Chapter Six

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Harry watches with slumped shoulders when the car pulls out of the driveway and heads down the street taking Niall with it, Papa driving the other boy home just after lunch. The house always feels lacking when his best friend leaves, like it's too quiet and empty.

He closes the door with a huff, glancing down the hall and not quite knowing what to do with himself. Dad is on a work-related call in the kitchen so he can't go and talk to him, and he doesn't want to play his game alone because it's more fun where there are two players.

His defences shoot up when Liam appears at the top of the stairs, waiting for the teasing from his older brother to start. But instead, for once, Liam smiles at him.

"Wanna watch a film with me?" He offers.

Harry squints at him. "Why?"

The fifteen year old has the audacity to look confused at his suspicion. "For...fun? I dunno, I'm bored, you're bored, I have Netflix on my TV and the one downstairs doesn't?" He lists, and Harry eyes him for a moment before he gives a small nod.

"Okay," he decides, starting up the stairs towards his brother, deciding to try his luck when the boy hooks an arm around his shoulder and leads him back to his room. "Can I pick?"

Liam scoffs, shoving him away a little instead so that he almost trips over the corner of the bed. "What, so we end up watching Star Wars or something for the billionth time?" He asks.

Harry glares at him, but it's half-hearted and slips off of his face in place of a smile as soon as he turns his attention to crawling along the bed to lean back against the pillows at the head. "Shut up. You're the one who made me watch Star Wars the first time so it's your fault," he replies, making the other boy hesitate for a moment before he just shrugs.

"Touché."

Harry laughs at that, feeling a little less lonely as Liam puts on the Simpson's Movie and moves to lounge beside him, shoulders presses up together. As much as they argue at times, Harry is glad to have his big brother — Liam always seems to sense when something is amiss and their bickering goes on hold for a while. He can almost guarantee that by the time dinner rolls around, they'll be at each other's throats again, but for now, this is nice.

"You better appreciate this, 'cause it's the only birthday gift you're getting from me," Liam states after a moment.

Harry shrugs. "This is good."

Liam pauses at that, clearly having expected a different response. "Hm. Okay," he says, then, after a moment of contemplation, he adds, "and it's four days early too so that's a bonus."

He smiles, shrugging again just to appease the older boy some more. The theme song for the movie plays before either of them speak again. Harry notices the lack of phone in his brothers hand for once and turns his head to look up at him slightly, Liam's brown eyes glancing down to look at him, frowning defensively.

"What?" He asks, flinching back. "Are you waiting to hit me or something? Because I will kick you out," he threatens.

Harry grins, shaking his head. "No, idiot. Why aren't you with your friends? It's a Saturday. You always hang out with them on a Saturday," he says, because it's true — even if his brother isn't actively out of the house with his friends, he's talking to them or on video chat or something.

Liam raises an eyebrow at him. "What? Can't I just spend some time with my little brother without being quizzed on my social life? Or lack of it?" He asks, lips quirking up on one side in a teasing smirk before his face falls and he shrugs instead. "They're all going to some party tonight so...didn't really want to call them just so they can talk to me about that the whole time."

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