Magic || larry

35

~Summertime~

Harry sits on the grass, playing with Liam's new adopted puppy. The sun kisses his skin and he breathes in the warm fresh air. Being in this place with no fear is foreign but welcome. He looks over at his old house when he hears a door slam and watches as the new family comes into view.

"Hey, love. Lemonade?" Louis' voice fills the warm air and Harry looks up to see Louis holding a glass out to him. He takes it from his small fingers and smiles as Louis sinks down to sit next to him. Rex - the little puppy - quickly crawls into his lap and starts to kiss his hand and arm.

"So weird seeing other people there," Harry says, back to watching the young family. His garden is no longer growing but the house seems brighter nonetheless. It seems hopeful with the young children chasing each other and the parents watching protectively.

"They look nice, though. Families are always good to have around," Louis replies. His eyes are trained on the children, his hand absentmindedly scratching behind Rex's ears.

"Yeah. It's good to know that house will carry some happy memories," Harry agrees, looking down now so he can pull at the grass.

"You doing, okay? You seem a little upset today," Louis worries. Harry looks up so he can see his face and his heart still goes crazy even though he has it memorized.

"Yeah. Being here just brings back a lot," Harry admits. Louis frowns, gently pushing Rex from his lap and pulling Harry in to replace him.

"He's gone. We can make good memories here now," Louis murmurs, kissing the side of his head and squeezing him tight.

"He's gone but no thanks to me," Harry mumbles. Guilt sometimes piles onto his heart when he thinks about that. Sarah pressed charges and Harry stayed quiet. Sarah saved herself and her child and Harry stayed quiet.

"You helped. You wrote your statement for her," Louis reminds him. They're both watching Rex run after a butterfly and the pure scene feels weird with the conversation.

"I didn't even go to court," Harry's argues.

"You didn't have to. Seeing him hurt you and you shouldn't put yourself in those situations. You were not obligated to make yourself uncomfortable for the girl that helped your ex cheat," Louis reminds him gently. Harry just nibbles on his bottom lip and doesn't say anything.

He feels like he missed something by not going to court. Sarah got to be the one to lock him away and watch him crumble. Harry suffered years by him and he didn't even get the sweet revenge to watch him get what he deserved. Why? Because he was scared. He was scared to see him and feel so many emotions that he can't even describe. Love, hate, anger, sadness, fear all pool into him with just a thought. Seeing him in the flesh would've been so much, so soon. Sarah did what she did for her baby. If she didn't have that would she be scared like Harry too?

"It's over now, yeah? It's summer and we have all the time to relax before school starts up," Louis nudges him, stirring his thoughts and bringing him back to the present day. A happy day.

"Yeah. One year later and here we are," Harry smiles up at him, loving how Louis outshines the sun.

"A whole year. I had such a crush on you. It was disgusting," Louis laughs and Harry can feel the warmth of Louis' laugh fill his veins like a drug.

"Hey, assholes! The dog ran off!" Niall's voice carries to them and they both look away from each other to see Rex over at the neighbours. Harry curses as he jumps to his feet and chases after him, Louis footfalls behind him.

"Rex, come here," Harry calls, watching as the two young children laugh and pat him.

"What's his name?" The young girl asks, turning her big brown eyes on Harry. Her smile is of pure innocence and happiness and he hopes no one ever steals that away from her like they did with him.

"His name is Rex. Cute isn't he?" Louis answers her question and his voice holds the same pure happiness. The kind you just pass onto others because it fills you up so much.

"So cute! Does he live with you?" She asks. Her brother is almost wrestling with the puppy now and his giggles make Harry reminisce back to when he was young.

"He lives with our friends here. I'm sure they'd let you guys play with him anytime," Louis tells her, crouching down so they're eye to eye.

"Can we take him on walks?" The little boy finally speaks and Louis' eyes move to him and they hold so many smiles.

"If your parents say it's okay. We have to take him home now but ask your parents for later," Louis promises. He reaches out and grabs Rex into his arms and the puppy kisses and wiggles, making the little ones laugh.

Harry watches this scene and he thinks about how light it is to a year ago. He thinks about how free and open he feels and how fresh the air smells. He notices how the colours seem brighter and the breeze is warmer. He notices that he's slowly falling in love with a place he hated. He loves his now dead flower bed and the sound of children laughter on the wind. He loves Niall's obnoxious calls to them and Sophia's motherly scolding. He loves how Liam coos over the puppy and how Louis does anything and everything.

"Bonfire tonight?" Niall asks, poking Harry's arm.

"Sure. Sounds like fun," Harry agrees.

"Awesome. Grab the logs," Niall grins, slapping his arm and patting his head. Louis snorts at the order and grabs Harry's wrist.

"I'll help you," he tells him, leading him away from all of them. He tugs him back to where they keep their wood and then turns and pulls him in for a kiss. Harry can't help but smile into it and Louis laughs, pulling back to gaze at him.

"I want to adopt those kids," Louis tells him, stealing a quick kiss and pulling away again.

"Let's finish school first," Harry tells him, smiling when Louis kisses him again.

"Of course and then marriage," Louis agrees.

"Marriage?" Harry questions and Louis just gets crinkly eyed as he grabs Harry's face and squishes it, leaving a big kiss on his pursed lips.

"Yes. I can't leave this face unofficial. And then we can steal those kids," Louis tells him, making a voice as he moves Harry's face around with his hands.

"You're crazy," Harry laughs, his voice coming out muffled.

"Crazy for you," Louis quips back. Harry leans in then, stealing a kiss and making it last. Louis lets him press against him, his hands falling around his waist and pulling him into him.

"I love you," Harry reminds him breathless and it's the face Louis makes just before he smiles and returns the words. It's that face that overwhelms Harry so much and makes him never want to let the man go. The face of pure joy and surprise - like he can't believe Harry would say those words but so happy to hear them - that's what makes Harry fall in love with him time and time again.

Harry never felt the fall with Ricky over and over. He fell once and hit the floor with a splat and didn't know how to get back up. Ricky let him lay broken and dependant, stealing his love and hoarding it. With Louis, it's like a constant free falling but knowing Louis would never let him hit the ground. It's this constant feeling of loving but receiving the same love in return.

Louis' love is addictive. Fixing everything with just a laugh because you know it came from you. His love is so full you can never compare another love to it because there is no comparison. He is magical, casting spells on anyone he comes across and Harry gets to be the one to love him back. Casting his own spells he didn't even know he had and capturing something so rare. Something so pure and innocent and beautiful.

And god does Harry love Louis. He really, really does.

The End.