Young & Beautiful

us? I’m unrelenting and I’m stubborn and I always win, Harry, I do. So let me love you, you great
big oaf, and come live next to me so I can be clingy and needy and kiss you every day, okay?” He
finishes with a smile, tugs Harry closer to him and pecks a kiss to his cheek. Harry giggles a bit
like the little gumdrop he is, glancing downward, shy. Louis tilts his face back up with his
forefinger. “Okay?” he repeats softly with a smile.
Harry smiles, allows himself to relax as he gazes at Louis.
“’M not used to this,” he mumbles after a moment. “I’m afraid I’m, like, doing it wrong.”
Louis laughs, just a bit, under his breath.
“Does it feel right? What you’re doing?”
Harry shrugs, eyes still caught on Louis.
“Yeah. I guess, yeah.”
“Then you’re doing it right.”
“That simple?” Harry asks, looking so small and beautiful and small as he sighs and curls into
Louis, resting his head upon his shoulder.
Louis warms, wraps his arms around his long, lithe body.
“That simple,” he promises into his hair.
A sweet moment of silence follows, their breath filling the space of the room.
“So you’re moving,” Louis continues eventually. He’s smiling through the words, smiling because
Harry is growing, because things are just good right now. “Officially. Away from your father.”
He feels Harry nod.
A pause.
Harry plays with a hole in Louis’ cardigan.
Louis pecks the top of his head with a kiss. “I’m proud of you. Like, I’m always proud of you, but
right now? I’m even more proud of you. You’re doing the right thing, Harry. And I know it’s not
easy.”
He feels Harry swallow.
“Thank you,” his voice says, small.
“We can visit him a lot, you know,” Louis says, beginning to slide his fingers across Harry’s
scalp, catching the curls. “As much as you like.”
At that, Harry stirs, lifts his head to look at Louis.
“We can?” he asks, surprised. “You—you want to meet my father?”
Louis smiles, soft, so soft. “Of course. I want to meet him lots of times.”
Harry positively beams.