pretty please (with sugar on top) - larry stylinson

26

The morning was foggy. The Gucci suede Ophidia tote slung over Harry's shoulder dug into his skin uncomfortably. Each post on the dock had a seagull stationed on top of it.

Louis kept laughing when he was periodically reminded of what happened this morning.

"Oh my god, please, let it go," Harry grumbled. He wished he could hide his burning cheeks with his hands, but they were busy carrying a bunch of rope they supposedly needed to bring to the boat. Louis was hauling the cooler, because he was the big strong alpha in this equation.

"I can't, oh god, it's just so funny." Louis was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. The sound echoed over the still, empty sea.

It was five in the morning and the only people out this early were gruff fishermen with gnarly beards and dark, troubled eyes. Harry had already tried smiling at one who was lacing his boots on the dock, but all he got was a threatening glare in return. Rude.

"Okay, it's literally not though."

"I'm sorry, little dove," because that was what Louis was calling Harry now, to make fun of him, "But you thought a seagull was a dove!"

Harry huffed. "I'm not a bird expert, Lewis, okay? And my eyes hadn't adjusted to the light yet. It was 4:30 in the morning and there was a white bird I didn't recognize pecking at our window. Sheesh."

Because the sailboat was anchored in the water twenty meters from the dock, they had to take a small dinghy out to get there, lest they want to swim. Louis teased him all the way to the boat. Then he got distracted by all the tasks he had to complete to get things moving. Harry set his bag down and held the rope uselessly, pretty sure he was in the way of whatever Louis was trying to do, but not sure where to go instead.

It was a nice boat, as boats were, clean and sleek, all white. It looked cool in the fog, with the ominous ripples of lazy waves in the background.

Louis' friends would be here in fifteen minutes. He had no idea who they were, but Louis seemed to be very fond of them, so Harry was excited to meet them. Since they were a bonded couple, it should be pretty comfortable for the four of them to share this space.

"Hey, can you help me with this, little dove?" Louis called.

"Stop it," he groaned, but went to him anyways. Louis' instructions were clear but slightly complicated, since Harry didn't know a single thing about sailing, so he tried his best to follow along.

Louis was currently trying to explain how the wind moves the boat. He was using words Harry had never heard of, like jib, and airfoil, and halyards. Harry tried to hold on to a semblance of understanding, but mostly he watched Louis' gesticulations and tried not to get caught up in how hot it was that he knew how to sail.

"Got it?"

"Umm yeah I think so..."

He struggled but somehow managed to do what Louis described. He was leaning over the edge of the hull tying what he'd just learned was a sailor's knot when he heard footsteps on the worn wood of the dock and looked up to see who it was.

When he saw who was approaching, the breath was knocked out of him.

"Louis," he gasped, scrambling over to the alpha and clinging onto his soft linen shirt. It was unbuttoned, exposing his smooth, tan skin, and he looked like a proper sailor but Harry couldn't focus on that right now because he was on the verge of a panic attack.

"What is it?"

"Is that- Are those- Are they your friends?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. That's Liam and Zayn."