"What do you think, Lottie, is it too soon to call? I mean, it's already been a day, so I should be fine, right? Or d'you think he'll find me annoying? Oh god, what if he hates talking to me and is just pretending to like me and-"

"Christ, Lou, just shut up for 5 seconds, will you? I've never even met this bloke, you know him better than I ever will, go with your gut, okay? And leave me out of your weird obsessions, please." Lottie shook her head, going back to the book she was reading.

Louis grinned, already dialing Harry's number.

"Hello?" 

"Harry! I've missed hearing your voice!"

"Oh, Lou! H- how are you?" 

"I'm great, better now that I'm talking to you," he giggled, trying to cover up the fact that he was talking out of his arse, not thinking about a single word that escaped his lips.

"I could say the same for you, your voice always brightens my day." Louis could practically hear his smile through the phone. He laughed.

"Christ, you're such a flirt." Louis felt his heart speed up for a moment when he said that. He started to talk about something that Simon had mentioned earlier, a "bonding trip". Of course, Louis had immediately asked which pair of fuzzy handcuffs to bring, but Simon was serious. He had said that the 5 boys needed to become incredibly close, like brothers, or else nobody would actually like them.

Louis thought that was a huge load of bullshit, but even he was too smart to say that to Simon. 

Harry was saying that his mom had offered up some "bungalow" for the boys to stay in, and that they would remain there for about 3 weeks. 3 weeks with Harry... alone - well, not alone alone, but without adult supervision... not that that matters, there's nothing I'd do with Harry alone that I wouldn't do in front of his mum... right? Yeah, of course, stop asking stupid questions.

Harry was still trying to find other ways to say 3 weeks, so Louis cut him off, laughing out loud. 

"Okay, okay, I got it. Jesus, do you come with an off switch?" Louis giggled uncontrollably, at least until Harry suddenly got quiet.

"Um... Louis, I, uh... I need to go, I'll talk to you later, okay? I promise. Bye, love you!" Louis took a moment to process what he had just heard. Why was he suddenly so- oh. OH. OH WOW. OH MY GOD. DID HE JUST- NO, HE JUST MEANT IN A FRIEND WAY.

Obviously.

So Louis decided to say it back.

"Love you too, Haz. Haz? Harry? Damn it!"

He put down his phone, sighing in frustration. Louis, chill. You can tell him you love him (IN A FRIEND WAY, OBVIOUSLY) later. It doesn't matter, okay? Okay. 

The next month

"Fucking drive, arsehole!! Christ, I don't know about you, but I think I was about 4 when I learned that fucking green means fucking go!!!" Louis was screaming at the car in front of him, which was barely moving, even though the light had been green for almost 30 seconds.

I just want to see Harry! I mean, the other boys too, but... Harry.

He had been waiting in desperate anticipation for over a month to see Harry, ever since it was decided that the 5 boys would meet at his father's "bungalow" (Louis was still unsure what that meant).

He finally saw a small sign with an address written on it, the same address that he had read over and over, memorizing. Oh my god, I'm actually here! Fuck yes!!

He got out of the car, sprinted to the front door, and rung the doorbell. Less than a second later, he was being dragged inside the house by Niall, who had a huge grin on his face.

"Louis!!! We've been waiting for, like, hours!!!! Where have you been???? You..." Niall stopped talking as soon as Harry walked into the room, noticing Louis's gleeful expression.

"Harry!" Without thinking about it, Louis ran over to Harry, leaping into his arms like he had done when they first found out they'd be in a band together. Harry caught him, and Louis felt the younger boy's strong arms wrap around his waist.

Louis started to slip, so he went with it, sliding down Harry's chest, until the two were face to face. He looked up at Harry's bright green eyes, and for a split second, he felt inclined to lean towards him, unsure why.

Then Niall started laughing. "Get a room, you two, my god." He shook his head while walking away, leaving Harry and Louis staring awkwardly teach other.

God, he's probably disgusted by me now, WHY DID I HAVE TO RUIN EVERYTHING?????????

"Um... sorry... about that. I was just... happy to see you, is all," Louis muttered, staring at the floor.

Harry, being Harry, lifted his head with his finger, assuring him that it was fine, and Louis felt the overwhelming urge to touch Harry, somewhere, anywhere. But not in a sexual way, of course. No homo, y'know. He giggled at the fact that he was telling himself that, like he had to be convinced that he wasn't gay. No, Louis was certain that he was straight, no doubt about it. No doubt at all.

