"Cupid, you are slow as a fucking snail," Louis complained as the old horse moved slowly forward on the path between the trees.
It was Sunday, the last weekend of November and the snow still lay in thick piles on the ground. Yet Harry had still insisted they would go to Landon's and ride the horses. Louis had once again said it would be freezing, but it was a lost fight before it even had begun. Louis knew that he would follow Harry to the stables, even in freezing weather. He was starting to think he would follow him everywhere.
So here they were. On a trip into the forest, Harry in front on Athena, the white mare walking briskly forward. She looked straight out of a fairytale in the darkness that the trees surrounding them created. The only source of light being the sun shining through the branches above them.
Louis was well behind Harry, Cupid walking in his own slow pace, not seeming to mind Louis' legs that urged him to move faster.
"You little shit," Louis mumbled when he finally gave up. "You are not getting any carrots today!"
Cupid didn't seem to give a shit about carrots, because he didn't move any faster. Rude.
It was only the second time he had ridden Cupid, but the nerves he had felt the first time was as good as gone. Now he only felt slight irritation over the horse that refused to move faster.
And slight fondness, but he would never admit that out loud.
Harry finally seemed to catch onto the fact that Louis was being left behind and stopped Athena, turning his head look at Louis and Cupid, a wide grin on his face. "You coming?" he asked, laughter edged into his words.
"What does it look like?" Louis groaned. "This horse is fucking slow."
Harry laughed. "Trust me, he can run very fast. But he is his own being, if he wants to go slow, he goes slow."
Louis finally came up on Harry's side. "I bet you could make him move faster."
"I probably could," Harry shrugged. "But I also know how to ride."
"Hey!" Louis lunged out for him. "Rude."
"Sorry, sorry." Harry let go of the reins and held his hands up in defense.
Louis huffed and looked away from him. "Can we trot soon? We have been walking for ages."
"I have a clear memory of you not liking to trot," Harry said with a grin.
"Hm," Louis hummed. "I don't recall that."
Harry rolled his eyes, smiling. "Well, we can soon. We are soon on a broader path where it's completely safe to trot."
"Good," Louis said, nodding his head. "Then lets go."
They urged the horses to walk, this time riding side by side on the narrow path and every now and then their legs would bump together.
"I have a joke for you," Harry said and looked down at Louis. He was slightly higher up, due to Athena and Cupid's height difference, Athena being taller.
"Uh-huh," Louis said, grinning up at the other boy. "What is it?"
"A horse walks into a bar and-"
"-For fuck sake."
"Asks, 'Why the long face?'" Harry seemed to find the joke himself very delightful and chuckled delighted. Louis just stared at him.
"Are you kidding me? That was so fucking lame."
"It was funny!" Harry argued.
"It was not," Louis said, shaking his head, but there were a smile on his lips.
"It was-oh, we are here now." Harry stopped Athena and pointed to the side where a new and much broader path began.
"Does that mean we can trot?" Louis asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.
Harry chuckled soft. "Yes, now come on." He steered Athena onto the path, Louis and Cupid following him closely.
There was barely any snow on the path and no ice at all on which the horses could slide. As soon as they both were on the path, Harry gave Athena the signal for trot and off they went, leaving Louis and Cupid behind.
"Hey!" Louis called out, pressing his legs around Cupids sides in the hope of getting him into trot.
It didn't work.
"You are really humiliating me here, Cupid," Louis hissed at the horse as he heard Harry laugh from up front.
The horse did nothing, just kept walking his slow pace.
"Fuck sake, Cupid!" Harry was getting smaller and smaller in the distance. Louis took a grip around the reins, squeezed his thighs around Cupid sides, just as Harry had taught and then gave him a small kick with his heals into Cupids sides.
It was like magic. Cupid's head shot up in the air and he moved forward, his walk turning into a quick trot. Louis tried his best on doing a rising trot, but Cupid's quick pace made it hard.
Louis slowly came closer and closer to Harry and Athena, the two of them still trotting briskly, an idea suddenly coming to Louis' mind.
An insane idea, but an idea, nonetheless.
Louis sat down in the trot and gave Cupid another kick with his heals. He had no idea if he did it correctly, but it seemed to work, because Cupid's bumping trot turned into a swinging moment that was much easier to sit in.
They were cantering. A big smile erupted on Louis' face and he suddenly understood why Harry loved this so much. It was freeing, fantastic.
Harry seemed to have heard Louis come closer and turned his head around, a big grin forming on his face as Louis cantered past him. He laughed as he gave Athena the signal to do the same.
