Chapter Five

[A/N: There's a cover song that gets played at the end of the chapter, so if you want to hear what the song sounds like, I linked it to listen to for when you're done reading :) I also put some pics of what their outfits look like in this chapter for you visual people. Enjoy!]

Harry stepped into the cafe. The lighting was dim and it hardly looked like the same place he stopped by when he needed a midday coffee fix. Someone had looped little strings of white lights across the exposed beams of the ceiling, and there was a raised platform in the corner that was crammed with guitars, mic stands, and tangles of cords.

Louis tugged on Harry's arm gently, leading him over to where his friend was sitting. His friend was wearing a white scoop neck, with a faded jean jacket- the sleeves pushed up to show four arrow tattoos on his forearm, which immediately drew Harry's attention.

"Harry, this is Liam," Louis said, pulling out a chair at the small cafe table for Harry to sit down across from his friend. "Liam, this is Harry," Louis added. He turned his own chair backward and straddled it, resting his chin on the back of the chair, putting an unlit cigarette between his lips.

"Nice to meet you," Liam smiled. His brown eyes crinkled under his heavy eyebrows when he smiled and Harry relaxed. He didn't always like meeting new people, but Liam seemed almost... gentle. Like the type of person who always chose their words carefully.

"I like your tattoo," Harry offered.

"Thanks," Liam said. Harry was curious about what it meant, but he knew it was rude to ask when you just met someone. "I like yours," Liam replied, smiling. Harry was wearing a faded purple floral button down with the sleeves pushed up enough to see some of the scattered designs on his forearm.

Harry smiled, and Liam passed him a coffee.

"Hey," Louis said. "Why does he get a coffee? You literally just met him. You've got nothing for your best mate?" He fake pouted.

"Cuz my best mate's an arsehole," Liam said, rolling his eyes, but he slid Louis over a cup of tea.

"Oh God, you're the best," Louis said, sipping the tea. He fidgeted in his seat, still playing with the cigarette in between his fingers.

"Oh, just go already," Liam sighed.

Louis smiled, pulling his lighter from his pocket. "I'll be right back," he promised. He turned to Harry, "You'll be good here right? I'll be back in five."

Harry nodded, sipping at his coffee.

"Liam," Louis said, standing up to leave. "Play nice, okay?"

Liam saluted Louis. "Will do, Captain."

Louis smirked, already lighting up as he left. Harry's eyes flickered back to Louis as he left. His RA definitely knew how to fill out a pair of jeans.

"How long have you two known each other?" Harry asked shyly, turning his attention back to Liam.

"Hm, like... threeeee years?" Liam said, stretching out the word three as though he were deciding whether that was the right amount of time or not. "We met in first year."

Harry's phone buzzed. "Sorry," he said, fishing it out of his pocket.

"No worries, mate," Liam said, sipping on his drink and looking toward the makeshift stage where some guys in beanies were rearranging the cables.

Harry texted back quickly and set his phone on the table. "So-" he started. His phone buzzed again. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm being an arse. Just..." he sent off a quick text. "I'll shut it off now, I promise. Full attention," he said, turning his phone face down on the table and resting his chin on his hand, his green eyes locked on Liam.

Liam laughed. "It's no problem. I remember my mom texted me like, every five minutes when I was in first year."

"Oh, that was my boyfriend," Harry corrected. "But my mom calls me like every night, it's adorable," he smiled.

"Boyfriend?" Liam asked, his eyebrows shooting up in shock.

Harry felt his stomach turn and he looked toward the door, hoping Louis would come back soon. How could Liam possibly have a problem with Harry dating a guy if Liam's best friend was gay? Harry took a slow breath to calm himself before answering. "I have a boyfriend, and if you don't agree with that, it's fine, but it's who I am and we'll just have to agree to disagree."

"Oh, oh no!" Liam said, "I did not mean for it to come across like that. Jesus, Harry... I'm sorry it came out wrong! I was just surprised because Louis didn't mention you were seeing anyone."

"Oh!" Harry said, blushing, feeling like an idiot. "What did he say about me?" He asked, playing with the hem of his shirt. He could feel his cheeks flush as he tried to pretend it was just a casual question.

"All good things, all good things..." Liam winked as Louis came back and sat down at the end of the table.

"What are we talking about?" Louis asked, sipping on his tea as his blue eyes flicked between Harry and Liam.

"Talking about Harry's boyfriend," Liam smiled, giving Louis a look that Harry didn't understand.

"Oh," Louis said, raising his eyebrows behind his mug.

"Why don't you tell us about him?" Liam asked Harry. "What's his name? How long have you been together?"

"Um, his name's Cameron and we've been together since we were sixteen. We met in English class, we had to be partners on this stupid Macbeth project and then things just kind of went from there," Harry said, smiling faintly.

"I need another cigarette," Louis muttered, pulling another from his pocket.

Liam slapped Louis' wrist and Lou dropped the cig on the table. "Well he sounds wonderful," Liam said.

Harry nodded, feeling guilty about his phone, which was sitting probably full of unanswered messages. Things hadn't felt right with Cam in months and Harry had been flickering between holding on tighter and taking more space for himself, neither feeling right, both making him feel like he was doing something wrong.

"Are we going up soon?" Louis asked, restless in his chair, talking to Liam and not even glancing over at Harry.

Harry exhaled slowly, a small shaky breath as his eyes started watering. He wasn't going to cry, he just teared up a bit when he got frustrated. Louis had dragged him out of his comfort zone to this room full of strangers and then ignored him. Not to mention he'd brushed off the panic attack situation after it happened and had never made an effort to talk about it since.

