A Slide Into First ➵ narry

Chapter 10

“Don’t know exactly, but he is!”

Louis leaned back into Harry’s shoulder, and Harry just patted his cheek in a sort of thank you.

“Jesus, you two look dead,” Zayn said as he strolled over to join them on the couch.

“I’ve had about… too many drinks,” Harry responded.

“Really? Couldn’t tell?”

“Why the fuck are you so sober?” Louis asked, “It’s the end of your internship we’re celebrating!”

Zayn had finally finished his internship with the Wrenches, but the lease on his apartment didn’t end until a few weeks later so he had decided to stick around for a bit.

“Ah, Perrie doesn’t like to drink really so I told her I wouldn’t have too much,” Zayn explained.

“The fuck is a Perrie?”

“I introduced you two like four times, Jesus Christ,” Zayn said, motioning towards the blonde girl that had been attached to him all night. At that point she was standing by the ‘DJ booth’ trying to change the song.

Harry quite liked Perrie even though he didn’t really know her. But she had a really great laugh and she made Zayn smile all the time. Her accent was strong but it was cute. She had eaten, at least, three plates of food since arriving and never made a big show about it. She just really fucking loved to eat. Her hair was bright blonde and her eyes were startlingly blue and her skin was pale as hell and, God dammit, Harry was sad.

“What’s the matter now?” Louis asked as Harry’s face grew longer.

“Niall,” he sighed.

“I thought this party could at least distract you from him. So that’s a no, then?” Zayn said.

“I tried. I really did! And I was doing well for a while, wasn’t I, Lou?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, yeah. Barely moped all evening. How lovely!”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Zayn asked, lowering his voice to try and be as comforting as possible.

“Nah, it’s just… Perrie is very like Niall, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Zayn started, staring off towards her with a large grin across his face, “she pretty much is,”

“Who’s in love with Niall, man? Is it me or you?”

Louis sniggered as Zayn started to blush.

“Who doesn’t love our little Nialler? I’d have to be cold-hearted not to!” Zayn yelled with a smile.

Zayn talked a little while longer about Perrie but Harry was having trouble listening. First because his mind was buzzing from the alcohol, and second because Louis had started wheezing next to his ear. He was suddenly aware that Louis had fallen asleep on him.

“Oh, bless his heart,” Harry started to say, “Always gets so tired when he drinks. Goes hard for a few hours then passes out like a golden retriever after a long day of playing fetch,”

“Better than you. You drift between not saying anything and being a blubbering mess. It’s miserable!”

“Zayn, don’t even get me started on you. Handsy as hell when you’re drunk,”

“I won’t even deny it!” Zayn laughed before leaving to return to Perrie.

Harry looked over at Louis and saw how peaceful he was, all innocent and reserved in sleep. He moved his shoulder up and down, taking Louis’s head with it.