ᵒⁿᵉ 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐔𝐒 ˡᵃʳʳʸ ˢᵗʸˡⁱⁿˢᵒⁿ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

no control

Harry sits on Niall's kitchen counter, looking at him, hands braced against the counter. "Niall, what's up?"

"Hmm?" Niall says, turning to him, closing the fridge, pressing his palm against the cool metal.

"Why did you ask me to come here?" Harry asks, putting his hands up like it's obvious.

"Oh, right." Niall says. He looks up at Harry. "You and Louis. What was that the other day?"

"I told you." Harry says, his heart starting to race. "He fell asl-"

"No." Niall interrupts. "I'm serious. What was that really? Because I'm sorry, but that was not friendship. Not Louis-and-Harry friendship."

Harry studies him, looking for judgement. He thinks about what Niall's reaction would be. What he would say. What he would do. He thinks about what Louis would say if he just told the truth. Yesterday he's said he wanted him to know, but that was for a reason that wasn't real. He wonders if Louis would be mad. Maybe Louis didn't need to find out. And maybe this was a monumentally bad idea.

"Well?" Niall says. "What are you doing with my son? What are you doing with Louis, Harry!?"

"I'm sorry, your son?" Harry asks, looking at him, head tilted.

"Not the point, Styles!" Niall says, pointing at hi with an angry finger. "Tell me what you're doing with Louis!"

"We're...we're together, okay?" Harry says. "We have been for about six months. We haven't told anyone. Please don't tell him I told you. I don't know how he'd react. He said he wanted you to know, but he also thought that was in an entirely different situation."

Niall nods, thinking, rubbing his chin. "Okay. This is information I can work with. Why haven't you told at least us? We wouldn't care, Harry, you're not that dumb."

"We couldn't risk it, Niall." Harry says, sighing. "We don't want to ruin everything for all five of us and we didn't know what you'd say. Well, we didn't know what Liam and Zayn would say. We pretty much figured you wouldn't care."

Niall looks at him. "Louis can't like this very much. The hiding."

"No." Harry says. "He doesn't. All I want is Louis but he wants more than just me."

"You're taking care of him?" Niall asks. "You're making sure he's happy? Because Louis needs to be happy, Styles."

Harry smiles, both at the thought of Louis and at Niall's overprotectiveness. "Yeah, Niall. I know. I love him as much as you love him. Not the same way, though. I hope.

"Yeah, no, not the same way." NIall says. "Definitely not."

"Hey!" Harry says, seemingly offended. "You couldn't do better than Louis Tomlinson. He's an adorable angel, Niall."

"Oh my god, pick one opinion and stick to it." Niall says. "If I said I had a crush on him, you'd kill me, so don't act all offended when I say I don't like him like that." 

Harry grins wryly. "Yeah. That's fair."

Niall laughs, rolling his eyes. "Look, Harry," He says once he stops laughing. "I won't tell him, but I think that you should. I think that you definitely should."

"I know, Niall." Harry says. "I will."

"Good." Niall pats Harry's knee. "Now leave my house and go tell him."

Harry nods and hops off the counter, swinging his legs. He walks out the door, shutting it softly behind him. 

"Louis, I need to talk to you," Harry says, walking into Louis's house and into the living room, where Louis sits on the couch.

"Sure," Louis says. "What is it, Haz?" Louis turns to him.

Harry sits next to Louis on the couch. "Niall...he figured it out. Kind of. He asked me and I didn't want to lie. I figured you didn't want me to lie. He asked me what happened and I tried to tell the half truth but that didn't work so I told him."

"Harry, you said that we can't tell anyone and now you go tell him about us?" Louis says. "I'm not allowed to tell anyone but you can tell whoever the hell you want?"

"Lou, I told Niall." Harry says. "I didn't tell a random fan. And he had already figured it out. He wouldn't have believed any bullshit I told him." Louis nods, jaw set. "I didn't think you'd care. You said yesterday that you wanted him to know, Louis."

"I'm sorry." Louis says, swallowing, leaning his head back. "I don't. It's fine. It's just...hard, Harry."

"I know." Harry says, running a hand up and down his leg. "Maybe someday we can tell everyone. We can tell the whole world. We can just be a normal couple and be in love and have the whole world know. Maybe someday."

Louis nods. "Yeah. Maybe someday." He says distantly.

"I love you." Harry says, pressing a kiss to his cheek and then his jawbone.

"I love you too." Louis says, tangling a hand in his hair and pulling him to kiss him on the mouth. Harry does and rests his hands on his hips. 

"Want me to stay here tonight?" Harry asks, playing with his belt loops. "We always stay at my house. And it's really late. Probably too late to drive safely anyway."

"Sure." Louis says, putting his other hand in his hair too. He moves so he has one leg on either side of Harry. Harry smiles. "What did Niall say, exactly?"

"He asked what I was doing with his son." Harry says, grinning now. "It was funny, actually."

Louis laughs, throwing his head back. Harry wishes he could only listen to that sound forever. Harry kisses him. Louis gasps at the sudden contact but leans into it, tugging slightly on Harry's hair. 

"You are the most perfect person ever." Harry whispers, breaking away but only slightly, his breath still brushing Louis's face.

"I try my best." Louis says quietly back.

Harry smiles and kisses him again, softer this time. "I love you, Louis."

"I love you too, Hazza." Louis says. "More than you will ever know."