Harry was currently standing in a club, he didn't even know, which one. His friends just thought it was an amazing idea to go party after the stress of the exams.

Harry didn't really like clubbing. He prefered silence and soft music and movie nights. He also wasn't good at letting go and just dance. He just couldn't do it, except with a decent amount of alcohol running through his veins, of course.

But Harry also didn't like losing control over himself so he stood on the side and watched his friends finding dance/grind partners. Most of them were pretty intoxated already except for Zayn who had to drive. But he didn't have a problem finding a girl to dance with without alcohol.

The club was loud and overwhelmed Harry's senses, the bass giving him the feeling that his insides were loose inside his body and hopping around like jelly. It wasn't really the best feeling to Harry.

"Hey," A girl was standing infront of him with some colourful cocktail in her hand, "Wanna dance?"

She was cute, dark brown, wavy hair and a shy smile. It was obvious that she was nervous and Harry felt bad for rejecting her, but he kind of had to if he didn't want this whole thing to turn out as extremely awkward. 

See, Harry was gay and his friends knew that. Harry tried to use that as an excuse to not join them in the club but they insisted that they were sure there were other gay guys in the club, or maybe bi or pan, but that didn't matter. As long as it were boys with an interest in boys.

So after Harry had rejected her with an apologetic smile, saying the truth about him being gay because he didn't want to lower her self- confidence, he sighed to himself, looking around the club for a guy who he could possibly ask. Maybe finding someone and bring himself to dance would be better than awkwardly having to reject cute girls.

However, he didn't really find someone. Most guys were on the dancefloor, trying to approach a girl or already grinding on one. Then there were the creepy older guys who just stood at the bar and watched. Then there were guys who just didn't seem friendly.

Harry shrugged, approaching a guy standing alone at the bar and watching. He seemed to look for someone to dance with too, so Harry thought, 'Fuck it. The worst thing that could happen is that he says no.'

Or so he thought...

In the dark club with many different coloured lights Harry couldn't make out his hair colour but he knew it was lighter than what could be considered as dark. His stature was kind of sturdy but not too sturdy. Not really Harry's type though, he prefered even less sturdy guys, but he would do, Harry guessed.

He now stood infront of him and tapped his shoulder. The guy's dark eyes turned to him and Harry was a bit intimidated. If he had been completely sober he would have said, "Never mind." and went away.

But he wasn't sober and it increased his confidence so he just blurted out, "Hey, you look good. Care to dance?"

The guy glared at him, "Do I look like I'm into dicks?" He shoved Harry, not hard but enough to stumble backwards. "Fag." Harry heard him mutter as he walked away.

Harry looked down onto his boots clad feet, feeling stupid. Of course he wasn't into boys. Harry knew it wasn't really, like, normal. He was embarrassed, even though he knew that barely anyone had seen the incident.

Well, dancing with a guy wouldn't work tonight, Harry concluded to himself, just as Leigh-Anne came up beside him. "Harry, why are you standing there? Dance, drink, hook up, whatever. Have fun, don't just stand there!"

Harry rolled his eyes and yelled back over the music, "I told you I don't like clubbing."

"Come on. Have you tried talking to someone?"

"Yes, I did. And I'm not gonna do it again." 

"What are you not doing again?" Perrie, who just appeared on the other side of him, asked.

"He doesn't want to talk to a guy." Leigh-Anne informed her.

"I just-..." He stopped, a boy, or more young man, catching his eyes. He smiled at the bar keeper sweetly. It was like the bar wasn't as dark anymore because his smile was bright, so bright. And he had biceps, obviously, but he wasn't too tall and muscular and his hair was styled, but it was artfully messy and... he was just exactly Harry's type.

"Ooh, someone caught your eyes?" Perrie teased, turning around to the guy who was now turned to a girl, chatting with her.

"It doesn't matter." Harry said, loud enough for her to hear.

"It does." Leigh-Anne piped up again, "He's talking to a girl, sure, but they don't seem very flirty, don't you think?"

