fic: Hook, Line, & Sinker [One Direction: Larry Stylinson; Harry/Louis

[lost_in_azkaban]

title: Hook, Line, & Sinker
author: lost_in_azkaban
wordcount/rating:, 3,452/ M
summary: While at a house party, Louis reflects on the one time he was brave (or stupid?) enough to kiss Harry.
a/n: Apologies if the boys are OOC. This fic bloomed in my head when Harry wore that sheer black flower print button down on the OTRA tour... there was no turning back after that. I had every intention of making this smutty as hell, too, but when I got down to it... fluff took over. I'll try harder next time. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read and enjoy. Larry is real. This fandom has made me a believer. <3 x



Hook, Line, and Sinker

He should have just gone home and to bed. He should have known better than to trust Niall's promise of "Just one or two drinks, it'll be fun." Make that two house parties, one impossibly cramped cab ride, and too many beers to count later and Louis was more than a little intoxicated. He hadn't been in the mood to party, not since the last time. A blush crept into Louis' cheeks and it had nothing to do with the alcohol and all to do with the memory of that wretchedly beautiful boy...

That last time.

Louis had been drunk, more so than he was now, and it made him take risks. And when an innocent game of truth or dare led some girl he'd only met that night to dare him to do something he'd been wanting to do for too long, he did it. Without hesitation, he had turned to his right and pulled Harry to him. As far as kisses go, it wasn't the best. Their lips met at an awkward angle, their teeth clicking loudly. The girl who dared him let out a little squeal of glee. Humiliated, Louis was about to call it quits and go find the nearest bridge to jump off of, but there was a shift in the moment. Louis felt rather than heard the sexiest noise come from the back of Harry's throat and then Harry's hand was on his knee and he was kissing Louis back.

But then the girl had yanked Louis away from Harry's lips, leaving him in want of so much more. Like an addict, he'd found his drug of choice in that moment. He was ready for his next hit.

"I said kiss, not snog!" she had shrieked in Louis' ear.

Louis felt his cheeks get hot, remembering that his big moment was also a very public one, and risked a glance at Harry. Please don't be mad. Please don't be mad. Please don't...fuck. Louis thought desperately. His eyes met Harry's.

Harry's green eyes sparkled in the dim light, his smirk said it all. Louis wanted to get lost in those dimples. Harry's smile was infectious and Louis let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding.

And there it was. That traitorous bastard called hope.

Louis had wanted to say something to ensure the moment continued. Was it okay that they just did that? Did Harry enjoy it as much as he had?

All those question were left unspoken and unanswered because Zayn had yelled from across the room, demanding Harry be his partner for beer pong.

"Well." Harry had said with a noncommittal shrug and had quickly left the circle to join Zayn.

Well. That hadn't gone as planned. Not that much planning had gone into it. Sure, Louis had imagined his first kiss with Harry at least a hundred different ways, but he'd never imagined the moment after. Was it rejection even if Harry had smiled at him? He had been so confused and it had quickly dawned on him that he needed to get out of there. Fast.

Excusing himself from the circle, he got up and grabbed the first full solo cup he saw and went to the loo. He closed the door and leaned against it, grateful for the silence. His fingers traced the outline of his own lips, remembering the feel of Harry's. Louis laughed at himself when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

"You're a bloody fool." he said to his reflection.

The good thing about dreams and fantasies were just that. They were dreams and fantasies. Louis sat down on the edge of the tub and took a large sip of the drink. It was mostly alcohol, but he didn't care. He was going to drink until he could forget what an idiot he was for trying to make his dreams a reality.

Dreams and fantasies didn't get up awkwardly after a first fucking kiss and say "well," before walking away. Louis had put himself out there and that's what he'd gotten in return. Well.

Louis felt anger rising in his chest as he took another sip. The alcohol burned going down, fueling the fire growing within him.

"Well?" Louis said to himself, "Well! Well, fuck you too, Harry Styles."

He knew he was drunk. He always swore like a sailor when he was pissed. For a moment, Louis thought about going back out there and giving Harry a piece of his mind.

But that's the thing about dreams and fantasies. Sometimes, reality was just so much better.

The door to the bathroom swung open and the noise from the party flooded in. The alcohol made Louis slow, so he didn't even have time to tell the intruder that the room was occupied before he heard the door close again and the click of the lock being bolted. Louis looked up; his eyes met green ones and his stomach lodged itself in his throat. Fuck.

