Work Text:
‘Do you got plans tonight?’
Harry's been staring at the text for the better half of an hour. It shouldn't leave him in this state, to be honest. They had been talking again after all.
It started when they were invited to the same L.A. party after both of their tours finished up. And at first it had been awkward; they had kind of lost touch while they were on their respective tours and neither tried to change that then. They were also in relationships. Respectively. But after a few hours and as many drinks, they both grew more loose and comfortable. And just like that it didn't feel any different than when they stayed up till 3AM just to talk shit in the lounge at the back of their tour bus.
It was always easy with Niall. That's why it felt natural to get closer again while they were staying in Los Angeles for a bit. Harry spent a fair amount of his time on Niall's couch, which he liked to call "taking care of Niall after his surgery" and Niall in turn called "being lazy because that's what a break should be for, H". It's been good though. So good, that they kept talking even after L.A.
And now Harry's waiting for his order to be called in a Starbucks in the middle of Tokyo, because he couldn't find the coffee shop that was recommended to him and his Japanese isn't good enough (yet), tried-and-true is always Harry's favorite option anyway, and he's looking at the text message Niall sent him. It's the last day of the year, of a brilliant year if Harry says so himself. He ought to be celebrating and if he asked any of the friends he has made out here he'd probably get into a club or some New Year's Eve party no problem even if it's already 8pm in Tokyo, but. Now he's thinking of Niall and how neither of them was able to make room in their schedules to meet up while they were in London. It'd be nice to see him, is all. So, after typing in ‘Not yet’, Harry adds ‘Can't seem to get you off my mind’ and hits send before he can overthink it. It's the last day of the year; he's allowed to be bold. He locks his phone and tries not to think of it as a time bomb.
Harry idly sips on his iced black coffee as he takes the long way back. Tokyo seemed like a good place to end the year in and Harry feels comfortable despite walking down the rather busy streets. He even considers getting a permanent place here as he enters the hotel lobby and nods to the receptionist, who beams back at him.
Opening the door to his room proves to be harder than Harry thought. It takes some handling of his phone, drink, shopping bag and key card, as well as a few choice words, before he's stumbling inside. That's why he doesn't immediately notice that the lights are already on. Or the additional bag on his perfectly made hotel bed. Or Niall.
The door shuts with a soft click behind him and he can't move a muscle. Well, he can move one muscle. "How-" His voice sounds choked, even to his own ears.
"Um, hi." He looks beautiful, is Harry's first thought. He's wearing his typical travel attire and his dark hair falls softly over his forehead, making his eyes look that much more intense. He looks like home.
A nervous chuckle escapes Niall as he avoids Harry's, probably rude, stare. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
Harry stomach gives a lurch. He clears his throat. "When did you get here?"
Niall huffs out as he leans back on the windowsill. "A few hours ago. I, uh, I wanted to surprise you, I don't know what I was thinking. It seemed stupid once I actually got here and then I texted you, and you-" Niall looks up. He still got that nervousness in his eyes and Harry could probably catch him picking at his cuticles if he looked down at the hands in his lap, but he can't seem to stop staring at his face. He's right there, right in front of him. He came for him. “I know this is crazy but I can't get you off my mind either and we both know this was always more than a friendship. We couldn't do it then but maybe now, I-”
But Niall never gets to finish his rambling because Harry's legs finally remembered how to move. He crosses the room and Niall straightens up just as Harry's hands cup his face. Softly, because this still feels like a dream. He slowly caresses the blush on his cheeks and forces his brain to memorize every little detail of Niall's face. The curve of his lashes, the light sprinkle of freckles on his nose, his slightly opened lips. He already knows this face better than he knows his heart though. It's familiar like nothing ever is in his fast changing life. He could stand right here and look at him forever but Niall lets out a low "Harry," and instead of responding with the echoing "Finally" in his head, Harry chooses to close the gap between them. It's not even midnight yet but he doesn't have to wait anymore and it might be the last day of the year but standing here and kissing Niall feels like the beginning of the rest of his life.