relief next to me (by dolce_piccante on ao3)

3

That night, Louis decided to go to a late hot yoga class, one scheduled at a time he'd never attended before.

He had already cleaned his room and their communal living spaces, along with getting all his laundry done for the week. He couldn't shake his sweatiness after Harry left; why not push that semi-sweatiness into being drenched? Especially when his work schedule usually didn't allow him to get yoga in two days in a row.

He walked into the studio and saw someone with long legs and a small arse clad in tight black yoga pants, which led to a full head of wavy hair. His heart sped up as he toed his shoes off at the door.

Then the person turned, and Louis could see that he was not Harry. Harry did not have a grizzly bear beard, nor did he have a nose ring and chunky brown glasses.

How could someone comfortably do hot yoga with a beard all over their face? And he didn't even know if Harry did yoga, let alone at his home studio.

He stretched and breathed and sweat out what felt like a gallon of liquid until his white tee was sticking to his torso. Skin started to appear through the wet material. While he was in Fixed Firm Pose, his arms clasped above his head on the mat and his body curved backwards like a pretzel, his brain wandered back to the idea of Harry doing yoga. His muscles all seemed to relax at once, an easy, pleasant burn stretching along the tops of his thighs and front of his hips. He bit his lip and breathed through his nose.

"Very nice," the instructor said softly, her bare feet padding next to Louis' mat.

He exhaled, willing the air rushing out of his mouth to blow away any big, smiling distractions.

Ignoring any big, smiling distractions was shot to shit when he walked into his flat. Before he could say hello to Zayn and Liam, they pounced on him, sweet sugar breath assaulting his nostrils.

"Jesus, did you try these?" Zayn asked, cookie crumbling down his chin. He bit again, Liam groaning into a bite next to him. "Try the shortbread with raspberry jam. Fucking outrageous."

"They're like cookie crack." Liam licked his thumb and grabbed another cookie with his other hand. "So bloody buttery."

Zayn held the box out to Louis. The lid flopped open, revealing only a handful of half cookies amongst the crumbs.

"Where'd you get these? C'mon, eat one. Fucking fuck, they're amazing."

"And you complain about my coffee being too sweet," Liam said, stealing the last bite out of Zayn's fingers.

Louis giggled and took one of the shortbread cookies, turning it over in his hand and eying the shimmer of raspberry jam running through it.

"Harry brought them over for our CD exchange."

Liam laughed and choked on his cookie, Zayn slapping him on the back with his eyes still on Louis.

"Since when do you exchange CDs?"

"We did it on earlier today when you were out."

"Aw, shit, man." Zayn pouted, cookie crumbs on his right eyebrow. "I would have done it with you! I want in next time!"

Liam choked again, Louis spitting crumbs in both of their faces.

. . .

That week at work, Zayn and Louis were assigned to a high-end fragrance campaign.

Half their time was spent in a warehouse in Brixton for a series of photo shoots. While a photographer snapped away at lounging models, Zayn worked his magic on the romantic, flowing, silk covered bed at the center of the shoot, along with any other props or design elements. Louis kept an eye on color and line, collaborating with the photographer to get the perfect shot.