Louis groaned at the blaring sound of an alarm, reaching over towards his nightstand to grab his phone. In the process, a body shifted beside him and he realized he wasn't alone. Sitting up, he looked at the person next to him and the memories from last night seemed to drown him.
"Mm, hello?" Harry's deep morning voice grumbled to the caller who dared wake him up on a Saturday morning. Louis grabbed the covers and wrapped it around him to cover his nakedness, and he felt a little embarrassed.
Louis couldn't wrap his head around the fact he actually slept with one of his good friends. He was always adamant of never crossing that line with him, but somehow it happened and he basked in the memories of last night. Harry was so sweet and good to him, like how he imagined he would be, and honestly, his imagination didn't do him justice.
"You okay?" Harry's voice turned concerned and Louis tilted his head slightly in curiosity of who was calling Harry at--he tapped his phone screen and it lit up bright in front of him--nine in the morning.
"Don't cry, baby, don't cry. I'll come over now, yeah? You'll be okay." The words rushed out of Harry and before Louis had a chance to process it, Harry was turning to him.
"Hey, Louis, there's an emergency...I think you should go." Louis blinked in confusion, this was not how he was expecting things to go when he woke up.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, it's just Daisy. Her boyfriend just broke up with her and she needs me right now." Of course it was Daisy, and as long as she was in the picture, Louis would never mean anything more than a friend to Harry. That's been how it was for as long as he knew him. Harry was wrapped tightly around Daisy's finger. He couldn't help but feel jealous of her, Harry was so in love with her, but he just wouldn't see it. If only Harry felt like that around him, Louis thought.
"But...last night?" Harry said. He looked down at Louis beside him, pity gracing his features.
"It meant nothing." Louis sighed, embarrassed and full of shame. He shouldn't have done this.
"I'm sorry..." Harry reached out to grab Louis' hand as he gathered her dignity and got of his bed, grabbing his items and stepping into his clothes.
"Save it, Harry. I can't believe after everything she's put you through you'd still walk through hell for her. You're only hurting yourself, I hope one day you'll see that. But I won't stand by you through it."
He raced out of Harry's bedroom, Harry following behind him trying to explain himself, but Louis wasn't having any of it, not when Daisy still had his heart.
"Call me when you get your shit together." Louis turned towards Harry one last time, regarding him with a look that was full of anger and heartbreak.
"Don't do this, Louis. Please..." Harry was torn between saving his friendship with Louis and going to see the girl he was in love with, but he didn't need to decide because Louis decided for him.
Louis exited his front door, and in that moment they didn't know it would hurt them more than they expected it to.
.
A few months passed, Harry tried every possible way to get Louis to talk to him, but he wouldn't have it, not when he was still under Daisy's influence and being stupid. Louis cut off most contact with Harry's friends, only because he didn't want to break and ask how Harry was doing. He already got enough of it through social media.
Louis was a stylist, and he worked himself up, booking celebrity clients left and right and eventually became good friends with a few of them. He liked his new life without Harry in it, but that's the thing. He didn't love it, he missed him deeply, but he wouldn't succumb to his charms. He still had that one night burned into the back of his mind.
"Are you going to Max's party tonight?" Louis turned to his assistant, Emily.
"I'm not sure, I'll probably just leave after I get him ready." Max Graham was a good friend and client, he was a big producer and would occasionally host big parties. Louis rarely attends, even though Max always begs him to stay and mingle. Louis just doesn't want to risk seeing Harry again.
"Why don't you stay? I heard some big celebs are gonna be there. Maybe you can book Rihanna or Ariana Grande."
"You already know Grande's stylist is my friend, I'm not stealing her away. Although, the thought is tempting..." Emily giggled at her boss and continued putting together some outfits on her iPad.
