Stardust
Two Hearts Are Better Than One
Louis was watching TV when Lilly woke up. Slowly she opened her eyes, and saw Louis immediately smiling down at her. When she tried to lift her hand to rub her eyes, she couldn’t because it was held down. When she realized that she was holding on to Louis’ hand, she let go and sat up.
“Oh God, I’m sorry!” Her eyes were wide, her body tense, and Louis couldn’t help but grin at this.
“Why do you always get so worked up because you’re holding my hand?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.” Slowly she relaxed again, and pushed her hair back from her face. “My ex always made a huge fuss about me holding his hand. I think that’s why.”
Louis had never thought about whether she had a boyfriend or not. She hadn’t mentioned one or been on the phone except for with her mother, so he’d figured that there wasn’t one. Maybe he could ask her now?
“Then he’s obviously not right in his mind. I like holding hands with you.” He grinned at her, while watching her get up from the bed. He slowly followed her. “I hope your current boyfriend doesn’t feel the same way about holding hands like your ex.”
“There is no current boyfriend.” Lilly turned around to him, tilted her head a little back to look him in the eyes. He wasn’t that much taller than her, but still a little. “Since I broke up with James, I’ve been busy with University, and work afterwards.”
“Just so you know,” Louis started and took a step closer so that they were about an inch apart from each other. Gently he took hold of her hand. “You can hold my hand any time you want.”
Lilly looked down at their hands with a smile. Having him so close, his words more a whisper than anything else, and his hand wrapped around hers made her heart race. When she looked up in his eyes again, her breath hitched and a jolt of awareness ran through her body, settled low in her stomach. Louis wasn’t looking at her with his usual smile, the twinkle in his eyes. His face was serious with just the hint of a smile.
This moment was disturbed by a knock at her door. Lilly jumped away from Louis and let go of his hand. Louis shook his head before he smiled at her. What had gotten into him? This was not like him. Maybe he should go home and give her some time alone before she had to leave the following day.
“Yes?” Lilly said, her voice a little shaky.
Jonathan opened the door and peered inside. First, he looked at Louis, then at Lilly before he said: “Your Mum wants to start dinner now. Are you staying, Louis?”
“Oh no, you don’t need to cook for me as well, but thank you for asking.”
“It’s no problem at all. You’re welcome to stay.” John looked at Lilly who stood like a statue next to Louis and didn’t say a word. Suspicious.
“Maybe some other time. Harry is expecting me back for dinner and if he cooks and I don’t show up, he won’t talk to me for some time.”
“Just come by when you feel like it.” With that Jonathan left them alone again.
Louis turned towards Lilly as soon as he was gone. He simply watched her for a moment, before he opened his mouth again: “You’ve got my number, you’ve got Harry’s number, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call or text one of us, okay?”
“Thank you.”Lilly had regained her composure and slowed down her heartbeat.
“Any time.” Louis watched her a moment longer, but then he turned around and left her room. Downstairs he poked his head into the living room to say goodbye to Lilly’s Mum and Jonathan.
When he was inside his car, he looked up at the windows of Lilly’s room. He’d wanted to stay, but it had been the right decision to leave. Damn, he’d nearly kissed her back there. He’d certainly thought about it, and if they hadn’t been interrupted, he’d probably gone through with it. There was a part of him that really regretted that interruption, but common sense told him that it wouldn’t have been a good idea. Not in that moment, not after everything that had happened.
Still, he wondered what her lips would have felt like. He already knew how her body felt in his arms, but he was really curious about the feeling, the taste of her lips.
“Stop it, Louis,” he scolded himself. This was nothing he should be thinking about, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing so. He had to go home. And talk to Harry.
Harry was busy cooking dinner, roast potatoes and peppers with chicken, when Louis entered the apartment. Without a word, he took off his shoes, put the key aside and sat down on one of the bar stools along the kitchen counter.
“Welcome home,” Harry said with a grin, putting the oven gloves aside. His grin faded, though, when he saw the serious look on his friend’s face.
“I nearly kissed her,” Louis blurted out, running a hand through his hair. “Her stepfather knocked right at that moment, so it didn’t happen.”
“What?” Harry looked at him, at the exasperation written all over his face. “So, you do like her.”
“Apparently so. In a way. I really don’t know, Harry. It’s been a while since I felt like this. She’s great, but she works for us. Maybe it’s just because we spent some time together?”
“Could be, but doubt it. There have been others you’ve worked with before and nothing has happened. Lilly is the first girl in a long time that you’ve shown interest in.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest. “But you should maybe try to get to know her better and see how you feel about her then? Learn from my mistakes.” A wry smile crept on his face followed by a sigh. “I like Lilly and it’s great to have her with us on tour and everything.”
