larry- one shots

just to see that smile

It was just starting to get colder on campus, and Harry was already regretting having volunteered for the LGBTQ Coalition's PR committee, at least in the capacity of official poster of flyers. He had a stack of fifty flyers, most of which needed to be hung up around designated locations on campus. The others would need to be given to the group's dorm ambassadors-- residents who were members of the group and who had agreed to find other LGBTQ students and invite them to events personally. He tacked up the first one outside the dining hall and mentally prepared himself for the thirty other locations he had to hit.

By the time he was done, it was getting dark and he was tired from trudging all over campus. He headed back to his room and opened the door, throwing himself onto his bed after setting the flyers down at his desk. He was considering the merits of taking a nap instead of going back to the dining hall when his roommate, Liam, came in talking on his phone.

"Yeah, I know, but you'd be doing me a massive favor. I've really g--" he paused when he realized Harry was in the room, clearing his throat before speaking again. "Got to go. But think about it?" He waved at Harry, nodding at whatever the person on the other end of the conversation was saying. "So we'll text about it then. Yeah. Bye."

Harry was about to ask who Liam had been talking to, but was cut off when Liam pointed to one of the flyers. "Did you hang these up? I didn't realize you were in that club," he said. Judging by his voice, it wasn't a problem at all and Harry breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I joined up right away. But Coming Out Week is apparently when we gain the most membership, so they really try to promote it a lot." Harry studied Liam's face for a moment before continuing. "Think you'd want to go to any of the events? I'll be at most of them if you need a friend there."

Liam smiled back at Harry, nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that. I'm actually bi?" Though it came out like a question, Harry got what he was saying. It was how Harry had felt about his own sexuality when he started coming out at 16.

"Cool. I don't like labels, but that's what's great about something that's LGBTQ-- there's something for everyone. So I know I belong," Harry said.

"I actually saw one of these posters outside the science building on my way back here," Liam said, voice getting a bit quieter and a slight blush coloring his cheeks. "I was walking with my lab partner, Zayn, and he pointed it out. Said he was going to the dance for sure and I thought it would be cool to check it out."

"Ooh, were you going to ask him as a date?" Harry raised his eyebrows suggestively and Liam blushed harder.

"No," he said, looking back down at the poster. "No, I couldn't do that."

"Why not?" Harry asked. "He's the one you were studying with at the library last week, right? He's fit. Maybe he was hinting that he wanted to go with you." Liam was fidgeting a bit, looking as though he might be getting uncomfortable, but Harry pushed a bit further anyway, hoping to be encouraging. "Can't hurt to ask, I mean what's stopping you?"

"I've got a boyfriend!" Liam said, quickly turning away from Harry and throwing his bag onto his own bed to rifle through it.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to get pushy," Harry said, startled by Liam's news. "Of course that's great news, though. Think he'll come around for the dance? Niall lives off campus, so I could stay with him if the two of you need alone time."

"No, um. I don't know if he'll come. Maybe he will."

"It'd be sick if he could. Do you wanna tell me about him? 'S ok if you don't." Harry didn't want to push Liam, but this felt like the first thing they were bonding over that wasn't bad dining hall food or having too much reading to do for class, so he really didn't want to just drop it either.