what's stopping you?

۵

"We really should have waited outside," Rue whispered after a long silence.

Luke had disappeared in search of Louis, leaving Rue and Harry alone to take in their surroundings. Harry was practically gawking. He couldn't decide what he wanted to look at first. His eyes jumped from an old beaten down football, to the acoustic guitar hidden in the corner of the living room, to an empty old bookshelf that was clearly on its last days.

While Harry's apartment was overflowing with books, Louis' was covered in what appeared to be music sheets and vinyls.

Harry also took notice of the lack of furniture, and, well, any decor. He wondered where the older boy sat down to rest.

"How can he afford all this?" Harry whispered, ending the silence once more. His ran his fingers over what he took in to be a guitar pick that had been laying against Louis' coffee table. It was a tiny triangular object with rounded corners; the words 'Sony' written across.

"He definitely has stolen this stuff," Rue chuckled.

Harry furrowed his brows as he picked up the pick, admiring it's matte exterior. He found himself not being able to take his eyes off it, it's familiarity holding him in a trance.

"Look who it is." Louis' voice echoed into the room, causing both Rue and Harry to spin around and face him.

Louis was in khaki slacks that he had rolled to sit against the top of his foot with an emerald green jumper that made him look so cozy and adorable. His gelled back hair, though, made him look everything but; the usual single strand of hair across his forehead in its designated spot.

Harry wanted to jump him right then and there so badly.

"How did you get all this stuff?" Harry shyly asked after swallowing back his saliva. He carefully placed the pick back in its spot on the coffee table as Louis walked past.

"Stole it." Louis shouted over his shoulder as he too disappeared then reappeared with water bottles in hand and Luke at his side.

Rue made a face not believing she was right.

Louis stopped in front of Harry first, handing him a drink.

"I'm kidding. Used to be my dad's."

"Thanks," Harry mumbled quickly grabbing the bottle from his grasp, careful not to touch his fingers as he was too nervous to.

Louis smiled at him before walking on and giving Rue hers.

"So what are you doing here?" He asked no one in particular.

"We're here for you." Rue spoke up.

"Yeah no shit, you're in my house." He said with that smart mouth of his as he took a seat on his coffee table - facing them. A little close for Harry's comfort but there was no way he was putting any more space between them despite his nerves.

"Why don't you have any chairs?"

Louis looked over at Harry, his mouth slightly opened, as he looked at him in amusement.

"Harry, please." Rue said in a motherly tone, causing Harry to shut up his mouth and do just that.

Louis leaned over slightly towards him, "Luke and I got pretty wasted and broke them." He whispered making Harry giggle.

"You must party a lot?" Rue said.

"Yeah we party." He grinned causing Luke to laugh and Rue to cringe.

It was such a typical teenage boy moment that it made Rue roll her eyes in annoyance.

However, realization quickly hit Rue as she looked at Harry, catching his eyes. She found a way to begin their questioning.

"Last night?" She asked causally.

Louis shook his head. "Was at the drive-in."

With me.

"Thought you said you partied." Rue mocked.

Luke answered, "Not every night."

"So you don't party." Harry mumbled.

Louis tilted his head towards him, his mouth falling open once again as his tongue pushed the inside of his cheek slightly. He was fairly amused with Harry and hadn't expected him to join their bickering. He laughed when he saw the corner of Harry's lip twitch.

"What are you two going on about?" He finally asked looking between them both.

"Yes please, I've been dying to know." Luke said as he dropped himself onto the carpet.

In all honestly, Harry had no idea how they were going to go about this situation. There was no easy way to pop any sort of question regarding his mysterious new tattoo, especially if Louis wasn't even involved to begin with.

He pulled the thick material of his sweater back, revealing his pale skin and the black ink now covering his arm.

"Oh shit." Luke exclaimed. He strained his neck to get a better look from his position on the floor as Louis' eyes slightly widened.

"Dude," Luke laughed as he pushed himself off the carpet and walked over to Harry's side. He grabbed ahold of his wrist to get a better look. "This is sick."

Harry looked up, looking for any sort of reaction on Louis' face but the boy remained silent. Only watching Luke admire Harry's tattoo all while he expressed repeatedly how badly he also wanted one.

"When did you get this?" Luke asked him, looking up to look between Harry and Rue.

"Uh," Harry chuckled nervously. He felt weird. This was weird.

"He can't even remember getting it." Rue answered for him.

This put an odd look on Louis' face now, his interest finally sparking.

Luke laughed, "You don't remember." He repeated.

"I don't know actually," Harry said, dropping his arm from Luke's hold.

"I mean, I can't even afford one. I don't have the money for this and I can't think of anyone who would do it for free." Harry ran his hands through his hair. "Actually, no, I don't even know a tattoo artist."

Harry let his face fall in defeat and frowned.

"Harry," Louis spoke causing everyone to look at the smaller boy.

"I don't know what kind of drugs we were on last night," He started as he too pulled back the sleeve of his jumper revealing the same black ink that had been haunting Harry across his own arm. "But we were definitely plastered."

Now it was Rue's turn to laugh as Luke gasped. "Oh, I knew it."

Louis was involved.

Harry's mouth fell open as he stared at Louis' tattoo, not being able to believe his eyes. A tattoo was now also across Louis Tomlinson's arm but while Harry's was an anchor, Louis had a knotted rope.

۵