"So you don't think my arse is out of this world?" Louis interrupts, hands on his hips, and of course Harry's managed to offend him. Of course this is his life.
University AU in which Harry pines and Niall meddles.
Harry has always fancied himself a romantic. He's always enjoyed films where the couple gets together in the end, against all odds, and he believes that there's that one right person for everyone if you just bide your time. Which is what Harry is doing presently, biding his time and waiting until fate sees fit to intervene.
"That's a load of crap, Harry." Zayn says quietly, eyes on his paper, taking notes and shitting all over Harry's beliefs simultaneously. Don't let it be said that Zayn can't multitask. "You're just too scared to talk to him."
Harry makes a low noise of protest—he is not scared. Just because he hasn't actually talked to Louis yet, just because he's stuck to admiring from not-so-afar, just because he's waiting for the right moment...
"If it's meant to be—"
Zayn cuts him off with an unimpressed look that just says really? Harry's resolve crumples—it's no use when Zayn knows him so well—and he slouches down in his seat, frowning.
"What if he thinks I'm weird or boring or that my hair is too curly? What if he's straight?" he adds, aghast. That thought probably should have occured to him earlier.
Zayn sighs but puts down his pen and gives Harry his full attention. "Harry, you are weird but that's okay 'cause everyone's a bit weird, and you are far from boring. Your hair could do with a bit of a cut, but he's a twat anyway if that makes a difference to him." He goes back to his notes, then adds, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and he's definitely into blokes."
Harry clutches at Zayn's arm, because the last bit is a very important piece of information, and Zayn had said it with the nonchalance of someone commenting on the weather.
"How do you know that?"
"My mate Danny's hooked up with him a couple of times." Zayn says, again lacking the proper inflection that such a weighty statement requires. But that's okay; Harry can emote enough for the both of them.
"Zayn! Zayn, do you realise what this means?"
"Um, that you're gay and Louis is into dick, so you should relocate your balls and go talk to him?" Harry can tell that Zayn's interest in the conversation is waning, and their professor is sending them increasingly reproachful glances, so Harry will have to wrap this up.
"I have a plan," he whispers in Zayn's ear. "I'll tell you about it later." He kisses Zayn on the cheek as he retreats and actually takes notes for the second half of class.
"So your plan is to continue doing nothing?"
"No, Leeyum, if you had actually listened to what I said..."
Harry consults the list he made on his phone earlier, just to make sure he hit every point.
button fewer buttons
wear tighter jeans (jeggings? (check with gem))
flirty eye contact
wear shirts that show off tats (louis has lots!!!)
Check, check, and check. Liam's ignorance has no excuse.
"You already know my vote," Niall says, eyes not straying from the tv. He always gets weirdly invested in those really mad reality shows. Like the one about people eating couch cushions.
