Work Text:
“Okay, I’m going to go talk to my mum now then,” Louis says, his hand cradling the cellphone to his ear as he picks at a thread hanging from his sock.
He can all but picture his boyfriend grinning on the other end of the line with that beautiful dimple of his poking out. He bites his lower lip as he listens to Harry’s giddy voice come through to him, “Okay. I’ll go talk to mine too, I’ll call you in a bit?”
“Yeah, love. I’ll talk to you in a bit,” Louis echos softly, the fondness he feels toward Harry seeping out in each word. He waits for Harry to hang the phone up before he takes a deep breath and heads downstairs.
His mum is in the living room, curled up on the sofa with a worn copy of a book in her hands, presumably soaking up the quiet of the house since the girls are all out for the day when he finds her. His heart beats a little faster with nerves as he sits himself down on the other end of the couch.
“Hey mum,” he says as casually as he can manage.
Jay glances up and smiles over at her boy with a gentle look in her eyes as she closes the book and places it in her lap. “Hello, my love. Everything alright?” she asks, and Louis resists the urge to roll his eyes because of course she can tell he's got something on his mind.
Louis fidgets a bit and clears his throat before he starts speaking, his voice shaking just a little with nervous excitement. “Harry and I want to move to London together. He’s talking to Anne right now, but we’ve been talking about it for ages and we want to get a flat together. He’s going to do sixth form down there and I’ll work while he does. What do you think?"
The look on Jay’s face tells Louis he’s in for a bit of persuading before she gives in, so he settles in and begins to tell her all the plans that himself and Harry have already worked out. It takes about half an hour of discussion about the responsibilities they’d be taking on and how London is huge before Jay somewhat reluctantly agrees to let Louis go and tells him that she will help them however she can.
Once he’s finished talking to his mum, Louis heads back to his room and lays on his bed scrolling through open rentals in London and dreaming about the life he’s wanted since he met Harry last year. When Harry calls, he feels the butterflies in his belly swoop as he answers almost immediately with an eager, “Haz?”
“She said yes,” Harry rushes out, his voice gone a bit high pitched with excitement.
Despite being almost positive they’d get the okay, Louis is stunned for a moment. “Holy shit! We’re doing it!” he cheers as he jumps up from his bed and does a happy little dance.
Harry laughs brightly in his ear, and Louis honestly wishes he could bathe in the sound. “She said she wants to sit down with us and your mum though. To sort out the details and all that,” Harry adds after they’ve calmed their celebration down a little bit.
Louis nods, though he knows Harry can't see, and flops down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. “Okay yeah. We’ll set something up then,” he promises as he runs his hand through his fringe, excitement still sitting high in his chest, “Babe, we’re moving in together. I’ll get to see your curly head every day. No more of this long distance, I-can't-cuddle-and-kiss-you, bullshit.”
Harry giggles quietly and Louis can tell he’s just as thrilled as he is when he responds with, “I know, no more driving an hour to meet in the middle. I can’t wait.”
Two days later, they’re sat at a booth at a cafe in Manchester with their mums across from the two of them. Harry’s hand is tangled in his own and Louis promises Anne with his whole heart that he will take care of Harry, no matter what, a promise that he doesn’t take lightly.
The following week they take a trip down to the city on the weekend and find their new flat. It’s tiny, empty, and cold. But standing there with Harry in his arms, Louis thinks it feels like home.
~~~~
“Hey, babe? Do we have some change so I can go run some laundry after class?”
Louis moves to the counter and digs into the little jar they keep their spare change in, fishing a few pounds out before he sets them on the counter in a little pile. “Yeah, we have enough for a couple of loads. I’ll get more before the end of the week,” he calls out to wherever Harry is in the flat.
Harry comes around the corner then, pulling on his jacket. Louis can’t help the smile that comes across his face as he takes in the way his boyfriend looks in the morning, his eyes still sleepy and the slightest mark on his cheek from where his face had been laying on the pillow. Harry smiles back and makes his way over to give Louis a kiss which is happily returned.
“I should be home around eight tonight,” Louis tells Harry between gentle kisses. “I’ll let you know if I’ll be late.”
Harry pouts a bit but nods his head as he sorts himself out and grabs the travel mug he uses to take his tea with him. “I wish you didn’t always have to work the late shifts; it's lonely here when you’re gone.”
Louis can hear the quiet sadness in Harry’s voice and it makes his heart ache just enough that he nearly considers quitting his job right there on the spot. Instead, he answers with, “I know love, but we’ve got to keep this roof over our heads somehow don’t we?” as he walks Harry toward their front door to send him off to his university classes for the day.
The rest of the morning is quiet and Louis understands what Harry means by the place being lonely when he’s gone. He heads to work around noon, wondering if there's a way he can switch his shifts so he can get off closer to around when Harry gets home.
The lunch shift at the cafe always starts busy, but it tapers off nearly as quickly as it starts and by three, Louis finds himself a bit bored wishing he was able to get one of those prized early morning shifts. As much as he's not a morning person, he thinks the increase in customer traffic would make things worth it.
It’s not until he’s on his half-hour break a few hours later that he gets a moment to check the balance of their account online. He logs in, his plate of pancakes sitting untouched in front of him, and he looks over the online app and winces as the low number that stares back at him. He scrolls down a bit and mentally tallies up what bills have already come out and what needs to be paid still.
“Fuck,” he curses to himself as he locks the phone again and he scrubs his hands over his face in frustration. This is nothing new, but he had really thought that with the way the diner had been just a bit busier than normal over the last couple weeks that things would start to look up, that maybe he wouldn't have to scramble and pick up extra shifts so often just to take Harry out for a simple date night.
Zayn, one of the line cooks, sits himself down with his own plate of food just a moment later and he nudges Louis’ shoulder with his own in the crowded break room. “Hey man, everything alright?”
“Hey mate," Louis mumbles and picks his fork up to stab at his slightly now slightly cold plate of food. “Yeah, sorry. I think I need to get a second job,” he admits, knowing Zayn of all people is the least likely to spread his business around the building.
The sound of Zayn letting out a puff of air is followed by a quiet, “That’s shit, mate.”
Louis responds with a noncommittal shrug and stabs angrily at the mess on his plate. There’s a brief quiet before Zayn adds, “It’s none of my business but sometimes when I want some extra cash I pick up odd jobs on Craigslist. You should check it out.”
Louis pauses with a bite halfway to his mouth, “I... Actually hadn't thought of that. Thank you, that might be a lot better than an actual second job.”
“Of course,” Zayn agrees quietly before he digs into his plate again. “Can you pass that hot sauce?” he asks and they settle into easy conversation until Louis is meant to go back to the floor.
Thirty minutes before the end of his shift, Louis’s boss asks if he can work late and close the restaurant, and in no position to say no he sends a quick text to Harry, explaining he will be home around ten instead of eight like he'd thought.
