Written by: loveinslowmotion on archive of our own

Posted on: April 4, 2016

Description: A honeymoon in paradise seems like a complete dream come true. With more smiles and affection than you could count, Harry and Taylor find themselves graced with one magical night they'll never forget.

Official Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6457324

Warning: This chapter contains mature content. Please read at your own risk! :)

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"Is this for real?" Taylor gasped as they walked along a narrow path that ran past a row of spaced out bungalows to their right, a long stretch of sand leading to the crystal clear ocean on their left. Her eyes had landed on their accommodation, the dome-shaped home with a "Congratulations" banner tied onto the archway. They'd heard the word countless amounts of times since Harry had popped the question back in December, and now in mid-May with matching wedding bands on their fingers it only seemed to sound even better.

"No, that's someone else's, we've got a little tent a bit further down," Harry teased, grinning as Taylor laughed and squeezed his shoulder.

"I wouldn't put it past you, babe," she said, a glint of the sun in her eyes. "C'mon," she motioned, skipping ahead onto the path up to the house, which was easier for her since she wasn't carrying any of their luggage. Harry had kindly offered to free her hands once they'd gotten off the plane, not that he was complaining. He liked helping, and the view he had of Taylor skirting her way to their front door in her summery dress was more than enough of a reward.

Harry tossed her the keys and she opened the door to a bohemian-style room, all rich colours and aesthetic decorations. It was finely furnished, with polished dark woods adding to the charm. The place was a relatively new holiday rental that Harry had booked almost as soon as he saw the photos online. He'd booked every room on the strip for their privacy, with room number 3 the only one they intended on using. It couldn't be guaranteed that they weren't going to be papped at one point, but the owners had been very understanding and promised to keep it all on the down low and best ensure that nobody intruded on their private piece of land. They'd spent too much of their lives having camera pointed at them, the only ones they wanted during their honeymoon were their own.

Taylor had been nervous about that aspect. In amongst planning their dream wedding, she'd been stressing about how they were going to keep the location quiet. It seemed near impossible. Early on Harry had told her he'd be more than happy to marry her in his back garden at home, because it didn't matter where they did it, just as long as they did. That was how they ended up marrying in Cheshire, in the rose garden at Adlington Hall. They'd been blessed with perfect spring weather, a clear day letting the afternoon sun shine down on the beautiful affair. Closest friends and family filled the grounds (Taylor had struggled to choose only a few bridesmaids, otherwise half the guest list would've wound up in the bridal party), and smiles were permanently etched on faces and tears were shed as the couple finally tied the knot. It was safe to say they had the most poetic vows the Hall had ever heard.

With Taylor leading the event plans, Harry had requested she left their honeymoon up to him. She'd agreed easily, until she quickly discovered that he meant she wasn't going to be involved at all, that he wanted it all to be a surprise. She panicked about being in the dark for arguably the most important vacation she was going on, but Harry managed to settle her worries and remind her that he would never organise something he didn't think she would adore.

The moment they'd stepped off the private plane and she saw the setting (they'd missed the stunning overview they had in the air because they were a little, uhh, busy) he knew she loved it already.

"This is beautiful, Harry," Taylor now sighed, twirling around and taking it all in. Their room was only relatively small – Harry had traded obvious luxury for something a bit more low-key. It was all-in-one style, with only the bathroom walled off. They still had space; clear distinctions between the kitchen, dining and lounge offered clarity, though it all tied together with the trend of the interior design. While the bed was still in the same space, there was an illusion of privacy thanks to the beaded curtains that cornered it off. It was pretty and quirky – the perfect retreat for them.

"It's like we're in a bubble," Taylor added, the dome shape of the building remaining obvious with the lack of inside walls. "Our own bubble of... colour and comfort and love."

Harry beamed at her, leaving their things by the door. "I like the sound of that."

"How did you find this place?" she asked, starting to take a closer look at what it had to offer.

"Niall stayed here a while back," he explained, noticing the way Taylor's smile grew at the mention. It wasn't the first time Harry had taken getaway destination advice from his band mate – he and Taylor had taken quite a few peaceful holidays thanks to Travel Guide Niall, who'd scouted out some interesting spots where they weren't going to be photographed every time they left their room. He had been the first person Harry asked about where to spend their honeymoon.

"I was thinking, like, we could hang out here for a couple days, and then maybe try some stuff on one of the bigger islands?" Harry continued. "I, um, already organised some of it, like we've got scuba diving on Sunday, and a spa day on Tuesday–"

"Harry," Taylor sighed affectionately.

