Forever and always.
Harry Styles had found his soul mate at the age of twenty-one. At the time, Louis was twenty-three.
After that glorious day in the parking lot, the two young men had met up more and more frequently, and they got along perfectly. Which was to be expected, because the universe did choose your soul mate for a reason. Harry once read on the internet there was a one percent chance you didn't get along with your soul mate.
Which was almost as small as the chance your soul mate was the same gender. Harry knew it was no use to get angry over that, but he still did get angry over it from time to time. Not the sort of anger you want to throw plates at a wall and scream until you're out of breath, but the sort you just want to cry all day because it's so frustratingly unfair.
But Louis was always there to calm him down, cuddle him up and whisper sweet nothings in his ear until Harry had stopped crying. Louis did not have a lot of patience, but he always had patience with Harry. Harry secretly thought he could throw Louis' favourite pair of shoes (a pair of black Vans) off the balcony and Louis still wouldn't be mad at him.
All with all, they were completely, foolishly and utterly in love with each other.
For the two young men, the sky seemed blue and the sun always seemed to be shining with even the occasional rainbow appearing. Though they never saw the rain. And at night time, they went out on the balcony and tried to give every star a reason why they loved the other. They came to the conclusion they both ran out of stars, giggled and went back inside to snuggle up under the covers.
Harry often wondered what he did with his life when he didn't know Louis yet. He vaguely remembers going to the park three times a day to find someone with Harry tattooed on his wrist and shakes his head at his younger self.
And so it happens the two young men wake up on a fine morning in June.
"Morning babe", Louis says softly, blue eyes hazy and a little sleepy.
"Morning Boo, did you sleep well?" Harry asks, voice rough and gravelly with sleep. Louis nods and yawns. Harry has to suppress a very unmanly sound at the cute yawn his boyfriend does.
"Don't stare at me, it's creepy", Louis mumbles as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes.
Harry chuckles. "You're just adorable."
"No, 'm not", Louis protests, but it's only a weak protest, seeing as he just woke up. Harry reaches out a hand to pet Louis' hair, something he has made a habit of ever since Louis started staying over at night.
"Haz" Louis says. He's frowning. Louis never frowns because he knows Harry hates it when he frowns. Harry looks at him with questioning eyes. "Your tattoo. It's fading."
"That's not possible", Harry says and he frowns too. But when he lifts his arm and looks at his wrist, he sees Louis is right. His tattoo, the tattoo he is so proud of because it shows the whole world Louis is his, is fading. "That's not possible", he whispers again.
"I don't think we should worry about it", Louis says calmly. Harry stares at him. Does Louis even understand what this tattoo means to him? It's how he found the love of his life! "I know what it means to you, Hazza. But I don't think we need a tattoo to show the world we were meant to be."
"Well, I think I do need this tattoo to show the entire world you're mine, and mine only!" Harry exclaims, getting a bit worked up. "What if it's decided I will get a new soul mate?!"
"That doesn't matter, does it? You still love me, right?" Harry doesn't like the fragile tone Louis had used to ask if Harry loves him. Neither does he like the way Louis can't look at him. So he wraps his arms around his boyfriend and kisses his hair.
