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Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
One of these days Louis will take Liam’s annoying analog clock from the wall and smash it to the ground. He might even make it his new year’s resolution.
Louis’ been sat on the couch for the past hour, trying to focus on the cooking show playing but instead he got distracted by the damn ticking object on the wall in front of him. It just hangs there, mocking Louis and seemingly ticking as loudly as possible just to remind Louis that she and Time are in control. To remind him that they won’t wait for him. To remind him that the closer they get to midnight, the closer Louis gets to having another year wasted.
Because 2017 is almost over and Louis still hasn’t found his soulmate.
Liam, the supportive friend and terribly optimistic person he is, would tell Louis there’s still time. That there are still more than twelve hours left before the new year starts, and that anything is possible.
But Louis, who’s the polar opposite of Liam – how are they even friends? – would say that no, 2017 just isn’t his year. If Fate and Time would have wanted Louis to find his soulmate this year, he already would have. So he’s going to spend the rest of this wasted year doing exactly that – wasting it. Preferably by sitting on the couch the rest of the day, eating fast food and watching lame television programmes until 2018 begins and Louis can restart the search for the love of his life.
Absentmindedly, Louis rubs his fingers over the mark on his thigh, getting ink all over them. This morning, Louis had drawn another curve under his soulmate mark, similar to two X’s next to each other, turning it into a smiley like he was younger.
Louis sighs. To be young and full of hope again.
As soon as young Louis learned about Fate and soulmates, he had wanted to meet his. For every bedtime story, Louis asked for another tale about people meeting their soulmate. His mum read him every fairy tale she could find, and when she eventually ran out of those, she invented new ones. Even though she hadn’t found her soulmate herself yet, she never once let Louis think he wouldn’t find his either.
The first time he started doubting Fate was when his mum divorced for the second time. Louis, ten at the time, wondered that if a woman as lovely as his mother couldn’t find her soulmate, then how could he? When his mum finally got him to tell her what was wrong, she sat him down and told him very seriously:
“Boobear, Fate is a smart lady. She knows what she’s doing. There’s a reason I married your dad even though he wasn’t my soulmate, and there is a reason I am divorcing him. There’s a path each one of us has to follow. Some of us don’t have to walk that far, and some of us will walk through dark forests and storms. But we all reach the same destination eventually. Don’t you worry, love.”
Then she opened one of the drawers of Louis’s night stand and got a marker out. Underneath Louis’ soulmate mark, she drew a curved line, making the two X’s look like two eyes of a smiling face.
“There,” she said when she put the cap back on the marker. “Now you’ve got your own soulmate mark to remind you to stay positive.”
Louis liked the idea so much that he kept drawing it every time he felt like losing hope.
Now, fourteen years later, Louis is still drawing curves under his soulmate mark. He knows he’s only twenty-four, and there’s really no reason to lose hope, but he’d just really hoped to have found his soulmate by now. Louis wants a big family just like his, so he’d thought about starting as early as possible. Unfortunately, he will have to wait another year.
Louis is so tired of waiting.
He gets up, thinking it’s probably time to throw some trousers on. Liam hates it when he’s sat in nothing but his boxer briefs when he wants to bring his girlfriend Cheryl around. Something about it not being decent. Liam can fuck right off. This is Louis’ flat too. But just this once, because Louis doesn’t want to make this day any worse by having Liam be annoyed at him, he’ll go and put his joggers on.
Louis pats himself on the back for doing at least one thing right today when one minute after he’s walked back out of his bedroom, Liam lets himself in the flat, Cheryl and Niall in tow.
“Hiya, Louis, how’ve you been?” Cheryl greets him.
Louis shrugs.
“Don’t mind him,” Liam says, instantly picking up on Louis’ bad mood, “He’s a bit obsessed with finding his soulmate and every year on the 31st of December, he gets all sad that he hasn’t found them yet.”
“He’s still got plenty of time, though!” Niall interjects.
“That’s what I always tell him too!”
Louis thinks it would be really nice if his friends stopped talking as if he wasn’t in the room.
