branching out l.s.

eight

Harry walked into the living room and placed his hands on his slim hips.

"Sorry," Louis apologized. "Fiancé."

"That's better. I've been waiting to hear that for a long time, so you need to say it as much as possible."

"Yes, sir," Louis saluted. "I mean; yes, fiancé. Fiancé. Fiancé."

"Don't act like you're not as excited about this as I am."

"Of course I am. I've been waiting five years to put a ring on that finger."

"You liked it, so you put a ring on it."

"Sure I did, Beyoncé."

"Do you realize that Beyoncé and fiancé kind of rhyme?"

"Stop. Can we go now? It's not every day my little sister graduates from high school."

"I'm pretty sure you said the exact same thing when Lottie graduated," Harry replied.

"And I'll say it again when the twins and Doris graduate."

"And when Ernie graduates?"

"Obviously, I'll say that it's not every day that my brother graduates," Louis scoffed. "Which will be true. He is my only brother."

"Hey listen, don't embarrass Fizzy like you did to Lottie. That was terrible."

"What? I was just stating a fact."

"Just, no peeing stories, OK? Or anything like it?"

"Fine," Louis promised reluctantly. "Nothing embarrassing from kindergarten, because that's mean."

"Thank you. Now let's go. We're going to be late."

---

By the time Louis and Harry arrived to Fizzy's school, everybody else was already there.

It wasn't hard to spot the entire Tomlinson clan huddled together near the front of the auditorium, with two seats saved on the aisle.

"There you are," Jay huffed. "I thought you two would never get here."

"Of course we're here," Louis smiled after kissing his mom on the cheek. "Like I'd ever miss one of the girls' graduations."

"You're lucky you got here when you did," Dan told him. "There have been quite a few parents with eagle eyes on your seats. I don't know if we could've fought them all off."

"If that happened, I'd sic Harry on 'em. Nobody takes my seats."

"You really think I could do anything against grumbling parents?" Harry asked skeptically. "I'm about as threatening as a tree frog."

"Yeah, but when you get really angry, babe, you're actually a little terrifying. Plus, fiancé, that ring on your finger could be used as a deadly weapon."

"It is quite heavy," Harry admitted.

"And beautiful," Jay gushed. "Did you boys see the article where I talked about you?"

"You mean the one you e-mailed directly to them, Mom?" Lottie laughed.

"I wanted to make sure they read it. You really did inspire my new menswear line, you know."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Thank you, Jay."

"So when is the wedding, by the way?" Jay questioned.

"Mom, we've been engaged for three days. Literally. Three days. Can we live?"

"Really, Jay, they have plenty of time," Dan agreed.