Harry Styles, 2021
Harry wakes up to a kiss on his nose.
Then his forehead.
Then his cheeks, his eyes, his jaw, the space between his eyebrows, his eyebrows, his chin and eventually his lips.
He leans into the kisses, smiling widely without opening his eyes.
The sun that floats through the window warms the skin on his arms and is the reason he eventually does open his eyes. And it's worth it. The sun also shines onto Louis' skin, who hovers over him, and paints him literally golden.
"Morning sunshine." Harry mumbles, voice raspy and Louis smiles at him so beautifully before dipping his head down again and kissing Harry's neck.
The latter turns his head and buries his face in the soft pillow, simply enjoying every bit of attention and touch.
"What are we gonna do today?" Louis asks and pulls away eventually, making Harry pout.
"I have an id-"
"Before you even ask, I'm not going to visit your stylist with you to see if your suit is the same shade of blue as my eyes."
Harry is full on pouting like a child by now, crossing his arms in front of his chest and biting his lower lip. "But it has to be the exact same color or it would be wasted money because I would never ever wear it. It has to be blou."
Then he chuckles.
"Blou. You know, blue and Lou."
Louis just kisses his nose again. "Just send him a picture of my eyes, okay?"
Harry agrees with an incoherent noise and sits up, throwing the blanket over both of them, kissing the living daylights out of Louis.
He's distracted by Louis' tongue immediately licking into his mouth and because of that somehow misses the moment Louis puts two hands onto his chest to push him back against the pillows (Not that he minds, though), that's only until Louis tolls half on top of him. He kisses him deep and passionately and one of his legs is slipping between Harry's thighs and Harry's back immediately arches into him at the contact.
Of fucking course, the door flies open and Niall storms in.
Harry thinks he might have a radar for whenever the air between Louis and him gets steamy so he could fuck it up and interrupt them.
But right now, the blanket is on top of Louis, as he lays on top of Harry.
"Harry, I-" Niall stops abruptly and stares at the blanket while Harry coughs awkwardly, trying to cover Louis so that Niall won't be able to make a bit deal out of it again.
They're grown men, for goddesses' sake. They can have sex.
"Is Louis under the blanket?" Niall asks slowly.
"No." Harry says.
"Good, I'm actually only here looking for him." He takes a few steps into the room and raises his voice before talking again. "Tommo, when you're naked, prepare and cover your boner imma pull the blanket off now. It's a bit rude talking to someone through a blanket." He says and grabs the material, throwing it off of them and making Harry shiver.
"Do you know how much I dislike you?" Louis greets him and wraps his arms around Harry to keep him warm because he realised that he's cold.
Niall shrugs and holds his thumb and pointer very, very close to each other, creating the smallest distance possible. "This much."
Before Louis can disagree, Niall shoves his phone into their faces.
"Simon called."
They both immediately shiver at the name and Louis wraps his arms tighter around Harry.
"He said you really need to call him back. I don't know why and I'm really sorry but I think you might actually have to. Like, now." He looks at them apologetically.
"I don't want to talk to Simon while I'm having a boner." Louis says disgustedly and stares at the phone.
"I don't wanna talk to Simon at all."
Harry mutters and feels his throat getting tighter.
Whenever Simon calls and needs them for something, everything goes to shit.
"I just suppose you'll have to call him back like in the next hour. I'll go fetch some delicious expensive ass breakfast with Ol, Con and Tay now."
Niall tells them and stands up from the mattress, patting Harry's arm goodbye and walking backwards towards the door.
Someday, he just decided that it's too exhausting for him saying their full names. So he uses nicknames all the time.
"Can you believe I am a dad? Tay's the mum and I'm the dad of two grown teenagers without us having sex and without her being pregnant at all."
"Niall you're rambling." Louis reminds him and Niall nods.
"Right, I'll leave ya to it. I'd tell you to greet Simon from me but... don't. I don't like him. Love you two, though. Ciao ragazzas." He lifts is invisible hat.
"It's ragazzi." Harry corrects but Niall just closes the door, blowing them a kiss.
As soon as it's quiet again, Louis drops his head on Harry's chest since he still lays on top of him.
"I don't want to talk to Cowell. I wanna just be here with you and I don't know-" His voice breaks and Harry's heart drops at that. He wraps his arms tightly around Louis and kisses his hair.
