Chapter Text
Louis and Harry are sitting beside one another in a movie theater, one whose lights haven’t dimmed yet as people file into empty seats. They’ve both got their own popcorn bags, and this is their first attempt at a real date.
It was a little bit awkward, when Harry had come to pick Louis up at his house and pretend to introduce himself to Louis’s mother (who was hysterically laughing at how cute she found the entire situation, but went along anyway).
It was also a little bit awkward the car ride there, and Louis had begun to worry that their dynamic is already changing. He’s reassured, though, when Harry throws a piece of popcorn at him and giggles in his usual way when the younger boy scowls.
Harry takes Louis’s hand in his, and squeezes it. Louis’s heart inflates, and he lets himself lean into his best friend - and now boyfriend? It’s still strange to even think it. With a yawn, the curly haired boy stretches and puts his arm over Louis in the classic, cliche way, and immediately they’re laughing, unable to even pretend to be serious.
When they’re no longer chuckling, Harry’s eyes fall down to Louis’s lips and he slowly starts to lean in. Louis doesn’t know why he’s so afraid - they’ve kissed before, but this seems more real, now that they’re more real. Their lips hover in front of each other’s, but before they can touch, someone is clapping Harry on the back and nudging him forward.
“Sorry to interrupt, lads,” Zayn smirks evilly. “The lads and I just thought we’d catch a movie tonight. Funny seeing you here, innit?” He’s standing beside Liam and Niall, all happily holding snacks and drinks. Louis will murder each of them individually.
“I hate all of you,” Harry grumbles at them, and they’re laughing now.
“What, you think we’d miss out on our best mates’ first date?” Niall scoffs, plopping onto a seat the row behind them. “I’ve got the best seat in the house.”
“Please don’t make out,” Liam whispers with a wide smile, and Harry narrows his eyes before he speaks.
“Just for this, you assholes, we’re gonna make out the entire time.” Louis, who had been sipping on his soda, nearly chokes on it as he coughs in surprise at Harry’s words.
“Um, no we’re not!” He’s not doing that with his three neighbors watching them. He has some dignity, thank you very much.
“Alright, fine. But we’re gonna make out when we get home, right?” He’s blinking his big green eyes at Louis, looking so hopefully and sad and pretty, and Louis nearly breaks down and sobs in the middle of the theater.
“Yes,” his cheeks turn a little pink, and their friends pretend to barf all over the floor.
~
It’s a drizzly Sunday morning and the Varsity team has just won another match. The crowds erupt into screams, whoops, and hollers. They wave banners and screech - the team is going to the championship, this means.
Louis jumps up and down, hugging Liam in the process. He’s wrapped up in Harry’s jacket, again, and spots his boyfriend running towards him excitedly. He’s got a mix of sweat and rainwater on his cheeks, and he probably smells awful, but Louis doesn’t mind.
Harry reaches him, and pulls him in quickly to kiss his mouth. It isn’t some girl this time, it’s Louis, and now he knows that those girls were only there to help Harry not to think about him so much. He’s elated, and ecstatic, and content. When he kisses back, Harry purrs happily, and picks him up just a little bit.
And, yeah, Harry smells like a rotten, smelly, old sock. But so what? He’s cute enough that it’s okay.
“You look so adorable in my jacket,” he whispers into Louis’s neck, causing the hairs on the back of the boy’s neck to rise. Harry peppers kisses into Louis’s cheeks. “So. So. So. Cute.”
“You’re cute,” Louis mutters, and Harry hugs him tighter.
~
The unfortunate part of officially dating Harry is that the other boy is no longer allowed into his room anymore, according to Louis’s mother. It had been one thing when they were friends, but now they’re limited to the living room, kitchen, and. That’s about it, really.
Luckily, Jay has left the house for about fifteen minutes to fetch Lottie from Zayn’s house, and Harry and Louis are lying on the couch. Well, more like grinding on the couch, but.
Louis is underneath his lifelong best friend, kissing hungrily into his mouth and tugging on his hair. Harry keeps pulling harder on him, fisting at his shirt and pants. It stops being serious every five minutes or so, though, when one of them starts giggling and then they’re laughing into it because this is all so new and funny and strange.
