You Can Hear It In The Silence

Chapter 1

At least there was nothing big or heavy to move; that was what Harry kept telling himself while unpacking. He tried to ignore that it was only because he owned nothing big or heavy and just focused on not needing to move anything like that. His last flat came with all the furniture he needed, so he never bought any. This new house came entirely unfurnished, but his new housemates clearly owned furniture because they had managed to fill up the whole house, which included his bedroom, so all he needed to do was unpack.

As Harry knelt on the floor and sorted his clothes into drawers, Niall asked, "You sure you're okay with this room?" He was sitting behind Harry on his new but second-hand bed. "It's kinda small."

Harry nodded, as he continued sorting his clothes. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Not quite the same as having your own flat, is it?"

Harry placed the last pair of trousers in a drawer and then turned to face Niall. "No," he answered truthfully, "but it's better than being homeless." Marginally. "Or moving back into a student hall." Honestly, he'd rather be homeless than move back into student halls as a post-grad student. He wasn't even sure that was allowed.

"Watch it! No slandering student halls around me," Niall said, attempting to look severe, but his twitching lips ruined it for him. "If it hadn't been for student halls, we wouldn't have met."

"If I moved back into one, I might've made a new best friend," Harry said. "Is that what you want?"

They both knew Harry wouldn't have made a new best friend, but Niall played along anyway. "You're right, absolutely! Student housing is the worst."

Harry grinned and got to his feet. "I think I'm finally unpacked."

"Finally, thank fuck! That was a very long thirty minutes. Can't believe it took you that long."

"Yeah, yeah, I don't have much stuff. I get it."

Niall motioned to the bed he was sitting on. "You don't even have sheets."

"Got 'em in the car," Harry said. "Had to buy new ones because my old bed was a double, and this one is...." He motioned to the single bed to finish his sentence.

Niall pursed his lips, and Harry knew what was coming. "We could swi-"

"We're not switching rooms," Harry said with what he hoped was an air of finality.

It mustn't have been, though, because Niall rambled on, "I haven't unpacked yet. It would be easy to swap."

"I'm paying the least amount of rent. It makes sense I get the smallest room," Harry had lost count of how many times they'd had this argument, and he was fed up it. He had already lost the fight about Niall taking the day off to help him move, 'It's a Monday. I'd take it off anyway,' he'd said. Harry wasn't losing this one.

"Yeah, a'right. I know." Niall shuffled on the bed and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Liam and Zayn should be home any minute. We should go downstairs so I can introduce you to Zayn."

"I've met Zayn," Harry said, prickling at the thought of a formal introduction.

"You've seen Zayn. You've been in the same room with Zayn. I wouldn't say you've really met him." Niall reached his arms up towards Harry, and Harry took them and pulled him up.

That wasn't entirely true. Harry was almost certain they'd said hi to each other. "Is it really necessary?" Harry whined.

"For you to meet your new housemate?" Niall raised his eyebrow. "Yes, Harry, I'd put that pretty high on the list of necessities."