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They’ve already been crammed in Harry’s Range Rover with all their camping gear for the better part of four hours. Harry is blearing Miley Cyrus (“it’s my car and I get to choose the music”) obnoxiously loud, and Louis – the amazing navigator that he is – has gotten them lost somewhere between London and Cardiff.
“You were supposed to take the exit like an hour back.” Liam protests over the music from the back seat.
“Don’t be a Debbie Downer, it’s all part of the adventure.” Louis tries to tell him and Liam just grumbles unhappily, because yeah, that’s all well and good for Louis to say from his place at Harry’s side in the front where he isn’t squashed between a pile of bags and a foldable picnic bench for the entire journey.
Harry looks at him through the rearview mirror, but all he sees is a pile of pillows and the corner of what must be Liam’s head, or maybe a teddy bear. He wouldn’t put it past any of his friends to bring a teddy bear along to a boys weekend away. He just grins at the lump of pillows that is Liam and goes back to singing, knowing it’s best just to let Louis have his way, they’ll get there eventually.
It had seemed like a nice enough idea when Louis had come to them about it that morning. A weekend away from the city, and any responsibilities where they could just relax together and take in something that wasn’t hotels and security and planes.
Louis had woken Harry up with an excited kiss, telling him his idea and promptly calling their band mates to inform them they would all be heading to Cardiff for the weekend to a little camp site Louis had found on Google and that they better be packed and ready in an hour when they came around with the Range Rover. They didn’t even have a chance to protest, as it often went with Louis.
They’d been driving since lunchtime and they were all hungry and Louis still wasn’t convinced it was his fault they were now… well, wherever it was they were. Their phones had dropped out of reception so Google Maps had become useless to them. Zayn had grumbled and asked Harry why he didn’t have a GPS, Harry didn’t even hear him over his loud rendition of Wrecking Ball.
“I swear to god, if we don’t get there soon I am jumping out of this car whether it’s stopped or not. Gotta pee so bad.” Niall comments and Zayn and Liam both nod in agreement.
“Need a smoke, and also food. I hope we get some service soon so I can map this on my phone and get out of this hell I willingly put myself in.” Zayn remarks, just so they all got a complaint in. Louis flips them all off, going back to playing Candy Crush and taking blurry photos of Harry while he danced along to the music in his seat.
It seems like an eternity of Miley and various complaints but they finally hit the motorway again and see a sign for Cardiff. There’s a truck stop a few hundred meters ahead of them, complete with Starbucks and McDonald’s, much to the relief of Niall, Liam and Zayn who are all out in record time despite being surrounded by belongings.
So Harry gets petrol while the others stock up on coffee and shitty cheeseburgers, all of them politely stopping for a photo or two with shocked fans.
Harry changes the music and Louis even begrudgingly allows Zayn to navigate to the campsite with the map Harry bought at the petrol station.
They’re even in good enough spirits, filled up on fast food, that they compliment Louis on finding the perfect campsite when they arrive. A little place with a man made lake and a forest that’s far away from the city. There’s virtually nobody else around and they manage to snag a spot by the lake where they can still set up their tents in the forest.
Louis beams at them all and promptly makes himself scarce when they get around to unpacking.
Harry just grins fondly and Zayn tells him he should stop looking so in love.
“Lou, help me set up the tent, will you?” Harry asks when Louis finally reappears.
As is always the way Liam knows what he’s doing and is ordering Niall and Zayn around and they have their tent up before Harry and Louis had even managed to wrangle theirs out of its bag.
“Liam?” Louis asks, voice dripping with false innocence. They’d already spent a good half an hour trying, and failing, to set up their tent. Harry huffing in frustration when it fell over on their third attempt to get it to stand up. Harry and Louis made the perfect team in a lot of things, setting up a tent was not one of them.
“Liam, the light of my life, the peanut butter to my jam, the Harry to my Louis. Can you please help us out here?”
“The Harry to my Louis.” Liam repeats dejectedly, shaking his head. Louis was utterly ridiculous and Liam knew it was easier just to not question any of the things he says or does now.
“No, I’m not helping you. Good luck figuring it out yourself.”
So the others watch with amused grins as they try for another five minutes to put up the tent before Louis grumpily throws the pole into the heap of fabric that is somehow supposed to be a tent. They all half expect him to start stomping his feet.
“I give up, this is stupid. We’ll just sleep outside.”
“Babe–“
“Don’t, Harry. It’ll be nice, okay? We can star gaze or some shit.”
“Yeah, okay.” Harry says, squeezing Louis’ hip in an attempt to calm his grumpy mood.
He doesn’t talk to them; Harry included, instead goes and sits by the lake with his feet in the water. It doesn’t last long because they’re all brothers now and they can never stay angry at each other for long, so when Liam hands him a beer and sits down next to him he just knocks his shoulder against Liam’s and they’re all back to laughing and joking and telling stupid stories by the lakeside.
They’d barely moved from their place sprawled out by the lake and they all feel warm and content, and they all think it’s the nicest day they’ve had off in a long time. It gives them time to reflect on their past tour together, both the amazing experiences and the hard parts. So when the first traces of dusk start to creep in Louis is quick to suggest a campfire. He’d bought expensive marshmallows from Marks and Spencer’s after all.
“No.” Came four – and hey, Harry was supposed to be on his side! – stern voices.
“Fine. You’re all such spoilsports. Should’ve just asked Stan to come, he would’ve made a fire with me.”
“Sorry, love. We’re still having a nice time though, right?”
