The drive there was a tiring three hours and everyone was fast asleep. Of course except for Jay and Louis, who was looking behind him to see his siblings all asleep. Harry was resting his head against the window and his full pink lips were slightly parted as he slept peacefully.
Louis couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he could hear the small snores that left Harry's mouth. Speaking of his mouth Louis got distracted as he thought about the time they kissed, he tried so hard to push that memory back considering he had a girlfriend again.
He obviously couldn't and he quickly looked away from the tempting mouth. He stared out the window and swallowed hard he was craving Harry's lips and he felt terrible about it. He told the boy they would only be friends and not to mention he was with Eleanor, who he really cared about.
He closed his eyes and took deep breathes but all he could picture now was the way Harry looked the night they kissed and everything about Harry filled his mind. He couldn't do this it wasn't fair to Harry or Eleanor. He quickly started small talk with his Mom to avoid thinking any longer.
—-
"Harry," Lottie says softly as she tries to wake the sleeping boy next to her. They had just arrived at the lake house. Everyone was slowly starting to get out of the car. The pair of twin girls are the start ones to squeal with glee once they see their grandparents are waiting for them in the driveway.
Lottie quickly rushes out of the car after them to engulf her grandparents in a hug. Louis is the one that waits for Harry to get out of the van.
Harry tries not to blush as Louis closes the van door behind him with a smile and he especially tries not to die when he presses his hand on his shoulder to lead him over to where there's a crowd of Tomlinson's.
"Louis!" His grandma calls and pulls him in for a big hug with a kiss on the forehead. Louis's smile is so big and Harry is definitely fonding but he's knocked out of his trance when he hears it.
Their grandma was an average height lady with brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. Although she was an older lady it was hard to tell, must be the Tomlinson genes. She was wearing casual summer clothes a pink blouse and some jeans shorts. Their grandparents are pretty much they moved out of the UK, and she still has a thick Yorkshire accent.
"Now, who is this handsome boy? Is this your boyfriend dear?" She asks addressing Louis and Harry has to take a double-take to make sure Lottie isn't standing anywhere near them. For once they're mistaking Harry as Louis's boyfriend, not Lottie's. Harry is not going to survive this trip.
Louis was blushing fiercely and he coughs before answering, "Oh, no he's just a friend of Lottie's and mine."
"Oh sorry, just can't imagine this beautiful boy is single." Harry blushes and giggles as she praises him and Louis rolls his eyes but he definitely is holding back a smirk.
"Thank you, but I am very much single. I'm Harry, It's nice to meet such a pretty lady like you." Harry says and extends his hand out only to be wrapped into a hug.
"A charmer you are, I hope you enjoy your stay with us. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible and go ahead and call me Mary." Mary says to Harry with a smile on her face. Harry finally gets to see first hand why everyone in Louis's family is so humble and nice.
"Thank you so much, Mary." Harry replies before Mary excuses her self to go talk to Jay.
"Please don't flirt with my nan." Louis says teasingly and Harry lets a loud cackle leave his mouth.
"It's her accent that got me." Harry says back as they walk over to the rest of the family together.
"We've all got accents." Louis replies and Harry wonders if Louis wants Harry to like him even more.
He doesn't get to answer because Jay calls Louis over and he runs over to her. Then Harry gets dragged away by Lottie and introduced to her grandpa.
"Ah, Louis's boyfriend?" Paul who Harry knows the name of because the girls kept calling him 'Granddad Paul' in the car.
Harry can't believe Louis's grandparents think they're together. He didn't even know Louis is apparently not straight or at least his grandparents didn't think he is. He's honestly dying inside because he wishes he could say that he is Louis's boyfriend.
"No, he's my best friend and Louis's friend." Lottie responds for Harry and he's thankful because he might slip up and said something dumb like 'no, but I wish'.
"Right on then, nice to meet ya, now let's get everyone's bags and get inside I'm bloody starving." Lottie laughs and agrees and Harry hurry's to grab his bag.
—
They're sat around the dinner table with Lottie on his side and Louis sat in front of him. They were in the middle of eating a 'Sunday roast' on a Friday. It was Louis's favorite apparently so Harry wasn't complaining he was actually taking notes.
The three of them had their own little conversation going on as the adults and kids had their own as well.
Lottie was ranting about cheerleading and Louis and Harry would comment whenever they needed to. It was peaceful and so relaxing that Harry almost felt like he was apart of the family.
"Let's go see the rooms." Lottie said once they were done eating and they both agreed following her upstairs.
"You two are sharing this room," Lottie says and Harry's ears burn what does she mean Louis and him will be sharing a room.
"What?" Louis asks obviously confused as well.