The night drags on slowly, and while Louis is grateful for the opportunity for more hours, he's ready to go as soon as it's time to close.
He makes his way home and climbs the steps to the flat, taking a moment to rub at his tired eyes before he pushes the key into the lock and wiggles it just right until it lets him inside. He toes off his shoes and smiles a bit when he sees the light from the table in the living room illuminating Harry’s tired figure curled up on the sofa, hunched over a textbook.
Quietly, he sets his jacket on the back of the couch. “You didn’t need to wait up,” he tells Harry softly, trying desperately not to scare his boyfriend.
Harry still jolts a little, sitting up straight and his hand immediately flies to his mess of hair on top of his head. “Oh. Hi babe,” he says around a yawn and closes the book in his lap. “I had studying to do anyway. How was work?” he asks, pulling Louis down onto the couch and over for a kiss.
It was horrible. I missed you and I think I need another job so I can keep paying for this tiny flat , is what he wants to tell Harry as he kisses him gently.
Instead, he says, “It was good, got to work with Zayn today. Haven’t seen him in a week or so,” with a smile on his lips before he kisses Harry again just because he can’t resist his boy.
Harry hums and snuggles into Louis’ side a bit. “I’m glad you had a good day then. I missed you a lot,” he says softly. There’s a moment of quiet where Louis just holds him in his arms before Harry pushes himself up from the sofa and announces, “I’m going to make us some tea.”
Once Harry returns, the two of them sit and sip their tea while watching Friends on Harry’s laptop. Louis keeps his arm draped around Harry and plays idly with the curls that have grown down the back of his neck and he tries to focus on the show despite the nagging thought of I don't know how we’re going to pay the bills.
Harry starts to fall asleep halfway into the second episode, so Louis presses a kiss into his temple and murmurs, “Let’s go up to bed, love.” Harry hums a sleepy agreement and as soon as they've made their way down to the bedroom, he curls up into the sheets and sets his alarm for the morning.
Louis hops into the shower to scrub the syrup and greasy food smells from his skin, and after he’s nice and clean he joins Harry. He cuddles his boy again and waits until he hears Harry's breathing even out before he unlocks his phone and opens up Craigslist navigating to the help wanted postings.
He responds to a couple of odd job type listings for things like gardening and some handiwork before he shuts his phone off and closes his eyes for the night, hoping desperately he can make this work to continue to provide for himself and Harry. It's just a bit longer, he tells himself. Just through the end of Harry’s school. We’ll make it. He falls asleep repeating the words in his mind.
~~~~
Louis reaches up and wipes at the bit of sweat that starts to trickle from his forehead and toward his eyes. It's warm out today, which is a bit of a nice change from the usual dreary weather London is usually home to. He sits back on his heels and surveys the work he’s done, letting himself take pride in what he’s done for a moment before he gets up and dusts himself off and heads into the house that sits behind him.
“Mrs. Taylor?” he calls out as he pokes his head in the door looking for the lovely old woman he'd met the day before who had asked for help in her garden.
She pops her head around the corner from where she’s busy in the kitchen. “Yes, dear? Do you need some more water?” she asks, motherly concern written on her face.
Louis smiles politely and shakes his head, raising his still half-full water bottle. “No, thank you. I’m actually all finished. Do you want to have a look before I head out?” he asks.
Mrs. Taylor dismissively waves her hand, stepping out to face him fully. “No need. I saw how thorough you were in the rest of the garden. I’m sure it’s beautiful,” she tells him as she shuffles toward her bag which is sitting on one of the old armchairs. “Here you are,” she says with a sweet smile as she hands him the 50 pounds she’d promised him in exchange for the work he'd done. “Thank you again, I wish I could get out there and tend the garden myself, but my poor knees and back just can’t handle it anymore.” She glances out the window longingly toward her garden of beautiful flowers.
Louis takes the bills and when she opens her arms in a request for a hug, he goes willingly. “Of course, Mrs. Taylor. Please give me a call if you need anything else, I’d be glad to help when I can," he says earnestly as he steps back and waves goodbye before he starts toward home.
Harry isn’t there when he reaches the flat, which is expected. Louis has tried his best to plan each of his jobs around when Harry is off at the University. It helps that Louis’ days off from the diner are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Harry has classes starting early in the morning, and then tutors on Tuesdays and has a study group on Wednesdays which usually means he’s gone until around three or four.
Louis takes a quick shower to get rid of the sweat from his skin and then sets about washing the few dishes in the sink and then tidying up the rest of the flat.
Harry gets home at three-thirty, pushing through the door with a cheery, “Honey I’m home!” that makes Louis laugh and turn down the music he’s been playing to fill the quiet of the flat.
“Hello, my sweet smart boyfriend,” Louis croons, making his way across the living room to meet Harry and press a sloppy kiss to his lips. “I missed you today; it’s always too quiet without you here,” he tells his boy.
Harry grins that goofy smile, the one that Louis knows is reserved especially for him that never fails to make his heart skip a beat. Louis pecks his lips once more before he helps Harry out of his jacket. “Tell me about your day, darling. How was class? Did that test you’ve been worrying about go alright?” he asks in genuine interest.
Harry hums and nods his head as he makes his way toward the kitchen where he grabs a glass and fills it with water. “Yeah, it went well. I think I definitely passed but it was hard,” Harry admits with a shrug of his shoulders and takes a sip from the glass.
Louis nods in understanding. "I'm sure you aced it," he says honestly as he begins to sift through the fridge and come up with a plan for dinner. When Harry doesn’t respond immediately, Louis glances over his shoulder, catching Harry worrying his bottom lip between his thumb and first finger. “Everything alright, doll?” he asks lightly.
Harry startles a bit but smiles quickly like Louis hadn’t just caught him lost in thought and replies with a light, “Yeah, babe. Just thinking about what we should have for dinner.”
The thing is that Louis has been living with Harry for almost four years now, and while he’s not sixteen anymore, Harry still can’t hide his emotions. So, Louis can tell there’s something on his mind while they cook dinner together and chat about their respective days, Louis leaving out some details about the extra work he'd done.
It’s not until they’re settled into the sofa after dinner is done and the dishes are put away, that Harry finally tells Louis what he’s been thinking about.
“I know we’ve talked about this before,” he starts after about ten minutes of reviewing one of his textbooks, his thumb marking his place as he shuts the book in his lap.
“What’s that?” Louis hums and raises an eyebrow as he looks up from the help wanted ads he’d been scrolling through, looking for his next job or two.
Harry bites his bottom lip as he hesitates a moment before he says carefully, “I really think I could help out more. Maybe I could get a job on my days off to help with the bills.”
Louis locks his phone and frowns at that, sitting up a bit to face Harry. “Haz, I don’t want you worrying about that. I just want you to focus on your courses. We are doing alright. Aren’t we?” he asks, treading carefully because he knows that this conversation never really goes well for them.