"They do arts and crafts on Wednesday's–"

"Are you gonna make me a necklace of sea shells?"

"If they do that, yeah." Harry smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she came to break the distance between them. "I want a flower crown from you, please," he requested, which made her laugh.

"You can have as many flower crowns as you want, baby," Taylor promised, her fingers gently tucking a lock of his hair behind his ear. It thrilled Harry to still get tingles from her tender touches. "You know what I'm thinking?" she asked, and he shook his head. "That I married the sweetest man in the world."

Harry leaned in, almost to kiss her. "You said sexiest earlier."

Taylor's cheeks turned a little pink at the reminder. "You weren't talking about flower crowns earlier."

"Flower crowns aren't sexy?"

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Lips pressing together, that sure sounded like something they would have fun finding out. Harry already had an idea for what he could do, and as he slid his hands down from her hips and lifted her up, he wasn't too far off it.

"You know what I'm thinking?" he asked as Taylor secured her legs around his waist.

"Something about sex," she guessed easily in between kisses.

"How'd you know?"

"It's our honeymoon, Harry, it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't even pack any clothes."

"Says the girl who dropped her pants in my lap before she'd even sat down on the plane."

Taylor kissed him harder; a totally innocent girl she was not. For all her cute giggles and enthusiasm for everything sparkly, Taylor knew how to tease with the best of them, and Harry was never not ecstatic to be blessed with the privilege of pleasing her. While he had always been the more adventurous one, he lived for the days Taylor was the one to initiate the fun in the most inappropriate of places – he'd never forget the time they were visiting Harry's parents and he sent him a dirty text while they were all playing Mouse Trap, and had wound up later on his bedroom floor with her hand covering his mouth to get him to shut up unless he wanted his mum to walk in and find him splayed out on the carpet with his girlfriend grinding on top of him like it was their own house they were allowed to do anything in. If having Taylor's lace underwear in his lap until they were safely in the air, where she spent a fabulous portion of the plane ride riding him, was any indication of the next two weeks they were spending together, then Harry only prayed there was a good stock of clean sheets.

"What d'you say we see what we're working with?" he suggested, and with her kiss of approval he carried her across the room. The sheer laugh Taylor broke into when they moved through the beaded curtain was all Harry needed to know that this was going to be their safe haven.

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Just like any island honeymoon, when they weren't all over each other, Taylor and Harry were on the beach. With the long stretch of sparkling ocean all to themselves, they'd be crazy not to take advantage of it.

For convenience, Harry had organised in advance to have a bundle of practically every item you could hire already at their bungalow. Seriously, the only things he didn't ask for were the ones that were strictly for children. On their first day, they'd discovered an assortment of playthings on the back deck: two single kayaks, one double, two paddle boards, a volleyball net and ball, a soccer ball, badminton racquets, a box of various inflatables and a handy electronic pump, a set of shovels and pails (not just for children), and a note taped to a pool noodle – kindly addressed to Mr & Mrs Styles, making them grin ridiculously at each other – letting them know to call the main office whenever they wanted to use the jet skis and the inflatable obstacle course that was normally only set up during the summer for the vacationing families that visited the chain of small islands in the Med. Taylor could hardly believe he'd managed to pull all this off just for her.

Their first few days were spent testing out the equipment. They'd found the volleyball posts further up the beach and were reminded why they didn't have sporting careers, though they played on with competitive enthusiasm and only gave up when an unexpectedly forceful spike hit Harry smack on the forehead. They loved the warmth of the water, spending hours splashing around and playing with inflatable beach balls and riding inflatable animals. Taylor had called dibs on the giraffe, and Harry was still marvelling over the greatness that was the giant duck he had taken to bobbing around on. He still wasn't quite sure how an inflatable crocodile was appealing, but with it being big enough for two to sit on it didn't so much matter.

Back on the sand, they were either messing around or basking in the sun. They lived in their swimsuits, Taylor having packed what seemed like a different one for every day. Harry tried not to be too much of a gawking male, but when his wife (!!!) looked that incredible all the time it was hard not to be.

Polaroids were a plenty, and Harry had tapped into his inner photographer with his greatest muse on the other side of the lens. One afternoon on the beach turned into an impromptu photo shoot, with the perfect location and the perfect subject.

"Can you tilt your head a little to the left?" Harry instructed, finger poised over the shutter button. He'd taken so many photos already, god knows how many he'd have by the time they flew home.

Taylor easily obliged, no stranger to cameras, especially his. "I know what you're doing," she called.

He furrowed his brow. "Trying to get a better shot?"

"Hoarding some bikini pics, more like," she said brazenly, her composure breaking with her laughter as he scoffed.