"Did nan not tell you? you and Harry are sharing a room since the twins are old enough to have their own room and my room only has one bed. This room has two separate ones so you'll be fine." Lottie explains in a neutral tone although Harry knows she's probably so happy this is the way things turned out.
Louis doesn't really react just steps into the room to place his bag on the twin bed on the left side of the room. The room was pretty big with two windows, flat-screen tv and two brown dressers, the rug was big and fluffy and set in between the beds. It looked like a hotel room inside a house.
Harry grabbed his bag and went to set it down on his bed as well. His comforter was grey and top of it were darker grey and white pillows.
"I'll go put my stuff away now. See you two later at the lake?" Lottie asks and Louis agrees and before she leaves she makes sure Louis is no longer looking before she winks at Harry and wiggles her eyebrows.
Harry flicks her off and starts looking through his bag. "You can just put all your stuff into one of those drawers, it's easier than having to search your suitcase every single time." Louis speaks up as he opens his dresser and starts organizing his clothes.
"Okay, thanks." Harry replies and starts doing the same. It feels a bit awkward for a few minutes and Harry doesn't know why but then Louis starts talking again.
"I hope you don't mind sharing the room together. If I had known I would've asked you first to make sure you were comfortable." Louis says and he is just the sweetest person Harry has had the chance to meet.
"No, it's totally fine! I hope you don't mind because I snore like a pig." Harry teases trying to ease the tension.
"Oh great, because I snore so loud the house shakes." Louis replies and Harry laughs while closing the drawer he finished putting clothes in.
"Guess that's why they put us together."
"Must be, are you going down to the lake with Lottie and me? I mean it's usually just me and her because the kids are not allowed until tomorrow when there's light out. The neighbor's kids are sometimes out there they're the same age as us." Louis says as he lays down on his bed.
"Yes, I've never swum in the dark before." Harry confess and Louis laughs.
"It's actually not that different from when it's light out, except you're more paranoid about what could be near you. I remember some type of plant got wrapped around Lottie's leg and she ran out of the lake because she thought some creature was on her." Louis laughs as he tells the story and Harry laughs with him.
"That's going to be me, I'm always paranoid about what I'm stepping on or swimming around."
Louis and Harry surprisingly keep talking after that from more lake stories to stories about how they learned to swim and just anything really.
They didn't even notice that a whole hour had gone by until Lottie was knocking on their room door to get them to come out to swim.
"We'll be right there." Louis says as he grabs his swimming trunks and goes into a door that he hadn't even noticed before and which is apparently a bathroom. Harry thinks about how rich their grandparents must be.
Louis comes out in red swimming trunks his bare tan chest on display with a towel hung from his shoulder. Harry could sit here and admire him all day.
"Race you there." Louis says before running out of the room. Harry is in awe before running over to change into his yellow trunks and flings his towel over his shoulder. Running in flip flops was not ideal for Harry so obviously Louis wins, not to mention he got a bigger lead.
It's also pretty dark out already and Harry isn't really sure where he's going but he sees Louis up head near the dock and eventually catches up.
Louis still brags, "I won! I'm sorry, I'm just so fast maybe next time you'll beat me." Harry just pouts as they finally reach the dock and see Lottie is already in the lake along with some girl and boy.
Louis leads them over to the place where they can hang their towels and leave their flip flops at.
"Hold my hand." Louis says and Harry doesn't have time to react because his body apparently just automatically does whatever Louis says and he's being dragged down the dock.
"On three we jump," Louis says and they jump in together hand in hand. Harry's whole body feels warm even when he hits the cold lake water he's high off Louis. They're laughing as they both reach the surface at the same time.
"Harry! Louis!" Lottie calls them over from deeper in the lake and they both swim over to her.
"Louis!" The unknown girl and boy cheer as they reach them. It's pretty dark out but Harry can still make out their features. The boy had bright blue eyes and pale skin, his blonde hair was matter to his forehead from the water. The girl who was laughing at something Louis had just said with her perfect white teeth on display. Her eyes were dark brown and her dark curly hair laid against her dark-colored skin.
"Oh right! Mike and Amber this is Harry, and Harry this is Mike and Amber." Lottie says as Mike and Amber stared at Harry curiously.
"Hi, are you dating Lottie?" Amber says and Harry sighs and Lottie laughs.
"No, I'm just a friend." Harry says feeling like a broken record.
"So he's single is what I'm hearing," Mike speaks up with a flirty smile on his face and Lottie and Amber laugh in surprise.
Harry blushes as he makes eye contact with Mike. "Yes, he is." Lottie responds for Harry and Mike just smiles at Harry. Harry doesn't know what to do so he just awkwardly looks away.
"Louis, can I show you my new tattoo?" Amber asks getting rid of the awkward silence and Harry watches as Amber swims over to Louis.
