Chapter 7

Harry drifted in and out of sleep, warm and nestled into the blankets, only the rumbling of his own stomach finally rousing him into a semi-awake state. He stretched, freeing himself from the blanket cocoon, ready to restart the breakfast conversation he'd distracted them from earlier. Turning, he'd expected to see Louis, either still asleep, or waiting for him to wake up. What he hadn't expected was to be met only by a crumpled expanse of empty bed.

'Lou, morning again!', no reply, 'Lou, come back to bed and we can decide on breakfast…' still nothing. Finally getting out of bed, Harry made his way over to Louis' still-packed suitcases in the middle of the room, looking for a pair of boxers.

He'd just found a pair and was pulling them on, stomach still growling in hunger. Distracted and unaware, the delicate hands coming to rest on his hips made him jump. They were followed by gentle kisses placed on the back of his next and Louis pressing against him from behind, crowding into him. Still pressed up to Harry, Louis, now drawing small circles on each of Harry's hip bones, whispered, 'I've got a surprise for you...I hope you like it...'

With that, Louis moved his hands from where they had been resting and covered Harry's eyes. Not knowing where they were headed now, Harry placed his trust in Louis to know that whatever this surprise was that he'd like it. After a few steps he felt the carpet from the bedroom turn into cold tile. He could feel warm, damp, steam on his skin, scents of orange and ginger hanging in the air. Still 'blindfolded' Louis guided him across what Harry had worked out was the en-suite and said, 'I need my hands back for a minute, but it's still a surprise, so you need to keep your eyes shut.' Harry just nodded, agreeing.

Standing there with his eyes shut, a second or two passed before he felt Louis' hands at his hips again, this time gently pulling down the boxers he was wearing, Louis lifting each foot for him so he could step out of them. 'Can I open my eyes yet?'

'Just a couple more seconds love, not much longer now.' And stood there, naked now, eyes still shut, he heard the soft sounds of water lapping. 'Open your eyes', Louis said with tenderness clear in his voice.

And as he opened his eyes, Harry was met by a truly stunning sight. Blind closed, candles dotted around the room, and Louis, beautiful, gorgeous Louis, in a bath full of bubbles. 'Come and join me curly, I thought it would be a nice way to wake up.' Harry shook himself out of the trance he was in and stepped into the water, sinking down. Submerged, he lay there for a moment, taking in the sight of the man in front of him. It felt like such an intimate thing to be doing, tender. He found himself feeling strangely overwhelmed by it all. Only a few days ago, none of this had even felt like a possibility. And, here, now, he was surrounded by candles, sharing a bath with the man he loved.

Breaking into his thoughts, Louis nudged at his foot under the water, tangling their ankles together. 'Babe, why don't you come up here, this bath's massive, we can both fit at this end.' And reaching out a hand, Louis gently navigated Harry to fit between his legs, guiding him to lean back against him. Water sloshing around them, they stayed quiet, just enjoying the feeling of closeness, relaxing, pressed flush to one another. 'I love your hair you know, it's one of my favourite things about you, one of the first things I noticed about you. I'm sorry about this morning, I bet I left loads of tangles in it…' and as he spoke he ran his fingers through Harry's hair, trying to gently undo the knots he had caused. 'Can I wash your hair? I'd really like to do that for you.' And turning so that he could look at him, Harry said, still a little overwhelmed, 'I'd really like you to do that too.'

It turned out that Louis had gifted hands, washing Harry's hair, smoothing conditioner through it, and giving Harry the best scalp massage he'd ever experienced. He hadn't realised he was doing it, letting out soft sighs and moans as Louis worked on his scalp, rubbing little circles, and tugging at his hair now and again. Louis' hands shifted lower, massaging his neck and shoulders, straying further to rub hard, strong lines up and down his back, before dropping lower still kneading at his hips. All the while Louis was sucking at Harry's neck, biting just the right side of painful. 'Louis please, please…' Harry heard himself whimper. 'Please what, babe?' Louis nibbled and smiled into the back of Harry's neck. 'Lou, please...please, I know you were just washing my hair, but..but, I need you.' And before he'd even finished asking for it, Louis' hand was wrapped around his cock. Hand still slick with conditioner, sliding and slipping, starting slowly, gradually building to a relentless pace. Water sploshing over the edge of the bath and soaking the floor, soft candle light enveloping them in a heat and intensity that only seemed to fuel them on. 'Oh fuck, that feels so good, Louis, Louis, Lou, I'm so close…' And with two more quick strokes Harry was coming hard, white stripes coating his chest up to his collarbones.

They lay there, Harry recovering, and Louis grinding gently behind him letting out little sounds of his own. Grinding harder and with more purpose, finally Louis took hold of his own neglected cock, and with a couple of desperate tugs was coming himself, shooting up Harry's back and into the bubbles floating on the surface of the water.

