For the first time in a long time, Harry and Louis were separated between friends. Harry had gone to hang out with Niall and Ed, since the three of them decided they ought to get closer because of the tension.

Louis himself was with Liam only, the two playing a footie game on the tele. (Liam was winning but they were both crap at it anyways.)

"I give up," Louis said suddenly as a bot on Liam's team scored a goal. "It shouldn't even count if you aren't scoring!"

Liam laughed, clicking on a button to return the console to its home screen and turn on Netflix. "What would you like to watch, your highness?"

"I'm not sure," Louis said, leaning back. Liam's phone buzzed on the table. The two made eye contact before they both lunged for it, Louis screaming out a victory cry when it was in his grasp, hopping back so Liam couldn't try to-

"Ew, what the fuck!" Louis whined, dropping the phone in Liam's lap. "Why are you sexting Ashton while I'm here."

Liam blushed and glared at Louis. "He has clothes on!"

"Well, the caption 'Can't wait for your cock' isn't that innocent!" Louis said with a cringe.

"You're acting as if I begged you to read my messages!" Liam said, pouting a bit.

"Looks like Ashton does enough of the begging," Louis says around a snicker. "What are you replying with."

"As if I'd tell you that," Liam mutters, typing out a rather fast reply.

"'Not now, baby girl, Daddy's busy!'" Louis mocked in a voice not unlike Louis's quick but careful one. (Except it was much higher.)

"Please don't recite yours and Harry's messages," Liam mumbled, falling back on the couch.

"If I were to text Harry right now and ask for his cock, I'd be getting it," Louis said matter-of-factly, hands on his hips.

"Not if he'd with his friends," Liam said, glancing at Louis. "That wouldn't be nice."

Louis grabbed his phone and Liam leaned over to watch but Louis tutted, pushing Liam away so that he could snap a quick selfie and send it to Harry with the text 'Miss you so much, Daddy, want your cock'. Liam choked a bit.

They waited about twenty seconds before the 'read 2:15 PM' showed on the screen and Harry's typing bubble appeared.

I've got you, baby, meet me at the house in 20. xxx

Liam opened his mouth to speak but Louis smirked and said, "Looks like I'm on my way home. See ya, Liam!"

~~~

"Guess who's hosting a talent show fundraiser!?" Louis said as he plopped into his seat at lunch, a smile on his face.

"Us?" Niall said with a raised eyebrow and Louis grinned even wider, nodding.

He, Harry, Niall, Roni, Calum, Ashton, Liam, and Ed all had the same lunch so they all sat together and it was pretty nice.

Roni hadn't really been around lately and Louis was getting a bit worried so he wrapped an arm around the girl and offered her a smile. She smiled back but it was soft and didn't reach her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but Roni shook her head and Louis offered a nod. He'd ask later.

"Louis," Ashton said suddenly from a few seats down, looking down at the boy. "Next time you decide to sneak around on Liam's phone-"

"I didn't sneak around," Louis said, raising an eyebrow. "Your message popped up on the screen. Don't send messages like that while people are with their friends."

"You did it," Liam said and, okay, were they actually bitter about this?

"How does he know that?" Harry asked, tapping Louis's arm. The table was silent and Louis now had a headache. "Oh my God, you lot are overacting. I saw where Ashton sent Liam a dirty text. Liam said that a normal person wouldn't give in so I sent one to you proving that a normal person does give in."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed but he didn't say anything else.

"Anyways," Louis said, going back to the important subject, "Our theater program will be hosting a talent show and tickets are ten a piece so either you all perform or you pay up."

"What about neither," Liam said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm performing," Ashton decided. "It's good promotion for our band."

"I'm going, then," Liam decided and Ashton smiled at him.

"Rehearsals for me and you to sing together this afternoon?" Louis asked, looking hopefully at Harry with wide eyes. "Please."

"If I can pick the song," Harry says.

"Actually," Ashton said, fingers twitching a bit. "Louis and I've already talked about the show... We got together and wrote a song for you two to sing together."

"You did?" Harry asked in slight surprise.

"Yes. Zayn, Ashton, and Michael will play for us," Louis says with a grin.

Harry hummed a bit. "Okay... But I can't sing."

Louis laughed at that, shaking his head. "I've heard you sing before, Harry. You're really good. C'mon, for me?"

Harry sighed and picked the crust from his pizza. "Yeah, I s'pose."

Louis squealed and clapped his hands. "Fantastic! So I'll see you at rehearsals after school?"

"Alright," Harry agreed, smiling nervously.

~~~

Harry stared down at the floor as he listened to Ashton and Louis sing the song, Ashton singing Harry's parts. It was a good song and it sounded beautiful but Harry felt sick.

