Tangerine

Chapter 60

Soundtrack: Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues

Dedication: zayn (@zaynmalik) endless sunshine disguised as moonlight, everything simple yet beautifully complex, you send me to the stars and keep me grounded on this earth, massive love to you and everything you do, i couldn't have worked on this project of mine to such an extent without you, all the love and peace in the world x

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"Scarlet! Scar! You won't believe what I just saw!"

"Hey, you," I smile instantly at the sight of Louis jogging down the backstage corridors of Hersheypark Stadium with his shaggy fringe, scruffy stubble, cuffed jean shorts, Stone Roses tank top and white Vans with Sharpie doodles all over them.

"I've been holding this back all afternoon!" Louis wheezes as he reaches me. "Fuck, you won't believe it!"

"Breathe, Lou," I chuckle, rubbing a hand up and down his firm, bare bicep without making it seem like too much of a gesture to our passersby. God, he looks fantastic and feels even better. "What happened?"

"So I was hanging out in Harry's room this morning, super early, mad hungover, shooting shit and trying to wake each other up and whatever. No big deal right?" he questions rhetorically, a raspy chuckle dancing in his lungs.

I try to ignore the tinge of unsettled curiosity brought about by Louis' mere mention of Harry's name. I simply wait for him to go on.

"So somehow I forgot me shoes in there and didn't realise until a good like, twenty minutes later," Louis lowers his voice intriguingly, leading us to stand against the painted white brick wall.

Arena workers wordlessly pass us by, as do members of our own crew, but all of my focus is on Louis' lips. His skin is so perfectly thin and smooth and his teeth are so pointy and white. I'm so drawn to his wet, pink lips and how they move incessantly whenever he speaks and how his laugh lines are momentarily displayed during every specifically pronounced syllable.

"-stack of pillows and-"

"Wait," I wave a hand between us distractedly. "Back the story up, I wasn't listening."

"Best story I've had all year and you weren't listening?!"

"I was zoning out on your mouth."

Louis smirks at me, ever so slowly making a show of darting his tongue out and licking across his lips, "'Course you were."

"Go on, then," I roll my eyes, biting down on my own lip to stifle my massive shit-eating grin. "I lost you at the part about the shoes."

"Alright, so I forgot me shoes, then I went to get those shoes, and I was about to knock on Harry's door, when I remembered that I had me own key! My luck, right?" he talks with his whole body. "So I went inside, grabbed me shoes no problem, and was nearly out the door when I heard like, sounds coming from Harry's bedroom. Like, weird sounds that a regular bloke like me isn't quite used to."

"What was it...?" I examine the lad, completely drawn in at this point.

"I walk into the bedroom and Harry's dead naked like, one hundred percent naked," Louis tries to keep his voice down with difficulty as he recalls the sight. "He'd stacked up a pile of pillows on his bed like, two feet tall and he was humping them! I've never seen the lad so sweaty in me life! His little arse was going at it so hard! He had a fucking fleshlight shoved in there or summat!"

Louis barks out in endless laughter as a deep moan accidentally escapes my lips. Louis goes on laughing and squealing as his voice cracks in the moment, squeezing his eyes shut like he'd go mad if they weren't sealed so tight.