Undone, Undress (Larry Stylinson)

seventy-six

The next evening, they're lounging in the family room after Jay, Lottie, and Fizzy left to catch their flight back home.

Louis thanks Harry for dealing with his family and Harry waves him off, smiling and saying it was his pleasure. Right now they're surrounded in wrapping paper from exchanging Christmas gifts.

Jay got Louis the pots and pans he's been complaining about missing, and a set of regal, fluffy bath towels. She also got Harry a bag full of items he'll need when living on his own. It's something a mother would do for her son, and it makes Louis warm to think that Jay feels that way about Harry. He still can't get her conversation with Harry from nights ago out of his head.

"Will you tell me why you stopped singing?" Harry requests, out of the blue.

"You already know the story."

"Not all of it."

Louis hasn't talked to anyone about losing his job, really, except the time when they barely knew each other and Harry still held him and he bawled his eyes out and fell asleep on the couch. He supposes Harry deserves the full story.

So he tells it to him, piece by piece, bringing it all together.

"And you haven't tried to get a gig anywhere else?"

"What happened didn't just stop me from singing," Louis admits. "It stopped me from wanting to sing. I haven't felt like it in a while."

"I'm sorry, Lou."

"It's alright, babe. Don't worry about it. I'm over it now."

"You shouldn't have to be, though. It shouldn't have happened."

"I know. It's alright." He truly feels alright now, even if he did lose his love for singing along the way.

"Are you really sure you don't feel like singing anymore?"

"I'm sure, H. But I'll tell you if that ever changes."

For a moment he thinks about their roadtrip, how they sang together in the car. How they screamed the lyrics of shitty pop songs until their voices went hoarse. It had felt freeing.

"Please do." Harry sits quietly for a few moments before standing up abruptly. "I'm going to get my guitar," he announces, leaving the room.

Louis pets Clifford while he's gone, feeling lighter now that he's gotten everything off his chest. He never thought telling Harry all about it, how it happened and what happens now as a result of it, would make him feel so much better.

When Harry comes back, he starts strumming chords on his guitar. Louis knows he's trying to get him to sing along, but he doesn't give in, even though there's a tiny part of him that wants to, just to see Harry smile.

Harry sings instead, and Louis likes it, listening to the man he loves sing songs he's never heard before.

"Sing with me," Harry urges, still strumming.

"I don't know the song."

"Choose something you know, then. Anything."

Louis shakes his head. Maybe someday. Not today.

Harry shrugs, and sings by himself the rest of the night. Louis sits next to him, watching the movement of his lips and his fingers strumming the guitar strings, and falls deeper in love.