The three of them laugh as they pull Dougie's trousers off; Harry holding his shoulders and Tom and Danny taking a leg each.
"Stop! Stop!" Dougie cries, wriggling madly, which actually helps them to pull them off quicker.
Once the trousers are off, they start pulling at his boxers, but he finally kicks his way free, knocking Danny in the jaw with his foot as he does so, ad rolls off, running off to his bunk.
"Awww! Come back, Dougs!" Tom calls, not moving any closer to the bunks, staying in the lounge with the others.
"No! You're all bloody perverts!" Dougie calls, his voice slightly muffled by the thick curtain he's drawn across his bed so they can't see him.
"Can't help it if we love looking at your fit bod, eh?" Danny calls out, laughing, but there's no response.
"Dougie?" Harry calls out tentatively, worried that they pushed too much this time. There's still no answer though, so Harry gets up, motioning to the other two to stay where they are and makes his way towards the back. They all have different relationships with each other, and for Dougie Danny is for fun and parties, Tom is for geeking out and laughing, and Harry is the one who makes sure he gets home after a night out, or like now, gets him to say what's wrong.
Tom and Danny's voices are quieter down the bus, as Harry stops outside Dougie's bunk, right over his own.
"Doug? You home?" Harry asks, knocking slightly at the wood next to the bunk's curtain.
"Go away, Harry," Dougie responds, sounding slightly snuffly and blocked up.
Harry doesn't go away. He wouldn't, not when something's wrong. Some people find it annoying, but he reckons it's the only way to get things sorted. It needs to be done. So he draws the curtain aside and raises his eyebrows at a red and wet eyed Dougie, pushing him back gently so that there's some room, and squeezing himself in beside the smaller man and drawing the curtain back behind him so that they are in semi-darkness.
For a moment Dougie looks like he's going to push Harry back out again and reject him, say that he doesn't want him there, but then he fists his hands in the front of Harry's shirt and Harry wraps his arms around him, so they're squished together. There isn't any sound except their breathing, Harry waiting until he can feel Dougie's heart slow down and breathing sound a little calmer.
"I'm sorry," Harry murmurs, combing through Dougie's hair with his fingers, hoping he can hear how much he means it. he never meant to upset him this much, they just got into the habit of pulling his clothes off sometimes. For fun.
"S'not your fault," Dougie mumbles, pushing back slightly so he can look into Harry's eyes. "You don't know..."
"Know what?" Harry asks, pushing Dougie's fringe out of his eyes.
"If I was different to how you thought I was, would you still like me?" Dougie says, looking as if he is about to admit to murder.
"Of course. You are okay, aren't you? You're not ill, or leaving the band?" Harry grips Dougie's arm, worried it's something serious.
"No, not unless you don't want me anymore," Dougie gives a weak smile. "Harry. I think I'm bi."
Dougie bites his lip, watching Harry's face. Harry looks blank for a second as the information hits him, and then seems to relax, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Har-" Dougie starts, but is stopped by the drummer kissing him passionately. After a second he opens his lips, kissing back as Harry slides his hand down to rest on Dougie's hip and pulling him tight against him. Their tongues move together, meeting in the middle effortlessly. Dougie renews his grip on Harry's collar and pulls him in closer, moaning slightly into his mouth when Harry presses him back into the mattress slightly.
"Everything okay in there?" Tom's voice calls through, making them pull apart and freeze, panic and confusion all over Dougie's face.
"Fine thanks," Harry calls back, clearing his throat slightly.
"Harry," Dougie whispers, saying it like it's a question, and when Harry looks back at him he can see even in the half light that his lips are swollen and red from the kiss.
"Shhh," Harry says, putting a finger on Dougie's lips. "Don't worry. You need to tell the others too, you know."
"I know, but Harry, are you –"
"What are you two doing in there?" Danny says, surprisingly close, and the curtain is yanked back to see both the rest of the band standing, waiting for an explanation.
"Dougie has something to tell you," Harry announces, swinging his legs out of the bunk and grabbing Dougie's hand, pulling him to follow.