Brother's Best Friend || l.s.

chapter 8

Liam's excessively deafening alarm clock shrieked on his bedside table as it struck seven o'clock the next morning. A chorus of groans from the three of them immediately emitted from around the room, and Harry was pretty sure his was the loudest as he was tormented by the flashback of what had happened last night with Louis.

'D'you want me to give you a blowjob?' For fuck's sake! What was he thinking?! He really did blurt out nonsense when it was late at night.

"Turn it off, Liam! You're about to wake the whole fucking village up!" Niall complained, his voice rough with tiredness. Liam repeatedly hit the top of his alarm clock, each strike seeming to do no justice in ceasing the screeching.

"I am trying, Niall!"

Harry had his hands pressed tightly around his delicate, still-adjusting-to-reality ears, which were being violated by the piercing sound.

"Turn that fucking thing off!" Came an engaged yell from Louis' side of the wall, spurring Liam on to hit the alarm clock with more brutal force, finally stopping its noise.

Simply hearing Louis' voice again made Harry feel nervous. He didn't ever want to be seen by him again, never again, after the compromising comment he had divulged just hours ago. It wasn't possible to go back in time and take it back now, he'd just have to live with it.

"I hate my brother," Liam grunted, falling back onto his bed again. "He's so moody. It's not my fault an alarm clock has to be loud enough to wake people up."

"I'm really considering calling in sick now, by the way." Harry mentioned, the nauseous feeling very much due to thoughts on what Louis now thought of him.

"Come on, let's get up and try to encourage each other." Liam incentivised, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed and jumping to his feet. "Let's go, lazy arses! On your feet!"

"Nooo," Harry deeply groaned, rolling onto his stomach and digging his face into his pillow, "I never want to get up again. Leave me be."

He really didn't want to get up again.

"Haaarry!" Niall sang, crawling over to him and climbing right onto his back, sprawling himself out on top of him. "Get uuup!"

"Get off." Harry snapped, trying to shake him off using his shoulders. "You fat shit, you're squishing me."

"I am offended!" Niall faked a scoff, but couldn't help letting out a little cackle to follow. He couldn't stay serious for long. He stood up and relieved Harry of the weight that had been on him.

As overdramatic as it sounded, Harry felt completely empty with regret that morning. He wished he hadn't said something so intimate to Louis; wished he had stayed comforting and attentive instead. Although he did try to stress to Louis that it was a joke after saying it, and Louis had responded with 'Okay, Harry', he still felt so deeply embarrassed and humiliated with himself. He couldn't read Louis' mind, but right now it was all he wanted to do.

Jay loudly asked across the hallway whether Harry and Niall would like to stay another night, after work, loudly enough (annoyingly) for Louis to have probably heard from inside his room. Harry hated being put on the spot.

"Uh... I'm actually not really feeling like it, but thanks for the offer."

"Why, Harry?" Niall gaped. "Come on, we could stay up even later tonight!"

Harry had already stayed up late enough in the kitchen with Louis. He couldn't be in the house with him again.

"Yeah, at least think about it." Liam smiled. "Please? You've got the day to think."