Chapter Fourty One.

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Some one asked for a double update, and I had spare time on my hands, so...

“Hey, Louis.”
I turned on my heels to find Dan stood behind me. He received my smile as I glanced back to my locker. His body leant against the metal door of the next compartment to my left as I rummaged, placing things in my bag to go home.
“Everything alright?” I asked.
“Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you.”
I watched as he pushed back some light brown hair from his forehead, freeing his blue vision of obstruction. His height dwarfed mine; everyone seemed to be taller than me. Dan cleared his throat as I patiently waited, glancing down at the time on my phone screen. Harry would be out the front to pick me up.
“Look, I know your boyfriend and I don’t exactly see eye-to-eye…But you and I can still be friends here, right? I know he won’t let you see me outside of work, but..”
I shook my head, frowning. My action ceased Dan’s words, concern on his face.
“I..”
“Harry can be overbearing sometimes, but he doesn’t control me. I’m my own person. Nobody is telling me what to do. I just don’t want to upset him, it will cause more trouble and I don’t desire to see any more arguments between you two.”
Dan seemed to consider my words before giving me a small smile, nodding. He looked a little disappointed.
“That’s fine with me, as long as we get to hang out at work.”
“Course.” I grinned.
He lingered a few seconds before opening his arms.
“Do I get a hug?”
I paused, shutting my locker before shyly nodding and moving closer for Dan to wrap his arms around me. A laugh was squeezed from me, his hold playfully tightening.
“I have to go, Harry will be waiting.”
Dan drew in a deep breath, almost as if he was inhaling the scent of my shampoo. His arms released me rather reluctantly, my body stepping back from his presence. Dark blue eyes held my contact, glancing down to my lips before he smiled.
“See you soon, Lou.”
My eyes widened after him using my nickname, not quite liking the way it sounded on his lips. I quickly composed myself. “Have a good evening.”
My body “gracefully” turned, bumping into the doorframe. I heard Dan chuckle from behind me before I made my way out onto the shop floor. My DMs scuffled along the grey tiles as I searched for my phone which I had dropped into my bag. My eyes scanned for Poppy to say goodbye but she must have been busy with a customer, her blonde locks nowhere in sight. I resumed my walk, wandering over to the heavy entrance door, I frowned, turning my gaze to the far corner of the shop. A man stood, back to me, head bowed. I had no idea why he had caught my attention. We had customers in and out of the music store all the time. Perhaps it was the swirls of dark ink swarming on the skin of his arm that captivated my flickering focus. But I had no time to place the familiar designs in my mind, my body colliding with something hard.
“I’m sorry.” I gushed.
My clumsy action was left unforgiven, instead a raspy laugh drew my vision higher to be met with a pair of bright, emerald eyes.
“Hello, Beautiful.”
The left indent in his cheek became prominent as he grinned at me, his amusement shining through. Harry recognised my surprise, I hadn’t expected to see him on the shop’s premises, usually he would sit and wait in the Range Rover. Steve was still a little wary of the tall male who had given him a bloody nose.
“You’re normally on time.” Harry glanced at his watch confirming my delay of only a few minutes.
I took hold of his wrist, curls poking out from under his beanie as he peered at me. His protective nature was as strong as ever. It could be overwhelming at times, but I couldn’t deny the warm feeling it gave me to know Harry cared for me. Or the fact that he looked incredibly hot when his features hardened, jaw tensing, eyebrows furrowed. All I wanted to do was kiss at his face, make him forget whatever had led the darkness to infiltrate his stunning eyes. It was a technique that had proven to be quite successful in encouraging Harry to find some sort of equilibrium.
“Come on, Baby.”
My hand was grasped in his, leading me over to the exit. I admired the span of his palm as Harry pressed it to the glass, holding it open for me to exit. He received my quiet “thank you” as I ducked under his arm.
I inhaled a deep breath, absorbing the smell of rain on the tarmac. It was one of my favourite aromas, that and the smell of Harry. I had watched out the window earlier on in the day as the sky had opened, soaking everything that wasn’t sheltered. But the weather had cleared up in the last couple of hours, still gloomy but no longer raining. 
“Your boot is untied.” Harry commented casually glancing at my DMs. “You’ll fall over.”
“Oh.”
I began to bend down but a warm hand ceased my movement.
“I’ve got it.”
A shy smile spread over my mouth as Harry got to his knees before me. His adorable expression tugged at my heart as he peered up. He looked almost innocent, full, pink lips parted, wide eyes. Lashes fluttered as I gently brushed away some loose ringlets that had escaped his hat, my fingers trailing over his cheek before he bowed his head, working on the task of tying my lace. Harry roughly hummed as I absentmindedly played with the small curls as the nape of his neck, the action comforting both of us.
The sound of the heavy shop door distracted me, glancing around just in time to see it close, but there was no-one in sight. My lips pursed, scanning the car park, spotting the man whose presence hadn’t gone unnoticed by me in the store where I worked. My breath hitched, mouth becoming dry as his head turned slightly, giving me the glancing opportunity to place his features in my mind. Seconds later he disappeared around the corner.
