Falling In Manchester

Chapter Twenty- Louis

Waking up next to Harry, in his childhood home, was probably the best thing Louis could have wished for on his birthday. Harry was pressed up against his chest, his curls tickling Louis' nose.

Louis pressed himself closer. Harry was just so warm, and Louis felt so utterly cold without him. He inhaled his sent, exhaling deeply.

"Did you just sniff me?" came Harry's deep rumble. Slowly, he turned around in Louis' grasp so that they lay face to face. A soft smile was on his face, and Louis was so, so tempted to just lean in and kiss him.

"I so did," whispered Louis. "A problem?"

"Nah." Harry yawned. "Lou?"

"Mhm?"

"Happy birthday, love."

Butterflies basked in Louis' stomach. "And Merry Christmas to you." He placed a kiss on Harry's forehead. "You look so adorable right now."

"Shut up," giggled Harry. He pulled Louis' body closer to him by the waist.

"Why would I ever do that?" Louis asked, hiding his face in Harry's neck. "Fuck, you smell so good."

Harry chuckled. "How does it feel like to be twenty-two?"

"Pretty much the same as twenty-one, not gonna lie."

"I figured." Harry traced his fingers over Louis' spine underneath the T-shirt Louis had worn to bed. Goosebumps erupted on Louis' skin, and he sighed wistfully.

"This is perfect. Can we please just stay in bed all day?"

"You know we can't, love," Harry softly said. "It's the best day of the year. My boyfriend's birthday."

"And Christmas."

"Who cares about that sort of thing when there's you to celebrate?"

Louis blushed. "It has never truly felt like that."

Harry kissed the crown of his head. "I'm planning on trying to change that. You deserve to feel so, so celebrated."

Louis smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Can I start by giving you your birthday present?" Harry asked, propping up on his elbow.

"I wouldn't mind," Louis chuckled softly.

"Wait here." Harry kissed his forehead, slowly getting out of the bed.

Louis let his eyes follow Harry as he walked over to his bag on the floor. He was wearing a blue T-shirt with a duck on it, and his boxer briefs. Louis' eyes were glued to his arse as he bowed down.

"Lou, I can feel you staring." He began rummaging through his bag, chuckling softly as he did so.

"Can't help it when you look like that, Baby," Louis said.

"Sure." Harry shook his head amusedly, turning around. He was holding a small package in his hand, wrapped in red paper. "It's not that much, but I hope you like it."

"I'm sure it will be perfect," Louis said as Harry sat down in the bed beside him. Harry placed the present in his lap, Louis running his fingers over it. On one side it was soft, the other hard. "Can I open it?"

Harry wet his lips, nodding. "Yeah, you can."

Slowly, Louis unwrapped the paper, revealing the insides. A low gasp fell from his lips. "Oh, Haz." Inside was a copy of Jane Austin's Emma, tab after tab sticking out of it. The spine was broken, the corners slightly worn. When Louis flicked through it, he saw annotation after annotation, a warm feeling settling in his chest.