if he didn’t get going.

“Are you waiting?” he asked Harry’s family.

Anne and Robin both nodded, but Gemma said, “I’ll walk back to the hotel with you. These shoes are giving me the worst blisters and I have to get out of them.”

Louis laughed and they made their way there quickly, chatting the whole way about the race. Once he’d gotten off the lift at the fourth floor, he worked quickly to get the last of his bag packed. With one hand shoving Harry’s spare hoodie into his duffel bag, he ordered an uber with the other. The wait was longer than he was hoping for, but with the meet just ending there were surely a lot of people in the queue.

Sighing, he went to take a piss while the car came. Just as he was flushing the toilet, the hotel door opened. Louis sucked in a breath and turned to see Harry in the doorway to the bathroom, his cock still halfway out of his jeans.

“Oops,” Harry breathed out. His chest was rising and falling dramatically, as if he’d run there.

“Hi, baby,” Louis said a bit dumbly, so stunned to see him standing there he forgot for a moment his trousers weren’t even zipped.

“I thought I’d missed you,” Harry said, pressing a hand to his stomach as he breathed in deeply.

“Car is taking forever,” Louis mumbled, finally tucking himself away. The shock was starting to wear off and he finally took in Harry’s appearance, fat water stains on his shoulders from his wet hair and his hoodie collar pulled far enough to the side to see he didn’t have a shirt on underneath. Like he’d left in a hurry. “Baby, I’m so-”

The words dried up in his throat or maybe were flooded over with emotion, so overwhelming and sudden that Louis felt the soreness of it right in the middle of his chest.

He stumbled forward half a step, his hand catching on Harry’s waist, and felt it sear through him - the way he wanted to finally just say exactly what he was feeling.

“God, I love you. I’m so fucking proud of you.” Louis pressed a hand over his heart, felt it beating fast, like it was about to jump into his palm. “I’m just bursting with it.”

With wide eyes and mouth parted, Harry let out a shuddering breath and pulled him all the way in for a tight hug. His face tucked into Louis’ throat and Louis felt his mouth move, like an imprint on his skin, when Harry said, “I love you too.”

Louis closed his eyes and squeezed him tightly, holding on, their hearts hammering into the space between them. He’d been holding the words in for too long now, the root of them, the first taste of love, had been growing inside of him probably since that very first night. Staring at Harry across a blue lit pool, hair plastered to his head and his eyes a gorgeous clear reflection of the water, Louis had known then he was something he didn’t want to lose.

Pulling back, he rubbed a thumb across Harry’s cheekbone and relished the look on his face. The joy tugging at the creases by his eyes, the pleased curl of his lips, and the heat under his own finger where Harry’s cheeks had gone pink.

Just as he was about to lean in for a kiss, his phone started buzzing on the vanity.

“Fuck,” he muttered, but Harry laughed, just a huff of a giggle blown out against his cheek. “It’s probably the uber.”

Louis answered the call while still in Harry’s arms, saying he’d be right down and hanging up quickly. Silence sat between them for a moment, a blissful last second before the bubble popped.

“I’ve got to go.”

“I’ll ride with you to the airport,” Harry said, soothing a hand down Louis’ arm and then lacing their fingers together.

He thought about protesting, it was silly for him to pay for a second uber to get back to the hotel, stupid of him to waste the time, but Louis understood what he meant. Neither of them were ready to part.

“Let’s go then.”

It didn’t take long to collect his things and climb into the back of the car. The airport was only a twenty minute ride and they spent most of it talking about the race and what was to come.

“I haven’t gotten the call yet, so it’s not official, but-” Harry let out a shuddering breath, a shy smile on his face. “I’d have to be in Raleigh next week for the training camp and then after two weeks we’d fly to London until the games start.”

Louis squeezed his hand where they were laced on Harry’s lap. “Can’t believe the first time you’re in England it won’t be with me.”

“I know.” Harry shook his head and smiled down at their hands. “You’ll have to tell me all the spots to go to.”

“Never spent too much time in London, but I can think of a few.”

“Maybe I’ll save some for when we can go together.”

It was warm between them where their knees were pressed together and Louis wished there was enough space, or that they were somewhere else, so he could climb into Harry’s lap. So he could melt into him for just a bit longer.

Through the window, the streetlights lit them up in sporadic washes of yellow, bathing them in gold. At least for brief moments in time and it felt so fitting, so right, for it to feel like the sun was shining on them even in the dark.

