Untangle Me - L.S (boyxboy)

Chapter 9.

They wonder back inside, Louis scooping up the duvet in his arms and dragging it lazily across the ground, Harry holding the all but empty tray of brownies with the oven gloves slung around his neck like a scarf. It makes Louis squint when they step back in through the patio doors, the light of the kitchen so bright and obtrusive. The whirring of the AC unit and the rumbling of the dishwasher are an unpleasant contrast to the uninterrupted silence of the outdoors.

He fumbles with the patio window, arms feeling heavy and fingertips fuzzy. He can't get the lock to click shut, keeps jabbing his fingers into the wrong part. When it's finally in its place, he turns back around to survey the area. He's met with the sight of Harry, bent down and rummaging through his fridge.Louis chuckles softly, making his way over. When he reaches Harry, he puts a hand on his back. Just places it there, like a greeting. "What're you after?" Louis asks him, taking his hand away again.

Harry stands up, angling his body slightly to face Louis. "Drink, m'mouth's really dry. S'like cotton mouth but worse. 'Cos of the brownies, they make your mouth dry anyway don't they?"

Louis nods at him, he's not really taking in much of what Harry's saying. He gets like this when he's really stoned, words seem to roll out of other peoples mouths and bypass the entrance to his ears. He's watching him though, how his eyes are all bloodshot and his pupils blown. How the harshness of the ceiling light is casting shadows from his eyelashes over his cheeks. The way the neckline of his shirt is slipping over his shoulder, exposing his pointed collarbone, golden skin pulled taunt over it.

Harry starts to giggle, little small ones that erupt into a fit, his shoulders rising and his hand on his stomach.

"What?" Louis snaps back to reality, half laughing as he speaks.

Harry splutters through his words, trying to speak over his uncontrollable giggle. "We are so stoned." He whispers it like it's some big secret, toothy smile spread over his face.

Louis caves at that, erupting into his own laughing fit. It's like it spills out of him, just a wave of laughter that wont break, keeps growing until his sides are aching and his mouth hurts from smiling so much. Harry's no better, getting it under wraps for a moment before catching Louis' eye and starting them both off all over again. After what seems like forever, Harry finally takes a big breath, falling back into a comfortable smile, little giggles spilling out when he exhales.

"I'm even more thirsty now." Harry says, so blunt and deadpan that it almost gets Louis going again.

"Would you like tea?" Louis manages to say with a somewhat straight face.

"Tea would be amazing." Harry yawns, stretching his arms above his head and pulling them behind his back. Louis licks his lips at the way Harry's white shirt stretches over his torso, how it rides up over his hips and shows off his slightly obnoxious laurel tattoos. When Harry looks back at him, Louis just gives him a feeble thumbs up before picking up the kettle and filling it up in the sink. "Um, Harry?" Louis asks over the noise of the water starting to boil inside the kettle.

"Mm?" Harry responds, rubbing his eye with the fabric of his sleeve.

"Would you, erm, d'you wanna stay round here tonight? Just cos s'late and I don't fancy you driving all the way back still blazed. I mean, only if you want to. Just an offer, feel free to decline, no pressure."

Harry presses his lips together, smile still sneaking across his face regardless. He nods back at Louis slowly, "That'd be nice, yeah."

"Sick." Louis replies, dragging the word out. "Um...there's like, a guest room down the hall. For you to sleep in, fresh sheets and all that."