By The Hillside

Chapter 8

So this is gonna be the last chapter for a while. Tomorrow I'm starting school - boarding school - so my schedule will be tight, and time for writing... who knows? But know, I'm not stopping my fics, nononono, never. Time between updates will just be much longer.

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Louis felt different when he woke up the following morning. At first, he couldn't quite pinpoint it, but then he remembered back to the night before when he and Harry had been dancing. Dancing. The feel of Harry so close... when was the last time Louis had been so close to anyone? Held anyone's hand? Probably not so long ago, but it felt like decades. Louis felt like a completely different person. Something inside him had changed, shifted, during the night. Butterflies had made a nest in his stomach, basking their wings every time he thought about Harry.

Harry.

Grumpy, stressed Harry gave him butterflies. Louis had never tried having a person give him butterflies, and he had not at all expected that person to be Harry.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his bare feet hitting the cold floor. He knew this... thing he was feeling for Harry would not lead to anything. He was living at Harry's place after all. What if he made a move and Harry would reject him? It would be embarrassing.

Then there was also the fact Louis didn't exactly know how he felt. There were just butterflies. "Well, that's a sha—oh." Harry gently brushed his fingers over Louis' shoulders. A shudder ran through Louis' body. "There was some dirt there, sorry." At the memory, the butterflies returned to basking.

It was all the small things, Louis realised, that had happened leading up to the night before. Harry not telling anyone about his addiction, their small—often sexual—jokes, the night Sunny was born, when Harry had given him a riding lesson... Harry knew about Louis' life, and he didn't seem to care that Louis was fucked up. Sure, he had been rather rude in the beginning, but now... now he made Louis feel something.

Louis walked over to his suitcase, pulling out some clothes. A stupid smile was on his face. He looked over to the corner, eyeing Harry's boots from the night before.

He scoffed. "I don't have small feet." He went over to grab them.

He skidded to the bathroom, stripping out of his boxers and T-shirt, stretching his body. He yawned. He smiled. He felt giggly. When was the last time he had done that? It felt like at least over a year ago.

Louis was having a great time, talking, laughing, and he didn't even notice when Harry at first leaned into his side, whispering, "Wanna dance?"

Louis turned his face to him, surprised. "What?"

"You know, on the floor," Harry said. "Ever tried country?"

"I, um." Louis swallowed. "No, I haven't."

"Want to?" Harry had a mischievous look in his eyes, almost daring Louis to say yes. How could Louis say no?

"I—I don't see why not. I am terrific at dancing."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at him. "You sure?"

"Absolutely not. Let's do this."

Louis grinned at himself in the mirror, remembering him and Harry dancing once again. It had been fun. So, so close. It was like Louis hadn't thought a lot at the moment it was happening, only feeling all the things happening but not understanding it, but now it all crashed down on him.