“Of course we are!” Harry agrees quickly, his curly hair bouncing a bit with a nod of his head. “But I just think if maybe I did a little bit of work we could afford to maybe go on a little vacation. You work so hard and once classes are done in June it would be nice to go on a trip is all.”
Louis shifts a bit, thinking over Harry’s words and the best way to say what he's feeling without upsetting Harry. “I... Harry, I don’t want to argue with you about this again,” he starts carefully, “I appreciate you so much. And I want to take you on all the holiday trips, but I just want you to finish school before you start work. I can work on putting some money on the side and I think I can save us enough to go somewhere.”
Harry stays quiet and picks at a stray string on the pillow beside him, obviously avoiding Louis’ gaze. He looks torn between saying something more and keeping quiet, but when Louis prompts him with a gentle, “Haz talk to me,” he must make up his mind.
“You’re too stubborn,” Harry tells him with a deep frown, one that Louis immediately wants to kiss away. “You’re too protective of me. You act like I’m fragile and unable to work and go to school at the same time even though I know myself and I know I can do it."
"That's not true Harry. I know you could do it, but it’s unnecessary stress on you, and that's not fair," Louis argues back, his defenses falling into place despite his best effort to keep himself level.
Harry crosses his arms over his chest, and Louis can't help but notice how young he looks when he pouts like that. "I just want to help. You get all the glory of being the man of the house and I hardly do shit around here; it makes me feel horrible, especially when I find myself wanting to do fun things. I feel so guilty asking for us to spend any money because I know how hard you work," Harry says, and Louis can see that his eyes are shining with tears.
Louis feels his heart clench, but he shakes his head before saying, "It's not the glory, Harry. It’s hard work and it sucks but I promised your mum I'd take care of you. And that includes you finishing school with as little stress as possible. I promise I'll work on saving some money and we can go somewhere in June, okay?"
Harry nods his head and looks back down at his book, making a show of getting ready to go back to work with a disappointed, "Yeah alright."
When Louis joins Harry in bed a bit later that night, he can tell Harry isn’t asleep. But there’s a quiet between them that he doesn’t dare disturb as he crawls into the sheets and tries to let sleep overcome him.
It’s not until Harry’s left the next morning that Louis pulls himself out of bed and makes his way over to the kitchen. He pours himself some tea from the kettle Harry graciously left warming on the stove and he sits at their little table scrolling through more job listings.
There are a few new postings for part-time work at local shops, and a couple more that are just families in need of some extra help around their gardens and homes. He responds to two or three of the latter before something a bit different catches his eye.
Posted 10minutes ago:
I need a ride, I can pay you!
Do you have a vehicle? I need someone who is reliable to give me a ride or two. I will compensate you well. Call me.
There’s a number listed below and Louis ponders it for a moment. The listing doesn’t give much detail, but he figures no harm can be done from a phone call, so he dials the number and hears it ring a couple of times.
“This is Joe,” comes the voice of a young man just a moment later. “Who am I speaking with?”
“Hello, I’m Louis. I’m calling about your Craigslist ad, I have a car and I need a bit of extra cash,” he explains, trailing off a bit not knowing what else he should say.
“Right! I play footie with some of my friends on Wednesday nights. I don’t have a car, and the tube is further from my place than it is to drive,” Joe tells him lightly.
Louis is instantly interested, his ears catching the word footie and his body instantly itching to play. “Oh that's sick!” he says eagerly, “I can definitely help you out; what time do you need picked up?"
Joe tells him that they usually get there around six and play until seven-thirty or eight, depending on the night. He must have caught the excitement in Louis’ voice because he adds on a, “Do you play? You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”
Louis shakes his head before remembering he’s on the phone. “Oh, I used to play but I’m sure I'm more than rusty these days,” he laughs out, not wanting to impose on the group.
Joe hums in understanding and gives Louis his address to pick him up at. “Alright, I’ll see you then. And if you change your mind and want to stick around, just come ready!” Joe tells him as they end the phone call.
Harry gets home around four, which is a bit later than usual but Louis knows he’s been trying hard to prepare for his midterms coming up soon. He’s lounging on the sofa when Harry walks in the door, and Louis can’t help but take in the way his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
Louis pouts and sits up from his spot on the couch. “Hazza c’mere,” he requests as he holds his arms out for Harry. When Harry glances up, his lips quirk up a bit at the edges and he hurries over to lay himself on top of Louis, his long limbs somehow finding a place to fit as he rests his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder.
“Hi Lou,” he sighs quietly, his breath tickling Louis’ cheek before he lifts his head and presses a soft kiss to his lips. “I’m sorry.”
Louis smiles against Harry’s lips for a moment before he pulls away to speak, “I’m sorry too, I was being stubborn.”
“Yeah, you were,” Harry teases gently, his eyes soft as he cuddles back into Louis. “But I understand why. I promise I won’t bring it up again.”
Playing with the fabric of Harry’s shirt idly, Louis frowns a little. “I don’t want you to not bring things up because I might disagree. I want to hear where your head's at, I just need to deal with hearing you out better,” he murmurs, the two of them falling into an agreeable quiet and Louis feels relief that their argument seems to be behind them.
“Hey. After we eat, will you be alright if I head out and play footie with some lads from work?” Louis asks a bit later when Harry is halfway through cooking dinner.
Harry shrugs his shoulders, though he doesn’t do a very good job of hiding the surprised look on his face as he stirs the noodles in the pot in front of him. “I don’t see why not, I need to do some more studying anyway. Probably best you're not here to distract me,” he says with a teasing wink in Louis’ direction.
Louis grins a bit and moves closer, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist and he presses a kiss against the skin at the base of Harry’s neck. “I’ll distract you when I get home, don't worry.”
The giggle that falls from Harry’s lips makes Louis’ heart swell and he buries his face into Harry’s shoulder for a moment before he goes back to grabbing bowls and silverware for them.
They eat on the sofa, something they do more often than they’d care to admit, but streaming their favorite shows while they eat is always too tempting to resist.
Once they’re finished, Louis checks on the time and then goes to get his kit on. It's trying to rain, so he sticks with joggers and a hooded jumper before he texts Joe that he’s leaving now and will meet him in ten minutes.
Louis realizes shortly into the little scrimmage match, that it's been far too long since he played a game of football. He takes a moment to be thankful that he’s been out working seven days a week lately as he sends the ball soaring through the air and, somehow, right past the goalkeeper.
He’s always been a natural, but when Joe claps him on the back with a “Mate that was fuckin sick!” Louis can't help the grin that covers his whole face.
The rain manages to hold off, but the air is thick with humidity when they finally decide to call an end to the friendly match. Louis is buzzing with energy as he waves to a few of the guys as they head off, shouting farewells as they go. He’s already been invited back for future games and he knows he’s going to take that offer up. As much as he loves the routine himself and Harry have, he is sure that spending a little time for himself would be something he can squeeze in once a week.
