Prelude To Forever ->> Larry Stylinson. L.S.

4.

Louis found being around him absolutely effortless. If he was honest, talking to Harry felt a bit like talking to himself. So many times throughout the day so far, Harry finished a sentence Louis started or Harry stated a thought Louis was already having but hadn't gotten out in words yet. It was easy. Comfortable.

Nice.

Louis wasn't used to nice. Louis was used to quick. Dirty. Anonymous. The less he knew the better, that way he couldn't get attached. Louis was a serial fucker. It was just easier that way. He didn't do relationships. Never had, never will. One massive betrayal and heartbreak at seventeen will do that to a person. So will falling in love with a married man who promised for almost a year he was going to leave his wife.

Harry had tried to ask about Louis's dating history but Louis had become a pro at dodging the heavy stuff. Today was a day for celebration and he didn't want to bog Harry down with his negativity. Louis told him he dated around a bit but nothing had ever stuck in the way of a serious relationship. Louis knew Harry didn't find his answers satisfactory, but silently thanked him for not pressing further.

The truth was, Louis wanted nothing more than to begin to settle down, but no man had ever seemed worth it, because he never let himself get that far. Louis had just finished his first year of teaching full-time Drama at a middle school in the suburbs and was looking to buy a house out there since he was finally in a position where finances weren't a worry. He knew a house deserved a family to fill it, but never wanted to risk the heartbreak that would inevitably, probably, come with it.

Despite the group all taking turns buying various fried vendor food and sharing their goodies amongst each other the entire afternoon, the general consensus was real-food dinner was necessary, and soon. They stood, debating the best course of action to achieve said wants of non-festival food.

"I, uh, I googled some places this morning. For food that is close to here, in case food trucks have lost their luster," Harry announced to the group. Louis found it endearing the way Harry was finding ways to insert himself within Louis's friends, and not at all in a domineering way. Harry seemed genuinely interested in being a part of the group and the group took to him better than Louis could have ever hoped for.

Jesy spoke up first. "I never thought I would say this, but I'm in fried food overload. Does this place have salads?"

"Yeah. It's an organic farm to table sort of thing. Or so Yelp said. Great reviews."

"Farm to table? Don't know if they realized but we're literally downtown Chicago. Last I checked, farms aren't exactly abundant here," Louis said.

"Hey Sunshine," Harry started enthusiastically. "I forgot to tell you about this amazing thing I just learned about!"
"What's that, Jesus?"

"It's this new invention called a vehicle. See, when you have something in one place," Harry gesticulated wildly, "but want to take it to another place, you can put it in the vehicle. Then, with its wheels and it's engine and steering, the vehicle can be manipulated to move where you want it to. Transportation, man. It's a beautiful thing."

Louis took a moment to drink Harry in. He was a cocky little shit and Louis loved the banter they had fallen into throughout the day.

"For being Jesus and all, you sure do talk some shit, you know that?"

"That's what Pontius Pilate said about Jesus, too," Harry said with plenty of snark, touching the top of his tongue to the side of his mouth in a satisfied smirk.

Liam was the first to react this time, a snort. A single snort and it set off a chain of laughter between all of them. Niall and Shawn fell to the ground in their fit and Jade gave Harry a double high five. Louis watched his friends genuinely respond in a way they never had to anyone else Louis introduced to them. Usually they placated with barely concealed annoyance. But now, the people he called "tribe" were actually enjoying Harry and Louis couldn't help but feel a pang of both pride and sadness, simultaneously.