Once in a Lifetime

Thirty.

"Lou, please, just concentrate on the road!" Harry laughed, swatting away Louis' hand as he tried to poke his cheek.

"But your dimples are so cute when you smile, and I just want to touch them!" Louis whined, continuing to poke his finger into Harry's face.

"Let's make a, um, a deal, if you can get us there without killing us, you can poke me as much as you want." Louis raised his eyebrows, earning an eye roll from Harry, but agreeing, nonetheless. Today, May 14th, was exactly three months since Louis had asked Harry to be his. They had decided to take a day off from revision and come back to the beach where their relationship started. Last time they were here, it was cold and dark, but this time of year it was bright and sunny, so they had packed a picnic and planned on spending the day sunbathing and playing in the sea. Niall and Liam had complained that they weren't invited, but once Harry promised a FIFA night soon, they let them go without more of a fuss. Harry had been getting on really well with Niall, and sometimes they'd go off and do their own thing without Louis or Liam. Speaking of Liam, he had really been there for Louis recently. As exams approached, and the prospect of life after university was talked about more, Louis began to worry. He knew that once they all graduated, things would change. They'd all go their separate ways and get their dream jobs, there would be no reason for them to continue living together if they didn't need to be near campus, and maybe they wouldn't need each other anymore. The thing that worried Louis most, though, was Zayn's room. If they all moved out, they'd lose the place that reminded them so much of their best friend. Louis couldn't bear the thought of packing Zayn's belongings into boxes and taking them back to Doncaster. He didn't want to forget the place that held his memories of Zayn. Liam had been supporting him with that, reassuring him that no matter where Louis went, those memories would still remain. Louis would always remember his smiley face in the kitchen, his hangovers in the bathroom, the water fights in the garden, the film nights on the sofa and the late-night chats in bed. He didn't need four walls, a door and a window to remember the person who had shaped his life.

Once they arrived at the beach, Louis parked the car in an empty space and they took the blankets, towels and picnic basket from the boot, carrying it across the sand until they found a secluded spot away from the public. Harry laid the blankets out as Louis took off his shirt, revealing his slightly tanned chest.

"You're so hot, Lou," Harry commented, tying his hair up into a bun before taking his shirt off too.

"Yeah, well, it is the beginning of summer," Louis replied, earning a playful shove from Harry for his witty remark. "And anyway, I'm pale and scrawny next to you, you literally look like a model," he pointed out, sitting down next to his boyfriend and grabbing the sun cream.

"It's cute that you, um, that you think that," Harry blushed, taking the sun cream from Louis and lathering it on the other boy's back. Louis sighed happily as Harry applied the lotion before they reversed roles until they were both protected from the sun. They spent an hour lazily sunbathing and chatting as Harry tried to concentrate on some Ernest Hemingway novel he had been dying to read. Eventually, though, Louis got bored.

"Baby, please can we go in the sea? Please, please, please?"

"Just let me finish this chapter, then we can go?"

"Noooo! I'm bored and I want to play in the water!"

"You can go yourself, you know, you're not a child," Harry laughed, not taking his eyes away from the book.

"But Zayn said I can't go in the water alone because I'm an idiot and I'd probably drown," Louis pouted, playfully stomping his foot into the sand.

"You are an idiot, and you, uh, would probably drown, but luckily Zayn's not here so you don't have to listen anymore." As soon as those words left Harry's mouth, there was an uncomfortable silence. "I'm, uh, I'm sorry Lou, I didn't mean it like that, I just, uh, I'm so sorry."