Harry barely waited for the rooster's call to creep in the back door of Louis' beach house and upstairs to his room. Louis was tangled in the sheets, his hair in disarray and drool hanging from his lip. Harry was disarmed instantly, smiling down fondly on the sleeping boy. He watched for a moment before lifting the sheets and crawling under them and snuggling up to Louis' warm body. Louis shifted unconsciously and pulled Harry to his chest, spooning him comfortably. Harry meant to come here and tell Louis that he refused to give the blue-eyed boy up without a fight, but now that Louis was wrapped around him, he sort of forget the speech he'd stayed up all night creating in his head.

They laid together as the sun crept over the horizon and colored the sky a lazy amber tone. When Harry couldn't wait anymore, soft embrace or no, he turned over and kissed the tip of Louis' nose. Louis sniffled, but otherwise stayed unresponsive. Harry humphed, offended, and stuck out his tongue and licked the end of his nose. Louis whined a disgruntled sound as his eyes flickered open. His forehead creased for a moment in confusion at going to sleep alone and waking up with someone before he realized who it was and offered a sleepy smile. "Morning, pumpkin," Louis greeted, his voice a little rough with sleep.

Harry shivered at not only the endearment, but the sound of Louis' voice. "Morning."

Louis pulled Harry closer into his arms and kissed his forehead. "Not that I'm not thrilled with the visit, but why so early?"

"I couldn't wait," Harry admitted.

Louis pulled back enough to look at him. "Must be important then. Alright, babe, what is it?"

Harry chewed on his lip nervously. Louis leaned forward and captured it in a kiss to stop the nervous habit. Harry sighed into it and nodded minutely. When he pulled back his eyes were full of determination. "We're going to save your house."

Louis laughed. He laughed. "I figured you'd go all white knight on me at some point." He pulled Harry in for another quick kiss. "But unless you have an extra couple thousand laying around to ensure the mortgage, then thanks baby, but this is it for me."

"I don't have it," Harry admitted, "but I'm going to get it." He pressed his lips to Louis' temple and spoke, "I'll do whatever I have to. I'm not letting money take you away from me. Not now." He kissed his skin. "Not ever."

Louis sighed in fond frustration. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

"I've been up all night thinking of fundraising ideas. Things we can do to get money. I'll get a job at the cafe, too."

Louis pulled back to look Harry in the eye seriously. "No, Harry. No. You're not wasting your summer on a job for me. You'll enjoy this time you have, don't make my last summer about money."

"I'm not wasting it." Harry shook Louis' shoulders to illustrate his point. "If it gives me two more years with you, I'll gladly do it."

"No," Louis stood firm. "I want to save this house as much as you do, but you're not getting a job." Harry's face fell and Louis had to watch it. The hope that Harry had spent all night creating drained quickly. Louis growled and then sighed, "I'll get the job. I'll work at the cafe. You work on all those fundraising things." Harry's face lit up, his smile taking over the dark room. "But," Louis pointed at Harry's glowing face. "Pick two days a week. Two days." He held up two fingers. "No work. Just us. I'm not missing you all summer."

Harry wiggled with glee in Louis' arms, snuggling into his body as close as possible. "We're going to save your house," he confirmed into the soft, warm skin on Louis' neck. Louis hummed and pet over Harry's hair, trying not to let his doubt ruin this perfect moment.

***

"I need this job, Ben," Louis pleaded.

"I heard you the first time, Louis, but I don't need any help."

Louis ran around to Ben's front so he'd stop running away. Ben and him had never particularly gotten along, but he was fond of Harry (much to Louis' irritation) so maybe bringing up his cherub boyfriend would help. "Harry's making me. He was going to get a job, but I didn't want him to ruin his summer so I told him I'd get one. Please," Louis implored, eyes a little shiny from begging. "I don't want to ruin his summer."

Ben sighed dramatically, like Louis didn't know that he'd hooked him already. "Fine, Tomlinson, you've got the job." He pointed a heavy finger at Louis as he started to get excited. "But! I don't tolerate lateness or rudeness."