Joe comes over just as Louis’ tugging the hoodie he’d worn over his sweaty forehead. “Thank you again for letting me hang out,” Louis says brightly as he looks toward the other man. “I had a lot of fun. I hope you don't mind me tagging along again next time?”
Joe smiles and shakes his head. “No, of course not! It’s open to anyone, and the lads seemed to enjoy having you here.”
That night when he drops Joe off at his flat, he accepts the cash he’s offered but insists that next time he’s just in it to have some fun.
So it sort of becomes a thing- on Wednesday nights, Louis picks Joe up and he drives him to footie where they play together. Louis falls into an easy friendship with Joe, and he realizes the second week when they’re all at the pub with beers in hand after they’d been rained out, that he missed spending time with a group of friends more than he had let himself admit.
The fourth time Louis picks Joe up, he sees his friend give a girl a kiss on the doorstep just before he leaves and she stands and watches him go with a content smile on her lips.
“Oooh. Who’s she, mate?” Louis singsongs as Joe slides into the passenger seat and they take off.
Joe laughs a bit. “That's my girl. My reason for doing anything,” he says, and when Louis glances over he can see a happiness on Joe’s face that reminds him of how he feels when he’s with Harry.
“That’s sick man,” Louis says honestly. “How long have you two been together?”
“Two years. I’m probably going to ask her to marry me soon. Gotta hurry on that before she realizes she can do better than me,” Joe jokes lightly, but Louis hears something in his voice that makes it clear it's not entirely a joke. “What about you? You have someone at home?”
Louis nods his head as he turns onto the main roads. “Yeah, his name’s Harry. He's my everything, the best person I’ve ever met,” he tells Joe, gauging his reaction and when he sees Joe still smiling he continues, “I’d do anything for him. He’s decided he wants to go on a holiday, so I’ve been picking up odd jobs to pay for that and our bills still. He’s in school and I just... don't want him stressing, you know?”
Even as the words come out, Louis’ not sure why he’s dumping all this on his new friend, but saying them out loud makes him feel the tiniest bit better.
Thankfully, Joe nods his head in understanding from the other side of the car. There’s a moment of quiet before Joe starts talking. “I get that. My girl- her father doesn't think I can take good enough care of her. I’ve got this awful fuckin’ job that I do but it’s making me good money finally and like... I’d do anything for her. I know this is a bit weird but if you want, I can hook you up with a quick job. It’ll make you a few grand and it’s over pretty quick.”
Louis’ eyes widen and he glances over at the other man quickly. “A few grand?” he echos, his mind immediately thinking of everything they could do with that much money.
Joe nods his head. “I can't say much beyond that. It’s not a great job by any means, but I can have you meet my boss tonight and we can see what we can do.”
Louis tries to come up with something to say, but before he can either refuse or accept, he’s pulling into the car park of the footie fields and Joe says a quick, “Don't answer now. Let's play some and you can think about it for a bit.”
The game is quick, this time the rain comes down in a mist that soaks right through Louis’ jumper and he finds himself shivering when they finally decide to call it quits an hour later. Louis says goodbye to the rest of the group as he grabs his bag, and turns to look for Joe who he spots a moment later across the pitch on his phone. Louis watches him talk, the man pacing back and forth slowly until he finally hangs up the phone and heads in his direction.
Louis fiddles with his phone, trying to make it not so obvious that he had just been watching Joe. He glances up a moment later and raises a brow at his friend. “Alright, mate?”
Joe smiles at him and nods. “Course. You want to stop in and meet Sal?”
Louis hesitates a moment, wondering why it feels like there's a tightness in his chest before he nods his head. “Yeah sure. I’ve got a bit of time to spare.”
They make their way back to the car, a silence between them that Louis can’t help but feel a bit unsettled by. Conversation has come easily with Joe up until this point, but the air around them feels heavy as Louis unlocks his car and lets them in to escape from the rain.
They drive with the radio playing quietly, and Louis turns it up just a bit after a few minutes to help with the too-loud quiet as Joe fiddles with his phone, typing out texts between giving Louis directions.
“I can tell you’re nervous,” Joe says calmly as he gestures for Louis to turn down a street in the part of the city that houses the industrial buildings.
Louis feels the tension in his body so he makes a conscious effort to relax. “I just don’t know what to expect I suppose,” he says carefully. “This isn’t exactly the kindest part of town, and you’ve given me very vague information besides ‘it’s good money but the job sucks.’”
Joe huffs out a laugh and looks around the buildings, checking his phone quickly before he points to an open spot. “You can park there.”
Louis does as he is told, and Joe turns to him once the car is off. “I can’t tell you details. I’m sorry for that, but that’s Sal’s job,” he starts. “But I’ll tell you this much, going inside with me means you’re in. This job can be dangerous, and it’s not for the faint of heart, but if you want out after this one job you can. No strings attached. We’re just in a pinch, and I know you need the money for your boy.”
Louis wants to say thanks but no thanks because he’s not stupid. He can see where they are, he can put two and two together and realize that saying yes means walking into a room with what he can only assume is full of people who are not above breaking the law.
But the words for your boy echo in his mind and despite his best judgments he nods his head and says, “I’m going in.”
Joe’s smile tells Louis that he knew already that Louis was going to agree from the start. He tries not to let that bother him too much as they get out of the car and head inside.
It's dark when they enter, except for a few lights that hang from the ceiling over a table set up in the middle of the nearly empty room. There’s an open door across from where they came in, and the smell of cigarette smoke filters in through that door. Louis follows Joe as they make their way to the table and the group of men that are already chatting amongst themselves, their voices quiet but still sending echos through the room.
Joe claps one of the guys on the back and greets him with a hearty hello, and then turns to Louis and gestures to him. “This is my friend Tommo I’ve told you lot about,” he announces.
Louis nods his head in greeting, feeling a bit small and nervous but trying desperately not to let those emotions show on his face. He shakes hands with a few of them, meeting a lad named Jordan who he finds out grew up not far from him in Doncaster.
It’s not long before the sound of the door closing echoes through the warehouse and Louis’ attention is drawn toward the two men walking toward their little group. One is a younger kid, probably around Louis’ age and there's not much remarkable about him. The other, a stocky man who looks to be in his late fifties, is holding some sort of rolled-up paper in his hand.
Louis sits back in his chair and just watches quietly as the man walks over and the rest of the group falls into a respectful silence. The man, who Louis suspects is Sal, steps up beside Joe and greets him with a gruff, “Nice of you to join us, son.”
Joe nods once and takes a slight step to the left as if trying to create distance between them, which doesn’t go unnoticed judging by the way Sal smirks a bit before his eyes meet Louis’.