He reached out and slid his hand into Harry's, surprised by how right it felt. Their hands fit together like puzzle pieces, like they were made just to go together.

He blushed, still in disbelief that he would be living in the same house as Harry, especially in awe that they'd be here for 3 weeks. 3 whole weeks. This is going to be so incredible. Wow.

Later that night

They were playing sitting in a circle in the living room, drinking beers and playing truth or dare. It was Louis's turn to dare someone, and him and Liam had some weird feud going on, so naturally, he went with him. Liam chose truth, typical, Louis thought, but he refused to answer Louis's question, which Louis was more than pleased with. 

"Fine, you leave me no choice but to dare you." Louis grinned, plotting. Maybe I'll have him go skinny dipping in the pool... or scream something obscene from the roof... or I could... ooh! He knew exactly what he would dare Louis to do, and he could not wait to see the look on the boy's face when he heard what it was. 

After a few mumbled protests, Liam finally obliged to do Louis's dare, as long as Louis was "nice". What an idiot, I hardly even know what "nice" means.

"Okay, I dare you to... kiss Zayn. On the mouth. With tongue." Niall had been cracking up at everything and giggling all day and night, without stopping for just 10 seconds, but even he paused and stared at a smug Louis, dumbfounded. Of course, that didn't last long, after seeing Zayn and Liam's expressions, he started to cry, he was laughing so hard.

Liam was glaring at Louis, but Zayn didn't seem too upset. At all. In fact, he almost seemed... excited? No, no way. He's just trying to get it done, he's straight, he's kissed girls, he's had girlfriends. Straight. 100% straight. 

"Liam, let's just get it over with, alright?" Zayn spoke in a monotone voice, as if he was trying his hardest to have no emotion whatsoever in his voice. Okay, maybe, like, 98% straight, Louis thought to himself. 

Zayn and Liam were getting closer, Liam holding Zayn's face gently in his hands. They'll never do it, no way. Well, he soon realized he was wrong. 

"Fuck it," came a muffled voice, Zayn. Louis's eyes widened as the spectacle before him seemed to play in slow motion.  Zayn leaned forward, pressing his lips against Liam's, closing the gap between them. 

Louis saw Liam's tongue slide against Zayn's bottom lip, he saw Zayn gladly allow him entry, he saw their lips moving in perfect sync, and he felt... something happening... in his trousers. 

Um... what? Now? Why, WHY NOW?? It's not like... this... I- I mean... I'm not gay or anything, any two people making out is hot... I guess. Yeah, I mean, if I made out with a guy it'd be hot, right? I MEAN... NOT FOR ME, OF COURSE, JUST FOR WHOEVER WAS WATCHING. Not that I would want anyone to be watching me make out with a guy. And I obviously wouldn't want to be making out with a guy. Obviously.

 He glanced over at Harry, who was intently watching Liam and Zayn, eyes wide open.

I... yeah, I wouldn't... I wouldn't make out with a guy. Ever. I mean, unless... NO, LOUIS. HANNAH, THINK OF HANNAH, PLEASE.

But it was hard to think of his girlfriend when there were two very attractive men sitting in front of him, intensely making out. Louis was rock hard at this point, but he tried to ignore that. When he saw Zayn's hand slip into Liam's trousers, he knew that he had to stop them, or he would have to... excuse himself.

"Okay, okay! Christ, you two, that was... a lot. You didn't have to go that far, at least not in front of us." Louis shifted around where he was sitting, willing his hard-on to just disappear. Unfortunately, it was not cooperating. 

Liam and Zayn pulled away from one another, both bright red and smiling faintly. Huh, Louis thought, maybe 50% is more accurate?

Niall and Louis were both cracking up, trying to speak coherently, failing miserably. Louis was teasing Liam, saying that he was sure that he and Zayn would want some time alone.

Harry was studying Liam, eyes narrowed. He was staring so intensely that when Liam started to talk, he almost fell over backwards, he jumped so high.

"The game's not over yet, Louis, and it's my turn. Truth or dare, Lou?"

Of course Louis chose dare, and Liam smirked.

