𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎

𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗

"So, did he, like...take advantage of you?" Taylor asks when Harry pauses his story.

Harry shakes his head slowly. "No, it wasn't like that. It was his first time too, and completely consensual on both sides. It was what happened after that hurt."

"What happened?" Taylor wonders. Niall looks down at his hands. He knows this part, better than anyone except Harry.

"He...left," Harry says, struggling to articulate exactly what had happened. "They said he left for 'family reasons,' which would have been fine if he'd said anything at all to me. But he didn't, and one day he was just gone. I never heard from him again, until he started pranking me. Even that is keeping me at arm's length. Like, does he get off on being an asshole to me or what? I get doing something stupid when you're young, but to continue being so immature after he knows what he put me through?"

He's met with silence.

***

"Remind me why I'm invited to the Grammys again?" Louis asks, sipping his tea.

"Because Harry's nominated," Liam says, somehow managing to sound exasperated and patient at the same time. It's a trained art.

Louis almost spits out his drink. "Nominated? For a Grammy?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, Louis, but Harry's kind of a big deal."

Oh, he's noticed. When Louis isn't busy making Harry's life just a little bit harder, he's thinking about why he's content making Harry's life just that little bit harder.

Because Harry took away his chance of making it big like he did. Because maybe somewhere, way deep down in the dungeons of Louis' mind, he thinks what if. What if Harry hadn't outed him, what if they'd won the whole damn show, come in first and second, and taken the world by storm?

But, fuck Harry and his ambition. If he hadn't been so hell-bent on winning, he wouldn't have ruined everything. He didn't even come in first anyway.

That should be a consolation, but really, it makes Louis feel worse. Harry didn't even get what he wanted. So what was the point of betraying someone who cared so deeply about him?

Whatever. It's old news. It happened, and Harry clearly got over it. Why can't Louis?

"Do I have to go?"

"No, you don't have to go, but if you don't, you'll miss an exclusive Lady Gaga performance. Also free food, and alcohol, and—"

"Fine! Fine, I get it! I'll go!" Louis relents. "But I will not be getting anywhere near Harry."

Liam sighs. "Alright. It should be enough if some of the bigger tabloids at least record the fact that you're at the same event. Maybe you can do the red carpet walk...adjacent to each other?"

"Nope. No," Louis says immediately. He can't be close to Harry again. The incident at Zayn's party already did his head for a loop, and he can't see Harry looking pretty and untouchable up close while knowing how much of a backstabbing asshole he is.

Because, in that dark dungeon of Louis' mind, he knows if he lets himself get close to Harry again, he's in danger of falling for him.

Backstabbing asshole tendencies and all.

***

Louis has been to his fair share of awards shows, but none of them come close to the Grammys in terms of camera coverage. He's pretty sure at least five cameras will pick up him and Harry in the same shot even if they're across the room from each other.

That's a good thing, he reminds himself.

Currently he's on the red carpet, facing the flashes and faces he won't remember, all of them shouting for his attention. He wonders why the hell anyone would want a job like that, being paid to harass people and write trash about them that isn't true.

Liam leans closer to whisper in Louis' ear. "9 o'clock," he says, and Louis shoots him a questioning look. "Look to your 9 o'clock," Liam tries to clarify, but Louis, who doesn't know how that whole system works, just glances around wildly, trying to find...he has no clue what.

After a moment Liam physically turns Louis' head to face...oh. If it isn't Mr. Harry Styles himself. Of course. This situation just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

An hour or so later, Louis is sitting at his designated table between Liam and Zayn.

"So," Zayn's saying. "Did you see Harry, Louis?"

Louis narrows his eyes at his best mate and tosses back the last bits of his drink. "Fucking devil in disguise," he mutters.

"I prefer archangel, actually," that smooth, rounded voice says, right behind him. Louis curses under his breath and looks up to find Harry right there. Unaffected, he reminds himself. You. Are. Unaffected.

Louis raises an eyebrow. "High rank, huh? You like control?"

Harry's lips tilt in an infuriating smirk. "Not always."

Louis tries to take another sip of his drink and scowls when he realizes there's none left.

"I'll get more alcohol," Zayn steps in to say, getting up from the table. Harry slides into his seat to Louis' right.

"Excuse you," Louis says accusingly. Harry shrugs, the picture of innocence.

"Can't argue with the seating arrangement, right?"

Well fuck. Is the whole universe conspiring against him now?

Before Louis can argue further, Liam reaches over and digs his nails into Louis' leg, warning him. Right. No more public altercations. Easier said than done.

Zayn comes back with more drinks, and doesn't say anything about the seat change, just sits serenely next to Liam and starts up a conversation about F1, of all things. Louis finds himself distracted from eavesdropping by Harry making random comments right next to him.

"Do you think those rhinestones were all hand-sewn?" he wonders when the host of the night, Brandi Carlisle, comes out wearing a bejeweled suit. Louis ignores him.

"How many dancers do you think they auditioned for this?" he asks of Megan Thee Stallion's performance. Again, Louis ignores him, but his hands curl into fists under the table.

When it's Lady Gaga's turn to have her well-promoted "exclusive performance," Harry still can't keep his mouth closed.

"Remember when she wore that dress made of mea—"

"Shut up!" Louis hisses, completely done. If he has to sit with Harry, he should at least be rewarded some peace and quiet.

"Make me."

Louis' head snaps to the right. Did he just...? Harry isn't looking at him anymore, but there's an unmistakeable smirk on his face.

Oh, he's going to pay.

A/N: Soooo I haven't updated anything in like EVER and I'm SO sorry I've been super busy with school starting and stuff. BUT I have not forgotten about you guys or these stories :D.

Welcome back to Fine Line!! Any predictions for what might happen next???

Thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?

I love you all so much and again I'm very sorry <33333.

xoxo, K