"I'm honing my craft," he argued.

"Is that what you're calling it now?"

Their banter had flowed so easily over the years that it was practically second nature to poke fun at one another in good spirit. Spirit was something they were filled with, and it overflowed into the open air through the sound of Taylor's girlish giggles as Harry dropped his camera on his towel and started chasing her. Her short head start didn't provide much ground, which was okay really, since as she weaved her way through the sand Taylor wanted to be caught by him. She wanted his strong arms around her, wanted the warmth of his breath to tickle her skin when he would predictably bury his face in her neck. She wanted to feel his laughter, his chest pressed up against her back as he pulled her in tight. One of the hardest things for them to get over had been differing needs thanks to their different points in life, but there was something special, Taylor had found, about being with a younger man, and it came in these moments of total simplicity, the carefree fun that exuded from someone who didn't take things too seriously. Harry was always there to remind her when to relax and encourage her whenever she was working. Giving their relationship a second chance had been the best thing either of them had done – they'd never been happier.

"I'm not taking it back," Taylor gasped once Harry had caught up to her after a chase he always drew out a little longer by not running so fast. She grinned as he kissed her up her neck, the taste of sun screen not deterring his affection.

"'M not asking you to," he mumbled, and she could sense his smirk as he added, "I just wanted an excuse to stare at you for a while."

"I think the only excuse you need is the ring on your finger," she pointed out, a turn of her head landing his lips on hers.

Harry released her a moment later with a, "Get in the water for me, babe; I've got some sexy shots for you."

Taylor's laughter was self-mocking, though the tap on her bum he gave her before jogging away stopped her from insisting for the millionth time that she wasn't actually all that sexy. Harry knew how to make her feel like she was, though; he appreciated everything about her, even the things she didn't particularly like. It wasn't so hard to believe she could be anything when his lighthouse gaze was fixed adoringly on her.

"How far out do you want me?" Taylor yelled to him, looking over her shoulder to see Harry squinting down at the LCD as he made his way down to her.

"Dunk yourself all the way in – I want you totally wet," he directed.

"I've heard that before," she snorted, missing the middle finger directed at her as she dropped down into the water, fully immersing herself.

When he reached the shoreline, Harry started giving her more instructions. "Think like you're a Victoria's Secret swim model," he reminded her, watching as Taylor slipped back into character and proved her doubts wrong. She was gorgeous, a total turn on as she showed off her figure in the way she reserved for his eyes only. She knew well enough now that he mostly took pictures for fun, that he only showed other people photos of her with her permission, so it didn't worry her so much as she pushed her boobs out and fingered the hem of her bikini bottoms. There was no harm in some cheeky honeymoon shots for them (and only them) to look back on in years to come.

"What inspired you to do this today?" Taylor wondered when she was sitting on the wet sand, trying to ignore the water lapping at her ass and focus on listening to Harry's gentle voice and the way her body transitioned.

"I don't know," he replied, snapping a few more shots. "Might have something to do with what you're wearing."

Taylor moved her arm up to cover her chest, smiling at the sound of Harry's laughter. The pink floral pattern and push up design had had Harry drooling ever since she'd stepped outside earlier. She'd bought it knowing he would love it.

"Can you lean forward on your hands, please?" he requested, clicking the shutter as she obliged obediently.

"Haven't you got enough cleavage shots yet?"

He smirked, "You can never have too many, love."

"Do I get to take some pictures of you?"

"If you want to," he agreed, shuffling a little further back as Taylor sunk down onto her forearms.

"I'd love to," Taylor emphasized, revelling in seeing him bite down on his lower lip as she arched her back with an unnecessary groan. She disappointed him when she sat back up moments later, though not so much when it was to crawl over and kiss him. "Can I have a turn now, please?" she asked, knowing he wasn't going to say no.

"If you go dry your hands first."

While Taylor quickly washed off the sand stuck to her and skipped up the beach to their things, Harry flicked through some of the photos he'd taken. It was unfair, really, how she could look that good in every picture; she was a natural without even realising it.

A minute or so later he heard footsteps on the sand and felt cold hands massaging his shoulders.

"How did I do?" Taylor asked in his ear, peering over at the screen.

"Perfect," he answered without a doubt. He handed her the camera and she circled around him to sit on his lap, pressing her still wet body against his as she kissed him heatedly.

Parting his lips with her tongue, Taylor easily got exactly what she wanted from him. She climbed off and left him hanging shortly, a singing "Smile!" accompanying her first photo. Needless to say he didn't look the most impressed, sitting plump-lipped with a thick line in his a-little-too-tight shorts.

