He Noticed || Larry au

2.9

summer before freshman year of college

"Lou." Harry says warily, looking away from his computer and to where Louis was making them dinner in the kitchen. They had a few more boxes to unpack, just easy things like decor and blankets.

"Yeah baby?" Louis answers. Harry bites his lip, going over and sitting at the island.

"Liam and Zayn rsvp'd to our house warming party." Harry says, watching Louis' eyes snap up.

"You invited them?" He asks, a bit of anxiety disappears from Harry's chest. Louis didn't seem mad.

"Kinda? I had the invitation open for all my facebook friends and I forgot I was friends with them." Harry says. Louis shrugs.

"Well babe it's up to you. Un-invite them if you want or don't. I don't mind, as long as you're comfortable." Louis says, reaching out a hand for harry. He pulls him around the island and into the kitchen, kissing his cheek.

"Now, crack open the wine your sister snuck us."

+

"I should've uninvited them." Harry says, eyebrows drawn together as he sat on the couch. His knee was bouncing from all his anxiety, he just kept getting flashbacks of high school and all the passive aggressive ways the two men put him down. It was the day of their party and these two people were making it hard for Harry to be excited.

"Harry baby stop. You're not in high school anymore, you're a grown man, you're confident, handsome, and strong. If they bother you we'll kick them out. Simple." Louis says, rubbing Harry's back. Harry sighs, letting Louis kiss him.

"I love you." Harry tells him. Louis smiles, brushing a stray curl off of Harry's forehead.

"I love you too. Now cheer up baby there's so many people coming that love you." Louis says and kisses his forehead. Harry smiles, standing with Louis and beginning to help him put out snacks.

The doorbell goes off and Louis answers, letting in Harry's family and his own along with the couple next door they made quick friends with. Harry greets them all, stealing one of the two babies Louis' mom had in her arms.

"And which one of my siblings is this?" Louis coos, Louis checks the shirt, seeing "Daddy's boy" written on it.

"Ernie." He coos, the baby beginning to cry. Harry frowns.

"Oh god he's crying take him." Harry says and pawns the child off to Louis. Louis shakes his head fondly.

Harry answers the door a few more times, each time his blood pressure rises and falls when it's another friendly face. The fourth time he goes to answer the door, his smile slips off his face, he quickly recovers and offers the two men in front of him a closed mouth smile.

"Hey." He says, swallowing hard. Zayn awkwardly looks down at the case of what seems like beer in his hands, Liam gives him a smile in return.

"Hey Harry." Liam answers, awkwardly stepping forward and wrapping him in a hug. Harry tenses but pats Liam's back, opening the door wider for the pair.

"Snacks are out, feel free to help yourselves." Harry says as they walk in, Zayn stops, holding out the case of beer.

"Don't ask how we got it." Zayn says, his mouth turning up in a small smile. Harry returns it, grabbing the case from his hands and saying thank you. He goes to the kitchen where Louis was rocking his sleeping baby brother.

"They're here!" He whisper yells, dropping the case as quietly as possible into the counter.

"And they brought illegal beer. They're not old enough to buy it." Harry says and looks down at the bud lights with a frown. Louis chuckles.

"They wouldn't ID Liam babe look at him." Louis mumbles. Harry doesn't look, still frowning. Louis sighs.

"Harry love cheer up. If they're here I'm sure they want to make amends, now go on and be the lovely man I know you are while I get Ernie back to my mom." Louis tells him, pressing a kiss onto his cheek. Harry sighs, taking a few steps over and talking to their next door neighbors. He makes eye contact with Liam who waves and begins to walk over.

"Did I just see Louis with a baby?" Liam asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"That's his little brother." Harry tells him. Liam's eyes widen.

"Another one?" He asks. Harry laughs a little.

"Two actually, he has a baby sister as well." Harry says, Liam shakes his head in disbelief. Just then Harry feels an arm on his waist and the familiar smell that was specific to one person, his favorite person.

"Hello love, Liam how are you?" Louis asks kindly, holding a hand out for Liam to shake. Harry looks at Louis' profile, he's taller than him now, has been for a few months but he doesn't mind, if anything him and Louis fit together even better than before.

"I'm good you?" Liam asks, Harry gently rubs Louis' back, hand latching onto the mans shoulder as he continues to speak with Liam.

It was strange, acting as if nothing had happened.

Harry is ripped from his thoughts when Zayn comes up next to Liam, shaking a pack of cigarettes. Liam nods, Zayn looking to Louis.

"Wanna come?" He asks. Louis gives him a brief smile.

"Ah I'm good. I haven't smoked since like junior year." Louis says. Zayn nods, Liam grabbing his arm before he could make his way to the balcony.

"Maybe you guys could join us anyways? So we can talk?" Liam asks, eyes finding Harry's. Harry looks to Louis, feeling the man comfortingly rubbing his side.

"Sure." Louis says, letting Liam and Zayn walk ahead. He softly kisses Harry's temple, easing Harry's anxiety instantly. They all quietly make their way outside, Harry releasing Louis from his grip when he feels the scorching June sun beat down on him. He leans against the railing next to Louis, quietly observing.

"Zayn and I, owe you guys an apology. Especially Harry. We were dicks, absolute dicks that were jealous and scared while you were out and proud." Liam says, his hand going to Zayn's shoulder. Harry's brows furrow.

"Niall and I were together for a while and he dumped me because I didn't want to go public, then..." Liam trails off looking to Zayn. Zayn looks up from the ground for the first time, his face pale.

"I came out to Liam, after graduation." Zayn says. The wheels turned in Harry's head.

"My therapist says I projected my internalized homophobia onto you. And that was wrong, we were both really shitty people and for that we apologize." Zayn says. Harry doesn't speak, he doesn't know what to say. He feels Louis' hand on his back, soothingly rubbing it.

"Okay." He says, looking up for the first time. Zayn was somewhat behind Liam, a hand on Liam's waist, grasping the material of his shirt.

"You guys are together." Harry states, eyes staring ahead, through the glass door and into their living room filled with people. Liam and Zayn look to one another.

"Kinda yeah." Liam answers. Harry looks to his feet.

"Okay." He repeats, pushing off the railing and going back inside. Zayn and Liam worriedly look between one another and then to Louis. Louis gives them a sympathetic smile.

"Just give him time."

a/n: hope y'all enjoyed this slightly longer chapter! make sure to follow my instagram: eminemuke

all the love, m.