courage // larry au // COMPLETED

25

It had been two weeks since Louis had told Harry he loved him. They never talked about it. It was like it never happened.

Except it did. And he meant it.

Maybe Harry didn't feel the same. Maybe Louis was just one step ahead. Or one too many steps ahead.

But it didn't seem to have changed anything between them. Harry didn't stop pecking him on the mouth when he said goodbye. He didn't stop playing with his hair when they were sitting and Louis was near. He didn't stop smiling at him when they woke up in the morning as if Louis was the only thing he needed to start his day.

Louis had to just give him the time he wanted and needed. Even though they weren't on the same page, they were still reading the same book and he would get there eventually. At least, that's what Louis told himself when his insecurites got the best of him..

They were sitting in their university's cafetaria since it was still cold outside. The whole group was sitting together, Harry's fingers carding through Louis' head, which was on his shoulder - Louis loved it when he did that!

Get a grip, Louis! Focus on your friends!

It was Olive's birthday, so they were trying to figure out something to do that evening but Liam didn't bother joining the conversation. He was sat on Zayn's lap, feeding him caramel chocolate, garnishing each one with a peck on the lips.

"Maybe we should just go to a fancy restaurant." Niall sighed, after they had rejected every idea that had been brought up.

"Yeah, I mean, that could be really nice too," Olive agreed. "Like, a triple date."

Harry chuckled beside Louis. "Please don't call it that."

Olive smiled, "Me, with my two favorite ships," Niall coughed. "And boyfriend." she added quickly.

From the corner of his eye Louis noticed a distantly familiar figure walking towards them. The girl with platinum blonde hair wrapped an arm around Louis' shoulders, startling him. She wrapped her other around Niall and hugged them tightly. "Hey, you two. Aren't you going to say hi to me?"

Both the boys looked up in confusion and discomfort, both their faces lighting up when they recognized the person. "Lea!" they shouted in unison and got up to give her a proper hug.

"Since when have you been back?" Niall asked excitedly, throwing his arms around her once again.

"Only for a few days. But I had to see my boys again, who apparently can't ever reply to their texts." she said, ruffling their hair.

Louis noticed their friends staring at them, obviously confused by their behavior, and chuckled. "Oh, dear," he said, shaking his head. "Where have my manners gone? Simply being in her presence has a bad influence on me. This is Lea, an old friend of ours. She's been in Holland for - what? - two years?"

Niall nodded, slinging an arm around her neck.

Louis pointed to his friends and introduced them one by one. "These are my friends, Zayn and Liam, my boyfriend, Harry, and Olive, Niall's girlfriend."

"Well, I've certainly missed out on a couple of things," she smirked, playfully bumping her hip into the boys'. "I really have to go now but we need to meet sometime so we can catch up."

She pressed sloppy kisses that ended with loud smacks to both Louis and Niall's cheeks - which earned Niall a jealous look from Olive which faded immediately when he tilted her head up and kissed her gently on the lips - and disappeared ad quickly ad she had arrived.

Louis sat down again - still a little baffled at what just happened - next to Harry, who rested his chin on his shoulder, clearing his throat. "Something wrong?" Louis whispered, suddenly concerned.

"You introduced me as your boyfriend." he whispered back.

Louis' heart stopped for a second. "Did I? Sorry- I di-"

He cut him off, "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Harry smiled at him when Louis turned his head to face him. "Boyfriend." His voice was barely more than a soft sensation of his breath on Louis' neck.

"So you're okay with that?" the smaller boy asked carefully.

Harry brought his fingers to Louis' chin and pulled his face closer to his until their lips almost touched. "More than okay," he breathed and kissed him tenderly, a muffled scream heard from next to them, probably coming from Olive. A welcome warmth shot through Louis' body.

"Boyfriend," Harry whispered into his mouth, his eyes gleaming with excitement when he pulled away.

Louis must have been grinning like an idiot because Niall shoved his elbow between his ribs, smirking at him. "Anything we could be interested in?"

"Nah.." Louis mumbled, keeping his eyes locked on the eyes with his favorite shade of green. "Just kissing my boyfriend. No big deal."

Zayn smiled at them. "So it's official now."

Harry stiffened beside Louis a little, but then relaxed again when he noticed everyone was okay. In fact, Niall and Olive had happy tears in their eyes. "Guess so." he said, giving Louis another kiss, resulting in Olive to almost black out.