Breaking Louis Tomlinson {Larry Stylinson AU}

Chapter Eight

“Welcome home Louis,” Harry said carefully, clearing his throat as Louis threw is jacket down out of frustration. “I think there’s someone here for you.”

“Look Harry, I’m not in the fucking mood—“ Louis started angrily, but he stopped mid-track as he turned around. “I—holy hell—Zayn?”

Sure enough, standing there with his hands tucked into his pocket and that shy smile on his face was Zayn, looking a little apprehensive and definitely tired. Bags made his usually bright eyes look duller, and his face was a bit peaky in Louis’s opinion, but shit, he was still handsome as ever.

“Hey mate,” Zayn said awkwardly to cut the heavy silence that had fallen over them. “It’s er—um—just… Oh for god’s sake, c’mere Louis and give me a fucking hug.”

Harry and Ed laughed as Louis stepped forward slowly, his face emotionless as Zayn’s arms squeezed him tightly, so tightly he felt like he wouldn’t be able to breathe properly for the next three weeks. Zayn sighed into his shoulder and inhaled Louis’s scent like he’d been missing for five years.

“You’re a twat for making me sick with worry,” Zayn murmured, closing his eyes and not letting Louis go. “You know that, right?”

“Always have,” Louis answered back humourlessly, and in that moment, he knew he wouldn’t hold anything against Zayn, even though he worried like a mum and planted unneeded doubt into his family’s mind.

“Good,” Zayn answered back thickly as he let Louis go. He swore he saw something glimmering in the corner of eye—but no, Zayn couldn’t be crying…

Louis and Zayn looked away, both embarrassed.

“Anyway,” Harry cut in, uncomfortable with the obvious emotion fizzling between Louis and Zayn. “We wanted to celebrate Ed’s move to London and the New Year with a bit of a party. We thought we could go clubbing, you know, end the year with a bang.”

“Oh,” is all Louis said because he hated clubs and crowded spaces. But it didn’t sound like he had much of a choice in the manner, plus he was still a little struck with shock from seeing Zayn to form an argument.

“You can get changed quickly if you’d like,” Zayn said. “You’ll ride with me and Harry and Ed will drive together, yeah? It’s been a little too long.”

Louis nodded slowly and turned on heel, his head pulsing. He was tired from his shift and ready for a good nap, but clubbing with Harry was an undeniable turn-on. He wondered what Harry would act like when he was drunk, his cheeks flushed with intoxication, his eyes bright with excitement. Louis sighed to himself and shook that thought away, because Harry was his friend, sexual frustrations aside.

With that thought in mind, Louis did put a bit of effort into his appearance. He wore a grey sweater that brought out the flecks of grey in his eyes and his infamous tight trousers that were just a tad looser than Harry’s and his usual TOMs. His hair was mussed to its usual effortless perfection, and his face was cleanly shaven. Overall, Louis looked well.

By time he was all ready, Ed and Harry had left out to the club and it was just Zayn sitting on his sofa, arms crossed, looking out of the window. Louis hid in the shadows so he could study him for a minute; so much had changed between them since they last saw each other that Louis didn’t quite know how to act.

Zayn’s face was heavy with tiredness and his shoulders sagged like he was carrying bricks on his back. Louis noticed Zayn’s eyes were a bit red, but not in the sleepy way: he’d been getting high again. Louis didn’t get his addiction; he’d smoked weed once and hated it after he came down from the high because of the shitty after-feelings. He was more of a social smoker, but Zayn did it whenever he needed it.