Maybe we can (L.S.)

45

" 'kay. I'll try... But I- I think I'll need your help" Harry answered in a quiet wishper, looking up to stare deeply at Louis' blue eyes.

"Umm. Yeah... Sure" Louis gulped, retracting his hand, willing his eyes to stare somewhere away from Harry and awkwardly shuffling on his seat.

"So... How does it work? I mean. What am I suposed to do? Just touch and that's it?" Harry asked in a more cheerful tone, trying to ease the awkwardness in the room pushig the plate of food nearer Louis.

"Yeah... No. Well, yes but not really- ugh!" Louis stammered, frustration clear on his voice at not being able to voice his toughts coherently. He stopped, took a deep breath, sighed and started again. "I would start simple, just touches, some more superficial such as a caresses, some deeper ones massaging harder all over so that you get used to its feeling. Then we could try to introduce something a bit more exciting such as cold and hot sensations or, eventually, trying to identify what is touching you by its feeling while blindfolded"

"You would, wouldn't you, mm?" Harry asked, a smirk forming on his face.

"What?" Louis asked, popping a cheese covered breadstick in his mouth face scrunhing in confusion as he looked at Harry.

"I wouldn't be opposed to the blindfold either but I agree we should get used to eachother better first" Harry continued with an inocent thoughtful face ignoring Louis' question before winking.

Whaterver coment Louis had been expecting, it was certainly not that one. Certainly not from Harry who, until now, had been quite shy. His brain had been in sientific/working mode, for God's sake. Soo... as he inhaled deeply in shock, he choked on the food he had just put in his mouth. He coughed for about a minute, breadstick crumbs flying out of his mouth as he tried to concentrate on breathing breadless air into his lungs. Harry had soon jumped nearer him and started patting his back while mumbling apologies to him.

Once Louis could finally breathe, he accepted the glass of water Harry was handing him and trank a small sip, trying to soothe his troath and cool down the deep red color of his face, even if he wasn't completely sure if its color was because of the recent near death experience or because of Harry's words. Probably both... He wiped the tears that had formed on his face and slowly finished the glass of water in short sips, trying to stall time to avoid lookinh at Harry.

"Sorry. I think that might have been too blunt. You okay?" Harry asked, scratching the back of his neck and looking at Louis with a gentle smile.

" 'm okay... you just think so?" Louis replied quietly, his voice strained and raspy from all the coughing, still not looking at Harry.

"But I certainly wouldn't mind you touching, or touching you if you wanted" Harry mumbled.

"Harreh!" Louis whinned, covering his face with both hands and bending down to hide it between his knees.

"What?! It's not my fault you are smart, thoughtful and dead gorgeous to top it all, is it?" Harry said raising both hands in eshasperation, throwing all caution out the window. He might as well say it clearly as he had already let his thoughts out.

"I- I'm not- Ugh... What are you doig to me?! I- I- you are too..." Louis spoke, the last part in barely a whisper, now blushing an even depper red, his face still hidden.

"Soo... Is the Philisopher's Stone okay?" Harry said, a light blush and a smile on his face as he fiddled with TV remote control.

"What?" Louis asked in confusion, raising his head from between his knees and peeking an eye between his fingers.

"Harry Potter! Do you want to see the first one?" Harry asked enthusiastically, chuckling as he saw Louis.

"Oh... Yeah. Yes. Just... just try not to kill me, hm?" Louis replied, slouching on the couch and slowly dragging his hands away from his still red face.

 Harry then left Louis to search for the movie and went to the kitchen to prepare some more snaks, popcorn and two cups of tea, remembering to make one with just a splash of milk and no sugar for Louis.