Graduation (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 3: A Note

Chapter 3: A Note.

[Writer P.O.V.]

As Liam had predicted, Harry was indeed in the rose garden. It was well lit because other students in the past would get up to no good. Harry always had a blank book with him to jot down poems, thoughts or rhymes but tonight he was too frustrated to be creative. He did get fed up of defending himself but it wasn’t in his nature to shout or attack, so he usually just carried it along with him. And yes, he was tired.

Harry walked back to the dormitory building to call his mom because it was quite late by now. He recalled the argument from earlier as he walked along the endless corridor and squinted in discomfort - Louis was loud, loud and loud. Harry always found it hard to connect to people who were like that because his mom and sister were quietly spoken and he had been raised the same way. Harry didn’t know that Louis could be quite funny, but they hadn’t spent any time together yet.

Harry was still in a sullen mood when he eventually opened his door. He stepped on the folded piece of paper, picked it up, and put it on his tidy desk. He often had notes from the boys or random girls it was nothing new:

“Harry, where are you?”

“Harry, what are you doing?”

“Harry, can you come out tonight?”

“Harry, where the fuck are ya mate?!”

Harry’s room was small but very tidy, cosy and warm. He liked it softly lit too, so he only ever kept his desk light on because he wrote much better poetry in night light. Harry dropped his keys on the desk, took his black wool knee-length coat off and tossed it over his chair. He picked the note up and cleared his throat, expecting an update from the boys on how the evening went. He never in a million years expected to read the following words:

“Hi Harry… I’m sorry. I think you have a beautiful smile. I’d like to talk to you. Louis Tomlinson.”

Harry held his breath in surprise, a frown appearing on his forehead, and read the note again. He slowly exhaled in confusion, but then his mood changed to intrigue. Was it a joke from one of the boys? No - they were more into pranks. Harry walked over to his bed and sat down to read the note a third time, holding it preciously between both fingers as if it was a special piece of scripture. He had notes like this from girls frequently and they usually went straight in the bin but this note had him completely gripped: “Hi Harry I’m sorry” Harry read again, “I think you have a beautiful smile” he re-read, “I’d like to talk to you, Louis Tomlinson”.

Harry slowly crossed his right thigh over his left, propped his chin in his palm and recalled the events of that day. Lou’s flamboyant stance in the changing room was the first thing to make him smile. Harry had scanned Louis up and down because there was something endearing about Lou - he had a “swing” to his body on the pitch and a sexy curve when he posed on one hip. The constant “loud, loud, loud” had stopped Harry from thinking things any further, but maybe there was a soul behind the sass? Then there was the stare in the corridor when they were kicked out of the seminar that afternoon. Harry thought for a brief moment when he caught Louis staring at him that maybe Louis was reciprocating the interest that Harry felt that morning in the changing room, but it simply hadn’t been the right moment to ask.

Harry looked down at the note and didn’t know what to do, should he go out looking for Louis? Where was his room, and what would he do?

Harry didn’t have much of a history with girlfriends. His sensitive and broody personality meant had to be really into someone to start a relationship and it had simply not happened yet. Girls were beautiful to look at, to chat to and to eat pizza with, but he had never felt the spiritual connection that he often wrote about. He had no history with boys at all, but he always felt drawn to the “pride” scene. The rainbows and equality suited his open personality down to the ground. Was Harry open enough to get to know Louis Tomlinson better? If he could move past the loud, loud and loud, definitely!

Harry slid the note under his pillow and got ready for bed, pondering the possibility of getting to know a new face. The thought of Louis, somewhere else in the building, thinking that he had a beautiful face and wanting to talk to him did cause an unexpected reaction though. Harry frowned in surprise and slowly looked up from his pillow to see he was beginning to get hard. He lay on his front and laughed into his folded arms - he barely knew the guy!

He completely forgot to call his mom.

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The next morning the dormitory building was quiet because it was Saturday. Harry was about to leave his room for football practice and was collecting his kit. Louis would be there. Harry gulped down the lump in his throat whilst trying to tame the butterflies swirling in his stomach. The gentle note from last night had worked him up into a nervous frenzy. This wasn’t like him at all - he was always so casual - and similar notes from girls in the past had never had the same effect on him. He had no idea why he was acting this way to a note from Louis Tomlinson. Perhaps it was the unexpectedness of it? Louis was the last person Harry thought of as… sweet? Wait, what?! That made no sense!

Harry opened his door feeling like today was going to be very different, when his mobile rang.

‘MOM!’ he remembered.

Harry closed his door and took the call.

Liam opened the next door. Zayn and Niall did the same (they all had rooms next to each other).

‘Harry’s on his phone’ said Liam, ‘let’s go.’

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Louis had already left the dormitory building a while ago. He woke up very early and thought about the note all morning. In the cold light of day, it wasn’t so sentimental. Okay he was panicking big time! He couldn’t take it back. Harry had the note now. Louis knew, that Harry knew, that he thought Harry had a beautiful face. Louis folded over in cringes in the shower - he didn’t know what he was thinking last night! But as he styled his hair in the bathroom mirror a few minutes later he realised - why was he so bothered? Couldn’t he just laugh it off with his usual sass? No. There was something about Harry. The thought of Harry offering a cheeky “thank you” (smile and dimple) was causing Louis to bulge in his boxers.

“Stop it!” he chastised himself.

Louis pressed his crotch against the dressing table as he added the finishing touches to his hair. How was he going to face Harry? How was he going to get changed next to him and play a whole game of football with him?! The journey to the changing room that morning was the most nervous of his life.