The Weekend (Narry)

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His mother checks her watch, the one his father bought her last year for Chanukah, and quickly drinks the rest of her coffee. "I actually need to go. My lunch break ended ten minutes ago."

"Mom." Harry gives her a judgmental look.

"What? It's not like I'm getting paid for this secretary gig. You would think after all your father did for Jeanette, she would be kind enough to pay me for my services."

"You're a philanthropist. Shouldn't you be donating your lunch break to the poor?"

"I'm a housewife that gets bored, not a philanthropist. There's a difference."

Harry lets out a loud, genuine laugh, pausing for a second to catch his breath before taking the empty coffee mug away from his mom. She cranes over the counter to kiss Harry's temple, and then waves goodbye to him. He waves back and puts the mug in the sink. Follow Louis to Ireland to propose? What a ridiculous idea, Harry thinks to himself.

-

"We haven't been to this restaurant since our first Valentine's Day together." Harry notes appreciatively, as Louis holds open the door for him.

Louis smiles. "Precisely why I chose it."

"I'm amazed you remember, honestly."

"Of course I remember." Louis sounds offended that Harry would think such a thing. He places his hand on the small of his back, leading him toward the hostess. "Reservations for Tomlinson."

"Right this way." The woman smiles graciously before leading the pair to their table.

"You for sure told the hospital you weren't able to come in tonight, right?" Harry asks, making sure their dinner won't be interrupted.

"They think I'm packing for my flight, don't worry." Louis pulls out Harry's chair for him, and the hostess waits for Louis himself to sit down.

"Your server will be right with you."

"Thank you." Louis and Harry say simultaneously, and she smiles, leaving them to go back to hostessing.

"I can't believe you're going to Ireland." Harry makes light conversation, not wanting Louis to feel awkward or nervous. He doesn't want his proposal plan to be ruined by anything he might do or say. All is filtered and carefully stated.

"For a whole weekend." Louis fakes amazement. "Such a long time."

Harry laughs, rolling his eyes. "It is a long time. I'll be at home all alone."

"Working hard on the aquarium project, you mean?"

"Yeah." He grins. "But you're going to be in Dublin. I've always wanted to go there."

"Become a neurologist. Once you're the best in Boston, you'll be paid to go to Dublin for a convention." Louis knows he's highly sought after. Harry knows it too. It makes him even more attractive, anyway. Handsome and extremely successful. There is no downside.

"I'll put it on my to-do list." Harry teases, and Louis laughs this time.

"Right under become the president."

"Did I tell you that Freesia agreed to making me campaign buttons?" Harry takes a sip of the water a waiter filled their glasses with in passing. Louis covers his mouth with his hand to quiet his loud laughter.

"One step closer to the Oval Office."

"One step closer into the hearts of every American." Harry smiles.

"Just don't tell them you're a Libertarian."

"Liber-Harry-an, actually."

"You completely just lost my vote with that one sentence." Louis states, and it's Harry's turn to chuckle. Their waitress comes, and Louis orders them both wine, a 1953 red. Harry nods in agreement when the waitress exclaims what a wonderful year that was.

They chat and make small talk, nothing too serious and nothing that hints Harry to the proposal that is sure to come. He figures Louis will wait until their food is served, or perhaps ask over dessert. Their food arrives. Their empty plates are cleared away. No proposal. Harry gets a tad antsy, but he knows he cannot rush Louis. Anything Louis does, he does on his own time. The tiramisu they decided to order for dessert is placed on their table, and they eat half of it in comfortable silence before Louis speaks up.

"My mom's birthday is right when I get back, you know." He says. Harry nods, even though, no. He had actually forgotten. "I was going to buy her something in Ireland, but I saw one of those little jewelry view books we're always getting in the mail. There was the cutest necklace in it, and I just knew my mom would love it."

"Oh," Perhaps this is the lead in to the proposal, Harry thinks. "Is that what you did today?"

Louis nods. "I think I saw Zayn too, but I didn't stop to say hi, because I needed to get to the hospital."

"You got a necklace for you mother?"

"Yeah."

Harry can feel the hope dying inside of him. "And that's all?"

Louis' eyebrows scrunch together. "What else would I have gotten? I have no reason to go to the jewelers."

There they are. The nine little words that Harry knew would make or break him. Louis isn't proposing tonight. He probably won't propose at all, unless Harry takes him to a hypnotist. That's non consented marriage though, and vaguely sounds illegal, so Harry would rather not. "Just making conversation."

Louis' phone buzzes from where it was placed on the table, and Harry is simultaneously grateful for the distraction and annoyed, because Louis promised they wouldn't be bothered. He looks apologetic when he checks it, but when his eyes widen, Harry knows it's something important. "They rescheduled the flight."

"What?"

"It's sooner. Shit, they board in an hour and a half." Louis stands quickly, slipping out a few bills for Harry to use for paying.

"Are you going to make it in time? International flights require being there hours ahead of time."

"I'm going to go as fast as I possibly can." Louis bends down to kiss Harry on the mouth. "I'll miss you. Be safe. Work hard."

"Have fun in Ireland." Harry replies. "I'll miss you too."

Louis kisses him again and leaves, passing by the waiter who looks slightly confused until he sees Harry still sitting there. Harry raises his arm to catch the waiter's complete attention, and hands him the money.

"I'll be right back with your change, sir."

Harry swirls the small amount of wine left in his glass. "Keep it."

You have waited long enough. If I were you, I would have followed him to Ireland and proposed. It was a joke. His mom didn't mean it. Besides, it's ridiculous. It's reckless. It's... romantic?

Harry stands up, grabs his coat, and leaves the restaurant. He pulls out his phone, clicking on Chrome. He believes it's high time he look into flights for Ireland.