'Cause I Can Love You More Than Stan

seven

Harry and Louis are finally back home. Or what they considered home. Wherever they were together felt like home to them. And at this moment it was Princess Park. An English apartment complex. Large and spacious. They happened to be in a boy band together with three others. They all were housed separately at the complex, but Louis and Harry, naturally wanted to live with one another. They had a three year age gap, Louis being older, but nobody questioned anything. Most actually admired how easy it was for them to coexist.

Each of them were incredibly different, but it brought them together. Easy going, serene Zayn Malik. Giggly goofball Niall Horan. Charming and charismatic, Harry Styles. Sarcastic and playful Louis Tomlinson. And, the one who keeps them all sane, Liam Payne. Luckily enough, they all get on well with each other. There are times though when one of them has to put their foot down to the PDA from the two lovebirds.

Overall, they have so much fun together, the five of them. Guidelines were sparse for how Harry and Louis could act around each other. The only thing they were told; just don't take it to the stage. Work first, love second.

Aside from any of the band drama, it had its perks. They were with one another almost every day of the week, even if it was long and repetitive, they had each other's presence. They had an excuse to be roommates. If Harry as a 16 year old asked his mum if he could move in with an 18 year old without a good explanation, she would right-off-the-bat say no. She had no clue just how hard her son had fallen for the blue eyed boy. Or had fallen at all.

One day several months ago, Harry mistakenly confessed his adoration for Louis to his older sister Gemma. They were sitting by a fire pit outside of their home on Christmas break and roasting marshmallows. Harry was talking about how proud he was of himself for the gift he picked out for Louis and wrapped, all by himself. His sister had never heard Harry ramble for so long about a simple deed.

"Did you get anything for the others?" Gemma asked skeptically. Harry looked down and shook his head.

"No... I haven't gotten around to them yet." He claimed.

"Why did you get Louis a gift first then?"

Harry felt like he was being interrogated. Picked apart. He had had crushes on boys before, dated one even, but it was never as deep as his connection with Louis. Louis was different. From everyone.

His family knew that he didn't only like girls. He felt accepted by them about liking guys and girls but he didn't feel like his relationship with Louis was going to be as forgiving. Louis was 19. He was 16. It wasn't going to be an easy discussion to have with his parents. But he couldn't suppress his feelings. It doesn't work. He knew that he would eventually slip up, and that's not how he wanted his parents to find out.

"Um I don't know, me and Louis are just really close. We're all close- and we all get along but it's just kind of effortless with Lou. He's so lovely."

"Lovely Lou, huh." Gemma chuckles and almost drops her skewer and marshmallow into the fire pit.

"Shut up." Harry smiles faintly, having trouble keeping a solemn face.

"Now that you bring it up, I have noticed you too are like peas in a pod. He's always looking after you. He's like the big brother you never had. I just know he loves you a lot."

She had no clue.

All of this gave him a leap of faith to tell Gemma the truth of how things really were. Harry was deep in thought, staring at the earthen ground, tapping his foot, and internally panicking.

They both fell silent for a minute.

"Where's Harry? Hello? What's on your mind?"

Harry's heart jumped and he snapped out of his rumination. He took a deep breath and proceeded to speak softly.