The Road Less Travelled By freetheankles (From AO3)

Chapter 10

"The past beats inside me like a second heart."

— John Banville, The Sea

Louis was a creature of habit. He had his routine and liked to stick to it, like waking up early or taking care of Jasper just before dinner.

It was the same with the usual game night with his friends he hosted every Tuesday (no matter how much Louis complained about it, Harry just knew that it was one of his rituals he wouldn't change for anything in the world), even though it turned into an official winter formal G5 more often than not these days.

On this particular Tuesday night, Harry was busying himself clearing the dining table of cotillon samples, bills, and various ordering slips, so they could eat the homemade pizza Louis was currently reheating, when Harry's attention caught on Niall.

He was stood in front of the piano, one hand curled around his hip and the other stroking his chin like he was trying to solve a Rubik's Cube.

"What's wrong, Niall?" Harry ventured, throwing the paper trash into the open fire.

"Harry." Niall asked, eyes still trained on the musical instrument, "Did you use the piano again?"

Harry's gaze flicked from Niall to the piano and back, only now noticing the lid was raised.

"No." Harry replied, caught a little off guard, his brows furrowing. "You told me not to."

For a minute they both stood there side by side, dumbly staring at the piece of wood like it had offended them. Come to think of it, it looked generally cleaner than how Harry remembered it, polished.

A moment later, Niall tapped a few notes, his slender fingers sliding over the keys and playing a familiar melody.

"Heh." He said, sounding somewhere between baffled and enthusiastic, his face breaking open into a genuine, wide smile.

"What?" Harry chuckled, compelled to laugh by Niall's demeanor but not really following the plot.

"Nothing." Niall looked so satisfied, it was impossible not to insist.

"Come on, tell me." Harry pressed, smiling beside himself, curiosity getting the best of him.

Niall made a single waggle of his eyebrow, clasping a firm hand on Harry's shoulder like a football coach would his most valuable player.

"It's been tuned, my friend."

Louis.

Louis had tuned the piano.

Louis who was not ready to hear music again according to Niall himself a few weeks ago, had tuned the piano. Louis, who hated change with a passion had tuned the piano. Maybe he even played the piano while Harry was at school.

The possibilities of what that could mean, for Louis, for Harry, for them, made his ears buzz and his skin prickle. He couldn't help but feel like he had something to do with it too, and he fought with everything he had not let his emotions show on his face, scared Niall would read him like an open book.

It was unnecessary though, Niall was too busy discreetly updating Liam and Zayn to even care.

. . .

After that, there was no point in lying to himself, Harry felt like he could move mountains.

Maybe even fly.

It felt like something of significance had happened there, like he could finally indulge in what he truly desired. After weeks of burying his feelings so deeply that he rivaled Louis Tomlinson himself, he was allowed to let go a bit now that there was finally hope.