Can Love You More Than This (Narry)

Chapter 10.

    Niall looked from Harry to Liam and back at Harry. "Tell me what?" he repeated, looking from one boy to the other as he approached them. Liam bit his lip. "Erm, I was going to tell Harry to tell you not to go to Nando's when we get back to England."
    Harry wanted to facepalm himself. He knew Liam didn't lie often, but when he did, they weren't always clever. Liam didn't know whether or not he was suddenly feeling bad because he lied or because he just made up the stupidest lie he ever said or even heard. It was the stupidest lie to say to Niall at least. No one stopped the Irish lad from going to his most favorite place to be. He frowned and cocked his head in slight confusion, wondering if something bad had happened to Nando's. "Why not?" he asked. Normally, if one of the others had said it, he wouldn't have listened to them, but Liam always had some sort of authority in his voice that made Niall listen to him. Maybe that's why he was known as "Daddy Direction".
    Liam fidgeted, coming up with nothing. He looked at Harry for help, who couldn't think of anything as well. Reasons to keep Niall from going to Nando's were quite limited. Thankfully for them, Louis popped into the room as they attempted to think of an excuse. "Morning fellas!" He grinned cheekily, too happy for someone up so early. Harry pointed to Louis. "Lou! Tell Niall why he shouldn't go to Nando's when we get back to England!"
    Louis looked at him, confused, but then saw his and Liam's pleading face that Niall had missed as he turned to face Louis, the boy sighed. "Mum wants us to try her new chicken recipe when we get back, and she told me to tell you not to eat Nando's, until after you try it," he lied smoothly, so flawlessly without a second thought.
    Niall's confused look broke into a smile. He loved how the boys' parents always asked him to try new recipes, and frankly he was up for anything. "Okay!" he grinned at Louis before turning back to Liam and Harry, who each secretly sighed in relief. "Why didn't you guys just say so?" he asked as he stole a few slices of bacon from Harry's plate. Harry tried swatting him away. "Hey!" he laughed, making a sad attempt as he knew that no one could stop the Irish lad from getting food. "I'll make more. You go take a shower or something," he grinned, blushing a little as he thought about Niall in the shower. Niall smirked , jokingly blew a kiss, and spun around to head to the bathroom. "Will do!"
    As soon as Niall was out of earshot, Louis pulled a chair next to Liam and across from Harry. "You're welcome. Now explain why I had to cover your arses from Niall," he said, looking from Harry to Liam with a slight frown. He didn't like lying as much as the next person, but he was definitely better at it than Liam.
    Liam looked at Harry, who didn't say anything until he heard the water rushing from the shower head in the bathroom. He looked at Louis as he bit his lip. "I might have fallen in love with Niall," he said quietly.
    Louis nearly fell out of his chair, but held his position, his face showing a mixture of knowing and surprise. For awhile, he said nothing, just thinking as the younger boys looked at him. Finally, he looked at Liam. "So that's what you meant earlier," he said, smiling. He turned to look at Harry again. "You should tell him," he advised, repeating what Liam said earlier.
    Harry looked from Liam to Louis, mouth agape. "You guys…knew?" he said a bit nervously. They shook their heads. "We didn't know exactly, but we had a feeling that something was up between you guys. You two are always so cute around each other," Liam explained. "Especially when you had that water fight at our flat awhile back," Louis smirked. "Even our fans notice it, Haz, when you two are in public. If 'Larry' didn't exist fro the beginning," Liam added, getting an unpleasant look from Louis that he ignored. "Our fans would probably be thinking that 'Narry' was legit," he finished, referring to the ship names many of their fans had come up with.
    Harry blushed. He never really thought about the way he acted around Niall, but it was certainly different than the way he acted around Louis. He looked at both boys, still somewhat embarrassed. "I-I can't tell him," he stammered.
    "And why not?" Liam asked, his Daddy Direction persona coming in.
    "He's still with Ariette," Harry said quickly, looking down and playing with his fingers. "Remember Louis? You set them up." He looked back up at Louis for a quick second before remembering he had promised to make bacon for Niall. He got up and started cooking again.
    Louis frowned. "Well, it's not like I knew you liked him exactly. And besides, we all knew how he fancied her before. I was just trying to help a mate out," he defended himself.
    "That's the other thing. He's one of my best friends and he's straight and I'm…gay," Harry said quickly, still not fully used to the fact. "Or at least bi."
    "I wouldn't say he's completely straight," Liam said quietly, causing both boys to turn and look at him quizzically. He bit his lip, wondering if he should have said that.
    "Why not?" Louis tilted his head in curiosity, a movement that he did when he wanted to know something.
    Liam shrugged, looking at Harry. "I think, after watching you two, the only boy Niall would be gay for is Harry. I might be wrong, but I don't think so.The way he looks at you sometimes is different than the way he looks at the rest of us. More or less like  the way he looks at Ariette. It's almost…as though he wants to be by your side, protecting you, but he's afraid that you might not feel the same way, which is why he publicly displayed his attraction towards Ariette." He shook his head, as though he was trying to clear out his thoughts. "Again, I might be wrong, I'm not as observant as Zayn would be, but I'd like to believe I'm pretty accurate. And, weirdly enough, have either of you ever noticed how she looks like the female version of Harry?"
    Louis looked at Harry and nodded. "It's so weird, but she does. Right down to the green eyes. She could be your long-lost twin sister Haz!" He said excitedly.
    Harry sighed and was about to say something when the three boys heard the faucet shut off. The youngest boy slid the bacon into a plate, sat down and lowered his voice, shaking his head. "I don't think she does Li," he sighed lightly, refusing to believe that Ariette looked a bit like him. "And besides Niall's happy with her."
    "Only because, subconsciously, he thinks he can't have you," Liam simply said. Harry considered that and shook his head, disagreeing. Before Liam or Louis could try to disagree with them, they heard the all-too familiar Irish accent down the hall. "I smell bacon!" Niall scurried and joined the others. Harry smiled widely and handed Niall his bacon. "Here you go Ni," he blushed, something which Niall missed, but Liam and Louis didn't and snickered. Harry shot them a glaring look and Niall turned to them, his mouth full of bacon. "What?"
    Both boys shook their heads and Niall shrugged, turning back to his food. They both then looked at Harry with a smirking grin. Harry quickly embraced Niall so he wouldn't see him flipping Liam and Louis off for no apparent reason.