THE DATE AGREEMENT | LARRY AU

0.3 CLIMBING & SUNRISES

THE DATE AGREEMENT | THIRD DATE: HIKING

"Did I do something to you to deserve this?" Louis muttered under his breath as they took another break on the way to the top. Harry only chuckled and sat down next to him.

"No, I just think nature and you go really well together. It's nice out here today, isn't it?"

"Yes, Mr. Sunshine." The older man groaned and Harry chuckled again. "How the hell are you not tired? This is fucking exhausting, not to mention that I am so sleepy right now."

"I do it very often, so I guess I'm just more used to it than you are."

"A 5 year old is more used to it than I am." Louis said and laughed at his own expense stood up again. This was the 5th break they'd taken in the past hour and to say Louis was embarrassed about his stamina would be an understatement. But what was he to do? He had literally never been hiking before and then there was Harry – all big and buff and sexy and oh-so-used-to-hiking.

"Lou, we can sit down for another 10 minutes, you know." Harry informed cautiously, obviously afraid and worried for the man because he kept heaving for deeper breaths and he was just really not well. It was a good thing Louis brought along nothing but his mobile and wallet – he wouldn't have been able to climb up all the way up with him. Unlike Harry, who was carrying an entire backpack filled with food and first aid and loads of water and towels and extra batteries.

Harry had insisted on this being their third date – he'd woken up Louis at 3.00 in the morning and they were currently hiking up one of Harry's favourite trails to catch the sunrise – and the latter, despite his doubts about the idea, agreed in the end.

"No, no, there's only about 30 minutes to sunrise and I don't want to miss it."

"Lou," Harry said as he extended his arm to grab hold of Louis' wrist, making him stop in his tracks. "Won't take us more than 10 minutes now, love. Sit down."

Louis obeyed the suggestion with a huff and they sat down next to each other and talked about themselves. It was Louis' turn this time – they always did this. After the first date, Harry tried to plan the dates in a way that it'd give them proper time and space to really talk to each other. They always took turns asking each other questions about one another and getting to know why they were the way they were.

The pair hadn't gotten to the very personal, real stuff yet, but Harry was hoping they soon would. He was determined to think of activities on their dates in a way so that he'd be able to ensure that he found out at least a few new things about Louis. The two scaled the rest of the distance talking about how one time when Louis was 19, his younger sister Charlotte – or Lottie as he liked to call her – dyed her hair pink and blue despite their parents having clearly denied it dozens of times and how Louis had to sit down with his mum and step-father for three hours to calm them down and make sure they didn't quite possibly disown Lottie for it.

Louis talked animatedly about the incident and he didn't realise when they climbed the rest of the way – he just kept concentrating on the story and Harry's reactions. The older man loved just how attentive Harry was and he absolutely fucking adored the way Harry chuckled. It was something so unreal and beautiful, Louis kept finding himself wishing and praying that he can cause that beautiful laugh over and over and over again, as many times as he can.

Once finally up the cliff, both Harry and Louis sighed in relief as they both sat down next to sit each other just as the first rays of the sun started to make their way through the horizon.