Secrets (On hold)

Chapter Thirty Six

*May or may not contain sexual content. Warning for people who may not like smut... not sure if that type of person actually exists but i thought i would let you all know*

*Lauren's POV*

The bus hits a bump, waking me up. I rub my eyes and immediately notice how cold I am. I flip my right arm to my side and swipe up and down my bunk. I'm alone. I sit up slowly, listening to the loud sound of the bus tires speeding down the highway and Lou snoring. The bus sways me around in my sitting position and I climb down off my bunk, grabbing my soft white blanket and wrapping it around myself.

I use the other bunks as a railing to steady myself and start walking down the aisle towards the door that separates the bunks from the front area of the bus. I use the moonlight leaking in from the small window and memorization of the bus layout as my guide through the dark. I shiver slightly at the cool tile under my feet and press the button, sliding open the door. I expect to see Harry sitting at the table like he usually is when he can't sleep, but he's not there. Hmm.

I shut the door once again and walk in the opposite direction towards the back of the bus, cursing quietly when the bus hits a bump and trip forward a step. Most of the bunks are empty in this bus, only Lou, Serena, and I, the assigned occupants to this bus are on tour. But soon Tom and Lux will be here to fill the empty bunks. The last couple nights Harry and I have slept on this bus, deciding not to leave Lou alone.

I press the small gold button and the sliding door opens, revealing the back of the bus. Like the other buses, the back of this one has a rounded seating area, couches lining all the way around and a TV hanging from the wall. I expect to see the light on, but instead its dark, only the brightness of the moonlight leaking through the large window lining the back wall to illuminate the area. My eyes immediately find Harry. He's sitting with his back to me, kneeling on the couch straight ahead and peering through the large window. From a behind view, he looks almost childlike; his arms bent at the elbows and his chin resting on his hands, staring out the window.

He doesn't turn when I open the door so I press the button again, shutting it.

"I didn't expect to find you in here." My voice seems loud, too loud in the quiet night.

"I couldn't sleep." Harry responds, not turning away from the window.

"I figured that much." I walk towards him, sitting on the couch a few feet away from him and curl my legs up underneath me. "Adrenaline or stress?"

"I think it was stress, but I'm calm now. Completely calm." Harry tells me, and I believe him.

This happens often with the boys on tour. Mostly when we are driving and the rumble of the tires on the highway is loud anyways. The adrenaline from the concert, or stress waking them up. Perhaps they never went to sleep. When I sleep in the bus with all the others, I've been woken up by Louis, Liam, or Niall moving around in the night. Zayn rarely ever gets out of bed, but I would be lying if I said he always sleeps through the night. Eventually the exhaustion will take over and they won't be able to stay up, but as of now, waking up during the night seems to be a ritual for Harry.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask Harry, wrapping my blanket more securely around me and tucking it over my cold feet.

"I read an article about me today, it was talking about how eventually I will go solo. Apparently recording a song with Sam made everyone think so." I watch his side profile, how his jaw moves when he talks, his lips separating and moving slowly.

I know he is referring to Don't Let Me Go. Hannah had texted me earlier saying she saw it all over twitter. The fans had found it a few days ago therefore the media has too.