Collision; Larry

15.

It's nighttime. They're walking down the lit-up streets of London, having just gotten out of a taxi; Louis' amazed by the mere concept of that activity, and he wouldn't stop whispering excitedly about how much he loves car rides for the entire trip.

So he's excited. Why wouldn't he be? He's wearing his suspenders, his new black jeans, and his very nicely fitting button down. He knows Harry is watching his back. He feels a little invincible. Sue him.

"So, where exactly are you taking us? Are there rules we need to follow?" he asks Zayn, skipping along the concrete on his tip toes, trying to avoid stepping on the sidewalk cracks.

Zayn laughs. "I mean... Honestly, this is probably like, the rowdiest club in London. No one gives a shit about what you do in there. Just don't get in a fist fight and you should be good."

Louis considers this for a bit. Of course, he is a little concerned. The rowdiest club in London doesn't exactly sound like a place where he can be in control of things, and he likes to be. It's enough as it is that he has no experience with this situation to begin with.

Harry and Niall, on the other hand, seem pleased with this, praising Zayn's choice.

"Fantastic, Zayn," Niall compliments. "Great taste. Just how it's supposed to be."

The building they're approaching's pretty shabby on the outside, only half of the neon letters above the door still glowing.

After another couple seconds of walking, Harry steps in next to Louis, and he starts waving and saying goodbye to the other three. Louis is visibly confused, but Zayn immediately plays along as Harry pulls Louis away to the closest street corner, waving and telling them that they'll be waiting by the bar.

"What are you doing?" Louis hisses, ripping his arm out of Harry's grip. "Why aren't we going in?"

Harry rolls his eyes and places his hand right back on Louis bicep. Louis has to tense all of his muscles to not lean into the warmth of that touch, and he despises his own irrational weakness.

"We are, remember? Stay relaxed and shut up," Harry commands, before they're both dissolving into the air, once again floating through the weird in-between Louis still doesn't entirely know how to feel about.

He barely has the time to react before Harry lets go again and this time, they're somewhere completely different, Louis landing with both his hands pressed up against the dirty, scrabbled on walls of a bathroom stall to not lose balance.

Harry straightens out the hem of his shirt and takes a deep breath.

"Right, that was that," he concludes, reaching for the door, but Louis instantly catches his fingers to pry them away.

"What if there are people outside?" he protests. "We can't just come out two people from a bathroom, no one does that!"

"Relax." Harry rolls his eyes. "If anyone's out there they'll just think we hooked up. It's no big deal."

"Wh-yeah, it is!"

Harry, unsurprisingly, doesn't listen, just ruffles his hair a little and opens the door like it doesn't faze him even the tiniest bit. Which, Louis supposes it wouldn't. But still.