The Suburbs

f o u r t e e n

c h a p t e r   f o u r t e e n

i n t r u s i o n

l o u i s

Louis rolled over in bed the next morning with a slight headache and a lack of memory over what had happened the night before. He remembered meeting Liam and Sophia for dessert and wine, he remembered leaving the restaurant, but everything from then until the moment he'd opened his eyes was like a missing chunk, and he hadn't even had that much to drink.

He sat up ever so slightly, looking across at the neatly made left side of the bed, and his heart sunk. Had Harry stayed and left early, or made his way to the kitchen, or had Louis slept alone that night?

Louis threw the covers off and slowly got out of bed, looking around the room for any signs of Harry, but there was no luck. The living room was bare, and he was hanging onto his last thread of hope as he stepped into the kitchen, but it was empty.

There was a note on the kitchen counter, and it had Louis' name scrawled across it in Harry's beautiful handwriting, and Louis took a deep breath as he opened the fold, his eyes skimming over the words he'd written.

Morning Lou, 

I promise I didn't run out on you this morning, I was gone late last night. You were horrendously tired and I tucked you in nice and cozy with Taz by your side, and you protested a little, but I thought you might like a little space for the first time in a few nights. I don't have to work today, so I'll be at the cottage if you have any spare moments and want to share them with me. Last night was so lovely, and thank you so much for inviting me to join you, I had such a wonderful time. I gave you a kiss goodnight but you might have already been asleep by then. I'm hoping you had a sweet, well needed sleep and have a lovely day today. 

It's a little cheesy, but I miss you already.

Harry xx.

Louis sighed, holding the note to his chest as he breathed deeply. He was so out of his depth in his relationship with Harry, they hadn't even clarified what they really were to one another, and Louis was already imagining growing old with him.

His eyes flicked to the clock on the microwave and it was a little after ten minutes to eight, and Louis was almost an hour behind on his usual morning routine. In an absolute panic, Louis got himself through the shower and into a pair of black dress pants and a pale blue shirt. He had his shoes pulled on, Taz's food bowl full and his satchel thrown over his shoulder by quarter past eight, and he had five minutes tops to get to school before his students would give him grief for weeks to come about him being tardy.

The house locked up, Louis began speed walking to the high school, making it there ten minutes late with beads of sweat on his forehead and his breath coming in unsteady waves. The rest of the morning past much the same, rushed and frantic as Louis had to wrangle his younger classes who always left him feeling worn out and used.

Morning break couldn't come fast enough, and Louis semi-relaxed for the first time all morning when he got to the teachers lounge and made himself a cup of Earl Grey, sitting at the table he and Liam always shared.

Slowly most of the other teachers began pouring in, most of who he'd never bothered to learn the names or faces of, because frankly he wasn't interested. Liam was the only other person he really associated with, although sometimes the odd brave one from the Maths department or maybe the Music department would venture over and attempt to strike up conversation, but Louis had gotten far to good at shutting them down. Well, until the overly perky Irish teacher from the Science department made his first ever attempt, watched by curious eyes from teachers around the room.