"Is this okay?" Harry asks nervously, pulling at the bottom of his light grey sweater. "Is this, like, too casual? I don't know where he's taking me, but-"

"You look lovely, H," Gemma reaches up and gently fixes the headscarf in his hair. She has that sisterly way of doing everything out of care and knowingness. "Really, stop fussing so much. You look beautiful."

"Are you sure?" Harry pouts.

"Doesn't Mummy look pretty, Lennon?" Gemma points toward Harry, who's still pouting. Lennon looks up, not at Gemma or Harry, but in their direction.

"Pretty, Mummy," Lennon croons before going back to playing with her blocks. That's when Harry looks down and blushes. Lennon's opinion is the only one that matters, even if she might have just been repeating her Auntie.

The doorbell rings. Harry feels like he's going to collapse. He's so nervous, he's always been an anxious person.

"You've got this, bub!" Gemma cheers softly, pumping her fist in the air before walking over to Lennon. Harry exhales, wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans, and opens the door.

"Wow," Louis exhales. He's dressed in a brown leather jacket over a white t-shirt, black jeans on the bottom. He's holding a bouquet of roses. "I mean, uh, hi. Sorry, I'm super nervous. My sister practically shoved me out the door. I, uh, brought you roses."

"They're beautiful," Harry says softly, blushing at his timid tone. "Let me put these in some water, do you, um, want to come in for a minute? My sister and Lennon are here, sorry."

"You've gotten closer than you probably wanted to with my sister," Louis shrugs. "Might as well meet yours." Harry giggles softly at that, and he steps further into the house.

"Gemma, this is Louis," Harry says, voice shaking slightly as Louis steps into the house. Louis looks around, observing the many, many pictures on the walls. Pictures of Harry laying in a hospital bed, a bundle in his arms as he looks at the camera, teary-eyed and beaming. Pictures of Harry and his sister together, some with Lennon as well. Pictures of Lennon as a tiny toddler, dressed in little matching outfits and sitting on the grass of the back garden.

"Lovely to meet you, Louis," Gemma says, her nails blue like Lennon's as she shakes Louis' hand. "Let's skip the nice introductions–hurt my brother and I'll choke you with my own two hands."

"Gemma," Harry whines exasperatedly. Louis just smirks at Gemma, glancing over to Harry.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Louis says seriously, eyes wandering over to Lennon. He smiles softly at the sight of her.

"Gemma, could you put these in some water for me please?" Harry asks shyly, blushing as Gemma raises her eyebrows at the flowers.

"Sure," She takes the flowers from Harry, winking at Louis before walking into the kitchen. "Have fun, boys!"

"Bye, baby," Harry says in Lennon's direction. She doesn't look at him, but he can tell she hears him.

"Oh dear," Lennon replies. "Buh-bye, Mummy."

♛

"The beach," Harry says surprisedly as they pull into a parking lot, the ocean suddenly in front of them. The parking lot is completely empty, and so is the beach.

"I'm not a fancy dinner kind of guy," Louis sighs, seemingly upset with himself. "I'm sorry. You probably expected more, but I want to get to know you and I figured we could go to a place we could, like, just talk."

"No, no, Louis," Harry soothes. "It's lovely, that's a lovely idea."

Louis smiles timidly, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the car door. Harry does the same, both of them getting out and walking toward the beach. Harry shivers slightly, wrapping his arms around himself as the cool breeze hits him.

"Take my jacket," Louis insists almost immediately, tugging his brown leather jacket off. Harry frowns, seeing Louis only has a t-shirt on underneath.

"Louis, you'll freeze," Harry argues. Louis shushes him and hands him the jacket, and fuck, Harry has never seen Louis' arms. He's always dressed in dress shirts when he sees him. They're toned and littered with tattoos. Louis follows Harry's eyes, his own eyes becoming wide.

"I, uh-" Louis' cheeks turn a rosy pink. Harry realises Louis probably thinks Harry is hardcore judging him.

"No, no, I was just surprised," Harry assures, taking the jacket and slipping his arms into it. Louis still doesn't look convinced. Harry doesn't know what to do. "I-here, look, I have some myself, see?" He rolls up the sleeve of the jacket along with his sweater, showing off the small tattoos littering his wrist. 

"These are sick," Louis says with a genuine smile, looking up at Harry. "You got anymore?"

"'Ve got a rose," Harry points to his forearm. "And, uh," He pulls down the collar of his sweater. "Birds. And..." He yanks his sweater to the side. "G for Gemma," and the other side. "A for Anne. That's my mum."

Louis reaches up and runs his thumb over the A. The touch sends a shiver down Harry's spine as he swallows thickly.

"I have a penguin tattooed on my arse," Louis has to ruin the moment. Harry bursts out laughing, however, and Louis laughs too.

♛

"So you just, like, haven't gone to the beach in six years?" Louis asks, eyebrows furrowed as Harry smiles and shakes his head.

