Louis was beaming as he swung their joint hands between them, his steps light and a bit bouncy as he couldn't contain his happiness. The park was a bit crowded today, the weather being a perfect mix of warm and sunny, but Louis absolutely loved how packed it was anyways. He was quite the people pleaser.
Harry, on the other hand, was more of the shy one between them. He tended to hate public places that were too crowded, like airports or busy restaurants, because he tended to get a little claustrophobic. His husband never minded though, always trying to test Harry's limits in order to encourage him more and more, and the taller has been slowly improving.
'You know,' Louis started, his blue eyes scanning the surroundings around them as they continued walking down the gravel path. 'I've been thinking about something a lot lately.'
Harry quirked up an eyebrow, facial expression resembling a mix of confusion and excitement. If this conversation was what he thought it was, anyone would be excited too.
'Yeah?' The younger inquired, pulling slightly on his husband's hand to get them to stop walking. Harry was terrible with multitasking, and this conversation seemed to be heading into a serious category that required a lot more thinking.
It always took Harry a little while to process all the words he wanted to say, and he was quite grateful that Louis seemed to understand. The shorter man smiled up at him though, deciding to take it upon himself to lead them over to a nearby empty bench.
As soon as they sat down, Louis let a nervous puff of breath escape through his lips. Harry noticed right away that they were red, bitten, a habit that his husband has had since they were kids. Harry smiled in reassurance though, soothingly brushing the pad of his thumb over Louis' knuckles.
Louis seemed content for the moment, his back pressing against the wood of the bench as he thought. It usually never takes the shorter one too long before he spoke his mind.
'How would you- no, scratch that. Um, how should I say this?' Louis grumbled to himself, obviously not meaning for Harry to have heard the second part, but his husband seemed to have anyways.
Harry chuckled softly, his hand reaching up to cup the back of Louis' neck instead. Louis became pliant almost immediately, a soft, content sigh leaving his mouth at the action. Harry knew that his usually-loud husband almost always needed some kind of physical touch to calm him down, keep him grounded in a way.
'Just breathe, Lou.'
Louis nodded, taking a couple deep breaths to himself before trying to speak again.
'I know we've talked about this before-,' he started, and just by the tone of his voice, Harry knew that he had been right about this conversation.
'-and, if you're up for it, I believe that we are in a good place right now to actually talk through this,' Louis barely finished his sentence, having been thrown into his husband's embrace immediately.
'Oh my God, Lou! Yes! Yes, yes, yes,' Harry repeated in a mantra, his eyes already brimming with unshed tears of joy.
Louis smiled into the embrace, clutching onto his husband just as tight. They probably looked weird and crazy, hugging up and crying on a park bench like two schoolgirls reacting to boy drama within their school. He wouldn't have it any other way though.
Harry pulled away for a brief moment, lips perking as he silently asked for a kiss, and Louis rolled his eyes fondly before closing the distance between them.
'I can't wait to start a family with you, Lou.'
***
Harry glared at the red, stamped letters on the form. Angry tears had made themselves present a few moments ago, but this had been the first time that he had cried in a long while.
His own words had started to circulate around his head, replaying that memory over and over, and Harry hated it. He had been doing so well too, and he just couldn't believe that this one piece of paper from a couple years ago had ruined everything.
It's been a few months now since Harry had moved back in with his mother. His family have been very supportive and caring of him, and had even helped him set up counseling, as well as meetings meant for alcoholics. They were obviously trying to get himself cleaned up and sober, and Harry really appreciated it, he did.
He hasn't really thought of Louis lately, knowing that the more he did, the more hurt he'd become; but that hasn't made things any easier either. The first week he had moved in with his mother, she had helped him sort through all of their stuff, but eventually, Harry had had enough and decided that he wasn't going to get rid of anything that was once Louis'.
He kind of regrets that now.
His eyes trailed over the sheet again before he crumpled it up and threw it at the wall opposite of him. He couldn't stand reading the word 'Void' on their adoption application anymore. It hurt, hurt so much knowing that people were still homophobic enough to deny a child a forever home, a family, just because they didn't share the same beliefs.
Harry sniffled once more as he laid down on his childhood bed, his thoughts whirring around inside his head. They never got to have a family together, but that wasn't what had made Harry so upset.
All he can see was the pure sadness and dejection that Louis had sported once that red stamp came down onto the paper. It was an expression of complete failure, an expression that Harry had never seen his husband have before.
997 words
Unedited
If there's any mistakes, please let me know; I'd like to learn from them, and your help to point them out would be appreciated.
~Abby Xx
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Forget Me Not (L.S)
Fanfiction"Life is cruel, but you must move on." That was what Louis had told him once, when everything was falling apart around him. Harry's husband was a fighter, while he himself was a coward. However, after tragedy strikes, Harry must take heed to Louis'...
