Cupid's Defence

Chapter 13

xiii.

The next few minutes were...Awkward.

Niall spent them flustered, blushing, and swearing beneath his breath. Harry spent them covering Niall's eyes as Louis ran to the bathroom to get changed. Louis spent them getting dressed, and damning everything to the heavens.

When he emerged, Niall was staring at him with wide eyes. As if he could not decide which emotion to display the most.

"Okay," he panted, "So...This happened."

"Yep," Louis said, face red, "For the record, you've seen my butt before--"

"No, no no no no no," Niall shook his head, "This."

He gestured between Harry and Louis, and a soft expression dawned upon Harry's face.

"We are in love," he spoke, proudly.

Louis flushed red and sent him a look.

"Correction: we are falling," Harry said, trying to find direction in Louis' eyes, "And we are going to give it a try."

Louis nodded and sighed, relieved. Harry sent him a sideways thumb up.

"Okay, that's awesome, but," Niall looked between them both, "What about Liam?"

"What about Liam?" Louis suddenly felt very sick.

"Well, does he know about this?"

"We should tell him," Harry beamed, and began marching for the phone.

"No-- Harry--" Louis grabbed his arm, "Don't."

"But--"

"Not yet," Louis pleaded, "Don't. Liam-- Liam freaks out a lot."

"With good reason," Niall spoke, "I mean, this is breaking a whole lot of fuckin' law rules, and you know how Liam loves his law rules--"

"It has not helped him in this case so far," Harry mused, and took Louis' hand, "But if he is to freak out, we should refrain from telling him."

"No," Louis breathed, "I-- I'll tell him. Eventually. Just not-- now."

"Soon?" Harry had a weary expression on his face.

"Yeah," Louis squeezed his hand, "Soon."

He felt infinitely nervous for some reason. Maybe it was because Niall's eyes were scanning him, judging them, from across the room. Even though it was Niall, and even though Louis had known him for years, the gaze still made him feel skittish. He'd never been with someone, or wanted to be with someone, like this-- much less displayed that fact to anyone. But after a few moments, Niall just sighed and smiled, and wrapped the both of them in a hug.

"You bastards," he mumbled, "My little children."

"My what now?" Louis frowned, and Harry giggled.

"Niall has adopted us now," he mused, "He is very proud."

"Yeah," Niall took a step back, "You got that right."

He kissed them both on the forehead, roughly so. Louis giggled and flushed, not expecting the touch.

"The best of luck to you both," Niall said, gripping Louis' face, "I mean it."

"Er, thanks," Louis flustered.

"I'm so glad you finally, you know," Niall grinned, "Found someone."

Louis looked over at Harry from over Niall's shoulder, and sent him a private smile. "Me too."

"Niall," Harry spoke, sticking his chin up, "I feel as though I should remind you that that is a lover's embrace."

Niall cackled, and released him, but Louis stood there, for a moment, scandalised. Was Harry jealous? Niall saw no harm in it, but Louis saw the immediacy of which Harry relaxed, and the reddening of his cheeks, upon Niall moving away. Harry knew there was no meaning to any of the things Niall did, for he had experienced it himself, numerous times: but he could not help but feel silently unsettled by it.