"I'll just say, the work you've all done on your last assignment has been more than amazing," Louis' professor, Mr Brown, said. "I have overlooked them all, given grades, noted what can have made them better. You can find the feedback in an email I have sent. Now, I already have the next assignment ready, and it has to be finished on October 20th. There have to be at least fifteen photos, and they have to be edited. The assignment sounds like this, you have to find a person and follow them for a day. You have to take pictures throughout the day. Try to capture the 'normal' of a day in this person's everyday life. It's called 'An Ordinary Day In An Ordinary Life'. I have also sent the assignment via email. Now, get out of here so I can lock the door."
Louis quickly grabbed his belongings together, stuffing them down his bag. It was the Monday after the party, and since then he hadn't seen Harry. They had texted, but he longed to see the curly-haired man in person. He missed him.
Louis aimed for the exit along with every other student, but just as he passed by Mr Brown, the man said, "Louis, stay for a moment, will you?"
Louis stopped in his tracks, looking at Mr Brown. "Yes?"
"I just wanted to talk to you about your assignment on animal life," Mr Brown said. "Amazing work. Some of the best I've seen in a long time."
"Really?" Louis' heart sped up, his cheeks tinting red.
"Really," Mr Brown nodded. "And, I have mentioned your talent to a friend of mine who works in the model world. I showed him some of your work, and he said that if you kept going in that direction, he would love to have you come work for him once you finish your last year here."
Louis gawked at him. "Are you kidding me? An opportunity like that..." He trailed off. "Really?"
Mr Brown nodded, grinning. "Keep up the good work. An opportunity like this will make your dream of your own company much easier to accomplish."
"I... I don't even know what to say," Louis said, stunned. "Thank you."
Mr Brown patted his shoulder. "Keep up the good work. I expect a lot from you on this next assignment. Anyone in mind you would wanna photograph?"
Louis wet his lips, the corner of his lips pulling up. "There is a person I think would be just right for this."
* * *
"So... you're just gonna spend the day with me and take pictures of what I do?" Harry asked, his voice warming Louis' heart even through the phone.
"If you want to," Louis asked. He had just gotten home, his bag next to him. "Could be fun?"
"I'm sure it would," Harry softly said. "How long do you have for the assignment?"
"Fifteen days," Louis said. "And I also need to have time to edit the photos, so if we can do it as quickly as possible?" It was a valid excuse to get to see Harry as quickly as possible.
"You can come over tomorrow?" Harry asked. "I don't have any lectures, so I was planning on having a very ordinary day. Just cooking, grocery shopping, the gym. That kinda shit."
"That sounds perfect. I don't have any lectures either," grinned Louis. "What time?"
"Nine a.m.?" Harry suggested.
Louis groaned. "Styles, that's so early."
"Well," Harry said, laughing slightly, "you're supposed to show what my life is like, and that starts at nine a.m., so live with it."
Louis smiled fondly, butterflies basking in his stomach. "I think I can live with that."
"Good," Harry said. "Now, I'm sorry, but I have to hang up. I have an assignment for English I need to work on."
"Alright," Louis said, biting down on his bottom lip to stifle his smile. It didn't work.
They hung up, and from the couch came Liam's voice, "Just ask him out already!"
"You know what?" Louis said, looking at his phone. "I think I actually will."
Zayn, who was sitting on the floor, whistled. "Look who finally grew some balls."
* * *
Harry opened the door the following day, wearing pyjamas. His hair was ruffled, and he looked like he had just gotten up from bed. He looked absolutely perfect.
"Hey," breathed Louis, fiddling with his camera.
Harry smiled. "Hi. Come in." He stepped aside, letting Louis follow him into the apartment. "I haven't gotten dressed yet, or eaten, 'cause I figured you're gonna have to capture all of it?"
"Well, I'm not gonna take pictures of you getting dressed," Louis chuckled. "But maybe I could take some of you making breakfast while wearing pyjamas at first?"
"Sounds good to me," Harry said. They entered the kitchen. "Have you eaten yet?"
"A bagel," Louis said.
"Want some waffles?" Harry asked, rummaging through one of their drawers. It looked like the kitchen was now fully furnished. "I was planning on baking some."
"Sure," Louis grinned, turning on his camera. "You just get to work, and I will photograph you. God, that sounded creepy if you didn't know the context."
