Louis stared at Harry, fidgeting with the end of his skirt. He was wearing a skirt.

To be honest, Louis sort of liked it. It was soft and framed his curvy hips just fine instead of squeezing them to death in skinny jeans.

"You look really good," Harry assured him, when he caught Louis's intense stare.

"Just drive, Harry... I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Harry pulled onto Ed's street, rolling his eyes. "I think you're going to be just fine. People need to learn to accept who you are... And how can they know who you are if you don't show the real you?"

Louis shrugged, looking out the window as Harry pulled beside the curb, parking the car.

"Look at me, Lou."

Louis turned his head, looking at Harry with desperate eyes. He was scared shitless.

"Babe, tell me how you feel in that skirt," Harry requesting, shifting his body towards the smaller lad.

"I feel... Pretty," Louis whispered.

"What about the makeup?"

"I feel girly."

"And the bow?" Harry continued.

"I feel like a cheerleader," Louis said as he cracked a smile.

Harry smiled back, leaning over to adjust the green bow pinned nearly into Louis's short, feathery hair. "My cheerleader, yeah? I don't let anyone mess with something that's mine. You're my best friend, Lou. Okay? Trust me, yeah?"

Louis nodded sheepishly, patting down the skirt and avoiding Harry's eyes so the younger man wouldn't see his blush.

Harry got out of the car, walking around to Louis's side and opening the door, helping the boy out of the vehicle and keeping their hands linked together.

Harry whistled as he saw Ed's house, paying attention to it for the first time since they pulled up tonight.

The house was decorate with orange lights. Jack-'o-Lanterns littered the lawn, casting an eerie, flickering glow on the grass. Fake skeletons hung from the three large, oak trees. On the steps, a woman stood, dressed as what Harry and Louis concluded was a scarecrow.

Louis ducked his face as they passed Ed's mom. She greeted them with a, "Welcome! Everyone's in the back yard by the fire pit!"

Harry said a thanks and kept going. Louis let out a breath of relief, tensing slightly and blushing red as the woman's eyes followed him into the house with a curious glint in them.

Louis knew it wasn't the outfit; no- she recognized him. He sped up, pulling Harry along and out the sliding doors into the back yard. It looked spooky.

The fire put had torches around it, as if it was the pit of hell, but it looked really cool. There were many teenagers there, most unrecognizable in their costumes.

Louis gripped Harry's jersey as they received several looks. Only a few people looked away, but most stared.

Harry approached Ed, who was in conversation with a girl dressed as Catwoman.

"Can I borrow Ed?" Harry interrupted, smiling at the girl, who blushed, shrugged, and left.

"C'mon, mate, I was trying to get laid," Ed laughed, but, for once, he seemed to be drinking cider instead of alcohol and he looked really happy.

"Well, I just wanted to talk to ya until I find someone else familiar," Harry said, absently rubbing Louis's back.

Ed's sea green eyes flickered between them and he did a double-take. "Wow, Lou... You look fantastic."

Louis hummed, grabbing a cup off of a tray a woman was carrying around, sipping the cider. "Don't call me that."

Ed blushed, focusing on Harry again. "So football player and cheerleader?"

"That's us," Harry hummed, sliding his hand under Louis's dark green tee, which was tucked into his skirt and had Harry's last name and number on the back. Louis had made it himself.

"Are you, like, a business man?" Louis asked Ed, looking down at his buttoned blazer, slacks, and shiny shoes.

"I think he's Superman," Harry laughed as Ed opened his blazer to reveal a tight superman tee.

Ed winked, leaving the blazer halfway open to show off the tee. "Anyways, I really like the bow, Lou, it's- Louis, sorry," Ed mumbled, catching Louis's glare. Harry looked between the two, caught off guard.

Ed suddenly took off, not saying a word.

"What's your problem with Ed?" Harry snapped, tugging at his green bandana, trying not to yell. "That was fucking rude."

"Really, Harry, it's none of your business, is it?" Louis fired back, searching for a familiar face- a friendly one, at that.

"Ed is my friend, too."

"Well he's not mine! Excuse me while I go talk to Roni and Niall."

Louis edge his way through the crowd, flinching at the glares, until he made it to his friends, who smiled.

"Louis!" Roni gasped, eyeing Louis's outfit. "You look good!"

Louis blushed, looking at Roni's costume of Ariel from The Little Mermaid. "You do, too. Niall... An astronaut?"

Niall shrugged, tugging at the zipper of the grey jumper. "Wish I was as brave as you, Lou."

"It's just a costume," Louis said with a sad smile. "Harry practically forced me."

"I did not," Harry quipped as he joined the group. "Don't run off anymore, Lou. You look too good not to be kidnapped."

Roni cooed, smiling fondly. "That adorable."

