Close to Nowhere (Larry Stylinson)

seven

...

"We should try to find Charlotte today," Louis suggested at breakfast, sliding his plate over to Harry because he was already full.

Harry mumbled thanks and went to town on the scrambled eggs. He always ate what Louis didn't finish.

"And by that I mean get into her room."

"We're not doing that yet," Harry said, taking a sip of orange juice. He tucked some of his hair behind his ear, a habit from when it was much longer, and then tapped his fingers on the table. "I know you want to get into that room but we have to at least know what we're dealing with first. We've been here an entire day and haven't seen any poltergeist activity which is pretty fishy to me."

Pretty fishy, Louis mocked under his breath. Harry was so ridiculous sometimes.

"Louis, please. That room gives me really bad feelings, okay? I just know something's gonna happen."

Harry had a vision about it. Louis knew that, because Harry tried to tell him yesterday when they were in the cemetery. But Louis didn't want to hear it, because Harry always did this. Always tried to scare him into giving in to his rules and protocol by freaking him out about the future, about what might happen if he didn't fall in line.

"Nothing's set in stone," Louis said, repeating the same phrase he'd told Harry over and over. He said this every time Harry got this way over a less than optimal vision of the future.

"I know," Harry said slowly. "I know."

So he wasn't budging. Louis decided to try another tactic. Using logic and asking nicely. Maybe even fluttering his eyelashes a little. No one had to know.

"We learned so much last night, though," Louis began, setting his elbow on the table and then resting his chin on his palm. Blinking up at Harry.

He wasn't lying, either. They learned about the man who originally owned the property, whose name was Joseph Thomas. He was a farmer, he also raised horses to sell, and he had four daughters. That last detail was most important because while there wasn't a lot of information to go off of, overprotectiveness of his daughters seemed to be a theme in almost everything Louis read.

And then there were the reports of young men going missing.

Harry didn't show any signs of wavering, even with the way Louis was looking at him. "Yeah, but we still don't have any idea what's behind that door."

"It's probably nothing, though. It's probably just a bedroom. Don't you think?"

"Why would it be locked, then? I don't want to take any chances," Harry argued.

What else are we supposed to do, then? Louis thought bitterly, but he kept his mouth shut because he was supposed to be winning Harry over with his sweetness right now. It didn't seem to be working. They already explored the property and did as much research as possible last night. There was nothing else to do except break into the locked room. That much was obvious to Louis, and for some reason Harry didn't seem to see it.

Louis looked down at the table, not meeting Harry's eyes. Trying to figure this out. He could change tactics a little bit. He could use certain things to his advantage, like the way Harry always let his guard down when Louis acquiesced to him.

"Alright, fine. We'll do what you want today. Whatever. As long as we get our bags from the car? I really need a change of clothes."

What he actually needed were the lock-picking knives in Harry's bag, but Harry didn't need to know that.