That evening when Harry returns back to the apartment, drained of energy, Louis is sprawled across the sofa looking bored out of his mind.

"Hi Lou"

"Harry! Thank fuck you're home. I didn't know what to do with myself without you here..." Louis begins enthusiastically and trails off as he realises what he said. He had just admitted that he felt lost and alone without his curly companion. Fuck. Here he was yelling at Harry for being clingy and now he was saying stupid hypocritical things himself. Ugh.

Harry however didn't seem to notice or if he did, he didn't show it. He smiled his genuine, kind smile going and siting beside Louis.

"Harry, I wanted to talk to you about the nightmares.."

Harry sighed. He had no mood to start telling Louis about his poignant past relationship and his homophobic parents at the moment but Louis was looking at him with wide, vulnerable eyes,  biting his lip nervously and looking genuinely concerned for Harry.

"It's just something that happens to me occasionally Lou, it's not anything to worry about..  I've had a few.. umm.. unfortunate things happen to me in the past and I think they had a bigger mental impact on me than I expected because I've been having these nightmares ever since. Some nights they're not so bad, just a few traumatic memories after which I'll be left to sleep in peace but other nights, they just won't stop coming, they can be merciless Lou, nightmare after nightmare, all painfully realistic.. as though I was reliving every single painful detail all over again." tears had welled up in his eyes now and Harry looked away embarrassed, trying to wipe them away before Louis notices.

When he looked back at Louis, Louis was discreetly trying to wipe his eyes as well.

"Harry, I.. "

"Look Lou, you don't have to say anything.. I'm just not ready to talk about the details now but one day, I promise you, I'll tell you everything and it'll all make sense. Okay?"

"Okay." Louis said, trying to wipe his nose.

"I'm starving Lou, let's go grab something to eat yeah?"

At this, Louis considerably brightened up..

"Harry do you mind if I ask my best mate Niall to come along? He's great, you'll love him I promise.. it's just that I snapped at him too the other day and I didn't see him at work today so um"

"Of course you can bring him along you idiot, as if you even need to ask me for permission" Harry said grinning at Louis who smiled back gratefully ,immediately dialling Niall.

Niall immediately agreed to come,especially considering food was involved.

They decided to meet at this Chinese place a few blocks away. Louis hesitantly approached Niall who was already standing there, waiting for them.

"Niall I'm so sorry, I-"

"Ah cut the sappy apology LouLou. I get it man, we all have our bad days, we all lose control sometimes and end up unintentionally snapping at people we care about, yeah? No big deal. We're all good now and that's what matters."

Louis beamed at Niall, his heart lightening immediately, relaxation and gratitude flooding through his nerves and he silently thanked his stars for an unproblematic best mate like Niall.

"Hi, I'm Harry, Louis' roommate" Harry began shyly and Louis looked at him with a fond expression.

Louis' fond face didn't go unnoticed by Niall as he pulled Harry into a warm embrace, "I'm glad to have finally met you Harry"

The went into the restaurant, and Louis and Harry immediately squeezed into the same booth leaving Niall to sit by himself on the other side.

"If I knew you two would make me feel like the third wheel withing minutes of meeting, I'd have brought meself a date, you know?" Niall said playfully, snorting.

Harry blushed and Louis tensed a bit but refused to allow himself to react negatively.

The evening went on and they ordered food, Harry asking the waiter to not add mushroom to Louis' soup and add extra carrot slices instead.

Niall looked at him with his mouth wide open and a similar though less dramatic expression mirrored on Louis' face.

"How did you know I hate mushrooms Harry?" Louis asked, curious.

"Umm I noticed that you snuck the mushrooms out of my shopping cart the other day while we were grocery shopping you know?" Harry said, his mouth pulling into a cheeky smile.

"I've known Louis for over a year and I didn't know that, mate..and you two are already so fucking domestic after knowing each other for merely and few days." Niall said, smiling knowingly and them but Louis didn't notice,  because Niall's words were ringing in his ears. Niall was right, he knew Harry for not even a week now, and he already felt so protective and attached to the boy...

The food arrived and Niall's eyes widened in glee, he rubbed his hands and plunged into the food, chopsticks quickly working their way in and out of the pot of noodles while Harry looked at him in wonder.

Louis noticed Harry's expression and laughed, "Niall's always like that with food, he forgets the rest of the world exists when he's eating."

Niall looked up briefly and muttered, "What is the world without food anyway." before resuming his eating.

Louis and Harry ate too, and Louis spilt a bit of gravy on his shirt. But before Louis could wipe it, Harry was already there with his napkin, gently rubbing off the stain.

They all bid goodbye to each other, Harry hugging Niall again and promising to meet him soon.

Harry and Louis reached the apartment and Louis looked like a small,sleepy kitten, yawning every two seconds, as Harry watched on, chuckling softly to himself.

They reached their respective rooms and Louis was just about to go to his own when Harry spoke up, nervously biting his lip.

"um Louis?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind maybe, um, you know.. like sleep in my room again? It's just that, I've been having so many nightmares recently and yesterday,with you by my side, I had the best sleep I've had in many many months and I.. please stay?"

That's all it took for Louis' heart to melt into into a puddle of goo as he softly pet Harry's cheek and they walked into the room.

Louis brought his own pillow and curled up against Harry's frame, marvelling at how well their bodies fit together while Harry sighed, content and satisfied before dozing off into an untroubled night's sleep.

Author's Note
Happy reading my loves xx I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)