I Don't Love You (And I Always Will)

Chapter Fourteen

Hey! Hope you all enjoy this chapter. 

Disclaimer: This is a work of FICTION not meant to imply anything about anyone or anything mentioned in the work. 

Harry

Sometime over the last two months Harry has been in New York, weekly game nights become an unspoken tradition for the (not so) little friend group that took him in. It's one of Harry's favorite things in the world. Playing Monopoly and watching Louis yell at Niall because he took a property Louis wanted just makes Harry feel like he belongs.

Sure, Harry still isn't very close with some people in the group. Mostly Zayn. The only people who are close to Zayn seem to be Louis and Gigi, so Harry doesn't take it personally. He just has to work harder. Speaking of, Harry has been working harder than he thought was even possible. Every day, Harry wakes up at five in the morning, and gets to the studio by six. Then he runs on the treadmill until seven, watching old performance videos to keep him distracted. Until eight, Harry stretches and strengthens in the weight room. Then, he gets a coffee and waits for dancers to start pouring in for class. After evening rehearsals, Harry goes to a pliates class with Eleanor. Then he goes to bed after dinner, maybe a date with Adam, and does it all again the next day. It's exhausting, but Harry refuses to fuck up his chance to dance the Sugarplum's Cavalier.

Harry's packing up his stuff to go to pliates with El when Niall finds him on Friday. He's exhausted from rehearsal, but if he stops going to pliates his abs might get weaker. Which will ruin his balance. So, he goes.

"Harry! Wait up mate, gotta talk to you about game night tonight!" Niall calls from across the studio, speed walking attempting to get to Harry before he leaves. Harry waits, but knows he doesn't have time for a long conversation before pliates. He's got ten minutes to get to the basement before the class starts. "Okay so," Niall says when he finally reaches the other side of the rehearsal studio, "Lou and I can't host game night tonight. Neither can the girls. They have to leave early for their ski trip tomorrow, and Lou painted our living room yesterday. I swear the smell got me high, but that's not the primary goal for tonight."

"Can Liam host? He doesn't have any roommates, right?" Harry says, while walking out into the hallway with Niall by his side. "Or what about Zayn?" To be honest, Harry has no clue what Zayn does outside of their interactions, so he might actually live in the costume closet. Harry wants to make a closet joke, but he doesn't know Zayn's sexuality, so that pun will have to be laid to rest.

"No, Liam's apartment is being exterminated for termites, so he's been sleeping on the girl's couch. And Zayn just won't let any of us in his apartment out of principle." Niall responds, scoffing a bit.

"So that leaves me huh." Harry says, turning the corner into the basement stairwell. Niall follows, making an affirmative noise. "Niall, I cannot stress to you how much I hate my apartment."

"I'm sure it will be fine!" Niall exclaims cheerily, the sound bouncing off the cement basement walls. "And I'm sure your apartment isn't even that shitty." Harry levels him with a look.

"My apartment isn't shitty. I just- ugh. I can't explain it." Harry waves his hands, trying to communicate since his verbal skills are lacking at the moment.

"Then we'll find out ourselves!" Niall says, leaving Harry with a quick pat on the shoulder, and seven people coming to his apartment in three hours.

**************************

Harry had to sprint home from pliates that night, in an attempt to make it home in time to clean his apartment before game night. Luckily, his apartment just needed a quick tidying up. He, however, needed a shower, as he smelled like a high school boy's locker room. Harry hastily cleaned himself, blow dried his hair, and threw on a pair of black skinnies and a grey crewneck sweatshirt. Then he took a breath for what felt like the first time all day.