Louis waved him off, "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Before Ben could really answer, Louis was walking out of the diner to find his reason-for-being waiting very impatiently on the sidewalk.

"So?"

Louis spread his arms. "You're looking at the newest working member of the Tomlinson family." Harry squealed and clapped his hands before throwing himself on Louis in a big hug. Louis caught his long frame and buried his face in Harry's curls. He took a short moment to inhale Harry and remember why he was doing this.

"This is great!" Harry said as he stood back on the ground, but neglected to release Louis. "Maybe I'll even get free food." He waggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Yeah, right. With Ben's distaste for me, I won't even get free food."

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "You're probably right." He pursed his lips. "You won't, but Ben loves me, so I probably still can."

Louis pinched Harry's love handle in retaliation, making Harry squeak and then giggle. Louis was so hooked. "Can we not talk about that man's weird obsession with you?"

"Sure," Harry relented easily. "Let's go home and get all of our stuff together that we're going to sell to the pawn shop."

Louis kept an arm around Harry's waist as they headed back to their humble shores. "You don't have to do this, Harry. I know most of the stuff your selling means something to you."

Harry leaned over and gave a quick peck to Louis' cheek, earning a drawn out 'Ewwww!' from a little boy passing by. Harry laughed at the kid and threw a, "One day you'll learn!" over his shoulder before turning to Louis and saying, "Babe, none of those things mean even half as much as you do to me." Louis' cheeks turned pink, and he tried to hide them in Harry's shoulder. He was pretty sure Harry could feel the heat of them through his thin t-shirt. Harry took pity and changed the subject. "The Fourth of July bash is coming up next month. I've heard it's going to be a big deal this year."

Louis scoffed. "It's a big deal every year. This community has more patriotism than D.C."

"Don't hate, Lou-eh," Harry sing-songed. "That Fourth of July bash was responsible for our first kiss remember?"

Louis sighed dreamily. "How could I forget? I was so scared you were going to punch me or something after I kissed you."

Harry squawked indignantly. "Why in the world would I punch you?"

Louis only laughed. "You should've seen your face. You looked like I'd just pissed on your innocence."

"Well you did! I was but a young babe, Louis."

"Please, you might be a babe, but you're much older than you appear."

Harry looked downright flattered at that. "That's true."

Louis rolled his eyes at Harry's antics and turned while they walked to kiss him again. He'd just connected their lips, not looking where he was going, when he bumped into a tall man in a nice suit.

"I'm so sorry, sir," Louis started but the man was already waving it off.

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't watching. Got distracted sight seeing, I guess."

"Oh you just moved in?" Harry asked.

"Yeah down on Seaside Drive." He pointed behind him towards the water.

"Hey, that's where we live!" Harry clapped his hands.

"Yeah? Well, hello neighbors." He stuck a hand out. "Jackson."

"Harry Styles," the curly boy beamed.

Louis rolled his eyes fondly, but put a hand out as well. "Louis. Nice to meet you."

"Your mom and dad have a place out here, then?"

"Yeah, our parents live right next to each other. We've known each other our whole lives," Harry informed him.

"Oh I assumed you two were brothers. Well it's good to see making friends is easy out here. I'm debating sticking around, but everyone seems so nice."

"It's great here. Everyone loves it here. I never want to leave." Harry's voice caught at the end, making Louis look over at him.

When he saw the glassy look he always got before actual tears he shook the man's hand one more time and excused them. They walked a few feet away before the first tear fell. "Hey, babe, what's wrong?" He smoothed Harry's hair off his face.

"I don't ever want you to leave."

Louis sighed. "I know, Haz." He pulled him in for a gentle hug. "I don't want to leave either."

"This isn't fair."

"I know, but we're working on it, right? We're gonna do whatever we can so I can stay, yeah?" Louis pulled back to a sniffling, nodding Harry. "And in the meantime lets go rifle through all your old baby toys.