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When Harry first saw the challenge on TikTok he didn't even think for a second about doing it himself. He blushed when he read the text on the video: "so this is my best friend, we've been friends for 5 years and recently I realized that I like him as more than a friend, so I decided to go for it and kiss him." And then of course, she kisses him. And he kisses back. Harry liked the video and kept scrolling, unable to stop his heart from swelling in his chest.
The second time he saw the challenge on TikTok, he got the same feeling. This time the text read: "since everybody on here is confessing their feelings I decided to do the same." And Harry thinks damn, how can someone be so casual about that?
And he never really put too much thought into the TikTok's. His account was blank, not having any videos posted or in his drafts, and he wasn't really planning on making any either. It's not like he knew how to dance. And yes, he was funny, but the conversational type of funny not the relatable or chaotic type of funny you need to be TikTok famous. Not that he wanted to be TikTok famous.
But his whole life wasn't just TikTok. Maybe that's why he never put too much thought into the videos. At least, not until Niall invited Harry to another Saturday boys' night to watch the footie game and eat junk food and possibly play some fifa as well. Not until Niall opened the door and Harry could see Louis Tomlinson sitting on the couch behind him.
It's not like he could have forgotten the crush he's had since two years ago, when he met Louis Tomlinson in the cafeteria at school. The same Louis that has become his best friend over the last two years. The same Louis that hasn't been speaking to him since he was invited to sit with his friends on the footie team for lunch at school a few days ago.
Louis might have promised it was only for a few days until their game day that Friday, which has now passed. But Harry didn't really care if it was selfish to be upset, he missed Louis and the boy didn't even send Harry a text those few days. Neither did Harry but he didn't want to be pushy. Or clingy. Or annoying.
So Harry walks in and takes his shoes off, and he thinks Niall says something about going to grab chips and drinks from the kitchen, but he's paying too much attention to his every move to listen close enough. Harry goes over and sits beside Louis, leaving a space on the other side of him for Niall.
"Hey Haz, everything going okay? We haven't hung out in a little while 'ave we?" Louis nudges his arm to direct Harry's attention to him.
"I guess we've both just been a little busy," Harry stops himself from looking at Louis, instead looking at his lap and playing with the rips in his jeans. Louis notices.
"Y'alright, love?" He says in a softer voice.
"Yeah um, just tired is all." And it's not a complete lie. Not really.
"Come have a cuddle then," Louis moves one of his legs around Harry to lay back against the arm of the couch, facing Harry. He opens his arms, "What are you waiting for?"
And, wow. That's not what Harry was expecting. He's not really sure what he was expecting actually. Maybe a closed off Louis that likes the boys from his footie team more than Harry all of a sudden. Or maybe he was expecting Louis to get mad about his attitude being a little off today. He just didn't expect things to go completely back to normal.
Harry doesn't say anything but he pulls his feet up on the couch and pushes himself up to lie down on Louis' chest, curling his legs up to still leave room for Niall at the end of the couch. Louis' warm and welcoming and it's probably the best cuddle he's had in a while. And see, Harry's a cuddly person, so that says a lot.
Harry almost instantly closes his eyes and relaxes in the embrace, forgetting all about the Louis-less lunches at school. A few seconds later Louis is tracing his fingers lightly up and down Harry's arm. Harry would have goosebumps if his touch was anything but a fire ignited at his fingertips.
The next thing they know there's a knock at the door and Niall is rushing in to set the armful of chips, plastic solo cups and the two litre bottle of 7-up down and then to answer the door. Harry's eyes open but he still doesn't move when hears Liam and Zayn's voices coming closer and before he knows it the living-room is full of his best friends getting comfortable in their seats.
Liam has chosen the armchair, Niall in the spot Harry and Louis left open on the couch, and zayn is sat on a throw pillow on the floor in front of Niall. Harry knows in an hour Zayn will be complaining his ass hurts and he'll have to switch seats with someone, but that's how it always goes. Same mistakes, and all that.
