Songs For How You Taste | l.s.

Chapter 21

Harry smiled down at Louis. "I'm all for surprises. But you sort of walked in to yours."

"What do you mean?"

"I was just making a dessert for tonight – they were supposed to be a surprise. But, if you wanted to help now that you're here, I wouldn't object." Harry lifted Louis' bag from his shoulders while he spoke, set it on the couch, then disappeared into the kitchen.

"I guess if you think I'd be capable, then I'll help you." Louis said, going first to the sink to wash his hands. The cassette tape felt like it was burning a hole in his back pocket. Louis wanted the timing of it to be perfect.

Harry ducked into the fridge, bent at the waist, head almost completely inside. Louis almost did it right then, almost pulled the tape out of his pocket to put it in Harry's cassette player. But Harry all too quickly pulled away, cartons of berries in his hands.

"Chop these for me, love?" Harry asked while Louis flipped around, pretending like he was gathering all the random napkins Harry left around in the kitchen.

Harry got a cutting board from a cabinet and placed a knife on top of it – blackberries and strawberries washed and ripe sat waiting. Louis carefully sliced them – the strawberries in quarters and the blackberries in halves. He dumped them all in a bowl and Harry told him to add sugar – a generous amount he said.

Harry gestured towards the jar he kept it in, it was right next to his cassette player. Harry was whipping something, bicep flexing as he held the metal bowl. Louis felt his heartbeat hammering in his ears, blood pounding while red crept up over his ears. And if he was honest, he thought it was a little silly that he felt nervous – it was only a cassette soundtrack. But it didn't stop that unexplainable feeling begin to rise like fizzy bubbles in a soda.

Louis pulled the cassette from the case, popped it in, and set the volume as loud as he could. Harry heard the flute play over the quick metal clanking of his whisk.

Louis thought he might've seen some flour in his hair.

He sauntered back over to his bowl of berries, sprinkling in sugar like Harry asked – pretending the music was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Love?" Harry asked, brushing his fingers off on his apron. "What's this?"

"Hmm?" Louis asked, trying to hide the smile while he continued to stare down at the pinks and reds and purples. Harry wrapped his arms around Louis' waist, tucked him under his chin.

"Dance with me, Lou?"

Louis closed his eyes, inhaled deeply – sweet aroma from the berries mixing with Harry's warm cologne. The evening light spilled into the kitchen from the window, hovering just above the tree line – big and golden and warm. "Of course."

Harry pulled Louis closer to the middle of the kitchen, Louis' feet falling right between Harry's. He held him close, spinning and swaying them slowly. Harry hummed quietly against the top of his head. "Don't know where you found this, but thank you," Harry quietly mumbled when the music faded out.

He leaned back and rubbed his hands down Louis' hips. "Just found it at work, s' no big deal, baby."

"Don't want to let go of you yet. Let me show you how to fold a ganache."

Louis stood between Harry and the counter, back pressed against his chest. Harry picked up a silicone spatula and held it up to Louis' hand. He took it and watched the thin bones in Harry's wrist flutter as he delicately folded in butter to the melted chocolate. Harry swept a finger down the spatula and held it up to Louis' mouth.