Unbelievers

Chapter 8.6

"Louis!" Harry yells from the car.

"I'm coming. Relax, H."

"We're late!"

"We're captains! The others will just have to fucking wait."

"We're supposed to be there first!"

"Chill out! I'm coming now." Louis finishes locking the door, hoists his bag up on the shoulder and jogs up to Harry's car. He quickly jumps inside, pushing his bag into the backseat as Harry leaves the curb. "It's not my fucking fault we had to clean up the entire fucking kitchen before the mix got stuck."

"If somebody hadn't decided to make pancakes an hour before we had to leave, which is pretty idiotic in the first place since running with those carbs in your stomach is a fucking hell, we wouldn't have had that problem!"

Louis vehemently turns to face him. "I was making us breakfast, you ingrate! You're the one who spilled the entire mixture over the counter and the floor."

Harry can't say anything to that, so he grits his teeth and scowls out the windshield. "Why were you even making breakfast, anyway?" he grumbles.

They both know Louis is the bowl of cereal breakfast type. But as it was, Louis woke up this morning with Harry plastered to himself. His thigh was tucked in between his, arm wrapped over his torso and nose in his neck. Louis was warm, Harry's hair was disgustingly close to his mouth (not that it didn't smell very nice), and he couldn't really move. So, he sucked a bruise into the junction of Harry's shoulder to wake him up, and then when Harry moaned and rolled over, Louis could escape.

After taking a much-needed shower, he went downstairs. Also, since it's the day before the match, he thought they should be eating properly. Harry likes pancakes. Louis just happened to not realize how late he woke up, and when Harry bundled down the stairs it got quite stressful.

"Was hungry," he shrugs.

The rest of the ride is spent in silence. Louis sighs and leans his forehead against the window.

The previous night after Louis' talk with Zayn, he drove back home, Harry arriving at his house not much later. Louis texted Niall again, requesting they'd meet up after the semi-final, or whenever he has time afterwards. He didn't answer.

They ordered pizzas, watched an old animated movie and Louis contemplated asking Harry to talk. He never got the opportunity to. This morning was a mess and now they're bickering.

It's a fifteen minute ride to the woods they are meant to meet at. They're supposed to be there at one, but by the looks of things they're at least ten minutes late.

They eventually turn onto the dirt road leading up to the meeting point where all the tracks through the woods begin. Louis can see the small meadow, which is more a of a grass lawn with a few benches and a barbecue site than anything else. Harry turns into one of the few parking spots that are left, stopping the car.

They jump out of the vehicle, making their way to the table the rest of the lads have gathered around.

"You can all relax, your beloved captain is here," Louis announces, holding his hands out in a placating manner. The boys weren't even doing anything but talking lowly in groups. They look up, about to greet their powerful leader when Harry brushes past Louis, putting him in the shadow himself.

"Thanks for the introduction, Louis," he says briefly, and then proceeds to climb up on the table that the boys were circled around. Louis squints. "Right, we're all here, yes?"

"Yes, we know how to show up in time for things," Liam says.

Louis swears that if Harry could, he'd totally blame his late arrival on Louis. As it is he can't, and Louis meets Harry's eyes with a smirk. "Snarky doesn't suit you, Lime," he says, and then shuffles onto the table to stand next to Harry.