Harry didn't even notice through the commotion that Louis' hand motions had stopped. But when he does, he instantly feels a little colder. Louis doesn't notice.
"Has the party already started without us?" Liam says amusedly, gesturing to what could be the table of junk or Louis and Harry. Either way.
"We didn't even open anything yet. Plus the game starts in like ten minutes." Niall says, right before reaching for the soda and filling a cup for himself. "Anyone else..?" He gestures to the other cups.
"I'll have a cup," Liam accepts when nobody else speaks up.
"I'll probably have one later but I just had dinner before coming so I'm good right now, thanks though." Zayn smiles politely.
"I don't think Harry's feeling very well so I think we're good for now as well," Louis says for the both of them. Harry doesn't argue.
The boys continue chatting up until the game starts, Harry not joining in but sometimes laughing along with them. Louis joins in the conversation a few times but Harry senses that Louis doesn't want to disrupt Harry's peacefulness, so he isn't as loud as he usually is. Harry's not sure if he likes it or not. He doesn't want to dim Louis' fire, but he's not sure he could handle him shouting so close to his ear today.
When the game does start, all the boys are so focused on the tv that it quiets down in the room. The beginning of the game is fairly uneventful, so Harry closes his eyes to try and possibly sleep for a while. He's not sure why he feels so tired but he does. Possibly because he wasn't getting enough sleep the past few nights, staying up too late worrying that Louis wasn't going to come back to their little friend group. That maybe he suddenly had more in common with his footie teammates.
His peaceful mindset is broken when their team scores a goal and the boys go crazy. Niall spills a few drops of his drink on Zayn's shoulder as he stands up off the couch to cheer in victory. Liam and Zayn cheer but they stay seated, and Harry could tell that Louis was holding back, since he only sat up straighter before realized he had shaken the boy on his chest and he laid back again.
But Harry didn't want him to hold back, he wanted Louis to enjoy the game without worrying about him. He was just being a big baby anyway. So while the boys started talking about the goal, Harry started to pull away to sit up. Before the other boy's noticed he was even moving, Louis' arm snaked around his waist to pull him back against himself roughly.
"Where you going?" Louis whispers. In. His. Ear.
"Um- I, uh." Harry prays that Louis doesn't feel how hot that just made him. "Was going to sit up so you can cheer with the boys."
"No babe, I cheer with them every game I just wanna cuddle with you today." And Louis just called him babe. Harry looks up at Louis to test his sincerity. He regrets it immediately when he sees that Louis' face is so close to his own, and of course Louis was being sincere.
"Relax, I can feel how tense you are." Harry stares at his lips as he says this and then turns away, embarrassed.
So Harry tries, he really does. But he's pressed to Louis' chest and Louis just manhandled him as if that's not everything Harry's ever wanted. Louis must feel that Harry is not relaxing, because he lays back again so his chest isn't pressed to Harry's back and he takes his hand back from around Harry's waist and instead uses it to rub Harry's back through his shirt.
Harry wills himself to stop thinking about what just happened and he closes his eyes again. But it doesn't work and he's flustering himself thinking about kissing Louis, and that's a bad idea because then he pictures them kissing like he saw in a TikTok he watched a couple days ago. And then he thinks about what the video was about, and damnit.
If there was any chance in hell that Louis likes him back, then they would definitely be TikTok famous. A one hit wonder. Harry knows that he's attractive, and he definitely knows Louis' attractive, add them kissing on camera and it's a recipe to go viral. And honestly even if they didn't go viral, at least they'd have the video to look back on to see their first kiss and them admitting they like each other.
But that only works if Louis likes him back. If he doesn't, it could ruin two years of friendship, and Harry would have a video of him getting rejected on his phone. But shit, was it tempting to try. And he doesn't even try to argue with Niall anymore when he tells Harry that they already act like they're boyfriends just without the kissing and further sexual stuff. And if Niall sees it then maybe, possibly Louis could like him back.
