Magic || larry

27

"I had a pet dog as a kid," Louis is whispering words into the dark of their room.

Harry woke up from a nightmare in the early hours of the morning. He was thrashing and crying in his sleep and Louis awoke with him, calming him down enough so that they could cuddle.

"What kind of dog?" Harry asks, his lips brushing the skin of Louis' chest he lies on. Louis is drawing small shapes into Harry's naked back, his breathing and heart even and healthy.

"Mixed. He was a rescue," Louis explains and Harry closes his eyes, getting lost in is voice. His nightmares drift away as Louis traces his fingers up his spine and his heartbeats steadily into Harry's ear.

"His name was Duke and he was my ultimate best friend. I wasn't really popular when I was younger. I was really nerdy and into books so the other boys didn't ask me to hang out much. That changed as we get older but as a kid I had Duke. He would sit with me in the backyard while I read or go with me to get ice cream. I have a picture of him somewhere in a box I have yet to unpack," Louis chuckles and Harry nuzzles into him, savouring the sound of Louis' laughter humming in his chest.

"I remember when I got into skating and Duke would pull me on my board. He was massive. He used to do it to all the kids on the street. He was the coolest dog ever," Louis' voice chases away any and all his fears. Instead, it brings in happy images of a small boy with freckles and piercing blue eyes and a large dog as his sidekick. Harry lifts his head and Louis looks down at him. The rising sun casts grey shadows in the room and Harry lifts his hand and traces Louis' jaw.

"Still scared?" Louis whispers, his hands warm and affectionate on his lower back. Harry shakes his head, too tired to even use his voice.

"Think you can go back to sleep?" Louis whispers still and Harry licks his lips, unsure if he'll have another nightmare if he closes his eyes.

"I don't want to be scared in my sleep," Harry finally answers and Louis leans up and kisses him tenderly, then pulls him back down onto his chest.

"I'll protect you even in your dreams. Try and get a little sleep, baby. We have to move you in today," Louis reminds.  Harry hums as he closes his eyes again, focusing on each breath Louis takes.

"Did you feed Duke all your vegetables?" Harry asks because he needs something to help him off to sleep. He smiles at the sound of Louis' laugh, the vibration more soothing than any lullaby.

"Oh yeah. I never ate my carrots," Louis confesses. Harry smiles happily, drifting off with the image of a sneaky little Louis feeding his dog carrots.

•••

"How much shit did you buy?" Louis complains. They're loading his boxes into the back of the car and Harry shrugs as they put in another box except this time plates.

"I didn't want to move in with nothing. The sofa is being delivered there by the man tomorrow at least," Harry tries to comfort him, placing one of his small duffle bags in the back seat.

"We couldn't fit that in here anyways? Anything else in the house?" Louis asks. He looks tired and Harry feels guilt for that. He woke him up early in the morning freaking out but it's not like he could control that. He steps closer to him and watches as Louis goes from tired and cranky to tired and cute in seconds.

"We're all finished. All we have to do is drive there," Harry announces and Louis' eyes light up.

"All done?" Louis verifies.

"All done," Harry agrees.

It's just a small tug forward and then Louis is kissing him. Harry happily kisses him back, letting himself get lost in the pleasure that is Louis' tongue and lips. Harry thinks kissing Louis is like returning home after a long trip; it's familiarity and serene and exciting to return to. You miss it when you don't have it and you can't wait to return to it. Maybe that's not just kissing Louis, maybe that's just Louis himself.