"We'll do it together, okay? Let's just get some breakfast first? I'll make pancakes." He wants to get rid of the sad and frustrated state Louis is in right now. So he says ironically, "You know, since you can't cook for good."
"Hey." Louis laughs, lifting his head and looking so fucking adorable Harry could cry.
He pouts, but his eyes smile with crinkles framing them. And above all, he's got his feet crossed in the air and arms folded over Harry's chest like he's laying in a flower field in the summer and not on Harry.
"I can cook. Like, chicken and stuff."
"Chicken and stuff isn't something I would put on a menu." Harry counters.
"You know what I mean. Chicken stu-"
"-ffed with mozzarella, wrapped in parma ham with a side of homemade mashed potatoes." Harry finishes for him and rolls his eyes fondly.
"Exactly, baby. Now that's restaurant worthy." Louis says approvingly and kisses Harry's nose again.
"But not breakfast worthy."
Harry wants to tell Louis to stand up so they can go downstairs and eat real breakfast, but he decides on just picking him up and holding his laughing boyfriend in his arms as he gets up. Louis wraps his legs around his waist to make it easier for him and grabs the blanket from the bed to wrap it around both of them, keeping them warm in the cold stone walls of the castle.
They manage to get out into the hallway without causing an accident but as they reach the stairs, Louis yelps and entangles his legs from behind Harry's back to jump down onto the floor.
Before Harry can protest, he puts his cold hands under his sweater and his hands graze over Harry's warm hips and back.
"We would both die tragically if you tried to get downstairs carrying me. Love, most of the times you can't manage to not fall over walking alone. I just don't want to hit my head and have my brains all splashed over this carpet, okay? When we're downstairs, you can carry me again."
So Harry does.
He sets him on the countertop of the kitchen island and gets out the pan.
But apparently, Louis now wants to prove that he is indeed able to make pancakes and orders Harry to sit on one of the bar stools while he makes them breakfast.
It's torture, really.
How someone can be so fucking uncoordinated in the kitchen, it's painful to watch.
He doesn't want to say anything and just watches, fighting against the tingle in his fingertips that wants him to get up and snatch the pan out of Louis hands to save their breakfast.
Instead, being the great boyfriend he is, he congratulates him and eats the horrible, ugly pancakes, even giving Louis a kiss for that... thing.
Just because he's cute and pretty and everything Harry will ever need in his life.
Afterwards they go back to their rooms and sit on the bed, mentally preparing themselves to talk to Simon for a few minutes.
"Simon treats us like gods. He ignores us until he needs something from us."
Harry tries to lift the tension and Louis gives him a tight smile, signalizing him that he appreciates the try but it still didn't work.
They just stare at the phone that lays peacefully between them, not making a noise.
Until Louis picks it up with sudden force and unlocks it, going to recent calls and hesitating for a second before pressing the display right where Simon's name stands. At that moment they both just hope that nobody would pick up. But sadly, Simon does, after the third ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey Simon." Louis says and forces politeness into his voice.
Harry takes his hand and intertwines their fingers to calm him.
It works, at least a bit as Louis' facial features relax the slightest.
"Hello, Louis. Is Harry with you?"
"Yeah, I'm here." Harry answers.
"Good. I don't have time for small talk, so let's get straight to business."
It's so typical Simon. Being rude like that and adding the word straight forcefully.
He always does it and empathizes on that word every time.
"This whole thing with you two being on your four year honeymoon or whatever this shit is, is getting out of hand. You have to leave that fucking castle and stop living in your own Disney movie and do something for the fans."
Louis rolls his eyes. "And what exactly do we have to do?"
They both know better than to comment on Simon's comments. It's a waste of time and energy to start a fight over his rudeness and homophobia since they already tried that so many times.
"Louis, it's time for another public encounter with Eleanor."
Louis closes his eyes and bites his lip.
"No." Harry says.
"Yes." Simon replies, sounding just as annoyed as them, just because of a different reason.
"We don't have to do what you want anymore. Things changed and we're not eighteen anymore."
Simon sighs dramatically. "Last time I checked you were still in contract with me. Actually, I have it right in front of me right now. The contract you signed. Both of you. And it's until November 2021."
