Save Myself // Larry Stylinson

Chapter 9

Harry was seriously resilient... or insane. Louis didn't know which. Maybe he didn't need to know right away. Maybe wasting away a day with Harry would end better than wasting away trying to sleep and not think about the shit storm he was attempting to live through.

So he didn't let himself over-think it.

Louis: What time should I pick you up?

Louis didn't bother being surprised by how easily he remembered how to get to Harry's apartment building. He also didn't allow himself to have any expectations. He honestly didn't know how he'd managed to find the strength enough to face Harry again, especially after he'd definitely broken down before he was out of Harry's eyesight. Harry knew too much. Louis wasn't really sure how to feel about that. He wasn't sure if it was something that was going to haunt him and break him further, or if it was something that would just continue to grow. All he really knew for sure was that Harry seemed genuine in his actions, and he'd shared his own pain with Louis and he appreciated that. Sometimes he got too lost in his own head and he forgot that he wasn't the only one who suffered. Maybe it was a bit fucked up that he wanted to find kinship in suffering, but it was what he knew.

When he pulled up, Harry was already waiting out front. His smile lit up when he saw Louis' car and, even though he was trying exceptionally hard not to analyse it, Louis wasn't sure why Harry seemed to happy to see him. As soon as he stopped the car, the passenger side door swung open and Harry's smile beamed in at him in full capacity.

"It's so nice to see Marsha again!" He announced, closing the door behind him, "it's good that you could be here, too,"

Thank god. Whatever weird thing had been happening between them last night seemed to have passed. Harry was light and happy and joking again. Louis smiled back at him and undid his seatbelt.

"You drive," he jumped out of his seat before he had a chance to hear Harry's response.

Louis rounded the car and opened the still occupied passenger's side. Harry stared up at him, completely flabbergasted.

"Well, go on, then," urged Louis, "places to go, things to do and all that,"

Harry got out of his seat and brushed passed Louis in his excitement to get to the driver's seat. Louis sat down and pulled the seatbelt across him. Harry got into the driver's seat and grinned across at Louis.

"Are you sure?" He spoke as he shifted his seat back and adjusted the rearview mirror.

Louis nodded once, an easy smile on his face.

"But... like this is a Mercedes Benz. Aren't you afraid I might crash it?"

Louis raised an eyebrow at Harry, "it's just a car, Harry,"

Harry huffed a laugh and bit down on his bottom lip.

"What?"

"I guess," laughed Harry, "that, that's the first time you've actually sounded... spoiled,"

Once the words were out of his mouth, Harry looked like he regretted them. But he hadn't meant them to be hurtful, and Louis felt that. Harry just wanted to playfully tease. Louis didn't mind that. So he laughed back.

"Full disclosure," he said, not really believing how easily they'd fallen into this place, "I am kind of spoiled when it comes to things. This is my third Mercedes,"

He wasn't bragging. He was just playing. He was drawing the lines about what Harry was allowed to tease him about. It felt okay.

"You've had three cars," Harry shook his head back and forth in disbelief.