“You’re right, you’re right. And I do want to get to know her better. It just happened. She told me about her ex and that he didn’t want to hold hands with her, so I told her that she could hold my hand any time she wanted. She did that on the airplane and on her bed today.”
“On her bed?” Harry looked at him curiously. “Is there something you left out?”
“No. She was a bit overwhelmed with the news, so we had a cup of tea, and I watched a film with her, so we sat down on her bed. But she fell asleep, and when I wanted to leave, she took hold of my hand. I didn’t want to wake her up by leaving her alone.” Louis took a deep breath.
“Okay. And when you told her that, you wanted to kiss her?” Harry leaned his behind against the kitchen top and kept peering at Louis. It was good to talk with him about this.
“Yeah. Weird, huh?” Louis grinned at him, but it wasn’t his usual open grin. He was obviously in thought.
“Let’s distract you from your thoughts for a moment,” Harry suddenly said. It was no use to talk to Louis about this situation. There wasn’t even really a situation. He obviously liked Lilly, and it wasn’t like him to act on his impulses. “Because I’ll meet Natalie tomorrow.”
“What?” Louis’ eyes widened.
“Yeah. We’ve been texting so much and I like her. I really, really like her. And she asked if I wanted to meet up for coffee. Close to where she lives, there’s a small café and she asked if I wanted to meet her there.”
“And you are going?” Louis asked in disbelief.
“Yes. I thought this through, and I’ve been wanting to meet her for some time now, I just didn’t want to be the one to suggest it.” He scratched his head and took a deep breath. “And to be honest, I’m really nervous.”
“I wonder why. You still haven’t told her that you’re in a band, have you?”
“Well, I told her that I’m in a band, I just didn’t tell her the name. She wouldn’t believe me if I told her now.”
Harry probably had a point there. But meeting her in public for the first time where people might recognize him? Where she might recognize him and not let him explain?
“You’re right. Do you know what she looks like?”
“No. I have absolutely no idea.” Harry shook his head violently. If she’d sent him a picture, he would have had to send her one in return, and he was actually happy about this. “She’ll be sitting in the café with a copy of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in front of her. Since there won’t be many people around, it will be easy to notice her.” Louis nodded, and Harry added: “Say, can you maybe drive me there?”
“Why?” Louis’ brows drew together. Why would he want that?
“Just in case. If anybody recognizes me or she freaks out that I can get away quickly.”
“You really are nervous, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea,” Harry said with a laugh. How could Louis say no in that case?
“Oh God, I’m sorry!” Her eyes were wide, her body tense, and Louis couldn’t help but grin at this.
“Why do you always get so worked up because you’re holding my hand?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.” Slowly she relaxed again, and pushed her hair back from her face. “My ex always made a huge fuss about me holding his hand. I think that’s why.”
Louis had never thought about whether she had a boyfriend or not. She hadn’t mentioned one or been on the phone except for with her mother, so he’d figured that there wasn’t one. Maybe he could ask her now?
“Then he’s obviously not right in his mind. I like holding hands with you.” He grinned at her, while watching her get up from the bed. He slowly followed her. “I hope your current boyfriend doesn’t feel the same way about holding hands like your ex.”
“There is no current boyfriend.” Lilly turned around to him, tilted her head a little back to look him in the eyes. He wasn’t that much taller than her, but still a little. “Since I broke up with James, I’ve been busy with University, and work afterwards.”
“Just so you know,” Louis started and took a step closer so that they were about an inch apart from each other. Gently he took hold of her hand. “You can hold my hand any time you want.”
Lilly looked down at their hands with a smile. Having him so close, his words more a whisper than anything else, and his hand wrapped around hers made her heart race. When she looked up in his eyes again, her breath hitched and a jolt of awareness ran through her body, settled low in her stomach. Louis wasn’t looking at her with his usual smile, the twinkle in his eyes. His face was serious with just the hint of a smile.
This moment was disturbed by a knock at her door. Lilly jumped away from Louis and let go of his hand. Louis shook his head before he smiled at her. What had gotten into him? This was not like him. Maybe he should go home and give her some time alone before she had to leave the following day.
“Yes?” Lilly said, her voice a little shaky.
Jonathan opened the door and peered inside. First, he looked at Louis, then at Lilly before he said: “Your Mum wants to start dinner now. Are you staying, Louis?”
“Oh no, you don’t need to cook for me as well, but thank you for asking.”
“It’s no problem at all. You’re welcome to stay.” John looked at Lilly who stood like a statue next to Louis and didn’t say a word. Suspicious.
“Maybe some other time. Harry is expecting me back for dinner and if he cooks and I don’t show up, he won’t talk to me for some time.”
