Ghost Boy [L.S.]

Chapter 4

The rest of the evening is spent with the two boys talking. Louis explains that he doesn't really know anything about himself, apart from the fact that he sometimes receives a skill or ability.

"So... Do you eat?" Harry asks curiously as they've made themselves comfortable on the center couch. Harry completely freaks out when the blanket on top of him disappears from sight, but Louis quickly explains that everything he takes a hold of becomes invisible with him. As soon as he lets go of the blanket, informing Harry he's sitting next to him, it appears again.

"I do. I don't die if I don't, but I get tired and faint. I just don't eat as often as you people because I- I..."

"You...?"

Louis swallows, "I feel guilty because, I steal it from you."

Harry stops zapping through the tv channels and looks towards Louis' voice, his face soft, "Don't worry about that. I'll even make you meals from now on. Or we can cook together!"

"I'm not that good of a cook"

"I'll teach you, it'll be fun!" He laughs, and Louis chuckles.

They discuss their interests some more and finally choose a channel playing The Notebook. Louis rolls his eyes, without Harry knowing of course, but chuckles when Harry says he loves the movie and could watch it a thousand times again.

Halfway through the movie, when Louis refills their bowl of crisps to share, Harry asks again, "And... do you sleep?"

"I do," Louis chuckles again, his eyes locked on the dimple that appeared in Harry's cheek, "Just like humans, I think, I just sleep when you're at work, mostly, because it's boring here."

"I get that." They both chuckle again, "Where do you sleep, then?"

"Err, this couch, actually. Hope that doesn't bother you...

"What? You've been sleeping on rusty couches for years?" Harry asks in shock, sitting up quickly and almost spilling the last crumbs of crisps in the bowl.

"Well, yeah. I need a place to sleep and, and I guess it's the least invasive. To the people living here, you know."

Harry is quiet for a minute, and Louis looks at his face in concern, afraid to have said something wrong or offend him. He's finally got someone to talk to, the last thing he wants is for Harry to be mad at him. Hell, imagine the boy giving him the silent treatment. Louis'd rather die.

Well, if he could, of course.

"You're not gonna sleep on the couch anymore, never."

Louis looks down in shame, already fighting tears and trying to find a way to apologise for whatever he did wrong. "I- Okay, I'll, maybe, go to the basement and won't-"

"What? No. I mean that you should sleep in a decent bed. There's a spare room, so, it's yours now." Harry speaks softly, trying to look in Louis' direction. Louis wishes he could look him in the eye right now. He has pretty eyes.

"Oh," Louis blushes, and is very happy right now Harry can't see it. "O- okay. Thanks, Harry. That means a lot."

"Hey, of course. You're already stuck here, you should at least be comfortable."

Louis smiles at that, kind of forgetting that Harry can't see, but the ending credits of the show they were watching are rolling and Harry is getting up to put the bowl of crisps away. When he returns from the kitchen he asks Louis to follow as he goes upstairs for the spare bedroom.

"Here," Harry mumbles and holds out a pair of his pyjamas into the air, waiting for Louis to take them, "make yourself comfortable. And just so you know, I won't go in here unannounced. It's your room now, so, you know. Privacy and all that. You deserve to have some space of your own."

Louis blushes again and mumbles a small 'thank you', before they say their goodnights and go to sleep. It's probably about the first time in years Louis will go to sleep when it's actually dark out.

It's also the first time he talked to a human... a fun and attractive one, at that.

👻

They spend the following week in the same way. Louis is still very very bored when Harry's at work, since he already slept at night. He still takes a lot of naps, but also watches tv and plays video games on Harry's PS4.

Every evening, when Harry finally does come home, the first thing the man does is call out for Louis. He claims it is as not to be startled when Louis says something first, but Louis would like to believe Harry actually likes to spend time with him as much as he likes his time spent with Harry.

Maybe it is because it's the only person he ever got to communicate with, but again, Louis believes they do click. He likes Harry. Because, he's a likeable person. Of course, that would be the only reasoning behind that.

So they play PS4 together and laugh at Harry's silly jokes. Harry cooks for two people now and Louis helps clean in return. (Harry often still freaks out when his broomstick disappears for a while.)

They eat together and watch tv together after that, before they brush their teeth together and go to sleep... separately, of course. They do everything together.

And one night, after more than a week of living with two, they're watching their favourite show again. Louis is silently giggling every time a tiny joke is made, and Harry has a fond smile on his face, silently praying one day he'll get to see and touch Louis.

It's nearing the end of the episode, but Harry clicks 'next' immediately. Louis doesn't have the heart to tell him he's actually getting a bit tired, because even though they'll do exactly the same tomorrow, he doesn't want this time to end.

He actually is tired, though and glances at Harry, who is watching the screen unknowingly. He has no way of knowing he's being watched, so.

"Harry?" Louis whispers after a minute of scared pondering.

"Yeah, Lou?" Harry mumbles back, glancing in Louis' direction though he only sees the empty end of his couch.

"I'd totally get it if you, like, felt weird about it, or found it uncomfortable or something. Like, I wouldn't force you into something like that, and making you uncomfortable is the last thing I wanna do, and if you feel weird about it-"

"Hun, you're repeating words again," Harry chuckles softly. It's a habit of Louis' he's picked up, the repeating of words and sentences whenever he's nervous. He wishes Louis knew there's no need to be. He does find it kinda cute, though.

"Sorry," Louis forces a chuckle before swallowing and trying to be brave, "would it be okay if I, like, if I leant my head on your shoulder... or something?"

Harry thinks about it for a second as Louis watches him, heart beating out of his chest at how nervous he is.

"Will that work? Like, you won't fall through me?"

"Uh, I-" Louis' hadn't really thought about that. "I can hold objects, so I thought maybe, maybe-"

"We can try it, come 'ere" Harry widens his right arm on the back of the couch and waits a silent minute. He does hear shuffling and the blanket they're under moves a little, but he doesn't really notice any difference. Then Louis sighs happily, and Harry does notice how close it suddenly is.

"I guess it does work." he chuckles, trying not to let the disappointment get into his voice.

"You, you can't feel it?" Louis asks in a small voice. Looking up at Harry's face from where he's situated on his broad shoulder, under his arm.

"No... it's okay though. Just, maybe ask before you do it, so I know... you know?"

"Yeah, of course. Thanks Hazza." They're quiet for a while, watching the show, and Louis is getting sleepy again.

When Harry hears his even breaths and is sure Louis has fallen asleep, he softly mumbles, "How I wish I could enjoy it too, you know..."

Little does he know that has Louis hiding his smile in Harry's shirt, trying to hold his breaths even.