Slight Pressure

9. Friendus Interruptus

written by dirtyyarn

...Louis

Harry presses Riley back slightly so as she rests her forehead between his shoulder blades, Louis cannot see the spread of pink across her cheeks.

"You can cut out the slow clap now, Lou."

"But Haz, it looks to me like ya managed to throw together an impressive performance in no time flat. I mean, you took off like a bat out of hell, then managed to get the girl all hot 'n bothered and back upstairs in under ten minutes. That's gotta be some kind of land speed record."

"I did NOT take off like a 'bat out of hell, Louis!" Looking over his shoulder to Riley, he states more quietly, "Really, I didn't, it's just that I was in a hurry to catch you before you left without your stuff."

Harry can feel the corners of Riley's mouth tug upward against his back. It makes him warm inside.

"Uh huh. More like, 'in a hurry to catch her,' period."

"Don't you have someplace to be?" the sneer in Harry's tone is evident.

"What, me? You said something about trying to take her to breakfast when you went flying out the door. Thought maybe I'd join you," Louis was grinning like a fool.

"NO!" Harry and Riley shout in unison.

"Ha!" Louis slaps his knee. "That was too fuckin' easy! You kids go have fun. I'll wait for the next elevator," he leans over and presses the 'down' button. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do!" he shouts as the doors blessedly close.

"That leaves the field wide open," Harry mutters under his breath as he bends over to retrieve the little pink bag he had tossed to the floor.

Harry hands the purse back to Riley. Taking a step to the left, he pulls her the rest of the way out from behind him, leaving his arm casually over her shoulders. Smooth Harold.

"I can't figure him out. You don't seem to be very likely friends. He's kind of a dick, actually." Okay, maybe that wasn't the nicest thing to say, she thinks to herself, but Louis seems to be judging and pestering her at every turn. Maybe he's ticked off that she dismissed him at the clinic. And thank every lucky star in the northern hemisphere that she did! What kind of fucked up-edness would this be if she had let him stay?!

"Aw, don't let Louis get to you, Rye. He's like a Skittle, crusty shell on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Sometimes he comes off a bit sour before he gets sweet, but there is no one more loyal if you're pressed. Besides, I think he's keen to have you around. You've got that sass in common, and you both like me, right?" Harry raises his brows a tad with a tenuous smile.

"Did you call me 'Rye?'"

The smile slides right off Harry's face.

"Um, yeah. Is that not okay?" Well that went to shit fast. Harry is kicking himself internally. Clearly he mucked it up with the nickname and she completely side-stepped confirming that she likes him. She probably thinks he's a class A prat.

Reaching her right hand up to where his is hanging over her shoulder, Riley weaves their fingers together. When she tugs, it causes Harry to pull her closer. The shy smile on her lips pulls at something in Harry's belly.