Just as he'd done with her, Taylor directed Harry this way and that, on the sand and in the water. She brought out the showman in him, and he left her laughing more than he did with serious pictures.

"Will you stop that?" Taylor kept giggling as he'd taken to sticking his tongue out between his two fingers practically every time she moved him into a new position.

Harry grinned cheekily, dimples denting either side of his smile. "I'm enhancing the shot."

"You look ridiculous," she insisted in amusement. "Raise your eyebrow again; look serious."

Harry tried, but with the giggles in and the seriousness out of his system, it didn't quite work out like it had earlier. He looked more constipated than anything else. The eyes-closed mouth-wide-open true laugh that came right after he couldn't hold the expression longer made for a far better shot.

"Okay, okay, I think you're done," Taylor gave up, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Did you get any good ones?" he hoped as he shuffled closer to her. The suppressed laughter should've been his first clue when she turned the camera around to show him the picture on the screen – his derpy expression sent them into another fit, their side and their cheeks hurting from laughing too much.

When they managed to calm down, Taylor said, "That's one for the scrapbook," and they were giggling all over again.

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The rest of the afternoon was spent further up on the sand. Harry napped in the warmth of the sun, sunglasses resting over his eyes and his hair fanned out around him. On the towel beside him, Taylor lay on her stomach, sunbathing while reading a book. It was totally peaceful, the perfect kind of paradise that the pair of them infinitely deserved to indulge in. They would spend all day every day like that if there wasn't more fun to be had.

Harry woke himself up when he turned on his side and his glasses fell off his face, one of the arms managing to poke him in the eye in the process. He grumbled and pouted like a little kid, a reminder that he hated having his naps disturbed when he wasn't on tour where they might actually be something he had to wake for. (Though, he did his fair share of complaining then, too.)

Taylor suggested dinner before he got himself comfortable again and drifted back off. They'd taken to cooking earlier than usual so they could enjoy their meal while watching the sunset. Cheesy, sure, but with the breathtaking view they had it was no wonder why they did it.

The fridge in their room had been fully stocked when they arrived, with plenty of ingredients that could last many meals without them having to go and buy more. Tonight they opted for burritos (Harry had selected their food supply himself, to ensure they could make what suited their tastes), working together in the kitchen space. They enjoyed cooking together – it was something simple, but with the busyness of their professional lives it was almost therapeutic. Spending time together, whether it was an extravagant date night or something as easy as lying on the couch watching a movie together, was something they lived for, something they craved with all of their being. That was how they'd known that the spark they had was forever.

They spread fresh towels out on the grass outside their bungalow, where they weren't going to have sand blowing into their food. They sat close together, not quite touching as they tucked in. A familiar comfort washed over them as they sat in the quietness, the sky painted with gorgeous golds as the sun crept further towards the horizon.

"It's so beautiful," Taylor whispered in awe. "I can't thank you enough for bringing us here."

"I'd do anything for you," Harry smiled softly, "you know that."

She nodded. "I know. I'm the luckiest girl in the world."

"Tay," he sighed, giggling as they both leaned in for a kiss.

While ordinarily they were both suckers for pretty landscape pictures, that had heightened over their few days here, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Taylor reached for her phone after pulling back. She took a couple of the skyline before moving her plate off her lap and skipping backwards for a shot of Harry silhouetted in front of the golden canvas.

"D'you think we're pro photographers yet?" he called jokingly, smiling to himself while holding up a typical peace sign.

"I don't see why not," she laughed. "Though for all the pictures we took today, I don't think we really got enough of us together."

Harry rolled his eyes at her constant quest to convince him he had a face perfectly crafted for selfies; he really didn't mind pictures with her, though. "You're not very subtle, Swift."

"Maybe, but you can't exactly call me that anymore, can you?"

Taylor beamed as she dropped back down beside him, holding her phone out in front of them and giggling as Harry sang, "Mrs Styles," and planted a kiss on her cheek. The picture didn't come out in focus, and their second attempt wasn't much better.

For no reason other than to put her off, Harry crossed his eyes just before Taylor went to press capture. It set the pair off into laughter, a photo of blurred grins on the faces of two people who always found enjoyment in each other's company.

"I love you," Taylor reminded him brightly as she leaned into him more and his arm naturally moved around her waist.

"Will you let me finish my tea, then?" he reasoned teasingly, grinning as she kissed him again before letting them finish their food in the softness of the remaining light.