“Louis,” he says lowly. Louis tries to keep his face steady and not give anything away, but his veins feel icy with the man’s use of his name. “It’s nice to meet you; Joe has told me you’ll be driving the main car.”
Louis glances over to Joe who nods again, and then back to Sal before he responds with a simple, “Yes.”
“Excellent,” Sal muses before he turns to the table and unrolls the map. “This job will be easy. You’ll pull up behind this building here, the armored truck is being picked up by Marcus. He’s been working behind the scenes and he’ll get the truck here at five past seven,” Sal says pointing to a spot on the map as he looks around at Louis and the other men. “He’ll open the doors, you’re to take everything from that truck and get out of there as fast as you can. It’s easy, in and out.”
Louis swallows thickly, his eyes trained on the map and he feels so much smaller than anyone else here. He suddenly feels stupid for agreeing to even come inside, but the words for your boy are still echoing in his mind so he nods his head along with the other lads.
Sal goes back to explaining the carefully planned details; how the building selected has no security cameras, the car he will be driving will not be his own, where and how he will pick up said car, and where they will go when they’ve completed the job.
Louis listens intently, feeling like he is definitely out of his element as the other men nod along in understanding and what appears to be no fear on the surface. Sal wraps up the discussion half an hour later, standing up straight as he dismisses them, “That’s the plan. I expect you all to be ready to go Friday night.”
The crew mumbles their agreement and understanding as they all start to get to their feet. Louis’ heart is racing in his chest as he gets up and says a quick goodbye to Jordan, wondering briefly if under different circumstances they would be friends.
Joe walks beside Louis to the door, and Louis is eager to get out of there as quickly as possible. Just before they get outside, Sal’s voice calls out “Joe. Can I have a word?”
Joe pauses with a frown on his lips before he takes a step back in Sal’s direction and gestures for Louis to go on, “I’ll be out in a moment.”
“Alright,” Louis agrees before he heads outside. When the cool air hits his face, he can’t help but take a deep breath. The last forty minutes has left his mind swimming with too many thoughts of what did I just get myself into , this is dangerous you need to back out , and loudest of all: for your boy .
He gets to his car and turns it on before he rolls the window down just a bit and grabs one of the cigarettes he’s got stashed in his center console and lights it up. He breathes in the smoke and his body seems to relax with the chemicals in his brain, but it’s not quite enough. He takes his phone out and dials Harry’s number, hoping he’s still up.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Harry’s voice comes down the line just a moment later. “Are you on your way home? I miss you like crazy and I want to show you the project I’ve just finished up.”
Louis can’t help the smile that comes over his face as he blows out the smoke he’d been holding in his lungs. “Yeah, love. Just wanted to call and hear your voice. I’m knackered, but I’m excited to see what you’ve done,” he says honestly.
“Sap,” Harry teases gently, the smile on his face is evident in his voice. “I’m here when you get back,” he promises and Louis cannot wait to get home and cuddle his boy.
“Alright darling, I’ve just got to drop Joe off at home and then I’ll be there,” he tells Harry as he sees the other man come out of the building as if on cue. He taps the ash off the end of his cigarette off outside the window as he says a quick goodbye to Harry and ends the call.
Once Joe is in the car, Louis offers him the carton of cigarettes. “Want one?”
The other man takes one and lights it up as Louis begins to drive home. Joe is a bit quieter than usual for the first bit but then he breaks the quiet with an “I’m sorry I got you roped into this,” when they are only a couple of blocks away from Joe’s flat.
Louis’s brows raise a bit but he tries to keep his demeanor calm. “It’s okay. It sounds pretty straightforward, and I’m just driving.”
Joe hums quietly and takes a drag before he continues speaking lowly. “Sal wants me to tell you something. I don’t know why he’s designated me to be the messenger, but he wants you to know you’re not to call the police or tip anyone off at all,” he tells Louis, who suddenly feels that dread from earlier creeping back up his spine.
“I won’t,” Louis assures quickly. He’s not stupid, just from the few minutes he was in the same room as Sal he already knows not to cross him.
Joe nods with a quiet “I know,” as Louis pulls up to the row of flats he had picked him up from earlier. Louis glances over and the other man meets his eyes. “He said he knows you wouldn’t want to put Harry in danger by doing anything stupid.”
Louis feels his breath catch in his chest as he takes in the words that hang in the air between them. The look Joe gives him tells him that he was giving him the gentler version of what was actually said, but he’s not brave enough to ask because it’s clear that Sal’s words were a promise more than anything.
“Of course not,” he tells Joe but his voice comes out a bit on the shaky side and he wants to scream.
Joe hesitates a moment before he clears his throat, and Louis can tell he feels like shit for having said those words, but something inside him tells him it wasn’t the first time Joe’s heard those words spoken. “I’ll see you soon then,” he responds as he gets out of the car and heads up the steps and into his home.
Louis can’t stop his heart from racing as he hurries home, desperately needing to see Harry and hold him. He takes a moment in the car to collect himself once he’s parked the car and only when he’s sure he's got his emotions under control he makes his way up to Harry.
Harry glances up when the door opens and his ‘Louis’ smile covers his face, his pretty little dimple poking out and Louis wants to live there he thinks. Maybe he could hide from everything in there.
“Hi baby,” Louis croons, a smile to match Harry’s on his own lips as he makes his way quickly to the couch and he wraps himself around his boyfriend quickly muttering, “I missed you,” as he peppers Harry’s face in kisses.
Harry giggles and Louis feels like flying as he connects their lips in a sweet kiss. He breaks away a moment later and moves so he is cuddled into Harry, his head on his boy’s chest where he can see the computer screen.
“I missed you too,” Harry assures as he wraps his arm around Louis’ waist and rests his chin on top of his head and clicks around until he’s got the tab that he wants open and he starts to show off the carefully designed Fleetwood Mac poster he’d made for one of his courses.
Louis listens as Harry tells him all about why he chose certain images and how he made the cool overlay design. He can't help but cuddle in a bit closer as Harry asks him what he thinks and he squeezes his boyfriend’s side from where his arm is draped across him, “It's sick Haz. You’ll most definitely ace this one.”
Harry answers him with a kiss to the top of his fringe and a “Thank you, I really like it,” before he clicks back to Netflix and turns on the show they’ve been binging lately in their free time.
Louis loses himself in the show, it’s late and they’re both sleepy but neither of them makes the effort to get up and move to bed instead opting to hold each other there on the sofa. “Did you have a smoke today?” Harry asks eventually, breaking the silence as the first episode they watch rolls the credits and starts the countdown to the next begins.
“Yeah, just one though,” Louis answers honestly.
Harry presses his nose into the top of Louis’ hair and cuddles him tighter for a moment. “Thought so, I can smell it. Is everything alright?”
Louis nods his head a tiny bit and turns his head up and presses a gentle kiss to Harry’s jaw, “‘m good. Just a long day.”