“Well, easy for you guys to say. You’ve all found yours already,” he mutters and makes his way back to the couch.
“Oh, love, we were just lucky,” Cheryl tries to console him, “There are plenty of people who have to wait decades before they meet their true love.”
She’s trying her best, but if Louis’s honest she’s not actually helping him. “Doesn’t mean I want to be one of them, though,” Louis mumbles before dropping himself in front of the television again.
Before he can change the channel to find something more interesting, there’s an Irishman lying on top of him.
“I don’t like when you’re not happy,” Niall says, hugging him tight. “C’mon be happy.”
“Well, unless you’ve brought my soulmate with you, I don’t plan on being happy for the rest of the day.” Louis never said he wasn’t stubborn. He’s already made plans today and they don’t include having fun.
“Sorry, I haven’t got them with me,” Niall replies, “but hey, who knows maybe you’ll meet them at my party tonight!”
Oh shit. Turns out Louis already had plans today.
When he doesn’t reply, Niall stops hugging him and stands up, looking down at him with a displeased look on his face. “Don’t tell me you forgot. It’s going to be the party of the year!”
“Do you really need me to come?” Louis asks, rubbing his eyes. When he finally looks up at Niall again, the lad’s looking at him sadly.
“You promised,” he says and oh shit, Louis can deal with himself being sad, but sad Niall he absolutely can’t handle.
“Of course I’ll come,” Louis quickly says and Niall’s face lights up immediately.
“Oh good! It’s not a real party if you’re not there, Tommo!”
“Yeah, yeah. Now let me mope for another hour and then I’ll get myself together, ok?”
Niall smiles. “Do whatever you need to do. I’m gonna head back home now and help Shawn with the preparations. I expect a happy Louis standing at my door at 8, alright?”
Louis mumbles his goodbye and then Niall’s off. Liam and Cheryl disappear to Liam’s room, presumably to let Louis have his hour alone. Good. Now Louis can watch a soulmate movie and cry without anyone here to judge him. He’ll act happy again tonight.
- - - - - - - -
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
Did Louis mention he hates clocks? Turns out Liam’s isn’t the only one who likes mocking him. Niall and Shawn’s does too. Maybe his new year resolution should be to ask new people if they have clocks before he decides to become friends with them.
The party is in full swing around him and Louis is sat on the couch again. He wonders if he really had to come all the way to Niall and Shawn’s place to do so. But then again, Niall would have been upset if Louis decided to stay at home. And don’t tell him, but Louis would do anything for Niall to remain his smiley self. Anyone who gives Niall a reason to drop his smile, Louis would punch in the face. And even though Louis isn’t having the best day today, he has not reached the point yet where he feels like punching himself in the face. So keeping Niall happy it is.
Louis has made an effort all night; he arrived at 8 precisely – quite an achievement for him already – and he made sure to chat with everyone in the room at least once. He drank some beers, danced with Niall, ignored Liam and Cheryl kissing in the corner of the room and helped Shawn make cocktails in the kitchen. Everything had been going rather well until Louis noticed the clock on the wall that said it was ten minutes to midnight.
Louis knows he said he wanted it to be the new year as soon as possible, but what he didn’t want was to spend its first moments in a room full of happy couples. Because of course, let it be Louis’ luck that he is the single, well, single person in this flat. He spent too much time the past few hours listening to how people found their soulmate. And those who hadn’t met their soulmate yet had all brought a boyfriend or girlfriend or someone else to share their new year’s kiss with. All of them except Louis.
The minute-hand of the clock moves a little bit closer to the 12. Louis swears he can hear laughter instead of ticking.
The people in the room are slowly making their way back to their significant others, ready to usher in the new year together. Louis decides he doesn’t want to be the only one alone, so he gets his sorry arse off the couch, and moves it towards the kitchen. He really hopes everyone’s already moved to the living room for the countdown. He figures he looks like a lost puppy right now and that is certainly not what Louis, the Tommo, Tomlinson usually stands for.