His eyes grow wide as she starts lifting her bikini top. Her tattoo is a small design under her left boob. Louis just calls it sick and Amber preens under his praise and even clings her arms around him.
Louis doesn't seem bothered at all by it. They just keep talking with her arms around his neck and Harry can see the stars in Amber's eyes. He feels that feeling his stomach the same one he feels whenever Eleanor is around Louis. He knows he's jealous.
He doesn't even notice he's been so caught up in staring at them until Mike swims towards him. Lottie winks at him before swimming over to Louis and Amber.
"Hey, you okay?" Mike asks and now that Harry can see him even closer he realizes how attractive he is. He belongs in rom coms Harry thinks to himself.
"Yeah I am, just thinking about some things is all." Harry shrugs it off and throws one last glance over to them. Amber is now fully wrapped around Louis's back and Lottie is laughing along with them.
"So Harry, how old are you?"Mike asks and Harry decides to just ignore everything else and focus on their conversation.
"Seventeen, what about you?" Harry tried so hard to drown out the way Louis's laugh rings in his ear.
"Just turned eighteen last summer, how do you know Lottie and Louis?" Mike keeps the conversation flowing and Harry is really trying to keep his focus on the conversation and keep his eyes from wandering over to Louis.
"Mike get your ass over here! We're doing chicken fights Louis and I verse you and Lottie!" Amber shouts over and Harry doesn't know if she purposely wants him to feel excluded and he feels so awkward being there.
God must be on his side or something because just then some guy jumps in and Mike greets him, "Curtis! My man so nice to see you again, but you don't mind going over there and beating Amber at chicken fights do you?"
Curtis must obviously know Amber because he agrees quickly and swims over there quickly.
"He's got a crush on her." Mike whispers to Harry with a laugh as they watch him disappear into the distance.
"Hey, do you want to get out of here and walk around? there's this really cool place where you can see the stars at night." Mike asks and Harry knows he probably shouldn't trust strangers but he really needed to get away because he felt out of place.
"Let's do it." Harry replies and Mike cheers before helping Harry out of the lake and over to where Louis and he left their towels a while ago. He quickly dries himself off before placing the towel back on the rack.
Harry can feel eyes on him and he turns over to see Louis staring right at him. Even in the dark, he swears he can make out his blue piercing eyes and he looks like he's about to say something when Amber speaks to him.
Mike taps Harry's shoulder and points over to the path they need to start walking down. They walk together and Harry glances one last time back to where Louis was. Lottie is giving him a thumbs up and Louis is still busy with Amber.
Whatever is all Harry thinks to himself before finally focusing on just how beautiful the scenery around him was.
"This is it." They had only been walking for about two minutes and making small talk about anything when they reach a place that has one picnic table and a basket on top of it. There's a big street lamp behind some of the trees letting only a bit of light shine in on them.
"Here let me set the blanket on the ground, everyone in the neighborhood kinda just leaves this here. I mean it's mostly just us who live here and come here anyway." Mike explains as he opens the basket and shakes the blanket off before setting it on the ground.
They lay down and get comfortable before Harry speaks up.
"Is it always just you three then?" Harry asks because there were only four other docks with houses attached to them.
"Yeah, we've basically all grew up together and in the last house over there, my ex-boyfriend use to live there before he had to move away and things got complicated." Mike sounds kinda upset as he speaks about his ex-boyfriend so Harry isn't quite sure what to respond with.
Thankfully Mike keeps speaking, "Boys can be such shits but I miss him, I know he's already got a new boyfriend and somehow I still can't move on." he sighs before continuing some more, "I'm sorry you probably don't wanna hear about my sad love life, but what about you you're so cute and you're single why is that?"
Harry immediately thinks of Louis. "To be honest it's because I'm just waiting on someone who's unattainable I guess." There are just people in this world who make you feel like you can open up around them and Mike was one of those people for Harry. It was oddly weird maybe it was because Mike was so open about his life that Harry felt like he could be just as open.
"Okay, don't get offended or anything and totally a wild card but is it Louis?" Mike asks and Harry chokes on thin air and starts coughing which makes Mike laugh.
He sits up to pat Harry's back as Harry finally stops coughing before he lays down again and speaks, "Shit, Tommo has got you around his finger huh. I remember when I was around fifteen and I was finally acknowledging the fact that I liked boys, I thought he was the hottest boy I've ever met. I wanted to kiss him so badly, and so one day when we were out in the lake alone I finally made my move.
"I leaned for a kiss and he kinda just dodged me and then proceeded to reject me in the nicest way possible. He's such a nice guy I was sobbing thinking he was going to punch me and tell everyone I was gay, but no, he did the opposite. He told me I shouldn't be afraid to love whoever I want, I should embrace it, and be proud, and that he would hundred percent still be my friend because my sexuality didn't change anything about our friendship." Harry felt like crying because Louis was the purest person in the world.
