Crossing Oceans

Chapter One: Move-in Day

Harry always liked the first day of school. New people, new teachers, new classes, new sights, new everything. He especially likes the new people. Purely from old habit, he finds himself scanning the lobby of his new dorm at UCLA. 'There's no way we'll find our room' , Harry thought to himself. He zoned out a bit as he started thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong from here to the door of Room 277. 'What if our neighbors hate us? What if we lose our suitcases? What if we...' A sharp poke brings him back to reality.

"Get your card mate." Harry's best friend Nick Grimshaw poked Harry again with the room keycard. 'What if I lose this card..." Harry paled.

"You alright there Haz?" Nick glanced at his watch. '4:42 pm.. gotta hurry'.

Harry swallowed. "Yeah I'm fine Grimms... shall we?" Harry walked ahead and called the elevator, desperate to get upstairs to the room. For an outgoing person, he was easily nervous about anything.

Room 277 was bigger than anything Nick could imagine. Two beds, a bathroom, a balcony, a kitchen, and a living area complete with a flat-screen tv made the luxury room indeed... luxurious.

"Guess I picked the right friend back then, yeah?" Nick laughed.

"Shut it Grimmy, first graders have no idea who's rich and who's not!" Harry chuckled along as he put his bag down on the bed nearest the balcony.

'Mother really went above and beyond this time' he thought, looking out at the view.

"VENICE BEACH IS ONLY A 15 MINUTE DRIVE FOR US HAZ" Nick called from the living room.

"I know Nick! That's part of the reason we picked UCLA remember?" Harry called back.

"It's more exciting to say it once we're here though. Wanna go?" Nick wheeled his leather bag into the room. Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Orientation dinner at 6 Nick; we can't miss that." Harry flopped down on the bed in exhaustion. Next to the bed was a tour guide pamphlet with a picture of the stereotypical Cali surfer and his board and his bleached white smile on the cover.

"Ugh surfers.... bane of my existence I tell you. I was so bloody glad there were none in England," Nick frowned and rubbed his chin. He was never one for American stereotypes. They made his blood boil.

"Can't be that bad.... they're fit...." Harry mumbled to himself. Himself being bisexual, he always had a secret fantasy of dating his a dreamboat golden-tanned surfer. Nick grabbed his swimshorts out of his bag.

"Look Harry, I'm gonna lay out these shorts and we'll go tomorrow yeah? It's bloody boring in here." Nick tossed his shorts in a corner.

"I'm gonna take a shower mate, orientation's in an hour." Harry unpacked his toiletries and headed to the bathroom, still fantasizing about his dream surfer. On his way there, he grabbed the pamphlet.

"The bloody wanker...." Nick said to himself and laughed. "Can't stop dreamers from dreaming."

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"Li you're off your game today mate!" Louis called over his shoulder at his roomate. Liam was about 20 feet behind, having just wiped out on 10 foot wave.

"Oi Lou come off it," Liam called back and he steadied himself again. "This is a new board and you know it!"

"Yeah that or you're watching Zayn tan over there!" Louis laughed. He loved teasing Liam and Zayn, but mainly because he wished he had someone to be teased about.

"Well he's gotta go back and facilitate the freshman orientation dinner... might as well sneak a peek while I can...." Liam trailed off and let his eyes wander over to the toned and tan body of his gorgeous model-type boyfriend. Louis smirked and floated over. 'That lovesick fool...' he thought as he scooped up a handul of cold water.

"LIAM," Louis shoutead as he splashed the water right in Liam's face.

"GODDAMMIT LOUIS I SWEAR!" Liam fell back off of his board for the fifth time that hour. "I SAID COME OFF IT!!"

"We need a break. Race you too the shore?" Louis prepared himself to race.

"Way ahead of ya Lou," Liam called as he shot forward surprisingly quickly. As always, Liam was anxious to get back to Zayn. They were soulmates after all. As Liam reached land, he immediately broke off in a sprint towards his boyfriend's towel. Zayn was napping with his headphones in, per usual.

"ZAYN BABY" Liam yelled and he plopped his wet body on top of Zayn to wake him up.

"hmmm...." Zayn purred while stroking Liam's wetsuit. "Oh look it's Liam. Don't you look nice in your tight little suit?" Zayn swatted at Liam's bum for emphasis.

"Like what you see, yeah?" Liam chuckled and wiggled his bum in Zayn's lap.

"Oi save it! There's kids on this beach, did you know that?" Louis complained. He was less concerned about the children seeing them, it was he himself who didn't want to see. Watching Liam and Zayn always made Louis feel like the odd man out.

"You're right," Liam sighed, standing and helping Zayn stand as well, "Plus it's nearly 5, go home and get ready for dinner, Z." Liam lightly brushed the sand off of Zayn's chest and out of his hair.

"Yeah I guess so. I'll drop by later okay? You'll get to see me in my suit at least." Zayn smirked. He loved teasing Liam. Liam was as tough as they come, but the sight of his love in suits made him weak at the knees.

"You mean your birthday suit yeah?" Liam smiled back at Zayn. "Get going love. See you soon." Zayn picked up his towel and ambled away. Just as he reached the exit to the parking lot, he turned and waved.

"I LOVE YOU ZAYN," Liam shouted.

"I LOVE YOU TOO LIAM! I LOVE YOU FOREVER," Zayn yelled at the top of his lungs and jogged to his car. Liam's smile turned from happy to dopey with love as he and Louis watched Zayn drive away. Louis studied the lovedrunk expression on Liam's face and sighed.

'Can't stop dreamers from dreaming,' Louis thought, 'but you can wish that somewhere a dreamer is dreaming of you'.