Athena was faster than Cupid and quickly came up on his side. Louis turned his head to look at Harry, only to find Harry already looking at him. He looked majestic. He was leaning slightly forward, standing up in the stirrups, his whole demeanor as calm as ever and for the first time, Louis saw the prince that was in Harry.
He couldn't tear his eyes away.
That was until Harry urged Athena to run faster, going from canter to gallop and away from Louis.
"You son of a bitch!" Louis yelled after him and urged Cupid to follow the white horse. He knew there was not a single chance of him looking as majestic and in control as Harry. He could feel how he was bumping in the saddle, how his shoulders slumped forward, how his feet were way to far into the stirrups, but he didn't care. In that moment all that mattered was to win over Harry.
"Come on, Cupid!" he yelled, leaning forward. "Come on!" They moved faster now. The only sound to be heard Louis' rapid breathing and Cupid's hoofs against the ground.
Cupid seemed to be in on the game, all laziness gone, and ran with his whole heart. Slowly, he caught up with Athena. It wasn't long before they rode side by side once again, laughing as they did so. The wind hit them in their faces, making Louis' eyes water, but in that moment, all he could feel was freedom. And happiness.
"This is amazing!" he yelled to Harry, the boy grinning back at him.
"I know!" Harry's smile was big and bright, his dimples forming and his eyes shining. Louis could feel his stomach turn with an unknown emotion.
It wasn't long before they leaned back in the saddles, slowing down the horses, until they were walking again. They gave the horses the rein, letting them stretch their necks as they walked. Soon they got out of the forest.
"Now you have tried all gaits," Harry grinned at Louis as they neared the farm once again. "And it's only your second ride. Who knows, maybe you will jump soon."
"Don't get your hopes up," Louis said, but he couldn't help but grin.
Here, in the middle of nowhere, with no one around him, he felt more free and happy than ever before.
***
It was Wednesday, December first. Louis and Harry had arrived late at breakfast, the other boys having already finished their meals.
"Hey, guys," Louis said as he and Harry sat down at their usual seats.
"Hey," Liam greeted them. "What took you so long?"
"Harry decided to try a new hair mask that would make his curls more bouncy," Louis said with a roll of his eyes. "Took him thirty minutes."
"Heeey!" Harry said, drawing out the word.
"Am I lying?" Louis asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.
"No-"
"-Exactly. It's your fault we are late."
"Whatever." Harry rolled eyes, but there were a smile on his lips. "At least it worked!"
"It did," Louis agreed and ruffled Harry's hair with his hand. It was soft beneath his fingers. "Curly got some curls!"
Harry laughed softly and stood up from the bench. "I will go grab some breakfast. You coming, Lou?"
"Yeah, sure." Louis nodded and was just about to get up when Niall grabbed his arm.
"Actually, Tommo, can we talk for a sec?"
Louis looked weirdly at him. "Why?"
"Just sit down, will you?" Niall said, pulling Louis down into his seat.
"Um, sure," Louis said, looking between Niall and Harry. Harry's eyes were filled with disappointment. "I will come in a bit, curly. Just go up there."
"Fine." Harry smiled and then headed off to stand in the queue to get food.
Louis turned to Niall. "What is it?"
Niall raised an eyebrow at him. "You really don't see it?"
"See what?" Louis hissed in annoyance.
"You really are clueless, aren't you?" Niall sighed. "All of us-" he pointed between him, Zayn and Liam, "-has noticed."
"Noticed what?" Louis sighed.
It was Liam who answered. "What is going on between you and Harry?"
Louis stiffened in his seat. "What?"
"Yeah," Niall said. "What is going on between you two?"
"What the fuck are you implying?" Louis snarled.
"You know what we are implying," Zayn said. It was the first words he had said for the whole conversation.
"No, I do not in fact know," Louis said.
"Louis, do you like Harry?" Liam said in a soft voice, leaning over the table. He placed his hand over Louis'. Louis pulled his hand to him, sending him an evil glare.
"What the fuck?" He looked between them, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. "We are just friends."
"You don't look at any of us the way you look at Harry," Zayn noted.
"Jesus fuck." Louis stood up from the bench. "I am done with this conversation." He gave them one last look before joining Harry in the queue.
"You all right?" Harry asked as he stood beside him.
"Yeah, I am all right, yeah," Louis replied, casting a glance at their table, only to catch the boys looking in their direction. He rolled his eyes and looked away.