"Just stay this time please! If you get bored I'll leave with you and order you some take out." Louis thought about it, Harry most likely won't be there, he never used to attend these parties. He thought one night wouldn't hurt. Also, why was Louis letting him still have control over his life? He could go to a party that he wants to go to, whether Harry was going to be there or not. It was his life, his choice.
"Fine, but you're treating for lunch on Monday." Emily rolls her eyes but nods anyway, excited her boss was finally going to enjoy himself at a party.
.
"Louis, my darling angel!" Louis giggled at his friend and client and bowed down exaggeratedly.
"Hello, good sir. I come bearing gifts." Louis stepped aside and the clothing racks full of designer clothes held in plastic coverings was pushed in.
"What look are you going for today, Max?" He came up behind him and rested his hands on his shoulders, holding his stare in the opulent mirror in front of them.
"Surprise me." he boldly said, a sly smile on his lips.
Louis was excited. He loved dressing people up, he's always had a knack for fashion and it was great that he enjoyed it as well.
"Emily!" Louis called, needing the help of his assistant.
"Could you grab that new belt, I think it's in the trunk." He asked her while unzipping the bags he knew would look super well on Max.
"Yup, be right back." Emily walked away and Louis held the two articles of clothing together, trying to picture it on his client and he shook her head, discarding the top he picked and plucked another from the rack.
"Aha..." he whispered, grinning in excitement.
"I have found the perfect outfit for you. You will love it!"
Max turned around to grin at Louis, he loved the outfits Louis dressed him up in. He was truly fond of his stylist, he was so caring and he knew he had been hurt in the past. He could tell from the way his eyes dimmed sometimes, looking to be in another world with a frown on his face.
He wanted Louis to have fun, and if there was one thing about Max's grand parties, it was that you had fun. He prided himself on ordering the best hor'dourves for his guests and the best DJ's.
"I hope you're coming tonight?" he basically pleaded with Louis, giving him his puppy dog eyes. He always said no, though. He didn't like going to big parties, but Max didn't know why.
He was prepared for Louis to decline his invitation, but Emily approached and answered for him.
"I got him to come tonight, you can thank me now, by the way." She grinned at both Max and Louis, and all Louis did was roll his eyes at his perky assistant.
Max gasped overdramatically, turning his head to face Louis.
"I've got a ton of people to introduce to you, my dear. Prepare yourself."
Louis laughed at his friend's dramatic antics and switched the topic to the matter at hand.
"Alright...I was thinking some stripes."
.
Louis decided to head back to his apartment really quick to change and get really. He wanted to look good, not for anybody but himself. It's been a while since he went to a party...the last time was definitely pre-Harry.
He swung by Emily's apartment to pick her up, before heading to Max's. His mansion was lit up with pretty colorful lights and multiple cars parked in his long round driveway. He and Emily greeted the valet and prepped himself mentally before heading inside.
He's gotta give it to Max, this looked like a great party. Everyone was mingling and the atmosphere was nice, Louis decided he would have a good time, even if he had to force himself.
He caught the eye of the host and he quickly went up to Louis and greeted him with two cheek kisses and Louis praised his outfit.
"You look amazing, your outfit is to die for, who's your stylist?" Max rolled his eyes at Louis' teasing and pulled Louis and Emily along with him. Max was giddy Louis finally made it and Max wanted to show him off to a few major celebrities he had invited.
"Darlings, you both look absolutely stunning." Max complimented them both and Louis blushed, looking down at the outfit he wore. Just a simple tux. Then Louis looked at Emily's clothes.
The little black dress with glitter sparkled under the twinkling lights above her. She hadn't dressed like this in a few months and she missed it.
Max guided them to a few celebs, even getting to meet the Jonas Brothers who he was a big fan of when he was younger. He mingled with them and got into a deep conversation with Zendaya. He laughed and drank and danced, it was overall a fun time.
Until Max led him to a familiar figure. His back was turned to him in an all cream suit. He spotted Jeff first in front of him, who had a full view of the incoming people. He watched as his eyes saw him and they widened, pausing mid speech which made Harry confused.