“Just come by when you feel like it.” With that Jonathan left them alone again.
Louis turned towards Lilly as soon as he was gone. He simply watched her for a moment, before he opened his mouth again: “You’ve got my number, you’ve got Harry’s number, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call or text one of us, okay?”
“Thank you.”Lilly had regained her composure and slowed down her heartbeat.
“Any time.” Louis watched her a moment longer, but then he turned around and left her room. Downstairs he poked his head into the living room to say goodbye to Lilly’s Mum and Jonathan.
When he was inside his car, he looked up at the windows of Lilly’s room. He’d wanted to stay, but it had been the right decision to leave. Damn, he’d nearly kissed her back there. He’d certainly thought about it, and if they hadn’t been interrupted, he’d probably gone through with it. There was a part of him that really regretted that interruption, but common sense told him that it wouldn’t have been a good idea. Not in that moment, not after everything that had happened.
Still, he wondered what her lips would have felt like. He already knew how her body felt in his arms, but he was really curious about the feeling, the taste of her lips.
“Stop it, Louis,” he scolded himself. This was nothing he should be thinking about, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing so. He had to go home. And talk to Harry.
Harry was busy cooking dinner, roast potatoes and peppers with chicken, when Louis entered the apartment. Without a word, he took off his shoes, put the key aside and sat down on one of the bar stools along the kitchen counter.
“Welcome home,” Harry said with a grin, putting the oven gloves aside. His grin faded, though, when he saw the serious look on his friend’s face.
“I nearly kissed her,” Louis blurted out, running a hand through his hair. “Her stepfather knocked right at that moment, so it didn’t happen.”
“What?” Harry looked at him, at the exasperation written all over his face. “So, you do like her.”
“Apparently so. In a way. I really don’t know, Harry. It’s been a while since I felt like this. She’s great, but she works for us. Maybe it’s just because we spent some time together?”
“Could be, but doubt it. There have been others you’ve worked with before and nothing has happened. Lilly is the first girl in a long time that you’ve shown interest in.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest. “But you should maybe try to get to know her better and see how you feel about her then? Learn from my mistakes.” A wry smile crept on his face followed by a sigh. “I like Lilly and it’s great to have her with us on tour and everything.”
“You’re right, you’re right. And I do want to get to know her better. It just happened. She told me about her ex and that he didn’t want to hold hands with her, so I told her that she could hold my hand any time she wanted. She did that on the airplane and on her bed today.”
“On her bed?” Harry looked at him curiously. “Is there something you left out?”
“No. She was a bit overwhelmed with the news, so we had a cup of tea, and I watched a film with her, so we sat down on her bed. But she fell asleep, and when I wanted to leave, she took hold of my hand. I didn’t want to wake her up by leaving her alone.” Louis took a deep breath.
“Okay. And when you told her that, you wanted to kiss her?” Harry leaned his behind against the kitchen top and kept peering at Louis. It was good to talk with him about this.
“Yeah. Weird, huh?” Louis grinned at him, but it wasn’t his usual open grin. He was obviously in thought.
“Let’s distract you from your thoughts for a moment,” Harry suddenly said. It was no use to talk to Louis about this situation. There wasn’t even really a situation. He obviously liked Lilly, and it wasn’t like him to act on his impulses. “Because I’ll meet Natalie tomorrow.”
“What?” Louis’ eyes widened.
“Yeah. We’ve been texting so much and I like her. I really, really like her. And she asked if I wanted to meet up for coffee. Close to where she lives, there’s a small café and she asked if I wanted to meet her there.”
“And you are going?” Louis asked in disbelief.
“Yes. I thought this through, and I’ve been wanting to meet her for some time now, I just didn’t want to be the one to suggest it.” He scratched his head and took a deep breath. “And to be honest, I’m really nervous.”
“I wonder why. You still haven’t told her that you’re in a band, have you?”
“Well, I told her that I’m in a band, I just didn’t tell her the name. She wouldn’t believe me if I told her now.”
Harry probably had a point there. But meeting her in public for the first time where people might recognize him? Where she might recognize him and not let him explain?
“You’re right. Do you know what she looks like?”
“No. I have absolutely no idea.” Harry shook his head violently. If she’d sent him a picture, he would have had to send her one in return, and he was actually happy about this. “She’ll be sitting in the café with a copy of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in front of her. Since there won’t be many people around, it will be easy to notice her.” Louis nodded, and Harry added: “Say, can you maybe drive me there?”
“Why?” Louis’ brows drew together. Why would he want that?
“Just in case. If anybody recognizes me or she freaks out that I can get away quickly.”
“You really are nervous, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea,” Harry said with a laugh. How could Louis say no in that case?
11/16/13