Cloud 9

[C]loud Five

I watched the boys at the table.

We were practicing "Torn" and the memory or the moment or whatever this was was driving me crazy.

I had accepted that this was my life, and that I had merely dreamt of the future, because it had been weeks since this has started and there had been no inkling that I wasn't where I was supposed to be.

Aside from the fact that I obviously knew things about the boys that I shouldn't. Also, obviously, because I had dreamt about my original state of place again, last night.

"Jesus Harry," Liam laughed, "I think you've drunk too much mate." He says, watching me with a twinkle in his eyes with his cropped hair and scruffy beard and tattooed arms.

"Whatsit?" I mumbled, head spinning.

"Yeah Haz, you're off your rocker." Louis laughed, his irises twinkling with mischief as he leaned on Niall who was laughing along.

"Think you'll be okay?" Zayn murmured, his eyes somewhat red as his fingers carefully ran through my curls. I mumbled in assent.

"What'd you put in those brownies?" Niall asks quietly. And I watched dazedly as Liam's eyebrows piqued and Louis and Zayn laughed loudly.

"Nothing he can't handle." Louis says, his hand reaching out to cover me with a blanket. I was on the couch, not having it in me to make it to the hotel rooms bed.

I couldn't feel my toes, but I imagined that if I stood the room would spin and my legs would wobble.

"You'll be alright yeah?" Zayn says, already leading the boys out of the room, "call us if you're dying!" He adds, shutting the door behind him.

The door slams, and I jostle awake.

And that's all I could remember, waking up and feeling like my heads been cleared up. I had once heard you weren't supposed to remember your dreams, but clearly that wasn't the case.

"Harry?" Louis voice was soft, tentative. And I shifted my head out of my arms to look up at him across the table, he smiled softly.

"All goods?" He questioned curiously. I nodded slowly, watching as he pushed his fringe out of his eyes and nodded, still not sure.

"He's probably tired, leave him be." Niall says. "Hectic these days have been ay Harry?" He adds.

You have no idea, I think wryly.

"He still has to practice though." Liam says sternly, and my lips twitch fondly at his ways and he looks like he expected more of a fight.

"Just cos he's the youngest?" Louis asks, obviously peeved. Niall rolls his eyes, "ere' we go."

"No. Not because he's the youngest Louis. Because we all have our parts to pitch in if we want to perfect this song and win." He pauses, and glances around, "right?"

Zayn nods in affirmation, his mousy hair and doe eyes wide. "Yup." He says.

Louis shakes his head and crosses him arms, "I hereby Veto Liam!" He states.

I hook my ankle around his, and his reaction is anything but subtle, he jerks and the table shakes and his ears tint red. "Fuck." He says.

I raise an eyebrow, and he laughs.

"Warn a brother?!" He says, smiling at me. I shake my head and smile, glancing down at my hands which are clutched tightly in my lap. I sometimes forgot how things were in X Factor, how we could mess around and act childish and stuff. It wasn't like that in the future.