They head to bed after Netflix asks them for the second time if they’re still watching, their hands tangled as they make their way down the hall and brush their teeth, and when they are laying in bed, Harry snuggles in close and traces patterns into Louis’ chest with the tips of his fingers.
Louis tries to fall asleep, but he’s still awake when Harry’s hand stops moving and his breathing evens out. His mind feels like an endless loop of thoughts that are all moving too fast for him to catch. He lays there, watching his boyfriend’s chest rise and fall until he can't keep his eyes open any longer and he lets sleep take him over.
The thing about being with Harry for so long is that Harry can tell when something is making Louis anxious. So when he wakes up to Harry trying to delicately place a cup of tea on the night table without waking him, Louis knows he’s done a shit job at hiding his emotions.
Blinking an eye open, he is met with Harry’s boyish grin like he got caught taking a biscuit from the jar. “I’m sorry,” Harry says with a soft chuckle, “I didn't mean to wake you, just wanted you to have a cuppa when you wake up.”
Louis lifts himself up on his elbows and leans over, pecking Harry’s lips when he meets him halfway, before he takes the mug from the table with a “Thank you, baby.”
Harry offers him breakfast, but Louis tells him he isn't hungry yet so instead Harry joins him with his own mug of tea in bed and they lounge around until Harry has to get ready for class.
Louis can’t help it when he wakes up with nerves sitting tight in his stomach on Friday. He sees Harry off to class and gets ready for work like any other day, but his chest is tight throughout his entire shift at the cafe.
He gets home around two in the afternoon and changes his clothes, dressing in a white tee-shirt and black skinny jeans that he’s pretty sure belong to Harry before he makes sure to grab a dark-colored jumper, which he just lays over the back of the sofa for the time being.
He texts Harry a bit between his courses, checking in to see if he still plans on going out with his classmates for a bit after they’re finished for the day in celebration of their last round of exams being over with, which Harry says he does and he’s excited, and Louis tells him that he’ll be out playing footie with the lads.
Louis tries to relax but he feels like he’s been wound up tight for the past few days and he just wants to get through this, to have enough money to take care of them for a bit without struggling, and to treat Harry like he deserves to be treated. He tries to take a nap on the sofa, but his mind is racing in a loop of what the fuck am I about to do so instead he gets up and starts cleaning.
He scrubs all the dishes they’ve left in the sink, sweeps the floors, wipes down every counter, and then starts going through the pile of mail they’ve neglected to open for a bit too long. Sitting down at their little kitchen table, Louis sorts through the bills and reads through each one of them. There’s not really any surprises waiting for him on the papers, but he does cringe at the balance on their credit card and at the fact that their power bill is past due by nearly two weeks.
Louis stares at the paperwork in front of him, and somehow the dread in his pit for his evening plans begins to be replaced with something more solid like determination. All he has to do is drive. He’s not part of the actual robbery, he’s just meant to sit in the car and be ready to drive and drop the crew off as soon as they’re finished. You can do it he thinks to himself as he glances at the clock on the wall which tells him he has just under an hour before he needs to go.
He thinks for a moment before he grabs his wallet and keys and pulls his jumper on and leaves their flat. He got a text this morning from a blocked number with an address where the car he’s going to be driving is located, so he makes his way to the underground and heads across town. He gets off a short while later and finds a little coffee shop where he orders his favorite drink before he starts walking around, eventually finding a park bench to sit on.
Louis sits and drinks his tea quietly, watching the families out on walks together, bundled up against the slight chill of the mid-April evening as the sun sets. He tries not to think, but his mind wanders on its own and he finds himself picturing his future with Harry.
He’s known he wants to marry Harry since the first morning in their flat when he had woken up to gorgeous naked skin and messy hair beside him as Harry slept and light came in the window just right. He’d felt so at peace in that moment, and Harry had continued to make him feel like that ever since then. He thinks idly to himself that it’s about time he put a ring on his boy’s finger; perhaps in June when he takes him on holiday.
Checking the time, Louis finishes his tea and starts his walk the rest of the way to the spot where the car waits for him. He’s not too far, but the closer he gets he starts to become wary that someone may see him, so he pulls his hood up and keeps his head tilted down.
He finds the car with the key in it exactly where he was told it would be. He gets in and starts it up, making sure to keep his face as hidden as he can just in case any cameras can see him as he takes a quick moment to breathe. He puts the vehicle in drive and starts toward the pick-up location, trying to keep his face schooled and he turns the radio on to try and distract his mind from repeating its current mantra of this is going to go terribly wrong .
He pulls up behind the row of shops he’s been instructed to pick up Joe, Jordan, and another lad named Tommy that Louis vaguely remembers meeting. He stops the car and only a minute later the three men come out and climb in.
Joe gets in the passenger seat beside Louis and he meets his eyes for a moment. He must read something in them because he asks a quiet, “Good?”
Louis nods once before answering with a just as short “Good,” before he starts the car down the road, following the directions they went over at the meeting a few nights ago. The car is quiet, save for the radio playing some pop song that’s too upbeat for the heavy atmosphere, and Louis wonders briefly if the men surrounding him are as anxious as he is.
He thinks by the way Joe keeps fidgeting that they might be, and somehow that makes Louis feel marginally better.
When they’re a mile or so out, Joe hands out a plastic mask with an eerie looking face printed on it to the men in the back seat and hands one to Louis as well. “Put it on, it’ll keep you from being identified. Don’t take it off until you drop the car off,” Joe instructs Louis, his voice serious as he slides the mask on.
Louis does as he is told, using one hand to pull the uncomfortable mask on as he drives. He turns a corner a moment later and glances at the clock. 7:04; perfect timing.
Just as he makes it halfway down the back of the building, a white bank truck pulls around the other end and comes to a stop. There’s a blue car behind it and as soon as Louis hits the breaks, Tommy, Jordan, and Joe jump out and rush toward the car.
Louis watches from where he’s sat as the back door to the truck opens, and a man who he assumes to be Marcus waves the crew in. Louis can see inside the truck as a man is knocked out with a hit to the side of the face, falling to the floor immediately. Together, the crew loads piles of money into a bag each, but Louis can’t tell who is who from this distance and with the masks on.
He glances in the rearview mirror, checking briefly to make sure no one happened to walk around and see anything, or worse, that the police may be coming. He sees nothing.
It seems to take forever, but finally, the three men come running back and clamber into the car as quickly as they left. Louis glances again at the clock and it's been four minutes, not nearly as long as he might have thought it had been.
“Move!” Tommy urges from the back seat, and Louis does. He hits the gas and races out of there, his heart suddenly beating wild with adrenaline. There’s a brief moment of quiet before the men begin to celebrate. Someone claps Joe on the shoulder and their voices all blend together as Louis drives to the next location. He’s still scared, but from what he can hear, things went well and no one else seems worried so he begins to allow himself to breathe normally again.
