One More Time [A Larry Stylinson FanFic]

Chapter 24: The AfterParty

Harry was sitting in his dressing room, having his hair flat ironed and brushed and pulled this way and that, while someone else tried to apply make-up, and other assistants were brushing off his suit. Liam and Niall had left to go change for the After Party. The adrenaline hadn't beft him properly – he was still buzzin' pretty good. But that might be because of...well, because Louis showed up.

He was standing there, just off to the side, lounging against one of the closets and scrolling through his phone, just like they've done for time out of mind for the past twelve years.

The hairdryer stopped. The fussing hadn't, but at least Harry could hear properly. "I can't believe you're here, Lou," he said, now that he didn't have to shout.

Louis looked up from his phone, his face all smiles and sunshine. "You think I would have missed this? 'Show in Miami,' honestly! It's not even til tomorrow night!" Louis was glossing over the fact that they'd been broken up for the past ten months, but he'd let it slide for now.

"But how did you..." Harry wondered.

Louis smiled, because Mr. Patience couldn't wait until they were even alone to winkle the story out of him. But that was okay. He knew he couldn't spill everything. There would still be a need for...winkling.

"Niall called me," Louis started. "He said there was a...contact...who wanted to get in touch with me." Louis widened his eyes at the word "contact" and Harry knew exactly who he meant. If he said it was Marley, everyone in the room would know there had been interference between contestants. "He said I should call 'em. He couldn't vouch for what they needed to talk to me about, because they wouldn't tell him a single thing about it, but he said they were good people. He said they had your best interests at heart." Louis' voice softened when he said that, and Harry knew he was fonding as he started at Lou. He...god, he hated that there were so many people around.

"So I called them. And they said they had this crazy idea and did I think I could pull off singing Driver's License? So then I introduced myself and asked how they were doing," Louis and Harry both chuckled. Louis, remembering how the conversation had gone; Harry because he knew exactly what Marley was like and could see her doing that.

Make-up and hair had finished. Harry stood up and started dressing into his suit for the After-Party. His suit was embroidered black satin, with gold silk-threaded rose print. Costuming had paired it with a cream-colored button-up (that he barely buttoned, let's not pretend). Half of the team had left while he was dressing, and Harry finally looked up at those who were still there, and with one raised eyebrow, Harry had cleared the room.

When Mort closed the door behind him. Harry turned back to Louis, who had a slightly breathless look on his face. Harry moved in closer, a cat-ate-the-canary grin on his face. "So I've talked to you, what, twice? in the past ten months and you've been chatting up my best friend?" Whoa – that was not what Harry planned to say.

Funnily enough, Jealous-Asshole Harry made Louis feel a little more like Harry was really here. This wasn't just a fever dream that would pop like a bubble as soon as Harry was out of his sight. "Come here and kiss me, you idiot," Louis murmured around his smile.

Harry closed the gap before Louis could even blink, and then those lips – Harry's lips – were on his, warm and frantic and familiar as hell the way he moved against him, kissing him so thoroughly that Louis nearly forgot where he was. He was kissing Harry's neck, nuzzling into that spot he liked, running his tongue over it, loving the way Harry's fingers twisted around the waistband of his slacks.

"Louis? Lou..." It took a second for Louis to realize Harry was trying to get his attention. He kissed Harry's jawline and pulled back a little.

"Yeah, luv?" It had been so long, it was difficult for Louis to not lean in and kiss Harry again, especially when his lips so red and thoroughly kissed like that...