When the driver pulled into departures, they climbed out under the sign for the airline, and moved inside slower than his flight time really required. He was cutting it close to get through security in time, but he’d always drag his feet to spend a minute more with Harry.

They stood off to the side, right across from where the line for security started and curved towards each other soaking in their last moments.

“I’m going to miss you,” Harry sighed, letting the words hang and weigh on them before adding, “Two months is too long.”

Louis moved half a step closer, slipping a hand around Harry’s wrist so he could press his thumb to his pulse. “Less than two months, really. By at least a week, so it’s hardly awful at all.”

“Right,” Harry snorted.

“Besides,” Louis started. He wished they’d had more time to talk in the hotel so they could be having this conversation privately. At least then he’d be able to hold Harry as they did. “It’s not for nothing, right? Like, for both of us, it’s all that hard work coming to fruition. Being apart sucks and I’ll miss you like fucking crazy, but I’d rather you were there than in Boston with me.”

Nodding his head, Harry let out a deep breath. “You’re right. Why are you always so annoyingly right?”

“Part of my charm, sunshine.”

Harry laughed, so brightly that Louis swore the lights in the airport dimmed around him.

“Excuse me,” a woman’s voice cut through their conversation. “Are you Harry Styles?”

Harry turned to face her and Louis’ finally let go of his wrist, shuffling backwards. Hovering right next to them was a woman in her early forties and her daughter, who looked to be about ten. The girl had on a much too large USA Swimming t-shirt that matched the one Harry had been wearing on Louis’ first night in Indianapolis.

“Yes, ma’am,” Harry said, his voice falling into a southern politeness that Louis had never heard before.

“Gosh,” she started, fluttering her hand in front of her. “We just saw you compete, you did so well. What a rush there at the end.”

Harry smiled at her kindly. “Thank you, I’m really pleased with how it went tonight. What’s your name?”

“I’m Carolyn, this is my daughter Maggie. She just started swimming on a club team last year so we thought we’d come out.” She smiled at the both earnestly, her arm curving around Maggie’s back. “She was cheering you on the whole meet.”

Maggie stayed quiet next to her mother, cheeks pink and her body shyly turned inwards, but she smiled up at Harry.

“Thank you so much, Maggie. I wish I had my cap or goggles with me to give you, but I left them at the hotel. I was just dropping my b-” Harry cut himself off, his hand half raising to point at Louis. The unsaid word hung between them for a moment before he cleared his throat and finished, “Louis, here, off for his flight.”

Louis gave them a short, aborted wave, still hung up on the way Harry almost said boyfriend to total strangers, fans even. He hunched a bit to be closer to Maggie’s eye level and asked her, “Did you want a picture with Harry?”

She nodded and her mother said, “Oh that would be splendid. Let me just-”

Digging through her purse, she pulled out her phone triumphantly and handed it to Louis, who backed up a few steps to get them all in frame. Maggie clung to one side of Harry and Carolyn to the other, the three of them grinning widely as Louis snapped several photos in succession.

“Thank you so much, again,” Carolyn said, taking her phone back from Louis.

“Of course, it was so nice to meet y’all.”

Maggie was still hovering by his side and finally she said in a small voice, “Good luck at the Olympics, Harry.”

Harry blushed, his cheeks turning pink, like the words probably still didn’t feel real and he wasn’t sure what to do with them. “Thank you, Maggie. I hope you’ll be watching to cheer me on?”

She nodded vigorously before moving back to her mother’s side. A moment later they walked off towards the security line, waving as they went.

After a quiet moment, Harry rubbed a hand over his face and let out a breath. “That was wild.”

“More to come than that, baby,” Louis said, smiling at him. Harry shook his head in disbelief, smiling bashfully down at his shoes. “I hate to say it, but…”

“You need to go.”

“Cutting it very close,” Louis said, stepping into Harry’s space again. He didn’t want to push his boundaries, especially knowing that there were people here who recognized him.

But Harry didn’t seem as worried, pulling Louis into a hug. Sinking into it, he breathed in Harry’s scent. All chlorine since he hadn’t showered since the race, but the chemical smell was almost a balm to his heart now.

“I miss you,” Harry said, kissing his temple. “Already and you haven’t even left yet.”

“Me too,” Louis mumbled, closing his eyes tightly around the clenching of his heart.

