Winter Night Traveler

Safe Haven

It was after midnight when Harry finally crawled in bed and wrapped his arms around Louis's tiny waist. The two men had co-existed in an uncomfortable silence from the moment Harry had returned inside from shoveling the densely packed snow.

Harry placed a gentle, almost hesitant kiss against a creamy shoulder, and spoke with his lips still pressed against the skin, "I have a confession to make." He placed another series of butterfly kisses down the middle of Louis's back. "But I don't want you to say anything until I'm finished, okay?"

Louis nodded for Harry to continue, unconsciously burrowing further into the heat of his body.

"I-I think I'm in love with you. I know everything happened too fast, but... I know what I feel. From the moment I opened my eyes and saw your face, I wanted you. All of you. For me to keep." He paused, but true to his word, Louis didn't respond. "So..."

Louis felt his chest tighten, the familiar sting of tears welling in his eyes. "So?" he repeated.

"So... what do you think? Are you in this with me or am I totally crazy?"

Without leaving Harry's embrace, Louis turned to look at him. "I probably love you, too."

"Probably?"

Louis couldn't help the smile that broke across his face as he nestled closer to his wonderful, crazy Englishman.

"Definitely."

"Say it for me?" Harry pleaded, the need for reassurance dripping from his voice.

"I love you, Harry Styles, I do. But we really should take our time, get to know each other–"

Harry gave a low laugh. "Take our time? Get to know each other? It's a little late for that, isn't it?"

Louis had no answer because too much had happened in too short of a time. He felt as if the past day had been weeks long. Thrown together as they had been under extreme circumstances, he had seen the man in a multitude of situations, but he knew that his first dazed, deliriously joyous impression of him had been accurate.

"Marry me, Lou. As soon as possible. Come with me to the mountains to meet my friends and to explore the ski routes with me, and come live with me in London."

"You're sure? What will all your friends and family say about– me?"

"They'll love you because I love you, and if they don't, fuck 'em." Harry continued, rambling too fast for Louis to interrupt. "But if you don't want to come with me, then we can stay here. I can handle spending the rest of my life in this cabin. What I can't handle is spending my life without you." Harry paused, thoughtfully running his fingertips down the curve of Louis's flawless cheek. "Or, if you like, we don't have to go to anywhere in particular. We can just get on a plane and go wherever it takes us. All you have to do is say the word and I will give you the world. I swear I will."

Unable to hold back any longer, Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and kissed him until they were both breathless.

"Word."