Blood Stream

Chapter 1: Your Silence Is Enough

When Harry walks into his flat from his long walk from uni, he smells the terrible smell. The smell he despises. The smell of beer, weed, and sex mixed together.

He hates when Louis does this.

"Not again." Harry sighs as he knows he'll need to look after his best friend for the rest of the night. He hangs his coat up on the coat rack and takes off his shoes, leaving him in one red and one orange sock due to getting dressed in the dark.

He goes into the bathroom and grabs a glass of water and painkillers, going into their room. The house was a one bedroom and it was big enough for the two of them.

"Lou?" Harry calls, opening the door to see a passed out Louis with some girl.

Harry shakes his head and goes over to the girl. Probably another heart Louis will break.

It isn't hard to fall in love with the blue-eyed boy.

He shakes her gently, he has had to do this too many times for his liking. She looks at him with tired eyes looking him up and down.

"Sorry to wake you up, love, but you should probably leave before he gets up. He's cranky and isn't very nice," he tells her sweetly, ignoring her eyes still trailing over his features. Most of them do for the first minute.

"But he said he loves-s me," she slurs out. Harry sighs.

How could Louis be so cruel sometimes?

"L-Louis—" Harry hands her her shirt. "He doesn't love. He may say he loves you, but he doesn't. I'm sorry." She shakes her head, getting dressed right in front of Harry who averts his eyes.

"He has to love someone, everyone loves someone." She explains, putting on her shirt.

"He doesn't. He doesn't love his family, he doesn't love his friends, he doesn't love me. Well, I guess I classify in the friend's category, though." She chuckles a bit. "Sometimes I wonder if he only keeps me around for rent," he jokes trying to lighten the mood, but she just sighs sadly. Harry knows that she knows he isn't joking. Even he could hear it in his voice.

"Give him my number, at least," she says, giving Harry a piece of paper. Harry nods because it's the least he could do for the poor girl. She pulls out a pen and grabs Harry's arm writing her number on his arm.

"But you should call me if you ever need—" She pauses. "A break from stress." She winks and Harry thinks maybe her name won't become a part of the endless list of heartbroken people Louis keeps in a hidden jar, Harry being one of them. "Or just if you need to talk."

He leads her to the door, ignoring her stare and tells her to take care because he's just the type of person to care about what happens to a person he just met. He walks back upstairs to see Louis sitting up in his bed with a confused look.

"Where did Eleanor go?" He asks, looking at Harry. Harry just stares at Louis sadly, not moving any closer.

"She left. She gave me her number if you want it." Louis shrugs.

"Maybe I'll call her for a second round," Louis says.

Why am I friends with such a jerk?

"Did you finally get a tattoo?" Harry shakes his head. Louis doesn't know about his swallows he has for the two of them or the 'A' he has on his shoulder for his mother. He doesn't know because he never falls for Louis' false words to try and get him in bed. Harry is still a virgin and wants to lose it to someone who loves him. He knows Louis will never love him so he won't ever have Louis in that way or more so he won't let Louis have Harry in that way.

"She gave me her number in case I ever want to talk to her about stuff that's bothering me and you're too stoned or drunk to listen," Harry says, but he doesn't snap it. Harry doesn't snap at people unless he's so far past furious. Harry talks in a quiet tone, soft and soothing. For Louis, it's almost worse because he can't yell at Harry without feeling bad.

Harry doesn't want to tell Louis it's because of half of a booty call. If there is a chance that he actually shows interest in someone Harry does everything in his power to get them together. Just for the small, sliver of a chance that Louis could find love. That's all Harry really wants.

"You never talk to me about stuff," Louis snaps harshly, glaring at Harry. Harry looks at him with a small smile, the smile Louis hates because he feels bad for doing whatever he did. Harry really doesn't know the effect he has on people, Louis especially.

Harry doesn't know he has any effect on Louis.

"Because you're always too stoned or drunk for me to tell you anything without you throwing up or passing out." Harry chuckles, looking away from Louis' glare. "Did you tell her you loved her?" Harry asks, looking up at Louis with a face you can't lie too. A face that was almost a glare, but kindness was mix with it. A face only Harry could make happen.

Louis stays silent, turning away from Harry. Harry sighs after a few minutes. He goes to his side of the bed and grabs the pillow that Eleanor was sleeping on. Louis watches him with confused eyes.

"Where are you going?" Louis asks, going to get up, but falling back when the room spins. Harry rolls his eyes—not that Louis sees—and grabs the water and painkillers on the side table, giving them to Louis. Louis takes them with no problem, then looking back at Harry, expecting an answer.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch, I'm tired and—"

"Just sleep in here with me then," Louis tells him, interrupting him to get a rise out of Harry. Harry stays calm even though he's angry with Louis.

"Not until you change the sheets and you are obviously in no condition to do that." Louis looks at him unimpressed.

"You sleep in the same bed with me even if I'm wanking and moaning your name. And then you let me cuddle with you after, what's the real problem?" Louis asks with frustration clear in his voice. Then realizes it's about him telling Eleanor he loved her. "I never said that I told her I loved her." Both he and Harry both know he's lying straight through his teeth so he doesn't know why he even tried. It's an old trick to get virgins in bed, anyone really.

Minus Harry.

"Your silence is enough, Louis." Louis knows when he royally fucks up because Harry never calls him Louis.

Never.

Harry walks out of the room with those last words, not looking back.