Caves End (Larry Stylinson)

The Future Unfolds

"It's stunning up here, Lou," Harry says with a hint of wonder in his voice as they make their way to the crest of the mountain, the valley stretching out before them in all its natural beauty.

Louis brings Jilly to a halt as Harry comes up behind him, their legs bumping as he steers Goliath to stand beside. The sun is just peeking over the treetops on the opposite ridge, casting a golden glow and glistening on the morning dew blanketing the grassland below. The river carves through the landscape, smaller tributaries joining the main watercourse like the veins of a circulatory system pumping life across the Earth.

"It's my favourite place out here and this is the best time to see it," Louis says as he crosses his arms and leans down on the pommel of his saddle.

"Thanks for bringing me. Even though we did have to get up at the arse-crack of dawn."

Louis chuckles. "Worth it though, yeah?"

Harry nods and smiles, the sun's rays casting his face in shadow under his wide-brimmed Stetson. Fuck . He's gorgeous.

The last three weeks have been hard and wonderful in equal measure. Harry's just... a lot, is the thing. Louis feels so comfortable with him, enamoured by his quirks and kindness, and falling deeper into the well of desire with each passing day.

Harry just fits; at Caves End, in their small community, and with Louis.

Harry had comfortably settled into his role as coach with ease and the footie team had recorded a resounding win progressing to the finals. He was thrilled when Dougie had asked him to stay on as a second assistant coach, along with Gibbo, and the team had trounced the opposition in the finals. It was like he'd always been a part of the place, celebrating the win along with half the town at Ed's pub afterwards and picking up the tab for the entire night, much to everyone's delight.

The foster families are completely enamoured with him, the horses love him, and Liam treats him like family. And then there's Louis.

Once it became clear that Harry wasn't going to make a move and instigate a holiday hookup, Louis had initially been disappointed. He thought about flinging himself at him but then he'd begged off, and instead, respected the boundaries Harry was setting. Not that he was entirely happy about it, and his right hand has certainly been getting a workout, but he understood. Harry is at a pivotal time in his life and he's come here to chart his next course, and that's his priority for now. Louis is just glad he gets to spend this time with him as his friend and can provide whatever support he needs to move forward. Besides, he's not sure just a taste of Harry would be enough to quench what is welling up inside him and he can honestly do without the heartbreak. He's had enough of that in his life. Harry will be gone in two weeks and Louis will be left to wallow, so it's best to keep him at arm's length, as difficult as that is.

Louis dismounts and hangs Jilly's reins over the branch of a nearby tree. "Come on, I wanna show you something."

"There's more?" Harry asks, raising a brow in jest. "Dunno how you'll top this, Lou."

Louis rolls his eyes and starts to walk off, the butterflies taking flight in his stomach. He's never shown anyone this before and he's not even really sure why he's decided to share this part of himself with Harry, but somehow, he just knows that Harry will understand. It's his special place. Somewhere to escape to when he felt the world was too much, a quiet hideaway, far from the pain of his losses in life, to reflect, to sort out the nagging voices of worry and uncertainty in his brain.

Harry's footsteps are right behind him now as Louis nears the rocky outcrop at the edge of the cliff, sticks cracking beneath his boots. Louis drops to his hands and knees and crawls under the overhang, grit digging into his hands as he comes up the other side and the cave reveals itself. It's a tight space, with rock walls on three sides and above but open to the drop so you can see all the way to the other mountain ridge. It's much smaller than it felt when he'd found it all those years ago as a teenager, but there's plenty enough room for two if they sit close.