“Lou?”
My head darted down, expecting to see Harry still crouched on the floor but he had now risen to his feet, my boots laced.
“Louis, I asked if you were alright?” He frowned.
“I-I..yes, I’m fine.” I stuttered. “Thanks.”
He looked unconvinced but proceeded to led me to his car anyway. I felt safe with Harry. My hand clasped in his warm one, he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. The passenger door was held open, Harry’s presence lingering as he waited for me to climb up. I hadn’t noticed my staring until he called me out.
“What?” He smirked.
A large hand still held the frame of the vehicle door, muscles taut under the dark plaid shirt he wore. The clothing was unbuttoned to reveal a white t shirt, the hem slightly covering the black belt to his jeans. As I absorbed the image in front of me, Harry’s lips were spreading into a grin. I loved his curly hair, the spirals giving him a younger appearance until you were graced with the sight of his muscled physique. The indents in his cheeks should have majorly contrasted, but somehow Harry managed to pull the look off, adorably cute, mixed with undeniably sexy.
“You look really cute.” I smiled.
I found it difficult to comprehend how he managed to look so effortlessly attractive.
“Cute?” Harry laughed.
“I think it’s your beanie and your dimples…you’re adorable.”
My fingers fiddled with a small curl that had escaped from under his hat.
“Lou, I’m not supposed to be adorable, I’m a guy.”
I watched on as Harry playfully flexed his muscles.
“Well, you always call me adorable, and I'm a guy. Anyway, I think you are.”
His touch slipped from the door, slamming it closed. The abrupt action made me jump. My vision floated back to Harry, his smirk making an appearance once more. The look in his eyes reminded me of a predator stalking its prey, slowly inching in for the kill. I let out a rather girly squeak as my head was nudged to the side with Harry’s, promising words seeking out my ear.
“I’ll show you adorable.” He muttered under his breath.
Not a second later and Harry had taken my weight, hoisting me up as my legs wrapped around his waist. My surprise made him deeply chuckle. The expanse of his hands cupped my backside, squeezing. The action distracted me as Harry took the opportunity to attack my neck, warm lips soothing the small bites. I whimpered, gripping his nape and digging my nails into his tanned skin to coax a throaty moan from Harry’s mouth. He had me pressed up against the side of his car, dominating me as I whispered his name in vulnerability.
It was at that moment I felt a spot of rain dot my cheek, the second one landing on my nose. I began to lightly laugh as Harry continued to try and prove a point, our clothes dotting with moisture.
“Harry.” I spoke breathlessly.
My back arched into his strong torso, plump lips tracing my jaw.
“Stop giggling. You’re ruining my masculine moment.” Harry muttered.
“It’s raining.” I informed him, rather amused.
My body grazed his as Harry held me as close as possible, allowing me to slip from his hold.
“To be continued.” His husky voice almost sounded threatening.
The passenger door was yanked open once again, this time with a little more haste, the droplets of water falling at a faster pace from the dark clouds.
***
The car ride consisted of lingering glances, the heat of the earlier situation still yet to subside. Harry’s attention was taken away from the road as I rested my hand on his knee. His eyes hinted at lust, my touch tracing the denim of his left thigh as he shifted slightly in his seat. As we stopped at the second set of traffic lights, my hand slid a little higher. Harry’s chest was rising and falling unevenly, licking around his full lips as he desperately attempted to concentrate. I couldn’t help the small smile fall over my face, my attentive squeeze causing Harry’s breath to hitch, white converse revving at the pedal as the muscles in this thighs tensed. 
“Are you trying to kill us?” His voice strained in a laugh.
I didn’t think I’d seen him quite as flustered before, pink tingling in his cheeks as I continued my heated touch. It made a refreshing change, normally I was the one having difficulty in maintaining my composure. As the lights changed from red to amber, my fingers lightly brushed his crotch. Harry’s surprise slipped from his mouth in a curse, the car jolting forward as we stalled. My laughter echoed around the inside of the vehicle, the beeping behind us signalling the annoyed motorists impatiently waiting for us to move.
Seconds passed, the car accelerating down the road.
“I think it’s best if you keep your hands to yourself while I’m driving.” Harry joked.
I laughed, nodding my head. It wasn’t long before we pulled up to the curb opposite my house. My shy gaze met Harry’s as he captured his bottom lip between his teeth.
“D-Do you want to come in?” I asked quietly.
“Yes.” He abruptly replied.
It was humorously obvious of his excitement, driven by the thought of what I was willing to do for him if my little performance in the car was anything to go by. Harry had both his and my belt off in no time, jogging round to my side and catching my hand to help me down. A strong arm was draped over my shoulder, tugging me into Harry’s side as we crossed the road. I fumbled with my keys, his warm breath fanning into the crook of my neck as he encircled me in his arms from behind.
The door slammed behind Harry as he hastily kicked off his converse. I knew my mum was probably out, but it didn’t hurt to check. My hand pressed to the sitting room door, suddenly confused as I heard chattering. My eyes widened as my friends waved enthusiastically at me from their relaxed positions on the sofa. I gave them a smile before pulling the door closed and turning to Harry.
