Where I Am Without You [L.S]

Chapter Twelve

            "I don't know, not now, not anymore. I did know him, but we've changed Mitch, a lot. I know a younger Louis, not the man he is now."

"So change that, it's clear you're still fighting some feelings for him, and maybe, just maybe, he doesn't feel the same way, but wouldn't you rather be friends with the man than nothing at all?"

            "I... guess so." Harry says picking at the strings of his own acoustic guitar laid across his lap.

Wanting to avoid this particular conversation, he searches for his phone as he hears the faint sound of a notification coming through. Digging his hand into his shorts' pocket he pulls the device and out scans over the Twitter notification. It's from Zayn, a simple tweet that reads;

Blueberries or Raspberries?

It's been a long while since any of them have just tweeted out a random thing, apart from his infamous 'Do' incident a while back, he knows he certainly hasn't. It's the first time he's seen a normal tweet from any of the boys, he thinks over when their managers had asked for the boys to interact and before he can think better of it he swipes across on the tweet and waits for it to load up on the screen.

He opens up the comment section, forgoing liking the pic and simply writes;

@zaynmalik Frozen raspberries but fresh blueberries.

And quickly presses send.

Perhaps it was a way of side tracking the fans from the whole Brit Awards debacle which was still very much in full swing across the media platform. And the moment he presses send a wave of replies flood in across his screen. It's one thing for Harry to go out with Louis, who is still technically his bandmate, and another for him to publicly interact with his 'former' bandmate. As far as the public is aware, it's been years since he and Zayn have publicly addressed one another online without it being a forced interview question or nosy fan.

He sits for a moment, scrolling through the list of replies when a particular notification catches his eyes as it comes through.

@Harry_Styles I'm disowning you H, Raspberries straight up.

It's Liam who sends the reply and sparks off yet another round of frantic fan replies. The most prominent thing seems to be that Liam has managed to reinvent an 'iconic' moment with the use of 'straight up'. It takes Harry a moment to sort through what the fans consider through the bands iconic lines and sayings and remembers the whole Dinosaur thing.

@NiallOfficial If you don't side with Blueberries, this friendship is over.

Louis writes a second later, and ok, perhaps Harry has kickstarted something. He thinks briefly that at least management will be thrilled with them.

@Louis_Tomlinson Offended you'd even think I'd go for Raspberries over blueberries, @LiamPayne, you're on your own here mate.

Niall replies promptly, and yeah, management is definitely going to love them.

Harry watches for a time as the likes steadily climb passed 300k likes, rising rapidly and he wonders whether they'll break a record with the rate this is going, considering they're only five minutes into starting this.

@NiallOfficial, @Louis_Tomlinson - I'm siding with Liam.

Zayn's' next tweet comes through and they may as well be talking on their group chat now.

@zaynmalik, @LiamPayne Traitors.

He quickly types back out, liking the original tweet and going back through to also like each of the boys contributions. Within ten minutes, their conversation about the two fruits has officially surpassed a million likes and Harry definitely thinks that's got to be a record now.

He looks up at Mitch, the man sitting with his own phone in his hand, though his eyes meet Harry's and he flashes him a smile.

"Gotta give you guys credit for being the most unconventional band ever, a berry debate?"

            "If it was strawberries I feel like I'd have had to answer differently." He says, face flat as he hides his own smile and Mitch barks a laugh at the reference.

"Not to mention had it been a Watermelon."

            "Alright, now I think we're just being try hards."

"What about a Kiwi fruit?" Mitch says all seriously with a slight pout, "Or a Cherry? You can eat Sunflower's, right?" And Harry groans at all the references.

He glances back down to his phone then when a private message from their group chat, currently dubbed by its title (Niall's current doing) as 'Niall and the Brit's'.

Niall: I volunteer to pick our next topic of conversation, and I'm suggesting a discussion about seasons.

Liam: Not even surprised.

Zayn: Spring.

Harry: Summer.

Niall: What about snow!

Louis: Definitely summer, who the fuck likes bitterly cold weather when all it does for three months is rain and make you cold

Liam: Louis has a point.

Zayn: I hate you all, my phone is going off its head and I'm turning it off now

Niall: Mate we're all in that conversation, we're all getting the notifs, just fuckin mute em!

Zayn: Too much effort, bye losers.