"That's not even one month." Louis says and they share a pointed look, hands squeezing the other for comfort.
"It's not. But right now, it's still very valuable. And you both know you can't do anything against it. So. Louis, a driver will bring you back here to London this afternoon and you will go to a cafe with Eleanor. I decided that it's time for you to propose to her, so-"
"Excuse me, what?" Louis interrupts him harshly while Harry's jaw drops.
"Come on, Louis. You must have seen it coming. According to the press, you've been dating for like eight years and people start to ask questions on why you're not married yet. So you will propose in front of everyone. I got a pretty ring you can use. And then you'll be on a yacht for your honeymoon for two weeks where we will hide paparazzi. The yacht thing always works."
He sounds pleased with his shitty plan.
"I'm not going to do any of that."
"Yes you are, the driver has actually just arrived."
"No."
"Louis."
"You know what, I'm coming to London but I'll bring Harry with me and we will talk about this one last time and I won't fucking propose to Eleanor." He says harshly and snappy.
"Fine." Simon huffs. "if you still believe you can change anything with that. But Harry can't join you. Someone will notice that you're in the same city at the same time and everything will go to waste. Then I would have to make Harry propose to, I don't know, like Kendall Jenner or something to get that sorted out."
Louis has the words fuck you on his lips and Harry senses it.
To prevent further damage, he uses his free hand to place it on top of their others, soothingly. As Louis looks at him, he gently shakes his head to tell him not to say it.
Louis bites his lower lip and nods, more to himself.
"So, Louis? Have you stopped being a bitch now and realized that you have no other way that say goodbye to your boyfriend and come here?"
"Fuck you." Louis spits out and hangs up.
***
They stand on the gravel way in front of the gate.
Harry leans against the doorframe, his feet cold since he didn't bother to put shoes on.
The driver looks at them impatiently and taps on the wheel with his fingers.
Zayn is leaving with Louis to get to the London airport and go back to LA to Gigi and his daughter for a while.
He hugs Harry tightly.
"Give her a cheek squish from me. And ask G when I can come over and babysit her." Harry says and Zayn laughs, nodding, before getting into the vehicle and leaving Louis and Harry some space.
Louis takes both of Harry's hands in his and pulls him closer.
Wordless, Harry takes his hoodie off, leaving him shivering in a rolling stones t shirt. He hands the warmed up, comfortable hoodie with the word Pleasing written on the front over to him.
"Better not wear that in public, Simon will have your head." He tries joking.
"I'll be careful, love" He pulls him in and and kisses him softly, painfully.
"Promise you won't take long." Harry says, sadness thick in his voice as he pulls away. Somehow he has a bad feeling.
"I promise. Not longer than three days."
"Promise you won't come back engaged to a woman."
"I promise."
"Pinky?" Louis smiles cutely and intertwines their pinkies.
The driver honks loudly and Zayn immediately curses him.
"I wish you the best on your way but sadly, you already have it." Harry says and Louis finally laughs, eyes crinkling and cheekbones raising.
"I actually do have the best." Louis kisses him, standing on his tiptoes. "Should get going. I'll send you a cute picture of the tower bridge."
"You better." Harry kisses him again.
"Call me every night." He shouts after him as Louis walks towards the car.
"I'll be back in two days, love." Louis laughs and blows pouting Harry a kiss.
Harry catches it, puts it in his back pocket and watches them drive off.
When the car is out of sight, he goes back inside and heads for the kitchen. He doesn't want to be alone right now.
As he enters the room, he spots Taylor, Olivia, Conan and Niall at the table, laughing loudly over something Niall said. "After I was born, I didn't talk to anyone for like two years."
"Hey, how was your morning?" Taylor greets him happily as soon as she spots him.
"Louis cooked for me so I had burned pancakes." He tells them, forcing his voice not to sound as sad as he is.
"That sucks." Conan says sympathetically.
"What did you eat?" It's shitty small talk but Harry doesn't feel like anything else.
"French toast in a really cute café."
Olivia says excitedly.
"Well good for you, you look happy and healthy, not me." He jokes.
He's not really feeling it, though.
Jesus, it's been three minutes but he hates it.
He hates how much he depends on Louis' presence and he just hopes Louis keeps his promise.