~5 Years Later~
~H~

The future has a tendency to arrive unannounced. It is a storm of surprises, and a storm can be beautiful if it doesn't cause wreckage. Sometimes it sneaks up on us -the future-, leaving us wondering where all the time was passing by. Was it passing while I kissed him under the moonlight? Was it flowing around while he had his fingers in my hair and his lips at my neck? Time doesn't stop for anyone, that much is true, but maybe it does slow down when he looks at me, when he touches me, when he makes me feel alive. My skin dances with tingles when I am with him under the sheets, hidden from the world.

The future might have sneaked up on us, but it came bearing the gift of love.

-

Harry watched him quietly as he moved around the open space, leaving behind a bit of sunshine everywhere he went, every surface his fingers brushed. He twisted the band around his finger, an addition they had made almost fourteen months ago, light catching on the gold.

It felt like a lazy summer day even if it was raining outside. Maybe it had to do with his personal sun dancing to the record playing a soft tune, guitars strumming in the background as light feet padded on the carpet.

"Come join me," his husband was looking at him with a soft smile, offering a hand and Harry accepted it, pulling himself to his feet and laughing when his husband lead the dance.

"So, I am supposed to be the woman here?"

"Just because you are tall, doesn't mean you are manlier than me."

He beamed at the shorter man, tucking his face against his neck and breathing him in, "But I am the one doing all the hard work in the bedroom."

"You think that, love? Don't want me to ride you tonight?"

"Lou!" Harry groaned.

"Yeah, didn't think so," Louis laughed, "Now, shh. I like this song and I want to dance to it quietly with my husband in my arms."

"Okay," Harry whispered, pressing his forehead to Louis', his arms around the younger man's shoulders as they swayed gently to the rhythm. Louis drew circles where his hands were resting at Harry's hips, making his eyes flutter close at the gesture.

They weren't husbands per say. Same-sex marriage was not legal in London but there was nothing against same-sex couples. They had celebrated their love any way. Harry had proposed two years back, and a few months later they had had a wedding in front of their friends and colleagues. They had said their vows, declared their love, and promised to be each other's till the end of time.

"How was work?" Harry asked in hushed voice, not willing to break the tranquillity.

Louis sighed, "High school students are the worst. I can't wait to get my Ph.D."

"That bad, huh?"

"Not bad," Louis shrugged, "I want to teach those who are actually interested in literature. Who want to pursue a career in it."

"You'll get there, love."

"Yeah?"

"Of course. You are brilliant, darling."

Louis smiled at that, getting on his toes to kiss Harry, "Wouldn't be without your help."

Louis had got into the program at twenty-one, just after getting his bachelor's degree, pursuing his masters and Ph.D. simultaneously. He had balanced his job, his studies and his personal life quite well for the last four years, but he knew he wouldn't have been able to do that without Harry's constant support. Harry was his backbone, his solid ground, Louis would crumble without him.

It might be unhealthy how much they depended on each other, but none of them would have it any other way.

Jay had been there for Louis' college graduation, Harry remembered the way Louis had broken down in her arms. He had had a fleeting moment of doubt that he really had taken Louis away from his life, but then he saw that Louis was crying happy tears. He was happy to see her, but he was also happy where he was.

They had been in touch since then, talking twice a month, and Jay would visit them once every six months. On her last visit she had told them that she was splitting with Eliott. The man had changed into someone else entirely. It was a painful day, for all three of them. Jay was mourning her relationship, her marriage, and Louis and Harry were trying to shake away the memories of that ill-fated day from a few years back.

Harry shut those thoughts away, coming back to his beautiful reality.

The younger man already had offers from universities lining up for a professor's post, he just had to wait for his degree and then decide which one suited him best.

It was a feat to complete a Ph.D. at twenty-five, and Harry was immensely proud of his husband.

"What did you do all day? Procrastinate? Or did you finally start on your next project?" Louis asked with a perched brow.

"Come on," Harry tugged him over to his office, "I'll show you." He opened the page he was working on and stepped back to let Louis sit in his chair.

He admired the blush rising on his husband's cheeks, smiling when Louis let out a soft giggle.

"You wrote about us fucking, Harry!" Louis was laughing, his cheeks still coloured crimson.

"Not in those exact words," he shrugged.

Louis bit his lip until he stopped laughing, and then closed the distance between them, resting his palm over Harry's heart and asking seriously, "Does time really slow down when we are together?"

Harry placed his own hand on top of Louis', "In moments like this, I think it does slow down to look at us. Maybe it watches us in admiration, or maybe in jealousy. Maybe it halts its pace to admire what we have, or maybe it burns in agony over what it can never touch. When we are in this moment, I know one thing for sure, all time can do is try and pass by slowly, taking in every ounce of love it can get from watching us together. How else would I explain the feeling I get when I am with you? My world stops rotating as soon as my eyes land on you."

Louis' eyes were damp, his voice breaking as he spoke, "And what about when we are apart?"

"It tries to rush, tries to get us back together, so it can witness something that is only meant for it to look at, but for us to live and marvel in," Harry kissed him, skimming his lips under Louis' eye to brush away his tears with his lips, "Sometimes it may seem that time is barely dragging by when we are apart, but trust me, it is trying its best to get us back together. Because even jealous, it admires our love."

