Misadventure

32

A/N: Buckle up, it's a long one... as always thanks for reading❤️

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Louis' POV

I'd developed a new routine of waiting until almost 9:00 to eat dinner most nights, because by then the cafeteria was always deserted, and Harry could eat in peace without him having to face a crowd.

We sat at the table with the tallest stools; the round one by the back wall of windows. I loved nights like this one, where the sky was clear enough to see every single star clearly. It felt ethereal, and for a moment it made me forget that we were two broke college students, eating freezer burned square pizza while the staff kept passive-aggressively reminding us that they were closing soon.

"Niall told me he might blow off the song writing assignment and just Rick Roll the entire audience the night of the recital," Harry told me. He reached over and stole a sip of my iced tea I'd gotten from the soda fountain.

I cracked a smile, because that sounded so much like my old best friend. But my amusement vanished just as quickly as it came, and I was left feeling sort of empty.

God, I missed him.

"What happened between you two anyways?" Harry asked. It must have shown on my face just how bad this question hurt, because Harry started to backpedal. "I don't mean to pry. It's just, you two used to be so close, and well, Niall won't tell me anything."

It was painful to even think about how awful I had been to Niall that night, the last time he ever spoke to me. I used him. I was a horrible person for what I did to him, and I had no right to even miss him.

"I really don't feel like talking about it," I said finally, losing any remaining appetite for my now cold pizza. I picked it then put it back down, slouching forward to rest elbow on the table and my chin in my hand. "I'm sorry."

Harry looked at me with nothing but love and understanding. "Don't be. It's okay."

It was almost frustrating just how kind Harry treated me. He always told me that nobody was perfect, but he was. I could not find a single fault in him, from his gorgeous looks to his even more gorgeous soul.

It wasn't exactly that I thought Harry was lying whenever he would tell me he loved me. I believed he loved a version of me that was long gone, if it ever even existed in the first place.

I wasn't anything special. I just so happened to be the first person, other than maybe his sister, to actually care about his well being.

"Lou, can I ask you something?"

"I have a feeling you're going to," I teased.

"Are we, like, boyfriends now?"

Oh, my sweet Harry.

How was it that he had just asked me out in the weirdest manner possible, and somehow it still managed to charm my socks off.

I wasn't able to contain my fondness. "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?"

"I, well." He coughed. His eyes were trained on the floor. "Um if you want to."

I couldn't think of an actual reason to say no. I was sober now, so if he was foolish enough to want to be with me, then I would just have to respect his decision.

"Alright boyfriend, does that mean it's my turn to take you on a date next?"

"I mean, technically we never finished the first date..." His brows were knitted, as he appeared too busy concentrating on the logistics to even process what I'd just said. "But we did stay there overnight, so I guess it was still longer than a normal-"