Deep (Zarry AU)

Confession

Nick was serving tea.

"Ming Dynasty, actually," he smiled as he poured a cupful delicately into the ornate china cup sat in front of Harry.

"Bollocks" said Harry.

"It DOES taste better though... you can't deny it!"

"Ok, I admit that, usually when I drink tea from your posh tea service,... " Harry was smiling, laughing for real for the first time in days. He stopped and shook his head, sat silently for a moment, thinking. Then he looked over at Nick.

"Sgood to see you, mate." Harry ran a hand down Nick's t-shirted arm . "Like a breath of fresh air".

Nick raised one eyebrow.

"I take it from that, Mr Styles, that things are still awkward. Around him, I mean?"

Harry sniffed.

"Yeah... kind of... kind of fucked up, actually."

Nick shrugged. "Sounds like my average love life scenario."

"What?" Harry turned to Nick, smiling, the cup held carefully in his hand. "Ah thought you had it sussed, Grimsby."

Nick laughed and shook his head.

Harry blew on the tea, took a sip and made a face. Nick grinned and offered him a plate of petit-fours.

"Sorry - I was hoping you might like it. Here - take the taste away. If it's any consolation, I think it's disgusting too." He giggled. "Flackster gave it to me. Milk thistle. Supposed to be good for your liver. So I'm trying - manfully - to drink it every day."

"God. Well I can see why she'd think you needed it."

Nick pretended to be shocked.

"I don't know what you're referring to, Styles! My liver is in perfect condition!" He closed his eyes, and raised his chin to the left and away from Harry. Harry liked it when Nick camped it up. He wasn't really all that effete, as gay guys went, Harry thought. He just liked to put it on for effect. But Nick really did know what he was talking about when it came to relationships - even if he always turned it into a joke - and that's why Harry valued their friendship so much.

"Yeah - what was it you called it - Rules of the Game? No - the Thirst Games. Those rules you said you made up about dating men."

Nick shrugged his shoulders and smiled, sheepishly.

"Ah... well. That was all theory, young Harold. Didn't say I'd ever got them to work, did I?"

Harry's jaw dropped in mock-offence.

"What? Don't tell me now that you don't have the answers, Grimmy. You're supposed to be helping me out! Where's all this expert advice you were gonna give me? How to get over a crush on a straight guy, an all that??"

"Ah've told you before, Harry my boy. There's only one rule for that kind of crush." Nick seemed to have abandoned the tea. He was sitting back, one leg crossed, his elbow hooked over the back of the couch, waving his finger at Harry.

"Really? Which one?"

"Just. Don't. Go. There. " Nick shook his head, slowly. "Well, not unless you're happy for a quick, senseless, one-night shag. And.... " he leaned forward to make the point "... you can forget about any friendship you might have had beforehand - cos the gentleman in question is always so embarrassed about what went down, that night you and he were drunk out of your skulls ."