Keep It Casual

2

Harry woke up early with a nasty hangover and anxiety. He snuck out of the house and headed home since he didn't want to face Louis in the morning. He was too embarrassed. Unfortunately, he remembered everything from last night.

Life went back to normal except for one difference. Louis said hi to him in the hallways at school whenever they crossed paths. Usually with a smirk and Harry wanted to sink through the floor but he always greeted him back.

Two weeks later Niall convinced him to tag along to another party. He stayed away from the alcohol this time.

Louis was also there. They didn't talk but Harry was well aware of his presence in the room. He was sitting on the sofa next to his cheerleader girlfriend Eleanor. Harry had heard that they had been a couple since freshman year.

They were drinking and laughing. Harry headed to the kitchen to find a soft drink. He spent thirty minutes drinking a Coke before he decided to go home but he had to take a wee first. The bathroom downstairs was occupied so he snuck upstairs hoping for a second bathroom. He opened the first door and stepped into a bedroom. Two people were making out on the bed.
"Oh! Sorry!" Harry apologized and the couple broke free and stared at him.

His eyes grew wide when he realized that the girl was Louis' girlfriend but the boy wasn't Louis. He hurried to get out of the room and slammed the door shut.
"Is that the bathroom?"

Harry turned around at the speed of lightning because he knew that voice.
"No!"

"Alright, alright, calm down." Louis chuckled.

Harry was shielding the door with his body. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know Louis. He had no idea what kind of relationship he and his girlfriend had. Maybe they had like an open one where they could be with other people? He didn't think so. He had never heard about Louis hooking up with someone else and as one of the most popular guys at school, people would talk about something like that. Should he tell him? If it was his partner he would like to know. It wasn't really his place to tell, or was it?
"Why are you looking so weird?" Louis asked.

"Uhm, eh... You and Eleanor, do you see other people?" Harry stuttered.

"No." Louis replied with furrowed eyebrows then he looked at the door. He looked worried.
"Harry? Who's in there?"

"If I tell you will you just trust me and not look for yourself?" Harry asked.

"Move, Harry." Louis said.

"You don't wanna see that." Harry protested.

"Move the fuck away from the door." Louis said and pushed him to the side and slammed the door open.

Harry hurried to find the bathroom as soon as they started arguing. He felt so bad for Louis' sake. He shouldn't have said anything. Technically didn't but he should have lied. Spared Louis hurt feelings. That wasn't right either. Louis shouldn't walk around and not know that his girlfriend was cheating on him. That was worse. Right?

He hurried to take a leak and wash his hands before he headed downstairs. He couldn't leave now. He had to make sure that Louis was okay. Of course he wasn't!

He kept an eye on the stairway. Five minutes later the guy Eleanor had been with came running down and headed for the front door. A few minutes later a crying Eleanor did the same.

Louis finally walked down the stairs. He looked angry. They made eye contact.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"What the fuck do you think?" Louis snorted.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Louis." Harry said.

"Why? You didn't cheat on me. Leave me alone, Harry." Louis muttered and headed to the kitchen.

In the next hour Harry watched from afar as Louis downed one drink after another. Soon enough he was absolutely smashed.
"Alright, Louis. It's time for you to go home before you break something." One of the guys from the football team, Liam said.

"I don't think he's capable of walking himself home." One of the other guys, Zayn said.

"Harry? Can you help him get home? You live next to each other." Niall shouted.

Harry hesitated but stepped forward.
"Sure. Is that okay, Louis?"

"Whatever." Louis muttered but started walking toward him.

Harry said goodbye to Niall and hurried after Louis who was already at the front door, almost falling over. Harry wrapped an arm around his back.
"I'm good." Louis slurred.

Harry let go of him and they stepped outside. Louis almost fell over so Harry grabbed him again.
"You helped me home once. Let me return the favor."

"Fine." Louis replied and threw his arm around Harry's shoulders.

They only lived two streets down. They didn't talk on the way home. Harry just steadied him as they walked. They reached Louis' house and Harry stopped. Louis sighed.
"Me mum is home and she will see that I'm drunk but most importantly, she will see that I'm sad. Any chance I can crash at your house tonight? I can't deal with that right now."

"Uhm, my mum is home. She will see that you're drunk and tell your mum. Sorry, that's just how she is." Harry replied.

"Right." Louis sighed.

"Ehm, but my room is downstairs. If you climb in through the window and keep quiet you can stay over. I mean, you'd have to stay in my room then. I can't offer you another one." Harry said.

"That's fine. Works for me." Louis said.

"Okay. Come on then." Harry said and walked over the lawn, hoping that neither of their mums would look out a window.

They made it to the back of his house and he stopped outside a window.
"Wait here. Give me a minute and I'll let you in."

"Okay. Thanks." Louis said.

Harry let go of him and hurried around the house. He got inside and ran into the living room where his mum and dad were watching a movie.
"Hi, I'm home. I'm super tired. Going to bed."

"What's the hurry? Did you have fun?" His mum asked.

"I'm just tired. Yeah. It was okay." Harry said.

He knew that his mum was looking for signs that he was drunk. He walked over and gave her a hug.
"Good night."

"Good night." His mum smiled.

He filled a glass of water on his way through the kitchen and headed to his room. He quietly grabbed a bucket from the broom closet on his way.

He hurried to close the door behind him and ran over to the window and opened it.
"Louis?" He whispered.

"I'm here." Louis whispered back.

He helped him to get inside and Louis almost knocked over a lamp. They both giggled quietly. They tried to be quiet. Harry handed him a glass of water.
"Drink."

"Thanks," Louis said quietly.

He walked around the room looking at the posters on the walls and the books on the shelf. Harry was nervous. Louis Tomlinson was in his room. Sleeping over!