Today is Louis's date with Harry, and he may or may not be flipping the fuck out.

(Fine. He is. But what the hell does anyone expect from him?)

He's shivering and yelling and throwing things at Beau, who was innocently scratching at Louis's brand new shoes. Note the sarcasm.

"Holy shit, Beau, what do I do?" Louis panics, picking Beau up and shaking her frantically. Beau yowls and sinks her teeth into Louis's fingers, and he immediately drops her and cusses in Spanish (the only time the Spanish channel has been useful: teaching Louis foreign swear words.)

Louis has decided to take Harry to a small, cute drive-in in the hardly-ever-busy part of Manchester. And then, he's going to drive Harry to a hill that he discovered one time while drunk (hah) that is surrounded by seclusion and is perfectly private.

It's going to be perfect, it's going to be fun, it's going to be nice.

And Louis has never been more nervous in his life.

First, he woke up at 8 AM and washed himself twice - you can never be sure - and then demanded for Beau to tell him which ensemble suited him best. (It wouldn't really matter, since Harry wouldn't be able to see him and therefore wouldn't care, but it's the thought that counts.) Beau had just mewed snobbily and sauntered away, so Louis decided on the black jacket, black trousers, and maroon button-up shirt.

Then he drove all the way over to the hill. Just to make sure it was still there.

And then he lazed around the rest of the day eating Lean Cuisines in his boxers (he didn't want to spill on his clothes - now that would be a tragedy) watching reruns of Friends, waiting for Harry to text him or call him or something.

Just as Goggle Box started (and damn it. That show is Louis's favorite.), he got a ring on his mobile, and when he saw who it was he forgot about Goggle Box entirely.

"Hello?" Louis said eagerly, and Harry's smooth, honey-drip voice replied.

"Lou Will. Today is our date, yes?"

"Yes."

"... when were you planning on picking me up? It's nearly seven-thirty now, innit?"

Louis quickly glanced at his watch and groaned. "Oh my god, I haven't been keeping track of the time! The drive-closes soon!"

Harry giggles. "Drive-in?"

"Oh, be quiet, Curly. I'll come pick you up, yeah? Where do you live?"

Harry clearly states his address and Louis scribbles it down. "Fair warning," Harry says warily. "I still live with me mum. She'll probably coddle you to death."

Louis grins. "I can't wait."

***

About 10 minutes later, when Louis's suit is on and his hair is decent enough (it was one of those bad hair days - oh well, it's not like Harry would care), he gives Beau some cat food, and hops into his car. Harry's house is about five minutes away from his own flat, which Louis is glad for.

When he gets there and knocks on the door, it immediately swings open and Louis is greeted by a pretty, aging-in-a-good-way woman who looks like Harry in too many ways.

"Oh, you must be Louis!" she grins, sliding over and gesturing inside. "Come in, come in, he'll be so excited to see you."

Louis smiles and tips his head at her, gasping when he's inside and he lays eyes on Harry.

He looks beautiful. Well. More beautiful than usual. He has on a sleek, slim black suit with an arguably tacky yet still endearing heart shirt on underneath the jacket. His hair is slicked up, his walking stick by his side, and his eyes look even more like they come from something celestial.

"Lou Will?" he calls. "Are you here?"

Louis responds by slamming into Harry and giving him a tight hug, whispering sweetly into his ear. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm here, Curly. You look amazing."

Harry pulls away and smiles brightly. "I'll bet you look even more amazing. This is my mum, but you can call her Anne," Harry beams, pointing in the direction of the woman.

Anne squeals and gives Louis a hug, squeezing him a bit too tight around the middle. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just so happy to see you!" she says breathlessly.

They stay and chat for a few moments ("So, you're the one that told Harry blue is the sound violins make") and then Louis stars pulling on Harry's elbow.

"We've got to go, love," he whispers. Harry briefly stops Anne's rambles on how cute Harry was as a baby.

"Mum, this is fun and all, but we've got to get a move on."

She smiles wisely with blinding white teeth. "Say no more, dear. Off you go. Have fun! And don't stay out too late!"

***

Louis makes sure to hold Harry's hand the whole time as they make their way to the old-school drive-in place. He rubs that smooth spot, the bumps protruding from Harry's knuckles, and smiles fondly when Harry rubs back.

Louis holds pulls into the drive-in and turns to Harry. "I remember you telling me once that you love smoothies, so I'm getting you as many as you want."

Harry grins. "As many as I want?"

"As many as you want."

"Hmm," Harry says, stroking his chin. "Is this Berry's drive in?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Alright. In that case I'll have a banana-blueberry one. That's all."