“Remember when I said my friends wanted to meet you?”
Lips pressed to mine as he mumbled his confirmation against my mouth. My fingers slid beneath his beanie, pushing the hat from his soft curls.
“Well, they’re sat in the living room now.”
My words were muffled into the kiss. I warily smiled as Harry caught my shoulders pushing me back and staring at me wide-eyed.
“What?” His eyebrows rose.
“They might be on the sofas waiting.” I innocently smiled at him.
“Right now?” Harry spoke, baffled.
I nodded.
His vision flicked to the door of the living room. Seconds later Harry’s phone was revealed from his back pocket. I watched on as long fingers scrolled across the screen.
“What are you doing, phoning for backup?” I quirked.
“Not quite.”
The smirk displayed made me a little uneasy. His phone was held to his ear, eyes on me as he knowingly smiled. When the confirmed ringing was heard he quickly handed me his mobile. I looked down, slightly confused about what was going on. I cursed as I read the name.
“Phoning Jess.” Flashed on the screen.
“Harry.” I warned.
But he was already half way through the living room door before glancing around at me.
“Good luck with my sister.” He laughed.
I didn’t quite know what to do, I couldn’t cancel the call now. The sound of my friends greeting him could be heard through the small gap between the frame.
“So Harry, what do you do for a living?” Was the first question Sam asked.
I took satisfaction in knowing my friends would grill the hell out of him. He deserved it after the situation he had just thrusted me into. A voice brought my attention to the phone I currently clasped in my right hand.
“Harry? Are you there?”
I placed the device to my ear.
“Oh um, hi, this is Louis…Harry’s uhm... Boyfriend.” I stuttered.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh..MUM!”
I winced slightly, holding the phone away from the side of my head as Jess continued to call for her mother. I placed it to my left as she addressed me again.
“Hello, Louis, are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.” I smiled.
“My mum’s not in, so you’ve just got me. This is so exciting; I’ve been nagging Harry for ages to meet you. I guess this isn’t really meeting you properly, but it’s the next best thing. Is he there now, so I can speak to both of you?”
“Oh no, he’s currently being interrogated by my friends.” I joked.
Jess laughed. I had remembered Harry saying how Jess was always chattering; there was never an awkward silence when you were within her presence.
“There are so many things I wanted to tell you and ask you; but now that I’ve got you my mind has gone blank.” She admitted.
“You’re exactly how Harry described you.” I smiled.
I had been informed of his sister’s excited mannerisms, even over the simplest of things.
***
The relief on Harry’s face as he saw me enter he living room was quite a picture. He was up on his feet instantly, walking over. A kiss was pressed to my cheek before he hastily moved behind me. I took notice of his dishevelled curls, an obvious visual indication of his nervousness and how he had repeatedly run his fingers through them.
An arm encircled my waist, back pressed to his front, using me as a human shield. I turned my head, placing a kiss to Harry’s neck.
“You sister told me about Spain.” I whispered.
His eyes widened, grip tightening. I stifled a laugh before glancing to my friends.
“Anyone want a drink?”
There were a few nods of heads, my fingers prying Harry’s arm from me before I walked over to the door. He was hot on my heels, pursuing me to the kitchen.
“She has no filter” He mumbled to himself.
I giggled, reaching up and retrieving a couple of glasses from the cupboard as he leant against the worktop.
“I thought it was pretty funny. Why were you swimming naked anyway?”
“It was the middle of the night and I was boiling.”
Jess and I had had a very enlightening conversation, which mainly consisted of her spilling all of Harry’s embarrassing stories. One of my favourites being their family holiday to Spain with their mum.
“I still haven’t forgiven her for stealing my trunks and towel.”
I had learnt his sister had covertly followed him down to the pool, taken Harry’s only clothing and pegged it back up to their room, leaving him with the delicate task of negotiating the trip to the seventeenth floor in the nude.
“It would have been alright if it wasn’t for the awkward lift experience.”
He groaned at the thought.
“Oh gosh, tell me.” I laughed.
“No, no way.” He shook his head rather vigorously. He nervously played with one of the buttons on his shirt before his head snapped up. “There’s a party. Next week at Hayley’s house.” Harry gushed, attempting to change the subject. “Well, I use the term house, loosely.”
“You’re going?” I smiled, pouring squash into glasses.
I witnessed him nod from the corner of my eye.
“So are you.” He paused. “Um, if you want to.”
My head turned to see him peering at me, curious eyes locking with mine.
“I’d love to.”
The grin he wore lit up his face, dimples deeply indented into his cheeks.
“Great… oh and..don’t leave me on my own with your friends again.” He cautiously added.
Harry shifted on his feet, glancing around to the door. If I didn’t know better he looked a little frightened.
“Why?” I questioned, placing the bottle to the side.
“They asked me to take my shirt off to prove I was a boxing trainer.”
“Oh my god.” I laughed.

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