"I'm sorry about him," Harry tells Louis softly after their family have left.
"Don't be, I'm sorry that I'm the reason he got angry."
"No, he got angry because he's a knobhead. You have done absolutely nothing wrong. Having you here made me feel better," Harry admits, nudging him gently as he raises his eyebrows. Louis purses his lips. After a pause he decides he should say what's on his mind.

"I liked seeing you like that. Acting all dominant and in charge but then being so sweet and lovely. Just- Wow."

Louis glances up at Harry, a small smile forming on his lips. Harry raises his eyebrows.
"Wow? Do you like seeing me like that or do you want me to be like that to you?" Harry asks, turning towards Louis as much as he can with his broken collarbone. Louis does the same, breath catching in his throat when he realises how close his face is to Harry's.

"I..." Louis starts, but trails off, too distracted by the way Harry keeps glancing at his lips. He can't help the way his eyes flick down in time to catch Harry's tongue peeking out to wet his pink lips. "Uh I-"

When he's finally managed to find his voice it is lost again as Harry presses his lips to his. Louis lets his eyes flutter closed as he leans into the kiss, lips fitting perfectly with Harry's. Harry exhales deeply through his nose as he parts his lips carefully, tongue gently stroking along Louis' bottom lip. Louis' hand cups Harry's jaw, sliding up to tangle in his hair.

Louis let's out a soft noise, feeling more settled than he ever has in his status. He feels a warm wave wash over him as he lets Harry dominate the kiss without even thinking about it. It comes naturally, just like it should. After all these years of struggling with his status Louis and Harry both feel right and good.

When they pull away Louis has pink cheeks and a huge smile, Harry's the same, bringing out his dimples.
"Is this okay?" Harry asks as he leans in once more, lips brushing gently against Louis. When he moves away an inch to let Louis answer Louis follows him easily, pressing forward to connect their lips again.

They're broken out of it when the door opens, both men quickly looking at the door. Harry groans immediately, eyes scrunched up as he lays back into his pillows.

Zayn stands in the doorway, Liam peeking over his shoulder.
"Good to see you two are getting it on. Getting on, I mean," Zayn smirks, winking at Liam when he huffs a laugh.

"Haz, what's up? Want a nurse?" Louis asks, tentatively reaching out to stroke the wrinkles on Harry's forehead.
"No, no. I'm okay. Just moved a bit too quick. Got lost in the moment and forgot about all of this," Harry reassures, peeking his eyes open as he smiles at Louis, gesturing to his sling.

Louis smiles shyly, ignoring Liam clearing his throat, as he snuggles into Harry's good shoulder. Harry kisses his head before looking up at the the men.
"What's up?"
"What, we can't check up on our injured friends? We just wanted to see how you were doing, see what you were going to do about when you get out," Liam explains, sitting on a chair and letting Zayn settle on his lap.

"We haven't really spoken about it. I'm sure I could crash with Gemma to get some help around," Harry shrugs with one shoulder.
"I should be fine to go home by myself but I'm not sure I'd like you just going home in the state you're in," Louis tells Harry. They glance up at the other couple expectantly, as if they held the answers.

"We'd have to arrange it but you could both live with us? Our place is big enough for all of us and we'd be able to help out more," Zayn offers.
"My house is the midpoint between all of them. And the biggest. Would fit us all in easily and we'd still be close enough for you guys to go back to your places when you need to. That's if you do stay to look after me. I don't expect you to put your lives on hold just to make sure I'm able to get up for a wee," Harry reasons.
"We'd be able to help you with finding your dynamic, too. If that was something you were interested in," Liam adds.

Louis perks up at that, explaining his idea of a mentoring scheme that he wants to put in place when he joins his Mum running the business. Harry watches with pride as his partner happily rambles. He strokes a hand down Louis' back, settling at his waist.

Liam and Zayn leave with Harry's house keys to try and set the house up a little better for their current situation.

Louis sighs and rests his head back on the pillow.