Perrie agreed. Harry didn't bother checking, "That doesn't mean he likes guys."

"It also doesn't mean he likes girls. Come on, talk to him." Perrie tried wheedling him. When Harry shook his head stubbornly she grinned, "Okay, then I'll do it for you."

Harry grabbed her wrist before she could get too far, "No. Stop it."

"But Harry..." Leigh-Anne all but whined.

"No. Just drop it." Harry snapped.

The girls shared a look, then nodded, "Okay, then dance with us." With that they pulled him onto the dance floor.

";";";";";";";";";";";";";";";";";"

"Maybe the club was just the wrong place to look." Jesy reflected two days later.

Harry had agreed to join the shopping trip in the city center with Jesy, Leigh-Anne, Perrie and Jade. They were always so invested in finding Harry a boyfriend and he really didn't know why. It was his (non-existent) love life. What was it to them if he really wanted someone to cuddle in the late evening while watching shitty television?

"I agree." Perrie said, "The club is a good place for hook ups so I guess many staight players and stuff go there. Not to stereotype things, we had fun there too but-... Hey, aren't there these gay clubs?"

"Yes, I've read something about that too." Jade agreed, "I just don't know if-... Heey, look at ths cute shirt, oh my gosh."

Harry rolled his eyes but couldn't help but grin when the girls started to gush over that shirt or criticized it. 

Jade turned to him, "What do you think, Harry?" She held the shirt infront of herself like she was wearing it.

"Well, I think the pattern is really cute. And it would contrast your skin tone really nicely." Harry commented.

She grinned, "Thank you, Harry. You're the best."

Harry grinned, looking away from her to the window. His smile shrunk when he saw a familiar figure walking along the sidewalk. He squinted his eyes, hoping to make him out clearer and he had no doubt.

"Leigh-Anne, Perrie. Look." He pointed at the boy walking slowly, an ice cream in his hand and two little girls on either side of him.

"What?" Perrie asked, looking at where Harry was pointing at but not being able to spot something abnormal.

"Wait, wait, wait. Is that him?" Leigh-Anne asked.

"Who?" Perrie asked, still clueless.

"Yeah, he is." Harry answered Leigh-Anne, "That's the guy from the club."

"Ooh, the one who made you lose your tongue?" Perrie asked.

"He didn't-..." Harry went to protest but Perrie interrupted.

"He did. You literally stopped saying whatever you wanted to say to me just to ogle over him."

"I didn't-..."

"You did." Leigh-Anne smiled at him, "And now you see him again. That's fate. You have to talk to him."

Harry shook his head rapidly, "No, no way."

"Oh, come on. Why not?" Jesy piped up.

"He's, I mean, the chances are high that he's not even into guys. I would embarrass myself so much. And, believe it or not, there are not many guys who are willing to date another guy." Harry explained.

"I say he's gay." Jade commented, eying the guy on the other side laughing down at the little girl by his side, "He has this vibe. Besides..." She paused, "Look how he licks his ice cream."

"Jade!" Harry squeaked scandalized, making the girls giggle.

"But she's right," Perrie said, "He gives off this gay vibe. Come on, go talk to him. He's almost gone."

Harry shook his head again, "Even if he was into boys, he's way out of my league. Just look at him." He sighed.

"Hey," Jesy said, "nothing's out of your league. And this league thing is total bullshit. There are no leagues. Nobody is in a lower league than someone else, that's just stupid."

Harry didn't notice Jade whispering something into Leigh-Anne's ear but the next thing he knew was Leigh-Anne pulling him away, "I have to go to the toilet. You're coming with me."

"Why am I coming with you? I'm the only guy." Harry asked. He was used to the girls going off to the toilets together but he never had to come with because he couldn't go to the same toilet as them.

Leigh-Anne didn't answer, just continued walking and pulling him along. They found toilets rather quickly and Harry decided to go too because, why not? He was already here.