Even after they were done, plates stacked to the side, they stayed outside as darkness took over. The sky was so much clearer than they got in the cities – it was decorated with hundreds of stars they never normally got to see. It was refreshing to sit in that kind of open air. Talking about nothing with Taylor sitting in between Harry's legs, they could've stayed like that forever.

That was always what everyone missed – how easily their personalities worked together, how completely comfortable they were around each other. Cameras shoved in their faces whenever they tried to go out could never show the real picture of their relationship. As much as they were all for a good 'fuck you' at the media, they ignored the doubts and negativity quietly, keeping their business exactly that – theirs. They'd loosened up a bit since last time: with the occasional Instagram picture and accompanying each other to more public events they caused quite a stir. Taylor had even given in to Niall's begging and let the band on stage with her one night as surprise guests, which people had always suspected but never thought would actually happen. The video of Taylor bopping and twirling around with the four lads had gone viral, but even that didn't show the ridiculous fun of their rehearsal where Harry and Niall had shown up early and pretended to be her back up dancers, almost convincing her to let them dress up and join in. A lot went on behind the scenes of their relationship, and they liked it better that way.

Their engagement had come as a bit of a surprise (all the fabricated stories of him getting ready to propose had been months off the real thing) and had expectedly come with mixed reactions. Their family and friends had been ecstatic, and really it was only their opinions that had any kind of relevance. They were the only ones who knew the real story of how he had proposed that fateful December 13th in the garden of their home in LA (hint: it involved a picnic and lots of flowers). They'd announced it via Instagram, with a simple shot of her hand holding one of the (many) roses and showing off the sparkling diamonds on her finger. That hadn't caused as much as a frenzy as the one wedding picture each they chose to publish, Harry's a cute shot of them feeding each other a spoonful of cake and Taylor's a more romantic candid of them beaming at each other in the epitome of happiness and love. Their guests had shown a couple of the group shots, but the magic moment of their first kiss as husband and wife was forever theirs.

They knew who they were, and that's all that really mattered.

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"And you're sure no one will be able to tell where we are?"

"The background's too blurry and dark to tell," Harry replied hurriedly. "Will you please make a decision so we can go?"

Taylor brushed off his impatience, "The water's not going anywhere, babe, there's no rush."

That might've been true, but Harry still stood with four towels thrown over his bare shoulder and a hand on his hip as Taylor fiddled on her phone. His idea of a night swim had quickly tempted him totally, and waiting for Taylor to decide whether or not to post those two blurry photos to let people a little into how they were doing was a tiny bit frustrating.

"Okay, I'm done," she finally declared, rolling her eyes as he gave a dramatic sigh of relief. She turned her phone towards him so he could see the likes on the post going up by the second.

"I like the caption," Harry said, a smile creeping up on his face and betraying his seriousness from just before.

Taylor beamed – 'Camera can't capture this kind of happiness'. Was there anything with more truth to it?

"C'mere," Harry beckoned, and Taylor picked up the rest of their things and slipped under his welcoming arm, walking with him down the path to the sand.

While the idea of taking to the ocean under the cover of nightfall sounded obvious, neither of them had actually proposed it until now. Perhaps what added to the enticement was Harry's suggestion that they stay the whole night on the beach while they were sure they had the whole space to themselves. With the blanket of stars twinkling down on them and the fresh open air, it was potentially going to offer the best sleep they'd had yet. The most enchanting, if nothing else.

Laying the towels out side by side, Taylor neatly spread the extra blanket they'd found in their room on top. She placed her canvas totes filled with the few things they thought they might need down too, while Harry tucked a spare pillow at the head of their makeshift bed. It was lucky they had the glow of the not-quite-full moon illuminating the soft sand and reflecting off the ripples in the ocean, otherwise they would've struggled to see clearly with only the one torch they had found in a drawer in the kitchen.

"This feels like a fairy tale," Taylor thought aloud, outstretching her arms and slowly spinning around with her eyes cast to the sky. Her white dress flowed prettily around her, swishing around her thighs. She looked like a fairy – all she needed was to sprout some wings that would lift her dainty body into the sky. Maybe some flowers tucked into her hair, too.

"Does that make me your Prince Charming?" Harry mused, in that moment loving nothing more than the giggled "Yes!" that came from the graceful girl dancing on the beach.

With the connection they'd made long ago, Harry easily slipped into her rhythm, hands finding her waist and lifting her up off the ground. Taylor gasped in delight, laughing as he spun her around in the air. She felt weightless and free, a feeling in her soul she'd only ever known with Harry. Putting it into words had always been a struggle – the simplest thing she could say was "I'm in love with him." Sometimes simple was all you needed.

