The Sun and His Moon

30

Bright lights flashed in front of Harry's eyes, sweaty bodies pressed against each other. It was impossible to think that he was in clubs like that almost every night before Louis had turned him into a homebody. He nursed his drink, watching his boy laugh with his friends. It was beautiful, watching him bloom like that. He was a social butterfly, a very pretty one at that. The waiter was hovering around him, trying to see when he would finish his whiskey and order another. His eyes flashed towards the guards staring right at him from twenty meters away. Everybody here knew he was the Crown Prince and they probably thought he was looking for a good time. That he still was the same man before Louis, the man with different people in his bed every night. His life had done a complete 360 since he had decided Louis was the one for him. Just last year he would've never wanted to go home and press his face into someone's neck but there he was, staring at Louis. 

Louis couldn't dance, that was for sure but he certainly made up for that lacking with his arse. Harry walked slowly towards him like a predator trails its prey. Except his prey wasn't Louis, heavens knew that was something kept for the alternate universes. No, his prey was a man who'd gotten too comfortable with Louis. Something about him in the close proximity of another man made him see red. His hands slipped around Louis' waist. "You're putting on a show for everyone, baby?" he asked. It was a rhetorical question and Louis would be dumb to answer that. He simply batted his eyelashes, he knew exactly how to make Harry forget everything and of course it worked. Harry squeezed his waist, whispering, "mine." And damn, Harry knew he was tightly wound around his finger and there was no way he was unravelling in this lifetime. 

"Y'know we never expected you with our Tommo," Zayn said pointedly and Louis' hand gripped Harry's one. "Shut up, Malik," Louis glared. "But we are really happy for Louis of course. You make him smile," Liam added, flagging down a waiter. "Of course I make him smile. Have you seen how lovely it is? You would've been the same if you had him," Harry said matter-of-factly. Louis took a drag from his cigarette, closing his eyes. It felt so fucking peaceful without worrying your friends would piss your boyfriend off. Without the worry that he would leave you in the middle of the night. "Lou, we get that you're like a cat but spare Harry's back," Zayn chuckled and Louis' eyes shot open. "And this is why you're Mrs Malik's biggest disappointment," he deadpanned, leaning on Harry. "I do have a bad back, baby," Harry added with a playful glint in his eyes and Louis looked like he was ready to make a kill. Well, hypothetical kill. 

"D'you want to go home, honey?" Louis asked after a while and Harry's face lit up. Home. "Yeah let's go," he answered with a smile. Louis didn't leave Harry's side even when they were putting on their coats and the bumps on his hips were worth being close to him. Everything was worth it if the prize was him. He'd even cheat if Harry was the prize in question. 

Even if you asked Harry how he'd ended up in the thrifted bookshop at ten on a Saturday night, he wouldn't answer. Because of course, telling the truth would expose exactly how whipped he was for the boy with the big blue eyes that drove him crazy. He watched Louis browse the shelves filled with books wrapped in dusty jackets, flashing an apologetic smile at the owner who looked like she was counting the minutes on the old grandfather clock. 

Harry had lost track of time, answering emails on his phone when Louis pulled at his sleeve. "I'm done. Let's go and maybe you'll get a kiss," he smiled. "This is how hard I have to work for a single kiss nowadays then?" he asked, hand flying to his chest. "Yeah, you didn't get the memo?" he asked playfully and Harry simply pressed a kiss to his lips. "I always win, love," he smirked. 

Harry had slipped into the washroom after getting home but not without watching Louis saunter into the living room with his pile of books. When he got out of the master bedroom with a towel, he certainly did not expect the sight in front of him. Louis was sat on the floor, carefully erasing the prices written in pencil on the books. And the first thought in his head when he saw the sight wasn't 'I'm dating a freak." No, it was 'That's exactly something my lover would do.' Love isn't all about grand gestures and a million poetic ways of saying it. Love is watching your boyfriend do borderline crazy things and still think, 'Damn, I love that boy.' 

When Louis was droopy with sleep, that was when Harry could let his heart spill out. Knowing Louis probably won't remember any of it made it a little easier for Harry to actually speak. "I still see her in my dreams, Lou. It's so fucking scary, I feel like a helpless child," he whispered and Louis nodded. "Do you love me, Harry?" he asked, the sleep gone from his eyes. Harry's heart clenched, scared like he had been caught doing some horrible crime. "I do...of course I do. What sort of a question is that?" he muttered, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. It would look lovely in a brighter shade of white. "Then why can't you say these things to me when I'm awake?" he asked, eyes pleading. "I don't know," he answered curtly.

"I listen to everything you tell me, I can't sleep until you sleep. It hurts so fucking much, listening to you whisper all these horrible things that happened to you. My heart breaks every night because I don't get to hold you when you tell me these things in fear of you never letting me in anymore. Because, Harry, I desperately want to know more about you. I'm willing to give you as much time as you need but sometimes it feels like you trust my sleeping form more than me," he said softly and Harry felt lightheaded. Louis had heard every fucking thing in detail about him. He had heard exactly how his childhood was. "Lou, do you think I loved you on accident? Do you think it was easy? Cutting myself open and letting all this ugliness spill out? I'm trying my best I promise," he trembled, hands fisting the sheets under his palms. Harry could see Louis' eyes were watering, "And it's so scary knowing exactly how ugly I am on the inside. You could decide I'm not beautiful anymore and leave." Louis turned to face him, hand reaching to pet his cheek. "Bambi, I don't think I can leave. I learned how to love every side of you. Yes, even the so-called ugly sides. They deserve my love as much as your beautiful heart. I understand you need time and I have given you my whole life but please don't treat me like you don't trust me," he sighed, looking at Harry with eyes full of adoration. Harry knew he wasn't lying but if only he could just get it over with. Just show Louis that he was the one for him, the permanent one. The one he had his epic love story with.