A Footballer's Fling

5

"Oh my god, no no no! I can't do this! Niall, call him and tell him Marcel is sick!" Harry cries out, pacing around the small space in his bedroom. Niall watches him from the bed, tired of hearing Harry freak out for an hour already.

"Harry!" Niall sits up, crisscrossing his legs. "Stop panicking! Louis Tomlinson asked you out on a date! And guess what! He's going to be here in ten minutes so hurry the hell up and put on a shirt, goddamnit!"

Harry hesitates, stopping from the pacing. He peeks over at Niall, sighing before opening his wardrobe. "I don't even have anything to wear! I haven't actually gone out since I was seventeen!"

"Ah yes, your party days." Niall laughs, standing up to peek into the wardrobe. "You partied so much you got pregnant, ay?"

"You know that's not what happened." Harry glares at Niall from over his shoulder. "Just, help me find out what to wear."

Niall and Harry search through the wardrobe, working quickly to make Harry look decent enough for the celebrity he's about to meet for dinner.

Harry messes with his curls in his phone's camera as Niall shares a bag of crackers with Marcel. Knocks echo in the apartment from the door. Niall gives Marcel the bag and stands up.

"Stop worrying, Harry." Niall mutters as he opens the door.

Louis Tomlinson stands outside Harry's apartment, his hands in his trouser pockets. "Hey, Niall." Louis says, surprising Niall that he remembered his name.

"Hello, world famous football star Louis Tomlinson." Niall croaks out, the gravity of the situation finally hitting him.

Louis laughs, glancing past Niall. "Is Harry ready?"

"Let him in, Ni!" Harry calls from inside. Niall awkwardly steps to the side, watching as Louis Tomlinson enters his best friend's apartment. Harry walks out from his bedroom, smoothing down his shirt. Harry shyly looks at Louis as he mutters, "You didn't have to come all the way up here. I could've met you outside."

Louis can tell Harry's embarrassed about his living situation. But Louis doesn't find it bad. It's their home, of course. He does notice how the kitchen consists of an old fridge, the handle broken. The kitchen table is barely big enough to hold a few plates. Three mismatched chairs surround it. An old loveseat is in the living room area, stains from things a toddler would spill and rips that probably caused it to be on sale in the first place. A tiny bookshelf is in the corner, mostly having only little kid books or framed photos of the three of them. The room itself is very small, about the size of one of Louis' closets.

"I don't mind coming to you." Louis responds, glancing at Marcel eating little crackers. "Gives me an excuse to see my biggest fan."

Louis whistles to get Marcel's attention. Marcel looks up, dropping his crackers on the couch as he jumps up. Marcel scurries over, leaping into Louis' arms.

"Ouis!" Marcel squeals, happy to be back with his idol.

"Hey, Marcy." Louis smiles at the boy, holding him on his hip. "How has your day been, love?"

"I didn't go to daycare today so Daddy and Ni hangout with me!" Marcel says with a smile. "Ni says you and Daddy are going out so Ni gets to sleepover!"

"That's right, Marcy. I'm taking your daddy out for a little while. You and Niall get to have fun together tonight."

"Yay!" Marcel exclaims, throwing his hands up happily.

Louis smiles at Marcel's excitement, lowering the boy back to the ground. He looks up at where Harry is watching him with love in his eyes. Harry quickly looks away.