Chapter Text
'Lou, Char…’ Harry started, stepping inside their bedroom and finding Louis laying in bed with his back turned to the door. Harry’s heart sank. 'Lou?’ he asked tentatively, even though he already knew all the answers.
'Hi Haz,’ Louis croaked out. 'I don’t feel so good,' he added in a small voice and Harry’s eyes watered thinking how lucky he was that Louis trusted him with this, that he trusted him enough not to just wait for the answers to be goaded out of him but to point blank tell him whenever it was wrong again.
'I’ll call Charlie, okay? I’ll tell her I caught some stomach thing, rearrange the lunch? I’ll be back in a second baby.’ Harry said quickly, coming to stand above his boyfriend and kissing his forehead quickly, melting at how Louis leaned into the touch.
'Don’t tell her it’s me.’ Louis said catching Harry’s hand, his blue eyes sad and guilty.
'Of course not baby, no need to worry her, right? I’ll tell her it’s my stomach just like I said okay?’ he asked, carding his hands through Louis’ hair. 'It’s fine baby, it’s okay. I got you, I got you,' he added soothingly, just to make sure that Louis knew that he understood him as much as a person other than himself could.
Harry stepped out of the bedroom and called Charlie. They were supposed to have lunch with her and Blake since Christmas was just around the corner and with Louis spending it with the Styles family and Lottie with Blake’s, for a few years now they both had made a point of meeting beforehand.
'Hi Char,’ Harry chirped happily when Lottie picked up the phone. 'I think we have to reschedule lunch,’ he added worryingly 'I don’t want to gross you out with details but it seems I’ve caught some stomach bug, Louis has been taking care of me.’
'Oh Harry, I’m so sorry! Just call us when you're better and we can meet then!’ Lottie exclaimed. Harry felt a little bit guilty about lying to her, but then again it was harmless and to Louis it made a huge difference.
'Don't worry Lots. We’ll definitely call you as soon as I’m better,' he answered and, with rushed goodbyes, ended the call.
He moved to the kitchen and took out the flyer for Lou’s favourite pizza place, ordering large pizza and couple of burgers before making tea and carrying two steaming cups to the bedroom.
'Hi baby,’ he cooed gently. 'I made tea’ he added, setting the cups on the bedside table. Louis turned towards him with tired smile. 'Grease or Love Actually?’ Harry added, smiling softly.
'I love you.’ Louis whispered and Harry just leaned in and kissed him knowing full well what Louis wanted to say. Thank you for understanding. Thank you that you’re here. Thank you that I don’t have to hide from you.
'I love you too.’ Thank you for letting me. Thank you for letting me. Thank you for letting me.
He moved away from the bed and put the dvd in the player. 'Love Actually is the first movie we watched together.’ Harry mused, memories bringing a fond smile to his face.
'And before you put it on you were singing You’re the one that I want on your knees,’ Louis laughed softly. 'That’s when I knew I was in love with you.’
'Bullshit.’ Harry smiled widely, taking the remote and crawling under the covers next to Louis.
'I swear it’s true!’ Louis exclaimed, wiggling under Harry's arm and laying on his chest, tucking his head under Harry's chin.
'Bullshit, honey. You were in love with me ever since you first stepped into that restaurant and saw flowers in my hair.’ Harry said with self satisfied smirk.
'Bullshit, honey.’ Louis parroted. 'I was in love with you ever since I saw you from both sides,’ he smirked, remembering the conversation they had when Harry agreed to be his fake boyfriend. The other boy smiled softly as he kissed Louis’ head, catching the reference easily.
Harry tightened his hold on Louis’ waist lightly and pressed play on the remote. He could feel Louis slowly relaxing against him and he made a point to not move too much and not smother him with his affection. He knew full well that when it was one of the bad days sometimes Louis didn’t like to be touched, and then he would feel guilty about shying away from Harry even though there was no reason to. Harry always tried not to trigger him.
Tonight it seemed like Louis was in cuddly state pushing further and further into Harry’s arms, his fingers going up and down Harry’s forearm with slightly shaking hands. Suddenly the doorbell rang and Louis jumped, his anxiety flooding him once again.
