little things l.s

Through the dark 🌙

1a.m. outside harry's house:

harry was in deep shit.

he stared at his phone, fingers trembling, as he dialed his best friend niall's number for the third time. each unanswered ring intensified the knot of anxiety in his chest. 

"please niall, just pick up the damn phone," harry whispered to himself desperately.

after trying once more with no reply he was left feeling utterly defeated, stranded in the uncertain darkness of the night.

in a final act of desperation, he scrolled through his contacts, landing on louis' name. harry and louis had been on a few dates and he had a feeling that he'd be willing to help but the thought of calling on louis for such a significant favor made harry hesitate. then again he really didn't have any other choice unless he fancied sleeping on a bench in the local park and risking getting hypothermia. 

with a deep breath, he pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear, heart pounding like a drum. it rang three times, each ring echoing the uncertainty of his impulsive decision, when harry finally asked himself, what the fuck am I doing? and decided he would hang up.

but just as he moved to click the "end call" button, a subtle rustling of sheets reached his ears through the phone.

"hello?" louis said, his voice thick with sleep.

"louis? It's harry. Sorry to uh, bother you so late."

"no don't worry about it love, what's wrong? Its the middle of the night"

"yeah I know, I-I'm s-sorry I promise I wouldn't call if it wasn't an emergency. I um...my parent's kicked me out and I don't have anywhere to go. I thought, maybe, um...sorry this sounds so stupid now..."

"hey, it's not stupid at all, louis said calmingly, trying to reassure the other boy, "I'm assuming you need a place to stay, yeah?"

"mhm," harry said, tears pricking his eyes.

"I'm glad you called me alright? text me your address and I'll be over soon."

"thank you louis," harry said so softly it was barely audible. he then hung up and texted his address to louis, his fingers still trembling, the mixture of anxiety and relief overwhelming him.

louis set his phone down on the nightstand. he pushed aside his warm covers and slipped into a pair of well-worn sweatpants and a hoodie. only minutes later, he was in his car, driving through the quiet streets, his headlights cutting through the darkness. He was lost in thought:

why had his parents kicked him out? 

why was he left with nowhere to go at this ungodly hour? 

was he in danger?  

louis shook off these thoughts as he turned onto harry's street, the glow of the GPS screen illuminated his face in the otherwise dim car. the mechanical voice announced, "your destination is on the right."

louis slowed the car, scanning the houses, and then he saw him.

there harry stood, under the feeble halo of a streetlight, his pajama pants clinging to his legs, and a thin t-shirt offering little protection against the crisp night air. He was shivering uncontrollably, the cold mercilessly gnawing at his thin frame.

louis's heart sank at the sight of harry, vulnerable and exposed. he pulled over and parked the car, his concern overriding everything else. He climbed out, the cold air biting at his own skin as he approached his shivering friend. 

as he drew nearer, louis's heart sank even further as he noticed harry biting his quivering lip, struggling to contain the tears that traced silent paths down his cheeks. Their eyes met. 

"come on, harry," louis said softly, taking his hand as he guided him towards the waiting car.

when they reached the passenger door of the car, louis paused, a tender and concerned expression gracing his features as he noticed harry's arms which were covered in goosebumps, trembling from the cold. wordlessly he began to peel off his own hoodie.

"louis, what...?" harry began, his voice wavering with confusion.

louis simply smiled, his actions speaking louder than words. he extended the hoodie toward harry. "here, put this on. It'll keep you warm."

harry hesitated as he looked at the offered hoodie. louis noticed this and said, with a soft chuckle, "come on, haz, you're shivering like crazy". harry finally nodded, swallowing his pride, and slipped into the hoodie which was just a few sizes too big for him, making it adorably oversized. he looked up at louis who was balancing one foot in the backseat, arranging harry's bags. as he looked up from his task, he met Harry's gaze, the younger boy looking up at him with big eyes. "thank you."

louis patted him gently on the shoulder and opened the passenger door, "you know I'm here for you." harry hopped into the car, and louis moved to the driver's seat and with that they continued their journey, the car's engine humming softly as they drove toward louis apartment downtown.

                                                                                  .             .             .

they started driving through the quiet streets, the hum of the engine accompanying the uneasy silence that hung in the air. louis finally broke the tension, his voice carrying a hint of awkwardness as he decided to ask the question that had been weighing heavily on his mind since harry called him. "so, uh, what happened?"

harry, still wrapped in louis's hoodie but with a guarded expression, hesitated for a moment. He glanced out of the window, the passing scenery a blur, and then back at Louis. But he couldn't bring himself to reveal the reasons behind what had happened.

sensing harry's reluctance, louis chose not to press any further, recognizing that Harry was clearly in a vulnerable state. Instead, he expertly pivoted the conversation, "alright, I understand," he reassured, "you don't have to tell me right now, or ever if you don't want to. you can stay at my place for as long as you need."

harry managed a small, grateful smile. "thanks, I promise I will be out of your way as soon as I can figure out another place to stay." despite louis's unwavering understanding harry couldn't help but worry about imposing on him. they weren't even an official couple yet, and the last thing he wanted was to make Louis uncomfortable and have him decide he wasn't interested anymore.

"nah, you won't be in my way," louis replied with a teasing grin, leaning a bit closer. "in fact, it'll be the perfect excuse to have you around more often." 

harry felt himself blush deeply at this and, unsure of how to respond to louis blatant flirting, he decided to simply leave their conversation at that.

the rest of the short journey continued in silence, the city lights passing by. eventually, louis tapped his keycard against the security pad, and the gates to the underground car park slowly rumbled open. they drove inside, the car's headlights cutting through the dimly lit space.

"okay, we're here," louis said as he parked the car. he turned to harry, offering a warm smile.

harry was suddenly nervous...maybe this was a mistake. he was intruding, burdening louis with his problems when they'd only just started getting to know each other. he really didn't want to ruin this. the weight of uncertainty pressed on his chest, making him wonder if seeking refuge with someone he didn't know well was the right choice. then again what other choice did he have? 

louis was holding harry's bag, looking at him expectantly. harry returned his smile and together, they walked towards the elevator, their footsteps echoing softly in the dimly lit corridor.