Reactive Envy

Chapter Twenty: The first kiss....

Louis Tomlinson is a goddamn flirt, and nothing Harry says or does deters him from his wicked ways. He needs another tactic and quick.

There are only so many times he can lie and say he's going to work, and only so many times he can say he's going to shower. So far this week, he has showered twice daily, gone on a walk every day, been to visit Gemma's house every day, been to the shop every day, done all his work for the month, and he's even been napping.

It's only Thursday, and he feels like Louis is only getting worse as the weekend comes nearer. The weekend also happens to be Louis' day off. Which, god, what is harry going to do with that beautiful man home with him for 72 hours straight.

He has spent so much time with a half-hard dick that he's got blue balls. He doesn't want to wank when Louis is home after he knows Louis heard him saying, daddy. Since the office incident, things have been so steamy.

However, Harry is still hesitant because he doesn't know if Louis and Ashton are together or not.

Glancing at the time, Harry sees he only has about thirty minutes until Louis is due home. What can he do to avoid him tonight?

If he lets himself slip into this game, he will get hurt. Falling for the devil isn't a fun game anymore.

Maybe he could go see Niall. He hasn't been back since his accident, but it's his only option unless he pretends to sleep. It's early, and Louis will wake him up.

He hears a key in the front door, and before he even has time to run, he locks eyes with Louis.

"Harold!" Louis smirks.

Just as Harry goes to reply, another figure appears behind Louis, and Harry's guard is up.

"I hope you don't mind. Ashton wants to go out tonight, so I figured you might want to join us, Gemma is meeting us there, and Niall has the night off, so he'll be there too." Harry frowns. Why is his sister hanging out with his friends? Weird.

"Yeah, I'll pass. Have a good time, though. It's movie night which I'm sure you forgot. Just means I can choose the movie and have all the snacks I want without you complaining." Blowing a kiss to Louis and ignoring Ashton, he heads to his room, not expecting Louis to follow him.

Louis pushes him into his room and shuts the door. "What the fuck harry? You've been weird towards me all week, and now you are blowing me off for a movie night by yourself? What the fuck did I do dickhead?"

Harry is shocked. Never has Louis spoken to him like this. And never has he been so turned on by how Louis asserts his dominance. "Um, I've been busy. You invited your friend into MY house without asking me first. You planned a night that involved ME without my knowledge, and you expect me to change my usual routine for you. Get off your high horse Louis. The world doesn't revolve around you. I'm tired. I want a night ALONE which I haven't had since you moved in, and you don't get to barge in here and demand answers to the dumbest questions I've ever heard. Once you are done acting like an absolute dick, you can go back to your little boyfriend and enjoy your night out. I want no part in it."

He stalks off to the bathroom slamming the door hard enough for Louis to gasp. He doesn't get to demand shit after inviting that fuck head into his house.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he notices Gemma had texted him,

'Be there tonight, Harry, or else we'll all come to you.' Shit.

He doesn't have a choice but to go because she has a key, as does Louis. He doesn't want to be around Ashton, but Gemma will follow through with her threat. Maybe if he has them here, he can sneak off to his room or office and hide.

Replying to Gemma, he types, 'I'm not leaving the house. Come here or don't but know that you owe me.'

He sees the three dots pop up and quickly receives a reply, 'I'm already here wanker'.

How long has he been in the bathroom that Gemma has appeared?

Opening the bathroom door, he sees Louis is gone, and his door is open. He can hear multiple voices coming in from down the hallway. How did Gemma pull this off so fast? Oh well, better sooner rather than later.

The sooner he gets them all drunk, the sooner he can go to bed.

"Hello, welcome. I'm going to make cocktails with far too much alcohol. Anyone interested?" Gemma, Niall, Ashton, and Louis all raise their hands, but no one talks to him.

"Cool, are we playing the silent game? Oops, I lost guess I'll take a tequila shot as punishment. Anyone else?"

Ashton has the bloody nerve to speak up with a cheerful, "Please."

So, Harry pours them both a shot looks him dead in the eye and swallows it down.

Louis, Niall, and Gemma look at each other and then back to Harry and Ashton before shrugging and getting a shot each. This will be a short night if it goes like this the entire time.

After eleven shots, seven cocktails, four beers, four games of beer pong, and two skulls from a wine bottle, Harry is drunk. Very drunk. Louis is in his lap, Gemma is in Ashton's lap, and Niall is between the lot of them, still looking sober. It must be the Irish because he's the only one still drinking.

Harry slurs out, "I'm going to bed, Louis. You need to move. Go sit with your boy."

Louis is obviously drunk, too, because he cuddles into Niall, which is not exactly what Harry meant, but it'll do. He stumbles down the hallway through his bedroom into the bathroom. Trying to get a glass of water, brush his teeth, and have a piss isn't an easy task. It's worth it when he comes back out and sees a shirtless Louis Tomlinson peering up at him in his bed.

"Hi." Louis whispers.

Harry smiles softly at him while climbing in and peering back. "Hi Lou." Louis is blushing, but he looks so happy.

"I'm sorry for pressuring you. I'm sorry for not asking first. You deserve the world, and I didn't give it to you. I'm not good,"

Harry grabs Louis' hand under the blankets, "Louis, baby."

He'll think about that tomorrow, future Harry's problem.

Right now, he needs to comfort Louis. "You didn't do anything wrong. I don't like Ashton, and he's in my house. He has everything I want, so having him in the one space he can't take from me upsets me."

Louis looks so upset and confused, "Harry, what exactly do you think he has that you don't? you have so much more than Ashton. You should be happy. There is no reason to not like him."

Taking in a shuddering breath as he feels sleep settling into his bones, he whispers, "He has you."

What Harry doesn't see is Louis' eyes widening and thinking back over everything with Harry from the beginning. He doesn't see Louis realise what's happening.

One thing Harry does know before he falls asleep is that Louis whispers, "You are the only one who has me." Before Louis presses a feather light kiss to his slightly parted lips.

As sleep overtakes him, he feels an arm snake around his waist and thinks, please let me remember this in the morning.