William stood up from his seat during dinner that day, demanding silence in the room. It only took a few seconds for everyone to stop their conversations, directing their gazes at him.
"Good evening, students. I have a few announcements." He clasped his hands together smiling brightly. "Firstly, I want to say what a fantastic semester we have had so far, a semester that soon comes to an end. You will be sent home on break the seventeenth and return January third.
"But, we do also have a tradition here on the school to host a Christmas ball." Whispers erupted from the students at these news and William once again had to ask for silence. "Yes, I know, thrilling, right? Well, this ball will take place on the fifteenth and in this exact room. There will be dancing, lovely food, soda and even champagne and wine."
"That's the spirit, Roberts!" Niall yelled from his seat.
"All right, all right, Horan," William chuckled. "Well, we encourage you to come in your best outfits. Sparkly dresses, fancy suits, do something of yourself. In the end of it all there will also be chosen a queen and a king of the ball-"
"-So it's basically just prom winter edition?" someone from a table a bit further away from Louis and the the other boys yelled. Louis turned his head toward them, recognizing the person as Eleanor.
"When you put it like that, maybe," William shrugged. "But, well, yes. And I do highly recommend to bring a date. I speak of experience when I say that dancing alone to this kind of party... it sucks. A lot."
He clasped his hands together once more. "Well, students, I think that was about it-oh, actually, now when I remember it, I would like for Louis Tomlinson and Prince Harry to meet me at my office after dinner." He sat back down an chatter erupted in the room.
Louis turned to Harry. "What do you think he wa-" He quickly stopped his sentence when he saw how pale Harry's face were. "Hey." He placed a hand on Harry's thigh under the table for no one to see and leaned into his side. "What's wrong?" The words were merely a whisper, but Harry caught onto them.
He turned his head to face Louis. "Not here," he whispered and nodded to the door.
Louis nodded and stood up. "I need to show you something on my laptop before we head to Roberts office, Harry."
Niall, Liam and Zayn who had been too engrossed in their own conversation looked up at them. "Are you already leaving?" Zayn asked. "You have barely eaten." He gestured to their half empty plates.
"Yeah," Louis said as Harry stood up. "But I have to show Harry something. Come on, Harry." He turned around and started walking toward the door, Harry following him close.
When they were out in the hallway silence surrounded them. Louis put his hand out for Harry to take. "Come on," he said on a smile. "Let's go to the room."
Harry nodded silently and took Louis' hand.
They didn't talk as Louis let Harry up the stairs, through the hallways and at last through the door to their room. Harry let go of his hand and walked to his bed, sitting upon it. Louis followed him, sitting down next to him.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Louis asked, looking at Harry with worried eyes.
Harry sucked in a deep breath. "He said there would be champagne and wine at the ball." His voice was merely above a whisper, but Louis caught on to it.
"Oh," he let out. He hadn't thought about that.
"And... and I am afraid I c-can't control m-myself.," Harry sobbed quietly, a few tears escaping from his eyes. Louis wanted so badly to brush the away with his thumb, but kept his hands to himself.
"It will be okay, Harry," he said soothingly.
"I told myself that at H-Hallow-ween as well," Harry said, his voice shaky. "But I still ended up wasted."
"Hey." Louis cupped Harry's face in his hands and turned it so they were looking directly at each other. "At Halloween you didn't have me, okay? This time you do. I will be there, all the time."
"But I want you to enjoy the party. I want you to bring a date and... and have fun," Harry whispered, his eyes shiny with tears.
"And I will," Louis said, letting go of Harry's face. "But you are my best friend. You are more important. The date I end up finding have to live with that. And you should bring a date, too, by the way." Louis poked Harry on the nose in the hopes of getting a smile. He did. Mission succeeded.
"Fine," Harry breathed. "I will, but do you promise?"
"I promise."
"Pinky-promise?" Harry held out his pinky for Louis. Louis gladly connecting his with Harry's.
"Of course." He smiled . Harry smiled back, but it was quickly wiped off his face. Louis furrowed his eyebrows. "What is it?"
"We have to return home soon as well," Harry said, looking away from Louis' burning gaze.
"Yeah," Louis replied. "It will be nice, won't it?" Harry didn't answer his question.
"It will be Christmas soon."
"That is also correct."
"I haven't celebrated it without my father before."
Oh. Louis hadn't thought about that.
"And... I am not sure I want to celebrate it with my sister and mom. Our relationship with each other have been a little... strained since the overdose," Harry breathed, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand.