Of course, with his luck today, the kitchen isn’t empty. It’s silent, thankfully, unlike the living room with its loud people and stupid clock, but there’s another boy standing near the sink, doing the dishes and– what the actual fuck? Who does the dishes when it’s eight minutes to midnight on New Year’s Eve?
“What the fuck are you doing?” Louis lets escape his mouth and the boy startles, letting the spoon he was holding drop back into the water.
He turns around, looking for the source of the disruption of his silence and Louis is met with wide, bright green eyes. “Um,” a slow voice says, coming from the boy’s pink plumps lips and wow, Louis hopes that whoever this boy is kissing tonight knows how lucky they are.
“Um,” the boy says again and Louis’ eyes quickly move up again to a place on the boy’s beautiful face where it is acceptable to stare. “I’m doing the dishes?”
Louis lets out a chuckle. “Are you asking or telling me?”
“Telling you, I think,” he answers and Louis laughs again, taking a few steps closer towards the boy.
“Well, good thing I can actually see what you’re doing because we’re going to stand here forever if we are going to wait for you to be sure.”
“Hey,” the boy pouts, “how about you try to think clearly when there’s suddenly a handsome boy standing in front of you?”
And… oh. There is a lot of information in that sentence. Firstly, this pretty, lovely, curly-haired boy is bolder than he appears. Secondly, if he’s so openly flirting – he’s flirting, right? – with Louis, does that mean he hasn’t brought anyone with him tonight? Thirdly, he seems to be playing on Louis’ team and Louis feels like his luck is finally turning around. It’s about time.
When Louis doesn’t immediately reply, the boy winks and says, “see, not that easy, right?”
“Cheeky,” Louis grins and the boy smiles widely, dimples appearing. God, dimples. What happened to 2017 and why is she suddenly being so nice to him by sending the world’s most adorable and equally as sexy boy? Because on one side you have his short brown hair that’s started curling near the front, his dimpled cheeks and his feet that point slightly toward each other. And then on the other side you have his jawline that could cut glass, his arms that definitely look like they could carry Louis towards the bedroom tonight, and an unbuttoned shirt that reveals a wonderfully toned chest.
Louis hadn’t known the universe was able to create such a perfectly balanced human being.
“Does the cheeky lad also have a name?” he wonders out loud.
“Harry,” the boy answers, “Styles,” and holds out a wet hand.
“’M Louis Tomlinson” Louis laughs and shakes Harry’s soap-dripping hand, “So are you going to explain to me why you are doing the dishes just minutes before midnight?”
Harry shrugs and picks up the sponge again to continue his work, “Didn’t feel like celebrating the New Year alone in a crowded room.” He averts his eyes from Louis, slightly embarrassed. “So I figured it was better celebrating it alone in an empty room, where no one could see.” He chuckles. “And then I saw this enormous mountain of dishes and I couldn’t help myself.”
“Well,” Louis starts, “if it makes you feel better, I was kind of planning on doing the same.”
Harry raises his eyebrows.
“Minus doing the dishes,” Louis adds and Harry hums.
“Now that we’re both here, I’d say neither of us will have to spend 2017 going into 2018 alone,” he smiles.
Louis smiles back, but before he can reply, he can hear the countdown start in the other room.
“Fifteen…! Fourteen…!” all the voices in Niall and Shawn’s living room scream.
Instead of joining the shouting, Louis looks and Harry, who doesn’t seem sure what to do either and suggests, “Well, Mr. Styles, can I offer you a New Year’s kiss?”. Because he simply cannot pass up on this opportunity, can he?
Harry looks pleased, “Yes you can, Mr. Tomlinson,” he says and Louis shrinks the distance between them.
He grabs Harry by his shirt and pulls him closer until their chests are pressed together. Harry drops the sponge he’s still holding back into the water as Louis whispers the end of the countdown.
“Four,” and Harry’s hands move up to cup Louis’ face.
“Three,” and Louis scrunches his nose because Harry’s hand are still cold and wet.