"This is way more difficult but way easier than I thought it would be," he mutters, peaking an eye open to look at Harry who is staring right back at him, a small smile on his lips.

"Hm?"
"I mean it's difficult because I have to fight against what I've been kind of condition to do and think but I sometimes find myself just letting it happen and it feels great," Louis explains, blushing afterwards.

The smile on Harry's face grows, eyes tracing the blush up to the high points on his cheeks.

"You are breathtaking," he compliments quietly, as if anything louder than a whisper would break their privacy.
"Well we can't have you not breathing, so I suppose I'll have to leave," Louis sighs, a twinkle in his eye that makes Harry's heart swell.

Louis pretends to shift and get up, easily pressing his lips to Harry's when the taller man pulls him back to him with a gentle hand on his bicep.

"I could get used to that," Harry tells him, their eyes never leaving each other's.

The cut on Louis' head is no longer healing, the nurses tell Harry when they've managed to convince a very reluctant Louis to go for a walk with his Mum. The smaller man only leaves because Jay promises they won't be long and they can get a surprise for Harry. He still looks to his dom- though he doesn't know if that's for reassurance or permission to go.

Harry kisses his forehead softly, smiling when Louis waits for another and then another.
"One last kiss before you go, Lou," Harry tells him, a pang of pain in his chest when Louis shrinks in on himself. "I know, I wish I could carry on but the nurses and your Mum are waiting. So you be good and go with your Mum. Try to enjoy yourself."

He places one last kiss onto Louis' lips before he sends him on his way, Jay smiling thankfully at Harry as she takes Louis under her arm and leads him out of the room. The nurse takes a seat beside Harry's bedside and explain to him again that Louis' wounds have stopped healing.

"What does that mean? Why is that happening?" Harry asks, eyebrows furrowed with concern.
"His sub sicknesses has lasted longer than we thought, you two were making good progress. But the  lingering sickness is preventing his physical injuries from healing," the nurse explains, a gentle smile on his face.

Harry takes a moment to think, looking at the empty bed beside him.

"And how do we fix that?"
"You need to dominate him, in any way that fits you two. When you're both ready for it, of course. If you need anything in order to do that please don't hesitate to ask. Once he has settled into his role, his mind will heal and then so will his body."

Harry nods, thanking the nurse quietly as he begins to ponder just how he can make his sub feel better.

Jay tries to keep conversation light as she and Louis walk around the garden, stopping to look at the flowers occasionally.

"Can we go back now?" He asks not even a few minutes after they've gotten there.
"Not just yet, love. We haven't found Harry a little gift, have we?" Jay reminds him, smiling softly when he peeks up at Harry's name.

Louis returns to Harry with a smile on his face and his hands hidden behind his back.

"Hey, Lou," Harry greets, trying to keep his amusement from his voice.
"Hi," Louis grins, unable to contain his excitement. "I got you this. You told me that you played it a lot with your Mum when you were young. And we played it on our first little date," Louis explains as he sets a box of Scrabble down onto Harry's table.

He waits for a reaction, swinging side to side with pink cheeks as he looks up at Harry through his lashes.
"That's lovely, Lou, thank you very much. You want to come up here for a cuddle?" Harry suggests, patting Louis' bed which is pressed alongside his own.

Louis is quick to nod and climb up beside Harry, carefully fitting himself against the taller man's side.
"I was thinking maybe we could try working on our dom-sub relationship more? Like find ways for us to express our status and find how it works for us. Just for now," Harry tells him quietly, his hand rubbing over the small of louis' back.

"Like what?" Louis asks, anticipation pushing a wave into his stomach.
"Something small to start off with, that we're both comfortable with. Like giving you simple commands, having you answer questions, or..." Harry trails off, wondering whether his next thought would be too much for Louis to handle.

"Or?" Louis prompts, glancing up at Harry shyly. The waves crash into one another, growing as his nerves do the same.
"You could kneel for me."