“Guess so.” He sighs forlornly, but he’s grinning as Harry’s pulls him into his side and kisses the top of his head.
Louis expects one of the others to finally give in and help them set up their tent as it gets darker and they sit around eating sandwiches Harry makes but he quickly realizes they will actually be sleeping outside. He hopes there aren’t wild animals in the forest.
When the others finally say their goodnights with yawns and sleepy eyes Harry and Louis pull out their sleeping bags and zip them together and Harry drags the airbed he’d pumped up under a clearing in the trees. They climb with a few knocked knees and elbows into the sleeping bag and press into one another.
It wasn’t exactly how Louis’ had imagined a weekend away would go, but somehow despite the fact they’re outside for all the bugs and big scary animals to get them, it feels nice. He’s snuggling into Harry and the sky is full of endless amounts of stars, nothing like they would ever see in the city.
“Tell me about the stars.” Louis demands and Harry laughs.
“I don’t know shit about the stars.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Harry rolls his eyes but he’s looking up then anyway, the night sky clear of city pollution and bright stars and the full moon.
“There’s a row of three stars, just over by the moon, can you see them?” Harry says, pointing and Louis can’t really, there’s so many stars that he doesn’t really know where Harry is pointing but he nods his head anyway.
“Well, that’s the constellation of conga lines. There’s only three of them now because it’s still early, but give them a bit, and there’ll be more stars, so many you won’t even be able to tell where it begins and where it ends, and they’ll dance through the sky all night until the sun comes up and puts them to sleep.”
Louis is grinning and Harry doesn’t have to see him to know there’s a sparkle in his eye.
“There’s a little star, one you probably can’t even see, and she’s the star of perfect summer nights.”
“Like tonight?”
“Exactly like tonight.”
“She makes sure groups of silly young boys like us get to their camp sites in time to enjoy it.”
“Maybe she was the reason we couldn’t put up the tent, because she knew we’d enjoy this so much more.”
“You keep telling yourself that, Lou.” Harry teases him and Louis pinches his side as he laughs. His cheeks hurt from grinning and he doesn’t mind one bit.
He points to a bright star, looking over at Harry for just a moment and when Harry catches his eye he kisses him softly, quickly.
“What about that star?”
“Oh, that one’s easy, that’s the most important star in the night sky. That’s the star where soul mates are chosen.” Harry tells Louis matter-of-factly. “The story goes that the star was so much brighter than all the other stars in the night sky because he was so full of love. So full in fact that one day he exploded and so, even now, though he died that day, his love still shines the brightest in the sky to bring souls together. He is that small shift that changes someone’s mind, that made me go to the X-Factor, that made you not think I was a total twat for talking to you in the loo.”
“That had nothing to do with a star and everything to do with your charming smile.” Louis tells him, grinning into the dark.
“Cheese ball.”
“You’re the one that loves me.”
“I do, I love you a fuck load.”
“What do you think will happen to us after?”
“After what, the band?”
“Yeah, like do you think we’ll still be together? Will we all still stay friends?”
“I have no doubt in my mind that when all of this craziness is over I’ll still love you like you’re the moon, and that we’ll still be turning up at the others houses for impromptu trips to Wales.”
“And you call me the cheese ball.”
They fall into a peaceful silence for a while, just staring up at the stars together.
“’M not tired.”
“What do you say to skinny dipping?” Louis laughs at the suggestion.
“Really?”
“Yeah. C’mon, it’ll be fun, just like old times at the bungalow.”
That’s all the prompting Louis needs before they’re stumbling back out of their sleeping bag and tripping into each other as they pull their t-shirts and pants off.
“Haven’t done this in so long.” Louis says between laughs as Harry tucks into his side and they jog down the small wooden pier.
“Jump at the count of three?” They don’t let go of one another as Harry counts them down and they jump at the same time, both of them screeching with laughter as they hit the freezing water.
“Shit.” Harry says as they come up, laughing into Louis.
“Christ, it’s a bit cold.”
“Just a bit.”
“You remember the first time we did this together?” Louis asks him.
“Yeah, one of the last nights at the bungalow. Pretty sure I was already in love with you at that point.”
“That was the first time you kissed me.”
“I’ve loved every kiss since.” Louis grins bashfully at Harry, tugging him through the cold water until their knees are knocking and he kisses him again.
They kiss under the bright moon until they’re shivering and their toes and numb.
“Go to sleep.” Liam groans as they try to find their pants with only the light of their phones, giggling the whole time.
“Liam. Liaam. Liaaaaam.” Louis whispers, crawling over to Liam’s side of the tent.
“What?” He groans and Louis sends Harry a blinding grin.
“Mayonnaise.” He whispers and Harry has to cover his mouth to stifle a laugh.
“Jesus Christ, Lou. What are you even talking about? Piss off.”
“Love you, Li.”
“Yeah, yeah, love you too.”
“Night.” Louis whispers and Liam just grumbles.
Louis hadn’t been tired but when they finally climb back into their sleeping bag again he’s quick to fall asleep when Harry tugs him close to his warm body.
When Louis’ wakes up it’s to the sound of quiet chatter and birds and he grins into his pillow, can’t really help it.
Liam does offer to set up their tent that day, even if it’s just so he doesn’t have them bugging him in the middle of the night, but they decline and they spend that night cuddling and whispering under the stars until they fall asleep to the pleasant quietness of the forest.
Years later when they go on a camping trip for a night all together Louis and Harry spread out under the stars again and even when so many things have changed, it feels so familiar, so they stay up again talking until dawn.