when we were eighteen - book one ✔️

Prologue **

LOUIS - 18  // MARCH 2010
Song of the Chapter: 18 by One Direction

{ A/N: the asterisk next to the chapter indicates a smutty scene! Little FYI... There will be 2-3 smut scenes in this book }

Louis was moving from Doncaster to Southern California.

He didn't want to leave, but his whole family was leaving and he didn't want to be alone. After Louis's father died last year, Jay wanted a fresh start. His grandad Len had some connections in San Diego and he was able to find a large house at a decent price for everyone to stay in. Jay couldn't wait to leave so she bought it.

If Louis had no ties, he would have no issues with leaving. He had a few friends, but he wouldn't miss them terribly when he would leave. But recently, he had met a boy.

Months back, in the beginning of summer, the Styles family moved in next door. Jay was trying to drag Louis out of his room and depression, so she brought him next door to meet the new neighbors. When the door opened, it was like Louis started breathing again.

The boy was in khaki shorts and a blue plaid shirt. He had a mop of dark, curly hair on his head and bright green eyes. He was...hot and adorable and it made Louis's heart shudder in an unfamiliar way. The boy smiled shyly as he assessed Louis then flickered his eyes to Jay.

"Hello, I'm Jay and this is my son Louis. We live next door, we just wanted to welcome you into the neighborhood," Jay said, a strange, large smile spreading over her face as she looked from the boy to Louis.

"It's nice to meet you... I'm Harry, I'll go grab my mum," he said, blushing a cute pink color over his cheeks. And when Jay met Anne, they left Harry and Louis together to start talking. They immediately clicked and became friends.

They hung out every single day that summer. All Louis could think about was Harry Edward Styles. When he saw him, his heart would bang so painfully in his chest like it was trying to explode and his palms would sweat profusely like he had some disorder. He was falling in love, or maybe he was already in love.

Louis knew for a fact that he was in love with Harry on Louis's eighteenth birthday. It was 11:58 p.m. on December twenty-third when he heard a tapping on his window. Louis got out of bed and pulled back the curtain. Harry was balancing on the ledge, scaring Louis half to death. Louis pulled the window open and let Harry in.

Harry was in his pajamas with his little pink kitten slippers and had a silver present tucked underneath his arm. Harry breathed out, "Hi Lou, this is for you and wanted to be the first one to see you turn eighteen."

Louis glanced at the clock as the time turned from 11:59 p.m. to midnight. With a smile, Louis looked back at Harry and asked, "Well, I'm eighteen. How different do I look?"

"Hm," Harry hummed, trying to bite back a smile. "Very old and mature."

"Knew it," Louis laughed. He made grabby hands at the gift and murmured, "Give me the gift, Styles, I'm too old to be patient now."

Harry handed over the present, biting his lip nervously. The wrapping paper said All Wrapped Up For Christmas with a cute gold bow in the corner. Louis smiled, ripped open the paper, and it was a CD. Written in red marker, Harry's writing said Songs for Lou, Love Harry. Louis smiled and hugged Harry around the neck.

"I know you're moving in March, so this is a playlist for you to listen to when you're missing me. But, don't listen to it before you leave. Happy Birthday," Harry explained.

"Thank you, Harry," Louis whispered to him.

He was feeling the tears in his eyes because he loved him. He was really in love with Harry, he didn't want to leave him. Louis pulled back from the hug, wiping a tear from his eye and deciding he needed to kiss him. He didn't question himself and leaned in to kiss him.