But when he came out again Leigh-Anne still wasn't there. She took a bit too long to be normal, Harry thought. When she finally came out of the girls toilets she had her phone in her hand and it looked like she had been texting. Harry shrugged it off.

~~~

Meanwhile Perrie, Jade and Jesy hurried out of the shop and after the mysterious guy who had caught their gay best friend's eye. They slowed down when they caught up with him and the little girls, coming to halt infront of them.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Hey."

"Umm... Hi?" The guy answered, a bit confused.

"Okay, umm..." Jade started but didn't really know how to continue so she turned to her friends for help.

"Okay, errm... So we have a question to ask you." Jesy spoke up.

"Okay." The guy eyed them suspiciously.

"Would you date a guy?" Perrie asked, straight to the point.

He looked at them in disbelief, "Do you have a gaydar?" The girls looked at each other, a bit confused. Did he mean he didn't like boys after all? Before they could worry too much he asked, "Do I look to you like I like boobs?"

That made the girls giggle, partly because of his bluntness, partly out of relief. "Cool, so we have this really good friend." Perrie started.

"Yeah, and he has an eye on you but he's too shy-..."

"You mean too much of a coward." Jesy interrupted Jade.

Jade rolled her eyes, "Anyways, he's a really great guy and we wanted to ask you if you would go on a date with him?"

"Please?" Perrie added.

The guy looked back and forth between the girls, not really knowing what to think of this exchange, "Errm... but I don't even know you."

"Oh, how impolite of us. I'm Perrie, this is Jade and this is Jesy."

The guy's corners of his mouth twitched into an amused smile, "Okay, now I know your names but I still don't know you."

The girls looked at each other. "What do you want us to do then?" Jesy asked. Perrie was rapidly texting Leigh-Anne that they weren't done and she still had to keep Harry away.

"I- I don't know. I just want to find out if this is a joke or something, I guess?" The guy said, or more like asked.

"It's not. His name is Harry and he's a really sweet guy." Jade assured, or tried to anyway.

"Okay, so what exactly do you want me to do?" The guy, they still didn't know his name, asked.

"Just go on a date with him." Jesy answered, "Don't worry about anything, we'll organize it. You just have to be there and get to know him."

The guy nodded slowly, "That's okay, I guess."

The girls grinned widely,

"Perfect."

"That's amazing."

"Yeah, thank you so much."

The guy grinned, "Well, at least this Harry has good friends, eh?" He winked at them, making them giggle. He gave them his phone so they could type their numbers in and text themselves so they had the guy's number too. 

"So, what's your name?" Perrie asked so they could finally call him something else that 'the guy' in their heads.

"Marco." The little girls by 'Marco's' side giggled, so he corrected himself, "Joking, I'm Louis. And these are my sisters. Daisy and Phoebe."

"Aww." Jade crouched down, "You girls are so cute."

"Girls, we have to get back. Leigh-Anne and Harry are almost back. If she stays in the toilets much longer it will get really suspicious."

"Oh, so Harry  is with you? I can meet him now then, don't I?" Louis asked.

"No." Perrie said quickly, making the other three look at her questioningly, "It will be much more of a surprise if he has this blind date. And he can't know it's Louis or he'll freak out before it even started. Or he'll back out with the excuse that Louis is 'out of his league'."

Louis frowned, "Well, that's stupid. I don't believe in leagues."

"Oh my gosh, you're perfect. Why can't you be straight and marry me?" Jesy pouted.

Jade rolled her eyes, "Come on, we have to go back. See you, hopefully." She said to Louis. He just smiled and the girls were confident that this would work out.

:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

"Why am I trusting you to send me on a blind date again?" Harry complained.

"Because we're your awesome best friends and you trust us with your life." Jesy grinned.

"Well, I mean, with my life is a bit exagger-..."

"Shut up and let us help you with your outfit." Perrie interrupted, pulling him to the closet.

"Hey," Harry complained again, "I'm a gay man. I know very well how to dress myself."

"Aren't you always the one telling us about stereotypes and not judging after them?" Leigh-Anne wondered.

"Yes, but I coincidently fit into that stereotype." Harry defended.

