Close to Nowhere (Larry Stylinson)

six

...

"Louis..."

"No. There's no fucking way you're getting the bed. This is my case, I'm the one who's supposed to be here, you're the one who forced me to let you tag along."

"You know how sore my back gets-"

"I don't wanna hear it. You should've thought of that before coming here." Louis knew he was being bitchy but his temper had become shorter and shorter all throughout the day, having to deal with Harry's micromanaging and never being able to escape it.

All he wanted to do was take a nice, warm shower and relax under the spray of the water. But the shower didn't fucking work, and if he wanted to bathe, he would have to do so with the hose outside. He couldn't believe this was how he was living.

So instead of calming down with a long shower, he had to debate over wearing his dirty clothes to bed or wearing nothing at all. His bags were still in the trunk of the car, five miles away. He wasn't about to fall asleep in muddy jeans.

Louis sighed. If Harry hadn't insisted on coming, this never would've been a problem. Even if the car still broke down and he didn't have any clothes, he would just strip naked and get in bed. It was so tempting. But with Harry in the room, there was no way he was going to do that.

"Stop sighing," Harry snapped. "You're putting me in a bad mood."

"I blame you for everything," Louis grumbled right back. He yanked his shirt over his head and flung it to the foot of the bed in a heap, even though he was going to have to wear it tomorrow even if it was wrinkled. He kept his back to Harry.

"I know you do, and it's annoying, because not everything is my fault."

Louis whipped around to glare at him but was instead met with the sight of Harry lifting his t-shirt to remove it, each moment uncovering a new expanse of skin for Louis to be assaulted by. It was completely indecent. He looked away so he wouldn't have to witness Harry's stupid muscles from how obsessively he worked out at the gym.

"Like what you see?"

"No," Louis deadpanned.

Harry laughed. "Liar."

"Don't sound so smug. I wasn't even looking."

"Yes you were."

"I will kill you in your sleep," Louis threatened as he quickly stepped out of his jeans and threw the covers over himself, not wanting to give Harry even a glimpse because he knew he was watching.

"I don't think that would work very well baby, seeing as you talk to dead people all the time."

"I'll kill you in your sleep and ignore your ghost. And don't call me that."

As soon as Harry opened his mouth to respond, Louis chucked a pillow at him. It must've hit him in the face because he didn't say anything after that.

It took forever for Louis to fall asleep, mostly because he was pretty sure he shouldn't have been trying to fall asleep at all. He should've been exploring the house, setting up his equipment to catch some sort of evidence of paranormal activity and figure out what was going on. But all of his equipment was trapped in the car five miles away.

A lot had happened in twenty-four hours and that was fucking with his head too. Just a day ago, he was sitting out on his balcony eating spaghetti as Harry watched him a little too closely from across the table.

And then the one stupid phone call came in and ruined all of his plans to have a lazy few days off and only leave his bed for the necessities. And of course Harry had been there to demand to come with him.