After Louis heard Liam's dare, he was in shock. Seven minutes in heaven -or, 15 minutes in heaven, I guess- with Harry. My Harry. My very best friend. Who almost kissed me earlier. Shit.

"No!" Louis said, at first refusing to do the dare. However, upon seeing Harry's face (hurt, confused), he changed his mind. I don't want to hurt him... it's more that... well... what if I do something I'll regret? Then what?

"Okay, fine," Louis grinned at Harry, trying to ignore the huge stop sign that kept flashing through his mind. "Let's just go, get it over with."

He grabbed Harry's hand, leading him towards the closet door he had spotted earlier. Niall was clearly enjoying himself that night, he was clapping and chanting, "Do it! Do it! Do it!" Niall, shut the hell up, you wanker.

They entered the dark closet together, and when Louis tried to look back towards where Liam and Zayn were sitting, he just saw Niall's huge grin, and the door was slowly being closed. Louis rolled his eyes at the younger boy, He really is a 12 year old, isn't he.

When Louis turned back towards where Harry must have been standing, he could hear the younger boy's shallow breathing.

"So... erm... what should we... uh..." Harry stuttered. Usually, in this situation, Louis would say something clever to break the awkward silence, but his mind was fresh out of interesting things to say. 

Louis stuttered out a sentence of his own, and there were another few moments of silence, then Harry said something that made Louis's heart stop. Well, it wasn't what Harry said, so much as the answer that Louis was about to give.

"Um... hey, do you think there's enough space for us to sit down in here?"

Louis took a deep breath in.

"I don't think there's enough space for the both of us. Well... I guess I could... um... sit on your lap, if that's... alright." Louis exhaled deeply. He was still half hard from the show that Liam and Zayn had put on a few minutes prior, and hearing Harry's deep, slow, breathy voice was not helping... it... to shrink back down. WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME?????? I JUST LISTED THE FACT THAT HIS VOICE IS DEEP AS A REASON WHY HE IS SO SEXY!!!!!!! I DON'T... NO, I'M INTO GIRLS. I'M INTO HANNAH. HANNAH. H. A. N. N. A. H. 

After a few moments, Harry finally spoke.

"Alright, I'm ready."

Louis started to sit down, trying to angle himself so that his back would be facing Harry's chest. That... did not happen, to say the least. Louis tripped while lowering his body onto Harry's lap, causing him to fall forward onto Harry's chest, and... wow.

He took a second to process the position he was in. He was facing Harry's front, straddling his legs. And as if that wasn't enough, their faces were mere centimetres away from each other. Are you fucking serious, universe? Really? REALLY???

Louis stuttered an apology, thankful that Harry couldn't see how red his face was. Speaking of faces, Louis noticed that his and Harry's were much closer than they had been just a few seconds ago, and he was wondering who had initiated that, when he felt Harry's warm breath on his lips.

"Louis..." Harry whispered.

Louis was surprised that he was still breathing.

"Harry..." Louis replied. Fuck it. If you don't experiment, how will you know for sure, right? I mean, I'm, like 99.99% sure I'm straight, but... this is... wow.

He was going in for the kill, ready to press his thin, dark lips against Harry's full, pink ones. 

Like I said, he was ready to kiss Harry. 

Then the room was flooded with light, which, once Louis adjusted to it, revealed Niall's shocked face. His jaw was practically touching the floor, and his eyebrows were as far up on his face as they could possibly go.

"You two... HOLY FUCK YOU TWO WERE ABOUT TO KISS!!!!!!!!!" He started to run around the house, shouting at the top of his lungs about "Larry Stylinson", whatever that was. He screamed a few more obscenities, grinning all the while, and Louis had had quite enough. 

He grabbed Niall by his collar, pushing him against a wall. 

"Tell anyone and you're dead. I'm not kidding Niall, you had better not tell a single soul, or I'll end your career. D'you really think Simon wants the fans to know how often you drink? I don't fucking think so." He stormed out of the room, tears stinging behind his eyes.

I was so fucking close. We almost... wow. I almost kissed Harry Styles.

I really want to kiss Harry Styles.

--------------------------

Okay, this was SO fun to write, and I think I might start taking inspiration from COAGDP and adding a question at the end of every chapter, what do you think?

Question(s) of the chapter: Do you think that Louis realizes that Harry might see him as something more than a friend? Which of them do you think will make the first move?

ILYSM

-I