"We just want you to dress appropiately. So you don't dress bad just because it's a blind date." Jade explained.

"I don't even know him. I don't know anything about him except that his first name is Louis." Harry paused, "Though I have to admit that Louis is a beautiful name. It sounds so... elegant and beautiful," He paused and glared at the smug looking girls, "But that means nothing."

"Don't worry, you'll love him. Now chop chop. We don't have much more time left."

ööööööööööööööööööööö

Harry entered the restaurant the girls brought him to. A deer head with the inscription '17 Black' hung over the entrance.  He felt a mix of nervousness and indifference because he thought this wouldn't lead to anything anyway.  

Boy, was he wrong.

But he couldn't deny that the restaurant the girls had picked together with this Louis guy was nice. A waitress came over to him since Harry felt a bit lost and he probably looked like it too. "Welcome, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Err... I am supposed to say Stylinson." Harry smiled politely and muttered under his breath, "Whatever that means."

A look of recognition crossed the Young girls' face, "Okay, please follow me, sir."

Harry thought it was strange to be called sir. It felt like he was an old, rich CEO... or something.

Harry shrugged it off and focused on his surroundings. It had a fancy vibe but it still felt comfortable. The tables and chairs were wooden and plants were neatly in rows between them. An older couple sat on one table, talking and glasses of wine in their hands.

On the next table sat a young man and, oh...

Harry ducked his head, hoping he didn't see him. Harry really didn't want to embarrass himself infront of the guy, even if that meant he would never talk to him.

But then Harry noticed how the waitress went staight over to exactly that table. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it was the table next to him. 'Don't go there, don't go there, not him...', Harry chanted in his head.

When the waitress stopped infront of the table with the extremely beautiful boy, his eyes locked with the breathtaking blue ones for a second and-...

He tripped. Harry tripped infront of this guy. A loud clash was heard when Harry caught himself on the table. A a fork fell onto the ground and clunked loudly in the quiet, peaceful restaurant.

Harry looked at the blue eyed beauty, swallowing thickly. He had a amused smirk on his lips and his eyes were twinkling with something Harry couldn't place. Harry blinked and noticed the waitress coming up from where she had been crouching down to get the folk, "I'll get you a new one, don't worry about that. I'll be back with the menus."

She was about to turn around but Harry stopped her, "Errm, excuse me?" The waitress turned back to him with a polite smile, "Err... I think there is a mistake."

"No, I don't think so." The guy on the table stood up and Harry could cry because, his voice was perfect. "Harry, right?" 

Harry nodded dumbly, shaking the boy's outstreched hand, "Wait, so you're Louis?"

Louis smiled brightly, "Louis Tomlinson. Nice to meet you, Harry..."

He probably waited for Harry to say his last name too but Harry's brain didn't work properly. All he could do was stare at the guy Harry had only seen two times before but instantly captured Harry. And his friends somehow managed to wheedle him into going out with Harry. He couldn't believe them.

Louis just smiled kindly and sat down as Harry continued to stare at him in disbelief. "Don't you want to sit down?" Louis asked patiently.

Harry blinked, then looked down at his chair, then back at Louis, "Oh, yeah, right." He pulled out his chair and sat down curcuitously so he had more time where he didn't have to look at Louis. He sat down sidewards, fidgeting with his fingers, then turned around in his chair so he was facing the table but he still refused to look at the smiling man infront of him. He looked down at his fingers, then slowly brought them up onto the table, spreading them on the top. He followed every move with his eyes, not daring to look at Louis.

"So... Nice hands. I bet they would fit so well into mine."

Harry's head snapped up to his counterpart. Was he flirting with him?

"And into other things." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making Harry blush. He was definitely flirting.

Harry cleared his throat, fidgeting in his seat, "Thanks... I guess."

Louis laughed. It was loud and unabashed, but it was perfect. Everything about him was so perfect. Shut up, you don't even know him, Harry scolded himself. He could turn out to be a complete asshole. That would be a shame, really.

