11
The rest of February went by and then it was March and before Louis knew what had hit him it was the beginning of April and he still hadn't told Harry he was in love with him.
He was thankful for the way their relationship had gone, it made it easier to completely avoid Harry's touch offering him high fives every chance he got. Even when Harry went in for a hug.
Harry was confused. He thought he sensed a change on Valentine's Day, certain that there had been a shift in their relationship and he hoped their friendship would come more naturally. Their friendship had never been forced, but the way they acted was.
Harry was bummed, plain and simple. He didn't know what had changed and he was planning on confronting Louis about it...eventually.
For now, he was content living in his denial bubble.
"Curly! Just the man I was looking for." Louis walked over offering Harry a high-five out of habit.
Harry frowned, lately all he wanted to do was hug Louis, but the smaller boy wouldn't even try anymore and whenever he offered Louis would shy away.
Louis stood in silence waiting for Harry to speak, he had almost slipped up about his feelings one too many times and now the burden of conversation fell almost entirely on Harry.
"You wanna go get something to eat? I have an hour or so before my next class." Harry scratched his neck. Louis never used to be so quiet, he was almost shy.
"Sure yeah, I'm done for the day so that works." Louis shrugged trying to suppress a grin, Harry looked so pretty in the sunlight that cascaded through the trees.
It was unseasonable sunny and warm, but, Harry had become Louis's personal sun, his smile radiating warmth more than the sun ever could.
"Great! Not date cafe? Scones?" harry began walking, he had given up on trying to drag Louis along after the boy nearly ripped his arm off squirming away a couple of weeks ago.
"Yeah, love..." Louis caught the pet name and coughed hoping to cover his pause, "scones."
"I know you do you goof that's why I asked," Harry scoffed rolling his eyes at his soulmate. God, he had been acting so weird lately. Weirder than usual.
"I'll get us the usual," Harry sauntered over to the counter after dropping his bag at their usual table.
"You can do this Louis, just talk to him," Louis closed his eyes and whispered to himself, plopping himself down across from Harry's chair.
"Here ya go, Lou!" Harry placed the tray in the center of the table brushing against Louis's arm in the process.
Louis jumped away from the touch. His skin burning where Harry had touched him, he had to resist the urge to brush his hand across it, simultaneously wishing it to go away and wishing for it to happen again.
Harry squinted at Louis but didn't bother questioning him about it, moving his bag out of the way to sit down.
"So what's new? Feel like we haven't done something without the boys in ages. How areJay and the kids?" Harry was attempting to make small talk and all Louis could focus on was his lips.
"Great, everything's good," Louis nodded, sitting for a moment before grabbing his scone and taking a large bite.
"That's good, how did your exam go I bet you crushed it," Harry continued moving his head trying to make eye contact with Louis who was doing everything in his power to not make eye contact.
Louis scowled at Harry's choice of words. Everywhere he turned there seemed to be a constant reminder of his crush on Harry.
Louis had a crush on his soulmate, the thought was ridiculous and Louis let out a dry laugh.
"Oh stop Louis, we both know you did," Harry waved his arms dismissively obviously oblivious to the real reason Louis laughed.
"Right, yeah," Louis clicked his tongue, looking around for a distraction.
"Louis? Are you ok?" Harry couldn't take it anymore, Louis was a nervous wreck.
"Oh my God!" Harry exclaimed as Louis looked at the door, trying to estimate how much time it would take him to make a break for it.
"You're waiting for someone! Louis do you have a date?" Harry whispered the last bit, mouth open in shock.
"What? No Harold, definitely not, don't be ridiculous," Louis scrubbed his hands on his jeans trying to wipe the sweat away.
Of course, Harry noticed that.
"Oh, you totally have a date! Look at you! Your hands are all sweaty, you're nervous, aw Lou, this is cute!" Harry bounced in his seat and Louis felt a twinge in his stomach, why was Harry so ok with Louis dating?
Oh right. Harry's not in love with me. Louis thought. Shaking his head, hoping that somehow he could shake that thought away.
"Harry, no I don't have a date, I'm just nervous about my exam results that's all," Louis tried to explain his symptoms away.
