harry's ears perked up at the sound of a small click across the room, signalling the opening of the front door.
raising his head and turning his neck towards the source of the noise, he saw a knit jumper clad louis entering the house with a little smile on his face.
their eyes connected and harry immediately looked down, knowing that even from a small glance at his empty eyes, louis would easily be able to tell what was going on.
louis tilted his head to the side slightly at harry's reaction, and he knew.
and harry knew that he knew.
that was when harry lifted his head again and carefully slid out from underneath the mound of blankets that he was sheltering under.
standing up, he began to walk towards louis.
louis with this knowing look on his face that made harry's stomach churn and his hands shake.
louis opened his arms immediately as harry shuffled towards him, ready for what he knew was coming
as he reached louis he jumped up and wrapped his legs around his waist and his arms around his neck.
louis didnt even quiver. he just cuddled harry to his chest tightly and nudged at his curls with his forehead when harry buried his head in his neck.
and they sat there, in silence, for minutes upon minutes and louis just waited. he knew what was coming.
little sniffles began to fill the room as louis felt a hot wetness on his neck.
louis' previously straight face twisted into a frown as he felt the boy in his arms shaking, sniffles and cries becoming louder.
he walked carefully down the steps, and sat as softly as he possibly could on the monotone sofa that stretched over the room. pulling harry's favourite washed green blanket over their bodies, he untangled one arm from his other, and tangled it again in harrys mop of curls, stroking softly.
he knew that harry found comfort in that.
he knew everything about harry, in fact.
he knew that he only liked to wear ankle socks on tuesday and he knew that he had one particular plant that he loved above all others (though he would never admit it) and he knew that when he cried, he tried not to make it obvious, so he covered his mouth with a trembling hand and squeezed his eyes shut so tight that he saw spots.
and he always knew exactly why harry was upset.
harry had always bugged him about it, wondering how he always has this instinct, this sixth sense which allowed him to know what harry is upset about, even when he's not with him.
to tell the truth, louis didn't even know himself. but he wouldn't tell harry that.
he smiled a little at the thought of harry prodding at him constantly for answers, but his grin quickly faded as he was brought back to the moment by a sob and a hand grasping the back of his t-shirt tightly.
louis scratched at harry's scalp, beginning to stroke his back softly. they were cuddled up underneath the blanket, louis' body enveloping harry's. it usually stayed like this for a while.
usually, that is.
louis felt a hand creeping up next to his and he smiled inwardly. harry was reaching for his hand.
but his suspicions were incorrect as the hand passed his own and began harshly tugging at harry's soft locks.
louis' frown deepened and he paused in his scratching, placing his small hand on top of harry's larger one.
though the hand didn't cease in it's movements.
he grasped it softly, pulling and untangling it from harry's now mess of a head. the hand that was rubbing his back grabbed both of harry's wrists and held them together.
his spare hand held harry's chin and brought him to face himself.
louis felt his heart clench as he looked at his boy.
disheveled hair, eyes red with tears still streaming out, cheeks blotchy and nose pink from sniffles.
as he stared into harry's green eyes, he saw the haze that he barely ever saw. the haze that always laced harry's eyes when he got like this.
though it seems that he doesn't see harry crying all that often.
its usually harry hiding his face from louis until he carries them to their bed, where louis barely catches a glimpse of harry before he stuffs his face into the pillow and pulls the blankets up and over his head.
it was almost always like that.
it was rare that louis saw him like this, and he knew why.
he knew that harry was embarrassed.
he knew that harry thought he was ugly, hideous like this, no matter how many times louis told him not.
harry was very stubborn about things like this.
he pulled himself back to the moment, and rested his eyes on harry, his baby, his boy, again.
louis rested his forehead against harry's, looking deep into his eyes.
the hand that was holding harry's chin lifted to his cheek and stroked softly.
he let his eyes wander around harry's face, the hand on his cheek never ceasing in its movements.
he took it all in. harry's bitten red lips that were open slightly, gasping. harry's rosy cheeks, his eyelashes that stuck together and the crease in between his eyebrows that he knew would leave a wrinkle for an hour until it smoothed out.
and he knew that when harry calmed down he would fret about it, complaining that it would never go away, though louis knows that he knows that it always does.
it was then that louis smiled. he smiled because harry was funny. louis found it so funny that harry could be worrying about a tiny crease in his forehead that would smooth out in an hour, and he would have completely forgotten about what he was so upset about 10 minutes ago.
he smiled so big that the outer corners of his eyes crinkled and it was so bright that you could see it from a mile away.
he somehow smiled even wider when harry's tears came to a fault and he tilted his head slightly at louis, this look of confusion on his face that was so, so, nice.
nice because seeing any look on harry's face that wasn't a crumble or a cry was nice.
louis smiled so big that his cheeks hurt and he loved the way that it affected harry. he loved the way that just his smile could make all of harry's tears stop and make his shiny eyes brighten just the slightest.
he loved that he could make harry feel better without making any noise, without speaking or moving, just smiling.
it made him feel so warm inside.
he pulled his face from harry's and released his wrists, holding harry's head in both hands.
louis blinked three times. three times on purpose he blinked, one for each word.
he knew that he didn't have to say it, he knew that harry understood.
his big grin lessened into a little smile, the meaning still there though he had to, the pain in his cheeks was killing him.
and he watched, in awe as harry blinked back. 1, 2, 3 times.
a little smile to match louis' appeared on harry's face and that made louis feel that warmth even harder in his stomach.
he felt so, so warm.
so warm with harry.
and he loved it. he loved how this was how he calmed harry down every time.
how all that was needed was a good 30 minutes of hugs, and sometimes (only sometimes), looking into harry's eyes and smiling some ridiculous smile, until it became contagious and harry smiled too.
he loved that this was how it was.
he loved that no noise was needed.
that silence was okay just in that moment.
that silence was really all that was needed, because harry's head was far, far too noisy.
the silence was what really made it all better.