“Two,” and Harry giggles beautifully.
“One,” and then it’s fireworks. Not only outside, but also in Louis’ heart.
As soon as Harry’s lips meet his, the heat rises in Louis’ body and winter has never seemed further away. Harry’s lips are warm against his and they move tenderly but with intent, making Louis feel dizzy.
Slowly, Louis lets go of Harry’s shirt and lets his hands travel further up, eventually settling on the back of Harry’s neck. He starts toying with the hair at his nape and Harry hums in contentment. Louis smiles in response and pulls slightly at the curls, testing the waters. Harry groans and lets his mouth fall open in surprise. Louis uses the opportunity to let his tongue slip in, deepening the kiss. Harry moans and his hands travel from Louis’ face to his waist, gripping him tightly and slowly pushing him backwards to the kitchen counter. Once Louis’ back hits the wood, Harry pushes his body into Louis’.
A tiny sound escapes Louis’ lips and Harry grins against his mouth. In response to Harry’s cheekiness, Louis pulls his hair once more. “Fuck,” Harry breathes out and captures Louis’ lips once more, pulling at them slightly.
With every passing minute, Louis’ head grows more fuzzy. But at the same time, it has never felt so clear. Kissing Harry is just – fantastic. It’s challenging, it’s fun, it’s passionate. It’s the best kiss Louis has ever head.
When they finally pull back, Harry rest his forehead against Louis, breathing heavily.
“Fuck,” he repeats.
“Yeah,” Louis replies, “That was–”
“Yeah,” Harry says, “I know.”
They remain there, in the dimly lit kitchen, just holding each other until their breathing evens out. Louis can’t think of a moment in his life that was more perfect than right now.
- - - - - - - -
Once they’ve gotten themselves together, they decide to join the party. Now that neither of them feel alone, there is no reason not to.
They drink and they dance until they’re the last ones standing. Literally. In the past few hours, everyone else has either left or fallen asleep around them.
It must be at least two when Harry finally lets out a yawn.
“Am I boring you, Harold?” Louis asks, his eyebrows raised.
Harry chuckles. “Believe me when I say you’re anything but boring,” but then he does stop moving against Louis’ body in the amazing way he has been and takes a step back. Louis tries really hard to keep himself from pouting.
“But I’m so sorry,” Harry apologizes, “I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open and I wouldn’t want to offend you by falling asleep on you.” He rubs his eyes and Louis looks at him fondly.
“Well then, love, let’s call it a night and go home,” Louis says but Harry shakes his head.
“Can’t,” he explains, “my roommate wanted the flat to himself tonight. You know, with the girlfriend.” Louis nods knowingly.
“Niall offered me a place to sleep, but–“ Harry makes a vague gesture towards the people lying around them, “seems like there isn’t any room left.” He pauses. “Not sure what I’m gonna do now,” he adds, looking intently at Louis.
“You want me to take you home, darling?” Louis grins.
“Shut up,” Harry retorts, slapping Louis’ arm lightly. But then he says, “Yes, please. Take me home.”
Louis needn’t be told twice.
- - - - - - - -
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
The first sound he hears when he wakes up is the ticking of a clock. Apparently not much has changed overnight and Louis still hates it just as much. He does wonder why the sound is coming from somewhere in his room. He’s pretty sure he doesn’t own one of those awful objects.
Louis rolls over in bed and on the opposite nightstand he sees a watch. It doesn’t belong to him, nor does it belong to Liam, so – oh right. He brought a gorgeous boy home last night. Louis can’t help but smile at the memory of the kiss they shared at Niall’s and then the one they’d shared back at Louis’ flat. Since they were both too tired, nothing more happened. They had just undressed in the dark, shared another kiss – which was once again absolutely fantastic – and had gone to bed. Louis doesn’t mind, though. He thinks he would like to keep Harry around for a little while, so there’ll be plenty of time for bedroom activities.