“Call me when you land.” Harry pulled back to look at his face, his hands caressing over his back. “I love you. God, it feels so good to finally say it.”

Louis laughed, feeling his eyes crinkle in delight at the person in front of him. “I love you too, sunshine.”

Quickly, before he even really had time to lean into it, Harry kissed him and then stepped back. Louis felt like his heart was caught in his throat and he stood there for a tick longer before he picked his bag up off the floor.

“You’re going to do amazing things, H. I just know it.”

“So are you, Lou.” Harry pressed a hand over his own heart and finally, horrendously, Louis walked towards security.

By 8:30 in the morning Louis had already had two cups of tea and was working his way through a vanilla latte. His flight had landed after midnight and by the time he’d gotten from Logan to Niall’s flat and into bed it was going on two. Dragging himself up to go to work for 7:30 had been brutal, but he didn’t have any regrets for how the weekend had gone.

Honestly, it couldn’t have gone any better. Despite the exhaustion, he still felt the tingly, popping candy feeling under his skin, like his fingertips had fallen asleep and he couldn’t shake them out. Harry loved him back. Harry’s dreams were coming true.

He took another sip of his coffee and shook his head, trying to focus on the research assignment he’d been given first thing. Around him, the other summer associates were chatting about their weekends, leaning well back in their chairs just wiggling their cursors every couple of minutes so their computer screens didn’t go black.

“I was so hungover yesterday and Patrick called me at 8am with an ‘urgent matter’ he needed me to take care of,” Michaela, a 2L from Northeastern, bemoaned. “I think he has special powers, the sight or something, because he always seems to know when you absolutely cannot handle work and that’s just when he calls.”

Charlie laughed loudly and Louis’ eye twitched. He liked them maybe the most of the other summer associates, but they were such a morning person that it made Louis want to die some days. Today especially.

“Girl, you spent all Friday talking about the rave you were going to on Saturday. That doesn’t take a sixth sense to figure out.”

Michaela tossed a paper clip at them, but it flew over Charlie’s shoulder and Louis looked over just in time to see it land right next to a pair of brown dress shoes. A quiet squeak came from Michaela’s desk and she had a hand over her mouth, her cheeks pinking up around it.

“Mark, good morning!” she said with too much cheerfulness. “That just slipped right out of my hand.”

Charlie pressed their lips together around a laugh and Louis very nearly scoffed.

“Michaela, lots of energy this morning, I see,” Mark said drolly and Michaela’s blush somehow deepened. “How are you all?”

They all murmured their answers, each one a form of good, and you? and he looked a bit bemused at them. They were never not going to be at least a little on edge when a partner walks into their workspace first thing on Monday morning.

Mark was Louis’ favorite of the partners and probably the one they all saw the most. Patrick was one of his associates so Louis had been filtered a lot of his case work and he’d often send feedback via email that was constructive, but kind. From what the other summer associates said, this was not the norm.

“Louis, can I have a word?” Mark was smiling at him, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a coffee cup with a big rainbow swirl on it.

Nervousness clawed over him, but Louis nodded, pushing out of the chair. “Sure, of course.”

As he stood, Charlie’s face had pulled wide into a comical looking grimace. Michaela still had her hand to her face, the embarrassment on her cheeks glowing under the fluorescent lights.

On their way to the office, Mark said, “Did you have a nice weekend? You were off on Friday, right?”

Louis nodded, hoping that wasn’t about to become an issue. He knew that the summer associate position was meant to be a long job interview and he’d felt risky asking for just one day off. “It was very nice, yeah. Had a family event out of town, so I really appreciate the time off.”

Mark closed the office door behind him and gestured to the chair opposite his desk for Louis to sit on.

“You met my husband, Carlos, at the company picnic, didn’t you?” Mark asked, leaning back in his large leather chair. He had a smile on his face that almost looked playful, but Louis couldn’t discern why.

“Yeah,” Louis laughed. Carlos had stood next to him as Louis listened politely to Maria in accounting talk about her baked beans recipe for five minutes, then forced them onto his plate, and he’d let out a long, loud laugh when Louis dumped the whole thing in the trash after she walked away. “He seems lovely.”

Which was true. Louis had given him a conspiratorial look afterwards and they’d ended up chatting for the better part of an hour. It wasn’t until Mark had joined them at the end of the conversation that he realized it was one of the partner’s spouses.

