Ready to Run

Chapter 21

After doing their laundry, they go back to their room and order room service. It is late, they are hungry and they did not even eat lunch. Louis kind of wonders how they went a whole day without eating and none of them realized it. But now it does not matter because they order two XXL burgers and very much fries.

Thankfully, room service is quick and not even ten minutes after they ordered, there is a knock on the door. Harry is sitting on the bed, his back resting against the headboard as he tries to find something to watch when the knock is heard.

"Oh! Must be the food." Harry says and gets up, walking to the door in nothing but his boxers. Harry opens the door then thanks the man who blushes and looks everywhere but Harry. Harry rolls the cart inside and closes the door behind him.

Louis and him sit at the foot of the bed and settle for watching a rerun of Friends while eating. They make unnecessary comments and laugh together. It sometimes gets gross when they eat and one makes the other laugh, because the other always unintentionally spits his food somewhere. Once they are finished eating, they keep watching the episode until the end.

Louis reaches for Harry's hand and starts playing with his fingers at the end of the episode. He does not have a particular reason why he is doing this, but Harry does not seem to mind as he just cracks a smile. Louis then thinks about something, and Harry seems to notice.

He tilts his head and asks. "What are you thinking about?" And it seems like a thing Harry loves asking. He loves knowing what goes on in other's heads, probably to try to understand them better. And Louis loves that about him.

"I'm thinking that you'd look really great with nail polish." Louis smiles kind of shyly. Harry's face then changes and he retracts his hand. He hides them under his thighs and looks away, which confuses Louis a bit. "I wasn't saying that to make you uncomfortable. Sorry if I offended you?" Louis offers, not really sure what to say.

"Don't you think it'll look weird?" Harry shrugs, looking at his socked feet which he swings back and forth. "'Cause I'm a guy." He finally says, making Louis' whole forehead wrinkle.

"Of course I don't think that. Whoever can wear whatever they want. It doesn't matter as long as you're comfortable." Louis says firmly but softly. He wants to let Harry know that it is in fact a perfectly normal thing, and that he should not hold back because of other's opinions. "Other people don't matter if you feel good about yourself."

Harry bites his lips and nods slowly. "So you don't think it's weird? That I'd look stupid and, like, not manly enough or whatever?" He says the last part with irritation clear in his voice and a roll of eyes.

"No, I don't think any of this." Louis reassures him softly, reaching for his hand. Harry does not resist and lets Louis take his hand then kiss his knuckles. "I was just saying this because I thought about it." He adds, shrugging. "If you don't want to because you don't like it, I won't force you. I was just pointing out facts." Louis finishes and Harry chuckles, shaking his head.

"Okay, yeah. Why not? I kind of always wanted to try." Harry sheepishly admits.

"Why didn't you, then?" Louis asks curiously. Harry shrugs.

"Josh. Kind of." He shrugs again, looking away with pursed lips. "I never really mentioned that I'd like to try but one time he saw a guy with nail polish and started saying how it wasn't 'manly' and all this stuff. Which I found absurd, but I never pointed it out to him. Just kind of nodded along, even though I disagreed." Louis finds this as absurd as Harry does.

"That's such a stupid way to think." Louis shakes his head, and Harry nods.

"It is. Whatever, tomorrow I will try nail polish and then he'll go fuck himself with his stupid stereotypes and conception of masculinity. I'm so done having his voice keeping me from doing things I want to do." Harry says determinedly and Louis grins proudly at him. Proudness and fondness is what he feels right now. Though there is a thing Louis needs to rectify.