Chapter Text
Harry’s graduation party is a rowdy event, to say the least.
Jay and Anne have invited most of their family over to Louis’ new home, along with a bunch of Harry’s friends and a few people Louis has invited himself. He rents a tent outside just for the occasion, though Harry protests this. What he really wants is to just sit on the couch cuddle up with Louis, a bottle of champagne, and their new kitten.
Louis knows this because Harry has told him so multiple times since this plan came to be over a month ago. Usually, Louis would go to great lengths to ensure Harry gets what he wants, but this time is different. In this case, Louis feels that he knows what Harry is going to want a bit better than he does, especially when it comes to what he has planned for later on.
After all, Harry was always one for grand gestures.
“Are you nervous?” Gemma asks, that glint of mischief in her eyes as always.
Louis shrugs. He’s scared fucking shitless, but that isn’t something he’s too keen on sharing with Gemma.
“Nah, he’s fine,” Lottie observes over her glass of wine. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Harry could completely reject you and this house you’ve practically bought for him and all of your future children, run off to Spain and shack up with some hot guy-”
“You are shockingly unhelpful,” Louis snaps.
Gemma laughs and reaches across the table to high-five Lottie. “Good one, sister-in-law.”
Louis rolls his eyes. “Me marrying Harry does not make you in-laws. That isn’t how it works.”
“Shut up Louis,” Lottie replies. “Harry’s going to say yes, you’ll get married in the spring, Gemma and I will look beautiful and you’ll make us plenty of adorable nieces and nephews. Honestly, you worry too much. You’re going to get grey hair.”
“He’s got grey hair already,” Gemma says. “Harry told me he found one, Louis proper lost it.”
Louis scowls. “I am never speaking to either one of you ever again.”
“Aw,” Lottie laughs. “But you love us, don’t you?”
Sometimes, in the right light, Louis can see the scar on Lottie’s hairline. Gemma still walks with a bit of a limp, despite months of physical therapy, and she probably always will. Life is short, Louis knows this, and he won’t ever let his family think that he doesn’t care again.
“I do love you,” he says. “I love all of you, but you two slightly less than the others.”
Gemma grins, and Louis knows she can tell he’s lying. “We love you too, even if you sometimes drive us all crazy.”
“What we are talking about?”
Louis looks up to find Harry has arrived at their table again, after being dragged into a conversation with his classmates about finding work soon. He’s wearing a suit Louis bought for him and he looks stunning in it, as ridiculous as Louis finds the sheer top underneath to be. Really, he must flaunt his tits the day Louis proposes to him, mustn’t he?
“Nothing little bird,” Louis replies. “Come here.”
Before Harry can take a chair, Louis pulls Harry into his lap. Harry giggles and whispers, “Louis,” as if sitting in his lap is scandalizing.
“Are you having fun?” Louis asks, pressing a kiss to Harry’s neck.
Harry nods, flicking his eyes back towards their house. Well, Louis’ house for now. “Yes, but I think Peaches hates me now.”
Louis groans, wrapping his arms tighter around Harry’s waist in case he tries to run off and console their cat. “Peaches does not hate you,” he says, knowing it’s just as ridiculous as it sounds.
“She does, she’s staring from the window. She hates me, I’m a bad father.”
Louis rolls his eyes. “I don’t think being locked in our-my bedroom with everything she could ever need, and several things she doesn’t, for a few hours will kill her.”
“Louis, she likes her blanket,” Harry says petulantly. “It helps her sleep when I’m not here, it smells like me.”
Of course, Louis doesn’t point out that Harry has hardly left the house since they got Peaches, claiming he needed to be around so she would bond with him. Really, Louis thinks Harry just didn’t want to go back to that tiny flat he’s been sharing with a mate for the past semester.
Gemma shakes her head at the two of them and pushes herself up out of her chair. “You are honestly the most ridiculous person I’ve ever met,” she says to her brother. “Come on Lots, I need more wine.”
Harry giggles, waving goodbye to the girls as they walk towards the back of the tent. Once they’ve fled, Louis presses a kiss to Harry’s cheek and asks, “Do you like your party, baby?”
Harry nods. “You know I do, but you’ve done too much. You always do.”
Soon, Louis thinks, he will have a much better argument to this accusation. That is, if Harry says yes to marrying him. God, he hopes Harry says yes.
“I want you to have everything you could possibly want,” Louis says. “This is your day, love. I’m so proud of you.”
A beautiful blush spreads over Harry’s cheeks at that and he carefully asks, “You are?”
“Of course I am.” Louis sighs. “You make me proud every day, but seeing you get your degree-I know how long you’ve wanted this. You’ve worked so hard, you deserve it.”
“I deserve a break,” Harry laughs.
Louis smiles. Part of his plan, if Harry says yes and their relationship isn’t completely ruined by Louis’ stupidity, is to whisk them away for a bit of a vacation to Paris. It’s proper romantic and he knows Harry will cry once he tells him. Louis’s been keeping quite a lot of secrets lately.
“You do baby,” he says, gently running his thumb over Harry’s wrist. “I’ve got quite a lot planned for us this summer, including making you sleep for about a week until I’m satisfied that you won’t pass out on me.”
