You like to preach with a vodka in your mug

Chapter eighteen

This is the first game Louis' ever played where he can't pick anyone out in the crowd. He's in a stadium, a mini stadium, but a stadium nevertheless. Usually his mum is there in the front row, trying not to let Doris and Ernest try to join in, but now the front row is people Louis has never seen before in his life. It's not even football season, which is why Louis suspects there's mostly people who look uni-aged, and the stadium is only half full. Considering this is merely the qualifiers, Louis reckons the team has a pretty good turnout.

He doesn't score the winning goal, but he does get one and that feeling, when the stadium roars (they are rooting for both sides though, as the uni is playing themselves to organise teams) makes Louis feel like he's high. He's not been high before, although freshers week did show him where and who to steer clear of, but he guesses it can't be much better than this. The only thing missing is when the final whistle blows and Louis' team wins, no one comes rushing onto the pitch to kiss him. And suddenly, he misses Harry again.

As the teams leave the pitch, muddy from the rain-sodden pitch and desperately in need of showers, Louis smiles and waves and blows kisses and surely the wolf-whistle from somewhere near the front had to be aimed at him.

"Tomlinson, maybe save your parade for when you've got a few more people wanting autographs," their coach teases as he ushers Louis into the changing rooms. Louis is kind of buzzed and the idea of autographs makes things better. Someone hosts an 'afterparty', which just involves going to the Students Union bar, and Louis has a couple because he has to get the bus back anyway; his mum stole his car even though hers is sitting happily on the driveway, so what if the engine makes a weird sound?

Louis calls it a day pretty early on once the idea of clubbing gets thrown around because he went out the week before and bought way too many strangers drinks and now really doesn't have the funding to go again. He decided to miss out that part when his mum asked him how his night was.

He's a bit tipsy when he catches the bus and an old man keeps giving him evils because of the way he staggered to the nearest empty seat and flopped in it. Louis shoves his earphones in and listens to a voice message Harry had sent when he first started uni. It's long but Louis doesn't have much else to do for the forty-five minutes it takes to get home. He can almost word-for-word repeat the part about Harry doing a social media detox for a little, which explains why he was last active on snapchat almost a month ago, and the part afterwards makes Louis feel fuzzy. It's basically one big I love you ramble and Louis sends them back every now and then with the hope that if Harry does re-download social media then he'll be able to listen to all of them.

Once the voice message is over, Louis puts on a playlist Harry had compiled and spends the whole journey staring out the window like he's in a sad music video. It does help him pass the time nicely and he's listened to only a quarter of the songs by the time he has to get off. He thanks the bus driver, avoids the man giving him evils, and fishes his key out his bag before dumping the rest of the contents of it in the washing machine as soon as he gets in his house.

He's just finished his proper shower – he's not exactly going to start washing his hair in the uni changing rooms – when the doorbell rings and he has to quickly get dressed. Hopefully it's just the postman or something but then again, he'll have to feature in the picture if it is.

He throws the door open as soon as he gets there and thinks possibly he's hallucinating.

"Hey," Harry beams brightly. Louis feels like he's gonna shit himself.

"Harry!" Louis lunges at him and pulls him closer for a hug. "What the fuck! You're meant to be in uni!"

Possibly Louis memorised Harry's timetable so he could know when to call him between lectures and what time he finishes every day and right now, if he's not mistaken, Harry's meant to be in a lecture.