Louis wanted to run, he wanted to leave and forget he had ever saw him here. What the hell was he doing here in the first place?! The one time he had decided to have a good night and have fun he had to be there to ruin it.
Max held Louis' hand and pulled him along as his feet reluctantly took the steps to their destination. His mind was blank but then he turned around, and it was like everything he tried to repress came out again.
The feelings- the hurt, the pain, and the love? He was surprised to see Louis, that he could tell. His hand reached out to him and he watched as he pulled it back.
"Gentlemen! I'd like you to meet my amazing stylist, Louis Tomlinson!"
Silence. Jeff was the first to break it.
"Hi, Louis. You look great! How are you?" He leaned forward to hug him and he reluctantly hugged him back.
"Jeff, hi. Yeah, I've been good, how are you? How's Glenne?" They pulled back and Max clapped.
"You already know each other? Perfect! Louis, do you know Harry?" He blanched, he hadn't meant to, he just wasn't ready to confront his feelings with Harry. He thought he could get away with never seeing him again, but he should've known that in this industry, probably not.
"Yeah, uh, we met a year ago. Hi, love." Then Harry had to give him that smile, that damn panty-dropping smile. That damn handsome smile that made his eyes sparkle.
"Harry." It was a whispered breath, taking him in. Louis missed him. They were friends, very good friends, before he caught feelings. And he missed him and their times together. But then the thought bulldozed into his mind. The reason he left him and everything about him behind- Daisy.
Louis assumed she was still in Harry life. And as long she was there, Louis wouldn't be.
The thought made him turn cold and rigid.
"Nice to see you again." He smiled politely, turning his head to Max and seeing Emily wave to him to come in the background.
"Emily's calling me over, bye guys." He did a little wave and hurriedly walked over to Emily. He passed by Jay-Z and Travis Scott and he couldn't believe he was in the presence of some big names.
"Dude, I just met Beyoncé. I died inside!" Louis laughed at his assistant and they walked together to the bar.
"Should I introduce myself to Shawn Mendes?" Emily was a fan of him, and they were the same age so Louis told her to go for it. But in all honesty he didn't want to be left alone. Not while Harry was in the same room.
They grabbed their drinks and Louis played with his straw while he watched Emily strut over to Shawn. Emily flipped her hair and turned her head back to look at Louis, where he just gave her a thumbs up and a wink.
He took a deep breath in and let it out, shrieking and jumping a little in shock when the man he was hoping to avoid appeared beside him.
"Shit! You scared the shit out of me." Louis clutched his chest and tried to calm himself from the fright.
"What are you doing here?" he mumbled, when Harry was around him now, his confidence dropped and he became a nervous mess. He hated that. He hated that Harry had so much control over him still.
"I miss you." It was a simple statement, but Louis' heart fluttered when he uttered those words.
Louis looked away.
When enough seconds passed and Harry knew he wouldn't be getting any response to what he said, he took a different approach.
"Dance with me." Louis laughed, startled by his request.
"Huh?" He was confused, they hadn't talked in months and the first thing he wants to do was tell him he misses him and to dance with him.
"I'm not doing that." He was being cold and callous, but that's how he did things. This was how he hid and masked the hurt. It was better that way, he thought.
"Louis..." Harry uttered his name, he missed it. He missed Harry so much. But it also made him angry. If he wasn't so far up Daisy's ass, maybe they could've still been friends. Maybe they could've been something more. But Louis was naïve to think that they could've been. He wasn't obligated to love him just because he loved him, no, it was his own fault for falling in love with his friend who was already in love with someone else.
"You can't just do this, Harry! I cut off contact with you for a fucking reason. Can't you take a hint?" He seemed hurt by Louis' words, and he wanted to apologize, but the words died in his throat.
"Just a conversation, love. Just tell me how you are." He scoffed before thinking about it. Harry could tell he was weighing his options, and the pros and cons, so he decided to help a little.
