Louis barged into Harry's summer home with a, "Harold! Where are you?"

Harry came around the corner with a big grin before enveloping Louis in a tight hug. "I missed you so much, Lou. Another whole nother summer together."

"Yeah," Louis hesitated, "About that."
Harry pulled back enough to see him but didn't let him go, which Louis was grateful for.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Louis started crying then, unable to hold it in. Harry pulled him close and ran his fingers through Louis' feathery hair. "Babe, what's wrong. Tell me so I can help."

Louis sniffled a bit more before starting, "Mom just told me we-we, um, have to sell the beach house. This is our last summer here." Louis broke down in full on sobs then. "We aren't coming back next year. Or-or ever." Harry was so still against Louis the older boy wasn't even sure he's breathing. Louis pulled back to check on him and saw he was right. "Hazza, say something."

"You're leaving?"

Louis realized this must be awful for Harry, his fear that Louis would one day leave him was finally coming true. "I don't want to, Haz. I don't have a choice. Mom said this is our last summer."

Harry nibbled on his plump pink lips that Louis loved so much and nodded. "Fine then. If this is our last summer together, I'm not spending it hiding." Harry grabbed Louis' wrist resolutely and tugged him out the front door.
Louis followed clumsily, trying to keep up with Harry's ever-growing legs.

"Where are we going?"

"Out," Harry confirmed. "We're coming out."

Harry stopped them when they came to the public beach where most of the younger people hung out during the day. He pulled Louis into him and crashed his lips on the older boys. Louis went still for a moment before melting into their first real, long, honest-to-god kiss. It was sloppy and uncoordinated and perfect. Louis couldn't get enough, so he opened his mouth for more. Harry squealed with delight into Louis mouth and let Louis deepen the kiss.

"Eww!!"

Harry broke the kiss, breathless and smiling, to look over at a girl that was probably only twelve pointing at them. Harry scoffed at her, at twelve Harry had been kissing Louis for two summers. She doesn't know what she's missing. Everyone else was staring at them as well, kids Harry and Louis had known their whole lives. Harry was fearful for a moment that he'd done the wrong thing in outing them. When everyone turned back to what they were doing, Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"Were you expecting a big hoorah?" Louis asked with a smirk. "We're not exactly subtle. I'm pretty sure everyone has known about us for years."

Harry pouted. "Oh, well then." Louis admired Harry's plump, pouty lip for a moment before sucking it into his mouth. How could he resist?

Louis pulled back just as Harry was getting into it. "Now that we're outed," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows, making Harry huff. "What do you want to do?"

Harry looked around and saw someone that gave him an idea. He smirked at Louis before grabbing his hand and walking down to the water with him. Once they were in the clear view of the teenagers on the sand Harry wrapped Louis in his arms and snogged his face off. Louis was taken by surprise but let Harry's enthusiastic lips do the work. A few minutes later Harry looked over Louis' shoulder and gave a cheeky wave. Louis looked behind him to see a put-out Cristy Ernstein glaring at Harry. Louis rolled his eyes and back-handed Harry's chest playfully.

"That was mean."

"Maybe now she'll back off."

"Doubt it," Louis scoffed. "She's as stubborn as you."

Harry curled his lip at her. "Bring it, blondie."

Louis played his fingers into Harry's curls. "Let her be." Louis tugged on Harry's curls a little harder when he kept glaring at Cristy. "Hello, attractive older man here waiting to be kissed."
Harry perked up at that and waggled his eyebrows before puckering his lips and pressing them to Louis'. Louis hummed into the kiss as Harry relaxed in his arms. He couldn't help but smile as he felt everyone's eyes on them. If he only had a few months left with Harry, he was glad he got to spend them out in the open.

Suddenly Louis pulled back, a wide grin on his face. Harry gave him a confused look. "I know I'm a great kisser, but what's the smile about?"

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

Harry's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide in surprise. "I, uh- really?"

Louis was suddenly unsure. "Unless you don't want to. I understand only having one summer is-"

"Yes! Are you joking? Of course I'll be your boyfriend!" he squealed and hugged Louis tight.

"Yeah?" Louis asked nervously, face buried in Harry's neck.

Harry kissed all over Louis' face. "Yes! Yesyesyes!"

Louis laughed at Harry's antics and took his hand. "I promise to make this the best summer you've ever had."

Harry looked at Louis adoringly. "It already is."

***

Harry practically dragged Louis all the way home, making Louis run to keep up. Harry went crashing through the front door of his house and shouted, "Mom!"

Anne came running in from the kitchen. "Harry, what's wrong."

"Louis and I are together," he told her firmly, Louis' hand in his.