'Shit baby. I’m so sorry. I ordered food, forgot to tell you.’ Harry said sheepishly, holding Louis' hand lightly and not making any move to touch him further, beating himself up in his head for forgetting. He knew the drill, he knew that when a bad day hit, Louis jumped at every ring, whether it was a text, call or a door, scared and anxious that someone would want something from him.
'Oh… thank you.’ Louis said, blushing slightly at his reaction.
'I’ll go get it.' Harry smiled and kissed Louis’ hand timidly before darting out of the room to the door. After paying and grabbing some plates from the kitchen he went back to the bedroom, stopping in the door with a thoughtful expression and grabbing a pack of wet wipes from the bathroom at the last minute. He dumped the contest of his arms on the bed and dived back in.
'Wipe your hands, please’ he said handing Louis a wet wipe, who snorted loudly and shook his head.
'I swear to God, only you..’ he giggled softly.
'Only I wash my hands?’ Harry asked, raising a challenging eyebrow.
'Only you would bring a wet wipe to bed to wash your hands before eating pizza.’ Louis clarified, tugging onto Harry’s hair softly. He got it cut two years back but it was starting to grow long again. Louis loved it.
'Well Lou, just cause we’re eating in bed doesn’t mean we have to forget about hygiene all together.’ Harry huffed, putting a plate on Louis’ lap and bringing the boxes with food closer.
'I swear to god I’m dating an old man.’ Louis laughed breathlessly.
'Does that mean I’m your sugar daddy?’ Harry mused happily swallowing nearly an entire piece of pizza in one go. The things that man could fit in his mouth, dear Lord.
'Look around you baby, we're living in my apartment? If someone is a sugar daddy that’s clearly me.’ Louis smiled, flicking his fringe. 'Even my fans say so,’ he added with a wink.
'You’re not that famous dear,’ Harry sing songed.
'Please. I’m widely successful. Me and Grimmy are a fireproof duo. Everyone loves us.’ Louis teased.
'Yeah’ Harry breathed, suddenly caught up with how beautiful Louis was, and all his. 'They do,’ he added softly.
Louis tilted his head to the side, assessing Harry with soft smile. Harry looked back at him mirroring his expression and earning a huff and a disgruntled pout from him. He had ketchup on his chin and his hair was a mess and he was beautiful.
'I told you,' he said shyly without any bite to his words, leaving into Harry’s side for a second and bumping their shoulders together.
They stayed like that for a while, both smiling at their plates as the snow falling outside made them feel cosy, like the world was forgotten. Love Actually was finished. And Harry put on Hairspray next, knowing that Louis on his bad days enjoyed movies he already knew.
When it started to get dark, Louis was humming Big Blonde and Beautiful under his breath along with the cast of the movie. Harry bit his bottom lip to not make a joke about that one and decided to make himself useful by putting on some candles.
He opened his candle drawer (yes, he had a candle drawer; yes, Louis teased him mercilessly about it and yes, he nearly killed Niall once when he had tried to do the same) and picked few that he deemed Christmas-y enough. He lit them up and plugged in the string of fairy lights they had over the bed.
He came back to bed, Louis immediately tugging onto his arm to wrap it around his waist.
'Smells nice, love’ he commented off handedly, making Harry’s heart burst with affection that Louis always paid attention to such small details.
After Hairspray was done Harry went to make them pancakes for supper, leaving Louis with Dreamgirls as a white noise and his Harry-pillow.
When he came back they ate and proceeded to watch movies all the way into the night, not speaking much, just holding each other to know they were still there. Over the course of the evening they both rearranged themselves hundreds of times until finally they were laying on their sides facing each other, some movie still playing in the background.
'Thank you.’ Louis whispered after few seconds of simply looking at his boyfriend.
'Anything for you baby.’ Harry whispered back, lighting up his words with a soft smile and a caress to Louis’ cheek. 'It’s just a bad day, yeah?’ he added to which Louis nodded.
'Yeah. It’s just a bad day.’