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The first time Louis called Harry his boyfriend was at a club.
Harry was kind of tipsy at that point, and he was just hanging on to Louis’ shoulders and stroking his fluffy hair and admiring his blue eyes. Louis, ever the cool one, was casually sipping his drink, pretending there wasn't a very cuddly boy hanging off him.
Then, this man approached Louis from out of the blue. He had quiffed back brown hair and puppy dog eyes and a muscular body. Pretty attractive, if Harry was being honest.
“Hey, I'm Liam,” the man introduced to only Louis, ignoring the boy attached to Louis’ side. “Let’s dance? Or I can buy you a drink.”
If Harry was somewhat sober, he would've quietly excused himself to the bathroom so he wouldn't be a cockblock. But Harry wasn't sober, so he stayed.
Louis shuffled a bit, and Harry tightened his grip on the boy’s small shoulders.
“Well, actually,” Louis smiled politely, “I already have a boyfriend. Harry.”
Harry's head snapped up at his name and he looked at Louis with wide eyes. Boyfriend? Since when? How come Harry didn't get the memo?
Louis just flashed a big smile at Harry's confused face and his eyes were very trusting, so Harry nodded at Liam and said, as soberly as he could, “yeah, boyfriend. That's me.”
“Oh,” Liam stared at them and laughed, “I had a feeling you two were together, but it was worth a shot. See you guys around?”
It turned out Liam was actually a pretty cool guy, and the three of them went to the same uni, so they eventually became good friends. Harry decided to let the whole boyfriend thing slide, and he also didn't dwindle that much on Liam's words, “I had a feeling you two were together.”
Nope, he didn't think about it at all.
The second time Louis referred to Harry as his boyfriend was at their university.
They were taking a walk across the campus like they always did during their free period together and Louis was telling Harry this hilarious story. Harry was laughing so hard he was crying and couldn't see. Louis did that to you.
So, when this person walked up to them, Harry heard his accent first before he actually saw the guy’s face.
“Ay, Louis, mate,” the Irish accent said. “It's me Niall. From calculus. Remember me?”
Harry wiped tears out of his eyes and finally glanced up at the voice. The boy had almost bleached blond hair and blue eyes and pencil legs. He was quite good-looking and Harry cursed Louis for getting all the good guys.
“Yeah, I remember you,” Louis replied easily.
Niall’s face lit up. “Okay, great! So, you see, there's this huge party going on tonight and I was wondering if you'd like to be my date? You're single, aren't you?”
Harry should probably leave. He didn't want to be a third wheel and there was a twisting in his stomach that he didn't like. It definitely wasn't jealousy, though. Absolutely not. Harry was about to smoothly slip away when he felt a small hand on his waist.
“Actually, Niall, Harry here is my boyfriend,” Louis gestured at his curly-haired friend. “Sorry I can't be your date. You seem like a good lad.”
Niall and Harry both blinked at Louis in surprise.
“Really?” Niall examined Harry for a second and grinned. “Nice to meet you, Harry. Sorry, I didn't mean to steal your man or anything. I genuinely had no idea.”
“Th-that's okay,” Harry stuttered, looking from Niall to Louis. “Um…”
Niall’s phone beeped and he whipped it out. “Time for class. See you both later!” The Irish man leaped away like he hadn't just been turned down.
“Why do you keep calling me your boyfriend?” Harry asked Louis immediately after Niall left. “I feel like I missed the episode where they get together.”
Louis shrugged, bowing his head down and letting his fringe fall over his eyes. “I don't know.”
Harry bit his lip before it suddenly dawned on him. “Oh! You just don’t want to date anyone, right? You're not interested in them but if you tell them you have a boyfriend, they'll leave you alone?”
Louis fluttered his eyelashes at Harry, coughing before saying, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's exactly why.”
Harry clapped his hands like he just solved the murder, before furrowing his eyebrows. “Wait, but Liam and Niall are good guys, why wouldn't you want to go out with them?”