Luxuriating in the warmth of the water, they kissed as their combined highs ebbed away. Louis the first to speak, 'love, we better get out now, we're going all wrinkly in the water, let's put on those fluffy hotel robes and spend the rest of the day in bed.' And that sounded like best plan for a day that Harry had heard in a long time.

….

'Louis! Honestly, you're such a northern stereotype! I can't believe you actually brought Yorkshire Tea with you.'

'Don't judge Curly, you know you love it. You love me.'

'Obviously, Lou.'

'Obviously.'

A loud knock at the door put a halt to their banter. Both looking at each other in stunned silence.

Whispering, Louis said, 'Who is it? We can't let anyone see us like this…'

More knocking, this time though accompanied by scratching at the door.

'What the hell?' Harry said clutching his tea to his chest as if it could protect him.

And another knock, harder this time, along with a shout of 'Louis, Louis are you in there?'

'Liam? what does he want Lou?' Harry whispered looking genuinely worried now.

Another knock.

'I don't know, but he's not going away. Just go to my room and I'll get rid of him.'

Not having to be told twice, Harry hurried off to the bedroom, while Louis made his way to the door with a shout of 'Coming Liam!'

…

Opening the door Louis was confronted by not just Liam, but Liam and Mabel. Mabel who was trying to wriggle her way out of Liam's arms.

Stepping into the hotel room, not waiting for an invite, Liam took one look at Louis and shrugged, 'Late one last night mate? Only just getting up?'

Trying to sound calm and casual, Louis muttered into his tea, 'Yeah, you know, jet-lag messes with my sleep.'

'Well, buddy, me and Mabel here have come to keep you company, haven't we Mabel?' And with that Mabel managed to wriggle her way out of Liam's arms, sprinting across the room towards the master bedroom.

'Sorry mate, she's a nightmare, partly why I'm here really, thought she'd be better with a change of scenery.' and just like that, Liam was up and off in pursuit of her.

'Liam, Liam wait…'

But it was too late, by the time Louis had caught up, Mabel was on the bed trying to get under the covers. Harry was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, still in the robe. And Liam, Liam was looking between the two of them with an odd mixture of amusement and confusion.

'Well. ok then. Let's hear it.' was all he said before walking back into the living room and plonking down on the sofa.

….

Trying to play dumb didn't work, Harry's acting skills failing him, 'Hear what Liam, nothing to hear here.'

And honestly, Louis could have slapped Harry if he didn't love him so much.

'Well, I'm no genius, but don't you two have your own rooms now? And yet you're both here, in Louis' room, in bathrobes. And Louis…' reaching over to move the neckline of Louis' robe to one side, 'yep, and Louis has either been in a fight with someone with really, really tiny fists, or he's covered in love bites. So, yeah, I think there is something to hear here.'

A shared, worried look between the two of them, and they knew that they'd been found out. Nodding to each other, deciding that the 'ripping the band aid off' approach was best, it was Louis that launched into it.

'Well Liam, Harry and I are together and we're in love. We've been in love for ages really, but the being together bit, that's the new bit. So yeah, that's what's going on.'

And Liam, well he looked ridiculously happy more than anything. Getting up and hugging them both, pulling back, looking between them, grinning, 'That's amazing guys, I'm so happy for you. I knew there was something there, you'd have had to have been a total idiot not to see it.

'But I thought something had happened, a while ago. Seemed like you'd had a huge fight or something, didn't want to ask though. Thought I'd let you sort it out in your own time. And here we are, you have sorted it out!'

'Yeah, about sorting it out', Harry said hesitantly, 'we've talked everything though and sorted us out, but I'm not sure you know the half of it to be honest. There was never any fight, nothing like that.'

Having made himself at home on the sofa, Mabel in his lap, Liam looked between them again, gaze lingering, 'Well if there wasn't a fight or anything, what happened?'

…

Harry and Louis took it in turns to fill Liam in on the reasons they'd been so distant with each other. How much pain it had caused both of them. How they'd realised that even though they owed Simon for so much, that they couldn't carry on as they were. That some things were more important than fame, or money, or opportunities. That there was no point in having any of that if you lost the biggest part of yourself in the process.

And Liam just listened quietly, taking it all in. By the end of it he was in tears, and Harry and Louis were close to it.

Liam was the first to speak, 'My god, I had no idea, no idea how much you've had to go through. I honestly just thought you'd fallen out.'

There was a pause before he spoke again, 'Obviously I support you one hundred percent, and the other boys will too. But what are you going to do when Simon gets here? It's just rehearsals now, but you know he'll be here in a couple of weeks. And unless you want to go back to ignoring each other when he's around, you'll have to talk to him.'

'We know we do Liam.' Louis spoke for both of them, grabbing Harry's hand and holding it tight, 'We know. But we've only had this, us, for a few days. So we'll just enjoy it for now. And we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.'