Together they turned the sand into a stage, dancing and leaping and laughing around without a care in the world. With the advantage of space and a cushioned landing just in case, Taylor cartwheeled and jumped through the air, grand jetés showing off all the dance classes she'd taken. She appeared ethereal dancing under the moonlight in her glowing white dress, almost like a figure that could vanish into thin air if you blinked at the wrong moment.

Skirting around their belongings, Taylor pulled the dress over her head in an effortless sweep, dropping it on top of the blanket and skipping back over to Harry, who had mostly been watching her in awe. The small white bikini she had on underneath shone just as much, though he didn't have as long to look at it as she was soon jumping up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist and they were all smiles as their lips met for a passionate kiss.

"You know what the most beautiful thing about tonight is?" Harry asked, voice gentle with their faces only inches apart. Taylor shook her head, and Harry wanted to capture the loving smile on her face in his mind forever when he said, "You are."

Love was exactly what it felt like as they kissed again, bodies pressed against each other and her hands on his cheek and in his hair. Their stomachs fluttered in the ridiculous way they always still did, and even without the rings on their fingers solidifying their bond it was obvious how perfectly they were each other's other half.

When Harry carried her out to the ocean, Taylor clung on tight like a koala to a tree. She squealed as he sunk them down into the water which had cooled significantly without the sun's presence. He ran his hands up and down her body to try and get her over the initial temperature shock, distracting her from it if nothing else.

"You didn't tell me it'd be freezing," she whined, showing no signs of wanting to let go of him.

"You've just gotta get moving," he told her logically. "C'mon, let's swim around a bit. That means letting go, Tay. Tay–"

"Okay," she relented, releasing him with a slight pout that deepened when he almost immediately dived underwater and freestyled his way away from her. "Wait up!" she cried, bracing herself for the impact before she copied him. Harry had to hold back a laugh when he heard her squealing behind him.

In the lead, Harry decided to stop swimming once he was well adjusted to the temperature, his senses having stopped shouting at him to get back out and find warmth. Taylor reached him a few strokes after, and she was panting as she righted herself.

"What kind of warning was that?"

"A decent one."

Taylor looked at him dubiously and make the perhaps poor decision to splash him with water. It started an all-out war, the pair of them splashing so much they could barely see through the wash of water. It got in their eyes and their mouths; they were like children. It ended only when they got a little too close and Taylor accidentally scratched his ribs with one swipe.

"Are you alright?"

"When did you grow fucking claws?"

"Hey!"

Giggling as she coaxed him to stand up out the water, Taylor places kisses all over Harry's wet chest. He grinned and carefully pushed her hair away from her face, and maybe it was the association she made with that action that had her lowering to her knees and trailing her lips down below his navel. She stopped when he reached his waistband, tilting her head up and smiling at his hopeful expression.

"Not a chance," she said.

Harry's lips tugged at a smirk. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Before she had a chance to stop him, Harry was pulling off his shorts and leaving the fabric floating before her as he dived back under the water. He grinned as she called out his name in surprise, and again he swam away from her, gliding through the water freely without the restriction of any clothing.

With his shorts in her hand Taylor followed after him, not really that surprised by his sudden stripping down. He got naked more often than anyone else she knew. The shock of finding him wandering around the house bare had long since worn off, though she would never be over the times he would wake up and in his sleepy state forget she was having a friend over that day. At least he hadn't made that mistake in front of her family.

As much as she didn't really mind, when he stopped swimming and she caught up to him Taylor still said, "Are you insane?"

"I'm feeling pretty liberated, actually," Harry replied with a cheeky grin. "You should try it."

"I don't think so," she disagreed, holding his shorts out to him. He took them, but only to fling them up onto the shore. They didn't quite make it, and Taylor was the one to go and move them properly before they floated away never to be found.

"What's the harm, Tay?" he called after her. "No one's around to see."

"I'm not doing it," she insisted.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's not a very convincing argument."

Taylor made her way back over to him, well aware that he wasn't going to easily let it go. Harry wasn't one to pressure her into anything she wasn't comfortable with, but he could be awfully convincing when he wanted to be. Damn his charisma and adorable dimples.

"I know it's not 'cause you're scared of me seeing you naked," he continued on, wiggling his eyebrows at her teasingly. "If a Taylor takes her top off and there's no one around to see, did it really happen?"

"You're terrible," she laughed.

"Is that a yes?"

Taylor chewed on her lip. "I don't know."

"C'mon, it's not like you've never done it before." When she didn't immediately say anything, his eyes widened. "Taylor Alison Swift–"

"Styles," she automatically corrected.