"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Louis leaned his elbow onto the table and put his chin onto his hand. His expression was nothing but kind and curious.

"Umm... I- I just-..." He was cut off by the waitress placing the menus infront of them. She smiled as they muttered 'thanks' and then she was gone again.

"So?" Louis prompted, urging Harry to continue.

Harry examined his face, contemplating what or how he should say it. "Well... I just thought, like... I mean you're amazing but I don't know... I mean, you could be a... I mean a not so nice person and I don't know that... yet."

Louis laughed, "Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

He smiled warmly at Harry and it was like the ice had been broken. They talked and shared stories. And Louis managed to make Harry laugh and teased him just to make him blush. Harry was relieved that Louis wasn't freaked out about his first appearance. And Louis seemed to have a bright, flamboyant personality that contrasted Harry's quiet, (mostly) calm nature but getting along was so easy for them after the initial awkwardness.

At one point Harry's calm smile was wiped off his face again.

Louis was just telling him about his family and how his last name 'Tomlinson' was actually his stepdad's name when Harry interrupted him.

"Hey." Harry said, realization resonating in his voice.

"What?" Louis smiled, not mad at all that he had just been interrupted.

"I know why I had to say 'Stylinson' when I came in. It's mine and your last name combined."

Louis chuckled, "Wow, you quick thinker."

But Harry heard the sacasm. "You knew that?"

"Of course. Your girls text me all the time."

"Not my girls." Harry grumbled, a bit miffed.

"They are." Louis insured, "They always courted you to me. Told me how sweet and nice and smart you are. And how handsome."

Harry paniced again, his nervousness from the beginning coming back, "Oh no. They gave you much too high expectations, didn't they? I'm not half good of what they said. Oh my gosh, this is gonna be the last date in my entire life. I'm so sorry. Oh my gosh, you're probably so-..."

"Harry." Louis said softly, laying a hand on Harry's forearm, "You aren't not half good what they said. You're amazing. In case you haven't noticed, I'm having a great time. I was not bored once and we're already sitting here..." he looked at his wrist watch, "...almost two hours."

A relieved smile played on Harry's lips. His gut still didn't feel normal and calm again, but instead of the burning anticipation of rejection and embarrassment soft butterflies began to dance and made his heart beat a little bit faster, but not too panicing fast.

And in the evening, when the darkness had crept around the houses and the moon had replaced the sun Louis brought Harry to his door. Harry smiled softly at his date, hoping this wasn't the last.

Louis looked at him with a similar expression and that gave Harry the bravery to take his hand. He cleared his troat, "Err... thank you for... yeah. Going out with me and, and not being freaked out or run away, yeah. I really appreciate that."

Louis chuckled, "How could I?" He took Harry's other hand, pulling him closer. "I had a wonderful evening and, to be honest, your nervousness was really a confidence boost for me."

Harry giggled, a bit embarrassed, but when he looked back up into Louis' face he was looking at him so softly, fondly and Harry couldn't help himself. He cupped the other man's cheek and carefully stepped closer. He leaned in, not daring to close his eyes yet. Louis didn't move away. Harry searched in his face for any sign of reluctance, but he found none. 

Instead, his blue eyes fluttered shut as Harry's breath fanned over his lips. Slowly, Harry let their noses brush before sliding them next to each other and softly covering Louis' lips with his own.

It was cliché, really cliché. Fireworks exploded in his stomach, his heart beat faster and his lips started to tingle. Harry never experienced such a cliché kiss. He didn't even know they existed but it made Harry realize one thing.

Louis was one in millions and he wanted a chance to keep him, to get to know him, and to maybe have a future with him.

And when Harry sat at table with his husband by his side and a huge family including their own kids and many aunts and an uncle and cousins for them and knew he couldn't be happier he was aware of one thing.

He owed his best friends everything.