“They're not…” Louis paused and shook his head, “nevermind, forget it.”
So, Harry didn't question it. He understood why Louis called him his boyfriend now, and he was totally fine with it. The next time Louis needed him to be his pretend boyfriend, Harry would be happy to play the role. Louis was his friend, after all.
That night, they ended up going to the party Niall had mentioned because it really was a big party. Almost everyone on campus was going. It was at this senior, Zayn’s, house and by the time Louis and Harry got there, it was already packed.
Liam opened the door after they rang the doorbell, like, twenty times. “Louis, Harry! Hi, come in,” Liam ushered the two of them in the house. “I have no idea where Zayn is right now, but this party is sick!”
It did look pretty sick. Harry could barely hear the loud music over the people talking and yelling and there was food littered everywhere. Someone had stacked up red cups full of beer into an impressive tower and Zayn was going to have a hell of a mess to clean up tomorrow.
“C'mon, Lou, let's get a drink!” Harry tugged on his friend’s sleeve and the two of them squished between the bodies to get to the massive beer tower.
Niall was there, grabbing cups off the tower and chugging down the beer like he was a bottomless pit. Some people around him were hooting and cheering him on. Niall just laughed as he drowned cup after cup, not even getting tipsy. He clapped Louis and Harry on the back when they came over and offered them each a cup of beer.
“This is gross,” Louis scrunched up his nose after one sip and Harry had to agree. It tasted like wet socks.
“I could only afford cheap beer,” a deep voice rang out over the noisy party, making the two boys turn their heads.
There, right behind them, stood God himself. Or Zayn, actually, but he was looking like a god with his creamy skin and sculpted face. No wonder everyone came to his party, Harry thought. Who wouldn't want to shag this guy?
“Louis and Harry, isn't it?” Zayn continued and Harry was shocked he knew their names. “I'm Zayn and I would like to humbly apologize for my shitty beer.”
“It's fine, mate,” Louis laughed good naturedly, “I don't think anybody minds the beer quality anyway,” he pointed at Niall, who was still dumping beer in his mouth. God bless that leprechaun.
Zayn chuckled and studied Louis with a new look in his eyes and, oh, Harry knew that look. It was the same one Liam and Niall had when they came up to Louis. Zayn was interested, and this time, Harry was ready.
“You’re quite amusing,” Zayn peeked at Louis seductively, “dance with me?”
Harry was so prepared. He waited for Louis to say the words, something like, “nah, man. Harry here is my boyfriend”, and this time he was ready. If Louis wasn't attracted towards Zayn, Harry would gladly help him escape an awkward situation.
He waited.
But Louis didn't say it.
“Yeah, sure,” Louis nodded instead, turning to look at Harry as Zayn pulled him away. “Catch you later, Harry.”
Harry's jaw was wide open as he watched Louis and Zayn push through the crowd. How was this possible? The one time Harry had actually expected to be called Louis’ boyfriend turned out to be the one time Louis was interested in someone else?
A huge feeling of disappointment surged through Harry's body and he couldn't explain it. It was no big deal, right? He was happy that Louis snagged someone as gorgeous as Zayn but…
Instead of analyzing his feelings, Harry chose to drown his sorrows in crappy beer.
Unfortunately for him, lousy beer wasn't easy to get wasted on. After a couple of cups, Harry still felt far too sober when he spotted Zayn and Louis getting down and dirty beside the speakers that were blasting out punk beats.
Everybody was kind of observing them because they were, like, the hottest couple here. Louis and Zayn were too close to each other for Harry's liking, and they were grinding and it was hot but Harry didn't like it. He wanted to dance with Louis like that. Zayn was reaching to grab Louis’ ass and no. Just no.
Suddenly making a decision, Harry threw his plastic cup over his shoulder and got up, stomping determinedly over to Louis and Zayn. He pushed people out of his way, and when he got to the hot couple, he pulled Louis out of Zayn's arms.
