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It’s still dark and Niall buries his face into the pillow. But Harry, being the morning person that he is, latches on to his back with his arms and gradually turns him around so that they are facing each other. Harry scoots over, movements slow in his half-awakened state and as Niall is jostled the tiniest bit, his eye catches the sight of a coat that’s fallen off its hanger in the closet.
“We need to get a hang of putting clothes away before we get to business,” he jokes. His chest rumbles along with Harry’s as his boyfriend—no, fiancé—laughs, all husky and gravelly.
“Last night was really something, though.” Harry tilts Niall chin so that he can give him the look, the one that’s saturated with love and everything else that they share.
Niall kisses him. Harry tastes faintly of champagne, his untied hair tickling Niall’s forehead as Harry is leaning over him for the duration of the kiss. It feels so natural, the way Niall’s hand fits in Harry’s like it was meant to be, their bodies pressed together warmly, and their legs slotting as if to mould their bodies together. Harry interlocks his fingers with Niall and Niall smiles into their kiss.
When they break their kiss for some much needed air, Niall catches a glimpse of the chain on Harry’s neck as light reflects off it. The necklace was the first gift that Niall has ever given him and it’s heartening that Harry still carries it with him everywhere he goes.
“Hey,” Harry whispers, lips tickling the shell of Niall’s ears. “Look up.”
Niall obliges and sees a smatter of glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling in the shape of their initials and a shamrock.
“Sap,” Niall jokes. Their shoulders brush and the simple touch sends warmth radiating from it like always.
For a long moment, they fall into a comfortable silence. They don’t have to say it, what they feel and what they want. They can hear it in the silence, feel it even when they’re apart, and see it in the lightless room. Niall can never quite put it into words but he know, from the bottom of his heart, that this is real.
Harry rolls over to press a quick kiss to Niall’s nose. “C’mon,” he says as he grasps Niall’s hands and tugs at them, sitting up on Niall’s stomach. “Time for brekkie.”
“No,” Niall moans, burying his face into Harry’s shoulder. “Let’s sleep.”
Harry chuckles. “I’m hungry though. I need food.”
“Fine,” Niall pouts. “You’re doing all the cooking.”
Ten minutes later, Niall regrets his choice. Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have distracted Harry by teasing him and kissing him for the better time of the cooking process. At the end, they end up with burnt toasts and Niall smirks.
“It’s your fault,” Harry accuses. “Looking all fit and sleep-rumpled in my shirt.”
Niall plays with the hem of it, the movement baring the tops of his thighs to Harry’s gaze. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. I was too lazy to go find me own clothes to wear.”
He used to feel so small and vulnerable but it feels different with Harry. With Harry he can let go of his worries and fears and just be himself because he knows that Harry loves him for all he is. Niall steps forward and they exchange a silent glance. All the memories of them together—kissing on sidewalks, the fights they have had, everything—lingers in everything that they do and Niall loves it.
Just last night, as they were about to go to bed, Harry had made him wait outside their bedroom for a minute or two. Afterwards, Harry took Niall inside and the scene inside took Niall’s breath away. There were rose petals strewn across the floor and dozens of scented flowers leading to a path that led to Harry. As cliché as it was, Niall was still overwhelmed with what he knew was going to happen.
With a strange look on his face, Harry got on one knee and said, “You’re my best friend. The past few years that I’ve known you have been better than words can ever describe. I don’t want to ever lose the sight of your eyes and I will follow you anywhere. Niall James Horan, will you marry me?”
It took a while for Niall to say yes, what with the tears streaming down his face and his throat being blocked with it. When he finally managed, Harry hugged him and lifted him off the ground, spinning him around. They danced around the bedroom, isolated from the world in their own little snow globe. Niall knew that he was in love and that he, too, could follow Harry anywhere and spend his whole life looking into the same green eyes.
Harry’s hand rests on top of Niall’s knee, fingers splayed out. Niall shifts on the stool and leans forwards so that they can kiss. Harry's fingers tug at the hem of his shirt, sometimes gliding up past the fabric and unintentionally tickling Niall's thighs. After a few minutes of the kissing and the caressing, Niall can't hold it in any more. So he giggles into Harry's mouth, who pulls away with the most adorable pout.
"Damn you and your sensitive thighs," Harry half-complains. Niall lightly slaps his hand away and tangles in hands into Harry's messy curls.
"You love it," Niall points out with a devious wink, the one that never fails to make Harry blush a bright shade of red.
"Apparently," Harry says with a yawn. "I'll put the kettle on. Will you make us breakfast then?"
Niall puts his hands his hips. "Obviously, since I can't trust you with the stove at all. This is why normal people stick to the toaster over, love."
Harry sticks his tongue out as he goes to fill up the kettle with water. Niall chuckles and pads to the fridge so that he can rummage through the fridge for something edible. Coming back from a tour in the middle of it is exciting and relaxing, but remembering to buy groceries is always such a chore. He manages to procure some eggs and healthy vegan bacon shite that Harry probably bought. In cupboard next to the fridge, he finds a can of baked beans.
"Sorry, don't see any milk in here," Niall notes. Harry grunts and goes into the pantry in search of tea. "You gotta learn to drink with nothing in it, just the way tea is meant to be drunk."
"Fine, Mr Tea Expert," Harry groans as he comes back with a box of rooibos tea. "By the way, you're running low on tea as well. We should go grocery shopping together the next time we're home from touring."
"Write it on the fridge then." Niall is bent over by the cupboards to get a frying pan and he feels Harry literally drape himself over his back. "Hey, watch it. You're too tall and heavy for this shit."
"But it's always looked so cute on films," Niall can hear the hint of a pout in Harry's voice.
"Well, movies lie," Niall straightens his back and Harry lets up. He still has his arms looped around Niall's neck, his cheek pressed between Niall's shoulder blades. Niall turns on the stove and places the pan on it. He reaches over to pick up the cooking oil, except it's sort of difficult to do that with Harry's weight hanging all over him.
"Trying to cook here,' Niall points out.
"I know. You're a real catch," Harry answers, nuzzling the back of Niall's neck.
Niall pours a dollop of oil on the pan after it's been heated and tosses a few strips of bacon on it. He almost burns one side of the bacon strips because Harry has started to nibble and kiss up and down the smooth, pale column of Niall's throat.
"Stop it," Niall whines, twisting out out of Harry's reach. It's sort of impossible when Harry has the height advantage and bloody large hands that are so strong and warm.
"You taste so good though," Harry mumbles into the sensitive skin of Niall's neck.
"My neck will still be there for you to kiss and devour after breakfast," Niall tries to reason.
"Mm hmm," Harry hums, biting right on the pulse point.
Niall almost gives in and whirls around, ready to kiss the living daylights out of Harry. It's just their luck and Niall smells the unpleasant odour of burnt meat and he jolts away from Harry. He grimaces as he uses a fork to get rid of the bacon.
"Well, I guess we'll have to call up Cal or Preston and go out for breakfast," Niall says with a shrug.
"Remind me again why I'm in love with you," Harry jokes.
"'Cause it's real and true and I drive you crazy at times," Niall smirks.
Harry kisses Niall smack on the mouth and leans Niall backwards slightly so that he can turn the stove off. "Yeah."
Niall interlocks their fingers and brings it up to kiss each knuckle before kissing the ring on Harry's ring finger. "Love you."
"Love you more."