Harry looked at him with raised eyebrows challenging him further. Louis just offered him a half-smile, there was no way this was about exams, but, Louis clearly didn't want to take about it and Harry didn't want to push him further away.
"Ok, well, I'm sure you did fine Lou." Harry drank his mocha, he waited for Louis to jump in with conversation, fun tidbits of what had happened that morning, but Louis never spoke.
Harry felt his body go warm with realization, "Shit, Louis I'm sorry I forgot I have to print my paper before class, I have to go but I'll see you later?" Harry rushed putting his mug in the washing bin throwing Louis a wave as he ran out.
With Harry gone Louis allowed himself to relax. He was going to have to get over this crush quickly, Harry was clearly getting suspicious and he was too important for Louis to lose over something like this.
Louis headed back to his suite, planning on changing into a hoodie Harry had left and joggers, resorting to watching TV all day.
Jonathan Van Ness was in the middle of explaining to a grown-ass man why washing your face was important when his suite door flew open revealing a very tired Niall.
"Oh thank god Lou, pity party have room for one more?" Niall flung his body across the couch like a rag doll, his feet landing on Louis's legs.
"Always. What happened?" Louis asked patting Niall's legs as he screamed into a pillow.
"I just saw something I wish I didn't," Niall explained vaguely.
"Did you forget to knock on Liam and Zayn's door again?" Louis nodded sympathetically.
"No nothing like that, I just was in the library and I saw Harry and I went to go say hello, but" Niall paused knowing he was about to cause his friend pain.
"He wasn't alone Lou, he was talking to Quinn, you know he lived across the hall from us our first year? They weren't together or anything but it seemed flirty," Niall looked up seeing Louis silently cry.
"Lou, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have told you, I just..." Niall didn't know how to finish that sentence.
"You thought I should know," Louis sniffled, "thanks for being honest," Louis smiled bravely, "now let's watch because this man really thinks it's acceptable to wear that shirt in public."
Niall smiled, glad to know Louis didn't resent him for sharing what he had seen, while Louis turned his face into the hood of the sweatshirt, inhaling the lingering scent of Harry, with a sinking feeling that pretty soon, that's all he'd have left.
✗ ✗ ✗
Harry was glad to have run into Quinn at the library, he had been silently admiring him for weeks but didn't think the brown-eyed boy had noticed him.
Apparently, he was wrong.
The professor dismissed the class and Harry found Quinn waiting outside the door, jogging over to Harry when he saw him exit.
"Hey Harry, wait up," Quinn called out, and Harry stopped in his tracks.
"What's up?" Harry tried to come off as calm and cool but knew he was failing miserably.
"I've thought you were cute for a while, but I always saw you around with that Tomlinson guy, so I thought you were together, but I haven't seen him around in a while so I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me? Unless I totally misread our conversation in the library this morning, in which case I'm really sorry and I hope we can be friends," Quinn smiled and Harry felt what he had been craving for so long.
A spark.
"Louis and I aren't together," Harry reassured, "we're always together because we're matched but we're a platonic match, they exist but no one ever talks about them." Harry continued explaining.
"I know, my dad and Uncle Tommy are platonic soulmates, drives my mum insane when they do their shared thought thing." Quinn laughed fondly and Harry felt so confronted with the knowledge that other people made romantic relationships work with platonic soulmates.
"I'd love to go out with you Quinn. It's a date." Harry smiled and Quinn offered his phone out, Harry sending himself a text so they'd have each other's numbers, "text me a time and place." Harry winked as he sashayed off, feeling confident in himself.
But, more than anything, he was so excited to tell Louis.
✗ ✗ ✗
"I just love him so much Niall, and I just thought it'd be like in Titanic when Jack and Rose know almost immediately, but it wasn't it took time, and then it hit me like a freight train." Louis stared at the TV, looking at the next episode of Queer Eye, but not really watching it.
"I know Tommo, and I'm so sorry. But hey, they were just talking it could be nothing, you know how charming Harry is." Niall offered and Louis took comfort in that Niall was probably right, Harry was effortlessly charming, captivating every audience he stood in front of.
