SPACES [Editing]

To Know What's Real

Songs of the chapter:
- If this is Love by Ruth B
- Hypnotized by Astronomyy
- Habits of my heart by Jaymes Young
- Start A Riot by BANNERS
- Wolves by One Direction

Louis Tomlinson

"Boyfriend. I'm his boyfriend." I looked up and told the guy. I didn't even realize that he was that tall until I was already that close.

When I looked at Harry, he was just staring at me, his mouth agape.

"Still into brown hair and blue eyes, then? Does James know about this?" The guy raised his eyebrow at Harry.

"He doesn't need to know anything," I answered for him.

"Ah, he's feisty. I like it." He put his hand on Harry's shoulder, giving it a tight firm squeeze.

"Get your hand off him while I'm still being nice." I warned him.

"Alright, bro, find your chill." He held both hands up, slowly backing away from us. I can tell that he's being careful and that he doesn't want to pick a fight, but that look of embarrassment on his face was priceless.

"Everyone's looking for you. Let's go?" I put my arm around his waist instinctively, pulling him away from what's-his-face. I don't even mind not knowing his real name.

"Yeah. Okay. Bye, Nick." He told the guy, polite as he always was. I turned him around, leading him through the sea of people. I didn't even look back.

"Do you always have to be that nice? He was obviously hitting on you." I spoke loud enough for Harry to hear my voice over the music.

"I know."

"Well? Did you like him? Because I can let you go now if you--"

"I don't. I'm okay." He said. My hand stayed there, at the small of his back, even though I knew that we were out of Nick's sight.

Halfway through the surprisingly long walk to the table, which was buffered by the loud silence between us, Harry spoke up again.

"Do you suddenly... remember?" He turned around to face me with a slight hint of hope in his eyes. It was just three words but it felt like he spoke too much.

But I was left confused.

"Remember what?"

"I... We um... That everyone didn't like Nick?" He replied, somehow averting my gaze.

"I don't. But they told me about it and I just did what I had to do." I answered, and before I knew it, we were already back in the table with the others. We sat beside them and no one seemed to notice our presence. They didn't seem to know what just happened, which is a good thing because I wouldn't know how to explain it to them.

"So has any one of you proposed yet?" Niall asked Liam and Zayn.

"That's our problem. We've already gotten past his commitment issues but we don't know the answer to this question: Which one of us proposes when we're both comfortable on our knees?" Liam replied and everyone laughed at his joke.

"Harry's here. He should know." Niall gestured to Harry.

And for some odd reason, it felt like there was nothing else but awkward air around us. Everyone looked at Harry like they all knew that Niall wasn't supposed to ask that question.