“He said the same about you,” Mark said, laughing. “Funnily enough he was absolutely certain that he saw you on TV last night.”

Louis felt his body freeze, his smile stuck on his face, and a cold rush ran down his spine. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but it sure felt like it.

“We aren’t much for sports, but Carlos loves the Olympics.”

A blush burned on his cheeks and it felt like two seconds too long until he got his tongue to work. “I’ve never really watched it before.”

Mark raised one bemused eyebrow. “Seems like you might be this year.”

His ears were so hot, he could feel them radiating against the hair on the back of his head. As if a heat lamp was shining right on him.

Then Mark laughed, shaking his head at Louis. “Come on, son. Nothing to be embarrassed about. We were just surprised to see you there, in Indianapolis of all places.”

“Well, yes, that is-” he cleared his throat, unsure of what to say. Unsure what this conversation was even meant to be about. “I had a, uh, friend racing.”

The smile that twitched on Mark’s face showed he was seeing through Louis’ stumbling.

“Right, very exciting to see he made the team. He must be thrilled.”

Louis nodded, his fingers tingling under the table. “It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind I think.”

“I can imagine.” Mark smiled again then clasped his hands on top of his desk. “Well, I asked you to come in here this morning because I was having a chat with Patrick and I didn’t realize we had you on for twelve weeks this summer.”

“Oh, yeah, I did end up starting two weeks earlier than the other associates.” Louis shifted on his seat and wondered if he was about to be reprimanded for something. “Patrick had said that wouldn’t be an issue.”

“No, he told me that as well. It definitely has been clear in your work that those two weeks have made a significant difference, but why don’t we drop it back down to ten like the other associates. Just to keep things fair.”

“Well, um-” Louis started, unsure and fish-mouthing, pulse picking up sickeningly.

“And we’ll see you back here next summer, alright?”

Next summer. Next summer. They were only halfway through this summer, but Mark was already confirming he was all set for next year, which most likely meant after graduation… Louis clutched his trembling hands together under the table.

“That would be great, thank you, really,” he managed to say without his voice shaking. Running through his mind was the calendar for the summer, but he couldn’t quite figure out math. “So, when do we think my last week would be?”

“Patrick should be getting you an updated email over as we speak, but I believe he had it noted down to end the 19th, if that’s amenable?”

His pulse rushed in his ears. The 19th. Blinking rapidly, all of the possibilities ran through him in rapid succession. The 19th. The games started on the 26th and he didn’t have to be back to Gainesville until the week of August 12th. If he was alone, he’d be pressing a hand to his chest to try to calm his heart, which felt like it was about to burst out of his skin.

But as he was still in Mark’s office, he let out a feeble, “Yes, I think that would work perfectly.”

Across from him, Mark sent him a warm smile. “Great, if you have any more questions on it Patrick should have all the details.”

Louis nodded and stood on shaking knees. “Thank you again, Mark.”

“Of course,” he said, waving his hand as if it was nothing. As if he hadn’t secured Louis’ future and given him the ability to watch his boyfriend do the same in one meeting.

Louis gave him another smile and turned towards the door. When he was halfway out of it, Mark called out from behind him.

“And good luck to your swimmer, I’m sure he’ll be excited to hear of your change in plans.”

With a blush rising in his cheeks, he turned back to see Mark had a smug look on his face. He clearly knew, understood what friend meant. He’d probably been there himself before.

Which was why Louis felt comfortable saying, “Oh, I’m sure he’s about to lose his goddamn mind.”

Mark’s laughter followed him out of the room as he walked quickly back to his desk. His hands were still a bit shaky and he felt so excited he could scream. Like he could genuinely lose it for once.

Charlie was trying to catch his eye when he made it back to their cubicles, but he didn’t look at them, didn’t look at anyone, just swiped his phone off his desk and turned back around. His spine was snapped so tight, his shoulders stiff, like if he gave an inch, it’d be a mile and he’d be screaming around the whole office.

As he walked away, he heard Michaela say, “Do you think he was just fired?”

“Girl, you’re so dumb,” Charlie scoffed and Louis smiled to himself as he weaved his way through the office towards the bathrooms in the back.

Pushing inside, he called Harry with shaking hands. It rang twice before he answered.

“Hi!” His voice was cheerful as it cut through the line. “Everything okay?”

“Yes,” Louis squeaked out. “Yes, everything is fucking great.”

He laughed, a bit gleefully, a bit insane sounding even to his own ears.

