Deep in Thought: A Larry Stylinson Story

Sleepless

     The van pulled up in front of Liam's flat at seven the next morning. Niall, Harry, and Liam all crammed in, and Zayn was already there. They would pick up Louis and then head out for breakfast.

     The trip from Liam's flat to Louis and Harry's was supposed to be time enough for Harry to prepare himself to see Louis again, but the twenty minute drive through London went by so fast that Harry was shocked when the van came to the final stop.

     They waited ten minutes for Louis to come out. Liam texted him. Called him. No answer, to any of it. Niall tried, too. Harry was fingering the key he had in his pocket, and finally he told the other boys he'd go up and get Louis himself. He tried to pass it off as impatience, but really, it was worry. He hadn't seen Louis in two nights and a day, and he was afraid.

     Harry entered the complex and bounded up the stairs. He already had the key in his hand when he reached the door, and he fumbled a couple times while trying to unlock the door because his hands were shaking and he was also knocking on the door, hoping Louis would come answer it and soothe his crazed thoughts

     The door was finally unlocked, and he entered his flat in a rush of panic. He looked around frantically, looking for Louis. There he was, sitting at the breakfast bar, fast asleep.

     Well, not asleep anymore. He had obviously been sleeping with his head on his crossed arms, and there were marks on his face that matched his bagged eyes well.

     Tired, relieved green eyes met tired, surprised blue ones. Harry took a deep breath, cleansing himself of the slight panic attack he had just had. He knew Louis didn't do well on his own.

     Which is something he remembered, not something he had learned. It was another small victory, he guessed. He didn't say it out loud, though, just told Louis that he and the other boys were waiting, and it'd be smashing if he'd wake up to come to breakfast with them. He didn't mean to be so, so sassy, it just happened that way. Louis brought out the sass in him.

     Louis stood and grabbed his phone off the couch, passing Harry to do so. After that first meeting of their eyes, they hadn't really looked at each other. Harry was glad, and a bit disappointed, that Louis was leaving what had happened between the two of them alone. He didn't want to go there, not with the lack of sleep he was dealing with.

    The two boys left the flat, locking the door behind them, and set off down the stairs. When Harry presented Louis to the other boys, they cheered, and said sarcastic things like, "Nice of you to join us, mate," and, "Have a late night?" The former being from Liam and the latter from Zayn, while Niall just said, "Finally! I'm starving my arse off." Well, he was Irish, after all. What else did Harry expect?

     Ten minutes later they were all sitting around a table in a nice little place, ordering drinks and- in Zayn's case- flirting with the cute waitress. Harry was too tired to flirt, though she did try to catch his eye more than once. He smiled politely and then pretended to do something else, or would turn and say something to Niall who was seated on his left. Harry had the outside place in the corner booth they had, and Liam was on Niall's other side. Louis was in between Liam and Zayn, not saying much.

     Louis sat with his hands joined on the table, staring at them. When the nice, pretty waitress asked him what he wanted to drink, he told her water was fine. He didn't even look up.

     Harry had been wrong to think that Louis was alright when he had found him that morning. Harry tried to remember back to the state of their flat, trying to remember if anything had been out of place. There'd been a teacup on the breakfast bar. Louis had been sitting there. That was all he knew, all he could remember.