Three weeks later, Louis and Niall piled into Louis’ car after soccer practice. They were sweaty and smelly and dirty. They had won their sectionals easily that past weekend. The regional tournament was next.
True to his promise, Louis didn't try to talk to, greet, or acknowledge Harry in any way. He made sure not even to breathe in his direction, lest the air from their lungs intermingled.
As for Harry, he continued to act as if Louis wasn't there. There were no exchanged looks. There was no response to Louis’ jokes in class. Louis didn't try to comment on anything Harry said, and Harry didn't act as if he cared. They passed in the hallways like strangers, oblivious of each other.
Only once, on the day they turned in their scaling assignment, did Louis detect anything from Harry. As Louis went up to hand in his drawings and was walking back to his desk, he saw Harry following him with his eyes, then quickly look down. Louis couldn't be sure, but Harry might have had a tiny smile. After that time, there was only détente from Harry, the human embodiment of The Iceman Cometh.
Louis started the car and backed out of the parking space in the school parking lot. Niall took his shoes off and raised his feet to the dashboard.
“Hey, Lou,” Niall said.
Louis elbowed Niall’s thighs, hard. “Fucking stinks, Horan, do you mind?”
Niall lowered his windows. “Roll your windows down, man. My dogs are barking.”
Louis looked at Niall. “Your dogs? What are you, a hundred? Weirdo.”
Niall ignored him. “What do you think, Lou? About the tournament this year?”
Louis made the turn out of the school drive. He gave Niall a disgusted look. By now, Louis knew Niall wouldn't listen to him anyway.
“I'm feeling good,” Louis said. “Barring any injuries between now and then, and if Selley and Atkinson keep up their attack game, I think we have a chance.”
“All seniors,” Niall said.
“I'm gonna miss them,” Louis said. “Damn. What a great crew, Ni. Hard workers, all of them. Been together for so many years, played so many good games. I'm misty just thinking about it.”
“I think you pushed them to just about their limit,” Niall laughed.
“A good team suffers and learns together,” Louis said. “We do have some good guys coming up, though. Turner, Chan, Bardem.”
“Juniors and sophomores,” Niall said. “Chan’s captain material, don't you think?”
“He’d be my top pick, probably,” Louis said. “Chan or Bardem. They’re both smart. Good athletes. Calm under pressure. Chan has more respect from the team, but Bardem gets things done.”
“Just like you,” Niall snorted. “Not!”
“Hey! I’m smart!” Louis protested. “I'm a good athlete!”
“Exactly, mon capitaine,” Niall laughed. “It's the calm part that's a bit lacking.”
“Fuck off, man. I'm calm when it counts.”
YOU ARE READING
Galileo - l.s
Fanfiction"Dangerous? Not haute?" Harry mused. "Why not haute?" "'Course you're haute, babe," Louis smiled. He reached out to fix a stray curl that had dropped down onto Harry's forehead. Harry stared at him with a dimpled smile, and Louis reared his head bac...