“Lou?” Harry laughed along with him even though he didn’t know what about, but just because he fed off Louis’ joy.

“They cut me back to ten weeks,” Louis breathed out. Knocking his head back against the bathroom door, he closed his eyes and smiled. “I finish up on July 19th.”

“What?” Harry yelped.

“Ostensibly to keep it fair of course, but one of the partners, Mark? Him and his husband watched the meet last night and they must have shown your family in the stands. I think, I mean it sounds wild, but I think he did it on purpose. So I could go.”

That had to be the truth of it. What did it matter to them if Louis was there for an extra two weeks, especially if they were intending to have him on for next summer anyway? All experience was worth it and maybe Louis would have argued that, if it didn’t feel like he’d been given a gift.

“Oh my fucking God,” Harry said, voice in a bit of disbelief and then he laughed. “Oh my God, oh, Lou.”

“I’m so-” Louis started, cutting himself off with a laugh. “Oh, God, I get to have you in Paris.”

“Stop,” Harry mumbled, and then sniffed like he might have been crying. “It’s too much.”

He pressed a hand to his heart, still hardly believing this was real. “In a good way?”

“The very best way,” Harry assured. “I love you. I’m like - aflutter about it all.”

His laugh was like a warm balm cutting through the phone. It curled around Louis and held him tight.

“Me too, baby.”

“I’ve got to tell my mom, she was going to get all the travel stuff sorted today. I guarantee, she’s about to lose her mind.” Through the phone, Louis heard the door of the hotel room close. “Do you have a minute to stay on the line?”

There was still a pile of work he had to get through, but for right now, this was all he wanted to focus on.

“Yeah, sunshine. I have time.”

Louis stumbled on the very last step of the stairs up to Niall’s third floor flat. It was half one in the morning and he was a little bit drunk, but it was the last day of his summer associateship, so a celebration of sorts had been in order.

Patrick had organized a night out and they’d gone in their work clothes, all getting sloppier as the night went on. Louis was dragging his suit jacket behind him now as he tried to unlock Niall’s front door.

His friends had come out to meet them partway through the night and it had reminded him so much of being in undergrad. Getting hammered with Niall hanging off his shoulder pouring drinks down his throat. But now, they had Oli on FaceTime laughing at their antics from Chicago and Niall carried a tipsy Zayn home at the end of the night rather than Louis.

When he got inside he kicked his shoes off at the door, resolving to straighten them out before Niall got home in the morning. He slid through the living room on his socks, crashing into the bathroom door with a giggle.

While he brushed his teeth, he checked his phone for the first time in hours. Oli had sent him a TikTok with a message underneath that just said, “this u?”

The thumbnail of the link looked to be Harry, a pool glittering behind him, with was text on the screen in white that he wasn’t able to read before opening.

Oli

Oli: this u?
Louis: you know i hate tiktok
Oli: just watch it

Louis spit out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth before opening the link.

It loaded and Harry started talking on screen immediately.

“-‘ve loved swimming since I was a little kid, so this is such a dream come true for me. Um, my pre meet ritual? Well, I have a playlist I always listen to before a big meet to, like, get me focused. It’s in a very specific order, and the very last thing is a message from my partner just, like, saying how much they believe in me.”

And then it looped. With his alcohol soaked brain it took him a minute to comprehend, to really understand, what Harry was saying. Once it hit, he had to watch it twice more. The words my partner rattled in his head. The way Harry had blushed a bit as he said it, just barely noticeable on the video, but Louis knew every nuance of his face. He could spot it anywhere.

Over top of Harry on the video, in white text, it said, “So, who else is cheering on team USA’s queer swimmer?”

Louis gasped seeing the word queer filtering over Harry’s face as he moved on screen, how the ‘r’ of the word disappeared into his dimple more than once as Harry smiled.

“Shit,” Louis muttered. From the description box, Louis could see the clip was credited to Team USA’s ‘Meet the Team’ series and he remembered Harry saying he was filming his little clip a couple of weeks ago now, but it must have just come out. The video was only posted a few hours ago, but had a decent amount of views and a lot of comments.

He couldn’t read them without having an account and debated it for a split second before saying, “Fuck it,” and loading it onto his phone.

The comments were a mess of “this isn’t a coming out” to “some people just like to say partner” to “not everyone is gay” and Louis read them all with his lips sucked into his mouth. But then he came across one with a slew of replies underneath. It read:

Met them in the airport after trials. Very cute couple! His boyfriend even offered to take our photo.

