Time Will Tell {A short story} - Louis/Harry

Part Three

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Harry's room was incredibly tidy. Well, his half of the room, anyway. He did have a roommate - Zayn. Zayn was an arty kid sitting on his bed, and his side of the room was very, very messy. The walls were covered in art, and sketches scattered the desk at the end of the un-made bed.

Zayn ignored Harry and Louis as they came in, sitting on his bed by the window and smoking, simply drawing something he seemed very focussed on, and so Harry and Louis ignored him.

They were sitting on Harry's tidy bed, Harry digging through his drawers to find a dry jersey for Louis. Louis on the other hand was looking around, surprised to see some of Harry's wall covered in band posters. There was also a calender and a timetable, and a few pictures.

Louis payed close attention to the pictures, figuring they were of Harry's family. There was someone who looked like she could be Harry's mum, and either a sister or a girlfriend. For the life of him, Louis selfishly hoped it was a sister.

Harry made a little sound of acheivement and turned back around, presenting Louis with a warm-looking jersey that also looked like it would swallow Louis up. Louis grinned, taking it and slipping his wet t-shirt off and pulling the - it was really warm - offered jersey on in the blink of an eye.

But not too quick to notice Harry's eyes raking over Louis' body in surprise, and Louis had to take advantage of that. "Like what you see?" He asked teasingly, just to see the expected blush cover Harry's face.

And blush he did. Harry stuttered slightly, looking away and biting his lip as the lovely red rose to his cheeks. Louis simply grinned wider, almost giggling at Harry's reaction. "It's fine, love. Lots of people stare at me." Louis tried to console Harry, trying to make him feel a bit better.

 Harry simply blushed a bit more, his cheeks turning darker, and Louis felt a little bad, because he hardly knew this boy and he was sitting in his room teasing him. Louis frowning, scolding himself mentally before speaking again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - "

Harry cut him off though, giving Louis a heart-warming smile that made Louis just stare for a moment, because this boy really was beautiful. "It's fine, I just...Got caught...And I wasn't..." Harry stuttered, and Louis just wanted to take away any insecurities Harry had and make him feel safe and strong and loved.

Which was rediculous, but Louis didn't care anyway. "Okay." Louis said, saving Harry from having to try and say anything else.

Harry rewarded him with another grateful, heart-shattering smile, however slight it was, and Louis only just managed to return the smile with one of his own. They sat in silence for a moment, before Louis broke it and spoke.

"What are you doing for the project?" Louis asked, knowing it was an over-used conversation starter, but it was better than nothing.

Harry's eyes flickered to Louis' and stayed there, and Louis felt like he was drowning again, which he knew was silly but he couldn't care less because Harry was smiling in amusement and Harry knew what Louis was trying to do.

"I'm not sure yet. You?" Harry asked, that gorgeous smile staying there on his lips.

Louis shrugged, unable to look away from him. "I haven't been in class enough to decide." Which he knew was bad and he really should be in class right now but he was in Harry's room, talking with him and sitting on his bed and engulfed in one of Harry's humungous jerseys and so it was okay.

"How come I've never seen you before? We have class together." Louis was going to say something more like how Harry really wasn't hard to miss, but he didn't, because that was cheesy and Harry might think he was weirder than he already thought Louis was.

This time Harry grinned. "I guess you haven't been in class enough to notice that this is the first time I've skipped." And Louis was so endeared by the cheeky reply he barely noticed Zayn standing and leaving the room.

And Louis laughed, noticing the tension draining from Harry as he did, and by god Harry started giggling quietly with him and Louis was just so captured by Harry he knew that Harry could ask Louis to do anything and Louis would.

But Louis would never tell Harry that, because it was weird and not something people said, especially when two people barely knew eachother at all. Louis noticed then that Harry was still sitting there in his wet jersey, and Louis frowned.

"Aren't you going to change?" Louis asked, watching in confusion as Harry blushed again, lowering his gaze, the beautiful sound of his giggling fading from the room and Louis' heart ached to hear it go.

"I, um, I'm good." Harry shrugged, and Louis noticed then just how brittle this boy was, and Louis just wanted to patch him up and fix him and hold him and make him better.

After a long moment of silence, Louis spoke again, because Harry's voice was deeper than the ocean and just as beautiful and Louis wanted to hear it again but he asked the worst thing he could've asked. "Are you okay?" Louis murmured, seeing Harry looking tiredly down at the ground.

Harry's eyes darted up to meet Louis', but he didn't smile, and Louis' heart was breaking for him. "What do you mean?" Harry asked brokenly, because he really wasn't okay, and Louis wanted to make him okay.

"You don't seem okay, and if it's something I've done, I'm sorry - " But Harry cut Louis off, because to Harry what Louis was saying was rediculous and Harry wasn't okay because of Harry, not Louis.

"No, I...It's not you're fault. How could it be your fault? I barely know you." Harry said, wondering why this kind and strange older boy was here, in his room, seeming like he wanted to know Harry.

Louis shrugged, looking away as he said the next sentance. "I want to know you though. I don't know why." He murmured.

Harry bit his lip, wondering if he could let a stranger in. He'd never had a friend before. Silent Zayn was the closest thing he had to a friend. And Harry was cold and tired and he needed someone and Louis was offering to be that someone.

"I'd like to know you, too." Harry said quietly, and Louis grinned so widely it felt like his face would break.

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