Live, Love, Lies

3.

Louis rolls his eyes as he holds his phone away from his ear, wincing as his friend shouts down the phone.
"Calm down? How can I calm down when you're going on a date with your partner?" Liam bellows excitedly. Louis can just imagine him, brown eyes sparkling and lips stretched into a wide grin.

"It's not a date, Liam," Louis spits like his name is an insult. "We're going to lunch, not to a bar where he is going to buy me drinks to make me blush."
"Okay, you made progress," Liam compromises, humming gently as his boyfriend comes behind him to press a kiss to his neck. He leans back into his embrace, eyes fluttering closed.

"Hi, Lou," Zayn calls down the phone, "my Li being a good boy?"
"Always is, Z," Louis answers, teeth worrying his bottom lip as he looks through his wardrobe.
"How's Harry?" Zayn asks, taking the phone from Liam and putting it on speaker, setting it on the counter.
"He's your friend, you should know," Louis grumbles.

Louis and Harry had both been friends with Zayn when they were younger, often using him as a messenger for their flirty confessions. When Harry and Louis were separated, Zayn remained friends with both of them. When he was paired with Liam, Louis had been ecstatic, welcoming Liam easily into his life.

Now Zayn models, trying to encourage Harry to join him. Liam always teases them for being stuck up celebrities, rolling his eyes when Zayn strikes a pose with a ridiculous pout and insists that Liam likes it. Though they joke, Liam definitely keeps Louis and Zayn grounded, not impressed by their riches and their popularity. He loves them both for who they are, not who the public knows them as.

"Well you saw him yesterday," Zayn says matter-of-fact-ly. "You getting ready for your lunch?"
"Yeah," Louis sighs, flopping onto his bed to stare disdainfully at his wardrobe. "I just- I don't know where we're going with it."

He mutters a 'fuck it' and pulls a pair of ripped jeans on, a white t-shirt and his denim jacket. His lips turn down in a frown as he looks in the mirror.

"I look like a sub," he whispers, rubbing at his face, phone forgotten on his bed.
"Lou?" Liam shouts down the phone, wondering why his best friend isn't on the phone. Louis fumbles to pick it up and hold it to his ear.
"Gotta go, lads. Text you later," Louis says rather abruptly.

Liam and Zayn share a knowing look with each other, Liam squeezing Zayn's hip under his hand.
"Okay, Lou. Have fun," Liam says gently. Louis bites his lip. He is such a dick and his friends are so lovely.
"Yeah," Zayn agrees. "Don't stress, just try to enjoy yourself. How about we go for a drink later? You could invite Harry."
"I'll ask him. Thanks, mate. See you later."

He can't help the quirk of his lips when a message from Harry makes his phone buzz.

I hope you know that I want to make this work, no matter what happens with our testing x

Louis feels his smile grow larger, butterflies in his belly making him feel like he was 15 years old again, kissing Harry for the first time. They really need to talk about this, Louis thinks as he grabs his keys and leaves, there have been too many mixed messages already.

Before he begins to drive he types out his reply to Harry, deleting and rephrasing his message over and over until he finally sends it.

Same here. Thank you for being so patient with me x

Harry beams down at his phone, pulling his cheetah shirt on with his black jeans, unable to help the shiver that runs down his spine. As a dom it his instinct to care for people, protect them. He had spoken to Gemma again, worried that he wouldn't be able to give Louis what he wants, what he needs, to adjust to whatever happens -- but Louis approves.