Louis bit his lip. "I mean... if you wanted too, you could... you could come home and celebrate it with me?"
Harry turned his head quickly to look at Louis again. "Louis, you don't have to-"
"-But I want to."
Harry looked at Louis for a beat of silence, Louis practically being able to see the wheels spinning inside Harry's head. "Okay," Harry finally slowly said. "If you really don't mind-"
"-Of course I don't."
"Then I would love to join you at yours for Christmas."
"Great," Louis beamed. "But just so you know, it will probably just be the two of us, my sisters and Charles and Betty."
"What about your par-"
"Oh! And it is also my birthday the twenty-fourth," Louis interrupted him, not quite wanting to talk about his parents.
"It is?" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah." Louis nodded his head. "Christmas baby."
"That's great, Louis!" Harry said with a grin, the tears had stopped.
"You better give me a gift," Louis teasingly said, poking Harry in the chest.
"I am planning on it," Harry said. "A birthday present and a Christmas present."
"They better be good," Louis smirked.
"Oh, definitely," Harry grinned. "The best."
"Yours too." Louis had absolutely no clue of what to give Harry, but he was planning on making it good. He had to. "Now-" he stood up from the bed, holding his hand out for Harry to take, "-let's see what Roberts want with us."
Fifteen minutes later they were stood out in front of William's office, unsure whether to knock or not.
Louis got a weird sense of deja vu as they stood there.
He chuckled a little at the memory of he and Harry's first time here. Back when they were enimies. Harry turned to look at him. "What's so funny?" he asked, amused.
"Nothing." Louis shook his head slightly. "Just knock on the fucking door, will you?"
"Ha ha," Harry said and raised his hand to knock. "You are so funny, Tomlinson." He knocked.
"Come in," came William's voice from inside the office.
Harry reached for the handle, but Louis had other plans and moved to tickle Harry's sides. "Louis!" the taller boy shrieked and jumped away from his grasp.
"Jesus, Harold," Louis huffed, a grin on his lips. He moved to the door and grabbed the handle. "Can't even open a door, can you?"
Harry rolled his eyes, but he had an amused expression in his eyes. "Whatever, just go the fuck in."
"That's what she said."
Harry smacked Louis on the arm.
Finally, they made their into the office. William gave them an unimpressed look. "Took your time."
"Sorry, sir," Harry apologized and bumped his shoulder into Louis' playfully. "Someone were a little slow."
"Please," Louis scoffed. "It was you who didn't know how to open a door."
Harry was just about to reply, but William started talking before he got the chance. "Well, boys, I won't keep you for long." He cleared his throat slightly before continuing. "I just wanted to tell you that I am happy for the friendship you two have formed and that you are no longer fighting. It sets a good example."
"Thank you?" Louis said, not quite getting why they were here.
"Well-" William leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk, "-there is really nothing other reason than that. I am just happy that you have come to your senses and realized how good the two of you actually get along. You are also both very big role models and I hope that you will continue on your best behavior. That was all, you can leave."
What the fuck-
"Thank you... sir," Harry said, grabbing Louis' arm and dragging him out the office and down the hallway.
"That was weird," Louis said as the hallway took a turn.
"Indeed it was."
Louis turned to Harry. "Who can make it to the room fastest?"
"Are you asking me to race you?" Harry said, biting back a smile. "You do realize I have longer legs than you, right?"
"Yes or no?"
Harry didn't answer, instead, he started sprinting down the hallway.
"Cheater!" Louis yelled and started chasing after him.
***
"Betty! Charles! Fizzy! Lottie-oh, hey Dais and Phebs, you are there too, hi!" He waved at the laptop screen placed on his thighs, grinning wildly. He was alone in his and Harry's room. And he had taken the chance to give his family a call. "How are you?"
"We are good," Charles grinned.
"Oh, yeah, I heard some rumors about a trip to the cinema not so long ago. How did that go by the way?" It was long ago, all the way back in October, he just hadn't had the time to call in a long time.
"Wait, did Lottie tell you?" Betty asked, eyeing Lottie. A stern look was in her eyes.
"Sorry." Lottie held her hands up in defense. "I just told him you went on a date."
"It was supposed to be a surprise," Betty said, a frown on her face.
Louis laughed. "So? What does it mean?"
"It means that Betty and Charles are boyfriend and girlfriend," Daisy snickered. "They kiss allllll the time." Her and Phoebe started giggling loudly.
"Okay, okay," Betty said and shoed them away. "Go play somewhere else."
