Give Me Truths || l.s

chapter 13

It was actually Niall who first brought up the idea of bringing Harry out of his shell. “We gotta get you to a party, mate,” he told him when Harry announced he’d be spending another Friday night in. “You’ve been at uni for two and a half months now, and you have, what, four friends?”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with having a small group of friends,” added Louis defensively. “The size of your social circle is entirely your choice.” Niall, I swear to god if you give this kid a complex about his social life-

“I think I’d like to have more friends,” Harry said slowly. “I mean- it’s not that you’re not all great. But I like people.”

“And people like you,” Niall declared. “You’re like Louis, bloody charming all the time.”

Harry just looked simply delighted to be compared to Louis. “So how do I get, like, invited to parties?”

“You just have to know people. And luckily,” said Niall with a wiggle of his eyebrows, “you’re friends with someone on the footie team and this little socialite. Any of your friends throwing a party this weekend, Tommo?”

“Erm. I wouldn’t know,” Louis said honestly. He’d been spending most of his time this semester with Harry and the lads, at the expense of his friendships with all of the other misfits on campus. Which probably wasn’t such a bad thing, in the end. The idea of Harry hanging out in some grungey, smoke-filled flat in the sketchy part of town was almost funny enough to laugh at.

Niall was undeterred. “What about you, Li?”

“After I used my new team captain authority to scare them all out of drinking too hard and throwing off their game? Probably not.”

“Damn. Okay. Uh, Zayn?”

“We’re art students. We don’t really party…?”

“It’s up to you, then, Niall,” Louis said with a smirk. “Your idea anyways.”

“I just hang out with whoever’s around me dorm,” Niall replied with a shrug. “Although- I think one of the lads upstairs is having a little get-together tonight! Not like a party party, but. You know. People and alcohol in a room having a good time, so.”

There was still some nervousness in Harry’s face, but his eyes were bright and enthusiastic. “That sounds okay. Could we- is it okay if we go? If I go, I mean. But. We, really, because I don’t want to go by myself.”

“I’m in,” Louis immediately supplied. There’s no way I’m sending you into a strange situation by yourself, that’s for damn sure.

The others quickly chorused their agreement, and so a plan was set in motion. Liam and Niall had one last class of the day, and Zayn insisted he needed to do some work back at their flat, so Harry and Louis were left to their own devices for a few hours. Most of the time was spent watching a movie. The rest of it was Harry fretting and Louis assuring him that yes, his outfit was fine, and no, he wasn’t supposed to bring anything, and of course, Louis would stay with him the entire night if he wanted.

They made their way to Niall’s dorm, the designated meeting place, almost a half hour early. Louis didn’t mention how being early to a party was literally the only time punctuality was a bad thing. “Let’s at least just hang out at Niall’s room for a bit first,” he said gently, guiding them to the other boy’s door.

Inside, they found not only Niall, but also Zayn, side by side on the bed looking at something on Niall’s laptop. The smile Zayn wore was brighter than any Louis had ever seen him give, with his constant state of quiet, brooding contemplation. “What’s this, then?” Louis teased, making both of them jump in surprise. “Having fun without me?”