TIRED TIRED SEA (Larry Stylinson) by MediaWhore on AO3

CHAPTER 5

On Christmas Eve, Louis allows himself a bit of a lie in, staying warmly cocooned in bed for an extra forty minutes before he finally gets up and dressed. When he gets to the cottage, he"s surprised to find Harry waiting for him by the front door with Clifford. He"s wearing comfy sweats and trainers, the dog"s leash already in his hand. It"s a lot earlier than his usual walk time, despite Louis" lazy morning, and he can"t help but wonder what dragged him up so prematurely.

Louis doesn"t have to wait very long for an answer because as soon as Harry sees him, his face brightens and he crosses the distance between them in two quick strides, reaching for Louis and wrapping him in a big hug.

"Happy birthday," he says, voice warm and rumbling in Louis" ears.

It"s a good hug, Louis thinks a bit distantly as he settles into it. Harry"s rubbing his back slowly, not letting go of him even when they"ve been at it far longer than a simple birthday wish requires. He"s a soft presence against Louis" body and he closes his eyes, enjoying it for a second longer before he lets go, still blushing a little when he steps away.

With the exception of that one time Harry fell apart in his arms, the angle of their embrace all wrong, they"re nerve really touched. Not like this. Not properly.

Louis isn"t sure he wants to think about why he liked it so much.

"I was hoping you"d forgotten," he admits in a mumble, chasing thoughts of Harry"s body solid and warm against his. "Please tell me you didn"t wake up early for me, I couldn"t bear it."

Harry laughs. "Should I lie?" he asks with a small shrug.

Louis groans in response, tilting his head back. "All I wanted for Christmas this year is for people not to make a fuss. All I wanted."

Harry is still laughing by the time Louis is done with his little speech.

"You don"t have some terrible surprise prepared for me, do you?" Louis asks, suspicious.

"I really don"t," Harry replies. "Promise. But since it is Christmas Eve, my sponsor"s with family and everything, so I"m not calling today. I just thought maybe you"d like company on your run? Seems silly for both of us to go on a run, or a walk, a few hours apart. Especially on your birthday. Unless you want to be by yourself."

"Just company, right? No surprise?" Louis takes the time to make sure, narrowing his eyes at Harry in a defiant way.

Harry doesn"t seem particularly threatened by Louis" intensity. In fact, he just laughs again. "I promise. I mean, what kind of surprise could I even orchestrate on this island? There"s like... nothing here. I"ll help you bake a cake and cook dinner if you want? But that"s about as far as surprises go."

Louis nods. "Good." Then, he smiles. "Alright then, let"s go!" he says, hitting Harry on the chest gently on his way out, starting to jog straight away.

It doesn"t take very long for Harry to catch up with him, both of them running at the same pace. There hasn"t been any snow this year, not yet, but the grass is still frosty this early in the morning, in a pale imitation of winter that doesn"t quite cut it. Still, Louis can"t remember the last time he"s had a white winter so it"s not like he"s feeling like he"s missing out much. Though there is something satisfying about the way the grass crunches beneath their feet as they jog their way along the cliffs. Usually, Louis listens to music in the morning and misses it entirely. Today though, in the darkness, he gets to enjoy every sound and feeling this morning has to offer; the waves below, Harry breathing beside him, Clifford"s paws hitting the ground, the frozen patch of earth beneath their feet.