All That You Are Is All I'll Ever Need

53

It's almost the last chapter.
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It's a shiver that rolls up Louis' spine that wakes him up, and it's the absence of warmth beside of him that makes him sit up. The clock flashes a warm, red 3:02 a.m., and Louis' eyelids drip down. He palms them, a short yawn falling from his lips; a breeze ruffles his hair, not cold, but not particularly warm either, and that's when he sees Harry. The balcony doors are wide open, curtains pulled back, and Harry is sitting on the balcony floor, his legs criss-crossed.

His skin is moon-dipped, the soft edges of his shoulder blades creating small shadows down the expanse of his back. His lengthy curls are pulled loosely into a messy bun on the back of his head, a few stray pieces falling all around his face from what Louis can see. Harry is completely naked, aside from a pair of boxers (the ones he pulled off of Louis and threw onto the floor before) that look so big on him compared to his usual choice in bottoms.

Louis blinks, his boy sitting peacefully still in the cool, night air. He considers calling him back to bed, asking if he's okay. He doesn't want to break the night, though, the thin air that surrounds the world at such an early hour. So instead he quietly rolls out of bed, pushing the sheets aside and pressing his bare feet to the cool floor. He doesn't bother putting anything on, instead tip toes across the flooring, tongue pressed to his cheek in a mixed emotion.

The distant city is lit up behind the small patch of trees and park that separates the university life downtown. Yellow fairy lights wrap around the trees that line the pavement, making dim lights cast around the empty life around them. The end of the summer sky is beautiful and clear, moon big as it shines down on them, and the stars glitter throughout the black sky. They're the brightest things in the sky and they make them both feel equally small.

Except then Louis looks down and catches Harry's eyes from where he sits on the floor of the balcony, expression soft and peaceful, and Louis has never looked into anything so luminous.

(He has never felt so big, never felt so important.)

"Hi," Harry breathes, as if staring at Louis is the most breathtaking form of oxygen.

Louis bites his bottom lip, feeling all so exposed with the way Harry's looking in his eyes, like he's conjuring up some purpose for every time he has blinked that led his eyes to his. He feels overwhelmed.

Harry reaches out his hand, touching Louis' bare hip, fingers slowly edging down his bare leg till he is grasping his ankle. "Sit down?" he whispers.

All Louis can manage is a swallow, a quick nod following up his throat. He watches Harry pat at his crissed-crossed legs, and he feels his heart race. When he sits down in Harry's lap, he doesn't just sit down, he curls up, laying his head against Harry's shoulder. Harry wraps his arm around Louis' back and connects both his hands at Louis' naked hip.

Louis meets Harry's eyes to find Harry already looking at him, frown on his lips. "Sorry I took your pants."

He nuzzles Harry's shoulders. "It’s okay," he whispers, looking up at the sky, "it's beautiful out here."

Harry hums in agreement, his arms tightening around Louis' bare form.

"Is that why you're out here?" he murmurs.

Harry sighs deeply, shaking his head. "No," he answers honestly. He pauses, biting his lip, "it has almost been a year."

Louis swallows. "It has, hasn't it?"

"It feels longer," Harry whispers, laying his cheek on top of Louis' head, "I would have never come this far, this fast, without you, y’know."

"Hey," he draws out quietly, biting his lip, "this was all you, Harry. You're the one that made it this far, not me."