I THINK THIS IS WHAT YOU AND I HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR .
___________
There’s a night. Harry is sitting in the kitchen window nook, one leg bent under his bum and the other pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped around and chin placed on his knee. The window is pushed open, warm summer breeze filtering in and the stars bright and on display in the navy blue sky. Louis is down in the bakery in a pair of boxers and one of Harry’s t-shirts, pinning up his students’ artwork that they let him keep from the school year.
Harry is tapping one of his fingers nervously against his forearm, wrapped up around himself when Louis comes back upstairs. Louis furrows his eyebrows, setting his folder down on the kitchen table and decidedly curling up across from Harry. It’s silent, a tug on the rope that binds them together.
“You okay?” he asks quietly. He moves his foot an inch, his toes bumping into Harry’s foot as a subtle, physical reassurance.
Harry shrugs, inhaling deeply. He turns his head so it is lying in his arms that are crossed over his knee, watching Louis with searchful eyes.
Louis smiles at him, reaching over and pushing his curls from his forehead. “Stars are nice tonight, huh?”
Harry snorts with a tiny smile. “You’re not even looking at 'em.”
Louis rolls his eyes. “Then they don’t look nice?”
“No, they do,” he reassures with a smirk, turning his head to look back up at them.
Louis smiles at Harry, nodding, “Then what’s on your mind, stud?”
Harry bites his lip, eyes still on the stars but not really focusing. He’s silent, ultimately in thought, and Louis watches patiently.
When Harry looks back to him, his eyes big and nervous, still searching, and Louis’ not really sure what to say, but he's worried.
“Har-”
“Lou,” Harry interrupts with a shaky voice, shifting his body so he’s facing Louis, and taking his hands in his own, “will you marry me?”
Louis blinks, heart thumping in his chest. “H-Harry?”
Harry bites his lip, letting go of Louis’ hand to reach into the pocket of his sweats, pulling out a small container. His fingers are trembling as he opens it, eyes locking anxiously with Louis’ as he asks again. “Will- will you marry me?”
Louis doesn’t even notice the tears that are welling in his eyes. His eyes that are looking into Harry’s, and then at the golden ring in the little velvet box.
He lets out a gross sob, nodding fervently. “Y-yeah, of cours-” his own throat cuts off, eyes trained on the beautiful gold band, “of course, you idiot.”
Harry laughs breathlessly, tears in his own eyes as he tries to get the ring out of the box, but he can’t stop shaking. And of course Louis was going to say yes, Harry knew he would, but it’s just- it’s just the thing - it’s Louis.
When Harry finally does manage to get it out, he takes Louis’ hand in his own, his fingernails a pale pink, looking exquisite holding the golden band, and he slips it onto Louis’ ring finger with ease.
Then Louis’ kissing Harry hard, pushing Harry against the wall of the nook and crawling between his bent knees.
“I can’t believe you asked first,” he mumbles against Harry’s lips, pressing their mouths together again and again. His hands are on Harry’s face, cradling it carefully as he kisses him so fully.
“What do you mean?” Harry breathes when he gets the chance, eyes glassy and wide and wonderful.
Louis’ eyes move from Harry’s lips to Harry’s eyes, then to the ring on his finger that is pressed against Harry’s cheek, his heart leaping. He rubs his fingers down Harry’s cheeks, over his cherry lips, glancing back up to Harry’s eyes. “Stay here,” he murmurs.
