me, him, and the moon ☾ l.s.

five - friends (don't treat me like you do)

"I just wish . . ." thump ". . .that he would let me . . ." thump ". . . look out for him!" Louis growled, slamming his body against the practice dummy like his life depended on it. He took a step back, panting hard as he turned to fully face Zayn. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Aside from the fact that you're acting like that poor dummy murdered your entire pack in cold blood?" Zayn responded, eying the torn-up dummy. In a more serious tone, he asked, "Do you really want to know what I think?"

Louis nodded, wiping sweat from his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. "Hit me. Not literally, because I'd probably rip your arms off or something."

"Wasn't planning on it," Zayn said, laughing (despite the terrifying knowledge that Louis really wouldn't hesitate to tear him limb from limb in his current emotional state). "I'd say your main issues are understanding your feelings and communicating them," he admitted bluntly, praying that Louis wouldn't just punch him in the face.

"Oi! I understand my feelings completely," Louis shot back, his tone instantly turning defensive.

"Okay, fine! Maybe you understand them, but you can't communicate them for shit." Zayn raised his eyebrows, clearly skeptical of Louis's statement. "Why don't you start by telling me exactly what you feel for Harry?"

Louis swallowed hard, breaking eye contact with Zayn for the first time and looking off to the side. "I . . . well, I . . . I care about him," Louis announced, trying his best to sound confident.

"Good start," Zayn teased, a small smirk spreading across his face as he watched Louis struggle. He gestured for Louis to continue, adding, "Is that all, then?"

"No. I, um . . ." Louis paused, cracking his knuckles to distract himself from the words he was about to speak out loud for the first time. "I have feelings for him. As more than just a friend."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Zayn grinned. "That's what I thought," he responded smugly.

Louis shoved his shoulder hard, making the dark-haired boy stumble to the side. "Piss off. Let's just go to dinner. And this conversation doesn't leave this room."

Zayn raised his hands in surrender. "Your secret is safe with me, mate. But if someone else asks you about it, don't blame me -- I can't control your embarrassingly obvious behavior."

The two boys changed their clothes quickly; thanks to Louis's fistfight with the practice dummy and their makeshift therapy session, there wasn't enough time to shower. They hurried down the deserted main street. Although breakfast and lunch tended to be family affairs, most members of their pack attended the all-town dinner in the main hall at five every day, and the two boys were already fifteen minutes late to the event.

The main hall was already packed when they entered, and Zayn groaned loudly. Louis just rolled his eyes, tugging the dark-haired boy toward the back of the room where all of the food was laid out on long tables. They made their plates quickly, then they turned back toward the bustling dining area, pausing for a moment as they searched for a place to sit down and eat.

Louis spotted Harry and their other two friends immediately, and his heart sank to the floor. Liam had an arm wrapped around the younger boy's shoulders, a concerned expression on his face. Niall was sitting in front of Harry, clearly trying to talk him down.

"He's upset," Louis said quietly, standing a good distance away from their other three friends.

Zayn followed Louis's eyeline, and after a few seconds, he spotted their friends as well. "Are you going to go over there?" he encouraged the older boy conspicuously.