And the idea doesn't leave his head. Not for a whole month. It also just spurs Harry's brain to think about kissing Louis twice as often as before, which means he gets flustered around Louis a lot easier than normal. He's not sure if Louis has noticed, but it seems like he has since he's been teasing Harry more and more every-time they speak. And Harry might possibly have a very slight humiliation kink because it seems to get him very hot, very fast.
Or maybe he doesn't and anything Louis says gets him hot. But he may never know if he doesn't get his shit together and kiss him. Because he's decided he has to. For TikTok purposes. Also because he can't live the rest of his life like he has the past month.
So it's lunchtime on a Friday at school when he commences his plan. The five boy's are sitting together outside that they usually sit at during the warmer months of the year. Harry purposefully sat beside Louis today, even though that's not suspicious because they sit together almost everyday.
"Lou?" Harry says quietly, so the other boy's don't hear.
"Yeah, love?" Louis looks at him concerned. It's not often Harry singles him out for a conversation when the other boys are around.
"Um, I just wanted to hang out tonight. Just you and me, I mean. Maybe you could stay the night and we can just go to boys night tomorrow together?" He asks nervously. He doesn't think Louis will say no, he's kind of more scared he'll say yes.
"Yeah, okay. D'you not want them to know?" He nods his heads towards the other boy's. Harry just shrugs.
Louis joins back in on the conversation, Harry sometimes making comments, but neither of them mention their plans to hang out. Harry is somewhat relieved, glad he doesn't have to deal with the teasing of the other boys until at least tomorrow. He's sure they'll find out they were alone together when they show up to boys night together.
Unless kissing Louis makes him run off. Or something. Harry doesn't even want to think about all the bad outcomes. So he doesn't, instead focusing on the conversation the boys are now having about chip flavours for tomorrow night.
After school the same day, Louis meets Harry at the front doors and they start walking to Harry's house together.
"You told your mom I was coming, right?" Louis asks.
"Yeah I texted her after I asked you." Harry confirms.
"So is there any reason you wanted to hang out tonight? You seem kind of nervous." Louis nudges his arm. "Need to tell me anything special?"
"No, no. Um, no- I." Harry clears his throat, "I dunno. My mom and Robin are going out for a date night and they're usually not back till late. Didn't want to be alone."
"Ohh I see, you just wanted to get me alone," he says teasingly. "Harry Styles you dirty bird."
Harry blushes fiercely. "No! It's not like that." Even though, it sort of is like that.
"You sure Haz? 'Cause it seems I've got you all flustered thinking of what we could do alone together." Louis turns to him to give him a wink. Why is that so fucking hot?
Harry knows he's red all over. And maybe Louis saying that wasn't a good idea because now he's thinking about sex with Louis, and shit. They're really going to be alone in a house for hours, and-
"C'mon Harry I'm just teasing love," Louis nudges his arm again.
Harry thanks god that's when they reach his house, stopping him from saying something stupid. He opens the unlocked door and they enter the house quietly before taking their shoes and bookbags off in the entryway. Harry goes to the kitchen where his mom usually is after he gets off school.
"Hi mum," Harry greets her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello love, hi Louis." She gives Louis a small side hug and moves out of the kitchen. "Me and Robin are getting ready to go now but we'll let you know when we're leaving, alright?"
"Okay, thanks mum." Harry smiles at her before opening the fridge and reaching for two bottles of water. When he stands up from the fridge she's gone. "My room?"
Louis just nods, so Harry leads the way upstairs to his bedroom. If he wasn't nervous before, then he definitely is now.
"We just gonna play something on the Xbox?" Louis asks, taking his hoodie off and throwing it on Harry's floor.
"Yeah, you can pick I'm bad at them all so it doesn't really matter to me," Harry sits on the edge of his bed where they usually sit to play games, since it's closest to the tv.
"Cod it is then," Louis smiles mischievously. Harry watches him as he changes the game in the Xbox out for call of duty. He joins Harry on the edge of the bed while the game starts up, catching Harry staring. More specifically, staring at his arms.
