Chapter Text
It took twice as long to get to the school as it should have because Louis kept pulling over to the side of the road to get his hands on Harry, up under the silk jacket. “I’m sorry, babe. Is this okay?” he said, pulling him close to peck his lips and then snuggling into his neck, nipping the skin there. He slid his hands up and down his bare back. “You’re amazing,” he said, his voice going husky. “This looks beautiful on you.”
Shivering, Harry pulled back slightly, feeling flushed and a bit jittery, touching the flowers on his head to be sure the crown hadn’t shifted. “Did you just growl?” He giggled. “You know I don’t object, but maybe we should at least make an appearance at the dance after all this effort.”
Begrudgingly, Louis leaned back into his own space. “I guess you have a point.” He smirked. “But just know that this is under duress. At this point, I couldn’t care any less about the dance.”
Truth be told, Harry didn’t either. After everything they’d been through, it didn’t seem nearly as important as it once had. But he knew they’d regret it if they didn’t see it through. And this suit deserved its own moment in the spotlight. “Okay, Tiger. Whatever you say.” Harry brushed his hand over the silk flowers on his thigh, grinning over at his gorgeous boyfriend.
“Grrrr,” Lou said with a wink as he put both hands back on the steering wheel and eased the car back onto the road.
Five minutes later they were pulling into the parking lot of the high school. It took Harry another five minutes to maneuver himself out of the car. “Damn it,” he huffed. “I didn’t really think about how awkward it would be to move in this skirt. I really only tried it on this afternoon when mom finished the alterations.”
Without a word, Louis sprinted around the outside of the car and pulled open the passenger door. “Here, babe, let me help you.” He kneeled down and grabbed Harry’s feet gently, pivoting them outside the car. Then he pulled him by the hand to a standing position and with a bit of a wobble, caught him around the waist before he could fall. “Steady, there, love, one foot in front of the other.”
Harry huffed out a breathy laugh. “Thanks. Any excuse to put your hands on me, yeah?” He rested his forehead against Louis’ shoulder and snaked his arms around his waist. “I guess there are always going to be sacrifices for fashion,” he whispered.
“I’ve got you.” Louis laughed and squeezed him tight. “Are you ready for this?” he murmured, breath tickling Harry’s ear.
“Yeah. I think I was born ready for this,” Harry said quietly. “Are you?” He looked into Louis’ blue blue eyes making sure he didn’t have any second thoughts.
“Ready to take the most gorgeous, beautiful, smart, sexy person I’ve ever known to a dance where I get to look at him and hold him and whisper in his ear all night, making him shiver in my arms?” Louis grinned, shrugging one shoulder. “Nah, not ready at all.”
Louis winced when Harry punched his arm.
“I’m kidding. You know I’m kidding, babe, I can’t wait to walk into the school on your arm.”
Harry took a deep breath before grabbing Louis’ hand, and pulling him along the parking lot toward the building. He quickly realized that he needed to take tiny steps in the mermaid skirt to avoid catastrophe.
“Shit, those heels make you taller, don’t they,” Louis said, grimacing. “Didn’t tell me I’d be walking on tiptoe the whole night.”
“Sorry. Not sorry,” Harry said, feeling a bubbly fizz in his stomach. “Guess you’ll just have to look up at me all night.” A moment later, though, he stopped short, causing Louis to stumble into him from behind.
“What’s up, babe, why’d you stop?”
Harry flushed. “I just thought about something else. What if I get hot?” He looked at Louis horrified. “I can’t take off my jacket because then I’ll be topless? I should have brought a t-shirt.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, suddenly feeling shy.
“It’s okay, love.” Louis smiled. “Told you, I’ve got you. I’ve got an undershirt under my dress shirt. If you get hot, I’ll just give you that. You just need to let me know and it’s yours. No one’s getting an eyeful unless you want them to,” he said, smoothing a gentle finger along Harry’s exposed collar bone.
Feeling misty-eyed again, Harry pulled his boyfriend into another hug. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
Louis seemed to melt into the hug. “It’s because I lo…” He trailed off. “I mean, it’s because I like taking care of you,” he stuttered, dropping his eyes to the ground.
Harry’s heart skipped a beat. “What? What were you going to say, Lou?” Harry gripped Louis’ shoulders. “Tell me.”
“Nothing.” Louis scuffed his foot nervously without letting go of Harry’s waist. “No, it’s just that it’s been a long couple of days. And my brain is mush. Sorry.”
Harry ducked his head to look into his boyfriend’s eyes. “Lou.” He grabbed both his hands and squeezed them. “We literally got matching tattoos after only dating a few days. What were you going to say just then?”