"I've been looking all over for you." Harry said, pushing a hand through his messy brown hair. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

The action was so torturously erotic that Louis felt the room shrink. Everything constricted until there was just himself and Harry. Harry was an insatiable flirt. Was it completely Louis' fault that he'd missed the signals? He needed to get out of this room fast.

"I thought you'd gone without saying goodbye." Harry said.

Louis couldn't stop his eyes from rolling. The anger from his earlier embarrassment still raged within him and yet, there it was. That traitorous bastard again. Hope.

"I'm glad you didn't leave." Harry said.

He was such a charmer. Such a tease, Louis thought, and I'm falling for him hook, line, and sinker.

"Yeah, well, I got a ride from Niall so I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon." Louis said with a defeated laugh.

"Good." Harry said as he reached across the little space between them to take the red cup out of Louis' hand. His fingers brushed against Louis' as he did so, causing the hair on Louis' arm to raise. He felt his blood rush to his groin.

Wonderful, Louis thought sarcastically. He probably did that on fucking purpose. Tease. Bloody tease. Harry Bloody Tease Styles. I bet he does that with all the boys who fall for him. All the girls, too.

Harry brought the cup to his lips and drained it. He tossed the cup aside, pink tongue darting to the corner of his mouth.

Louis wanted to scream.

"What was that? Straight tequila? Jesus, Lou." Harry said, flashing a dazzling smile.

It was all too much for Louis. It was fight or flight or fuck and his ego was still too bruised from earlier to risk it a second time.

"What do you want, Harry?" he asked. He could hear the edge to his own voice.

"That's a loaded question, now, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"It really isn't. I was in here minding my own business. You're the one that came in here saying you were looking for me." Louis snapped.

"Minding your own business? You weren't having a wank, were you?"

"Come off it, Harry!" Louis said.

Smirking shamelessly, Harry shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his too tight jeans. Louis instantly chided himself for looking. His imagination didn't need any more food for thought than it already had.

"Ok, ok, Jesus. I just don't know how to do this." Harry said, pacing the tiny length of the bathroom.

That's rich, Louis thought to himself. Alcohol didn't only make his language colorful, it also made him slightly sarcastic. "You do quite well for yourself, Harry." Louis said, looking at his scuffed Converse.

He saw the tips of Harry's boots stop pacing and come toe to toe with his.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry's voice was low, almost a growl.

Louis found it irresistible. Even when they were semi-fighting, Louis felt completely enthralled by the boy in front of him. How could he be so devastatingly good looking and exasperating at the same time?

"Ugh. Nevermind. Forget it." Louis sighed, burying the heels of his palms into his eyes. "What do you want from me, Harry?"

"What do I want?" Harry repeated, his gravelly voice tinged with anger. "I want you to stop acting like my being near you makes you want to claw off your own skin. I want you to look me in the eyes."

The air between them crackled with electricity. Louis raised his eyes and craned his neck to lock eyes with Harry's.

"I want you to know I shouldn't have just left like that." Harry continued. "I want to talk about what happened."

"I'm listening." Louis said without breaking his stare.

"Sometimes you can be really fucking thick, Louis." Harry said as he leaned over.

And then Harry was kissing him and Louis could've sworn he saw stars. Harry's big hands found their way to Louis' cheeks as his tongue slid over Louis' bottom lip. Lips parting with a groan, Louis pushed back against Harry's kiss so he could stand up without breaking contact.

This was a different kiss altogether, Louis thought as his eyes slipped closed. This was just what he'd always imagined, only better. His senses were flooded with Harry. The taste of tequila on Harry's tongue as it moved with his. The feeling of Harry's hands moving from Louis' cheeks, trailing lightly down his arms to finally grip his hips, pulling Louis flush against him. A groan from deep in Harry's throat when Louis pushed his hips against Harry's.

I made him make that sound. Me. Louis thought gleefully.

Harry bit down gently on Louis' bottom lip before breaking the kiss. He pressed hot, open mouthed kisses along Louis' jaw, trailing his way down Louis' neck where his teeth grazed the tender sensitive flesh just below his ear.