"Fine," the two girls said in unison and ran out of the frame, leaving Fizzy, Lottie, Betty and Charles alone with Louis.
"But enough about us," Charles said. "How is it going with you, my boy?"
Louis smiled softly. "It's going pretty well. My grades are great. Niall, Liam and Zayn are good, too. Actually, did I mention that Liam and Zayn are boyfriends?"
"I knew," Lottie said, raising her hand into the air. They all looked at her. "What? Niall told me!"
"Whatever." Louis shook his head lightly. "By the way, I am bringing a friend home for Christmas. Are there a chance one of you can come pick us up at the station?" He looked at Betty and Charles. "I don't want any of Dad's chauffeurs to do it. I want to see you as quick as possible."
"Of course," Betty answered. "Who is your friend?"
"Oh, just someone." Louis waved it off. He was planning on surprising them. "You will see when we arrive." He caught Lottie's eyes through the screen, a knowing look on her face, but she kept her mouth shut. Louis hadn't told her about Harry and his new friendship, but she wasn't stupid.
"Anyway, how is it going with you, Fizzy?" Louis directed his question to his other sister. "In school I mean."
They talked for a little while more. That was until Harry came through the door, silently closing it behind him. He was wearing his coat and a scarf. "Where have you been?" Louis mouthed at him. Harry just sent him a smirk, not responding. Louis scowled at him and looked down at his screen. "I have to go now. Bye, guys."
He closed his laptop and sprung up from his bed, running toward Harry, jumping onto his back. Harry let out an 'uff' sound.
"You sound like a Roblox player who just died," Louis said and rested his head on top of Harry's.
"A Roblox player?" Harry questioned and proceeded to walk over to his recordplayer, Louis still hanging on his coat-covered back.
"You know, the game," Louis said.
"What game?"
"Are you serious right now?"
"Yes."
"Jesus. You have never had younger sisters, have you?"
"I believe you know the answer to that," Harry said and pulled a record out from his collection and put it on. He set down the needle, the music flowing.
"Who is that?" Louis asked, moving his chin to rest on Harry's shoulder.
"It's ABBA," Harry chuckled. "You should know by now."
"Harry, you have so many records by now that I can't keep track."
"That's it." Harry shrugged Louis of his back and turned around so he was facing him. He held his palm out for Louis to take. "Dance with me?"
All the air left Louis' lung as he looked down at Harry's hand. "What?"
"Dance with me," Harry repeated.
Louis let out a breath. "I have no idea how to dance."
"You will be dancing at the ball," Harry said. "And so will I. It's just practice for then."
"Oh." Louis continued to look down at Harry's hand. "Um, all right then." He took Harry's hand in his, Harry immediately pulling him closer to him. Their chests bumped together. Harry moved Louis' arms to rest around his neck, placing his own hands on Louis' waist.
"Just follow me," Harry said softly. Louis' heart was racing.
Harry steered Louis around the room slowly, the sound of ABBA in the background. Louis couldn't help but notice that their dance was much more like a slow dance, that did not at all fit the rather upbeat music, but Louis couldn't bring himself to bring it up. Being pressed so close to Harry, feeling his breath hit his cheek, seeing his eyes so close, it was like a spell.
They kept dancing until the record finished and a little bit after that, until they just stood still on the floor, holding each other.
Harry let out a breath. "Good practice, yeah?"
"Yeah." Louis nodded slightly and stepped out of his and Harry's embrace, the spell being broken. "Yeah," he repeated and then repeated the words a thousand more times in his head.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...
It was a good practice, except it didn't feel like one.
***'
The day after Louis and Harry's dance were a Sunday. A day Louis planned on spending in bed, drinking tea and binging a new show on Netflix; he and Harry had finished all episodes of Brooklyn 9-9 the week before.
But unfortunately that was not how it went, at all.
Louis woke up later than the other boys and walked down to breakfast alone. Niall, Zayn and Liam was sitting at the table, but Harry were over by some of girls tables, talking to a beautiful blonde. Louis couldn't quite place her, but the sight made his stomach turn.
Without taking his eyes away from Harry, who was clearly flirting with the girl, he moved to his usual spot beside Niall.
"Morning, Louis my dear friend," Zayn greeted him, taking a sip of his tea. "Why do you look so sour?" He had a knowing glint in his eyes.
"What is Harry doing?" Louis barked out, ignoring Zayn.
"Why do you care?" Niall said, smirking.
"I don't," Louis said harshly. "I am just curious."
"You are in an awfully bad mood for someone who is just curious," Liam said.
