I Wanna Be Your Lover, Baby I Wanna Be Your Man

~*Chapter 6*~

The drive to the lake house is a little under three hours. Louis drives Lottie's car after he and Harry have finished their shift of tours, the Tomlinson-Deakin clan already back at the lake house. They share an overnight bag and Harry quickly makes a road trip playlist, fills it up entirely with Bob Dylan and nothing else. He falls asleep an hour in, though, just as the sun is beginning to set and Dylan is going on about I wanna be your lover, baby, I wanna be your man. Louis lets it slide because the sun is warm on his skin and Harry is curled up on the passenger side beside him, lips bruised from making out while packing and hair ruffled wildly from the wind.

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There's never been just one moment in Louis' life that he's thought he could live in repeat every day for the rest of his life, but as he parks into the driveway of the lake house and Harry slowly blinks awake, he thinks this could be the moment. The way Harry slowly comes to his senses and his eyelashes flutter open, forest green eyes immediately finding Louis and breaking out into a small smile, like they're relieved, at peace; like they've found home. The way Harry reaches over to hold Louis' hand in his, the way he pulls Louis in to kiss the corner of his lips, the way he nuzzles into Louis' neck and whispers warmly, "Home?"

This is that moment, Louis realizes.

⚓

"So this is your little love nest, huh?"

Louis watches as Harry flops onto his back and stretches out his limbs. The bed is quite large, but Harry takes up most of it like the happy giant that he is. He wiggles around, almost like he's testing it out, before grinning slyly and looking around their small cabin behind the lake house.

"Oh, it is definitely a love nest," he says coquettishly.

Louis throws a pair of pajamas at Harry's head. "You tit. Behave yourself. I spent half my childhood here, alright? I could do without you sexualizing all of my innocent memories."

He continues sorting through their bag, but he doesn't miss the sound of the mattress creaking and Harry asking with peaked interested, "So you've never brought another boy here then? Not even a nice girl to show off to your parents?"

Louis shakes his head. "No one worth keeping, nah," he shrugs.

Which is true. All of his boyfriends - and the two girlfriends he had in high school - were never really important enough to bring back to the lake house. Some of them had gotten far enough to meet Louis' family and tag along during a family picnic or two, but the lake house is different. It's more home than home itself - wherever that may be, now that he's at sea most of the time. He can't just bring anyone back here. Anyways, that decision isn't entirely his to make; the lake house is home for the entire family. It's important and no one's been here who hasn't been universally adored and accepted by the whole family.

Louis wasn't kidding about this place being most of his childhood, either. The land and the house itself originally belonged to his mother's mother, so Louis' been here, by the lake, for as long as he can remember. He thinks maybe that's where his love of the water began. He's had all of his best memories here; learning to swim, his mother's wedding, Ernest and Doris' births. He's even had the bad memories here; his grandfather's death, his first boyfriend breaking up with him via text; that time he got a beehive stuck on his head. It's had its fair share of good and bad, but it's home nonetheless, and now Harry's here.

Anyway, Harry doesn't let him ponder on that for long before he's making grabby hands and beckoning him over. Louis rolls his eyes, but acquiesces and makes it across the one bedroom cabin in just a few steps. He toes off his shoes and slides onto the bed. Harry shifts onto his side so Louis does the same. They face each like mirrors, staring back at each other, quiet smiles on both of their faces.