The College Experience [Larry Stylinson boyxboy]

Chapter Twenty Three

[Photo creds to alistruecolors.tumblr.com, this is amazing!]

Three weeks later, the horrible night with the scissors was all but forgotten in a lot of ways. The only reminder was the shorter haircut (which was still quite lengthy compared to most guys, mind you), the occasional bad dream, and the little sighs Niall still made whenever he saw Louis and Harry together.

Louis, for his part, had been amazing in letting Harry pretend it never happened. When he pushed and got resistance, he decided to just let Harry have his space about it, and the two had gone about their relationship in the most comfortingly normal ways, with no panic attacks again since that night. They got coffee, they went out to diners, they tried to study sometimes, and Harry even managed to drag Louis out to a yoga class once (which was horribly painful, but Harry's perky little bum in leggings made Louis want to become a full time yogi).

They'd been together for a little while as November slipped into December and the snow started dusting over them, a huge freak snowstorm causing winter to arrive early that year. Harry's cheeks were always flushed pink and his beanie was becoming a regular fixture.

"Oh my God, I hate you!" Harry giggled, as Louis hit him smack on the thigh with a snowball. He squealed a little at the impact, covering the spot he'd been hit with his hands, which were wrapped up in thick red mittens. 

"You just hate me because you're losing," Louis called out from behind the tree he was hiding behind.

Harry whined as Louis pelted his ankles with snowballs. "You don't fight fair," he said. "Come out please." 

Louis stepped out from behind his hiding spot and Harry smacked him in the shoulder with a massive snowball. 

"Oh my gosh, Hazza, stop getting so close to my face!" Louis laughed. "Are you trying to disfigure me to keep me to yourself?" 

"Maybe," Harry smirked. "You've got me all figured out, Lewis." 

"Either that or you have exceptionally bad aim," Louis said. 

"I do not!" 

Louis raised his eyebrows. "You literally pissed on me last week, Harold. The urinals? At that cafe on Main Street?" 

"That was one time," Harry mumbled. 

"You had to use the one right next to me of course," Louis said, rolling his eyes and laughing. 

"I thought I might get lonely," Harry pouted. 

"God you're such a loser," Louis said, laughing softly, his eyes looking at his boyfriend with this gentle hazy look of absolute adoration softening his blue eyes. 

"What are you thinking about, Lou?" Harry asked, stepping closer and nudging the older boy a little. They were curved up against each other now, shivering and trying to warm up from their rather out-of-hand snowball fight. 

"Thinking about you," he whispered. 

Louis felt like he might burst if he didn't tell Harry... he needed to say it so bad it ached, all the way through his bones, it stirred in his blood, it was pressing against his fingertips, it was pushing on his tongue, it was restless in his throat-

"I love you."

"What?" Harry asked, looking over at Louis with sleepy green eyes, biting his soft pink lips as his gently curved eyebrows arched in surprise.

"I love you," Louis repeated. "So fucking much, I just, I needed to say it, but it's okay if you don't-"

Harry cut him off with his mouth, pressing their lips together, his still tasting like the hot cocoa they'd shared earlier.

"I love you too," Harry whispered. "So much, Louis, you don't understand." The two kissed, breaking apart a little with soft giggles and sighs. 

Louis pulled away a little, and saw Harry's smile fade. "What's on your mind, love?" 

"Nothing," Harry murmured, then smiled again. "Everything's perfect." 

A/N: Sorry this is short (and late!). I wanted to make their first I love you really perfect so it took a little time, I already wrote the next chapter so I'll probably just put that one up in a few days (or whenever you guys want it)! 

How's everyone doing? I feel like I haven't been around here much, I've been so busy getting ready for school and working and everything! As usual, your comments keep me entertained, my favourite thing to do before bed is to catch up with all the new comments, see where everyone's at in the story and all the funny ways you react to everything- it's insane that it's almost at 9000 reads, thank you! :D