relief next to me (by dolce_piccante on ao3)

16

Harry breathed in deep through his nose, stretching his head to the left on his pillow. His toes wiggled against the duvet, his palms sliding sideways along the cool mattress.

When he hit warm skin, he smiled with his eyes shut. He palmed over Louis' hip and looped his arm around him, the tips of his fingers tucked into the waistband of his boxerbriefs. Louis' feet curled between Harry's ankles, his lips slapping together.

Harry pressed himself against Louis' back, Louis humming in his sleep and nudging his head backwards. Harry's lips brushed over his neck while Louis pulled the duvet higher on their bodies.

Louis gripped Harry's forearm and cuddled his cheek against his hand, both still blissfully asleep.

. . .

The bed underneath Louis shuddered ever so slightly, the motion jerking him out of a deep sleep. He nudged his nose against something warm and tawny, breathing in deep and stretching his neck. His cheek slid over a gentle hill and landed on top of a bony curve.
Something about the sweet smell unfurling in his nostrils made his eyes move under their lids, desperate to stay asleep in this sweet, cozy wonderland. Soft fingertips started to stroke over the back of his neck.

"Did I wake you?"

Louis let Harry's voice, rumbly and deep, marinate over his body for a moment. He swallowed again and shook his head, his nose rubbing the lowest curve of Harry's neck.

"No."

"Mmm, gruff in the morning." A kiss was dropped in his hair. "I like."

Louis pulled the duvet higher on his back, a smile starting to spread across his face. He rubbed his cheek against warm skin.

"How are you so chipper?" Louis cleared his throat, his voice rattling around the base of his neck while Harry's raspy voice seemed to flow like honey. "We just fell asleep."

"Internal bakery clock."

Louis cracked one eye open. He brought his gaze up the front of Harry's sleep-sweaty neck. He studied his full lips, still pillowy from the night before. His one eye caught Harry's soft, amber-hued gaze, his smile widening so much the corners of his mouth tingled.

"How long have you been awake?" Louis asked, licking his dry lips. He shut his eyes and curled his body around Harry's torso. "S'early."

"Not long." Harry's fingers dropped beneath the blanket to stroke between Louis' shoulder blades. Louis couldn't control the soft sigh of pleasure he puffed out of his mouth. "Long enough to learn you don't snore. Not a proper snore, at least. You do these little kitten huff things and hum a bit."

Both of Louis' eyes opened to stare at him, though he was still squinting, his weight balanced on his forearm pressed into the mattress. Harry's hair caught the light and glinted like woven bronze, wild waves a halo around his sleep softened face.

"Were you watching me sleep?"

Harry's lips arched into a slow smile, his eyes twinkling even in their half shut state.

"Yeah," he said, his smile growing. "A little." He held up his fingers and nearly touched his thumb and index finger together. "Just a bit."

Louis laughed breathily and shook his head, his hand lacing in Harry's hair. He pushed himself higher by flexing his feet into the mattress. He pressed his lips to the tip of Harry's chin, pecking him there once and then kissing higher on his jawline with a more lingering, hummed pressure.

"At least you're honest," Louis said, settling his face back in Harry's neck. He took a deep breath in of sweet skin and sighed it out. "Honest and," he dropped his voice, "a total lunatic."