"Oh, shut it," Louis grumbled, pouting. To his surprise, Harry kissed him, but really kissed him, not just a peck- no, he was moving his lips with Louis's for about ten seconds before Niall coughed, interrupting them.

"You can snog later," Niall grumbled.

"What are you for Halloween, Calum?" Harry joked. Louis and Roni laughed but Niall rolled his eyes.

"You've only been around us for a month. You barely know Calum-"

"What about Calum?" And now Calum himself joined the group, booking an arm around Rori's shoulder.

Calum was smiling and Louis thought that maybe the two had switched bodies or some shit.

"Why're you so happy?" Louis asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just got asked out! A girl asked me out! I was a but surprised, but, hey, I couldn't deny it. It's that punk-rock chick, Emmaline. She's hard-core."

Niall scratched his wrist, Rori raised her eyebrows, Louis laughed, and Harry just smiled.

"Congrats, mate," Harry said finally, and Calum grinned, shrugging.

Well, that was fucking odd.

"Awh, Lou, your crush," Calum said, pointing into the crowd. Louis whipped around seeing Ashton. Oh, shit, Ashton looked adorable.

"I'm over him," Louis lied as he turned back to the group.

"I'd hope," Harry teased, placing a kiss on Louis's temple. Calum stared, but then he was smiling again, waving as Ashton came near them.

Shit, Louis was so not over him.

"Hey, guys," Ashton said happily as he approached the five. "Louis, you look cute."

Louis laughed awkwardly, turning to dig his blushing face into Harry's shoulder.

"You look good, too. Cute," Harry complimented, looking Ashton over. He was dressed as Robin and it was pretty adorable.

"Thanks." Ashton grinned, looking down at his own outfit.

"Anyways, I'm going to take Louis to dance," Harry announced, pulling the small lad away and taking Louis's drink, dropping it in a nearby bin. Once out of earshot, Harry was laughing. "You are so not over him"

Louis punched Harry's shoulder to the best of his ability, frowning. "I am so. I'm into a curly-haired dork."

"I hope that crush is just for show," Harry teased, winking.

Louis smiled sheepishly, shrugging. "Probably."

Harry laughed and gripped Louis's hips, pulling him in for a slow dance to a fast song.

After a few songs, Harry said he was going to the loo. Louis waved him off and swayed to the song.

Louis flinched as hands fell on his waist. They weren't familiar. Harry's hands were large and warm, even if Louis had clothes on.

"Hey, Louis," a voice spoke and, oh, it was that bloke with rainbow hair- Michael- accept his hair wasn't rainbow anymore, it was black with red streaks.

"You dye your hair more than Lady Gaga changes her wig," Louis said, raising an eyebrow as he backed out of Michael's hold.

"Color."

"Excuse you?"

"I, um, the correct term is color. I color my hair. You, uh, you dye eggs." Michael scratched his neck, offering an awkward laugh. Louis just stared.

"Oi! Vampire boy! Get away from my boyfriend!"

Heads whipped around as Harry pushed through the thinning crowd, glaring at Michael.

"I wasn't going to... I wasn't doing anything!" Michael defended, raising his hands up.

Harry looked to Louis for confirmation. The music had even turned off- everyone was watching a red-faced Harry.

"You've said mean things to Louis that I don't appreciate," Harry said through his teeth, holding Louis close.

"Yeah, I-I wanted to apologize. I tried to before, last time we were here, I swear!" Michael looked a bit scared, but to his defense, Harry looked livid.

"You put your hands on him!"

"I didn't know he was your boyfriend, mate, I was just trying to get his attention!"

Harry's face was softening slightly, but he needed to say something first.

"It's cool- just keep your hands off of my Louis, yeah?"

Michael nodded, mumble an apology, and left. Harry glared at the people watching. "Move along now, this isn't public television!"

Everyone returned to their groups and the music started. Harry smirked, grabbing Louis's hands.

"Good time to come out, innit?" The taller bloke asked, chuckling.

Louis giggled, Rollin his eyes. "I suppose... Does it suck? Knowing you aren't going to bed a girl at the end of this party?"

Harry shrugged, leaning in to kiss Louis's forehead. "I don't mind too much."

Louis smiled serenly, pulling Harry down for a real snog, right in front of everyone and, for once, he was proud to be who he was.

~~~

Short chapter ig I mean it was over 1000 words but work has been hell and my bf left me

Thanks DemonaPattinson for the costume idea (: x

HEY GUESS WHAT I'm going to the beach this weeknd and last time I took a beach trip, I updated twice on each story bc the car ride is long so keep that in mind

QOTC: any guesses about Louis and ed?

PQOTC: ever been to the beach?

MA: I can't swim so I stray from the ocean, but I love to sit out in a beach chair and read. One time, it was really cloudly, So the water was rough and dark and I sat on the rocks and read and it was rly nice.

Ily my little bugs xx