BEYOND THE BOOK

five; they reunite

zayn calls harry the next day at around nine o'clock, asking him if they could meet up for tea again. they hadn't properly had a talk in a good while, and harry's sure that he's dying to hear about louis. and liam, and he's not sure what he can say about liam. but last zayn had heard from him he was lonely and about to stick his nose into a book. oh, the things that can change in a week.

"hey lou?" harry calls out from the bedroom, pulling on one of his favorite shirts.

"yeah babe?" his voice is quiet from the other room, he doesn't come into the bedroom, like harry had expected him to. but harry just shrugs it off and walks into the main room of the apartment. louis is sitting on the couch reading a book. how ironic. harry smiles fondly at louis snuggled into the cushions.

"i'm going out with zayn for a bit of tea like we usually do, okay?" he goes over to the couch and presses his lips to louis' quickly, loving how he tasted like the mint of his toothpaste and the sugariness of his tea.

"alright love." louis says, looking back down at his book. there was something different about his voice and harry couldn't place it. a certain tension on his vocal chords that was unusual.

"okay, um, i'll see you in a few hours," harry says with a smile, heading towards the door, "we'll be at the café where we uh, met." he puts his fingers to his lips and blows louis a kiss, who is now looking up at him. a smile broke out on his face, making his eyes crinkle and teeth show. he catches it and puts it near his heart. harry smiles and walks out the door.

zayn is waiting at their usual table, holding a cup of tea with another across from him, probably harry's usual. he smiles as he walks towards it. he sits across from zayn, and zayn isn't really paying attention so when he looks up this smile just kind of blooms on his face and it's kind of a really beautiful thing. his tongue rests behind his teeth and it just makes harry want to smile too. he does.

"it feels like it's been forever, even though i saw you yesterday." zayn says after sipping his tea.

"i mean, when you meet like all the time for tea, and you talk all the time..." harry says, taking a sip of his favorite tea, "and the other person just drops off the face of the earth for a week, it does feel like forever." harry says with a chuckle.

"yeah, tell me about that, niall was talking about some magic ass book that grants you a soul mate and you both found yours and they're suddenly here walking on two legs or some shit like that." zayn says, using his hands to talk, somehow verifying his point.

"well i mean, he wasn't lying. who do you think i was with? who liam is?" harry asks him seriously. "i found louis, and he came out of the book, and i don't know how to explain it to you, if i'm honest." harry says, a weak smile on his mouth.

"i mean, i believe both of you, yeah," zayn says, and it seems genuine. at least, harry thinks so.

"i wouldn't blame you if you didn't, it really does sound a bit crazy." harry is smiling, crazy in love. he shakes his head and sips his tea. their conversation meanders onto other topics, ranging from how it feels to be in love, to how it feels to be out of it. by the time lunch rolls around they're laughing and talking like they usually had been. it seems that they're both different, harry especially. love changes you, harry presumes.

they each order a sandwich and a new tea, and they keep talking, and it feels so nice, harry thinks. to be with people that you love.

another hour passes, and the people in the café are probably getting sick of them, but harry doesn't really care, and apparently zayn doesn't either. and it's okay. they're okay.

it was a little while later that louis came in.

"harry... i missed you, come home." his voice is quiet, barely a whisper on the shell of his ear. and harry smiles at the small contact. zayn smiles at him.

"whipped." zayn mouths at him.

harry shakes his head, grabbing his coat and getting up and heading with louis.

"bye zayn, we'll do this soon, okay?" harry claps him on the shoulder, and he leaves with louis, putting his arm around his shoulders. but it's odd, louis doesn't lean into the touch like he usually does.

"are you okay?" harry asks, taking his arm from louis' shoulders.

"um, yeah, sure, we just need to talk back at the apartment love." there's a weak smile on his mouth but it doesn't reach his eyes like it should have.

"okay," harry says, unsure. he notices small flowers scattered throughout louis' hair, forget me nots. he smiles. "you look so beautiful." his whisper doesn't reach louis' ears, it is so soft.

they walk into the apartment, and louis just turns around and pulls him close. he's nosing into harry's neck, smelling him. harry hugs back.

"you're sure you're okay love?" harry asks him, shutting the door.

"we just... we just need to talk."

harry follows louis to the couch, and for once, he doesn't know what's going to come next.