Wild and Unruly

Chapter 6

Louis lay awake in bed, blinking slowly and watching the guest room curtains billow away from the window in the cool spring air. He'd expected to drift off after Harry had gotten them tucked in, on account of being so post-coitally boneless and having slept so little over the past seventy-two hours, but even with the heavy, comforting presence of Harry's arm slung over his waist, he couldn't calm his mind. There was one thing in particular that was overshadowing all of Louis's swirling concerns. Try as he might, he couldn't stop dwelling on it, and it was keeping him awake.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when Harry made a grunting sound of amusement and snuggled closer, nuzzling into Louis's neck.

"What?" Louis whispered, shivering in Harry's warmth. He'd had a feeling that Harry wasn't asleep yet either -- something about the set of his muscles against Louis's back and the way he was breathing.

"Can't sleep?" Harry asked in a low hum. He'd hooked his chin over Louis's shoulder, and the words vibrated through Louis's body and made his heart expand.

Together, he thought, thrilling as the realization washed over him. We're together now.

Louis shook his head.

"Me neither," Harry murmured with a smile in his voice. He heaved a deep sigh, stroking Louis's side and trailing several kisses up his jaw before he went on. "Do you wanna go see them, then?"

Louis broke into laughter, flushing with pleasure as he felt Harry join in and shake with it behind him. He grinned as he nodded, glad he and Harry were on the same page.

Sally and Paul... Jolene.

"It's only natural you'd be so worried," Harry said with a hint of teasing condescension in his tone, "being a first-time parent and all." The words came out almost too fast, like Harry was so happy to have an opportunity to wind Louis up that he couldn't keep them inside long enough to get the comedic timing right. He pressed quick kisses into Louis's shoulder and neck as he waited for his response and burst into gleeful and infuriatingly cute giggles when Louis squawked in protest and rolled them over, elbowing Harry in the stomach and then hovering over him once he was flat on his back.

"You brought it up!" Louis shoved at Harry's shoulders, unable to stop grinning. The extent of his happiness was threatening to lift him right off the bed again, float him back up to the ceiling. He gave up his assault easily, letting Harry capture his wrists and tug him down for a sweet, toe-curling kiss.

"Come on," Harry said when they broke apart, squeezing Louis tight and then giving his ass a satisfying slap. "Let's get dressed. Jolene's probably wondering where the hell you've been."

They tugged wellies on over their sweats, Harry bundling Louis into his Carhartt jacket before they headed out the back door. It had been clear overnight, so it was chilly outside, and something about the way the pale sunlight was slanting down on the ranch out of the crisp blue sky made it feel even more like a Sunday to Louis. Like Easter almost, as they made their way over to the outbuildings hand in hand.

"Will they be sleeping?" he whispered, not wanting to disturb the stillness of the morning.

"Probably," Harry said, smiling down at him as they reached the barn.

Louis shivered involuntarily at the change in the air as Harry guided him through the door. It was heavy inside, muggy with the body warmth of the animals and thick with their scent, but not unpleasantly so. Louis snuggled into Harry's jacket as he looked around. He'd only seen the old wooden barn from the outside, only admired its classic silhouette from across the corral, not wanting to venture in and make himself even more of a nuisance. The interior was just as he'd imagined -- thick beams of oak, a hayloft toward the rear, straw all over the place, and horse stalls lining the walls.