He squinted at the tiny icon and thought maybe user SwimMom369 could have been Carolyn from the airport, but he wasn’t sure. There were a dozen or so comments underneath and he read through them carefully.

The second to last one read, “They are so cute! My roomie is on the UF team and I’ve seen him at a bunch of meets this year. Even saw them on campus a few times. Harry seems so happy!”

It had Louis pausing for a moment. Harry did seem happy. Not just in general, but in the video. Sun shining on his wet hair, a Team USA shirt stretching across his chest, and grinning the whole time. There was nothing on his face to say he was uncomfortable, to indicate that he wasn’t saying exactly what he wanted to be saying.

Closing the comments, he watched the video a couple more times. Tiktok user Mariaaaak was right, Harry looked happy, comfortable. It had something swelling in his chest.

Louis thumbed over to their text conversation. It had been fairly quiet today, with it being Louis’ last day of work and a double session for Harry. Plus, they were one week into training in London, so even though there was only a five hour time difference, it did make it a bit inconvenient.

He hovered over the keyboard now, several thoughts from the video running through his head. Starting and stopping a couple of times, he looked up to read over their messages from that morning instead.

Harry

Harry: Can’t believe I’m having an
English breakfast without
you for the first time
Harry: It’s not as good as yours 💙
Louis: it’s because of the beans
Harry: Actually…
Louis: baby noooo they are awful

It was ridiculous how much a string of words could make his pulse race, make his heart feel ready to burst. Got him itching to hear his voice. The time on his phone showed it was inching ever closer to two, which meant it was near seven for Harry. He’d probably be awake by now.

It rang so long Louis was sure it was going to roll over and end when the screen finally loaded.

“Lou?” His face was buried in the pillow still, hair flopping over the white pillow, but there was a smile curving on his face.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Louis whispered, his voice gone soft immediately. Like the whole bathroom had gone blurry aside from where his hand was clutching the phone.

Harry closed his eyes at the sound of his voice, his smile pulling wider, like it was doing something for him, those three words whispered just for him.

“Sorry for waking you up,” he added. The early morning sun was cutting across the bed, turning his brown hair bronze in the light.

“It’s okay,” Harry mumbled, pulling the duvet higher and cocooning Louis under the blanket with him. “Was meant to be up a bit ago, but I snoozed my alarm. Quite late there though, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I just got home a bit ago. Brushed my teeth and thought about you.” Louis flashed him a bright smile, showing all his teeth and then bit into his bottom lip to hear Harry laugh.

“How did your party go?”

“Okay, I guess.” Louis turned off the bathroom light as he spoke and walked into his makeshift bedroom. “I feel grateful they had anything at all. I know I can be a bit prickly-”

Harry cut him off with a snort and Louis rolled his eyes.

“Hush. I just mean, like, it was nice to maybe fit in for once.” He dropped the phone to the bed and started undoing the buttons on his shirt. “I know that’s on me for being an overbearing control freak, or whatever.”

“Like that about you, if it helps,” Harry offered.

“Thanks, baby.” Louis huffed a laugh. “I tried pretty hard to be more open with them. Or just nicer in general. Probably having next year confirmed already had me loosening up. Charlie even said they’d miss me if you can believe.”

“I can,” Harry mumbled. “I miss you every day, ‘s not hard for me to imagine anyone else feeling the same.”

“Not for long now,” Louis teased, tossing his shirt in the laundry bin and then tugging his trousers off quickly. “This time next week we’ll be kissing in Paris.”

“I can hardly believe it,” Harry sighed into the pillow. “Any of this, really. It’s amazing even being here in London. Though, I’ll admit, I got a bit teary eyed in Costa yesterday.”

Picking back up his phone, Louis sat down on the laid out futon, his back against the wall. “What, did the barista tell you off for how much milk you want in your tea? You can just admit you don’t like it, baby.”

“No, she was very nice about that actually,” he said with a pout, before pushing the covers off and sitting up a bit against the headboard. Louis could see for the first time in their call that he was bare chested, his tan skin golden in the morning sunshine. He pressed a hand over his heart and said, “Everyone sounds a bit like you. Made me ache a bit.”

The words rattled through him and settled painfully into his chest. “Baby.”

