Summary:
Harry's just finished his first year of uni on his way to becoming Dr. Harry Styles, Neurosurgeon. He's young, he has endless potential, three amazing best mates, a new love and the world at his fingertips. The fact that his new boyfriend may or may not be a sex-worker, of course, throws a wrench into the works. But it's not true. Really.
Probably.
It most definitely might not be entirely true. And that's all Harry needs to know.
*
Harry is barely out of his last exam when something blond and shouting plows into his side and tackles him to the ground. It's not the first time it's happened, so his bag is thankfully zipped and his things don't spill out everywhere, but it still knocks the wind out of him and he lies on his back in the grass, gasping fish-like for air.
"Harry!" Niall says, unnecessarily loud. He's straddling Harry's legs and grinning down at him hugely. Harry blinks at him.
"Hi Niall."
"Sorry Haz." Harry turns his head to see Liam and Zayn walking toward them, hands linked casually between them. Niall gets off him and helps him up, and Harry stands up and dusts grass off his clothes. Liam's smiling ruefully. "He took off before we could stop him."
"To be fair, you should've seen it coming," Zayn offers with a smirk. Harry offers him two fingers right back but he's grinning and he slings a companionable arm across Niall's shoulders.
"We're done!" Niall yells, wrapping Harry up in a tight hug. "First year of uni done, lads! Let's celebrate!"
"I've been in a library for three days. All I'm doing is sleeping."
"Sleep when you're dead," Niall says.
"That might be soon," says Harry.
Niall looks at him blankly.
Harry tilts his head at him. "If I don't get some sleep."
Niall sticks his tongue out at him and Harry catches it between his index finger and thumb and pinches until Niall makes a choking noise and bats him away. Liam is too polite to point and laugh, but Zayn isn't, and he does just that as Niall pets at his tongue like that'll make it stop hurting and glares balefully at Harry.
"We should celebrate," Liam says, trying and failing to hide a smile. "Go out tonight or something? You can have a nap, first."
"I'm in," Harry agrees. "S'long as I get to sleep first. Where should we go?"
"Li and I've been wanting to check out this place called Ruby's Welcome. 'S a club."
"Never heard of it."
"I have," Niall says. "Supposed to be good. Hear the drinks are rubbish, though. Dancing's supposed to be fun. And the girls."
"That's why Liam and I wanna go," Zayn adds, rolling his eyes. "The girls."
"It's true." Liam nods seriously and squeezes Zayn's hand, lifts it to his mouth and kisses it like Zayn's a princess. Harry makes gagging noises and Niall laughs and Zayn makes like he's going to pull away with a disgusted sound in his throat but he's got a small, soft smile on his face and he's blushing. Liam and Zayn have been together for years. They're absolutely foul with how sweet they are together. Harry can't imagine either of them with anyone but each other, let alone girls.
"All right, you two are sickening. I'm going home. Niall?"
"Yup?"
Harry waves an imperious hand toward the car park. They'd splurged on paying to park for their last day of term. "Take me home."
