Paparazzi

Chapter 16

When he stops in front of the house, he pulls on the handbrake a little too harshly and slams open the car door a little too loudly and maybe he rings the bell a little too often, but Louis is on a mission. As soon as Harry opens the door for him, he lunges at him like a predator, grabs his face tightly in his hands and kisses him so hard that their teeth meet.

"Babe," Harry breathes and grabs him tightly by the waist, but instead of resisting the onslaught on him, he pulls him even closer and it's just what Louis needs right now. He runs his hands through Harry's hair and accidentally releases the clip that Harry was using to hold his hair back. Carelessly he throws it far into the house. He lets his hands slide further down his back, pinches his little love handles and finally his ass. Harry should feel that he belongs to him, that Louis wants him and that his innermost being longs for him.

Breathless, they finally let go of each other and their eyes are anchored, but even that doesn't let the jealousy and possessiveness subside. He feels how much his jaw is squeezed tight and how every muscle in him is tense.

"Come in Louis. Let's talk," Harry whispers, as Louis is a wild animal and he needs to tame it. And that's how he feels. Even as Harry closes the door behind them and they're standing in the middle of the hallway, he blurts out, "Why did you almost kiss her on the mouth?"

"Jess wanted it that way. The fans aren't buying the pictures yet, he said I should show more how much I love Ella and all that," Harry replied calmly, about to take his hand. Instead, Louis just kicks off his shoes and starts pacing back and forth agitated.

"Oh fuck your fucking management. Fuck it all. Fuck!" he exclaims and throws his arms in the air.

"That was a lot of fuck," Harry murmurs, remaining silent by the door as he watches Louis worriedly.

"Because it is! F U C K!" he emphasizes every single letter and, in his blind anger, steps on the damn hair clip that is digging into the sole of his foot. "Shit! Fucking hair clip!"

He sinks in place, exhausted from his emotions and rubbing his foot. Strained and with his head bowed, he tries to breathe in and out deeply and finally come to rest again. He's only now realizing that he's acting like a maniac in front of the man he wants to confess his feelings to today and instead of starting the date romantically, he has a freak out. Harry pads slowly over to him and sits down on the floor next to him, picking up the remains of the hair clip and kissing him on the cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asks cautiously and when Louis looks up he can't help but smile.

"I exaggerated, didn't I? I'm sorry," Louis replies softly and this time he gently pulls Harry's face towards him, ruffles the small curls on his neck and hums softly into the kiss that wraps around his soul like balm.

"I get it, Louis. It's not fair for any of us. Only I've been used to it for years and you have to deal with it for the first time. You don't have to be sorry. As long as you're not mad at me...," he says sadly.

"Never love, you can't do anything about all this. I know how much you suffer from it."

Harry begins to stroke Louis' foot, gently massaging the spot where he stepped on the hair clip and just nods in response.

"Let's order some food and then cuddle, what do you think of that?" Harry finally asks, already getting up off the floor.

"A good idea. Can we talk while eating? I have something to tell you," Louis replies, following Harry into the kitchen. Both brood over the many menu flyers that Harry has, debating about what they want to eat and finally decide on Italian. They order a pizza and a bottle of the best wine. While they wait, they settle down on the sofa, and this time it's Harry who silently pulls him into his arms, feeling how much it is Louis who needs that hug. With his ear pressed against Harry's chest, so he can listen to the steady heartbeat and fingers scratching his scalp, he finally calms down completely.