𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓘 𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓦𝓪𝔂 | 𝐿𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦

ɪɪɪ

Harry woke on the morning of his birthday to a light knock on the door of the shed.

"Happy Birthday," Louis said softly, smiling as he shouldered through the door.

Harry pushed himself up onto his elbows, rubbing his eyes as Louis came to sit on the edge of his bed. He held a tin tray piled with waffles which had goopy little legs from where the batter had dripped out of the iron and a dollop of whipped cream that was quickly thinning out from the steam. There was also a small porcelain creamer cup carrying maple syrup and a tall glass of orange juice. Harry sat up against the iron headboard and tucked his blankets around his waist.

"Thanks," he smiled, his voice still rough from sleep.

Harry shifted closer to the wall so that Louis could fit in beside him and dug into the small feast. Louis pillowed his head on Harry's shoulder, occasionally reaching for a waffle of his own which he dunked into the syrup.

"I should get out to the barn," Harry said when the tray was empty but for a few crumbs and a sticky amber trail of syrup drips, his voice lacking enthusiasm. He reached for the cloth napkin on Louis' side of the tray but Louis caught his hand and stopped him.

"No you don't," Louis told him, keeping him caged against the wall with a smile. "I already took care of the morning chores. Birthdays are for resting."

He used his grip on Harry's wrist to lift Harry's hand to his mouth, darting out his tongue to lick over the drying syrup on Harry's fingertips. Harry's own mouth went slack and he watched as Louis moved to swipe his tongue over the pad of his thumb.

"Just for resting?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Louis grinned and pressed his lips to the center of Harry's palm.

"Maybe not just for resting." He lifted the tray from their laps and set it beside the bed before rolling up onto Harry's chest. Harry melted into the sheets like the whipped cream had melted into the waffles, soft and sweet as he waited for Louis' mouth. Waited to be eaten up. "What do you want, Darlin'? I'll give you anything."

"Anything," Harry told him, arching his neck and looking up at him through heavily lidded eyes. "Your hands. Your mouth. I want anything."

"And I told you you could have it." Louis smiled before sealing his lips to the underside of Harry's jaw. He left a trail of languid, lingering kisses as he inched further beneath the quilt and when he brought his hands up under the hem of Harry's nightshirt Harry let out a shaky breath that made his chest jump against Louis' lips.

It was a long while later when Louis finally released Harry from the bed, leaning lazily against the pillows as he watched the other man move around the room to get dressed. He sat up though when Harry picked up the dress he'd discarded the night before and reached for the overalls crumpled up beneath it.

"You don't have to - " Louis started and Harry turned to watch him struggle as he found his words. "I mean, if you want. You can wear whatever you want. You don't have to work today so you don't have to wear your work clothes. You could wear one of your dresses. If you want."

Harry still got a giddy little thrill up his spine whenever Louis called them that.

Harry's dresses.

"Which one?" Harry asked, setting the dungarees back on the chair.

Louis blinked, his brow furrowed.

"Any of them," he said. "Whatever you want. It's up to you."

"But which one do you like?" Harry asked. He stepped towards the middle of the room and Louis finally caught up to what Harry was asking for.