Tempest || l.s. ✓

Chapter 30

"Do you kiss people casually?" Zayn turned to Harry.

"I can't say I do." He shook his head, adding a self-depreciating, "I'm not sure anyone would want me to anyway."

"What do you mean?" Louis frowned.

"Nothing, don't worry. It's just that I've got like two friends and everyone else avoids me."

"Why would they avoid you?"

"I don't know. Some rumour or something. It doesn't matter anymore."

Zayn shuffled on his seat so that his foot was under him. "I'd kiss you. You're hot." He almost laughed at Louis's face. "Wanna shotgun?"

"I-um-"

"No, he doesn't." Louis glared, and that made Zayn actually laugh.

"I asked Harry." Zayn smirked.

"No thank you. I tend to save my kissing for people I like."

"I know we met today but am I not likeable enough?"

"No, no. That's not what I meant, I mean people I like like. Or love."

"Is that many people then?" Zayn teased.

Harry simply shook his head. "I've only ever kissed 2 people." He admitted shyly.

"You've never kissed someone in a casual way?" Zayn looked a little shocked.

"Come on Zayn. We've established this. Not everyone has your laid-back lifestyle. Right, now that we've established that none of us are going to be shotgunning with eachother anytime soon, let's move on."

"What time is it?" Harry asked through a yawn, a small billow of smoke spilling out of his mouth.

"No clue mate." Zayn shrugged.

"Are you tired?" Louis was now sat on the grass next to Harry's chair.

Harry nodded, almost joking about how tiring being suicidal was again, until he realised Zayn was there. "Life is very tiring." He settled for.

Louis gave him a small sympathetic smile. "Do you want to go to bed?"

"The sun's still setting. It's probably around 8 actually so it's a bit early." Harry shrugged, closing his eyes again.

"Never too early for sleep." Zayn spoke.

"You'd sleep all day if you could." Louis snorted.

"I can actually thank you Louis. But I choose not to." Zayn stuck his middle finger up again. Harry learned that the two liked to do that very much.

Harry bought his knees up to his chest, readjusting the blanket before closing his eyes again. He stubbed out the joint in the ashtray- did Louis smoke? Why was there an ashtray?

"Do you smoke?" Harry verbalised his thoughts.

"Nah, not anymore." Louis shook his head. "Gave up cigarettes last year."

"That's really good." Harry smiled, shutting his eyes again.

He was feeling rather dozy, definitely courtesy of the weed as well as life.

"Oi, H, are you asleep?" Louis prodded his leg lightly and Harry mewled a little.

"Yes."

"Do you want any more pizza?"

"I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow. 'm too tired to move."

"You should go to bed. You're about to fall asleep."

"I can't be arsed with moving." He huffed.

"Well you can't sleep out here. You'll catch a cold."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I just don't want you to get ill. Come on, let's all go inside and you can sleep on the sofa if you want."

"Only if you carry me." He mumbled and Zayn wiggled his eyebrows at Louis.

"Come on then." Louis stubbed out his joint before bending over and scooping Harry up easily.

Harry squeaked, his eyes opening wide. "What? How did you pick me up?"

"Oh yeah, forgot to tell you. I used to be a strong man in the circus."

"Really?" Harry tilted his head, looking genuinely confused.

"No you twat. Of course I wasn't."

Harry just pouted before closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of being close. He forgot Zayn was there for a second, until Zayn snorted out a laugh.

"I'm just imagining you as a strong man Lou and it's hilarious."

"Rude." Louis muttered, "can you open the door for us?"

"Only if you carry me next time."

"No way. You can fuck right off. Open the door or you're not staying here."

"Whipped." Zayn coughed and Louis glared, not sure if Harry heard him or not.

"Zayniekins, open the door."

Zayn did so and Louis walked through to the living room, placing Harry down on the sofa.

Harry murmured a small "thanks" staring up at Louis with large unblinking eyes as Louis covered him up with his blanket.

"You're welcome Curly." Louis stroked a hand over his hair once before settling on the opposite sofa with Zayn.

"I'm going to go visit Barbara tomorrow." Zayn told him, "you coming?"

"Might do. I should probably stay here though. You can bring her over if you want. As long as she brings cookies."

"I'll let her know the terms and conditions to enter the Tomlinson household."

"Cookies and a jar of homemade jam."

"Alright."

"Anything for you Harry?" Zayn chuckled, but got no answer.

"He's asleep, bless his cotton socks." Louis smiled.

"God you really are whipped."

"I am not."

"You are."

"Not."

"Are so dude." Zayn rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Z." Louis huffed, adding a whispered "what if he's still awake?"

Zayn just rolled his eyes again. "Then you can fuck."

"Jesus." Louis shook his head.

"Snog then. I dunno."

"Right, moving on...how are you?"

"I'm proper good bro, I've been doing more art again. Yeah, everything is going pretty well. What about you, and Harry?"

Louis hadn't told Zayn exactly what was going on with Harry, just kind of hinting at it in conversation. He didn't want to tell someone else about what Harry was going through unless Harry gave him permission, but he didn't really know what to do.

He'd never really dealt with anything like this before, and he didn't want to go about it wrong, fearing he may do more harm than good. Zayn had more experience with this kind of thing, so he'd asked for some advice which Zayn had gladly given

"I'm good. We're getting through shit you know. One day at time."

"If you need help with anything you know I'm here mate. Just let me know."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. Thank you." Louis sighed with a smile, glancing at the sleeping boy. "I think everything will be okay. It will."

"I hope so. Harry seems so sweet."

"He is. He really, really is the sweetest boy. He deserves the world."