rupture - l.s.

Chapter 5

"Niall, I swear, he is it!", I keep my phone close to my ear and sip on my hot chocolate. Shortly, I look down at my cup, with the sweet lettering 'Ohana means family'. A friend of mine from my primary school gave it to me when she found out that I had moved into my own flat.

''That's not possible! Are you sure he never told you about a secret twin-brother, who is also called Louis?'', he asks and makes me grin widely because of his cuteness.

"Hmm ... let me think for a bit ...", I put the cup on a free space on the side table to my right. "... no!''.

"But how can it be that you did not know he owns this bar?", he asks me, completely confused. "He told me that his uncle had a little bar here in London back then, but I had no idea that it is exactly this one bar where I would find my future workplace!'', I sigh loudly and look at my phone.

While Niall is talking and talking again, I trace the already worn symbols and numbers on the buttons of my telephone with my fingertips absentmindedly.

The 1, the 5 and the call symbol already show strong usage traces. My thoughts drifted away, so I completely ignored Niall's speech.

I hear a muffled giggle in the depths of my thoughts and memories. A giggle, what sounds like mine. It is supported by the quiet laughter of a deeper voice ...

"And then his bar becomes the most famous bar in the whole continent.", he strengthens his grip and pulls me closer to him. My gaze is directed upwards to the sky full of stars.

Actually it is not a real sky. You're never too old enough for glow-in-the-dark stars for the walls or the ceiling.

"He always wanted me to work in his bar ... either as a mixer behind the counter or as a cleaner.", I do not see his face just yet, but I just know that he grins broadly.

"Why don't you work in his bar?", I ask curiously, still looking at the ceiling.

"You hate the smell of alcohol. Because of your grandfather ... so I would feel bad if I would greet you every day after working in a bar, the smell of beer and vodka all over my body.'', he speaks a bit quieter because my parents are next door in the living room and he doesn't want them to hear him talking about my grandfather.

"It's nice of you, but I do not want to be the reason you missed your chance to make a little more pocket money.", I say, looking at his profile.

His nostrils exaggerate a bit every time he inhales. It looks sweet and funny at the same time, since he has so small nostrils. He has his mouth opened slightly, and his long lashes lie down briefly on his rosy cheeks with every blink of an eye.

"You're not, Haz," he says, turning his head aside, looking deeply into my eyes.

Louis and I have a strange relationship. We are best friends, but we often do exactly what couples do.

We cuddle, we kiss each other on the forehead and on the cheeks ... however, we have no romantic relationship.

His blue eyes sparkle at me, the glowing stars on my ceiling reflect in his pupil. In the corner of my eye I can see the raising and lowering of his chest while he breathes. Some heartbeats pass by until we turn our eyes away from each other.

"Louis?", I look at one single star for a long time.

It is not broken, but it does not work. It starts to light up exactly from the middle.

"Yes, Harry?", his high voice sounds behind me.

"What are we actually?" I ask carefully.

After I get no answer, even after a whole minute, I turn my head back to his face and look at him. We both keep the eye contact intensively.

"What do you mean?", he asks confusedly.

"Well, are we friends ... or are we more?", I still look at him and wait impatiently for an answer from him.

"We're friends, Harry," he replies. I smile happily and turn my head away again, so that my attention is again on the handicapped glow-in-the-dark star.

"But not just any friends. We aren't friends, not even good friends. We're best friends, Harry ... if not, even more.'', he whispers the end of his sentence  so I do not quite understand what he says. However, I nod.

''Harold!? Are you even listening? ", suddenly a loud, loud voice appears in my ear. I jump a bit - Niall!

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ni. I was sunken in my thoughts.'', I apologize and look at my phone again. I hear an annoyed sigh.

"Listen, you go in there tomorrow, and just show Mister Tomlinson that you're still the same, confident Harry, who closed the door exactly in fron of his face." he says, with a confident tone.''Do not turn weak or super-friendly, you understand me?''.

''Yes, I understand.'', I giggle amusedly.''That's not funny, Harry!'', I hear him say, but  the rain drops pounding against my windows are getting a bit more of my attention.

,,Yeah, yeah. I'm tough Niall, "I say, grinning, and play with the end of my ruffled gray blanket. ''That's what I'm talking about.'', this time he's the one chuckling."That is my Harold. "

"I really need to shower now though, NiNi.", I say, standing up."I get it, you want me to hang up.", he says, jokingly bitchy.

I smirk and take my cup in my hand."Of course.", I reply, placing the cup on the kitchen counter.

He laughs softly and then says goodbye to me.

A few minutes later I find myself, standing in my shower.

I let the warm water drip on me and leave all my worries behind me.

"Harry, you're special." 

I shampoo my hair and hum a random melody to myself, to which I unconsciously dance a bit.

"I've never met a boy like you."

The water quickly washes the shampoo out of my hair.

"I'll never break your heart."

Abruptly, I turn the water off and in- and exhale loudly.

''Promised.''

Barely even promised, already broken the promise.