Harry chuckled, blushing slightly. "Right." He had found all the ingredients for making waffles and placed them on the table. "Let's do this."
Louis observed as Harry began cooking. He had put his hair up in a small bun, his lips pursed as he poured the different ingredients into the bowl. Louis brought the camera up to his eyes, snapping a couple of shots right after each other of Harry that cracked an egg.
Two of them turned out good.
As Harry began pouring the waffle dough onto the waffle maker, he also began humming a song. Every now and then a few lyrics would escape his lips.
"What song is that?" Louis asked, taking another photo of Harry.
"What? Oh. It was Home by Phillip Phillips."
Louis pursed his lips. "Interesting name."
Harry shrugged, smiling. "I guess it is. And... the first waffles are finished!" He opened the lid of the waffle maker, gesturing excitedly to his creation.
"Smells delicious," Louis said.
"Thanks." Harry flipped the waffle onto a plate, filling new dough in the maker. He pushed the plate to Louis. "Take a fork from the drawer and taste. It's that drawer." He pointed to the one next to Louis' leg—he was sitting on the counter.
"Yes, sir." Louis opened the drawer, pulling out a fork. With it, he took a bite of the waffle, using the edges as a knife—very creative. As the piece touched his tongue, he was close to letting out a small moan. Niall hadn't been lying when he said Harry was the best cook he knew.
Harry raised an eyebrow at him, smirking. "I take it you like it?"
"Yes," said Louis. "Can I eat more?"
Harry chuckled. "Of course you can. Just eat that one, it's yours."
"Thank you," Louis grinned, taking another bite. "Jesus Christ, Harry. That's... God."
Harry blushed.
Once all the waffles had been baked, Louis asked Harry to sit down at the table and eat. "Just... eat like you would do any other time."
He walked around the table, taking pictures of different angles. Both from normal-perspective, bird-perspective, and frog-perspective. Once Harry had finished eating, Louis followed him to the bathroom. He took pictures of Harry looking into the mirror while brushing his teeth and got a good shot of Harry bending over the sink, splashing water on his face.
He then retreated to the living room, waiting as Harry changed. Not long after, Harry returned to the living room, wearing... gym clothes. A grey tank top covered his upper body, showing off all his arm tattoos and... Louis had to swallow. He was wearing shorts that reached just above his knees, and over his shoulder hung a training bag.
He smirked at Louis' expression. "Alright there?"
"Oh, yes, more than," Louis rushed out. "Are we gonna go to the gym?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. Then grocery shopping."
"Sounds lovely." Louis stood up from the couch. "Are we walking there?"
Harry nodded. "Only a fifteen-minute walk."
"Nice. Let's get going, then."
The air was biting at Louis' cheeks as they walked, chills going through his whole body. Why was he always so cold? Harry didn't seem to mind the Autumn air, only wearing a light jacket over his attire.
"How're you not freezing?" Louis asked, teeth shivering.
Harry grinned, shrugging. "I'm just not really bothered by the cold. Niall always says I'm like a refrigerator 'cause I'm so hot."
"Well, he's not wrong about that," Louis said, wriggling his eyebrows.
"Well—oh." Harry blushed, looking at the ground. "Alright."
Louis grinned, taking hold of his camera that hung around his neck in a strap. "Walk slightly ahead, will you? I will take a few of you walking."
"As you wish."
* * *
Watching Harry work out was probably what was going to be the reason for Louis' way too early death. Louis was sitting on the side as Harry began his workout routine, and apparently, today was lower body. Lord have mercy. Louis had before then asked him which exercises he would be fine with Louis taking pictures of, to which he had replied, "I don't really care," but Louis would rather not send Mr Brown pictures of Harry squatting.
Instead, he snapped a few photos of Harry when he went on the treadmill, and when he was doing leg curls. In between they talked, Louis asking questions about Harry's training.
One and a half hours later, Harry finished, and they left the gym. They began the walk to the nearest supermarket, Louis' teeth clapping.
"How are you not freezing?" Louis asked, gesturing to Harry. "You must be cold. You just worked out."
"Eh." Harry shrugged, grinning. "Not really, no."
"Are you a superhuman?" asked Louis, his voice serious.
"Might just be," Harry said. "We are here." He stopped in front of a small building. "My favourite supermarket."
"People have favourite supermarkets?" Louis asked.
