~L~

The air around them seemed charged, electric. He could feel a fire coursing through his veins as their tongues danced together to a fierce beat. Fingers slid under the fabric of his t-shirt, pressing into his skin. The warmth surrounding him was enough to drown him and yet not quite. He ached for more. He was craving for more and more of it.

Time seemed to stand still when their lips parted. A flood of emotions passed through the green eyes he was gazing into. The only sounds inside the room were of their panting breath.

Harry's fingers travelled up his waist, his arms, his neck, and finally settled at his cheeks. He held onto the man's hands, feeling the need to grasp onto something, to feel grounded.

The moon shone on Harry's side, making him glow like an innocent child.

It was then that Louis realised how much Harry needed him, maybe more than Louis could ever fathom. Under the pretence of darkness, the man had let down all his guards, and for the first time Louis could read him, could see how fragile he was.

Maybe Harry didn't mean to show his vulnerability, maybe Louis wasn't meant to see past his walls, but he wouldn't ever want to change it. For once he was able to measure how many demons resided inside the man's heart, how much guilt he was still carrying.

Harry had crawled under his skin, was flowing through his veins, was occupying his every thought, was ruling his heart.

Louis had his Epiphany.

For all the time he had pretended to hate this man, he had been slowly falling deeper and deeper for him. Was being swayed by his wispy curls, entranced by the way he weighed his words, hung up on each flutter of his eyelashes. He had fallen in love way before he had even thought of the possibility.

"Make love to me," he whispered into the quietness, not wanting to disrupt it.

Somehow that was enough. No questions, no affirmative.

They moved until his back was on the mattress with Harry lying between his legs. His skin burned with every press of lips against it. Harry took his time to undress him, kissing every inch of the skin being revealed.

He tried to keep his nerves down. It was Harry, he trusted him with his life.

Warmth crept up his chest as the man undid his bottoms, staring as if in awe. He tried to close his legs when he felt too shy, but Harry just held him still, holding his legs apart with his hands.

Green eyes met his again, blown wide. "You are beautiful, so beautiful," Harry whispered against his thigh and kissed it, travelling down to his knee, and then to his foot.

"Harry, please," he whimpered when the anticipation got too much, already embarrassed with how aroused he was when Harry hadn't even undressed yet.

"Let me appreciate your beauty, darling," Harry's lips were against the column of his neck now, grazing there gently while his fingers toyed with Louis' buds. "You sound like a dream," the man commented when Louis let out an elongated moan.

"Need you, Harry, please!" He gasped out when the fingers wrapped around him, stroking him while Harry marked his territory across his chest, biting and licking to leave purple bruises.

"I know, my love. Shh... I want you to feel good, okay? Let me know if anything hurts you."

A cold finger pressed against his entrance, slowly sliding in and he cried out, nails digging into Harry's upper arms. "Don't stop," he pleaded with watery eyes when Harry made to pull away.

Harry kissed his forehead and then his lips before continuing.

It took time for him to adjust, to let go and succumb to the pleasure, but when he did, he was in bliss. His body moved in accordance with the fingers inside, chasing for more, more, more. And it came when Harry hit something inside him, sending jolts of pleasure through his body, making him cling onto the man desperately.

"Haz," he whimpered, tears streaming down his cheeks as Harry kept pressing against that spot, massaging it with his fingers. Louis couldn't feel his legs, all the blood rushing to where he was leaking profusely. "Na-angh!" He cried in frustration when Harry pulled his fingers out. "Come back!"

"Just a moment, my love," Harry parted with a peck to his lips.

He watched the man with hooded eyes and laboured breath as he undressed. As soon as Harry was within his reach, he had his hands on the man, pulling him above himself again, joining their lips in a soft kiss.

The kiss calmed him down enough to wait patiently as Harry slicked himself with lube. It also gave him time to admire the beautiful man in front of his eyes, all his.

Harry searched for his eyes, looking for something, and when Louis nodded, the man simply smiled before kissing him again.

His eyes screwed shut in discomfort as Harry pushed inside his tightness, biting his lips to stop himself from screaming out. Harry took his time, moving inside as slowly as one could, stopping each time Louis whined. Louis was holding on to Harry, the man's face pushed into his neck as their bodies connected completely.

"Lou, baby," Harry grunted against his sweaty skin, biting his shoulder when Louis clenched around him.

They moved together in harmony, bodies writing their own song, each sound diminishing a certain woe. What they had was beautiful, pure, sacred even. A selfless love. Their act, their touch defined the depth of their emotions, how they cared.

He brushed off the dew birthing at the corner of Harry's eye, enclosing his lips with his own. His other hand, tangled in the mess of curls, tugged at the locks with a gasp leaving his lips. He didn't hold back his sounds of pleasure, moaning with each electric shock that coursed his body.

His release hit him like a freight train; loud and sudden, leaving him immobile for a few moments. He clenched around Harry, whimpering from over-sensitivity. Harry held him close, groaning his name as his hips stuttered, hitting inside deep.

Harry pulled out of him and collapsed to his side, throwing an arm over his slicked torso while they caught their breath. He shifted closer and pecked the man's lips before snuggling into his arms, not caring in the least about the mess.

"Hey, baby," Harry murmured against his forehead, nosing into his hair.

"Hey," he replied softly, returning the delicate touches with his fingers dancing across the expanse of Harry's chest. He looked up to find the man smiling softly and he overcame with sudden mirth, grinning widely.

"I love you," Harry spoke again, close to his lips before kissing him. "We need to clean up."

Louis became aware of the stickiness at his stomach and between his thighs but pouted and shook his head, "Later. Stay. Cuddle."

"Sleepy head," Harry chuckled when he yawned, eyes tearing up as fatigue over took.

