Notice Me (Larry Stylinson)

Ch. 16-Harry

Harry chewed on his nails, annoyed for maybe the first and only time with his boyfriend.  Ultimately, Louis had been Harry's rock throughout this ordeal, but Harry was angry.  He was ready to go to the hospital, sit vigil at Niall's bedside, but instead Louis had captured him, told him they were going somewhere special, and blindfolded him.  The fact that Niall had done the same for him on their first and only date almost made him cry all over again. 

Harry should have listened to Niall.  Niall had warned him the roads were icy, but Harry had insisted, since his mom was in the shower and Harry couldn't ask Louis, since the reason for the trip was to buy Louis' birthday/Christmas presents. 

But taking him away on some big surprise was not the way to cheer him up.  Especially when it was evident that Louis was picking everyone else up.  The car was jammed with everyone in it, and from what he could tell, Ashton was on the floor of the car, Liam was serving as a seat-belt for a very grumpy Zayn, who would have made more complaint if he wasn't half asleep, and Kadyn was sitting on the console, the gear shift between her legs.  She had wanted to sit on Michael's lap, but it was already so jam-packed in the backseat that she had resigned and sat where she was.  She interlaced her hand with Harry's, and sighed.  "Remind me to never get in a car where we already have eight other's jammed in here." 

"Or we could just take my car," Ashton offered from the floor.  He would have sat in Michael's lap, but Luke, who was sitting on Calum, had such lanky legs that he had them stretched into Michael's leg room.  So, he had propped his feet in Michael's lap and Ashton had slid to the floor happily.  He and Luke were so close that they always put the other in front of themselves.  If Harry knew them better, he'd say there was something more going between the two.  But he didn't, so he chalked it up to very close friendship. 

"Are we there yet?" whined Harry, whose eyes were starting to itch from being pressed closed from the blindfold.

"Almost, Hazza," Louis said, pumping on the brake as a grinding sound was heard.  Harry's jaw clenched.  They were all going to die in this car.  Louis was a careful driver, and Niall drove like a maniac on the run from cops, but the icy roads still made Harry nervous.  Kadyn squeezed his hand, seeming to sense his tension.  Despite the blindfold, he could feel her gray-green eyes burning a hole in the side of his head.  If he could see, he would be able to tell what she was silently telling him.  But since he couldn't, all he could do was feel the heat of her gaze.

As Kadyn had become close to Harry, he had learned she didn't just shellac on the liner because she liked it (although that was half the reason).  The other half was because her eyes had the whole story in them.  She had once told Harry "the eyes are the window to the soul.  People have a tendency to overlook them and be left without knowing everything.  I wear all my eyeliner because it draws attention to my eyes, so people can know everything without me having to explain...and 'cause I look damn fantastic with it." 

Harry had quickly learned after that to look at Kadyn for answers, but he couldn't, and it was making him mad.  That feeling changed to fear, though, when Louis braked so suddenly everyone in the car lurched forward, and Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.  Amidst the moans and grumblings from everyone, Louis said, "Sorry, we're here."

Harry reached to take off his blindfold, but Kadyn swatted his hands out of the way, being the only one who could reach them in this clown car-esque seating arrangement.  "Not yet, Harry, we have to lead you to the final destination."

Harry groaned but resigned, clumsily clambering out of the car and pouting until a familiar pair of lips pressed against his own.  He smiled into the kiss, loving Louis for being able to make him happier despite the situation he was in.  "Sorry, Hazza, that pout was so cute I just had to kiss it.  Now come, I'll lead you to the destination."  He took one of Harry's hands and wrapped the other around his shoulders.  "Now walk forward." 

And so everyone went, Harry moving with Louis' directions and the occasional guidance from his hands.  Finally they came to a stop and Louis said, "Now you may remove your blindfold." 

Harry reached up and tugged the cloth off, rubbing his eyes and then looking towards where he could feel Kadyn's eyes, wanting an explanation.  She was grinning at him, standing shoulder to shoulder in front of him with everyone else.  There was shuffling, and all of them parted in the middle to reveal Niall, awake and dressed.  He still had some cuts on his face, but other than that he was alive, well, and finally finally awake. 

They stared at each other, and Harry's face broke into a grin that looked just like everyone else's.  Without thinking, he flung his arms around Niall, happy to have his best friend back.  Niall hugged back, bobbing lightly on his toes. 

When they pulled away, Niall grinned.  "Thank Louis, Harry, it was his idea when he took your sleeping form home last night." 

Harry looked at Louis.  "He woke up and you didn't wake me?!" he shrieked. 

"Hazza, you hadn't slept in days.  Plus it was a perfect opportunity to surprise you." 

"You sneaky little shit," Harry said, before pulling Louis into his arms and planting his lips on him.  "I love you so much." 

"And I love you," Louis said in response. 

"Ah, what the hell," Kadyn said, leaping onto Michael, who caught her and she enveloped his mouth with such passion everyone couldn't help but stare.  When she pulled away she shrugged and said "What?  I was just following suit." 

"You were just looking for an excuse to kiss me," Michael teased, shifting her so she was now riding piggyback on him. 

"Yeah that too," she said , leaning forward to kiss his cheek. 

"Anyway, let's jet," Niall said.  "My dad signed my out earlier, and I've been here long enough." 

"Is he riding with us?" Kadyn asked.  "Because if so, I call Michael's lap." 

"Actually, Kadyn, do you mind driving?" Louis asked.  "I want to ride in Harry's lap." 

"Kay," she said.  "Warning, I drive like a maniac."

***

As it turned out, Kadyn was actually an extremely careful driver.  The little firecracker may have sworn like a sailor and screamed at everyone to put their seatbelts on, shut up, and let her concentrate on the road, but once they were on the road, everything was fine. 

Kadyn parked in the coffee shop parking lot, partly because they all wanted to hang there and Michael had a shift, and everyone practically fell out of the car, happy to be out and since everyone was within walking distance of their houses, there was no more need to be shoved into a car that only seated five.  Harry left though, wanting to finish his incomplete errand. 

His mum was going out to buy some wrapping paper, and Harry tagged along, trying to figure out what the hell to buy Louis for his birthday and Christmas.  The whole Niall dilemma had stalled this process, and Harry was still clueless.  Typical boyfriend/girlfriend gifts seemed to cliche and Harry wanted whatever he got Louis to be special. 

"Harry, honey?"  His mum's voice brought him out of his reverie.  "What about this?" she held up a couple different clothing articles. 

"Mu-um," Harry whined, rolling his eyes.  "I want what I get Lou to be special, I'm his boyfriend." 

"I know, sweetheart, but you might want to play it safe with the first gift, save special for later." 

Harry didn't hear his mother, his eyes had zeroed in on something behind her.  He picked it up.  "Perfect," he muttered.