Larry Stylinson One Shots II

Too Much/Not Enough

"My parents host these charity fundraisers every year for their business. My brother and I get dragged along, but he's at university a few hours away so he gets a pass," the boy explains, pointing to a couple, surely no older than 50, chatting happily with a small group of people.

"How old are you?" Louis asks.

"19. I'm Harrison, by the way." He extends his hand, which Louis cordially shakes with a warm smile.

"Harrison's similar to Harry, that's my boyfriend-" Louis claps his hand over his mouth as soon as he processes what he just said. "I didn't say that." Fuck.

"Your secret's safe with me." Harrison purses his lips and pretends to zip them shut, then flicks away the key. Louis smiles, but he feels panicked inside.

"Hey." Louis hears a familiar voice and feels a familiar hand gently take hold of his arm. He looks over his shoulder at Harry, then takes a step back to invite him into the conversation. "We have to go to our room now. Paul's waiting." Louis frowns when he hears this, because he has only just met his new friend.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I have to go now," Louis mournfully says to Harrison. Harrison doesn't look too upset by this news, and Louis knows that Harrison feels like less of an outcast at the gathering just from their conversation.

"I understand. Thanks for coming and talking to me, it was really nice meeting you," Harrison beams.

"Likewise. I like making friends on the road." Harrison's smile doubles in size at this as his eyes shift from Louis to Harry. Harry gives his best fake smile as he slightly tightens his grip on Louis' arm; Louis knows Harry is tired of exchanging pleasantries and just wants to go to bed.

As soon as Louis and Harry start for the elevators, Louis drops his smile and his heart fills with dread. He accidentally outed him and Harry. The elevator doors smoothly slide shut, sealing the couple, plus Paul, inside the silver box. Louis remains silent until he and Harry are safe and alone inside their hotel room, then he emits a frustrated groan.

"What's the matter?" Harry asks, looking up from his sneakers while continuing to untie them.

"I just fucking told Harrison that you and I are dating. He's probably gonna tell everyone now," Louis sighs as he heads into the bathroom. His mind is jumping to the worst conclusions, some of them completely irrational but entirely plausible in the foreground of Louis' mind.

"Don't stress yourself out over it," Harry says, stating the obvious.

"Easy for you to say..." Louis and Harry wet their toothbrushes, and Harry puts small globs of toothpaste onto both of them. The boys are quiet while they brush their teeth. Louis, as always, hogs the sink because the foamed up toothpaste always finds a way to drip down his chin and out of his mouth, while Harry's stays inside his mouth until he spits.

"All this empathy and you couldn't tell that Harrison isn't gonna tell anyone?" Harry quietly chuckles after the pair rinse their mouths and toothbrushes.

Louis strips down to his underwear and slips underneath the surprisingly comfortable bedsheets as his mind races. He thinks of all the possible things that could happen after telling Harrison his secret, weighing each one and disecting it for any rational qualities. His brain will only allow him to accept the facts, which are that he let it slip that he and Harry are dating, and that Harrison pretended to zip his lips shut. Maybe Harrison won't tell anyone after all, but Louis can't be sure.

"Night." Louis gives Harry a quick kiss before rolling over to his side of the bed, taking an unfair amount of blanket with him and his jumbled thoughts.

"Boo," Harry deadpans.

"Hm?"

"Come here, little one." Harry's soft tone immediately makes Louis melt in the most terrible way. Louis shuffles around to face his boyfriend, who is still sitting up, having not moved since they kissed.

"What?" Louis wonders, his eyebrows slightly upturned and his thin lips pouting.

"I know you're still thinking about it," Harry says.

"So what if I am?" Louis brings his hands out from underneath the blanket and slowly runs his hands through his hair. He always finds himself fidgeting in any way, no matter how small, whenever Harry is solely focused on him.

"You need to learn to handle your own emotions before taking on other people's emotions. You have to put your oxygen mask on before helping other people put on theirs."

"What?"

"Like on a plane," Harry clarifies.

"Oh," Louis slowly nods. "Well I don't think I'm gonna learn that tonight," he softly says.

"That's alright." Harry offers a soft smile, then lays down. Louis gravitates towards the younger boy, fitting into his side like they were made to fit together. His lips form a content smile as he takes in Harry's calming touch and his familiar scent; the strong, rhythmic beating of his heart serves as Louis' own personal lullaby each night.

All of the emotions Louis has taken on throughout the day are relinquished the deeper he slips into sleep. Even if Louis can't handle his own emotions, Harry is able to take care of them as if they were his very own.

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I started 2 one shots (plus this one, so three) but once I get like 70% done with them it's so difficult to finish them 😩

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