Fine line (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 19

"Wait," I choked out, tripping almost dramatically as I followed him deeper into his apartment, "go where?"

Louis snickered and continued to lead me to our destination.

"Outside, Harry. We can't very well set off the smoke alarms and have the entire fire department in here can we?"

"Well," I mumbled, "I suppose not."

Louis stopped at a door and turned to look at me with a mocking expression before opening it, and I felt my heart do a backflip in my chest. It was nothing, just a glance, but it resembled those fiery and sassy looks he'd shoot me in the past, and it always seem to catapult me back to that time.

"You scared, styles?"

Louis interrupted my internal panic, and I stumbled over my words in response.

"What-of what?"

He laughed comically in response and pulled the door open, exposing a beautiful white balcony overlooking the city, not a single house or building close enough to see us.

"Shit," I murmured, and he turned to me.

"Shit it right, now come on. We're smoking a bowl and then I'm teaching you how to roll a joint."

--------

I could feel the uncontrollable laughter billowing inside of me. My mouth was dry and my eyes felt like they'd been open for hours. In hindsight, that sounded like hell, but it felt so fucking good.

"No - Harry," Louis criticized, clearly frustrated. "You're going to butcher the whole thing!"

He then laughed hysterically at my attempt to roll, causing me to absolutely lose it, throwing up my hands In defeat.

"I can't do it lou, I just can't."

We spent what felt like hours cracking up about my failed attempt at rolling a joint, and I realized in that moment that it was the first moment I'd ever felt free in a long time. It could've been the drugs, but I was more convinced that it was the company.

Seeing Louis smile and laugh, hearing his voice full of life and light - i hadn't felt what that made me feel In what seemed like ages. I had almost forgotten the feeling of gratitude it sprung, to see someone you cared about flourish. It was a greater gift than any could be given to me personally.

"No," Louis insisted, "do you want to be a quitter, Harry styles?"

"Lou-" I tried to insist but He interjected.

"Don't "Lou" me styles! We're doing this, and we're doing it right. How else am I going to influence you in my pothead ways?"

I sighed in defeat and backed away from my failed attempt at a joint, giving him room to show me the ropes of it.

Louis got up from the chair across from me, and surprisingly waltzed behind me.

"Scoot your chair back up Harry."

I did as he said, but I was still utterly confused as to what was going on. How was he going to show me if I couldn't even see him?

"Alright," Louis murmured, and I felt a chill rise up my body as I sensed him moving closer to me, his arms coming up and over my own and his head hovering next to mine. "This is the only way you're going to really learn."

Louis took the delicate paper, and rose it up to my hands, where he guided my fingers with his own to hold the joint at both of its ends. When his fingers met mine, I suppressed a shock that radiated through my entire body, but I could feel my hands beginning to sweat and shake. God, how was I to stay patient if this was happening?