Playing House

7

Should he ask him if he wanted to hang out or just wait and see if he stayed? Definitely the first option. If he didn't ask Louis might think that he didn't want to hang out with him.

When the doorbell rang, Harry rushed to the door and opened it.
"Hi, Louis."

"Hi, Harry. I just fed and changed her. Here." Louis said and held out the basket with the doll.

"Thanks. Ehm, do you... Do you wanna hang out?" Harry asked nervously.

"Oh, I'm meeting up with some of the guys from the football team. We're gonna grab a burger. You can come with me?" Louis offered.

"That's okay. Have fun." Harry replied. He tried to keep his disappointment from showing.

"Are you sure? I would like you to join us." Louis said.

Harry wanted to, but he was too insecure to be around Louis' friends. They would probably don't want him there.
"It's fine. You go."

"Alright... What if I come back after I've eaten?" Louis suggested.

"You don't have to do that." Harry immediately protested.

"But I want to! Unless you have other plans?" Louis wondered.

"No plans. Yeah, if you really want to... I don't want you to feel obligated to hang out with me just because of this doll." Harry said and shook the basket in his hand.

The doll started screaming.
"Now you upset Darcy." Louis smirked.

Harry picked up the doll.
"I have to go, but I'll be back in like, two hours? And no, Harry. I don't feel obligated. I like hanging out with you. Okay?" Louis smiled.

"Okay." Harry agreed and gave him a dimpled smile.

Louis slowly blinked twice before he snapped out of whatever trance state he was in.
"See you soon. Take care of our love child!" He grinned and walked away.

Harry watched him leave with a heated face. Love child? Geez. He knew Louis was just joking, but it made his tummy flutter. Silly Harry.

He decided to give the doll a bath while he waited for Louis to return and made sure to remove his shirt so he wouldn't ruin it. He needed to buy new clothes pronto. He would ask his mum if he could go into town tomorrow before Louis' game, if Louis still wanted him to come.

He dried the doll and got dressed again. Louis showed up a half hour earlier than he had said with his breath caught in his throat.
"Did you run here?"

"Kind of. I didn't want you to have to wait so long. I'm here. Can I have a glass of water?" Louis said.

"Of course!" Harry replied and showed him to the kitchen.

He gave him a glass, and Louis drank until he wasn't thirsty anymore. Harry showed him his room after that. Louis walked around and looked at the pictures on his wall.
"Did you take these?"

"Yes." Harry replied.

"They're great! You really have an eye for it, not that I'm an expert or anything." Louis complimented and took a seat on the bed. He jumped a little, testing the comfort.

Harry took a seat next to him.
"Thank you."

"So, what do you wanna do today?" Louis asked.

He had to come up with activities? He sucked at this!
"What do you wanna do?"

"Do you have a favourite movie?" Louis asked.

"The Notebook." Harry answered without hesitation.

"Really?" Louis raised an eyebrow.

Harry blushed.
"I should probably have said Fight Club or something more manly."

"Screw toxic masculinity. I appreciate that you're honest, you know what I mean? Me favourite film is Grease. I haven't seen The Notebook." Louis replied.

"You haven't? It's romantic but super sad." Harry answered.

"Really? I'll be the judge of that. Let's watch it!" Louis smiled.

"Okay. Wanna make some popcorn?" Harry suggested.

"Sure." Louis agreed and jumped off the bed.

They headed downstairs. Harry's mum was in the kitchen.
"This is Louis." Harry said awkwardly.

"Hi, Louis. I'm Anne, Harry's mother." Anne smiled, happy to see that Harry had a friend over.

"Hi." Louis greeted.

"We're gonna make some popcorn and watch a movie in my room." Harry informed her.

"Wonderful. There's soda in the fridge." Anne smiled.

"Thanks." Harry said.

He found a bag of microwave popcorn and fetched two glasses and a Coke while they waited for the popcorn to be done. He found a bowl in one of the kitchen cabinets and emptied the bag of popcorn into it before he reached for the salt. Louis hadn't stopped talking.

They grabbed everything and headed upstairs again. Harry closed the door behind them.
"I like how quiet your house is. Peaceful. At me house someone is always screaming or running around, and privacy is unheard of." Louis said as he took a seat on the bed.

"I would love to have younger siblings. I don't see much of Gemma." Harry said and took a seat as well. He put the bowl of popcorn between them and filled their glasses with soda on the bedside table before he turned the tv on and flipped through Netflix. The Notebook was saved to his favourites. He pressed play and leaned back against the headboard.

Louis commented a lot at first, but as they got deep into the movie, he got quiet. Harry was painfully aware of the boy next to him and had trouble concentrating on the movie. When they had finished the popcorn, Louis removed the bowl and came closer.
"It's them, isn't it?"

"Just watch the movie." Harry smiled.

A sniffle from Louis' direction made him turn his head and look at him.
"This is sad!" Louis whined.

"I know." Harry replied.

A moment later, Louis was crying, and Harry almost had a heart attack when Louis leaned his head against his shoulder.
"Noooo! She doesn't remember!"

Harry had watched this movie too many times to ugly cry anymore, but he felt his eyes tear up at the end. Louis, on the other hand, was a mess. When the movie ended, he hadn't moved. Harry hardly breathed.
"You destroyed me, Styles! Satisfied?" Louis muttered.

"Sorry." Harry said and fetched a paper roll and handed it over when Louis finally lifted his head from his shoulder.