These Inconvenient Fireworks (original story on ao3 by complemtattoos)

nine

LOUIS

"So, I was thinking," Harry says, laying in Louis's bed one Tuesday night.

"Hmm?" Louis replies, already sinking into a post-coital coma on his side of the bed.

Harry shifts position, turning to see Louis. In a few minutes, you'll be sitting down and starting to get dressed, getting ready to go back to your apartment and arrive for classes the next day. For now though, he's here and his hair falls over his eyes. Sleepy, Louis wants to reach out and touch him.

"Every time we've ... you know." After a while, "Harry says, smiling slightly. It was here, in your house.

"It's true," Louis murmurs, his hand sliding down the bed of its own accord and brushing against Harry's forearm.

"Do you think ..." Harry says, pausing to yawn. This weekend, do you want to come to mine? "He curled his fingers around Louis's wrist. "I'll make you dinner," he says with a smile.

"Yeah?" Louis says, his eyes closing. OK. That sounds good.

"Okay," he hears Harry whisper. OK.

Harry is gone when he wakes up, but there is a Post-It on his pillow with a hastily scrawled note.

I had an early class, sorry :( we had dinner on Friday, 8pm? Xx Hazza

Louis spends his morning routine wondering when they started apologizing for not spending time together.

When he gets into his car, he closes the door and sits for a moment in the driver's seat, motionless. Then, moving quickly like he's on a deadline, he pulls out his phone and texts Harry.

then this friday :)

He looks at his phone briefly, then tosses it into the passenger seat and starts the car. It's just a dinner. They eat dinner together all the time, and it doesn't mean anything. Changing the place doesn't change anything. Who decided that eating in the same place at the same time with someone else should be meaningful, anyway? Surely Man has evolved from that as a species by this time. Right. Just another casual night out with the friend you're sleeping with, with the added bonus of free food. Sounds like fun.

At lunch, Harry breaks into a smile as he walks into the room, pulling him aside as Zayn and Niall roll their eyes.

"Hi," he says, his thumb stroking her wrist. They made a no-kiss-during-school-hours rule, but that doesn't mean they can keep their hands off each other. "So I can't stay tonight." Not tomorrow night. I have a presentation on Friday where I really, really need to do well.

"Okay," Louis says. I was extremely behind on corrections, so I can use the time to catch up.

Harry smiles regretfully at him. -I'm sorry about that.

"Don't be," Louis says primly, poking a finger at Harry's hip with his free hand.

"Oi!" Niall says from the table. Hands up on your waist! "Louis sticks his tongue out at her, but sticks his hand out anyway.

"I'm excited for Friday," Harry says softly. It's— my apartment isn't much, but I promise I can cook, at least. "He looks nervous." Louis wants to squeeze his cheeks and then sleep with him.

"I'm sure I'll love everything," he says. He opens his mouth to say more, but is interrupted by his friends being jerks.

"Oh, Zayn, whisper sweet things in my ear, please!" Niall says, resting his head on Zayn's shoulder.

"Only if we can be as nasty as possible about it, preferably with other people in the room, my dear," Zayn says, stroking Niall's face. Especially if it's while people are trying to eat.