Louis pulled him into a fierce kiss, fingers skimming into his hair, and tugging at the short ends. Harry had cut them an year back, and although a little wary at first, Louis loved them now, loved to tug at them until Harry was reciprocating with burning passion.

"You do know your way with words," Louis whispered against his lips after pulling back, "Know how to get a man's heart."

"No. Only know how to get your heart," Harry spoke truthfully, caressing Louis' cheek and then kissing it.

"It better not change."

"I promised you forever, didn't I?"

Louis hummed with a satisfactory smile, running his pointer finger through Harry's side burns, "Love this salt and pepper look on you."

"Is that so? Thank goodness I didn't dye them," Harry smirked. He had noticed Louis' liking to the few grey hair that stood out whenever he had his hair cut, but had decided not to point it out until Louis mentioned it himself.

"Don't you dare," Louis warned him with dark eyes, "It makes you look so sexy."

"Huh, I think I have always been sexy."

Louis shook his head with a laugh, "Narcissist." He pressed his nose under Harry's ear and kissed his jaw, "I love that in a man."

"You love everything about me, baby."

"That I do," Louis confirmed and then pulled away from his embrace, resuming his position in the chair, "Now what else have you planned? Gonna write pages about my arse, too?"

"Oh, definitely," he smirked, "I'll write books about that glorious arse."

"I doubt your fans would like to read that."

"Well," he bent down to rest his chin on Louis' shoulder and hug him from behind the chair, "I know for certain that my biggest fan would enjoy reading it."

"Would he now?" Louis challenged by tipping his chin up.

"Mhm, he is a bit narcissistic as well, would enjoy it if I talked in length about how beautiful he is."

"And how beautiful is he actually?" The younger man asked, batting his lashes like a coquet.

"I can show it better," he kissed feebly at Louis' lips before making a prominent path down his neck. He offered his hand to Louis who took it gracefully and let Harry lead him to their bedroom.

Rain was still pattering down against the French windows, hitting the ground hard, while the skies roared above.

He undressed his husband with gentle touches and burning kisses until they were both standing stark naked in front of the window. Their backyard was covered with thick and tall trees, yet there was a thrill knowing that their ministrations were clearly visible from outside.

He turned Louis to the body-length mirror in the corner, spreading his hand over the younger man's stomach and toying with his nipples with his other hand.

"Look at yourself," he whispered into Louis' ear, watching Louis watch their reflection, his hand moving down to stroke the heavy length, "Isn't this a sight someone would write books about? And you ask me if I would write pages. Baby, I'll fill every damn page writing about your beauty, about what a blessing you are, and how you still feel like a sin. A sin I'll happily commit for an eternity."

"Harry!" Louis gasped, his finger nails digging into the back of Harry's hand as Harry bit lightly at his neck, "I need--"

"What do you need, my love?"

"Please, you know!" He begged, eyes locked with Harry through the mirror.

"You want to watch us fuck? You wanna see how pretty you look while coming? Wanna see how vulnerable you get when I am inside you?" Harry asked, already knowing answer to all those questions.

"Yes, yes! Please!"

-

A thin sheet was draped over their lower halves as they laid on the bed. Harry was running his fingers slowly through Louis' hair, listening to the pitter-patter outside.

"Have you thought about it?" Louis asked, pulling himself up on his elbow.

Harry raised his eyebrows in question.

"What we talked about last night," Louis clarified.

"Oh, yeah," Harry smiled, "Well, I think Julio is a fantastic name. I don't fancy Mario that much."

"Julio it is then," Louis grinned, "Our baby Julio."

Harry chuckled, but then it turned sombre.

"Hey," Louis cupped his cheek, "None of that. We have been through worse, Haz. So what if we are not allowed to adopt a child? We will adopt a cat and raise it like our baby, and who knows, maybe someday it would be legal for us to adopt our own children."

"Yeah, maybe," Harry smiled again, kissing Louis lightly, "You are amazing, my love."

"And, if that day doesn't come, we will get lots and lots of cats. We will be an old couple with fifty cats. That sounds amazing, too, doesn't it?" Louis joked, waggling his eyebrows as Harry laughed.

"It's a good thing I love you and your crazy ideas."

"You kinda have to, because I love you and your stupid jokes."

"Hmm, fair enough," Harry couldn't tame his smile, it was practically impossible, "I don't think anyone else would put up with my stupid jokes."

"No, they would dump your arse at second attempt."

"Well, then I am lucky I found you, made you fall in love with me, and then married you. You are trapped with me for life, darling."

"Doesn't sound so awful," Louis shrugged and rolled away, giggling when Harry pulled him back on the bed to kiss him. "I gotta grade the papers, Haz."

"Later," Harry mumbled, kissing another path down Louis' chest, "It's so romantic outside, we can't insult nature. It wants us to spend the rest of the day in bed."

"Doing what?" Louis asked, eyes dark and chest heaving as Harry sucked and bit at his sensitive buds.

"We'll figure something out."

-

The End.