Paris Changed Us - Larry Stylinson

Chapter 7

After seeing Harry half-naked following his confident, underwear-clad exit from the shower, Louis seemed to have become more awkward and fidgety, almost as though he was trying too hard to act casual about it. He had placed down his book and started rummaging in his bag by his bedside, and Harry was trying so hard not to smirk at the effect he often had on people.

"You gonna start getting ready to sleep?" Harry questioned, lounging back on his own bed, his half-bare body stretched across it with no shame.

"Yes." Louis piped up, without glancing up from where he retrieved his toothbrush and toothpaste from his bag. Without a further word, and with no look at all, Louis wandered off into the bathroom.

Harry listened with an amused smile to the sound of Louis brushing his teeth a moment later, knowing full well that he and his half-naked body was the reason Louis had distracted himself quickly. He didn't leave it there, retrieving his own toothbrush and toothpaste before inviting himself into the bathroom to join Louis.

Louis, halfway through brushing his teeth, glanced up in the mirror at Harry walking in, blatantly rolling his eyes and spitting excess toothpaste foam into the sink.

"You kind of just burst in... which is what you told me not to do." He stated, deadpan, looking away from Harry's reflected self once again and concentrating on brushing his teeth.

"You're only brushing your teeth, it's not like you're naked in here." Harry teased, applying toothpaste to his toothbrush and starting to brush his teeth too.

A silence of words commenced, just the sound of teeth-brushing, and he witnessed Louis using the mirror, so briefly, to catch a glimpse at Harry's bare torso. It was so clearly deliberate that Harry couldn't hold back a comment. He spat toothpaste into the sink before speaking.

"Do you wanna know my workout routine or something?"

"Excuse me?" Louis snapped, shooting Harry a bewildered look before rinsing the head of his toothbrush under the tap.

"Don't worry, ignore what I said." Harry apologised instantly, once he had realised how defensive Louis had gotten. He didn't want to start an argument now (or ever) with Louis, especially when they had to share a hotel room.

"Okay." Louis turned timid once again, his sassy, defensive nature having simmered to a stop, before he exited the bathroom and left Harry alone.

For some odd reason, Harry had felt bad the moment Louis had gotten too oversensitive about it, when usually he had no trouble making people feel a little flustered. Obviously he felt different about Louis, never wanting to particularly pick on him or negatively put him on the spot.

Louis had quickly changed into his pyjamas while Harry was finishing up brushing his teeth, and was sat in his bed with his covers pulled up to his chest. Yes, he looked rather snug and adorable, with a long-sleeved pyjama top tucked over his hands at the cuffs, but Harry concentrated on switching out the main light so that just Louis' bedside lamp lit the space, before slipping into the cool sheets of his bed. He shivered as they came into contact with his bare skin, and he leant over to put his phone onto charge, making sure a 7am alarm was set, before lying down completely.

Louis was still sat up, hands folded on top of his bedsheets, staring into space.

"Are you going to sleep or what?" Harry asked, shaking Louis from his little daze.

"Oh, yeah, yeah." Louis mumbled, rather nervously slipping properly into his bed until he was lying down.

Harry turned to face Louis' bed, looking squarely at him, while the latter looked very under pressure by the stare. It may or may not have been Harry's incentive to get Louis to switch out his lamp.