Harry laughs and rolls his eyes. “I won’t.”
“Babe, you passed out on me just two days ago when you were studying for that crazy exam of yours,” Louis points out. “You need some sleep before you go off into the world, my big strong lawyer.”
Harry smiles and rests his forehead against Louis’ cheek, closing his eyes for just a moment. “I love you,” he whispers.
Louis reaches out and gently tucks a lock of Harry’s long hair behind his ear. A few days ago, Harry had panicked, saying he had to cut his hair short to be a respectable lawyer. Luckily, Louis was able to talk him down a bit, reminding him he wants to work with children and don’t children love that sort of thing?
“I love you too, little one,” Louis whispers back.
They stay sat together for a moment, just caught up in one another. The ring box in Louis’ pocket feels like it’s about to burn its way through. He already knows what the papers will say, has already gone through plans with Liam about it. They call what Harry and Louis have a whirlwind romance, never once considering that Louis is completely and totally in love with the boy in his arms.
It’s been months since Louis finally came back, and he doesn’t know why he ever left. The house he’s bought it situated perfectly, close enough to his family and close enough to London for work. Harry had loved the area already and had said to Louis casually one day that it’s the sort of place you raise children. Louis had started house-hunting the very next day.
Their house-his house, for now-is just big enough without being ostentatious, with enough rooms to raise a family in, an office just for Harry, and a little recording studio in the basement. Louis has only owned it for a few weeks, but Harry has already started taking control of the decorating. He wants Harry to feel at home here, he wants it to be a reflection of both of them, or the family they’ve made together.
Harry sits up slightly, sighing. “We should probably get over there," he says, nodding to where their mums are conspiring at a table near the center of the tent. “They look entirely too sneaky.”
Louis heart is suddenly hammering in his chest because this is it. This is the moment he asks Harry to marry him.
“You’re right,” he says, trying to keep his voice even. “But they always look that way, don’t they? Come one love.”
Taking Harry’s hand, Louis gently nudges him so he’s standing and leads him towards the middle of the room. Harry laughs and slides to a stop beside Louis, obviously confused as to what’s going on. All eyes are on them now as Louis calls out, asking for everyone’s attention.
The DJ he’s hired hands him a microphone and Louis takes it, letting go of Harry’s hand so he can make sure it doesn’t start shaking.
“Hello,” he says with an awkward sort of laugh. “I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for coming to celebrate my boy’s graduation.”
The my boy sort of slips out, but everyone claps and cheers anyway. Louis has never felt so much stage fright in his life. Beside him, Harry is blushing bright red but is still so beautiful and giggly. From here, Louis can see their mum’s are both already crying and Gemma is shooting him double thumbs up.
“Harry,” he starts, and oh fuck he’s really doing this isn’t he? “I can still remember the moment I met you. Your mother held you out to me and told me to be careful with my new best friend-and she was right, because from that moment on you were my best friend, the single best part of my life. You have always been there for me Harry, through everything from joy to disappointment to absolute tragedies-like that awful haircut I got when I was fifteen.”
The entire tent erupts into laughter and Harry beams. “It was awful,” he says, which only makes everyone laugh harder.
“And I’ve watched you grow,” Louis continues, his voice shaking a bit. “From a gangly teenager to the striking fashion icon we see before us today, but I have never once stopped loving you. You’re my best friend Harry, and I’m absolutely in awe of everything you’ve accomplished and all of the wonderful things I know you’re going to accomplish. You’re going to take this world by storm, bird, and I can’t wait stand right by your side and watch. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I am so incredibly proud of you already.”
Harry has tears in his eyes, Louis notes as he carefully reaches into his pocket. At the sight of the box, Harry’s eyes go wide. He looks up at Louis in complete disbelief and brings one shaking hand up to cover his mouth. Louis smiles and hands the microphone back off to the DJ so he can sink down on one knee while someone, most likely one of his sisters, squeals.
“Harry Styles,” Louis whispers, just for the two of them to hear. “I love you move that anything, more than I ever thought someone could love another person. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up to you every morning and fall back into your arms every night, I want to raise a family with you and grow old with you. You make me happier than anything else ever could and I just want to be able to call you mine. So, please, will you marry me?”
The crowd goes hushed and Louis thinks this is the sort of pressure that gives people heart attacks. Harry seems absolutely speechless, which isn’t good considering Louis is kneeling before him with a ring and all and he isn’t saying anything. For one brief, terrifying moment, Louis is worried he’s going to say no.
Finally, Harry seems to come to his senses and nods. And then he keeps nodding, and then he’s crying and saying, “Yes, Louis please, yes. Of course I will, oh my god.”
Louis jumps up as fast as he can and snaps the box closed, throwing his arms around Harry. Their family and friends are all cheering and snapping pictures as Louis spins Harry around in a large circle. Harry is crying into his ear, telling him over and over how much he loves him.
“Yes, Louis,” he’s crying. “God Louis, I love you so much.”
And as Louis carefully slides the ring onto Harry’s finger while their family watches on, as his boy cries and kisses him in front of everyone, Louis finds himself thinking that he finally has everything he could ever want.