ILTHY | l.p.

17 | uh-oh!

CHAPTER 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍
❛ 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 ❜
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[ y/n ]

It was past 9 a.m. when Louis arrived at my doorstep. I let him in like a gracious host would, ignoring how my heart was beating too fast and heavily on my chest. I'll act as if I wasn't worrying about why Louis Partridge is late when he never is late at an agreed time.

"Hey," his low British accent did not help in calming my heart down. "Sorry I was late."

"Yeah," I managed to say without looking him in the eyes. If I do, I might die of a heart attack. Not trying to overreact, but ever since I was teased about him, it's like the dead seven-year-old me was glistening back to life.

Louis looked around my humble home, and I tried not to think he was judging how different my lifestyle is compared to his more comfortable one. My mom was single, and I'm a broke student, so we survived the best we could.

"You good to go?" He asked, breaking my little daydream, tilting his head down to look at me.

I looked up to meet Louis' eyes for the first time that day. I hate how I keep wanting to look in his eyes no matter how I convince myself I didn't want to. And I know he likes mine, after what he said the other night in the snow.

"Yeah," I breathe out, inhaling sharply. "Sorry for the mess. Make yourself feel at home."

"I'll try," he cracked a small joke, with that boyish grin, and ruffled my hair like I was his friend or something before walking past me towards the sofa.

Did he just?

"Did you do anything new to the song?" I ask while entering the kitchen to prepare Louis a drink and snack. Maybe I should make tea because he's British? Screw it. I'm serving coffee. We both have to stay awake if we need to finish the lyrics by today. Felix already sent me the email of a rough tune Louis and I could follow through.

"Not really." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

It wasn't meant to distract me, but boy, did it make me overflow the cup with water. I curse underneath my breath and hurry to clean up my mistake. Louis looked over and gave me a lopsided smile. "What are you burning up in there?"

"Um. Coffee."

A rough chuckle left his lips, and then he stood up to approach me.

No, no, no. Please, no.

Why is my heart beating too fast? I should be cool. I am cool. I am the coolest person ever. Louis has never met anyone cooler than I am.

I try not to tense so much when he reaches me, peeking over my shoulder to see how his coffee is coming along. "I don't really like burnt coffee," he mutters in my ear.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Why is Louis Partridge standing behind me, leaning over, murmuring in my ear, and his fucking forearms in my view, trapping me by the counter?

"Cream?" I ask, voice cracking without my will.

Ah, fuck. So much for being cool.

Louis laughed. "Three cubes of sugar, Y/n. And try not to burn it, yeah?"

"Copy."

"Cool." Louis grinned, then pulled away, returning to the couch too nonchalantly as if he didn't just send my body up to space and make me run up to the moon and back to make my heart beat this wildly.