"Really? You don't want any other flavors?" Louis asks, pressing the button and patiently waiting for the waitress to answer.

Harry shakes his head. "Nah. Blueberry's my favorite."

"Hello sir and welcome to Berry's. What can I get you?"

"Just a large blueberry-banana smoothie and a large coffee, de-caf, with extra sugar please."

Louis can faintly hear the scribbling of his order on an pad of paper through the microphone.

"Allright, and thank you for choosing Berry's. Your order will be there shortly."

Louis turns to Harry and watches him as he fumbles with his fingers, twirling around a ring that sits on his finger. "How do you know blueberry is your favorite if you haven't tried any other ones?"

Harry smiles and stares in the distance, looking far too wise beyond his years. "Because. I love blueberry so much that I don't want to try any other ones. They'll just be competition. I'd rather just stick with the one I really like then try all the others and spoil its taste. And besides, some of the choices on there seem a bit questionable to me, like pineapple-grape. Those two just don't sound good together, do they?"

Louis laughs and squeezes Harry's hand. "Nope. They sound nasty."

***

They stay in the car, just chatting and drinking up their beverages. Harry wipes his mouth with the back of his hand (he spit out his smoothie when Louis told the joke 'so this guy with a premature ejaculation problem comes out of nowhere'). "Are you gonna tell me about a color tonight, Lou Will?"

Louis smiles and slurps up the last of his coffee. "That's a surprise, Curly."

***

About 15 minutes and two indie songs later, Louis and Harry have reached the hill and Louis is nearly bursting with excitement.

"Come on, come on Curly!" he shouts gleefully, slightly pulling Harry faster towards the hill.

"Slow down, Louis!" Harry laughs, but he doesn't resist.

Eventually Louis gets them both to the top of the hill, and it literally takes Louis' breath away. It's just high enough that he can see the canvas of a sky in all directions, and absolutely nothing clouds the perfect view. Louis wishes with all his might that Harry could see this right now.

"Where are we?" Harry asks, a bit out of breath. Louis takes his hand and sits down, pulling Harry to the ground.

"We're on top of the world, Curly."

Louis connects their hands and lies them down, telling Harry all about how wonderful the sky is tonight and the brightness of the stars.

"Are you gonna tell me about a color, Lou Will?" Harry presses, turning his face to Louis and raising his eyebrows in hopefulness.

"Of course," Louis says. Like it was even a question. "What color?"

"Red," Harry simply says, and Louis' mind immediately stars spiraling in a hundred different directions.

"Oh. That's a good color, red. Red is angry, and fierce, and bossy. It always gets what it wants. But red can be soft too, in the early stages of sunrise. Red makes sharp edges softer, rough planes smoother. Red is an apple. And a cherry. And a tomato. Red is that rumbling in your tummy. Red is loud, and insistent, and popular. If Red was a person he'd be that one annoying footy captain. Red is the color of hearts, I think. My heart, and your heart, they're both red. Red is adoration, and infatuation, and obsession, and unrequited. Red is love, too. Red is the feeling you get when someone makes you happy, and you have those stirrings in your chest, that's red. That's red working it's magic and making you fall in love with someone you probably shouldn't fall in love with."

Harry is silent, just staring up at the sky and his grip soft in Louis's hand. It stays silent for a few more moments, until Harry cuts it briefly with his slow, dripping-honey voice.

"It's like catching lightning, the chances of finding someone like you," he whispers, turning his face to Louis's and raising his careful fingers under his chin.

And, wait. Louis pauses.

"Curly! Did you just quote High School Musical?"

Harry laughs.

They continue talking to each other, bathed in soft starlight. Harry's fingers grip onto Louis's palm tightly, like he never wants to let go. Which sends Louis soaring.

"Louis?" Harry whispers. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Curly."

"Can your face be the first thing I see when I get my sight?"

Louis' heart may or may not break a little. "Really? Out of all the beautiful things in the world, sunsets, rainbows, stars, color, the first thing you want to see is me?"

Harry laughs, but it's more like a surprised, duh kind of sound. "Of course. I'm sure there's nothing as beautiful as Louis Tomlinson."

Tears. Are those, are those tears that are forming in the corners of Louis' eyes? Nope. Nope.

"You know what, Curly? I'm gonna tell you something. But you have to promise me that you'll stay alive for it. Got it?"

"Mm-hmm," Harry breathes.