"–are you trying to tell me you've never skinny dipped?"

"You know I have!"

"Hot tubs don't count! It's like taking an extra bubbly bath!"

With her arms crossed, Taylor shook her head, unable to fight back her smile. He'd tempted her. He'd purposely touched on her competitive side by telling her she hadn't done it properly before, and if there was one thing Taylor loved it was proving people's assumptions wrong.

"Fine," she said, starting to wriggle out of her bikini bottoms. She threw them at Harry, who beckoned her closer. She fiddled with the tie of her top and let him take over when he pulled her into a hug.

Once her clothes were off, Taylor was careful to keep her body underwater. True, there wasn't anyone else around, but her career had spanned a long time without any scandals like that and she aimed to keep it that way.

Harry kindly put her swimmers up on the sand with his, and when he made it back to her he was grinning. "How d'you feel?"

"Liberated," she quipped, quickly pushing herself backwards with a squeal when he made a dive for her.

They swam around like that a bit more, an unofficial game of tag that more often than not ended with a kiss when the other was caught. Touching and teasing, it was the kind of intimacy they never got to share in the open air. It was a sweet kind of refreshing.

Despite her hesitance, Taylor had relaxed into herself completely. Her self-consciousness had dissolved – Harry had that effect on her. He knew how to relax her, knew exactly what to say and do to get her out of the worries in her head and into the thrill of the moment. It could be a blessing and a curse, but mostly she thanked him for it.

She thanked him now with a slow kiss, leaning into him so their bodies glided against each other, silky skin on skin. Too bad the gentle moment was ruined by Taylor suddenly jerking back and screaming.

"What?!" Harry immediately panicked.

"Something touched my foot!" she flustered.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "That was me."

"It was not!" she shook her head quickly. "It was like a... a..."

"Crab come to snip off your toes?"

"Harry!"

"Sorry," he apologised, an amused smile lingering on his face. "But I promise it was me. No crabs or sea urchins or anything bad like that."

Taylor was still wary, but she floated back into his arms in trust. "I'm getting cold again," she told him quietly; he could feel the goose bumps prickling her skin.

"D'you wanna tuck in for the night?" he asked, kissing her temple after she nodded her head. "I'll get you a towel, 'kay?"

On his way out the water and up the beach, Harry picked up their swimmers from the shore and put them in the plastic bag they had brought. He grabbed one of the towels and made a half-hearted attempt at drying down before tying it around his waist. He would've happily walked back to Taylor without it, but he thought it would ease her a little when he helped her out the ocean. He knew there was no way she would just stroll out like he did.

With the other towel they had left, Harry waded back out into the water and held it out for her. Taylor was anxious as she quickly glanced around, positioning herself perfectly before she shot up to standing and Harry wrapped the towel around her. She stepped a little closer and hugged him tightly, lingering for a moment longer than necessary.

After some adjustment, Taylor held her towel up around her chest herself as Harry guided her up the sand with a hand on the small of her back. Getting into their bed was another tricky thing they hadn't considered – Harry had no problem, though, in removing his towel and using it to dry off his hair. He offered to do Taylor's, too, and after getting some of the sand off his feet he was nicely slipped in between the blankets. He coaxed Taylor through it with encouragements and reassurances, eventually deciding the easiest thing for her to do that would make her the most comfortable would be to get in first and then unwrap the towel.

"You okay?" Harry checked once they'd managed that without her flashing the non-existent crowd. He enveloped her in his arms, their legs intertwining as they shifted closer. Their bodies were still a bit damp, cold too. He started rubbing her back and her eyes closed in contentment.

"Thank you for this," she said quietly.

"You don't have to keep thanking me," he told her.

"I meant for, like, y'know... adventure." Taylor was thankful for the lighting disguising the blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"C'mere," Harry smiled affectionately, as if they could actually get a whole lot closer when they were already sharing the one pillow.

They didn't take too long to heat up under the blanket when they were entangled like that, their lips naturally finding each other's and sending them diving straight into another new experience together.

It was one thing for them to have been caught kissing on a beach before (a romantic stroll had turned not so enjoyable when they realised they had been followed), it was another to instigate anything more when they were so out in the open. Their concerns about being watched had dissipated completely thanks to all this solitude and had in turn been replaced by what any two regular people living normal lives would want. They shared intense kisses, tongues dancing in each other's mouths, hands caressing soft skin. Gentle moans showed their affection, while heightening it still. It was almost like they were two teenagers fooling around in a place where their parents couldn't see, not two twenty-somethings whose reputations could be so easily crushed if anyone found out what they were doing. That only seemed to make it more enticing.

