My Life Is Worse Than Yours...

Chapter Six

Louis unlocked the door to his apartment and pushed it wide for Zayn to walk through; at the same time, Harry let Liam into his own apartment just a few miles away. Zayn dived into Louis' fridge and emerged with two beers as Liam switch on the kettle.

"I don't understand this relationship." Liam and Zayn said, respectively.

"What's not to understand?" Harry and Louis replied. Louis slumped on the sofa as Zayn handed him a beer.

"You enjoy being with him?"

"Yeah?"

"You find him attractive?"

"Yes."

"Well, is he gay?" Zayn and Liam asked as they each glanced at their friend.

"He's undecided." Louis replied.

"He's figuring it out." Harry replied, taking a long swig from his cup Liam had passed him as he tried to delay this conversation further.

"But you don't want to sleep with him?"

"No!" Harry and Louis half-shouted, half-laughed.

"I think you're just afraid to let yourself be happy," Zayn said, his voice stern which shocked Louis. "You are still punishing yourself from what happened with Eleanor."

"Hey, come on," Louis protested as he set his beer down on his lap. "This is a big thing for me. I have never had a relationship like this before, one that didn't involve sex. You should be proud of me."

"It's just because you didn't know you were queer before." Zayn laughed into his bottle and Louis gently kicked at his leg.

"Come off it, Zayn." Louis muttered, desperately trying to think of something to change the subject to.

"We are just friends," Harry said, his tone appeared annoyed from Liam's constant pestering. "I do not know why that is so hard for everyone to grasp."

"You can't be just friends!" Liam exclaimed and threw his hands up in the air. "The sex bit always get in the way."

"Jesus, does everyone in the world think like this?" Harry chuckled "Look, when I am with Louis, I can just be myself, like I can when I am around you and Niall. I have nothing to hide and don't have to wear this persona to get him to like me, because he already likes me. Can we just leave it? Niall should be here soon and I don't want you to set him off because he will never shut up."

Liam sighed, but changed the subject.

*

"Why on earth do you need a tree this size?" Harry huffed as he held it upright for Louis to inspect. "It is the size of your whole apartment."

"Because, Harold," Louis replied as he turned to pay for the tree before gripping the base of it and lifting it up. "It is Christmas and I want a big tree."

They dragged the tree from the stall all the way back towards Louis' apartment where Louis lost the draw and had to take the stairs as Harry crammed himself into the small lift with it. Louis had decided last minute that he had wanted a tree for Christmas - it was the 23rd of December - so the only ones left were the enormous ones or the small and spindly sticks. They wrestled it through the door and propped it up in the stand Louis had bought. He already regretted the size of it, but was determined not to give Harry the satisfaction of saying that so he just grinned and opened the box of decorations. Harry took charge, ensuring no baubles of the same colour or size are next to each other, which Louis would purposely place next to each other just to irritate him and moved them as soon as Harry turned his back to get a new ornament.