"Shut up, Li," Louis said. "Now tell me what he is doing." Louis had absolute no idea why he was acting this way, but seeing Harry with that girl, seeing him flirt with her like that... it made his stomach turn.
"You just told me to shut up," Liam said on a sigh.
"Fine." Louis turned to Niall. "What is he doing, Nigel?"
"He is asking Taylor to the ball," Niall said, shrugging. "Why is it such a big deal?"
Who the fuck was Taylor and how did Harry know her?
"It's not," Louis huffed, but the unsettling feeling in his stomach wouldn't settle.
The thing was, that since Harry and his dance the night before, Louis couldn't help but start questioning things. Things about them. About him.
Louis had never given much thought about sexuality. He had never met a person who made him question it, but then there was Harry. Harry who would throw a pillow in Louis' face to wake him up and every now and then throw himself instead of the pillow. Harry who could be so confident one moment and shy the next. Harry who would laugh at his own jokes, no matter how shitty they were. Harry who loved reading and collecting records. Harry who would wake up early in the morning and do something productive, just because. Harry who had shared so many secrets about himself and showed him all the broken sides of him, because he trusted Louis. Harry who was the Prince.
Harry, Louis realized, made him question things about himself and Louis wasn't sure what to do about, so he just sat in silence as Harry joined their table once more, a big grin on his face.
"So?" Niall asked him, a smirk on his face. "What did she say?"
"She said yes," Harry said sheepishly.
"Great," Niall groaned. "Now Tommo and I are the only ones without a date."
"Are you just assuming Zayn and I are going together?" Liam questioned.
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"I actually have a person in mind," Louis said, probably much more loudly than necessary.
"Oh, who?" Niall asked, a mischief glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this, it was clear as day.
Louis sat still for a second, his mind racing. Who, who, who- "Eleanor Calder," he said.
"And who is she?" Zayn asked.
"A friend," Louis said.
"Do you like her?" Liam asked teasingly. "Does our little Tommo have a crush?"
Louis looked between the boys, his eyes falling on Harry. The boy had his jaw tensed and his hand placed in a tight fist on top of the table. He looked... angry. A rare look on him.
Louis averted his eyes to Liam once again, smirking slightly. "Who knows. Now excuse me, I want to go grab some breakfast." With those words he stood up and walked up to the food table.
Louis' plans about tea and Netflix therefore got replaced with the plans of hunting down Eleanor to ask her to be his date.
It took him exactly two hours and thirty-two minutes to find her. She was in the library, studying.
"Hey," Louis greeted her as he sat down on the chair opposite to hers. The girl looked up, her hazel colored eyes meeting Louis'.
"Tomlinson-" she closed her textbook, "-what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Just say Louis-"
"-Nah."
"Whatever. I wanted to... I wanted to ask you-" he let out a breath. He didn't even like the girl, why was this so hard? "-if you wanted to... be my date to the ball." He didn't look her in the eyes at he said so, instead focusing on a very detailed drawing of a goat on the table. Why a goat? Of all freaking ani-
"Why do you ask me?" Eleanor asked, pulling Louis out of his goat-trance.
"Because I want to?" he unsurely said.
"What happened to your prince?" she asked, looking at her nails. Jesus Christ, had everyone realized before himself?
"There is nothing with 'my prince' as you call him," Louis said with a roll of his eyes, the lie tasting bitter on his tongue.
"Sure about that?" Eleanor said, quirking an eyebrow at him.
Louis eyed her up and down. He wanted to tell someone from outside his friend group. But he didn't want to reveal too much. It was after all Harry they were talking about, royalty.
"Well-" he let out a breath, "-I might have come to the realization that I like him, but it isn't mutual." That he was sure of. After he had seen how happy had looked when Taylor had said yes to be his date, there was no way that he liked Louis in that way. "He doesn't like me back. And then there is the fact he is a prince. It wouldn't work nonetheless."
"So you just want to use me to move on?" Eleanor asked. "That's low."
"No, that wasn't what I meant-"
"-I know, I know," she chuckled. "You want to use me to see if it will make him jealous."
"Wha-"
"-Which is a plan I am definitely willing to participate in."
"How did you-"
"I mean, at first, the 'your prince' thing was a joke, but the moment I saw the way you looked at him when he walked through that door at Halloween... damn. That you didn't realize sooner. Idiot."
Louis gawked at her. "What?"
"What I am saying, Tomlinson-" she leaned forward over the table, "-is that we are going to get you your fairytale."