Led By Your Beating Heart [L.S AU]

9

"Your phone rang again," Sara murmurs to him, while they're at dinner with some of their friends, a few days later. She leans a bit closer, that Harry can smell her perfume. "Is it urgent? Do you need to go?"

Harry peeks at his phone. It's another text from Louis. "Nah," he says. His lips curl up into a smile. "Just a friend of mine."

Sara sighs. "Oh," she says. "I was hoping it was an emergency. So we could just leave now."

Harry laughs in surprise. From his periphery, he sees a camera flash. It must make a good picture, Sara in close proximity, and him laughing at what she said. It would really show their rumoured 'connection'.

The tabloids the past few weeks have all been blowing up about reports of him and Sara, with pictures of their coffee dates plastered everywhere. One paper has even dubbed them as 'Hara' (which sounds really weird), and reported that they were getting close, so close, that Harry's already contemplating to ask her to move in with him. It's really rather ridiculous, but the general public seems to be lapping it up. Harry truly worries about the state of media and entertainment literacy.

Sara elbows him. "Answer your friend, come on," she says. She sounds a bit smug.

One thing about Sara is that she's actually quite perceptive. In just a handful of times in his presence, she's been able to pick up whenever Harry's texting someone important. Which means, that she knows whenever Harry's texting Louis. And she's always encouraging Harry to reply to Louis.

Harry unlocks his phone. Louis' just sent him the middle finger emoji.

What's that for?, he types.

you aren't replying to me, comes the next text, complete with a sad-faced emoji. It's ridiculous how cute Harry finds him.

Sorry, Harry types. I'm at dinner with some of my friends.

i'm not interrupting, am i? is it anyone important?

No one as important as you.

ha ha.

"Harry," Jeff says from across the table, causing Harry to look up.

"Glenne was just asking about the new album," he says, inclining his head to where Glenne is sat beside him. "I told her about that song you let me listen to. It's wonderful."

Glenne smiles at him. "Jeff says it's a different sound than what you normally go for?"

"Well," Harry says. "I think that we put a lot of heart into this one. Not that we didn't put much effort in the ones before, but you know when you've been in this long enough that you keep trying to put something out that's better than the last. So I wouldn't really say that we actively made it a different sound, just that it's more heartfelt than the last, and maybe that has an effect on the overall sound."

Glenne nods in understanding. Beside him, Harry can feel Sara listening in on the conversation. "I mean, I thought your previous songs were pretty good already," Glenne says. "I can't wait to hear this one."

"Hear hear," Sara murmurs from beside Harry.

"Who'd you guys write with?" Glenne asks, and then laughs. "Sorry, I'm asking promo questions. You probably don't want to answer promo questions right now."

"No, it's okay," Harry answers, then pauses. "Umm. Same people, I guess. Julian, Jamie--the old people."

"No Ed Sheeran this time?" she asks.

"Nah," Harry answers. "He was too busy."

"Do you think you guys will ever perform during the Victoria's Secret fashion show?" Sara pipes up from beside him. "I mean, I know a lot of the Angels really like your songs. I think Lily really likes that one song,' Clouds', I think."