"After, you can decide if you never wanna talk to me again. I'll never bother you again, never contact you. You'll be free of me." That caught Louis' attention. That's what he wanted, right?
"Alright..." He softly smiled at Louis before guiding him away from the loudness of the party.
"I'm so, so proud of you, lovie. You've made a name for yourself. I've heard people rave about you. Made me jealous how they got to see you and spend time with you and I didn't."
Louis sighed. "Distancing myself from you was the only way I could cope. Truth be told, Harry, I really liked you. I mean...it must've been obvious that morning. Seeing you hooked on Daisy just hurt me a little. It's okay now, though."
He stopped walking, turning to fully face Louis. There was a light glow from the tennis court lights but otherwise they were wrapped in darkness.
"I'm so sorry I didn't see it sooner. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize your feelings, and I'm so sorry for making you feel like shit that morning. If I could redo that morning, I would've ignored the call, no, no. I would've answered and told her to fuck off, I would've woken you up with so many kisses all over your face and body. We would've made love that morning and I would've confessed my feelings, and all this pain and hurt could've been avoided. But that didn't happen, and all I could say now is that I love you. And if you'll give me another chance, I swear I'd never hurt you again."
Louis inhaled deeply at his confession. It was full of conviction and truth. His eyes welled up and he couldn't stop yourself from full on sobbing.
"Oh baby, no, don't cry!" Harry wrapped his arms around him, which made Louis cry just a little harder.
Harry thought he was too late, thought he made Louis so sad with his words that he would never want anything to do with him anymore, and that broke his heart into pieces.
"God, I just- I just never thought I'd ever hear those words." Louis giggled while crying.
When Louis had left that morning, he was hurt, but he had to see Daisy. He had went to her house, and he had convinced himself that he loved her. When she opened the door, her boyfriend was wrapped around her, and she dismissed Harry rudely. And then Harry thought long and hard. He had Louis, the sweetest, most caring person, and he had chose Daisy over her? The one who had always used Harry as her backup when her boyfriend would grow tired of her. Louis had always been there for Harry, had been there to hold his hand when the going got tough. He went home to wallow in his thoughts and really only fully came to his senses when Gemma whacked some sense into his brain. He realized he didn't deserve Louis, but it didn't stop Harry from trying to contact him. He ignored every call, every text, and then eventually blocked his number. He's ask his friends how he was and they'd say he was doing good, gave some vague details about his life but that was it. He missed Louis so fucking much and now that he was in front of him, he would never let him go.
"These are happy tears. Do you, do you mean it?" Harry was carefully wiping the tears streaming down Louis' face, leaning forward to press his lips to Louis' cute nose.
"Of course, I meant every word. I love you so much and I hate that it took me so long to see it." He wrapped his arms around Louis, and he hesitantly hugged him back and instantly sighed in relief. How he missed this.
"I love you too." He smiled and initiated the kiss between them, the first kiss since that night. It was passionate, they kissed deeply and smiled happily into the kiss. Louis pulled back a bit but Harry followed, pressing multiple kisses to his lips. He laughed and swatted him away.
"Wait...that was the cutest thing ever!" Louis heard his friend's voice and the sound of someone being hit, followed by a groan and a whine. Harry and Louis both looked at the two people hiding behind a rose bush.
"Really?" Louis groaned, embarrassed of his friends spying on their intimate and personal conversation.
They popped out, both appearing drunk as hell. Harry laughed at their appearances and wrapped his arm around Louis' waist, while Louis tucked his head into Harry's chest.
"If you could, can y'all make some babies? They would look so adorable!!"
"Max! You know we can't." Louis scolded, cheeks heating up at his words.
"I'm down if you are?" Harry suggested, winking down at him. Louis rolled his eyes at his man, pulling him down for a deep kiss, his friends cheering him on in the background.
Word count: 3363