Against One's Wishes

Chapter 5

Louis opens his eyes slowly, focusing again on Harry's room, though it's dark now. He sits up some, seeing the bed empty next to him and he wonders what time it is.

He glances at Harry's clock, seeing the hands pointing to 7:35, then he's looking back at the doorway, noticing Harry's kitchen light on.

The window is open, but surprisingly the room isn't freezing; if it had been open since he had fallen asleep, he would expect the room to be much colder.

The curtains are blowing with the breeze and he finally notices Harry sitting out on the fire escape, a cigarette between his lips and pen and paper in his hand.

Louis gets up slowly and stretches before he's walking to the window.

"Are you not cold?" He asks Harry quietly.

Harry glances up at him and smiles immediately, "hey, glad you woke up finally. And no... my coat is quite warm actually. Wanna join me?"

"Let me use the bathroom and find my clothes," Louis chuckles a little.

Harry nods with a smile as Louis disappears in the window; Harry turns back to his paper, trying to write down his thoughts.

He sighs a little and hits the cigarette between his fingers before he's glancing up at the moon and stars that are only a bit visible because of the city lights.

He holds his cigarette between his fingers and starts writing again, his mind having a hard time focusing, though he isn't sure why.

He sits the pen on the paper atop his knees before he's pushing his hair back again and placing the cigarette to his lips.

He watches several people in the apartments around him returning home from work; he notices Mr. Smith returning from his long day at one of the factories on the outskirts; he sees Mrs. Johnson returning home from the hospital to her 2 children... and he smiles a little, wishing with all his heart that his mum was here in the city with him.

He misses her and his sister more and more every day; his mum always pushed him to believe in himself when he was younger, even if that meant going against what the majority thought was right.

He even recalls his mum telling him she accepted him as he was, but that she wished he could be himself without having to feel as if he had to hide it from the world around him... or be criticized for it.

"You ok?" He hears Louis saying as he's climbing out the window fully clothed with one of Harry's coats on.

Harry grins as he looks Louis over in it, "seems a bit too big for you, tiny."

"Tiny?" Louis smirks, "give me a break... I'm big."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Harry laughs some and hits his cigarette one last time. "How'd you sleep?"

"I slept great," Louis smiles and looks around at the skies, "surprised I slept that long actually... but then again, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Yeah, me neither," Harry says with a small grin before he's sighing and looking back at the paper.

"What exactly are you doing?" Louis asks softly.

"Writing," Harry responds, "I seem to be suffering from writer's block, however."

Louis grins and picks up Harry's cigarettes, lighting one slowly. "You could've woken me and told me to get out, you know."

"I wouldn't do that," Harry laughs and glances up at him, "I didn't mind. I fell asleep for a little bit as well. I needed it."

"I bet... you seem like quite a busy lad," Louis teases.