Before anybody could protest, Harry told Zayn, “sorry, bud, but Louis is actually my boyfriend. So if you were looking for a good fuck, I suggest you find someone else.”
Both Louis and Zayn were stunned to silence. Zayn stepped back and nodded, saying, “okay. That's cool. I'll see you guys around.” Then he hurried away with his boner.
Louis wiggled out of Harry's grip and turned to glare at him. “What the hell was that for? I'm not your boyfriend, Harry!”
Harry ignored the sharp pang he felt at those words. “Well, you've called me your boyfriend twice now, it's only fair I get to do it too!” He wasn't even drunk and he still sounded like an immature little kid.
Louis groaned, then grabbed Harry's wrist and started dragging him to the exit. “I can't concentrate in here. We need to talk.”
Harry let Louis lead him away from the suffocating party until they were standing outside Zayn's door. Harry could still hear the muffled boom of the music coming from inside the house. Louis wasn't looking at his eyes.
“I'm sorry I said I was your boyfriend,” Harry muttered before Louis could say anything, picking at his shirt. “I know you really liked Zayn but… I guess I was just jealous.”
Louis gawked up at him. “Jealous? Of who?”
Harry blushed and he wished he was more drunk. “Umm, Zayn. Jealous of Zayn.”
Louis stayed quiet for the longest time and Harry was afraid he blew it. First, he chased away Louis’ chances of having a shag with a hot guy and now he was kind of implying he wanted to shag Louis instead. This was a mess.
Might as well make it even more of a mess.
“Maybe… Maybe I really do want to be your boyfriend,” Harry admitted slowly. “Like, for real.”
“Harry,” Louis said softly but Harry didn't dare look at him.
“I totally ruined our friendship, didn't I?” Harry sighed.
“Yeah. You did,” Louis confirmed before kissing him.
Harry was so taken aback that he just stood there like a tree and let Louis kiss him. When it finally occurred to him that he should probably kiss Louis back, they'd both ran out of air.
“Sorry,” Louis wiped his lips as he pulled back. “Sorry if that's not what you wanted, um.”
Harry panicked when Louis backed away, because he just now realized that this was exactly what he wanted. For a long time now.
“It is,” Harry quickly assured him, grabbing Louis’ arms and holding him there. “It is, but I didn't know that's what you wanted. I mean, you like me?”
Louis laughed breathlessly. “Of course I like you! That whole calling you my boyfriend thing wasn't so I could get out of going on dates. I was subtly trying to say I actually wanted you to be my real boyfriend, but then I thought you weren't interested!”
Harry wrapped his arms around Louis. “Lou, I'm more than interested. Seeing you with Zayn made me want to cry, if I'm honest.”
Laughing, Louis hugged him back. “If it helps, I was never into Zayn, I was just trying to forget you. Not into Niall or Liam either. I've only wanted you.”
“I'm yours,” Harry said and leaned in to kiss Louis again. “I've always been, really. All yours, you can have everything.”
Harry didn't mind being this cheesy and sappy if it made Louis smile into their kiss like he was doing now. Louis tugged on his curly hair and Harry stepped forward, pushing Louis’ back against Zayn's door.
Bad move. The door had to swing open at this moment and Louis squeaked before falling onto his back, Harry tumbling on top of him. Their noses bumped and Harry blushed. There was a chorus of “aww”s above them, making Louis and Harry look up.
“They’re so cute,” Niall cooed and Liam and Zayn nodded in agreement from beside him.
Louis and Harry flipped them off at the same time, then laughed as they rolled off each other. Niall, Liam and Zayn already thought they were dating, and now that they really were, it made the whole thing more exciting.
The next time Louis said Harry was his boyfriend, they were both smiling.
Louis was smiling because he loved calling Harry his boyfriend and Harry was smiling because he knew this time, it was for real.