"Yes," Harry said. "This place has the cheapest shit ever. Best shopping place."
"I take your word for it. Let's go inside?"
As Harry walked through the door, Louis snapped another photo.
Inside, it was warmer. He rubbed his hands together, looking expectantly at Harry. "What are we gonna buy?"
"I need something for dinner tonight," Harry said. "I'm assuming you're staying for that, right?"
"If you want me there," Louis said, smiling.
"Well, it's a part of the assignment, isn't it?" asked Harry.
Louis shrugged. "I suppose it is."
"Also, I enjoy your company," Harry added. "In case you didn't know."
Louis wet his lips, blushing. "Do you know?"
Harry hummed. "I so do, now, do you like chicken burgers?"
"I adore chicken burgers."
* * *
Once they returned to the apartment, Louis' camera was full of pictures already, and it was only one p.m.. Harry went to shower, and Louis waited in the living room. He scrolled through the pictures he had already taken, whistling slightly as he did so. He didn't look up until he heard the sound of Harry's feet on the floor, and when he did, the breath was punched out of his lungs.
Harry wasn't wearing any clothes, the only thing keeping him decent was the towel around his hips. Louis wet his lips, his eyes raking all over Harry's torso. It was covered in tattoos. A butterfly, laurels, and two swallows. God.
"I forgot to bring clothes with me to the bathroom," Harry said, smiling sheepishly.
"What a shame." Louis swallowed, looking at Harry's face.
Harry wet his lips. "Sure." He gestured toward his room. "I'll just... go get dressed, yeah?"
"Sure, sure," Louis quickly said, looking down at his camera.
"Do you need pictures of me, like, drying my hair or something?" Harry questioned.
"That would be good, yeah," Louis said. "But we can wait till you're dressed. Doubt my teacher wanna see your six-pack."
"Hm, you might have a point in that," Harry said, smirking. "Let me grab some clothes." He quickly hurried to his room, leaving Louis alone once again.
Louis cast a fleeting glance to his crotch, letting out a sigh of relief. No visible reaction.
Minutes later, Harry emerged from his room once again. He was wearing a soft-looking, blue T-shirt and grey sweatpants. "Let's do it in the bathroom," he said. "I can dry my hair in front of the sink."
"Good call." Louis got up from the couch, following Harry to the bathroom.
The glass was fogged with steam, indicating that Harry's shower must have been a very hot one. Harry took the towel, drying some of the fog away from the glass, making it clear. He stood in front of it. "What exactly do you want me to do?"
"Just stand," Louis said, getting his camera ready, "and dry your hair. And do that thing where you look really concentrated. Don't pay mind to me."
"The thing I do when I'm really concentrated?" asked Harry, confused.
"You know..." Louis gestured in the air. "The whole, scrunched nose, pursed lips, furrowed eyebrows thingy."
"Oh." Harry's cheeks reddened. "I can do that."
"Good." Louis held the camera up. "Now give it a go."
Harry shook his head amusedly and got to work.
* * *
That was probably one of the best days Louis had had in a long time. Not long after taking pictures of Harry drying his hair, Niall came home after three lectures in one day, dropping himself on the bed in agony. Louis had then taken pictures of Harry giving Niall a beer—Niall's solution to everything was beer.
Then they had went to Harry's room, where Harry working on his project for Author's Class. Louis took pictures of Harry in utter concentration. Harry then fixed them some toast for lunch, and they ate it while watching Friends. Louis made sure to capture some photos of Harry lounging on the couch, toast lifted halfway up to his awaiting mouth.
After, Harry decided he wanted to go for a walk, and Louis joined him, snapping a picture of Harry petting his neighbour's cat that was strolling around in the streets. Once they had returned, it had gotten late, so Harry began fixing up some dinner. Louis snapped tons of pictures, plus a few silly ones just for himself—one was of Harry accidentally cracking an egg and spilling the insides on the counter. At the moment it was really fun. Louis loved how clumsy Hary could be.
After dinner, Louis had to head home, so he made Harry pose for one last picture. One was where he was brushing his teeth in the living room while listening to Niall talk.
They bid each other goodbye at the door, and Louis headed home.
Once he returned home, he was light on his feet, humming.
"Look who is back!" yelled Zayn from the living room. "Did you ask him out yet?"
"No," Louis called back, voice giddy. "But I'll do so soon!"