"Maybe you should sing it, Ashton," Harry said, giving the boy a distressed look. "I don't know If I can do this."

"Harry," Louis said, placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "What's wrong? You've never been shy about anything."

"I've also never sang in front of a crowd of people," Harry pointed out.

"Start by singing with me," Louis said softly. "It's alright. I'm sure you'll sound beautiful."

Harry nodded once as the sheet of lyrics was handed to him. "I'm the first verse, then you've got the chorus, then I've got the second verse, and you sing the chorus again. It's a simple song," Louis explained.

Harry nodded and gulped a bit as the guitar started. Louis gave him a reassuring nod before he started singing.

"We made a fire," Louis started, smiling softly as he linked his hand with Harry's,
"Went down in the flames. We sailed an ocean, And drowned in a wave. Built a cathedral,
But we never prayed. We had it all, yeah, And we walked away."

Harry gulped a bit but opened his mouth to sing, Louis singing along softly to guide Harry through it.

"Point of no return And now it's just too late to turn around," Harry sang, voice cracking a little, but Louis had his sunshine smile and Harry relaxed a little, "I try to forgive you, But I struggle 'cause I don't know how." Louis stopped singing and Harry closed his eyes to feel the last few verses of the chorus. "We built it up so high and now I'm fallin'. It's a long way down.
It's a long way down from here."

Louis was grinning as he sang his part, eyes fluttering between Harry and the band behind them, all of the boys caught up in what the were doing.

After Louis sang his second verse, Harry fell into the chorus a little stronger and ended on a great note, Louis squealing and hugging him.

"That sounded beautiful, Harry! You caught on so quick! We'll have to find your pitch a little better on some of the notes but it really sounded so good!"

Harry laughed but he was cut off by Louis's lips against his and he grinned, holding the boy close to him.

~~~

Louis and Harry had had a busy week in rehearsals, working their asses off. It was nearing February already, which means the date of the show and Harry's birthday were coming up as well.

They were sitting in the living room of the Styles' household, scraps of paper, scissors, tape, markers and pens, Harry's laptop, sticky notes, and a calendar spread around them.

Harry was working on a project for his biology class while Louis made out a schedule for the following week.

"Okay, so Saturday, the 30th, is the show," he said, tapping over it on the calendar. "Do you just want to have your party that night?"

Harry looked up at him. "What party?"

"You're birthday party, Harry."

Harry shrugged again so Louis then moved to finish off making the programs for the show on Harry's laptop. Sign-ups had been finished off last week and Louis was in charge of everything.  He had to make more flyers, pick people to sell tickets at the door, finish the programs, schedule the performances (him and Harry were last because best for last), all while having to rehearse with Harry during the week.

Harry looked up at the boy and smiled softly. While shopping for supplies, Louis had found the cutest flower crown and now had it in his hair, looking damn beautiful as always. He pushed his glasses up his nose and let out a soft puff of breath.

Harry fell in love all over again.

"Since your birthday is next Tuesday, why don't we wait until Saturday, the 6th, to have your party."

"If Ed doesn't mind," Harry said. He was still very surprised that Ed offered his house for Harry's 18th birthday celebration.

"I'm sure he doesn't care about what day it is," Louis said, still shooting the boy a text to double check. "I'm glad we can all be friends now."

"I'm glad as well. I really like Ed," Harry says as he began to cut out a printed photo. "We're all like one big circle of gay now."

Louis snickered but silently agreed. "Okay, so I'll set to work on your invitations because Ed said it's fine."

"He's been busy lately," Harry says thoughtfully.

"All of my friends have. I've noticed Roni started to go missing."

Harry's cheeks flushed. "Yeah."

Louis glanced up and cocked an eyebrow. "Do you happen to know anything about that?"

"She... She had a crush on me and was upset when we started dating," Harry said with an awkward smile. "We haven't said anything about it, though, because she's happy that you're happy."

Louis was a little taken back but nodded a bit. "Oh. Wow. I wish she would've told me."

"Yeah, but she told me she liked me before anything really happened between us. I told her I wasn't into her."

Louis was a little uncomfortable that his friend never told him that secret about herself but he kept quiet, watching Harry adjust his hat and set back to work on his project as if the newfound news was nothing though Louis felt like shit.

~~~

I promise my updates are about to be back on track. I've had rehearsals and my job and school and friends and it's been a lot on me but the school year is almost finished so I should be alright. Love you lot xx

QOTC: Roni's secret- did it surprise anyone? Do you feel like it's unimportant or do you feel like Louis should feel bad about it? Why does Louis feel so guilty?