Letters to the Author -Larry Stylinson

chapter twelve

"See you mate." Louis gulped, ignoring the tugging feeling he got as Niall slowly pulled from his embrace, his bleached blonde hair tickling his nose. "Next week, yeah?"

"Yeah," Niall said, frowning, squeezing Louis' arm before meeting Harry's eyes. "Nice meeting you, Harry. Don't hurt my best friend."

Louis smiled sadly, already missing Niall even though he hadn't left yet. It made him feel a little better that Harry, who was politely waving at Niall, was here to accompany him for a day before he left to visit his own family.

"Gotta catch my plane," Niall shoved his thumb over his shoulder, before whipping around and starting to drag himself and his suitcase towards where he was going to board the plane. Louis yelled out one last goodbye before turning around.

"I already miss him," Louis admitted, and then he felt a gentle pressure on his shoulder. He looked and saw Harry's hand, and he melted into the touch.

"It's okay, Lou," Harry gave him a soft smile, and it made Louis blush. The airport smelled of hot dogs and people, a smell Louis didn't like quite that much. For some reason, before he thought about it, his arm went up to wrap around Harry's waist, out of a habit, even though he had never done it before.

He shot his hand back to his side when Harry let out a surprised breath. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, his cheeks warming. But Harry was smiling at him, a light gleam in his eye that Louis had never seen before. Louis felt a skip in his heart at the sight.

"It's okay. I liked that a lot, actually," Harry said lowly, his accent smooth as chocolate. Louis jumped a bit when Harry snaked his arm around Louis' hips, pulling him closer as they walked out the doors of the airport. Louis couldn't breathe for a second, Harry's gentle hand on the curve of his waist feeling so natural and wonderful.

"Do you want me to drive you to where your publisher is meeting you?" Louis asked, missing Harry's hold on him as he slid into the driver's seat of his car. Harry got in the other side, before meeting Louis' gaze with a big grin.

"I cancelled it, put it off for tomorrow."

And Louis was blushing all over again.

***

"You know I used to walk around the city and go into every store, and I would look around and try to imagine myself using the things on the shelves. I reckoned that if I had a waffle maker, I would have a family, with a little girl who loved to eat daddy's waffles with lots of syrup. But if I had a porn magazine, I would be a lonely uni kid that was after sex and didn't have anybody to fulfill that need. And if I bought your book, I lived in your life. For just a little bit."

Harry turned his gaze from the window to Louis, who was driving around aimlessly. His shift was over, and he had all of his things packed for tomorrow.

"My life." Harry hummed. "And what would that be?"

Louis laughed to himself, stopping on the intersection and leaning back a bit in his seat. "A hopeless romantic, obsessed with the idea that soul mates will always find each other. A big believer in fate. Someone who loves the idea of having food fights in the morning and is fascinated with Christmas lights."

It was silent for a moment, the only noise the occasional honk from a nearby car and Harry gentle tapping his rings against the dashboard.

"That's all you rem- know about me?"

Louis looked at him for a second, at his prominent jawline and long lashes. "Yeah, I think so," he replied.

Harry cleared his throat, adjusting his position in the seat of Louis' car. "Let's talk about you, yeah?" There was a thickness to his tone that seemed familiar, that hinted to Louis that Harry was upset about something.

"I don't like to talk about me," Louis said.

"But it's my favourite subject," Harry responded smoothly, before giving Louis a sparkling smile.

Louis' cheeks burned. "What would you like to know, famous author Harry Styles?"

"What's your favourite song?"

A simple question, really. But the way Harry asked, with so much carefulness and... hope in his voice, caused Louis' mind to cloud for a bit, and he furrowed his brow. Why was he making such a big deal about Harry asking him a question?

"Uhm," Louis paused, gulping quietly. He felt a tug in his heart when the response automatically came out of him, without a thought. "Waiting on the World to Change, by John Mayer."

Harry's breath caught, and Louis could see him in the corner of his eye as he laid his head against the window, his lips open slightly and his eyes closed. "Why is that?" He whispered, his voice tight.

Louis pulled into a parking lot and stopped, feeling the car sway beneath him as he pushed his foot against the brake.

"It makes me feel, happy." He glanced at Harry. "I can't even remember the last time I listened to it, though."

"Do you have a USB plug-in, for your car?" Harry pulled his phone out of his pocket when Louis nodded. "I, uhm, I have it. I can play it."

"That would be nice," Louis said quietly.

He watched Harry bite his lip and blink as he plugged it in and quickly opened up his music app, scrolling through tons of songs before he found the right one.

When he started playing with it, Louis was surprised to see Harry put his head in his knees. He didn't come up, no, so Louis stared ahead, at the sky. The sun was setting.

It was about the chorus when Harry lifted his head, and his face was streaked with tears, and Louis felt a skip in his heart, and when Harry gently, so so gently, lifted his chin with his finger and with the other hand touched his arm, he didn't pull away. He let Harry softly lean into him, pressing their lips together.

"This feels right," Louis whispered. "I don't know you, but this feels so right." And he kissed Harry Styles with a passion burning from an unknown spot in his heart, covered by the millions of books and memories that faded that one slow dance they had, to the song "Waiting on the World to Change, by John Mayer." It beat, it burned, but it was clouded, and it mixed with the taste of Harry's tears on his lips.

***

Sorry I take one hundred years. Don't worry, I haven't forgot about you. I love you too much for that.

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.

VOTE, COMMENT, FOLLOW.

-kayla marie. x