second chances {l.s.}

fall.

tw: alcohol, DWI, small mention of E.D.

The drive to the party is short. Much shorter than Harry would've liked, because he was quite enjoying his moments alone with Louis. He knew it would be hard to get that once they were inside the crowded house. He pulled up outside the already familiar house, immediately recognizing it as Ed's from the "Back to School Bash." Side note, he still wasn't over how lame that sounded. 

Louis' hand was rested on his upper thigh the entire way there, something small that had Harry grinning like an idiot. Though, anything that Louis did was likely to leave Harry grinning like an idiot - it seemed to be some kind of superpower that only Louis held.

He climbed out of the car, Louis' hand in his own once he'd made his way around the other side, and they walked hand in hand towards the door to Ed's home. The music could be heard from outside already, and Harry could've swore he could see the house shaking. How Ed could throw these parties and not get any noise complaints, Harry had no idea. Louis seemed to head straight for the kitchen where the drinks were laid out the way they had been the night before. He grabbed him and Harry each a cup, before their eyes were meeting.

"Blueberry?" Louis was asking, making Harry hum as he ran his eyes over the large selection of bottles in front of him.

"Hmm. Wanna try the pink lemonade one this time, actually." Harry said as he pointed it out to the lad. Louis was nodding, pouring into Harry's glass this bottle that was an almost unsettling shade of pink, before handing it to the curly headed boy. Harry took a sip with an almost immediate wince after at the strong taste.

"Can't even taste the lemonade part." Harry laughed, offering the cup to Louis, who took a sip and made the same expression.

"God, that's fucking awful." Louis snorted as he closed the bottle, grabbing himself a different one before pouring some into a cup of his own.

Once they had their drinks, they were making their way out of the kitchen. Louis scored them a seat on the couch, where they sat, Harry in Louis' lap, and watched the people in front of them. They danced like crazy people, desperate for the attention of another amongst the crowd of the sweaty bodies. Harry couldn't imagine why Ed was always having these parties. He imagined his house always smelled like sweat, cigarettes, alcohol, and god, probably sex, too for days after. He hadn't noticed a smell the last time he left, though. 

He swore people had to be coming from other schools, too, because he was seeing way too many unfamiliar faces, probably people from surrounding towns just trying to get a lay from people their age. It was crazy to Harry, and still relatively new, but he couldn't bring himself to complain - not whenever he was seated on Louis' lap. They finished their drinks, filled back up, before Louis was leading him outside like the first time, to the circle of lads with joints being passed around. Harry had noticed that Louis' friend, Zayn, wasn't around like he had been the time before, but Louis didn't speak on it. Harry also noticed the way Louis kept checking his phone, typing a few words back in response to someone, before smiling up at Harry, kissing his cheek, and taking a hit from a joint as it was passed to him. 

Harry didn't think too much of it, too focused on Louis and how just... simply pretty he was. Harry could look at him for hours and never get tired for a second. Days even, probably. He didn't understand how one person could be so perfect, and he'd never thought of himself to even be the type to think of somebody in that way. He'd always been so closed up and to himself, but at that point, all he cared about was Louis.

Maybe he was falling too hard, but he was positive that Louis was in the same position. 

"You did really good tonight."