Swimming Through Sick Lullabies - Larry Stylinson

Chapter 15

AN: Probably one of the last boring filler chapters idk.

Before he knew it, it was Friday. Not just any Friday, of course. It was the last day of school before Christmas break, precisely one week before Louis’ birthday, but most importantly, it was the day of Winter Ball.

At first, Louis’ plan to ask Harry to Winter Ball had been to just ask him casually what he’d been planning to wear so their ties would match. It was simple, sneaky and effective. Wednesday evening he suddenly had a spontaneous burst of romance and took off to the closest flower shop to buy a white lily, Harry’s favourite flower, getting there just a few minutes before closing time.

He’d brought it to school on Thursday so he could ask Harry when they met just before school started. To his surprise Harry had been standing there with a purple rose, which wasn’t Louis’ favourite flower because he obviously was too manly to have a favourite flower (later on Harry told him the flower represented love at first sight, which melted his heart. In a manly way, of course.). Laughing because they’d had the same idea, they kissed before hurrying to their locker to put their gifts away and Harry asked him what his thoughts were on matching bow ties.

It meant that Louis felt very at ease and relaxed on Friday, looking forward to Winter Ball so he could spend time with his friends and boyfriend, but not paying too much attention to it. This unfortunately could not be said about Zayn.

The normally calm lad, kept rambling at a speed of a hundred miles an hour, stressing about how he hadn’t asked Liam. His moods changed quickly from depressed because the other lad hadn’t asked him already, changing into happy that the lad hadn’t asked someone else either, then changing into angry, because he didn’t hated that he was too shy to ask just get after him to ask. Afterwards he questioned every sentence the other lad had ever said to him and asked Louis if certain eye expressions meant someone wanted to bone you, or keep you in the friend zone till the end of time.

In the end Louis just told him to go for it and gave him another confidence boost causing Zayn to promise that he would Liam ask that day or he’d change schools with a glint of determination in his eyes, before leaving to class.

**

Louis didn’t get the chance to speak to Zayn during the remainder of the day, his lunch hour filled with making out with Harry in the toilets and a new seating arrangement for the class he shared with Zayn preventing him to sit next to him. So Louis sure was a bit surprised when he was suddenly grabbed by his upper arm, as he was walking through the halls just after school ended, and dragged into the janitor’s closet.

“Holy fuck mate, what are-“

“Hush.” Zayn commanded as he closed the door.

“Why the fuck are we in the janitor’s closet?” Louis whisper-yelled after Zayn had switched the lights on. “I’ve never really been in the closet, but I sure as hell don’t want to start now.”

Zayn rolled his eyes at his lame joke, before watching Louis in an almost bouncy way. Zayn looked… different from his usual self. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes dilated, his mouth curved in a secret smile. He looked. Exciting? As his best friend, Louis had seen him in quite a number of different moods. Calm, most of the time. Sad. Happy. Concerned. Annoyed. Pining, if that was a look. This, trilling excitement, was completely new. The excitement was almost contagious as Louis felt his lips form the same expression.

“He did it Louis!” He whispered, beaming at him with sparkling eyes, when he couldn’t hold the anticipation anymore. “He did it!”

“Zayn, breathe. Breathe and then explain me who did what and why we’re here.”

“Liam! We’re here because I don’t want him to hear me. It could scare him away.” Zayn smiled, and added immediately like he just couldn’t wait any longer. “Liam asked me to prom! Even before I had the chance to ask him. He asked me, boring old Zayn!”

“You’re not old and certainly not boring,” Louis answered, “But that’s amazing, Z! Give me all the dirty details!”

“I don’t know. We were just frisbeeing with P.E. And, like, I’m awful at frisbee. Can’t catch one to save my life. So I was a bit annoyed and mad with myself and then, just, out of nowhere. He comes standing next to me and asks me, like really casually, ‘Hey, any chance you would want to go to winter ball with me?’ and I’m too fazed to utter anything but a choked ‘yes’ and he’s like ‘Okay, cool. I’ll pick you up at eight.’ Afterwards he gives me his wonderful puppy smile that could probably end the war in Ukraine and takes off to make a heroic dive to save the Frisbee from falling to the ground and scores another point.”

“That’s amazing, I’m so happy for you!” Louis cried out, before taking the boy in his arms. He’d never been one to hug his friends all the time, but this was just too excited not to jump up and down with their arms around each other. It felt amazing seeing his friend so happy. It was everything he wanted to achieve by trying to set them up in the first place. Who’d known his plan would be so effective? He couldn’t wait to tell Niall and Harry about it.

At that moment, the door of the closet got pulled open and a stream of light blinded them. The intruder looked at them with one eyebrow pulled up, startled by the sight, mouth falling open as he wanted to comment, before closing again.

“Harry,” Louis brought out, releasing Zayn and taking a step to the side, “What are you doing here?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you that?” He smirked. “I was waiting for you outside, but you didn’t come so I followed your s- I mean I looked everywhere for you. Didn’t expect to find you in a closet, though.”

“Oh, well. I actually have to go home too and we were done here anyway, so yeah. See you later, Louis. Harry.” Zayn said immediately, before Louis could speak up. He left after a small wave, a bounce still present in his walk.

“See you later, Zayn!” Louis called after him.

“So, do you still want to stay in that closet for some time, or can we get going now?” Harry asked playfully.

“Well, I do know some things one could do in a closet?”

“Hush,” Harry took his hand and pulled him out, “We could also do that in a much more comfortable place.”

Louis pouted in disappointment, but a grin soon took over as he imagined different kind of places they could make out. Let’s say that he had an inventive brain. So he let himself be manhandled outside.