I Love You But I Can't Breathe

Chapter Two

"Can you pass me that coffee mug, mum?" Harry asked, as Anne was rifled through the cupboard to make herself a cup of tea.

"The rainbow one?" Anne asked, holding it out in question.

"Yeah, that one," Harry smiled, tucking his curls back behind his bandana.

"You know, I thought when you said you were moving in with Louis it would be a little less... rushed," Anne said, handing Harry his mug and pouring the hot water into her own teacup. "You're still young, sweetie."

"First of all," Harry said indignantly, pausing to wrap the mug in newspaper, "I'm not moving in with Louis, I'm moving into a house with Liam, Niall, and Louis. Secondly," he said, sealing up his box of mismatched kitchen supplies with a long stripe of tape, "I'm nineteen, mum. Most of my friends already moved out last year. Don't make me end up as one of those forty year olds that still lives with their mother," he said, laughing a little as he struggled to get the box to stay shut.

"It's just hard to see you all grown up," she sighed, stirring her tea. "Feels like just yesterday I was sending you off to your first day of school... now you're off living with your boyfriend."

"We technically have separate rooms," Harry pointed out. "Probably won't even be sharing a bed or whatever," he shrugged, biting his cheek to keep from smiling.

"Well I appreciate you lying for your mum," Anne said, "so I'll just pretend to believe that, alright?"

Harry turned away so his mother couldn't see him laughing.

"Just be, you know... safe?"

"Eww, mum!" Harry said, covering his reddening face with his hands. "We don't need the talk, okay?"

"Sorry, sorry," Anne said, sipping her tea as her cheeks turned pink.

"It's not like I can even get pregnant," Harry mumbled as he grabbed his box and marched it out of the kitchen into the front hallway.

He could hear his mum laughing from the other side of the house.

* * *

Harry felt the sand between his toes as he sprinted along the beach, his legs pumping as he chased after Louis, the salty spray of the water flecking his slowly tanning skin. His lungs gasped for air as he tried to keep up with his boyfriend. Despite his height, when Louis was running, he was off like a lightning bolt. "Give it back!" Harry squealed, giggling as he slowed to a stop, struggling a little to catch his breath.

Louis put Harry's wide brimmed black hat on, his fringe sticking down to his forehead as he gripped tight to the brim so the younger boy couldn't snatch it away from him.

"Ooh look at me, I'm Harry, I got a job at an indie boutique and now I think I'm a hipster," Louis mocked, his voice slowing to match Harry's ambling tone.

"Fuck off," Harry huffed, still giggling and somehow still out of breath.

"You look like you're a farmer in an indie band," Louis teased. "You're in a middle-of-nowhere town, babe, you've got to go to a big city if you want to be a proper hipster," Louis winked, giving Harry his hat back.

Harry tugged it into place, happy with the way it framed his lengthy curls. "Don't want to move to a big city," Harry said. "Just want to be with you."

"Good," Louis said. "Don't Zayn on me."

Harry covered his mouth with his hand and snorted, before he tried to turn serious. "You can't get mad at everyone who leaves here," Harry said gently, chest heaving a little. He was still trying to catch his breath- maybe he should really go jogging with Liam more often.

"When did you get so out of shape, curly?" Louis teased, easily evading the subject as usual, reaching for Harry's soft tummy and tickling.

Harry couldn't stop laughing, and his knees were quick to give out under him; before he knew it, he was on the sand and Louis was crawling up on top of him.

"Hey," Harry whispered.

"Hey," Louis smirked, moving his hips against Harry's as he kissed him, his lips parting against the younger boy's, somehow always knowing exactly what to do with his lips, with his hands, with his body...

Harry whined, embarrassed- swatting Louis' hands away from his hips where he was most sensitive. He was always too quick to get excited, and Louis found it entertaining. Harry found it maddening. Having a hot boyfriend wasn't always easy to manage.  

Louis smiled as he pressed his lips back to his boyfriend's. "I'm not gonna fuck you on a beach, you know," he whispered, his eyes glinting with amusement. "There's some places sand just doesn't belong."

Harry laughed and tilted his back up to meet Louis' lips again. Their kissing flicked between sweet and romantic, and lust-driven and frantic. Louis had just bit Harry's lower lip and was running his hands across his full thighs, when Harry let out an irritated whine.

"What's up, babe? Did I bite too hard?" Louis asked, pushing his fringe away from his eyes as he looked at Harry's lip.

"No, no... it's my leg. I think I'm getting a rash," Harry mumbled, blushing a little.

Louis laughed so hard he rolled off of Harry and onto his back, hand over his stomach, eyes crinkled shut as he let out long heaving laughs. "That... is the... least... the least sexiest thing you could say right now..." Louis managed to get out. "Oh my God, I fucking love you."

Harry started laughing too, reaching for Louis' hand as the older boy still shook with laughter.

"Are you alright though?" Louis asked.

"S'alright, just itchy," Harry shrugged.

"My poor Hazza," Louis said, drawing Harry closer for a kiss. "My poor, sexy, rashy boyfriend."

"You're gonna be a joy to live with," Harry mumbled, fighting a smile.

"I surer am." Louis pulled his set of keys out of his shorts pocket and dangled them in front of Harry. "Gonna have a set just like this for you by tomorrow."

Harry grinned, leaning over to peck Louis on the lips.

"One condition though," Louis said, smiling conspiratorially.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, his heart rate picking up.

"Road trip," Louis said, simply, running his hands across Harry's broad chest. "You, me, Niall, Payno... sorta like a house initiation if you will... then you get your keys."

"Yeah," Harry nodded quickly, looking up at his older boyfriend and the way that the sunlight hit his caramel fringe, his soft tan skin, and the stubble that was starting to peek through. Harry felt his chest tighten up, and he rolled away from Louis so he could let out a cough.

"You're a proper mess this week, aren't you babe?" Louis said, laughing a little as he pulled Harry closer again, his hand gently resting behind his head as he played with the curls at the nape of his neck. "You're not getting sick, are you?"

Harry shook his head before tilting his head back to curve into Louis' touch. "I'm fine," he said, wheezing a little as he sighed.

"I'm not taking your breath away, am I?" Louis smiled, his eyes crinkling around the corners.

"Something like that," Harry giggled.