seasons of love | Narry Storan AU

chapter 25.

2015

"So..."

"So what, Harold?"

"You and Mr. Mendes." Harold stares at his friend, sitting right in front of himself in the coffee shop.

"Oh, no", Niall closes his eyes, swallowing the sip of latte he just drank from the cup. "Don't start this conversation, please. It's embarassing enough."

"Why?"

"Because... damn, he's my teacher, Harry. You should know it better than me, I can't..."

"Nialler, I didn't say a single word about a romance between you and him." This gets Niall off-guard. "You were the one who assumed that first."

"It was a trap, right?"

"And you fell on it like a lost puppy."

"Shit."

"Yeah, Horan, I guess you have feelings for him." Harry's smile dies a little bit after he says those words. "It's okay, you know. It's not the end of the world."

"It is! Harry, it is the end of the world! One thing is having a small crush on your professor, but giving him chances to take you out and talk about things that could lead the two of you to a hidden relationship is something totally worse."

"He asked you out?"

"Huh..."

"He did?" Harold's eyes almost fall out from his face. "OK, that makes things worse, indeed. You didn't tell me about that back in our bedroom."

The expression "our bedroom" in Harry's voice sounds a bit weird to Niall. He knows his friend is just talking about the room they are forced to share, but there's something subtle about the fact that they could have a bedroom as romantic partners that scares him.

No, it doesn't scare him. It excites him. And this is the weird part. Maybe it shouldn't be so weird for him — at least, if he felt any kind of attraction towards Harry, then there would be some butterflies in his stomach as part of the process of falling in love with your friend. Is it butterflies?, he asks himself. It seems like a different feeling. It's not the same as having feelings for Shawn, which is such a familiar feeling of knowing it's the right guy in the wrong time; Harry Styles, to him, is like... the wrong guy in the right time. Totally the opposite of what he should be pursuing at the moment.

"I don't know what to do, actually", Niall finally says something, after realizing he was spacing out for a long time in front of his roommate. "I mean, I'm kinda into him, but I know the consequences are bigger than any feeling I could have right now. So I'm not that fond of this idea, if you know what I mean."

"Does he even know the risks of being a teacher hanging out with his student?"

"He knows, Harold. He said it in the e-mail he sent to me, but he also said he wouldn't be our teacher anymore in a couple of weeks, so..."

"You're willing to try."

"Harry."

"I understand. I'm not that kind of friend who whill step in between you and who you want to pursue, Niall. We have this recent friendship in which we're being careful about things we say to each other, I know. And I know I'm not the most reliable source of wisdom—"

"You're a fucking womanizer with every single one-night stand you bring to your life, and my life, too", Niall interrupts Harry and frowns while saying those words, "you're really not that trustworthy."

"See? I'm losing here", Harry takes a sip of his coffee during one phrase and another. "But I care about my friends. Even with my behavior, I do care. And I just don't want any of my friends to get hurt by some heartless professor who just came around and already wants to make a whole destruction out of your life."

"I'm not saying I'll go on a date with him, for God's sake."

"But you want to", the conclusion in Harold's lips make Niall realize that. "Anyway, it's not up to me. You're the one with the power of decision."

"Thank you for understanding that", he answers, although he knows it's hurting inside Harry's heart to hear about this topic. "I promise I'll get out of this as soon as possible if I see something wrong, okay?"

"You don't have to promise me anything, Nialler."

The nickname sounds lovely to Niall's thoughts, but he restrains himself from saying it out loud.

"So... changing topics", Harry sighs, "I guess you're going home for Thanksgiving, right?"

"Yeah, there's nothing holding me here, so... and my dad needs me. Our family is very... reduced. It's only me, him and our dog, actually." Niall shrugs. "What about you?"

"My family says they need me, but I don't think it's the case, so I'm trying to find another place to spend Thanksgiving. But Christmas is out of option... I'll have to spend this one with them."

"Yeah, Christmas is something you can't just refuse to spend with your flesh and blood", the young Horan agrees. "You know, Louis and I... you know Louis."

"I know him very well since that night he brought you to our room, completely passed out."

"Please, don't remind me of that", Niall laughs it off, "so, Louis and I, we live in the same city, and he's the one who's going to spend Thanksgiving with his family, mother and sisters, or something like that. But on the Friday after the Thanksgiving, we'll do some barbecue party between our families, because we know each other very well and... you could go and see us, if you want to."

"Seriously? That would make me spend less time with my father... which is my dream!" Harold almost screams in excitement, his feet stomping in a rhythmic way against the wooden floor.

"It won't save you from sleeping at your parents' house on Thursday, but... it could save the rest of the weekend for you. And there will be no girls there that you could fuck with, or I wouldn't invite you."

"You already know me so well, Nialler."