Then he realized the restaurant had gone silent, and they were all staring at him.
He flushed pale, then pink crept up his face as he plucked the ring from the cream and cleaned it off, tucking it into his pocket. He threw money down onto the table and hurried from the room, out into the chill of the night.
He realized the keys to the car were still in his pocket so he went to it, climbing inside and putting the keys in the ignition.
Then he froze.
Where was he going? Where did Louis go, and what was he going to do when he found him?
He gripped the wheel at the top with both hands, letting out a shaky breath as he rested his forehead on his hands.
A took a moment for him to realize, he knew where Louis would go.
He started the car and sped from the parking lot, heading off to make things right.
When he pulled in, he didn't see Louis right away, but he knew with almost deadly certainty this is where he would be.
He got out of the car gingerly, his incision still not healed fully pulling uncomfortably at the stretch.
He walked down the path, and true to his intuition, Louis was sitting with his head in his hands on the very park bench where they met.
Harry approached him and knelt in the grass in front of him. He took Louis chin into his hand, lifting it so Louis was forced to face him.
At first Louis tried to get free, to move away, to run again.
But Harry held on, hands closing around his forearms gently.
"Louis, look at my eyes" he whispers softly and Louis' gaze finally shifts to his, blue locking on green, and Harry smiled.
"Relax" he whispered "it's only me" he says handing the ring to Louis.
Louis looks at it a moment, terrified this was Harry rejecting him but Harry lifted his chin once more
"Relax, it's only me" Harry says, moving to the bench beside him, hands still holding Louis forearms. He smiled gently and Louis smiled back, taking a deep breath.
"H-Harry, Im so sorry about running out and leaving you in that situation, i just made a moron of myself and then the guy at the next table-"
'Breath, darling' Harry signs, taking a deep breath himself. Louis listens before beginning again.
"Harry, we haven't know each other long, and so much has happened in the that short amount of time, but you being in my life has brightened it immensely. I was never a believer in love at first sight, soulmates, or any of that romantic crap until I met you. When I met you, you made me feel things I've never experienced before, and I'd be so lost without you I might as well be on another planet. You gave my life so much purpose, you gave me beautiful little boy who, with you, is the absolute best thing that's ever happened to me. I love you Harry, you're the love of my life, and I'd like to spend the rest of it with you."
At this point Harry was tearing up, tear tracks streaking down his face as Louis slid off the bench onto the ground. One of his hands clutched Louis and the other rested on his chest as he tried to contain the absolute adoration he felt for the man before him.
"W-will you marry me Angel?" Louis says softly and Harry beams, sliding off the bench to sit on the grass before Louis, nodding and pulling his boyfr- no, fiancé, into his arms.
"Of course, always" he whispers into Louis neck and he hears Louis sniffle into his shoulder. He's pushed gently back and sits on his heels, Louis taking his hand and slipping the ring on.
It matched his now-lost promise ring, and it made his heart ache.
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They had put an ad out months back, hoping for it to be returned, but it hadn't been answered. Harry had been deeply upset by this, and in turn this upset Louis, who even offered to buy Harry a brand new one, but he refused, thanking Louis anyways, saying it wouldn't be the same.
He hugged Louis again and they both rose to their feet, hand in hand and headed out of the park.
"D-do you still want to go see beauty and the beast?" Louis asks cautiously and Harry laughs, nodding as he squeezes his hand gently.
It wasn't until late they arrived back home, having watched the moving, then walked to the ice cream shop to share a sundae and talk for hours.
The owners finally had to kick them out when the small cafe closed at 10 and they had giggled they're way back to the car.
Finally at home, they pulled on pyjamas and checked on Sebastian before climbing out onto the roof and lying side by side, hand in hand just breathing in the cool night air and Harry pointed out constellations.
'Sorry I'm probably annoying you, I just know a lot about starts' he signs about them and Louis laughs, squeezing Harry's thigh gently.
"No darling, keep going it's soothing, it's beautiful to hear you whisper about something you love"
Harry blushes but continues, pointing out which start was which, and how to tell one thing or another.
Louis just lay there and listened to Harry's soft voice telling him this and that, marvelling in how much love and affection he had for this boy. Harry's soft hand held in his and rested against his chest, Harry's head on his shoulder.
Eventually Harry falls silent and after a few moments Louis turns to look at him and smiled at him. He had fallen asleep with his head lolled sideways, cheek smushed against Louis arm.
Louis gently shifts him into his arms and climbs back in through the window. He carries Harry to bed, tucking him in just as a whimper sounds from Sebastian's room.
Harry's instantly awake, and moves to get up, but Louis stops him with a gentle kiss and a promise to be back soon.
Harry falls back asleep, but when he wakes up in the morning, he finds the other side of the bed cold and empty.
He frowns and stands, pulling on his robe before heading to the living room. Louis wasn't there, or the kitchen, not even the bathroom.
He calls out softly and when he gets no response thoughts of the worse seize him in their sinister grasp and he rushed into Sebastian's room, throwing open the door only to stop dead in his tracks, his face breaking into a fond smile.
Louis is sitting in the rocking chair, leaned back, head tipped gently onto the wood of the top, legs curled to the side on the floor. He had a little smile on his face and their sleeping baby in his arms.
Harry leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, smiling at his family in total disbelief. How had he been so lucky to get this life? Despite some of the things that had happened to him, he wouldn't swap lives with anyone, not for anything in the world. He pulled out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures to send to family then headed back into the kitchen to make his amazing family something to eat.
