Tainted Love

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E P I L O G U E

1 year later

Both are in the most beautiful phase of their relationship so far. And Louis couldn't be happier because a month ago he finished his tour with mixed feelings and has been on vacation with Harry ever since. Both have rented a small house in Jamaica for several weeks and are enjoying the complete peace and quiet.

The two of them don't do much else than cook together -okay, Louis watches more, sitting on the kitchen counter like he always does-, swimming in the sea and sinking into kisses with their seawater-salted mouths, having sex in every room and place and just enjoying their relationship in all its little things.

At this very moment they are both sitting in the shade of the terrace of the holiday home. Harry sits across from him on the sun lounger, his legs bent and a drawing pad lying on it, on which he draws something engrossed and with a concentrated expression that Louis can't see from this angle. He himself puffs happily on his cigarette and silently watches Harry as his hand moves eagerly over the paper with the pen. It's peaceful. And so damn perfect to finally be asking the questions of all questions.

He's had a ring in his pocket for months, just waiting for the perfect moment. Louis didn't want to plan something big, or plan it in general, just wait until it felt right. And that moment is now, here at this beautiful piece of earth with only the love of his life in the absolute stillness of an afternoon, only the sound of the sea as the only sound in the background. Here and now, where it's only Louis and Harry, both appreciating what they have in each other more than ever.

Louis has never been so sure about anything like this - he loves Harry so much and wants to spend the rest of his life with him. Slowly he takes one last drag of his cigarette and puts it out, runs his fingers through his fringe and is now getting a little nervous. Unobtrusively and with slow movements, he feels his trousers for the ring he almost always carries with him and finds it exactly where he put it this morning. Taking a last deep breath, he stands and slowly walks over to Harry's sun lounger and sits in the empty space at the bottom.

"Could you take a short break from painting baby?" he asks gently, stroking Harry's ankle.

Snapped out of his concentration, Harry looks up, almost startled, but then gives him a bright smile in response.

Louis doesn't quite know where to begin now that he has Harry's attention. Again and again he opens and closes his mouth and yet not a word comes out.

"Are you alright Lou?" Harry asks, giggling in irritation.

Louis clears his throat and nods. "Yes... um, what are you drawing?"

Inwardly, however, he scolds himself for backing down instead of just pulling Harry close, asking him, or just doing anything in general.

"I'm actually done, but I keep finding little details. It's a very important piece of clothing. Would you like to see it?" Harry asks, smiling so lovingly that Louis can't help but nod.

Harry crawls across the lounger right next to him. Their bare legs in their shorts touch as they sit next to each other and Louis feels like a teenager making physical contact with his crush for the first time. His heart is racing and his palms are starting to sweat. At this moment he becomes aware of the consequences of his decision and how much he is under Harry's spell, even after all the years together.

It's so difficult for him to think clearly and he decides to focus his full attention on what Harry wants to show him, what has become so important to him and brings so much joy. Harry is so much more balanced in general since he can get away in his own world of designing and no longer has to take trips from continent to continent to walk the catwalks of this world.