Taylor was tingling with excitement as Harry kissed her neck, a weakness he thoroughly enjoyed playing on. Her skin tasted like salt and he kissed down her chest as he pushed her onto her back, the hotter air under the protection of the blanket making it harder to breath and weirdly turning him on more. He lapped his tongue over her breast and used his other hand on her other, and she wanted nothing more than for him to take it further.

"I've never had sex on a beach before," she confessed airily.

"'S kind of why I suggested all this," he replied with a cheeky little smirk that had her kissing his lips when he propped himself up to look at her. "Thought you might want to tick it off your bucket list," he added, pulling back only to search for the bag they'd brought with them. He pulled out a box of condoms and Taylor scoffed.

"How many ticks does one item need?"

"The night is young, Taylor," Harry declared, grinning at the laugh she couldn't hold back.

Taylor stroked his hair while he sorted himself out, their eyes locking as Harry slowly pushed into her. They stayed like that for a moment, the little bit of time he always gave her to adjust to the full feeling of connecting in the closest possible way. She appreciated the thoughtfulness more than he knew.

A smile gracing her lips, Taylor leaned up to kiss him, and the pair of them melted into each other with the ease and total attraction of two people in love.

Harry kept his thrusts slow and deep, contrary to many of the heated moments they'd shared over their stay here. He loved a fast fuck just as much as the next person, but somehow it didn't feel right under the night sky. It was the sound of their gentle moans as they moved as one that seemed most fitting in the clear air.

Taylor's nails traced circles on the nape of his neck as she stared up at the stars above them. Harry was kissing her neck again, his breath hot against her skin, and he was smiling when she sighed his name.

"This is so beautiful," she whispered, the view she had so completely different from the ceilings they were used to looking up at. It was magical, being here with the man she was so completely in love with with a sparkling array of stars twinkling dow2n on them as they gave each other all of them. It was the kind of romantic moment Taylor adored, one that seemed only to live in fiction but was happening right now because Harry– god, Harry knew her so unbelievably well that even if he hadn't entirely planned on her feeling like this, she believed with all her heart that he'd chosen it because he lived to fulfil her wildest dreams, to give her all the fairy tale moments she'd always imagined would come with finding her true love. This hadn't exactly been on the list, but it was the surprises that ended up meaning the most to her.

"Harry, babe, I really want you to see this," she said, dying for him to experience the same as she was. Harry was a little more intent on sucking a small bruise just under her ear, but he flipped them over obediently when she tried pushing him herself.

Harry's jaw dropped when he cast his eyes up at the sky. Glistening lights that almost seemed to be shining just for them, the moon hanging high and luminescent – it was one of the most breathtaking scenes he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Wow," he gasped, feeling Taylor settle herself on top of him.

"It's incredible," she agreed, slowly starting to move on him. His hands automatically rested on her hips and she smiled as she looked down at his wondrous expression.

"Are you sure you don't want to be looking at this?" he couldn't help but ask.

Taylor leaned in closer to whisper in his ear, her tone trickled with the kind of seduction that he always fell for as she said, "I want my beautiful man to have a beautiful view when I make him come."

Harry grinned, dimples deep at the corners. "I think you'll find I always have that."

The kiss that came next was full of smiling passion.

They'd both been close before the change in position, and with the short pause in friction they managed to last longer. Taylor appreciated having the point of control when Harry's hands wandered her body, trailing her back and cupping her ass and massaging her breasts. He stimulated her all over and she was awfully torn between slowing it down to make it last longer or grinding down on him to give her body the last bit she needed to send her over the edge.

She looked to Harry's face for answers, and one look at him biting down on his bottom lip and his eyelids fluttering between open and closed was all she needed to know to decide.

Both of them grinding on each other, Harry was practically seeing stars in his head when his orgasm hit him moments later, his whole body overcome with total pleasure as she rode him out. He moaned loudly, toes curled tight and staying that way all though Taylor's wave that came just after his. He stroked her back and held her close as she buried her face in his mess of hair, the pair of them trying to catch their breaths.

It was quiet for a long time after that, even as Taylor pulled off him and Harry cleaned himself up. They wrapped themselves up in a tangled embrace, as close as they could possible manage despite the unappealing sheen of sweat coating their limbs. Tiredness had suddenly hit both of them hard, thanks to all the swimming they'd done and what they'd just shared. Harry was almost asleep when he heard Taylor's gentle voice.

"Harry?"

"Mmm?"

"I love you more than there are stars in the sky."

He smiled softly. "I love you more than there are ones we can't see."