"Hey," Louis said, finally turning to look at Harry again, his eyes crinkling a little with concern. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Mhm," Harry murmured, nodding, looking over at a guy who was adjusting the mic stand instead of looking at Louis.

"Liam, we'll be back in a bit," Louis said. "Guard my tea."

"Lou," Liam sighed. "No one wants your-"

"I said guard it," Louis glared, sliding the mug in front of Liam. Louis turned to Harry. "Come on," he said gently. "Let's just take a moment, yeah?"

Harry nodded reluctantly, and took Louis' hand to help him up from his chair. He meant to drop it when he got up, but Lou had nice hands, small and delicate and warm, and Harry kept holding Louis' hand as they walked. Harry looked down at the floor and let Louis pull him off to a side exit, sitting down on the steps after closing the door behind him.

"How are you doing?" Louis asked. He turned to Harry, and Harry was stuck in the blue of Louis' irises.

"Louis, I'm fine," Harry insisted.

Lou waited a bit and Harry filled in the silence with a more honest answer. "I guess I just feel a little ignored," he said softly.

Louis gently took one of Harry's hands in between his and started massaging it gently.

"Jesus, Lou," Harry murmured, "That feels good."

Louis kept kneading into Harry's large palm with his thumbs as he spoke. "I thought you needed space. So I gave it to you. But it you don't..." Louis looked up at Harry, his eyes looking dark in the moonlight. "I can get as close as you want me to."

Harry shivered a little, his ink stained skin bathed in the pale moonlight. It was a little cold for September, and Lou was a little warm for someone who wasn't his boyfriend.

Harry felt everything pulling him toward everything he was pulling away from. He hadn't felt close to Cameron since the beginning of senior year. He remembered coming home from a night of smiling and laughing and taking photos with Cam at prom... as soon as he'd said goodnight, he'd closed himself off in his room, his body heaving with weighted sobs, letting all of his disappointment stain tears onto his pillowcase, letting his mask come off.

Harry wasn't even good at wearing that mask anymore.

Everything felt weighted, everything felt heavy.

"What's wrong?" Lou asked.

Harry had pulled his hand away from Louis and was clutching onto his stomach trying to hold himself together. He felt like he was split into tiny pieces that would float away if they weren't tethered.

"I'm a bad boyfriend," Harry whispered.

"I doubt that," Louis replied, rubbing slow circles on Harry back. "High school relationships sometimes are just meant to stay in high school... as a memory, you know? It's hard to be in a different place- to be a different person- and still expect everything to be the same."

Harry curled tighter into himself.

"I shouldn't pretend to know anything about your relationship," Louis said. "But I saw a lot of breakups when I was in first year, and all those people, three years later? You can't imagine how well they're doing now."

"We're not breaking up," Harry said, raising his voice to the point where it clashed against the peaceful hum of the evening sky that blanketed them.

"Shhh, I'm sorry," Louis said gently.

"No, we're not going to," Harry choked out, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than Louis.

"I know, shhh... I know," Louis murmured. He smoothed back Harry's curls, and kissed him softly on the forehead. "I know, it's okay... you're okay."

Louis sat quietly, rubbing slow circles on Harry's back. Harry leaned toward Lou's warmth, shivering in his thin button down. He didn't know how Lou could still feel like a heat lamp with a sleeveless tank on.

"I'll be back in a second, kay?" Louis said.

"God, do you ever stay still?" Harry asked, his lips quirking up into a faint smile.

Louis shook his head, smiling. "Stay right here," he said.

Harry sat on the chilly steps as he waited for the vibrant blue eyed boy to return.

Louis slipped back through the door a moment later with a guitar. "Play for me," he said, handing it to Harry.

"What?" Harry asked. "Who lent it to you?"

"Not important," Louis said with a smirk, and Harry wondered if he grabbed it from someone's case when they weren't looking.

"You want me to play you something, like, right now?" Harry asked, stalling. Music didn't make him anxious, it was one of the things that calmed him the most- but serenading Louis alone the steps of a cafe was a little intimidating.

"Yeah, I do, Curly," Louis said, cracking his knuckles, and resting his chin on his hands. "Woo me with your artistry. Play me a masterpiece. Actually," he amended, "Play me a pop song or something. Something I definitely would have heard before. I want to be able to recognize it."

Harry smiled a little. "Will you judge me if I play a Katy Perry song?"

Louis laughed. "Depends which one."

"Dark Horse?" Harry asked.

Louis nodded, his eyes bright and patient, waiting for Harry to play him something.

Harry started playing, plucking out the notes, feeling his long fingers relax into the strings, knowing their way. The way he played the song made it virtually unrecognizable, but he hummed softly as he played and Louis started humming along with him for a bit, until he parted his lips and started singing.

Lou's voice was soft, breathy, and high and Harry was entranced that such a soft and delicate voice could come out of such a loudmouth.

Louis' breathy little voice slunk in and around Harry's gentle guitar, and Harry could feel chills as Lou's voice wound through his music. Lou looked up at him with dark eyes, biting his lip a little when he was done.

"Wasn't trying to upstage you, sorry," Louis murmured, his eyes dark, and fixed on Harry.

"It's no problem, that was, you were, I mean," Harry stumbled over his words. He could feel his chest rising and falling as his heart slammed against the cage of his ribs.

The night was getting colder, but Lou was simmering warmer every second.