"Not since right before Lennon was born," Harry replies.

"Elaborate."

Harry glances down at his hand entwined with Louis'. They'd both taken off their shoes and left them near the parking lot, and they had been walking down the length of the beach for a while.

"Um, I mean, I had her in June," Harry explains. "And, like, a week before I went into labour Gemma took me to the beach to relax, and I tried to enjoy it, but I was sweating and everything hurt and I had to wee every three seconds."

"Did you try going in the water?" Louis asks, his head turning to look at the ocean. Harry wrinkles his nose and shakes his head.

'S too cold," Harry explains. "I don't go in the water."

"Okay, hold on," They stop walking, and Louis turns to face Harry. "You don't go in the water? Like, at all?"

"Nope," Harry shakes his head. Louis is looking at him like he just kicked a puppy. Louis moves closer to Harry, and before Harry can ask what the hell is going on, he's off his feet and being carried toward the ocean.

"Louis, wait, no!" Harry squeaks, but he doesn't do anything to resist. Louis just smirks, setting Harry down when he's ankle deep in water. Harry yelps. "No no no, that's so cold, I want out-"

"C'mon," Louis grabs Harry's hand. "You've just got to get used to it!"

"It literally hurts," Harry huffs, hand still in Louis' as he wiggles his toes to make sure he can still feel them. Louis just shakes his head, starting to step a little further into the ocean. Harry doesn't budge.

"Harry, c'mon," Louis urges.

"I'll get my trousers wet," Harry argues, but he's smiling, because the way Louis is looking at him is giving him butterflies. Louis walks over to Harry, squatting down and rolling up his trousers until they're halfway up his calf. He then stands back up and takes Harry's hand again, leading him further into the water.

"See? Doesn't that feel nice?" The waves rush over Harry's legs as he shivers, looking at Louis' bright expression.

"No," Harry huffs, but he's smiling. Louis looks over to him and smiles back.

"You look really nice right now," Louis says, making Harry's cheeks become hot, the compliment warming up his whole body. "Just, like, with the moonlight on your face, and your smile, I'm a blubbering idiot, I'm sorry."

It's quiet among the two boys until Harry utters a small "Kiss me."

Louis practically whips his head toward Harry. "What?"

"Kiss me, you fool," Harry giggles shyly. Louis is silent for a few moments before bringing his hand up to Harry's cheek, watching as Harry's face softens into a small, nervous smile. He leans in, and soon enough his lips are pressed to Harry's sweetly. It feels like Harry is smiling as they kiss, which makes Louis' heart flutter.

Harry is beaming when they separate, his eyes lit up as Louis' hand stays against Harry's cheek. "I forgot..." Harry trails off, biting his bottom lip and looking down at his feet, which are starting to feel numb.

"What?" Louis asks patiently, his heart beating fast as Harry looks back up at him.

"I forgot how nice that feels," Harry giggles, and Louis just smiles fondly, leaning in and kissing Harry again. Harry giggles into Louis' lips, and Louis moves both of his hands onto Harry's waist. He can feel Harry's hands going to his hair as they get so close their torsos are touching.

"You're good at this," Harry mutters against Louis' lips, overwhelming euphoria pouring out of his mouth and spreading into the air around them. Louis can't help but smile.

"I like to think so," Louis replies with a smirk, and Harry's cheeks are rosy and Louis' hands are warm and he forgot how nice it feels to fall in love. To be infatuated with a person, and he can't determine why he feels this on the first date, but it seems as though Louis is at least a little fond of him too.

♛

"I'm not pushing you, am I?" Louis asks worriedly, his hands holding him up on either side of Harry's head. Harry totally has sand in his hair, but he doesn't even care. "Because, you haven't really said anything, and it's the first date, and I don't really take silence as consent..."

"No," Harry assures, panting slightly. "No, I want this, I promise."

"Okay, great," Louis nods before leaning back down and smashing his lips against Harry's, Harry's hands running through his hair. Harry hasn't had this type of adrenaline in so long, his dick is hard and his heart is pounding.

"Fuck," Harry can hear Louis curse as Harry bucks his hips uselessly. Louis' hands are roaming Harry's body, his hands touching places that he hasn't been touched in a long time. Louis' hands are, Harry thinks, like magic.

Harry figured that if he ever did this again, he'd be self conscious the whole time. He wouldn't stop thinking about how he wasn't doing it right or that maybe the other person involved wasn't enjoying it as much, but right now, he doesn't have a single doubt in his mind. He's too fazed, too full of euphoria and excitement from finally making physical contact with another man (a very, very sexy man, he might add).

Louis' lips are on his neck, and Harry's biting his bottom lip with his hands tugging at the hairs at the nape of Louis' neck.

After Harry can feel Louis' erection against his thigh, he pushes Louis' back lightly. "Let's go back to my place," He pants quietly, barely even a whisper. He feels smooth, and confident, and attractive in Louis' eyes. Louis smirks.