Here comes the sun - Larry

CHAPTER 20

I desperately want to kiss Harry—with tongue and everything—but we keep our distance while we study. I mean, almost, since Harry is trailing his fingers along my bare ankle. Today was supposed to be about unwinding, but I don't actually mind lying around like this. And I've come to the conclusion that I'm definitely the one who's supposed to make the next move if I want something to happen. Harry clearly won't do anything when I'm still trying to figure things out. I suppose he's a gentleman like that.

I'm scared, though, so I try to focus on preparing for the rest tomorrow instead, at least until dinner is ready. My dad has already yelled at me for skipping, but in the end he let me go with a warning, given that it's the first time. I managed to soften him up by showing him the tattoo. He wasn't exactly pleased by the idea of a tattoo, but he liked the tattoo itself, so that was a pleasant turn of events. I don't suppose he can resist the sentiment that went into it, nor could the girls.

He seems to like Harry, too, so that's positive. The girls are fond of him as well, but I suspect it's because they think he's hot—and I can't really blame them, now can I? They definitely think higher of him than they did Emily. They've been supportive, I suppose, but they're also relieved she's no more. They haven't said it out loud, but I can tell. It's nice that they like Harry, though, that they're perfectly content with having him around because it might become a regular occurrence.

"Do you have plans for the future?" Dad asks, already seeming more interested than he ever was in Emily.

"I'm moving to London after graduation," Harry says. "I'm gonna study Literature."

Dad seems rather impressed. "That's sounds fascinating."

"Plays out pretty well, doesn't it?" Lottie asks.

I blush despite the effort not to. "Lottie, shut up."

"I'm just saying."

"Hey, now," Dad says. "Lottie is right, Louis. Having a friend around will be good for you."

Lottie snorts. "A friend he's making out with."

I blush even harder, then kick her under the table. "I swear to god, Lottie."

Harry chuckles next to me while he slips a hand onto my thigh. He doesn't let it stay there for long, just gives it a squeeze before he moves it away again. But despite the shortness of the gesture, I can hardly fucking breathe.

"Is he still not your boyfriend?" Phoebe asks.

"No."

"Is he gonna be?"

I look at Harry, but he's blushing as hard as I am. "Let's uh... let's talk about something else, yeah?"

Phoebe pouts, but I refuse to talk about this when Harry and I haven't talked about our feelings yet. It's strange, really, how we've suddenly become unable to communicate. It's my fault, I think, given that I'm the one who's confused. I assume Harry is waiting for me to strike up the conversation. I guess I'm nervous about his response. I think he feels the same, but what if he doesn't? I mean, I could easily have misinterpreted something, convinced myself he feels the same because I can't handle it if he doesn't.

He follows me upstairs when we're done eating, then plops onto my bed. "Do you think I'll pass the test tomorrow?"

I sit down next to him. "Absolutely."

"I suck a math."

"No, you don't."

"I can tell when you're lying."

"No, you can't. I can't either, not always. I'm still not convinced you have that sunflower on your ass."

He rolls his eyes, then stands up and unbuttons his jeans. He turns around before he tugs them down along with his boxers, letting them rest under his ass. And there it is, the sunflower. It's not big or anything, but it's sort of cute. I reach out before I can stop myself from doing so, letting my fingers trial along the lines. He shivers in response, which has me withdrawing my fingers instantly.