Lou's Gold (Larry Stylinson) (COMPLETE)

Chapter 8: Given a Chance

I sat in the dark on the couch with my lyric book on my lap and a pen in my mouth. I frowned and raised my eyebrows, grunting because I couldn't remember all the perfect lines I'd thought of throughout the day. After forgetting to return the keys to the dark room, we came back to Louis' and went immediately to sleep, or rather our separate ways for the night. I didn't want to turn the light on for fear that he'd come and ask what I was doing. I couldn't see him again tonight. I shifted to sit on one leg folded under me and closed my eyes.

My thoughts returned to the first time I met Louis, his eyes shining and distracting me from yelling at him at the coffee place. Shining distraction, I wrote down. I sat back and closed my eyes again, recapping the walk I took with Louis all over the city, the feeling of him by my side, the smiles, the laughs, it was as if the stars were aligned and though it felt like nothing had changed, everything was different. I crouched over and wrote everything on my mind.

Within the parts of the day, I had a powerful memory of the dark room. Setting aside the guilt of after, I thought of how it felt to have his hands on my waist and his mouth sucking on my bottom lip. The sensation ran through my body as I bit my own lip. The taste on my tongue lingered, sweet and sour. I set my lyric book on the table in front of me and stood up. I need a drink.

I made my way to the kitchen, glancing at the ticking clock as I opened the fridge looking for milk. The light inside the fridge illuminated the kitchen as I hadn't turned the ceiling light on. Keeping the door open I poured myself a glass. Looking out the window I could see the full moon glistening proudly in the sky. I chuckled softly though my cup, knowing the full moon seemed to affect other's behavior and alter their feelings. I'd always get laid on a full moon because I'd prey on others' false impression of falling in love.

The light above me clicked on, causing me to jolt where I stood and almost drop the cup in my hand. "Harry?"

"Shit," I muttered, grabbing a rag from the counter and patting my bare chest to dry some spilled milk. "You startled me."

I could feel his gaping eyes on me as I dryed myself so I turned to face the fridge. "I got worried when I didn't see you on the couch." He walked over to me and closed the door to the fridge. "Were you hungry?"

I turned once more so I wasn't facing him, continuing to dry my boxers. "No, more like thirsty." I sighed and finally faced him. He had a shirt and pajama bottoms on and he was holding the mop in his hand. I smiled, "What are you doing down here anyway?"

He shrugged, mopping the floor around me. "Couldn't sleep. I decided I'd keep you up with me."

I thought I'd heard that sentence wrong until he looked up at me and winked. I frowned and walked to the kitchen island to sit down. He doesn't get to do that. Not if we haven't even talked about earlier. Not when I'm confused and he hasn't said anything about it. "Can we talk about earlier?"

"There's not much to say," he responded instantaneously. I thought he would've at least thought it over or chosen his words carefully. "Things got out of hand, it was the spur of the moment one may call it."

I stood back up and pulled the mop away from his hands, catching him by surprise. I looked at him dead in the eyes and asked, "Was it?" He looked at me for a second then walked past me to the chair I was sitting in before, pointing at the seat across from him for me to sit down.

"Harry," Louis started, looking at his hands then back at me. "I'm not gay."

"I thought you'd say that." I shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "Earlier doesn't back that up, though."

"Actually, it does." He looked at me surpressing a smile. "I was receiving, not giving."

I laughed and leaned back. "That has nothing to do with it, babe." I saw his smile fade and he sighed. I supposed what he was saying made sense. I looked at the space in the table between us and wondered what really brought on what happened in the dark room. Neither of us expected it and it wasn't planned. Louis and I aren't in a relationship and we were perfectly sober. It just happened. "Had you ever been with anyone besides Diana?"

He looked up at me and quickly looked back down. "No."

That's interesting, he's never lied to me before. "I see, so why did you two break up?"

He shrugged, looking around the room, "We drifted apart."

Bullshit. I sat up and put my elbows on the table. "I know she cheated on you, Louis." His attention snapped to me and he stared questioningly. "Its in the way you two interacted. Its the way she looks at you and the way you talk about her. Earlier proves my theory, as well."

"What makes you say that?" He tried to ask in a calm voice but his nerves shook his vocal cords, making his voice crack a bit. "How did you see all that?"

I smiled and pointed one finger at my eyes and another on my lips. "My boss had us take a psychology class. A bit unorthodox for tattoo parlors but he wanted us to really establish a connection with our clients so it helped when we could read their faces." He frowned and furrowed his eyebrows, clearly upset at the fact that I read him like an open book. "The way you looked at her was something along the lines of 'I want to love you, but can't' or 'something prevents me from loving you' whereas her looks to you show more signs of 'I've moved on'. Does what I'm saying make sense?"

He closed his mouth which had fallen open while I explained. He sat back and nodded slowly. I felt a bit guilty for bringing it all back to Louis but I had to be sure. It wasn't my business until I had his confirmation that it was Diana's end that broke off their relationship, stripping me of my guilt for the events in the dark room.

There's a chance.

I wasn't sure if asking Louis for one more answer would be probing him too much for the night, but I had to try again, this might be the only time I got to talk to him seriously. I glanced at the clock, 1:42 a.m.. "There is one thing I can't figure out." Louis looked at me, fiddling his thumbs and probably expecting another interrogation. "The looks you give me."

He blushed and looked down, smiling at his hands. I reached out to touch his hand, feeling him twitch but allowing me to keep my hands on his. Looking directly at me, he asked, "What kind of looks are those?"

I studied his eyes, singing a mixture of 'don't go' and 'stay a couple more days'. I should be writing this down. "It's hard to decipher." His smile changed his expression to a beautiful melody chanting 'cause I wanna be yours, don't you wanna be mine?'. I blushed at the look he was giving me. I melted under the heat of his gaze and the longing in his stare. "Nobody's ever looked at me the way you do. I don't know what it means."

"You knew what it meant in the dark room."

I smiled, my face flushing of colour and my palms beginning to sweat. "I don't believe you-"

He cut me off by standing up, walking to my side and putting his hand on my cheek and gently turning my face to look at him. "You've just got such a great smile." My jaw dropped and I looked at his lips, wondering what else they were good at besides making my manhood quiver with words. He must've noticed my mind drifting because he brought his hand back to his side and shrugged, stretching. "Well," he continued, beginning to walk back to the door. "I must be getting to bed." He stopped at the door frame and seemed to be contemplating something with himself. He turned his face to me and added with a smirk, "care to join?"