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Louis elbowed his way through the swarm of people in the crowded party, needing to go outside and get some air. Although the mid July air wasn't much cooler than inside the abandoned building the party was being held in, he figured that since it was fresher and didn't smell of sweat and alcohol, it was a bit better.
The outside of the building was covered with graffiti, discarded plastic cups and old car parts littered the yard. Just as he was thinking about having a smoke, he noticed someone across the yard sitting on the tailgate of a truck, just barely illuminated enough by the moonlight that Louis could make out a silhouette: shoulder length ringlets and a bottle of whiskey in their hand, swinging their long legs back and forth.
Louis didn't realize he was staring until the person-a boy-looked up at him, his green eyes catching the moonlight, Louis could do nothing but politely wave, embarrassed to be caught practically gawking at the boy, he probably thought Louis was some creep or an idiot. He hadn't said a word to him and he was worried he'd already given a bad impression. But all his worries faded when the curly haired boy flashed him a wide grin warmer than the summer night itself.
He was just smiling back when the still-unnamed boy called out "Hey! Come over here, I'm lonely."
Louis obeyed, not being able to decline as it was more of a command than an offer. Not until he got close enough to make out his features did he realize- wow, this guy was hot.
"Hi, I'm Harry." The boy, who Louis now knew as Harry, said, still with that dimpled grin on his face. Louis stuttered out a weak "Hi", before he realized he hadn't introduced himself properly.
"Uh.. I mean, hi Harry, I'm Louis." he declared, with a bit more confidence in his voice.
"Louis, you seem like you need a drink." Harry giggled and tilted the bottle towards Louis, who was extremely tempted to take the drink, since his friends had ditched him inside when they were the ones forcing him to go to the party yet he hadn't had any fun all night and Harry was so attractive and the pros really outweighed the cons, especially with the look in Harry's eyes that held promises of an amazing night.
So Louis grabbed the bottle from Harry's hands in a might-as-well kind of way and took a long swig, the not exactly cold liquid felt strange going down, but Louis did feel slightly better after drinking it.
Harry laughed when noticed Louis grimacing at the taste. "Yeah, it's kind of warm and disgusting." He chuckled.
"Well then why d'you drink it?"
"Makes me feel better, and it makes everything funnier." Then Harry proceeded to laugh at himself, which caused Louis to laugh, and soon they were a giggling half-drunk mess, Louis having to lean up against the bed of the truck to hold himself up.
The laughter subsided and a moment of comfortable silence passed before Harry softly said "Lou, sit next to me" as he patted the spot on the tailgate next to him.
Louis gently hoisted himself up, still blushing from the nickname, and scooted close to Harry. He noticed that Harry had a really comforting smell, like laundry soap and cologne and the faintest hint of peppermint.
Harry looked over and noticed Louis was lost in thought, and he looked so picturesque like that, just staring up at the stars and for a moment Harry thought about kissing him but then remembered they were practically strangers, so instead he just said "Lou, you're really beautiful."
At this Louis blushed heavily, smiling and looking down, "Uh.. Thank you Harry, that's really sweet of you. But I think it's just the alcohol talking." Louis didn't think he was ugly, but he definitely didn't think he was beautiful. He was nothing special, just a college student from Doncaster who happened to come to a party tonight and was now sitting next to this boy who supposedly thought he was beautiful and was tying his stomach in knots with the way he was looking at him- like he meant it.
"No, bullshit, I've had 3 sips okay, I wouldn't lie to you about that. You really are beautiful."
Not knowing where to take the conversation, Louis sat next to him, blushing for a few moments then getting an idea, he twisted his face into a smirk and said, rather confidently, "Then prove it."
Harry just looked at him, confused. "What do you mean, how would I do that?"
"I mean prove it, prove that you think I'm beautiful, kiss me."
Now that was the alcohol talking.
"I- uh.. Well," Harry couldn't think of a good reason not to, other than he was nervous, despite the slight buzz he was feeling due to the bottle of whiskey.
So he did it, he leaned in and kissed Louis, who he did think was beautiful, rather passionately. And he hoped that kiss was good enough to make him realize that he really, truly was gorgeous.
"Did that prove it?" Harry said with a smirk, "Do you feel beautiful?"
"I feel.." Louis began, dropping the sentence as if he was thinking, "Like kissing you again" he finished with a flirty giggle- as if he needed to flirt at this point.
"Well I wouldn't mind kissing you again either."
And they did kiss again, and again and again, and by the end of the night when both of their lips were numb, and it just about felt like time for a departure, Harry whispered to Louis in the dark,
"Lou, please stay here with me, I'm so sick of sleeping alone."
And so they fell asleep, right there in the bed of the truck, the crescent moon still shining above them.