WRONG NUMBER - LARRY AU

> forty-three <

after having finished a spontaneous order of thai food, the two of them have brushed their teeth, dressed down and climbed into the canopy bed, inseparable in the best way possible. they'd held hands in the bathroom, undressed with the help of the other's hands, and dragged each other along in the sheets. lying down wasn't much different, in that matter. because then harry would simply cling onto louis, and louis would loll into his touch like a clam closing to insulate and shelter its pearl.

the whole scenario no longer feels new after an hour, to be fair. it feels like they've been doing this for weeks. they fit together as if cradling each other has belonged to their day-to-day routine for a while now. as if they've lost a month together without having any recollection of the passing of the calendar. they haven't, though. and that's the best thing about it.

"can i..." harry starts when he's began to rest his head on louis' chest, "...say one more thing." he looks louis in the eye. "about the train situation."

"i thought we'd left that behind."

"maybe we did, but." harry puffs up the comforter, tugging it upward over them both. "i just. i wanna apologise if not showing up made you feel like i like you less...than you like me," he hums, ogling fornlornly at louis' face. "because it's not like that. i wanted to meet you, more than anything. i—that's why i'm here now. i wanna be here with you. not because i feel guilty for escaping it last time. it's because i—you're my favourite person, you know." louis slips a hand into harry's curls, cradling his head. "sometimes anxiety just, gets in the way of what i want. and i wanted to see you, so badly. but that pointless sense of fear just...stole the opportunity from my hands. i didn't really feel like i could control it." he sighs then, helpless. "so it wasn't anything i chose to do. it happened and i tried to stop it but i couldn't."

louis licks his lips. "that makes sense. i...get it, i do."

"do you?"

"yeah, people are different." he picks at harry's earlobe lightly. "i was a nervous wreck, too, but i can shove that aside pretty easily. some people can't, and that's irrevocable."

"you're..." harry shakes his head, "...a bit too good to be true."

"says the boy who did everything in his will to make me happy today." he squishes harry's cheek playfully, a mild chuckle escaping harry. "d'you know no one's ever made me feel this appreciated before? and you've only known me for a few months."

"the day isn't over yet," harry cooes.

"is there more to tick off on the harry-to-the-rescue schedule?"

harry puts a supple hand over louis' right pec. "i thought so." he bites back a smile. a thought-provoking one. "depends on how you feel, though. maybe it can wait."

louis' face brightens, his heartbeat quickening. "it?"

harry laughs out loud. "your face!"

"are you winding me up?"

"no, it was a simple suggestion."

louis smiles, caressing the back of harry's head again. "i know i make a lot of jokes about it and all," he starts, "and i don't want to make it less intimate, and affectionate than it should be." he twirls a curl around his finger, and, to be fair, his hand is trembling a little. "with you, it shouldn't be just like getting off with someone," is what he says, almost in a whisper. "excuse the vulgarity. but it's like—it should be more than that. more intricate."

harry peers at him. "does that mean you wanna wait?"

"no," louis croons, his eyebrows furrowing. "fuck, no."