Desire | Larry Stylinson

Eight

Louis and Harry were walking back to the penthouse, a decent size gap between them. Louis was aware that he had pissed Harry off or at least reminded him of something that pissed him off. He didn't know that he had gotten under his skin to the point that Harry wasn't even going to spare a glance at him the entire way back from Liam's. While he didn't think there was much of anything wrong with his questions, he knew that he probably shouldn't have pressed him that hard.

"Harry?" Louis asked, his voice gentle and quiet.

"What do you want?" Harry responded, not looking back at him as the descended down the hallway. He sounded miffed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, figuring that was the best way to start. "I really shouldn't have interrogated you like that. I was just curious and let that get the best of me."

Harry was silent, looking down at the carpeted hallway as the continued. Louis didn't know what kind of response he was looking for, but he didn't want just utter silence. He didn't think that he did anything that wrong to make Harry that angry. The old version of him wouldn't give a shit that Harry was mad at him, but this new Louis felt guilty and it bothered him that his potential new friend was back to hating him.

They got to the front door to the penthouse, still no words being spoken. Louis just stood awkwardly behind Harry as he unlocked the door. Due to Harry being pissed, it rather shit on Louis' plans of staying up a little later to watch the gigantic TV, but keeping to himself seemed like the best solution, especially since it looked like Harry was going to inhabit the living room area anyway. As he made his way down the hall to his bedroom, he stopped and turned around to look at Harry, who was shuffling around in the kitchen.

"Goodnight, Harry," Louis said, his voice ringing throughout the room.

Harry looked at him, not saying a word. Louis figured that he deserved that, considering. At least he could say that he tried. As he walked back to his bedroom, he realized just how lonely and empty the penthouse was. It was so much for just one person. Did Harry invite people over often? Did he bring back lovers? Or was he a loner that didn't know how to handle having someone else in his life?

Louis felt like there was more to Harry than he could see and something in him was determined to find out every little detail about him.

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The air was eerily quiet as Louis walked towards the kitchen the next morning. It was as though he was the only one in the big apartment. He expected Harry to be an early riser that made himself a hearty omelet for breakfast, especially since it was nearly ten in the morning. However, the kitchen was spic and span like it had been plucked out of one of those home magazines.

With a quizzical look on his face, Louis turned back around to check Harry's bedroom. Maybe he was still sleeping. He wasn't going to make it his job to wake him up either.

Expecting to see a lump covered in blankets lying still on the bed, Louis quietly padded into the bedroom. He was slightly surprised when he saw that the bed was empty. Would Harry have just left without saying where he was going or leaving a note that at least implied where he was going? The answer was unfortunately yes. He kept in mind that Harry was an independent person that didn't need to tell Louis where he was going, but he was still worried and would've appreciated some sort of memo.

In a slight panic, Louis went back to his room and grabbed his phone from the charger, dialing Liam. If anyone would know where he was, it would be Liam. But after a few rings, Harry walked past the doorway that led into Louis' room. He hung up the call and followed Harry out.

"Where were you?" Louis asked, figuring that he would get the explanation.

"I was out on my balcony. What's it matter to you?" Harry responded, a hint of coldness in his tone.

"I was worried," Louis admitted. "You weren't here and I thought you had just left or something."

Harry quirked his brow. "The big bad Louis Tomlinson was worried about me? Wow, that's news. No, I wouldn't be that inconsiderate. I'd leave a note or something telling you that I'd be out. Sorry to scare you."

Louis didn't say anything and scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly, embarrassed by his blushing cheeks.

"What's gotten into you?" Harry asked.

"What do you mean?" Louis responded, wanting clarification.

"You're acting weird. You're not acting like the Louis that came to my house in the middle of the night. Scratch that - you're not acting like the Louis Tomlinson that answered the door and basically kicked me out," Harry pointed out.

"You mean a complete douche?" Louis chuckled.

"Well, for lack of a better term, yeah. You're acting really...compassionate? I don't know. You care about me all of a sudden and it's striking me as odd. Is everything okay?" Harry asked. "We're not supposed to actually like each other, remember?"

Louis felt the heat in his cheeks get stronger. "I'm afraid that I disregarded that rule."

"What do you mean, Louis?" Harry asked, a nervous giggle escaping the sweet boy's pink lips.

Louis brought his eyes up, meeting Harry's. "I mean that I think I do like you, Harry."

"Well, thank you, I guess. You're not such a bag of dicks yourself," Harry laughed, not picking up what Louis was trying to tell him. Well, until he realized that Louis wasn't laughing with him. "You mean -"

"Yeah, I mean that I think I have feelings for you," Louis responded.

Harry was silent, his mouth opening slightly as if he was about to say something. Except no words came out. Louis immediately felt vulnerable, which was a feeling he absolutely hated. He wasn't someone to wear his feelings on his sleeve or even tell them to others. Yet here he was, telling Harry the way that he felt about him. Hell, he didn't even know if they were real - he just had an inkling that they were real.

"Louis, I-" Harry started, his deep green eyes glistening as they filled with tears.

"I understand if you don't have the same feelings. I wouldn't blame you. I just thought you should know since you asked and I didn't want to lie," Louis told him, cutting him off. "I think that I'm going to stay at hotel for the rest of the time. Thank you for offering up your place for as long as you did, though. I appreciate it."

Louis scurried back to his bedroom, grabbing out a hoodie and a pair of joggers to wear during his move over to a hotel. He was slightly tempted to go back home, but he knew that would just raise questions among the other two and Louis didn't want to deal with that. The most he could do was just stay elsewhere and suffer through the awkwardness of hanging out together.

He started going around the room to grab what little he had drug out of his suitcase and put it back in, making sure that everything fit perfectly.

"Louis?"

Louis turned around to see Harry standing in the doorway. He looked small as he stood there with his arms wrapped around his middle. He just wanted to go over to him and wrap him in his arms.

"I'm hurrying. I'm almost ready to go," Louis told him.

"No, Louis, I don't want you to," Harry called out, his voice coming out unconfidently firm. Louis turned his head, meeting the boy's eyes and quirked his brow. That was when Harry started walking towards him, grabbed his shoulders and smashed their lips together.

Louis was taken aback by the sudden kiss, but quickly sunk into it, not knowing just how much he had wanted that to happen. Not to mention that a submissive Harry asserting a little dominance over him was hot. However, it was then that Louis was sure that his feelings for Harry were more than an inkling - they were real.

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Length: 1.4K