taming mr.tomlinson [larry stylinson] ✔️

18.

"Harry, how about we have our second date at your place tonight?" Ashton asked, and his voice sounded strangely seductive, but not enough to make Harry feel things in his tummy like Louis is able to. "Harry..."

They were walking inside of the teacher's lounge with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders and fake smiles plastered on their faces as soon as they saw Louis sitting at one of the tables. The man seemed to be more into his phone, so he didn't immediately look up when the two walked into the lounge. He looked like he had been up all night from the way his feathered hair stuck up in several different directions, and his eyelids were so close to falling over his blue eyes—it made Harry's heart break.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. That's all fine with me." Harry responded, clearly not paying attention to the mission of making Louis jealous. "Hey, I'll see you later, Ashton."

At first, Ashton looked a tad bit confused, but then he nodded his head and walked out of the door without another word; taking a large bite out of his raisin cookie. Harry cleared his throat once in hopes to catch Louis' attention, though it didn't work. He tried again, this time much louder, and blushed furiously when Louis jumped, startled by the noise, then lifted his glasses to rub at his eyes. Then he yawned, his mouth opening in a perfect o as his arms stretched over his head, therefore, making his shirt lift up and expose his v-line.

Harry could feel his mouth water.

"Oh, hello." Louis greeted politely, turning the screen of his phone off before sitting it facedown on the table. "Close your mouth, you'll attract flies, sweetheart."

Nervously chuckling, Harry looked down at the floor before forcing himself to pretend to be busy, which meant grabbing a cup from the shelves to make some coffee. There was silence and Harry tried to think of ways to break it, but he wasn't good at being smooth in situations like this one. Should he talk about how much he couldn't stop thinking about what they did in his classroom? Maybe bring up the fact that he would love for it to happen again—not that he cared if it wouldn't. (Who was he kidding? Of course he cared).

I miss the way your lips felt against mine? No, too risky. Do you maybe want to go out for coffee after school? No, too straightforward. Then Louis would be able to tell that his relationship with Ashton was just a way to make him jealous and never talk to Harry again. After a minute of hardcore thinking, he heard himself simply saying:

"You look really tired. Have you gotten any sleep last night?"

What am I, a mother? Harry thought lividly, wishing that he could punch himself in the face from how awkward he was. No wonder he didn't have Louis wrapped around his finger yet; the way he carried himself made him seem weird on the inside, as well as unapproachable. How was he suppose to get a date with this man when he wasn't equally as witty and intelligent? Sure, he didn't look bad so that should help, but looks didn't seem to matter to Louis—at least, that's Harry's inference.

"No, I was up all night...grading." Louis replied hesitantly while looking straight ahead, his voice mechanic so that Harry could tell that the man was lying through his teeth.

"Grading..." repeated Harry slowly, pouring the hot pitcher of coffee into his cup until it got to the top. He doubted that the reason Louis looked so tired was from grading papers until the morning, but he didn't want to interrogate the man or make him annoyed. That would only land Harry a spot back on his bad side, which was not something that he wanted. "You know who also likes grading?"

"Hm?"

"Ashton," said Harry with a proud smile.

"Hm."