petal [book 1] ❊ l.s.

eight - new friends

By the time Harry stirred, forcing his heavy eyelids to open a crack, he could see the morning coming. The pale, gray light just before sunrise cast shadows through the room, and he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and nosing deeper into the warm chest in front of him. Sentiments of warmth and safety cradled him, a soft arm beneath his head and a heavy hand on his back.

Then he blinked his eyes open, finding himself face to face with a faded black t-shirt. He didn't need to look up to know where he was -- he had already memorized the sweet smell of Louis's musky vanilla cologne and the shallow rise-and-fall of his breathing. Although, he hadn't quite figured out why he was waking up in Louis's arms.

Again.

He cringed internally when he remembered the night before, instinctively tucking his head up under Louis's chin for a bit of comfort. He was already feeling like an imposition on Louis's physical space, and now he was dumping all of his emotional troubles on Louis, too. Harry frowned to himself, more guilty than anything about how happy he was in Louis's arms.

Only a minute or so passed before Louis started to wake. He groaned loudly, and he squeezed Harry a bit tighter between his arms, nuzzling his nose into the younger boy's curls. The couch was far too small for the both of them, but with how closely they were pressed together, Harry felt like he had plenty of wiggle room.

"Louis?" he tried, his voice barely raising above a raspy whisper. "Lou. Do you want to get up?"

The older boy groaned again. "Shh, darling. Too early."

Harry couldn't find a reply, "darling" echoing in his ears, too shocking to pass on to his brain.

"Try to go back to sleep," Louis pressed, his words still sleepy, slurred and mumbled. He threw his leg over Harry's, drawing him in impossibly closer. "Shh. Go back to sleep."

And with his eyelids already drooping again, his body tangled securely with Louis's, Harry just couldn't find a reason to argue. He buried his face back in Louis's chest, pushing a tangled mess of worry and confusion to the back of his mind.

When they woke next, warm sunlight poured through the large window in the living room. They exhaled in sync, still clinging to each other with lazy heat and sleep-heavy muscles. This time, it took Harry a moment to remember where he was, and as soon as he shifted, Louis tensed.

"Oh," he said dumbly. Any tiredness disappeared from his brain and his body in an instant. He patted Harry's waist awkwardly, but his hand lingered, giving one last squeeze before letting go. The couch suddenly seemed smaller. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay. Thank you, um, for last night." Harry blushed, glancing sideways to avoid Louis's piercing stare. "For helping me get back to sleep, I mean. Like, yeah. You know."

"No problem. What are roommates for, right?"

He sat up abruptly, wiggling his tingling arm out from under Harry's body. He could still feel the warmth of the younger boy's body on his back, and he swung his legs onto the floor, stretching quickly before standing up. It was strange realizing that, for the first time in a long time, Louis had no idea if this day would look anything like the others.

He couldn't help clinging to his routine for a semblance of comfort and familiarity. "Alright, uh, well," he stated bluntly. "I have to get to work."

Harry looked worried. "Breakfast?"

"I'll just grab a coffee on my way."

"But . . ." Harry sounded torn, his eyes flicking between Louis and the kitchen a few times. "But breakfast is the most important meal of the day."