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3. Clouds

Author's Note: Happy Pride Month! :) Everyone is valid and perfect and beautiful and lovable and worthy and... and I hope you have the loveliest of days. <3

3. Clouds

After the door closed, there were five narrowed sets of eyes on Harry, and one set that was wide and apologetic.

"I'm sorry. If you gave them a moment to arrange it properly..." Jonathan's voice began. The others turned to gape at him.

"Are you kidding? That was brilliant. Both of the songs were," Niall assured him before turning back to Harry. "What happened?"

"I just... figured we had heard enough. Might as well get the conversation going," Harry replied, lamely.

"So wait... did you like them?" Liam asked, confused.

Harry nodded. "They're great. Sorry. I figured we were all on the same page."

Louis cocked an eyebrow. "You nearly kicked them out of here," he said with laughter in his voice.

"Oops," he simply said, unable to come up with a lie regarding why he needed them gone.

"So, we all agree that we liked them?" Zayn asked, slowly, as he read the expressions of the others.

They all nodded. Even Louis.

"Great. Let's figure out how to make this happen."

"I'll start by calling them," Jonathan said, unable to hide his excitement. "They'll be relieved. I think they left here feeling like they offended you."

Guilt overcame him. That hadn't been his intention.

Truthfully, he had simply become overwhelmed by their baritone. As he sang the final line, it had simply become too much.

He couldn't explain it. But he needed air. He needed space.

Perhaps he should have been a bit more tactful about it.

He watched as Jonathan had a short conversation on his phone in the corner while the rest of them spoke amongst themselves softly. Jonathan returned quickly.

"I think Scott's in shock, but they're all still together and they're all in, of course."

"Great. No harm done," Liam said, brightly. "Let's keep planning, then!"

They didn't meet with Pentatonix again after that day. Harry had assumed that they would be in attendance as they signed their contract, but they had signed separately.

His heart sank, and he cringed at that fact.

What had gotten into him?

"What's gotten into you lately?" Louis asked, as though he was reading his mind. Harry only gave him a blank stare, so he continued. "You've got your head in the clouds."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Just excited for this tour. For this announcement."

He couldn't bring himself to tell Louis that he had been staying up late each night, trying to figure out who this guy even was. How did this group have three Grammys without Harry having seen them before?

His research led him to the conclusion that, somehow, he had seen them perform on a few occasions, but he was too wrapped up in himself to acknowledge how incredible they were.

But the videos that he watched left him captivated. Their social media accounts were entertaining. And one thought was consistent in his mind throughout: Scott Hoying was captivating.