Tongue Tied - Harry Styles AU (on hold)

chapter 11

“I can’t wait for you to meet everyone else, they’re so sweet and funny; you’ll love them!” Leah enthusiastically informs Noel as he drives us to Wesley’s little dinner.

“Yeah, I’m excited too.” He responds rather anxiously.

“Just don’t be nervous.” Leah advises Noel, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

“You can’t tell someone to not be nervous and expect them not to be nervous.” I mutter in the backseat of Noel’s car. I might as well say something to indicate that I’m still breathing since I’ve been third-wheeling for the past two days while Noel has been spending quite a generous amount of time with Leah at our place. Besides, I learned lots of things from psych, and I’d like to put it to good use.

“Pull over to the right on the next block.” I remind Noel. He looks like he’s about to have an anxiety attack.

As we walk towards his building and take the elevator, I turn to Noel and attempt to calm him down, “You’re meeting her friends, not her parents.”

The elevator doors open and I can already smell a delicious home cooked meal, and hear it calling my name.

Since the door is usually unlocked to welcome guests, we all enter, and I quickly walk towards Wesley to greet him. Kind of.

“Is she here? Where is she?” I nudge him into giving me an answer. He finally invited the girl he’s been swooning over the past couple of months.

“It’s good to see you too!” he sarcastically responds. “Come help me put out the food in the kitchen, yeah?”

He holds me by the shoulders and shifts me towards the kitchen. As we enter the kitchen, I find Harry adding salad dressing into an exquisite-looking green salad.

“Hello.” I give him a polite smile and help Wesley with the plates.

As all the dishes are placed on the buffet table, I hand the plates to all the familiar faces. Brooke and Andy came together, and it’s quite evident they’ve got something going on between them by the exchange of smiles and sly whispers. Super sexual. Noel is getting a long with the rest of us, probably because we see how excited Leah to finally land a really attractive and well-behaved guy with a beard who’s also into comics like her. I see one unfamiliar face – probably Wesley’s soon-to-be girlfriend.

Harry and I exchange a polite nod as we pass the plates. Just as he’s about to open his mouth and tell me something, Wesley finally walks over holding the hand of a girl with long, and luscious blonde hair.

“This is Kat. Kat, this is Alex.” Wesley introduces.

I hand her a plate as I respond, “It’s great to finally meet you. Wes told me a lot about you!”

She anxiously laughs and looks over to Harry and smiles. Why is she smiling?

“Who’s this?” She looks over to Wesley.

“Oh, this is Harry, a very close friend of mine, aren’t ya?” He looks at Harry and caresses his face, then lightly slaps it.

Harry gives him a poker-face and immediately smiles back at Kat. “Hello.” He reaches out to shake her hand. Seriously? A handshake, Harry? I didn’t realize we’re still living in the 40s.

After finally completing our task, we walk over to the buffet table and pick out our  food.

“Everything looks so great.” Harry mentions as he stares at the salads Wesley made for us. Ever since he took that cooking class, cooking is all he’s been occupying himself with – besides pussy. Kat, I mean.