"Hold me. Shower later. Sleepy," he couldn't even form complete sentences, whining when Harry laughed at his antics, "Rude."

"Alright, go to sleep, baby. I'll get a towel to clean us. Be right back," Harry ignored his whine of protest but was quick to get back to him with a wet towel, wiping the remnants of the night and gently kissing the boy everywhere.

Louis fell asleep as soon as he was in Harry's arms again.

-

He woke up to an arm draped across his middle, a head full of curls resting at his chest. By now he was used to this but it still felt domestic, his heart warming at the sight. He could definitely get used to waking up like this; their bodies stark naked under the sheets, a sweet ache present between his legs.

He stayed like that for a long while, knowing that if he tried to untangle himself, it would only result in a grumpy Harry pouting at him and holding him even tighter.

"Haz, baby," he spoke softly, brushing his fingers through the man's hair, "Wake up."

"No," Harry mumbled into his neck, fingers digging into his side to pull closer.

"C'mon, Haz, you promised me a date."

He grinned when Harry pulled himself up and pouted at him, "I will look like a jerk if I keep sleeping, wouldn't I?"

"Only a little," he shrugged, trying to hide his smile.

"I hate you," Harry frowned at him, pinching his nipple and sitting up completely.

"Mean!" Louis swatted at the man's chest in retaliation, moving along to straddle his waist. A whimper left his mouth at the pain in his lower area, "My arse hurts," he complained, leaning completely into Harry's warmth.

"You should take a warm bath, let your muscles relax. I will get it ready for you," Harry wrapped him in his arms before standing from the bed, carrying him carefully to the bathroom.

"I could get used to this treatment," he stroked Harry's cheek tenderly, kissing the other one.

"Me too, baby."

-

He was pretty sure Harry loved to watch him blush. Fingers deftly stroked the back of his hand before holding it completely. He averted his eyes to look at the menu instead, not giving Harry the satisfaction to watch him squirm.

His head snapped up, gasp erupting from his lips as he felt lips pressing to his knuckles, "Harry!" He glanced around to make sure no one saw before looking back at the man with a pointed gaze.

"What? No one is looking, baby."

"S-still," he blushed again when he saw the look in Harry's eyes, full of adoration, "You don't get to do that."

Harry rested his hand down gently, his smile diminishing, "Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't," he was quick to assure, "It's just that... this is new for me, you know? I am not sure how people will react if they saw."

"You shouldn't worry about people, Lou. I will not let anyone hurt you," Harry's words were sincere, laced with pain, as if he knew what could happen. He wondered again how much he didn't know about Harry.

Louis wasn't upset with the knowledge that Harry was still holding some things back, the man had already opened up so much to him.

"I know," he smiled, lacing their fingers on top of the table. "Now, get me some food, I am hungry!"

"Of course, your highness," Harry chuckled, beckoning over a waiter to place their orders.

"Where are we going after this?" Louis asked as the waiter walked away.

"Somewhere."

"That is--?"

"Some place you would like, I hope."

"Tell me!" He whined, poking the man's arm.

Harry eyed him with faux annoyance but didn't utter a word.

"A frown today, a wrinkle tomorrow," Louis sang under his breath.

"Why can't you simply enjoy what I have planned?"

He shrugged with a grin, "I like watching you act as if you hate it when I pester you. I know how much you like my attention."

"Not true."

"Mhm, sure."

He dropped annoying Harry as their food arrived, averting his attention away from the frowning man in order to savour the taste of waffles he had been craving.

"Why don't you just bend over for those waffles?"

"Maybe I'll moan a bit, too," he fired back, laughing when Harry's frown deepened.

"Fine, I like your attention. Now please stop looking at those waffles with bedroom eyes."

-

Louis was truly awestruck. It was difficult to believe where he was standing. He had been to Florence numerous times but he never had the pleasure of visiting this place. It was always crowded and he was not a fanatic of visiting a church.

It was a mystery how no one else was there on a fine morning. No hymns, no baptisms, no mass, just him and Harry alone in that grandeur building.

"What did you--?" He couldn't even finish his question, confused as to what he should ask.

"I know some people. Called in some favours," Harry shrugged in non-chalance, but Louis could tell he was proud of what he had done.

He moved into the man's space and placed his palms flat on his chest, leaning on his toes to kiss under Harry's chin. "You are amazing. I can't believe you did this." Harry's arm wound around his waist, keeping him close when he tried to back away.

"Anything for you, my love."

He didn't pull away after that, simply turned in the man's arms to look at what was present before them.

"What kind of favours did you call in? It has to be something big if they let us have the whole church to ourselves. Us. Two men. In a church. Together."

"Well, we could have just been friends."

"Please, any one with eyes can tell we are definitely more than friends. We were never friends to begin with, by the way."

He heard Harry sigh deeply before nuzzling at his neck, "Why can't you appreciate the efforts I make in order to impress you?"

"I do appreciate them. Believe me. I would have been on my knees for you if it wasn't totally immoral," he giggled at the man's groan and pulled out of his hold to walk over to the painting.

The Holy Trinity wasn't what impressed him the most. It was the fact that Harry knew he loved history and art and went this far to please him, that made Louis smile all day.

"You know Masaccio was barely twenty-seven when he died. The Holy Trinity is one of his major works," he said off-handedly, looking at the painting with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. "It's beautiful, isn't It?"

Harry hummed and Louis looked over to find the man smiling softly at him. He linked his fingers through Harry's and grinned at him.

"Thank you. For everything."

~

I am proud of this chapter and I truly hope you guys liked it.

Please vote and comment to let me know what you think of this chapter.

P.s. I was originally planning to write only fifteen chapters but it looks like it will be more than that. 😁