↱THAT'S ME IN THE SPOTLIGHT↲ ⇾larry stylinson⇽

Chapter 25

Louis dressed Harry, which had been a near-daily routine for weeks now anyway. There was a nervousness in the air and to do something so standard, so borrowed from the workplace, was oddly calming for the both of them.

If Harry dared dream he and Louis might last beyond the TV show, if he just let himself have a stupid fantasy- he could imagine their routine stretching out forever; Louis dressing him for every date they went on, dressing him for his first real job interview, his twenty-first birthday, his wedding.

Their wedding... if Harry let himself have a stupid fantasy.

Louis had taken two suit bags out of the closet like he was showing Harry gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. When Harry asked if he'd helped design them, he just gave a dismissive "Non."

Harry raised his eyebrows but all Louis let on was, "I might have had some thematic ideas."

Twin suits and coats had been made for them, different to each other but both in black and white. Harry thought he and Louis would definitely look like a couple.

Louis had put him in tight black pants that for a second Harry thought had sequins on them, but when he looked closer, he saw there were tiny birds embroidered into the fabric- swallows, by the shape of them. No two looked the same and by the amount Louis had paid, Harry certainly hoped they had been individually hand-embroidered in a matter of days.

Harry's shirt was white from the chest down but the collar, shoulders, and sleeves were black, and the fabric was so incredibly soft and smooth it almost felt like wearing nothing.

It wasn't anything he felt uncomfortable in- and he appreciated that, because Louis' outfit was a lot showier. It was incredibly nice to look at and to wear.

The pieces Harry was dressed in were the only ones ever made, and Harry felt lucky that they were his.

Louis seemed utterly indecisive, buttoning Harry's shirt up to the collar, then frowning and undoing two, three, four buttons.

He stepped back and shook his head, but when he stepped closer again to rebutton the shirt, he couldn't help himself from kissing Harry's neck right down to his collarbones before doing two buttons up again.

A frown came back to his face and then he and then he buttoned the top right up... and then, back open again.

"Are you nervous?" Harry had meant to say it jokingly, but the way it came out sounded dead serious.

"I just want it to be..." Louis settled on two buttons undone.

"Perfect. This isn't dressing you for your TV. It's dressing you for us. Well for me, mostly." he admitted with a smile as he fixed cufflinks into Harry's sleeves.

Harry inspected the silver on his wrist.

"Is that a fleur de lis?"

"It's an anchor, silly." Louis said softly.

"Swallows and anchors?"

"Rope and anchor." Louis passed a small box over to Harry.

Harry had an older sister; he recognized the Tiffany Blue.

Inside it was another set of cufflinks shaped like two tiny knots.

"Rope and anchor." Harry confirmed.

"Well, let's not dwell on it." Louis took the box back.