"Fuck." Louis hissed, pushing his fingers into Harry's hair. He could keep doing that forever and Louis could die a happy man.

"Well." Harry said, words hot against Louis' throat.

Louis could just imagine the cocky smirk on Harry's face, but he kept his eyes closed. He didn't want this to end.

Well.

There was that word again. Louis prayed that this time would be different. Harry couldn't walk away so freely, could he? Not this time.

"Well," Harry repeated, "That could be arranged."

Louis felt his cheeks get hot at Harry's proposition. He opened his eyes to find Harry's stare dark and unmistakable.

"I thought you wanted to talk." Louis said, even though talking was the very last thing on his mind.

As if reading Louis' mind, Harry slipped his hand between them, palming Louis' straining cock through his jeans. "Talk later," Harry breathed against Louis, kissing his open mouth, "There's something else that requires my attention first.

Louis caught a split second glimpse of that devilish smirk before Harry slid to his knees before him. Louis sucked in a breath and held it, afraid he'd wake from the dream he was living. He gripped the bathroom sink behind him to steady himself as Harry popped open the fly of his jeans with ease. And then Harry's mouth was on him and, finally, Louis mind went blissfully silent...

That last time.

He could have dreamt it, blaming it on hormones and an overactive imagination if it weren't for the lovely bruise Harry had left on his neck. It was proof. Proof that Harry had been there. Had touched him. Louis loved the sound of that. He also couldn't erase the vision of Harry on his knees in front of him, long eyelashes and lips meant for sin. Lips that had wrapped around him so expertly and sucked. That was something even Louis' imagination wasn't prepared for.

But Louis truly wasn't prepared for Harry to then vanish like a phantom. That was two weeks ago. Fourteen bloody days and not a word or a glimpse. He felt like he should have known better, not that he regretted any of it. But it still pissed him off to no end that Harry could have led him on like that. What's worse, that he'd let himself be led on. Harry Bloody Tease Styles.

Louis had been a wreck ever since. The nights were long, the darkness weighing on him. Nothing to do but lie awake and relive the short lived pleasure in that bathroom. Agonizing over every little detail to figure out where he'd gone wrong. The days were worse. He saw Harry everywhere. The mischievous glimmer in the green eyes of a bartender at the pub he frequented. Too tight black jeans leaving nothing to the imagination on the boy sat across from him on the tube. Tattoos on strangers.

It wasn't the same and it was never Harry. The ache that Louis felt in Harry's absence was almost too much to bear. He hated that Harry had affected him so. After all, hadn't Harry said they'd talk later?

"Do you think he can hear us, Niall?"

"Definitely not. Look at him, Zayn! He's been slouched like that for a good twenty minutes staring off into space."

"Poor lad. He hasn't been right since--"

"I know. That's why I wanted to take him out, get him pissed, loosen him up a little bit. He needs to have some fun and get his mind off of--"

"He looks miserable."

"Oh look, his beer's slipping."

"We should say something before it--"

"--Too late!"

Louis snapped back to reality as warm beer poured into his lap, seeping into his dark jeans.

"Brilliant," he said to himself, righting the bottle and placing it on the table in front of him.

It was then that Louis noticed the muffled laughs. He looked beside him to find Niall giggling uncontrollably. A puff of smoke clouded his view of his other friend, but he could still make out the mirth in Zayn's eyes.

"Thanks, guys." Louis said angrily, rising to his feet. "Thanks a lot." Louis left his friends in search of something to dry his pants with.

He ignored Niall's cries of "Come back, Louis! We need you, Louis!" and made his way to the kitchen.

Pushing his way through the crowd, he found a roll of paper towels tucked behind a case of beer. He tore off a few and tried to pat dry the crotch of his jeans. It didn't help; the damage was done. He cursed himself. He cursed Niall and Zayn. He cursed this stupid house party.

He was about to pull out his phone and call a cab to end the nightmare once and for all, but first tossed the soggy paper towels in the sink and cursed the loud, obnoxious rap music blasting in the house. He'd have to find somewhere more quiet to make the call. He looked to the living room where the music was coming from, bodies pressed together, moving to the beat.

Like a moth to a flame, Louis' eyes found Harry's amidst the crush of dancing bodies. His stomach did a flip and it felt like the floor could give way at any moment. Just one glimpse and there was that bastard called hope again. From the kitchen doorway, Louis watched him.

