Can Love You More Than This (Narry)

Chapter 6.

For the next week or so, Niall and Ariette talked to each other constantly. She understood that the guys had incredibly busy schedules, as they were preparing to go on tour, so she was generously patient. But whenever Niall was free, even for a second, he would text her or call her if he managed to have enough time. It was clear that he liked her a lot, as Liam astoundingly pointed out one night, “He’s texting while he eats?! That’s a first!” Food, surprisingly, almost became second to Ariette. Almost. Everyone was so happy for Niall. Or so it seemed.

Harry still didn’t know why he had felt that way that night. Or any time before that, for that matter. He couldn’t explain it to anyone. Definitely not Niall. No one would understand. He certainly didn’t. Nor would Zayn or Liam. Not even Louis. He knew he didn’t like Ariette, she wasn’t his type, but he couldn’t believe he liked Niall. Niall was a boy, and Harry, well, didn’t just fly that way. Although, it didn’t help that every time Niall received a text, he would get all excited had it been Ariette. And every time it was, Harry would feel that pain that was there since the first night, stronger than the last.

By the end of the third week, Niall and Ariette had gone on a couple of dates, and they both went well. She was the only thing he talked about whenever he had the chance, unless he was hungry. Then he would be talking about Nando’s. But it was always usually one of the two and it often drove Harry on an edge...

“Harry, if you were under a zombie attack, what would you use?” Louis was scrolling the tweets fans had sent to them, stopping every once in awhile when one caught his eye. Harry looked up from his phone as Louis looked at him.

“Well?”

Harry thought for a minute and then grinned.

“I’d use you Boobear.” He watched as Louis face changed from a grin, to shock, to a grin again.

“Me? Why me?” Louis laughed. Harry couldn’t help but laugh with him.

“Because you would never let them hurt me.”

Louis face softened as he took in the words.

“Of course I wouldn’t.” He walked over, sat beside the curly-haired boy, and threw his shoulder over him. “Hazza, I would never let anyone hurt you.”

Harry smiled, but then frowned as he thought of the pain that had been in his chest the past few weeks. Louis instantly noticed this, and was about to ask him what was wrong when there was a knock on the door. He sighed, curious about Harry’s mind, and then gave the boy a reassuring smile.

“If you need to talk, then talk. I don’t want you to bottle all your shit inside. None of us do. I’m always going to be here for you Harry, you should know that. Like I said, I’m never going to let anyone hurt you.” He gave him one last look and got up to open it. As he left, Harry looked at his phone again, wondering whether or not he should tell Louis. He told Louis everything, so why was he keeping this from him?

…

Louis sat across Niall, who had just come back from another date with Ariette. Harry had excused himself to make dinner, which made Louis wonder thoughtfully if his previous frown had anything to do with the blonde Irish boy. He shook that thought away. It couldn’t be. Harry and Niall were close, they all were. If Harry was pissed at Niall, he would have said so. Not that he ever was. Except this one time not too long ago...

Louis was sitting with the others in his and Harry’s shared flat, as they were doing now. They had just finished a concert nearby London, in Durham, and were now just relaxing. Louis was texting Eleanor, Harry was staring aimlessly at the walls, Zayn was looking in a handheld mirror, and Liam and Niall were talking about Ariette and Danielle. They were planning an extravagant double date for the ladies when Harry, who had been sitting quietly next to Louis, stood up in a quick second with a bit of frustration mixed into his face.

“Why can’t you just shut up about your girlfriend for once?” He asked Niall angrily. “That’s all I hear nowadays. Ariette this, Ariette that. Damn Niall, can’t you talk about anything else? What happened to you talking about music or drinking? Even Demi Lovato! I missed that! Fuck Ariette, talk about something else for a change!”

All four boys looked up at Harry in shock. Zayn even dropped the handheld mirror he was looking at, which, luckily, didn’t shatter.

    Realizing what he had just said, he turn a bright shade of red and walked out the flat, slamming the door behind him. Both Louis and Niall got up, planning to follow him.

    Niall shook his head. “Let me go after him. It was my fault.” He ran out the flat hoping to catch up with the youngest boy. As soon as he left, Zayn looked at Louis, as he knew Harry the best. “What do you think that was about?”

    Louis rubbed his head for a minute as he processed what just happened. “I think...someone’s jealous he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

    “Why do you think that?” Liam looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

    “Because, if you haven’t notice Paynee, we all do except him. Think about it. I have Ellie, you have Dani, Zayn has Perrie, and Niall now has Arie. Harry’s the sole single of the group now that Niall has someone.” He looked at Liam’s thoughtful face. “Why?”

    “I just think there’s more to it than that” was all Liam said.

    Back to the present, Louis looked at Niall now, as he watched TV, wondering what Liam meant by that.

…

    In the kitchen, Harry absent-mindedly was pulling things out of the fridge as he thought about the same night Louis had been thinking about.

    After he walked out of the flat, he headed out to the streets. It’s was late, and the streets were nearly empty. Good. He could walk and think without someone asking for a photo or something. Why had he burst like that? He wondered. He knew he had been sick of Niall talking about Ariette for a while, but why had he held it in until it made him explode? He should have told somebody. Louis. Zayn. Even Liam. Surely he wasn’t the only one who was sick of it, was he?

    Suddenly he was wary that someone was following him. Niall.

    He turned around and waited for the Irish boy to catch up. When he did, he had his hands on his knees, gasping for air. Harry waited for him to speak first.

    “Why did you do that?” He looked up at the curly-haired lad with a bit of hurt in his eyes. Harry instantly took in the look in his eyes and felt another pang in his gut, this time for hurting Niall. He crouched down beside him.

    “I’m sorry.” A tear rolled down his eye and buried his face in his hands. Niall looked at the clearly crestfallen boy again and couldn’t help but wrap his arms around him. “It’s okay. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been talking about her so much. I’m sorry.” They both stood up and Niall hugged Harry. “Come on, let me treat you to Nando’s.” Harry wiped his face with his sleeve. “Are they even open still?” Niall shrugged. “They will if they know I’m coming.” Harry laughed for the first time that night and he and Niall walked arm in arm to what Niall called the best place on earth. As they walked, Harry started humming a song that had been stuck in his head all day.

I’m broken, can you hear me?

I’m blinded, ‘cause you are everything I see,

I’m dancing, alone, I’m praying

That your heart will just turn around...

    Niall looked at him and smiled. And the only thing Harry could remember clearly now was how lovely his smile was.

    When Harry had refocused on the present, he looked down at the ingredients he pulled out. Then he gasped a little. What his conscious mind had planned on making was peri peri chicken: Niall’s favorite.