home is where the heart is (but god i love the english) {l.s.}

all the rumours are true

Harry is flipping the bacon when he spots Louis emerging from his guest room. The omega looks sharper than usual today, wearing a fancy blazer and trousers and carrying his special briefcase.

"Well, well," Harry greets him. "Don't you look nice today."

"Saying I don't look nice on any other days?" Louis grumbles as he sits himself on the island and makes grabby hands for the plate of breakfast food. Harry can't help but feel a swell of pride at Louis' newfound eagerness to eat breakfast. Food that Harry made. It does wonders for his inner alpha.

"Not at all, baby," Harry winks. "I love it when you play Business Barbie." He's immediately rewarded with Louis' trademark scowl but as the omega dips his head to scoop up some more scrambled eggs, he can see the corners of his mouth turn up.

Harry serves himself breakfast and settles down next to Louis. They eat in silence for the most part, which has been common lately. Harry has been more tired than usual and he finds himself being content to just soak up Louis' company. Luckily, today is Friday, and they don't have practice on Monday for once, so he's wholeheartedly looking forward to the three-day weekend to relax.

Almost as if he can read Harry's mind, Louis speaks up.

"So, I was thinking. You deserve a little present for attending all the events you were supposed to these past months, and showing up on time to practice. Since it's a half-day practice, what do you say about making the trip down to London and spending the weekend there?" Louis proposes. "I can rent us a little hotel room, maybe we can see a show or go to a museum or two. I think it will be good to switch things up."

Harry feels his heart start to race, and he wonders if Louis can hear it. While he had mostly planned on leaving Louis alone this weekend, the fact that the omega actually wanted to spend more time with him is like music to Harry's ears. He's elated that Louis took the time to plan something special for him. That he recognized that Harry was on the precipice of feeling burnt out.

He can't control his beaming smile as he turns to Louis and nods. "That sounds like a great idea. We can have a proper road trip too. Haven't even shown you my playlist for that yet."

He watches as something like relief flashes on Louis' face and then the omega is leaping up from his chair.

"Perfect! Don't even worry about a thing," Louis calls as he begins sprinting around the apartment and grabbing different things to toss into Harry's day pack. "I'll pack for us and print out directions."

Harry can only watch fondly as the omega hurries in and out of each room, muttering to himself. He wouldn't be surprised if the contents of Louis' brain was colored-coded, compartmentalised, and kept in different sections.

He smiles into his morning smoothie and tries to think about how drastically different his life has become.

✦✧✦✧

Wheezing heavily, Harry sprints across the finish line, completing the last of the suicide drills, and he can already feel that familiar lightheadness coming on, so he simply drops to the ground in defeat, next to a groaning Niall. He's glad he prepared him and Louis a light breakfast this morning or else he'd definitely be seeing that breakfast all over the field.

Coach Luke has been running them ragged during each practice now that they have a regular match schedule. Harry had almost forgotten what it was like to be constantly sore and the cold sting of his nightly ice baths.

The two commiserate in silence until Harry sees a shadow blocking the sun.

He looks up to find Louis' unimpressed face holding out some kind of sports drink. It's a radioactive yellow and Harry thinks it resembles the piss of an extremely dehydrated person, but he takes it eagerly.