cradle to grave

Distance III

Louis POV

We walk in to find liam staring blankly at the TV, but clearly not watching anything.

"Zayn, be a darling and pick us a movie... I wanna talk to liam for a second" I say, smirking at him.

"Somehow that makes me feel like the dumb wife whose not allowed in men's conversations" he says, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Thought you said you missed me darling, now I'm back. Enjoy it"

Huffing, "Yeah, I'm over it" Zayn says, but starts searching for a movie anyways.

I turn to liam, "can we talk?"

He gets up without a fuss, and follows me to the passage. I don't really want to get into any bedrooms incase he's still irrationally angry, and starts throwing punching. So I'm very shocked, when he immediately opens his mouth to apologize to me.

"Lou, I'm sorry about what I said to you earlier. It was out of line, and mean... it's just, I'm so jealous of you I can hardly breath. And you're my best mate, I love you. But even when you're ignoring him, all he wants to talk about is you. And I just got fed up with being over looked, I know that's no excuse but it's all I can say to defend myself." Liam saying, looking down in shame.

I put a hand on his shoulder, "liam mate, I understand. Even I worried that maybe with how close me and Zayn are, I could be leading him on in some way. But I'm not, I love him... I'd do anything for him, but I know I'm not inlove with him...and he knows that too. And I believe and I want you guys to be together, cause he might not see it yet. But you guys are perfect for each other."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and we might not cuddle all the time like I do with Zayn. But you and I, are best mates. And I'll never hurt you intentionally, and if I thought things wouldn't work out with you and Zayn. I would tell you, cause I wouldn't let you get hurt. Even if its by Zayn"

He hugs me, "I'm sorry Lou, and thank you...I hope you and harry work it out too"

I force a laugh, "Yeah yeah me too...but let's go watch that movie before Zayn thinks we're kissing without him"

"Meaning you would kiss me with?" Zayn asks, leaning against a wall not far from us.

"Eavesdropping, not good" I say, clinking my tongue and pointing at him.

"I got bored" he defends.

"Did you even pick the movie?"

"No"

I roll my eyes at him, "well since I'm assuming you heard everything, I don't need to repeat myself. Now hug me, I've missed you guys" I say, already pulling them in for a group hug.

The fact that harry isn't talking to me, still hurts but I feel much better now that me liam and Zayn have fixed things.  It's been a shitty two months.

                              ***

I haven't called, or texted harry for a week now.

I figure since I was wrong with how I went about trying to get Zayn and liam together, bothering harry everyday probably isn't the way to go either.

Zayn says, distance makes the heart grow fonder or something like that. So I'm really giving him the space he wanted.

It's Friday night, I'm going out with Zayn and liam. The plan is to get pissed and get laid.

I'm in front of the mirror fixing my hair when liam comes up to me, all ready to go. "Harry and Niall are coming out with us, just thought you might want to know"

"Right, well he probably won't talk to me. And I've stopped calling and texting so he doesn't have to worry about me bothering him. I'm a man with a plan"

"And what might that plan be?" Zayn asks, joining us.

"Get pissed and get laid, haven't had sex in over two months."

"You think trying to pull with harry there is a good idea?" Liam asks.

"Harry's not talking to me, and last time I checked. He's all grown up, making his own decision. I doubt he's going to be scandalized when he sees me with another man"

"That's not what I meant and you know it"

"Zayn, what you think of my hair?" I ask Zayn, choosing to ignore liam.

"Looks great, not much different than it did 10 minutes ago" Zayn says.

I look back at my hair, "ugh you're right, let's go"

"Since you're getting pissed, I'm driving" liam says, holding his hand out for my keys.

"Or we could get a taxi?"

"But we have to get harry and Niall?" Liam says frowning at me.

I huff, and pass him the keys. I've no time for this.

                          ***

I took the seat, at the back so liam and Zayn could sit together.

Harry and Niall come out, seemly already buzzed and when they realize I'm sitting at the back. Niall tries to get in first so he can sit between me and harry, but harry doesn't let him. 

I pull the handle, trying to get out...

"You stopped texting and calling, and now you can't even sit next to me?"

I look at harry, double checking if he's talking to me.

Then his words register, "its not that I can't sit next to you. I'm giving you the space you asked for "

He looks down at his hands, "and why haven't you texted and called this week?"

"I did that for two months, you didn't talk to me. I thought I'd try some else"

He nods.

I let go of the handle, turning my body towards harry. "Harry, look at me"

He hesitates but he looks up.

"I've missed you, you've no fuckin idea how much I've missed you."

He looks down, leaning his head towards me. So I put my hand on his cheek, brushing my thumb gently and leaning my forehead against his.

"Please stop ignoring me H, I don't know what else to do. I'm scared anything I do might hurt you, but I need you to stop ignoring me please" I tell him, moving my hand to play with the hairs at back of his neck.

"I've missed you too lou" he whispers.

"Yeah?"

"Mmmh"

I pull him in for a hug, and we stay like that for a while.

I hear a door being closed and the car starts moving, so I look up.

"We're happy for you guys, but we weren't about to stand on the side of the road forever." Liam says, meeting my eyes on the rear view mirror.