It’s only when the minute-hand of Harry’s watch moves that Louis is reminded of the search for his soulmate. He can’t believe he had almost forgotten because of Harry. But now Louis is lying in bed, the spot next to him empty, wondering who he would rather to take it. Harry, or his one true love?
He doesn’t move, too conflicted to get up and face possible life-changing choices, until there’s a knock on the door.
“Yes?” he answers, voice raspy and layered with sleep.
The door opens, revealing Liam in the doorway. He looks as if he’s seen a ghost.
“You ok, mate?” Louis asks, sitting up.
Liam nods. “What about you? Are you ok?”
Louis frowns. “Why are you asking?”
“Because of the boy in our kitchen right now. You know, the one standing in his boxers, preparing breakfast.”
So that must be where Harry went. Louis is happy to hear he stuck around.
“Oh, Harry? Yeah we met yesterday. He needed a place to kip,” Louis shrugs. “And apparently, if you let him loose in your house, he starts doing all these domestic things. Did you know he was doing the dishes at Niall’s party yesterday?” Louis chuckles. “Wouldn’t have believed it either if I didn’t see it myself.”
“You seem fond of him,” Liam smiles.
Immediately, Louis stops laughing, and the panic kicks in again. “Oh, Liam, what am I going to do?” he cries out.
Liam’s brows furrow, “What do you mean?”.
Louis starts picking at the covers, trying to keep his slightly shaking hands busy. “I like him,” he confesses, “Harry, that is.”
“Aw, that’s great, Tommo!” Liam breaks into a smile but it fades away as soon as he takes in Louis’ expression.
“No,” Louis shakes his head, “I’m not sure it is.” He sighs. “Liam, what about my soulmate?”
“Your soulmate?”
“Yes, Liam. You know, the one person I’ve been waiting for my entire life?”
“I know, but–“ Liam pauses, then seems to realize something. “Oh,” he says, then again, “Oh.”
Now it’s Louis turns to be confused. “What?”
“Listen,” he starts, smile reappearing and Louis does not understand one bit of it, “It’s all going to be okay. You liking Harry is a good thing. Don’t worry about it.”
Before Louis can ask what the hell he is talking about, Liam continues, “Sorry, Tommo, I’ve actually got to run. Me and Cheryl are meeting up with her family. ‘S what I wanted to come tell you before I saw Harry in the kitchen.”
“But –“
“You’ll be fine!” Liam reassures him, then closes the door before Louis can say anything more.
Motionless, he stays in bed trying to figure out what Liam could have possibly meant. Did he mean Louis should go for it with Harry anyway? Until his soulmate comes around? But that doesn’t seem fair, does it? Louis lets himself enjoy the thought for a moment anyway, of having both Harry and his soulmate, before deciding that, no, he can’t do that.
He lets out a sigh. If only Harry was his soulmate.
Harry’s watch continues to tick, the minute-hand moving to the twelve. Louis expects to hear laughter, for all Time loves mocking him, loves teasing him with the fact that she is in control and Louis will only meet his soulmate when it’s time. But no one is laughing, and the watch merely tells Louis its time.
Or maybe it tells Louis it’s time.
It’s then that it clicks.
In one swift motion, Louis throws off the covers and shoots out of bed. He hopes Liam and Cheryl have left already because he’s not planning on putting his joggers on. Not right now.
He practically runs out of his room and into the kitchen. It’s not that far of a walk, but Louis is breathless when he arrives in the doorway anyway.
Harry is standing with his back towards him, pouring some milk in what Louis hopes is tea for both of them. Louis lets his eyes travel over Harry’s neck, shoulders, back, legs… But there’s nothing.
“Harry?” he breathes out, gripping the doorframe tightly in anticipation.
Harry turns around with a smile. “Oh, hey! I was–“
The milk slips out of Harry’s hands and drops to the floor.
There’s a long pause when neither of them speaks. Harry’s gaze is stuck on Louis’ thigh, and Louis can’t stop looking at Harry’s hip. Because right there, just above where Harry’s skin disappears into his boxers, are two X’s. The same ones Louis has had on his body all his life.
“Fuck,” Harry exhales.
