The Wedding Date - Larry Stylinson

Chapter 7 - old friendships

Niall drags Louis through the door which leads to the garden behind the house. Louis follows without protest, only when Niall lets go of his arm he can breathe again and only then he notices that he was holding his breath due to the shock knowing his old best friend once was Harry's roommate.

They come to a halt at the trampoline, a place that is unseen from the table in the living room.

''Speak, Lou'', Niall commands. He crosses his arms in front of his chest and looks very expecting.

Louis shifts uneasy and a bit frightened before he finds his voice and starts his explanation.

''Harry is my boyfriend'', he whispers feeling bad immedietly because of lying again, not lifting his head up to look Niall in the eyes.

''Lottie already said it. But since when and most important is how did you meet him? He studied in Manchester just like me as I told a couple minutes ago.'' Louis' words weren't enough for the Irishman.

''Well, now he lives in London. And we met at a party of a friend of mine and also him a few months ago.''

''Is he still studying law and business?'' Louis doesn't know what he's supposed to do now but decides to stick to Niall's question. So he nods.

''Okay... you have to know, I'm shocked, positively, to see him here again. We were really close, especially when we lost most of contact. It was hard for me and he helped me kinda through it. But before you think, I'd be still mad... no I'm not. You felt just the same way as I.''

Wow! It's literally the first time they talk about this topic properly in four years.

''Oh my... Nialler... I'll start crying.'' He chuckles quietly. Then,Niall  wraps his arm around the feathery haired man and holds him tight.

''I'm so relieved now. We should have discussed this ages ago'', Louis mumbles into Niall's shoulder.

''Me too.'' Silence settles between them.

''Lou?''

''Yes?''

''I must say, you two make a cute, hot couple.'' Louis laughs. That's his best friend!

''You haven't changed at all.''

''Why should I? But you neither.'' You can feel and see the tension that has vanished if you take a look at the men standing in the garden.

''Missed you'', Louis admits.

''I know. Lottie told me about you. It was so stupid but I was too stubborn to meet up with you alone. Without your family, ya know?'' Louis is so happy, he can smile again after more than one day. ''I also have to say sorry for being a dick most of the time.''

''Will you tell me about the time in Manchester with Harry?'', he asks shyly. Niall smiles and grins at once. ''Sure.''

''So, let's start when he became my roommate. I started my second year at uni and Harry his first. At first he was shy around me but after only one week we called each other "mate" and got friends. I was so glad because as you know, we had lost most of contact. You lived together with these guys...'' He breathes in and out and continues. ''We got close very quickly and yeah, became best friends. It was all good until he got his boyfriend, Alex. I didn't like him at all. He was toxic and didn't treat Harry well, in my opinion. But as stubborn as he is, he accepted everything Alex did to him and to others during the relationship.''

Louis clenches his hands into fists and gets angry, although he never has seen this Alex guy in his entire life. Then, he realizes a big fact that is really important for him.