Burning Skies » larry

Chapter 10

It was six in the morning, and Harry was giddy, energetic, and was probably physically glowing, because when Niall stumbled out of his bedroom and into the kitchen where Harry was humming along to a pop song playing on the radio, he narrowed his eyes at Harry suspiciously.

"Good morning, Niall." Harry chirped, flipping a pancake.

Niall looked over his shoulder. "You're cooking."

"I always cook." Harry pointed out, reaching up to grab mugs from the cupboard.

"True. But it's early and you're listening to Jonas Brothers. All this happy energy so early in the morning is making me suspicious." Niall said, sitting down on the stool so he was facing Harry.

Harry made Niall his coffee, passing it over with a smile. "You find it suspicious that I'm happy?"

He added the cooked pancake onto the growing stack on a plate before pouring more batter into the pan. When he turned around with the pancakes, Niall had a smirk on his face.

"What?"

"It's Louis, isn't it?" Niall wiggled his eyebrows.

Harry scoffed. "Why do you always think that whenever I'm in a good mood, you always think it's related to him?"

"Well," Niall gratefully pulled the stack of pancakes toward him before dousing it with maple syrup. "...am I wrong?"

Harry rolled his eyes. When Niall cackled victoriously, Harry said, "We've just been really getting close lately."

"You don't say." Niall said, his tone unamused.

Harry bit his lip, smiling softly. "I don't know. I feel like I don't care much when I'm around him, you know? It's like, I feel like he gets me. That we're in sync in some way—I can't really explain it."

Niall was resting his cheek on his hand, grinning madly. "Shit. I'm happy for you, Haz."

Harry blushed. "It's not a big deal or anything. We're just close friends. Like you and me."

Niall choked on his coffee, grimacing. "Mate, I love you and all, but Louis and I are not the same. At least I don't look at you like you hung the stars and the moon."

When Harry gave him an incredulous look, Niall added, "He looks at you with this soft expression on his face, you know? Like...like he can't believe you're real or something. It's disgusting, really."

Harry avoided his gaze, biting his lower lip to keep himself from smiling like an idiot. "You're just saying that."

"I am not!" Niall sounded wounded. "Plus, you look at him with heart eyes all the time, too. You're both terrible at hiding your feelings."

Harry cooked what was left of the pancake batter, turning the stove off and filling his plate with a sizable stack. He joined Niall at the island counter, sitting next to him.

For some reason, now that Niall had said it out loud, it felt all too real. Harry obviously had a thing for Louis. He didn't know when it started or how it creeped up on him like that, but it was definitely there. For a moment it felt like Harry was just like any other college student with a crush, who was secretly pleased when he was teased about it. But as he stared at the black gloves wrapped around his hands, the illusion was quickly shattered.

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Let's just not talk about it. It's not like it can go anywhere."

Niall shook his head, chuckling. "If by now you haven't noticed that Louis is interested in you, you're fucking thick—"

"I meant this, Niall." Harry slammed his gloved hands on the table, his bottom lip trembling.

Niall's eyes softened. "H, you don't know that. I accepted you for who you are, and I'm not even romantically interested in you the way Louis is."