Chasing Empty Spaces

Chapter 7

“Thanks, Lou,” Harry exhaled, feeling himself sway closer to the other man.

“Well done, Harry!”

Harry jumped as an arm slug around his neck, relaxing into the touch once he recognized Zayn.

He bashfully looked down at the tips of his shoes, “Thank you.”

Zayn nodded and took a long pull from his bourbon glass. He cleared his throat and pointedly looked around them before turning back to Harry.

“We haven’t seen ‘er at all.”

Relief washed over Harry at that, slumping into Zayn’s side. Louis didn’t bother to hide his own happiness, his eyes reduced to small slits from smiling so widely.

“Wanna get drinks?” He asked, thumbing towards the bar.

With the other two men in agreement, they ploughed through the crowd. Harry ordered Bourbon for Zayn, Highball for Louis and Southside for himself. Insisting that Louis and Zayn had practically paid for all of Atlanta, Harry footed the bill. Louis begrudgingly pouted, but didn’t fight Harry too hard on the matter. Once drinks were in hand, they shuffled towards a high-top table along the outline of the club.

Louis brought the rim of his glass against Harry’s and quietly said, “To us.”

The world tilted on its axis in that moment. Its movements decelerated and everything that wasn’t them dissipating into a muffled silence.

“To us,” Harry murmured.

A throat was cleared behind them, snapping Harry from the fragile moment. The earth continued to spin at a normal pace and layered voiced thickened the air. Harry looked over his shoulder, mouth parting at the sight of Niall hovering a few feet away. His eyes were trained where Harry and Louis’ glasses touched. Yanking his arm back, alcohol splashed over the lip of the glass. A slew of curses fumbled from his mouth as his hand was doused with the drink.

“Sorry I – Um,” Niall reached out, snagging napkins from a dispenser. He patted at Harry’s hand, his cheeks probably just as ruddy as Harry’s.

“S’okay,” Harry choked out, clearing his throat with an awkward cough.

“Sorry,” Niall mumbled again, dropping the napkin. “Harry,” He glimpsed at Louis and Zayn, “Can we have a mo’?”

As much as Harry did not want to be alone with Niall, he knew that there wouldn’t be any escaping it. He toyed with the idea of lying to his friend, but didn’t know if he would be able to manage it. Louis looked between the two of them, blatantly picking up on the line of tension than ran through Harry’s posture.

“We’ll just,” Louis looked to Zayn as he fumbled for words, “Get a bit of air?”

Zayn wordlessly nodded and pulled a cigar from his breast pocket. Harry’s heart hammered inside his chest as Louis gave him a reassuring smile. His fingers dug into his thighs as Niall took Louis’ place. Niall rested his forearms against the tabletop and huddled forwards, looking between the wooden surface and Harry’s profile.

“Look,” Niall started, his voice uncharacteristically serious, “You’re my best pal, Harry.”

The wave of guilt was back.

“You’re mine, too,” Harry mumbled.

Niall nodded, more so to himself as if he needed the reassurance.

“Which means I know there’s somethin’ happenin’,” Niall frowned at his clasped hands. He shook his head and faced Harry, “And…I don’t think it’s just Faye.”