Hearing that story just made him feel even fonder for Louis, he didn't think it was possible to like him more than he did but here he was smiling like a mad man.
"Fuck, you see this is why I like him he's just so— fuck, how did you even know?" Harry asks Mike wondering if he's being too obvious and anyone else can tell.
"I mean the way you looked at Amber and him I seriously thought your eyes we're going to start shooting lasers out at them. Not to mention that you kept looking over at him when we were talking. So, what's holding you back?" Mike asks and Harry almost laughs because if only he knew.
"He has a girlfriend, and he recently asked us to only be friends after we uh... kinda kissed." Harry lowers his voice on the last part but Mike hears it and gasps while sitting up in shock.
"you kissed him?" He almost shouts and Harry sits up as well giggling at Mike's reaction, "while he had a girlfriend? Harry, you are wild!"
"Yes we kissed, but no we kissed the night they had broken up and then the next morning they were back together. He then asked me to pretend nothing ever happened. That's where we are today, pretending we're just friends that never kissed." Harry says in defeat and lays back down dramatically with a sigh.
"It all makes sense that's why he kept looking at me like he was seconds away from murdering me when we were walking over here. He definitely likes you then! Is he still with that one girl from his Instagram?"
"No, I really don't think he likes me, I think the kiss was mostly like a rebound type of thing. He probably felt heartbroken and I was there and willing and yeah her she's kinda a bitch." Mike cackles as Harry calls her a bitch which makes Harry laugh as well.
"Tell you what Harry, if it's meant to be the. it's going to happen, but I also know he's going to come around. He just needs some time to realize it, doesn't mean that mean while you can't tease him a bit. Louis is definitely an ass man just a little hint." Mike winks and Harry laughs and pushes him away playfully.
"Seriously though, you should make some moves. Here I was thinking I was going to kiss you under the stars and instead I'm giving you love advice." Harry gasps in response.
"Do you think I'm that easy?" Mike shrugs and Harry pushes him even harder. Mike laughs before standing up and reaching out his hand to help Harry stand.
"I know what we have to do, we're going to make him jealous! Just follow my lead c'mon let's go back." Mike says before shoving the blanket back into the basket and leading them back down the path.
Amber, Lottie, and Louis are all standing at their grandparent's dock. They've turned on the lanterns and they're all wrapped in their towels sitting on the bench. Curtis must have left already.
"Where were you two then?" Lottie asks with a smirk when Mike and Harry approach them.
"Just doing some star gazing," Mike says with a wink and slips his arm around Harry's shoulder. Harry was kinda expecting this whole making Louis jealous thing to not work but Louis's eyes were trained on Mike's arm.
"Stargazing mmh, okay more like kissing under the stars." Amber teases and Mike pretends to zip up his lips and throw away the key. Lottie and Amber howl and laugh. Louis just kinda sits there with a pressed lip smile.
Mike slips his hand away before wishing everyone a goodnight. He pulls Harry away for a second, "He looks pretty jealous and angry right now so it's safe to say he definitely likes you. I hope he comes around soon, it was nice to meet you, Harry. Now let's hug goodnight to finish this off." Mike says pulling Harry in for a hug.
"Thank you, I hope you meet someone who deserves you and goodnight." Mike squeezes him harder and pats his back in appreciation before leaving.
He watches Mike leave and stands there for a few seconds trying to collect his thoughts and have some alone time before he walks over to the group again.
He's turning around to leave because it's starting to get chilly when he almost has a heart attack. Louis is standing right there with Harry's towel in his hand.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to get this to you because it's getting quite chilly, and to ask if you want to go back inside?" Harry takes the towel and wraps it around his body.
"Thank you, and yeah that would be nice I'm feeling a little tired." Harry says and he's proud of himself for getting through that whole sentence without getting distracted by how beautiful Louis looks.
His hair was all messy from being in the water and his eyes are sleepy and he just looks so soft. Harry wants to cuddle with him. They stay like that for a few seconds both in awe of each other without knowing it.
"Okay, then let's go in right now before the girls notice we're gone and make us stay out here any longer." Louis says and they sneakily make it back into the house.
They're both giggling like idiots at making it back in the house without being caught. Everyone is probably asleep because the house is quiet and empty.
Louis leads them back into their room. It takes Harry by surprise when Louis pins him to the door and takes his face in between his hands before planting his lips on Harry's.
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A long chapter because you all deserve it for my absence I'm sorry this took forever thank you all for being so patient and I hope this chapter is good enough?
endless love for you all thank you for reading xx
favorite song off fine line?? and what song are you most excited to hear off walls? ( i claim defenceless that's my baby )
this chapter is dedicated to: ❤️❤️mukeshousehold alma_mia_16