Louis looked up at the sky and sighed. “I know we said it this morning - but it was so early. We were half asleep and, you know, it was after an orgasm.” His cheeks flushed pink. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been enough time, though, H.” He looked down from the sky into Harry’s eyes. “But…I do love you.” He paused at Harry’s intake of air. “I know we aren’t sure what’s going to happen with college and future stuff, but I want you to be a part of my life for as long as you’ll have me.” He pulled on Harry’s hands. “I love you so much.”
Louis’ blue eyes shimmered in the glow of the street lights and Harry felt like he might faint. He swayed slightly in his boyfriend’s arms, feeling butterflies swirling in his belly. “I feel the same. I love you, too. And not just because of…” he lowered his voice, still shy to say some words out loud. “...orgasms.”
Giggling into each other as they stopped every few feet to kiss, they finally made it to the front of the building. Once inside the lobby, Louis presented the tickets to Mrs. Quinn who was staffing the table.
“You two look divine,” she said, stamping their hands. “Harry, that skirt is amazing. Did you make it?”
He wasn’t sure he’d ever get over the feeling of being complimented while wearing something so flamboyant, but it didn’t matter because Louis loved him. (Louis LOVED him!) Trying not to stutter, he said, “Thank you. No, it was a thrift store find that my mother altered for me.”
“Well it suits you perfectly, dear.” She turned her attention to Louis. “And you look very dapper yourself, Mr. Tomlinson. Congratulations on a great win yesterday.” She winked.
“Thank you, ma’am. Thank you.” He nodded and pointed at Harry. “Though I don’t want to take anything away from my gorgeous date, do I? I’m just an accessory.”
“Louis,” Harry scolded. “You’re not just anything. You’re…”
Before either of them could say another word, Niall barreled into Louis’ back. “What took you fuckers so long to get here.” He laughed at Mrs. Quinn’s scowl at his language, giving her a little waggle of fingers. “Wait, let me guess, Lou couldn’t keep his hands off you, right H? You had to pull over a few times to ravish him.” He slid off Louis’ back and punched Harry’s shoulder. “Right?”
Harry felt his face flush, but he tried to stay composed. “Niall,” he warned.
“Okay, okay. I’ll be good.” He straightened the collar of Harry’s jacket with a smirk. “C’mon, we’ve all been waiting for you to go inside. He pointed to where Emelie stood with Liam and his own date in the hallway. She smiled but then tapped on her watch with raised eyebrows.
Louis held out his hand palm up for Harry to take. The tattooed quotation marks sat inconspicuously on his wrist. A match to the words in the same place on Harry’s. In the span of a heartbeat, the past three months washed over him - from the first day of school when Louis came to his aid over Joe’s bullying to the last twenty four hours and waking up with Louis’ hands on him on the couch this morning.
He swallowed hard.
This was real; it was happening. He was in love. Louis loved him .
“You okay, babe?” Lou asked, his brows furrowed.
“Yeah,” Harry said, feeling a warm glow zip from his dimples down to his toes. “I’m just really happy.” He took Louis' hand, aligning their tattoos, and followed Niall down the hall into the dance.
Nothing really mattered besides the beautiful blue-eyed ball of sunshine holding his hand, but the feeling of acceptance when the room exploded in applause as they walked through the doors into the cafeteria - transformed into a nightclub - was everything Harry had never realized he’d been missing at Graniteville High School.
Ignoring the hoots and hollers from their classmates, Louis stretched out his arm for Harry to twirl under and then pulled him close to his chest. He held their hands together over his heart just as the D.J. transitioned to a slow song. Harry chuckled as he recognized the opening notes of Perfect, by Ed Sheeran. The words captured his adoration for his boyfriend…well, perfectly. “Love you, Lou,” he whispered, tucking himself into his boyfriend’s embrace.
“Darling.” Lou’s voice was low and husky and Harry felt it rumble through his body. “I love you, too, so much.”
Harry had once thought flying under the radar - hiding behind his clothes and refusing to do anything that might attract attention - would be what would get him through high school. He knew for certain, now, that his life wasn’t subject to miracles of any shape or size - it was his own actions that made everything possible. Choosing his path. Acting on his decisions. Being brave. It’s what got him here to this perfect moment. It’s what made it all worth it. And really…his life was just beginning.
Loving Lou. Wearing what he wanted. Being himself out loud and unapologetic. These were the things that made him feel like his best self.
Lou smiled at him and Harry couldn’t keep the silly grin off his face.
And yeah, a lot of his epiphany had to due to the chaos demon dancing by his side. Loving Louis Tomlinsoon was something he planned to continue for as long as possible - forever, if he could manage it. Because this - all of this, but especially Lou - made him feel like he had finally come home.
/End