Harry waved a hand at the camera. “It’s fine, I think I’d just been talking to Mike a bit before that and it got me feeling some type of way.”

“Really? What did Mike have to say?”

“Tickets go on sale for the first football game on Monday. He wanted to know if we were going.”

Louis pulled his knees up and rested his phone on them, trying to form that intimate bubble he always had with Harry across an ocean. It wasn’t easy, but he tried to convince himself it was working.

“Oh, a chance for you to whisper football terms in my ear and stare at my arse for three hours again? Sign me up.”

Harry laughed loudly, tucking his chin down so he could keep his eyes on Louis.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Feels like an anniversary for us.”

“Yeah, sunshine. I think I fell in love with you a little bit right there.”

“Me too, Lou. I thought I was having a heat stroke for the first half of the game because my heart was racing every single time I looked at you.”

Louis giggled, delighted. “I felt ready to do just about anything to keep your eyes on me.”

“You’ve never needed to worry about that. I can’t look away.”

“Me either.” What he wouldn’t give to be able to climb through that phone and right into a London summer with Harry. Slip right into his bed and under the covers where he belonged. “Feels crazy sometimes how it was just meeting the right person-”

“At the right place,” Harry added, butting in.

“At exactly the right time,” Louis finished, stroking his thumb down the side of the screen as if it was his face. “I feel so lucky to have you.”

“God me too, like the last year has just been the biggest whirlwind of my life - with every aspect of it. Everything just slotted exactly into place.”

“I know I’ve said it eight million times over the last couple of months, but I’m just so proud of you, H. In every way possible.” On screen, Harry tucked his chin down, a pink flush on his face. With the sun growing brighter in the room around him, it reminded Louis a lot of how he’d looked in the video. “Oli sent me a clip from that interview you did, where you mention your partner.”

“Oh, it was posted?”

Louis nodded. “I thought it was brave of you to say that. I wasn’t sure if you knew it might be taken, well, in the comments…”

“I knew what I was saying, Lou. You don’t need to worry.” Harry sat up a bit higher, the duvet falling all the way down to his hips. “When they asked… I don’t know. I just wanted to be truthful. Your support has been so important to me this year, it’s buoyed me when things were hard, when I felt like shit. Even when we were fighting, just hearing you say those things, I don’t know, it just always helped. You always help.”

“I was worried at first, but then I thought that I could see it on your face. That you knew what you were doing.”

“You know that I’ve not always had the easiest time seeing the path forward, but it’s never been more obvious to me than it is now. Everything I need to do, like steps one after another, just like you said.” Harry smiled at him, so softly, radiating such warmth that Louis felt it encircle him, cradle him, all the way across the Atlantic. “At the end of it, it’s us. I can see it clearly now.”

“For me too, sun,” Louis breathed out.

“I know, I have no doubt. That belief made me feel brave. Safe.” Harry bit his lip and then grinned at him. “Besides, I’m going to kiss you on top of the Eiffel Tower, so it’s best to get ahead of it, right?”

It burst out of him, the laugh, like a little bright thing he couldn’t contain.

“You’re going to want one of those dumb perspective pictures where it looks like you’re holding it up, aren’t you?”

“Yes!” Harry laughed loudly. “I definitely am!”

“I’m so excited to be there with you, to celebrate both our successes together. There are so many places I want to take you. Food I want you to eat. Once your races are over, I hope we have a little time.”

“We will,” Harry assured. “I’m sure of it.”

Louis slid down the bed and then pulled the blankets over him. He was getting so sleepy, the buzz mostly worn off, the long day catching up to him.

“I need to get up for morning swim,” Harry groaned, leaning forward and stretching out his neck and back.

“I’ll stay with you till you have to go,” Louis said around a yawn. “And then this time next week we’ll be together again.”

Harry’s nose scrunched as he smiled warmly. “I love you, you know that?”

In a few minutes they’d hang up. Harry would go downstairs for breakfast and then start his last week of practice before the games. Across the ocean, he’d finally fall asleep, his phone still on his chest as if it was the weight of Harry’s head instead. In a few days he’d fly back to Florida with all of his things, storing them in Harry’s parent’s guest room before they flew as a unit to Paris. Everything was coming together, lining up, and working out exactly the way he had wanted it to.

But first, this.

“I love you too,” Louis whispered. The room was dark around him, pitch black, but Harry was the light pouring out, filling him up. “My sunshine, my baby.”