“Baby Louis,” Harry smirks as he pulls away slightly to look at him, and Louis groans.
“For God's sake, can you not call me that when you’re kissing me, please?”
“My Baby Louis,” Harry croons, ignoring Louis’s whines and complaints as he pinches his cheek and laughs at the other’s discomfort. “Alright, fine. How about just ‘My Louis’?"
“I like that,” Louis replies quietly, and they pull each other back in again.
~
15 Years Later
Louis opens the overhead carriage and throws the baby bag into it, nearly breaking a sweat as he tosses the ridiculously heavy luggage up into the compartment.
“It’s like we’re walking around with bloody cinderblocks,” he mutters, and a mother behind him snorts under her breath. At least she understands.
Harry’s got one baby on his hip, and he’s holding the other’s hand as she ushers carefully towards her seat. Ella’s never been on an airplane before, and her apprehension is well understood.
“It’s alright, love,” Harry assures her as she takes the window seat. She smiles up at him, but it’s a scared smile. Louis sits himself into the middle seat, and takes his daughter’s hand, while Harry takes the aisle and bounces baby Henry on his lap.
Henry giggles happily, chewing on his fingers, and Harry kisses the top of his head. He then does the same to Louis’s head.
“I want a kiss on my head,” Ella complains, and Harry makes a dramatic show of leaning across the two seats to kiss her. She laughs the entire time, and he makes a silly face at her.
“Take this,” Louis hands their six year old a piece of gum. “Chew it when the plane takes off. It’ll help your ears to pop.”
“My ears to pop?” Her eyes widen with fear. “They’re gonna explode?!”
“No, of course not,” Louis tries his best not to smile, because he doesn’t want her to think he’s laughing at her. He can hear Harry muffling a laugh behind his hand. “It relieves the pressure from your ears, because otherwise you’d get a headache. It has to do with the fact that we’re gonna fly so high in the air.
“Oh,” she says, but he can tell she doesn’t fully understand. Thankfully, she removes the piece from the wrapper and chews on it anyway. As for Henry, they had bottle fed him before they boarded the plane - which Louis had read is supposed to help.
“Is Disney World beautiful?” Ella asks as she chews rather loudly.
“Yes,” Harry hums. “Daddy and I went there together as children.”
“When you were best friends?” She asks, because Ella knows the story (loves the story) of how they were neighbors before they ever dated. She finds it delightfully romantic… Probably because Louis lets her watch too many romantic comedies before bed.
“Correct,” Louis nods at her, and she grins up at them.
“I hope I meet a princess,” she says.
“You’ll meet all of them,” Harry promises, and her eyes widen with delight. She’s excited now, fidgeting in her seat and seemingly forgetting her fear of flying. Harry leans across the seat when she isn’t looking to press his mouth to Louis’s.
~
Henry is in the stroller they had rented from the park, and Ella is holding Louis’s hand and jumping up and down. She’s wearing Minnie Mouse ears, and waiting for the fireworks to begin under Cinderella’s castle.
Harry glances down at the baby, who looks utterly exhausted from the long day, and his eyes are drooping. The poor kid is in for a wake-up call when the loud fireworks start, which is why they had put earmuffs over his tiny little ears.
The show begins, and their daughter lets go of Louis’s hand to clap and cheer and dance. They watch her, and Louis doesn’t know about Harry, but there are tears in his eyes.
Sue him, though, for being an emotional parent in the happiest place on Earth.
The colors explode against the night sky, and Harry pulls Louis to him. They kiss slowly, happily, and Louis feels thirteen again. He remembers how hastily and nervously they had kissed. Harry’s hands find his waist and Louis pulls him closer. This time is different. They mold together because they aren't afraid and hesitant anymore, nor are they as desperately eager.
They lips move synchronously, and they smile halfway through it. Louis opens his eyes, and Harry pecks him one more time before they pull apart.
“Are you gonna apologize for it, this time?” Louis teases, and Harry chews on his lip. They're still in each other's arms.
“No, I won’t.”
~
The End.