Led By Your Beating Heart [L.S AU]

2

It's all over the headlines the next day, of course.

The Sun's cover page reads "Womanizer Harry Styles Wants the (1)D", which, if Harry is being honest, he doesn't think is actually a respectable headline. It's very crude.

(Also he's kind of annoyed that he didn't think of the pun first.)

The Daily Mail goes for something subtler, "Lothario Harry Styles Likes Men?" where as the Independent just goes for : "Harry Styles Amps Up Sexuality Speculation". Harry doesn't bother to read any of the rest.

Their team is in a state of chaos --although what happened in Nick's show wasn't enough to warrant an immediate coming out, the general public isn't that dumb that they can't put two and two together. Already, people have started referring to Harry as 'that boybander who came out on the radio yesterday', or 'the second Lance Bass', and they've got the PR people calling tabloids to kill the story and organizing pap shots with leggy models that Harry couldn't care less about. All that's left is to wait for the speculation to die down.

He receives texts and phone calls from his friends and family members, all asking how he's doing. He just ends up answering the same thing: it's fine, he's fine, he's doing well. It's not like all this hasn't happened before, it's just, well, it's never been quite this blatant.

Louis texts him as well, a simple sorry, which Harry takes to mean that he's seen the headlines. Harry didn't reply to his text yesterday, and right now, sitting in the darkness of his bedroom, he lets himself reread the texts once, twice, thrice.

It's okay, he types, his fingers flying quickly over the touch screen. Not your fault.

feel bad tho, Louis' reply comes almost immediately, startling Harry from his little blanket cocoon. shouldn't have flirted with you that much, esp since i knew you were on radio. and probably straight.

Harry snorts. Not your fault, he replies. I was flirting back.

Louis sends a string of sad-faced emojis, and Harry feels his heart melting. God, he's still so endearing, even after twenty-four hours. Harry really wants to get to know him better. He also wants to meet him. There's absolutely no doubt he's cute, but Harry still wants to see if he'd aged as gracefully as Harry imagines him to have.

He's just thinking of what to reply when another text from Louis comes through.

wait, it reads. so you were really flirting?

Harry rolls his eyes. What part of 'Cute Lou from the loo' did you not get?

Louis' reply takes a bit longer, and Harry just closes his eyes, savouring the quiet of his dark bedroom. Usually he hates it, hates being alone, hates sleeping alone, but right now he couldn't be more grateful. The noise in his head is just too much.

His phone chimes.

you haven't seen me in five years, pop star. i may have been cute then but what if i'm not now?

Harry snorts. Trust me, you're cute.

how do you know that?

I just do.

Louis doesn't reply immediately, so Harry starts composing a new message. I was serious about dinner, you know. It'd be lovely to catch up with you.

There. Blunt, but not too demanding, frank, but with a hint of vagueness. It's all rather suave, if he'd say so himself.

what, you mean you're really asking me out to dinner? Louis' next text reads. can you even get out of your house? isn't there currently some sort of paparazzi mob?

Harry stares down at the text, confused, before it hits him. It startles a laugh out of him, if he's being honest.That's not my real house, he types. Well, it is my house but I don't really live there. It's just a property.

well shit, Louis replies. you're proper loaded now, aren't you? which means you'll be paying for dinner.

Harry feels a small smile creep onto his face. Are you actually agreeing to meet me then?

well it's free food, Louis replies. and so far you're quite tolerable, for a pop star.

So far?

yeah. i'm waiting to see if you'll still be tolerable when we meet or if you'll be shouting at the waiter for not giving you organic guacamole.

Harry actually laughs, and the knot that's been sitting in his chest loosens. It makes him breathe a bit easier, makes him feel relaxed enough to think of maybe getting some sleep.

Zayn's the one who's picky about the organic guacamole, he texts. Not me.

in that case, i love organic guacamole, comes Louis' reply. He even adds a heart emoji, which makes Harry snort.

Wanker. So it's only intolerable if it's me, huh?

it's cause of those curls. they make you look like such a twat.

They're not that bad.

i'll be the judge of that when we meet.

Harry worries on his bottom lip. How about eight pm tomorrow? he sends. I'll pick you up from your place?

It's a while until his phone chimes with a new text.

smooth, styles, the text reads, followed by an address.

Harry does not fist pump. Really, he doesn't.