old lovers hippie music

31. love

It's been a week since the two of them left London, packed Zayn's car with blankets, a tent and an ice packed cool box and started their five hour journey to a small camping site just over the Irish border, where no one was around, not a single human soul apart from them, the only company being wildlife animals.

Exiting the city, Louis' eyes had turned from tired and worn out to wide and vibrant as the scenery began to change, as the cars on the road began to grow less and the trees thickened, the spaces between villages and houses growing like vines.

By the time they passed the last sign of civilisation, it felt like a huge weight had lifted from Louis' shoulders, it had felt like every exhale thereafter was bringing up ghosts.

To Louis, London was friends and home and crowded bodies and constant attention and Harry, and something like steadiness. But lately it felt like every inch of his home was been invaded and crawled into by persistent bees, with clicking cameras and shouting him to look over, asking him for a selfie or an autograph.

On the car ride, Harry had babbled about his four step plan to make them a happy couple.

Step one: Louis finds himself;
Step two: They talk about everything;
Step three: Harry lists why they are perfect for each other;
Step four: They make hot, passionate love all night long.

Sounds easy to Louis.

They already completed step one and two, well, step one not entirely. But Louis spent a few sleepless nights sitting outside the tent on the grass, staring up at all the stars decorating the sky and breathing in the fresh air that cleansed his lungs from all the first and noises. Sometimes he even wandered around in the early morning, finding a waterfall hidden behind down hanging ivy, one of the most beautiful things Louis ever laid eyes on.

Of course he had brought Harry there as soon as the man woke up, both of them just sitting there all day without talking that much. Both in their individual minds, somewhere else. Just being there as a constant reminder that they don't have to do this alone like they thought they would all these months long.

But sometimes, Louis also liked to be alone to think, so he often did that when Harry was sleeping peacefully in the small tent, when he sat outside. He let his brain go where it wanted and took his time, the wildlife environment just working better with stuff like that than the capital of fucking England.

After a few nights he told Harry that he felt better already and that they should move on to step two, first because they don't have all year, and second because he might find himself in the process. Just like Harry said, together.

Then, there was a day where they sat around the fire one evening, talking for literally five hours, until their throats were hurting and the fire was already burnt down to black and white ash. They talked about everything they needed to work on, everything they did wrong. They told each other what they expect from their relationship and didn't hold back at that, said exactly what was on their minds.

For Harry that is feeling the love he pushed away for so long. Feeling the spark at every occasion possible, with random kisses or long hugs or cute little gestures, proofs that they care for each other.

For Louis that is wordless conversations and knowing looks, just the feeling that they really know each other, like they do.

For both of them that is talking to each other about bothers, and saying everything that is a weight on their shoulders, including the other one in everything.

Louis thinks, during that talk it was really helpful that they had been friends for so many years before they even started anything more. Because they didn't need to conceal anything, they were used to a bit of harshness and both sort of expected what the other one said he needed.