Love in a photograph

XV1

The rest of the summer passes too quickly. Harry helps out at the store every day, mostly because he has nothing else to do, but Louis loves it. He's been able to get so much done with Harry around to watch the store, and Harry's just happy to see Louis so happy.

It takes them no time at all to fall into a routine; Harry gets up early and opens the store because he likes to, and he mans the counter all day until Louis comes downstairs with some lunch for both of them. They eat together at the checkout counter and then Louis takes over the store until close, and Harry's found he quite likes cooking, so he usually has supper ready by the time Louis comes back upstairs. It's a perfect system, gives them a good amount of time to chat during and after supper before they both head off to sleep.

Things change a bit once school starts up, but Harry still helps out at the store as much as he can. His classes are over by lunchtime, so usually he comes home and makes lunch for both him and Louis so they can eat before he takes over the store for the afternoon. Louis comes back to close so Harry can make supper, and then they spend the evenings chatting in the kitchen while Harry does his homework.

Harry spends his off days at the library, even though there's very little work at the beginning of the semester. He's mostly just playing catch up to remember everything he forgot after two years away, but he's doing pretty well despite that. On weekends they both sleep in, and whoever wakes up first makes breakfast for the other. Harry likes the weekends best, just being able to relax and spend time with his best friend.

Harry wakes up on the first Saturday of the semester without any covers on, limbs spread wide over his mattress. He forgot how the apartment heats up and cools off with the air outside, how sweaty it can get if they forget to close the windows before going to sleep and then sleep for too long in the morning.

He peels himself off the bed and shuffles out to the sitting room to shut the window, taking amoment to gaze down at the streets below. It's the last of the warm weather in Boston; once September turns to October, it will start to get chilly outside. Harry's still quite enjoying the warm weather, but he's also excited for another pretty Boston winter.

He heads to the kitchen next to get breakfast started, though he thinks he'll just have cereal today. It's far too warm to turn on the stove right now, even if Louis may whine about not having any eggs.

Louis shuffles out a couple minutes after Harry settles down at the table with his cereal, still in his soft pajamas, hair a mess. He surveys the kitchen before his eyes settle on Harry, blinking slowly.

"No eggs?" he says, his voice sleepy and scratchy. It fills Harry with a soft kind of warmth that makes him smile, and he shakes his head.

"Too hot for eggs," he says. "If you turn on the stove, I'll have to go outside."

"It is quite warm in here," Louis says, grabbing the cereal after a moment of deliberation and pouring himself a bowl. "Forgot to close the window before bed."

Louis sits down across from Harry with his bowl, his knee knocking against Harry's under the table and staying there, pressing lightly against Harry's skin. Louis is wearing thin pajama pants, but Harry is only in his underwear and a loose shirt, and the paper like material that separates them does nothing to stop the heat traveling from Louis's skin to Harry's, right up his thigh and into the pit of his stomach.

Harry is uncomfortably warm still, but somehow, he can't pull away. He keeps his leg perfectly still and finishes his breakfast quietly, wondering what it is he likes so much about Louis touching him. He doesn't move until they're done eating, and finally Harry feels like he's suffocating. He grabs Louis's bowl and gets up to wash their dishes, his skin still burning in the shape of Louis's knee.