You Can Hear It In The Silence

Chapter 14

"You're up early, Lou," Zayn said when Louis walked downstairs at ten on Sunday morning.

Harry had no idea when Louis got home the night before, but generally, Saturday nights were his busiest, so Zayn was right. Louis wouldn't usually be up until eleven or twelve... or one in the afternoon on Sundays.

"Couldn't sleep," Louis said as he rubbed his eyes. He glanced at Harry and gave a small smile. "Gonna make some coffee."

Harry counted in his head. His goal had been to get to one hundred and twenty seconds. After thirty, he couldn't resist any longer, so he got up and walked into the kitchen.

"Morning," Louis said. He was standing at the kitchen bench as if waiting for Harry. He was wearing only track pants that sat indecently low on his waist and made Harry want to drag him back up to his room.

"Morning," Harry said as he stopped in front of him.

Louis reached out and grabbed his hips and pulled him into him. Harry glanced over his shoulder to check they were still out of sight. "You look so cute in the morning," Louis said. "Have I ever told you that?"

Harry grinned at him. "No, you haven't."

"Really?" Louis asked and pulled him even closer, hands gripping his hips firmly. He leaned in until his lips were hovering just above Harry's. "Always thought that," he said lowly.

Against his better judgement given they could so easily be caught Harry closed the distance and met Louis' lips briefly. "Yeah?" he asked as he ran his fingers up Louis' bicep.

Louis nodded. "Yep. From the first time that we were alone."

"What?" Harry asked. "What do you mean? No, you didn't. You hated me."

"Well, yeah," Louis said, and Harry slapped his bare chest. "Ow. I was just being honest," Louis said. Harry's fingers lingered on his chest, softly stroking over his tattoos. "But yeah, still thought you were cute. I like your hair like this." He reached up and messed it up even more.

Harry heard Niall laugh from the living area, which pulled him out of his trance and caused him to take a step back. "Not sure I believe you."

Louis sighed and released Harry's hips. "As if I'd lie about that, H."

Harry supposed he was right. They heard Liam come down the stairs.

"I'll meet you out there?" He asked Louis.

Louis nodded, and Harry went back out.

Harry stopped short. Liam was sitting in Harry's usual spot, next to Zayn. Liam never sat there. But Zayn was showing him something on his phone. Harry wasn't sure what to do because as much as he'd love to sit in Liam's seat, which would put him next to Louis once he came into the room, Liam might still have intended to move back there.

Liam and Zayn looked up at him.

"Hey, Haz," Liam said.

"Uh, hi."

Liam looked back at Zayn's phone and seemed to settle further into the lounge. Harry took that as a sign that he wasn't planning on getting up, so Harry went to the other lounge and sat in the middle next to Niall.

Niall didn't look at him, but Harry saw that he was smirking.

"What?" Harry asked quietly.

"Nothing," Niall said.

Louis stopped in almost the exact position that Harry did and looked at the seating situation. At least it wasn't just Harry who found it weird. He didn't linger like Harry, though. Just went and sat next to him.