[Thursday, 23.58 p.m, Heaven Nightclub.]

The music made people crazy, boiling of heat, hormones, alcohol and what Louis most certainly knew was substances a lot stronger than that. They were seated in a separate part of the club, still with full view over the packed dance floor.

Louis sucked on his straw as he leaned over the table, "No way!" he put the glass down, "So this is the club where Freddie Mercury met Jim? The Jim? His Jim?"

"Yes, I know, crazy right?" Sarah laughed at Louis surprised face, "Anyone up for a smoke?" she asked and gave Louis and Liam a look. Liam nodded and got up from beside Louis, who eyed Harry over the table. It felt wrong leaving him all alone, now that he knew how much he hated when his friends smoked.

"I'll stay I think," Louis told them and they left with a nod. Harry tilted his head to the side, looking at Louis with curious eyes.

"No smoking today?" he asked with a crooked smirk over his lips, his ring clad fingers enclosed around a glass of Gin & Tonic, his fourth since they got here if Louis had counted correctly.

"Not today," Louis shook his head and straightened his posture against the soft backrest of the couch. He longed for a cigarette, so much he could see the twitches in his fingers, hopefully, Harry wouldn't.

"How come?" Harry said, biting on his straw between his front teeth. Louis didn't know how to answer that. He wasn't even sure why he was here in the first place or was he?

"I'd rather sit here with you, to be honest." Harry's face lit up in genuine surprise, and Louis felt surprised by the answer himself.

"I'm flattered," Harry winked at him and Louis had to clear his throat. Was Harry flirting with him? Or did he read to much into it? He was quite intoxicated, and he got the feeling that drunk Harry was a lot more flirtatious than sober Harry.

"Can I ask you something personal?" Louis said, sucking on his lower lip.

"Go ahead," Harry gestured with his hand over the table.

"I know I'm probably not supposed to, I'm your co-worker, after all, but-,"

Harry gave out a snort, "Screw that!" he called out, "We work in the theatre, and do you know how many fucked up things that happen between co-workers in the theatre?"

Louis was certain he didn't want to know what fucked up things Harry was referring to, but he was right in a way. There weren't many other branches were colleagues went out to one of London's most popular gay-clubs on a Thursday night.

"What's the deal with you and Zayn?" he asked after a short consideration, it may be against his work ethics, but he wasn't here in work right now, was he? He was here as a friend or something like that.

"Oh, wow," Harry laughed bitterly, "Where do I start?"

"I got the feeling you're not a big fan of his girl?" Louis asked to give him an end, to begin with, and Harry took the bate right away.

"What gave me away?" He said, the irony dripping from his words. He took a sip of his drink and placed it on the table, "No, I'm not a big fan of Gigi. I think that goes beyond saying for everyone, including her."

"How come?" Louis frowned in curiosity. Seeing Harry this upset made him think there must be a real reason for his dislike.

"For starters, she doesn't make Zayn happy," he held up a finger in the air, "Secondly, she's not nice," he raised another finger, "Thirdly, she's completely wrong for Zayn," he paused to take another sip, "This isn't a word I like using, especially when talking about a women, but she's a bitch."

Louis bit back a laugh as he watched Harry confess his hatred, clearly those words would never have left his mouth without those four gin & tonics in his system.

"I get why those things would bother you. Have you talked to Zayn about it?" Louis asked, and Harry let out another sharp laughter.

"Many times, but do you think he listens to me?" he sat up his hands in front of him in question.

"My guess is, no?" Louis said, his eyes steady on Harry's face.

"Correct. He never listens, but if he wants to be miserable, be my guest. All I want for him is happiness, and he's never going to find it with Gigi. He should be with someone who's right for him." He sat down his glass on the table with force, drips of the drink splashing down on the surface. Louis eyes narrowed as he thought over what Harry was really saying, "I can see what you're thinking, Louis, but that's not it."

Heat appeared on Louis' cheeks as he met Harry's gaze, who placed a hand on his wrist, "I'm his friend. Only his friend." Louis froze as Harry's hand tightened around his wrist for a short second, before he pulled away, "I'm gonna get another one, want anything?" He held up his empty glass and nodded towards the bar.

"No, I'm set," Louis said and pointed to his diet coke that was by now more melted ice than soda. He watched as Harry spoke to the bartender, slightly leant forward, his trousers tightening around his lower back and Louis had to mentally pinch himself to look away. He's your colleague.