"Do you know what I want to do to you, Curly? I want to visit the City of Lights with you. Just so I can see the way it compliments your eyes. And I want to show you all of the sunsets in all the parts of the world, and I want you to take pictures of it. I want you to see every rainbow, every cloud, every star, every raindrop. I want to paint you with colors that haven't been imagined yet, Harry. I want to fall asleep with you under the stars and show you the color of the Universe. I want you to show the world your color, for surely there is no color bright enough to describe Harry Styles."

Harry is silent, frozen. "R-really?"

"Yes, of course, Harry. I'd go to the ends of the earth to find a damn rock for you, if you asked. And you know what? I want you to be there. I want you to be with me for every sunset and every sunrise."

Harry breathes slowly, his grip on Louis's hand tightening. "I want to be with you for every sunset and sunrise," he agrees.

Louis smiles, leaning into Harry and flattening his chest against him. They are close, impossibly close, and Louis wouldn't have it any other way.

"I know we just met," he whispers. "6 days ago." (Can it be? Only six days ago? Louis feels like he's known Harry for a lifetime. Rather, Louis's life didn't start until he met Harry.) "But, I just. I can't describe the way this feels, you know? It feels like I've known you forever, and that's all I want, Harry. Forever. I just want to be with you forever. I... love you? I guess, is what I'm trying to say."

Harry laughs softly, and his eyes become moist. "Yeah," he rasps. "Me, me too. I guess. I love you too."

Louis can't take it anymore, he absolutely cannot take it anymore. He curls around Harry, lying steadily on top of him and kissing him like there's no tomorrow. It's wet, and sweet, and okay, maybe the tiniest bit sloppy, but it's the best kiss Louis and Harry have ever shared. Because this time, each movement of their lips thrums with the promise of forever.

Louis' hands slowly crawl up Harry's broad torso, and he cradles Harry's chin under his warm fingers. Their mouths silently meld together, and there is no more "Harry's lips" and "Louis' lips", but "Harry and Louis' lips". Louis heart is gradually swelling, and he fears that his heart might grow three times its size and burst out of his ribcage. All because he can feel Harry's steady heartbeat underneath his. He gently grinds his hips against Harry's in slow, thoughtful circles, and the sound that escapes from Harry-and-Louis' lips shouldn't be allowed.

Louis slips his fingers down Harry's neck, cherishing each moment of contact he makes, and he settles them on the buttons of Harry's shirt. He slowly, expertly, begins unbuttoning each one, and Louis is ready, ready to do it right here on this cold, wet hill, under the protective eyes of the moon and stars and -

"Louis, stop," Harry gasps breathlessly, breaking away from their kiss and pushing Louis off of him. And just like that - Louis' heart is deflated.

"Do you - do you not want, to, to be with me? Like that? I mean that's totally fine, whatever makes you comfortable, but er - I mean, don't you like, trust me?" Louis stutters awkwardly, trying to maintain a steady breath. Harry sighs and reaches for Louis' hand, holding it safely in his own.

"No. I - I want it. I just want to wait, you know? Until I can see. So it will be more special."

And Louis nods, still disappointed, but he nods. He traces his fingers under Harry's chin, and the fine stubble that is growing there. "Yeah. Yeah, alright. We'll wait til you're ready, yeah?"

Harry leans forward and effortlessly throws his arms around Louis, pulling him closer for an amazingly intimate hug. He reminds Louis of a bear, really, the way he grips tightly around his middle and softly purrs into Louis's neck.

"I love you," Louis hears him whisper, and sweet baby Jesus. This kid will be the death of him.

Louis lays them both back down, gripping Harry's hand tightly in his, and describes the stars to Harry's listening ears. Harry hangs on to every syllable that comes out of Louis's mouth, every sound he makes. When Louis has finished, Harry breaks the silence with his whispering words.

"I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I'm in love with you," Harry quotes quietly.

And okay. There is no 'I guess' involved. Louis loves Harry. And Harry loves Louis.

And maybe Louis is going insane, but he swears he hears the stars whispering his and Harry's names as they hold each other tight in the darkness.

Chapter end notes: God. Can, can someone just hold me? Please? I need a friend.

And if you want to know what I listened to while writing this chapter, look up You Me At Six. All of their amazing songs are my inspiration.

Before I forget to say it, all Fault in Our Stars quotes go directly to John Green. He has the total credit and he's a nice guy and I'm not trying to steal his words at all. Just to clarify. :3

Oh, and by the way, here is what Louis was wearing tonight : https://38.media.tumblr.com/617af986115a6ed1b9cd4fa27f727503/tumblr_ng4gerNLxp1tpi2auo2_400.gif

And here is what Harry was wearing tonight : http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2013721/rs_634x1024-130821092411-634.HStyles.jl.082113.jpg