I Don't Love You (And I Always Will)

Chapter Sixteen

"Hey everyone!" Harry greeted the trio, walking up to them, green juice in hand. It tasted like utter shit but Gigi told him it would help his performance, so he had to give it a try.

"Hey, Haz." Louis said, looking up at the taller boy from the ground. His eyes seemed extra bright today, the blue complimented beautifully by his emerald green sweatshirt. Harry needed help. And he should probably call his boyfriend. "El was just telling us about her date with a certain brunette boy." Louis raised his eyebrows at Eleanor, and she just flipped him off. She was smiling, though.

"Did you two finally go out?" Harry asked, excited at the prospect of those two finally getting their shit together. "Where did you go?"

"He took me to a Japanese steakhouse, which I love by the way." She smiled. "But it might not have been a date. I didn't clarify." El looked down at her lap, fidgeting with her acrylic nails.

"You've got to be kidding me." Gigi piped up from where she was laying on the floor, face down. She pushed her torso up, stretching her back in a cobra pose. "He literally kissed you goodnight. I saw it!"

"You did WHAT?" Eleanor yelled, her eyebrows disappearing behind her bangs. Harry and Louis watched with their jaws on the floor.

"I saw you! Out the peephole. I heard noises outside and wanted to make sure Louis wasn't coming over again to-"

"Okay, well let's focus on the kiss thing." Louis said suddenly, cutting Gigi off. "I feel like we glossed over that too quickly." Louis' eyes were wide, his mouth pinched at the sides. His cheeks had a cute pink flush to them, and Harry really wanted to know why.

"Well, it was a good kiss." El said.

"So why in god's name would you think it might not be a date, dumbass?" Gigi questioned, raising her right eyebrow like she did when she was smug.

"He hasn't mentioned anything about like, being boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Listen, El." Harry responded, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure he's just nervous. It took Adam like three weeks and like a billion dates to be my official boyfriend anyway."

"Well, Liam needs to get it together." Louis said, tension in his shoulders coming out through his voice. "Some people may think it's fine to jerk others around, but Liam isn't doing it to you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, eyes zeroing in on Louis irritated expression. Louis turned to look at Harry and winced a bit.

"Nothing. Just let me talk to Liam." Louis muttered, standing up to take his place as the barre as the doors opened, with Cowell behind them. Looking at Louis stretching his hamstrings, Harry could only think well at least Liam and El have their shit together.

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Harry worked on his Friendsgiving dish all day. Eight hours. Turns out making cranberry brie bombs was more complicated than he assumed. So, Harry had barely any time to get his hair looking acceptable and put on a good outfit before he left. He decided on a blue silk button up with white polka dots, black skinny jeans, and he just kept his hair down in his natural curls. Hopefully, that would do. Harry rushed out his apartment, pulling on his Chelsea boots, and grabbing the brie bombs, careful to make sure nothing happened to them. All set, Harry went to pick up Adam.

Yes, Adam was coming. This was the first gathering that Adam was coming to with Harry's friends, and Harry was a bit of a train wreck just thinking about it. So when Adam and Harry arrived at the yellow door with the scratch that Louis put there one night when he was drunk, Harry kind of wanted to throw up. Or move to Ibiza. But then Adam knocked, and both of those options were out the window. The door swung open revealing Louis, looking cheerful, his cheeks warm with life, and the crinkles by his eyes present only when he really smiles. That all went away when he looked to Harry's left and saw Adam.