Balance

Chapter 16

"How'd you know we were here, Nialler?" Harry asked as his fingers interlocked with Louis'.  The dancer was surprised at how natural it felt, holding Harry's hand.  It was as if they hadn't just shared their first kiss and, indirectly, their feelings about one another mere moments ago.

The blonde skidded down the slope of the ramp on foot before jabbing a thumb towards the very far end of the park where a skateboard was propped up against the brick wall of an adjoining building.  "I'd recognize that board anywhere, Styles," Niall responded easily.  "Although I am a bit surprised to see your old one back behind the ramp," he added, indicating the hiding place from which the two boys had just emerged.

"Oh," Louis muttered, realising that Niall meant the board Harry had loaned to him for their little skating practice.  The lighthearted session seemed ages ago, though, and Louis found himself instinctively curling in towards the safety of Harry's much taller, sturdier frame.

Niall let out a noise that sounded an awful lot like a coo which had Louis' eyes snapping his way.  His expression must have displayed his confusion because a moment later, the Irishman was laughing hysterically.

"Oh god, Harry!" the blonde said between chuckles.  "He is cute!"  Louis turned to Harry with an accusing eyebrow arched high into his hairline.  In response, Harry merely shrugged, letting go of Louis' hand to wrap an arm around the smaller boy.

"How much of that did you watch, Ni," Harry asked as his fingers lightly stroked Louis' side.  The dancer shivered slightly, still slightly in shock from the night's happenings.

"Enough of it to know that the little dancer is an excellent kisser," Niall answered with a wink, still recovering from his laughter.  Louis' cheeks flushed a dark red and he stammered out some sort of weak protest.  Niall kept grinning and eventually Louis hid his face against Harry's arm in embarrassment.

"That's enough, Nialler," Harry commented, though Louis could hear a smirk in his tone.  Niall calmed down his amusement and Louis unfolded from his position to scan over the other boy.  He was definitely the kid that had somewhat stood up for Louis back on Sunday, leaning in to whisper to the dip dyed boy's ear.

"Okay, okay," Niall was saying, drawing near to Louis and Harry.  "Serious time.  What are we going to do about Aiden and them?"  Harry sighed at Niall's question, his brow furrowing in thought.  Louis peered between the two of them curiously, inwardly wondering just how much they could really solve at nearly 1 in the morning.

"I still say it would just be easier for me to 'fess up and serve the time.  It's not as though there's another way," muttered Harry, scuffing one foot along the ground.  Louis' grip on the boy tightened and he hissed his disapproval.  "It's only vandalism, Lou.  It's not like they're going to lock me up for long."

"It is gross vandalism.  I'm sure there's a significant difference in painting a few park benches and trashing an entire theatre, Harold," Louis scoffed.  "Besides, even a short time locked up is too long for me."

Harry chucked softly though there wasn't much humour in the sound.  "It'd be me going to jail, Ballerina.  Not you."

"I know that," responded Louis, sounding a bit offended.  "That's the problem.  I don't want you to go to jail."  Louis donned his best hurt expression, the one that won Zayn over to Louis' whims time and time again.  Harry made the mistake of glancing over and was instantly worrying his lower lip between his teeth and glancing over at Niall.

"Any solutions, Ni?" Harry tried, giving Louis' statements a half shrug.

The blonde was tapping on his chin thoughtfully, beginning to pace in front of the two boys.  "What was that you were saying earlier, Louis?  About turning in the names of the gang members?"