Work Text:
Harry likes Scrabble.
Harry likes Scrabble when his mom lets him win. He likes Scrabble when Louis makes up words and Harry’s left too afraid of being annoying to challenge them. He likes Scrabble when he’s on the tour bus and they hit a pothole, meaning they have to start over. He likes Scrabble when it’s storming outside and no one else wants to play, but they kind of begrudgingly do because they’re bored and Harry’s green eyes are persuasive.
But he especially likes Scrabble when Niall’s seated across from him and it’s dark out. No one’s left awake on the bus except for them because Niall had drunk a Red Bull a little too late in the evening and Harry didn’t want him to have to stay up alone. They’re sitting on the floor and Harry’s trying to suppress yawn after yawn because he doesn’t want to let on that he would’ve liked to go to asleep two hours ago. Except not really because any alone time with Niall is worth it, really.
“Sporty,” Niall says with excitement in his voice as he finally finishes the word he had been working on for a few minutes.
“Good one!” Harry says with genuine encouragement, because even though he’s been trying to go easy on the lad there’s a large score difference that isn’t in Niall’s favor.
Harry likes Scrabble with Niall because Niall likes to tell jokes and try to find the dirtiest words rather than the highest-scoring ones. And Niall sits with one leg pulled up to his chest, resting his chin on it in determination. And he flicks his tongue out when he’s thinking hard which is such a stupidly endearing thing.
No one is around to interrupt them or ask why in the world Harry is playing the same damn game for the third damn time that day. Or distract Niall with the promise of ice cream or a game of footie meaning that their game will be put off for “later” (which always means never). And no one is around to witness Harry stealing glances at the way Niall runs his fingers over his happy trail when he’s particularly stressed. No one except Niall who is always blissfully, distractedly, stunningly oblivious.