The College Experience [Larry Stylinson boyxboy]

Chapter Twenty

"You all packed up, Harry?" Louis asked, struggling to zip the last duffle bag closed. 

"Yeah, I'm think I'm good," Harry said, taking in the blank walls and the empty bed, scanning the room one last time for anything he might have missed. At this point he was almost hoping he was forgetting something because he wasn't ready to leave yet. 

"Okay, I'll get started with the first boxes and you can meet me over there with your clothes, alright?" Louis said, muscles straining a little as he lifted up the first two boxes and headed out with them. 

Harry ran his hands across his bare mattress, missing the feel of having his own sheets on them, missing his room already. 

His roommate Oliver, who was studying quietly at his desk the whole time Harry was packing, decided that now would be the time to say something. 

"Harry?" he said, closing his textbook and looking over, a little shyly. 

"Yeah?" Harry asked, his nerves already on edge from packing. 

"I just wanted to say sorry," Oliver said, his brows drawing together in sympathy. 

"For what?" Harry asked. 

"I just... roommates don't really switch around, they usually stick together for the whole year. I mean, I know we're not best friends or anything but I actually do like you, I'm just really sorry if I made you feel unwelcome. I mean, university is hard, we're all a little on edge with assignments and midterms and all that, but I hope I never took it out on you or anything," Oliver said.  

"It's not that, it's..." Harry sighed. "It's complicated. It's um, Louis?" 

"What about him?" Oliver asked. "You seem to get along alright?" 

"We're kind of... we're kind of a thing," Harry admitted, lowering his voice a little. 

"Oh!" Oliver said, his eyes widening. "I didn't even know Louis was-" 

"I know," Harry said. "He thought it would be easier to just not tell anyone on the floor I guess. I mean, all his friends and family and stuff know, but I guess he didn't feel like everyone here had to know?" Harry shrugged. "Anyway, I just wanted to say that so you didn't feel like it was your fault or anything that I'm moving out, it just got kind of complicated." 

"Well thanks for telling me; I'll keep it to myself," Oliver said. "And good luck with your new roommate, yeah?" 

"Thanks," Harry said smiling as he picked up his duffle bag. He struggled a little with it down the hall until he bumped into Louis. 

"I can get that for you," he smiled. 

Harry bit his lip a little as Louis' biceps stuck out as he lifted up Harry's duffle bag. 

"Thanks," Harry blushed, looking away. 

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"I think your new roommate must be at a lecture or something," Louis said, sitting down on Harry's new bed, "I haven't seen him yet." 

"Oh no," Harry said, pouting a little. "How can we possibly spend our time alone in this room with no one else around?" 

Louis smiled, so his eyes crinkled a little around the corners, and Harry crawled into his lap, seemingly forgetting that he was a lot bigger than the older boy, but Louis was able to support his weight with no problem. 

Harry tipped his mouth down to meet Louis', pushing his body closer into Louis', and deepening the kiss, moaning a little when he moved his tongue against Lou's. 

Louis pulled away from the kiss and Harry rested his head on the older boy's shoulder, breathing heavily and turning to kiss his neck, licking and biting softly along all the soft spots. 

"Hazza?" Louis murmured. 

"Mmm?" Harry asked, looking up with darkened eyes. 

"Where are you headed with this?" Louis asked gently, running his hand up Harry's arm. 

Harry lied down on the bed, pulling Louis with him. "I don't know," he whispered, wrapping his legs around Louis' hips, and tangling his hands in the older boy's hair. 

Louis gave him a slow kiss, moving his hips a little against Harry's and the younger boy gasped a little. Lou pulled away with a chaste kiss to Harry's forehead. "You nervous about having a new roommate?" Louis asked gently, rolling off Harry and onto his side, facing Harry was those blue eyes full of concern... pity. 

"What?" Harry asked, trying to tug Louis back into place. "I'm fine, Louis, I can handle things like this." 

"Alright," Louis said, clearly not believing a word Harry had just said. 

"Stop, stop looking at me like that," Harry whined, his voice rising around an octave. 

"Don't you want to talk about it? I just don't want you to panic." Louis said, rubbing slow circles against Harry's tense back. 

"There's nothing to talk about!" Harry insisted. "I had a roommate that I liked, who watched movies with me and studied with me and you were right down the hall and now you're halfway across campus and I'm living with a stranger- why would I panic about that?" Harry asked, his voice rising a little as he spoke. 

"Harry, I'll be five minutes away," Louis said. "Wouldn't you rather me be five minutes away as your boyfriend instead of being just down the hall but being a secret?" 

No, Harry wanted to admit. He loved spending time with Louis, loved the idea of kissing and holding hands in public, but the word 'boyfriend' brought back so much pressure he'd felt from the ends of his last relationship... which had technically only ended less than two months ago. He didn't mind being a secret. When Louis started telling people that Harry was his boyfriend, he had to live up to whatever expectations and standards everyone had for Louis' boyfriend- had to live up to whatever expectations Louis had- instead of just being a little secret down the hall. Harry wanted to go back to that, liked being a secret easily pushed away, and not talked about- he didn't feel like he deserved much more than that from this boy who was bursting with life and colour and energy... it made him anxious that things were too good, so much more than he deserved. 

Harry didn't say any of that. 

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Yeah, five minutes away isn't too bad." 

Louis kissed his forehead again, gently, letting his lips linger on Harry's warm skin. "I've got a lecture in a few minutes. I can skip it if you need to talk about anything?" he offered. 

"No, no, you should go," Harry insisted, sitting up on his new bed. "I'm fine, I'll just get some of my stuff unpacked." 

"Okay, love," Louis said quietly. "Call me if you need me, I can be here in ten minutes." 

"You just want to skip class don't you?" Harry said, smiling a little. 

"You caught me," Louis smiled, giving the younger boy a lingering kiss, before he got up to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, babe. Let me know if you need me before then?" 

"Okay," Harry nodded. 

When Louis left, Harry started arranging everything so it would look identical to his old room. It was a pretty close recreation, until his new roommate walked in. 

He was nothing like Harry's old roommate. 

A/N: I'm baaaaack! Sorry I was gone so long, life got so crazy! I should have another chapter up on Monday though :) 

And oh my gosh Drag Me Down is SO GOOD I've listened to it like 100 times already.