Since We Were Eighteen

Chapter 5

Louis and Zayn returned to the hotel room after a rain cloud moved in over the dust covered plain. Louis rolled his eyes and pressed his head to the window of Zayn's room.

"We are in fucking Nevada for crying out loud. It has like an average of 4.2 inches of rain a year! Why the hell does it have to rain now?" Louis wines. He turns to Zayn, who is sitting on the bed with his phone in his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Perrie sent pictures from Miami." He turns his phone so he can see Perrie and El, heads together with the beach behind them.

"They look like they're having fun."

Zayn pulls his phone back and nods. "Have you talked to her?"

Louis shakes his head. "Figured I'd give her some space. Since after this weekend she's stuck with me."

Zayn makes to answer but is interrupted by a knock on the door. Louis opens it. He's met face to face with a bright eyed Niall.

"Can I help you?"

"We are watching a movie in mine and Li's room till the rain passes. You two up for it? Like old times?"

Louis turned to look at Zayn, who seemed to be sending a snapchat to Perrie.

"What do you say?"

"Sounds fun, beats sitting here and looking at your ugly mug." Zayn answered.

They followed Niall across the hall and into his and Liam's room. Liam was sitting on their bed remote in hand. Netflix was queued up and waiting. Louis kicked off his shoes and climbed in draping himself over Liam's back.

"Li, I missed you!" he said.

Liam smirked and patted Louis' hair. "You just saw me like twelve hours ago."

"Yes, but that was twelve hours too long."

Zayn crawled in next to Louis and pulled him off of Liam and onto his own lap. His hand managed to find its way into Louis' hair.

"Give Li some breathing room will you."

There was a knock on the bedroom door before it opened and Harry walked in. He kept his eyes away from Louis' direction. He walked over and sat down on the other side of Liam. Niall joined in laying in between Liam's legs. He pressed play and they settled in for the movie.

"I picked something I know we all will like," Niall said.

Louis played with Zayn's fingers until the familiar opening scene caught his attention. People hugging and crying in Heathrow airport in London. He squeezed Zayn's fingers as Colin Firth's voice filled his ears.

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrival's gate at Heathrow airport.

Louis' heartbeat quickened. His mind raced, and for what felt like the five hundredth time this past week he was transported back to a different time.

General opinion started to make out that we're living in a world of hatred and greed. But I don't see that, seems to me that love is everywhere.

Love is everywhere, Louis had thought. As he and Harry sat on the couch of his mother's living room. Niall and Zayn were on the floor watching the movie too. The lights were off and it was almost too dark to see. The only light was from the widescreen TV in front of them. Harry's hair was wild with curls that Louis has disturbed with his unyielding need to touch Harry's locks.
He could just make out Harry's profile and the way his lips moved with every line said. He couldn't help the smile that flittered across his face. He moved his hand to grasp the younger boy's fingers. Harry turned toward him.