Dare To Love

17 - Control

Louis walked, the sound of his footsteps echoing against the concrete sidewalk as he pressed the second number on his speed dial. His heart was thudding into his ribcage in painful tremors as he waited through the three agonizingly long rings before his best friend's voice finally drifted through the line.

"Louis?" Zayn asked. "Are you finally done being an ass—"

"Are you busy, right now?" Louis blurted, passing a hand through his hair. "Like are you in your room?"

"Really, Lou? You've known me for basically two years, and you don't know what I do on Tuesday nights?" Zayn snorted into the phone. "I just smoked, which might explain why I'm not that mad at you right now. I'm watching Finding Nemo. It's really twisted when you think about it. Merlin's wife and kids are brutally murdered by a serial killer, and his only living kid is left physically disabled because of it. Nemo gets kidnapped and the dad has to chase the kidnapper thousands of miles with the help of a mentally disabled woman, and when—"

"I don't give a fuck about Nemo," Louis let out a trembling, frustrated sigh. "Are you home, or not?"

"Chill," Zayn said, his tone shifting to concerned. The knock of a door echoed through Louis' phone, followed quickly by shuffling. "There's someone at my door."

"I know."

"What do you mean you—"

The boy opened his door to reveal a frazzled Louis, his phone pressed to his ear and eyes watery. Zayn started to laugh, but the look in his friend's eyes caused the sound to die immediately in his throat. Zayn nearly dropped his phone as he quickly reached out for his best friend and tugged him into the small room.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Louis began to pace over the short length of the room, passing his hands frantically into his hair.

"Uh," Zayn muttered as he watched Louis pace around his room. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry that I was an absolute asshole," Louis blurted, passing a hand frantically through his hair. "I'm sorry that I ran out. I'm sorry that I ran away without telling anyone. And I'm sorry for getting asshole disease."

Both boys chuckled at that. "I never thought I'd see Louis Tomlinson apologizing."

"Fuck off," Louis chuckled.

"Did you only come here to swear at me?"

"I'm gonna tell you why I left," Louis blurted. "You better sit down cus it's a long story."

Zayn reached towards the remote, muting the rerun of Finding Nemo playing on the TV, taking a seat on his bed and keeping quiet, waiting for Louis to say whatever it was he needed to get off his chest. Zayn leaned a little toward his friend, locking eyes and raising an eyebrow.

"We kissed," Louis blurted, shaking his head and alternating between planting his hands on his hips and tugging at the bottom of his white shirt. "Harry and I, we kissed twice. Well, more than twice, but basically twice."

"You what?" Zayn squawked, eyes widening in surprise.

"After the party, I kissed Harry," Louis mumbled to himself in panic. "And I realized that I'm—"

Louis' lips parted as if he were about to answer an unspoken question, but then he reached for Zayn's beer bottle and tipped it back. Zayn's eyes widened as Louis drained the entire glass in one massive gulp.

Louis had to look away, jaw tight and eyes starting to tear up. He didn't want to see Zayn's expression change as he realized who he'd been best friends with for the past year, the friend he'd let sleep on his floor, the one he'd drunkenly regaled with his deepest fears. Louis couldn't watch Zayn's face when he started seeing him for who he really was.