"Louis," Harry eyed him over the table as he got back, it looked as if he gave it a short consideration before he sat himself down beside Louis on the sofa, "Can I ask you something now?" His hand brushed Louis as he sat his drink down beside him, their shoulders pressed together. Louis swallowed, tried not to focus on the heat spreading out from Harry's drunk body and on to his.

Louis' eyes met his drunk ones, "Of course, anything," he answered and Harry popped his head up and down. He was drunk, so drunk.

Harry opened his mouth, closed it again to leaned in closer to Louis' ear, "Is there a reason you don't drink?"

Louis swallowed as the scent of Harry's burning breath hit him. He wasn't surprised by the question, not at all. It always popped up sooner or later, and that was exactly one of the reasons he never did this; socialising in alcohol-filled environments. Until now. Until him, who now sat dangerously close, his eyes glowing in the dark as they tried to get a catch of Louis'.

"I'm not sure I,..." Louis said faintly, unable to come up with anything else, staring down at his hands. Harry's intense stare softened, and without any warning, he placed a finger over Louis parted lips.

"Forget I asked, that was stupid of me," he shook his head, still with his finger over Louis lips who sat frozen in shock, "I'm sorry," he said and pulled his hand back from Louis' face. His lips suddenly felt very cold. Louis watched as Harry shook his head again, eyes closed.

"Don't apologise!" Louis assured him, "It's something I don't usually talk about, that's all."

"But do you want to talk about it?" Harry looked back at him, his intense stare was back and Louis had to avert his eyes not to get stuck. He eyed his diet coke on the table as he went over his options. Either he could tell Harry the truth, the whole painful, obscene truth or he could lie. He chose the later.

"Not really." And that was that. He had closed his first opportunity to let someone else in for the first time apart from Danielle, and he believed it to be the right thing to do. It didn't matter how beautiful Harry looked as he leaned towards him with his cheeks glistening, and his lips tumid from all the alcohol. And it didn't matter that the evening they had shared together yesterday was the best one in a long while, because Harry didn't know him, and the last thing he wanted to do was to push him away by letting him in.

Then Harry said something that took him by surprise, "Whenever you decide you want to talk about it, I'm all ears." Louis was about to say something when there was a buzz from the pocket of his jeans. He gave Harry an apologetic look as he grabbed the phone to read the text.

Text message from Danielle:
00.14
Please Louis, just give me something!

He really was being mean to her, he knew he was, but just for one night, he wanted to pretend. So he locked to phone again and put it away for the fifth time that night, and turned to Harry who had occupied himself with the straw in his glass. God, he was beautiful, Louis thought as he let his eyes travel over his face. The blinking lights reflecting in his green eyes, his white shirt unbuttoned down to his navel, strands of curls laying sweaty over his forehead. A string of warmth hit his stomach as Harry licked a drop of his drink away from his bottom lip. He knew he should look away before Harry noticed him looking at him like that, but it was too late. Harry's eyes turned back up from his glass, straight into Louis' and there was another sting hitting him.

"I need to go to the loo," Harry said silently, but it was enough for the bubble they had just been in to burst and Louis inhaled a lungful of air to regain his senses, "I'll be back soon. Then dance with me?" He asked, eyeing Louis with a raised brow, lips smirking before walking away from the table. Louis looked after him with big eyes. He was definitely flirting with him, and Louis didn't know how to feel about that. It bugged him, but he didn't know if it was the flirting or his own reaction every time he looked at Harry. He wasn't supposed to feel like that when he did, and he knew that. He wasn't supposed to be here at all, but he was.

Five minutes passed, and still no sign of Harry. Ten minutes, twenty minutes and still nothing when Louis decided to get up and look for him. He made his way over to the dance floor, gazing over the floor to get a glimpse of Harry's white shirt but without any luck. Next to the bathrooms, he got a hold of Liam, who had his arms around a slim brunet.

"Liam," Louis said and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Hi mate. Enjoying your time? Must've been a long time since you were out on a club. You weren't even with us at our graduation party!" Without a doubt, Liam was hammered too.

Louis just smiled and nodded, "Have you seen Harry?"

Liam's eyes narrowed for a second, "Yeah, I met him by the loo twenty minutes ago. Now I dunno, dancing?"

