Untangle Me - L.S (boyxboy)

Chapter 17.

Louis presses his lips together, trying to stop the smile threatening to tear his face in two. "Guest bed, actually."

Harry laughs, "Details."

Louis reaches out, twirling a strand of Harry's hair around his finger. "Harry?" He asks, almost whispering it.

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Harry's face lights up, eyes shining in the warm morning light. "I was hoping you might ask that." Harry murmurs, nudging himself closer to Louis. Louis beams up at him, tucking the strand of hair behind his ear before letting his hand rest against Harry's jaw as he brings their lips together.

Harry pauses just before they close the gap, letting out a giggle. Louis can't help but giggle back, even though he doesn't know what's funny. "What?" Louis asks on a laugh, Harry's breath tickling his chin.

Harry shrugs, smiling so wide his dimples are like craters. "M'just happy."

Louis feels a surge of affection rush over him, like he wants to reach out and squeeze Harry, kiss him silly. And then he remembers that he can do just that.

Louis grins, titling Harry's chin up and closing the gap between their lips. He can feel Harry smiling into the kiss and Louis thinks he could maybe live in this moment forever. Smiling and kissing and laughing together in bed, just the two of them, their very own sanctuary. He feels like they deserve it, like they've earned it.

They break apart, Harry's eyelashes fluttering with a heavy out breath. Louis strokes his fingers along Harry's bicep, just the very tips, ghosting over his skin. Harry watches as Louis traces his fingers over the outlines of his tattoo's. There's so many new ones, ones that Louis' doesn't know the meanings of, never got to ask. It feels strange tracing his fingers over markings he barely recognises, isn't that familiar with and then in the same breath touching along the lines of the star, the "Hi", the ship. It's like a visible reminder of much time Louis wasted keeping Harry at arms length. All the things he missed out on.

"Tell me about your tattoos, the new ones." Louis whispers, stroking his thumb over the tail of the mermaid on Harry's forearm. "Tell me what possessed you to get a naked mermaid etched onto your skin forever."

Harry scoffs, smirking at Louis. "S'not naked,that's just what mermaids look like. Y'only see 'em wearing bra's on TV 'cos boobs are so sexualised it's PC to cover them."

Louis raises his eyebrows, covering the mermaid's naked breasts with his thumb. "You're all about that free the nipple life, then?" He flicks Harry's nipple with his other hand, "Always got yours out."

Harry laughs, nodding. "Could say that."

"But still," Louis says, looking back at Harry's tattoo. "You've got a pair of tits on your arm forever."

"I do." Harry nods, draping his other arm over the dip in Louis' waist. "Tits are cool."

Louis swallows at that, it's an offhand comment, but it makes Louis' think. It's not like Louis' needs to know, not like Harry is required to tell him, even. But there's a part of him that's deadly curious.

He leans forward again, just pecking Harry's cheek gently. "So, unless there's been some horrific misunderstanding," Louis begins, clearing his throat, "You're not, erm...straight."

Harry snorts, squeezing Louis' hip. "That would be correct."

"D'you mind me asking, like, what you are? That is if you even, uh, know the answer yourself."

Harry gives him a closed lipped smile, linking their ankles together. "I'm pretty sure I'm, um, I'm gay. I've never really been, uh, attracted to girls, in that way. Like, ever."