Harry smiled at him, all devastating dimples, before looking away. Without his magnetic gaze, Louis was free to let his eyes roam. Harry's hair, a thing of beauty, was artfully disheveled. His shirt, sheer and black, was held together with only two buttons low on his stomach. Louis could see the tattoos exposed on his chest and for a fleeting moment he imagined what they'd taste like on his tongue. He looked freshly fucked, but Louis knew through extensive study of all things Harry, that he worked great lengths to achieve that look. Louis' instinct was to get close enough to run his fingers through that hair, messing it up, just to see Harry's reaction.

It was like Harry could read Louis' mind. Harry ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face. A breath escaped Louis' lips and he no longer cursed the loud, pulsating music. That is, until he realized the boy dancing directly in front of Harry was grinding back against him.

Jealousy ignited and all the anger from the past two weeks came flooding back to him. He watched as Harry lowered his head to whisper into the guy's ear and felt a stinging at the corner of his eyes.

He most definitely would not cry at this stupid, bloody house party. He would not give Harry the satisfaction. He didn't bother trying to read Harry's lips, he'd seen enough already. Once again, the need to escape overtook him. He nudged his way out the room.

He made it halfway down a hallway before he heard the voice he was trying to escape.

"Louis, wait." Harry called out.

Not bothering to acknowledge him, Louis kept moving.

"If you're looking for the exit, you've made a wrong turn." Harry said.

Louis could hear the smile in Harry's tone and it only made him angrier. How could he tease him like that after two weeks of no contact? It made him want to punch him in the mouth and then kiss him senseless. Infuriating.

"Why don't you go back to your new best mate? I'm sure he misses his dance partner." Louis said over his shoulder.

He'd reached the end of the hallway, his hand grasped the doorknob to a closed door, desperate to keep moving. His breath hitched as Harry's hand closed around his. It was electricity between them and there was nothing Louis could do to deny it. Not that he wouldn't fight the attraction with tooth and nail. He wanted Harry to hurt like he had.

"Don't be like that, Louis." Harry said, though it was more of a whisper.

Louis shook him off with a nudge of his shoulder, twisting the door open. Thankfully, the room was empty. But it was also a bedroom. Louis resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Don't be like that?! You were all over him!" Louis said, walking into the room, knowing that Harry would follow. Knowing that Harry would close the door and turn the lock.

It was déjà vu.

And oh, how Louis wanted all of it despite himself.

"That guy?" Harry said, "He's nothing. I don't even know his name."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better about it?" Louis asked sarcastically.

"Yes!" Harry shouted, pacing the room.

Good, Louis thought, let him get angry. "You're shit at this, Harry." he said.

Harry's eyes widened as he stopped in front of Louis. "I'm shit, Louis? You're the one that kissed me. You're the one that disappeared for two weeks."

Louis couldn't believe his ears. How had things gotten so terribly mixed up? Harry thought he had disappeared? "I--I didn't--" he started, but Harry cut him off.

"I looked for you everywhere. At every party. You were never there. Your friends were, though, and I thought maybe they would tell you. But you still never showed. So I started dancing with guys. Anyone I could find to draw attention, hoping one of your friends would alert you and get you to come out." Harry said.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Louis said, even as his heart beat faster at Harry's confession.

"I know," Harry groaned, "I hated all of it, but the second I saw you tonight I knew it was worth it."

Harry reached out and touched Louis' arm, rubbing at his tattoos like smudge. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you." Harry whispered, moving infinitesimally closer.

Louis let out a shaky breath. Me either. He wanted to say it, but he was so afraid. Of letting go. Of getting hurt. Of being consumed by these feeling that were inescapably building inside of him. But maybe that was life. Maybe it was just what Louis needed.

"Harry," he said finally, "Can we start over?"

Harry moved closer still, his arms wrapping around Louis. His lips brushed by Louis' ear, a ghost of a kiss. "I won't disappear if you don't."

Louis smiled and leaned in to the embrace, letting go of fear and embracing hope. He was standing on the edge of the unknown, but he knew it'd be okay because this boy was here with him. "I'm not going anywhere." he said, "Not without you."

"Well," Harry said, looking down at Louis, eyes shining with untapped possibilities, "I was hoping you'd say that."

And Louis kissed him.