Chasing Empty Spaces

Chapter 6

“Oh,” Harry exhaled, a tentative grin twitching his lips. He put his hand on Louis’ knee and just let it rest there, “I think I’d like that.”

Louis beamed at him, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, “I want to know you.” He bashfully looked down at the heavy admission, “I wanna know everythin’ about you.”

“Me, too,” Louis whispered.

Harry slightly scooted forward so his knees brushed Louis’. Lethargically and almost reverently, he allowed himself to roam over the details of Louis’ face. The freckles that dotted his sun-kissed skin and the dusty blush that colored his cheeks was immaculately captivating. Harry’s attention slid down the slope of Louis’ nose and hovered over his prominent cupid’s bow before centralizing on his mouth. His lips were beautifully flushed from the way he dipped his teeth into them when Harry spoke.

Louis was beautiful.

Unlike the first time Harry thought it, he wasn’t going to turn away and bury the guttural feeling. He would remain sitting in front of Louis and lucidly drown in the indisputable sentiment. Placing both hands on either side of Louis’ jaw, Harry leaned forward. He tilted Louis’ face towards the right and closed his eyes.

Harry pursed his lips and lightly kissed the height of Louis’ cheekbone. The pad of his thumb traced against the seam of Louis’ lips, reveling in the way Louis adorned him with a kiss. He could feel air rush from Louis’ mouth as he delicately nosed against the smooth skin. Harry rested his forehead against Louis’ temple, a trill of shivers trickling down his spine when Louis faintly darted his tongue against the bud of Harry’s thumb before kissing it once more.

Giving into temptation, Harry crawled into Louis’ lap. A surprised noise teetered from other man’s mouth, but he was just as quick to hold Harry close. One of Louis’ hands flattened along the base of his spine as the other spread over the center of his back. Harry slid his hands to Louis’ neck and he pressed a kiss along Louis’ jaw, feeling the dusting of Louis’ facial hair underneath his lips before he pulled back. As their chests aligned and Louis let out a gentle hum, Harry knew that he was home.

“Was that okay?” Harry asked, voice nearly inaudible.

Louis shook his head and lightly applied pressure into Harry’s back. Before Harry could worry, Louis kissed the column of his throat and lolled his head onto Harry’s shoulder, deeply exhaling.

“Not okay,” He tucked his head into the junction of Harry’s neck, “Perfect.”

****

The four men traipsed out of Liam’s building and started towards Mac’s Diner. With much persuasion from Louis, they wound up agreeing that dinner before a night of debauchery would be the smartest choice for their livers. Harry’s hands were shoved in his pockets and his eyes restlessly darted over the budding crowd that hovered by the diner’s entrance. Louis stood towards his left, their shoulders occasionally brushing together as they walked. Liam hauled the front door open and Harry offered him a thankful closed-lipped-smile before stepping inside.

Mac’s Diner was packed, most patrons averaging in age around their mid-twenties. A silver plated bar lined the right wall, complete with a soda fountain and a glass case stocked with double-chocolate cake. Music teetered over the different voices from overhead speakers and while he couldn’t distinguish the song, he found himself swaying to the beat. Harry’s mouth curled into a grin as waitresses whipped by them with full platters of burgers and fries, her white shoes quickly flitting over the cherry-wood flooring. There was a certain frenetic energy inside the pastel-pink diner and Harry was easily falling in love with it.