Louis thanked him and left before witnessing Liam's tongue digging its way down into the brunet. He had no idea where to look for Harry, and once again he asked himself why he was even there. This was not the right environment for him. Everything was too loud, too sweaty and way to riskful, and without the company of Harry, it all became much clearer. He needed a smoke.

Outside he could finally breathe properly as he inhaled the crisp air, and the sound of the street felt soothing compared to the loud base inside. He grabbed the pack from his pocket and lightened a cigarette, inhaled the smoke he had craved for hours and leaned against the glass fence behind him. He rested backwards, bringing the cigarette to his mouth as he saw him.

A hundred inches away stood Harry, laughing loudly at something as he leaned his head towards the shoulder of a light blonde man, his lips creasing the other man's neck who smiled pleasingly. The blonde's hand gripping tightly around Harry's slim waist, as Harry made a little stumble on his feet. They certainly looked comfortable with each other Louis thought as Harry's eyes fell on him.

"Louis!" He called out and made a move towards him, dragging the blonde man with him. Louis gave him a restrained smile, certain Harry wouldn't see the difference.

"Funny to meet you here, I thought you hated cigarette smoke?" Louis teased him, and Harry laughed again, his sharp teeth impossible not to look at.

"Sometimes alcohol makes you do stupid things," Harry said, and a hiccup escaped his chest. When Louis didn't answer he pointed towards the blonde man, who clung onto Harry's side so hard Louis fought the urge to toss the cigarette at him. Something with the look on his face just bothered him, a lot.

"This is Tom, an old coworker of Zayn's actually. Funny how you run into people like that, don't you think?" Harry smiled and let his eyes wander over Tom's perfectly shaped face. Lovely, Louis thought as he inhaled a deep puff of his cigarette.

"Hi, Tom," Louis said with a sharp smile.

"And this is Louis," Harry pointed towards Louis, who eyed his other hand that was now placed on Tom's chest, "He's my assis-"

"His director," Louis cut him off and tossed his cigarette to the ground.

"Oh," Tom said, "Interesting!" He smiled towards Louis and then looked back at Harry with hungry eyes, "That's so sexy, the image of you getting told what to do." Harry gave out a snigger, and before Louis had the chance to look away, Tom's lips were all over Harry. His lips, his jaw, his neck.

Something moved inside of Louis' stomach, something uncomfortable as he watched Harry's hands move up inside blonde strands of hair and his lips moving against Tom's eager ones. He didn't like it. At all, and with that realisation, he decided to leave, quick.

He rushed inside, moved over the dancefloor and exited the club, get hold of a cab and jumped inside.

"42b Dulwich Road, please." He said to the cabbie and rested his head against the car seat. What a fucking idiot he was. Of course, Harry flirted like that with everybody, and he was more than entitled to, it was just that- Louis wasn't supposed to be a part of it. He knew that now. Whatever it was he had felt after their dinner yesterday, it didn't matter. Harry was his co-worker, his co-worker with obvious problems that Louis couldn't get involved in. He needed to stay away from him, for his own good.

He paid the cabbie, jumped out and grabbed his own car keys from his jacket. Before he got inside his car he looked up at the blue front door, the wonder if Harry would sleep inside his own bed tonight passed his mind before he shook the thought off. No, he wouldn't do that. He had no right in thinking such things.

Back home at his place, he went straight to bed after changing out of his clothes, his head falling down onto his pillow with a sigh. Tomorrow he would have to deal with Danielle, and he knew he needed all the rest he could get. But he couldn't sleep, his mind was spinning. All the imprints stuck on his cornea. There was a buzz from his phone laying on the bedside table.

Text message from Big Dick Styles:

01.34

Where did you go? Been searching for you all over the place.

Louis grunted and locked his phone without opening the message. Turned around, forcing his eyes to stay shut. He needed to sleep, now. Half an hour later, still no sleep, but another buzz.

Text message from Big Dick Styles:

02.02

Hellooo? U aliright?

Louis gave out a sigh. Couldn't he just put his full attention on Tom or whatever his name was. He was trying to sleep here. But two hours later, sleep still hadn't came to Louis and when there was a third buzz, he quickly unlocked his phone.

Text message from Big Dick Styles:

03.58

I'll fall aslrep any minute noe, if your laying dead somewhere I'll blame myself forevee. So please dont be dead

And whether Louis wanted to or not, he couldn't fight the smile that played on his lips.