Plants, Records & A Charity Event | larry Stylinson

Chapter 7

Their heads move to look at Niall faster than it should be humanly possible. Hoping they ears did them wrong. Their eyes and mouth are wide open now.

"Say that again."

"How does me bringing a person I don't like as a date makes any sense?"

They say at the same time.
Niall knew they would not be on board with it immediately. Liam looked at him with a frown, not really getting what Niall was hitting at as well.

Niall takes a deep breath before starting to get into more detail.

"Oh boys. You're that stupid? Think about it! It totally makes sense. Harry you don't want to go alone. You need to bring someone who could make Nick jealous. Meaning you need to bring a queer male. You also don't want to meet someone new, so you have to bring a friend that you're somewhat comfortable with. I'm sorry but Louis is the best option. He's not that bad looking either, so it will be no shame bringing him. And Louis, you could make it up to Harry what you screamed at him in the pub yesterday. Also you can watch Nick be confused by the two of you which probably leads him to mess up the speech. We all know how much you love a bit of chaos. Last but not least Harry said it's free booze and food. I think it's a win-win for the both of you."

They look at Niall, both don't want to be the first one to agree or disagree to the idea.

"Niall. You're a genius. It's better than bringing you or me. It's literally perfect."

Niall smiles, at least he convinced Liam.

"Niall... Are you serious? I can't bring Louis as a date."

"Why? Don't think I can behave in that circle of people?"

Louis gets offend by the words Harry used and in which tone he spoke.

"That's a part of it and also because we don't particularly like each other, if you forgot! And my exbo... Nick is very much aware of that fact."

Harry wanted to say exboyfriend but referring to Nick as such just still hurts to much, so he sticks to his name.

"You're afraid I'm going to embarrass you. Or are you scared that I'll look so good that no one is going to care about you?"

The tension in the room rises, it became one of their power plays.

"Please. I'm certain you'd do something stupid to embarrass me and also I'm not quite convinced that you have anything in your closet that is fitting the dress code. I mean it says suits but I don't think they mean a track suit with it."

Harry looks Louis up and down, who is sitting there in his favorite adidas tracksuit. Hitting a soft spot with that reference, Louis knows he needs and wants to win this round of their play.

"Fine. You want it- you got it. Niall, i love you're idea. It would be my pleasure to be Harry's date to the gala."

"WHAT?"
Harry jumps up from his spot and looks at Louis, hands running through his hair.

Louis pulls one of the yellow tuplis out of the bouquet, goes down to one knee and asks

"Harry Edward Styles would you please let me have the honour of being you're fake date to the charity event, so that we can make your stupid ex boyfriend jealous?''

Harry looks at him, thinking. Maybe Niall is right and Louis is the best option? Or at least the only option he has at the moment. He could still blow of the deal if he changes his mind.

"Alright. Get up. You can be my fake date."

Adding 'Hopefully Nick doesn't see through the scam and realises how pathetic I've become.' in his thoughts.

"Thanks, best thing I've ever heard... Making someone seem pathetic..." Louis murmurs.

"Didn't meant to say that out loud. I'm sorry. Still be my date?"

"You're fake date. Yes. For one night I'll survive playing being smitten by you, especially if there is booze."

Harry and Louis are ready to let the topic die down. It's still a few more weeks, about two, till the event so they both silently agree on figuring out the details later, on another day.

But they made that plan without consulting Niall. The headmaster of this plan.

"Great! That's amazing! We'll make Nick see what he misses out on. He's gonna be so fuckimg jealous and regret that he ever left you. So I think you should start hanging out tomorrow."

"We are already hanging out? Like right now ?"

"No, H. You little idiot. Not like right now. Date- hanging out. Like just the two of you."

"What? No. I agreed on one evening. A one time thing."

"Why? You want to disappear at midnight like Cinderella?"

Harry couldn't help himself from making a stupid comment.

"Harry, shut it for a second. Tommo,  think about it. If you were in Nick's place would you believe that you two suddleny are head over heels for each other at a gala, when you NEVER hung out before ? Like just the two of you? I wouldn't."

"Yeah you're right. I see you're point. That's unbelievable as shit."

"Meaning?"

"Harry, dear. We start fake dating tomorrow. Till the charity thing and afterwards we can go back to hating each other. But till then I play the biggest role of my life- acting like I'm totally gone and fond of you."

Harry looks at Louis with wide eyes. He can't be serious. Why would he agree to do that without any hesitation ?

"Uhm ok? It doesn't seem like I have a saying in any off this at all."

"Nope you don't. I'll be a better fake date than you're ex ever was, just wait and see. You know- I'm a perfectionist."

"Can we change the subject? I don't want to think about Nick tonight anymore or about me fake dating Louis."

His eyes saddened as he spoke. He just wants to cry himself to sleep. The day was clearly too much.

Liam catches on. "Guys, it's late. I think I'll get going. And I think Harry is tired as well. Let's go."

He earned himself a sad smile as thanks from Harry.

"Sure."

"Goodnight, H."

The three of them leave his room and as soon as the door was closed and the silence creeps out every corner he starts to cry.

Being single, Nick dating someone else, going to fake date Louis- it was all just too much.

He falls asleep thinking about the way Nick looked at the other guy, the picture is burned inside his head.