It’s a twenty-minute drive around town, and Louis still is on edge as he checks for lights and sirens with each turn he makes. But they make it to the alley and he pulls up alongside the black car that Joe points him to.
He puts the car in park and Louis helps their little team make quick work of moving the bags of cash into the boot of the second car. As soon as Tommy and Jordan put theirs away, they head off in opposite directions without another word.
Joe stands at the back of the car and shuts it as soon as Louis drops the last bag in. “I’m done,” he tells Louis with a smile that looks as nervous as Louis feels. “I’m taking my cut of the money and my girl, and we’re leaving for good.”
Louis isn’t quite sure how to respond to that for a moment. He can tell by the way Joe is watching him that he’s not sure how to follow up with his confession either. It feels a little heavy, and Louis knows this is likely the last time he’ll see Joe.
He reaches out his hand and Joe meets him in the middle, quick to pull him into a one-armed hug. It's brief and Louis mumbles a quiet, “Thank you” before they step back and Louis smiles at his friend, more than a bit lost for words.
Joe grins back at him and nods his head. “Sorry again for getting you wrapped up in this. Sal won’t bother you again. Take care of your boy,” he says quietly before they turn and head their separate ways. Louis hears the start of the car behind him as he takes his jumper off and heads toward the direction of the underground.
He’s back on the main streets in no time and he’s grateful for the crowds of already tipsy people celebrating the beginning of the weekend, as it helps him feel less alone and obvious as he walks along in the dark.
He takes his time to get home, hoping Harry will be there when he’s back but the flat is empty still when he pushes through the door. He immediately turns some music on and sends a quick text to Harry: miss you babycakes. Hope you're having fun, can't wait for you to get home .
Harry gets home half an hour later, his cheeks are rosy and Louis can’t help the endeared smile that crawls onto his face when he sees the tipsy boy come through the door and giggle as he toes his shoes off.
“Louuu I missed you so much,” Harry whines as he immediately hurries in Louis’ direction and all but falls on top of him on the sofa.
Louis winces a bit as Harry’s knee gets a bit too close to his crotch for comfort but once the coast is clear he wraps his arms around Harry and presses a long kiss to his lips. “Missed you too,” he promises when they part for air.
Harry grins crookedly at him, and Louis finds himself taking a moment to admire the man before him. He wonders briefly when exactly Harry grew up so much, but he supposes he did too. He doesn't get too much time to ponder the thought, because only a second or two later Harry leans back in for another kiss, this one with much more intent behind it than the first.
Later that night, after they’ve showered and are laying tangled up together in bed, Harry starts tracing the patterns of the ink across Louis’ chest with his fingertips.
“I love you,” Louis breathes into the night, his nose pressed into Harry’s mop of damp hair.
“Love you too, always and forever Lou,” Harry whispers back, his voice still slightly slurred and Louis isn’t sure if it’s from exhaustion or from the drinks he had earlier.
Louis smiles to himself and runs his hand along Harry’s bare shoulder. “No matter what?”
Harry hums in agreement, “No matter what.” Finding comfort in that promise, Louis lets sleep take over.
Louis finds himself much more relaxed throughout the next two days than he had anticipated being. He chalks it up to not having heard from Sal or anyone else which he can only assume means that things went smoothly. He does keep an eye on the press, and there’s a couple of articles about a robbery but they are short and none of them mention any leads.
He’s still a bit weary, watching people who come into the diner over the weekend with a slightly more careful eye, but for the most part, he lets himself breathe.
Louis glances at the clock as he wipes down the coffee machine and hums quietly along to the radio. He’s got another half hour before he can clock out and it seems to be dragging, the mid-afternoon rush having died off well over an hour ago. Zayn’s been good company today, a bit chattier than usual, so Louis takes advantage of that and starts up another conversation between orders about the comic Zayn’s been working on.
Soon though, he’s free to go. Louis does his cash out and counts his tips before he heads the fitness center that owns the football pitches he’s been visiting for the past few weeks. Once he parks, he makes his way inside and through the huge building to the area he knows the locker rooms are at. He's careful not to draw attention to himself as he takes the gym bag that’s been slung over his shoulder and he finds locker twenty-eight, carefully dialing the combination in and hearing it click with the correct numbers.
He takes a moment to check that there's no one else in the room before he pulls the little lever and lets himself take a look. His breath catches in his throat when he sees several bundles of cash sitting there before him. There’s a note on top of it but he doesn't take the time to read it, instead making quick work of tucking the contents of the locker into his bag.
He’s careful to zip the bag up before he heads back outside and toward his car. He expects someone to stop him and question him, and his excuse of I forgot my things here last night after footie is on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn’t need to use it. He’s back in his car before he knows it, and he has to take a moment to try and stop his hands from shaking before he starts the drive home.
Once he's inside the safety of the flat with the door locked, Louis unzips the bag and pulls the note out. It's got his name written across the front, and when he unfolds it and reads the words written on the page he doesn't know what to do.
Tommo,
Thank you for your help. I promised you a bit of cash, but I was able to get you more than planned. Use this to take care of yourself and Harry.
Joe
Louis reads over the messy scrawl quickly, a bit confused as to what Joe meant by getting more than he planned, before he sets the paper to the side and opens the bag up further.
He reaches inside and grabs one of the bundles of bills, and he takes a moment to count it before his eyes widen and he starts counting the stacks he’s got in front of him.
“Forty grand,” he says out loud once he’s done counting the money for the third time, wondering if he’s having a dream and is about to wake up. He pinches his arm to test that theory and winces when it hurts.
He’s got forty grand in cash sitting in front of him.
Louis takes a moment and shuts his eyes because suddenly he feels overwhelmed. He’d been expecting a bit of cash, a few grand if he remembers right, but sitting here with more money than he’s ever had in his life has his eyes stinging with tears. His phone chimes a moment later with a text notification and he opens it to see a new message from Harry: done studying! Maybe we can go to the park after I get home?
Louis chews his lip while blinking away the tears as he responds, telling Harry that he thinks that would be lovely and he will see him soon.
Standing up, Louis grabs the bag and moves to the bedroom where he stuffs it underneath his side of the bed. Harry will be home soon and as much as he is absolutely dreading it, he knows he needs to come clean about everything that’s gone on when he sees him.
Harry walks in the door only ten minutes later and drops his bag next to the little entry table. His brow furrows with concern as he sees Louis chewing on the edge of his nail, stopped in his tracks from where he’d just been pacing the floor. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
Louis drops his hand and reaches out to hug Harry. “I’m okay,” he assures quietly as he feels Harry’s arms wrap around him to hold him close. “I do need to tell you something,” he adds quietly a moment later.
He can feel how Harry is cautious as they move to sit down on the sofa and that makes the anxious feeling in Louis’ chest worse. He knows that telling Harry is the right thing and he should have done it a long time ago.