"Like what you see?" Louis lifts the arm closest to Harry and flexes it, Harry looks away immediately.
"Sorry." He mumbles, staring down at his hands and trying to cover them with his sweater sleeves.
"You don't have to be embarrassed love, nothing wrong with being attracted to some muscles." Louis nudges Harry to try to get him to look up at him. When he does Louis continues, "You can stare all you want."
Harry groans and buries his face in his hands, "You're making fun of me again."
"No, no, I'm not I swear. You're just boosting my ego, that's all." Louis laughs, "I don't mind that at all."
Harry takes his hands away from his face to punch Louis' shoulder but before he can cover his face back up Louis is grabbing his wrists and looking at him with a soft look.
"Seriously Harry, it's fine. I'm just teasing." He says sincerely.
He lets go of Harry's wrists and turns back to the tv as the game starts, Harry allows him to get them to the actual game since he doesn't really know how it works other than that. He doesn't play it much. None of them really do but Harry is the absolute worst at it, so he plays it the least.
They play the game for about half an hour before Harry gets bored. He just keeps dying, and Louis is trying to cheer him on but it mostly just makes him feel worse that he's not enjoying it when Louis is.
"You can play without me, or you can play forza and I'll just watch." Harry puts his controller on top of the Xbox and climbs up to the top of his bed to get comfy.
"You sure?" Louis asks, looking back at him to read his face.
"Yeah 'm sure." Harry smiles at him.
Louis changes the game to forza and starts doing his races or whatever he does on the game. Harry pays more attention to Louis and his back, and his arms, and his-
"Harry, Louis, we're heading out now." Anne says with her head peaking through the door.
"Okay thanks mum, have fun." Harry smiles brightly at her, blowing her a final kiss before she closes the door behind her as she leaves.
A few minutes later Harry hears the front door open and close and he knows that's his queue to get up and start the TikTok. He makes sure his volume on his phone is down before he opens the app and he immediately pushes the create button. He goes to sounds and chooses the one in his favourites he had picked out the other day for this specific TikTok.
He slowly stands up, sure that Louis is completely focused on the game and not paying attention to him, and he goes over to set the phone on his desk against the wall. He puts on the 3 second timer and takes a few breaths before starting the video and turning around to face Louis' side. He slowly walks around to face Louis so he's standing in front of the tv.
"What are you doing?" Louis gives him a funny look. Harry doesn't answer and instead, he leans down to place a lingering, closed mouth kiss on his lips.
Louis reacts as soon as Harry pulls away, grabbing his waist and pulling him down on his lap, and then they're kissing hard. Harry squeaks the smallest noise in surprise, before he's melting in Louis' arms. Their lips move together in an open-mouthed but not a dirty kiss. He holds Louis' face in his hands while Louis is still holding his waist, as if he's going to try and leave again.
Louis tries to deepen the kiss further by licking across Harry's bottom lip in question, but Harry pulls back instead of granting access.
"I'm recording," he mumbles, before realizing how bad that might sound, "It's for TikTok, like a kiss your crush challenge. Thing." Harry looks down.
"Hey, it's alright. I was hoping you liked me back, but I guess now I don’t have to ask." Louis laughs lightly, using one hand to push the younger boys' hair away from his face.
Harry blushes and quickly stands up to grab his phone, finding the recording already stopped, and turns back around to face Louis.
"Bring it over," Louis holds his hand out for the phone. Harry hesitantly hands it over and sits beside Louis. Louis only turns up the volume to watch the short video through. "You should post it." He grins over at Harry.
"I'm gonna." Harry takes his phone back gently. He quickly captions the video and adds a couple tags before he posts it as his first TikTok on his account. "Done."
They smile at each other like idiots before Louis finally grabs Harry's face and kisses him again, this time a shorter, sweeter kiss.
"Harry, will you please be my boyfriend?" Louis asks softly, the quietest Harry’s ever heard coming from his loud best friend (boyfriend, he corrects his thoughts).
"Only if you kiss me again." Harry bargains without hesitation.
"Deal."