Anne looked confused. "So?"

Harry blundered for a moment, "So... we're going to be holding hands. And kissing," he added quickly. "Because that's what boyfriends do, and I like kissing Louis very much."

Louis couldn't help but chuckle at how professional Harry was being about all this. Anne seemed to feel the same way. "Alright then Harry." She turned to Louis. "Are you staying for dinner, Louis?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Aren't you listening? I have a boyfriend. Look at him! I have that!"

Anne laughed kindly. "He's a great catch, Harry." She turned to Louis. "You know we love you, Lou." Harry didn't seem satisfied so Anne kept going, "But darling, we knew you'd one day make it official the day I introduced Louis to you and he claimed you as," she put her fingers up in air quotes, "his Harry."

Louis blushed furiously as Harry looked at him with complete adoration. He tugged Louis closer by his T-shirt. "Your Harry," he teased.

"I was two!"

"And already bossy."

Anne seemed to ignore their exchange. "I'm just so sorry it happened just as you're all leaving, Louis."

"You know?"

Anne nodded sadly. "Of course. Jay called me a few weeks ago with the news. I'm really sorry, and I'll miss your whole lot. You're all like family."

"Thanks, Anne. That means a lot."

"I'm going to kiss Louis now, Mom, because you've made him sad, and I refuse to let him be sad for a moment of our last summer together." With that Harry surged forward and pressed his lips to Louis'. Anne rolled her eyes and walked back to the kitchen to finish dinner.

Louis broke the kiss to ask, "Are you okay with this?"

Harry nodded with a look on his face that made Louis feel dumb. "I will always be okay with kissing, LouBear."

Louis laughed at his adorable boyfriend. "No, I mean with only being my boyfriend for a summer?"

Harry's face turned calm and knowing. "Louis William Tomlinson. I've known you since I was... born practically. I've been in love with you since, I don't know, I could walk, I think. And you used to pick me up and give my piggy back rides when I wouldn't move fast enough." Louis blushed at the memory. "Point is, you're it. My one. In two years you go to college. Then two more and I join you. We have our whole lives to be together. I'll just have to wait."

Louis was yet again dumbfounded by his young boyfriend's maturity. "Really?"

Harry shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world, reminding Louis a lot of the woman that just exited. "Duh."

Louis smirked. "Well, if you're done claiming your territory in front of everyone we know, I'm going to go tell my mom I'm staying for dinner."

"I'll come! I need to hug your mom and sisters before I don't get to anymore."
Louis wanted to tell Harry not to be ridiculous, but then he realized Harry and Jay were right. They should take the opportunities to spend time with everyone while they could. The next time Gemma wanted to go shopping, Louis wouldn't decline. "Yeah, okay, Hazza. You know the girls love you anyway."

Harry nodded, "That they do."

***

As was tradition on their first night of the summer together, Louis and Harry laid out on a blanket on the sand behind their houses and looked at the stars. Only this time Harry didn't have to lay next to Louis and wonder when the right time was to sneakily reach over and holds Louis' hand. Now Harry was practically cocooning Louis, their fingers intertwined next to their heads and Louis' other hand was wrapped up in Harry's boingy curls.

"Look," Harry pointed, "the swan!"

Louis tried to follow where Harry was pointing, got lost on the way, and didn't find anything but an entire sky of twinkling lights. "I don't see it. I never see them. How do you do that?"

Harry snuggled up close to Louis, glad he could do that without asking now. "Follow my finger," Harry pointed at the sky. "See the Big Dipper?"

Louis perked up. "Yes, I do know that one."

"Okay. Follow that up and the swan is right there."

Louis tried to decipher the blinking night sky, but then just closed his eyes and groaned. "I don't see it."

Harry leaned over him and smiled. "That's okay. They're not even the best view anyway." Louis tried to contain his blush as Harry lowered down to kiss him. He sighed when Harry ran his tongue across the seam of Louis' lips.
Within minutes Louis was breathless and dazed. Harry pulled back to look down at him.

"Well now I see stars," Louis teased. Harry buried his face in Louis' neck and giggled. Louis smiled at the sound. He didn't know how he would live without that sound for four years. Phone calls wouldn't do it justice, he knew. "I'm not even gone yet, and I already miss you so much."

Harry turned his face to kiss along Louis' neck, "Don't do that, Lou. Don't spend what time we have left thinking about after you're gone. I can't do that. I need you here with me."

Louis hugged him closer. "Of course. I know. I just-"

"Please, Louis. I've waited forever to finally have you. I don't need to be reminded that it's only for a summer."

Louis nodded against Harry's hair. "Okay, Haz. I'll try not to bring it up again.