Louis reaches over and laces his fingers with Harry’s between them and takes a deep breath. “I love you more than anything,” he starts as he lets his eyes wander Harry’s beautiful face, wondering if this will be the last moments before his boy leaves.
“I know you do, Lou. I love you too. Please tell me what’s going on?” Harry pleads, his voice wavering and Louis hates that sound.
He squeezes Harry’s fingers before he speaks again. “I promised Anne that I’d take care of you when we moved here. Told her that I’d do everything I possibly could to provide a safe and healthy life for you. I know you know it hasn’t been easy lately.”
Harry nods minutely and Louis continues, “I started doing odd jobs on my days off. Zayn recommended it one day at work. I helped a couple move boxes into their new place, cleaned up an old woman’s garden, and helped walk some dogs here and there.”
Harry’s face softens a bit and he leans forward to catch Louis’ eye. “Lou, you didn’t have to do that,” he tells him quietly. “I told you I'm more than glad to start working a few hours to help out.”
Louis runs his hand through his fringe and shrugs a shoulder. “I want you to finish school first. It’s so important to you and we’re nearly done with this chapter and then things will get better. I kept telling myself that, and then you mentioned wanting to go on holiday in June and I wanted to give that to you.”
Feeling his heart pound a little harder on his chest, Louis continues speaking though his eyes don't dare meet Harry’s. “I met a guy named Joe; I’ve told you a bit about him. He wanted a ride to play footie once a week and instead of him paying me, I started to join him and his mates. It was fun and I liked having a group of lads to be around outside work. Well, last week he offered me a job for a few grand.”
Louis swallows thickly, feeling panic rise in his chest. “I did something bad,” he announces, his eyes flicking up to Harry’s face which still holds worry in his eyes and in the crease in his brow. “I drove a getaway car for a robbery.”
There's a pause, and Louis can tell that whatever Harry may have been thinking he was about to say, it wasn’t that. All he can hear for a moment is his heartbeat in his ears. Harry’s face looks torn between worry and anger and Louis is sure he's going to lose the love of his life.
“What?” Harry asks, his voice shaky in the quiet room as he untangles their hands.
Louis’ hand feels cold and he bites down on his lip briefly before clarifying, “I drove a car for men who were taking money from a truck.”
He can read the emotions on Harry’s face as the other man feels them. He can see the hurt, confusion, and anger in his eyes and Louis waits for him to stand up and demand he leave the flat they’ve called home together for so long. He waits for the blow to come, but instead, Harry wipes his hands on his knees and takes a deep breath.
“I don't know what I’m meant to say to that,” Harry says, his voice is low and even and Louis hates that it sounds so distant even though they’re less than a few feet apart.
Louis watches his face carefully; he can tell Harry’s mad, he can feel it in the air between them. Harry looks down at his lap and picks at invisible fuzz for a moment. Louis reaches out in an attempt to take his hand again, but Harry moves it away. “I need to process that.”
Louis nods his head. “Okay. I’ll answer whatever questions you have; I’ll tell you everything,” he promises, feeling desperate to do whatever is needed to get past this moment.
Harry shakes his head quickly, a frown finding its way onto his gorgeous face as he gets to his feet. “I need time,” he tells him firmly, “I don’t want to hear anything else. You committed a fucking crime.”
Harry shifts on his feet and looks around the room before he decides his next course of action and heads for the door. “Harry don't leave!” Louis pleads, his heart breaking as he watches with terrified eyes as Harry pulls on his jacket.
“I’ll be back. I’m just going for some air,” he says, and his voice is too even for Louis’ liking but he lets him go out the door anyway.
Harry doesn't come back quickly; he’s gone until it's been dark for a few hours and he doesn't answer any calls or texts from Louis who spends his time just trying to not panic.
When he does come home, he’s quiet. Louis tries to offer him food, but he insists on cooking for himself. When Louis tries to make small talk, he's met with quiet short answers. He gets the hint after a while and leaves him be, assuming Harry just needs a bit more time.
Except that bit more time drags on. And on. And on.
It's not until three days later that something changes. Harry wakes up first which is fairly normal, but this time he comes back into the room a short while later with a cuppa for Louis and sets it on the table beside him. Louis sits up a bit and looks at Harry with his sleepy eyes full of hope, and as soon as Harry sits down on the edge of the bed and says a quiet I’d like to know everything , he starts talking.
Things go back to normal slowly. Louis continues to work at the cafe, which feels a lot less stressful now that he’s not scrambling for cash, and Harry finishes school with the best scores he’s managed yet.
Louis surprises him with a trip to Paris in June the week after he’s finished for the term and they spend nearly a week wrapped in each other's arms while they walk along the streets of the city of love.
They take a train to the coast on their last full day, a surprise for Harry that Louis had arranged earlier in the week after he’d heard his boy talk about how he’d love to visit the ocean someday soon to see the sunset across it.
It's a beautiful day and Louis wraps Harry in his arms when they sit on the beach later that evening as the sun begins to set, casting warm light over them both.
“I love you,” he murmurs over the sound of waves crashing over the sand as he takes Harry's left hand and raises it to his lips, kissing over the new silver band he gave him two days earlier with a promise of forever.
Harry turns his eyes away from the sunset and he smiles back at Louis before he presses their lips together gently. “I love you too. Always.”
Louis tucks his chin over Harry’s shoulder, and he cuddles him close as they fall into a peaceful silence as they watch the sky turn orange as the sun lowers below the horizon. Movement from the corner of his eye catches Louis’ attention and he watches silently as another young couple strolls along the beach.
They push each other playfully as the water laps at their ankles and Louis can hear their laughter breaking through the quiet evening. He figures Harry must be watching them too, but he’s not positive.
The couple continues along, and Louis isn't sure why but there's something familiar about them. It dawns on him when they are close enough that Louis can see the features of their faces, that he knows the man.
He's about to call out when Joe meets his eyes for just a moment, his gaze flicking to Harry quickly before he smiles at Louis and sends a wink in his direction. Louis opens his mouth to say something, but Joe keeps walking with his girl.
Louis watches them leave; a sense of awe washed over him as he relaxes again. Harry doesn't say anything for a long while, content to just lay in Louis’ arms for a bit. He does ask a bit later, a simple, “Was that Joe, then?”
“Yeah, didn’t expect to see him again,” he murmurs and presses a kiss to Harry’s jaw which is an easy reach from where his chin rests comfortably on his boy’s shoulder. “Should we get going?”
Harry answers by getting to his feet before taking Louis’ hand to help him up, and they start back down the beach toward the direction of the hotel they’d checked into earlier.
Louis looks over at Harry as they walk, and he can't help the giggle that falls from his lips when Harry starts to blush, still looking forward as they walk. “What?” Harry asks, glancing back at his fiancé curiously.
“Nothing,” Louis hums, grinning back at the love of his life. “I’m just happy we’re here.”