“It’s you,” Louis states and starts walking across the room, Harry’s wide eyes following his every movement. It feels like a million years before Louis finally reaches Harry, and when he does, he drops to his knees right there and then. Thankfully, he somehow manages to avoid the spilt milk, but even if he hadn’t, Louis doesn’t think he would care. Because right now, he’s at eye-level with the one thing he has wanted to see on another person’s body for twenty-four years.
He holds Harry’s thigh with one hand and slowly moves his other hand closer to the mark. When his fingers finally make contact with the small black figures, Harry gasps and grips Louis’ shoulder, as if he needing something to hold onto. Louis looks up, alarmed, but finds Harry with his eyes closed. He doesn’t look pained, though, so Louis continues and rubs his thumb over Harry’s mark soothingly.
Slowly, Harry lets the breath out he seemed to be holding and relaxes his hold on Louis’ shoulder. Then he finally meets Louis’ eyes again. In any other situation, Louis would joke about being on his knees. He guesses Harry probably would too. However, there is nothing sexual about this moment.
Louis can feel the air around them changing; he can feel the pieces finally falling into place.
Harry moves the hand that is not holding Louis to where Louis is still tracing the mark and encloses his fingers softly around Louis wrist, stopping Louis’ movements. Then he gently pulls on Louis’ arm, making him stand up again. Once they’re chest to chest again, Louis doesn’t know what to say or do. Because Harry’s right there. And he’s his soulmate. Louis has finally found him.
Harry brings his hand towards Louis’ face and rubs his thumb over his cheek. Louis feels wetness spread over his skin. Tears.
Harry looks at him with furrowed brows.
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?” Louis whispers shakily.
A soft smile appears on Harry’s face, and he wipes away another of Louis’ tears.
“I’m sorry. But I’m here now.”
Without another word, Harry tilts Louis’ face up and captures his lips with his own. Louis immediately sighs into the kiss, and everything just feels… right. His head moves with Harry’s as their lips work over one another, languidly and thoroughly. Louis swears he can see yesterday’s fireworks explode behind his eyelids. When Harry pulls on his lower lip, Louis lets out a moan and his hands move to Harry’s hips, pulling his body closer. With their shirtless chests pressed together, Louis can feel Harry’s heart beating rapidly through his skin, in sync with his own.
“God,” he breathes into Harry’s mouth and Harry hums, pulling back slightly. He starts planting soft pecks all over Louis face.
“I’m so happy it’s you,” he admits before pressing a kiss to Louis’ nose.
“Why?” Louis says, as his hands move to Harry’s hair, messing the curls up. When he – accidentally this time – tugs on one of the strands, Harry lets out a groan. Louis figures that’s definitely a thing for him then.
“Excuse me, were you present during our kiss last night?” Harry asks and moves his lips to Louis’ neck. Louis hums in reply, slightly distracted by the way Harry has started sucking lightly on the skin beneath his jaw.
“That was… God, Louis. That was the best kiss I had ever had in my life. With a stranger, nonetheless.” He pulls back after he’s satisfied with the bruise he’s left on Louis’ skin and stares at him with the most genuine look Louis has ever seen on a person. “Even if you weren’t my soulmate, I would have asked you out this morning anyway.” He chuckles, “Hence the breakfast and tea. I was going to woo you.”
Louis grins. “Well, if you hadn’t spilt the milk, you might have just succeeded.”
The look on Harry’s face is priceless. “Excuse me, whose fault was that?” he exclaims.
“Yours, of course.”
“Hmm,” Harry says, “I think I’m gonna have to give that mark on your thigh a closer look. Gotta make sure you’re the actual love of my life before I let you put me through all this trouble.”
Louis’ grin widens.
“What?” Harry asks.
“Nothing,” Louis smiles, “’M just really happy it’s you too.”
When they kiss again, the clocks ticks silently in the background. But instead of being annoyed at it, Louis is happy to hear it has started counting all the time he and Harry will get to spend together; 2018 and the rest of forever.