Really it was impossible not to love him.
Niall was right Louis decided, Harry wasn't flirting with Quinn, he was just being normal amazing Harry.
Niall was right. Louis convinced himself.
"Yeah, you're right Niall. Thank you." Louis felt relief wash over him, slowly the feeling of hope crept back into his heart.
✗ ✗ ✗
Immediately upon returning to his room, Harry pulled out his phone to call Louis and share his exciting news.
He was distracted when he noticed a text from Quinn, Harry found it endearing that the boy had followed up so soon after meeting and Harry felt that little spark again.
Hi Harry! It's Quinn, I know this is soon but I'm really looking forward to our date so how does tomorrow afternoon sound? Maybe a late lunch? Or not, just let me know.
Harry grinned widely, it felt like his face was about to break in two.
Sounds good to me. I'll meet you by the statue.
Harry decided he would tell Louis tomorrow right before his date.
Good news was best delivered in person.
✗ ✗ ✗
Louis sighed, still feeling a bit sorry for himself. Sure, Harry (probably) wasn't flirting with hot Quinn from across the hall, but, he still wasn't in love with Louis.
And that still hurt.
There was a knock at his bedroom door, something that no one in the suite did, so Louis knew he had a visitor.
He was also confident in the fact that it wasn't Harry because whoever it was didn't knock in a cute little pattern like Harry did.
So Louis pulled himself out from under the covers, and trudged towards the door, only to jump back in surprise when he saw Beatrice standing there.
"Hi, my Little Lou, I brought you some soup," Beatrice placed the mug down and wrapped Louis in a hug, which was quickly and enthusiastically returned.
"I know it hurts love, let it out, I'm here for you always," Beatrice shushed Louis as she pet his hair.
Louis nodded into her shoulder replaying her words in his head.
"It hurts so much," Louis confirmed after a moment of silence.
"I know dear, it's never nice telling someone you love them and not hearing it back. In fact, I can't think of a worse feeling." Beatrice spoke softly, as she framed Louis's face with her hands.
"Oh well, I haven't actually told him."
Louis didn't know what to expect but he definitely wasn't expecting Beatrice to whack him in the back of his head.
"Ow B, what the hell! That hurt!" Louis rubbed his head where he had just been smacked, for an old lady she had a killer arm.
"You mean to tell me you are over here moping when you haven't even spoken to the boy? Louis! I was trying to dislike him and you haven't even told him! What is wrong with you!" Beatrice scolded.
"He doesn't love me B, he thought I had a date and was ok with it! We're platonic soulmates." Louis moaned in pain as he continued to rub his head.
"Is that a fact? Maybe he was just as disappointed as you are now but he put on a happy face for you." Beatrice continued, Louis opened his mouth but got a glare from Beatrice instead.
"Louis Tomlinson, Al and I have been married for 50 years and you know how it's worked? Because we communicate! We have conversations! Talk to your boy. Now I'm going to go because clearly, you have some things to clear up before we throw you an actual pity party." Beatrice dropped her scowl and a loving look returned to her face, "enjoy the soup dear, we love you." She blew a kiss and with that, she was gone.
Louis hopped back into bed, deciding he would sleep on it.
In Louis's dreams, he saw what could be, and decided that tomorrow, after Saturday breakfast with the boys, he would go and find Harry.
✗ ✗ ✗
Saturday afternoon rolled around quickly and both rooms were buzzing with excitement, Harry was running around preparing for his date and the suite was filled with chatter convincing Louis to go find Harry and confess his love. The unseasonable sun and warmth had somehow managed to linger around and Niall managed to convince Louis it was the perfect day for everything to fall into place.
Harry fixed his hair, giving himself one final once over in the mirror nodding in approval for his date.
Louis jumped from the couch deciding it was now or never, he was going to find Harry and tell him he was in love with him.
They left their respective rooms, with hopefulness in their hearts and smiles on their faces, one hoping to find love, the other intending on confessing it.
Both boys paused for a second and sighed, before reaching for the doorknobs flinging the doors open.
Two doors swung open, but to one of the boys' dismay, it seemed as if three doors were about to close.